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Updated: June 12, 2025
Unshipping his Lee- Metford carbine from the loop, by which it hung at his side, he dashed forward, fully expecting to find his friend in the hands of man or beast. But at the last stopping-place there was no sign of his friend; and, with head bent, he listened for some sound, his mouth firmly set, and his dark eyes glancing from under his well-marked, brows.
And as my long absence had prevented any fresh shoots of friendship being grafted, I found myself alone in London. I need say no more. One evening I was walking through the streets in a despondent mood, as had become my habit. By chance I read the name of a street into which I had turned to avoid a more crowded thoroughfare. It was that in which Miss Metford lived.
She was perceptibly taller than her friend, and of fuller figure. In consequence, she looked, in my opinion, to even less advantage in her eccentric costume, or rational dress, than did Miss Brande. "Rationally dressed! Oh, yes. I know the divided skirt, but " Miss Metford interrupted me. "Do you call the divided skirt atrocity rational dress?" she asked pointedly.
On deck, Natalie Brande, Edith Metford, and Percival were standing together, their eyes fixed on the island. Edith's face was deathly white, even in the ruddy glow which was now over land and sea. When I saw her pallor, my evil temper passed away. "It would be impossible for you to be quite well," I said to her anxiously; "but has anything happened since I left you? You are very pale."
I could not, however, extend that lenient judgment to Miss Metford. The girls spoke and acted as they had dressed themselves very much alike. Only, what seemed to me in the one a natural eccentricity, seemed in the other an unnatural affectation. I saw the guard passing, and, calling him over, gave him half-a-crown to have the compartment labelled, "Engaged."
She was still rationally dressed, but I observed with relief that the rational part of her costume was more in the nature of the divided skirt than the plain knickerbockers of the previous day. She accosted me cheerfully by my surname, and not to be outdone by her, I said coolly: "How d'ye do, Metford?" "Very well, thanks. I suppose you expected Natalie? You see you have only me."
"Miss Metford," I said, rising from my chair, "I mean Metford, I know you like to be addressed as a man or used to like it." "Yes, I used to," she assented coldly. "I am going to take you in my arms and kiss you." "I'm hanged if you are!" she exclaimed, so sharply that I was suddenly abashed.
Norris crawled behind the ant-heap on his hands and knees, ran thence into the camp, buckled on a belt of cartridges, snatched up a 450-bore Metford rifle, and got back to his position just as the first of the herd stepped into the open. It turned to the right along the edge of the wood, and the others followed in file.
Next morning I was early astir, for I must see Natalie Brande without delay, and I felt sure she would be no sluggard on that splendid summer day. I tried the lawn between the house and the lake shore. I did not find her there. I found her friend Miss Metford. The girl was sauntering about, swinging a walking-cane carelessly.
Edith Metford we prevailed on to go below, that she might not run the risk of further injury to her fractured arm. As she left us she whispered to me, "So Natalie will be with you at the end, and I " a sob stopped her. And it came into my mind at that moment that this girl had acted very nobly, and that I had hardly appreciated her and all that she had done for me.
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