Chapter 73
when win a romance of the why by main read volume three chapter twenty six the calm after the storm twelve months after the events recorded in this romance of the why a boat tourist descending the picturesque river and inquiring about a pagoda like structure he will see on its western side would be told it is a summer-house standing in the ornamental grounds of a gentleman's residence if he asks who the gentleman is the answer would be captain vivian ryecroft for the ex-officer of hussars is now the master of llangorren and what he himself values higher the husband of gwendoline wynne once more its mistress were the tourist an acquaintance of either and on his way to make call at the court bringing in by the little dock he would there see a row-boat on its stern-board in gold lettering the gwendoline for the pretty pleasure craft has been restored to its ancient moorings still however remaining the property of joseph prees who no longer lives in the cast-off cottage of coracle dick but like the boat itself is again back and in service at llangorren
if the day be fine this venerable and versatile individual will be loitering beside it or seated on one of its thwarts pipe in mouth indulging in the dolce and little besides has he to do since his pursuits are no longer buried but now exclusively confined to the calling of watermen to the court he and his craft are under charter for the remainder of his life should he wish it so as he surely will the friendly visitor keeping on up to the house if at the hour of luncheon will in all likelihood there meet a party of old acquaintances ours if not his besides the beautiful hostess at the table's head he will see a lady of the antique brocady type who herself once presided there by name miss dorothea linton another known as miss eleanor lees and a fourth youngest of the quartette
eclipt kate mahon for the schoolgirl of the boulogne convent has escaped from its austere studies and is now most part of her time resident with the friend she helped to escape from its cloisters men there will also be at the llangorren luncheon-table likely three of them in addition to the host himself one will be major mahan a second the rev william musgrave and the third mr george yes george shenstone under the roof and seated at the table of gwendoline wynne now the wife of vivian to explain a circumstance seemingly so singular it is necessary to call in the aid of a saying culled from that language richest of all others in moral and metaphysical imagery the spanish it has a proverb unclaco sacca otroclaco one nail drives out the other and watching the countenance of the baronet's sun so long sad and clouded seeing how at intervals it brightens up
these intervals when his eyes meet those of kate mahon it were easy predicting that in his case the adage will ere long have additional verification were the same tourists to descend the wye at a date posterior and again make a call at llangorren he would find that some changes had taken place in the interval of his absence at the boat dock old joe would likely be but not as before in sole charge of the pleasure craft only pottering about as a pensioner retired on full pay the acting and active officer being a younger man by name wingate who is now waterman to the court between these two however there is no spite about the displacement no bickerings nor heart-burnings how could there since the younger addresses the older as uncle himself in return being styled nevy no need to say that this relationship has been brought about by the bright eyes of amy preece nor is it so new
in the lodge where jack and joe live together is a brace of chubby chicks one of them a boy the possible embryo of a white waterman who dandled upon old joe's knees takes delight in weeding his frosted whiskers while calling him good granddaddy as jack's mother who is also a member of this happy family forewarned him the vilest grief must in time give way and nature's laws assert their supremacy so has he found it and though still holding mary morgan in sacred honest remembrance he as many a true man before and others as true to come has yielded to the inevitable proceeding on to the court the friendly visitor will at certain times there meet the same people he met before but the majority of them having new names or titles an added number in two interesting olive branches there also with complexion struggling between blonde and brunette who call captain and mrs ryecroft their papa and mamma
while the lady who was once eleanor lees the companion is now mrs musgrave life companion not to the curate of llangorren church but its rector the living having become vacant and in bestowal of llangorren's heiress has been worthily bestowed on the reverend william two other old faces with all young ones the returned tourist will see at llangorren their owners on visit as himself he might not know either of them by the names they now bear sir george and lady shenstone for when he last saw them the gentleman was simply mr shenstone and the lady miss the old baronet is dead and the young one succeeding to the title has also taken upon himself another title that of husband proving the spanish apothegme true both in the spirit and to the letter if there be any nail capable of driving out another it is that sent home by the glance of an irish girl's eye
at least so thinks sir george renston with good reason for thinking it there are two other individuals who come and go at the court the only ones holding out and likely to hold against change of any kind for major mahon is still major ruling on in his rich irish brogue as ever abhorrent of matrimony no danger of his becoming a benedict and as little of miss linton being transformed into a sagewoman it would be strange if she should with the love novels she continues to devour and the court intelligence she gulps down keeping alive the hallucination that she is still a belle at bath and cheltenham so ends our romance of the way a drama of happy denouement to most of the actors in it and as hoped satisfactory to all who have been spectators the end end of chapter twenty six read by lars rolander and thereby also end of the book when win a romance of the why by main read thank you so much for listening
