The Mystery of M. Felix. Farjeon Benjamin Leopold

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      "'And if it should happen,' said our reporter, 'that you remember anything you have forgotten to tell me, you will come and let me know it?'

      "'I'll be sure to, sir.'

      "Wishing her good-night again, he left the house, and heard her close the street door behind him with a bang.

      "It was not without a motive that our reporter had addressed his last words to her. He had an idea that she had not been quite frank with him respecting M. Felix's visitors feeling assured that she could not be so entirely in the dark regarding them as she professed to be. His visit had not been fruitless; he had become acquainted with the loss of the desk, and he had discovered the dagger with its curiously shaped handle. Two steps advanced in the mystery, which might lead to something of importance.

      "He walked slowly on, revolving these matters in his mind, and debating whether he could make any present use of them when his coat was plucked by a small hand. Looking down, he saw Sophy.

      "'Ah, Sophy,' he said, 'what do you want?'

      "'I've been waiting for yer,' said Sophy. 'I've got somethink to tell.'

      "'Good. Where shall we talk?'

      "Sophy's reply was a strange one. 'I know,' she said, where they sells fried fish and fried 'taters.' She smacked her lips.

      "'You would like some?'

      "'Wouldn't I? Jest?'

      "'Lead the way, Sophy.'

      "'You're a brick, old 'un, that's what you are.'

      "She walked close to him, rubbing against him after the fashion of a friendly cat, and conducted him toward the purlieus of Drury Lane.

      "'You're going to stand treat, ain't yer?'

      "'Yes, Sophy, to as many fried potatoes and as much fried fish as you can comfortably tuck away.'

      "'No gammon, yer know?'

      "'I mean what I say, Sophy.'

      "'Then there's stooed eels?'

      "'All right; you shall have some.'

      "'Don't say afterwards as I took you in. My inside's made of injer rubber. The more I puts in it the more it stretches.'

      "'I don't mind, Sophy.'

      "'You're somethink like a gent. I say, was aunty riled at the runaway knock?'

      "'Oh, it was you, was it?'

      "'Yes, it was me; I was gitting tired of waiting for yer. She's close, ain't she?'

      "'Who? Your aunt?'

      "'Yes; but I'm closer, I am. I could tell 'er somethink as 'd make 'er 'air stand on end.'

      "'And you are going to tell it to me?'

      "'Per'aps. If yer make it wuth my while.'

      "'You shall have no reason to complain, Sophy. Is it about M. Felix?'

      "'You wait till I've 'ad my tuck out.'

      "Burning as he was with curiosity, our reporter wisely restrained his impatience. They had now arrived at the fried-potato shop, and Sophy stood before the open window with eager eyes. The potatoes were frizzling in the pan, and were being served out hot by a greasy Italian. His customers were of the very poorest sort, and most of them received the smoking hot potatoes in the street, and went away to eat them. You could purchase a half-penny's worth or a penny's worth the paper bags in which they were delivered being of different sizes. On the open slab in the window were pieces of fried plaice, tails, heads, and middles, the price varying according to the size. A few aristocratic customers were inside the shop, sitting upon narrow wooden benches, and eating away with an air of great enjoyment.

      "'Don't they smell prime?' whispered Sophy.

      "Our reporter assented, although the odor of fat which floated from the pan left, to the fastidious taste, something to be desired.

      "'Will you eat your supper outside or in, Sophy?'

      "Inside, old 'un,' said Sophy.

      "They went into the shop and took their seats. There were no plates or knives or forks, but there was a plentiful supply of salt and pepper.

      "'Can you manage without a plate?' asked our reporter.

      "With her superior knowledge of the ways of this free-and-easy restaurant, Sophy replied, 'Plates be blowed!'

      "'But you will certainly want a knife.'

      "'No I shan't,' said Sophy, 'fingers was made before knives.'

      "With two large middle slices of fried fish and a penny's worth of fried potatoes spread upon a piece of newspaper before her, Sophy fell to with a voracious appetite. In his position of host our reporter was compelled to make a sacrifice, and he therefore toyed with a small heap of fried potatoes, and put a piece occasionally into his mouth. His critical report is that they were not at all bad food; it was the overpowering smell of fat that discouraged this martyr to duty.

      "'I say,' said Sophy, 'ain't yer going to 'ave some fried fish? Do 'ave some! You don't know 'ow good it is.'

      "'I am eating only out of politeness, Sophy,' said our reporter, watching the child with wonder; she had disposed of her first batch and was now busy upon a second supply. 'I have not long had my dinner.'

      "'Ain't we proud?' observed the happy girl. 'I like my dinner-when I can git it, old 'un-in the middle of the day, not in the middle of the night.'

      "'You eat as if you were hungry, Sophy.'

      "'I'm allus 'ungry. You try and ketch me when I ain't!'

      "'Doesn't your aunt give you enough?'

      "'She 'lowances me, and ses I mustn't over-eat myself. As if I could! I ses to 'er sometimes, "Give me a chance, aunt!" I ses; and she ups and ses she knows wot's good for me better than I do myself, and all the while she's eating and drinking till she's fit to bust. She's fond of her innards, is aunt. Never mind, it'll be my turn one day, you see if it won't. There, I'm done. Oh, don't you stare! I could eat a lot more, but there's stooed eels to come, I do like stooed eels, I do!'

      "Our reporter had no reason to complain of Sophy's extravagance; though she had disposed of four slices of fried fish and two helpings of fried potatoes, his disbursement amounted to no more than tenpence half-penny. Upon leaving the shop Sophy again assumed the command, and conducted our reporter to the stewed-eel establishment, where she disposed of three portions, which the proprietor ladled out in very thick basins. The host of this magnificent entertainment was somewhat comforted to find that although fingers were made before knives (and presumably, therefore, before spoons), Sophy was provided with a very substantial iron spoon to eat her succulent food with. As in the fried-potato establishment there was a plentiful supply of salt and pepper, so here there was a plentiful supply of pepper and vinegar, of which Sophy liberally availed herself. At the end of her third basin Sophy raised her eyes heavenward and sighed ecstatically.

      "'Have you had enough?' asked our reporter.

      "'Enough for once,' replied Sophy, with a prudent СКАЧАТЬ