Slyme hurried away; it had turned very cold, and he was anxious to get home.As he approached the place where the trams stopped to take up passengers and saw that there was a tram in sight he resolved to wait for it and ride home: but when the tram arrived and there were only one or two seats vacant, and although he did his best to secure one of these he was unsuccessful, and after a moment's hesitation he decided that it would be quicker to walk than to wait for the next one.He accordingly resumed his journey, but he had not gone very far when he saw a small crowd of people on the pavement on the other side of the road outside an unoccupied house, and although he was in a hurry to get home he crossed over to see what was the matter.There were about twenty people standing there, and in the centre close to the railing there were three or four women whom Slyme could not see although he could hear their voices.
`What's up?' he inquired of a man on the edge of the crowd.
`Oh, nothing much,' returned the other.`Some young woman; she's either ill, come over faint, or something - or else she's had a drop too much.'
`Quite a respectable-looking young party, too,' said another man.
Several young fellows in the crowd were amusing themselves by making suggestive jokes about the young woman and causing some laughter by the expressions of mock sympathy.
`Doesn't anyone know who she is?' said the second man who had spoken in reply to Slyme's inquiry.
`No,' said a woman who was standing a little nearer the middle of the crowd.`And she won't say where she lives.'
`She'll be all right now she's had that glass of soda,' said another man, elbowing his way out of the crowd.As this individual came out, Slyme managed to work himself a little further into the group of people, and he uttered an involuntary cry of astonishment as he caught sight of Ruth, very pale, and looking very ill, as she stood clasping one of the railings with her left hand and holding the packages of groceries in the other.She had by this time recovered sufficiently to feel overwhelmed with shame and confusion before the crowd of strangers who hemmed her in on every side, and some of whom she could hear laughing and joking about her.It was therefore with a sensation of intense relief and gratitude that she saw Slyme's familiar face and heard his friendly voice as he forced his way through to her side.
`I can walk home all right now,' she stammered in reply to his anxious questioning.`If you wouldn't mind carrying some of these things for me.'
He insisted on taking all the parcels, and the crowd, having jumped to the conclusion that he was the young woman's husband began to dwindle away, one of the jokers remarking `It's all over!' in a loud voice as he took himself off.
It was only about seven minutes' walk home from there, and as the streets along which they had to pass were not very brilliantly lighted, Ruth was able to lean on Slyme's arm most of the way.When they arrived home, after she had removed her hat, he made her sit down in the armchair by the fire, which was burning brightly, and the kettle was singing on the hob, for she had banked up the fire with cinders and small coal before she went out.
The baby was still asleep in the cradle, but his slumbers had evidently not been of the most restful kind, for he had kicked all the bedclothes off him and was lying all uncovered.Ruth obeyed passively when Slyme told her to sit down, and, lying back languidly in the armchair, she watched him through half-closed eyes and with a slight flush on her face as he deftly covered the sleeping child with the bedclothes and settled him more comfortably in the cot.
Slyme now turned his attention to the fire, and as he placed the kettle upon it he remarked: `As soon as the water boils I'll make you some strong tea.'
During their walk home she had acquainted Slyme with the cause of her being in the condition in which he found her in the street, and as she reclined in the armchair, drowsily watching him, she wondered what would have happened to her if he had not passed by when he did.
`Are you feeling better?' he asked, looking down at her.
`Yes, thanks.I feel quite well now; but I'm afraid I've given you a lot of trouble.'
`No, you haven't.Nothing I can do for you is a trouble to me.But don't you think you'd better take your jacket off? Here, let me help you.'
It took a very long time to get this jacket off, because whilst he was helping her, Slyme kissed her repeatedly and passionately as she lay limp and unresisting in his arms.
