"My friend, I congratulate you," said Miss Forester, turning with a mischievous smile to Felix.
His eyes were upon the face of the woman so incredibly surrendered to him, and he smiled gravely. He had not yet had time to realize his happiness—to appreciate what it all meant. The one supreme fact that Rona loved him was destroying the proportions of everything else.
Vronsky had not spoken since Miss Forester's entrance. He had a divided heart. He loved Felix, and he was assured of his happiness; but also he loved Nadia, and wanted to feel secure of hers. At the moment the steps of the other pair of lovers sounded in the veranda, and the Governor's daughter, in her white gown, her eyes full of light, pushed open the window and stepped inside, followed by Denzil.
The Squire's brow was wet with the dews of apprehension. His heart was in his mouth. What kind of situation was this? He had played the traitor, and he stood confronted by the two girls—his old love and his new.
Blindly he had followed Nadia to the house, unable to utter a word of warning, unable even to own to her that he had seen Felix. He had a confused idea that nothing that might now happen could be worse than the expression of his brother's eyes when lately they had met his own.
And behold, that same brother stood just within the room with the mien of a conqueror, his head high, his glance confident, his mouth smiling.
"Ah," said Nadia, drawing a long breath, "I told you that they had arrived—they must have arrived——" She came slowly forward.
"It is delightful to meet again," said Felix, taking her two hands. "May I present to you my fiancée, Miss Leigh?"
Denzil started visibly. It was upon his tongue to cry "No!"
Even as the impulse arose it was smothered. In his dazed condition he yet took in one point, namely, that apparently the dilemma from which he shrank existed no longer. He was free to avow himself the suitor of the Russian girl.