And she said, "0 ****, I want you so!" I read aloud. "Oh," Lisbeth murmured.
"Lisbeth, is it true?"
She stood with her face averted, twisting the letter in her fingers. "Lisbeth!" I said, and took a step nearer.Still she did not speak, buther hands came out to me with a swift, passionate gesture, and her eyes looked into mine; and surely none were ever more sweet, with the new shyness in their depths and the tears glistening on their lashes.
And in that moment Doubt and Fear were swallowed up in a great joy, and I forgot all things save that Lisbeth was before me and that I loved her. The moon, risen now, had made a broad path of silver across the shadowy river to our very feet, and I remembered how the Imp had once told me that it was there for the moon fairies to come down by when they bring us happy dreams. Surely, the air was full of moon fairies to-night.
"0 Imp, thrice blessed Imp!"
"But - but Selwyn?" I groaned at last.
"Well?"
"If you love him - " "But I don't!"
"But if you are to marry him - "
"But I'm not! I was going to tell you so in the orchard yesterday, but you gave me no chance; you preferred to guess, and, of course, guessed wrong altogether. I knew it made you wretched, and I was glad of it and meant to keep you so a long, long time; but when I looked up and saw you standing there so very, very miserable, ****, I couldn't keep it up any longer, because I was so dreadfully wretched myself, you know.""Can you ever forgive me?" "That depends, ****.""On what?"
Lisbeth stooped, and picking up her hat, began to put it on. "Depends on what?" I repeated.
Her hat was on now, but for a while she did not answer, her eyes upon the "fairy path." When at last she spoke her voice was very low and tender.
"'Not far from the village of Down, in Kent, there is a house,'" she began, "'a very old ho use, with pointed gables and pannelled chambers, but empty to-night and desolate.' You see I remember it all," she broke off.
"Yes, you remember it all," I repeated, wondering.
"**** - I - I want you to - take me there. I've thought of it all so often. Take me there, ****.""Lisbeth, do you mean it?"
"It has been the dream of my life for a long time now - to work for you there, to take care of you, **** - you need such a deal, such a great deal of taking care of - to walk with you in the old rose garden; but I'm a beggar now, you know, though I sha'n't mind a bit if - if you want me, ****.""Want you!" I cried, and with the words I drew her close and kissed her. Now, from somewhere in the tree above came a sudden crack and mighty snapping of twigs.
"All right, Uncle ****!" cried a voice; "it's only the branch. Don't worry.""Imp!" I exclaimed.
"I'm coming, Uncle ****," he answered, and with much exertion and heavy breathing he presently emerged into view and squirmed himself safely to earth. For a moment he stood looking from one to the other of us, then he turned to Lisbeth.
"Won't you forgive me, too, Auntie Lisbeth, please?" he said.
"Forgive you!" she cried, and falling on her knees, gathered him in her arms.
"I'm glad I didn't go to Persia, after all, Uncle ****," he said over her shoulder.
"Persia!" repeated Lisbeth, wonderingly.
"Oh, yes; you were so angry with Uncle **** an' me - so frightfull' angry, you know, that I was going to try to find the 'wonderful lamp' so I could wish everything all right again an' all of us 'live happy ever after'; but the blasted oak did just as well, an' was nicer, somehow, wasn't it?""Infinitely nicer," I answered.
"An' you will never be angry with Uncle **** or me any more, will you, auntie - that is, not frightfull' angry, you know?""Never any more, dear." "On your honour?""On my honour!" "So help you Sam?"
"So help me Sam!" she repeated, smiling, but there were tears in her voice.
Very gravely the Imp drew his "trusty sword," which she, following his instructions, obediently kissed.
"And now," cried he, "we are all happy again, aren't we?""More happy than I ever hoped or dreamed to be," answered Lisbeth, still upon her knees; "and oh, Imp - dear little Imp, come and kiss me."
