"There is one thing you can do," Virginia answered softly. "A favour to me. There is a little gift I want to make to you, on this day of all others. I have been planning it, thinking of it for a long time. Here is this paper. Take it and read. You will see then what I mean, and why I want it so much."
It was a long, folded doc.u.ment of legal aspect which she thrust into his hand, and in the blue evening light he opened it. At sight of the first words the blood leaped to his dark face, marble no longer, but a man"s face, young, handsome, and virile. He looked from the paper to Virginia.
"Why, it is a deed of gift!" he exclaimed. "The chateau--no, Miss Beverly, you are more than generous, but this cannot be. The chateau is yours--I would rather it belonged to you than to any one on earth, even myself--and yours it must remain."
"I bought it for you. It will break my heart if you refuse," said Virginia, with tears in her voice.
The sound of her pain smote him with anguish. He lost his head and forgot the barrier between them--that he was poor, with a dark past and an uncertain future, that she was a great heiress.
"Break your heart!" he repeated. "My darling, my angel, I would give all the blood in mine for one smile from you. I never meant to say this. I oughtn"t to say it now, but--it said itself. You must have known before.
You are the very soul of me, though I"m not worthy to touch your dear hand. I couldn"t take the old home from you--don"t you understand? I couldn"t live there again with this love of you in my heart, for it would make it so much the harder. I can"t forget you; I would rather die than forget you. This love is too sweet to live without, but I know very well that we can never be anything to each other, and my plans are all made.
As soon as Madeleine is married I shall go out to Africa and try for luck as other men have tried--and found it. It is better for me to be far away from you----"
"No, no, I love you!" cried Virginia. Then putting him from her with a quick gesture: "But it will be I who go far away from you. I have no right to care. My cousin, Roger Broom, will take me to England--anywhere--it doesn"t matter. I promised long ago to marry him. In the winter perhaps----"
"In the winter you and Max here will be spending your honeymoon at the Chateau de la Roche," said Roger"s voice, with a hard cheerfulness. "That old promise--why, I never meant to hold you to it, dear. I don"t take bribes, and--I saw this coming long ago. I"m quite content it should be so. You"ll forgive me for overhearing, won"t you, girlie? I didn"t mean to give you such a surprise, but I"m not sorry now. Give me your hand, Max, old man, and you, Virginia. There! I"m glad it should be the old cousin-guardian who joins them together."
"You mean it, Roger?" panted Virginia.
"Of course I mean it."
The two hands joined under his. And the man and the girl were too happy to read anything save kindness in its nervous pressure.
THE END
Books by C. N. and A. M. WILLIAMSON
THE LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR
THE PRINCESS Pa.s.sES
MY FRIEND THE CHAUFFEUR
LADY BETTY ACROSS THE WATER
ROSEMARY IN SEARCH OF A FATHER
MY LADY CINDERELLA
THE CAR OF DESTINY
THE CHAPERON
THE PRINCESS VIRGINIA
SET IN SILVER