At the end of one of them, Paul started to his feet exclaiming, "Your music, Miss Gilbert is so charming that I quite forgot an engagement I was so unfortunate as to make before I knew I should be honored with company. I shall shorten it as much as possible and shall hope to find you here on my return."
How delightfully passed the evening to those left behind. The moment Paul had shut the door, Wallingford's reticence vanished; and he shone, as his sister had never seen him before. He talked of their home, and described to Miss Gilbert, who had never visited New York, the scenery on the banks of the Hudson river. He told Gerty of Hannah's success in raising calves; and made them both laugh by detailing the persistent attentions of Hannah's old beau, Mr. Biles. He talked, too, of his anxieties that his sister should improve every moment of the time she could call her own, in making up the deficiencies in her education; and Gertrude, now realizing as she never had done, how necessary knowledge is to happiness, promised to take hold of study in earnest. Her eye grew bright as she realized the possibility, that by this means, she might win back the love of her husband.
But at last Marion noticed that her sister looked weary, though there was still a smile on her lip, and insisted on seeing her in her chamber before she left, calling Bridget to help her mistress to bed. Then bidding her an affectionate good night, with the promise of another speedy visit, she took Mr. Wallingford's offered arm, and commenced her walk home.
"May I talk with you freely, Miss Gilbert, as if you were indeed a sister," the gentleman began at once. "I am sure you will understand how my heart aches for poor Gerty."
"I love her like a sister," was the earnest reply; "and before I was aware she had a brother to defend her rights, resolved to take that service upon myself."
"Thank you. I shall forget, then, that I am talking to one so lately a stranger. I see my sister's marriage has resulted even worse than I feared. Dudley was an intimate college friend; but his treatment of ladies led me to fear he would never make a tender husband; and poor Gerty is such a very child."
"Mr. Dudley is extremely popular with the ladies here," was her cool reply; "but I agree with you that he is not tender of his wife."
"What can I do for her? Shall I charge him with cruelty and take her home?"
She laughed at his earnest tone, but presently aided seriously:
"'For better for worse, till death us do part,' I think that is the way the service reads. No, I don't imagine she would be happy away from her duty."