Gerald had found his task most uncongenial. In the first place he was
disappointed at not spending the evening with Valentine and Lilias. In
the second the close proximity of such a girl as Esther Helps could not
but be repugnant to him. Still she was a woman, a woman in danger, and
her father had appealed to him to save her. Had he been ordained for
the Church, such work--ah, no, he must not think of what his life would
have been then. After all, it was good of the distracted father to
trust him, and he must not betray the trust.
He went to the theatre and acquitted himself with extreme tact and
diplomacy. When Gerald chose to exert himself his manner had a quieting
effect, a compelling, and almost a commanding effect on women. Esther
became quiet and gentle; she talked to Captain Herriot, but not
noisily; she laughed, her laugh was low and almost musical. Now and
then her quick eyes glanced at Wyndham; she felt thirsty for even his
faintest approval--he bestowed it by neither word nor movement.
As they were leaving the theatre, however, and the gallant captain, who
inwardly cursed that insufferable prig who happened to have a slight
acquaintance with his beautiful Esther, grew cheerful under the
impression that now his time for enjoyment was come, Gerald said in a
low, grave voice:--
"Your father has given me a letter for you. Pray be quiet, don't excite
yourself. It is necessary that you should go to your father directly.
Allow me to see you into a cab. Your father is waiting for you--it is
urgent that you should join him at once."
Scarcely knowing why she did it, Esther obeyed. She murmured some eager
agitated words to Captain Herriot; she was subdued, frightened, shaken;
as Gerald helped her into a cab he felt her slim fingers tremble in
his. He took his seat upon the box beside the driver, and ten minutes
later had delivered Esther safely to her father. His task was done, he
did not wait to hear a word of Helps' profuse thanks. He drew a sigh of
relief as he hurried home. Soon he would be with his wife--the wife
whom he idolized--the wife who was beginning to return his love.
Suppose her passion went on and deepened? Suppose a day came when to
part from him would be a sorer trial than poverty or dishonor! Oh, if
such a day came--he might--ah, he must not think in that direction. He
pushed his hand through his thick hair, leant back in his cab, and shut
his eyes.
When he reached the little house in Park-lane he found that the lights
in the drawing-room were out, and the gas turned low in the hall. He
was later even than he had intended to be. The other theatre-goers had
returned home and gone to bed. He wondered how they had enjoyed
_Captain Swift_. For himself he had not the least idea of what he had
been looking at at the Gaiety.
He let himself in with a latch-key, and ran up at once to his room. He
wanted to kiss Valentine, to look into her eyes, which seemed to him to
grow sweeter and softer every day. He opened the door eagerly and
looked round the cheerful bedroom.
Valentine was not there.
He called her. She was not in the dressing-room.
"She is with Lilias," he said to himself. "How these two young things
love to chatter."
He sat down in an easy chair by the fire, content to wait until his
wife should return. He was half inclined to tell her what he had been
doing; he had a great longing to confide in her in all possible ways,
for she had both brains and sense, but he restrained himself. The
subject was not one he cared to discuss with his young wife, and,
besides, the secret belonged to Esther and to her father.
He made up his mind to say nothing about it. He had no conception then
what this silence was to cost him, and how different all his future
life might have been had he told his wife the truth that night.
Presently Valentine returned. Her face was flushed, and her eyes had an
unquiet troubled expression. She had been to Lilias with a somewhat
strange request.
"Lilias, I want you to promise me something, to ask no questions, but
just like a kind and truthful sister to make me a faithful promise."
"You look strange, Valentine; what do you want me to promise?"
"_Will_ you promise it?"
"If I can, I will promise, to please you; but I never make promises in
the dark."
"Oh, there's Gerald's step, I must go. Lilias, I've a very particular
reason, I cannot explain it to you. I want you not to tell Gerald, now
or at any time, that we were at the Gaiety to-night."
"My dear Val, how queer! Why shouldn't poor Gerald know? And you look
so strange. You are trembling."
"I am. I'm in desperate earnest. Will you promise?"
"Yes, yes, you silly child, if you set such store on an utterly
ridiculous promise you shall have it. Only if I were you, Valentine, I
wouldn't begin even to have such tiny little secrets as that from my
husband. I wouldn't, Val; it isn't wise--it isn't really."
Valentine neither heard nor heeded these last words. She gave Lilias a
hasty, frantic kiss, and rushed back to her own room.
"Now," she said to herself, "now--now--now--if he tells me everything,
every single thing, all may be well. I won't ask him a question; but
if he tells, tells of his own accord, all may be quite well yet. Oh,
how my heart beats! It is good I have not learned to love him any
better."
Gerald rose up at her entrance and went to meet her eagerly.
"Ah, here's my bright little wife," he said. "Give me a kiss,
Valentine."
She gave it, and allowed him to fold her in his arms. She was almost
passive, but her heart beat hard--she was so eagerly waiting for him to
speak.
"Sit down by the fire, darling. I don't like long evenings spent away
from you, Val. How did you enjoy _Captain Swift_?"
"We didn't go to the Haymarket; no, we are going to-morrow. Father
thought it a pity you should miss such a good play."
"Then where did you go? You and Lil did not stay at home the whole
evening?"
"No, father took us to another theatre. I can't tell you the name;
don't ask me. I hate theatres--I detest them. I never want to go inside
one again as long as I live!"
"How strongly you talk, my dear little Val. Perhaps you found it dull
to-night because your husband was not with you."
She moved away with a slight little petulant gesture. When would he
begin to speak?
Gerald wondered vaguely what had put his sweet-tempered Valentine out.
He stirred the fire, and then stood with his back to it. She looked up
at him, his face was very grave, very calm. Her own Gerald--he had a
nice face. Surely there was nothing bad behind that face. Why was he
silent? Why didn't he begin to tell his story? Well she would--she
would--help him a little.
She cleared her throat, she essayed twice to find her voice. When it
came out at last it was small and timorous.
"Was it--was it business kept you from coming with me to-night, Gerry?"
"Business? Yes, my darling, certainly."
Her heart went down with a great bound. But she would give him another
chance.
"Was it--was it business connected with the office?"
"You speak in quite a queer voice, Valentine. In a measure it was
business connected with the office--in a measure it was not. What is
it, Valentine? What is it, my dear?"
She had risen from her seat, put her arms round his neck, and laid her
soft young head on his shoulder.
"Tell me the business, Gerry, Tell your own Val."
He kissed her many times.
"It doesn't concern you, my dear wife," he said. "I would tell you
gladly, were I not betraying a trust. I had some painful work to do
to-night, Valentine. Yes, business, certainly. I cannot tell it, dear.
Yes, what was that you said?"
For she had murmured "Hypocrite!" under her breath. Very low she had
said it, too faintly for him to catch the word. But he felt her loving
arms relax. He saw her face grow grave and cold, something seemed to go
out of her eyes which had rendered them most lovely. It was the wounded
soul going back into solitude, and hiding its grief and shame in an
inmost recess of her being.
Would Gerald ever see the soul, the soul of love, in his wife's eyes
again?