Another year slipped by and Gil's ship had made a couple more voyages
with Wat Kilby at the helm, for Culverin Carr had stayed at home, the
helper and adviser of Jeremiah Cobbe. The Pool-house had risen again
from its ashes, stone for stone, beam for beam, in spite of the bitter
curse fulminated against those who should restore it. The aspect of age
could not be given to the place, but it was a labour of love on the
founder's part to consult with Gil how they should get that clump of
roses, that high cluster of clematis, and those bright flowers to grow
beneath the window as of old.
Wealthy as he was, the founder could replace many things destroyed by
the calamity that befel his house, and with so zealous a treatment it
was wonderful how nearly they brought the new house in furniture and
surroundings to resemble the old.
At last they paused, feeling that there was nothing more to do, and the
two strong men sat at the table in the big parlour, gazing the one into
the other's face, as if to ask for hope and friendly assurance of
success. For on the next day Mace was to be brought to the new house,
and they both felt that, if her mind were to be restored, they must see
some symptoms in the change.
The founder begged Gil to help him bring his child home once more, but
he bluntly refused.
"Nay," he said; "I will not come. Take her thyself. Thou art her
father, and God speed thee in the task."
It was a glorious summer day at the end of July, when the flowers were
blooming, and the whole air was redolent with Nature's sweetest scents.
The Pool was pure as crystal, and amidst the broad green leaves the
silver chalices of the water-lilies swam upon the surface, where the
herons waded, and the gorgeous kingfisher darted across the glassy
mirror.
In the old garden the flowers drooped their heads in the heat which
quivered over the grassy meads, while the forest-trees were silent in
the glowing sunshine. No leaf moved, no zephyr played in the dark
shades, but lizard and glistening beetle darted here and there, where
the sandstone peered out amidst the heaths and ferns.
Mace suffered herself to be led by her father from the cottage they had
made their home; but she heeded not the faces at the window and door,
nor heard the pitying words spoken concerning her by the workpeople who
had eaten her father's bread for years.
They watched her as the grey-headed founder led her across the bridge,
and opened the garden gate; but she did not look. He spoke to her and
pointed out her favourite trees, and then groaned in the anguish of his
heart, for she made no reply. Her soft, sweet eyes might have been
blind; her tongue have never spoken; and her soft, pinky, shell-like
ears have never heard a sound, for all the sign she gave; and the
founder's heart sank low as he felt that his task of love had been
labour in vain.
And yet he would not despair; but, leading her in, he gently placed her
in the recess by the open window with her work spread around as of old,
and her roses nodding and flinging their odours into the pleasant room.
No word, no look, no sign; and at last, in despair, the founder left her
with her maid, and, bent of head and weary, trudged up to Master
Peasegood's cot to tell of his disappointment over a friendly pipe.
"Yes," he said, at last; "it is all over, and I am going to try to be
resigned."
"Nay," said the parson, "why say that? Be resigned, man, come to you
what may; but, after all this preparation, why give it up?"
"Because it is useless, Master Peasegood. Her mind is dead."
Master Peasegood refilled a pipe, and lit it to smoke for awhile in
silence, while the founder gazed before him through the open window at
the setting sun.
"I could preach thee a long, long sermon on the subject of hope, Master
Cobbe," said the parson at last; "but I will refrain. Look here, man,
and recollect what thou hast done. Only to-day thou did'st take our
sweet smitten flower back to the bed where it blossomed and grew so
fair. It had been away in desert soil that had blighted it, and where
it had grown wild and strange; and, lo! thou saidst `I will plant it
back in the old sweet soil, and there shall be a miracle; it shall
blossom in an instant as of old--in the twinkling of an eye.'"
"Yes, yes, I did--I did," cried the founder, sadly.
"And it did not blossom a bit," said Master Peasegood bluntly.
"Jeremiah Cobbe, that is all."
"All!" cried the founder, blankly.
"Yes, all at present. Wait, man; wait, and be reasonable. Such a thing
as thou askest of Heaven must be the result of time, or some stronger
power than thine. We have miracles enough now-a-days, for every work of
God is miraculous; but we have no sacred conjuring tricks in common
life. Heaven forgive me if I am irreverent. I mean we have no such
sudden changes as you expected here. Tut, man, wait awhile and have
some faith. I'd have more faith in a tender kiss and a loving word from
Gil, than in all that thou canst do. Wait, mail, wait. Maybe he is
already working at that which proved a sorry failure in thy fatherly
hands."
"He refused to come," said the founder, sadly.
"Ay, with thee; but maybe he has stolen to her side now thou art here."
"Dost think so?"
"Nay, I know not; but fill thy pipe, man, and wait. I have faith that
our darling was not restored to us for such a life in death as this. I'
faith, friend Cobbe, I pray nightly that I may see some merry little
prattlers with the faces of Gil and Mace, softened and sweet, playing
round our chairs as we grow more wrinkled and more old. Heaven bless
us! There's time enough yet. See here, man," he cried, rising and
taking a curious flask and glasses from a corner cupboard, "here is some
strange liquor sent me by Father Brisdone, a great man, now, in sunny
France. He bids me wish him well when I drink thereof, and I do, and
pray for his health and life. There," he continued as he filled the
glasses, "here's Father Brisdone, and now here's Culverin Carr and his
dear wife and children, bless them all."
"All," said the founder, fervently, as he drained his glass of the
potent liquor; and then, as the evening crept on apace and the stars
came blinking out, the two friends sat and smoked, with the founder's
heart growing cheery from the words and liquor of his firm old friend.
It was as dark as a summer night knows how to be, when, after a final
pipe, the founder rose to go.
"Nay, but I'll see thee home," said Master Peasegood; "and what is more,
as it is early yet, I'll drink a flagon of ale and ask a blessing in the
dear old--new--old--well, the to-be happy home;" and rising he strolled
down the lane with his friend and across the bridge.
The founder opened the gate and let his companion through with a strange
sensation at his breast, and he was about to lead the way round to the
door when Master Peasegood's hand was laid upon his shoulder, and with a
hoarse sob he sank upon his knees, and buried his face in his hands,
weeping like a child.
It was almost dark when Gil Carr, who had seen the founder go, strolled
slowly down towards the Pool-house. He was heartsick and weary, and the
soft, balmy, night-air seemed filled with depressing influences.
Another disappointment and another, and hope more distant still.
The night mists were rising, and he smiled sadly as he glanced at the
dark and dewy banks, and thought of the long-ago, when, with a love of
the hidden and secret, he and Mace had held stolen meetings, till she
chided him and bade him come no more.
"Hah, but they were happy days," he sighed, as he walked on and on till
he stood beside the wide-spreading Pool, and thought of his narrow
escape from death therein. Then a few steps further, and he was by the
rushing outlet where the water dashed under the little bridge and onward
to the dripping wheel.
"Where are Sir Mark and his fair wife now?" he muttered, as with a faint
smile he thought of the knight's plunge in the rushing stream, and his
own to fish him out.
Again a few steps and he was across the bridge, leaning on the garden
gate, and gazing sadly at the new casement that had replaced the old.
Yes, it was well done, and he thought of his many meetings, of his
waiting that night to carry his love away; then of the fight, the
explosion, and his scorching ordeal as he clambered in and bore out her
whom he believed to be poor Mace.
Sad thoughts--sweet thoughts--thoughts that almost unmanned him, so that
when the moon rose, and he gazed still at the casement, he believed he
was deceived, and that it was not Mace there, but some trick of the
imagination.
There was the figure at the open window, and he was about to speak, but
he checked himself, and stole away.
Hastily recrossing the bridge, he hurried along the lane, stooping
gently here and there, and returning in a few minutes to bend over the
tall bank facing the broad casement of the Pool-house.
In a moment after, diamond-wise, there shone forth from the dark grass
four glowworms' lamps, the old love-signal of the past, and with beating
heart--he knew not why--Gil retraced his steps, crossed the bridge,
entered the garden, and, with his hands trembling, made his way towards
where he could dimly make out the pale, sweet face in the halo of silver
hair.
There was a rough, short ladder hard by, where Tom Croftly had helped to
nail up the blossoming roses, close round Sweet Mace's panes; and Gil
seized these rough garden steps as he stopped beneath, gazing with all
his soul at the face of her he loved.
Was it a dream, or was it honest truth? Did he breathe and live and
hear? Was he blind, or was she leaning out towards him, with
outstretched hands, as her dear voice whispered with all the passion of
her old, old love, the one word--"Gil?"
"Mace!" he cried, and with a bound he sprang to her side, to clasp her
to his breast, as her own soft, round arms drew his face closer--closer
to hers, and their lips met in one long, loving kiss.
Miracle? Merely such a one as love might perform; and when--how much
later no one knew--the founder and Master Peasegood came slowly up, they
saw and heard enough to make the latter's heart swell with joy as the
father sank upon his knees in thankfulness for the blessing that had
come at last.
The End.