And now--you have made me rich.
It's--it's very wonderful. I only wish"--the sob rose again--"just that
last time--my father had been kind to me. I thank you with all my heart.
But I can't take it all, you know--I _can't!_"
She looked at him appealing--almost threatening. Faversham smiled at her.
"That doesn't lie with you! One of your trustees has already signed the
deed--here comes the other." He pointed to Tatham.
"But he isn't my trustee!" insisted Felicia, the tears brimming over;
"he's--"
Tatham came up to her, and gravely took her hand.
Felicia looked at him, then at Victoria, then at the circle of amazed
faces. With a low cry of "Mother" she turned and fled from the room,
drawing Lady Tatham with her.
A little while later, Lydia, the lawyers and Faversham having departed,
found herself alone a moment in the library. In the tumult of happy
excitement which possessed her, she could not sit still. Without any
clear notion of where she was going, she wandered through the open door
into the farther room. There, with a start, and a flush, she recognized
her own drawings--five of them--in a row. So here, all the time, was her
unknown friend; and she had never guessed!
At a sound in the room behind, she turned, hoping it was Lady Tatham who
had come back to her. But she saw that it was Tatham himself. He came
into the little room, and stood silently beside her, as though wanting
her to speak first. With deep emotion she held out her hand, and wished
him joy; her gesture, her eyes, all tenderness.
Pages:
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495