He even hardened his heart into disregarding her sudden flush of colour,and little timid smile of recognition,when he saw her by chance.But,after all,this could not last for ever;and,having a second time given way to tenderness,there was no relapse.The insidious enemy having thus entered his heart,in the guise of compassion to the child,soon assumed the more dangerous form of interest in the mother.He was aware of this change of feeling,despised himself for it,struggled with it nay,internally yielded to it and cherished it,long before he suffered the slightest expression of it,by word,action,or look,to escape him.He watched Alice's docile obedient ways to her stepmother;the love which she had inspired in the rough Norah (roughened by the wear and tear of sorrow and years);but above all,he saw the wild,deep,passionate affection existing between her and her child.They spoke little to any one else,or when any one else was by;but,when alone together,they talked,and murmured,and cooed,and chattered so continually,that Mr.Openshaw first wondered what they could find to say to each other,and next became irritated because they were always so grave and silent with him.All this time,he was perpetually devising small new pleasures for the child.His thoughts ran,in a pertinacious way,upon the desolate life before her;and often he came back from his day's work loaded with the very thing Alice had been longing for,but had not been able to procure.
One time it was a little chair for drawing the little sufferer along the streets,and many an evening that ensuing summer Mr.Openshaw drew her along himself,regardless of the remarks of his acquaintances.One day in autumn he put down his newspaper,as Alice came in with the breakfast,and said,in as indifferent a voice as he could assume:
"Mrs.Frank,is there any reason why we two should not put up our horses together?"Alice stood still in perplexed wonder.What did he mean?He had resumed the reading of his newspaper,as if he did not expect any answer;so she found silence her safest course,and went on quietly arranging his breakfast without another word passing between them.
Just as he was leaving the house,to go to the warehouse as usual,he turned back and put his head into the bright,neat,tidy kitchen,where all the women breakfasted in the morning:
"You'll think of what I said,Mrs.Frank"(this was her name with the lodgers),"and let me have your opinion upon it to-night."Alice was thankful that her mother and Norah were too busy talking together to attend much to this speech.She determined not to think about it at all through the day;and,of course,the effort not to think made her think all the more.At night she sent up Norah with his tea.But Mr.Openshaw almost knocked Norah down as she was going out at the door,by pushing past her and calling out "Mrs.
Frank!"in an impatient voice,at the top of the stairs.
Alice went up,rather than seem to have affixed too much meaning to his words.
"Well,Mrs.Frank,"he said,"what answer?Don't make it too long;for I have lots of office-work to get through to-night.""I hardly know what you meant,sir,"said truthful Alice.
"Well!I should have thought you might have guessed.You're not new at this sort of work,and I am.However,I'll make it plain this time.Will you have me to be thy wedded husband,and serve me,and love me,and honour me,and all that sort of thing?Because if you will,I will do as much by you,and be a father to your child--and that's more than is put in the prayer-book.Now,I'm a man of my word;and what I say,I feel;and what I promise,I'll do.Now,for your answer!"Alice was silent.He began to make the tea,as if her reply was a matter of perfect indifference to him;but,as soon as that was done,he became impatient.
"Well?"said he.
"How long,sir,may I have to think over it?""Three minutes!"(looking at his watch)."You've had two already--that makes five.Be a sensible woman,say Yes,and sit down to tea with me,and we'll talk it over together;for,after tea,I shall be busy;say No"(he hesitated a moment to try and keep his voice in the same tone),"and I shan't say another word about it,but pay up a year's rent for my rooms to-morrow,and be off.Time's up!Yes or no?""If you please,sir,--you have been so good to little Ailsie--""There,sit down comfortably by me on the sofa,and let us have our tea together.I am glad to find you are as good and sensible as Itook for."
And this was Alice Wilson's second wooing.
Mr.Openshaw's will was too strong,and his circumstances too good,for him not to carry all before him.He settled Mrs.Wilson in a comfortable house of her own,and made her quite independent of lodgers.The little that Alice said with regard to future plans was in Norah's behalf.
