Humorous stories; London (England) -- Fiction; Orphans -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
Shortly after the events which I last narrated I happened one sunny
morning to be walking down Oxford Street. I had just come back from
an interview with a firm of motor manufacturers. They had made me an
offer and I had refused it. As I was walking along I found myself
touched on the arm by a girl of about my own age. She was extremely
well dressed--much better dressed than I was; and in appearance she
was not altogether unlike me, except for two points--she was
exceedingly pale, and her expression was one of acute anxiety.
“Will you help me?” she said.
It was impossible to suppose that she was a beggar. The idea that
she was insane flashed across me for a moment; then I noted her
extreme pallor and thought that she might be ill. I am not quite
inhuman.
“Yes,” I said. “I will help you if I can. What is the matter?”
“I have lost my memory,” she said. “It has all gone suddenly and
absolutely. I do not know what my name is or where I am. I am very
reluctant to apply to the police--it means so much publicity. It
would be horrible to me. If you could take me somewhere where I
could rest for a little time I think my memory would come back again.
I hope so. I can’t tell you how grateful I should be to you.”
“What made you ask me?”
“Because you looked so nice,” she said simply. “A long stream of
people went past me, and at first they confused me very much; then I
began looking at faces. I looked for a long time, and yours was the
first I could trust. If you would take me with you I would not give
you more trouble than I could help and I would do everything I was
told. I--I believe there is some money in the bag I have here.”
“That is not a very important point,” I said.
“I don’t know. I think I must have money. I think I must always
have had it. I have been looking at my clothes, and they seem to me
to be very good.”
“So they are,” I said.
She smiled faintly. “It seems so queer to be talking to a stranger
like this; only you see I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how I
came here or where I am to go.”
I liked the girl. “At present,” I said, “you will come with me to my
flat and have some luncheon. If your memory doesn’t come back then
you can stay there for the present. I have a spare room, and will
make you quite comfortable. I live alone. Then to-morrow, if your
memory has not returned, we can talk about it and decide what is best
to do. You must have friends. They will almost certainly advertise
for you.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. I feel quite safe now that I have
met you. A few moments ago I was frightened out of my life. How
long will it take us to walk to your flat?”
“I don’t know,” I said, “and in all probability I never shall.” I
stopped a four-wheeler that was crawling past us. The girl was
obviously too tired and ill to walk. “Won’t you get in?” I said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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