Part 86 (2/2)
Donal laughed. It was an odd laugh, but it did Arctura good.
”No danger of that, my lady! She has the best husband in the world--a much better than I should have made, much as I loved her.”
”That can't be!”
”Why, my lady, her husband's sir Gibbie! She's lady Galbraith! I would never have wished her mine if I had known she loved Gibbie. I love her next to him.”
”Then--then--”
”What, my lady?”
”Then--then--Oh, do say something!”
”What should I say? What G.o.d wills is fast as the roots of the universe, and lovely as its blossom.”
Arctura burst into tears.
”Then you do not--care for me!”
Donal began to understand. In some things he went on so fast that he could not hear the cry behind him. She had spoken, and had been listening in vain for response! She thought herself unloved: he had shown her no sign that he loved her!
His heart was so full of love and the joy of love, that they had made him very still: now the delight of love awoke. He took her in his arms like a child, rose, and went walking about the room with her, petting and soothing her. He held her close to his heart; her head was on his shoulder, and his face was turned to hers.
”I love you,” he said, ”and love you to all eternity! I have love enough now to live upon, if you should die to-night, and I should tarry till he come. O G.o.d, thou art too good to me! It is more than my heart can bear! To make men and women, and give them to each other, and not be one moment jealous of the love wherewith they love one another, is to be a G.o.d indeed!”
So said Donal--and spoke the high truth. But alas for the love wherewith men and women love each other! There were small room for G.o.d to be jealous of that! It is the little love with which they love each other, the great love with which they love themselves, that hurts the heart of their father.
Arctura signed at length a prayer for release, and he set her gently down in her chair again. Then he saw her face more beautiful than ever before; and the rose that bloomed there was the rose of a health deeper than sickness. These children of G.o.d were of the blessed few who love the more that they know him present, whose souls are naked before him, and not ashamed. Let him that hears understand! if he understand not, let him hold his peace, and it will be his wisdom! He who has no place for this love in his religion, who thinks to be more holy without it, is not of G.o.d's mind when he said, ”Let us make man!” He may be a saint, but he cannot be a man after G.o.d's own heart. The finished man is the saved man. The saint may have to be saved from more than sin.
”When shall we be married?” asked Donal.
”Soon, soon,” answered Arctura.
”To-morrow then?”
”No, not to-morrow: there is no such haste--now that we understand each other,” she added with a rosy smile. ”I want to be married to you before I die, that is all--not just to-morrow, or the next day.”
”When you please, my love,” said Donal.
She laid her head on his bosom.
”We are as good as married now,” she said: ”we know that each loves the other! How I shall wait for you! You will be mine, you know--a little bit mine--won't you?--even if you should marry some beautiful lady after I am gone?--I shall love her when she comes.”
”Arctura!” said Donal.
CHAPTER Lx.x.xI.
A WILL AND A WEDDING.
<script>