Looking at her friend, Betty Ashton’s eyes filled suddenly with tears, for in this moment she was feeling a deeper, a sincerer affection for her than at any time since their acquaintance.
“But you won’t be taking Esther away from me, Herr Crippen?” Betty suddenly pleaded. “She has been a kind of foster sister to me for almost a year and I should be so dreadfully lonely here in this big house without her after the closing of our camp. She has already taught me such a number of things, I don’t suppose she can even dream how many! Can’t you just let her live on with me and come and see her whenever you like?” Which question showed that Betty Ashton did not realize that circumstances ever could seriously interfere with her dearest wishes.
But the German violinist, while he held his daughter’s hand clasped tight in his, slowly shook his head. “For a little while, yes,” he agreed, “but after that my Esther she must go away from Woodford. She hast ein grosser talent than you her friends who do not understand music can know. She must study much, she must do all that I haf failed to do. I haf a little money, it is enough for the start, after that——”
“But I shall not wish ever to leave Betty or you,” Esther here interrupted quietly. “I am not ambitious; I can learn all I shall need to know to earn my living here in Woodford.”
It was hardly the time for argument, as each member of the little company realized, and fortunately at this moment the tea tray made its arrival so that Betty and Esther were both busy in supplying the wants of their few guests. However, when Betty had secured her own cup of tea she brought up a tiny table and placed it between the German professor and herself. There had not been much time for thought, but in a vague way Betty felt that she wanted to make reparation both to her friend and Herr Crippen for any foolish joking which she had done at the man’s expense. Really he was not so bad, now one realized how many misfortunes he had passed through, although he could not have had much strength of character or he would never have let anything persuade him to desert his children.
“You will go with Esther when she has to leave Woodford?” Betty inquired softly, not wishing that any one else should overhear. “Of course when the time comes it wouldn’t be fair for me to stand in her way no matter how much we care for one another, but Esther would be far too timid to go alone.”
Herr Crippen shook his head violently. “I cannot leaf this neighborhood, nothing can make me until I haf accomplished all my purpose, no objectings, no arguments.” He spoke with such anger that Betty stared in a complete state of mystification. Herr Crippen’s voice was not lowered; he gazed with apparent fierceness at Miss McMurtry, whom Betty had supposed until very recently to be the object of his ardent affections.
“I tell you I leaf behind two childrens,” he went on, “the one I haf found, the other the superintendent at the asylum, my friends, no one will tell me where mine oder child is. Adopted they tell me, taken away from here, I haf no more a legal right, I should only make unhappiness should I demand my little baby back again.”
“You promised me you would not talk of this, father,” Esther began in a pleading tone, “you promised me that if I would forget all your past neglect you would find your happiness in me.”
But Betty had risen to her feet and stood frowning with unconscious earnestness at the tall man.