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"Bid him wait," said Arthur, aloud, and cast a look of great anxiety on Penfold, which the poor old man, with all his simplicity, comprehended well enough. "Burtenshaw, from Morland's. What does he want of us?" said Wardlaw senior, knitting his brows. Arthur turned cold all over. "Perhaps to ask me not to draw out my balance.
But Burtenshaw was one of a struggling firm; to him every minute was an hour. He had sat, fuming with impatience, so long as he heard talking in the inner office; and, the moment it ceased, he took the liberty of coming in; so that he opened the side door just as Wardlaw senior was passing through the center door.
"It was very t-t-thoughtful of you Silas," ses Bill; "but you always w-w-was thoughtful. Good-by " Afore Silas could answer, Mrs. Burtenshaw, who felt more comfortable, 'aving got a bit o' the clothes back, thought it was time to put 'er spoke in. "Lor' bless me, Bill," she ses. "Wotever are you a-talking to yourself like this for? 'Ave you been dreaming?"
It was past twelve when a couple o' pals brought him 'ome, and, arter offering to fight all six of 'em, one after the other, Bill hit the wall for getting in 'is way, and tumbled upstairs to bed. In less than ten minutes 'e was fast asleep, and pore Mrs. Burtenshaw, arter trying her best to keep awake, fell asleep too.
He then walked quietly to his table, seated himself, and prepared to receive the stroke with external composure. Penfold announced, "Mr. Burtenshaw." "Show him in," said Wardlaw quietly. Mr. Burtenshaw, one of the managers of Morland's bank, came in, and Wardlaw motioned him courteously to a chair, while he finished his letter, which took only a few moments.
Silas licked his lips forgetting the paint and tried the deep ones agin. "Now mix 'em a bit," ses Mrs. Burtenshaw. Silas stared at her. "Look 'ere," he ses, very short, "do you think I'm a fog-horn, or wot?" He stood there sulky for a moment, and then 'e invented a noise that nothing living could miss hearing; even Bill couldn't.
It was a Saturday arternoon when he called, and, o' course, Bill was out, but 'is missis showed him in, and, arter fetching another chair from the kitchen, asked 'im to sit down. Silas was very perlite at fust, but arter looking round the room and seeing 'ow bare it was, he gave a little cough, and he ses, "I thought Bill was doing well?" he ses. "So he is," ses Mrs. Burtenshaw.
It was on'y a little one this time, but Bill sat up as though he 'ad been shot, and he no sooner caught sight of Silas standing there than 'e gave a dreadful 'owl and, rolling over, wropped 'imself up in all the bed-clothes 'e could lay his 'ands on. Then Mrs. Burtenshaw gave a 'owl and tried to get some of 'em back; but Bill, thinking it was the ghost, only held on tighter than ever.
When Bill Burtenshaw left the sea and got married he lost sight of Silas altogether, and the on'y thing he 'ad to remind him of 'im was a piece o' paper which they 'ad both signed with their blood, promising that the fust one that died would appear to the other.
"It was very t-t-thoughtful of you Silas," ses Bill; "but you always w-w-was thoughtful. Good-by " Afore Silas could answer, Mrs. Burtenshaw, who felt more comfortable, 'aving got a bit o' the clothes back, thought it was time to put 'er spoke in. "Lor' bless me, Bill," she ses. "Wotever are you a-talking to yourself like this for? 'Ave you been dreaming?"
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