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THE BATTLE OF THE STRONG
[A ROMANCE OF TWO KINGDOMS]
By Gilbert Parker
Volume 3.
CHAPTER XVI
The night and morning after Guida's marriage came and went. The day drewon to the hour fixed for the going of the Narcissus. Guida had workedall forenoon with a feverish unrest, not trusting herself, though thetemptation was sore, to go where she might see Philip's vessel lying inthe tide-way. She had resolved that only at the moment fixed for sailingwould she go to the shore; yet from her kitchen door she could see a wideacreage of blue water and a perfect sky; and out there was NoirmontPoint, round which her husband's ship would go, and be lost to her visionthereafter.
The day wore on. She got her grandfather's dinner, saw him bestowed inthe great arm-chair for his afternoon sleep, and, when her household workwas done, settled herself at the spinning wheel.
The old man loved to have her spin and sing as he drowsed. To-day hiseyes had followed her everywhere. He could not have told why it was, butsomehow all at once he seemed to deeply realise her—her beauty, the joyof this innocent living intelligence moving through his home. She hadalways been necessary to him, but he had taken her presence as a matterof course. She had always been to him the most wonderful child evergiven to comfort an old man's life, but now as he abstractedly took apinch of snuff from the silver box and then forgot to put it to his nose,he seemed suddenly to get that clearness of sight, that perspective, fromwhich he could see her as she really was. He took another pinch ofsnuff, and again forgot to put it to his nose, but brushed imaginary dustfrom his coat, as was his wont, and whispered to himself:
"Why now, why now, I had not thought she was so much a woman. Flowersof the sea, but what eyes, what carriage, and what an air! I had notthought—h'm—blind old bat that I am—I had not thought she was grownsuch a lady. It was only yesterday, surely but yesterday, since I rockedher to sleep. Francois de Mauprat"—he shook his head at himself—"youare growing old. Let me see—why, yes, she was born the day I sold theblue enamelled timepiece to his Highness the Duc de Mauban. The Duc wasbut putting the watch to his ear when a message comes to say the childthere is born. 'Good,' says the Duc de Mauban, when he hears, 'give methe honour, de Mauprat,' says he, 'for the sake of old days in France, tooffer a name to the brave innocent—for the sake of old associations,'says de Mauban. 'You knew my wife, de Mauprat,' says he; 'you knew theDuchesse Guida-Guidabaldine. She's been gone these ten years, alas! Youwere with me when we were married, de Mauprat,' says the Duc; 'I shouldcare to return the compliment if you will allow me to offer a name, eh?''Duc,' said I, 'there is no honour I more desire for my grandchild.''Then let the name of Guidabaldine be somewhere among others she willcarry, and—and I'll not forget her, de Mauprat, I'll not forget her.'…Eh, eh, I wonder—I wonder if he has forgotten the little Guidabaldinethere? He sent her a golden cup for the christening, but I wonder—I wonder—if he has forgotten her since? So quick of tongue, so brightof eye, so light of foot, so sweet a face—if one could but be alwaysyoung! When her grandmother, my wife, my Julie, when she was young—ah,she was fair, fairer than Guida, but not so tall—not quite so tall.Ah! . . . "
He was slipping away into sleep when he realised that Guida was singing
"Spin, spin, belle Mergaton!