I leaped from my bed. Yes, leaped! I had been dreaming that a surprise
party of Germans were attacking the trench, and I was just rallying the
men for a final dash when heavy guns began a bombardment which was
unexpected.--Oh God! let me get up and over the top in time!
Wild with excitement, I was now wide awake!
Yes, there were cannons booming!
Had Bertha begun again?
What was happening?
Then I heard murmurs in the street. I rang the bell violently. I had
slept very late. Burton rushed in.
"An Armistice, Sir Nicholas," he cried joyously.
"It's true after all!"
An Armistice! Oh, God!
So at last, at last we have won, and it has not been all in vain!
I shook with emotion. How utterly absorbed in my own affairs I had been
not to have taken in that this was coming. George Harcourt had
telephoned that he had news for me, I remember now, while we were at the
Hotel de Courville on Saturday, and I had paid no attention.
I was too excited all through breakfast to feel renewed anxiety about
Alathea. I was accepting the fact that she had stayed with her mother.
Surely, surely she would be in soon now!
The oculist, and his artist-craftsman, would be arriving soon, at eleven
o'clock, if the excitement of an Armistice does not prevent them! I hope
all that won't be going on when Alathea does come in!
Burton has questioned her maid. She knows nothing of Miladi's movements
only that she herself had been given permission to go out for the day.
All the servants have gone more or less crazy! Pierre hopped in just
now, jolly old chap! and in his excitement embraced me on both cheeks!
(He has a wooden stump, not a smart footed thing like mine, but I shall
change all that now!).
Antoine could not contain himself, and heaven knows what the
underservants did!
I told them all to run out and see what was happening, but Pierre said
no, the _déjeuner_ of Monsieur must not be neglected. Time enough in the
afternoon!
Eleven came, and with it the oculist, and by luncheon time I had a
second blue eye! But Oh! the shouting in the streets and the passionate
joy in the air!
The two men preened themselves upon keeping this appointment upon so
great a day, and indeed my gratitude was deep. But the same gladness did
not hold me as when my leg was given back to me. Everything was now
swallowed up in an overwhelming suspense.
What could have kept Alathea?
I walked to the glass soberly when the doctors had gone, eager to get
away and join the rejoicers. And what I saw startled me. How astonishing
the art of these things is now! Unless I turn my glance in some
impossible way I have apparently two bright blue eyes, with the same
lids and lashes, the scrap of shrapnel only injured the orb itself, and
did not touch the lid, fortunately, and the socket had healed up
miraculously in the last month. I am not now a disgusting object.
Perhaps, possibly--Yes, can I induce her to love me soon?
But what is the good of it all? She has not returned, and now something
must be done.
But on this day of days no one could be found to attend to anything!
Shops were shut, post offices did not work. The city was mad with
rejoicing.
At luncheon I ate,--gulped down my food. Burton's calm reassured me.
"You don't think anything has happened, do you Burton?"
"No, Sir Nicholas. Her Ladyship is no doubt with her family. I don't
feel that anything is amiss. Her Grace returns to-morrow anyway, and we
can hear for sure then. Would you not care to drive out and see the
people, Sir? It is a day!"
But I told him no. He must go, they all could go. I would wait in and
could now attend to myself! But I knew somehow that the dear old boy
would not leave me.
The hours went by, the shouting grew louder, as bands passed on their
way to the _Champs Elysées_ to see the cannon, which I heard were now
dragged there. Burton came in from time to time to tell me the news,
gathered from the _concierge_ below.
I telephoned to Maurice, he was wild with delight! They were going to
have a great dinner at the Ritz and then go and _farandole_ in the
streets with the people, would not we (_we!_) join them!
Everyone was going. Odette telephoned too, and Daisy Ryven. All were
rejoicing and happy.
The agony grew and grew. What if she means to leave me and has just
disappeared, not telling me on purpose to punish me? At this thought I
went frantically into her room again, and looked on the dressing-table.
The ring cases were there in a drawer in the William and Mary
looking-glass, but no rings. No, if she had not meant to return she
would have left them behind her. This gave me hope.