Part 19 (2/2)
Once more he laid his hand upon her shoulder. ”Is it worth it, Jeanne?”
he said.
CHAPTER XVIII
REPARATION
”Whoever fights, whoever falls, Justice conquers evermore.”
_Emerson._
The butler had withdrawn to superintend the bringing in of the dinner's final course. Helmar, with his hand outstretched toward his wine gla.s.s, for a moment hesitated, and looking first at Rose and then at Vaughan, came to a puzzled, half-humorous pause. ”I realize,” he said, ”that this is the proper time for a toast, yet my tongue is tied. Not through diffidence, either. I never have stage fright, and I know exactly what I'm going to say. In fact, I've been working all day on it, and if anything should happen now to prevent me from inflicting it on you, it would be the bitterest of disappointments--to me, I mean. But the question of proper precedence is what I can't make up my mind about.
For the life of me, I don't know whether I ought to drink first to Rose, and reserve a separate gla.s.s for our rising author here, or whether my first duty is to drink to you both, in celebration of your engagement's being formally made public to-morrow. By the latter plan, you see, I'm forced to drink alone, which is always bad; by the former, I manage to be in good company each time. And on the whole, I believe that's the proper way. So here goes. Arthur, I propose the health of Miss Rose Carleton. In order not to embarra.s.s her, I intend to refrain from any fulsome praise, merely observing that the fact that she is herself, suffices for everything. Youth, beauty, virtue; Arthur, you're a fortunate man, and the only drawback to the whole affair is the horde of envious enemies you're going to make for yourself. But that you'll have to stand for; and the reward is certainly worth it.”
He bowed with exaggerated deference as he concluded, and the girl, laughing, softly clapped her hands. ”Oh, beautiful, beautiful, Franz,”
she cried, ”I'm overcome. I suppose I ought to respond, but in the presence of two such distinguished beings, I'm actually dumb. But, believe me, Mr. Toastmaster, I deeply appreciate your effort. It's fully worth all the time you must have spent on it.”
Vaughan, touching his gla.s.s to Helmar's, laughed also. ”There, Franz,”
he cried, ”isn't that a fitting reward? And as for your enemies, and their envy, let them come, all of them. I'm safe; nothing matters now,”
and the look in Rose Carleton's eyes, as their glances met, was more eloquent than any response could have been.
The toast drunk, Helmar turned to the girl. ”And now, Rose,” he said, ”actually words fail. Here comes the really difficult part. How shall we try to describe such greatness? The literary man; the author fairly launched; the coming all-around novelist of the century, who has shown himself a romanticist by aspiring to the hand of Miss Carleton and a realist by winning it. There, how does that suit you? Will that do?”
The girl smiled. ”Indeed it will,” she answered. ”But if it's permissible ever to amend a toast, even such a good one as that, I'm going to venture to do it. Something so nice happened to-day. Tell him, Arthur, do.”
Vaughan shook his head. ”Not I,” he answered, ”I wouldn't dare. I'm having a hard enough time as it is, trying to make all these remarkable things seem real. I still walk around pinching myself, and pulling out letters and telegrams and re-reading them, to make sure they're genuine, after all. But if I should start to talk, I'd know I was a liar before I said five words. I don't mind listening, though, a bit. Go ahead and tell him, Rose, if you want to, and I'll sit still and try to look the part of modest but intensely deserving merit. That's the best I can do.”
Rose turned eagerly to Helmar. ”Well, then,” she cried, ”he got word to-day. The book's gone into a third large edition. In three months! And his first book! Think of it. And he's had more fine letters and notices, besides. And two other magazines have written to see if he has any short stories he'd let them see. So he's going to be a great success, and I'm awfully proud of him, and when we drink our toast, I want it to be to the author, the book and the third edition.”
Helmar nodded in vigorous a.s.sent. ”By all means,” he exclaimed, ”if all amendments were as good as that one, no maker of an original motion could ever object. We'll drink to the third edition, of course, and I hope, before we're done, there'll be thirty of them. There,” he added, as he put down his gla.s.s, ”my pleasant duty's done, and I think I may claim well done. Unless, Arthur, you can think of anything I've omitted.”
Vaughan shook his head. ”No, no,” he answered, ”you've been a great success; said a lot of things about us both that aren't true, and successfully reduced us to just the proper stage of uncomfortable embarra.s.sment.”
Helmar laughed. ”It's a pity, though,” he said, ”that we didn't have our full attendance. Think of all the other nice things I might have had a chance to say. Wasted opportunities. Marjory unable to come; Jack kept away on business; Mr. Carleton started for his big time in town. That is a banquet, though, with a vengeance, isn't it! Think of it; United States Senator! But of course every one knew he'd make it. I never saw such a man. Success in everything. He's certainly a wonder. You must feel awfully proud of him, Rose.”
She nodded gaily. ”Of course I do,” she answered. ”We must drink his health, anyway. He deserves it. What shall we say? The man who has brought new honors to the Carleton name!”
As they drank the toast, the butler entered with the coffee and cigars, and the girl rose, smiling down at Vaughan. ”Don't be too long, now,”
she said, ”remember I'm all alone.”
As the portieres closed behind her, Helmar turned to Vaughan. ”Well, Arthur,” he said, ”you're certainly a lucky man. Engaged to such a girl as Rose, and fairly on your literary feet into the bargain. It's fine about the book. I didn't realize it was doing so well.”
Vaughan nodded. ”It was queer,” he said meditatively, ”about the whole thing. I guess I ought to be ashamed of myself for claiming, once upon a time, that there was a pull in literature. Because look how it worked with me. There I had Mr. Carleton using all his influence, and three times that book was turned down. And then, just because Jack kept after me to do it, when I took the ma.n.u.script back and began plugging ahead with it on my own account, just see what happened. It was accepted the very next crack.”
Helmar puffed thoughtfully at his cigar. ”It does look that way,” he a.s.sented, then, after a little pause, he asked abruptly, ”Arthur, how about Jack and Marjory? Was it just a coincidence they didn't come to-night, or was it something more than that? I don't believe they're hitting things off, somehow. And Jack himself--I never saw a fellow so changed. Ever since that time he was out at The Birches he has seemed awfully down on his luck. I was wondering--”
Vaughan rose quickly. ”Oh, he's worried about his business, I think that's all.” Then added abruptly, ”Would you mind smoking in the other room, Franz? Rose doesn't object, and I hate to leave her alone.”
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