CHAPTER XXX
THE END
Why do we women like to tease the men we love? Is the sense ofcoquetry innate and irresistible in some of us? Or is it merely adefensive instinct warning us of the danger of being won too easily?
I knew quite well how the interview with Karl would end; I knew heloved me and that I loved him; I was hungry for the feel of his armsabout me and the touch of his lips on mine; and yet my face wore aquite aggrieved look as I met him with words of somewhat petulantreproach on my lips.
"I am glad you were able to go with the Duke," I said.
He gave a start at my tone and then laughed. "It was very fortunate.I am glad that--you are glad, Christabel."
"I am afraid you must have found it inconvenient to leave him so soon."
"Are you?"
"Had you not better hurry back to him?"
"Yes. I am going straight back from here."
"Don't let _me_ keep you, pray."
"Very well."
What can you do with a man who refuses in this way to be teased, butjust accepts what you say with preposterous good humour? I shrugged myshoulders. "Why don't you go then?"
"That is exactly it. Why? Of course you can't guess such an abstruseproblem! It's altogether beyond you; but try. I should like to hearyou making a number of ingeniously wrong guesses. Now, what reason canI possibly have for being here?"
"It is not worth the trouble."
"Well, then, try the obvious. That won't be much trouble."
"You wish to know the latest news of Gareth, you mean, to take to theDuke."
"That's not the obvious, Christabel; that's only an ingeniously wrongone. I'm afraid I've disappointed you a little."
"In coming away from the Duke so--soon?"
"Not a bit of it. In not letting you tease me just now. I ought tohave taken you seriously and fired up, and all the rest of it. But Ididn't. I didn't misunderstand you in the least. You see--but shall Itell you why?" and he came close to me.
"You _did_ go away with the Duke," I persisted; rather feebly, I fear.
"And who would have been the first to blame me if I had not, when hewas ill and could not go alone? You see you can't plague me because,for one thing, I know you too well; and for another--I've had a chatwith the General. Didn't he tell you I was--a rebel?"
"I always understood you had no sympathy with patriots," I answered,looking up innocently, but prepared for defeat and surrender.
"It won't do, Christabel," he laughed. "You're looking too innocent.The General gave you away, I mean, and you know that I mean I am arebel against my father's latest act of tyranny."
He paused; but somehow I couldn't meet his eyes. I tried, and at myfailure he was very tactful. He seemed to guess that it would havehurt me, if he had laughed then. Instead of laughing he took my hand.
"I am not going to give you up, Christabel, just because the Duke isunreasonably angry. Not all the dukes and princes in the empire shallmake me do that. We may perhaps, have to wait a little longer yet; buteven that's for you to decide. You see, I'm so sure of you, dear.There's where it is."
"I would not come between you two," I whispered.
"Nor shall he come between us two. I was only a shiftless sort ofne'er-do-well till you came here and helped me to be strong again. Iwas going down the hill full speed with no brakes on; and, as you know,I didn't care. But I care now and have a will again--as you'll findout if you try to cross me in this; and having found my right mindagain I made it up. You mean to side with the--rebel, don't you?"
He proved that he had a will then; for without giving me time to reply,he just put his arm about me and made me kiss him on the lips. Andafter that, what was the use of protesting, even if I had the wish?But I hadn't. At the touch of his lips, the Duke and his oppositionand his dislike of me, and everything else in the world was blottedout, save only--my love for Karl and his for me.
* * * * *
I wish that this story of the chapter of my life could end with thatpledge-kiss of ours; and that I could say all ended as happily forothers as for Karl and myself. But I cannot.
I had done my utmost to gather happiness for Gareth from the seeds oftrouble which her loving but thoughtless hands had sown so innocently.
The deception I had contrived and had caused her father and husband tocontinue was successful in its first object. They did their part wellin the short strange interview by her bedside; and when the doctorcalled them away, she was entirely happy, holding a hand of each ofthem in hers in perfect belief in their reconciliation.
The doctor told me that the risk of brain fever which he had seen wasat an end, and that she would soon recover her strength, unless thatoccurred which was in all our thoughts.
And it did occur.
A crisis came in the night. I was dozing by her bedside, for she hadfallen asleep, when her cries of pain roused me. I called Mrs. Perry,the doctor was summoned at once; and everything that his skill and ourcare could do for her was done. But there was no doubt of her imminentdanger now.
In the grey of the dawn the life, which was yet never full life, cameonly to be snatched away instantly by the remorseless Reaper, wholingered by the bedside as if to garner with one sweep of the sicklethe mother as well as the child.
Fearing the end I sent news at once to the Duke, to Count Gustav, andto Colonel Katona. Both the latter came hurrying to the house; but bythe time they arrived, the doctor was able to announce a respite.There was danger, grave danger, but just a faint hope that all mightyet be well.
Long, anxious, wearing hours followed while we watched the flame oflife flicker up and down as she lay, white as wax and death's verycounterfeit for stillness.
More than once I thought she had passed; and held the mirror to hermouth to catch just the faintest dew of breath.
Both Gustav and her father came up to see her, creeping into the roomto gaze and sigh, and turn away despairing.
She knew none of us; but just lay as though she had done with all thematters of earth: hovering on the edge of the thinnest line that canpart death from life.
The two men stayed in the house: nursing I know not what angry thoughtseach of the other; but both afraid to leave lest the moment ofconsciousness should come to her and find them absent.
I scarcely spoke to either of them, except to carry a brief message ofher condition. If Gustav had brought this all about by hisselfishness, it had been the Colonel who had made matters sodesperately worse by his ill-timed harsh looks and words on thepreceding day. And toward both I felt too hardly on her account to doother than leave them to the bitterness of their belated, unavailingremorse.
That both suffered acutely I could tell by their looks when I carriedmy brief news. But pity for them I could not feel. It was allabsorbed by the gentle girl whom between them they had brought to thethreshold of the grim portal.
All through the hours of that long autumn day, the coma continued,until the doctor confessed his fear that she would pass away withouteven a minute's lapse into consciousness.
"If she should be conscious may I bring them to her?" I asked him whenhe was going away at nightfall.
"There is risk either way; but if she asks for them, bring them--for aminute only, however."
"There is no hope?
"If she lives through the night--yes; but..." and he shook his headvery gravely.
In the evening the last solemn pathetic offices of the Church weresolemnized; and through it all she remained unconscious--mercifully, asit seemed to me, since it would have roused her to the knowledge thatshe was dying.
I went back to my chair by the bed with a heart full of foreboding. Irecalled the General's words--so sadly prophetic--"Whom the gods love,die young." The saying had galled me as he quoted it; but it did so nolonger.
She looked so frail and fragile in her sickness; a tender floweret soutterly unable to bear up against the rough cross winds of anger andstrife which, h
eld in restraint only by her weakness, would assuredlyburst forth to blight her life, that one could only feel with sadresignation that the dark verdict was the best for her happiness.
And yet so loving and passing sweet she was that with resignation tothe will of Heaven was an irresistible, almost passionate, regret thatshe should go.
Hours passed with that solemn slowness one knows in a sick room. Thetime was broken by my errands to the two watchers below stairs, to whomI carried news of her condition. More than once during the night Karlcame also, as he had come frequently during the day, sent by the Dukein his anxiety for tidings of Gareth.
It was some time past midnight when I noticed a change. She took thenourishment I gave her, and when I laid her back on the pillow, shesighed and made an effort to open her eyes.
I took her hand and held it and, after some time, I felt a slightpressure of her fingers upon mine.
"Gareth, dearest," I whispered.
At first there was no response; but when I called her again, thepressure of the fingers was distinct; and a little later she opened hereyes and looked at me.
That was all then, and she was so still afterwards, that I thought shewas once more unconscious. She was not, however; and presently hereyes opened again and her lips moved.
I bent down over her, and caught the faintly whispered words:
"Am I dying?"
"No, dearest, no. You will soon be strong again."
She looked at me, and tried, I think, to smile.
"Poor Karl." Just a soft, sighing whisper, and she was silent.
"He is here, dearest. Would you like to see him?"
She made no reply, but I told Mrs. Perry to bring both Gustav and theColonel to the door of the room. Then I went back and gave her somestimulant, as the doctor had told me.
It lent her a measure of strength.
"Karl is here, Gareth, and your father--shall I bring them?"
"Yes--both."
I went to the door and opened it, and they crept across the room to thebedside. Gustav knelt down on one side and took her hand and pressedhis lips to it. The Colonel stood on the other side; and I lifted herother hand from beneath the bed clothes and laid it where her fathercould hold it.
She thanked me with a look, and whispered: "Kiss me, Christabel."
I bent and kissed her; and the tears were standing thick in my eyes asI drew away.
"Father!"
Just the word and the look of entreaty; and he stooped down and kissedher too.
Her eyes lingered on him a moment, and then she turned her face slowlyround to Gustav, whose head was still bowed over the hand he held:
"Husband!"
He did not catch the faint whisper; and I touched him on the shoulder.He started up to find her eyes on him, and then understood; and he tookissed her. She kept her eyes on him; and he kissed her again.
"My darling wife," he murmured.
She looked at him intently.
"I am so sorry, Karl."
It was her last word. The flickering remnant of her strength was spentin a smile of love to him; and as it died slowly from her face, sheclosed her eyes, and her spirit passed into eternal peace.
As soon as I realized that she was gone, I whispered to Mrs. Perry andhurried out of the room, to find Karl there. He had come for news. Heread it in my face and by the tears in my eyes, as he put his arm aboutme and led me away.
THE END
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