“She is safe with her father, and is to marry the ‘other one’ next week.”
“Heaven be praised!” ejaculated Christie, so fervently that David looked suddenly enlightened and much amused, as he said quickly: “What becomes of Fletcher?” “He’s safely out of the way, and I sincerely hope he will marry some ‘other one’ as soon as possible.” “Christie, you were jealous of that girl.” “David, you were jealous of that man.” Then they both burst out laughing like two children, for heavy burdens had been lifted off their hearts and they were bubbling over with happiness.
“But truly, David, weren’t you a little jealous of P. F.?” persisted Christie, feeling an intense desire to ask all manner of harassing questions, with the agreeable certainty that they would be fully answered.
“Desperately jealous. You were so kind, so gay, so altogether charming when with him, that I could not stand by and see it, so I kept away. Why were you never so to me?”
“Because you never showed that you cared for me, and he did. But it was wrong in me to do it, and I repent of it heartily; for it hurt him more than I thought it would when the experiment failed. I truly tried to love him, but I couldn’t.”
“Yet he had so much to offer, and could give you all you most enjoy. It is very singular that you failed to care for him, and preferred a poor old fellow like me,” said David, beaming at her like a beatified man.
“I do love luxury and pleasure, but I love independence more. I’m happier poking in the dirt with you than I should be driving in a fine carriage with ‘that piece of elegance’ as Mr. Power called him; prouder of being your wife than his; and none of the costly things he offered me were half so precious in my sight as your little nosegays, now mouldering away in my treasure-box upstairs. Why, Davy, I’ve longed more intensely for the right to push up the curly lock that is always tumbling into your eyes, than for Philip’s whole fortune. May I do it now?”
“You may,” and Christie did it with a tender satisfaction that made David love her the more, though he laughed like a boy at the womanly whim.
“And so you thought I cared for Kitty?” he said presently, taking his turn at the new game.
“How could I help it when she was so young and pretty and fond of you?”