He turned to the stairs, and saw Sorrelland his
poker, and a smile came into his eyes.
Roland was looking at him through a little cloud of
cigarettesmoke. Shelooked across at him eagerly, tempted to venture farther, yet
halfafraid of what he might infer.
One evening he had paused on the second landing to
get his breathwhen he heard a voice behind him. Hiseyes saw Sorrell indefatigably
busy, and the gallant glimmer meltedout of them.
Hewas repressing himself, going about with a frown,
and an air ofmelancholy self-absorption.
Hiseyes saw Sorrell indefatigably busy, and the
gallant glimmer meltedout of them. They were always shouting and ringing bells. The
average wenchasks for so much and so little. Turn to the right at the topof the
stairs. He was eclipsed, and by the sort ofman whom he hated and
despised.
Sorrell paused half-way down the corridor;he had
noticed something, a movement of cold night air. His neck, with its roll of fat, had
a purplishtinge.
He admired Sorrelland they got on famously. And his
extrusion of Sorrell was done with abluff and genial neatness.
And he stood and watched Sorrell shoulder a trunk
and stagger withit up the stairs. Also, it was in his mind that Christopher
shouldhave boxing lessons. He was eclipsed, and by the sort ofman whom he hated and
despised. Fanny Garland takes two-fifth, and the other two girlshalve the rest. A
burglar perhaps, caught andcornered by three or four frightened but eager
women?
Roland wished him to close it upon the sealing of
anew and more intimate comradeship.
He knew the right door now, because it had
remaineddiscreetly shut.
Roland did not push his inquiries further. Sorrell
wasoff duty from eight till nine, and he had the half of eachalternate Sunday.
Roland was sitting on the music-stool, his hands resting on
thekeyboard.
He remembered that there would be a considerable
amount of sparecash in the office safe.
He knew the right door now, because it had
remaineddiscreetly shut.
But not for a mean and bullying blackguard. He felt
that he was on the eve of hisWaterloo. Presently, Buck withdrew his blue bulk from
the narrow window.
But she took the room, and ordered her luggage to
be sent up atonce. Garland were in the scullery,and Kits head was over the sink, and
there was a redness, and Mrs.
Roland wished him to close it upon the sealing of
anew and more intimate comradeship.
He knew the right door now, because it had
remaineddiscreetly shut. He panted andsweated; sometimes his shirt was so wet that
he had to go andchange it. I have my eye on a biggood-natured cart-horse. His first
thought was that he was weaponless.
He had thought that all thewomen were on Bucks
side, and he felt cheered. Obviously he ought to investigate, and perhaps rouse
Mr.
His first thought was that he was weaponless.