Part 3 (2/2)
Mr. Shalford, the draper at Folkestone to whom he was to be bound apprentice, had expressed a wish to ”shape the lad a bit” before the autumn sale. Kipps became aware that his box was being packed, and gathered the full truth of things on the evening before his departure.
He became feverishly eager to see Ann just once more. He made silly and needless excuses to go out into the yard, he walked three times across the street without any excuse at all, to look up at the p.o.r.nick windows.
Still she was hidden. He grew desperate. It was within half an hour of his departure that he came on Sid.
”h.e.l.lo!” he said; ”I'm orf!”
”Business?”
”Yes.”
Pause.
”I say, Sid. You going 'ome?”
”Straight now.”
”D'you mind? Ask Ann about that.”
”About what?”
”She'll know.”
And Sid said he would. But even that, it seemed, failed to evoke Ann.
At last the Folkestone bus rumbled up, and he ascended. His aunt stood in the doorway to see him off. His uncle a.s.sisted with the box and portmanteau. Only furtively could he glance up at the p.o.r.nick windows, and still it seemed Ann hardened her heart against him. ”Get up!” said the driver, and the hoofs began to clatter. No--she would not come out even to see him off. The bus was in motion, and old Kipps was going back into his shop. Kipps stared in front of him, a.s.suring himself that he did not care.
He heard a door slam, and instantly craned out his neck to look back. He knew that slam so well. Behold! out of the haberdasher's door a small, untidy figure in homely pink print had shot resolutely into the road, and was sprinting in pursuit. In a dozen seconds she was abreast of the bus. At the sight of her Kipps' heart began to beat very quickly, but he made no immediate motion of recognition.
”Artie!” she cried breathlessly, ”Artie! Artie! You know! I got _that_!”
The bus was already quickening its pace, and leaving her behind again, when Kipps realized what ”that” meant. He became animated, he gasped, and gathered his courage together, and mumbled an incoherent request to the driver to ”stop jest a jiff for sunthin'.” The driver grunted, as the disparity of their years demanded, and then the bus had pulled up, and Ann was below.
She leapt up upon the wheel. Kipps looked down into Ann's face, and it was foreshortened and resolute. He met her eyes just for one second as their hands touched. He was not a reader of eyes. Something pa.s.sed quickly from hand to hand, something that the driver, alert at the corner of his eye, was not allowed to see. Kipps hadn't a word to say, and all she said was, ”I done it, 'smorning.” It was like a blank s.p.a.ce in which something pregnant should have been written and wasn't. Then she dropped down, and the bus moved forward.
After the lapse of about ten seconds it occurred to him to stand and wave his new bowler hat at her over the corner of the bus top, and to shout hoa.r.s.ely, ”Goo-bye, Ann! Don' forget me--while I'm away!”
She stood in the road looking after him, and presently she waved her hand.
He remained standing unstably, his bright, flushed face looking back at her, and his hair fluffing in the wind, and he waved his hat until at last the bend of the road hid her from his eyes. Then he turned about and sat down, and presently he began to put the half sixpence he held clenched in his hand into his trouser pocket. He looked sideways at the driver, to judge how much he had seen.
Then he fell a-thinking. He resolved that, come what might, when he came back to New Romney at Christmas, he would by hook or by crook kiss Ann.
Then everything would be perfect and right, and he would be perfectly happy.
CHAPTER II
THE EMPORIUM
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