CHAPTER XXI.
HOME!
Then a furtive payment of witnesses, and Lewisham was beside her. Hisface was radiant. A steady current of workers going home to theirhalf-holiday rest poured along the street. On the steps before themlay a few grains of rice from some more public nuptials.
A critical little girl eyed our couple curiously and made some remarkto 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 asindifferent a manner as he could command, recovered their possessionsfrom the booking-office by means of two separate tickets and put themaboard a four-wheeler. His luggage went outside, but the little brownportmanteau containing Ethel's trousseau was small enough to go on theseat in front of them. You must figure a rather broken-downfour-wheeler bearing the yellow-painted box and the experienced trunkand Mr. Lewisham and all his fortunes, a despondent fitful horse, anda threadbare venerable driver, blasphemous _sotto voce_ andflagellant, in an ancient coat with capes. When our two young peoplefound themselves in the cab again a certain stiffness of mannerbetween 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 inan 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 treather with off-hand brusqueness when they arrived at their lodging. TheTeutonic landlady appeared in the passage with an amiable smile andthe hope that they had had a pleasant journey, and became voluble withpromises of comfort. Lewisham having assisted the slatternly generalservant to carry in his boxes, paid the cabman a florin in a resolutemanner 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 intelligentinterest in a new spring mattress. Presently the folding-doors wereclosed again. Lewisham hovered about the front room pulling hismoustache and pretending to admire the oleographs, surprised to findhimself trembling....
The slatternly general servant reappeared with the chops and tinnedsalmon he had asked Madam Gadow to prepare for them. He went andstared out of the window, heard the door close behind the girl, andturned at a sound as Ethel appeared shyly through the folding-doors.
She was suddenly domestic. Hitherto he had seen her without a hat andjacket only on one indistinct dramatic occasion. Now she wore a littleblouse of soft, dark red material, with a white froth about the wristsand that pretty neck of hers. And her hair was a new wonderland ofcurls and soft strands. How delicate she looked and sweet as she stoodhesitating there. These gracious moments in life! He took two stepsand held out his arms. She glanced at the closed door of the room andcame flitting towards him....