C. B. still stood looking like a man who had received a very heavy blow when Miss Stewart came in through the half-open door looking very pale and worn. Her heavy-lidded eyes were full of tears, and the sight of her completed C. B.’s discomfiture. Sinking into a chair he covered his face with his hands and sobbed like a boy. “I didn’t know, I didn’t think,” wailed he, “or I would have been kinder, more thoughtful, more thankful. Oh, I am so sorry we are parting.”
Miss Stewart could bear it no longer, but rising swiftly from the chair she had sank into on first entering she rushed across to him flung her arms around his neck and cried—
“We need never separate unless you want to. If you only knew how we, well yes, I, love you....”
At this the young man lifted his face and looked at her. All his long dormant love towards her awoke at that gaze, and he reached for her with his long powerful arms, while she, blushing crimson from her hair to her collar, laid her dear head upon his shoulder.
The two men in the background, looking on, felt their hearts swell, their eyes grow moist, and their throats become husky at the scene, but they turned solemnly to each other and shook hands. At that moment there was a loud rap at the door; it opened and a rough voice said—
“Th’ hackman says ye’ve just got time to get ye’re train if yez come now.”
They all sprang to their feet except the captain, and in two minutes were all seated in the hack being rattled at breakneck speed towards the station. On the way Mr. Stewart said—
“Well, I guess that business of mine’ll have to wait after all, for I can’t leave ye now until I see ye safe in New Bedford. But then I must leave and attend to things. I’ve neglected them too long already.”
At this all laughed merrily, for the three of them had no idea of the magnitude of the interests involved, and the principal actor, Mr. Stewart, behaved in the fullness of his joy as if a million or so of dollars more or less could make no possible difference to him.