CHAPTER XXV
THE TRUE GOLD
The actual turning-point in Dinah's illness seemed to date from thatbrief interview with Sir Eustace. They had drawn her back half againsther will from the land of shadows, but from that day her will was set torecover. The old elasticity came back to her, and with every hour herstrength increased. The joy of life was hers once more. She was like aflower opening to the sun.
Sir Eustace presented himself every evening for admittance and sat withher for a little while. Isabel was generally present, and theirconversation was in consequence of a strictly commonplace order; but thekeen blue eyes told Dinah more than the proud lips ever uttered. She cameto watch for that look which she could not meet, and though at times itsent a wild dart of fear through her, yet it filled her also with arapture indefinable but unspeakably precious. She felt sure that he hadnever turned that look on Rose or any other girl. It was kept exclusivelyfor her, and its fiery intensity thrilled her soul. It was the sign of asecret understanding between them which she believed none othersuspected.
It was a somewhat terrible joy, for the man's strength had startled hermore than once, but in moments of dread she reassured herself with thememory of his reiterated declaration that the magic bond that existedbetween them was no bond at all in reality--only a game withoutconsequences. She would not look forward to the time when that gameshould be over. She was not looking forward at all, so sublimely happywas she in the present. The period of convalescence which to mostpatients is the hardest of all to bear was to her a dream of delight.
A week after the departure of the de Vignes she was well enough to bemoved into Isabel's sitting-room, and here on that first day both SirEustace and Scott joined them at tea.
The weather had cleared again, and Sir Eustace came in from anafternoon's ski-ing attired in the white sweater in which Dinah alwaysloved to see him. She lay on her couch and watched him with shining eyes,telling herself that no prince had ever looked more royal.
It was Scott who waited upon her, but she was scarcely aware of hispresence. Even Isabel seemed to have faded into the background. She couldthink only of Eustace lounging near her in careless magnificence, talkingin his deep voice of the day's sport.
"There are several new people arrived," he said, "both ancient andmodern. The place was getting empty, but it has filled up again. There isto be a dance to-night," his eyes sought Dinah's. "I am going downpresently to see if any of the new-comers have any talents worthcultivating."
She met his look with a flash of daring. "I wish you luck," she said.
He made her a bow. "You are very generous. But I scarcely expect any. Mystar has not been in the ascendant for a long time."
Scott uttered a laugh that sounded faintly derisive. "You'll have to makethe best of the second best for once, my dear chap," he said. "You can'talways have your cake iced."
Eustace glanced at him momentarily. "I am not you, Stumpy," he said. "Thephilosophy of the second best is only for those who have never tasted thebest."
There was in his tone a touch of malice that caught Dinah very oddly,like the flick of a lash intended for another. She awoke very suddenly tothe realization of Scott sitting near Isabel with the light shining onhis pale face and small, colourless beard. How insignificant he looked!And yet the narrow shoulders had an independent set about them as thoughthey were not without a certain strength.
The smile still lingered about his lips as he made quiet rejoinder. "Itsometimes needs a philosopher to tell what is the best."
Eustace gave an impatient shrug. "The philosopher is not always a wiseman," he observed briefly.
"But seldom an utter fool," returned Scott.
The elder brother's face was contemptuous as he said, "A philosopher mayrecognize what is best, but it is seldom within his reach."
"And so, being a philosopher, he does without it." Scott spokethoughtfully; he was gazing straight before him.
Isabel suddenly leaned forward. "He is not always the loser, Stumpy," shesaid.
He looked at her. "Certainly a man can't lose what he has never had," hesaid.
"Every man has his chance once," she insisted.
"And--if he's a philosopher--he doesn't take it," laughed Eustace. "Don'tyou know, my dear Isabel, that that is the very cream and essence ofphilosophy?"
She gave him a swift look that was an open challenge. "What do you knowof philosophy and the greater things of life?" she said.
He looked momentarily surprised. Dinah saw the ready frown gather on hishandsome face; but before he could speak Scott intervened.
"How on earth did we get onto this abstruse subject?" he said easily."Miss Bathurst will vote us all a party of bores, and with reason. Whatwere we talking about before? Iced cake, wasn't it? Are you a cook MissBathurst?"
"I can make some kinds of cakes," Dinah said modestly, "but I like makingpastry best. I often make sausage-rolls for Dad to take hunting."
"That sounds more amusing for him than for you," observed Eustace.
"Oh no, I love making them," she assured him. "And he always says helikes mine better than anyone's. But I'm not a particularly good cookreally. Mother generally does that part, and I do all the rest."
"All?" said Isabel.
"Yes. You see, we can't afford to keep a servant," said Dinah. "And Igroom Rupert--that's the hunter--too, when Billy isn't at home. I likedoing that. He's such a beauty."
"Do you ever ride him?" asked Eustace.
She shook her head. "No. I'd love to, of course, but there's never anytime. I can't spend as long as I like over grooming him because there areso many other things. But he generally looks very nice," she spoke withpride; "quite as nice as any of the de Vignes's horses."
"You must have a very busy time of it," said Scott.
"Yes." Dinah's bright face clouded a little. "I often wish I had moretime for other things; but it's no good wishing. Anyway, I've had my timeout here, and I shall never forget it."
"You must come out again with us," said Isabel.
Dinah beamed. "Oh, how I should love it!" she said. "But--" her face fellagain--"I don't believe mother will ever spare me a second time."
"All right. I'll run away with you in the yacht," said Eustace. "Come fora trip in the summer!"
She looked at him with shining eyes. "It's not a bit of good thinkingabout it," she said. "But oh, how lovely it would be!"
He laughed, looking at her with that gleam in his eyes that she had cometo know as exclusively her own. "Where there's a will, there's a way," hesaid. "If you have the will, you can leave the way to me."
She drew a quick breath. Her heart was beating rather fast. "All right,"she said. "I'll come."
"Is it a promise?" said Eustace.
She shook her head instantly. "No. I never make promises. They have a wayof spoiling things so."
"Exactly my own idea," he said. "Never turn a pleasure into a duty, or itbecomes a burden at once. Well, I must go and make myself pretty for thisevening's show. If I'm very bored, I shall come and sit out with you."
"Not to-night," said Isabel with quick decision. "Dinah is going to bedvery soon."
"Really?" He stood by Dinah's couch, looking down at her with his faintsupercilious smile. "Do you submit to that sort of tyranny?" he said.
She held up her hand to him. "It isn't tyranny. It is the very dearestkindness in the world. Don't you know the difference?"
He held the little, confiding hand a moment or two, and she felt hisfingers close around it with a strength that seemed as if it encompassedher very soul. "There are two ways of looking at everything," he said."But I shouldn't be too docile if I were you; not, that is, if you wantto get any fun out of life. Remember, life is short."
He let her go with the words, straightened himself to his full, splendidheight, and sauntered with regal arrogance to the door.
"I want you, Stumpy," he said, in passing. "There are one or two lettersfor you to deal with. You can come to my room while I dress."
/> "In that case, I had better say good night too," said Scott, rising.
"Oh no," said Dinah, with her quick smile. "You can come in and say goodnight to me afterwards--when I'm in bed. Can't he, Isabel?"
She had fallen into the habit of calling Isabel by her Christian namefrom hearing Scott use it. It had begun almost in delirium, and now itcame so naturally that she never dreamed of reverting to the more formalmode of address.
Scott smiled in his quiet fashion, and turned to join his brother. "Iwill with pleasure," he said.
Eustace threw a mocking glance backwards. "It seems that philosophersrush in where mere ordinary males fear to tread," he observed. "Stumpy,allow me to congratulate you on your privileges!"
"Thanks, old chap!" Scott made answer in his tired voice. "But there isno occasion for the ordinary male to envy me my compensations."
"What did he mean by that?" said Dinah, as the door closed.
Isabel moved to her side and sat down on the edge of the couch. "Scott isvery lonely, little one," she said.
"Is he?" said Dinah, wonderingly. "But--surely he must have lots offriends. He's such a dear."
Isabel smiled at her rather sadly. "Yes, everyone who knows him thinksthat."
"Everyone must love him," protested Dinah. "Who could help it?"
"I wonder," said Isabel slowly, "if he will ever meet anyone who willlove him best of all."
Dinah was suddenly conscious of a rush of blood to her face. She knew notwherefore, but she felt it beat in her temples and sing in her ears. "Oh,surely--surely!" she stammered in confusion.
Isabel looked beyond her. "You know, Dinah," she said, her voice verylow, "Scott is a man with an almost infinite greatness of soul. I don'tknow if you realize it. I have thought sometimes that you did. But thereare very few--very few--who do."
"I know he is great," whispered Dinah. "I told him so almost--almost thefirst time I saw him."
Isabel's smile was very tender. She stooped and gathered Dinah to herbosom. "Oh, my dear," she murmured, "never prefer the tinsel to the truegold! He is far, far the greatest man I know. And you--you will nevermeet a greater."
Dinah clung to her in quick responsiveness. Her strange agitation wassubsiding, but she could feel the blood yet pulsing in her veins. "I knowit," she whispered. "I am sure of it. He is very much to you, dear, isn'the?"
"For years he has been my all," Isabel said. "Listen a moment! I willtell you something. In the first dreadful days of my illness, I was crazywith trouble, and--and they bound me to keep me from violence. I havenever forgotten it. I never shall. Then--he came. He was very young atthat time, only twenty-three. He had his life before him, and mine--minewas practically over. Yet he gave up everything--everything for my sake.He took command; he banished all the horrible people who had takenpossession of me. He gave me freedom, and he set himself to safe-guardme. He brought me home. He was with me night and day, or if not actuallywith me, within call. He and Biddy between them brought me back. Theywatched me, nursed me, cared for me. Whenever my trouble was greater thanI could bear, he was always there to help me. He never left me; andgradually he became so necessary to me that I couldn't contemplate lifewithout him. I have been terribly selfish." A low sob checked herutterance for a moment, and Dinah's young arms tightened. "I let my grieftake hold of me to the exclusion of everything else. I didn't see--Ididn't realize--the sacrifice he was making. For years I took it all as aright, living in my fog of misery and blind to all beside. But now--nowat last--thanks to you, little one, whom I nearly killed--my eyes areopen once more. The fog has rolled away. No, I can never be happy. I amof those who wait. But I will never again, God helping me, deprive othersof happiness. Scott shall live his own life now. His devotion to me mustcome to an end. My greatest wish in life now is that he may meet a womanworthy of him, who will love him as he deserves to be loved, before Iclimb the peaks of Paradise and find my beloved in the dawning." Isabel'svoice sank. She pressed Dinah close against her heart. "It will not belong," she whispered. "I have had a message that there is no mistaking, Iknow it will not be long. But oh, darling, I do want to see him happyfirst."
Dinah was crying softly. She could find no words to utter.
So for awhile they clung together, the woman who had suffered and come atlast through bitter tribulation into peace, and the child whose feet yethalted on the threshold of the enchanted country that the other had longsince traversed and left behind.
Nothing further passed between them. Isabel had said her say, and forsome reason Dinah was powerless to speak. She could think of no words toutter, and deep in her heart she was half afraid to break the silence.That sudden agitation of hers had left her oddly confused andembarrassed. She shrank from pursuing the matter further.
Yet for a long time that night she lay awake pondering, wondering.Certainly Scott was different from all other men, totally, undeniablydifferent. He seemed to dwell on a different plane. She could not graspwhat it was about him that set him thus apart. But what Isabel had saidshowed her very clearly that the spirit that dwelt behind that unimposingexterior was a force that counted, and could hold its own against odds.
She slept at last with the thought of him still present in her mind. Andin her dreams the vision of Greatheart in his shining armour came to heragain, filling her with a happiness which even sleeping she did not dareto analyse, scarcely to contemplate.