And she started to her feet, for she knew in an instant, that her husband had come home in a sleigh—a possibility that had never occurred either to herself or her servant.
She ran to the door and pulled it open. But Alexander had turned around to the stable, and so it was some ten minutes before he returned to the door.
It flew open at his knock, and Drusilla threw herself in his arms; she could not help this, she was so overjoyed at his almost unhoped for return in safety that night.
“Up still, my faithful little darling?” he said, kissing her.
“Yes; and I hope you are very hungry this time, as well as very cold, dear Alick, for I have such a supper for you!”
“Yes? Well you may swear that I am famished, for I have not broken my fast since luncheon,” he laughed.
She helped him to draw off his overcoat, and hung it up in the hall; and then she pulled him with affectionate solicitude and playful force out from the cold hall into the snug little drawing-room, and made him comfortable.
“Dear Alick, your hands are almost frozen! You must have had a real Laplander’s ride, and without the Laplander’s furs. How came you to undertake it, dear?” she asked, as she pushed him down in his arm-chair, and sat on a cushion at his side, and took his icy hands between her own warm ones, and rubbed them. “Why did you come, Alick, dear?”
“My darling, it is bad enough for me to stay away from you as much as I do—as much as I am compelled to do on account of that vexatious business; but really it would be too bad to stay away all night, and I never mean to do that,” he answered.
“Oh, Alick dear, how glad I am to hear you say so. And I am so glad you came to-night, since you have reached home in safety. The servants thought that you would not come, that it would be too dangerous a journey to undertake on horseback.”