Part 93 (2/2)

”No,” said Edwin.

”Really!” Johnnie murmured, with a falsely ingenuous air. After a pause he said: ”They've left you all alone, then?”

”I was in the breakfast-room,” said Edwin, when he had given further information.

They walked into the breakfast-room together. Charlie's cigarette-case lay on the tray.

”Those your cigarettes?” Johnnie inquired.

”No. They're Charlie's.”

”Oh! Master Charlie's, are they? I wonder if they're any good.” He took one fastidiously. Between two enormous outblowings of smoke he said: ”Well, I'm dashed! So Charlie's come with her! I hope the kid'll soon be better... I should have been back long ago, only I took Mrs Chris Hamson home.”

”Who's Mrs Chris Hamson?”

”Don't you know her? She's a ripping woman.”

He stood there in all the splendour of thirty years, with more than Charlie's naivete, politely trying to enter into the life of the household, but failing to do so because of his preoccupation with the rippingness of Mrs Chris Hamson. The sight of him gave pleasure to Edwin. It did not occur to him to charge the young man with being callous.

When the cigarette was burnt, Johnnie said--

”Well, I think I shall leave seeing Charlie till breakfast.”

And he went to bed. On reaching the first-floor corridor he wished that he had gone to bed half a minute sooner; for in the corridor he encountered Janet, who had risen and was returning to her post; and Janet's face, though she meant it not, was an accusation. Four o'clock had struck.

FIVE.

It was nearly half-past seven before Edwin left the house. In the meantime he had seen Charlie briefly twice, and Janet once, but he had not revisited the sick-room nor seen Hilda again. The boy's condition was scarcely altered; if there was any change, it was for the better.

Dawn had broken. The fog was gone, but a faint mist hung in the trees over the damp lawn. The air was piercingly chill. Yawning and glancing idly about him, he perceived a curious object on the dividing wall. It was the candlestick which he had left there on the previous night. The candle was entirely consumed. ”I may as well get over the wall,” he said to himself, and he scrambled up it with adventurous cheerfulness, and took the candlestick with him; it was covered with drops of moisture. He deposited it in the kitchen, where the servant was cleaning the range. On the oak chest in the hall lay the ”Manchester Guardian,” freshly arrived. He opened it with another heavy yawn. At the head of one column he read, ”Death of the Duke of Clarence,” and at the head of another, ”Death of Cardinal Manning.” The double news shocked him strangely. He thought of what those days had been to others beside himself. And he thought: ”Supposing after all the kid doesn't come through?”

VOLUME FOUR, CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

HER HEART.

After having been to business and breakfasted as usual, Edwin returned to the shop at ten o'clock. He did not feel tired, but his manner was very curt, even with Stifford, and melancholy had taken the place of his joy. The whole town was gloomy, and seemed to savour its gloom luxuriously. But Edwin wondered why he should be melancholy. There was no reason for it. There was less reason for it than there had been for ten years. Yet he was; and, like the town, he found pleasure in his state. He had no real desire to change it. At noon he suddenly went off home, thus upsetting Stifford's arrangements for the dinner-hour.

”I shall lie down for a bit,” he said to Maggie. He slept till a little after one o'clock, and he could have slept longer, but dinner was ready.

He said to himself, with an extraordinary sense of satisfaction, ”I have had a sleep.” After dinner he lay down again, and slept till nearly three o'clock. It was with the most agreeable sensations that he awakened. His melancholy was pa.s.sing; it had not entirely gone, but he could foresee the end of it as of an eclipse. He made the discovery that he had only been tired. Now he was somewhat reposed. And as he lay in repose he was aware of an intensified perception of himself as a physical organism. He thought calmly, ”What a fine thing life is!”

”I was just going to bring you some tea up,” said Maggie, who met him on the stairs as he came down. ”I heard you moving. Will you have some?”

He rubbed his eyes. His head seemed still to be distended with sleep, and this was a part of his well-being. ”Aye!” he replied, with lazy satisfaction. ”That'll just put me right.”

”George is much better,” said Maggie.

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