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"I--I believe--'tis in my--escritoire," she managed to say. "I--I willlook for it."
She rose and unlocked the bureau, standing with her back to him.
"'Tis no matter," stammered Carstares. "I--only--'twas but that I couldnot find it. Pray do not disturb yourself!"
"Oh--not--at all," she answered, scattering a handful of letters beforeher. "Yes--here 'tis." She came up to him with the note in her hand,extending it.
Carstares looked down at the golden head, and at the little face withits eyes cast down, and red mouth set so wistfully. Heavens, how couldhe bear to live without her! Mechanically he took the letter.
Lavinia turned away, and as she stepped from him something snapped inRichard's brain. The luckless invitation was flung down.
"No, by God you shall not!" he cried suddenly.
Lavinia stopped, trembling.
"Oh--oh, what do you mean?" she fluttered.
The mists were gone from his mind now, everything was clear. Laviniashould not elope with Lovelace. In two strides he was at her side, hadcaught her by the shoulders and swung her to face him.
"You shall not leave me! Do you understand? I cannot live without you!"
Lavinia gave a little cry full of relief, joy and wonderment, and shrankagainst him.
"Oh, please, please forgive me and keep me with you!" she cried, andclung to the lapels of his coat.
Carstares swept her right off the ground in the violence of his embrace,but she did not mind, although the crushing was ruinous to her silks.Silks were no longer uppermost in her brain. She returned his kisseseagerly, sobbing a little.
When Carstares was able to say anything beyond how he loved her, hedemanded if she did not love him?
"Of course I do!" she cooed. "I always, always did, only I was soselfish and so careless!"
He carried her to the sofa and sat down with her on his knee, trying tolook into her face. But she had somehow contrived to hide it on hisshoulder, and he did not succeed.
"Then you never loved that puppy?" he asked, amazed.
One hand crept up to his other shoulder.
"Oh, Dicky, no! And--and you--you don't love that horrid Mrs. Fanshawe,do you?"
He was still more amazed.
"Mrs. Fanshawe? Great heavens, no! You never thought that, surely?"
"I did--I did! Since you were always at her house, and so cold tome--how could I help it?"
"Cold to _you_? My dearest, surely not?"
"You were--you truly were--and I was so miserable--I--I thought I hadbeen so unreasonable and so horrid that you had ceased to I-love me--andI did not know what to do. And--and then you told me that you were goingto--to confess--and I lost my temper and said I would n-not stay withyou--But I never, never meant it--and when you seemed to expect me togo--I--I did not know what to do again!"
He patted her shoulder comfortingly.
"Sweetheart, don't cry! I had no idea of all this--why, I was sure thatyou loved Lovelace--I never doubted it--why in the world did you nottell me the truth?"
She sat up at that, and looked at him.
"Why, how could I?" she demanded. "I was quite certain that you lovedIsabella Fanshawe. I felt I had to go away, and I could not do italone--so--so--so, of course I had to elope. And I told Harold lastnight that I would go with him--and I'm afraid he didn't quite want mewhen he heard that I loved you. Oh, Dicky darling, you'll tell him thatI won't go with him, won't you?"
He could not help laughing.
