"He swore like a trooper, he thumped his glass down on the table and
smashed it--a disgusting exhibition of temper--I was ashamed of him. Then
he said never, as long as he lived and could prevent it; that he had heard
something of my infatuation, so as I am not given that way he had made
inquiries, and found the family was most unsatisfactory. Then he had come
here yesterday on purpose to see you--darling," turning to me, "and that
he had judged for himself. The girl was a 'devilish beauty' (his words,
not mine), with the naughtiest, provoking eyes, and a mouth--No, I can't
say the rest, it makes me too mad," and Robert's eyes flashed.
Lady Merrenden rose from her seat and came and took my other hand. I felt
as if I could not stand too tall and straight.
"The long and short of it is, he has absolutely refused to have anything
to do with the matter, says I need expect nothing further from him, and we
have parted for good and all."
"Oh, Robert!" It was almost a cry from Lady Merrenden.
Robert put his arms round me, and his face changed to radiance.
"Well, I don't care; what does it matter? A few places and thousands in
the dim future--the loss of them is nothing to me if I only have my
Evangeline now."
"But, Robert dearest," Lady Merrenden said, "you can't possibly live
without what he allows you--what have you of your own? About eighteen
hundred a year, I suppose, and you know, darling boy, you are often in
debt. Why, he paid five thousand for you as lately as last Easter. Oh,
what is to be done?" and she clasped her hands.
I felt as if turned to stone. Was all this divine happiness going to slip
from my grasp? Yes, it looked like it, for I could never drag Robert into
poverty and spoil his great future.
"He can't leave away Torquilstone, and those thousands of profitless
acres," Lady Merrenden went on; "but, unfortunately, all the London
property is at his disposition. Oh, I must go and talk to him!"
"No," said Robert. "It would not be the least use, and would look as if we
were pleading." His face had fallen to intense sadness as Lady Merrenden
spoke of his money.
"Darling," he said, in a broken voice. "No, it is true it would not be
fair to make you a beggar. I should be a cad to ask you. We must think of
some way of softening my brother after all."
Then I spoke.
"Robert," I said, "if you were only John Smith I would say I would
willingly go and live with you in a cottage, or even in a slum; but you
are not, and I would not for _anything in the world_ drag you down out of
what is your position in life. That would be a poor sort of love. Oh, my
dear," and I clasped tight his hand, "if everything fails, then we must
part and you must forget me."
He folded me in his arms, and we heard the door shut. Lady Merrenden had
left us alone. Oh, it was anguish and divine bliss at the same time the
next half-hour.
"I will never forget you, and never in this world will I take another
woman, I swear to God!" he said, at the end of it. "If we must part, then
life is finished for me of all joy."
"And for me, too, Robert!"
We said the most passionate vows of love to each other, but I will not
write them here; there is another locked book where I keep them--the book
of my soul.
"Would it be any good if Colonel Tom Carden went and spoke to him?" I
asked, presently. "He was best man at papa's wedding, and knows all there
is to be known of poor mamma; and do you think that as mamma's father was
Lord de Brandreth--a very old barony I believe it is--oh, can it make any
difference to the children's actual breeding, their parents not having
been through the marriage ceremony? I--I--don't know much of that sort of
things."
"My sweet," said Robert, and through all our sorrow he smiled and kissed
me--"my sweet, sweet Evangeline."
"But does the duke know all the details of the history?" I asked, when I
could speak; one can't when one is being kissed.
"Every little bit, it seems. He says he will not discuss the matter of
that--I must know it is quite enough, as I have always known his views;
but if it was not sufficient, your wild, wicked beauty is. You would not
be faithful to me for a year, he said. I could hardly keep from killing
him when he hurled that at my head."
I felt my temper rising. How frightfully unjust--how cruel! I went over
and looked in the glass--a big mirror between the windows--drawing Robert
with me.
"Oh, tell me, tell me, what is it? Am I so very bad looking? It is a
curse, surely, that is upon me."
"Of course you are not bad looking, my darling!" exclaimed Robert.
"You are perfectly beautiful--a slender, stately, exquisite
tiger-lily--only--only--you don't look cold--and it is just your red hair,
and those fascinating green eyes, and your white, lovely skin and black
eyelashes that, that--Oh, you know, you sweetheart! You don't look like
bread-and-butter, you are utterly desirable, and you would make any one's
heart beat."