house.
"Yes?" said Mr. Evans, as the door opened and the face of Mr. Carter wasthrust in. "What have you come back for?"
The other stepped into the room and closed the door softly behind him."I have come back," he said, slowly--"I have come back because I feelashamed of myself."
"Ashamed of yourself?" repeated Mr. Evans, rising and confronting him.
Mr. Carter hung his head and gazed nervously in the direction of thegirl. "I can't keep up this deception," he said, in a low but distinctvoice. "I am Bert Simmons. At least, that is the name I told you fouryears ago."
"I knew I hadn't made a mistake," roared Mr. Evans to his son. "I knewhim well enough. Shut the door, Jim. Don't let him go."
"I don't want to go," said Mr. Carter, with a glance in the direction ofNancy. "I have come back to make amends."
"Fancy Nancy not knowing him!" said Jim, gazing at the astonished MissEvans.
"She was afraid of getting me into trouble," said Mr. Carter, "and I justgave her a wink not to recognize me; but she knew me well enough, blessher."
"How dare you!" said the girl, starting up. "Why, I've never seen youbefore in my life."
"All right, Nan," said the brazen Mr. Carter; "but it's no good keepingit up now. I've come back to act fair and square."
Miss Evans struggled for breath.
"There he is, my girl," said her father, patting her on the back. "He'snot much to look at, and he treated you very shabby, but if you want himI suppose you must have him."
"Want him?" repeated the incensed Miss Evans. "Want him? I tell youit's not Bert. How dare he come here and call me Nan?"
"You used not to mind it," said Mr. Carter, plaintively.
"I tell you," said Miss Evans, turning to her father and brother, "it'snot Bert. Do you think I don't know?"
"Well, he ought to know who he is," said her father, reasonably.
"Of course I ought," said Mr. Carter, smiling at her. "Besides, whatreason should I have for saying I am Bert if I am not?"
"That's a fair question," said Jim, as the girl bit her lip. "Why shouldhe?"
"Ask him," said the girl, tartly.
"Look here, my girl," said Mr. Evans, in ominous accents. "For fouryears you've been grieving over Bert, and me and Jim have been huntinghigh and low for him. We've got him at last, and now you've got to havehim."
"If he don't run away again," said Jim. "I wouldn't trust him fartherthan I could see him."
Mr. Evans sat and glowered at his prospective son-in-law as thedifficulties of the situation developed themselves. Even Mr. Carter'sreminders that he had come back and surrendered of his own free willfailed to move him, and he was hesitating between tying him up andlocking him in the attic and hiring a man to watch him, when Mr. Carterhimself suggested a way out of the difficulty.
"I'll lodge with you," he said, "and I'll give you all my money andthings to take care of. I can't run away without money."
He turned out his pockets on the table. Seven pounds eighteen shillingsand fourpence with his re-turn ticket made one heap; his watch and chain,penknife, and a few other accessories another. A suggestion of Jim'sthat he should add his boots was vetoed by the elder man as unnecessary.
"There you are," said Mr. Evans, sweeping the things into his ownpockets; "and the day you are married I hand them back to you."
His temper improved as the evening wore on. By the time supper wasfinished and his pipe alight he became almost jocular, and the coldnessof Miss Evans was the only drawback to an otherwise enjoyable evening.
"Just showing off a little temper," said her father, after she hadwithdrawn; "and wants to show she ain't going to forgive you too easy.Not but what you behaved badly; however, let bygones be bygones, that'smy idea."
The behavior of Miss Evans was so much better next day that it reallyseemed as though her father's diagnosis was correct. At dinner, when themen came home from work, she piled Mr. Carter's plate up so generouslythat her father and brother had ample time at their disposal to watch himeat. And when he put his hand over his glass she poured half a pint ofgood beer, that other men would have been thankful for, up his sleeve.
"She piled Mr. Carter's plate up so generously that herfather and brother had ample time at their disposal to watch him eat."]
She was out all the afternoon, but at tea time she sat next to Mr.Carter, and joined brightly in the conversation concerning her marriage.She addressed him as Bert, and when he furtively pressed her hand beneaththe table-cloth she made no attempt to withdraw it.
"I can't think how it was you didn't know him at first," said her father."You're usually wide-awake enough."
"Silly of me," said Nancy; "but I am silly sometimes."
Mr. Carter pressed her hand again, and gazing tenderly into her eyesreceived a glance in return which set him thinking. It was too cold andcalculating for real affection; in fact, after another glance, he beganto doubt if it indicated affection at all.
"It's like old times, Bert," said Miss Evans, with an odd smile. "Do youremember what you said that afternoon when I put the hot spoon on yourneck?"
"Yes," was the reply.
"What was it?" inquired the girl.
"I won't repeat it," said Mr. Carter, firmly.
He was reminded of other episodes during the meal, but, by the exerciseof tact and the plea of a bad memory, did fairly well. He felt that hehad done very well indeed when, having cleared the tea-things away, Nancycame and sat beside him with her hand in his. Her brother grunted, butMr. Evans, in whom a vein of sentiment still lingered, watched them withmuch satisfaction.
Mr. Carter had got possession of both hands and was murmuring fulsomeflatteries when the sound of somebody pausing at the open door causedthem to be hastily withdrawn.
"Evening, Mr. Evans," said a young man, putting his head in. "Why,halloa! Bert! Well, of all the----"
"Halloa!" said Mr. Carter, with attempted enthusiasm, as he rose from hischair.
"I thought you was lost," said the other, stepping in and gripping hishand. "I never thought I was going to set eyes on you again. Well, thisis a surprise. You ain't forgot Joe Wilson, have you?"
"Course I haven't, Joe," said Mr. Carter. "I'd have known you anywhere."
He shook hands effusively, and Mr. Wilson, after a little pretendedhesitation, accepted a chair and began to talk about old times.
"I lay you ain't forgot one thing, Bert," he said at last.
"What's that?" inquired the other.
"That arf-quid I lent you," said Mr. Wilson.
Mr. Carter, after the first shock of surprise, pretended to think, Mr.Wilson supplying him with details as to time and place, which he was inno position to dispute. He turned to Mr. Evans, who was still acting ashis banker, and, after a little hesitation, requested him to pay themoney. Conversation seemed to fail somewhat after that, and Mr. Wilson,during an awkward pause, went off whistling.
"Same old Joe," said Mr. Carter, lightly, after he had gone. "He hasn'taltered a bit."
Miss Evans glanced at him, but said nothing. She was looking insteadtowards a gentleman of middle age who was peeping round the doorindulging in a waggish game of peep-bo with the unconscious Mr. Carter.Finding that he had at last attracted his attention, the gentleman cameinside and, breathing somewhat heavily after his exertions, stood beforehim with outstretched hand.
"A gentleman of middle age was peeping round the door."]
"How goes it?" said Mr. Carter, forcing a smile and shaking hands.
"He's grown better-looking than ever," said the gentleman, subsiding intoa chair.
"So have you," said Mr. Carter. "I should hardly have known you."
"Well, I' m glad to see you again," said the other in a more subduedfashion. "We're all glad to see you back, and I 'ope that when thewedding cake is sent out there'll be a bit for old Ben Prout."
"You'll be the first, Ben," said Mr. Carter, quickly.
Mr. Prout got up and shook hands with him again.
"It only shows whatmistakes a man can make," he said, resuming his seat. "It only shows howeasy it is to misjudge one's fellow-creeturs. When you went away suddenfour years ago, I says to myself, 'Ben Prout,' I says, 'make up your mindto it, that two quid has gorn.'"
The smile vanished from Mr. Carter's face, and a sudden chill descendedupon