The Translation of a Savage Part 17

But one night she came tapping at his door. When he opened it, she said: "Oh come, come! Richard is ill! I have sent for the doctor."

Henceforth she was her old self again, with a transformed spirit, her motherhood spending itself in a thousand ways. She who was weak bodily became now much stronger; the light of new vigour came to her eyes; she and her husband, in the common peril, worked together, thinking little of themselves, and all of the child. The last stage of the journey to happiness was being pa.s.sed, and if it was not obvious to themselves, the others, Marion and Captain Vidall included, saw it.

One anxious day, after the family doctor had left the sick child's room, Marion, turning to the father and mother, said: "Greyhope will be itself again. I will go and tell Richard that the danger is over."

As she turned to do so, Richard entered the room. "I have seen the doctor," he began, "and the little chap is going to pull along like a house afire."

Tapping Frank affectionately on the arm, he was about to continue, but he saw what stopped him. He saw the last move in Frank Armour's tragic-comedy. He and Marion left the room as quickly as was possible to him, for, as he said himself, he was "slow at a quick march"; and a moment afterwards the wife heard without demur her husband's tale of love for her.

Yet, as if to remind him of the wrong he had done, Heaven never granted Frank Armour another child.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

Being young, she exaggerated the importance of the event Every man should have laws of his own Flood came which sweeps away the rust that gathers in the eyes His duties were many, or he made them so How can one force one's heart? No, no! One has to wait If fumbling human fingers do not meddle with it Man or woman must not expect too much out of life May be more beautiful in uncertain England than anywhere else Men must have their bad hours alone Men are shy with each other where their emotions are in play Miseries of this world are caused by forcing issues Most important lessons of life--never to quarrel with a woman Prepared for a kiss this hour and a reproach the next Reading a lot and forgetting everything Romance is an incident to a man Simply to have death renewed every morning Sympathy and consolation might be much misplaced The world never welcomes its deserters There should be written the one word, "Wait."

There is no influence like the influence of habit These little pieces of art make life possible Think of our position To sorrow may their humour be a foil Training in the charms of superficiality We grow away from people against our will We want to get more out of life than there really is in it We speak with the straight tongue; it is cowards who lie Who never knew self-consciousness Who can understand a woman?

Worth while to have lived so long and to have seen so much You never can make a scandal less by trying to hide it