Part 26 (1/2)

”I know that's what you said, but it's only an excuse, isn't it?” she asked bluntly.

Forrester smiled. ”I don't think it's worth arguing about, anyway,” he said.

”Don't you? Well, I do,” said Peg. She went back and shut the door, which was on the jar only, and came again to stand beside him.

”There's none so blind as those who won't see,” she said with seeming irrelevance.

Forrester laid down his pen and half turned in his chair.

”What do you mean?” he asked quietly.

Peg coloured a little, but her eyes met his steadily.

”I mean that you ought to look after your wife yourself,” she said.

There was no mistaking her meaning, and Forrester made no attempt to do so.

There was a little silence; then he laughed shortly.

”And supposing my wife refuses to allow me to look after her?” he asked.

Peg shrugged her shoulders impatiently.

”What's the good of being a big, strong man like you if you can't master one little slip of a girl?” she said.

The Beggar Man coloured.

”I've said all that to myself scores of times,” he answered frankly; ”but it's not in me to bully any woman. I thought it was; I know better now.” He looked up at her deprecatingly. ”You've been honest with me,”

he said, ”and I'll be honest with you. My marriage is the biggest mistake of my life, and I've made a few in my time. If--if Faith wishes to be free of me, well----”

Peg pulled at the strings of her gaudy veil as if they were choking her.

”Oh, she's a fool--a silly little fool!” she cried bitterly. ”Sometimes I can hardly keep my hands off her when I see----” She broke off, her pa.s.sion dying away as quickly as it had arisen. ”I beg your pardon,” she said bluntly.

There was an eloquent silence; then she broke out again with a most strange humility:

”Mr. Forrester, come with us to-day. Please come with us.”

Forrester knew Peg well enough to know also that there was some deep reason for her request, and, in spite of what he had just said, his heart contracted with a fierce pain as he thought of the rapidly-growing friends.h.i.+p between his wife and Digby.

”Please,” said Peg again, and impulsively she laid her hand on his shoulder.

The Beggar Man looked down at her firm, strong fingers irresolutely.

Then suddenly he lifted his hand and covered them with a warm pressure.

”Very well, but it's only because you have asked me,” he said.

He rose and began pus.h.i.+ng the pile of papers away into a drawer, and Peg walked out of the room, her head drooping, her face quivering.

She met Faith in the hall.