CHAPTER XXII.
"Our love, it ne'er was reckoned, Yet good it is and true; It's half the world to me, dear, It's all the world to you." --Hood.
Edward was a trifle late in obeying the call to breakfast. He found therest of the family already seated at the table, and great was the surprisecreated by his entrance.
"Why, how's this? hae we all been sleepin' a week or ten days?" exclaimedMr. Lilburn. "The lad was to hae been absent that length o' time, and Ithought it was but yesterday he went; yet here he is!"
"This is an unexpected pleasure, my dear boy," was his mother's greeting.
The others said "Good-morning," and all smilingly awaited an explanation.
"Good-morning to you all," returned Edward, taking his seat. "Of course Ihave not had time to attend to the business matter that took me away; butthe fact is, I found I could not do without my wife, so came back afterher."
"Where is she now?" asked his mother.
"I left her still in bed and asleep. I came home by the stage, found herawake--indeed, I think she said she had not slept at all--and kept herawake for some time talking----"
"So much to say after so lengthened a separation?" laughingly interruptedhis grandfather.
"Yes, sir, a good deal," Edward answered, coloring slightly. "So she hasto make it up now, and I would not wake her."
"Quite right," said his mother. "Her breakfast shall be sent up whenevershe is ready for it."
"I'm very glad you've come, Ned," remarked Rosie, "for Zoe nearly criedher eyes out yesterday, grieving after you. 'Twouldn't be I that wouldfret so after any man living--unless it might be grandpa," with acoquettish, laughing look at him.
"Thank you, my dear," he said.
"Ah, lassie, that's a' because your time hasna come yet," remarked Mr.Lilburn. "When it does, you'll be as lovelorn and foolish as the rest."
"Granting that it is foolish for a woman to love her husband," put in Mrs.Dinsmore, sportively.
"A heresy never to be countenanced here," said her spouse; "the husbandsand wives of this family expect to give and receive no small amount ofthat commodity. Do you set off again this morning, Ned?"
"No, sir; not before to-morrow; not then unless Zoe is ready to go withme."
"Quite right, my boy, your wife's health and happiness are, as your motherremarked to me yesterday, of more consequence than any mere businessmatter."
On leaving the table Edward followed his mother out to the veranda.
"Can I have a word in private with you, mamma?" he asked, and she thoughthis look was troubled.
"Certainly," she said. "I hope nothing is wrong with our little Zoe?"
"It is of her--and myself I want to speak. I feel impelled to make aconfession to you, mother dear, that I would not willingly to any oneelse. Perhaps you have suspected," he added, coloring with mortification,"that all was not right between us when I left yesterday. She would nothave fretted so over my mere absence of a few days, but I had scolded andthreatened her the night before, and went away without any reconciliationor even a good-by. In fact, she was asleep when I left the rooms, and knewnothing of my going."
"O Edward!" exclaimed his listener in a low, pained tone.
"I am bitterly ashamed of my conduct, mother," he said with emotion, "butwe have made it up and are both very happy again in each other's love. Shewas very humble over her part of the quarrel, poor little thing! and wemean to live in peace and love the rest of our lives, God helping us," headded reverently.
"I trust so, my dear boy," Elsie said, "for whether you live in peace orcontention, will make all the difference of happiness or misery in yourlives. It would have quite broken my heart had your father ever scolded orthreatened me."
"But you, mamma, were a woman when you married, old enough and wise enoughto guide and control yourself."
"I was older than Zoe is, it is true; but do not be dictatorial, Edward;if you must rule, do it by love and persuasion; you will find it theeasiest and happiest way for you both."
"Yes, mother, I am convinced of it; but unfortunately for my poor littlewife, I have not my father's gentleness and easy temper. Will you come upwith me now and take a look at her? I fear she is not quite well--hercheeks are so flushed and her hands so hot. I shall never forgive myselfif I have made her ill."
"I sincerely hope you are not to be visited with so severe a punishment asthat," his mother said. "But come, let us go to her at once."
They found her still sleeping, but not profoundly; her face wasunnaturally flushed, and wore a troubled expression, while her breathingseemed labored.
As they stood anxiously regarding her, she woke with a sharp cry ofdistress and anguish, then catching sight of her husband bending over her,her face grew radiant, and throwing her arms about his neck, "O Ned, dearNed!" she cried, "are you here? and do you love me yet?"
"Dearly, dearly, my darling," he said, holding her close. "What hastroubled you?"
"Oh, such a dreadful dream! I thought I was all alone in a desert andcouldn't find you anywhere."
"But 'drames always go by conthraries, my dear,'" he quoted sportively.Then more seriously, "Are you quite well, love?" he asked.
"A little dull and a trifle headachy," she answered, smiling up at him,"but I think a cup of coffee and a drive with my husband in the sweetmorning air will cure me."
"You shall have both with the least possible delay."
"What time is it? Have you been to breakfast?"
"It's about nine, and I have taken breakfast. I think you must have somebefore exerting yourself to dress."
"Just as you say; it's nice to have you tell me what to do," she said,nestling closer in his arms. "I can't think why I should ever havedisliked it."
"I presume it was all the fault of my tone and manner, sometimes of mywords, too," he said, passing his hand caressingly over her hair andcheek. "I'm afraid I've been decidedly bearish on several occasions; but Itrust I shall have the grace to treat my wife with politeness andconsideration after this."
Elsie, who had left the room on Zoe's awaking, now came in and bidding heran affectionate good-morning, said she had ordered her breakfast to bebrought up at once, adding, "I hope you will do it justice, my dear."
"I'll see that she does, mamma," Edward answered for her, in sportivetone; "she has made such fair promises of submission, obedience, and allthat, that she'll hardly dare refuse to do anything I bid her."
"I haven't been very good about it lately, mamma," Zoe said, looking halftearfully, half smilingly from one to the other, "but Ned's forgiven me,and now I feel as you say you did--that it's a real pleasure to give up mywishes to one I love so very dearly, and who is, I know, very much wiserthan I."
"That is right, dear," Elsie said tenderly, "and I trust he will showhimself worthy of all your love and confidence."
The two now comported themselves like a pair of lovers, as indeed they haddone through all their brief married life, except the last few days.
Edward exerted himself for the entertainment of his little wife duringtheir drive, and was very tender and careful of her.
On their return, he bade her lie down on the sofa in her boudoir and rest,averring that she looked languid and unlike herself.
"To please you," she said, obeying the mandate with a smiling glance upinto his face.
"That's a good child!" he responded, sitting down beside her and smoothingher hair with fond, caressing hand. "Now, what shall I do to please you?"
"Stay here, close beside me, and hold my hand, and talk to me."
"Very well," he answered, closing his fingers over the hand she put intohis, then lifting it to his lips. "How your face has changed, love, sincethat frightened look you gave me when I came in with the lamp last night."
"How frightened and ashamed I was, Ned!" she exclaimed, tears springing toher eyes; "I felt that you had a right to beat me if you wanted to, and Ishouldn't have said a word if you'd done it."
"But you cou
ldn't have feared that?" he said, with a pained look, andcoloring deeply.
"No, oh, _no, indeed_! I know you would _never_ do that, but I dreadedwhat you might say, and did not at all expect you would be so kind andforgiving and loving to me.
"But how was I brought up here? I knew nothing from the instant you wereat my side on the door-step till I saw you coming in with the lamp."
"In your husband's arms."
"What a heavy load for you to carry!" she said, looking at him withconcern.
"No, not at all; I did it with perfect ease, except for the darkness andthe fear that you might recover consciousness on the way and scream outwith affright before you discovered who your captor was."
"My husband, my dear, kind husband!" she murmured, softly stroking hisface as he bent over her to press a kiss upon her forehead.
"My darling little wife," he returned.
Then after a moment's silent exchange of caresses,
"Would you mind telling me where you were going and what you intended todo?" he asked with a half smile.
"I have no right to refuse, if you require a full confession," she said,half playfully, half tearfully, and blushing deeply.
"I don't require it, but should like to have it, nevertheless; for Iconfess my curiosity is piqued," he said with an amused, yet tender lookand tone.
"There isn't really very much to tell," she sighed, "only that because Iwas dreadfully unhappy and had worked myself up to believing that I was ahated wife, a burden and annoyance to my husband, I thought it would be anact of noble self-sacrifice to run away, and--O Ned, please don't laugh atme!"
"I am not laughing, love," he said in soothing, half-tremulous tones,taking her in his arms and holding her close, as he had done the nightbefore. "How could I laugh at you for being willing to sacrificeeverything for me? But that's not all?"
"Not quite. It came to me like a flash about the stage passing so near attwo o'clock in the morning, and that I could get away then without beingseen, and after I was in it make up my mind where I would get out."
"And how did you expect to support yourself?"
"There was some money in my purse--you never let it get empty, Ned--and--Ithought I wouldn't need any very long."
"Wouldn't? why not?"
"Oh, I was sure, _sure_ I couldn't live long without you," she cried,hugging him close and ending with a burst of tears and sobs.
"You dear, dear little thing!" he said with emotion, and tightening hisclasp of her slight form; "after I had been so cruel to you, too!"
"No, you weren't, except in going away without making up and sayinggood-by."
"It's very generous in you to say it, darling. But how large was this sumof money that you expected to last as long as you needed any?"
"I don't know. I didn't stop to count it. You can do that, if you want to.I suppose the purse is in my satchel."
He brought the satchel--still unpacked--took out the purse and examinedits contents.
"Barely ten dollars," he said. "It would have lasted but a few days, and,my darling, what would have become of you then?"
He bent over her in grave tenderness.
"I don't know, Ned," she replied; "I suppose I'd have had to look foremployment."
"To think of you, my little, delicate, petted darling, looking foremployment by which to earn your daily bread!" he exclaimed with emotion."It is plain you know nothing of the hardships and difficulties you wouldhave had to encounter. I shudder to think of it all. But I should neverhave let it come to that."
"Would you have looked for me, Ned?"
"I should have begun the search the instant I heard of your flight, norever have known a moment's rest till I found you!" he exclaimed withenergy. "But as I came in the stage you purposed to take, I should havemet and brought you back, if that fortunate mishap had not taken place."
Then she told him of her thoughts, feelings, and painful anticipationswhile held fast in the relentless grasp of the door, finishing with, "Oh,I never could have dreamed that it would all end so well, so happily forme!"
"And yet, dear one, I do not think you at all realize how painful--not tosay dreadful--would have been the consequences to you, to me, and, indeed,to all the family, if you had succeeded in carrying out what I must callyour crazy scheme."
She looked up at him in alarmed inquiry, and he went on, "'Madame Rumor,with her thousand tongues,' would have had many a tale to tell of thecruel abuse to which you had been subjected by your husband and hisfamily--so cruel that you were compelled to run away in the night, takingadvantage of the temporary absence of your tyrannical husband; while----"
"O Ned, dear Ned, I never thought of that!" she exclaimed, interruptinghim with a burst of tears and sobs. "I wouldn't for the world havewrought harm to you or any of them."
"No, love, I know you wouldn't. I believe your motives were altogetherkind and self-sacrificing," he said soothingly; "and you yourself wouldhave been the greatest sufferer; the world judges hardly--how hardly mylittle girl-wife has no idea; wicked people would have found wickedmotives to which to impute your act and caused a stain upon your fair famethat might never have been removed.
"But there, there, love, do not cry any more over it; happily, the wholething is a secret between us two, and we may now dismiss the disagreeablesubject forever.
"But shall we not promise each other that we will never part in anger,even when the separation may not be for an hour? or ever lie down to sleepat night unreconciled, if there has been the slightest misunderstanding orcoldness between us?"
"Oh, yes, yes, I promise!" she cried eagerly; "but, oh, dear Ned, I hopewe will never, never have any more coldness or quarrelling between us,never say a cross word to each other."
"And I join you, dearest, in both wish and promise."
"I am growing very babyish," she said presently with a wistful look upinto his face; "I can hardly bear to think of being parted from you for aday; and I suppose you'll have to be going off again to attend to thatbusiness affair?"
"Yes, as soon as I see that my wife is quite well enough to undertake thejourney; for I'm not going again without her."
"Oh, will you take me with you, Ned?" she cried joyfully. "How very goodin you."
"Good to myself, little woman," he said, smiling down at her; "it willturn a tiresome business trip into a pleasure excursion. I have alwaysfound my enjoyment doubled by the companionship of my better half."
"I call that rank heresy," she said laughing, "_you're_ the better half aswell as the bigger. I wish I were worthy of such a good husband," sheadded earnestly and with a look of loving admiration. "I'm very proud ofyou, my dear--so good and wise and handsome as you are!"
"Oh, hush, hush! such fulsome flattery," he returned, coloring andlaughing. "Let me see; this is Friday, so near the end of the week that Ido not care to leave home till next week. We will say Tuesday morningnext, if that will suit you, love?"
"Nicely," she answered. "Oh, I'm so glad you have promised to take me withyou!"