Author: Marah Ellis Ryan
Category: Western
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CHAPTER XVIII.
What embraces, ejaculations and caresses, when Evilena, accompanied byPluto and the delighted Raquel, arrived at the Terrace next morning!Judithe, who saw from the veranda the rapturous meeting of mother anddaughter, sighed, a quick, impatient catching of the breath, andturned to enter the library through the open French windows.Reconsidering her intention, she halted, and waited at the head of thebroad steps where Kenneth's sister saw her for the first time and cameto her with a pleased, half shy greeting, and where Kenneth's motherslipped one arm around each as they entered the house, and between thetwo she felt welcomed into the very heart of the McVeigh familyfeminine.
"Oh, and mama!"--thus exclaimed Evilena as she was comfortablyensconced in the same chair with that lady--"there is so much news totell you I don't know where to begin. But Gertrude sends love--pleasedon't go, Madame Caron--I am only going to talk about the neighbors.And they are all coming over very soon, and the best of all is,Gertrude has at last coaxed Uncle Matthew (a roguish grimace at thetitle) to give up Loringwood entirely and come to the Pines. And Dr.Delaven--he's delightful, mama, when he isn't teasing folks--hestrongly advises them to make the change soon; and, oh, won't you askthem all over for a few weeks until the Pines is ready? And did youhear about two of their field hands running off? Well, they did. Scipand Aleck; isn't it too bad? and Mr. Loring doesn't know it yet, noone dares tell him; and Masterson's Cynthia had a boy run off, too,and went to the Yankees, they suppose. And old Nelse he got scaredsick at a ghost last night while they were 'possum hunting. And, oh,mama, have you heard from Ken?--not a word has come here, and he nevereven saw Gertrude over there. He must be powerful busy if he could notstop long enough to hunt friends up and say 'howdy.'"
"Lena, Lena, child!" and the mother sank back in her chair, laughing."Have they enforced some silent system of existence on you since Ihave been down at Mobile? I declare, you fairly make my head swim withyour torrent of news and questions. Judithe, does not this young ladyfulfill the foreign idea of the American girl--a combination of theexclamation and interrogation point?"
Evilena stopped further criticism by kisses.
"I will be good as goodness rather than have Madame Caron make up hermind I am silly the very first day," she promised, "but, oh, mama, it_is_ so good to have you to talk to, and so delightful of Madame tocome with you"--this with a swift, admiring side glance at theirvisitor--"and, altogether, I'm just in love with the world today."
Later she informed them that Judge Clarkson would probably drive overthat evening, as he was going to Columbia or Savannah--she hadforgotten which--and had to go home first. He would have come with herbut for a business talk he wanted to have, if Mr. Loring was able,this morning.
"Gertrude coaxed him to stop over and settle something about sellingLoringwood. She's just grieving over the wreck and ruin there, and Mr.Loring never will be able to manage it again. They've been offered alot of money for it by some Orleans people, and Gertrude wants itsettled. Aunt Sajane is going to stay until they all come to thePines."
"If Judge Clarkson should be going to Savannah you could send yourmaid in his charge, since she is determined to leave us," suggestedMrs. McVeigh.
"She would, no doubt, be delighted to go under such escort," saidJudithe, "but her arrangements are made to start early in the morning;it is not likely your friend would be leaving so soon. Then,mademoiselle has said she is not sure but that it is to some otherplace he goes."
"Columbia?--yes; and more than likely it _is_ Columbia," assented Mrs.McVeigh. "He is there a great deal during these troublous times."
A slight sigh accompanied the words, and Judithe noticed, as she haddone often before, the lack of complaint or bewailings of thedisasters so appalling to the South, for even the victories were sodearly bought. There was an intense eagerness for news from the front,and when it was read, the tears were silent ones. The women smiledbravely and were sure of victory in the end. Their faith in their menwas adorable.
Evilena undertook to show the Marquise around the Terrace, eagerlyanxious to become better acquainted with the stranger whose beauty hadwon her quite as quickly as it had won her brother. Looking at her,and listening to the soft tones with the delicious accent of France,she wondered if Ken had ever really dared to fall in love with thisstar from a foreign sky, or if Dr. Delaven had only been teasing her.Of course one could not help the loving; but brave as she believed Kento be, she wondered if he had ever dared even whisper of it toJudithe, Marquise de Caron; for she refused to think of her as simplyMadame Caron even though she did have to say it. The courtesy shown toher own democratic country by the disclaiming of titles wasaltogether thrown away on Evilena, and she comforted herself bywhispering softly the given name _Zhu-dette--Zhudette_, delighted tofind that the French could make of the stately name a musical one aswell.
Raquel came breathlessly to them on the lawn with the information that"Mistress McVeigh ast them to please come in de house right off casethat maid lady, Miss Weesa, she done slip on stairs an' hurt her footpowerful."
"Thanks, yes; I will come at once," said Miss Weesa's mistress in soclear and even a tone that Evilena, who was startled at the news, wasoppressed by a sudden fear that all the warmth in the nature of herfascinating Marquise was centered in the luminous golden brown eyes.
As Judithe followed the servant into the house there came a swiftremembrance of those lamentable presentiments. Was there, after all,something in the blood akin to the prescience through which birds andwild things scent the coming storms?--some atavism outgrown by thepeople of intellectual advancement, but yet a power to the children ofthe near sun?
Miss Louisa's foot certainly was hurt; it had been twisted by a fallon the stairs, and the ankle refused to bear the weight; the attemptto step on it caused her such agony that she had called for help, andthe entire household had responded.
It was Pluto who reached her first, lifting her in his arms andcarrying her to a bed. She had almost fainted from pain or fright, andwhen she opened her eyes again it was to meet those of her mistress inone wild appeal. Pluto had not moved after placing her on the bed,though the other darkies had retired into the hall, and Judithe'sfirst impression of the scene was the huge black eyes fairlydevouring the girl's face with his curious gaze. He stepped back asMrs. McVeigh entered with camphor and bandages, but he saw thatpleading, frightened glance.
"Never mind, Louise, it will all be well," said her mistress,soothingly; "this has happened before," she added, turning to Mrs.McVeigh. "It needs stout bandages and perfect rest; in a week it willbe forgotten."
"A week!"--moaned the girl with pale lips, "but tomorrow--I _must_ gotomorrow!"
"Patience, patience! You shall so soon as you are able, Louise, andthe less you fret the sooner that may be."
Judithe herself knelt by the bed and removed tenderly the coquettishshoe of soft kid, and, to the horror of the assembled maids at thedoor, deliberately cut off the silk stocking, over which their wonderhad been aroused when the short skirts of Louise had made visiblethose superfine articles. The pieces of stocking, needless to say,were captured as souvenirs and for many a day shown to the scoffers ofneighboring plantations, who doubted the wild tales of luxury ascribedto the foreign magnate whose servants were even dressed like sureenough ladies.
"We must bandage it to keep down the swelling," said Judithe, workingdeftly as she spoke; "it happened once in New Orleans--this, andthough painful, is not really serious, but she is so eager to commencethe refurnishing of the yacht that she laments even a day's delay."
Louise did not speak again--only showed by a look her comprehension ofthe statement, and bore patiently the binding of the ankle.
It was three days before she could move about the room with help of acane, and during those days of feverish anxiety her mistress had anopportunity to observe the very pointed and musical interest Plutoshowed in the invalid whose language he could not speak. He wasseldom out of hearing or her call and was plainly disturbed when wordcam
e from Loringwood that the folks would all be over in a few days.He even ventured to ask Evilena if Mr. Loring's eyesight hadn't failedsome since his long sickness, and was well satisfied, apparently, byan affirmative reply. He even went so far as to give Louise a slightwarning, which she repeated to her mistress one day after the Judgeand Delaven had called, and Louise had promptly gone to bed and tosleep, professing herself too well now for a doctor's attention.
"Pluto is either trying to lay a trap for me to see if I do knowEnglish, or else he is better informed than we guess--which it is, Icannot say, Marquise," she confided, nervously. "When he heard hismistress say I was to start Thursday, he watched his chance andwhispered: 'Go Wednesday--don't wait till visitors come, goWednesday.'"
"Visitors?--then he means the Lorings, they are to be here Thursday,"and Judithe closed the book she had been reading, and lookedthoughtfully out of the window. Louise was moving about the room withthe aid of a cane, glancing at her mistress now and then and waitingto hear her opinion.
"I believe I would take his advice, Louise," she said at last. "I havenot noticed the man much beyond the fact that he has been wonderfullyattentive to your wants. What do you think of him--or of hismotives?"
"I believe they are good," said the girl, promptly. "He is dissatisfied; Ican see that--one of the insurrection sort who are always restless. He'sentirely bound up in the issue of the war, as regards his own people. Hesuspects me and because he suspects me tries to warn me--to be myfriend. When I am gone you may need some one here, and of all I see heis the one to be most trusted, though, perhaps, Dr. Delaven--"
"Is out of the question," and Judithe's decision was emphatic. "Thesepeople are his friends."
"They are yours, too, Marquise," said the girl, smiling a little; butno smile answered her, a slight shade of annoyance--a tiny frown--bentthe dark brows.
"Yes, I remember that sometimes, but I possess an antidote," shereplied, lightly. "You know--or perhaps you do not know--that it iscounted a virtue in a Gypsy to deceive a Georgio--well, I am fancyingmyself a Gypsy. In the Mohammedan it is a virtue to deceive theChristian, and I am a Mohammedan for the moment. In the Christian itwas counted for centuries a mark of special grace if he despoil theJew, until generations of oppression showed the wanderer the real Godheld sacred by his foes--money, my child, which he proceeded to garnerthat he might purchase the privileges of other races. So, with myJewish name as a foundation, I have created an imaginary Jewishancestor whose wrongs I take up against the people of a Christianland; I add all this debt to the debt Africa owes this enlightenednation, and I shall help to pay it."
The eyes of Louise widened at this fantastical reason. She was oftenpuzzled to determine whether the Marquise was entirely serious, oronly amusing herself with wild fancies when she touched on pondrousquestions with gay mockery.
Just now she laughed as she read dismay in the maid's face.
"Oh, it is quite true, Louise, it _is_ a Christian land--and more, itis the most Christian portion of a Christian land, because the Southis entirely orthodox; only in the North will you find a majority ofskeptics, atheists, and agnostics. Though they may be scarcelyconscious of it themselves, it is because of their independentheterodox tendencies that they are marching today by thousands to waragainst a slavery not their own--the most righteous motive for a warin the world's history; but it cannot be denied that they are makingwar against an eminently Christian institution." And she smiled acrossat Louise, whose philosophy did not extend to the intricacies of suchquestions.
"I don't understand even half the reasons back of the war," sheconfessed, "but the thing I do understand is that the black man islikely to have a chance for freedom if the North wins, and that's theone question to me. Miss Evilena said yesterday it was all a turmoilgot up by Yankee politicians who will fill their pockets by it."
"Oh, that was after Judge Clarkson's call; she only quoted him inthat, and he is right in a way," she added; "there is a great deal ofpolitical jugglery there without a vestige of patriotism in it, butthey do not in the least represent the great heart of the people ofthe North; _they_ are essentially humanitarians. So you see I weighall this, with my head, not my heart," she added, quizzically, "andhaving done so--having chosen my part--I can't turn back in the faceof the enemy, even when met by smiles, though I confess they are hardweapons to face. It is a battle where the end to be gained justifiesthe methods used."
"_Ma belle_, Marquise," murmured the girl, in the untranslatablecaress of voice and eyes. "Sometimes I grow afraid, and you scatterthe fear by your own fearlessness. Sometimes I grow weak, and youstrengthen me with reasons, reasons, reasons!"
"That is because the heart is not allowed to hamper the head."
"Oh, you tease me. You speak to me like a guardian angel of my people;your voice is like a trumpet, it stirs echoes in my heart, and thenext minute you laugh as though it were all a play, and I were a childto be amused."
"'And each man in his time plays many parts,'" quoted Judithe,thoughtfully, then with a mocking glance she added: "But not so manyas women do."
"There--that is what I mean. One moment you are all seriousness andthe next--"
"But, my child, it is criminal to be serious all the time; it killsthe real life and leads to melancholia. You would grow morbid throughyour fears if I did not laugh at them sometimes, and it wouldnever--never do for me to approve them."
She touched the girl's hand softly with her own and looked at her witha certain affectionate chiding.
"You are going away from me, Louise, and you must not go in dread ordespondency. It may not be for long, perhaps, but even if it shouldbe, you must remember that I love you--I trust you. I pity you for thechildhood and youth whose fate was no choice of yours. Never forget mytrust in you; when we are apart it may comfort you to remember it."
The girl looked at her with wide black eyes, into which the tearscrept.
"Marquise," she whispered, "you talk as if you might be sending meaway for always. Oh, Marquise--"
Judithe raised her hand warningly.
"Be a soldier, child," she said, softly, "each time we separate foreven a day--you and I--we do not know that we will ever meet again.These are war times, you know."
"I know--but I never dreaded a separation so much; I wish you were notto remain. Perhaps that Pluto's words made me more nervous--it is sohard to tell how much he guesses, and those people--the Lorings--"
"I think I shall be able to manage the Lorings," said her mistress,with a reassuring smile, "even the redoubtable Matthew--the tyrannicalterror of the county; so cheer up, Louise. Even the longest partingneed only be a lifetime, and I should find you at the end of it."
"And find me still your slave," said the girl, looking at heraffectionately. "That's a sort of comfort to think, Marquise; I'm gladyou said it. I'll think of it until me meet again."
She repeated it Wednesday morning when she entered the boat for thefirst stage of her journey to Savannah, and the Marquise nodded hercomprehension, murmured kindly words of adieu, and watched the littlevessel until a bend in the river hid it from view, when she walkedslowly back to the house. Since her arrival in America this was thefirst time she had been separated from the devoted girl for more thana day, and she realized the great loss it would be to her, though sheknew it to be an absolutely necessary one.
As for Louise, she watched to the last the slight elevation of theTerrace grounds rising like an island of green from the level lands bythe river. When it finally disappeared--barred out by the nearer greenof drooping branches, she wept silently, and with a heavy heart wentdownward to Pocotaligo, oppressed by the seemingly groundless fearthat some unknown evil threatened herself or the Marquise--the dreadlest they never meet again.