The captain stood perfectly still for nearly a minute without speaking; then he said slowly, "And the man--who is the man?"
"My cousin, Brian. I suppose I ought to have known from the very first that she must love him, and not me. You see, he's such a different sort of fellow----"
"Thank God for that!" murmured the captain, under his breath.
"And now all we have to think about is how to tell my aunt. You see, it's rather a foolish business: we've brought her down here under false pretences, as it were, and there'll be such a lot to explain, won't there? And I want, for a little time at least, to forget all about it, just as though it hadn't happened. Shall we go in and tell her?"
"Yes, I suppose we must," said the captain. "You know her better than I do; but I think she will understand, and will not trouble you with many questions."
They passed together into the cottage. Miss Charlotte Carlaw must have heard the sound of the voices outside, and must have recognised that something was wrong. She sat quite still, with her hands resting on her stick, but her face wore a curiously anxious expression. Comethup crossed to the window and stood there, at some distance from her, wondering how he should begin. She waited for some moments, and then turned piteously toward the captain, and from him to her nephew.
"Will no one speak? What has happened? Comethup, my dear boy----"
"There's been a mistake," said Comethup, speaking in slow, steady tones. "I suppose we all make mistakes some time or other in life, and I've read somewhere that a man makes them most of all when he's in love. So you see, aunt, _I've_ made a mistake; have dreamed a poor, foolish dream; have pictured to myself something that didn't exist. The lady I--I thought I was in love with was all the time secretly in love with some one else, and to-day they've gone away to be married. Please don't speak to me; please let me explain. And I want you, first of all, to remember that it is not her fault, and never has been; the blunder has been mine, in cheating myself into the belief that she cared for me. It really isn't her fault, and I"--he gave a queer little laugh--"I'm quite happy, and I say, with all my heart, 'God bless her and her husband!'"