Part 23 (2/2)

After his late hours the night before, Tinker did not get up as early as usual, and he and Elsie decided to forego their bathe in the sea, but went straight to breakfast in the kitchen of the hotel. He found the staff greatly concerned about the trouble which was likely to befall him for borrowing the motor-car. It seemed that on finding it gone, its owner, a M. Cognier, had displayed a wrath of the most terrible. Of course an Argus-eyed busy-body had seen Tinker depart in it; and M.

Cognier, an Anglophobe, had declared his intention of punis.h.i.+ng this insolence of Perfidious Albion by handing him over to the police. Tinker heard all their prophecies of evil with his wonted tranquillity; but he had no little difficulty in setting their minds at rest.

M. Cognier had been impressive.

The two children had finished their breakfast, and were about to set out in search of adventure, when Selina found them and began to set forth a pet.i.tion. She wished to be allowed to enter Tinker's service again. She was, she said, alone in the world once more, for her husband, having spent all her savings, had with determined Scotch thriftiness incontinently died, and left her to s.h.i.+ft for herself. She had been making a mean living as an ironer in a Parisian laundry, when Alexander McNeill had sent for her to Apricale to help him deliver a young lady from the Jesuits; and she saw in her curious meeting with Tinker, at the country seat of the young Monteleone, the finger of Providence pointing the way back to her old situation. Would he lay the matter before his father, and support her pet.i.tion?

Tinker was somewhat taken aback, and said, ”But I'm too old for a nurse.”

”Oh, there are lots of things I could do, Master Tinker. There are really,” said Selina. ”You want a housekeeper when you're at the Refuge, a housekeeper who could get up your linen and Sir Tancred's as they can't do it at Farndon-Pryze. You want someone to look after you, when you've got a cold. You never did take any care of yourself.” She was wringing her hands in her earnestness.

”You'd be a sort of valet-housekeeper then,” said Tinker, pondering the matter.

”Yes, and I should want very little wages. All I want is to be in your service again. I never ought to have left it. I never had no real peace all the time I was married, what with wondering how you were being looked after, and whether you was ill or not. I always took in _The Morning Post_, though Angus did grumble at the expense, all the time I was in Paris, on purpose to see where you was; and every day I looked at the Births, Deaths, and Marriages first, to see if anything had happened to you.”

She stopped; and Tinker was silent a while, thinking; then he said, ”Do you think you could act as maid to Elsie?”

”Why, of course I could, Master Tinker!”

”She wants someone to brush her hair most,” said Tinker thoughtfully.

”I don't want a maid. And I don't want anyone to brush my hair but you,”

said Elsie firmly. ”No one could do it so well.”

”Oh, you'll soon get used to Selina's doing it,” said Tinker cheerfully.

”And you'll find it so much more--so much more important having a maid of your own. You'll feel so grown-up, don't you know? I tell you what, we'll go upstairs, and Selina can have a try at it, while I talk to my father.”

Elsie shook her head doubtfully; but she came. Tinker left them at the door of Elsie's room, and went to his father. He found him dressing, and after bidding him good-morning, came at once to the matter in hand.

”Selina wants to come back to us,” he said. ”She thinks she could be useful as valet-housekeeper and maid to Elsie. She's awfully keen on it.”

”If she wants to come back, she most certainly can,” said Sir Tancred.

”I owe Selina a debt I can never pay--and so do you, for that matter. I don't pretend to know what the functions of a valet-housekeeper are, but doubtless Selina knows her own capabilities best. Besides, as you are losing your governess, you will want some woman about Elsie.”

”But I don't intend to lose my governess!” cried Tinker.

Sir Tancred looked at him with unaffected interest. ”Am I to understand that you propose to retain the daughter of a millionaire as your adopted sister's governess?” he said.

”Yes,” said Tinker firmly. ”Dorothy's a very good governess: she suits Elsie and she suits me.”

”That sounds like a reason,” said Sir Tancred. ”But I shall be interested to see if Mr. Rainer listens to it.”

”I think,” said Tinker thoughtfully, ”we shan't have much trouble with Mr. Rainer.”

”Of course, if you've made up your mind--but millionaires are kittle cattle.”

Tinker went to Selina and Elsie, looked carefully into the matter of hair-brus.h.i.+ng; gave Selina a few hints on the process, and then told her that her request was granted. He fled from the room to escape her joyful grat.i.tude; and went down into the hall to await the conclusion of the process, and Elsie's coming.

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