CHAPTER XXXIII.
CONCLUSION.
For weeks Jack hovered between life and death, and when the crisis wasfinally passed, and he found himself well on the road to convalescence,the new year was a month old. His first thoughts were of Madge, whosedisappearance was still a mystery; he learned this from Jimmie, who camedown to Priory Court more than once to see his friend. He had decided tospend the winter in England, and since Jack's illness he had been tryingto find the girl.
By medical advice the patient was sent off to Torquay, in Devonshire, torecuperate, and Sir Lucius, who was anxious to restore his nephew toperfect health again, accompanied him. Jimmie remained in London,determined to prosecute his search for Madge more vigorously than ever.Sir Lucius, who, of course, knew the whole story, himself begged Jimmieto spare no pains.
In the mild climate of Devon the days dragged along monotonously, andJimmie's letters spoke only of failure. But Jack grew stronger andstouter, and in looks, at least, he was quite like his old self, with afine bronze on his cheeks, when he returned with Sir Lucius to PrioryCourt in March. It was the close of the month, and many a nine days'wonder had replaced in the public interest the tragic death of StephenFoster, the exposure of Benjamin and Company's nefarious transactions,and the solved mystery of the two Rembrandts. The world easily forgets,but not so with the actors concerned.
Jack had been at Priory Court two days, and was expecting a visit fromJimmie, when the latter wired to him to come up to town at once if hewas able. Sir Lucius was not at home; he was riding over some distantproperty he had recently bought. So Jack left a note for him, drove tothe station, and caught a London train. He reached Victoria station atnoon, and the cab that whirled him to the Albany seemed to crawl. Jimmiegreeted him gladly, with a ring of deep emotion in his mellow voice.
"By Jove, old fellow," he cried, "you are looking splendidly fit!"
"Have you succeeded?" Jack demanded, impatiently.
"Yes, I have found her," Jimmie replied. "It was by a mere fluke. I wentto a solicitor on some business, and it turned out that he was actingfor Miss Foster--you see her father left a good bit of money. He wasclose-mouthed at first, but when I partly explained how matters stood,he told me that the girl and her old servant, Mrs. Sedgewick, went offto a quiet place in the country--"
"And he gave you the address?"
"Yes; here it is!"
Jack took the piece of paper, and when he glanced at it his faceflushed. He wrung his friend's hand silently, looking the gratitude thathe could not utter, and then he made a bolt for the door.
"I'm off," he said, hoarsely. "God bless you, Jimmie--I'll never forgetthis!"
"Sure you feel fit enough?"
"Quite; don't worry about that."
"Well, good luck to you, old man!"
Jack shouted good-by, and made for Piccadilly. He sprang into the firstcab that came along, and he reached Waterloo just in time to catch aShepperton train. He longed to be at his destination, and alternatehopes and fears beset him, as he watched the landscape flit by. He drewa deep breath when he found himself on the platform of the rustic littlestation. It was a beautiful spring-like day, warm and sunny, with birdsmaking merry song and the air sweet and fragrant. He started off at arapid pace along the hedge-bordered road, and, traversing the length ofthe quaint old village street, he stopped finally at a cottage on thefarther outskirts. It was a pretty, retired place, lying near theancient church-tower, and isolated by a walled garden full of trees andshrubbery.
Jack's heart was beating wildly as he opened the gate. He walked up thegraveled path, between the rows of tall green boxwood, and suddenly avision rose before him. It was Madge herself, as lovely and fair as thespringtime, in a white frock with a pathetic touch of black at thethroat and waist. She approached slowly, then lifted her eyes and sawhim. And on the mad impulse of the moment he sprang forward and seizedher. He held her tight against his heart, as though he intended never torelease her.
"At last, darling!" he whispered passionately. "At last I have foundyou! Cruel one, why did you hide so long? Can you forgive me, Madge? Canyou bring back the past?--the happiness that was yours and mine in theold days?"
At first the girl lay mutely in his arms, quivering like a fragileflower with emotions that he could not read. Then she tried to breakfrom his embrace, looking at him with a flushed and tear-stained face.
"Let me go!" she pleaded. "Oh, Jack, why did you come? It was wrong ofyou! I have tried to forget--you know that the past is dead!"
"Hush! I love you, Madge, with a love that can never die. I won't loseyou again. Be merciful! Don't send me away! Is the shadow of thepast--the heavy punishment that fell upon me for boyish follies--toblast your life and mine? Have I not suffered enough?"
The girl slipped from his arms and confronted him sadly.
"It is not that," she said. "I am unworthy of you, Jack. What is yourdisgrace to mine? Would you marry the daughter of a man who--"
"Are you to blame for your father's sins?" Jack interrupted. "Let thedead rest! He would have wished you to be happy. You are mine, mine!Nothing shall part us, unless--But I won't believe that. Tell me, Madge,that you love me--that your feelings have not changed."
"I do love you, Jack, with all my heart, but--"
He stopped her lips with a kiss, and drew her to his arms again.
"There is no but," he whispered. "The shadows are gone, and the world isbright. Dearest, you will be my wife?"
He read his answer in her eloquent eyes, in the passion of the lips thatmet his. A joy too deep for words filled his heart, and he felt himselfamply compensated for all that he had suffered.
* * * * *
The marriage took place in June, at old Shepperton church, and Jimmiewas best man. Sir Lucius Chesney witnessed the quiet ceremony, and thenconsiderately went off to Paris for a fortnight, while the happy pairtraveled down to Priory Court, to spend their honeymoon in the ancestralmansion that would some day be their own. And, later, Jack took his wifeabroad, intending to do the Continent thoroughly before buckling downin London to his art; he could not be persuaded to relinquish that, inspite of the sad memories that attached to it.
Jimmie took a sudden longing for his native heath, and returned to NewYork; but it is more than likely that he will spend a part of each yearin England, as so many Americans are eager to do. Madge does not forgether father, unworthy though he was of such a daughter; and to Jack thememory of Diane is untempered by bitter feelings; for he knows that sherepented at the last. The Honorable Bertie Raven has learned his hardlesson, and his present conduct gives reasonable assurance that he willrun a straight course in the future, thanks to the friend who saved him.Noah Hawker is doing five years "hard," and Victor Nevill is an outcastand an exile in Australia, eking out a wretched existence on a smallincome that Sir Lucius kindly allows him.
As for the two Rembrandts, the original, of course, reverted to Lamb andDrummond. The duplicate hangs in the gallery at Priory Court, and SirLucius prizes it highly because it was the main link in the chain ofcircumstances that gave him a nephew worthy of his honored name.
THE END.
In Friendship's Guise Page 33