I told him how I had met Mrs. Milligan and Arthur in their barge, the Swan, on the canal, and of what we had seen, and what we had done. I rambled along hardly knowing what I said. Now that I saw Vitalis, I felt that it would be impossible to tell him that I wanted to leave him and stay with Mrs. Milligan.
We reached the hotel where Mrs. Milligan was staying, before my story was ended. Vitalis had not mentioned what she had proposed to him in her letter, so I said nothing of her plan.
"Is this lady expecting me?" he asked, as we entered the hotel.
"Yes, I'll take you up to her apartment," I said.
"There's no occasion for that," he replied; "I'll go up alone; you wait here for me with Pretty-Heart and the dogs."
I had always obeyed him, but in this case I felt that it was only fair for me to go up with him to Mrs. Milligan's apartment. But with a sign he stopped the words on my lips, and I was forced to stay below with the dogs.
Why didn't he want me to be present when he spoke to Mrs. Milligan? I asked myself this question again and again. I was still pondering over it when he returned.
"Go and say good-by to the lady," he said, briefly. "I'll wait for you here. We shall go in ten minutes."
I was thunderstruck.
"Well," he said, "didn't you understand me? You stand there like a stupid! Hurry up!"