“When she finds that Bain has gone, never to return, she will be ready to take me back again,” he thought, confident of the ultimate triumph of his golden charms if not of his personal attractions.
As for Daisie, she wept wildly when he was gone, yielding to the cruel strain on her emotions. She felt herself the most unhappy girl in the world. Dallas was gone from her in anger, and she had no hope of ever seeing him again.
Yet Daisie knew in her heart that this was the love of her life, and that she never could forget her handsome, dark-eyed lover. The joy and the sorrow of this brief love dream would stay with her forever.
One bitter drop in the cup of Daisie’s sorrow was the anger of her Aunt Alice at her broken engagement.
The old lady had been so proud of her niece’s rich catch that she could hardly believe it when Daisie confessed to her the truth of the broken engagement.
She became violently angry, but neither scolding nor reproaches could “bring that silly girl to her senses,” as she termed it, then she relapsed into sullen silence. There was neither pity nor sympathy in that house for poor Daisie.
Worst of all, Royall Sherwood kept coming every day to call, and he let her see quite plainly that he did not despair of winning her yet.
“You will forget Dallas Bain, now that you see him no more,” he said confidently. “In fact, I am not sure that he was worthy of your regard. There was something very mysterious about the fellow, and I have no idea what has become of him.”
Daisie had no answer to give; but she knew that the memory of Dallas Bain would never leave her mind.
When she was alone the music of his voice seemed to echo in her ears, the flash of his dark eyes to light up the darkness, and always, always, she could feel the touch of his hand and the thrill of his lips as they met her own—no, such love as hers could never die. Though she never spoke his name aloud, she would tremble and thrill when it was uttered by another.