Part 28
"Janet Sparhallow, you talk as if you lived in the dark ages! The idea of supposing that horrid old woman could give you love philtres! Why, girl, I've always loved Bruce--always. But I thought he'd forgotten me. And tonight when he came I found he hadn't. There's the whole thing in a nutshell. I'm going to marry him and go home with him to Scotland."
"And what about Randall?" said Janet, corpse-white.
"Oh, Randall--pooh! Do you suppose I'm worrying about Randall? But you must go to him tomorrow and tell him for me, Janet."
"I will not--I will not."
"Then I'll tell him myself--and I'll tell him about you going to Granny," said Avery cruelly. "Janet, don't stand there looking like that. I've no patience with you. I shall be perfectly happy with Bruce--I would have been miserable with Randall. I know I shan't sleep a wink tonight--I'm so excited. Why, Janet, I'll be Mrs. Gordon of Gordon Brae--and I'll have everything heart can desire and the man of my heart to boot. What has lanky Randall Burnley with his little six-roomed house to set against that?"
If Avery did not sleep, neither did Janet. She lay awake till dawn, suffering such misery as she had never endured in her life before. She knew she must go to Randall Burnley tomorrow and break his heart. If she did not, Avery would tell him--tell him what Janet had done. And he must not know that--he must not. Janet could not bear that thought.
* * * * *
It was a pallid, dull-eyed Janet who went through the birch wood to the Burnley farm next afternoon, leaving behind her an excited household where the sudden change of bridegrooms, as announced by Avery, had rather upset everybody. Janet found Randall working in the garden of his new house--setting out rosebushes for Avery--Avery, who was to jilt him at the very altar, so to speak. He came over to open the gate for Janet, smiling his dear smile. It was a dear smile--Janet caught her breath over the dearness of it--and she was going to blot it off his face.
She spoke out, with plainness and directness. When you had to deal a mortal blow, why try to lighten it?
"Avery sent me to tell you that she is going to marry Bruce Gordon instead of you. He came last night--and she says that she has always liked him best."
A very curious change came over Randall's face--but not the change Janet had expected to see. Instead of turning pale Randall flushed; and instead of a sharp cry of pain and incredulity, Randall said in no uncertain tones, "Thank God!"
Janet wondered if she were dreaming. Granny Thomas' love potion seemed to have turned the world upside down. For Randall's arms were about her and Randall was pressing his lean bronzed cheek to hers and Randall was saying:
"Now I can tell you, Janet, how much I love you."
"Me? Me!" choked Janet.
"You. Why, you're in the very core of my heart, girl. Don't tell me you can't love me--you can--you must--why, Janet," for his eyes had caught and locked with hers for a minute, "you do!"
There were five minutes about which nobody can tell anything, for even Randall and Janet never knew clearly just what happened in those five minutes. Then Janet, feeling somehow as if she had died and then come back to life, found her tongue.
"Three years ago you came courting Avery," she said reproachfully.
"Three years ago you were a child. I did not think about you. I wanted a wife--and Avery was pretty. I thought I was in love with her. Then you grew up all at once--and we were such good friends--I never could talk to Avery--she wasn't interested in anything I said--and you have eyes that catch a man--I've always thought of your eyes. But I was honour-bound to Avery--I didn't dream you cared. You must marry me next Wednesday, Janet--we'll have a double wedding. You won't mind--being married--so soon?"
"Oh, no--I won't--mind," said Janet dazedly. "Only--oh, Randall--I must tell you--I didn't mean to tell you--I'd have rather died--but now--I must tell you about it now--because I can't bear anything hidden between us. I went to old Granny Thomas--and got a love ointment from her--to make Avery love you, because I knew she didn't--and I wanted you to be happy--Randall, don't--I can't talk when you do that! Do you think Granny's ointment could have made her care for Bruce?"
Randall laughed--the little, low laugh of the triumphant lover.
"If it did, I'm glad of it. But I need no such ointment on my eyes to make me love you--you carry your philtre in that elfin little face of yours, Janet."