Page:The strange experiences of Tina Malone.djvu/20

20 "Oh nonsense," I said, "You're more likely to be left in the lurch with only me to put up with."

But one night when I went down to her she cleared a chair for me with an air of triumph.

"Dear! Don't be shocked, but I've let the whole flat and I'm going over to stay with my sister-in-law for a week."

"Why not with me?" I asked.

"No," she said, looking at me with her deep eyes, "I've promised to go there."

"Then I'll get married," I cried impetuously. "It's a shame. What am I going to do without you? I'll be horribly lonely. Oh, Naomi, why do you go away? I can't do without you. I'll just write to my cousin and tell him I'll marry him."

But the next night she said:

"I'm coming to you, dear, if you'll let me, after all—I'm not going to pay you a penny of money but I won't be any expense to you if you let me have that room for a week. They're coming on Saturday. Do you think the vibrations will clash?"

She laid her hand against mine as it rested on the chair—She was a rebel now.

"Oh, I don't think they'll clash," I said.

As we said good-night, she placed her hands on each side of my waist and kissed me, first on one cheek then on the other.

"Are you going to be married now?" she said playfully. "Have you written to your cousin yet?"

"No, not now that you are coming," I said.

We busied getting the flat ready. The people were to come on Saturday evening and on Friday night Naomi suddenly discovered that she had no gas-mantles.

"Oh, good gracious! What shall we do? I'll run up and see if the shops are still open. I want to get the paper too."

"Get me a copy too, dear," said Naomi, "I shall want some for my shelves."

I hurried back and after we had arranged the mantles on the gas jets Naomi opened her paper to see how many lodgers she might have taken and couldn't.

I was looking over her shoulder and catching sight of the concert programme with "Peer Gynt" in the list, began to talk of Ibsen.

"You remind me of Hedda, Naomi."

"Haven't read it," she said.

"Very well, you shall," I said. "I don't know why I think it because you're not a bit like her really, I suppose. I think it must be the way you wear your hair. I'll bring the book down this afternoon," I said.

I thought of it afterwards as being mysterious. As I spoke