The Foot of Time: A Novel of Australia and the South Seas: (1933)

CHAPTER XXIX.
THE END IS BUT THE BEGINNING
AN invitation reached Edith at Orange to run
down to Manly and put in three weeks with her
old Aunt. The least surprised person at the length
of the proposed stay was Edith herself. This is not
to be wondered at, in view of the letter having been
carefully dictated to Florence beforehand by both
the lovers in unison standing, hands locked, behind
her chair.
It was one thing to marry clandestinely, but
quite another to cause any real anxiety to her
parents concerning their daughter's whereabouts,
and at the time of the letter's dictation, two tickets
for passage to Hobart by the s.s. Zealandia reposed
in young Bruce's voluminous pocket case; the first
covered that for himself and wife, and the other
for his car.
And then, the plan of campaign being set, Bruce
took car for the coast. He was accompanied by
Edith, whom he had picked up outside Orange
railway station, where her taxi had put her down.
And upon the following morning, at the fine new
church in The Corso, boasting its splendid
organ, Bruce took Edith for better or for
THE FOOT OF TIME
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worse. Only Florence looked on, but her benign
benevolence of expression made amends for that.
It was after they had been touring the island
State for two and a half weeks, and were about
due to leave for home again, that Bruce asked his
young wife:
"Darling, do you regret having taken the step
and marrying me against your people's permission?"
"Why, no, goose," Edith assured him. "You
know I don't. Of course, I am awfully sad you
couldn't get Daddy's sanction, but as you couldn't,
well
"And if you had your choice over again you
would do the same?"
Edith kissed him by way of answer to that.
Then, with feigned wistfulness, she enquired: "But
why do you ask, husband? You know, don't you?"
"I wanted to put you to the trial," Bruce told
her, "before I told you. We have not married
against your old man's permission at all; I obtained
it."
"Bruce! Why, you clever old darling! However
did you do it?"
And then for the first time he told her—told
her all about his father's return and everything
connected with it. And the country lane being
empty of anything but themselves, Bruce had, perforce,
to draw in to the side of the road lest his
wife's reception of the news spelled mishap to
their car.
"Father wishes me to take him and Mother to
see your people directly we return," he told her.