They went up the green slope from the inlet. Peter could hear 杭州spa会所哪个最好better than he could see. He could hear the soft croaking of the gulls and the singing of the birds 杭州按摩全套服务 and the steely music of the saw in the mill. His bad eye was toward Mona, so that unless he gave his head a full turn he could not see her at all. A sweaty discomfort possessed him whenever he believed she was making a fresh survey of the disfigurements Aleck had fastened upon him. With his triumph rode the humiliating conviction that his face was out of joint and not pleasant to look at.

“It’ll be better tomorrow,” he said.

“What will?” she asked.

“My face. It must look sort of funny.”

“Not half as funny as Aleck Curry’s,” she comforted him. “And if anyone dares to laugh at you—after what happened out there——”

Peter caught the flash in her dark eyes. In spite of his protest she pulled him through the open door of Jame Clamart’s 杭州品茶推荐 cabin. Adette was bending over the crib of young Telesphore. Her big blue eyes widened and she 杭州养生按摩会所 gave a little gasp when she saw Peter, his hand still held in Mona’s.

And then, to his horror, she giggled.

[131]

In an instant Mona was at her side.

“Adette Clamart, don’t you dare laugh!” she cried. “If you had seen it! If you had seen him whip Aleck Curry——”

“But his eye!” exclaimed Adette chokingly. “I mean that eye, Mona—the one that’s open! It looks so—so funny!”

“He’s better-looking right now than Jame Clamart will ever be,” retorted Mona with fierce dignity. “He hasn’t got a snub nose, anyway—and that’s what your baby is going to have when he grows up!”

“But his eye!” persisted Adette, the giggling choking her. “Why is it so round and glassy, Mona? It’s just like the end of my new glass salt shaker! Oh, oh, oh——”

“Adette Clamart!”

Peter, stunned and speechless, watched Mona drag Adette into the kitchen. As if drawn 杭州足浴大全 by an irresistible magnet, his one eye followed them, and Adette—looking back—gave a final little screech of laughter before the door closed behind her.

Peter heard the tittering beyond that door, and Mona’s protesting voice rising above it. He felt as if warm water had been poured down his back. He was clammy, and his heart had sunk down into his middle. He must

be a terrible sight!

Then he saw young Telesphore looking at him over the edge of the crib. In one of his fat fists the baby clutched the knife which Peter had given him earlier[132] in the day. Peter went nearer and grinned at his young friend. The effort hurt him. Telesphore’s mouth fell slowly ajar as he stared at Peter. He gave no sign of recognition. The jovial comradeship of a few hours ago was gone and his gaze was steady and perplexed. And then, as if desirous 杭州养生美容会所 of possessing another strange article of interest, he dropped his knife and reached for Peter’s one eye.
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Peter drew back. Adette was still laughing at him and Telesphore did not recognize him! He remembered a little mirror hanging on the wall and hurried to it. He was shocked. The thrill of triumph left him. His pride sank—and he sneaked through the

open door as quickly as he could and trotted toward the big yellow piles of sawdust, hoping he might reach them before Mona discovered his flight. Screened by the piles, he came up behind Simon McQuarrie’s cabin and almost bumped into a little man with a great head of shaggy gray hair, a round face with rosy cheeks, and eyes that were at first amazed and then twinkled merrily as they looked at Peter. He was a stranger. But swiftly and instinctively Peter liked him. Something in the way 杭州按摩桑拿网 he rubbed his hands together and chuckled built up a confidence and comradeship between them immediately. 杭州spa水疗 Peter attempted a grin.

“I been in a fight,” he acknowledged cheerfully, for there was an attitude and quality about this little man that demanded some kind of explanation. “I been in a fight with Aleck Curry.”

[133]

“And he worsted you,” guessed the merry stranger.

“No, sir. I beat him up. I made him howl, and he promised never to bother Mona or her pets again. Mona knows. She saw it.”

The little man placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a gentle hand. Its touch comforted Peter.

“Come in and let me fix you up, Peter. That is your name, isn’t it—Peter McRae?”