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Read Ebook: Paddy-The-Next-Best-Thing by Page Gertrude
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Ebook has 1155 lines and 47399 words, and 24 pages
"I'm following O'Hara's lead and leaving England," and he looked hard into her face.
"Leaving England!" she repeated, with frank dismay--indeed, far too frank for Ted, who was sufficiently wise in these matters to know that such a complete absence of self-consciousness left but little room for him to hope in.
"Yes," dropping his eyes gloomily to the carpet. "At once."
"Lawrence Blake?" he asked, in some surprise.
Paddy coloured painfully.
"Yes, didn't you know? He went to India a month after the dance."
Ted watched her inquiringly, uncertain whether or not to ask a particular question.
Paddy settled the matter for him.
"It was rather a good thing," she said, trying to speak naturally. "He and Eileen were hovering on the brink of an engagement, and it would not have been a suitable match. He would never have made a girl like Eileen happy."
Ted drew his own conclusions, but all he said, was:
"O'Hara will get his chance now--lucky beggar," and then suddenly relapsed into thought, as it dawned upon him it might in the end mean his own chance, too.
"You have not told me why you are going abroad?" she said, after a pause.
"I am going to South Africa for the firm I am with."
"For good?"
"For several years, I expect."
"Why do you go?"
"Well, you see," he began slowly, "it's a very good opening for a man who wants to get on, and I want that even more now than I ever wanted it before." She waited, and he continued: "Engineering is rather overdone in England, and it's very hard work to get any kind of a real footing at all. The firm is opening a big, new branch in Africa, and they have offered me the managership. It is a very good thing, and I have accepted it."
"But still," reasoned Paddy, "you were all right as you were before."
He smiled a little.
"No, that's just it. I wasn't all right. You see, Miss Adair, there comes a time in a man's life when he suddenly wakes up to the fact that he'd desperately like a home of his own, and that makes him think more seriously of the pounds, shillings, and pence. I want my home to be right in the country, too," he added whimsically, half to himself, "if possible, where there are mountains and a loch and plenty of fishing and shooting."
Paddy said nothing, but she felt a queer little thrill all down her back. She turned her head away and stared hard into the glowing coals. She knew his eyes were fixed searchingly on her face, but she would not look round, nor give him the chance to see the consciousness in her own. He leaned back presently with a little sigh.
"I'd rather have thought of you running wild at Omeath still," he said, "but it can't be helped, and I shall have to make the best of it. Perhaps, sometimes you'll be glad to feel there's some one thinking of you, some one awfully sorry for you, across the sea. At least, I hope you won't forget altogether?"
Still Paddy kept her face averted.
"I shall not forget," was all she would say.
"I wonder if it would be too much to ask for an occasional letter," he went on. "Perhaps, if you remembered what a boon it would be to the exile--?"
"Oh, yes, I'll write to you sometimes," with frankness. "I dare say I shall be glad to air my opinions upon London and things generally, now and again."
"Not so glad as I shall be to get them. How I wish I could have been here and, perhaps, helped you all a little, and still had the good position. I could at least have taken you to theatres, and down the river."
"It would have been nice," she assented.
"I may get back in four years," he continued, "but hardly before."
"When do you sail?"
"Next week."
"Next week!" in astonishment. "How near it seems."
"Yes." He hesitated. "May I come and see you again!"
"Of course you must come and say good-by."
"Very well then. Next Friday evening!"
It was agreed so, and just then Mrs Adair and the doctor came in, and after a little Ted rose to go.
The following Friday, as luck would have it, Basil took it into his head to remain at home, and ensconced himself in the drawing-room as if he meant to stay. When Ted arrived he was still there, and Paddy felt vexed. Her feelings, however, were nothing to Ted's. He would gladly have picked the young man up by his collar and dropped him out of the window into the street below. After half-an-hour of vain efforts to keep the conversation going naturally, the kindly doctor himself came to the rescue.
"I'm sure these young people would like to talk over old times together without us," he said, "as they're not to meet again for so long. Come along, my dear, we'll go to my room as usual, and Basil can come too."
Basil looked annoyed, but could hardly do other than follow the others from the room, though he loftily declined the invitation to the surgery.
"Is that young man your cousin!" asked Ted when they were alone.
"Yes, but I'm not proud of the relationship," said outspoken Paddy.
Ted only smiled. He could afford to be more magnanimous now he had gone. He got up and strolled round the room, not because he was tired of sitting at all, but because he was thus enabled to make an entirely free choice of where he would sit down again. Paddy was on the sofa, so as it is much easier to talk to anyone from the same sofa, instead of shouting from another chair, he chose the vacant space beside her. Paddy fidgeted with her hands, and again took to studying the glowing coals as if she had never seen a fire before.
"Do you know I have taken a great liberty?" he said presently.
"Yes!" looking up.
"I've--well, I've taken upon myself to bring you a small talisman. You won't be angry with me?"
"I think it is very nice of you."
"And you'll accept it?" eagerly.
"What is it?" turning to the coals again.
Ted took a little parcel from his pocket, and unfolded a very valuable old gold coin with a hole in it.
"It's a lucky coin," he said. "I noticed you had a chain bracelet and I thought, perhaps, you wouldn't mind letting me fix it on for you. It's rather a rare one. My father was a great collector, and it used to belong to him."
"Oh! but you mustn't give it to me then," she cried.
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