The Rosary
Page 16
CHAPTER XIV
IN DERYCK'S SAFE CONTROL
The white cliffs of Dover gradually became more solid and distinct,until at length they rose from the sea, a strong white wall, emblem ofthe undeniable purity of England, the stainless honour and integrity ofher throne, her church, her parliament, her courts of justice, and herdealings at home and abroad, whether with friend or foe. "Strength andwhiteness," thought Jane as she paced the steamer's deck; and after atwo years' absence her heart went out to her native land. Then DoverCastle caught her eye, so beautiful in the pearly light of that springafternoon. Her mind leaped to enjoyment, then fell back stunned by theblow of quick remembrance, and Jane shut her eyes.
All beautiful sights brought this pang to her heart since the readingof that paragraph on the piazza of the Mena House Hotel.
An hour after she had read it, she was driving down the long straightroad to Cairo; embarked at Alexandria the next day; landed at Brindisi,and this night and day travelling had brought her at last within sightof the shores of England. In a few minutes she would set foot uponthem, and then there would be but two more stages to her journey. For,from the moment she started, Jane never doubted her ultimatedestination,--the room where pain and darkness and despair must bewaging so terrible a conflict against the moral courage, the mentalsanity, and the instinctive hold on life of the man she loved.
That she was going to him, Jane knew; but she felt utterly unable toarrange how or in what way her going could be managed. That it was acomplicated problem, her common sense told her; though her yearningarms and aching bosom cried out: "O God, is it not simple? Blind andalone! MY Garth!"
But she knew an unbiased judgment, steadier than her own, must solvethe problem; and that her surest way to Garth lay through the doctor'sconsulting-room. So she telegraphed to Deryck from Paris, and atpresent her mind saw no further than Wimpole Street.
At Dover she bought a paper, and hastily scanned its pages as shewalked along the platform in the wake of the capable porter who hadtaken possession of her rugs and hand baggage. In the personal columnshe found the very paragraph she sought.
"We regret to announce that Mr. Garth Dalmain still lies in a mostprecarious condition at his house on Deeside, Aberdeenshire, as aresult of the shooting accident a fortnight ago. His sight ishopelessly gone, but the injured parts were progressing favourably, andall fear of brain complications seemed over. During the last few days,however, a serious reaction from shock has set in, and it has beenconsidered necessary to summon Sir Deryck Brand, the well-known nervespecialist, in consultation with the oculist and the local practitionerin charge of the case. There is a feeling of wide-spread regret andsympathy in those social and artistic circles where Mr. Dalmain was sowell-known and so deservedly popular."
"Oh, thank you, m'lady," said the efficient porter when he hadascertained, by a rapid glance into his palm, that Jane's half-crownwas not a penny. He had a sick young wife at home, who had been orderedextra nourishment, and just as the rush on board began, he had put up asimple prayer to the Heavenly Father "who knoweth that ye have need ofthese things," asking that he might catch the eye of a generoustraveller. He felt he had indeed been "led" to this plain, brown-faced,broad-shouldered lady, when he remembered how nearly, after her curtnod from a distance had engaged him, he had responded to theblandishments of a fussy little woman, with many more bags and rugs,and a parrot cage, who was now doling French coppers out of the windowof the next compartment. "Seven pence 'apenny of this stuff ain't muchfor carrying all that along, I DON'T think!" grumbled his mate; andJane's young porter experienced the double joy of faith confirmed, andwilling service generously rewarded.
A telegraph boy walked along the train, saying: "Honrubble JainChampyun" at intervals. Jane heard her name, and her arm shot out ofthe window.
"Here, my boy! It is for me."
She tore it open. It was from the doctor.
"Welcome home. Just back from Scotland. Will meet you Charing Cross,and give you all the time you want. Have coffee at Dover. DERYCK."
Jane gave one hard, tearless sob of thankfulness and relief. She hadbeen so lonely.
Then she turned to the window. "Here, somebody! Fetch me a cup ofcoffee, will you?"
Coffee was the last thing she wanted; but it never occurred to any oneto disobey the doctor, even at a distance.
The young porter, who still stood sentry at the door of Jane'scompartment, dashed off to the refreshment room; and, just as the trainbegan to move, handed a cup of steaming coffee and a plate ofbread-and-butter in at the window.
"Oh, thank you, my good fellow," said Jane, putting the plate on theseat, while she dived into her pocket. "Here! you have done very wellfor me. No, never mind the change. Coffee at a moment's notice shouldfetch a fancy price. Good-bye."
The train moved on, and the porter stood looking after it with tears inhis eyes. Over the first half-crown he had said to himself: "Milk andnew-laid eggs." Now, as he pocketed the second, he added the other twothings mentioned by the parish doctor: "Soup and jelly"; and his heartglowed. "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of thesethings."
And Jane, seated in a comfortable corner, choked back the tears ofrelief which threatened to fall, drank her coffee, and was thereby morerevived than she could have thought possible. She, also, had need ofmany things. Not of half-crowns; of those she had plenty. But above allelse she needed just now a wise, strong, helpful friend, and Deryck hadnot failed her.
She read his telegram through once more, and smiled. How like him tothink of the coffee; and oh, how like him to be coming to the station.
She took off her hat and leaned back against the cushions. She had beentravelling night and day, in one feverish whirl of haste, and at lastshe had brought herself within reach of Deryck's hand and Deryck's safecontrol. The turmoil of her soul was stilled; a great calm took itsplace, and Jane dropped quietly off to sleep. "Your heavenly Fatherknoweth that ye have need of these things."
* * * * *
Washed and brushed and greatly refreshed, Jane stood at the window ofher compartment as the train steamed into Charing Cross.
The doctor was stationed exactly opposite the door when her carriagecame to a standstill; mere chance, and yet, to Jane, it seemed so likehim to have taken up his position precisely at the right spot on thatlong platform. An enthusiastic lady patient had once said of DeryckBrand, with more accuracy of definition than of grammar: "You know, heis always so very JUST THERE." And this characteristic of the doctorhad made him to many a very present help in time of trouble.
He was through the line of porters and had his hand upon the handle ofJane's door in a moment. Standing at the window, she took one look atthe firm lean face, now alight with welcome, and read in the kind,steadfast eyes of her childhood's friend a perfect sympathy andcomprehension. Then she saw behind him her aunt's footman, and her ownmaid, who had been given a place in the duchess's household. In anothermoment she was on the platform and her hand was in Deryck's.
"That is right, dear," he said. "All fit and well, I can see. Now handover your keys. I suppose you have nothing contraband? I telephoned theduchess to send some of her people to meet your luggage, and not toexpect you herself until dinner time, as you were taking tea with us.Was that right? This way. Come outside the barrier. What a rabble! Allwanting to break every possible rule and regulation, and each trying tobe the first person in the front row. Really the patience and goodtemper of railway officials should teach the rest of mankind a lesson."
The doctor, talking all the time, piloted Jane through the crowd;opened the door of a neat electric brougham, helped her in, took hisseat beside her, and they glided swiftly out into the Strand, andturned towards Trafalgar Square.
"Well," said the doctor, "Niagara is a big thing isn't it? When peoplesay to me, 'Were you not disappointed in Niagara? WE were!' I feeltempted to wish, for one homicidal moment, that the earth would openher mouth and swallow them up. People who can be disappointed i
nNiagara, and talk about it, should no longer be allowed to crawl on theface of the earth. And how about the 'Little Mother'? Isn't she worthknowing? I hope she sent me her love. And New York harbour! Did youever see anything to equal it, as you steam away in the sunset?"
Jane gave a sudden sob; then turned to him, dry-eyed.
"Is there no hope, Deryck?"
The doctor laid his hand on hers. "He will always be blind, dear. Butlife holds other things beside sight. We must never say: 'No hope.'"
"Will he live?"
"There is no reason he should not live. But how far life will be worthliving, largely depends upon what can be done for him, poor chap,during the next few months. He is more shattered mentally thanphysically."
Jane pulled off her gloves, swallowed suddenly, then gripped thedoctor's knee. "Deryck--I love him."
The doctor remained silent for a few moments, as if pondering thistremendous fact. Then he lifted the fine, capable hand resting upon hisknee and kissed it with a beautiful reverence,--a gesture expressingthe homage of the man to the brave truthfulness of the woman.
"In that case, dear," he said, "the future holds in store so great agood for Garth Dalmain that I think he may dispense with sight.--Meanwhile you have much to say to me, and it is, of course, your rightto hear every detail of his case that I can give. And here we are atWimpole Street. Now come into my consulting-room. Stoddart has ordersthat we are on no account to be disturbed."