Chương Chương 21 · HOME!

. HOME!

Then a furtive payment of witnesses, and Lewisham was beside her. His

face was radiant. A steady current of workers going home to their

half-holiday rest poured along the street. On the steps before them

lay a few grains of rice from some more public nuptials.

A critical little girl eyed our couple curiously and made some remark

to her ragamuffin friend.

"Not them," said the ragamuffin friend, "They've only been askin'

questions."

The ragamuffin friend was no judge of faces.

They walked back through the thronged streets to Vauxhall station,

saying little to one another, and there Lewisham, assuming as

indifferent a manner as he could command, recovered their possessions

from the booking-office by means of two separate tickets and put them

aboard a four-wheeler. His luggage went outside, but the little brown

portmanteau containing Ethel's trousseau was small enough to go on the

seat in front of them. You must figure a rather broken-down

four-wheeler bearing the yellow-painted box and the experienced trunk

and Mr. Lewisham and all his fortunes, a despondent fitful horse, and

a threadbare venerable driver, blasphemous _sotto voce_ and

flagellant, in an ancient coat with capes. When our two young people

found themselves in the cab again a certain stiffness of manner

between them vanished and there was more squeezing of hands. "Ethel

_Lewisham_," said Lewisham several times, and Ethel reciprocated with

"Husbinder" and "Hubby dear," and took off her glove to look again in

an ostentatious manner at a ring. And she kissed the ring.

They were resolved that their newly-married state should not appear,

and with considerable ceremony it was arranged that he should treat

her with off-hand brusqueness when they arrived at their lodging. The

Teutonic landlady appeared in the passage with an amiable smile and

the hope that they had had a pleasant journey, and became voluble with

promises of comfort. Lewisham having assisted the slatternly general

servant to carry in his boxes, paid the cabman a florin in a resolute

manner and followed the ladies into the sitting-room.

Ethel answered Madam Gadow's inquiries with admirable self-possession,

followed her through the folding-doors and displayed an intelligent

interest in a new spring mattress. Presently the folding-doors were

closed again. Lewisham hovered about the front room pulling his

moustache and pretending to admire the oleographs, surprised to find

himself trembling....

The slatternly general servant reappeared with the chops and tinned

salmon he had asked Madam Gadow to prepare for them. He went and

stared out of the window, heard the door close behind the girl, and

turned at a sound as Ethel appeared shyly through the folding-doors.

She was suddenly domestic. Hitherto he had seen her without a hat and

jacket only on one indistinct dramatic occasion. Now she wore a little

blouse of soft, dark red material, with a white froth about the wrists

and that pretty neck of hers. And her hair was a new wonderland of

curls and soft strands. How delicate she looked and sweet as she stood

hesitating there. These gracious moments in life! He took two steps

and held out his arms. She glanced at the closed door of the room and

came flitting towards him....