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!”
He had never spoken so roughly to me. Mechanically I got up to obey, not seeming to understand. “What did you say to her?” I asked, after I had gone a few steps.