Part 31 (1/2)
”With you,” she said, laying her hand on his arm, and looking into his face with her sweet eyes s.h.i.+ning through tears.
He put his arms round her and kissed her many times.
”Jasper,” said Hilda after a few minutes, ”I think the first wrong step that I took--the first beginning of that unhappy time--was when I lost my temper down at Little Staunton and gave up my engagement ring.”
”No wonder you lost your temper when I was such a brute about everything,” said Quentyns. ”It was my fault.”
”No, no; it was mine.”
”Have you missed the ring, Hilda?”
”Missed it?” she held up her slender finger. ”My heart has been empty without it,” she said.
”Then let me put it on again for you.”
”Can you? Is--isn't it sold?”
”Of course not. Do you think that I could sell that ring?”
”But--but the furniture in Judy's room?”
”When I saw that you must have Judy with you, Hilda, I went into debt for the furniture. Oh, never mind all that now, my darling--the debt is paid in full a week ago, and I have the receipt in my pocket. Now I am going upstairs to fetch the ring.”
CHAPTER XIX.
GOOD OMENS.
And so the shadows fall apart, And so the west winds play; And all the windows of my heart I open to the day.
--WHITTIER.
Mildred Anstruther was paying a visit at the Rectory on the day that Rivers and Judy walked in. Rivers was a very striking-looking man, and all the Rectory people were so devoured with curiosity about him, and so interested in all he said and did--in his reasons for coming down to Little Staunton, and in his remarks about the Quentyns--that Judy's own return to the family circle pa.s.sed into utter insignificance. She was there--they had none of them expected her, and as she chose to come back, she was welcome of course.
It was a lovely day, and the whole party were out in the garden, when Rivers and his little charge entered their midst.