CHAPTER VI
THE WRONG ROAD
When Dinah descended to breakfast the next morning, she encountered Scottin the hall. He had evidently just come in from an early ride, and he waslooking younger and more animated than his wont.
"Ah, there you are!" he said, coming to meet her. "I've got some shockingnews for you this morning. Eustace has had to go to town to see hissolicitor. An urgent telephone message came through this morning. He hasjust gone up by the early train in the hope of getting back in good time.He charged me with all sorts of messages for you, and I have promised totake care of you in his absence, if you will allow me."
"Oh, that will be great fun!" exclaimed Dinah ingenuously, "I hope youare not very busy. I'd like you to show me everything."
He laughed. "No, I can't do that. We must keep that for Eustace. But Iwill take you to the Dower House, and show you that."
"I shall love that," said Dinah.
He took her into a room that overlooked terrace and river-valley and thesunny southern slope that lay between.
Breakfast was laid for two, and a cheery fire was burning. "How cosy itlooks!" said Dinah.
"It does, doesn't it?" said Scott. "We always breakfast here in thewinter for that reason. Not that it is winter to-day. It is gloriousspring. You seem to have brought it with you. Take the coffee-pot end,won't you? What will you have to eat?"
He spoke with a lightness that Dinah found peculiarly exhilarating. Hewas evidently determined that she should not be dull. Her spirits rose.She suddenly felt like a child who has been granted an unexpectedholiday.
She smiled up at him as he brought her a plate. "Isn't it a perfectmorning? I'm so glad to be here. Don't let us waste a single minute; willwe?"
"Not one," said Scott.
He went to his own place. He was plainly in a holiday mood also. She sawit in his whole bearing, and her heart rejoiced. It was so good to seehim looking happy.
"Have you seen Isabel this morning?" he asked her presently.
"No. I went to her door, but Biddy said she was asleep, so I didn't goin."
"She often doesn't sleep much before morning," Scott said. "I expect shewill be down to luncheon if you can put up with me only till then."
He evidently did not want to discuss Isabel's health just then, and Dinahwas quite willing also to let the subject pass for the time. It was amorning for happy thoughts only. She and Scott would pretend that theyhad not a care in the world.
They breakfasted together as if it were a picnic. She had never seen himso cheery and inconsequent. It was as if he also were engaged in somespecies of make-believe. Or was it the enchantment of spring that hadfallen upon them both? Dinah could not have said. She only knew thatshe had never felt so happy in all her life before.
The walk to the Dower House was full of delight. It was all so exquisite,the long, grassy slopes, the dark woods, the bare trees stark against theblue. The path led through a birch copse, and here in sheltered cornerswere primroses. She gathered them eagerly, and Scott helped her, evenforgetting to smoke.
She did not remember later what they talked about, or even if they talkedat all. But the amazing gladness of her heart on that spring morning wasto be a vivid memory to her for as long as she lived.
They reached the Dower House. Like Willowmount, it overlooked the river,but from a different angle. Dinah was charmed with the old place. It wasfull of unexpected corners and old-fashioned contrivances. Blue patchesof violets bloomed in the garden. Again with Scott's help, she gathered agreat dewy bunch.
There were workmen in one or two of the rooms, and she stood by orwandered at will while Scott talked to the foreman.
They found themselves presently in the room that was to be Isabel's,--alarge and sunlit apartment that had a turret window that looked to thefar hills beyond the river. Dinah stood entranced with her eyes upon theblue distance. Finally, with a sigh, she spoke.
"How I wish I were going to live here too!"
"What! You like it better than Willowmount?" said Scott.
She made a little gesture of the hands, as if she pleaded forunderstanding. "I feel so small in big places. This is spacious, but it'scosy too. I--I should feel lost alone at Willowmount."
"But you won't be alone," he pointed out, with his kindly smile. "Youwill be very much the reverse, I can assure you."
She gave that sharp, uncontrollable little shiver of hers. "You meanEustace--" she said haltingly.
"Yes, Eustace, and all the people round who will want to know his bride,"said Scott. "I don't think you will have much time to be lonely. If youhave, you can always come along to us, you know. We shall be only toodelighted to see you."
Dinah turned to him impulsively. "You are good!" she said. "I wonder youdon't look upon me as a horrid little interloper, turning you out of yourhome where you have always lived! I do hate the thought of it! Really itisn't my fault."
She spoke with tears in her eyes; but Scott still smiled. "My dearchild," he said, "such an idea never entered my head. Isabel and I haveoften thought we should like to make this our home. We have alwaysintended to as soon as Eustace married."
"Did you never think of marrying?" Dinah asked him suddenly.
There was an instant's pause, and then, as he was about to speak, shebroke in quickly.
"Oh, please don't tell me! I was a pig to ask! I didn't mean to. It justslipped out. Do forgive me!"
"But why shouldn't you ask?" said Scott gently. "We are friends. I don'tmind answering you. I've had my dream like the rest of the world. But itwas very soon over. I never seriously deluded myself into the belief thatanyone could care to marry a shrimp like me."
"Oh, Scott!" Almost fiercely Dinah cut him short. "How can you--you ofall people--say a thing like that?"
Scott looked at her quizzically for a moment. "I should have thought Iwas the one person who could say it," he observed.
Dinah turned from him sharply. Her hands were clenched. "Oh no! Oh no!"she said incoherently. "It's not right! It's not fair! You--you--Mr.Greatheart!" Quite suddenly, as if the utterance of the name were toomuch for her, she broke down, covered her face, and wept.
"Dinah!" said Scott.
He came to her and took her very gently by the arm. Dinah's shoulderswere shaking. She could not lift her face.
"Why--why shouldn't your dream come true too?" she sobbed. "You--who helpeverybody--to get what they want!"
"My dear," Scott said, "my dream is over. Don't you grieve on my account!God knows I'm not grieving for myself." His voice was low, but verysteadfast.
"You wouldn't!" said Dinah.
"No; because it's futile, unnecessary, a waste of time. I've other thingsto do--plenty of other things." Scott braced himself with the words, asone who manfully lifts a burden. "Cheer up, Dinah! I didn't mean to makeyou sad."
"But--but--are you sure--quite sure--she didn't care?" faltered Dinah,rubbing her eyes woefully.
"Quite sure," said Scott, with decision.
Dinah threw him a sudden, flashing glance of indignation. "Then she was adonkey, Scott, a fool--an idiot!" she declared, with trembling vehemence."I'd like--oh, how I'd like--to tell her so."
Scott was smiling, his own, whimsical smile. "Yes, wouldn't you?" hesaid. "And it's awfully nice of you to say so. But do you know, you'requite wrong. She wasn't any of those things. On the other hand, I was allthree. But where's the use of talking? It's over, and a good thing too!"
Dinah slipped a quivering hand over his. "We'll always be friends, won'twe, Scott?" she said tremulously.
"Always," said Scott.
She squeezed his hand hard, and in response his fingers pressed her arm.His steady eyes looked straight into hers.
And in the silence, there came to Dinah a queer stirring ofuncertainty,--the uncertainty of one who just begins to suspect that heis on the wrong road.
The moment passed, and they talked again of lighter things, but the moodof irresponsible light-heartedness had gone. When they finally left theDow
er House, Dinah felt that she trod the earth once more.
"I shall come and see you very often when we come back," she said ratherwistfully. "I hope Eustace won't want to be away a very long time."
"Aren't you looking forward to your honeymoon?" asked Scott.
"I don't know," said Dinah, and paused. "I really don't know. But,"brightening, "I'm sure the wedding will be great fun."
"I hope it will," said Scott kindly.
It was not till they were nearing Willowmount that Dinah asked him atlength hesitatingly about Isabel.
"Do you mind telling me? Is she worse?"
Scott also hesitated a little before he answered. Then: "In one sense sheis much better," he said. "But physically," he paused, "physically she islosing ground."
"Oh, Scott!" Dinah looked at him with swift dismay. "But why--why? Cannothing be done?"
His eyes met hers unwaveringly. "No, nothing," he said, and he spoke withthat decision which she had come to know as in some fashion a part ofhimself. His words carried conviction, and yet by some means they quietedher dismay as well. He went on after a moment with that gentle philosophyof his that seemed to soften all he said. "She is as one nearing the endof a long journey, and she is very tired, poor girl. We can't grudge herher rest--when it comes. Eustace wants to rouse her, but I think the timefor that is past. It is kinder--it is wiser--to let her alone."
Dinah drew a little nearer to him. "Do you mean--that you think she won'tlive very long?" she whispered.
"If you like to put it that way," Scott answered quietly.
"Oh, but what of you?" she said.
She uttered the words almost involuntarily, and the next moment she wouldhave recalled them, for she saw his face change. For a second--only asecond--she read suffering in his eyes. But he answered her withouthesitation.
"I shall just keep on, Dinah," he said. "It's the only way. But, as Ithink I've mentioned before, it's no good meeting troubles half-way. Theday's work is all that really matters."
They walked on for a space in silence; then as they drew near the househe changed the subject. But that brief shadow of a coming desolationdwelt in Dinah's memory with a persistence that defied all lesser things.He was brave enough, cheery enough, in the shouldering of his burden; buther heart ached when she realized how heavy that burden must be.
A message awaited her at the house that she would go to Isabel in hersitting-room, and she went, half-eager, half-diffident. But as soon asshe was with her friend her doubts were all gone. For Isabel looked andspoke so much as usual that it seemed impossible to believe that she wasindeed nearing the end of the journey.
She wanted to know all that Dinah had been doing, and they sat anddiscussed the decorations of the Dower House till the luncheon-hour.
When luncheon was over they repaired to a sheltered corner of theterrace, looking down over the garden to the river, while Scott went awayto write letters; and here they talked over the serious matter of thetrousseau with regard to which neither Dinah nor her mother had made anyvery definite arrangements.
Perhaps Mrs. Bathurst had foreseen the possibility of Isabel desiring toundertake this responsibility. Perhaps Isabel had already dropped a hintof her intention. In any case it seemed the most natural thing in theworld that Isabel should be the one to assist and advise, and when Dinahdemurred a little on the score of cost she found herself gently but quiteeffectually silenced. Sir Eustace's bride must have a suitable outfit,Isabel told her. The question of ways and means was not one which needtrouble her.
So Dinah obediently put the matter from her, and entered into thedelightful discussion with keen zest. Isabel's ideas were so entrancing.She knew exactly what she would need. Her taste also was so simple, andso unerring. Dinah had never before pictured herself as possessing suchthings as Isabel calmly proclaimed that she must have.
"We must go up to town to-morrow," Isabel said, "and get things started.It will mean the whole day, I am afraid. Can you bear to be parted fromEustace for so long?"
Dinah laughed merrily at the question. "Of course--of course! What fun itwill be! I always knew I should like to be married, but I never dreamt itcould be so exciting as this."
Isabel smiled at her with a touch of pity in her eyes. "Marriage isn'tonly new clothes and wedding presents, Dinah," she said.
"No, no! I know!" Dinah spoke with swift compunction. "It is far morethan that. But I've never had such lovely things before. I can't helpfeeling a little giddy about it. You do understand, don't you? I'm notlike that all through--really."
"My darling!" Isabel answered fondly. "Of course I know it. I sometimesthink that it would be better for you if you were."
"Isabel, why--why?" Dinah pressed close to her, half-curious,half-frightened.
But Isabel did not answer her. She only kissed the vivid, upturned facewith all a mother's tenderness, and turned back in silence, to thefashion-book on her knee.