Beyond The Rocks: A Love Story

  XV

  The dinner-party went off with great eclat. Had not all the guests readin the New York _Herald_ that morning of Captain Fitzgerald'sgood-fortune? He with his usual _savoir-vivre_ had arranged matters toperfection. The company was chosen from among the nicest of his and Mrs.McBride's friends.

  The invitations had been couched in this form: "I want you to meet mydaughter, Mrs. Josiah Brown, my dear lady," or "dear fellow," as thecase might be. "She is having a little dinner at Madrid on Monday night,and so hopes you will let me persuade you to come."

  And the French Count, and Mr. Clutterbuck R. Tubbs and his daughter,Theodora had asked herself. Also the Austrian Prince. The partyconsisted of about twenty people--and the menu and the Tziganes were asperfect as they could be, while the night might have been a night ofJuly--it happened to be that year when Paris was blessed with agloriously warm May.

  Lord Bracondale was late: had not the post come in just as he wasstarting, and brought him a letter, whose writing, although he had neverseen it before, filled him with thrills of joy.

  Theodora had found time during the day to read and reread his epistle,and to kiss it more than once with a guilty blush.

  And she had written this answer:

  "I have received your letter, and it says many things to me--and, Hector, it will comfort me always, this dear letter, and to know you love me.

  "I have led a very ordinary life, you see, and the great blast of love has never come my way, or to any one whom I knew. I did not realize, quite, it was a real thing out of books--but now I know it is; and oh, I can believe, if circumstances were different, it could be heaven. But this cannot alter the fact that for me to think of you much would be very wrong now. I do love you--I do not deny it--though I am going to try my utmost to put the thought away from me and to live my life as best I can. I do not regret anything either, dear, because, but for you, I would never have known what life's meaning is at all--I should have stayed asleep always; and you have opened my eyes and taught me to see new beauties in all nature. And oh, we must not grieve, we must thank fate for giving us this one peep into paradise--and we must try and find the angel to steer our barks for us beyond the rocks. Listen--I want you to do something for me to-night. I want you not to look at me much, or tempt me with your dear voice. It will be terribly hard in any case, but if you will be kind you will help me to get through with it, and then, and then--I hardly dare to look ahead--but I leave it all in your hands. I would like to meet your mother and sister--but when, and where? I feel inclined to say, not yet, only I know that is just cowardice, and a shrinking from possible pain in seeing you. So I leave it to you to do what is best, and I trust to your honor and your love not to tempt me beyond bearing-point--and remember, I am trying, trying hard, to do what is right--and trying not to love you.

  "And so, good-bye. I must never say this again--or even think it unsaid; but to-night, oh! Yes, Hector, know that I love you! THEODORA."

  And all the way to Madrid, as he flew along in his automobile, his heartrejoiced at this one sentence--"Yes, Hector, know that I love you!"

  The rest of the world did not seem to matter very much. How fortunate itis that so often Providence lets us live on the pleasure of the moment!

  He sat on her left hand--the Austrian Prince was on her right--andstudiously all through the repast he tried to follow her wishes and thelaw he had laid down for himself as the pattern of his future conduct.

  He was gravely polite, he never turned the conversation away from thegeneral company, including her neighbors in it all the time, and onlywhen he was certain she was not noticing did he feast his eyes upon herface.

  She was looking supremely beautiful. If possible, whiter than usual, andthere was a shadow in her eyes as of mystery, which had not been therebefore--and while their pathos wrung his heart, he could not helpperceiving their added beauty. And he had planted this change there--he,and he alone. He admired her perfect taste in dress--she was all in purewhite, muslin and laces, and he knew it was of the best, and thecreation of the greatest artist.

  She looked just what _his_ wife ought to look, infinitely refined andslender and stately and fair.

  Morella Winmarleigh would seem as a large dun cow beside her.

  Then suddenly they both remembered it was only a week this night sincethey had met. Only seven days in which fate had altered all their lives.

  The Austrian Prince wondered to himself what had happened. He had notbeen blind to the situation at Armenonville, and here they seemed likepolite hostess and guest, nothing more.

  "They are English, and they are very well bred, and they are very goodactors," he thought. "But, mon Dieu! were I ce beau jeune homme!"

  And so it had come to an end--the feast and the Tziganes playing, andTheodora will always be haunted by that last wild Hungarian tune. Music,which moved every fibre of her being at all times, to-night was atorture of pain and longing. And he was so near, so near and yet so far,and it seemed as if the music meant love and separation and passionateregret, and the last air most passionate of all, and before the finalnotes died away Hector bent over to her, and he whispered:

  "I have got your letter, and I love you, and I will obey its every wish.You must trust me unto death. Darling, good-night, but never good-bye!"

  And she had not answered, but her breath had come quickly, and she hadlooked once in his eyes and then away into the night.

  And so they shook hands politely and parted. And next day Mr. and Mrs.Josiah Brown crossed over to England.