But I didn't think he'd
frighten
me so.
Kipling - Poems
The red-haired girl's eyes were alight with cold
flame.
"He kissed you! " she said. "How could you let him, when he wasn't
anything to you? How dared you to take a kiss from him? Oh, Maisie,
let's go to the ladies' cabin. I'm sick,--deadly sick. "
"We aren't into open water yet. Go down, dear, and I'll stay here.
I don't like the smell of the engines. . . . Poor Dick! He deserved
one,--only one.
But I didn't think he'd frighten me so. "
Dick returned to town next day just in time for lunch, for which he had
telegraphed. To his disgust, there were only empty plates in the studio.
He lifted up his voice like the bears in the fairy-tale, and Torpenhow
entered, looking guilty.
"H'sh! " said he. "Don't make such a noise. I took it. Come into my
rooms, and I'll show you why. "
Dick paused amazed at the threshold, for on Torpenhow's sofa lay a
girl asleep and breathing heavily. The little cheap sailor-hat, the
blue-and-white dress, fitter for June than for February, dabbled with
mud at the skirts, the jacket trimmed with imitation Astrakhan and
ripped at the shoulder-seams, the one-and-elevenpenny umbrella, and,
above all, the disgraceful condition of the kid-topped boots, declared
all things.
"Oh, I say, old man, this is too bad! You mustn't bring this sort up
here. They steal things from the rooms. "
"It looks bad, I admit, but I was coming in after lunch, and she
staggered into the hall. I thought she was drunk at first, but it was
collapse.
flame.
"He kissed you! " she said. "How could you let him, when he wasn't
anything to you? How dared you to take a kiss from him? Oh, Maisie,
let's go to the ladies' cabin. I'm sick,--deadly sick. "
"We aren't into open water yet. Go down, dear, and I'll stay here.
I don't like the smell of the engines. . . . Poor Dick! He deserved
one,--only one.
But I didn't think he'd frighten me so. "
Dick returned to town next day just in time for lunch, for which he had
telegraphed. To his disgust, there were only empty plates in the studio.
He lifted up his voice like the bears in the fairy-tale, and Torpenhow
entered, looking guilty.
"H'sh! " said he. "Don't make such a noise. I took it. Come into my
rooms, and I'll show you why. "
Dick paused amazed at the threshold, for on Torpenhow's sofa lay a
girl asleep and breathing heavily. The little cheap sailor-hat, the
blue-and-white dress, fitter for June than for February, dabbled with
mud at the skirts, the jacket trimmed with imitation Astrakhan and
ripped at the shoulder-seams, the one-and-elevenpenny umbrella, and,
above all, the disgraceful condition of the kid-topped boots, declared
all things.
"Oh, I say, old man, this is too bad! You mustn't bring this sort up
here. They steal things from the rooms. "
"It looks bad, I admit, but I was coming in after lunch, and she
staggered into the hall. I thought she was drunk at first, but it was
collapse.
