"But, Erskine, my lad," he said at length, "Erskine——"
"You will, won't you, dad? If you don't, I shall run away with Frank!"
I had no knowledge that Isabella had been there, but, turning, I saw her standing behind me with love-lit eyes.
"Oh, dad, you won't refuse, will you?"
"Refuse?" he cried. "God bless my soul!—but—but—it's the very thing I would have chosen!" and then this stern, strong man sobbed like a child.
"We are having tea on the lawn," said Mrs. Lethbridge, entering the room at that moment. "Why, what's the meaning of this?"
When she knew what had taken place, she threw her arms around my neck, and kissed me.
"I have seen it for months," she declared presently. "Oh, yes, you needn't laugh at me; I saw—trust a mother's eyes."
That was the happiest evening I had ever known. I will not try to describe it, words seem so poor, so utterly insufficient. We were like those who had come safe into harbor after a voyage across a gray, trackless, stormy sea. We shuddered at the thought of the voyage; but we were glad we had undergone the suffering.
"I never knew dad so happy in my life," said Isabella to me as she bade me good-night. "Do you know, that in spite of everything I was afraid that he might—he might refuse? Oh, my love, my love, if Hugh had only lived to see us all!"