‘Shall I speak to Mama to-night?’

A load of lead crushed him.

‘Rose!’ he said; but could get no farther.

Innocently, or with well-masked design, Rose branched off into little sweet words about his bruised shoulder, touching it softly, as if she knew the virtue that was in her touch, and accusing her selfish self as she caressed it: 

’Dearest Evan! you must have been sure I thought no one like you.  Why did you not tell me before?  I can hardly believe it now!  Do you know,’ she hurried on, ’they think me cold and heartless,—­am I?  I must be, to have made you run such risk; but yet I’m sure I could not have survived you.’

Dropping her voice, Rose quoted Ruth.  As Evan listened, the words were like food from heaven poured into his spirit.

‘To-morrow,’ he kept saying to himself, ’to-morrow I will tell her all.  Let her think well of me a few short hours.’

But the passing minutes locked them closer; each had a new link—­in a word, or a speechless breath, or a touch:  and to break the marriage of their eyes there must be infinite baseness on one side, or on the other disloyalty to love.

The moon was a silver ball, high up through the aspen-leaves.  Evan kissed the hand of Rose, and led her back to the house.  He had appeased his conscience by restraining his wild desire to kiss her lips.

In the hall they parted.  Rose whispered, ‘Till death!’ giving him her hands.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE COUNTESS MAKES HERSELF FELT

There is a peculiar reptile whose stroke is said to deprive men of motion.  On the day after the great Mel had stalked the dinner-table of Beckley Court, several of the guests were sensible of the effect of this creature’s mysterious touch, without knowing what it was that paralyzed them.  Drummond Forth had fully planned to go to Lymport.  He had special reasons for making investigations with regard to the great Mel.  Harry, who was fond of Drummond, offered to accompany him, and Laxley, for the sake of a diversion, fell into the scheme.  Mr. George Uplift was also to be of the party, and promised them fun.  But when the time came to start, not one could be induced to move:  Laxley was pressingly engaged by Rose:  Harry showed the rope the Countess held him by; Mr. George made a singular face, and seriously advised Drummond to give up the project.

‘Don’t rub that woman the wrong way,’ he said, in a private colloquy they had.  ’By Jingo, she’s a Tartar.  She was as a gal, and she isn’t changed, Lou Harrington.  Fancy now:  she knew me, and she faced me out, and made me think her a stranger!  Gad, I’m glad I didn’t speak to the others.  Lord’s sake, keep it quiet.  Don’t rouse that woman, now, if you want to keep a whole skin.’

Drummond laughed at his extreme earnestness in cautioning him, and appeared to enjoy his dread of the Countess.  Mr. George would not tell how he had been induced to change his mind.  He repeated his advice with a very emphatic shrug of the shoulder.