Just before his eyes--
Up there on the top of the bank, not far from where Dacres and Mrs.
Willoughby had made their appearance, the Baron caught sight of a tall, lank, slim figure, clothed in rusty black, whose thin and leathery face, rising above a white neck-tie, peered solemnly yet interrogatively through the bushes; while just behind him the Baron caught a glimpse of the flutter of a woman"s dress.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "HE GAVE A LOUD CRY OF JOY, AND THEN SPRANG UP THE BANK."]
He gave a loud cry of joy, and then sprang up the bank.
But over that meeting I think we had better draw a veil.
CHAPTER x.x.xIX.
ASTONISHING WAY OF CONCLUDING AN ADVENTURE.
The meeting between the Baron and Minnie gave a new shock to poor Mrs.
Willoughby, who looked with a helpless expression, and walked away for a little distance. Dacres and Hawbury were still eagerly conversing and questioning one another about their adventures. Tozer also had descended and joined himself to the priest; and each of these groups had leisure for a prolonged conversation before they were interrupted.
At length Minnie made her appearance, and flung herself into her sister"s arms, while at the same time the Baron grasped Tozer by both hands, and called out, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all,
"You shall marry us, parson--and this very day, by thunder!"
These words came to Mrs. Willoughby"s ears in the midst of her first joy at meeting her sister, and shocked her inexpressibly.
"What"s that, Minnie darling?" she asked, anxiously. "What is it? Did you hear what that dreadful--what the--the Baron said?"
Minnie looked sweetly conscious, but said nothing.
"What _does_ he mean?" asked her sister again.
"I suppose he means what he says," replied Minnie, with a timid air, stealing a shy look at the Baron.
"Oh dear!" said Mrs. Willoughby; "there"s another dreadful trouble, I know. It"s very, very hard--"
"Well, I"m sure," said Minnie, "I can"t help it. They all do so. That clergyman came and saved me, and he wasn"t a Roman Catholic clergyman at all, and he proposed--"
"Proposed!" cried Mrs. Willoughby, aghast.
"Oh yes," said Minnie, solemnly; "and I had hard work preventing him.
But, really, it was _too_ absurd, and I would not let him be too explicit. But I didn"t hurt his feelings. Well, you know, then all of a sudden, as we were sitting there, the bugle sounded, and we came back. Well, then, Rufus K. Gunn came--and you know how very violent he is in his way--and he said he saved my life again, and so he proposed."
"_He_ proposed! Why, he had proposed before."
"Oh yes; but that was for an engagement, and this was for our marriage."
"Marriage!"
"Oh yes; and, you see, he had actually saved my life twice, and he was very urgent, and he is so awfully affectionate, and so--"
"Well, what?" cried Mrs. Willoughby, seeing Minnie hesitate.
"Why, he--"
"Well?"
"I mean, I--"
"You what? Really, Minnie dearest, you might tell me, and not keep me in such dreadful suspense."
"Why, what could I say?"
"But what _did_ you say?"
"Why, I think I--said--yes," said Minnie, casting down her eyes with indescribable sweetness, shyness, meekness, and resignation. Mrs.
Willoughby actually shuddered.
"Now, Kitty," exclaimed Minnie, who at once noticed it, "you needn"t be so horrid. I"m sure you can"t say any thing against him _now_. You needn"t look so. You _always_ hated him. You _never_ would treat him kindly."
"But this--this marriage. It"s too shocking."
"Well, he saved my life."
"And to-day! How utterly preposterous! It"s shameful!"
"Well, I"m sure I can"t help it."
"It"s too horrid!" continued Mrs. Willoughby, in an excited tone. "It will break poor papa"s heart. And it will break poor darling aunty"s heart. And it will break my heart."
"Now, Kitty dearest, this is too silly in you. If it hadn"t been for him, I would now be married to that wretched Count, who hadn"t sufficient affection for me to get me a chair to sit on, and who was very, very rude to you. You didn"t care, though, whether I was married to him or not; and now when I am saved from him you have nothing but very unpleasant things to say about Rufus K. Gunn."
"Oh dear, what _would_ I give if you were only safe home!"
"Well, I"m sure I don"t see what _I_ can do. People are always saving my life. And there is Captain Kirby hunting all over Italy for me. And I _know_ I will be saved by somebody--if--if--I--I--if--I--if--you know--that is--I"m sure--"
"Nonsense!" said Mrs. Willoughby, as Minnie broke down in confusion.
"It is _too_ absurd. I won"t talk about it. You are a silly child. Oh, how I _do_ wish you were home!"
At this juncture the conversation was interrupted by the Baron.
"It is not my fashion, ma"am," said he, gravely, "to remind another of any obligation under which he may be to me; but my claims on Minnie have been so opposed by you and the rest of her friends that I have to ask you to think of them. Your father knows what my first claims are.
You yourself, ma"am, know perfectly well what the last claims are which I have won to-day."
The Baron spoke calmly, firmly, and with dignity. Mrs. Willoughby answered not a word.