The Money Moon: A Romance

by Jeffery Farnol

  CHAPTER XXVIII

  _Which tells how Bellew left Dapplemere in the dawn_

  Far in the East a grey streak marked the advent of another day, and uponall things was a solemn hush, a great, and awful stillness that was likethe stillness of Death. The Earth was a place of gloom, and mist, wherespectral shadows writhed, and twisted, and flitted under a frowningheaven, and out of the gloom there came a breath, sharp, and damp, andexceeding chill.

  Therefore, as Bellew gazed down from the frowning Heaven to the gloom ofEarth, below, with its ever-moving, misty shapes, he shiveredinvoluntarily.

  In another hour it would be day, and with the day, the gates of Arcadiawould open for his departure, and he must go forth to become once more awanderer, going up and down, and to and fro in the world until hiscourse was run.

  And yet it was worth having lived for, this one golden month, and in allhis wanderings needs must he carry with him the memory of her who hadtaught him how deep and high, how wide and infinitely far-reaching thatthing called "Love" may really be.

  And--Porges!--dear, quaint, Small Porges! where under heaven could heever find again such utter faith, such pure unaffected loyalty anddevotion as throbbed within that small, warm heart? How could he everbid "Good-bye" to loving, eager, little Small Porges?

  And then there was Miss Priscilla, and the strong, gentle Sergeant, andPeterday, and sturdy Adam, and Prudence, and the rosy-cheeked maids. Howwell they all suited this wonderful Arcadia! Yes, indeed he, and heonly, had been out of place, and so--he must go--back to the every-day,matter-of-fact world, but how could he ever say "Good-bye" to faithful,loving Small Porges?

  Far in the East the grey streak had brightened, and broadened, and wasalready tinged with a faint pink that deepened, and deepened, as hewatched. Bellew had seen the glory of many a sun-rise in divers wildplaces of the Earth, and, hitherto, had always felt deep within him, theresponsive thrill, the exhilaration of hope new born, and joyfulexpectation of the great, unknown Future. But now, he watched thevarying hues of pink, and scarlet, and saffron, and gold, with gloomybrow, and sombre eyes.

  Now presently, the Black-bird who lived in the apple-tree beneath hiswindow, (the tree of the inquisitive turn of mind), this Black-birdfellow, opening a drowsy eye, must needs give vent to a croak, veryhoarse and feeble; then, (apparently having yawned prodigiously andstretched himself, wing, and leg), he tried a couple of notes,--in ahesitating, tentative sort of fashion, shook himself,--repeated the twonotes,--tried three, found them mellower, and more what the waitingworld very justly expected of him; grew more confident; tried four;tried five,--grew perfectly assured, and so burst forth into the full,golden melody of his morning song.

  Then Bellew, leaning out from his casement, as the first bright beams ofthe rising sun gilded the top-most leaves of the tree, thusapostrophised the unseen singer:

  "I suppose you will be piping away down in your tree there, old fellow,long after Arcadia has faded out of my life. Well, it will be onlynatural, and perfectly right, of course,--She will be here, and may,perhaps, stop to listen to you. Now if, somehow, you could manage tocompose for me a Song of Memory, some evening when I'm gone,--someevening when She happens to be sitting idle, and watching the moon riseover the upland yonder; if, at such a time, you could just manage toremind her of--me, why--I'd thank you. And so,--Good-bye, old fellow!"

  Saying which, Bellew turned from the window, and took up a certainbulging, be-strapped portmanteau, while the Black-bird, (having,evidently, hearkened to his request with much grave attention), fell asinging more gloriously than ever.

  Meanwhile, Bellew descended the great, wide stair, soft of foot, andcautious of step, yet pausing once to look towards a certain closeddoor, and so, presently let himself quietly out into the dawn. The dewsparkled in the grass, it hung in glittering jewels from every leaf, andtwig, while, now and then, a shining drop would fall upon him as hepassed, like a great tear.

  Now, as he reached the orchard, up rose the sun in all his majestyfilling the world with the splendour of his coming,--before whose kindlybeams the skulking mists and shadows shrank affrighted, and fledutterly away.

  This morning, "King Arthur" wore his grandest robes of state, for hismantle of green was thick sewn with a myriad flaming gems; verydifferent he looked from that dark, shrouded giant who had so latelybeen Conspirator No. Two. Yet, perhaps for this very reason, Bellewpaused to lay a hand upon his mighty, rugged hole, and, doing so, turnedand looked back at the House of Dapplemere.

  And truly never had the old house seemed so beautiful, so quaint, andpeaceful as now. It's every stone and beam had become familiar and, ashe looked, seemed to find an individuality of its own, the very latticesseemed to look back at him, like so many wistful eyes.

  Therefore George Bellew, American Citizen, millionaire, traveller,explorer, and--LOVER, sighed as he turned away,--sighed as he strode onthrough the green and golden morning, and resolutely--looked backno more.