Part 50 (2/2)
”It is said they ain't married at all,” Mrs. Tuke remarked one evening, as she laid his supper on the table.
”But n.o.body knows,” Rufus said, wearily, looking up from his book.
”Well, not for certain. But if they was married, don't you think as how it would have leaked out somehow?”
”They may have been married quietly without a dozen people knowing.”
”But why should they be married on the sly? Sir Charles seemed mighty proud that the Captain was going to marry her before he turned up.”
”Yes, I believe that is so.”
”And the young man was that gone on her, that if she'd consented to marry him, he'd never have been able to keep it to himself.”
”It might be her wish, and I think he would do almost anything to oblige her.”
”No, he couldn't have done it, however much he'd tried. He'd just burst, that he would.”
”Then what is your theory, Mrs. Tuke?”
”Well, I don't know that I has any theory. You see, if they ain't married, where are they?”
”Exactly,” Rufus said, with a smile; ”that is a very pertinent question.”
”And if they ain't married, I say they can't be together.”
”That sounds probable, certainly.”
”And if they ain't together, where's he?”
”Exactly; and where's she?”
”That's the very question I was going to ax myself, but you took the words out of my mouth as it were.”
”I'm sorry I forestalled you, Mrs. Tuke, but----”
”Oh, you needn't apologise, Mr. Sterne, not a bit. This is a free country, and anybody is allowed to ax as many questions as he likes. But to come back to the point we was talking about, the question is, where's she, and where's the both of 'em?”
”Sir Charles is still silent on the subject, I presume?”
”As silent as a boiled periwinkle by all accounts. The servants say they haven't heard him mention the Captain's name since he came back.”
”Perhaps they have quarrelled.”
”Well, my belief is that if the Captain failed to carry off the girl as his bride, Sir Charles would be terrible angry.”
”Then you have a theory after all, Mrs. Tuke?”
<script>