'What's the matter now, Miss Figgins?' Parkin asked, rather aggrieved.
'I'm amused at your polite talk,' she said, laughing openly. 'You do put on such airs sometimes, Mister Parkin. I can't help laughing.'
'Oh, can't you?' retorted the pimply gentleman. 'You needn't go saying them things in front of—er'—he was going to say 'ordinary seamen,' but noticed Martin was looking at him, and substituted 'other people.'
'I'll say exactly what I please, Mister Parkin,' she returned with asperity, deliberately turning her back upon him.—'Can you skate well?' she asked Martin.
'I kin jest git round, miss, but can do none o' them there fancy touches.'
'Well, be quick, and get your skates on,' she said. 'I'll help you. Mister Parkin is tired of my company, I think.—You'd better go and look for some one else to skate with,' she added to Wilfrid over her shoulder.
'You said you was going to skate with me the 'ole afternoon,' he protested angrily.
'Can't help what I said,' Emmeline retorted, tossing her head. 'I've changed my mind. Run away, like a good boy, or I shall get angry with you.'
Parkin, after further useless expostulation, eventually skated off, greatly annoyed. To think that Emmeline, his Emmeline, as he chose to consider her, should dare to throw herself at the head of an ordinary seaman, while he, Wilfrid Parkin, admittedly one of the best skaters in the place, should be sent packing! It was insufferable—absolutely insufferable! Assuredly he must teach this young woman that it was an honour for her to be seen in his company at all.
Martin himself hardly knew what to make of it. The last time he had met the girl she had been deliberately rude, and had done her best to hurt his feelings and to make him feel awkward. But now she was all smiles, and was looking at him in quite a friendly way. He half-suspected a trap of some kind, and that she intended to make a fool of him, after all; but, murmuring his thanks, he strapped on his skates, removed his cap, and stepped gingerly on to the floor. He got on better than he expected, though he took good care not to try any rash experiments, and rather enjoyed it. He was skating with quite the prettiest girl on the rink, for one thing, and he was pleased to see Parkin's sullen scowl of jealousy every time he flashed by with another lady on his arm.