Part 28 (1/2)
Saunders--”one of these Farewell to Egypt affairs,” he said. ”Not that I imagine Jim Saunders ever was much of a--Egyptian--but then----!”
He consulted her also about Vivian--did she not think the girl looked worn and ill? Wouldn't it be a good thing to send her off for a trip somewhere?
He consulted her about a library; said he had always wanted a library of his own, but the public ones were somewhat in his way. How many books did she think a man ought really to own--to spend his declining years among. Also, and at considerable length he consulted her about the best possible place of residence.
”I'm getting to be an old man, Mrs. St. Cloud,” he remarked meditatively; ”and I'm thinking of buying and building somewhere. But it's a ticklish job. Lo! these many years I've been perfectly contented to live wherever I was at; and now that I'm considering a real Home--blamed if I know where to put it! I'm distracted between A Model Farm, and A Metropolitan Residence. Which would you recommend, Ma'am?”
The lady's sympathy and interest warmed to Mr. Skee as they cooled to Mr. d.y.k.eman, not with any blameworthy or noticeable suddenness, but in soft graduations, steady and continuous. The one wore his new glories with an air of modest pride; making no boast of affluence; and the other accepted that which had befallen him without rebellion.
Miss Orella's tender heart was deeply touched. As fast as Mrs. St.
Cloud gave the cold shoulder to her friend, she extended a warm hand; when they chatted about Mr. Skee's visible success, she spoke bravely of the beauty of limited means; and when it was time to present her weekly bills to the boarders, she left none in Mr. d.y.k.eman's room.
This he took for an oversight at first; but when he found the omission repeated on the following week, he stood by his window smiling thoughtfully for some time, and then went in search of Miss Orella.
She sat by her shaded lamp, alone, knitting a silk tie which was promptly hidden as he entered. He stood by the door looking at her in spite of her urging him to be seated, observing the warm color in her face, the graceful lines of her figure, the gentle smile that was so unfailingly attractive. Then he came forward, calmly inquiring, ”Why haven't you sent me my board bill?”
She lifted her eyes to his, and dropped them, flus.h.i.+ng. ”I--excuse me; but I thought----”
”You thought I couldn't conveniently pay it?”
”O please excuse me! I didn't mean to be--to do anything you wouldn't like. But I did hear that you were--temporarily embarra.s.sed. And I want you to feel sure, Mr. d.y.k.eman, that to your real friends it makes no difference in the _least_. And if--for a while that is--it should be a little more convenient to--to defer payment, please feel perfectly at liberty to wait!”
She stood there blus.h.i.+ng like a girl, her sweet eyes wet with s.h.i.+ning tears that did not fall, full of tender sympathy for his misfortune.
”Have you heard that I've lost all my money?” he asked.
She nodded softly.
”And that I can't ever get it back--shall have to do clerk's work at a clerk's salary--as long as I live?”
Again she nodded.
He took a step or two back and forth in the quiet parlor, and returned to her.
”Would you marry a poor man?” he asked in a low tender voice. ”Would you marry a man not young, not clever, not rich, but who loved you dearly?
You are the sweetest woman I ever saw, Orella Elder--will you marry me?”
She came to him, and he drew her close with a long sigh of utter satisfaction. ”Now I am rich indeed,” he said softly.
She held him off a little. ”Don't talk about being rich. It doesn't matter. If you like to live here--why this house will keep us both. If you'd rather have a little one--I can live _so_ happily--on _so_ little! And there is my own little home in Bainville--perhaps you could find something to do there. I don't care the least in the world--so long as you love me!”
”I've loved you since I first set eyes on you,” he answered her. ”To see the home you've made here for all of us was enough to make any man love you. But I thought awhile back that I hadn't any chance--you weren't jealous of that Artificial Fairy, were you?”
And conscientiously Miss Orella lied.
Carston society was pleased, but not surprised at Susie's engagement; it was both pleased and surprised when Miss Elder's was announced. Some there were who protested that they had seen it from the beginning; but disputatious friends taxed them with having prophesied quite otherwise.
Some thought Miss Elder foolish to take up with a man of full middle age, and with no prospects; and others attributed the foolishness to Mr. d.y.k.eman, in marrying an old maid. Others again darkly hinted that he knew which side his bread was b.u.t.tered--”and first-rate b.u.t.ter, too.” Adding that they ”did hate to see a man sit around and let his wife keep boarders!”
In Bainville circles the event created high commotion. That one of their acc.u.mulated maidens, part of the Virgin Sacrifice of New England, which finds not even a Minotaur--had thus triumphantly escaped from their ranks and achieved a husband; this was flatly heretical. The fact that he was a poor man was the only mitigating circ.u.mstance, leaving it open to the more captious to criticize the lady sharply.