Only one love : $b or, Who was the heirGarvice, Charles
General
Only one love : $b or, Who was the heir
Garvice, Charles
Dime novels; English fiction
With a slight start she turned pale, and looked from his face all aglow
with the fervor of loving admiration to Una's downcast one, and then,
with something like a shudder, she, too, sank back into the seat.
"Isn't--isn't it cold?" she said, in a strangely changed voice.
"Is it?" said Jack, musing. "We'll row on," and he bent to the oar
again.
A peculiar silence fell upon them all; it seemed as if they were still
listening to the sweet voice. Lady Bell closed her eyes and remained
motionless, and Jack pulled as if he had undertaken to reach Richmond
within a given time.
At Richmond tea was brought to them on the terrace while the horses were
put to, and very soon they were dashing toward London.
Dalrymple declared that his arms were too stiff to allow him to handle
the four grays properly, and Jack was unanimously voted to the box.
He looked rather inclined to refuse, but seeing that Una had been seated
close behind him, he climbed up and took the reins without a word.
For the first mile or two he had quite enough to do to keep the nags in
hand; but he could feel that Una was close behind him, could feel her
breath on his cheek, and hear every word of the clear, low-pitched
voice, and he was deliriously happy.
Presently, when he had got the horses into steady working, he turned his
head and pointing with his whip, as if he were directing her attention
to some object in the landscape, said in a low voice:
"Una, can you hear me?"
"Yes," she said, leaning forward.
"I have been thinking it all over," he said, "but I can't make head or
tail of it. It's all a mystery. However, I know where you are now, and
that's something; and I can come and see you, and that's everything--to
me. Are you angry with me for speaking so--so boldly?"
"No," she faltered.
"And I may come and see you? I know Mrs. Davenant; she is a good
creature, though she thinks me everything that's bad--and she's not far
wrong, I'm afraid----"
Una sighed faintly.
"And perhaps she'll tell me what it means, and why Stephen has sent you
to be with her. Why, Una, did your father allow you to come? He loathed
me for being a distant relative of the Davenants."
"I do not know," said Una, troubled.
"Never mind," said Jack, hastening to soothe her; "it's sure to be all
right, if he did it. I liked your father, notwithstanding he was so
rough with me. I liked him because he took such care of you. Steady,
silly!" This was to the near leader, and not to Una. "What a lovely
night! Are you enjoying it?--are you happy?"
A sigh, faint and tremulous, was full answer.
"Please Heaven, we'll have many a night like this. Happy! I could go
half mad with delight at having you so near me. Una--I may call you
Una?"
"Yes," she murmured.
"Can you guess--you sweet, innocent flower--what makes me so happy?"
"Tell me!" she answered, in a low voice, and leaning forward until her
soft, silken hair almost touched his.
Jack's heart beat fast, and his blood bounded in his veins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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