Part 28 (1/2)
Suddenly he observed that her eyes were full of tears, and at this his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
”Muriel,” he whispered, but his voice failed him.
She looked round at him, and smiled; and that which was destined to happen happened all in a moment. His arms enfolded her, and, bending down, he kissed her with the pa.s.sion of revelation-fervently, exultantly, joyously.
CHAPTER XVIII-MAN AND WOMAN
On the following morning Daniel received a message from Lord Blair asking him to come into the study, and he presumed that the question of his relations.h.i.+p to Muriel was to be discussed, for in his present state of upheaval he could hardly imagine that there was anything else in the world to talk about. He was deeply troubled in his mind, for he felt that this fever of love which had kept him awake half the night, and which hourly was growing more intense, was a menace to his happiness and to hers. A thousand times he had told himself that their two lives were incompatible, and yet their unity was now to him the vital object of his existence. Nothing else seemed to matter.
Lord Blair received him with a whimsical smile, and waved him to a chair as though formally introducing him to it. ”Sit down, my dear Daniel,” he said. ”I want to know if you can throw any light upon this extraordinary letter which was delivered here this morning, by hand.”
He held up a large pink envelope inscribed in green ink, and handed it across the table; and, while Daniel examined it, he sat watching him benevolently, the tips of his thin fingers pressed together.
The doc.u.ment was written in English, and the wandering handwriting was not unlike that of a child. The address upon the envelope was arresting in its simplicity. ”His Excel. The Lord's Deputy,” it read.
”Frank Lestrange opened it,” said Lord Blair; ”for he presumed that the 'Lord' referred to was myself and not the Almighty, and that the 'Deputy' indicated a secretary. But the letter itself was an enigma to him, and the enclosure a mystery.”
He held up a carefully folded pocket-handkerchief which the envelope had contained, and Daniel glanced at it with sudden recognition.
The doc.u.ment was as follows:
Dear sir we are sorry one a.s.sa.s.snated you yesterday because you came to us and we see you for the brave gentilman and the Egyptian rispect the Chivalry herewith please find and oblige
Your Wishwellers.
”Well?” asked Lord Blair.
Daniel burst out laughing. ”Oh, what children they are!” he exclaimed.
”I think that if we all packed up and went home, and sent out half a dozen schoolmasters in our place, the Egyptian question would be solved.”
”Why?-what is the meaning of the letter?” asked his lords.h.i.+p.
”I'd much rather not tell you,” Daniel replied.
”But I must insist,” said Lord Blair. ”I must indeed insist.”
Daniel felt awkward: the story was so silly. ”It was nothing much,” he explained. ”A wretched boy came here yesterday to kill me, and in taking his revolver away from him I unfortunately broke his wrist. So I made a sling with my handkerchief and took him to the doctor. He was in great pain, poor chap.” He paused and reread the letter.
”Go on with the story,” said Lord Blair. ”'This is very serious, very serious indeed.”
”Oh, no, it's not,” replied Daniel. ”I guessed where he came from and took him home, and had a talk to the whole gang of them. They were all very young and very ardent. But there's nothing more to hear from them now. Poor lads!-I think they were mighty glad the bullet went wide.”
”D'you mean to say you bearded them in their den?”
”Yes; luckily I found them a.s.sembled at their dinner.”
Lord Blair sat back in his chair and toyed with a paper-knife, while Daniel gave him a few more details of the occurrence. There was a curious expression on his face as he listened, and his dark eyes seemed to be s.h.i.+ning very brightly. When the brief tale was finished, he rose to his feet, and made a flitting expedition to the window; drummed on the pane; and then, coming round in front of his friend, put his hands upon his broad shoulders.