“Oh, doctor, not by—­”

“Yes; she sends it you.”

“Ah!” And he caught Hope up, and began to devour her with kisses, and his eyes sparkled finely.

“I have some good news, too, for you.  Mr. Carden tells me he never intended to separate you entirely from his daughter.  If you can be moderate, discreet, old before your time, etc., and come only about once a week, and not compromise her publicly, you will be as welcome as ever.”

“That is good news, indeed.  I’ll go there this very day; and I’ll patent the circular saw.”

“There’s a non-sequitur for you!”

“Nothing of the kind, sir.  Why, even the Queen’s go-betweens will never daunt me, now I can go and drink love and courage direct from her eyes; and nothing can chill nor discourage me now.  I’ll light my forge again and go to work, and make a few sets of carving-tools, and that will pay the go-betweens for patenting my circular-saw grinder.  But first I’ll put on my coat and go to heaven.”

“Had you not better postpone that till the end of your brilliant career as an inventor and a lover?”

“No; I thirst for heaven, and I’ll drink it.”  So he made his toilet, thanked and blessed the good doctor, and off to Woodbine Villa.

Grace Carden saw him coming, and opened the door to him herself, red as scarlet, and her eyes swimming.  She scarcely made an effort to contain herself by this time, and when she got him into the drawing-room all to herself, she cried, for joy and tenderness, on his shoulder; and, it cost him a gulp or two, I can tell you:  and they sat hand in hand, and were never tired of gazing at each other; and the hours flew by unheeded.  All their trouble was as though it had never been.  Love brightened the present, the future, and even the past.  He did not tell Grace one word of what he had suffered from Vicaria—­I thank thee, doctor, for teaching me that word—­it had lost all interest to him.  Love and happiness had annihilated its true character—­like the afternoon sun gilding a far-off pig-sty.  He did mention the subject, however, but it was in these terms:  “And, dearest, I’m hard at work inventing, and I patent all my inventions; so I hope to satisfy your father before two years.”

And Grace said, “Yes; but don’t overwork your poor brain and worry yourself.  I am yours in heart, and that is something, I hope.  I know it is to me; I wouldn’t change with any wife in Christendom.”

CHAPTER XXIX.

At the end of two months the situation of affairs was as follows: 

Grace Carden received a visit every week from Henry, and met him now and then at other houses:  she recovered her health and spirits, and, being of a patient sex, was quite contented, and even happy.  Frederick Coventry visited her often, and she received his visits quite graciously, now that the man she loved was no longer driven from her.  She even pitied him, and was kind to him and had misgivings that she had used him ill.  This feeling he fostered, by a tender, dejected, and inoffensive manner.  Boiling with rage inside, this consummate actor had the art to feign resignation; whereas, in reality, he was secretly watching for an opportunity to injure his rival.  But no such opportunity came.