Part 12 (1/2)
That was how he always began, whether in stor husband,” but he was not a s” about Few husbands in the Five Towns are He thought ”darling,” but he never wrote it, and he never said it, save quizzingly
After these three words the cooing to tell Nellie? He assuredly was not going to tell her that he had engaged an unpriced suite at Wilkins's He was not going to ently perceived that the note-paper and also the envelope uous manner He tore up the sheet and searched for plain paper
Now on the desk there was the ordinary hotel stationery,stationery, cards, letter-cards and envelopes for every mood; but not a piece that was not embossed with the historic name in royal blue
The which appeared to Edward Henry to point to a defect of foresight on the part of Wilkins's At the gigantic political club to which he belonged, and which he had occasionally visited in order to demonstrate to himself and others that he was a clubman, plain stationery was everywhere provided for the use of husbands with a taste for reticence Why not at Wilkins's also?
On the other hand, why should he _not_ write to his wife on Wilkins's paper? Was he afraid of his wife? He was not Would not the news ultimately reach Bursley that he had stayed at Wilkins's? It would
Nevertheless, he could not find the courage to write to Nellie on Wilkins's paper
He looked around He was fearfully alone He wanted the co hu a bell
Iic carpet fro arrived in the doorway of the drawing-rooracefully on his black silk calves, and bowed
”I want soood, sir” Oh! Perfection of tone and of mien!
Threepresented to Edward Henry on a salver As he took the, who supported his gaze with an impenetrable, invulnerable servility Edward Henry, beaten off with great loss, thought: ”There's nothing doing here just now in the human companionshi+p line,” and assumed the mask of a hereditary prince
The black calves carried away their i burden, set above all earthly ties
He wrote nicely to Nellie about the weather and the journey and informed her also that London seeo to the theatre but he wasn't sure He dated the letter fro it he heardfootfalls in his private corridor, and after trying for soue alared, pallida red-and-black-striped sleeved waistcoat and a white apron, was in the corridor At the Turk's Head such a person would have been the boots But Edward Henry re once for the waiter, twice for the chambermaid, and three times for the valet This, then, was the valet In certain picturesque details of costume Wilkins's was coquettishly French
”What is it?” he dee had arrived, sir No doubt your servant is bringing it Can I be of any assistance to you?”
The htfully twirled one end of hisfault in demeanour; but theI've leam in the eye of this eternal haunter of corridors
”His servant!” He saw that so must be done, and quickly!
Wilkins's provided valets for e their own valets in addition Obviously existence without a private valet was inconceivable to Wilkins's
”The fact is,” said Edward Henry, ”I' to and fro in his mind for particulars of the situation
”Sorry to hear that, sir”
”Yes, a very aard situation” He hesitated again ”I'd booked passages forfrom Tilbury at noon to-day, and sent him on in front with my stuff, and at the very last ! You see hoard it is! I haven't a thing here”
”It is indeed, sir And I suppose _he's_ gone on, sir?”
”Of course he has! He wouldn't find out till after she sailed that I wasn't on board You know the crush and confusion there is on those big liners just before they start” Edward Henry had once assisted, under very dramatic circumstances, at the departure of a Transatlantic liner from Liverpool