“It’s not unlikely,” he said.
“You think so?” she said, quickly. “I must give her something!” She felt round her dress hurriedly; then uttered an exclamation of impatience and disappointment. “I forgot!” she said; “these stupid dresses never have pockets. Give me some money; quick!”
Trafford felt in his pocket; but his man, in changing his master’s clothes, had forgotten to transfer the money.
“I’m sorry!” he said; “I haven’t any.”
“Bother!” she exclaimed. “I can’t be happy any more to-night if I don’t give her something.” She stamped her foot. “Can’t you get some? Oh, she’ll be passed before you get back!” The woman was almost beneath them. Esmeralda, with a little cry of relief, unfastened one of her bracelets, and bending over the rail, called softly to the woman. The woman looked up with a little start, and her face flushed nervously as she saw the girl, in her exquisite dress, looking down at her. Esmeralda nodded, and smiled encouragingly, held out the bracelet as far as her extended arm would allow, then, with a “This is for you!” dropped it at the woman’s feet. The woman started back slightly, then stood stock still, as if amazed.
“It’s for you—for you!” said Esmeralda. “Pick it up!”
For a moment or two the woman was unable to grasp the good fortune that had befallen her—literally befallen her; then she picked up the bracelet that had rolled into the gutter, stared at it, gazed up at Esmeralda, and, as Esmeralda nodded smilingly, and called down, “Yes, it’s for you; you are to keep it,” the woman’s face broke up, as it were, and she burst into tears, caused as much by the shock as appreciation and gratitude for the gift. Her lips moved, and both Esmeralda and Trafford felt that she was saying, “God bless you.” She stood for a moment or two, then hurried on, but at the corner they saw her stop for a moment or two, and look back at them, as if she had not as yet even realized what had happened. Esmeralda turned to Trafford with a laugh, her eyes sparkling, her face and manner very much indeed like a school-girl.
“I wonder what she will do with it?” she said; “I hope she’ll sell it at once, and give those children a splendid supper; you said there were children, you know.”
“Yes,” he said. “You have made two women happy to-night, Miss Chetwynde.”
“Two?” she said, with surprise. “Oh, I see; you mean myself? Yes; somehow I do feel happy. I should have been miserable thinking of that woman’s pale face—and the children, too.”