the man between- 第33部分

Perhaps　the　latter　would　have　the　sweetest　and　dearest　and　most　abiding　place　in　their　hearts；　but　just　in　the　present　they　were　enthralled　and　excited　by　the　beauty　and　good　comradeship　of　the　social　New　York　dinner　function。　Their　eyes　were　shining；　their　hearts　thrilling；　they　went　to　their　own　apartments　hand　in　hand；　buoyant；　vivacious；　feeling　that　life　was　good　and　love　unchangeable。　And　the　windows　being　open；　they　walked　to　one　and　stood　looking　out　upon　the　avenue。　All　signs　of　commerce　had　gone　from　the　beautiful　street；　but　it　was　busy　and　noisy　with　the　traffic　of　pleasure；　and　the　hum　of　multitudes；　the　rattle　of　carriages；　the　rush　of　autos；　the　light；　hurrying　footsteps　of　pleasure…seekers　insistently　demanded　their　sympathy。

〃We　cannot　go　out　to…night；〃　said　Ethel。　〃We　are　both　more　weary　than　we　know。〃

〃No；　we　cannot　go　to…night；　but；　oh；　Ethel；　we　are　in　New　York　again！　Is　not　that　joy　enough？　I　am　so　happy！　I　am　so　happy。　We　are　in　New　York　again！　There　is　no　city　like　it　in　all　the　world。　Men　live　here；　they　work　here；　they　enjoy　here。　How　happy；　how　busy　we　are　going　to　be；　Ethel！〃

During　these　joyful；　hopeful　expectations　he　was　walking　up　and　down　the　room；　his　eyes　dilating　with　rapture；　and　Ethel　closed　the　window　and　joined　him。　They　magnified　their　joy；　they　wondered　at　it；　they　were　sure　no　one　before　them　had　ever　loved　as　they　loved。　〃And　we　are　going　to　live　here；　Ethel；　going　to　have　our　home　here！　Upon　my　honor；　I　cannot　speak　the　joy　I　feel；　but〃　and　he　went　impetuously　to　the　piano　and　opened　it〃but　I　can　perhaps　sing　it

　　〃‘There　is　not　a　spot　in　this　wide…peopled　earth　　　So　dear　to　the　heart　as　the　Land　of　our　Birth；　　　'Tis　the　home　of　our　childhood；　the　beautiful　spot　　　Which　Memory　retains　when　all　else　is　forgot。　　　May　the　blessing　of　God　ever　hallow　the　sod；　　　And　its　valleys　and　hills　by　our　children　be　trod！

　　〃‘May　Columbia　long　lift　her　white　crest　o'er　the　wave；　　　The　birthplace　of　science　and　the　home　of　the　brave。　　　In　her　cities　may　peace　and　prosperity　dwell；　　　And　her　daughters　in　virtue　and　beauty　excel。　　　May　the　blessing　of　God　ever　hallow　the　sod；　　　And　its　valleys　and　hills　by　our　children　be　trod。'〃


With　the　patriotic　music　warbling　in　his　throat　he　turned　to　Ethel；　and　looked　at　her　as　a　lover　can；　and　she　answered　the　look；　and　thus　leaning　toward　each　other　in　visible　beauty　and　affection　their　new　life　began。　Between　smiles　and　kisses　they　sat　speaking；　not　of　the　past　with　all　its　love　and　loveliness；　but　of　the　high　things　calling　to　them　from　the　future；　the　work　and　duties　of　life　set　to　great　ends　both　for　public　and　private　good。　And　as　they　thus　communed　Tyrrel　took　his　wife's　hand　and　slowly　turned　on　her　finger　the　plain　gold　wedding　ring　behind　its　barrier　of　guarding　gems。

〃Ethel；〃　he　said　tenderly；　〃what　enchantments　are　in　this　ring　of　gold！　What　romances　I　used　to　weave　around　it；　and；　dearest；　it　has　turned　every　Romance　into　Reality。〃

〃And；　Tyrrel；　it　will　also　turn　all　our　Realities　into　Romances。　Nothing　in　our　life　will　ever　become　common。　Love　will　glorify　everything。〃

〃And　we　shall　always　love　as　we　love　now？〃

〃We　shall　love　far　better；　far　stronger；　far　more　tenderly。〃

〃Even　to　the　end　of　our　lives；　Ethel？〃

〃Yes；　to　the　very　end。〃



CHAPTER　XIII


A　PAUSE　of　blissful　silence　followed　this　assurance。　It　was　broken　by　a　little　exclamation　from　Ethel。　〃Oh；　dear；〃　she　said；　〃how　selfishly　thoughtless　my　happiness　makes　me！　I　have　forgotten　to　tell　you；　until　this　moment；　that　I　have　a　letter　from　Dora。　It　was　sent　to　grandmother's　care；　and　I　got　it　this　afternoon；　also　one　from　Lucy　Rawdon。　The　two　together　bring　Dora's　affairs；　I　should　say；　to　a　pleasanter　termination　than　we　could　have　hoped　for。〃

〃Where　is　the　Enchantress？〃

〃In　Paris　at　present。〃

〃I　expected　that　answer。〃

〃But　listen；　she　is　living　the　quietest　of　lives；　the　most　devoted　daughter　cannot　excel　her。〃

〃Is　she　her　own　authority　for　that　astonishing　statement？　Do　you　believe　it？〃

〃Yes；　under　the　circumstances。　Mr。　Denning　went　to　Paris　for　a　critical　and　painful　operation；　and　Dora　is　giving　all　her　love　and　time　toward　making　his　convalescence　as　pleasant　as　it　can　be。　In　fact；　her　description　of　their　life　in　the　pretty　chateau　they　have　rented　outside　of　Paris　is　quite　idyllic。　When　her　father　is　able　to　travel　they　are　going　to　Algiers　for　the　winter；　and　will　return　to　New　York　about　next　May。　Dora　says　she　never　intends　to　leave　America　again。〃

〃Where　is　her　husband？　Keeping　watch　on　the　French　chateau？〃

〃That　is　over。　Mr。　Denning　persuaded　Dora　to　write　a　statement　of　all　the　facts　concerning　the　birth　of　the　child。　She　told　her　husband　the　name　under　which　they　traveled；　the　names　of　the　ship；　the　captain；　and　the　ship's　doctor；　and　Mrs。　Denning　authenticated　the　statement；　but；　oh；　what　a　mean；　suspicious　creature　Mostyn　is！〃

〃What　makes　you　reiterate　that　description　of　him？〃

〃He　was　quite　unable　to　see　any　good　or　kind　intent　in　this　paper。　He　proved　its　correctness；　and　then　wrote　Mr。　Denning　a　very　contemptible　letter。〃

〃Which　was　characteristic　enough。　What　did　he　say？〃

〃That　the　amende　honorable　was　too　late；　that　he　supposed　Dora　wished　to　have　the　divorce　proceedings　stopped　and　be　reinstated　as　his　wife；　but　he　desired　the　whole　Denning　family　to　understand　that　was　now　impossible；　he　was　‘fervently；　feverishly　awaiting　his　freedom；　which　he　expected　at　any　hour。'　He　said　it　was　‘sickening　to　remember　the　weariness　of　body　and　soul　Dora　had　given　him　about　a　non…existing　child；　and　though　this　could　never　be　atoned　for；　he　did　think　he　ought　to　be　refunded　the　money　Dora's　contemptible　revenge　had　cost　him。〃'

〃How　could　he？　How　could　he？〃

〃Of　course　Mr。　Denning　sent　him　a　check；　a　pretty　large　one；　I　dare　say。　And　I　suppose　he　has　his　freedom　by　this　time；　unless　he　has　married　again。〃

〃He　will　never　marry　again。〃

〃Indeed；　that　is　the　strange　part　of　the　story。　It　was　because　he　wanted　to　marry　again　that　he　was　‘fervently；　feverishly　awaiting　his　freedom。'〃

〃I　can　hardly　believe　it；　Ethel。　What　does　Dora　say？〃

〃I　have　the　news　from　Lucy。　She　says　when　Mostyn　was　ignored　by　everyone　in　the　neighborhood；　one　woman　stood　up　for　him　almost　passionately。　Do　you　remember　Miss　Sadler？〃

〃That　remarkable　governess　of　the　Surreys？　Why；　Ethel；　she　is　the　very　ugliest　woman　I　ever　saw。〃

〃She　is　so　ugly　that　she　is　fascinating。　If　you　see　her　one　minute　you　can　never　forget　her；　and　she　is　brains　to　her　finger　tips。　She　ruled　everyone　at　Surrey　House。　She　was　Lord　Surrey's　secretary　and　Lady　Surrey's　adviser。　She　educated　the　children；　and　they　adored　her；　she　ruled　the　servants；　and　they　obeyed　her　with　fear　and　trembling。　Nothing　was　done　in　Surrey　House　without　her　approval。　And　if　her　face　was　not　handsome；　she　had　a　noble　presence　and　a　manner　that　was　irresistible。〃

〃And　she　took　Mostyn's　part？〃

〃With　enthusiasm。　She　abused　Dora　individually；　and　American　women　generally。　She　pitied　Mr。　Mostyn；　and　made　others　do　so；　and　when　she　perceived　there　would　be　but　a　shabby　and　tardy　restoration　for　him　socially；　she　advised　him　to　shake　off　the　dust　of　his　feet　from　Monk…Rawdon；　and　begin　life　in　some　more　civilized　place。　And　in　order　that　he　might　do　so；　she　induced　Lord　Surrey　to　get　him　a　very　excellent　civil　appointment　in　Calcutta。〃

〃Then　he　is　going　to　India？〃

〃He　is　probably　now　on　the　way　there。　He　sold　the　Mostyn　estate〃

〃I　can　hardly　believe　it。〃

〃He　sold　it　to　John　Thomas　Rawdon。　John　Thomas　told　me　it　belonged　to　Rawdon　until　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century；　and　he　meant　to　have　it　back。　He　has　got　it。〃

〃Miss　Sadler　must　be　a　witch。〃

〃She　is　a　sensible；　practical　woman；　who　knows　how　to　manage　men。　She　has　soothed　Mostyn's　wounded　pride　with　appreciative　flattery　and　stimulated　his　ambition。　She　has　promised　him　great　things　in　India；　and　she　will　see　that　he　gets　them。〃

〃He　must　be　completely　under　her　control。〃

〃She　will　never　let　him　call　his　soul　his　own；　but　she　will　manage　his　affairs　to　perfection。　And　Dora　is　forever　rid　of　that　wretched　influence。　The　man　can　never　again　come　between　her　and　her　love；　never　again　come　between　her　and　happiness。　There　will　be　the　circumference　of　the　world　as　a　barrier。〃

〃There　will　be　Jane　Sadler　as　a　barrier。　She　will　be　sufficient。　The　Woman　Between　will　annihilate　The　Man　Between。　Dora　is　now　safe。　What　will　she　do　with　herself？〃

〃She　will　come　back　to　New　York　and　be　a　social　power。　She　is　young；　beautiful；　rich；　and　her　father　has　tremendous　financial　influence。　Social　affairs　are　ruled　by　finance。　I　should　not　wonder　to　see　her　in　St。　Jude's；　a　devotee　and　eminent　for　good　works。〃

〃And　if　Basil　Stanhope　should　return？〃

〃Poor　Basilhe　is　dead。〃

〃How　do　you　know　that？〃

〃What　DO　you　mean；　Tyrrel？〃

〃Are　you　sure　Basil　is　dead？　What　proof　have　you？〃

〃You　must　be　dreaming！　Of　course　he　is　dead！　His　friend　came　and　told　me　sotold　me　everything。〃

〃Is　that　all？〃

〃There　were　notices　in　the　papers。〃

〃Is　that　all？〃

〃Mr。　Denning　must　have　known　it　when　he　stopped　divorce　proceedings。〃

〃Doubtless　he　believed　it；　he　wished　to　do　so。〃

〃Tyrrel；　tell　me　what　you　mean。〃

〃I　always　wondered　about　his　death　rather　than　believed　in　it。　Basil　had　a　consuming　sense　of　honor　and　affection　for　the　Church　and　its　sacred　offices。　He　would　have　died　willingly　rather　than　drag　them　into　the　mire　of　a　divorce　court。　When　the　fear　became　certainty　he　disappearedreally　died　to　all　his　previous　life。〃

〃But　I　cannot　conceive　of　Basil　lying　for　any　purpose。〃

〃He　disappeared。　His　family　and　friends　took　on　themselves　the　means　they　thought　most　likely　to　make　that　disappearance　a　finality。〃

〃Have　you　heard　anything；　seen　anything？〃

〃One　night　just　before　I　left　the　West　a　traveler　asked　me　for　a　night's　lodging。　He　had　been　prospecting　in　British　America　in　the　region　of　the　Klondike；　and　was　full　of　incidental　conversation。　Among　many　other　things　he　told　me　of　a　wonderful　sermon　he　had　heard　from　a　young　man　in　a　large　mining　camp。　I　did　not　give　the　story　any　attention　at　the　time；　but　after　he　had　gone　away　it　came　to　me　like　a　flash　of　light　that　the　preacher　was　Bas