by L. T. Meade
which astonished himself.
When his business at Covent Garden was ended, he selected a large bunchof some of his commoner flowers, and started off to walk to thehospital. He had gone nearly half-way when it suddenly entered into hishead that it would largely add to Peters's happiness, if he, Silas,could contrive to see Mrs Riggs for a moment or two. He knew enoughabout hospitals to be aware that he would not be admitted until theafternoon, so, leaving his flowers at the shop of a friend, he gotthrough his other work, and finally arrived at Saint Bartholomew's onthe stroke of two o'clock, the earliest hour when visitors are admitted.
Silas was taken at once to the women's ward, where Mrs Riggs wassitting up in her clean bed with a "nightingale" round her shoulders.Her wizened old face was lit up with a curious mixture of surprise,pleasure, and alarm when she saw Silas coming gingerly on tiptoe downthe long ward to see her. Her remembrance of Silas in the past was nota pleasant one--he was morose, intensely rough and disagreeable--a veryupright man, of course, but the last to put himself out of the way to doa neighbour a kindness. It was astonishing, therefore, to see him witha little brown-paper parcel in one hand and an enormous bouquet offlowers in the other advancing to meet her. Silas's rough face, too,was all aglow, his coarse mouth was wreathed in smiles, his littleferrity, deep-set eyes were the windows through which a happy soullooked.
Mrs Riggs said, "My sakes alive! wot's come to the man?" under herbreath. She stretched out her thin, old hand, which Silas clasped, andthen, sitting down by her, he began to chat about the small doings ofNewbridge and its inhabitants.
Peters's cough was certainly better, the Hibberty Joneses were in goodcase, Mary Ann Hatton looked quite fine for her. In short, the villagewas enjoying a heyday of prosperity, and Silas felt sure that they wouldall give Mrs Riggs a hearty welcome when she returned. He knew thatthe old woman was regarding him with a sharp stare of curiosity; he waswell aware that she was amazed at the change in him, but he did not feelinclined to betray his happy secret. There was a new sweet shynessabout him when he thought of Jill and the great, tender love he boreher.
He had bid Mrs Riggs good-bye and was leaving the ward, when a fullvoice, rich in tone although somewhat weakened by recent illness, washeard pronouncing his name.
A woman who was lying stretched out flat in a bed at the far end of theward was calling to him. Her voice had a piteous ring in it; her blackeyes were fixed on him with a world of entreaty in their glance.
"Come yere, Mr Lynn, for the love o' heaven, come yere," said thevoice.
Lynn looked up the ward and immediately recognised Poll Robinson. Hisheart gave a heavy thump; he was conscious of a sudden weight ofapprehension on him, and then, still walking on tiptoe, he marched upthe ward and stood by the sick woman's side.
"Well, I'm blessed," he exclaimed, looking down at her. "So you'rehere, and that's the secret wot's troubling Jill."
"Oh, Mr Lynn, ha' you seen my gel?" exclaimed Poll. "Oh, you don'tknow the awful 'eart hunger as is over me, never to see her or to hearof her. Oh, Mr Lynn, when I seed you a-coming in, I thought as youwor, may be, an angel fro' heaven. I said to myself, maybe Jill hasbeen a-buying flowers from Silas Lynn. Oh, my gel, my sweet, sweet gel.Ha' you seen her, Mr Lynn?"
"Yes, yes, Mrs Robinson," said Silas. "Make your mind heasy. Jill'sall right. Why I seen her this werry morning."
"Oh, and is she well; do she look happy?"
"She ought to look well, and she ought to be happy. It'll be herwedding-day to-morrow. Ef a gel don't look happy on the eve of herwedding-day, why she never will, accordin' to my thinkin'."
"Oh, praise the Lord," said Poll, "then I ain't done the mischief Ithought. I wor mortal feared as she had broke off with Nat Carter, butef they're to be married to-morrow why it's all right, and I ain't donethe mischief I thought."
"_Who_ did yer say as she were to marry?" asked Silas in a queer, thick,husky voice. "Wot name did yer say, Nat--Nat Carter?"
"Yes, yes; you must know him for sure--that 'ansome young costermongeras allers goes in good time to the market. You must mind him, Mr Lynn,a tall, well-set-up lad, with blue eyes and as fair as Jill's dark. Whythey has loved each other, them two, ever since my Jill were a littledot at school. Never seen anything like the way they took on one fort'other. Wot's the matter, Mr Lynn? You must know o' this, surely."
"Yes, of course," said Lynn; he made a supreme effort to control himselfand sat down on the chair by Poll's bedside.
"You must know Nat Carter," she continued, fixing her anxious eyes onhim.
"Yes, yes, for sure."
"It is an awful load off my mind, Silas Lynn, that they'll be marriedto-morrow. Mayhap you'll be at the weddin'."
"Not likely," growled Silas.
"Well, well; you look pinched somehow in the face, neighbour. Iwouldn't be surprised if Jill wor glad to see yer when she gives herselfto Nat. She allers thought a sight on yer; she used to say to me,`Mother, his bark is worse nor his bite.' Oh, Silas, you don't knowwhat a load you has lifted from my 'eart."
"Look yere, missis," said Silas, "I won't go fer to deny that yer newshas come to me sudden. Course, I know'd as Jill were to be married, butI never know'd as there were any hitch, so to speak. You might as welltell me what yer means, missis, for I takes a--a hinterest in the gel."
"I don't mind telling yer," said Poll. "May be it's best for yer toknow. You see, it wor this way. I had an awful bad pain; I worsuffering from a sort of a tumour in my breast, and I can't tell yer,Silas, what the suffering were like; it seemed to shrink me all up, andthe only way I could get ease, day or night, was by taking a drop o'gin. Sometimes I took perhaps mor'n I ought, and once or twice I know Iforgot myself, and the sperits seemed to go into my 'ead; and what withthe ease from pain, and the light, cheery sort of feeling in my 'ead, Iused to sing songs in the street, and even dance, and folks collectedround me, and I brought shame to my pretty, sweet gel. Oh, the goodnessof her, and the tenderness of her, and the way she'd shield me and notlet anybody point a finger at me; and the way she'd make s'cuses for me,and try to hush it up, and never let me even say to her as I had took adrop too much. Well, she engaged herself to Nat; it's about a month agonow; and they two did look so 'appy; and Jill she says to me, `I'm histill death us do part;' and oh, the look in her beautiful eyes, and thestrength on her true, sweet face, and the way he looked at her, and hesays, says he, `the only thing I want in a woman is to be honest, andsober, and true.' He said the words bitter 'ard, and I said to myself,`I can't keep sober, but I won't bring disgrace on Jill; Nat Cartershan't have it to say as he married the best gel in life only she had adrunkard for a mother.' So I slipped away unbeknown to Jill, and I havenever seen her since the day as she give herself to Nat. But three daysarterwards I met Susy, Nat's sister, and she said words to me what mademe fear as Nat had found out 'bout me, and that he were taking it bitter'ard, and that, maybe, he had broke off with Jill. Oh, you don't knowwhat I felt, Silas Lynn. To give the gel up, and yet not to save herarter all! Oh, I thought as my 'ead 'ud turn crazy. I tried to go backto her, and I s'pose I fainted in the street, for I don't remembernothink more until I found myself yere. I had an awful dread ofhospitals, but my word, Silas, I made a big mistake. Why, they has tookthat awful, fearful tumour right away, and I han't a bit of pain now,and they say as I'll get well again. There's news for Jill on herwedding morning."
"Yes, that's good news," replied Lynn, still speaking in that quiet,absent sort of voice. "Shall I tell her as you'll soon be quite welland back with her again, neighbour?"
"Oh, ef you would," said Poll; "and there'll be no need for Nat to fearme now, for I won't be tempted to take the awful drink. I wor a soberenough woman afore the pain troubled me, and now that the pain's goneI'll be sober enough again, never fear. Ef Jill has kept the secret'bout me fro' Nat Carter, she can always keep it fro' him in the future.Wot's the matter, Silas Lynn? Yer face has gone grey-like, and Ithought how well you looked when you wor coming across
the ward to seeme."
"So I am well," retorted Silas; "I'm as right as rain. Now, good-bye,neighbour, I must be goin'. Ef I see Jill I'll take her your message.Good-bye, neighbour, good-bye."
He left the ward, still treading on tiptoe, but with a certain heavinessin his gait which was not observe able when he came in.
He went down-stairs, and out into the
