"G.o.d bless him!" said Greta presently; and Paul, without lifting his eyes from the fire, said quietly:
""Christe"s lore, and His apostles twelve He taught; but first he followed it himselve.""
Then there was silence in the little vicarage. Paul sat without animation until Greta set herself to bewitch him out of his moodiness.
Her bright eyes, dancing in the rosy fire-light that flickered in the room; her high spirits bubbling over with delicious teasing and joyous sprightliness; her tenderness, her rippling laughter, her wit, her badinage--all were brought to the defeat and banishment of Paul"s heaviness of soul. It was to no purpose. The gloom of the grave face would not be conquered. Paul smiled slightly into the gleaming eyes, and laughed faintly at the pouting lips, and stroked tenderly the soft hair that was glorified into gold in the glint of the fire-light; but the old sad look came back once and again.
Greta gave it up at last. She rose from the ha.s.sock at his feet.
"Sweetheart," she said, "I will go to bed. You are not well to-night, or you are angry, or out of humor."
She waited a moment, but he did not speak. Then she made a feeble feint of leaving the room.
At last Paul said:
"Greta, I have something to say."
She was back at her ha.s.sock in an instant. The laughter had gone from her eyes, and left a dewy wistfulness.
"You are unhappy. You have been unhappy a long, long time, and have never told me the cause. Tell me now."
The heavy face relaxed.
"What ever put that in your head, little one?" he asked, in a playful tone, patting the golden hair.
"Tell me now," she said more eagerly. "Think of me as a woman fit to share your sorrows, not as a child to be pampered and played with, and never to be burdened with a man"s sterner cares. If I am not fit to know your troubles, I am not fit to be your wife. Tell me, Paul, what it is that has taken the sunshine out of your life."
"The sunshine has not been taken out of my life yet, little woman--here it is," said Paul, lightly, and he drew his fingers through the glistening hair.
The girl"s lucent eyes fell.
"You are playing with me," she said gravely; "you are always playing with me. Am I so much a child? Are you angry with me?"
"Angry with you, little one? Hardly that, I think," said Paul, and his voice sunk.
"Then tell me, sweetheart. You have something to say--what is it?"
"I have come to ask--"
"Yes?"
He hesitated. His heart was too full to speak. He began again.
"Do you think it would be too great a sacrifice to give up--"
"What?" she gasped.
"Do you remember all you told me about my brother Hugh--that he said he loved you?"
"Well?" said Greta, with a puzzled glance.
"I think he spoke truly," said Paul, and his voice trembled.
She drew back with agony in every line of her face.
"Would it be ... do you think ... supposing I went away, far away, and we were not to meet for a time, a long time--never to meet again--could you bring yourself to love him and marry him?"
Greta rose to her feet in agitation.
"Him--love him!--you ask me that--you!"
The girl"s voice broke down into sobs that seemed to shake her to the heart"s core.
"Greta, darling, forgive me; I was blind--I am ashamed."
"Oh, I could cry my eyes out!" she said, wiping away her tears. "Say you were only playing with me, then; say you were only playing; do say so, do!"
"I will say anything--anything but the same words again--and they nearly killed me to say them."
"And was this what you came to say?" Greta inquired.
"No, no," he said, lifted out of his gloom by the excitement; "but another thing, and it is easier now--ten times easier now--to say it.
Greta, do you think if I were to leave c.u.mberland and settle in another country--Australia or Canada, or somewhere far enough away--that you could give up home, and kindred, and friends, and old a.s.sociations, and all the dear past, and face a new life in a new world with me? Could you do it?"
Her eyes sparkled. He opened his arms, and she flew to his embrace.
"Is this your answer, little one?" he said, with choking delight. And a pair of streaming eyes looked up for a brief instant into his face.
"Then we"ll say no more now. I"m to go to London to-morrow night, and shall be away four days. When I return we"ll talk again, and tell the good soul who lies in yonder. Peace be with him, and sweet sleep, the dear old friend!"
Paul lifted up his hat and opened the door. His gloom was gone; his eyes were alive with animation. The worn cheeks were aflame. He stood erect, and walked with the step of a strong man.
Greta followed him into the porch. The rosy fire-light followed her. It flickered over her golden hair, and bathed her beauty in a ruddy glow.
"Oh, how free the air will breathe over there," he said, "when all this slavery is left behind forever! You don"t understand, little woman, but some day you shall. What matter if it is a land of rain, and snow, and tempest? It will be a land of freedom--freedom, and life, and love. And now, Master Hugh, we shall soon be quits--very soon!"
His excitement carried him away, and Greta was too greedy of his joy to check it with questions.
They stood together at the door. The night was still and dark; the trees were noiseless, their prattling leaves were gone. Silent and empty as a vacant street was the unseen road.
Paul held forth his hand to feel if it rained. A withered leaf floated down from the eaves into his palm.
Then a footstep echoed on the path. It went on toward the village.
Presently the postman came trudging along from the other direction.
"Good-night, Tom o" Dint!" cried Paul, cheerily.
Tom stopped and hesitated.
"Who was it I hailed on the road?" he asked.