Part 12 (1/2)

”I says to the girl, 'We don't want no carryings-on at the Lion.' That's what I says, Jack. She says, 'That wasn't nothing, Mr. Dove--only a give and take o' nonsense. The bar between us too! W'ere's the 'arm?' 'I don't like it, Miss Miles,' I says, 'I don't like it, that's all.' 'Oh, very good, Mr. Dove! You're master 'ere, o' course; only, if you won't 'ave that, you won't keep up your takings, that's all!' That's the way she put it, Jack.”

”Bit of truth in it, perhaps,” Jack opined.

”There's a lot of truth in it,” said the Bird solemnly. ”Fellers like to show off before a good-looking girl--whether she's behind a bar or whether she ain't.”

”If there never 'adn't been barmaids, I wouldn't be the one to begin it,” said Mr. Dove. ”I knows its difficulties. But there they are--all them nice girls bred to it! What are ye to do with 'em, Jack?”

”A drink doesn't taste any worse for being 'anded--handed--to you by a pretty girl,” said c.h.i.n.ks with a knowing chuckle.

”Then you give 'er one--then you stand me one--then you 'ave another yourself--just to say 'Blow the expense!' Oh, the girl knew the way of it--I ain't saying she didn't!” Mr. Dove smoked fast, evidently puzzled in his mind. ”And she's a good girl 'erself too, ain't she, Tom?”

Tom blushed--blushed very visibly. Miss Miles was not a subject of indifference to the Bird.

”She's very civil-spoken,” he mumbled shamefacedly.

”That she is--and a fine figure of a girl too,” added Jack Rock. ”Know her, Andy?”

Well, no! Andy did not know her; he felt profoundly apologetic. Miss Miles was evidently a person whom one ought to know, if one would be in the world of Meriton. The world of Meriton? It came home to him that there was more than one.

Mr. c.o.x was a man who listened--in that respect rather like Andy himself; but, when he did speak, he was in the habit of giving a verdict, therein deviating from Andy's humble way.

”Barmaids oughtn't to a' come into existence,” he said. ”Being there, they're best left--under supervision.” He nodded at old Dove, as though to say, ”You won't get any further than that if you talk all night,” and put his pipe back into his mouth.

”The doctor's right, I daresay,” said old Dove in a tone of relief. It is always something of a comfort to be told that one's problems are insoluble; the obligation of trying to solve them is thereby removed.

Jack accepted this ending to the discussion.

”And what have you been doing with yourself, Andy?” he asked.

Andy found a curious difficulty in answering. Tea and tennis at Nutley, dinner at Halton--it seemed impossible to speak the words without self-consciousness. He felt that c.h.i.n.ks and the Bird had their eyes on him.

”Been at work all the week, Jack. Had a day-off to-day.”

Luckily Jack fastened on the first part of his answer. He turned a keen glance on Andy. ”Business doin' well?”

”Not particularly,” Andy confessed. ”It's a bit hard for a new-comer to establish a connection.”

”You're right there, Andy,” commented old Mr. Dove, serenely happy in the knowledge of an ancient and good connection attaching to the Lion.

”Oh, not particularly well?” Jack nodded with an air of what looked like satisfaction, though it would not be kind to Andy to be satisfied.

”Playing lawn-tennis at Nutley, weren't you?” asked c.h.i.n.ks suddenly.

All faces turned to Andy.

”Yes, I was, c.h.i.n.ks,” he said.

”Half expected you to supper, Andy,” said Jack Rock.

”Sorry, Jack. I would have come if I'd been free. But--”