"It was hard for him not to have known his parents,"she added,when John had left the room."I should like to have known them too.But still--when I know HIM--"She smiled,tossed back the coronet of curls from her forehead--her proud,pure forehead,that would have worn a coronet of jewels more meekly than it now wore the unadorned honour of being John Halifax's wife.I wished he could have seen her.
That minute he re-appeared.
"Here,Ursula,is all I have of my parents.No one has seen it,except Phineas there,until now."He held in his hand the little Greek Testament which he had showed me years before.Carefully,and with the same fond,reverent look as when he was a boy,he undid the case,made of silk,with ribbon strings--doubtless a woman's work--it must have been his mother's.
His wife touched it,softly and tenderly.He showed her the fly-leaf;she looked over the inscription,and then repeated it aloud.
"'Guy Halifax,gentleman.'I thought--I thought--"Her manner betrayed a pleased surprise:she would not have been a woman,especially a woman reared in pride of birth,not to have felt and testified the like pleasure for a moment.
"You thought that I was only a labourer's son:or--nobody's.Well,does it signify?""No,"she cried,as,clinging round his neck and throwing her head back,she looked at him with all her heart in her eyes."No,it does NOT signify.Were your father the king on his throne,or the beggar in the streets,it would be all the same to me;you would still be yourself--MY husband--MY John Halifax.""God bless thee--my own wife that He has given me!"John murmured,through his close embrace.
They had altogether forgotten any one's presence,dear souls!so Ikept them in that happy oblivion by slipping out to Jenny in the kitchen,and planning with her how we could at least spare Jem Watkins two days a week to help in the garden,under Mr.Halifax's orders.
"Only,Jenny,"smiled I,with a warning finger,"no idling and chattering.Young folk must work hard if they want to come to the happy ending of your master and mistress."The little maid grew the colour of her swain's pet peonies,and promised obedience.Conscientious Jem there was no fear of--all the rosy-cheeked damsels in Christendom would not have turned him aside from one iota of his duty to Mr.Halifax.Thus there was love in the parlour and love in the kitchen.But,I verily believe,the young married couple were served all the better for their kindness and sympathy to the humble pair of sweethearts in the rank below them.
John walked home with me--a pleasure I had hardly expected,but which was insisted upon both by him and Ursula.For from the very first of her betrothal there had been a thorough brother-and-sisterly bond established between her and me.Her womanly,generous nature would have scorned to do what,as I have heard,many young wives do--seek to make coldness between her husband and his old friends.No;secure in her riches,in her rightful possession of his whole heart,she took into hers everything that belonged to John,every one he cared for;to be for ever held sacred and beloved,being his,and therefore her own.Thus we were the very best of friends,my sister Ursula and me.
John and I talked a little about her--of her rosy looks,which he hoped would not fade in their town dwelling--and of good Mrs.Tod's wonderful delight at seeing her,when last week they had stayed two days in the dear old cottage at Enderley.But he seemed slow to speak about his wife,or to dilate on a joy so new that it was hardly to be breathed on,lest it might melt into air.
Only when,as we were crossing the street,a fine equipage passed,he looked after it with a smile.
"Grey ponies!she is so fond of long-tailed grey ponies.Poor child!when shall I be able to give her a carriage?Perhaps some day--who knows!"He turned the conversation,and began telling me about the cloth mill--his old place of resort;which he had been over once again when they were at Rose Cottage.
"And do you know,while I was looking at the machinery,a notion came into my head that,instead of that great water-wheel--you remember it?--it might be worked by steam.""What sort of steam?"
"Phineas,your memory is no better,I see.Have you forgotten my telling you how,last year,some Scotch engineer tried to move boats by steam,on the Forth and Clyde canal?Why should not the same power be turned to account in a cloth-mill?I know it could--I have got the plan of the machinery in my head already.I made a drawing of it last night,and showed it to Ursula;SHE understood it directly."I smiled.
"And I do believe,by common patience and skill,a man might make his fortune with it at those Enderley cloth-mills.""Suppose you try!"I said in half jest,and was surprised to see how seriously John took it.
"I wish I could try--if it were only practicable.Once or twice Ihave thought it might be.The mill belongs to Lord Luxmore.His steward works it.Now,if one could get to be a foreman or overseer--"
"Try--you can do anything you try."