Page:Cerise, a tale of the last century (IA cerisetaleoflast00whytrich).pdf/381

 convinced himself in his madness, that such a love as his, even a husband must approve. It was an affection, he repeated, or rather a worship, completely spiritualised and self-sacrificing, to outlast the material trammels of this life, and follow her, still faithful, still changeless, into eternity. So true, so holy, however hopeless, however foolish, could such a love as this, deprived of all earthly leaven, be criminal, even in him, the priest, for her, the wedded wife? No, no, he told himself, a thousand times, no! And all the while the man within the man, who sits, and mocks, and judges, and condemns us all, said Yes—a thousand times—Yes!

There is but one end to such debate, when the idol is under the same roof with the worshipper. He put the question from him for the present, and only resolved that, at least, he might love all belonging to her, for her sake. All, even to the very flowers she gathered and the floor she trod. He took up the work she had set aside, and pressed it passionately to his lips, his heart, his eyes. The door opened, and he dropped it, scared, startled, guilty, like a man detected in a crime. It was a disappointment, yet he felt it a relief, to find that the intruder was not Cerise. He had scarcely yet learned to call her Lady Hamilton. There was no disappointment, however, in the new-comer's face, as he stood for a moment with the door in his hand, looking at Florian with a quaint comical smile, in which respect for Sir George's guest was strangely mingled with a sailor's hearty welcome to his shipmate. The latter sentiment soon predominated, and Slap-Jack, hurrying forward with a scrape of his foot and a profusion of sea-bows, seized the visitor by both hands, called him "my hearty!" several times over; and, finally, relapsing with considerable effort into the staid and confidential servant of the family, offered him, in his master's absence, liquid refreshment on the spot.

"It's a fair wind, whichever way it blowed, as brought you here," exclaimed the late foretopman, when the energy of his greeting had somewhat subsided; "and so the skipper, I mean Sir George, will swear, when he knows his first lieutenant's turned up in this here anchorage, and my lady too, askin' your reverence's pardon once more, being that I'm not quite so sure as I ought to be of your honour's rating."