MOPS IS ADDED TO THE PENSIONERS.
Averil thought that hour the longest she had ever spent in her life;
she was ready nearly half an hour before the time, and was sitting
watching the minute hand of the clock, or starting up at every sound.
But she need not have disquieted herself--Jimmy was faithful to his
appointment. At the exact stroke of the half hour a cab was at the
door, with Jimmy on the box. Frank handed Averil in, and then tried to
question Jimmy; but the old sweeper was invulnerable.
"I'll take you there right enough. Don't trouble your head, sir. Now,
then, cabby;" and Frank had to jump in hastily, for fear he should be
left behind.
If the waiting seemed endless, the drive seemed still more
interminable. A close, sultry day had ended in a wet night; only a few
passers-by were hurrying through the rain. In the better thoroughfares
the shops were closed: only the flaming gas-lamps, or some illuminated
gin-palace, enabled Frank to see the route they were taking. Happily,
they had a good horse, just fresh from his stable, and a steady driver.
By and by, when Averil was tired of straining her eyes in the hope of
recognizing each locality, Frank discovered that they were turning
into Oxford Street, and a few minutes afterward the unsavory precints
of the Seven Dials were revealed to them. Late as it was, the whole
neighborhood seemed swarming out-of-doors--women with ragged shawls
over their heads, and trodden-down, slip-shod heels, were passing
through the swing-doors of a dingy-looking tavern; loafing men,
barefooted children, babies in arms, and toddling infants blocked up
the narrow pavements. Averil looked out on them pitifully, until the
cab suddenly pulled up, and Jimmy appeared at the door.
"We won't go no further, master," he said. "You just take the
lady down that there street," jerking his thumb backward over his
shoulder. "Half-way down on the left-hand side you will see a
bird-fancier's--Daniel Sullivan is the name. Just walk in and say Jim
O'Reilly wants to know the price of that there fancy pigeon, and you'll
find you've hit the mark. Cabby and I will wait here; you will find us
when you want us."
"Come, Averil," interposed Frank, eagerly; but Averil lingered a moment
to slip some money into the hand of a white-faced, weary-looking woman,
with a baby in her arms, and a crying child, hardly able to walk,
clinging to her shawl.
"Take them in out of the rain. God help you, you poor things!" she
whispered, as the woman looked at her in a dazed way, and then at the
coins in her hand. That dumb, wistful look haunted Averil as Frank
hurried her along. Some quarrel was going on--a woman's shrill tones,
then rough oaths and curses in a man's voice, mingled with the rude
laughter of the lookers-on.
"Sure you are in the right of it, Biddy!" exclaimed one slatternly
virago. "Ben ought to be ashamed of himself for calling himself a
man--the sarpent he is, to trample on a poor cratur, and to get her by
the hair of her head, the owld bully!"
"Daniel Sullivan--this is the place," whispered Frank, as he drew
Averil through the narrow door-way into a small, dimly lighted room,
crowded with cages and hutches, wherein were rabbits, pigeons, and
every species of bird. A dwarfish old man, with a gray beard and a fur
cap, was haggling with a rough-looking costermonger over the price of a
yellow puppy. The mother, a mongrel, with a black patch over her eye,
was gazing at them in an agonized manner, and every moment giving the
puppy a furtive lick.
"Get out, Mops," growled her master, angrily. "You aren't going to keep
this 'ere puppy, so you may as well make up your mind to it;" and Mops
feebly whined and shivered.
The poor creature's misery appealed to Averil's soft heart. She
heard the costermonger say, as he took his pipe out of his mouth. "I
will give you a tanner for the pup;" when, to Frank's surprise she
interfered:
"Will you let me have that dog and the puppy? I have taken rather a
liking to them. I would give you five shillings."
"I ain't so sure about parting with Mops," returned the old man,
gruffly. "She ain't much to look at, but she is a knowing one."
Evidently Mops was knowing, for she wagged her tail, and licked her
puppy again, with an imploring glance at Averil that fairly melted her
heart. Daniel was induced to hesitate at the offer of seven shillings
and sixpence, and in another moment Mops and the yellow puppy were
Averil's property, to be added to the list of Mother Midge's pensioners.
Frank waited until the costermonger had gone out grumbling, and then he
asked for Jim O'Reilly's fancy pigeon. The old bird fancier looked up
quickly from under his overhanging eyebrows.
"Oh, that's the ticket, is it? Come along, sir;" and he pushed open a
door, and ushered them into a close little room, lighted somewhat dimly
by a tallow candle, and reeking of tobacco smoke.
As they entered, Rodney, who was sitting by the table as though he had
fallen asleep, with his head on his arms, started up; and at the sight
of his white, haggard face and miserable eyes, Averil's arms were round
his neck in a moment.
"Oh, Rodney, my darling, at last we have found you! Why have you kept
us in such suspense three whole days?--and we have been so wretched."
And all the time she spoke she was fondling his hands, and pushing the
hair off his forehead, and the poor lad was clinging to her as though
she were his only refuge.
"Oh, Ave!" was all he could get out, for the lump to his throat almost
choked him. He did not seem to notice Frank; he was half awake, and
dazed, and paralyzed with misery. Averil was shocked to see the change
in her boy; his eyes were sunken, he looked as though he had not slept
or eaten, and his hand shook like an old man's. "Don't you hate me?" he
murmured, hoarsely, in her ear. "Ave, I'm a murderer--a murderer!"
"My darling, no. You are no such thing," she returned, soothing him,
for his manner terrified her. "Do you know, Frank and I have good
news for you? Mr. Townley is not dead. Dear Rodney, God has been very
merciful. He would not permit you to spoil your life; He has given
you another chance. The poor man was stunned by your violence, but
not killed; he is better, recovering--indeed, he will not die; will
he, Frank?" For it seemed to her as though Rodney could not believe
her--as though he dared not take in the full meaning of her words. He
had pushed her away, and now he stood with his trembling hands on her
shoulders, and his heavy, blood-shot eyes trying to read her face.
"You are deceiving me--he is dead," he muttered. For the moment Averil
thought the shock had turned the poor lad's brain; but Frank knew
better; his common sense came to her aid.
"Nonsense! Don't play the fool, Seymour," he said, with assumed
impatience. "You know as well as I do that Averil is not the girl to
tell you an untruth. Of course, Townley is not dead. I am going to see
him to-morrow, and offer damages. We have taken up the bill for you,
and it is all settled. You have got off far better than you deserve."
Frank was not mincing the matter; but his brusque, matter-of-fact
speech seemed to have the effect of recalling Rodney's scattered
faculties. He drew a long breath, changed color, and finally burst into
tears.
Frank gave Averil a reassuring nod. "It will be all right now. I'll
come back presently, after I have had a look at Mops;" for Frank's
tact was seldom at fault, and his kindly heart, so like his father's,
told him that Averil would like to be alone with her boy. "After all,
there is no cordial like a woman's sympathy" he thought, as he stood
looking into a wooden box, where Mops, relieved in her maternal mind,
was sleeping with her puppy.
Frank had time to indulge in a great many reflections before he thought
it prudent to go back. Rodney looked more like himself now; he rose
from his chair, and put out his hand to Frank somewhat timidly.
"I could not offer it before," he said, in a low voice. "I thought I
should never venture to shake hands with an honest man again. I felt
like Cain, branded for the whole term of my miserable life. Will you
take it, Harland?"
"To be sure I will;" and Frank shook it cordially. "Let bygones be
bygones. We are not any of us ready to throw stones. Averil, don't
you think Jimmy will be tired of waiting? and our cabby will be making
his fortune out of us. Besides, they do shut up shop here, even in the
Seven Dials. Come along, Seymour. I expect you have had about enough of
this place."
"Do you mean I am to go home with you?" for, somehow, such a blessed
idea had never occurred to Rodney. Home--he had never hoped to see it
again, "But it is not safe, is it, Ave?"
"And why not?" returned Frank, in his cheerful, off hand manner. "Of
course, Isaacs had a writ out against you, but Averil has settled that.
As far as that goes, you are a free man. I hear Townley's solicitor
intends to claim damages. I am going to see after that to-morrow. Your
mother means to sell out of the Funds and clear you. I can't help
thinking"--and here Frank eyed him critically--"that a warm bath and
a shave--I strongly recommend a shave--and a good supper will make a
different man of you. We will just settle with your landlord and Jim
O'Reilly, and then we will make the best of our way home." And to this
they both assented.
But Averil did not forget her new pensioners--oh, dear, no! Mops and
her puppy were both put into the cab. The way home did not seem half so
long, for Rodney was telling them all they wanted to know. He described
to them his panic-stricken flight that night, and how he took refuge in
a dark entry, where Jim O'Reilly found him.
"He was a regular pensioner of mine," explained Rodney, "and he
recognized me at once. 'You come along with me,' he said, when I had
implored his assistance. 'There is a pal of mine in the Seven Dials
that will keep you dark for a bit. You will be safe along of Daniel
Sullivan;' and then he brought me here. I believe I have been nearly
out of my mind half the time. And at last I could bear it no longer,
and then Jim said he would take my note. I thought I must see you and
get some money; that you would help me to escape out of the country.
I never had a doubt that Townley was dead. Forbes' words, 'You have
killed him!' rang in my ears day and night. Oh, Ave, if I can forget
what you have done for me to-night!"--and the pressure of his hand
spoke volumes.
"Seymour, there is still that post in Canada. Just at the last moment
Hunsden was unable to go. They cabled to us yesterday for another man."
This was joyful tidings to Averil--a mute thanksgiving for another
mercy crossed her lips. But Rodney only said, in a dispirited voice,
that Mr. Harland never would give him the chance again.
"How can I expect people to trust me after what has happened?"
"We'll talk of that later on," was Frank's answer; and then the cab
stopped, and the door flew open, as though Roberts had been stationed
there some time.
"I am glad to see you, sir," he said, as Rodney sprang up the steps;
for Roberts was a privileged person, and knew all the family secrets.
Mrs. Willmot was in her dressing-room, and Rodney went up at once to
see her and Maud. When he came down he found a comfortable meal ready
for him. How sweet and home-like it looked to the poor prodigal! But
for the sight of Mops, who was making herself quite at home in an
arm-chair, blinking with one eye at the eatables, those three days
might have been some hideous nightmare. Rodney rubbed his eyes, and
then looked again, and met Averil's smile.
"I must see you eat and drink before I go to bed," she said, beckoning
him to a seat beside her. "Frank says he is hungry, and no wonder,
for it is nearly one o'clock. Frank, will you put down a plate for
Mops--the poor thing looks half starved!" And by the way Mops devoured
her meal, Averil was probably right.
* * * * *
How peacefully the household at Redfern House slept that night! What a
happy reunion the next morning, when Rodney took his accustomed place
at the breakfast table by his mother's side! It was such a pity, as
Annette observed, that Maud should be missing. Poor Mrs. Willmot could
scarcely take her eyes off her boy; every moment she broke into the
conversation to indulge in some pitying exclamation about his looks.
"Did not dear Averil think he looked ill? He had grown thin; he was
altered somehow." Then it was, "Poor, darling Maud had not slept all
night; her nerves were in a shocking state;" and so on; but no one
attended to her. Frank was talking to Annette in rather a low voice,
and Rodney was listening to Averil. Frank tore himself away with much
reluctance. True, he was coming again that evening. He was to see
Mr. Townley's solicitor, and to offer apologies and ample damages on
Rodney's account; and there was the Canada scheme to be discussed, for
he had already hinted to Averil that there was not a moment to lose.
When Frank had gone off, Averil sent Rodney to sit with his sister, who
was still too weak to leave her bed; and then she went into her own
room and lay down on the couch and looked out on the sunshiny garden.
Much to the black poodle's disgust, Mops had followed her there; Mops's
sense of maternal dignity was evidently strongly developed--she had
certainly a ridiculous fondness for the fat, rollicking, yellow thing.
It amused Averil to see the way Mops looked at her every now and then,
as much as to say, "Did you ever see a finer, handsomer puppy?"
It was utter peace to Averil to lie there and watch the thrushes on
the lawn; the soft ripeness of the September breeze seemed laden with
a thousand vintages; the birds' twitterings, the bees' humming, even
the idle snapping of Ponto at the flies--all seemed to lull her into
drowsiness.
She woke from a delicious doze to find Rodney beside her. He was about
to move quietly away, but she stretched out her hand to stop him.
"I have woke you," he said, penitently. "Ave, I never saw you asleep
before. You have no idea what a child you looked;" and there was a
little touch of awe in the young man's voice. Something in Averil's
aspect, in the frail form, the pure, soft outlines, the child-like
innocence, seemed to appeal to his sense of reverence.
Rodney was not wrong, for was she not a happy child? just then resting
in her Father's love, content to trust herself and her future to Him.
"You look too shadowy and unsubstantial altogether," he went on, half
seriously, half humorously; "as though you only wanted a pair of wings
to fly away. But we could not spare you yet--we could not indeed."
"Not till the time comes," she said, stroking his face as he knelt
beside her. "Oh, Rodney, how nice it is to have you again! Do you think
I should ever forget my boy, wherever I may be--'in this room or the
next?'--as some one has quaintly said."
"Oh, one can't tell about those sort of things," he returned, vaguely.
"No; you are right, and I have never troubled myself with such
questions, as some people do. How can we tell if we shall be permitted
to see our dear ones still militant here on earth? I am content to
leave all such matters; our limited human intelligences are unfit to
argue out these deep things. Of one truth only I am convinced--that God
knows best."
"I always said you were a little saint, Ave."
"Nonsense!" she returned, playfully. "I don't believe you know the
meaning of the term. Do you remember what Dryden said?--
"'Glossed over only by a saintlike show.'
"It is far too big a word to apply to a poor little sinner like me.
Now, I want to talk to you about something else, Rodney--something
peculiarly earthly--in short, about Canada; for Frank will be here this
evening, and we must make up our minds on the subject."