Toilers of Babylon: A NovelFarjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
General
Toilers of Babylon: A Novel
Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
Inheritance and succession -- Fiction
What a grand, stately house it was! It almost made her giddy to look
to the top. She stood on the other side of the road, watching the door
through which she had just passed; her mind was made up to wait, and
at all risks to accost Mr. Manners when he came out. She had never
seen him, but she was sure she would know him when he appeared.
Kingsley had shown her the portrait of his father, and the likeness
between them would render mistake impossible. She wondered whether it
would have assisted her to bring her baby girl, and wondered, too, how
a man so rich and powerful as Mr. Manners could have the heart to
behave so harshly to his only child. She had gone no farther than the
entrance hall of the stately mansion, but the evidences of wealth
which met her eyes had impressed her more deeply than ever with the
sacrifice Kingsley had made for her sake. A sense of wrong-doing came
to her. She should not have accepted the sacrifice. She should have
thought of the future, and should not have allowed herself to be led
away by the impetuous passion of her lover. Even the duty she owed to
her dear father had been neglected, and she had taken the most solemn
step in life without consulting him. It was too late to turn back now,
but could she not atone for the wrong she had done? If she said to
Kingsley: "Dear husband, let us part; return to your father's home, to
your father's heart, and I will never trouble you more;" would he
accept the atonement? Would he, would he? A chill fell upon her heart,
like the touch of an icy hand, but the sweet remembrances of the past,
of the vows they had exchanged, of the undying love they had pledged
to each other, brought gleams of sunshine to her. Kingsley had thrown
in his lot with her for weal and woe. She would work, she would slave
for him, and he should never hear one word of complaining from her
lips. If only they were together again! They could be happy on a very
little; she would make him happy; she would be bright and cheerful
always, and he would draw gladness from her. Their baby was at home,
waiting for a father's kisses, for a father's love. If he needed a
stronger incentive to be true and faithful, he would find it in his
child. Upon the mere suggestion of this possibility she stood up in
defence of him. No stronger incentive was needed than the ties which
already bound them together. But where was he? What was the reason of
his long and heart-breaking silence?
She walked slowly up and down for an hour and more, never losing sight
of the door of the rich man's house. She was determined not to go away
without seeing him, if she had to remain the whole of the day. It was
a weary, anxious time, and it was fortunate for her that she had not
much longer to wait. The door opened, and Mr. Manners came forth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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