Lord Stuart was overjoyed at the success of his journey. He lost no time in writing to Norman de Vere.
But he did not tell Norman that he had found Thea and her baby. He had a little plan of his own, and wanted to carry it out in his own fashion.
He wrote simply to Norman that he had a clew to Thea’s whereabouts, and that he was following it up closely, accompanied by his sister. He felt almost certain that he should find the missing ones, and he begged Norman to reply to him immediately, letting him hear from his mother, over whom, Lord Stuart added, he felt a strong anxiety.
“Yet I am almost certain that she is dead ere this,” he decided, thinking of the awfully corpse-like face upon which he had looked just before starting West.
To his astonishment and delight, the letter that came in due course of time conveyed the joyful information that the sick woman had rallied, and was in a fair way to recover.
“With Heaven’s blessing, she will be restored to us; but she is very weak yet. I dare not leave her to less loving care than mine, or I would hasten to join you in the search for my darlings. God bless you and your noble sister, and give success to your mission. I can not describe to you the eagerness I feel to join you, but my duty will hold me here until my mother is stronger,” Norman wrote; and Lord Stuart’s heart thrilled with pleasure at the thought of the happiness soon coming to the man now crushed with grief and despair.
“He little dreams of the charming surprise I have in store for him,” he murmured, with dim eyes, for pure tears of joy had arisen at the thought of the good he was going to accomplish and the happiness he would bring to the crushed and bleeding hearts of those he loved.
No purer pleasure ever comes to the human heart than by the accomplishment of a good deed, and Lord Stuart was tasting this in eager anticipation.
Thea was now convalescing rapidly, and he gave her the letter to read. She kissed it and shed bitter tears over it.
“You should not have written that about me. We can never be anything to each other again,” she said, piteously.