She broke off, passing her hand across her brow and looking puzzled.
“Mr. Reay is very much to be congratulated!” — said Sir Francis, gently.
She smiled rather sadly.
“Oh, I’m not sure of that,” she said— “He is a very clever man — he writes books, and he will be famous very soon — while I—” She paused again, then went on, looking very earnestly at Sir Francis— “May I — would you — write out something for me that I might sign before I go away to-day, to make it sure that if I die, all that I have — including this terrible, terrible fortune — shall come to Angus Reay? You see anything might happen to me — quite suddenly, — the very train I am going back in to-night might meet with some accident, and I might be killed — and then poor David’s money would be lost, and his legacies never paid. Don’t you see that?”
Sir Francis certainly saw it, but was not disposed to admit its possibility.
“There is really no necessity to anticipate evil,” he began.
“There is perhaps no necessity — but I should like to be sure, quite sure, that in case of such evil all was right,” — she said, with great feeling— “And I know you could do it for me — —”
“Why, of course, if you insist upon it, I can draw you up a form of Will in ten minutes,” — he said, smiling benevolently— “Would that satisfy you? You have only to sign it, and the thing is done.”
It was wonderful to see how she rejoiced at this proposition, — the eager delight with which she contemplated the immediate disposal of the wealth she had not as yet touched, to the man she loved best in the world — and the swift change in her manner from depression to joy, when Sir Francis, just to put her mind at ease, drafted a concise form of Will for her in his own handwriting, in which form she, with the same precision as that of David Helmsley, left “everything of which she died possessed, absolutely and unconditionally,” to her promised husband. With a smile on her face and sparkling eyes, she signed this document in the presence of two witnesses, clerks of the office called up for the purpose, who, if it had been their business to express astonishment, would undoubtedly have expressed it then.
“You will keep it here for me, won’t you?” she said, when the clerks had retired and the business was concluded— “And I shall feel so much more at rest now! For when I have talked it over with Angus I shall realise everything more clearly — he will advise me what to do — he is so much wiser than I am! And you will write to me and tell me all that is needful for me to know — shall I leave this paper?” — and she held up the document in which the list of Helmsley’s various legacies was written— “Surely you ought to keep it?”
Sir Francis smiled gravely.
“I think not!” he said— “I think I must urge you to retain that paper on which my name is so generously remembered, in your own possession, Miss Deane. You understand, I suppose, that you are not by the law compelled to pay any of these legacies. They are left entirely to your own discretion. They merely represent the last purely personal wishes of my late friend, David Helmsley, and you must yourself decide whether you consider it practical to carry them out.”
She looked surprised.
“But the personal wishes of the dead are more than any law” she exclaimed— “They are sacred. How could I” — and moved by a sudden impulse she laid her hand appealingly on his arm— “How could I neglect or fail to fulfil any one of them? It would be impossible!
Responding to her earnest look and womanly gentleness, Sir Francis who had not forgotten the old courtesies once practised by gentlemen to women whom they honoured, raised the hand that rested so lightly on his arm, and kissed it.
“I know” he said— “that it would be impossible for you to do what is not right and true and just! And you will need no advice from me save such as is purely legal and technical. Let me be your friend in these matters — —”
“And in others too,” — said Mary, sweetly— “I do hope you will not dislike me!”
Dislike her? Well, well! If any mortal man, old or young, could “dislike” a woman with a face like hers and eyes so tender, such an one would have to be a criminal or a madman! In a little while they fell into conversation as naturally as if they had known each other for years: Sir Francis listening with profound interest to the story of his old friend’s last days. And presently, despatching a telegram to his wife to say that he was detained in the city by pressing business, he took Mary out with him to a quiet little restaurant where he dined with her, and finally saw her off from Paddington station by the midnight train for Minehead. Nothing would induce her to stay in London, — her one aim and object in life now was to return to Weircombe and explain everything to Angus as quickly as possible. And when the train had gone, Sir Francis left the platform in a state of profound abstraction, and was driven home in his brougham feeling more like a sentimentalist than a lawyer.
“Extraordinary!” he ejaculated— “The most extraordinary thing I ever heard of in my life? But I knew — I felt that Helmsley would dispose of his wealth in quite an unexpected way! Now I wonder how the man — Mary Deane’s lover — will take it? I wonder! But what a woman she is! — how beautiful! — how simple and honest — above all how purely womanly! — with all the sweet grace and gentleness which alone commands, and ever will command man’s adoration! Helmsley must have been very much at peace and happy in his last days! Yes! — the sorrowful ‘king’ of many millions must have at last found the treasure he sought and which he considered more precious than all his money! For Solomon was right: ‘If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be utterly contemned!’”
At Weircombe next day there was a stiff gale of wind blowing inland, and the village, with its garlands and pyramids of summer blossom, was swept from end to end by warm, swift, salty gusts, that bent the trees and shook the flowers in half savage, half tender sportiveness, while the sea, shaping itself by degrees into “wild horses” of blue water bridled with foam, raced into the shore with ever-increasing hurry and fury. But notwithstanding the strong wind, there was a bright sun, and a dazzling blue sky, scattered over with flying masses of cloud, like flocks of white birds soaring swiftly to some far-off region of rest. Everything in nature looked radiant and beautiful, — health and joy were exhaled from every breath of air — and yet in one place — one pretty rose-embowered cottage, where, until now, the spirit of content had held its happy habitation, a sudden gloom had fallen, and a dark cloud had blotted out all the sunshine. Mary’s little “home sweet home” had been all at once deprived of sweetness, — and she sat within it like a mournful castaway, clinging to the wreck of that which had so long been her peace and safety. Tired out by her long night journey and lack of sleep, she looked very white and weary and ill — and Angus Reay, sitting opposite to her, looked scarcely less worn and weary than herself. He had met her on her return from London at the Minehead station, with all the ardour and eagerness of a lover and a boy, — and he had at once seen in her face that something unexpected had happened, — something that had deeply affected her — though she had told him nothing, till on their arrival home at the cottage, she was able to be quite alone with him. Then he learned all. Then he knew that “old David” had been no other than David Helmsley the millionaire, — the very man whom his first love, Lucy Sorrel, had schemed and hoped to marry. And he realised — and God alone knew with what a passion of despair he realised it! — that Mary — his bonnie Mary — his betrothed wife — had been chosen to inherit those very millions which had formerly stood between him and what he had then imagined to be his happiness. And listening to the strange story, he had sunk deeper and deeper into the Slough of Despond, and now sat rigidly silent, with all the light gone out of his features, and all the ardour quenched in his eyes. Mary looking at him, and reading every expression in that dark beloved face, felt the tears rising thickly in her throat, but bravely suppressed them, and tried to smile.
“I knew you would be sorry wh
en you heard all about it, Angus,” — she said— “I felt sure you would! I wish it had happened differently—” Here she stopped, and taking up the little dog Charlie, settled him on her knee. He was whimpering to be caressed, and she bent over his small silky head to hide the burning drops that fell from her eyes despite herself. “If it could only be altered! — but it can’t — and the only thing to do is to give the money away to those who need it as quickly as possible — —”
“Give it away!” answered Angus, bitterly— “Good God! Why, to give away seven or eight millions of money in the right quarters would occupy one man’s lifetime!”
His voice was harsh, and his hand clenched itself involuntarily as he spoke. She looked at him in a vague fear.
“No, Mary,” — he said— “You can’t give it away — not as you imagine. Besides, — there is more than money — there is the millionaire’s house — his priceless pictures, his books — his yacht — a thousand and one other things that he possessed, and which now belong to you. Oh Mary! I wish to God I had never seen him!”
She trembled.
“Then perhaps — you and I would never have met,” she murmured.
“Better so!” and rising, he paced restlessly up and down the little kitchen— “Better that I should never have loved you, Mary, than be so parted from you! By money, too! The last thing that should ever have come between us! Money! Curse it! It has ruined my life!”
She lifted her tear-wet eyes to his.
“What do you mean, Angus?” she asked, gently— “Why do you talk of parting? The money makes no difference to our love!”
“No difference? No difference? Oh Mary, don’t you see!” and he turned upon her a face white and drawn with his inward anguish— “Do you think — can you imagine that I would marry a woman with millions of money — I — a poor devil, with nothing in the world to call my own, and no means of livelihood save in my brain, which, after all, may turn out to be quite of a worthless quality! Do you think I would live on your bounty? Do you think I would accept money from you? Surely you know me better! Mary, I love you! I love you with my whole heart and soul! — but I love you as the poor working woman whose work I hoped to make easier, whose life it was my soul’s purpose to make happy — but, — you have everything you want in the world now! — and I — I am no use to you! I can do nothing for you — nothing! — you are David Helmsley’s heiress, and with such wealth as he has left you, you might marry a prince of the royal blood if you cared — for princes are to be bought, — like anything else in the world’s market! But you are not of the world — you never were — and now — now — the world will take you! The world leaves nothing alone that has any gold upon it!”
She listened quietly to his passionate outburst. She was deadly pale, and she pressed Charlie close against her bosom, — the little dog, she thought half vaguely, would love her just as well whether she was rich or poor.
“How can the world take me, Angus?” she said— “Am I not yours? — all yours! — and what has the world to do with me? Do not speak in such a strange way — you hurt me — —”
“I know I hurt you!” he said, stopping in his restless walk and facing her— “And I know I should always hurt you — now! If David Helmsley had never crossed our path, how happy we might have been — —”
She raised her hand reproachfully.
“Do not blame the poor old man, even in a thought, Angus!” she said— “His dream — his last hope was that we two might be happy! He brought us together, — and I am sure, quite sure, that he hoped we would do good in the world with the money he has left us — —”
“Us!” interrupted Angus, meaningly.
“Yes, — surely us! For am I not to be one with you? Oh Angus, be patient, be gentle! Think kindly of him who meant so much kindness to those whom he loved in his last days!” She smothered a rising sob, and went on entreatingly— “He has forgotten no one who was friendly to him — and — and — Angus — remember! — remember in that paper I have shown to you — that list of bequests, which he has entrusted me to pay, he has left me to you, Angus! — me — with all I possess — —”
She broke off, startled by the sorrow in his eyes.
“It is a legacy I cannot accept!” he said, hoarsely, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion— “I cannot take it — even though you, the most precious part of it, are the dearest thing to me in the world! I cannot! This horrible money has parted us, Mary! More than that, it has robbed me of my energy for work — I cannot work without you — and I must give you up! Even if I could curb my pride and sink my independence, and take money which I have not earned, I should never be great as a writer — never be famous. For the need of patience and grit would be gone — I should have nothing to work for — no object in view — no goal to attain. Don’t you see how it is with me? And so — as things have turned out — I must leave Weircombe at once — I must fight this business through by myself — —”
“Angus!” and putting Charlie gently down, she rose from her chair and came towards him, trembling— “Do you mean — do you really mean that all is over between us? — that you will not marry me?”
He looked at her straightly.
“I cannot!” he said— “Not if I am true to myself as a man!”
“You cannot be true to me, as a woman?”
He caught her in his arms and held her there.
“Yes — I can be so true to you, Mary, that as long as I live I shall love you! No other woman shall ever rest on my heart — here — thus — as you are resting now! I will never kiss another woman’s lips as I kiss yours now!” And he kissed her again and again— “But, at the same time, I will never live upon your wealth like a beggar on the bounty of a queen! I will never accept a penny at your hands! I will go away and work — and if possible, will make the fame I have dreamed of — but I will never marry you, Mary — never! That can never be!” He clasped her more closely and tenderly in his arms— “Don’t — don’t cry, dear! You are tired with your long journey — and — and — with all the excitement and trouble. Lie down and rest awhile — and — don’t — don’t worry about me! You deserve your fortune — you will be happy with it by and by, when you find out how much it can do for you, and what pleasures you can have with it — and life will be very bright for you — I’m sure it will! Mary — don’t cling to me, darling! — it — it unmans me! — and I must be strong — strong for your sake and my own” — here he gently detached her arms from about his neck— “Good-bye, dear! — you must — you must let me go! — God bless you!”
As in a dream she felt him put her away from his embrace — the cottage door opened and closed — he was gone.
Vaguely she looked about her. There was a great sickness at her heart — her eyes ached, and her brain was giddy. She was tired, — very tired — and hardly knowing what she did, she crept like a beaten and wounded animal into the room which had formerly been her own, but which she had so long cheerfully resigned for Helmsley’s occupation and better comfort, — and there she threw herself upon the bed where he had died, and lay for a long time in a kind of waking stupor.
“Oh, dear God, help me!” she prayed— “Help me to bear it! It is so hard — so hard! — to have won the greatest joy that life can give — and then — to lose it all!”
She closed her eyes, — they were hot and burning, and now no tears relieved the pressure on her brain. By and by she fell into a heavy slumber. As the afternoon wore slowly away, Mrs. Twitt, on neighbourly thoughts intent, came up to the cottage, eager to hear all the news concerning “old David” — but she found the kitchen deserted; and peeping into the bedroom adjoining, saw Mary lying there fast asleep, with Charlie curled up beside her.
“She’s just dead beat and tired out for sure!” and Mrs. Twitt stole softly away again on tip-toe. “’Twould be real cruel to wake her. I’ll put a bit on the kitchen fire to keep it going, and take myself off. There’s plenty of time to hear all the news to-morrow.�
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So, being left undisturbed, Mary slept on and on — and when she at last awoke it was quite dark. Dark save for the glimmer of the moon which shone with a white vividness through the lattice window — shedding on the room something of the same ghostly light as on the night when Helmsley died. She sat up, pressing her hands to her throbbing temples, — for a moment she hardly knew where she was. Then, with a sudden rush of recollection, she realised her surroundings — and smiled. She was one of the richest women in the world! — and — without Angus — one of the poorest!
“But he does not need me so much as I need him!” she said aloud— “A man has so many thing to live for; but a woman has only one — love!”
She rose from the bed, trembling a little. She thought she saw “old David” standing near the door, — how pale and cold he seemed! — what a sorrow there was in his eyes! She stretched out her arms to the fancied phantom.
“Don’t, — don’t be unhappy, David dear!” she said— “You meant all for the best — I know — I know! But even you, old as you were, tried to find some one to care for you — and you see — surely in Heaven you see how hard it is for me to have found that some one, and then to lose him! But you must not grieve! — it will be all right!”
Mechanically she smoothed her tumbled hair — and taking up Charlie from the bed where he was anxiously watching her, she went into the kitchen. A small fire was burning low — and she lit the lamp and set it on the table. A gust of wind rushed round the house, shaking the door and the window, then swept away again with a plaintive cry, — and pausing to listen, she heard the low, thunderous boom of the sea. Moving about almost automatically, she prepared Charlie’s supper and gave it to him, and slipping a length of ribbon through his collar, tied him securely to a chair. The little animal was intelligent enough to consider this an unusual proceeding on her part — and as a consequence of the impression it made upon his canine mind, refused to take his food. She saw this — but made no attempt to coax or persuade him. Opening a drawer in her oaken press, she took out pen, ink, and paper, and sitting down at the table wrote a letter. It was not a long letter — for it was finished, put in an envelope and sealed in less than ten minutes. Addressing it “To Angus” — she left it close under the lamp where the light might fall upon it. Then she looked around her. Everything was very quiet. Charlie alone was restless — and sat on his tiny haunches, trembling nervously, refusing to eat, and watching her every movement. She stooped suddenly and kissed him — then without hat or cloak, went out, closing the cottage door behind her.
Delphi Collected Works of Marie Corelli Page 698