and from habit made for his own study. He wanted to calm himself before
seeing them all; of course Toney was upstairs--perhaps in bed. Oh! he
could wait now. If he told anyone he was here, Aunt Honoria would claim
him, and he should have to hear that horrid story again. He opened the
door and stepped in. He walked to the fireplace--then---- Good
heavens! there was Toney on his sofa, fast asleep, and there too was
Trick, who pricked up his ears and barked!
Toney woke up with a start, and with her right hand rubbed her eyes.
"Gracious stars! Uncle--oh, it's----" She sank down again because her
legs refused to carry her.
"It's only Lewis," he said sitting down beside her. "Toney--Toney, I've
come back to tell you what a fool I've been."
"You haven't yet killed all the lions in Somaliland, have you?" said
Toney trying to laugh in her old manner; but the laugh died away before
the look in Lewis' eyes.
"Let me tell you quick, Toney." He took her hand, and Toney felt she
was dreaming, for never had he looked like that before, never had he
held her hand in this manner. "I went away because I loved you--yes, I
have always loved you, and you only, but that beastly money came in the
way! Lady Dove said I wanted your money, and my horrid pride couldn't
swallow the gold! I sacrificed everything to it; then came the day when
I couldn't stand any more, I couldn't live and see you every day and say
nothing when I wasn't sure--of your feelings. I wasn't worthy of you,
Toney; I might have trusted you, I might have known that the money would
never stay with you, and now I've heard; but, oh, my Toney, will you
believe that I was coming before I knew; I was coming to swallow the
whole fortune, and the _on dits_ of the whole county, only your uncle
told me, and, anyhow, I ask you now, will you be my wife, not for the
money, but for yourself? If you say I don't deserve you, if you say you
don't care enough for me, I'll go off again and wait--and then, another
thing, Toney, you thought about Maud--how could you? I expect it was
Lady Dove again, and now you have just saved her life, and
nearly--Toney--Toney." He put his strong arm round her and she did not
resist. "Speak to me and tell me--and then I'll face all those Society
lions."
Then Toney just laid her weary head on his shoulder, and there was a
lump in her throat and a great, great gladness in her heart.
"Don't go away, ever again--I've been very, very miserable, and I hated
myself because I thought you belonged to Maud---- Is it true, quite,
quite true?"
"It's awfully true--Toney, you won't go on believing about Maud?"
"Oh, gracious stars! no!" cried Toney lifting up her face that was so
pink, and her eyes that were so bright; "because she's just been
engaging herself to the Honourable Edward Lang!"
"Maud?" shouted Lewis, and they both laughed together. "So you
knew--when?"
"Oh, here, just before I went to sleep. Then all the horrid feelings
went away--and dear, dear Lewis, I sort of felt you would come back, and
I was so happy--and you won't mind my being rather poor, though Aunt
Dove says you ought to marry money; but even for you I could not keep
it, because it was all dedicated long ago to the poor and needy."
"My darling, I've proved I don't care, though in a stupid way----
Toney, say you forgive me for hurting you, and now--I claim the gift you
promised me long ago from the cottage window."
"Oh, Lewis, was it that? and I never guessed!" Then a great content
fell on them both. "I said I would give you what you asked, and I think
that I always have loved you, though I never knew it till--you went
away! Oh! there's uncle--let me go--and tell him; he sort of guessed it
before I did!"
"He's more sense than I have," said Lewis laughing.
Then they stood up with shining eyes waiting for Sir Evas, and Toney
whispered,
"I was so lonely, so lonely, and the work seemed so hard, and now you'll
never leave me and we'll work together; I see now I can't do it alone,
and I do hope 'That is the way God would have us to go,' as dear St.
Francis said whenever he was starting on a journey!"
"We'll go, God helping us, all the way together, my Toney," said Lewis
as they stood together "and as for the lions, they may eat each other
up. Come and tell Aunt Honoria, and Maud and the others, they will all
be so glad!"
"They've been so awfully good to me, but--I am not _quite_ sure about
Aunt Dove's joy!"
"Hang her," muttered Lewis.
As they went out hand-in-hand together, they laughed the old happy
laugh, and met Sir Evas face to face at the hall door.
"What the Dickens!" he began. "By Jove! is _that_ it?"
"Yes, you dear, ducky uncle," said Toney, throwing her arms round his
neck and giving him a bear's hug, "yes, _that's_ it!"
THE END.
Printed in Great Britain at
_The Mayflower Press, Plymouth_. William Brendon & Son, Ltd