CHAPTER XLIII

OutoftheturmoilandhorrorthathadbegunwithAuntJuley’sillnessandwasnoteventoendwithLeonard’sdeath,itseemedimpossibletoMargaretthathealthylifeshouldre-emerge.Eventssucceededinalogical,yetsenseless,train.Peoplelosttheirhumanity,andtookvaluesasarbitraryasthoseinapackofplaying-cards.ItwasnaturalthatHenryshoulddothisandcauseHelentodothat,andthenthinkherwrongfordoingitnaturalthatsheherselfshouldthinkhimwrongnaturalthatLeonardshouldwanttoknowhowHelenwas,andcome,andCharlesbeangrywithhimforcoming—natural,butunreal.Inthisjangleofcausesandeffectswhathadbecomeoftheirtrueselves?HereLeonardlaydeadinthegarden,fromnaturalcausesyetlifewasadeep,deepriver,deathabluesky,lifewasahouse,deathawispofhay,aflower,atower,lifeanddeathwereanythingandeverything,exceptthisorderedinsanity,wherethekingtakesthequeen,andtheacetheking.Ah,notherewasbeautyandadventurebehind,suchasthemanatherfeethadyearnedfortherewashopethissideofthegravethereweretruerrelationshipsbeyondthelimitsthatfetterusnow.Asaprisonerlooksupandseesstarsbeckoning,soshe,fromtheturmoilandhorrorofthosedays,caughtglimpsesofthedivinerwheels. AndHelen,dumbwithfright,buttryingtokeepcalmforthechild’ssake,andMissAvery,calm,butmurmuringtenderly,“Nooneevertoldtheladhe’llhaveachild”—theyalsoremindedherthathorrorisnottheend.Towhatultimateharmonywetendshedidnotknow,butthereseemedgreatchancethatachildwouldbebornintotheworld,totakethegreatchancesofbeautyandadventurethattheworldoffers.Shemovedthroughthesunlitgarden,gatheringnarcissi,crimson-eyedandwhite.TherewasnothingelsetobedonethetimefortelegramsandangerwasoveranditseemedwisestthatthehandsofLeonardshouldbefoldedonhisbreastandbefilledwithflowers.Herewasth