"All has succeeded, as I told you it would. The enclosed letter from your wife will explain more and better than I could. Be happy, dear old fellow, but don't agitate yourself; and mind you are quite well when I keep my word, and bring Katharine home."
[CHAPTER X.]
COMING HOME.
"Alice," said Robert Streightley to the old nurse, who had kept an anxious watch upon him from the moment she had heard Yeldham's parting words, "I want to speak to you. Come upstairs with me to Miss Ellen's room."
It was about noon, on the second day after Charles Yeldham reached Paris; and Robert had received his letter, with the enclosure from Katharine, that morning. It had been delivered at the hour which usually found Robert at breakfast, and old Alice in attendance upon him; as in the old time, which had had so brief, so brilliant, and so melancholy an interruption. But on this occasion Robert was alone, by his own express desire; and Alice, too much concerned, too seriously apprehensive to be affronted, had acquiesced without grumbling in his request that she would leave him for a little. No human eye, therefore, had seen Robert's perusal of his wife's letter--had witnessed the effect produced on him by such a reversal of his life for the past three years. His heart had known its own bitterness, and neither friend nor stranger was near now to meddle with its joy--a joy too deep for utterance, too supreme almost for endurance--a joy full of keen and piercing pain, of repentance, infinitely more terrible since forgiveness had come, and rich with the divinest blessings of hope. Hours had gone over since the glorious light of this new life had dawned--unheeded hours; and now Robert called to Alice, and she came. As he spoke, the old woman looked at him anxiously, but his face reassured her. It was very pale, and he looked old--he had been looking old of late, she had often thought--but peace, serenity, a calm, which she felt without understanding or questioning, were on the features, and a smile--a sweet and serious smile--lighted them. She followed him without a word to the now disused but always orderly, room which had been Mrs. Dutton's in her maiden days. It was a pretty, bright, simple apartment, with gay chintz curtains, carefully pinned up now, and covered with holland wrappings; with a bright carpet, covered with its linen shroud; and pretty furniture, simple and inexpensive, but in good taste and in perfect order. The day was bright and clear, and the tireless room, though cold, was not cheerless. Robert glanced round the room, placed a chair for Alice, bade her sit down, and shut the door. Then he set his back against the door, and said:
"Alice, I want you to get this room made ready for a lady as soon as possible."
"Lord bless us! Master Robert," said the old woman nervously, "who ever's coming, and the mistress away, and Miss Ellen not fit to be left, I'm sure--not for a fortnight yet, if so soon----"
"Alice, dear old woman!" said Robert, and he bent his tall figure, and laid his hands kindly on her shoulders,--"it is for my wife. My wife is coming back to me!"
She looked at him with the timid uncertainty of old age, and began to tremble and cry.
"Yes, she's coming," he said. "You don't know her, Alice,--you saw her very seldom; you don't know how good she is----"