Part 75 (1/2)
He took her in his arms, and kissed her. At the moment when he released her Blanche slipped a little note into his hand.
”Read it,” she whispered, ”when you are alone at the inn.”
So they parted on the eve of their wedding day.
CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FIFTH.
THE DAY.
THE promise of the weather-gla.s.s was fulfilled. The sun shone on Blanche's marriage.
At nine in the morning the first of the proceedings of the day began. It was essentially of a clandestine nature. The bride and bridegroom evaded the restraints of lawful authority, and presumed to meet together privately, before they were married, in the conservatory at Ham Farm.
”You have read my letter, Arnold?”
”I have come here to answer it, Blanche. But why not have told me? Why write?”
”Because I put off telling you so long; and because I didn't know how you might take it; and for fifty other reasons. Never mind! I've made my confession. I haven't a single secret now which is not your secret too.
There's time to say No, Arnold, if you think I ought to have no room in my heart for any body but you. My uncle tells me I am obstinate and wrong in refusing to give Anne up. If you agree with him, say the word, dear, before you make me your wife.”
”Shall I tell you what I said to Sir Patrick last night?”
”About _this?_”
”Yes. The confession (as you call it) which you make in your pretty note, is the very thing that Sir Patrick spoke to me about in the dining-room before I went away. He told me your heart was set on finding Miss Silvester. And he asked me what I meant to do about it when we were married.”
”And you said--?”
Arnold repeated his answer to Sir Patrick, with fervid embellishments of the original language, suitable to the emergency. Blanche's delight expressed itself in the form of two unblus.h.i.+ng outrages on propriety, committed in close succession. She threw her arms round Arnold's neck; and she actually kissed him three hours before the consent of State and Church sanctioned her in taking that proceeding. Let us shudder--but let us not blame her. These are the consequences of free inst.i.tutions.
”Now,” said Arnold, ”it's my turn to take to pen and ink. I have a letter to write before we are married as well as you. Only there's this difference between us--I want you to help me.”
”Who are you going to write to?”
”To my lawyer in Edinburgh. There will be no time unless I do it now. We start for Switzerland this afternoon--don't we?'
”Yes.”
”Very well. I want to relieve your mind, my darling before we go.
Wouldn't you like to know--while we are away--that the right people are on the look-out for Miss Silvester? Sir Patrick has told me of the last place that she has been traced to--and my lawyer will set the right people at work. Come and help me to put it in the proper language, and the whole thing will be in train.”
”Oh, Arnold! can I ever love you enough to reward you for this!”
”We shall see, Blanche--in Switzerland.”
They audaciously penetrated, arm in arm, into Sir Patrick's own study--entirely at their disposal, as they well knew, at that hour of the morning. With Sir Patrick's pens and Sir Patrick's paper they produced a letter of instructions, deliberately reopening the investigation which Sir Patrick's superior wisdom had closed. Neither pains nor money were to be spared by the lawyer in at once taking measures (beginning at Glasgow) to find Anne. The report of the result was to be addressed to Arnold, under cover to Sir Patrick at Ham Farm.
By the time the letter was completed the morning had advanced to ten o'clock. Blanche left Arnold to array herself in her bridal splendor--after another outrage on propriety, and more consequences of free inst.i.tutions.
The next proceedings were of a public and avowable nature, and strictly followed the customary precedents on such occasions.