Page:The Works of H G Wells Volume 8.djvu/449

 "Where you been, Artie?" she asked, with a strained note in her voice.

"I been walking and walking—trying to tire myself out. All the time I been thinking what shall I do. Trying to fix something up all out of nothing."

"I didn't know you meant to be out all this time."

Kipps was gripped by compunction

"I can't think what we ought to do," he said, presently.

"You can't do anything much, Artie, not till you hear from Mr. Bean."

"No; I can't do anything much. That's jest it. And all this time I keep feelin' if I don't do something the top of my 'ead'll bust Been trying to make up advertisements 'arf the time I been out—'bout finding a place, good salesman and stock-keeper, and good Manchester dresses, window-dressing—lor'! Fancy that all beginning again! If you went to stay with Sid a bit—if I sent every penny I got to you—I dunno! I dunno!"

When they had gone to bed there was an elaborate attempt to get to sleep In one of their great waking pauses Kipps remarked in a muffled tone: "I didn't mean to frighten you, Ann, being out so late. I kep' on walking and walking, and some'ow it seemed to do me good. I went out to the 'illtop ever so far beyond Stanford, and sat there ever so long, and it seemed to make me better. Just looking over the marsh like, and seeing the sun set."

"Very likely," said Ann, after a long interval, "it isn't so bad as you think it is, Artie."