CHAPTER XXVIII
RUPERT.
When the girls found themselves once more in the open air neither ofthem spoke. Then Annie said in a gasping sort of voice:
"I see quite well, Leslie, that it is all useless. I give up the hopewhich seemed so bright a short time ago. You have done your very best,and I thank you from my heart. I will go to Belle Acheson now. Perhapssomething will turn up at the end of a week. At any rate, I have thatweek to turn round in."
"We will go to the Bank," said Leslie; "omnibuses go from there in alldirections. As to what Mr. Parker said, you know, Annie, that it remainswith yourself."
"And do you think," said Annie, coloring and shivering, "that if I couldbring myself to tell the real truth I should get the post?"
"I think so; for Mr. Parker is a man who never goes back on his word. Hepromised to give it to you if the truth were known. He made nocondition."
"And you--you will be restored to his favor?"
"I have nothing to say," replied Leslie somewhat proudly. "I will notplead for myself. You won't get the post you covet unless the truth isknown."
"I cannot do it," said Annie. "It would be betraying not only myself,but Rupert. Can you find your way back to the Chetwynds'?"
"Certainly I can; and that is your omnibus with Maida Vale marked onit." Leslie held up her parasol and the driver stopped. Annie got in;Leslie nodded to her and turned away.
Annie shrank back in her corner. She shut her eyes: her head was achingviolently. Her one desire--the only desire that she had at thatmoment--was not to tell but to hide the truth. The secretaryship wouldhave saved her--it would have enabled her to live respectably and incomfort; but it was not to be hers. Between it and her lay a sin--a sinwhich she committed for the one she loved best in the world. Now she hadto think how she was to manage. Where could she get work? What workcould she best undertake? How long would Belle keep her as a guest?Belle was known to be erratic and uncertain. Well, at least for a weekshe was safe. During that time she would treasure her shillings as ifthey were gold.
The drive was a long one, but presently she reached her destination. Theomnibus drew up, she alighted and turned forlornly into the square whereBelle lived with her mother. Belle's house was No. 30; it was at theleft-hand side of the square. Annie had nearly reached it when she felta hand laid lightly on her shoulder. She turned round in an access ofterror, then a cry of mingled astonishment, fear, and delight burst fromher, and the next instant she had clasped her arms round her brother'sneck.
"Oh, Rupert!" she cried, "where did you come from? I thought you were atthe other side of the world."
"I will tell you all," replied Rupert in a cheerful voice. "There's nomanner of use in your giving way, and don't, for goodness' sake! hug mein public, Annie. Of course I'm not in Australia--I never went there; I'mnot such a fool. Do you think it's likely I would leave this place whenI had sixty pounds in my pocket?"
"But you owed that money; it was given you to pay a debt."
"Well, I paid part of it--not all. The fellows were only too glad to gettwenty pounds from me; so you see, my dear little sister, I had fortypounds left to go on the spree with. But now my creditors are clamoringfor the second instalment. Annie, my dear, I want your help again; andwhat is more, I must have it. You little guessed, when you wereshrinking up in that corner of the omnibus, that I was enjoying a cigaron the roof. I hurried down when you alighted, and have followed you.That precious, goody-goody Miss Gilroy little knew how close I was toher vicinity when she bade you good-by at the Bank."
"Oh, Rupert, I am so terribly frightened; and yet--and yet it is a realjoy to see you."
"Poor old girl," said Rupert, patting Annie on her shoulder; "you alwayswere affectionate. You've got me out of more than one scrape, and you'llget me out of this one; won't you, kiddy? Now, where can we go for areal good talk?"
"I don't know this part of London," replied Annie.
"Well, it is like any other part, I suppose. We must talk in thestreets; but it's abominably hard. What is your address, Annie? Whereare you staying?"
"I am just going to spend a week with Mrs. Acheson. She lives in No. 30in this square--Newbolt Square it is called."
"No. 30 Newbolt Square; then here we are. I'll come and see you; nothingmore natural."
"But, Rupert, you must not--it would be most dangerous."
"Why should it be dangerous? Why should not a bona-fide brother go tosee his only sister? You are my sister, Annie."
"And I glory in the fact," said Annie. "Whatever you do, I shall alwaysfeel glad that I belong to you. You will always be the darling of myheart; but oh, Rupert, if Leslie finds out that you have broken yourword, it is in her to be very hard. She is hard already. I never knewanyone so changed. I live in constant terror of her. Do you know whathappened only to-day?"
"No, Annie; and what is more, I don't want to know. I am too full of myown affairs to be bothered by your minor troubles."
"That is so like you, Rupert. I am afraid you are growing terriblyselfish."
"Now, don't begin to preach, old girl. There, if it will make you anyhappier you shall tell me your little adventure, whatever it was; onlybe quick about it."
They walked round the square many times. Miserable as Annie felt, therewas a strange glow at her heart, the color had flamed into her palecheeks, and light into her red-brown eyes. She looked wonderfullyhandsome, and more than one person turned to gaze at her. She brieflytold Rupert what had occurred at Mr. Parker's.
"The old wretch!" cried Rupert. "If there is a man in the world whom Ifairly loathe, it is Parker. And so he spoke of me as a scoundrel, didhe? Perhaps I'll have my little revenge yet."
"But you would not really do anything wrong, Rupert?"
"Oh, dear me, no!" said Rupert in a sarcastic voice; "all I want atpresent is twenty pounds. Do let us drop Parker out of thisconversation. If I could bleed him to that extent I would, rightheartily; but as I do not see my way to doing so a second time, we mustget it in some other fashion; and that remains for you to discover,Annie mine."
"But, dear Rupert, there are no means open to me; and I would not, if Icould, help you in that dreadful way again."
"But you might think out another dodge. I laugh now when I think of howyou managed before--forging a letter in another girl's name and taking itto Parker of all people, and Parker giving the money and blaming thatbread-and-butter Miss Gilroy, and you and I getting off scot-free. Itwas about the cheekiest, boldest, cleverest deed that any girl ever did,and you did it for your brother's sake. Annie, my dear, you will be asclever, as cheeky, as bold again for your poor brother's sake."
"Rupert, I cannot."
"Then you know, of course, what the consequence will be."
Rupert Colchester now completely changed his manner. He had anexpressive face, capable of almost any emotion. He had been sad, he hadbeen jocular, in Annie's presence during this short interview. Now helooked as if despair had seized him. His face changed color, itlengthened, and seemed to grow thinner and more haggard each moment.
"Then I cannot help it," he said. "I suppose there is nothing further tosay. You did your best, and you can do no more. I'll be locked up; Ihave got into a scrape which I cannot explain to you. There is a fellowto whom I owe twenty pounds, and if I don't get it I'll be locked up.Think what you will feel when you have to go to the police court to giveevidence against your brother."
"But, oh, Rupert! Rupert! how can you go in for such bad ways? Oh, ifonly mother were alive!"
"Look here, Annie, none of that," said Colchester, his voice becoming sostern that poor Annie nearly shook. "There," he added, instantlychanging his tone when he saw that she shivered and shrank from him. "Iknow you will help me if you can. You'll just think it over, and let meknow when next we meet. Where did you say you were going to stay--at No.30? Who lives at No. 30 Newbolt Square?"
"People of the name of Acheson."
"But who are they?"
"I don't know, Rupert."
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br /> "They live in a respectable house, and must be well off," said Rupert."I tell you what you'll do, Annie. You get Mrs. Acheson to lend youtwenty pounds. Now, see you do it, and be quick about it. She'll lend itfast enough if you pull a long face, and make up a pitiable story, andI'll meet you somehow or other to-morrow. Oh, yes, I'll manage; I neednot enter into particulars just now. You will tell me what you can dowhen we meet. That is all I require for the present. If you get me thattwenty pounds I'll let you alone--I promise I will--for a month or two."
"But, Rupert, I don't know anything whatever about Mrs. Acheson. I havenever even seen her. Belle, her daughter, is a very odd, clevercreature; but I am quite certain the Achesons are not rich."
"Is this Belle one of the St. Wode's undergraduates?"
"Yes."
"Then, of course, they must be rich, or she could not go to a place likeWingfield. And that reminds me, Annie, what a goose you were not to takehonors in your exam. You barely qualified--no more. If you had taken afirst, I know a fellow who would have lent me twenty pounds on thestrength of your getting a good post; but now all that is knocked on thehead, and by your laziness. Positively it's enough to sicken a fellow.Well, Annie, you know what you have before you. You must get twentypounds for your brother within the next two or three days, or there is aprison ahead of him."
"Oh, Rupert! Rupert! you do make me so perfectly wretched," said poorAnnie. "I must frankly confess that I have no hope at all of being ableto help you."
"Where there's a will there's a way," said Rupert, whistling gaily. "NowI'm not going to bother you any more. My words will sink deep, I know,my pretty little Annie. Think of the old times. Do you remember thatspring when we went out together and picked primroses, and that timewhen you had the measles, and I was so awfully good to you? Don't youremember when you were so tired of being left by yourself I used to comein, and risk taking the beastly thing a second time, to amuse you? Oh,you'll help me; you won't leave your brother Rupert in a lurch. Well, gooff now to your precious Achesons and your comfortable home. Think, whenyou are lapped in luxury, of your poor, starving brother."
"Oh, Rupert, you surely are not starving?"
"Well, I have not had a decent meal for a week. Last time I ate wasyesterday evening, so you can imagine I'm pretty peckish. By the way,you don't happen to have a sovereign about you?"
"No, indeed, I don't possess so much in the world. I've only gotfourteen shillings, not a penny more."
Rupert gave vent to a prolonged whistle.
"Are things really as bad as that?" he cried. "Well, at any rate, youwon't want money while you are at the Achesons'. You might let me havethose few shillings; you can have them back when you want them."
"But, Rupert, they are all I possess, all I have between me and theworkhouse."
"Bother the workhouse! Much chance a pretty girl like you has of goingthere. Let me have ten shillings at least. You surely do not mean torefuse your starving brother?"
"Of course I cannot refuse you," said Annie. She took up her purse,opened it, and gave Rupert half a sovereign.
"Ta-ta," he replied; "this will do until we meet to-morrow. You do looka bit dragged, Annie, now I come to examine you carefully; but betterdays will dawn."
He shrugged his shoulders, and walked down the street. Poor as heprofessed himself to be, he was by no means shabbily dressed. He had afine figure, square shoulders, and a swagger in his walk.
Annie gazed long after his retreating form.
"Why is he about the most wicked person in the world, and why do I lovehim so much?" she thought. "There, I have only four shillings now. How Iam to get that twenty pounds Heaven only knows. Oh, I am a miserable,most miserable girl!"