Part 26 (2/2)

Helen vanished, and he found himself alone with Mrs. Wals.h.i.+ngham, which, of course, made him breathless and Boreas-looking for a moment.

”You were one of Helen's pupils in the wood-carving cla.s.s?” asked Mrs.

Wals.h.i.+ngham, regarding him with the quiet watchfulness proper to her position.

”Yes,” said Kipps, ”that's 'ow I 'ad the pleasure----”

”She took a great interest in her wood-carving cla.s.s. She is so energetic, you know, and it gives her an Outlet.”

”I thought she taught something splendid.”

”Everyone says she did very well. Helen, I think, would do anything well that she undertook to do. She's so very clever. And she throws herself into things so.”

She untied her bonnet strings with a pleasant informality.

”She has told me all about her cla.s.s. She used to be full of it. And about your cut hand.”

”Lor'!” said Kipps; ”fancy, telling that!”

”Oh, yes! And how brave you were.”

(Though, indeed, Helen's chief detail had been his remarkable expedient for checking bloodshed.)

Kipps became bright pink. ”She said you didn't seem to feel it a bit.”

Kipps felt he would have to spend weeks over ”The Art of Conversing.”

While he still hung fire Helen returned with the apparatus for afternoon tea upon a tray.

”Do you mind pulling out the table?” asked Mrs. Wals.h.i.+ngham.

That, again, was very homelike. Kipps put down his hat and stick in the corner and, amidst an iron thunder, pulled out a little, rusty, green-painted table, and then in the easiest manner followed Helen in to get chairs.

So soon as he had got rid of his teacup--he refused all food, of course, and they were merciful--he became wonderfully at his ease. Presently he was talking. He talked quite modestly and simply about his changed condition and his difficulties and plans. He spread what indeed had an air of being all his simple little soul before his eyes. In a little while his clipped, defective accent had become less perceptible to their ears, and they began to realise, as the girl with the freckles had long since realised, that there were pa.s.sable aspects of Kipps. He confided, he submitted, and for both of them he had the realest, the most seductively flattering undertone of awe and reverence.

He stopped about two hours, having forgotten how terribly incorrect it is to stay at such a length. They did not mind at all.

CHAPTER III

ENGAGED

--1

Within two months, within a matter of three and fifty days, Kipps had clambered to the battlements of Heart's Desire.

It all became possible by the Wals.h.i.+nghams--it would seem at Coote's instigation--deciding, after all, not to spend the holidays at Bruges.

Instead, they remained in Folkestone, and this happy chance gave Kipps just all these opportunities of which he stood in need.

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