The tears welled to her eyes and, of her own accord, she drew his head
down to her and laid her sweet lips on his.
"You are too good to me; I am not worth it," she said, brokenly. Then,
with something like a start, she whispered, with a dawning fear and
horror in her eyes, "And the other--Lord Heyton? And his wife! Oh, poor,
poor woman! And she has borne so much already! She is lying there,
upstairs, prostrated. Who is to tell her? Oh, Derrick, dearest, who is
to tell her?"
"You," he said, gently. "No one can break it to her better than you
can."
"Oh, must I? Oh, it will be hard for her."
"It will be hard, Celia; but no one can do it better than you. You will
soften the blow. She will realise her debt to you, through me. Tell her
that her future shall be cared for--but you know that I shall look after
that. Celia, you, who are so quick, so acute, have divined the truth. It
was for Miriam that I took on myself the forged cheque. I--cared for her
once; I thought I was in love with her. I thought so until that night
you came to me and stood like an angel of rescue between me and a
shameful death. As to Miriam's husband----"
Derrick paused and, looking down at her steadily, laid his hand on her
shoulder with an almost masterful pressure.
"--There must be nothing more said about him between us two, Celia," he
continued, with solemnity in his voice and manner. "He is gone; let him
go and take the past with him. But one word: Celia, it was Heyton who
wronged Susie, it was Heyton who forged the cheque; it was because Lady
Gridborough thought me guilty of wrecking Susie's life, that she cut me
that morning when she passed us at the gate by the wood. She knows the
truth now; for Reggie has got Susie to reveal it----"
"Reggie!" murmured Celia.
"Yes; he fell in love with Susie the first time he saw her; he has been
telling me all about it."
"And Susie yielded! I can scarcely believe it," said Celia, with a note
of delight in her voice.
"She yielded," said Derrick, with a smile. "Reggie is a wonderful young
man; and has a way with him, as the saying is. He must have laid hard
siege to Susie's heart--perhaps he won her through the child. Anyway, he
has done so; and, in doing so, has cleared my name."