The Wreck of a World/Chapter 11
CHAPTER XI.
There are some emotions which so overpower the mind as not only to defy description, but even the full perception of them. A dull sense of unreality, of unnaturalness, of want of sequence prevents our appreciating even the happiest turns of fortune if they come with too great suddenness. The greatness of the surprise, the shock and upsetting of our ideas, caused by a great calamity or great happiness, exercises a numbing influence over the intellect. After years of hopeless captivity the Prisoner of Chillon "regained his freedom with a sigh." So to myself, after having mourned my daughter's death for years, the shock of her sudden reappearance seemed almost painful. How could it be true? Yet there she was, older indeed but nobler-looking than ever, walking up the humble street amid the shouts and tears of all our citizens, her fingers lightly resting on the arm of the handsomest man left in the world, whose face transfigured with pride love and victory seemed like the face of a triumphant Archangel.
Some meetings are too sacred for and transcend all description, and what thoughts and words passed between Aurelia and myself I neither can nor will recount. To one spectator at least the sight was fraught with pain rather than pleasure. Poor Gell, who with his wonted goodness instead of gazing on the fight had been removing a sick woman from the conflagration of her home and extinguishing the flames, came down towards the quay, black and begrimed, just in time to see Aurelia walking up the street on the arm of his victorious rival. Too true a lover to be blind to love's signs, he saw the love-light beaming from the face of young Dana, and the happy radiance (as it seemed to him) of love returned from the face of his compaaion. Not all the joy of his dream fulfilled, not the rapture of his recovery of his long-lost love, could overcome the terrible sense that she had returned, but not for him. He turned aside feeling deadly sick, struggled with his weakness for a few moments, and then unable to endure more, fell lifeless to the ground. The disturbance caused among the bystanders attracted Aurelia's attention, who suddenly aware of the reason, tore herself from my arms, and fell at the side of the breathless form of her true lover. Forgetting all around, she called him by every endearing name; told him how she had kept alive all these years for him, and for him alone; implored him to return to life for her sake; and laying her soft warm cheek to his so cold and ghastly from pallor and soot, prayed God not to blight her return home with so cruel a blow.
And from the very gates of death through which the soul was passing—nay I have sometimes thought it had even passed—strong love brought back that life which was so precious to her who prayed. The eyelids quivered, the heart began feebly to beat: the respiration again commenced to stir the relaxed and exanimate body; and at last a faint sigh caught by the loving ear of my true-hearted child caused the hot tears to pour down from her cheeks to those of her dear heart's love. "He lives—he lives"—cried she; and a gasp of relief passing through the throng indicated how rapt had been the interest of all spectators. A few moments later his eyes opened, and as they grew cognisant of the beloved face which hung so eagerly over his, a smile suffused his pale features, and his lips moved softly as though seeking to kiss the sweeter lips that were so near. Ah, those sweet lips might well bring life and health and strength to any mortal man that had not fairly passed into the silent land. Softly and lovingly she kissed him again and again: this was no time for maiden coyness or modesty: what mattered it that hundreds of men and women stood around watching her every motion? They were as naught to her, there was but one human being whose existence was of any moment; could she but bring him back to her she cared for nothing more in this world. And amid the mingled laughter and tears of those who caught the sympathetic joy of victorious devotion she brought him back from the twilight of life to its full dawn, when at last his lips parted once more and murmured softly yet plainly, "My own dearest love!"
But what of Dana? Why is it that in this world one man's joy must be another's grief? Poor fellow! When he saw Aurelia fall on the lifeless form of William Gell with all the terms of endearment that love could invent, the light faded from his eyes and the glow from his cheek, and he turned almost as pale as his lifeless rival. With a sailor's impulsive passion he had himself fallen in love with Aurelia at first sight, and having brought her safely home to me might well suppose he had some right to claim his reward. Forgetting all about Gell, or thinking that after all so old an engagement need not be binding, he had made up his mind to do his best to win the noble girl to whom such strong cords bound him—the cord of similarity and strength of character, the cord of youth grace and beauty, the cord of a great service done and rescue made. And she—what wonder if she had warmly welcomed the first human face on which for four years she had set eyes? None the less so, because that face was a noble and beautiful one belonging to an individual of the opposite sex. And in the radiant joy and rapture of meeting the first member of the human world with whom she had exchanged speech for years, she little guessed that each glance, each word, kindled a fire of passionate love that all the waters of the ocean could never quench. Yet such was the fact. And when it was suddenly proved to him that his new-born love was utterly hopeless, that all the kindness and frank sisterly affection with which Aurelia had greeted her rescuer bore no proportion to the ardent love with which she regarded his rival, not all the triumph of victory nor the applause of shouting crowds could prevent him from wishing he had gone safely to the bottom of those fathomless waters in which he had sunk his vanquished foe.
The care and attention that had to be given to William prevented me from dwelling on the heartaches of Dana. For Gell though revived was utterly weak, and we had to form a rough litter iu which we bore him to my house, where I need hardly say Aurelia at once established herself as nurse and attendant. So sweet and natural was her presence that it seemed as though she had only been absent for a brief visit; so readily did she fall into the strange ways of a new home that I began to comprehend the wonderful adaptiveness which had enabled her to live for years among the fearful surroundings of the continent. Gell's recovery was slow; the severity of the shock he had received proved the intensity of his passion: but through all the ups and downs of illness, through all the long days and longer nights of watching, that faithful nurse never tired nor grew impatient, but seemed to find a perfect happiness in toiling for the man she loved. A less unselfish nature than Gell's would have been spoiled by such devotion, as is too often the case in married life, when self-sacrificing devotion on the one side is repaid by complaint and ingratitude on the other; but with him, while he gladly accepted the service so readily offered, it only served to deepen the ardent affection he bore to his dear mistress, who so cheerfully became a menial servant for his dear sake. So Gell gradually recovered, and with his reviving strength came back some of the glad brightness of youth which for four long years he had put behind him. He was yet young, and might look forward to a long and happy life, and see his children's children, and peace upon our Israel.