" And he forthwith explained the state of affairs.
Mr. Carr laughed.
"She will not keep them away long. She is no fool, that countess-dowager.
It is a ruse, no doubt, to induce you to give them up to her."
"Give them up to her, indeed!" Val was beginning, when Hedges advanced to
him.
"Mrs. Ball says the children have only gone to Madame Tussaud's, my
lord," quoth he. "The nurse told her so when she went out."
"I wish she was herself one of Madame Tussaud's figure-heads!" cried Val.
"Mr. Carr dines here, Hedges. Nonsense, Carr; you can't refuse. Never
mind your coat; Anne won't mind. I want you to make acquaintance with
her."
"How did you contrive to win over Dr. Ashton?" asked Thomas Carr, as he
went in.
"I put the matter before him in its true light," answered Val, "asking
him whether, if Anne forgave me, he would condemn us to live out our
lives apart from each other: or whether he would not act the part of a
good Christian, and give her to me, that I might strive to atone for the
past."
"And he did so?"
"After a great deal of trouble. There's no time to give you details. I
had a powerful advocate in Anne's heart. She had never forgotten me, for
all my misconduct."
"You have been a lucky man at last, taking one thing with another."
"You may well say so," was the answer, in tones of deep feeling.
"Moments come over me when I fear I am about to awake and find the
present a dream.
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