CHAPTER X STEPHEN BLACKPOOL

er. ‘Ithoughtthouwastahindme,Rachael?’ ‘No.’ ‘Earlyt’night,lass?’ ‘’TimesI’malittleearly,Stephen!’timesalittlelate.I’mnevertobecountedon,goinghome.’ ‘Norgoingt’otherway,neither,’tseemstome,Rachael?’ ‘No,Stephen.’ Helookedatherwithsomedisappointmentinhisface,butwitharespectfulandpatientconvictionthatshemustberightinwhatevershedid.Theexpressionwasnotlostuponhershelaidherhandlightlyonhisarmamomentasiftothankhimforit. ‘Wearesuchtruefriends,lad,andsucholdfriends,andgettingtobesucholdfolk,now.’ ‘No,Rachael,thou’rtasyoungaseverthouwast.’ ‘Oneofuswouldbepuzzledhowtogetold,Stephen,without’tothergettingsotoo,bothbeingalive,’sheanswered,laughing‘but,anyways,we’resucholdfriends,andt’hideawordofhonesttruthfro’oneanotherwouldbeasinandapity.’Tisbetternottowalktoomuchtogether.’Times,yes!’Twouldbehard,indeed,if’twasnottobeatall,’shesaid,withacheerfulnessshesoughttocommunicatetohim. ‘’Tishard,anyways,Rachael.’ ‘Trytothinknotand’twillseembetter.’ ‘I’vetriedalongtime,and’ta’ntgotbetter.Butthou’rtright’tmightmakfoktalk,evenofthee.Thouhastbeenthattome,Rachael,throughsomanyyear:thouhastdonemesomuchgood,andheartenedofmeinthatcheeringway,thatthywordisalawtome.Ah,lass,andabrightgoodlaw!Betterthansomerealones.’ ‘Neverfretaboutthem,Stephen,’sheansweredquickly,andnotwithoutananxiousglanceathisface.‘Letthelawsbe.’ ‘Yes,’hesaid,withaslownodortwo.‘Let’embe.Leteverythingbe.Letallsortsalone.’Tisamuddle,andthat’saw.’ ‘Alwaysamuddle?’saidRachael,withanothergentletouchuponhisarm,asiftorecallhimoutofthethoughtfulness,inwhichhewasbitingthelongendsofhislooseneckerchiefashewalkedalong.Thetouchhaditsinstantaneouseffect.Heletthemfall,turnedasmilingfaceuponher,andsaid,ashebrokeintoagood-humouredlaugh,‘Ay,Rachael,lass,awlusamuddle.That’swhereIstick.Icometothemuddlemanytimesandagen,andInevergetbeyondit.’ Theyhadwalkedsomed