"We will not begrudge it to him."
"Yes, I shall," persisted Jack, "because I object to successful
villainy, and to being disappointed of my moral." But seeing that
Phillis looked at him wistfully, he drew her closer to him. "My
darling, do you suppose Hetherton seems anything to me now?"
They had not much time to spare, and walked quickly from the bridge
along the river side. So changed was it from that other day, that it
might, so Phillis thought, have been another stream. Instead of wild
anger there was only a stately sweep in the slowly moving water, and
though some marks of past turbulence might be here and there visible on
the banks, they were not many, and under the warm sun all the green
bordering was springing into glad life once more.
But, though where it had been was now dry land, the little bank was
gone. Phillis grew pale and clung to Jack when she saw this, she could
not speak except by that mute gesture, and he answered it mutely, too.
For there where Cartouche had died and he had been given back to life
and her, he kissed his wife, and held her in his arms.
Do people forget as quickly as we commonly believe? Outward marks and
signs of remembrance die away, it is true, others fill the vacant
places, and we look into smiling faces and say "he or she is forgotten--
it is the way of the world." But, after all, what do we know? Do not
our own memories often startle us? At all sorts of strange times, with
a silent foot-fall inaudible to any but ourselves, they come warm, and
strong, and living. We do not forget so easily, nor perhaps shall we be
forgotten so soon as we all think. God gave good gifts to this husband
and wife, and the crown of happy love, but both of them remembered and
kept their memories sacred in their hearts. And a peasant woman in a
southern country has taught her children to love animals and be good to
them, for one of them, she says, was once saved by a dog. The children
listen, thrilled by the familiar story. "_Eccolo_!" cries a girl,
pointing, and they all turn and look up where, over the door, is the
carved figure of a dog, with a date.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The End.