With Revitts better there was no occasion for me to stop in of an
evening, and as soon as I could I went on to the Halletts', where I was
warmly welcomed by the whole family. Mrs Hallett had a string of
troubles to tell me, and interspersed with them I had narratives of how
different matters used to be.
Linny was very affectionate and kind, but I could see that she looked
pale and troubled. Her pretty face lighted up though, whenever her
brother spoke, and I noted the air of satisfaction in Hallett's face as
he realised how his sister was keeping to her promise.
"Well, Antony," he said cheerily, as soon as Mrs Hallett had retired,
which was always before nine, Linny going away to attend upon her.
"What do you say: shall we go and look at the model?"
"Yes," I said eagerly; "I've been longing to have another turn at it."
"You are not wearied out then?"
"Wearied out?" I cried, laughing; "no, and I never shall be till I see
it a success."
He sighed, but there was a smile upon his lip at the same time; and
leading the way upstairs, we were soon busy over the model.
I saw at a glance that it had remained untouched, covered with the black
cloth, ever since that unfortunate morning, so that I did not need his
confirming words as he spoke:
"I thought I would leave it till you came."
That night and many more were taken up in separating and repairing the
broken parts of the little piece of mechanism, and then came the
difficult task--how to contrive so that it should not again break down.
The days flew by and became weeks, and the weeks months, but still the
problem was not solved. Experiment after experiment was tried without
effect, and it seemed as if Hallett's clever brain could only bring the
work up to a certain point. Then it required the powers of a second
brain to carry it on to perfection.
Meanwhile Revitts had gradually recovered, and more than once related to
Mary and me how, on that unfortunate night, he had been attracted by a
slight scuffle and a woman's cry; that he had run up, and the woman had
clung to him, which so enraged the man that he had struck him with the
heavy stick that he carried, and that was all.
"Should you know the woman again?" I asked, feeling very guilty as the
possessor of Linny's secret.
"No," he said. "She was only a little thing, quite a girl, and she had
her veil down; but I should know the man, and if ever I do get hold of
him, if I don't give him a wunner my name ain't Revitts."
He was still too ill to resume his duties, but he used to go out for a
walk every day, leaning on Mary's arm, Mary herself now taking to the
room that had been engaged ostensibly for me.
"It's a-coming off, Antony," said Revitts to me one night, when I had
returned from the office in high glee; for I had received a note from
Miss Carr, saying that she wished to see me the next day, she having
just returned to town with her sister from a long round of visits,
following a tour on the Continent.
"Coming off?" I said, looking from him to Mary and back.
"Don't you take any notice or his nonsense," cried Mary, running her arm
up to the elbow in one of Revitts' stockings.
"'Tain't nonsense," said Revitts, rubbing his hands softly; "it's
a-coming off soon as ever I'm quite well."
"'Tain't," said Mary tartly. "I'm going to take another place as soon
as ever you're fit to leave."
"Yes, my dear, so you are," said Revitts, smiling at me in a soft,
smooth, sheepish way; "a place as you won't never leave no more."
"It's all stuff, Master Antony, and I'm not," cried Mary.
"Tantrums won't save you from it now, my dear," said Revitts, shaking
his head and pointing to the wall. "I says to myself as soon as ever I
began to be able to think again, and see that there shawl and bonnet
a-hanging so comfortable-like up again my greatcoat and hat--I says to
myself, I says, she's hung up her bonnet now and give in, and it can be
Mrs William Revitts as soon as ever I like."
"It's all stuff and nonsense, I tell you. Don't listen to him, Master
Antony."
"That ain't a real tantrum," said Revitts, rubbing his hands; "she's
give in--she's give in."
"I declare I wouldn't have come a-nigh you, Bill, if I'd knowed you'd go
on like that before Master Antony," cried Mary, who was perfectly
scarlet.
"Master Antony's a gentleman," said Revitts, "and he bears witness that
you've give in; and, tantrums or no tantrums," he cried, bringing his
hand down upon the table with a bang, "you don't go away no more. Look
at that!"
He took a blue official envelope from his pocket and opened it, took out
a letter, and smoothed it upon his knee.
"That's dictation, that is, Antony. That's what that is," he cried,
holding up his chin, and giving his head an official roll, as if to
settle it in a stock that he was not wearing.
"Why, where did you get that letter?" cried Mary.
"Brought me this afternoon while you was out shopping," said Revitts
triumphantly. "Look here, Antony, that ain't directed to P.C. Revitts,
that ain't;" and he handed me the envelope, which I read aloud:
"`To Sergeant Revitts, VV Division, Caroline Street, Pentonville.'"
"`Sergeant Revitts!'" he said, rising and buttoning up his coat, but
pausing to reach down his stiff, shiny stock and buckle it on.
"`Sergeant Revitts,' if you please; and if," he said, walking up and
down the room excitedly, "it ain't Inspector Revitts some day, and after
that Sooperintendent and a sword, my name ain't Bill."
"Hurrah!" I cried; "I am glad;" and then I caught his arm, for, poor
fellow, he was very weak yet, and needed the chair Mary placed for him
to sit down.
"And you so ill and weak still, and talking about such stuff," she cried
hastily.
"I'm getting round fast enough," said Revitts; "it was only the
`sergeant' took my breath away a bit; that's all. It's all right,
Antony. It's a-coming off, ain't it, Mary, my dear?"
"I am glad, Bill. But they couldn't have made a better man a sergeant
if they'd tried," said Mary evasively.
"I said it was a-coming off," said Revitts, "ain't it?"
He leaned forward, and looked at Mary; she, with the stocking on one
arm, and the long darning-needle in her hand, held it as if to keep him
off. I saw Mary's scarlet face gradually raised till her eyes met his,
and then a soft, foolish-looking smile began to dawn upon one corner of
her lips, pass over to the other, and gradually make them open to show
her white teeth, before running right up, and half-closing her eyes.
The same kind of smile, but much larger, appeared on Revitts' face; and
there they sat, smiling at one another, till I took up my cap and went
out--even my exit being unnoticed--for another good servant was
veritably lost to society. Mary's "tantrums" were at an end.