He entered therefore, shutting the door and opening it again, to ring the spring-bell, then mechanically closing it behind him. Straightway Mrs. Leper appeared from somewhere to answer the squall of the shrill-tongued summoner. Donal asked if Eppy was ready to go. The woman stared at him a moment in silence.
“Eppy wha, said ye?” she asked at length.
“Eppy Comin,” he answered.
“I ken naething aboot her.—Lucy!”
A good-looking girl, with a stocking she was darning drawn over one hand and arm, followed her mother into the shop.
“Whaur’s Eppy Comin, gien ye please?” asked Donal.
“I ken naething aboot her. I haena seen her sin’ this day week,” answered the girl in a very straight-forward manner.
Donal saw he had been tricked, but judging it better to seek no elucidation, turned with apology to go.
As he opened the door, there came through the house from behind a blast of cold wind: there was an open outer door in that direction! The girl must have slipped through the house, and out by that door, leaving her squire to cool himself, vainly expectant, in the street! If she had found another admirer, as probably she imagined, his polite attentions were at the moment inconvenient!
But she had tried the trick too often, for she had once served her fisherman in like fashion. Seeing her go into the baker’s, Kennedy had conjectured her purpose, and hurrying toward the issue from the other exit, saw her come out of the court, and was again following her.