to-morrow-第6章

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〃Where　was　the　harm？　　Was　I　to　quarrel　with



the　poor　old　man？　　It　was　easier　to　half　believe　it



myself。〃







〃Aye；　aye；〃　he　meditated；　intelligently。　　〃I



suppose　the　old　chap　got　around　you　somehow　with



his　soft　talk。　　You　are　good…hearted。〃







Her　hands　moved　up　in　the　dark　nervously。



〃And　it　might　have　been　true。　　It　was　true。　　It



has　come。　　Here　it　is。　　This　is　the　to…morrow　we



have　been　waiting　for。〃







She　drew　a　breath；　and　he　said；　good…humour…



edly：　〃Aye；　with　the　door　shut。　　I　wouldn't　care



if　。　。　。　　And　you　think　he　could　be　brought　round



to　recognise　me　。　。　。　　Eh？　　What？　。　。　。　　You



could　do　it？　　In　a　week　you　say？　　H'm；　I　daresay



you　couldbut　do　you　think　I　could　hold　out　a



week　in　this　dead…alive　place？　　Not　me！　　I　want



either　hard　work；　or　an　all…fired　racket；　or　more



space　than　there　is　in　the　whole　of　England。　　I



have　been　in　this　place；　though；　once　before；　and　for



more　than　a　week。　　The　old　man　was　advertising



for　me　then；　and　a　chum　I　had　with　me　had　a　no…



tion　of　getting　a　couple　quid　out　of　him　by　writ…



ing　a　lot　of　silly　nonsense　in　a　letter。　　That　lark　did



not　come　off；　though。　　We　had　to　clear　outand



none　too　soon。　　But　this　time　I've　a　chum　waiting



for　me　in　London；　and　besides　。　。　。〃







Bessie　Carvil　was　breathing　quickly。







〃What　if　I　tried　a　knock　at　the　door？〃　he　sug…



gested。







〃Try；〃　she　said。







Captain　Hagberd's　gate　squeaked；　and　the　shad…



ow　of　the　son　moved　on；　then　stopped　with　another



deep　laugh　in　the　throat；　like　the　father's；　only



soft　and　gentle；　thrilling　to　the　woman's　heart；



awakening　to　her　ears。







〃He　isn't　friskyis　he？　　I　would　be　afraid　to



lay　hold　of　him。　　The　chaps　are　always　telling　me



I　don't　know　my　own　strength。〃







〃He's　the　most　harmless　creature　that　ever



lived；〃　she　interrupted。







〃You　wouldn't　say　so　if　you　had　seen　him　chas…



ing　me　upstairs　with　a　hard　leather　strap；〃　he　said；



〃I　haven't　forgotten　it　in　sixteen　years。〃







She　got　warm　from　head　to　foot　under　another



soft；　subdued　laugh。　　At　the　rat…tat…tat　of　the



knocker　her　heart　flew　into　her　mouth。







〃Hey；　dad！　　Let　me　in。　　I　am　Harry；　I　am。



Straight！　　Come　back　home　a　day　too　soon。〃







One　of　the　windows　upstairs　ran　up。







〃A　grinning；　information　fellow；〃　said　the　voice



of　old　Hagberd；　up　in　the　darkness。　　〃Don't　you



have　anything　to　do　with　him。　　It　will　spoil　every…



thing。〃







She　heard　Harry　Hagberd　say；　〃Hallo；　dad；〃



then　a　clanging　clatter。　　The　window　rumbled



down；　and　he　stood　before　her　again。







〃It's　just　like　old　times。　　Nearly　walloped　the



life　out　of　me　to　stop　me　going　away；　and　now　I



come　back　he　throws　a　confounded　shovel　at　my



head　to　keep　me　out。　　It　grazed　my　shoulder。〃







She　shuddered。







〃I　wouldn't　care；〃　he　began；　〃only　I　spent　my



last　shillings　on　the　railway　fare　and　my　last　two…



pence　on　a　shaveout　of　respect　for　the　old　man。〃







〃Are　you　really　Harry　Hagberd？〃　she　asked。



〃Can　you　prove　it？〃







〃Can　I　prove　it？　　Can　any　one　else　prove　it？〃



he　said　jovially。　　〃Prove　with　what？　　What　do　I



want　to　prove？　　There　isn't　a　single　corner　in　the



world；　barring　England；　perhaps；　where　you　could



not　find　some　man；　or　more　likely　woman；　that



would　remember　me　for　Harry　Hagberd。　　I　am



more　like　Harry　Hagberd　than　any　man　alive；　and



I　can　prove　it　to　you　in　a　minute；　if　you　will　let　me



step　inside　your　gate。〃







〃Come　in；〃　she　said。







He　entered　then　the　front　garden　of　the　Carvils。



His　tall　shadow　strode　with　a　swagger；　she　turned



her　back　on　the　window　and　waited；　watching　the



shape；　of　which　the　footfalls　seemed　the　most　mate…



rial　part。　　The　light　fell　on　a　tilted　hat；　a　power…



ful　shoulder；　that　seemed　to　cleave　the　darkness；



on　a　leg　stepping　out。　　He　swung　about　and　stood



still；　facing　the　illuminated　parlour　window　at　her



back；　turning　his　head　from　side　to　side；　laughing



softly　to　himself。







〃Just　fancy；　for　a　minute；　the　old　man's　beard



stuck　on　to　my　chin。　　Hey？　　Now　say。　　I　was　the



very　spit　of　him　from　a　boy。〃







〃It's　true；〃　she　murmured　to　herself。







〃And　that's　about　as　far　as　it　goes。　　He　was　al…



ways　one　of　your　domestic　characters。　　Why；　I　re…



member　how　he　used　to　go　about　looking　very　sick



for　three　days　before　he　had　to　leave　home　on　one



of　his　trips　to　South　Shields　for　coal。　　He　had　a



standing　charter　from　the　gas…works。　　You　would



think　he　was　off　on　a　whaling　cruisethree　years



and　a　tail。　　Ha；　ha！　　Not　a　bit　of　it。　　Ten　days　on



the　outside。　　The　Skimmer　of　the　Seas　was　a　smart



craft。　　Fine　name；　wasn't　it？　　Mother's　uncle



owned　her。　。　。　。〃







He　interrupted　himself；　and　in　a　lowered　voice；



〃Did　he　ever　tell　you　what　mother　died　of？〃　he



asked。







〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Bessie；　bitterly；　〃from　impa…



tience。〃







He　made　no　sound　for　a　while；　then　brusquely：



〃They　were　so　afraid　I　would　turn　out　badly　that



they　fairly　drove　me　away。　　Mother　nagged　at　me



for　being　idle；　and　the　old　man　said　he　would　cut



my　soul　out　of　my　body　rather　than　let　me　go　to



sea。　　Well；　it　looked　as　if　he　would　do　it　tooso　I



went。　　It　looks　to　me　sometimes　as　if　I　had　been



born　to　them　by　a　mistakein　that　other　hutch　of



a　house。〃







〃Where　ought　you　to　have　been　born　by



rights？〃　Bessie　Carvil　interrupted　him；　defiantly。







〃In　the　open；　upon　a　beach；　on　a　windy　night；〃



he　said；　quick　as　lightning。　　Then　he　mused　slowly。



〃They　were　characters；　both　of　them；　by　George；



and　the　old　man　keeps　it　up　welldon't　he？　　A



damned　shovel　on　theHark！　who's　that　mak…



ing　that　row？　　'Bessie；　Bessie。'　　It's　in　your



house。〃







〃It's　for　me；〃　she　said；　with　indifference。







He　stepped　aside；　out　of　the　streak　of　light。



〃Your　husband？〃　he　inquired；　with　the　tone　of　a



man　accustomed　to　unlawful　trysts。　　〃Fine　voice



for　a　ship's　deck　in　a　thundering　squall。〃







〃No；　my　father。　　I　am　not　married。〃







〃You　seem　a　fine　girl；　Miss　Bessie；　dear；〃　he　said



at　once。







She　turned　her　face　away。







〃Oh；　I　say；what's　up？　　Who's　murdering



him？〃







〃He　wants　his　tea。〃　　She　faced　him；　still　and



tall；　with　averted　head；　with　her　hands　hanging



clasped　before　her。







〃Hadn't　you　better　go　in？〃　he　suggested；　after



watching　for　a　while　the　nape　of　her　neck；　a　patch



of　dazzling　white　skin　and　soft　shadow　above　the



sombre　line　of　her　shoulders。　　Her　wrap　had　slipped



down　to　her　elbows。　　〃You'll　have　all　the　town



coming　out　presently。　　I'll　wait　here　a　bit。〃







Her　wrap　fell　to　the　ground；　and　he　stooped　to



pick　it　up；　she　had　vanished。　　He　threw　it　over



his　arm；　and　approaching　the　window　squarely　he



saw　a　monstrous　form　of　a　fat　man　in　an　arm…



chair；　an　unshaded　lamp；　the　yawning　of　an　enor…



mous　mouth　in　a　big　flat　face　encircled　by　a　ragged



halo　of　hairMiss　Bessie's　head　and　bust。　　The



shouting　stopped；　the　blind　ran　down。　　He　lost



himself　in　thinking　how　awkward　it　was。　　Father



mad；　no　getting　into　the　house。　　No　money　to　get



back；　a　hungry　chum　in　London　who　would　begin



to　think　he　had　been　given　the　go…by。　　〃Damn！〃



he　muttered。　　He　could　break　the　door　in；　cer…



tainly；　but　they　would　perhaps　bundle　him　into



chokey　for　that　without　asking　questionsno