In the hallway Jack Remsen stopped dead. The first thing of which he
was conscious was that the voice of the girl he loved and had continued
to love against every dictate of conscience and honor was running like
sweet fire through his veins again. Instantly the fire became bitter
and scorching. For there was another voice, accompanying and fulfilling
hers, the barytone which she had adduced as one of her British lover’s
chief charms.
(Remsen had to admit the quality of the voice, now raised in _his_
song. The song which she had promised to keep as his and hers; the one
thing which he might claim of her!)
A hot anger rose in his heart and as quickly faded. Why shouldn’t she
sing that song with her lover? At most it was an idle promise which he
had had no right to exact. He conquered an impulse to turn and leave.
No; the thing had to be faced. Might as well face it now. When the
chords died down he advanced to the door and spoke.
Darcy whirled on her seat, and rose, very white. His one glance told
Remsen that she was lovelier than ever. Then everything was swallowed
up in the amazement of finding Hannon there. Harmon—alone in the dusk
with Darcy where he had expected to find the fiancé—his song—and that
charming, clear barytone of which Darcy had boasted in Sir Montrose!
An explanation came to his mind, light in the darkness. It was just
another masquerade—Darcy apparently specialized in them—and Veyze had
been but a blind for Harmon, the real lover in the background, all the
time. He felt Harmon wringing his hand in welcome and heard himself
saying with a creditable affect of heartiness:
“Then I suppose it’s you that I’m to congratulate.”
“It is,” returned the other, chuckling joyously. “Though how on earth
you knew it I can’t conceive.”
“Isn’t it evident enough?” said Jack.
He marched over to Darcy. She saw him changed, thinned, with lines in
his smooth face; lines of thoughtfulness, of self-control, of achieved
manhood, and her heart was in her eyes as they met his and drooped.
“And you,” he said. “I wish you every happiness. I couldn’t wish you
better than Tom Harmon.”
“_What!_” cried that complimented but astounded gentleman. “Me? Miss
Darcy?”
“Well, if it isn’t you,” said Jack lifelessly, looking from one to the
other: “will you kindly tell—”
“It _is_ me, but it isn’t her,” broke in Harmon, with the superb
disregard of grammar suitable to the occasion. “Man alive, it’s
_Gloria!_”
As if in confirmation, Gloria’s voice came to them, down the hallway.
“Darcy! Where are you, child?”
Two chairs which foolishly attempted to impede Mr. Thomas Harmon’s
abrupt and athletic progress across the floor were sent to the janitor
next day.
“Tom!” cried Gloria’s voice in a breathless and different tone. Then
the door slammed.
Jack Remsen turned to Darcy. “So that’s it, is it?” he said slowly.
“That,” answered Darcy, “is it. Isn’t it splendid!”
“Couldn’t be splendider—for those most concerned. What about the rest
of it?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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