On the Sunday she was allowed to see Myra Brinton for the first time.
Perhaps the events of the week had done more for Myra than for
anyone else; she had been so horrified to discover what mischief her
sentimental fancy for Ralph, her jealousy of Evereld and her quarrel
with Ivy had wrought, that she had taken herself thoroughly in hand, and
had learnt a lesson she would never forget. As for the baby, it played
no small part in her education, and Bridget was always delighted that
she should come in and make much of it.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough,” said Evereld looking up at her
gratefully. “They have all told me how good and helpful you were last
Monday, when no one had time to think much of Baby Dick.”
“Is he to be called Dick?” said Myra willing to turn the conversation
from herself.
“Yes, after my brother who died. Have you seen Ivy yet?”
“Oh, several times,” said Myra. “I wanted just to tell you that
everything is quite right between us again. I was very wrong, Evereld,
to tell you what I did at Mardentown. It was all a mistake and I little
thought what it would lead to. If poor Ivy had not been in a hurry to be
out of my way before I came back to the dressing-room, I do believe the
accident would never have happened. My horrible gossip might have been
the death of both of you. I can never forget that.”
“Don’t let us ever talk of it again,” said Evereld. “We shall all
three be closer friends for the rest of our lives just because this has
happened. That’s the only thing that matters now. And Myra, I wanted to
ask you to be Dick’s Godmother. You had all the trouble of him at first,
and so he seems rightly to belong to you. Mr. Macneillie has promised to
be one of the Godfathers.”
This was the finishing touch to the reconciliation and a very happy
thought on the part of the little mother. Nothing could have pleased
Myra more, and she left Bath a much happier and a much better woman.
Evereld made herself as happy as she could with her baby and with old
Bridget as companions, but her convalescence was tedious, and she was
unspeakably glad when at length the day arrived for her removal to the
Hereford’s house in Lansdowne Crescent.
The beautiful view of the Somersetshire hills and of the grey city in
the valley below, which she gained from her window, the cheerful sense
of family life going on all about her, the companionship of Bride
O’Ryan, and the comfort of having Mrs. Hereford always at hand to advise
her about Dick and to share all her anxieties, seemed exactly what she
needed.
Her voice recovered its tone, her cheeks regained their fresh bright
colour, and she became once more just a girl again, ready to enjoy life
in her own quiet fashion.
“I could almost fancy we were back at school,” said Bride cheerfully.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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