CHAPTER XLI
LOVE THAT THINKETH NO EVIL
Wat stood silent, his face turning slowly from red to ashen white.What an arrant fool he had been, not to tell her all in those sweethours on the island of Fiara--a score of Little Maries had matterednothing to her then. Then everything would have been plain and easy.His conscience was indeed perfectly clear. But, partly because with thewilling forgetfulness of an ardent lover he had forgotten, and partlybecause he had shrunk from marring with the name of another thoseprecious hours of blissful communion of which he had hitherto enjoyedso few, he had neglected to tell Kate the tale. He saw his mistake now.
"Tell them, Wat," urged Kate, confidently, "tell them all."
"Aye, tell them all," repeated Barra, grimly, between his teeth, "tellthem all your late love did for you, beginning with the favors of whichyour cousin Will and I were witnesses in the gilded room of the Hostelof the Coronation. Begin at the bottom--with the lady's shoe and thetoast you drank out of that most worthy cup!"
Wat still stood silent before them. Kate dropped his hand perplexed,looking into his tragic face with bewildered, uncomprehending eyes.
"Why, Wat, what is the matter, dear love--tell them everything,whatever it is. Do not fear for me," whispered Kate, her true, earnesteyes, full of all faith and love, bent upon him without doubt orquestion.
"I cannot," he said, hoarsely, at last; "I ought to have told youbefore--it is so difficult now. But I will tell you all--there is noshame in it when all is told. No, do not take my hand till I havefinished."
Then quite clearly and briefly Wat recounted all that had happenedto the Little Marie--not sparing himself in the matter of the Inn ofthe Coronation, where he had been found by Will Gordon and Barra, butchiefly insisting upon the noble self-sacrifice of the girl and herdeath, welcome and sweet to her because of her love and repentance.
But the tale was told on board the _Sea Unicorn_ under a double burdenof difficulty. For the teller was conscious that he ought long ago tohave confessed all this to his love; and then the story itself, simpleand beautiful in its facts, was riddled and blasted by the bittercomments of Barra, and tinctured to base issues by his blighting sneers.
As Wat went on Kate drooped her head on her breast and clasped herhands before her. Even the love-light was for the moment dimmed in herproud eyes, but only with indignant tears, that her love should so beput to shame before those whom she would have given her life to seecompelled to hold him in honor.
The heavy weight of unbelief against which he felt himself pleading invain, gradually proved too much for Wat Gordon. He stopped abruptly andflung his hand impatiently out.
"I cannot go on," he said; "my words are not credited--of what use isit?"
"As you say, my Lord Lochinvar, of what use is it?" sneeredBarra. "_That_ you know best yourself. You were asked a plainquestion--whether the maid who accompanied you on the first part ofyour wondrous Ulysses wanderings was the same with whom you arrived onboard the _Sea Unicorn_. To that plain question you have only returneda very crooked answer. Have you nothing else that you can say to finishthe lie in a more workmanlike fashion?"
"Jack Scarlett--Scarlett, come hither!" Wat cried, suddenly.
And the master-at-arms, who very characteristically had gone forward toberth with the sailors, came aft as the men on deck passed the word forhim.
"Will you tell this lady," said Wat, "what you know of my acquaintancewith the Little Marie?"
Whereupon, soberly and plainly, like a soldier, John Scarlett told histale. But for all the effect it had upon the listeners he might just aswell have spoken it to the solan-geese diving in the bay. Wat saw theunbelief settle deeper on the face of Roger McGhie, and the very demonof jealousy and malice wink from under the eyelids of my Lady Wellwood.
"I have a question to ask you, my noble captain of various services,"said Barra, "a question concerning this girl and your gallantcompanion. What did you first think when this Marie joined you withthe horses--in page's dress, as I have heard you say--and what whenshe told you that she had stabbed your friend's enemy and hers to thedeath?"
"I thought what any other man would think," answered Scarlett,brusquely.
"And afterwards among the sand-dunes of Lis you discovered that allthis devotion arose merely from noble, pure, unselfish, platonic love?"
The old soldier was more than a little perplexed by Barra's phrases,which he did not fully understand.
"Yes," he answered at last, with a hesitation which told more againsthis story than all he had said before.
Barra was quick to seize his advantage.
"You see how faithfully these comrades stick to each other--howtouching is such fidelity. The intention is so excellent, even whentruth looks out in spite of them through the little joins in thepatchwork."
"God!" cried Scarlett, fiercely. "I would I had you five minutes ata rapier's end for a posturing, lying knave--a pitiful, putty-faceddog! I cannot answer your words, though I know them to be meretongue-shuffling. But with my sword--yes, I could answer with that!"
Barra pointed to his side.
"Had your friend--your friend's friend, I should say--not had me at herdagger's end, I should have been most honored. But the lady has spoiltmy attack and parry for many a day. Nevertheless, I suffered in a goodcause. For without that our general lover had hardly been allowed toenjoy the Arcadian felicities of the sand-dunes of Lis, nor yet hismore recent, and I doubt not as agreeable, retirement to the caves andsea-beaches of my poor island of Fiara."
"You are the devil," cried Scarlett, writhing in fury. "But I shalllive to see you damned one day!"
But Barra only smiled as he turned to confer apart a while with RogerMcGhie and my lady.
Kate walked to the bulwarks and looked over. Wat stood his ground onthe spot on which he had told his story; but Scarlett, as soon as hehad finished, stalked away with as much dignity as upon short notice hecould import into a pair of very untrustworthy sea-legs.
When the conference was over it was Roger McGhie who spoke, veryquietly and gently, as was ever his ancient wont.
"Kate, my lass," he said, "I have never compelled you to aught all mylife--rather it hath been the other way, perhaps too much. And I willnot urge you now. Do you still wish to forsake your father for thisman, whose tale you have heard--a tale which, whatever of truth maybe in it, he hath certainly hid from you as long as possible? Or willyou return to your own home with me, your father, and with this noblelady, to whom I give you as a daughter?"
Kate stood clasping her hands nervously and looking from one to theother of them.
But it was to Wat that she spoke.
"My true-love, I do not distrust you--do not think that," she said,with her lips pale and trembling, her color coming and going. "Ibelieve every word in spite of them all. Aye, and shall always believeyou. For, indeed, I cannot do otherwise and live. But oh, my lad" (herefor the first time she broke into a storm of sobs), "if you had onlytrusted me--only told me--I should not have cared. She could not helploving you--but it was I whom you loved all the while."
Wat came nearer to her. She gave him her hand again.
"Nevertheless, for this time I must go with my father, since he bidsme. But be brave, Wat, dear lad," she went on; "I believe in youalways. The good days will come, and good day or bad day, remember thatI shall be ready for you whenever you call me to come to you!"
In a moment they were in each other's arms.
"I will come!" whispered Wat Gordon in her ear; "if I be alive, as Godsees me, I will come to you when and where you need me."
Roger McGhie had turned his back on them. My lady's eyes glittered withmalice and jealousy, but only my Lord Barra found a word to say.
"Most touching!" he sneered, "much more so indeed than facts--butperhaps hardly so convincing."
* * * * *
Kate had gone below. The others still remained upon the deck. The _SeaUnicorn_ was heading directly for the main-land.
Barra pointed to the blue hills which were slowly changing into grayolive on the lower slopes as the ship neared the land.
"We are honored," he said, "with the company of so brave a lover andone so successful. But we would not keep him from other conquests. So,since I, Murdo of Barra, do not use the daggers of harlots, nor yetthe crumbling walls of towers, to crush those who hate me, I give you,sir, your liberty, which I hope you will use wisely, in order that youmay retrieve a portion of that honor which by birth is yours. I willset your companion and yourself on shore at the nearest point of landwithout any conditions whatsoever."
Wat bowed. He did not pay much attention. He was thinking rather ofKate's last words. Barra went over to the captain and entered intoearnest talk with him.
It was the turn of the lady of Balmaghie. She came over to where Watwas standing by the side of the ship.
"You thought me beautiful once, or at least you told me so, Lochinvar,"she said, laying her hand on his.
"I think you as beautiful to-day as ever I thought you," answered Wat,with a certain weary diplomacy. If the Mammon of Unrighteousness musthave the care of the Beloved, it might be as well to make a friend ofMammon.
"Yet you have sought other and younger loves"--she purred her wordssoftly at him--"you have been unfaithful to the old days when it wasnot less than heaven for you to kiss my hand or to carry my fan."
"Unfaithful!" said Wat, laughing a little hard laugh; "yet yourladyship hath twice been wedded to men of your own choice, whilst Iremain lonely, a wanderer, companionless."
"You will ever be welcome at the House of Balmaghie," she said, layingher hand on his.
Wat looked up eagerly. It was not an invitation he had looked for fromthe duchess on this side the grave.
"Ever most welcome," repeated my lady, looking tenderly at him."Indeed, gladly would I endeavor to comfort you if ever you come to usin sore trouble."
Wat turned away disappointed. He would certainly look for hisconsolation from another source, if ever he came within reach of theHouse of Balmaghie.
"I thank you, my lady," said Wat. "At present my heart is too heavy topermit me more fully to express my gratitude."
He spoke the words mechanically, without setting a meaning to them. Helistened to his own lips speaking as if they had been another's, andwondered what they found to say.
It was the afternoon when at last the boat was lowered to put Wat andScarlett ashore. They were already stepping across the deck to theship's side when Kate appeared at the top of the ladder which led upfrom the cabin. She walked straight to where Wat was standing and heldout both her hands.
"I am yours; remember, I shall ever be ready," she said, quite clearly.
"And I," he said, more softly, "will come to you were it across theworld. Only in your hour of need send me once again the heart of goldfor a sign."
And he took her token from his neck, touched it with his lips, and gaveit back to her.
"Till you need me, keep it!" he said, and so stooped and kissed her onthe forehead before them all.
Then, without looking back, he followed Scarlett down the ladder intothe boat.