Chatterton bent over him, and whispered in his ear,—
'Look about you, Henderson. Your fair lady has another suitor. He was with her in the square to-day at noon. A fine fellow, too, I swear he was.'
Jack started so that the pinchbeck watch had a narrow escape of falling from the counter, and the man who had the care of the apprentices at Mr Henderson's exclaimed,—
'Take care, you clumsy lout. You spoil more things than you mend. You'll never be fit for the trade. You might as well put one of your mother's heifers in here to learn the business.'
Jack paid little heed to this taunt, and bent his head lower over the watch.
Chatterton laughed a low laugh.
'Well,' he said, 'I advise you to look out or your fair one will slip through your fingers.'
And then he was gone.
Jack had to wait till the following Sunday before he could see Bryda. Everything was against him, for a heavy rain was falling, and there was no chance of Bryda coming out for a Sunday walk. But he went boldly up the steps before Mr Lambert's house and gave a heavy thud on the door with the knocker.
The footboy opened it, and Jack said,—