"I noticed this morning that Minnie was more restless than usual.
Whenever I looked at her, she looked at me back again; as much as to
say, what do you mean by staring at me in that way? I couldn't help
thinking that she knew I was watching her and I felt uncomfortable.
But I watched her for all that, as I promised you I would. When she
went out of the room, I made believe that I wanted to go out too. Now
I think of it, she must have gone out of the room on purpose to try
me; because the second time I followed her, she turned upon me in the
passage, and looked at me in such a manner that I was frightened.
Between eleven and twelve o'clock I was in the kitchen, helping to
cook the dinner; and when I came up stairs, Minnie was gone from the
house. I ran round to Mrs. Marvel's, and she wasn't there. Scarcely
knowing what to do, I slipped on my bonnet and shawl, and went into
the streets to look for her. All at once it came into my mind, that if
I should find her anywhere it would be at the docks, where Joshua's
ship was, and where Joshua was working. I ran there as hard as ever I
could, and just at the entrance of the docks I caught sight of Minnie.
I was regularly out of breath, and my only fear now was that she might
see me. So I kept out of the way as much as I could, and followed her
quietly. When she got near the ships she stopped short; and presently
Joshua, who was looking over the side of his ship, as if he was
expecting some one, came down to where she was standing, and began
talking to her. He seemed a little bit uneasy--perhaps, because there
were so many people about, and because, I thought, he didn't want
Minnie to be noticed, for all the workmen and sailors were staring at
her. They went up a plank on to Joshua's ship; and Joshua had his arm
round her waist. They stood by the side of the ship, looking towards
the river, talking together. I never took my eyes off them, and I am
certain--though, of course, I couldn't hear them--that they were
talking of something very particular. All at once I lost sight of
them; they had gone to a part of the ship where I couldn't see them. I
think they must have been out of my sight for nearly a quarter of an
hour; and when they returned, Joshua looked to the place where I was
standing by the side of some large cases, and came off the ship
towards me. I was frightened that he would catch me, and I ran away.
When I was safe, I turned, and saw Joshua and Minnie together coming
from the ship. Minnie walked out of the docks by herself; and I
followed her home, and waited in the street a little before I went
into the house after her. But I no sooner got inside the door, than
Minnie met me in the passage; she hadn't taken her bonnet off. I
didn't seem to notice her; but she came into the kitchen after me.
'Where have you been, Susan?' she asked me, so sudden-like that I was
almost taken off my guard. 'Out for a walk,' I said. 'Have you been to
the docks?' she asked me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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