"A gentleman always keeps his word, Maud," said Toney, "and indeed, Mr. Lang, Maud won't always be penniless, I've just made my will, and when Aunt Dove dies, you'll have two thousand a year, Maud—it's my wedding gift to you."
The lovers stared hard, then Maud actually cried and ended by laughing.
"Oh, Toney! We can't—he won't reform if I'm not a beggar!"
"Aunt Dove's got an awfully good constitution, so there's no hurry," said Toney, "but I'm so very, very glad, Mr. Lang, though of course, Maud is too good for you, only——"
They all laughed, and Maud seeing Toney's tired look, suggested she should lie down and be left alone.
"Yes, I think I'll curl up," said Toney, "I'm still a bit dazed—but, oh, Maud—I never guessed!"
The lovers went out and Toney called Trick, then literally curled herself round on the big sofa, feeling that it would take a long time to re-adjust her ideas. Why had she believed Aunt Dove, and—oh, it was all a mistake—what about Lewis' strange coldness? But even the new sweet, strange puzzle, and the great lightness of heart, could not keep her weary eyes open, though she did not want to sleep but to see Sir Evas directly he appeared, so she took her little book out of her pocket and opened it at the place where the little boy saw St. Francis in a wood, surrounded with heavenly visitors, and she read how St. Francis, returning home, stumbled over the boy, and then lifted him in his arms, "as doth a good shepherd with his sheep," and Toney thought of the terrible moments on the sill, and thanked God that she had been upheld by the Good Shepherd till help had come, for she heard Jim tell someone that it was a miracle how Miss Tonia had held on—— Then "The Little Flowers of St. Francis" dropped from her hands and Toney fell asleep.
* * * * *
Sir Evas, getting out at Winchley Station, stumbled against Lewis Waycott.
"Bless my soul, you came too, Waycott! How can you spare the time? There's a fly waiting, come with me, I wanted to talk about your lions, but all this has driven everything out of my head."