第88章

We were soon seated in our little parlour. There was a great glow of health and beauty in Hope's face. It was a bit fuller but had nobler outlines and a colouring as delicate as ever. She wore a plain grey gown admirably fitted to her plump figure. There was a new and splendid 'dignity in her carriage， her big blue eyes， her nose with its little upward slant. She was now the well groomed young woman of society in the full glory of her youth.

Uncle Eb who sat between us pinched her cheek playfully. A little spot of white showed a moment where his fingers had been. Then the pink flooded over it.

'Never see a girl git such a smack as you did，'he said laughing.

'Well，'said she， sn乴ing， 'I guess I gave as good as I got.

'Served him right，'he said. 'You kissed back good 'n hard. Gran sport！'he added turning to me.

'Best I ever had，'was my humble acknowledgement.

'Seldom ever see a girl kissed so powerful，'he said as he took Hope hand in his. 'Now if the Bible said when a body kissed ye on one cheek ye mus'turn if other I wouldn t find no fault. But ther's a heap o differ nce 'tween a whack an'a smack.

When we had come back from dinner Uncle Lb drew off his boots and sat comfortably in his stocking feet while Hope told of her travels and I of my soldiering. She had been at the Conservatory， nearly the whole period of her absence， and hastened home when she learned of the battle and of my wound. She had landed two days before.

Hope's friend and Unde Lb went away to their rooms in good season. Then I came and sat beside Hope on the sofa.

'Let's have a good talk，'I said.

There was an awkward bit of silence.

'Well，'said she， her fan upon her lips， 'tell me more about the war.

'Tired of war，'I answered； 'love is a better subject.

She rose and walked up and down the room， a troubled look in her face. I thought I had never seen a woman who could carry her head so proudly.

'I don't thinkyou are very familiar with it，'said she presently.

'I ought to be，'I answered， 'having loved you all these years.

'But you told me that - that you loved another girl，'she said， her elbow leaning on the mantel， her eyes looking down soberly.

'When？ Where？'I asked.

'In Mrs Fuller's parlour.'

'Hope，'I said， 'you misunderstood me； I meant you.

She came toward me， then， looking up into my eyes. I started to embrace her but she caught my hands and held them apart and came close to me.

'Did you say that you meant me？'she asked in a whisper.

'I did.'

'Why did you not tell me that night？

'Because you would not listen to me and we were interrupted.

'Well if I loved a girl，'she said， 'I d make her listen.'

'I would have done that but Mrs Fuller saved you.'

'You might have written，'she suggested in a tone of injury.

'I did.'

'And the letter never came - just as I feared.'

She looked very sober and thoughtful then.

'You know our understanding that day in the garden，'she added. 'If you did not ask me again I was to know you - you did not love me any longer. That was long， long ago.

'I never loved any girl but you，'I said. 'I love you now， Hope， and that is enough - I love you so there is nothing else for me. You are dearer than my life. It was the thought of you that made me brave in battle. I wish I could be as brave here. But I demand your surrender - I shall give you no quarter now.

'I wish I knew，'she said， 'whether - whether you really love me or not？

'Don't you believe me， Hope？

'Yes， I believe you，'she said， 'but - but you might not know your own heart.

'It longs for you，'I said， 'it keeps me thinking of you always. Once it was so easy to be happy； since you have been away it has seemed as if there were no longer any light in the world or any pleasure. It has made me a slave. I did not know that love was such a mighty thing.

'Love is no Cupid - he is a giant，'she said， her voice trembling with emotion as mine had trembled. 'I tried to forget and he crushed me under his feet as if to punish me.

She was near to crying now， but she shut her lips firmly and kept back the tears. God grant me I may never forget the look in her eyes that moment. She came closer to me. Our lips touched； my arms held her tightly.

'I have waited long for this，'I said - 'the happiest moment of my lif& I thought！ had lost you.

'What a foolish man，'she whispered. 'I have loved you for years and years and you - you could not see it. I believe now''

She hesitated a moment， her eyes so close to my cheek I could feel the beat of their long lashes.

'That God made you for me，'she added.

'Love is God's helper，'I said. 'He made us for each other.

'I thank Him for it - I do love you so，'she whispered.

The rest is the old， old story. They that have not lived it are to be pitied.

When we sat down at length she told me what I had long suspected， that Mrs Fuller wished her to marry young Livingstone.

'But for Unde Eb，'she added， 'I think I should have done so - for I had given up all hope of you.

'Good old Uncle Eb！'I said. 'Let's go and tell him.

He was sound asleep when we entered his room but woke as I lit the gas.

'What's the matter？'he whispered， lifting his head.

'Congratulate us，'I said. 'We re engaged.

'Hey ye conquered her？'he enquired smiling.

'Love has conquered us both，'I said.

'Wall， I swan！ is thet so？'he answered. 'Guess I won't fool away any more time here n bed. If you childem ll go in t'other room I ll slip into my trousers an'then ye ll hear me talk some conversation.

'Beats the world！'he continued， coming in presently， buttoning his suspenders. 'I thought mos'likely ye d hitch up t gether sometime.

'Tain't often ye can find a pair s'well matched. The same style an gaited jest about alike. When ye goin't'git married？

'She hasn t named the day，'I said.

'Sooner the better，'said JJncle Eb as he drew on his coat and sat down. 'Used if be so t'when a young couple hed set up n held each other's han's a few nights they was ready fer the minister. Wish t ye could lix it fer 'bout Crissmus time， by jingo！ They's other things goin'if happen then.'s pose yer s'happy now ye can stan'a little bad news. I've got if tell ye - David's been losin'money. Hain t never wrote ye 'bout it - not a word - 'cause I didn t know how 'twas comin'out.