Then the figure was gone. He had got Cardillac on
the brain! Nevertheless the suggestion made him suddenly conscious of poor
Miss Bennett's enormous hat, her rouge, her soiled finery that allowed no
question as to her position in the world.
Rather hurriedly he asked her to get into the cab.
"Come that far--" she said.
He got in with her and she took off one glove and he held her hand and they
didn't speak all the way.
When the hansom stopped at last he got down, helped her out and for a
moment longer held her hand.
"We're both pretty unhappy," he said. "Things have been going wrong with me
too. But think of Cornwall sometimes and remember there's some one else
thinking of it."
"You're a funny kid," she said, looking at him, "sentimental, I _don't_
think!"
But it was her eyes--tired and regretful that said goodbye.
She let herself in and the door closed behind her.
He turned and walked the streets; it was three o'clock before he reached
his home.
CHAPTER XIII
"MORTIMER STANT"
I
Next morning Peter went round to Cardillac's flat and made his apologies.
Cardillac accepted them at once with the frankest expressions of
friendship.
"My dear old Peter, of course," he said, taking both Peter's hands in his,
"I was horribly blunt and unpleasant about the whole thing. I didn't mean
half what I said, but the fact is that you got angry and then I suppose I
got angry--and then we both said more than we meant.
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