CHAPTER VII

otice?"saidIngeborgfaintly. "Yourfatherwaswounded,dear.Hethoughtitshowedsolittlerealloveforyourparentsandyoursister." "But—"saidIngeborg,lookingfromonetotheother. "Wewrotetoyouatonce—directlyweknew.Didn'twe,Judith?" "Ofcourse,"saidJudith. Ingeborgstoodflushingandturningpale.HadoneoftheDent'sTourpeoplesomehowfoundoutwhereshelivedandwrittenaboutherengagementandtheimpossiblehadhappenedandtheyweren'tgoingtomind?Wasitpossible?Didtheyknow?Andweretakingitlikethis?Ifonlyshehadcalledatheraunt'shouseonthewaytoPaddingtonandgottheletters—whatmiserablehoursofterrorshewouldhavebeenspared! "But—"shebegan.Thentheimmensereliefofitsuddenlyfloodedherwholebeingwithadeliciouswarmsoftness.Theydidknow.Somehow.Andamiraclehadhappened.Oh,howkindGodwas! Shedroppedonherkneesbythesofaandbegantokisshermother'shand,whichsurprisedMrs.Bullivantandindeeditisaforeigntrick,pickedupmostlybythosewhogoabroad."Mother,"shesaid,"areyoureallypleasedaboutit?Youdon'tmindthen?" "Mind?"saidMrs.Bullivant. "Oh,howglad,howgladIam.Andfather?Whatdoeshesay?Doeshe—doeshemind?" "Mind?"repeatedMrs.Bullivant. "Fatherisverypleased,Ithink,"saidJudith,withwhatinonelesslovelywouldhavebeenaslightpursingofthelips.Andshetwistedaremarkablediamondringshewaswearingstraight. "Fatheris—pleased?"echoedIngeborg,quiteawe-struckbytheamountandqualityofthesereliefs. "ImustsayIthinkitisreallygoodofyourdearfathertobepleased,whenheloses—"beganMrs.Bullivant. "Oh,yes,yes,"interruptedtheovercomeIngeborg,"it'sawonder—awonderofGod." "Ingeborgdear,"hermothergentlyrebuked,forthiswasexcessandJudithlookedstillmorewhatwouldhavebeenalittlepursedinanyotherwoman. "Whenheloses,"thenresumedMrs.Bullivantwiththeplaintivedeterminationofonewhoconsidersittheleastshemayexpectasasofa-riddenmothertobeallowedtofinishhersentences,"somuch." "Yes,yes,"assentedIngeborgeagerly,whoseappreciationofherparents'attitudewassowarmthatshealmostfeltshemuststayandbaskinitsurbanityforeverandnotgoawayafteralltothebleakdistanceofEastPrussia. "Yourfatherlosesnotonlyadaughter,"continuedMrs.Bullivant,"but￡500ayearofhisincome." "Wouldonecallithisincome?"inquiredJudith,politelybutyet,ifonecouldsuspectabeingwithanangel'sfaceofsuchathing,withsomeslightannoyance."Ithoughtourgrandmother—" "Judithdear,the￡500ayearyourgrandmotherlefttoeachofyouwasonlytobeyourswhenyoumarried,"explainedMrs.Bullivant,alsowithsomeslightannoyancebeneathherpatience."Tillyoumarrieditwastobemine—yourfather's,Imean,ofcourse.Andifyouneverdidmarryitwouldhavebeenmine—Imeanhis—always." IngeborghadheardofherSwedishgrandmother'swill,buthadlongagoforgottenit,marriagebeingremoteandmoneyneverofanyinteresttoherwhohadnooccasionsforspending.Nowherheartboundedwithyetmorethankfulness.WhatacomfortitwouldbetoRobert.Howitwouldhelphiminhisresearch.Extraordinarythatsheshouldhaveforgottenit.Whenhetoldherofhisstipendoffivethousandmarks—￡250itwasinEnglishmoney,heexplained,andtherewasthehouseandlandfree—mostofwhichwentinhisexperiments,butwhatwasleftbeingample,hesaid,forthelivingpurposesofreasonablebeingsiftheyapproacheditinaproperspirit,italldepending,hesaid,onwhethertheyapproacheditinaproperspirit."Andafterall,"hehadaddedtriumphantly,throwingouthischestjustasshewasabouttoinquirewhattheproperspiritwas,"nomancancallmethin—"—tothinkshehadforgottenthesubstantialhelpshewasgoingtobeabletobringhim! Thefullsplendourofherfather'sgenerosityinbeingpleasedatherengagementwasnowrevealedtoher.Thereliefofit.Theglad,warmrelief.Somustonefeelwhoisbornagain,allnew,allcleanfromoldmistakesandfears.Shefeltliftedup,extraordinarilyhappy,extraordinarilygood,moreinharmonywithProvidenceandtheBiblethanshehadbeensincechildhood.S