“It may seem impossible to you,” I couldn't help observing, “but I question if it will seem so to your son. I doubt if her being an opera singer will make much difference to him.”
The doctor groaned. “The boy is mad about her, quite mad,” he admitted.
I was sorry for him. Perhaps if I were in his position I might feel as he did.
“I will say this,” I said: “In no way, so far as I know, has Miss Morley given your son encouragement. He told me himself that he had never spoken to her of his feelings and we have no reason to think that she regards him as anything more than a friend. She left no message for him when she went away.”
He seemed to find some ground for hope in this. He rose from the chair and extended his hand.
“Knowles,” he said, “if I have said anything to hurt your feelings or those of Miss Cahoon I am very sorry. I trust it will make no difference in our friendship. My wife and I respect and like you both and I think I understand how deeply you must feel the loss of your—of Miss Morley. I hope she—I hope you may be reunited some day. No doubt you will be. As for Herbert—he is our son and if you ever have a son of your own, Mr. Knowles, you may appreciate his mother's feelings and mine. We have planned and—and—Even now I should not stand in the way of his happiness if—if I believed happiness could come of it. But such marriages are never happy. And,” with a sudden burst of hope, “as you say, she may not be aware of his attachment. The boy is young. He may forget.”
“Yes,” said I, with a sigh. “He IS young, and he may forget.”
After he had gone Hephzy turned to me.
“If I hadn't understood that old man's feelin's,” she declared, “I'd have given him one talkin' to. The idea of his speakin' as if Frances wouldn't be a wife anybody, a lord or anybody else, might be proud of! But he didn't know. He's been brought up that way, and he doesn't know. And, of course, his son IS the only person on earth to him. Well, that's over! We haven't got to worry about them any more. We'll begin to live for each other now, Hosy, same as we used to do. And we'll wait for the rest. It'll come and come right for all of us. Just you see.”