Return Journey
Page 24
Mrs. Bumpus was weeping.
“Partings are so sad,” she wailed as Rocky kissed her.
“Nonsense, my dear,” her husband retorted; he patted her shoulder rather more heavily than he intended. “As Sir John says, the world’s a small place, and we shall meet in London as sure as my name’s Bumpus.” He took Rocky’s hand. “Got a kiss for an old man?” he asked.
Rocky kissed him affectionately.
“Of course we shall meet in London,” she said a little tremulously.
And presently they were back in the tender, and there were tears in Miss Esther’s eyes as well as in Rocky’s.
“I’m not really sad,” Miss Esther said as they waved good-bye to the passengers lined up to watch them go. “I’m really very happy, but it’s all been so wonderful and everyone has been so kind.”
Richard Wheeler glanced down at Rocky’s wistful face. “Darling,” he said a little sadly, “there’s even greater happiness to come.”
“I kn-know,” she answered. “But—you see, the only real happiness I’ve ever had was in that ship.”
And when they reached the shore she refused to go to the hotel until the ship had sailed.
“We can watch her go if we wait,” she said. “I want to see the last of her.”
Sir John and Miss Esther had walked on, so she slipped her hand into his, and together they waited.
“There she is!” Rocky said; and there she was, her outline quite clear in the moonlight, her masthead light shining like a steadfast star.
“Don’t you think she looks—lonely?” Rocky asked sensitively.
“She isn’t,” Wheeler answered. “I expect everything is just as it was when we were on board.”
“Yes, but we’re not there,” Rocky said.
The big ship came on, passing swiftly across the sea till at last it was out of sight.
“She’s gone,” Rocky said with a sigh, and she felt as if she had parted with a friend.
Wheeler drew her hand through his arm and they walked slowly back along the wide sea-front to the hotel, and presently Rocky said, peering round and trying to see his face:
“Darling, I’m so wonderfully happy.”
“Are you, my precious?”
“Yes, only—when I look back——”
“You mustn’t.”
Rocky drew a little closer to him.
“That’s what Sir John said,” she answered.
THE END
This electronic edition published in 2011 by Bloomsbury Reader
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ISBN: 9781448206407
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