teforgotten.
“Ican’tliveunlessyouloveme.Oh,IwishIcouldmakeyouunderstandhowIloveyou....We’refriendsagainnow,aren’twe?”
“Wehaven’teverbeenotherwise.”
Berthagaveasighofrelief,andlayinhisarmscompletelyhappy.AminutemoreandEdward’sbreathingtoldherthathehadalreadyfallenasleepshedarednotmoveforfearofwakinghim.
ThesummerbroughtBerthanewpleasures,andshesetherselftoenjoythepastorallifewhichshehadimagined.TheelmsofCourtLeysnowweredarkwithleavesandtheheavy,close-fittingverduregavequiteastatelylooktothehouse.Theelmisthemostrespectableoftrees,over-pompousifanything,butperfectlywell-bredandtheshadeitcastsisnoordinaryshade,butsolidandself-assuredasbefitstheestateofacountyfamily.Thefallentrunkhadbeenremoved,andintheautumnyoungtreesweretobeplantedinthevacantspaces.Edwardhadsethimselfwithawilltoputtheplaceproperlytorights.ThespringhadseenanewcoatofpaintonCourtLeys,sothatitlookedspickandspanasthesuburbanvillaofastockbroker.Thebedswhichforyearshadbeenneglected,nowweretrimwiththeabominationsofcarpetbeddingsquaresofredgeraniumscontrastedwithcirclesofyellowcalcellariastheovergrownboxwoodwascutdowntoajustheightthehawthornhedgewasdoomed,andEdwardhadarrangedtoenclosethegroundswithawoodenpallisadeandlaurelbushes.Thedrivewasdecoratedwithseveralloadsofgravel,sothatitbecameathingofpridetothesuccessorofanancientandlackadaisicalrace.Craddockhadnotreignedintheirsteadafortnightbeforethegrimysheepwereexpelledfromthelawnsoneithersideoftheavenue,andsincethenthegrasshadbeenindustriouslymownandrolled.Nowatennis-courthadbeenmarkedout,which,asEdwardsaid,madethingslookhomely.Finallytheirongatesweregorgeousinblackandgoldassuitedtheentrancetoagentleman’smansion,andtherenovatedlodgeprovedtoallandsundrythatCourtLeyswasinthehandsofamanwhoknewwhatwaswhat,anddelightedintheproprieties