"It has been irony rather than ridicule," said Ermine, "though, when he
taught her to laugh, he won half the battle. It is beautiful to see her
holding herself back, and most forbearing where she feels most positive.
I am glad to see him looking so much stronger and more substantial.
Where is he?"
"On the further bank, supposed by Mrs. Curtis to be asleep, but watching
uncle, wife, and child through his eyelashes. Did you ever see any one
so like his sister as that child?"
"Much more so than this one. I am glad he may one day see such a shadow
of his bright-faced mother."
"You are mother!" said the the little orphan, looking up into Ermine's
face with a startled, wistful look, as having caught more of her meaning
than she had intended, and she met his look with a kiss, the time was
not yet come for gainsaying the belief more than in the words, "Yes,
always a mother to you, my precious little man."
"Nor could you have had a bonnier face to look into," added the Colonel.
"There, the game breaks up. We should collect our flock, and get them
them back to Les Invalides, as Alick calls it."
"Take care no one else does so," said Ermine, laughing. "It has been
a most happy day, and chief of all the pleasures has been the sight of
Rachel just what I hoped, a thorough wife and mother, all the more so
for her being awake to larger interests, and doing common things better
for being the Clever Woman of the family. Where is she? I don't see her
now."
Where is she? was asked by more than one of the party, but the next to
see her was Alick, who found her standing at the window of her own
room, with her long-robed, two-months' old baby in her arms. "Tired?" he
asked.
"No; I only sent down nurse to drink tea with the other grandees. What
a delightful day it has been! I never hoped that such good fruit would
rise out of my unhappy blunders."
"The blunders that brought so much good to me."
"Ah! the old places bring them back again. I have been recollecting how
it used to seem to me the depth of my fall that you were marrying me out
of pure pity, without my having the spirit to resent or prevent it, and
now I just like to think how kind and noble it was in you."
"I am glad to hear it! I thought I was so foolishly in love, that I was
very glad of any excuse for pressing it on."
"Are the people dispersing? Where is your uncle?"
"He went home with the Colonel and his wife; he has quite lost his heart
to Ermine."