English fiction -- 20th century; Husband and wife -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Short stories, English
“A quarter to eight we arrived, sir, just as you said. The door was open
then, an’ a fellow was sweepin’ the steps. I took ’im for the caretaker.
So I says, ‘Good mornin’,’ I says. ‘Jus’ give me a ’and with this
stuff.’ ’E stares very ’ard, so I says it again in French. ’E didn’ seem
to get it, so I mentions your name. At that ’e tells me to wait an’ goes
orf indoors. I gets out Mrs. Dewlap an’ the ’ouse-maid an’ begins
fetchin’ the small things out o’ the bus. . . . Then another man
appears. ’Appily ’e could talk English. ‘You’ve made an error,’ ’e says.
‘You’ve come to the wrong ’ouse.’ ‘What?’ says I. ‘Ain’t this _The Eel’s
Door_?’ ‘Perfectly,’ says ’e. ‘Well, then, wot’s wrong?’ says I. ‘This
is Captain Pomeroy’s stuff. Are you the caretaker?’ ‘I’m the butler,’ ’e
says, lofty. ‘Ooze Captain Pomeroy?’ ‘You’ll soon find out ’oo ’e is,’ I
says, ‘if ’e sees you in them canvas shoes. An’ ’oo are you, any’ow?
Ooze butler?’ . . . ’E gets very excited then, sir, an’ starts on me in
French an’ wavin’ ’is arms. So I leaves ’im to it an’ starts gettin’ the
stuff orf of the ’bus. When ’e sees the trunks comin’ down ’e gets more
excited than ever. ‘No, no,’ ’e shouts. ‘Wrong ’ouse. You must go away,’
’e shouts, ‘an’ take your baggage.’ Of course I takes no notice but lets
’im rave. Then a trunk comes down with a bang. ‘Quiet, quiet,’ ’e yells.
‘You’ll wake my lady.’ ‘You’ve woke ’er long ago,’ says I, ‘for the
matter o’ that. An’ ooze your lady?’ . . . Well, I couldn’t get the
name, sir. Mademoiselle Seashell, it sounded like. Any way, I told ’im
that there was trouble to come and that if ’e wanted to weather it the
sooner ’e let me inside an’ on to the telephone, the better for ’im. The
idea was to speak to the agent, sir. You gave me ’is name. But ’e
wouldn’ let me in. I tried the back door, but they’d got that fast, an’
the other fellow inside with a broom in ’is ’and. By the time I got back
the front door was shut an’ barred. . . . By the time I’d paid the
driver Mrs. Dewlap was feelin’ queer, sir. So I took ’er to the kitchen
window an’ asked for a cup of tea. After a lot of talk they passed some
tea through the bars, but it was that filthy she couldn’ touch it. So I
sent ’er an’ Polly orf to walk to the town an’ find a restaurant. I
’aven’t seem them since an’ I s’pose they’ve lost themselves. I’ve
stayed ’ere with the baggage an’ watched that door. But it’s never
opened again.”
“I see,” said Pomeroy grimly. “Well, I’m much obliged. I’m glad you
warned the butler and I hope he passed it on.”
With that, he got out of the car, mounted the broad steps and rang the
bell.
After considerable delay the door was opened by a fat servitor.
“Miss Seneschal?” said Pomeroy curtly.
“Mademoiselle is engaged, sair.”
Pomeroy took out a card.
“Take her that card,” he said. The man accepted the pasteboard and was
for closing the door. “And tell her I’m waiting,” added Pomeroy, as
though by accident leaning against the oak.
The butler boggled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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