“What’s the matter? Cranky on your wedding morning?” pursued the town clerk irrepressibly.
“I wish to goodness you’d keep your mouth shut. Why don’t you go and proclaim my affairs from the 100 steps of your beastly Town Hall?” Grey glanced meaningly in the direction of the waitress standing in open-mouthed astonishment beside one of the tables.
Robb laughed and his eyes twinkled mischievously. He turned sharply on the girl.
“Why, didn’t you know that Mr. Grey was going to be married to-day?” he asked, with assumed solemnity. “Well, I’m blessed,” as the girl shook her head and giggled. “You neglect your duty, Nellie, my girl. What are you here for but to ‘sling hash’ and learn all the gossip and scandal concerning the boarders? Yes, Mr. Grey is going to get married to-day, and I––I am to be his best man. Now be off, and fetch my ‘mutton’––which is pork.”
The girl ran off to do as she was bid, and also to convey the news to her friends in the kitchen. Robb sat down beside his companion and chuckled softly as he gazed at Grey’s ill-humoured face, and listened to the shrieks of laughter which were borne on the atmosphere of cooking from beyond the baize door.
Grey choked down his indignation. For once he understood that protest would not serve him. Everything about his marriage had been kept quiet in Ainsley up till now, not because there was any need for it, but Robb had acceded to his expressed wishes. The latter, however, felt himself in no way bound to keep silence on this, the eventful day. Robb attacked some toast as a preliminary, while the other devoured his steak. Then Grey looked up from his plate. His face had cleared; his ill-humour had been replaced by a look of keen earnestness.
“It’s a beastly nuisance that this is my wedding day,” he began. “Yes, I mean it,” as Robb looked 101 up in horrified astonishment. “I don’t mean anything derogatory to anybody. I just state an obvious fact. You would understand if you knew all.”
“But, damn it, man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for saying such a thing. You are marrying one of the best and sweetest girls in Southern Manitoba, and yet––why, it’s enough to choke a man off his feed.” Chillingwood was angry.
“Don’t be a fool. You haven’t many brains, I know, but use the few you possess now, and listen to me. A week ago, yes; a week hence, yes. But for the next three days I have some dangerous work on hand that must be done. Work of my department.”
“Ah, dirty work, I suppose, or there’d be no ‘must’ or ‘danger’ about it.”