Part 52 (1/2)
Under the canopy of the mimosa Eglah pa.s.sed, seated herself on the bench, and opened the Baedeker. Through the lace meshes of the foliage filtered suns.h.i.+ne, dappling her mourning gown with gold, quivering in the waves of her hair, and after a while she pushed the book aside, laid her head back against the trunk of the tree, and her long, silky lashes touched her cheeks.
Mr. Herriott's glowing, hungry eyes watched every movement, noted the outline of the full white throat, the listless drooping of the hands at her side, the sad, proud curve of sensitive lips closed on ceaseless pain that no complaint could adequately voice. He was unable to bear any longer the look of patient hopelessness that each moment stabbed his heart. At the thought that this was possibly his last sight of her, that in obedience to his harsh dictates she was pa.s.sing forever out of his life, a wave of invincible protest surged over him, and before its pa.s.sionate fury pride, resolutions, his pledges of renunciation vanished. The longing of many years seized, mastered him. In the sight of G.o.d and man she was his. He would possess his own. With a quick, noiseless stride he crossed the narrow s.p.a.ce that separated them, and entered the arch. His shadow was thrown forward, and she lifted her eyes.
For an instant, a bewildered expression drifted over her countenance, then her features settled into a marble mask. Her eyes shone suddenly with a jewel gleam, as when a lamp flashes over the face of a gem; her lids drooped, and she rose.
They stood only a few feet apart, a little belt of white verbena fluttering flags of truce between them. His bronze face locked, his eager grey eyes starred with the glint of battle probed hers for an instant; she calmly defiant, colorless as the jasmine on her breast.
He held out his hand.
”Eglah!” His voice was a pa.s.sionate appeal.
She interlaced and clasped her own fingers, her hands hanging in front of her.
”Mr. Herriott, I am very glad you have reached home safely. I congratulate you upon escaping the dangers of your Arctic journey.”
”You are not surprised to see me in the United States?”
”Not at all. I happened to call at Calvary House recently, and accidentally I saw and heard you talking in the cloister.”
”You were so near, so near--yet gave me no intimation of your presence?”
”I have studied and learned thoroughly the lesson you selected and set for me; you wished to avoid me. My schooling was effectual, and I was glad to gratify you.”
”When I landed I went first to Calvary House with a suffering human wreck whom I promised----”
”Why trouble yourself to explain what concerns only you and your sick friend? Your reasons I have neither the right to ask, nor any desire to hear.”
”At least you will permit me to thank you for all your gracious kindness to Amos Lea. He tells me you saved his life, and thereby I am far more your debtor than is the poor old man.”
”Never my debtor. Amos and I understand each other, and I was glad to help take care of him. You owe me absolutely nothing but the fulfilment of your own unsolicited pledges.”
”Why do you suppose I came here?”
”Why--indeed; when you pressed on my acceptance the promise that my 'future should be spared your shadow'? I presume you came from a chivalric sense of imaginary duty, or possibly a courteous semi-recognition of what you may have conjectured I might regard as my legal claims. I have absolutely none of any kind, along any lines.
Having renounced and banished me, perhaps you wished to a.s.sure yourself that the condemned is at least not needy in exile? By what right could you expect me--disowned, rejected, scorned--to desire ever to see again a man whom once I trusted, almost as I did my G.o.d? To whom I fled as sole refuge from the infamy that threatened one supreme in my life, and when like a frantic child I clung to him, believing he loved me, he shook me off, as if a worm crawled on his hand. After the whirlwind pa.s.sed, after the black veil of death mercifully interposed and hid us from ruin, I came to my senses--I realized the magnitude of my error. My ideal world had crumbled, you alone survived the wreck; I honored you for your loyalty to the innocent man in his grave, and G.o.d knows I have rejoiced that you denied my prayer, that you refused to perjure yourself, but--your cruel words sank deep. While I could not blame you, my punishment has been as severe as I deserved, as keenly mortifying as you intended and desired. In my helplessness and sorrow you have humiliated me by every means at your command, made me a target for derision and for slander. Three long, sad years, without a line. Yet you found a way to write to your gardener.”
”Yes, I knew Amos loved me. You did not.”
”As you felt a.s.sured of that fact, I fail to understand why you have come.”
”Not from the chivalric motives you have done me the honor to impute to me. I am no walking code of priggish courtesy; I am merely a man who knows exactly what he wants most, and, missing that, deceives himself with nothing less. I am here to-day solely to see, at least once more, the face that has held my heart in bondage since you were a child. To intrude upon you was not my purpose, and I did not intend to violate my self-imposed limit of absolute silence, but I could not resist the longing to look into your eyes, to hear your voice; and I thought I was strong enough to watch you a little while, without your knowledge, and go away forever, leaving you in peace. I might have known better. The sight of you s.h.i.+vered my own compact. I have suffered far more than you, and if my harshness wounded you beyond forgiveness, remember, oh, remember, how long I have loved you!”
”I can remember only that your last spoken words were a vehement request that I should forget you.”
Her lower lip fluttered, and she caught it between her teeth.
”Yes, but if farewell utterances are inexorably binding, you must pardon me if I remind you of yours. All through the gloom and bitterness of our separation a sacred, sweet voice has sounded in my ears the precious words of promise you whispered when your arms clasped my neck, and your dear face lay on my heart: 'You will never be out of my life--my own Mr.
Noel.'”