‘You must, Oscar—you must.’
‘Give me some reason—give me some explanation of this unaccountable change.’
‘I cannot. My lips are sealed.’
‘Very well. I will now say good-bye for a little while; but I shall follow you to London within three days. You are my promised wife, and I shall hold you to your promise, in spite of everything and every one.’
‘No, Oscar, no—it cannot be—it can never be!’ She glanced up into his eyes. There was a cold, clear, determined look in them, such as she had never seen there before. It was evident that he was terribly in earnest.
At this moment Captain Bowood’s landau drove up. The footman descended, and contemplated Lady Dimsdale’s numerous packages with dismay.
‘You needn’t bother about the luggage, George,’ said his master. ‘A man from the station will fetch that.’
The moment for parting had come. As Oscar gazed down on Laura, all the hardness melted out of his face, and in its stead, the soft light of love shone out of his eyes, and his lips curved into a smile of tenderness. ‘Farewell—but only for a little while,’ he whispered. He lifted her hand to his lips for a moment, and then, without another word, he turned on his heel and joined the Captain.
‘I actually believe Mr Boyd is in love with dear Lady Dimsdale!’ whispered Elsie to Mr Summers.
‘Of course he is, and she with him; only, she’s playing with him for a little while.’