CHAPTER XXIX
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"'Whom the gods love die young,' was said of yore." --DON JUAN.
"Death came with friendly care." --COLERIDGE.
IT all happened only yesterday, yet how long ago it seems already; and now the sun is shining again, bravely, cheerily, as though life is all made up of joy and gladness, and as though storms that despoil the earth, and heavier storms that wreck the soul, are miseries unknown; and yet he is dead, and she--
In silence they had carried him to his own chamber, and had laid him on his bed, she going with him always with his clay-cold hand in hers, and never a moan from her pale lips.
The storm had gone down by that, and a strange mournful stillness, terrible after the late rioting of the elements, covered all the land. The silence might be felt, and through it they listened eagerly for her sighs, and hoped for the tears that should have come to ease her stricken heart, but all in vain; and watching her they knew at last that the springs of grief within her were frozen, and that the blessed healing waters that can cool the burning fever of despair were not to flow for her. Only a certain curious calm lay on her, killing all outward demonstrations of grief. She spoke to no one, she was hardly, perhaps, at times, aware of the presence of those around her. Dulce's sobs did not rouse her. She showed no symptom of emotion when Sir Christopher bent his white head in inexplicable woe over the form of the man who had been dear to him as his own soul. As she knelt beside the corpse, she moved now and then, and her breath came and went softly, regularly, but her eyes never departed from the face before her, with its closed eyes and sad, solemn smile. Perhaps, in her strange musings, she was trying to follow him in spirit to where he had
"Gone before, To that unknown and silent shore"
so dimly dreamt of here, because her eyes are gleaming large and clear, and almost unearthly in their brilliance.
At first, though somewhat in awe of her, they had sought by tenderest means to draw her from the room. But she had resisted, or rather been utterly deaf to all entreaties, and, kneeling by the bed that held all that she had loved or ever could love, still fed her eager gaze with sight of him, and pressed from time to time his ice-cold hand to her cheeks, her lips, her eyes.
Then Sir Mark had admonished them to let her be, and sinking into a chair, with a heavy sigh, had kept her vigil with her. Tall candles gleamed on distant tables. The night wind sighed without; footsteps came and went, and heart-broken sighs and ill-suppressed sobs disturbed the air. The little child he had loved--the poor Boodie--would not be forbidden, and, creeping into the sad room, had stolen to the bedside, and had laid upon his breast a little pallid blossom she had, secretly and alone, braved all the terrors of the dark night to gain, having traversed the quiet garden to pluck it from the tiny plot out there she called her own.
She had not been frightened when she saw him, but had stood gazing in some wonder at the indescribably pathetic smile that glorified his lips, after which she had given her hand obediently to Dicky Browne, and had gone back with him to her nursery, content, and far less sad than when she came.
Sometimes they all came and gazed on him together; Julia trembling, but subdued; Dulce with her hand in Roger's; the old man inconsolable. Now Dicky Browne whispers feeble but well-meant words of comfort to him, now Sir Mark touches his arm in silent sympathy. But they all keep somewhat apart from Portia; she has grown suddenly sacred in their eyes, as one to whom the beloved dead more especially belongs.
One of them, Sir Mark, I believe, seeing a little bit of dark-hued ribbon round his neck, bent forward, and, loosening it, draws to light a flat gold locket with the initials P. V. sunk deeply in it. His hand shook at this discovery; he hesitated; then, some fine instinct revealing to him that it might contain some hidden charm strong enough to rouse her from her unnatural calm, he touched Portia's shoulder and laid the locket in her hand.
Mechanically she opened it, yet testily too, as if unwilling or unable to keep her eyes for even the shortest space of time from the lifeless face so dear to her. But, once opened, her glance riveted itself upon its contents. Her own face looked up at her, her own eyes smiled at her. It was her portrait that she saw, painted by him, no doubt, sadly and in secret, and worn against his heart ever since.
Long she gazed at it. Her whole face changed. The terrible calm has broken up, but no grief came in its place. There was only joy unutterable and a rapture most blessed and divine.
"My love, I knew it without this," she said, softly. Her eyes once more returned to him; a quick but lengthened sigh escaped her; her head fell forward on his breast.
They waited. The minutes grew, but still she never stirred. Some one, whispering comfort to her, tried to raise her head, but comfort from heaven itself had reached her. She was _with him_! She was quite dead!
They said some tissue in her heart had given way, and perhaps it was so, but surely grief had severed it.
THE END.
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* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Approximately halfway through the text, the printer began placing em-dashes (--) before the sources of the quotes that begin each chapter. These dashes have now been added to the first half of the text's sources for consistency.
Text uses: _àpropos_, _à propos_, _apropos_ and apropos. This was retained. Text also uses "Virginian creeper" instead of the more common "Virginia creeper." Text uses both: "tete-a-tete" and "tete-à-tete."
Page 2, "fiance" changed to "fiancé" (Dicky Browne your _fiancé_?)
Page 3, "litte" changed to "little" (rest a little)
Page 11, "mu t" changed to "must" (You must try to)
Page 13, "initation" changed to "imitation" (the imitation was exactly)
Page 13, "m he" changed to "me the" (tell me the rest)
Page 16, "convines" changed to "convinces" (which convinces his pretty)
Page 37, "amiabilty" changed to "amiability" (who is amiability)
Page 48, "unwieldly" changed to "unwieldy" (disgust the unweildy)
Page 50, "cushionss" changed to "cushions" (upon their cushions)
Page 68, "genitian" changed to "gentian" (of the Alpine gentian)
Page 72, "taper" changed to "tapered" (and with one tapered)
Page 86, "dainy" changed to "dainty" (by his dainty hostess)
Page 96, "esconced" changed to "ensconced" (has ensconced herself upon)
Page 109, "Curaçoa" changed to "Curaçao" (Curaçao will do me)
Page 111, "abominally" changed to "abominably" (is so abominably mild)
Page 112, "superflous" changed to "superfluous" (What superfluous surprise)
Page 131, "Ma k" changed to "Mark" (Sir Mark, in despair)
Page 134, "daresary" changed to "daresay" (judgment. I daresay)
Page 140, "tho" changed to "the" (the odor of the skies)
Page 142, redundant "to" removed from text. Original read: (eyes to to the fast) now reads (eyes to the fast)
Page 143, "thra dom" changed to "thraldom" (Pining in thraldom)
Page 149, "dan e" changed to "dance" (thought of our dance)
Page 152, "B ount" changed to "Blount" (it is Fabian Blount)
Page 158, "t e" changed to "the" (question, by-the-by)
Page 173, "Keates" changed to "Keats" (for which Keats longed)
Page 176, "woman" changed to "women" (dear to all women)
Page 183, "hesitatien" changed to "hesitation" (is a moment's hesitation)
Page 186, "mighn't" changed to "mightn't" (when I mightn't)
Page 188, "suceeds" changed to "succeeds" (succeeds, at all events)
Page 193, repeated word "to" removed from text (her eyes to seek his)
Page 194, "corrider" changed to "corridor" (to reach the corridor)
Page 204, "gr y" changed to "gray" (whole world gray to you)
Page 207, "mercernary" changed to "mercenary" (the lack of mercenary)
Page 210, "mantlepiece" changed to "mantelpiece" (against the mantelpiece)
Page 212, "say" changed to "says" (word," says Dicky Browne)
Page 212, "scout" changed to "scant" (I scant this breathing)
Page 213, "langour" changed to "languor" (a languor, a listlessness)
Page 219, "On" changed to "One" (One might easily)
Page 229, "erroneons" changed to "erroneous" (An erroneous belief)
Page 233, "occured" changed to "occurred" (never occurred to me)
Page 238, "a k" changed to "ask" (right to ask it)
Page 256, " o" changed to "So" ("So it was,")
Page 267, "threshhold" changed to "threshold" (the threshold, concealed)