If Winter Don't Part 6

"That's one of your d.i.n.ky, thinky thoughts, isn't it?"

A sound of uproar, of crashes and loud voices, came up from the street below.

"I wonder what that is?" said Luke.

"It's Bill, probably. He said he'd call for me." She crossed over to the window and looked out. "Yes, that's Bill. Driving the team of zebras he got from Doom Dagshaw. The horses don't seem to like it.

There's a cart and horse just gone in at that draper's window. Quite a number of horses seem to have fallen down on the pavement. There's a policeman with a note-book. He seems to be asking Bill questions. And Bill's making him laugh. He manages those zebras perfectly. He does everything well."

Luke had joined her at the window. "Who's the lady sitting beside him?" he asked.

"One of his harem. Staying with us. Don't pity me. I deserve nothing.

I made a mistake once. Don't ask me what. Don't come down with me.

Good-bye, Lukie, dear."

Luke watched her as she drove off. And then Mr. Diggle entered without knocking.

"Who's your lady friend?" said Diggle, snappishly. "I mean the one that's just gone off in the circus. Simply unendurable. The whole street outside my business premises in confusion. I opened my window to look out, and that man pointed me out with his whip and said to the girl beside him: 'That's our Mr. Diggle. If you like our chutney, try our cheddar.' I shall go down and speak to the policeman at once. This sort of thing must be stopped. Come, come, Sharper, give me the name, please."

"The lady who called to see me," said Luke, "was Lady Tyburn. It was her husband who was driving the zebras."

"That makes a difference. Our spirited young aristocracy! I understand that the firm's productions are used exclusively up at Gallows. Glad you mentioned the name, Sharper."

"And can I have that partnership now?" asked Luke.

"Not immediately. Get on with your work."

But it was impossible to work with the image of Jona still in his mind. He was puzzled. Grasping one ear in each hand he tried to think it out. What had she meant by "help yourself," and "the magnet and the tin-tack?" Why had she kissed "The Romance of the Raspberry?" What did she mean by "I made a mistake?" It almost looked as if ...

No, it could not be that.

Still, really you know, when you came to think about it ...

He walked over to the window once more. In the street below the policeman was instructing a group of drivers, the draper, and other persons concerned, that all applications for compensation should be sent in to Lord Tyburn, and that they would be dealt with strictly in rotation.

CHAPTER VI

1

On his arrival at the office next morning Luke was somewhat surprised to receive a visit in his office from Mr. Arthur Dobson. Apparently Mr. Dobson had something on his mind. He wandered about nervously saying incoherent things about the weather.

"Anything doing?" asked Luke.

"Nothing much. I say, I've found a new place to lunch at. It's run by an Italian, Malodorato. Quite a little place, in Mud Lane. Still there it is, you know. Five courses for one and threepence. That takes some beating."

"Stuff must be pretty bad."

"Well, possibly yes. But think what a lot of it you get for your money. Come and lunch there to-day."

"Thanks. I have promised to go up to Gallows to-day to lunch with the Tyburns."

"You and your aristocratic friends. Well, I could tell you something, Mr. Sharper. I ought not to. It would have to be distinctly understood that you don't breathe a word about it to a soul."

"Of course, of course."

"Very well, then. You look at that sheet of office paper. Old Cain has got his name above the line, and yours and mine beneath it. Well, I may tell you that in a few days' time the only name below the line will be your own. I'm being taken into partnership."

"What a d.a.m.ned shame! I mean to say, I congratulate you. That old blighter has been talking about taking me into partnership for the last two years. At any rate, I have."

"I only talked to him about it once. You see, I happen to be the only one of us three that understands the manufacturing side. You've never been inside the factory in your life. Diggle hardly ever goes, except to make a fool of himself by some d.a.m.n silly suggestion. No, he keeps to the financial side. He's got a whole pack of doubtful financial dodges, and he'll get seven years for one of them some day. All I did was to tell Diggle that I was applying for the post of manager in a certain rival firm, having had twenty years' experience here. And I asked him if he would give me a testimonial. He said: 'No, but I will give you a partnership.' You don't seem to get hold of the right way of doing things, Sharper."

"All the same," said Sharper, "I'm going straight off to Diggle's room now, and I'm going to give him h.e.l.l."

"Oh, I say, you can't do that. If he knew I'd told you, there'd be the very devil of a row."

"Oh, he won't know. I may be a high-minded sufferer, but I'm a very fair liar as well. I'll put it right for you."

He entered Mr. Diggle's room. Mr. Diggle, seated with his back to him, continued the letter he was writing.

"Look here," said Sharper impulsively, "what have you been and done with that partnership of mine?"

"That you, Sharper? Sit down. I shall be a minute or two. I said, sit down. I did not ask you to twist your feet round the legs of the chair. Refrain also from waggling your toes violently. It interrupts my train of thought. Keep the hand still, if you please. Thank you."

There were three minutes of absolute silence during which Diggle, in the most leisurely way possible, finished and blotted his letter.

"And now, Sharper," said Diggle, "I think you wished to say something."

"Well, I mean to say, what have you been and done with my partnership?"

"I was not aware that you had one."

"No, but you promised me. And now you've gone and given it to Dobson."

"I promised you nothing. And that, I think, is what you have got.

Dobson is very gravely in error in telling you anything at all about it. If you will kindly send him here, I will speak to him on the subject."

"Dobson never said a single word about it. I'll take my Bible oath he never did. He came into my room and began to speak in rather a dictatorial way, and I said, 'You might be a partner,' and he blushed."

"I do not think so," said Diggle. "Dobson does not blush. If he did blush it could not show on that complexion."

"But on my word of honor he did. White-faced men blush red. Red-faced men blush purple. Any man of science will tell you that."

"The appointment of a partnership is entirely within my discretion. It has nothing to do with you. If you have nothing further to say, I need not detain you."