He seemed so exceedingly distressed that I could not find it in my heart to say what I thought of him and his carelessness, and of Mrs. Vandaleur—whom I could not believe altogether innocent—and of the whole wretched affair altogether. After all, Marquis or no Marquis, the man was my “mate,” and we had been through a lot together, and a nicer fighter than he was when one got into a tight place, I never wished to find. And neither he nor I was worse off than either had been a month or two ago; we had lost nothing—except a dream. It was a splendid dream, no doubt, and one that I at least was never likely to have a chance of dreaming again. But I thought I could do without it, on the whole; and if I could, who hadn’t done the mischief, so, I reckoned, could he.
I said something to this effect, and the Marquis wiped away his tears. It was with a red silk handkerchief this time, and the embroidery of the coronet, as he told me, had a story attached to it that was written in his heart’s blood.
“Has Mrs. Daisie given you a handkerchief yet?” I asked.
“No,” he said quite gravely, “she has but given me a hymn book.”
“A hymn book!” I yelled, choking with laughter. “What in the name of everything inappropriate should Mrs. Vandaleur give you hymn books for?”
“She is very devoted,” said the Marquis reprovingly. “She thinks that she will make a Lutheran of me. Of course, there isn’t any dashed chance that such a consummation could arrive, but it makes the little one happy. Me also. As for the hymns, she sings them to me; I hear her sing them when I come up the road past her little bird-nest of a house.”
“What does she sing?” I asked.
“Something that is in the hymn book, and that the great Clara Tun—no, Butt—Clara Butt sings also; it is altogether touching. ‘Abide with me.’”
“Does she?” said I, sitting up. “I call it irreligious and bad manners both, if she does. Every man to his taste. Are you going to ask her to help us to look for the diamond tomorrow?”
“I won’t do nothing you don’t wish,” said the Marquis, with sudden meekness. “I can not forget that I have ruined you.”