But Dudley had made up his mind. He did not want Max to go with him, but he was resolved to go to the wharf. And his friend's heart failed within him at the news.
"Don't you think it would be advisable to get a policeman to accompany you?" he hazarded in a low voice.
But Dudley started violently at the suggestion.
"Policeman!" repeated he in a louder tone than Max had used. "Good heavens, no!"
Max, looking round, saw that Carrie had overheard; but she betrayed no emotion at the suggestion, even if she felt any.
"I have an appointment for this evening," said he; "I must get out of it. Max, if you persist in going with me to the wharf, you're a fool. When your friends are doing well, you should stick to them; when they have got into a mess, you should have appointments elsewhere." Although he spoke cynically, there was underneath his scoffing tone a strain of tenderness. He turned quickly to the girl at this point, as if afraid of betraying more feeling than he had intended to do. "You've delivered your message," said he, sharply, "now you can go."
But Carrie lingered. Looking shyly at Max, she said in a low voice:
"Have you made up your mind that you will go with him?"
"All right," nodded Carrie. "Then I'll go, too."
Dudley looked down at the girl with an impatient frown on his face.
"Supposing we don't want you?" said he, dryly.
"You will," she answered briefly, without even looking at him.
Dudley considered for a moment, and then said shortly:
"All right. We may as well keep an eye on you."
Carrie laughed, and then remained silent. As for Max, he was struck with an odd likeness between the girl's dry, short manner of speaking to Dudley and Dudley's manner of speaking to her.
At that moment there was an interruption in the shape of the waiter from a neighboring restaurant, who came in with the dinner Dudley had ordered for himself.
"I shan't want it now," said Dudley, as the man put down the covered dishes on the table.
"Why, surely you're not in such a hurry that you haven't time to dine?" said Max.
"I can get a biscuit somewhere, if I want it. I can't eat just now."
"Let me eat your dinner for you, then," said Max. "I've had none. And if I'm to go rambling all over the town to look after you, I shall want something to keep me going."