Volume II Part 30 (1/2)
”Why, aunt Caxton?”
”Why do gentlemen generally desire such things to be made known to young ladies?”
”But ma'am”--said Eleanor, the crimson starting again.
”Well, my dear?”
”There is the whole breadth of the earth between us.”
”s.h.i.+ps traverse it,” said Mrs. Caxton coolly.
”Do you mean that he is coming home?” said Eleanor. Her face was a study, for its changing lights; too quick, too mingled, too subtle in their expression, to be described. So it was at this instant. Half eager, and half shame-faced; an unmistakeable glow of delight, and yet something that was very like shrinking.
”No, my love,” Mrs. Caxton made answer--”I do not mean that. He would not leave his place and his work, even for you.”
”But then, ma'am--”
”What all this signifies? you would ask. Are you sorry--do you feel any regret--that it should be made known to you?”
”No, ma'am,” said Eleanor low, and hanging her head.
”What it signifies, I do not know. That depends upon the answer to a very practical question which I must now put to you. If Mr. Rhys were stationed in England and could tell you all this himself, what would you say to him in answer?”
”I could give him but one, aunt Caxton,” said Eleanor in the same manner.
”And that would be a grant of his demand?”
”You know it would, ma'am, without asking me.”
”Now we come to the question. He cannot leave his work to come to you.
Is your regard for him enough to make you go to Fiji?”
”Not without asking, aunt Caxton,” Eleanor said, turning away.
”Suppose he has asked you.”
”But dear aunt Caxton,” Eleanor said in a troubled voice, ”he never said one word to me of his liking for me, nor to draw out my feeling towards him.”
”Suppose he has said it.”
”How, ma'am? By word, or in writing?”
”In writing.”
Eleanor was silent a little, with her head turned away; then she said in a subdued way, ”May I have it, aunt Caxton?”
”My dear, I was not to give them to you except I found that you were favourably disposed towards the object of them. If you ask me for them again, it must be upon that understanding.”
”Will you please to give them to me, aunt Caxton,” Eleanor said in the same subdued tone.
Mrs. Caxton rose and went to a secretary in the room for one or two papers, which she brought and put in Eleanor's hand. Then folding her arms round her, stooped down and kissed the turned-away face. Eleanor rose up to meet the embrace, and they held each other fast for a little while, neither in any condition to speak.