Part 20 (1/2)

It is only meet that I should wish my brother, who stole my wife, much happiness for the next twelve months.'

”He took the coat from my hands.

”'You admire the coat? Ah! true, the colour is lilac.' He held it out at arm's length. Doubtless I had been staring at the coat, but I had not even given it a thought. 'The lilac shadow!' he went on, with a sneer. 'Believe me, it is the purest coincidence.' And as he prepared to slip his arm into the sleeve I flashed the knife out of my belt. He was too quick for me, however. He flung the coat over my head. I felt the knife twisted out of my hand; he stumbled over the chair; we both fell to the ground, and the next thing I know I was running over the bracken towards Merchant's Point with Robert Lovyes hot upon my heels.

He was of a heavy build, and forty years of age. I had the double advantage, and I ran till my chest cracked and the stars danced above me. I clanged at the bell and stumbled into the hall.

”'Mrs. Lovyes!' I choked the name out as she stepped from the parlour.

”'Well?' she asked. 'What is it?'

”'He is following--Robert Lovyes!'

”She sprang rigid, as though I had whipped her across the face. Then, 'I knew it would come to this at the last,' she said; and even as she spoke Robert Lovyes crossed the threshold.

”'Molly,' he said, and looked at her curiously. She stood singularly pa.s.sive, twisting her fingers. 'I hardly know you,' he continued. 'In the old days you were the wilfullest girl I ever clapped eyes on.'

”'That was thirteen years ago,' she said, with a queer little laugh at the recollection.

”He took her by the hand and led her into the parlour. I followed.

Neither Mrs. Lovyes nor Robert remarked my presence, and as for John Lovyes, he rose from his chair as the pair approached him, stretched out a trembling hand, drew it in, stretched it out again, all without a word, and his face purple and ridged with the veins.

”'Brother,' said Robert, taking between his fingers half a gold coin, which was threaded on a chain about Mrs. Lovyes' wrist, 'where is the fellow to this? I gave it to you on the Gambia river, bidding you carry it to Molly as a sign that I would return.'

”I saw John's face harden and set at the sound of his brother's voice.

He looked at his wife, and, since she now knew the truth, he took the bold course.

”'I gave it to her,' said he, 'as a token of your death; and, by G.o.d!

she was worth the lie!'

”The two men faced one another--Robert smoothing his chin, John with his arms folded, and each as white and ugly with pa.s.sion as the other.

Robert turned to Mrs. Lovyes, who stood like a stone.

”'You promised to wait,' he said in a constrained voice. 'I escaped six years after my n.o.ble brother.'

”'Six years?' she asked. 'Had you come back then you would have found me waiting.'

”'I could not,' he said. 'A fortune equal to your own--that was what I promised to myself before I returned to marry you.'

”'And much good it has done you,' said John, and I think that he meant by the provocation to bring the matter to an immediate issue. 'Pride, pride!' and he wagged his head. 'Sinful pride!'

”Robert sprang forward with an oath, and then, as though the movement had awakened her, Mrs. Lovyes stepped in between the two men, with an arm outstretched on either side to keep them apart.

”'Wait!' she said. 'For what is it that you fight? Not, indeed, for me. To you, my husband, I will no more belong; to you, my lover, I cannot. My woman's pride, my woman's honour--those two things are mine to keep.'

”So she stood casting about for an issue, while the brothers glowered at one another across her. It was evident that if she left them alone they would fight, and fight to the death. She turned to Robert.

”'You meant to live on Tresco here at my gates, unknown to me; but you could not.'