In due course, having practically recovered his health, Godfreyappeared before a Board in London which passed him as fit for service,but gave him a month's leave. With this document he returned to Hawk'sHall, and there showed it to Isobel.
"And when the month is up?" she asked, looking at him.
"Then I suppose I shall have to join my regiment, unless they send mesomewhere else."
"A month is a very short time," she went on, still looking at him andturning a little pale.
"Yes, dear, but lots can happen in it, as we found out in France. Forinstance," he added, with a little hesitation, "we can get married,that is, if you wish."
"You know very well, Godfrey, that I have wished it for quite tenyears."
"And you know very well, Isobel, that I have wished it--well, eversince I understood what marriage was. How about to-morrow?" heexclaimed, after a pause.
She laughed, and shook her head.
"I believe, Godfrey, that some sort of license is necessary, and it ispast post time. Also it would look scarcely decent; all these peoplewould laugh at us. Also, as there is a good deal of property concerned,I must make some arrangements."
"What arrangements?" he asked.
She laughed again. "That is my affair; you know I am a great supporterof Woman's Rights."
"Oh! I see," he replied vaguely, "to keep it all free from thehusband's control, &c."
"Yes, Godfrey, that's it. What a business head you have. You shouldjoin the shipping firm after the war."
Then they settled to be married on that day week, after which Isobelsuggested that he should take up his abode at the Abbey House, wherethe clergyman, a bachelor, would be very glad to have him as a guest.When Godfrey inquired why, she replied blandly because his room waswanted for another patient, he being now cured, and that therefore hehad no right to stop there.
"Oh! I see. How selfish of me," said Godfrey, and went off to arrangematters with the clergyman, a friendly and accommodating young man,with the result that on this night once more he slept in the room hehad occupied as a boy. For her part Isobel telephoned, first to herdressmaker, and secondly to the lawyer who was winding up her father'sestate, requesting these important persons to come to see her on themorrow.
They came quickly, since Isobel was too valuable a client to beneglected, arriving by the same train, with the result that the lawyerwas kept waiting an hour and a half by the dressmaker, a fact which heremembered in his bill. When at last his turn came, Isobel did notdetain him long.
"I am going to be married," she said, "on the twenty-fourth to MajorGodfrey Knight of the Indian Cavalry. Will you kindly prepare twodocuments, the first to be signed before my marriage, and the second, awill, immediately after it, since otherwise it would be invalidated bythat change in my condition."
The lawyer stared at her, since so much legal knowledge was not commonamong his lady clients, and asked for instructions as to what thedocuments were to set out.
"They will be very simple," said Isobel. "The first, a marriagesettlement, will settle half my income free of my control upon myfuture husband during our joint lives. The second, that is the will,will leave to him all my property, real and personal."
"I must point out to you, Miss Blake," said the astonished lawyer,"that these provisions are very unusual. Does Major Knight bring largesums into settlement?"
"I don't think so," she answered. "His means are quite moderate, and ifthey were not, it would never occur to him to do anything of the sort,as he understands nothing about money. Also circumstanced as I am, itdoes not matter in the least."
"Your late father would have taken a different view," sniffed thelawyer.
"Possibly," replied Isobel, "for our views varied upon most points.While he was alive I gave way to his, to my great loss and sorrow. Nowthat he is dead I follow my own."
"Well, that is definite, Miss Blake, and of course your wishes must beobeyed. But as regards this will, do not think me indelicate formentioning it, but there might be children."
"I don't think you at all indelicate. Why should I at over thirty yearsof age? I have considered the point. If we are blessed with anychildren, and I should predecease him, my future husband will make sucharrangements for their welfare as he considers wise and just. I haveevery confidence in his judgment, and if he should happen to dieintestate, which I think very probable, they would inherit equally.There is enough for any number of them."
"Unless he loses or spends it," groaned the lawyer.
"He is much more likely to save it from some mistaken sense of duty,and to live entirely on what he has of his own," remarked Isobel. "Ifso, it cannot be helped, and no doubt the poor will benefit. Now if youthoroughly understand what I wish done, I think that is all. I have tosee the dressmaker again, so good-bye."
"Executors?" gasped the lawyer.
"Public Trustee," said Isobel, over her shoulder.
"They say that she is one of these Suffragette women, although shekeeps it dark. Well, I can believe it. Anyway, this officer is tumblinginto honey, and there's no fool like a woman in love," said the lawyerto himself as he packed his bag of papers.
Isobel was quite right. The question of settlements never even occurredto Godfrey. He was aware, however, that it is usual for a bridegroom tomake the bride a present, and going to London, walked miserably up anddown Bond Street looking into windows until he was tired. At one momenthe fixed his affections upon an old Queen Anne porringer, which hisnatural taste told him to be quite beautiful; but having learned fromthe dealer that it was meant for the mixing of infant's pap, he retiredabashed. Almost next door he saw in a jeweller's window a necklace ofsmall pearls priced at three hundred pounds, and probably worth abouthalf that amount. Having quite a handsome balance at his back, he cameto the conclusion that he could afford this and, going in, bought it atonce, oblivious of the fact that Isobel already had ropes of pearls thesize of marrowfat peas. However, she was delighted with it, especiallywhen she saw what it had cost him, for he had never thought to cut thesale ticket from the necklace. It was those pearls, and not themarrowfat peas, that Isobel wore upon her wedding day. Save for thelittle ring with the two turquoise hearts, these were her only ornament.
A question arose as to where the honeymoon, or so much as would remainof one, was to be spent. Godfrey would have liked to go to Lucerne andvisit the Pasteur, but as this could not be managed in war time,suggested London.
"Why London?" exclaimed Isobel.
"Only because most ladies like theatres, though I confess I hate themmyself."
"You silly man," she answered. "Do you suppose, when we can have only afew days together, that I want to waste time in theatres?"
In the end it was settled that they would go to London for a night, andthen on to Cornwall, which they hoped fondly might be warm at that timeof year.