CHAPTER XII

THE LAST MEETING BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE

"The morning passed, and my lady made no sign. Master Christian, flitting restlessly in and out and about the room, waited impatiently for his mother's instructions to bring her husband to her. I offered her food, but she could not eat it. On the previous day the doctor, who regularly attended her, had said that his services were required at a great distance from the villa, and that he should not be able to visit my lady on the morrow. She had replied:

"'Do not trouble, doctor; you can do nothing for me.'

"And, indeed, there appeared to be no special necessity for his presence. My lady was not in pain; she looked happy and contented. But she was so quiet, so very, very quiet! Not a word of complaint or suffering, not a moan, not a sigh. Why, therefore, did my heart sink as I gazed at her?

"At length Master Christian was compelled to speak; he could no longer control his impatience.

"'Mamma, do you like the way I have arranged the flowers? The room looks pretty, does it not?'

"'Yes, my child.'

"'I wanted it to look very bright to-day. So did you, did you not, mamma? Papa will be pleased when he comes.'

"'I hope so, my dear.'

"'And I shall tell him that it is not so every day, and that it is done for him. Shall I go for him now?'

"'Presently, my dear. Wait yet a little while.'

"'But, mamma, it was to be to-day, you know, and it is nearly afternoon. Just look at the clock, mamma, it is nearly two---- Ah, but you are tired, and I am worrying you! Now I will sit quite still, and when the clock strikes two, you shall tell me to go for papa. Say yes, or look it, mamma.'

"'Yes, my dear, at two o'clock you shall go. Denise will accompany you, for perhaps, Christian, your papa will think that the message comes from your affectionate heart, and not from me.'

"'That,' said Master Christian,' is because I have tried to bring papa to you before. But I did it out of love, mamma.'

"'I know, my dear, I know. If, when you were a little baby, and could not speak or think of things, I had reflected, it might all have been different. Perhaps I have been to blame.'

"'No, mamma, you shall not say that; I will not let you say that. You can't do anything wrong, and papa can't do anything wrong. Now I shall be quite still, and watch the clock, and I will not say another word till it strikes.'

"He sat, as he had promised, quite still, with his eyes fixed on the clock, and I saw by the motion of his lips that he was counting the seconds. Slowly, oh, so slowly, the hands moved round till they reached the hour, and then the silver chimes were heard. First, the four divisions of the hour, then the hour itself. One, Two. In my ears it was like the chapel bell calling the people to prayer.

"'Now, mamma!' cried Master Christian, starting up.

"She took his pretty face between her hands, and drew it close to hers. She kissed his lips and his forehead, and then her hands fell to her side.

"'May I go now, mamma?'

"He saw in her eyes that she was willing he should bring his father, and he embraced her joyfully, and ran out of the room crying:

"'Come, Denise, come! Papa, papa!'

"He did not wait for me, and when I arrived at the study door, the father and son were standing together, and Master Christian was trying to pull my master along.

"'This little fellow here,' said my master, striving to speak cheerfully, but his lips trembled, and his voice was husky, 'has a strong imagination, and his heart is so full of love that it runs away with his tongue.'

"'It does not, papa, it does not,' cried Master Christian very earnestly. 'And it is not imagination. Mamma wants you to come and love her.'

"My master turned his enquiring eyes to my face.

"'My lady wishes you to come to her, sir,' I said simply.

"I knew that the fewer words I spoke at such a time the better it would be.

"He did not question me. He was satisfied that I spoke the truth.

"His agitation was great, and he walked a few steps from me, holding Master Christian by the hand, and then stood still for quite a minute. Then he stooped and kissed his son, and suffered himself to be led to my lady's room.

"I followed them at a little distance, and remained outside my lady's room, while they entered and closed the door behind them. It was not right that any eyes but theirs should witness so sacred a meeting; but though I denied myself the pleasure of being present, my heart was in my ears. It was proper that I should be within call. In my lady's weak state, my services might be required.

"From where I stood, I heard Master Christian's eager, happy voice:

"'Mamma, mamma--here is papa! He is come at last, mamma! Speak to him, and love him, as I do! Papa, put your arms around mamma's neck, and kiss her.'

"Then all was quiet--so quiet, so quiet! Not a sound, not a breath. Ah, Holy Mother! I can _hear_ the silence now:--I can _feel_ it about me! It was in this very room, and my lady was sitting in the chair in which you are seated.

"Suddenly the silence was broken. My master was calling loudly for me.

"'Denise--Denise! Where are you? Come quickly, for God's sake!'

"Before the words were out of his lips, I was in the room. My master was looking wildly upon his wife and child. The lad, with his arms about his mother, was kissing her passionately, and crying over her.

"'Mamma, mamma! why do you not speak? Here is papa waiting for you. Oh, mamma, say only one word!'

"'Is it true,' my master whispered to me, 'that your lady sent you for me?'

"'It is true, sir,' I replied in a low tone.

"'What, then, is the meaning of this?' he asked, still in the same unnatural whisper. 'I have spoken to her--she will not answer me. She will not even look at me!'

"A sudden fear smote my heart. I stepped softly to my lady's side. I gently unwound Master Christian's arms from his mother's neck. I took her hand in mine, and pressed it. The pressure was not returned. Her fingers, though still warm, were motionless.

"'What is it, Denise?' my master asked hoarsely. 'The truth--the truth!'

"He read the answer in my eyes. We were gazing on the face of a dead woman!

"Yes, she was dead, and no word had been exchanged between them--no look of affection--no token of forgiveness. How truly, how prophetically, had she spoken to her husband in their last interview on this spot, eight years before! 'After this night I will never open my lips to you, nor, willingly, will I ever again listen to your voice!'

"From that hour to this he had never heard the sound of her voice, and now that, after their long agony--for there is no doubt that his sufferings were as great as hers--she had summoned him to her, she was dead! Ah, if she had only lived to say:

"'Mine was the fault; it was not only I who was betrayed; let there be peace and forgiveness between us!'

"Did she know, when she called him to her, that he would look upon her dead face? Could she so measure her moments upon earth as to be certain that her heart would cease to beat as he entered the room at her bidding? No, it could not have been, for this premeditation would have proclaimed her capable of vindictive passion. She was full of tender feeling and sweet compassion, and the influence of her child _must_ have softened her heart towards the man who had loved and married her, and had done her no wrong.

"That she knew she was dying was certain, and she was willing--nay more than willing, wishful to forgive and to ask forgiveness as she stood upon the brink of another world. The sight of his worn and wasted face may have shocked her and caused her sudden death. But it remained a mystery whether she had seen him--whether her spirit had not taken flight before her husband presented himself to her. It was a question none could answer.

"I am aware that there are people who would say that my lady deliberately designed this last bitter blow to her husband. My master did not think so. When the first shock of his grief was spent, his face expressed nothing but sorrow and compassion. He kissed her once--on her forehead, not on her lips--and after her eyes were closed and she lay, white and beautiful, upon her bed, he sat by her side the whole of the day and night--for a great part of the time with Master Christian in his arms.

"There were those in the villa who declared that on the night of her death the white shadow of my lady was seen gliding about the grounds, and from that day the place was supposed to be haunted. For my own