第99章

I nearly killed the cousin who pulled out his tail.I thrashed him, then and there, WITH the tail; which was such a silly thing to do;because, though it damaged the cousin, it also spoiled the tail.The next time--ah, but I am boring you!""Not at all," said Nurse Rosemary, politely; "but I want you to have some breakfast; and the letters will be here in a few minutes."He looked so brown and radiant, this dear delightful boy, with his gold-brown tie, and yellow rose.She was conscious of her pallor, and oppressive earnestness, as she said: "The letters will be here.""Oh, bother the letters!" cried Garth."Let's have a holiday from letters on May Day! You shall be Queen of the May; and Margery shall be the old mother.I will be Robin, with the breaking heart, leaning on the bridge beneath the hazel tree; and Simpson can be the 'bolder lad.' And we will all go and 'gather knots of flowers, and buds, and garlands gay.'""Mr.Dalmain," said Nurse Rosemary, laughing, in spite of herself, "you really must be sensible, or I shall go and consult Margery.Ihave never seen you in such a mood."

"You have never seen me, on a day when something was going to happen," said Garth; and Nurse Rosemary made no further attempt to repress him.

After breakfast, he went to the piano, and played two-steps, and rag-time music, so infectiously, that Simpson literally tripped as he cleared the table; and Nurse Rosemary, sitting pale and preoccupied, with a pile of letters before her, had hard work to keep her feet still.

Simpson had two-stepped to the door with the cloth, and closed it after him.Nurse Rosemary's remarks about the post-bag, and the letters, had remained unanswered."Shine little glowworm glimmer"was pealing gaily through the room, like silver bells,--when the door opened, and old Margery appeared, in a black satin apron, and a blue print sunbonnet.She came straight to the piano, and laid her hand gently on Garth's arm.

"Master Garthie," she said, "on this lovely May morning, will you take old Margery up into the woods?"Garth's hands dropped from the keys."Of course I will, Margie," he said."And, I say Margie, SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN.""I know it, laddie," said the old woman, tenderly; and the expression with which she looked into the blind face filled Jane's eyes with tears."I woke with it too, Master Garthie; and now we will go into the woods, and listen to the earth, and trees, and flowers, and they will tell us whether it is for joy, or for sorrow.

Come, my own laddie."

Garth rose, as in a dream.Even in his blindness he looked so young, and so beautiful, that Jane's watching heart stood still.

At the window he paused."Where is that secretary person?" he said, vaguely."She kept trying to shut me up.""I know she did, laddie," said old Margery, curtseying apologetically towards Jane."You see she does not know the 'something-is-going-to-happen-to-day' awakening.""Ah, doesn't she?" thought Jane, as they disappeared through the window."But as my Garth has gone off his dear head, and been taken away by his nurse, the thing that is going to happen, can't happen just yet." And Jane sat down to the piano, and very softly ran through the accompaniment of The Rosary.Then,--after shading her eyes on the terrace, and making sure that a tall white figure leaning on a short dark one, had almost reached the top of the hill,--still more softly, she sang it.

Afterwards she went for a tramp on the moors, and steadied her nerve by the rapid swing of her walk, and the deep inbreathing of that glorious air.Once or twice she took a telegram from her pocket, stood still and read it; then tramped on, to the wonder of the words: "Special license easily obtained." Ah, the license might be easy to obtain; but how about his forgiveness? That must be obtained first.If there were only this darling boy to deal with, in his white flannels and yellow roses, with a May-Day madness in his veins, the license might come at once; and all he could wish should happen without delay.But this is a passing phase of Garth.What she has to deal with is the white-faced man, who calmly said: "I accept the cross," and walked down the village church leaving her--for all these years.Loving her, as he loved her; and yet leaving her,--without word or sign, for three long years.To hire, was the confession; his would be the decision; and, somehow, it did not surprise her, when she came down to luncheon, a little late, to find HIM seated at the table.

"Miss Gray," he said gravely, as he heard her enter, "I must apologise for my behaviour this morning.I was what they call up here 'fey.' Margery understands the mood; and together she and Ihave listened to kind Mother Earth, laying our hands on her sympathetic softness, and she has told us her secrets.Then I lay down under the fir trees and slept; and awakened calm and sane, and ready for what to-day must bring.For it WILL bring something.That is no delusion.It is a day of great things.That much, Margery knows, too.""Perhaps," suggested Nurse Rosemary, tentatively, "there may be news of interest in your letters.""Ah," said Garth, "I forgot.We have not even opened this morning's letters.Let us take time for them immediately after lunch.Are there many?""Quite a pile," said Nurse Rosemary.

"Good.We will work soberly through them."Half an hour later Garth was seated in his chair, calm and expectant; his face turned towards his secretary.He had handled his letters, and amongst them he had found one sealed; and the seal was a plumed helmet, with visor closed.Nurse Rosemary saw him pale, as his fingers touched it.He made no remark; but, as before, slipped it beneath the rest, that it might come up for reading, last of all.

When the others were finished, and Nurse Rosemary took up this letter, the room was very still.They were quite alone.Bees hummed in the garden.The scent of flowers stole in at the window.But no one disturbed their solitude.

Nurse Rosemary took up the envelope.