Part 6 (1/2)

Leger did so concisely, and Hetty clenched the chair-arm hard as she listened to him. Still, young as she was, she held herself in hand, and sat very still, with the colour ebbing from her face.

”What shall we do?” she said.

”Ingleby has asked us to go out to Canada with him. He offers to lend us the money.”

The girl's face flushed suddenly, and she glanced at Ingleby, who appeared embarra.s.sed.

”How much will you have left if you do that?” she asked.

”I don't know yet. Anyway, it doesn't matter. If you make any silly objections, Hetty, Tom will go to jail.”

The girl turned to her brother, with the crimson still in her cheek and her lips quivering, and it suddenly struck Ingleby that she was really remarkably pretty, though that appeared of no great moment just then.

”That would happen, Tom?” she said.

”Yes,” said Leger quietly; ”I believe it would.”

Hetty turned again, and looked at Ingleby with a curious intentness.

”You are quite sure you want us?”

Ingleby, moved by an impulse he did not understand, caught and held fast one of her hands. ”Hetty,” he said, ”aren't we old friends? There is n.o.body I would sooner take with me, but we shall certainly quarrel if you ask me a question of that kind again.”

The girl's expression perplexed him, and with a sudden movement she drew her hand away. ”Well,” she said, ”we will come. I would stay--only I know Tom would not go without me; but whatever happens we will pay you back the money.”

”I don't think you want to be unpleasant, Hetty,” said Ingleby. ”Anyway, you have only about an hour in which to get ready, because if we're not off by the next train it's quite likely that we shall not have the opportunity for going at all. Get what you want together, and meet us behind the booking office on the main line platform. Tom and I will take the back way to the station.”

Hetty turned and went out without a word, and Leger looked at his companion.

”I don't think she meant to hurt you, but what she did mean exactly is a good deal more than I understand,” he said.

Ingleby made a little impatient gesture. ”I don't suppose it matters.

Girls seem to have curious fancies. In the meanwhile it might be as well if we made a start. I'll lend you a decent jacket, and, as you had a cap on, it would be advisable to take my straw hat. To carry out the same notion I'll slip on my one dark suit. They usually make a point of mentioning one's clothes.”

They were ready in about ten minutes, but when they had descended the long stairway Ingleby stopped in the dingy hall, and stood still a moment irresolute.

”If it wasn't for the harpy downstairs we might get clear away before anybody was aware that we had gone,” he said. ”I can't leave her what I owe her either, for one never does seem to have change when he wants it.

How much have you got on you?”

”A handful of copper,” said Leger, with a little grim smile.

Ingleby appeared to reflect. ”I could send her the few s.h.i.+llings from wherever we stop.”

”The Post Office people obligingly stamp every envelope with the name of the place it comes from. I don't think we want to leave a trail behind us.”

Ingleby stood still a moment longer with a flush in his face. ”Nothing would stop that woman's talking--not even a gag. It's horribly unfortunate.”

”It usually is,” and Leger looked at him with a curious little smile.

”The worst of having a propaganda is that the people who haven't any get indignant when one doesn't live up to it. They naturally lay part of the blame on the fallacies he believes in.”