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During a little distraction, caused by Gwen's pommelling of the sofa cushions, Cardo for a moment lost control over his feelings, and he pressed Valmai's form convulsively to his breast as he stooped to lay her down on the couch.
And he rose to go. "Good-bye, then," said Valmai. "I shall never forget your kindness." "Good-bye," said Mr. Francis, holding her hand for a moment. He seemed about to say something more, but changed his mind, and abruptly left the house. The next day was Valmai's last in Nance's cottage.
"You may think and think you are always thinking now; and what about, I should like to know?" and, with a shrewd shake of her head, she left the room. A crimson tide overspread Valmai's face and neck, and, fading away, left her paler than before.
I'll put it out on the rocks before Nance's house and carry it up to her door." "Thank you, thank you, Shoni; but wouldn't tonight be better?" "Oh, no; Sunday to-night," said Shoni, in quite another tone. He waited until he saw Nance's door opened in response to Valmai's timid knock, and then made his way back over the Rock Bridge at once before the tide turned.
"I have no dress to change for dinner, dear. Do you dress?" "Oh, only just a little, and I won't at all this evening. How strange we should both be in mourning, too! Mine is for Mrs. Power's sister. Who are you wearing black for?" A hot blush suffused Valmai's face and neck as she answered slowly: "I am not in mourning, but thought black would be nice to travel in. I generally wear white."
And in the smoking-room that night they sat late, Cardo opening his heart to his friend, recounting to him the tale of his unfortunate illness in Australia, his return home, and the unexpected blow of Valmai's unrelenting anger and changed feelings towards him, culminating in her utter rejection of him, and refusal to live with him. "Astounding!" said Gwynne Ellis, "I will not believe it.
The prospect of a voyage to the Antipodes had never been very attractive to Cardo, and latterly the idea had faded from his mind. In the glamour of that golden afternoon in spring, in Valmai's sweet companionship, the thought of parting and leaving his native country was doubly unpleasant to him. She saw the sudden embarrassment, and the flush that spread over his face.
'If I ever loved you, she said, 'I have ceased to do so, and I feel no more love for you now, than I do for yonder ploughman. In fact, Ellis, I could not realise while I was speaking to her that she was the same girl. It was Valmai's lovely outward form, indeed, but the spirit within her seemed changed. Are such things possible?"
In a few moments Cardo bounded up, three steps at a time, but not without fears as to the effect of Valmai's revelation, for she had whispered to him as she had let him out at the front door: "I am going up to tell him now." "Well Ay never!" said the Captain, with pretended severity; "how dare you show your face to me after stealing may lil gel from under may very nose?
If it ever comes into my possession, it will be so guarded that no stray foot shall desecrate its paths." Cardo was not without hope of being able to overcome Valmai's reluctance to be married before he left the country, and as he and Gwynne Ellis returned one day from a sail he broached the subject to his friend.
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