With the patriotic music warbling in his throat he turned to Ethel, and looked at her as a lover can, and she answered the look; and thus leaning toward each other in visible beauty and affection their new life began. Between smiles and kisses they sat speaking, not of the past with all its love and loveliness, but of the high things calling to them from the future, the work and duties of life set to great ends both for public and private good. And as they thus communed Tyrrel took his wife"s hand and slowly turned on her finger the plain gold wedding ring behind its barrier of guarding gems.
"Ethel," he said tenderly, "what enchantments are in this ring of gold!
What romances I used to weave around it, and, dearest, it has turned every Romance into Reality."
"And, Tyrrel, it will also turn all our Realities into Romances. Nothing in our life will ever become common. Love will glorify everything."
"And we shall always love as we love now?"
"We shall love far better, far stronger, far more tenderly."
"Even to the end of our lives, Ethel?"
"Yes, to the very end."
CHAPTER XIII
A PAUSE of blissful silence followed this a.s.surance. It was broken by a little exclamation from Ethel. "Oh, dear," she said, "how selfishly thoughtless my happiness makes me! I have forgotten to tell you, until this moment, that I have a letter from Dora. It was sent to grandmother"s care, and I got it this afternoon; also one from Lucy Rawdon. The two together bring Dora"s affairs, I should say, to a pleasanter termination than we could have hoped for."
"Where is the Enchantress?"
"In Paris at present."
"I expected that answer."
"But listen, she is living the quietest of lives; the most devoted daughter cannot excel her."
"Is she her own authority for that astonishing statement? Do you believe it?"
"Yes, under the circ.u.mstances. Mr. Denning went to Paris for a critical and painful operation, and Dora is giving all her love and time toward making his convalescence as pleasant as it can be. In fact, her description of their life in the pretty chateau they have rented outside of Paris is quite idyllic. When her father is able to travel they are going to Algiers for the winter, and will return to New York about next May. Dora says she never intends to leave America again."
"Where is her husband? Keeping watch on the French chateau?"
"That is over. Mr. Denning persuaded Dora to write a statement of all the facts concerning the birth of the child. She told her husband the name under which they traveled, the names of the ship, the captain, and the ship"s doctor, and Mrs. Denning authenticated the statement; but, oh, what a mean, suspicious creature Mostyn is!"
"What makes you reiterate that description of him?"
"He was quite unable to see any good or kind intent in this paper. He proved its correctness, and then wrote Mr. Denning a very contemptible letter."
"Which was characteristic enough. What did he say?"
"That the amende honorable was too late; that he supposed Dora wished to have the divorce proceedings stopped and be reinstated as his wife, but he desired the whole Denning family to understand that was now impossible; he was "fervently, feverishly awaiting his freedom, which he expected at any hour." He said it was "sickening to remember the weariness of body and soul Dora had given him about a non-existing child, and though this could never be atoned for, he did think he ought to be refunded the money Dora"s contemptible revenge had cost him.""
"How could he? How could he?"
"Of course Mr. Denning sent him a check, a pretty large one, I dare say.
And I suppose he has his freedom by this time, unless he has married again."
"He will never marry again."
"Indeed, that is the strange part of the story. It was because he wanted to marry again that he was "fervently, feverishly awaiting his freedom.""
"I can hardly believe it, Ethel. What does Dora say?"
"I have the news from Lucy. She says when Mostyn was ignored by everyone in the neighborhood, one woman stood up for him almost pa.s.sionately. Do you remember Miss Sadler?"
"That remarkable governess of the Surreys? Why, Ethel, she is the very ugliest woman I ever saw."
"She is so ugly that she is fascinating. If you see her one minute you can never forget her, and she is brains to her finger tips. She ruled everyone at Surrey House. She was Lord Surrey"s secretary and Lady Surrey"s adviser. She educated the children, and they adored her; she ruled the servants, and they obeyed her with fear and trembling. Nothing was done in Surrey House without her approval. And if her face was not handsome, she had a n.o.ble presence and a manner that was irresistible."
"And she took Mostyn"s part?"
"With enthusiasm. She abused Dora individually, and American women generally. She pitied Mr. Mostyn, and made others do so; and when she perceived there would be but a shabby and tardy restoration for him socially, she advised him to shake off the dust of his feet from Monk-Rawdon, and begin life in some more civilized place. And in order that he might do so, she induced Lord Surrey to get him a very excellent civil appointment in Calcutta."
"Then he is going to India?"
"He is probably now on the way there. He sold the Mostyn estate----"
"I can hardly believe it."
"He sold it to John Thomas Rawdon. John Thomas told me it belonged to Rawdon until the middle of the seventeenth century, and he meant to have it back. He has got it."
"Miss Sadler must be a witch."
"She is a sensible, practical woman, who knows how to manage men.
She has soothed Mostyn"s wounded pride with appreciative flattery and stimulated his ambition. She has promised him great things in India, and she will see that he gets them."
"He must be completely under her control."
"She will never let him call his soul his own, but she will manage his affairs to perfection. And Dora is forever rid of that wretched influence. The man can never again come between her and her love; never again come between her and happiness. There will be the circ.u.mference of the world as a barrier."
"There will be Jane Sadler as a barrier. She will be sufficient. The Woman Between will annihilate The Man Between. Dora is now safe. What will she do with herself?"
"She will come back to New York and be a social power. She is young, beautiful, rich, and her father has tremendous financial influence.
Social affairs are ruled by finance. I should not wonder to see her in St. Jude"s, a devotee and eminent for good works."
"And if Basil Stanhope should return?"
"Poor Basil--he is dead."
"How do you know that?"
"What DO you mean, Tyrrel?"
"Are you sure Basil is dead? What proof have you?"
"You must be dreaming! Of course he is dead! His friend came and told me so--told me everything."