Produced by David Widger
ODD CRAFT
By W.W. Jacobs
ESTABLISHING RELATIONS
Mr. Richard Catesby, second officer of the ss. _Wizard_, emerged from thedock-gates in high good-humour to spend an evening ashore. The bustle ofthe day had departed, and the inhabitants of Wapping, in search ofcoolness and fresh air, were sitting at open doors and windows indulgingin general conversation with any-body within earshot.
"Mr. Richard Catesby, second officer of the ss. _Wizard_,emerged from the dock-gates in high good-humour."]
Mr. Catesby, turning into Bashford's Lane, lost in a moment all this lifeand colour. The hum of distant voices certainly reached there, but thatwas all, for Bashford's Lane, a retiring thoroughfare facing a blank dockwall, capped here and there by towering spars, set an example ofgentility which neighbouring streets had long ago decided crossly wasimpossible for ordinary people to follow. Its neatly grained shutters,fastened back by the sides of the windows, gave a pleasing idea ofuniformity, while its white steps and polished brass knockers weresuggestive of almost a Dutch cleanliness.
Mr. Catesby, strolling comfortably along, stopped suddenly for anotherlook at a girl who was standing in the ground-floor window of No. 5. Hewent on a few paces and then walked back slowly, trying to look as thoughhe had forgotten something. The girl was still there, and met his ardentglances unmoved: a fine girl, with large, dark eyes, and a complexionwhich was the subject of much scandalous discussion among neighbouringmatrons.
"It must be something wrong with the glass, or else it's the bad light,"said Mr. Catesby to himself; "no girl is so beautiful as that."
He went by again to make sure. The object of his solicitude was stillthere and apparently unconscious of his existence. He passed very slowlyand sighed deeply.
"You've got it at last, Dick Catesby," he said, solemnly; "fair andsquare in the most dangerous part of the heart. It's serious this time."
He stood still on the narrow pavement, pondering, and then, in excuse ofhis flagrant misbehaviour, murmured, "It was meant to be," and went byagain. This time he fancied that he detected a somewhat superciliousexpression in the dark eyes--a faint raising of well-arched eyebrows.
His engagement to wait at Aldgate Station for the second-engineer andspend an evening together was dismissed as too slow to be considered. Hestood for some time in uncertainty, and then turning slowly into theBeehive, which stood at the corner, went into the private bar and ordereda glass of beer.
He was the only person in the bar, and the land-lord, a stout man in hisshirt-sleeves, was the soul of affability. Mr. Catesby, after variousgeneral remarks, made a few inquiries about an uncle aged five minutes,whom he thought was living in Bashford's Lane.
"Mr. Catesby made a few inquiries."]
"I don't know 'im," said the landlord.
"I had an idea that he lived at No. 5," said Catesby.
The landlord shook his head. "That's Mrs. Truefitt's house," he said,slowly.
Mr. Catesby pondered. "Truefitt, Truefitt," he repeated; "what sort of awoman is she?"
"Widder-woman," said the landlord; "she lives there with 'er daughterPrudence."
Mr. Catesby said "Indeed!" and being a good listener learned that Mrs.Truefitt was the widow of a master-lighterman, and that her son, FredTruefitt, after an absence of seven years in New Zealand, was now on hisway home. He finished his glass slowly and, the landlord departing toattend to another customer, made his way into the street again.
He walked along slowly, picturing as he went the home-corning of thelong-absent son. Things were oddly ordered in this world, and FredTruefitt would probably think nothing of his brotherly privileges. Hewondered whether he was like Prudence. He wondered----
"By Jove, I'll do it!" he said, recklessly, as he turned. "Now for arow."
He walked back rapidly to Bashford's Lane, and without giving his couragetime to cool plied the knocker of No. 5 briskly.
The door was opened by an elderly woman, thin, and somewhat querulous inexpression. Mr. Catesby had just time to notice this, and then he flunghis arm round her waist, and hailing her as "Mother!" saluted her warmly.
The faint scream of the astounded Mrs. Truefitt brought her daughterhastily into the passage. Mr. Catesby's idea was ever to do a thingthoroughly, and, relinquishing Mrs. Truefitt, he kissed Prudence with allthe ardour which a seven-years' absence might be supposed to engender inthe heart of a devoted brother. In return he received a box on the earswhich made his head ring.
"He's been drinking," gasped the dismayed Mrs. Truefitt.
"Don't you know me, mother?" inquired Mr. Richard Catesby, in grievousastonishment.
"He's mad," said her daughter.
"Am I so altered that you don't know me, Prudence?" inquired Mr.Catesby; with pathos. "Don't you know your Fred?"
"Go out," said Mrs. Truefitt, recovering; "go out at once."
Mr. Catesby looked from one to the other in consternation.
"I know I've altered," he said, at last, "but I'd no idea--"
"If you don't go out at once I'll send for the police," said the elderwoman, sharply. "Prudence, scream!"
"I'm not going to scream," said Prudence, eyeing the intruder with greatcomposure. "I'm not afraid of him."
Despite her reluctance to have a scene--a thing which was stronglyopposed to the traditions of Bashford's Lane--Mrs. Truefitt had got asfar as the doorstep in search of assistance, when a sudden terriblethought occurred to her: Fred was dead, and the visitor had hit upon thisextraordinary fashion of breaking the news gently.
"Come into the parlour," she said, faintly.
Mr. Catesby, suppressing his surprise, followed her into the room.Prudence, her fine figure erect and her large eyes meeting his steadily,took up a position by the side of her mother.
"You have brought bad news?" inquired the latter.
"No, mother," said Mr. Catesby, simply, "only myself, that's all."
Mrs. Truefitt made a gesture of impatience, and her daughter, watchinghim closely, tried to remember something she had once read aboutdetecting insanity by the expression of the eyes. Those of Mr. Catesbywere blue, and the only expression in them at the present moment was oneof tender and respectful admiration.
"When did you see Fred last?" inquired Mrs. Truefitt, making anothereffort.
"Mother," said Mr. Catesby, with great pathos, "don't you know me?"
"He has brought bad news of Fred," said Mrs. Truefitt, turning to herdaughter; "I am sure he has."
"I don't understand you," said Mr. Catesby, with a bewildered glance fromone to the other. "I am Fred. Am I much changed? You look the same asyou always did, and it seems only yesterday since I kissed Prudencegood-bye at the docks. You were crying, Prudence."
Miss Truefitt made no reply; she gazed at him unflinchingly and then benttoward her mother.
"He is mad," she whispered; "we must try and get him out quietly. Don'tcontradict him."
"Keep close to me," said Mrs. Truefitt, who had a great horror of theinsane. "If he turns violent open the window and scream. I thought hehad brought bad news of Fred. How did he know about him?"
Her daughter shook her head and gazed curiously at their afflictedvisitor. She put his age down at twenty-five, and she could not helpthinking it a pity that so good-looking a young man should have lost hiswits.
"Bade Prudence good-bye at the docks," continued Mr. Catesby, dreamily."You drew me behind a pile of luggage, Prudence, and put your head on myshoulder. I have thought of it ever since."
Miss Truefitt did not deny it, but she bit her lips, and shot a sharpglance at him. She began to think that her pity was uncalled-for.
"I'm just going a
s far as the corner."
"Tell me all that's happened since I've been away," said Mr. Catesby.
Mrs. Truefitt turned to her daughter and whispered. It might have beenmerely the effect of a guilty conscience, but the visitor thought that hecaught the word "policeman."
"I'm just going as far as the corner," said Mrs. Truefitt, rising, andcrossing hastily to the door.
"'I'm just going as far as the corner,' said Mrs.Truefitt."]
The young man nodded affectionately and sat in doubtful consideration asthe front door closed behind her. "Where is mother