He was so deep in his thoughts that at first he did not hear the knocking at the door. But it was a sharp, insistent knocking, and forced itself upon his attention. He got up and turned the handle.
Outside in the passage was standing a girl, tall and sleepy-eyed. She wore a picture-hat and a costume the keynote of which was a certain aggressive attractiveness. There was no room for doubt as to which particular brand of scent was her favourite at the moment.
She gazed at Rutherford dully. Like Banquo’s ghost, she had no speculation in her eyes. Rutherford looked at her inquiringly, somewhat conscious of his shirt-sleeves.
“Did you knock?” he said, opening, as a man must do, with the inevitable foolish question.
The apparition spoke.
“Say,” she said, “got a cigarette?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t,” said Rutherford, apologetically. “I’ve been smoking a pipe. I’m very sorry.”
“What?” said the apparition.
“I’m afraid I haven’t.”
“Oh!” A pause. “Say, got a cigarette?”
The intellectual pressure of the conversation was beginning to be a little too much for Rutherford. Combined with the heat of the night it made his head swim.
His visitor advanced into the room. Arriving at the table, she began fiddling with its contents. The pen seemed to fascinate her. She picked it up and inspected it closely.
“Say, what d’you call this?” she said.
“That’s a pen,” said Rutherford, soothingly. “A fountainpen.”
“Oh!” A pause. “Say, got a cigarette?”
Rutherford clutched a chair with one hand, and his forehead with the other. He was in sore straits.
At this moment Rescue arrived, not before it was needed. A brisk sound of footsteps in the passage, and there appeared in the doorway a second girl.
“What do you think you’re doing, Gladys?” demanded the new-comer. “You mustn’t come butting into folks’ rooms this way. Who’s your friend?”
“My name is Maxwell,” began Rutherford eagerly.
“What say, Peggy?” said the seeker after cigarettes, dropping a sheet of manuscript to the floor.
Rutherford looked at the girl in the doorway with interest. So this was Peggy. She was little, and trim of figure. That was how he had always imagined her. Her dress was simpler than the other’s. The face beneath the picture-hat was small and well-shaped, the nose delicately tip-tilted, the chin determined, the mouth a little wide and suggesting good-humour. A pair of grey eyes looked steadily into his before transferring themselves to the statuesque being at the table.
“Don’t monkey with the man’s inkwell, Gladys. Come along up to bed.”
“What? Say, got a cigarette?”
“There’s plenty upstairs. Come along.”
The other went with perfect docility. At the door she paused, and inspected Rutherford with a grave stare.
“Good night, boy!” she said, with haughty condescension.
“Good night!” said Rutherford.
“Pleased to have met you. Good night.”
“Good night!” said Rutherford.
“Good night!”
“Come along, Gladys,” said Peggy, firmly.
Gladys went.
Rutherford sat down and dabbed his forehead with his handkerchief, feeling a little weak. He was not used to visitors.
II
He had lit his pipe, and was re-reading his night’s work preparatory to turning in, when there was another knock at the door. This time time there was no waiting. He was in the state of mind when one hears the smallest noise.
“Come in!” he cried.
It was Peggy.
Rutherford jumped to his feet.
“Won’t you-?” he began, pushing the chair forward.
She seated herself with composure on the table. She no longer wore the picture-hat, and Rutherford, looking at her, came to the conclusion that the change was an improvement.
“This’ll do for me,” she said. “Thought I’d just look in. I’m sorry about Gladys. She isn’t often like that. It’s the hot weather.”
“It is hot,” said Rutherford.
“You’ve noticed it? Bully for you! Back to the bench for Sherlock Holmes. Did Gladys try to shoot herself?”
“Good heavens, no! Why?”
“She did once. But I stole her gun, and I suppose she hasn’t thought to get another. She’s a good girl really, only she gets like that sometimes in the hot weather.” She looked round the room for a moment, then gazed unwinkingly at Rutherford. “What did you say your name was?” she asked.
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