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 Elementary Linear Algebra
Seventh Edition
Ron Larson
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Contents

1 Systems of Linear Equations 1

1.1 Introduction to Systems of Linear Equations 2
1.2 Gaussian Elimination and Gauss-Jordan Elimination 13
1.3 Applications of Systems of Linear Equations 25
Review Exercises 35
Project 1 Graphing Linear Equations 38
Project 2 Underdetermined and Overdetermined Systems 38

2 Matrices 39
2.1 Operations with Matrices 40
2.2 Properties of Matrix Operations 52
2.3 The Inverse of a Matrix 62
2.4 Elementary Matrices 74
2.5 Applications of Matrix Operations 84
Review Exercises 98
Project 1 Exploring Matrix Multiplication 102
Project 2 Nilpotent Matrices 102

3 Determinants 103
3.1 The Determinant of a Matrix 104
3.2 Determinants and Elementary Operations 112
3.3 Properties of Determinants 120
3.4 Applications of Determinants 128
Review Exercises 138
Project 1 Stochastic Matrices 141
Project 2 The Cayley-Hamilton Theorem 141
Cumulative Test for Chapters 1–3 143

4 Vector Spaces 145

4.1 Vectors inRn 146
4.2 Vector Spaces 155
4.3 Subspaces of Vector Spaces 162
4.4 Spanning Sets and Linear Independence 169
4.5 Basis and Dimension 180
4.6 Rank of a Matrix and Systems of Linear Equations 189
4.7 Coordinates and Change of Basis 202
4.8 Applications of Vector Spaces 212
Review Exercises 221
Project 1 Solutions of Linear Systems 224
Project 2 Direct Sum 224

v
vi Contents

5 Inner Product Spaces 225

5.1 Length and Dot Product in Rn 226
5.2 Inner Product Spaces 237
5.3 Orthonormal Bases: Gram-Schmidt Process 248
5.4 Mathematical Models and Least Squares Analysis 259
5.5 Applications of Inner Product Spaces 271
Review Exercises 284
Project 1 The QR-Factorization 287
Project 2 Orthogonal Matrices and Change of Basis 288
Cumulative Test for Chapters 4 and 5 289

6 Linear Transformations 291

6.1 Introduction to Linear Transformations 292
6.2 The Kernel and Range of a Linear Transformation 303
6.3 Matrices for Linear Transformations 314
6.4 Transition Matrices and Similarity 324
6.5 Applications of Linear Transformations 330
Review Exercises 337
Project 1 Reflections in R 2 (I) 340
Project 2 Reflections in R 2 (II) 340

7 Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors 341

7.1 Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors 342
7.2 Diagonalization 353
7.3 Symmetric Matrices and Orthogonal Diagonalization 362
7.4 Applications of Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors 372
Review Exercises 385
Project 1 Population Growth and Dynamical Systems (I) 388
Project 2 The Fibonacci Sequence 388
Cumulative Test for Chapters 6 and 7 389

8 Complex Vector Spaces (online)*

8.1 Complex Numbers
8.2 Conjugates and Division of Complex Numbers
8.3 Polar Form and DeMoivre’s Theorem
8.4 Complex Vector Spaces and Inner Products
8.5 Unitary and Hermitian Matrices
Review Exercises
Project Population Growth and Dynamical Systems (II)
 Contents vii

9 Linear Programming (online)*

9.1 Systems of Linear Inequalities
9.2 Linear Programming Involving Two Variables
9.3 The Simplex Method: Maximization
9.4 The Simplex Method: Minimization
9.5 The Simplex Method: Mixed Constraints
Review Exercises
Project Cholesterol Levels

10 Numerical Methods (online)*

10.1 Gaussian Elimination with Partial Pivoting
10.2 Iterative Methods for Solving Linear Systems
10.3 Power Method for Approximating Eigenvalues
10.4 Applications of Numerical Methods
Review Exercises
Project Population Growth

Appendix A1
Mathematical Induction and Other Forms of Proofs

Online Technology Guide (online)*

Answer Key A7
Index A39
*Available online at www.cengagebrain.com.
This page intentionally left blank
 Preface
Welcome to the Seventh Edition of Elementary Linear Algebra.
My primary goal is to present the major concepts of linear
algebra clearly and concisely. To this end, I have carefully
selected the examples and exercises to balance theory with
applications and geometrical intuition. The order and coverage
of topics were chosen for maximum efficiency, effectiveness,
and balance. The new design complements the multitude of
features and applications found throughout the book.

New To This Edition

NEW Chapter Openers
Each Chapter Opener highlights five real-life applications
of linear algebra found throughout the chapter. Many of the
applications reference the new Linear Algebra Applied featured
(discussed below). You can find a full listing of the applications
in the Index of Applications on the inside front cover.

NEW Linear Algebra Applied

Linear Algebra Applied describes a real-life application
of concepts discussed in a section. These applications include
biology and life sciences, business and economics,
engineering and technology, physical sciences, and statistics
and probability.

NEW Capstone Exercises

The Capstone is a conceptual problem that synthesizes
key topics to check students’ understanding of the section
concepts. I recommend it.

ix
x Preface

REVISED Exercise Sets

The exercise sets have been carefully and extensively
examined to ensure they are rigorous, relevant, and
cover all topics suggested by our users. The exercises
have been reorganized and titled so you can better
see the connections between examples and exercises.
Many new skill building, challenging, and application
exercises have been added. As in earlier editions, the
following pedagogically-proven types of exercises
are included:
• True or False Exercises ask students to give examples
or justifications to support their conclusions.
• Proofs
• Guided Proofs lead student through the initial steps
of constructing proofs and then utilizing the results.
• Writing Exercises
• Technology Exercises are indicated throughout
the text with .
• Exercises utilizing electronic data sets are indicated
by and found at www.cengagebrain.com.

Table of Contents Changes

Based on feedback from users, Section 3.4
(Introduction to Eigenvalues) in the previous
edition has been removed and its content has
been absorbed in Chapter 7 (Eigenvalues and
Eigenvectors).

Trusted Features
Section Objectives
A bulleted list of learning objectives provides you
the opportunity to preview what will be presented
in the upcoming section. For the Seventh Edition,
the section objectives are located by relevance at
the beginning of each section.

Theorems, Definitions, and Properties

Presented in clear and mathematically precise
language, all theorems, definitions, and properties
are highlighted for emphasis and easy reference.
 Preface xi

Proofs in Outline Form

In addition to proofs in the exercises, some
proofs are presented in outline form, omitting
the need for burdensome calculations.

Discovery
Discovery helps you develop an intuitive
understanding of mathematical concepts and
relationships.

Technology Notes
Technology notes show how you can use graphing
utilities and software programs appropriately in the
problem-solving process. Many of the technology
notes reference the Online Technology Guide,
located at www.cengagebrain.com.

Chapter Projects
Two per chapter, these offer the opportunity
for group activities or more extensive homework
assignments, and are focused on theoretical
concepts or applications. Many encourage the
use of technology.
 Instructor Resources
Print
Instructor’s Solutions Manual
ISBN-13: 978-1-133-36538-9
The Instructor’s Solutions Manual provides worked-out solutions for all even-numbered
exercises in the text.

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xii
Student Resources
Print
Student Solutions Manual
ISBN-13: 978-1-133-11132-0
The Student Solutions Manual provides complete worked-out solutions to all
odd-numbered exercises in the text. Also included are the solutions to all Cumulative
Test problems.

Media

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xiii
 Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the many people who have helped me during various stages
of writing this new edition. In particular, I appreciate the efforts of the following
colleagues who made many helpful suggestions along the way:

Michael Brown, San Diego Mesa College

Nasser Dastrange, Buena Vista University
Mike Daven, Mount Saint Mary College
David Hemmer, University of Buffalo, SUNY
Wai Lau, Seattle Pacific University
Jorge Sarmiento, County College of Morris

I would like to thank Bruce H. Edwards, University of Florida, and David C. Falvo,
The Pennsylvania State University, The Behrend College, for their contributions to
previous editions of Elementary Linear Algebra.
On a personal level, I am grateful to my spouse, Deanna Gilbert Larson, for her
love, patience, and support. Also, a special thanks goes to R. Scott O’Neil.

Ron Larson, Ph.D.

Professor of Mathematics
Penn State University
www.RonLarson.com

xiv
 Systems of Linear
1 Equations
1.1 Introduction to Systems of Linear Equations
1.2 Gaussian Elimination and Gauss-Jordan Elimination
1.3 Applications of Systems of Linear Equations

Traffic Flow (p. 28)

Electrical Network Analysis (p. 30)

Global Positioning System (p. 16)

Airspeed of a Plane (p. 11)

Balancing Chemical Equations (p. 4)

1
Clockwise from top left, Rafal Olkis/www.shutterstock.com; michaeljung/www.shutterstock.com;
Fernando Jose Vasconcelos Soares/www.shutterstock.com; Alexander Raths/Shutterstock.Com; edobric/www.shutterstock.com
2 Chapter 1 Systems of Linear Equations

1.1 Introduction to Systems of Linear Equations

Recognize a linear equation in n variables.
Find a parametric representation of a solution set.
Determine whether a system of linear equations is consistent or
inconsistent.
Use back-substitution and Gaussian elimination to solve a system
of linear equations.

LINEAR EQUATIONS IN n VARIABLES

The study of linear algebra demands familiarity with algebra, analytic geometry,
and trigonometry. Occasionally, you will find examples and exercises requiring a
knowledge of calculus; these are clearly marked in the text.
Early in your study of linear algebra, you will discover that many of the solution
methods involve multiple arithmetic steps, so it is essential to check your work. Use
a computer or calculator to check your work and perform routine computations.
Although you will be familiar with some material in this chapter, you should
carefully study the methods presented in this chapter. This will cultivate and clarify
your intuition for the more abstract material that follows.
Recall from analytic geometry that the equation of a line in two-dimensional space
has the form
a1x ⫹ a2 y ⫽ b, a1, a 2, and b are constants.
This is a linear equation in two variables x and y. Similarly, the equation of a plane
in three-dimensional space has the form
a1x ⫹ a 2 y ⫹ a3 z ⫽ b, a1, a 2 , a 3 , and b are constants.
This is a linear equation in three variables x, y, and z. In general, a linear equation in
n variables is defined as follows.
REMARK
Letters that occur early in the
Definition of a Linear Equation in n Variables
alphabet are used to represent A linear equation in n variables x 1, x 2 , x 3 , . . . , x n has the form
constants, and letters that
occur late in the alphabet are a1x 1 ⫹ a2 x 2 ⫹ a3 x 3 ⫹ . . . ⫹ an x n ⫽ b.
used to represent variables. The coefficients a1, a2 , a 3 , . . . , an are real numbers, and the constant term b
is a real number. The number a1 is the leading coefficient, and x 1 is the
leading variable.

Linear equations have no products or roots of variables and no variables involved

in trigonometric, exponential, or logarithmic functions. Variables appear only to the
first power.

Linear and Nonlinear Equations

Each equation is linear.

c. 共sin ␲兲 x 1 ⫺ 4x 2 ⫽ e2
1
a. 3x ⫹ 2y ⫽ 7 b. 2 x ⫹ y ⫺ ␲ z ⫽ 冪2
Each equation is not linear.
a. xy ⫹ z ⫽ 2 b. e x ⫺ 2y ⫽ 4 c. sin x 1 ⫹ 2x 2 ⫺ 3x 3 ⫽ 0
 1.1 Introduction to Systems of Linear Equations 3

SOLUTIONS AND SOLUTION SETS

A solution of a linear equation in n variables is a sequence of n real numbers s1, s2 ,
s3, . . . , sn arranged to satisfy the equation when you substitute the values
x 1 ⫽ s1, x 2 ⫽ s2 , x 3 ⫽ s3 , . . . , x n ⫽ sn
into the equation. For example, x 1 ⫽ 2 and x 2 ⫽ 1 satisfy the equation x 1 ⫹ 2x 2 ⫽ 4.
Some other solutions are x 1 ⫽ ⫺4 and x 2 ⫽ 4, x 1 ⫽ 0 and x 2 ⫽ 2, and x 1 ⫽ ⫺2 and
x 2 ⫽ 3.
The set of all solutions of a linear equation is called its solution set, and when you
have found this set, you have solved the equation. To describe the entire solution set of
a linear equation, use a parametric representation, as illustrated in Examples 2 and 3.

Parametric Representation of a Solution Set

Solve the linear equation x 1 ⫹ 2x 2 ⫽ 4.

SOLUTION
To find the solution set of an equation involving two variables, solve for one of the
variables in terms of the other variable. Solving for x 1 in terms of x 2 , you obtain
x 1 ⫽ 4 ⫺ 2x 2.
In this form, the variable x 2 is free, which means that it can take on any real value. The
variable x 1 is not free because its value depends on the value assigned to x 2 . To represent
the infinitely many solutions of this equation, it is convenient to introduce a third variable
t called a parameter. By letting x 2 ⫽ t, you can represent the solution set as
x 1 ⫽ 4 ⫺ 2t, x 2 ⫽ t, t is any real number.
To obtain particular solutions, assign values to the parameter t. For instance, t ⫽ 1
yields the solution x 1 ⫽ 2 and x 2 ⫽ 1, and t ⫽ 4 yields the solution x 1 ⫽ ⫺4
and x 2 ⫽ 4.

To parametrically represent the solution set of the linear equation in Example 2

another way, you could have chosen x 1 to be the free variable. The parametric
representation of the solution set would then have taken the form
x 1 ⫽ s, x 2 ⫽ 2 ⫺ 12 s, s is any real number.
For convenience, choose the variables that occur last in a given equation to be free
variables.

Parametric Representation of a Solution Set

Solve the linear equation 3x ⫹ 2y ⫺ z ⫽ 3.

SOLUTION
Choosing y and z to be the free variables, solve for x to obtain
3x ⫽ 3 ⫺ 2y ⫹ z
x ⫽ 1 ⫺ 23 y ⫹ 13 z.
Letting y ⫽ s and z ⫽ t, you obtain the parametric representation
x ⫽ 1 ⫺ 23 s ⫹ 13 t, y ⫽ s, z ⫽ t
where s and t are any real numbers. Two particular solutions are
x ⫽ 1, y ⫽ 0, z ⫽ 0 and x ⫽ 1, y ⫽ 1, z ⫽ 2.
4 Chapter 1 Systems of Linear Equations

SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS

A system of m linear equations in n variables is a set of m equations, each of which
is linear in the same n variables:
REMARK a11x 1 ⫹ a12x 2 ⫹ a13x 3 ⫹ . . . ⫹ a1nx n ⫽ b1
The double-subscript notation a21x 1 ⫹ a22x 2 ⫹ a23x 3 ⫹ . . . ⫹ a2nx n ⫽ b2
indicates a i j is the coefficient a x ⫹ a x ⫹ a x ⫹ . . . ⫹ a x ⫽b
31 1 32 2 33 3 3n n 3
of xj in the i th equation. ⯗
am1x 1 ⫹ am2x 2 ⫹ am3x 3 ⫹ . . . ⫹ amnx n ⫽ bm.
A solution of a system of linear equations is a sequence of numbers
s1, s2 , s3 , . . . , sn that is a solution of each of the linear equations in the system. For
example, the system
3x 1 ⫹ 2x 2 ⫽ 3
⫺x 1 ⫹ x 2 ⫽ 4
has x 1 ⫽ ⫺1 and x 2 ⫽ 3 as a solution because x 1 ⫽ ⫺1 and x 2 ⫽ 3 satisfy both
equations. On the other hand, x 1 ⫽ 1 and x 2 ⫽ 0 is not a solution of the system because
these values satisfy only the first equation in the system.

DISCOVERY
Graph the two lines

3x ⫺ y ⫽ 1
2x ⫺ y ⫽ 0

in the xy-plane. Where do they intersect? How many solutions does

this system of linear equations have?
Repeat this analysis for the pairs of lines

3x ⫺ y ⫽ 1
3x ⫺ y ⫽ 0

and

3x ⫺ y ⫽ 1
6x ⫺ 2y ⫽ 2.

What basic types of solution sets are possible for a system of two
equations in two unknowns?

LINEAR In a chemical reaction, atoms reorganize in one or more

ALGEBRA substances. For instance, when methane gas 共CH4 兲
APPLIED combines with oxygen 共O2 兲 and burns, carbon dioxide
共CO2 兲 and water 共H2O 兲 form. Chemists represent this
process by a chemical equation of the form

共x1兲CH4 ⫹ 共x2兲O2 → 共x3兲CO2 ⫹ 共x4兲H2O.

Because a chemical reaction can neither create nor destroy

atoms, all of the atoms represented on the left side of the
arrow must be accounted for on the right side of the arrow.
This is called balancing the chemical equation. In the given
example, chemists can use a system of linear equations
to find values of x1, x2, x3, and x4 that will balance the
chemical equation.
Elnur/www.shutterstock.com
 1.1 Introduction to Systems of Linear Equations 5

It is possible for a system of linear equations to have exactly one solution,

infinitely many solutions, or no solution. A system of linear equations is consistent
when it has at least one solution and inconsistent when it has no solution.

Systems of Two Equations in Two Variables

Solve and graph each system of linear equations.

a. x ⫹ y ⫽ 3 b. x⫹ y⫽3 c. x ⫹ y ⫽ 3
x ⫺ y ⫽ ⫺1 2x ⫹ 2y ⫽ 6 x⫹y⫽1
SOLUTION
a. This system has exactly one solution, x ⫽ 1 and y ⫽ 2. One way to obtain
the solution is to add the two equations to give 2x ⫽ 2, which implies x ⫽ 1
and so y ⫽ 2. The graph of this system is two intersecting lines, as shown in
Figure 1.1(a).
b. This system has infinitely many solutions because the second equation is the result
of multiplying both sides of the first equation by 2. A parametric representation of
the solution set is
x ⫽ 3 ⫺ t, y ⫽ t, t is any real number.
The graph of this system is two coincident lines, as shown in Figure 1.1(b).
c. This system has no solution because the sum of two numbers cannot be 3 and 1
simultaneously. The graph of this system is two parallel lines, as shown in
Figure 1.1(c).

y y y

4 3 3

3 2
2
2 1
1
1 x
−1 1 2 3
x x −1
−1 1 2 3 1 2 3

a. Two intersecting lines: b. Two coincident lines: c. Two parallel lines:

x⫹y⫽ 3 x⫹ y⫽3 x⫹y⫽3
x ⫺ y ⫽ ⫺1 2x ⫹ 2y ⫽ 6 x⫹y⫽1
Figure 1.1

Example 4 illustrates the three basic types of solution sets that are possible for a
system of linear equations. This result is stated here without proof. (The proof is
provided later in Theorem 2.5.)

Number of Solutions of a System of Linear Equations

For a system of linear equations, precisely one of the following is true.
1. The system has exactly one solution (consistent system).
2. The system has infinitely many solutions (consistent system).
3. The system has no solution (inconsistent system).
6 Chapter 1 Systems of Linear Equations

SOLVING A SYSTEM OF LINEAR EQUATIONS

Which system is easier to solve algebraically?
x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9 x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9
⫺x ⫹ 3y ⫽ ⫺4 y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 5
2x ⫺ 5y ⫹ 5z ⫽ 17 z⫽2
The system on the right is clearly easier to solve. This system is in row-echelon form,
which means that it has a “stair-step” pattern with leading coefficients of 1. To solve
such a system, use a procedure called back-substitution.

Using Back-Substitution in Row-Echelon Form

Use back-substitution to solve the system.

x ⫺ 2y ⫽ 5 Equation 1
y ⫽ ⫺2 Equation 2

SOLUTION
From Equation 2, you know that y ⫽ ⫺2. By substituting this value of y into Equation 1,
you obtain
x ⫺ 2共⫺2兲 ⫽ 5 Substitute ⫺2 for y.
x ⫽ 1. Solve for x.

The system has exactly one solution: x ⫽ 1 and y ⫽ ⫺2.

The term back-substitution implies that you work backwards. For instance,
in Example 5, the second equation gives you the value of y. Then you substitute
that value into the first equation to solve for x. Example 6 further demonstrates this
procedure.

Using Back-Substitution in Row-Echelon Form

Solve the system.

x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9 Equation 1
y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 5 Equation 2
z⫽2 Equation 3

SOLUTION
From Equation 3, you know the value of z. To solve for y, substitute z ⫽ 2 into
Equation 2 to obtain
y ⫹ 3共2兲 ⫽ 5 Substitute 2 for z.
y ⫽ ⫺1. Solve for y.

Then, substitute y ⫽ ⫺1 and z ⫽ 2 in Equation 1 to obtain

x ⫺ 2共⫺1兲 ⫹ 3共2兲 ⫽ 9 Substitute ⫺1 for y and 2 for z.
x ⫽ 1. Solve for x.

The solution is x ⫽ 1, y ⫽ ⫺1, and z ⫽ 2.

Two systems of linear equations are equivalent when they have the same solution
set. To solve a system that is not in row-echelon form, first convert it to an equivalent
system that is in row-echelon form by using the operations listed on the next page.
 1.1 Introduction to Systems of Linear Equations 7

Operations That Produce Equivalent Systems

Each of the following operations on a system of linear equations produces an
equivalent system.
1. Interchange two equations.
2. Multiply an equation by a nonzero constant.
3. Add a multiple of an equation to another equation.

Rewriting a system of linear equations in row-echelon form usually involves

a chain of equivalent systems, each of which is obtained by using one of the three
basic operations. This process is called Gaussian elimination, after the German
mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855).

Using Elimination to Rewrite

Carl Friedrich Gauss a System in Row-Echelon Form
(1777–1855)
German mathematician Carl Solve the system.
Friedrich Gauss is recognized,
with Newton and Archimedes, x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9
as one of the three greatest ⫺x ⫹ 3y ⫽ ⫺4
mathematicians in history. 2x ⫺ 5y ⫹ 5z ⫽ 17
Gauss used a form of what
is now known as Gaussian SOLUTION
elimination in his research. Although there are several ways to begin, you want to use a systematic procedure
Although this method was that is easily applicable to large systems. Work from the upper left corner of the
named in his honor, the Chinese system, saving the x at the upper left and eliminating the other x-terms from the
used an almost identical method first column.
some 2000 years prior to Gauss.
x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9 Adding the first equation to
y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 5 the second equation produces
2x ⫺ 5y ⫹ 5z ⫽ 17 a new second equation.

x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9 Adding ⫺2 times the first

y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 5 equation to the third equation
⫺y ⫺ z ⫽ ⫺1 produces a new third equation.

Now that you have eliminated all but the first x from the first column, work on the
second column.
x − 2y +3z = 9
x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9
Adding the second equation to
2x − 5y + 5z = 17 y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 5 the third equation produces
2z ⫽ 4 a new third equation.
−x + 3y = −4
z x ⫺ 2y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 9
Multiplying the third equation
y ⫹ 3z ⫽ 5 by 12 produces a new third
(1, −1, 2) z⫽2 equation.

This is the same system you solved in Example 6, and, as in that example, the solution is
y x ⫽ 1, y ⫽ ⫺1, z ⫽ 2.
x
Each of the three equations in Example 7 represents a plane in a three-dimensional
coordinate system. Because the unique solution of the system is the point
共x, y, z兲 ⫽ 共1, ⫺1, 2兲
Figure 1.2 the three planes intersect at this point, as shown in Figure 1.2.
Bettmann/Corbis
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“For, only in this way, Daly can quietly aid me to frighten a written
confession out of each of our other captives. And then the courts,
newspapers and the public must perforce remain out of the affair. I
have to go now and see Wyman and Endicott about the
arrangements for Vreeland’s funeral, as his widow refuses to see
any human being. That marriage was only part of some abortive
scheme, ruined by Garston’s death. I should say that you had seen
enough of Wall Street now.”
“Use full power, any money; let it be as you wish,” said Elaine,
leaving the room without a word to the two women. “I trust you of all
men!” she had whispered at parting. And yet Conyers only sighed
wearily.
Conyers, adroitly separating the two culprits, hastened to give his
directions to Roundsman Daly, who led away Martha Wilmot to begin
her preparations for a return voyage. He saw the cogency of
Conyers’ smothering policy. “Best end for a bad job all round,” said
the blunt policeman.
It was midnight when Daly and Conyers finished the details of the
plan, which they quickly carried out.
The new deal left only Justine Duprez, a moody, self-torturing
woman, lingering along under surveillance, until she grasped at her
safety by an implicit obedience. She was now humbled and eager for
departure. She well knew that Vreeland’s grave hid her only friend.
“Thank heaven, Daly!” said Conyers. “I have ‘squared’ all the
reporters, you have done the same for the police, and I think after
the two men are buried, that a week will find them both forgotten in
the swim! So runs the modern world away!”
“I am glad of the whole ending,” said honest Daly. “For as
Mrs. Willoughby has promised to give Mary a home of her own, and
she needs her services no more, I shall soon ask you to my
wedding, and, I also hope to hear of your own.”
“You just go ahead and get married, Dan,” laughed Conyers. “I have
waited a good many years, and I am in no hurry. I belong to the great
reading public, my hydra-headed master! There is no place for love
in the study. Cupid is a poor penman.”
It was a fortunate matter that Senator Alynton was busied for a week
with the imposing obsequies of James Garston, for, the private
funeral of Harold Vreeland was passed over with little remark by the
man who had been his enemy. Alynton had been quieted by the
return of the document, and now, no troublesome heirs of Garston
could ever unearth the secret compact.
Overspeculation and the pace that kills, told the whole story of
Vreeland’s downfall, and a new golden sign, “Wyman & Endicott,”
had replaced the last public evidence of Vreeland’s meteoric rise and
fall, even before the sod rested upon the forgotten suicide.
Two black-robed women met at the side of Senator James Garston’s
coffin in a sad silence.
The face of neither was visible, and when the last solemn words of
public farewell were spoken, neither dreamed that under the two
impenetrable crape veils were hidden the woman whom he had
loved most, and the woman who had once loved him, with all the
despair of a lost soul.
There is a mercy in the freezing silence of death which often hides
that which would only rend the more hearts already strained to the
snapping of the last chord.
Only those cheerful young club men, Messrs. Wiltshire, Rutherstone
and Merriman, noted the proud eminence of Mrs. Volney McMorris
as guide, companion and friend to the widowed ward of the dead
Senator. The duenna was a skeleton key of society, fitting easily into
every dead lock, and well oiled.
“The little woman will have a great fortune,” said Merriman. “I hear
that Garston has left a half of his wealth to her. It comes in very
handy now, for, poor Vreeland was struggling in the breakers.
“She will be a great catch in due time,” was the chorus, and, when
they separated, each gilded youth had separately registered a vow
to “make up” to Mrs. McMorris, and then to go in later for the golden
prize, when that black crape had softened to lilac, and afterward in
due time bleached out into cheerful white, with here and there a
touch of returning color. And they all knew Katharine Norreys’ good
points by a personal experience of the last fleeting twelve months.
Vae victis! The defeated suicide was borne away to an humble grave
by a few of the men who had shared his brief prosperity. The three
watchful club men, already secret rivals, were on hand, there to note,
with surprise, the absence of the widow, who was reported to be
“broken down by her guardian’s recent death” and “unable to
appear.” And so, in the last mournful parade the star performer was
absent. It was voted a dull affair.
No one ever knew in “society” of the secret visit made by Katharine
Vreeland, under Hugh Conyers’ escort, to take a last look at the
features of the man who had “failed along the whole line of life,” after
all. The defeated “young Napoleon!” The Lochinvar of the West! But
the peace which he had never known had settled upon Vreeland’s
pallid face.
Conyers had gravely given Mrs. Vreeland a few words of caution as
to the late “envied of all his set.”
“I thank you, sir,” calmly said the marble-faced woman. “I have
buried his past forever, and your protecting counsels are not in vain;
for, I unfortunately, knew him as he was. I shall leave New York
forever, for, penniless as I am, I will have now to earn my bitter daily
bread, but at least in some other place than here.”
Conyers gazed wonderingly at her. “Did you not know that Senator
Garston has left you half his fortune? You will be a rich woman. I
have seen a certified copy of the will.” And then the pale-faced
woman reeled at this last proof of a fidelity reaching beyond the
grave. Garston had been game to the core!
Conyers sprang to the side of the fainting woman, who murmured,
with trembling lips, “He loved me! He loved me, at the last!”
With an infinite pity in his heart, Conyers gazed at the broken-
hearted lonely widow. “Here is some strange new mystery,” he
mused. “Thank God that it is sacred from me.” And then he told her
of all the cautious actions of the Trust Company, which was now only
awaiting the arrival of Miss Romaine Garland for the proper legal
notifications. And so, the romance of a sweet sin remained sealed
from all hearts but the one throbbing in Katharine Vreeland’s guilty
bosom!
And thus in a week two young women who had never met before in
life listened, with grave lawyers at their sides, to the publication of
the formal news of an equal division of Garston’s great fortune
between a now widowed ward, of whose past history the world knew
nothing, and Miss Romaine Garland, at whose side Mrs. Elaine
Willoughby, Judge Endicott and Hugh Conyers sat as a loving
bodyguard. Even the “hardy reporter” was baffled by the guarded
solemnity of the Surrogate proceedings. Scandal slept on its arms
for once!
Katharine Norreys Vreeland saw that the beautiful stranger was
robed in deep mourning like herself, and she started back in surprise
as the lovely face was unveiled when Elaine Willoughby brought the
two heiresses together in a private room.
“It is only to you here that I will say,” solemnly remarked the Lady of
Lakemere, “that the settlement of the estate business will not require
you to meet again. The Trust Company will properly close up all the
details, and your personal lawyers can arrange all your affairs
separately with them.
“I know,” she slowly said, with a broken voice, “that Senator Garston
left no personal wishes, and that his trust for each of you was merely
private and a personal one. He had no near relatives to quarrel with
his final dispositions.”
“Can it be,” murmured Katharine Vreeland, “that another life secret is
buried in his pulseless heart?”
But she was soon left alone, for the mother and daughter, with a
grave inclination of their heads, had passed out of her life forever.
And, thrilled with a strange feeling of loyalty to the man who had
been loyal to her at the last—the man who had died true to the
unspoken secret which a kindly fate had so strangely guarded—
Katharine Vreeland never sought to cross the gulf of that new-made
grave.
That French Pandora Justine Duprez, had reached Paris, and the
reunited mother and daughter were linked in a rapturous love at
Lakemere, long before Romaine Garland listened to a few words
spoken to her by the old advocate, who had undertaken her affairs.
He had sought her out in a lonely nook of the new paradise.
Judge Endicott, with a prophetic instinct, saw the unrest which
possessed the young girl’s heart. He had a delicate duty to perform,
to which his chivalric love for Elaine Willoughby prompted him.
“I must, my dear young lady,” he began, eyeing her face keenly,
“deal with you directly and alone, in the matter of your inheritance
from the late Senator Garston.
“Your beloved mother needs an absolute repose of mind and nerves.
I wish to lay a friendly charge upon you.
“I will relieve you of all cares as to your affairs with the Trust
Company.
“Let it be your task to make your mother’s life as bright as possible.
She will learn to live a new life in your love.”
And then, the silver-haired Judge delicately led the dark-eyed girl
along to imagine the shadow of an old family tragedy as having
darkened her mother’s early lonely womanhood.
“There are reasons why you should spare all references to—”
“My father! my father!” cried the sobbing girl, burying her face in her
hands.
Endicott gazed at her in a pitying silence.
“The story of the estrangement of two partners and your mysterious
inheritance is one not fully known to me, but you can cherish the
memory of James Garston as one faithful to the trust of a stormy
past, whose echoes I beg you never to awaken.
“Should your beloved mother marry Senator Alynton, one of
America’s noblest men, you would find his counsels wise, his
honored name a shelter, and your securely invested fortune, of
course, now makes you independent of all possible financial
disaster.
“The same caution holds as to Mrs. Katharine Vreeland, who has
already left New York for a protracted sojourn abroad.
“There are sorrows which are sacred. It rests with you alone to bring
back the happiness which she craves to your mother’s sorely tried
heart.” The old gentleman paused, for the proud girl’s cheeks were
glowing.
“Shall we be allies?” he simply said. “I have served your mother, the
noblest woman whom I ever met, in loyalty for fifteen long years.”
The grateful girl smiled through her tears.
“There is my hand!” Romaine Garland cried. “I see that you would
have me understand why my mother does not openly explain to
society my different name and my clouded childhood. You require my
silence as to the past.”
“Precisely, my dear young lady,” said the gallant old lawyer, as he
fled happily away. “I have plausibly explained what I do not care to
know myself, Conyers!” remarked the Judge, next day, to the grave-
faced journalist. “But the whole thing will right itself when Senator
Alynton marries the mother. I presume after her return from their trip
abroad that Elaine Willoughby will find her final heart-rest in a good
man’s love.”
But when Endicott had finished his cogitations he was alone, for
Hugh Conyers had hastily excused himself on the plea of urgent
business.
Endicott honestly believed that Garston had only held back
Romaine’s property to prevent a marriage with Alynton.
Mr. James Potter, driving down the avenue a few days later, bowed
with deep respect to Mrs. Elaine Willoughby, who was passing, with
her lovely daughter seated by her side. He turned to his wife, whose
face was averted.
“I wonder,” said he, “if that plunger Vreeland really impaired her
fortune. He was a most reckless and insinuating scoundrel, and he
diligently hunted his punishment. He, however, saved the State the
trouble of keeping him in Sing Sing for a term of years, for it would
surely have come around to him.
“One-half the energy devoted to being an honest man that he
expended in his schemes would have made him a colossal success.”
But the Lady of the Red Rose at his side only sighed in a silent relief,
for with a shudder she recalled what a permanent guarantee of
safety for herself—for her past recklessness—lay in the immovable
seal of death affixed to Harold Vreeland’s pallid lips.
And in the crowded “Street,” as well as in the glittering booths of
Vanity Fair, the light-headed men and women hurrying on in pursuit
of the iridescent bubble Pleasure, or the Fool’s Gold, soon forgot that
a stealthy-eyed man of conquering mien had ever come from the
West to dazzle them for a moment. “Étoile qui file et disparait!”
In the dark waters of Lethe soon was ’whelmed the memory of the
man who had so miserably perished in the “swim.”
The fleecy mantle of winter snows covered the “eligibly located”
mound in Greenwood, where a marble cenotaph was soon to
proudly record the many virtues of James Garston, and the same
pallid mantle of charity hid the lonely mound in humbler Woodlawn
where Harold Vreeland slept the sleep that knows no waking.
He was already forgotten in the bustling Street, where the new firm
of “Wyman & Endicott” was a stately and established fact. “Le roi est
mort! Vive le roi.”
By some subtle freemasonry of the guild of Midas, the whole stock-
dealing coterie soon knew that Mrs. Elaine Willoughby had doffed
her crown as Queen of the Street.
The iron reserve of her former secret agents was never broken, and
none knew and few cared whither she had gone out of the
maddening whirl and, whether with full or empty coffers.
The social world knew, though, that the splendid apartment at the
“Circassia” was dismantled, and the various society journals
announced the impending departure of the Lady of Lakemere “for a
residence abroad of some years.” Garston’s death had proved a
bombshell, scattering several little coteries.
Only old Hiram Endicott gravely shook his head at the mysterious
movements of his social friends. The match-making prophecy
seemed clouded.
Senator Alynton was busied dealing sturdy blows in the Senate at
his party’s foes, and beyond a final conference arranging for the
closing out of all past relations of his fair client with the Sugar
Syndicate, Endicott followed neither the affairs of the giant
partnership in Gotham nor their secret allies in Washington.
He was busied with much legal detail in arranging Mrs. Willoughby’s
manifold affairs for a protracted absence. “I wish all to be in order,
Judge,” she said, “for I know not what may happen, and Romaine’s
future must be assured.” The bright-faced girl had simply stormed
her loving mother’s heart.
“There is only one way to assure it,” gravely answered the old
lawyer. “You must marry, for the child’s sake. This past life of yours
has been a lonely, a wasteful and a forced one.
“Now that you are out of stocks forever, now that you have found a
new happiness in that charming girl, it is for you alone to build a
barrier for her against the future fortune-hunter or scheming knave.
“There are more Hathorns and Vreelands in the world than those two
dead speculating lovers.”
“Whom would you have me marry?” asked Margaret Cranstoun,
gazing demurely at her chivalric friend—the man who even now
possessed but half her life secret.
Her woman’s heart was now beating wildly with a suggestion which
she dared not own.
“Why, Alynton, of course! One of America’s most brilliant men, a man
already of national reputation,” slowly rejoined the old lawyer.
He opened his eyes in a startled surprise as the beautiful woman
frankly said, with a merry laugh:
“I certainly can not consider his proposal—until he makes it!”
She fled away, however, to confer with Noel Endicott upon the final
closing accounts of the banking firm in which she was leaving a
handsome sum as “special partner.”
Both the Lady of Lakemere and the old Solon were now playing at
“hoodman blind.” And Hugh Conyers felt himself of little use now, for
the clouds had all vanished. He was no fair-weather friend.
Elaine’s heart was light when she saw how completely Endicott had
deceived himself. “Fate is still kind to me; no one knows, no one
shall ever know,” she murmured, locking up a fond woman’s secret
in her throbbing breast. It was not yet the appointed time of the final
surrender of her self-sovereignty.
There was merriment at Lakemere, where Sara Conyers watched
with a secret satisfaction the increasing intimacy of Noel Endicott
with the beautiful girl who had so strangely drifted into a loving
mother’s arms.
For Noel came daily now, “on business”—the road seemed to
shorten every day with use—and the guest chamber of Lakemere
which he most affected was his real headquarters. “There was so
much to arrange for the retirement of the queen.”
“I shall let Senator Alynton know privately of Elaine’s projected
absence,” wisely decided the sagacious Judge Endicott. “He should
have a fair field,” and to this end the old lawyer counseled with Hugh
Conyers, now busy and preoccupied.
“There is a strong, able, wise man,” said Endicott. “Just the man to
make her a good husband!” The Judge was astounded at Conyers’
complete indifference.
“I may go over to England soon on a long assignment,” shortly said
Hugh. “You might speak to my sister. These are, after all, things for
women’s advice. I am no squire of dames. I think of giving up active
journalism now.”
Endicott then reflected that Hugh Conyers’ face was rarely seen now
in the happy coterie at Lakemere. The delicate details of covering all
of the tragic past from Romaine Garland were all completed. “I
wonder what is the matter with him?” growled Endicott. “I looked for
his help to bring about this marriage.”
Hugh’s last work had been to close up the “Elmleaf” headquarters,
and to direct Bagley, now the head butler at Lakemere, in storing the
scattered effects of the unhappy suicide.
For Mrs. Katharine Norreys Vreeland had departed for Europe, and,
even the International Trust Company refused to disclose her
address or whereabouts.
Her private lawyer, Mr. Abel Hanford, of the company’s legal staff,
declined to accept the ownership of the mementoes of the dead
adventurer and guarded a grim and sullen silence.
“I am positively ordered not to disturb my client, who is in impaired
health, with any references to the late Mr. Vreeland or his affairs. Sell
the trash, and turn the money in to me. I will receipt for that!” It was
cold comfort.
And no further word would the cool young lawyer utter, even to
Horton Wyman, now anxious to legally close up all the affairs of the
defunct schemer.
“Turn the whole thing then over to the Public Administrator!” was the
counselor’s curt order. “My client will not return to America for many
years, if ever.”
In all these strange happenings Miss Sara Conyers was the only one
at Lakemere who was really unhappy at heart. She was the sole
confidante of Romaine Garland, who now poured out all her secret
conclusions upon the bosom of her faithful friend.
Romaine had seized upon Katharine Vreeland’s departure as being
the closing scene of the veiled mystery of her unknown father’s life.
But a lucky accident helped the plans of the wise old Judge. “I am to
bury the past and all reference to it. There must have been some
strange sorrow, and perhaps my co-heiress was in the past a part of
some hostile element.”
Completely deceived as to her birth, the young girl divided with Sara
Conyers a budding mystery of sweetness and light, which she dared
not as yet acknowledge upon her mother’s bosom. For the Queen of
the Street was a stately presence, and Romaine’s maidenly heart
was shy and gentle.
But Noel Endicott was daily becoming to her the joy-bringer and his
“business” at Lakemere was not unseen by his astute old uncle.
“That goes on well enough!” the old lawyer chuckled, “and it will be a
noble ending to the poor girl’s homeless childhood. But my lady
herself is a mystery.” He forgot to add, “as all other women are,”—
the same changeful mystery.
“She has locked up her heart and seems to be still determined to
walk the lonely path. If Alynton would only speak!” The old Judge
fretted and fumed among his parchments.
Loyal Sara Conyers alone, knew why her brother Hugh had
studiously avoided the happy circle at Lakemere.
For old Judge Endicott’s prophetic words as to Alynton’s wooing
rankled deep in the steadfast man’s lonely heart. He waited grimly
and afar off for the advent of the conquering swain, Senator Alynton.
“She needs me no more,” he bitterly decided. “It is all over. I have
the whole world to choose from for a future home, and as she seems
to have captured Sara for life, I am now free to go my way.”
And so, when the foreign station was offered him, Conyers quietly
accepted it, and then leisurely prepared for his departure.
In daily close communion with Hugh Conyers’ sister, the Lady of
Lakemere silently wondered at his continued absence and pondered
over the gravely worded letters of polite refusal which answered her
hospitable biddings.
There was that strange, sweet womanly pride in Elaine Willoughby’s
heart, the pride of a cherished secret, which held her speechless
when the words of inquiry trembled on her lips. And it seemed as if
the witching breath of the tender spring, hinting of summer roses,
had now bewitched the whole circle. The fern seed of invisibility
drifted down on all the hidden plans slowly revolving around
Lakemere. For the long winter had worn away, and the time of the
singing of birds had come again.
Elaine Willoughby, hugging her undiscovered secret with a lingering
pleasure, ardently sighed for the days when safe beyond the reach
of all untoward accident, she could build up around her recovered
daughter the paradise of a happy home beyond the seas. Of herself,
of her own future, she dared not to think, for the sweet spring was
stirring in her throbbing pulses.
“She will learn, she must learn, in my tenderest love, to forget that
unasked question of her brooding eyes—‘My father!’ It is better that
she never knows—best for us all.” This task of induced forgetfulness
was the mother’s single ambition now.
The arrangements for departure were rapidly progressing, and as
the time of roses came nearer, Elaine could not disguise her
increasing restlessness in noting Hugh Conyers’ absence.
The saddened eyes of his sister brought a sudden alarm to Elaine’s
heart.
For a pride as strong as her own had kept them tenderly apart.
The modest household of Roundsman Dan Daly had been enriched
with all the splendors removed from the Elmleaf, and Mary Daly daily
blessed the generous hand which had given to her the home in
which the very spirit of happiness seemed to have nestled.
And only there, in that modest home, of all the circle, was there
peace and rest, for both the mother and daughter at Lakemere, in
tender deceit, guarded the heart secrets which they dared not own.
The silent resentment of Sara Conyers against the self-banishment
of her brother was now growing into a doubt of Elaine Willoughby’s
womanly gratitude.
“Between her and Hugh I have no choice,” the angered womanly
champion of an absent brother decided. “Back to our old eyrie we go
together, or else, I will share Hugh’s foreign exile.” And she marveled
at her brother’s imperative injunction of silence as to his plans.
It was when Noel Endicott was feverishly closing up the last final
“business affairs” at Lakemere, supplemented with some
portentously long “personal conferences” with that young Diana,
Miss Romaine Garland, that Judge Endicott, a grave embassador,
came up to Lakemere with news of serious moment. He was secretly
Cupid’s embassador.
He was alone with the woman whose interests he had chivalrously
guarded for fifteen long years. With a sigh he returned again to the
question of the marriage—the strange dead-lock which had so
baffled him.
“You sail for Europe in a month. Have you nothing to say to me,
Elaine? There is but one final seal to the happiness of your future
life. Your marriage.”
“The Senator has an ardent advocate, my dear old friend!” Elaine
answered, with beaming eyes, “but he has not yet asked for me!”
“He will,” very decidedly answered Endicott. “I have a letter, in which
he asks me to arrange an interview, to formally ask your permission
to come here.
“I now understand the delicacy which has held him back till all your
momentous business matters have been settled and you have been
relieved from all the awkwardness of your confidential relations with
the two great bands of capitalists.
“He has respected your illness, your agitation over Garston’s
mysterious death, and has given you time to arrange all your legal
affairs and settle Romaine’s inheritance.
“Remember, he deems her to be only your ward.
“They speak now of Alynton for a leading Cabinet position. His term
in the Senate is expiring; or they will give him one of the four
Embassies.
“If he asks you to share his life, I would say nothing to him of the
unhappy past. Romaine is now of age. She is rich beyond need. I
myself never have questioned you.
“You have a right to hold back all that might shadow Romaine (God
bless her!) in her possible future marriage.”
Endicott’s voice was tremblingly affectionate, and yet the solicitude
was tinged with a solemn earnestness.
The old lawyer rose and kissed the fair woman’s hand. “My life-work
is nearly done. Noel, as your agent, can carry on the executive
affairs, and as you are off the ‘Street’ and out of stocks forever, you
will need no lawyer, only now and then a mere bit of office counsel,
and therefore I am turning over my practice soon to Headley, my
partner and legal disciple. He will be to you what I have been.
Alynton will call within two days.”
“You wish me to marry?” said Elaine, with softly shining eyes. “Wait,
wait! I may consider your advice and act favorably upon it.” The
happy old advocate departed, sure of his victory. It was all going on
well.
Hiram Endicott was haunted by the strange smile which lit up the
thoughtful face of the woman whose life as Margaret Cranstoun was
now closed forever from a curious world by the sealed barriers of a
dead past.
“She will surely accept him,” rejoicingly muttered the happy old
advocate. “Noel will then gain Romaine’s heart, and there will be a
royal circle gathered in coming years at Lakemere, around the once
lonely fireside.” But, Love that hath us in the net was weaving, ever
weaving, in silence.
And the cross purposes of the unwitting actors were seemingly as
unsolved as before. With a sudden craving for aid in her hour of
mental indecision, that night Elaine Willoughby wrote a last appeal to
the invisible Hugh Conyers:
“I must see you, Hugh, at once on a matter involving the happiness
of my whole future life. Come to me. I have no one but you to
depend upon in this vitally important juncture.”
As the Lady of Lakemere mentioned to her now all-potent
representative, Sara Conyers, the impending visit of Senator David
Alynton, she saw, with a womanly intuition, an indignant flash of
unspoken resentment in her friend’s eyes.
Suddenly forgetting her usually affectionate “Good-night,” the
startled hostess fled away to her own room, and not daring to look at
her own face in the mirror, seized the letter directed to the
recalcitrant Hugh and tore it into little fragments.
“I understand!” she whispered with self-accusing timidity, and now
strangely fearful of her own judgment, her heart leaping up in
defense of the absent man. “It would be too cruel! I dare not, and yet
how will he ever know?” Dan Cupid, from rosy clouds, smiled
roguishly upon her slumbers that night.
The brooding peace of Lakemere was left undisturbed by the lively
heiress and Miss Sara Conyers, who had managed to have “sudden
business” in the city during the formal visit of Senator Alynton.
And so there was no one to see the proud man go forth with a man’s
saddest burden in his heart. She loved another!
No one of the obsequious attendants saw a graver shade than
ordinary settle down upon the face of the statesman when he turned
his stately head at the park gates in a last adieu to the graceful
woman who stood with her earnest eyes following his departing
form.
“God bless her now and always!” the saddened suitor murmured,
even in his heart’s sorrow.
The noble simplicity of Alynton’s tender of his hand, the tribute laid at
her feet of a choice between the honors of the Cabinet and a foreign
place of splendid precedence—the manly words in which he told her
of his grave solicitude for her happiness, and the real reasons for his
past reticence, all had touched her heart with a womanly pride in this
man’s honest love.
“I could not tell him the whole truth, for the child’s sake; and, less
than the whole truth, would be an outrage to his faith and a blot upon
my womanhood.”
Judge Endicott now followed her with mute accusing eyes, for he
feared the ruin of his hopes.
It was a week before Romaine Garland’s head sought her friend’s
bosom.
“Sara,” she whispered, “do you know that we sail next week? Your
brother must come and say adieu, for it is more than she can bear. I
have a secret to tell you. I need your help. I need his friendship. Only
Hugh can help me with my mother, for this parting from Noel is
almost death to me. She must know the truth, but how?”
The elder woman raised the loving girl’s glowing face to her own and
fondly kissed her trembling lips:
“Ah! this is an easy task for you! I can guess your secret, darling,”
Sara sadly said. “But, I am going away to share Hugh’s lot.
“I do not sail to Europe with you. I have not yet told your dear
mother.
“For she will know it soon enough, and then over there, beyond the
sea, you will live in new scenes, with other friends to share your
happy hours. You will be soon called back—there, don’t deny it.
“And your mother—who would not love her?” The blushing girl was
seized with a sudden impulse, love’s chords were thrilling in her
heart.
It was on that very afternoon that Miss Romaine Garland drove
resolutely to the station and indited a telegram which brought Hugh
Conyers promptly to the door of Lakemere, as the setting sun was
dropping behind the western hills of the Highlands. He feared the
very worst; some sudden disaster.
The mystified face of his loving sister at once undeceived the man
whose heart had been so strangely stirred by Miss Mischief’s
imperative dispatch. For, the Silent Knight had “reported for duty.” It
was a lovingly set trap.
“Nothing has really happened?” he asked, with a fear of some
reserved news of unwelcome portent.
“Nothing, sir,” said Elaine Willoughby, quietly, as she suddenly
appeared before him, bringing a quick thrill to his heart, “but that you
are now under arrest as a deserter, and so will have to stand a
formal court-martial.”
It was a second strategic movement on the part of Romaine Garland,
that summons of her lark-like voice calling Sara Conyers to some
consultation of truly feminine gravity, in the distant seclusion of her
own rooms. “Miss Mischief” was en suprême.
And there, side by side, Elaine Willoughby and Conyers wandered
away over to the summer-house, where the first roses were
breathing out their promise of summer’s royal richness upon the
fresh crystalline air. Neither seemed willing to break the silence of
their hushed hearts.
“You sent for me, Elaine?” said the man, who hardly dared to trust
the sound of his own voice. It seemed to him so strange and hollow.
His hostess turned her splendid eyes toward him, and their hands
met in silence.
“I did not, Hugh,” she softly said. “But as I will be away for some
years, I thank God that you are here! For, I have a sacred duty to
perform.
“I know not what may happen.
“Sara has just told me that she will not go to Europe with me. All
seems so changed! Endicott is growing old. I have no other friend,
and I am solicitous about Romaine’s future. I did intend to ask you to
act for me in some very grave matters, but you have lately avoided
me—strangely, cruelly.”
The voice was broken now, and Hugh Conyers hastened to man his
last works.
He knew now how love had sealed her proud, womanly lips, for her
heart was beating with his own.
“How could I come to you? If Sara had only saved me this last
sorrow! When I heard from Endicott that you were to marry Alynton, I
at once accepted an engagement for five years to represent the
Clarion in Europe.
“I sail myself in a few weeks. I only waited for your departure to have
my sister select our little household gods.
“For I have sworn to be a slave of the lamp no more, and so my
spinning is done. I shall not return to America.”
“Do not leave me, Hugh!” murmured Elaine Willoughby. “I need your
friendship; I need you more than ever, now that—”
He was already striding away, for with a last convulsive grasp of her
hands, he had swiftly passed on over the velvety turf toward the still
opened gates.
His heart was in a mad revolt, there had been some meddling folly,
and his pulses were throbbing now in a wild unrest. The agony was
beyond his surface stoicism.
But, he stood as one transfixed when a voice sweet and low set his
blood leaping madly through his veins.
“Hugh, come back!” The words were simple, but he turned to where
the woman whom he madly loved stood awaiting him with half-
outstretched arms.
“Do you not see?” she murmured. “How can I tell you what you
should have known long ago?”
“You are not to marry Alynton?” cried her lover, a light of hope
stealing into his eyes. His heart was flooded with a warmth of daring
hopes.
“The man whom I am to marry has not yet asked me to be his wife,”
faintly said Elaine.
“It was only Judge Endicott’s foolish solicitude for my future.
“He may have told you what his own hopes or wishes were, but only
in the simple faith of a prophet before his time.”
“It has been a hell on earth these long months,” was Hugh’s
response; “and I dared not to hope—I did not know—”
“How weak and fond we women wait
Behind our silken armor—”
whispered the splendid woman whose hand he had covered with
burning kisses.
“I have loved you, have worshiped you, and have served you in
perfect faith and truth since first I saw your dear face,” was Hugh
Conyers’ confession of faith. She was gently paltering with her
rebellious heart. She would bring herself to the lines of a clearly
defined duty now.
“I must tell you to-night the story of a life. I must swear you to
secrecy, my Hugh,” faltered Margaret Cranstoun.
“For the child’s sake, you alone must know every throbbing of my
heart!”
He bowed his head in token of that fealty of the soul which she
longed for.
“You shall be the queen to the very end, my darling!” he said. “I will
lend you Sara,” he simply said. “Take Romaine and her, and I will
join you by Lake Malar.
“I will at first report at London, and then, they can name a man to
relieve me.
“It will be the best plan, for our quiet marriage over there, will arouse
no comment here.
“The gold fish in the swim will not pause to wonder, for their own
reflections on the shallow water of the pool of Fashion fill their
delighted eyes.”
And so, they walked back, hand in hand, their hearts throbbing
together in Love’s royal bondage.
A week later, Judge Endicott stood upon the deck of the Campania,
waiting to give his last greetings to the Lady of Lakemere, whose
wonderful cheerfulness now boded some new springing impulse of
her happy heart.