FROM BOULOGNE TO FOLKESTONE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11244, 9 April 1902, Page 10

FROM BOULOGNE TO FOLKESTONE.

By \V. Pirr Ridge' I am much obliged," said the tall young lady, with a sedate air to young Mr Tolson, "for your kind assistance." "Don't name it," said Mr Tolson. ' "It is aiways the same with her," complained the tall young lady. "I really believe if she went on the Serpentine she would be ill."

"Knowing quite well," remarked Sir Tolson, laboriously, "that it is no business of mine, I, at the same time, feel bound to remark that travelling with a companion is of precious little use if she goes and fails you like this at a crucial moment." The Ibell rang for the last last gangway was hauled up, and the Louise Dagmar moved slowly ouit otf the harbour. The passengers on board waved their handkerchiefs, and the folk lining the Quai Chanzy fluttered parasols. "Quite so," said the tall young lady after a pause. Mr Tolson found.two deck chairs and set them carefully in the shade. He rasped a little as he did so in sheer astonishment at his own temerity. What they would say in Cushion Court, Old Broad street, when he told bis fellow-clerks that he had for a apace been on friendly terms with a lady of title was in itself a. thing at which Mr Toison's imagination stammered. Hβ had noticed the two and their luggage at the G-are dv Nord in Paris; the mild, deferens tial, middle-aged woman and. the tall , , assertive young lady; had seen them at Amiens, and when, on board the 'Louise Dagmar, the middle-aged woman had instantly become, limp end helpless, and had begged humbly to be taken to a cabin and left to herself, it had been Mr Toison's. privilege to assist in conveying her down the stairs to the lower deck. And here fhe was now sitting by the side of the attractive, masterful young lady, and conversing with her in an easy nonchalant manner that Would never, he feared, be credited at* Cushion Court, Old Broadsfcreet.

"I suppose,," said 'Mr Tolson patting his necktie, "I suppose He rather difficult to get a good companion to travel with; one that you can thoroughly rely on." "Almost impossible." "It's much the same," said Mr Tolson, speaking loudly, "with valets. I know men —or at any rate I've lieard of men—who simply.cannot get a reliable man. You try one after the other," said Mr Tolson, bitterly, "and one periiaps can't manage a dress tie and another one sells your old suits and sticks to the money, and there's always a something." "What time are we due in London, I wonder?'*

"About six,", said Mr Tolson. "I shall have to get- back from. Charing Gross to the City, worse luck." "Business must be a great bore." ' "Well," aTgued Mr Tolson pointedly, "we can't all be ladies of title."

"True," she said, nodding her head. The Louise Dagioar was getting well out into Channel and it was such a.smooth and well behaved - Channel that passengers on deck were ordering tea; some who on embarking had retired to the saloon with their minds fully made up in regard to ma»l de mer now reappeared on deck and walked aft in the manner of regular seadogs. Mr Tolson's companion suddenly screened her face with an open "Lady's Illustrated, ,, and did this so effectively that Mr Tolson found it impossible to carry on the conversation. ' Therefore Mr Tolson rose with some annoyance from his deck chair and going down to the second-class part of the vessel smoked a cigar rather fiercely.

"I can take a hint as well as anyone," said Mr Tolson. : "If I'm not wantedl only want to be told so and I take my hook like a'shot." Mr Tolson cooled as soon as he- applied the situation the calm judgment an outbreak. "P'raps she was afraid of her maid coming up and finding us chatting together," he said.

:'A large butler-faced man, worried with pent-up conversation, asked Mr Tolson for a light and at "once bepan to talk volubly. He had been to Ohantilly he said with his people, and the sooner he was.;back in Berkeley square the sooner he should like it. The Continent, said the butler-faced man; defiantly, might suit some but give him England, the noma of the free, and London in particular. Mr Tolson, arresting this flow of talk with some difficulty, asked casually for some particulars of the family and the history of Lady Mary Bigge; his interest , in the tall young woman on the upper deck became spurred upon hearing that Lady Mary had a few years since had a little love affair, since which, said the butler of Berkeley square, nothing would sot her but travel, travel, travel.

"Always on the go" declared the Berkeley , squaro man. "So I'm told at any rate. Unfortunate part of the affair is that she isn't likely to get another chance." "Think'so!" enquired Mr Tolson. "Know so," replied Berkeley Square. "On what grounds?"

"On the grounds, sir," said Berkeley Square, "that she don't look at no member of our sex with anything like affection, mentioned she concludes that all men are That since liis little affair ai the 'cart I've alike and all- worthless. Now, once that idea well into a woman's Vad, whether she be a lady of title, or a lady of no title, it takes a bit of doing to destroy that incorrect impression. : Moreover,"" said Berkeley Square, concluding up his arguments, "she ain't got the appearance she once had. ,.

"She has a very goad attractive faca," said Mr Tolson, hotly, "and chance k." '"Ought to 'aye sesn the one she used to 'aye," said Berkeley Square.

Mr Tolson escaped from Berkeley Square with some difficulty, and ascended the gang*

way. Peering between the intervening passengers he saw to his surprise and content that she was still alone, her companion having, apparently, decided to stay in the cabin. Mr Tolson noticed that the 'Lady's Illustrated" was now-on the lap and no longer acting as, screen. Hβ walked along humming a tone carelessly- As he passed near her a light fooiisb. wmd got west, lifted the jonrnal; from her lap, and blew it towards him. He fielded it, and returned it smartly. "Am I to he continually thanking you?" she said, brightly. "You are always at hand when you're wanted-" "I know how to go when I'm not wanted, ,, siid Mr Tolson. "I don't profess to be up to every dodge of good manners, but I do know that."*

"Do you do any hunting?'' she asked,' inconsequently. Mr Tolson drew a deep breatk

"I keep a few horses; just enough for meseH and mc friends." Mr Tolson reddened as he spoke, for he was not accomplished in deceit. "Bot City work takes up such a deuce of a time."

"You have a large business then?" "Enormous!" said Mr Tolson, And reddened again. She rose and collected her journals. Mr Tolson waked anxiously for developments. "I think I will ran down and see how she

"Shows you've got a good heart," said Mr Tolson. 'TU look after your chair whilst you're gone."

"Don't trouble," she said, with some reserve.

"It isn't trouble. It's what I call a positive pleasure."

"I shan't be five minutes."

"It'll seem," said Mr Tolson (and the daring nature of the remark astounded him) "like five years." Watching her as she tripped down the brass-bound stairs, he sighed and shook his head mournfully. A hopeful expectant sailor hastened towards him, but Mr Tolson, waved him off, and the disappointed sailor went to the side of the steamer, and growled with a Kentish accent at the placid Channel.

"It's no use filling your head with foolish dreams," saiid Mr Tolston to himself, reprovingly. ' "You'll only have to get rid ol 'em again. You and your talk about horses and your enormous business in the Oity! Why you've never taken anything nearer to horse exercise than the switchback at Earl's Court, and although you've got a tidy berth in the City, you know very well that you're not in business for yourself, and not likely to be. And the sheer impudence of your paying attention* to a good-looking young lady of title! I'm surprised at you. You, that only aspirates his aitches when he takes the trouble to do it, you that live* m a couple of rooms in Ampthil square. You, that's only a few 'undreds saved by, and haven't had a cheque book of your.own for more than five minutes." Mr Tolson smiled bitterly. "You're a pretty character, upon m *'Shß prefers to stay down until we reach Folkestone," said the young lady, retunnng. "I suppose in about half an hour we snaM be there." '"Fraud so."

"Why 'afraid'?" • "Well," said Mr Tolson, with a burst, if you must know, because I could go on like this sitting near you for a long while. There!'' added Mr Tolson gloomily, "now I've put mc foot in it, I s.pose." "Yooi certainly ought not to say such a thing upon so short tan* acquaintance." "I know that. I know most of the rules of etiquette. But it's one thing to know how to behave in society ; it's another thing to jolly well go and do it." "It's a habib soon acquired," she said, encouragingly. "It's all very well for you," remarked Mr Tolson. The mate strolled up to examine tickets and interrupted the conversation for a minute. "It's all very well for you," 'he repeated, when the mate had rolled away. "You were born in the purple, •as you may say." "I was born at Faversham." Mr Tolson turned suddenly. "Sure?" "Positive!'' • • "Because I was born at Faversham, too."

"Fancy! Do you know" the 'Ship'?" "Do I not know the 'Ship,'" said) Mr Tolson, affirmatively, "my dear old mother lives close there now/ .

"What an extremely oddl.coincidenoe!" "But ypeoplej Eve , tfbere when •you were bwn?" - asked Mr . Tolson, with great interest* . . r . • "Why, of course! What a question to ask. They lived in Park road." ■ , "You're" joking," . said Mr Tclson, iricrexMously. , : " ' '*;' "I seldom joke." " ' "But do you mean to tell mc that your people, society people *" "Wβ certainly were in the thick of it at home, ,, she agiK \ "They used; to say the anniversary tea meetings at the Congregational chapel went for nothing unless myself and my sisters were,there." "But what I can't understand is how your -family -with, its name and its property and what not ever got so far down in jjhe world a* to live in Park road;?"

"You'll excuse roe," she said stiffly, "but we were never down in the world at all. My father was a pilot, and be married my mother, who was before that, lady's maid in the very same family that I'm in now." Mr Tolson fanned himself, with his straw hat and blinked). ' His companion rolled up her "Lady's lUustrated' , very' tightly as women do when , agitated and. trembling. ' "And , the mere : fact," she went on, "tEat any one has a large business in the city doesn't entitle anyone to say. that 'my people were ever down in the world. ' It's a remark quite uncalled for, andr-—" "Miss," ea-id Mr Tolson, appealingry, "listen to mc.. Bear with mc for on© second. That was a mere slip of the tongue to which the-best of us in an unguarded moment are liable."

"If you apologise, of course " * "I do," cried Mr Tolson, eagerly." Moreover, I should like to add , that any casual remark I have made about horses or enormous businesses of my own should not be taken in any ' other Eght - tihan that of humorous salKes; I'm only a clerk in the city, and we get in a 'abit there of putting on a certain amount' of side. And us two being natives/ of the same Kentish town, may I venture a> far as to suggest " ' I must go down and' see to my lady now." - "May I," persisted Mr Tolson— "may I venture so -far as to suggest that we should meet asain in town and become better acquainted? Tve already learnt to ad>mire you; who knows but that in course of time " "Next Sunday is my afternoon out," she mentioned jcoyly. '. "Right!" cried Mr Tolson. "It shall be mine,' too."