Part 18 (2/2)
”Little man's just come, so I did a bunk. I didn't wait to hear his revelations about the lovely suffragette----”
”I don't believe he'll tell,” Buz said; ”he's not a bad little chap, he wasn't a bit s.h.i.+rty, helped me out of those beastly clothes and never said a word; took them with him too, so's they shouldn't be found here.
I say, by the way, tell Adele to get the jacket mended and I'll pay it whenever I can get any money. I'm frightfully sorry about that--he cut the sleeve right up to get my arm out. Who got the togs?”
”I don't know, he hadn't 'em when he came in----”
”Gave 'em to Fusby, I expect; he'll see they're properly distributed----”
”What happened, did you have a lark?”
”He rose like anything,” Buz chuckled delightedly. ”Chuck us your handkerchief, old chap, mine's in that coat--I'm only sorry for one thing.”
”What's that?”
”I told him if he wouldn't declare for Votes for Women he'd better put up his shutters, and I know he thought I meant to rub it in about his father's shop--I didn't, it would have been beastly; but I'm certain he thought so by the way he flushed up. He's a game little beggar, he wouldn't give in, or palaver or promise. . . . Hullo, here's two more of the family----”
The two more were Reggie Peel and Grantly. The Ffolliots were not demonstrative, but they always shared good-luck or ill, therefore Reggie and Grantly made a bee-line for Miss Gallup's cottage whenever they understood what had happened. They knew nothing of Miss b.u.t.termish, and neither of the younger boys enlightened them.
Miss Gallup returned to find her parlour full of Ffolliots; and just after her came her nephew, accompanied by General Grantly and Mrs Ffolliot, who bore Buz away in the motor to Marlehouse wrapped in a blanket and with the broken arm in a sling.
When they had all gone--the motor towards Marlehouse, the three others to the Manor--Eloquent stood at the open gate for a minute or two and then went out, shutting it after him very softly, so that neither the three walking up the road, nor his aunt waiting at her open door, should hear. Then he, too, set off in the direction of Marlehouse. He had no intention whatever of walking there, but he could not face his aunt just then, nor bear the torrent of questions and comments that he knew would submerge him.
The last hour had been for him an epoch-making, a profound experience, and he wanted, as his aunt would have said, ”to squeege his orange dry.”
A course of action intensely irritating to Miss Gallup, who awaited his return, after seeing the Ffolliots off, with the utmost impatience.
”Wherever could he have got to?”
Em'ly-Alice, however, was longing to be questioned, and Miss Gallup indulged her.
”How did the poor young gentleman break his arm?”
”Fell off 'is bike, 'e did, and it must 'ave bin but a minute or two after the young lady'd gone----
”Young lady! What young lady?” Miss Gallup demanded sternly.
”A young lady as come to see Mr Gallup. Miss b.u.t.termish was 'er name; I remember it most pertikler, because I thought what a funny name.”
”b.u.t.termish, b.u.t.termish,” Miss Gallup repeated; ”where did she come from?”
”That I can't tell you, Miss; I was in the kitchen polis.h.i.+ng the teapot for your tea when there comes a knock at the door, and when I opens it, there stood the young lady. 'Can I see Mr Gallup?' she says, and knowing he was in the parlour I as't her in. She didn't stop long and no sooner was she gone than I hears Mr Gallup runnin' upstairs an' in and out, and presently 'e called out, 'Master Ffolliot's broken 'is arm,' and went off in ever such an 'urry. I see 'im run down the garden, and 'e 'ad 'is portmanteau in 'is 'and----”
”Nonsense,” Miss Gallup said crossly; ”what would he be doing with a portmanteau?”
”That I can't say, mum, but 'e 'ad it, and when 'e'd gone I took the lamp in to the poor young gentleman wot was lyin' all 'uddled up on the sofa--'e said 'thank you' in a m.u.f.fled voice that mournful, and I made up the fire and waited a minute but 'e didn't say no more, so I come away, an' in a few minutes the 'ouse seemed chock-full o' people.
Where they come from pa.s.ses me----”
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