“Yes, uncle. I quite understand!” said Violet gently.
“And you are not unhappy about it?”
“No, uncle. You have been so good to me, and your love has been so true and kind, that I cannot doubt your knowing and doing for the best. I should indeed be an ungrateful little wretch if I thought otherwise. I shall obey you absolutely. And dear Miss Letty too!”
She stooped and kissed them both tenderly.
“Good night!” she said cheerily. “I have danced nearly all the evening—I’m tired, and I’m going to bed!”
“Good night, little one—God bless you!” said Miss Letty fondly.
“God bless you, darling Miss Letty!” And with another kiss and smile, Violet entered the house, paused on the threshold for a moment to wave her hand once more, and then vanished.
The two old people were silent for some minutes after she had gone. The glorious moon shed broad haloes of silvery light around them, and in the deep silence a whisper seemed to steal upon the heavily perfumed air, and creep into both their hearts, saying—“You two—you both were young once,—and now—do you not think you have wasted your lives for a dream’s sake?”
But though they were conscious of this subtle suggestion, their brave souls had but the one response to it. Miss Letty certainly did not think her life was wasted because she had been faithful to the memory of her first love, and because since his death she had done what she could to make others, instead of herself, happy. And Dick Desmond, though he sometimes did feel a little bit sore about having had to sacrifice a sweet wife and cosy home, for the memory as he always said to himself “of a dead rascal,”—still he did not complain of the romantic faith that had kept his heart warm all these years, and enabled him to do good wherever he could in his own particular way. So that whisper of a half regret passed them by like the merest passing shadow,—and the Major rose up to go, squaring his shoulders in his usual fashion and shaking himself like a big retriever.
“I think I’m right, Letty!” he said with a meaning nod towards the direction in which Violet had disappeared.