The Following of the Star: A RomanceBarclay, Florence L. (Florence Louisa)
General
The Following of the Star: A Romance
Barclay, Florence L. (Florence Louisa)
Clergy -- Fiction; Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Marriage -- Fiction; Missionaries -- Fiction
Diana, who prided herself upon being far removed from all ordinary
feminine weaknesses and failings, now rated herself scornfully for the
utter unreasonableness of feeling hurt at David's very obvious relief
over the prospect of a speedy departure, now he had faithfully fulfilled
the letter of the undertaking between them. He had generously done as
she had asked, at the cost of much preliminary heart-searching and
perplexity; yet she, whose express stipulation had been that he should
go, now grudged the ease with which he was going, and would have had him
a little sad--a little sorry.
"Oh," cried Diana, giving herself a mental shake, "it is unreasonable;
it is odious; it is like an ordinary woman! I don't want the poor boy to
stay, so why should I want him to regret going? How perfectly natural
that he should be relieved that this complicated time is over; and how
glad _I_ ought to be, that whatever else connected with me he has found
difficult, at all events he finds it easy to leave me! Any mild regrets
would spoil the whole thing, and reduce us to the level of an ordinary
couple. Sir Deryck's remark in the vestry was most untactful. No wonder
it has had the immediate effect of making us both realise with relief
that, excepting in outward seeming, we each leave the church as free as
when we entered it."
Yet, undoubtedly David _was_ now her husband; and as Diana sat silently
beside him, she felt as an experienced fighter might feel, who had
handed over all his weapons to the enemy. What advantage would David
take, of this new condition of things, during the four hours which
remained to him? She felt defenceless.
Diana plunged both her hands into her muff. If David took one of them,
there was no knowing what might happen next. She remembered the
compelling power of his eyes, as they drew her up the church, to take
her place at his side. How would she feel, what would she do, if he
turned and looked so, at her--now?
But David appeared to be quite intent on the sights of London, eagerly
looking his last upon each well-known spot.
"I am glad this is a hired motor," he said, "and not your own chauffeur.
This fellow does not drive so rapidly. One gets a chance to look out of
the window. Ah, here is the Bank of England. I have never felt much
interest in that. But I like seeing the Royal Exchange, because of the
Prince Consort's text on the marble slab, high up in the centre of its
façade."
They were held up for a moment in the stream of cross-traffic.
"My father pointed it out to me when I was a very little chap,"
continued David. "I really must see it again, for the last time."
He leaned forward to look up through the window on her side of the
motor. His arm rested for a moment against Diana's knee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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