_Something strange on the staircase, with a needful reflection or two
upon it._
By this time Colin's resources had become so low that but thirteen
shillings remained to him of all he had brought from home; and of that
small sum about one-half would be due to his landlady in the course of
a few days. Yet he continued his kindness towards the poor singer on
the second floor, and only the day previously had exchanged his last
sovereign on her account. The feelings with which her appearance had
first inspired him he could not wholly shake off; although he had since
become acquainted with various circumstances which pointed out to him
imperatively the necessity of at once setting such a connexion
aside, and forgetting even that it had ever existed. He half formed a
resolution to do so; and, in order to carry it the better into effect,
made up his mind to quit the house altogether--a step he could the
more readily take now, as he had not hitherto so much as even seen Miss
Wintlebury except on the stage; and she, on the other hand, could know
no more of him than his ever-ready and unassuming kindness might have
informed her of. These thoughts crowded his mind as he sat at breakfast,
and during several hours subsequently presented themselves under every
possible phase to his review. About twelve o'clock in the day, as he was
descending the stairs to the street, his sight was crossed on the first
landing he reached, by a kind of vision in a white dress, which flitted
from Miss Wintlebury's chamber to her sitting-room. Its hair was
tightly screwed up in bits of newspaper all over its head, very
strongly resembling a clumsy piece of mosaic. Its face was of a horrible
cream-colour, and as dry as the hide of a rhinoceros. Its eyes dim
and glazy. Its neck and shoulders--with respect to the developement of
tendons and sinews--not greatly unlike an anatomical preparation. This
surprising appearance no sooner heard Colin's footsteps approaching than
it skipped rapidly into the sitting-room, and without turning at the
instant to close the door, sat hastily down at a small table, on which
stood a black teapot, and one cup and saucer, as if with the intention
of taking its breakfast.
Somewhat alarmed, Colin hastened down, and was very glad to find Mrs.
Popple on her hands and knees at the door, applying pipeclay to the
step. Of her he immediately inquired the nature of the apparition he had
seen; and was most shocked indeed when he found by her reply, that he
had actually mistaken Miss Wintlebury herself for her own ghost. Still
the fact was scarcely credible. Surely it was not possible to patch up
such a shadow, into the handsome figure which had first inspired him
with love; and the recollection of whose seeming beauties still attended
upon his imagination with the constancy of a shadow in the sun.
“Ah, sir!” exclaimed Mrs. Popple; “but you ain't any conception what
a poor creatur' she is. I can carry her about this house like a doll,
she's so light and thin. She walks about more like a sperit than
anything substantive--that she do. I often think of turning her out of
house altogether, for I 'm afraid I shall never get my rent of her; but
then, again, when I 'm going to do it, a sum mut seems to whisper to me,
and say, 'Missis Popple--Missis Popple, let her alone a bit longer.' And
that is the way we go on.” Saying which, with a heavy sigh, she scrubbed
away at the stones. Colin stood mute.
“She's dyin', sir, as fast she can,” added the landlady. “I niver see an
indiwidiwal in a more gallopin' consumption in my life. I expect noat no
less than having her corpse thrown on my hands every week that goes over
my head.”
Could he altogether give up the poor creature of whom this was said? And
yet, was it possible he could love her? Colin felt perplexed, puzzled.
Like many other gentlemen, therefore, when placed in a similar
predicament, he parted company with Mrs. Popple, without saying anything
in reply, lest by speaking he should possibly chance--to say worse than
nothing.
As the strange shock his feelings had sustained gradually wore off, his
previously formed resolutions as gradually grew weaker. Irresistibly
inclined to look on the best side only, he began to reason himself
into the belief that the lady was not so bad as his own eyes, and Mrs.
Popple's tongue, had represented. He had seen her, unluckily, under
circumstances sufficiently disadvantageous to reduce to a very ordinary
standard even one--as was not very unlikely of the greatest beauties
living: and, as for his landlady's remarks, what did they amount to in
fact? Since people always magnify what they talk about into a ten times
more hideous affair than, according to the natural size of the subject,
it would otherwise appear, just as our opticians exhibit monsters a foot
lone on paper, which on closer inspection are found too insignificant
in reality to be even visible to the unassisted eye. Perhaps Miss
Wintle-bury might soon be recovered--soon grow strong again, and
eventually be enabled to make a fortune by that voice which now scarcely
found her in bread. Thoughts of this nature occupied his mind all day,
and until his return home, at about six in the evening.
Shortly afterwards a circumstance occurred no less unexpected on his
part than it will prove surprising to the reader; and which, as it
finally settled the question of his love for the public singer, as well
as another question of great importance to an individual in whom we have
felt some concern during the previous part of this history, I shall lose
no time in proceeding to relate.