"Everything has gone wrong," she continued, "and you may have all the satisfaction you can get out of your interference, your intrusion upon affairs of the greatest delicacy, in which my assistance and my honor are pledged. That car standing yonder belongs to me and before I leave I want you to walk away from here as rapidly as possible and not turn your head!"
He did not even confirm her statement as to the propinquity of the car but crossed the platform with the crestfallen air of a child in disgrace. She had loftily ignored the kissing of Mrs. Abijah Strong. The osculatory adventure with Sally shrank at once in importance from the fact that Isabel had not only ignored it but had made it wholly unnecessary for him to explain that transaction.
He knew nothing save that he was enormously tired and he went to the hotel and crawled wearily into bed.
IV
It was close upon six o'clock when a knock roused him from a sleep that had not been easily won.
"It's yo' baggage, boss!"
"Baggage?" repeated Archie.
He had told the clerk he had no baggage and had paid in advance for his room. His suitcase was at Walker's and it was hardly possible that Walker had forwarded his effects. He opened the door cautiously and saw at a glance that the bag was undeniably his. He groped for his trousers and gave the waiting porter half a dollar.
"How did it get here?" he asked with attempted indifference.
"Don't know nuffin' 'bout it, suh; gemmen tole me tote 'er up. If it ain't all right—"