She revived only after long and anxious ministrations on Annie's part.
But with the return of her senses the blood surged again in her veins in
defiance of her husband. Her first thought was one of passionate hatred
of him, and the throbbing pain in her head from her fall against the
table served to sharpen her resentment.
MacBirney, possessed of enough craft to slip away from an unpleasant
situation, returned early to town, only hoping the affair would blow
over, and still somewhat dazed by the amazing rebellion of an enduring
wife.
He realized that a storm might break now at any moment over his head.
Always heavily committed in the speculative markets, he well understood
that if Kimberly should be roused to vengeance by any word from Alice
the consequences to his own fortune might be appalling.
It chanced that Kimberly was away the following day and Alice had
twenty-four hours to let her wrath cool. Two days of reflection were
enough. The sense of her shame and her degradation as a woman at the
hands of a man so base as her husband were alone enough to suggest
moderation in speaking to Kimberly of the quarrel.
But more than this was to be considered. What would Kimberly do if she
told him everything? A scandalous encounter, even a more serious issue
between the two men was too much to think of. She felt that Kimberly
was capable in anger of doing anything immoderate and it was better by
far, her calmer judgment told her, to bury her humiliation in her own
heart than to risk something worse. She was now, she well knew, with
this secret, a terror to her cowardly husband, just as he had been,
through a nightmare of wretched years, her own terror.
For the first time, on the afternoon of the second day, she found
herself awaiting with burning impatience some word from The Towers. She
had resolved what to say to Kimberly and wanted now to say it quickly.
When the telephone bell rang promptly at four o'clock her heart dilated
with happiness; she knew the call came from one who never would fail
her. Alice answered the bell herself and her tones were never so
maddening in Kimberly's ears as when she told him, not only that he
might come, but that she was weary with waiting. She stood at the
window when his car drove up and tripped rapidly downstairs. When she
greeted him he bent down to kiss her hand.
She did not resist his eagerness. She even drew a deep breath as she
returned his look, and having made ready for him with a woman's lovely
cunning, enjoyed its reward.
"I've been crazy to see you," he cried. "It is two days, Alice. How
can I tell you how lovely you are?"
Her eyes, cast down, were lifted to his when she made her confession.
"Do you really like this rig? It is the first toilet I ever made with
the thought of nobody but you in my head. So I told Annie" she
murmured, letting her hand rest on his coat sleeve, "to be sure I was
exactly right."
He caught her hands.
"Let's go into the garden," she said as he held them. "I have something
to say to you."
They sat down together. "Something has happened since I saw you," she
began.
"Has the break come?" demanded Kimberly instantly.
"We had a very painful scene night before last," said Alice. "The break
has come. He has gone to town--he went yesterday morning. I have asked
myself many questions since then. My father and mother are dead. I
have no home to go to, and I will not live even under the same roof with
him any longer. I feel so strange. I feel turned out, though there was
nothing of that in what he said--indeed, I am afraid I did most of the
talking."
"I wish to God I had heard you!"
"It is better not. Every heart knoweth its own bitterness----"
"Let me help bear yours."
"I feel homeless, I feel so alone, so ashamed--I don't know what I don't
feel. You will never know what humiliation, what pain I have been
through for two days. Robert--" her voice faltered for an instant.
Then she spoke on, "I never can tell you of the sickness and shame I
have long felt of even pretending to live with some one I could not
respect."
"Close the book of its recollection. I came into your life for just
such a moment, to be everything you need. I am home, husband, and
protection--everything."
"If I could only make my senses believe my ears." She paused. "It
seems as if I am in a dream and shall wake with a horror."
"No, this is a dream come true. I foresaw this time and I have provided
for it. Only delicacy has kept me from asking you before about your
very personal affairs and your private purse, Alice. Understand at
once," he took her hands vehemently, "everything I have is yours without
the least reserve. Do you understand? Money is the last thing to make
any one happy, I well know that, but in addition to the word of my heart
to your heart--the transfers to you, Alice, have long been made and at
this moment you have, merely waiting for you to draw upon them, more
funds than you could make use of in ten lifetimes. Everything is
provided for. There are tears in your eyes. Sit still for a moment and
let me speak."
"No, I must speak. I am in a horrible position. I cannot at such a
juncture receive anything from you. But there are matters to be faced.
Shall I stay here? If I do, he must go. Shall I go? And if I do go,
where?"
"Let me answer with a suggestion. My family are all devoted to us.
Dolly and Imogene are good counsellors. I will lay the matter before
them. After a family council we shall know just what to do and how. I
have my own idea; we shall see what the others say. Dolly, you know,
has taken you under her wing from the first, and Dolly you will find is
a powerful protector. If I tell you what I did to-day you will gasp
with astonishment. I cabled for a whole new set of photographs of the
Maggiore villa. I want our first year together, Alice, to be in Italy."