English
Thesoundofkicking,orknocking,grewloudereverymoment:andatlastadooropenedsomewherenearus.“Didyousay‘comein!’Sir?”mylandladyaskedtimidly.
“Ohyes,comein!”Ireplied.“What’sthematter?”
“Anotehasjustbeenleftforyou,Sir,bythebaker’sboy.HesaidhewaspassingtheHall,andtheyaskedhimtocomeroundandleaveithere.”
Thenotecontainedfivewordsonly.“Pleasecomeatonce.Muriel.”
Asuddenterrorseemedtochillmyveryheart.“TheEarlisill!”Isaidtomyself.“Dying,perhaps!”AndIhastilypreparedtoleavethehouse.
“Nobadnews,Sir,Ihope?”mylandladysaid,asshesawmeout.“Theboysaidassomeonehadarrivedunexpectedly—”
“Ihopethatisit!”Isaid.
Butmyfeelingswerethoseoffearratherthanofhope:though,onenteringthehouse,Iwassomewhatreassuredbyfindingluggagelyingintheentrance,bearingtheinitials“E.L.”
“It’sonlyEricLindonafterall!”Ithought,halfrelievedandhalfannoyed.“Surelysheneednothavesentformeforthat!”
LadyMurielmetmeinthepassage.Hereyesweregleaming—butitwastheexcitementofjoy,ratherthanofgrief.“Ihaveasurpriseforyou!”shewhispered.
“YoumeanthatEricLindonishere?”Isaid,vainlytryingtodisguisetheinvoluntarybitternessofmytone.
“‘Thefuneralbakedmeatsdidcoldlyfurnishforththemarriage-tables,’”Icouldnothelprepeatingtomyself.HowcruellyIwasmisjudgingher!
“No,no!”sheeagerlyreplied.“Atleast—Ericishere.But—”hervoicequivered,“butthereisanother!”
Noneedforfurtherquestion.Ieagerlyfollowedherin.Thereonthebed,helay—paleandworn—themereshadowofhisoldself—myoldfriendcomebackagainfromthedead!
“Arthur!”Iexclaimed.Icouldnotsayanotherword.
“Yes,backagain,oldboy!”hemurmured,smilingasIgraspedhishand.“He”,indicatingEric,whostoodnear,“savedmylife—Hebroughtmeback.NexttoGod,wemustthankhim,Muriel,mywife!”
SilentlyIshookhandswithEric,andwiththeEarl:andwithoneconsentwemovedintotheshadedsideoftheroom,wherewecouldtalkwithoutdisturbingtheinvalid,wholay,silentandhappy,holdinghiswife’shandinhis,andwatchingherwitheyesthatshonewiththedeepsteadylightofLove.
“Hehasbeendelirioustillto-day,”Ericexplainedinalowvoice:andevento-dayhehasbeenwanderingmorethanonce.
Butthesightofherhasbeennewlifetohim.”
Andthenhewentontotellus,inwould-becarelesstones—Iknewhowhehatedanydisplayoffeeling—howhehadinsistedongoingbacktotheplague-strickentown,tobringawayamanwhomthedoctorhadabandonedasdying,butwhomight,hefancied,recoverifbroughttothehospital:howhehadseennothinginthewastedfeaturestoremindhimofArthur,andonlyrecognizedhimwhenhevisitedthehospitalamonthafter:howthedoctorhadforbiddenhimtoannouncethediscovery,sayingthatanyshocktotheover-taxedbrainmightkillhimatonce:howhehadstayedonatthehospital,andnursedthesickmanbynightandday—allthiswiththestudiedindifferenceofonewhoisrelatingthecommonplaceactsofsomechanceacquaintance!
“Andthiswashisrival!”Ithought.“Themanwhohadwonfromhimtheheartofthewomanheloved!”
“Thesunissetting,”saidLadyMuriel,risingandleadingthewaytotheopenwindow.“Justlookatthewesternsky!Whatlovelycrimsontints!
Weshallhaveagloriousdayto-morrow—”Wehadfollowedheracrosstheroom,andwerestandinginalittlegroup,talkinginlowtonesinthegatheringgloom,whenwewerestartledbythevoiceofthesickman,murmuringwordstooindistinctfortheeartocatch.
“Heiswanderingagain,”LadyMurielwhispered,andreturnedtothebedside.
Wedrewalittleneareralso:butno,thishadnoneoftheincoherenceofdelirium.
“WhatrewardshallIgiveuntotheLord”,thetremulouslipsweresaying,“forallthebenefitsthatHehathdoneuntome?
Iwillreceivethecupofsalvation,andcall—andcall—”butherethepoorweakenedmemoryfailed,andthefeeblevoicediedintosilence.
Hiswifekneltdownatthebedside,raisedoneofhisarms,anddrewitacrossherown,fondlykissingthethinwhitehandthatlaysolistlesslyinherlovinggrasp.
Itseemedtomeagoodopportunityforstealingawaywithoutmakinghergothroughanyformofparting:so,noddingtotheEarlandEric,Isilentlylefttheroom.
Ericfollowedmedownthestairs,andoutintothenight.
“IsitLifeorDeath?”Iaskedhim,assoonaswewerefarenoughfromthehouseformetospeakinordinarytones.
“ItisLife!”herepliedwitheageremphasis.
“Thedoctorsarequiteagreedastothat.
Allheneedsnow,theysay,isrest,andperfectquiet,andgoodnursing.
He’squitesuretogetrestandquiet,here:and,asforthenursing,why,Ithinkit’sjustpossible—”(hetriedhardtomakehistremblingvoiceassumeaplayfultone)“hemayevengetfairlywellnursed,inhispresentquarters!”
“I’msureofit!”Isaid.
“Thankyousomuchforcomingouttotellme!”
And,thinkinghehadnowsaidallhehadcometosay,Iheldoutmyhandtobidhimgoodnight.
Hegraspeditwarmly,andadded,turninghisfaceawayashespoke,“Bytheway,thereisoneotherthingIwantedtosay,Ithoughtyou’dliketoknowthat—thatI’mnot—notinthemindIwasinwhenlastwemet.
Itisn’t—thatIcanacceptChristianbelief—atleast,notyet.Butallthiscameaboutsostrangely.Andshehadprayed,youknow.AndIhadprayed.
And—and”hisvoicebroke,andIcouldonlyjustcatchtheconcludingwords,“thereisaGodthatanswersprayer!Iknowitforcertainnow.”
Hewrungmyhandoncemore,andleftmesuddenly.
NeverbeforehadIseenhimsodeeplymoved.
So,inthegatheringtwilight,Ipacedslowlyhomewards,inatumultuouswhirlofhappythoughts:myheartseemedfull,andrunningover,withjoyandthankfulness:allthatIhadsoferventlylongedfor,andprayedfor,seemednowtohavecometopass.
And,thoughIreproachedmyself,bitterly,fortheunworthysuspicionIhadforonemomentharbouredagainstthetrue-heartedLadyMuriel,Itookcomfortinknowingithadbeenbut!apassingthought.
NotBrunohimselfcouldhavemountedthestairswithsobuoyantastep,asIfeltmywayupinthedark,notpausingtostrikealightintheentry,asIknewIhadleftthelampburninginmysitting-room.
ButitwasnocommonlamplightintowhichInowstepped,withastrange,new,dreamysensationofsomesubtlewitcherythathadcomeovertheplace.
Light,richerandmoregoldenthananylampcouldgive,floodedtheroom,streaminginfromawindowIhadsomehownevernoticedbefore,andlightingupagroupofthreeshadowyfigures,thatgrewmomentlymoredistinct—agraveoldmaninroyalrobes,leaningbackinaneasychair,andtwochildren,agirlandaboy,standingathisside.
“HaveyoutheJewelstill,mychild?”theoldmanwassaying.
“Oh,yes!”Sylvieexclaimedwithunusualeagerness.
“DoyouthinkI’deverloseitorforgetit?”Sheundidtheribbonroundherneck,asshespoke,andlaidtheJewelinherfather’shand.
Brunolookedatitadmiringly.“Whatalovelybrightness!”hesaid.“It’sjustlikealittleredstar!MayItakeitinmyhand?”
Sylvienodded:andBrunocarrieditofftothewindow,andhelditaloftagainstthesky,whosedeepeningbluewasalreadyspangledwithstars.
Soonhecamerunningbackinsomeexcitement.“Sylvie!Lookhere!”hecried.
“IcanseerightthroughitwhenIholdituptothesky.
Anditisn’tredabit:it’s,ohsuchalovelyblue!Andthewordsarealldifferent!Dolookatit!”
Sylviewasquiteexcited,too,bythistime;andthetwochildreneagerlyhelduptheJeweltothelight,andspelledoutthelegendbetweenthem,“ALLWILLLOVESYLVIE.”
“Why,thisistheotherJewel!”criedBruno.“Don’tyouremember,Sylvie?Theoneyoudidn’tchoose!”
Sylvietookitfromhim,withapuzzledlook,andheldit,nowuptothelight,nowdown.
“It’sblue,oneway,”shesaidsoftlytoherself,“andit’sredtheotherway!
Why,Ithoughtthereweretwoofthem—Father!”
shesuddenlyexclaimed,layingtheJeweloncemoreinhishand,“IdobelieveitwasthesameJewelallthetime!”
“Thenyouchooseditfromitself,”Brunothoughtfullyremarked.“Father,couldSylviechooseathingfromitself?”
“Yes,myownone,”theoldmanrepliedtoSylvie,notnoticingBruno’sembarrassingquestion,“itwasthesameJewel—butyouchosequiteright.”Andhefastenedtheribbonroundherneckagain.
“SYLVIEWILLLOVEALL—ALLWILLLOVESYLVIE.”
Brunomurmured,raisinghimselfontiptoetokissthe“littleredstar”.“And,whenyoulookatit,it’sredandfiercelikethesun—and,whenyoulookthroughit,it’sgentleandbluelikethesky!”
“God’sownsky,”Sylviesaid,dreamily.
“God’sownsky,”thelittlefellowrepeated,astheystood,lovinglyclingingtogether,andlookingoutintothenight.“Butoh,Sylvie,whatmakestheskysuchadarlingblue?”
Sylvie’ssweetlipsshapedthemselvestoreply,buthervoicesoundedfaintandveryfaraway.
Thevisionwasfastslippingfrommyeagergaze:butitseemedtome,inthatlastbewilderingmoment,thatnotSylviebutanangelwaslookingoutthroughthosetrustfulbrowneyes,andthatnotSylvie’sbutanangel’svoicewaswhispering
“ITISLOVE.”
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