Ruby M. Ayres

“ And the pendulum of Peg's emotions swung back again. After all, what was her own happiness compared with his? And her thoughts flew to the latest and as yet unfinished novelette lying on her bed at home in which the Lady Gwendoline Maltravers had just dropped gracefully on to her aristocratic knees to plead for her lover's honour with the brutal squire who had sworn to ruin him.
"Take me! Body and soul I will be yours, if only you will spare him! Spare the man I love, and give him his happiness!" ”

“ Peg took control of the house as absolutely as if she had always been its mistress, and, in spite of his dislike of her, Nicholas Forrester felt a great sense of relief. She was capable, whatever else she might not be, and he knew she was fond of Faith.
Before he left the house that night he had a little conversation with her.
"Can you stay with my wife?" he asked.
Peg looked him up and down coolly.
"I suppose you've got so much money that you've forgotten that some people have to earn their living," she said bluntly, but without intentional insolence. ”

“ She stole a little glance at Forrester, and a sigh shook her. What happiness to be loved by such a man! Nothing that she had ever come [Pg 190] across in fiction could yield half such exquisite bliss.
To be his wife! To be with him always!... She lost herself in a world of dreams.
Never once did she think now of his wealth, nor the advantages to be gained from it. The man himself filled the picture of her thoughts. She could have been equally happy with him in the dreary streets of Poplar as in the luxury of the house at Hampstead. ”

“ They were certainly very good. "They were always good at home," Faith said, passionately, forgetting how many times a day they had quarrelled and slapped one another, and screamed and cried and nearly worried poor Mrs. Ledley to death. But time had lent a glamour of glory to most things now, and Faith could never think of her life at home without a dreary feeling of heart-sickness.
And then the twins came, and she caught her breath with a cry of wonderment, for she hardly recognized them in the healthy, well-dressed children who came demurely forward, hand in hand. ”

“ It was many moments before Faith could find her voice; many moments before she could conquer the conviction that all this was a dream. Then she broke out, unconsciously using the words of Peg Fraser's favourite ejaculation: "It's like a novelette."
She really thought it was; she was breathless with astonishment, dazed with the unexpectedness of it all. The Beggar Man laughed.
"Is it? They always say that truth is stranger than fiction, don't they?" ”

“ I've never seen your mother or the twins, but I should like to see them."
The colour rose slowly to Faith's face. She was sure now that he was joking.
"Of course, you don't mean it!" she said quiveringly.
"Don't mean it? Good heavens!" The man laughed. "I do mean it, every word! When we were having tea just now I did a lot of thinking. I am a man who makes up his mind quickly and sticks to it. Now, look here, I'm going to make you an offer—without sentiment or any nonsense of that sort. I want a wife, and I want a girl who hasn't been spoilt by the tomfoolery of the world. ”

“ He hated scenes, and during his lifetime he had been forced into a great many. He was unutterably relieved when Faith stopped crying and put her handkerchief away. Something of the childishness in her face seemed to have deepened to womanhood as, for a moment, she raised her brown eyes to him.
"And what am I to do now?" she asked.
Mr. Shawyer spread his hands.
"My dear young lady, how can I advise you beyond saying that the only thing to do is to wait until Nicholas Forrester comes home. He is your husband and rightful guardian, and if you love him you know what course to adopt. ”

“ Supposing he really did like Peg? Supposing he more than liked her? She was handsome enough to take any man's fancy, and Faith knew how badly Forrester had suffered over the disappointment of his marriage.
A hundred little incidents came crowding back to her mind, cruelly magnified. The way he invariably chose to talk to Peg in preference to herself. The way he had elected to sit with her at the back of the car that afternoon, though she had offered to change places. The way he had overruled her objections with regard to Peg's gaudy choice of decoration when first they came to the house. ”

“ She nodded in the direction of the thin-lipped forewoman. "You'll hate her, and you'll hate the sight of things like these and all the rich, hateful people who buy them."
She caught up a dainty silk blouse from the table beside her and shook it contemptuously.
"Do you know Scammel?"
"Scammel?" Faith echoed the name blankly. "No; who is he?"
"He owns this place," Peg explained. "There's no Heeler in it really—it's just a name. It's Scammel we're all swotting to make money for," she added. "And I hate him——"
"You seem to hate a lot of things and people," Faith said timidly. ”

“ Ledley spoke of her husband.
"You haven't forgotten him, Faith? You haven't so soon forgotten your father? He was so good to you. He loved you all so much. This man ruined him and caused his death. I know that my little girl could not love such a man."
[Pg 92]
"I wanted you to be rich," Faith whispered brokenly. "I wanted everything for you and the twins." ”

“ Peg could always be relied upon to chip in and keep the ball of conversation going. She was wondering whether to fetch her when the door opened and Forrester himself walked in.
"Digby! Jove, I am glad to see you." The two men gripped hands and thumped one another on the back like delighted schoolboys. Faith had never seen her husband look so pleased before. She felt the slightest pang of envy and unwantedness as she stood there, forgotten for the moment, [Pg 173] as they laughed and talked and questioned one another as to the happenings of the years since they had last met. ”

“ Faith?" His mind flew with swift apprehension to his wife.
Peg laughed bitterly.
"Oh, no, she's safe and sound enough. It's you."
"Me!" His eyes went beyond her to where Farrow stood. "Good heavens! What's the meaning of it all?" he demanded angrily. "Farrow, if you've been down to Hampstead frightening my wife...."
He turned on the man threateningly as a shrill warning scream broke from Peg, and the next instant Forrester felt himself seized violently from behind and flung backwards.
The darkness was filled with voices and shouting, and the street seemed suddenly to have grown alive with men. ”

“ Faith answered simply enough: "She was in a shop at Clapham when father married her, and his people never forgave him."
"You mean because they were swells?"
"Yes, I suppose so; I've never seen any of them."
"It's like a novelette again," said Peg, and fell upon her machine with renewed energy.
It was some moments before she next spoke.
[Pg 13]
"It licks me why you've come here. You'll loathe it like poison before you've been here a week. The noise of the machines gets on your nerves and makes you want to scream. Miss Dell gets on your nerves, too." ”

“ Peg shrugged her shoulders.
"So it may be, for all I know, but he's Scammel, and he owns Heeler's. Ask him, if you don't believe me. He's the man who brought that crowd of women round the factory I told you about—stuck-up crew! He's the man who cut down our overtime money. Ask any of the girls. Ask old Dell, if you don't believe me. He may call himself Forrester, or Jones, or any other old name, for all I care, but he's Scammel right enough, and he's as mean as he is rich," she added violently.
"I don't believe it," said Faith. She was surprised at her own boldness. ”

“ Faith could well believe her, and from that moment the friendship between the two girls was finally cemented. In a hundred small ways Peg proved herself nobly. She helped Faith through [Pg 15] the long, weary days, taking extra work upon her own capable shoulders to save the younger girl; shielding her many times from the petty disagreeablenesses of the room and the sharp tongue of Miss Dell.
"You're not fit for a life like this," Peg said once angrily. "Why doesn't your mother send you somewhere better?"
Faith gave a little wavering smile. "It's not so easy now to get work," she said. ”

“ She was dressed for the drive, and looked rather like a handsome bird of Paradise in her bright green veil and red motor coat.
She still wore the swinging gipsy earrings, but lately they had somehow ceased to annoy Forrester; or perhaps he was beginning to realize that, after all, trifles count very little in the sum total of things. ”

“ As she stood there, her fingers on the handle of the locked door, the Beggar Man came up the stairs.
He had heard Peg's rather loud, insistent voice from the smoking-room below, and had momentarily left his friend to see if anything was the matter.
Peg blushed fiery red when she saw him. Her black hair was unbound and streaming down over her shoulders. She wore a brilliant cherry-coloured dressing-gown, and her feet were thrust into gaudy Oriental slippers. ”

“ Was history about to repeat itself in Faith's marriage?
"It is impossible to regulate romance," said Mr. Shawyer; privately he thought that the Beggar Man had shown taste in his choice of a wife. He considered that Faith had a charming face, and he was shrewd enough to see that with a few alterations in clothes the little moth would have no difficulty in spreading her wings and turning into a butterfly.
He was extremely interested in the whole affair. He had always considered Nicholas Forrester unique, and he genuinely admired his pluck in having taken this step. ”

“ Ledley stared at her helplessly, then something in the girl's face, its immature look [Pg 91] and innocent eyes, swept the anger and bitterness from her heart.
She took Faith on to her lap as if she had still been a child, and the two kissed and cried together.
Mrs. Ledley did not believe Faith would ever see the Beggar Man again. She thought she knew only too well the type of man he was. She sobbed out that she was only too thankful to have her daughter safely with her. ”

“ She drew her mother's hands down from her face.
"You'll be able to live happily ever after," she said excitedly. Her eyes shone like stars. "We're going to be rich—all of us. We can go away from London and live in the country. And the twins can go to a lovely school and have [Pg 73] really pretty frocks. Oh, smile, darling, smile, and say you're glad!"
Mrs. Ledley looked up.
"I think you must be ill—or dreaming," she said with a sob. "What is the good of talking such nonsense, Faith? How do you think such things can ever come true?"
Faith held out her left hand with its new wedding ring. ”

“ That he had money she was sure, and Peg [Pg 53] had often said that with money one could do anything! Money was the golden key to the world; and Faith knew that it would be a golden key, not only for herself, but for her mother and the twins. ”

“ Peg said bluntly. "Why, it would be a crime to try and keep them, bless their hearts! After all the new frocks he's bought them, you ought to see!"
"I don't want to see them," said Faith [Pg 136] passionately, the tears rushing to her eyes. "Nobody will ever love them as I do."
But she knew she was powerless to keep the twins with her. Mr. Shawyer came and talked to her about it. He pointed out kindly but firmly that her husband was their natural guardian now, as she herself was under age.
"He is doing and will do everything in his power for their happiness," he said. ”

“ They're all I've got in the world. I'll never let them go, never, never!" She broke down into violent sobbing. "Peg promised me she would help me keep them away from you. I suppose she's broken her word," she panted.
"Peg is a sensible woman," said Forrester shortly. With all his pity and affection for her, he was losing patience fast. He believed firmness was the best method of managing her, after all. He rose to his feet.
"I don't want to upset you, Faith, but we have had enough nonsense. The twins are going to school next week, and you are leaving this house and coming to live with me. ”

“ Her hard blue eyes met his unflinchingly. "Money's the only thing in the world worth having when you've never had any, and I know! I believe I'd marry Old Nick himself if he offered me ten thousand a year and a car of my own."
[Pg 121]
Forrester swore under his breath.
"Women are all the same," he said bitterly. "Ready to sell their souls for jewels and luxury."
"Well," said Peg, "I don't know that you can talk! Anyway, it's no business of mine, only that's why Faith won't see you."
The Beggar Man's face hardened in a way that made him almost ugly; he was not used to being thwarted. ”

“ Forrester laughed and shrugged his shoulders. He had been quick enough to see that both Faith and Peg had unanimously taken his [Pg 179] friend to their hearts, and were having every bit as good a time with him as he was with them. Faith had never looked so well or so happy. The colour had come back to her cheeks and her eyes danced. She always seemed happy and light-hearted, and it gave the Beggar Man a stab of pain to know that Peter Digby had succeeded where he himself had so completely failed. ”