The Phantom Lover Part 78

"I do--I...."

"Say it then," he urged gently.

For a moment she did not answer; she was still a little afraid of him; she still felt something of pride and constraint between them; though she knew it was for her to sweep away the last barrier.

She looked up at him, the sensitive colour rus.h.i.+ng to her face.

"I love you," she said softly. "Oh, Micky, some one will see----"

But Micky only laughed.

The train was running on to Dover Harbour before Micky realised it; he looked at Esther with pretended dismay in his happy eyes.

"And pray, what am I to do with you, madame? Do you realise that I'm going to Paris?"

"I know----" She laughed. "I'm going there too--of course, if you'd like to travel in a different train to me...."

She was a very different Esther from the pale, frightened-looking girl who had said good-bye to June at Victoria. Her eyes were dancing now, and her face was radiant. Micky regarded her with proud satisfaction.

"You look years younger and prettier already," he said. "And that's after only an hour or two of my wonderful society; so what you'll look like when we've been married for years and years...."

He stopped, and a sudden emotion filled his face.

"What shall we do, love of mine?" he asked tenderly, "Shall we go on, or shall we go back?"

She shook her head.

"I don't mind--either way, I'm afraid you'll have to pay for me," she told him saucily. "June rushed me off so, I forgot my purse--Mr.

Rochester got me a ticket, but...."

"We'll go on," said Micky hurriedly. The train was almost at a standstill. "You said you hated Paris--but you won't hate it with me.

We'll get married as soon as we get there--I'll take you everywhere."

Her eyes fell.

"I haven't any nice clothes--I only brought a small case; I never thought you ... you...." She stopped, stammering.

"Paris is full of clothes," he told her. "We'll stay just long enough to buy what you want, and then we'll go south. Esther, you've never seen the south of France in springtime, have you? I'll take you there for our honeymoon."

She drew back a little.

"But, Micky--there's June--what will she say--what will she think?"

"She'll think that you've behaved sensibly--at last!" he answered audaciously. "June knew she wouldn't see either of us again for some time when we left her at Victoria--June is a most discerning woman."

"She's a dear," said Esther warmly. "I owe all my happiness to her."

Micky pretended to look offended.

"I was under the delusion that you owed it to me," he said with dignity.

"To you!" Her face changed wonderfully; she bent her head and kissed the sleeve of his coat.

"I can't talk about what I owe you--it's just--everything!"

Micky drew himself up a dignified inch.

"I'm beginning to think I'm a very wonderful man, do you know?" he said, addressing some imaginary person.

Driver appeared at the door. He hesitated for just the faintest possible moment when he saw Esther, but his face was as stolid as ever.

Micky rose to the occasion, though he turned rather red.

"Driver," he said, "let me introduce you to my wife----"

Driver touched a respectful forelock; if he felt surprise he did not show it.

He took Esther's suit-case down from the rack.

"Was you--was you wanting to send a wire, sir?" he asked stolidly.

Micky looked at the girl beside him.

"Send June one from Paris," she said. "I don't know what she'll say----"

But June might have been expecting the wire, judging from the calm way in which she received it; she showed it to Rochester as if it were nothing out of the way; she looked over his shoulder as he read it.

"Married in Paris this morning. Love from Mr. and Mrs. Micky."

She laughed and met Rochester's eyes; there seemed to be an inquiry in his. June hesitated a moment, then she nodded.

And forty-eight hours later Micky and Esther read her reply just as they were leaving for the flower-fields of France--

"Married in London this morning--June and George."

"Some people have no originality," Micky complained in pretended disgust.

"But if they're half as happy as _we_ are," Esther said shyly.

Micky looked scornfully sceptical.

"Oh well! if you're going to expect the impossible...." he submitted.

THE END