Part 28 (1/2)
”Supposing I were to say that you must go on now since you have gone so far, Nell?” he said, and felt at the same time the futility of the saying. ”I never thought my girl would play so shabby a trick on Gerald's son. You know that people will laugh at Robin?”
”They won't. Robin is not the sort of person to be laughed at--at least, not for long. Besides, if it is any consolation to you, father, I may tell you that it will not hurt Robin much: Robin is not and never has been in love with me.”
”What!” The General now was genuinely indignant. He had forgotten for the moment his other perturbation, whatever it might be. ”What do you mean, Nell? Your cousin not in love with you! After all the years during which you have been meant for each other! Impossible, Nell! Robin _must_ be in love with you.”
”He is not; he never has been. That is my consolation, so far as he is concerned. Father, why did you keep from me the fact that Captain Langrishe was fighting the Wazees? Why did you?”
The General's colour deserted his cheeks once again.
”Poor Langrishe! What was the good of letting you know, Nell? You used to be--interested in the poor fellow.”
”You shouldn't have kept it from me. I didn't read the newspapers, or I should have known. Do you know why I didn't read them? Because if I had I must have turned to the army news. I was fighting that as a temptation. I was trying to drive him from my mind. I kept away from his sister, although she had been kind to me; I went nowhere where I might hear his name. Then to-day I met her by accident. I went home with her.
She told me--do you know what she told me?”
”What, Nell?”
”That her brother went away under the impression that I was engaged to Robin Drummond. Aunt Matilda had told her so and she had told him. So that is why he left me.”
”I see,” the General groaned. ”A nice lot of trouble has come out of that scheme of your Aunt Matilda's for marrying you and Robin. I never would agree to it; I used to say: 'Let it be till the children are old enough to choose for themselves.' I wish I had taken a stronger stand. I only wished for your happiness, Nell. I always liked poor Langrishe, and felt I could trust him with even what I held dearest on earth. I did my best for you, Nell. If I kept his danger from you, it was only that I hoped to keep you from suffering like those other poor women.”
She did not notice the haggardness of his face, nor the repet.i.tion of ”Poor Langrishe.” She was too much absorbed in getting to the root of things. She was determined to know everything.
”What happened when you went to Tilbury?”
Was this young inquisitor his Nell?
”I didn't see him. The boat had gone.”
”And I thought you had offered me to him, and that he had rejected me!
Oh, I know you would have done it in the most delicate way. There need not have been a word spoken. But it would have been the same thing in the end. I thought his love was not great enough to conquer his pride.”
”My train broke down, Nell; I came ten minutes too late. I thought the hand of G.o.d was in it.”
”It was a mere accident. G.o.d had nothing to do with it. I am only grateful that it has not ended worse. If I had married Robin and then discovered these things----”
”Don't say that you couldn't have forgiven me, Nell.” The General took out a big white silk handkerchief and wiped his forehead with it. ”Don't say that you couldn't have forgiven me! I meant it all for the best. My little Nell couldn't be hard with her old father.”
She stooped suddenly and caught his hand to her lips. She noticed with a tender contraction of her heart that it was an old hand--knotted, with purple stains.
”I should be a brute if I could be angry with you,” she said; and the tenseness of her face relaxed to its old softness.
”Ah, that's right, Nell--that's right. We couldn't do without each other. You've always your old father, you know--haven't you, dearie?--no matter what happens. I'll stand by you, Nell. I'll take you away. No one shall be angry with my Nell.”
”You are too good to me,” she said. ”And I've been angry with you! What a wretch I was to be angry with you! On my way here I telegraphed to Robin to come this evening. I must get it over. You shall take me away if you will afterwards. I would stay and face it if it would do any good, but it wouldn't. After all, there is no great harm done. Robin's heart will not be broken.”
”And afterwards, Nell?”
”Afterwards? Oh, you and I shall be together.”