CHAPTER VI.
BONANZAS.
It was in the gray of the morning when they entered the mighty city bythe Thames. They sought a hotel, where they breakfasted; then waitinguntil business men had gone to their work, they called a carriage anddrove to the home of Browning's step-father.
It was Browning's turn now to tremble and perspire. "Bless my soul, Jim!"said he, "no drift on the Comstock was ever half so hot as this, never,by Jove!"
They were admitted and shown to the parlor. Browning asked for Mrs. andMiss Hamlin, and bade the servant say some friends desired to see them.
Who can picture the joy that followed the coming of those ladies into theroom! It is better to imagine it.
After an hour had passed, and the tears had dried, and the tremblingsceased a little, Browning's sister drew him a little aside and asked himwhy he did not inquire about some one else.
"Because," said he, "I dare not."
"Well," said the dear girl, "she is due here even now. If you will gointo the library I will meet her, tell her mother has a caller, andpropose that we go to the library. When we get there I will lose myselffor your sake, and, like the famous witches, 'dissolve into thin air.'"
"She is not married?" asked Browning.
"No," replied his sister.
"Heart whole?" Browning queried.
"How should I know?" answered his sister; "but there is the door-bell.Hurry Jack! This way to the library!"
Rose Jenvie came in. Grace met and greeted her in the hall.
"Why, Grace," said Rose, "you have been crying. What is wrong, dear?"
"Nothing is wrong," said Grace, "nothing at all, and I have not beencrying." And all the time the tears were running down her cheeks.
"Why," exclaimed Rose, "what in the world is the matter? What has soupset you this morning?"
"I tell you, nothing," answered Grace. "Mamma has a caller in the parlor;let us go to the library."
Reaching the door, Grace opened it for Rose, and then said, pettishly,"There! I have forgotten a letter I wish to show you; go in, and I willbe back directly."
Rose naturally walked in, when Grace closed the door behind her, turnedthe key noiselessly and fled.
The curtains were half drawn, the day was cloudy, and Rose advanced twoor three steps into the room before she discovered another occupant.That occupant rose as she stopped. She saw a manly fellow with hair cutshort and full mustache. He saw a woman a little above the medium height,with hazel eyes, full and proud, a fair, clear-cut face, a slight butperfectly developed form, and the face wore a look which it seemed to himwas sad, despite its beauty, as though some thought within made a shadowon the fair young life.
The young man gazed a moment, then raising and opening his arms, in avoice that shook perceptibly, said, "Rose!"
She gazed a moment, then with a joyous cry of "O, Jack!" sprang into theoutstretched arms, and for the first time in their lives their lips met.
There were tears in Jack's eyes; the tears were raining down Rose's face,and both were shaking as with a burning ague. Browning sank upon a sofa,still clasping the fair girl in his strong arms, and seating her besidehim.
"O, Rose," he said, "I have dreamed of this meeting ever since I leftyou, by sea and land, under the sunshine, in the deep mine's depths, byday and night. I love you, I do not know when I did not love you; I havecome for you, will you be my wife?"
Then Rose said: "You went away without a good-bye or any message. Younever wrote. You have been gone more than four years." But with a smilewhich was enchantment to Jack, she added: "If I could have found any oneto marry me, I would have shown you, but no one would, because when I wasyoung I kept such bad company."
Then how they did talk! Jack repeated all the old inaccuracies whichlovers have called up since the Stone Age, the burden of which was thatthe memory of her face had been his light in the darkest mine; the memoryof her voice had been the music for which his soul had been listening foryears.
And Rose told the enraptured young man how hard her lot had been toconceal a love which she had no right to own, because it had neverbeen asked; how hard it had been for her to simulate contentment andcheerfulness, but after all how it had been her comfort and support,because she had never doubted that he would come back.
Then Jack, between kisses, told his charmer that he had worked every dayfor years; that he had gathered up quite a many good pounds; that if shewould be his wife, if nothing could be done in England, they would bidEngland good-bye and make their home beyond the sea. And she consented,adding: "If you have to run away again, see that you do not go alone. Youwere always so wild that from the first you have needed some carefulperson to look after you."
An hour later, Grace came, unlocked the door, and found the happy pairarm-in-arm walking up and down the room. Going up to them, and lookinginto their faces, she said:
"Why, Rose, you have been crying; what is wrong, dear?"
"Nothing is wrong," she answered, "nothing is wrong, and I have notbeen crying; have I, Jack? But, Grace, was it fair to give me no hint,and thus permit Jack to surprise me into giving away something that Iought to have kept him on the rack for a month at least about beforeconferring?"
Grace smiled and said: "Are you quite satisfied, Jack?"
"Quite," he replied.
"And are you as happy as you deserve to be, Rose?"
"Oh, Grace," said Rose, and then the two young women both cried andembraced each other until Jack gently separated them, and said: "Come,we must find Jim. Jim is my friend. His judgment is perfect, and I mustsubmit this business to him."
"Mr. Sedgwick has gone back to the hotel," said Grace, and a seriouslook was in her eyes as she spoke. But in a moment she smiled and said:"When I told him where you were and who was with you, he laughed andsaid: 'It is liable to be a case of working after hours. When the younglady succeeds in extricating herself, tell Jack, please, that I have goneout to take in London, and will see him at the hotel when he finds timeto call.'"
"And who is Mr. Sedgwick?" asked Rose.
"The best and noblest man in all this world," replied Jack.
"Oh, Jack!" said Rose.
"It is true, all the same, my sorceress," said Browning. "I have seen himtested. He has been my close companion for lo! these many months."
"I am jealous of him," said Rose. "But why did he run away? I want toknow all your friends."
"I suspect the truth is he left out of consideration for you and myself,"said Browning. "He knew how I felt, and he hoped I would not bedisappointed, and I suspect he thought the sacredness of our joy oughtnot to be disturbed."
"Very fine, of course," said Grace; "very thoughtful and considerate, butwhy did he not stop to ask himself if it was quite fair to leave me allalone."
"You are right, Gracie," said Browning, "and this act of his shows anabsence of mind on his part that I did not expect."
Then all laughed, but Grace blushed a little while she laughed.
Then Mrs. Hamlin came in. She warmly congratulated the happy pair.
They strolled into the sitting-room, and soon after the mail was broughtin. The first things the girls seized upon were the papers fromDevonshire, for they were like other people. Men and women live in aplace for years, and daily express the belief that the home paper is theworst specimen they ever saw, but let one of them absent himself orherself for a week, and the same newspaper from the old home is the onething they want above all others. Glancing over the paper, Grace suddenlylooked up and said: "Why, they had a wonderfully exciting episode downin ---- on Sunday last." She had come upon the account of the exploitwith the bull, and read it aloud.
The names being misspelled, she never suspected the real facts.
"That was a brave man," she said, when she had finished. "It must havebeen splendid. I wish I could have seen it. How it must have astonishedthose villagers. I would like to kiss the man who performed that feat."
"Would you?" said Jack laughingly. "I will tell him so when I m
eet him."
"Please do," said Grace. "He must have been a grand matador from Spain,"and springing up, she caught a tidy from the furniture, danced around theroom with it, holding it in both hands as though bating an angry bull,and suddenly dropping it, made a grab for an imaginary ring and horn, andtwisting both wrists quickly, cried out: "Did I not down his highnessbeautifully?"
"Beautifully," said Browning, "and when I meet the man I will tell him ofyour vivid imitation."
"And don't forget to tell him I would like to kiss him," said Grace,laughing.
"Maybe I can fix it so you can tell him yourself, Grace."
"Do you know him, Jack?" asked Rose.
Jack smiled and said, "Perhaps."
"What do you mean, Jack?" asked Grace.
"I know the man, Grace; and so do you," said Jack.
"True?" asked Grace.
"True," said Jack.
"I know him?" asked Grace. "Why, who is there in ---- that would doanything like that?"
"No one that I know of," said Jack. "But you have forgotten a somewhatdiffident and reserved young man with whom you were conversing in theparlor an hour ago?"
Grace grew pale, and sank into a seat. "O, Jack, you don't mean--?"
"Yes," he said, interrupting her, "it was Sedgwick, and it was splendidlydone, too. It was, by Jove!"
"Honest?" asked Grace.
"Honest, and I will deliver your message."
Blushing scarlet, Grace sprang up and began to plead.
Browning would promise nothing except that he might possibly put thematter off a little while. "But," he added, "I believe Jim would givemore to see your imitation than you would to see the original performancerepeated without change of scene."
"Were you not sharp, Jack, to get me to commit myself before ever gaininga glimpse of this wonderful man?" asked Rose.
"Indeed, was," he replied. "Why, I recall now that once when we werehaving a friendly dispute, he threatened that unless I came to his termshe would come over here, search you out, and try to steal you away fromme."
"But then he had not seen _me_," said Grace, mockingly.
All laughed at that. Rose spoke first and said: "But, if he is your closefriend, and has come to England with you, why does he go back to thehotel?"
Browning smiled and said, "Why, child, save for three days in his ownfather's house, he has been under no gentleman's private roof for years.He does not know our English methods. And that makes me think; I, too,must go. My own tenure here was a little uncertain, when I went away, andnow I, too, am going to the hotel. When my father comes, Grace, you maytell him I have been here, that I called, but that I am staying atthe ---- Hotel. If he comes and calls upon me, I shall be glad to seehim; if he does not, why, to-morrow at ten, if you girls will have yourhats and wraps on, I think Jim and myself will be glad to engage you fora drive. Jim has not been forbidden the premises, and he can call for youwhile I wait outside."
No persuasion would make him remain. Putting his arm around Rose, he drewher to him, and said: "We will give the old folks a chance to do the fairthing; if they will not, what then, little one?"
"Henceforth," she answered, gravely, but low and sweet, "your home is tobe my home, your God my God." Then she bent and touched his hand with herlips, and he wended his way back to find Sedgwick.
The Wedge of Gold Page 6