Part 23 (1/2)

”Go indoors, Una, to your mother,” he said quietly.

Una rose, and after a momentary glance at each of their faces, went inside. Stephen opened and held the door for her, then closed it and came back to the others.

”Mother,” he said, ”Mr. Rolfe and I have made our arrangements, and he agrees with me that it would be wiser, now that the news is broken to Miss Rolfe, for her to accompany you back to town this afternoon.”

Mrs. Davenant nodded, and glanced timidly at Gideon's stern face.

”We have won Mrs. Rolfe over to our side, and she is already making the few preparations necessary for Miss Rolfe's journey.”

Gideon Rolfe inclined his head as if to corroborate this, then he said:

”Will you come inside, madam, and partake of some refreshment?”

”I would rather wait here. Mr. Rolfe, I hope you feel that, in trusting your daughter to my charge, that she will at least have a happy home, if I can make one for her?”

”That I believe, madam.”

”Yes, I have quite convinced Mr. Rolfe that the change will be beneficial to Miss Rolfe, and that she will be taken every care of. I suppose you are quite old friends already, eh, mother?”

”I think she is a beautiful girl whom one could not help loving,”

murmured Mrs. Davenant.

Half an hour pa.s.sed, and then Una and Martha came out. Una was pale to the lips, the other was red-eyed with weeping, and her tears broke out afresh when Mrs. Davenant shook hands with her and a.s.sured her that her daughter should be happy.

”Thank you, ma'am,” said Martha. ”It's what I said would come to pa.s.s.

Gideon couldn't expect to keep her shut up here, like a bird in a cage, forever and a day. It was against reason, but it is so sudden,” and her sobs broke into her speech and stopped her.

Mrs. Davenant's eyes were wet, and she glanced at Stephen, half inclined to postpone the journey; but Gideon Rolfe had called the carriage to the door, and the box was already on the seat.

With the same set calm which he had maintained throughout, Gideon took Una in his arms, held her for a moment and whispering, ”Remember, wherever you are I am watching over you!” put her in the carriage in which Stephen had already placed his mother.

He, too, had a word to whisper. It was also a reminder.

”Remember, mother, not another word of the past. Her life begins from today.”

Then he looked at his watch, and said aloud:

”You will just have time to catch the train. Good-bye.”

With the most dutiful affection, he kissed his mother, then went round, and, bare-headed, offered his hand to Una.

”Good-bye, Miss Rolfe,” he said. ”You are now starting on a new life. No one, not even your father, can more devoutly wish you the truest and fullest happiness than I do.”

Una, half-blinded with her tears, put her hand in his; but almost instantly drew it away, with something like a shudder. It was cold as ice.

The next moment the carriage started, and the two men were left alone.

For fully a minute they stood looking at it, till it had been swallowed up by the shadows of the trees; then Gideon turned, his face white and working.