To-morrow he would go to the very horrid boarding-house in the Brixton Road and see her again.
Esther! He liked her name; there was something quaint and old-world about it. It seemed impossible that they had only met a few hours ago.
His headache had quite vanished. He was whistling a snatch of song when he let himself into the house and went upstairs.
He opened the door of his sitting-room, and then stopped dead on the threshold. The lights were burning fully, and a man was ensconced in his favourite armchair by the fire--Ashton. Lord! he had forgotten all about Ashton.
Micky looked guiltily at the clock--nearly eleven!--he began a half-apology.
"Awfully sorry, old man--I was kept.... Been waiting long?"
Ashton climbed out of the chair and looked at Micky with a sort of shamefacedness.
"Don't take your coat off," he said suddenly. "I want you to come out again----"
"I know--it's only eleven.... I'm catching the midnight to Dover...."
Ashton turned round and looked down at the fire with a sort of embarrassment.
"It's the mater," he said jerkily. "She's found out----"
Ashton made an impatient gesture. He was a good-looking man, with dark eyes that could look all manner of things without in the least meaning them.
"About that girl at Eldred's," he said in a strangled voice. "You know! I told you about her. Lord, man, don't look so confoundedly ignorant! I told you about her," he broke off. "Well, some one's told the mater, and this morning...." he shrugged his shoulders. "There's been old Harry to pay! She told me if I didn't give her up she'd cut me out of her will. She would, too!" he added, in savage parenthesis.
"Hang it all! what could I say? Told her I would, of course."
"I thought you liked the girl," said Micky bluntly.
"So I did--so I do.... It's a rotten shame. If you'd ever seen her ... you never have, have you?"
"Neither has the mater.... Women are all the same; because the girl has to work for her living they think she isn't fit for me to marry.... It's all a lot of rot.... However--beggars can't be choosers--and so I'm off to-night."
"You mean that you're going without a word to the girl?"
"What can I do?--I went and saw her this morning--we had a rotten scene. I meant to tell her it was all up, but somehow I couldn't; I'm too dashed fond of her, and that's the truth. I can't bear to see her cry--it makes me feel such a cur...."