Jack had risen, too.
"What impertinence!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed.
"Not at all," she said. "Maude has so much money of her own that I ask in a wholly disinterested spirit."
"She"s very rich," said Jack. "But if your spirit is so disinterested, what do you want to know for?"
"This is a world of chance, and the main chance in a woman"s case is alimony; so it"s always nice to know how to figure it."
"It"s a slim chance for your cousin," said Jack. "Do tell her that I said so."
"No, I shan"t," said she perversely. "I won"t be a go-between for you and her. Besides, as to that alimony, there are more heiresses than Maude in our family."
"Yes," said he; "I know that. But I know, too, that there is one among them who need never figure on getting any alimony out of me. If I ever get the iron grasp of the law on that heiress, I can a.s.sure you that only her death or mine will ever loosen its fangs."
"How fierce you are!" said Mrs. Rosscott. "Why do you get so worked up?"
"Oh," he exclaimed, with something approaching a groan, "I don"t mean to be-but I do care so much! And sometimes-" he caught her quickly in his arms, drew her within their strong embrace, and kissed her pa.s.sionately upon the lips that had been tantalizing him for five interminable months.
He was almost frightened the next second by her stillness.
"Don"t be angry," he pleaded.
"I"m not," she murmured, resting very quietly with her cheek against his heart. "But you"ll have to marry me now. My other husband did, you know."
"Marry you!" he exclaimed. "Next week? To-morrow? This afternoon? You need only say when-"
"Oh, not for years and years," she said, interrupting him. "You mustn"t dream of such a thing for years and years!"
"For years and years!" he cried in astonishment.
"That"s what I said," she told him.
He released her in his surprise and stared hard at her. And then he seized her again and kissed her soundly.
"You don"t mean it!" he declared.
"I do mean it!" she declared.
And then she shook her head in a very sweet but painfully resolute manner.
"I won"t be called a cradle-robber," she said, firmly; and at that her companion swore mildly but fervently.
"You"re so young," she said further; "and not a bit settled," she added.
"But you"re young, too," he reminded her.
"I"m older than you are," she said.
"I suppose that you aren"t any more settled than I am, and that"s why you hesitate," he said grimly.
"Now that"s unworthy of you," she cried; "and I have a good mind-"
But the direful words were never spoken, for she was in his arms again-close in his arms; and, as he kissed her with a delicious sensation that it was all too good to be true, he whispered, laughing:
"I always meant to lord it over my wife, so I"ll begin by saying: "Have it your own way, as long as I have you.""
Mrs. Rosscott laid her cheek back against his coat lapel, and looked up into his eyes with the sweetest smile that even he had ever seen upon even her face.
"It"s a bargain," she murmured.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - THE PEACE AND QUIET OF THE COUNTRY
Along in the beginning of the fall Aunt Mary began suddenly to grow very feeble indeed. After the first week or two it became apparent that she would have to be quiet and very prudent for some time, and it was when this information was imparted to her that the family discovered that she had been intending to go to New York for the Horse-Show.
"She"s awful mad," Lucinda said to Joshua. "The doctor says she"ll have to stay in bed."
"She won"t stay in bed long," said Joshua.
"The doctor says if she don"t stay in bed she"ll die," said Lucinda.
"She won"t die," said Joshua.
Lucinda looked at Joshua and felt a keen desire to throw her flatiron at him. The world always thinks that the Lucindas have no feelings; the world never knows how near the flatirons come to the Joshuas often and often.
Arethusa came for two days and looked the situation well over.
"I think I won"t stay," she said to Lucinda, "but you must write me twice a week and I"ll write the others."
Then Arethusa departed and Lucinda remained alone to superintend things and be superintended by Aunt Mary.
Aunt Mary"s superintendence waxed extremely vigorous almost at once. She had out her writing desk, and wrote Jack a letter, as a consequence of which everything published in New York was mailed to his aunt as soon as it was off the presses. Lucinda was set reading aloud and, except when the mail came, was hardly allowed to halt for food and sleep.
"My heavens above," said the slave to Joshua, "it don"t seem like I can live with her!"
"You"ll live with her," said Joshua.
"It"s more as flesh and blood can bear."
"Flesh and blood can bear a good deal more"n you think for," said Joshua, and then he delivered up two letters and drove off toward the barn.
"If those are letters," said Aunt Mary from her pillow the instant she heard the front door close, "I"d like "em. I"m a great believer in readin"
my own mail, an" another time, Lucinda, I"ll thank you to bring it as soon as you get it an" not stand out on the porch hollyhockin" with Joshua for half an hour while I wait."