Part 7 (1/2)
When will you trust me more thoroughly, Leone?”
She glanced at him with something of wonder, but more of fear.
”How do you know what I am thinking of?” she asked.
”I can guess from the tragical expression of your face, and the pathos of your eyes as they linger on the falling water. Now, you shall not look at the mill-stream, look at me.”
She raised her dark, l.u.s.trous eyes to his face, and he went on:
”Over in this sleepy little village of Oheton, Leone--it is a sleepy village--the houses are all divided from each other by gardens and trees. Unlike most villagers, the people do not seem to know each other, you do not hear any gossip; the people, the houses, the streets, all seem sleepy together. At one end of the village is a church, one of the most quaint, an old Norman church, that has stood like a monument while the storms of the world raged around it; the vicar is the Reverend Josiah Barnes.”
”Why are you telling me all this?” she asked.
”You will soon understand,” he replied. ”The Reverend Mr. Barnes is over sixty, and he, together with the people, the houses, and the streets, seems sleepy; nothing would excite him, or interest him, or startle him.
”Now, Leone, I have taken lodgings for myself for three weeks in this sleepy village; no one will take any notice of me; I shall go and come just as I will; then I shall have the bans of our marriage published.
The dear old vicar will read them in his sleepy tones:
”'I publish the bans of marriage for the first time between Lancelot Chandos and Leone Noel.' No one will hear the names plainly, and those who do will not know to whom they belong, and there will be no impediment; will there, Leone?”
The water laughed as it hurried over the stones.
”No impediment,” it seemed to say; ”no impediment, Leone.”
CHAPTER VII.
A FRIEND'S ADVICE.
”But,” asked Leone, anxiously, ”will that be safe, Lance? Supposing that any one should hear and recognize the names, what then?”
”There is no fear. Nothing can ever be done without risk; but there is no risk there--at least, none that I fear to run. I guarantee that not one person in that church hears those names clearly. Then you will see that I have arranged every detail. Then, when the three weeks have expired, we will meet there some fine morning and be married. I have a friend who will come with me as a witness. After that I propose that we go to London, and there I shall introduce you to my father first; then we will go down to Cawdor to my mother. Do you like the plan, Leone?”
”I should like it much better if they could know of it beforehand,” she replied, gravely.
His face grew grave as her own.
”That cannot be,” he replied. ”You see, Leone, I am not of age; I shall not be twenty-one until September: and if my parents knew of it, they have power to forbid the marriage, and we could not be married; but done without their knowledge, they are of course powerless.”
”I do not like it,” she said, with a shudder; ”I would rather all was open and sincere.”
”It cannot be. Why, Leone, where is your reason? If even your uncle knew, he would interfere to prevent it. In his slow, stolid, honest mind he would think such a marriage quite wrong, you may be sure; he would talk about caste, and position, and all kinds of nonsense. We must keep our secret to ourselves, my darling, if we wish to be married at all.
Surely, Leone, you love me enough to sacrifice your wishes to me on this point?”
The beautiful face was raised to his.
”I love you well enough to die for you, and far too well to bring trouble on you, Lance.”