Rex was very happy. The dreams that filled the hours did not hinder his
actions; on the contrary, the latter seemed to be supplied at last with
the purpose they had lacked during forty years, the purpose to honour
the love that was in him, and to please Hilda, the outcome of that
love. All that he did seemed to acquire directness and perfection of
detail, all that he said was dignified by a tender thought for this
child of an adored vision, until those who lived with him were amazed
at his wisdom and kindness, and wondered whether the world had ever
held his like before.
The busy months went by and the summer was at hand. Much had been done
to Sigmundskron, but there was work for years to come, before it should
be what Greif dreamed of. But one day in June the work ceased suddenly,
and all was hushed and still. The servants trod noiselessly and spoke
in whispers, and Rex found himself left to his own devices with no
companion but the dear idol of his fancy. The whole household life
seemed suspended.
It was the silence of a great happiness. On that fair June morning
Hilda had borne her husband an heir to Sigmundskron.
CHAPTER XXV
Berbel, transformed into the housekeeper of Sigmundskron, was busy with
the preparations for the christening. A year of uninterrupted
prosperity had made her a trifle more sleek than before, and though
she still affected a Spartan simplicity of dress, her frock was made
of better materials than formerly, and her cap was adorned with black
ribbands of real silk.
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