She therefore pushed away the proffered revolver.
“No, no,” she said, “there has been mischief enough already. Because you have committed a crime it does not follow that I should commit a worse one.”
“Well then,” cried Brandon, pointing the revolver at his own head, “tell me you forgive me, or I will punish myself for having wronged the most beautiful and most adorable of women.”
She quickly caught hold of his hand, and wrested the revolver from his grasp.
“Yes, yes! I forgive you,” she murmured, blushing; “you have been very cruel and unkind, and you have hurt me very much — but it was partly my fault. I let you talk to me when I ought to have stopped you at once- and, and — I know you take me for a loose woman — and — oh, I am so miserable,” and she began to sob.
“No, no,” cried Brandon; “how could I think so, my darling. I am a brute, and my brutish passions got the better of me, but you are a pure, little angel.”
She smiled feebly through her tears, and he kissed her, but she pushed him away.
“I forgive you,” she said, “but I-can't like you. I believe you have broken everything I have got. I am so ill, and I am quite sore. I believe I shall die.”
“Oh, no,” said Brandon with a laugh, “ladies can take a lot of that sort of killing. You will soon be better.” He opened his hand-bag, took out a pocket-flask, and poured out some brandy and water. “Take a sip of this,” he said, “and you will be all right.”
She sat up, took the cup, and drank a mouthful or two. Suddenly a thought flashed across her mind.
“Oh, if the train were to stop now,” she said, “and people saw me like this. Everybody would know what had happened, and I should be ruined. Quickly help me to dress.”
She began to hastily smooth down her petticoats, and then going to her hand-bag she took out a comb and a hand-mirror, and began to arrange her hair.
She completed this to her satisfaction, adjusted her hat, and took a final look at herself. Brandon watched her admiringly, and would have liked to untidy her again, long before she had completed the process.
“I don't look very pretty,” she said, more to herself than to him, “my eyes are all swollen with crying. The next time we stop perhaps, I shall have time to go to the lady's waiting-room and have a wash.”
“And of course you would not come back again,” said Brandon rather bitterly.
“Of course I should,” she retorted quickly. “That is just like you men — you always go by what you think yourselves, and not what other people would think. If I were to change carriages now, the guard would know at once that I had some reason for leaving your company, and very likely tell lots of other people his suspicions. Whereas if I come back he will not know” — this with a sigh — “that I have any reason to complain of your conduct towards me.
“You are a clever little woman,” he replied. “I should never have thought of that.”
He tried to take her hand and kiss it, but she drew it away hastily.
“There is one thing you must promise me faithfully,” she said quickly. “I only consent to make the rest of the journey with you for the purpose of saving my reputation, but you, on your part, must give me your word of honour as a gentleman that you will not touch me, or, even speak to me unless I give you permission. Considering the outrageous nature of your-conduct towards me you cannot very well refuse, if you expect me to overlook your bad behaviour.”
“It is a hard thing to ask,” he replied dolefully, “and I can only hope that you will give me the permission of which you speak; but I am bound to obey your wishes.”
She bowed coldly, and did not speak, but retired to the corner in which she had at first been seated, and throwing her cloak over her, so as to hide her face, remained silent and motionless.
Brandon for his part sat in his own corner and tried to sleep, but the little figure before him, hidden under the Scotch plaid, prevented him from closing his eyes. He was one of those fortunate men who are known amongst women of pleasure as a “revolver,” and he would have loved to recommence the combat under changed conditions, for he was in hopes that before the long journey was over she would consent to give him freely the second time that which he had been obliged to take by force on the first occasion. He had, however, given his word, and was resolved not to break it, so he lay back in his corner and tried to doze, but he was not sorry when, half an hour later, the train slackened speed and then drew up at a large station.
AN UNDESERVED PUNISHMENT
The train had hardly come to a standstill, before the guard had jumped out of his van, and was running down the platform. “Ten minutes here,” he cried.
When he arrived at the compartment in which Brandon and Mrs. Sinclair were seated, he opened the door quickly and took a glance round.
“Ten minutes for refreshment, sir,” he said addressing Brandon.
Mrs. Sinclair rose from her seat, walked to the door, and the guard helped her out. She was still very sore from the severe doing she had had, and the guard, who guessed well enough the reason of her tottering walk, watched her out of the corner of his eye. He slightly shrugged his shoulders, and passed on to the next compartment.
When he arrived at the last compartment, he opened the door and saw four gentlemen sitting there, one in each corner.
“You have ten minutes here, gentlemen,” he said, “if you like to get out.”
“Oh, we're all right,” growled a giant who was sitting in the corner next the door. “We've got all we want except a bedfellow — the Company ought to provide nice girls for the use of first-class passengers.” The guard laughed.
“There's a gentleman in the last compartment found one for himself,” he said. “I should say she's had a rare good poking, if one may judge by the look of her.”
“What sort of a tart is she?” asked a voice from the distant corner.
“Oh, you'll see her come out of the ladies' waiting-room in a minute,” the guard answered carelessly. “I expect she's gone to get a wash, and I reckon she wants it,” and he walked away.
A minute or two later, Mrs. Sinclair appeared on the platform, and walked towards the carriage door which Brandon immediately opened for her.
“By Jove!” said the giant, and gave a low whistle.
“What's the matter, old man?” asked one of his companions.
“Why it's my brother Ted's wife,” said the giant. “I didn't think she was likely to play the whore, but all women are alike. Let's change carriages boys; she shan't have another opportunity to get rogered before she reaches Glasgow, if I can help it; come along you fellows;” and he picked up his hand-bag, and a long roll in which an umbrella and two or three walking-sticks were packed up with a railway rug, and hastily descended.
The others grumbled a good deal, but they descended, and followed the giant, who stepped into the compartment in which Brandon and Mrs. Sinclair were sitting, and was quickly followed by the others.
Brandon resigned himself to this incursion. On thinking the matter over he had come to the conclusion that it was more than improbable that Mrs. Sinclair would invite him, or even permit, him to roger her a second time, and the idea of raping a woman twice in the same night was, of course, out of the question. He was not therefore much annoyed at seeing the carriage invaded by four men, indeed he thought it would give him an opportunity for a conversation with the lady.