"
He stopped. Her hands on his fluttered a little, as if they would
fly.
"Is she still--is she--alive?" she asked.
"Oh yes, my lady."
"Then she may--change--" said Arctura, and stopped, for there was a
stone in her heart.
Donal laughed. It was an odd laugh, but it did Arctura good.
"No danger of that, my lady! She has the best husband in the
world--a much better than I should have made, much as I loved her."
"That can't be!"
"Why, my lady, her husband's sir Gibbie! She's lady Galbraith! I
would never have wished her mine if I had known she loved Gibbie. I
love her next to him."
"Then--then--"
"What, my lady?"
"Then--then--Oh, do say something!"
"What should I say? What God wills is fast as the roots of the
universe, and lovely as its blossom."
Arctura burst into tears.
"Then you do not--care for me!"
Donal began to understand. In some things he went on so fast that he
could not hear the cry behind him. She had spoken, and had been
listening in vain for response! She thought herself unloved: he had
shown her no sign that he loved her!
His heart was so full of love and the joy of love, that they had
made him very still: now the delight of love awoke. He took her in
his arms like a child, rose, and went walking about the room with
her, petting and soothing her. He held her close to his heart; her
head was on his shoulder, and his face was turned to hers.
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