The Beautiful White Devil
Text"What news had you by the mail this morning, my husband?"
"Nothing of very much moment, Alie," I answer. "The negotiations in England are still proceeding, and Brandwon confidently hopes, in view of certain considerations, that he will be able to carry out his plans and win a free pardon for a certain beautiful lady of my acquaintance."
"Then it is all as satisfactory as we could wish?" she says. "I am thankful for that! And now I have some news for you!"
"Are you going to tell me that I am the happiest husband in the world? or that that boy, playing with old Bel yonder, whom we both worship a good deal more than is good for him, is being spoiled by the entire population of the settlement?"
"Neither of those things! No, it has to do with your sister Janet."
"Ah! then I can guess. She is so enraptured with the settlement that she is willing to prolong her stay indefinitely."
"How did you guess?"
"Have I not eyes, my wife? You don't mean to tell me that you think you alone have seen the outrageous court Walworth has been paying her these six months past?"
"You have no objection, I hope?"
"Not the very slightest. She is a good woman, if ever there was one, and he is certainly a man after my own heart. If they marry and are destined to be as happy as we are, then they'll be lucky people; that's all I can say, my wife."
"Can you truthfully affirm that you have never regretted giving up so much for me?"
"Regretted! How can you ask me such a question? No, my darling; rest assured, if there is one thing for which I am grateful to Providence it is – "
Here I placed my arm round her neck and drew her lovely head down to me.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"That I was permitted to be the husband of the Beautiful White Devil."