Of High Descent Part 110

"Can you not understand?" cried Harry, whose voice sounded harsh from the mental irritation which had given him the look of one in constant dread of arrest.

"No, dear, I cannot. I want to help you. I want to get away from here--to remove you from the influence of this man, so that we may, if it must be so, get abroad and then set them at rest."

"Now you are bringing that up again," he cried angrily.

"I must, Harry, I must. I have been too weak as it is; but in the excitement of all that trouble I seemed to be influenced by you in all I did."

"There, there, little sis," he said more gently. "I ought not to speak so crossly, but I am always on thorns, held back as I am for want of a few paltry pounds."

"Then let me go and dispose of these things."

"It is impossible."

"No, dear, you think of the degradation. I should not be ashamed. We have made a false step, Harry, but if we must go on, let me do what I can to help you. Let me go."

"But the beggarly disgrace. You don't know what you are going to undertake."

She looked at him with her frank, clear eyes.

"I am going to help you. There can be no disgrace in disposing of these trinkets for you to escape."

"Ah! at last!" cried Harry, leaving the window to hurry to the door, regardless of the look of dislike which came into his sister's face.

"Is that Mr Pradelle?" she said shrinkingly.

"Yes, at last. No, Louie, I'm bad enough, but I'm not going to send you to the p.a.w.nbroker's while I stop hiding here, and it's all right now."

"Ah, Harry! Day, Miss Louie," said Pradelle, entering, very fashionably dressed, and with a rose in his b.u.t.tonhole. "Nice weather, isn't it?"

"Look here, Vic," cried Harry, catching him by the arm. "How much did you get?"

"Get?"

"Yes; for the chain?"

"Oh, for the chain," said Pradelle, who kept his eyes fixed on Louise.

"Nothing, old fellow."

"Nothing?"

"Haven't taken it to the right place yet."

"And you promised to. Look here, what do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Well, I like that. Hear him, Miss Louie? What a fellow he is! Here have I got him into decent apartments, where he is safe as the bank, when if he had depended upon himself he would have taken you to some slum where you would have been stopped and the police have found you out."

"You promised to pledge those things for me."

"Of course I did, and so I will. Why, if you had been left to yourself, who would have taken you in without a reference?"

"Never mind that," said Harry, so angrily that Louise rose, went to his side, and laid her hand upon his arm. "If you don't want to help me, say so."

"If I don't want to help you! Why, look here, Miss Louie, I appeal to you. Haven't I helped him again and again? Haven't I lent him money, and acted as a friend should?"

"Why haven't you pledged that chain?" said Harry.

"Because people are so suspicious, and I was afraid. There, you have the truth."

"I don't believe it," cried Harry, excitedly.

"Well then, don't. Your sister will. If you want me to bring the police on your track, say so."

In a furtive way, he noted Harry's start of dread, and went on.

"Take the chain or a watch yourself, and if the p.a.w.nbroker is suspicious, he'll either detain it till you can give a good account of how you came by it, or send for a policeman to follow you to your lodgings."

"But I am quite penniless!" cried Harry.

"Then why didn't you say so, old fellow? Long as I've got a pound you're welcome to it, and always were. I'm not a fine-weather friend, you know that. There you are, two halves. That'll keep you going for a week."

"But I don't want to keep borrowing of you," said Harry. "We have enough to do what I want. A sovereign will do little more than pay for these lodgings."

"Enough for a day or two, old fellow, and do for goodness' sake have a little more faith in a man you have proved."

"I have faith in you, Vic, and I'm very grateful; but this existence maddens me. I want enough to get us across the Channel. I must and will go."

"Right into the arms of those who are searching for you. What a baby you are, Harry! Do you want to be told again that every boat which starts for the Continent will be watched?"

Harry made a despairing gesture, and his haggard countenance told plainly of the agony he suffered.

"My dear Miss Louie," continued Pradelle, "do pray help me to bring him to reason. You must see that you are both safe here, and that it is the wisest thing to wait patiently till the worst of the pursuit is over."

"We do not know that there is any pursuit, Mr Pradelle," said Louise coldly.

"Come, I like that!" cried Pradelle, in an ill-used tone. "I thought I told you that they were searching for you both. If you like to believe that you can leave your home as you did without your people making any search, why you have a right to."

Harry began pacing the room, while Pradelle went on in a low, pleading way--

"Ever since Harry came to me, I thought I had done all that a friend could, but if I can do more, Miss Louie, you've only get to tell me what, and it shall be done."

"You've done your best, Prad," said Harry.

"Yes, but you don't think it. I could go and do all kinds of rash things; but I've been working to throw them off the scent, and I don't think, so far, I've done amiss. You're not taken yet."

Harry drew a long breath and glanced at door and window, as if for a way of escape.

"Come, that's better," cried Pradelle. "Take a more cheerful view of things. You want change, Harry. You've been shut up too much. Have a cigar," he continued, drawing out his case. "No? I beg your pardon, Miss Louie. Oughtn't to ask him to smoke here."