"What is his name?" asked Pat.
"I call him just Dog," responded Mr. Tillytuck. And Just Dog he remained during his entire sojourn at Silver Bush.
"A bit too glib wid yer tongue, MISTER Tillytuck," thought Judy. But she only said,
"And what may yer mind be in regard to cats?"
"Oh," said Mr. Tillytuck, who seemed quite contented with a whiff of his pipe between speeches, "I have a feeling for cats, Miss Plum. When I wandered in here the other morning I thought I'd like the people here because there was a cat on the window sill. It's a kind of instink with me. So thinks I to myself, 'This place has got a flavour. I could do with a job here.' And how right I was!"
"Where might your last place be?"
"On a fox farm down South Shore way. No names mentioned. I've been there three years. Got on well ... liked it well ... till the old missus died and the boss married again. I couldn't pull with the new one at all. Everything on the table bought and only enough to keep the worms quiet at that. A terrible tetchie old woman. Ye couldn't mention the weather to her but she'd quarrel with ye over it. Seemed to take it as a personal insult if you didn't like the day. Then she picked on Dog right along. 'Even a dog has some rights, woman,' I told her. 'You and me ain't going to click,' I told her. I'm rather finnicky as to the company I keep,' I told her. 'My dog is better company than a contentious woman,' I told her. 'I'm nobody's slave,' I told her ... and give notice. When I can't stay in a place without quarrelling with the folks I just mosey along. Likely I'll be here quite a while. Looks like a snug harbour to me. This arm-chair just fits my kinks. I've had my ups and downs. Escaped from the Titanic for one thing."
"Oh!" Cuddles and Pat were all eyes and ears. This WAS exciting. Judy gave her soup a vicious swirl. Was she to have a rival in the story telling art?
"Yes, I escaped," said Mr. Tillytuck, "by not sailing in her." He put his pipe back into his mouth and emitted a rumble which they were to learn he called laughter.
"Oh, oh, so that do be your idea of a joke," thought Judy. "I'm getting yer measure, MISTER Tillytuck."
"Not but what I've had my traggedies," resumed Mr. Tillytuck. He rolled up his sweater sleeve and showed a long white scar on his sinewy arm. "A leopard gave me that when I was a tamer in a circus in the States in my young days. Ah, that was the exciting life. I have a peculiar power over animals. No animal," said Mr. Tillytuck impressively, "can look me in the eye."
"Oh, oh, and are ye married?" persisted Judy remorselessly.
"Not by a jugful!" exclaimed Mr. Tillytuck, so explosively that every one jumped, even Gentleman Tom. Then he subsided into mildness again. "No, I've neither wife nor progeny, Miss Plum. I've often tried to get married but something always prevented. Sometimes every one was willing but the girl herself. Sometimes nobody was willing. Sometimes I couldn't get the question out. If I hadn't been such a temperance man I might have been married many a time. Needed something to loosen my tongue."
Mr. Tillytuck winked at Pat and Pat had a horrible urge to wink back at him. Really, some people did have a queer effect on you.
"I've always thought nobody understood me quite as well as I understood myself," resumed Mr. Tillytuck. "It isn't likely I'll ever marry now. But while there's life there's hope." This time it was at Judy he winked and Judy felt that she was not half as "mad" as she should be. She gave her soup a final stir and stood up briskly.
"Wud ye be jining us in a sup av soup, MISTER Tillytuck?"
"Ah, some small refreshment will not be amiss," responded Mr. Tillytuck in a gratified tone. "I am not above the pleasures of the palate in moderation. And ever since I entered this dwelling I've been saying to myself whenever you stirred that pot, 'Of all the smells that I ever did smell I never smelled a smell that smelled half as good as that smell smells.'"
Pat and Cuddles proceeded to set the table. Mr. Tillytuck watched them with approbation.
"A pair of high-steppers," he remarked presently in a hoarse aside to Judy. "Some class to THEM. The little one has the wrist of an aristycrat."
"Oh, oh, and so ye've noticed that now?" said Judy, highly gratified.
"Naturally. I'm an expert in regard to weemen. 'There's elegance for you,' I said to myself the moment I opened the door. Some difference from the girls at the fox farm. Just between friends, Miss Plum, they looked like dried apples on a string. One of them was as thin as a weasel and living on lettuce to get thinner. But these two now ... Cupid will be busy I reckon. No doubt you've a terrible time with the boys hanging round, Miss Plum?"
"Oh, oh, we're not altogether overlooked," said Judy complacently. "And now, MISTER Tillytuck, will ye be sitting in?"
Mr. Tillytuck slid into a chair.
"I wonder if you'd mind leaving out the 'mister,'" he said. "I'm not used to it and it makes me feel like a pilgrim and sojourner. Josiah, now ... if you wouldn't mind."
"Oh, oh, but I wud," said Judy decidedly. "Sure and Josiah has always been a name I cudn't bear iver since old Josiah Miller down at South Glen murdered his wife."
"I was well acquainted with Josiah Miller," remarked Mr. Tillytuck, taking up his spoon. "First he choked his wife, then he hanged her, then he dropped her in the river with a stone tied to her. Taking no chances. Ah, I knew him well. In fact, I may say he was a particular friend of mine at one time. But after that happened of course I had to drop him."
"Did they hang him?" demanded Cuddles with ghoulish interest.
"No. They couldn't prove it although everybody knew he did it. They kind of sympathised with him. There's an odd woman that HAS to be murdered. He died a natural death but his ghost walked. I met it once on a time."
"Oh!" Cuddles didn't notice Judy's evident disapproval of this poaching on her preserves. "Really, Mr. Tillytuck?"
"No mistake, Miss Gardiner. Most ghosts is nothing but rats. But this was a genuwine phantom."
"Did he ... did he speak to you?"
Mr. Tillytuck nodded.
"'I see you're out for a walk like myself,' says he. But I made no reply. I have discovered it is better not to monkey with spooks, miss. Interesting things, but dangerous. So irresponsible, speaking romantically. So, as Friend Josiah was right in the road and I couldn't get past him I just walked through him. Never saw him again. Miss Plum, this IS soup."
Judy had spent the evening swinging from approval to disapproval of Mr. Tillytuck ... which continued to be the case during his whole sojourn at Silver Bush. His appreciation of her soup got him another bowlful. Pat was wishing father would come home from Swallowfield. Perhaps Mr. Tillytuck didn't know he had to sleep in the granary. But Mr. Tillytuck said, as he got up from the table,
"I understand my quarters is in the granary ... so if you'll be kind enough to tell me where it is ..."
"MISS RACHEL will be taking the flashlight and showing ye the way," said Judy. "There do be plinty av good blankets on the bed but I'm afraid ye'll find it cold. There do be no fire since we didn't be knowing ye were coming."
"I'll kindle one in a jiffy."
"Oh, oh, thin ye'll be smoked out. That fire has to be lit for an hour afore it'll give over smoking. There do be something out av kilter wid the chimney. Long ... Mr. Gardiner is maning to have it fixed."
"I'll fix it myself. I worked with a mason for years. Down at the fox farm they had a bad chimney and I built it over in fine shape."
"Did it draw?" asked Judy sceptically.
"Draw! Miss Plum, that chimney drew the cat clean up it one night. The poor animal was never seen again."
Judy subsided. Mr. Tillytuck possessed himself of his bag and his violin and his owl and his dog.