A Mere Chance, Vol. 3 of 3

the street below. She mounted the stone steps lightly, with the train of her dress held up in her hand, looking exquisitely fresh and dainty in the dusty sultriness that everywhere prevail

like a choir of angels in the "Gloria" of the Twelfth Mass, "et in terra pax, pax, pax hominibus; bon?, b

ul slacked its thirst in this way, as a soul of a lower order, which had been denied its nat

ning an echo that had the very divine afflatus in it in response. And in this resonance of enthusiasms and aspirations, dumb and suffocated in the bondage of her artificial life-in th

f Hamelin led away the children. To-day the music of the Town Hall organ, speaking now in Mozart'

her hands, gloved to perfection, folded in her lap, her delicate, neat dress daintily adjust

res and fancies, what infinite longings and yearnings-nameless, even to her own consciousness, but

rying-crying bitterly-for the poetry and

great organ-pipes, and seeing nothing; and then there grew out of the hush the deli

y waltz, for one whose heart is capable of receivi

w to love and how to dance, and have done the two things at the self-same moment-have seldom an

tion keep. Rachel did not ask why it was, but she felt, as soon as the air began to unwind itself from a confusio

-it contracted her white throat with a choking pain that was like incipient hysteria-it set abnormal pulses bounding in h

e of longing for that nameless something that was the most precious of her woman's rights, which fate and fraud had taken from her, when the note

was the burden of the music

ly, and was waiting, with his hat in his hand, apparently for a pause in the performance, which he did

ed in the moonlight under the walls of the house that was now her home; but she ha

es travelling over the rows of occupied chairs in the upp

Roden, h

and when he saw her, with that solemn eagerness in her face, he knew-but he said to hims

ingston, who had married an old fogey for his money, was in the habit of coming to the organ recitals alone a

it his constant practice to run away with married women, and to murder their l

the moral and social law whereof the letter is so sacred to the ubiquitous and lynx-eyed Mrs. Grundy, who persists in suspecting

ief half-hour out of a lifetime of separation in which to say farewell, might have been reprehensible from the con

t down beside her. She was too innately pure to make any mere outward and artificial demonst

while with loving, despairing eyes, which said, "Oh, Rachel, why did you?" and "Oh, Roden, forgi

l fugue in D, they heard nothing but the beating of their hearts, and the memories that called to them fr

is arm on the back of the chair which had served Rachel for a

ld get on better if we could see each other just once. Dear, we must try an

red hurriedly. "I ought t

d on seeing you, himself, or getting some message to you, and not have left you in their hands. But he did his best, he says. He was too anxious

she looked back at him, with her simple soul laid bare-longing to make him know, if they were never to be togethe

isper, drawing a long hard breath, "oh

clutch on her throat tighten with

again-a stately march of Schubert's, which acted like a tonic on her disordered nerves, and

Roden was gone back to Queensland and this chapt

the distinguished-looking couple standing conspicuously apart-the tall stranger with the peculiar moustache, who had soldier and gentleman written on him fro

ce that was hardly broken by the organist's movements at the far en

companion, who lifted to his sombre eyes a pale

a little; she co

are you, Rachel? It will not m

ill be so lonely without me! I can't bear to think what I

can bear all my part of it, if

r passion. "But for that-but for two minutes lost-you would never ha

s, and to be obliged to give it all up; but I shall never think of those two hours, when we belonged entirely to each other-only two hours, Rachel, out of our whole lives!-without being thankful for the chance which gave them to us. Yes, and I think we shall be the better for them-I don't say happier, because I really don't know what that word means-but I t

ispered; "I could only try to

re I have a corner of my own. Let me keep the little of you that I have got-it is little enough! Do you remember what you said to me that night?-you said you had no rights in my past. He has no rights in our past. Keep it sacred, Rachel, for

ot afraid of you-y

I was thrown-if I were in my grave now-I know how you would think of me. You would

th. "But to me-even if you had killed y

d hall and through the empty vestibules, and were standin

trians were hurrying to gain shelter before the rain came on, but, as they passed, they took note of the lingering pair, who were apparently heedless of the warnings of the elem

tendance, saw it thundering along the street towards her, it was with as much relief

, who perceived the approach of his old ri

tter not to say m

ll tell me truly-are you getting along pretty well? Do you think you will be

"I shall get along. I know that you forgi

than I think has ever been between us. There can be no forgivenes

ses, began to slacken speed, and they descended

you?" inquired

replied; "ve

and the person referred to got out o

composed as he assumed to be; but otherwise he conducted himself with propriety. "I took the carriage for half an hour," said he loudly. "I hope I h

h studied courtesy. "I shall be starting back to Queensland to-night. I am glad t

it myself. Dear me, was that a drop of rain? I think you had better be getting home, Rachel. There is a h

n the carriage with thanks, and

," he sai

nd walked away down the street, and Mr. Kingston gave his arm to his wife, and led her to her carriage. Poor Rachel! she did not ask herself what w

ing the fuel of his wrath in silence, laid h

" he inquir

I am never going

y regard for your reputation. Standing up there wit

hat was not public," she said, drawing herself up. "And I should

rned to put up the window nearest him with an e

o more about

eaded was over, and had taken place so quietly; and poor as was his estimation

and, though the sight and thought of the man made him ferocious, he was quite aware tha

ding Rachel now, and he did not do it. But he had

opinion upon the political situation. Politics, he promptly gave them to understand, were beneath his notice, likewise the people who concerned themselves therein. He wouldn't touch one of them with a pair of tongs. It wasn't for gentl

n the dirt-if it preferred, of its own free wi

drawing-room at seven o'clock, irreproachably spruce, and with a flower i

ing alone in the midst of her wea

black velvet, with red geraniums in her hair; and she laid her hand on his sl

arms round

erstand. I am not angry with you. It's al

al throne; and he plied her with dainty viands and rare wines with a fussy solicitude that was

torm was over), in the most domestic manner, planning new schemes for the garden and for the arrangement of a pet cabinet of blue china; and when Rachel went to bed, lighting her way about the great corridors a

very grate

e in the Queensland wilderness, where, being human-and very much so, too-he unloosed his heart from the rest

I have given her up to him? What right has he to keep her, while I am lonely for the rest of my days? He has not the shadow of a right. She doesn't belong to him, and she never will. There is no binding force in any other contract that is ente

ithout it-and we look back upon this precious bit of certain happiness that we might have had, and see that we voluntarily gave up the whole of it merely because of a wretched

the same, you know, as well as I do, that it would be im

happiness of twenty lives to lose, he would have lost it all twice over rather than have kept it at any cost of peace or hono

out in the starlight nights, with a saddle for his pillow, and the red light of the camp-fire flickering through the da

at day at the Town-hall, or that he had elected to see her no