There was something in his humility and sadness which touched his father inexpressibly.
“Well,” he said, after a pause, “if you are really prepared for all the suffering this love must bring you, if you mean to take it, and cherish it, and live for it, even though it brings you no gain, but apparent pain and loss, then I think it can only raise both you and your Undine.”
Brian knew that not one man in a thousand would have spoken in such a way; his father's unworldliness was borne in upon him as it had never been before. Greatly as he had always reverenced and loved him, tonight his love and reverence deepened unspeakably—the two were drawn nearer to each other than ever.
It was not the habit in this house to make the most sacred ties of life the butt for ill-timed and ill-judged joking. No knight of old thought or spoke more reverently or with greater reserve of his lady love than did Brian of Erica. He regarded himself now as one bound to do her service, consecrated from that day forward as her loyal knight.
CHAPTER V. Erica's Resolve
Men are tattooed with their special beliefs like so many
South Sea Islanders; but a real human heart, with Divine
love in it, beats with the same glow under all the patterns
of all earth's thousand tribes. O. Wendell Holmes.
For the next fortnight Brian and Erica continued to pass each other every afternoon in Gower Street, as they had done for so long, the only difference was that now they greeted each other, that occasionally Brian would be rendered happy for the rest of the day by some brief passing remark from his Undine, or by one of her peculiarly bright smiles. One day, however, she actually stopped; her face was radiant.
“I must just tell you our good news,” she said. “My father has won his case, and has got heavy damages.”
“I am very glad,” said Brian. “It must be a great relief to you all to have it over.”