Part 50 (1/2)
George made a show of laughing at her anxiety. ”I and Verrall have strolled into the places and watched the play,” said he. ”We have staked a few coins ourselves--not to be looked upon as two churls who put their British noses into everything and then won't pay for the privilege. I lost what I staked, with a good grace; but as to Verrall, I don't believe he is a halfpenny out of pocket. Mrs. Verrall must have been quarrelling with her husband, and so thought she'd say something to spite him. And my wife must take it for gospel, and begin to fret herself into a fever!”
Maria drew a long, relieved breath. The address was candid, the manner was playful and tender: and she possessed the most implicit faith in her husband. Maria had doubted almost the whole world before she could have doubted George G.o.dolphin. She drew his face down to hers, once more whispering that he was to forgive her for being so silly.
”My dearest, I have been thinking that we may as well go on to-morrow.
To-day, that is: I won't tell you the time, if you don't know it; but it's morning.”
She knew the time quite well. No anxious wife ever sat up for a husband yet, but knew it. In her impatience to be away--for she was most desirous of being at home again--she could take note of the one sentence only. ”Oh, George, yes! Let us go!”
”Will you promise to get a good night's rest first, and not attempt to be out of bed before eleven o'clock to-morrow morning, then?”
”George, I will promise you anything,” she said, with a radiant face.
”Only say we shall start for home to-morrow.”
”Yes, we will.”
And, somewhat to Mr. Verrall's surprise, they did start. That gentleman made no attempt to detain them. ”But it is shabby of you both to go off like this, and leave us among these foreigners, like Babes in the wood,”
said he, when Maria was already in the carriage, and George was about to step into it.
”There is nothing to prevent you leaving too, is there, Mr. Verrall?”
asked Maria, leaning forward. ”And what did you and Mrs. Verrall do before we came? You had been 'Babes in the wood' a fortnight then.”
”Fairly put, young lady,” returned Mr. Verrall. ”I must congratulate you on one thing, Mrs. George G.o.dolphin: that, in spite of your recent indisposition, you are looking more yourself to-day than I have yet seen you.”
”That is because I am going home,” said Maria.
And home they reached in safety. The land journey, the pleasant sea crossing--for the day and the waters were alike calm--and then the land again, all grew into things of the past, and they were once more at Prior's Ash. As they drove to the Bank from the railway station, Maria looked up at the house when it came into sight, a thrill of joy running through her heart. ”What a happy home it will be for me!” was her glad thought.
”What would Thomas and old Crosse say, if they knew I had dipped into it so deeply at Homburg?” was the involuntary thought which flashed across George G.o.dolphin.
Quite a levee had a.s.sembled to meet them. Mrs. Hastings and Grace, Bessie and Cecil G.o.dolphin, Thomas G.o.dolphin and Mr. Crosse. Maria threw off her bonnet and shawl, and stood amidst them all in her dark silk travelling dress. There was no mistaking that she was intensely happy: her eye was radiant, her colour softly bright, her fair young face without a cloud. And now walked in the Rector of All Souls', having escaped (nothing loth) from a stormy vestry meeting, to see Maria.
”I have brought her home safely, you see, sir,” George said to Mr.
Hastings, leading Maria up to him.
”And yourself also,” was the Rector's reply. ”You are worth two of the shaky man who went away.”
”I told you I should be, sir, if you allowed Maria to go with me,” cried gallant George. ”I do not fancy we are either of us the worse for our sojourn abroad.”
”I don't think either of you look as though you were,” said the Rector.
”Maria is thin. I suppose you are not sorry to come home, Miss Maria?”
”So glad!” she said. ”I began to think it very, very long, not to see you all. But, papa, I am not Miss Maria now.”
”You saucy child!” exclaimed Mr. Hastings. But the Rector had the laugh against him. Mrs. Hastings drew Maria aside.
”My dear, you have been ill, George wrote me word. How did it happen? We were sorry to hear it.”