"You!" she murmured, with a little catch in her voice, her hand going to
her heart unconsciously.
"Yes," said Derrick, unsteadily. "Didn't he tell you?"
She shook her head.
"You mean Reggie Rex? No--he asked me to come here, and I thought it was
to meet him. I--I am rather startled."
She sank on to the bank, looking straight before her, and, still
bare-headed, Derrick stood beside her, speechless. If he had ever had
any doubt of the completeness, the intensity of his love for her, that
doubt would have been dispelled at that moment. The desire to take her
in his arms, to crush her to him, was almost overwhelming; but he
remembered that, though he had been loving her all these months, had
been thinking of her so constantly that it seemed as if they had been in
actual communication, she did not know this. He must go gently with this
beautiful creature; he must not frighten her by word or look.
"I'm sorry he didn't tell you; I'm sorry you were so startled," he said,
very softly, very gently. "I thought he would have done so."
"I am ashamed," she said, blushing, and forcing a smile to her lips,
which were not yet quite steady. "It is very foolish of me; for--for why
should I be startled, why should you not be here, anywhere?"
She made as if to rise; but he put out his hand, as if to stay her, and
she sank down again.
"Well, there are reasons why I should not come back, as you know," he
began; but she looked up quickly and broke in.
"Oh, no, there are not! Don't you know, have they not told you? You have
no cause now for--for concealment."
"I've heard nothing," he said. "I have only just returned from abroad.
Will you tell me what you mean?"
With a barely-suppressed eagerness, and an unconcealed gladness, she
told him of the appearance of the old gentleman a few minutes after
Derrick's flight, and gave him the lawyer's message.
Derrick nodded once or twice. "If I'd only known that!" he said in a low
voice, "I should have come back at once; come back to tell you what I
want to tell you now, to thank you. Oh, but that's absurd! Of course, I
can't thank you. You know what you did for me, and you must know that I
can't express my gratitude."
"Don't say any more," said Celia almost inaudibly. "I am glad that it is
all right now: that you have no cause to fear--and that you've come back
to England."