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diff --git a/26410.txt b/26410.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..69e9f7a --- /dev/null +++ b/26410.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4132 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Peak's Island, by Ford Paul + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Peak's Island + A Romance of Buccaneer Days + +Author: Ford Paul + +Release Date: August 23, 2008 [EBook #26410] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PEAK'S ISLAND *** + + + + +Produced by Robert Cicconetti, V. L. Simpson and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + PEAK'S ISLAND + + + A ROMANCE + OF + BUCCANEER DAYS + + + BY + FORD PAUL + + PORTLAND, MAINE + PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR + 1892 + + + PRESS OF BROWN THURSTON CO., PORTLAND + + + DEDICATED TO + Cora Caroline Clifford + AS A SMALL TRIBUTE OF GREAT LOVE + BY THE AUTHOR + + + FORD PAUL + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + Roll on thou deep and dark blue ocean roll; + . . . . . . Upon the watery plain. + The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain + A shadow of man's ravage, save his own, + When for a moment like a drop of rain, + He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, + Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown. + + +SEPTEMBER 27, 1607. + +Dead bodies everywhere. The ocean, lashed to fury by the gale of +yesterday, came booming and hissing upon the beach in great breakers +white with foam; each billow as it dashed upon the jagged and broken +rocks bore in its terrible embrace still more human victims, or some +portion of the two unlucky ships that were fast breaking up. One wedged +in between two rocks with just sufficient play to allow of its heaving +from side to side, with every wave that struck it. The other and much +larger vessel, the Queen Elizabeth, a fine British ship, which had +sailed from England freighted with a cargo of general merchandise for +the colony of Virginia, went crashing up against the cruel stone teeth +of the cliff which overhung and projected into the angry sea; dismasted, +her bulwarks and rigging torn away she floated out into deeper water +only to be driven back again upon the rocks, by the violence of the wind +and the rapidly incoming tide. + +Another crash and another, the forecastle carried away, the decks +opening, bales, chests, cordage, stores of all sorts tossed high up on +the shore, more dead bodies--chiefly of men, for they had some time +before given up to the few women and children the now capsized and +shattered boats. All along the shore, as far as eye could see, the beach +was composed of a heterogeneous mass of enormous fragments of rock +thrown together and piled up on each other, leaving here and there in +their midst a separate pool of sea water; in some of these pools was a +dead body or two, but by far the greater number were lying in every +imaginable, distorted position among the huge, irregular blocks of +stone. Many, who had been washed in sufficiently far to escape drowning, +were killed by the force with which they were dashed on shore: there, +with broken bones and gnashed and blood-stained bodies, they slept in +death, like men who had fallen in some great battle. It was noon, but +not a ray of sunlight glinted across the ghastly scene. Every sound was +lost in the terrific roar of the great, heaving hills of water, which +rolled in continuously; huge masses of wet gray cloud hung over all, +obscuring or transforming every visible object. Far up among the shingle +lay one human form which still bore signs of life. It was that of a +young lady, attired in deep mourning, a stream of blood trickled down +the pale face, and from time to time one hand moved convulsively toward +a deep cut in her head as if to assuage the pain; presently in +half-consciousness she whispered "Do not tell my mother I am hurt, it +would grieve her. She has had too much sorrow already." + +The beloved mother, and all others who had made life precious to the +speaker, had three years previously been tenderly laid to rest in their +quiet graves thousands of miles away; but at this moment the mind had +only half awakened. A few minutes later her brain was clear and active, +and the truth flashed upon her in all its force. The recollection of her +bereavement and the fact of her being utterly alone in life, were the +first thoughts that came and the thoughts which dominated. And so it is +that all who are called upon to endure a great sorrow, acutely realize +that sorrow again and again with each return of the mind to the +consciousness of human existence, whether it be after the delerium of +fever, the stunning from an accident, or the awaking each morning to +daily life. With the awaking to our senses assuredly comes the old +heartache; nay, before we awake it is there, and before we are conscious +of aught else we are conscious of the grief which weighs heaviest on our +soul. Thus it was with Anna Vyvyan: the awaking to life brought with it +the pain in all its intensity, although she lay there on the cold +stones, her clothing drenched through and through, bareheaded, her hair +matted together with the sea water, bruised and cut and faint from +exhaustion, still the present physical suffering seemed by comparison +nothing to her. Everything was buried in the sorrow of the past, the +sorrow that she had lived through, but had not left behind. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + The stately homes of England + How beautiful they stand, + Amidst their tall ancestral trees, + O'er all the pleasant land! + The deer across their greensward bound + Through shade and sunny gleam, + And the swan glides past them with the sound + Of some rejoicing stream. + + The merry homes of England-- + Around their hearths by night, + What gladsome looks of household love + Meet in the ruddy light! + There women's voice flows forth in song + Or childhood's tale is told + Or lips move tunefully along + Some glorious page of old. + + The blessed homes of England, + How softly on their bowers, + Is laid the holy quietness + That breathes from Sabbath hours + Solemn, yet sweet, the church bell's chime + Floats through their woods at morn, + All other sounds at that still time + Of breeze and leaf are born. + + +Miss Vivyan was the daughter of an officer of high rank in the navy of +Queen Elizabeth, who lost his life in the royal service while his little +girl Anna was still very young. His valor had gained for him many medals +and yet more substantial honors in the form of valuable grants of land +from Her Majesty. This property, added to the family inheritance of +Anna's mother, who was a lady of old and noble race, left both the widow +and her child in very affluent circumstances. The young widow, handsome +and possessed of brilliant talents, attracted many suitors for her hand; +but her heart lay far down beneath the sea with her dead husband, and +she resolved to devote her love and her life to the care of her child. +She accordingly retired to an old manor house on the borders of Wales, +which had descended to her through many generations. The great stone +halls and corridors, the long, low rooms and the little diamond-shaped +window panes, admitting so small an amount of light, might have given to +some minds a feeling of gloom; but both mother and daughter had their +occupations, the one in giving, the other in receiving, an education, +beside the care of all the sick and poor peasants of the neighborhood. +Indeed they were so happy in their affection for each other and found so +much to do, that they had neither the time nor the inclination to +cultivate morbid or gloomy thoughts, which would, they felt, make their +companionship an infliction on every one whom they approached, and unfit +them for the duties of their position. So life went on calmly and +happily with them. + +A faithful steward attended to the estates and a good old housekeeper +managed the servants, always keeping order, discipline and peace in the +establishment. Twice a year they were allowed to have a dance in the +servants' hall, one at Christmas and the other on Anna's birthday, on +which occasions they invited the sons and daughters of the neighboring +farmers, and the tradespeople who supplied the manor house. The village +shoemaker, the tailor, and the blacksmith were the musicians, and to the +strains of two violins and a clarionet, they merrily danced through the +livelong night, such good old figures as Sir Roger de Coverly, Speed the +Plough, and the Cushion dance, till the rising sun streamed in at the +windows and warned them that it was time to blow out the candles, take +off their holiday garb, and assume their daily work. As for the mistress +of the mansion, she found her pleasures in the duties of her position +and the rich companionship of a well stocked library. She had no +neighbors of her own rank within several miles distance, no one to visit +or to be visited by, with the exception of the old bachelor clergyman of +the parish, whose formal calls took place at stated intervals, unless +some sudden case of want among the poor caused him to ask her aid, for +he knew very well that her heart and hand went forth on every occasion +of distress. Hers it was to soothe and cheer and comfort and help, and +many a thorny path was made smooth and many a heavy burden lifted by her +brave and generous spirit and the pleasant, cheerful way she had of +doing such things. In the presence of others she made a duty of +cultivating cheerfulness of manner. Not that she ever for a moment +forgot the recollection of her love and her loss; but she considered her +sorrows too sacred for a subject of conversation on one hand, and on the +other, that her grief was her own, and that she had no right to intrude +it upon others, or to weigh down and sadden their lives by what was sent +for her to bear. Hence her presence was always welcome to the peasants, +who regarded her with reverence and affection, as she passed, +accompanied by her little daughter, from cottage to cottage leaving some +dainty for the sick, or an article of clothing for the needy. + +Years went by and Anna had left babyhood far behind her and was now a +girl of fifteen. Her mother at this period, decided that it was time to +call in the aid of masters to assist in her daughter's education. +Accordingly, such were summoned from a distant town. There was a master +for the minuette and the gavotte, a master for the harpsichord, a master +for the French and Italian languages, and so on. The days and hours were +all laid out systematically, giving an abundance of time for physical +training and out-door life, but with the exception of the masters for +music and dancing (more especially the former) none of these instructors +made much impression upon the girl's mind. Her heart and soul were given +to music. While she was in the house her time was spent between the old +church organ that stood in the hall, and the harpsichord which adorned +the long, oak-panelled drawing-room. When out of doors she was forever +listening to the music of nature, the wind through the trees, the dash +of the water-fall, the rippling of the brook, all had their charm and +fascination, for nature never played out of tune. She would try to make +out what key these sounds were in, whether they varied at different +seasons, or if change in the weather made them alter, + + Music was her passion, her love, her life. + +Just at that time, two new inmates were added to the manor house family. +Young Cecil Vyvyan, a cousin of Anna's, who was of the same age as +herself, and his tutor, Dr. Strickland, a grave, middle-aged Scotch +doctor of philosophy. The boy's parents were in India, which caused the +widow to suggest to them that he should, for a few years, make his home +with her, in order that she might watch over his health, which was +exceedingly delicate. + +It was in the twilight of a day late in the autumn that Anna waited in +the large old-fashioned library to make the first acquaintance of her +cousin. In the broad stone fireplace, logs of beech and chestnut were +piled up on the hearth, across brass dogs, where they blazed, and +glowed, and lighted up the comfortable looking room, with its dark, +massive, carved oak furniture, its painted glass windows, its rich but +faded velvet draperies, interspersed here and there with a piece of old +tapestry, the needlework of the ladies of former generations. A few +family portraits, and well-filled bookcases of vellum-bound octavos, +quartos and folios. As the butler threw open the door of the room and +announced Master Cecil Vyvyan, Anna went forward to greet the latter, +and almost gave a start of surprise at seeing the real cousin differ so +much from the ideal one which she had pictured to herself; for she +expected to find Cecil of the same type as the English boys that she had +always seen. She thought he would be large of his age, with a fresh rosy +complexion, bright eyes, an open countenance, crowned with masses of +rich, curling locks. Strong and healthy, overflowing with buoyant +spirits, agile and ready for active service either of work or play. +Instead of which there stood before her one of small stature and thin, +diminutive figure, with a pale, weary-looking face and tired eyes, which +apparently did not observe any of the objects by which he was +surrounded, but concentrated their gaze upon the young girl only, with +whom he stood face to face, carefully regarding her with that scrutiny +which we are all wont to use when we first make the acquaintance of a +new relative. + +Anna gave him her hand and welcomed him with a few kind words. As the +boy and girl stood there, no two cousins could have appeared more +externally unlike, and yet never were two more alike in their highest +tastes and deepest feelings. But an ordinary looker-on would only see +the boy so small, and quiet, and weary, and the girl so tall, and +active, and healthy, abounding in lively spirits, in the full enjoyment +of her young life, with the mother she adored, thinking nothing could be +more beautiful than her picturesque old home and its surroundings of +hill and valley, and woodland, and broad green meadows, and turning over +in her mind how she would show Cecil all the favorite haunts. The lily +pond in the park, the finest view of the Welsh mountains, and the right +place for a good gallop--then the ponies, and the dogs, and the fish +pools. + +"You must be tired from so long a journey, Cousin Cecil," said she, "let +me bring this armchair; it is the most restful one in the whole house. +It has a pedigree, too, the same as you and I have. It belonged to our +great-grandfather, Sir Vyell Vyvyan, and was made more than a hundred +years ago from one of the oaks which grew in the north grove in the +park," so saying she laid one hand on the back of a huge, cumbersome +piece of furniture, and rolled it across the room up in front of the +glowing logs. + +It was now Cecil's turn to be amazed, how could she move that great, +clumsy thing, he pondered to himself, I could not. With a gentle thank +you, and bowing gracefully to her, he sank into their great-grandfather's +chair, and was almost lost sight of among the ample velvet cushions. + +Anna who had seated herself on one side of the fireplace, was watching +the pale face, and the weary eyes that were looking dreamily at the +fantastic shapes which from time to time the glowing embers assumed. +Presently a slight, convulsive shudder passed through the boy's frame +and a quiet little sigh escaped him. + +He is sad, thought Anna, perhaps he is thinking of his home in Calcutta, +poor fellow, I must do something to amuse him. At the same instant, what +she considered a very happy thought suggested itself. + +"I am so glad you came, Cousin Cecil," said she "they say you will soon +get well and strong here. I have a little terrier that catches rats, you +shall take him out in the morning, if you like, and the gardener's boy +will show you where you can kill plenty." + +"I don't kill rats," he replied, still keeping his eyes fixed upon the +burning logs and striving to follow the outlines of a fairy island with +palms and tropical plants and ferns as tall as forest trees, which, in +his imagination, he saw there. + +"Do you go with your terrier to kill rats?" he inquired, with the +slightest tone of sarcasm in his voice. + +"Oh, no," replied the girl, "but I thought you would like to. Most boys +are amused by it, they call it sport, and you know the rats must be +killed or we should have them running behind the wainscot of all the +rooms in the house, and the gamekeeper would not be able to rear the +young pheasants, and we should have no chickens nor pigeons, nor +anything of the kind." + +"Why, Cousin Anna," said the boy, "have you a Scotch governess, and does +she make you give a reason for every thing, and give you her reason in +return? That's what Dr. Strickland does with me. It tires me dreadfully, +and I don't see what use it is, for I always know things without +reasoning about them; they come to me of themselves." + +Anna, in her eagerness to show kindness to the guest of the house, and +to divert what seemed to her his sad thoughts, did not stop to make any +reply, but rose and hastily crossed over to one of the bookcases, +bringing back in her arms a large folio, full of colored illustrations +of field sports. + +"Now, Cousin Cecil," said she, drawing up a chair close by the side of +his, and laying the folio open upon her lap, "this will please you I am +sure; this is not about rats, but thorough-bred horses and dogs, +stag-hounds and fox-hounds. Did you ever hear that our grandfather kept +a pack of fox-hounds here, that is a hundred dogs you know. I will take +you to the kennels and the huntman's lodge some day soon." + +Cecil did not know that a hundred dogs made a pack, for he had passed +all his life in India, until a few months previous to his coming to the +manor house. + +"Look at this picture of coursing, here is another of hawking, and now +see these otter hounds." + +"The landscape is beautiful," said the boy. "I like the soft gray light +on those distant hills in the background, but I do not care about +pictures of horses and dogs; please take them away. I like to see the +animals moving in the fields, but I think all this kind of sport is very +cruel." + +This was said in an extremely gentle way, and at the same time with an +inflection of the voice which made a deep impression upon his listener. +I wonder what I can do to amuse him, thought Anna; I don't suppose he +would care to look at my last piece of embroidery, or hear how many +sonatas I can play; I am afraid he is sorry he came here, perhaps he was +thinking of the Himalaya mountains, when he said he liked those hills +in the picture. Most boys like out-door amusements, she again thought to +herself, and acting upon the idea of the moment. + +"Cecil," said she, "we have two capital ponies, we will go out in the +forenoon to-morrow if you like, for we are to have a holiday from our +studies all day, in honor of your coming here." + +Again a gentle "thank you" from Cecil, his tired eyes still seeking air +castles among the red and gray embers of the fire. After some minutes +silence, he turned to look at the tall old clock in the corner, which, +in addition to the hours and minutes depicted upon its face, was adorned +with supposed likenesses of the sun and moon and other heavenly bodies, +beside the terrestrial globe which represented Jerusalem as being +situated in the very center of the earth's surface. + +The same old clock, which had stood in the same corner of the library +long enough to mark the hours of the births and marriages, the meetings +and partings, and death, of several generations of the Vyvyans, now +chimed in slow, subdued tones, through which ran the echo of a wail, +like the voice of a human being, who has seen much and suffered much. + +"Dr. Strickland will expect me to return to him now, Cousin Anna, so I +must say 'good evening'." + +"Before you go, Cecil, tell me at what time you will be ready to ride +with me to-morrow?" + +"I must ask my tutor," he replied. + +"Very well, you can let me know at breakfast time. I suppose you can +find your way to your part of the house, follow straight along the +corridor till you come to the south wing at the end. Your study and all +the other rooms for you and Dr. Strickland are there. Good night." + +The next day the ponies were brought round to the hall door immediately +after luncheon, and the boy and girl were mounted. Cecil, whose chief +mode of locomotion had hitherto been in a palanquin, did not by any +means enjoy his present situation; but as he made no remark, his cousin +supposed he was as pleased and jubilant at having an opportunity of +seeing the beautiful surroundings of the place as she was showing them. +They rode through the park, down the long avenue of oaks and beeches, +and out by the keeper's lodge to the lake, and then away over the hill +among the scattered cottages of the peasants, who touched their hats or +curtsied as the cousins rode by. Anna always returning their salutations +with some pleasant word or nod, or an inquiry after their welfare. At +last they turned their ponies homeward. The boy all the while silent; +the girl chattering and explaining and repeating anecdotes which had +been told to her, and laughing merrily at the ludicrous passages in +them. As they were again entering the park, the boy's riding whip +slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground. Looking at his cousin +with a grave expression of face, he said, + +"I have dropped my whip, what shall I do?" + +"Dismount and pick it up," replied Anna. + +"But I cannot," he replied, "I am afraid I could not mount again without +the groom to help me." + +"Very well, then I will get it," so down she sprang, passed up the whip +to Cecil, and bounding into her saddle again was off at a canter before +the boy could say a word. + +"Come along, Cecil," she cried, looking back, "come along, this is the +finest stretch of ground in the country for a race." + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + No--that hallowed form is ne'er forgot + Which first love traced; + Still it lingering haunts the greenest spot + On memory's waste. + 'Twas odor fled + As soon as shed: + 'Twas morning's winged dream; + 'Twas a light that ne'er can shine again + On life's dull stream: + Oh! 'twas light that ne'er can shine again + On life's dull stream. + + +Dr. Strickland and his pupil had been fairly ensconced, and for some +time past settled in the pretty, sunny rooms in the south wing of the +manor house. All the windows of the lower suite opened to the ground, +and overlooked and led into a Dutch flower garden, which, in accordance +with its name, was laid out in formal walks with high box borders on +each side, and stiffly-shaped flower beds of poppies, and tulips, and +marigolds, and clusters of monkshood, and the tall white lilies of +France, edged round with thyme and sweet basil. In the soft green turf, +were planted evergreen trees, which were cut and clipped into fantastic +shapes of peacocks, and pyramids, and cubes, and swans, and other +devices. Here and there were clumps of holly and yew, from the midst of +which some fawn or dryad, some Hebe or Flora, in Italian marble, had +long kept watch. Then there were the old cedars of Lebanon, with seats +encircling their great trunks, the ends of their long branches lying on +the grass, offering beneath them, rest and shade at any hour of the day. +The western side of the garden terminated in what was known as Lady +Dorothy's walk. A straight, long, gravel walk, bordered on either side +by a few feet of soft turf, and an avenue of yew trees two centuries +old. The small closely-growing foliage of these trees was so dense that +it formed a perpetual green wall, effectually shutting out all the +world, with the exception of the sun at noonday, and the stars and moon +at night. At the head of the walk was a sundial, and at the further end +a fountain. Not a great, noisy, conspicuous construction, suggestive of +the rush and turmoil of life, drowning in its splash all the sweet +sounds of bird and bee, and the marvelous music of nature, but a pure, +gentle, dainty little fountain, the sound of whose crystal drops, so +full of soothing and tenderness, fell upon the ear like the voice of the +one we love. Near the fountain was a rustic seat from which one might +look across the park with its forest trees, its green undulations, and +its lake, and still further away westward to the purple Welsh mountains. +In every way this was a beautiful garden, a place to dream of, and live, +and love, and die in. + +Springtime had come, and Cecil and his tutor were sitting in their +study, looking out at the linnets flitting about the garden, and at the +primroses and blue violets which grew in front of the windows. The +lessons of the day were over, and the Doctor was pursuing his favorite +amusement, namely, drawing mathematical deductions, and coming to +logical conclusions upon all matters. Although he was a ripe scholar, he +would frequently forget himself, and break out in his strong Scotch +accent; but that signified nothing, as Cecil perfectly understood his +speech, and the family all liked him, for they knew he was a good man +and greatly interested in the well-doing of his pupil. + +"Ye had a lang walk wi' your cousin this morning," said the Doctor. "I +hope ye understand her better than ye did." + +"I am not sure that I do," answered Cecil. "I don't see why she moves so +quickly and is always well; I don't like people who are always well, +they cannot feel for others." + +"Ye should no say that, Cecil, when ye look at your aunt; she's no +invalid, but she gi'es up her life for the sak' o' others. Did ye ken +that these verra rooms are the anes she likes most, the anes she lived +in till we came, and she gave them up that ye might enjoy the best she +had to offer?" + +"O yes, I know that," said Cecil. "My aunt is very kind, but I was not +thinking of her when I spoke, I was thinking of Cousin Anna; she runs so +fast and when she is not singing, she is laughing, and I don't believe +she has any nerves, for the other day my pony got a stone in his shoe, +and she was off hers in a moment, seized my pony's fetlock and snatching +up something in the road, knocked out the stone and mounted in less time +than I have taken to tell you. Now none of the young ladies in India +would take a pony's fetlock in their hand, so I think Cousin Anna cannot +possess nerves." + +"In one respect ye are right," said the Doctor, "Such a young leddie as +ony o' those we used to see in India, would ride on and leave ye, and +when she got home, she would tell one of the servants to tell some one +of the other servants to see aboot it, and when they had passed the +order through half a dozen, in the course of a few hours perhaps one of +them would be with you, and, in the meantime, she would be lying on the +sofa, with Shastri standing by, fanning her out of her nervous shock." + +"But think of the first day I rode with my cousin, she surprised me so +when she picked up my whip, I thought then she had no nerves." + +"Admitting such a statement to be true," replied the Doctor, "which we +are by nae means sure of, for the truth has no been logically proved, I +say, admitting that it be true, is it no' a gude thing for ye that your +cousin has nae nerrves, if ye are to gang aboot drapping things that ye +dar' na pick up again. In the sense that ye appear to desire your cousin +to hae nerrves, I dinna ken mysel' what use they wad be to a young +leddie wi' a speerit such as she has. I wad no' wish to see a lassie o' +her years hae nerrves; na, na, she wad no hae ony use for them; +Providence kens what is guide for us a', and will send her the nerrves +when she is fit to manage them." + +"Still I don't see," said Cecil, "why she is not frightened sometimes. +Perhaps she may be, but if so she will never say so; I don't think a +girl ought to be so fearless." + +"Perhaps ye dinna ken that young leddies o' her rank in England are all +educated in that way. The English hae this proverb amang them. 'A +well-born woman is ever brave.' Your cousin inherits her courage a long +way back, she is no mongrel born; I wish ye to see for yourself, Cecil, +that it is a gude thing to be brave. There are mony ways o' showing it +beside being a soldier or a sailor." And then the Doctor dropped his +Scotch accent and spoke slowly, "We ought to be brave enough to do our +duty to others," said he. "And now I will give you six reasons for being +brave for the sake of those we love. Firstly, brave that we may inspire +them, with courage when their hearts are weary. Secondly, brave that we +may be patient and gentle when their nerves demand rest. Thirdly brave +that we may be kind and diligent and loving when they are sick. +Fourthly, brave that we may not be morbid and gloomy and thus depress +them. Fifthly, brave that we may be faithful and true in all things. +Sixthly, brave that we may endure without murmuring to the end." + +Long after the Doctor had left the room, Cecil was still there, leaning +his head against the side of the window and thinking over this +conversation. He possessed a generous disposition, and could not bear +the idea of having misjudged his cousin. But he was of a sensitive +temperament and not having a robust constitution, the girl's gaiety of +spirit and great vital energy fatigued him. The cousins continued their +amusements and their studies steadily together for the next two years, +and although Cecil still called Anna as wild as a hawk, yet he never got +into any serious difficulty, but he applied to her to help him out of +it, whether it was in solving a problem or otherwise; carrying out Dr. +Strickland's teaching he appeared to feel that his strength lay with her +and she in her turn was rejoiced to help him. + +There are natures which seem made to help others, they find their +greatest happiness in it; and so it was with Anna, the more he needed +her help the more she delighted in giving it. Cecil's health was greatly +improved by the climate of England, and with stronger health came +stronger nerves. He now no longer thought his cousin without them, but +he thought she knew how to control them; in fact, they had grown to love +each other with that certain kind of cousinly affection which one often +sees, and which is very true and lifelong, but has not the rapture, the +intensity, nor the anguish, which belong to really falling in love. + +It was a day in sweet summer time, all roses and beauty, when the young +people met as usual in Lady Dorothy's walk; it was their favorite place, +and here they would ramble up and down, and sit by the fountain, and +talk, and paint, and read for hours together; and the next day it was +the same thing, and the next, and the next, for they never grew tired of +the place, or of each other. They were now pacing the long walk, and +although they were past the age of eighteen, they still continued their +studies, but were permitted to select them. + +"What a pleasant thing it is, Cecil, to follow out one's own life and +study what we wish," said Anna. "I am so glad to be free, no more +construing sentences, no more conjugating verbs, no more solving +problems; I always hated all of that dry stuff." + +"What are you going to do, then," inquired Cecil. + +"Firstly, I shall spend more time with my mother, more time in the study +of my music, and read all the poetry I wish to, and ride on horseback, +and dance, and, of course, help my mother more in taking care of the +peasantry." + +"Now, Cecil, what shall you do?" + +"Firstly, I think I shall paint, and rove about among this beautiful +scenery," he replied. "I shall paint until I feel sure that I shall take +the first prize in the grand exhibition; I will not exhibit one stroke +of my brush until then." + +"Well done, Cecil," said Anna, "that is the spirit I like." + +For she knew as she looked at him, that he possessed a wealth which no +money can buy, a soul full of poetry, a mind full of genius, the +elements of true greatness in any art, and the only wealth that she +valued. + +And Cecil went on with his painting, and progressed, and brought more +depth of tone and beauty into his pictures with every fresh attempt, +till the canvas seemed to live under his hand, and his poetic soul and +gentle nature spoke through his art. When any difficulty presented +itself, he would always seek Anna and have her near him, not that she +was an artist, but from some cause he could paint his best when she was +by; indeed they were together the greater part of the time, for if they +began the day in their different parts of the house, by some chance they +either found each other in the library, or Lady Dorothy's walk, long +before noon. They drifted to the same place, they scarcely knew how, but +they began to know that the presence of each one to the other, was +equally essential to their happiness. Cecil was a poet, not a writer of +rhymes or jingles, but as we have said a true poet in his soul. Anna +felt this in all her intercourse with him and heard it in the tones of +his voice when he spoke, a voice that had a ring in it, a resonance, and +that exquisite power of modulation which says more than the words +themselves. And so time went swiftly and sweetly by with their walks and +rides, and occupations, until they were twenty years old. Anna happy in +the possession of Cecil's love, with life as she wished it, pure, joyous +life, with music and beauty everywhere. A song ever on her lips, the +happiest, merriest maiden in all "Merrie England." + +Cecil in his gentle way, deriving extreme pleasure from the study and +exercise of his art, and Anna's companionship. For the cousinly +affection of two years ago, had in both of them merged into deep intense +love, which ended only with their lives. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + And those were sudden partings such as press + The life from out young hearts. + + * * * * * + + O who wad wear a silken gown + Wi' a poor broken heart, + And what 's to me a siller crown + If from my love I part. + + * * * * * + + Alone, alone, all, all alone, + Alone on a wide, wide sea! + And never a saint took pity on + My soul in agony. + + +It was springtime again, and the snowdrops were nodding their dainty, +little white heads, and the linnets were again building their nests in +the sweet old garden, when Anna's mother summoned her from Cecil's side +in Lady Dorothy's walk, to the oak-paneled drawing-room. + +"My daughter," she began, "I regret that I must interrupt your present +happiness, but circumstances compel me to separate you and Cecil for the +present. It is time that you were presented at court, and it is time +that you passed a season in London. We have hitherto lead so secluded a +life that your name is not known beyond the limits of our county, and I +feel I am not doing my duty by you." + +"But we are all very happy, mother," said Anna. "Why need we be more +known?" + +"Yes, my daughter, we are happy now but changes must come to all +sometime. I may be called away from you." + +"O my dearest mother do not say that, I cannot, I dare not think of what +life would be without you; you know I will do anything you wish, or give +up everything else in life, but I cannot give you up; it would break my +heart, I should die," cried Anna. + +"Broken hearts don't die, my daughter, would to God that they did; few, +very few die of broken hearts, but many live with them. I have carefully +considered what is my duty toward you, and my reason and affection +coincide; now listen, in case I am called away by death, there is Cecil +to whose care and protection I could resign you, for I knew you loved +each other long before you knew it yourselves; I am happy that it is so, +but if Cecil were taken away also, there would be no very near relatives +to care for you, for the nearest members of your father's family are in +India, and mine in the colony of Virginia, and as you will inherit the +landed estates of your late grandfather as well as mine, it would be +better that you should make trustworthy friends before I leave you, I +see this pains you, dear daughter, I shall say no more on this subject. +In three days we shall set out for London as the season has already +begun, and we shall require some time to get our court dresses made." + +The last evening at the manor house was passed by Anna and Cecil under +the light of the stars, in Lady Dorothy's walk. The next morning saw +the large, old yellow family coach at the door, drawn by four strong, +heavy horses, a coachman and groom on the box, a maid and a butler in +the rumble, and the widow and her daughter inside. Cecil who was +standing by one of the coach windows looking very pale and thoughtful, +tried to put on a smile as he said, + +"We are to look for you both back again in the early autumn, you said, +aunt." + +"Yes, Cecil, as soon as the first brown leaves fall." + +The young people looked good by to each other, but said not a word, and +the heavy old coach moved away. In three days more the travelers were in +London, and in due course Anna was presented at court by her mother, who +had herself been presented on the occasion of her marriage. Then came +calls and cards and invitations to balls and routs and state dinners, +and the poor tired mother went through all these ceremonies as a duty +toward her daughter, and the daughter endured it because she loved her +mother, and desired to obey her wish. It was necessary that a young +heiress of her rank should be dressed in accordance with the fashion of +the day, but the young heiress longed to be released from the thraldom +of fashion, the fatiguing, heavy brocade dresses, the hoops, the stiff +ruff and the stomacher, the farthingale and high heeled shoes, and a +thousand times more than all, did she desire to be released from the +artificial and to her unsatisfactory life, from the flattery, the +coquetry, the idle, envious tattle, and to be back again with Cecil, in +her simple, healthy attire, and to live among honest hearts. + +The autumn came, and the dry brown leaves began to fall from the trees. +Day after day, Cecil opened the harpsichord, and laid a bouquet of the +rich deep-hued flowers of the season upon it, and then he took his place +by the fountain, and watched the winding road through the park, so that +he might get the first sight of the coach when it returned. The autumn +leaves continued to fall, and Cecil kept his daily vigil until they were +lying deep on the ground, and the branches overhead were bare. Then came +a letter saying that Cecil's aunt was ordered by her doctor to pass the +winter in Italy, in the hope of curing a cough, which had of late +settled upon her, so that it would be spring before the ladies could +return to the manor house, hence they traveled to Italy and spent the +winter among its masterpieces of genius, both in music and art. The soft +air seemed all that was wanted to restore Anna's mother to health. Every +day, they found something beautiful that they desired Cecil to see, but +it was too late now to send for him, for spring was near. With the +spring, came back the cough, and again the medical order was change of +climate. This time, a sojourn of some months in Norway was prescribed +for Mrs. Vyvyan, bracing air, and much out-door life in the pine woods. +After many weeks of slow journeying, the ladies with two of their +servants reached Norway, and took up their abode in an old chateau, in +the midst of a pine forest so-called, but a forest really composed of +many varieties of fir and spruce, as well as pine. The combined aroma of +these woods made the air fragrant for many acres around the chateau, and +for a time, it appeared to have the most beneficial effect upon the +invalid. But one quiet eve, when the summer days had waned, and the +faded leaves of another autumn fell, a pang of anguish shot through +Anna's heart. The dearly loved mother was called away. + + * * * * * + +A short time only had elapsed since that event, and the servants were +packing, and making preparations for the return to the manor house, when +a mounted courier arrived at the chateau, with a large package of papers +addressed in Dr. Strickland's handwriting. Very long, and full of +feeling, and minute in every detail, was the letter the good man had +written, if letter so long a dispatch might be called. He told of +Cecil's conversations, of his watchings from beside the fountain; how +every day he picked flowers, and put them on the harpsichord, saying +this is the place she loves best; and how he faded and wasted day by +day, yet struggled so bravely against the hand of death, that he might +finish his last and best picture for Anna; and how on the last day of +his life, he had laid his flowers on the harpsichord as usual, and then +desired to be carried to the library and lifted into their +great-grandfather's chair to die,--the chair that Anna had placed for +him the first time they met. + +When Anna had finished reading the final words of Dr. Strickland's +letter, she rose and moved quietly into the recess of one of the large, +heavily mullioned windows, and looked down a long vista into the forest, +to the tall dark pines under which was her mother's grave. Every vestige +of color had left both cheek and lip, and she stood in the great somber +room, as cold and white and as still as the statues which adorned its +walls. The extremes of grief and joy have no speech; she had none. No +cry of lamentation went forth; no tears of relief fell from her eyes; +she knew her life was ended, but she also knew that she could not die. +Three words only escaped her lips. "O God, alone." + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + Has hope like the bird in the story, + That flitted from tree to tree + With the talisman's glittering glory + Has hope been that bird to thee? + + On branch after branch alighting, + The gem did she still display, + And when nearest and most inviting, + Then waft the fair gem away? + + +Among the papers of the late mistress of the manor house, were found two +letters which from their dates showed that they had been written during +her stay in Italy. One was addressed to Sir Thomas Richardson, Lord +Chief Justice of England, the other to her daughter. She appeared to +have had a foreshadowing of her death, and directed Anna, in case of +such an event, to have Sir Thomas' letter delivered to him immediately, +and to abide by whatever decision he might come to. Anna had never seen +Sir Thomas, but she knew that he was in some way related to her on her +mother's side of the family, and that he was an old gentleman, who lived +among his books, in an old-fashioned country house in one of the midland +counties of England, with no one but his servants about him. And when +the decision came, which informed Miss Vyvyan that she too was to live +there, as his ward, she was thankful, for the tie of kindred was strong +in her nature, and she thought to herself, there is still a link, that +connects with the memory of my loved mother. Besides he is old and +alone, perhaps I may be able to do something to make his life less +lonely. But what could she do, she asked herself, for to her all seemed +vague and undefined. + +Arriving at the quiet old home of Sir Thomas, with its smooth green lawn +and flat meadows around and in front of the house, she was shown into +the presence of a tall, stately, white-haired, old gentleman to whom +nature had indeed been gracious, for he was extremely handsome, and of +courtly manners. He greeted her kindly but with much dignity, and +addressed her throughout the conversation as Miss Vyvyan. A shudder +swept through her frame each time she heard herself so called, by the +only one left who had the right to address her by her own familiar name +of Anna, which she had hoped he would do. But although desiring to be in +every way kind to his ward, his ideas of dignity and courtesy were +fixed, and to him she was always Miss Vyvyan. Thus without a thought of +causing her pain, he ever brought before her the deepest sense of her +bereavement and her isolation. Life in Sir Thomas' home was very +different from life at the manor house, both in doors and out. The old +gentleman passed most of his time in his library, and Anna rarely saw +him until evening, when he would sometimes instruct her in playing +chess. When she went outside of the house, all seemed strange and dull +and dreary, plain grass lawns all around, not a flower bed to be seen, +no long garden walk, no fountain, no hills to ramble over, no purple +mountains in the distance, but a flat level country on all sides. And +when she came in doors again, no loved mother, no Cecil to greet her. + +Nearly three years had gone by since Anna's arrival as Sir Thomas' ward. +It was evening, and they had just finished their game of chess, when he +for the first time addressed her as my dear young lady, and after a +short pause proceeded. + +"This is not a fit place for you; I am too old to be the companion of +youth; I am doing you injustice in allowing you to remain with me, and +have decided that you shall have a more suitable home." + +"I do not wish to leave you, Sir Thomas," replied Anna, "besides I have +nowhere to go. I cannot live at the manor house all alone." + +"Certainly you cannot," he answered. "I have arranged everything for you +to the best of my power. You do not really come into property until you +are twenty-five years of age. Your landed estates and other moneys are +secured to you in such a way that you need not feel the least +apprehension about your affairs, everything has been attended to. The +manor house will be in the charge of a steward for the present. You will +probably wish to live there again some day. As I have just said, I am +too old; I may not, I cannot have long to remain here. There is a cousin +of your mother living in the colony of Virginia, Fairfax by name. He has +a wife and family, two nephews, whom he has adopted, twins, I think, +also Fairfaxes. They stand in the degree of a third generation from +myself. I mean to say these twins are about the same age my grandson +would be now, had he been spared to my declining years. Therefore, they +must be a few years older than you are, and more adapted for being +companionable to you, than I am. I have been in correspondence with your +Cousin Fairfax, during many months, in regard to your making your home +with them in Virginia, until you are older, and have ceased so much to +need protection, or until you have settled in a home of your own. The +arrangement appears to be very agreeable to them, and I trust you will +be happy in their society. I cannot part with you without saying that +your presence in my house has given me much pleasure--the only one now +left to me, that of recollection. Although you are very quiet, for one +who has only reached your years, yet the sound of your footstep about +the house called sweet though sad memories of my only daughter, and I +thank you for them. If I thought only of myself, I should keep you here +till the end, but there are times when it is more noble to resign than +to fulfill the dearest wishes of our heart." + + * * * * * + +It was in the summer of 1607 that Miss Vyvyan, attended by her waiting +woman, sailed from England, for the colony of Virginia, in the ship +Queen Elizabeth, from which she had just been wrecked, when we took up +the narrative of her early life. To that period of time we will now +return. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks, + Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight. + Stand like Druids of old, with voices sad and prophetic. + Stand like harpers hoar with beards that rest on their bosoms. + Loud from its rocky caverns the deep-voiced neighboring ocean, + Speaks and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest. + + * * * * * + + And thou too who so 'ere thou art + That readest this brief psalm + As one by one thy hopes depart + Be resolute and calm. + + Oh fear not in a world like this, + And thou shalt know ere long, + Know how sublime a thing it is + To suffer and be strong. + + +As the shipwrecked young lady lay on the cold, rough beach, amid the +dead bodies, with the hoarse roar of the ocean sounding in her ears, and +the heavy, wet clouds of mist clinging about her, indifferent to life or +death, the recollection of the ship being pursued by buccaneers and +driven far out of her course came back to her mind, and then being +caught in a hurricane and seeing another vessel battling with the +tempest, and both ships furiously hurried on toward a wild, rocky coast, +the vessels crashing on shore and rebounding again, and some one +lifting her into a boat, and then she remembered no more. While these +recollections were passing through her brain, she raised herself upon +her elbow and looked around. Death everywhere, the ocean with its +floating corpses and wreckage lay before her. On either hand a long +broken beach, with its gloomy rocks and its scattered dead. A scene +which at any other time in her life would have struck her with awe, she +now gazed at quietly, and questioned "Why am I the only one left, oh, if +I too could die." Turning to look behind her through the mist, she +observed that the land was hilly, and in some places rose to a +considerable height. The whole surface as far as she could make out was +covered by a thick growth of lofty pines, mingled with spruce and other +sorts of fir, among which sprung up an entanglement of various kinds of +undergrowth, all these trees and shrubs growing nearly down to the sea +and forming so thick a forest, that it was impossible for sight to +penetrate it further than a few yards. There was no building of any kind +to be seen, no sign of human habitation of either savage or civilized +life. The great abundance of pine trees, and the general appearance of +the forest, which strongly resembled the forests of Norway, instantly +called up the question in Anna Vyvyan's mind, can it be possible that +destiny has sent me back to the land of my mother's grave? + +A low wail like the cry of a young child in distress, caused the only +hearer to start to her feet, and looking on the other side of a broken +rock close by, she saw stretched out white and still, a young lady by +the side of whom, in a half-standing position, and bending over her was +a beautiful golden-haired little girl of between two and three years. In +another instant Anna was also bending over the young mother, to whom she +found the child was tied by a crimson silk sash such as were worn by +military officers. The tearful little one turned up her sweet face, +without any apparent fear, but with a great deal of sorrow in it, and +said, in her baby language, + +"Mama dorn seep," then she pressed her lips upon the cold white cheek, +and kissed it and stroked and patted the also beautiful mother, who lay +so mute and pallid and unconscious of all her little one's gentle love. + +Again and again came the cry from the poor forlorn little creature, "Det +up, mama, det up, mama;" but the dear mamma was beyond the reach of the +sweet baby voice. Anna's first thought was to see if any sign of life +remained in the slender form before her, but she could find no pulse, +and the face and hands were as cold, as the rocks upon which she was +lying. Miss Vyvyan unfastened the child, and drew away the long sash, +which had tied her to her mother's waist. As she did so, she observed +the delicately formed features, which were so regular and proportionate +that they might have been chiseled in marble, to represent some Greek +goddess. She saw the masses of soft brown hair, and the long dark +eyelashes, which dropped upon the cheek like silken fringe. She +observed, too, the simple traveling habit, made of the finest material, +but perfectly free from any attempt at vulgar ornament. And as she took +the child into her arms, and looked down once more on the sweet white +face, which lay on the stones at her feet, and noted the refinement in +everything about her, she knew that the little one's mother came of +gentle blood. The child was willing to go to Anna, but not willing to be +removed out of sight of its mother. So Miss Vyvyan sat down where they +were with the little one in her lap, and shook out the silk sash with +the idea of wrapping it round the shivering child, but that, too, was +wet, every thing in the shape of clothing was wet, both on Anna and the +child. All that she could do for the moment to comfort the tiny thing, +was to fold it in her arms, and try by that means to keep it from +perishing with cold. It had probably been shielded by some heavy woolen +wrap, which was torn off by the breakers when they were cast on shore, +for as Anna shook out the silk sash, there fell from it a strip of thick +woolen fringe, which had the appearance of having belonged to a shawl. + +But now the child was bareheaded, and wore a little white dress of +exceedingly fine embroidery, which also spoke of the mother's love, for +none but loving hands ever wrought work so dainty as that. Round its +neck was clasped a small gold chain of minute links of very fine +workmanship. So thin and delicately was it made, that it resembled a +thread of golden silk. Anna examined it carefully to see if she could +find any letter or name upon it, but none was there, then she spoke to +the child as it lay nestling its pretty head upon her arm, and still +talking to its mother, and said, + +"Tell me, dear little one, what is your name?" + +The child looked up, but evidently could not understand the meaning of +her words. + +Anna tried again by laying one of her fingers on the child's shoulder +and saying, "Who's dat?" + +"Mama's baby," answered the little one in an instant. + +"Will Mama's baby tell me where papa is?" + +"Dorn seep," replied the child. + +"Tell me where dorn seep, sweet child." + +"Down dare," answered she, pointing to a mass of human bodies which were +thrown together on the beach some distance below them, and which were +constantly kept in motion by the incoming tide. + +Anna's desire to die no longer existed; as she held the beautiful little +creature to her heart and rocked it, all her thoughts concentrated in +the one question, what could she do to aid this sweet helpless one. The +ideas rushed through her mind with the rapidity that they come to us in +fever. It must have warmth and food, or it will perish. I cannot let it +die, it is so beautiful, and I love it. I must act this moment. Rising +with the child in her arms, she hastened along as rapidly as she could +among the wreckage, scrambling between bales and chests of all kinds, in +the hope of finding something, anything; she could not surmise what it +might be, but some sustenance must be had for the child. Although +hundreds of cases and bales were strewed about, they were all so +securely corded and nailed up, that it was impossible to procure +anything from them. + +At last, far in on the land, she came to a large pile of freight, which +had struck so violently, that the greater number of the cases and bales, +had broken in two, or had burst open. The first object that met her +sight, was a broken chest full of table covers of rich cloth, evidently +the product of India and Persia, as the silk embroidered borders in +oriental needlework showed; happily everything was thrown in so far that +it was dry. + +Taking one of the table covers, she wrapped it round the child, who in +the midst of its discomfort showed its gentle nature by saying, + +"Pitty sing, pitty sing," and holding up its sweet face to kiss Anna. + +"Yes, mama's baby shall have more pretty things soon," said Miss Vyvyan. + +"Dinner," cried the child, "bing dinner, Dinah bing dinner." + +"Yes, darling, we must find dinner for mama's baby." + +"Dinah bing dinner?" again repeated the poor, hungry little thing, with +an expressive look of interrogation. + +"Yes, dear, yes;" folding the soft woolen cover still more closely round +the child, Anna placed her in a sheltered spot. "Stay there a moment, +baby, while I bring dinner." + +From the marks on the outside of the boxes it was plain that they had +come from some Mediterranean port, and contained fruits and other +edibles. With a heavy stone, Anna soon broke open a small box of candied +fruit, selecting some, she gave it to the half-starved child. One of the +baby hands held her fruit, the other one was instantly stretched out +toward the box. + +"Mama, tandy, too," she cried. + +"Mama is asleep, darling, she does not want candy." + +"Oh mama, tandy, too," she repeated, with an earnestness that sent a +thrill through Anna's heart. + +"Yes; mama's baby shall take some if she wishes to." + +The child took a piece of the fruit, "Doe now," she said. + +"Go where, baby?" + +"Mama," answered the child, struggling among the folds of her wrap, to +get on to her feet and pointing in the direction of its mother. A nature +so full of love, shall not be pained or thwarted by me, mused Anna, as +she carried back the child who had already become precious to her. When +they reached the place where the cold white mother was lying, and Anna +was in the act of putting the little one on the ground as it desired, an +unusually large wave broke so close by, that the spray and foam dashed +against, and flowed over the sweet pale face. The child uttered a sharp +cry of distress, and disengaging itself from Anna's arms and darting to +its mother, threw itself down by her side, and, clasping her neck with +its tiny arms, covered with kisses the face that was so dear. The next +wave will carry the mother away, Anna thought. I cannot let the child +witness such a sight, it would break her loving little heart, and she +also felt that she, herself, could not give up to the all-devouring +ocean, the object of so much affection in the babe. Placing the little +one in safety, she took up the cold, white burden in her arms, and +carried it far back from the reach of the sea, putting it down on the +moss, at the root of a large pine. As it lay there so lone and sad and +beautiful, with the child standing by it, for the little soul had +followed with its swiftest steps, Anna bent over it and kissed the face. +Poor dear, she murmured in a whisper, as long as I exist, my love and my +life shall be devoted to your child. She bent again and kissed the cold +lips. Could it be possible that breath came lightly through them? It +was,--it was,--deeper and deeper drawn and more regular each time. +Merciful God, she lives, and the tears fell fast from eyes that had long +been dry with grief. A faint sigh, and the partial parting of the long +silken eyelashes, told that life was coming back still more and more. In +a few moments she feebly uttered, "My child." + +"Your child is safe and with you," replied Anna, lifting the little one +closer to its mother's side. + +"Dudley," she faltered. + +"He has not come yet," said Anna, surmising for whom she was inquiring, +and pitying in her inmost soul the widowed heart that must so soon learn +to live without him. + +When the poor mother opened her eyes, the scene of horror was more than +her delicate organization could endure, and a violent, fit of trembling +came upon her. + +"Tote on," said the anxious, sensitive child. + +The suggestion was acted upon, Anna ran to the pile of dry wreckage, and +soon returned, with an armful of table covers and a box. + +"Tote on mama," cried the child hurriedly, as if it felt there was no +time to be lost. + +"Yes, darling, a coat for mama," said Anna, improvising a pillow with +one, and wrapping several other warm covers about the shivering mother. + +"Take this," said she, holding to her lips some cordial which she had +poured into a mussel shell, "It is buanaba, a very delicate restorative +made in Turkey, pray try to take it, it will keep you from shivering +so." + +As we have already said, Anna possessed great vital energy, and with her +to think was to act. She saw that the delicate, slender young mother and +the child must both die, unless she could find some means of getting +them warm. There was an abundance of dead wood close by, if she could +only start the first spark of fire. Pushing her way a few yards into the +forest, she brought out a quantity of dead grass and resinous wood, and +continued striking two stones together until at last the spark came, and +a good fire soon blazed high, and sent out its glow toward the pine tree +beneath which they were lying. Some large stones were soon heated in the +hot embers, and rolled to the feet of the mother. Covering was brought +and held to the fire, and the lowly bed made so warm that the exhausted +mother and her little one fell into a natural and refreshing sleep. In +the meantime Anna was everywhere scrambling and climbing among the +freight, dragging what she could not carry, searching for anything that +might be appropriated as a covering against the cold, and looking after +the cases of eatables with a thought for the poor, starving ones under +the pine tree. It was late in the afternoon when the sleepers awoke. The +mist had in a great measure cleared away, and the sunlight was +straggling through the remaining clouds. A good fire was burning, and a +tin of water was boiling beside it. A long box cover, supported by +stones at each end, formed a table, other box lids made seats, and the +table was spread with food that would at least sustain life. Heaped up +under another pine tree, was a sufficient supply of both food and +covering, to provide for the ladies and child for some time to come. +There was no lack of tins of all shapes, so they were made use of to +cook in, and for holding food. As soon as the child was thoroughly +awake, it sat up in its bed, showing its sweet fair face, and smiling +with happiness at finding its mother awake by its side. Taking up a cup +of food made from sea moss and sweetened with the candied fruit, Anna +attempted to feed the child by means of a shell, but it turned its face +away, and said in tones full of distress, "Mama too, Dinah bing dinner." +When Anna took hot coffee from the fire and propped up the exhausted +mother and induced her to drink it, everything went well with the child. +It was perfectly satisfied, and took its own food, and laughed and +played with the pebbles and shells that were brought to it. + +"I have tried often, very often to speak to you," said the mother, +addressing Anna for the first time; "I was conscious, but I could not +speak; I was too weak I suppose, and now my voice has come back to me, I +have no words, I do not know what I can say to you." + +"Will you let me suggest what you shall say," asked Anna? "It is this; +say what I can do that would most help you and your lovely child; and +now try to rest while I think how you can be sheltered from the night +air, for night will be upon us in the course of two hours at furthest." + +The fog and mist had now completely disappeared, and given way to the +sun, which, however, was nearing the horizon, and the trees cast long +shadows on the grass. + +While the mother and child had been asleep in the afternoon, Anna had +built up a few broken boards and stones between them and the sea, that +they might not be pained on their first awaking by seeing the terrible +sight which was so near. + +"I am better," said the mother. "I feel stronger. I cannot endure to see +you doing all. I want to help you. I do not need more rest now. But tell +me first, pray tell me the truth, whatever it may be. Is there any one +left alive here besides ourselves. Have you seen an officer in a +colonel's uniform? My husband was in the service of King James, he wore +the royal uniform, when he tied my child to my waist with his sash, and +lifted me into a boat. I cannot remember any more. I think I must have +been stunned. How long have we been here? I seem to have lost some of +the time, but I felt you take away my child, and I heard you speak +tenderly to it. Have we been here too long for my husband to be living? +Tell me, can it be possible that I may find him?" + +Anna could not add to her anguish by repeating what the child had said +when questioned about its father, for she believed it had spoken truly +when it answered, + +"Dorn seep, down dare." + +"I do not think we have been here longer than to-day," she replied. "I +do not know exactly. It was early in the morning when our ship struck +the rocks, but it was broad daylight when I came to my senses on the +shore. The tide was coming in, it was very high, and now it must have +been going out for nearly four hours, so I think we must have been cast +on shore this morning." + +"Then my husband may still be alive, I must seek him." With those words, +she rose to her feet, but nearly fainted with the effort. + +"Your child is sleeping," said Anna. "Let me support you, if you will +attempt to walk. Tell me your husband's name, that I may call it aloud; +these rocks are very rugged and I can send my voice into places among +them, that it would be impossible to go into." + +"Colonel Carleton," she replied. + +"Lean on me, Mrs. Carleton. Shall we go down this way?" + +The tide had carried out the mass of floating bodies to which the child +had pointed at noon, but numbers of others still remained in all +directions. Tottering and staggering among the dead, Mrs. Carleton +continued her search, until she had looked into every ghastly face that +lay there. + +"Now will you call aloud for me," she said, "for I cannot, my strength +is gone." + +Anna called, but the only sound that came back was the echo of her own +voice from the forest and the heavy rolling of the sea. They returned in +silence to the child, who was still asleep. The sun had nearly set, when +all at once a rich, bright glow from the west rose behind the forest and +flooded every object with golden light. Looking out to sea eastward, +they observed only a few miles away many islands, some of them covered +with forests down to the water's edge. + +"Where can we be," they both ejaculated at the same time. There was no +habitation visible on any of them, nor any smoke rising from them. + +"These trees remind me of Norway," said Anna. "Do you think we can be in +Norway?" + +"I am unable to say," replied Mrs. Carleton, "but I am sure we are in a +northern clime by the growth both of trees and plants." + +The ladies seated themselves by the sleeping child, trying to think what +it was best for them to do. There was no time for delay; it would soon +be dark, and the little group of three appeared to be the only living +human beings in the place, wherever that place might be. While they were +talking together, they had turned their backs to the sea and were +looking toward the sunset, and watching the varied rays of light which +here and there penetrated through the forest on the hill before them. + +"I did not hear your name, Mrs. Carleton, on board the ship I sailed in +from England," said Anna. + +"I did not come from England," she answered. "My parents settled in the +colony of Virginia long ago. I was born there, that is my home. My +husband as well as myself, had many relatives in England, and we were +going to visit them, and intended to have our child baptized there, that +its name might be registered among those of its forefathers. Sometime +after we sailed, we fell in with buccaneers; but our ship, the Sir +Walter Raleigh, was a fast sailor, and we got away from them; yet I was +told when the hurricane came on, that they were the cause of our being +out of our course, hence our calamity." + +"We met the same destiny," said Anna, and then she told in a few words +whence she had sailed, and that her name was Vyvyan. + +The hill in front of the ladies, rose too high for them to see the +actual setting of the sun, but the rich glow of gold and crimson now lit +up the whole forest, and defined the outline of the rising ground. + +"What is that I see?" said Mrs. Carleton, shading her eyes with her +hands. + +"'Tall pines' I think," answered Anna. + +"No, it is a tower; look, Miss Vyvyan, in that direction, see on the +hill; it is a stone tower; look, now the light has changed; there are +windows, many of them, see on the right the building extends a great +way, it is very large." + +Anna looked through the wood where Mrs. Carleton directed, and saw +distinctly in the rosy light of the sunset, an immense stone building, +with a massive tower capable of containing many rooms, and rising to the +height of two hundred feet. With the exception of the tower, the +building was very irregular, and gave the impression of having been +erected at different periods. It combined the characteristics of a +feudal castle and a fortress. It was old and gray, but by no means a +ruin, yet it had a gloomy and forbidding appearance. The ladies looked +at each other and hesitated, they did not speak for a few moments; the +same idea possessed the mind of each. They thought that good people +would not live in such a place, amid such wild surroundings, but neither +one of them would unnerve the other by saying so, for they knew in their +present situation they required all the courage that they could command, +in order that they might be ready to meet their uncertain fate. + +While they continued looking almost spellbound the child awoke, and +observing their earnest gaze, added her own scrutiny to theirs. She bent +her little golden head forward and saw some of the windows upon which +the reflection of light glinted. + +"Home," she exclaimed, smiling with childish glee, "doe home," taking +hold of her mother's dress to draw her in the direction of the building, +which was about half-way up the hill, and only a few hundred yards from +where they now stood. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + The battled towers the donjon keep, + The loop-hole grates where captives weep, + The flanking walls that round it sweep, + In yellow luster shone. + + * * * * * + + Act,--act in the living present! + Heart within and God o'erhead! + + * * * * * + + Let us then be up and doing + With a heart for any fate + Still achieving, still pursuing + Learn to labor and to wait. + + +The ladies held a consultation, should they attempt to go to the castle +and ask for shelter. How could the child, which like themselves had +hitherto lived in luxury, pass a night on the beach. Beside the forest +looked as if it was the resort of wolves and bears. It would be unsafe. +They could not after dark remain where they were, there was no +alternative, so they decided to go at once to the building. There was no +path, but they held the branches aside for each other. Taking the child +with them, they stumbled over the loose stones and among the briers as +well as their want of strength would permit, for they were much +exhausted. Mrs. Carleton was so weak that she fell several times and was +severely hurt, but no murmur escaped her and she rose and struggled on +again as if nothing had happened, turning, from time to time, with some +word of kindness or cheer to Miss Vyvyan, who was helping the little one +along. + +Emerging from the woods, they found themselves in a long, open space of +grass, which was surrounded on all sides by the forest. The great +building stood full in front of, and overshadowed them. It was a +veritable feudal castle and, as we have said, grand, gloomy and +forbidding to look at. The windows were far up from the ground, no +entrance door was in sight, no walks or drives around it, everywhere +rank grass, with here and there a tuft of golden-rod, or fall aster +springing up. No smoke rising from any of the chimneys, no traces of +footsteps, no sound but the sighing of the wind through the pines, and +the surging of the ocean. Mrs. Carleton was first to break the silence. + +"If I were by myself," said she, "I should imagine I must be dreaming, +but I feel the reality of our position, this is no dream. We are all +alone here; this place must have been deserted long ago. Look, there is +the entrance overgrown with brambles. It is best that we are alone; if +we can get shelter, we need not fear molestation." + +She spoke calmly and cheerfully and tried to wear a smile for the sake +of the two who were looking at her and listening to her words. Anna had +entertained grave fears for Mrs. Carleton while they were getting up to +the castle. She thought the delicate frame must give way altogether, but +she now saw that her newly-made friend was as brave, as she was gentle +and loving and faithful, and fear gave place to hope and resolve. As she +went a few steps to gather some asters, which the child wished for, she +said to herself, "This fragile, suffering, uncomplaining woman has +already taught me a great lesson, and I will never seek selfish relief +by adding to her overburdened life, the weight of my own sorrow. She +shall always think me cheerful, whatever I may know my self to be, for +nothing that I can do will be of so much help to her and the sweet +child." + +As Anna returned, the little one stretched out her hands to receive the +flowers and held up the rosy lips to give a kiss for them, which was her +usual mode of acknowledging any kindness shown to her. + +"Miss Vyvyan," said Mrs. Carleton, "I have been looking on the other +side while you have been gathering the flowers. I find there is an +immense pile of ruins there, which looks as if it were the ruins of a +tower. That small entrance at the north end is the only one that is +open. Shall we try to get in, we can beat down the brambles." + +The doorway was low and arched, the stone work about it coarse and +massive, the door had fallen from the upper hinge, and lay so far open +that ingress was very easy. The ladies entered and passed into a broad +stone passage, which was many yards in length and led to a staircase at +the foot of the great tower at the south end. As they passed along the +passage, they saw a number of rooms on either side, which were all in +semi-darkness, being lighted only by narrow loopholes in the outer +walls, yet there was sufficient light to show them that they were all +well filled with what appeared to be chests, boxes and packages, but the +ladies were too much fatigued to make any examination of them. They +observed that the walls were all of rough stone, but there was no +feeling of dampness. On reaching the staircase, Mrs. Carleton discovered +some inscriptions cut deep into the wall. + +"What is this, Miss Vyvyan? I see it is not Greek or Latin or Hebrew. I +never saw any characters like these." + +"They are runic," replied Anna. "I should not know what they are, only +that I have seen them on old ruins in Norway. Do you think we are in +Norway? This old castle is very much like buildings I have seen there." + +Mrs. Carleton, who was an excellent botanist, again referred to the +trees and plants which they had seen as they came up from the beach. + +"Those fall asters," she said, "and the species of golden-rod are both +of northern growth, but I cannot in the least feel sure of our +whereabouts. It scarcely seems probable that we shall find the means of +getting away from this place very soon, for there is no evidence of any +commerce here, and as far as I can judge, nothing for merchants or +traders to come for. I do not say this to dishearten you, Miss Vyvyan, +but I feel it right that we should speak openly and honestly to each +other." + +"I understand you," replied Anna, "you do not wish to fill my +imagination with false hopes; it is good, and kind, and sensible, and I +thank you for speaking as you have done. I feel myself that this is no +time for dreaming, and I do not any longer care to indulge in it. All I +care for, is to lead an earnest, true life in whatever position Fate may +place me. If we are destined to remain together, you shall see." + +The ladies had now ascended the winding stone staircase as far as the +top of the first flight from the ground. From the stairs, they stepped +into a corridor with a stone floor and bare stone walls, somewhat +similar to the one below, but wider and well lighted. From this +corridor, branched off other passages and staircases, leading both above +and below, and numberless rooms of all kinds, the doors of which were +chiefly open, showing the most luxurious and costly furniture, and the +richest hangings, containing chests filled with rich velvets and satins, +and all other requirements of ladies' dress. Some rooms were evidently +sleeping apartments, others were furnished as parlors, the walls being +hung with tapestry, and adorned with rare paintings and mirrors in +frames of the most exquisite workmanship, in ivory, silver and bronze. +Rich carpets and rugs covered the floors. The rooms all felt dry. They +had wide, open fireplaces in which stood fire dogs of brass or iron; in +some of them still remained half-burned or charred logs, and the dead +ashes of long years ago. The ladies remarked that, amidst all this +abundance of wealth, there was a certain incongruity in the arrangement +of the contents of every room. In one they found silk draperies from +India, a divan from Turkey, an Italian settee in the finest Florentine +carving; beside it a massive English table of heart of oak, and the +light, spider-legged gilt chairs of Paris, with their faded red silk +cushions, and so on. They rambled through room after room. In many of +them were firearms of all dates and nations, sabers and cutlasses, +daggers and swords, with pistols and guns, and powder flasks, and +spears. Some of these lay upon the tables and chairs, and others hung +from the walls. In all the sleeping-rooms, were numberless articles of +men's dress, uniforms and costumes of various kinds, sufficient in +variety to supply disguises for a whole regiment. With the exception of +the number of firearms and other instruments of warfare lying about, the +rooms were all in order. The reflection of the setting sun streamed in +at the windows, and across the floors at the west side of the castle, +and lit up the mirrors, and pictures, and beautiful and curious works of +art, which hung on the walls, or stood on the shelves, or on quaint +pieces of furniture, and which abounded everywhere and made the interior +of the building a pleasant contrast to the gloomy-looking outside. + +Passing hastily through the rooms which led off the corridors, the +ladies returned to the great tower at the south end. They found the +door, which gave entrance to it was closed; but on Mrs. Carleton laying +her hand upon the lock, it at once gave way, and they went through a +vestibule, and entered a large and very handsome room. It was octagon in +form, with a window in every division. The upper part of each window was +made of antique painted glass, which shed red hues of crimson, gold and +purple in different parts of the room, ever varying their position with +the change in the sun's altitude, and giving the apartment at all times +of the day, a bright, cheerful appearance. This room was furnished still +more gorgeously than any of the others. The walls were hung with the +richest kinds of Spanish tapestry; on a ground of dark green silk +velvet, was embroidered large flowers and arabesques in gold, +interspersed at intervals with the well-known representations of the +three castles, which are a part of the arms of Spain. The furniture was +all of chestnut, carved in the deeply cut and highly raised work, which +is so rich and elaborate, and peculiar to the Spanish artists. Several +curiously cut mirrors hung on the walls, and also some exceedingly +delicate paintings in ivory, and, a number of choice enamels on plaques +of gold. The mantel piece of stone was high and adorned with beautiful +vases of Egyptian and Etruscan make, mingled with those of Rome and +Herculaneum, and the more modern flower-holders of Bohemian and Venetian +glass. The sofas, as well as the luxurious armchairs, were covered with +green silk velvet. The window draperies were of the same, ornamented +with gold fringe. + +The floor was made of various kinds, inlaid in mosaic work, as we see +them in Italy. Soft ruby colored rugs were lying in front of the table, +and before the fireplace. On one side, was a small carved bookcase +containing a few volumes of novels, some of poetry and a few sacred +books of the Roman Catholic creed, all of them in Spanish. + +In one or two of the books, the name of "Inez" was written. Across the +end of one of the sofas lay a guitar of satin-wood, inlaid with +mother-o'-pearl, with a Spanish lace mantilla by the side of it, and on +a small table close by was an open music book containing Spanish songs. + +Everything gave evidence of having been left untouched for many years, +the flowers in the vases had dried, and fallen bit by bit, and lay in +small heaps that looked like chaff. In one corner of the room stood a +tall Chinese jar, that had once contained sprays of the fragrant fir +balsam, which was now little else than dust. In the wide, open fireplace +on the hearth, the wood that had been carefully placed on the dogs ready +to light, had become so dry, that it had crumbled away, and fallen to +pieces with its own weight. + +The ladies felt the importance of using the remaining daylight in making +some preparations for the night, so deferred any further examination of +the castle until the next day. They experienced a certain feeling of +safety in being alone. + +"Mrs. Carleton," said Miss Vyvyan, "you will not mind if I run down to +the beach, and bring up some of the table covers and some food. I shall +soon be back again." + +"I do not mind being left, but I do mind your doing it without help; I +want to help you in everything, but I am not strong enough yet. We will +stand by the window and watch you as far as we can." + +The child understood the conversation, and turning with a very earnest +and inquiring look to her mother, she said, + +"Be back." + +"Yes, dear, Miss Vyvyan is coming back. That is my little one's way of +saying she wishes you to return," said Mrs. Carleton. "She always says +to me, if I am leaving the room, 'be back,' she means come back." + +"I like to hear her say it," said Anna; "it sounds so real and so +pretty, and it is her own way of expressing what she desires. I hope you +will always allow her to keep that little remnant of babyhood. I ask it +of you as a favor." + +"I am only too glad, Miss Vyvyan, to do anything you wish," replied Mrs. +Carleton. + +As Anna left the room and hastened down the tower stairs, she heard the +sweet little voice calling after her, + +"Be back, be back." + +Mrs. Carleton had prepared a pleasant surprise for Anna on her return. +She had taken a flint from the lock of one of the guns, and had +succeeded in lighting a cheerful fire, before which the ladies spread +the table covers, and slept until the light of the morning sun shone in +upon them through one of the painted windows, and made brilliant hues +in various parts of the room, which the child called butterflies. The +little party was rested and refreshed, and awoke to be greeted by a +beautiful day. + +As soon as they had breakfasted, they began a thorough investigation of +their new abode. They descended to the basement where they had entered, +and discovered in one of the rooms immense stores of provisions of all +kinds, many of them in good order, for they were in sealed jars and +cases. One of the down-stairs rooms was a carpenter's shop, containing +tools of all sorts, which were of great use to the ladies in opening +many things that it would have been impossible for them to do otherwise. +There was a large store of wine, and a kitchen containing strangely +shaped cooking utensils from different countries. Near the small north +doorway by which the ladies entered the castle, was a narrow stone +staircase, leading down under ground, but it was so dimly lighted, that +they did not attempt to go down it. Ascending again to the tower, they +discovered several more beautiful rooms in it, all richly furnished. All +these rooms had apparently been set apart for the use of the lady, with +the exception of one, a library, containing carved oak shelves, loaded +with books in many different languages; the heavy furniture was also of +carved oak, cushioned with old gold embossed leather. A Spanish cloak of +crimson velvet was thrown across the back of one of the chairs, and upon +the seat of it lay a sombrero with a plume, also a sword and a pair of +gauntlets. An arched doorway in one corner of the library, led into a +small watch tower, the whole size of which was filled up by a winding +stone staircase. + +"Come, Miss Vyvyan," said Mrs. Carleton, "we will go up here, and we +may, perhaps, see something that will tell us where we are." They +climbed the stairs to the top, and passed through a low door on to the +battlements of a great tower, whence they looked down at the pine trees, +two hundred feet below. They saw at once that they were on an island; +not by any means a large one, and that the whole of it was covered by +forest as far as the water's edge, excepting in a few places where a +bare rock or swamp intervened. They looked to the south and saw only the +open ocean. The day was clear and calm, and they could see away to the +horizon. To the east lay many other islands; then to the north the same +sight met their eyes. Looking to the west still more islands were to be +seen, and also what appeared to be the mainland, and far away, perhaps +seventy miles off in the distance, a magnificent range of lofty +mountains. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the scene. As they walked +round the top of the tower, looking down upon all these forest-clad +islands without any sign of habitation, Mrs. Carleton, turning to Anna, +said, "Let us try to think over all the maps we have studied in our +geography lessons." + +"Just what I have been trying to do," said Anna, "but I can only think +of a great number of islands in the Pacific ocean, and we know we are +not there, and we are not in any of the West India islands, for, as you +say, the trees tell us we are in the north, and now that I see so many +islands, I know we are not in Norway. But is it not strange that the +runic characters are in so many places in this castle? See, here are +more of them, exactly the same as I saw when we were in Norway." + +"Yes," replied Mrs. Carleton; "everything tells us we are in the north, +and also tells us we are alone. We may have to remain here, we know not +how long, perhaps years; and then, too, we have something else to +consider. These trees show that the winters in this region are very +severe, as do also the rents in the rocks that we clambered among on our +way up to the castle. Those great fissures were all caused by the action +of intense frosts, by such a degree of cold as you and I have no idea +of, excepting from what we have read. In a climate like this, we know +the winter sets in early, so I think, Miss Vyvyan, the only thing we can +do is to prepare for it immediately as soon as we can." + +"I see; everything is exactly as you say," replied Anna, "and now let me +ask you a favor. I am stronger physically than you are, and I beg you to +allow me to undertake the heavier share of our occupation. Let me do all +that requires to be done outside the castle, such as getting wood and +water, and whatever we may want from the wreckage, and you take charge +of the inside of our present home, in which you must allow me to help +you. I understand you already, and I believe you would do everything +and endure all the fatigue without a murmur, but that is impossible; you +have not the strength, and you must try to be well for the sake of your +dear child." + +Mrs. Carleton endeavored to remonstrate with Miss Vyvyan about the +division of the toil, which was so new and strange to each of them, for +she was born with a great generous heart that was ready and willing to +do and die for others; but Anna would not listen to her sweet pleadings, +although in her soul she admired them. + +"Bow wow," said the little one, pointing down to the forest. + +The ladies looked over the battlements and, to their horror, saw three +wolves creeping stealthily along under the shadow of the great pines +below. They thought instantly of the fallen door at the entrance, and +hastened down the tower stairs as far as the room hung with green velvet +tapestry, where they had passed the night, and which they decided should +in future be their sitting-room, so they named it the green parlor. As +they entered, the glow of the cheerful fire on the hearth, the beautiful +prospect of forest and sea from the windows, and the child's +butterflies, glancing here and there, gave a bright and pleasant air to +the room, but the ladies felt much disturbed by the discovery of wolves +so near them, and the knowledge of the open door in the passage below. + +"Miss Vyvyan," said Mrs. Carleton, "there are other doors of entrance to +this, castle; I saw them, we will go and see if we can open one of +them; and then we will close up the door below altogether." + +At the end of a passage leading from the tower, and not far from the +green parlor, they found a massive door, strongly barred and bolted +inside. They drew the bolts, and on opening it led down on the outside, +by a long flight of stone stairs to the grass below, and very near to +the place on which they stood on their arrival from the beach. + +"We shall be safe in one respect now," said Mrs. Carleton, "for no +animal can break this door and we can keep it bolted." + +The first thing to be done now was to close up the entrance down stairs. +The ladies went down and out through the door by which they had entered +the castle at the north end. Quickly gathering up some of the wood which +lay round about them, they set fire to it, in order to scare away any +wolves which might be prowling near, and at once went to work, carrying +stones from the ruins of the fallen tower, and by their joint strength +replacing the door. They next piled up such a barrier of great stones +behind it, that they were sure that no wolves could enter that way. They +had finished their first attempt at building and were about to go up +again to the green parlor, when the child with a little laugh and in its +sprightly way cried out, + +"Kitta, kitta, see kitta." At the same instant running as fast as her +tiny feet could go, after two small white kittens which the next moment +disappeared down the half-dark stairs, that they had noticed when they +first arrived, but were too tired to investigate at that time. + +They now looked down them and in the dim light, saw only a passage which +led in the direction of the fallen tower. They satisfied themselves that +there was no opening from that to the outside of the building, and +concluded that the immense pile of ruins completely stopped up all means +of ingress that way, so they decided not to go to the bottom of the +gloomy staircase for mere curiosity, when time was so precious to them, +for they felt as Mrs. Carleton had remarked that winter might be upon +them very soon. They passed all the remainder of the day in bringing up +from the beach such supplies as they most needed, and decided to devote +a portion of each day to this occupation as long as the weather +permitted. + +Before sunset they were all safe in the castle again, the child running +about the room they were arranging, and delighted with the many +beautiful ornaments. The ladies made up their minds to adapt themselves +to their circumstances, and be as cheerful as they could, for the +child's sake. They selected the tower for their residence, as it +contained the best rooms in the castle, and the view from every one of +them was beautiful. They could go up the watch tower and look off from +the battlements, over the islands and forests, to those majestic purple +mountains, whenever they desired to do so. + +A sleeping room next to the green parlor was chosen for Mrs. Carleton. +It was fitted up with the same degree of luxury as most of the others, +the furniture being of satin wood and ivory, and the hangings and +drapings of the bed and windows of pink velvet and white lace. Two +curiously wrought silver lamps stood on the dressing table, and showed +that they had burned themselves out. In front of the mirror was a jewel +casket; it was open, and showed rings and aigrettes of diamonds and +emeralds. A few ruby ornaments lay on the table, and a string of pearls, +also a small lace scarf and a pair of lady's gloves, embroidered on the +backs with gold. The curtains and velvet draperies of the windows were +completely closed, and the room looked as though some one had dressed in +it and gone away and left the lamps burning. Everything was a mystery to +the ladies which they could not unravel. + +When the day was over, Mrs. Carleton and Miss Vyvyan sat beside the +sleeping child, in Mrs. Carleton's room. The fire was burning on the +hearth, and the full moon poured its beams in at the windows; they had +no other light. + +Mrs. Carleton spoke much of her bereavement, but struggled to be brave, +and to resign herself to a destiny she could not alter, at the same time +revealing, quite unawares to herself, a character full of intense +affection, unselfishness and great courage. + +As Anna watched the sweet, pure face so full of emotion and sensibility, +and the firelight flickered upon and lit up the refined features, her +whole heart yearned toward her new friend, and her own sorrow was +buried in those of the forlorn young mother. + +"I have been considering," said Miss Vyvyan, "about your child. Do you +not think we ought to make life as bright and happy as we can for her, +and we can do a great deal, although we may have to stay in exile for a +long while. She need never suffer from that idea. All will depend upon +the way we educate her, and the way we live." + +"Exactly so," replied Mrs. Carleton. "We will make our lives as good an +example as possible; we will bring her up, as far as circumstances will +admit, the same as we would do if she were in my old home. We cannot +have the servants we have been accustomed to have, but we can make this +home a systematic one, and a refined one, and we must make it a cheerful +one for her sake." + +"There is one thing I feel very anxious about," said Mrs. Carleton; "my +child has not yet been baptized. As I told you, we were going to take +her to England for that purpose. I should feel happier if I could carry +out my husband's wish, and be able to call her by the name he so much +liked." + +"I can fully enter into your feelings," said Miss Vyvyan. "Why not +baptize her yourself? I presume you are familiar with the service, as we +have baptisms in our church so frequently." + +"Yes," replied Mrs. Carleton, "and I cannot see that there would be +anything wrong in doing so, myself, as there is not any one else to do +it." + +"It can no more be wrong," said Anna, "to repeat the baptismal prayers +for your child, than it is to offer up your daily prayers for her. +Indeed to me it seems perfectly right, as we are situated at present." + +"I am glad you entertain those feelings on the subject, Miss Vyvyan," +replied Mrs. Carleton, "and as we are both of the English church, will +you be godmother to my little one?" + +"You confer great happiness on me," replied Anna, "by making such a +request. What do you intend to call her?" + +"Cora was the name my husband wished her to be called," replied Mrs. +Carleton. "And I desire to add Caroline to it, as that is the name of my +dear mother, and is now, alas, the only means I have of showing my +affection for her, who is perhaps at this moment mourning my absence." + +"Will you baptize her to-morrow?" inquired Miss Vyvyan. "If you will, we +can make a dress for her in the forenoon. There is an abundance of white +India muslin and cashmere, too, enough I should say to dress her for +years to come." + +"Yes," answered Mrs. Carleton, "I like that idea, and we will keep her +always dressed in white." + +"And as to yourself," said Anna, "I ask you as a favor, to let me +choose for you in this instance, I wish you always to be beautifully +dressed in colors, that will look bright and cheerful. I think it will +have an influence on the child's spirits and thence on her health. I do +not feel that we need to have any compunction about using the things we +find here, for we see that this place must have been deserted many +years ago, and I cannot help thinking that all these costly things are +the plunder of buccaneers." + +"Nothing is so probable," answered Mrs. Carleton. "Indeed, when we +consider for a moment, everything seems to say so. Many of those cases +which still remain unopened are such as the merchants bring to the +colony of Virginia. I have seen similar ones there which came from +foreign countries. It occurs to me that all these stores are the cargoes +of ships that have been robbed by those desperate men who have been and +still are the terror of the sea; but why they left this place so +suddenly is difficult to divine, unless, perhaps, retribution fell upon +them when they were out at sea on some of their marauding expeditions. +Evidently a lady has lived here, too; perhaps they took her with them on +their last voyage, and she also may have been lost, so I think we may +feel we are not doing wrong in using such things as are necessary to our +existence while we are here." + +The next morning the ladies were up early busying themselves with their +preparations for the child's baptism. As they sat by the open window in +the green parlor, making the little white dress, the sunlight falling +upon the floor, the soft, warm breeze from the south coming in upon +them, and the beautiful child playing about the room, prattling to +herself in her baby language, and trying with her little hands to cover +the colored shadows--butterflies as she called them,--and to hold them +in one place, they each of them thought to themselves how much there is +in life to make us happy; and yet, and yet, who can be happy when there +is an empty place which nothing here can fill. They neither of them +expressed what they thought, for they had each made a resolution to help +the other. + +The sea and sky were one beautiful blue; there was just sufficient +breeze to cause white caps at distant intervals, and to toss the surf +lightly against the rocks. + +The ladies finished their sewing, and with the child went out to gather +some wild flowers to adorn their parlor for the baptism. In a few +minutes they saw a narrow path which they followed and found that it +lead to a well of pure water only a little way off. Below this was a +swamp surrounded by a luxuriant growth of asters of every hue, and white +and pink spirea and golden rod, and blue iris, and the delicate, +rose-colored arethusa, and the blue fringed gentian abounded on every +hand; also shrubs of the bayberry, wild rose and sweet brier, with many +beautiful ferns. + +By Mrs. Carleton's refined taste the green parlor was soon transformed +into a fairy bower. The autumn sunshine sent a flood of golden light +over all, and the child, dressed in its fresh white attire, was +baptized, and Miss Vyvyan was its godmother. The ceremony was just over +and the latter lady was still standing with the child in her arms, +beside a large crystal bowl which was placed on the table and embedded +in green moss and wreathed round the top with white roses. It contained +the water from which the child had received the symbol of the Christian +church. + +"Now," said Mrs. Carleton, "I wish to say to you, Miss Vyvyan, that from +this day Cora belongs to both of us, to you as well as to myself; she +will henceforth be _our_ child. I want you to have someone you can speak +of as 'mine.' I am thankful that I never knew what it was to be without +someone of my own to love, who was near to me, but I can picture to +myself what a death in life such an existence must be to those who have +to endure the separation, and I should feel very selfish if I did not +divide my happiness with you." + +"I do not know how to answer you," said Miss Vyvyan. "I cannot say what +I wish to. Will you grant me one more kindness; that is, let Cora always +call me by my name, Anna, and you do the same. It is more than three +years since anyone called me Anna; there is no one left to do so." + +"I will," said Mrs. Carleton, "and to you I must be Ada, for so I am +named. I am glad that you are pleased at having Cora for your godchild. +I thought you would be; that was a little plan of mine. I wanted to do +something to make you feel happier." + +Gentle, loving Ada, always thinking of the good she could do to others, +always self-abnegating, always giving up her own happiness that others +might receive pleasure; even in the midst of grief, bereavement and +exile, devising means to cheer a life that she saw was more lonely than +her own--such was her character. + +The position in which Miss Vyvyan now stood as Cora's godmother created +a sincere bond of friendship between the two ladies, which as time went +on developed into a lifelong affection. They each understood and +appreciated every thought and feeling of the other. The child, who was +of an intense and affectionate temperament, loved both of her guardians. +She confided in Anna and would stay with her for hours together, and she +always demanded in her baby way that Anna should partake equally with +her mother and herself of everything that she deemed pleasure and +enjoyment, and if Miss Vyvyan remained long out of sight, inquiry and +desire were expressed by Cora in one little sentence, "Anna be back." At +the same time, with an innate and delicate discrimination, the child +defined the distinction between her filial love for her mother and that +given to her friend in so natural a way that neither of the ladies could +ever feel slighted or wounded in the least degree. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + He who ascends to mountain tops, shall find + The loftiest peak most wrapped in clouds and snow; + He who surpasses or subdues mankind, + Must look down on the hate of those below. + Though high above the sun of glory glow, + And far beneath the earth and ocean spread, + Round him are icy rocks, and loudly blow + Contending tempests on his naked head, + And thus reward the toils which to those summits led. + + +They had been domiciled in the castle for several days when Miss Vyvyan +said, + +"As I am to take care of the commissariat department out of doors, Ada, +I think it would be well for me to go down to the beach and bring up all +the provisions I can, while we have such fine weather, as we think the +winter may be very long here, so if you consider it a good plan I will +fill another storeroom." + +"We will all go down, Anna," replied Mrs. Carleton. "We have been here +five days now, and I hope the tide may have removed much that was +distressing to see there." + +When the ladies reached the beach it was as Mrs. Carleton had supposed, +all the corpses had floated away, but the whole beach and the shore far +up from the sea was still strewn with wreckage. They worked very +diligently, making piles of many things that might be useful, little +Cora trotting about as busily as her companions, and helping as far as +she knew how. It was scarcely ten o'clock, but the ladies had been out +in the sun for some time lifting and carrying heavy burdens, an +occupation which was as fatiguing to them as it was novel. So that they +might rest a little while, and get all the sea breeze that there was on +that still day, they went out on to a mass of high rocks, which +projected into the ocean and formed a cove on each side. + +Scarcely had they seated themselves, when they saw a gentleman climbing +up from one of the coves below and coming toward them. He was a young +man perhaps twenty-seven years of age. As he approached them, they +noticed that his appearance was that of a gentleman of rank, his every +movement was full of grace and high breeding, his figure was slender and +under the middle size, and his face exceedingly handsome and refined. +His bright chestnut colored hair was long and fell in waving masses on +his shoulders. He wore a small beard of the same hue, his dress was very +rich and elaborate, after the fashion of the time, and when he spoke, +his voice and courtly manner, told that he was what his appearance +indicated. As soon as he came near to them, he bowed low, and made a +gesture with one hand, as if raising his hat, but he was bareheaded. + +"Ladies," he began, "pardon me for intruding upon you, but for the love +of heaven give me a cup of water, it is many days since I moistened my +lips, I have been shipwrecked on your coast." + +The ladies were on their feet in an instant. Mrs. Carleton running to a +birch tree a few yards back from the beach, and breaking off a piece of +bark, deftly bent it into a cup, which she handed to Miss Vyvyan to fill +from the same pond that had supplied them with water the first day they +were thrown upon the island. Refreshed by the draught the stranger tried +to thank them, but speech and strength failed him, and tottering a few +paces toward the land, he fell down insensible beside a fissure in one +of the rocks. The ladies went to him. + +"His hands are as cold as if he were dead, Ada," said Miss Vyvyan. "What +will it be best to do?" + +"What did you do for me, when you first tried to help me?" replied Mrs. +Carleton. + +"I tried to get you warm." + +"Well, then, we must do that." + +At these words, they simultaneously took off the outside wraps they +wore, and laid them over him, and hastened about among the wreckage, +until they had a good supply of warm rugs and coverings. + +"Where did you get those hot stones that you placed at my feet," said +Mrs. Carleton? + +"I made a fire and heated them." + +Then we will make a fire and do the same thing. + +They covered the poor fellow over, and put hot stones to his feet, and +he seemed to be sleeping. In the meantime they prepared some light food +for him. They sat in silence near by, waiting to see what they could do, +should he return to consciousness. They observed the color coming back +to his face, and a bright pink spot burned on each cheek. + +"I fear," said Mrs. Carleton, "fever is setting in. I will make +something with the fruit we brought down, that will quench his thirst." + +The child seemed to echo the thoughts of her companions, seeing them +anxiously engaged in ministering to the sufferer. She began gathering up +anything that she thought pretty, and laid it by his side. Presently she +went to him with a few wild flowers, which she had picked from the +crevices of the rocks and among the shore grass close by. She observed +the ladies spoke in low tones to each other and moved about very +quietly. She knew there was some cause for this, for, young as she was, +she had already an idea of illness and suffering, and her little heart +was full of pity for others. She stood looking at him as he lay asleep +before her, waiting with her wild flowers, until the time should come +for her to give them to him. "Poorest, poorest," she repeated, at the +same time stroking his hair with her baby hand. That was her own word, +and her own way of showing sympathy and pity. The little one's +vocabulary was, at this period of her life, very limited, but equally +significant of all that she saw and felt. She possessed no extraneous +babble. The only words she was capable of uttering came from her heart; +hence they fell upon her hearers with all the beauty and strength of +truth. "Poorest, poorest," she again repeated; "dorn seep; papa dorn +seep, too." + +At the child's last sentence, a shudder quivered through Mrs. +Carleton's frame, and a still whiter shade passed over the already pale +face. She clasped her little one close to her and bowed down upon its +head. She did not utter a sound. Her silence said more than any words +could have done, for hers was a sorrow that had no speech. + +After a restful sleep, the young man awoke, and sitting up among the +many rugs and coverings by which he was surrounded, he looked about in +every direction, and appeared to be endeavoring to realize his true +position. He saw the high tower of the castle rising so near to him +among the trees; he saw the ladies and the child, but he did not feel +quite sure of the truth of all he saw until Mrs. Carleton put a cup into +his hand and said, + +"This is a fever drink; will you take some? I have just made it from +fruit, the same as we make it in Virginia." + +"Thank you," he said. "I know what it is. I am a Virginian. I sailed +from that colony in the ship Sir Walter Raleigh. Who has been so kind as +to bring me all these rugs," he continued. + +"We did," replied Mrs. Carleton, looking in the direction of Miss +Vyvyan, who with the child stood near them. + +"What, with your own hands? I regret to have caused you so much trouble; +although I am grateful to you in the extreme, I would have preferred you +to have given orders to some of your servants. It is not seemly that +ladies such you are should wait upon me; it is not consistent with the +chivalry of a gentleman." + +"I understand your feelings on this subject," said Mrs. Carleton, "for +I, too, am a Virginian; but we have no servants now, and my friend and I +are glad that we can be useful. It is five days since your ship was +wrecked, therefore we know that you must have suffered greatly. Pray do +not be disturbed by seeing us doing what little we can to save you from +perishing; let me assure you that we are very happy to do our utmost." + +The young man bowed, his cheeks still wore the bright flush of fever +which heightened the intensity of his soft brown eyes, that beamed with +gratitude. + +"Do you say that you are a Virginian?" he inquired, addressing Mrs. +Carleton. + +"Yes," she answered; "we were in the Sir Walter Raleigh, too; that is to +say, my husband and child with myself, but I never saw any of the +passengers. I remained in my cabin all the time we were at sea." + +"I recollect you, now," he said. "I saw Colonel Carleton lift you and +your child into a boat when our ship went ashore." + +"Were you acquainted with Colonel Carleton?" she inquired. "He was my +husband." + +"We were not acquainted until we met on board, but during the several +weeks we were at sea we passed all the time together. You say he _was_ +your husband. Is it possible that generous-hearted man is lost?" + +Mrs. Carleton made an inclination with her head. + +"Forgive me," he said, "my conversation has caused you pain." + +"Please continue," she replied, "tell me all you know about him." + +"I witnessed many of his acts of kindness during our voyage, and +received kindness from him at what I suppose was the last moment of his +life. The boat you were in was full and I urged him to get into another +one, but he refused, saying, 'I can swim and you cannot.' At the same +moment he took hold of me and dropped me into the boat as easily as if I +were a child. You know how tall and powerful he was. The next instant +your boat was capsized and I saw Colonel Carleton leap into the sea and +swim toward you. His hand was almost upon your arm, when an enormous +wave swept him out of sight. The same wave capsized our boat, and the +next one threw me into the cove below. I might have got away before, but +part of a broken mast lay across my chest and I was entangled hand and +foot by the rigging. I could neither move nor call aloud. I heard voices +more than once, the voices of ladies. I believe it was your voice and +that of your friend, for I never knew my ear to deceive me. I saw +corpses lying all around me. The tide took them away and brought them +back again many times while I was there. All one night a dead hand lay +across my throat, but I could not disengage my hands to remove it. I had +no fever; I was conscious of everything. The tide was higher than usual +this morning. It lifted the mast and I crawled from under it." + +He appeared to suffer much from exhaustion and lay down again upon the +rugs, and closing his eyes remained silent. After a little rest, he +again sat up and resumed his conversation with Mrs. Carleton. + +"I have a great love of music," he began. "I left the colony of Virginia +with the intention of going to London, to perfect my study of that +divine art, under the direction of Orlando Gibbons. He is very young to +be a composer, but he is already of much renown." + +For some time he continued to speak fluently on the subject of music, a +subject of which the ladies perceived he was a complete master. As he +talked, he became full of enthusiasm, and that wondrous light which +belongs to genius alone illumined his beautiful, eyes and his whole soul +spoke through them. + +"Ah, my madrigals," said he, "they will yet be sung to His Majesty, King +James. My symphonies I shall submit to Orlando Gibbons, then I shall +hear them played by a full orchestra, the world will hear, then justice +will be accorded to me, the great masters will be my judges, genius such +as theirs allows them to be generous and true in their opinions of other +men. They will see me as I am. They will not condemn what they cannot +understand. They will not call my life useless, because my tastes, my +talents and my whole being compel me to be different from those among +whom I live. I cannot help it, and I would not if I could." + +An expression of mental pain passed over his face as he thus proceeded. +"Why did my uncle call my life and my work useless? It is hard to be +misunderstood. If I can create out of my own brain something that is +pure and beautiful, that gives happiness, that draws coarse natures away +from their coarseness, to feelings more elevated, that can bring to some +an ecstasy of delight, to others a sweet calm. If I follow a pursuit +which injures no human being, no living creature, why am I to endure +displeasure? Is it more manly, more noble to hunt the poor, panting deer +till it falls gasping on the ground, and then to save its life for the +purpose of chasing it again for sport? Is it more noble to ride races +till the horses drop down dead? Tell me, do such pursuits elevate or +brutalize?" + +Taking a roll of paper from his breast, he handed it to Mrs. Carleton, +saying, "I have a symphony here which I composed since I left my home; +would you like to look at it? I wish my twin brother Ronald could see +this; he understands me, and he will understand my music, although since +his accident, his hand can no longer obey his will; yet he will read my +symphony, aye, more, he will play it in his soul. With it you will find +a song also, the words and music are both mine; when you have read it, +will you hand it to your friend?" + +Mrs. Carleton took the roll of music into her hand, but observing that +the writing was almost obliterated from having been so long wet with sea +water, she passed it to Miss Vyvyan, who sat a little farther off, +desiring to spare him the pain of seeing that his composition was +destroyed. The many pages of music were entirely illegible, with the +exception of part of the refrain of the song, the words of which ran +thus:-- + + Bury me deep, + Where the surges sweep, + And the heaving billows moan. + +At the bottom was the name "Ralph." The following part of the signature +was destroyed. + +As Anna read over the words of the song, she could not help feeling that +they might be prophetic of what was very near. She folded the paper +together and returned it to him. + +"Is that your signature?" she asked. + +"Yes, that is my name," he replied. "Do you like music," he continued. + +"I do," she said. + +"How much do you like it?" + +"I like it to such a degree," she replied, "that I think life is not +life without music." + +"Ah, that is what I think," he said. "But I am exhausted. Ladies, will +you pardon me if I sleep a little while? I want to get back my strength, +that I may be able to wait upon you both, and make all the return in my +power for your great kindness to me." + +He soon fell into a restless, broken sleep, constantly murmuring to +himself incoherently. + +"Anna," said Mrs. Carleton, "he is very ill, and it is almost sunset, +and quite impossible for us to take him up to the castle. We must make +some shelter here for him; the breeze already comes in from the sea +much cooler, and the night will be cold." The ladies picked up loose +stones and planks and everything they could move, and formed a low wall +around him, making a place of shelter as large as a small room. They +then drew up a portion of a sail and laid it partially across for a +roof. He still slept, but as they looked at him, they saw the fever was +rapidly increasing; a still brighter flush was on his cheeks; his lips +were parched, and his breathing distressingly short and oppressed. + +"What can we do?" said Mrs. Carleton. "See there, Anna! The sun has gone +behind the hill to the west of the castle; it will soon be dark. It +would be terrible to leave him here to perish, for he needs great care, +beside the wolves may come, and he is too ill to defend himself. Do tell +me what you think it best to do?" + +"One of us must watch by him to-night, Ada," replied Miss Vyvyan, "and +if he should be better to-morrow, we may be able to get him up to the +castle. I must be the one to watch. Little Cora could not pass the night +without you, and even if she could, you are not well enough yet to be +out in the night air. Let me go up and get a few things such as he may +require. I will be back very quickly." + +When Miss Vyvyan entered the castle, the sun had set, and a dull gray +hue had settled upon every room. How dreary for poor Ada, she thought to +herself, here almost alone, with the death of her husband so recent, and +so vividly brought before her to-day. She at once thought of kindling a +fire as the only means she had of taking away some of the gloominess of +the place. She did so, and then spread a supper table as temptingly as +she could with the only food they had at command, and hastened back +again to the beach. + +"He still sleeps," said Mrs. Carleton, "but his fever is very high. It +distresses me to leave you here, Anna, and I would not, but for little +Cora's sake." + +"I understand you," replied Anna; "I shall always understand you. We are +not mistresses of our own destiny; we have to do what we can, not what +we wish. I know all that you would do if you could." + +As Mrs. Carleton took the child in her arms and turned her steps toward +the castle, the moon rose slowly from the sea and made a long, golden, +glimmering path from the horizon to the shore. It was the harvest moon, +which was almost at the full. The night was light and still, with the +exception of the sound of the waves, which broke upon the beach below in +one long, continuous moan. + +Anna watched beside her charge, sometimes moistening his parched lips, +sometimes arranging his improvised pillow, and listening to every sound +both near and distant, with that quick, discriminating sense of hearing +which we acquire from watching over those we love, and which she had +learned during the last illness of her mother. The night was now far +advanced. Close beside her came the quick, hard breathing, and the +indistinct murmuring of the sufferer. + +From down below, still arose the mournful tones of the heavily rolling +waves, and from the forest came the howling of the wolves, but she could +hear they were not near; and resolved if they should approach to scare +them away, by setting light to a pile of wood which Mrs. Carleton had +laid together for that purpose. + +As she sat there on the ground and realized her situation, a feeling +almost of terror came over her. During the past few years, she had gone +through the discipline of a long lifetime. This night, the past and +present seemed to combine to crush out the remnant of courage that had +been left to her. She buried her face in her hands and rocked to and +fro, struggling with her feeling, struggling with destiny, and +struggling to call back some of her former self; that as her day, so her +strength might be. + +At that moment, Ralph awoke; he turned his face on his pillow, and +regarding her with great earnestness, he said, "Where is Ronald, my +brother? I want him here now." + +Anna went nearer to him and, looking at the flushed face and the +brilliant, restless eyes, saw that he was delirious. + +"Ronald," he repeated. "Are you there?" + +"Perhaps he is near you," said Anna, wishing to solace him. + +"That is well," he answered. "I will play my new composition to him." + +He immediately began to move his hands over the rugs which covered him, +as if he were playing the organ. + +"Ah," said he, "that is the chord I sought,--thank heaven.--Listen to +this.--Hark, hear this resolution. Now do you see what that chord leads +up to?--How is that harmonic progression?--How does this sound?--I shall +have a double suspension there.--Ah, that is good.--Hark; now can you +hear the melody running through the minor?--Yes, the violoncellos come +in there,--so it must be.--More ink; quick, quick,--there is so much to +write and so little time." + +He sank down again, exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep. After an hour +he again awoke, the flush had left his cheek; he was very calm, and had +perfectly regained his senses. + +"I have been dreaming of my brother Ronald," he said. "I thought he was +here. Can you tell me what time it is?" + +"I think," replied Anna, "by the position of the moon, it must be an +hour past midnight." + +"I have been ill," he said, "but I feel better, much better; almost well +again. I want to thank you ladies for so much kind care of me; both Mrs. +Carleton and you, but I do not know what to call you. I did not hear +your name." + +"I do not wish you to thank me now," said Anna, "because you are too +weak to talk at present, but I will tell you my name. It is Anna +Vyvyan." + +"Vyvyan," he repeated. "I know that name; I will tell you all about it +to-morrow--I feel faint.--There is a great oppression at my +heart.--Those timbers crushed my chest.--I cannot breathe.--Raise me +up." + +Anna knelt on the ground beside him and raised him up as he desired. + +"Yes," he said, "tired, tired." + +The next moment a wonderful far-away look of rapture came over his +beautiful face, and then a pale shadow such as might be caused by the +passing flight of a bird;--his head fell upon her shoulder;--he was +dead. Anna laid his lifeless body gently down and watched beside it +through the silent hours of the night, gazing from time to time at the +finely-formed features. They had a fascination for her, and she could +not dispossess her mind of the thought that she had seen them before. + +The first few streaks of dawn came creeping over land and sea, and the +sun arose and shed a shimmering light on the surrounding islands, the +forest and the misty mountain tops. With daylight, the howling of the +wolves ceased, and the only signs of life were the sea gulls that +floated about near the shore or ran screaming along the beach devouring +their prey, and a pair of eagles which constantly hovered near and +swooped down close to where the dead man was lying. Anna covered the +cold, pale face and went nearer to protect it from any attack. + +The sun had not long risen when Mrs. Carleton with little Cora left the +castle. + +Anna heard their voices, and went to meet them. "I must be careful how I +speak," she said, addressing Mrs. Carleton, "for I feel sure Cora +understands much more than she can find language to express, but I have +to tell you that ever since about an hour after midnight I have been all +alone. He sleeps." + +The ladies gave the child some shells to play with, and went to where +his body lay. They drew the sail over the low wall which they had made +around him and completely covered in the little room. + +"That will keep any eagles or wolves away while daylight lasts," said +Mrs. Carleton, "but we must bury the poor fellow's body before night. +The thought of having it devoured or mutilated when it is in our power +to prevent it, is more than either of us could bear, for in addition to +the forlorn state that we found him in, his genius and his gentle +breeding made both of us take an interest in him. Beside, his being a +Virginian, and the last person to speak with Dudley, gave him a claim on +my friendship." + +They went up to the castle and did not return until just before sunset, +when they brought with them many beautiful wild flowers, which, as we +have said, abounded on the island. They also gathered branches of the +fragrant fir balsam, with which they lined the fissure in the rock on +which Ralph's body was lying. Folding around the latter a robe of rich +brocade, they lowered it tenderly into the tomb that nature had wrought. +As Anna laid the face cloth over the marble features, she started back. +The resemblance which had attracted and held her attention during the +night, had come out vividly since the morning. The likeness was to her +own mother, and was as marked as if Ralph had been her son. They covered +his silken winding-sheet with flowers until the sepulchre was filled, +then they laid flat stones across his resting place, and began to build +a cairn over all. They continued building until the sun went down, +little Cora bringing stones in her baby hands and placing them with the +same precision that she saw her mother and Miss Vyvyan were doing. + +"We have made everything secure now, Anna," said Mrs. Carleton, "but we +will come again to-morrow and add more stones to the cairn, and every +time we come to the beach we will do the same. Will you take charge of +the manuscript? We do not know what the future may bring. He wished his +brother Ronald to see it, and we may, perhaps, some day have it in our +power to carry out his wish. Now we will go back to the castle, for I +see you are in great need of rest." + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes, + Misprising what they look on + . . . . . to her + All matter else seems weak; she cannot love, + Nor take no shape nor project of affection, + She is so self-endeared. + + +The maple leaves had turned from rose and crimson to orange, then to +pale yellow and to brown, and had fallen to the earth, for it was now +almost Christmas, but no snow was as yet on the ground. The ladies had +made all the rooms which they occupied in the tower very comfortable and +homelike, although they could neither of them bring themselves to speak +of the place by the name of home, for that was a sacred word to both of +them. They always spoke of their dwelling-place as the castle. We have +already said that the views from every room in the tower were of +exceeding loveliness. Most of the windows overlooked the islands, many +of which were far away, others perhaps only two or three miles off. At +one time, their beauty would be softened and half obscured by mist, at +another they would appear to be lifted up into the sky by the effect of +the mirage. At times a heavy sea fog hung over the island and obscured +every distant object, and to the nearer ones gave a weird and spectral +look. + +Just at daylight one morning, when the fog was coming in from the ocean, +the ladies were awakened by the lowing of cattle. On looking down from +the tower windows, they saw some cows come out from under the trees and +pass along close to the walls of the building. They scarcely had time to +express their surprise to each other, before it was much heightened by +the appearance of a woman, who followed the animals out of the forest +and drove them quickly across the grass which had formerly been the +courtyard of the castle, to a high mound a little way to the north of +it, there both she and the cattle disappeared in the fog and among a +thick growth of spruces. The woman's movements were quick and firm, and +she stepped as one who not only possessed determination, but defiance +also. She was tall and gaunt and bony, possibly not fifty years old, but +her hair which hung loose in disheveled entanglement, was as white as if +she were eighty. She had large black eyes that flashed upon every object +that she looked at. She wore a red dress, which reached only a little +below her knees. On her feet she had a pair of heavy, high boots, such +as are worn by cavalry soldiers. Her head was partially covered by an +old cotton handkerchief which had once been of many bright colors. + +"Did you hear what language she spoke," said Miss Vyvyan? + +"I caught the sound of a few words somewhat like Italian, but it was not +Italian." + +"I heard it," replied Mrs. Carleton. "I believe it was Spanish, but she +passed so quickly I could not hear distinctly, or I should have +understood her." + +All that day the ladies remained in doors. They watched in the direction +of the mound, but nothing was to be seen which would lead them to +suppose that any dwelling was near to them; and so the time passed until +night covered the island with darkness. They had put little Cora to bed, +and were, according to their usual habit, sitting beside her in Mrs. +Carleton's room. The night was unusually cold. It seemed as if winter +had really sent in its heralds in advance, to announce its near +approach. The wind howled and shrieked through the rooms which +surrounded them up stairs, and groaned and roared in the many passages +and apartments down below. Their glowing log fire was so acceptable to +them, that they were loath to leave it, and so they sat talking together +until midnight. They had gained a very good idea of time by observing +the sun and moon, and were also greatly aided by the ebb and flow of the +tide. They knew exactly the high-water mark, by certain rocks; they knew +that it took so many hours to ebb and so many to flow, and they had +become so familiar with the sound of the outgoing and incoming tide, +that even in the darkness of night, they did not feel at a loss. + +"It is past midnight, Anna," said Mrs. Carleton, going to one of the +windows and leaning out to listen, "The tide has just turned. Come +here," she continued. "What is that rising above the mound?" + +"Sparks of fire and wood smoke," replied Miss Vyvyan. "There must be a +dwelling of some kind there. That is probably where the woman went to +with the cows, but it is strange that we have never seen anything of it +before to-night." + +The intense cold of the next day warned the ladies that they must use +dispatch in finishing their arrangements, in order to be able to meet +the exigencies that a severe winter night might bring upon them. During +the two months they had been living in the castle, they had employed +themselves continually in bringing in supplies of all kinds, until they +felt they had ample stores to last them for a very long time, but they +were all in the rooms down stairs; and as the distance from the tower +was so great, and the weather so severe, they decided to make a +storeroom up stairs, on the same floor as that on which they lived. They +had been busy for some time, packing and carrying up their requirements, +little Cora, as usual, just as active as themselves, taking up her loads +and returning for more; her tiny feet pattering up and down the long, +stone staircase, flitting back and forth between her mother and Anna, +with her own peculiar, light, swift, graceful movement, which was like +that of a bird. + +All at once, they each missed the return of the child; but as the ladies +were in separate parts of the castle, they each of them thought she had +remained with the other. After some time had elapsed, they began to +feel anxious, and each sought the other. + +Meeting on the stairs, the question "Where is Cora?" came from the lips +of each of them at the same moment; then a hurried explanation, and a +terrible feeling of horror. They ran in every direction, calling her +name. They separated and went different ways; they met again and went in +search of her together. Could it be possible that she had gone up the +watch tower, and fallen from the battlements. They flew up the tower +stairs and looked over. They rushed down again and out into the court +yard; no sound, no sign of the child. In the agony of their distress, +they went into every room and opened every great chest, every large +piece of furniture. + +"Oh Anna," cried Mrs. Carleton, "that woman we saw, do you think she has +stolen my child; perhaps put her to death. We must go to the mound where +we saw her go." + +They followed the tracks of the cattle, and pushed their way through the +trees for a short distance, till they came to the almost bare mound; it +was high and long; near the base was an opening of irregular shape, +which was evidently the entrance, but it was partly closed by an old, +broken door. They had gone within a few feet of it, when the door was +violently thrown down, and the gaunt woman in the same strange dress +stood in the doorway, brandishing a rusty sword at them, and speaking +rapidly in a peculiarly harsh and high pitched voice. She spoke in +Spanish, which Mrs. Carleton perfectly understood, and which she, also, +spoke fluently. + +"Go hence," said the woman. "What seek you here? I am Louisita, and all +that you see here is mine; my land, my trees, my seashore; hence I say, +away with you, or this sword pierces the heart of both." + +"Pray, hear me one moment," pleaded Mrs. Carleton, "I am in the greatest +distress." + +"What care I for your distress, have I not enough of my own without +listening to yours? Off with you." + +"Only a few words," again entreated Mrs. Carleton. "I want to--" + +"You may want, I heed that not. I want myself; I have nothing to give +you. I would not give you anything, if I had it. You are intruders on +this island. I saw you arrive, and the men you brought with you. Ha! ha! +You meant them to land here. Where are they now? I saw it all, ha! ha! +ha! You may wait for their return; they have made a long voyage, so long +that they will never come back; glad, glad, I hate the accursed sex, +they caused all my suffering; twenty years entombed here, through their +state of mad intoxication. If only one of that great band of pirates had +remained sober, I might have got away." + +"Do let me ask you, have you seen my child?" said Mrs. Carleton. "I +entreat you to tell me." + +"See your child. I saw you take food to one of the accursed sex. I saw +you try to make him live. I despise you for it. Why should he live to +drink, drink, and bring misery on me and all women? I tell you again I +hate them for their love of drink. I hold them in contempt for their +weakness. The ocean did well to swallow them down, just as their +brothers swallowed down the fiery drink on that fearful night when the +great tower fell and crushed a hundred of them." + +"Do, I implore you, say if my child strayed anywhere in your sight?" +cried Mrs. Carleton, overcome with anguish. "We have lost her." + +"Lost her; lost her; seen her;" echoed Louisita very slowly, and making +a long pause as if to collect her thoughts, she added, "The child was +young and the wolf was hungry." + +As Mrs. Carleton translated the last sentence to Miss Vyvyan, she fell +fainting into Anna's arms. + +"Do not heed what she says, dear Ada; let us believe the best until we +know the worst. Cora may have fallen asleep in some of the nooks in the +building, and so did not hear us call her." + +The ladies returned to the castle. Miss Vyvyan was also under the most +intense apprehension, but she concealed her feelings from Mrs. Carleton. + +"Which room were you in, Ada, when you missed Cora? She may, as I said, +be asleep, and perhaps she is among some of the bales in one of the +storerooms." + +"I was down at the end of the passage," replied Mrs. Carleton, "in the +largest room. We will go there first." + +They went down and searched the room, but could not find Cora. As they +came out of it they heard a sound which seemed to come from under +ground. They ran to the half-dark stairway which they had seen when they +blocked up the north door. The sound was more distinct; it was Cora's +voice in conversation. Who could have taken her down to that +subterranean place? They did not hesitate an instant, but descended the +stairs as quickly as the darkness would admit, and found themselves in a +dungeon where there was just sufficient light to see that an uncovered +well was close beside the path which they were following. The talking +had ceased. The silence was profound and added still greater gloom to +the place. They both stood bending over the well and looking down into +the depth of water which was black and silent. They each looked at the +other. They read the thoughts which passed through each other's mind. +They neither of them spoke. They did not dare to. While they still stood +bending over the well, straining both eyes and ears to the utmost, +little Cora's voice came again. It seemed close to them; they could not +distinguish any words, but the tones were those of her usual pretty baby +prattle. Was that voice from the spirit land? They could see nothing but +the gray stone walls of the dungeon, the dark, open well and some large, +loose stones, which had heavy iron chains with rings attached to them, +and which had in former years been fastened to the ankles of the +prisoners and worn by them till death relieved them of their burden. +Just in the same way as many of the poor victims of imperial tyranny are +to-day doomed to drag their chains and weights while they labor in the +mines of Siberia. Again came Cora's voice as if from the further corner +of the dungeon. The ladies stumbled among the loose stones in the +semi-darkness, Anna, who was more robust and the taller of the two, +folding her arms around Mrs. Carleton to support her, and both of them +feeling their way lest they should fall into any other well or +excavation. Arrived at the corner they saw a gleam of light, which came +in a slanting direction through a large hole in the wall. They still +heard the little voice and determined to follow it. The hole would only +admit of their crawling in on their hands and knees. This they did for +several yards, until everything was in complete darkness, and they found +they were against a wall straight in front of them, and could go no +further. The passage was too narrow for them to turn round and come out, +the top of it was so low it nearly touched their heads as they crawled +along. The air was oppressive, and suffocation almost overpowered them, +but they could still hear the voice which seemed nearer. Feeling the +walls carefully with their hands, they found that a sharp turn to the +right, led along in a direct line toward the sound. This passage was +also dark, and as narrow almost as a coffin. They continued crawling for +several yards more, sometime cutting their arms with the broken stones +which covered the bottom, and sometimes placing one of their hands upon +some cold substance which moved and felt as if it might be a lizard or a +sleeping snake. They neither called nor spoke, for they feared someone +might have the child, who would run away with her, if warned of their +approach, so they determined to come upon them suddenly. They were +greatly exhausted, but they struggled on. + +At length daylight appeared at the end of the subterranean passage, and +in another moment they emerged from it and stood in a large stone hall, +amply lighted from above by open iron gratings and loopholes in the +walls; through one of the latter, a bright gleam of light fell like a +halo upon the sweet, fair face and the golden head of the child, who was +sitting on the floor, with a portion of her little white dress folded +around a kitten, which she was rocking in her arms and talking to. Happy +as was her wont and all unconscious of the flight of time and the +anxiety that she had caused, she seemed to have made some little +exploration of her own since she had been there and wanted to show her +discovery, just the same as Mrs. Carleton and Miss Vyvyan were always +doing to one another. + +"Come," said she, getting up from the floor and taking her mother's +hand, "funny sing down dare; Anna too," she continued, and stretching +out her other hand, she caught hold of the folds of Miss Vyvyan's dress, +and drew her along also, leading them both across the hall to a large +gate of iron bars. It was locked, and closed the entrance to a broad +stone passage. + +"Down dare, funny sing," she went on, pointing to a skeleton, which lay +just inside, and so near to the gate that one hand had been thrust out +between the bars and the bones of it were lying close to their feet. A +great quantity of long black hair still remained about the skull, in the +midst of which was a Mexican ear-ring of elaborate workmanship. +Everything told them that the skeleton was that of a woman. Glancing +round the hall, the ladies could not see any door. How did Cora get +there? Before they had time to inquire, little Cora saw something inside +the gate, and with her usual quick movement, she swiftly passed her tiny +hand between the closely placed iron bars and from a small heap of +debris of finger bones, drew out a richly chased gold ring, inscribed +with the name of "Inez;" set in it was a large ruby in the form of a +heart. + +The child who possessed as part of her inheritance a fine, sensitive +instinct, looking at her mother, observed that her long silken eyelashes +were wet with tears, and that traces of recent mental agony lingered on +her face. In an instant, the dear little soul strove to comfort and +cheer, after the manner so often employed by each of her guardians +toward herself. Holding up the ring in one hand, and clinging round her +mother with the other, she said, + +"See, mama, Cora dot pitty sing for mama. Don't ky, don't ky, Cora loves +mama." + +"Sweet child," exclaimed Anna, taking her up into her arms and holding +her to her heart. "Sweet child, more precious to us every day, for each +one reveals some new beauty of character, some still more lovable +trait. Come, dear Ada, come away," she continued. "I will carry Cora. +How did my little godchild come here?" she said, addressing the little +one in her arms. + +"Kitta doe," answered Cora. + +"Yes darling, where did kitta go?" + +"By dare," said the child, pointing to a massive column, one side of +which was built close to the wall and had the appearance of being placed +there as a support, but was in reality to conceal a doorway which led to +a flight of stairs between two walls. + +The ladies went up, Miss Vyvyan carrying Cora. They soon found +themselves in one of the rooms which was nearly filled with firearms and +other implements of warfare. The entrance to it at the top of the stairs +was concealed in the same manner as the doorway below, and but for Cora +following the little white kitten, the ladies might have lived many +years in the castle and never have seen it. The subterranean passage +into which they accidentally crawled, had been made for a place of +concealment in case of a sudden attack upon the castle. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, + That host with their banners at sunset was seen: + Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown, + That host on the morrow lay withered and strown. + + For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, + And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed; + And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, + And their hearts but once heaved and forever grew still. + + * * * * * + + And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal; + And the might of the Gentile unsmote by the sword, + Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! + + +Christmas had come and gone, and the snow was lying deep on the ground. +They had seen nothing of Louisita since the day Cora was lost. + +"I wonder," said Mrs. Carleton, "how that poor woman, Louisita, exists? +for I think from what I saw the day we went to her, that she is all +alone, and if you recollect, she said something to that effect. I fear +she suffers in this cold weather. You saw, of course, that it was no +kind of a house that she came out of." + +"Yes," replied Miss Vyvyan, "it appeared to be only a mound of earth." + +"I want to take her some food," continued Mrs. Carleton. "Do you think +we can get there through the snow?" + +"I can carry Cora," replied Miss Vyvyan, "if you can take the food." + +Mrs. Carleton filled a box with both food and fruit, and the ladies, +with little Cora, went forth to visit Louisita. + +She met them in the same manner as before, not allowing them to come +very near to the opening, and brandishing the old sword. + +"If that child were one of the accursed sex," she said, with a malicious +look, "I would sever its head from its body." + +The child could not, of course, understand her language, but she read +the look, and clasping her arms closely around Anna's neck, she buried +her face on her shoulder. + +"Will you accept of this?" said Mrs. Carleton, speaking very gently, and +at the same time lifting the lid of the box. + +Louisita sprang at the contents as a famished tigress might have sprung +upon some long-sought prey. Jerking the box out of Mrs. Carleton's +hands, she put it on the ground, and again raised her sword. "Hence," +she cried, "all of you; no one enters here. Ha, what do I see; stop, +stop," she screamed. "Donna Inez, my lady, Donna Inez. Where did you get +that ring," she continued, pointing to Mrs. Carleton's finger, on which +she wore the ring that Cora had found. "That is the ring Donna Inez wore +the night they murdered her. Yes, the accursed sex murdered her, the +night they drank out of the skulls till they were all mad, mad, and the +great tower fell upon them; ha, ha, ha. Who will drink out of their +skulls when they find them? More of the accursed sex, they who make laws +to command women, and who cannot command themselves. Away with you. I +tell you to go, you are intruders." + +"I fear your dress is not warm enough," said Mrs. Carleton. "You must +suffer from the cold." + +"Suffer," shrieked Louisita, "I have known nothing else than suffering +for twenty winters and summers, and they the accursed sex caused it all +by their passion for the fiery cup; it soddened their brains; it +poisoned every good feeling in their hearts. It buried my husband under +the ruins of the tower; it bereft me of my home; it caused my two babes +to die of cold and hunger in this tomb." + +"Poor Louisita," said Mrs. Carleton, "if you will come back with us to +the castle I will find some warm dresses and other comforts for you." + +"Never," she replied; "it is haunted. I have not been into it since I +came away with my babes the morning after the tower fell." + +"Why do you think it is haunted?" asked Mrs. Carleton. + +"I know it is because I hear them shrieking in the night, and I hear +Donna Inez calling, 'Open the gate'." + +"I will not ask you to come inside, Louisita, but if you will only come +up the outside steps to the door I will get you anything you wish for." + +"I want food; I want warm clothes; I want something to cover my bed." + +"You shall have it," said Mrs. Carleton. "I feel very sorry for you; I +wish to make you happy." + +"Ha! ha! happy," she repeated. Then looking toward Miss Vyvyan she +continued, "Make her take that child out of my sight. She brings it here +to mock me. I will run my sword through her heart if ever she brings +that child here again." + +"She does not bring my child here to mock you, Louisita. She is my +friend, and loves my child, and we could not leave it alone. My friend +always goes where I go, for fear anything might befall me. She cannot +speak Spanish or she would explain all to you." + +"Go away with you," said Louisita; "go get the things for me. I will +come for them when I am ready, but I will not put my foot over the door +sill." + +"All things considered, Ada," said Miss Vyvyan, "I think it is well that +Louisita is afraid to go into the castle, for she appears to be of a +spiteful nature, and might try to do Cora some harm, but we will never +again let the child be out of sight." + +Mrs. Carleton prepared for Louisita's arrival by placing a number of +things of all kinds in the hall near to the entrance which the ladies +used. In a little while she came, still in the same short red gown and +cavalry boots, bearing the old sword in her hand. + +"Where are my things?" she demanded of Mrs. Carleton, speaking in the +same defiant tone as usual. "Bring them here to the door. I told you I +would not enter. That belonged to Donna Inez," she said, taking up a +dress, "and that was Don Alphonzo's," seizing hold of the red velvet +cloak which the ladies had found in the library. + +"Wrap the cloak about your shoulders, Louisita," said Mrs. Carleton; "it +will keep you warm." + +"I will not," she answered, fiercely; "it belonged to one of the +accursed sex; he died through drinking of the fiery cup; he caused the +death of many through the same thing." + +"Perhaps you will wear this, Louisita," said Mrs. Carleton, offering her +one of the best and warmest table covers that she and Miss Vyvyan had +brought from the wreck. + +"Yes," said she, "I will; give me another for my bed." + +"Let me go, Ada," said Miss Vyvyan, who had hitherto been standing far +back in the hall with Cora. "I know where we put one that will please +her, for I see that she likes red," and taking Cora up in her arms she +disappeared. + +"Why does she take that child everywhere," asked Louisita. + +"I told you just now," replied Mrs. Carleton, "that my friend loves my +child, and they are always happy together." + +"Does she think she is happy?" said Louisita, "what a fool she must be; +she is not happy, you are not happy, I am not happy. Oh, the fool, she +has not sense enough to know that she is not happy." + +Just at this junction Miss Vyvyan returned with Cora on one arm, and +the other one loaded with warm, bright-colored articles, such as she +felt sure Louisita would like. As she approached the door, where the +woman stood, and passed the things to Mrs. Carleton, the child again +clung tightly as before to Anna, who hastily went back to the end of the +hall. + +"Tell the fool to go away out of my sight with that child," said +Louisita, "and I will tell you about this place. I will not tell her +because she mocks me by bringing the child to remind me of my dead +babes--my babes who were famished to death." + +Miss Vyvyan went to the green parlor with little Cora, and Louisita +began her narrative. + +"I was born in Spain. When I was a young woman, Donna Inez was married +to Don Alphonzo in Madrid. She engaged me for her waiting woman. I was +married directly after to one of Don Alphonzo's sailors. We came to this +island in one of the Don's ships. The castle was most gorgeously +furnished with the spoils of almost every country in the world. I +thought Don Alphonzo was a great noble, so did my husband, for he was so +called in Spain, but soon my husband told me that the Don and all his +men were buccaneers. Donna Inez did not know the truth until after we +came here. We tried to get away, but that was impossible. The Don +brought the richest dresses and jewels to make the Donna like her home, +but he could not succeed. Many wrecks I have seen in just the same place +you were wrecked in; Don Alphonzo and his crew burned false signals at +night, they hoisted false colors by day, they drew the unfortunate ships +to their doom; the Don had a hundred men in this castle, ready to obey +his commands at any moment. They had uniforms and flags of many nations, +which they used as disguises and decoys. They robbed the vessels which +fell into their hands, they killed some of their crews, some they sold +into slavery, and others who refused to commit murder, they chained to +great stones down in the middle dungeon. That was called the 'dungeon of +death,' for they kept the men there until they died of starvation, and +when they died, they threw their bodies into the well. My husband, Juan, +was put into that dungeon, because he would not kill a Spanish boy who +was taken prisoner, but Donna Inez made the Don release him, for we +thought Juan would help us to get away. The Donna had promised to give +him half of her jewels, if he would find some way to get us back to +Spain, but he made himself powerless, he soddened his brain, he murdered +his manly feelings; he was once good and brave and I loved him with all +the intensity and devotion of a true woman, but he learned to value +strong drink more than my affection, he killed my love, he drowned it in +the fiery cup, and I grew to despise and loath him. Don Alphonzo was +worse than Juan, for he had so much learning and so much power and he +turned it all to a bad use. He blasted other lives by his own evil +example. Out of his wickedness grew the curse which fell upon me, but +he has met with retribution." + +"Poor Louisita," said Mrs. Carleton, speaking very gently, "What can I +do for you?" + +"Nothing," she replied. "Let me tell you the rest. One night the Don and +his crew came back with the greatest prize they ever seized. The men +were summoned to unload the ship. They made immense fires from the +castle to the beach, and by their glare they robbed the merchants of +their valuable cargo. It was near midnight before their rapacity was +satisfied. Don Alphonzo ordered the vessel to remain where she laid +until daybreak, when he intended to set her adrift, with all her crew on +board, that he might see them dashed on to those rocks which you see +down yonder. The Don then commanded a feast to be set in the banqueting +hall, in the base of the north tower. He ordered every man in the castle +to attend the revel, that they might rejoice over their great prize. +They all went; the wine flowed like water; they went down to the +banqueting hall by a secret stairway; they passed along a stone passage, +which was closed by an iron gate. The banqueting hall had no windows; +they always held their revels there, that they might not be surprised by +any enemy, for no light could be seen outside, and no one could tell +that they were carousing. I listened on the secret stairs until their +loud shouting had ceased, and I knew that the strong drink had soddened +their brains, and paralyzed their arms. I ran to Donna Inez; I dressed +her in the richest brocade; I covered her neck and arms with jewels of +fabulous worth, for I knew the effect of costly attire upon the accursed +sex whose help we needed. I made ready some caskets of jewels to take +with us. I told the Donna all that I had heard of the ship lying there +till morning, and we resolved to let the captain know that the Don and +all his men were powerless, and to offer him the Donna's jewels if he +would take us away. We knew he would be glad to escape; we knew he would +be glad of the jewels, for they would make him very rich. We were ready +to leave the castle. My babes were very young; they were asleep in a +large basket; I could easily carry them to the beach. We heard a sound +like a moan; it seemed far off, then a distant rumble, but nearer than +the first sound; next a terrific roar; another and a fearful crash, +crash. For a moment the whole castle trembled; a flash of light lit up +the place; the north tower was wrecked from top to bottom; the walls +fell inward; they fell as you see them lying now, for no hand has +touched them since. We knew an earthquake had occurred. My babes awoke +and screamed; I tried to quiet them, and to hold Donna Inez back, but +she tore herself away; she was panic stricken; she did not know what she +did; she said something to me as she ran out of her room about seeking +protection; she rushed down the stairs in the direction of the +banqueting hall; she never came up them again. As soon as I had hushed +my babes I followed her. She was inside the iron gate; it had closed +upon her as she passed through. It could only be opened by those who +understood the secret spring. There was no one who could come to show us +how to open it. We could not break the gate; that was impossible. We saw +that the further end of the castle was stopped, all filled up with +immense blocks of stone which had crashed in when the tower fell. Don +Alphonzo and more than a hundred men lay under the ruins; they shrieked +and groaned there all through the night. Donna Inez became frantic. She +dashed herself against the iron bars like some newly caged bird. In the +morning when the sun came up from the sea she was dead. I looked for the +ship; it had sailed. I had almost lost the power of moving, but the +cries of my babes called me back to activity. I gathered some covering +and some other things and took them to the Vikings' tomb. I tore away +the earth to make an entrance. We lived there till cold and hunger +killed my babes. I have lived there ever since. Nothing could induce me +ever to enter the castle again." + +"Why do you call it the Vikings' tomb, Louisita?" asked Mrs. Carleton. + +"That was what Don Alphonzo called it. I think he knew for he was a man +of much learning, although he had no sense. He said the Vikings built +the castle very long ago, and lived here for two hundred years till a +great pestilence prevailed among them, and so many died of it that the +remaining ones deserted the place. He said the Indians cast a spell over +the Vikings and bewitched them, because the Indians used to live here +in wigwams before the Vikings came and drove them away from their own +land, and would not allow them to bury their dead among their +forefathers, for they have a burial place on this island. It is down +there just below the swamp where I saw you gathering flowers one day +soon after you came here. There is a large elm tree down there, the only +one near. The Indians are buried there all round it. They always had an +elm tree in that place. They have a secret charm by which they keep it +there. The Vikings cut down their elm many times, but it sprung up again +in the night, and was as tall and large as ever the next day. When we +came here Don Alphonzo had their tree cut down every day, but it always +came up again just the same. At last he was afraid the Indian spirits +would cast a spell over him, too, so he let their elm alone. The Indians +still bury their dead under it, but no one ever sees them arrive. They +come in the night. An elm will always grow there till the two thousand +years for which they have their charm has expired. After that time there +will never be another." + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + A fool, a fool!--I met a fool i' the forest. + + +The first winter which the ladies and little Cora passed on the island, +was unusually severe, but they had expected and prepared for it; and the +winter scene was so novel to them, and fraught with so much beauty, that +they never wearied of it. Besides the constant occupation in their +housekeeping and attending to Cora, and also caring for Louisita, and +providing her with all the comforts they had in their power to take to +her, for she still insisted in living in the Vikings' tomb, which she +never permitted them to enter. + +Spring came at last, and with it returned to the island the robins, the +song thrushes, the beautiful golden orioles, and the humming birds, all +of which had gone southward at the beginning of winter. The wood violets +and the trailing arbutus blossomed among the grass. The spruces and +pines put forth their young buds, and the whole island wore a garb of +beauty. + +The little family of three, spent much time out of doors, and visited +the beach almost daily, for they all loved the sea, especially little +Cora; and to enhance her happiness was the first desire of both of the +ladies. They frequently wandered around Ralph's grave, and never omitted +adding a stone to the cairn, which they had raised to his memory. +Little Cora with her tiny hands, always placing her own mite to the +pile. As the child grew stronger, they took longer walks, and taught her +from the book of nature as they went along, for Nature's lessons in +geology, and botany, and natural history, lay all around them. + +They had by this, brought their lives into the same degree of system and +order, as that in which they had each of them been educated in their +respective homes; the want of which during the first part of their +residence on the island they greatly missed. They now divided their +days, and had regular hours for certain occupations, and they made a +compact, that they would always be cheerful in the presence of the +child, and meet their destiny bravely, that they might not give a somber +tinge to her young life. Everything went well with them as far as might +be, excepting that Louisita, who had the control over three cows, would +never let them have a drop of milk for Cora. The child had for a long +while after their coming, constantly repeated at every meal "Dinah, bing +milk." She seemed to think her negress nurse was somewhere near her, and +was able to bring anything she wished for, as formerly. + +Her demands for milk, had ceased for a week or two, when one morning she +again begged for it, and when told she could not have any, a look of +extreme repression of feeling came over her features. She did not cry, +or in any way show temper. The food was distasteful to the poor little +thing; and the look of forced endurance, one may say that forced +resignation and endurance combined, which we sometimes see in older +faces and which is utterly discordant with their reasoning faculties, +was distressing to behold in one so young. The child could not +understand why she was not to have milk; but the brave spirit of her +mother was her birthright, and like her mother, she endured +disappointment without a murmur. + +"This must not be any longer, Ada," said Miss Vyvyan. "It is too much +for you to witness, and for Cora to suffer. That dear child shall have +some milk. I will learn how, and I will milk one of those cows, whether +Louisita's sword kills me or not." + +"Dear Anna," said Mrs. Carleton, "I pray you do not expose yourself to +danger; do not be rash. Why what has come to you? I never heard you +speak like that before." + +"I know it, Ada, but you never saw me so placed else you would have. I +detest selfishness, and you have been so kind to Louisita, and she is +aware how precious Cora is to us. You know we shall not be depriving her +of anything, because she told us she threw most of the milk away; but +she encourages the cows to come here in order to keep them tame. You +recollect that she told you the rest of the herd which stay on the other +side of the island have become wild." + +"I, of course, know that we should not be depriving Louisita," said Mrs. +Carleton; "but I fear so much that she may hurt you." + +"Only teach me a few words of Spanish, Ada," said Miss Vyvyan, "and I +will put that out of her power. Teach me to say I am a spirit, you +cannot harm me." + +"I am afraid, Anna; for your own sake I would not have you go." + +"I am not in the least afraid of her," replied Miss Vyvyan. "I have +always done my best to help her, and I certainly intend to continue to +be kind to her, because she needs help; but I never submit to injustice +being done either to my friends or to myself. I consider it unjust to +throw away the milk which Cora so much requires." + +With those words Miss Vyvyan left the room. In a few minutes she +returned. + +"Ada," said she, addressing Mrs. Carleton, "my good old guardian, Sir +Thomas, used to say 'All is fair in love and in war.' Now I am going to +unite both love and war, for as I love you and Cora I must in all honor +defend you both, just as some gallant knight would do if he were here. +Put your hand on my shoulder and feel what is there." + +Mrs. Carleton did so. + +"Why, what have you under your dress?" said she. + +"A whole suit of chain armor, Ada, that's all, and a helmet of the same +under this lace scarf on my head. Louisita won't have the pleasure of +piercing my heart this time, and when she finds that she cannot, she +will think the spirits are round me, or that I am like the Indians and +have a charm. I am going now; the cows are in sight. I saw how Louisita +milked, and I think I can do it. Look down from the window, Ada, and see +the fun." + +"Anna be back," said the child, looking up with a face more full of +anxious desire than inquiry. + +"Yes, precious one," replied Miss Vyvyan, "Anna will come back." + +No sooner had Miss Vyvyan approached the cow and was endeavoring to +imitate as well as she could Louisita's way of milking, than the latter +came striding out of the mound wearing her cavalry boots and flourishing +her sword, exclaiming, as usual: + +"Hence; away, away; all here is mine. Touch not that cow. I will pierce +your heart." + +Miss Vyvyan who heard it all did not take any notice of her, but went on +with apparent indifference, pursuing her lacteal occupation. Louisita +stood over her and went through all the sword exercises that she was +mistress of. Still Miss Vyvyan continued her endeavor to milk, unharmed +either by cut or thrust. Presently, turning to Louisita, she repeated +her Spanish lesson as well as she could in the midst of her laughter. + +"It is the fool who is laughing," said Louisita, looking up at Mrs. +Carleton, who was leaning out of one of the tower windows. "It is the +fool, who has not sense enough to know that she is not happy. I shall +never interfere with her again; she can have all the milk she wishes +for; she has a charmed life." + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + The quality of mercy is not strained; + It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, + Upon the place beneath. It is twice bless'd. + It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. + 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest. + + +Summers and winters went by; five years had passed since the family had +been cast on the island; they had watched from the tower almost daily +for a white sail, but none had ever appeared, and yet they always +continued to hope that the day would come, and they struggled within +themselves to be patient and cheerful. Sometimes the thought would take +possession of the mind of each of the ladies, that one or other of them +might die, and how terrible it would be for the one who was left, and +worse still a thousand times, both of them might die and leave Cora; but +neither of them would ever breathe a word which could convey such an +idea to the other; and when such thoughts and feelings oppressed them, +they took the best method of dispelling their anxiety by engaging +themselves in some active occupation. They made a pretty garden for +summer enjoyment out of doors, and another for winter in one of the +large rooms, by filling boxes and chests with earth. They always had +beautiful flowers in their parlor, which was a great source of delight +to Cora, as well as to her guardians. The two guitars which they had +found in the castle, they strung with wire, and managed to have some +music every evening in the twilight; then they had a time set apart, +also in the early part of the evening, which they called Cora's hour. +For that period, they devoted themselves wholly to the recital of such +subjects as were suitable and pleasant to her, and which they varied +every day in the week, weaving each recital into a little story, +sometimes telling from history; at another time, Mrs. Carleton would +compose a story about Virginian life, and Miss Vyvyan would tell one +about foreign countries; but the hour Cora liked best, was the one +devoted to poetry and fairy tales. She was now in her eighth year, and +could read very well; but there were no fairy tales among the numerous +books in the library, so the ladies repeated them from memory. When the +friends had put Cora to bed, they always remained together during the +rest of the evening, working, and reading aloud to each other, making +new dresses for Cora, who grew very fast, or planning some pleasant +surprise for her, and as far as their present position allowed, always +considering the child's future, and in what manner it was their duty to +educate her, so that she might be best prepared to encounter any of the +reverses or changes of condition, which fate brings into the lives of so +many of us. + +Louisita had taught the ladies how to poison some of the provisions with +a plant which grew in the woods, and by so doing, and laying the +poisoned food about the ground, they had destroyed nearly all the +wolves, and now wandered about the island where they desired, making +expeditions in search of flowers, or having little picnics for Cora in +the woods, and visiting Ralph's cairn without their former fear. They +had all been spending a long summer afternoon on the beach, the ladies +seated on the rocks between Ralph's cairn and the sea, Mrs. Carleton +working on a dress, that she was making for Louisita, Miss Vyvyan +reading aloud, and Cora filling in the small open spaces in the cairn, +with little stones of her own selecting. The sun had gone behind the +hill on the western side of the castle, when the little party left +Ralph's cairn and strolled along the shore, as they returned homeward, +gathering the beautiful sea-pea blossoms on their way. + +"Anna," said Mrs. Carleton, "we have not seen Louisita to-day; shall we +go to the mound and tell her that her dress will be finished in the +morning, perhaps that would please her?" + +"I am ready," replied Miss Vyvyan, "to go anywhere you please, Ada; you +always know the right thing to do." + +"May I stay a little way off with Anna," said Cora, "not far; I am +afraid of Louisita, but I want to be near you mama, to take care of you. +Don't you think, Anna, that Louisita is very cross," said the child. + +"Not now, dear, she has been very gentle and quiet for the last year." + +"I remember," the child continued, "a long time ago when I was little +and you were trying to get some milk for me, and she hit you with her +sword, she frightened me so; I was afraid she would kill you." + +"She does not carry her sword any longer," said Miss Vyvyan, "and she +does not scold us any more; she would not hurt any one now, your mama +has been so kind to her, and set her such an example of goodness that +she has made her good, too." + +They had reached the entrance to the mound; Cora shrank back and clasped +Miss Vyvyan's hand, who led her a few steps on one side. + +"What is this," said the child holding in her hand a gold ornament set +with garnets that she had just picked up from a heap of rubbish which +appeared to be sweepings from Louisita's abode. + +"That is a fibula, Cora, such as I saw in a museum in Norway." + +"Look, Anna, look at these," she continued, gathering up several antique +beads of glass mosaic and a few chess men of amber from the same place. +"Tell me what they are?" + +"They all came from Norway," replied Miss Vyvyan, explaining their use +to her. + +Mrs. Carleton meanwhile knocked on the broken planks which served for a +floor, and as Louisita did not appear she entered the mound, but soon +came out again, and whispered something to Miss Vyvyan who passed in, +leaving Mrs. Carleton with Cora. On first entering, it was difficult to +distinguish the interior of the place, or any of the numerous objects +that it contained, as the only light came in through the shattered door, +and a small hole on one side of the mound, which evidently served as a +chimney and a window also. After a few seconds, when Miss Vyvyan's eyes +became accustomed to the extremely subdued light, she saw that she was +in a place that was four or five hundred feet in circumference and about +twenty-four feet high. Advancing toward the side on which the hole was +broken, she observed Louisita. A gleam of light fell upon her. She was +kneeling in front of a small structure which formed a table. Her hands +were clasped in the attitude of prayer, and her fixed and glassy eyes +seemed to look up in the direction of a small silver crucifix, which +hung on the wall before her. Her features were set and rigid. The rich +brown Spanish tint had left her face. When Miss Vyvyan looked upon her +she knew that she was dead, and, on laying her hand upon her cold brow, +she concluded that death had taken place many hours previously; perhaps +the night before. She summoned Mrs. Carleton, and bidding Cora sit down +where they could see her from the inside of the mound, the ladies +proceeded to lay Louisita to rest in the same tomb that had so long been +her dwelling. They lifted her on to her bed; they folded the poor, tired +hands of the weary woman, whose life had lingered on through those +lonely, loveless years. They took the silver crucifix from the wall and +laid it upon her breast; for although they were not of her creed, they +respected her devotion. They felt thankful that in her lifetime they +had done all they could to lighten her burden. They felt still more +thankful for her own sake, that her pilgrimage was ended, and that she +had gone to join the babes who were so dear to her mother's heart. + +Not finding sufficient boards to close up the entrance securely, the +ladies went to the further end of the place to get some which they saw +there. The pile was very high, and as soon as they took hold of one, +several other boards fell in broken pieces at their feet, revealing the +ribs of an old Norwegian ship, inside of which lay the skeleton of a man +which had been there so long, that it began to crumble to ashes the +moment it was exposed to the air. They turned to leave the ship when +another and much larger fall of boards exposed the skeleton of a horse. +They paused a moment and looked round; they saw that Louisita was not in +error when she had told them that the Norsemen were at one time on the +island, for there was every evidence of the mound being the tomb of a +Viking. Among the bones of the horse lay the remains of a bridle and +saddle of leather and wood, the mountings of which were in bronze and +silver. Near that of the man lay some ring-armor, a shield-buckle, two +stones of a hand-mill for grinding corn, bits for bridles, stirrups, +some gold finger rings and a fibula of the same metal. The ladies passed +quietly out of the tomb, and built up the entrance as well as they could +with stones and earth, across which they drew the vines and brambles +that grew among the spruces close by, so that at the end of the +following summer there was not any trace left of an entrance ever having +been there. + + * * * * * + +Mrs. Carleton had missed Miss Vyvyan for a longer period of time than +usual one day, and in going in search of her to a part of the castle +which they rarely went into, she found her engaged in making a little +gift to surprise Cora with, and singing in a low tone the following +song:-- + + WHY? + + Oh weary years why come and go + With endless sorrow rife; + And hope's dead dreams why come ye back + To mock my empty life? + + Oh destiny, oh bitter fate, + Oh burning tears that start, + Why must the hearts that love the most + Forever dwell apart? + +Mrs. Carleton entered the room so gently that Miss Vyvyan was not aware +of her presence until the former was close beside her. + +"You look sad, dear Anna; what can I do to cheer you?" + +"This is a sad anniversary for me," replied Miss Vyvyan; "but I did not +intend you to know it." + +"Let us hope, Anna, that time will give us back some of our former +happiness," said Mrs. Carleton. + +"The grave is unrelenting, Ada; it never gives back what it has taken +from us. I will tell you all some day. I cannot talk about the past now; +it would unfit me for being of use to others who have suffered; it +would make me no companion for you and dear Cora; it would be selfish to +intrude my life upon you." + +"No, Anna, pray tell me why I sometimes see so sad an expression on your +face which you change the instant you find I am looking at you. You know +you have never alluded to any event in your life prior to our being +shipwrecked. You have told me of your childhood, certainly, but that was +so bright and happy that the recollection of it must be an endless +source of thankfulness. Now I again pray of you, tell me all." + +"As you so much wish it, Ada," replied Miss Vyvyan, "I will tell you +that the sunlight went out of my life too soon. At the time I first met +you the world was all darkness to me; all my days and years were winter, +and my only wish was to die." + +"Oh Anna, do not say that," said Mrs. Carleton; "but go on and tell me +why." + +"Forgive me, I fear I was rebellious, but I only thought of the present. +I could not look forward; it seemed as if there were no future for me +here. I was alone; the only lips which had the right to breathe my name +were sealed in death, and the stately dignity or cold respect with which +I was always addressed reminded me hourly of my isolated existence. I +have no words that can express to you the utter desolation I felt in +having no one to call me by name. I often sought the whispering of the +wind through the trees, the leaves and the long, waving grass in the +hope that it might emit a sound which my fancy could fashion into the +once familiar name, but all in vain; the trees and the leaves and the +grass, even the rocks and hills, whispered and murmured and talked of +many things, but the sound I most longed to hear came never." + +Anna noticed that Mrs. Carleton looked sorrowful. She ceased speaking. + +"Why did you stop, Anna; go on." + +"I am distressing you, I see," answered Miss Vyvyan; "I ought not to +pain you." + +"Please go on, Anna." + +"I cannot expect you to comprehend my exceeding loneliness at that time, +because your life has never been empty, and you have now your beautiful +child. When first I met you I had nothing. When I say nothing, I do not +mean to infer that I was destitute of worldly means. I had an ample +fortune which I inherited from my mother, besides the manor house and +the landed estates of my grandfather; but I was destitute in the deepest +sense; I had nothing of my own to love; I was alone. Do you know what +that word alone means, 'when hope and the dreams of hope lie dead?' No, +Ada, you cannot, God grant you never may. At length there dawned that +rich, golden autumn day, when you named Cora, and gave me the right to +say 'My.' The surprise was so great to me that I scarcely knew whether I +was moving about in a dream, for my existence had been so long void of +interest that I deemed happiness for me dead. But when I took Cora in +my arms, and looked into the wondrous eyes, and saw the love, the +purity and the delicate sensibility of the being to whom I could always +in the future say 'My,' a new world and a new existence seemed before +me, and I thought angel voices thus whispered and said, 'We have brought +this beautiful child into your life to dwell forever as a sweet, fair +flower in the garden of your heart.' And as the child grew and talked +and called me by my name, the music of its voice and footstep gladdened +my soul and sent a thrill of joy through my whole being. Ever since the +day of our shipwreck, when you were lying on the beach so near death +that I did not dare to allow myself to believe that you could live, (and +may I say it, Ada, without seeming vain), when I was made the instrument +to call you back to life. Ever since that day until this, you and Cora +have seemed to belong to me; to be mine to love and live for. So you see +you have brought back the sunshine into my life. I have finished; I +shall never again talk in this way. My study shall be to brighten, not +to sadden, the path which lies before you in the future." + +Anna Vyvyan kept her promise to the end. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + The heart that has been mourning + O'er vanished dreams of love, + Shall see them all returning, + Like Noah's faithful dove. + And hope shall launch her blessed bark + On sorrow's darkening sea. + + * * * * * + + I have had joy and sorrow; I have proved + What lips could give; have loved and been beloved; + I am sick and heart-sore, + And weary, let me sleep; + But deep, deep, + Never to awaken more! + + +It was September again, and the golden rod and fall asters, that had for +seven seasons been Cora's delight, were once more in their yellow and +purple glory. The day was sunny, and the rich autumnal glow spread +itself over the walls of the old castle, the forest, the rocks, and the +sea, and the island and its surroundings seemed to the little family to +be more beautiful than ever. + +Mrs. Carleton was engaged in decorating the green parlor with flowers +and trailing plants, which Miss Vyvyan and Cora had gathered for that +purpose. The two latter had gone down among the trees near the beach to +get the last basketful of moss to complete the work of adornment. + +"Quick, Trefethen, quick, hand me my gun; see those birds, what an +immense flight of them," shouted a strong masculine voice within a few +yards of the trees which concealed them from view, and which also +prevented them from seeing from whom the voice came. + +"Don't fire," cried Miss Vyvyan, instantly catching up Cora in her arms +as she used to do in the child's baby days. + +"Don't fire," she repeated, "there are people here who are coming out of +the woods on that side," at the same time, forcing her way among the +trees, in the direction from which the voice came; and taking the +advantage of making an inspection without being seen herself. + +Cora caught sight of two figures standing on the open ground between the +forest and the sea. + +She clasped Miss Vyvyan's neck more tightly and whispered softly, "Look, +Anna, there are two papas." + +Miss Vyvyan paused, and looking between the branches she saw a tall, +finely grown gentleman in the full military uniform of a colonel of the +British army. By his side stood a man of smaller stature who wore the +blue coat of a sea captain of that period. As the sunlight fell upon the +bright scarlet uniform, the gold laced hat, the gold epaulets and the +handsome scabbard which contained the colonel's sword, the child gazed +in great amazement, not unmixed with admiration. + +As we have already said, Cora was born brave, and like her mother +struggled to keep up a calm courage through any emergency; but the poor +little heart trembled a little when she said, + +"Anna, I think he is a very pretty papa, but why does he wear that +sword? Louisita used to wear a sword," she added. + +"We are safe, Cora; he will not hurt us. He wears the uniform of our +king. He would help us if we wanted him to." + +"Shall we go to him?" said the child. + +"Yes; we must so that we can tell your mama what sort of persons are on +the island." + +A few more steps took them out of the wood. Miss Vyvyan put the child +out of her arms and led her. The gentleman in uniform advanced to meet +them, and raising his hat said, + +"Pray pardon me if I caused you any alarm. I did not know that this +island was inhabited, and I saw so much wild fowl that the temptation to +shoot was very strong." + +"I can quite understand that," replied Miss Vyvyan. "We need no +apology," she added, "as we were aware that most gentlemen enjoy sport, +and your bearing and the uniform that you wear assure us that there is +no cause for alarm." + +The officer bowed low, but made no reply. + +Cora, who was still holding Miss Vyvyan's hand, looked up at her and +said again, "What a pretty papa, and more papas coming from the ship; +but I like this one best." + +The child's excitement was so great that her whisper was very audible to +the officer. + +"What does she mean?" he asked. + +"That is her own way of expressing herself," Miss Vyvyan answered. "She +calls all pictures of men papas. We think she has some recollection of +her father, although she was little else than a babe when he was drowned +here, which is seven years ago to-day. She appears in some mysterious +way to realize that there was such a relationship, for she delights in +looking at pictures of papas as she calls them, more especially such as +are represented as wearing military uniform. And when she was very young +I have often seen her press her cheek against that of a small statuette +which we have of a soldier and kiss it and call it papa." + +While Miss Vyvyan and the officer were still speaking Cora was examining +the handsome uniform, and the gentleman was looking intently at the gold +chain that the child wore round her throat. After a little conversation +the officer addressing Miss Vyvyan said, + +"I hope you will not think me too inquisitive if I ask whether this fair +sea flower has a mother living." + +"Oh yes," cried the child before Miss Vyvyan had time to reply, "I have +the dearest mama in the world and we do love her so, don't we Anna?" + +Cora in her enthusiasm let go Miss Vyvyan's hand, and taking hold of the +officer's, + +"Come," she said, "come with us and see her, and then you will love her, +too." + +Miss Vyvyan was about to suggest that probably the strange gentleman +would prefer not to accept Cora's invitation until he had received one +from her mother, when he interposed by asking Cora what her mother's +name was. + +"Why, it is mama," she replied. + +"Yes, fair one; but she has another name." + +"Oh, you mean Ada, that is what Anna calls her." + +"She is Mrs. Carleton," said Miss Vyvyan. + +"Great Heaven! my prayer is answered," exclaimed the officer. Turning +quickly away for a few paces he covered his face with his hands, and his +stalwart frame trembled with emotion. + +"What is the matter," said Cora, "are you unhappy; never mind, do not be +sorry, papa." + +"Yes, my beloved child, I am indeed your own papa who has come back to +you and mama; take me to her; I must go to her this moment, show me the +nearest way." + +Cora again clasped her hand round one of his fingers and as she lead him +along she said, "Mama will be so happy for she thought you could never +come back to us, and she often told me that if we were good we should go +to you some day; poorest mama, big tears come into her eyes when she +tells me about my papa." + +Arriving at the end of the corridor leading to the green parlor Cora ran +swiftly in advance of Miss Vyvyan and Colonel Carleton calling as she +went, + +"Mama, mama, we have found a real papa, not a picture, but my own papa." + +Then came the meeting of the long-parted hearts and the recounting of +events, which had taken place since the day on which destiny had torn +the husband and wife from each other. Cora full of fresh young life +joined in the conversation every instant, telling her father how they +used to get the eggs of the sea birds and the honey from the wild bees' +nest, and how they caught the sea perch from off the rocks, and how she +found a jar of gold coins near the Vikings' tomb, which her mama said +were pesos, and all about the fibula which she found there, also. + +Then Colonel Carleton explained how he tried to rescue his wife and +child, just as Ralph had told them a few days after they were wrecked; +and how he was picked up by a young man from Wales who came out in the +English ship, and was lashed to a floating mast by that brave young +fellow, and by him kept from drowning until they fell in with a slave +ship that was bound for the coast of Africa, but was also out of its +course as well as their own unfortunate vessels; and how they were taken +on board and kept toiling under an African sun for nearly seven years, +when good fortune smiled upon them and they were sold as slaves and sent +to the colony of Virginia. + +"The same young Welshman," continued Colonel Carleton, "has always been +with me. He has a very remarkable talent for navigation, and is now the +captain of my ship. If he had not been I do not think I should ever have +been able to find you, for I did not know that it was an island upon +which we were shipwrecked; but he did, and under Providence, I have +everything to thank him for." + +"Beg pardon," said a voice at this part of Colonel Carleton's narrative, +and turning their eyes in the direction of the door they saw standing +there the muscular, well-knit figure, the pleasant face and bright eyes +of Captain Trefethen. + +"Beg pardon," he repeated, "but I heard what the Colonel said about me, +and I want to say, that if he had not cut off the leather belt he wore +and let all his gold fall into the ocean, that I might have the leather +to chew when I was famishing with hunger on the mast, I must have died; +and I feel that under Providence I have everything to thank him for. I +made up my mind then never to leave the Colonel till I saw him moored in +a safe harbor. In a few days," Captain Trefethen continued, "everything +will be ready for the good ship 'Ada' to sail for Virginia, and as I do +not suppose the Colonel will want to take another voyage of discovery, I +will leave you all there, as I intended to come back to these parts +myself and settle on an island about forty miles down this bay. It has a +queer Indian name, 'Monhegan' they call it. Captain John Smith, who is +now ranging this coast, told me about it. He seems to have a fancy for +Indian names. I shall never forget how he sung the praises of an Indian +girl the night before he set out on his present voyage. 'Pocahontas,' he +called her. Here is some fruit and a few little things for the ladies," +he continued, placing a box upon one of the tables and leaving the room. + +When Colonel Carleton was again left with his wife and child and Miss +Vyvyan, he resumed his conversation, and answered all the anxious and +rapid inquiries of Mrs. Carleton. "Yes," he said, "I assure you again +that I left all the family in Virginia perfectly well. Your father +attended to my estates during my absence, and by his wisdom in managing +them, he has increased their value sevenfold. Your sister Julia was +married two years ago, and she has an excellent husband." + +"Excellent husband," echoed Cora, "What kind of thing is that? Mama and +Anna never told me about the excellent. Where do you find it, is it a +bird; can it sing; may I have one?" + +Cora was about to propound further questions regarding an excellent +husband when the merry peals of laughter from the two ladies and the +Colonel, put an end to her interrogations. She did not understand why +they all laughed, and like many of her elders under similar +circumstances she felt sensitive on that account; but with her usual +quickness of thought, she said, "I know why you are so merry, papa; it +is because you are so glad to be with us all in this parlor, that mama +has made so pretty with these bouquets and wreaths of flowers. Mama +makes all our rooms pretty; you ought to see them when the days are dark +and foggy, so that we cannot see anything outside; then mama gets so +many branches of the fragrant fir and green moss and red berries, and +makes the most beautiful things." + +"Why does mama select the foggy days to adorn the rooms most, my +darling?" said the Colonel. + +"Why, don't you know? she does it to make Anna and me happy. Sunshine +within, mama calls it, and Anna made a song about that; shall I sing it +to you?" + +Without waiting for a reply, the child sung the song all through, +keeping time on her father's arm, which encircled her as she sat on his +knee. + +When the refrain "our sunshine is within" ended, Colonel Carleton bent +down and pressed his lips upon the golden head of his little daughter. + +There was a mist before his eyes as he said, "Yes, my darling, our +sunshine is within our own hearts, and it is in mine to-day for which I +thank God." + +Cora continued talking, telling her father all about the beautiful +flowers on the island, and the picnics on the sea beach and in the +woods. + +"And one day, papa," said she, "we went for a long walk to the north end +of this island, mama said it was, and we saw such a pretty little island +all covered with trees, and the eagles were up on the tall pines. It was +so close to our island that we could almost jump on to it, and mama said +I could think of a name for it, so I named it "Fairy island." I think +our island that we live on is very pretty, too, but I am glad we are +going to Virginia to live near grandpa and grandma and Aunt Julia and my +uncles, and I want to see grandpa's dog Franco. Do you know, papa, I +never saw a dog. And Anna must come, too, and live with us." + +"Of course she will," said Colonel and Mrs. Carleton, both speaking at +the same time; "and perhaps," added Cora, "when it is summer, we will +go to England and visit Anna in her old home at the manor house." + +"That is right, Cora," said Miss Vyvyan; "the way in which you have +arranged for the happiness of all of us is admirable." + +"Yes," said Colonel Carleton, "Cora has made a very pleasant sounding +plan, but I am not as sure as my little daughter appears to be, that we +shall be able to carry out the whole of it, for when we land in +Virginia, Miss Vyvyan, your cousin, Ronald Fairfax, may have something +to say in the matter. From what Ada has already told me, you seem to +have felt great interest in poor Ralph, and he and Ronald so much +resembled each other in all respects that it was almost impossible to +distinguish them. Pardon me, if I say that I sincerely hope you may take +an interest in Ronald; besides the affection that existed between these +two brothers was so profound that Ronald will desire to show his +gratitude to you for your kind care of one so dear to him. How is he to +do it? I only see one way." + +The next few days passed by very quickly, as every one was busily +engaged in making their preparations for the voyage. Full of autumn +beauty, the last day arrived, and the boat with its crew waited on the +beach for the family from the castle. + +"Oh dear," said Cora, who was standing in the green parlor all ready to +start, with her arms full of her favorite golden rod and fall asters, +"how could I forget to pick up some of those shells which I like so +much; I wanted to take some to give to all of them at home, I am so +sorry." + +"There will still be time enough to get some before we embark, Cora; you +shall have some, dear," said Miss Vyvyan. + +"Why Anna," said Mrs. Carleton, "you are surely not going down to the +breakers to-day; I fear you will wear your life out for Cora's sake." + +"Never mind me, Ada," replied Miss Vyvyan. "If I die in a labor of love +it will be the death I most desire." + +So saying she took a little basket and left the room. As she passed +through the door Cora threw her a kiss and said, "Anna be back." + +As we have said previously, the ladies liked Cora to keep some of her +baby language, and that was one of her own modes of expression which +they never corrected. It reminded them of her infancy and of their own +mutual attachment, which first met in the love they each of them bore +toward the child. + +"Are you all ready?" said Colonel Carleton, as he came along the +corridor to the green parlor. "Where is Miss Vyvyan?" he added, on +entering the room. + +"She has gone down to the breakers to get some shells that Cora wishes +to take to Virginia," replied Mrs. Carleton. + +"We will all join her there," said the Colonel, "and then we can walk +back along the shore to our boat." + +On arriving at the long ledge of rocks that ran straight out into the +ocean, and which they called the "Whale's Back," they entered the little +cove that was situated on the side nearest to the castle. There was Miss +Vyvyan's basket half filled with the shells that Cora so much desired; +but where was she? + +In another moment, Cora with her quick step was springing up to the +highest part of the rocks. A shriek of anguish from the child, and the +cry in her former baby language, "Anna be back, Anna be back," brought +her parents instantly to her side. Looking from the high wall that +nature had formed, and across the larger cove on the other side, they +saw far out toward the open sea Miss Vyvyan's upturned face. She was +floating on an enormous wave which was bearing her rapidly toward the +shore. + +"Oh Anna, poor Anna; save her Dudley," cried Mrs. Carleton, believing +anything possible to the brave and kind-hearted man, who had dared and +surmounted all obstacles for her own sake. + +"Yes, dearest; yes, trust me. I will do my utmost," replied the Colonel, +quickly scaling the outer side of the cliff, and dashing over and among +the broken masses of rock that laid between him and the sea. Throwing +off his hat and heavy uniform coat, he stood with extended arms at the +water's edge, exactly at the spot where he knew the wave would strike. +Miss Vyvyan was being swiftly borne toward him and was within a few feet +distance. + +"Keep calm," he called to her, "for heaven's sake, keep calm, and I can +save you." + +The great wave bearing its living burden, broke upon the beach with +unusual violence. Colonel Carleton was struck and thrown far up toward +the shore by its mighty force. In another instant, he was on his feet +again, rushing forward after the receding water, which was carrying Miss +Vyvyan out. She still floated on the crest of the wave. Raising one hand +and unclasping it, she threw upon the beach a small white shell, saying +as she did so, "for dear Cora." She saw the friendly outstretched arm of +the brave man; she looked up to the rocks; she saw the pure, classic +features of gentle, loving Ada, paralyzed with distress, white as +marble, pallid and death-like, as on the day that she had kissed them +back to life seven years before. She saw the beautiful child, who was so +precious to her; she noted the terror, pain and love in its fair, young +face. She heard the sweet voice calling "Anna be back." She saw no more, +the waters covered her; the same ocean which had brought her to the +island, claimed her for its own and bore her away forever. + + * * * * * + +Many summers and winters have come and gone, and long years have passed +away since the ladies and their dear little one lived on the island. The +flowers have faded and the trees of the forest have died with time, but +neither time nor death has power to kill the love of a true heart; that +lives on forever and ever and, phoenix-like, exists on its own ashes. +So it is that the solitary student wandering in the twilight along the +shore, and the young lovers, who are whispering the old, yet always +sweet story in the little cove close by, hear ever and anon, coming up +from the sea, the echo of Anna Vyvyan's last words, "For dear Cora." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Peak's Island, by Ford Paul + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PEAK'S ISLAND *** + +***** This file should be named 26410.txt or 26410.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/4/1/26410/ + +Produced by Robert Cicconetti, V. L. 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