Part 58 (1/2)

”Yes, I am altered,” he said in the pause that followed.

”And I?”

”You are altered too.” He was looking at her with an earnest and pa.s.sionate gaze. It was she--herself--Glory--not merely a vision or a dream. Again he recognised the glorious eyes with their brilliant lashes and the flas.h.i.+ng spot in one of them that had so often set his heart beating. She looked back at him and thought, ”How ill he must have been!” and then a lump came into her throat and she began to laugh that she might not have to cry, and broke out into broad Manx lest he should hear the tremor in her voice:

”But you're coming too, aren't ye? And you've left that theer--Aw, it's glad ter'ble I am, as our people say, and it's longin' mortal you'd be for all, boy.”

Another trill of nervous laughter, and then a burst of earnest English: ”But tell me, you've come for good--you are not going back to----”

”No, I am not going back to the Brotherhood, Glory.” How friendly his low voice sounded!

”And you?”

”Well, I've left the hospital, you see.”

”Yes, I see,” he said. His weary eyes were wandering about the room, and for the first time she felt ashamed of its luxuries and its flowers.

”But how did you find me?”

”I went to the hospital first----”

”So you hadn't forgotten me? Do you know I thought you had quite--But tell me at once, where did you go then?”

He was silent for a moment, and she said, ”Well?”

”Then I went to Mr. Drake's chambers.”

”I don't know why everybody should think that Mr. Drake----”

His great eyes were fixed on her face and his mouth was quivering, and, to prevent him from speaking, she put on a look of forced gaiety and said, ”But how did you light on me at last?”

”I meant to find you, Glory, if I tramped all London over and everybody denied you to me”--the lump in her throat was hurting her dreadfully--”but I chanced to see the name over the music hall.”

She saw it coming, and broke into laughter. ”The music hall! Only think!

You looking at music halls!”

”I was there on Monday night.”

”You? Monday? Then perhaps it was not my fancy that I saw you by the stage do--.” Her nerves were getting more and more excited, and to calm them she crossed her arms above her head. ”So they gave you my address at the stage door, did they?”

”No, I wrote for it to Peel.”

”Peel?” She caught her breath, and her arms came down. ”Then perhaps you told them where----” ”I told them nothing, Glory.” She looked at him through her eyelashes, her head held down.

”Not that it matters, you know.”

”I've just been writing to them, and they'll soon--But, oh, I've so much to say, and I can't say it here. Couldn't we go somewhere? Into the park or on to the heath, or farther--much farther--the room is so small, and I feel as if I've been suffocating for want of air.”