‘I think I have,’ said Rosa, blushing
a little as Mr. Tartar looked quickly towards her.
’You see, you go over to Staple with Mr. Crisparkle
and Mr. Tartar,’ said Mr. Grewgious; ’I
going in and out, and out and in alone, in my usual
way; you go up with those gentlemen to Mr. Tartar’s
rooms; you look into Mr. Tartar’s flower-garden;
you wait for Miss Helena’s appearance there,
or you signify to Miss Helena that you are close by;
and you communicate with her freely, and no spy can
be the wiser.’
‘I am very much afraid I shall be—’
‘Be what, my dear?’ asked Mr. Grewgious,
as she hesitated. ’Not frightened?’
‘No, not that,’ said Rosa, shyly; ’in
Mr. Tartar’s way. We seem to be appropriating
Mr. Tartar’s residence so very coolly.’
‘I protest to you,’ returned that gentleman,
’that I shall think the better of it for evermore,
if your voice sounds in it only once.’
Rosa, not quite knowing what to say about that, cast
down her eyes, and turning to Mr. Grewgious, dutifully
asked if she should put her hat on? Mr. Grewgious
being of opinion that she could not do better, she
withdrew for the purpose. Mr. Crisparkle took
the opportunity of giving Mr. Tartar a summary of
the distresses of Neville and his sister; the opportunity
was quite long enough, as the hat happened to require
a little extra fitting on.
Mr. Tartar gave his arm to Rosa, and Mr. Crisparkle
walked, detached, in front.
‘Poor, poor Eddy!’ thought Rosa, as they
went along.
Mr. Tartar waved his right hand as he bent his head
down over Rosa, talking in an animated way.
’It was not so powerful or so sun-browned when
it saved Mr. Crisparkle,’ thought Rosa, glancing
at it; ’but it must have been very steady and
determined even then.’
Mr. Tartar told her he had been a sailor, roving everywhere
for years and years.
‘When are you going to sea again?’ asked
Rosa.
‘Never!’
Rosa wondered what the girls would say if they could
see her crossing the wide street on the sailor’s
arm. And she fancied that the passers-by must
think her very little and very helpless, contrasted
with the strong figure that could have caught her up
and carried her out of any danger, miles and miles
without resting.
She was thinking further, that his far-seeing blue
eyes looked as if they had been used to watch danger
afar off, and to watch it without flinching, drawing
nearer and nearer: when, happening to raise
her own eyes, she found that he seemed to be thinking
something about them.
This a little confused Rosebud, and may account for
her never afterwards quite knowing how she ascended
(with his help) to his garden in the air, and seemed
to get into a marvellous country that came into sudden
bloom like the country on the summit of the magic
bean-stalk. May it flourish for ever!
