He was disclaiming all intentions with regard to Miss Phillips.
And Louie was listening quietly!
Perhaps believing him!!
The scamp!!!
And now I noticed that Jack's unhappy tendency to--well, to _conciliate_ ladies--was in full swing.
Didn't I see him, then and there, slyly try to take poor little Louie's hand, utterly forgetful of the disastrous result of a former attempt on what he believed to be that same hand? Didn't I see Louie civilly draw it away, and move her chair farther off from his? Didn't I see him flush up and begin to utter apologies? Didn't I hear Louie begin to talk of operas, and things in general; and soon after, didn't I see her rise and come over to Laura, and Nina, and me, as we were playing dummy? Methinks I did. Oh, Louie! Oh, Jack! Is she destined to be Number Four! or, good Heavens! Number Forty? Why, the man's mad! He engages himself to every girl he sees!
Home again.
Jack was full of Louie.
"Such fun! such life! Did you ever see any thing like her?"
"But the widow, Jack?"
"Hang the widow!"
"Miss Phillips?"
"Bother Miss Phillips!"
"And Number Three?"
Jack's face grew sombre, and he was silent for a time. At length a sudden thought seized him.
"By Jove!" he exclaimed, "I got a letter to-day, which I haven't opened. Excuse me a moment, old chap."
So saying, he pulled a letter from his pocket, opened it, and read it.
He told me the contents.
It was from Miss Phillips, and she told her dearest Jack that her father was about moving to Quebec to live.
CHAPTER XI.
"MACRORIE, MY BOY, HAVE YOU BEEN TO ANDERSON'S YET?"--"NO."--"WELL, THEN, I WANT YOU ATTEND TO THAT BUSINESS OF THE STONE TO-MORROW. DON'T FORGET THE SIZE--FOUR FEET BY EIGHTEEN INCHES; AND NOTHING BUT THE NAME AND DATE. THE TIME'S COME AT LAST. THERE'S NO PLACE FOR ME BUT THE COLD GRAVE, WHERE THE PENSIVE PASSER-BY MAY DROP A TEAR OVER THE MOURNFUL FATE OF JACK RANDOLPH. AMEN. R. I. P."
Such was the remarkable manner in which Jack Randolph accosted me, as he entered my room on the following day at about midnight. His face was more rueful than ever, and, what was more striking, his clothes and hair seemed neglected. This convinced me more than any thing that he had received some new blow, and that it had struck home.
"You seem hard hit, old man," said I. "Where is it? Who is it?"
Jack groaned.
"Has Miss Phillips come?"
"No."
"Is it the widow?"
"No."
"Number Three?"
Jack shook his head.
"Not duns?"
"No."
"Then I give up."
"It's Louie," said Jack, with an expression of face that was as near an approximation to what is called sheepishness as any thing I ever saw.
"Louie?" I repeated.
"Yes--"
"What of her? What has she been doing? How is it possible? Good Heavens! you haven't--" I stopped at the fearful suspicion that came to me.
"Yes, I have!" said Jack, sulkily. "I know what you mean. I've proposed to her."
I started up from the sofa on which I was lounging--my pipe dropped to the ground--a tumbler followed. I struck my clinched fist on the table.
"Randolph!" said I, "this is too much. Confound it, man! Are you mad, or are you a villain? What the devil do you mean by trifling with the affections of that little girl? By Heavens! Jack Randolph, if you carry on this game with her, there's not a man in the regiment that won't join to crush you."
"Pitch in," said Jack quietly, looking at me at the same time with something like approval. "That's the right sort of thing. That's just what I've been saying to myself. I've been swearing like a trooper at myself all the way here. If there's any one on earth that every fellow ought to stand up for, it's little Louie. And now you see the reason why I want you to attend to that little affair of the gravestone."
At Jack's quiet tone, my excitement subsided. I picked up my pipe again, and thought it over.
"The fact is, Jack," said I, after about ten minutes of profound smoking, "I think you'll have to carry out that little plan of yours.
Sell out as soon as you can, and take Louie with you to a farm in Minnesota."
"Easier said than done," said Jack, sententiously.
"Done? why, man, it's easy enough. You can drop the other three, and retire from the scene. That'll save Louie from coming to grief."
"Yes; but it won't make her come to Minnesota."
"Why not? She's just the girl to go anywhere with a fellow."