Nothing more was said, and Swithin ascended, words from above indicating to him that his footsteps were heard. In another half-minute he rose through the hatchway. A lady in black was sitting in the sun, and the boy with the flaxen hair whom he had seen yesterday was at her feet.
"Viviette!" he said.
"Swithin!--at last!" she cried.
The words died upon her lips, and from very faintness she bent her head.
For instead of rushing forward to her he had stood still; and there appeared upon his face a look which there was no mistaking.
Yes; he was shocked at her worn and faded aspect. The image he had mentally carried out with him to the Cape he had brought home again as that of the woman he was now to rejoin. But another woman sat before him, and not the original Viviette. Her cheeks had lost for ever that firm contour which had been drawn by the vigorous hand of youth, and the ma.s.ses of hair that were once darkness visible had become touched here and there by a faint grey haze, like the Via Lactea in a midnight sky.
Yet to those who had eyes to understand as well as to see, the chastened pensiveness of her once handsome features revealed more promising material beneath than ever her youth had done. But Swithin was hopelessly her junior. Unhappily for her he had now just arrived at an age whose canon of faith it is that the silly period of woman"s life is her only period of beauty. Viviette saw it all, and knew that Time had at last brought about his revenges. She had tremblingly watched and waited without sleep, ever since Swithin had re-entered Welland, and it was for this.
Swithin came forward, and took her by the hand, which she pa.s.sively allowed him to do.
"Swithin, you don"t love me," she said simply.
"O Viviette!"
"You don"t love me," she repeated.
"Don"t say it!"
"Yes, but I will! you have a right not to love me. You did once. But now I am an old woman, and you are still a young man; so how can you love me? I do not expect it. It is kind and charitable of you to come and see me here."
"I have come all the way from the Cape," he faltered, for her insistence took all power out of him to deny in mere politeness what she said.
"Yes; you have come from the Cape; but not for me," she answered. "It would be absurd if you had come for me. You have come because your work there is finished. . . . I like to sit here with my little boy--it is a pleasant spot. It was once something to us, was it not? but that was long ago. You scarcely knew me for the same woman, did you?"
"Knew you--yes, of course I knew you!"
"You looked as if you did not. But you must not be surprised at me. I belong to an earlier generation than you, remember."
Thus, in sheer bitterness of spirit did she inflict wounds on herself by exaggerating the difference in their years. But she had nevertheless spoken truly. Sympathize with her as he might, and as he unquestionably did, he loved her no longer. But why had she expected otherwise? "O woman," might a prophet have said to her, "great is thy faith if thou believest a junior lover"s love will last five years!"
"I shall be glad to know through your grandmother how you are getting on," she said meekly. "But now I would much rather that we part. Yes; do not question me. I would rather that we part. Good-bye."
Hardly knowing what he did he touched her hand, and obeyed. He was a scientist, and took words literally. There is something in the inexorably simple logic of such men which partakes of the cruelty of the natural laws that are their study. He entered the tower-steps, and mechanically descended; and it was not till he got half-way down that he thought she could not mean what she had said.
Before leaving Cape Town he had made up his mind on this one point; that if she were willing to marry him, marry her he would without let or hindrance. That much he morally owed her, and was not the man to demur.
And though the Swithin who had returned was not quite the Swithin who had gone away, though he could not now love her with the sort of love he had once bestowed; he believed that all her conduct had been dictated by the purest benevolence to him, by that charity which "seeketh not her own."
Hence he did not flinch from a wish to deal with loving-kindness towards her--a sentiment perhaps in the long-run more to be prized than lover"s love.
Her manner had caught him unawares; but now recovering himself he turned back determinedly. Bursting out upon the roof he clasped her in his arms, and kissed her several times.
"Viviette, Viviette," he said, "I have come to marry you!"
She uttered a shriek--a shriek of amazed joy--such as never was heard on that tower before or since--and fell in his arms, clasping his neck.
There she lay heavily. Not to disturb her he sat down in her seat, still holding her fast. Their little son, who had stood with round conjectural eyes throughout the meeting, now came close; and presently looking up to Swithin said--
"Mother has gone to sleep."
Swithin looked down, and started. Her tight clasp had loosened. A wave of whiteness, like that of marble which had never seen the sun, crept up from her neck, and travelled upwards and onwards over her cheek, lips, eyelids, forehead, temples, its margin banishing back the live pink till the latter had entirely disappeared.
Seeing that something was wrong, yet not understanding what, the little boy began to cry; but in his concentration Swithin hardly heard it.
"Viviette--Viviette!" he said.
The child cried with still deeper grief, and, after a momentary hesitation, pushed his hand into Swithin"s for protection.
"Hush, hush! my child," said Swithin distractedly. "I"ll take care of you! O Viviette!" he exclaimed again, pressing her face to his.
But she did not reply.
"What can this be?" he asked himself. He would not then answer according to his fear.
He looked up for help. n.o.body appeared in sight but Tabitha Lark, who was skirting the field with a bounding tread--the single bright spot of colour and animation within the wide horizon. When he looked down again his fear deepened to certainty. It was no longer a mere surmise that help was vain. Sudden joy after despair had touched an over-strained heart too smartly. Viviette was dead. The Bishop was avenged.