Short Cruises | Page 5

you."
"Don't mind me," said Mr. Stokes, glancing bale-fully over at his
agitated friend. "P'raps I'll tell you some things about him some day."
"It would be only fair," said Mrs. Henshaw, quickly. "Tell me now; I
don't mind Mr. Bell hearing; not a bit."
Mr. Bell spoke up for himself. "I don't want to hear family secrets," he
whispered, with an imploring glance at the vindictive Mr. Stokes. "It
wouldn't be right."
"Well, I don't want to say things behind a man's back," said the latter,
recovering himself. "Let's wait till George comes in, and I'll say 'em
before his face."
Mrs. Henshaw, biting her lip with annoyance, argued with him, but in
vain. Mr. Stokes was firm, and, with a glance at the clock, said that
George would be in soon and he would wait till he came.
Conversation flagged despite the efforts of Mrs. Henshaw to draw Mr.
Bell out on the subject of Ireland. At an early stage of the catechism he
lost his voice entirely, and thereafter sat silent while Mrs. Henshaw
discussed the most intimate affairs of her husband's family with Mr.
Stokes. She was in the middle of an anecdote about her mother-in-law
when Mr. Bell rose and, with some difficulty, intimated his desire to

depart.
"What, without seeing George?" said Mrs. Henshaw. "He can't be long
now, and I should like to see you together."
"P'r'aps we shall meet him," said Mr. Stokes, who was getting rather
tired of the affair. "Good night."
He led the way to the door and, followed by the eager Mr. Bell, passed
out into the street. The knowledge that Mrs. Henshaw was watching
him from the door kept him silent until they had turned the corner, and
then, turning fiercely on Mr. Henshaw, he demanded to know what he
meant by it.
"I've done with you," he said, waving aside the other's denials. "I've got
you out of this mess, and now I've done with you. It's no good talking,
because I don't want to hear it."
"Good-by, then," said Mr. Henshaw, with unexpected hauteur, as he
came to a standstill.
"I'll 'ave my trousers first, though," said Mr. Stokes, coldly, "and then
you can go, and welcome."
"It's my opinion she recognized me, and said all that just to try us," said
the other, gloomily.
Mr. Stokes scorned to reply, and reaching his lodging stood by in
silence while the other changed his clothes. He refused Mr. Henshaw's
hand with a gesture he had once seen on the stage, and, showing him
downstairs, closed the door behind him with a bang.
Left to himself, the small remnants of Mr. Hen-shaw's courage
disappeared. He wandered forlornly up and down the streets until past
ten o'clock, and then, cold and dispirited, set off in the direction of
home. At the corner of the street he pulled himself together by a great
effort, and walking rapidly to his house put the key in the lock and
turned it.

The door was fast and the lights were out. He knocked, at first lightly,
but gradually increasing in loudness. At the fourth knock a light
appeared in the room above, the window was raised, and Mrs. Henshaw
leaned out.
"Mr. Bell!" she said, in tones of severe surprise.
"Bell?" said her husband, in a more surprised voice still. "It's me,
Polly."
"Go away at once, sir!" said Mrs. Henshaw, indignantly. "How dare
you call me by my Christian name? I'm surprised at you!"
"It's me, I tell you--George!" said her husband, desperately. "What do
you mean by calling me Bell?"
"If you're Mr. Bell, as I suppose, you know well enough," said Mrs.
Henshaw, leaning out and regarding him fixedly; "and if you're George
you don't."
"I'm George," said Mr. Henshaw, hastily.
"I'm sure I don't know what to make of it," said Mrs. Henshaw, with a
bewildered air. "Ted Stokes brought round a man named Bell this
afternoon so like you that I can't tell the difference. I don't know what
to do, but I do know this--I don't let you in until I have seen you both
together, so that I can tell which is which."
"Both together!" exclaimed the startled Mr. Henshaw. "Here--look
here!"
He struck a match and, holding it before his face, looked up at the
window. Mrs. Henshaw scrutinized him gravely.
[Illustration: He struck a match 023-32]
"It's no good," she said, despairingly. "I can't tell. I must see you both
together."

Mr. Henshaw ground his teeth. "But where is he?" he inquired.
"He went off with Ted Stokes," said his wife. "If you're George you'd
better go and ask him."
She prepared to close the window, but Mr. Hen-shaw's voice arrested
her.
"And suppose he is not there?" he said.
Mrs. Henshaw reflected. "If he is