CHAPTER XIX. VICTOR FROM VANQUISHED ISSUES
Now that everything was settled Eric wished to give up teaching and goback to his own place. True, he had "signed papers" to teach the schoolfor a year; but he knew that the trustees would let him off if heprocured a suitable substitute. He resolved to teach until the fallvacation, which came in October, and then go. Kilmeny had promisedthat their marriage should take place in the following spring. Erichad pleaded for an earlier date, but Kilmeny was sweetly resolute, andThomas and Janet agreed with her.
"There are so many things that I must learn yet before I shall be readyto be married," Kilmeny had said. "And I want to get accustomed toseeing people. I feel a little frightened yet whenever I see any one Idon't know, although I don't think I show it. I am going to church withUncle and Aunt after this, and to the Missionary Society meetings. AndUncle Thomas says that he will send me to a boarding school in town thiswinter if you think it advisable."
Eric vetoed this promptly. The idea of Kilmeny in a boarding school wassomething that could not be thought about without laughter.
"I can't see why she can't learn all she needs to learn after she ismarried to me, just as well as before," he grumbled to her uncle andaunt.
"But we want to keep her with us for another winter yet," explainedThomas Gordon patiently. "We are going to miss her terrible when shedoes go, Master. She has never been away from us for a day--she is allthe brightness there is in our lives. It is very kind of you to saythat she can come home whenever she likes, but there will be a greatdifference. She will belong to your world and not to ours. That is forthe best--and we wouldn't have it otherwise. But let us keep her as ourown for this one winter yet."
Eric yielded with the best grace he could muster. After all, hereflected, Lindsay was not so far from Queenslea, and there were suchthings as boats and trains.
"Have you told your father about all this yet?" asked Janet anxiously.
No, he had not. But he went home and wrote a full account of his summerto old Mr. Marshall that night.
Mr. Marshall, Senior, answered the letter in person. A few dayslater, Eric, coming home from school, found his father sitting in Mrs.Williamson's prim, fleckless parlour. Nothing was said about Eric'sletter, however, until after tea. When they found themselves alone, Mr.Marshall said abruptly,
"Eric, what about this girl? I hope you haven't gone and made a fool ofyourself. It sounds remarkably like it. A girl that has been dumb allher life--a girl with no right to her father's name--a country girlbrought up in a place like Lindsay! Your wife will have to fill yourmother's place,--and your mother was a pearl among women. Do you thinkthis girl is worthy of it? It isn't possible! You've been led away bya pretty face and dairy maid freshness. I expected some trouble out ofthis freak of yours coming over here to teach school."
"Wait until you see Kilmeny, father," said Eric, smiling.
"Humph! That's just exactly what David Baker said. I went straight tohim when I got your letter, for I knew that there was some connectionbetween it and that mysterious visit of his over here, concerning whichI never could drag a word out of him by hook or crook. And all HE saidwas, 'Wait until you see Kilmeny Gordon, sir.' Well, I WILL wait till Isee her, but I shall look at her with the eyes of sixty-five, mind you,not the eyes of twenty-four. And if she isn't what your wife ought tobe, sir, you give her up or paddle your own canoe. I shall not aid orabet you in making a fool of yourself and spoiling your life."
Eric bit his lip, but only said quietly,
"Come with me, father. We will go to see her now."
They went around by way of the main road and the Gordon lane. Kilmenywas not in when they reached the house.
"She is up in the old orchard, Master," said Janet. "She loves thatplace so much she spends all her spare time there. She likes to go thereto study."
They sat down and talked awhile with Thomas and Janet. When they left,Mr. Marshall said,
"I like those people. If Thomas Gordon had been a man like RobertWilliamson I shouldn't have waited to see your Kilmeny. But they are allright--rugged and grim, but of good stock and pith--native refinementand strong character. But I must say candidly that I hope your younglady hasn't got her aunt's mouth."
"Kilmeny's mouth is like a love-song made incarnate in sweet flesh,"said Eric enthusiastically.
"Humph!" said Mr. Marshall. "Well," he added more tolerantly, a momentlater, "I was a poet, too, for six months in my life when I was courtingyour mother."
Kilmeny was reading on the bench under the lilac trees when they reachedthe orchard. She stood up and came shyly forward to meet them, guessingwho the tall, white-haired old gentleman with Eric must be. As sheapproached Eric saw with a thrill of exultation that she had neverlooked lovelier. She wore a dress of her favourite blue, simply andquaintly made, as all her gowns were, revealing the perfect lines of herlithe, slender figure. Her glossy black hair was wound about her head ina braided coronet, against which a spray of wild asters shone likepale purple stars. Her face was flushed delicately with excitement. Shelooked like a young princess, crowned with a ruddy splash of sunlightthat fell through the old trees.
"Father, this is Kilmeny," said Eric proudly.
Kilmeny held out her hand with a shyly murmured greeting. Mr. Marshalltook it and held it in his, looking so steadily and piercingly into herface that even her frank gaze wavered before the intensity of his keenold eyes. Then he drew her to him and kissed her gravely and gently onher white forehead.
"My dear," he said, "I am glad and proud that you have consented to bemy son's wife--and my very dear and honoured daughter."
Eric turned abruptly away to hide his emotion and on his face was alight as of one who sees a great glory widening and deepening down thevista of his future.
THE END.
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