But an unerring instinct told me that the sound of
Max’s voice would be a strong cordial to the
invalid, it was so long since she had heard or seen
him. As we sauntered under the oak-trees I knew
Gladys would be watching us.
On my return to the room I found her sitting bolt
upright in her arm-chair, grasping the arms; there
were two spots of colour on her cheeks; she looked
nervous and excited.
’I saw you walking with him, Ursula; he looked
up, but I am glad he could not see me. Did—did
he send me any message?’ in a faltering voice.
‘Yes, he sent you this.’ And I placed
the thick packet on her lap. ’Miss Hamilton,’—yes,
it was her own name: he had written it. I
saw her look at it, first incredulously, then with
dawning hope in her eyes; but before her trembling
hands could break the old-fashioned seal with which
he had sealed it I had noiselessly left the room.
DOWN THE PEMBERLEY ROAD
Three-quarters of an hour had elapsed before I ventured
into the room again; but at the first sound of my
footsteps Gladys looked up, and called to me in a
voice changed and broken with happiness.
‘Ursula, dear Ursula, come here.’
And as I knelt down beside her and put my arms round
her she laid her cheek against my shoulder: it
was wet with tears.
’Ursula, I am so happy. Do you know that
he loves me, that he has loved me all through these
years? You must not see what he says; it is only
for my eyes; it is too sweet and sacred to be repeated;
but I never dreamt that any one could care for me
like that.’
I kissed her without speaking; there seemed a lump
in my throat just then. I did not often repine,
but the yearning sense of pain was strong on me.
When would this cruel silence between me and Giles
be broken? But Gladys, wrapt in her own blissful
thoughts, did not notice my emotion.
’He says that there is much that he can only
tell me by word of mouth, and that he dare not trust
to a letter explanations for his silence, and much
that I shall have to tell him in return; for we shall
need each other’s help in making everything
clear.
’He seems to reproach himself bitterly, and
asks my pardon over and over again for misunderstanding
me so. He says my giving up my work was the first
blow to his hopes, and then he had been told that I
cared for my cousin Claude. He believed until
this morning that I was in love with him; and it was
your going to him—oh, my darling! how good
you have been to me and him!—that gave
him courage to write this letter, Ursula.’
And here she cried a little. ’Was it Etta
who told him this falsehood about, Claude? How
could she he so wicked and cruel?’
‘Do not think about her to-day, my dearest,’
I returned soothingly. ’Her punishment
will be great some day. We will not sit in judgment
on her just now. She cannot touch your happiness
again, thank heaven!’
