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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vashti, by Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
+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: Vashti
+       or, Until Death Us Do Part
+
+Author: Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
+Release Date: March 13, 2010 [EBook #31620]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VASHTI ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charlene Taylor, Michael and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The stranger raised his hat and said: "Permit me to ask
+your name?" "Salome Owen. And yours, sir, is--" "Ulpian Gray." Page
+10.--_Vashti._]
+
+
+
+
+VASHTI
+
+_or_ UNTIL DEATH US DO PART
+
+By AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON
+
+(Augusta J. Evans)
+
+Author of "Beulah," "Macaria," "Infelice," "St. Elmo," "Inez," etc.,
+etc.,
+
+"There is nothing a man knows, in grief or in sin half so bitter as to
+think, what I might have been."
+
+
+A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1869, by GEORGE W.
+CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United
+States for the Southern District of New York.
+
+Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1897, by MRS.
+AUGUSTA J. EVANS WILSON, In the office of the Librarian of Congress at
+Washington, D.C.
+
+_Vashti._
+
+
+
+
+TO THE HONORED MEMORY OF MY
+
+_Beloved Father_,
+
+WHOSE DEATH HAS RETARDED THE COMPLETION OF A WORK WHICH, IN THE
+BEGINNING, WAS BLESSED WITH HIS APPROVAL,
+
+I REVERENTLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+  "Every man has his own style, as he has his own nose; and it is
+  neither polite nor Christian to rally an honest man about his
+  nose, however singular it may be. How can I help it that my style
+  is not different? That there is no affectation in it, I am very
+  certain."
+
+    _Lessing._
+
+  "Yea, I take myself to witness,
+  That I have loved no darkness,
+  Sophisticated no truth,
+  Nursed no delusion,
+  Allowed no fear."
+
+                    _Matthew Arnold._
+
+
+
+
+UNTIL DEATH US DO PART.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+
+"I can hear the sullen, savage roar of the breakers, if I do not see
+them, and my pretty painted bark--expectation--is bearing down
+helplessly upon them. Perhaps the unwelcome will not come to-day. What
+then? I presume I should not care; and yet, I am curious to see
+him,--anxious to know what sort of person will henceforth rule the
+house, and go in and out here as master. Of course the pleasant,
+peaceful days are at an end, for men always make din and strife in a
+household,--at least my father did, and he is the only one I know much
+about. But, after all, why borrow trouble?--the interloper may never
+come."
+
+The girl stood on tip-toe, shading her eyes with one hand, and peering
+eagerly down the winding road which stretched at right angles to the
+avenue, and over the hills, on towards the neighboring town. No moving
+speck was visible; and, with a sigh of relief, she sank back on the
+grassy mound and resumed the perusal of her book. Above and around her
+spread the wide branches of an aged apple-tree, feathered thickly with
+pearly petals, which the wind tossed hither and thither and drifted
+over the bermuda, as restless tides strew pink-chambered shells on
+sloping strands; and down through the flowery limbs streamed the
+waning March sun, throwing grotesque shadows on the sward and golden
+ripples over the face and figure of the young lounger. A few yards
+distant a row of whitewashed bee-hives extended along the western side
+of the garden-wall, where perched a peacock whose rainbow hues were
+burnished by the slanting rays that smote like flame the narrow pane
+of glass which constituted a window in each hive and permitted
+investigation of the tireless workers within. The afternoon was almost
+spent; the air, losing its balmy noon breath, grew chill with the
+approach of dew, and the figure under the apple-tree shivered
+slightly, and, closing her book, drew her scarlet shawl around her
+shoulders and leaned her dimpled chin on her knee.
+
+Sixteen years had ripened and rounded the girlish form, and given to
+her countenance that indefinable charm which marks the timid hovering
+between careless, frolicsome youth, and calmly conscious womanhood;
+while perfect health rouged the polished cheeks and vermillioned the
+thin lips, whose outlines sharply indexed more of decision than
+amiability of character.
+
+There were hints of brown in the heavy mass of waveless dusky hair,
+that was elaborately braided and coiled around the well turned
+head, and certain amber rays suggestive of topaz and gold flashed
+out now and then in the dark-hazel iris of the large eyes, lending
+them an eldritch and baleful glow. Fresh as the overhanging
+apple-blooms, but immobile as if carved from pearl,--perhaps it
+was just such a face as hers that fronted Jason, amid the clustering
+boughs of Colchian rhododendrons, when first he sought old Æëtes'
+prescient daughter,--the maiden face of magical Medea, innocent as
+yet of murder, sacrilege, fratricide, and plunder,--eloquent of
+all possibilities of purity and peace, but vaguely adumbrating all
+conceivable disquietude and guilt.
+
+The hushed expectancy of the fair young countenance had given place to
+a dreamy languor, and the dark lashes drooped heavily, when a long
+shadow fell upon the grass, and simultaneously the peacock sounded its
+shrill alarm. Rising quickly the girl found herself face to face with
+one upon whose features she had never looked before, and for a moment
+each eyed the other searchingly. The stranger raised his hat, and
+inclining his head slightly, said,--
+
+"Permit me to ask your name?"
+
+"Salome Owen. And yours, sir, is--"
+
+"Ulpian Grey."
+
+For a few seconds neither spoke; but the man smiled, and the girl bit
+her under-lip and frowned.
+
+"Are you the miller's daughter?"
+
+"I am the miller's daughter; and you are the master of Grassmere."
+
+"It seems that I come home like Rip Van Winkle, or Ulysses, unknown,
+unwelcomed,--unlike the latter,--even by a dog."
+
+"Where is your sister?"
+
+"Not having seen her for five years, I am unable to answer."
+
+"She went to town two hours ago, to meet you."
+
+"Then, after all, I am expected; but pray by what route--balloon or
+telegraph?"
+
+"Miss Jane went to the railroad dépot, but thought it possible you
+might not arrive to-day, and said she would attend a meeting at the
+church, if you failed to come. I presume she missed you in the crowd.
+Sir, will you walk into the house?"
+
+Perhaps he did not hear the question, and certainly he did not heed
+it, amid the clamorous recollections that rushed upon him as he gazed
+earnestly over the lawn, down the avenue, and up at the ivy-mantled
+front of the old brick homestead. Thinking it might impress him as
+ludicrous or officious that she should invite him to enter and take
+possession of his own establishment, Salome reddened and compressed
+her lips. Apparently forgetful of her presence, he stood with his hat
+in his hand, noting the changes that time had wrought: the growth of
+venerable trees and favorite shrubs, the crumbling of fences, the
+gathering moss on the sun-dial, and the lichen stains upon two marble
+vases that held scarlet verbena on either side of the broad stone
+steps.
+
+His close-fitting travelling suit of gray showed the muscular,
+well-developed form of a man of medium size, whose very erect carriage
+enhanced his height and invested him with a commanding air; while the
+unusual breadth of his chest and shoulders seemed to indicate that
+life had called him to athletic out-door pursuits, rather than the dun
+and dusty atmosphere of a sedentary, cloistered career.
+
+There are subtle countenances that baffle the dainty stipple and line
+tracery of time, refusing to become mere tablets, mere fleshy
+intaglios of the past, whereon every curious stranger may spell out
+the bygone, and, counting their footprints, cast up the number of
+engraving years. Thus it happened that if Salome had not known from
+the family Bible that this man was almost thirty-five, her eager
+scrutiny of his features would have discovered little concerning his
+age, and still less concerning his character. Exposure to the winds
+and heat of tropic regions had darkened and sallowed the complexion,
+which his clear deep blue eyes and light brown hair declared was
+originally of Saxon fairness; in proof whereof, when he drew off one
+glove and lifted his hand it seemed as if the marble fingers of one
+statue were laid against the bronze cheek of another.
+
+Looking intently at this grave yet benignant countenance, full of
+serenity, because calmly conscious of its power, the girl set her
+teeth and ground her heel into the velvet turf, for _frangas non
+flectes_ was written on his smooth, broad brow, and she felt fiercely
+rebellious as some fiery, free creature of the Kamse, when first
+confronted with the bit and trappings of him who will henceforth
+bridle and tame the desert-bred.
+
+Waking from his brief reverie, the stranger turned and extended his
+hand, saying, in tones as low and sweet as a woman's,--
+
+"Will you not welcome a wanderer back to his home?"
+
+She gave him the tips of her fingers, but the "Imp of the Perverse"
+dictated her answer,--
+
+"As you saw fit to compare yourself, a few moments since, to certain
+celebrated absentees, I am constrained to tell you that I happen to be
+neither Penelope nor Gretchen, nor yet the illustrious dog referred
+to."
+
+He smiled good-humoredly, and replied,--
+
+"I am not very sure that there is not a spice of Dame Van Winkle
+somewhere in your nature. True, we are strangers, but I believe you
+are my sister's adopted child, and I hope you are glad to see her
+brother at home once more. Jane is a dear kind link, who should make
+us at least good friends; for, if you are attached to her you will in
+time learn to like me."
+
+"I doubt it,--seeing that you resemble Miss Jane about as nearly as I
+do the Grand Lama of Larissa, or the idol Bhadrinath. But, sir,
+although it is not my office to welcome you, I presume you have not
+forgotten the front door, and once more I ask, Will you walk in and
+make yourself at home in your own house?"
+
+As she led the way to the steps, the arched gate at the end of the
+avenue swung open, a carriage entered, and Salome retreated to her own
+room, leaving unwitnessed the happy meeting between an aged, infirm
+sister, and long-absent brother.
+
+Locking the door to secure herself from intrusion, she drew a low
+rocking-chair to the hearth, where smouldered the embers of a dying
+fire, and dropping her face in her palms, stared abstractedly at the
+ashes. As she swayed slowly to and fro, her lips parted and closed,
+her brows bent from their customary curves of beauty, and half
+inaudibly she muttered,--
+
+"The sceptre is departing from Judah. My rule is well nigh ended; the
+interregnum has been brief, and the old dynasty reigns once more.
+Just what I dreaded from the hour I heard he was coming home. I
+shall be reduced to a mere cipher, and made to realize my utter
+dependence,--and the iron will soon enter my soul. We paupers are
+adepts in the art of reading the countenance, and I have looked at
+this Ulpian Grey long enough to know that I might as well bombard
+Gibraltar with boiled peas as hope to conquer one of his whims or
+alter one of his purposes. There will be bitterness and strife between
+us. I shall wish him in his grave a thousand times before it closes
+over him,--and he, unless he is too good, will hate me cordially. I
+cannot and will not give up all my hopes and expectations, without a
+long, fierce struggle."
+
+Salome Owen was the eldest of five children, who, by the death of both
+parents, had been thrown penniless upon the world, and found a
+temporary asylum in the county poor-house. Her mother she remembered
+merely as a feeble, fractious invalid; and her father, who had long
+been employed as superintendent of large mills belonging to Miss Jane
+Grey, had, after years of reckless intemperance, ended his wretched
+career in a fit of mania a potu. His death occurred at a season when
+Miss Grey was confined to her bed by an attack of rheumatism, which
+rendered her a cripple for the remainder of her days; but the first
+hours of her convalescence were spent in devising plans for the
+education and maintenance of his helpless orphans. In the dusty,
+cheerless yard of the poor-house she had found the little group
+huddled under a mulberry tree one hot July noon; and, sending the two
+younger children to the orphan asylum in a neighboring town, she had
+apprenticed one boy to a worthy carpenter, another to an eminent
+horticulturist in a distant State; and Salome, the handsomest and
+brightest of the flock, she carried to her own home as an adopted
+child. Here, for four years, the girl had lived in peace and luxurious
+ease, surrounded by all the elegances and refining associations which
+though not inherent in are at the command of wealth; and so rapidly
+and gracefully had she fitted herself into the new social niche, that
+the dark and stormy morning of her life had become only a dim and
+hideous recollection, that rarely lifted its hated visage above the
+smooth and shining surface of the happy present.
+
+Fortuitous circumstances constitute the moulds that shape the majority
+of human lives, and the hasty impress of an accident is too often
+regarded as the relentless decree of all-ordaining fate; while to the
+philosophic anthropologist it might furnish matter for curious
+speculation whether, if Attila and Alaric had chanced to find
+themselves the pampered sons of some merchant prince,--some Rothschild
+or Peabody of the fifth century,--their campaigns had not been purely
+fiscal and bloodless, limited to the leaves of a ledger, while the
+names of Goth and Hun had never crystallized into synonyms of havoc
+and ruin; or had Timour been trained to cabbage-raising and
+vine-dressing, whether he would not have lived in history as the great
+horticulturist of Kesth, or the Diocletian of Samarcand, rather than
+the Tartar tyrant and conqueror of the East? How many possible Howards
+have swung at Tyburn? How many canonized and haloed heads have barely
+escaped the doom of Brinvilliers, and the tender mercies of Carnifex?
+
+Analogous to that wonderful Gulf Stream, once a myth and still a
+mystery, the strange current of human existence, four score and
+ten years long, bears each and all of us with a strong, steady sweep
+away from the tropic lands of sunny childhood, enamelled with verdure
+and gaudy with bloom, through the temperate regions of manhood and
+womanhood, fruitful and harvest-hued, on to the frigid, lonely shores
+of dreary old age, snow-crowned and ice-veined; and individual
+destinies seem to resemble the tangled drift on those broad
+bounding gulf-billows, driven hither and thither, strewn on barren
+beaches, scattered over bleaching coral crags, stranded upon blue
+bergs,--precious germs from all climes and classes; some to be
+scorched under equatorial heats; some to perish by polar perils; a
+few to take root and flourish and triumph, building imperishable
+land-marks; and many to stagnate in the long, inglorious rest of a
+Sargasso Sea.
+
+For all helpless human waifs in this surging ocean of time, there is
+comfort in the knowledge that the fiercest storms toss their drift
+highest; and one of these apparently savage waves of adversity had
+swept Salome Owen safely to an isle of palms and peace, where, under
+the fostering rays of prosperity, the selfish and sordid elements of
+her character found rapid development.
+
+In affectionate natures, family ties serve as cords to strangle
+selfishness; for, in large domestic circles, each member contributes a
+moiety to swell the good of the whole--silently endures some trial,
+makes some sacrifice, shares some sympathy and sunshine, hoards some
+grief and gloom, and had Salome remained with her brothers and
+sisters, their continual claims on her time and attention would have
+healthfully diverted thoughts that had long centred solely in self.
+Finding that fortune had temporarily sheathed in velvet the goad of
+necessity, the girl's aspirations soared no higher than the
+maintenance of her present easy and luxurious position, as a petted
+dependent on the affection and bounty of a weak but generous and
+lonely old lady. Having no other object near, upon which to lavish the
+love and caresses that were stored in her heart, Miss Jane had turned
+fondly to Salome, and so earnestly endeavored to brighten her life,
+that the latter felt assured she was selected as the heiress of that
+house and estate where she had dwelt so happily; and thus sanguine
+concerning her future prospects, the strong will of the girl
+completely dominated the feebler and failing one of her benefactress,
+through whose fingers the reins of government slipped so gradually,
+that she was unconscious of her virtual abdication.
+
+From this pleasant dream of a handsome heritage and life-long plenty,
+Salome had been rudely aroused by the unwelcome tidings that a young
+half-brother of Miss Jane was coming to reside under her roof; and
+prophetic fear whispered that the stranger would contest and divide
+her dominion. A surgeon in the United States navy, he had been absent
+for five years in distant seas, and only resigned his commission in
+consequence of letters which informed him of the feeble condition of
+his only surviving relative. Those who have eaten the bread of charity
+learn to interpret countenances with an unerring facility that
+eclipses the vaunted skill of Lavater, and the girl's brief inspection
+of the face which would henceforth confront her daily, yielded little
+to dispel her gloomy forebodings. The sound of the tea-bell terminated
+her reverie, and rising, she walked slowly to the dining-room,
+throwing her head as erect as possible, and compressing her mouth like
+some gladiator summoned to the fatal arena of the Coliseum.
+
+The dining-room was large and airy, with lofty wide windows, and
+neatly papered walls, where in numerous old-fashioned and quaintly
+carved frames hung the ancestral portraits of the family. Although one
+window was open, and the mild air laden with the perfumed breath of
+spring, a bright wood fire flashed on the hearth, near which Miss Jane
+sat in her large, cushioned rocking-chair, resting her swollen
+slippered feet on a velvet stool, while her silver-mounted crutches
+leaned against the arm of her chair. An ugly and very diminutive brown
+terrier snarled and frisked on the rug, tormenting a staid and aged
+black cat, who occasionally arched her back and showed her teeth; and
+Dr. Grey stood leaning over his sister's chair, smoothing the soft
+grizzled locks that clustered under the rich lace border of her cap.
+He was talking of other days,--those of his boyhood, when, kneeling by
+that hearth, she had pasted his kites, found strings for his tops,
+made bags for his marbles, or bound up his bleeding hands, bruised in
+boyish sports; and, while he read from the fresher page of his memory
+the blessed juvenile annals long since effaced from hers, a happy
+smile lighted her withered face, and she put up one thin hand to pat
+the brown and bearded cheek which nearly touched her head. To the
+pretty young thing who had paused on the threshold, watching what
+passed, it seemed a peaceful picture, cosy and complete, needing no
+adjuncts, defying intruders; but Miss Jane caught a glimpse of the
+shrinking figure, and beckoned her to the fire-place.
+
+"Salome, come shake hands with my sailor-boy, and tell him how glad we
+are to have his sunburnt face once more among us. Ulpian, this is my
+dear child Salome, who makes noise and sunshine enough in an otherwise
+dark and silent dreary house. Why, children, don't stand bowing at
+each other, like foreign ministers at court! Ulpian, you are to be a
+brother to that child; so go and kiss her like a Christian, and let us
+have no more state and ceremony."
+
+"_Sans cérémonie_ we introduced ourselves this afternoon, under the
+apple-tree, and I presume Salome will accept the assurance of my
+friendly intentions and fraternal regard, and decline the seal which
+only long acquaintance and perfect confidence could induce her to
+permit. Notwithstanding the very evident fact that she is not entirely
+overwhelmed with delight at my return, I gratefully acknowledge my
+indebtedness to one who has so largely contributed to my sister's
+happiness, and shall avail myself of every opportunity to prove my
+appreciation of her devotion."
+
+Dr. Grey stepped forward, took Salome's hand, and touched it lightly
+with his lips, while the grave dignity of his manner forbade the
+thought that affectation of gallantry or idle persiflage suggested the
+words or action.
+
+Disarmed by the quiet courtesy which she felt she had not merited, the
+girl's ready wit and nimbly obedient tongue for once proved
+treacherous; and, conscious that the flush was deepening on cheek and
+brow, she moved to the oval table in the centre of the floor, and
+seated herself behind the massive silver urn.
+
+"Ulpian, take your place yonder, at the foot, and excuse my absence
+from the table this first evening of your return. I always have my
+meals here, close to the fire, and Salome presides in my place. Child,
+put no cream in his tea, but a bountiful share of sugar. You see, my
+boy, I have not grown too old to recollect your whims."
+
+As he obeyed her, Salome was preparing to pour out the tea; but,
+catching his eye, she paused, and Dr. Grey bowed his head on his hand,
+and solemnly and impressively asked a blessing, and offered up fervent
+thanks for the family reunion. In the somewhat fragmentary discourse
+that ensued between brother and sister the orphan took no part; and, a
+half hour later, when the little party removed to the library and
+established themselves comfortably for the evening, Salome drew her
+chair close to the lamp, and, under pretence of examining a book of
+engravings, covertly studied the features and mien of the new-comer.
+
+His quiet, low-toned conversation was of other lands and distant
+nations, and, while there was an entire absence of that ostentatious
+braggardism and dropsical egotism which unfortunately attacks the
+majority of travellers, his descriptions of foreign scenery were so
+graceful and brilliant, that despite her ungracious determination and
+premeditated dislike, she became a fascinated listener; and, more than
+once, found herself leaning forward to catch his words. Her own vivid
+fancy travelled with him over the lakes and isles, temples and
+palaces, he had visited; and, when the clock struck eleven, and a
+brief silence succeeded, she started as from some delightful dream.
+
+"Janet, shall we have prayers, or have I already kept you up too
+late?"
+
+Dr. Grey stooped and pressed his lips to his sister's wrinkled
+forehead, and her voice faltered slightly, as she answered,--
+
+"It is never too late to thank God for all his goodness, especially in
+bringing my dear boy safely back to me. Salome, get the large Bible
+from the cushion in the parlor."
+
+As the orphan placed the book in Dr. Grey's hand it opened at the
+record of births, where on the wide page appeared only the name of
+Ulpian Grey, and from the leaves fluttered a small bow of blue
+ribbon.
+
+He picked it up, and, considering it merely a book-mark, would have
+replaced it, but Miss Jane exclaimed,--
+
+"It is the blue knot that fastens that child's collar. Give it to her.
+She lost it yesterday, and has searched the house for it. How came it
+in that old Bible, which I am sure has not been used for fifteen
+years?"
+
+Whatever solution of the mystery Salome might have deigned to offer,
+remained unuttered, for Dr. Grey kindly obviated the necessity of a
+reply by requesting her to bring him an additional candle from an
+adjoining room; and the superfluous celerity with which she started on
+the errand called a twinkle to his eye and a half-smothered smile to
+his lips. She felt assured that he was thoroughly cognizant of the
+curiosity which had prompted her researches among the family records,
+and inferred that he had either no vanity to be flattered by such
+trifles, or was dowered with too much generosity to evince any
+gratification at the discovery of an interest she would have
+vehemently disclaimed.
+
+It was the first time she had ever bowed before the family altar, and,
+notwithstanding her avowed aversion to "Puritanic ceremonials and
+Pharisaical practices," she was unexpectedly awed and deeply
+impressed by the solemnity with which he conducted the brief services;
+while, despite her prejudice, his grave courtesy toward her, and the
+subdued tenderness that marked his treatment of his sister, commanded
+her involuntary respect. When she stood before the mirror in her own
+room, unbraiding her heavy hair, a dissatisfied expression robbed her
+features of half their loveliness, and discontent ploughed distorting
+lines about the scarlet lips which muttered,--
+
+"I wonder if, in one of his evil fits, my father sold and signed me
+away to Satan? I certainly am _bon gré mal gré_ in bondage to him;
+for, from my inmost heart I hate 'good, pious, sanctified souls,' such
+as that marble man upstairs, who has come back to usurp my kingdom,
+and lord it over this heritage. After to-day a new regime. The
+potter's hands are fair and shapely, courteous and deft, but potter's
+hands nevertheless. Tough kneading he shall find it, and stiffer clay
+than ever yet was moulded, or my name is not Salome Owen. After all,
+how much better are we than the lower beasts of prey? In the race for
+riches there is but one alternative,--to devour, or be devoured;
+consequently that was an immemorial and well tested rule in the
+warfare that commenced when Adam and Eve found themselves shut out of
+Eden. 'Each for himself,' etc., etc., etc. Since I must _ex
+necessitate_ prey or be preyed upon, I shall waste no time in
+deliberation."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+
+When fifty-two years old, Daniel Grey amassed a handsome fortune
+by speculating in certain gold and coal mine stocks, which not
+only relieved him from the necessity of daily toil in his dusty
+counting-room, but elevated him to that more than Braminical caste,
+dubbed in Mammon-parlance--capitalists; whose decrees outweigh
+legislative statutes, and by feeling the pulse of stock-boards and
+all financial corporations, regulate the fiscal currents of the
+State. A few months subsequent to this sudden accession of wealth,
+his meek and devoted wife--who had patiently shared all the trials
+and hardships of his early impecunious career, and brightened an
+humble home which boasted no treasure comparable to her loving,
+unselfish heart,--was summoned to the enjoyment of a heritage beyond
+the stars; and Daniel Grey, capitalist, found himself a florid
+handsome widower, with two children, Enoch and Jane, to remind him
+continually of the pale wife over whose quiet ashes rose a costly
+mausoleum, where rare exotics nodded to each other across gilded
+slab and sculptured angels. That he profoundly mourned his loss no
+charitable mind could doubt, notwithstanding the obstinate fact that
+ere the violets had bloomed a twelvemonth over the dead mother of
+his children he had provided them with one who certainly bore her
+name, usurped her precious privileges, walked in her footsteps, but
+wofully failed to fill her place.
+
+Mrs. Daniel Grey, scarcely the senior of the step-daughter whose lips
+most reluctantly framed the sacred word "mother," was a fresh fair
+young thing, whose ideas of marriage extended no further than
+diamonds, white satin, reception cards, and bridal presents; and whose
+regard for her worthy husband sought no surer basis than his
+bank-stock and insurance dividends. Dainty and bright, in tasteful and
+costly apparel, the pretty child-wife flitted up and down in his house
+and over the serene surface of his life, touching no feeling of his
+nature so deeply as that colossal _parvenu_ vanity which exulted in
+the possession of a graceful walking announcement of his ability to
+clothe in fine fabrics and expensive jewels.
+
+Perhaps the mildew that stained the ghastly gaunt angels who kept
+guard over the dust of the dead wife, extended yet further than the
+silent territory over which sexton and mattock reigned, for one dreary
+December night, instead of nestling for a post-prandial nap among the
+velvet cushions of his luxurious parlor, Daniel Grey, capitalist,
+slept his last sleep in a high-backed, comfortless chair before his
+desk, where the confidential clerk found him next morning, with his
+rigid icy fingers thrust between the leaves of his check-book.
+
+According to the old Arab proverb,--
+
+  "The black camel named Death kneeleth once at each door,
+  And a mortal must mount to return nevermore."
+
+And, past all peradventure, having borne away one member of the
+household, the "Last Carrier" from force of habit hastens to perform
+the same thankless service for the remainder;--thus ere summer
+sunshine streamed on the husband's grave, another yawned at its side,
+and a wreathed and fluted shaft shot up close to his mausoleum, to
+tell sympathizing friends and careless strangers that the second wife
+of Daniel Grey had been snatched away in the morning of life.
+
+Her infant son Ulpian was committed to the tender guardianship of his
+maternal grandmother, in whose hands he remained until the close of
+his fourth year, when her death necessitated his return to the home of
+his only relatives, Enoch and Jane. At the request of his sister, the
+former had sold the elegant new residence in a fashionable quarter of
+the town, and removed to the old homestead and farm, hallowed by
+reminiscences of their mother, and invested with the magic attractions
+that early association weaves about the spots frequented in youth.
+
+Manifesting, even in boyhood, an unconquerable repugnance not only to
+curriculum, but the monotonous routine of mercantile pursuits, Enoch
+sullenly forswore stock-jobbing and finance, and declared his
+intention of indulging his rural tastes and becoming a farmer. Fine
+cattle and poultry of all kinds, heavy wheat-crops, and well-stored
+corn-cribs engrossed his thoughts, to the entire exclusion of abstract
+æsthetic speculation, of operatic music, and Pre-Raphaelitism; while
+the sight of one of his silky short-horned Ayrshires yielded him
+infinitely more pleasure than the possession of all Rosa Bonheur's
+ideals could possibly have done, and the soft billowy stretch of his
+favorite clover-meadow was worth all the canvas that Claude or Poussin
+had ever colored. While Enoch had cordially hated his fair blue-eyed
+young step-mother, not from any personal or individual grounds of
+grievance, but simply and solely because she dared to occupy the
+household niche, sanctified once and forever by his own meek
+gentle-toned mother, he nevertheless tenderly loved her baby-boy; and
+as Ulpian grew to manhood he became the idol, at whose shrine the
+brother and sister offered their pure and most intense affection.
+
+Neither had married, and when the youngest of the household band
+completed his studies, and decided to accept a naval appointment, the
+consternation and grief which the announcement produced at the
+homestead, proved how essential the presence of the half-brother had
+become to the happiness of the sedate stolid Enoch, and equable
+unselfish Jane. But the desire to travel subordinated all other
+sentiments in Ulpian's nature, and he eagerly embarked for a cruise,
+from which he was recalled by tidings of the death of his brother.
+
+A brief sojourn at the homestead had sufficed to arrange the affairs
+of the carefully-managed estate, and the young surgeon returned to his
+post aboard ship, in distant oriental seas. The increasing infirmity
+of his sister had finally induced the resignation of his cherished
+commission, and brought the man of thirty-five back to his home, where
+the "old familiar faces" seemed to have vanished forever; and, in lieu
+thereof, legions of cold-eyed strangers carelessly confronted him.
+
+Emancipated from all restraint, and early consigned to the guidance of
+his boyish caprices and immature judgment, Ulpian Grey's character had
+unfolded itself under circumstances peculiarly favorable for the
+fostering of selfishness and the development of idiosyncrasies. As a
+plant, unmolested by man and beast, germinates, expands, and freely
+and completely manifests all its inherent tendencies, whether
+detrimental or beneficial to humanity, so Dr. Grey's matured manhood
+was no distorted or discolored result of repeated educational
+experiments, but a thoroughly normal efflorescence of an unbiassed
+healthful nature.
+
+Habits of unwavering application and searching study, contracted in
+collegiate cloisters, tightened their grasp upon him, as he wandered
+away from the quiet precincts of _Alma Mater_ and into the crowded
+noisy campus of life; and even the gregarious and convivial manners
+prevalent aboard ship failed to divert his attention from the
+prosecution of scientific researches, or to retard his rapid progress
+in classical scholarship.
+
+For the treasures of knowledge thus patiently and indefatigably
+garnered through a series of years, travel proved an invaluable polyglot
+commentator, analyzing, comparing, annotating, and italicizing, and had
+converted his mind into a vast, systematically arranged pictorial
+encyclopædia of miscellaneous lore, embellished with delicate etchings,
+noble engravings, and gorgeous illuminations,--a thesaurus where
+_savants_ might seek successfully for _data_, and whence artists
+could derive grand types, and pure tender coloring.
+
+Reverent and loving appreciation of the intrinsically "true, good,
+and beautiful" was part of the homage that his nature rendered to its
+Creator, and instead of flowering into a morbid and maudlin
+sentimentality which craves low-browed, long straight-nosed,
+undraped statuettes in every nook and corner,--or dwarfs the soul and
+pins it to the surplice of some theologic _dogmata_ claiming
+infallibility--or coffins the intellect in cramped, shallow,
+psychological categories,--it bore fruit in a wide-eyed, large-hearted,
+liberal-minded eclecticism, which, waging no crusade against the various
+Saladins of modern systems, quietly possessed itself of the really
+valuable elements that constitute the basis of every ethical,
+æsthetic, and scientific creed, which has for any length of time
+levied black-mail on the credulity of mankind.
+
+Breadth of intellectual vision promotes moral and emotional
+expansion--for true catholicity of mind manufactures charity in the
+heart; and toleration is the real mesmeric current which brings the
+extremes of humanity _en rapport_,--is the veritable ubiquitous
+Samaritan always provided with wine and oil for the bruised and
+helpless, who are strewn along the highway of life; and those who
+penetrated beyond the polished surface of Dr. Grey's character,
+realized that no tinge of cynicism, no affectation of contempt for his
+country and countrymen lurked in his heart, while erudition and
+foreign sojourning seemed only to have warmed and intensified his
+sympathy with all noble aims--his compassion for all grovelling ones.
+
+That his compulsory return to the uneventful routine of life at the
+homestead, involved a sacrifice which he would gladly have avoided, he
+did not attempt to deny; but having invested a large amount of
+earnest, vigorous faith in the final conservatism of that much-abused
+monster which the seditious army of the Disappointed anathematize as
+"Bad Luck," he went to work contentedly in this new sphere of action,
+and waited patiently and trustfully for the slow grinding of the great
+mill of Compensation, into whose huge hopper Fate had unceremoniously
+poured all his plans.
+
+His advent produced a very decided sensation not only in the quiet
+neighborhood in which the farm was located, but also in the adjacent
+town where the memory of Daniel Grey's meteoric ascent to pecuniosity
+still lingered in the minds of the oldest citizens, and pleasantly
+paved the way for a cordial reception of the fortunate son who
+inherited not only his mother's comeliness but his father's hoarded
+wealth.
+
+Living in the middle of the nineteenth century, and in a hemisphere
+completely antipodal to that in which Utopia was situated, or
+"Bensalem" dreamed of, the appearance of a good-looking, well-educated,
+affluent bachelor could not fail to stir all gossipdom to its dreg;
+and society, ever tenderly concerned about the individual affairs of
+its prominent members, was all agog--busily arranging for the
+_ci-devant_ United States Surgeon a programme, than which he would
+sooner have undertaken the feats of Samson or the Avatars of Vishnu.
+
+His published card, announcing the fact that he had permanently
+located in the city and was a patient candidate for the privilege of
+setting fractured limbs and administering medicine, somewhat dashed
+the expectations of many who conjected that the Grey estate could not
+possibly be worth the amount so long reputed, or the principal heir
+would certainly not soil his fingers with pills and plasters, instead
+of sauntering and dawdling with librettos, lorgnettes, meerschaums,
+and curiously-carved canes cut in the Hebrides or the jungles of
+Java.
+
+Over the door of that office, where the Angel of Death had smitten his
+father thirty-five years before, a new sign swung in the breeze, and
+showed the citizens the name of "Dr. Ulpian Grey. Office hours from
+nine to ten, and from two to three."
+
+The members of the profession called formally to welcome him to a
+share of their annual profits, and collectively gave him a dinner; the
+"best families" invited him to tea or luncheon, croquet or "German,"
+and thus, having accomplished his professional and social _début_,
+Ulpian Grey, M.D., henceforth claimed and exercised the privilege of
+selecting his associates, and employing his time as inclination
+prompted.
+
+In the comprehensive course of study to which he had so long devoted
+his attention, he had not omitted that immemorial stereotyped
+volume--Human Nature--which, despite the attempted revisions of sages,
+politicians, and ecclesiastics, remains as immutable as the
+everlasting hills; printing upon the leaves of the youngest century
+phases of guilt and guilelessness which find their prototypes in the
+gray dawn of time, when the "morning stars sang together,"--yea, busy
+to-day as of yore, slaughtering Abel, stoning Stephen, fretting Moses,
+crucifying Christ. Finding much that was admirable, and more that
+seemed ignoble, he gravely and reverently sought to possess himself of
+the subtle arcana of this marvellous book, rejecting as equally
+erroneous and unreliable the magnifying zeal of optimism and the
+gloomy jaundiced lenses of sneering pessimism,--thoroughly satisfied
+that it was a solemn duty, obligatory upon all, to study that complex
+paradoxical human nature, for the mastery of which Lucifer and Jesus
+had ceaselessly battled since the day when Adam and Eve were called
+"to dress and to keep" the Garden by the Euphrates,--that heaven-born,
+heaven-cursed, restless human nature, which now, as then,--
+
+  "Grasps at the fruitage forbidden,
+  The golden pomegranates of Eden,
+  To quiet its fever and pain."
+
+A few days' residence under the same roof, and a guarded observation
+of Salome's conduct, sufficed to acquaint Dr. Grey with the ungenerous
+motives that induced her chagrin at his return; and, without
+permitting her to suspect that he had so accurately read her
+character, he endeavored as unobtrusively as possible to bridge by
+kindness and courtesy the chasm of jealous distrust which divided
+them.
+
+Indolent and self-indulgent, she neither brooked dictation, nor
+gracefully accepted any suggestions at variance with the reigning
+whim; for, since she became an inmate of Miss Jane's hospitable home,
+existence had been a mere dreamy, aimless succession of golden dawns
+and scarlet-curtained sunsets--a slow, quiet lapsing of weeks into
+months,--an almost stagnant stream curled by no eddies, freighted with
+few aspirations, bearing no drift.
+
+The circumstances and associations of her early life had destroyed her
+faith in abstract nobility of character; self-abnegation she neither
+comprehended nor deemed possible; and of a stern, innate moral heroism
+she was utterly sceptical; consequently a delicately graduated scale
+of selfishness was the sole balance by which she was wont to weigh men
+and women.
+
+Her irregular method of study and desultory reading had rather
+enervated than strengthened a mind naturally clear and vigorous, and
+left its acquisitions in a confused and kaleidoscopic mass, bordering
+upon intellectual salmagundi.
+
+One warm afternoon, on his return from town, as Dr. Grey ascended the
+steps he noticed Salome reclining on a bamboo settee at the western
+end of the gallery, where the sunshine was hot and glaring,
+unobstructed by the thin leafy screen of vines that drooped from
+column to column on the southern and eastern sides of the building. If
+conscious of his approach she vouchsafed not the slightest intimation
+of it, and when he stood beside her she remained so immovable that he
+might have imagined her asleep but for the lambent light which rayed
+out from eyes that seemed intently numbering the soft fluttering young
+leaves on a distant clump of elm trees, which made a lace-like tracery
+of golden glimmer and quivering shadow on the purple-headed clover at
+their feet.
+
+Her fair but long slender fingers carelessly held a book that
+threatened to slip from their light relaxing grasp, and compressing
+his lips in order to smother a smile under his heavy moustache, Dr.
+Grey stooped and put his hand on her plump white wrist, where the blue
+veins were running riot.
+
+"So young,--yet cataleptic! Unfortunate, indeed," he murmured.
+
+She shook off his touch, and instantly sat erect.
+
+"I should be glad to know what you mean."
+
+"I have an admirable, nay, I venture to add, an almost infallible
+prescription for catalepsy, which has cured two chronic and apparently
+hopeless cases, and it will afford me great pleasure to try the third
+experiment upon you, since you seem pitiably in want of a remedy."
+
+"Thank you. Were I as free from all other ills that 'flesh is heir
+to,' as I certainly am of the taint of catalepsy, I might indeed
+congratulate myself upon an immunity which would obviate the dire
+necessity of ever meeting a physician."
+
+"Are you sure that you sufficiently understand the symptoms, to
+recognize them unerringly?"
+
+The rose tint in her cheeks deepened to scarlet, as she haughtily drew
+herself up to her full height, and answered,--
+
+"Dr. Grey himself is not more sagacious and adroit in detecting them;
+especially when open eyes discover unwelcome and disagreeable objects,
+which, wishing to avoid, they are still compelled to see. I hope you
+are satisfied that I comprehend you."
+
+"My meaning was not so occult as to justify a doubt upon that subject;
+and moreover, Salome, lack of astuteness is far from being your
+greatest defect. My motive should eloquently plead pardon for my
+candor, if I venture to tell you that your frequent affectation of
+unconsciousness of the presence of others, 'is a custom more honored
+in the breach than the observance,' and may prove prolific of
+annoyance in coming years; for courtesy constitutes the keystone in
+the beautiful arch of social amenities which vaults the temple of
+Christian virtues. Lest you should take umbrage at my frankness, which
+ought to assure you of my interest in your happiness and improvement,
+permit me to remind you of the oriental definition of a faithful
+friend, that has more pith than verbal polish,--
+
+  "The true friend is not he who holds up Flattery's mirror,
+    In which the face to thy conceit most pleasing hovers;
+  But he who kindly shows thee all thy vices, sirrah!
+    And helps thee mend them ere an enemy discovers."
+
+Rising, Salome swept him a profound courtesy, and, while her fingers
+beat a tattoo on the book she held, she watched him with a peculiar
+sparkle in her eyes, which he had already learned to understand was a
+beacon flame kindled by intense displeasure. Dr. Grey seated himself,
+and, taking off his hat, said gently and winningly, as he pushed aside
+the hair that clustered in brown rings over his forehead,--
+
+"Here is ample room for both of us. Sit down, and be reasonable; and
+let me catch a glimpse of the amiable elements which I feel assured
+must exist somewhere in your nature, notwithstanding your persistent
+endeavor to conceal them. Your Janus character has hitherto breathed
+only war--war; but, my young friend, I earnestly invoke its peaceful
+phase."
+
+The kindness of tone and evident sincerity of manner might have
+disarmed a prejudice better founded than hers; but wrath consumed all
+scruples, and, recollecting his forbearance with various former acts
+of rudeness, she presumed to attempt further aggressions.
+
+Waving her hand in tacit rejection of the proffered share of the
+settee, she answered with more emphasis than perspicuity demanded,--
+
+"Does your reading of the book of Job encourage you to believe that
+when those self-appointed counsellors--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad
+the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite--returned to their respective
+homes, they had cause to congratulate themselves upon their cordial
+welcome to Job's bank of ashes, or felt bountifully repaid for their
+voluntary mission of advice?"
+
+"Unfortunately, no. My study of the record of the man of Uz renders
+painfully patent that humiliating fact--old as humanity--that sanctity
+of motive is no coat-of-mail to the luckless few who bravely bear to
+the hearts of those with whom they associate the unwelcome burden of
+unflattering truths. Phraseology--definitions--vary with advancing
+centuries, but not so the human impulses they express or explain; and
+friendship in the days of Job was the identical 'Mutual Admiration
+Society,' which at present converts its consistent servile members
+into Damon and Pythias, but punishes any violation of its canons with
+hatred dire and inextinguishable. Were I blessed with the genius of
+Praxiteles or of Angelo, I would chisel and bequeath to the world a
+noble statue,--typical of that rare, fearless friendship, which,
+walking through the lazaretto of diseased and morbid natures, bears
+not honied draughts alone, but scalpel, caustic, and bitter tonics."
+
+The calm sweetness of voice and mien lent to his words an influence
+which no amount of gall or satire could have imparted; and, in the
+brief silence that ensued, Salome's heart was suddenly smitten with a
+humiliating consciousness of her childish flippancy,--her utter
+inferiority to this man, who seemed to walk serenely in a starry plane
+far beyond the mire where she grovelled.
+
+Ridicule braced and exaggerated her weaknesses, and the strokes of
+sarcasm she could adroitly parry; but for persistent magnanimity she
+was no match, and recoiled before it like the traditional Fiend at
+sight of the _Santo Sudario_. Watching her companion's quiet
+countenance, she saw a shadow drift over it, betokening neither anger
+nor scorn, but serious regret; and involuntarily she drooped her head
+to avoid the eyes that now turned full upon her.
+
+"Since I became a man, and to some extent capable of discriminating
+with reference to the characters of persons with whom I found myself
+in contact, I have made and invariably observed one rule of
+conduct,--namely, never to associate with those whom I cannot
+respect. Ignorance, want of refinement, irritability of temper, and
+even lack of generous impulses, I can forgive, when redeemed by candor
+and stern honesty of purpose; but arrogance, dissimulation, and
+all-absorbing selfishness I will not tolerate. In you I hoped and
+expected better qualities than you permit me to find, and I trust you
+will acquit me of intentional rudeness if I acknowledge that you have
+painfully disappointed me. It was, and still is, my earnest wish to
+befriend and to aid you,--to contribute to your happiness, and
+cordially sympathize in any annoyances that may surround you; but thus
+far you have rendered it impossible for me to esteem you, and while I
+do not presume that my good opinion is of any importance to you, our
+present relations compel me to request that our intercourse may in
+future be characterized by more urbanity than has yet graced it. My
+sister has been much pained by the feelings with which you evidently
+regard me, and since you and I are merely guests under her roof, a due
+deference to her wishes should certainly repress the exhibition of
+antipathies towards those whom she loves. It is her earnest desire (as
+expressed in a conversation which I had with her yesterday) that I
+should treat you as a young sister; and, for her sake, I offer you
+once more, and for the last time, my hearty assistance in any
+department in which I am able to render it."
+
+"The folds of your flag of truce do not conceal the drawn sword
+beneath it; and let me tell you, sir, it is very evident that
+'demand' would far better have expressed your purpose than the
+word 'request.'"
+
+"At least you should not be surprised if I doubt whether you regard
+any truce as inviolable, and am inclined to suspect you of latent
+treachery."
+
+"Your accusation of dissimulation is unjust, for I have openly,
+fearlessly manifested my prejudice--my aversion."
+
+"That you dislike me is my misfortune, but that you allow your
+detestation to generate discord in our small circle is an error which
+I trust you will endeavor to correct. That I have many faults I shall
+not attempt to deny; but mutual forbearance will prove a mutual
+blessing. For Jane's sake, shall there not be peace between us?"
+
+Standing before her, he looked gravely down into her face, where flush
+and sparkle had died out, and saw--what she was too proud to
+confess--that he had partially conquered her waywardness, that she was
+reluctantly yielding to his influence; but he understood her nature
+too thoroughly to pause contented with this slight advantage in a
+contest which he foresaw must determine the direction of her aims
+through life.
+
+"Salome, I am waiting for your decision."
+
+Her lips stirred twice, but the words they framed were either too
+haughty or too humble, for she refused them utterance; and, while she
+deliberated, two tears settled the question by rolling swiftly over
+her cheeks, and falling upon the cherry ribbon at her throat.
+
+Accepting it as a tacit signature to his terms of capitulation, and
+satisfied with the result, Dr. Grey forbore to urge verbal assurances.
+Taking the book from her hand, he said, pleasantly,--
+
+"Are you fond of French? I frequently find you poring over your
+grammar."
+
+"I have never had a teacher, nor have I conquered the conjugations;
+consequently, I know comparatively little about the language."
+
+"Are you studying it with the intention of familiarizing yourself with
+French literature, or merely to enable you to translate the few
+phrases that modern writers sprinkle through novels and essays?"
+
+"For neither purpose, but simply because it is the court language of
+the old world; and, if I should succeed in my hope of visiting Europe,
+I might regret my ignorance of the universally received medium of
+communication."
+
+"Have you, then, no desire to master those noble bursts of eloquence
+by which Racine, Bossuet, Fénélon, and Cousin have charmed the
+intellects of all nations?"
+
+"None, whatever. I might as well tell you at once, what you will
+inevitably discover ere long if you condescend to inspect my meagre
+attainments, that for abstract study I have no more inclination than
+to fondle some mummy in the crypts of Cyrene, or play 'blind man's
+buff' with the corpses in the Morgue. My limited investments of time
+and thought in intellectual stock have been made solely with reference
+to speedy dividends of most practical and immediate benefits; and
+knowledge _per se_--knowledge which will not pay me handsome
+interest--has no more value in my eyes than a handful of the dust of
+those Atures found in the cavern of Ataruipe. Doubtless you think me
+pitiably benighted, and possibly I might find more favor in your sight
+if I affected a prodigious amount of literary enthusiasm, and
+boundless admiration for scholarship and erudition; but that would
+prove too troublesome an imposture,--for I am constitutionally,
+habitually, and premeditatedly lazy."
+
+She saw a smile lurking under his heavy lashes, and half ambushed in
+the corners of his mouth; and, vaguely conscious that she was
+rendering herself ridiculous, she bit her lip with ill-disguised
+vexation.
+
+"Salome, I am afraid that under the garb of a jest you are making me
+acquainted with a very mournful truth. You have probably never heard
+of Lessing,--Gotthold Ephraim Lessing."
+
+"Oh, I am not quite as ignorant as a Pitcairn's Islander; and I think
+I have somewhere seen that such a person as Lessing lived at
+Wolfenbüttel. He once said, 'The chase is always worth more than
+the quarry.' And again, 'Did the Almighty, holding in his right hand
+Truth, and in his left Search after Truth, deign to proffer me the
+one I might prefer,--in all humility, but without hesitation, I
+should request Search after Truth.' When you have nothing more
+important to occupy your attention, give ten minutes' reflection to
+his admonition, and perhaps it may declare a dividend years hence.
+Last week I found your algebra on the rug before the library grate,
+and noticed several sums worked out in pencil on the margin. Are
+you fond of mathematics?"
+
+"Not that I am aware of."
+
+"What progress have you made?"
+
+"My knowledge of arithmetic is barely sufficient to take me through a
+brief shopping expedition."
+
+"Have you no ambition to increase it?"
+
+"Dr. Grey, I have no ambition. That 'last infirmity of noble minds'
+has never attacked me; and, folding my hands, I chant ceaselessly to
+my soul, 'Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.' The rapture of
+the mathematician, who bows before the shrine of his favorite science,
+is to my dull intellect as incomprehensible as the jargon of
+metaphysics or the mysteries wrapped up in Pali cerements. Equations,
+conic sections, differential calculus, constitute a skull and
+cross-bones to which I allow as wide a berth as possible."
+
+The weary dissatisfied expression of her large, luminous eyes, belied
+the sneer in her voice and the curl of her thin lip, and it cost her
+an effort to answer his next question.
+
+"Will you tell me what rule you have adopted for the distribution of
+your time, and the government of your life?"
+
+"Yes, sir; you are heartily welcome to it: 'Yet a little slumber, a
+little folding of the hands to sleep.' _Laissez nous faire_. Moreover,
+Dr. Grey, if you will courteously lend me your ears, I will favor you
+with a still more felicitous exposition of my invaluable organon."
+
+Stooping suddenly, she raised from the floor a small volume which had
+been concealed by her dress, and, as it opened at a page stained with
+the juice of a purple convolvulus, she smiled defiantly, and read with
+almost scornful emphasis,--
+
+                         ... "'Ah, why
+    Should life all labor be?
+  Let us alone. Time driveth onward fast,
+    And in a little while our lips are dumb.
+  Let us alone. What is it that will last?
+    All things are taken from us, and become
+  Portions and parcels of the dreadful Past.
+    Let us alone. What pleasure can we have
+  To war with evil? Is there any peace
+    In ever climbing up the climbing wave?
+    All things have rest, and ripen towards the grave
+  In silence; ripen, fall, and cease:
+  Give us long rest or death; dark death or dreamful ease.'
+
+There, Dr. Grey, you have my creed and method,--_Laissez nous
+faire_."
+
+With a degree of gravity that trenched on sternness, he bowed, and
+answered,--
+
+"So be it. I might insist that the closing lines of 'Ulysses' nobly
+refute all the numbing heresy of the 'Lotos Eaters'--
+
+           ... 'But something ere the end,
+  Some work of noble note may yet be done.
+  That which we are, we are:
+  One equal templer of heroic hearts,
+  Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
+  To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'
+
+But I would not rouse you from a lethargy, which, knowing it to be
+fatal to all hopes of usefulness, you still deliberately prefer. Take
+care, however, lest you bury the one original talent so deep that you
+fail to unearth it when the Master demands it in the final day of
+restitution. I have questioned you concerning your studies, because I
+desired and intended to offer my services as tutor, while you
+prosecuted mathematics and the languages; but I forbear to suggest a
+course so evidently distasteful to you. Unless I completely misjudge
+your character, I fear the day is not distant, when, haunted by ghosts
+of strangled opportunities, you will realize the solemn and painful
+truth, that,--
+
+  'There is nothing a man knows, in grief or in sin,
+  _Half so bitter as to think, What I might have been_!'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+
+"Salome, you look so weary that I must insist upon relieving you. Give
+me the book and run out for a breath of fresh air--a glimpse of blue
+sky."
+
+Dr. Grey laid his hand on the volume, but the girl shook her head and
+pushed aside his fingers.
+
+"I am not at all tired, and even if I were it would make no
+difference. Miss Jane desires me to read this sermon aloud, and I
+shall finish it."
+
+The invalid, who had been confined to her bed for many days by a
+severe attack of rheumatism, partially raised herself on one elbow,
+and said,--
+
+"My dear, give him the book, while you take a little exercise. You
+have been pent up here long enough, and, moreover, I want to talk to
+Ulpian about some business matters. Don't look so sullen, my child; it
+makes no difference who reads the sermon to me. Kiss me, and run out
+on the lawn."
+
+The orphan relinquished chair and book, but there was no relaxation of
+her bent brows, and neither warmth nor lingering pressure in the firm,
+hardly drawn lips, which lightly touched the old lady's sallow,
+wrinkled cheek. When she had left the room, closing the door after her
+with more force than was requisite to bolt it securely, Miss Jane
+sighed heavily, and turned to her brother.
+
+"Poor thing! She is so jealous of you; and it distresses me to see
+that no friendship grows up between you, as I hoped and believed would
+be the case. If you would only notice her a little more I think you
+might win her over."
+
+"Leave it to time, Janet. I 'have piped unto her and she would not
+dance; I have mourned unto her, and she has not lamented,'--and
+concessions only feed her waywardness. If there be a residuum of good
+sense and proper feeling in her nature, they will assert themselves
+after a while; if not, all extraneous influences are futile. I will
+resume the reading, if agreeable to you."
+
+Moody and rebellious, Salome stood for some moments on the threshold
+of the front door, staring vacantly out over the lawn; then, snatching
+her hat from a hook in the hall, she swiftly crossed the grounds,
+climbed over a low lattice fence at the foot of the declivity, and
+followed a worn but neglected path leading into the adjoining forest.
+
+The sanctity of the Sabbath afternoon rested like a benison over the
+silent glades, where sunshine made golden roads along the smooth brown
+pine straw, and glinted on the purple flags that fluttered in the mild
+west wind. Even the melancholy plaint of sad-eyed dun doves was
+hushed, as they slowly swung in the swaying pine-tops; and two young
+lambs, neglected by the wandering flock, lay sleeping quietly, with
+their snowy heads pillowed on clustering violets,--far from the fold,
+forgotten by their mothers, at the mercy of strolling dogs, watched
+only by the Great Shepherd.
+
+Salome's rapid pace soon placed a mile between her and the fence that
+bounded the lawn; and, pushing through the dense undergrowth which
+betokened the proximity of a stream, she stood ere long on the margin
+of a wide pond which supplied the broad, shining sheet of beryl water
+that poured over the rocky dam, close to the large irregular building
+called "Grey's Mill."
+
+Piles of lumber were bleaching in the sunshine, but the machinery was
+at rest, the workmen were all absent, and not a sound broke the
+stillness, save the steady, monotonous chant of the water leaping down
+into the race, where a thousand foam-flakes danced along towards the
+huge wheels, and died on the soft green mosses and lush-creepers that
+stole down to bathe in the sparkling wavelets. The knotted roots of an
+old beech tree furnished a resting-place, and Salome sat down and
+leaned her head against the scarred trunk, where lightning had once
+girdled and partially destroyed it,--leaving one-half the branches
+leafy, the remainder scorched and barren.
+
+Overhanging willows darkened the edges of the pond; and, in the
+centre, one tall, venerable cypress, lonely as some palm in the
+desert, rose like a gray shaft tufted with a fine fringe of fresh
+green; and occasional clusters of broad, shining leaves, spread
+themselves on the surface of the water, cradling large, snowy lilies,
+whose gold-powdered stamens trembled ceaselessly. Now and then a trout
+leaped up, as if for a breath of May air, and fell back into the
+circle that widened until it touched either bank; and not far from a
+cow who stood knee-deep in water, browsing on a wild rose that
+clambered over the willows to peep at its pink image in the pond, a
+proud pair of gray geese convoyed a brood of yellow younglings that
+dived and breasted the ripples with evident glee.
+
+With her arms clasped around her knees, Salome sat watching the blue
+tendrils of smoke that rose from a clump of elms beyond the mill and
+curled lazily upward until they lost themselves in air; and, though
+the arching elm boughs hid mossy roof and chimney, she nevertheless
+felt that she was looking on the old house where she was born, and
+where ten dreary years of sorrow and humiliation had embittered and
+perverted her nature.
+
+Those elms had seen her mother die, had heard her father's drunken
+revelry, and bent their aged heads to listen on that wild wintry
+night, when in blood-curdling curses his soul rent itself from the
+degraded tenement of clay. Apparently peace brooded over earth, sky,
+and water; but to that lonely figure under the riven beech, every
+object within the range of vision babbled horrible tales of the early
+years, and memory pointed to a corner of the lumber-shed adjoining the
+mill where she had often secreted herself to avoid her father's
+brutality,--always keeping her head in the moonshine, because she
+dreaded the darkness inside, which childish fancy filled with ghostly
+groups. She hated the place as she hated the past, and this was the
+second time she had visited it since the day that consigned her to the
+poor-house; for it was impossible for her to look at the pond without
+recollecting one dark passage in her life, known only to God and
+herself. To-day she recalled, with startling vividness a dusky,
+starlit June evening, when, maddened by an unmerited and unusually
+severe punishment inflicted by her father, she had resolved to drown
+herself, and find peace in the mud at the bottom of the mill-pond.
+Placing her infant sister on the grass, she had kissed her good-by,
+and selecting the deepest portion of the water, had climbed out on a
+willow branch and prepared for the final plunge. Putting her fingers
+in her ears that she might not hear the bubbling of the murderous
+water, she shut her eyes and sprang into the pond; but her long hair
+caught the willow twigs, and, half strangled and quite willing to
+live, she scrambled up into the low limbs that seemed so anxious to
+rescue her from a watery grave; and, dripping and trembling, crept
+back to the house, comforting herself with the grim assurance that
+whatever else might befall, she certainly was not foreordained to be
+either beaten to death or drowned. The impulse which had brought her
+on this occasion to a scene so fraught with harrowing memories, was
+explicable only by the supposition that its painful surroundings were
+in consonance with the bitter and despondent mood in which she found
+herself; and, in the gloom that this retrospection shed over her
+countenance, her features seemed to grow wan and angular. For several
+days she had been sorely disquieted by the realization of Miss Jane's
+rapidly failing strength; and the probability of her death, which a
+year ago would have been entirely endurable as an avenue to wealth,
+now appeared the direst catastrophe that had yet threatened her
+ill-starred life.
+
+It was distressing to think of the kind old face growing stiff in a
+shroud, but infinitely more appalling to contemplate the possibility
+of being turned out of a comfortable home and driven to labor for a
+maintenance. Salome had a vague impression that either Providence or
+the world owed her a luxurious future, as partial compensation for her
+juvenile miseries; but since both seemed disposed to repudiate the
+debt, she was reluctantly compelled to ponder her prospective
+bankruptcy in worldly goods, and, like the unjust steward, while
+unwilling to work she was still ashamed to beg.
+
+Although she strenuously resisted the strong, steady influence so
+quietly exerted by Dr. Grey, the best elements of her nature, long
+dormant, began to stir feebly, and she was conscious of nobler
+aspirations than those which had hitherto swayed her; and of a
+dimly-defined self-dissatisfaction that was novel and annoying.
+Unwilling to admit that she valued his good opinion, she nevertheless
+felt chagrined at her failure to possess it, and gradually she
+realized her utter inferiority to this man, whose consistent Christian
+character commanded an entire respect which she had never before
+entertained for any human being. Immersed in vexing thoughts
+concerning her future, she mechanically stretched out her hand to
+pluck a bunch of phlox and of lemon-hued primroses that were nodding
+in the sunshine close to her feet; but, as she touched the stems, a
+large copper-colored snake slowly uncoiled from the tuft of grass
+where they nestled and, gliding into the water, disappeared in the
+midst of the lilies.
+
+"I wonder if throughout life all the flowers I endeavor to grasp will
+prove only Moccasin-beds! Why should they,--unless God abdicates and
+Satan reigns? I have found, to my cost, that existence is not made
+entirely of rainless June days; but I doubt whether darkness and
+storms shut out the warm glow and perpetually curtain the stars.
+Obviously I am no saint; still, I am disposed to believe I am not
+altogether wicked. I have committed no capital sins, nor grievously
+transgressed the decalogue,--and why should I despair of my share of
+the good things of life? I am neither Cain nor Jezebel, and therefore
+Fates and Furies have no warrant to dog my footsteps. Moreover, how do
+I know that Destiny is indeed the hideous, vindictive crone that
+luckless wretches have painted her, instead of an amiable, good soul,
+who is quite as willing to scatter blessings as curses? Because some
+dyspeptic Greek dreamed of three pitiless old weavers, blind to human
+tears, deaf to human petitions, why should we wise and enlightened
+people of the nineteenth century scare ourselves with the skeleton of
+Paganism? I have as inalienable a right to brocades, crown-jewels, and
+a string of titles, as any reigning queen, provided I can only get my
+hands upon them; and, since life seems to be a sort of snatch-and-hold
+game, quick keen eyes and nimble fingers decide the question. I have
+never trodden on the world's tender toes, nor smitten its pet follies,
+nor set myself aloft to gaze pityingly on its degradation, therefore,
+the world honors me with no special grudge. But one thing is
+mournfully certain,--my path is not strewn with loaves and fishes
+ready baked and broiled, and I must even go gleaning and fishing for
+myself. Almost everybody has some gift or some mission; but I really
+do not see in what direction I can set to work. Work! How I hate the
+bare thought! I have not sufficient education to teach, nor genius to
+write, nor a talent for drawing, and barely music enough in my soul to
+enable me to carry the church tunes respectably. Come, Salome Owen!
+Shake off your sloth, and face the abominable fact that you must earn
+your own bread. It is a great shame, and I ought not to be obliged to
+work, for I am not responsible for my existence, and those who brought
+me into the world owed it to me to provide for my wants. I cannot and
+will not forgive my father and mother; but that will not mend matters,
+since, nevertheless, here I am, with a body to feed and clothe, and
+God only knows how I am to accomplish it. I find myself with youth,
+health, some beauty, an average share of intellect, and all the wants
+pertaining thereunto. If the worst comes to the worst I suppose I can
+contrive, like other poverty-stricken girls, to marry somebody who
+will support me comfortably; but that is rather an uncertain
+speculation, and meantime Miss Jane might die. Now, if the Bible is
+true, it must indeed be a blessed lot to be born a brown sparrow, and
+have the Lord for a commissary. I am a genuine child of old Adam, and
+labor is the heaviest curse that could possibly be sent upon me."
+
+Once or twice during this profitless reverie she had paused to listen
+to a singular sound that came from a dense group of willows not far
+from the spot where she sat, and now it grew louder, swelling into a
+measured cry, as of a child in great distress.
+
+"Somebody in trouble, but it does not concern me; I have enough and to
+spare, of my own."
+
+She settled herself once more quite comfortably, but the low,
+monotonous wail, smote her heart, and womanly sympathy with suffering
+strangled her constitutional selfishness. Rising, she crept cautiously
+along the edge of the pond until she reached the thicket whence the
+sound proceeded, and, as she pushed aside the low branches and peeped
+into the cool, green nook, her eyes fell upon the figure of a little
+boy who lay on the ground, rolling from side to side and sobbing
+violently.
+
+"What is the matter? Are you sick or hungry?"
+
+Startled by the sound of her voice, the child uttered a scream of
+terror, and whirled over, hiding his face in the leaves and grass.
+
+"For Heaven's sake, stop howling! What are you about,--wallowing here
+in the mud, ruining your clothes, and yelling like a hyena? Hush, and
+get up."
+
+"Oh, please, ma'am, don't tell on me! Don't carry me back, and I will
+hush!"
+
+"Where do you live?"
+
+"Nowhere. Oh!--oh!" And he renewed his cries.
+
+"A probable story. What is your name?"
+
+"Haven't got any name."
+
+"You have no name, and you live nowhere? Come, little fellow, this
+will never do. I am afraid you are a very bad boy and have run away
+from home to escape being punished. Hush this instant!"
+
+He had kept his face carefully concealed, and, resolved to ascertain
+the truth, Salome stooped and tried to lift him; but he struggled
+desperately, and screamed frantically,--
+
+"Let me alone! I won't go back! I will jump into the pond and drown
+myself if you don't let me alone."
+
+He was so hoarse from constant crying that she could recognize no
+familiar tones in his voice, but a great dread seized her, and,
+suddenly putting her hands under his head, she forced the face up, and
+looked at the flushed, swollen features.
+
+"Stanley! Is it possible? My poor little brother!"
+
+The equally astonished boy started up, and stared half wistfully, half
+fearfully, at the figure standing before him.
+
+"Is it you, Salome? I did not know you."
+
+"How came you here? When did you leave the Asylum?"
+
+"I ran away, three days ago."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Because I was tired of living there, and I wanted to come back
+home."
+
+"Home, indeed! You miserable begger, don't you know you have no home
+but the Orphan Asylum?"
+
+"Yes, I have. I want to come back yonder. Don't you see home yonder,
+among the trees, with the pretty white and speckled pigeons flying
+over it?"
+
+He pointed across the pond to the old house beyond the mill, whose
+outlines were visible through the openings in the elms; and, as he
+gazed upon it with that intense longing so touching in a child's face,
+his sobs increased.
+
+"Stanley, that is not your home now. Other people live there, and you
+have no right to come back. Why did you run away from the Asylum? Did
+they treat you unkindly?"
+
+"No,--yes. They whipped me because I cried and said I hated to stay
+there, and wanted to come home."
+
+Salome looked at the soiled, torn clothes, and sorrowful face; and,
+bursting into tears, she bent forward and drew her brother to her
+bosom. He put his arms around her neck, and kissed her cheek several
+times, saying, softly and coaxingly,--
+
+"Sister Salome, you won't send me back, will you? Please let me stay
+with you, and I will be a good boy."
+
+For some minutes she was unable to reply, and wept silently as she
+smoothed the tangled hair back from the child's white forehead and
+pressed her lips to it.
+
+"Stanley, how is Jessie? Where did you leave her?"
+
+"She is well, and I left her at the Asylum. She had a long cry the
+night I ran away, and said she wanted to see you, and she thought you
+had forgotten us both. You know, Salome, it is over a year since you
+came to see us, and Jessie and I are so lonesome there, we hate the
+place."
+
+"What were you crying so bitterly about when I found you, just now?"
+
+"I am so hungry, and the man who lives yonder at home drove me away.
+He said I was prowling around to steal something, and if he saw me
+there any more he would shoot me. I ate my last piece of biscuit
+yesterday."
+
+"Why did you not come to me instead of the miller?"
+
+"I was afraid you would send me back to the Asylum; but you won't,--I
+know you won't, Salome."
+
+"Suppose I had not happened to hear you crying,--what would have
+become of you? Did you intend to starve here in the swamp?"
+
+"I thought I would wait till the miller left home, and then beg his
+wife to give me some bread, and, if I could get nothing, I was going
+to pull up some carrots that I saw growing in a field back of the
+house. Oh, Salome, I am so hungry and so tired!"
+
+She sat down on a heap of last year's leaves, which autumn winds and
+winter rains had driven against the trunk of a decayed and fallen
+sweet-gum, and, drawing the weary head with its shock of matted yellow
+curls to her lap, she covered her own face with her hands to hide the
+hot tears that streamed over her cheeks.
+
+"Salome, are you very mad with me?"
+
+"Yes, Stanley; you have behaved very badly, and I don't know what I
+ought to do with you."
+
+He tried to put aside one of her shielding hands, and failing, wound
+his arms around her waist, and nestled as close as possible.
+
+"Sister, please let me stay and live with you, and I promise--I
+declare--I will be a good boy."
+
+"Poor little fellow! You don't in the least know what you are talking
+about. How can you live with me when I have no home, and not a
+dollar?"
+
+"I thought you stayed with a rich lady, and had everything nice that
+you wanted."
+
+"I do not expect to have even a shelter much longer. The lady who
+takes care of me is sick, and cannot live very long; and, when she
+dies, I don't know where I shall go or what I may be obliged to do."
+
+"If you will only keep me I will help you work. At the Asylum I saw
+wood, and pick peas, and pull out grass and weeds from the strawberry
+vines, and sometimes I sweep the yards. Just try me a little while,
+Salome, and see how smart I can be."
+
+"Would you be willing to leave poor little Jessie at the Asylum? If
+she felt so lonesome when you were there, how will she get along
+without you?"
+
+"Oh, we could steal her out some night, and keep her with us. Salome,
+I tell you I don't mean to go back there. I will die first. I will
+drown myself, or run away to sea. I would rather starve to death here
+in the swamp. Everybody else can get a home, and why can't we?"
+
+"Because your father was a drunkard, and left his children to the
+charity of the poor-house; and, God knows, I heartily wish we were all
+screwed down in the same coffin with him. You and I, Jessie, and Mark,
+and Joel are all beggars--miserable beggars! Hush, Stanley, you will
+sob yourself into a fever! Stop crying, I say, if you do not want to
+drive me crazy! I thought I had trouble enough, without being
+tormented by the sight of your poor, wretched face; and now, what to
+do with you I am sure I don't know. There--do be quiet. Take your arms
+away; I don't want you to kiss me any more."
+
+In the long silence that succeeded, the child, spent with grief and
+fatigue, fell into a sound sleep, and Salome sat with his head in her
+lap and her clasped hands resting on her knee.
+
+The afternoon slowly wore away, and the dimpled pond caught
+lengthening shadows on its surface as the sun dipped into the forest.
+The measured tinkle of a distant bell told that the cows were wending
+quietly homeward; and, while the miller's wife drove her geese into
+the yard, the pigeons nestled in their leafy coverts high among the
+elm arches, and the solemn serenity of coming summer night stole with
+velvet tread over the scene, silencing all things save the silvery
+barcarolle of the falling water, and the sweet, lonely vesper hymn of
+a whippoorwill, half hidden in the solitary cypress.
+
+Although tears came very rarely to her eyes, the orphan had wept
+bitterly, and, surprised at finding herself so completely unnerved on
+this occasion, she made a powerful effort to regain her composure and
+usual stolidity of expression. Shaking the little sleeper, she
+said,--
+
+"Wake up, Stanley. Get your hat and come with me, at least for
+to-night."
+
+The child was too weary to renew the conversation, and, hand in hand,
+the two walked silently on until they approached the confines of the
+farm, when Salome suddenly paused at sight of Dr. Grey, who was
+crossing the pine forest just in front of them. Pressing his sister's
+hand, Stanley looked up and asked, timidly,--
+
+"What are you going to do with me?"
+
+"Hush! I have not fully decided."
+
+She endeavored to elude observation by standing close to the body of a
+large pine, but Dr. Grey caught a glimpse of her fluttering dress,
+and came forward rapidly, carrying in his arms one young lamb and
+driving another before him.
+
+"Salome, will you be so good as to assist me in shepherding this
+obstinate little waif? It has been running hither and thither for
+nearly half an hour, taking every direction but the right one. If you
+will either walk on and lower the bars for me or drive this lamb while
+I go forward, you will greatly oblige me. Pardon me,--you look
+distressed. Something painful has occurred, I fear."
+
+The girl's usually firm mouth trembled as she laid her hand on the
+torn straw hat that shaded Stanley's features, and answered,
+hurriedly,--
+
+"Yes. We have both stumbled upon stray lambs; but mine, unfortunately,
+happens to prove my youngest brother, and, since I am neither Reuben
+nor Judah, I could not leave him in the woods to perish. Stanley, run
+on and pull down the bars yonder, where you see the sheep looking
+through the fence."
+
+"How old is he?"
+
+"About eight years, I believe, but he is small for his age."
+
+"He does not in the least resemble you."
+
+"No; pitiable little wretch, he looks like nothing but destitution!
+When a poor man dies, leaving a houseful of beggarly orphans, the
+State ought to require the undertaker who buries him to shoot or hang
+the whole brood, and lay them all in the Potter's Field out of the
+world's way."
+
+"Such words and sentiments are strangely at variance with the
+affectionate gentleness and resignation which best become womanly
+lips, and I pity the keen suffering that wrings them from yours. He
+who 'setteth the solitary in families' never yet failed in loving
+guardianship of trusting orphanage, and certainly you have no cause to
+upbraid fate, or impiously murmur against the decrees of your God."
+
+He stood before her, with one hand stroking the head of the lamb that
+nestled on his bosom; but his face was sterner, his voice far more
+severe, than she had ever known either before, and her eyes fell
+beneath the grave and sorrowful rebuke which looked out from his.
+
+"Your brother ran away from the Asylum, three days ago."
+
+"How did you ascertain that fact?"
+
+"About an hour after you left the house, the matron of the Asylum sent
+to inquire whether you were aware of his absence, and to notify you
+that your little sister Jessie is quite ill. I was searching for you,
+when I accidentally found these lambs, deserted by their mother. Thank
+you, Stanley; I will put up the bars, and you can go to the house with
+your sister. Salome, the carriage is ready, and if you desire to see
+Jessie immediately I will take you over as soon as possible. There is
+a full moon, and you can return with me or remain at the Asylum until
+morning. Confer with my sister concerning the disposal of this little
+refugee."
+
+He patted the boy's head, and entered the sheepfold, while Salome
+stood leaning against the fence, looking vacantly down at the bleating
+flock.
+
+Catching her brother's hand, she hurried to the house, bathed his
+face, brushed his disordered hair, and gave him a bountiful supper of
+bread and milk; after which, Jane Grey ordered the little culprit
+brought to her bedside, where she delivered a kind lecture on his
+sinful disobedience. When Dr. Grey entered the room, Salome was
+standing at the window, while Stanley clung to her dress, hiding his
+face in its folds, vowing vehemently that he would not return to the
+Asylum, and protesting with many sobs that he would be the best boy in
+the world if he were only allowed to remain at the farm.
+
+"Salome, do quiet him; he will fret himself into a fever," said Miss
+Jane, whose nerves began to quiver painfully.
+
+"He has it already," answered the girl, without turning her head. She
+did not observe Dr. Grey's entrance, and when he approached the
+window, where the mellow moonshine streamed full on her face, he saw
+tears stealing over her cheeks, and noticed that her fingers were
+clenched tightly.
+
+"Salome, do you wish to see Jessie to-night? She has had convulsions
+during the day, and may not live until morning."
+
+She looked up at his grave, noble countenance, and her lips fluttered
+as she answered, huskily,--
+
+"I can do nothing for her, and why should I see her die?"
+
+"To whose care was she committed by her dying mother?"
+
+"To mine."
+
+"Have you faithfully kept the sacred trust?"
+
+"I did all that I could until Miss Jane placed her in the asylum."
+
+"Does your conscience acquit you?"
+
+She silently dropped her face in her hands, and for some seconds he
+watched her anxiously.
+
+"Have you and Janet decided what shall be done with Stanley?"
+
+"No; the longer I ponder the matter, the more confused my mind
+becomes."
+
+"Will you leave it in my hands, and abide by my decision?"
+
+"Yes, gladly."
+
+"You promise to be satisfied with any course upon which I may
+resolve?"
+
+Looking up quickly, she exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, yes; I trust you, fully. Do what you think best."
+
+Dr. Grey put his hand under Stanley's chin, and, lifting his face,
+examined his countenance and felt his pulse.
+
+"He is only frightened and fatigued. Put him to bed at once in your
+room, and then let me take you to see little Jessie. If you fail to
+go, you might reproach yourself in coming years."
+
+It was nine o'clock when the carriage stopped at the door of the
+Asylum, and Salome and Dr. Grey went up to the "Infirmary," where the
+faithful matron sat beside one of the little beds, watching the deep
+slumber of the flushed and exhausted sleeper.
+
+The disease had almost spent its force, the crisis was passed, and the
+attending physician had pronounced the patient much better; still,
+when Salome stooped to kiss her sister, the matron held her back,
+assuring her that perfect quiet was essential for her recovery.
+Kneeling there beside the motherless girl, Salome noted the changes
+that time and suffering had wrought on the delicate features; and, as
+she listened to the quick, irregular breathing, the fountain of
+tenderness was suddenly unsealed in her own nature, and she put out
+her arms, yearning to clasp Jessie to her heart. So strong were her
+emotions, so keen was her regret for past indifference and neglect,
+that she lost all self-control, and, unable to check her passionate
+weeping, Dr. Grey led her from the room, promising to bring her again
+when the sick child was sufficiently strong to bear the interview.
+
+During the ride homeward he made no effort to divert her thoughts or
+relieve her anxiety, knowing that although severe it was a healthful
+regimen for her long indurated heart, and was the _rénaissance_ of her
+better nature.
+
+When they arrived at home, the moon was shining bright and full, and,
+as they waited on the gallery for a servant to open the door, Dr. Grey
+drew most favorable auguries from the chastened, blanched face, with
+its humbled and grieved expression.
+
+"Salome, I shall for the present keep Stanley here; and, until I can
+make some satisfactory arrangement with reference to his education, I
+would be glad to have you hear his recitations every day. Have you the
+requisite leisure to superintend his lessons?"
+
+"Yes, sir. I have not deserved this kindness from you, Dr. Grey; but I
+thank you, from my inmost heart. You are good enough to forgive my
+many offences, and I shall not soon forget it."
+
+"Salome, you owe me no gratitude, but there is much for which you
+should go down on your knees and fervently thank your merciful God. My
+young friend, will you do this?"
+
+He extended his hand, and, unable to utter a word, Salome gave him
+hers, for a second only, and hastened to her own room, where Stanley's
+fair face lay in the golden moonlight, radiant with happy dreams of
+white pigeons and pet lambs.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+
+"Don't strangle me, Jessie! Put down your arms, and listen to me.
+Sobbing will not mend matters, and you might as well make up your mind
+to be patient. Of course I should like to take you with me, if I had
+a home; but, as I told you just now, we are so poor that we must live
+where we can, not where we prefer. Because I wear nice pretty clothes
+do you suppose I have a pocketful of money? I have not a cent to buy
+even a loaf of bread, and I can't ask Miss Jane to take care of you as
+well as of Stanley and myself. Poor little thing, don't cry so! I know
+you are lonely here without Stanley, but it can't be helped. Jessie,
+don't you see that it can not be helped?"
+
+"I don't eat so very much, and I could sleep with Buddie and wouldn't
+be in the way,--and I can wear my old clothes. Oh, please, Salome! I
+will die if you leave me here."
+
+"You will do no such thing; you are getting well as fast as possible.
+Crying never kills people,--it only makes their heads ache, and their
+eyes red and ugly. See here, if you don't stop all this, I shall quit
+coming to see you! Do you hear what I say?"
+
+The only reply was a fresh sob, which the child strove to smother by
+hiding her face in Salome's lap.
+
+The matron, who sat by the open window, looked up from the button-hole
+she was working, and, clearing her throat, said,--
+
+"Better let her have her cry out,--that is the surest cure for such
+troubles as hers. She was always manageable and good enough until
+Stanley ran away, and since then she does nothing but mope and bite
+her finger-nails. Cry away, Jessie, and have done with it. Ah, miss,
+the saddest feature about Asylums is the separation of families;
+and if the matron had a heart of stone it would melt sometimes at
+sight of these little motherless things clinging to each other. I'm
+sure I have shed a gallon of tears since I came here. It is a
+fearful responsibility to take charge of an institution like this,
+for if I try to make the children respect my authority, and behave
+themselves properly, outsiders 'specially the neighbors, says I am
+too severe; and if I let them frolic and romp and make as much din
+and uproar as they like, why, then the same folks scandalize me
+and the managers, and say there is no sort of discipline maintained.
+I verily believe, miss, that if an angel came down from heaven to
+matronize these children, before six months elapsed all the
+godliness would be worried out of her soul by the slanders of the
+public and the squabbles of the children. Now I don't confess to be
+an angel, but I do claim a conscience, and God knows I make it a
+rule to treat these orphans exactly as I treated my own and only
+child, whom I buried three years ago. Do you suppose that any woman
+who has laid her first-born in its coffin could be brutal enough to
+maltreat poor little motherless lambs? I don't deny that sometimes I
+am compelled to punish them, for it is as much my duty to whip them
+for bad conduct as to see that their meals are properly cooked and
+their clothes kept in order. Am I to let them grow up thieves and
+liars? Must I stand by and see them pull out each other's hair and
+bite off one another's ears?"
+
+"Of course not, Mrs. Collins. You must preserve some discipline."
+
+"Must I? Well, miss, I will show you how beautifully that sounds and
+how poorly it works. There is your brother Stanley (I mean no offence,
+miss, but special cases explain better than generalities),--there's
+your brother Stanley, who ran away--for what?"
+
+"Because he was homesick and wanted to see me."
+
+"No such thing, begging your pardon. Perhaps he told you that, but
+remember there are always two sides to every tale. The truth of the
+matter is just this: Stanley has an ugly habit of cursing, which I
+will not tolerate; and, twice when I heard him swearing at the other
+children, I shamed him well and slapped him soundly. Last week I told
+him and Joe Clark to shell a basket of peas, while the cook was making
+some ginger-bread for them, and before I was out of the room they
+commenced quarrelling. They raised such an uproar that I came back and
+saw the whole fray. Stanley cursed Joe, who expostulated and tried to
+pacify him, and when he finally threatened to tell me that Stanley was
+cursing again, your brother snatched a hatchet that was lying on the
+dresser and swore he would kill him if he did. He aimed a blow at
+Joe's head, but slipped on the pea-hulls, and the hatchet struck the
+boy's right foot, cutting off one of his toes. Now what would you have
+done, under the circumstances,--allowed the children to be tomahawked
+in that style? You say I must have discipline. Well, miss, I tried to
+'discipline' Stanley's wickedness out of him by giving him a whipping,
+and the end of the matter was that he ran away that afternoon. That is
+not the worst of it,--for the children all know the facts, and since
+they find that Stanley Owen can run away and be sustained in his
+disobedience, of course it tends to demoralize them. So I say that if
+I do my duty I am lashed by the tongues of people who know nothing of
+the circumstances; and if I fail to perform my duty I am lashed by my
+own conscience,--and between the two I have a sorrowful time; for I
+declare to you, miss, that Stephen's martyrdom was a small affair in
+comparison with what I pass through every week. I love the children
+and try to be kind to them, but I can't have them cursing and swearing
+like sailors, and scalping each other. I must either raise them like
+Christians, or resign my situation to some one who is 'wise as
+serpents and harmless as doves.' It is all very fine to talk of
+'proper discipline' in charitable institutions; but, miss, in the name
+of common sense, how can I get along unless the friends of the
+children sustain me? Did you punish Stanley, and send him back? On the
+contrary, you countenanced his bad conduct and kept him with you, and
+it is perfectly natural that little Jessie here should be dissatisfied
+and anxious to join him. I can't scold her, for I know she misses her
+brother, who was always very tender and considerate in his treatment
+of her."
+
+"I appreciate the difficulties which surround you, and believe that
+you are conscientiously striving to do your duty towards these
+children; but I knew that if I compelled Stanley to return it would
+augment instead of correcting the mischief."
+
+At this juncture the matron was summoned from the room, and, during
+the silence that ensued, Jessie climbed into her sister's lap, wound
+her thin arms around her neck, and softly rubbed her pale cheek
+against the polished rosy face, where perplexity and annoyance were
+legibly written.
+
+"Salome, don't you love me a little?"
+
+"Of course I do; Jessie, don't be so foolish."
+
+"Please let me go with you and Stanley."
+
+"Do you want to starve,--you poor silly thing?"
+
+"Yes; I would rather starve with Buddie than stay here by myself."
+
+"I want to hear no more of such nonsense. You have not tried starving,
+and you are too young to know what is really for your good. Now,
+listen to me. At present I am obliged to leave you here,--come, don't
+begin crying again; but, if you will be a good girl and try not to
+fret over what cannot be helped, I promise you that just as soon as I
+can possibly support you I will take you to live with me."
+
+"How long must I wait?"
+
+"Until I make money enough to feed and clothe you."
+
+"Can't you guess when you can come for me?"
+
+"No, for as yet I know not how I can earn a dollar; but, if you will
+be patient, I promise to work hard for you and Stanley."
+
+"I will be good. Salome, I have saved a quarter of a dollar that the
+doctor gave me when I was sick,--because I let the blister stay on my
+side a half hour longer; and I thought I would send it to Buddie, to
+buy him some marbles or a kite; but I reckon I had better give it to
+you to help us get a house."
+
+She drew from her pocket a green calico bag, and, emptying the
+contents into her hand, picked out from among brass buttons and bits
+of broken glass a silver coin, which she held up triumphantly.
+
+"No, Jessie,--keep it. Stanley has plenty of playthings, and you may
+need it. Besides, your quarter would not go far, and I don't want it.
+Good-bye, little darling. Try to give Mrs. Collins no trouble, and
+recollect that when I promise you anything I shall be sure to keep my
+word."
+
+Salome drew the child's head to her shoulder, and, as she bent over
+and kissed the sweet, pure lips, Jessie whispered, "When we say our
+prayers to-night, we will ask God to send us some money to buy a home,
+won't we? You know he made the birds feed Elijah."
+
+"But we are not prophets, and ravens are not flying about with bags of
+money under their wings."
+
+"We do not know what God can do, and if we are only good, He is as
+much bound to take care of us as of Elijah. He made the sky rain manna
+and partridges for the starving people in the desert, and He is as
+much our God as if we came out from Egypt under Moses. I know God will
+help us, if we ask Him. I am sure of it; for last week I lost Mrs.
+Collins' bunch of keys, and, when I could not find them anywhere, I
+prayed to God to help me, and, sure enough, I remembered I left them
+in the dairy where I was churning."
+
+Jessie's countenance was radiant with hope and faith, which her sister
+could not share, yet felt unwilling to destroy; and, checking the
+heavy sigh that rose from her oppressed heart, she hastily quitted the
+house.
+
+In the midst of confused and perturbed reflections, rose like some
+lonely rock-based beacon in boiling waves her sacred promise to the
+trusting child, and ingenuity was racked to devise some means for its
+prompt fulfilment. Consanguinity began to urge its claim vehemently,
+and long dormant tenderness pleaded piteously for exiled idols.
+
+"If I were only a Christian, like Dr. Grey! His faith, like strong
+wings, bears him high above all sloughs of despond, all morasses of
+moodiness. People cannot successfully or profitably serve two masters.
+That is eminently true; not because it is scriptural, but _vice
+versa_; because it is so obviously true it could not escape a place in
+the Bible. Half work pays poor wages, and it is not surprising that
+neither God nor Mammon will patiently submit to it. I suppose the time
+has come when I must bargain myself to one or the other; for,
+hitherto, I have declared in favor of neither. I am not altogether
+sanctified, nor yet desperately wicked, but I hate Satan, who ruined
+my father, infinitely more than I dislike the restrictions of
+religion. I owe him a grudge for all the shame and suffering of my
+childhood,--which, if God did not interfere to prevent, at least there
+is strong presumptive evidence that he took no pleasure in witnessing.
+I don't suppose I have any faith; I scarcely know what it means; but
+perhaps if I try to serve God instead of myself, it will come to me
+as it came to Paul and Thomas. I wonder whether mere abstract love of
+righteousness and of the Lord drives half as many persons into
+Christian churches as the fear of eternal perdition. I don't deny that
+I am afraid of Satan, for if he contrives to smuggle so much sin and
+sorrow into this world what must his own kingdom be? If there be any
+truth in the tradition that every human being is afflicted by some
+besetting sin that crouches at the door of the soul, lying in ambush
+to destroy it, then my own 'Dweller of the Threshold,' is love of mine
+ease. Time was when I would have bartered my eternal heritage for a
+good-sized mess of earthly pottage, provided only it was well spiced
+and garnished; but to-day I have no inclination to be swindled like
+Esau. Idleness has well-nigh ruined me, so I shall take industry by
+the horns, and laying thereon all my sins of indolence, drive it
+before me as the Jews drove Apopompoeus."
+
+She walked on in the direction of the town, turning her head neither
+to right nor left, and keeping her eyes fixed on the blue air before
+her, where imagination built a home, through whose spacious halls
+Stanley and Jessie sported at will. On the principal street stood a
+fashionable dress-making and millinery establishment, and thither
+Salome bent her steps, resolved that the sun should not set without
+having witnessed some effort to redeem the pledge given to Jessie.
+
+Panoplied in Miss Jane's patronage, she demanded and obtained
+admission to the inner apartment of this Temple of Fashion, where
+presided the Pythoness whose oracular utterances swayed _le beau
+monde_.
+
+What passed between the two never transpired, even among the
+apprentices that thronged the adjoining room; but when Salome left the
+house she carried under her arm a large bundle which furnished work
+for the ensuing fortnight.
+
+Evening shadows overtook her, while yet a mile distant from home, and
+as she passed a small cottage, where candle-light flared through the
+open window, she saw Dr. Grey standing beside the bed, on which,
+doubtless, lay some sufferer.
+
+Ere many moments had elapsed, she heard his well-known footstep on
+the rocky road, and involuntarily paused to greet him.
+
+"What called you to old Mrs. Peterson's?"
+
+"Her youngest grandchild is very ill with brain fever; so ill that I
+shall return and sit up with him to-night."
+
+"I was not aware that physicians condescended to act as mere
+nurses,--to execute their own orders."
+
+"Then I fear you have formed a very low estimate of the sacred
+responsibilities of my profession, or of the characters of those who
+represent it. The true physician combines the offices of surgeon,
+doctor, nurse, and friend."
+
+"Mrs. Peterson is almost destitute, and to a great extent dependent on
+charity; consequently you need not expect to collect any fee."
+
+"Knowing her poverty, I attend the family gratuitously."
+
+"Is not your charity-list a very long one?"
+
+"Could I divest myself of sympathy with the sufferings of those who
+compose it I would not curtail it one iota; for I feel like Boerhaave,
+who once said, 'My poor are my best patients; God pays for them.'"
+
+"Then, after all, you are actuated merely by selfishness, and remit
+payments in earthly dross,--in 'filthy lucre,'--in order to collect
+your fees in a better currency, where thieves do not break through nor
+steal?"
+
+"'He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker; but he that
+honoreth Him, hath mercy on the poor.' If a tinge of selfishness
+mingle with the hope of future reward, it will be forgiven, I trust,
+by the great Physician, who, in sublimating human nature, seized upon
+its selfish elements as powerful agencies in the regeneration of
+mankind. An abstract worship of virtue is scarcely possible while
+humanity is clothed with clay, and I am not unwilling to confess that
+hope of eternal compensation influences my conduct in many respects.
+If this be indeed only subtle selfishness, at least we shall be
+pardoned by Him who promised to prepare a place in the Father's
+mansion for those who follow His footsteps among the poor."
+
+She looked up at him, with a puzzled, searching expression, that
+arrested his attention, and exclaimed,--
+
+"How singularly honest you are! I believe I could have faith if there
+were more like you."
+
+"Faith in what?"
+
+"In the nobility of my race,--in the possibility of my own
+improvement,--in the watchful providence of God."
+
+"Salome, there is much sound philosophy in the eighty-seventh and
+eighty-ninth maxims of cynical Rochefoucauld, 'It is more disgraceful to
+distrust one's friends than to be deceived by them. Our mistrust
+justifies the deceit of others.' My opportunities have been favorable
+for studying various classes of men, and my own experience corroborates
+the truth of Montaigne's sagacious remark, 'Confidence in another
+man's virtue is no slight evidence of a man's own.' Try to cultivate
+trust in your fellow creatures, and the bare show of faith will
+sometimes create worth."
+
+"Did Christ's show of confidence in Judas save him from betrayal?"
+
+"Let us hope that he was the prototype of a very limited class. You
+must not expect to find mankind divided into two great castes--one all
+angels, the other comprising hopeless demons. On the contrary, noble
+and most ignoble impulses alternately sway the actions and thoughts of
+the majority of our race; and the saint of to-day is not unfrequently
+tempted to become the fiend of to-morrow. Remember that the conflict
+with sinful promptings begins in the cradle--ends only in the
+coffin,--and try to be more charitable in your judgments."
+
+They walked a few yards in silence, and at length Salome asked,--
+
+"Were you not kept up all of last night?"
+
+"Yes; I was obliged to ride fifteen miles to set a dislocated
+shoulder."
+
+"Then you must be exhausted from fatigue, and unfit for watching
+to-night. Will you not allow me to relieve you, and take charge of
+Mrs. Peterson's grandchild? I admit I am very ignorant; but I will
+faithfully follow your directions, and I think you may venture to
+trust me."
+
+Confusion flushed her face as she made this proposition, but in the
+pale, pearly lustre of the summer starlight, it was not visible.
+
+"Thank you heartily, Salome. I could implicitly trust your intentions,
+but the case is almost hopeless, and I fear you are too inexperienced
+to render it safe for me to commit the child to your care. I
+appreciate your kindness, but am too much interested in the boy to
+leave him when the disease is at its crisis, and a cup of coffee will
+strengthen me for the vigil. You have been to the Asylum this
+afternoon; tell me something about little Jessie."
+
+"She is still rather pale, but otherwise seems quite well again. Of
+course she is dissatisfied since Stanley has left, and thinks she
+ought to be allowed to follow his example; but I finally persuaded her
+to remain there patiently, at least for the present. It is well that
+the poor have their sensibilities blunted early in life, for they are
+spared many sorrows that afflict those who are pampered by fortune and
+rendered morbidly sensitive by years of indulgence and prosperity."
+
+A metallic ring had crept into her voice, hardening it, and although
+he could not distinctly see her countenance, he knew that the words
+came through set teeth.
+
+"Salome, I hope that I misunderstand you."
+
+"No; unfortunately, you thoroughly comprehend me. Dr. Grey, were you
+situated precisely as I find myself, do you suppose you would feel
+your degradation as little as I seem to do? Do you think you would
+relish the bread of charity as keenly as one, who, for courtesy's
+sake, shall be nameless? Could you calmly stand by, and with utter
+_sang froid_ see your brothers and sisters--your own flesh and
+blood--drift on every chance wave, like some sodden crust or withered
+weed on a stormy, treacherous sea? Would not your family pride bleed
+and die, and your self-respect wail and shrivel and expire?"
+
+"You have so grossly exaggerated and overcolored your picture that I
+recognize little likeness to reality."
+
+"I neither gloze nor mask; I simply front the facts, which are,
+briefly, that you were nurtured in independence and trained to abhor
+the crumbs that fall from other people's tables, while all heroic
+aspirations and proud chivalric dreams were fed by the milk that
+nourished you; whereas, I grew up in the wan, sickly atmosphere of
+penury; glad to grasp the crust that chance offered; taught to
+consider the bread of dependence precious as ambrosia; willing to
+forget family ties that were fraught only with humiliation and
+wretchedness; coveting bounty that I had not sufficient ambition to
+merit; and eager to live on charity, as long as it could be coaxed,
+hoodwinked, or scourged into supporting me comfortably. Yesterday I
+read a sentence that might have been written for me, so felicitously
+does it photograph me, 'Temperament is a fate oftentimes, from whose
+jurisdiction its victims hardly escape, but do its bidding herein, be
+it murder or martyrdom. Virtues and crimes are mixed in one's cup of
+nativity, with the lesser or larger margin of choice. _Blood is a
+destiny._' You, Ulpian Grey, are what you are because your father was
+a gentleman, and all your surroundings were luxurious and refined; and
+I, the miller's child, am what you see me because my father was coarse
+and brutal; because my body and soul struggled with staring
+starvation,--physical, mental, and moral. Be just, and remember these
+things when you are tempted to despise me as a pitiable, spiritless
+parasite."
+
+"My little friend, you have most unnecessarily tortured yourself, and
+grieved and mortified me. Have I ever treated you with contempt or
+disrespect?"
+
+"You evidently pity me, and compassion is about as welcome to my
+feelings as a vitriol bath to fresh wounds."
+
+"Are you not conscious of having more than once acted in such a manner
+as to necessitate my compassion?"
+
+She was silent for some moments; but as they entered the avenue, she
+said, impetuously,--
+
+"I want you to respect me."
+
+"If you respect yourself and merit my good opinion, I shall not
+withhold it. But of one thing let me assure you; my standard of
+womanly delicacy, nobility, gentleness, and Christian faith is very
+exalted; and I cannot and will not lower it, even to meet the
+requirements of those who claim my friendship. Thoroughly cognizant of
+my opinions concerning several subjects, you have more than once,
+premeditatedly and obtrusively outraged them, and while I can and do
+most cordially overlook the offence, you should not deem it possible
+for me to entertain a very lofty estimate of the offender. When I came
+home you took such extraordinary pains to convince me that not a
+single noble aspiration actuated you that I confess you almost
+succeeded in your aim; but, Salome, I hope you are far more generous
+than you deign to prove yourself, and I promise you my earnest respect
+shall not lag behind,--shall promptly keep pace with your deserts. You
+can, if you so determine, make yourself an attractive, brilliant,
+noble woman; an ornament--and better still--a useful, honored member
+of society; but the faults of your character are grave, and only
+prayer and conscientious, persistent efforts can entirely correct
+them. I am neither so unreasonable nor so unjust as to hold you
+accountable for circumstances beyond your control; and, while I warmly
+sympathize with all your sorrows, I know that you are still
+sufficiently young to rectify the unfortunate warping that your nature
+received in its mournful early years. To ask me to respect you is as
+idle and useless and impotent as the soft murmur of this June breeze
+in the elm boughs above us; but you can command my perfect confidence
+and friendship solely on condition that you merit it. Salome,
+something very unusual has influenced you to-day, forcing you to throw
+aside the rubbish that you patiently piled over your better self until
+it was effectually concealed; and, if you are willing to be frank with
+me, I should be glad to know what has so healthfully affected you. I
+believe I can guess: has not little Jessie wooed and won her sister's
+heart, melting all its icy selfishness and warming its holiest
+recesses?"
+
+At this moment Stanley bounded down the steps to meet them, and,
+bending over to receive his kiss and embrace, Salome gladly evaded a
+reply. That night, after she had taught her brother his lessons for
+the next day and made him repeat the prayer learned in the dormitory
+of the Asylum,--when she had read Miss Jane to sleep and seen the
+doctor set out on his mission of mercy, she brightened the lamp-light
+in her own room, and, opening the parcel, drew out and commenced the
+dainty embroidery which she had promised should be completed at an
+early day.
+
+The night was warm, but the sea-breeze sang a lullaby in the trees
+that peeped in at her window, and now and then a strong gust
+blew the flame almost to the top of the lamp-chimney. Stanley
+slept soundly in his trundle-bed, occasionally startling her by
+half-uttered exclamations, as in his dreams he chased rabbits or
+found partridge-eggs. Oblivious of passing hours, and profoundly
+immersed in speculations concerning her future, the girl sewed
+on, working scallop after scallop, and flower after flower, in
+the gossamer cambric between her slender fingers. Stars that looked
+upon her early in the night had gone down into blue abysms below
+the horizon, and the midnight song of a mocking-bird, swinging in
+a lemon-tree beneath her window, had long since hushed itself with
+the chirp of crickets and gossip of the katydids.
+
+A tap on the facing of her open door finally aroused her, and she
+hastily attempted to hide her work, as Dr. Grey asked,--
+
+"What keeps you up so late? Are you dressing a doll for Jessie?"
+
+"What brings you home so early? Is your patient better?"
+
+"Yes; in one sense he is certainly better; for, free from all pain, he
+rests with his God."
+
+"What time is it?"
+
+"Half-past three. Little Charles died about an hour ago, and, as I
+shall be very busy to-morrow, I came upstairs to ask if you will
+oblige me by going over to Mrs. Peterson's and remaining with her
+until the neighbors assemble in the morning. It is an unpleasant duty,
+and unless you are perfectly willing I will not request you to perform
+it."
+
+"Certainly, sir; I will go at once. Why should I hesitate?"
+
+"Come down as soon as you are ready, and I will make Harrison drive
+you over in my buggy. As it is only a mile I walked home."
+
+When she stood before him, waiting for the servant to adjust some
+portion of the harness, Dr. Grey wrapped her shawl more closely around
+her, and said,--
+
+"What new freak keeps you awake till four o'clock?"
+
+"It is no freak, but the beginning of a settled purpose that reaches
+in numberless ramifications through all my coming years. It does not
+concern you, so ask me no more. Good-night. I suppose I ought to
+tender you my thanks for deeming me worthy of this melancholy mission;
+and if so, pray be pleased to accept them."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+
+"Jane, have you heard that we shall soon have some new neighbors at
+'Solitude'?"
+
+"No; who is brave enough to settle there?"
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, a widow, has purchased and refitted the house,
+preparatory to making it her home."
+
+"Do you suppose she knows the history of its former owners?"
+
+"Probably not, as she has never seen the place. The purchase was made
+some months since by her agent, who stated that she was in Europe."
+
+"Ulpian, I am sorry that the house will again be occupied, for some
+mournful fatality seems to have attended all who ever resided there;
+and I have been told that the last proprietor changed the name from
+'Solitude' to 'Bochim.'"
+
+"You must not indulge such superstitious vagaries, my dear, wise
+Janet. The age of hobgoblins, haunted houses, and supernatural
+influences has passed away with the marvels of alchemy and the weird
+myths of Rosicrucianism. Because many deaths have occurred at that
+place, and the residents were consequently plunged in gloom, you must
+not rashly impute eldritch influences to the atmosphere surrounding
+it. Knowing its ghostly celebrity, I have investigated the grounds of
+existing prejudice, and find that of the ten persons who have died
+there during the last fifteen years, three deaths were from hereditary
+consumption, one from dropsy, two from paralysis, one from epilepsy,
+one from brain-fever, one from drowning, and the last from a fall that
+broke the victim's neck. Were these attributable to any local cause,
+the results would certainly not have proved so diverse."
+
+"Call it superstition, or what you will, no amount of coaxing,
+argument, or ridicule, no imaginable inducement could prevail on me to
+live there,--even if the house were floored with gold and roofed with
+silver. It is the gloomiest-looking place this side of Golgotha, and I
+would as soon crawl into a coffin for an afternoon nap as spend a
+night there."
+
+"Your imagination invests it with a degree of gloom which is
+adventitious, and referable solely to painful associations; for
+intrinsically the situation is picturesque and beautiful, and the
+grounds have been arranged with consummate taste. This morning I
+noticed a quantity of rare and very superb lilies clustered in a
+corner of the _parterre_."
+
+"Pray, what called you there?"
+
+"A workman engaged in repairing some portion of the roof, slipped on
+the slate and broke his arm; consequently, they sent for me."
+
+"Just what he might have expected. I tell you something happens to
+everybody who ever sleeps there."
+
+"Do you suppose there is a squad of malicious spirits hovering in
+ambush to swoop upon all new-comers, and not only fracture limbs, but
+scatter to right and left paralysis, epilepsy, and other diseases?
+From your rueful countenance a stranger might infer that Pandora's box
+had just been opened at 'Bochim,' and that the very air was thick with
+miasma and maledictions."
+
+"Oh, laugh on if you choose at my old-fashioned whims and superstition;
+but, mark my words, that place will prove a curse to whoever buys it
+and settles there! Has Mrs. Gerome a family?"
+
+"I believe I heard that she had no children, but I really know little
+about her except that she must be a woman of unusually refined and
+cultivated tastes, as the pictures, books, and various articles of
+vertu that have preceded her seem to indicate much critical and
+artistic acumen. The entire building has been refitted in exceedingly
+handsome style, and the upholsterer who was arranging the furniture
+told me it had been purchased in Europe."
+
+"When is Mrs. Gerome expected?"
+
+"During the present week."
+
+"What aged person is she?"
+
+"Indeed, my dear, curious Janet, I have asked no questions and formed
+no conjectures; but I trust your baleful prognostications will find no
+fulfilment in her case."
+
+"Ulpian, I had some very fashionable visitors to-day, who manifested
+an extraordinary interest in your past, present, and future. Mrs.
+Channing and her two lovely daughters spent the morning here, and left
+an invitation for you to attend a party at their house next Thursday
+evening. Miss Adelaide went into ecstasies over that portrait in which
+you wore your uniform, and asked numberless questions about you; among
+others, whether you were still heart-whole, or whether you had
+suffered some great disappointment early in life which kept you a
+bachelor. What do you suppose she said when I told her that you had
+never had a love-scrape in your life?"
+
+"Of course she impugned the statement, which, to a young lady framed
+for flirtations, must indeed have appeared incredible."
+
+"On the contrary, she declared that the woman who succeeded in
+captivating you would achieve a triumph more difficult and more
+desirable than the victory of the Nile or of Trafalgar. I was tempted
+to ask her if she might be considered the ambitious Nelson, but of
+course politeness forbade. Ulpian, she is the prettiest creature I
+ever looked at."
+
+"Yes, as pretty as mere healthy flesh can be without the sublimation
+and radiance of an indwelling soul. There is nothing which impresses
+me so mournfully as the sight of a beautiful, frivolous, unscrupulous
+woman, who immolates all that is truly feminine in her character upon
+the shrine of swollen vanity; and whose career from cradle to grave is
+as utterly aimless and useless as that of some gaudy, flaunting
+ephemeron of the tropics. Such women act as extinguishers upon the
+feeble, flickering flame of chivalry, which modern degeneracy in
+manners and morals has almost smothered."
+
+His tone and countenance evinced more contempt than Salome had known
+him to express on any former occasion, and, glancing at his clear,
+steady, grave blue eyes, she said to herself,--
+
+"At least he will never strike his colors to Admiral Adelaide
+Channing, and I should dislike to occupy her place in his estimation."
+
+"My dear boy, you must not speak in such ungrateful terms of my
+beautiful visitor, who certainly has some serious design on your
+heart, if I may judge from the very extravagant praise she lavished
+upon you. I daresay she is a very nice, sweet girl, and you know you
+told me once that if you should ever marry your wife must be a beauty,
+else you could not love her."
+
+"Very true, Janet, and I have no intention of retracting or
+diminishing my rigid requirements, but my definition of beauty
+includes more than mere physical perfection,--than satin skin,
+pearl-tinted, fine eyes, faultless teeth, abundant silky tresses, and
+rounded figure. It demands that the heart whose blood paints lips and
+cheek, shall be pure, generous, and holy; that the soul which looks
+out at me from lustrous eyes shall be consecrated to another deity
+than Fashion,--shall be as full of magnanimity, and strength, and
+peace, as a harp is of melody; my beauty means meekness, faith,
+sanctity, and exacts mental, moral, and material excellence. Rest
+assured, my dear, sage counsellor, that if ever I bring a wife to my
+hearthstone I will have selected her in obedience to the advice of
+Joubert, who admonished us, 'We should choose for a wife only the
+woman we would choose for a friend, were she a man.'"
+
+"You expect too much; you will never find your perfect ideal walking
+in flesh."
+
+"I will content myself with nothing less--I promise you that."
+
+"Oh, no doubt you will believe that the woman you marry is all that
+you dream or wish; but some fine morning you will present me with a
+sister as full of foibles and vanities and frailties as any other
+spoiled and cunning daughter of Eve. Of course every bridegroom
+classes as 'perfect' the blushing, trembling young thing who peeps
+shyly at him from under a tulle veil and an orange wreath; but, take
+my word for it, there is a spice of Delilah in every pretty girl, and
+the credulity of Samson slumbers in all lovers. Nevertheless, Ulpian,
+I would sooner see you in bondage to a pair of white hands and hazel
+eyes,--would rather know that like all your race you were utterly
+humbugged--hoodwinked--by some fair-browed belle, whose low voice
+rippled over pouting pink lips, than have you live always alone, a
+confirmed old bachelor. After all, I doubt whether you have really
+never had a sweetheart, for every schoolboy swears allegiance to some
+yellow-haired divinity in ruffled muslin aprons."
+
+Dr. Grey laid his hand gently on the shrivelled fingers that were
+busily engaged in shelling some seed-beans, and answered, jocosely,--
+
+"Have I not often told you, that my dear, old, patient sister Janet,
+is my only lady-love?"
+
+"And your silly old Janet is not such an arrant fool as to believe any
+such nonsense,--especially when she remembers that from time
+immemorial sailors have had sweethearts in every port, and that her
+spoiled pet of a brother is no exception to his race or his
+profession."
+
+He laughed, and smoothed her grizzled hair.
+
+"Since my sapient sister is so curious, I will confess that once--and
+only once in my life--I was in dire danger of falling most desperately
+in love. The frigate was coaling at Palermo, and I went ashore. One
+afternoon, in sauntering through the orange and lemon groves which
+render its environs so inviting, I caught a glimpse of a countenance
+so serene, so indescribably lovely, that for an instant I was disposed
+to believe I had encountered the beatific spirit of St. Rosalie
+herself. The face was that of a woman apparently about eighteen years
+old, who evidently ranked among Sicilian aristocrats, and whose
+elegant attire enhanced her beauty. I followed, at a respectful
+distance, until she entered the garden of an adjacent convent and fell
+on her knees before a marble altar, where burned a lamp at the feet of
+a statue of the Virgin; and no painting in Europe stamped itself so
+indelibly on my memory as the picture of that beautiful votary. Her
+delicate hands were crossed over her heart,--her large, liquid, black
+eyes, raised in adoration,--her full, crimson lips parted as she
+repeated the '_Ave Maria_' in the most musical voice I ever heard.
+Just above the purplish folds of her abundant hair drooped pomegranate
+boughs all aflame with scarlet blooms that fell upon her head like
+tongues of fire, as the wind sprang from the blue hollows of the
+Mediterranean and shook the grove. The sun was going swiftly down
+behind the stone turrets of a monastery that crowned a distant hill,
+and the last rays wove an aureola around my kneeling saint, who,
+doubtless, aware of the effect of her graceful attitudinizing, seemed
+in no haste to conclude her devotions. As I recalled the charming
+tableau, those lines wherein Buchanan sought to photograph the
+picturesqueness of the Digentia, float up from some sympathetic cell
+of memory,--
+
+  'Could you look at the leaves of yonder tree,--
+  The wind is stirring them, as the sun is stirring me!
+    The woolly clouds move quiet and slow
+  In the pale blue calm of the tranquil skies,
+    And their shades that run on the grass below
+  Leave purple dreams in the violet's eyes!
+    The vine droops over my head with bright
+  Clusters of purple and green,--the rose
+  Breaks her heart on the air; and the orange glows
+  Like golden lamps in an emerald night.'
+
+My Sicilian Siren finally disappeared in a gloomy arched-way
+leading into the convent, and I returned to the hotel to dream of
+her until the morning sunshine once more bathed Conca D'Oro in
+splendor,--when I instituted a search for the name and residence of
+my inamorata. Six hours of enthusiastic investigation yielded me
+the coveted information, but imagine the profound despair in which
+I was plunged when I ascertained from her own smiling lips that
+she was a happy wife and the proud mother of two beautiful children.
+As she rose to present her swarthy husband, I bowed myself out and
+took refuge aboard ship. Here ends the recital of the first and last
+bit of romance that ever threw its rosy tinge over the quiet life of
+your staid and humble brother--Ulpian Grey, M.D."
+
+"Ah, my dear sailor boy, I am afraid thirty-five years of experience
+have rendered you too wary to be caught by such chaff as pretty girls
+sprinkle along your path! I should be glad to see your bride enter
+this door before I am carried out feet foremost to my final rest by
+Enoch's side."
+
+"Do not despair of me, dear Jane, for I am not exactly Methuselah's
+rival; and comfort yourself by recollecting that Lessing was forty
+years old when he first loved the only woman for whom he ever
+entertained an affection--his devoted Eva König."
+
+Dr. Grey bent over his sister's easy-chair, and, taking her thin,
+sallow face tenderly in his soft palms, kissed the sunken cheeks--the
+wrinkled forehead; and then, laying her head gently back upon its
+cushions, entered his buggy and drove to his office.
+
+"Salome, what makes you look so moody? There are as many furrows on
+your brow as lines in a spider's web, and your lips are drawn in as if
+you had dined on green persimmons. Child, what is the matter?"
+
+Miss Jane lifted her spectacles from her nose, and eyed the orphan,
+anxiously.
+
+"I am very sorry to hear that 'Solitude' will be filled once more with
+people, and bustle, and din. It is the nearest point where we can
+reach the beach, and I have enjoyed many quiet strolls under its
+grand, old, solemn trees. If haunted at all, it is by Dryads and
+Hamadryads, and I like the babble of their leaves infinitely better
+than the strife of human tongues. Miss Jane, if I were only a pagan!"
+
+"I am not very sure that you are not," sighed the invalid.
+
+"Nor I. I have lost my place,--I am behind my time in this world by at
+least twenty centuries, and ought to have lived in the jovial age of
+fauns and satyrs, when groves were sacred for other reasons than the
+high price of wood,--when gods and goddesses were abundant as
+blackberries, and at the beck and call of every miserable wretch who
+chose to propitiate them by offering a flask of wine, a bunch of
+turnips, a litter of puppies, or a basket of olives. Hesiod and Homer
+understood human nature infinitely better than Paul and Luther."
+
+"Salome, you are growing shockingly irreverent and wicked."
+
+"No, madam,--begging your pardon. I am only desperately honest in
+wishing that my salvation and future felicity could be secured beyond
+all peradventure, by a sacrifice of oatcakes, or white doves, or black
+cats, instead of a drab-colored life of prayer, penance, purity, and
+patience. I don't deny that I would rather spend my days in watching
+the gorgeous pageant of the_ Panathenaea_, or chanting dithyrambics to
+insure a fine vintage, or even offering a _Taigheirm_, than in running
+neck and neck with Lucifer for the kingdom of heaven. I love kids, and
+fawns, and lambs, as well as Landseer; but I should not long hesitate,
+had I the choice, between flaying their tender flesh in sacrifice and
+mortifying my own as a devout life requires."
+
+"But what would have become of your poor soul if you had lived in
+Pagan times?"
+
+"What will become of it under present circumstances, I should be
+exceedingly glad to know. 'The heathen are a law unto themselves,' and
+I sometimes wish I had been born a Fejee belle, who lived, was
+tastefully tattooed, and died without having even dreamed of
+missionaries,--those officious martyrs who hope to wear a whole
+constellation on their foreheads as a reward for having been eaten by
+cannibals, to whom they expounded the unpalatable doctrine that,
+'this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
+loved darkness rather than light.' Moreover, I confess--"
+
+"That is quite sufficient. I have already heard more than I relish of
+such silly and sacrilegious chat. At least, you might have more
+prudence and discretion than to hold forth so disgracefully in the
+hearing of your little brother."
+
+Miss Jane's cheek flushed, and her feeble voice faltered.
+
+"He has fallen fast asleep over the bean-pods; and, even if he
+had not, how much of the conversation do you imagine he would
+comprehend? His sole knowledge of Grecian theogony consists of a
+brief acquaintance with a bottle of pseudo Greek fire which
+burnt the pocket out of his best pantaloons."
+
+"Salome, you distress me; and, if Ulpian had not left us, you would
+have kept all such heathenish stuff shut up in your sinful and wayward
+heart."
+
+"Dr. Grey is no Gorgon, having power to petrify my tongue. I am not
+afraid of him; and my respect for your feelings is much stronger than
+my dread of his."
+
+"Hush, child! You are afraid of him, and well you may be. I fear
+that all your Sabbath-school advantages--all your Christian
+privileges--have been wofully wasted; and I shall ask Ulpian to talk
+to you."
+
+"No, thank you, Miss Jane. You may save yourself the trouble, for he
+has given me over to hardness of heart and 'a reprobate mind,' and his
+patience is not only 'clean gone forever,' but he has carefully washed
+his hands of all future interest in my rudderless and drifting soul.
+Let me speak this once, and henceforth I promise to hold my peace. I
+do not require to be 'talked to' by anybody,--I only need to be let
+alone. Sabbath-schools are indisputably excellent things,--and I can
+testify that they are ponderous ecclesiastical hammers, pounding
+creeds and catechisms into the mould of memory; but these nurseries of
+the church nourish and harbor some Satan's imps among their
+half-fledged saints; and while they certainly accomplish a vast amount
+of good, they are by no means infallible machines for the manufacture
+of Christians,--of which fact I stand in melancholy attestation. I
+have a vague impression that piety does not grow up in a night, like
+Jonah's gourd or Jack the Giant-killer's beanstalk; but is a pure,
+glittering, spiritual stalactite, built by the slow accretion of
+dripping tears. Do you suppose that you can successfully train my soul
+as you have managed my body?--that you can hold my nose and pour a
+dose of faith down my throat, like ipecac or cod-liver oil? In matters
+of theology I am no ostrich, and, if you afflict me _ad nauseam_ with
+religious dogmas, you must not wonder that my moral digestion rebels
+outright. I shall not dispute the fact that in justice to your
+precepts and example I ought to be a Christian; but, since I am not, I
+may as well tell you at once and save future trouble, that I can
+neither be baited into the church like a hawk into a steel-trap, nor
+scared and driven into it like bees into a hive by the rattling of tin
+pans and the screaking of horns. Don't look at me so dolefully, dear
+Miss Jane, as if you had already seen my passport to perdition signed
+and sealed. You, at least, have done your whole duty,--have set all
+the articles of orthodoxy, well-flavored and garnished, before me;
+and, if I am finally lost, my spiritual starvation can never be
+charged against you in the last balance-sheet. I am not ignorant of
+the Bible, nor altogether unacquainted with the divers creeds that
+spring from its pages as thick, as formidable, as ferocious, as the
+harvest from the dragon's teeth; and, thanking you for all you have
+taught me, I here undertake to pilot my own soul in this boiling,
+bellowing sea of life. I doubt whether some of the charts you value
+will be of any service in my voyage, or whether the beacons by which
+you steer will save me from the reefs; but, nevertheless, I take the
+wheel, and, if I wreck my soul,--why, then, I wreck it."
+
+In the magic evening light, which touches all things with a rosy,
+transitory glamour, the fresh young face with its daintily sculptured
+lineaments seemed marvellously and surpassingly fair; but, like
+_morbidezza_ marble, hopelessly fixed and chill, and might have served
+for some image of Eve, when, standing on the boundary of eternal
+beatitude, she daringly put up her slender womanly fingers to pluck
+the fatal fruit. Her large, brilliant eyes followed the sinking sun
+as steadily--as unblinkingly--as an eagle's; but the gleam that rayed
+out was baleful, presaging storms, as infallibly as that sullen, lurid
+light, which glares defiantly over helpless earth when to-day's sun
+falls into the cloudy lap of to-morrow's tempest.
+
+A heavy sigh struggled across Miss Jane's unsteady lips, as, removing
+her glasses, she wiped her eyes, and said, slowly,--
+
+"Yes; I am a stupid, unsuspecting old dolt; but I see it all now."
+
+"My ultimate and irremediable ruin?"
+
+"God forbid!"
+
+Salome approached the arm-chair, and, stooping, looked intently at the
+aged, wan face.
+
+"What is it that you see? Miss Jane, when people stand, as you do,
+upon the borders of two worlds, the Bygone fades,--the Beyond grows
+distinct and luminous. Lend me your second sight, to decipher the
+characters scrawled like fiery serpents over the pall that envelops
+the future."
+
+"I see nothing but the grim, unmistakeable fact that my little,
+clinging, dependent child, has, without my knowledge, put away
+childish things, and suddenly steps before me a wilful, irreverent,
+graceless woman, as eager to challenge the decrees of the Lord as was
+complaining Job before the breath of the whirlwind smote and awed him.
+Some day, Salome, that same voice that startled the old man of Uz will
+make you bend and tremble and shiver like that acacia yonder, which
+the wind is toying with before it snaps asunder. When that time comes
+the clover will feed bees above my gray head, but I trust my soul will
+be near enough to the great white throne to pray God to have mercy on
+your wretched spirit, and bring you safely to that blessed haven
+whither you can never pilot yourself."
+
+Nervous excitement gave unwonted strength to the feeble limbs; and,
+grasping her crutches, Miss Jane limped into her own room and closed
+the door after her.
+
+For some moments the girl stood looking out over the lawn, where
+fading sunshine and deepening shadow made fitful _chiaroscuro_ along
+the primrose-paved aisles that stretched under the elm arches,--then,
+raising her fingers as if tracing lines on the soft, gold-dusted
+atmosphere that surrounded her, she muttered doggedly,--
+
+"Yes; I am at sea! But, if God is just, Miss Jane and I will yet shake
+hands on that calm, surgeless, crystal sea, shining before the throne.
+So, now I take the helm and put the head of my precious charge before
+the wind, and only the Almighty can foresee the result. In His mercy I
+put my trust. So be it.
+
+  'Gray distance hid each shining sail,
+    By ruthless breezes borne from me;
+  And lessening, fading, faint, and pale,
+    My ships went forth to sea.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+
+"Mother, I am afraid Mrs. Gerome does not like this place, or the
+furniture, or something, for she has not spoken a kind word about the
+house since she came. She looks closely at everything, but says
+nothing. What do you suppose she thinks?"
+
+Robert Maclean, the gardener at "Solitude," paused abruptly, as his
+mother pinched his arm sharply and whispered,--
+
+"Whist! There she comes down the azalea walk; and no one likes to
+stumble upon their own name when they are not expecting the sound
+or sight of it. No; she has turned off towards the cedars, and does
+not see us. As to her likes and dislikes, there is nothing this side
+of heaven that will content her; and you might have known better
+than to suppose she would be much pleased with anything. No matter
+what she thinks, she seldom complains, and it is hard to find out her
+views; but she told me to tell you that she approved all you had
+done, and thanked you for the pains you have taken to arrange things
+comfortably."
+
+Old Elsie tied the strings of her white muslin cap, and turned her
+back to the wind that was playing havoc with its freshly fluted
+frills.
+
+"Mother, I heard her laugh yesterday, for the first time. It was a
+short, quick, queer little laugh, but it pleased me greatly. The cook
+had set some duck-eggs under that fine black Spanish hen; and, when
+they hatched, she marched off with the brood into the fowl-yard, where
+they made straight for the duck-pool and sailed in. The hen set up
+such a din and clatter that Mrs. Gerome, who happened to get a glimpse
+of them, felt sorry for the poor frightened fowl, and tried to drive
+the little ones out of the water; but, whenever she put her hand
+towards them to catch the nearest, the whole brood would quack and
+dive,--and, when she had laughed that one short laugh, she called to
+me to look after them and went back to the house. You don't know how
+strangely that laugh sounded."
+
+"Don't I? Speak for yourself, Robert. I have heard her laugh twice,
+but it was when she was asleep, and it was an uncanny, bitter
+sound,--about as welcome to my ears as her death-rattle. Last night
+she did not close her eyes,--did not even undress; and the hall clock
+was striking three this morning when I heard her open the piano and
+play one of those dismal, frantic, wailing things she calls 'fugues,'
+that make the hair rise on my head and every inch of my flesh creep as
+if a stranger were treading on my grave. When she was a baby, cutting
+her eye-teeth, she had a spasm; and seeing her straighten herself out
+and roll back her eyes till only the white balls showed, I took it for
+granted she was about to die, and, holding her in my arms, I fell on
+my knees and prayed that she might be spared. Well, now, Robert, I am
+sorry I put up that petition, for the Lord knew best; and it would
+have been a crowning mercy if he had paid no attention to my
+half-crazy pleadings and taken her home then. What meddling fools we
+all are! I thought, at that time, it would break my heart to shroud
+her sweet little body; but ah! I would rather have laid my precious
+baby in her coffin, with violets under her fingers, than live to see
+that desperate, unearthly look, come and house itself in her great,
+solemn, hungry, tormenting eyes, that were once as full of sparkles
+and merriment as the sky is of stars on a clear, frosty night. My son,
+we never know what is good for us; for, many times, when we clamor for
+bread we break our teeth on it; and then, again, when we rage and howl
+because we think the Lord has dealt out scorpions to us, they prove
+better than the fish we craved. So, after all, I conclude Christ
+understood the whole matter when he enjoined upon us to say, 'Thy will
+be done.'"
+
+The old nurse wiped her eyes with the corner of her black silk apron,
+and, leaning against the trunk of a tree, crossed her arms comfortably
+over her broad and ample chest, while Robert busied himself in
+repotting some choice carnations.
+
+"But, mother, do you really think she will be satisfied to stay here,
+after travelling so long up and down in the world?"
+
+"How can I tell what she will or will not do? You know very well that
+she goes to sleep with one set of whims and wakes up with new ones.
+She catches odd freaks as some people catch diseases. She said
+yesterday that she had had enough of travel and change, and intended
+to settle and live and die right here; but that does not prove that I
+may not receive an order next week to pack her trunks and start to
+Jericho or Halifax, and I should not think the world was upside down
+and coming to an end if such an order came before breakfast to-morrow.
+Poor lamb! My poor lamb! Yonder she comes again. Do you notice how
+fast she walks, as if the foul fiend were clutching at her skirts or
+she were trying to get away from herself,--trying to run her restless
+soul entirely out of her wretched body? Come away, Robert, and let her
+have all the grounds to herself. She likes best to be alone."
+
+Mother and son walked off in the direction of the stables, and the
+advancing figure emerged from the dense shade where interlacing limbs
+roofed one of the winding walks, and paused before the circular stand
+on which lemon, rose, white, crimson, and variegated carnations,
+nodded their fringed heads and poured spicy aromas from their velvety
+chalices.
+
+The face and form of Mrs. Gerome presented a puzzling paradox, in
+which old age and youth seemed struggling for mastery; and "death in
+life" found melancholy verification. Tall, slender, and faultlessly
+made, the perfection of her figure was marred by the unfortunate
+carriage of her head, which drooped forward so heavily that the chin
+almost touched her throat and nearly destroyed the harmony of the
+profile outline. The head itself was nobly rounded, and sternly
+classic as any well authenticated antique, but it was no marvel that
+it habitually bowed under the heavy glittering mass of silver hair,
+which wound in coil after coil and was secured at the back by a comb
+of carved jet, thickly studded with small silver stars. The
+extraordinary lustrousness of these waves of gray hair that rippled on
+her forehead and temples like molten metal, lent a weird and wondrous
+effect to the straight, regular, rigid features,--daintily cut as
+those of Pallas, and quite as pallid. The delicate and high arch of
+the eyebrows was black as ebony, and in conjunction with the long
+jetty lashes formed a very singular contrast to the shining white
+tresses, which lay piled like freshly fallen snow-drift above them.
+The brow was full, round, smooth, and fair as a child's; and more than
+one azure thread showed the subtle tracery of veins, whose crimson
+currents left no rosy reflex on the firm, gleaming white flesh,
+through which they branched.
+
+Beneath that faultless forehead burned unusually large eyes, deep as
+mountain tarns, and of that pure bluish gray that tolerates no hint of
+green or yellow rays. The dilated pupils intensified the steel color,
+and faint violet lines ran out from the iris to meet the central
+shadows, while above and below the heavy black fringes enhanced their
+sombre depths, where mournful mysteries seemed to float like corpses
+just beneath the crystal shroud of ocean waves. The pale, passionless
+lips,--perfect in their pure curves, but defrauded of the blood which
+resolutely refused to come to the surface and tint the fine satin
+skin,--were lined in ciphers that the curious questioned and wondered
+over, but which few could read and none fully comprehend. The
+beautiful, frigid mouth, where all sweetness was frozen out to make
+room for hopelessness and defiance, would have admirably suited some
+statue of discrowned and smitten Hecuba; and no amount of sighs and
+sobs, no stormy bursts of grief or fierce invective, could rival the
+melancholy eloquence of its mute, calm pallor.
+
+The wan face, with its gray globe-like eyes, and the metallic glitter
+of the prematurely silvered hair, matched in hue the pearl-colored
+muslin dress which fluttered in the wind; and, standing there, this
+gray woman of twenty-three looked indeed like Pygmalion's stone
+darling,--
+
+  "Fair-statured, noble, like an awful thing
+  Frozen upon the very verge of life,
+  And looking back along eternity
+  With rayless eyes that keep the shadow Time."
+
+Her frail, white hands, with their oval nails polished and opalescent,
+were exceedingly beautiful; and, where the creamy foam of the fine
+lace fell back from the dimpled wrists, quaintly carved jet serpents
+with blazing diamond eyes coiled around the throbbing thread-like
+pulses of sullen _sang azure_.
+
+Bending over the carnations, she examined the gorgeous hues,--toyed
+with their fragile stems,--and then, glancing shyly over her shoulder
+like a startled fawn half expectant of hounds and hunter, she glided
+rapidly to an artificial mound crowned with a mouldering mossy plaster
+image of Ariadne and her pard, and stood surveying her new domain.
+
+"Solitude" filled a semicircular hollow between low wooded hills,
+which ran down to lave their grassy flanks in the blue brine of the
+Atlantic, and constituted the horns of a crescent bay, on whose
+sloping sandy beach the billows broke without barrier.
+
+The old-fashioned brick house--with sharp, peaked roof, turreted
+chimneys, and gable window looking down in front upon the clumsily
+clustered columns that supported the arched portico--was built upon a
+rocky knoll, of which nature laid the foundation and art increased the
+height; and, around and above it, towered a dense grove of ancient
+trees that shut out the glare of the sea and effectually screened the
+mansion from observation. The damp walls were heavily draped with the
+sombre verdure of ivy, whose ambitious tendrils clambered to the cleft
+chimney-tops, and peered impertinently over the broad stone
+window-sills, whence the indignant housemaid remorselessly sheared
+them away as often as their encroachments grew perceptible.
+
+In the rear of the house, and toward the west, stretched orchard,
+vegetable garden, vineyard, and wheat-field, whose rolling green waves
+seemed almost to break against the ruddy trunks of cedars that clothed
+the hillside. To the left and north lay low, marshy, meadow land,
+covered with rank grass and frosted with saline incrustations; while
+south of the building extended spacious grounds, studded here and
+there with noble groups of deodars, Norway spruce, and various
+ornamental shrubs, and bounded by a tall impenetrable hedge of osage
+orange. Before the house, which faced the ocean and fronted east, the
+lawn sloped gently down to a terrace surmounted by a granite
+balustrade; and just beyond, supported by stone piers on the golden
+sands, stood an octagonal boat-house, built in the Swiss style, with
+red-tiled roof, and floored with squares of white and black marble,
+whence a flight of steps led to the little boat chained to one of the
+rocky piers. Along the entire length of the terrace a line of giant
+poplars lifted their aged, weather-beaten heads, high above all
+surrounding objects,--ever on the _qui vive_, looking seaward,--trim
+and erect as soldiers on dress parade, and defiant of gales that had
+shorn them of many boughs, and left ghastly scars on their glossy
+limbs.
+
+Tradition whispered, with bated breath, that in the dim dawn of
+colonial settlement a rude log hut had been erected here by pirates,
+who came ashore to bury their ill-gotten booty, and rumors were rife
+of bloody deeds and midnight orgies,--all of which sprang into more
+vigorous circulation, when, in laying the foundations of the
+boat-house piers, an iron pot containing a number of old French and
+Spanish coins was dug out of the shells and sand.
+
+Melancholy tales of stranded vessels and drowned crews, of a
+slaver burned to the water's edge to escape capture, and of charred
+corpses strewn on the beach, thickened the atmosphere of legendary
+gloom that enveloped the spot,--where the successive demise of
+several proprietors certainly sanctioned the feeling of dread and
+superstitious distrust with which it was regarded. That the
+unenviable celebrity it had attained was referable to local causes
+generating disease, appeared almost incredible; for, if miasmatic
+exhalations rose dank and poisonous from the densely shaded humid
+house, they were promptly dispelled by the strong, invincible
+ocean-breeze, which tore aside leafy branches and muslin curtains, and
+wafted all noxious vapors inland.
+
+A committee of medical sages having cautiously examined the place,
+unanimously averred that its reputed fatality could not justly be
+ascribed to any topographical causes. Whereupon the popular nerve,
+which closely connected the community with supernaturaldom, thrilled
+afresh; and all the calamities, real and imaginary, that had afflicted
+"Solitude" from a period so remote that "the memory of man runneth not
+to the contrary," were laid upon the galled shoulders of some
+red-liveried, sulphur-scented Imp of Abaddon, whose peculiar mission
+was to haunt the "piratical nest;" and, in lieu of human victims, to
+addle the eggs, blast the grape crop, and make night hideous with
+spectral sights and sounds.
+
+To an unprejudiced observer the hills seemed to have gleefully clasped
+hands and formed a half-circle, shutting the place in for a quiet
+breezy communion with garrulous ocean, whose waves ran eagerly up the
+strand to gossip of wrecks and cyclones, with the staid martinet
+poplars that nodded and murmured assent to all their wild romances.
+
+Such was the pleasant impression produced upon the mind of the lonely
+woman who now owned it, and who hoped to spend here in seclusion and
+peace the residue of a life whose radiant dawn had been suddenly
+swallowed by drab clouds and starless gloom.
+
+The Scotch are proverbially credulous concerning all preternatural
+influences; and, had Robert Maclean been cognizant of half the ghostly
+associations attached to the residence which he had selected in
+compliance with general instructions from his mistress, it is scarcely
+problematical whether the house would not have remained in the hands
+of the real-estate broker; but, fortunately for their peace of mind,
+Elsie and her son were as yet in blissful ignorance of the dismal
+celebrity of their new home.
+
+Resting her folded hands on the bare shoulders of the Ariadne, which
+modest lichens and officious wreaths of purple verbena were striving
+to mantle, Mrs. Gerome scanned the scene before her; and a quick,
+nervous sigh, that was almost a pant, struggled across her lips.
+
+"Unto this last nook of refuge have I come; and, expecting little,
+find much. Shut out from the world, locked in with the sea,--no
+neighbors, no visitors, no news, no gossip,--solitary, shady, cool,
+and quiet,--surely I can rest here. Forked tongues of scandal can not
+penetrate through those rock-ribbed hills yonder, nor dart across that
+defying sea; and neither wail nor wassail of men or women can disturb
+me more. But how do I know that it will not prove a mocking cheat like
+Baiæ and Maggiore, or Copais and Cromarty? I have fled in disgust and
+_ennui_ from far lovelier spots than this, and what right have I to
+suppose that contentment has housed itself as my guest in that old,
+mossy, brick pile, where mice and wrens run riot? Like Cain and
+Cartophilus, my curse travels with me, and I no sooner pitch my tent,
+than lo! the rattle and grin of my skeleton, for which earth is not
+wide enough to furnish a grave! Well! well! at least I shall not be
+stared to death here,--shall not be tormented by eye-glasses and
+sketch-books; can live in that dim, dark, greenish den yonder,
+unobserved and possibly forgotten and finally sleep undisturbed in the
+dank shade of those deodars, with twittering birds overhead and a
+sobbing sea at my feet. How long--how long before that dreamless
+slumber will fall upon my heavy lids,--weary with waiting? Only
+twenty-three yesterday! My God, if I should live to be an old woman!
+The very thought threatens insanity! Ten--twenty--possibly thirty
+years ahead of me. No; I could not endure it,--I should go mad, or
+destroy myself! If I were a delicate woman, if I only had weak lungs
+or a dropsical heart, or a taint of any hereditary infirmity that
+would surely curtail my days, I could be tolerably patient, hoping
+daily for the symptoms to develop themselves. But, unfortunately,
+though my family all died early, no two members, selected the same
+mode of escape from this bastile of clay; and my flesh is sound, and I
+am as strong and compact as that granite balustrade, and--ha!
+ha!--quite as hard. _Au pis aller_, if the burden of life becomes
+utterly intolerable I can shuffle it off as quickly as did that proud
+Roman, who, 'when the birds began to sing' in the dawn of a day
+heralded by tempestuous winds laden with perfume from the vales of
+Sicily, shut his eyes forever from the warm sparkling Mediterranean
+billows that broke in the roads of Utica, and pricked the memory of
+inattentive Azrael with the point of a sword. Neither Phædo, family,
+nor fame, could coax Cato to respect the prerogative of Atropos; and
+if he, 'the only free and unconquered man,' quailed and fled before
+the apparition of numerous advancing years, what marvel that I, who am
+neither sage nor Roman, should be tempted some fine morning when the
+birds are sounding _reveille_ around my chamber windows, to imitate
+'what Cato did, and Addison approved'? After all, what despicable
+cowards are human hearts, and how much easier to die like Socrates,
+Seneca, and Zeno, than stagger and groan under the load of hated,
+torturing years, that are about as welcome to my shoulders as the 'old
+man of the sea' to Sinbad's! How long?--oh, how long?"
+
+The gloomy gray eyes had kindled into a dull flicker that resembled
+the fitful, ghostly gleam of sheet lightning, falling through painted
+windows upon crumbling and defiled altars in some lonely ruined
+cathedral; and her low, shuddering tones, were full of a hopeless,
+sneering bitterness, as painfully startling and out of place in a
+woman's voice as would be the scream of a condor from the irised
+throats of brooding doves, or the hungry howl of a wolf from the
+tender lips of unweaned lambs. In the gloaming light of a soft gray
+sky powdered by a few early stars, stood this desolate gray woman,
+about whose face and dress there was no stain of color save the blue
+glitter of a large sapphire ring, curiously cut in the form of a
+coiled asp, with hooded head erect and brilliant diamond eyes that
+twinkled with every quiver of the marble-white fingers.
+
+Impatiently she turned her imperial head, when the sound of
+approaching steps broke the stillness; and her tone was sharp as that
+of one suddenly roused from deep sleep,--
+
+"Well, Elsie! What is it?"
+
+"Tea, my child, has been waiting half-an-hour."
+
+"Then go and get your share of it. I want none."
+
+"But you ate no dinner to-day. Does your head ache?"
+
+"Oh, no; my heart jealously monopolizes that privilege!"
+
+The old woman sighed audibly, and Mrs. Gerome added,--
+
+"Pray, do not worry yourself about me! When I feel disposed to come in
+I can find the way to the door. Go and get your supper."
+
+The nurse passed her wrinkled hand over the drab muslin sleeves and
+skirt, and touched the folds of hair.
+
+"But, my bairn, the dew is thick on your head and has taken all the
+starch out of your dress. Please come out of this fog that is creeping
+up like a serpent from the sea. You are not used to such damp air, and
+it might give you rheumatic cramps."
+
+"Well, suppose it should? Does not my white head entitle me to all
+such luxuries of old age and decrepitude? Don't bother me, Elsie."
+
+She put out her hand with a repellent gesture, but Elsie seized it,
+and clasping both her palms over the cold fingers, said, with
+irresistible tenderness,--
+
+"Come, dearie!--come, my dearie!"
+
+Without a word Mrs. Gerome turned and followed her across the lawn and
+into the house, whose internal arrangement was somewhat at variance
+with its unpretending exterior.
+
+The rooms were large, with low ceilings; and fire-places, originally
+wide and deep, had been recently filled and fitted up with handsome
+grates, while the heavy mantelpieces of carved cedar, that once
+matched the broad facings of the windows and the massive panels of the
+doors, were exchanged for costly _verd antique_ and lumachella. The
+narrow passage running through the centre of the building was also
+wainscoted with cedar and adorned with fine engravings of Landseer's
+best pictures, whose richly carved walnut frames looked almost cedarn
+in the pale chill light that streamed upon them through the
+violet-colored glass which surrounded the front door and effectually
+subdued the hot golden glare of the sunny sun. The old-fashioned
+folding doors that formerly connected the parlor and library had been
+removed to make room for a low, wide arch, over which drooped lace
+curtains, partially looped with blue silk cord and tassels, and both
+apartments were furnished with sofas and chairs of rosewood and blue
+satin damask, while the velvet carpet, with its azure ground strewn
+with wreaths of white roses and hyacinths, corresponded in color.
+Handsome book-cases, burdened with precious lore, lined the walls of
+the rear room; and on either side of a massive ormolu _escritoire_,
+bronze candelabra shed light on the blue velvet desk where lay
+delicate sheets of gossamer paper with varied and _outré_ monograms,
+guarded by an exquisite marble statuette of Harpocrates, which stood
+in the mirror-panelled recess reserved for pen, ink, and sealing-wax.
+The air was fragrant with the breath of flowers that nodded to each
+other from costly vases scattered through both apartments; and, before
+one of the windows, rose a bronze stand containing china jars filled
+with pelargoniums, in brilliant bloom. An Erard piano occupied one
+corner of the parlor, and the large harp-shaped stand at its side was
+heaped with books and unbound sheets of music. Here two long wax
+candles were now burning brightly, and, on the oval marble table in
+the centre of the floor, was a superb silver lamp representing Psyche
+bending over Cupid, and supporting the finely-cut globe, whose soft
+radiance streamed down on her burnished wings and eagerly-parted sweet
+Greek lips. The design of this exceedingly beautiful lamp would not
+have disgraced Benvenuto Cellini, nor its execution have reflected
+discredit upon the genius of Felicie Fauveau, though to neither of
+these distinguished artificers could its origin have been justly
+ascribed. In its mellow, magical glow, the fine paintings suspended on
+the walls seemed to catch a gleam of "that light that never was on
+sea or land," for their dim, purplish Alpine gorges were filled with
+snowy phantasmagoria of rushing avalanches; their foaming cataracts
+braided glittering spray into spectral similitude of Undine tresses
+and Undine faces; their desolate red deserts grew vaguely populous
+with mirage mockeries; their green dells and grassy hill-sides,
+couching careless herds, and fleecy flocks, borrowed all Arcadia's
+repose; and the marble busts of Beethoven and of Handel, placed on
+brackets above the piano, shone as if rapt, transfigured in the mighty
+inspiration that gave to mankind "_Fidelio_" and the "_Messiah_."
+
+On the sofa which partially filled the oriel window, where the lace
+drapery was looped back to admit the breeze, lay an ivory box
+containing materials and models for wax-flowers; and, in one corner,
+half thrust under the edge of the silken cushion, was an unfinished
+wreath of waxen convolvulus and a cluster of gentians. There, too,
+open at the page that narrated the death-struggle, lay Liszt's "Life
+of Chopin," pressed face downwards, with two purple pansies crushed
+and staining the leaves; and a small gold thimble peeping out of a
+crevice in the damask tattled of the careless feminine fingers that
+had left these traces of disorder.
+
+The collection of pictures was unlike those usually brought from
+Europe by cultivated tourists, for it contained no Madonnas, no
+Magdalenes, no Holy Families, no Descents or Entombments, no Saints,
+or Sibyls, or martyrs; and consisted of wild mid-mountain scenery, of
+solemn surf-swept strands, of lonely moonlit moors, of crimson sunsets
+in Cobi or Sahara, and of a few gloomy, ferocious faces, among which
+the portrait of Salvator Rosa smiled sardonically, and a head of
+frenzied Jocasta was preëminently hideous.
+
+As Mrs. Gerome entered the parlor and brightened the flame of the
+Psyche lamp, her eyes accidentally fell upon the bust of Beethoven,
+where, in gilt letters, she had inscribed his own triumphant
+declaration, "_Music is like wine, inflaming men to new achievements;
+and I am the Bacchus who serves it out to them_." While she watched
+the rayless marble orbs, more eloquent than dilating darkening human
+pupils, a shadow dense and mysterious drifted over her frigid face,
+and, without removing her eyes from the bust above her, she sat down
+before the piano, and commenced one of those marvellous symphonies
+which he had commended to the study of Goethe.
+
+Ere it was ended Elsie came in, bearing a waiter on which stood a
+silver _epergne_ filled with fruit, a basket of cake, and a goblet of
+iced tea.
+
+"My child, I bring your supper here because the dining-room looks
+lonesome at night."
+
+"No,--no! take it away. I tell you I want nothing."
+
+"But, for my sake, dear--"
+
+"Let me alone, Elsie! There,--there! Don't teaze me."
+
+The nurse stood for some moments watching the deepening gloom of the
+up-turned countenance, listening to the weird strains that seemed to
+drip from the white fingers as they wandered slowly across the keys;
+then, kneeling at her side, grasped the hands firmly, and covered them
+with kisses.
+
+"Precious bairn! don't play any more to-night. For God's sake, let me
+shut up this piano that is making a ghost of you! You will get so
+stirred up you can't close your eyes,--you know you will; and then I
+shall cry till day-break. If you don't care for yourself, dearie, do
+try to care a little for the old woman who loves you better than her
+life, and who never can sleep till she knows your precious head is on
+its pillow. My pretty darling, you are killing me by inches, and I
+shall stay here on my knees until you leave the piano, if that is not
+till noon to-morrow. You may order me away; but not a step will I
+stir. God help you, my bairn!"
+
+Mrs. Gerome made an effort to extricate her hands, but the iron grasp
+was relentless; and, in a tone of great annoyance, she exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, Elsie! You are an intolerable--"
+
+"Well, dear, say it out,--an intolerable old fool! Isn't that what you
+mean?"
+
+"Not exactly; but you presume upon my forbearance. Elsie, you must not
+interrupt and annoy me, for I tell you now I will not submit to it.
+You forget that I am not a child."
+
+"Darling, you will never be anything but a child to me,--the same
+pretty child I took from its dead mother's arms and carried for years
+close to my heart. So scold me as you may, my pet, I shall love you
+and try to take care of you just as long as there is breath left in my
+body."
+
+She ended by kissing the struggling hands; and, striving to conceal
+her vexation, Mrs. Gerome finally turned and said,--
+
+"If you will eat your supper, and stay with Robert, and leave me in
+peace, I promise you I will close the piano, which your flinty Scotch
+soul can no more appreciate than the brick and mortar that compose
+these walls. You mean well, my dear, faithful Elsie, but sometimes you
+bore me fearfully. I know I am often wayward; but you must bear with
+me, for, after all, how could I endure to lose you,--you the only
+human being who cares whether I live or die? There,--go! Good night!"
+
+She threw her arms around Elsie's neck, leaned her wan cheek for an
+instant only on her shoulder, then pushed her away and hastily closed
+the piano.
+
+Two hours later, when the devoted servant stole up on tip-toe, and
+peeped through the half-open door that led into the hall, she found
+the queenly figure walking swiftly and lightly across the room from
+oriel to arch, with her hands clasped over the back of her head, and
+the silvery lamp-light shining softly on the waves of burnished hair
+that rippled around her pure, polished forehead.
+
+As she watched her mistress, Elsie's stout frame trembled, and hot
+tears streamed down her furrowed face while she lifted her heart in
+prayer, for the dreary, lonely, lovely woman, who had long ago ceased
+to pray for herself. But when the quivering lips of one breathed a
+petition before the throne of God, the beautiful cold mouth of the
+other was muttering bitterly,--
+
+  "Yea, love is dead, and by her funeral bier
+  Ambition gnaws the lips, and sheds no tears;
+  And, in the outer chamber Hope sits wild,--
+  Hope, with her blue eyes dim with looking long."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+
+"Ulpian, why do you look so grave and grieved? Does your letter
+contain bad news?"
+
+Miss Jane pushed back her spectacles and glanced anxiously at her
+brother, who stood with his brows slightly knitted, twirling a
+crumpled envelope between his fingers.
+
+"It is not a letter, but a telegraphic dispatch, summoning me to the
+death-bed of my best friend, Horace Manton."
+
+"The man whose life you saved at Madeira?"
+
+"Yes; and the person to whom, above all other men, I am most strongly
+and tenderly attached. His constitution is so feeble that I have long
+been uneasy about him; but the end has come even earlier than I
+feared."
+
+"Where does he live?"
+
+"On the Hudson, a few miles above New York City. I have no time to
+spare, for I shall take the train that leaves at one o'clock, and must
+make some arrangement with Dr. Sheldon to attend my patients. Will it
+trouble or tire you too much to pack my valise while I write a couple
+of business letters? If so, I will call Salome to assist you."
+
+"Trouble me, indeed! Nonsense, my dear boy; of course I will pack your
+valise. Moreover, Salome is not at home. How long will you be
+absent?"
+
+"Probably a week or ten days,--possibly longer. If poor Horace
+lingers, I shall remain with him."
+
+"Wait one moment, Ulpian. Before you go I want to speak to you about
+Salome."
+
+"Well, Janet, I lend you my ears. Has the girl absolutely turned
+pagan and set up an altar to Ceres, as she threatened some weeks
+since? Take my word for the fact that she does not believe or mean
+one half that she says, and is only amusing herself by trying to
+discover how wide her audacious heresies can expand your dear
+orthodox eyes. Expostulation and entreaty only feed her affected
+eccentricities and skepticism, and if you will persistently and
+quietly ignore them, they will shrivel as rapidly as a rank
+gourd-vine, uprooted on an August day."
+
+"Pooh! pooh! my dear boy. How you men do prate sometimes of
+matters concerning which you are as ignorant as the yearling calves
+and gabbling geese that I suppose your learned astronomers see
+driven every day to pasture on that range of mountains in the
+moon--Eratosthenes--that modern science pretends to have discovered,
+and about which you read so marvellous a paper last week."
+
+Miss Jane reverently clung to the dishonored remnants of the Ptolemaic
+theory, and scouted the philosophy of Copernicus which she vehemently
+averred was not worth "a pinch of snuff," else the water in the well
+would surely run out once in every twenty-four hours. Now, as she
+dived into the depths of her stocking-basket, collecting the socks
+neatly darned and rolled over each other, her brother smiled, and
+answered, good humoredly,--
+
+"Dear Janet, I really have not time to follow you to the moon, nor to
+prove to you that your astronomical doctrines have been dead and
+decently buried for nearly three hundred years; but I should like to
+hear what you desire to tell me with reference to Salome. What is the
+matter now?"
+
+"Nothing ails her, except a violent attack of industry, which has
+lasted much longer than I thought possible; for, to tell you the truth
+without stint or varnish, she certainly was the most sluggish piece of
+flesh I ever undertook to manage. Study she would not, keep house she
+could not, sewing gave her the headache, and knitting made her
+cross-eyed; but, behold! she has suddenly found out that her pretty
+little pink palms were made for something better than propping her
+peach-bloom cheeks. A few days ago I accidentally discovered that she
+was sitting up until long after midnight, and when I questioned her
+closely, she finally confessed that she had entered into a contract to
+furnish a certain amount of embroidery every month. Bless the child!
+can you guess what she intends to do with the money? Hoard it up in
+order to rent a couple of rooms, where she can take Jessie and
+Stanley to live with her. Ulpian, it is a praiseworthy aim, you must
+admit."
+
+"Eminently commendable, and I respect and admire the motive that
+incites her to such a laborious course. At present she is too young
+and inexperienced to take entire charge of the children, and I know
+nothing of your plans or intentions concerning her future; but, let me
+assure you, dear Jane, that I will cordially coöperate in all your
+schemes for aiding her and providing a home for them, and my purse
+shall not prove a laggard in the race with yours. Recently I have been
+revolving a plan for their benefit, but am too much hurried just now
+to give you the details. When I return we will discuss it _in
+extenso_."
+
+"You know that I ascribe great importance to blood, but strange as
+it may appear, that girl Salome has always tugged hard at my
+heart-strings, as if our proud old blood beat in her veins; and
+sometimes I fancy there must be kinship hidden behind the years, or
+buried in some unknown grave."
+
+"Amuse yourself while I am away by digging about the genealogical
+tree of the house of Grey, and, if you can trace a fibre that
+ramifies in the miller's family, I will gladly bow to my own blood
+wherever I find it, and claim cousinship. Meantime, my dear sister,
+do keep a corner of your loving heart well swept and dusted for your
+errant sailor-boy."
+
+He hastily kissed her cheek and turned away to write letters, while
+she went into the adjoining room to pack his clothes.
+
+When Salome returned from town, whither she had gone to carry a
+package of finished work and obtain a fresh supply, she found Miss
+Jane alone in the dining-room, and wearing a dejected expression on
+her usually cheerful countenance.
+
+"Did Ulpian tell you good-by?"
+
+"No, I have not seen him. Where has he gone?"
+
+"To New York."
+
+The long walk and sultry atmosphere had unwontedly flushed the girl's
+face, and the damp hair clung in glossy rings to her brow; but, as
+Miss Jane spoke, the blood ebbed from cheeks and lips, and sweeping
+back the dark tresses that seemed to oppress her, she asked,
+shiveringly,--
+
+"Is Dr. Grey going back to sea?"
+
+"Oh no, child! An old friend is very ill, and telegraphed for him. Sit
+down, dear,--you look faint."
+
+"Thank you, I don't wish to sit down, and there is nothing the matter
+with me. When will he come home?"
+
+"I can not tell precisely, as his stay is contingent upon the
+condition of his friend."
+
+"Is it a man or woman whom he has gone to see?"
+
+The astonishment painted on Miss Jane's face would have been ludicrous
+to a careless observer, less interested than the orphan in her slow
+and deliberate reply.
+
+"A man, of course."
+
+"Did he tell you so?"
+
+"Certainly. He went to see Mr. Horace Manton, with whom he was
+associated while abroad. But suppose it had been some winsome,
+brown-eyed witch of a woman, instead of a dying man, what then?"
+
+"Then you would have lost your brother, and I my French pronouncing
+dictionary,--that is all. Did he leave any message about my grammar
+and exercises?"
+
+"No, dear; but he started so hurriedly--so unexpectedly--he had not
+time for such trifles. Where are you going?"
+
+"To put away my bonnet and bundle, and look after Stanley, who is
+romping with the kittens on the lawn."
+
+The old lady laid down her knitting, leaned her elbows on the arms of
+her rocking-chair, and, clasping her hands, bowed her chin upon them,
+while a half-stifled sigh escaped her.
+
+"Mischief,--mischief, where I meant only kindness! I sowed good seed,
+and reap thistles and brambles! My charity-cake turns out miserable
+dough! But how could I possibly foresee that the child would be such a
+simpleton? What right has she to be so unnecessarily interested in my
+brother, who is old enough to have been her father? It is unnatural,
+absurd, and altogether unpardonable in Salome to be guilty of such
+presumptuous nonsense; and, of course, it is not in the least my
+fault, for the possibility of this piece of mischief never once
+occurred to me! True, she is as old as Ulpian's mother was when father
+married her; but then Mrs. Grey was not at all in love with her
+white-haired husband, and had set her affections solely on that
+Mercer-Street house, with marble steps and plate-glass windows. How do
+I know that, after all, Salome is not in love with Ulpian's fortune
+instead of the dear boy's blue eyes, and handsome hair, and splendid
+teeth? However, I ought not to think so harshly of the child, for I
+have no cause to consider her calculating and selfish. Poor thing! if
+she really cares for him there are breakers ahead of her, for I am
+sure that he is as far from falling in love with her as I would be
+with the ghost of my great-grandfather's uncle. Thank Providence, all
+this troublesome, mischievous, Lucifer machinery of love and marriage
+is shut out of heaven, where we shall be as the angels are. Ah,
+Salome! I fear you are a giddy young idiot, and that I am a blind old
+imbecile, and I wish from the bottom of my heart you had never
+darkened my doors."
+
+The quiet current of Miss Jane's secluded life had never been ruffled
+by a serious _affaire du coeur_; consequently she indulged little
+charity towards those episodes, which displayed what she considered
+the most humiliating weakness of her sex.
+
+While puzzling over the best method of extricating her _protégée_ from
+the snare into which she was disposed to apprehend that her own
+well-meant but mistaken kindness had betrayed her, she saw an unsealed
+note lying beneath the table, and, by the aid of her crutch, drew it
+within reach of her fingers. A small sheet of paper, carelessly folded
+and addressed to Salome, merely contained these words,--
+
+  "I congratulate you, my young friend, on the correctness of your
+  French themes, which I leave in the drawer of the library-table.
+  When I return I will examine those prepared during my absence;
+  and, in the interim, remain,
+
+  "Very respectfully,
+
+  "ULPIAN GREY."
+
+Miss Jane wiped her glasses, and read the note twice; then held it
+between her thumb and third finger, and debated the expediency of
+changing its destination. Her delicate sense of honor revolted at the
+first suggestion of interference, but an intense aversion to
+"love-scrapes" finally strengthened her prudential inclination to
+crush this one in its incipiency; and she deliberately tore the paper
+into shreds, which she tossed out of the window.
+
+"If Ulpian only had his eyes open he would never have scribbled one
+line to her; and, since I know what I know, and see what I see, it is
+my duty to take the responsibility of destroying all fuel within reach
+of a flame that may prove as dangerous as a torch in a hay-rick."
+
+Limping into the library, she took from the drawer the two books
+containing French exercises and laid them in a conspicuous place on
+the table, where they could not fail to arrest the attention of their
+owner; after which she resumed her knitting, consoling herself with
+the reflection that she had taken the first step towards smothering
+the spark that threatened the destruction of all her benevolent
+schemes.
+
+Up and down, under the spreading trees in the orchard, wandered
+Salome, anxious to escape scrutiny, and vaguely conscious that she had
+reached the cross-roads in her life, where haste or inadvertence might
+involve her in inextricable difficulties.
+
+She was neither startled, nor shocked, nor mortified, that the
+unceremonious departure of the master of the house stabbed her heart
+with pangs that made her firm lips writhe, for she had long been
+cognizant of the growth of feelings whose discovery had so completely
+astounded Miss Jane.
+
+The orphan had not eagerly watched and listened for the sight of his
+face--the sound of his voice--without fully comprehending herself;
+for, however ingeniously and indefatigably women may mask their hearts
+from public gaze and comment, they do not mock their own reason by
+such flimsy shams, and Salome could find no prospect of gain in
+playing a game of brag with her inquisitive soul.
+
+In the quiet orchard, where all things seemed drowsy--where the only
+spectators were the mellowing apples that reddened the boughs above
+her, and her sole auditors the brown partridges that nestled in the
+tall grass, and the shy cicadæ ambushed under the clover leaves--her
+pent-up pain and disappointment bubbled over in a gush of passionate
+words.
+
+"Gone without giving me a syllable, a word, a touch! Gone, for an
+indefinite period, without even a cold 'good-by, Salome!' You call
+yourself a Christian, Dr. Grey, and yet you are cruel, now and then,
+and make me writhe like a worm on a fish-hook! He told Stanley he
+would return in two or three weeks, perhaps sooner,--but I know
+better. I have a dull monitor here that says it will be a long, dreary
+time, before I see him again. A wall of ice is rising to divide
+us--but it shall not! it shall not! I will have my own! I will look
+into his calm eyes! I will touch his soft, warm, white palms! I will
+hear his steady, low, clear voice, that makes music in my ears and
+heaven in my heart! It is three months since he shook hands with me,
+but all time cannot remove the feeling from my fingers; and some day I
+can cling to his hand and lean my cheek against it,--and who dare
+dispute my right? He says he never loved any woman! I heard him tell
+his sister he had yet to meet the woman whom he could marry,--and, if
+truth lingers anywhere in this world of sin, it finds a sanctuary in
+his soul! He never loved any woman! Thank God! I can't afford to doubt
+it. No one but his sister has touched his lips, or his noble,
+beautiful forehead. How I envied little Jessie when he put his arm
+around her and stooped and laid his cheek on hers. Oh, Dr. Grey,
+nobody else will ever love you as I do! I know I am unworthy, but I
+will make myself good and great to match you! I know I am beneath you,
+but I will climb to your proud height,--and, so help me God, I will be
+all that your lofty standard demands! He does not care for me
+now,--does not even think of me; but I must be patient and merit his
+notice, for my own folly sank me in his good opinion. When these
+apples were pale, pink blossoms, I dreaded his coming, and hoped the
+vessel would be wrecked; now, ere they are ripe, I am disposed to
+curse the cause of his temporary absence and think myself ill-used
+that no farewell privileges were granted me. Now I can understand why
+people find comfort in praying for those they love; for what else can
+I do but pray while he is away? Oh, I shall not, cannot, will not,
+miss my way to heaven if he gets there before me!"
+
+In utter abandonment she threw herself down in the long yellow
+sedge-grass,--frightening a whole covey of gossiping young partridges
+and a couple of meek doves, all of which whirred away to an adjacent
+pea-field, leaving her with her face buried in her hands, and watched
+by trembling mute crickets and cicadæ.
+
+On the topmost twig of the tallest tree a mocking-bird poised himself,
+and sympathetically poured out his vesper canticle,--a song of
+condolence to the prostrate figure who, just then, would have
+preferred the echo of a man's deep voice to all Pergolese's strains.
+
+After a little while pitying Venus swung her golden globe in among the
+apple-boughs, peeping compassionately at her luckless votary; and,
+finally, in the violet west,--
+
+  "Two silver beacons sphered in the skies,
+  Eve in her cradle opening her eyes."
+
+Two weeks dragged themselves away without bringing any tidings of
+the absent master; but, towards the close of the third, a brief
+letter informed his sister that the invalid friend was still alive,
+though no hope of his recovery was entertained, and that it was
+impossible to fix any period for the writer's return. Salome asked
+no questions, but the eager, hungry expression, with which she
+eyed the letter as it lay on the top of the stocking-basket,
+touched Miss Jane's tender heart; and, knowing that it contained no
+allusion to the orphan, she put it into her hand, and noticed the
+cloud of disappointment that gathered over her features as she
+perused and refolded it. Another week--monotonous, tedious, almost
+interminable--crept by, and one morning as Salome passed the
+post-office she inquired for letters, and received one post-marked
+New York and addressed to Miss Jane.
+
+Hurrying homeward with the precious missive, her pace would well-nigh
+have distanced Hermes, and the dusty winding road seemed to mock her
+with lengthening curves while she pressed on; but at last she reached
+the gate, sped up the avenue, and, pausing a moment at the threshold
+to catch her breath and appear _nonchalant_, she demurely entered Miss
+Jane's apartment. The only occupant was a servant sewing near the
+window, and who, in reply to an eager question, informed Salome that
+the mistress had gone to spend the day with a friend whose residence
+was six miles distant.
+
+The girl bit her lip until the blood started, and, to conceal her
+chagrin, took refuge in the parlor, where the quiet dimness offered a
+covert. Locking the door, she sat down in one of the cushioned
+rocking-chairs and looked at the letter lying between her fingers. The
+gilt clock on the mantel uttered a dull, clicking sound, and a little
+green and gold-colored bird hopped out and "cuckooed" ten times. Miss
+Jane would not probably return before seven, possibly eight o'clock,
+and what could be done to strangle those intervening nine hours?
+
+The blood, heated by exercise and impatience, throbbed fiercely in her
+temples and thumped heavily at her heart, producing a half-suffocating
+sensation; and, in her feverish anxiety, the doom of Damiens appeared
+tolerable in comparison with the torturing suspense of nine hours on
+the rack.
+
+The envelope was an ordinary white one, merely sealed with a solution
+of gum arabic, and dexterous fingers could easily open and reclose it
+without fear of detection, especially by eyes so dim and uncertain as
+those for which it had been addressed. A damp cloth laid upon the
+letter would in five minutes prove an _open sesame_ to its coveted
+contents, and a legion of fiends patted the girl's tingling fingers
+and urged her to this prompt and feasible relief from her goading
+impatience. Secure from intrusion and beyond the possibility of
+discovery, she turned the envelope up and down and over, examining the
+seal; and the amber gleams lying _perdu_ under the shadows of her
+pupils rayed out, glowing with a baleful Lucifer light, as infallibly
+indicative of evil purposes as the sudden kindling in a crouching
+cat's or cougar's gaze, just as they spring upon their prey.
+
+It was a mighty temptation, cunningly devised and opportunely
+presented, and six months ago her parley with the imps of Apollyon who
+contrived it would not have lasted five minutes; but, in some natures,
+love for a human being will work marvels which neither the fear of
+God, nor the hope of heaven, nor yet the promptings of self-respect
+have power to accomplish.
+
+Now while Salome dallied with the temper and gave audience to the
+clamors of her rebellious heart, she looked up and met the earnest
+gaze of a pair of sunny blue eyes in a picture that hung directly
+opposite.
+
+It was an admirable portrait of Dr. Grey, clad in full uniform as
+surgeon in the U.S. Navy, and painted when he was twenty-eight years
+old. Up at that calm, cloudless countenance, the girl looked
+breathlessly, spell-bound as if in the presence of a reproving angel;
+and, after some seconds had elapsed, she hurled the unopened letter
+across the room, and lifted her hands appealingly,--
+
+"No,--no! I did not--I cannot--I will not act so basely! I must not
+soil fingers that should be pure enough to touch yours. I was sorely
+tempted, my beloved; but, thank God, your blessed blue eyes saved me.
+It is hard to endure nine hours of suspense, but harder still to bear
+the thought that I have stooped to a deed that would sink me one iota
+in your good opinion. I will root out the ignoble tendencies of my
+nature, and keep my heart and lips and hands stainless,--hold them
+high above the dishonorable things that you abhor, and live during
+your absence as if your clear eyes took cognizance of every detail.
+Yea,--search me as you will, dear deep-blue eyes,--I shall not shrink;
+for the rule of my future years shall be to scorn every word, thought,
+and deed that I would not freely bare to the scrutiny of the man whose
+respect I would sooner die than forfeit. Oh, my darling, it were
+easier for me to front the fiercest flames of Tophet than face your
+scorn! I can wait till Miss Jane sees fit to show me the letter, and,
+if it bring good news of your speedy coming, I shall have my reward;
+if not, why should I hasten to meet a bitter disappointment which may
+be lagging out of mercy to me?"
+
+Picking up the letter as suspiciously as if it had been dropped by
+the Prince of Darkness on the crest of Quarantina, she stepped upon a
+table and inserted the corner of the envelope in the crevice between
+the canvas and the portrait-frame, repeating the while a favorite
+passage that she had first heard from Dr. Grey's lips,--
+
+  "'God meant me good too, when he hindered me
+  From saying "yes" this morning. I say no,--no!
+  I tie up "no" upon His altar-horns,
+  Quite out of reach of perjury!'"
+
+Young though she was, experience had taught her that the most
+effectual method of locking the wheels of time consisted in sitting
+idly down to watch and count their revolutions; consequently, she
+hastened upstairs and betook herself vigorously to the work of
+embroidering a _parterre_ of flowers on the front breadth of an
+infant's christening dress which her employer had promised should be
+completed before the following Sabbath.
+
+Stab the laggard seconds as she might with her busy needle, the day
+was drearily long; and few genuine cuckoo-carols have been listened to
+with such grateful rejoicing as greeted those metallic gutturals that
+once in every sixty minutes issued from the throat of the gaudy
+automaton caged in the gilt clock.
+
+True, nine hours are intrinsically nine hours under all circumstances,
+whether decapitation or coronation awaits their expiration; but to the
+doomed victim or the heir-apparent they appear relatively shorter or
+longer. At last Salome saw that the shadows on the grass were
+lengthening. Her head ached, her eyes burned from steady application
+to her trying work, and laying aside the cambric, she leaned against
+the window-facing and looked out over the lawn, where Time seemed to
+have fallen asleep in the mild autumn sunshine.
+
+How sweet and welcome was the distance-muffled sound of tinkling
+cow-bells, and the low bleating of homeward-strolling flocks, wending
+their way across the hills through which the road crawled like a dusty
+gray serpent.
+
+A noisy club of black-birds that had been holding an indignation
+meeting in the top of a walnut tree near the gate, adjourned to the
+sycamore grove that overshadowed the barn in the rear of the house;
+and Stanley's pigeons, which had been cooing and strutting in the
+avenue, went to roost in the pretty painted pagoda Dr. Grey had
+erected for their comfort. Finally, the low-swung, heavy carriage,
+with its stout dappled horses, gladdened Salome's strained eyes; and,
+soon after, she heard the thump of Miss Jane's crutches and her
+cheerful voice, asking,--
+
+"Where are the children? Tell them I have come home. Bless me, the
+house is as dark as a dungeon! Rachel, have we neither lamps nor
+candles?"
+
+The orphan stole down the steps, climbed upon the table in the parlor,
+and, seizing the letter, hurried into the dining-room, where, quite
+exhausted by the fatigue of the day, the old lady lay on the sofa.
+
+She held out her hand and drew the girl's face within reach of her
+lips, saying,--
+
+"My child, I am afraid you have had rather a lonely day."
+
+"Decidedly the loneliest and longest I ever spent, and I believe I
+never was half so glad to see you come home as just now when the
+carriage stopped at the door."
+
+Ah, what hypocrisy is sometimes innocently masked by the earnest
+utterance of the truth! And what marvels of industry are accomplished
+by self-love, which seeks more assiduously than bees for the honied
+drops of flattery that feed its existence!
+
+Miss Jane was pardonably proud that her presence was so essential to
+the happiness of the orphan whom she fondly loved, and gratification
+spread a pleasant smile over her worn features.
+
+"Where is Stanley? The child ought not to be out so late."
+
+"He went down to the sheep-pen to count the lambs and look after one
+that broke its leg yesterday. Miss Jane, are you too much fatigued to
+read a letter which I found this morning in your box at the
+post-office?"
+
+"Is it from Ulpian? I was wondering to-day why I did not hear from
+him. Dear me, what have I done with my spectacles? They are the
+torment of my life, for the instant I take them off my nose they seem
+to find wings. Give me the letter, and see whether I left my glasses
+on the bed where I put my bonnet."
+
+Salome went into the next room and unsuccessfully searched the bed,
+bureau, table, and wardrobe; and in an agony of impatience, returned
+to the invalid.
+
+"You must have lost them before you came home; I can't find them
+anywhere. Let me read the letter to you."
+
+"No; I must have my glasses. Perhaps I dropped them in the carriage.
+Send word to the driver to look for them. It was very careless in me
+to lose them, but I am growing so forgetful. Rachel, do hunt for my
+spectacles."
+
+Salome ground her teeth to suppress a cry of vexation; and, to conceal
+her impatience, joined heartily in the search.
+
+Finally she found the glasses on the front steps, where they had
+fallen when their owner left the carriage; and, feeling that adverse
+fate could no longer keep her in suspense, she hurried into the house
+and adjusted them on Miss Jane's eagle nose.
+
+Conscious that she was fast losing control over the nerves that were
+quivering from long-continued tension, Salome stepped to the open
+window and stood waiting. Would the old lady never finish the perusal?
+The minutes seemed hours, and the pulsing of the blood in the girl's
+ears sounded like muttering thunder.
+
+Miss Jane sighed heavily,--cleared her throat, and sighed again.
+
+"It is very sad, indeed! It is too bad,--too bad!"
+
+Salome turned around, and exclaimed, savagely,--
+
+"Why can't you speak out? What is the matter? What has happened?"
+
+"Ulpian's friend is dead."
+
+"Thank God!"
+
+"For shame! How can you be so heartless?"
+
+"If the man could not recover I should think you would be glad that
+he is at rest, and that your brother can come home."
+
+"But the worst of the matter is that Ulpian is not coming home. Mr.
+Manton wished him to act as guardian for his daughter, who is in
+Europe, and Ulpian will sail in the next steamer for England, to
+attend to some business connected with the estate. It is too
+provoking, isn't it? He says it is impossible to tell when we shall
+see him again."
+
+There was no answer, and, when Miss Jane wiped her eyes and looked
+around, she saw the girl tottering towards the door, groping her way
+like one blind.
+
+"Salome,--come here, child!"
+
+But the figure disappeared in the hall, and when the moonlight looked
+into the orphan's chamber the soft rays showed a girlish form kneeling
+at the window, with a white face drenched by tears, and quivering lips
+that moaned in feeble, broken accents,--
+
+"God help me! I might have known it, for I had a presentiment of
+terrible trouble when he went away. How can I trust God and be
+patient, while the Atlantic raves and surges between me and my idol?
+After all, it was an angel of mercy whose tender white hands held
+back this bitter blow for nine hours. Gone to Europe, and not one
+word--not one line--to me! Oh, my darling! you are trampling under
+your feet the heart that loves you better than everything else in the
+universe,--better than life, and its hopes of heaven!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+
+"Salome, where did you learn to sing? I was astonished this morning
+when I heard you."
+
+"I have not yet learned,--I have only begun to practise."
+
+"But, my child, I had no idea you owned such a voice. Where have you
+kept it concealed so long?"
+
+"I was not aware that I had it until a month ago, when it accidentally
+discovered itself."
+
+"It is very powerful."
+
+"Yes, and very rough; but care and study will smooth and polish it.
+Miss Jane, please keep your eye on Stanley until I come home; for,
+although I left him with his slate and arithmetic, it is by no means
+certain that they will not part company the moment I am out of
+sight."
+
+"Where are you going?"
+
+"To carry back some work which would have been returned yesterday had
+not the weather been so inclement."
+
+In addition to the package of embroidered handkerchiefs, Salome
+carried under her arm a roll of music and an instruction-book; and,
+when she reached the outskirts of the town, turned away from the main
+street and stopped at the door of a small comfortless-looking house
+that stood without enclosure on the common.
+
+Two swart, black-eyed children were playing mumble-peg with a broken
+knife, in one corner of the room; a third, with tears still on its
+lashes, had just sobbed itself to sleep on a strip of faded carpet
+stretched before the smouldering embers on the hearth; while the
+fourth, a feeble infant only six months old, was wailing in the arms
+of its mother,--a thin, sickly woman, with consumption's red autograph
+written on her hollow cheeks, where the skin clung to the bones as if
+resisting the chill grasp of death. As she slowly rocked herself,
+striving to hush the cry of the child, her dry, husky cough formed a
+melancholy chorus, which seemed to annoy a man who sat before the
+small table covered with materials for copying music. His cadaverous,
+sallow complexion, and keen, restless eyes, bespoke Italian origin;
+and, although engaged in filling some blank sheets with musical notes,
+he occasionally took up a violin that lay across his knees, and, after
+playing a few bars, laid aside the bow and resumed the pen. Now and
+then he glanced at his wife and child with a scowling brow; but, as
+his eyes fell on their emaciated faces, something like a sigh seemed
+to heave his chest.
+
+When Salome's knock arrested his attention he rose and advanced to the
+half-open door, saying, impatiently,--
+
+"Well, miss, have you brought me any money?"
+
+"Good morning, Mr. Barilli. Here are the ten dollars that I promised,
+but I wish you to understand that in future I shall not advance one
+cent of my tuition-money. When the month ends you will receive your
+wages, but not one day earlier."
+
+"I beg pardon, miss; but, indeed, you see--"
+
+He did not conclude the sentence, but waved his hand towards the two
+in the rocking-chair and proceeded to count the money placed in his
+palm.
+
+"Yes, I see that you are very destitute, but charity begins at home,
+and I have to work hard for the wages that you have demanded before
+they are due. Good morning, madam; I hope you feel better to-day.
+Come, Mr. Barilli, I have no time to waste in loitering. Are you ready
+for my lesson?"
+
+"Quite ready, miss. Commence."
+
+For three-quarters of an hour he listened to her exercises, which he
+accompanied with his violin, and afterwards directed her to sing an
+air from a collection of songs on the table. As her deep, rich
+contralto notes swelled round and full, he shut his eyes and nodded
+his head as if in an ecstacy; and, when she concluded, he rapped his
+violin heavily with the bow, and exclaimed,--
+
+"Some day when you sing that at _Della Scala_, remember the poor devil
+who taught it to you in a hovel. Soaked as those old walls are with
+music from the most famous lips the world ever applauded, they hold no
+echoes sweeter than that last trill. After all, there is no
+passion--no pathos--comparable to a perfect contralto crescendo. It is
+wonderful how you Americans squander voices that would rouse all
+Europe into a _furore_."
+
+"I am afraid your eager desire for pupils biases your judgment, and
+invests my voice with fictitious worth," answered Salome, eyeing him
+suspiciously.
+
+"Ha! you mean that I flatter, in order to keep you. Not so, miss. If
+St. Cecilia herself asked tuition without good pay, I should shut the
+door in her face; but, much as I need money, I would not risk my
+reputation by praising what was poor. If one of my children--that
+miserable little Beatrice, yonder--only had your voice, do you think I
+would copy music, or teach beginners, or live in this cursed hole?
+You have a fortune shut up in your throat, and some day, when you are
+celebrated, at least do me the justice to tell the world who first
+found the treasure; and, out of your wealth, spare me a decent
+tombstone in the Campo Santo of--of--"
+
+He laughed bitterly, and, seizing his violin, filled the room with
+mournful _miserere_ strains.
+
+"How long a course of training do you think will be necessary before
+the inequalities in my voice can be corrected and my vocalization
+perfected?"
+
+"You are very young, miss, and it would not do to strain your voice,
+which is well-nigh perfect in itself; but, of course, your execution
+is defective,--just as a young nightingale cannot warble all its
+strains before it is full-feathered. If you study faithfully, in one
+year, or certainly one and a half, you will be ready for your
+engagement at Della Scala. Hist! see if you can follow me?"
+
+He played a subtle, chromatic passage, ending in a trill, and the
+orphan echoed it with such accuracy and sweetness that the teacher
+threw down his bow, and, while tears stood in his glittering eyes, he
+put his brown hand on the girl's head, and said, earnestly,--
+
+"There ought to be feathers here instead of hair, for no nightingale,
+nestled in the olive groves of Italy, ever warbled more easily and
+naturally. Don't go out to the world as Miss Owen,--make it call you
+_Rosignuolo_. Take the next page in the instruction-book for a new
+lesson, and practise the old scales over before you touch the
+new,--they are like steps in a ladder, and save jumps and jars. God
+made your voice wonderful, and, if you are only careful not to undo
+his work, it will develop itself every year in fresh power and depth.
+Ha! if my poor squeaking Beatrice only had it! But there is no more
+music stored in her throat and chest than in a regiment of rats. Good
+day, miss. Your lesson is ended, and I go to buy some wood for my
+miserable shiverers."
+
+He seized his hat and walking-stick and quitted the house, leaving his
+pupil to gather up her music and conjecture, meanwhile, whether the
+wood-yard or a neighboring bar-room was his real destination.
+
+His dissipated habits had greatly impaired her faith in the accuracy
+of his critical acumen touching professional matters, and, as she
+rolled up the sheet of paper in her hands, Salome approached the
+feeble occupant of the rocking-chair, and said, rather abruptly,--
+
+"Madam Barilli, you ought to know when your husband speaks earnestly
+and when he is merely indulging in idle flattery, and I wish to learn
+his real opinion of my voice. Will you tell me the truth?"
+
+"Yes, miss, I will. I am no musician, and never was in Europe, where
+he studied; but he talks constantly of your voice, and tells me there
+is a fortune in it. Only last night he swore that if he could control
+it, he would not take a hundred thousand dollars for the right; and
+then, poor fellow, he fell into one of his fierce ways and boxed my
+little Beatrice's ears, because, he said, all the teachers in the
+_Conservatoire_ could not put into her throat the trill that you were
+born with. Ah, no, he flatters no one now! He has forgotten how, since
+the day that I was coaxed to run away from my father's elegant home
+and marry the tenor singer of an opera troupe and the professor who
+taught me the gamut at boarding-school. Miss, you may believe him, for
+Sebastian Barilli means what he says."
+
+"One hundred thousand dollars! I promise him and you that if one-half
+of that amount can be 'trilled' into my pocket you shall both be
+comfortable during the remainder of your days."
+
+"Mine are numbered, and will end before your career begins; and, when
+you sing in Della Scala, I trust I shall be singing up yonder behind
+the stars, where cold and hunger and heart-ache and cruel words cannot
+follow me. But, miss, when I am gone, and Sebastian is over at the
+corner trying to drown his troubles, and my four helpless little ones
+are left here unprotected, for God's sake look in upon them now and
+then, and don't let them cry for bread. My own family long ago cast me
+off, and here I am a stranger; but you, who have felt the pangs of
+orphanage, will not stand by and see my darlings starve! Oh, miss,
+the poor who cannot pity the poor must be hard-hearted indeed!"
+
+The suffering woman pressed her moaning babe closer to her bosom, and,
+taking Salome's hand between her thin, hot fingers, bowed her
+tear-stained face upon it.
+
+Grim recollections of similar scenes enacted in the old house behind
+the mill crowded upon the mind of the miller's daughter, hardening
+instead of melting her heart; but, withdrawing her fingers, she said
+in as kind a tone as she could command,--
+
+"The poor are sometimes too poor to aid each other, and pity is most
+unpalatable fare; but, if your husband has not grossly deceived
+himself and me with reference to my voice, I will promise that your
+children shall not suffer while I live. For their sake do not despond,
+but try to keep up your spirits, else your husband will be utterly
+ruined. Gloomy hearthstones make club-rooms and bar-rooms populous.
+Good-by. When I come again, I will bring something to stimulate your
+appetite, which seems to require coaxing."
+
+She stooped and looked for a minute at the gaunt, white face of the
+half-famished infant pressed against the mother's feverish breast, and
+an irresistible impulse impelled her to stroke back the rings of black
+hair that clustered on its sunken temples; then, snatching her music
+and bundle, she hurried out of the close, untidy room, and, once more
+upon the grassy common, drew a long, deep breath of pure fresh air.
+
+Autumn, with orange dawns, and mellow, misty moons, when
+
+  "Sweet, calm days, in golden haze
+    Melt down the amber sky,"
+
+had died on bare brown stubble-fields and vine-veined hill-sides,
+purple with clustering grapes on leafless branches; and wintry days
+had come, with sleety morns and chill, crisp noons, and scarlet sunset
+banners flouting the silver stars in western skies, where the
+shivering, gasping old year had woven,--
+
+  "One strait gown of red
+    Against the cold."
+
+None of the earlier years of Salome's life seemed to her half so
+drearily long as the four monotonous months that followed Dr. Grey's
+departure; and, during the intervals between his brief letters to his
+sister, the orphan learned a deceptive quietude of manner, at variance
+with the tumultuous feelings that agitated her heart; for painful
+suspense which is borne with clenched hands and firmly-set teeth is
+not the more patient because sternly mute.
+
+Which suffered least, Philoctetes howling on the shores of Lemnos, or
+the silent Trojan priest, writhing in a death-struggle with the
+serpent folds that crushed him before the altar of Neptune?
+
+If any messages intended for Salome found their way across the ocean,
+they finally missed their destination, and reached the dead-letter
+office of Miss Jane's vast and inviolate pocket; and, while this
+apparent neglect piqued the girl's vanity, the blessed assurance that
+the absent master was alive and well proved a sovereign balm for all
+the bleeding wounds of _amour propre_.
+
+In order to defray the expense of her musical tuition, which was
+carried on in profound secrecy, it was necessary to redouble her
+exertions; and all the latent energy of her character developed itself
+in unflagging work, which she persistently prosecuted early and late,
+and in quiet defiance of Miss Jane's expostulations and predictions
+that she would permanently impair her sight.
+
+Paramount to the desire of amassing wealth that would enable her to
+provide for Jessie and Stanley rose the hope that the cultivation of
+her voice would invest her with talismanic influence over the man who
+was singularly susceptible of the magic of music; and, jealously
+guarding the new-found gift, she spared no toil to render it perfect.
+
+Fearful that her suddenly acquired fondness for singing might arouse
+suspicion and inquiry, she rarely practised at home unless Miss Jane
+were absent; and, having procured a tuning-fork, she retreated to the
+most secluded portion of the adjoining forest and rehearsed her
+lessons to a mute audience of grazing cattle, sombre pines, nodding
+plumes of golden-rod, and shivering white asters, belated and
+overtaken by wintry blasts. Alone with nature, she warbled as
+unrestrainedly as the birds who listened to her quavering crescendos;
+and more than once she had become so absorbed in this forest
+practising, that twinkling stars peeped down at her through the fringy
+canopy of murmuring firs.
+
+In fulfilment of a promise given to Stanley, with the hope of
+stimulating him to more earnest study, Salome one day took a piece of
+sewing and her music-book, and set off with her brother for the
+sea-shore, where he was sometimes allowed to amuse himself by catching
+crabs and shrimps. The route they were compelled to take was very
+circuitous, since strangers were now forbidden to stroll through the
+grounds attached to "Solitude," which was the nearest point where land
+and ocean met. Following a cattle-path that threaded the bare brown
+hills and wound through low marsh meadows, Salome at length climbed a
+cliff that overhung the narrow strip of beach running along the base
+of the promontory, and, while Stanley prepared his net, she applied
+herself vigorously to the completion of a cluster of lilies of the
+valley which she had begun to embroider the preceding night.
+
+It was a mild, sunny afternoon, late in December, with only a few
+flakes of white curd-like cirri drifting slowly before the stiffening
+south wind that came singing a song of the tropics over the gently
+heaving waste of waters--
+
+  "Where the green buds of waves burst into white froth flowers."
+
+Two glimmering sails stood like phantoms on the horizon; and a silent
+colony of snowy gulls, perched in conclave on a bit of weed-wreathed
+drift floating landward, were the only living things in sight, save
+the childish figure on the yellow beach under the bleaching rocks, and
+the girlish one seated on the tallest cliff, where a storm-scarred
+juniper, bending inland, waved its scanty fringe in the fresh salt
+breeze.
+
+No note of human strife entered here, nor hum of noisy business marts;
+and the solemn silence, so profound and holy, was broken only by the
+soft, mysterious murmur of the immemorial ocean, as its crystal
+fingers smote the harp of rosy shells and golden sands.
+
+Clasped in the crescent that curved a mile northward lay the house,
+and grove, and grounds of "Solitude," looking sombre in the distance,
+as the shadow of surrounding hills fell upon the dense foliage that
+overhung its quiet precincts, and toned down the garish red of the
+boat-house roof, which lent a brief dash of color to the peaceful
+picture. Beyond the last guarding promontory that seemed to have
+plunged through the shelving strand to bathe in blue brine and cut off
+all passage along its base, a strong well-trained eye might follow the
+trend of the coast even to the dim outlines and thread-like masts,
+that told where the distant town hugged its narrow harbor; and, in the
+opposite direction, low, irregular sand hills and brown marshes crept
+southward, as if hunting the warmth that alone could mantle them with
+living verdure.
+
+As the afternoon wore away, the sinking sun dipped suddenly behind a
+wooded eminence, which, losing the warm purples it had worn since
+noon, grew chill and blue as his rays departed; and, weary of her
+work, Salome put it aside and began to practise her music lesson,
+beating time with her slender fingers on the bare juniper-roots, from
+which wind and rain had driven the soil. Running her chromatic scales,
+and pausing at will to trill upon any minor note that wooed her
+vagrant fancy, she played with her flexible voice as dexterous
+violinists toy with the obedient strings they hold in harmonious
+bondage to their bows.
+
+Finally she pushed the exercises away, and began a _fantasus_ from
+"Traviata," which she had heard Mr. Barilli play several times; and so
+absorbed was she in testing her capacity for vocal gymnastics that she
+failed to observe the moving figure dwarfed by distance and pacing the
+sands in front of "Solitude."
+
+The rich, fresh tones which seemed occasionally to tremble with the
+excess of melody that burdened them played hide-and-seek among the
+hills, startling whole choruses of deep-throated echoes, and attending
+and retentive ocean, catching the strains on her beryl strings, bore
+them whither--and how far? To palm-plumed equatorial isles, where
+dying auricular nerves mistook them for seraphic utterances? To
+toiling mariners, tossed helplessly by fierce typhoons, who, pausing
+in their scramble for spars, listened to the weird melody that
+presaged woe and wreck? To the broken casements of fishermen's huts,
+on distant shores, where anxious wives peered out in the blackening
+tempest, and shrank back appalled by sounds which sea-tradition
+averred were born in coral caves, mosaiced with blanching human
+skulls? What hoary hierophant in the mysteries of cataphonics and
+diacoustics will undertake to track those trills across the blue bosom
+of the Atlantic or the purplish billows of the Indian Ocean?
+
+The wind went down with the sun; silver-edged cirri lost their
+glitter, and swift was
+
+                     ... "The spread
+  Of orange lustre through these azure spheres
+  Where little clouds lie still like flocks of sheep,
+  Or vessels sailing in God's other deep."
+
+In that wondrous and magical after-glow which tenderly hovers over the
+darkening face of the dying day, like the strange, spectral smile that
+only sheds its cold, supernatural light on lips twelve hours dead,
+Salome's fair face and graceful _pose_ was as softly defined against
+the western sky as some nimbussed saint or madonna on the golden
+background of old Byzantine pictures. Her small straw hat, wreathed
+with scarlet poppies, lay at her feet; and around her shoulders she
+had closely folded a bright plaid flannel cloak, which tinted her
+complexion with its ruddy hues, as firelight flushes the olive
+portraits that stare at it from surrounding walls, and the braided
+black hair and large hazel eyes showed every brown tint and topaz
+gleam.
+
+Leaning her arms on the top of her music-book, she rested her chin
+upon them, and sat looking seaward, singing a difficult passage, in
+the midst of which her nimble voice tripped on an E flat, and, missing
+the staccato step, rolled helplessly down in a legato flood of melody;
+whereupon, with an impatient grimace she shut her eyes, weary of
+watching the wave-shimmer that almost dazzled her. After a few
+seconds, when she opened them, there stood just on the edge of the
+cliff, as if poised in air, a woman whose face and form were as
+sharply cut in profile on the azure sea and sky as white cameo
+features on black agate grounds.
+
+Around the tall figure shining folds of silver poplin hung heavy and
+statuesque, and over the shoulders a blue crape shawl was held by a
+beautiful blue-veined hand, where a sapphire asp kept guard; while a
+cluster of double violets fastened behind one shell-like ear breathed
+their perfume among glossy bands of gray hair.
+
+  "There was no color in the quiet mouth,
+  Nor fulness; yet it had a ghostly grace,
+  Pathetically pale,"
+
+and wan, and woful--the still face turned seaward, fronting a round
+white moon that was lifting its full disk out of the line where air
+and water met--she stood motionless.
+
+Lifting her head, Salome shivered involuntarily, and grew a shade
+paler as she breathlessly watched the apparition, expecting that it
+would fade into blue air or float down and mingle with the waters that
+gave it birth. But there was no wavering mistiness about the shining
+drapery; and, presently, when she turned and came forward, the orphan,
+despite her sneers at superstition, felt the hair creep and rise on
+her temples, and, springing to her feet, they faced each other. As the
+stranger advanced, Salome unconsciously retreated a few steps, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"Gray-eyed, gray-haired, gray-clad, gray-faced, and rising out of that
+gray sea, I suppose I have at last met the gray ghost that people tell
+me haunts old 'Solitude.' But how came such a young face under that
+drift of white hair? If all ghosts have such finely carved, delicate
+noses and chins, such oval cheeks and pretty brows, most of us here in
+the flesh might thank fortune for a chance to 'shuffle off this mortal
+coil.' Say, are you the troubled evil spirit that haunts 'Solitude'?"
+
+"I am."
+
+The voice was so mournfully sweet that it thrilled every nerve in
+Salome's quivering frame.
+
+"Phantom or flesh--which are you?"
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, the owner of 'Solitude.'"
+
+"Oh, indeed! I beg your pardon, madam, but I took you for a wraith!
+You know the place has always been considered unlucky--haunted--and
+you are such an extraordinary-looking person I was inclined to think I
+had stumbled on the traditional ghost. I am neither ignorant nor
+stupidly superstitious; but, madam, you must admit you have an
+unearthly appearance; and, moreover, I should be glad to know how you
+rose from the beach below to the top of this cliff? I see no feathers
+on your shoulders--no balloon under your feet!"
+
+"I was walking on the sands in front of my door, and, hearing some
+very sweet strains that came floating down from this direction, I
+followed the sound, and climbed by means of steps cut in the side of
+this cliff. Since you regarded me as a spectre, I may as well tell you
+that I was beginning to fancy I was listening to one of the old
+sea-sirens, until I saw your rosy face and red lips, far too human for
+a dripping mermaid or a murderous, mocking Aglaiopheme."
+
+"No more a siren, madam, than you are a ghost! I am only Salome Owen,
+the miller's child, waiting for that boy yonder, whose sublimest idea
+of heaven consists in the hope that its blessed sea of glass is
+brimming with golden shrimp. Stanley, run around the cliff, and meet
+me. It is too late for us to be here. We should have started home an
+hour ago."
+
+"Who taught you 'Traviata'?"
+
+"I am teaching myself, with what small help I can obtain from a
+vagabond musician, who calls himself Signor Barilli, and claims to
+have been a tenor singer in an opera troupe at Milan."
+
+"You ought to cultivate your voice as thoroughly as possible."
+
+"Why? Is it really good? Tell me, is it worth anything? No one has
+heard it except that Italian violinist; and, if he praises it, I
+sometimes fear it is because he is so horribly dissipated that he
+confounds my _bravura_ runs with the clicking of his wine-glasses and
+the gurgling of his flask. Do you know much about music?"
+
+"I have heard the best living performers, vocal and instrumental, and
+to a finer voice than yours I never listened; but you need study and
+practice, for your execution is faulty. You have a splendid
+instrument; but you do not yet understand its management. Where do you
+live?"
+
+"At 'Grassmere,' a farm two miles behind those hills, and in a house
+hidden under elm and apple trees. Madam, it is very late, and I must
+bid you good-evening. Before I go, I should like to know, if you will
+not deem me unwarrantably impertinent, whether you are a very young
+person with white hair, or whether you are a very old woman with a
+wonderfully young face?"
+
+For a moment there was no answer; and, supposing that she had offended
+her, the orphan bowed and was turning away, when Mrs. Gerome's calm,
+mournful tones arrested her:
+
+"I am only twenty-three years old."
+
+She walked away, turning her countenance towards the water, where
+moonlight was burnishing the waves; and, when Salome and Stanley had
+reached the bend in their path that would shut out the view of the
+beach, the former looked back and saw the silver-gray figure standing
+alone on the silent shore, communing with the silver sea, as desolate
+and as hopeless as Buchanan's "Penelope,"--
+
+  "An alabaster woman, whose fixed eyes
+  Stare seaward, whether it be storm or calm."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+
+"Doctor Sheldon, do you think she is dangerously ill?"
+
+"I am afraid, Salome, that she will soon become so; for she is
+threatened with a violent attack of pneumonia, which would certainly
+be very dangerous to a woman of her age. It is a great misfortune that
+her brother is absent."
+
+"Dr. Grey reached New York three days ago."
+
+"Indeed! I will telegraph immediately, and hasten his return."
+
+Dr. Sheldon was preparing a blister in the room adjoining the one
+occupied by Miss Jane, and the orphan stood by his side, twisting her
+fingers nervously over each other, and looking perplexed and anxious.
+He returned to his patient, and when he came out some moments later,
+and took up his hat, his countenance was by no means reassuring.
+
+"Although I know that you are very much attached to Miss Jane, and
+would faithfully endeavor to nurse her, you are so young and
+inexperienced that I do not feel quite willing to leave her entirely
+to your guardianship; and, therefore, shall send a woman here to-night
+who will fully understand the case. She is a professional nurse, and
+Dr. Grey will be relieved to hear that his sister is in her hands, for
+he has great confidence in her good sense and discretion. I shall stop
+at the telegraph office, as I go home, and urge him to return at once.
+Give me his address. Do not look so dejected. Miss Grey has a better
+constitution than most persons are disposed to believe, and she may
+struggle through this attack."
+
+The new year was ushered in by heavy and incessant rains, and, having
+imprudently insisted upon superintending the drainage of a new
+sheepfold and the erection of an additional cattle-shed, Miss Jane had
+taken a severe cold, which resulted in pneumonia.
+
+Assiduously and tenderly Salome watched over her, and even after the
+arrival of Hester Dennison, the nurse, the orphan's solicitude would
+not permit her to quit the apartment where her benefactress lay
+struggling with disease; while Miss Jane shrank from the stranger, and
+preferred to receive the medicine from the hand of her adopted child.
+
+When Dr. Sheldon stood by the bed early next morning, and noted the
+effect of his treatment, Salome's keen eye observed the dissatisfied
+expression of his face, and she drew sad auguries from his clouded
+brow. He took a paper from his pocket, and said, cheerfully,--
+
+"Come, Miss Jane, get up a smile to pay me for the good news I bring.
+Can you guess what this means?" holding an envelope close to her
+eyes.
+
+"More blisters and fever mixtures, I suppose. Doctor, my poor side is
+in a dreadful condition."
+
+As she laid her hand over her left lung, she winced and groaned.
+
+"How much would you give to have your brother's hand, instead of mine,
+on your pulse?"
+
+"All that I am worth! But my boy is in Europe, and can't come back to
+me now, when I need him most."
+
+"No, he is in New York. You have been dreaming, and forget that he has
+reached America."
+
+"No, I never knew it. Salome, is there a letter?"
+
+"No letter, but a dispatch announcing his arrival. I told you; but you
+must have fallen asleep while I was talking to you."
+
+"No such thing! I have not slept a wink for a week."
+
+"That is right, Miss Jane; scold as much as you like; it will do you
+no harm. But, meantime, let me tell you I have just heard from Dr.
+Grey, and he is now on his way home."
+
+Salome was sitting near the pillow, and suddenly her head bowed
+itself, while her lips whispered, inaudibly,--
+
+"Thank God!"
+
+The invalid's face brightened, and, stretching her thin, hot hand
+towards the orphan, she touched her shoulder, and said:--
+
+"Do you hear that, my child? Ulpian is coming home. When will he be
+here?"
+
+"Day after to-morrow evening, I hope, if there is no detention and
+he makes all the railroad connections. I trust you will prove
+sufficiently generous to bear testimony to my professional skill, by
+improving so rapidly that when he arrives there will be nothing
+left to do but compliment my sagacity, and thank me for relieving you
+so speedily. Is not your cough rather better?"
+
+She did not reply; and, bending down, he saw that she was asleep.
+
+"Doctor, I am afraid she is not much better."
+
+He sighed, shook his head, and beckoned Hester into the hall in order
+to question her more minutely concerning the patient.
+
+That night and the next she was delirious, and failed to recognize any
+one; but about noon on the following day she opened her eyes, and,
+looking intently at Salome, who stood near the foot of the bed, she
+said, as if much perplexed,--
+
+"I saw Ulpian just now. Where is he?"
+
+"He will be here this afternoon, I hope. The train is due at two
+o'clock, and it is now a quarter past twelve."
+
+"I tell you I saw him not ten minutes since."
+
+"You are feverish, dear Miss Jane, and have been dreaming."
+
+"Don't contradict me! Am I in my dotage, think you? I saw my boy, and
+he was pale, and had blood on his hands, and it ran down his beard and
+dripped on his vest. You can't deceive me! What is the matter with my
+poor boy? I will see him! Give me my crutches this instant!"
+
+She struggled into a partially upright position, but fell back upon
+her pillow exhausted and panting for breath.
+
+"You were delirious. I give you my word that he has not yet come home.
+It was only a horrible dream. Hester will assure you of the truth of
+what I say. You must lie still, for this excitement will injure you."
+
+The nurse gave her a powerful sedative, and strove to divert her
+thoughts; but ever and anon she shuddered and whispered,--
+
+"It was not a dream. I saw my dear sailor-boy, and he was hurt and
+bleeding. I know what I saw; and if you and Hester swore till every
+star dropped out of heaven, I would not believe you. If I am old and
+dying, my eyes are better than yours. My poor Ulpian!"
+
+Despite her knowledge of the feverish condition of the sick woman, and
+her incredulity with reference to the vision that so painfully
+disturbed her, Salome's lips blanched, and a vague, nameless, horrible
+dread seized her heart.
+
+Very soon Miss Jane fell into a heavy sleep, and, while the nurse
+busied herself in preparing a bottle of beef-tea, the orphan sat with
+her head pressed against the bedpost, and her eyes riveted on the face
+of the watch in her palm, where the minute-hand seemed now and then to
+stop, as if for breathing-time, and the hour-hand to have forgotten
+the way to two o'clock.
+
+For nearly six months Salome had counted the weeks and days,--had
+waited and hoped for the hour of Dr. Grey's return as the happiest of
+her life,--had imagined his greeting, the bright, steady glow in his
+fine eyes, the warm, cordial pressure of his white hand, the friendly
+tones of his pleasant voice; for, though he had failed to bid her
+good-by, fate could not cheat her out of the interview that must
+follow his arrival. Fancy had painted so vividly all the incidents
+that would characterize this longed-for greeting, that she had lived
+it over a thousand times; and, now that the meeting seemed actually at
+hand, she asked herself whether it were possible that disappointment
+could pour one poisonous drop into the brimming draught of joy that
+rose foaming in amber bubbles to her parched lips.
+
+In the profound silence that pervaded the darkened room, the ticking
+of the watch was annoyingly audible, and seemed to Salome's strained
+and excited nerves so unusually loud that she feared it might disturb
+the sleeper. At a quarter to two o'clock she went to the hearth and
+noiselessly renewed the fire, laying two fresh pieces of oak across
+the shining brass andirons, whose feet represented lions' heads.
+
+She swept the hearth, arranged some vials that were scattered on the
+dressing-table, and gave a few improving touches to a vase filled with
+white and orange crocuses, then crept back to the bedside and again
+picked up the watch. It still lacked fifteen minutes of two, and,
+looking more closely, she found that it had stopped. Tossing it into a
+hollow formed by the folds of the coverlid, and repressing an
+impatient ejaculation, she listened for the sound of the railroad
+whistle, which, though muffled by distance, had not failed to reach
+her every day during the past week.
+
+Presently the silence, which made her ears ache, throbbed so suddenly
+that she started, but it was only the "cuckoo! cuckoo!" of the painted
+bird on the gilded clock. That clock was fifteen minutes slower than
+Miss Jane's watch; and Salome put her face in her hands, and tried to
+still the loud thumping sound of the blood at her heart.
+
+The train was behind time. Only a few moments as yet, but something
+must have happened to occasion even this slight delay; and, if
+something,--what?
+
+Hester came in and whispered,--
+
+"Dinner is ready, and Stanley is hungry. Has Miss Jane stirred since I
+went out?"
+
+"No; what time is it?"
+
+"Half after two."
+
+"Oh, nonsense! You are too fast."
+
+"Not a minute,--begging your pardon. My brother stays at the dépot,
+and keeps my watch with the railroad time."
+
+Salome went to the dining-room, gave Stanley his dinner, and, anxious
+to escape observation, shut herself in the dim, cold parlor, where she
+paced the floor until the cuckoo jumped out, chirped three times, and,
+as if frightened by the girl's fixed eyes, fluttered back inside the
+clock. More than an hour behind time! Now, beyond all hope or doubt,
+there had been an accident! Loss of sleep for several consecutive
+nights, and protracted anxiety concerning Miss Jane, had so unnerved
+the orphan that she was less able to cope successfully with this
+harrowing suspense than on former occasions; still the sanguine
+hopefulness of youth battled valiantly with the ghouls that
+apprehension conjured up, and she remembered that comparatively
+trivial occurrences had sometimes detained the train, which finally
+brought all its human freight safely to the dépot.
+
+The day had been very cold and gloomy; and thick, low masses of
+smoke-colored cloud scudded across the chill sky, whipped along their
+skirts by a stinging north-east blast into dun, ragged, trailing
+banners. Despite the keenness of the air, Salome opened one of the
+parlor windows and leaned her face on the broad sill, where a
+drizzling rain began to show itself. She had read and heard just
+enough with reference to the phenomena of _clairvoyance_ to sneer at
+them in happy hours, and to recur helplessly to the same subject with
+a species of silent dread when misfortune seemed imminent. To-day, as
+Miss Jane's delirious utterances haunted every nook and cranny of her
+excited brain, permeating all topics of thought, she recalled many
+instances, on legendary record, where the dying were endowed with
+talismanic power over the secrets of futurity. Could it be possible
+that Miss Jane had really seen what was taking place many miles
+distant? Reason shook her hoary head, and jeered at such childish
+fatuity; but superstitious credulity, goaded by an intense anxiety,
+would not be silenced nor put to the blush, but boldly babbled of
+Swedenborg and burning Stockholm.
+
+Once she had heard Dr. Grey tell his sister, in answer to some inquiry
+concerning the _arcana_ of mesmerism, that he had bestowed much time
+and thought upon the investigation of the subject, and was thoroughly
+convinced that there existed subtle psychological laws whose
+operations were not yet comprehended, but which, when analyzed and
+studied, would explain the remarkable influence of mind over mind, and
+prove that the dread and baffling mysteries of psychology were merely
+normal developments of intellectual power instead of supernatural or
+spiritual manifestations.
+
+This abstract view of the matter was, however, most unsatisfactory at
+the present juncture; and the current of Salome's reflections was
+abruptly changed by the sound of the locomotive whistle,--not the
+prolonged, steady roar, announcing arrival, but the sharp, short,
+shrill note of departure. Soon after, the clock struck four, and, ere
+the echoes fell asleep once more in the sombre corners of the quiet
+parlor, Dr. Sheldon drove up to the front door and entered the house.
+Springing into the hall, Salome met him, and laid her hand on his
+arm.
+
+"Salome, your face frightens me. How is Miss Jane? Has she grown worse
+so rapidly since I was here this morning?"
+
+"I see little change in her. But you have locked bad news behind your
+set teeth. Oh, for God's sake, don't torture me one second longer!
+Tell me the worst. What has happened?"
+
+"The down-train was thrown from an embankment twenty feet high, and
+the cars took fire. Many lives have been sacrificed, and it is the
+most awful affair I ever heard of."
+
+He had partially averted his head to avoid the sight of her whitening
+and convulsed features; but, laying her hands heavily upon his
+shoulders, she forced him to face her, and her voice sank to a husky
+whisper,--
+
+"Is he dead?"
+
+"I hope not."
+
+"Speak out,--or I shall go mad! Is he dead?"
+
+"Calm yourself, Salome, and let us hope for the best. We know nothing
+of the particulars of this dreadful disaster, and have learned the
+names of none of the sufferers. I have little doubt that Dr. Grey was
+on the train, but there is no certainty that he was injured. The
+regular up-train could not leave as usual, because the track was badly
+torn up; but a locomotive and three cars ran out a while ago with
+several surgeons and articles required for the victims. Pray sit down,
+my poor child, for you are unable to stand."
+
+"Where did it happen?"
+
+"Near Silver Run water-tank,--about forty miles from here. The
+accident occurred at twelve o'clock."
+
+Salome's grasp suddenly relaxed, and, tossing her hands above her
+head, she laughed hysterically,--
+
+"Ha, ha! Thank God, he is not dead! He is only hurt,--only bleeding.
+Miss Jane saw it all, and he is not dead, or she would have known it.
+Thank God!"
+
+Dr. Sheldon was a stern man and renowned for his iron nerves, but he
+shuddered as he looked at the pinched, wan face, and heard the
+unnatural, hollow sound of her unsteady voice. Had care, watching, and
+suspense unpoised her reason?
+
+Something of that which passed through his mind looked out of his
+eyes, and interpreting their amazed expression, the girl waved her
+hand towards the door, and added,--
+
+"I am not insane. Go in, and Hester will explain."
+
+He turned away, and she went back to the dusky room and threw herself
+down on the sofa, opposite to the portrait of the U.S. surgeon.
+
+Of what passed during the following two hours, she retained, in after
+years, only a dim, confused, painful memory of prayers and promises
+made to God in behalf of the absent.
+
+Once before, when Miss Jane's death seemed imminent, she had been
+grieved and perplexed by the possibility that Dr. Grey would inherit
+the estate and usurp her domains; but to-day, when the Great Reaper
+hovered over the panting, emaciated sufferer, and simultaneously
+threatened the distant brother and sole heir of the extended
+possessions which this girl had so long coveted, the only thought that
+filled her heart with dread and wrung half-smothered cries from her
+lips was,--
+
+"Spare his life, oh, my God! Leave me penniless--take friends,
+relatives, comforts, hopes of wealth--take all--take everything, but
+spare that precious life and bring him safely back to me! Have mercy
+on me, O Lord, and do not snatch him away! for, if I lose him now, I
+lose faith in Christ--in Thee--I lose all hope in time and eternity,
+and my sinful, wrecked soul will go down forever in a night that knows
+no dawning!"
+
+For six months she had been indeed,--
+
+  "A faded watcher through the weary night--
+  A meek, sweet statue at the silver shrines,
+  In deep, perpetual prayer for him she loved;"
+
+but patience, dragging anchor, finally snapped its cable, and now,
+instead of an humble suppliant for the boon that alone made existence
+endurable, she fiercely demanded that her idol should not be broken,
+and, battling with Jehovah, impiously thrust her life down before Him
+as an accursed and intolerable burden, unless her prayers were
+granted. Ah, what scorpions and stones we gather to our boards, and
+then dare charge the stinging mockeries against a long-suffering,
+loving God! Ten days before, Salome had meekly prayed, "Thy will be
+done," and had comforted herself with the belief that at last she was
+beginning to grow pious and trusting, like Miss Jane; but, at the
+first hint of harm to Dr. Grey, she sprang up, utterly oblivious of
+the protestations of resignation that were scarcely cold on her lips,
+and furious as a tigress who sees the hunter approach the jungle where
+all her fierce affections centre. God help as all who pray orthodoxly
+for His will, and yet, when the emergency arrives, fight desperately
+for our own, feeling wofully aggrieved that He takes us at our word,
+and moulds the clay which we make a Pharisaical pretense of offering!
+
+A slow drizzling rain whitened the distant hills, that seemed to
+blanch in their helplessness as the wind smote them like a flail; and
+it wove a grayish veil over the leafless boughs of bending, shivering
+elms, on the long, dim avenue. The wintry afternoon closed swiftly,
+and, in its dusky dreariness, Salome listened to the tattoo of the
+rain on the roof, and to the _miserere_ that wailed through the lonely
+chambers of her soul. The chill at her heart froze her to numbness and
+oblivion of the coldness of the atmosphere, and, when a servant came
+in to close the window against the slanting sleet, she lay so still
+that the woman thought her asleep, and stole away on tip-toe. The room
+grew dark; but, through the half-opened door, the light from the hall
+lamp crept in and fell on the gilded frame and painted face of the
+portrait, tracing a silvery path along the gloomy wall. As the night
+deepened, that wave of light rippled and glittered until the handsome
+features in the picture seemed to belong to some hierarch who peeped
+from a window of heaven, into a world drenched with unlifting
+darkness.
+
+That oval piece of canvas had become the one fetich to which Salome's
+heart clung in silent adoration, defiant of the iconoclastic touch of
+reason and the adverse decree of womanly pride; for natures such as
+hers will always grovel in the dust, hugging the mutilated fragments
+of their idol, rather than bow at some new, fretted shrine, where
+other images hold sway, commanding worship. Looking up almost
+wolfishly at that tranquil, shining countenance, she said to her
+sullen, mourning heart,--
+
+"There are no more like him, and, if we lose him, there is nothing
+left in life, and all hope is at an end, and _finis_ shall be printed
+on the first page of the book of our existence; and ruin, like a
+pitiless pall, shall cover what might have been a happy, possibly a
+grand and good, human career. We did not intend to love him,--no, no;
+we tried hard to hate him who stood between us and affluence and
+indolent ease, but he conquered us by his matchless magnanimity, and
+shamed our ignoble aims and base selfishness, and put us under his
+royal feet; and now we would rather be trampled by Ulpian, our king,
+than crowned by any other man. Let us plead with Christ to spare the
+only pilot who can save us from eternal shipwreck."
+
+Lying there so helpless yet defiant in her desolation, some subtle
+thread of association, guided, perhaps, by the invisible fingers of
+her guardian angel, led her mind to a favorite couplet often quoted by
+Dr. Grey,--
+
+  "I heard faith's low, sweet singing, in the night,
+  And, groping through the darkness, touched God's hand."
+
+If the painted lips in the aureola on the wall had parted and audibly
+uttered these words, they would scarcely have impressed her more
+powerfully as a message from the absent; and, rising instantly, the
+orphan prayed in chastened, humbled tones for strength to be patient,
+for ability to trust God's wisdom and mercy.
+
+How often, when binding our idolized Isaacs upon the altar, and,
+meekly submissive to what appears God's inexorable mandates, we
+unmurmuringly offer our heart's dearest treasure, the sacrificial
+knife is stayed, and our loathed and horrible Moriahs, that erst smelt
+of blood and echoed woe, become hallowed Jehovah-jirehs, all aglow,
+not with devouring flames, but the blessed radiance of God's benignant
+smile, and musical with thanksgiving strains. But Abraham's burden
+preceded Abraham's boon, and the souls who cannot patiently endure the
+first are utterly unworthy of the rapture of the last.
+
+As the girl's mind grew calmer under the breath of prayer--which
+stills the billows of human passion and strife as the command of Jesus
+smoothed the thundering surf of Genesareth,--she recollected that she
+had absented herself from the sick-room for an unusually long time.
+How long, she could not conjecture, for the face of the clock was
+invisible, and she had ceased to count the cuckoo-notes; but her limbs
+ached, and a fillet of fire seemed to circle her brow.
+
+With a lingering gaze upon the radiant portrait, she quitted the
+parlor, and went wearily back to renew her vigil.
+
+Hester Dennison was cowering over the hearth, spreading her bony hands
+towards the crackling flames, and, walking up to the mantelpiece,
+Salome touched the nurse, and whispered,--
+
+"Hester, what did the doctor say? Is there any change?"
+
+"Hush!" The woman laid a finger on her lip, and glanced over her
+shoulder.
+
+There was only a subdued light of a shaded lamp mingling with the
+flicker of the fire, and, as Salome's eyes followed those of the
+nurse, they rested upon the figure of a man kneeling at the bedside,
+and leaning his head against the pillow where Miss Jane's white hair
+was strewn in disorder.
+
+A cry of delight, which she had neither the prudence nor power to
+repress, rang through the silent chamber, startling its inmates, and
+partially arousing the invalid. Salome forgot that life and death were
+grappling over the prostrate form of the aged woman,--forgot
+everything but the supreme joy of knowing that her idol had not been
+rudely shattered.
+
+Springing to the bedside, she put out her hands, and exclaimed,
+rapturously:
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey! Were you much hurt? Thank God, you are alive and here!
+Indeed, He is merciful--"
+
+"Hush! Have you no prudence? Quit the room, or be quiet."
+
+Dr. Grey lifted his haggard face from the pillow, and the light showed
+it pallid and worn by acute suffering, while a strip of plaster
+pressed together the edges of a deep cut on his cheek. His clothes
+glistened with sleet, and bore stains that in daylight were crimson,
+though now they were only ominously dark.
+
+The stern tones of his voice, suppressed though it was, stung the
+girl's heart; and she answered, in a pleading whisper,--
+
+"Only tell me that you are not severely injured. Speak one kind word
+to me!"
+
+"I am not dangerously hurt. Hush! Remember life hangs in the
+balance."
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey! will you not even shake hands with me, after all these
+dreary months of absence? This is hard, indeed."
+
+She had stood at his side, with her hands extended imploringly; and
+now he moved cautiously, and, silently holding up one hand swathed in
+linen bands, pointed to his left arm, which was tightly splintered and
+bandaged.
+
+The mute gesture explained all, and, sinking to the carpet, she
+pressed her lips to the linen folds, and to the coat-sleeve, where
+sleet and blood-spots mingled.
+
+He could not have prevented her, even had he desired to do so; but at
+that instant his sister moaned faintly, and, bending forward to
+examine her countenance, he seemed for some minutes unconscious of the
+presence of the form crouching close by his side.
+
+After a little while he looked down, sighed, and whispered,--
+
+"My child, do go to bed. You can do no good here, and too much
+watching has already unstrung your nerves. Go to your room, and pray
+that God will spare our dear Janet to us."
+
+Was this the welcome for which she had waited and longed--of which she
+had dreamed by day and by night? Not a touch, barely a brief,
+impatient glance, and a few reproving, indifferent words. She had
+rashly dared fate to cheat her out of this long-anticipated greeting,
+and the grim, grinning crone had accepted the challenge, and now
+triumphantly snapped her withered fingers in the face of the
+vanquished.
+
+When coveted fruit that has been hungrily watched through the slow,
+tedious process of ripening finally falls rosy and mellow into
+eagerly uplifted fingers, and breaks in a shower of bitter dust on the
+sharpened and fastidious palate, it rarely happens that the
+half-famished dupe relishes the taste; and Salome rose, feeling
+stunned and mocked.
+
+In one corner of the room stood a chintz-covered lounge, and, creeping
+to it, she laid herself down; and, shading her features with her hand,
+looked through her fingers at the pale, grieved face of the anxious
+brother. Sometimes he stood up, studying the placid countenance of the
+sufferer, and now and then he walked softly to the fire-place, and
+held whispered conferences with Hester relative to the course of
+treatment that had been pursued.
+
+But everywhere Salome's eyes followed him; and finally, when he
+chanced to glance at the couch, and noticed its occupant, whom he
+imagined fast asleep, he pointed to a blanket lying on a chair, and
+directed Hester to spread it over the girlish figure. The thoughtful
+act warmed the orphan's heart more effectually than the thick woollen
+cover; and when he sat down in an easy-chair close to the bed, and
+within range of Salome's vision, she yielded to the comforting
+consciousness of his presence. And, while her lips were moving in
+thanks for his preservation and return, exhausted nature seized her
+dues, and the girl fell asleep and dreamed that Dr. Grey stood by the
+lounge, and whispered,--
+
+  "No star goes down, but climbs in other skies;
+  The rose of sunset folds its glory up
+  To burst again from out the heart of dawn,
+  And love is never lost, though hearts run waste,
+  And sorrow makes the chastened heart a seer;
+  The deepest dark reveals the starriest hope,
+  And Faith can trust her heaven behind the veil."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+
+"Yes, Hester, the danger is past; and, if the weather continues
+favorable, my sister will soon be able to sit up. My gratitude
+prompts me to erect an altar here, where the mercy of God stayed
+the Destroying Angel, as in ancient days David consecrated the
+threshing-floor of Araunah."
+
+"Dr. Grey, if you can possibly spare me, I should like to go back to
+town to-day as Dr. Sheldon has sent for me to take charge of a patient
+at his Infirmary."
+
+"You ought not to desert me while I am so comparatively helpless; and
+I should be glad to have you remain, at least until I recover the use
+of my hands."
+
+"Miss Salome can take my place, and do all that is really necessary."
+
+"The child is so inexperienced I am almost afraid to trust her;
+still--"
+
+"Don't speak so loud. She is standing behind the window-curtain."
+
+"Indeed! I thought she left the room when I entered it. Of course,
+Hester, I will not detain you if it is necessary that you should be at
+the Infirmary; but I give you up very reluctantly. Salome, if you are
+at leisure, please come and see how Hester dresses my hand and arm,
+for I must rely upon your kind services when she leaves us. Notice the
+manner in which she winds the bandages. There, Hester,--not quite so
+tight."
+
+"Dr. Grey, I never had an education, and am at best an ignorant,
+poor soul: therefore, not knowing what to think about many curious
+things that happen in sick-rooms, I should be glad to hear what you
+have to say concerning that vision of your sister. Remember, she
+saw it at the very minute that the accident happened. I don't
+believe in spirit-rapping, and such stuff as dancing tables, and
+spinning chairs, and pianos that play tunes when no human being is
+near them; but I have heard and seen things that made the hair rise
+and stand on my head."
+
+"The circumstance that occurred three days since is certainly rather
+singular and remarkable, but by no means inexplicable. My sister knew
+that I was then travelling by railroad,--that I would, without some
+unusual delay, reach the dépot at a certain hour, and, being in a
+delirious condition, her mind reverted to the probability of some
+occurrence that might detain me. Having always evinced a peculiar
+aversion to railroads, which she deems the most unsafe method of
+travelling, she had a feverish dream that took its coloring from her
+excited apprehension of danger to me; and this vision, born of delirium,
+was so vivid that she could not distinguish phantom from reality. In
+ninety-nine cases out of every hundred similar ones, the dream
+passes without fulfilment, and is rarely recollected or mentioned;
+but the hundredth--which may chance by some surprising coincidence to
+seem verified--is noised abroad as supernatural, and carefully preserved
+among 'well-authenticated spiritual manifestations.' If I had escaped
+injury, the freaks of my sister's delirium would have made no more
+impression on your mind than the ravings of a lunatic; and, since I was
+so unfortunate as to be bruised and burned, you must not allow
+yourself to grow superstitious, and attach undue importance to a
+circumstance which was entirely accidental, and only startling because
+so exceedingly rare. Presentiments, especially when occurring in cases
+of fever, are merely Will-o-the-wisps floating about in excited,
+diseased brains. While at sea, and constantly associated with sailors,
+whose minds constitute the most favorable and fruitful soil for the
+production of phantasmagoria and _diablerie_, I had frequent
+opportunities of testing the fallacy and absurdity of so-called
+'presentiments and forebodings.' I am afraid it is the absence of
+spirituality in the hearts of the people, that drives this generation
+to seek supernaturalism in the realm of merely normal physics. The only
+true spiritualism is that which emanates from the Holy Ghost,--conquers
+sinful impulses, and makes a Christian heart the temple of God."
+
+Here Miss Jane called Hester into the adjoining room; and turning to
+Salome, Dr. Grey added,--
+
+"Notwithstanding the vaunted destruction of the ancient Hydra of
+superstition by the darts and javelins of modern rationalism, and the
+ponderous hot irons of empirics, it is undeniably true that the habit
+of 'seeking after a sign' survived the generation of Scribes and
+Pharisees whom Christ rebuked; and manifests itself in the middle of
+the nineteenth century by the voracity with which merely material
+phenomena are seized as unmistakable indications of preternatural
+agencies. The innate leaven of superstition triumphs over common sense
+and scientific realism, and men and women are awed by coincidences
+that reason scouts, but credulity receives with open arms. Salome, I
+regret exceedingly that I am forced to trouble you, but there are some
+important letters which I wish to mail to-day, and you will greatly
+oblige me by acting as amanuensis while I dictate. My present disabled
+condition must apologize for the heavy tax which I am imposing upon
+your patience and industry. Will you come to the library?"
+
+She made no protestations of willingness to serve him, and confessed
+no delight at the prospect of being useful, but merely bowed and
+smiled, with an expression in her eyes that puzzled him.
+
+Seated at the library-table, and writing down the sentences that he
+dictated while pacing the floor, Salome passed one of the happiest
+hours of her life; for it brought the blessed assurance that, for the
+present at least, he acknowledged his need of her.
+
+One of the letters was addressed to Mr. Gerard Granville, an _attaché_
+of the American legation at Paris, and referred principally to
+financial affairs; and the other, directed to Muriel Manton, contained
+an urgent request that she and her governess would leave New York as
+speedily as possible and become inmates of his sister's house.
+
+When she had folded the letters and sealed them with his favorite
+emerald signet,--bearing the words, "_Frangas non Flectes_,"--Salome
+looked up, and asked,--
+
+"How old is your ward, Miss Manton?"
+
+"About your age,--though she looks much more childish."
+
+"Pretty, of course?"
+
+"Why 'of course'?"
+
+"Simply because in novels they are always painted as pretty as
+Persephone; and the only wards I ever knew happen to be fictitious
+characters."
+
+"Novels are by no means infallible mirrors of nature, and few wards
+are as attractive as my black-eyed pet. Muriel will be very handsome,
+I hope, when she is grown; but now she impresses me as merely sweet,
+piquant, and pretty."
+
+"Did you know her prior to your recent visit?"
+
+"Yes; her father's house was my home whenever I chanced to be in New
+York, and I have seen her, occasionally, since she was a little girl.
+For your sake, as well as mine, I am glad she will reside here,
+because I hope she will prove in every respect a pleasant companion
+for you."
+
+"Thank you; but, unfortunately, that is one luxury of which I never
+felt the need, and with which, permit me to tell you, I can readily
+dispense. I have little respect for women, and no desire to be wearied
+with their inane garrulity."
+
+She leaned back in her chair, and tapped restlessly with the end of
+the pen-staff on the morocco-covered table.
+
+Dr. Grey looked down steadily and gravely into her provokingly defiant
+face, and replied very coldly,--
+
+"Were I in your place, I think I should jealously guard my lips from
+the hasty utterance of sentiments that, if unfeigned, ought to bring a
+blush to every true woman's cheek; for I fear that she who has no
+respect for her own sex bids fair to disgrace it."
+
+A scarlet wave rolled up from throat to temples, and the lurking
+yellow gleamed in her eyes, but the bend of her nostril and curve of
+her lips did not relax.
+
+"Which is preferable, hypocrisy or irreverence?"
+
+"Both are unpardonable, in a woman."
+
+"Where is your vast charity, Dr. Grey?"
+
+"Busy in sheltering that lofty ideal of genuine female perfection
+which you seem so pertinaciously ambitious to sully and degrade."
+
+"You are harsh, and scarcely courteous."
+
+"You will never find me less so when you vauntingly exhibit such
+mournful blemishes of character."
+
+"At least, sir, I am honest, and show myself just what God saw fit to
+allow misfortune to make me."
+
+"Hush, Salome! Do not add impiousness to the long catalogue of your
+sinful follies. I hoped that there was a favorable change in you
+before I left home, but I very much fear that, instead of exorcising
+the one evil spirit that possessed you, you have swept, and garnished,
+and settled yourself comfortably with seven new ones."
+
+"And, like R. Chaim Vital, you come to pronounce _Nidui!_ and banish
+my diabolical guests. If cauterization cures moral ulcers as
+effectually as those that afflict the flesh, then, verily, you intend
+I shall be clean and whole. You are losing patience with your
+graceless neophyte."
+
+"Yes, Salome; because forced to lose faith in her inclination and
+capacity to sublimate her erring nature. Once for all, let me say that
+habitual depreciation of your own sex will not elevate you in the
+estimation of mine; for, however fallen you may find mankind, they
+nevertheless realize amid their degradation that,--
+
+  ''Tis somewhat to have known, albeit in vain,
+    One woman in this sorrowful, bad earth,
+  Whose very loss can yet bequeath to pain
+    New faith in worth.'"
+
+There was no taunt, no bitterness, in his voice; but grievous
+disappointment, too deep for utterance; and the girl winced under it,
+though only the flush burning on cheek and brow attested her
+vulnerability.
+
+"Remember, sir, that humanity was not moulded entirely from one
+stratum of pipe-clay. Only a few wear paint, enamelling, and gold as
+delicate costly Sèvres; and, while the majority are only coarse
+pottery, it is scarcely kind--certainly not generous--in dainty,
+transparent china, belonging to king's palaces, to pity or denounce
+the humble Delft or Wedgewoodware doing duty in laborer's cottages."
+
+"Very true, my poor little warped, blotched bit of perverse pottery;
+but of one vital truth permit me to assure you: the purity and
+elevation of our race depend upon preserving inviolate in the hearts
+of men a belief that women's natures are crystalline as that
+celebrated glass once made at Murano, which was so exceedingly fine
+and delicate that it burst into fragments if poison was poured into
+it."
+
+"Then, obviously, I am no Venetian goblet; else long ago I should have
+shattered under the bitter, black juices poured by fate. It seems I am
+not worthy to touch the lips of doges and grand dukes; but let them
+look to it that some day, when spent and thirsty, they stretch not
+their regal hands for the common clay that holds what all their
+costly, dainty fragments can never yield. _Nous verrons!_ 'The stone
+which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.'"
+
+Dr. Grey had resumed his walk, but the half-suppressed, passionate
+protest, whose underswell began to agitate her voice, arrested his
+attention, and he came to the table and stood close to the orphan.
+
+"What is the matter with my headstrong young friend?"
+
+She made no answer; but her elfish eyes sought his, and braved their
+quiet rebuke.
+
+"This is the last opportunity I shall offer you to tell me frankly
+what troubles you. Can I help you in any way? If so, command me."
+
+"Once you could have helped me, but that time has passed."
+
+"Perhaps not. Try me."
+
+"It is too late. You have lost faith in me."
+
+"No; you have lost all faith in yourself, if you ever indulged
+any,--which I very much doubt. It is you who are faithless concerning
+your own defective character."
+
+"Not I, indeed! I know it rather too well, either to set it aloft for
+adoration or to trample it in the mire. When your faith in me expired,
+mine was born. Do you recollect that beautiful painted window in
+Lincoln Cathedral which the untutored fingers of an apprentice
+fashioned out of the despised bits of glass rejected by the
+fastidious master-builder? It is so vastly superior to every other in
+the church that the vanquished artist could not survive the chagrin
+and mortification, and killed himself. My faith is very strong, that,
+please God, I shall some day show you similar handiwork."
+
+"You grow enigmatical, and I do not fully understand you."
+
+"No; you do not in the least comprehend me. The girl whom you left six
+months ago has changed in many respects."
+
+"For better, or for worse?"
+
+"Perhaps neither one nor yet the other; but, at least, sir, 'my future
+will not copy fair my past.'"
+
+"Since my return, I have noticed an alteration in your deportment,
+which, I regret to say, I cannot consider an improvement; and I should
+feel inclined to attribute your restless impatience to nervous disease
+were I not assured by your appearance that you are in perfect health.
+Remember, that quietude of manner constitutes a woman's greatest
+charm; and, unfortunately, you seem almost a mimic mælstrom. But,
+pardon me, I did not intend to lecture you; and, hoping all things, I
+will patiently wait for the future that you seem to have dedicated to
+some special object. I will try to have faith in my perverse little
+friend, though she sometimes renders it a difficult task. May I
+trouble you to stamp those letters?"
+
+He could not analyze the change that passed swiftly across her face,
+nor the emotion that made her suddenly clinch her hands till the rosy
+nails grew purple.
+
+"Dr. Grey, don't you believe that if Judas Iscariot had only resisted
+the temptation of the thirty pieces of silver, and stood by his master
+instead of betraying him, that his position in heaven would have been
+far more exalted than that of Peter, or even of John?"
+
+"That is a question which I have never pondered, and am not prepared
+to discuss. Why do you propound it?"
+
+She did not answer immediately; and, when she spoke, her glittering
+eyes softened in their expression, and resembled stars rising through
+the golden mist of lingering sunset splendor.
+
+"God gave you a nobler heart than mine, and left it an easy, pleasant
+matter for you to be good; while, struggle as I may, I am constantly
+in danger of tumbling into some slough of iniquity, or setting up
+false gods for my soul to bow down to. Because it is so much more
+difficult for me to do right than for you, it is only just that my
+reward should be correspondingly greater."
+
+"I am neither John nor Peter, nor are you Judas; and only He who knows
+our mutual faults and follies, our triumphs and defeats in the
+life-long campaign with sin, can judge us equitably. I am too
+painfully conscious of my own imperfections not to sympathize
+earnestly with the temptations that may assail you; and, moreover, we
+should never lose sight of the fact,--
+
+  'What's done we partly may compute,
+  But know not what's resisted.'"
+
+"Dr. Grey, you have great confidence in the efficacy of prayer?"
+
+"Yes; for without it human lives are rudderless, drifting to speedy
+wreck and ruin."
+
+"If I ask a favor, will you grant it?"
+
+"Have I ever denied you anything that you asked?"
+
+"Yes, sir,--your good opinion."
+
+"I knew that had you really desired that, you would long since have
+rendered it impossible for me to withhold it. But to the point,--what
+is your petition?"
+
+"I want you to pray for me."
+
+"Salome, are you serious? Are you really in earnest?"
+
+"Mournfully in earnest."
+
+"Then rest satisfied that henceforth you will always have a place in
+my prayer; but do not forget the greater necessity of praying for
+yourself. Now, tell me how you have been employed during my long
+absence. Where are the accumulated exercises which I promised to
+examine and correct when I returned?"
+
+"Promised whom?"
+
+"You."
+
+"You forget that I did not see you the day you left, and that you did
+not even bid me good-by."
+
+"I referred to your French exercises in a brief and hurried note that
+I left for you."
+
+"Left where? I never received--never heard of it."
+
+"I laid it upon your plate, where I supposed you would certainty
+notice it when you came home to dinner."
+
+"Why did not you give it to Miss Jane?"
+
+"Simply because she was not in the room when I wrote it. It is rather
+surprising that it escaped your observation, as I laid it in a
+conspicuous place."
+
+She did not deem it necessary to inform him that on that unlucky day
+she had suddenly lost her appetite, and failed to go to the table; and
+now she put her fingers over her eyes to conceal the blaze of joyful
+light that irradiated them, as he mentioned the circumstance,
+comparatively trivial, but precious in her estimation, since it was
+freighted with the assurance that at least he had thought of her on
+the eve of his unexpected departure. What inexpressible comfort that
+note might have contributed during all those tedious months of silence
+and separation! While she sat there thinking of the dreary afternoon
+when, down in the orchard-grass she lay upon her face, Dr. Grey came
+nearer to her, and said,--
+
+"I hope you have not abandoned your French?"
+
+"No, sir; but I devote less time than formerly to it."
+
+"If agreeable to you, we will resume the exercises as soon as I can
+wield my pen."
+
+"If you can teach me Italian, I should prefer it; especially since I
+have learned to pronounce French tolerably well?"
+
+"What use do you expect to have for Italian,--at least, at present?
+French is much more essential."
+
+"I have a good reason for desiring to make the change, though just now
+I do not choose to be driven into any explanations."
+
+"Pardon me. I had no intention of forcing your confidence. When in
+Italy, I always contrive to understand and make myself understood;
+but my knowledge and use of the language is rather too slip-shod to
+justify my attempting to teach you idioms, hallowed as the medium
+through which Dante and Ariosto charmed the world. Miss Dexter,
+Muriel's governess, is a very thorough and accomplished linguist, and
+speaks Italian not only gracefully but correctly. I have already
+engaged her to teach you whatever she may deem advisable when she
+comes here to live."
+
+"You are very kind. Is she a young person?"
+
+"She is a very highly cultivated and elegant woman, probably
+twenty-five or six years old, and has been in Florence with Muriel."
+
+Involuntarily and unconsciously the orphan sighed, and the muscles in
+her broad forehead tangled terribly.
+
+"Salome, please put your hand in the right pocket of my vest, and take
+out a key that ought to be there. No,--not that; a larger steel one.
+Now you have it. Will you be so good as to open that trunk which came
+by express yesterday (it is in the upper hall), and bring me a box
+wrapped in pink tissue-paper? I would not trouble you with so many
+commissions if I could use my hands."
+
+Unable longer to repress her feelings, the girl exclaimed eagerly,--
+
+"If you could imagine what pleasure it affords me to render you the
+slightest service, I am very sure you would not annoy me with
+apologies for making me happy."
+
+In a few moments she returned to the library, bearing in her hand a
+small but heavy package, which she placed on the table before him.
+
+"Please open it, and examine the contents."
+
+She obeyed him; and, after removing the wrapping, found a blue velvet
+case that opened with a spring and revealed a parcel enclosed in
+silver paper. Dr. Grey turned and walked to the window; and, as Salome
+took off the last covering, a watch and chain met her curious gaze.
+One side of the former was richly and elaborately chased, and
+represented Kronos leaning on his scythe; the other was studded with
+diamonds that flashed out the name "Salome." Astonishment and delight
+sealed the orphan's lips, and, in silence, far more eloquent than
+words, she bowed her head upon the table. After a few moments had
+elapsed, Dr. Grey attempted to steal out of the room; but, being
+obliged to pass close by her chair, she put out her hand and arrested
+his movement.
+
+"It is the most beautiful watch I have ever seen; but, oh, sir! how
+shall I sufficiently thank you? How can I express all that is
+throbbing here in my proud, grateful heart? Although the costly gift
+is elegant and tasteful, I hold still more precious the fact which it
+attests,--that during your absence you thought of me. How shall I
+begin to prove my gratitude for your kindness and generosity?"
+
+"Do not thank me, my little friend; for, indeed I require no verbal
+assurances that my _souvenir_ is kindly received and appreciated. Wear
+the watch; and let it continually remind you not only of the sincerity
+of my friendship, but of the far more important fact that every idle
+or injudiciously employed hour will cry out in accusation against us
+in the final assize, when we are called upon to render an account of
+the distribution of that invaluable time which God allows us solely
+for the accomplishment of His work on earth. It is so exceedingly
+difficult for young persons to realize how marvellously rapid is the
+flight of time, that you will, I trust, forgive me if I endeavor to
+impress upon you the vital importance of making each day fragrant with
+the burden of some good deed, the resistance of some sore temptation,
+some service rendered to God or to suffering humanity which shall make
+your years mellow with the fruitage that will entitle you to a
+glorious record in the golden book of Abou Ben Adhem's angel. Let this
+little jewelled monitress of the fleeting, mocking nature of time,
+this ingenious toy, whose ticking is but the mournful, endless knell
+of dead seconds, remind you that,--
+
+  "This life of ours, what is it? A very few
+  Soon ended years, and then--the ceaseless psalm,
+  And the eternal Sabbath of the soul."
+
+As Salome looked up into his tranquil, happy face, two tears glided
+across her cheeks, and fell upon the pretty bauble.
+
+"You will find a key in the case, and can wind it up, and set it by
+the clock in the parlor."
+
+"Dr. Grey, are you willing that my watch shall bear daily testimony of
+something which I hold far above its diamonds,--that you have faith in
+Salome Owen?"
+
+"Perfectly willing that you should make it eloquent with all friendly
+utterances and sympathy. Hester has bound my arm so tightly that it
+impedes the circulation, and is very painful. Please loosen the
+bandage."
+
+She complied as carefully as possible, though her hands trembled; and,
+when the ligature had been comfortably adjusted and the arm restored
+to its sling, she stooped and pressed her lips softly and reverently
+to the cold, white fingers, that protruded from the linen bands. He
+endeavored ineffectually to prevent the caress, which evidently
+embarrassed him; but she left two kisses on the bruised hand, and,
+snatching her watch and chain from the table, hastily quitted the
+room.
+
+In after years, when loneliness and disappointment pressed heavily
+upon her heart, she looked back to the three weeks that succeeded Dr.
+Grey's return as the halcyon days, as the cloudless June morning of
+her life; and, in blissful retrospection, temporarily found Elysium.
+
+She wrote his letters, read aloud from his favorite books, dressed and
+bandaged his blistered hand and fractured arm, and surrendered her
+heart to an intense and perfect happiness such as she had scarcely
+dared to hope would ever be her portion.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+
+"Bring her into my office. Steady, men! There may be broken bones, and
+jarring would be torture. Don't stumble over that book on the floor.
+Lay her here on the sofa, and throw open the blinds."
+
+"Dr. Grey, is she dead?"
+
+"No, only badly stunned; and the contusion on the head seems to be
+very severe. Stand back, all of you, and give her air. When did it
+happen?"
+
+"About twenty minutes ago. She is a stout, heavy woman, and we could
+not walk very fast with such a burden. Ah! you intend to bleed her?"
+
+"Yes, I fear nothing else will relieve her. Mitchell, hold the arm for
+me."
+
+"How did she receive this injury?" asked Dr. Mitchell, who had been
+holding a consultation with Dr. Grey relative to some perplexing
+case.
+
+"Those gray ponies which we were admiring a half-hour since, as they
+trotted by the door, took fright at a menagerie procession coming up
+from the dépot to the Hippodrome,--and ran away. In steering clear of
+the elephant, who was covered from head to foot, and certainly looked
+frightful, the horses ran into a mass of lumber and brick at the
+corner of Fountain and Franklin streets, where a new store is being
+erected, and the carriage was upset. Unfortunately the harness was
+very strong, and did not give away until the carriage had been dragged
+some yards among the rubbish, and one of the horses finally floundered
+into a bed of mortar, and broke the traces. The driver kept his hold
+upon the reins to the last, but was badly bruised, and this woman was
+thrown out on a pile of bricks and granite-caps. The municipal
+authorities should prohibit these menagerie parades, for the meekest
+plough-horse in the State could scarcely have faced that band of
+musicians, flanked by the covered elephant and giraffe, and the cages
+of the beasts,--much less those fiery grays, who seem snuffing danger
+even when there is no provocation."
+
+"Who is this woman?"
+
+"She is a total stranger to me," answered Dr. Grey, bending down to
+put his ear to the heart of the victim.
+
+A bystander seemed better informed, and replied,--
+
+"She is a servant or housekeeper of the lady who lives at 'Solitude.'
+But here comes the driver, limping and making wry faces."
+
+Robert Maclean approached the sofa, and his scratched and bleeding
+face paled as he leaned over the prostrate form of his mother.
+
+"Oh, doctors, surely two of you can save her! For God's sake, don't
+let her die! Does she breathe?"
+
+"Yes, the bleeding has already benefitted her. She breathes regularly,
+and the action of her heart is better. Sit down, my man,--you look
+ghastly. Mitchell, give him some brandy, and sew up that gash in his
+cheek, while I write a prescription."
+
+"Never mind me, doctor; only save my poor mother. She looks like death
+itself. Mother, mother, it is all over now! Come, wake up, and speak
+to me!"
+
+He seized one of her cold hands, and chafed it vigorously between both
+of his, while tears and blood mingled, as they dripped from his face
+to hers.
+
+"Doctor, tell me the truth; is there any hope?"
+
+"Certainly, my friend; there is every reason to believe she will
+ultimately recover, though you need not be surprised if she remains
+for some hours in a heavy stupor. Remember, a pile of brick is not
+exactly a feather pillow, and it may be some time before the brain
+recovers from the severity of the contusion. What is your name?"
+
+"Robert Maclean."
+
+"And hers?"
+
+"Elsie Maclean. Poor, dear creature! How she labors in her breathing.
+Suppose I lift her head?"
+
+"No; let her rest quietly, just as she is, and I trust all will be
+well. Come to the table, and allow me to put some plaster over that
+cut which bleeds so freely. Trust me, Maclean, and do not look so
+woe-begone. I am not deceiving you. There may be serious internal
+injuries that I have not discovered, but this stupor is not alarming.
+I can find no fractured bones, and hope the blow on the head is the
+most troublesome thing we shall have to contend with."
+
+Dr. Grey proceeded to sponge the bruised and stained face and, hoping
+to divert the man's anxious thoughts, said, nonchalantly,--
+
+"I believe you are in Mrs. Gerome's employment?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"How long have you been at 'Solitude'?"
+
+"I came here, sir, and bought the place, while she was in Europe. Ah,
+doctor, if my mother should die, I believe it would kill my
+mistress."
+
+"You are old family servants?"
+
+"My mother took her when she was twelve hours old, and has never left
+her since. She loves Mrs. Gerome even better than she loves me--her
+own flesh and blood. I can't go home and tell my mistress I have
+nearly killed my mother. She would never endure the sight of me again.
+Her own mother died the day after she was born, and she has always
+looked on that poor dear soul yonder as her foster-mother."
+
+Robert limped back to the sofa, and, seating himself on a chair,
+looked wistfully into his mother's countenance; then hid his face in
+his hands.
+
+"Come, be a man, Maclean; and don't give way to nervousness! Your
+mother's condition is constantly improving, though of course it is not
+so apparent to you as to me. What has been done with the carriage and
+horses?"
+
+"Oh, the carriage is a sweet pudding; and the grays--curses on
+'em!--are badly bruised. One of them had his flank laid open by a saw
+lying on a lumber-pile; and I only wish it had sawed across the
+jugular. They are vicious brutes as ever were bitted, and it makes my
+blood run cold sometimes to see their devilish antics when Mrs. Gerome
+insists on driving them. They will break her neck, if I don't contrive
+to break theirs first."
+
+"I should judge from their appearance that it was exceedingly unsafe
+for any lady to attempt to control them. They seem very fiery and
+unmanageable. What has been done with them?"
+
+"The deuce knows!--knocked in the head, I trust. I asked two men, who
+were in the crowd, to take them to the livery-stable. Mrs. Gerome is
+not afraid of anything, and one of her few pleasures is driving those
+gray imps, who know her voice as well as I do. I have seen them put up
+their narrow ears and neigh when she was a hundred yards off; and
+sometimes she wraps the reins around her wrists and quiets them, when
+their eyes look like balls of fire. But Rarey himself could not have
+stopped them a while ago, when they determined to run over that
+menagerie show. My mistress will say it was my fault, and she will
+stand by the gray satans through thick and thin. Hist, doctor, my
+mother groans!"
+
+"Would it not be best for you to go home and acquaint Mrs. Gerome with
+what has occurred?"
+
+"I would not face her without my mother for--twenty kingdoms! You have
+no idea how she loves her 'old Elsie,' and I couldn't break the news
+to her,--I would sooner break my head."
+
+"This is not a proper place for your mother, and I advise you to
+remove her to the hospital, which is not very far from my office. She
+can be carried on a litter."
+
+"Oh, my mistress would never permit that! She will let no one else
+nurse my mother; and, of course, she could not go to a public place
+like a hospital, for you know she is so dreadful shy of strangers."
+
+After many suggestions, and much desultory conversation, it was
+finally decided that Elsie should be placed on a mattress, in the
+bottom of an open wagon, and carried slowly home. A careful driver was
+provided, and when Dr. Grey had seen his patient comfortably arranged,
+and established Robert on the seat with the driver, he yielded to the
+solicitations of the son, that he would precede them to "Solitude,"
+and acquaint Mrs. Gerome with the details of the accident.
+
+Although ten months had elapsed since the latter took possession of
+her new home, so complete had been her seclusion that she remained an
+utter stranger; and, when visitors flocked from town and neighborhood
+to satisfy themselves concerning the rumors of the elegant furniture
+and appointments of the house, they were invariably denied admittance,
+and informed that since her widowhood Mrs. Gerome had not re-entered
+society.
+
+Curiosity was piqued, and gossip wagged her hundred busy tongues over
+the tormenting fact that Mrs. Gerome had never darkened the
+church-door since her arrival; and, occasionally, when she rode into
+town, wore a thick veil that thoroughly screened her features; and,
+instead of shopping like other people, made Elsie Maclean bring the
+articles to the carriage for her inspection.
+
+The servants seemed to hold themselves as much aloof as their
+mistress, and though Robert and his mother attended service regularly
+every Sabbath, they appeared as gravely silent and ungregarious as
+Sphinxes. The ministers of various denominations called to pay their
+respects to the stranger, but only the clerical cards succeeded in
+crossing the threshold; and, while rumors of her boundless wealth
+crept teasingly through Newsmongerdom, no one except Salome Owen had
+yet seen the new-comer.
+
+Cases of books and pictures occasionally arrived from Europe, and
+never failed to stir the pool of gossip to its dregs; for the wife of
+the express-agent was an intimate friend of Mrs. Spiewell, whose
+husband was pastor of the church which Elsie and Robert attended, and
+who felt personally aggrieved that the Rev. Charles Spiewell was not
+welcomed as the spiritual guide of the mistress of "Solitude."
+
+Finally, a morbid, meddling inquisitiveness goaded the chatty little
+woman beyond the bounds of ministerial decorum, and, having rashly
+wagered a pair of gloves that she would gain an entrance to the
+parlors (whereof the upholsterer's wife told marvellous tales), she
+armed herself with a pathetic petition for aid to build a "Widow's
+Row," and, with a subscription-list for a "Dorcas Society," and
+confident of ingress, boldly rang the bell. Unfortunately, Elsie
+chanced that day to be on post as sentinel, and, though she
+immediately recognized the visitor as the mother of the small colony
+of Spiewells who crowded every Sunday morning into the pew of the
+pastor, she courtesied, and gave the stereotyped rebuff,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome begs to be excused."
+
+"Ah, indeed! But she does not know who has called, or she would make
+an exception in my favor. I am your minister's wife, and must really
+see her, if only for two minutes. Take my card to her, and say I call
+on important business, which cannot fail to interest her."
+
+Not a muscle of Elsie's grave face moved, as she received the card,
+and answered,--
+
+"I am very sorry, madam, but Mrs. Gerome sees no visitors, and my
+orders are positive."
+
+Mrs. Spiewell bit her lip, and reddened.
+
+"Then take these papers to her, and ask if she will please be so good
+as to examine their claims to her charity. In the meantime I will wait
+in the parlor, and must trouble you for a glass of water."
+
+She thrust the petitions into Elsie's hand, and attempted to slip into
+the hall, through the partial opening of the door which the servant
+held during the parley; but, planting her massive frame directly in
+the way, the resolute woman effectually barred entrance, and, pointing
+to an iron _tête-à-tête_ on the portico, said, decisively,--
+
+"I beg pardon, madam, but you will find a seat there; and I will bring
+the water while Mrs. Gerome reads your letters. If you are fatigued, I
+will hand you luncheon and some wine."
+
+Mortified and enraged, Mrs. Spiewell grew scarlet, but threw herself
+into the seat designated, resolved to snatch a glimpse of the interior
+the instant the servant had disappeared.
+
+Very softly Elsie closed and securely latched the door on the inside,
+knowing that at that moment her mistress was sitting in the oriel
+window of the front parlor.
+
+In vain the visitor tried and twisted the bolt, and, completely
+baffled, tears of chagrin moistened her eyes. She had scarcely time to
+regain her seat, when Elsie reappeared, bearing on a handsome salver a
+wine-glass, silver goblet, and an elegant basket filled with cake.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome presents her compliments, and sends you this fifty dollar
+bill for whatever society you represent."
+
+Too thoroughly discomfited to conceal her pique and indignation, Mrs.
+Spiewell snatched letters and donation, and, without lingering an
+instant, swept haughtily down the steps, "shaking off the dust of her
+feet" against "Solitude" and its incorrigible owner.
+
+An innocent impertinence once coldly frustrated soon takes unto itself
+a sting and branding-irons, and thus, what was originally merely idle
+curiosity, becomes bitter malice; and henceforth the worthy minister's
+gossiping wife lost no opportunity of inveighing against the
+superciliousness of the stranger, and of insinuating that some very
+extraordinary circumstances led her "to fear that something was
+radically wrong about that poor Mrs. Gerome, for troubles that could
+not be poured into the sympathetic ears of pastors and of pastors'
+wives must be very dark, indeed."
+
+Whenever the name of the new-comer was mentioned, Mrs. Spiewell
+compressed her lips, shook her head, and shrugged her round shoulders;
+and, of course, persons present surmised that the "minister's lady"
+was acquainted with melancholy facts which charity prevented her from
+divulging.
+
+Many of the grievances and ills that afflict society spring not from
+sinful, envenomed hearts, but from weak souls and empty heads; and
+Mrs. Spiewell, who sat up with all the measle-stricken, teething, sick
+children in her husband's charge, and would have felt disgraced had
+she missed a meeting of the "Dorcas Society," or of the "Barefeet
+Relief Club," would have been duly shocked if any one had boldly
+charged her with slandering a woman whom she had never seen, and of
+whose antecedents she knew absolutely nothing. Verily, it is
+difficult, indeed, even for "the elect" to keep themselves "unspotted
+from the world;" and Zimmerman was a seer when he declared, "Who lives
+with wolves must join in their howls."
+
+Absorbed by professional engagements, or fiscal cares, the gentlemen
+of a community are rarely interested in or informed of the last wreck
+of character which the whirlpool of scandal strews on the strand of
+society; but vague rumors relative to Mrs. Gerome's isolation had
+penetrated even into the quiet precincts of Dr. Grey's sanctum, and
+consequently invested his present mission with extraneous interest.
+
+For the first time since her arrival he approached the confines of
+her residence, and, as he threw the reins over the dashboard of his
+buggy and stood under the lofty old trees that surrounded the house,
+he paused to admire the beauty of the grounds, the grouping of some
+statues and pot plants on a neighboring mound, and the far-stretching
+sheen of the rippling sea.
+
+No living thing was visible except a golden pheasant and scarlet
+flamingo strutting along the stone terrace at the foot of the lawn,
+and silence and repose seemed brooding over house and yard; when
+suddenly a rapid, passionate, piano-prelude smote the stillness till
+the air appeared to throb and quiver, and a thrillingly sweet yet
+intensely mournful voice sang the wailing strains of _Addio del
+Passato_.
+
+The indescribable yet almost overwhelming pathos of the tones affected
+Dr. Grey much as the tremolo-stop in some organ-overture in a
+dimly-lighted cathedral; and, as the singer seemed to pour her whole
+aching heart and wearied soul into the concluding "_Ah! tutto-tutto
+fini!_" he turned, and involuntarily followed the sound, like one in a
+dream.
+
+The front door was closed; but the sash of the oriel window had been
+raised, and through the delicate lace curtains that were swaying in
+the salt breath of ocean he could see what passed in the parlor. A
+woman sat before the piano, running her snowy fingers idly across the
+keys, now striking _fortissimo_ a wild stormy _fugue_ theme, and then
+softly evoking a subtle minor chord that seemed the utterance of some
+despairing spirit breathing its last prayer for peace.
+
+Her Marie-Louise blue dress was girded at the waist by a belt and
+buckle of silver, and the loose sleeve of the right arm was looped and
+pinned up, showing the dimpled elbow and daintily rounded wrist
+encircled by the jet serpent. Around her throat she had carelessly
+thrown a lace handkerchief, and from the mass of hair that seemed
+tiny, snow-capped waves, a cluster of blue nemophila leaned down to
+touch the white forehead beneath, and peep at the answering blue
+gleams in the large, shining, steely eyes. Her fingers strayed
+listlessly into a _Nocturne_; but from the dreamy expression of the
+face, upraised to gaze at the busts on the brackets above, it was
+evident that her thoughts had wandered far away from _Addio del
+Passato_, and were treading the drift-strewn strands of melancholy
+memory.
+
+Presently she rose, walked twice across the room, and came back to an
+_étagére_ where stood an azure Bohemian glass vase, supported by
+silver Tritons, and filled with late blue hyacinths and early
+pancratiums.
+
+Bending her regal head, she inhaled the mingled perfumes, worthy of
+Sicilian or Cyprian meadows; and, while her slight fingers toyed with
+the fragile petals, a proud smile lent its sad light to the chill
+face, and she said aloud, as if striving to comfort herself,--
+
+  "'Not the ineffable stars that interlace
+  The azure canopy of Zeus himself
+  Have surer sweetness than my hyacinths
+  When they grow blue, in gazing on blue heaven,
+  Than the white lilies of my rivers, when
+  In leafy spring Selene's silver horn
+  Spills paleness, peace, and fragrance.'"
+
+With a heavy sigh she turned away, and sat down in the rear room, near
+the arch, where an easel now stood, containing a large, unfinished
+picture; and, taking her ivory palette and brushes, she began to
+retouch the violet robe of one of the figures.
+
+Dr. Grey had seen more beautiful women among the gilded pillars and
+frescoes of palaces, and amid the olives and vineyards of Parthenope;
+but in Mrs. Gerome he found a fascinating mystery that baffled
+analysis and riveted his attention. Neither young nor old, she had
+crowned herself with the glories of both seasons, and seemed some
+sweet, dewy spring, wrapped in the snows and frozen in the icy garb of
+winter.
+
+He had expected to meet a middle-aged person, habited in widow's
+weeds, and meek from the severe scourging of a recent and terrible
+bereavement; but that anomalous white face and proud, queenly form
+were unlike all other flesh that his keen eyes had hitherto scanned;
+and he regarded her as curiously as he would have examined some
+abnormal-looking specimen of nerves and muscles laid upon the marble
+slab of a dissecting-table.
+
+Recollecting suddenly that, if he did not present himself, the wagon
+would arrive before he had accomplished the object of his visit, he
+drew a card from his pocket, and, stepping over the low sill of the
+oriel window, advanced to the arch.
+
+The mistress of the house sat with her back turned towards him, and
+was apparently absorbed in putting purple shadows into the folds of a
+mantle that hung from the shoulders of a kneeling figure on the
+canvas.
+
+Face-downward on an ottoman near, lay a beautiful copy of Owen
+Meredith's poems; and, after a few seconds, she paused, brush in hand,
+and, taking up the book, slowly read aloud--glancing, as she did so,
+from page to picture,--
+
+              ... "'Then I could perceive
+  A glory pouring through an open door,
+  And in the light five women. I believe
+  They wore white vestments, all of them. They were
+  Quite calm; and each still face unearthly fair,
+  Unearthly quiet. So like statues all,
+  Waiting they stood without that lighted hall;
+  And in their hands, like a blue star, they held
+  Each one a silver lamp.'"
+
+Standing immediately behind her, Dr. Grey saw that she had seized the
+weird "_Vision of Virgins_," and was putting into pigment that solemn
+phantasm of the poet's imagination where five radiant women were
+passing to their reward,--and five wailing over flickering, dying
+lamps, were huddled helplessly and hopelessly under a black and
+starless midnight sky. Although unfinished, there was marvellous power
+in the picture, and the sickly gleam from the expiring wicks made the
+surrounding gloom more supernatural, like the deep shadows skulking
+behind the lurid glare in some old Flemish painting.
+
+He saw also that she had followed the general outline of the poem; but
+one of the faces was so supreme in its mute anguish that he thought of
+Reni's "Cenci," and of a wan "Alcestis," and a desperate "Cassandra,"
+he had seen at Rome; and, in comparison, the description of the poet
+seemed almost vapid,--
+
+               ... "One as still as death
+  Hollowed her hands about her lamp, for fear
+  Some motion of the midnight, or her breath,
+  Should fan out the last flicker. Rosy clear
+  The light oozed through her fingers o'er her face.
+  There was a ruined beauty hovering there
+  Over deep pain, and dashed with lurid grace
+  A waning bloom."
+
+The room with its costly, quaint, and tasteful furniture,--the
+solitary and singularly beautiful woman; the wonderful picture,
+growing beneath her hand; the solemn silence, broken only by the deep,
+hollow murmur of the dimpling sea that sent its shimmer in at the
+window to meet the painted shimmer in a marine view framed on the
+wall,--all these wove a spell about the intruder that temporarily held
+him a mute captive.
+
+The artist laid a delicate green on the stripped and scattered leaves
+from a wreath of Syrian lilies lying on the marble steps of the
+bridegroom's mansion, and once more she read a passage from the open
+book,--
+
+                ... "'Then I beheld
+  A shadow in the doorway. And One came
+  Crown'd for a feast. I could not see the Face.
+  The Form was not all human. As the Flame
+  Streamed over it, a presence took the place
+  With awe. He, turning, took them by the hand
+  And led them each up the wide stairway, and
+  The door closed.'"
+
+The sound of her voice, low but clear, and burdened with a sadness
+that no language could exhaust or interpret, thrilled Dr. Grey's
+steady nerves as no music had ever done, and, stepping forward, he
+held out his card, and said,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, a painful necessity has compelled me to intrude upon
+your seclusion, and I trust you will acquit me of impertinence."
+
+Rising, she fronted him with a frown severe as that which clouded
+Artemis' brow when profane eyes peered through myrtle boughs into her
+sacred retreat, and the changed voice seemed thick with bristling
+icicles.
+
+"Your business must be imperative, indeed, if it warrants this
+intrusion. What servant admitted you?"
+
+"None. I came in haste, and, seeing the window open, entered without
+ringing. Madam, my card will explain my errand."
+
+"Has Dr. Grey an unpaid bill? I was not aware the servants had needed
+your services; but if so, present your claim to Robert Maclean, my
+agent."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome owes me nothing, and I came here reluctantly and in
+compliance with Robert Maclean's request, to inform her of an accident
+which happened this afternoon while--"
+
+He paused, awed by the change that swept over her countenance, filling
+it with horrible dread.
+
+"Those gray horses?"
+
+"Yes, madam."
+
+"Not Elsie? Oh! don't tell me that my dear old Elsie was mangled!
+Hush! I will not hear it!"
+
+Palette and brushes fell upon the carpet, and she wrung her fingers
+until the diamond-eyed asp set its blue fangs in her cold flesh.
+
+"Robert was merely bruised, but his mother was very badly injured, and
+is still insensible. Every precaution has been taken to counteract the
+effect of the severe blow on her head, and I hope that after an hour
+or two she will recover her consciousness. Robert is bringing her home
+as carefully as possible, and you may expect them momentarily. Only
+his urgent entreaties that I would precede him and prepare you for the
+reception of his mother could have induced me to waive ceremony and
+thrust myself into the presence of a lady who seems little disposed to
+pardon the apparent presumption of my visit."
+
+She evidently did not heed his words, and, suddenly clasping her hands
+across her forehead, she said, bitterly,--
+
+"Coward! why can't you speak out, and tell me that the corpse will
+soon be here, and a coffin must be ordered? This is the last blow!
+Surely, God will let me alone, now; for there is nothing more that He
+can send to afflict me. Oh, Elsie,--my sole comfort! The only one who
+ever loved me!"
+
+A bluish pallor settled about her mouth, and Dr. Grey shuddered as he
+looked into the dry, defiant eyes, so beautiful in form and color but
+so mournfully desperate in their expression.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, your servant is neither dead nor dying, and I have told
+you the worst. Down the road I can see the wagon coming slowly, and I
+would advise you to call the household together, in order to assist in
+lifting Elsie, who is very stout and heavy. Calm yourself, madam, and
+trust your favorite servant to my care."
+
+"Servant! Sir, she is mother, father, husband, friends,--all,--everything
+to me! She is the only human being who cares for, or understands, or
+sympathizes with me,--and I could not live without her. Oh, sir, do not
+ask me to trust you! The time has gone by when I could trust anybody
+but Elsie. You are a physician,--you ought to know what should be done
+for her; and, Dr. Grey, if you have any pity in your soul, and any
+skill in your profession, save my old Elsie's life! Dr. Grey--"
+
+She paused a few seconds, and added, in a whisper,--
+
+"If she dies, I am afraid I might grow desperate, and commit what you
+happy people call a crime."
+
+He felt an unwonted moisture dim his eyes, as he watched the delicate
+face, white as the hair that crowned it, and wondered if the wide,
+populous world could match her regal form and perfect features.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, I think I can promise that Elsie will recover from her
+injuries; but a prayer for her safety would bring you more comfort
+than my feeble words of assurance and encouragement. The mercy of God
+is surer than the combined medical skill of the universe."
+
+"The mercy of God!" she repeated, with a gesture of scorn and
+impatience. "No, no! God set his face like a flint against me, long,
+long ago, and I do not mock myself by offering prayers that only call
+down smitings upon me. Seven years since I prayed my last prayer,
+which was for speedy death; and, from that hour, I seem to have taken
+a new lease on life. Now I stand still and keep silent, and I hoped
+that God had forgotten me."
+
+She covered her face with her hands and Dr. Grey drew a chair close to
+her and endeavored to make her sit down, but she resisted and shrank
+from his touch on her arm.
+
+"Madam, the wagon has stopped at the door. Will you direct your
+servants, or shall I?"
+
+"If she is not dead, tell Robert to carry her into my room. Oh, Dr.
+Grey, you will not let her die!"
+
+As she looked up imploringly into his calm, noble face, she met his
+earnest gaze, brimming with compassion and sympathy, and her lips and
+chin quivered.
+
+"Trust your God, and have faith in me."
+
+He went out to assist in removing his patient, and when they had
+carried the mattress and its occupant into the room opposite the
+parlor and laid it on the carpet near the window, he had the
+satisfaction of observing a favorable change in Elsie's condition.
+While he stood by a table preparing some medicine, Robert stole up,
+and asked:
+
+"Do you notice any improvement? She groaned twice on the road, and
+once I am sure she opened her eyes."
+
+"Yes; I think that very soon she will be able to speak, for her pulse
+is gaining strength every hour."
+
+"How did my mistress take it?"
+
+"She was much shocked and grieved. Maclean, where are her friends and
+relatives?"
+
+There was no reply, and, glancing over his shoulder to repeat the
+inquiry, Dr. Grey saw Mrs. Gerome leaning against the door.
+
+"Robert, have you killed her?"
+
+"Oh, no, ma'am! She is doing very well, the doctor says."
+
+She crossed the room, and sat down on the edge of the mattress, taking
+one of the large brown hands in both of hers and bending her face over
+the pillow.
+
+"Elsie! mother! Elsie, speak to your poor child!"
+
+That wailing voice pierced the stupor, and Dr. Grey was surprised to
+see the woman's eyes unclose and rest wonderingly upon the countenance
+hovering over her.
+
+"My dear Elsie, don't you know me?"
+
+"Yes, my bairn. What ails you?"
+
+She spoke indistinctly, and shut her eyes once more, as if exhausted.
+
+"If she was in her coffin, I verily believe she would rise, if she
+heard your voice calling her," said Robert, wiping away the tears of
+joy that trickled across his sunburnt cheeks.
+
+Dr. Grey stooped to put his finger on Elsie's pulse, and Mrs. Gerome
+threw herself down on the carpet, and buried her face in the pillow,
+where her silver hair mingled with the grizzled locks that straggled
+from beneath the old woman's torn lace cap.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+
+"Well, Ulpian, are you convinced that 'Solitude' is an unlucky place,
+and that misfortune dogs the steps of all who make it a home? Once you
+laughed at my 'superstition.' What think you now, my wiseacre?"
+
+"My opinion has not changed, except that each time I see the place I
+admire it more and more; and, were it for sale, I should certainly
+purchase it."
+
+"Not with the expectation of living there?"
+
+"Most assuredly."
+
+Miss Jane had suspended for a moment the swift clicking of her
+knitting-needles in order to hear her brother's reply, and now she
+rejoined, almost sharply,--
+
+"You will do no such silly thing while there is breath left in my body
+to protest, or to persuade. Pooh! you only talk to tease me; for five
+grains of observation and common sense will teach you that there is a
+curse hanging over that old piratical nest."
+
+"Dear Janet, when headstrong drivers persist in carrying a pair of
+fiery, vicious horses into the midst of a procession of wild beasts
+that would have scared even your sober dull Dapples out of their lazy
+jog-trot, it is not at all surprising that snapped harness, broken
+carriage, torn flesh, and strained joints should attest the folly of
+the experiment. The accident occurred not far from my office, which is
+haunted by nothing worse than your harmless sailor-boy."
+
+"All very fine, my blue-eyed oracle, but I notice that the horses
+belonging to 'Solitude' were the only ones that made mischief and came
+to grief; and I promise you that all the hawsers in Gosport Navy-Yard
+will never drag me inside the doomed place. How is your patient? If
+you expect her to get well, you had better take a 'superstitious' old
+woman's counsel, and send her away from that valley of Jehoshaphat."
+
+"I am very sorry to tell you that she was more seriously hurt than I
+was at first inclined to believe. Her spine was so badly injured that
+although there is no danger of immediate death, she will never be
+able to sit up or walk again. She may linger many months, possibly
+years; but must, as long as life lasts, remain a bed-ridden cripple.
+It is one of the saddest cases I have had to deal with during my
+professional career; and Elsie Maclean bears her sufferings with
+such noble fortitude, such genuine Christian patience, coupled with
+stern Scotch heroism, that I cannot withhold my admiration and
+earnest sympathy. Yesterday I held a consultation with four
+physicians, and, when we told her the hopelessness of her condition,
+she received the announcement without even a sigh, and seemed only
+to dread that instead of an assistant she might prove a burden to her
+mistress."
+
+"She appears to be a very important personage in the household."
+
+"Yes; she is Mrs. Gerome's nurse, housekeeper, and counsellor,--and I
+have rarely seen such warm affection as exists between them. I wish,
+Janet, that you were strong enough to call at 'Solitude,' for its
+mistress leads a lonely, secluded life, and must require some
+society."
+
+"But, Ulpian, I hear strange things about her, and it is hinted that
+she is deranged."
+
+"Your knowledge of human nature should teach you how little truth is
+generally found in the floating _on dits_ of social circles."
+
+"How long has she been widowed?"
+
+"I do not know, but presume that her affliction has not been very
+recent, as she wears no mourning."
+
+"If she has discarded widow's weeds, and dresses in colors, why should
+she taboo society, and make herself the town-talk by refusing to
+receive even the clergy and their wives? She has lived here ten
+months, and I understand from Dolly Spiewell that not a soul has ever
+seen her. Of course such eccentricities provoke gossip and tickle the
+tongue of scandal, and if the world can't find out the real cause of
+such conduct, it very industriously sets to work and manufactures
+one."
+
+"Which, in my humble opinion, constitutes a piece of unwarrantable
+impertinence on the part of meddling Mrs. Grundy. The world might be
+more profitably engaged in mending its own tortuous and mendacious
+ways, and allowing poor solitary wretches to fondle their whims and
+caprices. If Mrs. Gerome does not choose to receive visitors, what
+right has the public to grumble, or even discuss the matter?"
+
+As Salome spoke, she plunged her stiletto vigorously into a piece of
+cambric, and her thin lip curled contemptuously.
+
+"Abstractly true, my dear child; but, from the beginning of time,
+people have meddled; and, since gossip she must, even Eve chatted too
+freely with serpents. Besides, since we are in the world, we should
+not turn eremites, and bristle at the sight of one of our own race;
+for society has a few laws that are inexorable,--that cannot be
+violated without subjecting the offender to being stung to death by
+venomous tongues; and one of these statutes is, that all shall see and
+be seen, shall talk and be talked about, and shall visit and be
+visited. When a woman unaccountably turns recluse, she is at the mercy
+of public imagination, stimulated by disappointed curiosity; and very
+soon the verdict goes forth that she is either deformed or deranged."
+
+"I dispute the prerogative of the public to dictate in such matters,
+and I shall rebel whenever it presumes to lay even a little finger
+across my path. What, pray tell me, is the world, but an aggregation
+of persons like you and me, and what possible concern can you or I
+have with the fact that Mrs. Gerome burrows like a mole, beyond our
+sight? If she sees fit to found a modern sect of Troglodytes, I can't
+understand that the wheels of society are thereby scotched, or that
+the public has a shadow of right to raise a hue-and-cry and strive to
+unearth her, as if she were a fox, a catamount, or a gopher. It is
+useless for society to constitute itself a turning-lathe for rounding
+off all individual angularities, and grinding people down to dull
+uniformity until they are as indistinguishable as a bag of unpainted
+marbles or of black-eyed peas; and, if God had intended that we should
+all invariably think, feel, and act after one pattern, He would have
+populated the world with Siamese twins; whereas, the first couple that
+were born on earth were so dissimilar that all the universe was not
+wide enough to hold them both, and manslaughter began when the race
+only numbered a quartette. If mankind had not arrogated the privilege
+of being its 'brother's keeper,' it would never have been forced to
+deny the fact. I admire the honesty and truth with which Alexander
+Smith bravely confessed, 'I love a little eccentricity; I respect
+honest prejudices. It is high time, it seems to me, that a moral
+game-law were passed for the preservation of the wild and vagrant
+feelings of human nature.'"
+
+"That is a dangerous doctrine, my dear child, especially for a woman
+to entertain; because custom rules us with an iron rod, and flays us
+alive if we contravene her decrees."
+
+"I should be exceedingly glad to learn by what authority or process
+Truth is provided with sex? Are some orthodox doctrines female and
+others male? Why have not we women as clear a right to any given set
+of principles as men? Truth is as much my property as that of the Czar
+of Russia, and, if I choose to lay hold of any special province of it,
+why must I perforce be dragged to the whipping-post of custom, simply
+because by an accident I am called Susan or Hepzibah instead of Peter
+or Lazarus? So long as my convictions of truth (which custom brands as
+vagaries) are innocuous, I have a perfect and inalienable right to
+indulge them; but the instant I become pestiferous to society, let me
+be consigned to the tender mercies of strait-jacket and insane-asylum
+regimen. If I creep quietly along my own intellectual and ethical
+trail, taking heed not to touch the sensitive toes of custom, why
+should it ungenerously insist upon bruising mine? My seer was right
+when he boldly declared, 'The world has stood long enough under the
+drill of Adjutant Fashion.' It is hard work, the posture is wearisome,
+and Fashion is an awful martinet, and has a quick eye, and comes down
+mercilessly on the unfortunate wight who can not square his toes to
+the approved pattern. It is killing work. Suppose we try 'standing at
+ease' for a little while? Wherefore, custom to the contrary
+notwithstanding, I contend that Mrs. Gerome has as indisputable a
+right to refuse admittance to Rev. Mrs. Spiewell as any anchorite of
+the Nitrian Sands to decline receiving a bevy of inquisitive European
+belles. If society rules like Russia or Turkey, then am I a candidate
+for knout and bastinado. I do not wish to be unwomanly, and honesty
+and candor are not necessarily unfeminine, because some coarse,
+rough-handed, bold-eyed woman has possibly rendered them unpopular."
+
+Miss Jane laid down her knitting, folded her hands, and, as she
+watched the girl, her emotions were probably similar to those that
+agitate some meek and staid hen, who, leading a young brood of ducks
+from her nest, suddenly beholds them displaying their aquatic
+proclivities by plunging into the horse-pond, and performing all the
+evolutions of a regatta.
+
+"Ah, child, I fear you think too little of what you wish or intend to
+make yourself!"
+
+"Only have patience, Miss Jane, and some day I will show you all the
+graces of Griselda and Gudrun the second. Dr. Grey, have you seen Mrs.
+Gerome?"
+
+"Yes,--on two occasions."
+
+"Is she not the most extraordinary and puzzling person you ever looked
+at?"
+
+"When and where could you have met her?"
+
+"For a few minutes only, last winter, I saw her on the beach, near
+'Solitude.' We exchanged a half-dozen words, and she left an
+impression on my mind which all time will not efface. Since that
+evening I have frequently endeavored to surprise her on the same spot,
+but only once I succeeded in catching a glimpse of a blue shawl that
+fluttered in the distance. She seemed to me a beautiful, pale
+priestess, consecrated to the ministry of the shrine of sorrow; and,
+when I hear snubbed-dom sneering at her, and remember the hopeless
+expression with which her wonderful, homeless eyes looked out across
+that grey, silent sea,--I cannot avoid thinking that she is very wise
+in barring her doors, and heeding the advice of Montenebi, '_Complain
+not of thy woes to the public: they will no more pity thee than birds
+of prey pity the wounded deer_.'"
+
+"My acquaintance with Mrs. Gerome is too slight to warrant the
+utterance of an opinion relative to her idiosyncrasies, but I am
+afraid cynicism rather than grief immures her from society. Her
+prematurely white hair and the remarkable pallor of her smooth
+complexion combine to render her appearance piquant and unnatural;
+and, certainly, there is something in her face strangely suggestive of
+old Norse myths, mystery, and magic. Her features, when analyzed,
+prove faultlessly regular, but her life is out of tune, and the
+expression of her countenance mars what would otherwise be perfect
+beauty. I can, in some degree, describe the impression she produced
+upon me by quoting the lines that were suggested when I saw her this
+morning, standing by Elsie Maclean's bed,--
+
+  'I saw a vision of a woman, where
+    Night and new morning strive for domination;
+  Incomparably pale, and almost fair,
+    And sad beyond expression.
+  Her eyes were like some fire-enshrining gem,
+    Were stately, like the stars, and yet were tender;
+  Her figure charmed me, like a windy stem,
+    Quivering, and drooped, and slender.
+  She measured measureless sorrow toward its length
+    And breadth, and depth, and height.'"
+
+Salome looked up from the eyelet she was working, but Dr. Grey had
+turned his head towards his sister who had fallen asleep in her chair,
+and the orphan could not see his face.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome must have been very young when she married, and--"
+
+"Hush! Janet looks so weary that I want her to have a long nap, and
+our voices might disturb her."
+
+He took his hat and gloves and left the room, and Salome forgot her
+embroidery and fell into a reverie that proved neither pleasant nor
+profitable, and lasted until Miss Jane awoke.
+
+In the afternoon of the following day, when the orphan returned
+from her clandestine visit to the Italian musician, she saw an
+unusual number of persons on the front gallery, and found that the
+long-expected party from New York had arrived during her absence. Miss
+Jane was talking to the governess--a meek-looking, but exceedingly
+handsome woman, of twenty-seven or eight years, with fair hair and
+quiet brown eyes; and every detail of her dress, speech, and bearing
+averred that Edith Dexter was no humble scion of proletariat. Her
+polished yet reserved manners bespoke high birth and aristocratic
+associations; but something in the composed, sad countenance, in the
+listless drooping of the pretty head, hinted that she had long since
+spilt the rosy sparkling foam of her cup of life, and was patiently
+drinking its muddy lees.
+
+On the upper step sat Dr. Grey, with his arm encircling the form of
+his ward, whose head rested very confidingly against his shoulder.
+Muriel Manton was dressed in deep mourning, and had evidently been
+weeping, for her guardian was tenderly wiping the tears from her cheek
+when Salome came up the avenue; and, with a keen, jealous pang that
+she had never felt before, the latter scanned the stranger's claims to
+beauty.
+
+Very black eyes, brilliant complexion, and fine teeth, she certainly
+possessed; but her features were rather coarse; her mouth was much too
+large for classic requirements; and Salome was rejoiced to find her
+nose indisputably _retroussé_.
+
+Years hence she would doubtless be a large, well-formed, commanding
+woman, who could exhibit Lyons silk or Genoese velvet to the best
+advantage, and would be considered a fine-looking, rosy, robust
+personage; but at present the face, which from under a small straw hat
+anxiously watched hers, was infinitely handsomer, more attractive,
+more delicate, and intellectual; and the miller's child felt that she
+had little to apprehend from the merely personal charms of the wealthy
+ward.
+
+Salome felt injured as she eyed the doctor's arm, which had never
+touched even her shoulder; and it was painful and humiliating to
+notice the affectionate manner in which his hand stroked one of
+Muriel's that lay on his knee,--and to remember that his fingers had
+not met hers in a friendly grasp since long before his visit to
+Europe,--had only clasped hers twice during their acquaintance.
+
+"Come in, Salome, and let me introduce you to my ward Muriel, and to
+Miss Dexter, who is prepared to receive you as a pupil."
+
+Muriel silently held out her hand; but Salome only bowed and ran
+lightly up the steps, as if she did not perceive the outstretched
+fingers. Miss Dexter rose and advanced to meet her, saying, in a tone
+that indexed great kindness of heart,--
+
+"I am exceedingly glad to meet you, Miss Salome; for Dr. Grey has
+promised that I shall find in you a most exemplary and agreeable
+pupil."
+
+"Thank you. I am indeed glad to hear that he has changed his opinion
+of me; and I must endeavor not to lose my newly acquired amiable
+character,--but he was rather rash to stand security for my good
+behavior."
+
+She saw that Dr. Grey was surprised at her cold reception of his pet
+and _protegé_, and perversity took possession of her. Going to the
+back of Miss Jane's old-fashioned rocking-chair she put her arms
+around her, and, leaning over, kissed her cheek several times. It was
+not her habit to caress any one or any thing,--not even her little
+brother,--and this unusual demonstrativeness puzzled and surprised the
+old lady who said, fondly,--
+
+"I presume Ulpian is brave enough to encounter all the risks of
+standing security for your obedience and docility."
+
+"Certainly I appreciate his chivalry, since none knows better than he
+the danger--nay, probability, of a forfeiture of the contract on my
+part."
+
+Dr. Grey rose, and, looking steadily at her, said, in a tone which she
+well understood,--
+
+"Promises are, in my estimation, peculiarly sacred things; and that
+which I made to Miss Dexter in your behalf was based upon one that I
+gave you some time since, namely, that I would have faith in you. Come
+with me, Muriel; I want to show you and Miss Dexter the finest cow
+this side of Ayrshire, and some sheep that are handsome enough to
+compare favorably with the best that ever browsed in the 'Court of
+Lions.'"
+
+He took his ward's hand and led her away to the cattle-yard, whither
+Miss Dexter accompanied them.
+
+As Salome looked after the trio her eyes flashed and scarlet spots
+burned on her cheeks, while a feeling of suffocation oppressed her
+heart.
+
+"Why will you vex him, when you know that he tries so hard to like
+you?" asked Miss Jane in a distressed tone, stroking the girl's hot
+face, as she spoke.
+
+The head was instantly lifted beyond her reach, and the answer came
+swiftly, sharp and defiant,--
+
+"Do you mean to say that it is so extremely difficult for him to
+tolerate me?"
+
+"You are obliged to know that you are not one of his favorites, like
+that sweet-tempered Muriel, to whom he seems so warmly attached; and
+it is all your own fault, for he was disposed to like you when he
+first came home. Ulpian loves quiet and amiable people, who are never
+rude and snappish; and it appears to me that you are trying to see how
+hateful and spiteful you can be. Why upon earth did you not shake
+hands with those strangers, and treat them politely?"
+
+"Because I don't choose to be hypocritical,--and I don't like Miss
+Muriel Manton."
+
+"Nonsense! Stuff! I only wish you were half as well-bred and
+courteous, and lady-like."
+
+"Do you, really? Then, to be obedient and, oblige you, when they come
+back, I will imitate her example, and throw myself into Dr. Grey's
+arms, and rub my cheek against his shoulder, and fondle his hands. If
+this be 'lady-like,' then, indeed, I penitently cry '_peccavi!_' and
+promise that in future you shall not have cause to complain of me."
+
+"Pooh, pooh, child! What ails you? Muriel has known Ulpian all her
+life, and looks upon him now as her father. He has petted her since
+she was a little girl, and loves her almost as well as if she were his
+child, instead of his ward. You know she is an orphan; and it is very
+natural for her to cling to her guardian, who was for a great many
+years her father's most intimate friend."
+
+"We are both orphans, and she is certainly not my junior, yet your
+propriety would be shocked if I behaved as she does. Where is
+Stanley?"
+
+"Studying his geography lesson, with the assistance of the globe, in
+the library. What do you want with him?"
+
+"I am going to the beach, and wish him to walk with me."
+
+"It is too late for you to start for the seaside, and, moreover, it
+would appear very discourteous in you to absent yourself the first
+evening that these strangers spend here. Ulpian would be displeased."
+
+"According to your statement a few minutes since, that is his chronic
+condition, as far as I am concerned; and, as I do not belong to the
+mimosa species, I think I may brave his frowns."
+
+"That is not the worst you have to apprehend. Child, I think it would
+be bitter indeed, to bear Ulpian Grey's contempt."
+
+"I shall take care not to deserve it; and Dr. Grey never forgets to be
+just."
+
+"My dear little girl, what right have you to be jealous of his love
+for his young ward?"
+
+The flame that was slowly dying out of her face leaped up fiercer than
+before, and she crimsoned to the edges of her hair.
+
+"Jealous! Good heavens, Miss Jane, you must be dreaming! I merely
+question the taste that allows his 'lady-like' favorite to caress him
+so openly, and should not have expressed my disapprobation so
+strongly if you had not rated me soundly, and held her up as a model
+for my humble imitation. If she and her governess are to stir up
+strife between you and me, I shall heartily wish them a speedy passage
+to Halifax or heaven. Beyond all peradventure I shall get murderously
+jealous if you dare to give this sloe-eyed, peony-faced girl, my place
+in your dear old heart. She, of course, will fondle her guardian as
+much as she pleases, or as often as he sees fit to allow; but woe unto
+her if I catch her hands and lips about you, my dearest and best
+friend! Don't scold me and praise her, or some fine day I shall jump
+at and strangle her, which you know would not be 'well-bred' or
+'lady-like,' much less moral and Christian."
+
+She almost smothered the old lady in her arms, and kissed her several
+times.
+
+"What has stirred up the evil spirit in you? You look as wicked as
+your mother Herodias, thirsting for the blood of John the Baptist; or
+as Jezebel plotting against the prophet--"
+
+"And telling me that like her I am 'going to the dogs' is not the
+surest way to reform me. Stanley! Stanley! get your hat and come
+here."
+
+"Your awful temper will be your ruin if you don't put a curb-bit on
+it. See here, Salome, don't be so utterly silly and childish! I do not
+wish you to go to the sea-shore this evening."
+
+"Please, Miss Jane, don't order me to stay at home, because, then of
+course, I should feel bound to obey you, and I should not behave
+prettily, and you would wish me at the bottom of the sea, instead of
+on its brink. Let me go, and I will come back cool as a cucumber, and
+well-behaved as Miss Muriel Manton. Please don't prohibit me; and I
+promise I will lose my evil spirit in the sea, like that Gergesene
+wretch that haunted the tombs. Here comes Stanley. Don't shake your
+head. I am off."
+
+Miss Jane would not receive the proffered farewell kiss, but tears
+gathered and dimmed her eyes as she looked after the graceful, girlish
+figure, swiftly crossing the lawn; and sad forebodings filled her
+affectionate heart when she thought of the unknown future that
+stretched before that impetuous, jealous, imperious nature.
+
+Anxious that the strangers should feel thoroughly welcome and at home,
+she joined them as soon as possible after their return from the
+sheepfold, and exerted herself to keep the shuttlecock of conversation
+in constant motion; but her brother's watchful eyes discerned the
+perturbed feeling she sought to hide; and, when she insisted, for the
+first time in two years, upon taking her seat and presiding at the
+tea-table, he busied himself in arranging her cushions comfortably,
+and whispered,--
+
+"How good and considerate you are, my precious sister. A thousand
+thanks for this generous effort, which I trust will not fatigue you."
+
+He placed himself opposite, and was about to ask a blessing on the
+meal, but paused to inquire,--
+
+"Where are the children, Salome and Stanley?"
+
+"They have gone down to the beach, and we will not wait for them."
+
+Soon after, Muriel said,--
+
+"I think Salome is almost beautiful. She has splendid eyes and hair.
+Miss Edith, does she not remind you of a piece of sculpture at
+Naples?"
+
+"Yes; I noticed a resemblance to the _Julia-Agrippina_, and the
+likeness must be remarkable, since it impressed us simultaneously.
+Salome's brow is fuller, and her chin more prominent than that of the
+Roman woman we admired so ardently; and, besides, I should judge that
+she had quite as much or more will than the daughter of Germanicus,
+for her lips are thinner."
+
+Dr. Grey changed the topic of conversation, and Miss Dexter
+courteously followed the cue.
+
+The moon was high in heaven when Salome and her brother came up the
+avenue; and, observing that the lights were extinguished in the front
+rooms, she surmised that the new-comers had retired very early, in
+consequence of fatigue from their long journey. Sending Stanley to
+bed, she sat down on the steps to rest a few moments before going
+upstairs, and began to fan herself with her straw hat.
+
+She had grown very calm, and almost ashamed of her passionate
+ebullition in the presence of strangers; and numerous good resolutions
+were sending out fibrous roots in her heart. How long she rested there
+she knew not, and started when Dr. Grey said, in a subdued voice,--
+
+"Salome, I am waiting to lock the door, and should be glad if you will
+come in now, or be careful to secure the inner bolt whenever you do.
+As I always shut up the house, I was afraid you might not think of it;
+and burglaries are becoming alarmingly frequent."
+
+She rose instantly, and entered the hall.
+
+"What time is it?"
+
+"Eleven o'clock."
+
+"Is it possible? You know, sir, that the evenings are very short
+now."
+
+"Yes."
+
+He was removing a chair from the gallery and closing the Venetian
+blinds, and she could not see his face. Hoping to receive some
+friendly look, which she was painfully aware she did not deserve, she
+loitered till he turned around.
+
+"Salome, have you a light in your room?"
+
+"I do not know, but suppose so."
+
+"There are two candles in the library, and you had better take one,
+rather than stumble along in the dark and wake everybody."
+
+He brought out one, and handed it to her.
+
+"Thank you. Good-night, Dr. Grey."
+
+"Good-night, Salome."
+
+The candle-light showed no displeasure in his countenance, which was
+calm as usual, and there was not a hint of harshness in his unwontedly
+low voice; but she read disappointment in his grave, kind eyes. She
+knew that she could not sleep until she had made her peace with him;
+and, though it cost her a great effort to conquer her pride, she said,
+humbly,--
+
+"'And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven
+times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent,--thou shalt
+forgive him.'"
+
+"Yes; but the frequency of the offence renders it difficult to believe
+the repentance genuine."
+
+"Christ, your master, did not doubt it."
+
+"I am less than the disciples whom he addressed; and they answered,
+'Increase our faith.'"
+
+"You did not pray for me this morning."
+
+"I never neglect my promises. Why do you doubt that I fulfilled them
+this morning?"
+
+"This has been one of my sinful days, when Satan runs rough-shod over
+all my good intentions, and drags me through the mire that I was
+trying to hold my soul far above. I tell you, sir, that the 'unclean
+spirit' that vexed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman was mild,
+and harmless, and well-mannered, in comparison with the demon that
+takes bodily possession of me, and whose name is not '_Suset_'! but a
+fearful _Ruach_ demanding the ban _Cherem_. I once thought all that
+part of Scripture which referred to the casting out of devils was
+metaphorical; but I know better now; for the one that Luther assaulted
+with his inkstand was not more palpable than that which enters into my
+heart every now and then, and overturns the altars of the 'true, good,
+and beautiful,' and sets up instead a small hall of Eblis, as full of
+horrible, mis-shapen things as that hideous 'Last Judgment' of
+Orcagna, in the Campo Santo at Pisa, which you once showed me in a
+portfolio of engravings. Oh, Dr. Grey! you ought to be merciful to me;
+for indeed God gave me a fearfully wicked and cunning spirit for a
+perpetual companion and tempter. Even Christ had Lucifer and
+Quarantina."
+
+"Yes, and conquered both, and promised assistance to all who earnestly
+desire and resolve to follow his example."
+
+"You cannot forgive my rudeness?"
+
+"The act of incivility was very slight; but, my young friend, the
+unaccountable perversity of your character certainly fills my mind
+with serious apprehension concerning your future. Of course, I can
+very readily forgive the occasion that displayed it, but I cannot
+entirely forget the spirit that distresses me when I least expect
+it."
+
+"If you will dismiss this afternoon from your mind, I will never--"
+
+"Stop! Make me no more promises till you are strong enough to keep
+them inviolate. Promise less and pray more; I am not angry, but I am
+disappointed."
+
+She drooped her head to avoid his grave, sad gaze, and for a moment
+there was silence.
+
+"Dr. Grey, will you shake hands with me, in token of pardon?"
+
+"Certainly, if you wish it."
+
+He took her hand in both of his, pressed it kindly, and said, in a
+low, solemn tone,--
+
+"Good-night, Salome. May God guide, and strengthen, and help you to be
+the noble woman, the consistent Christian, which only His grace and
+blessing can ever enable you to become. Remember the cheering words of
+Jean Paul Richter, 'Evil is like the nightmare, the instant you bestir
+yourself it has already ended.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+
+"Ulpian, have you had any conversation with Salome?"
+
+"Upon what subject?"
+
+"Have you talked with her concerning her studies?"
+
+"Not recently. Soon after Muriel and Miss Dexter came, I mentioned to
+her the fact that I should be glad to see her enter a class with
+Muriel and pursue the same studies, and that such an arrangement
+would be entirely agreeable to Miss Dexter; but she declined the
+proposition, saying she would only trouble the latter to teach her
+Italian. Do you know why she is so anxious to acquire that language?"
+
+"No; to tell you the truth, I know less and less every day about her
+actions, for the child has suddenly grown very reserved. This morning
+she was walking up and down the library with her hands behind her and
+her eyes looking as if they were travelling to Jericho or Jeddo, and
+when I asked her why she was so unusually silent, she snapped like a
+toy-torpedo, 'I am silent because this is one of my wicked days, and I
+am fighting the devil; and if I open my lips I shall say something
+that will give him the victory.' I held out my hand to her and begged
+her to come and sit by me and tell me what troubled or tempted
+her,--and what do you suppose she said?"
+
+"Something, I am afraid, that I shall be sorry to hear you repeat."
+
+"She laid her hand on her heart and answered, 'You are very good, Miss
+Jane, but you can no more help me than the disciples could relieve
+that wretch whom only Christ healed.' '_This kind goeth not out but by
+prayer and fasting._' Whereupon, she snatched a book from the table
+and left the room. I did not see her for several hours, and when I met
+her in the hall, a few moments since, I said, 'Well, dear, which won
+the victory, sin or my little girl?' She put her hands on my
+shoulders, laughed bitterly, and answered, 'It was a drawn battle.
+Neither has much to boast of, and we lie on our arms watching--nay,
+glaring at each other. Let me be quiet a little while, and don't ask
+me about it.'"
+
+"Can you conjecture the cause of the present trouble?"
+
+"I have a suspicion."
+
+Miss Jane paused, sighed, and frowned.
+
+"I should think you might persuade her to confide in you."
+
+"Pooh! Persuade her? I would quite as soon undertake to persuade the
+Andes to dance a jig as attempt to discover what she has determined
+not to divulge. If you knew her as well as I do, you would appreciate
+the uselessness of trying to persuade her to do anything. But you men
+never see what lies right under your noses, and I believe if you lived
+in the same house with that child for five years longer you would
+understand her as little as you do to-day. Ulpian, shut the door, and
+sit down here close to me."
+
+Dr. Grey complied; and, laying her shrunken hand on her brother's
+knee, Miss Jane said, hesitatingly,--
+
+"My dear boy, I don't know whether I ought to tell you, and, indeed, I
+do not see my way clearly; but you seem so unsuspecting that I think
+it is my duty to talk to you."
+
+"Pray come to the point, dear Janet. Your exordium is very tantalizing.
+Tell me frankly what disturbs you."
+
+"It pains me to call your attention to a fact that I know cannot fail
+to produce annoyance."
+
+He put his arm around her, and, drawing her head to his shoulder,
+answered, tenderly,--
+
+"My precious sister, I have seen for some days that you were perplexed
+and anxious, but I abstained from questioning you because I felt
+assured whenever you deemed it best to confide in me, you would
+voluntarily unburden your heart. Now lay all your troubles upon me,
+and keep back nothing. Has Salome grieved you?"
+
+"Oh, the child does not intend to grieve me! Ulpian, can't you imagine
+what makes her unhappy, and restless, and contrary?"
+
+"She is very wayward, passionate, and obstinate, and any restraint
+upon her whims is peculiarly irksome and intolerable to her; but I
+believe she is really striving to correct the unfortunate defects in
+her character. She evidently dislikes our guests, and this proves a
+continual source of disquiet to her; for, while she endeavors to treat
+them courteously, I can see that she would be excessively rude if she
+dared to indulge her antipathies."
+
+"Do you know why she dislikes Muriel so intensely?"
+
+"No; I cannot even conjecture. Muriel is very amiable and affectionate,
+and seems disposed to become very fond of Salome, if she would only
+encourage her advances. Can you explain the mystery?"
+
+"If you were not as blind as a mole, or the fish in Mammoth Cave, you
+would see that Salome is insanely jealous of your affection for your
+ward, and that is the cause of all the trouble."
+
+"It is unreasonable and absurd in her to entertain such feelings; and,
+moreover, she has no right to cherish any jealousy towards my ward."
+
+"Unreasonable! Yes, quite true; but did you ever know a woman to be
+very reasonable concerning the man she loves?"
+
+Dr. Grey's quiet face flushed, and he rose instantly, looking
+incredulous and embarrassed.
+
+"Surely, my dear sister, you do not intend to insinuate, or desire me
+to infer, that Salome has any--"
+
+He paused, bit his lip, and walked to the window.
+
+"I mean to say, in plain Anglo-Saxon, and I desire you to understand,
+that Salome is no longer a child; and that she loves you, my dear boy,
+better than she will ever love any other human being. These things are
+very strange, indeed, and girls' whims baffle all rules and disappoint
+all reasonable expectations; but, nevertheless, it does no good to
+shut your eyes to facts that are as clear as daylight. It is not a
+sudden freak that has seized the poor child; it has grown upon her,
+almost without her understanding herself; but I discovered it the day
+that you left home so unexpectedly for New York. Her distress betrayed
+her real feelings; and, since then, I have watched her, and can see
+how completely her thoughts centre in you."
+
+"Oh, Janet, I hope you mistake her! I cannot believe it possible, for
+I recall nothing in her conduct that justifies your supposition; and I
+do not think I lack penetration. If she were really interested in me,
+as you imagine, she certainly would not thrust so prominently and
+constantly before me faults of character which she well knows I cannot
+tolerate. Moreover, my dear sister, consider the disparity in our
+years, the incompatibility of our tastes and habits, and the
+improbability that a handsome young girl should cherish any feeling
+stronger than esteem or friendship for a staid man of my age! No, no;
+it is too incredible to be entertained, and I am sorry you ever
+suggested such an annoying chimera to me. Salome is rather a singular
+compound, I willingly admit, but I acquit her of the folly you seem
+inclined to impute to her."
+
+Dr. Grey walked up and down the library floor, and, as his sister
+watched him, a sad smile trembled over her thin, wrinkled face.
+
+"Ulpian, you are considerably younger than our poor father was when
+he married a beautiful creature not one month older than Salome is
+to-day. Will you sit in judgment on your own young mother?"
+
+"Nay, Janet; the parallelism is not as apparent as you imagine, for my
+manner toward Salome has been calculated to check and chill any
+sentiment analogous to that which my father sought to win from my
+mother. Pray, do not press upon me a surmise which is indescribably
+painful to me."
+
+He resumed his seat, and, thrusting his fingers through his hair,
+leaned his head on his open hand.
+
+"My dear boy, if true, why should it prove indescribably painful to
+you?"
+
+"Cannot your womanly intuitions spare me an explicit reply?"
+
+"No; speak frankly to me."
+
+"No man of honor--no man who has any delicacy or refinement of
+feeling--can fail to be distressed and annoyed by the thought that he
+has unintentionally and unconsciously aroused in a woman's heart an
+interest which he cannot possibly reciprocate."
+
+"But, if you have never considered the subject until now, how do you
+know that you may not be able to return the affection?"
+
+"Because, when I examine my own heart, I find not even the germ of a
+feeling which years might possibly ripen into love."
+
+"Will you candidly answer the question I am about to ask you?"
+
+"Yes, I think I can safely promise that much, simply because I wish to
+conceal nothing from you; and I cannot conjecture any inquiry on your
+part from which I should shrink. What would you ask?"
+
+"Is it because you are interested in some other woman, that you speak
+so positively of the hopelessness of my poor Salome's case?"
+
+"No, my sister; no woman has any claim or hold on my heart stronger
+than that of mere friendship. I have never loved any one as I must
+love the woman I make my wife; and since I have seen and merely
+admired so many who were attractive, lovely, and lovable, I often
+think that I shall probably never marry.
+
+             ... 'For several virtues
+  I have liked several women; never any
+  With so full a soul, but some defect in her
+  Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owned,
+  And put it to a foil.'
+
+Of course this is a matter with reference to which I shall not
+dogmatize, for we are all more or less the victims of caprice; and,
+like other men, I may some day set the imperious feet of fancy upon
+the neck of judgment and sound reason. As yet, I have not met the
+perfect character whom I could ask to bear my name; still, I may be so
+fortunate as either to find my ideal, or imagine that I do; or else
+become so earnestly attached to some beautiful woman, that, for her
+sake, I will willingly lower my lofty standard. These are the merest
+possible contingencies, and I have little inclination to discuss them;
+but I wish at all times to be entirely frank with you. Salome would
+never suit me as a life-long companion. She meets none of the
+requirements of my intellectual nature, and her perverse disposition,
+and what might almost be termed _diablerie_, repel instead of
+attracting me. I pity the child, and can sympathize cordially with her
+efforts to redeem herself from the luckless associations of earlier
+years that wofully distorted her character; and I can truly say that I
+am interested in her welfare and improvement, and have a faint
+brotherly affection for her; but I thoroughly comprehend my own
+feelings when I assure you, Janet, that were Salome and I left alone
+in the world I could never for a moment entertain the idea of calling
+such a wayward child my wife. Are you satisfied?"
+
+"Convinced, at least, that you are not deceiving me. But, Ulpian, the
+girl is growing very beautiful--don't you think so?--or, is it my love
+that makes me see her through flattering lenses?"
+
+"Her lips are too thin, and her eyes too keen and restless for perfect
+beauty, which claims repose as one of its essential elements; but,
+notwithstanding these flaws, she has undoubtedly one of the handsomest
+faces I have ever seen, and certainly a graceful, fine figure."
+
+"And you are such an admirer of beauty," said Miss Jane, slipping her
+fingers caressingly into her brother's hand.
+
+"Yes; I shall not deny that I yield to no one in appreciation of
+lovely faces; but, if I am aware that, like some rich crimson June
+rose whose calyx cradles a worm, the heart beneath the perfect form is
+gnawed by some evil tendency, or shelters vindictive passion and
+sinful impulses, I should certainly not select it in making up the
+precious bouquet that is to shed perfume and beauty in my home, and
+call my thoughts from the din and strife of the outer world to
+holiness and peace."
+
+"You have no mercy on the child."
+
+"I ought to have no mercy on glaring faults which she should ere this
+have corrected."
+
+"But she is so young--only seventeen! Think of it!"
+
+Dr. Grey frowned, and partially withdrew his hand from his sister's
+clasp.
+
+"Janet, you grieve me. Surely you are not pleading with me in behalf
+of Salome?"
+
+Tears trickled over Miss Jane's sallow cheeks and dripped on the
+doctor's hand, as she replied,--
+
+"Bear with me, Ulpian. The girl is very dear to me; and, loving you as
+she unquestionably does, I know that you could make her a noble,
+admirable woman,--for she has some fine traits, and your influence
+would perfect her character. Believe me, my dear boy, you, and you
+only, can remould her heart."
+
+"Possibly,--if I loved her; for then I would be patient and forbearing
+towards her faults. But I cannot even respect that handsome, fiery,
+impulsive, unreasonable child, much less love her; and, if I ever
+marry, my wife must be worthy to remould my own defective life and
+erring nature. I am surprised, my dear sister, that you, whose sincere
+affection I can not doubt, should be willing to see me link my life
+with that of one so much younger, and, I grieve to say it, so far
+inferior in all respects. What congenial companionship could I
+promise myself? What confidence could I repose--what esteem could I
+entertain--for a silly girl, who, without warrant and utterly
+unsought, bestows her love (if, indeed, what you say be true) upon a
+man who never even dreamed of such folly, and is old enough to be her
+father?"
+
+"I can not comprehend the logic that condemns Salome, and justifies
+your own mother; for, if there be any difference in their lines of
+conduct, I am too stupid to see it."
+
+Miss Jane lifted her head from her brother's shoulder, resolutely
+dried her eyes, and settled her cap.
+
+"My mother's tombstone should shelter her from all animadversion,
+especially from the lips that owe their existence to her. Do not, my
+sister, disturb the mouldering ashes of the long-buried past. The
+unfortunate fact you have mentioned, and which I should gladly doubt
+if you would only permit me to do so, renders it necessary for me to
+be perfectly candid with you, and you will, I trust, pardon what I
+feel compelled to say to you. I have remarked that you watch me quite
+closely whenever I am engaged in conversation with my ward or her
+governess, and yesterday, when Muriel came, stood by me, and leaned
+her arm on my shoulder, you frowned and looked harshly at the child.
+Once for all, let me tell you that there is no more possibility of my
+loving Muriel or Edith, than Salome. Of the three, I care most for
+Muriel, who looks upon me as her second father, and to whom I am
+deeply attached. If I caress the poor, stricken child, and allow her
+to approach me familiarly, you ought to understand your brother
+sufficiently well not to ascribe his conduct to any feeling which he
+would blush to confess to his sister. The day before Horace died, he
+said, 'Be a father to my daughter; take my place when I am gone.' If I
+were at liberty to divulge some matters confided to me, I could easily
+assure you that there is not a shadow of possibility that Muriel will
+ever grieve and mortify me as Salome has done. Now look at me, dear
+Janet, and kiss me, and trust your brother; for he will never deceive
+you, and can not endure a moment's estrangement from you."
+
+Miss Jane put up her lips for the caress, and, after a short silence,
+Dr. Grey continued,--
+
+"Tell me now what you think best under the circumstances, and I will
+endeavor to coöperate with you. Does Salome know you are cognizant of
+her weakness--her misfortune--"
+
+He stammered, and again his face flushed.
+
+"Upon my word, Ulpian, you are positively blushing! Don't worry
+yourself, dear, over what can not be helped, or at least is
+attributable to no fault of yours. No; you may be sure Salome would be
+drawn, quartered, and broiled, before she would confess to me the
+feeling which she does not suspect I have discovered. Poor thing! I
+can't avoid pitying her whenever you take Muriel's hand or caress her
+in any way. This morning you smoothed the hair back from her forehead
+while she was stooping over her drawing, and poor Salome's eyes
+flashed and looked like a leopard's. She clenched her fingers as if
+she were strangling something, and an expression came over her face
+that was dangerous, and made me shiver a little. Something must be
+done; but I am sure I do not know what to advise."
+
+"How futile and mocking are merely human schemes! My principal object
+in bringing Muriel and Miss Dexter here, was to provide agreeable and
+improving companions for your pet and to afford her the privilege of
+sharing the educational advantages which Muriel enjoyed. _L'homme
+propose, et Dieu dispose_, if, indeed, an occurrence so earnestly to
+be deplored can be deemed providential. What are her plans relative to
+Jessie?"
+
+"If she has matured any, she keeps them shut up in her own heart. Once
+she talked freely to me on all subjects, but recently she seems to
+avoid acquainting me with her intentions or schemes. Of course,
+Ulpian, you know I have always expected to leave her a portion of my
+property."
+
+"Certainly, dear Janet; you ought to provide comfortably for the girl
+whom you have taught to rely upon your bounty. It would be cruel and
+unpardonable to foster hopes that you could not fully realize."
+
+"It was my intention to put into your hands the share I intended for
+her, and to leave her also to your care, when I die; but now I know
+not what is best. If she could be separated from you, she might divert
+her thoughts and become interested in other things or persons; but so
+long as you are in the same house I know there will be nothing but
+wretchedness and disappointment for her."
+
+After a long pause, during which Dr. Grey looked seriously pained and
+perplexed, he said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"You are right in thinking separation would be best; and I will go
+away at once--"
+
+"Go where?" exclaimed his sister, grasping his coat-sleeve.
+
+"I will furnish the rooms over my office, and live there. It will be
+more convenient for my business; but I dislike to leave you and the
+dear old homestead."
+
+"Stuff! You will churn the Atlantic, with the North Pole for a dasher!
+Ulpian Grey! come weal come woe, I don't intend to give you up. Here,
+right here, you will live while there is breath in my body,--unless
+you wish to make me sob it out and die the sooner. Pooh! Salome's
+shining eyes can not recompense me for the loss of my boy's blue ones,
+and I will not hear of such nonsense as the move you propose. You
+know, dear, I can't be here very long at the best, and while God
+spares me I want you near me. Besides, the separation of a few miles
+would not be worth a thimbleful of chaff; for, of course, Salome would
+hear of or see you daily, and the change would amount to nothing but
+anxiety and grief on my part. We will think the matter over, and do
+nothing rashly. But try to be patient with my little girl; and, for my
+sake, Ulpian, do not allow her to suspect that you dream of her
+feeling towards you. It is pitiable,--it is distressing beyond
+expression; and God knows, if I had thought for an instant that such a
+state of things would ever have come to pass, I would have left her in
+the poor-house sooner than have been instrumental in bringing such
+misery upon her young life. Last night I was suffering so much with my
+shoulder that I could not sleep, and I heard the child pacing her room
+until after three o'clock. It was useless to question her; for, of
+course, she would not confess the real cause, and I did not wish her
+to know that I noticed what I could not cure. But, my dearest boy, we
+are not to be blamed; so don't look so mortified and grieved. I would
+not have opened your unsuspecting eyes if I had not feared that your
+ignorance of the truth might increase the trouble, and I knew I could
+safely appeal to my sailor-boy's honor. Now you know all, and must be
+guided by your own good sense and delicacy in your future course
+toward the poor, proud young thing. Be guarded, Ulpian, and don't
+torment her by petting Muriel in her presence; for sometimes I am
+afraid there is bad blood in her veins, that brings that wicked glow
+to her eyes, and I dread that she might suddenly say or do some
+desperate thing that would plunge us all in sorrow. You know she is
+not a meek creature, and we must pity her weakness."
+
+Dr. Grey had grown very pale, and the profound regret printed on his
+countenance found expression also in the deepened and saddened tones
+of his voice.
+
+"Trust me, Janet! I will do all a man can to rectify the mischief, of
+which, God knows, I have been an innocent and entirely unintentional
+cause. Salome's course is unwomanly, and lowers her in my estimation;
+but she is so young I shall hope and pray that her preference for me
+is not sufficiently strong to prove more than an idle, fleeting,
+girlish fancy."
+
+He took his gloves from the table and left the room; and, for some
+time after his departure, his sister sat rocking herself to and fro,
+pondering all that had passed. Finally, she struck her hand decisively
+upon the cushioned top of her crutch, and muttered,--
+
+"Yes, he certainly is as nearly perfect as humanity can be; but,
+after all, Ulpian Grey is only flesh and blood, and despite his
+efforts to crush it, there must be some vanity hidden under his proud
+humility,--for certainly he is both humble in one sense, and
+inordinately proud in another; and I do not believe there lives a
+man of his age who would not be flattered by the love of a fresh young
+beauty like Salome. He thinks now that he is distressed and
+mortified; and, of course, he is honest in what he tells me; but I
+have studied human nature to very little purpose for the last fifty
+years, if, before long, he does not find himself more interested in
+Salome than he will be willing to confess. Her love for him will
+invest her with a charm she never possessed before, for men are
+vulnerable as women to the cunning advances of flattery. One thing
+is as sure and clear as that two and two make four,--if he is proof
+against Salome's devotion it will be attributable to the fact that he
+gives his heart to some one else; and I thought his blue eyes rather
+shied away from mine when he said he had yet to meet the woman he
+could marry. You don't intend to deceive me, my precious boy, I
+know you don't; but I should not be astounded if you had hoodwinked
+yourself,--a very little. But 'sufficient unto the day is the evil
+thereof,' and I will wait,--and we shall see what we shall see."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+
+"Elsie, it is worse than useless to talk to me. Once I could listen to
+you,--once I felt as you do now; but that time has gone by forever. I
+will read to you as often as you desire it, provided you do not make
+every chapter a text for a sermon. What do you wish to hear this
+morning?"
+
+"The fortieth Psalm."
+
+Mrs. Gerome opened the Bible, and, when she had finished the psalm
+designated, shut the book and laid it back close to Elsie's pillow.
+
+The old woman placed her hand on the round, white arm of her mistress,
+who rested carelessly against the bed.
+
+"You know, my child, that David's afflictions were sore indeed; but he
+declares, 'I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me,
+and heard my cry.' You will not be patient, and God can't help you
+till you are. We are like children punished for bad conduct,--as long
+as we rebel and struggle, of course we must be still further
+chastised; but the moment we show real penitence, our parents notice
+that we are bearing correction patiently, and then they throw away the
+rod and stretch out their arms, and snatch us close to their loving
+hearts. Even so God holds one hand to draw us tenderly to Him; and, if
+we are obstinately sinful, with the other He scourges us into the
+right path,--determined to help us, even against our own wills. Ah, if
+I could see you waiting patiently for the Lord!"
+
+"You will never see it. Patience was 'scourged' out of me, and now I
+stand still because I am worn out with struggling, waiting--not
+patiently, but wearily and helplessly--to see the end of my
+punishment. What have I done that I should feign a penitence I shall
+never feel? I was a happy, trusting, unoffending woman, when God smote
+me fiercely; and, because I was so innocent, I could not kiss my
+stinging rod, I grappled desperately with it. Elsie, don't stir up the
+bitter dregs in my soul, and mix them with every thought. Let them
+settle."
+
+"My darling, I don't want them to settle. I pray either that they may
+be stirred up and taken out, or sweetened by the grace of God. Do you
+ever think of the day when you will face your sainted mother?"
+
+"No. I think only of enduring this present life until death, my
+deliverer, comes to my rescue."
+
+"But, my bairn, you are not fit to die."
+
+"Fit to die as to live," answered her mistress, morosely.
+
+"For God's sake, don't flout the Almighty in that wicked manner! If
+you would only be baptized and take refuge in prayer, as every
+Christian should, you would find peace for your poor, miserable
+soul."
+
+"No; peace can't be poured out of a pitcher with the baptismal water;
+and all the waves tossing and glittering out there in the ocean could
+not wash one painful memory from my heart. I have had one baptism, and
+it was ample and thorough. I went down into the waters of woe, and all
+their black billows broke over me. Instead of the Jordan, I was
+immersed in the Dead Sea, and the asphaltum cleaves to me."
+
+"Oh, dearie, you will break my heart! I wish now that you had died
+when you were only fourteen months old, for then there would have been
+one more precious lamb in the flock of the Good Shepherd, safe in
+heavenly pastures--one more dear little golden head nestling on
+Jesus' bosom,--instead of--of--"
+
+Elsie's emotion mastered her voice, and she sobbed convulsively.
+
+"Why did not you finish? 'Instead of a gray head waiting to go down
+into the pit of perdition.' Yes, it was a terrible blunder that I was
+not allowed to die in my infancy; but it can't be helped now, and I
+wish you would not fret yourself into a fever over the irremediable.
+Why will you persist in tormenting yourself and me about my want of
+resignation and faith, when you know that exhortation and persuasion
+have no more effect upon me than the whistle of the plover down yonder
+in the sedge and seaweed,--where I heartily wish I were lying, ten
+feet under the shells? Rather a damp pillow for my fastidious, proud
+head, but, at least, cool and quiet. Calm yourself, my dear Elsie, for
+God will not hold you responsible if I miss my place among the saints,
+when He divides the sheep from the goats, in the last day,--_Dies iræ
+dies illa_. Let me straighten your pillow and smooth your cap-border,
+for I see your doctor coming up the walk. There,--dry your eyes. When
+you want me, send Robert or Katie to call me."
+
+Mrs. Gerome leaned over the helpless, prostrate form on the bed,
+pressed her cheek against that of her nurse, where tears still
+glistened, and glided swiftly out of the room just before Dr. Grey
+entered.
+
+Never had he seen his patient so completely unnerved; but, observing
+her efforts to compose herself, he forbore any allusion to an
+agitation which he suspected was referable to mental rather than
+physical causes. Bravely the stubborn woman struggled to steady her
+voice, and still the twitching tell-tale muscles about her mouth; but
+the burden of anxiety finally bore down all resolves, and, covering
+her face with her broad hand, she wept unrestrainedly.
+
+In profound silence Dr. Grey sat beside her for nearly five minutes;
+then, fearful that the excitement might prove injurious, he said,
+gently,--
+
+"I hope you are not suffering so severely from bodily pain? What
+distresses you, my good woman? Perhaps, if I knew the cause, I might
+be able to render you some service."
+
+"It is not my body,--that, you know, is numb, and gives me no
+pain,--but my mind! Doctor, I am suffering in mind, and you have no
+medicine that can ease that."
+
+"Possibly I may accomplish more than you imagine is within reach of my
+remedies. Of one thing you may rest assured,--you will never have
+reason to regret any confidence you may repose in me."
+
+"Dr. Grey, I believe you are a Christian; at least, I have heard so;
+and, since my affliction, I have been watching you very closely, and
+begin to think I can trust you. Are you a member of the church?"
+
+"I am; although that fact alone should not entitle me to your
+confidence. We are all erring, and full of faults, but I endeavor to
+live in such a manner that I shall not bring disgrace upon the holy
+faith I profess."
+
+"Shut the door, and come back to me."
+
+He bolted the door, which stood ajar, and resumed his seat.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I know as well as you do that I can't last a great while,
+and I ought to prepare for what may overtake me any day. I have tried
+to live in accordance with the law of God, and I am not afraid to die;
+but I am afraid to leave my mistress behind me. When I am gone there
+will be no one to watch over and plead with her, and I dread lest her
+precious soul may be lost. She won't go to God for herself, or by
+herself, and who will pray for her salvation when I am in my shroud?
+Oh, I can not die in peace, leaving her alone in the world she hates
+and despises! What will become of my poor, bonnie bairn?"
+
+Elsie sobbed aloud, and Dr. Grey asked,--
+
+"Has Mrs. Gerome no living relatives?"
+
+"None, sir, in America. There are some cousins in Scotland, but she
+has never seen them, and never will."
+
+"Where are the members of her husband's family?"
+
+A visible shudder crept over that portion of the woman's body which
+was not paralyzed, and her face grew dark and stern.
+
+"He was an orphan."
+
+"His loss seems to have had a terrible effect upon Mrs. Gerome, and
+rendered her bitter and hopeless."
+
+"How hopeless, none but she and I and the God above us know. Once she
+was the meekest, sweetest spirit, that ever gladdened a nurse's heart,
+and I thought the world was blessed by her coming into it; but now she
+is sacrilegious and scoffing, and almost dares the Lord's judgments.
+Dr. Grey, it would nearly freeze your blood to hear her sometimes.
+Poor thing! she will have no companions, and so has a habit of talking
+to herself, and I often hear her arguing with the Almighty about her
+life, and the trouble He allowed to fall into it. Last night she was
+walking there under my window, begging God to take her out of the
+world before I die. Begging, did I say? Nay,--demanding. My precious,
+pretty bairn!"
+
+"Elsie, be candid with me. Is not Mrs. Gerome partially deranged?"
+
+She struggled violently to raise herself, but failing, her head fell
+back, and she lifted her finger angrily.
+
+"No more deranged than you or I. That is a vile slander of busybodies
+whom she will not receive, and who take it for granted that no lady in
+her sound senses would refuse the privilege of gossiping with them.
+She is as sane as any one, though there is an unnatural appearance
+about her, and if her heart was only as sound as her head I could die
+easily. They started the report of craziness long, long ago, in order
+to get hold of her fortune; but it was too infamous a scheme to
+succeed."
+
+Elsie's strong white teeth were firmly set, and her clenched fingers
+did not relax.
+
+"Who started the report of her insanity?"
+
+"One who injured her, and made her what you see her."
+
+"She had no children?"
+
+"Oh, no! Once I begged her to adopt a pretty little orphan girl we saw
+in Athens, but she ridiculed me for an old fool, and asked me if I
+wished to see her warm a viper to sting what was left of her heart."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome has indulged her grief for her husband's loss, until she
+has become morbidly sensitive. She should go into the world, and
+interest herself in benevolent schemes; and, ultimately, her diseased
+thoughts would flow into new and healthful channels. The secluded life
+she leads is a hotbed for the growth of noxious fungi in heart and
+mind. If you possess any influence over her, persuade her to re-enter
+society. She is still young enough to find not only a cure for her
+grief, but an ample share of even earthly happiness."
+
+Elsie sighed, and waved her hand impatiently.
+
+"You do not know all, or you would understand that in this world she
+can not expect much happiness. Besides, she is peculiarly sensitive
+about her appearance; and, of course, when she is seen, people stare,
+and wonder how such a young thing got that pile of white hair. That is
+the reason she quit travelling and shut herself up here."
+
+"Was it grief that prematurely silvered her hair?"
+
+"Yes, sir; it was as black as your coat, until her trouble came; and
+then in a fortnight it turned as gray as you see it now. Doctor, I
+said she was not deranged, and I spoke truly; but sometimes I have
+feared that, when I am gone, she might get desperate, and, in her
+loneliness, destroy herself. You are a sensible man, and can hold your
+tongue, and I feel that I can trust you. Now, I know that Robert loves
+her, and while he lives will serve her faithfully; but you are wiser
+than my son, and I should be better satisfied if I left her in your
+charge, when I go home. Will you promise me to take care of her, and
+to try to comfort her in the day when she sees me buried?"
+
+"Elsie, you impose upon me a duty which I am afraid Mrs. Gerome will
+not allow me to discharge; and, since she is so exceedingly averse to
+meeting strangers, I should not feel justified in thrusting myself
+into her presence."
+
+"Not even to prevent a crime?"
+
+"I hope that your excited imagination and anxious heart exaggerate the
+possibility of the danger to which you allude."
+
+"No; exaggeration is not one of my habits, and I know my mistress
+better than she knows herself. She thinks that suicide is not a sin,
+but says it is cowardly; and she utterly detests and loathes
+cowardice. Dr. Grey, I could not rest quietly in my coffin if she is
+left alone in this dreary house, after I am carried to my long home.
+Will you stay here awhile, or take her to your house,--at least for a
+short time?"
+
+"I will, at all events, promise to comply with your wishes as fully as
+she will permit. But recollect that I am comparatively a stranger to
+her, and her haughty reception of me the day I was compelled to come
+here on your account, does not encourage me to presume in future.
+Respect for her wishes, however unreasonable, and respect for myself,
+would forbid an intrusion on my part."
+
+"If you saw an utter stranger drowning, would fear of being considered
+presumptuous or impertinent prevent your trying to save him? Your
+self-love should not hold you back from a Christian duty."
+
+"And you may rest assured that it never shall, when I feel that
+interference--no matter how unwelcome or ungraciously received--will
+prove beneficial. But remember that your mistress is eccentric and
+shrinking, and all efforts to befriend her must be made very
+cautiously."
+
+"True, doctor; yet sometimes, instead of consulting her, it is best
+to treat her as a wilful child. I believe you could obtain some
+influence over her if you would only try to break the ice, because
+she has spoken kindly of you several times since I have been so
+helpless, and asked what she could do to show her gratitude for
+your goodness to me. Yesterday she said she intended to direct
+Robert to take some fine fruit to your house, and she remarked
+that your eyes were, in comparison with other folks', what Sabbath is
+to working week-days,--were so full of rest, that tired anxious
+people might be refreshed by looking at them. Sir, that is more than I
+have heard her utter for seven years about anybody; and, therefore, I
+think you might do her some good."
+
+Dr. Grey shook his head, but remained silent; and presently Elsie
+touched his arm, and continued,--
+
+"There is something I wish to say to you before I die, but not now. I
+want you to promise me that when you see my end is indeed at hand,
+you will tell me in time to let me talk a little to you. Will you?"
+
+"You may linger for months, and it is possible that you may die quite
+suddenly; consequently, it might be impracticable for me to fulfil the
+promise you require. Still, if I can do so, I will certainly comply
+with your wishes. Would it not be better to tell me at once what you
+desire me to know?"
+
+"While I live it is not necessary that any one should know, and it is
+only when I am about to die that I shall speak to you. For my sake,
+for humanity's sake, try to become acquainted with my mistress and
+make her like you, as she certainly will, if she only knows you."
+
+A tap at the door interrupted the conversation, and soon after, Dr.
+Grey quitted the sick-room.
+
+He paused in the hall to examine a fine copy of Landseer's "Old
+Shepherd's Chief Mourner," and, while he stood before it, a large
+greyhound started up from the mat at the front door, and bounded
+towards him. Simultaneously Mrs. Gerome appeared at the threshold of
+the parlor.
+
+"Come here, sir! Poor fellow, come here!"
+
+The dog obeyed her instantly; and, pressing close to her, looked up
+wistfully in her face.
+
+"Good morning, Mrs. Gerome. I must thank you for coming so promptly to
+my assistance. I have never seen this dog until to-day, and,
+consequently, was not on my guard."
+
+"He arrived only yesterday, and is so overjoyed to be with me once
+more that he allows no one else to approach."
+
+"He is by far the handsomest dog I have ever seen in America."
+
+"Yes, I had great difficulty in obtaining him. My agent assures me
+that he belongs to the best that are reared in the tribe of Beni Lam;
+and that he is a genuine Arab, there can be no doubt."
+
+"How long have you owned him?"
+
+"Two years. Unfortunately he was bitten by a snake one day while
+wandering with me among the ruins at Pæstum, and was so singularly
+affected that I was forced to leave him at Naples. Various causes
+combined to delay his restoration to me until last week, when he
+crossed the Atlantic; and yesterday he went into ecstasies when I
+received him from the express agent. Hush! no growling! Down, sir!
+Take care, Dr. Grey; he will bear no hand but mine, and it is rather
+dangerous to caress him, as you may judge from the fangs he is showing
+you."
+
+The dog was remarkably tall, silky, beautifully formed, and of a soft
+mole-color; and around his neck a collar formed of four small silver
+chains, bore an oval silver plate on which was engraved in German
+text, "_Ich Dien--Agla Gerome_."
+
+"I congratulate you upon the possession of such a treasure," said
+the visitor, with unfeigned admiration,--as, with the eye of a
+_connoisseur_, he noted the fine points about the sleek, slim
+animal, who eyed him suspiciously.
+
+"Thank you. How is Elsie to-day?"
+
+"More nervous than I have seen her since the accident, and some of her
+symptoms are rather discouraging, though there is no immediate danger.
+Do not look so hopeless; she may be spared to you for many months."
+
+"Why will you not let me hope that she may ultimately recover?"
+
+"Because it is utterly futile, and I have no desire to deceive you,
+even for an instant. Good morning, Robert."
+
+The gardener approached with a large basket filled with peaches and
+nectarines, and, taking off his hat, bowed profoundly.
+
+"My mistress ordered these placed in your buggy, as I believe our
+nectarines ripen earlier than any others in the neighborhood."
+
+"Thank you, Maclean. Mrs. Gerome is exceedingly kind, and I have an
+invalid sister who will enjoy this beautiful fruit. Those nectarines
+would not disgrace Smyrna or Damascus, and are the first of the
+season."
+
+Robert passed through the hall, bearing the basket to the buggy; and
+at that instant there was a startling crash, as of some heavy article
+falling in the parlor. The dog sprang up with a howl, and Dr. Grey
+followed Mrs. Gerome into the room to ascertain the cause of the
+noise. A glance sufficed to explain that a picture in a heavy frame
+had fallen from a hook above the mantelpiece, and in its descent
+overturned some tall vases, which now lay shattered on the hearth. Dr.
+Grey lifted the painting from the rubbish, and, as he turned the
+canvas towards the light, Mrs. Gerome said,--
+
+"'_Une tristesse implacable, une effroyable fatalité pèse sui l'oeuvre
+de l'artiste. Cela ressemble à une malediction amère, lancée sur le
+sort de l'humanité._' There is, indeed, some fatality about that copy
+of Durer's 'Knight, Death, and the Devil,' which seems really
+ill-omened, for this is the second time it has fallen. Thank you, sir.
+The frame only is injured, and I will not trouble you to remove it.
+Let it lean against the grate, until I have it rehung more securely."
+
+"It is too grim a picture for these walls, and stares at its
+companions like the mummy at Egyptian banquets."
+
+"On the contrary, it impresses me as grotesque in comparison with
+Durer's 'Melancholy,' yonder, or with Holbein's 'Les Simulachres de la
+mort.'"
+
+"Durer's figure of 'Melancholy' has never satisfied me, and there is
+more ferocity than sadness in the countenance, which would serve quite
+as well for one of the Erinney hunting Orestes, even in the adytum at
+Delphi. The face is more sinister than sorrowful."
+
+"Since your opinion of that picture coincides so entirely with mine,
+tell me whether I have successfully grasped Coleridge's dim ideal."
+
+Mrs. Gerome drew from a corner of the rear room an easel containing a
+finished but unframed picture; and, gathering up the lace curtain
+drooping before the arch, she held the folds aside, to allow the light
+to fall full on the canvas.
+
+"Before you examine it, recall the description that suggested it."
+
+"I am sorry to say that my recollection of the passage is exceedingly
+vague and unsatisfactory. Will you oblige me by repeating it?"
+
+"Excuse me; your hand is resting upon the book, which is open at the
+fragment."
+
+Dr. Grey bowed, and, lifting the volume from the table glanced
+rapidly over the lines designated, then turned to the picture, where,
+indeed,
+
+  "Stretched on a mouldering abbey's broadest wall,
+    Where ruining ivies propped the ruins steep,
+  Her folded arms wrapping her tattered pall,
+    Had Melancholy mused herself to sleep.
+  The fern was pressed beneath her hair,
+  The dark green adder's tongue was there;
+  And still as past the flagging sea-gale weak,
+  The long, lank leaf bowed fluttering o'er her cheek.
+    That pallid cheek was flushed; her eager look
+  Beamed eloquent in slumber! Inly wrought,
+    Imperfect sounds her moving lips forsook,
+  And her bent forehead worked with troubled thought."
+
+The beautiful face of the reclining figure was dreamily hopeless and
+dejected, yet pathetically patient; and, in the strange amber light
+reflected from a sunset sea, the fringy shadow of a cluster of
+fern-leaves seemed to quiver over the pale brow and still mouth, and
+floating raven hair, where the green snake glided with crest erect and
+forked tongue within an inch of one delicate, pearly ear. The gray
+stones of the lichen-spotted wall, the graceful sweep of the shrouding
+drab drapery, whose folds clung to the form and thence swung down from
+the edge of the rocky battlement, the mouldering ruins leaning against
+the quiet sky in the rear, and the glassy stretch of topaz-tinted sea
+in the foreground, were all painted with pre-Raphaelite exactness and
+verisimilitude, and every detail attested the careful, tender study,
+with which the picture had been elaborated.
+
+Was it by accident or design that the woman on the painted wall bore a
+vague, mournful resemblance to the owner and creator? Dr. Grey glanced
+from Durer's "Melancholy" to the canvas on the easel; then his
+fascinated eyes dwelt on the dainty features of the artist, and he
+thought involuntarily of another Coleridgean image,--of the "pilgrim
+in whom the spring and the autumn, and the melancholy of both, seemed
+to have combined."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, in this wonderful embodiment of Coleridge's fragmentary
+ideal you have painted your own portrait."
+
+"No, sir. Look again. My 'Melancholia' has a patient face, hinting of
+possible peace. When I design its companion, 'Desolation,' I may be
+pardoned if my canvas reflects what always fronts it."
+
+"May I ask when you wrought out this extraordinary conception?"
+
+"During the past month. The last touch was given this morning, and the
+paint is not yet dry on that cluster of purplish seaweed clinging to
+the base of the battlement. Last night I dreamed that Coleridge stood
+looking over my shoulder and while I worked he touched the sea, and it
+flushed a ruby red brighter than laudanum; and then he leaned down,
+and with a pencil wrote _Dele_ across the fragment in his Sibylline
+Leaves.' To-day I tried the effect of the hint, but the amber water
+mellows the woman's features, and the ruby light rendered them sullen
+and rigid."
+
+"Were I to judge from the _bizarre_ themes that you select, I should
+be tempted to fear that the wizard spell of opium evoked some of these
+strangely beautiful creations of your brush. What suggested this
+picture?"
+
+"You merely wish to complete your diagnosis of my psychological
+condition? If so, there is no reason why I should hesitate to tell you
+that while I was playing one of Chopin's _Nocturnes_ the significance
+of the Polish '_Zäl_' perplexed me. In striving to analyze it,
+Coleridge's 'Melancholy' occurred to my mind, and teased and haunted
+me until I wrought it out palpably. My work there means more than his
+fragment, and includes something which I suppose Chopin meant by that
+insynonymous word '_Zäl_.'"
+
+Standing under the arch, with one hand holding back the lace drapery,
+the other hanging nerveless at her side, she looked as weird as any of
+her ideal creations; and, in the greenish seashine breaking through
+the dense foliage of the trees about the house, her wan face, snowy
+muslin dress, and floating white ribbons, seemed unsubstantial as the
+figures on the wall. To-day there was no spot of color in face or
+dress, save the azure gleam of the large, brilliant ring, on her
+uplifted hand; and, as Dr. Grey scrutinized her appearance, he found
+it difficult to realize that blood pulsed in that marble flesh, and
+warm breath fluttered in that firm, frigid mouth. Glancing around the
+rooms, he said,--
+
+"Solitude is indeed a misnomer for a home peopled with such creations
+as adorn these walls."
+
+"No. Have you forgotten the definition of Epictetus? '_To be
+friendless is solitude._'"
+
+"I hope, madam, that you may never find yourself in that unfortunate
+category, and certainly there are--"
+
+"Sir, I know what Michael Angelo felt when he wrote from Rome, 'I have
+no friends; I need none.'"
+
+She interrupted him with an indescribably haughty gesture, and an
+anomalous spasm of the lips that belonged to no known class of
+smiles.
+
+"On the contrary, Mrs. Gerome, the hunger for true friends has
+rendered you morose and cynical."
+
+He did not shrink from the wide eyes that flashed like blue steel in
+moonshine; and as his own, calm, steady, and magnetic, dwelt gravely
+on her face, he fancied she winced, slightly.
+
+"No, sir. When I hunt or recognize friends, I shall borrow Diogenes'
+lantern. Good morning, Dr. Grey."
+
+"Pardon me if I detain you for a moment to inquire who taught you to
+paint."
+
+"The absolute necessity of self-forgetfulness."
+
+"But you surely had some tuition in the art?"
+
+"Yes; I had the usual boarding-school privilege of a master for
+perspective, and pastel. Dr. Grey, have you been to Europe?"
+
+"Yes, madam; on several occasions."
+
+"You visited Dresden?"
+
+"I did."
+
+"Step forward a little,--there. Now, sir, do you know that painting
+hanging over my _escritoire_?"
+
+"It is Ruysdael's 'Churchyard,' and, from this distance, seems a
+remarkably fine copy of that sombre, desolate, ghoul-haunted
+picture."
+
+"Thank you. That is the only piece of work of which I feel really
+proud. Some day, when the light is pure and strong, come in and
+examine it. Now there is a greenish tinge over all things in the room
+thrown by sea-shimmer through the clustering leaves. Ah, what a long,
+low, presageful moan that was, which broke from foaming lips, on
+yonder strand!"
+
+"Good morning, Mrs. Gerome. The inspection of your pictures has
+yielded me so much pleasure that I must tender you my very sincere
+thanks for your courtesy."
+
+She bowed distantly; and, when he reached his buggy, he glanced back
+and saw that perfect, pallid face, pressed against the cedar facing of
+the oriel, looking seaward. He lifted his hat, but she did not observe
+the salute; and, as he drove away, she kept her eyes upon the
+murmuring waves, and repeated, as was her habit, the lines that
+chanced to present themselves,--
+
+  "Listen! you hear the solemn roar
+  Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
+  With tremulous cadence, slow, and bring
+  The eternal note of sadness in.
+  Sophocles, long ago,
+  Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
+  Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
+  Of human misery."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+
+"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the
+library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a
+passage in Ariosto.
+
+"She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest. Do
+you wish to see her immediately?"
+
+"Yes. Call her down."
+
+When the teacher left the room, Dr. Grey approached the table where
+Salome sat, and looked over her shoulder.
+
+"I went to the Asylum to-day, and found little Jessie very well, but
+quite dissatisfied because you visit her so rarely. You should see her
+as often as possible, since she is so dependent upon you for sympathy
+and affection."
+
+"I do."
+
+"Miss Dexter gives a flattering report of your aptitude for acquiring
+languages, and assures me that you will soon speak Italian fluently."
+
+"Miss Dexter doubtless believes that praise of a pupil reflects credit
+on the skill of the teacher. Unfortunately for her flattering estimate
+of me, I must disclaim all polyglot proclivities, and have no
+intention of eclipsing Mezzofanti, Max Muller, or Giovanni Pico
+Mirandola. I needed, for a special purpose, a limited acquaintance
+with Italian; and, as I have attained what I desired, I shall not
+trouble myself much longer with dictionaries and grammars."
+
+"And that special purpose--"
+
+"Concerns nobody else, consequently I keep it to myself."
+
+He turned from her and advanced to meet his ward, who came rapidly
+forward, holding out both hands.
+
+"Doctor, where have you been all day? I did not see you at breakfast
+or dinner, and it seems quite an age since yesterday afternoon. You
+see I am moping, horribly."
+
+"My dear child, I see you are looking pale and weary, which is overt
+and unpardonable treason. I sent for you to ask if it would be
+agreeable to you to walk, or drive with me."
+
+"Certainly,--either or both."
+
+She had placed her hands in his, and stood looking up joyfully into
+his quiet countenance.
+
+"Get your hat, while I order my buggy brought to the door."
+
+"Thank you, my dear doctor. The very thing I longed for, as I noticed
+you riding up the avenue. I never saw you on horseback until to-day.
+It is a delightful evening for a drive."
+
+She gaily swung his hands, like a gratified child, and started off
+for her hat, but, ere she crossed the threshold, turned back, and,
+walking up to her guardian, laid her arm on his shoulder and whispered
+something.
+
+He laughed, and put his hand under her chin, saying, as he did so,--
+
+"Little witch! How did you know it?"
+
+Her reply was audible only to the ears for which it was framed, and
+she darted away, evidently much happier than she had seemed for many
+days.
+
+While awaiting her return, Dr. Grey picked up her sketch-book, and was
+examining the contents, when Salome rose and hurried towards the door.
+As she passed him, his back was turned, and her muslin dress swept
+within reach of his spur, which caught the delicate fabric. She
+impatiently jerked the dress to disengage it, but it clung to the
+steel points, and a long rent was made in the muslin. With a
+half-smothered ejaculation, she tried to wrench herself free, but the
+dress only tore across the breadth from seam to seam. Dr. Grey turned,
+and stooped to assist her.
+
+"Wait an instant, Salome; you have almost ruined your dress."
+
+He was endeavoring to disentangle the shreds from the jagged edge of
+the spur, but she bent down, and, seizing the skirt in both hands,
+tore it away, leaving a large fragment trailing from the boot-heel.
+
+"'More haste, less speed.' Patience is better than petulance, my young
+friend."
+
+His grave, reproving voice, rendered her defiant; and, with a forced,
+unnatural laugh, she bowed, and hurried away, saying, as she looked
+over her shoulder,--
+
+"And spurs than persuasion? You mistake my nature."
+
+Dr. Grey had been riding, all the morning, across a broken stretch of
+country, where the roads were exceedingly insecure, and, as he removed
+the troublesome spur and laid it on the mantelpiece, he folded up the
+strip of muslin and put it into his pocket.
+
+"I am waiting for you," cried Muriel, from the hall door.
+
+He sighed, and went to his buggy; but the cloud did not melt from his
+brow, for, as he drove off, he noticed Salome's gleaming eyes peering
+from the window of her room; and pity and pain mingled in the emotions
+with which he recalled his sister's warning words.
+
+"Muriel, here is your letter, and, better still, Gerard will be with
+us to-morrow. Diplomatic affairs brought him temporarily to
+Washington, and he will spend next week with us. I cordially
+congratulate you, my dear child, and hastened home to bring you the
+good news, which I felt assured you would prefer to receive without
+witnesses."
+
+Muriel's blushing face was bent over her letter; but she put her hand
+on her guardian's, and pressed it vigorously.
+
+"A thousand thanks for all your goodness! Gerard writes that it was
+through your influence he was enabled to visit Washington; and,
+indeed, dear Dr. Grey, we are both very grateful for your kind
+interest in our happiness. Even poor papa could not be more
+considerate."
+
+"For several days past I have observed that you were unusually
+depressed, and that Miss Dexter looked constrained. Are you not
+pleasantly situated in my sister's house. Do not hesitate to speak
+frankly."
+
+Muriel's eyes filled with tears, and she answered, evasively,--
+
+"Miss Jane is very kind and affectionate."
+
+"Which means that Salome is not."
+
+"Dr. Grey, why does she dislike me so seriously? I have tried to be
+friendly and cordial towards her; but she constantly repels me. I
+really admire her very much; but I am afraid she positively hates
+me."
+
+"No, that is impossible; but she is a very peculiar, and, I am sorry
+to be forced to say, an unamiable girl, and is governed by every idle
+caprice. I hope that you will not allow yourself to be annoyed by any
+want of courtesy which she may unfortunately have displayed. Although
+a member of the household, Salome has no right to dispense or to
+withhold the hospitalities of my sister's home, or to insult her
+guests; and I trust that her individual whims will have no effect
+whatever upon you, unless they create a feeling of compassion and
+toleration in your kind heart. She has some good traits hidden under
+her _brusquerie_, and when you know her better you will excuse her
+rudeness."
+
+"Why is she so moody? I have not seen a pleasant smile on her face
+since I came here."
+
+"My dear child, let us select some more agreeable topic for
+discussion. Gerard will probably arrive on the early train, which will
+enable him to breakfast with us to-morrow. He will endeavor to
+persuade you to return at once to Europe; but I must tell you, in
+advance of his proposal, that I hope you will not yield to his wishes,
+since it would grieve me to part with you so soon."
+
+Muriel turned aside her head to avoid her guardian's penetrating gaze,
+and silently listened to his counsel concerning the course she should
+pursue towards her betrothed.
+
+For a year they had been affianced without the knowledge of her
+father, from whom she had been separated; but the frankness with which
+both had discussed the matter with Dr. Grey forbade the possibility of
+his withholding his approbation of the engagement; though he assured
+them he could not consent to its speedy consummation, as Muriel was
+too young and childish to appreciate the grave responsibility of such
+a step. Gerard Granville was several years older than his betrothed,
+and Dr. Grey had been astonished at his choice; but a long and
+intimate acquaintance led him to esteem the young man so highly, that,
+while he felt that Muriel was far inferior, he strove to stimulate her
+ambition, and hoped she would one day be fully worthy of him.
+
+To-day Dr. Grey drove for an hour through quiet, unfrequented country
+roads; and finally, when Muriel expressed herself anxious to catch a
+glimpse of the sea and a breath of its brine, he turned into a narrow
+track that led down to some fishermen's huts on the beach.
+
+While they paused on the edge of the low, yellow strand, and inhaled
+the fresh ocean air, Dr. Grey grew silent, and his companion fell
+into a blissful reverie relative to to-morrow's events. Suddenly he
+placed his hand on her arm, and said, "Listen! What a wonderfully
+sweet, flexible voice! Surely, fishermen's wives are not singing
+Mendelssohn's compositions? Did you hear that gush of melody? It
+comes not from that house, but seems floating from the opposite
+direction. Such strains almost revive one's faith in the Hindoo
+_Gandharvas_,--musical genii, filling the air with ravishing sounds.
+There! is it not exquisite? Hold these reins while I ascertain who
+owns that marvellous voice."
+
+Eager and curious as a boy, he sprang from the buggy, and, following
+the bend of the beach, passed two small deserted huts, and plunged
+into a grove of stunted trees, whence issued the sound that attracted
+his attention. Ere he had proceeded many yards he saw a woman sitting
+on a bank of sand and oyster-shells, and singing from an open sheet of
+music, while she made rapid gestures with one hand. Her face was
+turned from him, but, as he cautiously approached, the _pose_ of the
+figure, the noble contour of the head and neck, and a certain muslin
+dress which matched the strip in his pocket, made his heart beat
+violently. Intent only on solving the mystery, he stepped softly
+towards her; but just then a brace of plover started up at his feet,
+and, as they whirred away, the woman turned her head, and he found
+himself face to face with his musician.
+
+"Salome!"
+
+"Well, Dr. Grey."
+
+She had risen, and a beautiful glow overspread her cheeks, as she met
+his eyes.
+
+"What brings you to this lonely spot, three miles from home, when the
+sun has already gone down?"
+
+"Have I not as unquestionable a right to walk alone to the seaside as
+you to drive your ward whithersoever you list? Poverty, as well as
+wealth, sometimes makes people strangely independent. What have you
+done with Miss Muriel Manton?"
+
+There was such a sparkle in her eyes, such a bright flush on her
+polished cheeks and parted lips, that Dr. Grey wondered at her beauty,
+which had never before impressed him as so extraordinary.
+
+"Salome, why have you concealed your musical gift from me? Who taught
+you to sing?"
+
+"I am teaching myself, with such poor aid as I can obtain from that
+miserable vagabond, Barilli, who is generally intoxicated three days
+out of every six. Did you expect to find Heine's yellow-haired
+Loreley, or a treacherous Ligeia, sitting on a rock, wooing passers-by
+to speedy destruction?"
+
+"I certainly did not expect to meet my friend Salome alone at this
+hour and place. Child, do not trifle with me,--be truthful. Did you
+come here to meet any one?"
+
+"One never knows what may or may not happen. I came here to practise
+my music lesson, _sans_ auditors, and I meet Dr. Grey,--the last
+person I expected or desired to see."
+
+He came a step nearer, and put his hand on her shoulder.
+
+"Salome, you distress and perplex me. My child, are you better or
+worse than I think you?"
+
+She lifted her slender hand and laid it lightly on his, which still
+rested upon her shoulder.
+
+"I am both,--better and worse. Better in aim than you believe; worse
+in execution than you could realize, even if I confessed all, which I
+have not the slightest intention of doing. Ah, Dr. Grey, if you read
+me thoroughly, you would not be surprised, or consider it presumptuous
+that I sometimes think I am that anomalous creature, whom Balzac
+defined as 'Angel through love, demon through fantasy, child through
+faith, sage through experience, man through the brain, woman through
+the heart, giant through hope, and poet through dreams.'"
+
+As Dr. Grey looked down into the splendid eyes, softened and magnified
+by a crystal veil of unshed tears, he sighed, and answered,--
+
+"You are, indeed, a bundle of contradictions. Why have you so
+sedulously concealed the existence of your fine voice, which the
+majority of girls would have been eager to exhibit?"
+
+"It was not lack of vanity, but excess, that prompted me to keep you
+in ignorance, until I could astonish you by its perfection. You have
+anticipated me only by a few days, and I intended singing for you next
+week."
+
+"It is not prudent for you to venture so far from home, especially at
+this hour."
+
+"We paupers are not so fastidious as our lucky superiors, and cannot
+afford timid airs, and affectation of extreme nervousness. Having no
+escort, and expecting none, I walk alone in any direction I choose,
+with what fearlessness and contentment I find myself able to
+command."
+
+"It will be dark before you can reach the public road."
+
+"No, sir; there is a young moon swinging above the tree-tops, to light
+me on my lonesome ramble; and I come here so often that even the
+rabbits and whippoorwills know me. Where is Miss Muriel?"
+
+"Waiting in the buggy, on the beach. I must go back to her."
+
+"Yes. Pray do not delay an instant, or she will imagine that some dire
+calamity has befallen her knight, who, in hunting a siren, encountered
+Scylla or Charybdis. Good evening, Dr. Grey."
+
+"I am unwilling to leave you here so unprotected. Come and ride with
+Muriel, and I will walk beside the buggy. My horse is so gentle that a
+child can guide him."
+
+"Thank you. Not for a ten-acre lot in Mohammed's Paradise would I mar
+Miss Muriel's happiness, or punish myself by a _tête-à-tête_ with her.
+It would be positively 'discourteous' in me to accept your proposal;
+and, moreover, I abhor division,--_tout ou rien_."
+
+"Wilful, silly child! It is not proper for you to wander along that
+dreary road in the dark. Come with me."
+
+"Not I. Make yourself easy by recollecting that 'naught is never in
+danger.' See yonder in the west,--
+
+  'Where, lo! above the sandy sunset rose
+  The silver sickle of the green-gowned witch.'"
+
+She laughed lightly, derisively, and collected the sheets of music
+scattered on the bank.
+
+Silently Dr. Grey returned to his ward, who exclaimed, at sight of
+him,--
+
+"I am glad to see you again, for you stayed so long I was growing
+frightened. Did you find the singer?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"What is the matter? You look troubled and solemn."
+
+"I am merely annoyed by circumstances beyond my control."
+
+"Dr. Grey, who was that sweet singer?"
+
+"Salome Owen."
+
+"How can such a thing be possible, when I have never heard a note from
+her lips? You told me she had no musical talent."
+
+"I was not aware that she sang at all, until this afternoon, and your
+surprise does not equal mine."
+
+"Where did you find her?"
+
+"Sitting on a mound of sand, singing to the sea."
+
+"Who is with her?"
+
+"No one. I requested her to come with us, and offered to walk beside
+my buggy; but she declined. Please be so considerate as to say nothing
+about this occurrence, when you reach home; because animadversion only
+hardens that poor girl in her whimsical ways. Now we will dismiss the
+matter."
+
+Muriel endeavored to render herself an agreeable companion during the
+remainder of the drive; but her guardian, despite his efforts to
+become interested in her conversation, was evidently _distrait_, and
+both felt relieved when they reached Grassmere, where Miss Jane and
+the governess welcomed their return.
+
+Dr. Grey dismissed his buggy and entered the hall; but passed through
+the house, and, crossing the orchard, followed the road leading
+seaward.
+
+Only a few summer stars were sprinkling their silvery rays over the
+gray gloom of twilight, and the shining crescent in the violet west
+had slipped down behind the silent hills that girded the rough,
+winding road.
+
+When Salome put her fingers on the gloved hand which, in the surprise
+of their unexpected meeting, Dr. Grey had involuntarily placed on her
+shoulder, she had felt that he shrank instantly from her touch, and
+withdrew his hand hastily, as if displeased with the familiarity of
+the action. All the turbid elements in her nature boiled up. Could it
+be possible that he really loved his rosy-faced, bright-eyed,
+prattling ward? She set this conjecture squarely before her, and
+forced herself to contemplate it. If he desired to marry Muriel, of
+course he would do so whenever he chose, and the thought that he might
+call her his wife, and give her his name, his caresses, wrung a cry of
+agony from Salome's lips. She threw herself on the sand-bank, and,
+resting her chin on her folded arms, gazed vacantly across the yellow
+strand at the glassy, leaden sea that stared back mockingly at her.
+
+She was too miserable to feel afraid of anything but Dr. Grey's
+marriage; and, moreover, she had so often, during the early years of
+her life, gone to and fro in the darkness, that she was a stranger to
+that timidity which girls usually indulge under similar circumstances.
+The fishermen had abandoned the neighboring huts some months before,
+and "Solitude," one mile distant, was the nearest spot occupied by
+human beings.
+
+She neither realized nor cared that it was growing darker, and, after
+awhile, when the sea was no longer visible through the dun haze that
+brooded over it, she shut her eyes and moaned.
+
+Dr. Grey had walked on, hoping every moment to meet her returning
+home; and, more than once, he was tempted to retrace his steps,
+thinking that she might have taken some direct path across the hills,
+instead of the circuitous one bending around their base. Quickening
+his pace till it matched his pulse, which an indefinable anxiety
+accelerated, he finally saw the huts dimly outlined against the starry
+sky and quiet sea.
+
+Pausing, he took off his hat to listen to
+
+            "The water lapping on the crag,
+  And the long ripple washing in the reeds,"
+
+and, while he stood wiping his brow, there came across the beach,--
+
+  "A cry that shivered to the tingling stars,
+  And, as it were one voice, an agony
+  Of lamentation, like a wind that shrills
+  All night in a waste land, where no one comes,
+  Or hath come since the making of the world."
+
+In the uncertain light he ran towards the clump of trees where he had
+left Salome, and strained his eyes to discover some moving thing. He
+knew that he must be very near the spot, but neither the expected
+sound nor object greeted him, and, while he stopped and held his
+breath to listen, the silence was profound and death-like. He was
+opening his lips to call the girl's name, when he fancied he saw
+something move slightly, and simultaneously a human voice smote the
+oppressive stillness. She was very near him, and he heard her saying
+to herself, with mournful emphasis,--
+
+  "Have I brought Joy, and slain her at his feet?
+    Have I brought Peace, for his cold kiss to kill?
+  Have I brought youth, crowned with wild-flowers sweet,
+    With sandals dewy from a morning hill,
+    For his gray, solemn eyes, to fright and chill?
+  Have I brought Scorn the pale, and Hope the fleet,
+  And First Love, in her lily winding-sheet,--
+    And is he pitiless still?"
+
+Dr. Grey knew now that she was not crying. Her hard, ringing, bitter
+tone, forbade all thought of sobs or tears; but his heart ached as he
+listened, and surmised the application she was making of the
+melancholy lines.
+
+Unwilling that she should know he had overheard her, he waited a
+moment, then raised his voice and shouted,--
+
+"Salome! Salome! Where are you?"
+
+There was no answer, and, fearing that she might elude him, he
+stretched out his arms, and advanced to the spot, which he felt
+assured was only a few yards distant.
+
+She had risen, and, standing in the gloom of the coming night,
+deepened by the interlacing boughs above her, she felt Dr. Grey's hand
+on her dress, then on her head, where the moisture hung heavily in her
+thick hair.
+
+"Salome, why do you not answer me?"
+
+Shame kept her silent.
+
+He passed his hand over her hot face, then groped for her fingers,
+which he grasped firmly in his.
+
+"Come home with your best friend."
+
+He knew that she was in no mood to submit to reprimand, to appreciate
+argument, or even to listen to entreaty, and that he might as
+profitably undertake to knead pig-iron as expostulate with her at this
+juncture.
+
+For a mile they walked on without uttering a word; then he felt the
+fingers relax, twitch, and twine closely around his own.
+
+"Dr. Grey, where is Muriel? Where is your buggy?"
+
+"Both are at home, where others should have been, long ago."
+
+"You walked back to meet me?"
+
+"I did."
+
+"How did you find me, in the dark?"
+
+"I heard your voice."
+
+"But not the words?"
+
+"Why? Are you ashamed for me to hear what any strolling stranger, any
+unscrupulous vagabond, might have listened to?"
+
+"It is such a desolate, lonely place, I thought no one would stumble
+upon me, and I have been there so often without meeting a living thing
+except the crabs and plover."
+
+"You are no longer a child, and such rashness is altogether
+unpardonable. What do you suppose my sister would think of your
+imprudent obstinacy?"
+
+They walked another mile, and again Salome convulsively pressed the
+cool, steady, strong hand, in which hers lay hot and quivering.
+
+"Dr. Grey, tell me the truth,--don't torture me."
+
+"What shall I tell you? You torture yourself."
+
+"Did you hear what I was saying to my own heart?"
+
+"I heard you repeating some lines which certainly should possess no
+relevancy for the real feeling of my young friend."
+
+She snatched her fingers from his, and he knew she covered her face
+with them.
+
+They reached the gate at the end of the avenue, and Salome stopped
+suddenly, as the lights from the front windows flashed out on the
+lawn.
+
+"Go in, and leave me."
+
+She threw herself on the sward, under one of the elm-trees, and leaned
+her head against its trunk.
+
+"I shall do no such thing, unless you desire the entire household to
+comment upon your reckless conduct."
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey, I care little now what the whole world thinks or says!
+Let me be quiet, or I shall go mad."
+
+"No; come into the house, and sing something to compensate me for the
+anxiety and fatigue you have cost me. I do not often ask a favor of
+you, and certainly in this instance you will not refuse to grant my
+request."
+
+She did not reply, and he bent down and softly stroked the hair that
+was damp with dew and sea-fog.
+
+The long-pent storm broke in convulsive sobs, and she trembled from
+head to foot, while tears poured over her burning cheeks.
+
+"Poor child! Can you not confide in me?"
+
+"Dr. Grey, will you forget all that has passed to-day? Will you try
+never to think of it again?"
+
+"On condition that you never repeat the offence."
+
+"You do not despise me?"
+
+"No."
+
+"You pity me?"
+
+"I pity any human being who is so unfortunate as to possess your
+wilful, perverse, passionate disposition. Unless you overcome this
+dangerous tendency of character, you may expect only wretchedness and
+humiliation in coming years. I am sincerely sorry for you, but I tell
+you unhesitatingly, that I find it difficult to tolerate your grave
+and obtrusive faults."
+
+She raised her clasped hands, and said, brokenly,--
+
+"This is the last time I shall ever ask you to forgive me. Will you?"
+
+"As freely and fully as a grieved brother ever forgave a wayward
+sister."
+
+He took the folded hands, lifted her from the grass, and led her to a
+side door opening upon the east gallery.
+
+"Dr. Grey, give me one kind word before I go."
+
+The lamp-light from the hall shone full on his pale face, which was
+sterner than she had ever seen it, as he forcibly withdrew his hands
+from her tight clasp, and, putting her away from him, said, very
+coldly,--
+
+"I exhausted my store of kind thoughts and words when I called you my
+sister."
+
+He saw that she understood him, for she tried to hide her face, but a
+spasm passed over it, and she would have fallen had he not caught her
+in his arms and carried her up to her own room.
+
+Stanley was asleep with his head pillowed on his open geography, but
+the candle burned beside him, and Dr. Grey placed Salome on a lounge
+near the window, and sprinkled her face with water.
+
+Kneeling by the low couch, he rubbed her hands vigorously with some
+cologne he found on her bureau; and, watching her pale, beautiful
+features, his heart swelled with compassion, and his calm eyes grew
+misty. Consciousness very soon returned, and when she saw the noble,
+sorrowful countenance, bent anxiously over her, she covered her face
+with her hands and moaned rather than spoke,--
+
+"I can't endure your pity. Leave me with my self-contempt and
+degradation."
+
+"My little sister, I leave you in God's merciful hands, and trust you
+to the guidance of your womanly pride and self-respect. Good-night. We
+will not engrave this unfortunate day on our tablets, but forget its
+record, save one fact, that for all time it makes me your brother;
+and, Salome,--
+
+  "'So we'll not dream, nor look back, dear,
+    But march right on, content and bold,
+  To where our life sets heavenly clear,--
+    Westward, behind the hills of gold.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+
+"Dr. Grey, who is that beautiful girl to whom Muriel introduced me
+this morning? I was so absorbed in admiration of her face that I lost
+her name."
+
+As he spoke, Mr. Gerard Granville struck the ashes from his cigar, and
+walked up to the table where Dr. Grey was sealing some letters.
+
+"Her name is Salome Owen, and she is my sister's adopted child."
+
+"What is her age, if I may be pardoned such impertinent queries?"
+
+"I believe she has entered her eighteenth year."
+
+"She is a regal beauty, and shows proud blood as plainly as any
+princess."
+
+"Take care, Granville; imagination has cantered away with your
+penetration. Salome's family were coarse and common, though doubtless
+honest people. Her father was a drunken miller, who died in an attack
+of delirium tremens, and left his children as a legacy to the county.
+I merely mention these deplorable facts to show you that your boasted
+penetration is not entirely infallible."
+
+"Miller or millionaire,--the girl would grace any court in Europe, and
+only lacks a dash of _aplomb_ to make her irresistible. I have seen
+few faces that attracted and interested me so powerfully."
+
+"Yes, she certainly is very handsome; but I do not agree with you in
+thinking that she lacks _aplomb_. Granville, if you have finished your
+cigar, we will adjourn to the parlor, where the ladies are taking
+their tea."
+
+Dr. Grey collected his letters and walked away, followed by his guest;
+and, a moment after, a low, scornful laugh, floated in through the
+window which opened on the little flower-garden.
+
+Miss Jane had requested Salome to gather the seeds of some apple and
+nutmeg geraniums that were arranged on a shelf near the western window
+of the library; and, while stooping over the china jars, and screened
+from observation by a spreading lilac-bush, the girl had heard the
+conversation relative to herself.
+
+Excessive vanity had never been numbered among the faults that marred
+her character, but Dr. Grey's indifference to personal attractions,
+which strangers admitted so readily, piqued, and thoroughly aroused a
+feeling that was destined to bring countless errors and misfortunes in
+its train; and, henceforth,--
+
+  "There was not a high thing out of heaven,
+  Her pride o'ermastereth not."
+
+Hitherto the love of one man had been the only boon she craved of
+heaven; but now, conscious that the darling hope of her life was
+crushed and withering under Dr. Grey's relentless feet, she resolved
+that the admiration of the world should feed her insatiable hunger,--a
+maddening hunger which one tender word from his true lips would have
+assuaged,--but which she began to realize he would never utter.
+
+During the last eighteen hours, a mournful change had taken place in
+her heart, where womanly tenderness was rapidly retreating before
+unwomanly hate, bitterness, and blasphemous defiance; and she laughed
+scornfully at the "idiocy" that led her to weary heaven with prayers
+for the preservation of a life that must ever run as an asymptote to
+her own. How earnestly she now lamented an escape, for which she had
+formerly exhausted language in expressing her gratitude; and how much
+better it would have been if she could mourn him as dead, instead of
+jealously watching him,--living without a thought of her.
+
+All the girlish sweetness and freshness of her nature passed away, and
+an intolerable weariness and disappointment usurped its place. Since
+her acquaintance with Dr. Grey, he had been her sole _Melek Taous_,
+adored with Yezidi fervor; but to-day she overturned, and strove to
+revile and desecrate the idol, to whose vacant pedestal she lifted a
+colossal vanity. Her bruised, numb heart, seemed incapable of loving
+any one, or anything, and a hatred and contempt of her race took
+possession of her.
+
+The changing hues of Muriel's tell-tale face when Mr. Granville
+arrived, and the excessive happiness that could not be masked, had not
+escaped Salome's lynx vision; and very accurately she conjectured the
+real condition of affairs, relative to which Dr. Grey had never
+uttered a syllable. Bent upon mischief, she had, malice prepense,
+dressed herself with unusual care, and arranged her hair in a new
+style of coiffure, which proved very becoming.
+
+Now, as the hum of conversation mingled with the sound of Muriel's
+low, soft laugh, reached her from the parlor, her chatoyant eyes
+kindled, and she hastily went in to join the merry circle.
+
+"Come here, child, and sit by me," said Miss Jane, making room on the
+sofa, as her _protégée_ entered.
+
+"Thank you, I prefer a seat near the window."
+
+Dr. Grey sat in a large chair in the centre of the floor, with Muriel
+on an ottoman close to him, and Mr. Granville leaned over the back of
+the chair, while Miss Dexter shared Miss Jane's old-fashioned ample
+sofa. In full view of the whole party, Salome seated herself at a
+little distance, and, with admirably assumed nonchalance, began to
+enclose and sew up the geranium-seeds, in some pretty, colored paper
+bags, prepared for the purpose.
+
+After a few minutes Mr. Granville sauntered across the room, looked at
+the cuckoo clock, and finally went over to the window, where he leaned
+against the facing and watched Salome's slender white fingers.
+
+She was dressed in a delicate muslin, striped with narrow pink lines,
+and flounced at the bottom of the skirt, and wore a ribbon sash of the
+same color; while in the broad braids of hair raised high on her head,
+she had fastened a superb half-blown Baron Provost rose, just where
+two long glossy curls crept down. The puffed sleeves, scarcely
+reaching the elbows, displayed the finely rounded white arms, and the
+exactness with which the airy muslin fitted her form, showed its
+symmetrical outline to the greatest advantage.
+
+Muriel touched her guardian, and whispered,--
+
+"Did you ever see Salome look so beautiful? Her coiffure to-night is
+almost Parisian, and how very becoming!"
+
+Dr. Grey was studying the innocent, happy countenance of his
+unsuspecting ward, and he could not repress a sigh, when, turning his
+eyes towards Salome, he noticed the undisguised admiration in Mr.
+Granville's earnest gaze.
+
+A nameless dread made him take Muriel's hand and lead her to the
+piano.
+
+"Play something for me. I am music-hungry."
+
+"Is Saul sad to-night?" she asked, smiling up at him.
+
+"A little fatigued and perplexed, and anxious to have his cares
+exorcised by the magic of your fingers."
+
+With womanly tact she selected a _fantasia_ which Mr. Granville had
+often pronounced the gem of her _repertoire_, and momentarily expected
+to hear his whispered thanks; but page after page was turned, and
+still her lover did not approach the piano, where Dr. Grey stood with
+folded arms and slightly contracted brows. Muriel played brilliantly,
+and was pardonably proud of her proficiency, which Mr. Granville had
+confessed first attracted his attention; and to-night, when the piece
+was concluded and she commenced a _Polonaise_, she looked over her
+shoulder hoping to meet a grateful, fond glance. But his eyes were
+riveted on the fair rosy face at his side, and his betrothed bit her
+pouting lip and made sundry blunders.
+
+As she rose from the piano-stool, Mr. Granville exclaimed,--
+
+"Miss Muriel, you love music so well that I trust you will add your
+persuasions to mine, and induce Miss Owen to sing for us, as she
+declares she is comparatively a tyro in instrumental music, and would
+not venture to perform in your presence."
+
+"She has never sung for me, but I hope she will not refuse your
+request. Salome, will you not oblige us?"
+
+Muriel's eyes were dim with tears, but her sweet voice did not
+falter.
+
+"I was not aware that you sang at all," said Miss Dexter, looking up
+from a mat which she was crocheting.
+
+"She has a fine voice, but is very obstinate in declining to use it.
+Come, Salome, don't be childish, dear. Sing something," coaxed Miss
+Jane.
+
+The girl waited a few seconds, hoping that another voice would swell
+the general request, but the lips she loved best were mute; and,
+suddenly tossing the paper bags from her lap, she rose and moved
+proudly to the piano.
+
+"Miss Manton, will you or Miss Dexter be so kind as to play my
+accompaniment for me? I am neither Liszt, nor Thalberg, and the vocal
+gymnastics are all that I can venture to undertake."
+
+Muriel promptly resumed her seat before the instrument, and played the
+symphony of an aria from "Favorite," which Salome placed on the
+piano-board. Barilli had assured her that she rendered this fiery
+burst of rage and hatred as well as he had ever heard it; and, folding
+her fingers tightly around each other she drew herself up to her full
+height, and sang it.
+
+Mr. Granville leaned against the piano, and Dr. Grey was standing in
+the recess of the window when the song began, but ere long he moved
+forward unconsciously and paused, with his hand on his ward's shoulder
+and his eyes riveted in astonishment on Salome's countenance. She knew
+that the approbation and delight of this small audience was worth all
+the _encore_ shouts of the millions who might possibly applaud her in
+future years; and if ever a woman's soul poured itself out through her
+lips, all that was surging in Salome's heart became visible to the man
+who listened as if spell-bound.
+
+Miss Jane grasped her crutches, and rose, leaning upon them, while a
+look of mingled joy and wonder made her sallow face eloquent; and Miss
+Dexter dropped her ivory needle, and gazed in amazement at the singer.
+Muriel forgot her chords,--turned partially around, and watched in
+breathless surprise the marvelous execution of several difficult
+passages, where the rich voice seemed to linger while improvising
+sparkling turns and trills that were strangely intricate, and
+indescribably sweet.
+
+As she approached the close of her song, Salome became temporarily
+oblivious of pride, wounded vanity, and murdered hopes,--forgot all
+but the man at her side, for whose commendation she had toiled so
+patiently, and turning her flushed, radiant face, toward him, her
+magnificent eyes aflame with triumph looked appealingly up at his, and
+her hands were extended till they rested on his arm.
+
+So the song ended, and for a moment the parlor was still as a tomb.
+Dr. Grey silently enclosed the girl's two hands in his, and, for the
+first time since she had known him, Salome saw tears swimming in his
+grave, beautiful eyes, and noticed a slight tremor on his usually
+steady lips.
+
+"There is nothing in the old world or the new comparable to that
+voice, and I flatter myself I speak _ex cathedra_. Miss Owen, you will
+soon have the public at your feet."
+
+She did not heed Mr. Granville's enthusiastic eulogy. She saw nothing
+but Dr. Grey's admiring eyes,--felt nothing but the close warm clasp,
+in which her folded fingers lay,--and her ears ached for the sound of
+his deep voice.
+
+"Salome, I shall not soon forgive you for keeping me in ignorance of
+the existence of the finest voice it has ever been my good fortune to
+hear. Knowing your adopted brother's fondness for music, how could you
+hoard your treasure so parsimoniously, denying him such happiness as
+you might have conferred?"
+
+He untwined her fingers, which clung tenaciously to his, and saw that
+the blood ebbed out of cheeks and lips as she listened to his
+carefully guarded language. Silently she obeyed Miss Jane's summons to
+the sofa.
+
+"You perverse witch! Where have you been practising all these months,
+that have made you such a wonderful cantatrice? Child, answer me."
+
+"I did not wish to annoy the household by thrumming on the piano and
+afflicting their ears with false flat scales, consequently I followed
+the birds, and rehearsed with them, under the trees, and down on the
+edge of the sea. If you like my voice I am glad, because I have
+studied to perfect it."
+
+"Like it, indeed! As if I could avoid liking it! But you must have had
+good training. Who taught you?"
+
+"I took lessons from Barilli."
+
+"Aha,--Ulpian! Now you can understand how he contrives to feed his
+family. Salome's sewing-money explains it all. Kiss me, dear. I always
+believed there was more in you than came to the surface."
+
+"Miss Owen ought to go upon the stage. Such gifts as hers belong to
+the public, who would soon crown her queen of song."
+
+Salome glanced at the handsome stranger, and bowed.
+
+"It is my purpose, sir, to dedicate myself and future to the Opera,
+where I trust I shall not utterly fail, as I have been for a year
+studying with reference to this step."
+
+A bomb-shell falling in that quiet circle, would scarcely have
+startled its members more effectually; and, anxious to avoid comment,
+Salome quitted the parlor and ran out on the lawn.
+
+After awhile she heard Muriel's skilful touch on the piano, and, when
+an hour had elapsed, the echo of voices died away, and soon a profound
+silence seemed to reign over the house.
+
+The hot blood was coursing thick and fast in her veins, and evil
+purposes brooded darkly over her oppressed and throbbing heart. She
+was thoroughly cognizant of the intense admiration with which Mr.
+Granville regarded her, and to-night she had compared his handsome
+face with the older, graver, and less regular features of Dr. Grey,
+and wondered why the latter was so much more fascinating. Her beauty
+transcended Muriel's, and it would prove an easy task to supplant her
+in the affections of her not very ardent lover. Life in Paris, spiced
+with the political intrigues incident to diplomatic circles, would
+divert her thoughts, and might possibly make the coming years
+endurable. Was the game worth the candle? No thought of Muriel's
+misery entered for an instant into this entirely sordid calculation,
+or would have deterred her even momentarily, had it presented itself
+in expostulation. The girl's heart had suddenly grown callous, and her
+hand would have ruthlessly smitten down any object that dared to cross
+her path, or retard the accomplishment of her schemes. Weary at last
+of pacing the dim starlit avenue, and yet too wretched to think of
+sleeping, she re-entered the house, and cautiously locking the door,
+threw herself into a corner of the parlor sofa, which stood just
+beneath the portrait she so often studied.
+
+If she had not at this juncture been completely absorbed in gazing
+upon it, she might have seen the original, who soon rose and came
+forward from the shadow of the curtains.
+
+"Salome, I wish to make you my confidante,--to tell you something
+which I have not yet mentioned even to Janet. Can I trust you, little
+sister?"
+
+Resting against the arm of the sofa, he looked intently into her face,
+reading its perturbed lines.
+
+"I presume you are amusing yourself by tantalizing my curiosity, as
+your experiments appear to have thoroughly satisfied you that I am
+utterly unworthy of trust. I follow the flattering advice you were so
+kind as to give me some time since, and make no promises, which
+shatter like crystal under the hammer of the first temptation. You
+see, sir, you are teaching me to be cautious."
+
+"You are teaching yourself lessons in dissimulation and maliciousness,
+that you will heartily rue some day, but your repentance will come too
+tardily to mend the mischief."
+
+She tried to screen her countenance, but he was in no mood for
+trifling, and putting his palm under her chin, forced her to submit to
+his scrutiny.
+
+"Salome, if I did not cherish a strong faith in the latent generosity
+of your soul, I would not come to you as I do now to offer confidence,
+and demand it in return."
+
+She guessed his meaning, and her eyes glowed with all the baleful
+light that he had hoped was extinguished forever.
+
+"Dr. Grey makes a grace of necessity, and a pretence of confiding that
+which has ceased to be a secret. Is such his boasted candor and
+honesty?"
+
+"If I believed that you were already acquainted with what I propose
+to divulge, I would not fritter away my time in appealing to a
+nobility of feeling which that fact alone would prove the hopelessness
+of my ever finding in you."
+
+He felt her face grow hot, and for an instant her eyes drooped before
+his, stern and almost threatening.
+
+"Well, sir; I wait for your confidential disclosures. Is there a Guy
+Fawkes, or Titus Oates, plotting against the peace and prosperity of
+the house of Grey?"
+
+"Verily I am disposed to apprehend that there may be."
+
+She endeavored to wrench her face from his hand, but he held it
+firmly, and continued,--
+
+"I wish to say to you that Muriel is very sensitive, and I hope that
+during Mr. Granville's visit, you will try to be as considerate and
+courteous as possible, to both. Salome, Gerard Granville has asked
+Muriel to be his wife, and she has promised to marry him at the
+expiration of a year."
+
+The girl laughed derisively, and exclaimed,--
+
+"Pray, Dr. Grey, be so good as to indulge me with your motive in
+furnishing this piece of information?"
+
+"Your astuteness forbids the possibility of any doubt with reference
+to my motives,--which are, explicitly, anxiety for Muriel's happiness,
+and for the preservation of your integrity and self-respect."
+
+"What jeopardizes either?"
+
+"Your heartless, contemptible vanity, which tempts you to demand a
+homage and incense that should be offered only where it is due,--at
+another, and I grieve to add, a purer shrine."
+
+"Ah! My unpardonable sin consists in having braided my black locks,
+and made myself comely! If you will procure an authentic portrait of
+the Witch of Endor, I will do proper penance by likening my appearance
+thereunto. Poor little rose! Can't you open your pink lips and cry
+_peccavi_? Come down, sole ally and accomplice of my heinous vanity,
+and plead for me, and make the _amende honorable_ to this grim
+guardian of Miss Muriel's peace!"
+
+She snatched the drooping rose from her hair, and tossed it at his
+feet.
+
+"Salome, you forget yourself!"
+
+His stern displeasure rendered her reckless, and she continued,--
+
+"True, sir. I did forget that the poor miller's child had no right to
+obtrude her comeliness in the presence of the banker's daughter. I
+confess my 'high crime and misdemeanor' against the pet of fortune,
+and await my condign punishment. Is it your sovereign will that I
+shear my shining locks like royal Berenice, and offer them in
+propitiation? Or, does it seem 'good, meet, and your bounden duty,' to
+have me promptly inoculated with small-pox, for the destruction of my
+skin, which is unjustifiably smoother and clearer than--"
+
+"Hush, hush!"
+
+He laid his hand over her lips, and, for a while, there was an awkward
+pause.
+
+"If it were only possible to inoculate your heart with a little
+genuine womanly charity,--if it were possible to persuade you to adopt
+as your rule of conduct that golden one which Christ gave as a patent
+of peace to all who followed it. But it is futile, hopeless. You will
+not, you will not,--and my fluttering dove is at the mercy of a
+famished eagle, already poised to swoop. I 'reckoned without my host'
+when I so confidently appealed to your magnanimity, to your feminine
+integrity of soul. You are a 'deaf adder that stoppeth her ear.'"
+
+"Which will not 'hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he
+never so wisely.' Dr. Grey, what has the pampered heiress, the
+happy _fiancée_ of that handsome man upstairs, to fear from the
+poverty-stricken daughter of a miller, who you conscientiously
+inform your guest passed from time to eternity through the gate
+opened by delirium tremens. Mark you, my 'adder ears' have not been
+sealed all the evening."
+
+She had taken his hand from her lips, and thrown it from her.
+
+"People who condescend to listen to conversations that are not
+intended for them, generally deserve the punishment of hearing
+unpleasant truths discussed. Salome, our interview is at an end."
+
+"Not yet. Do you sincerely desire to see Muriel Mr. Granville's
+wife?"
+
+"I do, because I know that she is strongly attached to him."
+
+"And you are sufficiently generous to sacrifice your happiness, in
+order to promote hers? Oh, marvellous magnanimity!"
+
+"Your insinuation is beneath my notice."
+
+"How long have you known of her engagement?"
+
+"Since the first interview I had with her, after her father's death."
+
+"Let me see your face, Dr. Grey. If truth has not been hunted out of
+the earth, it took refuge in your eyes. There, I am satisfied. You
+never loved her. I think I must have been insane, or I would not have
+imagined it possible. No, no; she never touched your heart, save with
+a feeling of compassion. Don't go, I want to say something to you. Sit
+down, and let me think."
+
+She walked up and down the room for ten minutes, and, with his face
+bowed on his hand, Dr. Grey watched and waited.
+
+Finally he stooped to pick up the crushed rose on the floor, and then
+she came back and stood before him.
+
+"I promise you I will not lay a straw in the path of Muriel's
+happiness, and it shall not be my fault if Mr. Granville fails in a
+lover's _devoir_. I was tempted to entice him from his sworn
+allegiance. Why should I deny what you know so well? But I will not,
+and when I give my word, it shall go hard with me but I keep it;
+especially when you hold the pledge. Are you satisfied? I know that
+you have little cause to trust me, but I tell you, sir, when I deceive
+you, then all heaven with its hierarchies of archangels can not save
+me."
+
+After all, Ulpian Grey was only a man of flesh and blood, and his
+heart was touched by the beauty of the young face, and the mournful
+sweetness of the softened voice.
+
+"Thank you, Salome. I accept your promise, and rely upon it. As a
+pledge of your sincerity I shall retain this rose, and return it to
+you when little Muriel is a happy wife."
+
+She clasped her hands, and looked at him with a mournful, wistful
+expression, that puzzled him.
+
+"My friend, my little sister, what is it? Tell me, and let me help you
+to do your duty, for I see that you are wrestling desperately with
+some great temptation."
+
+"Dr. Grey, be merciful to me. Send me away. Oh, for God's sake, send
+me away!"
+
+She had grown ghastly pale, and her whole face indexed a depth of
+anguish and despair that baffled utterance.
+
+"My dear child, where do you desire to go? If your wishes are
+reasonable they shall be granted."
+
+"Will you persuade Miss Jane to take Jessie in my place, and send me
+to France or Italy?"
+
+"To study music with the intention of becoming a _prima donna_?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"My young friend, I cannot conscientiously advise a compliance with
+wishes so fraught with danger to yourself."
+
+"You fear that my voice does not justify so expensive an experiment?"
+
+"On the contrary, I have not a doubt that your extraordinary voice
+will lift you to the highest pinnacle of musical celebrity; and,
+because your career on the stage promises to prove so brilliant, I
+shudder in anticipating the temptations that will unavoidably assail
+you."
+
+"You are afraid to trust me?"
+
+"Yes, my little sister; you are so impulsive, so prone to hearken to
+evil dictates rather than good ones, that I dread the thought of
+seeing you launched into the dangerous career you contemplate, without
+some surer, safer, more infallible pilot than your proud, passionate
+heart. If you were homely, and a dullard, I should entertain less
+apprehension about your future."
+
+Her broad brow blackened with a frown that became a terrible scowl,
+and her eyes gleamed like lightning under the edge of a thunderous
+summer cloud.
+
+"What is it to you whether I live or die? The immaculate soul of
+Ulpian Grey, M.D., will serenely wing its way up through the stars, on
+and on to the great Gates of Pearl,--oblivious of the beggar who, from
+the lowest Hades, where she has fallen, eagerly watches his flight."
+
+"The anxious soul of Ulpian Grey will pray for yours, as long as we
+remain on earth. Salome, I am the truest friend you will ever find
+this side of the City of God; and, when I see you plunging madly into
+ruin, I shall snatch you back, cost me what it may. Your jeers and
+struggle have not deterred me hitherto, nor shall they henceforth. You
+are as incapable of guiding yourself aright, as a rudderless bark is
+of stemming the gulf-stream in a south-west gale; and I am afraid to
+trust you out of my sight."
+
+"Yes, I understand you; the good angel in your nature pities the demon
+in mine. But your pity stifles me; I could not endure it; and,
+besides, I cannot stay here any longer. I must go out into the world,
+and seize the fortune that people tell me my voice will certainly
+yield me."
+
+Flush and sparkle had died out of her face, which, in its worn,
+haggard pallor, looked five years older than when she entered the
+parlor, three hours before.
+
+"Pecuniary considerations must not influence you, because, while Janet
+and I live, you shall want nothing; and when either dies, you will be
+liberally provided for. Dismiss from your mind a matter that has long
+been decided, and which no wish of yours can annul or alter."
+
+With an impatient wave of the hand, she answered,--
+
+"Give to poor little Jessie and Stanley what was intended for me. They
+are helpless, but I can take care of myself; and, moreover, I am not
+contented here. I want to see something of the world in which--_bon
+gré mal gré_--I find myself. Let me go. Rousseau was a sage. '_Le
+monde est le livre des femmes_.'"
+
+He shook his head, and said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"No, your instincts are unreliable; and if you roam away from Jane
+and from me, you will sip more poison than honey. Be wise, and remain
+where Providence has placed you. I will bring Jessie here, and you
+shall teach her what you choose, and Stanley can command all the
+educational advantages he will improve. After a while, you shall, if
+you prefer it, have a pleasant home of your own, and dwell there with
+the two little ones. Such has long been my scheme and purpose; but,
+during my sister's life, she will never consent to give you up; and
+you owe it to her not to desert her in the closing years, when she
+most urgently requires the solace of your love and society."
+
+Salome covered her face with her hands, and something like a heavy dry
+sob shook her frame; but the spring of bitterness seemed exhaustless,
+and her voice was indescribably scornful in its defiant ring.
+
+"You are very charitable, Dr. Grey, and I thank you for all your
+embryonic benevolent plans for me and my pauper relatives; but I have
+drawn a very different map for my future years. You seem to regard
+this house as a second '_La Tour sans venin_,' which, like its
+prototype near Grenoble, possesses an atmosphere fatal to all
+poisonous, noxious things; but surely you forget that it has long
+sheltered me."
+
+"No, it has never arrogated the prerogative of '_La Tour sans venin_,'
+but of one thing, my poor wilful child, you shall never have reason to
+be skeptical,--that dear Jane and I will indefatigably strive to serve
+you as faithfully and successfully, as did in ancient days, the Psylli
+whom Plutarch immortalized."
+
+While he spoke Dr. Grey had been turning over the leaves of the old
+family Bible, which happened to lie within his reach; and now, without
+premonition, he read aloud the fifty-fifth Psalm.
+
+She listened, not willingly, but _ex necessitate rei_, and rebelliously;
+and, when he finished the Psalm, and knelt, with his face on his arms,
+which were crossed upon the back of a chair, she stood haughtily erect
+and motionless beside him.
+
+His prayer was brief and fervent, that God would aid her in her
+efforts to curb her passionate temper, and to walk in accordance with
+the teachings of Jesus; and that he would especially overrule all
+things, and guide her decision in the important step she contemplated.
+He rose, and turned towards her, but her countenance was hidden.
+
+"Good night, Salome. God bless you and direct you."
+
+She raised her face, and her eyes sought his with a long, questioning,
+pleading gaze, so full of anguish that he could scarcely endure it.
+Then he saw the last spark of hope expire; and she bent her queenly
+head an instant, and silently passed from the parlor.
+
+  "I have watched my first and holiest hopes depart,
+          One after one;
+  I have held the hand of Death upon my heart,
+          And made no moan."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+
+"Pardon my intrusion, Mrs. Gerome, and ascribe it to Elsie's anxiety
+concerning your health. In compliance with her request, I have come to
+ascertain whether you really require my attention."
+
+Dr. Grey placed his hat and gloves on the piano, and established
+himself comfortably in a large chair near the arch, where Mrs. Gerome,
+palette in hand, sat before her easel.
+
+"Elsie's nerves have run away with her sound common sense, and filled
+her mind with vagaries. She imagines that I need medicine, whereas I
+only require quiet and peace, which neither she nor you will permit me
+to enjoy."
+
+She did not even glance at the visitor, but mixed some colors rapidly,
+and deepened the rose-tints in a cluster of apple-blossoms she was
+scattering in the foreground of a picture.
+
+"If it is not of vital importance that those pearly petals should be
+finished immediately, I should be glad to have you turn your face
+towards me for a few moments. There,--thank you. Mrs. Gerome, do I
+look like a nervous, whimsical man, whose fancy mastered his
+professional judgment, or blunted his acumen?"
+
+"You certainly appear as phlegmatic, as utterly unimaginative, as any
+lager-loving German, whom Teniers or Ostade ever painted '_Unter den
+linden_.'"
+
+"Then my words should possess some influence when they corroborate
+Elsie's statement, that you are far from well. Do not be childishly
+incredulous, and impatiently shake your head; from a woman of your age
+and sense one expects more dignity and prudence."
+
+"Sir, your rudeness has at least a flavor of stern honesty that makes
+it almost palatable. Do you propose to take my case into your skilful
+hands?"
+
+"I merely propose to expostulate with you upon the unfortunate and
+ruinous course of life you have decided to pursue. No eremite of the
+Thebaid, or the Nitroon, is more completely immured than I find you;
+and the seclusion from society is quite as deleterious as the want of
+out-door air and sunshine. Your mind, debarred from communion with
+your race and denied novel and refreshing themes, centres in its own
+operations and creations, broods over threadbare topics until it has
+grown morbid; and, instead of deriving healthful nourishment from the
+world that surrounds it, exhausts and consumes itself, like fabled
+Araline, spinning its substance into filmy nothings."
+
+"Filmy nothings! Thank you. I flatter myself, when I am safely housed
+under marble, the world will place a different estimate upon some
+things I shall leave behind to challenge criticism."
+
+"How much value will public plaudits possess for ears sealed by death?
+Mrs. Gerome, you are too lonely; you must have companionship that will
+divert your thoughts."
+
+"Not I, indeed! All that I require, I have in abundance,--music,
+books, and my art. Here I am independent, for remember that he was a
+petted son of fame, who said, 'Books are the true Elysian fields,
+where the spirits of the dead converse, and into these fields a
+mortal may venture unappalled. What king's court can boast such
+company,--what school of philosophy such wisdom?' Verily if you
+had ever examined my library you would not imagine I lacked
+companionship. Why sir, yonder,--
+
+  'The old, dead authors throng me round about,
+  And Elzevir's gray ghosts from leathern graves look out.'
+
+Count Oxenstiern spoke truly, when he declared, 'Occupied with the
+great minds of antiquity, we are no longer annoyed by contemporaneous
+fools.'"
+
+She rose and pointed to the handsome cases in the rear room, filled
+with choice volumes; and, while she stood with one arm resting on the
+easel, Dr. Grey looked searchingly at her.
+
+To-day there was a _spirituelle_ beauty in the white face that he had
+never seen before; and the large eloquent eyes were full of dreamy
+sunset radiance, unlike their wonted steely glitter. A change, vague
+and indefinable, but unmistakable, had certainly passed over that
+countenance since its owner came to reside at "Solitude," and, instead
+of marring, had heightened its loveliness. The features were thinner,
+the cheeks had lost something of their pure oval moulding, and the
+delicate nostrils were almost transparent in their waxen curves; but
+the arch of the lip was softened and lowered, and the face was like
+that of some marble goddess on which mid-summer moonshine sleeps.
+
+Her white mull robe was edged at the skirt and up the front with a
+rich border of blue morning-glories, and a blue cord and tassel girded
+it at her waist, while the broad braids of hair at the back of her
+head were looped and fastened with a ribbon of the same color. Her
+sleeves were gathered up to keep them clear of the paint on the
+palette, and the dimples were no longer visible in her arms. The ivory
+flesh was shrinking closer to the small bones, and the diaphanous
+hands were so thin that the sapphire asp glided almost off the slender
+finger around which it was coiled.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you have lost twenty pounds of flesh within the last two
+months, and your extreme pallor alarms me."
+
+"All things look pallid in these rooms, for the light is bluish,
+reflected from carpet, furniture, and curtains."
+
+"I have noticed that you invariably wear blue, to the exclusion of all
+other colors."
+
+"Yes. Throughout the Levant it is considered a mortuary color; and,
+moreover, I like its symbolism. The _Mater dolorosa_ often wears blue
+vestments; also the priests during Lent; and even the images of Christ
+are veiled in blue, as holy week approaches. Azure, in its absolute
+significance, represents truth, and is the symbol of the soul after
+death; so, as I walk the earth,--a fleshy 'death in life,'--I clothe
+myself symbolically. In pagan cosmogonies the Creator is always
+colored blue. Jupiter Ammon, Vischnou, Cneph, Krischna,--all are
+azure. And because it is a solemn, consecrated color, mystic and
+mournful, I wear it."
+
+"My dear madam, this is a morbid whimsicality that trenches closely
+upon monomania, and would be more tolerable in a lackadaisical
+school-girl, than in a mature, intelligent, and gifted woman. Some of
+your fantasies would be positively respectable in a Bedlamite, and you
+seem an anomalous compound of eccentricities peculiar to extreme youth
+and to advanced age."
+
+"I believe, sir, that you are entirely correct in your analysis. I
+stand before you, young in years, but forsaken by that 'blue-eyed
+Hope' who frolics hand in hand with youth; and yet utterly devoid of
+that philosophy and wisdom which justly belong to the old age of my
+heart."
+
+Her tone was indescribably weary, and, as she laid aside her brush and
+folded her hands together on the cross-beam of the easel, the
+transient light died out of her countenance, and the worn, tired look,
+came back and settled on every feature.
+
+                ... "The soft, sad eyes,
+  Set like twilight planets in the rainy skies,--
+  With the brow all patience, and the lips all pain,"
+
+wove a strange spell over the visitor, whose gaze was riveted on the
+only woman who had ever aroused even temporary interest in his heart.
+
+She was always beautiful, but to-day there was a helpless, hopeless
+abandonment in her listless demeanor, that appealed successfully to
+the manly tenderness and chivalry of his nature; and into his strong,
+true, noble soul, came a longing to cheer, and guide, and redeem this
+strange, desolate woman, whose personal loveliness would have made her
+regnant over the gay circles of fashionable life, yet whose existence
+was more lonely than that of an eaglet in some mountain eyrie.
+
+Rising, he leaned against the easel and looked down into the colorless
+face that possessed such a wondrous charm for him.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, for natures diseased like yours, the only remedy, the
+only cure, is earnest, vigorous labor; and the regimen you really
+require is mournfully at variance with your present habits and modes
+of thought."
+
+"I do labor incessantly; more indefatigably than any plowman, or
+mason, or carpenter. Your prescription has been thoroughly tested, and
+found worthless, as an antidote to my malady,--hopelessness."
+
+"Unfortunately the labor has all been mental; heart and soul have
+stood aloof, while the brain almost wore itself out. This canvas is
+destroying you; your creations are too rapid, too exhausting."
+
+"Dr. Grey, you grievously misapprehend the whole matter, for my work
+reminds me of what Canova once said of West's pictures, 'He groups; he
+does not compose.'"
+
+Dr. Grey put his hand on her wrist, and counted the rapid, feeble,
+irregular pulse.
+
+She made an effort to throw off his fingers, but they clung
+tenaciously to the polished arm.
+
+"How many hours do you sleep, during the twenty-four?"
+
+"Sometimes three, occasionally one, frequently none."
+
+"How much longer do you suppose your constitution will endure such
+merciless taxation?"
+
+"I know very little about these things, and care still less, but as
+Horne Tooke said, when a foreigner inquired how much treason an
+Englishman might venture to write without being hanged, 'I cannot
+inform you just yet, but I am trying.'"
+
+"Has life become such an intolerable burden that you are impatient to
+shake it off?"
+
+"Even so, Dr. Grey. When Elsie dies the last link will have snapped,
+and I trust I shall not long survive her. If I prayed at all, it would
+be for speedy death."
+
+"If you prayed at all, existence would not prove so wearisome; for
+resignation would cure half your woes."
+
+"Confine your prescriptions to the body,--that is tangible, and may be
+handled and scrutinized; but venture no nostrums for a heart and soul
+of which you know nothing. Once I was almost a Moslem in the frequency
+and fervor of my prayers; but now, the only petition I could force
+myself to offer would be that prayer of Epictetus, '_Lead me, Zeus and
+Destiny, whithersoever I am appointed to go; I will follow without
+wavering; even though I turn coward and shrink, I shall have to
+follow, all the same._'"
+
+Dr. Grey sighed heavily, and answered,--
+
+"It is painful to hear from feminine lips a fatalism so grim as to
+make all prayer a mockery; and it would seem that the loss of those
+dear to you, would have insensibly and unavoidably drawn your heart
+heavenward, in search of its transplanted idols."
+
+He knew from the sudden spasm that seized her calm features, and
+shuddered through her tall figure, that he had touched, perhaps too
+rudely, some chord in her nature which--
+
+  "Made the coiled memory numb and cold,
+    That slept in her heart like a dreaming snake,
+  Drowsily lift itself, fold by fold,
+    And gnaw, and gnaw hungrily, half-awake."
+
+"Ah, indeed, my heart was drawn after them,--but not heavenward! No, no,
+no! My idols were not transplanted,--they were shattered!--shattered!"
+
+She leaned forward, looking up into his face; and, raising her hand
+impressively, she continued in a voice so mournful, so hopelessly
+bitter, that Dr. Grey shivered as he listened.
+
+"Oh, sir, you who stand gazing down in sorrowful reproach upon what
+you regard as my unpardonable impiety, little dream of the fiery
+ordeal that consumed my childlike, beautiful faith, as flames crisp
+and blacken chaff. I am alone, and must ever be, while in the flesh;
+and I hoard my pain, sparing the world my moans and tears, my wry
+faces and desperate struggles. I tell you, Dr. Grey,--
+
+  'None know the choice I made; I make it still.
+    None know the choice I made, and broke my heart,
+  Breaking mine idol; I have braced my will
+    Once, chosen for once my part.
+  I broke it at a blow, I laid it cold,
+    Crushed in my deep heart where it used to live.
+  My heart dies inch by inch; the time grows old,
+    Grows old in which I grieve.'"
+
+He did not comprehend her, but felt that her past must have been
+melancholy indeed, of which the bare memory was so torturing.
+
+"At least, Mrs. Gerome, let us thank God, that beyond the grave there
+remains an eternal reunion with your idol, and--"
+
+"God forbid! You talk at random, and your suggestion would drive me
+mad, if I believed it. Let me be quiet."
+
+She walked away, and seemed intently watching the sea, of whose
+protean face she never wearied; and, puzzled and tantalized, Dr. Grey
+turned to examine the unfinished picture.
+
+It represented an almost colossal woman, kneeling under an apple-tree,
+with her folded hands lifted towards a setting sun that glared from
+purple hills, across waving fields of green and golden grain. The
+azure mantle that enveloped the rounded form, floated on the wind and
+seemed to melt in air, so dim were its graceful outlines; and on one
+shoulder perched a dove with head under its wing, nestling to
+sleep,--while a rabbit nibbled the grass at her feet, and a squirrel
+curled himself comfortably on the border of her robe. In the
+foreground were scattered sheaves of yellow wheat, full ears of corn,
+bunches of blue, bloom-covered grapes, clusters of olives, and
+various delicate flowers whose brilliant hues seemed drippings from
+some wrung and broken rainbow.
+
+The face was unlike flesh and blood,--was dim, elfish, wan, with
+large, mild eyes, as blue and misty as the _nebulæ_ that Herschel
+found in Southern skies,--eyes that looked at nothing, but seemed to
+penetrate the universe and shed soft solemn light over all things.
+Back from the broad, low brow, floated a cloud of silky yellow hair,
+that glittered in the slanting rays of sunshine as if powdered with
+gold dust; and over its streaming strands fluttered two mottled
+butterflies, and a honey-laden bee. On distant hill-slopes cattle
+browsed, and at the right of the kneeling woman a young lamb nibbled a
+cluster of snowy lilies, while a dappled fawn watched the gambols of a
+dun kid; and on the left, in a tuft of bearded grass, a brown snake
+arched its neck to peer at a brood of half-fledged partridges.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, will you be so kind as to explain this mythologic
+design?"
+
+She came back to the easel, and took up her palette.
+
+"If it requires an explanation it is an egregious failure, and shall
+find a vacant corner in some rubbish garret."
+
+"It is exceedingly beautiful, but I do not fully comprehend the
+symbolism."
+
+"If it does not clearly mean the one thing for which it was intended,
+it means nothing, and is worthless. Look, sir, she--
+
+  'Forgets, remembers, grieves, and is not sad;
+    The quiet lands and skies leave light upon her eyes;
+  None knows her weak, or wise, or tired, or glad.'"
+
+Dr. Grey bit his lip, but shook his head.
+
+"You must read me your painted riddle more explicitly. Is it Ceres?"
+
+"No, sir; a few sheaves do not make a harvest. I am a stupid bungler,
+spoiling canvas and wasting paint, or else you are as obtuse as the
+critics who may one day hover hungrily over it. Try the aid of one
+more clew, and if you fail to catch my purpose, I will dash my brush
+all loaded with ochre, right into those mystic, prescient eyes, and
+blur them forever. Listen, and guess,--
+
+  'This is my lady's praise;
+  God after many days
+  Wrought her in unknown ways,
+      In sunset lands;
+  This was my lady's birth,
+  God gave her might and mirth
+  And laid his whole sweet earth
+      Between her hands.'"
+
+"Pray do not visit the sin of my stupidity upon that fascinating
+picture. I am not familiar with the lines you quote, but know that you
+have represented Nature, have embodied an ideal Isis, or Hertha, or
+Cybele; though I can not positively name the phase of the Universal
+Mother, which you have seized and perpetuated."
+
+He caught her arm, and removed from her fingers the palette and
+brushes.
+
+"Dr. Grey, it is more than either or all of the three you mention; for
+Persian mythology, like Persian wines and Persian roses, is richer,
+more subtle, more fragrant, more glowing than any other. That woman is
+'_Espendérmad_.'"
+
+"Thank you; now I comprehend the whole. God has endowed you with
+wonderful talent. The fruit and flowers in that foreground must have
+cost you much labor, for indeed you seem to have faithfully followed
+the injunction of Titian, 'Study the effect of light and shade on a
+bunch of grapes.' That luscious amber cluster lying near the poppies
+is tantalizingly suggestive of Rhineland, and of the vines that
+garland the hills of Crete and Cyprus."
+
+A shade of annoyance and disappointment crossed the artist's face.
+
+"Now, I quite realize what Cespedes felt, when, finding that visitors
+were absorbed by the admirable finish of some jars and vases in the
+foreground of the 'Last Supper,' upon which he had expended so much
+time and thought, he called his servant and exclaimed in great
+chagrin, 'Andres, rub me out these things, since, after all my care
+and study, people choose to see nothing but these impertinences.'"
+
+"If Zeuxis' grandest triumph consisted in painting grapes, you
+assuredly should not take umbrage at my praise of that fruit on your
+canvas, which hints of Tokay and Lachrima Christi. I am not an artist,
+but I have studied the best pictures in Europe and America, and you
+must acquit me of any desire to flatter when I tell you that
+background yonder is one of the most extraordinary successes I have
+ever seen, from either amateur or professional painters."
+
+Mrs. Gerome arched her black brows slightly, and replied,--
+
+"Then the success was accidental, and I stumbled upon it, for I bestow
+little study on the backgrounds of my work. They are mere dim
+distances of bluish haze, and do not interest me, and, since I paint
+for amusement, I give most thought to my central figure."
+
+"Have you forgotten the anecdote of Rubens, who, when offered a pupil
+with the recommendation that he was sufficiently advanced in his
+studies to assist him at once in his backgrounds, laughed, and
+answered, 'If the youth was capable of painting backgrounds he did not
+need his instruction; because the regulation and management of them
+required the most comprehensive knowledge of the art.'"
+
+"Yes, I am aware that is one of the _dogmata_ of the craft, but Rubens
+was no more infallible than you or I, and his pictures give me less
+pleasure than those of any other artist of equal celebrity. Dr. Grey,
+if I am even a tolerable judge of my own work, the best thing I have
+yet achieved is the drapery of that form. Perhaps I am inclined to
+plume myself upon this point, from the fact that it was the opinion of
+Carlo Maratti that 'The arrangement of drapery is more difficult than
+drawing the human figure; because the right effect depends more upon
+the taste of the artist than upon any given rules.' That sweep of blue
+gauze has cost me more toil than everything else on the canvas."
+
+"Pardon the expression of my curiosity concerning your modes of
+composition in these singular and quaint creations, for which you
+have no models; and tell me how this ideal presented itself to your
+imagination."
+
+"Dr. Grey, I am not a great genius like Goethe, and unfortunately can
+not candidly echo his declaration, that, 'Nothing ever came to me in
+my sleep.' I can scarcely tell you when this idea was first born in my
+busy, tireless brain, but it took form one evening after I had read
+Charlotte Bronté's 'Woman Titan,' in 'Shirley,' and compared it with
+that glowing description of Jean Paul Richter, 'And so the Sun stands
+at the border of the Earth, and looks back on his stately Spring,
+whose robe-folds are valleys, whose breast-bouquet is gardens, whose
+blush is a vernal evening, and who, when she rises, will be Summer.'
+Still it was vague, and eluded me, until I found somewhere in my most
+desultory reading, an account of '_Espendérmad_,' one of the six
+angels of Ormuzd, to whom was entrusted the guardianship of the earth.
+That night I dreamed that I stood under a vine at Schiraz, gathering
+golden-tinted grapes, when a voice arrested me, and, looking over my
+shoulder, I saw that face peeping at me across a hedge of crimson
+roses. Next day I sketched the features as they had appeared in my
+dream, but I was not fully satisfied, and waited and pondered.
+Finally, I read 'Madonna Mia,' and then all was as you see it now,
+startlingly distinct and palpable."
+
+"Why did you not select some dusky-haired, dusky-eyed, olive-tinted
+oriental type, instead of a blonde who might safely venture into
+Valhalla as a genuine Celtic Iduna?"
+
+"With the exception of the yellow locks, I suspect the face of my
+'_Espendérmad_' might easily be matched among the maidens of the
+Caucasus, who furnish the most perfect types of Circassian beauty. You
+know there is a tradition that when Leonardo da Vinci chanced to meet
+a man with an expression of character that he wished to make use of in
+his work, he followed him until he was able to delineate the face on
+canvas; but, on the contrary, the countenances I paint present
+themselves to my imagination, and pursue me inexorably until I put
+them into pigment. I do not possess ideals,--they seize and possess
+me, teasing me for form and color, and forcing me to object them on
+canvas. Such is the _modus operandi_ of whims that give me my
+'_Espendérmad_' praying to the Sun for benisons on the Earth, which
+she is appointed to guard. Ah, if like the lambkins and birds, I, too,
+could creep to the starry border of her azure robe, and lay my weary
+head down and find repose. Some day, if my mind ever grows calm
+enough, I want to paint a picture of Rest, that I can hang on my wall
+and look upon when I am worn out in body and soul, when, indeed,--
+
+  'My feet are wearied, and my hands are tired,
+          My heart oppressed,
+  And I desire, what I long desired,
+          Rest,--only Rest.'"
+
+"My dear madam, unless you speedily change your present mode of life,
+you will not paint that contemplated picture, for a long rest will
+soon overtake you."
+
+A gleam that was nearer akin to joy than any expression he had yet
+seen, passed from eye to lip, and she answered, almost eagerly,--
+
+"If that be true, it offers a premium for the continuance of habits
+you condemn so strenuously; but I dare not hope it, and I beg of you
+not to tantalize me with vain expectations of a release that may yet
+be far, far distant."
+
+Dr. Grey's heart stirred with earnest sympathy for this lonely
+hopeless soul, who, standing almost upon the threshold of life,
+stretched her arms so yearningly to woo the advance of death.
+
+The room was slowly filling with shadows, and, leaning there against
+her easel, she looked as unearthly as the pearly forms that summer
+clouds sometimes assume, when a harvest-moon springs up from sea foam
+and fog, and stares at them. When she spoke again, her voice was chill
+and crisp.
+
+"My malady is beyond your reach, and baffles human skill. You mean
+only kindness, and I suppose I ought to thank you, but alas! the
+sentiment of gratitude is such a stranger in my heart, that it has yet
+to learn an adequate language. Dr. Grey, the only help you can
+possibly render me is to prolong Elsie's life. As for me, and my
+uncertain future, give yourself no charitable solicitude. Do you
+recollect what Lessing wrote to Claudius? 'I am too proud to own that
+I am unhappy. I shut my teeth, and let the bark drift. Enough that I
+do not turn it over with my own hands.' Elsie is signalling for me. Do
+you hear that bell? Good-night, Dr. Grey."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+
+"I have had a long conversation with Ulpian, and find him violently
+opposed to the scheme you mentioned to me several days since. He
+declares he will gladly share his last dollar with you sooner than see
+you embark in a career so fraught with difficulties, trials, and--"
+
+Miss Jane paused to find an appropriate word, and Salome very promptly
+supplied her.
+
+"Temptations. That is exactly what you both mean. Go on."
+
+"Well, yes, dear. I am afraid the profession you have selected is
+beset with dangerous allurements for one so inexperienced and
+unsophisticated as yourself."
+
+"Bah! Speak out. I am sick of circumlocution. What do you understand
+by unsophisticated?"
+
+"Why, I mean,--well, what can I mean but just what the word
+expresses,--unsophisticated? That is, young, thoughtless, ignorant of
+the ways of the world, and the excessive cunning and deceit of human
+nature."
+
+"Begging your pardon, it has another significance, which you will find
+if you look into your dictionary,--that blessed Magna Charta of
+linguistic rights and privileges. I do not claim the prerogatives of
+Ruskin's class of the 'well educated, who are learned in the peerage
+of words; know the words of true descent and ancient blood at a
+glance, from words of modern _canaille_;' but I venture the assertion
+that I am sufficiently sophisticated to plunge into the vortex of
+public life, and yet keep my head above water."
+
+"I don't want to see my little girl an actress, or a _prima donna_,
+bold, forward, and eager to face a noisy, clamorous crowd, who feel
+privileged to say just what they please about her. It would break my
+heart; and, if you are bent on such a step, I hope you will wait, at
+least, till I am dead."
+
+"You ought to be willing to see me do anything honest, that will
+secure my dependent brother and sister from want."
+
+"The necessity of laboring for them is not especially imperative at
+this juncture, and why should you be more sensitive now than formerly?
+Do not deceive yourself, dear child, but face the truth, no matter how
+ugly it may possibly be. It is not a sense of duty to the younger
+children, but an inflated vanity, that prompts you to parade your
+beauty and your wonderful voice on the stage, where they will elicit
+applause and flattering adulation. My little girl, that is the most
+dangerous, the most unhealthy atmosphere, a woman can possibly
+breathe."
+
+"Pray tell me how you learned all this? You, who have spent your life
+in this quiet old house, who have been almost as secluded as some
+Cambrian Culdee, can really know nothing of that public life you
+condemn so bitterly."
+
+"The history of those who have walked in the path you are now
+preparing to follow, proves the deleterious influences and ruinous
+associations that surround that class of women."
+
+"Jenny Lind and Sarah Siddons redeem any class, no matter how much
+maligned."
+
+"But what assurance have I, that, unlike the ninety-nine, you will
+resemble the one-hundredth?"
+
+"Only try me, Miss Jane."
+
+"Ah, child! A rash boy said the same thing when he tried to drive
+the sun, and not only consumed himself but nearly burned up the
+world. There is rather too much at stake to warrant such reckless
+experiments."
+
+"Quit mythology,--it is not in your line,--and come back to stern
+facts and serious realities. Because I wish to dance a quadrille or
+cotillion, and acquit myself creditably, does it ensue as an
+inexorable consequence, that I shall join some strolling ballet
+troupe, and out-Bayadère the Bayadères?"
+
+"That depends altogether upon your agility and grace. If you could
+reasonably hope to rival your Hebrew namesake, I am afraid my little
+girl would think it 'her duty' to dance instead of to sing, for the
+acquisition of a fortune; and insist upon executing wonderful things
+with her heels and toes, instead of her voice."
+
+"You and Dr. Grey seem to have simultaneously arrived at the
+charitable conclusion that my heart is pretty much in the same
+condition that the Hebrew temple was, when Christ undertook to drive
+out the profane. Thongs in hand you two have overturned my motives,
+and, by a very summary court-martial, condemned them to be scourged
+out. Now, mark you, I am neither making change nor selling doves, and
+still less are you and your brother--Jesus. Dr. Grey does me the honor
+to indulge a chronic skepticism concerning the possibility of any good
+and unselfish impulse in my nature, and I am sorry to see that you
+have caught the contagious doubt of me, and of my motives."
+
+She began the sentence in a challenging, sneering voice, but it was
+ended in a lower and faltering tone.
+
+  "While in the light of her large angry eyes,
+  Uprose and rose a slow imperious sorrow."
+
+"My dear, don't attempt to whip Ulpian over my shoulders. You know
+very well that I have invested in you an amount of faith that the
+united censure of the world cannot shake; and if Ulpian does not
+follow my example, whose fault is it, I should be glad to know?
+Evidently not his,--certainly not mine,--but undoubtedly yours. I have
+noticed that you took extraordinary care and a very peculiar pleasure
+in making him believe you much worse in all respects than you really
+are; and since you have labored so industriously to lower yourself in
+his estimation, it would be a poor compliment to your skill and energy
+if I told you that you had not entirely succeeded in your rather
+remarkable aim. Before he came home you were as contented, and
+amiable, and happy, as my old cat there on the rug; but Ulpian's
+appearance affected you as the entrance of a dog does my maltese, who
+arches her back, and growls, and claws, as long as he is in sight. I
+am truly sorry you two could never agree, but I feel bound to tell you
+that you have only yourself to blame. I do not claim that my
+sailor-boy is a saint, but he is assuredly some inches nearer
+sanctification than my poor little Salome. Don't you think so? Be
+honest, dear."
+
+Miss Jane's hand tenderly caressed the beautiful head; and, as Salome
+was too sullen or too much mortified to reply, the old lady
+continued,--
+
+"Nevertheless, Ulpian is a true and devoted friend, and can not bear
+the thought of your leaving us, for any purpose, much less the one you
+contemplate. Last night he said, 'Janet, I am her brother, and think
+you I shall allow my sister to go out from the sacred precincts of
+home, and become a target for the envy and malice of the better
+classes who will criticise her, and for the coarse plaudits of the
+pit? Do you suppose I can willingly see her bare feet turned towards a
+path paved with glowing ploughshares? Tell her, for me, that if ever
+she should carry her unfortunate freak into execution, I shall never
+wish to touch her hand again, for I shall feel that it has lost its
+purity in the clasp of many to whom she can not refuse it during a
+professional career.'"
+
+The orphan lifted her head from the arm of Miss Jane's chair, where it
+had rested for some minutes, and striking her palms forcibly together,
+she exclaimed, proudly,--
+
+"Tell Dr. Grey I humbly thank him, but the threat has lost its sting;
+and if I should chance to meet him years hence, though my hands shall
+be pure and clean as Una's, and as unsullied as his own,--so help me
+heaven! I will never thrust my touch on his, nor so far forget myself
+as to suffer his fingers to approach mine. When I pass from this
+threshold, we will have shaken hands forever."
+
+"Dr. Grey's ears are not proof against such elevated, ringing tones of
+voice, and he could not avoid hearing, as he came up the steps, the
+childish words which he assures you he has no intention of believing
+or remembering."
+
+He had tapped twice at the half-open door, and now came forward with
+a firm, quick step, to the ottoman where Salome sat. Taking her
+hands, he patted the palms softly against each other, and smiling
+good-humoredly, continued,--
+
+"They are very white, and shapely, and pure, and I am not afraid that
+my little sister will soil them. Her brother looks forward to the day
+when they will gently and gracefully help him in his work among God's
+suffering poor. I have not forgotten how dexterous and docile I found
+your fingers, when I had temporarily lost the use of my own, and I
+shall not fail to levy contributions of labor in the coming years."
+
+She had snatched her fingers from his, and no sooner had he ceased
+speaking, than she bowed haughtily, and answered,--
+
+"Our reconciliations all belong to the Norman family, and are quite as
+lasting as Lamourette's. Ceaseless war is preferable to a violated
+truce, and since I have not swerved from my purpose, I shall not
+falter in its enunciation. If I live it shall not be my fault if I
+fail to go upon the stage. I am not so fastidious as Dr. Grey, and one
+who sprang from _canaille_ must be pardoned if she betrays a longing
+for the 'flesh-pots of Egypt.'"
+
+She would have given her right hand to recall her words,--when, a
+moment later, she met the gaze of profound pity and disappointment
+with which Dr. Grey's eyes dwelt upon her countenance, hardened now by
+its expression of insolent haughtiness; but he allowed her no
+opportunity for retraction, even had she mastered her overweening
+pride, and stooping to whisper a brief sentence in his sister's ear,
+he took a medical book from the table, and left the room.
+
+The silence that ensued seemed interminable to Salome, and at last she
+turned, bowed her head in Miss Jane's lap, and muttered through set
+teeth,--
+
+"You see it is best that I should go. Even you must be weary of this
+strife."
+
+The old lady's trembling hands were laid lovingly on the girl's hot
+brow and scorched cheeks.
+
+"Not half so weary as your own oppressed heart. My dear child, why do
+you persist in tormenting yourself so unmercifully? Why will you say
+things that you do not mean?--that are absolute libels on your actual
+feelings? I have often seen and deplored affectations of generosity
+and refinement, but you are the first person I ever met who delighted
+in a pretence of meanness, which her genuine nature abhorred. Salome,
+I have tried to prove myself a mother to you since the day that I took
+you under my roof; and now, when I am passing away from the
+world,--when a few short months will probably end my feeble life, I
+think you owe it to me to give me no sorrow that your hands can easily
+ward off. Don't leave me. When I am gone there will be time and to
+spare, for all your schemes. Stay here, and let me have peace and
+sunshine about me, in my last fading hours. Ah, dear, you can't be
+cruel to the old woman who has long loved you so tenderly."
+
+The orphan pressed the withered hands to her lips, and, covering her
+face with the folds of Miss Jane's black silk apron, exclaimed
+passionately,--
+
+"Do not think me ungrateful,--do not think me insensible to your love
+and kindness; but, indeed I am very miserable here. Oh, Miss Jane! if
+you knew how I have suffered, you would not chide, you would only pity
+and sympathize with me; for your heart will never steel itself against
+your poor wretched Salome!"
+
+She lost control of herself, and sobbed violently.
+
+"My dear little girl, tell me all your sorrows. To whom can you reveal
+your trials and griefs, if not to me? For some weeks past I have
+observed that you shunned my gaze, and seemed restless when I
+endeavored to discover how you were employing your time; and I have
+realized that you were sorely distressed, but I disliked to force your
+confidence, or appear suspicious. Now, I have a right to ask what
+makes you miserable in my house? Is the little girl ashamed to show me
+her heart?"
+
+"One month since, I would have gone to the stake rather than have
+shown it to you, or have had any one dream of the wretchedness locked
+in its chambers; but a week ago I was overwhelmed with humiliation,
+and now I am not ashamed to tell you. Now that Dr. Grey knows it, I
+would not care if the whole world were hissing and jeering at my
+heels, and shouting my shame with a thousand trumpets. I tried to keep
+it from him, and failing, the world is welcome to roll it as a sweet
+morsel under its busy, stinging, slanderous tongue. Miss Jane, I have
+intended to be sincere in every respect, but it appears that, after
+all, I have probably been an arrant hypocrite if you believe that I
+dislike your brother. I want to go away, because I can no longer
+endure to live in the same house with Dr. Grey, who shows me more
+plainly every hour that he can never return the affection I have been
+idiotic and presumptuous enough to cherish for him. There! I have said
+it,--and my lips are not blistered by the unwomanly confession, and
+you still permit my head to rest in your lap. I expected you would be
+indignant and insulted, and gladly send such a lunatic from your
+family circle,--or that you would dismiss me coolly, with lofty
+contempt; but only a woman can properly pity a woman's weakness, and
+you are crying over me. Ah, if your tears were falling on my grave,
+instead of my face!"
+
+Miss Jane was weeping bitterly, but now and then she stooped and
+kissed the quivering lips of her unhappy charge, who found some balm
+in the earnest sympathy with which her appeal was received.
+
+"My precious child, why should you be ashamed of your love for the
+noblest man who ever unconsciously became a woman's idol? I do not
+much wonder at your feelings, because you have seen no one else in any
+respect comparable to him, and it is difficult for you to realize the
+disparity in your ages. Poor thing! It must be terrible, indeed, to
+one who loves him as you do, to have no hope of possessing his
+affection in return. But I suppose it can't be helped,--and one half
+the world seem to pour out their love on the wrong persons, and find
+misery where they should have only joy and peace. Thank God, all this
+mischief is shut out of heaven! Dear, don't hide your face, as if you
+had stolen half of my sheep; whereas my poor innocent sailor-boy has
+unintentionally stolen my little girl's heart."
+
+"Miss Jane, you are too good,--too kind. Do not help me to excuse
+myself,--do not teach me to palliate my pitiable weakness. It is a
+grievous, a shameful, a disgraceful thing, for a woman to allow
+herself to love any man who gives her no evidence of affection, and
+shows her beyond all doubt that he is utterly indifferent to her. This
+is a sin against womanly pride and delicacy that demands sackcloth and
+ashes, and penance and long years of humiliation and self-abasement;
+and I tell you this is the one sin which my proud soul will never
+pardon in my poor weak, despised heart."
+
+"If you feel this so keenly, you will soon succeed in conquering and
+casting out of your heart an affection, which, having nothing to feed
+upon, will speedily exhaust itself. You are young, and your elastic
+nature will rebound from the pressure that you now find so painful. My
+dear, a few months or years will bring comparative oblivion of this
+period of your life."
+
+"No; they will engrave more deeply the consciousness that I have
+missed my sole chance of earthly happiness, for Dr. Grey is the only
+man I shall ever love,--is the only man who can lift me to his own
+noble height of excellence. I know it is customary to laugh at a
+girl's protestations of undying devotion, and that the theory of
+feminine constancy is as entirely effete as the worship of the Cabiri,
+or the belief in Blokula and its witches; but, unfortunately, the
+world has not sneered it entirely out of existence, and I am destined
+to furnish a mournful exemplification of its reality. Whether my
+nature is unlike that of the majority of women, I shall not undertake
+to decide; but this I know,--God gave me only so much love to spend,
+and I poured it all out, I deluged my idol with it, instead of doling
+it carefully through the future years. Like the woman of Bethany, I
+have broken my box of alabaster, and spilled all my precious ointment,
+which might have served for a lifetime of anointing, and I cannot
+renew the shattered receptacle, nor gather back the wasted fragrance;
+and so my heart must remain without spikenard or balm during its
+earthly sojourn. I have been prodigal,--have beggared my womanly
+nature,--and henceforth shall feast on husks. But this piece of folly
+can be laid on no shoulders but my own, and I must not wince if they
+are galled by burdens which only I have imposed. Some women, under
+similar circumstances, console themselves by fostering a tender and
+excessive gratitude, which they pet and fondle and call second love;
+but the feeling belongs to a different species, and is to strong,
+earnest, genuine love, what the stunted pines of second growth are to
+the noble, stalwart, unapproachable oaks, that spring from the
+primitive virgin soil."
+
+Miss Jane lifted the bowed face, and rested the head against her
+bosom.
+
+"If you are so thoroughly convinced of the impossibility of mastering
+this affection, why talk of going away? You will be happier here,
+under any circumstances, than among strangers."
+
+"Do not misapprehend me. I do not intend to cherish my weakness,--to
+caress and pamper it. I mean to strangle, and mangle, and bury it, if
+possible. I meant, not that I should always love Dr. Grey, but that I
+should never be able to regard any one else as I once loved him. I can
+not stay here, seeing him daily trample my alabaster and ointment
+under his feet. I can not endure the humiliation that has for some
+days past made this house more intolerable than I may one day find
+Phlegethon. I want to go into the whirl and din of life, where my
+thoughts can dwell on some more comforting theme than the peerless
+preëminence of the man who is master here, where I can spend hours in
+elaborating _toilettes_ and _coiffures_ that will show to the greatest
+advantage my small stock of personal charms; where the admiration and
+love of other men will at least amuse and soothe the heart that has no
+more love for anybody, or anything. Miss Jane, if I had never become
+so deeply attached to Dr. Grey, it might perhaps be unsafe for me to
+venture into the career which now lies before me; but when a woman's
+heart is cold and dead in her bosom, there is no peril she need fear;
+for only her warm, pleading heart, can ever silence the iron clang of
+conscience and the silvery accents of reason. Worshipping some clay
+god, my loving, yearning heart, might possibly have led me astray; but
+now, pride and ambition stand as sentinels over its corpse, and a
+heartless woman, desirous only of amassing a fortune and making
+herself a celebrity in musical circles, is as safe from harm as the
+bones of her grandmother, twenty years buried."
+
+The agony that convulsed the orphan's features, and shivered the
+smoothness of her usually sweet voice, touched the old lady's
+sympathy, and she wept silently; straining her imagination for some
+argument that would make an impression on the adamantine will with
+which she found her own in conflict.
+
+"My child, tell me how long you have had this trouble. When did you
+first feel an interest in Ulpian?"
+
+Unhesitatingly Salome related all that had occurred in her intercourse
+with Dr. Grey, and her companion was surprised at the frankness and
+mercilessness with which she analyzed her own feelings at each stage
+of the acquaintance that proved so disastrous to her peace of mind;
+and not only held her weakness up for scorn, but exonerated Dr. Grey
+from all censure.
+
+The minuteness of the confession was exceedingly painful; and, at its
+conclusion, she pressed her palms to her cheeks, and moaned,--
+
+"There, Miss Jane, I have not winced; I have kept back nothing. I have
+been as patient and inexorable in laying open my nature, in treating
+you to a _post-mortem_ examination of my heart, as a dentist in
+scraping and chiselling a sensitive tooth, or a surgeon in cutting out
+a cancer that baffled cauterization. Now you know all that I can tell
+you, and I here lay the past in a sepulchre, and roll the stone upon
+it, and henceforth I trust you will respect the dead; at least, let
+silence rest upon its ashes. _Hic jacet cor cordium._"
+
+Salome extricated herself from the arms of her best friend, and
+smoothed the hair that constant strokes had somewhat disordered.
+
+"Salome, I can not live much longer."
+
+"I know that, dear Miss Jane, and it pains me even to think of leaving
+the only person who ever really loved me."
+
+"For my sake, dear child, bear the trial of remaining here a little
+longer; at least, until I die. Do not desert me in my last hours. I do
+not want the hands of strangers about me, when I am cold and stiff."
+
+Salome rose and walked several times up and down the room; then paused
+beside the easy-chair, and laid her clasped hands in Miss Jane's.
+
+"You alone have a right to control me. Do with me as you think best. I
+will not forsake the true, tender friend, who has done more for me
+than all else on earth, or in heaven. For the present I remain here;
+but allow me to say that I do not abandon my scheme. I relinquish none
+of its details,--I only bide my time."
+
+"'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.' Thank you, my precious
+little girl, for yielding to my wishes when they conflict with yours.
+Some day you will rejoice that you made what seemed a sacrifice of
+inclination on the altar of duty. Now, listen to me. Ulpian is so
+enraptured with your voice, that, while he will never consent to this
+stage-struck madness, he is exceedingly anxious that you should enjoy
+every musical advantage, and is curious to ascertain to what degree of
+perfection your voice can be trained. After consulting me, he wrote
+two days ago to a celebrated professor of music in Philadelphia or New
+York (I really forget where the man is now residing), and offered him
+a handsome salary if he would come and teach you for at least six
+months, or as much longer as he deems requisite. I believe the
+gentleman is delicate and threatened with consumption, which obliges
+him to spend the winters in a warm climate, and Ulpian first met him
+in Italy. My boy thinks that the opinion of this Professor Von
+Somebody is oracular in musical matters; and, as he has trained some
+of the best singers in Europe, Ulpian wishes him to have charge of
+your voice. Say nothing about it until we hear whether he can accept
+our offer. Kiss me."
+
+Salome's face crimsoned, and she said, hesitatingly,--
+
+"Miss Jane, I can not consent that Dr. Grey should contribute one cent
+toward my musical tuition. I can humbly and gratefully accept your
+charitable aid, but not his. You love me, and therefore your bounty
+is not oppressive or humiliating, but he only pities and tolerates
+me, and I would starve in some gutter rather than live as the
+recipient of his charity. If you can conveniently spare the money
+necessary to give me additional cultivation, I shall thankfully
+receive it, for Barilli has taught me all of which he is master,
+and there is no one else in town in whom I have more confidence.
+It was my desire and determination that the work of my hands should
+pay for polishing my voice, but embroidery-fees would not suffice
+to defray the expenses of the professor to whom you allude; and, if
+Dr. Grey pays for his services, I must in advance assure you and
+him that I shall decline them, and rely upon Barilli and myself."
+
+"Pooh! pooh! It is poor philosophy to quarrel with your bread and
+butter, no matter who happens to hand it to you. Don't be so savage on
+Ulpian, who really cares more for you than you deserve. But if it
+comforts your proud, fierce spirit, you are welcome to know that
+I--Jane Grey--pay Professor Von--whatever his name may be; and
+Ulpian's pocket, about which you seem so fastidious, will not be
+damaged one dollar by the transaction. Are you satisfied,--you pretty
+piece of beggarly pride?"
+
+"I am more grateful to you, dear Miss Jane, than I shall ever be able
+to express. God only knows what would have become of me if you had not
+mercifully snatched me, soul and body, from the purlieus of ruin."
+
+She stooped to receive the fond kiss of her benefactress, and went
+into her own room.
+
+Nearly an hour later she slowly descended the stairs, and took her hat
+from the stand in the hall. As she adjusted it on her head, and tied
+the ribbons behind her knot of hair, Mr. Granville came out of the
+parlor and seized her hand.
+
+"Why will you torment me so cruelly? I have been waiting and watching
+for you, at least half an hour."
+
+She haughtily took her fingers from his, and indignantly drew herself
+up,--
+
+"Mr. Granville presumes on his position as guest, to intrude upon some
+who do not desire his society. I was not aware, sir, that I had any
+engagement with you."
+
+"Forgive me, Salome! How have I offended you? If you could realize how
+much pleasure your presence affords me, you would not punish me by
+absenting yourself as you have persistently done for three days
+past."
+
+He bent his handsome face closer to hers, looking appealingly into her
+beautiful flashing eyes; but she put up her hands to push him aside,
+and answered,--
+
+"I shall be happy to entertain you in the evenings, when the remainder
+of the household assemble in the parlor; and will, with great
+pleasure, sing for you whenever Miss Muriel will kindly oblige me by
+playing my accompaniments; but I prefer to confine our acquaintance to
+such occasions."
+
+"Will you not allow me the privilege of accompanying you in the walk
+for which you seem prepared?"
+
+"No, sir; I respectfully decline your attendance."
+
+She saw his cheek flush, and he said, hastily,--
+
+"Salome, I shall begin to hope that you fear to trust your own
+heart."
+
+"Do not forget yourself, sir. If you knew where my heart is housed,
+you would spare yourself the fruitless trouble, and me the annoyance,
+of attentions and expressions of admiration which I avail myself of
+this opportunity to assure you are particularly disagreeable to me. I
+wish to treat you courteously, as the guest of those under whose roof
+I am permitted to reside, but 'thus far, and no farther,' must you
+venture. Moreover, Mr. Granville, since we are merely comparative
+strangers, I should be gratified if you will in future do me the honor
+to recollect that it is one of my peculiarities,--one of my
+idiosyncrasies,--to prefer that only those I respect and love should
+call me Salome. Good afternoon, sir."
+
+She took her music-book, bowed coolly, and made her exit through the
+front door, which she closed after her.
+
+In the hammock that was suspended on the eastern side of the piazza,
+Dr. Grey had thrown himself to rest; and meanwhile, to search for some
+surgical operation recorded in one of his books.
+
+Just behind him a window opened from the hall, and to-day, though a
+rose-colored shade was lowered, the sash had been raised, and every
+word that was uttered in the passage floated distinctly to him.
+
+The whole conversation occurred so rapidly that he had no opportunity
+of discovering his presence to the persons within, and though he
+cleared his throat and coughed rather spasmodically, his warning was
+unheeded by those for whom it was intended.
+
+He knew that Salome could not possibly have guessed his proximity, as
+he was not accustomed to use this hammock, and was completely shielded
+from observation; and, while pained and surprised by Mr. Granville's
+dishonorable course, which threatened life-long wretchedness for poor
+Muriel, Dr. Grey's heart throbbed with joy at the assurance that
+Salome was not so ungenerous as he had feared. Probably no other human
+being would have so highly appreciated her conduct on this occasion;
+and, as he mused, with his thumb and forefinger thrust between the
+leaves of the book, a glad smile broke over his grave face.
+
+"God bless the girl! Her prayers and mine have not been in vain, and
+she is putting under her feet the baser impulses that mar her
+character. Granville is considered by the world exceedingly handsome
+and agreeable, and many,--yes, the majority of women, would have
+yielded, and indulged in a 'harmless flirtation,' where Salome stood
+firm. There was something akin to the scornful ring of Rachel's voice
+in that child's tones, when she told Gerard he presumed on his
+position as guest; and I will wager my hand that her large eyes did
+not exactly resemble a dove's when she informed him it was not his
+privilege to call her Salome. She has a fierce, imperious, passionate
+temper, that goads her into mischief; but, after all, she is--she
+must be--nobler than I have sometimes thought her. God grant it! God
+bless her!"
+
+  "But blame us women not,--if some appear
+    Too cold at times; and some too gay and light.
+  Some griefs gnaw deep. Some woes are hard to bear.
+    Who knows the Past? And who can judge us right?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, are you awake? Dr. Grey, here is a note from 'Solitude,'
+and the messenger begs that you will lose no time, as one of the
+servants is supposed to be dying."
+
+Salome had knocked twice at Dr. Grey's door, without arousing him, and
+the third time she beat a tattoo that would have broken even heavier
+slumbers than his.
+
+"I am awake, and will strike a light in a moment."
+
+She heard him stumbling about the room, and finally there was a crash,
+as of a broken vase or goblet.
+
+"What is the matter? Can't you find your matches?"
+
+"No; some one has removed the box from its usual place, and I am
+fumbling about at random, and smashing things indiscriminately. Will
+you be so good as to bring me a match?"
+
+"I have a candle in my hand, which you can take, while I order Elbert
+to get your buggy ready."
+
+"Thank you, Salome."
+
+She placed the candle on the mat before his door, laid the note beside
+it, and went down to the servants' rooms to call the driver.
+
+It was two o'clock, and Dr. Grey had come home only an hour before,
+from a patient who resided at some distance.
+
+Dressing himself as expeditiously as possible, he read the blurred and
+crumpled note.
+
+  "Dr. Grey: For God's sake come as quick as possible. I am afraid
+  my mother is dying.
+
+    "ROBERT MACLEAN."
+
+Three days before, when he visited Elsie, he found her more composed
+and comfortable than she had been for several weeks, and Mrs. Gerome
+had seemed almost cheerful, as she sat beside the bed, crimping the
+borders of the invalid's muslin caps which the laundress had sent in,
+stiff and spotless.
+
+Recollecting Elsie's desire to confide something to him before her
+death, and dreading the effect which this sudden termination of her
+life might have upon her mistress, in whom he was daily becoming more
+deeply interested, Dr. Grey hurried down stairs and met the orphan.
+
+"Elbert is not quite ready, but will be at the door directly. I told
+him the case was urgent."
+
+"You are very considerate, Salome, and I am much obliged for your
+thoughtfulness; though I regret that the messenger waked you, instead
+of Rachel or me. I have never before known Rachel fail to hear the
+bell, and I was so weary that I think a ten-inch columbiad would
+scarcely have aroused me."
+
+"I was not asleep,--was sitting at my window; and hearing some one
+slam the gate and gallop up the avenue, I went to the door and opened
+it, to prevent the ringing of the bell and waking of the entire
+household."
+
+"You should have been asleep four hours ago, and I had no idea you
+were still up, when I came home. There was no light in your room. Are
+you quite well?"
+
+"Thank you, I am quite well."
+
+She was dressed as he had seen her at dinner, and now, as she stood
+resting one hand on the balustrade of the stairway, he thought she
+looked paler and more weary than he had ever observed her.
+
+The scarlet spray of pelargonium had withered from the heat of her
+head, where it had rested all the evening, and the large creamy Grand
+Duke jasmine fastened at her throat by a sprig of coral, was drooping
+and fading, but still exhaled its strong delicious perfume.
+
+"Your appearance contradicts your assertion. Is your wakefulness
+attributable to any anxiety or trouble which I can remove?"
+
+"No, sir. I hear Elbert opening the gate. Who is sick at 'Solitude'?"
+
+"The servant who was so severely injured many months ago, by a fall
+from a carriage, has grown suddenly worse."
+
+Salome accompanied him to the front door, in order to lock it after
+his departure; and, as he descended the steps, he turned and said, in
+a subdued voice,--
+
+"You have probably heard that Mrs. Gerome is a very peculiar,--indeed,
+a decidedly eccentric person?"
+
+"Yes, sir; it is reported that she is almost a lunatic."
+
+"Which is totally false. She is very sensitive, and shrinks from
+strangers, and consequently has no friends here. If I should find
+Elsie dying, or if I need you, I wish you to come promptly. It may be
+necessary to have some one beside the household, and you are the only
+person I can trust. Try to go to sleep immediately, for I may send for
+you very early in the morning."
+
+"I shall be ready to come when I am needed."
+
+The buggy rolled up to the steps, and Dr. Grey sprang into it and
+drove swiftly down the avenue.
+
+Salome crept softly back up stairs, but Miss Jane called out,--
+
+"Who is there, in the hall? What is the matter?"
+
+The girl opened the door, and put her head inside.
+
+"Dr. Grey has been called to see a sick woman at 'Solitude,' and I
+have just locked the door after him."
+
+"Why could not Rachel do that, and save you from coming down stairs?
+What time of night is it?"
+
+"About half-past two. Rachel is asleep. Good-night."
+
+"'Solitude,' did you say?"
+
+"Yes, madam."
+
+"Well, if people will persist in burrowing in that unlucky den, they
+must take the consequences. Ulpian, poor fellow, will be completely
+worn out. Good-night, dear; don't get up to breakfast, if you feel
+sleepy."
+
+Salome went to her own room, changed her dress, laid gloves, hat, and
+shawl in readiness upon the bed, and threw herself down on the lounge
+to rest, and if possible to sleep.
+
+When Dr. Grey reached "Solitude," he found Robert Maclean pacing the
+paved walk that led to the gate.
+
+"Oh, doctor! Have you come at last? It seems to me I could have
+crawled twice to your house, since Jerry came back."
+
+"What change has taken place in your mother's condition? She was
+better than usual, when I saw her last."
+
+"We thought she was getting along very well, till all of a sudden she
+became speechless. Go in, sir; don't stop to knock."
+
+Mrs. Gerome sat at the bedside, mechanically chafing one of the hands
+that lay on the coverlet, and the face of the dying woman was not more
+ghastly than the one which bent over her. As Dr. Grey approached, the
+mistress of the house rose, and put out her hands towards him, with a
+wistful, pleading, childish manner, that touched him inexpressibly.
+
+"Do not let her die."
+
+He leaned over the pillow, and put his finger on the scarcely palpable
+pulse.
+
+"Elsie, tell me where or how you suffer."
+
+A ray of recognition leaped up in her sunken eyes, and she looked at
+him with a yearning, imploring expression, that was pitiable and
+distressing indeed.
+
+He saw that she was struggling to articulate, but failing in the
+effort, a groan escaped her, and tears gathered and trickled down her
+pinched face. He smoothed her contracted forehead, and said,
+soothingly,--
+
+"Elsie, you feel that I will do all that I can to relieve you. You can
+not talk to me, but you know me?"
+
+She inclined her head slightly, and in examining her he discovered
+that only one side was completely paralyzed, and that she could still
+partially control her left arm. When he had done all that medical
+skill could suggest, he stood at her side, and she suddenly grasped
+his fingers.
+
+He put his face close to hers, and observing her tears start afresh,
+whispered,--
+
+"You wish to tell me something before you die?"
+
+A gurgling sound, and a faint motion of her lips was the only reply of
+which she was capable.
+
+He placed a pencil between her fingers, but she could not use it
+intelligibly, and he noticed that her eyes moved from his to those of
+her mistress, as if to indicate that she was the subject of the
+desired conversation.
+
+It was distressing to witness her efforts to communicate her wishes,
+while the tears dripped on her pillow; and unable to endure the sight
+of her anguish, Mrs. Gerome sank on her knees and hid her face in the
+coverlet.
+
+Dr. Grey gently lifted Elsie's arm and placed her hand on the head of
+her mistress, and the expression of her face assured him he had
+correctly interpreted her feelings. Something still disturbed her, and
+he suggested,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, put your hand in hers."
+
+She silently obeyed him, and then the old woman's eyes looked once
+more intently into his. He could not conjecture her meaning, until, in
+feeling her pulse, he found that she was trying to touch his fingers
+with hers.
+
+He slipped his own into the palm where Mrs. Gerome's lay, and, by a
+last great effort, she pressed them feebly together.
+
+Even then, the touch of those white, soft fingers, thrilled his heart
+as no other hand had ever done, and he said,--
+
+"Elsie, you mean that you leave her in my care? That you put her in my
+hands? That you trust her to me?"
+
+It was impossible to mistake the satisfied expression that flashed
+over her countenance.
+
+"I accept the trust. Elsie, I promise you that while I live she shall
+never want a true and faithful friend. I will try to take care of her
+body, and pray for her soul. I will do all that you would have done."
+
+Once more, but very faintly, she pressed the two hands she had
+clasped, and closed her eyes.
+
+"Oh, doctor, can't you save her?" sobbed Robert.
+
+In the solemn silence that ensued Mrs. Gerome lifted her face, and Dr.
+Grey never forgot the wild, imploring gaze, that met his. He
+understood its import, and shook his head. She rose instantly, moved
+away from the bed, and left the room.
+
+For nearly an hour Dr. Grey hung over the prostrate form, which lay
+with closed eyes, and gradually sank into the heavy lethargic sleep,
+from which he knew she could never awake.
+
+Leaving her to the care of Robert and two female servants, he went in
+search of the mistress of the silent and dreary house.
+
+Taking a lamp from the escritoire in the back parlor, he went from
+room to room, finding nowhere the object he sought, and at length
+became alarmed. As he stood in the front door, perplexed and
+anxious, the thought presented itself that she might have gone down
+to the beach. He went back to the apartment occupied by the dying
+woman,--felt once more the sinking pulse, and took a last look at
+the altered and almost rigid face.
+
+"Robert, I can do her no good. Her soul will very soon be with her
+God."
+
+"Oh, sir, don't leave her! Don't give her up, while there is life in
+her body!" cried the son, grasping the doctor's sleeve.
+
+Dr. Grey put his hand on the Scotchman's shoulder, and whispered,--
+
+"I am going to hunt for Mrs. Gerome. She is not in the house. I may be
+able to render her some service, but your mother is beyond all human
+aid."
+
+"Is there any pulse?"
+
+"It is so feeble now, I can scarcely count it."
+
+"Please, doctor, stay here by her while she breathes. Don't desert the
+dear soul. My poor mother!"
+
+Robert lost all control of himself, and wept like a child.
+
+Loth to forsake him in this hour of direst trial, Dr. Grey leaned
+against the bed, and for some moments watched the irregular convulsive
+heaving of the woman's chest.
+
+"Oh, sir, if my mistress hadn't a heart of stone, she would have let
+her die peacefully. She might at least have granted her dying
+prayer."
+
+"What was it?"
+
+"All of yesterday afternoon she pleaded with her to be baptized. My
+mother--God bless her dear soul!--my mother told her that she could
+not consent to die until she saw her baptized; and, with the tears
+pouring down her poor face, she begged and prayed that I might fetch
+the minister from town, and that she might see the ceremony performed.
+But my mistress walked up and down the floor, and said, 'Never! never!
+I have done with mockeries. I have washed my hands of all that,--long,
+long ago.' And now--it is too late; and my poor mother can never--God
+be merciful to us! is it all over?"
+
+Dr. Grey raised the head, but the breathing was imperceptible and,
+after a little while, he softly pressed down the lids that were
+partially lifted from the glazed eyes, and quitted the room.
+
+His buggy stood at the rear gate, and the driver was asleep, but his
+master's voice aroused him.
+
+"Elbert, go home, and ask Miss Salome please to come over as soon as
+you can drive her here."
+
+The east was purple and gold, the sea a purling mass of molten amber,
+and only two stars were visible low in the west, where a waning moon
+swung on the edge of the distant misty hills. The air was chill, and a
+silvery haze hung above the moaning waves, and partially veiled the
+windings of the beach. Under the trees that clustered so closely
+around the house, the gloom of night still lingered like a pall, but
+as Dr. Grey approached the terrace, he felt the pure fresh presence of
+the new day. Up and down the sands his eyes wandered, hoping to
+discern a woman's figure, but no living thing was visible, except the
+flamingo and yellow pheasant still perched where they had spent the
+night, on the stone balustrade that bordered the terrace. He took off
+his hat to enjoy the crystalline atmosphere, and while he faced the
+brightening east, the sharp peculiar bark of the Arab greyhound broke
+the solemn silence that brooded over sea and land.
+
+The sound proceeded from the boat-house, and he hastened towards it,
+startling a mimic army of crabs and fiddlers that had not yet ended
+their nightly marauding. The tide was higher than usual at this early
+hour, and the waves were breaking sullenly against the stone piers.
+
+As Dr. Grey ascended the iron steps leading to the pavilion, the dog
+growled and showed his teeth, but the visitor succeeded in partially
+winning him over, and now passed unmolested into the circular room. A
+cushioned seat extended around the wall, where windows opened at the
+four points of the compass; and on the round table in the centre of
+the marble-tiled floor lay a telescope.
+
+At the eastern window sat Mrs. Gerome, with her head resting on her
+crossed arms. Although Dr. Grey's steps echoed heavily, as he trod the
+damp mosaic where the mist had condensed, she gave no evidence of
+having discovered his presence until he stood close beside her. Then
+she raised one hand, with a quick gesture of caution and silence. He
+sat down near her, and watched the countenance that was fully exposed
+to his scrutiny.
+
+No tears had dimmed the wide, mournful, almost despairing eyes, that
+gazed with strange intentness over the amber sea, at the golden
+radiance that heralded the coming sun; and every line and moulding of
+her delicate features seemed cold and rigid enough for a cenotaph.
+Even the lips were still and compressed, and a bluish shadow lay about
+their dimpled corners, and under the heavy jet eyelashes. Her silver
+comb had become loosened, and was finally dragged down by the coil of
+hair that slipped slowly until it fell upon the morocco cushion of the
+seat, and the glistening waves of gray hair rolled around her
+shoulders, and rippled low on her brow. Sea fog had dampened and sea
+wind tossed this mass of white locks, till it made a singular
+burnished frame for the wan face that looked out hopeless and
+painfully quiet.
+
+Her silk _robe de chambre_ of leaden gray, bordered with blue, was
+unbuttoned at the throat, and showed its faultless curve and contour;
+while the full, open sleeves, blown back by the strong breeze, bared
+the snowy arms, where one of the jet serpents that formed her
+bracelets, pressed so heavily on the white flesh that a purple band
+was visible when the hand was raised and the bracelet slipped back.
+
+Watching her intently, Dr. Grey could not detect the slightest quiver
+of nerve or muscle; and she breathed so low and softly that he might
+have doubted whether she was really conscious, if he had not correctly
+interpreted the strained expression of the unwinking gray eyes whose
+pupils contracted as the sky flushed and kindled.
+
+On the floor lay a dainty handkerchief, and stooping to pick it up, he
+inhaled the delicate, tenacious perfume of tube-rose, which, blended
+with orange-flowers, he had frequently discovered when standing near
+her.
+
+Placing it within reach of her fingers, he said, very gently and more
+tenderly than he was aware of,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome,--"
+
+"Hush! I know what you have come to tell me. I knew it when I came
+away. Let me alone, now."
+
+She raised her head, and turned her eyes to meet his, and he shuddered
+at the hard, bitter look, that came swiftly over the blanched
+features. For some seconds they gazed full at each other, and Dr.
+Grey's eyes filled with a mist that made hers seem large and radiant
+as wintry stars.
+
+He knew then that his heart was no longer his own,--that this
+wretched, solitary woman, had installed herself in its most sacred
+penetralia; that she had not suddenly, but gradually, become the
+dearest object that earth possessed.
+
+He did not ask himself whether she filled all his fastidious and
+lofty requirements,--whether she rose full-statured to his noble
+standard,--whether reverence, perfect confidence, and unqualified
+admiration would follow in the footsteps of mere affection. He
+neither argued, nor trifled, nor deceived himself, but bravely
+confessed to his own true soul, that, for the first time in his
+life, he loved warmly and tenderly the only woman whose touch had
+power to stir his quiet, steady pulses.
+
+He had not intended to surrender his affections to the custody of any
+one until reason and judgment had analyzed, weighed, and cordially
+endorsed the wisdom of his choice; and now, although surprised at the
+rashness with which his heart, hitherto so tractable and docile,
+vehemently declared allegiance to a new sovereign, he did not attempt
+to mask or varnish the truth. Thoroughly comprehending the fact that
+it was neither friendship nor compassion, he gravely looked the new
+feeling in the face, and acknowledged it,--the tyrant which sooner or
+later wields the sceptre in every human heart.
+
+Had he faithfully kept his compact with himself, and followed the
+injunction of Joubert, "Choose for a wife only the woman, whom, were
+she a man, you would choose for your friend"?
+
+Because he found a fascination in her society, should he conclude that
+it was a healthful atmosphere for his sturdy, exacting, uncompromising
+nature?
+
+To-day he swept aside all these protests and questions, postponing the
+arraignment of his heart before the tribunal of slighted and indignant
+reason, and allowed the newly mitred pontiff to lead him whither she
+chose.
+
+Unconscious of the emotions that brought an unusual glow to his
+face and light to his eyes, Mrs. Gerome had dropped her head once
+more on her arms, and the weary, despairing expression of her
+countenance, as she looked at the gilded horizon, where sea and sky
+seemed divided only by a belt of liquid gold,--might have served for
+the face of some careless Vestal, who, having allowed the fire to
+expire on the altar she had sworn to guard sleeplessly, sat hopeless,
+desolate, and doomed,--watching from the dim, cheerless temple of
+Hestia, the advent of that sun whose rays alone could rekindle the
+sacred flame, and which, ere its setting, would witness the
+execution of her punishment.
+
+Dr. Grey bent over her, and said,--
+
+"I came here in quest of you, hoping to persuade you to return to the
+house."
+
+"No. You came to tell me that Elsie is dead. You came to break the
+news as gently as possible,--and to pity and try to comfort me. You
+are very good, I dare say; but I wish to be alone."
+
+"You have been too long alone, and I can not consent to leave you
+here."
+
+At the sound of his subdued voice, she turned her face towards him,
+and, for a moment,--
+
+  "A strange slow smile grew into her eyes,
+    As though from a great way off it came
+  And was weary ere down to her lips it fluttered,
+    And turned into a sigh, or some soft name
+  Whose syllables sounded likest sighs
+  Half-smothered in sorrow before they were uttered."
+
+"Dr. Grey, my loneliness transcends all parallels, and is beyond
+remedy. Why should I not stay here? All places are alike to me, now.
+That cold, silent corpse at the house, is not Elsie; and, since she
+has been taken, I shall be utterly alone, go where I may."
+
+She shivered, and he picked up a crape shawl lying in a heap under the
+table, and wrapped it around her. The soft folds were damp, and, as he
+lifted the veil of hair, to draw the shawl closer about her shoulders
+and throat, he felt that it was moist from the humid atmosphere.
+
+"Sir, I am not cold,--I wish I were. It is useless to wrap up my body
+so warmly, and leave my heart shivering until death freezes it
+utterly."
+
+Dr. Grey took her beautiful white hands in his warm palms, and held
+them firmly.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you do not know what is best for you, and must be guided
+by one who will prove himself your truest friend."
+
+"Don't mock my misery! I never had but one friend, and henceforth must
+live friendless. I knew what was before me, and therefore I dreaded
+this dark, dark day, and begged you to save her. She was the world to
+me. She supplied the place of father, mother, husband, society, and
+because God saw that her loving sympathy and care made my existence a
+trifle less purgatorial than He saw fit to render it, He took her
+away. My poor Elsie would quit the highest throne in heaven to come
+back to her desolate, dependent child; for only she knew how and why I
+trusted and leaned upon her. Ah, God! it is hard that I who have so
+long shunned strangers should be at their mercy, in the last hour of
+trial that can be devised by fiends, or allowed by heaven to afflict
+me."
+
+She struggled to free her hands and hide her face, but her companion
+clasped them in one of his, and attempted to draw her head down to his
+shoulder.
+
+"No, sir! The grave is the only resting-place for my poor, accursed
+head. Do not touch me."
+
+She shrank as far as possible from him, and her voice, hitherto so
+firm and dry, trembled.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, I intend to take Elsie's place. You had confidence in
+her sagacity and penetration, and know that she was cautious in all
+things. During her long illness she studied my character and
+antecedents, and finally begged me to take you under my guardianship
+when she could no longer watch over you. She was importunate in her
+appeal, and to comfort and compose her I gave her a solemn promise
+that at her death I would take her place. You may deem me intrusive,
+and perhaps presumptuously impertinent, but time proves all
+things, and, after a little while, you will cling to me as you so long
+clung to her. I shall wait patiently for your confidence; shall
+deserve,--and then exact it. You need a strong arm to curb and guide
+you,--you need a true, honest heart, to sympathize with your sorrows
+and difficulties,--you need a fearless friend to defend you from the
+assaults of gossip and malice; and all these, if God spares my life,
+I am resolved to be to you. You can not repulse, or offend, or
+chill, or wound me, for my word is sacredly pledged to the dead; and,
+by the grace of God, I will strictly and fully redeem it, when we
+meet at the last day."
+
+The earnestness of his manner, the grave resolution of his tone, and
+the invincible fearlessness with which his clear, calm, penetrating
+eyes, looked into hers, seemed momentarily to overawe her; and she sat
+quite still, pondering his unexpected words. Pressing her cold fingers
+very gently, he continued,--
+
+"Elsie had such confidence in my discretion, and friendly interest in
+your welfare, that she requested me to warn her of her approaching
+dissolution in order that she might communicate something, which she
+assured me she desired to confide to me before her death. The
+paralysis of her tongue prevented the fulfilment of her wish, but you
+saw how keenly she suffered from her inability to utter what was
+pressing on her heart. You can not have forgotten that her last act
+was to put your hand in mine, and you heard my solemn acceptance of
+the charge committed to me."
+
+An expression of dread that bordered on horror, came over her ghastly
+face, and her hands grasped his, almost spasmodically.
+
+"Did she hint what she wished to tell you? Did you guess it all?"
+
+"No. Whatever her secret may have been, it passed unuttered into that
+realm where all mysteries are solved. I neither know nor surmise the
+nature of her desired revelation, but some day when you fully
+understand me, I shall ask you to tell me that which she believed I
+ought to know. My dear madam, when I come to you and demand your
+confidence, I have no fear that you will withhold it."
+
+She closed her eyes as if to shut out some painful vision, and drooped
+her head lower, till it rested on her chest.
+
+The sun flashed up from his ocean bed, and, as the first beams fell on
+the woman's hair, Dr. Grey softly passed his broad white hand over its
+perfumed masses, redolent of orange flowers.
+
+"The air is too damp for you. Come with me to the house."
+
+She did not heed his words, and perhaps his touch on her head
+recalled some exquisitely painful memory, for she shook it off, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"Doubtless, like the remainder of the curious herd, you are wondering
+at my 'crown of glory,'--and conjecturing what dire tragedy bequeathed
+it to me. Sir,--
+
+  'My hair was black, but white my life:
+    The colors in exchange are cast!
+  The white upon my hair is rife,
+    The black upon my life has passed.'
+
+Dr. Grey, I understand you; but you need not stay here to keep guard
+over me, as if I were an imbecile or a refugee from an insane asylum.
+That I am not the one or the other, is attributable to the fact that
+my powers of endurance are almost fabulous. You fear that in my
+loneliness and complete isolation I may turn coward, at the last
+ordeal I am put through,--and, like Zeno cry out, and in a fit of
+desperation strangle myself? Dr. Grey, make yourself easy. I do not
+love my Creator so devotedly that I must needs hurry into his presence
+before He sees proper to send me a summons.'"
+
+"I am afraid to leave you here, for any woman who does not love and
+reverence her Maker, requires a guardian. Of course you will do as you
+like, but I shall remain here as long as you do."
+
+He rose, and crossing his arms on his chest, began to walk about the
+pavilion. She caught up her hair, twisted it hastily into a knot, and
+secured it with her comb. As she did so, a small cluster of double
+violets dropped into her lap. She had gathered them the preceding
+afternoon, had carried them as an offering to Elsie, who insisted that
+she should wear them in her hair, "they looked so bonnie just behind
+the little roguish ear." At her request Mrs. Gerome had placed them at
+the side of her head, and the old woman made her lean down that she
+might smell them, and leave a kiss on their blue petals. Now the sight
+of the withered flowers melted her icy composure, and, as she lifted
+the little crushed, faded bouquet, and pressed it against her wan
+cheek, a moan broke from her colorless lips.
+
+"Oh, Elsie,--Elsie! How could you desert me? You knew you were all
+I had to love and trust,--and how could you die and leave me
+alone,--utterly alone, in this miserable world that has so cruelly
+injured me!"
+
+She clasped her hands passionately over the flowers, and the motion
+caused the sapphire ring, which was now much too large, to slip from
+the thin finger, and roll ringing across the marble floor.
+
+Dr. Grey picked it up, and as he replaced it, drew her hand under his
+arm, and led her out of the boat-house. They walked slowly, and as
+they ascended the steps, he saw his buggy approaching the side gate.
+
+Opening the parlor door, he drew his companion into the room, where
+the Psyche lamp still burned brightly.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, will you trust me?"
+
+He had hoped that a return to the house would touch her heart and make
+her weep, but the cold, dry glitter of her eyes disappointed him.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I trust neither men nor women, nor even the angels in
+heaven; for one of them turned serpent, and if tradition be true, made
+earth the dismal 'Bochin' I have found it."
+
+She turned from him, and threw herself wearily upon the divan that
+filled the recess of the oriel window.
+
+Securing the door of the library, he extinguished the lamp, and
+closing the parlor went out to meet Salome.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, you look weary and anxious."
+
+"I feel so, for this has been a memorable night."
+
+"The servant who opened the gate for us said that the poor old woman
+died about day-break."
+
+"Yes; when I arrived I found her speechless, and of course could do
+nothing but watch her die. Come down this walk, I wish to talk to you
+before you go into the house."
+
+He pointed to a serpentine walk, overarched by laurustinus, and they
+had proceeded some yards before he spoke again.
+
+"Salome, I believe you told me that you had met Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+"Yes, sir; once upon the cliffs, a mile below, I saw her for a few
+moments."
+
+"She is a very eccentric woman."
+
+"I should judge so, from her appearance."
+
+"Her life seems to have been blighted by early griefs, and she has
+grown cynical and misanthropic. Loving no one but her faithful and
+devoted nurse, she has completely isolated herself, and consequently
+the death of this servant--companion--nay, foster-mother--is a
+terrible blow to her. I want your promise that what you may hear or
+witness in this house shall not travel beyond its walls to feed the
+worse-than-Ugolino hunger of never-satiated scandal and gossip."
+
+Salome's brow contracted and darkened.
+
+"Do you class me among newsmongers and character-cannibals?"
+
+"If I did, you certainly would not be here at this instant. I sent for
+you to come and take my place temporarily, as I am compelled to see a
+patient many miles distant, who is dangerously ill. The majority of
+women might go away, and comment upon the occurrences of this
+melancholy day, but I wish to keep sacred all that Mrs. Gerome desires
+to screen from public gaze and animadversion. Because she is not fond
+of society, it revenges itself by circulating reports detrimental to
+the owner of a house which is elegantly furnished, not for popular
+praise, but solely for her own comfort and gratification. While I
+regard her course as very deplorable, and particularly impolitic for
+one so young and unprotected, I am totally unacquainted with the
+reasons that control her; and, in this hour of grief and bitterness, I
+earnestly desire to shield her from intrusion and impertinent
+scrutiny."
+
+"In other words, you wish me to have eyes and yet see not,--and having
+ears to hear not? You must indeed have little confidence in my good
+sense, and still less in my feminine sympathy for the afflicted, if
+you suppose that under existing circumstances I could come to the
+house of mourning to collect materials to be rolled as sweet morsels
+under the slanderous tongues, that already wag so industriously
+concerning 'Solitude' and its solitary mistress. Verily, I occupy a
+lofty niche in your estimation, and it would doubtless be pardonably
+prudent in you to reconsider, and bid Elbert take me home with all
+possible dispatch, before I see Fatima or Bluebeard."
+
+"When will you cease to be childish, and remember that a woman's work
+lies before you?"
+
+"You may date that desirable transmogrification from the hour when you
+cease to stir up the mud and dregs in my nature, by doubting the
+possibility that they will ever settle, and leave a pure medium
+between your soul and mine. Just so soon,--and no sooner."
+
+"My young friend, you are too sensitive. I now offer you the strongest
+proof of confidence that I can ever hope to command. Will you take
+charge of this stricken household in my absence, and not only
+superintend the arrangements necessary for the funeral, but watch over
+Mrs. Gerome and see that no one disturbs her?"
+
+"You may trust me to execute her wishes and your orders."
+
+"Thank you. There certainly is no one except you whom I would trust in
+this emergency. One thing more; if Mrs. Gerome leaves the house, do
+not lose sight of her. It may be necessary to keep a very strict
+surveillance over her, and I will return as soon as possible, and
+relieve you."
+
+As they entered the house, Salome said,--
+
+"You will stop at home and get your breakfast?"
+
+"No, I shall not have time."
+
+"Let me make you a cup of coffee before you start."
+
+"Thank you, it is not necessary; and besides, the house is in such
+confusion that it would be difficult to obtain anything. Come with
+me."
+
+She followed him into the dim room, where the tall but emaciated form
+of Elsie Maclean had been dressed for its last long sleep. The
+housemaid sat at the bedside, and Robert stood at one of the windows.
+
+The first passionate burst of grief had spent itself, and the son was
+very calm.
+
+At a sign from Dr. Grey he came forward, and bowed to the stranger.
+
+"Robert, I am obliged to be absent for several hours, and Miss Owen
+will remain until I return. If you need advice or assistance come to
+her, and do not disturb Mrs. Gerome, who is lying on a sofa in the
+parlor. I will drive through town, and send your minister out
+immediately."
+
+"You are very good, sir. Do you think the funeral should take place
+before to-morrow? I want to speak to my mistress about it."
+
+"For her sake, it is advisable that it should not be delayed beyond
+this afternoon. It is very harrowing to know that the body is lying
+here, and I think she would prefer to leave all these matters to you.
+It would be better for all parties to have the funeral ceremonies
+ended this evening."
+
+"I suppose, sir, you know that my poor mother will be buried here, in
+the grounds."
+
+"For what reason? The cemetery is certainly the best place."
+
+Robert handed a slip of paper to Dr. Grey, who read, in a remarkably
+beautiful chirograph, the following words,--
+
+"Robert, it was your mother's desire and is my wish that she should be
+buried near that cluster of deodar cedars, just beyond the mound. Send
+for an undertaker, and for the minister who visited her during her
+illness; and let everything be done as if it were my funeral instead
+of hers. Put some geranium leaves and violets in her dear hands, and
+upon her breast."
+
+"When did you receive this?" asked Dr. Grey.
+
+"A moment ago, Phoebe, the cook, brought it to me from my mistress."
+
+"Of course you have no choice, but must comply with her wishes and
+those of the dead. Still, I regret this decision."
+
+"Yes, sir; it is ill luck to keep a grave near the eaves of a house,
+and it will be bad for my mistress to have it always in sight; for she
+mopes enough at best, and does not sleep o' nights, and the Lord only
+knows what will become of her with my poor mother's corpse and coffin
+within ten yards of her window. Sir, how does she take this awful
+blow? It comforted me to know you were with her."
+
+"She bears this affliction as she seems to have endured all others
+that have overtaken her, in a spirit of rebellious bitterness and
+defiance. I am afraid that the excitement will seriously injure her.
+Salome, I will return as early as the safety of a patient will
+permit."
+
+Robert followed the doctor to his buggy, to consult him with reference
+to some of the sad details of the impending funeral, and after a hasty
+glance at the placid countenance of the dead, Salome went back to the
+hall, and sat down opposite to the parlor door, which had been pointed
+out to her. Her nerves were strong, healthy, and firm, but the
+presence of death, the profound silence that reigned, the chill
+atmosphere, and dreary aspect of the house,--all conspired to oppress
+her heart.
+
+Through the open door she could see the ever restless sea, and hear
+its endless murmuring monotone, and imagination seizing the ill-omened
+legends she had heard recounted concerning this spot, peopled the
+corners of the hall with phantoms, and every flitting shadow on the
+lawn became a spectre.
+
+Now and then the servants--two middle-aged women--passed softly to and
+fro, and twice Robert crossed the passage, but not a sound issued from
+the parlor; and once, when Phoebe came with her mistress's breakfast
+on a waiter, and tried the bolt, she found the door locked. She
+knocked several times, but receiving no answer went quietly back to
+the kitchen.
+
+Weary of sitting on one of the hard, uncomfortable walnut chairs, that
+stood with its high carved back close to the wall, Salome rose, and
+amused herself by studying the engravings that surrounded her. In the
+midst of her investigations she was startled by a loud, doleful,
+blood-curdling sound, that seemed to proceed from some spot
+immediately beneath the floor of the hall. It was different from
+anything she had ever heard before, but resembled the prolonged howl
+of a dog, and rose and fell on the air like a cry from some doomed
+spirit.
+
+Robert came out of the room which his mother had always occupied, and,
+as he passed Salome, she asked,--
+
+"What is the matter? What is the meaning of that horrible noise?"
+
+"Only the greyhound howling at the dead that he knows is lying over
+his head. Ah, ma'am! The poor brute sees what we can't see, and his
+death-baying is awful."
+
+"Where is he? The sound seems to come through the floor."
+
+"He is so savage that I was afraid he would hurt some of the strangers
+who will come here to-day, so I chained him in the basement. Hist,
+ma'am! Did you ever hear anything so dreadful? It raises the hair off
+my head."
+
+He went down stairs, and the howling, which was caused by the fact
+that the dog was hungry and unaccustomed to being chained, ceased as
+soon as he was set free. Ere long Robert came back, followed by the
+greyhound, whose collar he grasped firmly. At sight of Salome he
+growled and plunged towards her, but Robert was on the alert, and held
+him down. Leading him to the parlor door, the gardener knocked, and
+put his mouth to the key-hole.
+
+"If you please, ma'am, will you let Greyhound in? It won't do to leave
+him at large, and when I chain him he almost lifts the roof with his
+howls."
+
+No reply reached Salome's strained ears, but the door was opened
+sufficiently to admit the dog, who eagerly bounded in, and then the
+click of the lock once more barred intrusion; and when the joyful
+barking had ceased, all grew silent once more.
+
+From a basket of fresh flowers brought in by the boy who assisted
+Robert, Salome selected the white ones and made a wreath, which she
+laid aside and sprinkled; then gathering some rose and nutmeg
+geranium-leaves, and a few violets blooming in jars that stood on the
+gallery, she cautiously glided into the chamber of death, and arranged
+them in Elsie's rigid hands.
+
+Soon after, the undertaker and minister arrived, and while they
+conferred with Robert concerning the burial service, the girl went
+back to her vigil before the parlor door, and endeavored to divert her
+thoughts by looking into a volume of poems that lay on the hall table.
+The book opened at "Macromicros," where a brilliant verbena was
+crushed between the leaves, and delicate undulating pencil-lines
+enclosed the passage beginning,--
+
+  "O woman, woman, with face so pale!
+    Pale woman, weaving away
+  A frustrate life at a lifeless loom."
+
+Slowly the hours wore away, and at noon Elsie's body was placed in
+the coffin and left on a table in the room opposite the parlor.
+
+It was two o'clock when Dr. Grey came up the steps, looking more
+fatigued than Salome had ever seen him. He sat down beside her on the
+gallery, and sighed as he caught a glimpse of the men who were
+bricking up the grave that yawned on the right hand side of the lawn.
+
+"Where is Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+"In the parlor. Once I heard her pacing the floor very rapidly, and
+saying something to her dog. Since then--two hours ago--not a sound
+has reached me."
+
+"She has taken no food?"
+
+"No, sir. The servant who prepared her breakfast knocked twice at the
+door, but was refused admittance."
+
+Dr. Grey went into the hall, and rapped vigorously on the door, but
+there was no movement within.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, please permit me to speak to you for a few minutes. If
+it were not necessary, I would not disturb you."
+
+The appeal produced no effect; and, without hesitating, he walked to
+the door of the library or rear parlor,--took the key from his pocket,
+opened it, and entered.
+
+The dog was asleep on the velvet rug before the hearth, and his
+mistress sat at her escritoire, with her arms resting on the blue
+desk, and her face hidden upon them. A number of letters and papers
+were scattered about, and, in an open drawer a silver casket was
+visible, with a pearl key in its lock.
+
+Before the marble Harpocrates stood two slender violet-colored
+Venetian glasses, representing tulips, and filled with fuchsias and
+clematis that were dropping their faded velvet petals, and the
+atmosphere was sweet with the breath of carnations and mignonette
+blooming in the south window.
+
+Dr. Grey hoped that Mrs. Gerome had fallen asleep; but when he bent
+over her, he saw in the mirror above her that the large, bright eyes
+were gazing vacantly into the recess of the desk.
+
+She noticed his image reflected in the glass, and instantly sat
+upright, spreading her hands over her papers as if to screen them. He
+drew a chair near hers, and put his finger on her pulse, which
+throbbed so rapidly he could scarcely count it.
+
+"Have you slept at all, since I left you this morning?"
+
+"No."
+
+"You promised that you would not attempt to destroy yourself."
+
+"I have kept my word."
+
+"Yes; you 'keep it to our ear, and break it to our hope,' for you must
+know that unless you take some rest and refreshment, you will be
+seriously ill."
+
+He saw a spark leap up in her eyes, like a bubble tossed into sunshine
+by a sudden ripple, and she shook back the hair that seemed to oppress
+her.
+
+"Do not tease and torment me, now. I want to be quiet."
+
+"My task is an unpleasant one, therefore I shall not postpone it. In a
+short time--within the next hour--Elsie will be buried, and you owe a
+last tribute of gratitude and respect to her remains. Will you refuse
+it to the faithful friend to whom you are indebted for so much
+affection and considerate care?"
+
+"She would not wish me to do anything that is so repugnant, so painful
+to me."
+
+"Have you no desire to look at her kind, placid face once more?"
+
+"I wish to remember it as in life,--not rigid and repulsive in
+death."
+
+"She looks so tranquil you would think she was sleeping."
+
+"No,--no! Don't ask me. I never saw but one corpse, and that was of
+a sailor drowned in mid ocean, and I shall never be able to forget
+its ghastliness and distortion as it lay on deck, under sickly
+moonshine."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you must follow Elsie's body to the grave. Believe that
+I have good reasons for this request, and grant it."
+
+She shook her head.
+
+"Your habits of seclusion have subjected you to uncharitable remarks,
+and your absence from the funeral would create more gossip than any
+woman can afford to give grounds for. There is a rumor that you are
+deranged, and the best refutation will be your quiet presence at the
+grave of your faithful nurse."
+
+She straightened herself, haughtily.
+
+"Seven years ago I turned my back upon the world, and scorned its
+verdict."
+
+"The men or women who defy public opinion invite social impalement,
+and rarely fail to merit the branding and opprobrium they invariably
+receive. Madam, I should imagine that to a nature so refined and
+shrinking as yours, almost any trial would seem slight in comparison
+with the certainty of becoming a target for sarcasm, pity, and malice,
+in every kitchen in the neighborhood. Permit my prudence to prevail
+over your reluctance to the step I have advised, and some day you will
+thank me for my persistency. You have time to make the proper changes
+in your dress, and, when the hour arrives, I will knock at your own
+door. My dear madam, do not delay."
+
+She rose, and began to replace the papers in the drawers of her desk,
+which she closed and locked.
+
+"Dr. Grey, why should you care if I am slandered?"
+
+"Because I am now your best friend, and must tell you frankly your
+foibles and dangers, and endeavor to guard you from the faintest
+breath of detraction."
+
+"I am very suspicious concerning the motives of all who come about me;
+and, at times, I have been so unjust as to ascribe even my poor
+Elsie's devotion to a desire to control my fortune for the benefit of
+herself and child. Do you expect me to trust you more implicitly than
+I ever trusted her?"
+
+"I shall make it impossible for you to doubt me. Come to your room.
+Elsie's few acquaintances will soon be here."
+
+Mrs. Gerome thrust the key of her desk into her pocket, but a moment
+after, when she drew out her handkerchief, it fell on the carpet, and
+without observing it, she passed swiftly across the hall, and into her
+own apartment.
+
+As Dr. Grey lingered to secure the door, his eye fell upon the silver
+key on the floor; and, placing it in his vest pocket, he rejoined
+Salome.
+
+At four o'clock several of Robert's friends came and seated themselves
+in the room where the coffin sat wreathed with flowers; and
+immediately after, Mr. and Mrs. Spiewell made their appearance,
+accompanied by two ladies whose features were concealed by thick
+veils. Robert and the servants soon joined them, and Salome stole into
+the room and sat down in one corner.
+
+Dr. Grey tapped softly at the door of Mrs. Gerome's apartment, and she
+came out instantly, and walked firmly forward till she stood in the
+presence of the dead. She was dressed in black silk, and wore two
+heavy lace veils over her bonnet, which effectually screened her
+countenance. Crossing the floor, she stood at Robert's side, and the
+minister rose and began the burial service.
+
+When a prayer was offered, all the other persons present bowed their
+heads, but the mistress of the mansion remained erect and motionless;
+and, as the pall-bearers took up the coffin and proceeded to the
+grave, she followed Robert.
+
+Dr. Grey stepped to her side and offered his arm, but she took no
+notice of the act, and walked on as if she were an automaton.
+
+The service was concluded, the coffin lowered, and, amid Robert's
+half-smothered sobs, the mound was raised under the deodars, whose
+long shadows slanted athwart it, in the dying sunlight.
+
+The little group dispersed, and Mr. Spiewell led his wife to the owner
+of "Solitude."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, Mrs. Spiewell and I have long desired the pleasure of
+your acquaintance, and hope, if you need friends, you will permit
+us--"
+
+"Thank you for your kindness in visiting my faithful old Elsie."
+
+The tall, veiled figure had cut short his speech by a quick,
+imperative gesture of her hand; and, turning instantly away,
+disappeared in one of the densely shaded walks that wound through the
+grounds.
+
+Dr. Grey escorted the party to their carriages, and as he handed Mrs.
+Spiewell in, she said, in her sharp nasal tones,--
+
+"I heard that Mrs. Gerome was devotedly attached to the poor old
+creature who had nursed her, but she certainly seems to me very
+indifferent and heartless."
+
+"She is more deeply afflicted by her loss than you can possibly
+realize, and I am exceedingly apprehensive that she will be ill in
+consequence of her inability to sleep or eat. My dear madam, we must
+not judge too hastily from appearances, else we shall deserve similar
+treatment. Who are those two ladies veiled so closely?"
+
+"Friends, I presume, or they would not be here."
+
+But the little woman seemed uneasy, and flushed under the doctor's
+searching gaze.
+
+"I hope dear Miss Jane is as well as one can ever expect her to be in
+this life. Come, Charles; you forget, my dear, that we have a visit to
+make before tea-time. I notice, doctor, that you have a new carpet on
+the floor of your pew, and a new cushion-cover to match; and, indeed,
+you are so fine that the remainder of the church seems quite faded and
+shabby. Good evening, doctor; my love to all at home."
+
+The clergyman's gray pony trotted off with his master and mistress,
+and Dr. Grey returned to Salome, who waited for him at the steps of
+the terrace.
+
+"What do you suppose brought Mrs. Channing and Adelaide to the poor
+old woman's funeral?" asked the orphan.
+
+"How did you discover them?"
+
+"I found this handkerchief, whose initials I embroidered two months
+ago, and recognize as belonging to Mrs. Channing. As for Miss
+Adelaide, when she moved her veil a little aside to peep at Mrs.
+Gerome, I caught a glimpse of her pretty face. Do they visit here?"
+
+"Certainly not; nobody visits here but the butcher, baker, and doctor.
+Those ladies came solely on a tour of inspection, and to gratify a
+curiosity that is not flattering to their characters. My dear child,
+you look tired."
+
+"Dr. Grey, what is there so mysterious about this house and its owner
+that all the town is agog and agape when the subject is mentioned?
+What is Mrs. Gerome's history?"
+
+"I am totally unacquainted with its details, and only know that since
+she became a widow, she has been a complete recluse. She is very
+unhappy, and we must exert ourselves to cheer her. This has been a
+lonely, dreary day to you, I fear, and I trust it will not be
+necessary for me to ask you to remain here to-night."
+
+The sun had set, leaving magnificent cloud-pictures on sky and sea,
+and while the orphan turned to enjoy the glorious prospect above and
+around her, Dr. Grey went in search of the lonely women who now
+continually occupied his thoughts.
+
+She was standing under the pyramidal cedars, looking down at the
+new grave, where Salome's wreath hung on the head-board, and
+hearing approaching footsteps would have moved away, but he said,
+pleadingly,--
+
+"Do not avoid me."
+
+She paused, and suddenly held out her hands to him.
+
+"Ah,--is it you? Dr. Grey, what shall I do? How can I bear to live
+here,--alone,--alone."
+
+He took her hands and looked down into her white, chill face.
+
+"My dear friend, take your suffering heart to God, and He will
+heal, and comfort, and strengthen you. If He has sorely afflicted you,
+try to believe that Infinite love and mercy directed all things, and
+that ultimately every sorrow of earth will be overruled for your
+eternal repose and happiness. Remember that this world is but a
+threshing-floor, where angels use afflictions as flails, to beat
+the chaff and dust from our hearts, and present them as perfect
+grain for the garners of God. I know that you are desolate, but you
+can never be utterly alone, since the precious promise, 'Lo! I am
+with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'"
+
+Despairingly she shook her head.
+
+"All that might comfort some people, but it falls on my ears and heart
+like the sound of the clods on Elsie's coffin. I have no religion,--no
+faith,--no hope,--in time or eternity. My miserable past entombs all
+things."
+
+"Do not unearth your woes,--let the grave seal them. Your life stands
+waiting to be sanctified,--dedicated to Him who gave it. My dear
+friend,--
+
+  'Cleanse it and make it pure, and fashion it
+  After His image: heal thyself; from grief
+  Comes glory, like a rainbow from a cloud.'"
+
+The sound of his voice, more than the import of his words, seemed to
+soothe her, for her eyes softened; but the effect was transitory, and
+presently she exclaimed,--
+
+"Mere 'sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal!' Pretty words, and
+musical; but empty as those polished shells yonder that echo only
+hollow strains of the never silent sea. Once, Dr. Grey,--"
+
+She paused, and a shiver crept through her stately form; then she
+slowly continued, in a tone of indescribable pathos,--
+
+"Once I could have listened to your counsel, for once my soul was full
+of holy aims, and my heart as redolent of pure Christian purposes as a
+June rose is of perfume; but now,--
+
+  'They are past as a slumber that passes,
+    As the dew of a dawn of old time;
+  More frail than the shadows on glasses,
+    More fleet than a wave or a rhyme.'"
+
+Dr. Grey drew her arm through his, and silently led her to the house,
+and into the parlor. He noticed that her breathing was quick and
+short, and that she sank wearily upon the sofa, as if her strength had
+well-nigh failed her.
+
+He untied her bonnet-strings and removed it, and she threw her head
+down on the silken cushion, as a spent child might have done.
+
+Taking a vial from his pocket, he dropped a portion of the contents
+into a wine-glass, and filled it with sherry wine.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, drink this for me. It will benefit you."
+
+She swallowed the mixture, and remained quiet for some seconds; then a
+singularly scornful smile curved her mouth as she said,--
+
+"You drugged the wine. Well, so be it. Nepenthe or poison are alike
+welcome, if they bring me death, or even temporary oblivion."
+
+Katie came in and lighted the lamp, and Dr. Grey sat beside the sofa
+and watched the effect of his prescription.
+
+Tired at length of the sober sea and dark gloomy grounds, Salome came
+back to the house and stood on the threshold of the parlor door,
+looking curiously at the quiet, silent group, and at the pictures on
+the walls.
+
+She could see very distinctly the beautiful white face of the mistress
+pressed against the blue damask cushion, and clear in outline as she
+had once observed it on the background of ocean; and she noticed that
+the features were sharper and that the figure was thinner. From the
+silvery lamp-light the gray hair seemed to have caught a metallic
+lustre on the ripples that ebbed back from the blue-veined temples,
+and the woman looked like a marble snow-crowned image, draped in
+black.
+
+With one elbow on his knee, and his cheek resting in his hand, Dr.
+Grey leaned forward, studying the features turned towards him, and
+watching her with almost breathless interest. He was not aware of
+Salome's presence, and was unconscious of the strained, troubled gaze,
+that she fixed upon him.
+
+The tender love that filled his heart looked out of his grave deep
+eyes, which never wandered from the face so dear to him, and moved his
+lips in an inaudible prayer for the peace and welfare of the lonely
+waif whom Providence or fate had brought into his path, to evoke all
+the tenderness latent in his sturdy, manly nature.
+
+In the twinkling of an eye, Salome had learned the whole truth and
+standing there, she staggered and grasped the doorway for support,
+wishing that the heavens and earth would pass away--that death might
+smite her, and end the agony that never could be patiently endured.
+
+Recently she had tutored herself to bear the loss of his love and the
+deprivation of his caresses,--she had mapped out a future in which her
+lot was one of loneliness,--but through all the network of coming
+years there ran like a golden cord binding their destinies the
+precious hope that at least Dr. Grey would die as he had lived
+hitherto,--without giving to any woman the coveted place in his heart,
+where the orphan would sooner have reigned than upon the proudest
+throne in Europe.
+
+She had prayed that, with this assurance, God would help her to be
+contented--would enable her to make her life useful and pure, and,
+like Dr. Grey's, a blessing to those about her.
+
+It had never occurred to her that the man whom she reverenced above
+all things human or divine, and whose exalted ideal of feminine
+perfection soared as far above her as the angels in Lebrun's "Stoning
+of St. Stephen" soared above the sinning multitude below them--that
+the man whose fastidiousness concerning womanly character and
+deportment seemed exaggerated and almost morbid, could admire or
+defend, much less love that gray-haired widow, whom the world
+pronounced either a lunatic, or a scoffing, misanthropic infidel.
+
+The discovery was so unexpected, so startling, that it partially
+stunned her; and, like one addicted to somnambulism, she softly
+crossed the room and stood behind Dr. Grey's chair.
+
+He had taken Mrs. Gerome's hand to examine her pulse, and retained it
+in his, looking fondly at the dainty moulding of the fingers and the
+exquisite whiteness of the smooth skin. How long she stood there
+Salome never knew, for paralysis seemed creeping, numb and cold, over
+her heart and brain.
+
+Dr. Grey saw that his exhausted patient was asleep, and knew that the
+opiate he had administered in the wine would not relinquish its hold
+until morning; and when her breathing became more quiet and regular he
+bent his head and softly kissed the hand that lay heavily in his.
+
+Salome covered her face and groaned; and rising, he was for the first
+time cognizant of her presence. His face flushed deeply.
+
+"How long have you been here?"
+
+"Long enough to discover why you visit 'Solitude' so often."
+
+He could not see her countenance, but her unnaturally hollow tone
+pained and shocked him.
+
+"You are very much fatigued, my dear child, and as soon as I have
+given some directions to Robert, I will take you home. Get your
+bonnet, and meet me at the door."
+
+He took a shawl that was lying on the piano and laid it carefully over
+the sleeper, then bent one knee beside the sofa, and mutely prayed
+that God would comfort and protect the woman who was becoming so dear
+to him.
+
+With one long, anxious, tender look into her hopeless yet beautiful
+face, he left the room and went in search of Robert and Katie. When he
+had given the requisite directions, and descended the steps, he found
+Salome waiting, with her fingers grasping the side of the buggy.
+Silently he handed her in; and, as she sank back in one corner and
+muffled her face, they drove swiftly through the sombre grounds, where
+the aged trees seemed murmuring in response to the ceaseless mutter of
+the sullen sea.
+
+  "Whom first we love, you know, we seldom wed.
+    Time rules us all. And Life indeed is not
+  The thing we planned it out ere hope was dead.
+    And then we women cannot choose our lot."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+
+"Ulpian, you certainly do not intend to sit up again to-night? Even
+brass or whitleather would not stand the wear and tear that your
+constitution is subjected to. You really make me unhappy."
+
+"My dear Jane, it would make you still more unhappy if from mere
+desire to promote my personal ease and comfort, I could forget the
+solemn responsibility imposed by my profession. Moreover, my physical
+strength is quite equal to the tax I exact from it."
+
+"I doubt it, for we have all remarked how pale and worn you look."
+
+"My jaded appearance is attributable to mental anxiety, rather than
+bodily exhaustion."
+
+"If Mrs. Gerome is so ill as to require such unremitting care and
+vigilance, she should have a nurse, instead of expecting a physician
+to devote all his time and attention to her. Where is Hester
+Denison?"
+
+"I have placed her at the steam-mill above town, where there is a bad
+case of small-pox, and even if she were not thus engaged, I should not
+take her to 'Solitude.'"
+
+"Pray, why not? She took first-rate care of me when I was so sick last
+year."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome is morbidly sensitive at all times, and at this juncture
+I should be afraid to introduce a stranger into her sick room."
+
+"When people are so excessively nervous about being seen, I can't help
+feeling a little suspicious. Do you suppose that Mrs. Gerome loved her
+husband so much better than the majority of widows love theirs, that
+seven years after his death she can't bear to be looked at? I like to
+see a woman show due respect to her husband's memory, but I tell you
+my experience--or rather my observation--leads me to believe that
+these young widows who make the greatest parade of their grief, and
+load themselves with crape and bombazine till they can scarcely
+stagger under their flutings, flounces, and jet-fringes, are the most
+anxious to marry again."
+
+"Stop, my darling sister! Who has been filling your tongue and
+curdling all the 'milk of human kindness' in your generous heart? If
+women refuse to each other due sympathy in sorrow, to what quarter can
+they turn for that balm which their natures require? I never before
+heard you utter sentiments that trenched so closely upon harsh
+uncharitableness. Your lips generally employ only the silvery language
+of leniency, which I so much love to hear, but to-day they adopt the
+dialect of Libeldom. Recollect, my dear sister, that even the pagan
+Athenians would never build a temple to Clemency, which they
+contended found her most appropriate altars in human hearts."
+
+"Pooh, Ulpian! You need not preach me such a sermon, as if I were a
+heathen. Facts, when they happen to be real facts, are the best
+umpires in the world, and to their arbitrament I leave my character
+for charity. When Reuben Chalmers died, his wife was so overwhelmed
+with grief that she shut herself up like a nun; and when she drove out
+for fresh air wore two heavy crape veils, and never allowed any one to
+catch a glimpse of her countenance. Not even to church did she
+venture, until one morning, at the end of two years, she laid aside
+her weeds, clad herself in bridal array, was married in her own
+parlor, and the next Sunday made her first appearance in public after
+the death of her husband, leaning on the arm of her second spouse.
+Now, that is true,--is no libel,--pity it is not! Though 'one swallow
+does not make a summer,' I can't help feeling suspicious of very young
+and hopelessly inconsolable widows, and am always reminded of
+Anastasia Chalmers. So you see, my blue-eyed preacher, when your old
+Janet talks of these things, she is not caught 'reckoning without her
+host.'"
+
+"One deplorable instance should not bias you against an entire class,
+and the beautiful constancy of Panthea ought to neutralize the example
+of a hundred Anastasia Chalmers. Is it not unfortunate that poor human
+nature so tenaciously recollects all the evil records, and is so
+oblivious of the noble acts furnished by history? Do cut the
+acquaintance of the huge family of _on dits_, who serve the community
+in much the same capacity as did the cook of Tantalus, when he dressed
+and garnished Pelops for the banquet table. Unluckily, devouring
+malice can not furnish the 'ivory shoulder' requisite to mend its
+mischief. We are all prone to forget the injunction, 'Judge not, that
+ye be not judged,' and instead of remembering that we are directed to
+bear one another's burdens, we gall the shoulders of many, by
+increasing the weights we should lighten. Janet, don't flay all the
+poor young widows; leave them to such measures of peace as they may
+find among their weeds."
+
+Miss Jane listened to her brother's homily with a half-smile lurking
+about the puckered corners of her eyes and mouth, and putting her
+finger in the button-hole of his coat, drew him closer to her, as they
+sat together on the sofa.
+
+"How long since you took the tribe of widows under your special
+protection?"
+
+"Since the moment, that, owing to some inexplicable freak, my dear
+Janet suffered 'evil communications to corrupt' her 'good manners,'
+and absolutely forgot to be just and generous."
+
+He kissed his sister and rose, but the troubled look that settled once
+more on his countenance did not escape her observation.
+
+"Ulpian, is Mrs. Gerome very ill?"
+
+"Yes, I am exceedingly unhappy about her. She is dangerously ill with
+a low, nervous, fever that baffles all my remedies."
+
+Dr. Grey walked up and down the room, and Miss Jane pressed her
+spectacles closer to her nose, and watched him.
+
+"If the poor woman leads such a lonely, miserable life, I should think
+that death would prove a blessed release to her. Of course it is
+natural and reasonable that you should desire to save all your
+patients, but why are you so very unhappy about her?"
+
+He did not answer immediately, and when he spoke his deep tone was
+tremulous with fervent feeling.
+
+"Because I find that she is dearer to me than all the other women in
+the world, except my sister; and her death would grieve me more than
+any trial that has yet overtaken me--more than you can realize, or
+than I can express."
+
+He took Miss Jane's face in his hands, kissed her, and left the room.
+
+Meeting Muriel and Salome in the hall, the former seized his arm, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"You shall not leave home again! Let me tell Elbert to put up your
+buggy. If you continue to work yourself down, as you are now doing,
+you will be prematurely old, and gray, and decrepit. Come into the
+parlor, and let me play you to sleep."
+
+"I heartily wish I could follow your pleasant prescription, but duty
+is inexorable, and knows no law but that of obedience."
+
+"Must you sit up to-night? Is that poor lady no better?"
+
+"I can see no improvement, and must remain until I do."
+
+"You are afraid that she will die?"
+
+"I hope that God will spare her life."
+
+His serious tone awed Muriel, who raised his hand to her lips, and
+murmured,--
+
+"My dear doctor, I wish I could help you. I wish I could do something
+to make you look less troubled."
+
+"You can help me, little one, by being happy yourself, and by aiding
+Salome in cheering my sister, while I am forced to spend so much time
+away from her. Good evening. Take care of yourselves till I come
+home."
+
+Humming a bar of a Genoese barcarole, Muriel ran up stairs to join her
+governess; but Salome turned and followed the master of the house to
+the front door.
+
+"Dr. Grey, can I render you any assistance at 'Solitude'?"
+
+"Thank you,--the time has passed when you might have aided me. Two
+weeks ago, when I requested you to go with me, Mrs. Gerome was
+rational and would have yielded to your influence, but now she is
+delirious and you could accomplish nothing. The servants are faithful
+and attentive, and can be trusted during my absence to execute my
+orders."
+
+A bright flush rose to Salome's temples, and her eyes drooped beneath
+his, so anxious and yet so calmly sad.
+
+"At the time you spoke to me I could not go, but now I really should
+be glad to accompany you. Will you take me?"
+
+"No, Salome."
+
+"Your reason, Dr. Grey?"
+
+"Is one whose utterance would pain you, consequently I trust you will
+pardon me for withholding it."
+
+"At my own peril, I demand it."
+
+"The motive which prompts your offer precludes the possibility of my
+acceptance."
+
+"How dare you sit in judgment on my motives? You who prate and
+homilize of charity! charity! and who quote the 'golden rule' solely
+for the edification and guidance of those around you. Example is more
+potent than precept, and we are creatures of imitation. Suppose I
+should question the disinterestedness of your motives in allowing one
+patient to monopolize your attention to the detriment of the
+remainder? Of course you would be shocked and think me presumptuous,
+for one's sins and follies often play hide and seek, and sometimes we
+insult our own pet fault when we find it housed in some other piece of
+flesh."
+
+"Good night, Salome. I shall endeavor to forget all this, since I am
+too sincerely your friend to desire to set your hasty words in the
+storehouse of memory."
+
+He looked down pityingly, sorrowfully, into her angry imperious eyes,
+and sudden shame smote her, making her cheeks glow and tingle as if
+from the stroke of an open hand.
+
+"Dr. Grey, wait one moment! Let me say something, that will
+show,--that will--"
+
+"Only make matters worse. No, Salome, I have little time for trifling,
+still less for recrimination, none at all for dissimulation; and, in
+your present mood, the least we can say will prove the most powerful
+for good."
+
+He went down to his buggy, but stopped and reflected; and fearing that
+he might have been too harsh, he turned and approached her, as she
+stood leaning against one of the columns of the gallery.
+
+"Do not think me rude. I am not less your friend than formerly, though
+I am anxious, and doubtless appear preoccupied. Let us shake hands in
+peace."
+
+He extended his own, but the girl stood motionless, and the remorseful
+anguish and humiliation of her uplifted face touched his heart.
+
+"Dr. Grey, if you really forgive and forget, prove it by taking me to
+'Solitude.'"
+
+"Do not ask what you well know I have quite determined it is best that
+I should not grant."
+
+The spark leaped up lurid as ever, in her dilating eyes.
+
+"You take this method to punish me for my refusal to comply with your
+wishes a fortnight since?"
+
+"I have neither the right nor inclination to punish you in any
+respect, and you must pardon my inability to accede to a request which
+my judgment does not approve. Good-by."
+
+He put his hand into his pocket, and left her; and while she stood
+irresolute and disappointed, a servant summoned her to Miss Jane's
+presence.
+
+"Can I do anything for you?" asked the orphan, observing the cloud on
+the old lady's brow.
+
+"Yes, dear; sit down here and talk to me. I feel lonely, now that
+Ulpian is away so constantly. He seems very uneasy about that woman at
+'Solitude,' and I never saw him manifest so much anxiety about any
+one. By the by, Salome, tell me something concerning her."
+
+"I have already told you all I know of her."
+
+"Wherein consists her attractiveness?"
+
+"Who said she was attractive? She is handsome, and there is something
+peculiar and startling about her, but she is by no means a beauty. I
+have heard Dr. Grey say that she possessed remarkable talent, but I
+have been favored with no exhibition of it. Why do you not question
+your brother? Doubtless it would afford him much pleasure to furnish
+an inventory of her charms and accomplishments, and dilate upon them
+_ad libitum_."
+
+"What makes you so savage?"
+
+"Simply because there happens to be a touch of the wild beast in my
+nature, and I have not a doubt that if the doctrine of metempsychosis
+be true, I was a tawny dappled leopardess or a green-eyed cougar in the
+last stage of my existence. Miss Jane, sometimes I feel as if it
+would be a luxury--a relief--to crunch and strangle something or
+somebody,--which is not an approved trait of orthodox Christian
+character, to say nothing of meek gentility and lady-like refinement."
+
+She laughed with a degree of indescribable scorn and bitterness that
+was pitiable indeed in one so young.
+
+"There is an evil fit on Saul."
+
+"Yes; and you are neither my harp nor my David."
+
+"Does my little girl expect to find a 'cunning player,' who will charm
+away all the barbarous notions that occasionally lead her astray, and
+tempt her to wickedness?"
+
+"Verily,--no. The son of Jesse has forsaken his own household, and
+made unto himself an idol elsewhere; and I--Saul--surrender to
+Asmodeus."
+
+Miss Jane laid her hand on the girl's arm, and said, in a hesitating,
+troubled manner,--
+
+"Has Ulpian told you?"
+
+"Why should he tell me? My eyes sometimes take pity on my ears,--and
+seeing very distinctly, save the necessity of hearing. My vision is
+quite as keen now as when in my anterior existence, I crouched in
+jungles, watching for my prey. Oh, Miss Jane! if you could look here,
+and know all that I have suffered during the past three weeks, you
+would not wonder that the tiger element within me swallows up every
+other feeling."
+
+She struck her hand heavily upon her heart, and the old lady was
+frightened and distressed by the glitter of the eyes and the dilation
+of the slender nostrils.
+
+"When I came in, I knew from your countenance that you had heard
+something which you desired to prepare me for,--which you intended to
+break gently to me. But your kindness is unavailing. The truth crashed
+in on my heart without premonition; and I saw, and understood, and
+accepted the inevitable; and since then,--ah, my God! since then--"
+
+Her head drooped upon her bosom, and a groan concluded the sentence.
+
+"Perhaps Ulpian only pities the poor woman's desolation, and will lose
+his interest in her when she recovers her health. You know how
+tenderly he sympathizes with all who suffer, and I dare say it is more
+compassion than love."
+
+"What hypocrites we often are, in our desire to comfort those whom we
+see in agony! Miss Jane, your kind heart is holding a hand over the
+mouth of conscience, to smother its cries and protests while you utter
+things in which you know there is no truth. You mean well; but you
+ought to know better than to expect to deceive me. I understand the
+difference between love and compassion, and so do you; and Dr. Grey
+has not kept the truth from you. He has given his heart to that
+gray-haired, gray-eyed woman,--and if she lives, he will marry her;
+and then, if there were twenty oceans, I should want them all to roll
+between us. I tell you now, I can not and will not stay here to see
+the day that makes that pale gray phantom his wife. I should go mad,
+and do something that might add new horrors to that doomed and
+abhorred 'Solitude,' that has become Dr. Grey's Mecca. I could live
+without his love, but I can not stand tamely by and see him lavish it
+on another. Some women,--such, for instance, as we read of in novels,
+would meekly endure this trial, as one appointed by Heaven to wean
+them from earth; would fold their hands, and grow devout, and
+romantically thin and wan,--and get sweet, patient, martyr expressions
+about their unkissed lips; but I am in no respect a model heroine, and
+it will prove safer for us all if I am far away when Dr. Grey brings
+his bride to receive your sisterly embrace. If you are lonely, send
+for Muriel and Miss Dexter, and let them entertain you. Just now, I am
+not fit company for any but the dwellers in Padalon; so let me go away
+where I can be quiet."
+
+"Stay, Salome! Where are you going?"
+
+"To walk."
+
+The orphan disengaged her dress from Miss Jane's fingers, which had
+clutched its folds to detain her, and made her escape just as Muriel
+tapped at the door.
+
+During the three weeks that had elapsed since Elsie's death Mrs.
+Gerome had not left the house, and the third day after the funeral she
+laid her head down on the pillow from which it seemed probable she
+would never again lift it.
+
+A low steady fever seized her, and at length her brain became so
+seriously affected that all hope of recovery appeared futile and
+delusive. In the early stages of her illness, Dr. Grey requested
+Salome to assist him in nursing her, but the girl dared not trust
+herself to witness the manifestations of an affection that nearly
+maddened her, and had almost rudely refused compliance.
+
+As the days wore drearily on, and Dr. Grey's haggard, anxious
+countenance, told her that her rival was indeed upon the brink of
+dissolution, a wild hope whispered that perhaps she might be spared
+the fierce ordeal she so much dreaded; that if Mrs. Gerome died, the
+future might brighten,--life would be endurable. In her wonted
+impulsive manner, the girl had thrown herself on her knees, and
+passionately prayed the Almighty to remove from earth the one woman
+who proved an obstacle to all her hopes of peace and contentment.
+
+She did not pause to inquire whether her petition was not an insult to
+Him who alone could grant it; she neither analyzed, nor felt
+self-rebuked for her sinful emotions and intense hatred of the sick
+woman,--but vowed repeatedly that she would lead a purer, holier life,
+if God would only interpose and prevent Dr. Grey from becoming the
+husband of any one.
+
+She had no faith in the superior wisdom of her Maker, and would not
+wait patiently for the developments of His divine will toward her; but
+chose her own destiny, and demanded that Omnipotence should become an
+ally for its accomplishment. Like many who are less honest in
+confessing their faith, this girl professed allegiance to her Creator
+only so long as He appeared a coadjutor in her schemes; and, when
+thwarted and disappointed, fierce rebellion broke out in her heart,
+and annulled her oaths of fealty and obedience.
+
+Dr. Grey was not ignorant of the emotions that swayed and controlled
+her conduct, and when she declared herself ready to attend the
+invalid, he was thoroughly cognizant of the fact that she longed to
+witness the death which she deemed impending; and he could not consent
+to see her eager eyes watching the feeble breathing of the woman whom
+he now loved so fervently.
+
+While he believed that in most matters Salome would not deceive him,
+he realized that in one of her passionate moods of jealous hate,
+irremediable mischief might result, and prudently resolved to keep her
+beyond the pale of temptation.
+
+It was almost dark when he reached the secluded house where he had
+passed so many days and nights of anxiety, and went into the quiet
+room in which only a dim light was permitted to burn. Katie was
+sitting near the bed, but rose at his approach, and softly withdrew.
+
+Emaciated and ghastly, save where two scarlet spots burned on the
+hollow cheeks, Mrs. Gerome lay, with her wasted arms thrown over her
+head, and her eyes fixed on vacancy. Even when delirium was at its
+height she yielded to the physician's voice and touch, like some wild
+creature who recognizes no control save that of its keeper; and from
+his hand alone would she take the medicines administered.
+
+Whether the influence was merely magnetic, he did not inquire, but
+felt comforted by the assurance that his presence had power to
+tranquillize her.
+
+Now, as he drew her arms down from the pillow, and took her thin hot
+hand in his cool palms, a shadowy smile stole over her features, and
+she fixed her eyes intently on his.
+
+"I knew you would protect me from him."
+
+"Protect you from whom?"
+
+"From Maurice. He is hiding yonder,--behind the window-curtain."
+
+She pointed across the room, and a scowl darkened her countenance.
+
+"You have only been dreaming."
+
+"No, I am awake; and if you look behind the curtain you will find him.
+His eyes are burning my face."
+
+Willing to dispel this fantasy, Dr. Grey went to the window, and,
+drawing aside the lace drapery, showed her the vacant recess.
+
+"Ah, he has escaped! Well, perhaps it is better so, and there will be
+no blood shed. Let him go back to Edith,--'golden-haired Edith
+Dexter,'--and live out the remnant of his days. He came hoping to find
+me dead, but I am not as accommodating now as formerly. Where are
+those violets? Tell Elsie to bring the jars in, where I can smell
+them."
+
+He took a bunch of the fragrant flowers from his coat pocket, and put
+them in her hand, for during her illness she was never satisfied
+unless there was a bouquet near her; and now, having feebly smelled
+them, her eyes closed.
+
+More than once she had mentioned the name of Edith Dexter, always
+coupling it with that of Maurice, who she evidently believed was
+lurking with evil purposes around her home; and Dr. Grey was sorely
+perplexed to follow the thread that now and then appeared, but failed
+to guide him to any satisfactory solution of the mystery. He knew that
+since she made "Solitude" her place of residence, Mrs. Gerome had
+never met Muriel's governess, and he conjectured that she had either
+known her in earlier years or now alluded to another person bearing
+the same name. Miss Dexter was very fair, with a profusion of light
+yellow hair, and suited in all respects the incoherent description
+that fell from the sick woman's lips.
+
+While at home for a short time that afternoon, Dr. Grey had spoken of
+the dangerous condition of his patient, and asked the governess if she
+had ever seen or known Mrs. Gerome. Without hesitation, Edith Dexter
+quietly replied in the negative.
+
+Formerly he had indulged little curiosity with reference to the
+widow's history, but since she had become endeared to him, he was
+conscious of an earnest desire to possess himself of a record of all
+that had so darkened and chilled the life of the only woman he had
+ever loved.
+
+Once she had been merely an interesting psychological puzzle, and in
+some degree a physiological anomaly: but from the day of Elsie's
+death, his heart had yielded more and more to the strange fascination
+she exerted over him; and now, as he sat looking into her face, so
+mournfully sharpened and blanched by disease, he acknowledged to his
+own soul that if she should die the brightest and dearest hopes that
+ever gladdened his life would be buried in her grave.
+
+Thoroughly convinced that his happiness depended on her recovery, he
+prayed continually that if consistent with God's will, He would spare
+her to him, and save him from the anguish of a lonely life, which her
+love might bless and brighten.
+
+But above the petition,--above all the strife of human love, and hope,
+and fear,--rose silvery clear, "Nevertheless, Father, not my will, but
+Thine."
+
+During his long vigils he had allowed imagination to paint beautiful
+pictures of the To-Come, wherein shone the figure of a lovely wife
+whose heart was divided only between God and her husband,--whose life
+was consecrated first to Christ, secondly to promoting the happiness
+of the man who loved her so truly.
+
+The apprehension of losing her was rendered still more acute by the
+reflection that her soul was not prepared for its exit from the realm
+of probation, and the thought of a separation that would extend
+through endless æons, was well-nigh intolerable.
+
+If she survived this attack, he believed that his influence would
+redeem and sanctify her life; if she died, would God have mercy on her
+wretched soul?
+
+His faith in Providence was no jagged, quivering reed, but a strong,
+staunch, firm staff that had never yet failed him, and in this hour of
+severe trial he leaned his aching heart confidently and calmly upon
+it.
+
+That some mysterious circumstances veiled the earlier portion of Mrs.
+Gerome's life, he had inferred from Elsie's promise of confidence, and
+since death denied her the desired revelation, he had put imagination
+upon the rack, in order to solve the riddle.
+
+What could the old nurse wish to tell him, that she was unwilling to
+divulge until her latest breath? Could the stain of crime cling to
+that pale face on the pillow, or to those white hands that rested so
+helplessly in his? Had she soiled her life by any deed that would
+bring a blush to those thin sunken cheeks, or a flush of shame to the
+brow of the man who loved her? Now bending fondly over her, the
+language of his heart was,--
+
+"Let her dead past bury its dead! Let the bygone be what it may,--come
+sorrow, come humiliation, but I will dauntlessly shield her with my
+name, defend her with my strong arm, uphold her by my honor, save her
+soul by my prayers, comfort and gladden her heart with my deathless
+love."
+
+He was well aware that this night must decide her fate,--that her
+feeble frame could not much longer struggle with the disease that had
+almost vanquished it,--and leaning his forehead against her hand, he
+silently prayed that God would speedily restore her to health, or give
+him additional grace to bear the bitter bereavement.
+
+She slept more quietly than she had been able to do for some days, and
+Dr. Grey sent for Robert, who was pacing the walk that led to the
+stables. They sat down together on the steps at the rear of the house,
+and the gardener asked in a frightened, husky tone,--
+
+"Is there bad news?"
+
+"I see little change since noon, except that she is more quiet, which
+is certainly favorable; but she is so very ill that I thought it best
+to consult you about several matters. Do you know whether she has made
+a will?"
+
+"No, sir. How should I know it, even if she had?"
+
+"Who is her agent?"
+
+Robert hesitated, and pretended to be busy filling and lighting his
+pipe.
+
+"Maclean, I have no desire to pry into Mrs. Gerome's affairs, but it
+is necessary that those who direct or control her estate should be
+appraised of her condition. It is supposed that her fortune is ample,
+and her heirs should be informed of her illness."
+
+"She has no heirs, except--"
+
+He paused, and after a few seconds exclaimed,--
+
+"Don't ask me! All I know is that I heard her say she intended to
+leave her fortune to poor painters."
+
+"To whom shall I write, or rather telegraph? Where did she live before
+she came to 'Solitude'? Who were her friends?"
+
+"Mr. Simonton, of New York, is her lawyer and agent. Two letters have
+come from him since she has been sick. Of course I did not open them,
+but I know his handwriting. They are behind the clock in the back
+parlor."
+
+"Would it not be better to telegraph him at once?"
+
+"What good could he do? Better send for the minister, and have her
+baptized. Oh! but this is truly a world of trouble, and I almost wish
+I was safely out of it."
+
+"If she were conscious, she would not submit to baptism; and it would
+not be right to take advantage of her delirium and force a ceremony to
+which she is opposed."
+
+"Not even, sir, to save her soul?"
+
+"Her soul can not be affected by the actions of others, unless her
+will coöperates, which is impossible in her present condition. Robert,
+after your mother was partially paralyzed, she said that she desired
+to confide something to me just before her death, and intimated that
+it referred to Mrs. Gerome. She wished me to befriend her mistress,
+and felt that I ought to know the particulars of her early history.
+Unfortunately, Elsie was speechless when I arrived, and could not tell
+me what she had intended to acquaint me with. I mention this fact to
+assure you that if your mother could trust me, you need not regard me
+so suspiciously."
+
+"Dr. Grey, as far as I am concerned, you are very welcome to every
+thought in my head and feeling in my heart; but where it touches my
+mistress I have nothing to say. I will not deny that I know more than
+you do, but when my poor mother told me, she held my hand on the Bible
+and made me swear a solemn oath that what she told me should never
+pass my lips to any man, woman, or child. So you must not blame me,
+sir."
+
+"Certainly not, Robert. But if she has any friends it is your duty to
+send for them at once."
+
+Dr. Grey rose and went into the library, where for some moments he
+walked to and fro, perplexed and grieved. As his eye rested on the
+escritoire, he recollected the key which he had kept in his pocket
+since the hour that he picked it up from the carpet.
+
+Doubtless a few minutes' search in its drawers and casket would place
+him in possession of the facts which Elsie wished to confide; but
+notwithstanding the circumstances that might almost have justified an
+investigation, his delicate sense of honor forbade the thought. Taking
+the letters from the mantelpiece, he turned them to the lamp-light.
+
+  _Mrs. Agla Gerome,
+          Care of Robert Maclean,
+                  Box 20._
+                            ---- ----.
+
+They were post-marked New York, and from the size and appearance of
+the envelopes he suspected that they contained legal documents.
+Perhaps one of them might prove a will, awaiting signature and
+witnesses. Dr. Grey carried them into the room where his patient still
+slept, and placed them on the dressing-table. Accidentally his glance
+fell on a large worn Bible that lay contiguous, and brightening the
+light, he opened the volume, and turned to the record of births.
+
+"Vashti Evelyn, born June 10th, 18--.
+
+"Henderson Flewellyn, born April 17th, 18--.
+
+"Vashti Flewellyn, born January 30th, 18--."
+
+On the marriage record he found,
+
+"Married, July 1st, 18--, Vashti Evelyn to Henderson Flewellyn.
+
+"Married, September 8th, 18--, Evelyn Flewellyn to Maurice Carlyle."
+
+The only deaths recorded were those of Henderson and Vashti
+Flewellyn.
+
+Whatever the mystery might be, Dr. Grey resolved to pursue the subject
+no further; but wait patiently and learn all from the beautiful lips
+of the white-faced sphinx, who alone possessed the right to unseal the
+record of her blighted life.
+
+  "Who might have been--ah, what, I dare not think!
+    We all are changed. God judges for us best.
+  God help us do our duty, and not shrink,
+    And trust in heaven humbly for the rest."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+
+The profound stillness that pervades a room where life and death
+grapple for mastery, invites and aids that calm, inexorable
+introspection, which Gotama Buddha prescribes as an almost unerring
+path to the attainment of peace; and, in the solemn silence of
+his last and memorable vigil, Dr. Grey brought his heart into
+complete unmurmuring subjection to the Divine will. A _soi-disant_
+"resignation" that draws honied lips to the throne of grace,
+leaving a heart of gall in the camp of sedition, could find no
+harbor in his uncompromisingly honest nature; and though the
+struggle was severe, he felt that faith in Eternal wisdom and mercy
+had triumphed over merely human affection and earthly hopes, and
+his strong soul chanted to itself the comforting strains of
+Lampert's "Trust Song."
+
+No mere gala barge, gay with paint and gaudy with pennons, was his
+religion; no fair summer-day toy bearing him lightly across the
+sun-kissed, breeze-dimpled sea of prosperity and happiness, and frail
+as the foam that draped its prow with lace; but a staunch, trim,
+steady, unpretending bark, that with unfaltering faith at the helm,
+rode firmly all the billows of adversity, and steered unerringly
+harborward through howling tempests and impenetrable gloom. Human
+friendships and sympathy he considered unstable and treacherous as
+Peter, when he shrank from his Lord; but Christian trust was one of
+the silver-tongued angels of God, ringing chimes of patience and
+peace, far above the din of wailing, bleeding hearts, and the fierce
+flames of flesh martyrdom.
+
+One o'clock found Dr. Grey sitting near the pillow, where for five
+hours Mrs. Gerome had slept as quietly as a tired child. The
+fever-glow had burned itself out, and left an ashen hue on the lips
+and cheeks.
+
+Wishing to arouse her, he spoke to her several times and raised her
+head, but though she drank the powerful stimulant he held to her
+mouth, her heavy eyelids were not lifted, and when he smoothed the
+pillow and laid her comfortably upon it, she slumbered once more.
+
+At the foot of the bed, with his keen yellow eyes fastened on his
+mistress, crouched the greyhound, his silky head on his paws; and on a
+pallet in one corner of the room slept Katie, ready to render any
+assistance that might be required.
+
+The apartment was elegantly furnished, and green and gold tinted all
+its appointments. On an Egyptian marble table stood a work-box
+curiously inlaid with malachite and richly gilded, and there lay some
+withered flowers, a small thimble, and a pair of scissors with
+mother-of-pearl handles. Around the walls hung a number of paintings,
+which, with one exception, were landscapes or ocean-views; and as Dr.
+Grey sat watching the shimmer of lamp-light on their carved frames and
+varnished surfaces, they seemed to furnish images of
+
+  "Green glaring glaciers, purple clouds of pine,
+  White walls of ever-roaring cataracts;
+  Blue thunder drifting over thirsty tracts,
+  Rose-latticed casements, lone in summer lands,--
+  Some witch's bower; pale sailors on the marge
+  Of magic seas, in an enchanted barge
+  Stranded at sunset, upon jewelled sands.
+  Some cup of dim hills, where a white moon lies,
+  Dropt out of weary skies without a breath
+  In a great pool; a slumb'rous vale beneath,
+  And blue damps prickling into white fire-flies."
+
+No sweet-lipped, low-browed Madonnas, no rapt Cecilias, no holy Johns
+nor meek Stephens, no reeling Satyrs nor vine-clad _Bacchantés_
+relieved the eye, weary of mountain ghylls, red-ribbed deserts, and
+stormy surfage.
+
+One long narrow picture baffled interpretation, and excited
+speculations that served in some degree to divert the sad current of
+the physician's thoughts.
+
+It was a dreary plain, dotted with the "fallen cromlechs of
+Stonehenge," and in front of the desecrated stone altars stood a
+veiled woman, with her hands clasped over a silver crescent-curved
+knife, and her bare feet resting on oaken chaplets and mistletoe
+boughs, starred and fringed with snowy flowers. Under the dexterously
+painted gauze that shrouded the face, the outline of the features was
+distinctly traceable, end behind the film,--large, oracular, yet
+mournful eyes, burned like setting stars, seen through magnifying
+vapors that wreathe the horizon.
+
+It was a solemn, desolate, melancholy picture, relieved by no flush of
+color,--gray plain, gray distance, gray sky, gray temple tumuli, and
+that ghostly white woman, gazing grimly down at the gray-haired
+sufferer on the low bed beneath her.
+
+Under some circumstances, certain pictures seem basilisk-eyed,
+riveting a gaze that would gladly seek more agreeable subjects, and it
+chanced that Dr. Grey found a painful fascination in this piece of
+canvas that hung immediately in front of him. Wherein consisted the
+magnetism that so powerfully attracted him, he could not decide, but
+several times when the wind blew the scalloped edge of the lace
+curtain between the lamp and the picture, and threw a dim wavering
+shadow over the figure on the wall, he almost expected to see the veil
+float away from the stony face, and reveal what the artist had
+adroitly shrouded. Now it looked a doomed "Norma," and anon the
+Nemesis of a dishonored faneless faith, that was born among Magi, and
+had tutored Pythagoras; and finally Dr. Grey rose and turned away to
+escape its spectral spell.
+
+Waking Katie, he charged her to call him if any change occurred in his
+patient, and went to the front of the house for a breath of fresh
+air.
+
+Narcissus-like, a three-quarter moon was staring down at her own
+image, rocked on the bosom of the sea, while dim stars printed silver
+photographs on the deep blue beneath them,--
+
+  "And the hush of earth and air
+  Seemed the pause before a prayer."
+
+The wind that had blown steadily for two days past from the
+south-east, had gone down into some ocean lair; but the sullen
+element refused to forget its late scourging, and occasionally a long
+swelling billow dashed itself into froth against the stone piers of
+the boat-house, and the cliffs which stood like a phantom fleet along
+the southern bend of the beach, were fringed with a white girdle of
+incessant breakers.
+
+Far out from shore the rolling mass of water was darkly blue, but now
+and then a wave broke over its neighbor, and in the distance the foam
+flashed under moonshine like some reconnoitring Siren-face, peeping
+landward for fresh victims; or as the samite-clad arm that Arthur and
+Sir Bedivere saw rise above the mere to receive Excalibar.
+
+Following the beckoning of those snowy hands, and listening to the low
+musical monologue that sea uttered to shore, Dr. Grey started in the
+direction of the terrace, whence he could see the whole trend of the
+beetling coast, but some unaccountable impulse induced him to pause
+and look back.
+
+The dense shadow of the trees shut out from the spot where he stood
+the golden radiance of the moon, but over the lawn it streamed in
+almost unearthly splendor,--and there he saw some white object glide
+swiftly towards the group of deodars. The first solution that occurred
+to his mind was that Katie had fallen asleep, and Mrs. Gerome in her
+delirium making her way out of the house, was seeking her favorite
+walk; but a moment's reflection convinced him that she was too utterly
+prostrated to cross the room, still less the grounds, and, resolved to
+satisfy himself, he followed the moving object that retreated before
+him.
+
+Walking rapidly but stealthily in the shadow of the trees and
+shrubbery, he soon ascertained that it was a woman's figure, and saw
+that it stopped at Elsie's grave, and bent down to touch the
+head-board. Creeping forward, he had approached within ten yards of
+her, when his hat struck the lower limbs of a large acacia, and
+startled a bird that uttered a cry of terror and darted out. The sound
+caused the figure to turn her head, and catching a glimpse of Dr.
+Grey, she ran under the dense boughs of the deodars, and disappeared.
+
+He followed, and groped through the gloom, but when he emerged, no
+living thing was visible; and, perplexed and curious, he stood still.
+
+After some moments he heard a faint sound, as of some one smothering a
+cough, and pursuing it, found himself at the boundary of the grounds.
+Here a thick hedge of osage orange barred egress, and he saw the woman
+disentangling her drapery from the thorns that had seized it.
+
+Springing forward, he exclaimed,--
+
+"Stand still! You can not escape me. Who are you?"
+
+A feigned and lugubrious voice answered,--
+
+"I am the restless spirit of Elsie Maclean, come back to guard her
+grave."
+
+In another instant he was at her side, and laying his hand on the
+white netted shawl with which she was veiling her features, he tore it
+away, and Salome's fair face looked defiantly at him.
+
+"If I had known that my pursuer was Dr. Grey, I would not have
+troubled myself to play the ghost farce, for of course I could not
+expect to frighten you off; but I hoped you were one of the servants,
+who would not very diligently chase a spectre. I did not suppose that
+you could be coaxed or driven thus far from your arm-chair beside the
+bed where Mrs. Gerome is asleep."
+
+Astonishment kept him silent for some seconds, and, in the awkward
+pause, the girl laughed constrainedly--nervously.
+
+"After all your show of bravery in pursuing a woman, I verily believe
+you are too much frightened to arrest me if I chose to escape."
+
+"Salome, has something terrible happened at home, that you have come
+here at midnight to break to me?"
+
+"Nothing has happened at home."
+
+"Then why are you here? Are you, too, delirious?"
+
+Her scornful laugh rang startlingly on the still night air.
+
+"Oh, Salome! You grieve, you shock me!"
+
+"Yes, Dr. Grey, you have assured me of that fact too frequently--too
+feelingly--to permit me to doubt your sincerity. You need not repeat
+it; I accept the assertion that you are shocked at my indiscretions."
+
+Compassion predominated over displeasure, as he observed the utter
+recklessness that pervaded her tone and manner.
+
+"I am unwilling to believe that you would, without some very cogent
+reason, violate all decorum by coming alone at dead of night two miles
+through a dreary stretch of hills and woods. Necessity sometimes
+sanctions an infraction of the rules of rigid propriety, and I am
+impatient to hear your defence of this most extraordinary caprice."
+
+She was endeavoring to disengage the fringe of her shawl from the
+hedge, but finding it a tedious operation, she caught her drapery in
+both hands and tore it away from the thorns, leaving several shreds
+hanging on the prickly boughs.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I have no defence to offer."
+
+"Tell me what induced you to come here."
+
+"An eminently charitable and commendable interest in your fair
+patient. I came here simply and solely to ascertain whether Mrs.
+Gerome would die, or whether she could possibly recover."
+
+Unflinchingly she looked up into his eyes, and he thought he had never
+seen a fairer, prouder, or lovelier face.
+
+"How did you expect to accomplish your errand by wandering about these
+grounds, exposing yourself to insult and to injury?"
+
+"I have been on the gallery since twilight, looking through the lace
+curtains at Mrs. Gerome lying on her bed, and at you sitting in the
+arm-chair. Her eyes are keener than yours, for she saw me peeping
+through the window, and told you so. When you left the room I came out
+among the trees to escape observation. I scorn all equivocation, and
+have no desire to conceal the truth, for if I am not dowered
+
+  'With blood trained up along nine centuries,
+    To hound and hate a lie,'
+
+at least I hold my pauper soul high above the mire of falsehood; and
+
+               ... 'The things we do,
+  We do: we'll wear no mask, as if we blushed.'"
+
+They had walked away from the hedge, and Dr. Grey paused at the mound,
+where the Ariadne gleamed cold and white in the moonbeams that slanted
+across it like silver lances.
+
+Revolving in his mind the best method of extricating the orphan from
+the unfortunate predicament in which her rashness had plunged her, he
+did not answer immediately, and Salome continued, impatiently,--
+
+"If you imagine that I came here to act as spy upon your actions, you
+most egregiously mistake me, for I know all that the most rigid
+surveillance could possibly teach me. I heard you say that this night
+would prove a crisis in Mrs. Gerome's case, and I was so anxious to
+learn the result that I could not wait quietly at home until morning.
+I begged you to bring me, and you refused; consequently, I came alone.
+Deal frankly with me,--tell me, will that woman die?"
+
+The breathless eagerness with which she bent towards him, the
+strained, almost ferocious expression of her keen eyes, sickened his
+soul, and he put his hand over his face to shut out the sight of
+hers.
+
+"Tell me the truth. I must and will know it."
+
+Her sweet clear voice had become a low hoarse pant, and the knotted
+lines were growing harder and tighter on her beautiful brow.
+
+"I pray ceaselessly that God will spare her to me, and I hope all
+things from His mercy. Another hour will probably end my suspense, and
+decide the awful question of life or death. Salome, if she should die,
+my future will be very lonely,--and my heart bereft of the brightest,
+dearest hopes, that have ever cheered it."
+
+A half-smothered cry struggled across the orphan's trembling lips that
+had suddenly grown colorless, and he saw her clutch her fingers.
+
+"And if she lives?"
+
+"If she lives, and will accept the affection I shall offer her, the
+remainder of my years will be devoted to the work of making her forget
+the sorrows that have darkened the early portion of her life. I do
+not wish to conceal the fact that she is inexpressibly dear to me."
+
+During the long silence that ensued, a lifetime of agony seemed
+compressed into the compass of a few moments, but Salome stood
+motionless, with her arms pressed over her aching heart, and her head
+thrown haughtily back, while the moonlight streamed down on her face
+where pride and pain were struggling for right to reign.
+
+When all expectation of earthly happiness is smothered in a proud,
+passionate soul, and the future robes itself in those dun hues that
+only the day-star of eternity can gild, nerves and muscles shrink and
+shiver at the massacre of hopes which despair hews down, in the hour
+that it "storms the citadel of the heart, and puts the whole garrison
+to the sword."
+
+Dr. Grey could not endure the sight of that fixed, hardened face, and
+sorely distressed by the consciousness of the suffering which he had
+unintentionally inflicted on one so young, he moved away, and for some
+time walked slowly under the arching laurestines. Although his stern
+integrity of purpose acquitted him of all blame, and he could accuse
+himself of no word or deed that might be held amenable to conscience
+for the mischief and misery that had resulted from his acquaintance
+with this unfortunate girl, he regretted that he had remained in the
+same house, and, by constant association, fed the flame that absence
+might have extinguished.
+
+While he pitied the weakness that had induced her to yield so entirely
+to the preference she indulged for him, he felt humiliated at the
+thought that he, who had intended to guide and elevate this wayward
+child of nature, had been instrumental in darkening and embittering
+her young life.
+
+When he came back to the spot, whence she had not moved, and laid his
+hand gently on her shoulder, she smiled strangely, and
+
+  "Unbent the grieving beauty of her brows.
+  But held her heart's proud pain superbly still."
+
+"My little sister, you must not stay here any longer. Would you prefer
+to go home at once in my buggy, or remain in the parlor until
+daylight?"
+
+"Neither. Let me sit down on the stone terrace till the end comes. I
+will disturb no one. It will be three hours before day breaks, and
+when you know whether your idol will live or die, come and tell me.
+Take your hand from my shoulder."
+
+He had endeavored to detain her, but she shrank away from his grasp,
+and glided down the smooth sward to the terrace which divided it from
+the ripple-barred and ringed sands of the shelving beach.
+
+As he returned to the house, the wind sprang up and moaned through the
+dense foliage above him, and an owl, perched in some clustering bough
+that overhung the portico, screamed and hooted dismally. The sound was
+so startling that the greyhound leaped to his feet and set up an
+answering howl, which almost froze Katie with fright, and caused even
+Mrs. Gerome's heavy eyelids to unclose.
+
+Salome sat down on the paved terrace, crossed her arms over the low
+stone balustrade, and resting her chin upon them, looked out at the
+burnished bosom of the ocean. Just beneath her, and near enough to
+moisten the granite with the silvery spray,--
+
+  "Its waves are kneeling on the strand,
+    As kneels the human knee,
+  Their white locks bowing to the sand,
+    The priesthood of the sea."
+
+If the old Rabbinical legend of Sandalphon be grounded in some solemn
+vision granted to the saints of eld, who walked in Syria, then
+peradventure on this night, the angel must have been puzzled indeed
+concerning the petitions that floated up, and demanded admission to
+the Eternal ear.
+
+From the anxious heart of the sincere and humble Christian who knelt
+at the bedside of the invalid, rose a fervent prayer that if
+consistent with the Father's will, He would lay His healing hand upon
+the sufferer, and restore her to health and strength; while the
+wretched girl on the terrace prayed vehemently that God would crush
+the feeble flicker of life in Mrs. Gerome's wasted frame, would take
+from the world a woman whose existence was a burden to herself and
+threatened to prove a curse to others.
+
+The passionate cry of Salome's soul was,--
+
+"Punish me in any way, and all other ways! Send sickness, destitution,
+humiliation,--let every other affliction smite me; but save me from
+the intolerable anguish of seeing that woman his wife! O my God! the
+world is not wide enough to hold us both. Take her, or else call me
+speedily hence. I am not fit to die, but I shall never be better, if I
+am doomed to witness this marriage. I would sooner go down to
+perdition now, than live to see that thing of horror. Of two hells, I
+choose that which takes me farthest from her."
+
+For the first time in her life she felt that the hours were flying,
+that the day of doom was rushing to meet her, and she shuddered when
+one after another the constellations slipped softly and solemnly down
+the sky, and vanished behind the dim shadowy outline of the western
+hills. Gradually the moon sank so low that the sea could no longer
+reflect her beams, and as the mighty waste of waters slowly darkened,
+and the wind stiffened, and the song of the surf swelled like a rising
+requiem, the girl felt that all nature was preparing to mourn with her
+over the burial of her only hope of earthly peace.
+
+If Mrs. Gerome died, a quiet future stretched before the orphan, and
+she could bear to live without the love which she had the grim
+satisfaction of knowing brightened no other woman's life.
+
+The happiness of the man for whom she almost impiously prayed, was a
+matter of little importance compared with the ease of her own heart;
+and she had yet to learn that the welfare and peace of the object she
+loved so selfishly would one day become paramount to all other aims
+and considerations. That pure and sublime spirit of self-abnegation
+which immolates every hope and wish that is at variance with the
+happiness of the beloved had not yet been born in Salome's fiery
+nature; and she cared little for the anguish that might be Dr. Grey's
+portion, provided her own heart could be spared the pang of witnessing
+his wedded bliss.
+
+Through the trees, she could see the steady light of the lamp that
+burned in the room where the sick woman lay, and so she watched and
+waited, shivering in the shadow that fell over earth and ocean just
+before the breaking of the new day.
+
+Along the eastern horizon, the white fires of rising constellations
+paled and flickered and seemed to die, as a gray light stole up behind
+them; and the gray grew pearly, and the pearly opaline, and ere long
+the sky crimsoned, and the sea reddened until its waves were like ruby
+wine or human gore.
+
+In the radiant dawn of that day which would decide the earthly
+destinies of three beings, Salome saw Dr. Grey coming across the lawn.
+His step was quiet,--neither slow nor hasty, and she could not
+conjecture the result; but as he approached, she rose, wrapped her
+shawl about her, and advanced to meet him. He paused, took off his
+hat, and she knew all before a syllable passed his lips.
+
+"Salome, God has heard my prayers,--has mercifully taken my darling
+from the arms of death, and given her to me. I do not think I am too
+sanguine in saying that she will ultimately recover, and my heart can
+not find language that will interpret its gratitude and joy."
+
+Never before had such a light shone in his clear, calm blue eyes, and
+illumined his usually grave countenance; and though continued vigils
+and keen anxiety had left their signet on his pale face, his great
+happiness was printed legibly on every feature, and found expression
+even in the deepened and softened tones of his voice.
+
+The girl did not move or speak, but looked steadily into his
+bright eyes, and the calmness with which she listened, comforted
+and encouraged him to hope that ere long she would conquer her
+preference.
+
+How could he know that at that instant she was impiously vowing that
+heaven had heard her last prayer?--that never again should a petition
+cross her lips? God had granted one prayer,--had decided against
+hers,--had denied her utterly; and henceforth she would not weary
+Him,--she would not mock herself and her misery.
+
+Dr. Grey saw that there was no quiver on the still, pale lips, no
+contraction of the polished forehead; but the rigidity of her face
+broke up suddenly in a smile of indescribable mournfulness,--a smile
+where self-contempt and pity and hopeless bitterness all lent their
+saddest phases.
+
+"Dr. Grey, in your present happy mood, you certainly can not be so
+ungracious as to deny me a favor?"
+
+"Have I ever refused my little sister anything she asked?"
+
+"The only favor you can ever grant me will be to persuade Miss Jane to
+consent to my departure. Look to it, sir, that I am allowed to go, and
+that right speedily; for go I certainly shall, at all hazards.
+Convince your sister that it is best, and let me go away forever,
+without incurring the displeasure of the only friend I ever had or
+ever shall have."
+
+She moved away as if to leave the grounds, but he caught her arm.
+
+"Wait five minutes, Salome, and I will take you home in my buggy. It
+is not right for you to walk alone at this early hour, and I will not
+allow it."
+
+She shook off his hand as if it had been an infant's; and, as she
+walked away, he heard her laugh with a degree of savage bitterness
+that stabbed his generous heart like a dagger; while behind her
+trailed the hissing echo,--
+
+              ... "Oh, alone, alone,--
+  Not troubling any in heaven, nor any on earth."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+
+In the pure, clear light of early morning, "Grassmere," with its wide,
+smooth lawn, and old-fashioned brick house, weather-stained and
+moss-mantled, looked singularly peaceful and attractive. Against the
+sombre mass of tree-foliage, white and purple altheas raised their
+circular censers, as if to greet the sun that was throwing level beams
+from the eastern hill-top, and delicate pink, and deep azure, and
+pearl-pale convolvulus held up their velvet trumpets all beaded with
+dew, to be drained by the first kiss of the great Day-God. Up and down
+the comb of the steep roof, beautiful pigeons with necklaces that
+rivalled the trappings of Solomon, strutted and cooed; on the eaves,
+busy brown wrens peeped into the gutters,--
+
+  "And of the news delivered their small souls,"--
+
+gossiping industriously; while from a distant nook some vagrant
+partridge whistled for its mate, and shy doves swinging in the highest
+elm limbs, moaned plaintively of the last hunting-season, that had
+proved a St. Barthlomew's day to the innocent feathered folk.
+
+On the lawn a flock of turkeys were foraging among the clover-blossoms,
+and over the dewy grass a large brood of young guineas raced after
+their mother, or played hide-and-seek, like nut-brown elves, under
+the white and purple tufts of flowers. Save the bird-world--always
+abroad early--no living thing seemed astir, and the silence that
+reigned was broken only by the distance-softened bleating of
+Stanley's pet lamb.
+
+As Salome walked slowly and wearily up the avenue, she saw that the
+housemaid had opened the front door, and when the orphan ascended the
+steps, all within was still as a tomb, except the canary that sprang
+into its ring and began to warble a _reveille_ as she approached the
+cage. Miss Jane was usually an early riser, and often aroused her
+servants, but to-day the household seemed to have overslept
+themselves, and when Salome had rearranged her dress, and waked her
+little brother, she rang the bell for Rachel, who soon obeyed the
+summons.
+
+"Is Miss Jane up?"
+
+"No, ma'am, I suppose not, as she has not rung for me. You know I
+always wait for her bell."
+
+"Perhaps she is not very well this morning. I will go and see whether
+she intends to get up."
+
+Salome went down stairs and knocked at the door of Miss Jane's room,
+but no sound was audible within, and she softly turned the bolt and
+entered.
+
+The lamp was burning very dimly on a table close to the bed, and upon
+the open Bible lay the spectacles which the old lady had placed there
+twelve hours before, when she finished reading the nightly chapter
+that generally composed her mind and put her to sleep.
+
+Salome conjectured that she had forgotten to extinguish the lamp, and
+as she cautiously turned the wick down, her eyes rested on the open
+page where pencil-lines marked the twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes,
+and enclosed the sixth and seventh verses, "Or ever the silver cord be
+loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the
+fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust
+return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God
+who gave it."
+
+Removing the glasses, the girl closed the book, and leaned over the
+pillow to look at the sleeper. She had turned her face towards the
+wall, and one hand lay under her head, pressed against her cheek,
+while the other held her handkerchief on the outside of the
+counterpane.
+
+Very softly she slumbered, with a placid smile half breaking over her
+aged, wrinkled features; and unwilling to shorten the morning nap in
+which she so rarely indulged, Salome sat down at the foot of the bed,
+and leaning her head on her hands, fell into a painful and profound
+reverie.
+
+Nearly an hour passed, unheeded by the unhappy girl, whose anguish
+rendered her indifferent to all that surrounded her; and after a while
+a keen pang thrilled her heart, as she heard Dr. Grey's pleasant voice
+jesting with Stanley on the lawn. His happiness seemed an insult to
+her misery, and she stopped her ears to exclude the sound of his quiet
+laugh.
+
+A half hour elapsed, and then his well-known rap was heard at the
+door. Miss Jane did not answer, and Salome was in no mood to welcome
+him home; but he waited for neither, and came in, gently closing the
+door behind him.
+
+At sight of the orphan, he started slightly, and said,--
+
+"Is my sister sick?"
+
+"I don't know, but she is sleeping unusually late. I thought it best
+not to disturb her."
+
+The look of dread that swept over his countenance frightened her, and
+she rose as he moved hastily to the bedside.
+
+"Salome, open the blinds. Quick! quick!"
+
+She sprang to the window, threw the shutters wide open, and hastened
+back. Dr. Grey's hand was on his sister's wrist, and his ear pressed
+against her heart,--strained to catch some faint pulsation. His head
+went down on her pillow, and Salome held her breath.
+
+"Oh, Janet! My dear, patient, good sister! This is indeed hard to
+bear. To die alone--unsoothed--unnoticed; with no kind hands about
+you! To die--without one farewell word!"
+
+He hid his face in his hands, and Salome staggered to the bed, and
+grasped Miss Jane's rigid, icy fingers.
+
+In the silence of midnight, Death stole her spirit from its clay
+garments, and while she slept peacefully had borne her beyond the
+confines of Time, and left her resting forever in the City Celestial.
+
+A life dedicated to pure aims and charitable deeds had been rewarded
+with a death as painless as the slumber of a tired child on its
+mother's bosom, and, without struggle or premonition, the soul had
+slipped from the bondage of flesh into the Everlasting Peace that
+remaineth for the children of God.
+
+It was impossible to decide at what hour she had died; and when the
+members of the appalled household were questioned, Muriel and Miss
+Dexter stated that she had kissed them good night and appeared as well
+as usual at her customary time of retiring; and Rachel testified that
+after she was in bed, she rang her bell and directed her to tell the
+cook that as Dr. Grey would probably come home about daylight, she
+must get up early and have a cup of coffee ready when he arrived.
+Sobbing passionately, Rachel added,--
+
+"When I asked her if I should put out the lamp, she said, 'No; Ulpian
+may lose his patient, and come home sad, and then he will come in and
+talk to me awhile.' And just as I was leaving the room, she called to
+me, 'Rachel, what coat did Ulpian wear? It turns so cool now before
+daylight that he will take cold if he has on that linen one.' I told
+her I did not know, and she would not be satisfied till I went to his
+room and found that the linen coat was hanging in the closet, and the
+gray flannel one was missing. Then she opened her Bible and said, 'Ah,
+that is all right. The flannel one will do very well, and my boy will
+be comfortable.'"
+
+Dr. Grey's grief was deep, but silent; and, during the dreary day and
+night that succeeded, he would allow no one to approach him except
+Muriel, whose soft little hands, and tearful, tender caresses, seemed
+in some degree to comfort him.
+
+One month before, Salome would have wept and mourned with him, but the
+fountain of her tears was exhausted and scorched by the intense
+bitterness and despairing hate that had taken possession of her since
+the day of Elsie's burial; and stunned and dry-eyed, she watched the
+preparations for the obsequies of her benefactress.
+
+Her love for Miss Jane had never been sufficiently fervent to render
+her distress very poignant; but in the death of this devoted friend
+she was fully aware that at last she was set once more adrift in the
+world, without chart or rudder save that furnished by her will.
+
+Life to-day was not the beautiful web, all aglow with the tangling of
+gold and silver threads, that had once charmed and dazzled her, for
+the mildew of hopelessness had tarnished the gilding, and the mesh was
+only a mass of dark knots, and subtle crossings, and inextricable
+confusion.
+
+Like that lost star that once burned so luridly in Cassiopeia, and
+flickered out, leaving a gulf of gloom where stellar glory was, the
+one most precious hope that lights and sanctifies a woman's heart had
+waned and grown sickly, and finally had gone out utterly, and dust
+and ashes and darkness filled the void. In natures such as hers, this
+hope is not allied to the phoenix, and, once crushed, knows no
+resurrection; consequently she cheated herself with no vain
+expectation that the mighty wizard, Time, could evoke from corpse or
+funeral-pyre even a spark to cheer the years that were thundering
+before her.
+
+A few months ago the future had glistened as peaceful and silvery as
+the Dead Sea at midnight, when a full-orbed Syrian moon glares down,
+searching for the palms and palaces that once marked Gomorrah's proud
+places; and, like some thirsty traveller smitten with surface sheen,
+she had laid her fevered lips to the treacherous margin, and, drinking
+eagerly, had been repaid with brine and bitumen.
+
+Disappointment was with her no meek, mute affair, but a savage fiend
+that browbeat and anathematized fate, accusing her of rendering
+existence a mere Nitocris banquet, where, while every sense is
+sharpened and pampered, and fruition almost touches the outstretched
+hands of eager trust, the flood-gates of the mighty Nile of despair
+are lifted, and its chill, dusky waves make irremediable wreck of
+all.
+
+With the quiet thoughtfulness and good sense that characterized her
+unobtrusive conduct, Miss Dexter had prepared from Muriel's wardrobe
+an entire suit of mourning, which she prevailed upon Salome to accept
+and wear; and, on the morning of the funeral, the latter went down
+early into the draped and darkened parlor, where the coffin and its
+cold tenant awaited the last offices that dust can perform for dust.
+
+She had not spoken to Dr. Grey for twenty-four hours, and, finding him
+beside the table where his sister's body lay, the orphan would have
+retreated, but he caught the rustling sound of her crape and
+bombazine, and held out his hand.
+
+"Come in, Salome."
+
+She took no notice of the offered fingers, but passed him, and went
+around the table to the opposite side.
+
+The wrinkled, sallow face, still wore its tranquil half-smile, and,
+under the cap-border of fine lace, the grizzled hair lay smooth and
+glossy on the sunken temples.
+
+In accordance with a wish which she had often expressed, the ghostly
+shroud was abandoned, and Miss Jane was dressed in her favorite black
+silk. Salome had gathered a small bouquet of the fragile white
+blossoms of apple-geranium, of which the old lady was particularly
+fond, and, bending over the coffin, she laid them between the fingers
+that were interlaced on the pulseless heart.
+
+With a quiet mournfulness, more eloquent than passionate grief, the
+girl stood looking for the last time at the placid countenance that
+had always beamed kindly and lovingly upon her since that dreary day,
+when, under the flickering shadow of the mulberry-tree, she had called
+her from the poor-house and given her a happy home.
+
+She stooped to kiss the livid lips, that had never spoken harshly to
+her; and, for some seconds, her face was hidden on the bosom of the
+dead. When she raised it, the dry, glittering eyes and firm mouth,
+betokened the bitterness of soul that no invectives could exhaust, no
+language adequately express.
+
+"Dr. Grey, if the exchange could be made, I would not only willingly,
+but gladly, thankfully, lie down here in this coffin, and give your
+sister back to your arms. The Reaper, Death, has cut down the perfect,
+golden grain, and left the tares to shiver in the coming winter. Some
+who are useless and life-weary bend forward, hoping to meet the
+sickle, but it sweeps above them, and they wither slowly among the
+stubble."
+
+He looked at her, and found it difficult to realize that the pale,
+quiet, stern woman, standing there in sombre weeds, was the same fair
+young face that he had seen thirty-six hours before in the moonlight
+that brightened Elsie's grave. He thought that only the slow, heavy
+rolling of years could have worn those lines about her faded lips, and
+those dark purplish hollows under the steady, undimmed eyes. That
+composed, frigid Salome, watching him from across the corpse and
+coffin, seemed a mere chill shadow of the fiery, impetuous, radiant
+girl, whose passionate waywardness had so often annoyed and grieved
+him. The alabaster vase was still perfect in form, but the lamp that
+had hitherto burned within, lending a rosy glow to clay, had fluttered
+and expired, and the change was painful indeed.
+
+His attention was so riveted upon the extraordinary alteration in her
+appearance, that her words fell on his ear, as empty, as meaningless,
+as the echoes heard in dreams, and when she ceased speaking, he looked
+perplexed, and sighed heavily.
+
+"What did you say? I do not think I understand you; my mind was
+abstracted when you spoke."
+
+"True; you never will understand me. Only the dead sleeping here
+between us fully comprehended me, and even unto the end of my
+life-chapter I must walk on misapprehended. When the coffin-lid is
+screwed down over that dear, kind face, I shall have bidden adieu to
+my sole and last friend; for in the Hereafter she will not know me.
+Ah, Miss Jane! you tried hard to teach me Christianity, but it was
+like geometry, I had no talent for it,--could not take hold of
+it,--and it all slipped through my fingers. If there is indeed an
+inexorable and incorruptible Justice reigning behind the stars, you
+will be so happy that I and my sins, and my desolation will not
+trouble you. Good-by, dear Miss Jane; it is not your fault that I
+missed my chance of being coaxed into the celestial fold with the
+elect sheep, and find myself scourged out with the despised goats. God
+grant you His everlasting rest."
+
+She turned, but Dr. Grey stretched his arm across his sister's body,
+and caught the orphan's dress.
+
+"Salome, God has called my own sister to her blessed rest in Christ,
+but my adopted sister He has left to comfort, to sympathize with me.
+Here, in the sacred presence of my dear dead, I ask you to take her
+place, and be to me throughout life the true, loving, faithful friend
+whom nothing can alienate, and of whom only death can deprive me. My
+little sister, let the future ripen and sanctify our confidence,
+affection, and friendship."
+
+"No, sir; sinners can not fill the niches of the saints; and to-day we
+are more completely divided than if the ocean roared between us. Once
+I struggled hard to cure myself of my faults,--to purify and fashion
+my nature anew, but the incentive has died, and I have no longer the
+proud aspirations that lifted me like eagle's wings high above the
+dust into which I have now fallen,--and where I expect to remain. You
+need not fear that I shall commit some capital sin, and go down in
+disgrace to my grave; for there must be some darling hope, some
+precious aim, that goads people to crime,--and neither of these have
+I. I do not want your friendship, and I will not allow your dictation;
+and, if you are as generous as I have believed you, I think you will
+spare me the manifestation of your pity. Miss Jane was the only link
+that united us in any degree, and now we are asunder and adrift. You
+see at least I am honest, and since I have not your confidence, I
+decline your compassion and espionage, and refuse to accept a sham
+friendship,--to trust myself upon a gossamer web that stretches across
+a dismal gulf of gloom, and wretchedness, and endless altercation.
+When I am in one continent, and you are in another, we shall be better
+friends than now."
+
+Her cold, slow, measured accents, and the calm pallor of her features
+told how complete was the change that had set its stern seal on body
+and soul; and Dr. Grey's heart ached, as he realized how withering was
+the blight that had fallen on her once buoyant, sanguine nature.
+
+"My dear Salome, for Janet's sake, and in memory of all her love and
+counsel, let me beg you not to indulge feelings that can only result
+in utter--"
+
+"Dr. Grey, let there be silence and peace between us, at least in the
+presence of the dead. Expostulation from your lips only exasperates
+and hardens me; so pray be quiet. No! do not touch me! Our hands have
+not clasped each other so often nor so closely that they must needs
+miss the warmth and pressure in the coming years of separation, and I
+will not soil your palm with mine."
+
+She coldly put aside the hand that endeavored to take hers, and, after
+one long, sad gaze at the marble face in the coffin, turned away, and
+went back to her own room.
+
+Miss Jane's charities had carried her name even to the secluded nooks
+of the county, and, when her death was announced, many humble
+beneficiaries of her bounty came to offer the last testimonial of
+respect and gratitude, by following the remains to their final
+resting-place. As the hour approached for the solemn rites, the house
+was filled with friends and acquaintances; and the members of the
+profession to which Dr. Grey belonged came to attend the funeral, and
+officiate as pall-bearers.
+
+Seated beside Dr. Grey, on one of the sofas, Salome's dry eyes noted
+all that passed while the services were performed; and, when the
+hearse moved down the avenue, she took his offered arm, and was placed
+in the same carriage.
+
+It was a long, dreary drive to the distant cemetery, and she was
+relieved to some extent when they found themselves at the family
+vault. Miss Jane had always desired to be buried under the slab that
+covered her brother, and had directed a space left for that purpose.
+Now the marble was removed, and the coffins of Jane and Enoch Grey
+rested side by side. The voice of the minister ceased, and only little
+Stanley's sobs broke that mournful silence which always ensues while
+spade or trowel does its sad work. Then the sculptured slab was
+replaced, and brother and sister were left to that blessed repose
+which is granted only to the faithful when "He giveth His beloved
+sleep."
+
+  "Write, 'Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord,
+  Because they rest,' ... because their toil is o'er.
+  The voice of weeping shall be heard no more
+  In the Eternal City. Neither dying
+  Nor sickness, pain nor sorrow, neither crying,
+  For God shall wipe away all tears. Rest,--rest."
+
+In the death of his sister, Dr. Grey mourned the loss of the only
+mother he had ever known, for his earliest recollections were of Miss
+Jane's tender care and love, and his affection was rather that of a
+devoted son than brother; consequently, the blow was doubly painful:
+but he bore it with a silent fortitude, a grave and truly Christian
+resignation, that left an indelible impression upon the minds of Miss
+Dexter and Muriel, and taught them the value of a faith that could
+bring repose and trust in the midst of a trial so severe.
+
+His continued vigils at "Solitude," and the profound grief that could
+not find vent in tears or words, had printed characters on his pale,
+wearied face, that should have commanded the sympathy of all who
+shared his friendship; but the sight of his worn features and the
+sound of his slow step only embittered the heart of the orphan, who
+saw in these evidences of fatigue and anxiety new manifestations of
+affection for the patient who was not yet entirely beyond danger.
+
+Four days after the funeral, Dr. Grey came in to breakfast later than
+usual, having driven over very early to "Solitude;" and, as he seated
+himself at the table and received from Muriel's hand a cup of coffee,
+he leaned forward and kissed her rosy cheek.
+
+"Thank you, my child. You are very kind to wait for me."
+
+"How is that poor Mrs. Gerome? Will she never be well enough to
+dispense with your services?"
+
+Once, Salome would have answered, "He hopes not;" but now she merely
+turned her head a little, to catch his reply.
+
+"She is better to-day than I feared I should find her, as some
+alarming symptoms threatened her yesterday; but now I think I can
+safely say the danger has entirely passed."
+
+Muriel hung over the back of his chair, pressing him to try several
+dishes that she pronounced excellent, but he gently refused all except
+the coffee; and, when he had pushed aside the empty cup, he drew the
+face of his ward close to his own, and murmured a few words that
+deepened the glow on her fair cheeks, while she hastily left the room
+to read a letter.
+
+For some moments he sat with his head resting on his hand, thinking of
+the dear old face that usually watched him from the corner of the
+fire-place, and of the kind words that were showered on him while he
+breakfasted; but to-day the faded lips were frozen forever, and the
+dim eyes would never again brighten at his approach.
+
+He sighed, brushed back the hair that clustered in glossy brown rings
+on his forehead, and rose.
+
+"Salome, if you are not particularly engaged this morning, I should be
+glad to see you in the library."
+
+"At what hour?"
+
+"Immediately, if you are at leisure."
+
+The orphan put aside the fold of crape which she was converting into a
+collar, and inclined her head slightly.
+
+Since that brief and painful interview held beside Miss Jane's coffin,
+not a syllable had passed between them, and the girl shrank with a
+vague, shivering dread from the impending _tête-à-tête_.
+
+Silently she followed the master of the house into the library, where
+Dr. Grey drew two chairs to the table, and, when she had seated
+herself in one, he took possession of the other.
+
+Opening a drawer, he selected several papers from a mass of what
+appeared to be legal documents, and spread them before her.
+
+"I wish to acquaint you with the contents of my sister's will, which I
+examined last night. Will you read it, or shall I briefly state her
+wishes?"
+
+"Tell me what you wish me to know."
+
+She swept the papers into a pile, and pushed them away.
+
+"Have you ever read a will?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+She leaned her elbows on the table, and rested her face in her hands.
+
+"All these pages amount simply to this,--dear Jane made her will
+immediately after my return from Europe, and its provisions are: that
+this place, with house, land, furniture, and stock, shall be given to
+and settled upon you; and moreover that, for the ensuing five years,
+you shall receive every January the sum of one thousand dollars. Until
+the expiration of that period, she desired that I should act as your
+guardian. By reference to the date and signature of these papers, you
+will find that this will was made as soon as she was able to sit up,
+after her illness produced by pneumonia; but appended to the original
+is a codicil stating that the validity of the distribution of her
+estate, contained in the former instrument, is contingent upon your
+conduct. Feeling most earnestly opposed to your contemplated scheme of
+going upon the stage as a _prima donna_, she solemnly declares, that,
+if you persist in carrying your decision into execution, the foregoing
+provisions shall be cancelled, and the house, land, and furniture
+shall be given to Jessie and Stanley; while only one thousand dollars
+is set apart as your portion. This codicil was signed one month ago."
+
+Dr. Grey glanced over the sheets of paper, and refolded them, allowing
+his companion time for reflection and comment, but she remained
+silent, and he added,--
+
+"However your views may differ from those entertained by my sister, I
+hope you will not permit yourself to doubt that a sincere desire to
+promote your life-long happiness prompted the course she has
+pursued."
+
+Five minutes elapsed, and the orphan sat mute and still.
+
+"Salome, are you disappointed? My dear friend, deal frankly with me."
+
+She lifted her pale, quiet face, and, for the first time in many
+weeks, he saw unshed tears shining in her eyes, and glittering on her
+lashes.
+
+"I should be glad to know whether Miss Jane consulted you, in the
+preparation of her will?"
+
+"She conferred with me concerning the will, and I cordially approved
+it; but of the codicil I knew nothing, until her lawyer--Mr.
+Lindsay--called my attention to it yesterday afternoon."
+
+"You are very generous, Dr. Grey, and no one but you would willingly
+divide your sister's estate with paupers, who have so long imposed
+upon her bounty. I had no expectation that Miss Jane would so
+munificently remember me, and I have not deserved the kindness which
+she has lavished on me, for Jessie and Stanley I gratefully accept her
+noble gift, and it will place them far beyond the possibility of want;
+while the only regret of which I am conscious, is, that I feel
+compelled to pursue a career, which my best, my only friend
+disapproved. In the name of poor little Jessie and Stanley, I thank
+you, sir, for consenting to such a generous bequest of property that
+is justly yours. You, who--"
+
+"Pray do not mention the matter, for independent of the large legacy
+left me by my sister, my own fortune is so ample that I deserve no
+thanks for willingly sharing that which I do not need. My little
+sister, you must not rashly decide a question which involves your
+future welfare, and I can not and will not hear your views at present.
+Take one week for calm deliberation, weigh the matter prayerfully and
+thoughtfully, and at the expiration of that time, meet me here, and I
+will accept your decision."
+
+She shook her head, and a dreary smile passed swiftly over her
+passionless face.
+
+"Twenty years of reflection would not alter, or in any degree bend my
+determination, which is as firmly fixed as the base of the Blue-Ridge;
+and--"
+
+"Pardon me, Salome, but, until the week has elapsed, I do not wish or
+intend to receive your verdict. Before this day week, recollect all
+the reasons which dear Janet urged against your scheme; recall the
+pain she suffered from the bare contemplation of such a possibility,
+and her tender pleadings and wise counsel. Ah, Salome, you are young
+and impulsive, but I trust you will not close your ears against your
+brother's earnest protest and appeal. If I were not sincerely attached
+to you, I should not so persistently oppose your favorite plan, which
+is fraught with perils and annoyances that you can not now realize.
+Hush! I will not listen to you to-day."
+
+He rose, and laying his hands softly on her head, added, in a solemn
+but tremulously tender tone,--
+
+"And may God in His infinite wisdom and mercy overrule all things for
+your temporal and eternal welfare, and so guide your decision, that
+peace and usefulness will be your portion, now and forever."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+
+"Yes, Dr. Grey, I am better than I ever expected or desired to be in
+this world."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, this is scarcely the recompense that my anxious
+vigilance and ceaseless exertions merit at your hands."
+
+The invalid leaned far back in her cushioned easy-chair, and, as the
+physician rested his arm on the mantelpiece and looked down at her, he
+thought of the lines that had more than once recurred to his mind,
+since the commencement of their acquaintance,--
+
+  "What finely carven features! Yes, but carved
+  From some clear stuff, not like a woman's flesh,
+  And colored like half-faded, white-rose leaves.
+  'Tis all too thin, and wan, and wanting blood,
+  To take my taste. No fulness, and no flush!
+  A watery half-moon in a wintry sky
+  Looks less uncomfortably cold. And ... well,
+  I never in the eyes of a sane woman
+  Saw such a strange, unsatisfied regard."
+
+"I suppose I ought to be grateful to you, Dr. Grey, for Katie and
+Robert have told me how patiently and carefully you nursed and watched
+over me, during my illness; but instead of gratitude, I find it
+difficult to forgive you for what you have done. You fanned into a
+flame the spark of life that was smouldering and expiring, and baffled
+the disease that came to me as the handmaid of Mercy. Death,
+transformed into an angel of pity, kindly opened the door of escape
+from the woe and weariness of this sin-cursed world, into the calmness
+and dreamless rest of the vast shoreless Beyond; and just when I was
+passing through, you snatched me back to my burdens and my bitter lot.
+I know, of course, that you intended only kindness, but you must not
+blame me if I fail to thank you."
+
+"You forget that life is intended as a season of fiery probation, and
+that without suffering there is no purification, and no reward.
+Remember, 'Calm is not life's crown, though calm is well;' and those
+who forego the pain must forego the palm."
+
+"I would gladly forego all things for a rest,--a sleep that could know
+no end. Katie tells me I have been ill a month, and from this brief
+season of oblivion you have dragged me back to the existence that I
+abhor. Dr. Grey, I feel to-day as poor Maurice de Guérin felt, when he
+wrote from Le Val, 'My fate has knocked at the door to recall me; for
+she had not gone on her way, but had seated herself upon the
+threshold, waiting until I had recovered sufficient strength to resume
+my journey. "Thou hast tarried long enough," said she to me; "come
+forward!" And she has taken me by the hand, and behold her again on
+the march, like those poor women one meets on the road, leading a
+child who follows with a sorrowful air.'"
+
+"There is a better guide provided, if you would only accept and yield
+to his ministrations. For the flint-faced fate that you accuse so
+virulently, substitute that tender and loving guardian the Angel of
+Patience.
+
+  'To weary hearts, to mourning homes,
+  God's meekest Angel gently comes.
+   . . . . . . . . . .
+  There's quiet in that Angel's glance,
+  There's rest in his still countenance!
+   . . . . . . . . . .
+  The ills and woes he may not cure
+  He kindly trains us to endure.
+   . . . . . . . . . .
+  He walks with thee, that Angel kind,
+  And gently whispers, 'Be resigned.'
+
+A moment since, you quoted De Guérin, and perhaps you may recollect
+one of his declarations, 'I have no shelter but resignation, and I run
+to it in great haste, all trembling and distracted. Resignation! It is
+the burrow hollowed in the cleft of some rock, which gives shelter to
+the flying and long-hunted prey.' You will never find peace for your
+heart and soul until you bring your will into complete subjection to
+that of Him 'who doeth all things well.' Defiance and rebellious
+struggles only aggravate your sorrows and trials."
+
+She listened to the deep, quiet voice, as some unlettered savage might
+hearken to the rhythmic music of Homer, soothed by the tones, yet
+incapable of comprehending their import; and as she looked up at the
+grave, kingly face, her eyes fell upon the broad band of crape that
+encircled his straw hat, which had been hastily placed on the
+mantelpiece.
+
+"Dr. Grey, you ought to speak advisedly, for Robert told me that you
+had recently lost your sister, and that you are now alone in the
+world. You, who have severe afflictions, should know how far
+resignation lightens them. I was much pained to learn that your sister
+died while you were absent,--while you were sitting up with me. Ah,
+sir! you ought to have watched her, and left me to my release. You
+have been very kind and considerate toward one who has no claim upon
+aught but your pity; and I would gladly lie down in your sister's
+grave, and give her back to your heart and home."
+
+Her countenance softened for an instant, and she held out her hand. He
+took the delicate fingers in his, and pressed them gently.
+
+"God grant that your life may be spared, until all doubt and
+bitterness is removed from your heart, and that when you go down into
+the grave it may be as bright with the blessed faith of a Christian as
+that which now contains my sister Janet. Do not allow the gloom of
+earthly disappointment to cloud your trust, but bear always in mind
+those cheering words of Saadi,--
+
+  'Says God, "Who comes towards me an inch through doubtings dim,
+  In blazing light I do approach a yard towards him."'"
+
+"If I am to be kept in this world until all the bitterness is scourged
+out of me, I might as well resign myself to a career as endless as
+that of Ahasuerus. I tell you, sir, I have been forced to drink out of
+quassia-cups until my whole being has imbibed the bitter; and I am
+like that tree to which Firdousi compared Mahmoud, 'Whose nature is so
+bitter, that were you to plant it in the garden of Eden, and water it
+with the ambrosial stream of Paradise, and were you to enrich its
+roots with virgin honey, it would, after all, discover its innate
+disposition, and only yield the acrid fruit it had ever borne.'"
+
+"What right have you to expect that existence should prove one
+continued gala-season? When Christ went down meekly into Gethsemane,
+that such as you and I might win a place in the Eternal City, how
+dare you demand exemption from grief and pain, that Jesus, your
+God, did not spare Himself? Are you purer than Christ, and wiser
+than the Almighty, that you impiously deride and question their
+code for the government of the Universe, in which individual lives
+seem trivial as the sands of the desert, or the leaves of the
+forest? Oh! it is pitiable, indeed, to see some worm writhing in
+the dust, and blasphemously dictating laws to Him who swung suns and
+asterisms in space, and breathed into its own feeble fragment of clay
+the spark that enabled it to insult its God. Put away such unwomanly
+scoffing,--such irreverent puerilities; sweep your soul clean of all
+such wretched rubbish, and when you feel tempted to repine at your
+lot, recollect the noble admonition of Dschelaleddin, 'If this
+world were our abiding-place, we might complain that it makes our
+bed so hard; but it is only our night-quarters on a journey, and
+who can expect home comforts?'"
+
+"I can not feel resigned to my lot. It is too hard,--too unjust."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, are you more just and prescient than Jehovah?"
+
+She passed her thin hand across her face, and was silent, for his
+voice and manner awed her. After a little while, she sat erect in her
+chair, and tried to rise.
+
+"Doctor, if you could look down into the gray ruins of my heart, you
+would not reprove me so harshly. My whole being seems in some cold
+eclipse, and my soul is like the Sistine Chapel in Passion-week,
+where all is shrouded in shadow, and no sounds are heard but Misereres
+and Tenebræ."
+
+"Promise me that in future you will try to keep it like that Christian
+temple, pure and inviolate from all imprecations and rebellious words.
+If gloom there must be, see to it that resignation seals your lips.
+What are you trying to do? You are not strong enough to walk alone."
+
+"I want to go into the parlor,--I want my piano. Yesterday I attempted
+to cross the room, and only Katie's presence saved me from a severe
+fall."
+
+She stood by her chair, grasping the carved back, and Dr. Grey stepped
+forward, and drew her arm under his.
+
+In her great weakness she leaned upon him, and when they reached the
+parlor door, she paused and almost panted.
+
+"You must not attempt to play,--you are too feeble even to sit up
+longer. Let me take you back to your room."
+
+"No,--no! Let me alone. I know best what is good for me; and I tell
+you my piano is my only Paraclete."
+
+Holding his arm for support, she drew a chair instead of the
+piano-stool to the instrument, and seated herself.
+
+Dr. Grey raised the lid, and waited some seconds, expecting her to
+play, but she sat still and mute, and presently he stooped to catch a
+glimpse of her countenance.
+
+"I want to see Elsie's grave. Open the blinds."
+
+He threw open the shutters, and came back to the piano.
+
+Through the window, the group of deodars was visible, and there,
+bathed in the mild yellow sunshine was the mound, and the faded wreath
+swinging in the breeze.
+
+For many minutes Mrs. Gerome gazed at the quiet spot where her nurse
+rested, and with her eyes still on the grave, her fingers struck into
+Chopin's Funeral March.
+
+After a while, Dr. Grey noticed a slight quiver cross her pale lips,
+and when the mournful music reached its saddest chords, a mist veiled
+the steely eyes, and very soon tears rolled slowly down her cheeks.
+
+The march ended, she did not pause, but began Mozart's Requiem, and
+all the while that slow rain of tears dripped down on her white
+fingers, and splashed upon the ivory keys.
+
+Dr. Grey was so rejoiced at the breaking up of the ice that had long
+frozen the fountain of her tears, that he made no attempt to interrupt
+her, until he saw that she tottered in her chair. Taking her hands
+from the piano, he said gently,--
+
+"You are quite exhausted, and I can not permit this to continue. Come
+back to your room."
+
+"No; let me stay here. Put me on the sofa in the oriel, and leave the
+blinds open."
+
+He lifted her from the chair and led her to the sofa, where she sank
+heavily down upon the cushions.
+
+Without comment or resistance, she drank a glass of strong cordial
+which he held to her lips, and lay with her eyes closed, while tears
+still trickled through the long jet lashes.
+
+She wore a robe of white merino, and a rich blue shawl of the same
+soft material which was folded across her shoulders, made the wan face
+look like some marble seraph's, hovering over an altar where violet
+light streams through stained glass.
+
+For some time Dr. Grey walked up and down the long room, glancing
+now and then at his patient, and when he saw that the tears had
+ceased, he brought from a basket in the hall an exquisitely
+beautiful and fragrant bouquet of the flowers which he knew she
+loved best,--heliotrope, violets, tube-rose, and Grand-Duke
+jessamine, fringed daintily with spicy geranium leaves, and scarlet
+fuchsias.
+
+Silently he placed it on her folded hands, and the expression of
+surprise and pleasure that suddenly lighted her countenance, amply
+repaid him.
+
+"Dr. Grey, it has been my wish to except services from no one,--to owe
+no human being thanks; but your unvarying kindness to my poor Elsie
+and to me, imposes a debt of gratitude that I can not easily
+liquidate. I fear you are destined to bankrupt me, for how can I hope
+to repay all your thoughtful, delicate care, and generous interest in
+a stranger? Tell me in what way I can adequately requite you."
+
+Dr. Grey drew a chair close to the sofa, and answered,--
+
+"Take care lest your zeal prove the contrary, for you know a
+distinguished philosopher asserts that, 'Too great eagerness to
+requite an obligation is a species of ingratitude;' and such an
+accusation would be unflattering to you, and unpleasant to me."
+
+Turning the bouquet around in order to examine and admire each flower,
+Mrs. Gerome toyed with the velvet bells, and said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"Their delicious perfume always reminds me of my beautiful home near
+Funchal, where heliotrope and geraniums grew so tall that they looked
+in at my window, and hedges of fuchsias bordered my garden walks.
+Never have I seen elsewhere such profusion and perfection of
+flowers."
+
+"When were you in Madeira?"
+
+"Two years ago. The villa I occupied was situated on the side of a
+mountain, whose base was covered with vineyards; and from a grove of
+lemon and oleanders that stood in front of the house I could see the
+surging Atlantic at my feet, and the crest of the mountain clothed
+with chestnuts, high above and behind me. In one corner of my vineyard
+stood a solitary palm, which tradition asserted was planted when Zarco
+discovered the island; and the groves of orange, citron, and
+pomegranate trees were always peopled with humming-birds, and flocks
+of green canaries. There, surrounded by grand and picturesque scenery
+of which I never wearied, I resolved to live and die; but Elsie's
+desire to return to America, which held the ashes of her husband and
+child, overruled my inclination and the dictates of judgment, and
+reluctantly I left my mountain Eden and came here. Now, when I smell
+violets and heliotrope, regret mingles with their aroma; and, after
+all, the sacrifice was in vain, and Elsie would have slept as calmly
+there, under palm and chestnut, as yonder, where the deodar-shadows
+fall."
+
+"Is your life here a faithful transcript of that portion of it passed
+at Funchal?"
+
+"Yes; except that there I saw no human being but the servants, who
+transacted any business that demanded interviews with the consul."
+
+"It was fortunate that Elsie's wise counsel prevailed over your
+caprice, for many of your griefs proceed from the complete isolation
+to which you so strangely doom yourself; and until you become a useful
+member of that society you are so fully fitted to adorn and elevate,
+you need not hope or expect the peace of mind that results only from
+the consciousness of having nobly discharged the sacred obligations to
+God, and to your race. 'Bear ye one another's burdens,' was the solemn
+admonition of Him who sublimely bore the burdens of an entire world.
+Now tell me, have you ever stretched out a finger to aid the toiling
+multitudes whose cry for help wails over even the most prosperous
+lands? What have you done to strengthen trembling hands, or comfort
+and gladden oppressed hearts? How dare you hoard within your own home
+the treasure of fortune, talent, and sympathy, which were temporarily
+entrusted to your hands, to be sown broadcast in noble charities,--to
+be judiciously invested in promoting the cause of Truth in the fierce
+war Evil wages against it? Hitherto you have lived solely for
+yourself, which is a sin against humanity; and have pampered a morbid
+and rebellious spirit, that is a grevious sin against your God. Shake
+off your lethargy and cynicism, and let a busy future redeem a vagrant
+and worthless past. '_He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
+precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his
+sheaves with him._'"
+
+The flowers dropped on her bosom, and, clasping her hands across her
+forehead, she turned her face towards the sea, and seemed pondering
+his words.
+
+"Dr. Grey, my purse has always been open to the needy, and Elsie was
+my almoner. Whenever you find a destitute family, or hear an appeal
+for help, I shall gladly respond, and constitute you the agent for the
+distribution of my charity-fund. As for bearing the sorrows of others,
+pray excuse me. I am so weighed down with my own burdens that I have
+no strength or leisure to spare to my neighbors, and since I ask no
+aid, must not be censured for rendering none. It is utterly useless to
+urge me to enter society, for like that sad pilgrim in Brittany, 'In
+losing solitude I lose the half of my soul. I go out into the world
+with a secret horror. When I withdraw, I gather together and lock up
+my scattered treasure, but I put away my ideas sorely handled, like
+fruits fallen from the tree upon stones.' No, no; in seclusion I find
+the only modicum of peace that earth can ever yield me, and can
+readily understand why Chateaubriand avoided those crowds which he
+denominated, 'The vast desert of men.'"
+
+"You must not be offended, if, in reply, I remind you of the rude but
+vigorous words of that prince of cynics, Schopenhauer, 'Society is a
+fire at which the wise man from a prudent distance warms himself; not
+plunging into it, like the fool who after getting well blistered,
+rushes into the coldness of solitude, and complains that the fire
+burns.' Of the two evils, reckless dissipation and gloomy isolation,
+the latter is probably an economy of sin; but since neither is
+inevitable, we should all endeavor to render ourselves useful members
+of society, and unfurl over our circle the banner of St. Paul, 'Use
+this world as not abusing it.' Mrs. Gerome, do not obstinately mar the
+present and future, by brooding bitterly over the trials of the past;
+but try to believe that, indeed,--
+
+           ... 'Sorrows humanize our race;
+  Tears are the showers that fertilize this world.
+  And memory of things precious keepeth warm
+  The heart that once did hold them.'"
+
+He watched her eagerly yet gravely, hoping that her face would soften;
+but she raised her hand with a proud, impatient motion.
+
+"You talk at random, concerning matters of which you know nothing. I
+hate the world and have abjured it, and you might as well go down
+yonder and harangue the ocean on the sin of its ceaseless muttering,
+as expect to remodel my aimless, blank life."
+
+Pained and disappointed, he remained silent, and, as if conscious of a
+want of courtesy, she added,--
+
+"Do not allow your generous heart to be disquieted on my account, but
+leave me to a fate which can not be changed,--which I have endured
+seven years, and must bear to my grave. Now that you see how desolate
+I am, pity me, and be silent."
+
+"It will be difficult for you to regain your strength here, where so
+many mournful associations surround you, and I came to-day to beg you
+to take a trip somewhere, by sea or land. Almost any change of scene
+and air will materially benefit you, and you need not be absent more
+than a few weeks. Will you take the matter under consideration?"
+
+"No, sir; why should I? Can hills or waves, dells or lakes, cure a
+mind which you assure me is diseased? Can sea breeze or mountain air
+fan out recollections that have jaundiced the heart, or furnish an
+opiate that will effectually deaden and quiet regret? I long ago tried
+your remedy--travelling, and for four years I wandered up and down,
+and over the face of the old world; but amid the crumbling columns of
+Persepolis, I was still Agla Gerome, the wretched; and when I stood on
+the margin of the Lake of Wan, I saw in its waves the reflection of
+the same hopeless woman who now lies before you. Change of external
+surroundings is futile, and no more affects the soul than the roar of
+surface-surf changes the hollow of an ocean bed where the dead sleep;
+and, verily,--
+
+  'My heart is a drear Golgotha, where all the ground is white
+  With the wrecks of joys that have perished,--the skeletons of
+        delight.'"
+
+He saw that in her present mood expostulation would only aggravate the
+evil he longed to correct, and hoping to divert the current of her
+thoughts, he said,--
+
+"I trust you will not deem me impertinently curious if I ask what
+singular freak bestowed upon you the name of 'Agla'?"
+
+A startling change swept over her features, and her tone was haughtily
+challenging.
+
+"What interest can Dr. Grey find in a matter so trivial? If I were
+named Hecate or Persephone, would the world have a right to demur, to
+complain, or to criticise?"
+
+"When a lady bears the mystic name, which, in past ages, was given to
+the Deity, by a race who, if superstitious, were at least devout and
+reverent, she should not be surprised if it excites wonder and
+comment. Forgive me, however, if my inquiry annoyed you."
+
+He rose and took his hat, but her hand caught his arm.
+
+"Do you know the import of the word?"
+
+"Yes; I understand the significance of the letters, and the wonderful
+power attributed to them when arranged in the triangles and called the
+'Shield of David.' Knowing that it was considered talismanic, I could
+not imagine why you were christened with so mystical a name."
+
+"I was never christened."
+
+He could not explain the confusion and displeasure which the question
+excited, and anxious to relieve her of any feeling of annoyance, he
+added,--
+
+"Have you ever looked into the nature of the _Aglaophotis_?"
+
+She struggled up from her cushions, and exclaimed, with a vehemence
+that startled him,--
+
+"What induced you to examine it? I know that it is a strange plant,
+growing out of solid marble, and accounted a charm by Arab magicians.
+Well, Dr. Grey, do not I belong to that species? You see before you a
+human specimen of _Aglaophotis_, growing out of a marble heart."
+
+Sometimes an exaggerated whimsicality trenches so closely upon
+insanity, that it is difficult to discriminate between them; and, as
+Dr. Grey noted the peculiarly cold glitter of her large eyes, and the
+restless movement of her usually quiet hands, he dreaded that the
+crushing weight on her heart would ultimately impair her mind. Now he
+abruptly changed the topic.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, whenever it is agreeable to you to drive down the beach
+or across the woods and among the hills, it will afford me much
+pleasure to place my horse, buggy, and myself at your disposal; and,
+in fine weather like this, a drive of a few miles would invigorate
+you."
+
+"Thank you. I shall not trouble you, for I have my low-swung easy
+carriage, and my grays--my fatal grays. Ah if they would only serve me
+as they did my poor Elsie! When I am strong enough to take the reins,
+I will allow them an opportunity. Dr. Grey, if I seem rude, forgive
+me. You are very kind and singularly patient, and sometimes when you
+have left me, I feel ashamed of my inability to prove my sincere
+appreciation of your goodness. For these beautiful flowers, I thank
+you cordially."
+
+She held out her hand, and, as he accepted it, he drew from his pocket
+the silver key which he had so carefully preserved.
+
+"Accident made me the custodian of this key, which I found on the
+floor the day of Elsie's burial. Knowing that it belonged to your
+escritoire, whence I saw you take it, I thought it best not to commit
+it to a servant's care, and have kept it in my pocket until I thought
+you might need it."
+
+Although the room was growing dim, he detected the expression of dread
+that crossed her countenance, and saw her bite her thin lip with
+vexation.
+
+"You have worn for one month the key of my desk, where lie all my
+papers and records; and when I was so desperately ill, I presume you
+looked into the drawers, merely to ascertain whether I had prepared my
+will?"
+
+The mockery of her tone stung him keenly, but he allowed no evidence
+of the wound to escape him. Bending over her as she sat partially
+erect, supported by cushions, he took her white face tenderly in his
+hands, and said, very calmly and gently,--
+
+"When you know me better, you will realize how groundless is your
+apprehension that I have penetrated into the recesses of your
+writing-desk. Knowing that it contained valuable papers, I guarded it
+as jealously as you could have done; and, upon the honor of a
+gentleman, I assure you I am as ignorant of its contents as if I had
+never entered the house. When I consider it essential to my peace of
+mind to become acquainted with your antecedents, I shall come to you
+and ask what I desire to learn. While you were so ill, I told Robert
+that your friends should be notified of your imminent danger, and
+inquired of him whether you had made a will, as I deemed it my duty to
+inform your agent of your alarming condition. He either could not or
+would not give me any satisfactory reply, and there the matter ended.
+When I am gone, do not reproach yourself for having so unjustly
+impugned my motives, for I shall not allow myself to believe that you
+really entertain so contemptible an opinion of me; and shall ascribe
+your hasty accusation to mere momentary chagrin and pique."
+
+"Ah, sir! you ought not to wonder that I am so suspicious; you--but
+how can you understand the grounds of my distrust, unless--"
+
+"Hush! We will not discuss a matter which can only excite and annoy
+you. Mrs. Gerome, under all circumstances you may unhesitatingly trust
+me, and I beg to assure you I shall never divulge anything confided to
+me. You need a friend, and perhaps some day you may consider me worthy
+to serve you in that capacity; meantime, as your physician, I shall
+continue to watch over and control you. To-day you have cruelly
+overtasked your exhausted system, and I can not permit you to remain
+here any longer. Come immediately to your own room."
+
+His manner was so quietly authoritative that she obeyed instantly, and
+when he lifted her from the sofa, she took his arm, and walked towards
+the door. Before they had crossed the hall, he felt her reel and lean
+more heavily against him, and silently he took the thin form in his
+arms, and carried her to her room.
+
+The gray head was on his shoulder, and the cold marble cheek touched
+his, as he laid her softly down on her bed and arranged her pillows.
+He rang for Katie, and, in crossing the floor, stepped on something
+hard. It was too dusky in the closely curtained apartment to see any
+object so small, but he swept his hand across the carpet and picked up
+the key that had slipped from her nerveless fingers. Placing it beside
+her, he smiled and said,--
+
+"You are incorrigibly careless. Are you not afraid to tax my curiosity
+so severely, and tempt me so pertinaciously, by strewing your keys in
+my path? The next time I pick up this one, which belongs to your
+escritoire, I shall engage some one to act as your guardian. Katie, be
+sure she takes that tonic mixture three times a day. Good-night."
+
+When the sound of his retreating footsteps died away, Mrs. Gerome
+thrust the key under her pillow, and murmured,--
+
+"I wonder whether this Ulpian can be as true, as trusty, as nobly
+fearless as his grand old Roman namesake, whom not even the purple of
+Severus could save from martyrdom? Ah! if Ulpian Grey is really all
+that he appears. But how dare I hope, much less believe it? Verily, he
+reminds me of Madame de Chatenay's description of Joubert, 'He seems
+to be a soul that by accident had met with a body, and tried to make
+the best of it.'"
+
+"Did you speak to me, ma'am?" asked Katie, who was bustling about,
+preparing to light the lamp.
+
+"No. The room is like a tomb. Open the blinds and loop back all the
+curtains, so that I can look out."
+
+  "And the sunset paled, and warmed once more
+  With a softer, tenderer after-glow;
+  In the east was moon-rise, with boats off-shore
+  And sails in the distance drifting slow."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, sister says she wants to see you, before you go to
+town."
+
+Jessie Owen came softly up to the table where Dr. Grey sat writing,
+and stood with her hand on his knee.
+
+"Very well. Tell sister I will come to her as soon as I finish this
+letter. Where is she?"
+
+"In the library."
+
+"In ten minutes I shall be at leisure."
+
+He found Salome with a piece of sewing in her hand, and her young
+sister leaning on her lap, chattering merrily about a nest full of
+eggs which she and Stanley had found that morning in a corner of the
+orchard; while the latter swung on the back of her chair, winding over
+his finger a short curl that lay on her neck. It was a pleasant,
+peaceful, homelike picture, worthy of Eastman Johnson's brush, and for
+thirty years such a group had not been seen in that quiet old
+library.
+
+Dr. Grey paused at the threshold, to admire the graceful pose of
+Jessie's fairy figure,--the lazy nonchalance of Stanley's posture,--and
+the finely shaped head that rose above both, like some stately lily,
+surrounded by clustering croci; but Salome was listening for his
+footsteps, and turned her head at his entrance.
+
+"Stanley, take Jessie up to my room, and show her your Chinese puzzle.
+When I want either or both of you, I will call you. Close the door
+after you, and mind that you do not get to romping, and shake the
+house down."
+
+"How very pretty Jessie has grown during the last year. Her complexion
+has lost its muddy tinge, and is almost waxen," said the doctor, when
+the children had left the room and scampered up stairs.
+
+"She is a very sweet-tempered and affectionate little thing, but I
+never considered her pretty. She is too much like her father."
+
+"Salome, death veils all blemishes."
+
+"That depends very much on the character of the survivors; but we will
+not discuss abstract propositions,--especially since I have resolved
+to follow the old oriental maxim,--
+
+  'Leave ancestry behind, despise heraldic art,
+  Thy father be thy mind, thy mother be thy heart.
+  Dead names concern not thee, bid foreign titles wait;
+  Thy deeds thy pedigree, thy hopes thy rich estate!'
+
+Dr. Grey, the week has ended, and I took the liberty of reminding you
+of the fact, as I am anxious to acquaint you with my purposes for the
+future."
+
+He drew a chair near hers, and seated himself.
+
+"Well, Salome, I hope that reflection has changed your views, and
+taught you the wisdom of my sister's course with reference to
+yourself."
+
+"On the contrary, the season of deliberation you forced upon me has
+only strengthened and intensified my desire to carry into execution
+the project I have so long dreamed of; and to-day I am more than ever
+firmly resolved to follow, at all hazards, the dictates of my own
+judgment, no matter with whose opinions or wishes they may conflict."
+
+She expected that he would expostulate, and plead against her
+decision, but he merely bowed, and remained silent.
+
+"My object in asking this interview was to ascertain how soon it would
+be convenient for you to place in my hands the legacy of one thousand
+dollars which was bequeathed to me on condition that I went upon the
+stage; and also to inquire what you intend to do with the children, of
+whom Miss Jane's will constitutes you the guardian?"
+
+"You wish me to understand that you are determined to defy the wishes
+of your best friend, and take a step which distressed her beyond
+expression?"
+
+"I shall certainly go upon the stage."
+
+"I have no alternative but to accept your decision, which you are well
+aware I regard as exceedingly deplorable. The money can be paid to you
+to-morrow, if you desire it. Hoping that you would abandon this freak,
+I had intended to keep the children here, under your supervision,
+while I removed to my house in town, and left their tuition to Miss
+Dexter; but since you have decided otherwise, I shall remain here for
+the present, keeping them with me, at least until after Muriel's
+marriage. The income from this farm averages two thousand dollars a
+year, and will not only amply provide for their wants and education,
+but will enable me to lay aside annually a portion of that amount.
+When Muriel marries, Miss Dexter may not be willing to remain here,
+and if she leaves us I shall endeavor to find as worthy and reliable a
+substitute. Have you any objection to this arrangement?"
+
+"I have no right to utter any, since you are the legal guardian of the
+children. But contingencies might arise for which it seems you have
+not provided."
+
+"What do you mean?"
+
+"I mean that I can trust Jessie and Stanley to you, but when you are
+married I prefer that they should find another home; or, if need be,
+Jessie can come to me."
+
+An angry flush dyed Dr. Grey's olive face, and kindled a fiery gleam
+in his usually mild, clear, blue eyes, but looking at the girl's
+compressed and trembling lips, and noting the underlying misery which
+her defiant expression could not cover, his displeasure gave place to
+profound compassion.
+
+"Salome, dismiss that cause of anxiety from your mind, and trust the
+assurance I offer you now,--that when I marry, my wife will be worthy
+to assist me in guiding and governing my wards."
+
+She was prepared to hear him retort that the career she had chosen
+would render her an unsuitable counsellor for little Jessie; and
+conscious that she had deeply wounded him, his calm reply was the
+sharpest rebuke he could possibly have administered.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I have no extraordinary amount of tenderness for the
+children, because they are indissolubly associated with that period of
+my life to which I never recur without pain and humiliation that you
+can not possibly realize or comprehend; still, I am not exactly a
+brute, and I do not wish them to be trained to regard me as a Pariah,
+or to be told that I have forfeited their respect and affection. When
+I am gone, let them think kindly of me."
+
+"Your request is a reflection upon my friendship, and is so
+exceedingly unjust that I am surprised and pained; but let that pass.
+I am sure I need not tell you that your wishes shall be complied with.
+I have often thought that after Stanley completed his studies, I would
+take him into my office, and teach him my own profession. Have you any
+objection to this scheme?"
+
+"No, sir. I am willing to trust him implicitly to you. He has one
+terrible fault which I have been trying to correct, and which I hope
+you will not lose sight of. The boy seems constitutionally addicted to
+telling stories, and prefers falsehood to truth. I have punished him
+repeatedly for this habit, and you must, if possible, save him from
+the pauper vice of lying, which is peculiarly detestable to me. I know
+less of the little one's character, but believe that she is not
+afflicted with this evil tendency."
+
+"Stanley's fault has not escaped me, and two days ago I was obliged to
+punish him for a gross violation of the truth; but as he grows older,
+I trust he will correct this defect, and I shall faithfully endeavor
+to show him its enormity. Is there anything else you wish to say to me
+about the children? I will very gladly hear any suggestions you can
+offer."
+
+"No, sir. I have governed myself so badly, that it ill becomes me to
+dictate to you how they should be trained. God knows, I am heartily
+glad they were mercifully thrown into your hands; and if you can only
+make Stanley Owen such a man as you are, the old blot on the name may
+be effaced. From Mark and Joel I have not heard for several months,
+and presume they will be sturdy but unlettered mechanics. If I
+succeed, I shall interfere and send them to school; otherwise, they
+must take the chances for letters and a livelihood."
+
+"Salome, you are bartering life-long peace and happiness for the
+momentary gratification of a whim, prompted solely by vanity. How
+worthless are the brief hollow plaudits of the world (which will
+regard you merely as the toy of an hour), in comparison with the
+affection and society of your own family? Here, in your home, how
+useful, how contented you might be!"
+
+Her only reply was a hasty, imperious wave of the hand, and a long
+silence followed.
+
+In the bright morning light that streamed in through the tendrils of
+honeysuckle clambering around the window, Dr. Grey looked searchingly
+at the orphan, and could scarcely realize that this pale, proud,
+pain-stricken face, was the same rosy round one, fair and fearless,
+that had first met his gaze under the pearly apple-blossoms.
+
+Then, pink flesh, hazel eyes, vermillioned lips, and glossy hair had
+preferred incontestable claims to beauty; now, an artist would have
+curiously traced the fine lines and curves daintily drawn about eyes,
+brow and mouth, by the stylus of care, of hopelessness, of wild bursts
+of passion. Her figure retained its rounded symmetry, but the
+countenance traitorously revealed the struggles, the bitter
+disappointments, the vindictive jealousy, and rudely-smitten and
+blasted hopes, that had robbed her days of peace and her nights of
+sleep.
+
+Until this moment, Dr. Grey had not fully appreciated the change
+that had been wrought by two tedious years, and as he scrutinized
+the sadly sharpened and shadowed features, a painful feeling of
+humiliation and almost of self-reproach sprang from the consciousness
+that his inability to reciprocate her devoted love had brought down
+this premature blight upon a young and whilom happy, careless
+girl,--transforming her into a reckless, hardened, hopeless woman.
+
+While his inexorable conscience fully exonerated him from censure, his
+generous heart ached in sympathy for hers, and his chivalric
+tenderness for all things weaker than himself, bled at the reflection
+that he had been unintentionally instrumental in darkening a woman's
+life.
+
+But hope,--beautiful, blue-eyed, sunny-browed hope,--whispered that
+this was a fleeting youthful fancy; and that absence and time would
+dispel the temporary gloom that now lay on her heart, like some dense
+cold vapor which would grow silvery, and melt in morning sunshine.
+
+Under his steady gaze the blood rose slowly to its old signal-station
+on her cheeks, and she put up one hand to shield its scarlet banners.
+
+"Salome, will you tell me when and where you intend to go? Since you
+have resolved to leave us, I desire to know in what way I can aid you,
+or contribute to the comfort of the journey you contemplate."
+
+"From the last letter of Professor V----, declining your proposal that
+he should come here and instruct me, I learn that within the ensuing
+ten days he will sail for Havre, _en route_ to Italy, where he intends
+spending the winter. If possible, I wish to reach New York before his
+departure, and to accompany him. The thousand dollars will defray my
+expenses until I have completed my musical training, which will fit me
+for the stage, and insure an early engagement in some operatic
+company. Knowing your high estimate of Professor V----, both as a
+gentleman and as a musician, I am exceedingly anxious to place myself
+under his protection; especially since his wife and children will meet
+him at Paris, and go on to Naples. Are you willing to give me a letter
+of introduction, commending me to his favorable consideration?"
+
+The hesitating timidity with which this request was uttered, touched
+him more painfully than aught that had ever passed between them.
+
+"My dear child, did you suppose that I would permit you to travel
+alone to New York, and thrust yourself upon the notice of strangers? I
+will accompany you whenever you go, and not only present you to the
+professor, but request him to receive you into his family as a member
+of his home-circle."
+
+A quiver shook out the hard lines around her lips, and she turned her
+eyes full on his.
+
+"You are very kind, sir, but that is not necessary; and a letter of
+introduction will have the same effect, and save you from a
+disagreeable trip. Your time is too valuable to be wasted on such
+journeys, and I have no right to expect that solely on my account you
+should tear yourself away--from--those dear to you."
+
+"I think my time could not be more profitably employed than in
+promoting the happiness and welfare of my adopted sister, who was so
+inexpressibly dear to my noble Janet. It is neither pleasant nor
+proper for a young lady to travel without an escort."
+
+He had risen, and laid his hand lightly on the back of her chair.
+
+  "She smiled; but he could see arise
+  Her soul from far adown her eyes,
+  Prepared as if for sacrifice."
+
+"Is it a mercy, think you, Dr. Grey, to foster a fastidiousness
+that can only barb the shafts of penury? What right have toiling
+paupers to harbor in their thoughts those dainty scruples that
+belong appropriately to princesses and palaces? Why tell me that
+this, that, or the other step is not 'proper,' when you know that
+necessity goads me? Sir, I feel now like that isolated Florentine,
+and echo her words,--
+
+               ... 'And since help
+  Must come to me from those who love me not,
+  Farewell, all helpers. I must help myself,
+  And am alone from henceforth.'"
+
+"You prefer that I should not accompany you to New York?"
+
+"Yes, sir; but I gratefully accept a letter to Professor V----."
+
+"Very well; it shall be in readiness when you wish it. Have you fixed
+any time for your departure?"
+
+"This is Friday,--and I shall go on the six o'clock train, Monday
+morning."
+
+"Is there any service that I can render you in the interim?"
+
+"No, thank you."
+
+"As you have no likeness of the children, would it be agreeable to you
+to have their photographs taken to-day,--and, at the same time, a
+picture of yourself to be left with them? If you desire it I will meet
+you in town, at the gallery, at any hour you may designate."
+
+Standing before him, she answered, almost scornfully,--
+
+"I shall not have time. Some day--if I succeed--I will send them my
+photograph, taken in gorgeous robes as _prima donna_; provided you
+promise that said robes shall not constitute a _San Benito_, and doom
+the picture to the flames. I will detain you no longer, Dr. Grey, as
+the sole object of the interview has been accomplished."
+
+"Pardon me; but I have a word to say. Your career will probably be
+brilliantly successful, in which event you will feel no want of
+admirers and friends,--and will doubtless ignore me for those who
+flatter you more, and really love you less. But, Salome, failure may
+overtake you, bringing in its train countless evils that at present
+you can not realize,--poverty, disease, desolation, in the midst of
+strangers,--and all the woes that, like hungry wolves, attack
+homeless, isolated women. I earnestly hope that the leprous hand of
+disaster and defeat may never be laid upon your future, but the most
+cautious human schemes are fallible--often futile--and if you should
+be unsuccessful in your programme, and find yourself unable to
+consummate your plans, I ask you now, by the memory of our friendship,
+by the sacred memory of the dead, to promise me that you will
+immediately write and acquaint me with all your needs, your wishes,
+your real condition. Promise me, dear Salome, that you will turn
+instantly to me, as you would to Stanley, were he in my place,--that
+you will let me prove myself your elder brother,--your truest, best
+friend."
+
+He put his hand on her head, but she recoiled haughtily from his
+touch.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I promise you,
+
+  'I will not soil thy purple with my dust,
+  Nor breathe my poison on thy Venice-glass.'
+
+I promise you that if misfortune, failure, and penury lay hold of me,
+you shall be the last human being who will learn it; for I will cloak
+myself under a name that will not betray me, and crawl into some
+lazaretto, and be buried in some potter's field, among other
+mendicants,--unknown, 'unwept, unhonored, and unsung.'"
+
+If some motherless young chamois, rescued from destruction, and
+pampered and caressed, had suddenly turned, and savagely bitten and
+lacerated the hand that fondled and fed it, Dr. Grey would not have
+been more painfully startled; but experience had taught him the
+uselessness of expostulation during her moods of perversity, and he
+took his hat and turned away, saying, almost sternly,--
+
+"Bear in mind that neither palace nor potter's field can screen you
+from the scrutiny of your Maker, or mask and shelter your shivering
+soul in the solemn hour when He demands its last reckoning."
+
+"Which 'reckoning,' your eminently Christian charity assures you will
+prove more terrible for me than the Bloody Assizes. 'By the memory of
+our friendship!' Oh, shallow sham! Pinning my faith to the _dictum_,
+'The tide of friendship does not rise high on the bank of perfection,'
+my fatuity led me to expect that your friendship was wide as the
+universe, and lasting as eternity. Wise Helvetius told me that, 'To be
+loved, we should merit but little esteem; all superiority attracts awe
+and aversion;' _ergo_, since my credentials of unworthiness were
+indisputable, I laid claim to a vast share of your favor. But, alas!
+the logic of the seers is well-nigh as hollow as my hopes."
+
+He looked over his shoulder at her, with an expression of pity as
+profound as that which must have filled the eyes of the angel, who,
+standing in the blaze of the sword of wrath, watched Adam and Eve go
+mournfully forth into the blistering heats of unknown lands. Before he
+could reply, she laughed contemptuously, and continued,--
+
+"_Nil desperandum_, Dr. Grey. Remember that, 'Faith and persistency
+are life's architects; while doubt and despair bury all under the
+ruins of any endeavor.' When I have trilled a fortune into that
+abhorred vacuum, my pocket, I shall go down to the Tigris, and catch
+the mate to Tobias' fish, and by the cremation thereof, fumigate my
+pestiferous soul, and smoke out the Asmodeus that has so long and
+comfortably dwelt there."
+
+"God grant you a Raphael, as guide on your journey," was his calm,
+earnest reply, as he disappeared, closing the door after him.
+
+When the sound of his buggy-wheels on the gravelled avenue told her he
+had gone, she threw herself on the floor, and crossing her arms on a
+chair, hid her face in them.
+
+During Saturday, no opportunity presented itself for renewing the
+conversation, and early on Sunday morning Dr. Grey sent to her room a
+package marked $1,000.00--though really containing $1,500.00--and a
+letter addressed to Professor V----. Without examining either, she
+threw them into her trunk, which was already packed, and went down to
+breakfast.
+
+She declined accompanying Miss Dexter and Muriel to church, alleging,
+as an excuse, that it was the last day she could spend with the
+children.
+
+Dr. Grey approached her when the remainder of the family had left the
+table, where she sat abstractedly jingling her fork and spoon.
+
+He noticed that her breakfast was untasted, and said, very gently,--
+
+"I suppose that you wish to visit our dear Jane's grave, before you
+leave us, and, if agreeable to you, I shall be glad to have you
+accompany me there to-day."
+
+"Thank you; but if I go, it will be alone."
+
+He stooped to kiss Jessie, who leaned against her sister's chair, and,
+when he left the room, Salome caught the child in her arms, and
+pressed her lips twice to the spot where his had rested.
+
+Late in the afternoon she eluded the children's watchful eyes, and
+stole away from the house, taking the road that led towards
+"Solitude." In one portion of the osage hedge that surrounded the
+place, the lower branches had died, leaving a small opening, and here
+Salome gained access to the grounds. Walking cautiously under the
+thick and dark masses of shrubbery and trees, she reached the arched
+path near the clump of pyramidal deodars, whose long, drooping plumes
+were fluttering in the evening wind.
+
+Thence she could command a view of the house and grounds in front, and
+thence she saw that concerning which she had come to satisfy
+herself,--believing that the evidence of her own eyes would fortify
+her for the approaching trial of separation. Dr. Grey's horse and
+buggy stood near the side gate, and Dr. Grey was walking very slowly
+up and down the avenue leading to the beach, while Mrs. Gerome's tall
+form leaned on his arm, and the greyhound followed sulkily.
+
+Salome had barely time to look upon the spectacle that fired her heart
+and well-nigh maddened her, ere the dog lifted his head, gave one
+quick, savage bark, and darted in the direction of the cedars.
+
+Dread of detection and of Dr. Grey's pitying gaze was more potent than
+fear of the brute, and she ran swiftly towards the gap in the hedge,
+by which she had effected an entrance into the secluded grounds. Just
+as she reached it, the greyhound bounded up, and they met in front of
+the opening. He set his teeth in her clothes, tearing away a streamer
+of her black dress, and, as she silently struggled, he bit her arm
+badly, mangling the flesh, from which the blood spouted. Disengaging a
+shawl which she wore around her shoulders, she threw it over his head,
+and, as the meshes caught in his collar, and temporarily entangled
+him, she sprang through the gap, and seized a heavy stick which lay
+within reach. He followed, snarling and pawing at the shawl that
+ultimately dropped at Salome's feet; but finding himself beyond the
+boundary he was expected to guard, and probably satisfied with the
+punishment already inflicted, he retreated before a well-aimed blow
+that drove him back into the enclosure.
+
+The instant he started towards the cedars Dr. Grey suspected mischief,
+and, placing Mrs. Gerome on a bench that surrounded an elm, he hurried
+in the same direction.
+
+When he reached the spot, the dog was snuffing at a patch of bombazine
+that lay on the grass; and, confirmed in his sad suspicion, the doctor
+passed through the opening in the hedge and looked about for the
+figure which he dreaded, yet expected to see.
+
+Bushy undergrowth covered the ground for some distance, and, hoping
+that nothing more serious than fright had resulted from the escapade,
+he stowed away the bombazine fragment in his coat pocket, and slowly
+retraced his steps.
+
+Secreted by two friendly oaks that spread their low boughs over her,
+Salome had seen his anxious face peering around for the intruder, and
+when he abandoned the search and disappeared, she smothered a bitter
+laugh, and strove to stanch the blood that trickled from the gash by
+binding her handkerchief over it. Torn muscles and tendons ached and
+smarted; but the great agony that seemed devouring her heart rendered
+her almost oblivious of physical pain. In the dusk of coming night she
+crossed the gloomy forest, where a whippoorwill was drearily
+lamenting, and, walking over an unfrequented portion of the lawn, went
+up to her own room.
+
+She bathed and bound up the wound as securely as the use of only one
+hand would permit, and put on a dress whose sleeves fastened closely
+at the wrist.
+
+Ere long, Dr. Grey's clear voice echoed through the hall, and the
+sound made her wince, like the touch of some glowing brand.
+
+"Jessie, where is sister Salome? Tell her tea is ready."
+
+The orphan went down and took her seat, but did not even glance at
+the master of the house, who looked anxiously at her as she entered.
+
+During the meal Jessie asked for some sweetmeats that were placed in
+front of her sister, and, as the latter drew the glass dish nearer,
+and proceeded to help her, the child exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, look there! What is that dripping from your sleeve? Ugh! it is
+blood."
+
+"Nonsense, Jessie! don't be silly. Hush! and eat your supper."
+
+Two drops of blood had fallen on the table-cloth, and the girl
+instantly set her cup and saucer over them.
+
+She felt the slow stream trickling down to her wrist, and put her arm
+in her lap.
+
+"Is anything the matter?" asked Dr. Grey, who had observed the quick
+movement.
+
+"I hurt my arm a little, that is all."
+
+Her tone forbade a renewal of inquiry, and, as soon as possible, she
+withdrew to her room, to adjust the bandage.
+
+The children were playing in the library, and Muriel was walking with
+her governess on the wide piazza.
+
+While Salome was trying by the aid of fingers and teeth to draw a
+strip of linen tightly over her wound, a tap at the door startled
+her.
+
+"I am engaged, and can see no one just now."
+
+"Salome, I want to speak to you, and shall wait here until I do."
+
+"Excuse me, Dr. Grey. I will come down in ten minutes."
+
+"Pardon me, but I insist upon seeing you here, and hope you will not
+compel me to force the door open."
+
+She wrapped a towel around her arm, drew down her sleeve, and opened
+the door.
+
+"To what am I indebted for the honor of this interview?"
+
+"To my interest in your welfare, which cannot be baffled. Salome, what
+is the matter? You looked so pale that I noticed you particularly, and
+saw the blood on the table-cloth. My dear child, I will not be trifled
+with. Tell me where you are hurt."
+
+"Pray give yourself no uneasiness. I merely scraped and bruised my
+arm. It is a matter of no consequence."
+
+"Of that I beg to be considered the best judge. Show me your arm."
+
+"I prefer not to trouble you."
+
+He gently but firmly took hold of it, unwound the towel, and she saw
+him start and shudder at sight of the mangled flesh.
+
+"An ugly gash! Tell me how you hurt yourself so severely."
+
+"It is a matter that I do not choose to discuss; but since you have
+seen it, I wish you would be so good as to dress and bandage the
+wound."
+
+"Oh, my little sister! Will you never learn to trust your brother?"
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey! will you never learn to let me alone, when I am
+indulging the 'Imp of the Perverse' in an audience, and do not wish to
+be interrupted?"
+
+She mimicked his pleading tone so admirably that his face flushed.
+
+"Come to the sitting-room. No one can disturb us there, and I will
+attend to your injury, which is really serious."
+
+She followed him, and stood without flinching one iota, while he
+clipped away the jagged pieces of flesh, covered the long gash with
+adhesive plaster, and carefully bandaged the whole.
+
+"Salome, you must dismiss all idea of starting to-morrow, for indeed
+it would not be safe for you to travel alone, with your arm in this
+condition. It may give you much trouble and suffering."
+
+"Which, of course, _nolens volens_, I must bear as best I may; but, so
+surely as I live to see daylight, I shall start, even if I knew I
+should have to stop _en route_ and bury my pretty arm, and be forced
+to buy a cork one, wherewith to gesticulate gracefully when I die as
+'Azucena.' There! thank you, Dr. Grey; of course you are very
+good,--you always are. Shall I bid you all good-by now, or wait till
+morning? Better make my adieu to-night, so that I may not disturb the
+matutinal slumbers of the household."
+
+There was a dangerous, starry sparkle in her eyes, that he would not
+venture to defy, and, sighing heavily, he answered,--
+
+"I shall accompany you to the depôt, and place you under the
+protection of the conductor."
+
+"I do not desire to give you that trouble, and--"
+
+"Hush! Do not grieve me any more than you have already done, by your
+hasty, unkind, unfriendly speeches. I shall see you in the morning."
+
+He left the room abruptly, to conceal the distress which he did not
+desire her to discover; and having found Muriel and Miss Dexter,
+Salome bade them good-by, requested them not to disturb themselves
+next morning on her account, and called the children to her room.
+
+For two hours they sat beside her on the lounge, crying over her
+impending departure, but when she had promised to take them as far as
+the depôt, their thoughts followed other currents, and very soon
+after, both slumbered soundly in their trundle-bed.
+
+With her cheek resting on her hand, Salome sat looking at them, noting
+the glossiness of their curling hair, the flush on their round faces,
+the regular breathing of peaceful childhood's sleep. Once she could
+have wept, and would have knelt and prayed over them; but now her own
+overmastering misery had withered all the tenderness in her heart,
+and, while her eyes of flesh rested on the orphans, her mental vision
+was filled with the figure of that gray-haired woman hanging on Dr.
+Grey's arm. In a dull, cold, abstract way, she hoped that the little
+ones would be happy,--how could they be otherwise when fortune had
+committed them to Dr. Grey's guardianship? But a numb, desperate
+feeling had seized her, and she cared for nothing, loved nothing,
+prayed for nothing.
+
+How the hours of that night of wretchedness passed she never knew; but
+when the little bird in the parlor clock "cuckooed" three times, she
+was aroused from her reverie by the tramp of horses' hoofs on the
+gravel, and then the sharp clang of the bell echoed through the silent
+house.
+
+It was not unusual for messengers to summon Dr. Grey during the night,
+and she was not surprised when, some moments later, she heard his
+voice in the hall. After the lapse of a quarter of an hour, his firm,
+well-known step approached and paused at her threshold.
+
+"Salome, are you up?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Come into the passage."
+
+She opened the door, and stood with the candle in her hand.
+
+"I regret exceedingly that I am compelled to leave here immediately,
+as I must hasten to see a man and child who have been horribly burned
+and injured by the falling in of a roof. The parties live some
+distance in the country, and I fear I shall not be able to get back in
+time to go with you to the cars. I shall drive as rapidly as possible,
+and hope to accompany you, but if I should be detained, here is a note
+which I hastily scribbled to Mr. Miller, the conductor, whom you will
+find a very kind and courteous gentleman. I sincerely deplore this
+summons, but the sufferers are old friends of my sister, and I hope
+you will believe that nothing but a case of life and death would
+prevent me from seeing you aboard the train."
+
+"I am sorry, sir, that you thought it necessary to apologize."
+
+She was not yet prepared to part from him forever,--she had been
+nerving herself for the final interview at the depôt; but now it came
+with a shock that utterly stunned her, and she reeled against the
+door-facing, as if recoiling from some fearful blow.
+
+The livid pallor of her lips, and the spasm of agony that contracted
+her features, frightened him, and, as he sprang closer to her, the
+candle fell from her fingers. He caught it, ere it reached the mat,
+and placed it on a chair.
+
+"My dear child, your arm pains you, and I beg you to defer your
+journey at least until Tuesday. I shall be anxious and miserable
+about you, if you go this morning, and, for my sake, Salome, if not
+for your own, remain here one day longer. I have not asked many things
+of you, and I trust you will not refuse this last request I may ever
+be allowed to make."
+
+She attempted to speak, but there came only a quiver across her mouth,
+and a sickly smile that flickered over the ghastly proud face, like
+the lying sunshine of Indian summer on marble cenotaphs.
+
+"Salome, you will, to oblige me, wait until Tuesday?"
+
+She shook her head, and mastered her weakness.
+
+"No, Dr. Grey; I must go at once. I take all the hazard."
+
+"Then you will find on the mantelpiece in my room, a paper containing
+directions for the treatment of your arm, which demands care and
+attention. I am sorry you are so obstinate, and, if I possessed the
+authority, I would forbid your departure."
+
+He could not endure the despairing expression of her eyes, which
+seemed supernaturally large and brilliant, and his own quailed, for
+the first time within his recollection. She knew that she was going
+away forever, to avoid the sight of his happiness with Mrs. Gerome;
+that, in comparison with that torture, all other trials, even
+separation, would be endurable, but the least evil was more severe
+than she had dreaded. Now, as she looked up at his noble face,
+overshadowed with anxiety and regret, and paler than she had ever seen
+it, the one prayer of her heart was, that, ere a wife's lips touched
+his, death might claim him for its prey.
+
+"Salome, I am deeply pained by the course you persist in following,
+but I will not provoke and annoy you by renewed expression of a
+disapprobation that has proved so ineffectual in influencing your
+decision. God grant that the results may sanction your confidence in
+your own judgment,--your distrust of mine. I promised you once that I
+would pray for you, and I wish to assure you, that, while I live, I
+shall never lay my head upon my pillow without having first committed
+you to the mercy and loving care of that Guardian who never 'slumbers,
+nor sleeps.' May God bless and guide you, my dear young friend, and if
+not again in this world, grant that we may meet in the Everlasting
+City of Peace. Little sister, be sure to meet me in the Kingdom of
+Rest, where dear Janet waits for us both."
+
+His calm eyes filled with tears, and his voice grew tremulous, as he
+took Salome's cold, passive hand, and kissed it.
+
+"Good-by, Dr. Grey; if I find my way to heaven, it will be because you
+are there. When I am gone, let my name and memory be like that of the
+dead."
+
+She stood erect, with her fingers lying in his palm, and the ring of
+her voice was like the clashing of steel against steel.
+
+He bent down, and, for the first time, pressed his lips to her
+forehead; then turned quickly and walked away. When he reached the
+head of the stairs, he looked back and saw her standing in the door,
+with the candle-light flaring over her face; and in after years, he
+could never recall, without a keen pang, that vision of a girlish form
+draped in mourning, and of fair, rigid features, which hope and
+happiness could never again soften and brighten.
+
+Her splendid eyes followed him, as if the sole light of her life were
+passing away forever; and, with a heavy sigh, he hurried down the
+steps, realizing all the mournful burden of that Portuguese sonnet,--
+
+  "Go from me. Yet I feel that I shall stand
+  Henceforward in thy shadow. Nevermore
+  Alone upon the threshold of my door
+  Of individual life, I shall command
+  The uses of my soul, nor lift my hand
+  Serenely in the sunshine as before,
+  Without the sense of that which I forbore--
+  Thy touch upon the palm. The widest land
+  Doom takes to part us, leaves thy heart in mine,
+  With pulses that beat double. What I do
+  And what I dream include thee, as the wine
+  Must taste of its own grapes. And when I sue
+  God for myself, He hears that name of thine,
+  And sees within my eyes the tears of two."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+
+"I hope nothing has gone wrong, Robert? You look unusually forlorn and
+doleful."
+
+Dr. Grey stepped out of his buggy, and accosted the gardener, who was
+leaning idly on the gate, holding a trowel in his hand, and lazily
+puffing the smoke from his pipe.
+
+"I thank you, sir; with us the world wags on pretty much the same,
+but when a man has been planting violets on his mother's grave he does
+not feel like whistling and making merry. Besides, to tell the
+truth,--which I do not like to shirk,--I am getting very tired of
+this dismal, unlucky place. If I had known as much before I bought
+it as I do now, all the locomotives in America could not have
+dragged me here. I was a stranger, and of course nobody thought it
+their special duty to warn me; so I was bitten badly enough by the
+agent who sold me this den of misfortune. Now, when it is too
+late, there is no lack of busy tongues to tell me the place is
+haunted, and has been for, lo! these many years."
+
+"Nonsense, Robert! I gave you credit for too much good sense to listen
+to the gossip of silly old wives. Put all these ridiculous tales of
+ghosts and hobgoblins out of your mind, man, and do not make me laugh
+at you, as if you were a child who had been so frightened by stories
+of 'raw-head and bloody-bones,' that you were afraid to blow out your
+candle and creep into bed."
+
+"I am neither a fool nor a coward, and I will fight anything that I
+can feel has bone and muscle; but I am satisfied that if all the water
+in Siloam were poured over this place, it would not wash out the curse
+that people tell me has always rested on it since the time the pirates
+first located here. I can't admit I believe in witches, but
+undoubtedly I do believe in Satan, who seems to have a fee-simple to
+the place. It is not enough that my poor mother is buried yonder, but
+my wheat and oats took the rust; the mildew spoiled my grape crop; the
+rains ruined my melons; the worms ate up every blade of my grass; the
+cows have got the black-tongue; the gale blew down my pigeon-house and
+mashed all my squabs; and my splendid carnations and fuchsias are
+devoured by red spider. Nothing thrives, and I am sick at heart."
+
+The dogged discontent written so legibly on his countenance, did not
+encourage the visitor to enter into a discussion of the abstract
+causes of blight, gales, and black-tongue, and he merely answered,--
+
+"The evils you have enumerated are not peculiar to any locality; and
+all the farmers in this neighborhood are echoing your complaints. How
+is Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+"Neither better nor worse. You know what miserable weather we have had
+for a week. This morning she ordered the small carriage and horses
+brought to the door, and when I took the reins, she dismissed me and
+said she preferred driving herself. I told her the grays had not been
+used, and were badly pampered standing so long in their stalls, and
+that I was really afraid they would break her neck, as she was not
+strong enough to manage them; but she laughed, and answered that if
+they did, it would be the best day's work they had ever accomplished,
+and she would give them a chance. Down the beach they went like a
+flash, and when she came home their flanks smoked like a lime-kiln.
+What is ever to be done with my mistress, I am sure I don't know. She
+makes the house so doleful, that nobody wants to stay here, and only
+yesterday Katie and Phoebe, the cook, gave notice that they wished to
+leave when the month was out. She has no idea what she will do, or
+where she will go. We have wanted a hot-house, and she ordered me to
+get the builder's estimate of the cost of two plans which she drew;
+but when I carried them to her, she pushed them aside, and said she
+would think of the matter, but thought she might leave this place, and
+therefore would not need the building. She is as notionate as a child;
+and no one but my poor mother could ever manage her. Hist! sir! Don't
+you hear her? You may be sure there is mischief brewing when she sings
+like that."
+
+Dr. Grey walked towards the house, and paused on the portico to
+listen,--
+
+  "Quis est homo, qui non fleret
+  Christi matrem si videret,
+  In tanto supplicio."
+
+The voice was not so strong as when he had heard it in _Addio del
+Passata_, but the solemn mournfulness of its cadences was better
+suited to the _Stabat Mater_, and indexed much that no other method of
+expression would have reached. After some moments she forsook Rossini,
+and began the _Agnus Dei_ from Haydn's Third Mass,--
+
+  "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere."
+
+Surely she could not render this grand strain if her soul was in
+fierce rebellion; and, with strained ears and hushed breath, Dr. Grey
+listened to the closing
+
+  "Dona nobis pacem,--pacem,--pacem."
+
+It was a passionate, wailing prayer, and the only one that ever
+crossed her lips, yet his heart throbbed with pleasure, as he noted
+the tremor that seemed to shiver her voice into silvery fragments; and
+as she ended, he knew that tears were not far from her eyes.
+
+When he entered the room, she had left the piano, and wheeled a sofa
+in front of the grate, where she sat gazing, vacantly into the fiery
+fretwork of glowing coals.
+
+A copy of Turner's "Liber Studiorum," superbly bound in purple velvet,
+lay on her knee, and into a corner of the sofa she had tossed a square
+of canvas almost filled with silken Parmese violets.
+
+"Good-evening, Mrs. Gerome; I hope I do not interrupt you."
+
+Dr. Grey removed the embroidery to the table, and seated himself in
+the sofa corner.
+
+"Good evening. Interruption argues occupation and absorbed attention,
+and the term is not applicable to me. I who live as vainly, as
+uselessly, as fruitlessly, as some fakir twirling his thumbs and
+staring at his beard, have little right to call anything an
+interruption. My existence here is as still, as stagnant, as some pool
+down yonder in the sedge which last week's waves left among the sand
+hillocks, and your visits are like pebbles thrown into it, creating
+transient ripples and circles."
+
+"You have gone back to the God of your æsthetic idolatry," said he,
+touching the "Liber Studiorum."
+
+"Yes, because 'Beauty pitches her tents before him,' and his pencil is
+more potent in conjuring visions that enchant my wearied mind, than
+Jemschid's goblet or Iskander's mirror."
+
+"But why stand afar off, trusting to human and fallible interpreters,
+when it is your privilege to draw near and dwell in the essence of the
+only real and divine beauty?"
+
+"Better reverence it behind a veil, than suffer like Semele. I know my
+needs, and satisfy them fully. Once my heart was as bare of adoration
+as Egypt's tawny sands of crystal rain-pools; but looking into the
+realm of nature and of art, I chose the religion of the beautiful, and
+said to my famished soul,
+
+  'From every channel thro' which Beauty runs,
+  To fertilize the world with lovely things,
+  I will draw freely, and be satisfied.'"
+
+"This morbid sentimentality, this sickly gasping system of æsthetics,
+_soi-disant_ 'Religion of the Beautiful,' is the curse of the
+age,--is a vast, universal vampire sucking the life from humanity.
+Like other idolatries it may arrogate the name of 'Religion,' but it
+is simply downright pagan materialism, and its votaries of the
+nineteenth century should look back two thousand years, and renew the
+_Panathenoea_. The ancient Greek worship of æsthetics was a proud and
+pardonable system, replete with sublime images; but the idols of
+your emasculated creed are yellow-haired women with straight
+noses,--are purple clouds and moon-silvered seas,--and physical
+beauty constitutes their sole excellence. Lovely landscapes and
+perfect faces are certainly entitled to a liberal quota of earnest
+admiration; but a religion that contents itself with merely
+material beauty, differs in nothing but nomenclature from the
+pagan worship of Cybele, Venus, and Astarte."
+
+A chill smile momentarily brightened Mrs. Gerome's features, and
+turning towards her visitor, she answered slowly,--
+
+"Be thankful, sir, that even the worship of beauty lingers in this
+world of sin and hate; and instead of defiling and demolishing its
+altars, go to work zealously and erect new ones at every cross-roads.
+Lessing spoke for me when he said, 'Only a misapprehended religion can
+remove us from the beautiful, and it is proof that a religion is true
+and rightly understood when it everywhere brings us back to the
+Beautiful.'"
+
+"Pardon me. I accept Lessing's words, but cavil at your interpretation
+of them. His reverence for Beauty embraced not merely physical and
+material types, but that nobler, grander beauty which centres in pure
+ethics and ontology; and a religion that seeks no higher forms than
+those of clay,--whether Himalayas or 'Greek Slave,'--whether emerald
+icebergs, flashing under polar auroras, or the myosotis that nods
+there on the mantelpiece,--a religion that substitutes beauty for
+duty, and Nature for Nature's God, is a shameful sham, and a curse to
+its devotees. There is a beauty worthy of all adoration, a beauty far
+above Antinous, or Gula or Greek æsthetics,--a beauty that is not the
+_disjecta membra_ that modern maudlin sentimentality has left it,--but
+that perfect and immortal 'Beauty of Holiness,' that outlives marble
+and silver, pigment, stylus, and pagan poems that deify dust."
+
+He leaned towards her, watching eagerly for some symptom of interest
+in the face before him, and bent his head until he inhaled the
+fragrance of the violets which clustered on one side of the coil of
+hair.
+
+"'Beauty of Holiness.' Show it to me, Dr. Grey. Is it at La Trappe, or
+the Hospice of St. Bernard? Where are its temples? Where are its
+worshippers? Who is its Hierophant?"
+
+"Jesus Christ."
+
+She closed her eyes for a moment, as if to shut out some painful
+vision evoked by his words.
+
+"Sir, do you recollect the reply of Laplace, when Napoleon asked him
+why there was no mention of God in his '_Mécanique Celeste_?' '_Sire,
+je n'avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse._' I was not sufficiently
+insane to base my religion of beauty upon a holiness that was buried
+in the tomb supplied by Joseph of Arimathea,--that was long ago hunted
+out of the world it might have purified. Once I believed in, and
+revered what I supposed was its existence, but I was speedily
+disenchanted of my faith, for,--
+
+  'I have seen those that wore Heaven's armor, worsted:
+  I have heard Truth lie:
+  Seen Life, beside the founts for which it thirsted,
+  Curse God and die.'
+
+Dr. Grey, I do not desire to sneer at your Christian trust, and God
+knows I would give all my earthly possessions and hopes for a religion
+that would insure me your calm resignation and contentment; but the
+resurrection of my faith would only resemble that beautiful floral
+_Palingenesis_ (asserted by Gaffarel and Kircher), which was but 'the
+pale spectre of a flower coming slowly forth from its own ashes,' and
+speedily dropping back into dust. Leave me in the enjoyment of the
+only pleasure earth can afford me, the contemplation of the
+beautiful."
+
+"Unless you blend with it the true and good, your love of beauty will
+degenerate into the merely sensuous æsthetics, which, at the present
+day, renders its votaries fastidious, etiolated voluptuaries. The
+deification of humanity, so successfully inaugurated by Feuerbach and
+Strauss, is now no longer confined to realms of abstract speculation;
+but cultivated sensualism has sunk so low that popular poets chant the
+praises of Phryne and Cleopatra, and painters and sculptors seek to
+immortalize types that degrade the taste of all lovers of Art. The
+true mission of Art, whether through the medium of books, statues, or
+pictures, is to purify and exalt; but the curse of our age is, that
+the fashionable pantheistic raving about Nature, and the apotheosizing
+of physical loveliness,--is rapidly sinking into a worship of the
+vilest elements of humanity and materialism. Pagan æsthetics were
+purer and nobler than the system, which, under that name, finds favor
+with our generation."
+
+She listened, not assentingly, but without any manifestation of
+impatience, and while he talked, her eyes rested dreamily upon the
+yellow beach, where,--
+
+  "Trampling up the sloping sand,
+    In lines outreaching far and wide,
+  The white-maned billows swept to land."
+
+Whether she pondered his words, or was too entirely absorbed by her
+own thoughts to heed their import, he had no means of ascertaining.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, what have you painted recently?"
+
+"Nothing, since my illness; and perhaps I shall never touch my brush
+again. Sometimes I have thought I would paint a picture of Handel
+standing up to listen to that sad song from his own 'Samson,'--'_Total
+eclipse, no sun, no moon_!' But I doubt whether I could put on
+canvas that grand, mournful, blind face, turned eagerly towards the
+stage, while tears ran swiftly from his sightless eyes. Again, I have
+vague visions of a dead Schopenhauer, seated in the corner of the sofa,
+with his pet poodle, Putz, howling at his master's ghastly white
+features,--with his Indian Oupnekhat lying on his rigid knee, and
+his gilded statuette of Gotama Buddha grinning at him from the
+mantelpiece, welcoming him to Nirwána. There stands my easel, empty
+and shrouded; and here, from day to day, I sit idle, not lacking
+ideas, but the will to clothe them. Unlike poor Maurice de Guérin, who
+said that his 'head was parching; that, like a tree which had lived
+its life, he felt as though every passing wind were blowing through
+dead branches in his top,' I feel that my brain is as vigorous and
+restless as ever, while my will alone is paralyzed, and my heart
+withered and cold within me."
+
+"Your brush and palette will never yield you any permanent happiness,
+nor promote a spirit of contentment, until you select a different
+class of subjects. Your themes are all too sombre, too dismal, and the
+sole _motif_ that runs through your music and painting seems to be _in
+memoriam_. Open the windows of your gloomy soul, and let God's
+sunshine stream into its cold recesses, and warm and gild and gladden
+it. Throw aside your morbid proclivities for the melancholy and
+abnormal, and paint peaceful _genre_ pictures,--a group of sunburnt,
+laughing harvesters, or merry children, or tulip-beds with butterflies
+swinging over them. You need more warmth in your heart, and more light
+in your pictures."
+
+"Eminently correct,--most incontestably true; but how do you propose
+to remedy the imperfect _chiaro-oscuro_ of my character? Show me
+the market where that light of peace and joy is bartered, and I
+will constitute you my broker, with unlimited orders. No, no. I see
+the fact as plainly as you do, but I know better than you how
+irremediable it is. My soul is a doleful _morgue_, and my pictures
+are dim photographs of its corpse-tenants. Shut in forever from the
+sunshine, I dip my brush in the shadows that surround me, for,
+like Empedocles,--
+
+                 ... 'I alone
+  Am dead to life and joy; therefore I read
+  In all things my own deadness.'"
+
+"If you would free yourself from the coils of an intense and selfish
+egoism that fetter you to the petty cares and trials of your
+individual existence,--if you would endeavor to forget for a season
+the woes of Mrs. Gerome, and expend a little more sympathy on the
+sorrows of others,--if you would resolve to lose sight of the caprices
+that render you so unpopular, and make some human being happy by your
+aid and kind words,--in fine, if, instead of selecting as your model
+some cynical, half-insane woman like Lady Hester Stanhope, you chose
+for imitation the example of noble Christian usefulness and
+self-abnegation, analogous to that of Florence Nightingale, or Mrs.
+Fry, you would soon find that your conscience--"
+
+"Enough! You weary me. Dr. Grey, I thoroughly understand your motives,
+and honor their purity, but I beg that you will give yourself no
+further anxiety on my account. You cannot, from your religious
+standpoint, avoid regarding me as worse than a heathen, and have
+constituted yourself a missionary to reclaim and consecrate me. I am
+not quite a cannibal, ready to devour you, by way of recompense for
+your charitable efforts in my behalf, but I must assure you your
+interest and sympathy are sadly wasted. Do you remember that
+celebrated 'vase of Soissons,' which was plundered by rude soldiery in
+Rheims, and which Clovis so eagerly coveted at the distribution of the
+spoils? A soldier broke it before the king's hungry eyes, and forced
+him to take the worthless mocking fragments. Even so flint-faced fate
+shattered my happiness, and tauntingly offers me the ruins; but I will
+none of it!"
+
+"Trust God's overruling mercy, and those fragments, fused in the
+furnace of affliction, may be remoulded and restored to you in
+pristine perfection."
+
+"Impossible! Moreover, I trust nothing but the brevity of human life,
+which one day cannot fail to release me from an existence that has
+proved an almost intolerable burden. You know Vogt says, 'The natural
+laws are rude, unbending powers,' and I comfort myself by hoping that
+they can neither be bribed nor browbeaten out of the discharge of
+their duty, which points to death as 'the surest calculation that can
+be made,--as the unavoidable keystone of every individual life.' A
+grim consolation, you think? True; but all I shall ever receive. Dr.
+Grey, in your estimation I am sinfully inert and self-indulgent; and
+you conscientiously commend my idle hands to the benevolent work of
+knitting socks for indigent ditchers, and making jackets for pauper
+children. Now, although it is considered neither orthodox nor modest
+to furnish left-hand with a trumpet for sounding the praises of
+almsgiving right-hand, still I must be allowed to assert that I
+appropriate an ample share of my fortune for charitable purposes.
+Perhaps you will tell me that I do not give in a proper spirit of
+loving sympathy,--that I hurl my donations at my conscience, as 'a sop
+to Cerberus.' I have never injured any one, and if I have no tender
+love in my heart to expend on others, it is the fault of that world
+which taught me how hollow and deceitful it is. God knows I have never
+intentionally wounded any living thing; and if negatively good, at
+least my career has no stain of positive evil upon it. I am one of
+those concerning whom Richter said, 'There are souls for whom life has
+no summer. These should enjoy the advantages of the inhabitants of
+Spitzbergen, where, through the winter's day, the stars shine clear as
+through the winter's night.' I have neither summer nor polar stars,
+but I wait for that long night wherein I shall sleep peacefully."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, defiant pride bars your heart from the white-handed
+peace that even now seeks entrance. Some great sorrow or sin has
+darkened your past, and, instead of ejecting its memory, you hug it to
+your soul; you make it a mental Juggernaut, crushing the hopes and
+aims that might otherwise brighten the path along which you drag this
+murderous idol. Cast it away forever, and let Peace and Hope clasp
+hands over its empty throne."
+
+From that peculiar far-off expression of the human eye that generally
+indicates abstraction of mind, he feared that she had not heard his
+earnest appeal; but after some seconds, she smiled drearily, and
+repeated with singular and touching pathos, lines which proved that
+his words were not lost upon her,--
+
+  "'Ah, could the memory cast her spots, as do
+  The snake's brood theirs in spring! and be once more
+  Wholly renewed, to dwell in the time that's new,--
+  With no reiterance of those pangs of yore.
+  Peace, peace! Ah, forgotten things
+  Stumble back strangely! and the ghost of June
+  Stands by December's fire, cold, cold! and puts
+  The last spark out.'"
+
+The mournful sweetness and calmness of her low voice made Dr. Grey's
+heart throb fiercely, and he leaned a little farther forward to study
+her countenance. She had rested her elbow on the carved side of the
+sofa, and now her cheek nestled for support in one hand, while the
+other toyed unconsciously with the velvet edges of the _Liber
+Studiorum_. Her dress was of some soft, shining fabric, neither satin
+nor silk, and its pale blue lustre shed a chill, pure light over the
+wan, delicate face, that was white as a bending lily.
+
+The faint yet almost mesmeric fragrance of orange flowers and violets
+floated in the folds of her garments, and seemed lurking in the waves
+of gray hair that glistened in the bright steady glow of the red
+grate; and moved by one of those unaccountable impulses that sometimes
+decide a man's destiny, Dr. Grey took the exquisitely beautiful hand
+from the book and enclosed it in both of his.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you seem strangely unsuspicious of the real nature of
+the interest with which you have inspired me; and I owe it to you,
+as well as to myself, to avow the feelings that prompt me to seek
+your society so frequently. For some months after I met you, my
+professional visits afforded me only rare and tantalizing glimpses of
+you, but from the day of Elsie's death, I have been conscious that my
+happiness is indissolubly linked with yours,--that my heart, which
+never before acknowledged allegiance to any woman, is--"
+
+"For God's sake, stop! I cannot listen to you."
+
+She had wrung her hand violently from his clinging fingers, and,
+springing to her feet, stood waving him from her, while an expression
+of horror came swiftly into her eyes and over her whole countenance.
+
+Dr. Grey rose also, and though a sudden pallor spread from his lips to
+his temples, his calm voice did not falter.
+
+"Is it because you can never return my love, that you so vehemently
+refuse to hear its avowal? Is it because your own heart--"
+
+"It is because your love is an insult, and must not be uttered!"
+
+She shivered as if rudely buffeted by some freezing blast, and the
+steely glitter leaped up, like the flash of a poniard, in her large,
+dilating eyes.
+
+Shocked and perplexed, he looked for a moment at her writhing
+features, and put out his hand.
+
+"Can it be possible that you so utterly misapprehend me? You surely
+can not doubt the earnestness of an affection which impels me to offer
+my hand and heart to you,--the first woman I have ever loved. Will you
+refuse--"
+
+"Stand back! Do not touch me! Ah,--God help me! Take your hand from
+mine. Are you blind? If you were an archangel I could not listen to
+you, for--for--oh, Dr. Grey!"
+
+She covered her face with her hands, and staggered towards a chair.
+
+A horrible, sickening suspicion made his brain whirl and his heart
+stand still. He followed her, and said, pleadingly,--
+
+"Do not keep me in painful suspense. Why is my declaration of devoted
+affection so revolting to you? Why can you not at least permit me to
+express the love--"
+
+"Because that love dishonors me! Dr. Grey, I--am--a--wife!"
+
+The words fell slowly from her white lips, as if her heart's blood
+were dripping with them, and a deep, purplish spot burned on each
+cheek, to attest her utter humiliation.
+
+Dr. Grey gazed at her, with a bewildered, incredulous expression.
+
+"You mean that your heart is buried in your husband's grave?"
+
+"Oh, if that were true, you and I might be spared this shame and
+agony."
+
+A low wail escaped her, and she hid her face in her arms.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, is not your husband dead?"
+
+"Dead to me,--but not yet in his grave. The man I married is still
+alive."
+
+She heard a half-stifled groan, and buried her face deeper in her arms
+to avoid the sight of the suffering she had caused.
+
+For some time the stillness of death reigned around them, and when at
+last the wretched woman raised her eyes, she saw Dr. Grey standing
+beside her, with one hand on the back of her chair, the other clasped
+over his eyes. Reverently she turned and pressed her lips to his cold
+fingers, and he felt her hot tears falling upon them, as she said,
+falteringly,--
+
+"Forgive me the pain that I have innocently inflicted on you. God is
+my witness, I did not imagine you cared for me. I supposed you pitied
+me, and were only interested in saving my miserable soul. The servants
+told me you were very soon to be married to a young girl who lived
+with your sister; and I never dreamed that your noble, generous heart
+felt any interest in me, save that of genuine Christian compassion for
+my loneliness and desolation. If I had suspected your feelings, I
+would have gone away immediately, or told you all. Oh, that I had
+never come here!--that I had never left my safe retreat, near Funchal!
+Then I would not have stabbed the heart of the only man whom I
+respect, revere, and trust."
+
+Some moments elapsed ere he could fully command himself, and when he
+spoke he had entirely regained composure.
+
+"Do not reproach yourself. The fault has been mine, rather than
+yours. Knowing that some mystery enveloped your early life, I should
+not have allowed my affections to centre so completely in one
+concerning whose antecedents I knew absolutely nothing. I have been
+almost culpably rash and blind,--but I could not look into your
+beautiful, sad eyes, and doubt that you were worthy of the love that
+sprang up unbidden in my heart. I knew that you were irreligious, but
+I believed I could win you back to Christ; and when I tell you that,
+after living thirty-eight years, you are the only woman I ever met
+whom I wished to call my wife, you can in some degree realize my
+confidence in the innate purity of your character. God only knows how
+severely I am punished by my rashness, how profoundly I deplore the
+strange infatuation that so utterly blinded me. At least, I am
+grateful that my brief madness has not involved you in sin and
+additional suffering."
+
+The burning spots faded from her cheeks as she listened to his low,
+solemn words, and when he ended, she clasped her hands passionately,
+and exclaimed,--
+
+"Do not judge me, until you know all. I am not as unworthy as you
+fear. Do not withdraw your confidence from me."
+
+He shook his head, and answered, sadly,--
+
+"A wife, yet bereft of your husband's protection! A wife, wandering
+among strangers, and a deserter from the home you vowed to cheer! Your
+own admission cries out in judgment against you."
+
+He walked to the table and picked up his gloves, and Mrs. Gerome rose
+and advanced a few steps.
+
+"Dr. Grey, you will come now and then to see me?"
+
+"No; for the present I do not wish to see you."
+
+"Ah! how brittle are men's promises! Did you not assure Elsie that you
+would never forsake her wretched child?"
+
+"Our painful relations invalidate that promise,--cancel that pledge. I
+can not visit you as formerly; still, I shall at all times be glad to
+serve you; and you have only to acquaint me with your wishes to insure
+their execution."
+
+"Remember how solitary, how desolate, I am."
+
+"A wife should be neither, while her husband lives."
+
+The cold severity of his tone wounded her inexpressibly, and she
+haughtily drew herself up.
+
+"Dr. Grey will at least allow me an opportunity of explaining the
+circumstances that he seems to regard as so heinous?"
+
+He looked at the proud but quivering mouth,--into the great, shadowy,
+gray eyes, and a heavy sigh escaped him.
+
+"Perhaps it is better that I should know your history, for it will
+diminish my own unhappiness to feel assured that you are worthy of the
+estimate I placed upon you one hour ago. Shall I come to-morrow, or
+will you tell me now what you desire me to know?"
+
+"I can not sleep until I have exonerated myself in your clear,
+truthful, holy eyes: I can not endure that you should think harshly of
+me, even for a day. This room is suffocating! I will meet you on the
+portico; and yonder, by the sea, I will show you my life."
+
+She went to the escritoire, opened one of the drawers, and took out a
+package. Wrapping a cloak around her, she quitted the parlor, and
+found Dr. Grey leaning against one of the columns.
+
+He did not offer her his arm as formerly, but slowly and silently they
+walked down towards the beach, where the surf was rolling heavily in
+with a steady roar, and tossing sheets of foam around the stone
+piers.
+
+           ... "While far across the hill,
+  A dark and brazen sunset ribbed with black,
+  Glared, like the sullen eyeballs of the plague."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, had you possessed a tithe of the ingenuity of
+Peiresc, you might long ago have interpreted the deep, dark
+incisions in my character, which, like the indentations on his
+celebrated amethyst, show where the _laminæ_ of luckless events
+inscribed my history with mournful ciphers. Elsie's hints would have
+furnished any woman with a clew; but, since you have not availed
+yourself of their aid, I must lift the shroud that hides the corpse of
+my youth, my happiness, my faith in man, my hope in God. Ah! unto what
+shall I liken it? This ruined, wretched thing I call my life? To the
+_Tauk e Kerra_,--standing in a dreary waste, lifting its vast,
+keyless arch helplessly to heaven? Even such a crumbling arch,
+beautiful and grand in its glorious promise, is the incomplete,
+crownless life of Agla Gerome,--a lonely and melancholy monument of a
+gigantic failure. Two months before my birth, my father, Henderson
+Flewellyn, died, and when I was three hours old, my poor young mother
+followed him, leaving me to the care of her nurse, Elsie Maclean,
+and of an old uncle who was at that time residing in Copenhagen.
+Having no relatives to dictate, Elsie named me Vashti, for my
+mother; but my great-uncle wrote that my baptism must be deferred
+until he could be present, and instructed her to call me Evelyn,
+after himself. But the stubborn Scotch will would not bend, and my
+name was written in the family Bible, Vashti Flewellyn. Before the
+expiration of three years, Mr. Mitchell Evelyn died, bequeathing his
+fortune to me, as Evelyn Flewellyn, and consigning me to the
+guardianship of Mr. Lucian Wright, a widowed minister of New York. I
+was a feeble, sickly child, hovering continually upon the confines of
+death, and, as city air was deemed injurious to me, Elsie kept me
+at a farm-house on the Hudson, belonging to the estate that I was
+destined to inherit. Here I remained until my tenth year, when Mr.
+Wright removed me to the vicinity of Albany, and placed me under
+the care of his maiden sister, who had a small class of girls to
+educate. Elsie accompanied and watched over me, and here I spent four
+quiet, happy years; but the death of my teacher set me once more
+afloat, and I was carried to New York, and left at a large and
+fashionable boarding-school. I was fond of study, and boundlessly
+ambitious, and soon formed a warm, close friendship with a teacher who
+entered the institution after I became one of its inmates. I had no
+one to love but Elsie, who never left me, and consequently, I gave
+to Edith Dexter, the young teacher, all the affection that I would
+have lavished on parents, brothers, and sisters, had they been granted
+to me. She was several years my senior, and the loveliest woman I ever
+saw. Reared in affluence, her family had become impoverished, and
+Edith was thrown upon her own resources for a support. My father's
+fortune was very large, and the property left me by Mr. Evelyn swelled
+my estate to very unusual proportions. Mr. Wright had carefully
+attended to the investment of the income, and I was regarded as the
+heiress of enormous wealth. Tenderly attached to Edith, whose
+beauty, intelligence, and varied accomplishments rendered her
+peculiarly attractive, I loaded her with presents, and determined
+that as soon as my educational career ended, I would establish
+myself in an elegant residence on Fifth Avenue, take Edith to live
+under my roof, treat her always as my sister, and share my ample
+fortune with her. Dr. Grey, you can form no adequate conception of
+the depth of the love I entertained for her. Day and night my busy
+brain devised schemes for lightening her labors, for promoting her
+happiness; and I spared no exertion to shield her from the petty
+vexations and humiliating annoyances incident to her situation.
+Waking, I prayed for her; sleeping in her arms, I dreamed of the
+future we should spend together. At the close of the session, she
+went into Vermont to visit her invalid mother, and I to Mr. Wright's
+quiet home, to remain until the end of vacation. The minister was a
+kind-hearted but weak old man, who treated me tenderly, and humored
+every caprice that attacked my brain. I had never before been his
+guest, and here, at his house, on the second day of my sojourn, I
+met his favorite nephew, Maurice Carlyle."
+
+Mrs. Gerome uttered the name through firmly set teeth, and the blue
+cords on her forehead tangled terribly.
+
+Clenching her fingers, she drew a long breath, and continued,--
+
+"At that time, he was by far the most fascinating, and certainly the
+handsomest man I have ever met, and when I recall the beauty of his
+face, the grace of his manner, the noble symmetry of his figure, and
+the sparkling vivacity of his conversation, I do not wonder that from
+the first hour of our acquaintance he charmed me. I was but a child, a
+proud, impulsive young thing, full of romance, full of wild dreams of
+manly chivalry and feminine constancy and devotion; and Maurice
+Carlyle seemed the perfect incarnation of all my glowing ideals of
+knightly excellence and heroism. He was thirty,--I not yet sixteen; he
+poor and fastidious,--I generous and trusting, and possessed of one of
+the largest estates on the continent. He had spent much of his life
+abroad, and was as polished as any courtier who ever graced St. Cloud
+or St. James; I an impetuous young simpleton, who knew nothing of the
+world, save those tantalizing glimpses snatched from behind the bars
+of a boarding-school. Here, examine these portraits, while the light
+still lingers, and you will see the woful disparity that existed
+between us at that period. They were painted a fortnight after I met
+him."
+
+She opened a velvet case, and laid before her companion two oval ivory
+miniatures, richly set with large pearls.
+
+Dr. Grey took them both in his hand, and, by the dull, lurid glow that
+tipped a ridge of clouds lying along the western horizon, he saw two
+pictures.
+
+One, a remarkably handsome man, with brilliant black eyes and regular
+features, and a cast of countenance that forcibly reminded him of the
+likenesses of Edgar A. Poe, while the expression denoted more of
+chicane than chivalry in his character. The other, a fresh, sweet,
+girlish face, eloquent with innocence and purity, with clear, gray
+eyes, overhung by jetty lashes, and overarched by black brows, while a
+mass of dark hair was heaped in short curls on her forehead and
+temples, and fell in long ringlets over her neck.
+
+Dr. Grey looked at Mrs. Gerome, and now at the portrait, but the
+resemblance could nowhere be traced, save in the delicate yet haughty
+arch of the eyebrows, and the dainty moulding of the faultless nose.
+
+While he glanced from one to the other, she placed a third miniature
+beside those in his hand, and he started at sight of a surpassingly
+lovely countenance, which recalled the outlines of one that he had
+left in his library three hours before, where Miss Dexter sat reading
+to Muriel.
+
+"There you have the gods of my old worship,--Edith and Maurice. Can
+you wonder at my infatuation?"
+
+She took the pictures, and a derisive smile distorted her lips, as she
+looked shiveringly at them, and hastily replaced them on their velvet
+cushions. Closing the spring with a convulsive snap, she tossed the
+case on the terrace, whence it fell to the grass below; and drew her
+blue velvet drapery closer around her.
+
+"Dr. Grey, you know quite enough of human nature to anticipate what
+followed. Three days after I met Maurice Carlyle, he swore deathless
+devotion to his 'gray-eyed angel,' and offered me his hand. Ah! when
+I recall that evening, and think of the words uttered so tenderly, so
+passionately, when I summon before me that radiant face, and
+listen again to the voice that so utterly bewitched me, the
+remembrance maddens me, and I feel a murderous hate of my race
+stirring my blood into fierce throbs. With my hands folded in his,
+we planned our future, painted visions that made my brain reel,
+and when his lips touched my forehead, as sacred seal of our
+betrothal, I felt that earth could add nothing to my blessed lot. Of
+course Mr. Wright warmly sanctioned my choice, drugging his
+conscience with the reflection that if Maurice was extravagant and
+inert, my fortune would obviate the necessity of his attending to his
+nominal profession, that of the law. The old man insisted, however,
+that as I was a mere child, we must defer our marriage two years. Mr.
+Carlyle frowned, and vowed he could not live more than twelve months
+without his 'peerless prize,' and like any other silly girl, I
+believed it as unhesitatingly as I did the lessons from the gospels
+that were read to us night and morning. What cloudless days flew
+over my young head, during the ensuing month; days wherein I never
+tired of kneeling and thanking God for the marvellous blessing of
+Maurice Carlyle's love. Life was mantling in a crystal goblet, like
+_eau de vie de Dantzic_, and I could not even taste it without
+watching the gold sparkles rise and fall and flash; and how could
+I dream, then, that the draught was not brightened with gilt leaves,
+but really flavored with _curare_? The only drawback to my happiness
+was Elsie's opposition to my engagement, and Mr. Carlyle's refusal to
+allow me to acquaint Edith with my betrothal. He was so 'furiously
+jealous of that yellow-haired woman whom his darling loved too well.'
+It would be quite time enough to inform her of my happiness when I
+returned to school. From the beginning, Elsie distrusted, disliked,
+and eyed him suspiciously, but her expostulations and arguments only
+strengthened his influence, and partially overthrew hers. One day Mr.
+Carlyle sought me in great haste, and with considerable agitation
+informed me that he had been unexpectedly summoned abroad. Business,
+with the details of which he tenderly forbore to weary me, would
+detain him many months in Europe, and he implored me to consent to
+a private marriage before his departure. Mr. Wright was in very
+feeble health, had been threatened with paralysis, and my ardent
+lover would be too unendurably miserable separated from me, when
+death might at any moment rob me of my guardian. I consented, and
+hastened to obtain Mr. Wright's sanction. That day chanced to be one
+of his despondent, hypochondriacal seasons, and after some persuasion
+on my part, and much sophistry from his nephew, the weak old man
+yielded. Then my lover pressed his advantage, and vowed he could
+never leave me, that his young bride must accompany him to London,
+that my mind would be too much engrossed by thoughts of him to permit
+the possibility of my studying advantageously in his absence, and
+that he would assume the responsibility of superintending and
+perfecting his wife's education. Mr. Wright demurred; Mr. Carlyle
+raved; I wept. Maurice clasped me in his arms, and in the midst of
+my tears and pleadings, my guardian succumbed. It was arranged that
+our marriage should take place within a fortnight, and that we
+should immediately start to Europe. Poor Elsie!--truest, wisest,
+best friend God ever gave me,--was enraged and distressed beyond
+expression. She wept, wrung her hands, and falling on her knees
+entreated me not to execute my insane purpose,--assured me I was a
+lamb led to sacrifice, was the victim of an infamous scheme between
+uncle and nephew to possess themselves of my estate, and she
+exhausted argument and persuasion in attempting to recall my
+wandering common sense. Much as I loved her, this bitter vituperation
+of my idol incensed and estranged me, and I temporarily forbade her
+to enter my presence. Poor, dear, devoted Elsie! When my heart
+relented, and I sought her to assure her of my forgiveness, tears
+and groans greeted me, and I found her sitting at the foot of her bed,
+with her face hidden in her apron."
+
+Stretching her arms towards the grave, Mrs. Gerome paused; her lips
+quivered, and two tears rolled down her cheeks.
+
+"Ah! dear old heart! Brave, true, tender soul! How different my lot
+would have been had I heeded her prayers and counsel! Not until I lie
+down yonder, and mingle my dust with hers, can I, even for an instant,
+forget her faithful, sleepless care and love. I believe she is the
+only human being who was ever tenderly and truly attached to me, and
+God knows I learned before I lost her how much her affection was
+worth."
+
+The cold, ringing voice grew tremulous, wavering, and some moments
+passed before Mrs. Gerome continued,--
+
+"Mr. Carlyle preferred a private wedding, but I insisted upon a
+ceremony at the church where Mr. Wright officiated, and immediately
+telegraphed to Edith, requesting her presence as bridesmaid, and
+offering to provide her outfit and defray all expenses, if she would
+accompany us to Europe. My betrothed bit his lip, and objected; but on
+this point, at least, I was firm, and assured him I would not be
+married unless Edith could be with me. She wrote, declining my
+invitation to Europe, but came to New York, the day of my wedding.
+When I look back at what followed, I have a vague, confused feeling,
+similar to that which results from taking opium. Mr. Carlyle had
+positively interdicted my taking Elsie to Europe, assuring me that his
+wife should not be in leading-strings to a spoiled and presumptuous
+nurse, and promising me that, when we returned to America, she might
+occupy the position of housekeeper in our establishment. Absorbed by
+my own supreme happiness, I scarcely saw Edith until we were dressed
+for the ceremony, and when she came and leaned against the table where
+the bridal presents were arranged, I noticed that she was pale and
+much agitated, but ascribed her emotion to grief at my approaching
+departure. Several of my schoolmates officiated as bridesmaids, and a
+large party assembled at the church to witness the marriage. Mr.
+Carlyle was a great favorite in society, and his friends were invited
+to the wedding breakfast at the parsonage. It was on the bright
+morning of my sixteenth birthday, when I stood before the altar and
+listened to and uttered the words that made me a wife. Every syllable,
+every intonation, of the minister's voice is branded on my memory as
+with a red-hot iron: 'Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband,
+to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of
+matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, serve him, love, honor, and keep him,
+in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, keep thee only
+unto him, so long as ye both shall live?' And there, before the altar,
+with the stained glass making a rainbow behind the pulpit, I answered,
+'_I will_.' Oh, Dr. Grey, pity me! pity me!"
+
+A cry of anguish escaped her, and she extended her arms until her
+hands rested on her companion's shoulder.
+
+In silence he bent his head, and put his lips to the tightly clasped
+fingers.
+
+"Tell me, sir,--if that vow means that man may make a plaything of
+God's statutes? If it binds for one hour, does it not bind while life
+lasts?"
+
+"'_So long as ye both shall live_,'" answered Dr. Grey, solemnly; and
+he gently removed her hand, and drew himself a little farther from
+her.
+
+She was too painfully engrossed by sad reminiscences to notice the
+action, and resumed her narrative.
+
+"There was a gay party at the breakfast, and I could not remove my
+fascinated eyes from the radiant face of my husband, who had never
+seemed half so princely as now, when he was wholly my own. Once he
+bent his handsome head to mine, and whispered, '_La Peregrina_,' the
+pet name he had given me, because he averred that, in his estimation,
+my love was worth as many ducats as that celebrated pearl of Philip.
+'_La Peregrina_,' indeed! Ah! he melted it in gall and hemlock, and
+drained it at his wedding feast. My heart was so overflowing with
+happiness that I slipped my fingers into his, and, in answer to his
+fond epithet, whispered, 'Maurice, my king.'"
+
+The speaker was silent for a moment, and an expression of disgust and
+scorn usurped the place of mournfulness.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I deserved my punishment, for no Aztec ever worshipped his
+stone God more devoutly than I did my black-eyed, smooth-lipped idol.
+'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Ah! my 'graven image'
+seemed so marvellously godlike that I bowed down before it; and there,
+in the midst of my adoration, the curse of idolatry smote me. Half
+bewildered by the rapture that made my heart throb almost to
+suffocation, I stole away from the guests and hid myself in the small
+hot-house attached to Mr. Wright's study, longing for a little quiet
+that would enable me to realize all the blessedness of my lot. With
+childish glee I toyed with my title,--with my new name,--Maurice
+Carlyle's wife--Evelyn Carlyle! How pretty it sounded,--how holy it
+seemed! My future was as brilliant as that vast enchanted hall into
+which poor Nouronihar was enticed through her insane love for Vathek,
+and, like hers, my illusion was dispelled by a decree that strangled
+hope in my heart, and enveloped it in flames."
+
+Here the flood of melancholy memories drowned her words, and, crossing
+her arms on the stone balustrade, she sat silent and moody.
+
+In the dusky, crepuscular light, Dr. Grey could no longer discern the
+emotions that printed themselves so legibly on her countenance; but
+the outline of her face, and the listless, hopeless droop of her
+figure, curved between him and the dun waste of waters.
+
+Overhead a few dim, hazy stars shivered on the ragged skirts of
+trailing gray clouds, and the ceaseless rustle of the shuddering
+poplars formed a mournful accompaniment to the muttering of the ocean,
+whose weary waves were sobbing themselves to rest, like scourged but
+unconquered children.
+
+"I thank you for your patience, Dr. Grey. You forbear to hurry me,
+even as you would shrink from rudely jostling or pushing forward the
+mattock which slowly digs into a grave,--removing human mould and
+crumbling coffin, searching for the skeleton beneath. Exhuming human
+bones is melancholy work, but sadder still is the mission of one who
+disinters the ashes of a woman's love, hope, and faith. Across the
+centre of Mr. Wright's hot-house ran a light trellis of fine
+lattice-work cut into an arch and covered with the dense luxuriant
+foliage of the bignonia trained over it. Behind this screen I had
+ensconced my happy self, and sat idly bruising the leaves of a rose
+geranium that chanced to be near me, when my blissful reverie was
+interrupted by the sound of that voice which had stolen my heart, my
+reason, my common sense. Believing that he had missed and was
+searching for his bride, I rose and peeped through the glossy leaves
+of the clambering vine that divided us. Not four feet distant stood my
+husband of an hour, with his arms clasped fondly around Edith, who, in
+a broken, passionate voice, denounced his perfidy and heartlessness.
+Vehemently he pleaded for an opportunity to exculpate himself, and
+there, tearful and sobbing, with her head on his bosom, my friend
+listened to an explanation that was destined to enlighten more than
+one person. From his lips I learned that he had become entangled in
+certain financial difficulties that involved his honor as a gentleman;
+he had used money to enable him to embark in a speculation which, if
+successful, would have afforded him the means of marrying in
+accordance with the dictates of his heart; but, like the majority of
+nefarious schemes, it failed signally, and fear of detection, and the
+absolute necessity of obtaining a large amount of money, had goaded
+him to the desperate step of sacrificing his happiness and offering
+his hand to me. He strained her to his breast, kissed her repeatedly,
+and impiously called God to witness that he loved her, and her only,
+truly, tenderly; that never for an instant had his affection wandered
+from her, 'his beautiful, idolized darling.' He bitterly denounced his
+folly, cursed the hour that had thrown me and my fortune in his path,
+and swore that he utterly loathed and despised the silly child whose
+wealth alone had made her his dupe; and, as he flatteringly expressed
+it, his 'hated and intolerable incubus.' He had intended to spare her
+and himself the agony of this hour,--had determined to remain always
+in Europe, where he could escape the mocking contrast of his bride and
+his beloved. With indescribable scorn, and a wonderful fertility of
+derisive epithets, he held me up, as on the point of a scalpel, and
+proved the utter impossibility of his having been influenced by any
+other than the most grossly mercenary motives; while, between the
+bursts of invective against me, he lavished upon her a hundred fond,
+tender, passionate phrases of endearment that had never been applied
+to me. Pressing one hand on her head, he raised the other, and called
+Heaven to witness, that, although the world might regard him as the
+husband of 'that sallow, gray-eyed, silly girl,' whose gold alone had
+bought his name, the only woman he could ever love was his own
+beautiful Edith; and, should death come to his aid and free him from
+the detested bond that linked him to the heiress, he swore he would
+not lose a day in claiming the lovely wife that fate had denied him.
+All this, and much more, which I have not now the requisite patience
+to recapitulate, fell on my ears, startling me more painfully than the
+trumpet-blast of the Last Judgment will ever do. Standing there, in my
+costly bridal robe, I listened to the revelation that blotted out all
+sun and moon and stars from my life,--that made earth a dismal Sheol
+and the future a howling desolation,--a dreary wilderness of woe. In
+my agony and shame I clenched my hands so savagely, one upon the
+other, that my diamond betrothal-ring cut sharply into the quivering
+flesh, and blood-drops oozed and dripped on my shining gossamer veil
+and white velvet dress. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, my
+whole nature was metamorphosed; and my coming years swept in panoramic
+vision before me, beckoning me to the prompt performance of a stern
+and humiliating duty. The blood in my veins seemed to hiss and bubble
+like a seething cauldron, and my heart fired with a hate for which
+language has no name, no garb, no provision; but my brain kept
+faithful guard, and reason calmly pointed out my future path. When Mr.
+Carlyle ended his tirade against me and his curses on his own folly, I
+moved forward into the arch and confronted my dethroned and defiled
+gods. If the tedious years of the primitive patriarchs could be
+allotted to me they would never suffice to efface the picture that
+lingers in deep, hot lines on my memory, and pursues me as ruthlessly
+as the avenging cross followed and tortured the miserable fugitive in
+Gustave Doré's '_Le Juif errant_,' or the Eyeless Christ that proved a
+haunting Nemesis to the Empress Irene. Edith's lovely face was on his
+bosom, and his false, handsome lips were pressed to hers. So, I met my
+husband and my dearest friend, one hour after the utterance of vows
+that were perhaps still echoing in the courts of heaven. Such
+spectacles of human perfidy are the real Medusas that Gorgonize
+trusting, tender, throbbing hearts, and in view of this one I laughed
+aloud,--laughed so unnaturally that it was no marvel I was called a
+maniac. At sight of my desperate white face Edith shrieked and
+fainted, and Maurice blanched and stammered and cowered. Without a
+word of comment or recrimination I silently passed on to my own room,
+where Elsie was waiting to clothe me in my travelling-suit. In three
+hours the steamer would sail, and I had little leisure for resolution
+and execution. Summoning the lawyer to whose care my estate was
+entrusted, I requested him to call Mr. Wright and Mr. Carlyle into the
+dressing-room that adjoined my apartment, and there I held an audience
+with the three who were most interested in my career. Briefly I
+explained what had occurred, and announced my determination, then and
+there, to separate forever from the man who could never be more than
+my nominal husband. I told them I held marriage, next to the Lord's
+Supper, the holiest sacrament instituted by God, but mine had been an
+infamous mockery, an unpardonable sin against me, and an insult to
+Heaven, whose blessing could never rest upon it. Marriage, without
+sanctifying love, was unhallowed, was a transgression of divine law,
+and a crime against my womanhood which neither God nor man should
+forgive. Maurice Carlyle had perjured himself,--had never loved the
+woman who went with him to the altar,--and the affection that had
+stirred my heart one hour before, was now as dead as the Pharaohs
+hidden for centuries under the pyramids. We two, who had sworn to
+love, honor, and cherish one another, now hated and despised each
+other beyond all possibility of expression; and I considered it a
+heinous sin to perpetuate the awful mockery, to cling to the letter of
+a contract that bade defiance to every impulse of heart and soul,--to
+every dictate of reason and decree of conscience. Wedded lives and
+divided hearts I believed a crime, and while I admitted that man could
+not put asunder those whom God's statutes joined together, I contended
+that Mr. Carlyle's perjury rendered it sinful for him and me to reside
+under the same roof. I could not recognize the validity of divorces,
+for human hands could not unlink God's fetters, and man's law had no
+power to free either of us from the bonds we had voluntarily assumed
+in the invoked presence of Jehovah. I would neither accept nor permit
+a divorce, for, in my estimation, it was not worth the paper that
+framed it, and was a species of sacrilegious trifling; but I would
+never live as the wife of a man who had repeatedly declared he had not
+an atom of affection for me. _Under some circumstances I deemed
+separation a woman's duty_, and while I fully comprehended the awful
+import of the vow '_Till death us do part_,' and denied that human
+legislators could free us, or annul the marriage, I was resolved,
+while life lasted, to consider myself a duped, an unloved, but a
+lawful wife,--a woman consecrated by solemn oaths that no human action
+could cancel. Since money was the bait, I was willing to divide my
+fortune as the price of a quiet separation; and though from that hour
+I intended to quit his presence forever, and regard the tie that
+linked us as merely nominal, I would allow him a liberal income until
+I attained my majority and would liquidate all his present debts. To
+your imagination, Dr. Grey, I leave the details of what ensued,--my
+guardian's remorseful grief, my lawyer's wonder and expostulation, Mr.
+Carlyle's confusion, chagrin, and rage. He pleaded, argued,
+threatened; but he might as well have attempted to catch and restrain
+in the hollow of his hand the steady sweep of Niagara, as hope to
+change my purpose. My terms were fixed, and I gave him permission to
+tell the world what he chose concerning this strange _denouement_ of
+the wedding feast. If I could only go away at once, I cared not what
+the public thought or said; and finally, finding me no longer a
+yielding child, but a desperate, stern, relentless woman, my terms
+were acceded to. Briefly we discussed the legal provisions, and I
+signed some hastily prepared papers that settled a bountiful annuity
+upon Mr. Carlyle. My trunks were sent to the steamer, the carriage was
+brought to the door, and in the presence of my guardian and the
+lawyer, I announced my desire never to look again upon the man who
+had so completely blighted my life. In silence I laid upon the table
+my betrothal and wedding rings, and the sparkling diamond cross that
+had constituted my bridal present. No word of reproach passed my lips,
+for women love when they upbraid, and only aching, fond hearts furnish
+stinging rebukes; but I hated and scorned the author of my ruin too
+utterly to indulge in crimination and reproach. So we two, who had
+just been pronounced man and wife, who had clasped hands and linked
+hearts and lives until we should stumble into the tomb,--we, Maurice
+Carlyle and Evelyn, his bride, four hours married, stood up and looked
+at each other for the last time. During the interview I had addressed
+no remark to him, and the last words I ever uttered to him were
+contained in that sentence fondly whispered when he bent over me at
+the table, 'Maurice, my king.' As I bade adieu to my guardian, and
+paused before the princely figure whom the world called my husband,
+our eyes met, and he flushed, and muttered, 'You will rue your
+rashness.' Silently I looked on the handsome features that had so
+suddenly grown loathsome to me, and he snatched my wedding ring from
+the table and held it appealingly towards me, saying remorsefully,
+'Evelyn, my wife, forgive your wretched husband!' Without a word, or a
+touch of his outstretched hands, I turned and went down to the
+carriage, where my faithful nurse sat weeping and waiting. One hour
+later, the vessel swung from her moorings, and Elsie and I were soon
+at sea. A girl only sixteen, four hours married, separated forever
+from husband and friends,--without hope or faith in either human or
+heavenly things,--hating, with most intolerable intensity, the man
+whose name she had just assumed, and to whom she felt indissolubly
+bound, in accordance with the vow '_So long as ye both shall live_.'"
+
+Out of the tossing, moaning sea, the moon had risen slowly, breaking
+through a rent scarf of cloud that barred her solemn, white disc,
+and silvering the foam of the racing waves that seemed to reflect
+the glittering fringe of the scudding vapor in the chill vault above
+them. There was no mellow radiance, no golden lustre such as
+southern moons are wont to shed, but a weird, fitful glitter on
+sea and land, that now shone with startling vividness, and anon
+waned, until sombre shadows seemed stalking in spectral ranks from
+some distant, gloomy ocean lair. It was one of those melancholy
+nights when the supernatural realm threatened to impinge upon the
+physical, that shuddered and shrank from the contact,--when the
+atmosphere gave vague hints of ghostly denizens, and every passing
+breeze seemed laden with sepulchral damps and vibrating with
+sepulchral sounds.
+
+Mrs. Gerome sat erect, with her hands resting on the balustrade, and
+under that mysteriously white moon her pearl-pale face looked as
+hopelessly cold and rigid as any Persepolitan sphinx, that nightly
+fronts the immemorial stars which watch the ruined tombs of
+Chilminar.
+
+Raising her fingers to her forehead, she lifted and shook a band of
+the shining white hair, and resumed her narration, in the same steady,
+passionless tone.
+
+"These gray locks were the fruit of that bridal day, for, on the
+afternoon that we sailed, I was taken very ill with what was called
+congestion of the brain,--was unconscious throughout the voyage, and
+when we reached Liverpool, my hair, once so black and glossy, was as
+you see it now. Ah! how often, since that time, have I heard poor
+Elsie mourning over my mother's untimely death, and quoting that
+ancient superstition, 'You should never wean a child while trees are
+in blossom; otherwise it will have gray hair.' Mr. Wright was so
+prostrated by grief at what had occurred, that he survived my departure
+only a few weeks; and at his death, Mr. Carlyle attempted to seize and
+control my estate. Urging the plea of my minority, he insisted upon
+assuming the charge of my property, and in order to consummate his
+avaricious designs, and screen his name from opprobrium, he told the
+world that I was hopelessly insane; and that the discovery of this
+fact, one hour after his marriage, had induced him to send me abroad
+under the care of a faithful and judicious nurse. To give plausibility
+to this statement, a paragraph was inserted in the New York papers
+announcing that I was a raving maniac and an inmate of an English
+asylum for lunatics. Mr. Clayton, my lawyer, was the sole surviving
+witness of my final interview, and of its financial provisions; and,
+had he yielded to bribes and threats which were unsparingly offered,
+God only knows what would have been my fate, since the tender mercies
+of my husband destined me to the cheerful and attractive precincts of
+a mad-house. To Mr. Clayton's stern integrity and brave defence, I am
+indebted for the preservation of my fortune and the defeat of a
+daring and iniquitous scheme to arrest me in London and commit me to the
+custody of an asylum-warden. Fortunately for me, he lived long enough
+to transfer to my own guardianship, when I attained my majority, the
+estate which had cost me every earthly hope. Six months after my
+departure from America I bade farewell to Europe, and plunged into
+the most remote and unfrequented portions of the East, where I wished to
+remain unknown and unnoticed. In a half-defiant and half-superstitious
+mood, I had assumed the talismanic and mystical name of Alga Gerome,
+with the faint hope that it might shield me from the intrigues and
+persecutions which I felt assured would always dog the steps of
+Evelyn Carlyle. Having appointed a cautious and confidential agent in
+New York and Paris, I destroyed all traces of my whereabouts, and
+became as utterly lost to the world as though the portals of the
+grave had closed upon me. Without friends, and accompanied only by
+Elsie and her son Robert, I lived year after year in wandering through
+strange lands. Books and pictures were my solace, and to strangle time
+I first devoted myself to drawing and painting. After a while I came
+back to Rome, and frequented the studios and galleries, perfecting
+myself in the mechanical department of Art. But fear of encountering
+some familiar face drove me from the Eternal City, and a sudden whim
+took me to Madeira, where I spent the only portion of my life to
+which I recur with any degree of satisfaction. There, surrounded by
+magnificent scenery, and safe from intrusion, I intended to drag out
+the remainder of my dreary years; but poor Elsie grew so restless, so
+homesick, so impatient to visit the graves of her household band, that I
+finally allowed myself to be persuaded into returning to my native land.
+Robert preceded us, and purchased this secluded spot, which I had
+stipulated must be upon the sea-shore and secure from all intrusion.
+Avoiding New York, I came reluctantly to Boston, thence to 'Solitude,'
+without seeing or hearing of any whom I had once known. When I was
+twenty-one, I transferred to Mr. Carlyle the sum of thirty thousand
+dollars, as a final settlement; but my agent scrupulously obeyed my
+instructions, and no human being, save himself, is aware of my place
+of residence or the name under which I am sheltered. Strenuous
+efforts have been made by Mr. Carlyle to unearth his wretched dupe,
+but since I left England, nearly eight years ago, he has been unable
+to discover any trace of my location. From time to time I received
+bills, contracted by him, and paid by my lawyer after I left New York;
+and in my escritoire are two accounts of jewellers, where I find
+charged the flashing ring and costly diamond cross, which I refused
+to retain but for which I paid, after my separation. Prone to
+dissipation, Mr. Carlyle plunged into excesses that would have
+squandered royal portions, and my agent writes that his eagerness to
+ascertain where I am residing has recently increased, in consequence of
+his pecuniary necessities, although the terms of our separation deprive
+him of every shadow of claim upon me or my purse. Such, Dr. Grey, is
+the shattered idol of my girlish adoration,--such the divinity of dust
+upon which I spent the treasures of my love and trust. Gray-haired,
+gray-hearted, mocked, and maddened in the dawn of my confiding
+womanhood, nominally a wife, but in reality a nameless waif, shut
+out from happiness, and pitied as a maniac,--such, is that most
+desolate and isolated woman, whom, as Agla Gerome, you have known as
+the mistress of this lonely place. As for my name, I sometimes wonder
+whether in the last great gathering in the court of Heaven, my own
+mother will know what to call her unbaptized child,--whether the sins
+charged against me will be read out as those of Vashti, or Evelyn,
+or Agla. Elsie persistently clung to Vashti, and verily there seems
+a grim fitness in her selection,--a dismal analogy between my
+blasted life and that of the discrowned Persian Queen. Be that as it
+may, if I miss a name I surely shall not miss the equity that man
+denies me. '_So long as ye both shall live_.' When I look out in
+springtime, over the blossoming earth, daisies, and violets, and
+primroses range themselves into lines that spell out these hated words
+of an ever-echoing vow, and if, in midnight hours, I raise my weary
+eyes, the sleepless stars revengefully group themselves, and flash back
+to me, in burning characters, '_Till death us do part_.' Up yonder,
+behind sun, and planet, and nebulæ, I shall look God in the face, and
+pointing to my withered heart and blighted life, can say truly, 'At
+least I kept the ruins free from perjury; there, at your feet, is the
+oath unsullied, that I called you to accept on the awful day when I
+knelt at your altar.' Love, honor, and obedience, Maurice Carlyle's
+unworthiness rendered impossible; but the vow which consecrated and
+set me apart, which forbade the thought that other men might offer
+homage and affection, or even ordinary tributes of admiration, I
+have kept sacredly and faithfully. I might have plunged into the
+whirlpool of fashionable life, and found temporary oblivion of my
+humiliation and disappointment; but from such a career my whole
+being revolted, and in seclusion I have dragged out a dreary series of
+years that can scarcely be termed life. Recently I have been honored by
+several proposals for a divorce, on condition of an additional
+settlement of money upon my eminently chivalric and devoted husband;
+but my invariable reply has been, _human legislation is impotent to
+cancel the statutes of Almighty God, which declare that only death
+can free what Jehovah has joined together_, and the legal provisions
+of man crumble and shrivel before the divine command, '_For the woman
+which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he
+liveth_.' With what impatience, what ceaseless yearning, I await the
+cold touch of that deliverer who alone can sever my galling,
+detested fetters, none but the God above us can understand and
+realize. The eagerness with which I once anticipated my bridal hour
+does not approximate the intensity of my longing for the day of my
+death. O merciful God! surely, surely, I have been sufficiently
+tortured, and the tardy release can not be far distant."
+
+She raised her face skyward, as if invoking Divine aid, but her wan
+lips were voiceless; and only the song of the surf mingled with the
+whisper of trembling poplars, whose fading leaves gleamed ghostly and
+chill under the silver sheen of that broad white moon.
+
+  "There heavily, across the troubled night,
+  A warning comet trails her hideous hair,
+  And underneath, the wroth sea-waves are white."
+
+During the hour in which Dr. Grey listened to the recital of this
+woman's hapless career, she became as utterly dead to him as though
+shroud and sepulchre had already claimed her; and when she ceased
+speaking, he looked as sorrowfully down at her fair, frozen face, as
+if the coffin-lid were shutting it forever from his view.
+
+Henceforth she was as sacred in his sad eyes as some beloved corpse,
+and bowing his head upon his hands, he prayed long but silently that
+God would strengthen him for the duties of a desolate future,--would
+sanctify this grievous disappointment to his eternal welfare, and
+grant him power to lead heavenward the heart of the only woman whom he
+had ever desired to call his own.
+
+Putting away the beautiful dreams wherein this regal form had moved to
+and fro as crown and queen of his home and heart, he calmly resigned
+the cherished scheme that linked this woman's life with his; and felt
+that he would gladly barter all his earthly hopes for the assurance,
+that, throughout eternity, he might be allowed the companionship which
+time denied him.
+
+Mrs. Gerome rose, and folding her mantle around her, said proudly,--
+
+"Married life, unhallowed by love, is more acceptable in your
+righteous eyes than my isolated existence; and you have passed
+sentence against me. So be it. Strange code of morality you Christians
+hug to your hearts, squeezing the form that holds no spirit; but some
+day I shall be acquitted by that incorruptible tribunal where God
+alone has the right to judge us. Till then, farewell."
+
+She turned to leave the terrace, but he arrested the movement, and
+placed himself before her.
+
+"You misinterpret my silence, if you suppose it was employed in
+censuring your course. Pondering all that you have recapitulated, I
+can conjecture no line of conduct towards your husband less deplorable
+than that which you have pursued; and I honor the stern honesty and
+integrity of purpose from which you have never swerved. Mrs. Carlyle,
+I acquit you of all guilt, save that of impious defiance, of rebellion
+against your God, whose grace could sweeten even the bitter dregs of
+the cup you have well-nigh drained."
+
+At the sound of her name, so long unuttered, she winced and writhed as
+if some sensitive nerve had been suddenly pierced and torn; but
+without heeding her emotion, Dr. Grey continued,--
+
+"If your earthly lot has been stinted of sunshine, can you not bear a
+little temporary gloom,--must you needs people it with adverse
+witnesses, must you thicken the darkness with imprecations? You forget
+that life is only the racecourse, not the goal,--that this world is
+for human souls what the plain of Dura proved for the Hebrew trio who
+braved its flames. Suppose you are lonely and bereft of the love that
+might have cheered you? Was not Christ far more isolated and loveless?
+In His fearful ordeal He was forsaken by God,--but to you remains the
+everlasting promise, 'I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to
+you.' O wretched woman! give your aching heart to Him who emptied it
+of earthly idols in order to fit it up for His own temple.
+
+  'Is God less God, that thou art left undone?
+  Rise, worship, bless Him, in this sackcloth spun,
+  As in that purple.'"
+
+Silently she listened, looking steadily up at his noble face, where
+intense mental anguish had left unwonted pallor, and printed new
+ciphers on brow and lips; and when his adjuration ended, she put out
+her hand.
+
+"That you do not condemn me is the most precious consolation you could
+offer, for your good opinion is worth much to my proud, sensitive
+soul. If all men were like you there would be no mutilated, ruined
+lives, such as mine,--no nominal wives roaming up and down the world
+in search of an obscure corner wherein to hide dishonored heads and
+crushed hearts. God grant you some day a wife worthy of the noblest
+man it has ever been my good fortune to meet. Good-by."
+
+He did not accept the offered hand, and stood for a moment as if
+struggling to master some impulse to which he could not yield. Perhaps
+he dared not trust the touch of those gleaming, slender fingers that
+had clasped a living husband's; or perchance he was so absorbed by
+painful thoughts that he failed to observe them.
+
+Laying his palm softly on her snowy head, he said tenderly,--
+
+"Mrs. Carlyle, you have innocently, and I believe unconsciously,
+caused me the keenest suffering I have ever endured; and I feel
+assured you will not withhold the only reparation which you could
+render, or I accept. Will you promise to consecrate the remainder of
+your life to the service of Christ? Will you humble your defiant soul,
+and so spend your future, that when this brief earthly pilgrimage ends
+you can pass joyfully to the city of Rest? Girded with this hope, I
+can brave all trials,--can be content to look upon your face no more
+in this world,--can patiently wait for a reunion in that Eternal Home
+where they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and
+the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in
+marriage."
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey, if it were possible!"
+
+She clasped her hands and bowed her chin upon them, awed by his tones,
+and unable to met his grave, pleading eyes.
+
+"Faith and prayer are the talismans that render all things possible to
+an earnest Christian; and it has been truly said 'We mount to heaven
+mostly on the ruins of our cherished schemes, finding our failures
+were successes.' Recollect,--
+
+  'There is a pleasure which is born of pain:
+  The grave of all things hath its violet,'
+
+and do not indulge a corroding bitterness that has almost destroyed
+the nobler elements of your nature. I will exact no promise, but when
+I am gone, do not forget the request that my soul makes of yours. May
+God point out your work and help you to perform it faithfully. May His
+hand guide and uphold, and His merciful arms enfold you, now and
+forever, is and shall be my prayer."
+
+For a moment his hand lingered as if in benediction upon the drooping
+gray head, then he quietly turned and walked away, knowing full well
+that he was bidding adieu to the most precious of all earthly
+objects,--that he too was shattering a lovely "graven image," before
+which his heart had fondly bowed.
+
+As the sound of his firm step died away, the lonely woman lifted her
+face and looked after the form, vanishing in the gloom of the
+overarching trees. When he had disappeared, and she turned seaward,
+where the moon, as if inviting her to heaven, had laid a broad shining
+band of beaten silver from wave to sky,--the miserable wife raised her
+hands appealingly, and made a new covenant with her pitying God.
+
+              ... "Wherefore thy life
+  Shall purify itself, and heal itself,
+  In the long toil of love made meek by tears."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+
+"Merton, you are not conscious of the extent of your infatuation, which
+has already excited comment in our limited circle of acquaintances."
+
+"Indeed! The members of 'our limited circle of acquaintances' are
+heartily welcome to whatever edification or amusement they may be able
+to derive from the discussion of my individual affairs, or the
+analysis of my peculiar tastes. You forget, my dear Constance, that to
+devour and in turn be devoured is an inexorable law of this world; and
+if my eccentricities furnish a _ragout_ for omnivorous society, I
+should be philanthropically glad that tittle-tattledom owes me
+thanks."
+
+The speaker did not lay aside the newspaper that partially concealed
+his countenance; and when he ceased speaking, his eyes reverted to the
+statistical table of Egyptian and Algerine cotton, which for some
+moments he had been attentively examining.
+
+"My dear brother, you are spasmodically and provokingly philosophical!
+Pray do me the honor to discard that stupid _Times_, which you pore
+over as if it were the last sensation novel, and be so courteous as to
+look at me while you are talking," replied the invalid sister, beating
+a tattoo on the side of her couch.
+
+"I believe I have nothing to communicate just now," was the quiet and
+unsatisfactory answer, as he drew a pencil from his pocket and made
+some numeral annotations on the margin of the statistics.
+
+"Surely, Merton, you are not angry with your poor Constance?"
+
+Merton Minge lowered his paper, restored the pencil to his vest
+pocket, and wheeling his chair forward, brought himself closer to the
+couch.
+
+"I wish you were as far removed from fever as I certainly am from
+anger. Your eyes are too bright, my pretty one."
+
+He put his fingers on her pulse, and when he removed them, compressed
+his lips to stifle a sigh.
+
+"Why will you so persistently evade me?--why will you always change
+the subject when I allude to that young lady?"
+
+"Because, when a man attains the sober and discreet age of forty
+years, he naturally and logically thinks he has earned, and is
+entitled to, an exemption from the petty teasing to which sophomores
+and sentimentalists are subjected. While I gratefully appreciate the
+compliment implied in your forgetfulness, permit to remind you of the
+disagreeable fact that I am no longer a boy."
+
+"You lose sight of that same ugly and ill-mannered fact, much more
+frequently than I am in danger of doing; and I affectionately suggest
+that you stimulate your own torpid memory. Ah, brother! why will you
+not be frank, and confide in me? Women are not easily hoodwinked,
+except by their lovers,--and you can not deceive me in this matter."
+
+"What pleasure do you suppose it would afford me to practice deceit of
+any kind towards my only sister? To what class of motives could you
+credit such conduct?"
+
+"I think you shrink from acknowledging your real feelings, because you
+very well know that I could never sanction or consent to them."
+
+Mr. Minge arched his heavy brows, and the sternly drawn lines of his
+large mouth relaxed, and threatened to run into curves that belonged
+to the ludicrous, as he turned his twinkling eyes upon his sister's
+face.
+
+"What extraordinary hallucinations attack even sage, sedate,
+middle-aged men? Ten minutes ago I would have sworn I was your
+guardian; whereas, it seems your apron-strings are the reins that rule
+me. Don't pout, my Czarina, if I demand your credentials before I bow
+submissively to your _ukase_."
+
+"Irony is not your forte; and, Merton, I beg you to recollect that I
+detest bantering,--it is so excessively ungenteel. No wonder you look
+nervous and ashamed, after your recent very surprising manifestation
+of--well, I might as well say what I mean--of _mauvais goût_."
+
+Constance Minge impatiently threw off the light worsted shawl that
+rested on her shoulders, and propped her cheek on her jewelled hand.
+
+Her brother's countenance clouded, and his lips hardened, but after
+one keen look at her flushed features, he once more resumed the
+perusal of the paper. Some moments elapsed, and his sister sobbed, but
+he took no notice of the sound.
+
+"Merton, I never expected you would treat me so cruelly."
+
+"Make out your charges in detail, and when you are sure you have
+included all the petty deeds of tyranny as well as the heinous acts of
+brutality, I will examine the indictment, and hear myself arraigned.
+Shall I bring you some legal cap, and loan you my pencil?"
+
+For five minutes she held her handkerchief to her eyes, and then Mr.
+Minge rose and looked at his watch.
+
+"You will not be so unkind as to leave me again this afternoon, and
+spend your time with that--"
+
+"Constance, you transcend your privileges, and this is a most
+_apropos_ and convenient occasion to remind you that presumption is
+one fault I find it particularly difficult to forgive. Since my
+forbearance only invites aggression, let me hear say (as an economy of
+trouble), that you are rashly invading a realm where I permit none to
+enter, much less to dictate. I hope you understand me."
+
+"I knew it,--I felt it! I dreaded that artful girl would make mischief
+between us,--would alienate the only heart I had left to care for me.
+Oh, how I wish she had been forty fathoms under the sea before you
+ever saw her!--before you ceased to love me!"
+
+A flood of tears emphasized the sentence, which seemed lost upon Mr.
+Minge, as he lighted a cigar, tried its flavor, threw it away, and
+puffed the smoke from a second.
+
+"I am sorry you can't smoke and compose your nerves, as I am preparing
+to do,--though I confess I prefer to kiss your lips untainted by such
+odors. Shall I?"
+
+He held his cigar aside to prevent the wind from wafting the curling
+column of smoke in her face, and bent his head close to hers; but she
+put up her hand to prevent the caress, and averted her face.
+
+"As you like. But mark you, Constance, the next time our lips touch,
+you will find yourself in the nominative case, while I meekly fill an
+objective position. You are a poor, wilful, spoiled child, and I must
+begin to undo my own ruinous work."
+
+He picked up his hat and walked off, followed by a pretty Italian
+mouse-colored greyhound, whose silver bell tinkled as she ran down the
+steps.
+
+"Merton, come back! Do not leave me here alone, or I shall die.
+Brother!--"
+
+On strode the stalwart figure, looking neither to right nor left,
+and behind him trailed the vaporous aroma of the fine cigar.
+Raising herself on her couch, the invalid elevated her voice, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"Please, dear Merton, come back,--at least long enough to let me kiss
+you. Please, brother!"
+
+He paused,--wavered,--drew geometrical figures on the ground with the
+tip of his boot, and finally took off his hat, turned and bowed,
+saying,--
+
+"Show some flag of truce, if you really want me to return."
+
+She raised her hands and gracefully tossed him several kisses.
+
+Slowly Mr. Minge retraced his steps, and, as he sat down once more
+close to his sister and pushed back his hat, she saw that he intended
+her to realize that her reign was at an end; and she trembled and
+turned pale at the expression with which he regarded her.
+
+"Merton, don't you know--don't you believe--that I love you above
+everything else?"
+
+She sat erect, and stole one arm around the neck that did not bend
+toward her, as was its habit.
+
+"If you really loved me, you would desire to see me happy."
+
+"I do desire it, earnestly and sincerely; and there is no sacrifice I
+would not make to see you really happy."
+
+"Provided I selected your mode of obtaining the boon, and moreover
+consulted your caprices and antipathies; otherwise, my happiness would
+annoy and insult you."
+
+"Don't scold,--kiss me." She put up her lips, but he did not respond
+to the motion, and she pettishly drew his head down and kissed him
+several times. "How obstinate you have grown!--how harsh towards me!
+It is all the result of that--"
+
+She bit her lip, and her brother frowned.
+
+"Take care! You seem continually disposed to stumble very awkwardly
+into forbidden realms."
+
+The petted invalid nestled her pretty head on his bosom, and patted
+his cheek with one hot hand.
+
+"Brother, Kate Sutherland was here this morning, and left--besides
+numerous kind messages for you--a three-cornered note that I ordered
+Adèle to place in your dressing-case, where I felt sure you would see
+it."
+
+"Yes, I saw it."
+
+"An invitation to ascend Monte Pellegrini?"
+
+"Which I respectfully decline."
+
+"O Merton! Why not go?"
+
+"Simply because I never premeditatedly, and with _malice prepense_,
+bore myself by joining parties composed of persons in whom I have not
+an atom of interest."
+
+"But Kate is so lovely?"
+
+"Not to me."
+
+"Nonsense! She was the handsomest young girl in Paris, and was the
+acknowledged belle of the season."
+
+"Possibly. Henna-dyed nails are considered irresistible in Turkey, but
+your opalescent ones attract me infinitely more pleasantly."
+
+"Pray what have my nails to do with Kate's beauty?"
+
+"Nothing destructive, I hope,--as I am disposed to think she has
+little to spare."
+
+"Good heavens! You surely would not insinuate that you believe
+or consider,--or would admit, that she is not vastly superior
+to--to--there, Beauty, down! She is actually dining on the fringe
+of my pelerine!"
+
+To cover her confusion, Constance addressed herself to the diminutive
+dog at her feet, and taking her flushed face in his hands, the brother
+looked steadily down, and answered,--
+
+"I never insinuate. It impresses me as a cowardly and contemptible bit
+of plebeian practice that found favor after the royal purple was
+trailed in agrarian democratic dust; and lest you should unjustly
+impute abhorred innuendoes to me, I will say perspicuously, that the
+most attractive and beautiful woman I have ever seen is not your fair
+friend Miss Sutherland, nor any other darling of diamond and satin
+sheen, but a young lady whom I admire beyond expression, Miss Salome
+Owen."
+
+An angry flush burned on the invalid's face, and her mouth curled
+scornfully.
+
+"She is rather handsome sometimes,--so are gypsies and other waifs;
+but it is a wild sort of beauty,--if beauty you persist in terming it;
+and low birth and blood are visible in everything that appertains to
+her. I never expected to see my brother condescend to the level of
+opera-singers, and I am astonished at your infatuation. There! you
+need not expect to blast me with that fiery look, and besides, you
+know you mentioned her name, which I had scrupulously avoided. I
+confess I am very proud of my family, and of you, its sole male
+representative, and I wish it preserved from all taint."
+
+"Untainted it shall remain, while a drop of the blood throbs in my
+veins, and I, who am jealous of my honor, have carefully pondered the
+matter, and maturely decided that he who entrusts his happiness to
+Salome Owen will be indeed an enviable man, and pardonably proud of
+his prize. Once I bartered myself away at the altar, and gave my name
+and hand for wealth, for aristocratic antecedents, for fashionable
+status, and five years of purgatorial misery was the richly merited
+penalty for the insult I offered my heart. Death freed me, and for ten
+years I have lived at least in peace, indulging no thought of a second
+alliance, and merely amused, or disgusted by the matrimonial snares
+that have lined my path. I no longer belong to that pitiable class who
+feel constrained to marry for position, and who convert the
+altar-steps into so many rounds of the social ladder; and I have
+earned the right to indulge my outraged heart in any caprice that
+promises to mellow, to gild the evening of my life with that
+home-sunshine that was denied its gloomy tempestuous morning. My
+future, my fortune, my social standing, my unblemished name, are all
+my own,--and I shall exercise my privilege of bestowing them where and
+when I please, heedless of the sneers and howls of disappointed
+mercenary schemers. Come weal, come woe, I here announce that neither
+you nor the world need hope to influence me one 'jot or tittle' in an
+affair where I allow no impertinent interference. I warn you this is
+the last time I shall permit even an indirect allusion to matters with
+which you have no legitimate concern; and provided you do not obtrude
+them upon me, it is a question of indifference to me what your opinion
+and that of your 'circle' may chance to be. Constance, you here have
+your ultimatum. Defy me, if you please, but prompt separation will
+ensue; and you will unexpectedly find yourself _en route_ for America.
+Peace or war? Before you decide, recollect that all your future will
+be irretrievably colored by it."
+
+"In my state of health it is positively cruel for you to threaten me;
+and some day when you follow my coffin to Mount Auburn, you will
+repent your harshness. I wish to heaven I had never left home!"
+
+A passionate fit of weeping curtailed the sentence, and, while the
+face was covered with the lace handkerchief, the brother rose and made
+his escape.
+
+Despite the fact that forty years had left their whitening touches on
+his head and luxuriant beard, Merton Minge, who had never been
+handsome, even in youth, was sufficiently agreeable in appearance to
+render him an object of deep interest in the circle where he moved.
+Medium-statured, and very robust, a healthful ruddy tinge robbed his
+complexion of that sallow hue which mercantile pursuits are apt to
+induce, and brightened the deep-set black eyes which his debtors
+considered mercilessly keen, cold, and incisive.
+
+The square face, with its broad, full forehead, and deep curved furrow
+dividing the thick straight brows,--its well-shaped but prominent
+nose, and massive jaws and chin partially veiled by a grizzled beard
+that swept over his deep chest,--was suggestive of ledgers rent-roll,
+and stock-boards, rather than æsthetics, chivalry, or sentimentality.
+The only son of a proud but impoverished family, who were eager to
+retrieve their fortune, he had early in life married the imperious
+spoiled daughter of a Boston millionaire, whose dower consisted of
+five hundred thousand dollars, and a temper that eclipsed the
+unamiable exploits of ancient and modern shrews.
+
+Hopeless of domestic happiness in a union to which affection had not
+prompted him, Mr. Minge devoted himself to the rapid accumulation of
+wealth, and by judicious and successful speculations had doubled his
+fortune, ere, at the comparatively early age of thirty, he was left a
+childless widower. Whether he really thanked fate for his timely
+release, his most intimate friends were never able to ascertain, for
+he wore mourning, badges for three years, and conducted himself in all
+respects with exemplary dignity and scrupulous propriety. But the
+frigid indifference with which he received all matrimonial overtures
+indicated that his conjugal experience was not so rosy as to tempt him
+to repeat the experiment.
+
+His mother was a haughty, frivolous woman, jealously tenacious of her
+position as one of the oligarchs of _le beau monde_, and his fragile
+sister had from childhood been the victim of rheumatism that
+frequently rendered her entirely helpless. To these two and their
+fashionable friends, he abandoned his elegant home, costly equipages,
+and opera-box, reserving only a suite of rooms, his handsome
+riding-horse, and yacht.
+
+Grave and unostentatious, yet not moody,--neither impulsively liberal
+and generous nor habitually penurious and uncharitable,--he led a
+quiet and monotonously easy life, varied by occasional trips to
+foreign lands, and comforted by the assurance that his income-tax was
+one of the heaviest in the state. Two years after the death of his
+mother, he took his sister a second time to Europe, hoping that the
+climate of the Levant might relieve her suffering; and upon the
+steamer in which he crossed the Atlantic he met Salome Owen.
+
+Extravagantly fond of music, though unable to extract it from any
+instrument, his attention had first been attracted by her exquisite
+voice, which invested the voyage with a novel charm and rendered her a
+great favorite with the passengers.
+
+Human nature is wofully inflexible and obstinate, and not all the
+Menus, Zoroasters, Solomons, and Platos have taught it wisdom;
+wherefore it is not surprising that a caustic wit and savage cynic
+asserts, "The vices, it may be said, await us in the journey of life
+like hosts with whom we must successively lodge; and I doubt whether
+experience would make us avoid them if we were to travel the same road
+a second time."
+
+Habit may be second nature, but it is the Gurth, the thrall of the
+first,--the vassal of inherent impulses; and even the most ossified
+natures contain some soft palpitating spot that will throb against
+the hand that is sufficiently dexterous to find it. In every man and
+woman there lurks a vein of sentiment, which, no matter how heavily
+crushed by the super-incumbent mass of utilitarian, practical
+commonplaceisms, will one day trickle through the dusty _débris_,
+and creep like a silver thread over the dun waste of selfishness; or,
+Arethusa-like, burst forth suddenly after long subterranean
+wandering.
+
+For forty years it had crawled silently and sluggishly under the
+indurated and coldly egoistic nature of Merton Minge,--had been dammed
+up at times by avarice and at others by grim recollections of his
+domestic infelicity; but finally, after tedious meandering in the
+Desert of Heartlessness, it struggled triumphantly to the surface one
+glorious autumn night, when a golden moon illumined the Atlantic waves
+and kindled a bewitching beauty in the face of Salome, who sat on
+deck, singing an impassioned strain from _La Favorite_.
+
+Her silvery voice was the miraculous rod that smote his petrified
+affections, and a wellspring of tenderness gushed forth, freshening,
+softening, and clothing with verdure and bloom his arid, sterile,
+stony temperament. Long-buried dreams of his boyhood stirred in their
+chilly graves and flitted dimly before him, and a hope that had
+slumbered so soundly he had utterly ignored its memory, started up,
+eager and starry-eyed, as in the college days of eld,--the precious
+hope, underlying all other emotions in a man's heart, that one day he
+too would be loved and prayed for by a pure womanly heart, and pure,
+sweet, womanly lips.
+
+Fifteen years before, he had vowed "to cherish," not the haughty girl
+whose hand he clasped, but the five hundred thousand dollars that
+gilded it; and faithfully he had kept his oath to the god of his
+idolatry, sacrificing the best half of his life to insatiate
+_Kuvera_.
+
+On that cloudless October night, as he watched the shimmer of the moon
+on Salome's silky hair, and noted the purely oval outline of her
+daintily carved face, and the childish grace of her fine form,--as he
+listened to flute-like tones, as irresistible as Parthenope's, his
+cold, formal, non-committal mouth stirred, his hand involuntarily
+opened and closed firmly, as if grasping some "pearl of great price,"
+and his slow, almost stagnant pulses, leaped into feverish activity,
+and soon ran riot. Perhaps more regular features, and deeper, richer
+carnation bloom had confronted him, but love makes sad havoc of
+ideals and abstract standards, and he who defined beauty, "the woman I
+love," was wiser than Burke and more analytical than Cousin.
+
+The freshness, the _brusquerie_, the outspoken honesty, that
+characterized Salome, strangely fascinated this grave, selfish,
+_blasé_ aristocrat, who was weary of hollow, polished conventionalities
+and stereotyped society phrases; and, as he sat on deck watching her
+countenance, he would have counted out his fortune at her feet for
+the privilege of claiming her fair, slender hand, and her tremulous,
+scarlet lips, instinct with melody that entranced him.
+
+Henceforth life had a different goal, a nobler aim, a tenderer and
+more precious hope; and all the energy of his vigorous character was
+bent to the fulfilment of the beautiful dream that one day that young
+girl would bear his name, grace his princely home, and nestle in his
+heart.
+
+He did not ask, Can that fair, graceful, gifted young thing ever love
+a gray-haired man, old enough to call her his daughter? Nay, nay!
+Common sense was utterly dethroned and expelled,--romance usurped the
+realm, and draped the future with rainbows; and he only set his teeth
+firmly against each other, and said to his bounding heart and blinded
+soul, "Patience, ye shall soon possess her!"
+
+To Paris, Lyons, Naples, he had followed her, and finally secured a
+villa at Palermo, where Prof. V---- had established himself and his
+household in a comfortable suite of rooms.
+
+To-day, as he left his sister and approached the house where the
+professor dwelt, his countenance was moody and forbidding, but its
+expression changed rapidly, as he caught a glimpse of the white muslin
+dress that fluttered in the evening wind.
+
+Salome was swiftly pacing the wide terrace that commanded a view of
+the Mediterranean, and her hands were clasped behind her, as was her
+habit when immersed in thought.
+
+Over her head she had thrown a white gauze scarf of fringed silk,
+which, slipping back, displayed the elaborate braids of hair wound
+around the head, where a crescent of snowy hyacinths partially
+encircled the glossy coil, and drooped upon her neck.
+
+Her face wore a haggard, anxious, restless expression, and the thin
+lips had lost their bright coral tint,--the smooth, clear cheeks
+something of their rounded perfection.
+
+As Mr. Minge came forward, she paused in her walk and leaned against
+the marble railing of the terrace, where a lemon tree, white with
+bloom, overhung the mosaiced floor and powdered it with velvety
+petals.
+
+He held out his hand.
+
+"I hope I find you better?"
+
+"Do I look so, think you?" said she, eyeing him impatiently, and
+keeping her hands folded behind her.
+
+"Unfortunately, no; and if I possessed the right I have more than once
+solicited, other physicians should be consulted. Why will you tamper
+with so serious a matter, and unnecessarily augment the anxiety of
+those who love you?"
+
+"I beg you to believe that my self-love is infinitely stronger than
+any other with which I am honored, and prompts me to all possible
+prudential precautions. Three doctors have already annoyed me with
+worthless prescriptions, and this morning I paid their bills and
+dismissed them; whereupon, one of them revenged himself by maliciously
+informing me that I should not be able to sing a note for one year at
+least."
+
+"To what do they attribute the disease?"
+
+"To that attack of scarlet fever, and also to the too frequent and
+severe cauterization of my throat. Time was when like other fond
+fools, I fancied Fate was not the hideous hag that wiser heads had
+painted her, but an affable old dame, easily cajoled and propitiated.
+With Carthaginian gratitude she repays my complimentary opinion by
+trampling my hopes and aims as I crush these petals, which yield
+perfume to their spoiler, while I could--"
+
+She put her foot upon the drifting lemon blossoms, and bit her lip to
+keep back the bitter words that trembled on her tongue.
+
+"Come and sit here on the steps, and confide your plans to one whose
+every scheme shall be subordinated to your wishes, your happiness."
+
+Mr. Minge attempted to take her hand, but she drew back and repulsed
+him.
+
+"Excuse me. I prefer to remain where I am; and when I am so fortunate
+and sagacious as to mature any plans, I shall be sure to lock them in
+my own heart beyond the tender mercies of meddling, marplot fortune."
+
+Her whole face grew dark, sinister, almost dangerous in its sudden
+transformation, and, leaning against the railing, she impatiently
+swept off the snowy lemon leaves. Mr. Minge took the end of her scarf,
+and as he toyed with the fringe, sighed heavily.
+
+"Of course you are forced to abandon your contemplated _début_ in
+Paris?"
+
+"Yes. A _début_ minus a voice, does not tempt me. Ah! how bright the
+future looked when I sang for the agent of the Opera-House, and found
+myself engaged for the season. How changed, how cheerless all things
+seem now."
+
+"Salome, fate is Janus-faced, and while frowning on you smiles
+benignantly on me. I joyfully hail every obstacle that bars your path,
+hoping that, weary of useless resistance, you will consent to walk in
+the flowery one I have offered you. My beautiful darling, why will you
+refuse the--"
+
+"Silence! I am in no mood to listen to a repetition of sentiments
+which, however flattering to my vanity, have no power to touch my
+heart. Mr. Minge, I have twice declined the offer you have done me the
+honor to make; and while proud of your preference, my Saxon is not so
+ambiguous or redundant as to leave any margin for misconception of my
+meaning."
+
+"My dear Salome, I fear your decision has been influenced by the
+consciousness that my poor, petted Constance has occasionally
+neglected the courtesies which you had a right to claim from the
+sister of the man who seeks to make you his wife."
+
+"No, sir; your sister's sneers, and the petty slights and persecutions
+for which I am indebted to her friend, Miss Sutherland, have not
+sufficient importance to affect me in any degree. My decision is
+based upon the unfortunate fact that I do not love you."
+
+"No woman can withstand such devotion as I bring you, and time would
+soon soften and deepen your feelings."
+
+"Sir, you unduly flatter yourself. Neither time nor eternity would
+change me, and you would do well to remember that it is my voice,
+sir,--not my hand and heart,--that I offer for sale."
+
+"Your stubborn rejection is explicable only by the supposition that
+you have deceived me,--that you have already bartered away the heart I
+long to call my own."
+
+"I am a miller's child,--you a millionaire, but permit me to remind
+you that I allow no imputation on my veracity. Why should I condescend
+to deceive you?"
+
+She petulantly snatched her scarf from the fingers that still stroked
+it caressingly; but an instant later a singular change swept over her
+countenance, and pressing her hands to her heart, she said in a proud,
+almost exultant tone,--
+
+"Although I deny your right to question me upon this subject, you are
+thoroughly welcome to know that I love one man so entirely, so
+deathlessly, that the bare thought of marrying any one else sickens my
+soul."
+
+Mr. Minge turned pale, and grasped the carved balustrade against which
+he rested.
+
+"O Salome! you have trifled."
+
+"No, sir. Take that back. I never stoop to trifling; and the curse of
+my life has been my almost fatal earnestness of purpose. If I ever
+deliberated one moment concerning the expediency of clothing myself
+first with your aristocratic name, afterwards with satin, velvet, and
+diamonds,--if I ever silenced the outcry of my heart long enough to
+ask myself whether _gilded misery_ was not the least torturing type of
+the epidemic wretchedness,--at least I kept my parley with Mammon to
+myself; and if you obstinately cherished hopes of final success, they
+sprang from your vanity, not my dissimulation. Mark you, I here set up
+no claim to sanctity,--for indeed my sins are 'thick as leaves in
+Vallombrosa'; but my pedigree does not happen to link me with
+Sapphira, and deceit is not charged to me in the real Doomsday Book.
+Theft would be more possible for me than falsehood, for while both are
+labelled 'wicked,' I could never dwarf and shrivel my soul by the
+cowardly process of mendacity. Mr. Minge, had I been a trifle less
+honest and true than I find myself, I might have impaired my
+self-respect by trifling."
+
+"Forgive me, Salome, if the pain I endure rendered me harsh or unjust.
+My dearest, I did not intend to wound you, but indeed you are cruel
+sometimes."
+
+"Yes; truth is the most savagely cruel of all rude, jagged weapons,
+and leaves ugly gashes and quivering nerves exposed, and these are the
+hurts that never cicatrize--that gape and bleed while the heart throbs
+to feed them."
+
+"Tell me candidly whether the heart I covet belongs to that Mr.
+Granville, who paid you such devoted attention in Paris."
+
+A short, scornful, mirthless laugh rang sharply on the air, and
+turning quickly, Salome exclaimed contemptuously,--
+
+"I said I loved a man,--a true, honest, brave, noble man,--not that
+perfumed, unprincipled, vain, foppish automaton, who adorns a corner
+of the diplomatic apartment where _attachés_ of the American embassy
+'most do congregate'! Gerard Granville is unworthy of any woman's
+affection, for maugre the indisputable fact that he is betrothed to a
+fond, trusting girl, now in the United States, he had the effrontery
+to attempt to offer his addresses to me. If an honest man be the
+noblest work of God, then, beyond all peradventure, the disgrace of
+creation is centred in an unscrupulous one, such as I have the honor
+to pronounce Mr. Granville."
+
+Seizing her hands, Mr. Minge carried them forcibly to his lips, and
+said, in a voice that faltered from intensity of feeling,--
+
+"Is it the hope that your love is reciprocated which bars your heart
+so sternly against my pleadings? Spare me no pangs,--tell me all."
+
+She freed her fingers from his grasp, and retreating a few steps,
+answered with a passionate mournfulness which he never forgot,--
+
+"If I were dowered with that precious hope, not all the crown jewels
+in Christendom and Heathendom could purchase it. Not the proudest
+throne on that continent of empires that lies yonder to the north,
+could woo me one hour from the only kingdom where I could happily
+reign,--the heart of the man I love. No--no--no! That hope is as
+distant as the first star up there above us, which has rent the blue
+veil of heaven to gaze pityingly at me; and I would as soon expect to
+catch that silver sparkle and fold it in my arms as dream that my
+affection could ever be returned. The only man I shall ever love could
+not bend his noble, regal nature to the level of mine, and towers
+beyond me, a pinnacle of unapproachable purity and perfection. Ah,
+indeed, he is one of those concerning whom it has been grandly said:
+'_The truly great stand upright as columns of the temple whose dome
+covers all,--against whose pillared sides multitudes lean, at whose
+base they kneel in times of trouble._' Mr. Minge, it is despair that
+crouches at my heart, not hope that shuts its portals against your
+earnest petition; for a barrier wider, deeper than a hundred oceans
+divides me from my idol, who loves, and ere this, is the husband of
+another."
+
+She did not observe the glow that once more mantled his cheek, and
+fired his eyes, until he exclaimed with unusual fervor,--
+
+"Thank God! That fact is freighted with priceless comfort."
+
+Compassion and contempt seemed struggling for mastery, as she waved
+him from her, and answered, impatiently,--
+
+"Think you that any other need hope to usurp my monarch's place,--that
+one inferior dare expect to wield his sceptre over my heart? Pardon
+me,--
+
+  'If there were not an eagle in the realm of birds,
+  Must then the owl be king among the feathered herds?'
+
+Some day a gentler spirit than mine will fill your home with music,
+and your heart with peace and sunshine; and, in that hour, thank
+honest Salome Owen for the blessings you owe to her candor. I must bid
+you good-night."
+
+She drew the scarf closer about her head and throat, and turned to
+leave the terrace.
+
+"Will you not allow me to drive you to-morrow afternoon on the Marino?
+Do not refuse me this innocent and inexpressibly valued privilege. I
+will not be denied! Good-night, my--Heaven shield you, my worshipped
+one! Hush!--I will hear no refusal."
+
+He stooped, kissed the folds of the scarf that covered her head, and
+hurried down the steps of the terrace.
+
+The glory of a Sicilian sunset bathed the face and figure that stood a
+moment under the lemon-boughs, watching the retreating form which soon
+disappeared behind clustering pomegranate, olive, and palm; and a
+tender compassion looked out of the large hazel eyes, and sat on the
+sad lips that murmured,--
+
+"God help you, Merton Minge, to strangle the viper that coils in your
+heart, and gnaws its core. My own is a serpent's lair, and I pity the
+pangs that rend yours also. But after a little while, your viper will
+find a file,--mine, alas! not until death arrests the slow torture.
+To-morrow afternoon I shall be--where? Only God knows."
+
+She shivered slightly, and raised her beautiful eyes towards the west,
+where golden gleams and violet shadows were battling for possession of
+a reef of cloud islets, which dotted the azure upper sea of air, and
+were reflected in the watery one beneath.
+
+"Courage! courage!
+
+  'Those who have nothing left to hope,
+  Have nothing left to dread.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+
+"Muriel, where can I find Miss Dexter?"
+
+"She went out on the lawn an hour ago, to regale herself with what she
+calls, 'atmospheric hippocrene,' and I have not heard her come in,
+though she may have gone to her room. Pray tell me, doctor, why you
+wish to see my governess?--to inquire concerning my numerous
+peccadilloes?"
+
+Muriel adroitly folded her embroidered silk apron over a package of
+letters that lay in her lap, and affected an air of gayety at variance
+with her dim eyes and wet lashes.
+
+"I shall believe that conscience accuses you of many juvenile
+improprieties, since you so suspiciously attack my motives and
+intentions. Indeed, little one, you flatter yourself unduly, in
+imagining that my interview with Miss Dexter necessarily involves the
+discussion of her pupil. I merely wish to enlist her sympathy in
+behalf of one of my patients. Muriel, I would have been much more
+gratified if I had found you walking with her, instead of moping here
+alone."
+
+"I am not moping."
+
+The girl bit her full red lip, and strove to force back the rapidly
+gathering tears.
+
+"At least you are not cheerful, and it pains me to see that anxious,
+dissatisfied expression on a face that should reflect only sunshine.
+What disturbs you?--the scarcity of Gerard's letters?"
+
+Dr. Grey sat down beside his ward, and throwing her arms around his
+neck, she burst into a passionate flood of tears. The sudden movement
+uncovered the letters, which slipped down and strewed the carpet.
+
+"Oh, doctor! I am very miserable!"
+
+"Why, my dear child?"
+
+"Because Gerard does not love me as formerly."
+
+"What reason have you for doubting his affection?"
+
+"He scarcely writes to me once a month, and then his letters are short
+and cold as icicles, and full of court gossip and fashion items, for
+which he knows I do not care a straw. Yesterday I received one,--the
+first I have had for three weeks,--and he requests me to defer our
+marriage at least six months longer, as he cannot possibly come over
+in May, the time appointed when he was here."
+
+She hid her face on her guardian's shoulder, and sobbed.
+
+An expression of painful surprise and stern displeasure clouded Dr.
+Grey's countenance, as he smoothed the hair away from the girl's
+throbbing temples.
+
+"Calm yourself, Muriel. If Gerard has forfeited your confidence, he is
+unworthy of your tears. Do you apprehend that his indifference is
+merely the result of separation, or have you any cause to attribute it
+to interest in some other person?"
+
+"That is a question I cannot answer."
+
+"Cannot, or will not?"
+
+"I know nothing positively; but I fear something, which perhaps I
+ought not to mention."
+
+"Throw aside all hesitancy, and talk freely to me. If Granville is
+either fickle or dishonorable, you should rejoice that the discovery
+has been made in time to save you from life-long wretchedness."
+
+"If we were only married, I am sure I could win him back to me."
+
+"That is a fatal fallacy, that has wrecked the happiness of many
+women. If a lover grows indifferent, as a husband he will be cold,
+unkind, unendurable. If as a devoted fiancée you can not retain and
+strengthen his affection,--as a wife you would weary and repel him.
+Have you answered the last letter?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+"My dear child, do you not consider me your best friend?"
+
+"Certainly I do."
+
+"Then yield to my guidance, and follow my advice. Lose no time in
+writing to Mr. Granville, and cancel your engagement. Tell him he is
+free."
+
+"Oh, then I should lose him,--and happiness, forever!" wailed Muriel,
+clasping her hands almost despairingly.
+
+"You have already lost his heart, and should be unwilling to retain
+him in fetters that must be galling."
+
+"Ah, Dr. Grey! it is very easy for you who never loved any one, to
+tell me, in that cold, business-like way, that I ought to set Gerard
+free; but you cannot realize what it costs to follow your counsel. Of
+course I know that in everything else you are much wiser than I, but
+persons who have no love affairs of their own are not the best judges
+of other people's. He is so dear to me, I believe it would kill me to
+give him up, and see him no more."
+
+"On the contrary, you would survive much greater misfortune than
+separation from a man who is unworthy of you. I cannot coerce, but
+simply counsel you in this matter, and should be glad to learn what
+your own decision is. Do you intend to wait until Gerard Granville
+explicitly requests you to release him from his engagement?"
+
+She winced, and the tears gushed anew.
+
+"Oh, you are cruel! You are heartless!"
+
+"No, my dear Muriel; I am actuated by the truest affection for my
+little ward, and desire to snatch her from future humiliation. My
+knowledge of human nature is more extended, more profound than yours,
+but since you seem unwilling to avail yourself of my experience, it
+only remains for you to acquaint me with your determination. Are you
+willing to tell me the nature of your answer?"
+
+"I intend to accede to Gerard's wish, and will defer the marriage
+until November; but in the meantime, I shall endeavor to win back his
+heart, which I believe has been artfully enticed from me."
+
+"By whom?"
+
+She made no reply, and lifting her head from his shoulder, Dr. Grey
+looked keenly into her face, and repeated his question.
+
+"Do not urge me to express suspicions that may possibly be unjust."
+
+"That are entirely unjust, you may rest assured," said he, almost
+vehemently.
+
+"By what means did you so positively ascertain that fact?"
+
+"The result will prove. Now, my dear child, you must acquit me of
+heartlessness and cruelty when I tell you, that, under existing
+circumstances, I cannot and will not consent to the solemnization of
+your marriage until you are of age. Once the conviction that an
+earlier consummation of your engagement was essential to the happiness
+of both parties, overruled the dictates of my judgment, and induced me
+to acquiesce in your wishes; but subsequent events have illustrated
+the wisdom of my former opposition, and now I am resolved that no
+argument or persuasion shall prevail upon me to sanction or permit
+your marriage until you are twenty-one."
+
+With a sharp cry of chagrin and amazement, Muriel sprang to her feet.
+
+"You surely do not mean to keep me in this torture, for nearly three
+years? I will not submit to such tyranny, even from Dr. Grey."
+
+"As a faithful guardian, I can see no alternative, and fear of
+incurring your displeasure shall not deter me from the performance of
+a stern duty to the child of my best and dearest friend. I must and
+will do what your father certainly would, were he alive. My dear
+Muriel, control yourself, and do not, by harsh epithets and unjust
+accusations, wound the heart that sincerely loves you. To-day, as your
+guardian, I hearken to the imperative dictates of my conscience, and
+turn a deaf ear to the pleadings of my tender affection, which would
+save you from even momentary sorrow and disappointment. Since my
+decision is irrevocable, do not render the execution of my purpose
+more painful than necessity demands."
+
+Seizing his hand, Muriel pressed it against her flushed cheek, and
+pleaded falteringly,--
+
+"Do not doom your poor little Muriel to such misery. Oh, Dr. Grey!
+dear Dr. Grey, remember you promised my dying father to take his
+place,--and he would never inflict such suffering on his child. You
+have forgotten your promise!"
+
+"No, dear child. It is because I hold it so sacred that I cannot yield
+to your entreaties; and I must faithfully adhere to my obligations,
+even though I forfeit your affection. I shall write to Mr. Granville
+by the next mail, and it is my wish that henceforth the subject should
+not be referred to. Cheer up, my child; three years will soon glide
+away, and at the expiration of that time you will thank me for the
+firmness which you now denounce as cruelty. Good-morning. Be sure to
+think kindly of your guardian, whose heart is quite as sad as your
+own."
+
+She struggled and resisted, but he kissed her lightly on the
+forehead, and as he left the room heard her bitter invectives against
+his tyranny and hard-heartedness.
+
+Crossing the elm-studded lawn, he approached a secluded walk, bordered
+with lilacs and myrtle, and saw the figure of the governess pacing to
+and fro.
+
+During the four months that had elapsed since his last visit to
+"Solitude," he scrutinized and studied her character more closely than
+formerly, and the investigation only heightened and intensified his
+esteem.
+
+No hint of her history had ever passed the calm, patient lips, which
+had forgotten how to laugh, and now, as he watched her pale,
+melancholy face, which bore traces of extraordinary beauty, he
+exonerated her from all blame in the ruinous deception that had
+blasted more lives than one; and honored the silent heroism which so
+securely locked her disappointment in her own heart. He knew that
+consumption was the hereditary scourge of her family, that she bore in
+her constitution the seeds of slowly but surely developing disease,
+and did not marvel at the quiet indifference with which she treated
+symptoms which he had several times pointed out as serious and
+dangerous.
+
+To-day her manner was excited, and her step betrayed very unusual
+impatience.
+
+"Miss Dexter, from the frequency of your cough I am afraid you are
+imprudent in selecting this walk, which is so densely shaded that the
+sun does not reach it until nearly noon. Are not your feet damp?"
+
+"No, sir; my shoes are thick, and thoroughly protect them."
+
+She paused before him, and, in her soft, brown eyes, he saw a strange,
+unwonted restlessness,--an eager expectancy that surprised and
+disturbed him.
+
+"Are you at leisure this morning?"
+
+"Do you need my services immediately?"
+
+She answered evasively; and he noticed that she glanced anxiously
+toward the road leading into town.
+
+"You will greatly oblige me, if some time during the day, you will be
+so good as to superintend the preparation of some calves'-feet jelly,
+for one of my poor patients. I would not trouble you, but Rachel is
+quite sick, and the new cook does not understand the process. May I
+depend upon you?"
+
+"Certainly, sir; it will afford me pleasure to prepare the jelly."
+
+Looking more closely at her face, he saw undeniable traces of recent
+tears, and drew her arm through his.
+
+"I hope you will not deem me impertinently curious if I beg you to
+honor me with your confidence, and explain the anxiety which is
+evidently preying upon your mind."
+
+Embarrassment flushed her transparent cheek, and her shy eyes glanced
+up uneasily.
+
+"At least, Miss Dexter, permit me to ask whether Muriel is connected
+with the cause of your disquiet?"
+
+"My pupil is, I fear, very unhappy; but she withholds much from me
+since she learned my disapproval of her approaching marriage."
+
+"Will you acquaint me with your objections to Mr. Granville?"
+
+"Against Mr. Granville, the gentleman, I have nothing to urge; but I
+could not consent to see Muriel wed a man, who, I am convinced, has no
+affection for her."
+
+"Have you told her this?"
+
+"Repeatedly; and, of course, my frankness has offended and alienated
+her. Oh, Dr. Grey! the child totters on the brink of a flower-veiled
+precipice, and will heed no warning. Perhaps I should libel Mr.
+Granville were I to impute mercenary motives to him,--perhaps he
+fancied he loved Muriel when he addressed her,--I hope so, for the
+honor of manhood; but the glamour was brief, and certainly he must be
+aware that he has not proper affection for her now."
+
+"And yet, she is very lovable and winning."
+
+"Yes,--to you and to me; but her good qualities are not those which
+gentlemen find most attractive. What is Christian purity and noble
+generosity of soul, in comparison with physical perfection? Muriel
+often reminds me of one whom I loved devotedly, whose unselfish and
+unsuspicious nature wrought the ruin of her happiness; and from her
+miserable fate I would fain save my pupil."
+
+He knew from the tremor of her lips and hands, and the momentary
+contraction of her fair brow, to whom she alluded; and both sighed
+audibly.
+
+"My convictions coincide so entirely with yours, that I have had an
+interview with my ward, and withdrawn my consent to her marriage until
+she is of age."
+
+"Thank God! In the interim she may grow wiser, or some fortuitous
+occurrence may avert the danger we dread."
+
+In the brief silence that ensued, the governess seemed debating the
+expediency of making some revelation; and, encountering one of her
+perplexed and scrutinizing glances, the doctor smiled and said,
+gravely,--
+
+"I believe I understand your hesitancy; but I assure you I should
+never forfeit any trust you might repose in me. You have some cause of
+serious annoyance, entirely irrespective of my ward, and I may be
+instrumental in removing it."
+
+"Thank you, Dr. Grey. For some days I have been canvassing the
+propriety of asking your advice and assistance; and my reluctance
+arose not from want of confidence in you, but from dread of the pain
+it would necessarily inflict upon me, to recur to events long buried.
+It is not essential, however, that I should weary you with the minutiæ
+of circumstances which many years ago smothered the sunshine in my
+life, and left me in darkness, a lonely and joyless woman. I have
+resided here long enough to learn the noble generosity of your
+character, and to you, as a true Christian gentleman, I come for
+aid,--premising only that what I am about to say is strictly
+confidential."
+
+"As such, I shall ever regard it; but if I am to become your coajutor
+in any matter, let me request that nothing be kept secret, for only
+entire frankness should exist between those who have a common aim."
+
+A painful flush tinged her cheek, and the fair, thin face, grew
+indescribably mournful, as she clasped her hands firmly over his arm.
+
+"Dr. Grey, when unscrupulous men or women deliberately stab the
+happiness of a fellow-creature, they have no wounded sensibilities, no
+haunting compunction,--and if remorse finally overtakes, it finds them
+well-nigh callous and indurated; but woe to that innocent being who is
+the unintentional and unconscious agent for the ruin of those she
+loves. I cannot remember the time when I did not love the only man for
+whom I ever entertained any affection. He was the playmate of my
+earliest years,--the betrothed of my young maidenhood,--and just
+before my poor father died, he joined our hands and left his blessing
+on my choice. Poverty was the only barrier to our union, but I took a
+situation as teacher, and hoarded my small gains in the hope of aiding
+my lover, who went abroad with a wealthy uncle, and completed his
+education in Germany. I knew that Maurice had contracted very
+extravagant and self-indulgent habits,--but in the court of love is
+there any 'high crime' or misdemeanor for which a woman's heart will
+condemn her idol? Nay, nay; she will plead his defence against the
+stern evidence of her own incorruptible reason; and, if need be, share
+his punishment,--die in his stead. I denied myself every luxury, and
+jealously husbanded my small salary, anticipating the happy hour when
+we might invest it in furniture for our little home; and, indeed, in
+those blessed days of hope, it seemed no hardship,--
+
+  'And joy was duty, and love was law.'
+
+From time to time our marriage was deferred, but I well knew I was
+beloved, and so I waited patiently, until fortune should smile upon
+me. In the interim I became warmly attached to a young girl in the
+school where I taught, and whose affection for me was enthusiastic and
+ardent. Evelyn was an orphan, and the heiress of enormous wealth,
+which she seemed resolved to share with me; and, more than once, I was
+tempted to acquaint her with the obstacle that debarred me from
+happiness. Ah! if I had only confided in her, and trusted her faithful
+love, how much wretchedness would have been averted! But she appeared
+to me such an impulsive child that I shrank from unburdening my heart
+to her, while she acquainted me with every thought and aim of her
+pure, guileless life. She was singularly, almost idolatrously fond of
+me, and I loved her very sincerely, for her character was certainly
+the most admirable I have ever met.
+
+"At vacation we parted for three months, and I hurried to meet my
+lover, who had promised to join me in Vermont, where my mother had
+gone to recruit her failing health. For the first time Maurice proved
+recreant, and wrote that imperative business detained him in New York.
+Did I doubt him, even then? Not in the least; but endeavored by
+cheerful letters to show him how patiently I could bear the separation
+that might result in pecuniary advantage to him. My mother looked
+anxious, and foreboded ill; but I laughed at her misgivings, and
+proudly silenced her warning voice. In the midst of my blissful dream
+came a lengthy telegraphic dispatch from my young girl-friend Evelyn,
+inviting me to hasten to New York, and accompany her on a bridal tour
+through Europe. In a brief and almost incoherent note, subsequently
+received, she accidentally omitted the name of her future husband, and
+designated him as 'my prince,' 'my king,' 'my liege lover.' The same
+mail brought me a long and exceedingly tender letter from my own
+betrothed, informing me that at the expiration of ten days he would
+certainly be with me to arrange for an immediate consummation of our
+engagement. A railroad accident delayed me twenty-four hours, and I
+did not reach New York until the morning of the day on which my friend
+was married. The ceremony took place at ten o'clock, and when I
+arrived, Evelyn was already in the hands of the hair-dresser. I was
+hurried into the room prepared for me, and while waiting for my trunk,
+noticed a basket containing some of the wedding cards. I picked up
+one, and you can perhaps imagine my emotions, when I saw that my own
+lover was the betrothed of my friend. Dr. Grey, eight miserable years
+have gone wearily over my head since then, but now, in the dead of
+night, if I shut my eyes, I see staring at me, like the rayless,
+glazed orbs of the dead, that silver-edged wedding card, bearing in
+silver letters--Maurice Carlyle, Evelyn Flewellyn. Oh, blacker than
+ten thousand death-warrants! for all the hopes of a lifetime went down
+before it. Every ray of earthly light was extinguished in a night of
+woe that can have no dawn, until the day-star of eternity shimmers on
+its gloom."
+
+She shuddered convulsively, and the agonized expression of her face
+was so painful to behold that her companion averted his head.
+
+"I was alone with my misery, and so overwhelming was the shock that I
+fainted. When the hair-dresser came to offer her services, she found
+me lying insensible on the carpet. How bitterly, how unavailingly,
+have I reproached myself for my failure to hasten to Evelyn, even
+then, and divulge all. But with returning consciousness came womanly
+pride, and I resolved to hide the anguish for which I knew there was
+no cure. As soon as I was dressed, we were summoned down stairs to
+meet the remainder of the bridal party, and there I saw the man whom I
+expected to call my husband talking gayly with his attendants.
+
+"Evelyn impetuously presented me as her 'dearest friend,' and,
+without raising his eyes, he bowed profoundly and turned away. How I
+endured all I was called to witness that morning, I know not; but
+my strength seemed superhuman. The ceremony was performed in
+church, and after our return to the house, Mr. Carlyle asserted and
+claimed the right to kiss the bridesmaids. There were four, and I was
+the last whom he approached. I was standing in the shadow of the
+window-curtain, which I had clutched for support, and, as he came
+close to me, our eyes met for the first time that day, and I can
+never, never forget the pleading mournfulness, the passionate
+tenderness, the despair, that filled his. I waved him from me, but
+he seized my hand, and pressed his hot lips lingeringly to mine.
+Then he whispered, 'My only love, my own Edith, do not judge till you
+hear your wretched Maurice. Meet me in the hot-house when Evelyn
+goes to change her dress, and I will explain this awful, this
+accursed necessity.' A few moments later he stood with his bride at
+the head of the table in the breakfast-room, while I was placed
+close to Evelyn, and the mirror opposite reflected the group. I know
+now it was sinful, but, oh! how could I help it? As I looked at
+the reflection in the glass, and compared my face with that of the
+bride, I felt my poor wicked heart throb with triumph at the
+thought that my superior beauty could not soon be forgotten,--that,
+though her husband, he was still my lover. Dr. Grey, do not despise me
+for my weakness, as I should have despised him for his perfidy; and
+remember that a woman cannot in a moment renounce allegiance to a man
+who is the one love of her life. They forced me to drink some wine
+that fired my brain and made me reckless, and an hour after, when
+Maurice came up and offered his arm, inviting me to promenade for a
+few minutes in the hot-house, I yielded and accompanied him. He told
+me a tale of dishonorable financial transactions, into which he had
+been betrayed solely by the hope of obtaining money that would enable
+him to hasten our union; but the utter failure of the scheme
+threatened him with disgrace, possibly with imprisonment, and the
+only mode of preserving his name from infamy, was to possess
+himself of Evelyn's large fortune. Just as he clasped me in his
+arms, and vehemently declared his deathless affection for me,--his
+contempt and hatred of his poor childish bride,--I heard a strange
+sound that was neither a wail nor a laugh, a sound unlike any other
+that ever smote my ears, and looking up, I saw Evelyn standing before
+us."
+
+Miss Dexter groaned aloud, and covered her eyes with her hand.
+
+"Oh, my God! help me to shut out that horrible vision! If I could
+forget that distorted, death-like face, with livid lips writhing away
+from the gleaming teeth, and desperate, wide eyes, glaring like globes
+of flame! She looked twenty years older, and from her clenched
+hands,--her beautiful, exquisite hands,--that were wont to caress me
+so tenderly, the blood was dripping down on her lace veil and her
+white velvet bridal dress. How much she heard I know not, for I never
+saw her again. I swooned in Maurice's arms, and was carried to my own
+room; and when I finally groped my way to Evelyn's apartment, they
+told me she had been gone two hours,--had sailed for Europe, leaving
+her husband in New York. What passed in her farewell interview with
+him none but he and her lawyer knew; but they separated there on
+condition that his debts were cancelled. She went abroad with a
+faithful old Scotch woman who had been her nurse, and her husband told
+the world she was a maniac."
+
+"Did he tell you so? Did you believe it?" exclaimed Dr. Grey, with a
+degree of vehemence that startled the governess.
+
+"I have never seen Maurice Carlyle since that awful hour in the
+hot-house. He came repeatedly to my home, but I refused to meet him,
+and dozens of his letters have been returned unopened. Once, while I
+was absent, he obtained an interview with my mother, and besought her
+intercession in his behalf, pleading for my pardon, and assuring her
+that, as his wife was hopelessly insane, he would apply for a divorce,
+and then claim the hand of the only woman he had ever loved. I dreaded
+the effect upon Evelyn, and had no means of ascertaining her real
+condition. Soon after, I lost my mother, whose death was hastened by
+grief and humiliation; and, when I had laid her down beside my father,
+I went in search of Evelyn. Several times I had attempted to
+communicate with her, and with Elsie, the nurse, but my letters always
+came back unopened, and bearing the London stamp. Having been informed
+that she was in an insane asylum in England, I took the money that had
+been so carefully hoarded for a different purpose and went to London.
+One by one, I searched all the asylums in the United Kingdom, and
+finding no trace of her, came back to America. Finally, on the
+death-bed of Mr. Clayton, her lawyer, who understood my great anxiety
+to discover her, I was told in strict confidence that she was
+perfectly sane,--had never been otherwise,--but preferred that the
+false report in circulation should not be corrected, since her husband
+had set it in motion. I learned that she was well and pleasantly
+located somewhere in the East, but would never see the faces of either
+friends or foes, and absolutely refused all intercourse with her race.
+From one of her letters (which, a moment after, he burned in the
+grate) Mr. Clayton read me a paragraph: '_The greatest mercy you can
+show me is to allow me to forget. Henceforth mention no more the names
+of any I ever knew; and let silence, like a pall, shroud all the past
+of Vashti._' He died next day, and since then--"
+
+The sad, sweet voice, which for some moments had been growing more and
+more unsteady, here sank into a sob, and the governess wept freely,
+while her whole frame shook with the violence of long-pent anguish,
+that now defied control.
+
+"Oh, if I could find her! If I could go to her and tell her all, and
+exonerate myself! If I could show her that he was mine always,--mine
+long before she ever saw him,--then she would not think so harshly of
+me. I know not what explanation Maurice gave her, nor how much of our
+conversation she overheard; and I cannot live contentedly,--oh! I
+cannot die in peace till I see my poor crushed darling, and hear from
+her lips the assurance that she does not hold me responsible for her
+wretchedness. Dr. Grey, I love her with a pitying tenderness that
+transcends all power of expression. Perhaps if Maurice had ever loved
+her, I could not feel as I do towards her; for a woman's nature
+tolerates no rival in the affection of her lover, and, unprincipled as
+mine proved in other respects, I know that his heart was always
+unswervingly my own. My dear, noble Evelyn! My pure, loving little
+darling! Ah! I have wearied heaven with prayers that God would give
+her back to my arms."
+
+Unable to conceal the emotion he was unwilling she should witness, Dr.
+Grey disengaged his arm and walked away, striving to regain his usual
+composure.
+
+Did the governess suspect the proximity of her long-lost friend? If
+she claimed his assistance in prosecuting her search, what course
+would duty dictate?
+
+Retracing his steps, he found that she had seated herself on a bench
+near one of the tallest lilacs, and having thrown aside her quilted
+hood of scarlet silk, her care-worn countenance was fully exposed.
+
+She was gazing very intently at some object in her hand, which she
+bent over and kissed several times, and did not perceive his approach
+until he stood beside her.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I believe my prayer has been heard, and that at last I have
+discovered a clew to the retreat of my lost Evelyn. Last week I went
+to a jewelry store in town, to buy a locket which I intended as a
+birthday gift for Muriel. Several customers had preceded me, and while
+waiting, my attention was attracted towards one of the workmen who
+uttered an impatient ejaculation and dashed down some article upon
+which he was at work. As it fell, I saw that it was an oval ivory
+miniature, originally surrounded with very large handsome pearls, the
+greater portion of which the jeweller had removed and placed in a
+small glass bowl that stood near him. I leaned down to examine the
+miniature, and though the paint was blurred and faded, it was
+impossible to mistake the likeness, and you cannot realize the thrill
+that ran along my nerves as I recognized the portrait of Evelyn. So
+great was my astonishment and delight that I must have cried out, for
+the people in the store all turned and stared at me, and when I
+snatched the piece of ivory from the work-table, the man looked at me
+in amazement. Very incoherently I demanded where and how he obtained
+it, and, beckoning to the proprietor, he said, 'Just as I told you;
+this has turned out stolen property.' Then he opened a drawer and took
+from it a similar oval slab of ivory, and when I looked at it and saw
+Maurice's handsome face, my brain reeled, and I grew so dizzy I almost
+fell. 'Madam, do you know these portraits?' asked the proprietor.
+
+"I told him that I did,--that I had seen these jewelled miniatures
+eight years before on the dressing-table of a bride, and I implored
+him to tell me how they came into his possession. He fitted them into
+a dingy, worn case, which seemed to have been composed of purple
+velvet, and informed me that he purchased the whole from an Irish lad,
+who asserted that he picked it up on the beach, where it had evidently
+drifted in a high tide. On examination, he found that the case had
+indeed been saturated with sea-water, but the pearls were in such a
+remarkable state of preservation that he doubted the lad's statement.
+He had bought the miniatures in order to secure the pearls, which he
+assured me were unusually fine, and to satisfy himself concerning the
+affair had advertised two ivory miniatures, and invited the owners to
+come forward and prove property. After the expiration of a week, he
+discontinued the notice, and finally ordered the pearls removed from
+their gold frames. When I had given him the names of the originals, he
+consented that I should take the portraits which were now worthless to
+him, and gave me also the name of the boy. It was not until two days
+afterward that I succeeded in finding Thomas Donovan, a lad about
+fourteen years old, whose mother Phoebe is a laundress, and does up
+laces and fine muslins. When I called and stated the object of my
+visit he seemed much confused, but sullenly repeated the assertion
+made to the jeweller. Yesterday I went again and had a long
+conversation with his mother, who must be an honest soul, for she
+assured me she knew nothing of the matter, and would investigate it
+immediately. The boy was absent, but she promised either to send him
+here this morning or come in person, to acquaint me with the result. I
+offered a reward if he would confess where he obtained them; and if he
+proved obstinate, threatened to have him arrested. Now, Dr. Grey, you
+can understand why I have so tediously made a full revelation of my
+past, for I wish to enlist your sympathy and claim your aid in my
+search for my long-lost friend. These portraits inadequately represent
+the fascinating beauty of one of the originals, and the sweetness and
+almost angelic purity of the other."
+
+She held up the somewhat defaced and faded miniatures for the
+inspection of her companion, but scarcely glancing at them, he said,
+abstractedly,--
+
+"You are sure they belong to Mrs. Carlyle?"
+
+"Yes. As she put on her diamonds just before going down stairs she
+showed me the portraits in her jewelry casket, where she had also
+placed a similar one of myself. Ah! at this instant I seem to see her
+beaming face, as she bent down, and sweeping her veil aside, kissed my
+picture and Maurice's."
+
+"Do you imagine that she is in America?"
+
+"No; I fear she is dead, and that these were stolen from the old
+nurse. Who is that yonder? Ah, yes,--Phoebe Donovan. Now I shall hear
+the truth."
+
+Forgetting her shawl, and unmindful of the fact that the sun was
+streaming full on her head and face, she hurried to meet the woman who
+was ascending the avenue, and very soon they entered the house.
+
+A quarter of an hour elapsed ere Phoebe came out, and walked rapidly
+away; and, unwilling to prolong his suspense, Dr. Grey went in search
+of the governess.
+
+He met her in the hall, and saw that she was equipped for a walk. Her
+cheeks were scarlet, her brown eyes all aglow with eager expectation,
+and her lips twitched, as she exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, doctor, I hope everything; for I learn that the pictures were
+found on the lawn at 'Solitude,' where Phoebe was once hired as cook;
+and she recognized the case as the same she had one day seen on a
+writing-desk in the parlor. The boy confessed that he picked it up
+from the grass, and, after taking out the contents, soaked the case in
+a bucket of salt-water. Phoebe says the pictures belong to Mrs.
+Gerome, the gray-headed woman who owns that place on the beach, and I
+am almost tempted to believe she is Elsie, who may have married again.
+At all events, I shall soon know where she obtained the portraits."
+
+"You are not going to 'Solitude'?"
+
+"Yes, immediately. I cannot rest till I have learned all. God grant I
+may not be mocked in my hopes."
+
+The unwonted excitement had kindled a strange beauty in the whilom
+passive face, and Dr. Grey could for the first time realize how lovely
+she must have been in the happy days of eld.
+
+"Miss Dexter, Mrs. Gerome will not receive you. She sees no visitors,
+not even ministers of the gospel."
+
+"She must--she shall--admit me; for I will assure her that life and
+death hang upon it."
+
+"How so?"
+
+"If Evelyn is alive, and I can discover her retreat, I will urge her
+to go to her husband, who needs her care. You know Mrs. Gerome,--she
+is one of your patients. Come with me, and prevail upon her to receive
+me."
+
+In her eagerness she laid her hand on his arm, and even then noticed
+and wondered at the crimson that suddenly leaped into his olive face.
+
+"Some day I will give you good reasons for refusing your request,
+which it is impossible for me to grant. If you are resolved to hazard
+the visit, I will take you in my buggy as far as the gate at
+'Solitude,' and when you return will confer with you concerning the
+result. Just now, I can promise no more."
+
+An expression of disappointment clouded her brow.
+
+"I had hoped that you would sympathize with and be more interested in
+my great sorrow."
+
+"Miss Dexter, my interest is more profound, more intense, than you can
+imagine, but at this juncture circumstances forbid its expression. My
+buggy is at the door."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+
+Even at mid-day the grounds around "Solitude" were sombre and chill,
+for across the sky the winds had woven a thin, vapory veil, whose
+cloud-meshes seemed fine as lacework; and through this gilded netting
+the sun looked hazy, the light wan and yellow, and rifled of its
+customary noon glitter.
+
+Following one of the serpentine walks, the governess was approaching
+the house, when her attention was attracted by the gleaming surface of
+a tomb, and she turned towards the pyramidal deodars that were swaying
+slowly in the breeze,--
+
+  "Warming their heads in the sun,
+  Checkering the grass with their shade,"
+
+and photographing fringy images on the shining marble.
+
+A broad circle of violets, blue with bloom, surrounded a sexangular
+temple, whose dome was terminated by a mural crown and surmounted by a
+cross. The beautifully polished pillars were fluted, and wreathed
+with carved ivy that wound up to the richly-sculptured cornices, where
+poppies clustered and tossed their leaves along the architrave; and,
+in the centre, visible through all the arches, rose an altar, bearing
+two angels with fingers on their lips, who guarded an exquisite urn
+that was inscribed "_cor cordium_."
+
+Beneath the eastern arch, that directly fronted the sea, were two
+steps leading into the mausoleum, and, as Miss Dexter stood within,
+she saw that the floor was arranged with slabs for only two tombs
+close to the altar, one side of which bore in golden tracery,--
+
+  "_Elsie Maclean, 68. Amicus Amicorum._"
+
+Around the base of the urn were scattered some fresh geranium-leaves,
+and very near it stood a tall, slender, Venetian glass vase filled
+with odorous flowers, which had evidently been gathered and arranged
+that day.
+
+For whom had the remaining slab and opposite side of the altar been
+reserved?
+
+The heart of the governess seemed for a moment to forget its
+functions, then a vague hope made it throb fiercely; and rapidly the
+anxious woman directed her steps towards the house, that seemed as
+silent as the grave behind her.
+
+The hall door had swung partially open, and, dreading that she might
+be refused admittance if she rang the bell, she availed herself of the
+lucky accident (which in Elsie's lifetime never happened), and entered
+unchallenged and unobserved.
+
+From the parlor issued a rather monotonous and suppressed sound, as of
+some one reading aloud, and, advancing a few steps, the governess
+stood inside the threshold.
+
+The curtains of the south window were looped back, the blinds thrown
+open, and the sickly sunshine poured in, lighting the easel, before
+which the mistress of the house had drawn an ottoman and seated
+herself.
+
+To-day, an air of unwonted negligence marked her appearance, usually
+distinguished by extraordinary care and taste.
+
+Her white merino _robe de chambre_ was partially ungirded, and the
+blue tassels trailed on the carpet; her luxuriant hair instead of
+being braided and classically coiled, was gathered in three or four
+large heavy loops, and fastened rather loosely by the massive silver
+comb that allowed one long tress to straggle across her shoulder,
+while the folds in front slipped low on her temples and forehead.
+
+Intently contemplating her work, she leaned her cheek on her hand, and
+only the profile was visible from the door, as she repeated, in a
+subdued tone,--
+
+  "I stanch with ice my burning breast,
+    With silence balm my whirling brain,
+  O Brandan! to this hour of rest,
+    That Joppan leper's ease was pain."
+
+The easel held the largest of many pictures, upon which she had
+lavished time and study, and her present work was a wide stretch of
+mid-ocean, lighted by innumerable stars, and a round glittering polar
+moon that swung mid-heaven like a globe of silver, and shed a ghostly
+lustre on the raging, ragged waves, above which an Aurora Borealis
+lifted its gleaming arch of mysterious white fires.
+
+On the flowery shore of a tropic isle, under clustering boughs of lime
+and citron, knelt the venerable figure of Saint Brandan,--and upon a
+towering, jagged iceberg, whose crystal cliffs and diamond peaks
+glittered with the ghastly radiance reflected from arctic moon and
+boreal flames, lay Judas, pressing his hot palms and burning breast to
+the frigid bosom of his sailing sapphire berg.
+
+No hideous, scowling, red-haired arch-apostate was this painted
+Iscariot,--but a handsome man, whose features were startlingly like
+those in the ivory miniature.
+
+It was a wild, dreary, mournful picture, suggestive of melancholy
+mediæval myths, and most abnormal phantasms; and would more
+appropriately have draped the walls of some flagellating ascetic's
+cell, than the luxuriously furnished room that now contained it.
+
+Bending forward to deepen the dark circles which suffering and
+remorse had worn beneath the brilliant eyes of the apostle, the lonely
+artist added another verse to her quotation,--
+
+  "Once every year, when carols wake
+    On earth the Christmas night's repose,
+  Arising from the sinner's lake
+    I journey to these healing snows."
+
+The motion loosened a delicate white lily pinned at her throat, and it
+fell upon the palette, sullying its purity with the dark paint to
+which its petals clung. She removed it, looked at its defaced
+loveliness, and tossed it aside, saying moodily,--
+
+"Typical of our souls, originally dowered with a stainless and
+well-nigh perfect holiness, but drooping dust-ward continually, and
+once tainted by the fall,--hugging the corruption that ruined it."
+
+As the governess looked and listened, a half-perplexed, half-frightened
+expression passed over her countenance, and at length she advanced to
+the arch, and said, tremblingly,--
+
+"Can I have a few moments' conversation with Mrs. Gerome, on important
+business?"
+
+"My God! am I verily mad at last? Because I called up Judas, must I
+also evoke the partner of his crime?"
+
+With a thrilling, almost blood-curdling cry Mrs. Gerome had leaped to
+her feet at the sound of Miss Dexter's voice, and, dropping palette
+and brush, confronted her with a look of horror and hate. The quick
+and violent movement shook out her comb, and down came the folds of
+hair, falling like a silver cataract to her knees.
+
+Bewildered by memories which the face and form recalled, the governess
+looked at the shining white locks, and her lips blanched, as she
+stammered,--
+
+"Are you Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+Her scarlet hood had fallen back, disclosing her wealth of golden
+hair; and gazing at her thin but still lovely features, rouged by a
+hectic glow that lent strange beauty to the wide, brown eyes, Mrs.
+Gerome answered, huskily,--
+
+"I am the mistress of this house. Who is the woman who has the
+audacity to intrude upon my seclusion, and vividly remind me of one
+whose hated lineaments have cursed my memory for years? Woman, if I
+believed _she_ had the effrontery to thrust herself into my presence,
+I should fear that at this instant I am afflicted with the abhorred
+sight of Edith Dexter, than whom a legion of devils would be more
+welcome!"
+
+The name fell hissingly from her stern mouth, and when she shook back
+the hair that drooped over her brow, the gray globe-like eyes
+glittered as polished blue steel under some fitful light.
+
+A low, half-stifled cry escaped the governess, and springing forward
+she fell on her knees and grasped the white hands that had clutched
+each other.
+
+"Evelyn! It must be Evelyn! despite this gray hair and wan,
+changed face! and I could never mistake these beautiful, beautiful
+hands--unlike any others in the world! Evelyn, my lost darling! oh,
+I thank God I have found you before I die!"
+
+She covered the cold fingers with kisses, and pressed her face to a
+band of the floating hair; but with a gesture of loathing Mrs. Gerome
+broke away, and retreated a few steps.
+
+"How dare you come into my presence? Goaded by a desire to witness the
+ruin you helped to accomplish? Your audacity at least astounds me; but
+fate decrees you the enjoyment of its reward. Lo! here I am! Behold
+the gray shadow of what was once a happy, confiding girl! Behold in
+the desolate, lonely woman, who hides her disgrace under the name of
+Agla Gerome, that bride of an hour, that Evelyn whose heart you
+stabbed! Does the wreck entirely satisfy you? What more could even
+fiendish malevolence desire?"
+
+"Evelyn, you wrong me. For mercy's sake do not upbraid and taunt me so
+unjustly!"
+
+In vain she held out her hands imploringly, while tears rolled over
+her crimsoned cheeks, and sobs impeded her utterance. Mrs. Gerome
+laughed bitterly.
+
+"What! I wrong you? Have _you_ gone mad, instead of your victim? Miss
+Dexter, you and I can scarcely afford to deal in mock tragedy, and
+though you make a pretty picture kneeling there, I have no mind to
+paint you yonder, where I put your colleague, Judas. Is it not a good
+likeness of your lover, as he looked that memorable day when the broad
+banana-leaves overshadowed his handsome head?"
+
+She rapped the canvas with her clenched hand, and continued, in
+accents of indescribable scorn,--
+
+"Do you kneel as penitent or petitioner? You come to crave my pardon,
+or my husband?"
+
+The governess had bowed her face almost to the carpet, like some
+fragile flower borne down by a sudden flood; but now she rose, and,
+throwing her head back proudly, answered with firm yet gentle
+dignity,--
+
+"Of Mrs. Gerome I crave nothing. Of Evelyn Carlyle I demand justice;
+simply bare justice."
+
+"Justice! You are rash, Miss Dexter, to challenge fate; for, were
+justice meted out, the burden would prove more intolerable to you than
+that King Stork whom Zeus sent down as a Nemesis to quiet clamorous
+frogs. Justice, let me tell you, long ago fled from this hostile and
+inhospitable earth and took refuge beyond the stars, where, please
+God, you and I shall one day confront her and get our long-defrauded
+dues. Justice? Nay, nay! the thing I recognize as justice would crush
+you utterly, and you should flee to the _Ultima Thule_ to avoid it. I
+divine your mission. You come as envoy-extraordinary from my honorable
+and chivalric husband, to demand release from the bonds that doom me
+to wear his name and you to live without that spotless ægis? Since my
+fortune no longer percolates through the sieve of his pocket, and
+legal quibbles can not now avail to wring thousands from my purse, he
+desires a divorce, in order to remove to your fair wrists the fetters
+which have proved more galling to mine than those of iron."
+
+"Evelyn, insult must not be heaped upon injury. As God hears me, I
+tell you solemnly that you have seen your husband since I have. Upon
+Maurice Carlyle's face I have never looked since that fatal hour when
+I last saw yours, ghastly and rigid, against the background of
+guava-boughs. From that day until this, I have neither seen, nor
+spoken, nor written to him."
+
+"Then why are you here, to torment me with the sight of your face,
+which would darken the precincts of heaven, if I met it inside of the
+gates of pearl?"
+
+"I have come to exonerate myself from the aspersions that in your
+frenzy you have cast upon me. Evelyn, I am here to prove that my
+wrongs are greater than yours,--and if either should crave pardon, it
+would best become you to sue for it at my hands. But for you, I should
+have been a happy wife,--blessed with a devoted husband and fond
+mother; and now in my loneliness I stand for vindication before her
+who robbed me of every earthly hope, and blotted all light, all
+verdure, all beauty from my life. You had known Maurice Carlyle six
+weeks, when you gave him your hand. I had grown up at his side,--had
+loved, trusted, prayed, and labored for him,--had been his promised
+wife for seven dreary years of toil and separation, and was counting
+the hours until the moment when he would lead me to the altar. Ah,
+Evelyn,--"
+
+A violent spell of coughing interrupted the governess, and when it
+ended she did not complete the sentence.
+
+Impatiently Mrs. Gerome motioned to her to continue, and, turning her
+head which had been averted, the hostess saw that her guest was
+endeavoring to stanch a stream of blood that trickled across her lips.
+Involuntarily the former started forward and drew an easy-chair close
+to the slender figure which leaned for support against the corner of
+the piano.
+
+"Are you ill? Pray sit down."
+
+"It is only a hemorrhage from my lungs, which I have long had reason
+to expect."
+
+Wearily she sank into the chair, and hastily pouring a glass of water
+from a gilt-starred crystal _carafe_, standing on the centre-table,
+Mrs. Gerome silently offered it. As the governess drained and returned
+the goblet, a drop of blood that stained the rim fell on the hand of
+the mistress of the house.
+
+Miss Dexter attempted to remove it with the end of her plaid shawl,
+but her companion drew back, and taking a dainty, perfumed
+handkerchief from her pocket, shook out its folds and said,
+hastily,--
+
+"It is of no consequence. I see your handkerchief is already
+saturated; will you accept mine?"
+
+Without waiting for a reply, she laid it on the lap of the visitor,
+and left the room.
+
+Soon after, a servant brought in a basin of water and towels, which
+she placed on the table, and then, without question or comment,
+withdrew.
+
+Some time elapsed before Mrs. Gerome re-entered the parlor, bearing a
+glass of wine in her hand. Miss Dexter had bathed her face, and,
+looking up, she saw that the gray hair had been carefully coiled and
+fastened, and the flowing merino belted at the waist; but the brow
+wore its heavy cloud, and the arch of the lip had not unbent.
+
+"I hope you are better. Permit me to insist upon your taking this
+wine."
+
+She proffered it, but the governess shook her head, and tears ran down
+her cheeks, as she said,--
+
+"Thank you,--but I do not require it; indeed I could not swallow it."
+
+The hostess bowed, and, placing the glass within her reach, walked to
+the window which looked out on the marble mausoleum, and stood leaning
+against the cedarn facing.
+
+Five, ten minutes passed, and the silence was only broken by the
+ticking of the bronze clock on the mantelpiece.
+
+"Evelyn."
+
+The voice was so sweet, so thrilling, so mournfully pleading, that it
+might have wooed even stone to pity; but Mrs. Gerome merely glanced
+over her shoulder, and said, frigidly,--
+
+"Can I in any way contribute to Miss Dexter's comfort? The servants
+tell me there is no conveyance waiting for you; but, since you seem
+too feeble to walk away, my carriage is at your service whenever you
+wish to return. Shall I order it?"
+
+"No, I will not trouble you. I can walk; and, after a little while, I
+will go away forever. Evelyn, do you think me utterly unprincipled?"
+
+A moment passed before she was answered.
+
+"While you are in my house, courtesy forbids the expression of my
+opinion of your character."
+
+"Oh, Evelyn, my darling! God knows I have not merited this harshness,
+this cruelty from your dear hands. Eight tedious, miserable years I
+have searched and prayed for you,--have clung to the hope of finding
+you, of telling you all,--of hearing your precious lips utter those
+words for which my ears have so long ached, 'Edith, I hold you
+guiltless of my wretchedness.' But at last, when my search is
+successful, to be browbeaten, derided, denounced, insulted,--oh, this
+is bitter indeed! This is too hard to be borne!"
+
+Her anguish was uncontrollable, and she sobbed aloud.
+
+Across Mrs. Gerome's white lips crept a quiver, and over her frozen
+features rose an unwonted flush; but she did not move a muscle, or
+suffer her eyes to wander from the cross and crown on Elsie's tomb.
+
+"Evelyn, I believe, I hope (and may God forgive me if I sin in
+hoping), that I have not many years, or perhaps even months to live;
+and it would comfort me in my dying hour to feel that I had laid
+before you some facts, of which I know you must be ignorant. You have
+harshly and unjustly prejudged me,--have steeled yourself against me;
+still I wish to tell you some things that weigh heavily upon my
+aching, desolate heart. Will you allow me to do so now? Will you hear
+me?"
+
+There was evidently a struggle in the mind of the motionless woman
+beside the window, but it was brief, and left no trace in the cold,
+ringing voice.
+
+"I will hear you."
+
+Slowly and impressively the governess began the narrative, of which
+she had given Dr. Grey a hasty _résumé_, and when she mentioned the
+midnight labors in which she had engaged, the copying of legal
+documents, the sale of her drawings, the hoarding of her salary in
+order to aid her mother and her betrothed, and to remove the obstacles
+to her marriage, Mrs. Gerome sat down, and, crossing her arms on the
+window-sill, hid her face upon them.
+
+Unflinchingly Miss Dexter detailed all that occurred after her
+arrival in New York; and finally, approaching the window, she insisted
+that her listener should peruse the last letter received from her
+lover, and containing the promise that within ten days he would come
+to claim his bride. But the lovely hand waved it aside, and the proud
+voice exclaimed impatiently,--
+
+"I need no additional proof of his perfidy, which, beyond controversy,
+was long ago established. Go on! go on!"
+
+Upon all that followed the ceremony,--the departure of the wife,--and
+her own despairing grief, the governess dwelt with touching eloquence
+and pathos; and, at last, as she spoke of her fruitless journey to
+England,--her sad search through the insane asylums,--Mrs. Gerome
+lifted her queenly head, and bent a piercing glance upon the speaker.
+
+Ah! what a hungry, eager expression looked out shyly from her whilom
+hopeless eyes, when, with an imperious gesture, she silenced her
+visitor, and asked,--
+
+"You spent your hard earnings, not in _trousseau_, or preparations for
+housekeeping; but hunting for me in lunatic asylums? Suppose you had
+found me in a mad-house?"
+
+"Then I should have become an inmate of the same gloomy walls; and,
+while you lived, should have shared with faithful Elsie the care and
+charge of you. God is my witness, I had resolved to dedicate my
+remaining years to the task of cheering and guarding yours. Oh,
+Evelyn! not until we stand in the great Court of Heaven can you
+realize how sincerely, how tenderly, and unwaveringly, I love you. My
+darling, how can you distrust my faithful heart?"
+
+She sank on her knees, and, throwing her arms around the tall, slender
+form, looked with mournful, beseeching tenderness at the haughty
+features above her.
+
+For a moment the proud, pale face glowed,--the great shadowy eyes
+kindled and shone like wintry planets in some crystalline sky; but
+doubt, murderous, cynical doubt, grappled with hope, and strangled
+it.
+
+"Edith, I wish I could believe you. I am struggling desperately to lay
+hold of the fluttering garments of faith, but I cannot! Suspicion has
+walked hand in hand with me so long that I cannot shake off her
+numbing touch, and I distrust all human things, save the dusty heart
+that moulders yonder in my old Elsie's grave."
+
+She pointed to the white columns of the temple, and then the uplifted
+fingers fell heavily on Edith's shoulder.
+
+"Go on. I wish to learn whose treachery betrayed the secret of my
+retreat."
+
+Pressing her feverish lips to the hand she admired so enthusiastically,
+Miss Dexter resumed her recital of what had occurred since her journey
+to London, and finally ended it with an account of her removal to
+'Grassmere,' and of the discovery of the miniatures that guided her to
+'Solitude.'
+
+A long pause followed, and a heavy sigh, only partially smothered,
+indexed the contest that raged under Mrs. Gerome's calm exterior.
+
+"Edith, would you have inferred from Dr. Grey's manner that he was not
+only acquainted with my history, but yours, at least, so far as it
+intersected mine? Did he furnish no hint, no clew, that aided you in
+your search?"
+
+"None whatever. On the contrary, he appeared so preoccupied, so
+abstracted, that I reproached him with indifference to my troubles. It
+is not possible that he knew all, while I briefly summed up a portion
+of the past."
+
+"At that moment he was thoroughly cognizant of everything that I could
+tell him. But, at least, one honorable, trustworthy man yet graces the
+race; one pure, incorruptible, and consistent Christian remains to
+shed lustre upon a church that can nowhere boast his peer. I confided
+all to Dr. Grey, and he has kept the trust. Ah, Edith, if you had only
+reposed the same confidence in me, during those halcyon days of our
+early friendship,--days that seem to me now as far off, as dim and
+unreal, as those starry nights when I lay in my little crib, dreaming
+of that mother whose face I never saw, whose smile is one of the
+surprises and blessings reserved for eternity,--how different my lot
+and yours might have been! Why did you not trust me with your happy
+hopes, your lover's name and difficulties? How differently I would
+have invested that fortune, which proved our common ruin, and doomed
+three lives to uselessness and woe. To-day you might have proudly worn
+the name that I utterly detest; and I, the outcast, the wanderer, the
+tireless, friendless waif, drifting despairingly down the tide of
+time,--even I, the unloved, might have been, not a solitary cumberer,
+not a household upas,--but why taunt the hideous Actual with a blessed
+and beautiful Impossible? Ah, truly, truly,--
+
+  "'What might have been, I know, is not:
+    What must be, must be borne;
+  But ah! what hath been will not be forgot,
+    Never, oh! never, in the years to follow!'"
+
+She closed her eyes and seemed pondering the past, and mutely the
+governess prayed that hallowed memories of their former affection
+might soften her apparently petrified heart.
+
+Edith saw a great change overspread the countenance, but could not
+accurately interpret its import; and her own heart began to beat the
+long-roll.
+
+The heavy black eyelashes lying on Mrs. Gerome's marble cheeks
+glistened, trembled, and tears stole slowly across her face. She
+raised her hand, but dropped it in her lap, and frowned slightly and
+sighed. Then she lifted it once more, and looking through the shining
+mist that magnified her splendid eyes, she laid her fingers on the
+golden head of the kneeling woman.
+
+"You and I have innocently wronged and ruined each other; you with
+your beauty, I with my accursed gold. Time was when at your bidding I
+would have laid my throbbing heart at your feet, provided I could
+thereby save you one pang; for I loved you as women very rarely love
+one another. But now, lonely and hopeless, I have lost the power, the
+capacity to love anything, and I have no heart left in my bosom. I
+acquit you of much for which I formerly held you responsible, and I
+honor the purity of purpose that forbade your receiving the visits or
+letters of him who must one day answer for our worthless lives. I
+fully forgive you the suffering that made me prematurely old; but my
+affection is as dead as all my girlish hopes, and buried under the
+crushing years that have dragged themselves over my poor, proud,
+pain-bleached head. You are more fortunate, more enviable than I, for
+you have the comforting anticipation of a speedy release, the precious
+assurance that your torture will ere long be ended; while I must front
+the prospect of perhaps fourscore and ten years: for, despite my ivory
+skin and fever-blanched locks, I am maddeningly healthy. Friend of my
+childhood, friend of my happy, sunny, sinless days, I cordially
+congratulate you on your approaching deliverance. God knows I would
+pay you my fortune, if I could innocently and successfully inject into
+my veins and lungs the poison that will soon rob you of care and
+regret. If I was harsh to-day, forgive and forget it, for nothing
+rankles in the grave; and now, Edith, go away quickly, before I repent
+and recant the words I here utter. God comfort you, Edith Dexter, and
+remember that I hold you guiltless of my wrecked destiny."
+
+"Oh, Evelyn! add one thing more. Say, 'Edith, I love you.'"
+
+A strangely mournful smile parted Mrs. Gerome's perfect lips over her
+dazzling teeth, as she pushed the kneeling figure from her, and said
+coldly,--
+
+"Rise, and leave me. I love no living thing, brute or human, for even
+my faithful dog lies buried a few yards hence. Maurice treated my
+warm, loving nature, as Tofana did her unsuspecting victims, and for
+that slow poison there is no antidote. The sole interest I have in
+life centres in my art, and when death mercifully remembers me, some
+pictures I have patiently wrought out will be given to the public; and
+the next generation will, perhaps,--
+
+  'Hear the world applaud the hollow ghost,
+  Which blamed the living woman,'
+
+and, smiling grimly in my coffin, I shall echo,--
+
+  'Hither to come, and to sleep,
+  Under the wings of renown.'"
+
+Both rose, and the two so long divided faced each other sorrowfully.
+
+"Dear Evelyn, do not hug despair so stubbornly to your bosom. You
+might brighten your solitary existence if you would, and be
+comparatively happy in this lovely seaside home."
+
+"You think 'Solitude' a very desirable and beautiful retreat? Do you
+remember the gay raiment and glittering jewels that covered the
+radiant bride of Giacopone di Todi? One day an accident at a public
+festival mangled her mortally, and when her gorgeous garments were
+torn off, lo!
+
+  'A robe of sackcloth next the smooth, white skin.'"
+
+A sudden pallor crept over the delicate face of the governess, and,
+folding her hands, she exclaimed with passionate vehemence,--
+
+"I cannot, I must not shrink from the chief object of my visit here. I
+came not only to exonerate myself, but to plead for poor Maurice."
+
+Mrs. Gerome started back, and the pitiless gleam came instantly into
+her softened eyes.
+
+"Do not mention his name again. I thought you had neither seen nor
+heard from him."
+
+"I must plead his wretched cause, since he is denied the privilege
+of appealing to your mercy. Evelyn, my friends write me that he is
+almost in a state of destitution. Only last night I received this
+letter, which I leave for your perusal, and which assures me he is in
+want, and, moreover, is dangerously ill. Who has the right, the
+privilege,--whose is the duty, imperative and stern, to hasten to his
+bedside, to alleviate his suffering, to provide for his needs?
+Yours, Evelyn Carlyle, and yours alone. Where are the marriage-vows
+that you snatched from my lips eight years ago, and eagerly took
+upon your own? Did you not solemnly swear in the presence of heaven
+and earth to serve him and keep him in sickness, and, forsaking all
+others, to hold him from that day forward, for better, for worse,
+until death did part ye? Oh, Evelyn! do not scowl, and turn away.
+However unworthy, he is your husband in the sight of God and man,
+and your wedding oath calls you to him in this hour of his terrible
+need. Can you sleep peacefully, knowing that he is tossing with
+paroxysms of pain, and perhaps hungering and thirsting for that which
+you could readily supply? If it were right,--if I dared, I would
+hasten to him; but my conscience inexorably forbids the thought,
+and consigns my heart to torture, for which there is no name. You
+will tell me that you provided once, twice, for all reasonable
+wants,--that he has recklessly squandered liberal allowances. But
+will that satisfy your conscience, while you still possess ample
+means to aid him? Will you permit the man whose name you bear to
+live on other charity than your own,--and finally, to fill a
+pauper's grave? Oh, Evelyn! was it for this that you took my darling,
+my idol, from my clinging, loving arms? Will you see his body
+writhing in the agony of disease, and his precious, immortal soul
+in fearful jeopardy, while you stand afar off, surrounded by every
+luxury that ingenuity can suggest, and gold purchase? Oh, Evelyn!
+be merciful; do your duty. Like a brave, true, though injured woman,
+go to Maurice, and strive to make him comfortable; to lighten, by
+your pardon, his sad, heavily laden heart. By your past, your
+memories of your betrothal, your hopes of heaven, and above all, by
+your marriage vows, I implore you to discharge your sacred duties."
+
+A bitter smile twisted the muscles about Mrs. Gerome's mouth, as she
+gazed into the quivering, eloquent face of her companion, and listened
+to the impetuous appeal that poured so pathetically over her burning
+lips.
+
+"Edith, you amaze me. Is it possible that after all your injuries you
+can cling so fondly, so madly, to the man who slighted, and
+humiliated, and blighted you?"
+
+"Ah! you are his wife, and I am the ridiculed and pitied victim of his
+flirtation, so says the world; but my affection outlives yours.
+Evelyn, I have loved him from the time when I can first recollect; I
+loved him with a deathless devotion that neither his unworthiness, nor
+time, nor eternity can conquer; and to-day, I tell you that he is dear
+to me,--dear to me as some precious corpse, over which a gravestone
+has gathered moss for eight weary, dreary years. The angels in heaven
+would not blush for the feeling in my heart towards Maurice Carlyle;
+and the God who must soon judge me will not condemn the pure and
+sacred love I cherish for the only man who could ever have been my
+husband, but whom I have resolutely refused to see, even when the
+world believed you dead. I cannot go to him, and comfort, and provide
+for him now; but, in the name of God, and your oath, and if not for
+your own sake, at least for his and for mine, I ask you once more,
+Evelyn Carlyle, will you hasten to your erring but unhappy husband?"
+
+Her scarlet cheeks and lips, her glowing brown eyes, and waving yellow
+hair, formed a singular contrast to the colorless, cold face of her
+listener; whose steely gaze was fixed on the distant sea, that lay
+like a beryl mirror beneath the hazy sky.
+
+When the sound of the sweet but strained voice had died away, Mrs.
+Gerome turned her eyes towards the governess, and answered,--
+
+"I will do my duty, no matter how revolting."
+
+"Thank God! When will you go?"
+
+"If at all, at once."
+
+"Evelyn, when you come home, will you not let me see you, now and
+then, and win my way back to my old place in your dear heart? Oh! my
+pale, peerless darling, do not deny me this."
+
+"Home? I have no home. My heart is grayer than my head,--and your old
+niche is full of dust, and skeletons, and murdered hopes. Let me see
+you no more in this world; and perhaps in the Everlasting Rest I shall
+forget my hideous past, which your face recalls."
+
+"Oh, my poor bruised darling! do not banish me," wailed the governess,
+endeavoring to fold her arms about the queenly form, which silently
+but effectually held her back.
+
+"At least, dear Evelyn, let me kiss you once more, in token that you
+cherish no bitterness against me."
+
+"Good-by, Edith. I hold you innocent of my injuries. May God help you,
+and call us both speedily to our dreamless sleep under moss and
+marble."
+
+She bent down, and with firm, icy lips, lightly touched the forehead
+of the governess, and walked away, unheeding the burst of tears with
+which the frigid caress was welcomed.
+
+  "And I think, in the lives of most women and men,
+    There's a moment when all would go smooth and even,
+  If only the dead could find out when
+    To come back, and be forgiven."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+
+"Madam, are you aware that you breathe an infected atmosphere?--that
+this building is assigned to small-pox cases? Pray do not cross the
+threshold."
+
+The superintendent of the hospital laid aside his pipe, and
+advanced to meet the stranger whose knock had startled him from a
+_post-prandial_ doze.
+
+"I am not afraid of contagion, and came to see the patient who was
+brought here yesterday from No. 139 Elm Street."
+
+"Have you a permit to visit here?"
+
+"Yes; you will find it on this paper, given me by the proper
+authorities."
+
+"What is the name of the person you desire to see?"
+
+The superintendent opened a book that lay on the table beside him, and
+drew his finger up and down the page.
+
+"Maurice Carlyle."
+
+"Ah, yes,--I have it now. Maurice Carlyle, Ward 3,--cot No. 7. Madam,
+may I ask,--"
+
+"No, sir; I have no inclination to answer idle questions. Will you
+show me the way, or shall I find it?"
+
+"Certainly, I will conduct you; but I was about to remark that a death
+has just occurred in Ward No. 3, and I am under the impression that it
+was the Elm Street case. Madam, you look faint; shall I bring you a
+glass of water?"
+
+"No. Show me the body of the dead."
+
+"This way, if you please."
+
+He walked down a dim, low-vaulted passage, and paused at the entrance
+of a room lined with cots, where the nurse was slowly passing from
+patient to patient.
+
+"Nurse, show this lady to cot No. 7."
+
+Swiftly the tall figure of the visitor glided down the room, and
+placing her hand on the arm of the nurse, she said huskily,--
+
+"Where is the man who has just died? Quick! do not keep me in
+suspense."
+
+"There, to the right; shall I uncover the face?"
+
+Under the blue check coverlet that was spread smoothly over the cot,
+the stiff outlines of a human form were clearly defined; and, when the
+nurse stooped, the stranger put out one arm and held him back, while
+her whole frame trembled violently.
+
+"Stop! be good enough to leave me."
+
+The attendant withdrew a few yards, and curiously watched the queenly
+woman, who stood motionless, with her fingers tightly interlaced.
+
+She was dressed in a gray suit of some shining fabric, and a long
+gossamer veil of the same hue hung over her features. After a few
+seconds she swept back the veil, and, as she bent forward, a stray
+sunbeam dipped through the closed shutters, and flashed across a white
+horror-stricken face, crowned with clustering braids of silver hair.
+
+She shut her eyes an instant, grasped the coverlet, and drew it down;
+then caught her breath, and looked at the dead.
+
+It was a young, boyish face, horribly swollen and distorted, and
+coarse red locks were matted around his brow and temples.
+
+"Thank God, Maurice Carlyle still lives."
+
+She involuntarily raised her hands towards heaven, and the expression
+of dread melted from her countenance.
+
+Slowly and reverently she re-covered the corpse, and approached the
+nurse.
+
+"I am searching for my husband. Which cot is No. 7?"
+
+"That on your left,--next to the dead."
+
+Mrs. Carlyle turned, and gazed at the bloated crimson mass of disease
+that writhed on the narrow bed, and a long shudder crept over her, as
+she endeavored to discover in that loathsome hideous visage some
+familiar feature--some trace of the manly beauty that once rendered it
+so fascinating.
+
+The swollen blood-shot eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling, and, while
+delirious muttering fell upon the ears of the visitor, she saw that
+his cheeks were somewhat lacerated, and his hands, partially confined,
+were tearing at the inflamed flesh.
+
+She shivered with horror, and a groan broke from her pitying heart.
+
+"What an awful retribution! My God, have mercy upon him! He is
+sufficiently punished."
+
+Drawing her perfumed lace handkerchief from her pocket, she leaned
+over and wiped away the bloody foam that oozed across his lips, and
+lifting his hot head turned it sufficiently to expose the right ear,
+where a large mole was hidden by the thick hair.
+
+"Maurice Carlyle! But what a fearful wreck?"
+
+She covered her eyes with her hand, and moaned.
+
+The nurse came nearer, and said hesitatingly,--
+
+"Madam, surely he is not your husband? His clothes are almost in
+tatters, while yours are--ahem!--"
+
+"Spare me all comments on the comparison. Can I obtain a comfortable,
+quiet room, in this building, and have him removed to it at once? You
+hesitate? I will compensate you liberally, will pay almost any price
+for an apartment where he can at least have silence and seclusion."
+
+"We can accommodate you, but of course if the patient is carried from
+this ward to a private room, we shall be compelled to charge extra."
+
+"Charge what you choose, only arrange the matter as promptly as
+possible. How soon can you make the change?"
+
+"In twenty minutes, madam."
+
+The nurse rang for an assistant, to whom the necessary instructions
+were given, and in the _interim_ Mrs. Carlyle leaned against the cot,
+and brushed away the flies that buzzed about the pitiable victims.
+
+Two men carried the sufferer up a flight of steps, and ere long he was
+transferred to a large comfortable bed in an airy, well-furnished
+apartment.
+
+The removal had not been completed more than an hour, when the surgeon
+made his evening round, and followed the patient to his new quarters.
+
+He paused at sight of the elegantly dressed woman who sat beside the
+bed, and said, stammeringly,--
+
+"I am informed that No. 7 is your husband, and that you have taken
+charge of his case, and intend to nurse him. Have you had small-pox?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+"Madam, you run a fearful risk."
+
+"I fully appreciate the hazard, and am prepared to incur it. Do you
+regard this case as hopeless?"
+
+"Not altogether, though the probabilities are that it will terminate
+fatally."
+
+"I have had too little experience to warrant my undertaking the
+management of the case, and, while I intend to remain here, I wish you
+to engage the services of some trustworthy nurse who understands the
+treatment of this disease. Can you recommend such a person?"
+
+"Yes, madam; I can send you a man in whom I have entire confidence,
+and fortunately he is not at present employed. If you desire it, I
+will see him within the next hour, and give him all requisite
+instructions about the patient."
+
+"Promptness in this matter will greatly oblige me, and I wish to spare
+no expense in contributing to the comfort and restoration of the
+sufferer. As I am utterly unknown to you, I prefer to place in your
+hands a sufficient amount to defray all incidental expenditures."
+
+She laid a roll of bills upon the table, and as Dr. Clingman counted
+them, she added,--
+
+"It is possible that I may be attacked by this disease, though I have
+been repeatedly vaccinated; and if I should die, please recollect that
+you will find in my purse a memorandum of the disposition I wish made
+of my body,--also the address of my agent and banker in New York
+City."
+
+With mingled curiosity and admiration the physician looked at the
+pale, handsome woman, who spoke of death as coldly and unconcernedly
+as of to-morrow's sun, or next month's moon.
+
+"Madam, allow me to ask if you have no friends in this city,--no
+relatives nearer than New York?"
+
+"None, sir. It is my wish that our conversation should be confined to
+the symptoms and treatment of your patient."
+
+Dr. Clingman bowed, and, after writing minute instructions upon a
+sheet of paper left on the mantelpiece, took his departure.
+
+Securing the door on the inside, Mrs. Carlyle threw aside her bonnet
+and wrappings, and came back to the sufferer on the bed.
+
+Eight years of reckless excess and dissipation had obliterated every
+vestige of manly beauty from features that disease now rendered
+loathsome, and the curling hair and long beard were unkempt and
+grizzled.
+
+Leaning against the pillow, the lonely woman bent over to scrutinize
+the distorted, burning face, and softly took into her cool palms one
+hot and swollen hand, which in other days she had admiringly stroked,
+and tenderly pressed against her cheek and lips. How totally unlike
+that countenance, which, handsome as Apollyon, had looked down at her
+on her bridal day, and fondly whispered--"my wife."
+
+Memory mercilessly broke open sealed chambers in that wretched woman's
+heart, and out of one leaped a wail that made her tremble and
+moan,--"Oh, Evelyn, my wife, forgive your husband."
+
+Slowly compassion began to bridge the dark gulf of separation and
+hate, and as the wife gazed at the writhing form of her husband, her
+stony face softened, and tears gathered in the large, mournful eyes.
+
+"Ah, Maurice! This world has proved a huge cheat to you and to
+me,--and well-nigh cost us all peace in the next one. My husband, yet
+my bitterest foe,--my first, my last, my only love! If I could recall
+one throb of the old affection, one atom of the old worshipping
+tenderness and devotion,--but it has withered; my heart is scorched
+and ashen,--and neither love nor hope haunts its desolate ruins. Poor,
+polluted, down-trodden idol! Maurice--Maurice--my husband, I have
+come. Evelyn, your wife, forgives you, as she hopes for pardon at the
+hands of her God."
+
+Kneeling beside the bed, with her snowy fingers clasped around his,
+she bowed her head, and humbly prayed for his soul, and for her own;
+and, when the petition ended, that peace which this world can never
+give,--which had so long been exiled, fluttered back and brooded once
+more in her storm-riven heart.
+
+Softly she lifted and smoothed the long tangled hair that clung to his
+forehead, and tears dripped upon his scarlet face, as she said;
+brokenly,--
+
+"_Till death us do part!_ Poor Maurice! Deserted and despised by your
+former parasites. After long years, my vows bring me back in the hour
+of your need. God grant you life, to redeem your past,--to save your
+sinful soul from eternal ruin."
+
+Suns rose and set, weary days and solemn nights of vigil succeeded
+each other, and tirelessly the wife and hired nurse watched the
+progress of the dreadful disease. Occasionally Mr. Carlyle talked
+deliriously, and more than once the name of Edith Dexter hung on his
+lips, and was coupled with tenderer terms than were ever bestowed on
+the woman who wore his own. Bending over his pillow, the pale watcher
+heard and noted all, and a sad pitying smile curved her mouth now and
+then, as she realized that the one holy love of this man's life
+triumphed over the wreck of fortune, health, and hope, and kept its
+hold upon the heart that long years before had sold itself to
+Lucifer.
+
+Sleeplessly, faithfully, she went to and fro in that darkened room,
+whose atmosphere was tainted by infection, and at last she found her
+reward. The crisis was safely passed, and she was assured the patient
+would recover.
+
+The apartment was so dimly lighted that Mr. Carlyle took little notice
+of his attendants, but one afternoon when the nurse had gone to
+procure some refreshments, the sick man turned on his pillow, and
+looked earnestly at the woman who was engaged in writing at a table
+near the bed.
+
+"Mrs. Smith."
+
+Mrs. Carlyle rose and approached him.
+
+"Are you Mrs. Smith,--my landlady?"
+
+"No, sir. I am merely your nurse."
+
+"My nurse? What is the matter with me?"
+
+"Small-pox,--but the danger is now over."
+
+"Small-pox! Where did I catch it? Am I still in Elm Street?"
+
+"No, sir; you are in the hospital."
+
+Shading his inflamed eyes with his hand, he mused for some moments,
+and she saw a perplexed and sorrowful expression cross his features.
+
+"Is there any danger of my dying?"
+
+"That danger is past."
+
+"What is your name?"
+
+"Mrs. Gerome."
+
+"Stand a little closer to me. I find I am almost blind. Mrs. Gerome?
+Your voice is strangely like one that I have not heard for many
+years,--and it carries me back,--back--to--" He sighed, and pressed
+his fingers over his eyes.
+
+After a few seconds, he said,--
+
+"Do give me some water. I am as parched as Dives."
+
+She lifted his head and put the glass to his lips,--and while he
+drank, his eyes searched her face, and lingered admiringly on her
+beautiful hand.
+
+"Are you a regular nurse at this hospital?"
+
+"I am engaged for your case."
+
+"I see no pock-marks on your skin; it is as smooth as ivory. Shall I
+escape as lightly?"
+
+"It is impossible to tell. Here comes your dinner."
+
+He caught her arm, and gazed earnestly at her.
+
+"Is your hair really so white, or is it merely an illusion of my
+inflamed eyes?"
+
+"There is not a dark hair in my head; it is as white as snow."
+
+While the nurse prepared the food and arranged it on the table, Mrs.
+Carlyle hastily collected several articles scattered about the
+apartment, and softly opened the door.
+
+Standing there a moment, she looked back at the figure comfortably
+elevated on pillows, and a long sigh of relief crossed her lips.
+
+"Thank God! I have done my duty, and now he needs me no longer. Next
+time I see your face, Maurice Carlyle, I hope it will be at the last
+bar, in the final judgment; and then may the Lord have mercy upon us
+both."
+
+The words were breathed inaudibly, and, closing the door gently, she
+hurried down the steps and in the direction of a small room which Dr.
+Clingman had converted into an office.
+
+As she entered, he looked up and pushed back his spectacles.
+
+"What can I do for you?"
+
+"A little thing, which will cost you no trouble, but will greatly
+oblige me. Doctor, I have found you a kind and sympathizing gentleman,
+and am grateful for the delicate consideration with which you have
+treated me. Mr. Carlyle is beyond danger, and I shall leave him in
+your care. When he is sufficiently strong to be removed, I desire that
+you will give him this letter, which contains a check payable to his
+order. There, examine it, and be so good as to write me a receipt."
+
+Silently he complied, and when she had re-enclosed the check and
+sealed the envelope she placed it in his hand.
+
+"Dr. Clingman, is there any other place to which small-pox cases can
+be carried? To-day I have discovered some symptoms of the disease in
+my own system, and I feel assured I shall be ill before this time
+to-morrow."
+
+"My dear madam, why not remain here?"
+
+"Because I do not wish to be discovered by Mr. Carlyle, and forced to
+meet him again. I prefer to suffer, and, if need be, die, alone and
+unknown."
+
+"If you will trust yourself to me, and to a faithful female nurse whom
+I can secure, I promise you, upon my honor as a gentleman, that I will
+allow no one else to see you, living or dead. My dear madam, I beg you
+to reconsider, and remain where I can watch over, and perhaps preserve
+your life. I dreaded this. You are feverish now."
+
+Wearily she swept her hand across her forehead, and a dreary smile
+flitted over her wan features.
+
+"My life is a worthless, melancholy thing, useless to others, and a
+crushing burden to me; and I might as well lay it down here as
+elsewhere. I accept your promise, Dr. Clingman, and hope you will
+obtain a room in the quiet and secluded portion of the building. If I
+should be so fortunate as to die, do not forget the memorandum in this
+purse. I leave my body in your care, my soul in the hands of Him who
+alone can give it rest."
+
+  "The burden of my days is hard to bear,
+    But God knows best;
+  And I have prayed,--but vain has been my prayer,--
+    For rest--for rest."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII.
+
+
+"Miss Dexter, have you succeeded in seeing Mrs. Gerome since her
+return?"
+
+"No, sir; she obstinately refuses to admit me, though I have called
+twice at the house. Yesterday I received a letter in answer to several
+that I have addressed to her, all of which she returned unopened.
+Since you have already learned so much of our melancholy history, why
+should I hesitate to acquaint you with the contents of her letter? You
+know the object of her journey north, and I will read you the
+result."
+
+The governess drew a letter from her pocket, and Dr. Grey leaned his
+face on his hand and listened.
+
+  "SOLITUDE, _May 10th, 18--_.
+
+  "_Edith_,--No lingering vestige of affection, no remorseful
+  tenderness, prompted that mission from which I have recently
+  returned, and only the savage scourgings of implacable duty could
+  have driven me, like a galley-slave, to my hated task. The victim
+  of a horrible and disfiguring disease which so completely changed
+  his countenance that his own mother would scarcely have recognized
+  him,--and the tenant of a charity hospital in the town of ----, I
+  found that man who has proved the Upas of your life and of mine.
+  During his delirium I watched and nursed him--not lovingly (how
+  could I?) but faithfully, kindly, pityingly. When all danger was
+  safely passed, and his clouded intellect began to clear itself, I
+  left him in careful hands, and provided an ample amount for his
+  comfortable maintenance in coming years. I spared him the
+  humiliation of recognizing in his nurse his injured and despised
+  wife; and, as night after night I watched beside the pitiable
+  wreck of a once handsome, fascinating, and idolized man, I fully
+  and freely forgave Maurice Carlyle all the wrongs that so
+  completely stranded my life. To-day he is well, and probably
+  happy, while he finds himself possessed of means by which to
+  gratify his extravagant tastes; but how long his naturally fine
+  constitution can hold at bay the legion of ills that hunt like
+  hungry wolves along the track of reckless dissipation, God only
+  knows.
+
+  "For some natures it is exceedingly difficult to forgive,--to
+  forget, impossible; and while my husband's abject wretchedness and
+  degradation disarmed the hate that has for so many years rankled
+  in my heart, I could never again look willingly upon his face.
+  Edith, you and I have nothing in common but miserable memories,
+  which, I beg you to believe, are sufficiently vivid, without the
+  torturing adjunct of your countenance; therefore, pardon me if I
+  decline to receive your visits, and return the letters that are
+  quite as welcome and cheering to my eyes as the little shoes and
+  garments of the long-buried dead to the mother, who would fain
+  look no more upon the harrowing relics. I do not wish to be harsh,
+  but I must be honest, and our intercourse can never be renewed in
+  this world.
+
+  "In bygone days, when I loved you so fondly and trusted you so
+  fully, it was my intention to share my fortune with you; and,
+  since I find that you have not forfeited my confidence in the
+  purity of your purposes, such is still my wish. I enclose a draft
+  on my banker, which I hope you will deem sufficient to enable you
+  to abandon the arduous profession in which you have worn out your
+  life. If I can feel assured that I have been instrumental in
+  contributing to the peace and ease of the years that may yet be in
+  store for you, it will serve as one honeyed drop to sweeten the
+  dregs of the cup of woe I am draining. Edith, do not refuse the
+  only aid I can offer you in your loneliness; and accept the
+  earnest assurance that I shall be grateful for the privilege of
+  promoting your comfort. Affection and trust I have not, and a few
+  paltry thousands are all I am now able to bestow. By the love you
+  once professed, and in the name of that compassion you should feel
+  for me, I beg of you, despise not the gift; and let the
+  consciousness that I have saved you from toil and fatigue quiet
+  the soul and ease the heart of a lonely woman, who has shaken
+  hands with every earthly hope. I have done my duty, my conscience
+  is calm and contented, and I sit wearily on the stormy shore of
+  time, waiting for the tide that will drift into eternity the
+  desolate, proud soul of
+
+  "VASHTI CARLYLE."
+
+Tears rolled over the governess' cheeks, and, refolding the letter,
+she said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"My poor, heart-broken Vashti! She has resumed the name which old
+Elsie gave her because it was her mother's; and how mournfully
+appropriate it has proved. I could be happy if permitted to spend the
+residue of my days with her; but she decrees otherwise, and I have no
+alternative but submission to her imperious will."
+
+Dr. Grey did not lift his face where the shadow of a great, voiceless
+grief hung heavily, and his low tone indexed deep and painful emotion,
+when he answered,--
+
+"I sincerely deplore her unfortunate decision, for isolation only
+augments the ills from which she suffers. Many months have elapsed
+since I saw her last, but Robert Maclean told me to-day that she was
+sadly changed in appearance, and seemed in feeble health. She did not
+tell you that she had been dangerously ill with varioloid, contracted
+while nursing her husband. Although not in the least marked or
+disfigured, the attack must have seriously impaired her constitution,
+if all that Robert tells me be true. Since her return, one month ago,
+she has not left her room."
+
+"Dr. Grey, exert your influence in my behalf, and prevail upon her to
+admit me."
+
+"Miss Dexter, you ascribe to me powers of persuasion which,
+unfortunately, I do not possess; and Mrs. Carlyle's decree is
+beyond the reach of human agency. To the few who are earnestly
+interested in her welfare, there remains but one avenue of aid and
+comfort,--faithful, fervent prayer."
+
+"Perhaps you are not aware of the exalted estimate she places on your
+character, nor of the value she attaches to your opinions. Of all
+living beings, she told me she reverenced and trusted you most; and
+you, at least, would not be denied access to her presence."
+
+She could not see the tremor on his usually firm lips, nor the pallor
+that overspread his face, and when he spoke his grave voice did not
+betray the tumult in his aching heart.
+
+"I am no longer a visitor at 'Solitude,' and shall not see its
+mistress unless she requires my professional aid. While I am very
+deeply interested in her happiness, I could never consent to intrude
+upon her seclusion."
+
+"I know my days are numbered, and after a little while I shall sleep
+well under the ancient cedars that shade the head-stones of my father
+and mother; but I could die more cheerfully, more joyfully, if Evelyn
+would only be comforted, and accept some human friendship."
+
+"For some weeks you have seemed so much better that I hoped warm
+weather would quite relieve and invigorate you. Spend next winter in
+Cuba or Mexico, and it will probably add many months, possibly years,
+to your life."
+
+She smiled, and shook her head.
+
+"This beautiful springtime has temporarily baffled the disease, but
+for me there can be no restoration. Day by day I feel the ebbing of
+strength and energy, and the approach of my deliverer, death; but I
+realize also, what the Centaur uttered to Melampus, 'I decline unto my
+last days calm as the setting of the constellations; but I feel
+myself perishing and passing quickly away, like a snow-wreath floating
+on the stream.'"
+
+As he looked at the thin, pure face where May sunshine streamed warm
+and bright, and marked the perfect peace that brooded over the changed
+features, Dr. Grey was reminded of the lines that might have been
+written for her, so fully were they suited to her case,--
+
+  "I saw that one who lost her love in pain,
+    Who trod on thorns, who drank the loathsome cup;
+  The lost in night, in day was found again;
+    The fallen was lifted up.
+  They stood together in the blessed noon,
+    They sang together through the length of days;
+  Each loving face bent sunwards, like a moon
+    New-lit with love and praise."
+
+"My friend, the shadows are passing swiftly from your life, and, in
+the mild radiance of its close, you can well afford to forget the
+storms that clouded its dawn."
+
+"Forget? No, Dr. Grey, I neither endeavor nor desire to forget the
+sorrows that first taught me the emptiness of earthly things, the
+futility of human schemes,--that snapped the frail reed of flesh to
+which I clung, and gave me, instead, the blessed support, the
+immovable arm of an everlasting God. Ah! that woman was deeply versed
+in the heart-lore of her own sex, who wrote,--
+
+  'When I remember something which I had,
+  But which is gone, and I must do without,
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+  When I remember something promised me,
+    But which I never had, nor can have now,
+  Because the promiser we no more see
+    In countries that accord with mortal vow;
+  When I remember this, I mourn,--but yet
+    My happier days are not the days when I forget.'"
+
+"If Mrs. Carlyle possessed a tithe of your faith and philosophy, how
+serene, how tranquilly useful her future years might prove."
+
+"In God's own good time her trials will be sanctified to her eternal
+peace, and she will one day glide from grief to glory, for she can
+claim the promise of our Lord, 'The pure in heart shall see God.' No
+purer heart than Vashti Carlyle's throbs this side of the throne where
+seraphim and cherubim hover."
+
+In the brief silence that succeeded, the governess observed the
+unusually grave and melancholy expression of her companion's
+countenance, and asked, timidly,--
+
+"Has anything occurred recently to distress or annoy you? You look
+depressed."
+
+"I feel inexpressibly anxious about Salome, concerning whose fate I
+can learn nothing that is comforting. In reply to my letter, urging
+him to make every effort to ascertain her locality and condition,
+Professor V---- writes, that he is now a confirmed invalid, confined
+to his room, and unable to conduct the search for his missing pupil.
+She left Palermo on a small vessel bound for Monaco, and her farewell
+note stated that all attempts to discover her retreat would prove
+futile, as she was resolved to preserve her incognito, and wished her
+friends in America to remain in ignorance of her mode of life.
+Professor V---- surmises that she is in Paris, but gives no good
+reason for the conjecture, except that she possibly sought the best
+medical advice for the treatment of her throat and recovery of her
+voice. His last letter, received yesterday, informed me that one of
+Salome's most devoted admirers, a Bostonian of immense wealth, was so
+deeply grieved by her inexplicable disappearance that he was
+diligently searching for her in Leghorn and Monaco. She left Palermo
+alone, and with a comparatively empty purse."
+
+"Dr. Grey, are you aware of the suspicions which Muriel has long
+entertained with reference to Mr. Granville's admiration of Salome,
+and the efforts of the latter to encourage his attentions?"
+
+"I have very cogent reasons for believing that however amenable
+to censure Mr. Granville doubtless is, Muriel's distrust of Salome
+is totally unjust. If she were capable of the despicable course my
+ward is disposed to impute to her, I should cease to feel any
+interest in her career or fate; but I cherish the conviction that
+she would scorn to be guilty of conduct so ignoble. Her defects of
+character I shall neither deny nor attempt to palliate, but I trust
+her true womanly heart as I trust my own manly honor; and a stern
+sense of justice to the absent constrains me to vindicate her from
+Muriel's hasty and unfounded aspersions. So strong is my faith in
+Salome's conscientiousness, so earnest my friendship for her, that
+since the receipt of Professor V----'s letter I have determined to
+go immediately to Europe, and if possible discover her retreat. My
+sister's adopted child must not and shall not suffer and struggle
+among strangers, while I live to aid and protect her."
+
+Miss Dexter rose and laid her thin, feverish hand on his arm, while
+embarrassment made her voice tremble slightly,--
+
+"I am rejoiced to learn your decision, and God grant you speedy
+success in your quest. Do not deem me presumptuous or impertinent if,
+prompted by a sincere desire to see you happy, I venture to say, that
+he who lightly values the pure, tender, devoted love of such a woman
+as Salome Owen,--tramples on treasures that would make his life
+affluent and blessed--that neither gold can purchase nor royalty
+compel. Under your guidance, moulded by your influence, she would
+become a noble woman,--of whom any man might justly be proud."
+
+Fearful that she had already incurred his displeasure, and unwilling
+to meet his eye, she turned quickly and made her escape through the
+open door.
+
+In the bright glow of that lovely spring day, the calm face of Ulpian
+Grey seemed scarcely older than on the afternoon when he came to make
+the farm his home; and though paler, and ciphered over by the leaden
+finger of anxiety, it indexed little of the long, fierce strife, that
+conscience had waged with heart.
+
+Lighter and more impulsive natures expend themselves in spasmodic and
+violent ebullitions, but the great deep of this man's serene character
+had never stirred, until the one mighty love of his life had lashed it
+into a tempest that tossed his hopes like sea-froth, and finally
+engulfed the only rosy dream of wedded happiness that had ever flushed
+his quiet, solitary, sedate existence.
+
+Having kept his heart in holy subjection to the law of Christ, he did
+not quail and surrender when the great temptation rose, bearing the
+banner of insurrection; but sternly and dauntlessly fronted the shock,
+and kept inviolate the citadel, garrisoned by an invincible and
+consecrated will.
+
+The yearning tenderness of his strong, tranquil soul, had enfolded
+Mrs. Carlyle, drawing her more and more into the penetralia of his
+affection; but from the hour in which he learned her history he had
+torn away the clinging tendrils of love,--had endeavored to expel her
+from his heart, and to stifle its wail for the lost idol.
+
+Week after week, month after month, he had driven every day within
+sight of the blue smoke that curled above the trees at "Solitude," but
+never even for an instant checked his horse to gaze longingly towards
+the Eden whence he had voluntarily exiled himself.
+
+There were hours when his heart ached for the sight of that white face
+he had loved so madly, and the sound of the mournfully sweet
+voice,--and his hand trembled at the recollection of the soft, cold,
+snowy fingers, that once thrilled his palms; but he treated these
+utterances of his heart as mercilessly as the hunter who cheers his
+dogs in the chase where the death-cry of the victim rings above bark
+and halloo.
+
+No wall of division, no sea of separation, would have proved so
+effectual, so insurmountable, as his own firm resolve that his earthly
+path should never cross that of one whom God's statutes had set apart
+until death annulled the decree. In this torturing ordeal he was
+strengthened by the conviction that he alone suffered for his
+folly,--that Mrs. Carlyle was a stranger to feelings that robbed him
+of sleep, and clouded his days,--that the heaving tide of his devoted
+love had broken against her frozen heart as idly as the surges of the
+sea that die in foam upon the dreary, mysterious ruins of the Serapeon
+at Pozzuoli.
+
+In the silent watches of the night, as he pondered the brief,
+beautiful vision that had so completely fascinated him, he reverently
+thanked God that the woman he loved had never reciprocated his
+affection, and was not sitting in the ashes of desolation, mourning
+his absence. Striving to interest himself more and more in Stanley and
+Jessie, who had become inordinately fond of him, his thoughts
+continually reverted to Salome, and that subtle sympathy which springs
+from the "fellow-being," that makes us "wondrous kind" to those whose
+pangs are fierce as ours, began faintly and shyly, but surely, to
+assert itself. A shadowy, intangible self-reproach brooded like a
+phantom over his generous heart, when, amidst the uncertainty that
+seemed to overhang the orphan's fate, he remembered the numberless
+manifestations of almost idolatrous affection which he had coldly
+repulsed.
+
+In the earnest interest that day by day deepened in the absent girl,
+there was no pitiable vanity, no inflated self-love, but a stern
+realization of the anguish and humiliation that must now be her
+portion, and a magnanimous eagerness to endeavor to cheer a heart
+whose severest woes had sprung from his indifference.
+
+More than a year had elapsed, and no letter had ever reached him,--not
+even a message in her two brief epistles to Stanley, and Dr. Grey
+missed the bright, perverse element that no longer thwarted him at
+every turn.
+
+He longed to see the proud, girlish face, with its flashing eyes, and
+red lips, and the haughty toss of the large, handsome head; and the
+angry tones of her voice would have been welcome sounds in the house
+where she had so long tyrannized. To-day, as Ulpian Grey sat in his
+own little sitting-room, his eyes were fixed on a copy of Rembrandt's
+_Nicholas Tulp_, which hung over the mantelpiece; but the mysteries of
+anatomy no longer riveted his attention, and his thoughts were busy
+with memories of a fond though wayward girl, whom his indifference
+had driven to foreign lands,--to unknown and fearful perils.
+
+Through the windows stole the breath of Salome's violets, and the
+sweet, spicy odor of the Belgian honeysuckle that she had planted and
+twined around the mossy columns that supported the gallery; and with a
+sigh he closed his eyes, shut out the anatomy of flesh, and began the
+dissection of emotions.
+
+Could Salome's radiant face brighten his home, and win his heart from
+its devouring regret? Would it be possible for him to give her the
+place whence he had ejected Mrs. Carlyle? Could he ever persuade
+himself to call that fair, passionate young thing, that capricious,
+obstinate, maliciously perverse girl,--his wife?
+
+Involuntarily he frowned, for while pity pleaded for the refugee from
+home and happiness, the man's honest nature scouted all shams, and he
+acknowledged to himself that he could never feel the need of her lips
+or hands,--could never insult her womanhood, or degrade his own
+nature, by folding to his heart one whose touch possessed no
+magnetism, whose presence exerted no spell over his home.
+
+Salome, his friend, his adopted sister, he wished to discover, to
+claim, and restore to the household; but Salome, his wife,--was a
+monstrous imaginary incubus that appalled and repelled him.
+
+The difficulties that presented themselves at the outset of his search
+would have discouraged a less resolute temperament, but it was part of
+his wise philosophy, that--
+
+  "We overstate the ills of life. We walk upon
+  The shadow of hills across a level thrown,
+  And pant like climbers."
+
+As a pitying older brother, he thought of Salome's many foibles,--of
+her noble intentions and ignoble executions,--of her few feeble
+triumphs, her numerous egregious failures in the line of duty; and
+loving Christian charity pleaded eloquently for her, whispering to his
+generous soul, "We know the ships that come with streaming pennons
+into the immortal ports; but we know little of the ships that have
+taken fire on the way thither,--that have gone down at sea."
+
+What pure friendship could accomplish he would not withhold, and life
+at the farm was not so attractive now that he felt regret at the
+prospect of temporary absence.
+
+The disappointment that had so rudely smitten to the earth the one
+precious hope born of his acquaintance with "Solitude," had no power
+to embitter his nature,--to drape the world in drab, or to shroud the
+future with gloom; and though his noble face was sadder and paler,
+Christian faith and resignation rang blessed chimes of peace in heart
+and soul, and made his life a hallowed labor of love for the needy and
+grief-stricken. To-day, as he sat alone at the south window, he could
+overlook the fields of "Grassmere," where the rich promise of golden
+harvest "filled in all beauty and fulness the emerald cup of the
+hills," and the waving grain rippled in light and shade like the
+billows of some distant sunset sea. Basking in the balmy sunshine, and
+contemplating his approaching departure for Europe, a sudden longing
+seized him to look once more on the face of Vashti Carlyle, before he
+bade farewell to his home.
+
+She was in feeble health, and might not survive his absence,
+and, moreover, what harm could result from one final visit to
+"Solitude,"--from a few parting words to its desolate mistress? She
+had sent a message through Robert, that she would be glad to see
+Dr. Grey whenever he could find leisure to call, and now hungry
+heart and soul cried out savagely,--
+
+"Why not? Why not?"
+
+His heavy brows knitted a little, and his mouth grew rigid as iron,
+but after some moments the lips relaxed, and with a sad, patient
+smile, he repeated those stirring words of Richter to Herman,--"Suffer
+like a man the Alp-pressure of fate. Trust yourself upon the broad,
+shining wings of your _faith_, and make them bear you over the Dead
+Sea, so as not to fall spiritually dead within."
+
+"No, no, Ulpian Grey,--keep yourself 'unspotted from the world.'
+Strangle that one temptation which borrows the garments of an angel
+of light and mercy, and dogs you, sleeping and waking. I will see her
+no more till death snaps her fetters, and I can meet her in the
+presence of God, who alone can know what separation costs me. May He
+grant her strength to bear her lonely lot, and give me grace to be
+patient even unto the end, bringing no reproach on the sacred faith I
+profess."
+
+It was the final struggle between love and duty, and though the
+vanquished heart wailed piteously, exultant conscience, like Jupiter
+of old, triumphantly applauded, "Evan, evoe!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII.
+
+
+"Wanted!--Information of Salome Owen, who will confer a favor on her
+friends, and secure a handsome legacy by calling at No. -- ----."
+
+"Dr. Grey, for six months this advertisement has appeared every
+morning in two of the most popular journals in Paris, and as it has
+elicited no clew to her whereabouts, I am reluctantly compelled to
+believe that she is no longer in France."
+
+Mr. Granville refolded the newspaper, and busied himself in filling
+and lighting his meerschaum.
+
+"By whom was that notice inserted?"
+
+"By M. de Baillu, the agent and banker of Mr. Minge of Boston, who was
+warmly and sincerely attached to your _protégée_, and earnestly
+endeavored to marry her. When she left Palermo, Mr. Minge came to this
+city and solicited my aid in discovering her retreat."
+
+"Pardon me, but why did he apply to you?"
+
+"Simply because he knew that I was an old acquaintance, and he had
+seen me with her, when she first came from America."
+
+"How did you ascertain her presence in Paris?"
+
+"Accidentally; one night, at the opera, whither she accompanied
+Professor V----, I recognized her, and of course made myself known.
+To what shall I ascribe the honor of this rigid cross-questioning?"
+
+"To reasons which I shall very freely give you. But first, permit me
+to beg that you will resume your narrative at the point where I
+interrupted you. I wish to learn all that can be told concerning Mr.
+Minge."
+
+"He was an elderly man of ordinary appearance, but extraordinary
+fortune, and seemed completely fascinated by Salome's beauty. He
+offered a large reward to the police for any clew that would enable
+him to discover her, and finally found the physician whom she had
+consulted with reference to some disease of the throat, which
+occasioned the loss of her voice. He had prescribed for her several
+times, but knew nothing of her lodging-place, as she always called at
+his office; and finally, without assigning any reason, her visits
+ceased. Mr. Minge redoubled his exertions, and at last found her in
+one of the hospitals connected with a convent. The Sisters of Charity
+informed him that one bleak day when the rain was falling drearily,
+they chanced to see a woman stagger and drop on the pavement before
+their door, and, hurrying to her assistance, discovered that she had
+swooned from exhaustion. A bundle of unfinished needlework was hidden
+under her shawl, and they soon ascertained that she was delirious from
+some low typhus fever that had utterly prostrated her. For several
+weeks she was dangerously ill, and was just able to sit up when Mr.
+Minge discovered her. He told me that it was distressing and painful
+beyond expression to witness her humiliation, her wounded pride, her
+defiant rejection of his renewed offer of marriage. One day he took
+his sister Constance and a minister of the gospel to the hospital, and
+implored Salome to become his wife, then and there. He said she wept
+bitterly, and thanked him, thanked his sister also, but solemnly
+assured him she could never marry any one,--she would sooner starve in
+the--"
+
+Dr. Grey raised his hand, signalling for silence, and for some moments
+he leaned his forehead against the chair directly in front of him.
+
+Mr. Granville cleared his throat several times, and loosened his
+neck-tie, which seemed to impede his breathing.
+
+"Shall I go on? There is little more to tell."
+
+"If you please, Granville."
+
+"Mr. Minge would not abandon the hope of finally persuading her to
+accept his hand, but next day when he called to inquire about her
+health, and to request the sisters to watch her movements, and
+prevent her escape, he was shocked to learn that she had disappeared
+the previous night, leaving a few lines written in pencil on a
+handkerchief, in which she had wrapped her superb suit of hair. They
+were addressed to the Sisters of Charity, and briefly expressed her
+gratitude for their kindness in providing for her wants, while she
+assured them that as soon as possible she would return and compensate
+them for their services in her behalf. Meantime, knowing the high
+price of hair, she had carefully cut off her own, which was
+unusually long and thick, and tendered it in part payment. When she
+was taken into the building, her nurse found concealed in her dress a
+very elegant watch, bearing her name in diamond letters, and she
+requested that the sisters would hold it in pawn, until she was able
+to redeem it. During her illness, it had been locked up, and they
+supposed she left it, fearing that an application for it would arouse
+suspicions of her intended flight. Mr. Minge bought the hair and
+handkerchief, and, after a liberal remuneration for their care of
+the invalid, he took charge of the watch, and left his address to be
+given her when she called for her property. That her mind had become
+seriously impaired, there can be little doubt, since nothing but
+insanity can explain her refusal to accept one of the handsomest
+estates in America. Unfortunately, a few days subsequent to her
+departure from the hospital, Mr. Minge was taken very violently ill
+with pneumonia, and died. Conscious of his condition, he prepared a
+codicil to his will, and bequeathed to Salome twenty-five thousand
+dollars, and an elegant house and lot in New York City. He exacted
+from his sister a solemn promise that she would leave no means
+untried to ferret out the wanderer, to whom he was so devotedly
+attached; and, should all efforts fail, at the expiration of five
+years the legacy should revert to the hospital which had sheltered
+her in the hour of her destitution. The watch he left with his sister
+Constance; the hair, he ordered buried with him. Three months have
+elapsed, and no tidings have reached Miss Minge, who remains in
+Paris for the purpose of complying with her brother's dying request."
+
+"My poor, perverse Salome! To what desperate extremities has she been
+reduced by her unfortunate wilfulness. Gerard, will you tell me
+frankly your own conjecture concerning her fate?"
+
+"If alive, I believe she has left Europe."
+
+"Upon what do you base your supposition?"
+
+"Mr. Minge was convinced that her attachment to some one in America
+was the insurmountable barrier to his success as a suitor; and, if
+so, she probably returned to her native land. Dr. Grey, I will speak
+candidly to you of a matter which has doubtless given you some
+disquiet. Muriel informs me that you have no confidence in the
+sincerity of my attachment to her, and that upon that fact is founded
+your refusal to allow the consummation of our engagement, so long as
+she continues your ward. I confess I am not free from censure, but,
+while I have acted weakly, I am not devoid of principle. Sir, I was
+strangely and powerfully attracted to Salome Owen, and she exerted
+a species of fascination over me which I scarcely endeavored to
+resist. In an evil hour, infatuated by her face and her marvellous
+voice, I was wild enough to offer her my hand, and resolved to ask
+Muriel to release me. Dr. Grey, even at my own expense, I wish to
+exonerate Salome, who never for an instant, by word or look,
+encouraged my madness. She repulsed my advances, refused every
+attention, and when I rashly uttered words, which, I admit, were
+treasonable to Muriel, she almost overwhelmed me with her fiery
+contempt and indignation,--threatening to acquaint Muriel with my
+inconstancy, and appealing to my honor as a gentleman to keep
+inviolate my betrothal vows. Dr. Grey, if my heart temporarily
+wandered from its allegiance to your ward, it was not Salome's
+fault, for in every respect her conduct towards me was that of a
+noble, unselfish woman, who scorned to gratify her vanity at the
+expense of another's happiness. She shamed me out of my folly, and
+her stern honesty and nobility saved me from a brief and humiliating
+career of dishonorable duplicity. Whether living or dead, I owe this
+tribute to the pure character of Salome Owen."
+
+"Thank Heaven! I had faith in her. I believed her too generous to
+stoop to a flirtation with the lover of her friend; and, deplorable as
+was your own weakness, I am rejoiced, Gerard, to find that you have
+conquered it. Tell Muriel all that you have confided to me, and in her
+hands we will leave the decision."
+
+"Do you intend to prosecute the search which has proved so fruitless?"
+
+"I do. She has not returned to America,--she is here somewhere; and,
+living or dead, I must and will find her."
+
+Dr. Grey seemed lost in perplexing thought for some time, then drew a
+sheet of paper before him, and wrote, "Ulpian Grey wishes to see
+Salome Owen, in order to communicate some facts which will induce her
+return to her family; and he hopes she will call immediately at No.
+Rue ----."
+
+"Gerard, please be so good as to have this inserted in all the leading
+journals in the city; and give me the address of Mr. Minge's agent."
+
+At the expiration of a month, spent in the most diligent yet
+unsuccessful efforts to obtain some information of the wanderer, Dr.
+Grey began to feel discouraged,--to yield to melancholy forebodings
+that an untimely death had ended her struggles and suffering.
+
+Once, while pacing the walks in the Champs-Elysées, he caught a
+glimpse of a face that recalled Salome's, and started eagerly forward;
+but it proved that of a Parisian _bonne_, who was romping with her
+juvenile charge.
+
+Again, one afternoon, as he came out of the Church of St. Sulpice, his
+heart bounded at sight of a woman who leaned against the railing, and
+watched the play of the fountain. When he approached her and peered
+eagerly into her countenance, blue eyes and yellow curls mocked his
+hopes. One morning, while he walked slowly along the _Rue du Faubourg
+St. Honoré_, his attention was attracted by the glitter of pretty
+baubles in the _Maison de la Pensée_, and he entered the establishment
+to purchase something for Jessie.
+
+While waiting for his parcel, a woman came out of a rear apartment and
+passed into the street, and, almost snatching his package from the
+counter, he followed.
+
+A few yards in advance was a graceful but thin figure, clad in a
+violet-colored muslin, with a rather dingy silk scarf wound around her
+shoulders. A straw hat, with a wreath of faded pink roses, drooped
+over her face, and streamers of black lace hung behind, while over the
+whole she had thrown a thin gray veil.
+
+Dr. Grey had not seen a feature, but the _pose_ of the shoulders, the
+haughty poise of the head, the quick, nervous, elastic step, and,
+above all, the peculiar, free, childish swinging of the left arm, made
+his despondent heart throb with renewed hope.
+
+Keeping sufficiently near not to lose sight of her, he walked on and
+on, down cross streets, up narrow alleys, towards a quarter of the
+city with which he was unacquainted. The woman never looked back,
+rarely turned her head, even to glance at those who passed her, and
+only once she paused before a flower-stall, and seemed to price a
+bunch of carnations, which she smelled, laid down again, and then
+hurried on.
+
+Dr. Grey quickly paid for the cluster, and hastened after her.
+
+In turning a corner, she dropped a small parcel that she had carried
+under her scarf, and as she stooped to pick it up, her veil floated
+off. She caught it ere it reached the ground, and when she raised her
+hands to spread it over her hat, the loose open sleeves of her dress
+slipped back, and there, on the left arm, was a long, zigzag scar,
+like a serpentine bracelet.
+
+With great difficulty Dr. Grey stifled a cry of joy, and waited until
+she had gained some yards in advance.
+
+The woman was so absorbed in reverie that she did not notice the
+steady tramp of her pursuer, but as the number of persons on the
+street gradually diminished, he prudently fell back, fearing lest her
+suspicion should be excited.
+
+At a sudden bend in the crooked alley which she rapidly threaded, he
+lost sight of her, and, running a few yards, he turned the angle just
+in time to see the flutter of her dress and scarf, as she disappeared
+through a postern, that opened in a crumbling brick wall.
+
+Above the gate a battered tin sign swung in the wind, and dim letters,
+almost effaced by elemental warfare, announced, "_Adèle Aubin,
+Blanchisseuse_."
+
+Dr. Grey passed through the postern, and found himself in a narrow,
+dark court, near a tall, dingy, dilapidated house, where a girl ten
+years of age sat playing with two ragged, untidy children.
+
+It was a dreary, comfortless, uninviting place, and a greenish slime
+overspread the lower portions of the wall, and coated the uneven
+pavement.
+
+From the girl, who chatted with genuine French volubility and freedom,
+Dr. Grey learned that her father was an attaché of a barber-shop, and
+her mother a washer and renovater of laces and embroideries. The
+latter was absent, and, in answer to his inquiries, the child informed
+him that an upper room in this cheerless building was occupied by a
+young female lodger, who held no intercourse with its other inmates.
+
+Placing a five-franc piece in her hand, the visitor asked the name of
+the lodger, but the girl replied that she was known to them only as
+"_La Dentellière_," and lived quite alone in the right-hand room at
+the top of the third flight of stairs.
+
+The parley had already occupied twenty minutes, when Dr. Grey cut it
+short by mounting the narrow, winding steps. The atmosphere was close,
+and redolent of the fumes of dishes not so popular in America as in
+France, and he saw that the different doors of this old tenement were
+rented to lodgers who cooked, ate, and slept in the same apartment. At
+the top of the last dim flight of steps, Dr. Grey paused, almost out
+of breath; and found himself on a narrow landing-place, fronting two
+attic rooms. The one on the right was closed, but as he softly took
+the bolt in his hand and turned it, there floated through the key-hole
+the low subdued sound of a sweet voice, humming "_Infelice_."
+
+It was not the deep, rich, melting voice, that had arrested his drive
+when first he heard it on the beach, but a plaintive, thrilling echo,
+full of pathos, yet lacking power; like the notes of birds when
+moulting-season ends, and the warblers essay their old strains.
+Cautiously he opened the door wide enough to permit him to observe
+what passed within.
+
+The room was large, low, and irregularly shaped, with neither
+fire-place nor stove, and only one dormer window opening to the south,
+and upon a wide waste of tiled roofs and smoking chimneys. The floor
+was bare, except a strip of faded carpet stretched in front of a small
+single bedstead; and the additional furniture consisted of two chairs,
+a tall table where hung a mirror, and a washstand that held beside
+bowl and pitcher a candlestick and china cup. On the table were
+several books, a plate and knife, and a partially opened package
+disclosed a loaf of bread, some cheese, and an apple.
+
+In front of the window a piece of plank had been rudely fastened, and
+here stood two wooden boxes containing a few violets, mignonette, and
+one very luxuriant rose-geranium.
+
+The faded blue cambric curtain was twisted into a knot, and as it was
+now nearly noon, the sun shone in and made a patch of gold on the
+stained and dusky floor.
+
+On the bed lay the straw hat, garlanded with roses that had lost their
+primitive tints, and before the window in a low chair sat the lonely
+lodger.
+
+On her knees rested a cushion, across which was stretched a parchment
+pattern bristling with pins, and with bobbins she was swiftly knitting
+a piece of gossamer lace, by throwing the fine threads around the
+pins.
+
+Over the floor floated her delicate lilac dress, and the sleeves were
+looped back to escape the forest of pins.
+
+Dr. Grey had only a three-quarter view of the face that bent over the
+cushion, and though it was sadly altered in every lineament,--was
+whiter and thinner than he had ever seen it,--yet it was impossible to
+mistake the emaciated features of Salome Owen.
+
+The large, handsome head, had been shorn of its crown of glossy braids
+that once encircled it like a jet tiara, and the short locks clustered
+with childlike grace and beauty around the gleaming white brow and
+temples.
+
+There was not a vestige of color in the whilom scarlet mouth, whose
+thin lines were now scarcely perceptible; and, in the finer oval of
+her cheeks, and along the polished chin, the purplish veins showed
+their delicate tracery. The hands were waxen and almost transparent,
+and the figure was wasted beyond the boundaries of symmetry.
+
+In the knot of ribbon that fastened her narrow linen collar, she had
+arranged a sprig of mignonette, that now dropped upon the cushion as
+she bent over it. She paused, brushed it off, and for a few seconds
+her beautiful hazel eyes were fixed on the blue sky that bordered her
+window.
+
+The whole expression of her countenance had changed, and the
+passionate defiance of other days had given place to a sad, patient
+hopelessness, touching indeed, when seen on her proud features. Slowly
+she threw her bobbins, and a fragment of "_Infelice_" seemed to drift
+across her trembling lips, that showed some lines of bitterness in
+their time-chiselling.
+
+As Dr. Grey watched her, tears which he could not restrain trickled
+down his face, and he was starting forward, when she said, as if
+communing with her own desolate soul,--
+
+"I wonder if I am growing superstitious. Last night I dreamed
+incessantly of Jessie and home, and to-day I cannot help thinking that
+something has happened there. Home! When people no longer have a home,
+how hard it is to forget that blessed home which sheltered them in the
+early years. Homeless! that is the dreariest word that human misery
+ever conjectured or human language clothed. Never mind, Salome Owen,
+when God snatched your voice from you, He became responsible; and your
+claims are like the ravens and sparrows, and He must provide. After
+all, it matters little where we are housed here in the clay, and
+Hobbs was astute when he selected for the epitaph on his tombstone,
+'This is the true philosopher's stone.' Home! Ah, if I sadly missed my
+heart's home, here in the flesh, I shall surely find it up yonder in
+the blessed land of blue."
+
+A tear glided down her cheek, glistened an instant on her chin, and
+fell on her pattern. She brushed it away, and smiled sorrowfully,--
+
+"It is ill-omened to sprinkle bridal lace with tears. Some day this
+fine web will droop around a bride's white shoulders and after a time
+it may serve to deck the cold limbs of some dead child. If I could
+only have my shroud now, I would not make lace a _desideratum_; serge
+or sackcloth would be welcome. Patience,--
+
+                ... 'What if the bread
+  Be bitter in thine inn, and thou unshod
+  To meet the flints? At least it may be said,
+  Because the way is _short_, I thank thee, God!'"
+
+She partially rose in her chair, and took from the table a volume of
+poems. After some search, she found the desired passage, and, rocking
+herself to and fro, she read it aloud in a low, measured tone,--
+
+  "O dreary life! we cry, 'O dreary life!'
+  And still the generations of the birds
+  Sing through our sighing, and the flocks and herds
+  Serenely live, while we are keeping strife
+  With heaven's true purpose in us, as a knife
+  Against which we may struggle! Ocean girds
+  Unslackened the dry land, savannah-swards
+  Unweary sweep,--hills watch unworn; and rife
+  Meek leaves drop yearly from the forest-trees,
+  To show above the unwasted stars that pass
+  In their old glory. '_O thou God of old,
+  Grant me some smaller grace than comes to these!
+  But even so much patience, as a blade of grass
+  Grows by, contented through the heat and cold._'"
+
+The book slipped from her fingers and fell upon the floor, and with a
+sob the girl bowed her head in her hands.
+
+Quickly the intruder glided unseen into the room, and stood at the
+back of her chair.
+
+He knew she was praying, and almost breathlessly waited several
+minutes.
+
+At last she raised her face, and while tears trembled on her lashes,
+she said meekly,--
+
+"I ought not to complain and repine. I will be patient and trust God;
+for I can afford to suffer all through time, provided I may spend
+eternity with Christ and Dr. Grey."
+
+"Oh, Salome! Thank God, we shall be separated neither in time nor in
+eternity! Dear wanderer, come back to your brother!"
+
+He stepped before her, and involuntarily held out his arms.
+
+She neither screamed nor fainted, but sprang to her feet, and a
+rapture that beggars all description irradiated her worn, weary,
+pallid face.
+
+"Is it really you? Oh! a thousand times I have dreamed that I saw
+you,--stood by you; but when I tried to touch you, there was nothing
+but empty air! Oh, Dr. Grey!--my Dr. Grey! Am I only dreaming, here in
+the sunshine, or is it you bodily? Did you care for me a _little_? Did
+you come to find _me_?"
+
+She grasped his arm, swept her hands up and down his sleeve, and then
+he saw her reel, and shut her eyes, and shudder.
+
+"My poor child, I came to Paris solely to hunt for my wayward Salome,
+and, thank God! I have found her."
+
+He put his arm around her, and placed her head against his shoulder.
+
+Ah, how his generous heart ached, as he noted the hungry delight with
+which her splendid eyes lingered on his features, and the convulsive
+tenacity with which she clung to him, trembling with excess of joy
+that brought back carmine to her wasted lips and carnation bloom to
+her blanched cheeks.
+
+He heard her whispering, and knew it was a prayer of thanksgiving for
+the blessing of his presence.
+
+But very soon a change came over her sparkling, happy face, like an
+inky cloud across a noon sky, and he felt a shiver stealing through
+her form.
+
+"Let me go! You said once, that when I came to Europe to enter on my
+professional career, you wished never to touch my hands again,--you
+would consider them polluted."
+
+"Dear Salome, I recant all those harsh, unjust words, which were
+uttered when I was not fully aware of the latent strength of your
+character. Since then, I have learned much from Professor V----, and
+from Gerard Granville, that assures me my noble friend is all I could
+desire her,--that she has grandly conquered her faults, and is worthy
+of the admiration, the perfect confidence, the earnest affection,
+which her adopted brother offers her. Your pure, true heart makes pure
+hands, and as such I reverently salute them."
+
+He took her hands, raised and kissed them respectfully, tenderly.
+
+She hid her burning face on his bosom, and there was a short pause.
+
+"Salome, sit down and let me talk to you of home,--your home. Have you
+no questions to ask about your pet sister and brother?"
+
+He attempted to release himself, but she clung to him, and clasping
+her arms around his neck, said in a strained, husky tone,--
+
+"Dr. Grey, did you bring your--your wife to Paris?"
+
+"I have no wife."
+
+She uttered a thrilling cry of delight, threw her head back, and gazed
+steadily into his clear, calm, blue eyes.
+
+"Oh, sir, they told me you had married Mrs. Gerome."
+
+He placed her in the chair, and kneeling down beside her, took her
+quivering face in his palms and touched her forehead softly with his
+lips.
+
+"The only woman I ever wished to make my wife is bound for life to a
+worthless husband. Salome, I loved her before I knew this fact; and,
+since I learned (soon after your departure) that she was separated
+from the man whom she had wedded, I have not seen her, although she
+still resides at 'Solitude.' Salome, I shall never marry, and I ask
+you now to come back to Jessie and Stanley, who will soon require your
+care and guidance, for it is my intention to return to the position in
+the U.S. naval service, which only Janet's feeble health induced me to
+resign. God bless you, dear child! I wish you were indeed my own
+sister, for I am growing very proud of my brave, honest friend,--my
+patient lace-weaver."
+
+The girl's head sank lower and lower until it touched her knees, and
+sobs rendered her words scarcely audible.
+
+"If you deem me worthy to be called your friend, it is because of your
+example, your influence. Oh, Dr. Grey,--but for you,--but for my hope
+of meeting you in the kingdom of Christ, I shudder to think what I
+might have been! Under all circumstances I have been guided by what I
+imagined would have been your wishes,--your advice; and my reward is
+rich indeed! Your confidence, your approbation! Earth holds no
+recompense half so precious."
+
+"Thank God! my prayers have been abundantly answered, my highest hopes
+of your future fully realized. Henceforth, let us with renewed energy
+labor faithfully in the vast, whitening fields of Him who declares,
+'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.'"
+
+  "O human soul! as long as thou canst so
+  Set up a mark of everlasting light,
+  Above the howling senses' ebb and flow,
+  To cheer thee and to right thee if thou roam,
+  Not with lost toil thou laborest through the night,
+  Thou makest the heaven thou hopest indeed thy home."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIV.
+
+"SAD CASE OF MANIA A POTU."
+
+
+"Watchman McDonough reports that late last night, he picked up, on the
+sidewalk, the insensible body of Maurice Carlyle, who showed some
+signs of returning animation after his removal to Station House
+No. ----. A physician was called in, and every effort made to save the
+unfortunate victim of intemperance; but medical skill was inadequate
+to arrest the work of many years of excess, and before daylight the
+wretched man expired in dreadful convulsions. Coroner Boutwell held an
+inquest on the body, and the verdict rendered was 'Death from _mania a
+potu_.' Mr. Carlyle was well known in this city, where for many years
+he was an ornament to society, and a general favorite in the
+fashionable and mercantile circle in which he moved. Of numbers who
+were once the recipients of his bounty and hospitality, none offered
+succor in the hour of adversity, and among all his former friends none
+were found to cheer or pity in the last ordeal to which flesh is
+subjected. The melancholy fate of Maurice Carlyle furnishes another
+illustration of the mournful truth that the wages of intemperance are
+destitution and desertion."
+
+Such was the startling announcement, which, under the head of "Police
+Report," Dr. Grey read and re-read in a prominent New York paper that
+had accidentally remained for some days unopened on his desk, and was
+dated nearly a month previous. Locking the door of his office, he sat
+down to collect his bewildered thoughts, and to quiet the tumult in
+his throbbing heart.
+
+During the two years that had drearily worn away since his last
+interview with Mrs. Carlyle, he had sternly forbidden his mind to
+dwell on its brief dream of happiness, and by a life of unusually
+active benevolence endeavored to forget the one episode which alone
+had power to disquiet and sadden him.
+
+He had philosophically schooled himself to the calm, unmurmuring
+acceptance of his lonely destiny, and looked forward to a life
+solitary yet not unhappy, although uncheered by the love and
+companionship which every man indulges the instinctive hope will
+sooner or later crown his existence.
+
+Now heart and conscience, so long at deadly feud, suddenly signalled a
+truce, clasped hands, embraced cordially. How radiant the world
+looked,--with what wondrous glory the future had in the twinkling of
+an eye robed itself. The woman he had loved was stainless and free,
+and how could she long resist the pleadings of his famished heart?
+
+He would win her from cynicism and isolation, would melt her frozen
+nature in the genial atmosphere of his pure and constant affection,
+and interweave her aimless, sombre life with the busy, silvery web of
+his own.
+
+After forty years, God would grant him home, and wife, and hearthstone
+peace.
+
+What a flush and sparkle stole to this grave man's olive cheek, and
+calm, deep blue eyes!
+
+Ah! how hungrily he longed for the touch of her hand, the sight of her
+face; and, snatching his hat, he put the paper in his pocket, and
+hurried towards "Solitude."
+
+In the holy hush of that hazy autumnal afternoon, nature--_Magna
+Mater_,--
+
+  "The altar-curtains of whose hills
+    Are sunset's purple air,"
+  "Who dips in the dim light of setting suns
+  The spacious skirts of that vast robe of hers
+  That widens ever in the wondrous west,"
+
+seemed slumbering and dreaming away the day.
+
+The forests were gaudy in their painted shrouds of scarlet and yellow
+leaves, and long, feathery flakes of purple bloom nodded over crimson
+berries, emerald mosses, and golden-hearted asters.
+
+Only a few weeks previous, Dr. Grey had driven along that road, and,
+while the echo of harvest hymns rang on the hay-scented air, had asked
+himself how men and women could become so completely absorbed in
+temporal things, ignoring the solemn and indisputable fact of the
+brevity of human life and the restricted dominion of man,--
+
+  "Whose part in all the pomp that fills
+  The circuit of the summer hills
+  Is, that his grave is green."
+
+But to-day all sober-hued reflections were exorcised by the rapturous
+_Jubilate_ that hope was singing through the sunlit chambers of his
+happy heart; and when he entered the grounds of "Solitude" they seemed
+bathed in that soft glamour, that witching "light that never was on
+sea or land."
+
+As he sprang from his buggy and opened the little gate leading into
+the _parterre_, Robert came slowly forward, bearing a basket filled
+with a portion of the crimson apples that flushed the orchard, just
+beyond the low hedge.
+
+"You could not have chosen a better time to come, Dr. Grey; and if I
+were allowed to have my way you would have been here last night. Were
+you sent for at last, or was it a lucky chance that brought you?"
+
+"Merely an accident, as I received no summons. Robert, how is your
+mistress?"
+
+"God only knows, sir; I am sure I never can tell how she really is.
+She has not seemed well since she took that journey to the North, and
+for two weeks past she appears to have been slipping down by inches
+into her grave. She neither eats nor sleeps, and for the last three
+nights has not lain down,--so old Ruth, the housekeeper, tells me.
+Yesterday I begged my mistress to let me go for you, but she smiled
+that awful freezing smile that strikes to the very marrow of my bones,
+worse than December sleet,--and raised her finger so: and said, 'At
+your peril, Robert. Mind your orchard, man, and I will take care of
+myself. I want neither doctors nor nurses, and only desire that you,
+and Ruth, and Anna, will attend to your respective duties and let me
+be quiet. All will soon be well with me.' I killed a partridge, had it
+nicely broiled, and carried it to her; and she thanked me, and made a
+pretence of eating the wing, just to please me; but when the waiter
+was taken away to the kitchen, I found all the bird on the plate. This
+morning, just before daylight, I heard her playing a wild, mournful
+thing on the piano, that sounded like a dirge or a wail; and Ruth says
+when she went into the parlor to open the blinds, she found her
+praying, and thinks she was on her knees for an hour. Please God!
+sometimes I wish she was in heaven with my mother, for she will never
+see any peace in this life."
+
+"What seems to be the disease?"
+
+"Heart-ache."
+
+"You should have come and told me this long ago."
+
+"And pray to what purpose, Dr. Grey? She vowed she would allow no
+human being to cross her threshold, except the servants, and I would
+sooner undertake to curl a steel, or make ringlets out of a pair of
+tongs, than bend her will when once she takes a stand. Humph! My
+mistress is no willow wand, and is about as easily moved as the
+church-steeple, or the stone-tower of the lighthouse."
+
+"Has she recently received letters that contained tidings which
+excited or distressed her?"
+
+"A letter came last week, but I know nothing of its contents. You need
+not go into the house if you wish to find her, for about an hour and a
+half ago I saw her come out into the grounds, and she never goes in
+till the lamps are lighted."
+
+An anxious look clouded for an instant Dr. Grey's countenance, but
+undaunted hope sang on of the hours of hallowed communion that the
+future held, while in her invalid condition he assumed the care and
+guardianship of his beloved; and, turning into the lawn, he eagerly
+searched the winding walks for some trace of her, some flutter of her
+garments, some faint, subtle odor of orange-flowers or tube-roses.
+
+Here and there clusters of purple, pink, and orange crysanthemums
+flecked the lawn with color; and a flower-stand, covered with china
+jars that held geraniums, seemed almost a pyramid of flame, from the
+profusion of scarlet blooms.
+
+The sun had gone down behind a waving line of low hills, where,--
+
+  "Thinned to amber, rimmed with silver,
+    Clouds in the distance dwell,
+  Clouds that are cool, for all their color,
+    Pure as a rose-lipped shell.
+  Fleets of wool in the upper heavens
+    Gossamer wings unfurl;
+  Sailing so high they seem but sleeping
+    Over yon bar of pearl."
+
+Still as crystal was the sapphire sea that mirrored that quiet,
+sapphire sky, and not a murmur, not a ripple, stirred the evening air
+or the yellow sands that stretched for miles along the winding coast.
+
+When Dr. Grey had partially crossed the lawn, he glanced towards the
+marble temple that gleamed against the dark background of deodars, and
+saw a woman sitting on the steps of the tomb. Softly he approached and
+entered the mausoleum by an arch on the opposite side, but,
+notwithstanding his cautious tread, he startled a white pigeon that
+had perched on the altar, where fresh violets, heliotrope, and snowy
+sprigs of nutmeg-geranium were leaning over the scalloped edge of the
+Venetian glasses, and distilling perfume in their delicate chalices.
+
+Mrs. Carlyle had brought her floral tribute to the sepulchral urn,
+and, having carefully arranged her daily Arkja, had seated herself on
+the steps to rest.
+
+From the two sentinel poplars that guarded the front, golden leaves
+were sifting down on the marble floor, and three or four had drifted
+upon the lap of the quiet figure, while one, bright and rich as autumn
+gilding could make it, rested like a crown on the silver waves that
+covered her head.
+
+Down the shining steps trailed the folds of the white merino robe, and
+around her shoulders was wrapped the blue crape shawl, while a cluster
+of violets seemed to have slipped from her fingers, and strewed
+themselves at random on her dress.
+
+Softly Dr. Grey drew near, and his voice was tremulously tender, as he
+said,--
+
+"Mrs. Carlyle, no barrier divides us now."
+
+She did not speak, or turn her queenly head, and he laid his hand
+caressingly on the glistening gray hair.
+
+"My darling, my first and only love--my brave, beautiful 'Agla,' may I
+not tell you, at last, what conscience once forbade my uttering?"
+
+As motionless and silent as the sculptured poppies above her, she took
+no notice of his passionate pleading, and he sprang down one step
+directly in front of her.
+
+The white face was turned to the sea, and the large, wide,
+wonderfully lovely yet mournful gray eyes were gazing fixedly across
+the waste of water, at a filmy cloud as fine as lace, that like a
+silver netting caught the full October moon which was lifting itself
+in the pearly east.
+
+The long black lashes did not droop, nor the steady eyes waver, and
+with a horrible foreboding Dr. Grey seized her hands. They were rigid
+and icy. He stooped, caught her to his bosom, and pressed his lips to
+hers, but they were colder than the marble column against which she
+leaned; for, one hour before, Vashti Carlyle had fronted her God.
+
+Alone in the autumn evening, sitting there with the golden poplar
+leaves drifting over her, the desolate woman had held her last
+communion with the watching ocean that hushed its murmuring, to see
+her die; and, laying down the galling burden of her sunless, dreary
+life, she had joyfully and serenely "put on immortality" in that
+everlasting rest, where "there was no more sea, no more death, neither
+shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away."
+
+Ah! beautiful and holy was--
+
+  "That peaceful face wherein all past distress
+  Had melted into perfect loveliness."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXV.
+
+
+Since that October day when Ulpian Grey sat on the steps of the tomb,
+holding in his arms the beautiful white form, whom in life God had
+denied him the privilege of touching, six months had drifted slowly;
+yet time had not softened the blow, that, while almost crushing his
+tender, unselfish heart, had no power to shake the faith which was so
+securely anchored in Christ.
+
+Among the papers found in Mrs. Carlyle's desk was one containing the
+request that Dr. Grey would superintend the erection of a handsome
+monument over the remains of her husband, whenever and wherever he
+chanced to die; and her will provided that her fortune should be
+appropriated as the nucleus of a relief fund for indigent painters.
+
+Her own pictures, to which she had carefully affixed in delicate
+violet ciphers the name "Agla," she directed placed on exhibition in a
+New York gallery, and ultimately sold for the benefit of the orphans
+of artists. To Robert she bequeathed a sum sufficient to maintain him
+in ease and comfort; and to Dr. Grey her escritoire, piano, books, and
+the sapphire ring she had always worn.
+
+The latter was found in the silver casket, and had been folded in a
+sheet of paper containing these words,--
+
+"According to the teachings of the Buddhists, 'the sapphire produces
+equanimity and peace of mind, as well as affording protection against
+envy and treachery. It produces also prayer and reconciliation with
+the Godhead, and brings more peace than any other gem of necromancy;
+_but he who would wear it must lead a pure and holy life_.' Finding my
+sapphire asp mockingly inefficacious in its traditional talismanic
+powers, I conclude that my melancholy career has been a violation of
+the stipulated condition, and therefore bequeath it to the only human
+being whom I deem worthy to wear it with any hope of success."
+
+While awaiting orders from the naval department, Dr. Grey purchased
+"Solitude," whither he removed, with Muriel and Miss Dexter, and
+temporarily established himself, until the arrival of Mr. Granville.
+
+Immediately after her return from Europe, Salome invested a portion of
+Mr. Minge's legacy in the site of the old mill that had fallen to
+ruin. Here she built a small but tasteful cottage _orné_ on the spot
+where her father had died, and here, with Jessie and Stanley, she
+proposed to spend her winters; while Mark and Joel were placed at the
+"Grassmere Farm," a mile distant, and entrusted with its management
+until the younger children should attain their majority.
+
+Too proud to accept the home which Dr. Grey had tendered her,
+Salome was earnestly endeavoring to imitate the noble example of
+self-abnegation that lifted him so far above all others whom she had
+ever known; and the most precious hope of her life was to reach
+that exalted excellence which alone could compel his admiration and
+respect.
+
+From the day of Mrs. Carlyle's death, the orphan had been a
+comparatively happy woman, for jealousy could not invade or desecrate
+the grave and its harmless sleeper; and Salome fervently thanked God,
+that, since she was denied the blessing of Dr. Grey's love, at least
+she had been spared the torture of seeing him the fond husband of
+another.
+
+Time had deepened, but refined, purified, and consecrated her
+unconquerable affection for the only man who had ever commanded her
+reverence, and whose quiet influence had so happily remoulded her
+wayward, fiery nature.
+
+There were seasons when the old element of innate perversity
+re-asserted itself, but the steady reproving gaze of his clear, true
+eyes, or the warning touch of his hand on her head, had sufficed to
+still the rising storm.
+
+Conscientiously the passionate, exacting woman was striving to bring
+her heart and life into subjection to the law,--into conformity with
+the precepts of Christ; and though she was impulsive, proud Salome
+still,--the glaring blemishes in her character were gradually
+disappearing.
+
+One bright balmy spring morning previous to the day appointed for
+Muriel's marriage, and for her guardian's departure for the fleet in
+Asiatic waters, where he had been assigned to duty, Dr. Grey drove up
+the avenue of elms and maples that led to Salome's pretty villa; and
+as he ascended the steps, Jessie sprang into his arms, and almost
+smothered him with caresses.
+
+"Oh, doctor! something so wonderful has happened,--you never could
+guess, and I am as happy as a bee in a woodbine. Sister will tell
+you."
+
+"Where is she?"
+
+"In the parlor, waiting for you."
+
+The child ran off to join Stanley, who was trying a new pony in the
+yard, and Dr. Grey went into the cool fragrant room, which was fitted
+up with more taste than in earlier years he would have ascribed to its
+owner.
+
+Salome sat before the open piano, and at his entrance raised her face,
+which had been bowed almost to the ivory keys.
+
+"Good morning, Dr. Grey. I am glad you have come to rejoice with me,
+and I was just thanking God for the unexpected restoration of my
+voice. Once when it seemed so necessary to me. He suddenly took it
+from me; and now, when it is a mere luxury to own it, He as
+unexpectedly gives it to me once more. Verily,--strange as it may
+appear, my voice is really better than when Professor V---- pronounced
+it the first contralto in Europe."
+
+She had risen to greet him, and as he retained her hand in his, she
+stood close to him, looking earnestly into his face.
+
+There were tears hanging like tremulous dewdrops on the long jet
+under-lashes,--and the bright red in her polished cheeks, and the
+crimson curves of her parted lips made a picture pleasant to
+contemplate.
+
+"My dear child, I do indeed cordially congratulate you. God saw that
+your voice might possibly prove a snare and a curse, by ministering to
+false pride and exaggerated vanity, and in mercy and wisdom He
+temporarily deprived you of an instrument that threatened you with
+danger. Now that you are stronger, more prudent, and patient, He
+trusts you again with one of the choicest blessings that can be
+conferred on a woman. You have deserved to recover it, and I joyfully
+unite my thanks with yours. Let me hear your voice once more."
+
+Trembling with excess of happiness, she sat down and sang feelingly,
+eloquently, her favorite "_O mon Fernand_;" and, as he listened, Dr.
+Grey looked almost wonderingly at the beautiful flashing face, that
+had never seemed half so radiant before. There was marvellous witchery
+in her rich round flexible tones, that wound into the holy-of-holies
+of the man's great heart, and elevated his thoughts above the dross
+and dust of earth.
+
+When she ended, he placed his soft palm tenderly on her head, and
+smoothed the glossy hair.
+
+"I thank you inexpressibly. Sometimes when sad memories oppress me,
+how I shall long to have you charm them away by that magical spell
+that bears my thoughts from this world to the next. There are some
+songs which you must learn for my sake."
+
+Ah! at that moment, as she stood there robed in a soft stainless white
+muslin, with a cluster of double pomegranate flowers glowing in her
+silky hair, the girl was very lovely, very attractive, so full of
+youthful grace, so winning in her beautiful enthusiasm,--yet Ulpian
+Grey's heart did not wander for an instant from one who slept
+dreamlessly under the sculptured urn on the marble altar of the
+mausoleum.
+
+  "Why are the dead not dead? Who can undo
+  What time hath done? Who can win back the wind?
+  Beckon lost music from a broken lute?
+  Renew the redness of a last year's rose?
+  Or dig the sunken sunset from the deep?"
+
+"Dr. Grey, if my voice can chase away one vexing thought, one wearying
+care or melancholy memory, I shall feel that I have additional reason
+to thank God for the precious gift."
+
+"I have not seen you look so happy for three years. Indeed, my little
+sister, you have much for which to be grateful, and in the midst of
+your blessings try to recollect those grand words of Marcus Aurelius
+Antoninus, 'The soul is a God in exile.' My child, look to it that
+your expatriation ends with the shores of time, for--
+
+  'Yea, this is life; make this forenoon sublime,
+  This afternoon a psalm, this night a prayer,
+  And time is conquered, and thy crown is won.'"
+
+For some seconds Salome did not speak, for the shadow on his
+countenance fell upon her heart, and looking reverently up at him, she
+thought of Richter's mournful _dictum_,--"Great souls attract sorrows,
+as mountains tempests."
+
+"Dr. Grey, want of patience is the cause of half my difficulties and
+defeats, and plunges me continually into the slough of distrust and
+rebellious questioning. I find it so hard to stand still, and let God
+do his will, and work in his own way."
+
+"My dear Salome, patience is only practical faith, and the want of it
+causes two-thirds of the world's woes. I often find it necessary to
+humble my own pride, and tame my restless spirit by recurring to the
+last words of Schiller, 'Calmer and calmer! many difficult things are
+growing plain and clear to me. Let us be patient.' Child, sing me one
+song more, and then come out and show me where you propose to place
+those grape-arbors we spoke of yesterday. This is the last opportunity
+I shall have to direct your workmen."
+
+An hour later Salome fastened a sprig of Grand Duke jasmine in the
+button-hole of his coat,--shook hands with him for the day, and though
+she smiled in recognition of his final bow as he drove down the
+avenue, her thoughts were busy with the dreaded separation that
+awaited her on the morrow and, while her lips were mute, the cry of
+her heart was,--
+
+            ... "O Beloved, it is plain
+  I am not of thy worth, nor for thy place.
+  And yet because I love thee, I obtain
+  From that same love this vindicating grace,
+  To live on still in love,--and yet in vain,--
+  To bless thee, yet renounce thee to thy face."
+
+Dr. Grey spent the remainder of the day in visiting his patients, and
+as he rode from cottage to hovel, bidding adieu to those whose lives
+had so often been committed to his professional guardianship, he was
+received with tearful eyes, and trembling hands; and numerous
+benedictions were invoked upon his head.
+
+Silver threads were beginning to weave an aureola in his chestnut
+hair, and the smooth white forehead showed incipient furrows, but the
+deep blue eyes were as tranquil and trusting as of yore, and full of
+tenderer light for the few he loved, for all in suffering and
+bereavement.
+
+With a sublime and increasing faith in the overruling wisdom and mercy
+of God, he patiently and hopefully bore his loneliness and grievous
+loss,--comforting himself with the assurance that, "the evening of
+life brings with it its lamp;" and looking eagle-eyed across the
+storm-drenched plain of the present to the gleaming jasper walls of
+the Eternal Beyond.
+
+                   ... "My wine has run
+  Indeed out of my cup, and there is none
+  To gather up the bread of my repast
+  Scattered and trampled,--yet I find some good
+  In earth's green herbs, and streams that bubble up,
+  Clear from the darkling ground,--content until
+  I sit with angels before better food.
+  Dear Christ! when thy new vintage fills my cup,
+  This hand shall shake no more, nor that wine spill."
+
+
+
+
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+
+
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+
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+
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+  Running Water. By A. E. W. Mason.
+  Sarita the Carlist. By Arthur W. Marchmont.
+  Seats of the Mighty, The. By Gilbert Parker.
+  Sir Nigel. By A. Conan Doyle.
+  Sir Richard Calmady. By Lucas Malet.
+  Speckled Bird, A. By Augusta Evans Wilson.
+  Spirit of the Border, The. By Zane Grey.
+  Spoilers, The. By Rex Beach.
+  Squire Phin. By Holman F. Day.
+  Stooping Lady, The. By Maurice Hewlett.
+  Subjection of Isabel Carnaby. By Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler.
+  Sunset Trail, The. By Alfred Henry Lewis.
+  Sword of the Old Frontier, A. By Randall Parrish.
+  Tales of Sherlock Holmes. By A. Conan Doyle.
+  That Printer of Udell's. By Harold Bell Wright.
+  Throwback, The. By Alfred Henry Lewis.
+  Trail of the Sword, The. By Gilbert Parker.
+  Treasure of Heaven, The. By Marie Corelli.
+  Two Vanrevels, The. By Booth Tarkington.
+  Up From Slavery. By Booker T. Washington.
+  Vashti. By Augusta Evans Wilson.
+  Viper of Milan, The (original edition). By Marjorie Bowen.
+  Voice of the People, The. By Ellen Glasgow.
+  Wheel of Life, The. By Ellen Glasgow.
+
+  When Wilderness Was King. By Randall Parrish.
+  Where the Trail Divides. By Will Lillibridge.
+  Woman in Grey, A. By Mrs. C. N. Williamson.
+  Woman in the Alcove, The. By Anna Katharine Green.
+  Younger Set, The. By Robert W. Chambers.
+  The Weavers. By Gilbert Parker.
+  The Little Brown Jug at Kildare. By Meredith Nicholson.
+  The Prisoners of Chance. By Randall Parrish.
+  My Lady of Cleve. By Percy J. Hartley.
+  Loaded Dice. By Ellery H. Clark.
+  Get Rich Quick Wallingford. By George Randolph Chester.
+  The Orphan. By Clarence Mulford.
+  A Gentleman of France. By Stanley J. Weyman.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Vashti, by Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vashti, by Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
+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: Vashti
+       or, Until Death Us Do Part
+
+Author: Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
+Release Date: March 13, 2010 [EBook #31620]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VASHTI ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charlene Taylor, Michael and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div class='figcenter'>
+<div class='figtag'>
+<a name='linki_1' id='linki_1'></a>
+</div>
+<img src='images/frontis.jpg' alt='' title='' width='365' height='600' /><br />
+<p class='caption'>
+The stranger raised his hat and said: &#8220;Permit me to ask your name?&#8221;<br />
+&#8220;Salome Owen. And yours, sir, is&mdash;&#8221;<br />
+&#8220;Ulpian Gray.&#8221; Page <a href='#page_10'>10</a>.<br />
+&mdash;<i>Vashti.</i><br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='center'>
+<h1>VASHTI</h1>
+<h2><i>or</i>
+UNTIL DEATH US DO PART</h2>
+<p class='larger'>By AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON</p>
+<p class='smaller'>(Augusta J. Evans)</p>
+<p>Author of &#8220;Beulah,&#8221; &#8220;Macaria,&#8221; &#8220;Infelice,&#8221;<br />
+&#8220;St. Elmo,&#8221; &#8220;Inez,&#8221; etc., etc.,</p>
+<p class='padtop'>&#8220;There is nothing a man knows, in grief or in sin<br />
+half so bitter as to think, what I might have been.&#8221;</p>
+<p class='padtop'>A. L. BURT COMPANY, <span class='smcap'>Publishers</span><br />
+NEW YORK</p>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<p class='center smaller'>Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1869, by<br />
+GEORGE W. CARLETON,<br />
+In the Clerk&#8217;s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern
+District of New York.</p>
+<p class='center smaller'>Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1897, by<br />
+MRS. AUGUSTA J. EVANS WILSON,<br />
+In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D.C.</p>
+</div>
+<p><i>Vashti.</i></p>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<p class='center'><span class='smcaplc'>TO THE HONORED MEMORY OF MY</span><br />
+<br />
+<span class='larger'><b><i>Beloved Father</i></b></span>,<br />
+<br />
+<span class='smcap'>WHOSE DEATH HAS RETARDED THE COMPLETION OF A WORK<br />
+WHICH, IN THE BEGINNING, WAS BLESSED<br />
+WITH HIS APPROVAL,</span><br />
+<br />
+I REVERENTLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK.</p>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='chsp' style='padding-top:0'>
+<a name='PREFACE' id='PREFACE'></a>
+<h2>PREFACE.</h2>
+</div>
+<blockquote>
+<p>&#8220;Every man has his own style, as he has his own nose; and
+it is neither polite nor Christian to rally an honest man about
+his nose, however singular it may be. How can I help it that
+my style is not different? That there is no affectation in it, I
+am very certain.&#8221;</p>
+<p class='sig3'><i>Lessing.</i></p>
+</blockquote>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Yea, I take myself to witness,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
+That I have loved no darkness,<br />
+Sophisticated no truth,<br />
+Nursed no delusion,<br />
+Allowed no fear.&#8221;<br />
+<br /></p>
+<p class='ralign cg'><i>Matthew Arnold.</i></p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_6' name='page_6'></a>6</span>
+<a name='UNTIL_DEATH_US_DO_PART' id='UNTIL_DEATH_US_DO_PART'></a>
+<h2>UNTIL DEATH US DO PART.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class='chsp' style='padding-top:0'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_I' id='CHAPTER_I'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER I.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;I can hear the sullen, savage roar of the breakers, if I do
+not see them, and my pretty painted bark&mdash;expectation&mdash;is
+bearing down helplessly upon them. Perhaps the unwelcome
+will not come to-day. What then? I presume I should not
+care; and yet, I am curious to see him,&mdash;anxious to know
+what sort of person will henceforth rule the house, and go in
+and out here as master. Of course the pleasant, peaceful days
+are at an end, for men always make din and strife in a
+household,&mdash;at least my father did, and he is the only one I
+know much about. But, after all, why borrow trouble?&mdash;the
+interloper may never come.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl stood on tip-toe, shading her eyes with one hand,
+and peering eagerly down the winding road which stretched at
+right angles to the avenue, and over the hills, on towards the
+neighboring town. No moving speck was visible; and, with
+a sigh of relief, she sank back on the grassy mound and resumed
+the perusal of her book. Above and around her spread
+the wide branches of an aged apple-tree, feathered thickly
+with pearly petals, which the wind tossed hither and thither
+and drifted over the bermuda, as restless tides strew pink-chambered
+shells on sloping strands; and down through the
+flowery limbs streamed the waning March sun, throwing
+grotesque shadows on the sward and golden ripples over the
+face and figure of the young lounger. A few yards distant
+a row of whitewashed bee-hives extended along the western
+side of the garden-wall, where perched a peacock whose rainbow
+hues were burnished by the slanting rays that smote like
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_7' name='page_7'></a>7</span>
+flame the narrow pane of glass which constituted a window in
+each hive and permitted investigation of the tireless workers
+within. The afternoon was almost spent; the air, losing its
+balmy noon breath, grew chill with the approach of dew,
+and the figure under the apple-tree shivered slightly, and,
+closing her book, drew her scarlet shawl around her shoulders
+and leaned her dimpled chin on her knee.</p>
+<p>Sixteen years had ripened and rounded the girlish form,
+and given to her countenance that indefinable charm which
+marks the timid hovering between careless, frolicsome youth,
+and calmly conscious womanhood; while perfect health
+rouged the polished cheeks and vermillioned the thin lips,
+whose outlines sharply indexed more of decision than amiability
+of character.</p>
+<p>There were hints of brown in the heavy mass of waveless
+dusky hair, that was elaborately braided and coiled around
+the well turned head, and certain amber rays suggestive of
+topaz and gold flashed out now and then in the dark-hazel iris
+of the large eyes, lending them an eldritch and baleful glow.
+Fresh as the overhanging apple-blooms, but immobile as if
+carved from pearl,&mdash;perhaps it was just such a face as hers
+that fronted Jason, amid the clustering boughs of Colchian
+rhododendrons, when first he sought old &#198;ëtes&#8217; prescient
+daughter,&mdash;the maiden face of magical Medea, innocent as yet
+of murder, sacrilege, fratricide, and plunder,&mdash;eloquent of all
+possibilities of purity and peace, but vaguely adumbrating all
+conceivable disquietude and guilt.</p>
+<p>The hushed expectancy of the fair young countenance had
+given place to a dreamy languor, and the dark lashes drooped
+heavily, when a long shadow fell upon the grass, and simultaneously
+the peacock sounded its shrill <ins title='Was alarum'>alarm</ins>. Rising quickly
+the girl found herself face to face with one upon whose
+features she had never looked before, and for a moment each
+eyed the other searchingly. The stranger raised his hat, and
+inclining his head slightly, said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Permit me to ask your name?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome Owen. And yours, sir, is&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_8' name='page_8'></a>8</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<p>For a few seconds neither spoke; but the man smiled, and
+the girl bit her under-lip and frowned.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you the miller&#8217;s daughter?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am the miller&#8217;s daughter; and you are the master of
+Grassmere.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It seems that I come home like Rip Van Winkle, or
+Ulysses, unknown, unwelcomed,&mdash;unlike the latter,&mdash;even by
+a dog.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where is your sister?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not having seen her for five years, I am unable to answer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She went to town two hours ago, to meet you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then, after all, I am expected; but pray by what route&mdash;balloon
+or telegraph?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Jane went to the railroad dépot, but thought it
+possible you might not arrive to-day, and said she would
+attend a meeting at the church, if you failed to come. I presume
+she missed you in the crowd. Sir, will you walk into
+the house?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Perhaps he did not hear the question, and certainly he did
+not heed it, amid the clamorous recollections that rushed upon
+him as he gazed earnestly over the lawn, down the avenue,
+and up at the ivy-mantled front of the old brick homestead.
+Thinking it might impress him as ludicrous or officious that
+she should invite him to enter and take possession of his own
+establishment, Salome reddened and compressed her lips. Apparently
+forgetful of her presence, he stood with his hat in
+his hand, noting the changes that time had wrought: the
+growth of venerable trees and favorite shrubs, the crumbling
+of fences, the gathering moss on the sun-dial, and the
+lichen stains upon two marble vases that held scarlet verbena
+on either side of the broad stone steps.</p>
+<p>His close-fitting travelling suit of gray showed the muscular,
+well-developed form of a man of medium size, whose very
+erect carriage enhanced his height and invested him with a
+commanding air; while the unusual breadth of his chest and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_9' name='page_9'></a>9</span>
+shoulders seemed to indicate that life had called him to athletic
+out-door pursuits, rather than the dun and dusty atmosphere
+of a sedentary, cloistered career.</p>
+<p>There are subtle countenances that baffle the dainty stipple
+and line tracery of time, refusing to become mere tablets,
+mere fleshy intaglios of the past, whereon every curious
+stranger may spell out the bygone, and, counting their footprints,
+cast up the number of engraving years. Thus it happened
+that if Salome had not known from the family Bible
+that this man was almost thirty-five, her eager scrutiny of his
+features would have discovered little concerning his age, and
+still less concerning his character. Exposure to the winds and
+heat of tropic regions had darkened and sallowed the complexion,
+which his clear deep blue eyes and light brown hair
+declared was originally of Saxon fairness; in proof whereof,
+when he drew off one glove and lifted his hand it seemed as if
+the marble fingers of one statue were laid against the bronze
+cheek of another.</p>
+<p>Looking intently at this grave yet benignant countenance,
+full of serenity, because calmly conscious of its power, the girl
+set her teeth and ground her heel into the velvet turf, for
+<i>frangas non flectes</i> was written on his smooth, broad brow,
+and she felt fiercely rebellious as some fiery, free creature of
+the Kamse, when first confronted with the bit and trappings
+of him who will henceforth bridle and tame the desert-bred.</p>
+<p>Waking from his brief reverie, the stranger turned and
+extended his hand, saying, in tones as low and sweet as a
+woman&#8217;s,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you not welcome a wanderer back to his home?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She gave him the tips of her fingers, but the &#8220;Imp of the
+Perverse&#8221; dictated her answer,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;As you saw fit to compare yourself, a few moments since,
+to certain celebrated absentees, I am constrained to tell you
+that I happen to be neither Penelope nor Gretchen, nor yet
+the illustrious dog referred to.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He smiled good-humoredly, and replied,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am not very sure that there is not a spice of Dame Van
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_10' name='page_10'></a>10</span>
+Winkle somewhere in your nature. True, we are strangers,
+but I believe you are my sister&#8217;s adopted child, and I hope
+you are glad to see her brother at home once more. Jane is a
+dear kind link, who should make us at least good friends; for,
+if you are attached to her you will in time learn to like me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I doubt it,&mdash;seeing that you resemble Miss Jane about as
+nearly as I do the Grand Lama of Larissa, or the idol Bhadrinath.
+But, sir, although it is not my office to welcome you,
+I presume you have not forgotten the front door, and once
+more I ask, Will you walk in and make yourself at home in
+your own house?&#8221;</p>
+<p>As she led the way to the steps, the arched gate at the end
+of the avenue swung open, a carriage entered, and Salome
+retreated to her own room, leaving unwitnessed the happy
+meeting between an aged, infirm sister, and long-absent
+brother.</p>
+<p>Locking the door to secure herself from intrusion, she drew
+a low rocking-chair to the hearth, where smouldered the
+embers of a dying fire, and dropping her face in her palms,
+stared abstractedly at the ashes. As she swayed slowly to and
+fro, her lips parted and closed, her brows bent from their
+customary curves of beauty, and half inaudibly she muttered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The sceptre is departing from Judah. My rule is well
+nigh ended; the interregnum has been brief, and the old
+dynasty reigns once more. Just what I dreaded from the
+hour I heard he was coming home. I shall be reduced to a
+mere cipher, and made to realize my utter dependence,&mdash;and
+the iron will soon enter my soul. We paupers are adepts in
+the art of reading the countenance, and I have looked at this
+Ulpian Grey long enough to know that I might as well bombard
+Gibraltar with boiled peas as hope to conquer one of his
+whims or alter one of his purposes. There will be bitterness
+and strife between us. I shall wish him in his grave a
+thousand times before it closes over him,&mdash;and he, unless he
+is too good, will hate me cordially. I cannot and will not
+give up all my hopes and expectations, without a long, fierce
+struggle.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_11' name='page_11'></a>11</span></div>
+<p>Salome Owen was the eldest of five children, who, by the
+death of both parents, had been thrown penniless upon the
+world, and found a temporary asylum in the county poor-house.
+Her mother she remembered merely as a feeble, fractious
+invalid; and her father, who had long been employed as
+superintendent of large mills belonging to Miss Jane Grey,
+had, after years of reckless intemperance, ended his wretched
+career in a fit of mania a potu. His death occurred at a
+season when Miss Grey was confined to her bed by an attack
+of rheumatism, which rendered her a cripple for the remainder
+of her days; but the first hours of her convalescence were
+spent in devising plans for the education and maintenance of
+his helpless orphans. In the dusty, cheerless yard of the poor-house
+she had found the little group huddled under a mulberry
+tree one hot July noon; and, sending the two younger
+children to the orphan asylum in a neighboring town, she had
+apprenticed one boy to a worthy carpenter, another to an
+eminent horticulturist in a distant State; and Salome, the
+handsomest and brightest of the flock, she carried to her own
+home as an adopted child. Here, for four years, the girl had
+lived in peace and luxurious ease, surrounded by all the elegances
+and refining associations which though not inherent
+in are at the command of wealth; and so rapidly and gracefully
+had she fitted herself into the new social niche, that the
+dark and stormy morning of her life had become only a dim
+and hideous recollection, that rarely lifted its hated visage
+above the smooth and shining surface of the happy present.</p>
+<p>Fortuitous circumstances constitute the moulds that shape
+the majority of human lives, and the hasty impress of an
+accident is too often regarded as the relentless decree of all-ordaining
+fate; while to the philosophic anthropologist it
+might furnish matter for curious speculation whether, if Attila
+and Alaric had chanced to find themselves the pampered
+sons of some merchant prince,&mdash;some Rothschild or Peabody
+of the fifth century,&mdash;their campaigns had not been purely
+fiscal and bloodless, limited to the leaves of a ledger, while the
+names of Goth and Hun had never crystallized into synonyms
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_12' name='page_12'></a>12</span>
+of havoc and ruin; or had Timour been trained to cabbage-raising
+and vine-dressing, whether he would not have lived in
+history as the great horticulturist of Kesth, or the Diocletian
+of Samarcand, rather than the Tartar tyrant and conqueror
+of the East? How many possible Howards have swung at
+Tyburn? How many canonized and haloed heads have barely
+escaped the doom of Brinvilliers, and the tender mercies of
+Carnifex?</p>
+<p>Analogous to that wonderful Gulf Stream, once a myth and
+still a mystery, the strange current of human existence, four
+score and ten years long, bears each and all of us with a
+strong, steady sweep away from the tropic lands of sunny
+childhood, enamelled with verdure and gaudy with bloom,
+through the temperate regions of manhood and womanhood,
+fruitful and harvest-hued, on to the frigid, lonely shores of
+dreary old age, snow-crowned and ice-veined; and individual
+destinies seem to resemble the tangled drift on those broad
+bounding gulf-billows, driven hither and thither, strewn on
+barren beaches, scattered over bleaching coral crags, stranded
+upon blue bergs,&mdash;precious germs from all climes and
+classes; some to be scorched under equatorial heats; some to
+perish by polar perils; a few to take root and flourish and
+triumph, building imperishable land-marks; and many to
+stagnate in the long, inglorious rest of a Sargasso Sea.</p>
+<p>For all helpless human waifs in this surging ocean of time,
+there is comfort in the knowledge that the fiercest storms toss
+their drift highest; and one of these apparently savage waves
+of adversity had swept Salome Owen safely to an isle of
+palms and peace, where, under the fostering rays of prosperity,
+the selfish and sordid elements of her character found
+rapid development.</p>
+<p>In affectionate natures, family ties serve as cords to strangle
+selfishness; for, in large domestic circles, each member contributes
+a moiety to swell the good of the whole&mdash;silently endures
+some trial, makes some sacrifice, shares some sympathy
+and sunshine, hoards some grief and gloom, and had Salome
+remained with her brothers and sisters, their continual claims
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_13' name='page_13'></a>13</span>
+on her time and attention would have healthfully diverted
+thoughts that had long centred solely in self. Finding that
+fortune had temporarily sheathed in velvet the goad of necessity,
+the girl&#8217;s aspirations soared no higher than the maintenance
+of her present easy and luxurious position, as a petted
+dependent on the affection and bounty of a weak but generous
+and lonely old lady. Having no other object near, upon which
+to lavish the love and caresses that were stored in her heart,
+Miss Jane had turned fondly to Salome, and so earnestly endeavored
+to brighten her life, that the latter felt assured she
+was selected as the heiress of that house and estate where she
+had dwelt so happily; and thus sanguine concerning her
+future prospects, the strong will of the girl completely dominated
+the feebler and failing one of her benefactress, through
+whose fingers the reins of government slipped so gradually,
+that she was unconscious of her virtual abdication.</p>
+<p>From this pleasant dream of a handsome heritage and life-long
+plenty, Salome had been rudely aroused by the unwelcome
+tidings that a young half-brother of Miss Jane was
+coming to reside under her roof; and prophetic fear whispered
+that the stranger would contest and divide her dominion. A
+surgeon in the United States navy, he had been absent for five
+years in distant seas, and only resigned his commission in consequence
+of letters which informed him of the feeble condition
+of his only surviving relative. Those who have eaten the
+bread of charity learn to interpret countenances with an unerring
+facility that eclipses the vaunted skill of Lavater, and
+the girl&#8217;s brief inspection of the face which would henceforth
+confront her daily, yielded little to dispel her gloomy forebodings.
+The sound of the tea-bell terminated her reverie, and
+rising, she walked slowly to the dining-room, throwing her
+head as erect as possible, and compressing her mouth like some
+gladiator summoned to the fatal arena of the Coliseum.</p>
+<p>The dining-room was large and airy, with lofty wide windows,
+and neatly papered walls, where in numerous old-fashioned
+and quaintly carved frames hung the ancestral portraits
+of the family. Although one window was open, and the mild
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_14' name='page_14'></a>14</span>
+air laden with the perfumed breath of spring, a bright wood
+fire flashed on the hearth, near which Miss Jane sat in her
+large, cushioned rocking-chair, resting her swollen slippered
+feet on a velvet stool, while her silver-mounted crutches
+leaned against the arm of her chair. An ugly and very diminutive
+brown terrier snarled and frisked on the rug, tormenting
+a staid and aged black cat, who occasionally arched her
+back and showed her teeth; and Dr. Grey stood leaning over
+his sister&#8217;s chair, smoothing the soft grizzled locks that clustered
+under the rich lace border of her cap. He was talking of
+other days,&mdash;those of his boyhood, when, kneeling by that
+hearth, she had pasted his kites, found strings for his tops,
+made bags for his marbles, or bound up his bleeding hands,
+bruised in boyish sports; and, while he read from the fresher
+page of his memory the blessed juvenile annals long since
+effaced from hers, a happy smile lighted her withered face,
+and she put up one thin hand to pat the brown and bearded
+cheek which nearly touched her head. To the pretty young
+thing who had paused on the threshold, watching what passed,
+it seemed a peaceful picture, cosy and complete, needing no
+adjuncts, defying intruders; but Miss Jane caught a glimpse
+of the shrinking figure, and beckoned her to the fire-place.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, come shake hands with my sailor-boy, and tell
+him how glad we are to have his sunburnt face once more
+among us. Ulpian, this is my dear child Salome, who makes
+noise and sunshine enough in an otherwise dark and silent
+dreary house. Why, children, don&#8217;t stand bowing at each
+other, like foreign ministers at court! Ulpian, you are to be
+a brother to that child; so go and kiss her like a Christian,
+and let us have no more state and ceremony.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;<i>Sans cérémonie</i> we introduced ourselves this afternoon,
+under the apple-tree, and I presume Salome will accept the
+assurance of my friendly intentions and fraternal regard, and
+decline the seal which only long acquaintance and perfect confidence
+could induce her to permit. Notwithstanding the very
+evident fact that she is not entirely overwhelmed with delight
+at my return, I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to one
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_15' name='page_15'></a>15</span>
+who has so largely contributed to my sister&#8217;s happiness, and
+shall avail myself of every opportunity to prove my appreciation
+of her devotion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey stepped forward, took Salome&#8217;s hand, and touched
+it lightly with his lips, while the grave dignity of his manner
+forbade the thought that affectation of gallantry or idle persiflage
+suggested the words or action.</p>
+<p>Disarmed by the quiet courtesy which she felt she had not
+merited, the girl&#8217;s ready wit and nimbly obedient tongue for
+once proved treacherous; and, conscious that the flush was
+deepening on cheek and brow, she moved to the oval table in
+the centre of the floor, and seated herself behind the massive
+silver urn.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, take your place yonder, at the foot, and excuse my
+absence from the table this first evening of your return. I
+always have my meals here, close to the fire, and Salome presides
+in my place. Child, put no cream in his tea, but a bountiful
+share of sugar. You see, my boy, I have not grown too
+old to recollect your whims.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As he obeyed her, Salome was preparing to pour out the
+tea; but, catching his eye, she paused, and Dr. Grey bowed his
+head on his hand, and solemnly and impressively asked a
+blessing, and offered up fervent thanks for the family reunion.
+In the somewhat fragmentary discourse that ensued
+between brother and sister the orphan took no part; and, a
+half hour later, when the little party removed to the library
+and established themselves comfortably for the evening,
+Salome drew her chair close to the lamp, and, under pretence
+of examining a book of engravings, covertly studied the features
+and mien of the new-comer.</p>
+<p>His quiet, low-toned conversation was of other lands and
+distant nations, and, while there was an entire absence of that
+ostentatious braggardism and dropsical egotism which unfortunately
+attacks the majority of travellers, his descriptions of
+foreign scenery were so graceful and brilliant, that despite
+her ungracious determination and premeditated dislike, she
+became a fascinated listener; and, more than once, found herself
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_16' name='page_16'></a>16</span>
+leaning forward to catch his words. Her own vivid fancy
+travelled with him over the lakes and isles, temples and
+palaces, he had visited; and, when the clock struck eleven, and
+a brief silence succeeded, she started as from some delightful
+dream.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Janet, shall we have prayers, or have I already kept you
+up too late?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey stooped and pressed his lips to his sister&#8217;s wrinkled
+forehead, and her voice faltered slightly, as she answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is never too late to thank God for all his goodness, especially
+in bringing my dear boy safely back to me. Salome, get
+the large Bible from the cushion in the parlor.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As the orphan placed the book in Dr. Grey&#8217;s hand it opened
+at the record of births, where on the wide page appeared only
+the name of Ulpian Grey, and from the leaves fluttered a
+small bow of blue ribbon.</p>
+<p>He picked it up, and, considering it merely a book-mark,
+would have replaced it, but Miss Jane exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is the blue knot that fastens that child&#8217;s collar. Give
+it to her. She lost it yesterday, and has searched the house
+for it. How came it in that old Bible, which I am sure has
+not been used for fifteen years?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Whatever solution of the mystery Salome might have
+deigned to offer, remained unuttered, for Dr. Grey kindly
+obviated the necessity of a reply by requesting her to bring
+him an additional candle from an adjoining room; and the
+superfluous celerity with which she started on the errand
+called a twinkle to his eye and a half-smothered smile to his
+lips. She felt assured that he was thoroughly cognizant of the
+curiosity which had prompted her researches among the family
+records, and inferred that he had either no vanity to be
+flattered by such trifles, or was dowered with too much generosity
+to evince any gratification at the discovery of an interest
+she would have vehemently disclaimed.</p>
+<p>It was the first time she had ever bowed before the family
+altar, and, notwithstanding her avowed aversion to &#8220;Puritanic
+ceremonials and Pharisaical practices,&#8221; she was unexpectedly
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_17' name='page_17'></a>17</span>
+awed and deeply impressed by the solemnity with
+which he conducted the brief services; while, despite her prejudice,
+his grave courtesy toward her, and the subdued tenderness
+that marked his treatment of his sister, commanded her
+involuntary respect. When she stood before the mirror in her
+own room, unbraiding her heavy hair, a dissatisfied expression
+robbed her features of half their loveliness, and discontent
+ploughed distorting lines about the scarlet lips which muttered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wonder if, in one of his evil fits, my father sold and
+signed me away to Satan? I certainly am <i>bon gré mal gré</i> in
+bondage to him; for, from my inmost heart I hate &#8216;good,
+pious, sanctified souls,&#8217; such as that marble man upstairs, who
+has come back to usurp my kingdom, and lord it over this
+heritage. After to-day a new regime. The potter&#8217;s hands are
+fair and shapely, courteous and deft, but potter&#8217;s hands nevertheless.
+Tough kneading he shall find it, and stiffer clay
+than ever yet was moulded, or my name is not Salome Owen.
+After all, how much better are we than the lower beasts of
+prey? In the race for riches there is but one alternative,&mdash;to
+devour, or be devoured; consequently that was an immemorial
+and well tested rule in the warfare that commenced
+when Adam and Eve found themselves shut out of Eden.
+&#8216;Each for himself,&#8217; etc., etc., etc. Since I must <i>ex necessitate</i>
+prey or be preyed upon, I shall waste no time in deliberation.&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_II' id='CHAPTER_II'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>When fifty-two years old, Daniel Grey amassed a handsome
+fortune by speculating in certain gold and coal mine
+stocks, which not only relieved him from the necessity of daily
+toil in his dusty counting-room, but elevated him to that more
+than Braminical caste, dubbed in Mammon-parlance&mdash;capitalists;
+whose decrees outweigh legislative statutes, and by feeling
+the pulse of stock-boards and all financial corporations,
+regulate the fiscal currents of the State. A few months subsequent
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_18' name='page_18'></a>18</span>
+to this sudden accession of wealth, his meek and
+devoted wife&mdash;who had patiently shared all the trials and
+hardships of his early impecunious career, and brightened an
+humble home which boasted no treasure comparable to her
+loving, unselfish heart,&mdash;was summoned to the enjoyment of
+a heritage beyond the stars; and Daniel Grey, capitalist,
+found himself a florid handsome widower, with two children,
+Enoch and Jane, to remind him continually of the pale wife
+over whose quiet ashes rose a costly mausoleum, where rare
+exotics nodded to each other across gilded slab and sculptured
+angels. That he profoundly mourned his loss no charitable
+mind could doubt, notwithstanding the obstinate fact that
+ere the violets had bloomed a twelvemonth over the dead
+mother of his children he had provided them with one who
+certainly bore her name, <ins title='Was unsurped'>usurped</ins> her precious privileges,
+walked in her footsteps, but wofully failed to fill her place.</p>
+<p>Mrs. Daniel Grey, scarcely the senior of the step-daughter
+whose lips most reluctantly framed the sacred word &#8220;mother,&#8221;
+was a fresh fair young thing, whose ideas of marriage extended
+no further than diamonds, white satin, reception cards,
+and bridal presents; and whose regard for her worthy husband
+sought no surer basis than his bank-stock and insurance
+dividends. Dainty and bright, in tasteful and costly apparel,
+the pretty child-wife flitted up and down in his house and
+over the serene surface of his life, touching no feeling of his
+nature so deeply as that colossal <i>parvenu</i> vanity which exulted
+in the possession of a graceful walking announcement of his
+ability to clothe in fine fabrics and expensive jewels.</p>
+<p>Perhaps the mildew that stained the ghastly gaunt angels
+who kept guard over the dust of the dead wife, extended yet
+further than the silent territory over which sexton and mattock
+reigned, for one dreary December night, instead of nestling
+for a post-prandial nap among the velvet cushions of his
+luxurious parlor, Daniel Grey, capitalist, slept his last sleep
+in a high-backed, comfortless chair before his desk, where the
+confidential clerk found him next morning, with his rigid
+icy fingers thrust between the leaves of his check-book.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_19' name='page_19'></a>19</span></div>
+<p>According to the old Arab proverb,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;The black camel named Death kneeleth once at each door,<br />
+And a mortal must mount to return nevermore.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>And, past all peradventure, having borne away one member of
+the household, the &#8220;Last Carrier&#8221; from force of habit hastens
+to perform the same thankless service for the remainder;&mdash;thus
+ere summer sunshine streamed on the husband&#8217;s
+grave, another yawned at its side, and a wreathed and fluted
+shaft shot up close to his mausoleum, to tell sympathizing
+friends and careless strangers that the second wife of Daniel
+Grey had been snatched away in the morning of life.</p>
+<p>Her infant son Ulpian was committed to the tender guardianship
+of his maternal grandmother, in whose hands he remained
+until the close of his fourth year, when her death
+necessitated his return to the home of his only relatives,
+Enoch and Jane. At the request of his sister, the former had
+sold the elegant new residence in a fashionable quarter of the
+town, and removed to the old homestead and farm, hallowed
+by reminiscences of their mother, and invested with the magic
+attractions that early association weaves about the spots frequented
+in youth.</p>
+<p>Manifesting, even in boyhood, an unconquerable repugnance
+not only to curriculum, but the monotonous routine of mercantile
+pursuits, Enoch sullenly forswore stock-jobbing and
+finance, and declared his intention of indulging his rural
+tastes and becoming a farmer. Fine cattle and poultry of all
+kinds, heavy wheat-crops, and well-stored corn-cribs engrossed
+his thoughts, to the entire exclusion of abstract &#230;sthetic speculation,
+of operatic music, and Pre-Raphaelitism; while the
+sight of one of his silky short-horned Ayrshires yielded him
+infinitely more pleasure than the possession of all Rosa Bonheur&#8217;s
+ideals could possibly have done, and the soft billowy
+stretch of his favorite clover-meadow was worth all the canvas
+that Claude or Poussin had ever colored. While Enoch had
+cordially hated his fair blue-eyed young step-mother, not from
+any personal or individual grounds of grievance, but simply
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_20' name='page_20'></a>20</span>
+and solely because she dared to occupy the household niche,
+sanctified once and forever by his own meek gentle-toned
+mother, he nevertheless tenderly loved her baby-boy; and as
+Ulpian grew to manhood he became the idol, at whose shrine
+the brother and sister offered their pure and most intense
+affection.</p>
+<p>Neither had married, and when the youngest of the household
+band completed his studies, and decided to accept a
+naval appointment, the consternation and grief which the
+announcement produced at the homestead, proved how essential
+the presence of the half-brother had become to the happiness
+of the sedate stolid Enoch, and equable unselfish
+Jane. But the desire to travel subordinated all other sentiments
+in Ulpian&#8217;s nature, and he eagerly embarked for a
+cruise, from which he was recalled by tidings of the death of
+his brother.</p>
+<p>A brief sojourn at the homestead had sufficed to arrange
+the affairs of the carefully-managed estate, and the young
+surgeon returned to his post aboard ship, in distant oriental
+seas. The increasing infirmity of his sister had finally induced
+the resignation of his cherished commission, and
+brought the man of thirty-five back to his home, where the
+&#8220;old familiar faces&#8221; seemed to have vanished forever; and,
+in lieu thereof, legions of cold-eyed strangers carelessly
+confronted him.</p>
+<p>Emancipated from all restraint, and early consigned to the
+guidance of his boyish caprices and immature judgment, Ulpian
+Grey&#8217;s character had unfolded itself under circumstances
+peculiarly favorable for the fostering of selfishness and the
+development of idiosyncrasies. As a plant, unmolested by
+man and beast, germinates, expands, and freely
+and completely manifests all its inherent tendencies, whether
+detrimental or beneficial to humanity, so Dr. Grey&#8217;s matured
+manhood was no distorted or discolored result of repeated
+educational experiments, but a thoroughly normal efflorescence
+of an unbiassed healthful nature.</p>
+<p>Habits of unwavering application and searching study, contracted
+in collegiate cloisters, tightened their grasp upon him,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_21' name='page_21'></a>21</span>
+as he wandered away from the quiet precincts of <i>Alma Mater</i>
+and into the crowded noisy campus of life; and even the
+gregarious and convivial manners prevalent aboard ship failed
+to divert his attention from the prosecution of scientific researches,
+or to retard his rapid progress in classical scholarship.</p>
+<p>For the treasures of knowledge thus patiently and indefatigably
+garnered through a series of years, travel proved an
+invaluable polyglot commentator, analyzing, comparing, annotating,
+and italicizing, and had converted his mind into a vast,
+systematically arranged pictorial encyclop&#230;dia of miscellaneous
+lore, embellished with delicate etchings, noble engravings,
+and gorgeous illuminations,&mdash;a thesaurus where <i>savants</i> might
+seek successfully for <i>data</i>, and whence artists could derive
+grand types, and pure tender coloring.</p>
+<p>Reverent and loving appreciation of the intrinsically &#8220;true,
+good, and beautiful&#8221; was part of the homage that his nature
+rendered to its Creator, and instead of flowering into a morbid
+and maudlin sentimentality which craves low-browed, long
+straight-nosed, undraped statuettes in every nook and corner,&mdash;or
+dwarfs the soul and pins it to the surplice of some
+theologic <i>dogmata</i> claiming infallibility&mdash;or coffins the intellect
+in cramped, shallow, psychological categories,&mdash;it bore
+fruit in a wide-eyed, large-hearted, liberal-minded eclecticism,
+which, waging no crusade against the various Saladins of
+modern systems, quietly possessed itself of the really valuable
+elements that constitute the basis of every ethical, &#230;sthetic,
+and scientific creed, which has for any length of time
+levied black-mail on the credulity of mankind.</p>
+<p>Breadth of intellectual vision promotes moral and emotional
+expansion&mdash;for true catholicity of mind manufactures
+charity in the heart; and toleration is the real mesmeric current
+which brings the extremes of humanity <i>en rapport</i>,&mdash;is
+the veritable ubiquitous Samaritan always provided with wine
+and oil for the bruised and helpless, who are strewn along the
+highway of life; and those who penetrated beyond the polished
+surface of Dr. Grey&#8217;s character, realized that no tinge of cynicism,
+no affectation of contempt for his country and countrymen
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_22' name='page_22'></a>22</span>
+lurked in his heart, while erudition and foreign sojourning
+seemed only to have warmed and intensified his sympathy
+with all noble aims&mdash;his compassion for all grovelling ones.</p>
+<p>That his compulsory return to the uneventful routine of
+life at the homestead, involved a sacrifice which he would
+gladly have avoided, he did not attempt to deny; but having
+invested a large amount of earnest, vigorous faith in the final
+conservatism of that much-abused monster which the seditious
+army of the Disappointed anathematize as &#8220;Bad Luck,&#8221; he
+went to work contentedly in this new sphere of action, and
+waited patiently and trustfully for the slow grinding of the
+great mill of Compensation, into whose huge hopper Fate had
+unceremoniously poured all his plans.</p>
+<p>His advent produced a very decided sensation not only in
+the quiet neighborhood in which the farm was located, but
+also in the adjacent town where the memory of Daniel Grey&#8217;s
+meteoric ascent to pecuniosity still lingered in the minds of
+the oldest citizens, and pleasantly paved the way for a cordial
+reception of the fortunate son who inherited not only his
+mother&#8217;s comeliness but his father&#8217;s hoarded wealth.</p>
+<p>Living in the middle of the nineteenth century, and in a
+hemisphere completely antipodal to that in which Utopia
+was situated, or &#8220;Bensalem&#8221; dreamed of, the appearance of a
+good-looking, well-educated, affluent bachelor could not fail to
+stir all gossipdom to its dreg; and society, ever tenderly concerned
+about the individual affairs of its prominent members,
+was all agog&mdash;busily arranging for the <i>ci-devant</i> United
+States Surgeon a programme, than which he would sooner
+have undertaken the feats of Samson or the Avatars of
+Vishnu.</p>
+<p>His published card, announcing the fact that he had permanently
+located in the city and was a patient candidate for
+the privilege of setting fractured limbs and administering
+medicine, somewhat dashed the expectations of many who conjected
+that the Grey estate could not possibly be worth the
+amount so long reputed, or the principal heir would certainly
+not soil his fingers with pills and plasters, instead of sauntering
+and dawdling with librettos, lorgnettes, meerschaums,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_23' name='page_23'></a>23</span>
+and curiously-carved canes cut in the Hebrides or the jungles
+of Java.</p>
+<p>Over the door of that office, where the Angel of Death had
+smitten his father thirty-five years before, a new sign swung
+in the breeze, and showed the citizens the name of &#8220;Dr.
+Ulpian Grey. Office hours from nine to ten, and from two
+to three.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The members of the profession called formally to welcome
+him to a share of their annual profits, and collectively
+gave him a dinner; the &#8220;best families&#8221; invited him to tea
+or luncheon, croquet or &#8220;German,&#8221; and thus, having accomplished
+his professional and social <i>début</i>, Ulpian Grey,
+M.D., henceforth claimed and exercised the privilege of selecting
+his associates, and employing his time as inclination
+prompted.</p>
+<p>In the comprehensive course of study to which he had so
+long devoted his attention, he had not omitted that immemorial
+stereotyped volume&mdash;Human Nature&mdash;which, despite
+the attempted revisions of sages, politicians, and ecclesiastics,
+remains as immutable as the everlasting hills; printing
+upon the leaves of the youngest century phases of guilt
+and guilelessness which find their prototypes in the gray dawn
+of time, when the &#8220;morning stars sang together,&#8221;&mdash;yea, busy
+to-day as of yore, slaughtering Abel, stoning Stephen, fretting
+Moses, crucifying Christ. Finding much that was admirable,
+and more that seemed ignoble, he gravely and
+reverently sought to possess himself of the subtle arcana of
+this marvellous book, rejecting as equally erroneous and unreliable
+the magnifying zeal of optimism and the gloomy
+jaundiced lenses of sneering pessimism,&mdash;thoroughly satisfied
+that it was a solemn duty, obligatory upon all, to study
+that complex paradoxical human nature, for the mastery of
+which Lucifer and Jesus had ceaselessly battled since the day
+when Adam and Eve were called &#8220;to dress and to keep&#8221; the
+Garden by the Euphrates,&mdash;that heaven-born, heaven-cursed,
+restless human nature, which now, as then,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_24' name='page_24'></a>24</span></div>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Grasps at the fruitage forbidden,<br />
+The golden pomegranates of Eden,<br />
+To quiet its fever and pain.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>A few days&#8217; residence under the same roof, and a guarded
+observation of Salome&#8217;s conduct, sufficed to acquaint Dr. Grey
+with the ungenerous motives that induced her chagrin at his
+return; and, without permitting her to suspect that he had so
+accurately read her character, he endeavored as unobtrusively
+as possible to bridge by kindness and courtesy the chasm of
+jealous distrust which divided them.</p>
+<p>Indolent and self-indulgent, she neither brooked dictation,
+nor gracefully accepted any suggestions at variance with the
+reigning whim; for, since she became an inmate of Miss Jane&#8217;s
+hospitable home, existence had been a mere dreamy, aimless
+succession of golden dawns and scarlet-curtained sunsets&mdash;a
+slow, quiet lapsing of weeks into months,&mdash;an almost stagnant
+stream curled by no eddies, freighted with few aspirations,
+bearing no drift.</p>
+<p>The circumstances and associations of her early life had destroyed
+her faith in abstract nobility of character; self-abnegation
+she neither comprehended nor deemed possible; and
+of a stern, innate moral heroism she was utterly sceptical;
+consequently a delicately graduated scale of selfishness was the
+sole balance by which she was wont to weigh men and women.</p>
+<p>Her irregular method of study and desultory reading had
+rather enervated than strengthened a mind naturally clear
+and vigorous, and left its acquisitions in a confused and kaleidoscopic
+mass, bordering upon intellectual salmagundi.</p>
+<p>One warm afternoon, on his return from town, as Dr. Grey
+ascended the steps he noticed Salome reclining on a bamboo
+settee at the western end of the gallery, where the sunshine
+was hot and glaring, unobstructed by the thin leafy screen of
+vines that drooped from column to column on the southern
+and eastern sides of the building. If conscious of his approach
+she vouchsafed not the slightest intimation of it, and
+when he stood beside her she remained so immovable that he
+might have imagined her asleep but for the lambent light
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_25' name='page_25'></a>25</span>
+which rayed out from eyes that seemed intently numbering
+the soft fluttering young leaves on a distant clump of elm
+trees, which made a lace-like tracery of golden glimmer and
+quivering shadow on the purple-headed clover at their feet.</p>
+<p>Her fair but long slender fingers carelessly held a book
+that threatened to slip from their light relaxing grasp, and
+compressing his lips in order to smother a smile under his
+heavy moustache, Dr. Grey stooped and put his hand on her
+plump white wrist, where the blue veins were running riot.</p>
+<p>&#8220;So young,&mdash;yet cataleptic! Unfortunate, indeed,&#8221; he
+murmured.</p>
+<p>She shook off his touch, and instantly sat erect.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I should be glad to know what you mean.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have an admirable, nay, I venture to add, an almost infallible
+prescription for catalepsy, which has cured two chronic
+and apparently hopeless cases, and it will afford me great
+pleasure to try the third experiment upon you, since you
+seem pitiably in want of a remedy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. Were I as free from all other ills that &#8216;flesh
+is heir to,&#8217; as I certainly am of the taint of catalepsy, I might
+indeed congratulate myself upon an immunity which would
+obviate the dire necessity of ever meeting a physician.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you sure that you sufficiently understand the symptoms,
+to recognize them unerringly?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The rose tint in her cheeks deepened to scarlet, as she
+haughtily drew herself up to her full height, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey himself is not more sagacious and adroit in detecting
+them; especially when open eyes discover unwelcome
+and disagreeable objects, which, wishing to avoid, they are
+still compelled to see. I hope you are satisfied that I comprehend
+you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My meaning was not so occult as to justify a doubt upon
+that subject; and moreover, Salome, lack of astuteness is far
+from being your greatest defect. My motive should eloquently
+plead pardon for my candor, if I venture to tell you that your
+frequent affectation of unconsciousness of the presence of
+others, &#8216;is a custom more honored in the breach than the
+observance,&#8217; and may prove prolific of annoyance in coming
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_26' name='page_26'></a>26</span>
+years; for courtesy constitutes the keystone in the beautiful
+arch of social amenities which vaults the temple of Christian
+virtues. Lest you should take umbrage at my frankness,
+which ought to assure you of my interest in your happiness
+and improvement, permit me to remind you of the oriental
+definition of a faithful friend, that has more pith than verbal
+polish,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;The true friend is not he who holds up Flattery&#8217;s mirror,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>In which the face to thy conceit most pleasing hovers;<br />
+But he who kindly shows thee all thy vices, sirrah!<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And helps thee mend them ere an enemy discovers.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Rising, Salome swept him a profound courtesy, and, while
+her fingers beat a tattoo on the book she held, she watched him
+with a peculiar sparkle in her eyes, which he had already
+learned to understand was a beacon flame kindled by intense
+displeasure. Dr. Grey seated himself, and, taking off his
+hat, said gently and winningly, as he pushed aside the hair
+that clustered in brown rings over his forehead,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Here is ample room for both of us. Sit down, and be
+reasonable; and let me catch a glimpse of the amiable elements
+which I feel assured must exist somewhere in your
+nature, notwithstanding your persistent endeavor to conceal
+them. Your Janus character has hitherto breathed only war&mdash;war;
+but, my young friend, I earnestly invoke its peaceful
+phase.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The kindness of tone and evident sincerity of manner
+might have disarmed a prejudice better founded than hers;
+but wrath consumed all scruples, and, recollecting his forbearance
+with various former acts of rudeness, she presumed
+to attempt further aggressions.</p>
+<p>Waving her hand in tacit rejection of the proffered share of
+the settee, she answered with more emphasis than perspicuity
+demanded,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Does your reading of the book of Job encourage you to
+believe that when those self-appointed counsellors&mdash;Eliphaz
+the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite&mdash;returned
+to their respective homes, they had cause to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_27' name='page_27'></a>27</span>
+congratulate themselves upon their cordial welcome to Job&#8217;s
+bank of ashes, or felt bountifully repaid for their voluntary
+mission of advice?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, no. My study of the record of the man
+of Uz renders painfully patent that humiliating fact&mdash;old as
+humanity&mdash;that sanctity of motive is no coat-of-mail to the
+luckless few who bravely bear to the hearts of those with
+whom they associate the unwelcome burden of unflattering
+truths. Phraseology&mdash;definitions&mdash;vary with advancing centuries,
+but not so the human impulses they express or explain;
+and friendship in the days of Job was the identical &#8216;Mutual
+Admiration Society,&#8217; which at present converts its consistent
+servile members into Damon and Pythias, but punishes any
+violation of its canons with hatred dire and inextinguishable.
+Were I blessed with the genius of Praxiteles or of Angelo, I
+would chisel and bequeath to the world a noble statue,&mdash;typical
+of that rare, fearless friendship, which, walking through
+the lazaretto of diseased and morbid natures, bears not honied
+draughts alone, but scalpel, caustic, and bitter tonics.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The calm sweetness of voice and mien lent to his words an
+influence which no amount of gall or satire could have imparted;
+and, in the brief silence that ensued, Salome&#8217;s heart
+was suddenly smitten with a humiliating consciousness of her
+childish flippancy,&mdash;her utter inferiority to this man, who
+seemed to walk serenely in a starry plane far beyond the mire
+where she grovelled.</p>
+<p>Ridicule braced and exaggerated her weaknesses, and the
+strokes of sarcasm she could adroitly parry; but for persistent
+magnanimity she was no match, and recoiled before it like the
+traditional Fiend at sight of the <i>Santo Sudario</i>. Watching
+her companion&#8217;s quiet countenance, she saw a shadow drift
+over it, betokening neither anger nor scorn, but serious regret;
+and involuntarily she drooped her head to avoid the eyes that
+now turned full upon her.</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;Since</ins> I became a man, and to some extent capable of discriminating
+with reference to the characters of persons with
+whom I found myself in contact, I have made and invariably
+observed one rule of conduct,&mdash;namely, never to associate with
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_28' name='page_28'></a>28</span>
+those whom I cannot respect. Ignorance, want of refinement,
+irritability of temper, and even lack of generous impulses,
+I can forgive, when redeemed by candor and stern
+honesty of purpose; but arrogance, dissimulation, and all-absorbing
+selfishness I will not tolerate. In you I hoped and expected
+better qualities than you permit me to find, and I
+trust you will acquit me of intentional rudeness if I acknowledge
+that you have painfully disappointed me. It was, and
+still is, my earnest wish to befriend and to aid you,&mdash;to contribute
+to your happiness, and cordially sympathize in any
+annoyances that may surround you; but thus far you have
+rendered it impossible for me to esteem you, and while I do
+not presume that my good opinion is of any importance to
+you, our present relations compel me to request that our
+intercourse may in future be characterized by more urbanity
+than has yet graced it. My sister has been much pained by
+the feelings with which you evidently regard me, and since
+you and I are merely guests under her roof, a due deference
+to her wishes should certainly repress the exhibition of antipathies
+towards those whom she loves. It is her earnest
+desire (as expressed in a conversation which I had with her
+yesterday) that I should treat you as a young sister; and, for
+her sake, I offer you once more, and for the last time, my
+hearty assistance in any department in which I am able to
+render it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The folds of your flag of truce do not conceal the drawn
+sword beneath it; and let me tell you, sir, it is very evident
+that &#8216;demand&#8217; would far better have expressed your purpose
+than the word &#8216;request.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;At least you should not be surprised if I doubt whether
+you regard any truce as inviolable, and am inclined to suspect
+you of latent treachery.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your accusation of dissimulation is unjust, for I have
+openly, fearlessly manifested my prejudice&mdash;my aversion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That you dislike me is my misfortune, but that you
+allow your detestation to generate discord in our small circle
+is an error which I trust you will endeavor to correct. That I
+have many faults I shall not attempt to deny; but mutual
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_29' name='page_29'></a>29</span>
+forbearance will prove a mutual blessing. For Jane&#8217;s sake,
+shall there not be peace between us?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Standing before her, he looked gravely down into her face,
+where flush and sparkle had died out, and saw&mdash;what she
+was too proud to confess&mdash;that he had partially conquered her
+waywardness, that she was reluctantly yielding to his influence;
+but he understood her nature too thoroughly to pause
+contented with this slight advantage in a contest which he
+foresaw must determine the direction of her aims through life.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I am waiting for your decision.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her lips stirred twice, but the words they framed were
+either too haughty or too humble, for she refused them utterance;
+and, while she deliberated, two tears settled the question
+by rolling swiftly over her cheeks, and falling upon the cherry
+ribbon at her throat.</p>
+<p>Accepting it as a tacit signature to his terms of capitulation,
+and satisfied with the result, Dr. Grey forbore to urge
+verbal assurances. Taking the book from her hand, he said,
+pleasantly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you fond of French? I frequently find you poring
+over your grammar.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have never had a teacher, nor have I conquered the conjugations;
+consequently, I know comparatively little about the
+language.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you studying it with the intention of familiarizing
+yourself with French literature, or merely to enable you to
+translate the few phrases that modern writers sprinkle through
+novels and essays?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For neither purpose, but simply because it is the court
+language of the old world; and, if I should succeed in my hope
+of visiting Europe, I might regret my ignorance of the universally
+received medium of communication.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you, then, no desire to master those noble bursts of
+eloquence by which Racine, Bossuet, Fénélon, and Cousin
+have charmed the intellects of all nations?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;None, whatever. I might as well tell you at once, what
+you will inevitably discover ere long if you condescend to
+inspect my meagre attainments, that for abstract study I have
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_30' name='page_30'></a>30</span>
+no more inclination than to fondle some mummy in the
+crypts of Cyrene, or play &#8216;blind man&#8217;s buff&#8217; with the corpses
+in the Morgue. My limited investments of time and
+thought in intellectual stock have been made solely with
+reference to speedy dividends of most practical and immediate
+benefits; and knowledge <i>per se</i>&mdash;knowledge which will not
+pay me handsome interest&mdash;has no more value in my eyes
+than a handful of the dust of those Atures found in the
+cavern of Ataruipe. Doubtless you think me pitiably benighted,
+and possibly I might find more favor in your sight
+if I affected a prodigious amount of literary enthusiasm, and
+boundless admiration for scholarship and erudition; but that
+would prove too troublesome an imposture,&mdash;for I am constitutionally,
+habitually, and premeditatedly lazy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She saw a smile lurking under his heavy lashes, and half
+ambushed in the corners of his mouth; and, vaguely conscious
+that she was rendering herself ridiculous, she bit her lip with
+ill-disguised vexation.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I am afraid that under the garb of a jest you
+are making me acquainted with a very mournful truth. You
+have probably never heard of Lessing,&mdash;Gotthold Ephraim
+Lessing.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, I am not quite as ignorant as a Pitcairn&#8217;s Islander;
+and I think I have somewhere seen that such a person as
+Lessing lived at Wolfenbüttel. He once said, &#8216;The chase is
+always worth more than the quarry.&#8217; And again, &#8216;Did the
+Almighty, holding in his right hand Truth, and in his left
+Search after Truth, <ins title='Was deigned'>deign</ins> to proffer me the one I might
+prefer,&mdash;in all humility, but without hesitation, I should
+request Search after Truth.&#8217; When you have nothing more
+important to occupy your attention, give ten minutes&#8217; reflection
+to his admonition, and perhaps it may declare a dividend
+years hence. Last week I found your algebra on the
+rug before the library grate, and noticed several sums worked
+out in pencil on the margin. Are you fond of mathematics?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not that I am aware of.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What progress have you made?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_31' name='page_31'></a>31</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;My knowledge of arithmetic is barely sufficient to take
+me through a brief shopping expedition.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you no ambition to increase it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I have no ambition. That &#8216;last infirmity of
+noble minds&#8217; has never attacked me; and, folding my hands,
+I chant ceaselessly to my soul, &#8216;Take thine ease, eat, drink,
+and be merry.&#8217; The rapture of the mathematician, who bows
+before the shrine of his favorite science, is to my dull intellect
+as incomprehensible as the jargon of metaphysics or the mysteries
+wrapped up in Pali cerements. Equations, conic sections,
+differential calculus, constitute a skull and cross-bones
+to which I allow as wide a berth as possible.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The weary dissatisfied expression of her large, luminous
+eyes, belied the sneer in her voice and the curl of her thin
+lip, and it cost her an effort to answer his next question.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you tell me what rule you have adopted for the distribution
+of your time, and the government of your life?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir; you are heartily welcome to it: &#8216;Yet a little
+slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.&#8217; <i>Laissez nous
+faire</i>. Moreover, Dr. Grey, if you will courteously lend me
+your ears, I will favor you with a still more felicitous exposition
+of my invaluable organon.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Stooping suddenly, she raised from the floor a small volume
+which had been concealed by her dress, and, as it opened at a
+page stained with the juice of a purple convolvulus, she smiled
+defiantly, and read with almost scornful emphasis,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;&#8216;Ah, why</p>
+<p class='cg'><span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Should life all labor be?<br />
+Let us alone. Time driveth onward fast,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And in a little while our lips are dumb.<br />
+Let us alone. What is it that will last?<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>All things are taken from us, and become<br />
+Portions and parcels of the dreadful Past.<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Let us alone. What pleasure can we have<br />
+To war with evil? Is there any peace<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>In ever climbing up the climbing wave?<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>All things have rest, and ripen towards the grave<br />
+In silence; ripen, fall, and cease:<br />
+Give us long rest or death; dark death or dreamful <ins title='Quote added'>ease.&#8217;</ins></p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_32' name='page_32'></a>32</span></div>
+<p>There, Dr. Grey, you have my creed and method,&mdash;<i>Laissez
+nous faire</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>With a degree of gravity that trenched on sternness, he
+bowed, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;So be it. I might insist that the closing lines of &#8216;Ulysses&#8217;
+nobly refute all the numbing heresy of the &#8216;Lotos Eaters&#8217;&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8216;But something ere the end,</p>
+<p class='cg'>Some work of noble note may yet be done.<br />
+That which we are, we are:<br />
+One equal templer of heroic hearts,<br />
+Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will<br />
+To strive, to seek, to find, and not to <ins title='Quote added'>yield.&#8217;</ins></p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>But I would not rouse you from a lethargy, which, knowing it
+to be fatal to all hopes of usefulness, you still deliberately prefer.
+Take care, however, lest you bury the one original talent
+so deep that you fail to unearth it when the Master demands
+it in the final day of restitution. I have questioned you concerning
+your studies, because I desired and intended to offer
+my services as tutor, while you prosecuted mathematics and
+the languages; but I forbear to suggest a course so evidently
+distasteful to you. Unless I completely misjudge your character,
+I fear the day is not distant, when, haunted by ghosts
+of strangled opportunities, you will realize the solemn and
+painful truth, that,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;There is nothing a man knows, in grief or in sin,<br />
+<i>Half so bitter as to think, What I might have been</i>!&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_III' id='CHAPTER_III'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you look so weary that I must insist upon
+relieving you. Give me the book and run out for a breath of
+fresh air&mdash;a glimpse of blue sky.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey laid his hand on the volume, but the girl shook
+her head and pushed aside his fingers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am not at all tired, and even if I were it would make
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_33' name='page_33'></a>33</span>
+no difference. Miss Jane desires me to read this sermon
+aloud, and I shall finish it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The invalid, who had been confined to her bed for many
+days by a severe attack of rheumatism, partially raised herself
+on one elbow, and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear, give him the book, while you take a little exercise.
+You have been pent up here long enough, and, moreover,
+I want to talk to Ulpian about some business matters.
+Don&#8217;t look so sullen, my child; it makes no difference who
+reads the sermon to me. Kiss me, and run out on the lawn.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The orphan relinquished chair and book, but there was no
+relaxation of her bent brows, and neither warmth nor lingering
+pressure in the firm, hardly drawn lips, which lightly
+touched the old lady&#8217;s sallow, wrinkled cheek. When she had
+left the room, closing the door after her with more force than
+was requisite to bolt it securely, Miss Jane sighed heavily, and
+turned to her brother.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Poor thing! She is so jealous of you; and it distresses me
+to see that no friendship grows up between you, as I hoped
+and believed would be the case. If you would only notice her
+a little more I think you might win her over.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Leave it to time, Janet. I &#8216;have piped unto her and she
+would not dance; I have mourned unto her, and she has not
+lamented,&#8217;&mdash;and concessions only feed her waywardness. If
+there be a residuum of good sense and proper feeling in her
+nature, they will assert themselves after a while; if not, all
+extraneous influences are futile. I will resume the reading,
+if agreeable to you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Moody and rebellious, Salome stood for some moments on
+the threshold of the front door, staring vacantly out over the
+lawn; then, snatching her hat from a hook in the hall, she
+swiftly crossed the grounds, climbed over a low lattice fence
+at the foot of the declivity, and followed a worn but neglected
+path leading into the adjoining forest.</p>
+<p>The sanctity of the Sabbath afternoon rested like a benison
+over the silent glades, where sunshine made golden roads along
+the smooth brown pine straw, and glinted on the purple flags
+that fluttered in the mild west wind. Even the melancholy
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_34' name='page_34'></a>34</span>
+plaint of sad-eyed dun doves was hushed, as they slowly swung
+in the swaying pine-tops; and two young lambs, neglected by
+the wandering flock, lay sleeping quietly, with their snowy
+heads pillowed on clustering violets,&mdash;far from the fold, forgotten
+by their mothers, at the mercy of strolling dogs,
+watched only by the Great Shepherd.</p>
+<p>Salome&#8217;s rapid pace soon placed a mile between her and the
+fence that bounded the lawn; and, pushing through the dense
+undergrowth which betokened the proximity of a stream, she
+stood ere long on the margin of a wide pond which supplied
+the broad, shining sheet of beryl water that poured over the
+rocky dam, close to the large irregular building called &#8220;Grey&#8217;s
+Mill.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Piles of lumber were bleaching in the sunshine, but the
+machinery was at rest, the workmen were all absent, and not
+a sound broke the stillness, save the steady, monotonous chant
+of the water leaping down into the race, where a thousand
+foam-flakes danced along towards the huge wheels, and died
+on the soft green mosses and lush-creepers that stole down to
+bathe in the sparkling wavelets. The knotted roots of an old
+beech tree furnished a resting-place, and Salome sat down
+and leaned her head against the scarred trunk, where lightning
+had once girdled and partially destroyed it,&mdash;leaving
+one-half the branches leafy, the remainder scorched and barren.</p>
+<p>Overhanging willows darkened the edges of the pond; and,
+in the centre, one tall, venerable cypress, lonely as some palm
+in the desert, rose like a gray shaft tufted with a fine fringe
+of fresh green; and occasional clusters of broad, shining
+leaves, spread themselves on the surface of the water, cradling
+large, snowy lilies, whose gold-powdered stamens trembled
+ceaselessly. Now and then a trout leaped up, as if for a
+breath of May air, and fell back into the circle that widened
+until it touched either bank; and not far from a cow who
+stood knee-deep in water, browsing on a wild rose that clambered
+over the willows to peep at its pink image in the pond, a
+proud pair of gray geese convoyed a brood of yellow younglings
+that dived and breasted the ripples with evident glee.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_35' name='page_35'></a>35</span></div>
+<p>With her arms clasped around her knees, Salome sat watching
+the blue tendrils of smoke that rose from a clump of elms
+beyond the mill and curled lazily upward until they lost themselves
+in air; and, though the arching elm boughs hid mossy
+roof and chimney, she nevertheless felt that she was looking
+on the old house where she was born, and where ten dreary
+years of sorrow and humiliation had embittered and perverted
+her nature.</p>
+<p>Those elms had seen her mother die, had heard her father&#8217;s
+drunken revelry, and bent their aged heads to listen on that
+wild wintry night, when in blood-curdling curses his soul rent
+itself from the degraded tenement of clay. Apparently peace
+brooded over earth, sky, and water; but to that lonely figure
+under the riven beech, every object within the range of vision
+babbled horrible tales of the early years, and memory pointed
+to a corner of the lumber-shed adjoining the mill where she
+had often secreted herself to avoid her father&#8217;s brutality,&mdash;always
+keeping her head in the moonshine, because she dreaded
+the darkness inside, which childish fancy filled with ghostly
+groups. She hated the place as she hated the past, and this
+was the second time she had visited it since the day that consigned
+her to the poor-house; for it was impossible for her
+to look at the pond without recollecting one dark passage in
+her life, known only to God and herself. To-day she recalled,
+with startling vividness a dusky, starlit June evening, when,
+maddened by an unmerited and unusually severe punishment
+inflicted by her father, she had resolved to drown herself, and
+find peace in the mud at the bottom of the mill-pond. Placing
+her infant sister on the grass, she had kissed her good-by,
+and selecting the deepest portion of the water, had climbed
+out on a willow branch and prepared for the final plunge.
+Putting her fingers in her ears that she might not hear the
+bubbling of the murderous water, she shut her eyes and
+sprang into the pond; but her long hair caught the willow
+twigs, and, half strangled and quite willing to live, she scrambled
+up into the low limbs that seemed so anxious to rescue
+her from a watery grave; and, dripping and trembling, crept
+back to the house, comforting herself with the grim assurance
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_36' name='page_36'></a>36</span>
+that whatever else might befall, she certainly was not foreordained
+to be either beaten to death or drowned. The impulse
+which had brought her on this occasion to a scene so fraught
+with harrowing memories, was explicable only by the supposition
+that its painful surroundings were in consonance with
+the bitter and despondent mood in which she found herself;
+and, in the gloom that this retrospection shed over her countenance,
+her features seemed to grow wan and angular. For
+several days she had been sorely disquieted by the realization
+of Miss Jane&#8217;s rapidly failing strength; and the probability
+of her death, which a year ago would have been entirely endurable
+as an avenue to wealth, now appeared the direst
+catastrophe that had yet threatened her ill-starred life.</p>
+<p>It was distressing to think of the kind old face growing stiff
+in a shroud, but infinitely more appalling to contemplate the
+possibility of being turned out of a comfortable home and
+driven to labor for a maintenance. Salome had a vague impression
+that either Providence or the world owed her a luxurious
+future, as partial compensation for her juvenile
+miseries; but since both seemed disposed to repudiate the debt,
+she was reluctantly compelled to ponder her prospective bankruptcy
+in worldly goods, and, like the unjust steward, while
+unwilling to work she was still ashamed to beg.</p>
+<p>Although she strenuously resisted the strong, steady influence
+so quietly exerted by Dr. Grey, the best elements of her
+nature, long dormant, began to stir feebly, and she was conscious
+of nobler aspirations than those which had hitherto
+swayed her; and of a dimly-defined self-dissatisfaction that was
+novel and annoying. Unwilling to admit that she valued his
+good opinion, she nevertheless felt chagrined at her failure
+to possess it, and gradually she realized her utter inferiority
+to this man, whose consistent Christian character commanded
+an entire respect which she had never before entertained for
+any human being. Immersed in vexing thoughts concerning
+her future, she mechanically stretched out her hand to pluck
+a bunch of phlox and of lemon-hued primroses that were nodding
+in the sunshine close to her feet; but, as she touched the
+stems, a large copper-colored snake slowly uncoiled from the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_37' name='page_37'></a>37</span>
+tuft of grass where they nestled and, gliding into the water,
+disappeared in the midst of the lilies.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wonder if throughout life all the flowers I endeavor to
+grasp will prove only Moccasin-beds! Why should they,&mdash;unless
+God abdicates and Satan reigns? I have found, to my
+cost, that existence is not made entirely of rainless June days;
+but I doubt whether darkness and storms shut out the warm
+glow and perpetually curtain the stars. Obviously I am no
+saint; still, I am disposed to believe I am not altogether
+wicked. I have committed no capital sins, nor grievously
+transgressed the decalogue,&mdash;and why should I despair of my
+share of the good things of life? I am neither Cain nor Jezebel,
+and therefore Fates and Furies have no warrant to dog
+my footsteps. Moreover, how do I know that Destiny is indeed
+the hideous, vindictive crone that luckless wretches have
+painted her, instead of an amiable, good soul, who is quite
+as willing to scatter blessings as curses? Because some dyspeptic
+Greek dreamed of three pitiless old weavers, blind to
+human tears, deaf to human petitions, why should we wise
+and enlightened people of the nineteenth century scare ourselves
+with the skeleton of Paganism? I have as inalienable a
+right to brocades, crown-jewels, and a string of titles, as any
+reigning queen, provided I can only get my hands upon them;
+and, since life seems to be a sort of snatch-and-hold game,
+quick keen eyes and nimble fingers decide the question. I
+have never trodden on the world&#8217;s tender toes, nor smitten its
+pet follies, nor set myself aloft to gaze pityingly on its degradation,
+therefore, the world honors me with no special grudge.
+But one thing is mournfully certain,&mdash;my path is not strewn
+with loaves and fishes ready baked and broiled, and I must
+even go gleaning and fishing for myself. Almost everybody
+has some gift or some mission; but I really do not see in what
+direction I can set to work. Work! How I hate the bare
+thought! I have not sufficient education to teach, nor genius
+to write, nor a talent for drawing, and barely music enough in
+my soul to enable me to carry the church tunes respectably.
+Come, Salome Owen! Shake off your sloth, and face the
+abominable fact that you must earn your own bread. It is a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_38' name='page_38'></a>38</span>
+great shame, and I ought not to be obliged to work, for I am
+not responsible for my existence, and those who brought me
+into the world owed it to me to provide for my wants. I cannot
+and will not forgive my father and mother; but that will
+not mend matters, since, nevertheless, here I am, with a body
+to feed and clothe, and God only knows how I am to accomplish
+it. I find myself with youth, health, some beauty, an
+average share of intellect, and all the wants pertaining thereunto.
+If the worst comes to the worst I suppose I can contrive,
+like other poverty-stricken girls, to marry somebody who
+will support me comfortably; but that is rather an uncertain
+speculation, and meantime Miss Jane might die. Now, if the
+Bible is true, it must indeed be a blessed lot to be born a
+brown sparrow, and have the Lord for a commissary. I am
+a genuine child of old Adam, and labor is the heaviest curse
+that could possibly be sent upon me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Once or twice during this profitless reverie she had paused
+to listen to a singular sound that came from a dense group
+of willows not far from the spot where she sat, and now it
+grew louder, swelling into a measured cry, as of a child in
+great distress.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Somebody in trouble, but it does not concern me; I have
+enough and to spare, of my own.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She settled herself once more quite comfortably, but the
+low, monotonous wail, smote her heart, and womanly sympathy
+with suffering strangled her constitutional selfishness.
+Rising, she crept cautiously along the edge of the pond until
+she reached the thicket whence the sound proceeded, and, as
+she pushed aside the low branches and peeped into the cool,
+green nook, her eyes fell upon the figure of a little boy who
+lay on the ground, rolling from side to side and sobbing violently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is the matter? Are you sick or hungry?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Startled by the sound of her voice, the child uttered a
+scream of terror, and whirled over, hiding his face in the
+leaves and grass.</p>
+<p>&#8220;For Heaven&#8217;s sake, stop howling! What are you about,&mdash;wallowing
+here in the mud, ruining your clothes, and yelling
+like a hyena? Hush, and get up.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_39' name='page_39'></a>39</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, please, ma&#8217;am, don&#8217;t tell on me! Don&#8217;t carry me
+back, and I will hush!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where do you live?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nowhere. Oh!&mdash;oh!&#8221; And he renewed his cries.</p>
+<p>&#8220;A probable story. What is your name?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Haven&#8217;t got any name.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have no name, and you live nowhere? Come, little
+fellow, this will never do. I am afraid you are a very bad boy
+and have run away from home to escape being punished.
+Hush this instant!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He had kept his face carefully concealed, and, resolved to
+ascertain the truth, Salome stooped and tried to lift him; but
+he struggled desperately, and screamed frantically,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Let me alone! I won&#8217;t go back! I will jump into the
+pond and drown myself if you don&#8217;t let me alone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He was so hoarse from constant crying that she could recognize
+no familiar tones in his voice, but a great dread seized
+her, and, suddenly putting her hands under his head, she
+forced the face up, and looked at the flushed, swollen features.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stanley! Is it possible? My poor little brother!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The equally astonished boy started up, and stared half wistfully,
+half fearfully, at the figure standing before him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it you, Salome? I did not know you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How came you here? When did you leave the Asylum?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I ran away, three days ago.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because I was tired of living there, and I wanted to come
+back home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Home, indeed! You miserable begger, don&#8217;t you know
+you have no home but the Orphan Asylum?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I have. I want to come back yonder. Don&#8217;t you see
+home yonder, among the trees, with the pretty white and
+speckled pigeons flying over it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He pointed across the pond to the old house beyond the
+mill, whose outlines were visible through the openings in the
+elms; and, as he gazed upon it with that intense longing so
+touching in a child&#8217;s face, his sobs increased.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stanley, that is not your home now. Other people live
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_40' name='page_40'></a>40</span>
+there, and you have no right to come back. Why did you run
+away from the Asylum? Did they treat you unkindly?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No,&mdash;yes. They whipped me because I cried and said I
+hated to stay there, and wanted to come home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome looked at the soiled, torn clothes, and sorrowful
+face; and, bursting into tears, she bent forward and drew her
+brother to her bosom. He put his arms around her neck, and
+kissed her cheek several times, saying, softly and coaxingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sister Salome, you won&#8217;t send me back, will you? Please
+let me stay with you, and I will be a good boy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>For some minutes she was unable to reply, and wept
+silently as she smoothed the tangled hair back from the
+child&#8217;s white forehead and pressed her lips to it.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stanley, how is Jessie? Where did you leave her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is well, and I left her at the Asylum. She had a long
+cry the night I ran away, and said she wanted to see you, and
+she thought you had forgotten us both. You know, Salome,
+it is over a year since you came to see us, and Jessie and I are
+so lonesome there, we hate the place.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What were you crying so bitterly about when I found you,
+just now?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am so hungry, and the man who lives yonder at home
+drove me away. He said I was prowling around to steal something,
+and if he saw me there any more he would shoot me. I
+ate my last piece of biscuit yesterday.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why did you not come to me instead of the miller?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was afraid you would send me back to the Asylum; but
+you won&#8217;t,&mdash;I know you won&#8217;t, Salome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Suppose I had not happened to hear you crying,&mdash;what
+would have become of you? Did you intend to starve here in
+the swamp?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I thought I would wait till the miller left home, and then
+beg his wife to give me some bread, and, if I could get nothing,
+I was going to pull up some carrots that I saw growing
+in a field back of the house. Oh, Salome, I am so hungry and
+so tired!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She sat down on a heap of last year&#8217;s leaves, which autumn
+winds and winter rains had driven against the trunk of a decayed
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_41' name='page_41'></a>41</span>
+and fallen sweet-gum, and, drawing the weary head
+with its shock of matted yellow curls to her lap, she covered
+her own face with her hands to hide the hot tears that
+streamed over her cheeks.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, are you very mad with me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, Stanley; you have behaved very badly, and I don&#8217;t
+know what I ought to do with you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He tried to put aside one of her shielding hands, and failing,
+wound his arms around her waist, and nestled as close as
+possible.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sister, please let me stay and live with you, and I promise&mdash;I
+declare&mdash;I will be a good boy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Poor little fellow! You don&#8217;t in the least know what you
+are talking about. How can you live with me when I have no
+home, and not a dollar?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I thought you stayed with a rich lady, and had everything
+nice that you wanted.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do not expect to have even a shelter much longer. The
+lady who takes care of me is sick, and cannot live very long;
+and, when she dies, I don&#8217;t know where I shall go or what I
+may be obliged to do.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you will only keep me I will help you work. At the
+Asylum I saw wood, and pick peas, and pull out grass and
+weeds from the strawberry vines, and sometimes I sweep the
+yards. Just try me a little while, Salome, and see how smart
+I can be.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Would you be willing to leave poor little Jessie at the
+Asylum? If she felt so lonesome when you were there, how
+will she get along without you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, we could steal her out some night, and keep her with
+us. Salome, I tell you I don&#8217;t mean to go back there. I will
+die first. I will drown myself, or run away to sea. I would
+rather starve to death here in the swamp. Everybody else
+can get a home, and why can&#8217;t we?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because your father was a drunkard, and left his children
+to the charity of the poor-house; and, God knows, I heartily
+wish we were all screwed down in the same coffin with him.
+You and I, Jessie, and Mark, and Joel are all beggars&mdash;miserable
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_42' name='page_42'></a>42</span>
+beggars! Hush, Stanley, you will sob yourself into a
+fever! Stop crying, I say, if you do not want to drive me
+crazy! I thought I had trouble enough, without being tormented
+by the sight of your poor, wretched face; and now,
+what to do with you I am sure I don&#8217;t know. There&mdash;do be
+quiet. Take your arms away; I don&#8217;t want you to kiss me any
+more.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In the long silence that succeeded, the child, spent with
+grief and fatigue, fell into a sound sleep, and Salome sat with
+his head in her lap and her clasped hands resting on her knee.</p>
+<p>The afternoon slowly wore away, and the dimpled pond
+caught lengthening shadows on its surface as the sun dipped
+into the forest. The measured tinkle of a distant bell told
+that the cows were wending quietly homeward; and, while the
+miller&#8217;s wife drove her geese into the yard, the pigeons nestled
+in their leafy coverts high among the elm arches, and the
+solemn serenity of coming summer night stole with velvet
+tread over the scene, silencing all things save the silvery barcarolle
+of the falling water, and the sweet, lonely vesper hymn
+of a whippoorwill, half hidden in the solitary cypress.</p>
+<p>Although tears came very rarely to her eyes, the orphan had
+wept bitterly, and, surprised at finding herself so completely
+unnerved on this occasion, she made a powerful effort to regain
+her composure and usual stolidity of expression. Shaking
+the little sleeper, she said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wake up, Stanley. Get your hat and come with me, at
+least for to-night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The child was too weary to renew the conversation, and,
+hand in hand, the two walked silently on until they approached
+the confines of the farm, when Salome suddenly
+paused at sight of Dr. Grey, who was crossing the pine forest
+just in front of them. Pressing his sister&#8217;s hand, Stanley
+looked up and asked, timidly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What are you going to do with me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush! I have not fully decided.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She endeavored to elude observation by standing close to
+the body of a large pine, but Dr. Grey caught a glimpse of her
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_43' name='page_43'></a>43</span>
+fluttering dress, and came forward rapidly, carrying in his
+arms one young lamb and driving another before him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, will you be so good as to assist me in shepherding
+this obstinate little waif? It has been running hither and
+thither for nearly half an hour, taking every direction but the
+right one. If you will either walk on and lower the bars for
+me or drive this lamb while I go forward, you will greatly
+oblige me. Pardon me,&mdash;you look distressed. Something
+painful has occurred, I fear.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl&#8217;s usually firm mouth trembled as she laid her hand
+on the torn straw hat that shaded Stanley&#8217;s features, and answered,
+hurriedly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes. We have both stumbled upon stray lambs; but mine,
+unfortunately, happens to prove my youngest brother, and,
+since I am neither Reuben nor Judah, I could not leave him in
+the woods to perish. Stanley, run on and pull down the bars
+yonder, where you see the sheep looking through the fence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How old is he?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;About eight years, I believe, but he is small for his age.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He does not in the least resemble you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; pitiable little wretch, he looks like nothing but destitution!
+When a poor man dies, leaving a houseful of beggarly
+orphans, the State ought to require the undertaker who buries
+him to shoot or hang the whole brood, and lay them all in
+the Potter&#8217;s Field out of the world&#8217;s way.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Such words and sentiments are strangely at variance with
+the affectionate gentleness and resignation which best become
+womanly lips, and I pity the keen suffering that wrings them
+from yours. He who &#8216;setteth the solitary in families&#8217; never
+yet failed in loving guardianship of trusting orphanage, and
+certainly you have no cause to upbraid fate, or impiously murmur
+against the decrees of your God.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He stood before her, with one hand stroking the head of the
+lamb that nestled on his bosom; but his face was sterner, his
+voice far more severe, than she had ever known either before,
+and her eyes fell beneath the grave and sorrowful rebuke
+which looked out from his.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your brother ran away from the Asylum, three days ago.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_44' name='page_44'></a>44</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;How did you ascertain that fact?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;About an hour after you left the house, the matron of the
+Asylum sent to <ins title='Was inqure'>inquire</ins> whether you were aware of his absence,
+and to notify you that your little sister Jessie is quite ill. I
+was searching for you, when I accidentally found these lambs,
+deserted by their mother. Thank you, Stanley; I will put up
+the bars, and you can go to the house with your sister. Salome,
+the carriage is ready, and if you desire to see Jessie immediately
+I will take you over as soon as possible. There is
+a full moon, and you can return with me or remain at the
+Asylum until morning. Confer with my sister concerning
+the disposal of this little refugee.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He patted the boy&#8217;s head, and entered the sheepfold, while
+Salome stood leaning against the fence, looking vacantly
+down at the bleating flock.</p>
+<p>Catching her brother&#8217;s hand, she hurried to the house,
+bathed his face, brushed his disordered hair, and gave him a
+bountiful supper of bread and milk; after which, Jane Grey
+ordered the little culprit brought to her bedside, where she
+delivered a kind lecture on his sinful disobedience. When Dr.
+Grey entered the room, Salome was standing at the window,
+while Stanley clung to her dress, hiding his face in its folds,
+vowing vehemently that he would not return to the Asylum,
+and protesting with many sobs that he would be the best boy
+in the world if he were only allowed to remain at the farm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, do quiet him; he will fret himself into a fever,&#8221;
+said Miss Jane, whose nerves began to quiver painfully.</p>
+<p>&#8220;He has it already,&#8221; answered the girl, without turning
+her head. She did not observe Dr. Grey&#8217;s entrance, and when
+he <ins title='Was aproached'>approached</ins> the window, where the mellow moonshine
+streamed full on her face, he saw tears stealing over her
+cheeks, and noticed that her fingers were clenched tightly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, do you wish to see Jessie to-night? She has had
+convulsions during the day, and may not live until morning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She looked up at his grave, noble countenance, and her lips
+fluttered as she answered, huskily,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I can do nothing for her, and why should I see her die?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To whose care was she committed by her dying mother?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_45' name='page_45'></a>45</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;To mine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you faithfully kept the sacred trust?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I did all that I could until Miss Jane placed her in the
+asylum.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Does your conscience acquit you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She silently dropped her face in her hands, and for some
+seconds he watched her anxiously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you and Janet decided what shall be done with
+Stanley?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; the longer I ponder the matter, the more confused my
+mind becomes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you leave it in my hands, and abide by my decision?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, gladly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You promise to be satisfied with any course upon which I
+may resolve?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Looking up quickly, she exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, yes; I trust you, fully. Do what you think best.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey put his hand under Stanley&#8217;s chin, and, lifting his
+face, examined his countenance and felt his pulse.</p>
+<p>&#8220;He is only frightened and fatigued. Put him to bed at
+once in your room, and then let me take you to see little Jessie.
+If you fail to go, you might reproach yourself in coming
+years.&#8221;</p>
+<p>It was nine o&#8217;clock when the carriage stopped at the door
+of the Asylum, and Salome and Dr. Grey went up to the &#8220;Infirmary,&#8221;
+where the faithful matron sat beside one of the little
+beds, watching the deep slumber of the flushed and exhausted
+sleeper.</p>
+<p>The disease had almost spent its force, the crisis was passed,
+and the attending physician had pronounced the patient much
+better; still, when Salome stooped to kiss her sister, the
+matron held her back, assuring her that perfect quiet was essential
+for her recovery. Kneeling there beside the motherless
+girl, Salome noted the changes that time and suffering had
+wrought on the delicate features; and, as she listened to the
+quick, irregular breathing, the fountain of tenderness was suddenly
+unsealed in her own nature, and she put out her arms,
+yearning to clasp Jessie to her heart. So strong were her
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_46' name='page_46'></a>46</span>
+emotions, so keen was her regret for past indifference and neglect,
+that she lost all self-control, and, unable to check her
+passionate weeping, Dr. Grey led her from the room, promising
+to bring her again when the sick child was sufficiently
+strong to bear the interview.</p>
+<p>During the ride homeward he made no effort to divert her
+thoughts or relieve her anxiety, knowing that although severe
+it was a healthful regimen for her long indurated heart, and
+was the <i>rénaissance</i> of her better nature.</p>
+<p>When they arrived at home, the moon was shining bright
+and full, and, as they waited on the gallery for a servant to
+open the door, Dr. Grey drew most favorable auguries from
+the chastened, blanched face, with its humbled and grieved
+expression.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I shall for the present keep Stanley here; and,
+until I can make some satisfactory arrangement with reference
+to his education, I would be glad to have you hear his recitations
+every day. Have you the requisite leisure to superintend
+his lessons?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir. I have not deserved this kindness from you, Dr.
+Grey; but I thank you, from my inmost heart. You are good
+enough to forgive my many offences, and I shall not soon forget
+it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you owe me no gratitude, but there is much for
+which you should go down on your knees and fervently thank
+your merciful God. My young friend, will you do this?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He extended his hand, and, unable to utter a word, Salome
+gave him hers, for a second only, and hastened to her own
+room, where Stanley&#8217;s fair face lay in the golden moonlight,
+radiant with happy dreams of white pigeons and pet lambs.</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_IV' id='CHAPTER_IV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t strangle me, Jessie! Put down your arms, and
+listen to me. Sobbing will not mend matters, and you might
+as well make up your mind to be patient. Of course I should
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_47' name='page_47'></a>47</span>
+like to take you with me, if I had a home; but, as I told you
+just now, we are so poor that we must live where we can, not
+where we prefer. Because I wear nice pretty clothes do you
+suppose I have a pocketful of money? I have not a cent to
+buy even a loaf of bread, and I can&#8217;t ask Miss Jane to take
+care of you as well as of Stanley and myself. Poor little
+thing, don&#8217;t cry so! I know you are lonely here without Stanley,
+but it can&#8217;t be helped. Jessie, don&#8217;t you see that it can
+not be helped?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t eat so very much, and I could sleep with Buddie
+and wouldn&#8217;t be in the way,&mdash;and I can wear my old clothes.
+Oh, please, Salome! I will die if you leave me here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You will do no such thing; you are getting well as fast as
+possible. Crying never kills people,&mdash;it only makes their
+heads ache, and their eyes red and ugly. See here, if you
+don&#8217;t stop all this, I shall quit coming to see you! Do you
+hear what I say?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The only reply was a fresh sob, which the child strove to
+smother by hiding her face in Salome&#8217;s lap.</p>
+<p>The matron, who sat by the open window, looked up from
+the button-hole she was working, and, clearing her throat,
+said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Better let her have her cry out,&mdash;that is the surest cure
+for such troubles as hers. She was always manageable and
+good enough until Stanley ran away, and since then she does
+nothing but mope and bite her finger-nails. Cry away, Jessie,
+and have done with it. Ah, miss, the saddest feature about
+Asylums is the separation of families; and if the matron had
+a heart of stone it would melt sometimes at sight of these
+little motherless things clinging to each other. I&#8217;m sure I
+have shed a gallon of tears since I came here. It is a fearful
+responsibility to take charge of an institution like this, for if
+I try to make the children respect my authority, and behave
+themselves properly, outsiders &#8217;specially the neighbors, says I
+am too severe; and if I let them frolic and romp and make as
+much din and uproar as they like, why, then the same folks
+scandalize me and the managers, and say there is no sort of
+discipline maintained. I verily believe, miss, that if an angel
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_48' name='page_48'></a>48</span>
+came down from heaven to matronize these children, before
+six months elapsed all the godliness would be worried out of
+her soul by the slanders of the public and the squabbles of the
+children. Now I don&#8217;t confess to be an angel, but I do claim
+a conscience, and God knows I make it a rule to treat these
+orphans exactly as I treated my own and only child, whom I
+buried three years ago. Do you suppose that any woman who
+has laid her first-born in its coffin could be brutal enough to
+maltreat poor little motherless lambs? I don&#8217;t deny that
+sometimes I am compelled to punish them, for it is as much
+my duty to whip them for bad conduct as to see that their
+meals are properly cooked and their clothes kept in order. Am
+I to let them grow up thieves and liars? Must I stand by and
+see them pull out each other&#8217;s hair and bite off one another&#8217;s
+ears?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Of course not, Mrs. Collins. You must preserve some
+discipline.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Must I? Well, miss, I will show you how beautifully that
+sounds and how poorly it works. There is your brother Stanley
+(I mean no offence, miss, but special cases explain better
+than generalities),&mdash;there&#8217;s your brother Stanley, who ran
+away&mdash;for what?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because he was homesick and wanted to see me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No such thing, begging your pardon. Perhaps he told
+you that, but remember there are always two sides to every
+tale. The truth of the matter is just this: Stanley has an ugly
+habit of cursing, which I will not tolerate; and, twice when I
+heard him swearing at the other children, I shamed him well
+and slapped him soundly. Last week I told him and Joe
+Clark to shell a basket of peas, while the cook was making
+some ginger-bread for them, and before I was out of the
+room they commenced quarrelling. They raised such an uproar
+that I came back and saw the whole fray. Stanley cursed
+Joe, who expostulated and tried to pacify him, and when he
+finally threatened to tell me that Stanley was cursing again,
+your brother snatched a hatchet that was lying on the dresser
+and swore he would kill him if he did. He aimed a blow at
+Joe&#8217;s head, but slipped on the pea-hulls, and the hatchet
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_49' name='page_49'></a>49</span>
+struck the boy&#8217;s right foot, cutting off one of his toes. Now
+what would you have done, under the circumstances,&mdash;allowed
+the children to be tomahawked in that style? You say I must
+have discipline. Well, miss, I tried to &#8216;discipline&#8217; Stanley&#8217;s
+wickedness out of him by giving him a whipping, and the end
+of the matter was that he ran away that afternoon. That is
+not the worst of it,&mdash;for the children all know the facts, and
+since they find that Stanley Owen can run away and be sustained
+in his disobedience, of course it tends to demoralize
+them. So I say that if I do my duty I am lashed by the
+tongues of people who know nothing of the circumstances;
+and if I fail to perform my duty I am lashed by my own conscience,&mdash;and
+between the two I have a sorrowful time; for
+I declare to you, miss, that Stephen&#8217;s martyrdom was a small
+affair in comparison with what I pass through every week. I
+love the children and try to be kind to them, but I can&#8217;t have
+them cursing and swearing like sailors, and scalping each
+other. I must either raise them like Christians, or resign my
+situation to some one who is &#8216;wise as serpents and harmless as
+doves.&#8217; It is all very fine to talk of &#8216;proper discipline&#8217; in
+charitable institutions; but, miss, in the name of common
+sense, how can I get along unless the friends of the children
+sustain me? Did you punish Stanley, and send him back?
+On the contrary, you countenanced his bad conduct and kept
+him with you, and it is perfectly natural that little Jessie here
+should be dissatisfied and anxious to join him. I can&#8217;t scold
+her, for I know she misses her brother, who was always very
+tender and considerate in his treatment of her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I appreciate the difficulties which surround you, and believe
+that you are conscientiously striving to do your duty towards
+these children; but I knew that if I compelled Stanley
+to return it would augment instead of correcting the mischief.&#8221;</p>
+<p>At this juncture the matron was summoned from the room,
+and, during the silence that ensued, Jessie climbed into her
+sister&#8217;s lap, wound her thin arms around her neck, and softly
+rubbed her pale cheek against the polished rosy face, where
+perplexity and annoyance were legibly written.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_50' name='page_50'></a>50</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, don&#8217;t you love me a little?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Of course I do; Jessie, don&#8217;t be so foolish.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Please let me go with you and Stanley.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you want to starve,&mdash;you poor silly thing?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I would rather starve with Buddie than stay here by
+myself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I want to hear no more of such nonsense. You have not
+tried starving, and you are too young to know what is really
+for your good. Now, listen to me. At present I am obliged
+to leave you here,&mdash;come, don&#8217;t begin crying again; but, if you
+will be a good girl and try not to fret over what cannot be
+helped, I promise you that just as soon as I can possibly support
+you I will take you to live with me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long must I wait?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Until I make money enough to feed and clothe you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Can&#8217;t you guess when you can come for me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, for as yet I know not how I can earn a dollar; but, if
+you will be patient, I promise to work hard for you and Stanley.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I will be good. Salome, I have saved a quarter of a dollar
+that the doctor gave me when I was sick,&mdash;because I let
+the blister stay on my side a half hour longer; and I thought
+I would send it to Buddie, to buy him some marbles or a kite;
+but I reckon I had better give it to you to help us get a house.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She drew from her pocket a green calico bag, and, emptying
+the contents into her hand, picked out from among brass buttons
+and bits of broken glass a silver coin, which she held up
+triumphantly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, Jessie,&mdash;keep it. Stanley has plenty of playthings,
+and you may need it. Besides, your quarter would not go far,
+and I don&#8217;t want it. Good-bye, little darling. Try to give
+Mrs. Collins no trouble, and recollect that when I promise you
+anything I shall be sure to keep my word.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome drew the child&#8217;s head to her shoulder, and, as she
+bent over and kissed the sweet, pure lips, Jessie whispered,
+&#8220;When we say our prayers to-night, we will ask God to send
+us some money to buy a home, won&#8217;t we? You know he made
+the birds feed Elijah.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_51' name='page_51'></a>51</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;But we are not prophets, and ravens are not flying about
+with bags of money under their wings.&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;We</ins> do not know what God can do, and if we are only good,
+He is as much bound to take care of us as of Elijah. He made
+the sky rain manna and partridges for the starving people in
+the desert, and He is as much our God as if we came out from
+Egypt under Moses. I know God will help us, if we ask Him.
+I am sure of it; for last week I lost Mrs. Collins&#8217; bunch of
+keys, and, when I could not find them anywhere, I prayed to
+God to help me, and, sure enough, I remembered I left them
+in the dairy where I was churning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Jessie&#8217;s countenance was radiant with hope and faith, which
+her sister could not share, yet felt unwilling to destroy; and,
+checking the heavy sigh that rose from her oppressed heart,
+she hastily quitted the house.</p>
+<p>In the midst of confused and perturbed reflections, rose like
+some lonely rock-based beacon in boiling waves her sacred
+promise to the trusting child, and ingenuity was racked to
+devise some means for its prompt fulfilment. Consanguinity
+began to urge its claim vehemently, and long dormant tenderness
+pleaded piteously for exiled idols.</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;If</ins> I were only a Christian, like Dr. Grey! His faith, like
+strong wings, bears him high above all sloughs of despond, all
+morasses of moodiness. People cannot successfully or profitably
+serve two masters. That is eminently true; not because
+it is scriptural, but <i>vice versa</i>; because it is so obviously true
+it could not escape a place in the Bible. Half work pays poor
+wages, and it is not surprising that neither God nor Mammon
+will patiently submit to it. I suppose the time has come when
+I must bargain myself to one or the other; for, hitherto, I
+have declared in favor of neither. I am not altogether sanctified,
+nor yet desperately wicked, but I hate Satan, who
+ruined my father, infinitely more than I dislike the restrictions
+of religion. I owe him a grudge for all the shame and
+suffering of my childhood,&mdash;which, if God did not interfere to
+prevent, at least there is strong presumptive evidence that he
+took no pleasure in witnessing. I don&#8217;t suppose I have any
+faith; I scarcely know what it means; but perhaps if I try to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_52' name='page_52'></a>52</span>
+serve God instead of myself, it will come to me as it came to
+Paul and Thomas. I wonder whether mere abstract love of
+righteousness and of the Lord drives half as many persons
+into Christian churches as the fear of eternal perdition. I
+don&#8217;t deny that I am afraid of Satan, for if he contrives to
+smuggle so much sin and sorrow into this world what must his
+own kingdom be? If there be any truth in the tradition that
+every human being is afflicted by some besetting sin that
+crouches at the door of the soul, lying in ambush to destroy
+it, then my own &#8216;Dweller of the Threshold,&#8217; is love of mine
+ease. Time was when I would have bartered my eternal heritage
+for a good-sized mess of earthly pottage, provided only it
+was well spiced and garnished; but to-day I have no inclination
+to be swindled like Esau. Idleness has well-nigh ruined
+me, so I shall take industry by the horns, and laying thereon
+all my sins of indolence, drive it before me as the Jews drove
+Apopomp&oelig;us.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She walked on in the direction of the town, turning her
+head neither to right nor left, and keeping her eyes fixed on
+the blue air before her, where imagination built a home,
+through whose spacious halls Stanley and Jessie sported at
+will. On the principal street stood a fashionable dress-making
+and millinery establishment, and thither Salome bent her
+steps, resolved that the sun should not set without having witnessed
+some effort to redeem the pledge given to Jessie.</p>
+<p>Panoplied in Miss Jane&#8217;s patronage, she demanded and obtained
+admission to the inner apartment of this Temple of
+Fashion, where presided the Pythoness whose oracular utterances
+swayed <i>le beau monde</i>.</p>
+<p>What passed between the two never transpired, even among
+the apprentices that thronged the adjoining room; but when
+Salome left the house she carried under her arm a large
+bundle which furnished work for the ensuing fortnight.</p>
+<p>Evening shadows overtook her, while yet a mile distant
+from home, and as she passed a small cottage, where candle-light
+flared through the open window, she saw Dr. Grey
+standing beside the bed, on which, doubtless, lay some sufferer.</p>
+<p>Ere many moments had elapsed, she heard his well-known
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_53' name='page_53'></a>53</span>
+footstep on the rocky road, and involuntarily paused to greet
+him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What called you to old Mrs. Peterson&#8217;s?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Her youngest grandchild is very ill with brain fever; so
+ill that I shall return and sit up with him to-night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was not aware that physicians condescended to act as
+mere nurses,&mdash;to execute their own orders.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then I fear you have formed a very low estimate of the
+sacred responsibilities of my profession, or of the characters
+of those who represent it. The true physician combines the
+offices of surgeon, doctor, nurse, and friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Peterson is almost destitute, and to a great extent
+dependent on charity; consequently you need not expect to
+collect any fee.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Knowing her poverty, I attend the family gratuitously.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is not your charity-list a very long one?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Could I divest myself of sympathy with the sufferings of
+those who compose it I would not curtail it one iota; for I feel
+like Boerhaave, who once said, &#8216;My poor are my best patients;
+God pays for them.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then, after all, you are actuated merely by selfishness,
+and remit payments in earthly dross,&mdash;in &#8216;filthy lucre,&#8217;&mdash;in
+order to collect your fees in a better currency, where thieves do
+not break through nor steal?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker; but
+he that honoreth Him, hath mercy on the poor.&#8217; If a tinge
+of selfishness mingle with the hope of future reward, it will be
+forgiven, I trust, by the great Physician, who, in sublimating
+human nature, seized upon its selfish elements as powerful
+agencies in the regeneration of mankind. An abstract worship
+of virtue is scarcely possible while humanity is clothed
+with clay, and I am not unwilling to confess that hope of
+eternal compensation influences my conduct in many respects.
+If this be indeed only subtle selfishness, at least we shall be
+pardoned by Him who promised to prepare a place in the
+Father&#8217;s mansion for those who follow His footsteps among
+the poor.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_54' name='page_54'></a>54</span></div>
+<p>She looked up at him, with a puzzled, searching expression,
+that arrested his attention, and exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How singularly honest you are! I believe I could have
+faith if there were more like you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Faith in what?&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;In</ins> the nobility of my race,&mdash;in the possibility of my own
+improvement,&mdash;in the watchful providence of God.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, there is much sound philosophy in the eighty-seventh
+and eighty-ninth maxims of cynical Rochefoucauld,
+&#8216;It is more disgraceful to distrust one&#8217;s friends than to be deceived
+by them. Our mistrust justifies the deceit of others.&#8217;
+My opportunities have been favorable for studying various
+classes of men, and my own experience corroborates the truth
+of Montaigne&#8217;s sagacious remark, &#8216;Confidence in another
+man&#8217;s virtue is no slight evidence of a man&#8217;s own.&#8217; Try to
+cultivate trust in your fellow creatures, and the bare show
+of faith will sometimes create worth.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did Christ&#8217;s show of confidence in Judas save him from
+betrayal?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Let us hope that he was the prototype of a very limited
+class. You must not expect to find mankind divided into two
+great castes&mdash;one all angels, the other comprising hopeless
+demons. On the contrary, noble and most ignoble impulses
+alternately sway the actions and thoughts of the majority of
+our race; and the saint of to-day is not unfrequently tempted
+to become the fiend of to-morrow. Remember that the conflict
+with sinful promptings begins in the cradle&mdash;ends only
+in the coffin,&mdash;and try to be more charitable in your judgments.&#8221;</p>
+<p>They walked a few yards in silence, and at length Salome
+asked,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Were you not kept up all of last night?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I was obliged to ride fifteen miles to set a dislocated
+shoulder.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then you must be exhausted from fatigue, and unfit for
+watching to-night. Will you not allow me to relieve you, and
+take charge of Mrs. Peterson&#8217;s grandchild? I admit I am
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_55' name='page_55'></a>55</span>
+very ignorant; but I will faithfully follow your directions,
+and I think you may venture to trust me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Confusion flushed her face as she made this proposition, but
+in the pale, pearly lustre of the summer starlight, it was not
+visible.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you heartily, Salome. I could implicitly trust
+your intentions, but the case is almost hopeless, and I fear
+you are too inexperienced to render it safe for me to commit
+the child to your care. I appreciate your kindness, but am
+too much interested in the boy to leave him when the disease
+is at its crisis, and a cup of coffee will strengthen me for the
+vigil. You have been to the Asylum this afternoon; tell me
+something about little Jessie.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is still rather pale, but otherwise seems quite well
+again. Of course she is dissatisfied since Stanley has left,
+and thinks she ought to be allowed to follow his example; but
+I finally persuaded her to remain there patiently, at least
+for the present. It is well that the poor have their sensibilities
+blunted early in life, for they are spared many sorrows
+that afflict those who are pampered by fortune and rendered
+morbidly sensitive by years of indulgence and prosperity.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A metallic ring had crept into her voice, hardening it, and
+although he could not distinctly see her countenance, he knew
+that the words came through set teeth.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I hope that I misunderstand you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; unfortunately, you thoroughly comprehend me. Dr.
+Grey, were you situated precisely as I find myself, do you suppose
+you would feel your degradation as little as I seem to do?
+Do you think you would relish the bread of charity as keenly
+as one, who, for courtesy&#8217;s sake, shall be nameless? Could
+you calmly stand by, and with utter <i>sang froid</i> see your
+brothers and sisters&mdash;your own flesh and blood&mdash;drift on
+every chance wave, like some sodden crust or withered weed
+on a stormy, treacherous sea? Would not your family pride
+bleed and die, and your self-respect wail and shrivel and
+expire?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have so grossly exaggerated and overcolored your
+picture that I recognize little likeness to reality.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_56' name='page_56'></a>56</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;I neither gloze nor mask; I simply front the facts, which
+are, briefly, that you were nurtured in independence and
+trained to abhor the crumbs that fall from other people&#8217;s
+tables, while all heroic aspirations and proud chivalric dreams
+were fed by the milk that nourished you; whereas, I grew up
+in the wan, sickly atmosphere of penury; glad to grasp the
+crust that chance offered; taught to consider the bread of dependence
+precious as ambrosia; willing to forget family ties
+that were fraught only with humiliation and wretchedness;
+coveting bounty that I had not sufficient ambition to merit;
+and eager to live on charity, as long as it could be coaxed,
+hoodwinked, or scourged into supporting me comfortably.
+Yesterday I read a sentence that might have been written for
+me, so felicitously does it photograph me, &#8216;Temperament is a
+fate oftentimes, from whose jurisdiction its victims hardly
+escape, but do its bidding herein, be it murder or martyrdom.
+Virtues and crimes are mixed in one&#8217;s cup of nativity,
+with the lesser or larger margin of choice. <i>Blood is a
+destiny.</i>&#8217; You, Ulpian Grey, are what you are because your
+father was a gentleman, and all your surroundings were
+luxurious and refined; and I, the miller&#8217;s child, am what
+you see me because my father was coarse and brutal; because
+my body and soul struggled with staring starvation,&mdash;physical,
+mental, and moral. Be just, and remember these things
+when you are tempted to despise me as a pitiable, spiritless
+parasite.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My little friend, you have most unnecessarily tortured
+yourself, and grieved and mortified me. Have I ever treated
+you with contempt or disrespect?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You evidently pity me, and compassion is about as welcome
+to my feelings as a vitriol bath to fresh wounds.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you not conscious of having more than once acted in
+such a manner as to necessitate my compassion?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She was silent for some moments; but as they entered the
+avenue, she said, impetuously,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I want you to respect me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you respect yourself and merit my good opinion, I shall
+not withhold it. But of one thing let me assure you; my
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_57' name='page_57'></a>57</span>
+standard of womanly delicacy, nobility, gentleness, and Christian
+faith is very exalted; and I cannot and will not lower it,
+even to meet the requirements of those who claim my friendship.
+Thoroughly cognizant of my opinions concerning several
+subjects, you have more than once, premeditatedly and obtrusively
+outraged them, and while I can and do most cordially
+overlook the offence, you should not deem it possible
+for me to entertain a very lofty estimate of the offender.
+When I came home you took such extraordinary pains to convince
+me that not a single noble aspiration actuated you that
+I confess you almost succeeded in your aim; but, Salome, I
+hope you are far more generous than you deign to prove yourself,
+and I promise you my earnest respect shall not lag
+behind,&mdash;shall promptly keep pace with your deserts. You
+can, if you so determine, make yourself an attractive, brilliant,
+noble woman; an ornament&mdash;and better still&mdash;a useful, honored
+member of society; but the faults of your character are
+grave, and only prayer and conscientious, persistent efforts
+can entirely correct them. I am neither so unreasonable nor
+so unjust as to hold you accountable for circumstances beyond
+your control; and, while I warmly sympathize with all your
+sorrows, I know that you are still sufficiently young to rectify
+the unfortunate warping that your nature received in its
+mournful early years. To ask me to respect you is as idle
+and useless and impotent as the soft murmur of this June
+breeze in the elm boughs above us; but you can command my
+perfect confidence and friendship solely on condition that you
+merit it. Salome, something very unusual has influenced
+you to-day, forcing you to throw aside the rubbish that you
+patiently piled over your better self until it was effectually
+concealed; and, if you are willing to be frank with me, I
+should be glad to know what has so healthfully affected you.
+I believe I can guess: has not little Jessie wooed and won
+her sister&#8217;s heart, melting all its icy selfishness and warming
+its holiest recesses?&#8221;</p>
+<p>At this moment Stanley bounded down the steps to meet
+them, and, bending over to receive his kiss and embrace,
+Salome gladly evaded a reply. That night, after she had
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_58' name='page_58'></a>58</span>
+taught her brother his lessons for the next day and made
+him repeat the prayer learned in the dormitory of the Asylum,&mdash;when
+she had read Miss Jane to sleep and seen the doctor
+set out on his mission of mercy, she brightened the lamp-light
+in her own room, and, opening the parcel, drew out and commenced
+the dainty embroidery which she had promised should
+be completed at an early day.</p>
+<p>The night was warm, but the sea-breeze sang a lullaby in
+the trees that peeped in at her window, and now and then a
+strong gust blew the flame almost to the top of the lamp-chimney.
+Stanley slept soundly in his trundle-bed, occasionally
+startling her by half-uttered exclamations, as in his
+dreams he chased rabbits or found partridge-eggs. Oblivious
+of passing hours, and profoundly immersed in speculations
+concerning her future, the girl sewed on, working scallop
+after scallop, and flower after flower, in the gossamer cambric
+between her slender fingers. Stars that looked upon her early
+in the night had gone down into blue abysms below the
+horizon, and the midnight song of a mocking-bird, swinging
+in a lemon-tree beneath her window, had long since hushed
+itself with the chirp of crickets and gossip of the katydids.</p>
+<p>A tap on the facing of her open door finally aroused her,
+and she hastily attempted to hide her work, as Dr. Grey
+asked,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What keeps you up so late? Are you dressing a doll
+for Jessie?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What brings you home so early? Is your patient better?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; in one sense he is certainly better; for, free from all
+pain, he rests with his God.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What time is it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Half-past three. Little Charles died about an hour ago,
+and, as I shall be very busy to-morrow, I came upstairs to
+ask if you will oblige me by going over to Mrs. Peterson&#8217;s
+and remaining with her until the neighbors assemble in the
+morning. It is an unpleasant duty, and unless you are perfectly
+willing I will not request you to perform it.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_59' name='page_59'></a>59</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly, sir; I will go at once. Why should I hesitate?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come down as soon as you are ready, and I will make
+Harrison drive you over in my buggy. As it is only a mile
+I walked home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>When she stood before him, waiting for the servant to adjust
+some portion of the harness, Dr. Grey wrapped her shawl
+more closely around her, and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What new freak keeps you awake till four o&#8217;clock?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is no freak, but the beginning of a settled purpose
+that reaches in numberless ramifications through all my
+coming years. It does not concern you, so ask me no more.
+Good-night. I suppose I ought to tender you my thanks
+for deeming me worthy of this melancholy mission; and if
+so, pray be pleased to accept them.&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_V' id='CHAPTER_V'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Jane, have you heard that we shall soon have some new
+neighbors at &#8216;Solitude&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; who is brave enough to settle there?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, a widow, has purchased and refitted the
+house, preparatory to making it her home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you suppose she knows the history of its former
+owners?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Probably not, as she has never seen the place. The purchase
+was made some months since by her agent, who stated
+that she was in Europe.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, I am sorry that the house will again be occupied,
+for some mournful fatality seems to have attended all who
+ever resided there; and I have been told that the last proprietor
+changed the name from &#8216;Solitude&#8217; to &#8216;Bochim.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You must not indulge such superstitious vagaries, my
+dear, wise Janet. The age of hobgoblins, haunted houses,
+and supernatural influences has passed away with the marvels
+of alchemy and the weird myths of Rosicrucianism. Because
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_60' name='page_60'></a>60</span>
+many deaths have occurred at that place, and the residents
+were consequently plunged in gloom, you must not rashly
+impute eldritch influences to the atmosphere surrounding it.
+Knowing its ghostly celebrity, I have investigated the grounds
+of existing prejudice, and find that of the ten persons who
+have died there during the last fifteen years, three deaths were
+from <ins title='Was heriditary'>hereditary</ins> consumption, one from dropsy, two from
+paralysis, one from epilepsy, one from brain-fever, one from
+drowning, and the last from a fall that broke the victim&#8217;s
+neck. Were these attributable to any local cause, the results
+would certainly not have proved so diverse.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Call it superstition, or what you will, no amount of coaxing,
+argument, or ridicule, no imaginable inducement could
+prevail on me to live there,&mdash;even if the house were floored
+with gold and roofed with silver. It is the gloomiest-looking
+place this side of Golgotha, and I would as soon crawl into a
+coffin for an afternoon nap as spend a night there.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your imagination invests it with a degree of gloom which
+is adventitious, and referable solely to painful associations;
+for intrinsically the situation is picturesque and beautiful, and
+the grounds have been arranged with consummate taste.
+This morning I noticed a quantity of rare and very superb
+lilies clustered in a corner of the <i>parterre</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray, what called you there?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;A workman engaged in repairing some portion of the
+roof, slipped on the slate and broke his arm; consequently,
+they sent for me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Just what he might have expected. I tell you something
+happens to everybody who ever sleeps there.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you suppose there is a squad of malicious spirits
+hovering in ambush to swoop upon all new-comers, and not
+only fracture limbs, but scatter to right and left paralysis,
+epilepsy, and other diseases? From your rueful countenance
+a stranger might infer that Pandora&#8217;s box had just been
+opened at &#8216;Bochim,&#8217; and that the very air was thick with
+miasma and maledictions.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, laugh on if you choose at my old-fashioned whims and
+superstition; but, mark my words, that place will prove a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_61' name='page_61'></a>61</span>
+curse to whoever buys it and settles there! Has Mrs. Gerome
+a family?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I believe I heard that she had no children, but I really
+know little about her except that she must be a woman of
+unusually refined and cultivated tastes, as the pictures, books,
+and various articles of vertu that have preceded her seem to
+indicate much critical and artistic acumen. The entire building
+has been refitted in exceedingly handsome style, and the
+upholsterer who was arranging the furniture told me it had
+been purchased in Europe.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When is Mrs. Gerome expected?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;During the present week.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What aged person is she?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Indeed, my dear, curious Janet, I have asked no questions
+and formed no conjectures; but I trust your baleful prognostications
+will find no fulfilment in her case.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, I had some very fashionable visitors to-day, who
+manifested an extraordinary interest in your past, present,
+and future. Mrs. Channing and her two lovely daughters
+spent the morning here, and left an invitation for you to
+attend a party at their house next Thursday evening. Miss
+Adelaide went into ecstasies over that portrait in which you
+wore your uniform, and asked numberless questions about
+you; among others, whether you were still heart-whole, or
+whether you had suffered some great disappointment early in
+life which kept you a bachelor. What do you suppose she
+said when I told her that you had never had a love-scrape in
+your life?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Of course she impugned the statement, which, to a young
+lady framed for flirtations, must indeed have appeared incredible.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;On the contrary, she declared that the woman who succeeded
+in captivating you would achieve a triumph more difficult
+and more desirable than the victory of the Nile or of
+Trafalgar. I was tempted to ask her if she might be considered
+the ambitious Nelson, but of course politeness forbade.
+Ulpian, she is the prettiest creature I ever looked at.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, as pretty as mere healthy flesh can be without the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_62' name='page_62'></a>62</span>
+sublimation and radiance of an indwelling soul. There is
+nothing which impresses me so mournfully as the sight of a
+beautiful, frivolous, unscrupulous woman, who immolates all
+that is truly feminine in her character upon the shrine of
+swollen vanity; and whose career from cradle to grave is as
+utterly aimless and useless as that of some gaudy, flaunting
+ephemeron of the tropics. Such women act as extinguishers
+upon the feeble, flickering flame of chivalry, which modern
+degeneracy in manners and morals has almost smothered.&#8221;</p>
+<p>His tone and countenance evinced more contempt than Salome
+had known him to express on any former occasion, and,
+glancing at his clear, steady, grave blue eyes, she said to
+herself,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;At least he will never strike his colors to Admiral Adelaide
+Channing, and I should dislike to occupy her place in his
+estimation.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear boy, you must not speak in such ungrateful terms
+of my beautiful visitor, who certainly has some serious design
+on your heart, if I may judge from the very extravagant praise
+she lavished upon you. I daresay she is a very nice, sweet
+girl, and you know you told me once that if you should ever
+marry your wife must be a beauty, else you could not love
+her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Very true, Janet, and I have no intention of retracting
+or diminishing my rigid requirements, but my definition of
+beauty includes more than mere physical perfection,&mdash;than
+satin skin, pearl-tinted, fine eyes, faultless teeth, abundant
+silky tresses, and rounded figure. It demands that the heart
+whose blood paints lips and cheek, shall be pure, generous,
+and holy; that the soul which looks out at me from lustrous
+eyes shall be consecrated to another deity than Fashion,&mdash;shall
+be as full of magnanimity, and strength, and peace, as a
+harp is of melody; my beauty means meekness, faith, sanctity,
+and exacts mental, moral, and material excellence. Rest
+assured, my dear, sage counsellor, that if ever I bring a wife
+to my hearthstone I will have selected her in obedience to the
+advice of Joubert, who admonished us, &#8216;We should choose
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_63' name='page_63'></a>63</span>
+for a wife only the woman we would choose for a friend,
+were she a man.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You expect too much; you will never find your perfect
+ideal walking in flesh.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I will content myself with nothing less&mdash;I promise you
+that.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, no doubt you will believe that the woman you marry
+is all that you dream or wish; but some fine morning you
+will present me with a sister as full of foibles and vanities
+and frailties as any other spoiled and cunning daughter of
+Eve. Of course every bridegroom classes as &#8216;perfect&#8217; the
+blushing, trembling young thing who peeps shyly at him
+from under a tulle veil and an orange wreath; but, take my
+word for it, there is a spice of Delilah in every pretty girl,
+and the credulity of Samson slumbers in all lovers. Nevertheless,
+Ulpian, I would sooner see you in bondage to a pair
+of white hands and hazel eyes,&mdash;would rather know that like
+all your race you were utterly humbugged&mdash;hoodwinked&mdash;by
+some fair-browed belle, whose low voice rippled over pouting
+pink lips, than have you live always alone, a confirmed old
+bachelor. After all, I doubt whether you have really never
+had a sweetheart, for every schoolboy swears allegiance to
+some yellow-haired divinity in ruffled muslin aprons.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey laid his hand gently on the shrivelled fingers that
+were busily engaged in shelling some seed-beans, and answered,
+jocosely,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have I not often told you, that my dear, old, patient
+sister Janet, is my only lady-love?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And your silly old Janet is not such an arrant fool as to
+believe any such nonsense,&mdash;especially when she remembers
+that from time immemorial sailors have had sweethearts in
+every port, and that her spoiled pet of a brother is no exception
+to his race or his profession.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He laughed, and smoothed her grizzled hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Since my sapient sister is so curious, I will confess that
+once&mdash;and only once in my life&mdash;I was in dire danger of falling
+most desperately in love. The frigate was coaling at
+Palermo, and I went ashore. One afternoon, in sauntering
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_64' name='page_64'></a>64</span>
+through the orange and lemon groves which render its environs
+so inviting, I caught a glimpse of a countenance so serene,
+so indescribably lovely, that for an instant I was disposed
+to believe I had encountered the beatific spirit of St. Rosalie
+herself. The face was that of a woman apparently about
+eighteen years old, who evidently ranked among Sicilian aristocrats,
+and whose elegant attire enhanced her beauty. I followed,
+at a respectful distance, until she entered the garden
+of an adjacent convent and fell on her knees before a marble
+altar, where burned a lamp at the feet of a statue of the
+Virgin; and no painting in Europe stamped itself so indelibly
+on my memory as the picture of that beautiful votary. Her
+delicate hands were crossed over her heart,&mdash;her large, liquid,
+black eyes, raised in adoration,&mdash;her full, crimson lips parted
+as she repeated the &#8216;<i>Ave Maria</i>&#8217; in the most musical voice
+I ever heard. Just above the purplish folds of her abundant
+hair drooped pomegranate boughs all aflame with scarlet
+blooms that fell upon her head like tongues of fire, as the
+wind sprang from the blue hollows of the Mediterranean and
+shook the grove. The sun was going swiftly down behind the
+stone turrets of a monastery that crowned a distant hill, and
+the last rays wove an aureola around my kneeling saint, who,
+doubtless, aware of the effect of her graceful attitudinizing,
+seemed in no haste to conclude her devotions. As I recalled
+the charming tableau, those lines wherein Buchanan sought
+to photograph the picturesqueness of the Digentia, float up
+from some sympathetic cell of memory,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Could you look at the leaves of yonder tree,&mdash;<br />
+The wind is stirring them, as the sun is stirring me!<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>The woolly clouds move quiet and slow<br />
+In the pale blue calm of the tranquil skies,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And their shades that run on the grass below<br />
+Leave purple dreams in the violet&#8217;s eyes!<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>The vine droops over my head with bright<br />
+Clusters of purple and green,&mdash;the rose<br />
+Breaks her heart on the air; and the orange glows<br />
+Like golden lamps in an emerald night.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>My Sicilian Siren finally disappeared in a gloomy arched-way
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_65' name='page_65'></a>65</span>
+leading into the convent, and I returned to the hotel to dream
+of her until the morning sunshine once more bathed Conca
+D&#8217;Oro in splendor,&mdash;when I instituted a search for the name
+and residence of my inamorata. Six hours of enthusiastic
+investigation yielded me the coveted information, but imagine
+the profound despair in which I was plunged when I ascertained
+from her own smiling lips that she was a happy wife
+and the proud mother of two beautiful children. As she rose
+to present her swarthy husband, I bowed myself out and took
+refuge aboard ship. Here ends the recital of the first and
+last bit of romance that ever threw its rosy tinge over the
+quiet life of your staid and humble brother&mdash;Ulpian Grey,
+M.D.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, my dear sailor boy, I am afraid thirty-five years of
+experience have rendered you too wary to be caught by such
+chaff as pretty girls sprinkle along your path! I should be
+glad to see your bride enter this door before I am carried out
+feet foremost to my final rest by Enoch&#8217;s side.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not despair of me, dear Jane, for I am not exactly
+Methuselah&#8217;s rival; and comfort yourself by recollecting that
+Lessing was forty years old when he first loved the only woman
+for whom he ever entertained an affection&mdash;his devoted
+Eva König.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey bent over his sister&#8217;s easy-chair, and, taking her
+thin, sallow face tenderly in his soft palms, kissed the sunken
+cheeks&mdash;the wrinkled forehead; and then, laying her head
+gently back upon its cushions, entered his buggy and drove
+to his office.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, what makes you look so moody? There are as
+many furrows on your brow as lines in a spider&#8217;s web, and
+your lips are drawn in as if you had dined on green persimmons.
+Child, what is the matter?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane lifted her spectacles from her nose, and eyed the
+orphan, anxiously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am very sorry to hear that &#8216;Solitude&#8217; will be filled once
+more with people, and bustle, and din. It is the nearest
+point where we can reach the beach, and I have enjoyed many
+quiet strolls under its grand, old, solemn trees. If haunted
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_66' name='page_66'></a>66</span>
+at all, it is by Dryads and Hamadryads, and I like the babble
+of their leaves infinitely better than the strife of human
+tongues. Miss Jane, if I were only a pagan!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am not very sure that you are not,&#8221; sighed the invalid.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nor I. I have lost my place,&mdash;I am behind my time in
+this world by at least twenty centuries, and ought to have
+lived in the jovial age of fauns and satyrs, when groves were
+sacred for other reasons than the high price of wood,&mdash;when
+gods and goddesses were abundant as blackberries, and at the
+beck and call of every miserable wretch who chose to propitiate
+them by offering a flask of wine, a bunch of turnips, a
+litter of puppies, or a basket of olives. Hesiod and Homer
+understood human nature infinitely better than Paul and
+Luther.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you are growing shockingly irreverent and
+wicked.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, madam,&mdash;begging your pardon. I am only desperately
+honest in wishing that my salvation and future
+felicity could be secured beyond all peradventure, by a sacrifice
+of oatcakes, or white doves, or black cats, instead of a
+drab-colored life of prayer, penance, purity, and patience. I
+don&#8217;t deny that I would rather spend my days in watching
+the gorgeous pageant of the<i> Panathenaea</i>, or chanting dithyrambics
+to insure a fine vintage, or even offering a <i>Taigheirm</i>,
+than in running neck and neck with Lucifer for the kingdom
+of heaven. I love kids, and fawns, and lambs, as well as
+Landseer; but I should not long hesitate, had I the choice,
+between flaying their tender flesh in sacrifice and mortifying
+my own as a devout life requires.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But what would have become of your poor soul if you had
+lived in Pagan times?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What will become of it under present circumstances, I
+should be exceedingly glad to know. &#8216;The heathen are a
+law unto themselves,&#8217; and I sometimes wish I had been born a
+Fejee belle, who lived, was tastefully tattooed, and died without
+having even dreamed of missionaries,&mdash;those officious
+martyrs who hope to wear a whole constellation on their foreheads
+as a reward for having been eaten by cannibals, to whom
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_67' name='page_67'></a>67</span>
+they expounded the unpalatable doctrine that, &#8216;this is the
+condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
+loved darkness rather than light.&#8217; Moreover, I confess&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That is quite sufficient. I have already heard more than
+I relish of such silly and sacrilegious chat. At least, you
+might have more prudence and discretion than to hold forth
+so disgracefully in the hearing of your little brother.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane&#8217;s cheek flushed, and her feeble voice faltered.</p>
+<p>&#8220;He has fallen fast asleep over the bean-pods; and, even if
+he had not, how much of the conversation do you imagine he
+would comprehend? His sole knowledge of Grecian theogony
+consists of a brief acquaintance with a bottle of pseudo Greek
+fire which burnt the pocket out of his best pantaloons.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you distress me; and, if Ulpian had not left us,
+you would have kept all such heathenish stuff shut up in your
+sinful and wayward heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey is no Gorgon, having power to petrify my
+tongue. I am not afraid of him; and my respect for your
+feelings is much stronger than my dread of his.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush, child! You are afraid of him, and well you may
+be. I fear that all your Sabbath-school advantages&mdash;all your
+Christian privileges&mdash;have been wofully wasted; and I shall
+ask Ulpian to talk to you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, thank you, Miss Jane. You may save yourself the
+trouble, for he has given me over to hardness of heart and
+&#8216;a reprobate mind,&#8217; and his patience is not only &#8216;clean gone
+forever,&#8217; but he has carefully washed his hands of all future
+interest in my rudderless and drifting soul. Let me speak
+this once, and henceforth I promise to hold my peace. I do
+not require to be &#8216;talked to&#8217; by anybody,&mdash;I only need to be
+let alone. Sabbath-schools are indisputably excellent things,&mdash;and
+I can testify that they are ponderous ecclesiastical hammers,
+pounding creeds and catechisms into the mould of
+memory; but these nurseries of the church nourish and harbor
+some Satan&#8217;s imps among their half-fledged saints; and while
+they certainly accomplish a vast amount of good, they are by
+no means infallible machines for the manufacture of Christians,&mdash;of
+which fact I stand in melancholy attestation. I
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_68' name='page_68'></a>68</span>
+have a vague impression that piety does not grow up in a
+night, like Jonah&#8217;s gourd <ins title='Was of'>or</ins> Jack the Giant-killer&#8217;s beanstalk;
+but is a pure, glittering, spiritual stalactite, built by
+the slow accretion of dripping tears. Do you suppose that
+you can successfully train my soul as you have managed
+my body?&mdash;that you can hold my nose and pour a dose of
+faith down my throat, like ipecac or cod-liver oil? In matters
+of theology I am no ostrich, and, if you afflict me <i>ad
+nauseam</i> with religious dogmas, you must not wonder that my
+moral digestion rebels outright. I shall not dispute the fact
+that in justice to your precepts and example I ought to be a
+Christian; but, since I am not, I may as well tell you at once
+and save future trouble, that I can neither be baited into the
+church like a hawk into a steel-trap, nor scared and driven
+into it like bees into a hive by the rattling of tin pans and the
+screaking of horns. Don&#8217;t look at me so dolefully, dear Miss
+Jane, as if you had already seen my passport to perdition
+signed and sealed. You, at least, have done your whole duty,&mdash;have
+set all the articles of orthodoxy, well-flavored and
+garnished, before me; and, if I am finally lost, my spiritual
+starvation can never be charged against you in the last balance-sheet.
+I am not ignorant of the Bible, nor altogether
+unacquainted with the divers creeds that spring from its
+pages as thick, as formidable, as ferocious, as the harvest
+from the dragon&#8217;s teeth; and, thanking you for all you have
+taught me, I here undertake to pilot my own soul in this
+boiling, bellowing sea of life. I doubt whether some of the
+charts you value will be of any service in my voyage, or
+whether the beacons by which you steer will save me from the
+reefs; but, nevertheless, I take the wheel, and, if I wreck my
+soul,&mdash;why, then, I wreck it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In the magic evening light, which touches all things with a
+rosy, transitory glamour, the fresh young face with its daintily
+sculptured lineaments seemed marvellously and surpassingly
+fair; but, like <i>morbidezza</i> marble, hopelessly fixed and
+chill, and might have served for some image of Eve, when,
+standing on the boundary of eternal beatitude, she daringly
+put up her slender womanly fingers to pluck the fatal fruit.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_69' name='page_69'></a>69</span>
+Her large, brilliant eyes followed the sinking sun as steadily&mdash;as
+unblinkingly&mdash;as an eagle&#8217;s; but the gleam that rayed
+out was baleful, presaging storms, as infallibly as that sullen,
+lurid light, which glares defiantly over helpless earth when
+to-day&#8217;s sun falls into the cloudy lap of to-morrow&#8217;s tempest.</p>
+<p>A heavy sigh struggled across Miss Jane&#8217;s unsteady lips,
+as, removing her glasses, she wiped her eyes, and said,
+slowly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I am a stupid, unsuspecting old dolt; but I see it
+all now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My ultimate and irremediable ruin?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;God forbid!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome approached the arm-chair, and, stooping, looked intently
+at the aged, wan face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is it that you see? Miss Jane, when people stand,
+as you do, upon the borders of two worlds, the Bygone fades,&mdash;the
+Beyond grows distinct and luminous. Lend me your
+second sight, to decipher the characters scrawled like fiery
+serpents over the pall that envelops the future.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I see nothing but the grim, unmistakeable fact that my
+little, clinging, dependent child, has, without my knowledge,
+put away childish things, and suddenly steps before me a wilful,
+irreverent, graceless woman, as eager to challenge the
+decrees of the Lord as was complaining Job before the breath
+of the whirlwind smote and awed him. Some day, Salome,
+that same voice that startled the old man of Uz will make you
+bend and tremble and shiver like that acacia yonder, which the
+wind is toying with before it snaps asunder. When that
+time comes the clover will feed bees above my gray head, but
+I trust my soul will be near enough to the great white throne
+to pray God to have mercy on your wretched spirit, and
+bring you safely to that blessed haven whither you can never
+pilot yourself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Nervous excitement gave unwonted strength to the feeble
+limbs; and, grasping her crutches, Miss Jane limped into
+her own room and closed the door after her.</p>
+<p>For some moments the girl stood looking out over the lawn,
+where fading sunshine and deepening shadow made fitful
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_70' name='page_70'></a>70</span>
+<i>chiaroscuro</i> along the primrose-paved aisles that stretched
+under the elm arches,&mdash;then, raising her fingers as if tracing
+lines on the soft, gold-dusted atmosphere that surrounded
+her, she muttered doggedly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I am at sea! But, if God is just, Miss Jane and I
+will yet shake hands on that calm, surgeless, crystal sea, shining
+before the throne. So, now I take the helm and put the
+head of my precious charge before the wind, and only the Almighty
+can foresee the result. In His mercy I put my trust.
+So be it.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Gray distance hid each shining sail,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>By ruthless breezes borne from me;<br />
+And lessening, fading, faint, and pale,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>My ships went forth to sea.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_VI' id='CHAPTER_VI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Mother, I am afraid Mrs. Gerome does not like this
+place, or the furniture, or something, for she has not spoken
+a kind word about the house since she came. She looks
+closely at everything, but says nothing. What do you suppose
+she thinks?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Robert Maclean, the gardener at &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; paused abruptly,
+as his mother pinched his arm sharply and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Whist! There she comes down the azalea walk; and no
+one likes to stumble upon their own name when they are not
+expecting the sound or sight of it. No; she has turned off
+towards the cedars, and does not see us. As to her likes and
+dislikes, there is nothing this side of heaven that will content
+her; and you might have known better than to suppose she
+would be much pleased with anything. No matter what she
+thinks, she seldom complains, and it is hard to find out her
+views; but she told me to tell you that she approved all you
+had done, and thanked you for the pains you have taken to
+arrange things comfortably.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Old Elsie tied the strings of her white muslin cap, and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_71' name='page_71'></a>71</span>
+turned her back to the wind that was playing havoc with its
+freshly fluted frills.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mother, I heard her laugh yesterday, for the first time.
+It was a short, quick, queer little laugh, but it pleased me
+greatly. The cook had set some duck-eggs under that fine
+black Spanish hen; and, when they hatched, she marched
+off with the brood into the fowl-yard, where they made straight
+for the duck-pool and sailed in. The hen set up such a din
+and clatter that Mrs. Gerome, who happened to get a
+glimpse of them, felt sorry for the poor frightened fowl, and
+tried to drive the little ones out of the water; but, whenever
+she put her hand towards them to catch the nearest, the
+whole brood would quack and dive,&mdash;and, when she had
+laughed that one short laugh, she called to me to look after
+them and went back to the house. You don&#8217;t know how
+strangely that laugh sounded.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t I? Speak for yourself, Robert. I have heard her
+laugh twice, but it was when she was asleep, and it was an
+uncanny, bitter sound,&mdash;about as welcome to my ears as her
+death-rattle. Last night she did not close her eyes,&mdash;did not
+even undress; and the hall clock was striking three this
+morning when I heard her open the piano and play one of
+those dismal, frantic, wailing things she calls &#8216;fugues,&#8217; that
+make the hair rise on my head and every inch of my flesh
+creep as if a stranger were treading on my grave. When
+she was a baby, cutting her eye-teeth, she had a spasm; and
+seeing her straighten herself out and roll back her eyes till
+only the white balls showed, I took it for granted she was
+about to die, and, holding her in my arms, I fell on my knees
+and prayed that she might be spared. Well, now, Robert,
+I am sorry I put up that petition, for the Lord knew best;
+and it would have been a crowning mercy if he had paid no
+attention to my half-crazy pleadings and taken her home
+then. What meddling fools we all are! I thought, at that
+time, it would break my heart to shroud her sweet little
+body; but ah! I would rather have laid my precious baby
+in her coffin, with violets under her fingers, than live to see
+that desperate, unearthly look, come and house itself in her
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_72' name='page_72'></a>72</span>
+great, solemn, hungry, tormenting eyes, that were once as
+full of sparkles and merriment as the sky is of stars on a
+clear, frosty night. My son, we never know what is good
+for us; for, many times, when we clamor for bread we break
+our teeth on it; and then, again, when we rage and howl
+because we think the Lord has dealt out scorpions to us,
+they prove better than the fish we craved. So, after all, I
+conclude Christ understood the whole matter when he enjoined
+upon us to say, &#8216;Thy will be done.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>The old nurse wiped her eyes with the corner of her black
+silk apron, and, leaning against the trunk of a tree, crossed
+her arms comfortably over her broad and ample chest, while
+Robert busied himself in repotting some choice carnations.</p>
+<p>&#8220;But, mother, do you really think she will be satisfied to
+stay here, after travelling so long up and down in the world?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How can I tell what she will or will not do? You know
+very well that she goes to sleep with one set of whims and
+wakes up with new ones. She catches odd freaks as some
+people catch diseases. She said yesterday that she had had
+enough of travel and change, and intended to settle and live
+and die right here; but that does not prove that I may not
+receive an order next week to pack her trunks and start to
+Jericho or Halifax, and I should not think the world was
+upside down and coming to an end if such an order came before
+breakfast to-morrow. Poor lamb! My poor lamb!
+Yonder she comes again. Do you notice how fast she walks,
+as if the foul fiend were clutching at her skirts or she were
+trying to get away from herself,&mdash;trying to run her restless
+soul entirely out of her wretched body? Come away, Robert,
+and let her have all the grounds to herself. She likes best
+to be alone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mother and son walked off in the direction of the stables,
+and the advancing figure emerged from the dense shade where
+interlacing limbs roofed one of the winding walks, and paused
+before the circular stand on which lemon, rose, white, crimson,
+and variegated carnations, nodded their fringed heads
+and poured spicy aromas from their velvety chalices.</p>
+<p>The face and form of Mrs. Gerome presented a puzzling
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_73' name='page_73'></a>73</span>
+paradox, in which old age and youth seemed struggling for
+mastery; and &#8220;death in life&#8221; found melancholy verification.
+Tall, slender, and faultlessly made, the perfection of her
+figure was marred by the unfortunate carriage of her head,
+which drooped forward so heavily that the chin almost touched
+her throat and nearly destroyed the harmony of the profile
+outline. The head itself was nobly rounded, and sternly
+classic as any well authenticated antique, but it was no marvel
+that it habitually bowed under the heavy glittering mass
+of silver hair, which wound in coil after coil and was secured
+at the back by a comb of carved jet, thickly studded with
+small silver stars. The extraordinary lustrousness of these
+waves of gray hair that rippled on her forehead and temples
+like molten metal, lent a weird and wondrous effect to the
+straight, regular, rigid features,&mdash;daintily cut as those of Pallas,
+and quite as pallid. The delicate and high arch of the
+eyebrows was black as ebony, and in conjunction with the
+long jetty lashes formed a very singular contrast to the shining
+white tresses, which lay piled like freshly fallen snow-drift
+above them. The brow was full, round, smooth, and
+fair as a child&#8217;s; and more than one azure thread showed the
+subtle tracery of veins, whose crimson currents left no rosy
+reflex on the firm, gleaming white flesh, through which they
+branched.</p>
+<p>Beneath that faultless forehead burned unusually large
+eyes, deep as mountain tarns, and of that pure bluish gray
+that tolerates no hint of green or yellow rays. The dilated
+pupils intensified the steel color, and faint violet lines ran
+out from the iris to meet the central shadows, while above
+and below the heavy black fringes enhanced their sombre
+depths, where mournful mysteries seemed to float like corpses
+just beneath the crystal shroud of ocean waves. The pale, passionless
+lips,&mdash;perfect in their pure curves, but defrauded of
+the blood which resolutely refused to come to the surface and
+tint the fine satin skin,&mdash;were lined in ciphers that the curious
+questioned and wondered over, but which few could read and
+none fully comprehend. The beautiful, frigid mouth, where
+all sweetness was frozen out to make room for hopelessness
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_74' name='page_74'></a>74</span>
+and defiance, would have admirably suited some statue of
+discrowned and smitten Hecuba; and no amount of sighs and
+sobs, no stormy bursts of grief or fierce invective, could rival
+the melancholy eloquence of its mute, calm pallor.</p>
+<p>The wan face, with its gray globe-like eyes, and the metallic
+glitter of the prematurely silvered hair, matched in hue the
+pearl-colored muslin dress which fluttered in the wind; and,
+standing there, this gray woman of twenty-three looked indeed
+like Pygmalion&#8217;s stone darling,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Fair-statured, noble, like an awful thing<br />
+Frozen upon the very verge of life,<br />
+And looking back along eternity<br />
+With rayless eyes that keep the shadow Time.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Her frail, white hands, with their oval nails polished and
+opalescent, were exceedingly beautiful; and, where the creamy
+foam of the fine lace fell back from the dimpled wrists,
+quaintly carved jet serpents with blazing diamond eyes coiled
+around the throbbing thread-like pulses of sullen <i>sang azure</i>.</p>
+<p>Bending over the carnations, she examined the gorgeous
+hues,&mdash;toyed with their fragile stems,&mdash;and then, glancing
+shyly over her shoulder like a startled fawn half expectant
+of hounds and hunter, she glided rapidly to an artificial
+mound crowned with a mouldering mossy plaster image of
+Ariadne and her pard, and stood surveying her new domain.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Solitude&#8221; filled a semicircular hollow between low wooded
+hills, which ran down to lave their grassy flanks in the blue
+brine of the Atlantic, and constituted the horns of a crescent
+bay, on whose sloping sandy beach the billows broke without
+barrier.</p>
+<p>The old-fashioned brick house&mdash;with sharp, peaked roof,
+turreted chimneys, and gable window looking down in front
+upon the clumsily clustered columns that supported the
+arched portico&mdash;was built upon a rocky knoll, of which nature
+laid the foundation and art increased the height; and,
+around and above it, towered a dense grove of ancient trees
+that shut out the glare of the sea and effectually screened
+the mansion from observation. The damp walls were heavily
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_75' name='page_75'></a>75</span>
+draped with the sombre verdure of ivy, whose ambitious tendrils
+clambered to the cleft chimney-tops, and peered impertinently
+over the broad stone window-sills, whence the
+indignant housemaid remorselessly sheared them away as
+often as their encroachments grew perceptible.</p>
+<p>In the rear of the house, and toward the west, stretched
+orchard, vegetable garden, vineyard, and wheat-field, whose
+rolling green waves seemed almost to break against the ruddy
+trunks of cedars that clothed the hillside. To the left and
+north lay low, marshy, meadow land, covered with rank grass
+and frosted with saline incrustations; while south of the
+building extended spacious grounds, studded here and there
+with noble groups of deodars, Norway spruce, and various
+ornamental shrubs, and bounded by a tall impenetrable hedge
+of osage orange. Before the house, which faced the ocean
+and fronted east, the lawn sloped gently down to a terrace
+surmounted by a granite balustrade; and just beyond, supported
+by stone piers on the golden sands, stood an octagonal
+boat-house, built in the Swiss style, with red-tiled roof, and
+floored with squares of white and black marble, whence a
+flight of steps led to the little boat chained to one of the
+rocky piers. Along the entire length of the terrace a line
+of giant poplars lifted their aged, weather-beaten heads, high
+above all surrounding objects,&mdash;ever on the <i>qui vive</i>, looking
+seaward,&mdash;trim and erect as soldiers on dress parade, and
+defiant of gales that had shorn them of many boughs, and
+left ghastly scars on their glossy limbs.</p>
+<p>Tradition whispered, with bated breath, that in the dim
+dawn of colonial settlement a rude log hut had been erected
+here by pirates, who came ashore to bury their ill-gotten
+booty, and rumors were rife of bloody deeds and midnight
+orgies,&mdash;all of which sprang into more vigorous circulation,
+when, in laying the foundations of the boat-house piers, an
+iron pot containing a number of old French and Spanish
+coins was dug out of the shells and sand.</p>
+<p>Melancholy tales of stranded vessels and drowned crews,
+of a slaver burned to the water&#8217;s edge to escape capture, and of
+charred corpses strewn on the beach, thickened the atmosphere
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_76' name='page_76'></a>76</span>
+of legendary gloom that enveloped the spot,&mdash;where
+the successive demise of several proprietors certainly sanctioned
+the feeling of dread and superstitious distrust with
+which it was regarded. That the unenviable celebrity it had
+attained was referable to local causes generating disease, appeared
+almost incredible; for, if miasmatic exhalations rose
+dank and poisonous from the densely shaded humid house,
+they were promptly dispelled by the strong, invincible ocean-breeze,
+which tore aside leafy branches and muslin curtains,
+and wafted all noxious vapors inland.</p>
+<p>A committee of medical sages having cautiously examined
+the place, unanimously averred that its reputed fatality could
+not justly be ascribed to any topographical causes. Whereupon
+the popular nerve, which closely connected the community
+with supernaturaldom, thrilled afresh; and all the
+calamities, real and imaginary, that had afflicted &#8220;Solitude&#8221;
+from a period so remote that &#8220;the memory of man runneth
+not to the contrary,&#8221; were laid upon the galled shoulders of
+some red-liveried, sulphur-scented Imp of Abaddon, whose
+peculiar mission was to haunt the &#8220;piratical nest;&#8221; and, in
+lieu of human victims, to addle the eggs, blast the grape crop,
+and make night hideous with spectral sights and sounds.</p>
+<p>To an unprejudiced observer the hills seemed to have gleefully
+clasped hands and formed a half-circle, shutting the
+place in for a quiet breezy communion with garrulous ocean,
+whose waves ran eagerly up the strand to gossip of wrecks and
+cyclones, with the staid martinet poplars that nodded and
+murmured assent to all their wild romances.</p>
+<p>Such was the pleasant impression produced upon the mind
+of the lonely woman who now owned it, and who hoped to
+spend here in seclusion and peace the residue of a life whose
+radiant dawn had been suddenly swallowed by drab clouds
+and starless gloom.</p>
+<p>The Scotch are proverbially credulous concerning all preternatural
+influences; and, had Robert Maclean been cognizant
+of half the ghostly associations attached to the residence
+which he had selected in compliance with general instructions
+from his mistress, it is scarcely problematical whether the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_77' name='page_77'></a>77</span>
+house would not have remained in the hands of the real-estate
+broker; but, fortunately for their peace of mind, Elsie and
+her son were as yet in blissful ignorance of the dismal celebrity
+of their new home.</p>
+<p>Resting her folded hands on the bare shoulders of the
+Ariadne, which modest lichens and officious wreaths of purple
+verbena were striving to mantle, Mrs. Gerome scanned the
+scene before her; and a quick, nervous sigh, that was almost
+a pant, struggled across her lips.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Unto this last nook of refuge have I come; and, expecting
+little, find much. Shut out from the world, locked in
+with the sea,&mdash;no neighbors, no visitors, no news, no gossip,&mdash;solitary,
+shady, cool, and quiet,&mdash;surely I can rest here.
+Forked tongues of scandal can not penetrate through those
+rock-ribbed hills yonder, nor dart across that defying sea; and
+neither wail nor wassail of men or women can disturb me
+more. But how do I know that it will not prove a mocking
+cheat like Bai&#230; and Maggiore, or Copais and Cromarty? I
+have fled in disgust and <i>ennui</i> from far lovelier spots than
+this, and what right have I to suppose that contentment has
+housed itself as my guest in that old, mossy, brick pile, where
+mice and wrens run riot? Like Cain and Cartophilus, my
+curse travels with me, and I no sooner pitch my tent, than lo!
+the rattle and grin of my skeleton, for which earth is not wide
+enough to furnish a grave! Well! well! at least I shall
+not be stared to death here,&mdash;shall not be tormented by
+eye-glasses and sketch-books; can live in that dim, dark,
+greenish den yonder, unobserved and possibly forgotten
+and finally sleep undisturbed in the dank shade of those
+deodars, with twittering birds overhead and a
+sobbing sea at my feet. How long&mdash;how long before that
+dreamless slumber will fall upon my heavy lids,&mdash;weary with
+waiting? Only twenty-three yesterday! My God, if I should
+live to be an old woman! The very thought threatens insanity!
+Ten&mdash;twenty&mdash;possibly thirty years ahead of me.
+No; I could not endure it,&mdash;I should go mad, or destroy myself!
+If I were a delicate woman, if I only had weak lungs
+or a dropsical heart, or a taint of any hereditary infirmity
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_78' name='page_78'></a>78</span>
+that would surely curtail my days, I could be tolerably patient,
+hoping daily for the symptoms to develop themselves. But,
+unfortunately, though my family all died early, no two members,
+selected the same mode of escape from this bastile of
+clay; and my flesh is sound, and I am as strong and compact
+as that granite balustrade, and&mdash;ha! ha!&mdash;quite as hard.
+<i>Au pis aller</i>, if the burden of life becomes utterly intolerable
+I can shuffle it off as quickly as did that proud Roman, who,
+&#8216;when the birds began to sing&#8217; in the dawn of a day heralded
+by tempestuous winds laden with perfume from the vales of
+Sicily, shut his eyes forever from the warm sparkling Mediterranean
+billows that broke in the roads of Utica, and pricked
+the memory of inattentive Azrael with the point of a sword.
+Neither Ph&#230;do, family, nor fame, could coax Cato to respect
+the prerogative of Atropos; and if he, &#8216;the only free and unconquered
+man,&#8217; quailed and fled before the apparition of
+numerous advancing years, what marvel that I, who am
+neither sage nor Roman, should be tempted some fine morning
+when the birds are sounding <i>reveille</i> around my chamber
+windows, to imitate &#8216;what Cato did, and Addison approved&#8217;?
+After all, what despicable cowards are human hearts, and how
+much easier to die like Socrates, Seneca, and Zeno, than stagger
+and groan under the load of hated, torturing years, that
+are about as welcome to my shoulders as the &#8216;old man of the
+sea&#8217; to Sinbad&#8217;s! How long?&mdash;oh, how long?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The gloomy gray eyes had kindled into a dull flicker that
+resembled the fitful, ghostly gleam of sheet lightning, falling
+through painted windows upon crumbling and defiled altars
+in some lonely ruined cathedral; and her low, shuddering
+tones, were full of a hopeless, sneering bitterness, as painfully
+startling and out of place in a woman&#8217;s voice as would be the
+scream of a condor from the irised throats of brooding doves,
+or the hungry howl of a wolf from the tender lips of unweaned
+lambs. In the gloaming light of a soft gray sky powdered by
+a few early stars, stood this desolate gray woman, about
+whose face and dress there was no stain of color save the blue
+glitter of a large sapphire ring, curiously cut in the form of a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_79' name='page_79'></a>79</span>
+coiled asp, with hooded head erect and brilliant diamond eyes
+that twinkled with every quiver of the marble-white fingers.</p>
+<p>Impatiently she turned her imperial head, when the sound
+of approaching steps broke the stillness; and her tone was
+sharp as that of one suddenly roused from deep sleep,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, Elsie! What is it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tea, my child, has been waiting half-an-hour.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then go and get your share of it. I want none.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But you ate no dinner to-day. Does your head ache?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, no; my heart jealously monopolizes that privilege!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The old woman sighed audibly, and Mrs. Gerome added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray, do not worry yourself about me! When I feel disposed
+to come in I can find the way to the door. Go and
+get your supper.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The nurse passed her wrinkled hand over the drab muslin
+sleeves and skirt, and touched the folds of hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;But, my bairn, the dew is thick on your head and has
+taken all the starch out of your dress. Please come out of this
+fog that is creeping up like a serpent from the sea. You are
+not used to such damp air, and it might give you rheumatic
+cramps.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, suppose it should? Does not my white head entitle
+me to all such luxuries of old age and decrepitude? Don&#8217;t
+bother me, Elsie.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She put out her hand with a repellent gesture, but Elsie
+seized it, and clasping both her palms over the cold fingers,
+said, with irresistible tenderness,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come, dearie!&mdash;come, my dearie!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Without a word Mrs. Gerome turned and followed her
+across the lawn and into the house, whose internal arrangement
+was somewhat at variance with its unpretending exterior.</p>
+<p>The rooms were large, with low ceilings; and fire-places,
+originally wide and deep, had been recently filled and fitted
+up with handsome grates, while the heavy mantelpieces of
+carved cedar, that once matched the broad facings of the windows
+and the massive panels of the doors, were exchanged for
+costly <i>verd antique</i> and lumachella. The narrow passage running
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_80' name='page_80'></a>80</span>
+through the centre of the building was also wainscoted
+with cedar and adorned with fine engravings of Landseer&#8217;s
+best pictures, whose richly carved walnut frames looked almost
+cedarn in the pale chill light that streamed upon them through
+the violet-colored glass which surrounded the front door and
+effectually subdued the hot golden glare of the sunny sun.
+The old-fashioned folding doors that formerly connected the
+parlor and library had been removed to make room for a low,
+wide arch, over which drooped lace curtains, partially looped
+with blue silk cord and tassels, and both apartments were
+furnished with sofas and chairs of rosewood and blue satin
+damask, while the velvet carpet, with its azure ground strewn
+with wreaths of white roses and hyacinths, corresponded in
+color. Handsome book-cases, burdened with precious lore,
+lined the walls of the rear room; and on either side of a massive
+ormolu <i>escritoire</i>, bronze candelabra shed light on the
+blue velvet desk where lay delicate sheets of gossamer paper
+with varied and <i>outré</i> monograms, guarded by an exquisite
+marble statuette of Harpocrates, which stood in the
+mirror-panelled recess reserved for pen, ink, and sealing-wax.
+The air was fragrant with the breath of flowers that nodded to
+each other from costly vases scattered through both apartments;
+and, before one of the windows, rose a bronze stand
+containing china jars filled with pelargoniums, in brilliant
+bloom. An Erard piano occupied one corner of the parlor,
+and the large harp-shaped stand at its side was heaped with
+books and unbound sheets of music. Here two long wax
+candles were now burning brightly, and, on the oval marble
+table in the centre of the floor, was a superb silver lamp representing
+Psyche bending over Cupid, and supporting the finely-cut
+globe, whose soft radiance streamed down on her burnished
+wings and eagerly-parted sweet Greek lips. The design
+of this exceedingly beautiful lamp would not have disgraced
+Benvenuto Cellini, nor its execution have reflected discredit
+upon the genius of Felicie Fauveau, though to neither of these
+distinguished artificers could its origin have been justly ascribed.
+In its mellow, magical glow, the fine paintings suspended
+on the walls seemed to catch a gleam of &#8220;that light
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_81' name='page_81'></a>81</span>
+that never was on sea or land,&#8221; for their dim, purplish Alpine
+gorges were filled with snowy phantasmagoria of rushing avalanches;
+their foaming cataracts braided glittering spray into
+spectral similitude of Undine tresses and Undine faces; their
+desolate red deserts grew vaguely populous with mirage mockeries;
+their green dells and grassy hill-sides, couching careless
+herds, and fleecy flocks, borrowed all Arcadia&#8217;s repose; and the
+marble busts of Beethoven and of Handel, placed on brackets
+above the piano, shone as if rapt, transfigured in the mighty
+inspiration that gave to mankind &#8220;<i>Fidelio</i>&#8221; and the &#8220;<i>Messiah</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>On the sofa which partially filled the oriel window, where
+the lace drapery was looped back to admit the breeze, lay an
+ivory box containing materials and models for wax-flowers;
+and, in one corner, half thrust under the edge of the silken
+cushion, was an unfinished wreath of waxen convolvulus and
+a cluster of gentians. There, too, open at the page that narrated
+the death-struggle, lay Liszt&#8217;s &#8220;Life of Chopin,&#8221; pressed
+face downwards, with two purple pansies crushed and staining
+the leaves; and a small gold thimble peeping out of a crevice
+in the damask tattled of the careless feminine fingers that had
+left these traces of disorder.</p>
+<p>The collection of pictures was unlike those usually brought
+from Europe by cultivated tourists, for it contained no Madonnas,
+no Magdalenes, no Holy Families, no Descents or Entombments,
+no Saints, or Sibyls, or martyrs; and consisted of
+wild mid-mountain scenery, of solemn surf-swept strands, of
+lonely moonlit moors, of crimson sunsets in <ins title='Left as original'>Cobi</ins> or Sahara,
+and of a few gloomy, ferocious faces, among which the portrait
+of Salvator Rosa smiled sardonically, and a head of
+frenzied Jocasta was preëminently hideous.</p>
+<p>As Mrs. Gerome entered the parlor and brightened the
+flame of the Psyche lamp, her eyes accidentally fell upon
+the bust of Beethoven, where, in gilt letters, she had inscribed
+his own triumphant declaration, &#8220;<i>Music is like wine, inflaming
+men to new achievements; and I am the Bacchus who
+serves it out to them</i>.&#8221; While she watched the rayless marble
+orbs, more eloquent than dilating darkening human pupils,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_82' name='page_82'></a>82</span>
+a shadow dense and mysterious drifted over her frigid face,
+and, without removing her eyes from the bust above her, she
+sat down before the piano, and commenced one of those marvellous
+symphonies which he had commended to the study
+of Goethe.</p>
+<p>Ere it was ended Elsie came in, bearing a waiter on which
+stood a silver <i>epergne</i> filled with fruit, a basket of cake, and a
+goblet of iced tea.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My child, I bring your supper here because the dining-room
+looks lonesome at night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No,&mdash;no! take it away. I tell you I want nothing.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But, for my sake, dear&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Let me alone, Elsie! There,&mdash;there! Don&#8217;t teaze me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The nurse stood for some moments watching the deepening
+gloom of the up-turned countenance, listening to the weird
+strains that seemed to drip from the white fingers as they
+wandered slowly across the keys; then, kneeling at her side,
+grasped the hands firmly, and covered them with kisses.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Precious bairn! don&#8217;t play any more to-night. For God&#8217;s
+sake, let me shut up this piano that is making a ghost of you!
+You will get so stirred up you can&#8217;t close your eyes,&mdash;you
+know you will; and then I shall cry till day-break. If you
+don&#8217;t care for yourself, dearie, do try to care a little for the
+old woman who loves you better than her life, and who never
+can sleep till she knows your precious head is on its pillow.
+My pretty darling, you are killing me by inches, and I shall
+stay here on my knees until you leave the piano, if that is not
+till noon to-morrow. You may order me away; but not a step
+will I stir. God help you, my bairn!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome made an effort to extricate her hands, but the
+iron grasp was relentless; and, in a tone of great annoyance,
+she exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Elsie! You are an intolerable&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, dear, say it out,&mdash;an intolerable old fool! Isn&#8217;t that
+what you mean?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not exactly; but you presume upon my forbearance.
+Elsie, you must not interrupt and annoy me, for I tell you
+now I will not submit to it. You forget that I am not a
+child.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_83' name='page_83'></a>83</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Darling, you will never be anything but a child to me,&mdash;the
+same pretty child I took from its dead mother&#8217;s arms and
+carried for years close to my heart. So scold me as you may,
+my pet, I shall love you and try to take care of you just as
+long as there is breath left in my body.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She ended by kissing the struggling hands; and, striving
+to conceal her vexation, Mrs. Gerome finally turned and
+said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you will eat your supper, and stay with Robert, and
+leave me in peace, I promise you I will close the piano, which
+your flinty Scotch soul can no more appreciate than the brick
+and mortar that compose these walls. You mean well, my
+dear, faithful Elsie, but sometimes you bore me fearfully. I
+know I am often wayward; but you must bear with me, for,
+after all, how could I endure to lose you,&mdash;you the only
+human being who cares whether I live or die? There,&mdash;go!
+Good night!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She threw her arms around Elsie&#8217;s neck, leaned her wan
+cheek for an instant only on her shoulder, then pushed her
+away and hastily closed the piano.</p>
+<p>Two hours later, when the devoted servant stole up on tip-toe,
+and peeped through the half-open door that led into the
+hall, she found the queenly figure walking swiftly and lightly
+across the room from oriel to arch, with her hands clasped
+over the back of her head, and the silvery lamp-light shining
+softly on the waves of burnished hair that rippled around her
+pure, polished forehead.</p>
+<p>As she watched her mistress, Elsie&#8217;s stout frame trembled,
+and hot tears streamed down her furrowed face while she
+lifted her heart in prayer, for the dreary, lonely, lovely woman,
+who had long ago ceased to pray for herself. But when
+the quivering lips of one breathed a petition before the throne
+of God, the beautiful cold mouth of the other was muttering
+bitterly,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Yea, love is dead, and by her funeral bier<br />
+Ambition gnaws the lips, and sheds no tears;<br />
+And, in the outer chamber Hope sits wild,&mdash;<br />
+Hope, with her blue eyes dim with looking long.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_84' name='page_84'></a>84</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_VII' id='CHAPTER_VII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, why do you look so grave and grieved? Does your
+letter contain bad news?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane pushed back her spectacles and glanced anxiously
+at her brother, who stood with his brows slightly knitted,
+twirling a crumpled envelope between his fingers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is not a letter, but a telegraphic dispatch, summoning
+me to the death-bed of my best friend, Horace Manton.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The man whose life you saved at Madeira?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; and the person to whom, above all other men, I am
+most strongly and tenderly attached. His constitution is so
+feeble that I have long been uneasy about him; but the end
+has come even earlier than I feared.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where does he live?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;On the Hudson, a few miles above New York City. I
+have no time to spare, for I shall take the train that leaves at
+one o&#8217;clock, and must make some arrangement with Dr.
+Sheldon to attend my patients. Will it trouble or tire you
+too much to pack my valise while I write a couple of business
+letters? If so, I will call Salome to assist you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Trouble me, indeed! Nonsense, my dear boy; of course
+I will pack your valise. Moreover, Salome is not at home.
+How long will you be absent?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Probably a week or ten days,&mdash;possibly longer. If poor
+Horace lingers, I shall remain with him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wait one moment, Ulpian. Before you go I want to
+speak to you about Salome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, Janet, I lend you my ears. Has the girl absolutely
+turned pagan and set up an altar to Ceres, as she threatened
+some weeks since? Take my word for the fact that she does
+not believe or mean one half that she says, and is only amusing
+herself by trying to discover how wide her audacious heresies
+can expand your dear orthodox eyes. Expostulation and
+entreaty only feed her affected eccentricities and skepticism,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_85' name='page_85'></a>85</span>
+and if you will persistently and quietly ignore them, they will
+shrivel as rapidly as a rank gourd-vine, uprooted on an August
+day.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pooh! pooh! my dear boy. How you men do prate sometimes
+of matters concerning which you are as ignorant as the
+yearling calves and gabbling geese that I suppose your learned
+astronomers see driven every day to pasture on that range of
+mountains in the moon&mdash;Eratosthenes&mdash;that modern science
+pretends to have discovered, and about which you read so marvellous
+a paper last week.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane reverently clung to the dishonored remnants of
+the Ptolemaic theory, and scouted the philosophy of Copernicus
+which she vehemently averred was not worth &#8220;a pinch of
+snuff,&#8221; else the water in the well would surely run out once in
+every twenty-four hours. Now, as she dived into the depths of
+her stocking-basket, collecting the socks neatly darned and
+rolled over each other, her brother smiled, and answered, good
+humoredly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dear Janet, I really have not time to follow you to the
+moon, nor to prove to you that your astronomical doctrines
+have been dead and decently buried for nearly three hundred
+years; but I should like to hear what you desire to tell me
+with reference to Salome. What is the matter now?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nothing ails her, except a violent attack of industry,
+which has lasted much longer than I thought possible; for, to
+tell you the truth without stint or varnish, she certainly was
+the most sluggish piece of flesh I ever undertook to manage.
+Study she would not, keep house she could not, sewing gave
+her the headache, and knitting made her cross-eyed; but,
+behold! she has suddenly found out that her pretty little pink
+palms were made for something better than propping her
+peach-bloom cheeks. A few days ago I accidentally discovered
+that she was sitting up until long after midnight, and when I
+questioned her closely, she finally confessed that she had
+entered into a contract to furnish a certain amount of embroidery
+every month. Bless the child! can you guess what
+she intends to do with the money? Hoard it up in order to
+rent a couple of rooms, where she can take Jessie and Stanley
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_86' name='page_86'></a>86</span>
+to live with her. Ulpian, it is a praiseworthy aim, you must
+admit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Eminently commendable, and I respect and admire the
+motive that incites her to such a laborious course. At present
+she is too young and inexperienced to take entire charge of
+the children, and I know nothing of your plans or intentions
+concerning her future; but, let me assure you, dear Jane, that
+I will cordially coöperate in all your schemes for aiding her
+and providing a home for them, and my purse shall not prove
+a laggard in the race with yours. Recently I have been revolving
+a plan for their benefit, but am too much hurried just
+now to give you the details. When I return we will discuss it
+<i>in extenso</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You know that I ascribe great importance to blood, but
+strange as it may appear, that girl Salome has always tugged
+hard at my heart-strings, as if our proud old blood beat in her
+veins; and sometimes I fancy there must be kinship hidden behind
+the years, or buried in some unknown grave.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Amuse yourself while I am away by digging about the
+genealogical tree of the house of Grey, and, if you can trace a
+fibre that ramifies in the miller&#8217;s family, I will gladly bow
+to my own blood wherever I find it, and claim cousinship.
+Meantime, my dear sister, do keep a corner of your loving
+heart well swept and dusted for your errant sailor-boy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He hastily kissed her cheek and turned away to write letters,
+while she went into the adjoining room to pack his
+clothes.</p>
+<p>When Salome returned from town, whither she had gone to
+carry a package of finished work and obtain a fresh supply,
+she found Miss Jane alone in the dining-room, and wearing a
+dejected expression on her usually cheerful countenance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did Ulpian tell you good-by?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, I have not seen him. Where has he gone?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To New York.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The long walk and sultry atmosphere had unwontedly
+flushed the girl&#8217;s face, and the damp hair clung in glossy rings
+to her brow; but, as Miss Jane spoke, the blood ebbed from
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_87' name='page_87'></a>87</span>
+cheeks and lips, and sweeping back the dark tresses that
+seemed to oppress her, she asked, shiveringly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is Dr. Grey going back to sea?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh no, child! An old friend is very ill, and telegraphed
+for him. Sit down, dear,&mdash;you look faint.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, I don&#8217;t wish to sit down, and there is nothing
+the matter with me. When will he come home?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I can not tell precisely, as his stay is contingent upon the
+condition of his friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it a man or woman whom he has gone to see?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The astonishment painted on Miss Jane&#8217;s face would have
+been ludicrous to a careless observer, less interested than the
+orphan in her slow and deliberate reply.</p>
+<p>&#8220;A man, of course.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did he tell you so?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly. He went to see Mr. Horace Manton, with
+whom he was associated while abroad. But suppose it had
+been some winsome, brown-eyed witch of a woman, instead of
+a dying man, what then?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then you would have lost your brother, and I my French
+pronouncing dictionary,&mdash;that is all. Did he leave any message
+about my grammar and exercises?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, dear; but he started so hurriedly&mdash;so unexpectedly&mdash;he
+had not time for such trifles. Where are you going?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To put away my bonnet and bundle, and look after Stanley,
+who is romping with the kittens on the lawn.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The old lady laid down her knitting, leaned her elbows on
+the arms of her rocking-chair, and, clasping her hands, bowed
+her chin upon them, while a half-stifled sigh escaped her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mischief,&mdash;mischief, where I meant only kindness! I
+sowed good seed, and reap thistles and brambles! My charity-cake
+turns out miserable dough! But how could I possibly
+foresee that the child would be such a simpleton? What right
+has she to be so unnecessarily interested in my brother, who is
+old enough to have been her father? It is unnatural, absurd,
+and altogether unpardonable in Salome to be guilty of such
+presumptuous nonsense; and, of course, it is not in the least
+my fault, for the possibility of this piece of mischief never
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_88' name='page_88'></a>88</span>
+once occurred to me! True, she is as old as Ulpian&#8217;s mother
+was when father married her; but then Mrs. Grey was not at
+all in love with her white-haired husband, and had set her
+affections solely on that Mercer-Street house, with marble
+steps and plate-glass windows. How do I know that, after all,
+Salome is not in love with Ulpian&#8217;s fortune instead of the
+dear boy&#8217;s blue eyes, and handsome hair, and splendid teeth?
+However, I ought not to think so harshly of the child, for I
+have no cause to consider her calculating and selfish. Poor
+thing! if she really cares for him there are breakers ahead of
+her, for I am sure that he is as far from falling in love with
+her as I would be with the ghost of my great-grandfather&#8217;s
+uncle. Thank Providence, all this troublesome, mischievous,
+Lucifer machinery of love and marriage is shut out of heaven,
+where we shall be as the angels are. Ah, Salome! I fear
+you are a giddy young idiot, and that I am a blind old imbecile,
+and I wish from the bottom of my heart you had never
+darkened my doors.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The quiet current of Miss Jane&#8217;s secluded life had never
+been ruffled by a serious <i>affaire du c&oelig;ur</i>; consequently she indulged
+little charity towards those episodes, which displayed
+what she considered the most humiliating weakness of her sex.</p>
+<p>While puzzling over the best method of extricating her <i><ins title='Was protégé'>protégée</ins></i>
+from the snare into which she was disposed to apprehend
+that her own well-meant but mistaken kindness had betrayed
+her, she saw an unsealed note lying beneath the table, and, by
+the aid of her crutch, drew it within reach of her fingers. A
+small sheet of paper, carelessly folded and addressed to Salome,
+merely contained these words,&mdash;</p>
+<blockquote>
+<p>&#8220;I congratulate you, my young friend, on the correctness of
+your French themes, which I leave in the drawer of the library-table.
+When I return I will examine those prepared
+during my absence; and, in the interim, remain,</p>
+<p>&#8220;Very respectfully,</p>
+<p>&#8220;<span class='smcap'>Ulpian Grey</span>.&#8221;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>Miss Jane wiped her glasses, and read the note twice; then
+held it between her thumb and third finger, and debated the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_89' name='page_89'></a>89</span>
+expediency of changing its destination. Her delicate sense of
+honor revolted at the first suggestion of interference, but
+an intense aversion to &#8220;love-scrapes&#8221; finally strengthened her
+prudential inclination to crush this one in its incipiency; and
+she deliberately tore the paper into shreds, which she tossed
+out of the window.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If Ulpian only had his eyes open he would never have
+scribbled one line to her; and, since I know what I know, and
+see what I see, it is my duty to take the responsibility of destroying
+all fuel within reach of a flame that may prove as
+dangerous as a torch in a hay-rick.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Limping into the library, she took from the drawer the two
+books containing French exercises and laid them in a conspicuous
+place on the table, where they could not fail to arrest
+the attention of their owner; after which she resumed her
+knitting, consoling herself with the reflection that she had
+taken the first step towards smothering the spark that threatened
+the destruction of all her benevolent schemes.</p>
+<p>Up and down, under the spreading trees in the orchard,
+wandered Salome, anxious to escape scrutiny, and vaguely conscious
+that she had reached the cross-roads in her life, where
+haste or inadvertence might involve her in inextricable difficulties.</p>
+<p>She was neither startled, nor shocked, nor mortified, that
+the unceremonious departure of the master of the house
+stabbed her heart with pangs that made her firm lips writhe,
+for she had long been cognizant of the growth of feelings
+whose discovery had so completely astounded Miss Jane.</p>
+<p>The orphan had not eagerly watched and listened for the
+sight of his face&mdash;the sound of his voice&mdash;without fully comprehending
+herself; for, however ingeniously and indefatigably
+women may mask their hearts from public gaze and comment,
+they do not mock their own reason by such flimsy
+shams, and Salome could find no prospect of gain in playing
+a game of brag with her inquisitive soul.</p>
+<p>In the quiet orchard, where all things seemed drowsy&mdash;where
+the only spectators were the mellowing apples that reddened
+the boughs above her, and her sole auditors the brown
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_90' name='page_90'></a>90</span>
+partridges that nestled in the tall grass, and the shy cicad&#230;
+ambushed under the clover leaves&mdash;her pent-up pain and disappointment
+bubbled over in a gush of passionate words.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Gone without giving me a syllable, a word, a touch!
+Gone, for an indefinite period, without even a cold &#8216;good-by,
+Salome!&#8217; You call yourself a Christian, Dr. Grey, and yet you
+are cruel, now and then, and make me writhe like a worm on
+a fish-hook! He told Stanley he would return in two or three
+weeks, perhaps sooner,&mdash;but I know better. I have a dull
+monitor here that says it will be a long, dreary time, before
+I see him again. A wall of ice is rising to divide us&mdash;but it
+shall not! it shall not! I will have my own! I will look into
+his calm eyes! I will touch his soft, warm, white palms! I
+will hear his steady, low, clear voice, that makes music in my
+ears and heaven in my heart! It is three months since he
+shook hands with me, but all time cannot remove the feeling
+from my fingers; and some day I can cling to his hand and
+lean my cheek against it,&mdash;and who dare dispute my right?
+He says he never loved any woman! I heard him tell his
+sister he had yet to meet the woman whom he could marry,&mdash;and,
+if truth lingers anywhere in this world of sin, it finds a
+sanctuary in his soul! He never loved any woman! Thank
+God! I can&#8217;t afford to doubt it. No one but his sister has
+touched his lips, or his noble, beautiful forehead. How I
+envied little Jessie when he put his arm around her and
+stooped and laid his cheek on hers. Oh, Dr. Grey, nobody else
+will ever love you as I do! I know I am unworthy, but I will
+make myself good and great to match you! I know I am
+beneath you, but I will climb to your proud height,&mdash;and, so
+help me God, I will be all that your lofty standard demands!
+He does not care for me now,&mdash;does not even think of me; but
+I must be patient and merit his notice, for my own folly sank
+me in his good opinion. When these apples were pale, pink
+blossoms, I dreaded his coming, and hoped the vessel would
+be wrecked; now, ere they are ripe, I am disposed to curse the
+cause of his temporary absence and think myself ill-used that
+no farewell privileges were granted me. Now I can understand
+why people find comfort in praying for those they love;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_91' name='page_91'></a>91</span>
+for what else can I do but pray while he is away? Oh, I
+shall not, cannot, will not, miss my way to heaven if he gets
+there before me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>In utter abandonment she threw herself down in the long
+yellow sedge-grass,&mdash;frightening a whole covey of gossiping
+young partridges and a couple of meek doves, all of which
+whirred away to an adjacent pea-field, leaving her with her
+face buried in her hands, and watched by trembling mute
+crickets and cicad&#230;.</p>
+<p>On the topmost twig of the tallest tree a mocking-bird
+poised himself, and sympathetically poured out his vesper
+canticle,&mdash;a song of condolence to the prostrate figure who,
+just then, would have preferred the echo of a man&#8217;s deep voice
+to all Pergolese&#8217;s strains.</p>
+<p>After a little while pitying Venus swung her golden globe
+in among the apple-boughs, peeping compassionately at her
+luckless votary; and, finally, in the violet west,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Two silver beacons sphered in the skies,<br />
+Eve in her cradle opening her eyes.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Two weeks dragged themselves away without bringing any
+tidings of the absent master; but, towards the close of the
+third, a brief letter informed his sister that the invalid friend
+was still alive, though no hope of his recovery was entertained,
+and that it was impossible to fix any period for the writer&#8217;s return.
+Salome asked no questions, but the eager, hungry expression,
+with which she eyed the letter as it lay on the top
+of the stocking-basket, touched Miss Jane&#8217;s tender heart; and,
+knowing that it contained no allusion to the orphan, she put
+it into her hand, and noticed the cloud of disappointment
+that gathered over her features as she perused and refolded
+it. Another week&mdash;monotonous, tedious, almost interminable&mdash;crept
+by, and one morning as Salome passed the post-office
+she inquired for letters, and received one post-marked New
+York and addressed to Miss Jane.</p>
+<p>Hurrying homeward with the precious missive, her pace
+would well-nigh have distanced Hermes, and the dusty winding
+road seemed to mock her with lengthening curves while
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_92' name='page_92'></a>92</span>
+she pressed on; but at last she reached the gate, sped up the
+avenue, and, pausing a moment at the threshold to catch her
+breath and appear <i>nonchalant</i>, she demurely entered Miss
+Jane&#8217;s apartment. The only occupant was a servant sewing
+near the window, and who, in reply to an eager question, informed
+Salome that the mistress had gone to spend the day
+with a friend whose residence was six miles distant.</p>
+<p>The girl bit her lip until the blood started, and, to conceal
+her chagrin, took refuge in the parlor, where the quiet dimness
+offered a covert. Locking the door, she sat down in one
+of the cushioned rocking-chairs and looked at the letter lying
+between her fingers. The gilt clock on the mantel uttered a
+dull, clicking sound, and a little green and gold-colored bird
+hopped out and &#8220;cuckooed&#8221; ten times. Miss Jane would
+not probably return before seven, possibly eight o&#8217;clock, and
+what could be done to strangle those intervening nine hours?</p>
+<p>The blood, heated by exercise and impatience, throbbed
+fiercely in her temples and thumped heavily at her heart, producing
+a half-suffocating sensation; and, in her feverish
+anxiety, the doom of Damiens appeared tolerable in comparison
+with the torturing suspense of nine hours on the
+rack.</p>
+<p>The envelope was an ordinary white one, merely sealed
+with a solution of gum arabic, and dexterous fingers could
+easily open and reclose it without fear of detection, especially
+by eyes so dim and uncertain as those for which it had been
+addressed. A damp cloth laid upon the letter would in five
+minutes prove an <i>open sesame</i> to its coveted contents, and a
+legion of fiends patted the girl&#8217;s tingling fingers and urged
+her to this prompt and feasible relief from her goading impatience.
+Secure from intrusion and beyond the possibility
+of discovery, she turned the envelope up and down and over,
+examining the seal; and the amber gleams lying <i>perdu</i> under
+the shadows of her pupils rayed out, glowing with a baleful
+Lucifer light, as infallibly indicative of evil purposes as the
+sudden kindling in a crouching cat&#8217;s or cougar&#8217;s gaze, just as
+they spring upon their prey.</p>
+<p>It was a mighty temptation, cunningly devised and opportunely
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_93' name='page_93'></a>93</span>
+presented, and six months ago her parley with the
+imps of Apollyon who contrived it would not have lasted five
+minutes; but, in some natures, love for a human being will
+work marvels which neither the fear of God, nor the hope of
+heaven, nor yet the promptings of self-respect have power to
+accomplish.</p>
+<p>Now while Salome dallied with the temper and gave audience
+to the clamors of her rebellious heart, she looked up and
+met the earnest gaze of a pair of sunny blue eyes in a picture
+that hung directly opposite.</p>
+<p>It was an admirable portrait of Dr. Grey, clad in full uniform
+as surgeon in the U.S. Navy, and painted when he was
+twenty-eight years old. Up at that calm, cloudless countenance,
+the girl looked breathlessly, spell-bound as if in the
+presence of a reproving angel; and, after some seconds had
+elapsed, she hurled the unopened letter across the room, and
+lifted her hands appealingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No,&mdash;no! I did not&mdash;I cannot&mdash;I will not act so basely!
+I must not soil fingers that should be pure enough to touch
+yours. I was sorely tempted, my beloved; but, thank God,
+your blessed blue eyes saved me. It is hard to endure nine
+hours of suspense, but harder still to bear the thought that I
+have stooped to a deed that would sink me one iota in your
+good opinion. I will root out the ignoble tendencies of my
+nature, and keep my heart and lips and hands stainless,&mdash;hold
+them high above the dishonorable things that you abhor, and
+live during your absence as if your clear eyes took cognizance
+of every detail. Yea,&mdash;search me as you will, dear deep-blue
+eyes,&mdash;I shall not shrink; for the rule of my future years
+shall be to scorn every word, thought, and deed that I would
+not freely bare to the scrutiny of the man whose respect I
+would sooner die than forfeit. Oh, my darling, it were easier
+for me to front the fiercest flames of Tophet than face your
+scorn! I can wait till Miss Jane sees fit to show me the letter,
+and, if it bring good news of your speedy coming, I shall
+have my reward; if not, why should I hasten to meet a bitter
+disappointment which may be lagging out of mercy to me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Picking up the letter as suspiciously as if it had been
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_94' name='page_94'></a>94</span>
+dropped by the Prince of Darkness on the crest of Quarantina,
+she stepped upon a table and inserted the corner of the envelope
+in the crevice between the canvas and the portrait-frame,
+repeating the while a favorite passage that she had
+first heard from Dr. Grey&#8217;s lips,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;&#8216;God meant me good too, when he hindered me<br />
+From saying &#8220;yes&#8221; this morning. I say no,&mdash;no!<br />
+I tie up &#8220;no&#8221; upon His altar-horns,<br />
+Quite out of reach of perjury!&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Young though she was, experience had taught her that the
+most effectual method of locking the wheels of time consisted
+in sitting idly down to watch and count their revolutions;
+consequently, she hastened upstairs and betook herself vigorously
+to the work of embroidering a <i>parterre</i> of flowers on the
+front breadth of an infant&#8217;s christening dress which her employer
+had promised should be completed before the following
+Sabbath.</p>
+<p>Stab the laggard seconds as she might with her busy needle,
+the day was drearily long; and few genuine cuckoo-carols have
+been listened to with such grateful rejoicing as greeted those
+metallic gutturals that once in every sixty minutes issued
+from the throat of the gaudy automaton caged in the gilt
+clock.</p>
+<p>True, nine hours are intrinsically nine hours under all circumstances,
+whether decapitation or coronation awaits their
+expiration; but to the doomed victim or the heir-apparent
+they appear relatively shorter or longer. At last Salome saw
+that the shadows on the grass were lengthening. Her head
+ached, her eyes burned from steady application to her trying
+work, and laying aside the cambric, she leaned against the
+window-facing and looked out over the lawn, where Time
+seemed to have fallen asleep in the mild autumn sunshine.</p>
+<p>How sweet and welcome was the distance-muffled sound of
+tinkling cow-bells, and the low bleating of homeward-strolling
+flocks, wending their way across the hills through which
+the road crawled like a dusty gray serpent.</p>
+<p>A noisy club of black-birds that had been holding an indignation
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_95' name='page_95'></a>95</span>
+meeting in the top of a walnut tree near the gate, adjourned
+to the sycamore grove that overshadowed the barn
+in the rear of the house; and Stanley&#8217;s pigeons, which had
+been cooing and strutting in the avenue, went to roost in the
+pretty painted pagoda Dr. Grey had erected for their comfort.
+Finally, the low-swung, heavy carriage, with its stout dappled
+horses, gladdened Salome&#8217;s strained eyes; and, soon after, she
+heard the thump of Miss Jane&#8217;s crutches and her cheerful
+voice, asking,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where are the children? Tell them I have come home.
+Bless me, the house is as dark as a dungeon! Rachel, have
+we neither lamps nor candles?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The orphan stole down the steps, climbed upon the table in
+the parlor, and, seizing the letter, hurried into the dining-room,
+where, quite exhausted by the fatigue of the day, the
+old lady lay on the sofa.</p>
+<p>She held out her hand and drew the girl&#8217;s face within
+reach of her lips, saying,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My child, I am afraid you have had rather a lonely day.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Decidedly the loneliest and longest I ever spent, and I believe
+I never was half so glad to see you come home as just
+now when the carriage stopped at the door.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Ah, what hypocrisy is sometimes innocently masked by the
+earnest utterance of the truth! And what marvels of industry
+are accomplished by self-love, which seeks more assiduously
+than bees for the honied drops of flattery that feed its
+existence!</p>
+<p>Miss Jane was pardonably proud that her presence was so
+essential to the happiness of the orphan whom she fondly
+loved, and gratification spread a pleasant smile over her worn
+features.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where is Stanley? The child ought not to be out so
+late.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He went down to the sheep-pen to count the lambs and
+look after one that broke its leg yesterday. Miss Jane, are
+you too much fatigued to read a letter which I found this
+morning in your box at the post-office?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it from Ulpian? I was wondering to-day why I did
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_96' name='page_96'></a>96</span>
+not hear from him. Dear me, what have I done with my
+spectacles? They are the torment of my life, for the instant
+I take them off my nose they seem to find wings. Give me
+the letter, and see whether I left my glasses on the bed where
+I put my bonnet.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome went into the next room and unsuccessfully searched
+the bed, bureau, table, and wardrobe; and in an agony of impatience,
+returned to the invalid.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You must have lost them before you came home; I can&#8217;t
+find them anywhere. Let me read the letter to you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; I must have my glasses. Perhaps I dropped them in
+the carriage. Send word to the driver to look for them. It
+was very careless in me to lose them, but I am growing so
+forgetful. Rachel, do hunt for my spectacles.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome ground her teeth to suppress a cry of vexation; and,
+to conceal her impatience, joined heartily in the search.</p>
+<p>Finally she found the glasses on the front steps, where they
+had fallen when their owner left the carriage; and, feeling
+that adverse fate could no longer keep her in suspense, she
+hurried into the house and adjusted them on Miss Jane&#8217;s
+eagle nose.</p>
+<p>Conscious that she was fast losing control over the nerves
+that were quivering from long-continued tension, Salome
+stepped to the open window and stood waiting. Would the
+old lady never finish the perusal? The minutes seemed hours,
+and the pulsing of the blood in the girl&#8217;s ears sounded like
+muttering thunder.</p>
+<p>Miss Jane sighed heavily,&mdash;cleared her throat, and sighed
+again.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is very sad, indeed! It is too bad,&mdash;too bad!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome turned around, and exclaimed, savagely,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why can&#8217;t you speak out? What is the matter? What
+has happened?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian&#8217;s friend is dead.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For shame! How can you be so heartless?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If the man could not recover I should think you would
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_97' name='page_97'></a>97</span>
+be glad that he is at rest, and that your brother can come
+home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But the worst of the matter is that Ulpian is not coming
+home. Mr. Manton wished him to act as guardian for his
+daughter, who is in Europe, and Ulpian will sail in the next
+steamer for England, to attend to some business connected
+with the estate. It is too provoking, isn&#8217;t it? He says it is
+impossible to tell when we shall see him again.&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was no answer, and, when Miss Jane wiped her eyes
+and looked around, she saw the girl tottering towards the door,
+groping her way like one blind.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome,&mdash;come here, child!&#8221;</p>
+<p>But the figure disappeared in the hall, and when the moonlight
+looked into the orphan&#8217;s chamber the soft rays showed
+a girlish form kneeling at the window, with a white face
+drenched by tears, and quivering lips that moaned in feeble,
+broken accents,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;God help me! I might have known it, for I had a presentiment
+of terrible trouble when he went away. How can I
+trust God and be patient, while the Atlantic raves and surges
+between me and my idol? After all, it was an angel of mercy
+whose tender white hands held back this bitter blow for nine
+hours. Gone to Europe, and not one word&mdash;not one line&mdash;to
+me! Oh, my darling! you are trampling under your feet the
+heart that loves you better than everything else in the universe,&mdash;better
+than life, and its hopes of heaven!&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_VIII' id='CHAPTER_VIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, where did you learn to sing? I was astonished
+this morning when I heard you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have not yet learned,&mdash;I have only begun to practise.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But, my child, I had no idea you owned such a voice.
+Where have you kept it concealed so long?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was not aware that I had it until a month ago, when it
+accidentally discovered itself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is very powerful.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_98' name='page_98'></a>98</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, and very rough; but care and study will smooth and
+polish it. Miss Jane, please keep your eye on Stanley until I
+come home; for, although I left him with his slate and arithmetic,
+it is by no means certain that they will not part company
+the moment I am out of sight.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where are you going?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To carry back some work which would have been returned
+yesterday had not the weather been so inclement.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In addition to the package of embroidered handkerchiefs,
+Salome carried under her arm a roll of music and an instruction-book;
+and, when she reached the outskirts of the town,
+turned away from the main street and stopped at the door of
+a small comfortless-looking house that stood without enclosure
+on the common.</p>
+<p>Two swart, black-eyed children were playing mumble-peg
+with a broken knife, in one corner of the room; a third, with
+tears still on its lashes, had just sobbed itself to sleep on a
+strip of faded carpet stretched before the smouldering embers
+on the hearth; while the fourth, a feeble infant only six
+months old, was wailing in the arms of its mother,&mdash;a thin,
+sickly woman, with consumption&#8217;s red autograph written on
+her hollow cheeks, where the skin clung to the bones as if
+resisting the chill grasp of death. As she slowly rocked herself,
+striving to hush the cry of the child, her dry, husky cough
+formed a melancholy chorus, which seemed to annoy a man
+who sat before the small table covered with materials for
+copying music. His cadaverous, sallow complexion, and keen,
+restless eyes, bespoke Italian origin; and, although engaged in
+filling some blank sheets with musical notes, he occasionally
+took up a violin that lay across his knees, and, after playing
+a few bars, laid aside the bow and resumed the pen. Now
+and then he glanced at his wife and child with a scowling
+brow; but, as his eyes fell on their emaciated faces, something
+like a sigh seemed to heave his chest.</p>
+<p>When Salome&#8217;s knock arrested his attention he rose and advanced
+to the half-open door, saying, impatiently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, miss, have you brought me any money?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good morning, Mr. Barilli. Here are the ten dollars that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_99' name='page_99'></a>99</span>
+I promised, but I wish you to understand that in future I shall
+not advance one cent of my tuition-money. When the month
+ends you will receive your wages, but not one day earlier.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I beg pardon, miss; but, indeed, you see&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He did not conclude the sentence, but waved his hand towards
+the two in the rocking-chair and proceeded to count
+the money placed in his palm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I see that you are very destitute, but charity begins
+at home, and I have to work hard for the wages that you have
+demanded before they are due. Good morning, madam; I
+hope you feel better to-day. Come, Mr. Barilli, I have no
+time to waste in loitering. Are you ready for my lesson?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Quite ready, miss. Commence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>For three-quarters of an hour he listened to her exercises,
+which he accompanied with his violin, and afterwards directed
+her to sing an air from a collection of songs on the table. As
+her deep, rich contralto notes swelled round and full, he shut
+his eyes and nodded his head as if in an ecstacy; and, when
+she concluded, he rapped his violin heavily with the bow, and
+exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Some day when you sing that at <i>Della Scala</i>, remember
+the poor devil who taught it to you in a hovel. Soaked as
+those old walls are with music from the most famous lips the
+world ever applauded, they hold no echoes sweeter than that
+last trill. After all, there is no passion&mdash;no pathos&mdash;comparable
+to a perfect contralto crescendo. It is wonderful how you
+Americans squander voices that would rouse all Europe into
+a <i>furore</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am afraid your eager desire for pupils biases your judgment,
+and invests my voice with fictitious worth,&#8221; answered
+Salome, eyeing him suspiciously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ha! you mean that I flatter, in order to keep you. Not
+so, miss. If St. Cecilia herself asked tuition without good
+pay, I should shut the door in her face; but, much as I need
+money, I would not risk my reputation by praising what was
+poor. If one of my children&mdash;that miserable little <ins title='Was period'>Beatrice,</ins>
+yonder&mdash;only had your voice, do you think I would copy
+music, or teach beginners, or live in this cursed hole? You
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_100' name='page_100'></a>100</span>
+have a fortune shut up in your throat, and some day, when
+you are celebrated, at least do me the justice to tell the world
+who first found the treasure; and, out of your wealth, spare
+me a decent tombstone in the Campo Santo of&mdash;of&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He laughed bitterly, and, seizing his violin, filled the room
+with mournful <i>miserere</i> strains.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long a course of training do you think will be necessary
+before the inequalities in my voice can be corrected and
+my vocalization perfected?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very young, miss, and it would not do to strain
+your voice, which is well-nigh perfect in itself; but, of course,
+your execution is defective,&mdash;just as a young nightingale cannot
+warble all its strains before it is full-feathered. If you
+study faithfully, in one year, or certainly one and a half, you
+will be ready for your engagement at Della Scala. Hist! see
+if you can follow me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He played a subtle, chromatic passage, ending in a trill, and
+the orphan echoed it with such accuracy and sweetness that
+the teacher threw down his bow, and, while tears stood in his
+glittering eyes, he put his brown hand on the girl&#8217;s head, and
+said, earnestly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;There ought to be feathers here instead of hair, for no
+nightingale, nestled in the olive groves of Italy, ever warbled
+more easily and naturally. Don&#8217;t go out to the world as Miss
+Owen,&mdash;make it call you <i>Rosignuolo</i>. Take the next page in
+the instruction-book for a new lesson, and practise the old
+scales over before you touch the new,&mdash;they are like steps
+in a ladder, and save jumps and jars. God made your voice
+wonderful, and, if you are only careful not to undo his work,
+it will develop itself every year in fresh power and depth.
+Ha! if my poor squeaking Beatrice only had it! But there
+is no more music stored in her throat and chest than in a
+regiment of rats. Good day, miss. Your lesson is ended, and
+I go to buy some wood for my miserable shiverers.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He seized his hat and walking-stick and quitted the house,
+leaving his pupil to gather up her music and conjecture,
+meanwhile, whether the wood-yard or a neighboring bar-room
+was his real destination.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_101' name='page_101'></a>101</span></div>
+<p>His dissipated habits had greatly impaired her faith in the
+accuracy of his critical acumen touching professional matters,
+and, as she rolled up the sheet of paper in her hands, Salome
+approached the feeble occupant of the rocking-chair, and said,
+rather abruptly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Madam Barilli, you ought to know when your husband
+speaks earnestly and when he is merely indulging in idle flattery,
+and I wish to learn his real opinion of my voice. Will
+you tell me the truth?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, miss, I will. I am no musician, and never was in
+Europe, where he studied; but he talks constantly of your
+voice, and tells me there is a fortune in it. Only last night
+he swore that if he could control it, he would not take a hundred
+thousand dollars for the right; and then, poor fellow, he
+fell into one of his fierce ways and boxed my little Beatrice&#8217;s
+ears, because, he said, all the teachers in the <i>Conservatoire</i>
+could not put into her throat the trill that you were born with.
+Ah, no, he flatters no one now! He has forgotten how, since
+the day that I was coaxed to run away from my father&#8217;s elegant
+home and marry the tenor singer of an opera troupe and
+the professor who taught me the gamut at boarding-school.
+Miss, you may believe him, for Sebastian Barilli means what
+he says.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;One hundred thousand dollars! I promise him and you
+that if one-half of that amount can be &#8216;trilled&#8217; into my pocket
+you shall both be comfortable during the remainder of your
+days.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mine are numbered, and will end before your career begins;
+and, when you sing in Della Scala, I trust I shall be
+singing up yonder behind the stars, where cold and hunger
+and heart-ache and cruel words cannot follow me. But, miss,
+when I am gone, and Sebastian is over at the corner trying
+to drown his troubles, and my four helpless little ones are
+left here unprotected, for God&#8217;s sake look in upon them now
+and then, and don&#8217;t let them cry for bread. My own family
+long ago cast me off, and here I am a stranger; but you, who
+have felt the pangs of orphanage, will not stand by and see
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_102' name='page_102'></a>102</span>
+my darlings starve! Oh, miss, the poor who cannot pity the
+poor must be hard-hearted indeed!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The suffering woman pressed her moaning babe closer to
+her bosom, and, taking Salome&#8217;s hand between her thin, hot
+fingers, bowed her tear-stained face upon it.</p>
+<p>Grim recollections of similar scenes enacted in the old house
+behind the mill crowded upon the mind of the miller&#8217;s daughter,
+hardening instead of melting her heart; but, withdrawing
+her fingers, she said in as kind a tone as she could command,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The poor are sometimes too poor to aid each other, and
+pity is most unpalatable fare; but, if your husband has not
+grossly deceived himself and me with reference to my voice,
+I will promise that your children shall not suffer while I live.
+For their sake do not despond, but try to keep up your
+spirits, else your husband will be utterly ruined. Gloomy
+hearthstones make club-rooms and bar-rooms populous.
+Good-by. When I come again, I will bring something to
+stimulate your appetite, which seems to require coaxing.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She stooped and looked for a minute at the gaunt, white
+face of the half-famished infant pressed against the mother&#8217;s
+feverish breast, and an irresistible impulse impelled her to
+stroke back the rings of black hair that clustered on its sunken
+temples; then, snatching her music and bundle, she hurried
+out of the close, untidy room, and, once more upon the grassy
+common, drew a long, deep breath of pure fresh air.</p>
+<p>Autumn, with orange dawns, and mellow, misty moons,
+when</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Sweet, calm days, in golden haze<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Melt down the amber sky,&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>had died on bare brown stubble-fields and vine-veined hill-sides,
+purple with clustering grapes on leafless branches; and
+wintry days had come, with sleety morns and chill, crisp
+noons, and scarlet sunset banners flouting the silver stars in
+western skies, where the shivering, gasping old year had
+woven,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;One strait gown of red<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Against the cold.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_103' name='page_103'></a>103</span></div>
+<p>None of the earlier years of Salome&#8217;s life seemed to her half
+so drearily long as the four monotonous months that followed
+Dr. Grey&#8217;s departure; and, during the intervals between his
+brief letters to his sister, the orphan learned a deceptive
+quietude of manner, at variance with the <ins title='Was tumultous'>tumultuous</ins> feelings
+that agitated her heart; for painful suspense which is borne
+with clenched hands and firmly-set teeth is not the more
+patient because sternly mute.</p>
+<p>Which suffered least, Philoctetes howling on the shores of
+Lemnos, or the silent Trojan priest, writhing in a death-struggle
+with the serpent folds that crushed him before the
+altar of Neptune?</p>
+<p>If any messages intended for Salome found their way across
+the ocean, they finally missed their destination, and reached
+the dead-letter office of Miss Jane&#8217;s vast and inviolate pocket;
+and, while this apparent neglect piqued the girl&#8217;s vanity, the
+blessed assurance that the absent master was alive and well
+proved a sovereign balm for all the bleeding wounds of <i>amour
+propre</i>.</p>
+<p>In order to defray the expense of her musical tuition,
+which was carried on in profound secrecy, it was necessary
+to redouble her exertions; and all the latent energy of her
+character developed itself in unflagging work, which she persistently
+prosecuted early and late, and in quiet defiance of
+Miss Jane&#8217;s expostulations and predictions that she would
+permanently impair her sight.</p>
+<p>Paramount to the desire of amassing wealth that would
+enable her to provide for Jessie and Stanley rose the hope
+that the cultivation of her voice would invest her with talismanic
+influence over the man who was singularly susceptible
+of the magic of music; and, jealously guarding the new-found
+gift, she spared no toil to render it perfect.</p>
+<p>Fearful that her suddenly acquired fondness for singing
+might arouse suspicion and inquiry, she rarely practised at
+home unless Miss Jane were absent; and, having procured a
+tuning-fork, she retreated to the most secluded portion of the
+adjoining forest and rehearsed her lessons to a mute audience
+of grazing cattle, sombre pines, nodding plumes of golden-rod,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_104' name='page_104'></a>104</span>
+and shivering white asters, belated and overtaken by
+wintry blasts. Alone with nature, she warbled as unrestrainedly
+as the birds who listened to her quavering crescendos;
+and more than once she had become so absorbed in this forest
+practising, that twinkling stars peeped down at her through
+the fringy canopy of murmuring firs.</p>
+<p>In fulfilment of a promise given to Stanley, with the hope
+of stimulating him to more earnest study, Salome one day
+took a piece of sewing and her music-book, and set off with
+her brother for the sea-shore, where he was sometimes allowed
+to amuse himself by catching crabs and shrimps. The route
+they were compelled to take was very circuitous, since strangers
+were now forbidden to stroll through the grounds attached
+to &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; which was the nearest point where land
+and ocean met. Following a cattle-path that threaded the
+bare brown hills and wound through low marsh meadows,
+Salome at length climbed a cliff that overhung the narrow
+strip of beach running along the base of the promontory, and,
+while Stanley prepared his net, she applied herself vigorously
+to the completion of a cluster of lilies of the valley which
+she had begun to embroider the preceding night.</p>
+<p>It was a mild, sunny afternoon, late in December, with only
+a few flakes of white curd-like cirri drifting slowly before
+the stiffening south wind that came singing a song of the
+tropics over the gently heaving waste of waters&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Where the green buds of waves burst into white froth flowers.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Two glimmering sails stood like phantoms on the horizon;
+and a silent colony of snowy gulls, perched in conclave on a
+bit of weed-wreathed drift floating landward, were the only
+living things in sight, save the childish figure on the yellow
+beach under the bleaching rocks, and the girlish one seated on
+the tallest cliff, where a storm-scarred juniper, bending inland,
+waved its scanty fringe in the fresh salt breeze.</p>
+<p>No note of human strife entered here, nor hum of noisy
+business marts; and the solemn silence, so profound and holy,
+was broken only by the soft, mysterious murmur of the immemorial
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_105' name='page_105'></a>105</span>
+ocean, as its crystal fingers smote the harp of rosy
+shells and golden sands.</p>
+<p>Clasped in the crescent that curved a mile northward lay the
+house, and grove, and grounds of &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; looking sombre
+in the distance, as the shadow of surrounding hills fell upon
+the dense foliage that overhung its quiet precincts, and toned
+down the garish red of the boat-house roof, which lent a brief
+dash of color to the peaceful picture. Beyond the last guarding
+promontory that seemed to have plunged through the
+shelving strand to bathe in blue brine and cut off all passage
+along its base, a strong well-trained eye might follow the trend
+of the coast even to the dim outlines and thread-like masts,
+that told where the distant town hugged its narrow harbor;
+and, in the opposite direction, low, irregular sand hills and
+brown marshes crept southward, as if hunting the warmth
+that alone could mantle them with living verdure.</p>
+<p>As the afternoon wore away, the sinking sun dipped suddenly
+behind a wooded eminence, which, losing the warm
+purples it had worn since noon, grew chill and blue as his rays
+departed; and, weary of her work, Salome put it aside and
+began to practise her music lesson, beating time with her
+slender fingers on the bare juniper-roots, from which wind
+and rain had driven the soil. Running her chromatic scales,
+and pausing at will to trill upon any minor note that wooed
+her vagrant fancy, she played with her flexible voice as dexterous
+violinists toy with the obedient strings they hold in
+harmonious bondage to their bows.</p>
+<p>Finally she pushed the exercises away, and began a <i>fantasus</i>
+from &#8220;Traviata,&#8221; which she had heard Mr. Barilli play
+several times; and so absorbed was she in testing her capacity
+for vocal gymnastics that she failed to observe the moving
+figure dwarfed by distance and pacing the sands in front of
+&#8220;Solitude.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The rich, fresh tones which seemed occasionally to tremble
+with the excess of melody that burdened them played hide-and-seek
+among the hills, startling whole choruses of deep-throated
+echoes, and attending and retentive ocean, catching
+the strains on her beryl strings, bore them whither&mdash;and how
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_106' name='page_106'></a>106</span>
+far? To palm-plumed equatorial isles, where dying auricular
+nerves mistook them for seraphic utterances? To toiling mariners,
+tossed helplessly by fierce typhoons, who, pausing in
+their scramble for spars, listened to the weird melody that
+presaged woe and wreck? To the broken casements of fishermen&#8217;s
+huts, on distant shores, where anxious wives peered out
+in the blackening tempest, and shrank back appalled by
+sounds which sea-tradition averred were born in coral caves,
+mosaiced with blanching human skulls? What hoary hierophant
+in the mysteries of cataphonics and diacoustics will
+undertake to track those trills across the blue bosom of the
+Atlantic or the purplish billows of the Indian Ocean?</p>
+<p>The wind went down with the sun; silver-edged cirri lost
+their glitter, and swift was</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;The spread</p>
+<p class='cg'>Of orange lustre through these azure spheres<br />
+Where little clouds lie still like flocks of sheep,<br />
+Or vessels sailing in God&#8217;s other deep.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>In that wondrous and magical after-glow which tenderly
+hovers over the darkening face of the dying day, like the
+strange, spectral smile that only sheds its cold, supernatural
+light on lips twelve hours dead, Salome&#8217;s fair face and graceful
+<i>pose</i> was as softly defined against the western sky as some
+nimbussed saint or madonna on the golden background of old
+Byzantine pictures. Her small straw hat, wreathed with
+scarlet poppies, lay at her feet; and around her shoulders she
+had closely folded a bright plaid flannel cloak, which tinted
+her complexion with its ruddy hues, as firelight flushes the
+olive portraits that stare at it from surrounding walls, and the
+braided black hair and large hazel eyes showed every brown
+tint and topaz gleam.</p>
+<p>Leaning her arms on the top of her music-book, she rested
+her chin upon them, and sat looking seaward, singing a difficult
+passage, in the midst of which her nimble voice tripped
+on an E flat, and, missing the staccato step, rolled helplessly
+down in a legato flood of melody; whereupon, with an impatient
+grimace she shut her eyes, weary of watching the wave-shimmer
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_107' name='page_107'></a>107</span>
+that almost dazzled her. After a few seconds, when
+she opened them, there stood just on the edge of the cliff, as
+if poised in air, a woman whose face and form were as sharply
+cut in profile on the azure sea and sky as white cameo features
+on black agate grounds.</p>
+<p>Around the tall figure shining folds of silver poplin hung
+heavy and statuesque, and over the shoulders a blue crape
+shawl was held by a beautiful blue-veined hand, where a sapphire
+asp kept guard; while a cluster of double violets fastened
+behind one shell-like ear breathed their perfume among
+glossy bands of gray hair.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;There was no color in the quiet mouth,<br />
+Nor fulness; yet it had a ghostly grace,<br />
+Pathetically pale,&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>and wan, and woful&mdash;the still face turned seaward, fronting a
+round white moon that was lifting its full disk out of the line
+where air and water met&mdash;she stood motionless.</p>
+<p>Lifting her head, Salome shivered involuntarily, and grew
+a shade paler as she breathlessly watched the apparition, expecting
+that it would fade into blue air or float down and
+mingle with the waters that gave it birth. But there was no
+wavering mistiness about the shining drapery; and, presently,
+when she turned and came forward, the orphan, despite her
+sneers at superstition, felt the hair creep and rise on her
+temples, and, springing to her feet, they faced each other.
+As the stranger advanced, Salome unconsciously retreated a
+few steps, and exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Gray-eyed, gray-haired, gray-clad, gray-faced, and rising
+out of that gray sea, I suppose I have at last met the gray
+ghost that people tell me haunts old &#8216;Solitude.&#8217; But how
+came such a young face under that drift of white hair? If
+all ghosts have such finely carved, delicate noses and chins,
+such oval cheeks and pretty brows, most of us here in the
+flesh might thank fortune for a chance to &#8216;shuffle off this
+mortal coil.&#8217; Say, are you the troubled evil spirit that haunts
+&#8216;Solitude&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_108' name='page_108'></a>108</span></div>
+<p>The voice was so mournfully sweet that it thrilled every
+nerve in Salome&#8217;s quivering frame.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Phantom or flesh&mdash;which are you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, the owner of &#8216;Solitude.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, indeed! I beg your pardon, madam, but I took you
+for a wraith! You know the place has always been considered
+unlucky&mdash;haunted&mdash;and you are such an extraordinary-looking
+person I was inclined to think I had stumbled
+on the traditional ghost. I am neither ignorant nor stupidly
+superstitious; but, madam, you must admit you have an unearthly
+appearance; and, moreover, I should be glad to know
+how you rose from the beach below to the top of this cliff?
+I see no feathers on your shoulders&mdash;no balloon under your
+feet!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was walking on the sands in front of my door, and,
+hearing some very sweet strains that came floating down from
+this direction, I followed the sound, and climbed by means
+of steps cut in the side of this cliff. Since you regarded me
+as a spectre, I may as well tell you that I was beginning to
+fancy I was listening to one of the old sea-sirens, until I saw
+your rosy face and red lips, far too human for a dripping mermaid
+or a murderous, mocking Aglaiopheme.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No more a siren, madam, than you are a ghost! I am
+only Salome Owen, the miller&#8217;s child, waiting for that boy
+yonder, whose sublimest idea of heaven consists in the hope
+that its blessed sea of glass is brimming with golden shrimp.
+Stanley, run around the cliff, and meet me. It is too late
+for us to be here. We should have started home an hour ago.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Who taught you &#8216;Traviata&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am teaching myself, with what small help I can obtain
+from a vagabond musician, who calls himself Signor Barilli,
+and claims to have been a tenor singer in an opera troupe at
+Milan.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You ought to cultivate your voice as thoroughly as possible.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why? Is it really good? Tell me, is it worth anything?
+No one has heard it except that Italian violinist; and, if he
+praises it, I sometimes fear it is because he is so horribly dissipated
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_109' name='page_109'></a>109</span>
+that he confounds my <i>bravura</i> runs with the clicking
+of his wine-glasses and the gurgling of his flask. Do you
+know much about music?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have heard the best living performers, vocal and instrumental,
+and to a finer voice than yours I never listened; but
+you need study and practice, for your execution is faulty.
+You have a splendid instrument; but you do not yet understand
+its management. Where do you live?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;At &#8216;Grassmere,&#8217; a farm two miles behind those hills, and
+in a house hidden under elm and apple trees. Madam, it is
+very late, and I must bid you good-evening. Before I go, I
+should like to know, if you will not deem me unwarrantably
+impertinent, whether you are a very young person with white
+hair, or whether you are a very old woman with a wonderfully
+young face?&#8221;</p>
+<p>For a moment there was no answer; and, supposing that she
+had offended her, the orphan bowed and was turning away,
+when Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s calm, mournful tones arrested her:</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am only twenty-three years old.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She walked away, turning her countenance towards the
+water, where moonlight was burnishing the waves; and, when
+Salome and Stanley had reached the bend in their path that
+would shut out the view of the beach, the former looked back
+and saw the silver-gray figure standing alone on the silent
+shore, communing with the silver sea, as desolate and as hopeless
+as Buchanan&#8217;s &#8220;Penelope,&#8221;&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;An alabaster woman, whose fixed eyes<br />
+Stare seaward, whether it be storm or calm.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_IX' id='CHAPTER_IX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor Sheldon, do you think she is dangerously ill?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am afraid, Salome, that she will soon become so; for
+she is threatened with a violent attack of pneumonia, which
+would certainly be very dangerous to a woman of her age. It
+is a great misfortune that her brother is absent.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_110' name='page_110'></a>110</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey reached New York three days ago.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Indeed! I will telegraph immediately, and hasten his
+return.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Sheldon was preparing a blister in the room adjoining
+the one occupied by Miss Jane, and the orphan stood by his
+side, twisting her fingers nervously over each other, and looking
+perplexed and anxious. He returned to his patient, and
+when he came out some moments later, and took up his hat,
+his countenance was by no means reassuring.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Although I know that you are very much attached to
+Miss Jane, and would faithfully endeavor to nurse her, you
+are so young and inexperienced that I do not feel quite willing
+to leave her entirely to your guardianship; and, therefore,
+shall send a woman here to-night who will fully understand
+the case. She is a professional nurse, and Dr. Grey will be
+relieved to hear that his sister is in her hands, for he has
+great confidence in her good sense and discretion. I shall
+stop at the telegraph office, as I go home, and urge him to
+return at once. Give me his address. Do not look so dejected.
+Miss Grey has a better constitution than most persons
+are disposed to believe, and she may struggle through this
+attack.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The new year was ushered in by heavy and incessant rains,
+and, having imprudently insisted upon superintending the
+drainage of a new sheepfold and the erection of an additional
+cattle-shed, Miss Jane had taken a severe cold, which resulted
+in pneumonia.</p>
+<p>Assiduously and tenderly Salome watched over her, and
+even after the arrival of Hester Dennison, the nurse, the orphan&#8217;s
+solicitude would not permit her to quit the apartment
+where her benefactress lay struggling with disease; while
+Miss Jane shrank from the stranger, and preferred to receive
+the medicine from the hand of her adopted child.</p>
+<p>When Dr. Sheldon stood by the bed early next morning, and
+noted the effect of his treatment, Salome&#8217;s keen eye observed
+the dissatisfied expression of his face, and she drew sad auguries
+from his clouded brow. He took a paper from his pocket,
+and said, cheerfully,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_111' name='page_111'></a>111</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Come, Miss Jane, get up a smile to pay me for the good
+news I bring. Can you guess what this means?&#8221; holding an
+envelope close to her eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;More blisters and fever mixtures, I suppose. Doctor, my
+poor side is in a dreadful condition.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As she laid her hand over her left lung, she winced and
+groaned.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How much would you give to have your brother&#8217;s hand,
+instead of mine, on your pulse?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;All that I am worth! But my boy is in Europe, and can&#8217;t
+come back to me now, when I need him most.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, he is in New York. You have been dreaming, and
+forget that he has reached America.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, I never knew it. Salome, is there a letter?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No letter, but a dispatch announcing his arrival. I told
+you; but you must have fallen asleep while I was talking to
+you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No such thing! I have not slept a wink for a week.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That is right, Miss Jane; scold as much as you like; it
+will do you no harm. But, meantime, let me tell you I have
+just heard from Dr. Grey, and he is now on his way home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome was sitting near the pillow, and suddenly her head
+bowed itself, while her lips whispered, inaudibly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The invalid&#8217;s face brightened, and, stretching her thin, hot
+hand towards the orphan, she touched her shoulder, and
+said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you hear that, my child? Ulpian is coming home.
+When will he be here?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Day after to-morrow evening, I hope, if there is no
+detention and he makes all the railroad connections. I trust
+you will prove sufficiently generous to bear testimony to my
+professional skill, by improving so rapidly that when he
+arrives there will be nothing left to do but compliment my
+sagacity, and thank me for relieving you so speedily. Is not
+your cough rather better?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not reply; and, bending down, he saw that she was
+asleep.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_112' name='page_112'></a>112</span></div>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;Doctor</ins>, I am afraid she is not much better.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He sighed, shook his head, and beckoned Hester into the
+hall in order to question her more minutely concerning the
+patient.</p>
+<p>That night and the next she was delirious, and failed to
+recognize any one; but about noon on the following day she
+opened her eyes, and, looking intently at Salome, who stood
+near the foot of the bed, she said, as if much perplexed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I saw Ulpian just now. Where is he?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He will be here this afternoon, I hope. The train is due
+at two o&#8217;clock, and it is now a quarter past twelve.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I tell you I saw him not ten minutes since.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are feverish, dear Miss Jane, and have been dreaming.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t contradict me! Am I in my dotage, think you? I
+saw my boy, and he was pale, and had blood on his hands,
+and it ran down his beard and dripped on his vest. You can&#8217;t
+deceive me! What is the matter with my poor boy? I will
+see him! Give me my crutches this instant!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She struggled into a partially upright position, but fell back
+upon her pillow exhausted and panting for breath.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You were delirious. I give you my word that he has not
+yet come home. It was only a horrible dream. Hester will
+assure you of the truth of what I say. You must lie still, for
+this excitement will injure you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The nurse gave her a powerful sedative, and strove to divert
+her thoughts; but ever and anon she shuddered and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It was not a dream. I saw my dear sailor-boy, and he
+was hurt and bleeding. I know what I saw; and if you and
+Hester swore till every star dropped out of heaven, I would
+not believe you. If I am old and dying, my eyes are better
+than yours. My poor Ulpian!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Despite her knowledge of the feverish condition of the sick
+woman, and her incredulity with reference to the vision that
+so painfully disturbed her, Salome&#8217;s lips blanched, and a
+vague, nameless, horrible dread seized her heart.</p>
+<p>Very soon Miss Jane fell into a heavy sleep, and, while the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_113' name='page_113'></a>113</span>
+nurse busied herself in preparing a bottle of beef-tea, the
+orphan sat with her head pressed against the bedpost, and
+her eyes riveted on the face of the watch in her palm, where
+the minute-hand seemed now and then to stop, as if for
+breathing-time, and the hour-hand to have forgotten the way
+to two o&#8217;clock.</p>
+<p>For nearly six months Salome had counted the weeks and
+days,&mdash;had waited and hoped for the hour of Dr. Grey&#8217;s return
+as the happiest of her life,&mdash;had imagined his greeting,
+the bright, steady glow in his fine eyes, the warm, cordial
+pressure of his white hand, the friendly tones of his pleasant
+voice; for, though he had failed to bid her good-by, fate could
+not cheat her out of the interview that must follow his arrival.
+Fancy had painted so vividly all the incidents that would
+characterize this longed-for greeting, that she had lived it over
+a thousand times; and, now that the meeting seemed actually
+at hand, she asked herself whether it were possible that disappointment
+could pour one poisonous drop into the brimming
+draught of joy that rose foaming in amber bubbles to her
+parched lips.</p>
+<p>In the profound silence that pervaded the darkened room,
+the ticking of the watch was annoyingly audible, and seemed
+to Salome&#8217;s strained and excited nerves so unusually loud that
+she feared it might disturb the sleeper. At a quarter to two
+o&#8217;clock she went to the hearth and noiselessly renewed the fire,
+laying two fresh pieces of oak across the shining brass andirons,
+whose feet represented lions&#8217; heads.</p>
+<p>She swept the hearth, arranged some vials that were scattered
+on the dressing-table, and gave a few improving touches
+to a vase filled with white and orange crocuses, then crept back
+to the bedside and again picked up the watch. It still lacked
+fifteen minutes of two, and, looking more closely, she found
+that it had stopped. Tossing it into a hollow formed by the
+folds of the coverlid, and repressing an impatient ejaculation,
+she listened for the sound of the railroad whistle, which,
+though muffled by distance, had not failed to reach her every
+day during the past week.</p>
+<p>Presently the silence, which made her ears ache, throbbed
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_114' name='page_114'></a>114</span>
+so suddenly that she started, but it was only the &#8220;cuckoo!
+cuckoo!&#8221; of the painted bird on the gilded clock. That
+clock was fifteen minutes slower than Miss Jane&#8217;s watch; and
+Salome put her face in her hands, and tried to still the loud
+thumping sound of the blood at her heart.</p>
+<p>The train was behind time. Only a few moments as yet,
+but something must have happened to occasion even this
+slight delay; and, if something,&mdash;what?</p>
+<p>Hester came in and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dinner is ready, and Stanley is hungry. Has Miss Jane
+stirred since I went out?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; what time is it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Half after two.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, nonsense! You are too fast.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not a minute,&mdash;begging your pardon. My brother stays
+at the dépot, and keeps my watch with the railroad time.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome went to the dining-room, gave Stanley his dinner,
+and, anxious to escape observation, shut herself in the dim,
+cold parlor, where she paced the floor until the cuckoo jumped
+out, chirped three times, and, as if frightened by the girl&#8217;s
+fixed eyes, fluttered back inside the clock. More than an hour
+behind time! Now, beyond all hope or doubt, there had been
+an accident! Loss of sleep for several consecutive nights,
+and protracted anxiety concerning Miss Jane, had so unnerved
+the orphan that she was less able to cope successfully with
+this harrowing suspense than on former occasions; still the
+sanguine hopefulness of youth battled valiantly with the
+ghouls that apprehension conjured up, and she remembered
+that comparatively trivial occurrences had sometimes detained
+the train, which finally brought all its human freight safely
+to the dépot.</p>
+<p>The day had been very cold and gloomy; and thick, low
+masses of smoke-colored cloud scudded across the chill sky,
+whipped along their skirts by a stinging north-east blast into
+dun, ragged, trailing banners. Despite the keenness of the
+air, Salome opened one of the parlor windows and leaned her
+face on the broad sill, where a drizzling rain began to show itself.
+She had read and heard just enough with reference
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_115' name='page_115'></a>115</span>
+to the phenomena of <i>clairvoyance</i> to sneer at them in happy
+hours, and to recur helplessly to the same subject with a species
+of silent dread when misfortune seemed imminent. To-day,
+as Miss Jane&#8217;s delirious utterances haunted every nook and
+cranny of her excited brain, permeating all topics of thought,
+<ins title='Was se'>she</ins> recalled many instances, on legendary record, where the
+dying were endowed with talismanic power over the secrets
+of futurity. Could it be possible that Miss Jane had really
+seen what was taking place many miles distant? Reason
+shook her hoary head, and jeered at such childish fatuity;
+but superstitious credulity, goaded by an intense anxiety,
+would not be silenced nor put to the blush, but boldly babbled
+of Swedenborg and burning Stockholm.</p>
+<p>Once she had heard Dr. Grey tell his sister, in answer to
+some inquiry concerning the <i>arcana</i> of mesmerism, that he
+had bestowed much time and thought upon the investigation
+of the subject, and was thoroughly convinced that there existed
+subtle psychological laws whose operations were not yet comprehended,
+but which, when analyzed and studied, would explain
+the remarkable influence of mind over mind, and prove
+that the dread and baffling mysteries of psychology were
+merely normal developments of intellectual power instead of
+supernatural or spiritual manifestations.</p>
+<p>This abstract view of the matter was, however, most unsatisfactory
+at the present juncture; and the current of Salome&#8217;s
+reflections was abruptly changed by the sound of the locomotive
+whistle,&mdash;not the prolonged, steady roar, announcing
+arrival, but the sharp, short, shrill note of departure. Soon
+after, the clock struck four, and, ere the echoes fell asleep
+once more in the sombre corners of the quiet parlor, Dr. Sheldon
+drove up to the front door and entered the house.
+Springing into the hall, Salome met him, and laid her hand
+on his arm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, your face frightens me. How is Miss Jane?
+Has she grown worse so rapidly since I was here this morning?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I see little change in her. But you have locked bad
+news behind your set teeth. Oh, for God&#8217;s sake, don&#8217;t torture
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_116' name='page_116'></a>116</span>
+me one second longer! Tell me the worst. What has happened?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The down-train was thrown from an embankment twenty
+feet high, and the cars took fire. Many lives have been sacrificed,
+and it is the most awful affair I ever heard of.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He had partially averted his head to avoid the sight of her
+whitening and convulsed features; but, laying her hands heavily
+upon his shoulders, she forced him to face her, and her
+voice sank to a husky whisper,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is he dead?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope not.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Speak out,&mdash;or I shall go mad! Is he dead?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Calm yourself, Salome, and let us hope for the best. We
+know nothing of the particulars of this dreadful disaster, and
+have learned the names of none of the sufferers. I have little
+doubt that Dr. Grey was on the train, but there is no certainty
+that he was injured. The regular up-train could not leave
+as usual, because the track was badly torn up; but a locomotive
+and three cars ran out a while ago with several surgeons and
+articles required for the victims. Pray sit down, my poor
+child, for you are unable to stand.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where did it happen?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Near Silver Run water-tank,&mdash;about forty miles from
+here. The accident occurred at twelve o&#8217;clock.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome&#8217;s grasp suddenly relaxed, and, tossing her hands
+above her head, she laughed hysterically,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ha, ha! Thank God, he is not dead! He is only hurt,&mdash;only
+bleeding. Miss Jane saw it all, and he is not dead, or
+she would have known it. Thank God!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Sheldon was a stern man and renowned for his iron
+nerves, but he shuddered as he looked at the pinched, wan face,
+and heard the unnatural, hollow sound of her unsteady voice.
+Had care, watching, and suspense unpoised her reason?</p>
+<p>Something of that which passed through his mind looked
+out of his eyes, and interpreting their amazed expression, the
+girl waved her hand towards the door, and added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am not insane. Go in, and Hester will explain.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He turned away, and she went back to the dusky room and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_117' name='page_117'></a>117</span>
+threw herself down on the sofa, opposite to the portrait of
+the U.S. surgeon.</p>
+<p>Of what passed during the following two hours, she retained,
+in after years, only a dim, confused, painful memory of
+prayers and promises made to God in behalf of the absent.</p>
+<p>Once before, when Miss Jane&#8217;s death seemed imminent, she
+had been grieved and perplexed by the possibility that Dr.
+Grey would inherit the estate and usurp her domains; but
+to-day, when the Great Reaper hovered over the panting,
+emaciated sufferer, and simultaneously threatened the distant
+brother and sole heir of the extended possessions which this
+girl had so long coveted, the only thought that filled her
+heart with dread and wrung half-smothered cries from her
+lips was,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Spare his life, oh, my God! Leave me penniless&mdash;take
+friends, relatives, comforts, hopes of wealth&mdash;take all&mdash;take
+everything, but spare that precious life and bring him safely
+back to me! Have mercy on me, O Lord, and do not snatch
+him away! for, if I lose him now, I lose faith in Christ&mdash;in
+Thee&mdash;I lose all hope in time and eternity, and my sinful,
+wrecked soul will go down forever in a night that knows no
+dawning!&#8221;</p>
+<p>For six months she had been indeed,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;A faded watcher through the weary night&mdash;<br />
+A meek, sweet statue at the silver shrines,<br />
+In deep, perpetual prayer for him she loved;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>but patience, dragging anchor, finally snapped its cable, and
+now, instead of an humble suppliant for the boon that alone
+made existence endurable, she fiercely demanded that her idol
+should not be broken, and, battling with Jehovah, impiously
+thrust her life down before Him as an accursed and intolerable
+burden, unless her prayers were granted. Ah, what
+scorpions and stones we gather to our boards, and then dare
+charge the stinging mockeries against a long-suffering, loving
+God! Ten days before, Salome had meekly prayed, &#8220;Thy will
+be done,&#8221; and had comforted herself with the belief that at last
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_118' name='page_118'></a>118</span>
+she was beginning to grow pious and trusting, like Miss Jane;
+but, at the first hint of harm to Dr. Grey, she sprang up,
+utterly oblivious of the protestations of resignation that were
+scarcely cold on her lips, and furious as a tigress who sees the
+hunter approach the jungle where all her fierce affections
+centre. God help as all who pray orthodoxly for His will, and
+yet, when the emergency arrives, fight desperately for our own,
+feeling wofully aggrieved that He takes us at our word, and
+moulds the clay which we make a Pharisaical pretense of
+offering!</p>
+<p>A slow drizzling rain whitened the distant hills, that seemed
+to blanch in their helplessness as the wind smote them like a
+flail; and it wove a grayish veil over the leafless boughs of
+bending, shivering elms, on the long, dim avenue. The
+wintry afternoon closed swiftly, and, in its dusky dreariness,
+Salome listened to the tattoo of the rain on the roof, and to the
+<i>miserere</i> that wailed through the lonely chambers of her soul.
+The chill at her heart froze her to numbness and oblivion of
+the coldness of the atmosphere, and, when a servant came in
+to close the window against the slanting sleet, she lay so still
+that the woman thought her asleep, and stole away on tip-toe.
+The room grew dark; but, through the half-opened door, the
+light from the hall lamp crept in and fell on the gilded frame
+and painted face of the portrait, tracing a silvery path along
+the gloomy wall. As the night deepened, that wave of light
+rippled and glittered until the handsome features in the picture
+seemed to belong to some hierarch who peeped from a
+window of heaven, into a world drenched with unlifting
+darkness.</p>
+<p>That oval piece of canvas had become the one fetich to
+which Salome&#8217;s heart clung in silent adoration, defiant of the
+iconoclastic touch of reason and the adverse decree of womanly
+pride; for natures such as hers will always grovel in the dust,
+hugging the mutilated fragments of their idol, rather than
+bow at some new, fretted shrine, where other images hold
+sway, commanding worship. Looking up almost wolfishly at
+that tranquil, shining countenance, she said to her sullen,
+mourning heart,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_119' name='page_119'></a>119</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;There are no more like him, and, if we lose him, there is
+nothing left in life, and all hope is at an end, and <i>finis</i> shall
+be printed on the first page of the book of our existence; and
+ruin, like a pitiless pall, shall cover what might have been a
+happy, possibly a grand and good, human career. We did
+not intend to love him,&mdash;no, no; we tried hard to hate him
+who stood between us and affluence and indolent ease, but he
+conquered us by his matchless magnanimity, and shamed our
+ignoble aims and base selfishness, and put us under his royal
+feet; and now we would rather be trampled by Ulpian, our
+king, than crowned by any other man. Let us plead with
+Christ to spare the only pilot who can save us from eternal
+shipwreck.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Lying there so helpless yet defiant in her desolation, some
+subtle thread of association, guided, perhaps, by the invisible
+fingers of her guardian angel, led her mind to a favorite couplet
+often quoted by Dr. Grey,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;I heard faith&#8217;s low, sweet singing, in the night,<br />
+And, groping through the darkness, touched God&#8217;s hand.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>If the painted lips in the aureola on the wall had parted
+and audibly uttered these words, they would scarcely have
+impressed her more powerfully as a message from the absent;
+and, rising instantly, the orphan prayed in chastened, humbled
+tones for strength to be patient, for ability to trust God&#8217;s wisdom
+and mercy.</p>
+<p>How often, when binding our idolized Isaacs upon the altar,
+and, meekly submissive to what appears God&#8217;s inexorable mandates,
+we unmurmuringly offer our heart&#8217;s dearest treasure,
+the sacrificial knife is stayed, and our loathed and horrible
+Moriahs, that erst smelt of blood and echoed woe, become hallowed
+Jehovah-jirehs, all aglow, not with devouring flames,
+but the blessed radiance of God&#8217;s benignant smile, and musical
+with thanksgiving strains. But Abraham&#8217;s burden preceded
+Abraham&#8217;s boon, and the souls who cannot patiently endure
+the first are utterly unworthy of the rapture of the last.</p>
+<p>As the girl&#8217;s mind grew calmer under the breath of prayer&mdash;which
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_120' name='page_120'></a>120</span>
+stills the billows of human passion and strife as the
+command of Jesus smoothed the thundering surf of Genesareth,&mdash;she
+recollected that she had absented herself from the
+sick-room for an unusually long time. How long, she could
+not conjecture, for the face of the clock was invisible, and she
+had ceased to count the cuckoo-notes; but her limbs ached,
+and a fillet of fire seemed to circle her brow.</p>
+<p>With a lingering gaze upon the radiant portrait, she quitted
+the parlor, and went wearily back to renew her vigil.</p>
+<p>Hester Dennison was cowering over the hearth, spreading
+her bony hands towards the crackling flames, and, walking up
+to the mantelpiece, Salome touched the nurse, and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hester, what did the doctor say? Is there any change?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush!&#8221; The woman laid a finger on her lip, and
+glanced over her shoulder.</p>
+<p>There was only a subdued light of a shaded lamp mingling
+with the flicker of the fire, and, as Salome&#8217;s eyes followed
+those of the nurse, they rested upon the figure of a man
+kneeling at the bedside, and leaning his head against the pillow
+where Miss Jane&#8217;s white hair was strewn in disorder.</p>
+<p>A cry of delight, which she had neither the prudence nor
+power to repress, rang through the silent chamber, startling
+its inmates, and partially arousing the invalid. Salome forgot
+that life and death were grappling over the prostrate form
+of the aged woman,&mdash;forgot everything but the supreme joy
+of knowing that her idol had not been rudely shattered.</p>
+<p>Springing to the bedside, she put out her hands, and exclaimed,
+rapturously:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Dr. Grey! Were you much hurt? Thank God, you
+are alive and here! Indeed, He is merciful&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush! Have you no prudence? Quit the room, or be
+quiet.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey lifted his haggard face from the pillow, and the
+light showed it pallid and worn by acute suffering, while a
+strip of plaster pressed together the edges of a deep cut on
+his cheek. His clothes glistened with sleet, and bore stains
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_121' name='page_121'></a>121</span>
+that in daylight were crimson, though now they were only
+ominously dark.</p>
+<p>The stern tones of his voice, suppressed though it was,
+stung the girl&#8217;s heart; and she answered, in a pleading whisper,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Only tell me that you are not severely injured. Speak
+one kind word to me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am not dangerously hurt. Hush! Remember life
+hangs in the balance.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Dr. Grey! will you not even shake hands with me,
+after all these dreary months of absence? This is hard, indeed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had stood at his side, with her hands extended imploringly;
+and now he moved cautiously, and, silently holding
+up one hand swathed in linen bands, pointed to his left arm,
+which was tightly splintered and bandaged.</p>
+<p>The mute gesture explained all, and, sinking to the carpet,
+she pressed her lips to the linen folds, and to the coat-sleeve,
+where sleet and blood-spots mingled.</p>
+<p>He could not have prevented her, even had he desired to do
+so; but at that instant his sister moaned faintly, and, bending
+forward to examine her countenance, he seemed for some minutes
+unconscious of the presence of the form crouching close
+by his side.</p>
+<p>After a little while he looked down, sighed, and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My child, do go to bed. You can do no good here, and too
+much watching has already unstrung your nerves. Go to your
+room, and pray that God will spare our dear Janet to us.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Was this the welcome for which she had waited and longed&mdash;of
+which she had dreamed by day and by night? Not a
+touch, barely a brief, impatient glance, and a few reproving,
+indifferent words. She had rashly dared fate to cheat her out
+of this long-anticipated greeting, and the grim, grinning crone
+had accepted the challenge, and now triumphantly snapped
+her withered fingers in the face of the vanquished.</p>
+<p>When coveted fruit that has been hungrily watched through
+the slow, tedious process of ripening finally falls rosy and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_122' name='page_122'></a>122</span>
+mellow into eagerly uplifted fingers, and breaks in a shower
+of bitter dust on the sharpened and fastidious palate, it rarely
+happens that the half-famished dupe relishes the taste; and
+Salome rose, feeling stunned and mocked.</p>
+<p>In one corner of the room stood a chintz-covered lounge,
+and, creeping to it, she laid herself down; and, shading her
+features with her hand, looked through her fingers at the pale,
+grieved face of the anxious brother. Sometimes he stood up,
+studying the placid countenance of the sufferer, and now and
+then he walked softly to the fire-place, and held whispered
+conferences with Hester relative to the course of treatment
+that had been pursued.</p>
+<p>But everywhere Salome&#8217;s eyes followed him; and finally,
+when he chanced to glance at the couch, and noticed its occupant,
+whom he imagined fast asleep, he pointed to a blanket
+lying on a chair, and directed Hester to spread it over the
+girlish figure. The thoughtful act warmed the orphan&#8217;s
+heart more effectually than the thick woollen cover; and when
+he sat down in an easy-chair close to the bed, and within
+range of Salome&#8217;s vision, she yielded to the comforting consciousness
+of his presence. And, while her lips were moving
+in thanks for his preservation and return, exhausted nature
+seized her dues, and the girl fell asleep and dreamed that Dr.
+Grey stood by the lounge, and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;No star goes down, but climbs in other skies;<br />
+The rose of sunset folds its glory up<br />
+To burst again from out the heart of dawn,<br />
+And love is never lost, though hearts run waste,<br />
+And sorrow makes the chastened heart a seer;<br />
+The deepest dark reveals the starriest hope,<br />
+And Faith can trust her heaven behind the veil.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_123' name='page_123'></a>123</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_X' id='CHAPTER_X'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, Hester, the danger is past; and, if the weather continues
+favorable, my sister will soon be able to sit up. My
+gratitude prompts me to erect an altar here, where the mercy
+of God stayed the Destroying Angel, as in ancient days David
+consecrated the threshing-floor of Araunah.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, if you can possibly spare me, I should like to
+go back to town to-day as Dr. Sheldon has sent for me to
+take charge of a patient at his Infirmary.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You ought not to desert me while I am so comparatively
+helpless; and I should be glad to have you remain, at least
+until I recover the use of my hands.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Salome can take my place, and do all that is really
+necessary.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The child is so inexperienced I am almost afraid to trust
+her; still&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t speak so loud. She is standing behind the window-curtain.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Indeed! I thought she left the room when I entered it.
+Of course, Hester, I will not detain you if it is necessary that
+you should be at the Infirmary; but I give you up very reluctantly.
+Salome, if you are at leisure, please come and
+see how Hester dresses my hand and arm, for I must rely
+upon your kind services when she leaves us. Notice the manner
+in which she winds the bandages. There, Hester,&mdash;not
+quite so tight.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I never had an education, and am at best an
+ignorant, poor soul: therefore, not knowing what to think
+about many curious things that happen in sick-rooms, I should
+be glad to hear what you have to say concerning that vision
+of your sister. Remember, she saw it at the very minute
+that the accident happened. I don&#8217;t believe in spirit-rapping,
+and such stuff as dancing tables, and spinning chairs,
+and pianos that play tunes when no human being is near
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_124' name='page_124'></a>124</span>
+them; but I have heard and seen things that made the hair
+rise and stand on my head.&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;</ins>The circumstance that occurred three days since is certainly
+rather singular and remarkable, but by no means inexplicable.
+My sister knew that I was then travelling by railroad,&mdash;that
+I would, without some unusual delay, reach the
+dépot at a certain hour, and, being in a delirious condition,
+her mind reverted to the probability of some occurrence that
+might detain me. Having always evinced a peculiar aversion
+to railroads, which she deems the most unsafe method of travelling,
+she had a feverish dream that took its coloring from her
+excited apprehension of danger to me; and this vision, born
+of delirium, was so vivid that she could not distinguish phantom
+from reality. In ninety-nine cases out of every hundred
+similar ones, the dream passes without fulfilment, and is rarely
+recollected or mentioned; but the hundredth&mdash;which may
+chance by some surprising coincidence to seem verified&mdash;is
+noised abroad as supernatural, and carefully preserved among
+&#8216;well-authenticated spiritual manifestations.&#8217; If I had escaped
+injury, the freaks of my sister&#8217;s delirium would have
+made no more impression on your mind than the ravings of a
+lunatic; and, since I was so unfortunate as to be bruised and
+burned, you must not allow yourself to grow superstitious,
+and attach undue importance to a circumstance which was
+entirely accidental, and only startling because so exceedingly
+rare. Presentiments, especially when occurring in cases of
+fever, are merely Will-o-the-wisps floating about in excited,
+diseased brains. While at sea, and constantly associated with
+sailors, whose minds constitute the most favorable and fruitful
+soil for the production of phantasmagoria and <i>diablerie</i>,
+I had frequent opportunities of testing the fallacy and absurdity
+of so-called &#8216;presentiments and forebodings.&#8217; I am
+afraid it is the absence of spirituality in the hearts of the
+people, that drives this generation to seek supernaturalism in
+the realm of merely normal physics. The only true spiritualism
+is that which emanates from the Holy Ghost,&mdash;conquers
+sinful impulses, and makes a Christian heart the temple of
+God.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_125' name='page_125'></a>125</span></div>
+<p>Here Miss Jane called Hester into the adjoining room;
+and turning to Salome, Dr. Grey added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Notwithstanding the vaunted destruction of the ancient
+Hydra of superstition by the darts and javelins of modern
+rationalism, and the ponderous hot irons of empirics, it is
+undeniably true that the habit of &#8216;seeking after a sign&#8217; survived
+the generation of Scribes and Pharisees whom Christ
+rebuked; and manifests itself in the middle of the nineteenth
+century by the voracity with which merely material phenomena
+are seized as unmistakable indications of preternatural
+agencies. The innate leaven of superstition triumphs
+over common sense and scientific realism, and men and women
+are awed by coincidences that reason scouts, but credulity
+receives with open arms. Salome, I regret exceedingly that
+I am forced to trouble you, but there are some important letters
+which I wish to mail to-day, and you will greatly oblige
+me by acting as amanuensis while I dictate. My present disabled
+condition must apologize for the heavy tax which I am
+imposing upon your patience and industry. Will you come to
+the <ins title='Added quote and question mark'>library?&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>She made no protestations of willingness to serve him, and
+confessed no delight at the prospect of being useful, but merely
+bowed and smiled, with an expression in her eyes that puzzled
+him.</p>
+<p>Seated at the library-table, and writing down the sentences
+that he dictated while pacing the floor, Salome passed one of
+the happiest hours of her life; for it brought the blessed assurance
+that, for the present at least, he acknowledged his need
+of her.</p>
+<p>One of the letters was addressed to Mr. Gerard Granville,
+an <i>attaché</i> of the American legation at Paris, and referred
+principally to financial affairs; and the other, directed to
+Muriel Manton, contained an urgent request that she and her
+governess would leave New York as speedily as possible and
+become inmates of his sister&#8217;s house.</p>
+<p>When she had folded the letters and sealed them with his
+favorite emerald signet,&mdash;bearing the words, &#8220;<i>Frangas non
+Flectes</i>,&#8221;&mdash;Salome looked up, and asked,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_126' name='page_126'></a>126</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;How old is your ward, Miss Manton?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;About your age,&mdash;though she looks much more childish.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pretty, of course?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why &#8216;of course&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Simply because in novels they are always painted as pretty
+as Persephone; and the only wards I ever knew happen to be
+fictitious characters.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Novels are by no means infallible mirrors of nature, and
+few wards are as attractive as my black-eyed pet. Muriel
+will be very handsome, I hope, when she is grown; but now
+she impresses me as merely sweet, piquant, and pretty.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did you know her prior to your recent visit?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; her father&#8217;s house was my home whenever I chanced
+to be in New York, and I have seen her, occasionally, since
+she was a little girl. For your sake, as well as mine, I am
+glad she will reside here, because I hope she will prove in
+every respect a pleasant companion for you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you; but, unfortunately, that is one luxury of
+which I never felt the need, and with which, permit me to
+tell you, I can readily dispense. I have little respect for
+women, and no desire to be wearied with their inane garrulity.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She leaned back in her chair, and tapped restlessly with
+the end of the pen-staff on the morocco-covered table.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey looked down steadily and gravely into her provokingly
+defiant face, and replied very coldly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Were I in your place, I think I should jealously guard
+my lips from the hasty utterance of sentiments that, if unfeigned,
+ought to bring a blush to every true woman&#8217;s cheek;
+for I fear that she who has no respect for her own sex bids
+fair to disgrace it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A scarlet wave rolled up from throat to temples, and the
+lurking yellow gleamed in her eyes, but the bend of her nostril
+and curve of her lips did not relax.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which is preferable, hypocrisy or irreverence?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Both are unpardonable, in a woman.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where is your vast charity, Dr. Grey?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Busy in sheltering that lofty ideal of genuine female perfection
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_127' name='page_127'></a>127</span>
+which you seem so pertinaciously ambitious to sully
+and degrade.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are harsh, and scarcely courteous.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You will never find me less so when you vauntingly exhibit
+such mournful blemishes of character.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;At least, sir, I am honest, and show myself just what
+God saw fit to allow misfortune to make me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush, Salome! Do not add impiousness to the long catalogue
+of your sinful follies. I hoped that there was a favorable
+change in you before I left home, but I very much fear
+that, instead of exorcising the one evil spirit that possessed
+you, you have swept, and garnished, and settled yourself comfortably
+with seven new ones.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And, like R. Chaim Vital, you come to pronounce <i>Nidui!</i>
+and banish my diabolical guests. If cauterization cures moral
+ulcers as effectually as those that afflict the flesh, then, verily,
+you intend I shall be clean and whole. You are losing
+patience with your graceless neophyte.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, Salome; because forced to lose faith in her inclination
+and capacity to sublimate her erring nature. Once for
+all, let me say that habitual depreciation of your own sex will
+not elevate you in the estimation of mine; for, however fallen
+you may find mankind, they nevertheless realize amid their
+degradation that,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;&#8217;Tis somewhat to have known, albeit in vain,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>One woman in this sorrowful, bad earth,<br />
+Whose very loss can yet bequeath to pain<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>New faith in worth.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>There was no taunt, no bitterness, in his voice; but grievous
+disappointment, too deep for utterance; and the girl winced
+under it, though only the flush burning on cheek and brow
+attested her vulnerability.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Remember, sir, that humanity was not moulded entirely
+from one stratum of pipe-clay. Only a few wear paint, enamelling,
+and gold as delicate costly <ins title='Was Sevres'>Sèvres</ins>; and, while the majority
+are only coarse pottery, it is scarcely kind&mdash;certainly
+not generous&mdash;in dainty, transparent china, belonging to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_128' name='page_128'></a>128</span>
+king&#8217;s palaces, to pity or denounce the humble Delft or Wedgewoodware
+doing duty in laborer&#8217;s cottages.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Very true, my poor little warped, blotched bit of perverse
+pottery; but of one vital truth permit me to assure you: the
+purity and elevation of our race depend upon preserving inviolate
+in the hearts of men a belief that women&#8217;s natures are
+crystalline as that celebrated glass once made at Murano,
+which was so exceedingly fine and delicate that it burst into
+fragments if poison was poured into it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then, obviously, I am no Venetian goblet; else long ago
+I should have shattered under the bitter, black juices poured
+by fate. It seems I am not worthy to touch the lips of doges
+and grand dukes; but let them look to it that some day, when
+spent and thirsty, they stretch not their regal hands for the
+common clay that holds what all their costly, dainty fragments
+can never yield. <i>Nous verrons!</i> &#8216;The stone which the
+builders rejected has become the head of the corner.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey had resumed his walk, but the half-suppressed,
+passionate protest, whose underswell began to agitate her
+voice, arrested his attention, and he came to the table and
+stood close to the orphan.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is the matter with my headstrong young friend?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She made no answer; but her elfish eyes sought his, and
+braved their quiet rebuke.</p>
+<p>&#8220;This is the last opportunity I shall offer you to tell me
+frankly what troubles you. Can I help you in any way? If
+so, command me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Once you could have helped me, but that time has passed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Perhaps not. Try me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is too late. You have lost faith in me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; you have lost all faith in yourself, if you ever indulged
+any,&mdash;which I very much doubt. It is you who are
+faithless concerning your own defective character.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not I, indeed! I know it rather too well, either to set it
+aloft for adoration or to trample it in the mire. When your
+faith in me expired, mine was born. Do you recollect that
+beautiful painted window in Lincoln Cathedral which the
+untutored fingers of an apprentice fashioned out of the despised
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_129' name='page_129'></a>129</span>
+bits of glass rejected by the fastidious master-builder?
+It is so vastly superior to every other in the church that the
+vanquished artist could not survive the chagrin and mortification,
+and killed himself. My faith is very strong, that,
+please God, I shall some day show you similar handiwork.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You grow enigmatical, and I do not fully understand
+you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; you do not in the least comprehend me. The girl
+whom you left six months ago has changed in many respects.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For better, or for worse?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Perhaps neither one nor yet the other; but, at least, sir,
+&#8216;my future will not copy fair my past.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Since my return, I have noticed an alteration in your deportment,
+which, I regret to say, I cannot consider an improvement;
+and I should feel inclined to attribute your restless
+impatience to nervous disease were I not assured by your
+appearance that you are in perfect health. Remember, that
+quietude of manner constitutes a woman&#8217;s greatest charm;
+and, unfortunately, you seem almost a mimic m&#230;lstrom. But,
+pardon me, I did not intend to lecture you; and, hoping all
+things, I will patiently wait for the future that you seem to
+have dedicated to some special object. I will try to have
+faith in my perverse little friend, though she sometimes
+renders it a difficult task. May I trouble you to stamp those
+letters?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He could not analyze the change that passed swiftly across
+her face, nor the emotion that made her suddenly clinch her
+hands till the rosy nails grew purple.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, don&#8217;t you believe that if Judas Iscariot had
+only resisted the temptation of the thirty pieces of silver,
+and stood by his master instead of betraying him, that his
+position in heaven would have been far more exalted than
+that of Peter, or even of John?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That is a question which I have never pondered, and am
+not prepared to discuss. Why do you propound it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not answer immediately; and, when she spoke, her
+glittering eyes softened in their expression, and resembled
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_130' name='page_130'></a>130</span>
+stars rising through the golden mist of lingering sunset splendor.</p>
+<p>&#8220;God gave you a nobler heart than mine, and left it an
+easy, pleasant matter for you to be good; while, struggle as
+I may, I am constantly in danger of tumbling into some
+slough of iniquity, or setting up false gods for my soul to
+bow down to. Because it is so much more difficult for me to
+do right than for you, it is only just that my reward should
+be correspondingly greater.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am neither John nor Peter, nor are you Judas; and
+only He who knows our mutual faults and follies, our
+triumphs and defeats in the life-long campaign with sin, can
+judge us equitably. I am too painfully conscious of my own
+imperfections not to sympathize earnestly with the temptations
+that may assail you; and, moreover, we should never
+lose sight of the fact,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;What&#8217;s done we partly may compute,<br />
+But know not what&#8217;s resisted.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, you have great confidence in the efficacy of
+prayer?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; for without it human lives are rudderless, drifting
+to speedy wreck and ruin.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If I ask a favor, will you grant it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have I ever denied you anything that you asked?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir,&mdash;your good opinion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I knew that had you really desired that, you would long
+since have rendered it impossible for me to withhold it. But
+to the point,&mdash;what is your petition?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I want you to pray for me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, are you serious? Are you really in earnest?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mournfully in earnest.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then rest satisfied that henceforth you will always have
+a place in my prayer; but do not forget the greater necessity
+of praying for yourself. Now, tell me how you have been employed
+during my long absence. Where are the accumulated
+exercises which I promised to examine and correct when I
+returned?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_131' name='page_131'></a>131</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Promised whom?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You forget that I did not see you the day you left, and
+that you did not even bid me good-by.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I referred to your French exercises in a brief and hurried
+note that I left for you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Left where? I never received&mdash;never heard of it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I laid it upon your plate, where I supposed you would
+certainty notice it when you came home to dinner.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why did not you give it to Miss Jane?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Simply because she was not in the room when I wrote it.
+It is rather surprising that it escaped your observation, as I
+laid it in a conspicuous place.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not deem it necessary to inform him that on that
+unlucky day she had suddenly lost her appetite, and failed to
+go to the table; and now she put her fingers over her eyes to
+conceal the blaze of joyful light that irradiated them, as he
+mentioned the circumstance, comparatively trivial, but precious
+in her estimation, since it was freighted with the assurance
+that at least he had thought of her on the eve of his
+unexpected departure. What inexpressible comfort that note
+might have contributed during all those tedious months of
+silence and separation! While she sat there thinking of the
+dreary afternoon when, down in the orchard-grass she lay upon
+her face, Dr. Grey came nearer to her, and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope you have not abandoned your French?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; but I devote less time than formerly to it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If agreeable to you, we will resume the exercises as soon
+as I can wield my pen.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you can teach me Italian, I should prefer it; especially
+since I have learned to pronounce French tolerably well?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What use do you expect to have for Italian,&mdash;at least, at
+present? French is much more essential.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have a good reason for desiring to make the change,
+though just now I do not choose to be driven into any explanations.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon me. I had no intention of forcing your confidence.
+When in Italy, I always contrive to understand and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_132' name='page_132'></a>132</span>
+make myself understood; but my knowledge and use of the
+language is rather too slip-shod to justify my attempting to
+teach you idioms, hallowed as the medium through which
+Dante and Ariosto charmed the world. Miss Dexter, Muriel&#8217;s
+governess, is a very thorough and accomplished linguist, and
+speaks Italian not only gracefully but correctly. I have already
+engaged her to teach you whatever she may deem advisable
+when she comes here to live.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very kind. Is she a young person?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is a very highly cultivated and elegant woman,
+probably twenty-five or six years old, and has been in Florence
+with Muriel.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Involuntarily and unconsciously the orphan sighed, and the
+muscles in her broad forehead tangled terribly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, please put your hand in the right pocket of my
+vest, and take out a key that ought to be there. No,&mdash;not
+that; a larger steel one. Now you have it. Will you be so
+good as to open that trunk which came by express yesterday
+(it is in the upper hall), and bring me a box wrapped in pink
+tissue-paper? I would not trouble you with so many commissions
+if I could use my hands.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Unable longer to repress her feelings, the girl exclaimed
+eagerly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you could imagine what pleasure it affords me to render
+you the slightest service, I am very sure you would not annoy
+me with apologies for making me happy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In a few moments she returned to the library, bearing in
+her hand a small but heavy package, which she placed on the
+table before him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Please open it, and examine the contents.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She obeyed him; and, after removing the wrapping, found
+a blue velvet case that opened with a spring and revealed a
+parcel enclosed in silver paper. Dr. Grey turned and walked
+to the window; and, as Salome took off the last covering, a
+watch and chain met her curious gaze. One side of the former
+was richly and elaborately chased, and represented Kronos
+leaning on his scythe; the other was studded with diamonds
+that flashed out the name &#8220;Salome.&#8221; Astonishment and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_133' name='page_133'></a>133</span>
+delight sealed the orphan&#8217;s lips, and, in silence, far more
+eloquent than words, she bowed her head upon the table.
+After a few moments had elapsed, Dr. Grey attempted to steal
+out of the room; but, being obliged to pass close by her chair,
+she put out her hand and arrested his movement.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is the most beautiful watch I have ever seen; but, oh,
+sir! how shall I sufficiently thank you? How can I express
+all that is throbbing here in my proud, grateful heart? Although
+the costly gift is elegant and tasteful, I hold still
+more precious the fact which it attests,&mdash;that during your
+absence you thought of me. How shall I begin to prove my
+gratitude for your kindness and generosity?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not thank me, my little friend; for, indeed I require
+no verbal assurances that my <i>souvenir</i> is kindly received and
+appreciated. Wear the watch; and let it continually remind
+you not only of the sincerity of my friendship, but of the far
+more important fact that every idle or injudiciously employed
+hour will cry out in accusation against us in the final assize,
+when we are called upon to render an account of the distribution
+of that invaluable time which God allows us solely for
+the accomplishment of His work on earth. It is so exceedingly
+difficult for young persons to realize how marvellously
+rapid is the flight of time, that you will, I trust, forgive me
+if I endeavor to impress upon you the vital importance of
+making each day fragrant with the burden of some good deed,
+the resistance of some sore temptation, some service rendered
+to God or to suffering humanity which shall make your years
+mellow with the fruitage that will entitle you to a glorious
+record in the golden book of Abou Ben Adhem&#8217;s angel. Let
+this little jewelled monitress of the fleeting, mocking nature
+of time, this ingenious toy, whose ticking is but the mournful,
+endless knell of dead seconds, remind you that,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;This life of ours, what is it? A very few<br />
+Soon ended years, and then&mdash;the ceaseless psalm,<br />
+And the eternal Sabbath of the soul.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>As Salome looked up into his tranquil, happy face, two
+tears glided across her cheeks, and fell upon the pretty
+bauble.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_134' name='page_134'></a>134</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;You will find a key in the case, and can wind it up, and
+set it by the clock in the parlor.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, are you willing that my watch shall bear daily
+testimony of something which I hold far above its diamonds,&mdash;that
+you have faith in Salome Owen?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Perfectly willing that you should make it eloquent with
+all friendly utterances and sympathy. Hester has bound my
+arm so tightly that it impedes the circulation, and is very
+painful. Please loosen the bandage.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She complied as carefully as possible, though her hands
+trembled; and, when the ligature had been comfortably adjusted
+and the arm restored to its sling, she stooped and
+pressed her lips softly and reverently to the cold, white
+fingers, that protruded from the linen bands. He endeavored
+ineffectually to prevent the caress, which evidently embarrassed
+him; but she left two kisses on the bruised hand, and, snatching
+her watch and chain from the table, hastily quitted the
+room.</p>
+<p>In after years, when loneliness and disappointment pressed
+heavily upon her heart, she looked back to the three weeks
+that succeeded Dr. Grey&#8217;s return as the halcyon days, as the
+cloudless June morning of her life; and, in blissful retrospection,
+temporarily found Elysium.</p>
+<p>She wrote his letters, read aloud from his favorite books,
+dressed and bandaged his blistered hand and fractured arm,
+and surrendered her heart to an intense and perfect happiness
+such as she had scarcely dared to hope would ever be her
+portion.</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XI' id='CHAPTER_XI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Bring her into my office. Steady, men! There may
+be broken bones, and jarring would be torture. Don&#8217;t
+stumble over that book on the floor. Lay her here on the
+sofa, and throw open the blinds.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, is she dead?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, only badly stunned; and the contusion on the head
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_135' name='page_135'></a>135</span>
+seems to be very severe. Stand back, all of you, and give her
+air. When did it happen?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;About twenty minutes ago. She is a stout, heavy woman,
+and we could not walk very fast with such a burden.
+Ah! you intend to bleed her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I fear nothing else will relieve her. Mitchell, hold
+the arm for me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How did she receive this injury?&#8221; asked Dr. Mitchell,
+who had been holding a consultation with Dr. Grey relative
+to some perplexing case.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Those gray ponies which we were admiring a half-hour
+since, as they trotted by the door, took fright at a menagerie
+procession coming up from the dépot to the Hippodrome,&mdash;and
+ran away. In steering clear of the elephant, who was
+covered from head to foot, and certainly looked frightful, the
+horses ran into a mass of lumber and brick at the corner of
+Fountain and Franklin streets, where a new store is being
+erected, and the carriage was upset. Unfortunately the harness
+was very strong, and did not give away until the carriage
+had been dragged some yards among the rubbish, and one
+of the horses finally floundered into a bed of mortar, and broke
+the traces. The driver kept his hold upon the reins to the
+last, but was badly bruised, and this woman was thrown out
+on a pile of bricks and granite-caps. The municipal authorities
+should prohibit these menagerie parades, for the
+meekest plough-horse in the State could scarcely have faced
+that band of musicians, flanked by the covered elephant and
+giraffe, and the cages of the beasts,&mdash;much less those fiery
+grays, who seem snuffing danger even when there is no provocation.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Who is this woman?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is a total stranger to me,&#8221; answered Dr. Grey, bending
+down to put his ear to the heart of the victim.</p>
+<p>A bystander seemed better informed, and replied,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is a servant or housekeeper of the lady who lives at
+&#8216;Solitude.&#8217; But here comes the driver, limping and making
+wry faces.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Robert Maclean approached the sofa, and his scratched and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_136' name='page_136'></a>136</span>
+bleeding face paled as he leaned over the prostrate form of his
+mother.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, doctors, surely two of you can save her! For God&#8217;s
+sake, don&#8217;t let her die! Does she breathe?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, the bleeding has already benefitted her. She
+breathes regularly, and the action of her heart is better. Sit
+down, my man,&mdash;you look ghastly. Mitchell, give him some
+brandy, and sew up that gash in his cheek, while I write a
+prescription.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Never mind me, doctor; only save my poor mother. She
+looks like death itself. Mother, mother, it is all over now!
+Come, wake up, and speak to me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He seized one of her cold hands, and chafed it vigorously
+between both of his, while tears and blood mingled, as they
+dripped from his face to hers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor, tell me the truth; is there any hope?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly, my friend; there is every reason to believe she
+will ultimately recover, though you need not be surprised if
+she remains for some hours in a heavy stupor. Remember, a
+pile of brick is not exactly a feather pillow, and it may be
+some time before the brain recovers from the severity of the
+contusion. What is your name?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Robert Maclean.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And hers?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie Maclean. Poor, dear creature! How she labors
+in her breathing. Suppose I lift her head?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; let her rest quietly, just as she is, and I trust all
+will be well. Come to the table, and allow me to put some
+plaster over that cut which bleeds so freely. Trust me,
+Maclean, and do not look so woe-begone. I am not deceiving
+you. There may be serious internal injuries that I have not
+discovered, but this stupor is not alarming. I can find no
+fractured bones, and hope the blow on the head is the most
+troublesome thing we shall have to contend with.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey proceeded to sponge the bruised and stained face
+and, hoping to divert the man&#8217;s anxious thoughts, said, nonchalantly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I believe you are in Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s employment?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_137' name='page_137'></a>137</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long have you been at &#8216;Solitude&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I came here, sir, and bought the place, while she was in
+Europe. Ah, doctor, if my mother should die, I believe it
+would kill my mistress.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are old family servants?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My mother took her when she was twelve hours old, and
+has never left her since. She loves Mrs. Gerome even better
+than she loves me&mdash;her own flesh and blood. I can&#8217;t go home
+and tell my mistress I have nearly killed my mother. She
+would never endure the sight of me again. Her own mother
+died the day after she was born, and she has always looked
+on that poor dear soul yonder as her <ins title='Added quote'>foster-mother.&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>Robert limped back to the sofa, and, seating himself on a
+chair, looked wistfully into his mother&#8217;s countenance; then
+hid his face in his hands.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come, be a man, Maclean; and don&#8217;t give way to nervousness!
+Your mother&#8217;s condition is constantly improving,
+though of course it is not so apparent to you as to me. What
+has been done with the carriage and horses?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, the carriage is a sweet pudding; and the grays&mdash;curses
+on &#8217;em!&mdash;are badly bruised. One of them had his
+flank laid open by a saw lying on a lumber-pile; and I only
+wish it had sawed across the jugular. They are vicious brutes
+as ever were bitted, and it makes my blood run cold sometimes
+to see their devilish antics when Mrs. Gerome insists on driving
+them. They will break her neck, if I don&#8217;t contrive to
+break theirs first.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I should judge from their appearance that it was exceedingly
+unsafe for any lady to attempt to control them.
+They seem very fiery and unmanageable. What has been
+done with them?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The deuce knows!&mdash;knocked in the head, I trust. I
+asked two men, who were in the crowd, to take them to the
+livery-stable. Mrs. Gerome is not afraid of anything, and
+one of her few pleasures is driving those gray imps, who know
+her voice as well as I do. I have seen them put up their
+narrow ears and neigh when she was a hundred yards off;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_138' name='page_138'></a>138</span>
+and sometimes she wraps the reins around her wrists and
+quiets them, when their eyes look like balls of fire. But
+Rarey himself could not have stopped them a while ago, when
+they determined to run over that menagerie show. My mistress
+will say it was my fault, and she will stand by the gray
+satans through thick and thin. Hist, doctor, my mother
+groans!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Would it not be best for you to go home and acquaint
+Mrs. Gerome with what has occurred?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I would not face her without my mother for&mdash;twenty
+kingdoms! You have no idea how she loves her &#8216;old Elsie,&#8217;
+and I couldn&#8217;t break the news to her,&mdash;I would sooner break
+my head.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;This is not a proper place for your mother, and I advise
+you to remove her to the hospital, which is not very far from
+my office. She can be carried on a litter.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, my mistress would never permit that! She will let
+no one else nurse my mother; and, of course, she could not
+go to a public place like a hospital, for you know she is so
+dreadful shy of strangers.&#8221;</p>
+<p>After many suggestions, and much desultory conversation,
+it was finally decided that Elsie should be placed on a mattress,
+in the bottom of an open wagon, and carried slowly
+home. A careful driver was provided, and when Dr. Grey
+had seen his patient comfortably arranged, and established
+Robert on the seat with the driver, he yielded to the solicitations
+of the son, that he would precede them to &#8220;Solitude,&#8221;
+and acquaint Mrs. Gerome with the details of the accident.</p>
+<p>Although ten months had elapsed since the latter took
+possession of her new home, so complete had been her seclusion
+that she remained an utter stranger; and, when visitors
+flocked from town and neighborhood to satisfy themselves
+concerning the rumors of the elegant furniture and appointments
+of the house, they were invariably denied admittance,
+and informed that since her widowhood Mrs. Gerome had not
+re-entered society.</p>
+<p>Curiosity was piqued, and gossip wagged her hundred busy
+tongues over the tormenting fact that Mrs. Gerome had never
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_139' name='page_139'></a>139</span>
+darkened the church-door since her arrival; and, occasionally,
+when she rode into town, wore a thick veil that thoroughly
+screened her features; and, instead of shopping like other
+people, made Elsie Maclean bring the articles to the carriage
+for her inspection.</p>
+<p>The servants seemed to hold themselves as much aloof as
+their mistress, and though Robert and his mother attended
+service regularly every Sabbath, they appeared as gravely silent
+and ungregarious as Sphinxes. The ministers of various
+denominations called to pay their respects to the stranger, but
+only the clerical cards succeeded in crossing the threshold;
+and, while rumors of her boundless wealth crept teasingly
+through Newsmongerdom, no one except Salome Owen had
+yet seen the new-comer.</p>
+<p>Cases of books and pictures occasionally arrived from
+Europe, and never failed to stir the pool of gossip to its dregs;
+for the wife of the express-agent was an intimate friend of
+Mrs. Spiewell, whose husband was pastor of the church which
+Elsie and Robert attended, and who felt personally aggrieved
+that the Rev. Charles Spiewell was not welcomed as the spiritual
+guide of the mistress of &#8220;Solitude.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Finally, a morbid, meddling inquisitiveness goaded the
+chatty little woman beyond the bounds of ministerial decorum,
+and, having rashly wagered a pair of gloves that she would
+gain an entrance to the parlors (whereof the upholsterer&#8217;s
+wife told marvellous tales), she armed herself with a pathetic
+petition for aid to build a &#8220;Widow&#8217;s Row,&#8221; and, with a subscription-list
+for a &#8220;Dorcas Society,&#8221; and confident of ingress,
+boldly rang the bell. Unfortunately, Elsie chanced that day
+to be on post as sentinel, and, though she immediately recognized
+the visitor as the mother of the small colony of Spiewells
+who crowded every Sunday morning into the pew of the
+pastor, she courtesied, and gave the stereotyped rebuff,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome begs to be excused.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, indeed! But she does not know who has called, or
+she would make an exception in my favor. I am your minister&#8217;s
+wife, and must really see her, if only for two minutes.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_140' name='page_140'></a>140</span>
+Take my card to her, and say I call on important business,
+which cannot fail to interest her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Not a muscle of Elsie&#8217;s grave face moved, as she received
+the card, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am very sorry, madam, but Mrs. Gerome sees no visitors,
+and my orders are positive.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Spiewell bit her lip, and reddened.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then take these papers to her, and ask if she will please
+be so good as to examine their claims to her charity. In the
+meantime I will wait in the parlor, and must trouble you for
+a glass of water.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She thrust the petitions into Elsie&#8217;s hand, and attempted
+to slip into the hall, through the partial opening of the door
+which the servant held during the parley; but, planting her
+massive frame directly in the way, the resolute woman effectually
+barred entrance, and, pointing to an iron <i>tête-à-tête</i>
+on the portico, said, decisively,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I beg pardon, madam, but you will find a seat there; and
+I will bring the water while Mrs. Gerome reads your letters.
+If you are fatigued, I will hand you luncheon and some wine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mortified and enraged, Mrs. Spiewell grew scarlet, but
+threw herself into the seat designated, resolved to snatch a
+glimpse of the interior the instant the servant had disappeared.</p>
+<p>Very softly Elsie closed and securely latched the door on
+the inside, knowing that at that moment her mistress was
+sitting in the oriel window of the front parlor.</p>
+<p>In vain the visitor tried and twisted the bolt, and, completely
+baffled, tears of chagrin moistened her eyes. She had
+scarcely time to regain her seat, when Elsie reappeared, bearing
+on a handsome salver a wine-glass, silver goblet, and an
+elegant basket filled with cake.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome presents her compliments, and sends you
+this fifty dollar bill for whatever society you represent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Too thoroughly discomfited to conceal her pique and indignation,
+Mrs. Spiewell snatched letters and donation, and,
+without lingering an instant, swept haughtily down the steps,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_141' name='page_141'></a>141</span>
+&#8220;shaking off the dust of her feet&#8221; against &#8220;Solitude&#8221; and
+its incorrigible owner.</p>
+<p>An innocent impertinence once coldly frustrated soon takes
+unto itself a sting and branding-irons, and thus, what was
+originally merely idle curiosity, becomes bitter malice; and
+henceforth the worthy minister&#8217;s gossiping wife lost no opportunity
+of inveighing against the superciliousness of the
+stranger, and of insinuating that some very extraordinary circumstances
+led her &#8220;to fear that something was radically
+wrong about that poor Mrs. Gerome, for troubles that could
+not be poured into the sympathetic ears of pastors and of
+pastors&#8217; wives must be very dark, indeed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Whenever the name of the new-comer was mentioned, Mrs.
+Spiewell compressed her lips, shook her head, and shrugged
+her round shoulders; and, of course, persons present surmised
+that the &#8220;minister&#8217;s lady&#8221; was acquainted with melancholy
+facts which charity prevented her from divulging.</p>
+<p>Many of the grievances and ills that afflict society spring
+not from sinful, envenomed hearts, but from weak souls and
+empty heads; and Mrs. Spiewell, who sat up with all the
+measle-stricken, teething, sick children in her husband&#8217;s
+charge, and would have felt disgraced had she missed a meeting
+of the &#8220;Dorcas Society,&#8221; or of the &#8220;Barefeet Relief
+Club,&#8221; would have been duly shocked if any one had boldly
+charged her with slandering a woman whom she had never
+seen, and of whose antecedents she knew absolutely nothing.
+Verily, it is difficult, indeed, even for &#8220;the elect&#8221; to keep
+themselves &#8220;unspotted from the world;&#8221; and Zimmerman
+was a seer when he declared, &#8220;Who lives with wolves must
+join in their howls.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Absorbed by professional engagements, or fiscal cares, the
+gentlemen of a community are rarely interested in or informed
+of the last wreck of character which the whirlpool of
+scandal strews on the strand of society; but vague rumors
+relative to Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s isolation had penetrated even into
+the quiet precincts of Dr. Grey&#8217;s sanctum, and consequently
+invested his present mission with extraneous interest.</p>
+<p>For the first time since her arrival he approached the confines
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_142' name='page_142'></a>142</span>
+of her residence, and, as he threw the reins over the
+dashboard of his buggy and stood under the lofty old trees that
+surrounded the house, he paused to admire the beauty of the
+grounds, the grouping of some statues and pot plants on a
+neighboring mound, and the far-stretching sheen of the rippling
+sea.</p>
+<p>No living thing was visible except a golden pheasant and
+scarlet flamingo strutting along the stone terrace at the foot
+of the lawn, and silence and repose seemed brooding over
+house and yard; when suddenly a rapid, passionate, piano-prelude
+smote the stillness till the air appeared to throb and
+quiver, and a thrillingly sweet yet intensely mournful voice
+sang the wailing strains of <i>Addio del Passato</i>.</p>
+<p>The indescribable yet almost overwhelming pathos of the
+tones affected Dr. Grey much as the tremolo-stop in some
+organ-overture in a dimly-lighted cathedral; and, as the
+singer seemed to pour her whole aching heart and wearied
+soul into the concluding &#8220;<i>Ah! tutto-tutto fini!</i>&#8221; he turned,
+and involuntarily followed the sound, like one in a dream.</p>
+<p>The front door was closed; but the sash of the oriel window
+had been raised, and through the delicate lace curtains
+that were swaying in the salt breath of ocean he could see
+what passed in the parlor. A woman sat before the piano,
+running her snowy fingers idly across the keys, now striking
+<i>fortissimo</i> a wild stormy <i>fugue</i> theme, and then softly evoking
+a subtle minor chord that seemed the utterance of some despairing
+spirit breathing its last prayer for peace.</p>
+<p>Her Marie-Louise blue dress was girded at the waist by a
+belt and buckle of silver, and the loose sleeve of the right
+arm was looped and pinned up, showing the dimpled elbow
+and daintily rounded wrist encircled by the jet serpent.
+Around her throat she had carelessly thrown a lace handkerchief,
+and from the mass of hair that seemed tiny, snow-capped
+waves, a cluster of blue nemophila leaned down to
+touch the white forehead beneath, and peep at the answering
+blue gleams in the large, shining, steely eyes. Her fingers
+strayed listlessly into a <i>Nocturne</i>; but from the dreamy
+expression of the face, upraised to gaze at the busts on the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_143' name='page_143'></a>143</span>
+brackets above, it was evident that her thoughts had wandered
+far away from <i>Addio del Passato</i>, and were treading the drift-strewn
+strands of melancholy memory.</p>
+<p>Presently she rose, walked twice across the room, and came
+back to an <i>étagére</i> where stood an azure Bohemian glass vase,
+supported by silver Tritons, and filled with late blue hyacinths
+and early pancratiums.</p>
+<p>Bending her regal head, she inhaled the mingled perfumes,
+worthy of Sicilian or Cyprian meadows; and, while her slight
+fingers toyed with the fragile petals, a proud smile lent its
+sad light to the chill face, and she said aloud, as if striving to
+comfort herself,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;&#8216;Not the ineffable stars that interlace<br />
+The azure canopy of Zeus himself<br />
+Have surer sweetness than my hyacinths<br />
+When they grow blue, in gazing on blue heaven,<br />
+Than the white lilies of my rivers, when<br />
+In leafy spring Selene&#8217;s silver horn<br />
+Spills paleness, peace, and fragrance.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>With a heavy sigh she turned away, and sat down in the
+rear room, near the arch, where an easel now stood, containing
+a large, unfinished picture; and, taking her ivory palette
+and brushes, she began to retouch the violet robe of one of
+the figures.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey had seen more beautiful women among the gilded
+pillars and frescoes of palaces, and amid the olives and vineyards
+of Parthenope; but in Mrs. Gerome he found a fascinating
+mystery that baffled analysis and riveted his attention.
+Neither young nor old, she had crowned herself with the
+glories of both seasons, and seemed some sweet, dewy spring,
+wrapped in the snows and frozen in the icy garb of winter.</p>
+<p>He had expected to meet a middle-aged person, habited in
+widow&#8217;s weeds, and meek from the severe scourging of a
+recent and terrible bereavement; but that anomalous white
+face and proud, queenly form were unlike all other flesh that
+his keen eyes had hitherto scanned; and he regarded her as
+curiously as he would have examined some abnormal-looking
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_144' name='page_144'></a>144</span>
+specimen of nerves and muscles laid upon the marble slab of a
+dissecting-table.</p>
+<p>Recollecting suddenly that, if he did not present himself,
+the wagon would arrive before he had accomplished the object
+of his visit, he drew a card from his pocket, and, stepping
+over the low sill of the oriel window, advanced to the arch.</p>
+<p>The mistress of the house sat with her back turned towards
+him, and was apparently absorbed in putting purple shadows
+into the folds of a mantle that hung from the shoulders of a
+kneeling figure on the canvas.</p>
+<p>Face-downward on an ottoman near, lay a beautiful copy of
+Owen Meredith&#8217;s poems; and, after a few seconds, she paused,
+brush in hand, and, taking up the book, slowly read aloud&mdash;glancing,
+as she did so, from page to picture,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;&#8216;Then I could perceive</p>
+<p class='cg'>A glory pouring through an open door,<br />
+And in the light five women. I believe<br />
+They wore white vestments, all of them. They were<br />
+Quite calm; and each still face unearthly fair,<br />
+Unearthly quiet. So like statues all,<br />
+Waiting they stood without that lighted hall;<br />
+And in their hands, like a blue star, they held<br />
+Each one a silver lamp.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Standing immediately behind her, Dr. Grey saw that she
+had seized the weird &#8220;<i>Vision of Virgins</i>,&#8221; and was putting
+into pigment that solemn phantasm of the poet&#8217;s imagination
+where five radiant women were passing to their reward,&mdash;and
+five wailing over flickering, dying lamps, were huddled helplessly
+and hopelessly under a black and starless midnight sky.
+Although unfinished, there was marvellous power in the picture,
+and the sickly gleam from the expiring wicks made the
+surrounding gloom more supernatural, like the deep shadows
+skulking behind the lurid glare in some old Flemish painting.</p>
+<p>He saw also that she had followed the general outline of
+the poem; but one of the faces was so supreme in its mute
+anguish that he thought of Reni&#8217;s &#8220;Cenci,&#8221; and of a wan
+&#8220;Alcestis,&#8221; and a desperate &#8220;Cassandra,&#8221; he had seen at
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_145' name='page_145'></a>145</span>
+Rome; and, in comparison, the description of the poet
+seemed almost vapid,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;One as still as death</p>
+<p class='cg'>Hollowed her hands about her lamp, for fear<br />
+Some motion of the midnight, or her breath,<br />
+Should fan out the last flicker. Rosy clear<br />
+The light oozed through her fingers o&#8217;er her <ins title='Added period'>face.</ins><br />
+There was a ruined beauty hovering there<br />
+Over deep pain, and dashed with lurid grace<br />
+A waning bloom.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The room with its costly, quaint, and tasteful furniture,&mdash;the
+solitary and singularly beautiful woman; the wonderful
+picture, growing beneath her hand; the solemn silence, broken
+only by the deep, hollow murmur of the dimpling sea that sent
+its shimmer in at the window to meet the painted shimmer in
+a marine view framed on the wall,&mdash;all these wove a spell
+about the intruder that temporarily held him a mute captive.</p>
+<p>The artist laid a delicate green on the stripped and scattered
+leaves from a wreath of Syrian lilies lying on the marble
+steps of the bridegroom&#8217;s mansion, and once more she read a
+passage from the open book,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;&#8216;Then I beheld</p>
+<p class='cg'>A shadow in the doorway. And One came<br />
+Crown&#8217;d for a feast. I could not see the Face.<br />
+The Form was not all human. As the Flame<br />
+Streamed over it, a presence took the place<br />
+With awe. He, turning, took them by the hand<br />
+And led them each up the wide stairway, and<br />
+The door closed.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The sound of her voice, low but clear, and burdened with
+a sadness that no language could exhaust or interpret, thrilled
+Dr. Grey&#8217;s steady nerves as no music had ever done, and,
+stepping forward, he held out his card, and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, a painful necessity has compelled me to
+intrude upon your seclusion, and I trust you will acquit me
+of impertinence.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_146' name='page_146'></a>146</span></div>
+<p>Rising, she fronted him with a frown severe as that which
+clouded Artemis&#8217; brow when profane eyes peered through
+myrtle boughs into her sacred retreat, and the changed voice
+seemed thick with bristling icicles.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your business must be imperative, indeed, if it warrants
+this intrusion. What servant admitted you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;None. I came in haste, and, seeing the window open,
+entered without ringing. Madam, my card will explain my
+errand.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Has Dr. Grey an unpaid bill? I was not aware the servants
+had needed your services; but if so, present your claim
+to Robert Maclean, my agent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome owes me nothing, and I came here reluctantly
+and in compliance with Robert Maclean&#8217;s request, to
+inform her of an accident which happened this afternoon
+while&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He paused, awed by the change that swept over her countenance,
+filling it with horrible dread.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Those gray horses?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, madam.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not Elsie? Oh! don&#8217;t tell me that my dear old Elsie was
+mangled! Hush! I will not hear it!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Palette and brushes fell upon the carpet, and she wrung
+her fingers until the diamond-eyed asp set its blue fangs in
+her cold flesh.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Robert was merely bruised, but his mother was very badly
+injured, and is still insensible. Every precaution has been
+taken to counteract the effect of the severe blow on her head,
+and I hope that after an hour or two she will recover her
+consciousness. Robert is bringing her home as carefully as
+possible, and you may expect them momentarily. Only his
+urgent entreaties that I would precede him and prepare you
+for the reception of his mother could have induced me to
+waive ceremony and thrust myself into the presence of a lady
+who seems little disposed to pardon the apparent presumption
+of my visit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She evidently did not heed his words, and, suddenly clasping
+her hands across her forehead, she said, bitterly,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_147' name='page_147'></a>147</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Coward! why can&#8217;t you speak out, and tell me that the
+corpse will soon be here, and a coffin must be ordered? This
+is the last blow! Surely, God will let me alone, now; for
+there is nothing more that He can send to afflict me. Oh,
+Elsie,&mdash;my sole comfort! The only one who ever loved me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>A bluish pallor settled about her mouth, and Dr. Grey
+shuddered as he looked into the dry, defiant eyes, so beautiful
+in form and color but so mournfully desperate in their expression.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, your servant is neither dead nor dying, and
+I have told you the worst. Down the road I can see the
+wagon coming slowly, and I would advise you to call the
+household together, in order to assist in lifting Elsie, who is
+very stout and heavy. Calm yourself, madam, and trust your
+favorite servant to my care.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Servant! Sir, she is mother, father, husband, friends,&mdash;all,&mdash;everything
+to me! She is the only human being who
+cares for, or understands, or sympathizes with me,&mdash;and I
+could not live without her. Oh, sir, do not ask me to trust
+you! The time has gone by when I could trust anybody
+but Elsie. You are a physician,&mdash;you ought to know what
+should be done for her; and, Dr. Grey, if you have any pity
+in your soul, and any skill in your profession, save my old
+Elsie&#8217;s life! Dr. Grey&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>She paused a few seconds, and added, in a whisper,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If she dies, I am afraid I might grow desperate, and commit
+what you happy people call a crime.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He felt an unwonted moisture dim his eyes, as he watched
+the delicate face, white as the hair that crowned it, and wondered
+if the wide, populous world could match her regal form
+and perfect features.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, I think I can promise that Elsie will recover
+from her injuries; but a prayer for her safety would
+bring you more comfort than my feeble words of assurance
+and encouragement. The mercy of God is surer than the combined
+medical skill of the universe.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The mercy of God!&#8221; she repeated, with a gesture of
+scorn and impatience. &#8220;No, no! God set his face like a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_148' name='page_148'></a>148</span>
+flint against me, long, long ago, and I do not mock myself by
+offering prayers that only call down smitings upon me.
+Seven years since I prayed my last prayer, which was for
+speedy death; and, from that hour, I seem to have taken a
+new lease on life. Now I stand still and keep silent, and I
+hoped that God had forgotten me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She covered her face with her hands and Dr. Grey drew a
+chair close to her and endeavored to make her sit down, but
+she resisted and shrank from his touch on her arm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Madam, the wagon has stopped at the door. Will you
+direct your servants, or shall I?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If she is not dead, tell Robert to carry her into my room.
+Oh, Dr. Grey, you will not let her die!&#8221;</p>
+<p>As she looked up imploringly into his calm, noble face, she
+met his earnest gaze, brimming with compassion and sympathy,
+and her lips and chin quivered.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Trust your God, and have faith in me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He went out to assist in removing his patient, and when
+they had carried the mattress and its occupant into the room
+opposite the parlor and laid it on the carpet near the window,
+he had the satisfaction of observing a favorable change in
+Elsie&#8217;s condition. While he stood by a table preparing some
+medicine, Robert stole up, and asked:</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you notice any improvement? She groaned twice on
+the road, and once I am sure she opened her eyes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I think that very soon she will be able to speak, for
+her pulse is gaining strength every hour.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How did my mistress take it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She was much shocked and grieved. Maclean, where are
+her friends and relatives?&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was no reply, and, glancing over his shoulder to repeat
+the inquiry, Dr. Grey saw Mrs. Gerome leaning against
+the door.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Robert, have you killed her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, no, ma&#8217;am! She is doing very well, the doctor says.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She crossed the room, and sat down on the edge of the
+mattress, taking one of the large brown hands in both of hers
+and bending her face over the pillow.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_149' name='page_149'></a>149</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie! mother! Elsie, speak to your poor child!&#8221;</p>
+<p>That wailing voice pierced the stupor, and Dr. Grey was
+surprised to see the woman&#8217;s eyes unclose and rest wonderingly
+upon the countenance hovering over her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear Elsie, don&#8217;t you know me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, my bairn. What ails you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She spoke indistinctly, and shut her eyes once more, as if
+exhausted.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If she was in her coffin, I verily believe she would rise,
+if she heard your voice calling her,&#8221; said Robert, wiping away
+the tears of joy that trickled across his sunburnt cheeks.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey stooped to put his finger on Elsie&#8217;s pulse, and
+Mrs. Gerome threw herself down on the carpet, and buried her
+face in the pillow, where her silver hair mingled with the
+grizzled locks that straggled from beneath the old woman&#8217;s
+torn lace cap.</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XII' id='CHAPTER_XII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Well, Ulpian, are you convinced that &#8216;Solitude&#8217; is an
+unlucky place, and that misfortune dogs the steps of all who
+make it a home? Once you laughed at my &#8216;superstition.&#8217;
+What think you now, my wiseacre?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My opinion has not changed, except that each time I see
+the place I admire it more and more; and, were it for sale,
+I should certainly purchase it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not with the expectation of living there?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Most assuredly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane had suspended for a moment the swift clicking
+of her knitting-needles in order to hear her brother&#8217;s reply,
+and now she rejoined, almost sharply,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You will do no such silly thing while there is breath left
+in my body to protest, or to persuade. Pooh! you only talk
+to tease me; for five grains of observation and common sense
+will teach you that there is a curse hanging over that old
+piratical nest.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dear Janet, when headstrong drivers persist in carrying a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_150' name='page_150'></a>150</span>
+pair of fiery, vicious horses into the midst of a procession of
+wild beasts that would have scared even your sober dull
+Dapples out of their lazy jog-trot, it is not at all surprising
+that snapped harness, broken carriage, torn flesh, and strained
+joints should attest the folly of the experiment. The accident
+occurred not far from my office, which is haunted by
+nothing worse than your harmless sailor-boy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;All very fine, my blue-eyed oracle, but I notice that the
+horses belonging to &#8216;Solitude&#8217; were the only ones that made
+mischief and came to grief; and I promise you that all the
+hawsers in Gosport Navy-Yard will never drag me inside the
+doomed place. How is your patient? If you expect her to
+get well, you had better take a &#8216;superstitious&#8217; old woman&#8217;s
+counsel, and send her away from that valley of Jehoshaphat.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am very sorry to tell you that she was more seriously
+hurt than I was at first inclined to believe. Her spine was so
+badly injured that although there is no danger of immediate
+death, she will never be able to sit up or walk again. She
+may linger many months, possibly years; but must, as long
+as life lasts, remain a bed-ridden cripple. It is one of the
+saddest cases I have had to deal with during my professional
+career; and Elsie Maclean bears her sufferings with such noble
+fortitude, such genuine Christian patience, coupled with stern
+Scotch heroism, that I cannot withhold my admiration and
+earnest sympathy. Yesterday I held a consultation with four
+physicians, and, when we told her the hopelessness of her
+condition, she received the announcement without even a sigh,
+and seemed only to dread that instead of an assistant she
+might prove a burden to her mistress.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She appears to be a very important personage in the
+household.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; she is Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s nurse, housekeeper, and counsellor,&mdash;and
+I have rarely seen such warm affection as exists
+between them. I wish, Janet, that you were strong enough
+to call at &#8216;Solitude,&#8217; for its mistress leads a lonely, secluded
+life, and must require some society.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_151' name='page_151'></a>151</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;But, Ulpian, I hear strange things about her, and it is
+hinted that she is deranged.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your knowledge of human nature should teach you how
+little truth is generally found in the floating <i>on dits</i> of social
+circles.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long has she been widowed?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do not know, but presume that her affliction has not
+been very recent, as she wears no mourning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If she has discarded widow&#8217;s weeds, and dresses in colors,
+why should she taboo society, and make herself the town-talk
+by refusing to receive even the clergy and their wives? She
+has lived here ten months, and I understand from Dolly
+Spiewell that not a soul has ever seen her. Of course such
+eccentricities provoke gossip and tickle the tongue of scandal,
+and if the world can&#8217;t find out the real cause of such conduct,
+it very industriously sets to work and manufactures one.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which, in my humble opinion, constitutes a piece of unwarrantable
+impertinence on the part of meddling Mrs.
+Grundy. The world might be more profitably engaged in
+mending its own tortuous and mendacious ways, and allowing
+poor solitary wretches to fondle their whims and caprices.
+If Mrs. Gerome does not choose to receive visitors, what right
+has the public to grumble, or even discuss the matter?&#8221;</p>
+<p>As Salome spoke, she plunged her stiletto vigorously into a
+piece of cambric, and her thin lip curled contemptuously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Abstractly true, my dear child; but, from the beginning
+of time, people have meddled; and, since gossip she must,
+even Eve chatted too freely with serpents. Besides, since we
+are in the world, we should not turn eremites, and bristle
+at the sight of one of our own race; for society has a few
+laws that are inexorable,&mdash;that cannot be violated without
+subjecting the offender to being stung to death by venomous
+tongues; and one of these statutes is, that all shall see and
+be seen, shall talk and be talked about, and shall visit and
+be visited. When a woman unaccountably turns recluse, she
+is at the mercy of public imagination, stimulated by disappointed
+curiosity; and very soon the verdict goes forth that
+she is either deformed or deranged.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_152' name='page_152'></a>152</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;I dispute the prerogative of the public to dictate in such
+matters, and I shall rebel whenever it presumes to lay even a
+little finger across my path. What, pray tell me, is the world,
+but an aggregation of persons like you and me, and what
+possible concern can you or I have with the fact that Mrs.
+Gerome burrows like a mole, beyond our sight? If she sees
+fit to found a modern sect of Troglodytes, I can&#8217;t understand
+that the wheels of society are thereby scotched, or that the
+public has a shadow of right to raise a hue-and-cry and strive
+to unearth her, as if she were a fox, a catamount, or a gopher.
+It is useless for society to constitute itself a turning-lathe for
+rounding off all individual angularities, and grinding people
+down to dull uniformity until they are as indistinguishable
+as a bag of unpainted marbles or of black-eyed peas; and,
+if God had intended that we should all invariably think, feel,
+and act after one pattern, He would have populated the world
+with Siamese twins; whereas, the first couple that were born
+on earth were so dissimilar that all the universe was not wide
+enough to hold them both, and manslaughter began when the
+race only numbered a quartette. If mankind had not arrogated
+the privilege of being its &#8216;brother&#8217;s keeper,&#8217; it would
+never have been forced to deny the fact. I admire the honesty
+and truth with which Alexander Smith bravely confessed, &#8216;I
+love a little eccentricity; I respect honest prejudices. It is
+high time, it seems to me, that a moral game-law were passed
+for the preservation of the wild and vagrant feelings of human
+nature.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That is a dangerous doctrine, my dear child, especially
+for a woman to entertain; because custom rules us with an
+iron rod, and flays us alive if we contravene her decrees.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I should be exceedingly glad to learn by what authority
+or process Truth is provided with sex? Are some orthodox
+doctrines female and others male? Why have not we women
+as clear a right to any given set of principles as men? Truth
+is as much my property as that of the Czar of Russia, and,
+if I choose to lay hold of any special province of it, why must
+I perforce be dragged to the whipping-post of custom, simply
+because by an accident I am called Susan or Hepzibah instead
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_153' name='page_153'></a>153</span>
+of Peter or Lazarus? So long as my convictions of
+truth (which custom brands as vagaries) are innocuous, I
+have a perfect and inalienable right to indulge them; but the
+instant I become pestiferous to society, let me be consigned
+to the tender mercies of strait-jacket and insane-asylum
+regimen. If I creep quietly along my own intellectual and
+ethical trail, taking heed not to touch the sensitive toes of
+custom, why should it ungenerously insist upon bruising
+mine? My seer was right when he boldly declared, &#8216;The
+world has stood long enough under the drill of Adjutant
+<ins title='Guessed at end quote position'>Fashion.&#8217;</ins> It is hard work, the posture is wearisome, and
+Fashion is an awful martinet, and has a quick eye, and comes
+down mercilessly on the unfortunate wight who can not
+square his toes to the approved pattern. It is killing work.
+Suppose we try &#8216;standing at ease&#8217; for a little while? Wherefore,
+custom to the contrary notwithstanding, I contend that
+Mrs. Gerome has as indisputable a right to refuse admittance
+to Rev. Mrs. Spiewell as any anchorite of the Nitrian Sands
+to decline receiving a bevy of inquisitive European belles.
+If society rules like Russia or Turkey, then am I a candidate
+for knout and bastinado. I do not wish to be unwomanly,
+and honesty and candor are not necessarily unfeminine,
+because some coarse, rough-handed, bold-eyed woman
+has possibly rendered them unpopular.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane laid down her knitting, folded her hands, and,
+as she watched the girl, her emotions were probably similar
+to those that agitate some meek and staid hen, who, leading
+a young brood of ducks from her nest, suddenly beholds them
+displaying their aquatic proclivities by plunging into the
+horse-pond, and performing all the evolutions of a regatta.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, child, I fear you think too little of what you wish or
+intend to make yourself!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Only have patience, Miss Jane, and some day I will show
+you all the graces of Griselda and Gudrun the second. Dr.
+Grey, have you seen Mrs. Gerome?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes,&mdash;on two occasions.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is she not the most extraordinary and puzzling person
+you ever looked at?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_154' name='page_154'></a>154</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;When and where could you have met her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For a few minutes only, last winter, I saw her on the
+beach, near &#8216;Solitude.&#8217; We exchanged a half-dozen words,
+and she left an impression on my mind which all time will
+not efface. Since that evening I have frequently endeavored
+to surprise her on the same spot, but only once I succeeded
+in catching a glimpse of a blue shawl that fluttered in the
+distance. She seemed to me a beautiful, pale priestess, consecrated
+to the ministry of the shrine of sorrow; and, when
+I hear snubbed-dom sneering at her, and remember the hopeless
+expression with which her wonderful, homeless eyes
+looked out across that grey, silent sea,&mdash;I cannot avoid thinking
+that she is very wise in barring her doors, and heeding
+the advice of Montenebi, &#8216;<i>Complain not of thy woes to the
+public: they will no more pity thee than birds of prey pity
+the wounded deer</i>.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My acquaintance with Mrs. Gerome is too slight to warrant
+the utterance of an opinion relative to her idiosyncrasies,
+but I am afraid cynicism rather than grief immures
+her from society. Her prematurely white hair and the remarkable
+pallor of her smooth complexion combine to render
+her appearance piquant and unnatural; and, certainly, there
+is something in her face strangely suggestive of old Norse
+myths, mystery, and magic. Her features, when analyzed,
+prove faultlessly regular, but her life is out of tune, and the
+expression of her countenance mars what would otherwise be
+perfect beauty. I can, in some degree, describe the impression
+she produced upon me by quoting the lines that were
+suggested when I saw her this morning, standing by Elsie
+Maclean&#8217;s bed,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;I saw a vision of a woman, where<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Night and new morning strive for domination;<br />
+Incomparably pale, and almost fair,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And sad beyond expression.<br />
+Her eyes were like some fire-enshrining gem,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Were stately, like the stars, and yet were tender;<br />
+Her figure charmed me, like a windy stem,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Quivering, and drooped, and slender.<br />
+She measured measureless sorrow toward its length<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And breadth, and depth, and height.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_155' name='page_155'></a>155</span></div>
+<p>Salome looked up from the eyelet she was working, but Dr.
+Grey had turned his head towards his sister who had fallen
+asleep in her chair, and the orphan could not see his face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome must have been very young when she married,
+and&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush! Janet looks so weary that I want her to have a
+long nap, and our voices might disturb her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took his hat and gloves and left the room, and Salome
+forgot her embroidery and fell into a reverie that proved
+neither pleasant nor profitable, and lasted until Miss Jane
+awoke.</p>
+<p>In the afternoon of the following day, when the orphan
+returned from her clandestine visit to the Italian musician,
+she saw an unusual number of persons on the front gallery,
+and found that the long-expected party from New York had
+arrived during her absence. Miss Jane was talking to the
+governess&mdash;a meek-looking, but exceedingly handsome woman,
+of twenty-seven or eight years, with fair hair and quiet brown
+eyes; and every detail of her dress, speech, and bearing averred
+that Edith Dexter was no humble scion of proletariat. Her
+polished yet reserved manners bespoke high birth and aristocratic
+associations; but something in the composed, sad
+countenance, in the listless drooping of the pretty head, hinted
+that she had long since spilt the rosy sparkling foam of her
+cup of life, and was patiently drinking its muddy lees.</p>
+<p>On the upper step sat Dr. Grey, with his arm encircling the
+form of his ward, whose head rested very confidingly against
+his shoulder. Muriel Manton was dressed in deep mourning,
+and had evidently been weeping, for her guardian was tenderly
+wiping the tears from her cheek when Salome came up
+the avenue; and, with a keen, jealous pang that she had never
+felt before, the latter scanned the stranger&#8217;s claims to beauty.</p>
+<p>Very black eyes, brilliant complexion, and fine teeth, she
+certainly possessed; but her features were rather coarse; her
+mouth was much too large for classic requirements; and
+Salome was rejoiced to find her nose indisputably <i>retroussé</i>.</p>
+<p>Years hence she would doubtless be a large, well-formed,
+commanding woman, who could exhibit Lyons silk or Genoese
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_156' name='page_156'></a>156</span>
+velvet to the best advantage, and would be considered a fine-looking,
+rosy, robust personage; but at present the face, which
+from under a small straw hat anxiously watched hers, was
+infinitely handsomer, more attractive, more delicate, and intellectual;
+and the miller&#8217;s child felt that she had little to
+apprehend from the merely personal charms of the wealthy
+ward.</p>
+<p>Salome felt injured as she eyed the doctor&#8217;s arm, which
+had never touched even her shoulder; and it was painful and
+humiliating to notice the affectionate manner in which his
+hand stroked one of Muriel&#8217;s that lay on his knee,&mdash;and to
+remember that his fingers had not met hers in a friendly
+grasp since long before his visit to Europe,&mdash;had only clasped
+hers twice during their acquaintance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come in, Salome, and let me introduce you to my ward
+Muriel, and to Miss Dexter, who is prepared to receive you as
+a pupil.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Muriel silently held out her hand; but Salome only bowed
+and <ins title='Was run'>ran</ins> lightly up the steps, as if she did not perceive the
+outstretched fingers. Miss Dexter rose and advanced to meet
+her, saying, in a tone that indexed great kindness of heart,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am exceedingly glad to meet you, Miss Salome; for
+Dr. Grey has promised that I shall find in you a most exemplary
+and agreeable pupil.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. I am indeed glad to hear that he has
+changed his opinion of me; and I must endeavor not to lose
+my newly acquired amiable character,&mdash;but he was rather
+rash to stand security for my good behavior.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She saw that Dr. Grey was surprised at her cold reception
+of his pet and <i>protegé</i>, and perversity took possession of her.
+Going to the back of Miss Jane&#8217;s old-fashioned rocking-chair
+she put her arms around her, and, leaning over, kissed her
+cheek several times. It was not her habit to caress any one
+or any thing,&mdash;not even her little brother,&mdash;and this unusual
+demonstrativeness puzzled and surprised the old lady
+who said, fondly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I presume Ulpian is brave enough to encounter all the
+risks of standing security for your obedience and docility.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_157' name='page_157'></a>157</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly I appreciate his chivalry, since none knows
+better than he the danger&mdash;nay, probability, of a forfeiture
+of the contract on my part.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey rose, and, looking steadily at her, said, in a tone
+which she well understood,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Promises are, in my estimation, peculiarly sacred things;
+and that which I made to Miss Dexter in your behalf was
+based upon one that I gave you some time since, namely, that
+I would have faith in you. Come with me, Muriel; I want to
+show you and Miss Dexter the finest cow this side of Ayrshire,
+and some sheep that are handsome enough to compare favorably
+with the best that ever browsed in the &#8216;Court of Lions.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took his ward&#8217;s hand and led her away to the cattle-yard,
+whither Miss Dexter accompanied them.</p>
+<p>As Salome looked after the trio her eyes flashed and scarlet
+spots burned on her cheeks, while a feeling of suffocation oppressed
+her heart.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why will you vex him, when you know that he tries so
+hard to like you?&#8221; asked Miss Jane in a distressed tone,
+stroking the girl&#8217;s hot face, as she spoke.</p>
+<p>The head was instantly lifted beyond her reach, and the
+answer came swiftly, sharp and defiant,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you mean to say that it is so extremely difficult for
+him to tolerate me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are obliged to know that you are not one of his
+favorites, like that sweet-tempered Muriel, to whom he seems
+so warmly attached; and it is all your own fault, for he was
+disposed to like you when he first came home. Ulpian loves
+quiet and amiable people, who are never rude and snappish;
+and it appears to me that you are trying to see how hateful
+and spiteful you can be. Why upon earth did you not shake
+hands with those strangers, and treat them politely?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because I don&#8217;t choose to be hypocritical,&mdash;and I don&#8217;t
+like Miss Muriel Manton.&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;Nonsense!</ins> Stuff! I only wish you were half as well-bred
+and courteous, and lady-like.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you, really? Then, to be obedient and, oblige you,
+when they come back, I will imitate her example, and throw
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_158' name='page_158'></a>158</span>
+myself into Dr. Grey&#8217;s arms, and rub my cheek against his
+shoulder, and fondle his hands. If this be &#8216;lady-like,&#8217; then,
+indeed, I penitently cry &#8216;<i>peccavi!</i>&#8217; and promise that in future
+you shall not have cause to complain of me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pooh, pooh, child! What ails you? Muriel has known
+Ulpian all her life, and looks upon him now as her father.
+He has petted her since she was a little girl, and loves her
+almost as well as if she were his child, instead of his ward.
+You know she is an orphan; and it is very natural for her to
+cling to her guardian, who was for a great many years her
+father&#8217;s most intimate friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;We are both orphans, and she is certainly not my junior,
+yet your propriety would be shocked if I behaved as she does.
+Where is Stanley?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Studying his geography lesson, with the assistance of the
+globe, in the library. What do you want with him?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am going to the beach, and wish him to walk with me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is too late for you to start for the seaside, and, moreover,
+it would appear very discourteous in you to absent yourself
+the first evening that these strangers spend here. Ulpian
+would be displeased.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;According to your statement a few minutes since, that is
+his chronic condition, as far as I am concerned; and, as I
+do not belong to the mimosa species, I think I may brave his
+frowns.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That is not the worst you have to apprehend. Child, I
+think it would be bitter indeed, to bear Ulpian Grey&#8217;s contempt.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall take care not to deserve it; and Dr. Grey never
+forgets to be just.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear little girl, what right have you to be jealous of
+his love for his young ward?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The flame that was slowly dying out of her face leaped up
+fiercer than before, and she crimsoned to the edges of her
+hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Jealous! Good heavens, Miss Jane, you must be dreaming!
+I merely question the taste that allows his &#8216;lady-like&#8217;
+favorite to caress him so openly, and should not have expressed
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_159' name='page_159'></a>159</span>
+my disapprobation so strongly if you had not rated
+me soundly, and held her up as a model for my humble imitation.
+If she and her governess are to stir up strife between
+you and me, I shall heartily wish them a speedy passage to
+Halifax or heaven. Beyond all peradventure I shall get
+murderously jealous if you dare to give this sloe-eyed, peony-faced
+girl, my place in your dear old heart. She, of course,
+will fondle her guardian as much as she pleases, or as often
+as he sees fit to allow; but woe unto her if I catch her hands
+and lips about you, my dearest and best friend! Don&#8217;t scold
+me and praise her, or some fine day I shall jump at and
+strangle her, which you know would not be &#8216;well-bred&#8217; or
+&#8216;lady-like,&#8217; much less moral and Christian.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She almost smothered the old lady in her arms, and kissed
+her several times.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What has stirred up the evil spirit in you? You look
+as wicked as your mother Herodias, thirsting for the blood
+of John the Baptist; or as Jezebel plotting against the
+prophet&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And telling me that like her I am &#8216;going to the dogs&#8217;
+is not the surest way to reform me. Stanley! Stanley! get
+your hat and come here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your awful temper will be your ruin if you don&#8217;t put a
+curb-bit on it. See here, Salome, don&#8217;t be so utterly silly
+and childish! I do not wish you to go to the sea-shore this
+evening.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Please, Miss Jane, don&#8217;t order me to stay at home, because,
+then of course, I should feel bound to obey you, and I
+should not behave prettily, and you would wish me at the
+bottom of the sea, instead of on its brink. Let me go, and I
+will come back cool as a cucumber, and well-behaved as Miss
+Muriel Manton. Please don&#8217;t prohibit me; and I promise I
+will lose my evil spirit in the sea, like that Gergesene wretch
+that haunted the tombs. Here comes Stanley. Don&#8217;t shake
+your head. I am off.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane would not receive the proffered farewell kiss,
+but tears gathered and dimmed her eyes as she looked after
+the graceful, girlish figure, swiftly crossing the lawn; and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_160' name='page_160'></a>160</span>
+sad forebodings filled her affectionate heart when she thought
+of the unknown future that stretched before that impetuous,
+jealous, imperious nature.</p>
+<p>Anxious that the strangers should feel thoroughly welcome
+and at home, she joined them as soon as possible after their
+return from the sheepfold, and exerted herself to keep the
+shuttlecock of conversation in constant motion; but her
+brother&#8217;s watchful eyes discerned the perturbed feeling she
+sought to hide; and, when she insisted, for the first time in
+two years, upon taking her seat and presiding at the tea-table,
+he busied himself in arranging her cushions comfortably,
+and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How good and considerate you are, my precious sister.
+A thousand thanks for this generous effort, which I trust will
+not fatigue you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He placed himself opposite, and was about to ask a blessing
+on the meal, but paused to inquire,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where are the children, Salome and Stanley?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;They have gone down to the beach, and we will not wait
+for them.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Soon after, Muriel said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I think Salome is almost beautiful. She has splendid
+eyes and hair. Miss Edith, does she not remind you of a
+piece of sculpture at Naples?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I noticed a resemblance to the <i>Julia-Agrippina</i>, and
+the likeness must be remarkable, since it impressed us simultaneously.
+Salome&#8217;s brow is fuller, and her chin more
+prominent than that of the Roman woman we admired so
+ardently; and, besides, I should judge that she had quite as
+much or more will than the daughter of Germanicus, for her
+lips are thinner.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey changed the topic of conversation, and Miss Dexter
+courteously followed the cue.</p>
+<p>The moon was high in heaven when Salome and her brother
+came up the avenue; and, observing that the lights were extinguished
+in the front rooms, she surmised that the new-comers
+had retired very early, in consequence of fatigue from their
+long journey. Sending Stanley to bed, she sat down on the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_161' name='page_161'></a>161</span>
+steps to rest a few moments before going upstairs, and began
+to fan herself with her straw hat.</p>
+<p>She had grown very calm, and almost ashamed of her passionate
+ebullition in the presence of strangers; and numerous
+good resolutions were sending out fibrous roots in her heart.
+How long she rested there she knew not, and started when
+<ins title='Removed extra word, he'>Dr. Grey</ins> said, in a subdued voice,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I am waiting to lock the door, and should be glad
+if you will come in now, or be careful to secure the inner bolt
+whenever you do. As I always shut up the house, I was
+afraid you might not think of it; and burglaries are becoming
+alarmingly frequent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She rose instantly, and entered the hall.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What time is it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Eleven o&#8217;clock.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it possible? You know, sir, that the evenings are very
+short now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He was removing a chair from the gallery and closing the
+Venetian blinds, and she could not see his face. Hoping to
+receive some friendly look, which she was painfully aware she
+did not deserve, she loitered till he turned around.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, have you a light in your room?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do not know, but suppose so.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;There are two candles in the library, and you had better
+take one, rather than stumble along in the dark and wake
+everybody.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He brought out one, and handed it to her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. Good-night, Dr. Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good-night, Salome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The candle-light showed no displeasure in his countenance,
+which was calm as usual, and there was not a hint of
+harshness in his unwontedly low voice; but she read disappointment
+in his grave, kind eyes. She knew that she
+could not sleep until she had made her peace with him; and,
+though it cost her a great effort to conquer her pride, she said,
+humbly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_162' name='page_162'></a>162</span>
+seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent,&mdash;thou
+shalt forgive him.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; but the frequency of the offence renders it difficult
+to believe the repentance genuine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Christ, your master, did not doubt it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am less than the disciples whom he addressed; and they
+answered, &#8216;Increase our faith.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You did not pray for me this morning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I never neglect my promises. Why do you doubt that I
+fulfilled them this morning?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;This has been one of my sinful days, when Satan runs
+rough-shod over all my good intentions, and drags me through
+the mire that I was trying to hold my soul far above. I tell
+you, sir, that the &#8216;unclean spirit&#8217; that vexed the daughter of
+the Syroph&oelig;nician woman was mild, and harmless, and well-mannered,
+in comparison with the demon that takes bodily
+possession of me, and whose name is not &#8216;<i>Suset</i>&#8217;! but a fearful
+<i>Ruach</i> demanding the ban <i>Cherem</i>. I once thought all
+that part of Scripture which referred to the casting out of
+devils was metaphorical; but I know better now; for the one
+that Luther assaulted with his inkstand was not more palpable
+than that which enters into my heart every now and
+then, and overturns the altars of the &#8216;true, good, and beautiful,&#8217;
+and sets up instead a small hall of Eblis, as full of
+horrible, mis-shapen things as that hideous &#8216;Last Judgment&#8217;
+of Orcagna, in the Campo Santo at Pisa, which you once
+showed me in a portfolio of engravings. Oh, Dr. Grey! you
+ought to be merciful to me; for indeed God gave me a fearfully
+wicked and cunning spirit for a perpetual companion
+and tempter. Even Christ had Lucifer and Quarantina.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, and conquered both, and promised assistance to all
+who earnestly desire and resolve to follow his example.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You cannot forgive my rudeness?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The act of incivility was very slight; but, my young
+friend, the unaccountable perversity of your character certainly
+fills my mind with serious apprehension concerning
+your future. Of course, I can very readily forgive the occasion
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_163' name='page_163'></a>163</span>
+that displayed it, but I cannot entirely forget the spirit
+that distresses me when I least expect it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you will dismiss this afternoon from your mind, I
+will never&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stop! Make me no more promises till you are strong
+enough to keep them inviolate. Promise less and pray more;
+I am not angry, but I am disappointed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She drooped her head to avoid his grave, sad gaze, and for
+a moment there was silence.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, will you shake hands with me, in token of
+pardon?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly, if you wish it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took her hand in both of his, pressed it kindly, and said,
+in a low, solemn tone,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good-night, Salome. May God guide, and strengthen,
+and help you to be the noble woman, the consistent Christian,
+which only His grace and blessing can ever enable you to become.
+Remember the cheering words of Jean Paul Richter,
+&#8216;Evil is like the nightmare, the instant you bestir yourself
+it has already ended.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XIII' id='CHAPTER_XIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, have you had any conversation with Salome?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Upon what subject?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you talked with her concerning her studies?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not recently. Soon after Muriel and Miss Dexter came,
+I mentioned to her the fact that I should be glad to see her
+enter a class with Muriel and pursue the same studies, and
+that such an arrangement would be entirely agreeable to Miss
+Dexter; but she declined the proposition, saying she would
+only trouble the latter to teach her Italian. Do you know
+why she is so anxious to acquire that language?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; to tell you the truth, I know less and less every day
+about her actions, for the child has suddenly grown very
+reserved. This morning she was walking up and down the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_164' name='page_164'></a>164</span>
+library with her hands behind her and her eyes looking as if
+they were travelling to Jericho or Jeddo, and when I asked
+her why she was so unusually silent, she snapped like a toy-torpedo,
+&#8216;I am silent because this is one of my wicked days,
+and I am fighting the devil; and if I open my lips I shall
+say something that will give him the victory.&#8217; I held out
+my hand to her and begged her to come and sit by me and
+tell me what troubled or tempted her,&mdash;and what do you
+suppose she said?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Something, I am afraid, that I shall be sorry to hear you
+repeat.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She laid her hand on her heart and answered, &#8216;You are
+very good, Miss Jane, but you can no more help me than the
+disciples could relieve that wretch whom only Christ healed.&#8217;
+&#8216;<i>This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.</i>&#8217; Whereupon,
+she snatched a book from the table and left the room.
+I did not see her for several hours, and when I met her in
+the hall, a few moments since, I said, &#8216;Well, dear, which won
+the victory, sin or my little girl?&#8217; She put her hands on my
+shoulders, laughed bitterly, and answered, &#8216;It was a drawn
+battle. Neither has much to boast of, and we lie on our
+arms watching&mdash;nay, glaring at each other. Let me be quiet
+a little while, and don&#8217;t ask me about <ins title='Added quote'>it.&#8217;&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>&#8220;Can you conjecture the cause of the present trouble?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have a suspicion.&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Removed quote'>Miss</ins> Jane paused, sighed, and frowned.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I should think you might persuade her to confide in you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pooh! Persuade her? I would quite as soon undertake
+to persuade the Andes to dance a jig as attempt to discover
+what she has determined not to divulge. If you knew her as
+well as I do, you would appreciate the uselessness of trying to
+persuade her to do anything. But you men never see what lies
+right under your noses, and I believe if you lived in the same
+house with that child for five years longer you would understand
+her as little as you do to-day. Ulpian, shut the door,
+and sit down here close to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey complied; and, laying her shrunken hand on her
+brother&#8217;s knee, Miss Jane said, hesitatingly,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_165' name='page_165'></a>165</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;My dear boy, I don&#8217;t know whether I ought to tell you,
+and, indeed, I do not see my way clearly; but you seem so unsuspecting
+that I think it is my duty to talk to you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray come to the point, dear Janet. Your exordium is
+very tantalizing. Tell me frankly what disturbs you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It pains me to call your attention to a fact that I know
+cannot fail to produce annoyance.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He put his arm around her, and, drawing her head to his
+shoulder, answered, tenderly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My precious sister, I have seen for some days that you
+were perplexed and anxious, but I abstained from questioning
+you because I felt assured whenever you deemed it best to confide
+in me, you would voluntarily unburden your heart. Now
+lay all your troubles upon me, and keep back nothing. Has
+Salome grieved you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, the child does not intend to grieve me! Ulpian,
+can&#8217;t you imagine what makes her unhappy, and restless, and
+contrary?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is very wayward, passionate, and obstinate, and any
+restraint upon her whims is peculiarly irksome and intolerable
+to her; but I believe she is really striving to correct the unfortunate
+defects in her character. She evidently dislikes our
+guests, and this proves a continual source of disquiet to her;
+for, while she endeavors to treat them courteously, I can see
+that she would be excessively rude if she dared to indulge her
+antipathies.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you know why she dislikes Muriel so intensely?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; I cannot even conjecture. Muriel is very amiable
+and affectionate, and seems disposed to become very fond of
+Salome, if she would only encourage her advances. Can you
+explain the mystery?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you were not as blind as a mole, or the fish in Mammoth
+Cave, you would see that Salome is insanely jealous of
+your affection for your ward, and that is the cause of all the
+trouble.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is unreasonable and absurd in her to entertain such
+feelings; and, moreover, she has no right to cherish any
+jealousy towards my ward.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_166' name='page_166'></a>166</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Unreasonable! Yes, quite true; but did you ever know
+a woman to be very reasonable concerning the man she loves?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey&#8217;s quiet face flushed, and he rose instantly, looking
+incredulous and embarrassed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Surely, my dear sister, you do not intend to insinuate, or
+desire me to infer, that Salome has any&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He paused, bit his lip, and walked to the window.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I mean to say, in plain Anglo-Saxon, and I desire you to
+understand, that Salome is no longer a child; and that she
+loves you, my dear boy, better than she will ever love any other
+human being. These things are very strange, indeed, and
+girls&#8217; whims baffle all rules and disappoint all reasonable expectations;
+but, nevertheless, it does no good to shut your eyes
+to facts that are as clear as daylight. It is not a sudden
+freak that has seized the poor child; it has grown upon her,
+almost without her understanding herself; but I discovered it
+the day that you left home so unexpectedly for New York.
+Her distress betrayed her real feelings; and, since then, I have
+watched her, and can see how completely her thoughts centre
+in you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Janet, I hope you mistake her! I cannot believe it
+possible, for I recall nothing in her conduct that justifies your
+supposition; and I do not think I lack penetration. If she
+were really interested in me, as you imagine, she certainly
+would not thrust so prominently and constantly before me
+faults of character which she well knows I cannot tolerate.
+Moreover, my dear sister, consider the disparity in our years,
+the incompatibility of our tastes and habits, and the improbability
+that a handsome young girl should cherish any feeling
+stronger than esteem or friendship for a staid man of my age!
+No, no; it is too incredible to be entertained, and I am sorry
+you ever suggested such an annoying chimera to me. Salome
+is rather a singular compound, I willingly admit, but I acquit
+her of the folly you seem inclined to impute to her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey walked up and down the library floor, and, as
+his sister watched him, a sad smile trembled over her thin,
+wrinkled face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, you are considerably younger than our poor
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_167' name='page_167'></a>167</span>
+father was when he married a beautiful creature not one
+month older than Salome is to-day. Will you sit in judgment
+on your own young mother?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nay, Janet; the parallelism is not as apparent as you
+imagine, for my manner toward Salome has been calculated
+to check and chill any sentiment analogous to that which my
+father sought to win from my mother. Pray, do not press
+upon me a surmise which is indescribably painful to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He resumed his seat, and, thrusting his fingers through his
+hair, leaned his head on his open hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear boy, if true, why should it prove indescribably
+painful to you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Cannot your womanly intuitions spare me an explicit
+reply?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; speak frankly to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No man of honor&mdash;no man who has any delicacy or refinement
+of feeling&mdash;can fail to be distressed and annoyed by
+the thought that he has unintentionally and unconsciously
+aroused in a woman&#8217;s heart an interest which he cannot possibly
+reciprocate.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But, if you have never considered the subject until now,
+how do you know that you may not be able to return the
+affection?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because, when I examine my own heart, I find not even
+the germ of a feeling which years might possibly ripen into
+love.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you candidly answer the question I am about to ask
+you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I think I can safely promise that much, simply because
+I wish to conceal nothing from you; and I cannot conjecture
+any inquiry on your part from which I should shrink.
+What would you ask?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it because you are interested in some other woman,
+that you speak so positively of the hopelessness of my poor
+Salome&#8217;s case?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, my sister; no woman has any claim or hold on my
+heart stronger than that of mere friendship. I have never
+loved any one as I must love the woman I make my wife; and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_168' name='page_168'></a>168</span>
+since I have seen and merely admired so many who were attractive,
+lovely, and lovable, I often think that I shall probably
+never marry.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8216;For several virtues</p>
+<p class='cg'>I have liked several women; never any<br />
+With so full a soul, but some defect in her<br />
+Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owned,<br />
+And put it to a foil.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Of course this is a matter with reference to which I shall not
+dogmatize, for we are all more or less the victims of caprice;
+and, like other men, I may some day set the imperious feet of
+fancy upon the neck of judgment and sound reason. As yet,
+I have not met the perfect character whom I could ask to
+bear my name; still, I may be so fortunate as either to find my
+ideal, or imagine that I do; or else become so earnestly attached
+to some beautiful woman, that, for her sake, I will
+willingly lower my lofty standard. These are the merest
+possible contingencies, and I have little inclination to discuss
+them; but I wish at all times to be entirely frank with you.
+Salome would never suit me as a life-long companion. She
+meets none of the requirements of my intellectual nature, and
+her perverse disposition, and what might almost be termed
+<i>diablerie</i>, repel instead of attracting me. I pity the child, and
+can sympathize cordially with her efforts to redeem herself
+from the luckless associations of earlier years that wofully
+distorted her character; and I can truly say that I am interested
+in her welfare and improvement, and have a faint
+brotherly affection for her; but I thoroughly comprehend my
+own feelings when I assure you, Janet, that were Salome and
+I left alone in the world I could never for a moment entertain
+the idea of calling such a wayward child my wife. Are
+you satisfied?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Convinced, at least, that you are not deceiving me. But,
+Ulpian, the girl is growing very beautiful&mdash;don&#8217;t you think
+so?&mdash;or, is it my love that makes me see her through flattering
+lenses?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Her lips are too thin, and her eyes too keen and restless
+for perfect beauty, which claims repose as one of its essential
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_169' name='page_169'></a>169</span>
+elements; but, notwithstanding these flaws, she has undoubtedly
+one of the handsomest faces I have ever seen, and
+certainly a graceful, fine figure.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And you are such an admirer of beauty,&#8221; said Miss Jane,
+slipping her fingers caressingly into her brother&#8217;s hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I shall not deny that I yield to no one in appreciation
+of lovely faces; but, if I am aware that, like some rich
+crimson June rose whose calyx cradles a worm, the heart
+beneath the perfect form is gnawed by some evil tendency, or
+shelters vindictive passion and sinful impulses, I should certainly
+not select it in making up the precious bouquet that is
+to shed perfume and beauty in my home, and call my thoughts
+from the din and strife of the outer world to holiness and
+peace.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have no mercy on the child.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I ought to have no mercy on glaring faults which she
+should ere this have corrected.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But she is so young&mdash;only seventeen! Think of it!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey frowned, and partially withdrew his hand from
+his sister&#8217;s clasp.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Janet, you grieve me. Surely you are not pleading with
+me in behalf of Salome?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Tears trickled over Miss Jane&#8217;s sallow cheeks and dripped
+on the doctor&#8217;s hand, as she replied,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Bear with me, Ulpian. The girl is very dear to me; and,
+loving you as she unquestionably does, I know that you could
+make her a noble, admirable woman,&mdash;for she has some fine
+traits, and your influence would perfect her character. Believe
+me, my dear boy, you, and you only, can remould her
+heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Possibly,&mdash;if I loved her; for then I would be patient
+and forbearing towards her faults. But I cannot even respect
+that handsome, fiery, impulsive, unreasonable child, much less
+love her; and, if I ever marry, my wife must be worthy to
+remould my own defective life and erring nature. I am surprised,
+my dear sister, that you, whose sincere affection I can
+not doubt, should be willing to see me link my life with that
+of one so much younger, and, I grieve to say it, so far inferior
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_170' name='page_170'></a>170</span>
+in all respects. What congenial companionship could
+I promise myself? What confidence could I repose&mdash;what
+esteem could I entertain&mdash;for a silly girl, who, without warrant
+and utterly unsought, bestows her love (if, indeed, what
+you say be true) upon a man who never even dreamed of such
+folly, and is old enough to be her father?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I can not comprehend the logic that condemns Salome,
+and justifies your own mother; for, if there be any difference
+in their lines of conduct, I am too stupid to see it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane lifted her head from her brother&#8217;s shoulder, resolutely
+dried her eyes, and settled her cap.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My mother&#8217;s tombstone should shelter her from all animadversion,
+especially from the lips that owe their existence
+to her. Do not, my sister, disturb the mouldering ashes of
+the long-buried past. The unfortunate fact you have mentioned,
+and which I should gladly doubt if you would only
+permit me to do so, renders it necessary for me to be perfectly
+candid with you, and you will, I trust, pardon what I feel
+compelled to say to you. I have remarked that you watch me
+quite closely whenever I am engaged in conversation with my
+ward or her governess, and yesterday, when Muriel came,
+stood by me, and leaned her arm on my shoulder, you frowned
+and looked harshly at the child. Once for all, let me tell
+you that there is no more possibility of my loving Muriel or
+Edith, than Salome. Of the three, I care most for Muriel,
+who looks upon me as her second father, and to whom I am
+deeply attached. If I caress the poor, stricken child, and
+allow her to approach me familiarly, you ought to understand
+your brother sufficiently well not to ascribe his conduct to any
+feeling which he would blush to confess to his sister. The
+day before Horace died, he said, &#8216;Be a father to my daughter;
+take my place when I am gone.&#8217; If I were at liberty to
+divulge some matters confided to me, I could easily assure
+you that there is not a shadow of possibility that Muriel will
+ever grieve and mortify me as Salome has done. Now look
+at me, dear Janet, and kiss me, and trust your brother; for he
+will never deceive you, and can not endure a moment&#8217;s estrangement
+from you.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_171' name='page_171'></a>171</span></div>
+<p>Miss Jane put up her lips for the caress, and, after a short
+silence, Dr. Grey continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell me now what you think best under the circumstances,
+and I will endeavor to coöperate with you. Does Salome
+know you are cognizant of her weakness&mdash;her misfortune&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He stammered, and again his face flushed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Upon my word, Ulpian, you are positively blushing!
+Don&#8217;t worry yourself, dear, over what can not be helped, or at
+least is attributable to no fault of yours. No; you may be
+sure Salome would be drawn, quartered, and broiled, before
+she would confess to me the feeling which she does not suspect
+I have discovered. Poor thing! I can&#8217;t avoid pitying her
+whenever you take Muriel&#8217;s hand or caress her in any way.
+This morning you smoothed the hair back from her forehead
+while she was stooping over her drawing, and poor Salome&#8217;s
+eyes flashed and looked like a leopard&#8217;s. She clenched her
+fingers as if she were strangling something, and an expression
+came over her face that was dangerous, and made me shiver a
+little. Something must be done; but I am sure I do not know
+what to advise.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How futile and mocking are merely human schemes!
+My principal object in bringing Muriel and Miss Dexter here,
+was to provide agreeable and improving companions for your
+pet and to afford her the privilege of sharing the educational
+advantages which Muriel enjoyed. <i>L&#8217;homme propose, et Dieu
+dispose</i>, if, indeed, an occurrence so earnestly to be deplored
+can be deemed providential. What are her plans relative to
+Jessie?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If she has matured any, she keeps them shut up in her
+own heart. Once she talked freely to me on all subjects, but
+recently she seems to avoid acquainting me with her intentions
+or schemes. Of course, Ulpian, you know I have always
+expected to leave her a portion of my property.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly, dear Janet; you ought to provide comfortably
+for the girl whom you have taught to rely upon your bounty.
+It would be cruel and unpardonable to foster hopes that you
+could not fully realize.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It was my intention to put into your hands the share I
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_172' name='page_172'></a>172</span>
+intended for her, and to leave her also to your care, when I
+die; but now I know not what is best. If she could be separated
+from you, she might divert her thoughts and become interested
+in other things or persons; but so long as you are in
+the same house I know there will be nothing but wretchedness
+and disappointment for her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>After a long pause, during which Dr. Grey looked seriously
+pained and perplexed, he said, sorrowfully,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are right in thinking separation would be best; and I
+will go away at once&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Go where?&#8221; exclaimed his sister, grasping his coat-sleeve.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I will furnish the rooms over my office, and live there. It
+will be more convenient for my business; but I dislike to leave
+you and the dear old homestead.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stuff! You will churn the Atlantic, with the North Pole
+for a dasher! Ulpian Grey! come weal come woe, I don&#8217;t intend
+to give you up. Here, right here, you will live while
+there is breath in my body,&mdash;unless you wish to make me sob
+it out and die the sooner. Pooh! Salome&#8217;s shining eyes can
+not recompense me for the loss of my boy&#8217;s blue ones, and I
+will not hear of such nonsense as the move you propose. You
+know, dear, I can&#8217;t be here very long at the best, and while
+God spares me I want you near me. Besides, the separation
+of a few miles would not be worth a thimbleful of chaff; for,
+of course, Salome would hear of or see you daily, and the
+change would amount to nothing but anxiety and grief on my
+part. We will think the matter over, and do nothing rashly.
+But try to be patient with my little girl; and, for my sake,
+Ulpian, do not allow her to suspect that you dream of her
+feeling towards you. It is pitiable,&mdash;it is distressing beyond
+expression; and God knows, if I had thought for an instant
+that such a state of things would ever have come to pass, I
+would have left her in the poor-house sooner than have been
+instrumental in bringing such misery upon her young life.
+Last night I was suffering so much with my shoulder that
+I could not sleep, and I heard the child pacing her room until
+after three o&#8217;clock. It was useless to question her; for, of
+course, she would not confess the real cause, and I did not
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_173' name='page_173'></a>173</span>
+wish her to know that I noticed what I could not cure. But,
+my dearest boy, we are not to be blamed; so don&#8217;t look so
+mortified and grieved. I would not have opened your unsuspecting
+eyes if I had not feared that your ignorance of
+the truth might increase the trouble, and I knew I could
+safely appeal to my sailor-boy&#8217;s honor. Now you know all,
+and must be guided by your own good sense and delicacy in
+your future course toward the poor, proud young thing. Be
+guarded, Ulpian, and don&#8217;t torment her by petting Muriel in
+her presence; for sometimes I am afraid there is bad blood in
+her veins, that brings that wicked glow to her eyes, and I
+dread that she might suddenly say or do some desperate thing
+that would plunge us all in sorrow. You know she is not a
+meek creature, and we must pity her weakness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey had grown very pale, and the profound regret
+printed on his countenance found expression also in the deepened
+and saddened tones of his voice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Trust me, Janet! I will do all a man can to rectify the
+mischief, of which, God knows, I have been an innocent and
+entirely unintentional cause. Salome&#8217;s course is unwomanly,
+and lowers her in my estimation; but she is so young I shall
+hope and pray that her preference for me is not sufficiently
+strong to prove more than an idle, fleeting, girlish fancy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took his gloves from the table and left the room; and,
+for some time after his departure, his sister sat rocking herself
+to and fro, pondering all that had passed. Finally, she
+struck her hand decisively upon the cushioned top of her
+crutch, and muttered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, he certainly is as nearly perfect as humanity can be;
+but, after all, Ulpian Grey is only flesh and blood, and despite
+his efforts to crush it, there must be some vanity hidden under
+his proud humility,&mdash;for certainly he is both humble in one
+sense, and inordinately proud in another; and I do not believe
+there lives a man of his age who would not be flattered by the
+love of a fresh young beauty like Salome. He thinks now
+that he is distressed and mortified; and, of course, he is
+honest in what he tells me; but I have studied human nature
+to very little purpose for the last fifty years, if, before long,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_174' name='page_174'></a>174</span>
+he does not find himself more interested in Salome than he
+will be willing to confess. Her love for him will invest her
+with a charm she never possessed before, for men are vulnerable
+as women to the cunning advances of flattery. One
+thing is as sure and clear as that two and two make four,&mdash;if
+he is proof against Salome&#8217;s devotion it will be attributable to
+the fact that he gives his heart to some one else; and I thought
+his blue eyes rather shied away from mine when he said he
+had yet to meet the woman he could marry. You don&#8217;t intend
+to deceive me, my precious boy, I know you don&#8217;t; but I
+should not be astounded if you had hoodwinked yourself,&mdash;a
+very little. But &#8216;sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,&#8217;
+and I will wait,&mdash;and we shall see what we shall see.&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XIV' id='CHAPTER_XIV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIV.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie, it is worse than useless to talk to me. Once I
+could listen to you,&mdash;once I felt as you do now; but that time
+has gone by forever. I will read to you as often as you desire
+it, provided you do not make every chapter a text for a <ins title='Was a comma'>sermon.</ins>
+What do you wish to hear this morning?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The fortieth Psalm.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome opened the Bible, and, when she had finished
+the psalm designated, shut the book and laid it back close to
+Elsie&#8217;s pillow.</p>
+<p>The old woman placed her hand on the round, white arm of
+her mistress, who rested carelessly against the bed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You know, my child, that David&#8217;s afflictions were sore
+indeed; but he declares, &#8216;I waited patiently for the Lord, and
+he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.&#8217; You will not be
+patient, and God can&#8217;t help you till you are. We are like
+children punished for bad conduct,&mdash;as long as we rebel and
+struggle, of course we must be still further chastised; but the
+moment we show real penitence, our parents notice that we are
+bearing correction patiently, and then they throw away the
+rod and stretch out their arms, and snatch us close to their
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_175' name='page_175'></a>175</span>
+loving hearts. Even so God holds one hand to draw us tenderly
+to Him; and, if we are obstinately sinful, with the other
+He scourges us into the right path,&mdash;determined to help us,
+even against our own wills. Ah, if I could see you waiting
+patiently for the Lord!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You will never see it. Patience was &#8216;scourged&#8217; out of
+me, and now I stand still because I am worn out with struggling,
+waiting&mdash;not patiently, but wearily and helplessly&mdash;to
+see the end of my punishment. What have I done that I
+should feign a penitence I shall never feel? I was a happy,
+trusting, unoffending woman, when God smote me fiercely;
+and, because I was so innocent, I could not kiss my stinging
+rod, I grappled desperately with it. Elsie, don&#8217;t stir up the
+bitter dregs in my soul, and mix them with every thought.
+Let them settle.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My darling, I don&#8217;t want them to settle. I pray either
+that they may be stirred up and taken out, or sweetened by
+the grace of God. Do you ever think of the day when you
+will face your sainted mother?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No. I think only of enduring this present life until
+death, my deliverer, comes to my rescue.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But, my bairn, you are not fit to die.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Fit to die as to live,&#8221; answered her mistress, morosely.</p>
+<p>&#8220;For God&#8217;s sake, don&#8217;t flout the Almighty in that wicked
+manner! If you would only be baptized and take refuge in
+prayer, as every Christian should, you would find peace for
+your poor, miserable soul.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; peace can&#8217;t be poured out of a pitcher with the baptismal
+water; and all the waves tossing and glittering out there
+in the ocean could not wash one painful memory from my
+heart. I have had one baptism, and it was ample and
+thorough. I went down into the waters of woe, and all their
+black billows broke over me. Instead of the Jordan, I was
+immersed in the Dead Sea, and the asphaltum cleaves to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, dearie, you will break my heart! I wish now that
+you had died when you were only fourteen months old, for
+then there would have been one more precious lamb in the
+flock of the Good Shepherd, safe in heavenly pastures&mdash;one
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_176' name='page_176'></a>176</span>
+more dear little golden head nestling on Jesus&#8217; bosom,&mdash;instead
+of&mdash;of&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Elsie&#8217;s emotion mastered her voice, and she sobbed convulsively.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why did not you finish? &#8216;Instead of a gray head waiting
+to go down into the pit of perdition.&#8217; Yes, it was a terrible
+blunder that I was not allowed to die in my infancy; but it
+can&#8217;t be helped now, and I wish you would not fret yourself
+into a fever over the irremediable. Why will you persist in
+tormenting yourself and me about my want of resignation
+and faith, when you know that exhortation and persuasion
+have no more effect upon me than the whistle of the plover
+down yonder in the sedge and seaweed,&mdash;where I heartily
+wish I were lying, ten feet under the shells? Rather a damp
+pillow for my fastidious, proud head, but, at least, cool and
+quiet. Calm yourself, my dear Elsie, for God will not hold
+you responsible if I miss my place among the saints, when He
+divides the sheep from the goats, in the last day,&mdash;<i>Dies ir&#230;
+dies illa</i>. Let me straighten your pillow and smooth your
+cap-border, for I see your doctor coming up the walk. There,&mdash;dry
+your eyes. When you want me, send Robert or Katie to
+call me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome leaned over the helpless, prostrate form on
+the bed, pressed her cheek against that of her nurse, where
+tears still glistened, and glided swiftly out of the room just
+before Dr. Grey entered.</p>
+<p>Never had he seen his patient so completely unnerved; but,
+observing her efforts to compose herself, he forbore any allusion
+to an agitation which he suspected was referable to
+mental rather than physical causes. Bravely the stubborn
+woman struggled to steady her voice, and still the twitching
+tell-tale muscles about her mouth; but the burden of anxiety
+finally bore down all resolves, and, covering her face with her
+broad hand, she wept unrestrainedly.</p>
+<p>In profound silence Dr. Grey sat beside her for nearly five
+minutes; then, fearful that the excitement might prove injurious,
+he said, gently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope you are not suffering so severely from bodily pain?
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_177' name='page_177'></a>177</span>
+What distresses you, my good woman? Perhaps, if I knew
+the cause, I might be able to render you some service.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is not my body,&mdash;that, you know, is numb, and gives
+me no pain,&mdash;but my mind! Doctor, I am suffering in mind,
+and you have no medicine that can ease that.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Possibly I may accomplish more than you imagine is
+within reach of my remedies. Of one thing you may rest
+assured,&mdash;you will never have reason to regret any confidence
+you may repose in me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I believe you are a Christian; at least, I have
+heard so; and, since my affliction, I have been watching you
+very closely, and begin to think I can trust you. Are you a
+member of the church?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am; although that fact alone should not entitle me to
+your confidence. We are all erring, and full of faults, but I
+endeavor to live in such a manner that I shall not bring disgrace
+upon the holy faith I profess.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Shut the door, and come back to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He bolted the door, which stood ajar, and resumed his seat.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I know as well as you do that I can&#8217;t last a
+great while, and I ought to prepare for what may overtake me
+any day. I have tried to live in accordance with the law of
+God, and I am not afraid to die; but I am afraid to leave
+my mistress behind me. When I am gone there will be no one
+to watch over and plead with her, and I dread lest her precious
+soul may be lost. She won&#8217;t go to God for herself, or by herself,
+and who will pray for her salvation when I am in my
+shroud? Oh, I can not die in peace, leaving her alone in the
+world she hates and despises! What will become of my poor,
+bonnie bairn?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Elsie sobbed aloud, and Dr. Grey asked,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Has Mrs. Gerome no living relatives?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;None, sir, in America. There are some cousins in Scotland,
+but she has never seen them, and never will.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where are the members of her husband&#8217;s family?&#8221;</p>
+<p>A visible shudder crept over that portion of the woman&#8217;s
+body which was not paralyzed, and her face grew dark and
+stern.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_178' name='page_178'></a>178</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;He was an orphan.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;His loss seems to have had a terrible effect upon Mrs.
+Gerome, and rendered her bitter and hopeless.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How hopeless, none but she and I and the God above us
+know. Once she was the meekest, sweetest spirit, that ever
+gladdened a nurse&#8217;s heart, and I thought the world was
+blessed by her coming into it; but now she is sacrilegious and
+scoffing, and almost dares the Lord&#8217;s judgments. Dr. Grey, it
+would nearly freeze your blood to hear her sometimes. Poor
+thing! she will have no companions, and so has a habit of
+talking to herself, and I often hear her arguing with the Almighty
+about her life, and the trouble He allowed to fall into
+it. Last night she was walking there under my window, begging
+God to take her out of the world before I die. Begging,
+did I say? Nay,&mdash;demanding. My precious, pretty bairn!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie, be candid with me. Is not Mrs. Gerome partially
+deranged?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She struggled violently to raise herself, but failing, her
+head fell back, and she lifted her finger angrily.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No more deranged than you or I. That is a vile slander
+of busybodies whom she will not receive, and who take it for
+granted that no lady in her sound senses would refuse the
+privilege of gossiping with them. She is as sane as any one,
+though there is an unnatural appearance about her, and if her
+heart was only as sound as her head I could die easily. They
+started the report of craziness long, long ago, in order to get
+hold of her fortune; but it was too infamous a scheme to
+succeed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Elsie&#8217;s strong white teeth were firmly set, and her clenched
+fingers did not relax.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Who started the report of her insanity?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;One who injured her, and made her what you see her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She had no children?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, no! Once I begged her to adopt a pretty little orphan
+girl we saw in Athens, but she ridiculed me for an old fool,
+and asked me if I wished to see her warm a viper to sting
+what was left of her heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome has indulged her grief for her husband&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_179' name='page_179'></a>179</span>
+loss, until she has become morbidly sensitive. She should go
+into the world, and interest herself in benevolent schemes;
+and, ultimately, her diseased thoughts would flow into new
+and healthful channels. The secluded life she leads is a hotbed
+for the growth of noxious fungi in heart and mind. If
+you possess any influence over her, persuade her to re-enter
+society. She is still young enough to find not only a cure for
+her grief, but an ample share of even earthly happiness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Elsie sighed, and waved her hand impatiently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You do not know all, or you would understand that in
+this world she can not expect much happiness. Besides, she
+is peculiarly sensitive about her appearance; and, of course,
+when she is seen, people stare, and wonder how such a young
+thing got that pile of white hair. That is the reason she quit
+travelling and shut herself up here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Was it grief that prematurely silvered her hair?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir; it was as black as your coat, until her trouble
+came; and then in a fortnight it turned as gray as you see it
+now. Doctor, I said she was not deranged, and I spoke truly;
+but sometimes I have feared that, when I am gone, she might
+get desperate, and, in her loneliness, destroy herself. You are
+a sensible man, and can hold your tongue, and I feel that I
+can trust you. Now, I know that Robert loves her, and while
+he lives will serve her faithfully; but you are wiser than my
+son, and I should be better satisfied if I left her in your
+charge, when I go home. Will you promise me to take care
+of her, and to try to comfort her in the day when she sees
+me buried?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie, you impose upon me a duty which I am afraid Mrs.
+Gerome will not allow me to discharge; and, since she is so
+exceedingly averse to meeting strangers, I should not feel
+justified in thrusting myself into her presence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not even to prevent a crime?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope that your excited imagination and anxious heart
+exaggerate the possibility of the danger to which you allude.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; exaggeration is not one of my habits, and I know my
+mistress better than she knows herself. She thinks that suicide
+is not a sin, but says it is cowardly; and she utterly detests
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_180' name='page_180'></a>180</span>
+and loathes cowardice. Dr. Grey, I could not rest quietly
+in my coffin if she is left alone in this dreary house, after I
+am carried to my long home. Will you stay here awhile, or
+take her to your house,&mdash;at least for a short time?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I will, at all events, promise to comply with your wishes
+as fully as she will permit. But recollect that I am comparatively
+a stranger to her, and her haughty reception of me
+the day I was compelled to come here on your account, does
+not encourage me to presume in future. Respect for her
+wishes, however unreasonable, and respect for myself, would
+forbid an intrusion on my part.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you saw an utter stranger drowning, would fear of
+being considered presumptuous or impertinent prevent your
+trying to save him? Your self-love should not hold you back
+from a Christian duty.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And you may rest assured that it never shall, when I feel
+that interference&mdash;no matter how unwelcome or ungraciously
+received&mdash;will prove beneficial. But remember that your
+mistress is eccentric and shrinking, and all efforts to befriend
+her must be made very cautiously.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;True, doctor; yet sometimes, instead of consulting her, it
+is best to treat her as a wilful child. I believe you could
+obtain some influence over her if you would only try to break
+the ice, because she has spoken kindly of you several times
+since I have been so helpless, and asked what she could do to
+show her gratitude for your goodness to me. Yesterday she
+said she intended to direct Robert to take some fine fruit to
+your house, and she remarked that your eyes were, in comparison
+with other folks&#8217;, what Sabbath is to working week-days,&mdash;were
+so full of rest, that tired anxious people might be
+refreshed by looking at them. Sir, that is more than I have
+heard her utter for seven years about anybody; and, therefore,
+I think you might do her some good.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey shook his head, but remained silent; and presently
+Elsie touched his arm, and continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;There is something I wish to say to you before I die, but
+not now. I want you to promise me that when you see my end
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_181' name='page_181'></a>181</span>
+is indeed at hand, you will tell me in time to let me talk a
+little to you. Will you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You may linger for months, and it is possible that you
+may die quite suddenly; consequently, it might be impracticable
+for me to fulfil the promise you require. Still, if I can
+do so, I will certainly comply with your wishes. Would it not
+be better to tell me at once what you desire me to know?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;While I live it is not necessary that any one should know,
+and it is only when I am about to die that I shall speak to
+you. For my sake, for humanity&#8217;s sake, try to become acquainted
+with my mistress and make her like you, as she
+certainly will, if she only knows you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A tap at the door interrupted the conversation, and soon
+after, Dr. Grey quitted the sick-room.</p>
+<p>He paused in the hall to examine a fine copy of Landseer&#8217;s
+&#8220;Old Shepherd&#8217;s Chief Mourner,&#8221; and, while he stood before
+it, a large greyhound started up from the mat at the front
+door, and bounded towards him. Simultaneously Mrs.
+Gerome appeared at the threshold of the parlor.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come here, sir! Poor fellow, come here!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The dog obeyed her instantly; and, pressing close to her,
+looked up wistfully in her face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good morning, Mrs. Gerome. I must thank you for coming
+so promptly to my assistance. I have never seen this dog
+until to-day, and, consequently, was not on my guard.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He arrived only yesterday, and is so overjoyed to be with
+me once more that he allows no one else to approach.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He is by far the handsomest dog I have ever seen in
+America.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I had great difficulty in obtaining him. My agent
+assures me that he belongs to the best that are reared in the
+tribe of Beni Lam; and that he is a genuine Arab, there can
+be no doubt.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long have you owned him?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Two years. Unfortunately he was bitten by a snake one
+day while wandering with me among the ruins at P&#230;stum, and
+was so singularly affected that I was forced to leave him at
+Naples. Various causes combined to delay his restoration to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_182' name='page_182'></a>182</span>
+me until last week, when he crossed the Atlantic; and yesterday
+he went into ecstasies when I received him from the express
+agent. Hush! no growling! Down, sir! Take care,
+Dr. Grey; he will bear no hand but mine, and it is rather
+dangerous to caress him, as you may judge from the fangs he
+is showing you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The dog was remarkably tall, silky, beautifully formed,
+and of a soft mole-color; and around his neck a collar formed
+of four small silver chains, bore an oval silver plate on which
+was engraved in German text, &#8220;<i>Ich Dien&mdash;Agla Gerome</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I congratulate you upon the possession of such a treasure,&#8221;
+said the visitor, with unfeigned admiration,&mdash;as, with
+the eye of a <i>connoisseur</i>, he noted the fine points about the
+sleek, slim animal, who eyed him suspiciously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. How is Elsie to-day?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;More nervous than I have seen her since the accident, and
+some of her symptoms are rather discouraging, though there
+is no immediate danger. Do not look so hopeless; she may be
+spared to you for many months.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why will you not let me hope that she may ultimately
+recover?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because it is utterly futile, and I have no desire to deceive
+you, even for an instant. Good morning, Robert.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The gardener approached with a large basket filled with
+peaches and nectarines, and, taking off his hat, bowed profoundly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My mistress ordered these placed in your buggy, as I
+believe our nectarines ripen earlier than any others in the
+neighborhood.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, Maclean. Mrs. Gerome is exceedingly kind,
+and I have an invalid sister who will enjoy this beautiful
+fruit. Those nectarines would not disgrace Smyrna or Damascus,
+and are the first of the season.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Robert passed through the hall, bearing the basket to the
+buggy; and at that instant there was a startling crash, as of
+some heavy article falling in the parlor. The dog sprang up
+with a howl, and Dr. Grey followed Mrs. Gerome into the
+room to ascertain the cause of the noise. A glance sufficed
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_183' name='page_183'></a>183</span>
+to explain that a picture in a heavy frame had fallen from a
+hook above the mantelpiece, and in its descent overturned
+some tall vases, which now lay shattered on the hearth. Dr.
+Grey lifted the painting from the rubbish, and, as he turned
+the canvas towards the light, Mrs. Gerome said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;<i>Une tristesse implacable, une effroyable fatalité pèse sui
+l&#8217;&oelig;uvre de l&#8217;artiste. Cela ressemble à une malediction amère,
+lancée sur le sort de l&#8217;humanité.</i>&#8217; There is, indeed, some
+fatality about that copy of Durer&#8217;s &#8216;Knight, Death, and the
+Devil,&#8217; which seems really ill-omened, for this is the second
+time it has fallen. Thank you, sir. The frame only is injured,
+and I will not trouble you to remove it. Let it lean
+against the grate, until I have it rehung more securely.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is too grim a picture for these walls, and stares at its
+companions like the mummy at Egyptian banquets.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;On the contrary, it impresses me as grotesque in comparison
+with Durer&#8217;s &#8216;Melancholy,&#8217; yonder, or with Holbein&#8217;s
+&#8216;Les Simulachres de la mort.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Durer&#8217;s figure of &#8216;Melancholy&#8217; has never satisfied me, and
+there is more ferocity than sadness in the countenance, which
+would serve quite as well for one of the Erinney hunting
+Orestes, even in the adytum at Delphi. The face is more
+sinister than sorrowful.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Since your opinion of that picture coincides so entirely
+with mine, tell me whether I have successfully grasped
+Coleridge&#8217;s dim ideal.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome drew from a corner of the rear room an easel
+containing a finished but unframed picture; and, gathering
+up the lace curtain drooping before the arch, she held the
+folds aside, to allow the light to fall full on the canvas.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Before you examine it, recall the description that suggested
+it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am sorry to say that my recollection of the passage is
+exceedingly vague and unsatisfactory. Will you oblige me by
+repeating it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Excuse me; your hand is resting upon the book, which
+is open at the fragment.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey bowed, and, lifting the volume from the table
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_184' name='page_184'></a>184</span>
+glanced rapidly over the lines designated, then turned to the
+picture, where, indeed,</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Stretched on a mouldering abbey&#8217;s broadest wall,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Where ruining ivies propped the ruins steep,<br />
+Her folded arms wrapping her tattered pall,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Had Melancholy mused herself to sleep.<br />
+The fern was pressed beneath her hair,<br />
+The dark green adder&#8217;s tongue was there;<br />
+And still as past the flagging sea-gale weak,<br />
+The long, lank leaf bowed fluttering o&#8217;er her cheek.<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>That pallid cheek was flushed; her eager look<br />
+Beamed eloquent in slumber! Inly wrought,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Imperfect sounds her moving lips forsook,<br />
+And her bent forehead worked with troubled thought.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The beautiful face of the reclining figure was dreamily
+hopeless and dejected, yet pathetically patient; and, in the
+strange amber light reflected from a sunset sea, the fringy
+shadow of a cluster of fern-leaves seemed to quiver over the
+pale brow and still mouth, and floating raven hair, where the
+green snake glided with crest erect and forked tongue within
+an inch of one delicate, pearly ear. The gray stones of the
+lichen-spotted wall, the graceful sweep of the shrouding drab
+drapery, whose folds clung to the form and thence swung
+down from the edge of the rocky battlement, the mouldering
+ruins leaning against the quiet sky in the rear, and the glassy
+stretch of topaz-tinted sea in the foreground, were all painted
+with pre-Raphaelite exactness and verisimilitude, and every
+detail attested the careful, tender study, with which the picture
+had been elaborated.</p>
+<p>Was it by accident or design that the woman on the painted
+wall bore a vague, mournful resemblance to the owner and
+creator? Dr. Grey glanced from Durer&#8217;s &#8220;Melancholy&#8221; to
+the canvas on the easel; then his fascinated eyes dwelt on
+the dainty features of the artist, and he thought involuntarily
+of another Coleridgean image,&mdash;of the &#8220;pilgrim in whom the
+spring and the autumn, and the melancholy of both, seemed to
+have combined.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_185' name='page_185'></a>185</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, in this wonderful embodiment of Coleridge&#8217;s
+fragmentary ideal you have painted your own portrait.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. Look again. My &#8216;Melancholia&#8217; has a patient
+face, hinting of possible peace. When I design its companion,
+&#8216;Desolation,&#8217; I may be pardoned if my canvas reflects what
+always fronts it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;May I ask when you wrought out this extraordinary conception?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;During the past month. The last touch was given this
+morning, and the paint is not yet dry on that cluster of
+purplish seaweed clinging to the base of the battlement. Last
+night I dreamed that Coleridge stood looking over my shoulder
+and while I worked he touched the sea, and it flushed a ruby
+red brighter than laudanum; and then he leaned down,
+and with a pencil wrote <i>Dele</i> across the fragment in his
+Sibylline Leaves.&#8217; To-day I tried the effect of the hint, but
+the amber water mellows the woman&#8217;s features, and the ruby
+light rendered them sullen and rigid.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Were I to judge from the <i>bizarre</i> themes that you select,
+I should be tempted to fear that the wizard spell of opium
+evoked some of these strangely beautiful creations of your
+brush. What suggested this picture?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You merely wish to complete your diagnosis of my
+psychological condition? If so, there is no reason why I
+should hesitate to tell you that while I was playing one of
+Chopin&#8217;s <i>Nocturnes</i> the significance of the Polish &#8216;<i>Zäl</i>&#8217; perplexed
+me. In striving to analyze it, Coleridge&#8217;s &#8216;Melancholy&#8217;
+occurred to my mind, and teased and haunted me until
+I wrought it out palpably. My work there means more than
+his fragment, and includes something which I suppose Chopin
+meant by that insynonymous word &#8216;<i>Zäl</i>.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Standing under the arch, with one hand holding back the
+lace drapery, the other hanging nerveless at her side, she
+looked as weird as any of her ideal creations; and, in the
+greenish seashine breaking through the dense foliage of the
+trees about the house, her wan face, snowy muslin dress, and
+floating white ribbons, seemed unsubstantial as the figures on
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_186' name='page_186'></a>186</span>
+the wall. To-day there was no spot of color in face or dress,
+save the azure gleam of the large, brilliant ring, on her uplifted
+hand; and, as Dr. Grey scrutinized her appearance, he
+found it difficult to realize that blood pulsed in that marble
+flesh, and warm breath fluttered in that firm, frigid mouth.
+Glancing around the rooms, he said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Solitude is indeed a misnomer for a home peopled with
+such creations as adorn these walls.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No. Have you forgotten the definition of Epictetus?
+&#8216;<i>To be friendless is solitude.</i>&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope, madam, that you may never find yourself in that
+unfortunate category, and certainly there are&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sir, I know what Michael Angelo felt when he wrote from
+Rome, &#8216;I have no friends; I need none.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>She interrupted him with an indescribably haughty gesture,
+and an anomalous spasm of the lips that belonged to no
+known class of smiles.</p>
+<p>&#8220;On the contrary, Mrs. Gerome, the hunger for true friends
+has rendered you morose and cynical.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He did not shrink from the wide eyes that flashed like
+blue steel in moonshine; and as his own, calm, steady, and
+magnetic, dwelt gravely on her face, he fancied she winced,
+slightly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. When I hunt or recognize friends, I shall
+borrow Diogenes&#8217; lantern. Good morning, Dr. Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon me if I detain you for a moment to inquire who
+taught you to paint.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The absolute necessity of self-forgetfulness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But you surely had some tuition in the art?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I had the usual boarding-school privilege of a
+master for perspective, and pastel. Dr. Grey, have you been
+to Europe?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, madam; on several occasions.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You visited Dresden?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I did.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Step forward a little,&mdash;there. Now, sir, do you know
+that painting hanging over my <i>escritoire</i>?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is Ruysdael&#8217;s &#8216;Churchyard,&#8217; and, from this distance,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_187' name='page_187'></a>187</span>
+seems a remarkably fine copy of that sombre, desolate, ghoul-haunted
+picture.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. That is the only piece of work of which I
+feel really proud. Some day, when the light is pure and
+strong, come in and examine it. Now there is a greenish
+tinge over all things in the room thrown by sea-shimmer
+through the clustering leaves. Ah, what a long, low, presageful
+moan that was, which broke from foaming lips, on
+yonder strand!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good morning, Mrs. Gerome. The inspection of your
+pictures has yielded me so much pleasure that I must tender
+you my very sincere thanks for your courtesy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She bowed distantly; and, when he reached his buggy, he
+glanced back and saw that perfect, pallid face, pressed against
+the cedar facing of the oriel, looking seaward. He lifted his
+hat, but she did not observe the salute; and, as he drove away,
+she kept her eyes upon the murmuring waves, and repeated,
+as was her habit, the lines that chanced to present themselves,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Listen! you hear the solemn roar<br />
+Begin, and cease, and then again begin,<br />
+With tremulous cadence, slow, and bring<br />
+The eternal note of sadness in.<br />
+Sophocles, long ago,<br />
+Heard it on the &#198;gean, and it brought<br />
+Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow<br />
+Of human misery.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XV' id='CHAPTER_XV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XV.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?&#8221; asked Dr. Grey,
+glancing around the library, where the governess sat sewing,
+while Salome read aloud a passage in Ariosto.</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago,
+to rest. Do you wish to see her immediately?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes. Call her down.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_188' name='page_188'></a>188</span></div>
+<p>When the teacher left the room, Dr. Grey approached the
+table where Salome sat, and looked over her shoulder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I went to the Asylum to-day, and found little Jessie
+very well, but quite dissatisfied because you visit her so rarely.
+You should see her as often as possible, since she is so dependent
+upon you for sympathy and affection.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter gives a flattering report of your aptitude for
+acquiring languages, and assures me that you will soon speak
+Italian fluently.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter doubtless believes that praise of a pupil
+reflects credit on the skill of the teacher. Unfortunately for
+her flattering estimate of me, I must disclaim all polyglot
+proclivities, and have no intention of eclipsing Mezzofanti,
+Max Muller, or Giovanni Pico Mirandola. I needed, for a
+special purpose, a limited acquaintance with Italian; and, as I
+have attained what I desired, I shall not trouble myself much
+longer with dictionaries and grammars.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And that special purpose&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Concerns nobody else, consequently I keep it to myself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He turned from her and advanced to meet his ward, who
+came rapidly forward, holding out both hands.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor, where have you been all day? I did not see
+you at breakfast or dinner, and it seems quite an age since
+yesterday afternoon. You see I am moping, horribly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear child, I see you are looking pale and weary, which
+is overt and unpardonable treason. I sent for you to ask if
+it would be agreeable to you to walk, or drive with me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly,&mdash;either or both.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had placed her hands in his, and stood looking up
+joyfully into his quiet countenance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Get your hat, while I order my buggy brought to the
+door.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, my dear doctor. The very thing I longed
+for, as I noticed you riding up the avenue. I never saw
+you on horseback until to-day. It is a delightful evening
+for a drive.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She gaily swung his hands, like a gratified child, and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_189' name='page_189'></a>189</span>
+started off for her hat, but, ere she crossed the threshold,
+turned back, and, walking up to her guardian, laid her arm on
+his shoulder and whispered something.</p>
+<p>He laughed, and put his hand under her chin, saying, as he
+did so,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Little witch! How did you know it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her reply was audible only to the ears for which it was
+framed, and she darted away, evidently much happier than
+she had seemed for many days.</p>
+<p>While awaiting her return, Dr. Grey picked up her sketch-book,
+and was examining the contents, when Salome rose and
+hurried towards the door. As she passed him, his back was
+turned, and her muslin dress swept within reach of his spur,
+which caught the delicate fabric. She impatiently jerked
+the dress to disengage it, but it clung to the steel points, and
+a long rent was made in the muslin. With a half-smothered
+ejaculation, she tried to wrench herself free, but the dress
+only tore across the breadth from seam to seam. Dr. Grey
+turned, and stooped to assist her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wait an instant, Salome; you have almost ruined your
+dress.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He was endeavoring to disentangle the shreds from the
+jagged edge of the spur, but she bent down, and, seizing the
+skirt in both hands, tore it away, leaving a large fragment
+trailing from the boot-heel.</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;More haste, less speed.&#8217; Patience is better than petulance,
+my young friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>His grave, reproving voice, rendered her defiant; and, with
+a forced, unnatural laugh, she bowed, and hurried away,
+saying, as she looked over her shoulder,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And spurs than persuasion? You mistake my nature.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey had been riding, all the morning, across a broken
+stretch of country, where the roads were exceedingly insecure,
+and, as he removed the troublesome spur and laid it on the
+mantelpiece, he folded up the strip of muslin and put it into
+his pocket.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am waiting for you,&#8221; cried Muriel, from the hall door.</p>
+<p>He sighed, and went to his buggy; but the cloud did not
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_190' name='page_190'></a>190</span>
+melt from his brow, for, as he drove off, he noticed Salome&#8217;s
+gleaming eyes peering from the window of her room; and
+pity and pain mingled in the emotions with which he recalled
+his sister&#8217;s warning words.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Muriel, here is your letter, and, better still, Gerard will
+be with us to-morrow. Diplomatic affairs brought him
+temporarily to Washington, and he will spend next week with
+us. I cordially congratulate you, my dear child, and hastened
+home to bring you the good news, which I felt assured you
+would prefer to receive without witnesses.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Muriel&#8217;s blushing face was bent over her letter; but she
+put her hand on her guardian&#8217;s, and pressed it vigorously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;A thousand thanks for all your goodness! Gerard writes
+that it was through your influence he was enabled to visit
+Washington; and, indeed, dear Dr. Grey, we are both very
+grateful for your kind interest in our happiness. Even poor
+papa could not be more considerate.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For several days past I have observed that you were
+unusually depressed, and that Miss Dexter looked constrained.
+Are you not pleasantly situated in my sister&#8217;s house. Do not
+hesitate to speak frankly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Muriel&#8217;s eyes filled with tears, and she answered, evasively,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Jane is very kind and affectionate.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which means that Salome is not.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, why does she dislike me so seriously? I have
+tried to be friendly and cordial towards her; but she constantly
+repels me. I really admire her very much; but I am
+afraid she positively hates me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, that is impossible; but she is a very peculiar, and, I
+am sorry to be forced to say, an unamiable girl, and is
+governed by every idle caprice. I hope that you will not
+allow yourself to be annoyed by any want of courtesy which
+she may unfortunately have displayed. Although a member
+of the household, Salome has no right to dispense or to withhold
+the hospitalities of my sister&#8217;s home, or to insult her
+guests; and I trust that her individual whims will have no
+effect whatever upon you, unless they create a feeling of compassion
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_191' name='page_191'></a>191</span>
+and toleration in your kind heart. She has some
+good traits hidden under her <i>brusquerie</i>, and when you know
+her better you will excuse her rudeness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why is she so moody? I have not seen a pleasant smile
+on her face since I came here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear child, let us select some more agreeable topic
+for discussion. Gerard will probably arrive on the early
+train, which will enable him to breakfast with us to-morrow.
+He will endeavor to persuade you to return at once to
+Europe; but I must tell you, in advance of his proposal, that
+I hope you will not yield to his wishes, since it would grieve
+me to part with you so soon.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Muriel turned aside her head to avoid her guardian&#8217;s penetrating
+gaze, and silently listened to his counsel concerning
+the course she should pursue towards her betrothed.</p>
+<p>For a year they had been affianced without the knowledge
+of her father, from whom she had been separated; but the
+frankness with which both had discussed the matter with Dr.
+Grey forbade the possibility of his withholding his approbation
+of the engagement; though he assured them he could
+not consent to its speedy consummation, as Muriel was too
+young and childish to appreciate the grave responsibility of
+such a step. Gerard Granville was several years older than
+his betrothed, and Dr. Grey had been astonished at his
+choice; but a long and intimate acquaintance led him to esteem
+the young man so highly, that, while he felt that Muriel
+was far inferior, he strove to stimulate her ambition, and
+hoped she would one day be fully worthy of him.</p>
+<p>To-day Dr. Grey drove for an hour through quiet, unfrequented
+country roads; and finally, when Muriel expressed
+herself anxious to catch a glimpse of the sea and a breath
+of its brine, he turned into a narrow track that led down to
+some fishermen&#8217;s huts on the beach.</p>
+<p>While they paused on the edge of the low, yellow strand,
+and inhaled the fresh ocean air, Dr. Grey grew silent, and
+his companion fell into a blissful reverie relative to to-morrow&#8217;s
+events. Suddenly he placed his hand on her arm,
+and said, &#8220;Listen! What a wonderfully sweet, flexible voice!
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_192' name='page_192'></a>192</span>
+Surely, fishermen&#8217;s wives are not singing Mendelssohn&#8217;s compositions?
+Did you hear that gush of melody? It comes not
+from that house, but seems floating from the opposite direction.
+Such strains almost revive one&#8217;s faith in the Hindoo
+<i>Gandharvas</i>,&mdash;musical genii, filling the air with ravishing
+sounds. There! is it not exquisite? Hold these reins while
+I ascertain who owns that marvellous voice.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Eager and curious as a boy, he sprang from the buggy,
+and, following the bend of the beach, passed two small
+deserted huts, and plunged into a grove of stunted trees,
+whence issued the sound that attracted his attention. Ere
+he had proceeded many yards he saw a woman sitting on a
+bank of sand and oyster-shells, and singing from an open
+sheet of music, while she made rapid gestures with one hand.
+Her face was turned from him, but, as he cautiously approached,
+the <i>pose</i> of the figure, the noble contour of the head
+and neck, and a certain muslin dress which matched the strip
+in his pocket, made his heart beat violently. Intent only on
+solving the mystery, he stepped softly towards her; but just
+then a brace of plover started up at his feet, and, as they
+whirred away, the woman turned her head, and he found
+himself face to face with his musician.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, Dr. Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had risen, and a beautiful glow overspread her cheeks,
+as she met his eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What brings you to this lonely spot, three miles from
+home, when the sun has already gone down?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have I not as unquestionable a right to walk alone to
+the seaside as you to drive your ward whithersoever you list?
+Poverty, as well as wealth, sometimes makes people strangely
+independent. What have you done with Miss Muriel Manton?&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was such a sparkle in her eyes, such a bright flush
+on her polished cheeks and parted lips, that Dr. Grey wondered
+at her beauty, which had never before impressed him
+as so extraordinary.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_193' name='page_193'></a>193</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, why have you concealed your musical gift from
+me? Who taught you to sing?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am teaching myself, with such poor aid as I can obtain
+from that miserable vagabond, Barilli, who is generally
+intoxicated three days out of every six. Did you expect to
+find Heine&#8217;s yellow-haired Loreley, or a treacherous Ligeia,
+sitting on a rock, wooing passers-by to speedy destruction?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I certainly did not expect to meet my friend Salome alone
+at this hour and place. Child, do not trifle with me,&mdash;be
+truthful. Did you come here to meet any one?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;One never knows what may or may not happen. I came
+here to practise my music lesson, <i>sans</i> auditors, and I meet
+Dr. Grey,&mdash;the last person I expected or desired to see.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He came a step nearer, and put his hand on her shoulder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you distress and perplex me. My child, are you
+better or worse than I think you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She lifted her slender hand and laid it lightly on his, which
+still rested upon her shoulder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am both,&mdash;better and worse. Better in aim than you
+believe; worse in execution than you could realize, even if I
+confessed all, which I have not the slightest intention of
+doing. Ah, Dr. Grey, if you read me thoroughly, you would
+not be surprised, or consider it presumptuous that I sometimes
+think I am that anomalous creature, whom Balzac defined
+as &#8216;Angel through love, demon through fantasy, child
+through faith, sage through experience, man through the
+brain, woman through the heart, giant through hope, and
+poet through dreams.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>As Dr. Grey looked down into the splendid eyes, softened
+and magnified by a crystal veil of unshed tears, he sighed,
+and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are, indeed, a bundle of contradictions. Why have
+you so sedulously concealed the existence of your fine voice,
+which the majority of girls would have been eager to exhibit?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It was not lack of vanity, but excess, that prompted me
+to keep you in ignorance, until I could astonish you by its
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_194' name='page_194'></a>194</span>
+perfection. You have anticipated me only by a few days,
+and I intended singing for you next week.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is not prudent for you to venture so far from home,
+especially at this hour.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;We paupers are not so fastidious as our lucky superiors,
+and cannot afford timid airs, and affectation of extreme
+nervousness. Having no escort, and expecting none, I walk
+alone in any direction I choose, with what fearlessness and
+contentment I find myself able to command.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It will be dark before you can reach the public road.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; there is a young moon swinging above the tree-tops,
+to light me on my lonesome ramble; and I come here so
+often that even the rabbits and whippoorwills know me.
+Where is Miss Muriel?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Waiting in the buggy, on the beach. I must go back to
+her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes. Pray do not delay an instant, or she will imagine
+that some dire calamity has befallen her knight, who, in
+hunting a siren, encountered Scylla or Charybdis. Good
+evening, Dr. Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am unwilling to leave you here so unprotected. Come
+and ride with Muriel, and I will walk beside the buggy. My
+horse is so gentle that a child can guide him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. Not for a ten-acre lot in Mohammed&#8217;s
+Paradise would I mar Miss Muriel&#8217;s happiness, or punish
+myself by a <i>tête-à-tête</i> with her. It would be positively &#8216;discourteous&#8217;
+in me to accept your proposal; and, moreover, I
+abhor division,&mdash;<i>tout ou rien</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wilful, silly child! It is not proper for you to wander
+along that dreary road in the dark. Come with me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not I. Make yourself easy by recollecting that &#8216;naught
+is never in danger.&#8217; See yonder in the west,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Where, lo! above the sandy sunset rose<br />
+The silver sickle of the green-gowned <ins title='Added quote'>witch.&#8217;&#8221;</ins></p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>She laughed lightly, derisively, and collected the sheets of
+music scattered on the bank.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_195' name='page_195'></a>195</span></div>
+<p>Silently Dr. Grey returned to his ward, who exclaimed, at
+sight of him,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am glad to see you again, for you stayed so long I was
+growing frightened. Did you find the singer?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is the matter? You look troubled and solemn.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am merely annoyed by circumstances beyond my <ins title='Added quote'>control.&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, who was that sweet singer?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome Owen.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How can such a thing be possible, when I have never
+heard a note from her lips? You told me she had no musical
+talent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was not aware that she sang at all, until this afternoon,
+and your surprise does not equal mine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where did you find her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sitting on a mound of sand, singing to the sea.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Who is with her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No one. I requested her to come with us, and offered to
+walk beside my buggy; but she declined. Please be so considerate
+as to say nothing about this occurrence, when you
+reach home; because animadversion only hardens that poor
+girl in her whimsical ways. Now we will dismiss the matter.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Muriel endeavored to render herself an agreeable companion
+during the remainder of the drive; but her guardian,
+despite his efforts to become interested in her conversation,
+was evidently <i>distrait</i>, and both felt relieved when they
+reached Grassmere, where Miss Jane and the governess welcomed
+their return.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey dismissed his buggy and entered the hall; but
+passed through the house, and, crossing the orchard, followed
+the road leading seaward.</p>
+<p>Only a few summer stars were sprinkling their silvery rays
+over the gray gloom of twilight, and the shining crescent in
+the violet west had slipped down behind the silent hills that
+girded the rough, winding road.</p>
+<p>When Salome put her fingers on the gloved hand which,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_196' name='page_196'></a>196</span>
+in the surprise of their unexpected meeting, Dr. Grey had
+involuntarily placed on her shoulder, she had felt that he
+shrank instantly from her touch, and withdrew his hand
+hastily, as if displeased with the familiarity of the action.
+All the turbid elements in her nature boiled up. Could it
+be possible that he really loved his rosy-faced, bright-eyed,
+prattling ward? She set this conjecture squarely before her,
+and forced herself to contemplate it. If he desired to marry
+Muriel, of course he would do so whenever he chose, and the
+thought that he might call her his wife, and give her his
+name, his caresses, wrung a cry of agony from Salome&#8217;s lips.
+She threw herself on the sand-bank, and, resting her chin on
+her folded arms, gazed vacantly across the yellow strand at
+the glassy, leaden sea that stared back mockingly at her.</p>
+<p>She was too miserable to feel afraid of anything but Dr.
+Grey&#8217;s marriage; and, moreover, she had so often, during the
+early years of her life, gone to and fro in the darkness, that
+she was a stranger to that timidity which girls usually indulge
+under similar circumstances. The fishermen had
+abandoned the neighboring huts some months before, and
+&#8220;Solitude,&#8221; one mile distant, was the nearest spot occupied
+by human beings.</p>
+<p>She neither realized nor cared that it was growing darker,
+and, after awhile, when the sea was no longer visible through
+the dun haze that brooded over it, she shut her eyes and
+moaned.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey had walked on, hoping every moment to meet her
+returning home; and, more than once, he was tempted to
+retrace his steps, thinking that she might have taken some
+direct path across the hills, instead of the circuitous one
+bending around their base. Quickening his pace till it
+matched his pulse, which an indefinable anxiety accelerated,
+he finally saw the huts dimly outlined against the starry sky
+and quiet sea.</p>
+<p>Pausing, he took off his hat to listen to</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'><span class='indent10'>&nbsp;</span>&#8220;The water lapping on the crag,<br />
+And the long ripple washing in the reeds,&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_197' name='page_197'></a>197</span></div>
+<p>and, while he stood wiping his brow, there came across the
+beach,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;A cry that shivered to the tingling stars,<br />
+And, as it were one voice, an agony<br />
+Of lamentation, like a wind that shrills<br />
+All night in a waste land, where no one comes,<br />
+Or hath come since the making of the world.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>In the uncertain light he ran towards the clump of trees
+where he had left Salome, and strained his eyes to discover
+some moving thing. He knew that he must be very near the
+spot, but neither the expected sound nor object greeted him,
+and, while he stopped and held his breath to listen, the
+silence was profound and death-like. He was opening his
+lips to call the girl&#8217;s name, when he fancied he saw something
+move slightly, and simultaneously a human voice smote
+the oppressive stillness. She was very near him, and he heard
+her saying to herself, with mournful emphasis,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Have I brought Joy, and slain her at his feet?<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Have I brought Peace, for his cold kiss to kill?<br />
+Have I brought youth, crowned with wild-flowers sweet,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>With sandals dewy from a morning hill,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>For his gray, solemn eyes, to fright and chill?<br />
+Have I brought Scorn the pale, and Hope the fleet,<br />
+And First Love, in her lily winding-sheet,&mdash;<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And is he pitiless still?&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Dr. Grey knew now that she was not crying. Her hard,
+ringing, bitter tone, forbade all thought of sobs or tears; but
+his heart ached as he listened, and surmised the application
+she was making of the melancholy lines.</p>
+<p>Unwilling that she should know he had overheard her, he
+waited a moment, then raised his voice and shouted,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome! Salome! Where are you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was no answer, and, fearing that she might elude
+him, he stretched out his arms, and advanced to the spot,
+which he felt assured was only a few yards distant.</p>
+<p>She had risen, and, standing in the gloom of the coming
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_198' name='page_198'></a>198</span>
+night, deepened by the interlacing boughs above her, she felt
+Dr. Grey&#8217;s hand on her dress, then on her head, where the
+moisture hung heavily in her thick hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, why do you not answer me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Shame kept her silent.</p>
+<p>He passed his hand over her hot face, then groped for her
+fingers, which he grasped firmly in his.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come home with your best friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He knew that she was in no mood to submit to reprimand,
+to appreciate argument, or even to listen to entreaty, and
+that he might as profitably undertake to knead pig-iron as
+expostulate with her at this juncture.</p>
+<p>For a mile they walked on without uttering a word; then
+he felt the fingers relax, twitch, and twine closely around his
+own.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, where is Muriel? Where is your buggy?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Both are at home, where others should have been, long
+ago.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You walked back to meet me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I did.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How did you find me, in the dark?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I heard your voice.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But not the words?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why? Are you ashamed for me to hear what any strolling
+stranger, any unscrupulous vagabond, might have listened
+to?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is such a desolate, lonely place, I thought no one would
+stumble upon me, and I have been there so often without
+meeting a living thing except the crabs and plover.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are no longer a child, and such rashness is altogether
+unpardonable. What do you suppose my sister would think
+of your imprudent obstinacy?&#8221;</p>
+<p>They walked another mile, and again Salome convulsively
+pressed the cool, steady, strong hand, in which hers lay hot
+and quivering.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, tell me the truth,&mdash;don&#8217;t torture me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What shall I tell you? You torture yourself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did you hear what I was saying to my own heart?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_199' name='page_199'></a>199</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;I heard you repeating some lines which certainly should
+possess no relevancy for the real feeling of my young friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She snatched her fingers from his, and he knew she covered
+her face with them.</p>
+<p>They reached the gate at the end of the avenue, and Salome
+stopped suddenly, as the lights from the front windows flashed
+out on the lawn.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Go in, and leave me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She threw herself on the sward, under one of the elm-trees,
+and leaned her head against its trunk.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall do no such thing, unless you desire the entire
+household to comment upon your reckless conduct.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Dr. Grey, I care little now what the whole world
+thinks or says! Let me be quiet, or I shall go mad.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; come into the house, and sing something to compensate
+me for the anxiety and fatigue you have cost me. I
+do not often ask a favor of you, and certainly in this instance
+you will not refuse to grant my request.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not reply, and he bent down and softly stroked
+the hair that was damp with dew and sea-fog.</p>
+<p>The long-pent storm broke in convulsive sobs, and she
+trembled from head to foot, while tears poured over her
+burning cheeks.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Poor child! Can you not confide in me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, will you forget all that has passed to-day?
+Will you try never to think of it again?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;On condition that you never repeat the offence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You do not despise me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You pity me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I pity any human being who is so unfortunate as to
+possess your wilful, perverse, passionate disposition. Unless
+you overcome this dangerous tendency of character, you may
+expect only wretchedness and humiliation in coming years.
+I am sincerely sorry for you, but I tell you unhesitatingly,
+that I find it difficult to tolerate your grave and obtrusive
+faults.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She raised her clasped hands, and said, brokenly,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_200' name='page_200'></a>200</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;This is the last time I shall ever ask you to forgive me.
+Will you?&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;As</ins> freely and fully as a grieved brother ever forgave a
+wayward sister.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took the folded hands, lifted her from the grass, and
+led her to a side door opening upon the east gallery.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, give me one kind word before I go.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The lamp-light from the hall shone full on his pale face,
+which was sterner than she had ever seen it, as he forcibly
+withdrew his hands from her tight clasp, and, putting her
+away from him, said, very coldly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I exhausted my store of kind thoughts and words when I
+called you my sister.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He saw that she understood him, for she tried to hide her
+face, but a spasm passed over it, and she would have fallen
+had he not caught her in his arms and carried her up to her
+own room.</p>
+<p>Stanley was asleep with his head pillowed on his open
+geography, but the candle burned beside him, and Dr. Grey
+placed Salome on a lounge near the window, and sprinkled
+her face with water.</p>
+<p>Kneeling by the low couch, he rubbed her hands vigorously
+with some cologne he found on her bureau; and, watching
+her pale, beautiful features, his heart swelled with compassion,
+and his calm eyes grew misty. Consciousness very soon
+returned, and when she saw the noble, sorrowful countenance,
+bent anxiously over her, she covered her face with her hands
+and moaned rather than spoke,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t endure your pity. Leave me with my self-contempt
+and degradation.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My little sister, I leave you in God&#8217;s merciful hands, and
+trust you to the guidance of your womanly pride and self-respect.
+Good-night. We will not engrave this unfortunate
+day on our tablets, but forget its record, save one fact, that
+for all time it makes me your brother; and, Salome,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;&#8216;So we&#8217;ll not dream, nor look back, dear,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>But march right on, content and bold,<br />
+To where our life sets heavenly clear,&mdash;<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Westward, behind the hills of gold.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_201' name='page_201'></a>201</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XVI' id='CHAPTER_XVI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVI.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, who is that beautiful girl to whom Muriel introduced
+me this morning? I was so absorbed in admiration
+of her face that I lost her name.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As he spoke, Mr. Gerard Granville struck the ashes from
+his cigar, and walked up to the table where Dr. Grey was
+sealing some letters.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Her name is Salome Owen, and she is my sister&#8217;s adopted
+child.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is her age, if I may be pardoned such impertinent
+queries?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I believe she has entered her eighteenth year.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is a regal beauty, and shows proud blood as plainly
+as any princess.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Take care, Granville; imagination has cantered away
+with your penetration. Salome&#8217;s family were coarse and
+common, though doubtless honest people. Her father was a
+drunken miller, who died in an attack of delirium tremens,
+and left his children as a legacy to the county. I merely
+mention these deplorable facts to show you that your boasted
+penetration is not entirely infallible.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miller or millionaire,&mdash;the girl would grace any court in
+Europe, and only lacks a dash of <i>aplomb</i> to make her irresistible.
+I have seen few faces that attracted and interested
+me so powerfully.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, she certainly is very handsome; but I do not agree
+with you in thinking that she lacks <i>aplomb</i>. Granville, if
+you have finished your cigar, we will adjourn to the parlor,
+where the ladies are taking their tea.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey collected his letters and walked away, followed
+by his guest; and, a moment after, a low, scornful laugh,
+floated in through the window which opened on the little
+flower-garden.</p>
+<p>Miss Jane had requested Salome to gather the seeds of some
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_202' name='page_202'></a>202</span>
+apple and nutmeg geraniums that were arranged on a shelf
+near the western window of the library; and, while stooping
+over the china jars, and screened from observation by a
+spreading lilac-bush, the girl had heard the conversation relative
+to herself.</p>
+<p>Excessive vanity had never been numbered among the
+faults that marred her character, but Dr. Grey&#8217;s indifference to
+personal attractions, which strangers admitted so readily,
+piqued, and thoroughly aroused a feeling that was destined
+to bring countless errors and misfortunes in its train; and,
+henceforth,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;There was not a high thing out of heaven,<br />
+Her pride o&#8217;ermastereth not.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Hitherto the love of one man had been the only boon she
+craved of heaven; but now, conscious that the darling hope
+of her life was crushed and withering under Dr. Grey&#8217;s
+relentless feet, she resolved that the admiration of the world
+should feed her insatiable hunger,&mdash;a maddening hunger
+which one tender word from his true lips would have assuaged,&mdash;but
+which she began to realize he would never utter.</p>
+<p>During the last eighteen hours, a mournful change had
+taken place in her heart, where womanly tenderness was
+rapidly retreating before unwomanly hate, bitterness, and
+blasphemous defiance; and she laughed scornfully at the
+&#8220;idiocy&#8221; that led her to weary heaven with prayers for the
+preservation of a life that must ever run as an asymptote to
+her own. How earnestly she now lamented an escape, for
+which she had formerly exhausted language in expressing
+her gratitude; and how much better it would have been if
+she could mourn him as dead, instead of jealously watching
+him,&mdash;living without a thought of her.</p>
+<p>All the girlish sweetness and freshness of her nature
+passed away, and an intolerable weariness and disappointment
+usurped its place. Since her acquaintance with Dr. Grey, he
+had been her sole <i>Melek Taous</i>, adored with Yezidi fervor;
+but to-day she overturned, and strove to revile and desecrate
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_203' name='page_203'></a>203</span>
+the idol, to whose vacant pedestal she lifted a colossal vanity.
+Her bruised, numb heart, seemed incapable of loving any one,
+or anything, and a hatred and contempt of her race took
+possession of her.</p>
+<p>The changing hues of Muriel&#8217;s tell-tale face when Mr.
+Granville arrived, and the excessive happiness that could not
+be masked, had not escaped Salome&#8217;s lynx vision; and very
+accurately she conjectured the real condition of affairs, relative
+to which Dr. Grey had never uttered a syllable. Bent
+upon mischief, she had, malice prepense, dressed herself
+with unusual care, and arranged her hair in a new style of
+coiffure, which proved very becoming.</p>
+<p>Now, as the hum of conversation mingled with the sound
+of Muriel&#8217;s low, soft laugh, reached her from the parlor, her
+chatoyant eyes kindled, and she hastily went in to join the
+merry circle.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come here, child, and sit by me,&#8221; said Miss Jane, making
+room on the sofa, as her <i>protégée</i> entered.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, I prefer a seat near the window.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey sat in a large chair in the centre of the floor, with
+Muriel on an ottoman close to him, and Mr. Granville leaned
+over the back of the chair, while Miss Dexter shared Miss
+Jane&#8217;s old-fashioned ample sofa. In full view of the whole
+party, Salome seated herself at a little distance, and, with
+admirably assumed nonchalance, began to enclose and sew
+up the geranium-seeds, in some pretty, colored paper bags,
+prepared for the purpose.</p>
+<p>After a few minutes Mr. Granville sauntered across the
+room, looked at the cuckoo clock, and finally went over to
+the window, where he leaned against the facing and watched
+Salome&#8217;s slender white fingers.</p>
+<p>She was dressed in a delicate muslin, striped with narrow
+pink lines, and flounced at the bottom of the skirt, and wore
+a ribbon sash of the same color; while in the broad braids
+of hair raised high on her head, she had fastened a superb
+half-blown Baron Provost rose, just where two long glossy
+curls crept down. The puffed sleeves, scarcely reaching the
+elbows, displayed the finely rounded white arms, and the exactness
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_204' name='page_204'></a>204</span>
+with which the airy muslin fitted her form, showed its
+symmetrical outline to the greatest advantage.</p>
+<p>Muriel touched her guardian, and whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did you ever see Salome look so beautiful? Her coiffure
+to-night is almost Parisian, and how very becoming!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey was studying the innocent, happy countenance of
+his unsuspecting ward, and he could not repress a sigh, when,
+turning his eyes towards Salome, he noticed the undisguised
+admiration in Mr. Granville&#8217;s earnest gaze.</p>
+<p>A nameless dread made him take Muriel&#8217;s hand and lead
+her to the piano.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Play something for me. I am music-hungry.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is Saul sad to-night?&#8221; she asked, smiling up at him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;A little fatigued and perplexed, and anxious to have his
+cares exorcised by the magic of your fingers.&#8221;</p>
+<p>With womanly tact she selected a <i>fantasia</i> which Mr. Granville
+had often pronounced the gem of her <i>repertoire</i>, and
+momentarily expected to hear his whispered thanks; but page
+after page was turned, and still her lover did not approach
+the piano, where Dr. Grey stood with folded arms and
+slightly contracted brows. Muriel played brilliantly, and
+was pardonably proud of her proficiency, which Mr. Granville
+had confessed first attracted his attention; and to-night, when
+the piece was concluded and she commenced a <i>Polonaise</i>, she
+looked over her shoulder hoping to meet a grateful, fond
+glance. But his eyes were riveted on the fair rosy face at
+his side, and his betrothed bit her pouting lip and made sundry
+blunders.</p>
+<p>As she rose from the piano-stool, Mr. Granville exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Muriel, you love music so well that I trust you will
+add your persuasions to mine, and induce Miss Owen to
+sing for us, as she declares she is comparatively a tyro in
+instrumental music, and would not venture to perform in
+your presence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She has never sung for me, but I hope she will not refuse
+your request. Salome, will you not oblige us?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_205' name='page_205'></a>205</span></div>
+<p>Muriel&#8217;s eyes were dim with tears, but her sweet voice did
+not falter.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was not aware that you sang at all,&#8221; said Miss Dexter,
+looking up from a mat which she was crocheting.</p>
+<p>&#8220;She has a fine voice, but is very obstinate in declining to
+use it. Come, Salome, don&#8217;t be childish, dear. Sing something,&#8221;
+coaxed Miss Jane.</p>
+<p>The girl waited a few seconds, hoping that another voice
+would swell the general request, but the lips she loved best
+were mute; and, suddenly tossing the paper bags from her
+lap, she rose and moved proudly to the piano.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Manton, will you or Miss Dexter be so kind as to
+play my accompaniment for me? I am neither Liszt, nor
+Thalberg, and the vocal gymnastics are all that I can venture
+to undertake.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Muriel promptly resumed her seat before the instrument,
+and played the symphony of an aria from &#8220;Favorite,&#8221; which
+Salome placed on the piano-board. Barilli had assured her
+that she rendered this fiery burst of rage and hatred as well
+as he had ever heard it; and, folding her fingers tightly
+around each other she drew herself up to her full height, and
+sang it.</p>
+<p>Mr. Granville leaned against the piano, and Dr. Grey was
+standing in the recess of the window when the song began,
+but ere long he moved forward unconsciously and paused,
+with his hand on his ward&#8217;s shoulder and his eyes riveted in
+astonishment on Salome&#8217;s countenance. She knew that the
+approbation and delight of this small audience was worth all
+the <i>encore</i> shouts of the millions who might possibly applaud
+her in future years; and if ever a woman&#8217;s soul poured itself
+out through her lips, all that was surging in Salome&#8217;s heart
+became visible to the man who listened as if spell-bound.</p>
+<p>Miss Jane grasped her crutches, and rose, leaning upon
+them, while a look of mingled joy and wonder made her sallow
+face eloquent; and Miss Dexter dropped her ivory needle,
+and gazed in amazement at the singer. Muriel forgot her
+chords,&mdash;turned partially around, and watched in breathless
+surprise the marvelous execution of several difficult passages,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_206' name='page_206'></a>206</span>
+where the rich voice seemed to linger while improvising
+sparkling turns and trills that were strangely intricate, and
+indescribably sweet.</p>
+<p>As she approached the close of her song, Salome became
+temporarily oblivious of pride, wounded vanity, and murdered
+hopes,&mdash;forgot all but the man at her side, for whose commendation
+she had toiled so patiently, and turning her
+flushed, radiant face, toward him, her magnificent eyes aflame
+with triumph looked appealingly up at his, and her hands
+were extended till they rested on his arm.</p>
+<p>So the song ended, and for a moment the parlor was still
+as a tomb. Dr. Grey silently enclosed the girl&#8217;s two hands
+in his, and, for the first time since she had known him, Salome
+saw tears swimming in his grave, beautiful eyes, and noticed
+a slight tremor on his usually steady lips.</p>
+<p>&#8220;There is nothing in the old world or the new comparable
+to that voice, and I flatter myself I speak <i>ex cathedra</i>. Miss
+Owen, you will soon have the public at your feet.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not heed Mr. Granville&#8217;s enthusiastic eulogy. She
+saw nothing but Dr. Grey&#8217;s admiring eyes,&mdash;felt nothing but
+the close warm clasp, in which her folded fingers lay,&mdash;and
+her ears ached for the sound of his deep voice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I shall not soon forgive you for keeping me in
+ignorance of the existence of the finest voice it has ever been
+my good fortune to hear. Knowing your adopted brother&#8217;s
+fondness for music, how could you hoard your treasure so
+parsimoniously, denying him such happiness as you might
+have conferred?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He untwined her fingers, which clung tenaciously to his,
+and saw that the blood ebbed out of cheeks and lips as she
+listened to his carefully guarded language. Silently she
+obeyed Miss Jane&#8217;s summons to the sofa.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You perverse witch! Where have you been practising
+all these months, that have made you such a wonderful cantatrice?
+Child, answer me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I did not wish to annoy the household by thrumming on
+the piano and afflicting their ears with false flat scales, consequently
+I followed the birds, and rehearsed with them, under
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_207' name='page_207'></a>207</span>
+the trees, and down on the edge of the sea. If you like my
+voice I am glad, because I have studied to perfect it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Like it, indeed! As if I could avoid liking it! But you
+must have had good training. Who taught you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I took lessons from Barilli.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Aha,&mdash;Ulpian! Now you can understand how he contrives
+to feed his family. Salome&#8217;s sewing-money explains
+it all. Kiss me, dear. I always believed there was more in
+you than came to the surface.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Owen ought to go upon the stage. Such gifts as
+hers belong to the public, who would soon crown her queen
+of song.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome glanced at the handsome stranger, and bowed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is my purpose, sir, to dedicate myself and future to the
+Opera, where I trust I shall not utterly fail, as I have been
+for a year studying with reference to this step.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A bomb-shell falling in that quiet circle, would scarcely
+have startled its members more effectually; and, anxious to
+avoid comment, Salome quitted the parlor and ran out on the
+lawn.</p>
+<p>After awhile she heard Muriel&#8217;s skilful touch on the piano,
+and, when an hour had elapsed, the echo of voices died away,
+and soon a profound silence seemed to reign over the house.</p>
+<p>The hot blood was coursing thick and fast in her veins,
+and evil purposes brooded darkly over her oppressed and
+throbbing heart. She was thoroughly cognizant of the intense
+admiration with which Mr. Granville regarded her, and
+to-night she had compared his handsome face with the older,
+graver, and less regular features of Dr. Grey, and wondered
+why the latter was so much more fascinating. Her beauty
+transcended Muriel&#8217;s, and it would prove an easy task to
+supplant her in the affections of her not very ardent lover.
+Life in Paris, spiced with the political intrigues incident to
+diplomatic circles, would divert her thoughts, and might
+possibly make the coming years endurable. Was the game
+worth the candle? No thought of Muriel&#8217;s misery entered
+for an instant into this entirely sordid calculation, or would
+have deterred her even momentarily, had it presented itself
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_208' name='page_208'></a>208</span>
+in expostulation. The girl&#8217;s heart had suddenly grown callous,
+and her hand would have ruthlessly smitten down any
+object that dared to cross her path, or retard the accomplishment
+of her schemes. Weary at last of pacing the dim starlit
+avenue, and yet too wretched to think of sleeping, she <ins title='Was re-ëntered'>re-entered</ins>
+the house, and cautiously locking the door, threw
+herself into a corner of the parlor sofa, which stood just beneath
+the portrait she so often studied.</p>
+<p>If she had not at this juncture been completely absorbed
+in gazing upon it, she might have seen the original, who soon
+rose and came forward from the shadow of the curtains.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I wish to make you my confidante,&mdash;to tell you
+something which I have not yet mentioned even to Janet.
+Can I trust you, little sister?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Resting against the arm of the sofa, he looked intently into
+her face, reading its perturbed lines.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I presume you are amusing yourself by tantalizing my
+curiosity, as your experiments appear to have thoroughly
+satisfied you that I am utterly unworthy of trust. I follow
+the flattering advice you were so kind as to give me some
+time since, and make no promises, which shatter like crystal
+under the hammer of the first temptation. You see, sir, you
+are teaching me to be cautious.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are teaching yourself lessons in dissimulation and
+maliciousness, that you will heartily rue some day, but your
+repentance will come too tardily to mend the mischief.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She tried to screen her countenance, but he was in no
+mood for trifling, and putting his palm under her chin, forced
+her to submit to his scrutiny.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, if I did not cherish a strong faith in the latent
+generosity of your soul, I would not come to you as I do
+now to offer confidence, and demand it in return.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She guessed his meaning, and her eyes glowed with all the
+baleful light that he had hoped was extinguished forever.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey makes a grace of necessity, and a pretence of
+confiding that which has ceased to be a secret. Is such his
+boasted candor and honesty?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If I believed that you were already acquainted with what
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_209' name='page_209'></a>209</span>
+I propose to divulge, I would not fritter away my time in
+appealing to a nobility of feeling which that fact alone
+would prove the hopelessness of my ever finding in you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He felt her face grow hot, and for an instant her eyes
+drooped before his, stern and almost threatening.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, sir; I wait for your confidential disclosures. Is
+there a Guy Fawkes, or Titus Oates, plotting against the
+peace and prosperity of the house of Grey?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Verily I am disposed to apprehend that there may be.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She endeavored to wrench her face from his hand, but he
+held it firmly, and continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wish to say to you that Muriel is very sensitive, and I
+hope that during Mr. Granville&#8217;s visit, you will try to be as
+considerate and courteous as possible, to both. Salome,
+Gerard Granville has asked Muriel to be his wife, and she has
+promised to marry him at the expiration of a year.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl laughed derisively, and exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray, Dr. Grey, be so good as to indulge me with your
+motive in furnishing this piece of information?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your astuteness forbids the possibility of any doubt with
+reference to my motives,&mdash;which are, explicitly, anxiety for
+Muriel&#8217;s happiness, and for the preservation of your integrity
+and self-respect.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What jeopardizes either?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your heartless, contemptible vanity, which tempts you to
+demand a homage and incense that should be offered only
+where it is due,&mdash;at another, and I grieve to add, a purer
+shrine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah! My unpardonable sin consists in having braided my
+black locks, and made myself comely! If you will procure
+an authentic portrait of the Witch of Endor, I will do proper
+penance by likening my appearance thereunto. Poor little
+rose! Can&#8217;t you open your pink lips and cry <i>peccavi</i>? Come
+down, sole ally and accomplice of my heinous vanity, and
+plead for me, and make the <i>amende honorable</i> to this grim
+guardian of Miss Muriel&#8217;s peace!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She snatched the drooping rose from her hair, and tossed
+it at his feet.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_210' name='page_210'></a>210</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you forget yourself!&#8221;</p>
+<p>His stern displeasure rendered her reckless, and she continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;True, sir. I did forget that the poor miller&#8217;s child had
+no right to obtrude her comeliness in the presence of the
+banker&#8217;s daughter. I confess my &#8216;high crime and misdemeanor&#8217;
+against the pet of fortune, and await my condign
+punishment. Is it your sovereign will that I shear my shining
+locks like royal Berenice, and offer them in propitiation?
+Or, does it seem &#8216;good, meet, and your bounden duty,&#8217; to
+have me promptly inoculated with small-pox, for the destruction
+of my skin, which is unjustifiably smoother and
+clearer than&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush, hush!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He laid his hand over her lips, and, for a while, there
+was an awkward pause.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If it were only possible to inoculate your heart with a
+little genuine womanly charity,&mdash;if it were possible to persuade
+you to adopt as your rule of conduct that golden one
+which Christ gave as a patent of peace to all who followed
+it. But it is futile, hopeless. You will not, you will not,&mdash;and
+my fluttering dove is at the mercy of a famished eagle,
+already poised to swoop. I &#8216;reckoned without my host&#8217; when
+I so confidently appealed to your magnanimity, to your
+feminine integrity of soul. You are a &#8216;deaf adder that
+stoppeth her ear.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which will not &#8216;hearken to the voice of the charmer,
+charm he never so wisely.&#8217; Dr. Grey, what has the pampered
+heiress, the happy <i>fiancée</i> of that handsome man upstairs,
+to fear from the poverty-stricken daughter of a miller, who
+you conscientiously inform your guest passed from time to
+eternity through the gate opened by delirium tremens. Mark
+you, my &#8216;adder ears&#8217; have not been sealed all the evening.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had taken his hand from her lips, and thrown it from
+her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;People who condescend to listen to conversations that are
+not intended for them, generally deserve the punishment of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_211' name='page_211'></a>211</span>
+hearing unpleasant truths discussed. Salome, our interview
+is at an end.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not yet. Do you sincerely desire to see Muriel Mr.
+Granville&#8217;s wife?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do, because I know that she is strongly attached to
+him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And you are sufficiently generous to sacrifice your happiness,
+in order to promote hers? Oh, marvellous magnanimity!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your insinuation is beneath my notice.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long have you known of her engagement?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Since the first interview I had with her, after her father&#8217;s
+death.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Let me see your face, Dr. Grey. If truth has not been
+hunted out of the earth, it took refuge in your eyes. There,
+I am satisfied. You never loved her. I think I must have
+been insane, or I would not have imagined it possible. No,
+no; she never touched your heart, save with a feeling of
+compassion. Don&#8217;t go, I want to say something to you. Sit
+down, and let me think.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She walked up and down the room for ten minutes, and,
+with his face bowed on his hand, Dr. Grey watched and
+waited.</p>
+<p>Finally he stooped to pick up the crushed rose on the floor,
+and then she came back and stood before him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I promise you I will not lay a straw in the path of
+Muriel&#8217;s happiness, and it shall not be my fault if Mr. Granville
+fails in a lover&#8217;s <i>devoir</i>. I was tempted to entice him
+from his sworn allegiance. Why should I deny what you
+know so well? But I will not, and when I give my word, it
+shall go hard with me but I keep it; especially when you
+hold the pledge. Are you satisfied? I know that you have
+little cause to trust me, but I tell you, sir, when I deceive
+you, then all heaven with its hierarchies of archangels can
+not save me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>After all, Ulpian Grey was only a man of flesh and blood,
+and his heart was touched by the beauty of the young face,
+and the mournful sweetness of the softened voice.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_212' name='page_212'></a>212</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, Salome. I accept your promise, and rely
+upon it. As a pledge of your sincerity I shall retain this
+rose, and return it to you when little Muriel is a happy wife.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She clasped her hands, and looked at him with a mournful,
+wistful expression, that puzzled him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My friend, my little sister, what is it? Tell me, and let
+me help you to do your duty, for I see that you are wrestling
+desperately with some great temptation.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, be merciful to me. Send me away. Oh, for
+God&#8217;s sake, send me away!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had grown ghastly pale, and her whole face indexed
+a depth of anguish and despair that baffled utterance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear child, where do you desire to go? If your wishes
+are reasonable they shall be granted.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you persuade Miss Jane to take Jessie in my place,
+and send me to France or Italy?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To study music with the intention of becoming a <i>prima
+donna</i>?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My young friend, I cannot conscientiously advise a compliance
+with wishes so fraught with danger to yourself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You fear that my voice does not justify so expensive an
+experiment?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;On the contrary, I have not a doubt that your extraordinary
+voice will lift you to the highest pinnacle of musical
+celebrity; and, because your career on the stage promises to
+prove so brilliant, I shudder in anticipating the temptations
+that will unavoidably assail you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are afraid to trust me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, my little sister; you are so impulsive, so prone to
+hearken to evil dictates rather than good ones, that I dread
+the <ins title='Was though'>thought</ins> of seeing you launched into the dangerous career
+you contemplate, without some surer, safer, more infallible
+pilot than your proud, passionate heart. If you were homely,
+and a dullard, I should entertain less apprehension about your
+future.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her broad brow blackened with a frown that became a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_213' name='page_213'></a>213</span>
+terrible scowl, and her eyes gleamed like lightning under the
+edge of a thunderous summer cloud.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is it to you whether I live or die? The immaculate
+soul of Ulpian Grey, M.D., will serenely wing its way up
+through the stars, on and on to the great Gates of Pearl,&mdash;oblivious
+of the beggar who, from the lowest Hades, where
+she has fallen, eagerly watches his flight.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The anxious soul of Ulpian Grey will pray for yours, as
+long as we remain on earth. Salome, I am the truest friend
+you will ever find this side of the City of God; and, when I
+see you plunging madly into ruin, I shall snatch you back,
+cost me what it may. Your jeers and struggle have not
+deterred me hitherto, nor shall they henceforth. You are as
+incapable of guiding yourself aright, as a rudderless bark is
+of stemming the gulf-stream in a south-west gale; and I am
+afraid to trust you out of my sight.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I understand you; the good angel in your nature
+pities the demon in mine. But your pity stifles me; I could
+not endure it; and, besides, I cannot stay here any longer.
+I must go out into the world, and seize the fortune that
+people tell me my voice will certainly yield me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Flush and sparkle had died out of her face, which, in its
+worn, haggard pallor, looked five years older than when she
+entered the parlor, three hours before.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pecuniary considerations must not influence you, because,
+while Janet and I live, you shall want nothing; and when
+either dies, you will be liberally provided for. Dismiss from
+your mind a matter that has long been decided, and which no
+wish of yours can annul or alter.&#8221;</p>
+<p>With an impatient wave of the hand, she answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Give to poor little Jessie and Stanley what was intended
+for me. They are helpless, but I can take care of myself;
+and, moreover, I am not contented here. I want to see
+something of the world in which&mdash;<i>bon gré mal gré</i>&mdash;I find
+myself. Let me go. Rousseau was a sage. &#8216;<i>Le monde est le
+livre des femmes</i>.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He shook his head, and said, sorrowfully,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, your instincts are unreliable; and if you roam away
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_214' name='page_214'></a>214</span>
+from Jane and from me, you will sip more poison than
+honey. Be wise, and remain where Providence has placed
+you. I will bring Jessie here, and you shall teach her what
+you choose, and <ins title='Original wording retained'>Stanley can command all the educational advantages
+he will improve</ins>. After a while, you shall, if you
+prefer it, have a pleasant home of your own, and dwell there
+with the two little ones. Such has long been my scheme and
+purpose; but, during my sister&#8217;s life, she will never consent
+to give you up; and you owe it to her not to desert her in the
+closing years, when she most urgently requires the solace of
+your love and society.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome covered her face with her hands, and something
+like a heavy dry sob shook her frame; but the spring of
+bitterness seemed exhaustless, and her voice was indescribably
+scornful in its defiant ring.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very charitable, Dr. Grey, and I thank you for
+all your embryonic benevolent plans for me and my pauper
+relatives; but I have drawn a very different map for my
+future years. You seem to regard this house as a second
+&#8216;<i>La Tour sans venin</i>,&#8217; which, like its prototype near Grenoble,
+possesses an atmosphere fatal to all poisonous, noxious
+things; but surely you forget that it has long sheltered me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, it has never arrogated the prerogative of &#8216;<i>La Tour
+sans venin</i>,&#8217; but of one thing, my poor wilful child, you shall
+never have reason to be skeptical,&mdash;that dear Jane and I will
+indefatigably strive to serve you as faithfully and successfully,
+as did in ancient days, the Psylli whom Plutarch immortalized.&#8221;</p>
+<p>While he spoke Dr. Grey had been turning over the leaves
+of the old family Bible, which happened to lie within his
+reach; and now, without premonition, he read aloud the fifty-fifth
+Psalm.</p>
+<p>She listened, not willingly, but <i>ex necessitate rei</i>, and rebelliously;
+and, when he finished the Psalm, and knelt, with his
+face on his arms, which were crossed upon the back of a chair,
+she stood haughtily erect and motionless beside him.</p>
+<p>His prayer was brief and fervent, that God would aid her
+in her efforts to curb her passionate temper, and to walk in
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_215' name='page_215'></a>215</span>
+accordance with the teachings of Jesus; and that he would
+especially overrule all things, and guide her decision in the
+important step she contemplated. He rose, and turned towards
+her, but her countenance was hidden.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good night, Salome. God bless you and direct you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She raised her face, and her eyes sought his with a long,
+questioning, pleading gaze, so full of anguish that he could
+scarcely endure it. Then he saw the last spark of hope expire;
+and she bent her queenly head an instant, and silently
+passed from the parlor.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;I have watched my first and holiest hopes depart,<br />
+<span class='indent8'>&nbsp;</span>One after one;<br />
+I have held the hand of Death upon my heart,<br />
+<span class='indent8'>&nbsp;</span>And made no moan.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XVII' id='CHAPTER_XVII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon my intrusion, Mrs. Gerome, and ascribe it to
+Elsie&#8217;s anxiety concerning your health. In compliance with
+her request, I have come to ascertain whether you really
+require my attention.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey placed his hat and gloves on the piano, and established
+himself comfortably in a large chair near the arch,
+where Mrs. Gerome, palette in hand, sat before her easel.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie&#8217;s nerves have run away with her sound common
+sense, and filled her mind with vagaries. She imagines that
+I need medicine, whereas I only require quiet and peace,
+which neither she nor you will permit me to enjoy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not even glance at the visitor, but mixed some
+colors rapidly, and deepened the rose-tints in a cluster of
+apple-blossoms she was scattering in the foreground of a
+picture.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If it is not of vital importance that those pearly petals
+should be finished immediately, I should be glad to have you
+turn your face towards me for a few moments. There,&mdash;thank
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_216' name='page_216'></a>216</span>
+you. Mrs. Gerome, do I look like a nervous, whimsical
+man, whose fancy mastered his professional judgment, or
+blunted his acumen?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You certainly appear as phlegmatic, as utterly unimaginative,
+as any lager-loving German, whom Teniers or
+Ostade ever painted &#8216;<i>Unter den linden</i>.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then my words should possess some influence when they
+corroborate Elsie&#8217;s statement, that you are far from well.
+Do not be childishly incredulous, and impatiently shake your
+head; from a woman of your age and sense one expects more
+dignity and prudence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sir, your rudeness has at least a flavor of stern honesty
+that makes it almost palatable. Do you propose to take my
+case into your skilful hands?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I merely propose to expostulate with you upon the unfortunate
+and ruinous course of life you have decided to
+pursue. No eremite of the Thebaid, or the Nitroon, is more
+completely immured than I find you; and the seclusion from
+society is quite as deleterious as the want of out-door air and
+sunshine. Your mind, debarred from communion with your
+race and denied novel and refreshing themes, centres in its
+own operations and creations, broods over threadbare topics
+until it has grown morbid; and, instead of deriving healthful
+nourishment from the world that surrounds it, exhausts and
+consumes itself, like fabled Araline, spinning its substance
+into filmy nothings.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Filmy nothings! Thank you. I flatter myself, when I
+am safely housed under marble, the world will place a different
+estimate upon some things I shall leave behind to challenge
+criticism.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How much value will public plaudits possess for ears
+sealed by death? Mrs. Gerome, you are too lonely; you must
+have companionship that will divert your thoughts.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not I, indeed! All that I require, I have in abundance,&mdash;music,
+books, and my art. Here I am independent, for remember
+that he was a petted son of fame, who said, &#8216;Books
+are the true Elysian fields, where the spirits of the dead
+converse, and into these fields a mortal may venture unappalled.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_217' name='page_217'></a>217</span>
+What king&#8217;s court can boast such company,&mdash;what
+school of philosophy such wisdom?&#8217; Verily if you had ever
+examined my library you would not imagine I lacked companionship.
+Why sir, yonder,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;The old, dead authors throng me round about,<br />
+And Elzevir&#8217;s gray ghosts from leathern graves look out.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Count Oxenstiern spoke truly, when he declared, &#8216;Occupied
+with the great minds of antiquity, we are no longer annoyed
+by contemporaneous fools.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>She rose and pointed to the handsome cases in the rear
+room, filled with choice volumes; and, while she stood with
+one arm resting on the easel, Dr. Grey looked searchingly at
+her.</p>
+<p>To-day there was a <i>spirituelle</i> beauty in the white face that
+he had never seen before; and the large eloquent eyes were
+full of dreamy sunset radiance, unlike their wonted steely
+glitter. A change, vague and indefinable, but unmistakable,
+had certainly passed over that countenance since its owner
+came to reside at &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; and, instead of marring, had
+heightened its loveliness. The features were thinner, the
+cheeks had lost something of their pure oval moulding, and
+the delicate nostrils were almost transparent in their waxen
+curves; but the arch of the lip was softened and lowered, and
+the face was like that of some marble goddess on which mid-summer
+moonshine sleeps.</p>
+<p>Her white mull robe was edged at the skirt and up the
+front with a rich border of blue morning-glories, and a blue
+cord and tassel girded it at her waist, while the broad braids
+of hair at the back of her head were looped and fastened with
+a ribbon of the same color. Her sleeves were gathered up to
+keep them clear of the paint on the palette, and the dimples
+were no longer visible in her arms. The ivory flesh was
+shrinking closer to the small bones, and the diaphanous hands
+were so thin that the sapphire asp glided almost off the slender
+finger around which it was coiled.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, you have lost twenty pounds of flesh within
+the last two months, and your extreme pallor alarms me.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_218' name='page_218'></a>218</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;All things look pallid in these rooms, for the light is
+bluish, reflected from carpet, furniture, and curtains.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have noticed that you invariably wear blue, to the
+exclusion of all other colors.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes. Throughout the Levant it is considered a mortuary
+color; and, moreover, I like its symbolism. The <i>Mater
+dolorosa</i> often wears blue vestments; also the priests during
+Lent; and even the images of Christ are veiled in blue, as
+holy week approaches. Azure, in its absolute significance,
+represents truth, and is the symbol of the soul after death;
+so, as I walk the earth,&mdash;a fleshy &#8216;death in life,&#8217;&mdash;I clothe
+myself symbolically. In pagan cosmogonies the Creator is
+always colored blue. Jupiter Ammon, Vischnou, Cneph,
+Krischna,&mdash;all are azure. And because it is a solemn, consecrated
+color, mystic and mournful, I wear it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear madam, this is a morbid whimsicality that
+trenches closely upon monomania, and would be more tolerable
+in a lackadaisical school-girl, than in a mature, intelligent,
+and gifted woman. Some of your fantasies would be
+positively respectable in a Bedlamite, and you seem an anomalous
+compound of eccentricities peculiar to extreme youth
+and to advanced age.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I believe, sir, that you are entirely correct in your
+analysis. I stand before you, young in years, but forsaken by
+that &#8216;blue-eyed Hope&#8217; who frolics hand in hand with youth;
+and yet utterly devoid of that philosophy and wisdom which
+justly belong to the old age of my heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her tone was indescribably weary, and, as she laid aside
+her brush and folded her hands together on the cross-beam
+of the easel, the transient light died out of her countenance,
+and the worn, tired look, came back and settled on every
+feature.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;The soft, sad eyes,</p>
+<p class='cg'>Set like twilight planets in the rainy skies,&mdash;<br />
+With the brow all patience, and the lips all pain,&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>wove a strange spell over the visitor, whose gaze was riveted
+on the only woman who had ever aroused even temporary
+interest in his heart.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_219' name='page_219'></a>219</span></div>
+<p>She was always beautiful, but to-day there was a helpless,
+hopeless abandonment in her listless demeanor, that appealed
+successfully to the manly tenderness and chivalry of his
+nature; and into his strong, true, noble soul, came a longing
+to cheer, and guide, and redeem this strange, desolate woman,
+whose personal loveliness would have made her regnant over
+the gay circles of fashionable life, yet whose existence was
+more lonely than that of an eaglet in some mountain eyrie.</p>
+<p>Rising, he leaned against the easel and looked down into
+the colorless face that possessed such a wondrous charm for
+him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, for natures diseased like yours, the only
+remedy, the only cure, is earnest, vigorous labor; and the
+regimen you really require is mournfully at variance with
+your present habits and modes of thought.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do labor incessantly; more indefatigably than any
+plowman, or mason, or carpenter. Your prescription has
+been thoroughly tested, and found worthless, as an antidote
+to my malady,&mdash;hopelessness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Unfortunately the labor has all been mental; heart and
+soul have stood aloof, while the brain almost wore itself out.
+This canvas is destroying you; your creations are too rapid,
+too exhausting.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, you grievously misapprehend the whole matter,
+for my work reminds me of what Canova once said of West&#8217;s
+pictures, &#8216;He groups; he does not compose.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey put his hand on her wrist, and counted the rapid,
+feeble, irregular pulse.</p>
+<p>She made an effort to throw off his fingers, but they clung
+tenaciously to the polished arm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How many hours do you sleep, during the twenty-four?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sometimes three, occasionally one, frequently none.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How much longer do you suppose your constitution will
+endure such merciless taxation?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I know very little about these things, and care still less,
+but as Horne Tooke said, when a foreigner inquired how
+much treason an Englishman might venture to write without
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_220' name='page_220'></a>220</span>
+being hanged, &#8216;I cannot inform you just yet, but I am trying.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Has life become such an intolerable burden that you are
+impatient to shake it off?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Even so, Dr. Grey. When Elsie dies the last link will
+have snapped, and I trust I shall not long survive her. If I
+prayed at all, it would be for speedy death.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you prayed at all, existence would not prove so wearisome;
+for resignation would cure half your woes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Confine your prescriptions to the body,&mdash;that is tangible,
+and may be handled and scrutinized; but venture no nostrums
+for a heart and soul of which you know nothing. Once I was
+almost a Moslem in the frequency and fervor of my prayers;
+but now, the only petition I could force myself to offer would
+be that prayer of Epictetus, &#8216;<i>Lead me, Zeus and Destiny,
+whithersoever I am appointed to go; I will follow without
+wavering; even though I turn coward and shrink, I shall
+have to follow, all the same.</i>&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey sighed heavily, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is painful to hear from feminine lips a fatalism so
+grim as to make all prayer a mockery; and it would seem
+that the loss of those dear to you, would have insensibly and
+unavoidably drawn your heart heavenward, in search of its
+<ins title='Was transplated'>transplanted</ins> idols.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He knew from the sudden spasm that seized her calm features,
+and shuddered through her tall figure, that he had
+touched, perhaps too rudely, some chord in her nature which&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Made the coiled memory numb and cold,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>That slept in her heart like a dreaming snake,<br />
+Drowsily lift itself, fold by fold,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And gnaw, and gnaw hungrily, half-awake.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, indeed, my heart was drawn after them,&mdash;but not
+heavenward! No, no, no! My idols were not transplanted,&mdash;they
+were shattered!&mdash;shattered!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She leaned forward, looking up into his face; and, raising
+her hand impressively, she continued in a voice so mournful,
+so hopelessly bitter, that Dr. Grey shivered as he listened.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_221' name='page_221'></a>221</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, sir, you who stand gazing down in sorrowful reproach
+upon what you regard as my unpardonable impiety,
+little dream of the fiery ordeal that consumed my childlike,
+beautiful faith, as flames crisp and blacken chaff. I am
+alone, and must ever be, while in the flesh; and I hoard my
+pain, sparing the world my moans and tears, my wry faces and
+desperate struggles. I tell you, Dr. Grey,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;None know the choice I made; I make it still.<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>None know the choice I made, and broke my heart,<br />
+Breaking mine idol; I have braced my will<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Once, chosen for once my part.<br />
+I broke it at a blow, I laid it cold,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Crushed in my deep heart where it used to live.<br />
+My heart dies inch by inch; the time grows old,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Grows old in which I grieve.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>He did not comprehend her, but felt that her past must
+have been melancholy indeed, of which the bare memory was
+so torturing.</p>
+<p>&#8220;At least, Mrs. Gerome, let us thank God, that beyond
+the grave there remains an eternal reunion with your idol,
+and&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;God forbid! You talk at random, and your suggestion
+would drive me mad, if I believed it. Let me be quiet.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She walked away, and seemed intently watching the sea, of
+whose protean face she never wearied; and, puzzled and
+tantalized, Dr. Grey turned to examine the unfinished picture.</p>
+<p>It represented an almost colossal woman, kneeling under
+an apple-tree, with her folded hands lifted towards a setting
+sun that glared from purple hills, across waving fields of
+green and golden grain. The azure mantle that enveloped
+the rounded form, floated on the wind and seemed to melt
+in air, so dim were its graceful outlines; and on one shoulder
+perched a dove with head under its wing, nestling to sleep,&mdash;while
+a rabbit nibbled the grass at her feet, and a squirrel
+curled himself comfortably on the border of her robe. In
+the foreground were scattered sheaves of yellow wheat, full
+ears of corn, bunches of blue, bloom-covered grapes, clusters
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_222' name='page_222'></a>222</span>
+of olives, and various delicate flowers whose brilliant hues
+seemed drippings from some wrung and broken rainbow.</p>
+<p>The face was unlike flesh and blood,&mdash;was dim, elfish, wan,
+with large, mild eyes, as blue and misty as the <i>nebul&#230;</i> that
+Herschel found in Southern skies,&mdash;eyes that looked at
+nothing, but seemed to penetrate the universe and shed soft
+solemn light over all things. Back from the broad, low brow,
+floated a cloud of silky yellow hair, that glittered in the slanting
+rays of sunshine as if powdered with gold dust; and over
+its streaming strands fluttered two mottled butterflies, and a
+honey-laden bee. On distant hill-slopes cattle browsed, and
+at the right of the kneeling woman a young lamb nibbled a
+cluster of snowy lilies, while a dappled fawn watched the
+gambols of a dun kid; and on the left, in a tuft of bearded
+grass, a brown snake arched its neck to peer at a brood of
+half-fledged partridges.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, will you be so kind as to explain this mythologic
+design?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She came back to the easel, and took up her palette.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If it requires an explanation it is an egregious failure,
+and shall find a vacant corner in some rubbish garret.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is exceedingly beautiful, but I do not fully comprehend
+the symbolism.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If it does not clearly mean the one thing for which it
+was intended, it means nothing, and is worthless. Look, sir,
+she&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Forgets, remembers, grieves, and is not sad;<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>The quiet lands and skies leave light upon her eyes;<br />
+None knows her weak, or wise, or tired, or glad.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Dr. Grey bit his lip, but shook his head.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You must read me your painted riddle more explicitly.
+Is it Ceres?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; a few sheaves do not make a harvest. I am a
+stupid bungler, spoiling canvas and wasting paint, or else you
+are as obtuse as the critics who may one day hover hungrily
+over it. Try the aid of one more clew, and if you fail to
+catch my purpose, I will dash my brush all loaded with ochre,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_223' name='page_223'></a>223</span>
+right into those mystic, prescient eyes, and blur them forever.
+Listen, and guess,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;This is my lady&#8217;s praise;<br />
+God after many days<br />
+Wrought her in unknown ways,<br />
+<span class='indent4'>&nbsp;</span>In sunset lands;<br />
+This was my lady&#8217;s birth,<br />
+God gave her might and mirth<br />
+And laid his whole sweet earth<br />
+<span class='indent4'>&nbsp;</span>Between her hands.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;Pray do not visit the sin of my stupidity upon that
+fascinating picture. I am not familiar with the lines you
+quote, but know that you have represented Nature, have embodied
+an ideal Isis, or Hertha, or Cybele; though I can not
+positively name the phase of the Universal Mother, which
+you have seized and perpetuated.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He caught her arm, and removed from her fingers the palette
+and brushes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, it is more than either or all of the three you
+mention; for Persian mythology, like Persian wines and
+Persian roses, is richer, more subtle, more fragrant, more
+glowing than any other. That woman is &#8216;<i>Espendérmad</i>.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you; now I comprehend the whole. God has
+endowed you with wonderful talent. The fruit and flowers
+in that foreground must have cost you much labor, for indeed
+you seem to have faithfully followed the injunction of Titian,
+&#8216;Study the effect of light and shade on a bunch of grapes.&#8217;
+That luscious amber cluster lying near the poppies is tantalizingly
+suggestive of Rhineland, and of the vines that
+garland the hills of Crete and Cyprus.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A shade of annoyance and disappointment crossed the artist&#8217;s
+face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Now, I quite realize what Cespedes felt, when, finding
+that visitors were absorbed by the admirable finish of some
+jars and vases in the foreground of the &#8216;Last Supper,&#8217; upon
+which he had expended so much time and thought, he called
+his servant and exclaimed in great chagrin, &#8216;Andres, rub me
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_224' name='page_224'></a>224</span>
+out these things, since, after all my care and study, people
+choose to see nothing but these impertinences.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If Zeuxis&#8217; grandest triumph consisted in painting grapes,
+you assuredly should not take umbrage at my praise of that
+fruit on your canvas, which hints of Tokay and Lachrima
+Christi. I am not an artist, but I have studied the best
+pictures in Europe and America, and you must acquit me of
+any desire to flatter when I tell you that background yonder
+is one of the most extraordinary successes I have ever seen,
+from either amateur or professional painters.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome arched her black brows slightly, and replied,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then the success was accidental, and I stumbled upon it,
+for I bestow little study on the backgrounds of my work.
+They are mere dim distances of bluish haze, and do not
+interest me, and, since I paint for amusement, I give most
+thought to my central figure.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you forgotten the anecdote of Rubens, who, when
+offered a pupil with the recommendation that he was sufficiently
+advanced in his studies to assist him at once in his
+backgrounds, laughed, and answered, &#8216;If the youth was
+capable of painting backgrounds he did not need his instruction;
+because the regulation and management of them required
+the most comprehensive knowledge of the art.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I am aware that is one of the <i>dogmata</i> of the craft,
+but Rubens was no more infallible than you or I, and his
+pictures give me less pleasure than those of any other artist
+of equal celebrity. Dr. Grey, if I am even a tolerable judge
+of my own work, the best thing I have yet achieved is the
+drapery of that form. Perhaps I am inclined to plume myself
+upon this point, from the fact that it was the opinion of
+Carlo Maratti that &#8216;The arrangement of drapery is more
+difficult than drawing the human figure; because the right
+effect depends more upon the taste of the artist than upon any
+given rules.&#8217; That sweep of blue gauze has cost me more toil
+than everything else on the canvas.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon the expression of my curiosity concerning your
+modes of composition in these singular and quaint creations,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_225' name='page_225'></a>225</span>
+for which you have no models; and tell me how this ideal
+presented itself to your imagination.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I am not a great genius like Goethe, and unfortunately
+can not candidly echo his declaration, that,
+&#8216;Nothing ever came to me in my sleep.&#8217; I can scarcely tell
+you when this idea was first born in my busy, tireless brain,
+but it took form one evening after I had read Charlotte
+Bronté&#8217;s &#8216;Woman Titan,&#8217; in &#8216;Shirley,&#8217; and compared it with
+that glowing description of Jean Paul Richter, &#8216;And so the
+Sun stands at the border of the Earth, and looks back on
+his stately Spring, whose robe-folds are valleys, whose breast-bouquet
+is gardens, whose blush is a vernal evening, and who,
+when she rises, will be Summer.&#8217; Still it was vague, and
+eluded me, until I found somewhere in my most desultory
+reading, an account of &#8216;<i><ins title='Was Espendermad'>Espendérmad</ins></i>,&#8217; one of the six angels
+of Ormuzd, to whom was entrusted the guardianship of the
+earth. That night I dreamed that I stood under a vine at
+Schiraz, gathering golden-tinted grapes, when a voice arrested
+me, and, looking over my shoulder, I saw that face peeping
+at me across a hedge of crimson roses. Next day I sketched
+the features as they had appeared in my dream, but I was
+not fully satisfied, and waited and pondered. Finally, I read
+&#8216;Madonna Mia,&#8217; and then all was as you see it now, startlingly
+distinct and palpable.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why did you not select some dusky-haired, dusky-eyed,
+olive-tinted oriental type, instead of a blonde who might
+safely venture into Valhalla as a genuine Celtic Iduna?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;With the exception of the yellow locks, I suspect the face
+of my &#8216;<i><ins title='Was Espendermad'>Espendérmad</ins></i>&#8217; might easily be matched among the
+maidens of the Caucasus, who furnish the most perfect types
+of Circassian beauty. You know there is a tradition that
+when Leonardo da Vinci chanced to meet a man with an expression
+of character that he wished to make use of in his
+work, he followed him until he was able to delineate the face
+on canvas; but, on the contrary, the countenances I paint
+present themselves to my imagination, and pursue me inexorably
+until I put them into pigment. I do not possess
+ideals,&mdash;they seize and possess me, teasing me for form and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_226' name='page_226'></a>226</span>
+color, and forcing me to object them on canvas. Such is the
+<i>modus operandi</i> of whims that give me my &#8216;<i><ins title='Was Espendermad'>Espendérmad</ins></i>&#8217;
+praying to the Sun for benisons on the Earth, which she is
+appointed to guard. Ah, if like the lambkins and birds, I,
+too, could creep to the starry border of her azure robe, and
+lay my weary head down and find repose. Some day, if my
+mind ever grows calm enough, I want to paint a picture of
+Rest, that I can hang on my wall and look upon when I am
+worn out in body and soul, when, indeed,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;My feet are wearied, and my hands are tired,<br />
+<span class='indent8'>&nbsp;</span>My heart oppressed,<br />
+And I desire, what I long desired,<br />
+<span class='indent8'>&nbsp;</span>Rest,&mdash;only Rest.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;My dear madam, unless you speedily change your present
+mode of life, you will not paint that contemplated picture, for
+a long rest will soon overtake you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A gleam that was nearer akin to joy than any expression
+he had yet seen, passed from eye to lip, and she answered,
+almost eagerly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If that be true, it offers a premium for the continuance of
+habits you condemn so strenuously; but I dare not hope it,
+and I beg of you not to tantalize me with vain expectations
+of a release that may yet be far, far distant.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey&#8217;s heart stirred with earnest sympathy for this
+lonely hopeless soul, who, standing almost upon the threshold
+of life, stretched her arms so yearningly to woo the advance of
+death.</p>
+<p>The room was slowly filling with shadows, and, leaning
+there against her easel, she looked as unearthly as the pearly
+forms that summer clouds sometimes assume, when a harvest-moon
+springs up from sea foam and fog, and stares at them.
+When she spoke again, her voice was chill and crisp.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My malady is beyond your reach, and baffles human skill.
+You mean only kindness, and I suppose I ought to thank
+you, but alas! the sentiment of gratitude is such a stranger
+in my heart, that it has yet to learn an adequate language.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_227' name='page_227'></a>227</span>
+Dr. Grey, the only help you can possibly render me is to prolong
+Elsie&#8217;s life. As for me, and my uncertain future, give
+yourself no charitable solicitude. Do you recollect what Lessing
+wrote to Claudius? &#8216;I am too proud to own that I am
+unhappy. I shut my teeth, and let the bark drift. Enough
+that I do not turn it over with my own hands.&#8217; Elsie is
+signalling for me. Do you hear that bell? Good-night, Dr.
+Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XVIII' id='CHAPTER_XVIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;I have had a long conversation with Ulpian, and find
+him violently opposed to the scheme you mentioned to me
+several days since. He declares he will gladly share his last
+dollar with you sooner than see you embark in a career so
+fraught with difficulties, trials, and&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane paused to find an appropriate word, and Salome
+very promptly supplied her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Temptations. That is exactly what you both mean. Go
+on.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, yes, dear. I am afraid the profession you have
+selected is beset with dangerous allurements for one so inexperienced
+and unsophisticated as yourself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Bah! Speak out. I am sick of circumlocution. What
+do you understand by unsophisticated?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, I mean,&mdash;well, what can I mean but just what the
+word expresses,&mdash;unsophisticated? That is, young, thoughtless,
+ignorant of the ways of the world, and the excessive
+cunning and deceit of human nature.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Begging your pardon, it has another significance, which
+you will find if you look into your dictionary,&mdash;that blessed
+Magna Charta of linguistic rights and privileges. I do not
+claim the prerogatives of Ruskin&#8217;s class of the &#8216;well educated,
+who are learned in the peerage of words; know the words
+of true descent and ancient blood at a glance, from words
+of modern <i>canaille</i>;&#8217; but I venture the assertion that I am
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_228' name='page_228'></a>228</span>
+sufficiently sophisticated to plunge into the vortex of public
+life, and yet keep my head above water.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to see my little girl an actress, or a <i>prima
+donna</i>, bold, forward, and eager to face a noisy, clamorous
+crowd, who feel privileged to say just what they please about
+her. It would break my heart; and, if you are bent on such
+a step, I hope you will wait, at least, till I am dead.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You ought to be willing to see me do anything honest,
+that will secure my dependent brother and sister from want.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The necessity of laboring for them is not especially imperative
+at this juncture, and why should you be more sensitive
+now than formerly? Do not deceive yourself, dear
+child, but face the truth, no matter how ugly it may possibly
+be. It is not a sense of duty to the younger children, but an
+inflated vanity, that prompts you to parade your beauty and
+your wonderful voice on the stage, where they will elicit applause
+and flattering adulation. My little girl, that is the
+most dangerous, the most unhealthy atmosphere, a woman
+can possibly breathe.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray tell me how you learned all this? You, who have
+spent your life in this quiet old house, who have been almost
+as secluded as some Cambrian Culdee, can really know nothing
+of that public life you condemn so bitterly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The history of those who have walked in the path you
+are now preparing to follow, proves the deleterious influences
+and ruinous associations that surround that class of women.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Jenny Lind and Sarah Siddons redeem any class, no
+matter how much maligned.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But what assurance have I, that, unlike the ninety-nine,
+you will resemble the one-hundredth?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Only try me, Miss Jane.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, child! A rash boy said the same thing when he
+tried to drive the sun, and not only consumed himself but
+nearly burned up the world. There is rather too much at
+stake to warrant such reckless experiments.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Quit mythology,&mdash;it is not in your line,&mdash;and come back
+to stern facts and serious realities. Because I wish to dance
+a quadrille or cotillion, and acquit myself creditably, does it
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_229' name='page_229'></a>229</span>
+ensue as an inexorable consequence, that I shall join some
+strolling ballet troupe, and out-Bayadère the Bayadères?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That depends altogether upon your agility and grace. If
+you could reasonably hope to rival your Hebrew namesake, I
+am afraid my little girl would think it &#8216;her duty&#8217; to dance
+instead of to sing, for the acquisition of a fortune; and insist
+upon executing wonderful things with her heels and toes,
+instead of her voice.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You and Dr. Grey seem to have simultaneously arrived at
+the charitable conclusion that my heart is pretty much in the
+same condition that the Hebrew temple was, when Christ
+undertook to drive out the profane. Thongs in hand you two
+have overturned my motives, and, by a very summary court-martial,
+condemned them to be scourged out. Now, mark
+you, I am neither making change nor selling doves, and still
+less are you and your brother&mdash;Jesus. Dr. Grey does me
+the honor to indulge a chronic skepticism concerning the possibility
+of any good and unselfish impulse in my nature, and
+I am sorry to see that you have caught the contagious doubt
+of me, and of my motives.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She began the sentence in a challenging, sneering voice,
+but it was ended in a lower and faltering tone.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;While in the light of her large angry eyes,<br />
+Uprose and rose a slow imperious sorrow.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;My dear, don&#8217;t attempt to whip Ulpian over my shoulders.
+You know very well that I have invested in you an amount of
+faith that the united censure of the world cannot shake; and
+if Ulpian does not follow my example, whose fault is it, I
+should be glad to know? Evidently not his,&mdash;certainly not
+mine,&mdash;but undoubtedly yours. I have noticed that you took
+extraordinary care and a very peculiar pleasure in making
+him believe you much worse in all respects than you really
+are; and since you have labored so industriously to lower
+yourself in his estimation, it would be a poor compliment to
+your skill and energy if I told you that you had not entirely
+succeeded in your rather remarkable aim. Before he came
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_230' name='page_230'></a>230</span>
+home you were as contented, and amiable, and happy, as my
+old cat there on the rug; but Ulpian&#8217;s appearance affected
+you as the entrance of a dog does my maltese, who arches
+her back, and growls, and claws, as long as he is in sight. I
+am truly sorry you two could never agree, but I feel bound
+to tell you that you have only yourself to blame. I do not
+claim that my sailor-boy is a saint, but he is assuredly some
+inches nearer sanctification than my poor little Salome.
+Don&#8217;t you think so? Be honest, dear.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane&#8217;s hand tenderly caressed the beautiful head; and,
+as Salome was too sullen or too much mortified to reply, the
+old lady continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nevertheless, Ulpian is a true and devoted friend, and
+can not bear the thought of your leaving us, for any purpose,
+much less the one you contemplate. Last night he said,
+&#8216;Janet, I am her brother, and think you I shall allow my
+sister to go out from the sacred precincts of home, and become
+a target for the envy and malice of the better classes
+who will criticise her, and for the coarse plaudits of the pit?
+Do you suppose I can willingly see her bare feet turned towards
+a path paved with glowing ploughshares? Tell her,
+for me, that if ever she should carry her unfortunate freak
+into execution, I shall never wish to touch her hand again,
+for I shall feel that it has lost its purity in the clasp of many
+to whom she can not refuse it during a professional career.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>The orphan lifted her head from the arm of Miss Jane&#8217;s
+chair, where it had rested for some minutes, and striking her
+palms forcibly together, she exclaimed, proudly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell Dr. Grey I humbly thank him, but the threat has
+lost its sting; and if I should chance to meet him years hence,
+though my hands shall be pure and clean as Una&#8217;s, and as
+unsullied as his own,&mdash;so help me heaven! I will never
+thrust my touch on his, nor so far forget myself as to suffer
+his fingers to approach mine. When I pass from this
+threshold, we will have shaken hands forever.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey&#8217;s ears are not proof against such elevated, ringing
+tones of voice, and he could not avoid hearing, as he came
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_231' name='page_231'></a>231</span>
+up the steps, the childish words which he assures you he has
+no intention of believing or remembering.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He had tapped twice at the half-open door, and now came
+forward with a firm, quick step, to the ottoman where Salome
+sat. Taking her hands, he patted the palms softly against
+each other, and smiling good-humoredly, continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;They are very white, and shapely, and pure, and I am
+not afraid that my little sister will soil them. Her brother
+looks forward to the day when they will gently and gracefully
+help him in his work among God&#8217;s suffering poor. I have
+not forgotten how dexterous and docile I found your fingers,
+when I had temporarily lost the use of my own, and I shall
+not fail to levy contributions of labor in the coming years.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had snatched her fingers from his, and no sooner had
+he ceased speaking, than she bowed haughtily, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Our reconciliations all belong to the Norman family, and
+are quite as lasting as Lamourette&#8217;s. Ceaseless war is preferable
+to a violated truce, and since I have not swerved from
+my purpose, I shall not falter in its enunciation. If I live
+it shall not be my fault if I fail to go upon the stage. I am
+not so fastidious as Dr. Grey, and one who sprang from
+<i>canaille</i> must be pardoned if she betrays a longing for the
+&#8216;flesh-pots of Egypt.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>She would have given her right hand to recall her words,&mdash;when,
+a moment later, she met the gaze of profound pity and
+disappointment with which Dr. Grey&#8217;s eyes dwelt upon her
+countenance, hardened now by its expression of insolent
+haughtiness; but he allowed her no opportunity for retraction,
+even had she mastered her overweening pride, and stooping
+to whisper a brief sentence in his sister&#8217;s ear, he took a medical
+book from the table, and left the room.</p>
+<p>The silence that ensued seemed interminable to Salome,
+and at last she turned, bowed her head in Miss Jane&#8217;s lap,
+and muttered through set teeth,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You see it is best that I should go. Even you must be
+weary of this strife.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_232' name='page_232'></a>232</span></div>
+<p>The old lady&#8217;s trembling hands were laid lovingly on the
+girl&#8217;s hot brow and scorched cheeks.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not half so weary as your own oppressed heart. My dear
+child, why do you persist in tormenting yourself so unmercifully?
+Why will you say things that you do not mean?&mdash;that
+are absolute libels on your actual feelings? I have often
+seen and deplored affectations of generosity and refinement,
+but you are the first person I ever met who delighted in a pretence
+of meanness, which her genuine nature abhorred.
+Salome, I have tried to prove myself a mother to you since
+the day that I took you under my roof; and now, when I am
+passing away from the world,&mdash;when a few short months will
+probably end my feeble life, I think you owe it to me to give
+me no sorrow that your hands can easily ward off. Don&#8217;t
+leave me. When I am gone there will be time and to spare,
+for all your schemes. Stay here, and let me have peace and
+sunshine about me, in my last fading hours. Ah, dear, you
+can&#8217;t be cruel to the old woman who has long loved you so
+tenderly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The orphan pressed the withered hands to her lips, and,
+covering her face with the folds of Miss Jane&#8217;s black silk
+apron, exclaimed passionately,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not think me ungrateful,&mdash;do not think me insensible
+to your love and kindness; but, indeed I am very miserable
+here. Oh, Miss Jane! if you knew how I have suffered, you
+would not chide, you would only pity and sympathize with
+me; for your heart will never steel itself against your poor
+wretched Salome!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She lost control of herself, and sobbed violently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear little girl, tell me all your sorrows. To whom
+can you reveal your trials and griefs, if not to me? For
+some weeks past I have observed that you shunned my gaze,
+and seemed restless when I endeavored to discover how you
+were employing your time; and I have realized that you were
+sorely distressed, but I disliked to force your confidence, or
+appear suspicious. Now, I have a right to ask what makes
+you miserable in my house? Is the little girl ashamed to
+show me her heart?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_233' name='page_233'></a>233</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;One month since, I would have gone to the stake rather
+than have shown it to you, or have had any one dream of the
+wretchedness locked in its chambers; but a week ago I was
+overwhelmed with humiliation, and now I am not ashamed
+to tell you. Now that Dr. Grey knows it, I would not care
+if the whole world were hissing and jeering at my heels, and
+shouting my shame with a thousand trumpets. I tried to
+keep it from him, and failing, the world is welcome to roll it
+as a sweet morsel under its busy, stinging, slanderous tongue.
+Miss Jane, I have intended to be sincere in every respect,
+but it appears that, after all, I have probably been an arrant
+hypocrite if you believe that I dislike your brother. I want
+to go away, because I can no longer endure to live in the
+same house with Dr. Grey, who shows me more plainly every
+hour that he can never return the affection I have been idiotic
+and presumptuous enough to cherish for him. There! I
+have said it,&mdash;and my lips are not blistered by the unwomanly
+confession, and you still permit my head to rest in your lap.
+I expected you would be indignant and insulted, and gladly
+send such a lunatic from your family circle,&mdash;or that you
+would dismiss me coolly, with lofty contempt; but only a
+woman can properly pity a woman&#8217;s weakness, and you are
+crying over me. Ah, if your tears were falling on my grave,
+instead of my face!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane was weeping bitterly, but now and then she
+stooped and kissed the quivering lips of her unhappy charge,
+who found some balm in the earnest sympathy with which
+her appeal was received.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My precious child, why should you be ashamed of your
+love for the noblest man who ever unconsciously became a
+woman&#8217;s idol? I do not much wonder at your feelings, because
+you have seen no one else in any respect comparable to
+him, and it is difficult for you to realize the disparity in your
+ages. Poor thing! It must be terrible, indeed, to one who
+loves him as you do, to have no hope of possessing his affection
+in return. But I suppose it can&#8217;t be helped,&mdash;and one
+half the world seem to pour out their love on the wrong
+persons, and find misery where they should have only joy and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_234' name='page_234'></a>234</span>
+peace. Thank God, all this mischief is shut out of heaven!
+Dear, don&#8217;t hide your face, as if you had stolen half of my
+sheep; whereas my poor innocent sailor-boy has unintentionally
+stolen my little girl&#8217;s heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Jane, you are too good,&mdash;too kind. Do not help
+me to excuse myself,&mdash;do not teach me to palliate my pitiable
+weakness. It is a grievous, a shameful, a disgraceful thing,
+for a woman to allow herself to love any man who gives her
+no evidence of affection, and shows her beyond all doubt that
+he is utterly indifferent to her. This is a sin against womanly
+pride and delicacy that demands sackcloth and ashes,
+and penance and long years of humiliation and self-abasement;
+and I tell you this is the one sin which my proud soul
+will never pardon in my poor weak, despised heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you feel this so keenly, you will soon succeed in conquering
+and casting out of your heart an affection, which,
+having nothing to feed upon, will speedily exhaust itself.
+You are young, and your elastic nature will rebound from
+the pressure that you now find so painful. My dear, a few
+months or years will bring comparative oblivion of this period
+of your life.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; they will engrave more deeply the consciousness
+that I have missed my sole chance of earthly happiness, for
+Dr. Grey is the only man I shall ever love,&mdash;is the only man
+who can lift me to his own noble height of excellence. I know
+it is customary to laugh at a girl&#8217;s protestations of undying
+devotion, and that the theory of feminine constancy is as
+entirely effete as the worship of the Cabiri, or the belief in
+Blokula and its witches; but, unfortunately, the world has
+not sneered it entirely out of existence, and I am destined to
+furnish a mournful exemplification of its reality. Whether
+my nature is unlike that of the majority of women, I shall
+not undertake to decide; but this I know,&mdash;God gave me only
+so much love to spend, and I poured it all out, I deluged my
+idol with it, instead of doling it carefully through the future
+years. Like the woman of Bethany, I have broken my box
+of alabaster, and spilled all my precious ointment, which
+might have served for a lifetime of anointing, and I cannot
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_235' name='page_235'></a>235</span>
+renew the shattered receptacle, nor gather back the wasted
+fragrance; and so my heart must remain without spikenard
+or balm during its earthly sojourn. I have been prodigal,&mdash;have
+beggared my womanly nature,&mdash;and henceforth shall
+feast on husks. But this piece of folly can be laid on no
+shoulders but my own, and I must not wince if they are galled
+by burdens which only I have imposed. Some women, under
+similar circumstances, console themselves by fostering a tender
+and excessive gratitude, which they pet and fondle and call
+second love; but the feeling belongs to a different species,
+and is to strong, earnest, genuine love, what the stunted pines
+of second growth are to the noble, stalwart, unapproachable
+oaks, that spring from the primitive virgin soil.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane lifted the bowed face, and rested the head against
+her bosom.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you are so thoroughly convinced of the impossibility of
+mastering this affection, why talk of going away? You will
+be happier here, under any circumstances, than among
+strangers.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not misapprehend me. I do not intend to cherish my
+weakness,&mdash;to caress and pamper it. I mean to strangle,
+and mangle, and bury it, if possible. I meant, not that I
+should always love Dr. Grey, but that I should never be able
+to regard any one else as I once loved him. I can not stay
+here, seeing him daily trample my alabaster and ointment
+under his feet. I can not endure the humiliation that has
+for some days past made this house more intolerable than I
+may one day find Phlegethon. I want to go into the whirl
+and din of life, where my thoughts can dwell on some more
+comforting theme than the peerless preëminence of the man
+who is master here, where I can spend hours in elaborating
+<i>toilettes</i> and <i>coiffures</i> that will show to the greatest advantage
+my small stock of personal charms; where the admiration and
+love of other men will at least amuse and soothe the heart
+that has no more love for anybody, or anything. Miss Jane,
+if I had never become so deeply attached to Dr. Grey, it
+might perhaps be unsafe for me to venture into the career
+which now lies before me; but when a woman&#8217;s heart is cold
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_236' name='page_236'></a>236</span>
+and dead in her bosom, there is no peril she need fear; for
+only her warm, pleading heart, can ever silence the iron clang
+of conscience and the silvery accents of reason. Worshipping
+some clay god, my loving, yearning heart, might possibly
+have led me astray; but now, pride and ambition stand
+as sentinels over its corpse, and a heartless woman, desirous
+only of amassing a fortune and making herself a celebrity in
+musical circles, is as safe from harm as the bones of her grandmother,
+twenty years <ins title='Added quote'>buried.&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>The agony that convulsed the orphan&#8217;s features, and
+shivered the smoothness of her usually sweet voice, touched
+the old lady&#8217;s sympathy, and she wept silently; straining her
+imagination for some argument that would make an impression
+on the adamantine will with which she found her own
+in conflict.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My child, tell me how long you have had this trouble.
+When did you first feel an interest in Ulpian?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Unhesitatingly Salome related all that had occurred in her
+intercourse with Dr. Grey, and her companion was surprised
+at the frankness and mercilessness with which she analyzed
+her own feelings at each stage of the acquaintance that proved
+so disastrous to her peace of mind; and not only held her
+weakness up for scorn, but exonerated Dr. Grey from all censure.</p>
+<p>The minuteness of the confession was exceedingly painful;
+and, at its conclusion, she pressed her palms to her cheeks,
+and moaned,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;There, Miss Jane, I have not winced; I have kept back
+nothing. I have been as patient and inexorable in laying
+open my nature, in treating you to a <i>post-mortem</i> examination
+of my heart, as a dentist in scraping and chiselling a
+sensitive tooth, or a surgeon in cutting out a cancer that
+baffled cauterization. Now you know all that I can tell you,
+and I here lay the past in a sepulchre, and roll the stone upon
+it, and henceforth I trust you will respect the dead; at least,
+let silence rest upon its ashes. <i>Hic jacet cor cordium.</i>&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome extricated herself from the arms of her best friend,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_237' name='page_237'></a>237</span>
+and smoothed the hair that constant strokes had somewhat
+disordered.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I can not live much longer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I know that, dear Miss Jane, and it pains me even to
+think of leaving the only person who ever really loved me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For my sake, dear child, bear the trial of remaining here a
+little longer; at least, until I die. Do not desert me in my
+last hours. I do not want the hands of strangers about me,
+when I am cold and stiff.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome rose and walked several times up and down the
+room; then paused beside the easy-chair, and laid her clasped
+hands in Miss Jane&#8217;s.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You alone have a right to control me. Do with me as
+you think best. I will not forsake the true, tender friend,
+who has done more for me than all else on earth, or in heaven.
+For the present I remain here; but allow me to say that I
+do not abandon my scheme. I relinquish none of its details,&mdash;I
+only bide my time.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.&#8217; Thank you,
+my precious little girl, for yielding to my wishes when they
+conflict with yours. Some day you will rejoice that you made
+what seemed a sacrifice of inclination on the altar of duty.
+Now, listen to me. Ulpian is so enraptured with your voice,
+that, while he will never consent to this stage-struck madness,
+he is exceedingly anxious that you should enjoy every
+musical advantage, and is curious to ascertain to what degree
+of perfection your voice can be trained. After consulting me,
+he wrote two days ago to a celebrated professor of music in
+Philadelphia or New York (I really forget where the man is
+now residing), and offered him a handsome salary if he would
+come and teach you for at least six months, or as much longer
+as he deems requisite. I believe the gentleman is delicate
+and threatened with consumption, which obliges him to spend
+the winters in a warm climate, and Ulpian first met him in
+Italy. My boy thinks that the opinion of this Professor Von
+Somebody is oracular in musical matters; and, as he has
+trained some of the best singers in Europe, Ulpian wishes
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_238' name='page_238'></a>238</span>
+him to have charge of your voice. Say nothing about it until
+we hear whether he can accept our offer. Kiss me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome&#8217;s face crimsoned, and she said, hesitatingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Jane, I can not consent that Dr. Grey should contribute
+one cent toward my musical tuition. I can humbly
+and gratefully accept your charitable aid, but not his. You
+love me, and therefore your bounty is not oppressive or humiliating,
+but he only pities and tolerates me, and I would
+starve in some gutter rather than live as the recipient of
+his charity. If you can conveniently spare the money necessary
+to give me additional cultivation, I shall thankfully receive
+it, for Barilli has taught me all of which he is master,
+and there is no one else in town in whom I have more confidence.
+It was my desire and determination that the work
+of my hands should pay for polishing my voice, but embroidery-fees
+would not suffice to defray the expenses of the
+professor to whom you allude; and, if Dr. Grey pays for his
+services, I must in advance assure you and him that I shall
+decline them, and rely upon Barilli and myself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pooh! pooh! It is poor philosophy to quarrel with your
+bread and butter, no matter who happens to hand it to you.
+Don&#8217;t be so savage on Ulpian, who really cares more for you
+than you deserve. But if it comforts your proud, fierce spirit,
+you are welcome to know that I&mdash;Jane Grey&mdash;pay Professor
+Von&mdash;whatever his name may be; and Ulpian&#8217;s pocket, about
+which you seem so fastidious, will not be damaged one dollar
+by the transaction. Are you satisfied,&mdash;you pretty piece of
+beggarly pride?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am more grateful to you, dear Miss Jane, than I shall
+ever be able to express. God only knows what would have
+become of me if you had not mercifully snatched me, soul and
+body, from the purlieus of ruin.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She stooped to receive the fond kiss of her benefactress,
+and went into her own room.</p>
+<p>Nearly an hour later she slowly descended the stairs, and
+took her hat from the stand in the hall. As she adjusted it
+on her head, and tied the ribbons behind her knot of hair,
+Mr. Granville came out of the parlor and seized her hand.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_239' name='page_239'></a>239</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Why will you torment me so cruelly? I have been
+waiting and watching for you, at least half an hour.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She haughtily took her fingers from his, and indignantly
+drew herself up,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mr. Granville presumes on his position as guest, to intrude
+upon some who do not desire his society. I was not
+aware, sir, that I had any engagement with you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Forgive me, Salome! How have I offended you? If you
+could realize how much pleasure your presence affords me,
+you would not punish me by absenting yourself as you have
+persistently done for three days past.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He bent his handsome face closer to hers, looking appealingly
+into her beautiful flashing eyes; but she put up her
+hands to push him aside, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall be happy to entertain you in the evenings, when
+the remainder of the household assemble in the parlor; and
+will, with great pleasure, sing for you whenever Miss Muriel
+will kindly oblige me by playing my accompaniments; but
+I prefer to confine our acquaintance to such occasions.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you not allow me the privilege of accompanying you
+in the walk for which you seem prepared?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; I respectfully decline your attendance.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She saw his cheek flush, and he said, hastily,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I shall begin to hope that you fear to trust your
+own heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not forget yourself, sir. If you knew where my heart
+is housed, you would spare yourself the fruitless trouble, and
+me the annoyance, of attentions and expressions of admiration
+which I avail myself of this opportunity to assure you
+are particularly disagreeable to me. I wish to treat you
+courteously, as the guest of those under whose roof I am permitted
+to reside, but &#8216;thus far, and no farther,&#8217; must you
+venture. Moreover, Mr. Granville, since we are merely comparative
+strangers, I should be gratified if you will in future
+do me the honor to recollect that it is one of my peculiarities,&mdash;one
+of my idiosyncrasies,&mdash;to prefer that only those I respect
+and love should call me Salome. Good afternoon, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_240' name='page_240'></a>240</span></div>
+<p>She took her music-book, bowed coolly, and made her exit
+through the front door, which she closed after her.</p>
+<p>In the hammock that was suspended on the eastern side of
+the piazza, Dr. Grey had thrown himself to rest; and meanwhile,
+to search for some surgical operation recorded in one
+of his books.</p>
+<p>Just behind him a window opened from the hall, and to-day,
+though a rose-colored shade was lowered, the sash had
+been raised, and every word that was uttered in the passage
+floated distinctly to him.</p>
+<p>The whole conversation occurred so rapidly that he had
+no opportunity of discovering his presence to the persons
+within, and though he cleared his throat and coughed rather
+spasmodically, his warning was unheeded by those for whom
+it was intended.</p>
+<p>He knew that Salome could not possibly have guessed his
+proximity, as he was not accustomed to use this hammock,
+and was completely shielded from observation; and, while
+pained and surprised by Mr. Granville&#8217;s dishonorable course,
+which threatened life-long wretchedness for poor Muriel, Dr.
+Grey&#8217;s heart throbbed with joy at the assurance that Salome
+was not so ungenerous as he had feared. Probably no other
+human being would have so highly appreciated her conduct
+on this occasion; and, as he mused, with his thumb and forefinger
+thrust between the leaves of the book, a glad smile broke
+over his grave face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;God bless the girl! Her prayers and mine have not been
+in vain, and she is putting under her feet the baser impulses
+that mar her character. Granville is considered by the world
+exceedingly handsome and agreeable, and many,&mdash;yes, the
+majority of women, would have yielded, and indulged in a
+&#8216;harmless flirtation,&#8217; where Salome stood firm. There was
+something akin to the scornful ring of Rachel&#8217;s voice in that
+child&#8217;s tones, when she told Gerard he presumed on his position
+as guest; and I will wager my hand that her large eyes
+did not exactly resemble a dove&#8217;s when she informed him it
+was not his privilege to call her Salome. She has a fierce,
+imperious, passionate temper, that goads her into mischief;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_241' name='page_241'></a>241</span>
+but, after all, she is&mdash;she must be&mdash;nobler than I have sometimes
+thought her. God grant it! God bless her!&#8221;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;But blame us women not,&mdash;if some appear<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Too cold at times; and some too gay and light.<br />
+Some griefs gnaw deep. Some woes are hard to bear.<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Who knows the Past? And who can judge us right?&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XIX' id='CHAPTER_XIX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIX.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor Grey, are you awake? Dr. Grey, here is a
+note from &#8216;Solitude,&#8217; and the messenger begs that you will
+lose no time, as one of the servants is supposed to be
+dying.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome had knocked twice at Dr. Grey&#8217;s door, without
+arousing him, and the third time she beat a tattoo that would
+have broken even heavier slumbers than his.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am awake, and will strike a light in a moment.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She heard him stumbling about the room, and finally there
+was a crash, as of a broken vase or goblet.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is the matter? Can&#8217;t you find your matches?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; some one has removed the box from its usual place,
+and I am fumbling about at random, and smashing things
+indiscriminately. Will you be so good as to bring me a
+match?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have a candle in my hand, which you can take, while I
+order Elbert to get your buggy ready.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, Salome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She placed the candle on the mat before his door, laid
+the note beside it, and went down to the servants&#8217; rooms to
+call the driver.</p>
+<p>It was two o&#8217;clock, and Dr. Grey had come home only an
+hour before, from a patient who resided at some distance.</p>
+<p>Dressing himself as expeditiously as possible, he read the
+blurred and crumpled note.</p>
+<blockquote>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey: For God&#8217;s sake come as quick as possible.
+I am afraid my mother is dying.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;<span class='smcap'>Robert Maclean.</span>&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+</blockquote>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_242' name='page_242'></a>242</span></div>
+<p>Three days before, when he visited Elsie, he found her more
+composed and comfortable than she had been for several
+weeks, and Mrs. Gerome had seemed almost cheerful, as she
+sat beside the bed, crimping the borders of the invalid&#8217;s muslin
+caps which the laundress had sent in, stiff and spotless.</p>
+<p>Recollecting Elsie&#8217;s desire to confide something to him before
+her death, and dreading the effect which this sudden
+termination of her life might have upon her mistress, in
+whom he was daily becoming more deeply interested, Dr.
+Grey hurried down stairs and met the orphan.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elbert is not quite ready, but will be at the door directly.
+I told him the case was urgent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very considerate, Salome, and I am much obliged
+for your thoughtfulness; though I regret that the messenger
+waked you, instead of Rachel or me. I have never before
+known Rachel fail to hear the bell, and I was so weary that I
+think a ten-inch columbiad would scarcely have aroused me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was not asleep,&mdash;was sitting at my window; and hearing
+some one slam the gate and gallop up the avenue, I went to
+the door and opened it, to prevent the ringing of the bell
+and waking of the entire household.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You should have been asleep four hours ago, and I had
+no idea you were still up, when I came home. There was no
+light in your room. Are you quite well?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, I am quite well.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She was dressed as he had seen her at dinner, and now, as
+she stood resting one hand on the balustrade of the stairway,
+he thought she looked paler and more weary than he had
+ever observed her.</p>
+<p>The scarlet spray of pelargonium had withered from the
+heat of her head, where it had rested all the evening, and the
+large creamy Grand Duke jasmine fastened at her throat by
+a sprig of coral, was drooping and fading, but still exhaled
+its strong delicious perfume.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your appearance contradicts your assertion. Is your
+wakefulness attributable to any anxiety or trouble which I can
+remove?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_243' name='page_243'></a>243</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. I hear Elbert opening the gate. Who is sick at
+&#8216;Solitude&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The servant who was so severely injured many months
+ago, by a fall from a carriage, has grown suddenly worse.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome accompanied him to the front door, in order to
+lock it after his departure; and, as he descended the steps, he
+turned and said, in a subdued voice,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have probably heard that Mrs. Gerome is a very
+peculiar,&mdash;indeed, a decidedly eccentric person?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir; it is reported that she is almost a lunatic.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which is totally false. She is very sensitive, and shrinks
+from strangers, and consequently has no friends here. If I
+should find Elsie dying, or if I need you, I wish you to come
+promptly. It may be necessary to have some one beside the
+household, and you are the only person I can trust. Try to
+go to sleep immediately, for I may send for you very early in
+the morning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall be ready to come when I am needed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The buggy rolled up to the steps, and Dr. Grey sprang into
+it and drove swiftly down the avenue.</p>
+<p>Salome crept softly back up stairs, but Miss Jane called
+out,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Who is there, in the hall? What is the matter?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl opened the door, and put her head inside.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey has been called to see a sick woman at &#8216;Solitude,&#8217;
+and I have just locked the door after him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why could not Rachel do that, and save you from coming
+down stairs? What time of night is it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;About half-past two. Rachel is asleep. Good-night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;Solitude,&#8217; did you say?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, madam.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, if people will persist in burrowing in that unlucky
+den, they must take the consequences. Ulpian, poor fellow,
+will be completely worn out. Good-night, dear; don&#8217;t get up
+to breakfast, if you feel sleepy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome went to her own room, changed her dress, laid
+gloves, hat, and shawl in readiness upon the bed, and threw
+herself down on the lounge to rest, and if possible to sleep.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_244' name='page_244'></a>244</span></div>
+<p>When Dr. Grey reached &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; he found Robert Maclean
+pacing the paved walk that led to the gate.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, doctor! Have you come at last? It seems to me I
+could have crawled twice to your house, since Jerry came
+back.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What change has taken place in your mother&#8217;s condition?
+She was better than usual, when I saw her last.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;We thought she was getting along very well, till all of
+a sudden she became speechless. Go in, sir; don&#8217;t stop to
+knock.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome sat at the bedside, mechanically chafing one of
+the hands that lay on the coverlet, and the face of the dying
+woman was not more ghastly than the one which bent over
+her. As Dr. Grey approached, the mistress of the house
+rose, and put out her hands towards him, with a wistful,
+pleading, childish manner, that touched him inexpressibly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not let her die.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He leaned over the pillow, and put his finger on the
+scarcely palpable pulse.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie, tell me where or how you suffer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A ray of recognition leaped up in her sunken eyes, and she
+looked at him with a yearning, imploring expression, that was
+pitiable and distressing indeed.</p>
+<p>He saw that she was struggling to articulate, but failing
+in the effort, a groan escaped her, and tears gathered and
+trickled down her pinched face. He smoothed her contracted
+forehead, and said, soothingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie, you feel that I will do all that I can to relieve you.
+You can not talk to me, but you know me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She inclined her head slightly, and in examining her he
+discovered that only one side was completely paralyzed, and
+that she could still partially control her left arm. When he
+had done all that medical skill could suggest, he stood at her
+side, and she suddenly grasped his fingers.</p>
+<p>He put his face close to hers, and observing her tears start
+afresh, whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You wish to tell me something before you die?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_245' name='page_245'></a>245</span></div>
+<p>A gurgling sound, and a faint motion of her lips was the
+only reply of which she was capable.</p>
+<p>He placed a pencil between her fingers, but she could not
+use it intelligibly, and he noticed that her eyes moved from
+his to those of her mistress, as if to indicate that she was
+the subject of the desired conversation.</p>
+<p>It was distressing to witness her efforts to communicate
+her wishes, while the tears dripped on her pillow; and unable
+to endure the sight of her anguish, Mrs. Gerome sank on her
+knees and hid her face in the coverlet.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey gently lifted Elsie&#8217;s arm and placed her hand on
+the head of her mistress, and the expression of her face assured
+him he had correctly interpreted her feelings. Something
+still disturbed her, and he suggested,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, put your hand in hers.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She silently obeyed him, and then the old woman&#8217;s eyes
+looked once more intently into his. He could not conjecture
+her meaning, until, in feeling her pulse, he found that she
+was trying to touch his fingers with hers.</p>
+<p>He slipped his own into the palm where Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s lay,
+and, by a last great effort, she pressed them feebly together.</p>
+<p>Even then, the touch of those white, soft fingers, thrilled
+his heart as no other hand had ever done, and he said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie, you mean that you leave her in my care? That
+you put her in my hands? That you trust her to me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>It was impossible to mistake the satisfied expression that
+flashed over her countenance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I accept the trust. Elsie, I promise you that while I
+live she shall never want a true and faithful friend. I will
+try to take care of her body, and pray for her soul. I will
+do all that you would have done.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Once more, but very faintly, she pressed the two hands she
+had clasped, and closed her eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, doctor, can&#8217;t you save her?&#8221; sobbed Robert.</p>
+<p>In the solemn silence that ensued Mrs. Gerome lifted her
+face, and Dr. Grey never forgot the wild, imploring gaze, that
+met his. He understood its import, and shook his head. She
+rose instantly, moved away from the bed, and left the room.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_246' name='page_246'></a>246</span></div>
+<p>For nearly an hour Dr. Grey hung over the prostrate form,
+which lay with closed eyes, and gradually sank into the
+heavy lethargic sleep, from which he knew she could never
+awake.</p>
+<p>Leaving her to the care of Robert and two female servants,
+he went in search of the mistress of the silent and dreary
+house.</p>
+<p>Taking a lamp from the escritoire in the back parlor, he
+went from room to room, finding nowhere the object he
+sought, and at length became alarmed. As he stood in the
+front door, perplexed and anxious, the thought presented itself
+that she might have gone down to the beach. He went back
+to the apartment occupied by the dying woman,&mdash;felt once
+more the sinking pulse, and took a last look at the altered
+and almost rigid face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Robert, I can do her no good. Her soul will very soon
+be with her God.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, sir, don&#8217;t leave her! Don&#8217;t give her up, while there
+is life in her body!&#8221; cried the son, grasping the doctor&#8217;s
+sleeve.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey put his hand on the Scotchman&#8217;s shoulder, and
+whispered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am going to hunt for Mrs. Gerome. She is not in the
+house. I may be able to render her some service, but your
+mother is beyond all human aid.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is there any pulse?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is so feeble now, I can scarcely count it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Please, doctor, stay here by her while she breathes.
+Don&#8217;t desert the dear soul. My poor mother!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Robert lost all control of himself, and wept like a child.</p>
+<p>Loth to forsake him in this hour of direst trial, Dr. Grey
+leaned against the bed, and for some moments watched the
+irregular convulsive heaving of the woman&#8217;s chest.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, sir, if my mistress hadn&#8217;t a heart of stone, she would
+have let her die peacefully. She might at least have granted
+her dying prayer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What was it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;All of yesterday afternoon she pleaded with her to be
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_247' name='page_247'></a>247</span>
+baptized. My mother&mdash;God bless her dear soul!&mdash;my mother
+told her that she could not consent to die until she saw her
+baptized; and, with the tears pouring down her poor face,
+she begged and prayed that I might fetch the minister from
+town, and that she might see the ceremony performed. But
+my mistress walked up and down the floor, and said, &#8216;Never!
+never! I have done with mockeries. I have washed my hands
+of all that,&mdash;long, long ago.&#8217; And now&mdash;it is too late; and
+my poor mother can never&mdash;God be merciful to us! is it all
+over?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey raised the head, but the breathing was imperceptible
+and, after a little while, he softly pressed down the
+lids that were partially lifted from the glazed eyes, and quitted
+the room.</p>
+<p>His buggy stood at the rear gate, and the driver was
+asleep, but his master&#8217;s voice aroused him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elbert, go home, and ask Miss Salome please to come over
+as soon as you can drive her here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The east was purple and gold, the sea a purling mass of
+molten amber, and only two stars were visible low in the west,
+where a waning moon swung on the edge of the distant misty
+hills. The air was chill, and a silvery haze hung above the
+moaning waves, and partially veiled the windings of the
+beach. Under the trees that clustered so closely around the
+house, the gloom of night still lingered like a pall, but as Dr.
+Grey approached the terrace, he felt the pure fresh presence
+of the new day. Up and down the sands his eyes wandered,
+hoping to discern a woman&#8217;s figure, but no living thing was
+visible, except the flamingo and yellow pheasant still
+perched where they had spent the night, on the stone balustrade
+that bordered the terrace. He took off his hat to
+enjoy the crystalline atmosphere, and while he faced the
+brightening east, the sharp peculiar bark of the Arab greyhound
+broke the solemn silence that brooded over sea and
+land.</p>
+<p>The sound proceeded from the boat-house, and he hastened
+towards it, startling a mimic army of crabs and fiddlers that
+had not yet ended their nightly marauding. The tide was
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_248' name='page_248'></a>248</span>
+higher than usual at this early hour, and the waves were breaking
+sullenly against the stone piers.</p>
+<p>As Dr. Grey ascended the iron steps leading to the pavilion,
+the dog growled and showed his teeth, but the visitor succeeded
+in partially winning him over, and now passed unmolested
+into the circular room. A cushioned seat extended
+around the wall, where windows opened at the four points
+of the compass; and on the round table in the centre of the
+marble-tiled floor lay a telescope.</p>
+<p>At the eastern window sat Mrs. Gerome, with her head
+resting on her crossed arms. Although Dr. Grey&#8217;s steps
+echoed heavily, as he trod the damp mosaic where the mist
+had condensed, she gave no evidence of having discovered his
+presence until he stood close beside her. Then she raised one
+hand, with a quick gesture of caution and silence. He sat
+down near her, and watched the countenance that was fully
+exposed to his scrutiny.</p>
+<p>No tears had dimmed the wide, mournful, almost despairing
+eyes, that gazed with strange intentness over the amber
+sea, at the golden radiance that heralded the coming sun; and
+every line and moulding of her delicate features seemed cold
+and rigid enough for a cenotaph. Even the lips were still and
+compressed, and a bluish shadow lay about their dimpled
+corners, and under the heavy jet eyelashes. Her silver comb
+had become loosened, and was finally dragged down by the
+coil of hair that slipped slowly until it fell upon the morocco
+cushion of the seat, and the glistening waves of gray hair
+rolled around her shoulders, and rippled low on her brow.
+Sea fog had dampened and sea wind tossed this mass of white
+locks, till it made a singular burnished frame for the wan
+face that looked out hopeless and painfully quiet.</p>
+<p>Her silk <i>robe de chambre</i> of leaden gray, bordered with
+blue, was unbuttoned at the throat, and showed its faultless
+curve and contour; while the full, open sleeves, blown back
+by the strong breeze, bared the snowy arms, where one of the
+jet serpents that formed her bracelets, pressed so heavily on
+the white flesh that a purple band was visible when the hand
+was raised and the bracelet slipped back.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_249' name='page_249'></a>249</span></div>
+<p>Watching her intently, Dr. Grey could not detect the slightest
+quiver of nerve or muscle; and she breathed so low and
+softly that he might have doubted whether she was really
+conscious, if he had not correctly interpreted the strained expression
+of the unwinking gray eyes whose pupils contracted
+as the sky flushed and kindled.</p>
+<p>On the floor lay a dainty handkerchief, and stooping to
+pick it up, he inhaled the delicate, tenacious perfume of tube-rose,
+which, blended with orange-flowers, he had frequently
+discovered when standing near her.</p>
+<p>Placing it within reach of her fingers, he said, very gently
+and more tenderly than he was aware of,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome,&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush! I know what you have come to tell me. I knew
+it when I came away. Let me alone, now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She raised her head, and turned her eyes to meet his, and he
+shuddered at the hard, bitter look, that came swiftly over the
+blanched features. For some seconds they gazed full at each
+other, and Dr. Grey&#8217;s eyes filled with a mist that made hers
+seem large and radiant as wintry stars.</p>
+<p>He knew then that his heart was no longer his own,&mdash;that
+this wretched, solitary woman, had installed herself in its
+most sacred penetralia; that she had not suddenly, but gradually,
+become the dearest object that earth possessed.</p>
+<p>He did not ask himself whether she filled all his fastidious
+and lofty requirements,&mdash;whether she rose full-statured to his
+noble standard,&mdash;whether reverence, perfect confidence, and
+unqualified admiration would follow in the footsteps of mere
+affection. He neither argued, nor trifled, nor deceived himself,
+but bravely confessed to his own true soul, that, for the
+first time in his life, he loved warmly and tenderly the only
+woman whose touch had power to stir his quiet, steady pulses.</p>
+<p>He had not intended to surrender his affections to the custody
+of any one until reason and judgment had analyzed,
+weighed, and cordially endorsed the wisdom of his choice;
+and now, although surprised at the rashness with which his
+heart, hitherto so tractable and docile, vehemently declared
+allegiance to a new sovereign, he did not attempt to mask or
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_250' name='page_250'></a>250</span>
+varnish the truth. Thoroughly comprehending the fact that
+it was neither friendship nor compassion, he gravely looked
+the new feeling in the face, and acknowledged it,&mdash;the tyrant
+which sooner or later wields the sceptre in every human heart.</p>
+<p>Had he faithfully kept his compact with himself, and followed
+the injunction of Joubert, &#8220;Choose for a wife only the
+woman, whom, were she a man, you would choose for your
+friend&#8221;?</p>
+<p>Because he found a fascination in her society, should he
+conclude that it was a healthful atmosphere for his sturdy,
+exacting, uncompromising nature?</p>
+<p>To-day he swept aside all these protests and questions, postponing
+the arraignment of his heart before the tribunal of
+slighted and indignant reason, and allowed the newly mitred
+pontiff to lead him whither she chose.</p>
+<p>Unconscious of the emotions that brought an unusual glow
+to his face and light to his eyes, Mrs. Gerome had dropped
+her head once more on her arms, and the weary, despairing
+expression of her countenance, as she looked at the gilded
+horizon, where sea and sky seemed divided only by a belt of
+liquid gold,&mdash;might have served for the face of some careless
+Vestal, who, having allowed the fire to expire on the altar
+she had sworn to guard sleeplessly, sat hopeless, desolate, and
+doomed,&mdash;watching from the dim, cheerless temple of Hestia,
+the advent of that sun whose rays alone could rekindle the
+sacred flame, and which, ere its setting, would witness the execution
+of her punishment.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey bent over her, and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I came here in quest of you, hoping to persuade you to
+return to the house.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No. You came to tell me that Elsie is dead. You came
+to break the news as gently as possible,&mdash;and to pity and try
+to comfort me. You are very good, I dare say; but I wish to
+be alone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have been too long alone, and I can not consent to
+leave you here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>At the sound of his subdued voice, she turned her face towards
+him, and, for a moment,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_251' name='page_251'></a>251</span></div>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;A strange slow smile grew into her eyes,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>As though from a great way off it came<br />
+And was weary ere down to her lips it fluttered,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And turned into a sigh, or some soft name<br />
+Whose syllables sounded likest sighs<br />
+Half-smothered in sorrow before they were uttered.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, my loneliness transcends all parallels, and is
+beyond remedy. Why should I not stay here? All places are
+alike to me, now. That cold, silent corpse at the house, is
+not Elsie; and, since she has been taken, I shall be utterly
+alone, go where I may.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shivered, and he picked up a crape shawl lying in a
+heap under the table, and wrapped it around her. The soft
+folds were damp, and, as he lifted the veil of hair, to draw
+the shawl closer about her shoulders and throat, he felt that
+it was moist from the humid atmosphere.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sir, I am not cold,&mdash;I wish I were. It is useless to wrap
+up my body so warmly, and leave my heart shivering until
+death freezes it utterly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey took her beautiful white hands in his warm palms,
+and held them firmly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, you do not know what is best for you, and
+must be guided by one who will prove himself your truest
+friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t mock my misery! I never had but one friend, and
+henceforth must live friendless. I knew what was before me,
+and therefore I dreaded this dark, dark day, and begged you
+to save her. She was the world to me. She supplied the
+place of father, mother, husband, society, and because God
+saw that her loving sympathy and care made my existence
+a trifle less purgatorial than He saw fit to render it, He took
+her away. My poor Elsie would quit the highest throne in
+heaven to come back to her desolate, dependent child; for only
+she knew how and why I trusted and leaned upon her. Ah,
+God! it is hard that I who have so long shunned strangers
+should be at their mercy, in the last hour of trial that can be
+devised by fiends, or allowed by heaven to afflict me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She struggled to free her hands and hide her face, but her
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_252' name='page_252'></a>252</span>
+companion clasped them in one of his, and attempted to draw
+her head down to his shoulder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir! The grave is the only resting-place for my poor,
+accursed head. Do not touch me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shrank as far as possible from him, and her voice,
+hitherto so firm and dry, trembled.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, I intend to take Elsie&#8217;s place. You had
+confidence in her sagacity and penetration, and know that she
+was cautious in all things. During her long illness she
+studied my character and antecedents, and finally begged me
+to take you under my guardianship when she could no longer
+watch over you. She was importunate in her appeal, and to
+comfort and compose her I gave her a solemn promise that at
+her death I would take her place. You may deem me intrusive,
+and perhaps presumptuously impertinent, but time
+proves all things, and, after a little while, you will cling to
+me as you so long clung to her. I shall wait patiently for
+your confidence; shall deserve,&mdash;and then exact it. You need
+a strong arm to curb and guide you,&mdash;you need a true, honest
+heart, to sympathize with your sorrows and difficulties,&mdash;you
+need a fearless friend to defend you from the assaults of gossip
+and malice; and all these, if God spares my life, I am resolved
+to be to you. You can not repulse, or offend, or chill,
+or wound me, for my word is sacredly pledged to the dead;
+and, by the grace of God, I will strictly and fully redeem it,
+when we meet at the last day.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The earnestness of his manner, the grave resolution of his
+tone, and the invincible fearlessness with which his clear,
+calm, penetrating eyes, looked into hers, seemed momentarily
+to overawe her; and she sat quite still, pondering his unexpected
+words. Pressing her cold fingers very gently, he
+continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Elsie had such confidence in my discretion, and friendly
+interest in your welfare, that she requested me to warn her of
+her approaching dissolution in order that she might communicate
+something, which she assured me she desired to confide
+to me before her death. The paralysis of her tongue prevented
+the fulfilment of her wish, but you saw how keenly she
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_253' name='page_253'></a>253</span>
+suffered from her inability to utter what was pressing on her
+heart. You can not have forgotten that her last act was to
+put your hand in mine, and you heard my solemn acceptance
+of the charge committed to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>An expression of dread that bordered on horror, came over
+her ghastly face, and her hands grasped his, almost spasmodically.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did she hint what she wished to tell you? Did you guess
+it all?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No. Whatever her secret may have been, it passed unuttered
+into that realm where all mysteries are solved. I
+neither know nor surmise the nature of her desired revelation,
+but some day when you fully understand me, I shall ask you
+to tell me that which she believed I ought to know. My dear
+madam, when I come to you and demand your confidence, I
+have no fear that you will withhold it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She closed her eyes as if to shut out some painful vision,
+and drooped her head lower, till it rested on her chest.</p>
+<p>The sun flashed up from his ocean bed, and, as the first
+beams fell on the woman&#8217;s hair, Dr. Grey softly passed his
+broad white hand over its perfumed masses, redolent of orange
+flowers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;The air is too damp for you. Come with me to the
+house.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not heed his words, and perhaps his touch on her
+head recalled some exquisitely painful memory, for she shook
+it off, and exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Doubtless, like the remainder of the curious herd, you are
+wondering at my &#8216;crown of glory,&#8217;&mdash;and conjecturing what
+dire tragedy bequeathed it to me. Sir,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;My hair was black, but white my life:<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>The colors in exchange are cast!<br />
+The white upon my hair is rife,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>The black upon my life has passed.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Dr. Grey, I understand you; but you need not stay here to
+keep guard over me, as if I were an imbecile or a refugee from
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_254' name='page_254'></a>254</span>
+an insane asylum. That I am not the one or the other, is
+attributable to the fact that my powers of endurance are almost
+fabulous. You fear that in my loneliness and complete
+isolation I may turn coward, at the last ordeal I am put
+through,&mdash;and, like Zeno cry out, and in a fit of desperation
+strangle myself? Dr. Grey, make yourself easy. I do not
+love my Creator so devotedly that I must needs hurry into his
+presence before He sees proper to send me a summons.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am afraid to leave you here, for any woman who does
+not love and reverence her Maker, requires a guardian. Of
+course you will do as you like, but I shall remain here as long
+as you do.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He rose, and crossing his arms on his chest, began to walk
+about the pavilion. She caught up her hair, twisted it hastily
+into a knot, and secured it with her comb. As she did so, a
+small cluster of double violets dropped into her lap. She had
+gathered them the preceding afternoon, had carried them as
+an offering to Elsie, who insisted that she should wear them
+in her hair, &#8220;they looked so bonnie just behind the little
+roguish ear.&#8221; At her request Mrs. Gerome had placed them
+at the side of her head, and the old woman made her lean
+down that she might smell them, and leave a kiss on their blue
+petals. Now the sight of the withered flowers melted her icy
+composure, and, as she lifted the little crushed, faded bouquet,
+and pressed it against her wan cheek, a moan broke from her
+colorless lips.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Elsie,&mdash;Elsie! How could you desert me? You knew
+you were all I had to love and trust,&mdash;and how could you die
+and leave me alone,&mdash;utterly alone, in this miserable world
+that has so cruelly injured me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She clasped her hands passionately over the flowers, and the
+motion caused the sapphire ring, which was now much too
+large, to slip from the thin finger, and roll ringing across
+the marble floor.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey picked it up, and as he replaced it, drew her hand
+under his arm, and led her out of the boat-house. They
+walked slowly, and as they ascended the steps, he saw his
+buggy approaching the side gate.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_255' name='page_255'></a>255</span></div>
+<p>Opening the parlor door, he drew his companion into the
+room, where the Psyche lamp still burned brightly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, will you trust me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He had hoped that a return to the house would touch her
+heart and make her weep, but the cold, dry glitter of her eyes
+disappointed him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I trust neither men nor women, nor even the
+angels in heaven; for one of them turned serpent, and if
+tradition be true, made earth the dismal &#8216;Bochin&#8217; I have
+found it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She turned from him, and threw herself wearily upon the
+divan that filled the recess of the oriel window.</p>
+<p>Securing the door of the library, he extinguished the lamp,
+and closing the parlor went out to meet Salome.</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XX' id='CHAPTER_XX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XX.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor Grey, you look weary and anxious.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I feel so, for this has been a memorable night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The servant who opened the gate for us said that the poor
+old woman died about day-break.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; when I arrived I found her speechless, and of course
+could <ins title='Was no'>do</ins> nothing but watch her die. Come down this walk, I
+wish to talk to you before you go into the house.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He pointed to a serpentine walk, overarched by laurustinus,
+and they had proceeded some yards before he spoke again.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I believe you told me that you had met Mrs.
+Gerome?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir; once upon the cliffs, a mile below, I saw her for
+a few moments.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is a very eccentric woman.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I should judge so, from her appearance.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Her life seems to have been blighted by early griefs, and
+she has grown cynical and misanthropic. Loving no one but
+her faithful and devoted nurse, she has completely isolated
+herself, and consequently the death of this servant&mdash;companion&mdash;nay,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_256' name='page_256'></a>256</span>
+foster-mother&mdash;is a terrible blow to her. I
+want your promise that what you may hear or witness in this
+house shall not travel beyond its walls to feed the worse-than-Ugolino
+hunger of never-satiated scandal and gossip.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome&#8217;s brow contracted and darkened.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you class me among newsmongers and character-cannibals?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If I did, you certainly would not be here at this instant.
+I sent for you to come and take my place temporarily, as I
+am compelled to see a patient many miles distant, who is
+dangerously ill. The majority of women might go away, and
+comment upon the occurrences of this melancholy day, but I
+wish to keep sacred all that Mrs. Gerome desires to screen
+from public gaze and animadversion. Because she is not fond
+of society, it revenges itself by circulating reports detrimental
+to the owner of a house which is elegantly furnished, not for
+popular praise, but solely for her own comfort and gratification.
+While I regard her course as very deplorable, and
+particularly impolitic for one so young and unprotected, I am
+totally unacquainted with the reasons that control her; and,
+in this hour of grief and bitterness, I earnestly desire to
+shield her from intrusion and impertinent scrutiny.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In other words, you wish me to have eyes and yet see not,&mdash;and
+having ears to hear not? You must indeed have little
+confidence in my good sense, and still less in my feminine sympathy
+for the afflicted, if you suppose that under existing circumstances
+I could come to the house of mourning to collect
+materials to be rolled as sweet morsels under the slanderous
+tongues, that already wag so industriously concerning &#8216;Solitude&#8217;
+and its solitary mistress. Verily, I occupy a lofty niche
+in your estimation, and it would doubtless be pardonably
+prudent in you to reconsider, and bid Elbert take me home
+with all possible dispatch, before I see Fatima or Bluebeard.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When will you cease to be childish, and remember that a
+woman&#8217;s work lies before you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You may date that desirable transmogrification from the
+hour when you cease to stir up the mud and dregs in my
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_257' name='page_257'></a>257</span>
+nature, by doubting the possibility that they will ever settle,
+and leave a pure medium between your soul and mine. Just
+so soon,&mdash;and no sooner.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My young friend, you are too sensitive. I now offer you
+the strongest proof of confidence that I can ever hope to command.
+Will you take charge of this stricken household in my
+absence, and not only superintend the arrangements necessary
+for the funeral, but watch over Mrs. Gerome and see that no
+one disturbs her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You may trust me to execute her wishes and your orders.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. There certainly is no one except you whom I
+would trust in this emergency. One thing more; if Mrs.
+Gerome leaves the house, do not lose sight of her. It may be
+necessary to keep a very strict surveillance over her, and I
+will return as soon as possible, and relieve you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As they entered the house, Salome said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You will stop at home and get your breakfast?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, I shall not have time.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Let me make you a cup of coffee before you start.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, it is not necessary; and besides, the house is
+in such confusion that it would be difficult to obtain anything.
+Come with me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She followed him into the dim room, where the tall but
+emaciated form of Elsie Maclean had been dressed for its last
+long sleep. The housemaid sat at the bedside, and Robert
+stood at one of the windows.</p>
+<p>The first passionate burst of grief had spent itself, and the
+son was very calm.</p>
+<p>At a sign from Dr. Grey he came forward, and bowed to the
+stranger.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Robert, I am obliged to be absent for several hours, and
+Miss Owen will remain until I return. If you need advice or
+assistance come to her, and do not disturb Mrs. Gerome, who is
+lying on a sofa in the parlor. I will drive through town, and
+send your minister out immediately.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very good, sir. Do you think the funeral should
+take place before to-morrow? I want to speak to my mistress
+about it.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_258' name='page_258'></a>258</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;For her sake, it is advisable that it should not be delayed
+beyond this afternoon. It is very harrowing to know that the
+body is lying here, and I think she would prefer to leave all
+these matters to you. It would be better for all parties to
+have the funeral ceremonies ended this evening.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I suppose, sir, you know that my poor mother will be
+buried here, in the grounds.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For what reason? The cemetery is certainly the best
+place.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Robert handed a slip of paper to Dr. Grey, who read, in a
+remarkably beautiful chirograph, the following words,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Robert, it was your mother&#8217;s desire and is my wish that
+she should be buried near that cluster of deodar cedars, just
+beyond the mound. Send for an undertaker, and for the
+minister who visited her during her illness; and let everything
+be done as if it were my funeral instead of hers. Put some
+geranium leaves and violets in her dear hands, and upon her
+breast.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When did you receive this?&#8221; asked Dr. Grey.</p>
+<p>&#8220;A moment ago, Ph&oelig;be, the cook, brought it to me from
+my mistress.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Of course you have no choice, but must comply with her
+wishes and those of the dead. Still, I regret this decision.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir; it is ill luck to keep a grave near the eaves of a
+house, and it will be bad for my mistress to have it always in
+sight; for she mopes enough at best, and does not sleep
+o&#8217; nights, and the Lord only knows what will become of her
+with my poor mother&#8217;s corpse and coffin within ten yards of
+her window. Sir, how does she take this awful blow? It
+comforted me to know you were with her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She bears this affliction as she seems to have endured all
+others that have overtaken her, in a spirit of rebellious bitterness
+and defiance. I am afraid that the excitement will
+seriously injure her. Salome, I will return as early as the
+safety of a patient will permit.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Robert followed the doctor to his buggy, to consult him
+with reference to some of the sad details of the impending
+funeral, and after a hasty glance at the placid countenance of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_259' name='page_259'></a>259</span>
+the dead, Salome went back to the hall, and sat down opposite
+to the parlor door, which had been pointed out to her. Her
+nerves were strong, healthy, and firm, but the presence of
+death, the profound silence that reigned, the chill atmosphere,
+and dreary aspect of the house,&mdash;all conspired to oppress her
+heart.</p>
+<p>Through the open door she could see the ever restless sea,
+and hear its endless murmuring monotone, and imagination
+seizing the ill-omened legends she had heard recounted concerning
+this spot, peopled the corners of the hall with phantoms,
+and every flitting shadow on the lawn became a spectre.</p>
+<p>Now and then the servants&mdash;two middle-aged women&mdash;passed
+softly to and fro, and twice Robert crossed the passage,
+but not a sound issued from the parlor; and once, when
+Phoebe came with her mistress&#8217;s breakfast on a waiter, and
+tried the bolt, she found the door locked. She knocked several
+times, but receiving no answer went quietly back to the
+kitchen.</p>
+<p>Weary of sitting on one of the hard, uncomfortable walnut
+chairs, that stood with its high carved back close to the wall,
+Salome rose, and amused herself by studying the engravings
+that surrounded her. In the midst of her investigations she
+was startled by a loud, doleful, blood-curdling sound, that
+seemed to proceed from some spot immediately beneath the
+floor of the hall. It was different from anything she had ever
+heard before, but resembled the prolonged howl of a dog, and
+rose and fell on the air like a cry from some doomed spirit.</p>
+<p>Robert came out of the room which his mother had always
+occupied, and, as he passed Salome, she asked,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is the matter? What is the meaning of that horrible
+noise?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Only the greyhound howling at the dead that he knows is
+lying over his head. Ah, ma&#8217;am! The poor brute sees what
+we can&#8217;t see, and his death-baying is awful.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where is he? The sound seems to come through the
+floor.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He is so savage that I was afraid he would hurt some of
+the strangers who will come here to-day, so I chained him in
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_260' name='page_260'></a>260</span>
+the basement. Hist, ma&#8217;am! Did you ever hear anything so
+dreadful? It raises the hair off my head.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He went down stairs, and the howling, which was caused by
+the fact that the dog was hungry and unaccustomed to being
+chained, ceased as soon as he was set free. Ere long Robert
+came back, followed by the greyhound, whose collar he grasped
+firmly. At sight of Salome he growled and plunged towards
+her, but Robert was on the alert, and held him down. Leading
+him to the parlor door, the gardener knocked, and put his
+mouth to the key-hole.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you please, ma&#8217;am, will you let Greyhound in? It
+won&#8217;t do to leave him at large, and when I chain him he almost
+lifts the roof with his howls.&#8221;</p>
+<p>No reply reached Salome&#8217;s strained ears, but the door was
+opened sufficiently to admit the dog, who eagerly bounded in,
+and then the click of the lock once more barred intrusion;
+and when the joyful barking had ceased, all grew silent once
+more.</p>
+<p>From a basket of fresh flowers brought in by the boy who
+assisted Robert, Salome selected the white ones and made a
+wreath, which she laid aside and sprinkled; then gathering
+some rose and nutmeg geranium-leaves, and a few violets
+blooming in jars that stood on the gallery, she cautiously
+glided into the chamber of death, and arranged them in
+Elsie&#8217;s rigid hands.</p>
+<p>Soon after, the undertaker and minister arrived, and while
+they conferred with Robert concerning the burial service, the
+girl went back to her vigil before the parlor door, and endeavored
+to divert her thoughts by looking into a volume of
+poems that lay on the hall table. The book opened at
+&#8220;Macromicros,&#8221; where a brilliant verbena was crushed between
+the leaves, and delicate undulating pencil-lines enclosed
+the passage beginning,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;O woman, woman, with face so pale!<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Pale woman, weaving away<br />
+A frustrate life at a lifeless loom.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Slowly the hours wore away, and at noon Elsie&#8217;s body was
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_261' name='page_261'></a>261</span>
+placed in the coffin and left on a table in the room opposite
+the parlor.</p>
+<p>It was two o&#8217;clock when Dr. Grey came up the steps, looking
+more fatigued than Salome had ever seen him. He sat
+down beside her on the gallery, and sighed as he caught a
+glimpse of the men who were bricking up the grave that
+yawned on the right hand side of the lawn.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where is Mrs. Gerome?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In the parlor. Once I heard her pacing the floor very
+rapidly, and saying something to her dog. Since then&mdash;two
+hours ago&mdash;not a sound has reached me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She has taken no food?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. The servant who prepared her breakfast knocked
+twice at the door, but was refused admittance.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey went into the hall, and rapped vigorously on the
+door, but there was no movement within.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, please permit me to speak to you for a few
+minutes. If it were not necessary, I would not disturb you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The appeal produced no effect; and, without hesitating, he
+walked to the door of the library or rear parlor,&mdash;took the key
+from his pocket, opened it, and entered.</p>
+<p>The dog was asleep on the velvet rug before the hearth,
+and his mistress sat at her escritoire, with her arms resting on
+the blue desk, and her face hidden upon them. A number of
+letters and papers were scattered about, and, in an open
+drawer a silver casket was visible, with a pearl key in its
+lock.</p>
+<p>Before the marble Harpocrates stood two slender violet-colored
+Venetian glasses, representing tulips, and filled with
+fuchsias and clematis that were dropping their faded velvet
+petals, and the atmosphere was sweet with the breath of carnations
+and mignonette blooming in the south window.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey hoped that Mrs. Gerome had fallen asleep; but
+when he bent over her, he saw in the mirror above her that the
+large, bright eyes were gazing vacantly into the recess of the
+desk.</p>
+<p>She noticed his image reflected in the glass, and instantly
+sat upright, spreading her hands over her papers as if to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_262' name='page_262'></a>262</span>
+screen them. He drew a chair near hers, and put his finger
+on her pulse, which throbbed so rapidly he could scarcely
+count it.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you slept at all, since I left you this morning?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You promised that you would not attempt to destroy
+yourself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have kept my word.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; you &#8216;keep it to our ear, and break it to our hope,&#8217;
+for you must know that unless you take some rest and refreshment,
+you will be seriously ill.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He saw a spark leap up in her eyes, like a bubble tossed
+into sunshine by a sudden ripple, and she shook back the hair
+that seemed to oppress her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not tease and torment me, now. I want to be quiet.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My task is an unpleasant one, therefore I shall not postpone
+it. In a short time&mdash;within the next hour&mdash;Elsie will
+be buried, and you owe a last tribute of gratitude and respect
+to her remains. Will you refuse it to the faithful friend to
+whom you are indebted for so much affection and considerate
+care?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She would not wish me to do anything that is so repugnant,
+so painful to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you no desire to look at her kind, placid face once
+more?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wish to remember it as in life,&mdash;not rigid and repulsive
+in death.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She looks so tranquil you would think she was sleeping.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No,&mdash;no! Don&#8217;t ask me. I never saw but one corpse,
+and that was of a sailor drowned in mid ocean, and I shall
+never be able to forget its ghastliness and distortion as it lay
+on deck, under sickly moonshine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, you must follow Elsie&#8217;s body to the grave.
+Believe that I have good reasons for this request, and grant
+it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shook her head.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your habits of seclusion have subjected you to uncharitable
+remarks, and your absence from the funeral would
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_263' name='page_263'></a>263</span>
+create more gossip than any woman can afford to give grounds
+for. There is a rumor that you are deranged, and the best
+refutation will be your quiet presence at the grave of your
+faithful nurse.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She straightened herself, haughtily.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Seven years ago I turned my back upon the world, and
+scorned its verdict.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The men or women who defy public opinion invite social
+impalement, and rarely fail to merit the branding and opprobrium
+they invariably receive. Madam, I should imagine
+that to a nature so refined and shrinking as yours, almost any
+trial would seem slight in comparison with the certainty of
+becoming a target for sarcasm, pity, and malice, in every
+kitchen in the neighborhood. Permit my prudence to prevail
+over your reluctance to the step I have advised, and some day
+you will thank me for my persistency. You have time to make
+the proper changes in your dress, and, when the hour arrives,
+I will knock at your own door. My dear madam, do not
+delay.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She rose, and began to replace the papers in the drawers of
+her desk, which she closed and locked.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, why should you care if I am slandered?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because I am now your best friend, and must tell you
+frankly your foibles and dangers, and endeavor to guard you
+from the faintest breath of detraction.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am very suspicious concerning the motives of all who
+come about me; and, at times, I have been so unjust as to
+ascribe even my poor Elsie&#8217;s devotion to a desire to control
+my fortune for the benefit of herself and child. Do you expect
+me to trust you more implicitly than I ever trusted
+her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall make it impossible for you to doubt me. Come to
+your room. Elsie&#8217;s few acquaintances will soon be here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome thrust the key of her desk into her pocket,
+but a moment after, when she drew out her handkerchief, it
+fell on the carpet, and without observing it, she passed swiftly
+across the hall, and into her own apartment.</p>
+<p>As Dr. Grey lingered to secure the door, his eye fell upon
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_264' name='page_264'></a>264</span>
+the silver key on the floor; and, placing it in his vest pocket,
+he rejoined Salome.</p>
+<p>At four o&#8217;clock several of Robert&#8217;s friends came and seated
+themselves in the room where the coffin sat wreathed with
+flowers; and immediately after, Mr. and Mrs. Spiewell made
+their appearance, accompanied by two ladies whose features
+were concealed by thick veils. Robert and the servants soon
+joined them, and Salome stole into the room and sat down in
+one corner.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey tapped softly at the door of Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s apartment,
+and she came out instantly, and walked firmly forward
+till she stood in the presence of the dead. She was dressed in
+black silk, and wore two heavy lace veils over her bonnet,
+which effectually screened her countenance. Crossing the
+floor, she stood at Robert&#8217;s side, and the minister rose and began
+the burial service.</p>
+<p>When a prayer was offered, all the other persons present
+bowed their heads, but the mistress of the mansion remained
+erect and motionless; and, as the pall-bearers took up the coffin
+and proceeded to the grave, she followed Robert.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey stepped to her side and offered his arm, but she
+took no notice of the act, and walked on as if she were an
+automaton.</p>
+<p>The service was concluded, the coffin lowered, and, amid
+Robert&#8217;s half-smothered sobs, the mound was raised under the
+deodars, whose long shadows slanted athwart it, in the dying
+sunlight.</p>
+<p>The little group dispersed, and Mr. Spiewell led his wife to
+the owner of &#8220;Solitude.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, Mrs. Spiewell and I have long desired the
+pleasure of your acquaintance, and hope, if you need friends,
+you will permit us&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you for your kindness in visiting my faithful old
+Elsie.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The tall, veiled figure had cut short his speech by a quick,
+imperative gesture of her hand; and, turning instantly away,
+disappeared in one of the densely shaded walks that wound
+through the grounds.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_265' name='page_265'></a>265</span></div>
+<p>Dr. Grey escorted the party to their carriages, and as he
+handed Mrs. Spiewell in, she said, in her sharp nasal tones,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I heard that Mrs. Gerome was devotedly attached to the
+poor old creature who had nursed her, but she certainly seems
+to me very indifferent and heartless.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is more deeply afflicted by her loss than you can
+possibly realize, and I am exceedingly apprehensive that she
+will be ill in consequence of her inability to sleep or eat. My
+dear madam, we must not judge too hastily from appearances,
+else we shall deserve similar treatment. Who are those two
+ladies veiled so closely?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Friends, I presume, or they would not be here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>But the little woman seemed uneasy, and flushed under the
+doctor&#8217;s searching gaze.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope dear Miss Jane is as well as one can ever expect
+her to be in this life. Come, Charles; you forget, my dear,
+that we have a visit to make before tea-time. I notice, doctor,
+that you have a new carpet on the floor of your pew, and
+a new cushion-cover to match; and, indeed, you are so fine
+that the remainder of the church seems quite faded and
+shabby. Good evening, doctor; my love to all at home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The clergyman&#8217;s gray pony trotted off with his master and
+mistress, and Dr. Grey returned to Salome, who waited for
+him at the steps of the terrace.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What do you suppose brought Mrs. Channing and Adelaide
+to the poor old woman&#8217;s funeral?&#8221; asked the orphan.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How did you discover them?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I found this handkerchief, whose initials I embroidered
+two months ago, and recognize as belonging to Mrs. Channing.
+As for Miss Adelaide, when she moved her veil a little aside to
+peep at Mrs. Gerome, I caught a glimpse of her pretty face.
+Do they visit here?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly not; nobody visits here but the butcher, baker,
+and doctor. Those ladies came solely on a tour of inspection,
+and to gratify a curiosity that is not flattering to their characters.
+My dear child, you look tired.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, what is there so mysterious about this house
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_266' name='page_266'></a>266</span>
+and its owner that all the town is agog and agape when the
+subject is mentioned? What is Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s history?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am totally unacquainted with its details, and only
+know that since she became a widow, she has been a complete
+recluse. She is very unhappy, and we must exert ourselves
+to cheer her. This has been a lonely, dreary day to you, I
+fear, and I trust it will not be necessary for me to ask you to
+remain here to-night.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The sun had set, leaving magnificent cloud-pictures on sky
+and sea, and while the orphan turned to enjoy the glorious
+prospect above and around her, Dr. Grey went in search of the
+lonely women who now continually occupied his thoughts.</p>
+<p>She was standing under the pyramidal cedars, looking down
+at the new grave, where Salome&#8217;s wreath hung on the head-board,
+and hearing approaching footsteps would have moved
+away, but he said, pleadingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not avoid me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She paused, and suddenly held out her hands to him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah,&mdash;is it you? Dr. Grey, what shall I do? How can
+I bear to live here,&mdash;alone,&mdash;alone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took her hands and looked down into her white, chill
+face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear friend, take your suffering heart to God, and He
+will heal, and comfort, and strengthen you. If He has sorely
+afflicted you, try to believe that Infinite love and mercy
+directed all things, and that ultimately every sorrow of earth
+will be overruled for your eternal repose and happiness. Remember
+that this world is but a threshing-floor, where angels
+use afflictions as flails, to beat the chaff and dust from our
+hearts, and present them as perfect grain for the garners of
+God. I know that you are desolate, but you can never be
+utterly alone, since the precious promise, &#8216;Lo! I am with
+you alway, even unto the end of the world.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Despairingly she shook her head.</p>
+<p>&#8220;All that might comfort some people, but it falls on my
+ears and heart like the sound of the clods on Elsie&#8217;s coffin. I
+have no religion,&mdash;no faith,&mdash;no hope,&mdash;in time or eternity.
+My miserable past entombs all things.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_267' name='page_267'></a>267</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Do not unearth your woes,&mdash;let the grave seal them.
+Your life stands waiting to be sanctified,&mdash;dedicated to Him
+who gave it. My dear friend,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Cleanse it and make it pure, and fashion it<br />
+After His image: heal thyself; from grief<br />
+Comes glory, like a rainbow from a cloud.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The sound of his voice, more than the import of his words,
+seemed to soothe her, for her eyes softened; but the effect was
+transitory, and presently she exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mere &#8216;sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal!&#8217; Pretty
+words, and musical; but empty as those polished shells yonder
+that echo only hollow strains of the never silent sea. Once,
+Dr. Grey,&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>She paused, and a shiver crept through her stately form;
+then she slowly continued, in a tone of indescribable pathos,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Once I could have listened to your counsel, for once my
+soul was full of holy aims, and my heart as redolent of pure
+Christian purposes as a June rose is of perfume; but now,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;They are past as a slumber that passes,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>As the dew of a dawn of old time;<br />
+More frail than the shadows on glasses,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>More fleet than a wave or a rhyme.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Dr. Grey drew her arm through his, and silently led her to
+the house, and into the parlor. He noticed that her breathing
+was quick and short, and that she sank wearily upon the sofa,
+as if her strength had well-nigh failed her.</p>
+<p>He untied her bonnet-strings and removed it, and she threw
+her head down on the silken cushion, as a spent child might
+have done.</p>
+<p>Taking a vial from his pocket, he dropped a portion of the
+contents into a wine-glass, and filled it with sherry wine.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, drink this for me. It will benefit you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She swallowed the mixture, and remained quiet for some
+seconds; then a singularly scornful smile curved her mouth as
+she said,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_268' name='page_268'></a>268</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;You drugged the wine. Well, so be it. Nepenthe or
+poison are alike welcome, if they bring me death, or even temporary
+oblivion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Katie came in and lighted the lamp, and Dr. Grey sat beside
+the sofa and watched the effect of his prescription.</p>
+<p>Tired at length of the sober sea and dark gloomy grounds,
+Salome came back to the house and stood on the threshold of
+the parlor door, looking curiously at the quiet, silent group,
+and at the pictures on the walls.</p>
+<p>She could see very distinctly the beautiful white face of the
+mistress pressed against the blue damask cushion, and clear in
+outline as she had once observed it on the background of
+ocean; and she noticed that the features were sharper and
+that the figure was thinner. From the silvery lamp-light
+the gray hair seemed to have caught a metallic lustre on the
+ripples that ebbed back from the blue-veined temples, and the
+woman looked like a marble snow-crowned image, draped in
+black.</p>
+<p>With one elbow on his knee, and his cheek resting in his
+hand, Dr. Grey leaned forward, studying the features turned
+towards him, and watching her with almost breathless interest.
+He was not aware of Salome&#8217;s presence, and was unconscious
+of the strained, troubled gaze, that she fixed upon him.</p>
+<p>The tender love that filled his heart looked out of his grave
+deep eyes, which never wandered from the face so dear to
+him, and moved his lips in an inaudible prayer for the peace
+and welfare of the lonely waif whom Providence or fate had
+brought into his path, to evoke all the tenderness latent in
+his sturdy, manly nature.</p>
+<p>In the twinkling of an eye, Salome had learned the whole
+truth and standing there, she staggered and grasped the doorway
+for support, wishing that the heavens and earth would
+pass away&mdash;that death might smite her, and end the agony
+that never could be patiently endured.</p>
+<p>Recently she had tutored herself to bear the loss of his love
+and the deprivation of his caresses,&mdash;she had mapped out a
+future in which her lot was one of loneliness,&mdash;but through all
+the network of coming years there ran like a golden cord binding
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_269' name='page_269'></a>269</span>
+their destinies the precious hope that at least Dr. Grey
+would die as he had lived hitherto,&mdash;without giving to any
+woman the coveted place in his heart, where the orphan would
+sooner have reigned than upon the proudest throne in Europe.</p>
+<p>She had prayed that, with this assurance, God would help
+her to be contented&mdash;would enable her to make her life useful
+and pure, and, like Dr. Grey&#8217;s, a blessing to those about her.</p>
+<p>It had never occurred to her that the man whom she reverenced
+above all things human or divine, and whose exalted
+ideal of feminine perfection soared as far above her as the
+angels in Lebrun&#8217;s &#8220;Stoning of St. Stephen&#8221; soared above
+the sinning multitude below them&mdash;that the man whose fastidiousness
+concerning womanly character and deportment
+seemed exaggerated and almost morbid, could admire or defend,
+much less love that gray-haired widow, whom the world
+pronounced either a lunatic, or a scoffing, misanthropic infidel.</p>
+<p>The discovery was so unexpected, so startling, that it
+partially stunned her; and, like one addicted to somnambulism,
+she softly crossed the room and stood behind Dr. Grey&#8217;s
+chair.</p>
+<p>He had taken Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s hand to examine her pulse,
+and retained it in his, looking fondly at the dainty moulding
+of the fingers and the exquisite whiteness of the smooth skin.
+How long she stood there Salome never knew, for paralysis
+seemed creeping, numb and cold, over her heart and brain.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey saw that his exhausted patient was asleep, and
+knew that the opiate he had administered in the wine would
+not relinquish its hold until morning; and when her breathing
+became more quiet and regular he bent his head and
+softly kissed the hand that lay heavily in his.</p>
+<p>Salome covered her face and groaned; and rising, he was
+for the first time cognizant of her presence. His face flushed
+deeply.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long have you been here?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Long enough to discover why you visit &#8216;Solitude&#8217; so
+often.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_270' name='page_270'></a>270</span></div>
+<p>He could not see her countenance, but her unnaturally
+hollow tone pained and shocked him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very much fatigued, my dear child, and as soon
+as I have given some directions to Robert, I will take you
+home. Get your bonnet, and meet me at the door.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took a shawl that was lying on the piano and laid it
+carefully over the sleeper, then bent one knee beside the sofa,
+and mutely prayed that God would comfort and protect the
+woman who was becoming so dear to him.</p>
+<p>With one long, anxious, tender look into her hopeless yet
+beautiful face, he left the room and went in search of Robert
+and Katie. When he had given the requisite directions, and
+descended the steps, he found Salome waiting, with her fingers
+grasping the side of the buggy. Silently he handed her
+in; and, as she sank back in one corner and muffled her face,
+they drove swiftly through the sombre grounds, where the
+aged trees seemed murmuring in response to the ceaseless
+mutter of the sullen sea.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Whom first we love, you know, we seldom wed.<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Time rules us all. And Life indeed is not<br />
+The thing we planned it out ere hope was dead.<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And then we women cannot choose our lot.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXI' id='CHAPTER_XXI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXI.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, you certainly do not intend to sit up again to-night?
+Even brass or whitleather would not stand the wear
+and tear that your constitution is subjected to. You really
+make me unhappy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear Jane, it would make you still more unhappy if
+from mere desire to promote my personal ease and comfort, I
+could forget the solemn responsibility imposed by my profession.
+Moreover, my physical strength is quite equal to
+the tax I exact from it.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_271' name='page_271'></a>271</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;I doubt it, for we have all remarked how pale and worn
+you look.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My jaded appearance is attributable to mental anxiety,
+rather than bodily exhaustion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If Mrs. Gerome is so ill as to require such unremitting
+care and vigilance, she should have a nurse, instead of expecting
+a physician to devote all his time and attention to her.
+Where is Hester Denison?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have placed her at the steam-mill above town, where
+there is a bad case of small-pox, and even if she were not thus
+engaged, I should not take her to &#8216;Solitude.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray, why not? She took first-rate care of me when I was
+so sick last year.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome is morbidly sensitive at all times, and at
+this juncture I should be afraid to introduce a stranger into
+her sick room.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When people are so excessively nervous about being seen,
+I can&#8217;t help feeling a little suspicious. Do you suppose that
+Mrs. Gerome loved her husband so much better than the
+majority of widows love theirs, that seven years after his death
+she can&#8217;t bear to be looked at? I like to see a woman show
+due respect to her husband&#8217;s memory, but I tell you my experience&mdash;or
+rather my observation&mdash;leads me to believe that
+these young widows who make the greatest parade of their
+grief, and load themselves with crape and bombazine till they
+can scarcely stagger under their flutings, flounces, and jet-fringes,
+are the most anxious to marry again.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stop, my darling sister! Who has been filling your
+tongue and curdling all the &#8216;milk of human kindness&#8217; in your
+generous heart? If women refuse to each other due sympathy
+in sorrow, to what quarter can they turn for that balm which
+their natures require? I never before heard you utter sentiments
+that trenched so closely upon harsh uncharitableness.
+Your lips generally employ only the silvery language of
+leniency, which I so much love to hear, but to-day they adopt
+the dialect of Libeldom. Recollect, my dear sister, that even
+the pagan Athenians would never build a temple to Clemency,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_272' name='page_272'></a>272</span>
+which they contended found her most appropriate altars in
+human hearts.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pooh, Ulpian! You need not preach me such a sermon,
+as if I were a heathen. Facts, when they happen to be real
+facts, are the best umpires in the world, and to their arbitrament
+I leave my character for charity. When Reuben Chalmers
+died, his wife was so overwhelmed with grief that she
+shut herself up like a nun; and when she drove out for fresh
+air wore two heavy crape veils, and never allowed any one to
+catch a glimpse of her countenance. Not even to church did
+she venture, until one morning, at the end of two years, she
+laid aside her weeds, clad herself in bridal array, was married
+in her own parlor, and the next Sunday made her first appearance
+in public after the death of her husband, leaning on
+the arm of her second spouse. Now, that is true,&mdash;is no
+libel,&mdash;pity it is not! Though &#8216;one swallow does not make
+a summer,&#8217; I can&#8217;t help feeling suspicious of very young and
+hopelessly inconsolable widows, and am always reminded of
+Anastasia Chalmers. So you see, my blue-eyed preacher, when
+your old Janet talks of these things, she is not caught &#8216;reckoning
+without her host.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;One deplorable instance should not bias you against an
+entire class, and the beautiful constancy of Panthea ought to
+neutralize the example of a hundred Anastasia Chalmers. Is
+it not unfortunate that poor human nature so tenaciously
+recollects all the evil records, and is so oblivious of the noble
+acts furnished by history? Do cut the acquaintance of the
+huge family of <i>on dits</i>, who serve the community in much the
+same capacity as did the cook of Tantalus, when he dressed
+and garnished Pelops for the banquet table. Unluckily,
+devouring malice can not furnish the &#8216;ivory shoulder&#8217; requisite
+to mend its mischief. We are all prone to forget the
+injunction, &#8216;Judge not, that ye be not judged,&#8217; and instead of
+remembering that we are directed to bear one another&#8217;s burdens,
+we gall the shoulders of many, by increasing the weights
+we should lighten. Janet, don&#8217;t flay all the poor young
+widows; leave them to such measures of peace as they may
+find among their weeds.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_273' name='page_273'></a>273</span></div>
+<p>Miss Jane listened to her brother&#8217;s homily with a half-smile
+lurking about the puckered corners of her eyes and mouth, and
+putting her finger in the button-hole of his coat, drew him
+closer to her, as they sat together on the sofa.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How long since you took the tribe of widows under your
+special protection?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Since the moment, that, owing to some inexplicable
+freak, my dear Janet suffered &#8216;evil communications to corrupt&#8217;
+her &#8216;good manners,&#8217; and absolutely forgot to be just
+and generous.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He kissed his sister and rose, but the troubled look that
+settled once more on his countenance did not escape her observation.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ulpian, is Mrs. Gerome very ill?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I am exceedingly unhappy about her. She is dangerously
+ill with a low, nervous, fever that baffles all my remedies.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey walked up and down the room, and Miss Jane
+pressed her spectacles closer to her nose, and watched him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If the poor woman leads such a lonely, miserable life, I
+should think that death would prove a blessed release to her.
+Of course it is natural and reasonable that you should desire
+to save all your patients, but why are you so very unhappy
+about her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He did not answer immediately, and when he spoke his deep
+tone was tremulous with fervent feeling.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because I find that she is dearer to me than all the other
+women in the world, except my sister; and her death would
+grieve me more than any trial that has yet overtaken me&mdash;more
+than you can realize, or than I can express.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took Miss Jane&#8217;s face in his hands, kissed her, and left
+the room.</p>
+<p>Meeting Muriel and Salome in the hall, the former seized
+his arm, and exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You shall not leave home again! Let me tell Elbert to
+put up your buggy. If you continue to work yourself down,
+as you are now doing, you will be prematurely old, and gray,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_274' name='page_274'></a>274</span>
+and decrepit. Come into the parlor, and let me play you to
+sleep.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I heartily wish I could follow your pleasant prescription,
+but duty is inexorable, and knows no law but that of obedience.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Must you sit up to-night? Is that poor lady no better?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I can see no improvement, and must remain until I do.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are afraid that she will die?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope that God will spare her life.&#8221;</p>
+<p>His serious tone awed Muriel, who raised his hand to her
+lips, and murmured,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear doctor, I wish I could help you. I wish I could
+do something to make you look less troubled.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You can help me, little one, by being happy yourself, and
+by aiding Salome in cheering my sister, while I am forced
+to spend so much time away from her. Good evening. Take
+care of yourselves till I come home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Humming a bar of a Genoese barcarole, Muriel ran up
+stairs to join her governess; but Salome turned and followed
+the master of the house to the front door.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, can I render you any assistance at &#8216;Solitude&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you,&mdash;the time has passed when you might have
+aided me. Two weeks ago, when I requested you to go with
+me, Mrs. Gerome was rational and would have yielded to your
+influence, but now she is delirious and you could accomplish
+nothing. The servants are faithful and attentive, and can be
+trusted during my absence to execute my orders.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A bright flush rose to Salome&#8217;s temples, and her eyes
+drooped beneath his, so anxious and yet so calmly sad.</p>
+<p>&#8220;At the time you spoke to me I could not go, but now I
+really should be glad to accompany you. Will you take me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, Salome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your reason, Dr. Grey?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is one whose utterance would pain you, consequently I
+trust you will pardon me for withholding it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;At my own peril, I demand it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The motive which prompts your offer precludes the possibility
+of my acceptance.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_275' name='page_275'></a>275</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;How dare you sit in judgment on my motives? You who
+prate and homilize of charity! charity! and who quote the
+&#8216;golden rule&#8217; solely for the edification and guidance of those
+around you. Example is more potent than precept, and we
+are creatures of imitation. Suppose I should question the
+disinterestedness of your motives in allowing one patient to
+monopolize your attention to the detriment of the remainder?
+Of course you would be shocked and think me presumptuous,
+for one&#8217;s sins and follies often play hide and seek, and sometimes
+we insult our own pet fault when we find it housed in
+some other piece of flesh.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good night, Salome. I shall endeavor to forget all this,
+since I am too sincerely your friend to desire to set your
+hasty words in the storehouse of memory.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He looked down pityingly, sorrowfully, into her angry imperious
+eyes, and sudden shame smote her, making her cheeks
+glow and tingle as if from the stroke of an open hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, wait one moment! Let me say something, that
+will show,&mdash;that will&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Only make matters worse. No, Salome, I have little time
+for trifling, still less for recrimination, none at all for dissimulation;
+and, in your present mood, the least we can say
+will prove the most powerful for good.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He went down to his buggy, but stopped and reflected;
+and fearing that he might have been too harsh, he turned and
+approached her, as she stood leaning against one of the
+columns of the gallery.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not think me rude. I am not less your friend than
+formerly, though I am anxious, and doubtless appear preoccupied.
+Let us shake hands in peace.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He extended his own, but the girl stood motionless, and the
+remorseful anguish and humiliation of her uplifted face
+touched his heart.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, if you really forgive and forget, prove it by
+taking me to &#8216;Solitude.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not ask what you well know I have quite determined it
+is best that I should not grant.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The spark leaped up lurid as ever, in her dilating eyes.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_276' name='page_276'></a>276</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;You take this method to punish me for my refusal to
+comply with your wishes a fortnight since?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have neither the right nor inclination to punish you
+in any respect, and you must pardon my inability to accede
+to a request which my judgment does not approve. Good-by.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He put his hand into his pocket, and left her; and while
+she stood irresolute and disappointed, a servant summoned
+her to Miss Jane&#8217;s presence.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Can I do anything for you?&#8221; asked the orphan, observing
+the cloud on the old lady&#8217;s brow.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, dear; sit down here and talk to me. I feel lonely,
+now that Ulpian is away so constantly. He seems very uneasy
+about that woman at &#8216;Solitude,&#8217; and I never saw him
+manifest so much anxiety about any one. By the by, Salome,
+tell me something concerning her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have already told you all I know of her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wherein consists her attractiveness?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Who said she was attractive? She is handsome, and there
+is something peculiar and startling about her, but she is by
+no means a beauty. I have heard Dr. Grey say that she possessed
+remarkable talent, but I have been favored with no
+exhibition of it. Why do you not question your brother?
+Doubtless it would afford him much pleasure to furnish an inventory
+of her charms and accomplishments, and dilate upon
+them <i>ad libitum</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What makes you so savage?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Simply because there happens to be a touch of the wild
+beast in my nature, and I have not a doubt that if the doctrine
+of metempsychosis be true, I was a tawny dappled leopardess
+or a green-eyed cougar in the last stage of my existence.
+Miss Jane, sometimes I feel as if it would be a luxury&mdash;a relief&mdash;to
+crunch and strangle something or somebody,&mdash;which
+is not an approved trait of orthodox Christian character, to
+say nothing of meek gentility and lady-like refinement.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She laughed with a degree of indescribable scorn and bitterness
+that was pitiable indeed in one so young.</p>
+<p>&#8220;There is an evil fit on Saul.&#8221;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_277' name='page_277'></a>277</span></p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; and you are neither my harp nor my David.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Does my little girl expect to find a &#8216;cunning player,&#8217; who
+will charm away all the barbarous notions that occasionally
+lead her astray, and tempt her to wickedness?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Verily,&mdash;no. The son of Jesse has forsaken his own
+household, and made unto himself an idol elsewhere; and I&mdash;Saul&mdash;surrender
+to Asmodeus.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Jane laid her hand on the girl&#8217;s arm, and said, in a
+hesitating, troubled manner,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Has Ulpian told you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why should he tell me? My eyes sometimes take pity on
+my ears,&mdash;and seeing very distinctly, save the necessity of
+hearing. My vision is quite as keen now as when in my anterior
+existence, I crouched in jungles, watching for my prey.
+Oh, Miss Jane! if you could look here, and know all that I
+have suffered during the past three weeks, you would not
+wonder that the tiger element within me swallows up every
+other feeling.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She struck her hand heavily upon her heart, and the old
+lady was frightened and distressed by the glitter of the eyes
+and the dilation of the slender nostrils.</p>
+<p>&#8220;When I came in, I knew from your countenance that you
+had heard something which you desired to prepare me for,&mdash;which
+you intended to break gently to me. But your kindness
+is unavailing. The truth crashed in on my heart without premonition;
+and I saw, and understood, and accepted the inevitable;
+and since then,&mdash;ah, my God! since then&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her head drooped upon her bosom, and a groan concluded
+the sentence.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Perhaps Ulpian only pities the poor woman&#8217;s desolation,
+and will lose his interest in her when she recovers her health.
+You know how tenderly he sympathizes with all who suffer,
+and I dare say it is more compassion than love.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What hypocrites we often are, in our desire to comfort
+those whom we see in agony! Miss Jane, your kind heart is
+holding a hand over the mouth of conscience, to smother its
+cries and protests while you utter things in which you know
+there is no truth. You mean well; but you ought to know
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_278' name='page_278'></a>278</span>
+better than to expect to deceive me. I understand the difference
+between love and compassion, and so do you; and Dr.
+Grey has not kept the truth from you. He has given his heart
+to that gray-haired, gray-eyed woman,&mdash;and if she lives, he
+will marry her; and then, if there were twenty oceans, I
+should want them all to roll between us. I tell you now, I
+can not and will not stay here to see the day that makes that
+pale gray phantom his wife. I should go mad, and do something
+that might add new horrors to that doomed and abhorred
+&#8216;Solitude,&#8217; that has become Dr. Grey&#8217;s Mecca. I
+could live without his love, but I can not stand tamely by and
+see him lavish it on another. Some women,&mdash;such, for instance,
+as we read of in novels, would meekly endure this
+trial, as one appointed by Heaven to wean them from earth;
+would fold their hands, and grow devout, and romantically
+thin and wan,&mdash;and get sweet, patient, martyr expressions
+about their unkissed lips; but I am in no respect a model
+heroine, and it will prove safer for us all if I am far away
+when Dr. Grey brings his bride to receive your sisterly embrace.
+If you are lonely, send for Muriel and Miss Dexter,
+and let them entertain you. Just now, I am not fit company
+for any but the dwellers in Padalon; so let me go away where
+I can be quiet.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stay, Salome! Where are you going?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To walk.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The orphan disengaged her dress from Miss Jane&#8217;s fingers,
+which had clutched its folds to detain her, and made her
+escape just as Muriel tapped at the door.</p>
+<p>During the three weeks that had elapsed since Elsie&#8217;s death
+Mrs. Gerome had not left the house, and the third day after
+the funeral she laid her head down on the pillow from which
+it seemed probable she would never again lift it.</p>
+<p>A low steady fever seized her, and at length her brain became
+so seriously affected that all hope of recovery appeared
+futile and delusive. In the early stages of her illness, Dr.
+Grey requested Salome to assist him in nursing her, but the
+girl dared not trust herself to witness the manifestations of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_279' name='page_279'></a>279</span>
+an affection that nearly maddened her, and had almost rudely
+refused compliance.</p>
+<p>As the days wore drearily on, and Dr. Grey&#8217;s haggard,
+anxious countenance, told her that her rival was indeed upon
+the brink of dissolution, a wild hope whispered that perhaps
+she might be spared the fierce ordeal she so much dreaded;
+that if Mrs. Gerome died, the future might brighten,&mdash;life
+would be endurable. In her wonted impulsive manner, the
+girl had thrown herself on her knees, and passionately prayed
+the Almighty to remove from earth the one woman who
+proved an obstacle to all her hopes of peace and contentment.</p>
+<p>She did not pause to inquire whether her petition was not
+an insult to Him who alone could grant it; she neither
+analyzed, nor felt self-rebuked for her sinful emotions and
+intense hatred of the sick woman,&mdash;but vowed repeatedly
+that she would lead a purer, holier life, if God would only interpose
+and prevent Dr. Grey from becoming the husband
+of any one.</p>
+<p>She had no faith in the superior wisdom of her Maker, and
+would not wait patiently for the developments of His divine
+will toward her; but chose her own destiny, and demanded
+that Omnipotence should become an ally for its accomplishment.
+Like many who are less honest in confessing their
+faith, this girl professed allegiance to her Creator only so
+long as He appeared a coadjutor in her schemes; and, when
+thwarted and disappointed, fierce rebellion broke out in her
+heart, and annulled her oaths of fealty and obedience.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey was not ignorant of the emotions that swayed and
+controlled her conduct, and when she declared herself ready
+to attend the invalid, he was thoroughly cognizant of the fact
+that she longed to witness the death which she deemed impending;
+and he could not consent to see her eager eyes watching
+the feeble breathing of the woman whom he now loved so
+fervently.</p>
+<p>While he believed that in most matters Salome would not
+deceive him, he realized that in one of her passionate moods
+of jealous hate, irremediable mischief might result, and prudently
+resolved to keep her beyond the pale of temptation.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_280' name='page_280'></a>280</span></div>
+<p>It was almost dark when he reached the secluded house
+where he had passed so many days and nights of anxiety, and
+went into the quiet room in which only a dim light was permitted
+to burn. Katie was sitting near the bed, but rose at
+his approach, and softly withdrew.</p>
+<p>Emaciated and ghastly, save where two scarlet spots burned
+on the hollow cheeks, Mrs. Gerome lay, with her wasted arms
+thrown over her head, and her eyes fixed on vacancy. Even
+when delirium was at its height she yielded to the physician&#8217;s
+voice and touch, like some wild creature who recognizes no
+control save that of its keeper; and from his hand alone would
+she take the medicines administered.</p>
+<p>Whether the influence was merely magnetic, he did not
+inquire, but felt comforted by the assurance that his presence
+had power to tranquillize her.</p>
+<p>Now, as he drew her arms down from the pillow, and took
+her thin hot hand in his cool palms, a shadowy smile stole
+over her features, and she fixed her eyes intently on his.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I knew you would protect me from him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Protect you from whom?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;From Maurice. He is hiding yonder,&mdash;behind the window-curtain.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She pointed across the room, and a scowl darkened her
+countenance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have only been dreaming.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, I am awake; and if you look behind the curtain you
+will find him. His eyes are burning my face.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Willing to dispel this fantasy, Dr. Grey went to the window,
+and, drawing aside the lace drapery, showed her the vacant
+recess.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, he has escaped! Well, perhaps it is better so, and
+there will be no blood shed. Let him go back to Edith,&mdash;&#8216;golden-haired
+Edith Dexter,&#8217;&mdash;and live out the remnant of
+his days. He came hoping to find me dead, but I am not as
+accommodating now as formerly. Where are those violets?
+Tell Elsie to bring the jars in, where I can smell them.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took a bunch of the fragrant flowers from his coat
+pocket, and put them in her hand, for during her illness she
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_281' name='page_281'></a>281</span>
+was never satisfied unless there was a bouquet near her; and
+now, having feebly smelled them, her eyes closed.</p>
+<p>More than once she had mentioned the name of Edith Dexter,
+always coupling it with that of Maurice, who she evidently
+believed was lurking with evil purposes around her
+home; and Dr. Grey was sorely perplexed to follow the thread
+that now and then appeared, but failed to guide him to any
+satisfactory solution of the mystery. He knew that since she
+made &#8220;Solitude&#8221; her place of residence, Mrs. Gerome had
+never met Muriel&#8217;s governess, and he conjectured that she had
+either known her in earlier years or now alluded to another
+person bearing the same name. Miss Dexter was very fair,
+with a profusion of light yellow hair, and suited in all respects
+the incoherent description that fell from the sick
+woman&#8217;s lips.</p>
+<p>While at home for a short time that afternoon, Dr. Grey
+had spoken of the dangerous condition of his patient, and
+asked the governess if she had ever seen or known Mrs. Gerome.
+Without hesitation, Edith Dexter quietly replied in
+the negative.</p>
+<p>Formerly he had indulged little curiosity with reference to
+the widow&#8217;s history, but since she had become endeared to
+him, he was conscious of an earnest desire to possess himself
+of a record of all that had so darkened and chilled the life
+of the only woman he had ever loved.</p>
+<p>Once she had been merely an interesting psychological puzzle,
+and in some degree a physiological anomaly: but from
+the day of Elsie&#8217;s death, his heart had yielded more and more
+to the strange fascination she exerted over him; and now, as
+he sat looking into her face, so mournfully sharpened and
+blanched by disease, he acknowledged to his own soul that if
+she should die the brightest and dearest hopes that ever gladdened
+his life would be buried in her grave.</p>
+<p>Thoroughly convinced that his happiness depended on her
+recovery, he prayed continually that if consistent with God&#8217;s
+will, He would spare her to him, and save him from the
+anguish of a lonely life, which her love might bless and
+brighten.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_282' name='page_282'></a>282</span></div>
+<p>But above the petition,&mdash;above all the strife of human love,
+and hope, and fear,&mdash;rose silvery clear, &#8220;Nevertheless,
+Father, not my will, but Thine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>During his long vigils he had allowed imagination to paint
+beautiful pictures of the To-Come, wherein shone the figure
+of a lovely wife whose heart was divided only between God
+and her husband,&mdash;whose life was consecrated first to Christ,
+secondly to promoting the happiness of the man who loved her
+so truly.</p>
+<p>The apprehension of losing her was rendered still more
+acute by the reflection that her soul was not prepared for its
+exit from the realm of probation, and the thought of a separation
+that would extend through endless &#230;ons, was well-nigh
+intolerable.</p>
+<p>If she survived this attack, he believed that his influence
+would redeem and sanctify her life; if she died, would God
+have mercy on her wretched soul?</p>
+<p>His faith in Providence was no jagged, quivering reed, but
+a strong, staunch, firm staff that had never yet failed him,
+and in this hour of severe trial he leaned his aching heart
+confidently and calmly upon it.</p>
+<p>That some mysterious circumstances veiled the earlier portion
+of Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s life, he had inferred from Elsie&#8217;s
+promise of confidence, and since death denied her the desired
+revelation, he had put imagination upon the rack, in order to
+solve the riddle.</p>
+<p>What could the old nurse wish to tell him, that she was
+unwilling to divulge until her latest breath? Could the stain
+of crime cling to that pale face on the pillow, or to those
+white hands that rested so helplessly in his? Had she soiled
+her life by any deed that would bring a blush to those thin
+sunken cheeks, or a flush of shame to the brow of the man
+who loved her? Now bending fondly over her, the language
+of his heart was,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Let her dead past bury its dead! Let the bygone be what
+it may,&mdash;come sorrow, come humiliation, but I will dauntlessly
+shield her with my name, defend her with my strong
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_283' name='page_283'></a>283</span>
+arm, uphold her by my honor, save her soul by my prayers,
+comfort and gladden her heart with my deathless love.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He was well aware that this night must decide her fate,&mdash;that
+her feeble frame could not much longer struggle with the
+disease that had almost vanquished it,&mdash;and leaning his forehead
+against her hand, he silently prayed that God would
+speedily restore her to health, or give him additional grace to
+bear the bitter bereavement.</p>
+<p>She slept more quietly than she had been able to do for
+some days, and Dr. Grey sent for Robert, who was pacing the
+walk that led to the stables. They sat down together on the
+steps at the rear of the house, and the gardener asked in a
+frightened, husky tone,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is there bad news?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I see little change since noon, except that she is more
+quiet, which is certainly favorable; but she is so very ill that
+I thought it best to consult you about several matters. Do
+you know whether she has made a will?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. How should I know it, even if she had?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Who is her agent?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Robert hesitated, and pretended to be busy filling and lighting
+his pipe.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Maclean, I have no desire to pry into Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s affairs,
+but it is necessary that those who direct or control her
+estate should be appraised of her condition. It is supposed
+that her fortune is ample, and her heirs should be informed
+of her illness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She has no heirs, except&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>He paused, and after a few seconds exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t ask me! All I know is that I heard her say she
+intended to leave her fortune to poor painters.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To whom shall I write, or rather telegraph? Where did
+she live before she came to &#8216;Solitude&#8217;? Who were her
+friends?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mr. Simonton, of New York, is her lawyer and agent.
+Two letters have come from him since she has been sick. Of
+course I did not open them, but I know his handwriting.
+They are behind the clock in the back parlor.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_284' name='page_284'></a>284</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Would it not be better to telegraph him at once?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What good could he do? Better send for the minister,
+and have her baptized. Oh! but this is truly a world of
+trouble, and I almost wish I was safely out of it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If she were conscious, she would not submit to baptism;
+and it would not be right to take advantage of her delirium
+and force a ceremony to which she is opposed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not even, sir, to save her soul?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Her soul can not be affected by the actions of others, unless
+her will coöperates, which is impossible in her present
+condition. Robert, after your mother was partially paralyzed,
+she said that she desired to confide something to me just before
+her death, and intimated that it referred to Mrs. Gerome.
+She wished me to befriend her mistress, and felt that I ought
+to know the particulars of her early history. Unfortunately,
+Elsie was speechless when I arrived, and could not tell me
+what she had intended to acquaint me with. I mention this
+fact to assure you that if your mother could trust me, you
+need not regard me so suspiciously.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, as far as I am concerned, you are very welcome
+to every thought in my head and feeling in my heart; but
+where it touches my mistress I have nothing to say. I will
+not deny that I know more than you do, but when my poor
+mother told me, she held my hand on the Bible and made me
+swear a solemn oath that what she told me should never pass
+my lips to any man, woman, or child. So you must not blame
+me, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly not, Robert. But if she has any friends it is
+your duty to send for them at once.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey rose and went into the library, where for some
+moments he walked to and fro, perplexed and grieved. As his
+eye rested on the escritoire, he recollected the key which he
+had kept in his pocket since the hour that he picked it up
+from the carpet.</p>
+<p>Doubtless a few minutes&#8217; search in its drawers and casket
+would place him in possession of the facts which Elsie wished
+to confide; but notwithstanding the circumstances that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_285' name='page_285'></a>285</span>
+might almost have justified an investigation, his delicate sense
+of honor forbade the thought. Taking the letters from the
+mantelpiece, he turned them to the lamp-light.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'><i>Mrs. Agla Gerome,<br />
+<span class='indent8'>&nbsp;</span>Care of Robert Maclean,<br />
+<span class='indent16'>&nbsp;</span>Box 20.</i><br />
+<span class='indent26'>&nbsp;</span>&mdash;&mdash; &mdash;&mdash;.</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>They were post-marked New York, and from the size and
+appearance of the envelopes he suspected that they contained
+legal documents. Perhaps one of them might prove a will,
+awaiting signature and witnesses. Dr. Grey carried them
+into the room where his patient still slept, and placed them
+on the dressing-table. Accidentally his glance fell on a large
+worn Bible that lay contiguous, and brightening the light, he
+opened the volume, and turned to the record of births.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Vashti Evelyn, born June 10th, 18&mdash;.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Henderson Flewellyn, born April 17th, 18&mdash;.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Vashti Flewellyn, born January 30th, 18&mdash;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>On the marriage record he found,</p>
+<p>&#8220;Married, July 1st, 18&mdash;, Vashti Evelyn to Henderson
+Flewellyn.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Married, September 8th, 18&mdash;, Evelyn Flewellyn to
+Maurice Carlyle.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The only deaths recorded were those of Henderson and
+Vashti Flewellyn.</p>
+<p>Whatever the mystery might be, Dr. Grey resolved to pursue
+the subject no further; but wait patiently and learn all
+from the beautiful lips of the white-faced sphinx, who alone
+possessed the right to unseal the record of her blighted life.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Who might have been&mdash;ah, what, I dare not think!<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>We all are changed. God judges for us best.<br />
+God help us do our duty, and not shrink,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>And trust in heaven humbly for the rest.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_286' name='page_286'></a>286</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXII' id='CHAPTER_XXII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>The profound stillness that pervades a room where life
+and death grapple for mastery, invites and aids that calm,
+inexorable introspection, which Gotama Buddha prescribes
+as an almost unerring path to the attainment of peace; and,
+in the solemn silence of his last and memorable vigil, Dr.
+Grey brought his heart into complete unmurmuring subjection
+to the Divine will. A <i>soi-disant</i> &#8220;resignation&#8221; that
+draws honied lips to the throne of grace, leaving a heart of
+gall in the camp of sedition, could find no harbor in his
+uncompromisingly honest nature; and though the struggle
+was severe, he felt that faith in Eternal wisdom and mercy
+had triumphed over merely human affection and earthly
+hopes, and his strong soul chanted to itself the comforting
+strains of Lampert&#8217;s &#8220;Trust Song.&#8221;</p>
+<p>No mere gala barge, gay with paint and gaudy with
+pennons, was his religion; no fair summer-day toy bearing
+him lightly across the sun-kissed, breeze-dimpled sea of prosperity
+and happiness, and frail as the foam that draped its
+prow with lace; but a staunch, trim, steady, unpretending
+bark, that with unfaltering faith at the helm, rode firmly all
+the billows of adversity, and steered unerringly harborward
+through howling tempests and impenetrable gloom. Human
+friendships and sympathy he considered unstable and treacherous
+as Peter, when he shrank from his Lord; but Christian
+trust was one of the silver-tongued angels of God, ringing
+chimes of patience and peace, far above the din of wailing,
+bleeding hearts, and the fierce flames of flesh martyrdom.</p>
+<p>One o&#8217;clock found Dr. Grey sitting near the pillow, where
+for five hours Mrs. Gerome had slept as quietly as a tired
+child. The fever-glow had burned itself out, and left an
+ashen hue on the lips and cheeks.</p>
+<p>Wishing to arouse her, he spoke to her several times and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_287' name='page_287'></a>287</span>
+raised her head, but though she drank the powerful stimulant
+he held to her mouth, her heavy eyelids were not lifted,
+and when he smoothed the pillow and laid her comfortably
+upon it, she slumbered once more.</p>
+<p>At the foot of the bed, with his keen yellow eyes fastened
+on his mistress, crouched the greyhound, his silky head on his
+paws; and on a pallet in one corner of the room slept Katie,
+ready to render any assistance that might be required.</p>
+<p>The apartment was elegantly furnished, and green and
+gold tinted all its appointments. On an Egyptian marble
+table stood a work-box curiously inlaid with malachite and
+richly gilded, and there lay some withered flowers, a small
+thimble, and a pair of scissors with mother-of-pearl handles.
+Around the walls hung a number of paintings, which, with
+one exception, were landscapes or ocean-views; and as Dr.
+Grey sat watching the shimmer of lamp-light on their
+carved frames and varnished surfaces, they seemed to furnish
+images of</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Green glaring glaciers, purple clouds of pine,<br />
+White walls of ever-roaring cataracts;<br />
+Blue thunder drifting over thirsty tracts,<br />
+Rose-latticed casements, lone in summer lands,&mdash;<br />
+Some witch&#8217;s bower; pale sailors on the marge<br />
+Of magic seas, in an enchanted barge<br />
+Stranded at sunset, upon jewelled sands.<br />
+Some cup of dim hills, where a white moon lies,<br />
+Dropt out of weary skies without a breath<br />
+In a great pool; a slumb&#8217;rous vale beneath,<br />
+And blue damps prickling into white fire-flies.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>No sweet-lipped, low-browed Madonnas, no rapt Cecilias, no
+holy Johns nor meek Stephens, no reeling Satyrs nor vine-clad
+<i>Bacchantés</i> relieved the eye, weary of mountain <ins title='Added comma'>ghylls,</ins>
+red-ribbed deserts, and stormy surfage.</p>
+<p>One long narrow picture baffled interpretation, and excited
+speculations that served in some degree to divert the sad
+current of the physician&#8217;s thoughts.</p>
+<p>It was a dreary plain, dotted with the &#8220;fallen cromlechs
+of Stonehenge,&#8221; and in front of the desecrated stone altars
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_288' name='page_288'></a>288</span>
+stood a veiled woman, with her hands clasped over a silver
+crescent-curved knife, and her bare feet resting on oaken
+chaplets and mistletoe boughs, starred and fringed with
+snowy flowers. Under the dexterously painted gauze that
+shrouded the face, the outline of the features was distinctly
+traceable, end behind the film,&mdash;large, oracular, yet mournful
+eyes, burned like setting stars, seen through magnifying
+vapors that wreathe the horizon.</p>
+<p>It was a solemn, desolate, melancholy picture, relieved by
+no flush of color,&mdash;gray plain, gray distance, gray sky, gray
+temple tumuli, and that ghostly white woman, gazing grimly
+down at the gray-haired sufferer on the low bed beneath her.</p>
+<p>Under some circumstances, certain pictures seem basilisk-eyed,
+riveting a gaze that would gladly seek more agreeable
+subjects, and it chanced that Dr. Grey found a painful
+fascination in this piece of canvas that hung immediately in
+front of him. Wherein consisted the magnetism that so
+powerfully attracted him, he could not decide, but several
+times when the wind blew the scalloped edge of the lace curtain
+between the lamp and the picture, and threw a dim
+wavering shadow over the figure on the wall, he almost expected
+to see the veil float away from the stony face, and
+reveal what the artist had adroitly shrouded. Now it looked a
+doomed &#8220;Norma,&#8221; and anon the Nemesis of a dishonored
+faneless faith, that was born among Magi, and had tutored
+Pythagoras; and finally Dr. Grey rose and turned away to
+escape its spectral spell.</p>
+<p>Waking Katie, he charged her to call him if any change
+occurred in his patient, and went to the front of the house
+for a breath of fresh air.</p>
+<p>Narcissus-like, a three-quarter moon was staring down at
+her own image, rocked on the bosom of the sea, while dim
+stars printed silver photographs on the deep blue beneath
+them,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;And the hush of earth and air<br />
+Seemed the pause before a prayer.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The wind that had blown steadily for two days past from
+the south-east, had gone down into some ocean lair; but the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_289' name='page_289'></a>289</span>
+sullen element refused to forget its late scourging, and occasionally
+a long swelling billow dashed itself into froth
+against the stone piers of the boat-house, and the cliffs which
+stood like a phantom fleet along the southern bend of the
+beach, were fringed with a white girdle of incessant breakers.</p>
+<p>Far out from shore the rolling mass of water was darkly
+blue, but now and then a wave broke over its neighbor, and
+in the distance the foam flashed under moonshine like some
+reconnoitring Siren-face, peeping landward for fresh victims;
+or as the samite-clad arm that Arthur and Sir Bedivere saw
+rise above the mere to receive Excalibar.</p>
+<p>Following the beckoning of those snowy hands, and listening
+to the low musical monologue that sea uttered to shore,
+Dr. Grey started in the direction of the terrace, whence he
+could see the whole trend of the beetling coast, but some
+unaccountable impulse induced him to pause and look back.</p>
+<p>The dense shadow of the trees shut out from the spot where
+he stood the golden radiance of the moon, but over the lawn
+it streamed in almost unearthly splendor,&mdash;and there he
+saw some white object glide swiftly towards the group of
+deodars. The first solution that occurred to his mind was
+that Katie had fallen asleep, and Mrs. Gerome in her delirium
+making her way out of the house, was seeking her favorite
+walk; but a moment&#8217;s reflection convinced him that she was
+too utterly prostrated to cross the room, still less the grounds,
+and, resolved to satisfy himself, he followed the moving object
+that retreated before him.</p>
+<p>Walking rapidly but stealthily in the shadow of the trees
+and shrubbery, he soon ascertained that it was a woman&#8217;s
+figure, and saw that it stopped at Elsie&#8217;s grave, and bent down
+to touch the head-board. Creeping forward, he had approached
+within ten yards of her, when his hat struck the
+lower limbs of a large acacia, and startled a bird that uttered
+a cry of terror and darted out. The sound caused the figure
+to turn her head, and catching a glimpse of Dr. Grey, she ran
+under the dense boughs of the deodars, and disappeared.</p>
+<p>He followed, and groped through the gloom, but when he
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_290' name='page_290'></a>290</span>
+emerged, no living thing was visible; and, perplexed and
+curious, he stood still.</p>
+<p>After some moments he heard a faint sound, as of some
+one smothering a cough, and pursuing it, found himself at
+the boundary of the grounds. Here a thick hedge of osage
+orange barred egress, and he saw the woman disentangling
+her drapery from the thorns that had seized it.</p>
+<p>Springing forward, he exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stand still! You can not escape me. Who are you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>A feigned and lugubrious voice answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am the restless spirit of Elsie Maclean, come back to
+guard her grave.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In another instant he was at her side, and laying his hand
+on the white netted shawl with which she was veiling her
+features, he tore it away, and Salome&#8217;s fair face looked defiantly
+at him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If I had known that my pursuer was Dr. Grey, I would
+not have troubled myself to play the ghost farce, for of
+course I could not expect to frighten you off; but I hoped you
+were one of the servants, who would not very diligently chase
+a spectre. I did not suppose that you could be coaxed or
+driven thus far from your arm-chair beside the bed where
+Mrs. Gerome is asleep.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Astonishment kept him silent for some seconds, and, in the
+awkward pause, the girl laughed constrainedly&mdash;nervously.</p>
+<p>&#8220;After all your show of bravery in pursuing a woman, I
+verily believe you are too much frightened to arrest me if
+I chose to escape.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, has something terrible happened at home, that
+you have come here at midnight to break to me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nothing has happened at home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then why are you here? Are you, too, delirious?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her scornful laugh rang startlingly on the still night air.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Salome! You grieve, you shock me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, Dr. Grey, you have assured me of that fact too
+frequently&mdash;too feelingly&mdash;to permit me to doubt your sincerity.
+You need not repeat it; I accept the assertion that
+you are shocked at my indiscretions.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_291' name='page_291'></a>291</span></div>
+<p>Compassion predominated over displeasure, as he observed
+the utter recklessness that pervaded her tone and manner.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am unwilling to believe that you would, without some
+very cogent reason, violate all decorum by coming alone at
+dead of night two miles through a dreary stretch of hills and
+woods. Necessity sometimes sanctions an infraction of the
+rules of rigid propriety, and I am impatient to hear your
+defence of this most extraordinary caprice.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She was endeavoring to disengage the fringe of her shawl
+from the hedge, but finding it a tedious operation, she caught
+her drapery in both hands and tore it away from the thorns,
+leaving several shreds hanging on the prickly boughs.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I have no defence to offer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell me what induced you to come here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;An eminently charitable and commendable interest in
+your fair patient. I came here simply and solely to ascertain
+whether Mrs. Gerome would die, or whether she could possibly
+recover.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Unflinchingly she looked up into his eyes, and he thought
+he had never seen a fairer, prouder, or lovelier face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How did you expect to accomplish your errand by wandering
+about these grounds, exposing yourself to insult and to
+injury?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have been on the gallery since twilight, looking through
+the lace curtains at Mrs. Gerome lying on her bed, and at
+you sitting in the arm-chair. Her eyes are keener than
+yours, for she saw me peeping through the window, and told
+you so. When you left the room I came out among the trees
+to escape observation. I scorn all equivocation, and have no
+desire to conceal the truth, for if I am not dowered</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;With blood trained up along nine centuries,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>To hound and hate a lie,&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>at least I hold my pauper soul high above the mire of falsehood;
+and</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8216;The things we do,</p>
+<p class='cg'>We do: we&#8217;ll wear no mask, as if we blushed.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_292' name='page_292'></a>292</span></div>
+<p>They had walked away from the hedge, and Dr. Grey
+paused at the mound, where the Ariadne gleamed cold and
+white in the moonbeams that slanted across it like silver
+lances.</p>
+<p>Revolving in his mind the best method of extricating the
+orphan from the unfortunate predicament in which her rashness
+had plunged her, he did not answer immediately, and
+Salome continued, impatiently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you imagine that I came here to act as spy upon your
+actions, you most egregiously mistake me, for I know all that
+the most rigid surveillance could possibly teach me. I heard
+you say that this night would prove a crisis in Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s
+case, and I was so anxious to learn the result that I could
+not wait quietly at home until morning. I begged you to
+bring me, and you refused; consequently, I came alone. Deal
+frankly with me,&mdash;tell me, will that woman die?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The breathless eagerness with which she bent towards him,
+the strained, almost ferocious expression of her keen eyes,
+sickened his soul, and he put his hand over his face to shut
+out the sight of hers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell me the truth. I must and will know it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her sweet clear voice had become a low hoarse pant, and
+the knotted lines were growing harder and tighter on her
+beautiful brow.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I pray ceaselessly that God will spare her to me, and I
+hope all things from His mercy. Another hour will probably
+end my suspense, and decide the awful question of life or
+death. Salome, if she should die, my future will be very
+lonely,&mdash;and my heart bereft of the brightest, dearest hopes,
+that have ever cheered it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A half-smothered cry struggled across the orphan&#8217;s trembling
+lips that had suddenly grown colorless, and he saw her
+clutch her fingers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;And if she lives?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If she lives, and will accept the affection I shall offer
+her, the remainder of my years will be devoted to the work
+of making her forget the sorrows that have darkened the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_293' name='page_293'></a>293</span>
+early portion of her life. I do not wish to conceal the fact
+that she is inexpressibly dear to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>During the long silence that ensued, a lifetime of agony
+seemed compressed into the compass of a few moments, but
+Salome stood motionless, with her arms pressed over her
+aching heart, and her head thrown haughtily back, while the
+moonlight streamed down on her face where pride and pain
+were struggling for right to reign.</p>
+<p>When all expectation of earthly happiness is smothered in
+a proud, passionate soul, and the future robes itself in those
+dun hues that only the day-star of eternity can gild, nerves
+and muscles shrink and shiver at the massacre of hopes which
+despair hews down, in the hour that it &#8220;storms the citadel
+of the heart, and puts the whole garrison to the sword.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey could not endure the sight of that fixed, hardened
+face, and sorely distressed by the consciousness of the suffering
+which he had unintentionally inflicted on one so young,
+he moved away, and for some time walked slowly under the
+arching laurestines. Although his stern integrity of purpose
+acquitted him of all blame, and he could accuse himself of
+no word or deed that might be held amenable to conscience
+for the mischief and misery that had resulted from his acquaintance
+with this unfortunate girl, he regretted that he
+had remained in the same house, and, by constant association,
+fed the flame that absence might have extinguished.</p>
+<p>While he pitied the weakness that had induced her to yield
+so entirely to the preference she indulged for him, he felt
+humiliated at the thought that he, who had intended to guide
+and elevate this wayward child of nature, had been instrumental
+in darkening and embittering her young life.</p>
+<p>When he came back to the spot, whence she had not moved,
+and laid his hand gently on her shoulder, she smiled strangely,
+and</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Unbent the grieving beauty of her brows.<br />
+But held her heart&#8217;s proud pain superbly still.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;My little sister, you must not stay here any longer.
+Would you prefer to go home at once in my buggy, or remain
+in the parlor until daylight?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_294' name='page_294'></a>294</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Neither. Let me sit down on the stone terrace till the
+end comes. I will disturb no one. It will be three hours
+before day breaks, and when you know whether your idol will
+live or die, come and tell me. Take your hand from my
+shoulder.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He had endeavored to detain her, but she shrank away
+from his grasp, and glided down the smooth sward to the
+terrace which divided it from the ripple-barred and ringed
+sands of the shelving beach.</p>
+<p>As he returned to the house, the wind sprang up and
+moaned through the dense foliage above him, and an owl,
+perched in some clustering bough that overhung the portico,
+screamed and hooted dismally. The sound was so startling
+that the greyhound leaped to his feet and set up an answering
+howl, which almost froze Katie with fright, and caused even
+Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s heavy eyelids to unclose.</p>
+<p>Salome sat down on the paved terrace, crossed her arms
+over the low stone balustrade, and resting her chin upon
+them, looked out at the burnished bosom of the ocean. Just
+beneath her, and near enough to moisten the granite with
+the silvery spray,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Its waves are kneeling on the strand,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>As kneels the human knee,<br />
+Their white locks bowing to the sand,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>The priesthood of the sea.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>If the old Rabbinical legend of Sandalphon be grounded in
+some solemn vision granted to the saints of eld, who walked
+in Syria, then peradventure on this night, the angel must
+have been puzzled indeed concerning the petitions that floated
+up, and demanded admission to the Eternal ear.</p>
+<p>From the anxious heart of the sincere and humble Christian
+who knelt at the bedside of the invalid, rose a fervent prayer
+that if consistent with the Father&#8217;s will, He would lay His
+healing hand upon the sufferer, and restore her to health and
+strength; while the wretched girl on the terrace prayed
+vehemently that God would crush the feeble flicker of life in
+Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s wasted frame, would take from the world a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_295' name='page_295'></a>295</span>
+woman whose existence was a burden to herself and threatened
+to prove a curse to others.</p>
+<p>The passionate cry of Salome&#8217;s soul was,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Punish me in any way, and all other ways! Send sickness,
+destitution, humiliation,&mdash;let every other affliction smite
+me; but save me from the intolerable anguish of seeing that
+woman his wife! O my God! the world is not wide enough
+to hold us both. Take her, or else call me speedily hence.
+I am not fit to die, but I shall never be better, if I am doomed
+to witness this marriage. I would sooner go down to perdition
+now, than live to see that thing of horror. Of two hells,
+I choose that which takes me farthest from her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>For the first time in her life she felt that the hours were
+flying, that the day of doom was rushing to meet her, and
+she shuddered when one after another the constellations
+slipped softly and solemnly down the sky, and vanished behind
+the dim shadowy outline of the western hills. Gradually
+the moon sank so low that the sea could no longer reflect her
+beams, and as the mighty waste of waters slowly darkened,
+and the wind stiffened, and the song of the surf swelled like
+a rising requiem, the girl felt that all nature was preparing
+to mourn with her over the burial of her only hope of earthly
+peace.</p>
+<p>If Mrs. Gerome died, a quiet future stretched before the
+orphan, and she could bear to live without the love which she
+had the grim satisfaction of knowing brightened no other
+woman&#8217;s life.</p>
+<p>The happiness of the man for whom she almost impiously
+prayed, was a matter of little importance compared with the
+ease of her own heart; and she had yet to learn that the
+welfare and peace of the object she loved so selfishly would
+one day become paramount to all other aims and considerations.
+That pure and sublime spirit of self-abnegation which
+immolates every hope and wish that is at variance with the
+happiness of the beloved had not yet been born in Salome&#8217;s
+fiery nature; and she cared little for the anguish that might
+be Dr. Grey&#8217;s portion, provided her own heart could be spared
+the pang of witnessing his wedded bliss.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_296' name='page_296'></a>296</span></div>
+<p>Through the trees, she could see the steady light of the
+lamp that burned in the room where the sick woman lay, and
+so she watched and waited, shivering in the shadow that fell
+over earth and ocean just before the breaking of the new day.</p>
+<p>Along the eastern horizon, the white fires of rising constellations
+paled and flickered and seemed to die, as a gray
+light stole up behind them; and the gray grew pearly, and
+the pearly opaline, and ere long the sky crimsoned, and the
+sea reddened until its waves were like ruby wine or human
+gore.</p>
+<p>In the radiant dawn of that day which would decide the
+earthly destinies of three beings, Salome saw Dr. Grey coming
+across the lawn. His step was quiet,&mdash;neither slow nor hasty,
+and she could not conjecture the result; but as he approached,
+she rose, wrapped her shawl about her, and advanced to meet
+him. He paused, took off his hat, and she knew all before a
+syllable passed his lips.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, God has heard my prayers,&mdash;has mercifully taken
+my darling from the arms of death, and given her to me. I
+do not think I am too sanguine in saying that she will
+ultimately recover, and my heart can not find language that
+will interpret its gratitude and joy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Never before had such a light shone in his clear, calm blue
+eyes, and illumined his usually grave countenance; and though
+continued vigils and keen anxiety had left their signet on his
+pale face, his great happiness was printed legibly on every
+feature, and found expression even in the deepened and softened
+tones of his voice.</p>
+<p>The girl did not move or speak, but looked steadily into
+his bright eyes, and the calmness with which she listened,
+comforted and encouraged him to hope that ere long she
+would conquer her preference.</p>
+<p>How could he know that at that instant she was impiously
+vowing that heaven had heard her last prayer?&mdash;that never
+again should a petition cross her lips? God had granted one
+prayer,&mdash;had decided against hers,&mdash;had denied her utterly;
+and henceforth she would not weary Him,&mdash;she would not
+mock herself and her misery.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_297' name='page_297'></a>297</span></div>
+<p>Dr. Grey saw that there was no quiver on the still, pale
+lips, no contraction of the polished forehead; but the rigidity
+of her face broke up suddenly in a smile of indescribable
+mournfulness,&mdash;a smile where self-contempt and pity and
+hopeless bitterness all lent their saddest phases.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, in your present happy mood, you certainly can
+not be so ungracious as to deny me a favor?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have I ever refused my little sister anything she asked?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The only favor you can ever grant me will be to persuade
+Miss Jane to consent to my departure. Look to it, sir, that I
+am allowed to go, and that right speedily; for go I certainly
+shall, at all hazards. Convince your sister that it is best, and
+let me go away forever, without incurring the displeasure of
+the only friend I ever had or ever shall have.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She moved away as if to leave the grounds, but he caught
+her arm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Wait five minutes, Salome, and I will take you home in
+my buggy. It is not right for you to walk alone at this early
+hour, and I will not allow it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shook off his hand as if it had been an infant&#8217;s; and,
+as she walked away, he heard her laugh with a degree of
+savage bitterness that stabbed his generous heart like a
+dagger; while behind her trailed the hissing echo,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;Oh, alone, alone,&mdash;</p>
+<p class='cg'>Not troubling any in heaven, nor any on earth.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXIII' id='CHAPTER_XXIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>In the pure, clear light of early morning, &#8220;Grassmere,&#8221;
+with its wide, smooth lawn, and old-fashioned brick house,
+weather-stained and moss-mantled, looked singularly peaceful
+and attractive. Against the sombre mass of tree-foliage,
+white and purple altheas raised their circular censers, as
+if to greet the sun that was throwing level beams from the
+eastern hill-top, and delicate pink, and deep azure, and pearl-pale
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_298' name='page_298'></a>298</span>
+convolvulus held up their velvet trumpets all beaded with
+dew, to be drained by the first kiss of the great Day-God. Up
+and down the comb of the steep roof, beautiful pigeons with
+necklaces that rivalled the trappings of Solomon, strutted
+and cooed; on the eaves, busy brown wrens peeped into the
+gutters,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;And of the news delivered their small souls,&#8221;&mdash;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>gossiping industriously; while from a distant nook some
+vagrant partridge whistled for its mate, and shy doves swinging
+in the highest elm limbs, moaned plaintively of the last
+hunting-season, that had proved a St. Barthlomew&#8217;s day to
+the innocent feathered folk.</p>
+<p>On the lawn a flock of turkeys were foraging among the
+clover-blossoms, and over the dewy grass a large brood of
+young guineas raced after their mother, or played hide-and-seek,
+like nut-brown elves, under the white and purple tufts
+of flowers. Save the bird-world&mdash;always abroad early&mdash;no
+living thing seemed astir, and the silence that reigned was
+broken only by the distance-softened bleating of Stanley&#8217;s
+pet lamb.</p>
+<p>As Salome walked slowly and wearily up the avenue, she
+saw that the housemaid had opened the front door, and when
+the orphan ascended the steps, all within was still as a
+tomb, except the canary that sprang into its ring and began
+to warble a <i>reveille</i> as she approached the cage. Miss Jane
+was usually an early riser, and often aroused her servants,
+but to-day the household seemed to have overslept themselves,
+and when Salome had rearranged her dress, and waked her
+little brother, she rang the bell for Rachel, who soon obeyed
+the summons.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is Miss Jane up?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, ma&#8217;am, I suppose not, as she has not rung for me.
+You know I always wait for her bell.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Perhaps she is not very well this morning. I will go
+and see whether she intends to get up.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Salome went down stairs and knocked at the door of Miss
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_299' name='page_299'></a>299</span>
+Jane&#8217;s room, but no sound was audible within, and she softly
+turned the bolt and entered.</p>
+<p>The lamp was burning very dimly on a table close to the
+bed, and upon the open Bible lay the spectacles which the
+old lady had placed there twelve hours before, when she
+finished reading the nightly chapter that generally composed
+her mind and put her to sleep.</p>
+<p>Salome conjectured that she had forgotten to extinguish
+the lamp, and as she cautiously turned the wick down, her
+eyes rested on the open page where pencil-lines marked the
+twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes, and enclosed the sixth and
+seventh verses, &#8220;Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the
+golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain,
+or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the
+dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return
+unto God who gave it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Removing the glasses, the girl closed the book, and leaned
+over the pillow to look at the sleeper. She had turned her
+face towards the wall, and one hand lay under her head,
+pressed against her cheek, while the other held her handkerchief
+on the outside of the counterpane.</p>
+<p>Very softly she slumbered, with a placid smile half breaking
+over her aged, wrinkled features; and unwilling to shorten
+the morning nap in which she so rarely indulged, Salome sat
+down at the foot of the bed, and leaning her head on her
+hands, fell into a painful and profound reverie.</p>
+<p>Nearly an hour passed, unheeded by the unhappy girl,
+whose anguish rendered her indifferent to all that surrounded
+her; and after a while a keen pang thrilled her heart, as she
+heard Dr. Grey&#8217;s pleasant voice jesting with Stanley on the
+lawn. His happiness seemed an insult to her misery, and
+she stopped her ears to exclude the sound of his quiet laugh.</p>
+<p>A half hour elapsed, and then his well-known rap was
+heard at the door. Miss Jane did not answer, and Salome
+was in no mood to welcome him home; but he waited for
+neither, and came in, gently closing the door behind him.</p>
+<p>At sight of the orphan, he started slightly, and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is my sister sick?&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_300' name='page_300'></a>300</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know, but she is sleeping unusually late. I
+thought it best not to disturb her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The look of dread that swept over his countenance frightened
+her, and she rose as he moved hastily to the bedside.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, open the blinds. Quick! quick!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She sprang to the window, threw the shutters wide open,
+and hastened back. Dr. Grey&#8217;s hand was on his sister&#8217;s wrist,
+and his ear pressed against her heart,&mdash;strained to catch
+some faint pulsation. His head went down on her pillow,
+and Salome held her breath.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Janet! My dear, patient, good sister! This is indeed
+hard to bear. To die alone&mdash;unsoothed&mdash;unnoticed;
+with no kind hands about you! To die&mdash;without one farewell
+word!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He hid his face in his hands, and Salome staggered to the
+bed, and grasped Miss Jane&#8217;s rigid, icy fingers.</p>
+<p>In the silence of midnight, Death stole her spirit from its
+clay garments, and while she slept peacefully had borne her
+beyond the confines of Time, and left her resting forever in
+the City Celestial.</p>
+<p>A life dedicated to pure aims and charitable deeds had
+been rewarded with a death as painless as the slumber of a
+tired child on its mother&#8217;s bosom, and, without struggle or
+premonition, the soul had slipped from the bondage of flesh
+into the Everlasting Peace that remaineth for the children
+of God.</p>
+<p>It was impossible to decide at what hour she had died; and
+when the members of the appalled household were questioned,
+Muriel and Miss Dexter stated that she had kissed them good
+night and appeared as well as usual at her customary time
+of retiring; and Rachel testified that after she was in bed,
+she rang her bell and directed her to tell the cook that as Dr.
+Grey would probably come home about daylight, she must get
+up early and have a cup of coffee ready when he arrived.
+Sobbing passionately, Rachel added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When I asked her if I should put out the lamp, she
+said, &#8216;No; Ulpian may lose his patient, and come home sad,
+and then he will come in and talk to me awhile.&#8217; And just
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_301' name='page_301'></a>301</span>
+as I was leaving the room, she called to me, &#8216;Rachel, what
+coat did Ulpian wear? It turns so cool now before daylight
+that he will take cold if he has on that linen one.&#8217; I told
+her I did not know, and she would not be satisfied till I
+went to his room and found that the linen coat was hanging
+in the closet, and the gray flannel one was missing. Then
+she opened her Bible and said, &#8216;Ah, that is all right. The
+flannel one will do very well, and my boy will be comfortable.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey&#8217;s grief was deep, but silent; and, during the
+dreary day and night that succeeded, he would allow no one
+to approach him except Muriel, whose soft little hands, and
+tearful, tender caresses, seemed in some degree to comfort
+him.</p>
+<p>One month before, Salome would have wept and mourned
+with him, but the fountain of her tears was exhausted and
+scorched by the intense bitterness and despairing hate that
+had taken possession of her since the day of Elsie&#8217;s burial;
+and stunned and dry-eyed, she watched the preparations for
+the obsequies of her benefactress.</p>
+<p>Her love for Miss Jane had never been sufficiently fervent
+to render her distress very poignant; but in the death of this
+devoted friend she was fully aware that at last she was set
+once more adrift in the world, without chart or rudder save
+that furnished by her will.</p>
+<p>Life to-day was not the beautiful web, all aglow with the
+tangling of gold and silver threads, that had once charmed
+and dazzled her, for the mildew of hopelessness had tarnished
+the gilding, and the mesh was only a mass of dark knots,
+and subtle crossings, and inextricable confusion.</p>
+<p>Like that lost star that once burned so luridly in Cassiopeia,
+and flickered out, leaving a gulf of gloom where
+stellar glory was, the one most precious hope that lights and
+sanctifies a woman&#8217;s heart had waned and grown sickly, and
+finally had gone out utterly, and dust and ashes and darkness
+filled the void. In natures such as hers, this hope is
+not allied to the ph&oelig;nix, and, once crushed, knows no resurrection;
+consequently she cheated herself with no vain expectation
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_302' name='page_302'></a>302</span>
+that the mighty wizard, Time, could evoke from
+corpse or funeral-pyre even a spark to cheer the years that
+were thundering before her.</p>
+<p>A few months ago the future had glistened as peaceful
+and silvery as the Dead Sea at midnight, when a full-orbed
+Syrian moon glares down, searching for the palms and palaces
+that once marked Gomorrah&#8217;s proud places; and, like some
+thirsty traveller smitten with surface sheen, she had laid
+her fevered lips to the treacherous margin, and, drinking
+eagerly, had been repaid with brine and bitumen.</p>
+<p>Disappointment was with her no meek, mute affair, but a
+savage fiend that browbeat and anathematized fate, accusing
+her of rendering existence a mere Nitocris banquet, where,
+while every sense is sharpened and pampered, and fruition
+almost touches the outstretched hands of eager trust, the
+flood-gates of the mighty Nile of despair are lifted, and its
+chill, dusky waves make irremediable wreck of all.</p>
+<p>With the quiet thoughtfulness and good sense that characterized
+her unobtrusive conduct, Miss Dexter had prepared
+from Muriel&#8217;s wardrobe an entire suit of mourning, which
+she prevailed upon Salome to accept and wear; and, on the
+morning of the funeral, the latter went down early into the
+draped and darkened parlor, where the coffin and its cold
+tenant awaited the last offices that dust can perform for dust.</p>
+<p>She had not spoken to Dr. Grey for twenty-four hours,
+and, finding him beside the table where his sister&#8217;s body lay,
+the orphan would have retreated, but he caught the rustling
+sound of her crape and bombazine, and held out his hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come in, Salome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She took no notice of the offered fingers, but passed him,
+and went around the table to the opposite side.</p>
+<p>The wrinkled, sallow face, still wore its tranquil half-smile,
+and, under the cap-border of fine lace, the grizzled hair lay
+smooth and glossy on the sunken temples.</p>
+<p>In accordance with a wish which she had often expressed,
+the ghostly shroud was abandoned, and Miss Jane was dressed
+in her favorite black silk. Salome had gathered a small
+bouquet of the fragile white blossoms of apple-geranium, of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_303' name='page_303'></a>303</span>
+which the old lady was particularly fond, and, bending over
+the coffin, she laid them between the fingers that were interlaced
+on the pulseless heart.</p>
+<p>With a quiet mournfulness, more eloquent than passionate
+grief, the girl stood looking for the last time at the placid
+countenance that had always beamed kindly and lovingly
+upon her since that dreary day, when, under the flickering
+shadow of the mulberry-tree, she had called her from the
+poor-house and given her a happy home.</p>
+<p>She stooped to kiss the livid lips, that had never spoken
+harshly to her; and, for some seconds, her face was hidden
+on the bosom of the dead. When she raised it, the dry,
+glittering eyes and firm mouth, betokened the bitterness of
+soul that no invectives could exhaust, no language adequately
+express.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, if the exchange could be made, I would not
+only willingly, but gladly, thankfully, lie down here in this
+coffin, and give your sister back to your arms. The Reaper,
+Death, has cut down the perfect, golden grain, and left the
+tares to shiver in the coming winter. Some who are useless
+and life-weary bend forward, hoping to meet the sickle, but it
+sweeps above them, and they wither slowly among the
+stubble.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He looked at her, and found it difficult to realize that the
+pale, quiet, stern woman, standing there in sombre weeds,
+was the same fair young face that he had seen thirty-six
+hours before in the moonlight that brightened Elsie&#8217;s grave.
+He thought that only the slow, heavy rolling of years could
+have worn those lines about her faded lips, and those dark
+purplish hollows under the steady, undimmed eyes. That
+composed, frigid Salome, watching him from across the
+corpse and coffin, seemed a mere chill shadow of the fiery,
+impetuous, radiant girl, whose passionate waywardness had
+so often annoyed and grieved him. The alabaster vase was
+still perfect in form, but the lamp that had hitherto burned
+within, lending a rosy glow to clay, had fluttered and expired,
+and the change was painful indeed.</p>
+<p>His attention was so riveted upon the extraordinary alteration
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_304' name='page_304'></a>304</span>
+in her appearance, that her words fell on his ear, as
+empty, as meaningless, as the echoes heard in dreams, and
+when she ceased speaking, he looked perplexed, and sighed
+heavily.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What did you say? I do not think I understand you;
+my mind was abstracted when you spoke.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;True; you never will understand me. Only the dead
+sleeping here between us fully comprehended me, and even
+unto the end of my life-chapter I must walk on misapprehended.
+When the coffin-lid is screwed down over that dear,
+kind face, I shall have bidden adieu to my sole and last
+friend; for in the Hereafter she will not know me. Ah, Miss
+Jane! you tried hard to teach me Christianity, but it was like
+geometry, I had no talent for it,&mdash;could not take hold of it,&mdash;and
+it all slipped through my fingers. If there is indeed an
+inexorable and incorruptible Justice reigning behind the
+stars, you will be so happy that I and my sins, and my desolation
+will not trouble you. Good-by, dear Miss Jane; it is
+not your fault that I missed my chance of being coaxed into
+the celestial fold with the elect sheep, and find myself
+scourged out with the despised goats. God grant you His
+everlasting rest.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She turned, but Dr. Grey stretched his arm across his
+sister&#8217;s body, and caught the orphan&#8217;s dress.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, God has called my own sister to her blessed rest
+in Christ, but my adopted sister He has left to comfort, to
+sympathize with me. Here, in the sacred presence of my
+dear dead, I ask you to take her place, and be to me throughout
+life the true, loving, faithful friend whom nothing can
+alienate, and of whom only death can deprive me. My little
+sister, let the future ripen and sanctify our confidence, affection,
+and friendship.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; sinners can not fill the niches of the saints; and
+to-day we are more completely divided than if the ocean roared
+between us. Once I struggled hard to cure myself of my
+faults,&mdash;to purify and fashion my nature anew, but the
+incentive has died, and I have no longer the proud aspirations
+that lifted me like eagle&#8217;s wings high above the dust into
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_305' name='page_305'></a>305</span>
+which I have now fallen,&mdash;and where I expect to remain.
+You need not fear that I shall commit some capital sin, and
+go down in disgrace to my grave; for there must be some
+darling hope, some precious aim, that goads people to crime,&mdash;and
+neither of these have I. I do not want your friendship,
+and I will not allow your dictation; and, if you are as
+generous as I have believed you, I think you will spare me
+the manifestation of your pity. Miss Jane was the only link
+that united us in any degree, and now we are asunder and
+adrift. You see at least I am honest, and since I have not
+your confidence, I decline your compassion and espionage, and
+refuse to accept a sham friendship,&mdash;to trust myself upon
+a gossamer web that stretches across a dismal gulf of gloom,
+and wretchedness, and endless altercation. When I am in one
+continent, and you are in another, we shall be better friends
+than now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her cold, slow, measured accents, and the calm pallor of
+her features told how complete was the change that had set
+its stern seal on body and soul; and Dr. Grey&#8217;s heart ached,
+as he realized how withering was the blight that had fallen
+on her once buoyant, sanguine nature.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear Salome, for Janet&#8217;s sake, and in memory of all
+her love and counsel, let me beg you not to indulge feelings
+that can only result in utter&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, let there be silence and peace between us, at
+least in the presence of the dead. Expostulation from your
+lips only exasperates and hardens me; so pray be quiet. No!
+do not touch me! Our hands have not clasped each other
+so often nor so closely that they must needs miss the warmth
+and pressure in the coming years of separation, and I will not
+soil your palm with mine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She coldly put aside the hand that endeavored to take hers,
+and, after one long, sad gaze at the marble face in the coffin,
+turned away, and went back to her own room.</p>
+<p>Miss Jane&#8217;s charities had carried her name even to the
+secluded nooks of the county, and, when her death was announced,
+many humble beneficiaries of her bounty came to
+offer the last testimonial of respect and gratitude, by following
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_306' name='page_306'></a>306</span>
+the remains to their final resting-place. As the hour
+approached for the solemn rites, the house was filled with
+friends and acquaintances; and the members of the profession
+to which Dr. Grey belonged came to attend the funeral, and
+officiate as pall-bearers.</p>
+<p>Seated beside Dr. Grey, on one of the sofas, Salome&#8217;s dry
+eyes noted all that passed while the services were performed;
+and, when the hearse moved down the avenue, she took his
+offered arm, and was placed in the same carriage.</p>
+<p>It was a long, dreary drive to the distant cemetery, and
+she was relieved to some extent when they found themselves
+at the family vault. Miss Jane had always desired to be
+buried under the slab that covered her brother, and had
+directed a space left for that purpose. Now the marble was
+removed, and the coffins of Jane and Enoch Grey rested side
+by side. The voice of the minister ceased, and only little
+Stanley&#8217;s sobs broke that mournful silence which always ensues
+while spade or trowel does its sad work. Then the
+sculptured slab was replaced, and brother and sister were left
+to that blessed repose which is granted only to the faithful
+when &#8220;He giveth His beloved sleep.&#8221;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Write, &#8216;Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord,<br />
+Because they rest,&#8217; ... because their toil is o&#8217;er.<br />
+The voice of weeping shall be heard no more<br />
+In the Eternal City. Neither dying<br />
+Nor sickness, pain nor sorrow, neither crying,<br />
+For God shall wipe away all tears. Rest,&mdash;rest.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>In the death of his sister, Dr. Grey mourned the loss of
+the only mother he had ever known, for his earliest recollections
+were of Miss Jane&#8217;s tender care and love, and his affection
+was rather that of a devoted son than brother; consequently,
+the blow was doubly painful: but he bore it with a
+silent fortitude, a grave and truly Christian resignation, that
+left an indelible impression upon the minds of Miss Dexter
+and Muriel, and taught them the value of a faith that could
+bring repose and trust in the midst of a trial so severe.</p>
+<p>His continued vigils at &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; and the profound grief
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_307' name='page_307'></a>307</span>
+that could not find vent in tears or words, had printed characters
+on his pale, wearied face, that should have commanded
+the sympathy of all who shared his friendship; but the sight
+of his worn features and the sound of his slow step only
+embittered the heart of the orphan, who saw in these evidences
+of fatigue and anxiety new manifestations of affection
+for the patient who was not yet entirely beyond danger.</p>
+<p>Four days after the funeral, Dr. Grey came in to breakfast
+later than usual, having driven over very early to &#8220;Solitude;&#8221;
+and, as he seated himself at the table and received
+from Muriel&#8217;s hand a cup of coffee, he leaned forward and
+kissed her rosy cheek.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, my child. You are very kind to wait for
+me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How is that poor Mrs. Gerome? Will she never be well
+enough to dispense with your services?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Once, Salome would have answered, &#8220;He hopes not;&#8221;
+but now she merely turned her head a little, to catch his
+reply.</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is better to-day than I feared I should find her, as
+some alarming symptoms threatened her yesterday; but now
+I think I can safely say the danger has entirely passed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Muriel hung over the back of his chair, pressing him to
+try several dishes that she pronounced excellent, but he
+gently refused all except the coffee; and, when he had pushed
+aside the empty cup, he drew the face of his ward close to
+his own, and murmured a few words that deepened the glow
+on her fair cheeks, while she hastily left the room to read a
+letter.</p>
+<p>For some moments he sat with his head resting on his
+hand, thinking of the dear old face that usually watched
+him from the corner of the fire-place, and of the kind words
+that were showered on him while he breakfasted; but to-day
+the faded lips were frozen forever, and the dim eyes would
+never again brighten at his approach.</p>
+<p>He sighed, brushed back the hair that clustered in glossy
+brown rings on his forehead, and rose.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_308' name='page_308'></a>308</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, if you are not particularly engaged this morning,
+I should be glad to see you in the library.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;At what hour?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Immediately, if you are at leisure.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The orphan put aside the fold of crape which she was converting
+into a collar, and inclined her head slightly.</p>
+<p>Since that brief and painful interview held beside Miss
+Jane&#8217;s coffin, not a syllable had passed between them, and
+the girl shrank with a vague, shivering dread from the impending
+<i>tête-à-tête</i>.</p>
+<p>Silently she followed the master of the house into the
+library, where Dr. Grey drew two chairs to the table, and,
+when she had seated herself in one, he took possession of the
+other.</p>
+<p>Opening a drawer, he selected several papers from a mass
+of what appeared to be legal documents, and spread them
+before her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wish to acquaint you with the contents of my sister&#8217;s
+will, which I examined last night. Will you read it, or shall
+I briefly state her wishes?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell me what you wish me to know.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She swept the papers into a pile, and pushed them away.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you ever read a will?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She leaned her elbows on the table, and rested her face in
+her hands.</p>
+<p>&#8220;All these pages amount simply to this,&mdash;dear Jane made
+her will immediately after my return from Europe, and its
+provisions are: that this place, with house, land, furniture,
+and stock, shall be given to and settled upon you; and moreover
+that, for the ensuing five years, you shall receive every
+January the sum of one thousand dollars. Until the expiration
+of that period, she desired that I should act as your
+guardian. By reference to the date and signature of these
+papers, you will find that this will was made as soon as she
+was able to sit up, after her illness produced by pneumonia;
+but appended to the original is a codicil stating that the validity
+of the distribution of her estate, contained in the former
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_309' name='page_309'></a>309</span>
+instrument, is contingent upon your conduct. Feeling most
+earnestly opposed to your contemplated scheme of going upon
+the stage as a <i>prima donna</i>, she solemnly declares, that, if
+you persist in carrying your decision into execution, the foregoing
+provisions shall be cancelled, and the house, land, and
+furniture shall be given to Jessie and Stanley; while only one
+thousand dollars is set apart as your portion. This codicil
+was signed one month ago.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey glanced over the sheets of paper, and refolded
+them, allowing his companion time for reflection and comment,
+but she remained silent, and he added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;However your views may differ from those entertained by
+my sister, I hope you will not permit yourself to doubt that a
+sincere desire to promote your life-long happiness prompted
+the course she has pursued.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Five minutes elapsed, and the orphan sat mute and still.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, are you disappointed? My dear friend, deal
+frankly with me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She lifted her pale, quiet face, and, for the first time in
+many weeks, he saw unshed tears shining in her eyes, and
+glittering on her lashes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I should be glad to know whether Miss Jane consulted
+you, in the preparation of her will?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She conferred with me concerning the will, and I cordially
+approved it; but of the codicil I knew nothing, until her
+lawyer&mdash;Mr. Lindsay&mdash;called my attention to it yesterday
+afternoon.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very generous, Dr. Grey, and no one but you
+would willingly divide your sister&#8217;s estate with paupers, who
+have so long imposed upon her bounty. I had no expectation
+that Miss Jane would so munificently remember me, and I
+have not deserved the kindness which she has lavished on <ins title='Changed from period'>me,</ins>
+for Jessie and Stanley I gratefully accept her noble gift, and
+it will place them far beyond the possibility of want; while
+the only regret of which I am conscious, is, that I feel compelled
+to pursue a career, which my best, my only friend
+disapproved. In the name of poor little Jessie and Stanley, I
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_310' name='page_310'></a>310</span>
+thank you, sir, for consenting to such a generous bequest of
+property that is justly yours. You, who&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray do not mention the matter, for independent of the
+large legacy left me by my sister, my own fortune is so ample
+that I deserve no thanks for willingly sharing that which I
+do not need. My little sister, you must not rashly decide a
+question which involves your future welfare, and I can not
+and will not hear your views at present. Take one week for
+calm deliberation, weigh the matter prayerfully and thoughtfully,
+and at the expiration of that time, meet me here, and
+I will accept your decision.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shook her head, and a dreary smile passed swiftly over
+her passionless face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Twenty years of reflection would not alter, or in any
+degree bend my determination, which is as firmly fixed as
+the base of the Blue-Ridge; and&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon me, Salome, but, until the week has elapsed, I do
+not wish or intend to receive your verdict. Before this day
+week, recollect all the reasons which dear Janet urged against
+your scheme; recall the pain she suffered from the bare contemplation
+of such a possibility, and her tender pleadings and
+wise counsel. Ah, Salome, you are young and impulsive, but
+I trust you will not close your ears against your brother&#8217;s
+earnest protest and appeal. If I were not sincerely attached
+to you, I should not so persistently oppose your favorite
+plan, which is fraught with perils and annoyances that you
+can not now realize. Hush! I will not listen to you to-day.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He rose, and laying his hands softly on her head, added, in
+a solemn but tremulously tender tone,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And may God in His infinite wisdom and mercy overrule
+all things for your temporal and eternal welfare, and so
+guide your decision, that peace and usefulness will be your
+portion, now and forever.&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_311' name='page_311'></a>311</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXIV' id='CHAPTER_XXIV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, Dr. Grey, I am better than I ever expected or desired
+to be in this world.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, this is scarcely the recompense that my
+anxious vigilance and ceaseless exertions merit at your hands.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The invalid leaned far back in her cushioned easy-chair,
+and, as the physician rested his arm on the mantelpiece and
+looked down at her, he thought of the lines that had more
+than once recurred to his mind, since the commencement of
+their acquaintance,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;What finely carven features! Yes, but carved<br />
+From some clear stuff, not like a woman&#8217;s flesh,<br />
+And colored like half-faded, white-rose leaves.<br />
+&#8217;Tis all too thin, and wan, and wanting blood,<br />
+To take my taste. No fulness, and no flush!<br />
+A watery half-moon in a wintry sky<br />
+Looks less uncomfortably cold. And ... well,<br />
+I never in the eyes of a sane woman<br />
+Saw such a strange, unsatisfied regard.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;I suppose I ought to be grateful to you, Dr. Grey, for
+Katie and Robert have told me how patiently and carefully
+you nursed and watched over me, during my illness; but instead
+of gratitude, I find it difficult to forgive you for what
+you have done. You fanned into a flame the spark of life
+that was smouldering and expiring, and baffled the disease
+that came to me as the handmaid of Mercy. Death, transformed
+into an angel of pity, kindly opened the door of escape
+from the woe and weariness of this sin-cursed world, into the
+calmness and dreamless rest of the vast shoreless Beyond;
+and just when I was passing through, you snatched me back
+to my burdens and my bitter lot. I know, of course, that
+you intended only kindness, but you must not blame me if I
+fail to thank you.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_312' name='page_312'></a>312</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;You forget that life is intended as a season of fiery probation,
+and that without suffering there is no purification, and
+no reward. Remember, &#8216;Calm is not life&#8217;s crown, though calm
+is well;&#8217; and those who forego the pain must forego the
+palm.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I would gladly forego all things for a rest,&mdash;a sleep that
+could know no end. Katie tells me I have been ill a month,
+and from this brief season of oblivion you have dragged me
+back to the existence that I abhor. Dr. Grey, I feel to-day as
+poor Maurice de Guérin felt, when he wrote from Le Val,
+&#8216;My fate has knocked at the door to recall me; for she had
+not gone on her way, but had seated herself upon the threshold,
+waiting until I had recovered sufficient strength to resume
+my journey. &#8220;Thou hast tarried long enough,&#8221; said
+she to me; &#8220;come forward!&#8221; And she has taken me by the
+hand, and behold her again on the march, like those poor
+women one meets on the road, leading a child who follows
+with a sorrowful <ins title='Added period'>air.&#8217;&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>&#8220;There is a better guide provided, if you would only accept
+and yield to his ministrations. For the flint-faced fate that
+you accuse so virulently, substitute that tender and loving
+guardian the Angel of Patience.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;To weary hearts, to mourning homes,<br />
+God&#8217;s meekest Angel gently comes.<br />
+<span class="indent2 dotwide"> . . . . . . . . . .</span><br />
+There&#8217;s quiet in that Angel&#8217;s glance,<br />
+There&#8217;s rest in his still countenance!<br />
+<span class="indent2 dotwide"> . . . . . . . . . .</span><br />
+The ills and woes he may not cure<br />
+He kindly trains us to endure.<br />
+<span class="indent2 dotwide"> . . . . . . . . . .</span><br />
+He walks with thee, that Angel kind,<br />
+And gently whispers, &#8216;Be resigned.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>A moment since, you quoted De Guérin, and perhaps you may
+recollect one of his declarations, &#8216;I have no shelter but resignation,
+and I run to it in great haste, all trembling and distracted.
+Resignation! It is the burrow hollowed in the cleft
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_313' name='page_313'></a>313</span>
+of some rock, which gives shelter to the flying and long-hunted
+prey.&#8217; You will never find peace for your heart and
+soul until you bring your will into complete subjection to that
+of Him &#8216;who doeth all things well.&#8217; Defiance and rebellious
+struggles only aggravate your sorrows and trials.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She listened to the deep, quiet voice, as some unlettered
+savage might hearken to the rhythmic music of Homer,
+soothed by the tones, yet incapable of comprehending their
+import; and as she looked up at the grave, kingly face, her
+eyes fell upon the broad band of crape that encircled his
+straw hat, which had been hastily placed on the mantelpiece.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, you ought to speak advisedly, for Robert told
+me that you had recently lost your sister, and that you are
+now alone in the world. You, who have severe afflictions,
+should know how far resignation lightens them. I was much
+pained to learn that your sister died while you were absent,&mdash;while
+you were sitting up with me. Ah, sir! you ought to have
+watched her, and left me to my release. You have been very
+kind and considerate toward one who has no claim upon
+aught but your pity; and I would gladly lie down in your
+sister&#8217;s grave, and give her back to your heart and home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her countenance softened for an instant, and she held out
+her hand. He took the delicate fingers in his, and pressed
+them gently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;God grant that your life may be spared, until all doubt
+and bitterness is removed from your heart, and that when you
+go down into the grave it may be as bright with the blessed
+faith of a Christian as that which now contains my sister
+Janet. Do not allow the gloom of earthly disappointment to
+cloud your trust, but bear always in mind those cheering
+words of Saadi,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Says God, &#8220;Who comes towards me an inch through doubtings dim,<br />
+In blazing light I do approach a yard towards him.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;If I am to be kept in this world until all the bitterness is
+scourged out of me, I might as well resign myself to a career
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_314' name='page_314'></a>314</span>
+as endless as that of Ahasuerus. I tell you, sir, I have been
+forced to drink out of quassia-cups until my whole being has
+imbibed the bitter; and I am like that tree to which Firdousi
+compared Mahmoud, &#8216;Whose nature is so bitter, that were you
+to plant it in the garden of Eden, and water it with the ambrosial
+stream of Paradise, and were you to enrich its roots
+with virgin honey, it would, after all, discover its innate disposition,
+and only yield the acrid fruit it had ever borne.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What right have you to expect that existence should prove
+one continued gala-season? When Christ went down meekly
+into Gethsemane, that such as you and I might win a place in
+the Eternal City, how dare you demand exemption from grief
+and pain, that Jesus, your God, did not spare Himself? Are
+you purer than Christ, and wiser than the Almighty, that
+you impiously deride and question their code for the government
+of the Universe, in which individual lives seem trivial
+as the sands of the desert, or the leaves of the forest? Oh! it
+is pitiable, indeed, to see some worm writhing in the dust, and
+blasphemously dictating laws to Him who swung suns and
+asterisms in space, and breathed into its own feeble fragment
+of clay the spark that enabled it to insult its God. Put away
+such unwomanly scoffing,&mdash;such irreverent puerilities; sweep
+your soul clean of all such wretched rubbish, and when you
+feel tempted to repine at your lot, recollect the noble admonition
+of Dschelaleddin, &#8216;If this world were our abiding-place,
+we might complain that it makes our bed so hard; but it is
+only our night-quarters on a journey, and who can expect
+home <ins title='Adding quote'>comforts?&#8217;&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>&#8220;I can not feel resigned to my lot. It is too hard,&mdash;too
+unjust.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, are you more just and prescient than
+Jehovah?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She passed her thin hand across her face, and was silent,
+for his voice and manner awed her. After a little while, she
+sat erect in her chair, and tried to rise.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor, if you could look down into the gray ruins of my
+heart, you would not reprove me so harshly. My whole being
+seems in some cold eclipse, and my soul is like the Sistine
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_315' name='page_315'></a>315</span>
+Chapel in Passion-week, where all is shrouded in shadow, and
+no sounds are heard but Misereres and Tenebr&#230;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Promise me that in future you will try to keep it like
+that Christian temple, pure and inviolate from all imprecations
+and rebellious words. If gloom there must be, see to it
+that resignation seals your lips. What are you trying to do?
+You are not strong enough to walk alone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I want to go into the parlor,&mdash;I want my piano. Yesterday
+I attempted to cross the room, and only Katie&#8217;s presence
+saved me from a severe fall.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She stood by her chair, grasping the carved back, and Dr.
+Grey stepped forward, and drew her arm under his.</p>
+<p>In her great weakness she leaned upon him, and when they
+reached the parlor door, she paused and almost panted.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You must not attempt to play,&mdash;you are too feeble even
+to sit up longer. Let me take you back to your room.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No,&mdash;no! Let me alone. I know best what is good for
+me; and I tell you my piano is my only Paraclete.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Holding his arm for support, she drew a chair instead of
+the piano-stool to the instrument, and seated herself.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey raised the lid, and waited some seconds, expecting
+her to play, but she sat still and mute, and presently he
+stooped to catch a glimpse of her countenance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I want to see Elsie&#8217;s grave. Open the blinds.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He threw open the shutters, and came back to the piano.</p>
+<p>Through the window, the group of deodars was visible, and
+there, bathed in the mild yellow sunshine was the mound, and
+the faded wreath swinging in the breeze.</p>
+<p>For many minutes Mrs. Gerome gazed at the quiet spot
+where her nurse rested, and with her eyes still on the grave,
+her fingers struck into Chopin&#8217;s Funeral March.</p>
+<p>After a while, Dr. Grey noticed a slight quiver cross her
+pale lips, and when the mournful music reached its saddest
+chords, a mist veiled the steely eyes, and very soon tears rolled
+slowly down her cheeks.</p>
+<p>The march ended, she did not pause, but began Mozart&#8217;s
+Requiem, and all the while that slow rain of tears dripped
+down on her white fingers, and splashed upon the ivory keys.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_316' name='page_316'></a>316</span></div>
+<p>Dr. Grey was so rejoiced at the breaking up of the ice that
+had long frozen the fountain of her tears, that he made no
+attempt to interrupt her, until he saw that she tottered in
+her chair. Taking her hands from the piano, he said
+gently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are quite exhausted, and I can not permit this to
+continue. Come back to your room.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; let me stay here. Put me on the sofa in the oriel, and
+leave the blinds open.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He lifted her from the chair and led her to the sofa, where
+she sank heavily down upon the cushions.</p>
+<p>Without comment or resistance, she drank a glass of strong
+cordial which he held to her lips, and lay with her eyes closed,
+while tears still trickled through the long jet lashes.</p>
+<p>She wore a robe of white merino, and a rich blue shawl of
+the same soft material which was folded across her shoulders,
+made the wan face look like some marble seraph&#8217;s, hovering
+over an altar where violet light streams through stained glass.</p>
+<p>For some time Dr. Grey walked up and down the long room,
+glancing now and then at his patient, and when he saw that
+the tears had ceased, he brought from a basket in the hall an
+exquisitely beautiful and fragrant bouquet of the flowers
+which he knew she loved best,&mdash;heliotrope, violets, tube-rose,
+and Grand-Duke jessamine, fringed daintily with spicy geranium
+leaves, and scarlet fuchsias.</p>
+<p>Silently he placed it on her folded hands, and the expression
+of surprise and pleasure that suddenly lighted her countenance,
+amply repaid him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, it has been my wish to <ins title='Original word retained'>except</ins> services from no
+one,&mdash;to owe no human being thanks; but your unvarying
+kindness to my poor Elsie and to me, imposes a debt of gratitude
+that I can not easily liquidate. I fear you are destined
+to bankrupt me, for how can I hope to repay all your thoughtful,
+delicate care, and generous interest in a stranger? Tell
+me in what way I can adequately requite you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey drew a chair close to the sofa, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Take care lest your zeal prove the contrary, for you know
+a distinguished philosopher asserts that, &#8216;Too great eagerness
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_317' name='page_317'></a>317</span>
+to requite an obligation is a species of ingratitude;&#8217; and such
+an accusation would be unflattering to you, and unpleasant
+to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Turning the bouquet around in order to examine and admire
+each flower, Mrs. Gerome toyed with the velvet bells, and
+said, sorrowfully,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Their delicious perfume always reminds me of my beautiful
+home near Funchal, where heliotrope and geraniums grew
+so tall that they looked in at my window, and hedges of fuchsias
+bordered my garden walks. Never have I seen elsewhere
+such profusion and perfection of flowers.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When were you in Madeira?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Two years ago. The villa I occupied was situated on the
+side of a mountain, whose base was covered with vineyards;
+and from a grove of lemon and oleanders that stood in front
+of the house I could see the surging Atlantic at my feet, and
+the crest of the mountain clothed with chestnuts, high above
+and behind me. In one corner of my vineyard stood a solitary
+palm, which tradition asserted was planted when Zarco discovered
+the island; and the groves of orange, citron, and pomegranate
+trees were always peopled with humming-birds, and
+flocks of green canaries. There, surrounded by grand and
+picturesque scenery of which I never wearied, I resolved to
+live and die; but Elsie&#8217;s desire to return to America, which
+held the ashes of her husband and child, overruled my inclination
+and the dictates of judgment, and reluctantly I
+left my mountain Eden and came here. Now, when I smell
+violets and heliotrope, regret mingles with their aroma; and,
+after all, the sacrifice was in vain, and Elsie would have slept
+as calmly there, under palm and chestnut, as yonder, where
+the deodar-shadows fall.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is your life here a faithful transcript of that portion of it
+passed at Funchal?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; except that there I saw no human being but the
+servants, who transacted any business that demanded interviews
+with the consul.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It was fortunate that Elsie&#8217;s wise counsel prevailed over
+your caprice, for many of your griefs proceed from the complete
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_318' name='page_318'></a>318</span>
+isolation to which you so strangely doom yourself; and
+until you become a useful member of that society you are so
+fully fitted to adorn and elevate, you need not hope or expect
+the peace of mind that results only from the consciousness of
+having nobly discharged the sacred obligations to God, and
+to your race. &#8216;Bear ye one another&#8217;s burdens,&#8217; was the solemn
+admonition of Him who sublimely bore the burdens of an entire
+world. Now tell me, have you ever stretched out a finger
+to aid the toiling multitudes whose cry for help wails over
+even the most prosperous lands? What have you done to
+strengthen trembling hands, or comfort and gladden oppressed
+hearts? How dare you hoard within your own home
+the treasure of fortune, talent, and sympathy, which were
+temporarily entrusted to your hands, to be sown broadcast in
+noble charities,&mdash;to be judiciously invested in promoting the
+cause of Truth in the fierce war Evil wages against it?
+Hitherto you have lived solely for yourself, which is a sin
+against humanity; and have pampered a morbid and rebellious
+spirit, that is a <ins title='Original spelling'>grevious</ins> sin against your God. Shake off
+your lethargy and cynicism, and let a busy future redeem a
+vagrant and worthless past. &#8216;<i>He that goeth forth and weepeth,
+bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
+bringing his sheaves with him.</i>&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>The flowers dropped on her bosom, and, clasping her hands
+across her forehead, she turned her face towards the sea, and
+seemed pondering his words.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, my purse has always been open to the needy,
+and Elsie was my almoner. Whenever you find a destitute
+family, or hear an appeal for help, I shall gladly respond, and
+constitute you the agent for the distribution of my charity-fund.
+As for bearing the sorrows of others, pray excuse me.
+I am so weighed down with my own burdens that I have no
+strength or leisure to spare to my neighbors, and since I ask
+no aid, must not be censured for rendering none. It is utterly
+useless to urge me to enter society, for like that sad
+pilgrim in Brittany, &#8216;In losing solitude I lose the half of my
+soul. I go out into the world with a secret horror. When I
+withdraw, I gather together and lock up my scattered treasure,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_319' name='page_319'></a>319</span>
+but I put away my ideas sorely handled, like fruits fallen from
+the tree upon stones.&#8217; No, no; in seclusion I find the only
+modicum of peace that earth can ever yield me, and can
+readily understand why Chateaubriand avoided those crowds
+which he denominated, &#8216;The vast desert of men.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You must not be offended, if, in reply, I remind you of
+the rude but vigorous words of that prince of cynics, Schopenhauer,
+&#8216;Society is a fire at which the wise man from a prudent
+distance warms himself; not plunging into it, like the fool
+who after getting well blistered, rushes into the coldness of
+solitude, and complains that the fire burns.&#8217; Of the two evils,
+reckless dissipation and gloomy isolation, the latter is probably
+an economy of sin; but since neither is inevitable, we
+should all endeavor to render ourselves useful members of
+society, and unfurl over our circle the banner of St. Paul,
+&#8216;Use this world as not abusing it.&#8217; Mrs. Gerome, do not obstinately
+mar the present and future, by brooding bitterly
+over the trials of the past; but try to believe that, indeed,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8216;Sorrows humanize our race;</p>
+<p class='cg'>Tears are the showers that fertilize this world.<br />
+And memory of things precious keepeth warm<br />
+The heart that once did hold them.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>He watched her eagerly yet gravely, hoping that her face
+would soften; but she raised her hand with a proud, impatient
+motion.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You talk at random, concerning matters of which you
+know nothing. I hate the world and have abjured it, and you
+might as well go down yonder and harangue the ocean on the
+sin of its ceaseless muttering, as expect to remodel my aimless,
+blank life.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Pained and disappointed, he remained silent, and, as if
+conscious of a want of courtesy, she added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not allow your generous heart to be disquieted on my
+account, but leave me to a fate which can not be changed,&mdash;which
+I have endured seven years, and must bear to my grave.
+Now that you see how desolate I am, pity me, and be silent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It will be difficult for you to regain your strength here,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_320' name='page_320'></a>320</span>
+where so many mournful associations surround you, and I
+came to-day to beg you to take a trip somewhere, by sea or
+land. Almost any change of scene and air will materially
+benefit you, and you need not be absent more than a few weeks.
+Will you take the matter under consideration?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; why should I? Can hills or waves, dells or
+lakes, cure a mind which you assure me is diseased? Can sea
+breeze or mountain air fan out recollections that have jaundiced
+the heart, or furnish an opiate that will effectually
+deaden and quiet regret? I long ago tried your remedy&mdash;travelling,
+and for four years I wandered up and down, and
+over the face of the old world; but amid the crumbling
+columns of Persepolis, I was still Agla Gerome, the wretched;
+and when I stood on the margin of the Lake of Wan, I saw in
+its waves the reflection of the same hopeless woman who now
+lies before you. Change of external surroundings is futile,
+and no more affects the soul than the roar of surface-surf
+changes the hollow of an ocean bed where the dead sleep;
+and, verily,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;My heart is a drear Golgotha, where all the ground is white<br />
+With the wrecks of joys that have perished,&mdash;the skeletons of delight.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>He saw that in her present mood expostulation would only
+aggravate the evil he longed to correct, and hoping to divert
+the current of her thoughts, he said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I trust you will not deem me impertinently curious if I
+ask what singular freak bestowed upon you the name of
+&#8216;Agla&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>A startling change swept over her features, and her tone
+was haughtily challenging.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What interest can Dr. Grey find in a matter so trivial? If
+I were named Hecate or Persephone, would the world have a
+right to demur, to complain, or to criticise?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When a lady bears the mystic name, which, in past ages,
+was given to the Deity, by a race who, if superstitious, were
+at least devout and reverent, she should not be surprised if it
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_321' name='page_321'></a>321</span>
+excites wonder and comment. Forgive me, however, if my inquiry
+annoyed you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He rose and took his hat, but her hand caught his arm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you know the import of the word?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; I understand the significance of the letters, and the
+wonderful power attributed to them when arranged in the
+triangles and called the &#8216;Shield of David.&#8217; Knowing that it
+was considered talismanic, I could not imagine why you were
+christened with so mystical a name.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I was never christened.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He could not explain the confusion and displeasure which
+the question excited, and anxious to relieve her of any feeling
+of annoyance, he added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you ever looked into the nature of the <i>Aglaophotis</i>?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She struggled up from her cushions, and exclaimed, with a
+vehemence that startled him,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What induced you to examine it? I know that it is a
+strange plant, growing out of solid marble, and accounted a
+charm by Arab magicians. Well, Dr. Grey, do not I belong
+to that species? You see before you a human specimen of
+<i>Aglaophotis</i>, growing out of a marble heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Sometimes an exaggerated whimsicality trenches so closely
+upon insanity, that it is difficult to discriminate between
+them; and, as Dr. Grey noted the peculiarly cold glitter of
+her large eyes, and the restless movement of her usually quiet
+hands, he dreaded that the crushing weight on her heart
+would ultimately impair her mind. Now he abruptly changed
+the topic.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, whenever it is agreeable to you to drive
+down the beach or across the woods and among the hills, it
+will afford me much pleasure to place my horse, buggy, and
+myself at your disposal; and, in fine weather like this, a drive
+of a few miles would invigorate you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you. I shall not trouble you, for I have my low-swung
+easy carriage, and my grays&mdash;my fatal grays. Ah if
+they would only serve me as they did my poor Elsie! When
+I am strong enough to take the reins, I will allow them an
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_322' name='page_322'></a>322</span>
+opportunity. Dr. Grey, if I seem rude, forgive me. You are
+very kind and singularly patient, and sometimes when you
+have left me, I feel ashamed of my inability to prove my
+sincere appreciation of your goodness. For these beautiful
+flowers, I thank you cordially.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She held out her hand, and, as he accepted it, he drew from
+his pocket the silver key which he had so carefully preserved.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Accident made me the custodian of this key, which I
+found on the floor the day of Elsie&#8217;s burial. Knowing that it
+belonged to your escritoire, whence I saw you take it, I
+thought it best not to commit it to a servant&#8217;s care, and have
+kept it in my pocket until I thought you might need it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Although the room was growing dim, he detected the expression
+of dread that crossed her countenance, and saw her
+bite her thin lip with vexation.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have worn for one month the key of my desk, where
+lie all my papers and records; and when I was so desperately
+ill, I presume you looked into the drawers, merely to ascertain
+whether I had prepared my will?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The mockery of her tone stung him keenly, but he allowed
+no evidence of the wound to escape him. Bending over her as
+she sat partially erect, supported by cushions, he took her
+white face tenderly in his hands, and said, very calmly and
+gently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;When you know me better, you will realize how groundless
+is your apprehension that I have penetrated into the recesses
+of your writing-desk. Knowing that it contained valuable
+papers, I guarded it as jealously as you could have done; and,
+upon the honor of a gentleman, I assure you I am as ignorant
+of its contents as if I had never entered the house. When I
+consider it essential to my peace of mind to become acquainted
+with your antecedents, I shall come to you and ask what I
+desire to learn. While you were so ill, I told Robert that your
+friends should be notified of your imminent danger, and inquired
+of him whether you had made a will, as I deemed it
+my duty to inform your agent of your alarming condition.
+He either could not or would not give me any satisfactory
+reply, and there the matter ended. When I am gone, do not
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_323' name='page_323'></a>323</span>
+reproach yourself for having so unjustly impugned my
+motives, for I shall not allow myself to believe that you really
+entertain so contemptible an opinion of me; and shall ascribe
+your hasty accusation to mere momentary chagrin and pique.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, sir! you ought not to wonder that I am so suspicious;
+you&mdash;but how can you understand the grounds of my distrust,
+unless&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush! We will not discuss a matter which can only excite
+and annoy you. Mrs. Gerome, under all circumstances
+you may unhesitatingly trust me, and I beg to assure you I
+shall never divulge anything confided to me. You need a
+friend, and perhaps some day you may consider me worthy to
+serve you in that capacity; meantime, as your physician, I
+shall continue to watch over and control you. To-day you
+have cruelly overtasked your exhausted system, and I can
+not permit you to remain here any longer. Come immediately
+to your own room.&#8221;</p>
+<p>His manner was so quietly authoritative that she obeyed
+instantly, and when he lifted her from the sofa, she took his
+arm, and walked towards the door. Before they had crossed
+the hall, he felt her reel and lean more heavily against him,
+and silently he took the thin form in his arms, and carried
+her to her room.</p>
+<p>The gray head was on his shoulder, and the cold marble
+cheek touched his, as he laid her softly down on her bed and
+arranged her pillows. He rang for Katie, and, in crossing
+the floor, stepped on something hard. It was too dusky in
+the closely curtained apartment to see any object so small,
+but he swept his hand across the carpet and picked up the
+key that had slipped from her nerveless fingers. Placing it
+beside her, he smiled and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are incorrigibly careless. Are you not afraid to tax
+my curiosity so severely, and tempt me so pertinaciously, by
+strewing your keys in my path? The next time I pick up
+this one, which belongs to your escritoire, I shall engage some
+one to act as your guardian. Katie, be sure she takes that
+tonic mixture three times a day. Good-night.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_324' name='page_324'></a>324</span></div>
+<p>When the sound of his retreating footsteps died away, Mrs.
+Gerome thrust the key under her pillow, and murmured,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wonder whether this Ulpian can be as true, as trusty, as
+nobly fearless as his grand old Roman namesake, whom not
+even the purple of Severus could save from martyrdom? Ah!
+if Ulpian Grey is really all that he appears. But how dare I
+hope, much less believe it? Verily, he reminds me of Madame
+de Chatenay&#8217;s description of Joubert, &#8216;He seems to be a soul
+that by accident had met with a body, and tried to make the
+best of it.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did you speak to me, ma&#8217;am?&#8221; asked Katie, who was
+bustling about, preparing to light the lamp.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No. The room is like a tomb. Open the blinds and loop
+back all the curtains, so that I can look out.&#8221;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;And the sunset paled, and warmed once more<br />
+With a softer, tenderer after-glow;<br />
+In the east was moon-rise, with boats off-shore<br />
+And sails in the distance drifting slow.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXV' id='CHAPTER_XXV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXV.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor Grey, sister says she wants to see you, before you
+go to town.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Jessie Owen came softly up to the table where Dr. Grey sat
+writing, and stood with her hand on his knee.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Very well. Tell sister I will come to her as soon as I
+finish this letter. Where is she?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In the library.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In ten minutes I shall be at leisure.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He found Salome with a piece of sewing in her hand, and
+her young sister leaning on her lap, chattering merrily about
+a nest full of eggs which she and Stanley had found that
+morning in a corner of the orchard; while the latter swung on
+the back of her chair, winding over his finger a short curl
+that lay on her neck. It was a pleasant, peaceful, homelike
+picture, worthy of Eastman Johnson&#8217;s brush, and for thirty
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_325' name='page_325'></a>325</span>
+years such a group had not been seen in that quiet old library.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey paused at the threshold, to admire the graceful
+pose of Jessie&#8217;s fairy figure,&mdash;the lazy nonchalance of Stanley&#8217;s
+posture,&mdash;and the finely shaped head that rose above both,
+like some stately lily, surrounded by clustering croci; but
+Salome was listening for his footsteps, and turned her head at
+his entrance.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stanley, take Jessie up to my room, and show her your
+Chinese puzzle. When I want either or both of you, I will
+call you. Close the door after you, and mind that you do
+not get to romping, and shake the house down.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How very pretty Jessie has grown during the last year.
+Her complexion has lost its muddy tinge, and is almost
+waxen,&#8221; said the doctor, when the children had left the room
+and scampered up stairs.</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is a very sweet-tempered and affectionate little thing,
+but I never considered her pretty. She is too much like her
+father.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, death veils all blemishes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That depends very much on the character of the survivors;
+but we will not discuss abstract propositions,&mdash;especially
+since I have resolved to follow the old oriental maxim,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Leave ancestry behind, despise heraldic art,<br />
+Thy father be thy mind, thy mother be thy heart.<br />
+Dead names concern not thee, bid foreign titles wait;<br />
+Thy deeds thy pedigree, thy hopes thy rich estate!&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Dr. Grey, the week has ended, and I took the liberty of reminding
+you of the fact, as I am anxious to acquaint you
+with my purposes for the future.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He drew a chair near hers, and seated himself.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Well, Salome, I hope that reflection has changed your
+views, and taught you the wisdom of my sister&#8217;s course with
+reference to yourself.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;On the contrary, the season of deliberation you forced
+upon me has only strengthened and intensified my desire
+to carry into execution the project I have so long dreamed of;
+and to-day I am more than ever firmly resolved to follow, at
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_326' name='page_326'></a>326</span>
+all hazards, the dictates of my own judgment, no matter
+with whose opinions or wishes they may conflict.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She expected that he would expostulate, and plead against
+her decision, but he merely bowed, and remained silent.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My object in asking this interview was to ascertain how
+soon it would be convenient for you to place in my hands the
+legacy of one thousand dollars which was bequeathed to me on
+condition that I went upon the stage; and also to inquire
+what you intend to do with the children, of whom Miss Jane&#8217;s
+will constitutes you the guardian?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You wish me to understand that you are determined to
+defy the wishes of your best friend, and take a step which
+distressed her beyond expression?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall certainly go upon the stage.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have no alternative but to accept your decision, which
+you are well aware I regard as exceedingly deplorable. The
+money can be paid to you to-morrow, if you desire it. Hoping
+that you would abandon this freak, I had intended to keep
+the children here, under your supervision, while I removed to
+my house in town, and left their tuition to Miss Dexter; but
+since you have decided otherwise, I shall remain here for the
+present, keeping them with me, at least until after Muriel&#8217;s
+marriage. The income from this farm averages two thousand
+dollars a year, and will not only amply provide for their
+wants and education, but will enable me to lay aside annually
+a portion of that amount. When Muriel marries, Miss Dexter
+may not be willing to remain here, and if she leaves us I
+shall endeavor to find as worthy and reliable a substitute.
+Have you any objection to this arrangement?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have no right to utter any, since you are the legal guardian
+of the children. But contingencies might arise for which
+it seems you have not provided.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What do you mean?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I mean that I can trust Jessie and Stanley to you, but
+when you are married I prefer that they should find another
+home; or, if need be, Jessie can come to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>An angry flush dyed Dr. Grey&#8217;s olive face, and kindled a
+fiery gleam in his usually mild, clear, blue eyes, but looking at
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_327' name='page_327'></a>327</span>
+the girl&#8217;s compressed and trembling lips, and noting the underlying
+misery which her defiant expression could not cover,
+his displeasure gave place to profound compassion.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, dismiss that cause of anxiety from your mind,
+and trust the assurance I offer you now,&mdash;that when I marry,
+my wife will be worthy to assist me in guiding and governing
+my wards.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She was prepared to hear him retort that the career she had
+chosen would render her an unsuitable counsellor for little
+Jessie; and conscious that she had deeply wounded him, his
+calm reply was the sharpest rebuke he could possibly have
+administered.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I have no extraordinary amount of tenderness
+for the children, because they are indissolubly associated with
+that period of my life to which I never recur without pain
+and humiliation that you can not possibly realize or comprehend;
+still, I am not exactly a brute, and I do not wish them
+to be trained to regard me as a Pariah, or to be told that I
+have forfeited their respect and affection. When I am gone,
+let them think kindly of me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your request is a reflection upon my friendship, and is
+so exceedingly unjust that I am surprised and pained; but let
+that pass. I am sure I need not tell you that your wishes
+shall be complied with. I have often thought that after
+Stanley completed his studies, I would take him into my office,
+and teach him my own profession. Have you any objection
+to this scheme?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. I am willing to trust him implicitly to you.
+He has one terrible fault which I have been trying to correct,
+and which I hope you will not lose sight of. The boy seems
+constitutionally addicted to telling stories, and prefers falsehood
+to truth. I have punished him repeatedly for this habit,
+and you must, if possible, save him from the pauper vice of
+lying, which is peculiarly detestable to me. I know less of
+the little one&#8217;s character, but believe that she is not afflicted
+with this evil tendency.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stanley&#8217;s fault has not escaped me, and two days ago I
+was obliged to punish him for a gross violation of the truth;
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_328' name='page_328'></a>328</span>
+but as he grows older, I trust he will correct this defect, and
+I shall faithfully endeavor to show him its enormity. Is
+there anything else you wish to say to me about the children?
+I will very gladly hear any suggestions you can offer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. I have governed myself so badly, that it ill becomes
+me to dictate to you how they should be trained. God
+knows, I am heartily glad they were mercifully thrown into
+your hands; and if you can only make Stanley Owen such a
+man as you are, the old blot on the name may be effaced.
+From Mark and Joel I have not heard for several months, and
+presume they will be sturdy but unlettered mechanics. If I
+succeed, I shall interfere and send them to school; otherwise,
+they must take the chances for letters and a livelihood.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you are bartering life-long peace and happiness
+for the momentary gratification of a whim, prompted solely
+by vanity. How worthless are the brief hollow plaudits of
+the world (which will regard you merely as the toy of an
+hour), in comparison with the affection and society of your
+own family? Here, in your home, how useful, how contented
+you might be!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her only reply was a hasty, imperious wave of the hand,
+and a long silence followed.</p>
+<p>In the bright morning light that streamed in through the
+tendrils of honeysuckle clambering around the window, Dr.
+Grey looked searchingly at the orphan, and could scarcely
+realize that this pale, proud, pain-stricken face, was the same
+rosy round one, fair and fearless, that had first met his gaze
+under the pearly apple-blossoms.</p>
+<p>Then, pink flesh, hazel eyes, vermillioned lips, and glossy
+hair had preferred incontestable claims to beauty; now, an
+artist would have curiously traced the fine lines and curves
+daintily drawn about eyes, brow and mouth, by the stylus of
+care, of hopelessness, of wild bursts of passion. Her figure
+retained its rounded symmetry, but the countenance traitorously
+revealed the struggles, the bitter disappointments, the
+vindictive jealousy, and rudely-smitten and blasted hopes,
+that had robbed her days of peace and her nights of sleep.</p>
+<p>Until this moment, Dr. Grey had not fully appreciated the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_329' name='page_329'></a>329</span>
+change that had been wrought by two tedious years, and as he
+scrutinized the sadly sharpened and shadowed features, a
+painful feeling of humiliation and almost of self-reproach
+sprang from the consciousness that his inability to reciprocate
+her devoted love had brought down this premature blight upon
+a young and whilom happy, careless girl,&mdash;transforming
+her into a reckless, hardened, hopeless woman.</p>
+<p>While his inexorable conscience fully exonerated him from
+censure, his generous heart ached in sympathy for hers, and
+his chivalric tenderness for all things weaker than himself,
+bled at the reflection that he had been unintentionally instrumental
+in darkening a woman&#8217;s life.</p>
+<p>But hope,&mdash;beautiful, blue-eyed, sunny-browed hope,&mdash;whispered
+that this was a fleeting youthful fancy; and that
+absence and time would dispel the temporary gloom that now
+lay on her heart, like some dense cold vapor which would
+grow silvery, and melt in morning sunshine.</p>
+<p>Under his steady gaze the blood rose slowly to its old signal-station
+on her cheeks, and she put up one hand to shield its
+scarlet banners.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, will you tell me when and where you intend to
+go? Since you have resolved to leave us, I desire to know in
+what way I can aid you, or contribute to the comfort of the
+journey you contemplate.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;From the last letter of Professor V&mdash;&mdash;, declining your
+proposal that he should come here and instruct me, I learn
+that within the ensuing ten days he will sail for Havre, <i>en
+route</i> to Italy, where he intends spending the winter. If
+possible, I wish to reach New York before his departure, and
+to accompany him. The thousand dollars will defray my expenses
+until I have completed my musical training, which
+will fit me for the stage, and insure an early engagement in
+some operatic company. Knowing your high estimate of
+Professor V&mdash;&mdash;, both as a gentleman and as a musician, I
+am exceedingly anxious to place myself under his protection;
+especially since his wife and children will meet him at Paris,
+and go on to Naples. Are you willing to give me a letter of
+introduction, commending me to his favorable <ins title='Added quote and question mark'>consideration?&#8221;</ins></p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_330' name='page_330'></a>330</span></div>
+<p>The hesitating timidity with which this request was uttered,
+touched him more painfully than aught that had ever passed
+between them.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear child, did you suppose that I would permit you
+to travel alone to New York, and thrust yourself upon the
+notice of strangers? I will accompany you whenever you go,
+and not only present you to the professor, but request him
+to receive you into his family as a member of his home-circle.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A quiver shook out the hard lines around her lips, and she
+turned her eyes full on his.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are very kind, sir, but that is not necessary; and a
+letter of introduction will have the same effect, and save you
+from a disagreeable trip. Your time is too valuable to be
+wasted on such journeys, and I have no right to expect that
+solely on my account you should tear yourself away&mdash;from&mdash;those
+dear to you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I think my time could not be more profitably employed
+than in promoting the happiness and welfare of my adopted
+sister, who was so inexpressibly dear to my noble Janet. It
+is neither pleasant nor proper for a young lady to travel without
+an escort.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He had risen, and laid his hand lightly on the back of her
+chair.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;She smiled; but he could see arise<br />
+Her soul from far adown her eyes,<br />
+Prepared as if for sacrifice.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;Is it a mercy, think you, Dr. Grey, to foster a fastidiousness
+that can only barb the shafts of penury? What right
+have toiling paupers to harbor in their thoughts those dainty
+scruples that belong appropriately to princesses and palaces?
+Why tell me that this, that, or the other step is not &#8216;proper,&#8217;
+when you know that necessity goads me? Sir, I feel now like
+that isolated Florentine, and echo her words,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8216;And since help</p>
+<p class='cg'>Must come to me from those who love me not,<br />
+Farewell, all helpers. I must help myself,<br />
+And am alone from henceforth.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_331' name='page_331'></a>331</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;You prefer that I should not accompany you to New
+York?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir; but I gratefully accept a letter to Professor
+V&mdash;&mdash;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Very well; it shall be in readiness when you wish it.
+Have you fixed any time for your departure?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;This is Friday,&mdash;and I shall go on the six o&#8217;clock train,
+Monday morning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is there any service that I can render you in the interim?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, thank you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;As you have no likeness of the children, would it be agreeable
+to you to have their photographs taken to-day,&mdash;and, at
+the same time, a picture of yourself to be left with them? If
+you desire it I will meet you in town, at the gallery, at any
+hour you may designate.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Standing before him, she answered, almost scornfully,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall not have time. Some day&mdash;if I succeed&mdash;I will
+send them my photograph, taken in gorgeous robes as <i>prima
+donna</i>; provided you promise that said robes shall not constitute
+a <i>San Benito</i>, and doom the picture to the flames.
+I will detain you no longer, Dr. Grey, as the sole object of
+the interview has been accomplished.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon me; but I have a word to say. Your career will
+probably be brilliantly successful, in which event you will feel
+no want of admirers and friends,&mdash;and will doubtless ignore
+me for those who flatter you more, and really love you less.
+But, Salome, failure may overtake you, bringing in its train
+countless evils that at present you can not realize,&mdash;poverty,
+disease, desolation, in the midst of strangers,&mdash;and all the
+woes that, like hungry wolves, attack homeless, isolated
+women. I earnestly hope that the leprous hand of disaster
+and defeat may never be laid upon your future, but the most
+cautious human schemes are fallible&mdash;often futile&mdash;and if you
+should be unsuccessful in your programme, and find yourself
+unable to consummate your plans, I ask you now, by the
+memory of our friendship, by the sacred memory of the dead,
+to promise me that you will immediately write and acquaint
+me with all your needs, your wishes, your real condition.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_332' name='page_332'></a>332</span>
+Promise me, dear Salome, that you will turn instantly to me,
+as you would to Stanley, were he in my place,&mdash;that you will
+let me prove myself your elder brother,&mdash;your truest, best
+friend.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He put his hand on her head, but she recoiled haughtily
+from his touch.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I promise you,</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;I will not soil thy purple with my dust,<br />
+Nor breathe my poison on thy Venice-glass.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>I promise you that if misfortune, failure, and penury lay
+hold of me, you shall be the last human being who will learn
+it; for I will cloak myself under a name that will not betray
+me, and crawl into some lazaretto, and be buried in some
+potter&#8217;s field, among other mendicants,&mdash;unknown, &#8216;unwept,
+unhonored, and unsung.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>If some motherless young chamois, rescued from destruction,
+and pampered and caressed, had suddenly turned, and
+savagely bitten and lacerated the hand that fondled and fed it,
+Dr. Grey would not have been more painfully startled; but
+experience had taught him the uselessness of expostulation
+during her moods of perversity, and he took his hat and
+turned away, saying, almost sternly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Bear in mind that neither palace nor potter&#8217;s field can
+screen you from the scrutiny of your Maker, or mask and
+shelter your shivering soul in the solemn hour when He demands
+its last reckoning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which &#8216;reckoning,&#8217; your eminently Christian charity assures
+you will prove more terrible for me than the Bloody
+Assizes. &#8216;By the memory of our friendship!&#8217; Oh, shallow
+sham! Pinning my faith to the <i>dictum</i>, &#8216;The tide of friendship
+does not rise high on the bank of perfection,&#8217; my fatuity
+led me to expect that your friendship was wide as the universe,
+and lasting as eternity. Wise Helvetius told me that,
+&#8216;To be loved, we should merit but little esteem; all superiority
+attracts awe and aversion;&#8217; <i>ergo</i>, since my credentials
+of unworthiness were indisputable, I laid claim to a vast
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_333' name='page_333'></a>333</span>
+share of your favor. But, alas! the logic of the seers is well-nigh
+as hollow as my hopes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He looked over his shoulder at her, with an expression of
+pity as profound as that which must have filled the eyes of
+the angel, who, standing in the blaze of the sword of wrath,
+watched Adam and Eve go mournfully forth into the blistering
+heats of unknown lands. Before he could reply, she
+laughed contemptuously, and continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;<i>Nil desperandum</i>, Dr. Grey. Remember that, &#8216;Faith and
+persistency are life&#8217;s architects; while doubt and despair bury
+all under the ruins of any endeavor.&#8217; When I have trilled
+a fortune into that abhorred vacuum, my pocket, I shall go
+down to the Tigris, and catch the mate to Tobias&#8217; fish, and
+by the cremation thereof, fumigate my pestiferous soul, and
+smoke out the Asmodeus that has so long and comfortably
+dwelt there.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;God grant you a Raphael, as guide on your journey,&#8221; was
+his calm, earnest reply, as he disappeared, closing the door
+after him.</p>
+<p>When the sound of his buggy-wheels on the gravelled
+avenue told her he had gone, she threw herself on the floor,
+and crossing her arms on a chair, hid her face in them.</p>
+<p>During Saturday, no opportunity presented itself for renewing
+the conversation, and early on Sunday morning Dr.
+Grey sent to her room a package marked $1,000.00&mdash;though
+really containing $1,500.00&mdash;and a letter addressed to Professor
+V&mdash;&mdash;. Without examining either, she threw them into
+her trunk, which was already packed, and went down to
+breakfast.</p>
+<p>She declined accompanying Miss Dexter and Muriel to
+church, alleging, as an excuse, that it was the last day she
+could spend with the children.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey approached her when the remainder of the family
+had left the table, where she sat abstractedly jingling her
+fork and spoon.</p>
+<p>He noticed that her breakfast was untasted, and said, very
+gently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I suppose that you wish to visit our dear Jane&#8217;s grave,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_334' name='page_334'></a>334</span>
+before you leave us, and, if agreeable to you, I shall be glad
+to have you accompany me there to-day.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you; but if I go, it will be alone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He stooped to kiss Jessie, who leaned against her sister&#8217;s
+chair, and, when he left the room, Salome caught the child in
+her arms, and pressed her lips twice to the spot where his had
+rested.</p>
+<p>Late in the afternoon she eluded the children&#8217;s watchful
+eyes, and stole away from the house, taking the road that led
+towards &#8220;Solitude.&#8221; In one portion of the osage hedge that
+surrounded the place, the lower branches had died, leaving a
+small opening, and here Salome gained access to the grounds.
+Walking cautiously under the thick and dark masses of shrubbery
+and trees, she reached the arched path near the clump of
+pyramidal deodars, whose long, drooping plumes were fluttering
+in the evening wind.</p>
+<p>Thence she could command a view of the house and grounds
+in front, and thence she saw that concerning which she had
+come to satisfy herself,&mdash;believing that the evidence of her
+own eyes would fortify her for the approaching trial of separation.
+Dr. Grey&#8217;s horse and buggy stood near the side
+gate, and Dr. Grey was walking very slowly up and down the
+avenue leading to the beach, while Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s tall form
+leaned on his arm, and the greyhound followed sulkily.</p>
+<p>Salome had barely time to look upon the spectacle that fired
+her heart and well-nigh maddened her, ere the dog lifted his
+head, gave one quick, savage bark, and darted in the direction
+of the cedars.</p>
+<p>Dread of detection and of Dr. Grey&#8217;s pitying gaze was more
+potent than fear of the brute, and she ran swiftly towards
+the gap in the hedge, by which she had effected an entrance
+into the secluded grounds. Just as she reached it, the greyhound
+bounded up, and they met in front of the opening. He
+set his teeth in her clothes, tearing away a streamer of her
+black dress, and, as she silently struggled, he bit her arm
+badly, mangling the flesh, from which the blood spouted.
+Disengaging a shawl which she wore around her shoulders, she
+threw it over his head, and, as the meshes caught in his collar,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_335' name='page_335'></a>335</span>
+and temporarily entangled him, she sprang through the gap,
+and seized a heavy stick which lay within reach. He followed,
+snarling and pawing at the shawl that ultimately dropped at
+Salome&#8217;s feet; but finding himself beyond the boundary he
+was expected to guard, and probably satisfied with the punishment
+already inflicted, he retreated before a well-aimed blow
+that drove him back into the enclosure.</p>
+<p>The instant he started towards the cedars Dr. Grey suspected
+mischief, and, placing Mrs. Gerome on a bench that
+surrounded an elm, he hurried in the same direction.</p>
+<p>When he reached the spot, the dog was snuffing at a patch
+of bombazine that lay on the grass; and, confirmed in his sad
+suspicion, the doctor passed through the opening in the hedge
+and looked about for the figure which he dreaded, yet expected
+to see.</p>
+<p>Bushy undergrowth covered the ground for some distance,
+and, hoping that nothing more serious than fright had resulted
+from the escapade, he stowed away the bombazine fragment
+in his coat pocket, and slowly retraced his steps.</p>
+<p>Secreted by two friendly oaks that spread their low boughs
+over her, Salome had seen his anxious face peering around
+for the intruder, and when he abandoned the search and disappeared,
+she smothered a bitter laugh, and strove to stanch
+the blood that trickled from the gash by binding her handkerchief
+over it. Torn muscles and tendons ached and
+smarted; but the great agony that seemed devouring her heart
+rendered her almost oblivious of physical pain. In the dusk
+of coming night she crossed the gloomy forest, where a whippoorwill
+was drearily lamenting, and, walking over an unfrequented
+portion of the lawn, went up to her own room.</p>
+<p>She bathed and bound up the wound as securely as the use
+of only one hand would permit, and put on a dress whose
+sleeves fastened closely at the wrist.</p>
+<p>Ere long, Dr. Grey&#8217;s clear voice echoed through the hall,
+and the sound made her wince, like the touch of some glowing
+brand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Jessie, where is sister Salome? Tell her tea is ready.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The orphan went down and took her seat, but did not even
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_336' name='page_336'></a>336</span>
+glance at the master of the house, who looked anxiously at her
+as she entered.</p>
+<p>During the meal Jessie asked for some sweetmeats that
+were placed in front of her sister, and, as the latter drew the
+glass dish nearer, and proceeded to help her, the child exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, look there! What is that dripping from your sleeve?
+Ugh! it is blood.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nonsense, Jessie! don&#8217;t be silly. Hush! and eat your
+supper.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Two drops of blood had fallen on the table-cloth, and the
+girl instantly set her cup and saucer over them.</p>
+<p>She felt the slow stream trickling down to her wrist, and
+put her arm in her lap.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is anything the matter?&#8221; asked Dr. Grey, who had observed
+the quick movement.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hurt my arm a little, that is all.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her tone forbade a renewal of inquiry, and, as soon as possible,
+she withdrew to her room, to adjust the bandage.</p>
+<p>The children were playing in the library, and Muriel was
+walking with her governess on the wide piazza.</p>
+<p>While Salome was trying by the aid of fingers and teeth to
+draw a strip of linen tightly over her wound, a tap at the
+door startled her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am engaged, and can see no one just now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I want to speak to you, and shall wait here until
+I do.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Excuse me, Dr. Grey. I will come down in ten minutes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon me, but I insist upon seeing you here, and hope
+you will not compel me to force the door open.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She wrapped a towel around her arm, drew down her
+sleeve, and opened the door.</p>
+<p>&#8220;To what am I indebted for the honor of this interview?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To my interest in your welfare, which cannot be baffled.
+Salome, what is the matter? You looked so pale that I
+noticed you particularly, and saw the blood on the table-cloth.
+My dear child, I will not be trifled with. Tell me
+where you are hurt.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_337' name='page_337'></a>337</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Pray give yourself no uneasiness. I merely scraped and
+bruised my arm. It is a matter of no consequence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Of that I beg to be considered the best judge. Show me
+your arm.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I prefer not to trouble you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He gently but firmly took hold of it, unwound the towel,
+and she saw him start and shudder at sight of the mangled
+flesh.</p>
+<p>&#8220;An ugly gash! Tell me how you hurt yourself so
+severely.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is a matter that I do not choose to discuss; but since
+you have seen it, I wish you would be so good as to dress and
+bandage the wound.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, my little sister! Will you never learn to trust your
+brother?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Dr. Grey! will you never learn to let me alone, when
+I am indulging the &#8216;Imp of the Perverse&#8217; in an audience,
+and do not wish to be interrupted?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She mimicked his pleading tone so admirably that his face
+flushed.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come to the sitting-room. No one can disturb us there,
+and I will attend to your injury, which is really serious.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She followed him, and stood without flinching one iota,
+while he clipped away the jagged pieces of flesh, covered the
+long gash with adhesive plaster, and carefully bandaged the
+whole.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you must dismiss all idea of starting to-morrow,
+for indeed it would not be safe for you to travel alone, with
+your arm in this condition. It may give you much trouble
+and suffering.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which, of course, <i>nolens volens</i>, I must bear as best I
+may; but, so surely as I live to see daylight, I shall start,
+even if I knew I should have to stop <i>en route</i> and bury my
+pretty arm, and be forced to buy a cork one, wherewith to
+gesticulate gracefully when I die as &#8216;Azucena.&#8217; There! thank
+you, Dr. Grey; of course you are very good,&mdash;you always are.
+Shall I bid you all good-by now, or wait till morning? Better
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_338' name='page_338'></a>338</span>
+make my adieu to-night, so that I may not disturb the matutinal
+slumbers of the household.&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was a dangerous, starry sparkle in her eyes, that he
+would not venture to defy, and, sighing heavily, he answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall accompany you to the depôt, and place you under
+the protection of the conductor.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do not desire to give you that trouble, and&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Hush! Do not grieve me any more than you have already
+done, by your hasty, unkind, unfriendly speeches. I shall
+see you in the morning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He left the room abruptly, to conceal the distress which he
+did not desire her to discover; and having found Muriel and
+Miss Dexter, Salome bade them good-by, requested them not
+to disturb themselves next morning on her account, and called
+the children to her room.</p>
+<p>For two hours they sat beside her on the lounge, crying
+over her impending departure, but when she had promised to
+take them as far as the depôt, their thoughts followed other
+currents, and very soon after, both slumbered soundly in
+their trundle-bed.</p>
+<p>With her cheek resting on her hand, Salome sat looking at
+them, noting the glossiness of their curling hair, the flush on
+their round faces, the regular breathing of peaceful childhood&#8217;s
+sleep. Once she could have wept, and would have knelt
+and prayed over them; but now her own overmastering misery
+had withered all the tenderness in her heart, and, while her
+eyes of flesh rested on the orphans, her mental vision was
+filled with the figure of that gray-haired woman hanging on
+Dr. Grey&#8217;s arm. In a dull, cold, abstract way, she hoped that
+the little ones would be happy,&mdash;how could they be otherwise
+when fortune had committed them to Dr. Grey&#8217;s guardianship?
+But a numb, desperate feeling had seized her, and she
+cared for nothing, loved nothing, prayed for nothing.</p>
+<p>How the hours of that night of wretchedness passed she
+never knew; but when the little bird in the parlor clock
+&#8220;cuckooed&#8221; three times, she was aroused from her reverie by
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_339' name='page_339'></a>339</span>
+the tramp of horses&#8217; hoofs on the gravel, and then the sharp
+clang of the bell echoed through the silent house.</p>
+<p>It was not unusual for messengers to summon Dr. Grey
+during the night, and she was not surprised when, some moments
+later, she heard his voice in the hall. After the lapse
+of a quarter of an hour, his firm, well-known step approached
+and paused at her threshold.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, are you up?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come into the passage.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She opened the door, and stood with the candle in her
+hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I regret exceedingly that I am compelled to leave here
+immediately, as I must hasten to see a man and child who
+have been horribly burned and injured by the falling in of a
+roof. The parties live some distance in the country, and I
+fear I shall not be able to get back in time to go with you to
+the cars. I shall drive as rapidly as possible, and hope to accompany
+you, but if I should be detained, here is a note which
+I hastily scribbled to Mr. Miller, the conductor, whom you
+will find a very kind and courteous gentleman. I sincerely
+deplore this summons, but the sufferers are old friends of my
+sister, and I hope you will believe that nothing but a case of
+life and death would prevent me from seeing you aboard the
+train.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am sorry, sir, that you thought it necessary to apologize.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She was not yet prepared to part from him forever,&mdash;she
+had been nerving herself for the final interview at the depôt;
+but now it came with a shock that utterly stunned her, and
+she reeled against the door-facing, as if recoiling from some
+fearful blow.</p>
+<p>The livid pallor of her lips, and the spasm of agony that
+contracted her features, frightened him, and, as he sprang
+closer to her, the candle fell from her fingers. He caught it,
+ere it reached the mat, and placed it on a chair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear child, your arm pains you, and I beg you to defer
+your journey at least until Tuesday. I shall be anxious and
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_340' name='page_340'></a>340</span>
+miserable about you, if you go this morning, and, for my
+sake, Salome, if not for your own, remain here one day longer.
+I have not asked many things of you, and I trust you will not
+refuse this last request I may ever be allowed to make.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She attempted to speak, but there came only a quiver across
+her mouth, and a sickly smile that flickered over the ghastly
+proud face, like the lying sunshine of Indian summer on
+marble cenotaphs.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, you will, to oblige me, wait until Tuesday?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shook her head, and mastered her weakness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, Dr. Grey; I must go at once. I take all the hazard.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then you will find on the mantelpiece in my room, a
+paper containing directions for the treatment of your arm,
+which demands care and attention. I am sorry you are so
+obstinate, and, if I possessed the authority, I would forbid
+your departure.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He could not endure the despairing expression of her eyes,
+which seemed supernaturally large and brilliant, and his own
+quailed, for the first time within his recollection. She knew
+that she was going away forever, to avoid the sight of his happiness
+with Mrs. Gerome; that, in comparison with that torture,
+all other trials, even separation, would be endurable, but
+the least evil was more severe than she had dreaded. Now, as
+she looked up at his noble face, overshadowed with anxiety
+and regret, and paler than she had ever seen it, the one prayer
+of her heart was, that, ere a wife&#8217;s lips touched his, death
+might claim him for its prey.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, I am deeply pained by the course you persist in
+following, but I will not provoke and annoy you by renewed
+expression of a disapprobation that has proved so ineffectual
+in influencing your decision. God grant that the results may
+sanction your confidence in your own judgment,&mdash;your distrust
+of mine. I promised you once that I would pray for you,
+and I wish to assure you, that, while I live, I shall never lay
+my head upon my pillow without having first committed you
+to the mercy and loving care of that Guardian who never
+&#8216;slumbers, nor sleeps.&#8217; May God bless and guide you, my dear
+young friend, and if not again in this world, grant that we
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_341' name='page_341'></a>341</span>
+may meet in the Everlasting City of Peace. Little sister, be
+sure to meet me in the Kingdom of Rest, where dear Janet
+waits for us both.&#8221;</p>
+<p>His calm eyes filled with tears, and his voice grew tremulous,
+as he took Salome&#8217;s cold, passive hand, and kissed it.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good-by, Dr. Grey; if I find my way to heaven, it will be
+because you are there. When I am gone, let my name and
+memory be like that of the dead.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She stood erect, with her fingers lying in his palm, and the
+ring of her voice was like the clashing of steel against steel.</p>
+<p>He bent down, and, for the first time, pressed his lips to her
+forehead; then turned quickly and walked away. When he
+reached the head of the stairs, he looked back and saw her
+standing in the door, with the candle-light flaring over her
+face; and in after years, he could never recall, without a keen
+pang, that vision of a girlish form draped in mourning, and
+of fair, rigid features, which hope and happiness could never
+again soften and brighten.</p>
+<p>Her splendid eyes followed him, as if the sole light of her
+life were passing away forever; and, with a heavy sigh, he
+hurried down the steps, realizing all the mournful burden of
+that Portuguese sonnet,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Go from me. Yet I feel that I shall stand<br />
+Henceforward in thy shadow. Nevermore<br />
+Alone upon the threshold of my door<br />
+Of individual life, I shall command<br />
+The uses of my soul, nor lift my hand<br />
+Serenely in the sunshine as before,<br />
+Without the sense of that which I forbore&mdash;<br />
+Thy touch upon the palm. The widest land<br />
+Doom takes to part us, leaves thy heart in mine,<br />
+With pulses that beat double. What I do<br />
+And what I dream include thee, as the wine<br />
+Must taste of its own grapes. And when I sue<br />
+God for myself, He hears that name of thine,<br />
+And sees within my eyes the tears of two.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_342' name='page_342'></a>342</span>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXVI' id='CHAPTER_XXVI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;I hope nothing has gone wrong, Robert? You look unusually
+forlorn and doleful.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey stepped out of his buggy, and accosted the gardener,
+who was leaning idly on the gate, holding a trowel
+in his hand, and lazily puffing the smoke from his pipe.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I thank you, sir; with us the world wags on pretty much
+the same, but when a man has been planting violets on his
+mother&#8217;s grave he does not feel like whistling and making
+merry. Besides, to tell the truth,&mdash;which I do not like to
+shirk,&mdash;I am getting very tired of this dismal, unlucky place.
+If I had known as much before I bought it as I do now, all
+the locomotives in America could not have dragged me here.
+I was a stranger, and of course nobody thought it their special
+duty to warn me; so I was bitten badly enough by the agent
+who sold me this den of misfortune. Now, when it is too
+late, there is no lack of busy tongues to tell me the place is
+haunted, and has been for, lo! these many years.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nonsense, Robert! I gave you credit for too much good
+sense to listen to the gossip of silly old wives. Put all these
+ridiculous tales of ghosts and hobgoblins out of your mind,
+man, and do not make me laugh at you, as if you were a
+child who had been so frightened by stories of &#8216;raw-head and
+bloody-bones,&#8217; that you were afraid to blow out your candle
+and creep into bed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am neither a fool nor a coward, and I will fight anything
+that I can feel has bone and muscle; but I am satisfied
+that if all the water in Siloam were poured over this place, it
+would not wash out the curse that people tell me has always
+rested on it since the time the pirates first located here. I
+can&#8217;t admit I believe in witches, but undoubtedly I do believe
+in Satan, who seems to have a fee-simple to the place.
+It is not enough that my poor mother is buried yonder, but
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_343' name='page_343'></a>343</span>
+my wheat and oats took the rust; the mildew spoiled my grape
+crop; the rains ruined my melons; the worms ate up every
+blade of my grass; the cows have got the black-tongue; the
+gale blew down my pigeon-house and mashed all my squabs;
+and my splendid carnations and fuchsias are devoured by red
+spider. Nothing thrives, and I am sick at heart.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The dogged discontent written so legibly on his countenance,
+did not encourage the visitor to enter into a discussion
+of the abstract causes of blight, gales, and black-tongue, and
+he merely answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The evils you have enumerated are not peculiar to any
+locality; and all the farmers in this neighborhood are echoing
+your complaints. How is Mrs. Gerome?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Neither better nor worse. You know what miserable
+weather we have had for a week. This morning she ordered
+the small carriage and horses brought to the door, and when
+I took the reins, she dismissed me and said she preferred driving
+herself. I told her the grays had not been used, and were
+badly pampered standing so long in their stalls, and that I
+was really afraid they would break her neck, as she was not
+strong enough to manage them; but she laughed, and answered
+that if they did, it would be the best day&#8217;s work they had ever
+accomplished, and she would give them a chance. Down the
+beach they went like a flash, and when she came home their
+flanks smoked like a lime-kiln. What is ever to be done with
+my mistress, I am sure I don&#8217;t know. She makes the house so
+doleful, that nobody wants to stay here, and only yesterday
+Katie and Ph&oelig;be, the cook, gave notice that they wished to
+leave when the month was out. She has no idea what she
+will do, or where she will go. We have wanted a hot-house,
+and she ordered me to get the builder&#8217;s estimate of the cost of
+two plans which she drew; but when I carried them to her,
+she pushed them aside, and said she would think of the matter,
+but thought she might leave this place, and therefore would
+not need the building. She is as notionate as a child; and no
+one but my poor mother could ever manage her. Hist! sir!
+Don&#8217;t you hear her? You may be sure there is mischief brewing
+when she sings like that.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_344' name='page_344'></a>344</span></div>
+<p>Dr. Grey walked towards the house, and paused on the
+portico to listen,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Quis est homo, qui non fleret<br />
+Christi matrem si videret,<br />
+In tanto supplicio.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The voice was not so strong as when he had heard it in
+<i>Addio del Passata</i>, but the solemn mournfulness of its cadences
+was better suited to the <i>Stabat Mater</i>, and indexed much
+that no other method of expression would have reached.
+After some moments she forsook Rossini, and began the <i>Agnus
+Dei</i> from Haydn&#8217;s Third Mass,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Surely she could not render this grand strain if her soul
+was in fierce rebellion; and, with strained ears and hushed
+breath, Dr. Grey listened to the closing</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Dona nobis pacem,&mdash;pacem,&mdash;pacem.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>It was a passionate, wailing prayer, and the only one that
+ever crossed her lips, yet his heart throbbed with pleasure,
+as he noted the tremor that seemed to shiver her voice into
+silvery fragments; and as she ended, he knew that tears were
+not far from her eyes.</p>
+<p>When he entered the room, she had left the piano, and
+wheeled a sofa in front of the grate, where she sat gazing,
+vacantly into the fiery fretwork of glowing coals.</p>
+<p>A copy of Turner&#8217;s &#8220;Liber Studiorum,&#8221; superbly bound in
+purple velvet, lay on her knee, and into a corner of the sofa
+she had tossed a square of canvas almost filled with silken
+Parmese violets.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good-evening, Mrs. Gerome; I hope I do not interrupt
+you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey removed the embroidery to the table, and seated
+himself in the sofa corner.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good evening. Interruption argues occupation and absorbed
+attention, and the term is not applicable to me. I
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_345' name='page_345'></a>345</span>
+who live as vainly, as uselessly, as fruitlessly, as some fakir
+twirling his thumbs and staring at his beard, have little right
+to call anything an interruption. My existence here is as
+still, as stagnant, as some pool down yonder in the sedge
+which last week&#8217;s waves left among the sand hillocks, and
+your visits are like pebbles thrown into it, creating transient
+ripples and circles.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have gone back to the God of your &#230;sthetic idolatry,&#8221;
+said he, touching the &#8220;Liber Studiorum.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, because &#8216;Beauty pitches her tents before him,&#8217; and
+his pencil is more potent in conjuring visions that enchant
+my wearied mind, than Jemschid&#8217;s goblet or Iskander&#8217;s
+mirror.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But why stand afar off, trusting to human and fallible
+interpreters, when it is your privilege to draw near and
+dwell in the essence of the only real and divine beauty?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Better reverence it behind a veil, than suffer like Semele.
+I know my needs, and satisfy them fully. Once my heart was
+as bare of adoration as Egypt&#8217;s tawny sands of crystal rain-pools;
+but looking into the realm of nature and of art, I
+chose the religion of the beautiful, and said to my famished
+soul,</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;From every channel thro&#8217; which Beauty runs,<br />
+To fertilize the world with lovely things,<br />
+I will draw freely, and be satisfied.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;This morbid sentimentality, this sickly gasping system of
+&#230;sthetics, <i>soi-disant</i> &#8216;Religion of the Beautiful,&#8217; is the curse
+of the age,&mdash;is a vast, universal vampire sucking the life
+from humanity. Like other idolatries it may arrogate the
+name of &#8216;Religion,&#8217; but it is simply downright pagan materialism,
+and its votaries of the nineteenth century should look
+back two thousand years, and renew the <i>Panathen&oelig;a</i>. The
+ancient Greek worship of &#230;sthetics was a proud and pardonable
+system, replete with sublime images; but the idols
+of your emasculated creed are yellow-haired women with
+straight noses,&mdash;are purple clouds and moon-silvered seas,&mdash;and
+physical beauty constitutes their sole excellence. Lovely
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_346' name='page_346'></a>346</span>
+landscapes and perfect faces are certainly entitled to a liberal
+quota of earnest admiration; but a religion that contents
+itself with merely material beauty, differs in nothing but
+nomenclature from the pagan worship of Cybele, Venus, and
+Astarte.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A chill smile momentarily brightened Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s features,
+and turning towards her visitor, she answered slowly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Be thankful, sir, that even the worship of beauty lingers
+in this world of sin and hate; and instead of defiling and
+demolishing its altars, go to work zealously and erect new
+ones at every cross-roads. Lessing spoke for me when he
+said, &#8216;Only a misapprehended religion can remove us from
+the beautiful, and it is proof that a religion is true and rightly
+understood when it everywhere brings us back to the Beautiful.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon me. I accept Lessing&#8217;s words, but cavil at your
+interpretation of them. His reverence for Beauty embraced
+not merely physical and material types, but that nobler,
+grander beauty which centres in pure ethics and ontology;
+and a religion that seeks no higher forms than those of clay,&mdash;whether
+Himalayas or &#8216;Greek Slave,&#8217;&mdash;whether emerald
+icebergs, flashing under polar auroras, or the myosotis that
+nods there on the mantelpiece,&mdash;a religion that substitutes
+beauty for duty, and Nature for Nature&#8217;s God, is a shameful
+sham, and a curse to its devotees. There is a beauty worthy
+of all adoration, a beauty far above Antinous, or Gula or
+Greek &#230;sthetics,&mdash;a beauty that is not the <i>disjecta membra</i>
+that modern maudlin sentimentality has left it,&mdash;but that
+perfect and immortal &#8216;Beauty of Holiness,&#8217; that outlives
+marble and silver, pigment, stylus, and pagan poems that
+deify dust.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He leaned towards her, watching eagerly for some symptom
+of interest in the face before him, and bent his head
+until he inhaled the fragrance of the violets which clustered
+on one side of the coil of hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;Beauty of Holiness.&#8217; Show it to me, Dr. Grey. Is it at
+La Trappe, or the Hospice of St. Bernard? Where are its
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_347' name='page_347'></a>347</span>
+temples? Where are its worshippers? Who is its Hierophant?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Jesus Christ.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She closed her eyes for a moment, as if to shut out some
+painful vision evoked by his words.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sir, do you recollect the reply of Laplace, when Napoleon
+asked him why there was no mention of God in his &#8216;<i>Mécanique
+Celeste</i>?&#8217; &#8216;<i>Sire, je n&#8217;avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse.</i>&#8217;
+I was not sufficiently insane to base my religion of
+beauty upon a holiness that was buried in the tomb supplied
+by Joseph of Arimathea,&mdash;that was long ago hunted out of
+the world it might have purified. Once I believed in, and
+revered what I supposed was its existence, but I was speedily
+disenchanted of my faith, for,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;I have seen those that wore Heaven&#8217;s armor, worsted:<br />
+I have heard Truth lie:<br />
+Seen Life, beside the founts for which it thirsted,<br />
+Curse God and die.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Dr. Grey, I do not desire to sneer at your Christian trust,
+and God knows I would give all my earthly possessions and
+hopes for a religion that would insure me your calm resignation
+and contentment; but the resurrection of my faith would
+only resemble that beautiful floral <i>Palingenesis</i> (asserted by
+Gaffarel and Kircher), which was but &#8216;the pale spectre of
+a flower coming slowly forth from its own ashes,&#8217; and speedily
+dropping back into dust. Leave me in the enjoyment
+of the only pleasure earth can afford me, the contemplation
+of the beautiful.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Unless you blend with it the true and good, your love of
+beauty will degenerate into the merely sensuous &#230;sthetics,
+which, at the present day, renders its votaries fastidious,
+etiolated voluptuaries. The deification of humanity, so successfully
+inaugurated by Feuerbach and Strauss, is now no
+longer confined to realms of abstract speculation; but cultivated
+sensualism has sunk so low that popular poets chant
+the praises of Phryne and Cleopatra, and painters and sculptors
+seek to immortalize types that degrade the taste of all
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_348' name='page_348'></a>348</span>
+lovers of Art. The true mission of Art, whether through
+the medium of books, statues, or pictures, is to purify and
+exalt; but the curse of our age is, that the fashionable
+pantheistic raving about Nature, and the apotheosizing of
+physical loveliness,&mdash;is rapidly sinking into a worship of the
+vilest elements of humanity and materialism. Pagan &#230;sthetics
+were purer and nobler than the system, which, under that
+name, finds favor with our generation.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She listened, not assentingly, but without any manifestation
+of impatience, and while he talked, her eyes rested
+dreamily upon the yellow beach, where,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Trampling up the sloping sand,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>In lines outreaching far and wide,<br />
+The white-maned billows swept to land.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Whether she pondered his words, or was too entirely absorbed
+by her own thoughts to heed their import, he had no
+means of ascertaining.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, what have you painted recently?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nothing, since my illness; and perhaps I shall never
+touch my brush again. Sometimes I have thought I would
+paint a picture of Handel standing up to listen to that sad
+song from his own &#8216;Samson,&#8217;&mdash;&#8216;<i>Total eclipse, no sun, no
+moon</i>!&#8217; But I doubt whether I could put on canvas that
+grand, mournful, blind face, turned eagerly towards the
+stage, while tears ran swiftly from his sightless eyes. Again,
+I have vague visions of a dead Schopenhauer, seated in the
+corner of the sofa, with his pet poodle, Putz, howling at
+his master&#8217;s ghastly white features,&mdash;with his Indian Oupnekhat
+lying on his rigid knee, and his gilded statuette of Gotama
+Buddha grinning at him from the mantelpiece, welcoming
+him to Nirwána. There stands my easel, empty and shrouded;
+and here, from day to day, I sit idle, not lacking ideas, but
+the will to clothe them. Unlike poor Maurice de Guérin,
+who said that his &#8216;head was parching; that, like a tree which
+had lived its life, he felt as though every passing wind were
+blowing through dead branches in his top,&#8217; I feel that my
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_349' name='page_349'></a>349</span>
+brain is as vigorous and restless as ever, while my will alone
+is paralyzed, and my heart withered and cold within me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your brush and palette will never yield you any permanent
+happiness, nor promote a spirit of contentment, until
+you select a different class of subjects. Your themes are all
+too sombre, too dismal, and the sole <i>motif</i> that runs through
+your music and painting seems to be <i>in memoriam</i>. Open
+the windows of your gloomy soul, and let God&#8217;s sunshine
+stream into its cold recesses, and warm and gild and gladden
+it. Throw aside your morbid proclivities for the melancholy
+and abnormal, and paint peaceful <i>genre</i> pictures,&mdash;a group of
+sunburnt, laughing harvesters, or merry children, or tulip-beds
+with butterflies swinging over them. You need more
+warmth in your heart, and more light in your pictures.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Eminently correct,&mdash;most incontestably true; but how do
+you propose to remedy the imperfect <i>chiaro-oscuro</i> of my
+character? Show me the market where that light of peace
+and joy is bartered, and I will constitute you my broker, with
+unlimited orders. No, no. I see the fact as plainly as you
+do, but I know better than you how irremediable it is. My
+soul is a doleful <i>morgue</i>, and my pictures are dim photographs
+of its corpse-tenants. Shut in forever from the sunshine,
+I dip my brush in the shadows that surround me,
+for, like Empedocles,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8216;I alone</p>
+<p class='cg'>Am dead to life and joy; therefore I read<br />
+In all things my own deadness.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;If you would free yourself from the coils of an intense
+and selfish egoism that fetter you to the petty cares and trials
+of your individual existence,&mdash;if you would endeavor to forget
+for a season the woes of Mrs. Gerome, and expend a
+little more sympathy on the sorrows of others,&mdash;if you would
+resolve to lose sight of the caprices that render you so unpopular,
+and make some human being happy by your aid
+and kind words,&mdash;in fine, if, instead of selecting as your model
+some cynical, half-insane woman like Lady Hester Stanhope,
+you chose for imitation the example of noble Christian usefulness
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_350' name='page_350'></a>350</span>
+and self-abnegation, analogous to that of Florence
+Nightingale, or Mrs. Fry, you would soon find that your
+conscience&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Enough! You weary me. Dr. Grey, I thoroughly understand
+your motives, and honor their purity, but I beg that
+you will give yourself no further anxiety on my account.
+You cannot, from your religious standpoint, avoid regarding
+me as worse than a heathen, and have constituted yourself
+a missionary to reclaim and consecrate me. I am not quite
+a cannibal, ready to devour you, by way of recompense for
+your charitable efforts in my behalf, but I must assure you
+your interest and sympathy are sadly wasted. Do you remember
+that celebrated &#8216;vase of Soissons,&#8217; which was plundered
+by rude soldiery in Rheims, and which Clovis so eagerly
+coveted at the distribution of the spoils? A soldier broke
+it before the king&#8217;s hungry eyes, and forced him to take
+the worthless mocking fragments. Even so flint-faced fate
+shattered my happiness, and tauntingly offers me the ruins;
+but I will none of it!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Trust God&#8217;s overruling mercy, and those fragments, fused
+in the furnace of affliction, may be remoulded and restored
+to you in pristine perfection.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Impossible! Moreover, I trust nothing but the brevity
+of human life, which one day cannot fail to release me from
+an existence that has proved an almost intolerable burden.
+You know Vogt says, &#8216;The natural laws are rude, unbending
+<ins title='Guessing at end quote'>powers,&#8217;</ins> and I comfort myself by hoping that they can neither
+be bribed nor browbeaten out of the discharge of their duty,
+which points to death as &#8216;the surest calculation that can be
+made,&mdash;as the unavoidable keystone of every individual
+life.&#8217; A grim consolation, you think? True; but all I shall
+ever receive. Dr. Grey, in your estimation I am sinfully
+inert and self-indulgent; and you conscientiously commend
+my idle hands to the benevolent work of knitting socks for
+indigent ditchers, and making jackets for pauper children.
+Now, although it is considered neither orthodox nor modest
+to furnish left-hand with a trumpet for sounding the praises
+of almsgiving right-hand, still I must be allowed to assert
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_351' name='page_351'></a>351</span>
+that I appropriate an ample share of my fortune for charitable
+purposes. Perhaps you will tell me that I do not give
+in a proper spirit of loving sympathy,&mdash;that I hurl my donations
+at my conscience, as &#8216;a sop to Cerberus.&#8217; I have
+never injured any one, and if I have no tender love in my
+heart to expend on others, it is the fault of that world which
+taught me how hollow and deceitful it is. God knows I
+have never intentionally wounded any living thing; and if
+negatively good, at least my career has no stain of positive
+evil upon it. I am one of those concerning whom Richter
+said, &#8216;There are souls for whom life has no summer. These
+should enjoy the advantages of the inhabitants of Spitzbergen,
+where, through the winter&#8217;s day, the stars shine clear
+as through the winter&#8217;s night.&#8217; I have neither summer nor
+polar stars, but I wait for that long night wherein I shall
+sleep peacefully.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, defiant pride bars your heart from the
+white-handed peace that even now seeks entrance. Some
+great sorrow or sin has darkened your past, and, instead of
+ejecting its memory, you hug it to your soul; you make it a
+mental Juggernaut, crushing the hopes and aims that might
+otherwise brighten the path along which you drag this murderous
+idol. Cast it away forever, and let Peace and Hope
+clasp hands over its empty throne.&#8221;</p>
+<p>From that peculiar far-off expression of the human eye
+that generally indicates abstraction of mind, he feared that
+she had not heard his earnest appeal; but after some seconds,
+she smiled drearily, and repeated with singular and touching
+pathos, lines which proved that his words were not lost upon
+her,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;&#8216;Ah, could the memory cast her spots, as do<br />
+The snake&#8217;s brood theirs in spring! and be once more<br />
+Wholly renewed, to dwell in the time that&#8217;s new,&mdash;<br />
+With no reiterance of those pangs of yore.<br />
+Peace, peace! Ah, forgotten things<br />
+Stumble back strangely! and the ghost of June<br />
+Stands by December&#8217;s fire, cold, cold! and puts<br />
+The last spark out.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_352' name='page_352'></a>352</span></div>
+<p>The mournful sweetness and calmness of her low voice made
+Dr. Grey&#8217;s heart throb fiercely, and he leaned a little farther
+forward to study her countenance. She had rested her elbow
+on the carved side of the sofa, and now her cheek nestled
+for support in one hand, while the other toyed unconsciously
+with the velvet edges of the <i>Liber Studiorum</i>. Her dress
+was of some soft, shining fabric, neither satin nor silk, and
+its pale blue lustre shed a chill, pure light over the wan,
+delicate face, that was white as a bending lily.</p>
+<p>The faint yet almost mesmeric fragrance of orange flowers
+and violets floated in the folds of her garments, and seemed
+lurking in the waves of gray hair that glistened in the bright
+steady glow of the red grate; and moved by one of those
+unaccountable impulses that sometimes decide a man&#8217;s destiny,
+Dr. Grey took the exquisitely beautiful hand from the book
+and enclosed it in both of his.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, you seem strangely unsuspicious of the
+real nature of the interest with which you have inspired me;
+and I owe it to you, as well as to myself, to avow the feelings
+that prompt me to seek your society so frequently. For some
+months after I met you, my professional visits afforded me
+only rare and tantalizing glimpses of you, but from the day
+of Elsie&#8217;s death, I have been conscious that my happiness is
+indissolubly linked with yours,&mdash;that my heart, which never
+before acknowledged allegiance to any woman, is&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For God&#8217;s sake, stop! I cannot listen to you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had wrung her hand violently from his clinging fingers,
+and, springing to her feet, stood waving him from her, while
+an expression of horror came swiftly into her eyes and over
+her whole countenance.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey rose also, and though a sudden pallor spread from
+his lips to his temples, his calm voice did not falter.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it because you can never return my love, that you so
+vehemently refuse to hear its avowal? Is it because your
+own heart&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is because your love is an insult, and must not be
+uttered!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shivered as if rudely buffeted by some freezing blast,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_353' name='page_353'></a>353</span>
+and the steely glitter leaped up, like the flash of a poniard,
+in her large, dilating eyes.</p>
+<p>Shocked and perplexed, he looked for a moment at her
+writhing features, and put out his hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Can it be possible that you so utterly misapprehend me?
+You surely can not doubt the earnestness of an affection
+which impels me to offer my hand and heart to you,&mdash;the
+first woman I have ever loved. Will you refuse&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stand back! Do not touch me! Ah,&mdash;God help me!
+Take your hand from mine. Are you blind? If you were an
+archangel I could not listen to you, for&mdash;for&mdash;oh, Dr. Grey!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She covered her face with her hands, and staggered towards
+a chair.</p>
+<p>A horrible, sickening suspicion made his brain whirl and
+his heart stand still. He followed her, and said, pleadingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not keep me in painful suspense. Why is my declaration
+of devoted affection so revolting to you? Why can you
+not at least permit me to express the love&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because that love dishonors me! Dr. Grey, I&mdash;am&mdash;a&mdash;wife!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The words fell slowly from her white lips, as if her heart&#8217;s
+blood were dripping with them, and a deep, purplish spot
+burned on each cheek, to attest her utter humiliation.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey gazed at her, with a bewildered, incredulous expression.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You mean that your heart is buried in your husband&#8217;s
+grave?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, if that were true, you and I might be spared this
+shame and agony.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A low wail escaped her, and she hid her face in her arms.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome, is not your husband dead?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dead to me,&mdash;but not yet in his grave. The man I
+married is still alive.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She heard a half-stifled groan, and buried her face deeper
+in her arms to avoid the sight of the suffering she had
+caused.</p>
+<p>For some time the stillness of death reigned around them,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_354' name='page_354'></a>354</span>
+and when at last the wretched woman raised her eyes, she
+saw Dr. Grey standing beside her, with one hand on the back
+of her chair, the other clasped over his eyes. Reverently
+she turned and pressed her lips to his cold fingers, and he felt
+her hot tears falling upon them, as she said, falteringly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Forgive me the pain that I have innocently inflicted
+on you. God is my witness, I did not imagine you cared for
+me. I supposed you pitied me, and were only interested in
+saving my miserable soul. The servants told me you were
+very soon to be married to a young girl who lived with your
+sister; and I never dreamed that your noble, generous heart
+felt any interest in me, save that of genuine Christian compassion
+for my loneliness and desolation. If I had suspected
+your feelings, I would have gone away immediately, or told
+you all. Oh, that I had never come here!&mdash;that I had never
+left my safe retreat, near Funchal! Then I would not have
+stabbed the heart of the only man whom I respect, revere,
+and trust.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Some moments elapsed ere he could fully command himself,
+and when he spoke he had entirely regained composure.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not reproach yourself. The fault has been mine,
+rather than yours. Knowing that some mystery enveloped
+your early life, I should not have allowed my affections to
+centre so completely in one concerning whose antecedents
+I knew absolutely nothing. I have been almost culpably
+rash and blind,&mdash;but I could not look into your beautiful,
+sad eyes, and doubt that you were worthy of the love that
+sprang up unbidden in my heart. I knew that you were
+irreligious, but I believed I could win you back to Christ;
+and when I tell you that, after living thirty-eight years,
+you are the only woman I ever met whom I wished to call my
+wife, you can in some degree realize my confidence in the
+innate purity of your character. God only knows how
+severely I am punished by my rashness, how profoundly I deplore
+the strange infatuation that so utterly blinded me.
+At least, I am grateful that my brief madness has not involved
+you in sin and additional suffering.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The burning spots faded from her cheeks as she listened
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_355' name='page_355'></a>355</span>
+to his low, solemn words, and when he ended, she clasped
+her hands passionately, and exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not judge me, until you know all. I am not as unworthy
+as you fear. Do not withdraw your confidence from
+me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He shook his head, and answered, sadly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;A wife, yet bereft of your husband&#8217;s protection! A wife,
+wandering among strangers, and a deserter from the home
+you vowed to cheer! Your own admission cries out in judgment
+against you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He walked to the table and picked up his gloves, and Mrs.
+Gerome rose and advanced a few steps.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, you will come now and then to see me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; for the present I do not wish to see you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah! how brittle are men&#8217;s promises! Did you not assure
+Elsie that you would never forsake her wretched child?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Our painful relations invalidate that promise,&mdash;cancel
+that pledge. I can not visit you as formerly; still, I shall
+at all times be glad to serve you; and you have only to acquaint
+me with your wishes to insure their execution.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Remember how solitary, how desolate, I am.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;A wife should be neither, while her husband lives.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The cold severity of his tone wounded her inexpressibly,
+and she haughtily drew herself up.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey will at least allow me an opportunity of explaining
+the circumstances that he seems to regard as so
+heinous?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He looked at the proud but quivering mouth,&mdash;into the
+great, shadowy, gray eyes, and a heavy sigh escaped him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Perhaps it is better that I should know your history, for it
+will diminish my own unhappiness to feel assured that you
+are worthy of the estimate I placed upon you one hour ago.
+Shall I come to-morrow, or will you tell me now what you
+desire me to know?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I can not sleep until I have exonerated myself in your
+clear, truthful, holy eyes: I can not endure that you should
+think harshly of me, even for a day. This room is suffocating!
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_356' name='page_356'></a>356</span>
+I will meet you on the portico; and yonder, by the
+sea, I will show you my life.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She went to the escritoire, opened one of the drawers, and
+took out a package. Wrapping a cloak around her, she
+quitted the parlor, and found Dr. Grey leaning against one
+of the columns.</p>
+<p>He did not offer her his arm as formerly, but slowly and
+silently they walked down towards the beach, where the surf
+was rolling heavily in with a steady roar, and tossing sheets
+of foam around the stone piers.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;While far across the hill,</p>
+<p class='cg'>A dark and brazen sunset ribbed with black,<br />
+Glared, like the sullen eyeballs of the plague.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXVII' id='CHAPTER_XXVII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXVII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Doctor Grey, had you possessed a tithe of the ingenuity
+of Peiresc, you might long ago have interpreted the deep,
+dark incisions in my character, which, like the indentations
+on his celebrated amethyst, show where the <i>lamin&#230;</i> of luckless
+events inscribed my history with mournful ciphers.
+Elsie&#8217;s hints would have furnished any woman with a clew;
+but, since you have not availed yourself of their aid, I must
+lift the shroud that hides the corpse of my youth, my happiness,
+my faith in man, my hope in God. Ah! unto what
+shall I liken it? This ruined, wretched thing I call my
+life? To the <i>Tauk e Kerra</i>,&mdash;standing in a dreary waste,
+lifting its vast, keyless arch helplessly to heaven? Even such
+a crumbling arch, beautiful and grand in its glorious promise,
+is the incomplete, crownless life of Agla Gerome,&mdash;a lonely
+and melancholy monument of a gigantic failure. Two months
+before my birth, my father, Henderson Flewellyn, died, and
+when I was three hours old, my poor young mother followed
+him, leaving me to the care of her nurse, Elsie Maclean, and
+of an old uncle who was at that time residing in Copenhagen.
+Having no relatives to dictate, Elsie named me Vashti, for
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_357' name='page_357'></a>357</span>
+my mother; but my great-uncle wrote that my baptism must
+be deferred until he could be present, and instructed her to
+call me Evelyn, after himself. But the stubborn Scotch
+will would not bend, and my name was written in the family
+Bible, Vashti Flewellyn. Before the expiration of three
+years, Mr. Mitchell Evelyn died, bequeathing his fortune to
+me, as Evelyn Flewellyn, and consigning me to the guardianship
+of Mr. Lucian Wright, a widowed minister of New York.
+I was a feeble, sickly child, hovering continually upon the
+confines of death, and, as city air was deemed injurious to me,
+Elsie kept me at a farm-house on the Hudson, belonging to
+the estate that I was destined to inherit. Here I remained
+until my tenth year, when Mr. Wright removed me to the
+vicinity of Albany, and placed me under the care of his
+maiden sister, who had a small class of girls to educate.
+Elsie accompanied and watched over me, and here I spent
+four quiet, happy years; but the death of my teacher set
+me once more afloat, and I was carried to New York, and
+left at a large and fashionable boarding-school. I was fond
+of study, and boundlessly ambitious, and soon formed a warm,
+close friendship with a teacher who entered the institution
+after I became one of its inmates. I had no one to love but
+Elsie, who never left me, and consequently, I gave to Edith
+Dexter, the young teacher, all the affection that I would have
+lavished on parents, brothers, and sisters, had they been
+granted to me. She was several years my senior, and the loveliest
+woman I ever saw. Reared in affluence, her family had
+become impoverished, and Edith was thrown upon her own resources
+for a support. My father&#8217;s fortune was very large,
+and the property left me by Mr. Evelyn swelled my estate to
+very unusual proportions. Mr. Wright had carefully attended
+to the investment of the income, and I was regarded
+as the heiress of enormous wealth. Tenderly attached to
+Edith, whose beauty, intelligence, and varied accomplishments
+rendered her peculiarly attractive, I loaded her with presents,
+and determined that as soon as my educational career ended,
+I would establish myself in an elegant residence on Fifth
+Avenue, take Edith to live under my roof, treat her always
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_358' name='page_358'></a>358</span>
+as my sister, and share my ample fortune with her. Dr.
+Grey, you can form no adequate conception of the depth of
+the love I entertained for her. Day and night my busy
+brain devised schemes for lightening her labors, for promoting
+her happiness; and I spared no exertion to shield her from
+the petty vexations and humiliating annoyances incident to
+her situation. Waking, I prayed for her; sleeping in her
+arms, I dreamed of the future we should spend together. At
+the close of the session, she went into Vermont to visit her
+invalid mother, and I to Mr. Wright&#8217;s quiet home, to remain
+until the end of vacation. The minister was a kind-hearted
+but weak old man, who treated me tenderly, and humored
+every caprice that attacked my brain. I had never before
+been his guest, and here, at his house, on the second day
+of my sojourn, I met his favorite nephew, Maurice Carlyle.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome uttered the name through firmly set teeth,
+and the blue cords on her forehead tangled terribly.</p>
+<p>Clenching her fingers, she drew a long breath, and continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;At</ins> that time, he was by far the most fascinating, and
+certainly the handsomest man I have ever met, and when I
+recall the beauty of his face, the grace of his manner, the
+noble symmetry of his figure, and the sparkling vivacity of
+his conversation, I do not wonder that from the first hour
+of our acquaintance he charmed me. I was but a child, a
+proud, impulsive young thing, full of romance, full of wild
+dreams of manly chivalry and feminine constancy and devotion;
+and Maurice Carlyle seemed the perfect incarnation
+of all my glowing ideals of knightly excellence and heroism.
+He was thirty,&mdash;I not yet sixteen; he poor and fastidious,&mdash;I
+generous and trusting, and possessed of one of the largest
+estates on the continent. He had spent much of his life
+abroad, and was as polished as any courtier who ever graced
+St. Cloud or St. James; I an impetuous young simpleton,
+who knew nothing of the world, save those tantalizing
+glimpses snatched from behind the bars of a boarding-school.
+Here, examine these portraits, while the light still lingers,
+and you will see the woful disparity that existed between us
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_359' name='page_359'></a>359</span>
+at that period. They were painted a fortnight after I met
+him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She opened a velvet case, and laid before her companion two
+oval ivory miniatures, richly set with large pearls.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey took them both in his hand, and, by the dull,
+lurid glow that tipped a ridge of clouds lying along the western
+horizon, he saw two pictures.</p>
+<p>One, a remarkably handsome man, with brilliant black
+eyes and regular features, and a cast of countenance that
+forcibly reminded him of the likenesses of Edgar A. Poe, while
+the expression denoted more of chicane than chivalry in his
+character. The other, a fresh, sweet, girlish face, eloquent
+with innocence and purity, with clear, gray eyes, overhung
+by jetty lashes, and overarched by black brows, while a mass
+of dark hair was heaped in short curls on her forehead and
+temples, and fell in long ringlets over her neck.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey looked at Mrs. Gerome, and now at the portrait,
+but the resemblance could nowhere be traced, save in the delicate
+yet haughty arch of the eyebrows, and the dainty moulding
+of the faultless nose.</p>
+<p>While he glanced from one to the other, she placed a third
+miniature beside those in his hand, and he started at sight
+of a surpassingly lovely countenance, which recalled the outlines
+of one that he had left in his library three hours before,
+where Miss Dexter sat reading to Muriel.</p>
+<p>&#8220;There you have the gods of my old worship,&mdash;Edith and
+Maurice. Can you wonder at my infatuation?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She took the pictures, and a derisive smile distorted her
+lips, as she looked shiveringly at them, and hastily replaced
+them on their velvet cushions. Closing the spring with a
+convulsive snap, she tossed the case on the terrace, whence it
+fell to the grass below; and drew her blue velvet drapery
+closer around her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, you know quite enough of human nature to anticipate
+what followed. Three days after I met Maurice
+Carlyle, he swore deathless devotion to his &#8216;gray-eyed angel,&#8217;
+and offered me his hand. Ah! when I recall that evening,
+and think of the words uttered so tenderly, so passionately,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_360' name='page_360'></a>360</span>
+when I summon before me that radiant face, and listen again
+to the voice that so utterly bewitched me, the remembrance
+maddens me, and I feel a murderous hate of my race stirring
+my blood into fierce throbs. With my hands folded in his,
+we planned our future, painted visions that made my brain
+reel, and when his lips touched my forehead, as sacred seal
+of our betrothal, I felt that earth could add nothing to my
+blessed lot. Of course Mr. Wright warmly sanctioned my
+choice, drugging his conscience with the reflection that if
+Maurice was extravagant and inert, my fortune would obviate
+the necessity of his attending to his nominal profession, that
+of the law. The old man insisted, however, that as I was
+a mere child, we must defer our marriage two years. Mr.
+Carlyle frowned, and vowed he could not live more than
+twelve months without his &#8216;peerless prize,&#8217; and like any other
+silly girl, I believed it as unhesitatingly as I did the lessons
+from the gospels that were read to us night and morning.
+What cloudless days flew over my young head, during the ensuing
+month; days wherein I never tired of kneeling and
+thanking God for the marvellous blessing of Maurice Carlyle&#8217;s
+love. Life was mantling in a crystal goblet, like <i>eau de vie de
+Dantzic</i>, and I could not even taste it without watching
+the gold sparkles rise and fall and flash; and how could I
+dream, then, that the draught was not brightened with gilt
+leaves, but really flavored with <i>curare</i>? The only drawback
+to my happiness was Elsie&#8217;s opposition to my engagement,
+and Mr. Carlyle&#8217;s refusal to allow me to acquaint Edith with
+my betrothal. He was so &#8216;furiously jealous of that yellow-haired
+woman whom his darling loved too well.&#8217; It would
+be quite time enough to inform her of my happiness when I
+returned to school. From the beginning, Elsie distrusted,
+disliked, and eyed him suspiciously, but her expostulations
+and arguments only strengthened his influence, and partially
+overthrew hers. One day Mr. Carlyle sought me in great
+haste, and with considerable agitation informed me that he
+had been unexpectedly summoned abroad. Business, with
+the details of which he tenderly forbore to weary me, would
+detain him many months in Europe, and he implored me to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_361' name='page_361'></a>361</span>
+consent to a private marriage before his departure. Mr.
+Wright was in very feeble health, had been threatened with
+paralysis, and my ardent lover would be too unendurably
+miserable separated from me, when death might at any moment
+rob me of my guardian. I consented, and hastened to
+obtain Mr. Wright&#8217;s sanction. That day chanced to be one
+of his despondent, hypochondriacal seasons, and after some
+persuasion on my part, and much sophistry from his nephew,
+the weak old man yielded. Then my lover pressed his advantage,
+and vowed he could never leave me, that his young
+bride must accompany him to London, that my mind would
+be too much engrossed by thoughts of him to permit the
+possibility of my studying advantageously in his absence, and
+that he would assume the responsibility of superintending
+and perfecting his wife&#8217;s education. Mr. Wright demurred;
+Mr. Carlyle raved; I wept. Maurice clasped me in his arms,
+and in the midst of my tears and pleadings, my guardian
+succumbed. It was arranged that our marriage should take
+place within a fortnight, and that we should immediately
+start to Europe. Poor Elsie!&mdash;truest, wisest, best friend God
+ever gave me,&mdash;was enraged and distressed beyond expression.
+She wept, wrung her hands, and falling on her knees entreated
+me not to execute my insane purpose,&mdash;assured me I was a
+lamb led to sacrifice, was the victim of an infamous scheme
+between uncle and nephew to possess themselves of my estate,
+and she exhausted argument and persuasion in attempting
+to recall my wandering common sense. Much as I loved
+her, this bitter vituperation of my idol incensed and estranged
+me, and I temporarily forbade her to enter my presence.
+Poor, dear, devoted Elsie! When my heart relented, and I
+sought her to assure her of my forgiveness, tears and groans
+greeted me, and I found her sitting at the foot of her bed,
+with her face hidden in her apron.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Stretching her arms towards the grave, Mrs. Gerome
+paused; her lips quivered, and two tears rolled down her
+cheeks.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah! dear old heart! Brave, true, tender soul! How different
+my lot would have been had I heeded her prayers
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_362' name='page_362'></a>362</span>
+and counsel! Not until I lie down yonder, and mingle my
+dust with hers, can I, even for an instant, forget her faithful,
+sleepless care and love. I believe she is the only human
+being who was ever tenderly and truly attached to me, and
+God knows I learned before I lost her how much her affection
+was worth.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The cold, ringing voice grew tremulous, wavering, and some
+moments passed before Mrs. Gerome continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mr. Carlyle preferred a private wedding, but I insisted
+upon a ceremony at the church where Mr. Wright officiated,
+and immediately telegraphed to Edith, requesting her presence
+as bridesmaid, and offering to provide her outfit and defray
+all expenses, if she would accompany us to Europe. My betrothed
+bit his lip, and objected; but on this point, at least,
+I was firm, and assured him I would not be married unless
+Edith could be with me. She wrote, declining my invitation
+to Europe, but came to New York, the day of my wedding.
+When I look back at what followed, I have a vague, confused
+feeling, similar to that which results from taking opium.
+Mr. Carlyle had positively interdicted my taking Elsie to
+Europe, assuring me that his wife should not be in leading-strings
+to a spoiled and presumptuous nurse, and promising
+me that, when we returned to America, she might occupy
+the position of housekeeper in our establishment. Absorbed
+by my own supreme happiness, I scarcely saw Edith until
+we were dressed for the ceremony, and when she came and
+leaned against the table where the bridal presents were arranged,
+I noticed that she was pale and much agitated, but
+ascribed her emotion to grief at my approaching departure.
+Several of my schoolmates officiated as bridesmaids, and a
+large party assembled at the church to witness the marriage.
+Mr. Carlyle was a great favorite in society, and his friends
+were invited to the wedding breakfast at the parsonage. It
+was on the bright morning of my sixteenth birthday, when
+I stood before the altar and listened to and uttered the words
+that made me a wife. Every syllable, every intonation, of
+the minister&#8217;s voice is branded on my memory as with a red-hot
+iron: &#8216;Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_363' name='page_363'></a>363</span>
+to live together after God&#8217;s ordinance, in the holy estate of
+matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, serve him, love, honor, and
+keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others,
+keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?&#8217;
+And there, before the altar, with the stained glass making a
+rainbow behind the pulpit, I answered, &#8216;<i>I will</i>.&#8217; Oh, Dr.
+Grey, pity me! pity me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>A cry of anguish escaped her, and she extended her arms
+until her hands rested on her companion&#8217;s shoulder.</p>
+<p>In silence he bent his head, and put his lips to the tightly
+clasped fingers.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell me, sir,&mdash;if that vow means that man may make a
+plaything of God&#8217;s statutes? If it binds for one hour, does
+it not bind while life lasts?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;<i>So long as ye both shall live</i>,&#8217;&#8221; answered Dr. Grey, solemnly;
+and he gently removed her hand, and drew himself
+a little farther from her.</p>
+<p>She was too painfully engrossed by sad reminiscences to
+notice the action, and resumed her narrative.</p>
+<p>&#8220;There was a gay party at the breakfast, and I could not
+remove my fascinated eyes from the radiant face of my husband,
+who had never seemed half so princely as now, when he
+was wholly my own. Once he bent his handsome head to
+mine, and whispered, &#8216;<i>La Peregrina</i>,&#8217; the pet name he had
+given me, because he averred that, in his estimation, my love
+was worth as many ducats as that celebrated pearl of Philip.
+&#8216;<i>La Peregrina</i>,&#8217; indeed! Ah! he melted it in gall and hemlock,
+and drained it at his wedding feast. My heart was so
+overflowing with happiness that I slipped my fingers into
+his, and, in answer to his fond epithet, whispered, &#8216;Maurice,
+my king.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>The speaker was silent for a moment, and an expression of
+disgust and scorn usurped the place of mournfulness.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I deserved my punishment, for no Aztec ever
+worshipped his stone God more devoutly than I did my black-eyed,
+smooth-lipped idol. &#8216;Thou shalt have no other gods
+before me.&#8217; Ah! my &#8216;graven image&#8217; seemed so marvellously
+godlike that I bowed down before it; and there, in the midst
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_364' name='page_364'></a>364</span>
+of my adoration, the curse of idolatry smote me. Half bewildered
+by the rapture that made my heart throb almost to
+suffocation, I stole away from the guests and hid myself in
+the small hot-house attached to Mr. Wright&#8217;s study, longing
+for a little quiet that would enable me to realize all the blessedness
+of my lot. With childish glee I toyed with my title,&mdash;with
+my new name,&mdash;Maurice Carlyle&#8217;s wife&mdash;Evelyn Carlyle!
+How pretty it sounded,&mdash;how holy it seemed! My future
+was as brilliant as that vast enchanted hall into which poor
+Nouronihar was enticed through her insane love for Vathek,
+and, like hers, my illusion was dispelled by a decree that
+strangled hope in my heart, and enveloped it in flames.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Here the flood of melancholy memories drowned her words,
+and, crossing her arms on the stone balustrade, she sat silent
+and moody.</p>
+<p>In the dusky, crepuscular light, Dr. Grey could no longer
+discern the emotions that printed themselves so legibly on her
+countenance; but the outline of her face, and the listless,
+hopeless droop of her figure, curved between him and the
+dun waste of waters.</p>
+<p>Overhead a few dim, hazy stars shivered on the ragged
+skirts of trailing gray clouds, and the ceaseless rustle of the
+shuddering poplars formed a mournful accompaniment to
+the muttering of the ocean, whose weary waves were sobbing
+themselves to rest, like scourged but unconquered children.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I thank you for your patience, Dr. Grey. You forbear to
+hurry me, even as you would shrink from rudely jostling or
+pushing forward the mattock which slowly digs into a grave,&mdash;removing
+human mould and crumbling coffin, searching for
+the skeleton beneath. Exhuming human bones is melancholy
+work, but sadder still is the mission of one who disinters the
+ashes of a woman&#8217;s love, hope, and faith. Across the centre of
+Mr. Wright&#8217;s hot-house ran a light trellis of fine lattice-work
+cut into an arch and covered with the dense luxuriant foliage
+of the bignonia trained over it. Behind this screen I had
+ensconced my happy self, and sat idly bruising the leaves of
+a rose geranium that chanced to be near me, when my blissful
+reverie was interrupted by the sound of that voice which
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_365' name='page_365'></a>365</span>
+had stolen my heart, my reason, my common sense. Believing
+that he had missed and was searching for his bride, I
+rose and peeped through the glossy leaves of the clambering
+vine that divided us. Not four feet distant stood my husband
+of an hour, with his arms clasped fondly around Edith,
+who, in a broken, passionate voice, denounced his perfidy and
+heartlessness. Vehemently he pleaded for an opportunity to
+exculpate himself, and there, tearful and sobbing, with her
+head on his bosom, my friend listened to an explanation that
+was destined to enlighten more than one person. From his
+lips I learned that he had become entangled in certain financial
+difficulties that involved his honor as a gentleman; he had
+used money to enable him to embark in a speculation which,
+if successful, would have afforded him the means of marrying
+in accordance with the dictates of his heart; but, like the
+majority of nefarious schemes, it failed signally, and fear of
+detection, and the absolute necessity of obtaining a large
+amount of money, had goaded him to the desperate step of
+sacrificing his happiness and offering his hand to me. He
+strained her to his breast, kissed her repeatedly, and impiously
+called God to witness that he loved her, and her only,
+truly, tenderly; that never for an instant had his affection
+wandered from her, &#8216;his beautiful, idolized darling.&#8217; He
+bitterly denounced his folly, cursed the hour that had thrown
+me and my fortune in his path, and swore that he utterly
+loathed and despised the silly child whose wealth alone had
+made her his dupe; and, as he flatteringly expressed it, his
+&#8216;hated and intolerable incubus.&#8217; He had intended to spare
+her and himself the agony of this hour,&mdash;had determined to
+remain always in Europe, where he could escape the mocking
+contrast of his bride and his beloved. With indescribable
+scorn, and a wonderful fertility of derisive epithets, he held
+me up, as on the point of a scalpel, and proved the utter impossibility
+of his having been influenced by any other than
+the most grossly mercenary motives; while, between the bursts
+of invective against me, he lavished upon her a hundred fond,
+tender, passionate phrases of endearment that had never been
+applied to me. Pressing one hand on her head, he raised the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_366' name='page_366'></a>366</span>
+other, and called Heaven to witness, that, although the world
+might regard him as the husband of &#8216;that sallow, gray-eyed,
+silly girl,&#8217; whose gold alone had bought his name, the only
+woman he could ever love was his own beautiful Edith; and,
+should death come to his aid and free him from the detested
+bond that linked him to the heiress, he swore he would not
+lose a day in claiming the lovely wife that fate had denied
+him. All this, and much more, which I have not now the requisite
+patience to recapitulate, fell on my ears, startling me
+more painfully than the trumpet-blast of the Last Judgment
+will ever do. Standing there, in my costly bridal robe, I
+listened to the revelation that blotted out all sun and moon
+and stars from my life,&mdash;that made earth a dismal Sheol and
+the future a howling desolation,&mdash;a dreary wilderness of
+woe. In my agony and shame I clenched my hands so
+savagely, one upon the other, that my diamond betrothal-ring
+cut sharply into the quivering flesh, and blood-drops oozed
+and dripped on my shining gossamer veil and white velvet
+dress. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, my whole
+nature was metamorphosed; and my coming years swept in
+panoramic vision before me, beckoning me to the prompt performance
+of a stern and humiliating duty. The blood in my
+veins seemed to hiss and bubble like a seething cauldron, and
+my heart fired with a hate for which language has no name,
+no garb, no provision; but my brain kept faithful guard, and
+reason calmly pointed out my future path. When Mr. Carlyle
+ended his tirade against me and his curses on his own folly,
+I moved forward into the arch and confronted my dethroned
+and defiled gods. If the tedious years of the primitive
+patriarchs could be allotted to me they would never suffice
+to efface the picture that lingers in deep, hot lines on my
+memory, and pursues me as ruthlessly as the avenging cross
+followed and tortured the miserable fugitive in Gustave
+Doré&#8217;s &#8216;<i>Le Juif errant</i>,&#8217; or the Eyeless Christ that proved a
+haunting Nemesis to the Empress Irene. Edith&#8217;s lovely face
+was on his bosom, and his false, handsome lips were pressed
+to hers. So, I met my husband and my dearest friend, one
+hour after the utterance of vows that were perhaps still echoing
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_367' name='page_367'></a>367</span>
+in the courts of heaven. Such spectacles of human perfidy
+are the real Medusas that Gorgonize trusting, tender,
+throbbing hearts, and in view of this one I laughed aloud,&mdash;laughed
+so unnaturally that it was no marvel I was called a
+maniac. At sight of my desperate white face Edith shrieked
+and fainted, and Maurice blanched and stammered and cowered.
+Without a word of comment or recrimination I silently
+passed on to my own room, where Elsie was waiting to clothe
+me in my travelling-suit. In three hours the steamer would
+sail, and I had little leisure for resolution and execution.
+Summoning the lawyer to whose care my estate was entrusted,
+I requested him to call Mr. Wright and Mr. Carlyle into the
+dressing-room that adjoined my apartment, and there I held
+an audience with the three who were most interested in my
+career. Briefly I explained what had occurred, and announced
+my determination, then and there, to separate forever
+from the man who could never be more than my nominal
+husband. I told them I held marriage, next to the Lord&#8217;s
+Supper, the holiest sacrament instituted by God, but mine
+had been an infamous mockery, an unpardonable sin against
+me, and an <ins title='Was unsult'>insult</ins> to Heaven, whose blessing could never rest
+upon it. Marriage, without sanctifying love, was unhallowed,
+was a transgression of divine law, and a crime against my
+womanhood which neither God nor man should forgive.
+Maurice Carlyle had perjured himself,&mdash;had never loved the
+woman who went with him to the altar,&mdash;and the affection
+that had stirred my heart one hour before, was now as dead
+as the Pharaohs hidden for centuries under the pyramids.
+We two, who had sworn to love, honor, and cherish one
+another, now hated and despised each other beyond all possibility
+of expression; and I considered it a heinous sin to
+perpetuate the awful mockery, to cling to the letter of a contract
+that bade defiance to every impulse of heart and soul,&mdash;to
+every dictate of reason and decree of conscience. Wedded
+lives and divided hearts I believed a crime, and while I
+admitted that man could not put asunder those whom God&#8217;s
+statutes joined together, I contended that Mr. Carlyle&#8217;s perjury
+rendered it sinful for him and me to reside under the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_368' name='page_368'></a>368</span>
+same roof. I could not recognize the validity of divorces, for
+human hands could not unlink God&#8217;s fetters, and man&#8217;s law
+had no power to free either of us from the bonds we had
+voluntarily assumed in the invoked presence of Jehovah. I
+would neither accept nor permit a divorce, for, in my estimation,
+it was not worth the paper that framed it, and was a
+species of sacrilegious trifling; but I would never live as
+the wife of a man who had repeatedly declared he had not an
+atom of affection for me. <i>Under some circumstances I
+deemed separation a woman&#8217;s duty</i>, and while I fully comprehended
+the awful import of the vow &#8216;<i>Till death us do
+part</i>,&#8217; and denied that human legislators could free us, or
+annul the marriage, I was resolved, while life lasted, to
+consider myself a duped, an unloved, but a lawful wife,&mdash;a
+woman consecrated by solemn oaths that no human action
+could cancel. Since money was the bait, I was willing to
+divide my fortune as the price of a quiet separation; and
+though from that hour I intended to quit his presence forever,
+and regard the tie that linked us as merely nominal, I
+would allow him a liberal income until I attained my majority
+and would liquidate all his present debts. To your imagination,
+Dr. Grey, I leave the details of what ensued,&mdash;my
+guardian&#8217;s remorseful grief, my lawyer&#8217;s wonder and expostulation,
+Mr. Carlyle&#8217;s confusion, chagrin, and rage. He
+pleaded, argued, threatened; but he might as well have attempted
+to catch and restrain in the hollow of his hand the
+steady sweep of Niagara, as hope to change my purpose. My
+terms were fixed, and I gave him permission to tell the world
+what he chose concerning this strange <i>denouement</i> of the
+wedding feast. If I could only go away at once, I cared not
+what the public thought or said; and finally, finding me no
+longer a yielding child, but a desperate, stern, relentless
+woman, my terms were acceded to. Briefly we discussed the
+legal provisions, and I signed some hastily prepared papers
+that settled a bountiful annuity upon Mr. Carlyle. My trunks
+were sent to the steamer, the carriage was brought to the
+door, and in the presence of my guardian and the lawyer, I
+announced my desire never to look again upon the man who
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_369' name='page_369'></a>369</span>
+had so completely blighted my life. In silence I laid upon the
+table my betrothal and wedding rings, and the sparkling diamond
+cross that had constituted my bridal present. No word
+of reproach passed my lips, for women love when they upbraid,
+and only aching, fond hearts furnish stinging rebukes;
+but I hated and scorned the author of my ruin too utterly to
+indulge in crimination and reproach. So we two, who had
+just been pronounced man and wife, who had clasped hands
+and linked hearts and lives until we should stumble into the
+tomb,&mdash;we, Maurice Carlyle and Evelyn, his bride, four hours
+married, stood up and looked at each other for the last time.
+During the interview I had addressed no remark to him, and
+the last words I ever uttered to him were contained in that
+sentence fondly whispered when he bent over me at the table,
+&#8216;Maurice, my king.&#8217; As I bade adieu to my guardian, and
+paused before the princely figure whom the world called my
+husband, our eyes met, and he flushed, and muttered, &#8216;You
+will rue your rashness.&#8217; Silently I looked on the handsome
+features that had so suddenly grown loathsome to me, and he
+snatched my wedding ring from the table and held it appealingly
+towards me, saying remorsefully, &#8216;Evelyn, my wife, forgive
+your wretched husband!&#8217; Without a word, or a touch
+of his outstretched hands, I turned and went down to the
+carriage, where my faithful nurse sat weeping and waiting.
+One hour later, the vessel swung from her moorings, and Elsie
+and I were soon at sea. A girl only sixteen, four hours married,
+separated forever from husband and friends,&mdash;without
+hope or faith in either human or heavenly things,&mdash;hating,
+with most intolerable intensity, the man whose name she had
+just assumed, and to whom she felt indissolubly bound, in
+accordance with the vow &#8216;<i>So long as ye both shall live</i>.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>Out of the tossing, moaning sea, the moon had risen slowly,
+breaking through a rent scarf of cloud that barred her solemn,
+white disc, and silvering the foam of the racing waves that
+seemed to reflect the glittering fringe of the scudding vapor in
+the chill vault above them. There was no mellow radiance, no
+golden lustre such as southern moons are wont to shed, but
+a weird, fitful glitter on sea and land, that now shone with
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_370' name='page_370'></a>370</span>
+startling vividness, and anon waned, until sombre shadows
+seemed stalking in spectral ranks from some distant, gloomy
+ocean lair. It was one of those melancholy nights when
+the supernatural realm threatened to impinge upon the
+physical, that shuddered and shrank from the contact,&mdash;when
+the atmosphere gave vague hints of ghostly denizens, and
+every passing breeze seemed laden with sepulchral damps and
+vibrating with sepulchral sounds.</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome sat erect, with her hands resting on the balustrade,
+and under that mysteriously white moon her pearl-pale
+face looked as hopelessly cold and rigid as any Persepolitan
+sphinx, that nightly fronts the immemorial stars
+which watch the ruined tombs of Chilminar.</p>
+<p>Raising her fingers to her forehead, she lifted and shook a
+band of the shining white hair, and resumed her narration, in
+the same steady, passionless tone.</p>
+<p>&#8220;These gray locks were the fruit of that bridal day, for,
+on the afternoon that we sailed, I was taken very ill with what
+was called congestion of the brain,&mdash;was unconscious throughout
+the voyage, and when we reached Liverpool, my hair, once
+so black and glossy, was as you see it now. Ah! how often,
+since that time, have I heard poor Elsie mourning over my
+mother&#8217;s untimely death, and quoting that ancient superstition,
+&#8216;You should never wean a child while trees are in blossom;
+otherwise it will have gray hair.&#8217; Mr. Wright was so
+prostrated by grief at what had occurred, that he survived
+my departure only a few weeks; and at his death, Mr. Carlyle
+attempted to seize and control my estate. Urging the plea of
+my minority, he insisted upon assuming the charge of my
+property, and in order to consummate his avaricious designs,
+and screen his name from opprobrium, he told the world that
+I was hopelessly insane; and that the discovery of this fact,
+one hour after his marriage, had induced him to send me
+abroad under the care of a faithful and judicious nurse. To
+give plausibility to this statement, a paragraph was inserted
+in the New York papers announcing that I was a raving
+maniac and an inmate of an English asylum for lunatics.
+Mr. Clayton, my lawyer, was the sole surviving witness of my
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_371' name='page_371'></a>371</span>
+final interview, and of its financial provisions; and, had he
+yielded to bribes and threats which were unsparingly offered,
+God only knows what would have been my fate, since the
+tender mercies of my husband destined me to the cheerful
+and attractive precincts of a mad-house. To Mr. Clayton&#8217;s
+stern integrity and brave defence, I am indebted for the
+preservation of my fortune and the defeat of a daring and iniquitous
+scheme to arrest me in London and commit me to
+the custody of an asylum-warden. Fortunately for me, he
+lived long enough to transfer to my own guardianship, when
+I attained my majority, the estate which had cost me every
+earthly hope. Six months after my departure from America
+I bade farewell to Europe, and plunged into the most remote
+and unfrequented portions of the East, where I wished to remain
+unknown and unnoticed. In a half-defiant and half-superstitious
+mood, I had assumed the talismanic and mystical
+name of Alga Gerome, with the faint hope that it
+might shield me from the intrigues and persecutions which I
+felt assured would always dog the steps of Evelyn Carlyle.
+Having appointed a cautious and confidential agent in New
+York and Paris, I destroyed all traces of my whereabouts,
+and became as utterly lost to the world as though the portals
+of the grave had closed upon me. Without friends, and accompanied
+only by Elsie and her son Robert, I lived year after
+year in wandering through strange lands. Books and pictures
+were my solace, and to strangle time I first devoted myself
+to drawing and painting. After a while I came back to
+Rome, and frequented the studios and galleries, perfecting
+myself in the mechanical department of Art. But fear of
+encountering some familiar face drove me from the Eternal
+City, and a sudden whim took me to Madeira, where I spent
+the only portion of my life to which I recur with any degree
+of satisfaction. There, surrounded by magnificent scenery,
+and safe from intrusion, I intended to drag out the remainder
+of my dreary years; but poor Elsie grew so restless, so homesick,
+so impatient to visit the graves of her household band,
+that I finally allowed myself to be persuaded into returning
+to my native land. Robert preceded us, and purchased this
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_372' name='page_372'></a>372</span>
+secluded spot, which I had stipulated must be upon the sea-shore
+and secure from all intrusion. Avoiding New York, I
+came reluctantly to Boston, thence to &#8216;Solitude,&#8217; without
+seeing or hearing of any whom I had once known. When I
+was twenty-one, I transferred to Mr. Carlyle the sum of thirty
+thousand dollars, as a final settlement; but my agent scrupulously
+obeyed my instructions, and no human being, save himself,
+is aware of my place of residence or the name under
+which I am sheltered. Strenuous efforts have been made by
+Mr. Carlyle to unearth his wretched dupe, but since I left
+England, nearly eight years ago, he has been unable to discover
+any trace of my location. From time to time I received
+bills, contracted by him, and paid by my lawyer after I left
+New York; and in my escritoire are two accounts of jewellers,
+where I find charged the flashing ring and costly diamond
+cross, which I refused to retain but for which I paid, after
+my separation. Prone to dissipation, Mr. Carlyle plunged into
+excesses that would have squandered royal portions, and
+my agent writes that his eagerness to ascertain where I am
+residing has recently increased, in consequence of his pecuniary
+necessities, although the terms of our separation deprive
+him of every shadow of claim upon me or my purse.
+Such, Dr. Grey, is the shattered idol of my girlish adoration,&mdash;such
+the divinity of dust upon which I spent the treasures
+of my love and trust. Gray-haired, gray-hearted, mocked, and
+maddened in the dawn of my confiding womanhood, nominally
+a wife, but in reality a nameless waif, shut out from
+happiness, and pitied as a maniac,&mdash;such, is that most desolate
+and isolated woman, whom, as Agla Gerome, you have
+known as the mistress of this lonely place. As for my name,
+I sometimes wonder whether in the last great gathering in the
+court of Heaven, my own mother will know what to call her
+unbaptized child,&mdash;whether the sins charged against me will
+be read out as those of Vashti, or Evelyn, or Agla. Elsie
+<ins title='Was persistenly'>persistently</ins> clung to Vashti, and verily there seems a grim
+fitness in her selection,&mdash;a dismal analogy between my blasted
+life and that of the discrowned Persian Queen. Be that as it
+may, if I miss a name I surely shall not miss the equity that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_373' name='page_373'></a>373</span>
+man denies me. &#8216;<i>So long as ye both shall live</i>.&#8217; When I
+look out in springtime, over the blossoming earth, daisies,
+and violets, and primroses range themselves into lines that
+spell out these hated words of an ever-echoing vow, and if,
+in midnight hours, I raise my weary eyes, the sleepless stars
+revengefully group themselves, and flash back to me, in burning
+characters, &#8216;<i>Till death us do part</i>.&#8217; Up yonder, behind
+sun, and planet, and nebul&#230;, I shall look God in the face, and
+pointing to my withered heart and blighted life, can say truly,
+&#8216;At least I kept the ruins free from perjury; there, at your
+feet, is the oath unsullied, that I called you to accept on the
+awful day when I knelt at your altar.&#8217; Love, honor, and
+obedience, Maurice Carlyle&#8217;s unworthiness rendered impossible;
+but the vow which consecrated and set me apart, which
+forbade the thought that other men might offer homage and
+affection, or even ordinary tributes of admiration, I have kept
+sacredly and faithfully. I might have plunged into the whirlpool
+of fashionable life, and found temporary oblivion of my
+humiliation and disappointment; but from such a career my
+whole being revolted, and in seclusion I have dragged out a
+dreary series of years that can scarcely be termed life.
+Recently I have been honored by several proposals for a
+divorce, on condition of an additional settlement of money
+upon my eminently chivalric and devoted husband; but my
+invariable reply has been, <i>human legislation is impotent to
+cancel the statutes of Almighty God, which declare that only
+death can free what Jehovah has joined together</i>, and the legal
+provisions of man crumble and shrivel before the divine command,
+&#8216;<i>For the woman which hath an husband is bound by
+the law to her husband so long as he liveth</i>.&#8217; With what impatience,
+what ceaseless yearning, I await the cold touch of
+that deliverer who alone can sever my galling, detested fetters,
+none but the God above us can understand and realize. The
+eagerness with which I once anticipated my bridal hour does
+not approximate the intensity of my longing for the day of
+my death. O merciful God! surely, surely, I have been sufficiently
+tortured, and the tardy release can not be far distant.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She raised her face skyward, as if invoking Divine aid, but
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_374' name='page_374'></a>374</span>
+her wan lips were voiceless; and only the song of the surf mingled
+with the whisper of trembling poplars, whose fading
+leaves gleamed ghostly and chill under the silver sheen of
+that broad white moon.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;There heavily, across the troubled night,<br />
+A warning comet trails her hideous hair,<br />
+And underneath, the wroth sea-waves are white.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>During the hour in which Dr. Grey listened to the recital
+of this woman&#8217;s hapless career, she became as utterly dead to
+him as though shroud and sepulchre had already claimed her;
+and when she ceased speaking, he looked as sorrowfully down
+at her fair, frozen face, as if the coffin-lid were shutting it
+forever from his view.</p>
+<p>Henceforth she was as sacred in his sad eyes as some beloved
+corpse, and bowing his head upon his hands, he prayed long
+but silently that God would strengthen him for the duties of
+a desolate future,&mdash;would sanctify this grievous disappointment
+to his eternal welfare, and grant him power to lead
+heavenward the heart of the only woman whom he had ever
+desired to call his own.</p>
+<p>Putting away the beautiful dreams wherein this regal form
+had moved to and fro as crown and queen of his home and
+heart, he calmly resigned the cherished scheme that linked this
+woman&#8217;s life with his; and felt that he would gladly barter
+all his earthly hopes for the assurance, that, throughout
+eternity, he might be allowed the companionship which time
+denied him.</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome rose, and folding her mantle around her, said
+proudly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Married life, unhallowed by love, is more acceptable in
+your righteous eyes than my isolated existence; and you have
+passed sentence against me. So be it. Strange code of morality
+you Christians hug to your hearts, squeezing the form
+that holds no spirit; but some day I shall be acquitted by
+that incorruptible tribunal where God alone has the right
+to judge us. Till then, farewell.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_375' name='page_375'></a>375</span></div>
+<p>She turned to leave the terrace, but he arrested the movement,
+and placed himself before her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You misinterpret my silence, if you suppose it was employed
+in censuring your course. Pondering all that you have
+recapitulated, I can conjecture no line of conduct towards
+your husband less deplorable than that which you have pursued;
+and I honor the stern honesty and integrity of purpose
+from which you have never swerved. Mrs. Carlyle, I acquit
+you of all guilt, save that of impious defiance, of rebellion
+against your God, whose grace could sweeten even the bitter
+dregs of the cup you have well-nigh drained.&#8221;</p>
+<p>At the sound of her name, so long unuttered, she winced
+and writhed as if some sensitive nerve had been suddenly
+pierced and torn; but without heeding her emotion, Dr. Grey
+continued,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If your earthly lot has been stinted of sunshine, can you
+not bear a little temporary gloom,&mdash;must you needs people
+it with adverse witnesses, must you thicken the darkness
+with imprecations? You forget that life is only the racecourse,
+not the goal,&mdash;that this world is for human souls
+what the plain of Dura proved for the Hebrew trio who braved
+its flames. Suppose you are lonely and bereft of the love
+that might have cheered you? Was not Christ far more
+isolated and loveless? In His fearful ordeal He was forsaken
+by God,&mdash;but to you remains the everlasting promise, &#8216;I will
+not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.&#8217; O wretched
+woman! give your aching heart to Him who emptied it of
+earthly idols in order to fit it up for His own temple.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Is God less God, that thou art left undone?<br />
+Rise, worship, bless Him, in this sackcloth spun,<br />
+As in that purple.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Silently she listened, looking steadily up at his noble face,
+where intense mental anguish had left unwonted pallor, and
+printed new ciphers on brow and lips; and when his adjuration
+ended, she put out her hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;That you do not <ins title='Was condem'>condemn</ins> me is the most precious consolation
+you could offer, for your good opinion is worth much
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_376' name='page_376'></a>376</span>
+to my proud, sensitive soul. If all men were like you there
+would be no mutilated, ruined lives, such as mine,&mdash;no
+nominal wives roaming up and down the world in search of
+an obscure corner wherein to hide dishonored heads and
+crushed hearts. God grant you some day a wife worthy of the
+noblest man it has ever been my good fortune to meet. Good-by.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He did not accept the offered hand, and stood for a moment
+as if struggling to master some impulse to which he could not
+yield. Perhaps he dared not trust the touch of those gleaming,
+slender fingers that had clasped a living husband&#8217;s; or
+perchance he was so absorbed by painful thoughts that he
+failed to observe them.</p>
+<p>Laying his palm softly on her snowy head, he said tenderly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Carlyle, you have innocently, and I believe unconsciously,
+caused me the keenest suffering I have ever endured;
+and I feel assured you will not withhold the only reparation
+which you could render, or I accept. Will you promise to
+consecrate the remainder of your life to the service of Christ?
+Will you humble your defiant soul, and so spend your future,
+that when this brief earthly pilgrimage ends you can pass joyfully
+to the city of Rest? Girded with this hope, I can brave
+all trials,&mdash;can be content to look upon your face no more in
+this world,&mdash;can patiently wait for a reunion in that Eternal
+Home where they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain
+that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry
+nor are given in marriage.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Dr. Grey, if it were possible!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She clasped her hands and bowed her chin upon them, awed
+by his tones, and unable to met his grave, pleading eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Faith and prayer are the talismans that render all things
+possible to an earnest Christian; and it has been truly said
+&#8216;We mount to heaven mostly on the ruins of our cherished
+schemes, finding our failures were successes.&#8217; Recollect,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;There is a pleasure which is born of pain:<br />
+The grave of all things hath its violet,&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_377' name='page_377'></a>377</span></div>
+<p>and do not indulge a corroding bitterness that has almost destroyed
+the nobler elements of your nature. I will exact no
+promise, but when I am gone, do not forget the request that
+my soul makes of yours. May God point out your work and
+help you to perform it faithfully. May His hand guide and
+uphold, and His merciful arms enfold you, now and forever,
+is and shall be my prayer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>For a moment his hand lingered as if in benediction upon
+the drooping gray head, then he quietly turned and walked
+away, knowing full well that he was bidding adieu to the most
+precious of all earthly objects,&mdash;that he too was shattering
+a lovely &#8220;graven image,&#8221; before which his heart had fondly
+bowed.</p>
+<p>As the sound of his firm step died away, the lonely woman
+lifted her face and looked after the form, vanishing in the
+gloom of the overarching trees. When he had disappeared,
+and she turned seaward, where the moon, as if inviting her
+to heaven, had laid a broad shining band of beaten silver
+from wave to sky,&mdash;the miserable wife raised her hands appealingly,
+and made a new <ins title='Was convenant'>covenant</ins> with her pitying God.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;Wherefore thy life</p>
+<p class='cg'>Shall purify itself, and heal itself,<br />
+In the long toil of love made meek by tears.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXVIII' id='CHAPTER_XXVIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Merton, you are not conscious of the extent of your infatuation,
+which has already excited comment in our limited
+circle of acquaintances.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Indeed! The members of &#8216;our limited circle of acquaintances&#8217;
+are heartily welcome to whatever edification or amusement
+they may be able to derive from the discussion of my individual
+affairs, or the analysis of my peculiar tastes. You
+forget, my dear Constance, that to devour and in turn be
+devoured is an inexorable law of this world; and if my eccentricities
+furnish a <i>ragout</i> for omnivorous society, I should be
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_378' name='page_378'></a>378</span>
+philanthropically glad that tittle-tattledom owes me thanks.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The speaker did not lay aside the newspaper that partially
+concealed his countenance; and when he ceased speaking, his
+eyes reverted to the statistical table of Egyptian and Algerine
+cotton, which for some moments he had been attentively examining.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear brother, you are spasmodically and provokingly
+philosophical! Pray do me the honor to discard that stupid
+<i>Times</i>, which you pore over as if it were the last sensation
+novel, and be so courteous as to look at me while you are
+talking,&#8221; replied the invalid sister, beating a tattoo on the side
+of her couch.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I believe I have nothing to communicate just now,&#8221; was
+the quiet and unsatisfactory answer, as he drew a pencil from
+his pocket and made some numeral annotations on the margin
+of the statistics.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Surely, Merton, you are not angry with your poor Constance?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Merton Minge lowered his paper, restored the pencil to his
+vest pocket, and wheeling his chair forward, brought himself
+closer to the couch.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wish you were as far removed from fever as I certainly
+am from anger. Your eyes are too bright, my pretty one.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He put his fingers on her pulse, and when he removed them,
+compressed his lips to stifle a sigh.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why will you so persistently evade me?&mdash;why will you
+always change the subject when I allude to that young lady?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because, when a man attains the sober and discreet age of
+forty years, he naturally and logically thinks he has earned,
+and is entitled to, an exemption from the petty teasing to
+which sophomores and sentimentalists are subjected. While I
+gratefully appreciate the compliment implied in your forgetfulness,
+permit to remind you of the disagreeable fact that
+I am no longer a boy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You lose sight of that same ugly and ill-mannered fact,
+much more frequently than I am in danger of doing; and I
+affectionately suggest that you stimulate your own torpid
+memory. Ah, brother! why will you not be frank, and confide
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_379' name='page_379'></a>379</span>
+in me? Women are not easily hoodwinked, except by
+their lovers,&mdash;and you can not deceive me in this matter.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What pleasure do you suppose it would afford me to practice
+deceit of any kind towards my only sister? To what
+class of motives could you credit such conduct?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I think you shrink from acknowledging your real feelings,
+because you very well know that I could never sanction
+or consent to them.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mr. Minge arched his heavy brows, and the sternly drawn
+lines of his large mouth relaxed, and threatened to run into
+curves that belonged to the ludicrous, as he turned his twinkling
+eyes upon his sister&#8217;s face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What extraordinary hallucinations attack even sage, sedate,
+middle-aged men? Ten minutes ago I would have sworn
+I was your guardian; whereas, it seems your apron-strings
+are the reins that rule me. Don&#8217;t pout, my Czarina, if I
+demand your credentials before I bow submissively to your
+<i>ukase</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Irony is not your forte; and, Merton, I beg you to recollect
+that I detest bantering,&mdash;it is so excessively ungenteel.
+No wonder you look nervous and ashamed, after your recent
+very surprising manifestation of&mdash;well, I might as well say
+what I mean&mdash;of <i>mauvais goût</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Constance Minge impatiently threw off the light worsted
+shawl that rested on her shoulders, and propped her cheek on
+her jewelled hand.</p>
+<p>Her brother&#8217;s countenance clouded, and his lips hardened,
+but after one keen look at her flushed features, he once more
+resumed the perusal of the paper. Some moments elapsed,
+and his sister sobbed, but he took no notice of the sound.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Merton, I never expected you would treat me so cruelly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Make out your charges in detail, and when you are sure
+you have included all the petty deeds of tyranny as well as the
+heinous acts of brutality, I will examine the indictment, and
+hear myself arraigned. Shall I bring you some legal cap, and
+loan you my pencil?&#8221;</p>
+<p>For five minutes she held her handkerchief to her eyes, and
+then Mr. Minge rose and looked at his watch.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_380' name='page_380'></a>380</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;You will not be so unkind as to leave me again this afternoon,
+and spend your time with that&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Constance, you transcend your privileges, and this is a
+most <i>apropos</i> and convenient occasion to remind you that
+presumption is one fault I find it particularly difficult to forgive.
+Since my forbearance only invites aggression, let me
+hear say (as an economy of trouble), that you are rashly invading
+a realm where I permit none to enter, much less to
+dictate. I hope you understand me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I knew it,&mdash;I felt it! I dreaded that artful girl would
+make mischief between us,&mdash;would alienate the only heart I
+had left to care for me. Oh, how I wish she had been forty
+fathoms under the sea before you ever saw her!&mdash;before you
+ceased to love me!&#8221;</p>
+<p>A flood of tears emphasized the sentence, which seemed lost
+upon Mr. Minge, as he lighted a cigar, tried its flavor, threw
+it away, and puffed the smoke from a second.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am sorry you can&#8217;t smoke and compose your nerves, as I
+am preparing to do,&mdash;though I confess I prefer to kiss your
+lips untainted by such odors. Shall I?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He held his cigar aside to prevent the wind from wafting
+the curling column of smoke in her face, and bent his head
+close to hers; but she put up her hand to prevent the caress,
+and averted her face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;As you like. But mark you, Constance, the next time our
+lips touch, you will find yourself in the nominative case, while
+I meekly fill an objective position. You are a poor, wilful,
+spoiled child, and I must begin to undo my own ruinous
+work.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He picked up his hat and walked off, followed by a pretty
+Italian mouse-colored greyhound, whose silver bell tinkled as
+she ran down the steps.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Merton, come back! Do not leave me here alone, or I
+shall die. Brother!&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>On strode the stalwart figure, looking neither to right nor
+left, and behind him trailed the vaporous aroma of the fine
+cigar. Raising herself on her couch, the invalid elevated her
+voice, and exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_381' name='page_381'></a>381</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Please, dear Merton, come back,&mdash;at least long enough to
+let me kiss you. Please, brother!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He paused,&mdash;wavered,&mdash;drew geometrical figures on the
+ground with the tip of his boot, and finally took off his hat,
+turned and bowed, saying,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Show some flag of truce, if you really want me to return.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She raised her hands and gracefully tossed him several
+kisses.</p>
+<p>Slowly Mr. Minge retraced his steps, and, as he sat down
+once more close to his sister and pushed back his hat, she saw
+that he intended her to realize that her reign was at an end;
+and she trembled and turned pale at the expression with which
+he regarded her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Merton, don&#8217;t you know&mdash;don&#8217;t you believe&mdash;that I love
+you above everything else?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She sat erect, and stole one arm around the neck that did
+not bend toward her, as was its habit.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you really loved me, you would desire to see me happy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do desire it, earnestly and sincerely; and there is no
+sacrifice I would not make to see you really happy.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Provided I selected your mode of obtaining the boon, and
+moreover consulted your caprices and antipathies; otherwise,
+my happiness would annoy and insult you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t scold,&mdash;kiss me.&#8221; She put up her lips, but he did
+not respond to the motion, and she pettishly drew his head
+down and kissed him several times. &#8220;How obstinate you have
+grown!&mdash;how harsh towards me! It is all the result of
+that&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>She bit her lip, and her brother frowned.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Take care! You seem continually disposed to stumble
+very awkwardly into forbidden realms.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The petted invalid nestled her pretty head on his bosom,
+and patted his cheek with one hot hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Brother, Kate Sutherland was here this morning, and left&mdash;besides
+numerous kind messages for you&mdash;a three-cornered
+note that I ordered Adèle to place in your dressing-case,
+where I felt sure you would see it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, I saw it.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_382' name='page_382'></a>382</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;An invitation to ascend Monte Pellegrini?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Which I respectfully decline.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;O Merton! Why not go?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Simply because I never premeditatedly, and with <i>malice
+prepense</i>, bore myself by joining parties composed of persons
+in whom I have not an atom of interest.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;But Kate is so lovely?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nonsense! She was the handsomest young girl in Paris,
+and was the acknowledged belle of the season.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Possibly. Henna-dyed nails are considered irresistible in
+Turkey, but your opalescent ones attract me infinitely more
+pleasantly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pray what have my nails to do with Kate&#8217;s beauty?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nothing destructive, I hope,&mdash;as I am disposed to think
+she has little to spare.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good heavens! You surely would not insinuate that you
+believe or consider,&mdash;or would admit, that she is not vastly
+superior to&mdash;to&mdash;there, Beauty, down! She is actually
+dining on the fringe of my pelerine!&#8221;</p>
+<p>To cover her confusion, Constance addressed herself to the
+diminutive dog at her feet, and taking her flushed face in his
+hands, the brother looked steadily down, and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I never insinuate. It impresses me as a cowardly and contemptible
+bit of plebeian practice that found favor after the
+royal purple was trailed in agrarian democratic dust; and
+lest you should unjustly impute abhorred innuendoes to me,
+I will say perspicuously, that the most attractive and beautiful
+woman I have ever seen is not your fair friend Miss
+Sutherland, nor any other darling of diamond and satin sheen,
+but a young lady whom I admire beyond expression, Miss
+Salome Owen.&#8221;</p>
+<p>An angry flush burned on the invalid&#8217;s face, and her mouth
+curled scornfully.</p>
+<p>&#8220;She is rather handsome sometimes,&mdash;so are gypsies and
+other waifs; but it is a wild sort of beauty,&mdash;if beauty you
+persist in terming it; and low birth and blood are visible in
+everything that appertains to her. I never expected to see
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_383' name='page_383'></a>383</span>
+my brother condescend to the level of opera-singers, and I am
+astonished at your infatuation. There! you need not expect
+to blast me with that fiery look, and besides, you know you
+mentioned her name, which I had scrupulously avoided. I
+confess I am very proud of my family, and of you, its sole
+male representative, and I wish it preserved from all taint.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Untainted it shall remain, while a drop of the blood throbs
+in my veins, and I, who am jealous of my honor, have carefully
+pondered the matter, and maturely decided that he who
+entrusts his happiness to Salome Owen will be indeed an enviable
+man, and pardonably proud of his prize. Once I bartered
+myself away at the altar, and gave my name and hand
+for wealth, for aristocratic antecedents, for fashionable status,
+and five years of purgatorial misery was the richly merited
+penalty for the insult I offered my heart. Death freed me,
+and for ten years I have lived at least in peace, indulging no
+thought of a second alliance, and merely amused, or disgusted
+by the matrimonial snares that have lined my path. I no
+longer belong to that pitiable class who feel constrained to
+marry for position, and who convert the altar-steps into so
+many rounds of the social ladder; and I have earned the right
+to indulge my outraged heart in any caprice that promises to
+mellow, to gild the evening of my life with that home-sunshine
+that was denied its gloomy tempestuous morning. My
+future, my fortune, my social standing, my unblemished name,
+are all my own,&mdash;and I shall exercise my privilege of bestowing
+them where and when I please, heedless of the sneers and
+howls of disappointed mercenary schemers. Come weal, come
+woe, I here announce that neither you nor the world need hope
+to influence me one &#8216;jot or tittle&#8217; in an affair where I allow
+no impertinent interference. I warn you this is the last time
+I shall permit even an indirect allusion to matters with which
+you have no legitimate concern; and provided you do not obtrude
+them upon me, it is a question of indifference to me
+what your opinion and that of your &#8216;circle&#8217; may chance to
+be. Constance, you here have your ultimatum. Defy me, if
+you please, but prompt separation will ensue; and you will unexpectedly
+find yourself <i>en route</i> for America. Peace or
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_384' name='page_384'></a>384</span>
+war? Before you decide, recollect that all your future will
+be irretrievably colored by it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In my state of health it is positively cruel for you to
+threaten me; and some day when you follow my coffin to
+Mount Auburn, you will repent your harshness. I wish to
+heaven I had never left home!&#8221;</p>
+<p>A passionate fit of weeping curtailed the sentence, and,
+while the face was covered with the lace handkerchief, the
+brother rose and made his escape.</p>
+<p>Despite the fact that forty years had left their whitening
+touches on his head and luxuriant beard, Merton Minge,
+who had never been handsome, even in youth, was sufficiently
+agreeable in appearance to render him an object of deep interest
+in the circle where he moved. Medium-statured, and
+very robust, a healthful ruddy tinge robbed his complexion
+of that sallow hue which mercantile pursuits are apt to induce,
+and brightened the deep-set black eyes which his debtors
+considered mercilessly keen, cold, and incisive.</p>
+<p>The square face, with its broad, full forehead, and deep
+curved furrow dividing the thick straight brows,&mdash;its well-shaped
+but prominent nose, and massive jaws and chin partially
+veiled by a grizzled beard that swept over his deep
+chest,&mdash;was suggestive of ledgers rent-roll, and stock-boards,
+rather than &#230;sthetics, chivalry, or sentimentality. The only
+son of a proud but impoverished family, who were eager to retrieve
+their fortune, he had early in life married the imperious
+spoiled daughter of a Boston millionaire, whose dower consisted
+of five hundred thousand dollars, and a temper that
+eclipsed the unamiable exploits of ancient and modern shrews.</p>
+<p>Hopeless of domestic happiness in a union to which affection
+had not prompted him, Mr. Minge devoted himself to
+the rapid accumulation of wealth, and by judicious and successful
+speculations had doubled his fortune, ere, at the comparatively
+early age of thirty, he was left a childless widower.
+Whether he really thanked fate for his timely release, his
+most intimate friends were never able to ascertain, for he
+wore mourning, badges for three years, and conducted himself
+in all respects with exemplary dignity and scrupulous propriety.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_385' name='page_385'></a>385</span>
+But the frigid indifference with which he received all
+matrimonial overtures indicated that his conjugal experience
+was not so rosy as to tempt him to repeat the experiment.</p>
+<p>His mother was a haughty, frivolous woman, jealously tenacious
+of her position as one of the oligarchs of <i>le beau monde</i>,
+and his fragile sister had from childhood been the victim of
+rheumatism that frequently rendered her entirely helpless.
+To these two and their fashionable friends, he abandoned his
+elegant home, costly equipages, and opera-box, reserving only
+a suite of rooms, his handsome riding-horse, and yacht.</p>
+<p>Grave and unostentatious, yet not moody,&mdash;neither impulsively
+liberal and generous nor habitually penurious and uncharitable,&mdash;he
+led a quiet and monotonously easy life, varied
+by occasional trips to foreign lands, and comforted by the assurance
+that his income-tax was one of the heaviest in the
+state. Two years after the death of his mother, he took his
+sister a second time to Europe, hoping that the climate of
+the Levant might relieve her suffering; and upon the steamer
+in which he crossed the Atlantic he met Salome Owen.</p>
+<p>Extravagantly fond of music, though unable to extract it
+from any instrument, his attention had first been attracted
+by her exquisite voice, which invested the voyage with a novel
+charm and rendered her a great favorite with the passengers.</p>
+<p>Human nature is wofully inflexible and obstinate, and not
+all the Menus, Zoroasters, Solomons, and Platos have taught
+it wisdom; wherefore it is not surprising that a caustic wit
+and savage cynic asserts, &#8220;The vices, it may be said, await us
+in the journey of life like hosts with whom we must successively
+lodge; and I doubt whether experience would make
+us avoid them if we were to travel the same road a second
+time.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Habit may be second nature, but it is the Gurth, the thrall
+of the first,&mdash;the vassal of inherent impulses; and even the
+most ossified natures contain some soft palpitating spot that
+will throb against the hand that is sufficiently dexterous to
+find it. In every man and woman there lurks a vein of sentiment,
+which, no matter how heavily crushed by the super-incumbent
+mass of utilitarian, practical commonplaceisms,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_386' name='page_386'></a>386</span>
+will one day trickle through the dusty <i>débris</i>, and creep like a
+silver thread over the dun waste of selfishness; or, Arethusa-like,
+burst forth suddenly after long subterranean wandering.</p>
+<p>For forty years it had crawled silently and sluggishly under
+the indurated and coldly egoistic nature of Merton Minge,&mdash;had
+been dammed up at times by avarice and at others by grim
+recollections of his domestic infelicity; but finally, after
+tedious meandering in the Desert of Heartlessness, it struggled
+triumphantly to the surface one glorious autumn night,
+when a golden moon illumined the Atlantic waves and kindled
+a bewitching beauty in the face of Salome, who sat on
+deck, singing an impassioned strain from <i>La Favorite</i>.</p>
+<p>Her silvery voice was the miraculous rod that smote his petrified
+affections, and a wellspring of tenderness gushed forth,
+freshening, softening, and clothing with verdure and bloom
+his arid, sterile, stony temperament. Long-buried dreams of
+his boyhood stirred in their chilly graves and flitted dimly
+before him, and a hope that had slumbered so soundly he had
+utterly ignored its memory, started up, eager and starry-eyed,
+as in the college days of eld,&mdash;the precious hope, underlying
+all other emotions in a man&#8217;s heart, that one day he too
+would be loved and prayed for by a pure womanly heart, and
+pure, sweet, womanly lips.</p>
+<p>Fifteen years before, he had vowed &#8220;to cherish,&#8221; not the
+haughty girl whose hand he clasped, but the five hundred
+thousand dollars that gilded it; and faithfully he had kept
+his oath to the god of his idolatry, sacrificing the best half of
+his life to insatiate <i>Kuvera</i>.</p>
+<p>On that cloudless October night, as he watched the shimmer
+of the moon on Salome&#8217;s silky hair, and noted the purely
+oval outline of her daintily carved face, and the childish grace
+of her fine form,&mdash;as he listened to flute-like tones, as irresistible
+as Parthenope&#8217;s, his cold, formal, non-committal mouth
+stirred, his hand involuntarily opened and closed firmly, as if
+grasping some &#8220;pearl of great price,&#8221; and his slow, almost
+stagnant pulses, leaped into feverish activity, and soon ran
+riot. Perhaps more regular features, and deeper, richer carnation
+bloom had confronted him, but love makes sad havoc of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_387' name='page_387'></a>387</span>
+ideals and abstract standards, and he who defined beauty,
+&#8220;the woman I love,&#8221; was wiser than Burke and more analytical
+than Cousin.</p>
+<p>The freshness, the <i>brusquerie</i>, the outspoken honesty, that
+characterized Salome, strangely fascinated this grave, selfish,
+<i>blasé</i> aristocrat, who was weary of hollow, polished conventionalities
+and stereotyped society phrases; and, as he sat on
+deck watching her countenance, he would have counted out his
+fortune at her feet for the privilege of claiming her fair,
+slender hand, and her tremulous, scarlet lips, instinct with
+melody that entranced him.</p>
+<p>Henceforth life had a different goal, a nobler aim, a
+tenderer and more precious hope; and all the energy of his
+vigorous character was bent to the fulfilment of the beautiful
+dream that one day that young girl would bear his name,
+grace his princely home, and nestle in his heart.</p>
+<p>He did not ask, Can that fair, graceful, gifted young thing
+ever love a gray-haired man, old enough to call her his daughter?
+Nay, nay! Common sense was utterly dethroned and
+expelled,&mdash;romance usurped the realm, and draped the future
+with rainbows; and he only set his teeth firmly against each
+other, and said to his bounding heart and blinded soul, &#8220;Patience,
+ye shall soon possess her!&#8221;</p>
+<p>To Paris, Lyons, Naples, he had followed her, and finally
+secured a villa at Palermo, where Prof. V&mdash;&mdash; had established
+himself and his household in a comfortable suite of rooms.</p>
+<p>To-day, as he left his sister and approached the house where
+the professor dwelt, his countenance was moody and forbidding,
+but its expression changed rapidly, as he caught a
+glimpse of the white muslin dress that fluttered in the evening
+wind.</p>
+<p>Salome was swiftly pacing the wide terrace that commanded
+a view of the Mediterranean, and her hands were clasped behind
+her, as was her habit when immersed in thought.</p>
+<p>Over her head she had thrown a white gauze scarf of
+fringed silk, which, slipping back, displayed the elaborate
+braids of hair wound around the head, where a crescent of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_388' name='page_388'></a>388</span>
+snowy hyacinths partially encircled the glossy coil, and
+drooped upon her neck.</p>
+<p>Her face wore a haggard, anxious, restless expression, and
+the thin lips had lost their bright coral tint,&mdash;the smooth,
+clear cheeks something of their rounded perfection.</p>
+<p>As Mr. Minge came forward, she paused in her walk and
+leaned against the marble railing of the terrace, where a
+lemon tree, white with bloom, overhung the mosaiced floor and
+powdered it with velvety petals.</p>
+<p>He held out his hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope I find you better?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do I look so, think you?&#8221; said she, eyeing him impatiently,
+and keeping her hands folded behind her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, no; and if I possessed the right I have
+more than once solicited, other physicians should be consulted.
+Why will you tamper with so serious a matter, and unnecessarily
+augment the anxiety of those who love you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I beg you to believe that my self-love is infinitely stronger
+than any other with which I am honored, and prompts me to
+all possible prudential precautions. Three doctors have already
+annoyed me with worthless prescriptions, and this
+morning I paid their bills and dismissed them; whereupon,
+one of them revenged himself by maliciously informing me
+that I should not be able to sing a note for one year at <ins title='Added quote'>least.&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>&#8220;To what do they attribute the disease?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To that attack of scarlet fever, and also to the too frequent
+and severe cauterization of my throat. Time was when
+like other fond fools, I fancied Fate was not the hideous hag
+that wiser heads had painted her, but an affable old dame,
+easily cajoled and propitiated. With Carthaginian gratitude
+she repays my complimentary opinion by trampling my hopes
+and aims as I crush these petals, which yield perfume to their
+spoiler, while I could&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>She put her foot upon the drifting lemon blossoms, and
+bit her lip to keep back the bitter words that trembled on
+her tongue.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Come and sit here on the steps, and confide your plans to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_389' name='page_389'></a>389</span>
+one whose every scheme shall be subordinated to your wishes,
+your happiness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mr. Minge attempted to take her hand, but she drew back
+and repulsed him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Excuse me. I prefer to remain where I am; and when I
+am so fortunate and sagacious as to mature any plans, I shall
+be sure to lock them in my own heart beyond the tender
+mercies of meddling, marplot fortune.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her whole face grew dark, sinister, almost dangerous in its
+sudden transformation, and, leaning against the railing, she
+impatiently swept off the snowy lemon leaves. Mr. Minge
+took the end of her scarf, and as he toyed with the fringe,
+sighed heavily.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Of course you are forced to abandon your contemplated
+<i>début</i> in Paris?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes. A <i>début</i> minus a voice, does not tempt me. Ah!
+how bright the future looked when I sang for the agent of
+the Opera-House, and found myself engaged for the season.
+How changed, how cheerless all things seem now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, fate is Janus-faced, and while frowning on you
+smiles benignantly on me. I joyfully hail every obstacle that
+bars your path, hoping that, weary of useless resistance, you
+will consent to walk in the flowery one I have offered you.
+My beautiful darling, why will you refuse the&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Silence! I am in no mood to listen to a repetition of sentiments
+which, however flattering to my vanity, have no power
+to touch my heart. Mr. Minge, I have twice declined the offer
+you have done me the honor to make; and while proud of
+your preference, my Saxon is not so ambiguous or redundant
+as to leave any margin for misconception of my meaning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear Salome, I fear your decision has been influenced
+by the consciousness that my poor, petted Constance has occasionally
+neglected the courtesies which you had a right to
+claim from the sister of the man who seeks to make you his
+wife.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; your sister&#8217;s sneers, and the petty slights and persecutions
+for which I am indebted to her friend, Miss Sutherland,
+have not sufficient importance to affect me in any degree.
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_390' name='page_390'></a>390</span>
+My decision is based upon the unfortunate fact that I do not
+love you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No woman can withstand such devotion as I bring you,
+and time would soon soften and deepen your feelings.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Sir, you unduly flatter yourself. Neither time nor
+eternity would change me, and you would do well to remember
+that it is my voice, sir,&mdash;not my hand and heart,&mdash;that I offer
+for sale.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Your stubborn rejection is explicable only by the supposition
+that you have deceived me,&mdash;that you have already
+bartered away the heart I long to call my own.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am a miller&#8217;s child,&mdash;you a millionaire, but permit
+me to remind you that I allow no imputation on my veracity.
+Why should I condescend to deceive you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She petulantly snatched her scarf from the fingers that still
+stroked it caressingly; but an instant later a singular change
+swept over her countenance, and pressing her hands to her
+heart, she said in a proud, almost exultant tone,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Although I deny your right to question me upon this subject,
+you are thoroughly welcome to know that I love one man
+so entirely, so deathlessly, that the bare thought of marrying
+any one else sickens my soul.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mr. Minge turned pale, and grasped the carved balustrade
+against which he rested.</p>
+<p>&#8220;O Salome! you have trifled.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. Take that back. I never stoop to trifling; and
+the curse of my life has been my almost fatal earnestness of
+purpose. If I ever deliberated one moment concerning the
+expediency of clothing myself first with your aristocratic
+name, afterwards with satin, velvet, and diamonds,&mdash;if I ever
+silenced the outcry of my heart long enough to ask myself
+whether <i>gilded misery</i> was not the least torturing type of the
+epidemic wretchedness,&mdash;at least I kept my parley with Mammon
+to myself; and if you obstinately cherished hopes of final
+success, they sprang from your vanity, not my dissimulation.
+Mark you, I here set up no claim to sanctity,&mdash;for indeed my
+sins are &#8216;thick as leaves in Vallombrosa&#8217;; but my pedigree
+does not happen to link me with Sapphira, and deceit is not
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_391' name='page_391'></a>391</span>
+charged to me in the real Doomsday Book. Theft would be
+more possible for me than falsehood, for while both are labelled
+&#8216;wicked,&#8217; I could never dwarf and shrivel my soul by the
+cowardly process of mendacity. Mr. Minge, had I been a trifle
+less honest and true than I find myself, I might have impaired
+my self-respect by trifling.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Forgive me, Salome, if the pain I endure rendered me
+harsh or unjust. My dearest, I did not intend to wound you,
+but indeed you are cruel sometimes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; truth is the most savagely cruel of all rude, jagged
+weapons, and leaves ugly gashes and quivering nerves exposed,
+and these are the hurts that never cicatrize&mdash;that gape and
+bleed while the heart throbs to feed them.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Tell me candidly whether the heart I covet belongs to
+that Mr. Granville, who paid you such devoted attention in
+Paris.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A short, scornful, mirthless laugh rang sharply on the air,
+and turning quickly, Salome exclaimed contemptuously,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I said I loved a man,&mdash;a true, honest, brave, noble man,&mdash;not
+that perfumed, unprincipled, vain, foppish automaton,
+who adorns a corner of the diplomatic apartment where <i>attachés</i>
+of the American embassy &#8216;most do congregate&#8217;!
+Gerard Granville is unworthy of any woman&#8217;s affection, for
+maugre the indisputable fact that he is betrothed to a fond,
+trusting girl, now in the United States, he had the effrontery
+to attempt to offer his addresses to me. If an honest man be
+the noblest work of God, then, beyond all peradventure, the
+disgrace of creation is centred in an unscrupulous one, such
+as I have the honor to pronounce Mr. Granville.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Seizing her hands, Mr. Minge carried them forcibly to his
+lips, and said, in a voice that faltered from intensity of feeling,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it the hope that your love is reciprocated which bars
+your heart so sternly against my pleadings? Spare me no
+pangs,&mdash;tell me all.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She freed her fingers from his grasp, and retreating a few
+steps, answered with a passionate mournfulness which he
+never forgot,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_392' name='page_392'></a>392</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;If I were dowered with that precious hope, not all the
+crown jewels in Christendom and Heathendom could purchase
+it. Not the proudest throne on that continent of empires
+that lies yonder to the north, could woo me one hour
+from the only kingdom where I could happily reign,&mdash;the
+heart of the man I love. No&mdash;no&mdash;no! That hope is as distant
+as the first star up there above us, which has rent the blue
+veil of heaven to gaze pityingly at me; and I would as
+soon expect to catch that silver sparkle and fold it in my
+arms as dream that my affection could ever be returned. The
+only man I shall ever love could not bend his noble, regal
+nature to the level of mine, and towers beyond me, a pinnacle
+of unapproachable purity and perfection. Ah, indeed,
+he is one of those concerning whom it has been grandly said:
+&#8216;<i>The truly great stand upright as columns of the temple
+whose dome covers all,&mdash;against whose pillared sides multitudes
+lean, at whose base they kneel in times of trouble.</i>&#8217; Mr.
+Minge, it is despair that crouches at my heart, not hope that
+shuts its portals against your earnest petition; for a barrier
+wider, deeper than a hundred oceans divides me from my idol,
+who loves, and ere this, is the husband of another.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not observe the glow that once more mantled his
+cheek, and fired his eyes, until he exclaimed with unusual
+fervor,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God! That fact is freighted with priceless comfort.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Compassion and contempt seemed struggling for mastery,
+as she waved him from her, and answered, impatiently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Think you that any other need hope to usurp my
+monarch&#8217;s place,&mdash;that one inferior dare expect to wield his
+sceptre over my heart? Pardon me,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;If there were not an eagle in the realm of birds,<br />
+Must then the owl be king among the feathered <ins title='Changed to single quote'>herds?&#8217;</ins></p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Some day a gentler spirit than mine will fill your home with
+music, and your heart with peace and sunshine; and, in that
+hour, thank honest Salome Owen for the blessings you owe to
+her candor. I must bid you good-night.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_393' name='page_393'></a>393</span></div>
+<p>She drew the scarf closer about her head and throat, and
+turned to leave the terrace.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you not allow me to drive you to-morrow afternoon
+on the Marino? Do not refuse me this innocent and inexpressibly
+valued privilege. I will not be denied! Good-night,
+my&mdash;Heaven shield you, my worshipped one! Hush!&mdash;I
+will hear no refusal.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He stooped, kissed the folds of the scarf that covered her
+head, and hurried down the steps of the terrace.</p>
+<p>The glory of a Sicilian sunset bathed the face and figure
+that stood a moment under the lemon-boughs, watching the
+retreating form which soon disappeared behind clustering
+pomegranate, olive, and palm; and a tender compassion
+looked out of the large hazel eyes, and sat on the sad lips that
+murmured,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;God help you, Merton Minge, to strangle the viper that
+coils in your heart, and gnaws its core. My own is a serpent&#8217;s
+lair, and I pity the pangs that rend yours also. But
+after a little while, your viper will find a file,&mdash;mine, alas!
+not until death arrests the slow torture. To-morrow afternoon
+I shall be&mdash;where? Only God knows.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shivered slightly, and raised her beautiful eyes towards
+the west, where golden gleams and violet shadows were
+battling for possession of a reef of cloud islets, which dotted
+the azure upper sea of air, and were reflected in the watery
+one beneath.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Courage! courage!</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Those who have nothing left to hope,<br />
+Have nothing left to dread.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXIX' id='CHAPTER_XXIX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXIX.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Muriel, where can I find Miss Dexter?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She went out on the lawn an hour ago, to regale herself
+with what she calls, &#8216;atmospheric hippocrene,&#8217; and I have
+not heard her come in, though she may have gone to her
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_394' name='page_394'></a>394</span>
+room. Pray tell me, doctor, why you wish to see my governess?&mdash;to
+inquire concerning my numerous peccadilloes?&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Removed quote'>Muriel</ins> adroitly folded her embroidered silk apron over a
+package of letters that lay in her lap, and affected an air of
+gayety at variance with her dim eyes and wet lashes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I shall believe that conscience accuses you of many juvenile
+improprieties, since you so suspiciously attack my motives
+and intentions. Indeed, little one, you flatter yourself unduly,
+in imagining that my interview with Miss Dexter necessarily
+involves the <ins title='Was discusson'>discussion</ins> of her pupil. I merely wish
+to enlist her sympathy in behalf of one of my patients.
+Muriel, I would have been much more gratified if I had found
+you walking with her, instead of moping here alone.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am not moping.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl bit her full red lip, and strove to force back the
+rapidly gathering tears.</p>
+<p>&#8220;At least you are not cheerful, and it pains me to see that
+anxious, dissatisfied expression on a face that should reflect
+only sunshine. What disturbs you?&mdash;the scarcity of Gerard&#8217;s
+letters?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey sat down beside his ward, and throwing her arms
+around his neck, she burst into a passionate flood of tears.
+The sudden movement uncovered the letters, which slipped
+down and strewed the carpet.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, doctor! I am very miserable!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why, my dear child?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because Gerard does not love me as formerly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What reason have you for doubting his affection?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He scarcely writes to me once a month, and then his letters
+are short and cold as icicles, and full of court gossip and
+fashion items, for which he knows I do not care a straw.
+Yesterday I received one,&mdash;the first I have had for three
+weeks,&mdash;and he requests me to defer our marriage at least six
+months longer, as he cannot possibly come over in May, the
+time appointed when he was here.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She hid her face on her guardian&#8217;s shoulder, and sobbed.</p>
+<p>An expression of painful surprise and stern displeasure
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_395' name='page_395'></a>395</span>
+clouded Dr. Grey&#8217;s countenance, as he smoothed the hair
+away from the girl&#8217;s throbbing temples.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Calm yourself, Muriel. If Gerard has forfeited your confidence,
+he is unworthy of your tears. Do you apprehend that
+his indifference is merely the result of separation, or have you
+any cause to attribute it to interest in some other person?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That is a question I cannot answer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Cannot, or will not?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I know nothing positively; but I fear something, which
+perhaps I ought not to mention.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Throw aside all hesitancy, and talk freely to me. If
+Granville is either fickle or dishonorable, you should rejoice
+that the discovery has been made in time to save you from
+life-long wretchedness.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If we were only married, I am sure I could win him back
+to me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That is a fatal fallacy, that has wrecked the happiness of
+many women. If a lover grows indifferent, as a husband he
+will be cold, unkind, unendurable. If as a devoted fiancée
+you can not retain and strengthen his affection,&mdash;as a wife
+you would weary and repel him. Have you answered the last
+letter?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear child, do you not consider me your best friend?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly I do.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then yield to my guidance, and follow my advice. Lose
+no time in writing to Mr. Granville, and cancel your engagement.
+Tell him he is free.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, then I should lose him,&mdash;and happiness, forever!&#8221;
+wailed Muriel, clasping her hands almost despairingly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You have already lost his heart, and should be unwilling
+to retain him in fetters that must be galling.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, Dr. Grey! it is very easy for you who never loved any
+one, to tell me, in that cold, business-like way, that I ought to
+set Gerard free; but you cannot realize what it costs to follow
+your counsel. Of course I know that in everything else you
+are much wiser than I, but persons who have no love affairs of
+their own are not the best judges of other people&#8217;s. He is so
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_396' name='page_396'></a>396</span>
+dear to me, I believe it would kill me to give him up, and
+see him no more.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;On the contrary, you would survive much greater misfortune
+than separation from a man who is unworthy of you. I
+cannot coerce, but simply counsel you in this matter, and
+should be glad to learn what your own decision is. Do you
+intend to wait until Gerard Granville explicitly requests you
+to release him from his engagement?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She winced, and the tears gushed anew.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, you are cruel! You are heartless!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, my dear Muriel; I am actuated by the truest affection
+for my little ward, and desire to snatch her from future
+humiliation. My knowledge of human nature is more extended,
+more profound than yours, but since you seem unwilling
+to avail yourself of my experience, it only remains for
+you to acquaint me with your determination. Are you willing
+to tell me the nature of your answer?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I intend to accede to Gerard&#8217;s wish, and will defer the
+marriage until November; but in the meantime, I shall endeavor
+to win back his heart, which I believe has been artfully
+enticed from me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;By whom?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She made no reply, and lifting her head from his shoulder,
+Dr. Grey looked keenly into her face, and repeated his question.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not urge me to express suspicions that may possibly
+be unjust.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That are entirely unjust, you may rest assured,&#8221; said he,
+almost vehemently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;By what means did you so positively ascertain that fact?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;The result will prove. Now, my dear child, you must acquit
+me of heartlessness and cruelty when I tell you, that,
+under existing circumstances, I cannot and will not consent
+to the solemnization of your marriage until you are of age.
+Once the conviction that an earlier consummation of your
+engagement was essential to the happiness of both parties,
+overruled the dictates of my judgment, and induced me to acquiesce
+in your wishes; but subsequent events have illustrated
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_397' name='page_397'></a>397</span>
+the wisdom of my former opposition, and now I am resolved
+that no argument or persuasion shall prevail upon me
+to sanction or permit your marriage until you are twenty-one.&#8221;</p>
+<p>With a sharp cry of chagrin and amazement, Muriel sprang
+to her feet.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You surely do not mean to keep me in this torture, for
+nearly three years? I will not submit to such tyranny, even
+from Dr. Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;As a faithful guardian, I can see no alternative, and fear
+of incurring your displeasure shall not deter me from the performance
+of a stern duty to the child of my best and dearest
+friend. I must and will do what your father certainly would,
+were he alive. My dear Muriel, control yourself, and do not,
+by harsh epithets and unjust accusations, wound the heart
+that sincerely loves you. To-day, as your guardian, I hearken
+to the imperative dictates of my conscience, and turn a deaf
+ear to the pleadings of my tender affection, which would
+save you from even momentary sorrow and disappointment.
+Since my decision is irrevocable, do not render the execution
+of my purpose more painful than necessity demands.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Seizing his hand, Muriel pressed it against her flushed
+cheek, and pleaded falteringly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not doom your poor little Muriel to such misery. Oh,
+Dr. Grey! dear Dr. Grey, remember you promised my dying
+father to take his place,&mdash;and he would never inflict such
+suffering on his child. You have forgotten your promise!&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, dear child. It is because I hold it so sacred that I
+cannot yield to your entreaties; and I must faithfully adhere
+to my obligations, even though I forfeit your affection.
+I shall write to Mr. Granville by the next mail, and it is my
+wish that henceforth the subject should not be referred to.
+Cheer up, my child; three years will soon glide away, and at
+the expiration of that time you will thank me for the firmness
+which you now denounce as cruelty. Good-morning. Be sure
+to think kindly of your guardian, whose heart is quite as sad
+as your own.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She struggled and resisted, but he kissed her lightly on
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_398' name='page_398'></a>398</span>
+the forehead, and as he left the room heard her bitter invectives
+against his tyranny and hard-heartedness.</p>
+<p>Crossing the elm-studded lawn, he approached a secluded
+walk, bordered with lilacs and myrtle, and saw the figure of
+the governess pacing to and fro.</p>
+<p>During the four months that had elapsed since his last
+visit to &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; he scrutinized and studied her character
+more closely than formerly, and the investigation only heightened
+and intensified his esteem.</p>
+<p>No hint of her history had ever passed the calm, patient
+lips, which had forgotten how to laugh, and now, as he
+watched her pale, melancholy face, which bore traces of extraordinary
+beauty, he exonerated her from all blame in the
+ruinous deception that had blasted more lives than one; and
+honored the silent heroism which so securely locked her disappointment
+in her own heart. He knew that consumption
+was the hereditary scourge of her family, that she bore in her
+constitution the seeds of slowly but surely developing disease,
+and did not marvel at the quiet indifference with which she
+treated symptoms which he had several times pointed out as
+serious and dangerous.</p>
+<p>To-day her manner was excited, and her step betrayed very
+unusual impatience.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter, from the frequency of your cough I am
+afraid you are imprudent in selecting this walk, which is so
+densely shaded that the sun does not reach it until nearly
+noon. Are not your feet damp?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; my shoes are thick, and thoroughly protect
+them.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She paused before him, and, in her soft, brown eyes, he saw
+a strange, unwonted restlessness,&mdash;an eager expectancy that
+surprised and disturbed him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you at leisure this morning?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you need my services immediately?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She answered evasively; and he noticed that she glanced
+anxiously toward the road leading into town.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You will greatly oblige me, if some time during the day,
+you will be so good as to superintend the preparation of some
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_399' name='page_399'></a>399</span>
+calves&#8217;-feet jelly, for one of my poor patients. I would not
+trouble you, but Rachel is quite sick, and the new cook does
+not understand the process. May I depend upon you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly, sir; it will afford me pleasure to prepare the
+jelly.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Looking more closely at her face, he saw undeniable traces
+of recent tears, and drew her arm through his.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope you will not deem me impertinently curious if I
+beg you to honor me with your confidence, and explain the
+anxiety which is evidently preying upon your mind.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Embarrassment flushed her transparent cheek, and her shy
+eyes glanced up uneasily.</p>
+<p>&#8220;At least, Miss Dexter, permit me to ask whether Muriel
+is connected with the cause of your disquiet?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My pupil is, I fear, very unhappy; but she withholds
+much from me since she learned my disapproval of her approaching
+marriage.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Will you acquaint me with your objections to Mr. Granville?&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;Against</ins> Mr. Granville, the gentleman, I have nothing to
+urge; but I could not consent to see Muriel wed a man, who,
+I am convinced, has no affection for her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you told her this?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Repeatedly; and, of course, my frankness has offended
+and alienated her. Oh, Dr. Grey! the child totters on the
+brink of a flower-veiled precipice, and will heed no warning.
+Perhaps I should libel Mr. Granville were I to impute mercenary
+motives to him,&mdash;perhaps he fancied he loved Muriel
+when he addressed her,&mdash;I hope so, for the honor of manhood;
+but the glamour was brief, and certainly he must be aware
+that he has not proper affection for her now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And yet, she is very lovable and winning.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes,&mdash;to you and to me; but her good qualities are not
+those which gentlemen find most attractive. What is Christian
+purity and noble generosity of soul, in comparison with
+physical perfection? Muriel often reminds me of one whom
+I loved devotedly, whose unselfish and unsuspicious nature
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_400' name='page_400'></a>400</span>
+wrought the ruin of her happiness; and from her miserable
+fate I would fain save my pupil.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He knew from the tremor of her lips and hands, and the
+momentary contraction of her fair brow, to whom she alluded;
+and both sighed audibly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My convictions coincide so entirely with yours, that I
+have had an interview with my ward, and withdrawn my
+consent to her marriage until she is of age.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God! In the interim she may grow wiser, or
+some fortuitous <ins title='Was occurence'>occurrence</ins> may avert the danger we dread.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In the brief silence that ensued, the governess seemed
+debating the expediency of making some revelation; and,
+encountering one of her perplexed and scrutinizing glances,
+the doctor smiled and said, gravely,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I believe I understand your hesitancy; but I assure you I
+should never forfeit any trust you might repose in me. You
+have some cause of serious annoyance, entirely irrespective
+of my ward, and I may be instrumental in removing it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you, Dr. Grey. For some days I have been canvassing
+the propriety of asking your advice and assistance;
+and my reluctance arose not from want of confidence in you,
+but from dread of the pain it would necessarily inflict upon
+me, to recur to events long buried. It is not essential, however,
+that I should weary you with the minuti&#230; of circumstances
+which many years ago smothered the sunshine in my
+life, and left me in darkness, a lonely and joyless woman. I
+have resided here long enough to learn the noble generosity
+of your character, and to you, as a true Christian gentleman,
+I come for aid,&mdash;premising only that what I am about to say
+is strictly confidential.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;As such, I shall ever regard it; but if I am to become
+your coajutor in any matter, let me request that nothing be
+kept secret, for only entire frankness should exist between
+those who have a common aim.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A painful flush tinged her cheek, and the fair, thin face,
+grew indescribably mournful, as she clasped her hands firmly
+over his arm.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, when unscrupulous men or women deliberately
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_401' name='page_401'></a>401</span>
+stab the happiness of a fellow-creature, they have no wounded
+sensibilities, no haunting compunction,&mdash;and if remorse finally
+overtakes, it finds them well-nigh callous and indurated;
+but woe to that innocent being who is the unintentional and
+unconscious agent for the ruin of those she loves. I cannot
+remember the time when I did not love the only man for
+whom I ever entertained any affection. He was the playmate
+of my earliest years,&mdash;the betrothed of my young maidenhood,&mdash;and
+just before my poor father died, he joined our
+hands and left his blessing on my choice. Poverty was the
+only barrier to our union, but I took a situation as teacher,
+and hoarded my small gains in the hope of aiding my lover,
+who went abroad with a wealthy uncle, and completed his
+education in Germany. I knew that Maurice had contracted
+very extravagant and self-indulgent habits,&mdash;but in the court
+of love is there any &#8216;high crime&#8217; or misdemeanor for which
+a woman&#8217;s heart will condemn her idol? Nay, nay; she will
+plead his defence against the stern evidence of her own incorruptible
+reason; and, if need be, share his punishment,&mdash;die
+in his stead. I denied myself every luxury, and jealously
+husbanded my small salary, anticipating the happy hour
+when we might invest it in furniture for our little home;
+and, indeed, in those blessed days of hope, it seemed no
+hardship,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;And joy was duty, and love was law.&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>From time to time our marriage was deferred, but I well
+knew I was beloved, and so I waited patiently, until fortune
+should smile upon me. In the interim I became warmly
+attached to a young girl in the school where I taught, and
+whose affection for me was enthusiastic and ardent. Evelyn
+was an orphan, and the heiress of enormous wealth, which
+she seemed resolved to share with me; and, more than once,
+I was tempted to acquaint her with the obstacle that debarred
+me from happiness. Ah! if I had only confided in her,
+and trusted her faithful love, how much wretchedness would
+have been averted! But she appeared to me such an impulsive
+child that I shrank from unburdening my heart to
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_402' name='page_402'></a>402</span>
+her, while she acquainted me with every thought and aim of
+her pure, guileless life. She was singularly, almost idolatrously
+fond of me, and I loved her very sincerely, for her
+character was certainly the most admirable I have ever met.</p>
+<p>&#8220;At vacation we parted for three months, and I hurried
+to meet my lover, who had promised to join me in Vermont,
+where my mother had gone to recruit her failing health. For
+the first time Maurice proved recreant, and wrote that imperative
+business detained him in New York. Did I doubt
+him, even then? Not in the least; but endeavored by cheerful
+letters to show him how patiently I could bear the separation
+that might result in pecuniary advantage to him. My
+mother looked anxious, and foreboded ill; but I laughed at
+her misgivings, and proudly silenced her warning voice. In
+the midst of my blissful dream came a lengthy telegraphic
+dispatch from my young girl-friend Evelyn, inviting me to
+hasten to New York, and accompany her on a bridal tour
+through Europe. In a brief and almost incoherent note,
+subsequently received, she accidentally omitted the name of
+her future husband, and designated him as &#8216;my prince,&#8217; &#8216;my
+king,&#8217; &#8216;my liege lover.&#8217; The same mail brought me a long
+and exceedingly tender letter from my own betrothed, informing
+me that at the expiration of ten days he would
+certainly be with me to arrange for an immediate consummation
+of our engagement. A railroad accident delayed me
+twenty-four hours, and I did not reach New York until the
+morning of the day on which my friend was married. The
+ceremony took place at ten o&#8217;clock, and when I arrived,
+Evelyn was already in the hands of the hair-dresser. I was
+hurried into the room prepared for me, and while waiting
+for my trunk, noticed a basket containing some of the
+wedding cards. I picked up one, and you can perhaps imagine
+my emotions, when I saw that my own lover was the betrothed
+of my friend. Dr. Grey, eight miserable years have gone
+wearily over my head since then, but now, in the dead of night,
+if I shut my eyes, I see staring at me, like the rayless, glazed
+orbs of the dead, that silver-edged wedding card, bearing
+in silver letters&mdash;Maurice Carlyle, Evelyn Flewellyn. Oh,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_403' name='page_403'></a>403</span>
+blacker than ten thousand death-warrants! for all the hopes
+of a lifetime went down before it. Every ray of earthly
+light was extinguished in a night of woe that can have no
+dawn, until the day-star of eternity shimmers on its gloom.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She shuddered convulsively, and the agonized expression of
+her face was so painful to behold that her companion averted
+his head.</p>
+<p><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;I</ins> was alone with my misery, and so overwhelming was the
+shock that I fainted. When the hair-dresser came to offer
+her services, she found me lying insensible on the carpet.
+How bitterly, how unavailingly, have I reproached myself
+for my failure to hasten to Evelyn, even then, and divulge
+all. But with returning consciousness came womanly pride,
+and I resolved to hide the anguish for which I knew there
+was no cure. As soon as I was dressed, we were summoned
+down stairs to meet the remainder of the bridal party, and
+there I saw the man whom I expected to call my husband
+talking gayly with his attendants.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Evelyn impetuously presented me as her &#8216;dearest friend,&#8217;
+and, without raising his eyes, he bowed profoundly and turned
+away. How I endured all I was called to witness that morning,
+I know not; but my strength seemed superhuman.
+The ceremony was performed in church, and after our
+return to the house, Mr. Carlyle asserted and claimed the
+right to kiss the bridesmaids. There were four, and I was
+the last whom he approached. I was standing in the shadow
+of the window-curtain, which I had clutched for support,
+and, as he came close to me, our eyes met for the first
+time that day, and I can never, never forget the pleading
+mournfulness, the passionate tenderness, the despair, that
+filled his. I waved him from me, but he seized my hand,
+and pressed his hot lips lingeringly to mine. Then he whispered,
+&#8216;My only love, my own Edith, do not judge till you
+hear your wretched Maurice. Meet me in the hot-house when
+Evelyn goes to change her dress, and I will explain this
+awful, this accursed necessity.&#8217; A few moments later he
+stood with his bride at the head of the table in the breakfast-room,
+while I was placed close to Evelyn, and the mirror
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_404' name='page_404'></a>404</span>
+opposite reflected the group. I know now it was sinful, but,
+oh! how could I help it? As I looked at the reflection in
+the glass, and compared my face with that of the bride, I
+felt my poor wicked heart throb with triumph at the thought
+that my superior beauty could not soon be forgotten,&mdash;that,
+though her husband, he was still my lover. Dr. Grey, do
+not despise me for my weakness, as I should have despised
+him for his perfidy; and remember that a woman cannot
+in a moment renounce allegiance to a man who is the one
+love of her life. They forced me to drink some wine that
+fired my brain and made me reckless, and an hour after,
+when Maurice came up and offered his arm, inviting me to
+promenade for a few minutes in the hot-house, I yielded and
+accompanied him. He told me a tale of dishonorable financial
+transactions, into which he had been betrayed solely by the
+hope of obtaining money that would enable him to hasten
+our union; but the utter failure of the scheme threatened him
+with disgrace, possibly with imprisonment, and the only mode
+of preserving his name from infamy, was to possess himself
+of Evelyn&#8217;s large fortune. Just as he clasped me in his arms,
+and vehemently declared his deathless affection for me,&mdash;his
+contempt and hatred of his poor childish bride,&mdash;I heard
+a strange sound that was neither a wail nor a laugh, a sound
+unlike any other that ever smote my ears, and looking up,
+I saw Evelyn standing before us.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Dexter groaned aloud, and covered her eyes with her
+hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, my God! help me to shut out that horrible vision! If
+I could forget that distorted, death-like face, with livid lips
+writhing away from the gleaming teeth, and desperate, wide
+eyes, glaring like globes of flame! She looked twenty years
+older, and from her clenched hands,&mdash;her beautiful, exquisite
+hands,&mdash;that were wont to caress me so tenderly, the blood
+was dripping down on her lace veil and her white velvet
+bridal dress. How much she heard I know not, for I never
+saw her again. I swooned in Maurice&#8217;s arms, and was carried
+to my own room; and when I finally groped my way to
+Evelyn&#8217;s apartment, they told me she had been gone two
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_405' name='page_405'></a>405</span>
+hours,&mdash;had sailed for Europe, leaving her husband in New
+York. What passed in her farewell interview with him none
+but he and her lawyer knew; but they separated there on
+condition that his debts were cancelled. She went abroad
+with a faithful old Scotch woman who had been her nurse,
+and her husband told the world she was a maniac.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Did he tell you so? Did you believe it?&#8221; exclaimed Dr.
+Grey, with a degree of vehemence that startled the governess.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have never seen Maurice Carlyle since that awful hour
+in the hot-house. He came repeatedly to my home, but I
+refused to meet him, and dozens of his letters have been returned
+unopened. Once, while I was absent, he obtained an
+interview with my mother, and besought her intercession in
+his behalf, pleading for my pardon, and assuring her that,
+as his wife was hopelessly insane, he would apply for a divorce,
+and then claim the hand of the only woman he had
+ever loved. I dreaded the effect upon Evelyn, and had no
+means of ascertaining her real condition. Soon after, I
+lost my mother, whose death was hastened by grief and humiliation;
+and, when I had laid her down beside my father,
+I went in search of Evelyn. Several times I had attempted
+to communicate with her, and with Elsie, the nurse, but my
+letters always came back unopened, and bearing the London
+stamp. Having been informed that she was in an insane
+asylum in England, I took the money that had been so
+carefully hoarded for a different purpose and went to London.
+One by one, I searched all the asylums in the United
+Kingdom, and finding no trace of her, came back to America.
+Finally, on the death-bed of Mr. Clayton, her lawyer, who
+understood my great anxiety to discover her, I was told
+in strict confidence that she was perfectly sane,&mdash;had never
+been otherwise,&mdash;but preferred that the false report in circulation
+should not be corrected, since her husband had set it
+in motion. I learned that she was well and pleasantly located
+somewhere in the East, but would never see the faces of
+either friends or foes, and absolutely refused all intercourse
+with her race. From one of her letters (which, a moment
+after, he burned in the grate) Mr. Clayton read me a paragraph:
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_406' name='page_406'></a>406</span>
+&#8216;<i>The greatest mercy you can show me is to allow
+me to forget. Henceforth mention no more the names of any
+I ever knew; and let silence, like a pall, shroud all the past
+of Vashti.</i>&#8217; He died next day, and since then&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>The sad, sweet voice, which for some moments had been
+growing more and more unsteady, here sank into a sob, and
+the governess wept freely, while her whole frame shook with
+the violence of long-pent anguish, that now defied control.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, if I could find her! If I could go to her and tell
+her all, and exonerate myself! If I could show her that he
+was mine always,&mdash;mine long before she ever saw him,&mdash;then
+she would not think so harshly of me. I know not what explanation
+Maurice gave her, nor how much of our conversation
+she overheard; and I cannot live contentedly,&mdash;oh! I cannot
+die in peace till I see my poor crushed darling, and hear
+from her lips the assurance that she does not hold me responsible
+for her wretchedness. Dr. Grey, I love her with
+a pitying tenderness that transcends all power of expression.
+Perhaps if Maurice had ever loved her, I could not feel as
+I do towards her; for a woman&#8217;s nature tolerates no rival
+in the affection of her lover, and, unprincipled as mine proved
+in other respects, I know that his heart was always unswervingly
+my own. My dear, noble Evelyn! My pure, loving
+little darling! Ah! I have wearied heaven with prayers that
+God would give her back to my arms.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Unable to conceal the emotion he was unwilling she should
+witness, Dr. Grey disengaged his arm and walked away, striving
+to regain his usual composure.</p>
+<p>Did the governess suspect the proximity of her long-lost
+friend? If she claimed his assistance in prosecuting her
+search, what course would duty dictate?</p>
+<p>Retracing his steps, he found that she had seated herself
+on a bench near one of the tallest lilacs, and having thrown
+aside her quilted hood of scarlet silk, her care-worn countenance
+was fully exposed.</p>
+<p>She was gazing very intently at some object in her hand,
+which she bent over and kissed several times, and did not
+perceive his approach until he stood beside her.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_407' name='page_407'></a>407</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, I believe my prayer has been heard, and that at
+last I have discovered a clew to the retreat of my lost
+Evelyn. Last week I went to a jewelry store in town, to
+buy a locket which I intended as a birthday gift for Muriel.
+Several customers had preceded me, and while waiting, my
+attention was attracted towards one of the workmen who
+uttered an impatient ejaculation and dashed down some article
+upon which he was at work. As it fell, I saw that it was
+an oval ivory miniature, <ins title='Was originaly'>originally</ins> surrounded with very large
+handsome pearls, the greater portion of which the jeweller
+had removed and placed in a small glass bowl that stood near
+him. I leaned down to examine the miniature, and though
+the paint was blurred and faded, it was impossible to mistake
+the likeness, and you cannot realize the thrill that ran along
+my nerves as I recognized the portrait of Evelyn. So great
+was my astonishment and delight that I must have cried
+out, for the people in the store all turned and stared at me,
+and when I snatched the piece of ivory from the work-table,
+the man looked at me in amazement. Very incoherently I
+demanded where and how he obtained it, and, beckoning to the
+proprietor, he said, &#8216;Just as I told you; this has turned out
+stolen property.&#8217; Then he opened a drawer and took from
+it a similar oval slab of ivory, and when I looked at it and
+saw Maurice&#8217;s handsome face, my brain reeled, and I grew
+so dizzy I almost fell. &#8216;Madam, do you know these portraits?&#8217;
+asked the proprietor.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I told him that I did,&mdash;that I had seen these jewelled
+miniatures eight years before on the dressing-table of a bride,
+and I implored him to tell me how they came into his
+possession. He fitted them into a dingy, worn case, which
+seemed to have been composed of purple velvet, and informed
+me that he purchased the whole from an Irish lad, who asserted
+that he picked it up on the beach, where it had evidently
+drifted in a high tide. On examination, he found that the
+case had indeed been saturated with sea-water, but the pearls
+were in such a remarkable state of preservation that he
+doubted the lad&#8217;s statement. He had bought the miniatures
+in order to secure the pearls, which he assured me were unusually
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_408' name='page_408'></a>408</span>
+fine, and to satisfy himself concerning the affair had
+advertised two ivory miniatures, and invited the owners to
+come forward and prove property. After the expiration
+of a week, he discontinued the notice, and finally ordered the
+pearls removed from their gold frames. When I had given
+him the names of the originals, he consented that I should
+take the portraits which were now worthless to him, and
+gave me also the name of the boy. It was not until two
+days afterward that I succeeded in finding Thomas Donovan,
+a lad about fourteen years old, whose mother Ph&oelig;be is a
+laundress, and does up laces and fine muslins. When I
+called and stated the object of my visit he seemed much confused,
+but sullenly repeated the assertion made to the jeweller.
+Yesterday I went again and had a long conversation with
+his mother, who must be an honest soul, for she assured me
+she knew nothing of the matter, and would investigate it
+immediately. The boy was absent, but she promised either
+to send him here this morning or come in person, to acquaint
+me with the result. I offered a reward if he would confess
+where he obtained them; and if he proved obstinate, threatened
+to have him arrested. Now, Dr. Grey, you can understand
+why I have so tediously made a full revelation of my
+past, for I wish to enlist your sympathy and claim your aid
+in my search for my long-lost friend. These portraits inadequately
+represent the fascinating beauty of one of the originals,
+and the sweetness and almost angelic purity of the
+other.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She held up the somewhat defaced and faded miniatures
+for the inspection of her companion, but scarcely glancing
+at them, he said, abstractedly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are sure they belong to Mrs. Carlyle?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes. As she put on her diamonds just before going down
+stairs she showed me the portraits in her jewelry casket, where
+she had also placed a similar one of myself. Ah! at this
+instant I seem to see her beaming face, as she bent down,
+and sweeping her veil aside, kissed my picture and Maurice&#8217;s.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you imagine that she is in America?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No; I fear she is dead, and that these were stolen from
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_409' name='page_409'></a>409</span>
+the old nurse. Who is that yonder? Ah, yes,&mdash;Ph&oelig;be Donovan.
+Now I shall hear the truth.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Forgetting her shawl, and unmindful of the fact that the
+sun was streaming full on her head and face, she hurried
+to meet the woman who was ascending the avenue, and very
+soon they entered the house.</p>
+<p>A quarter of an hour elapsed ere Ph&oelig;be came out, and
+walked rapidly away; and, unwilling to prolong his suspense,
+Dr. Grey went in search of the governess.</p>
+<p>He met her in the hall, and saw that she was equipped for
+a walk. Her cheeks were scarlet, her brown eyes all aglow
+with eager expectation, and her lips twitched, as she exclaimed,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, doctor, I hope everything; for I learn that the pictures
+were found on the lawn at &#8216;Solitude,&#8217; where Ph&oelig;be was
+once hired as cook; and she recognized the case as the same
+she had one day seen on a writing-desk in the parlor. The
+boy confessed that he picked it up from the grass, and, after
+taking out the contents, soaked the case in a bucket of salt-water.
+Ph&oelig;be says the pictures belong to Mrs. Gerome, the
+gray-headed woman who owns that place on the beach, and
+I am almost tempted to believe she is Elsie, who may have
+married again. At all events, I shall soon know where she
+obtained the portraits.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You are not <ins title='Was gong'>going</ins> to &#8216;Solitude&#8217;?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, immediately. I cannot rest till I have learned all.
+God grant I may not be mocked in my hopes.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The unwonted excitement had kindled a strange beauty in
+the whilom passive face, and Dr. Grey could for the first time
+realize how lovely she must have been in the happy days of
+eld.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter, Mrs. Gerome will not receive you. She
+sees no visitors, not even ministers of the gospel.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;She must&mdash;she shall&mdash;admit me; for I will assure her
+that life and death hang upon it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How so?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If Evelyn is alive, and I can discover her retreat, I will
+urge her to go to her husband, who needs her care. You
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_410' name='page_410'></a>410</span>
+know Mrs. Gerome,&mdash;she is one of your patients. Come with
+me, and prevail upon her to receive me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In her eagerness she laid her hand on his arm, and even
+then noticed and wondered at the crimson that suddenly
+leaped into his olive face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Some day I will give you good reasons for refusing your
+request, which it is impossible for me to grant. If you are
+resolved to hazard the visit, I will take you in my buggy
+as far as the gate at &#8216;Solitude,&#8217; and when you return will
+confer with you concerning the result. Just now, I can
+promise no more.&#8221;</p>
+<p>An expression of disappointment clouded her brow.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I had hoped that you would sympathize with and be
+more interested in my great sorrow.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter, my interest is more profound, more intense,
+than you can imagine, but at this juncture circumstances
+forbid its expression. My buggy is at the door.&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXX' id='CHAPTER_XXX'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXX.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Even at mid-day the grounds around &#8220;Solitude&#8221; were
+sombre and chill, for across the sky the winds had woven a
+thin, vapory veil, whose cloud-meshes seemed fine as lacework;
+and through this gilded netting the sun looked hazy,
+the light wan and yellow, and rifled of its customary noon
+glitter.</p>
+<p>Following one of the serpentine walks, the governess was
+approaching the house, when her attention was attracted by
+the gleaming surface of a tomb, and she turned towards the
+pyramidal deodars that were swaying slowly in the breeze,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Warming their heads in the sun,<br />
+Checkering the grass with their shade,&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>and photographing fringy images on the shining marble.</p>
+<p>A broad circle of violets, blue with bloom, surrounded a
+sexangular temple, whose dome was terminated by a mural
+crown and surmounted by a cross. The beautifully polished
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_411' name='page_411'></a>411</span>
+pillars were fluted, and wreathed with carved ivy that wound
+up to the richly-sculptured cornices, where poppies clustered
+and tossed their leaves along the architrave; and, in the
+centre, visible through all the arches, rose an altar, bearing
+two angels with fingers on their lips, who guarded an exquisite
+urn that was inscribed &#8220;<i>cor cordium</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Beneath the eastern arch, that directly fronted the sea,
+were two steps leading into the mausoleum, and, as Miss
+Dexter stood within, she saw that the floor was arranged
+with slabs for only two tombs close to the altar, one side
+of which bore in golden tracery,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;<i>Elsie Maclean, 68. Amicus Amicorum.</i>&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Around the base of the urn were scattered some fresh geranium-leaves,
+and very near it stood a tall, slender, Venetian
+glass vase filled with odorous flowers, which had evidently
+been gathered and arranged that day.</p>
+<p>For whom had the remaining slab and opposite side of the
+altar been reserved?</p>
+<p>The heart of the governess seemed for a moment to forget
+its functions, then a vague hope made it throb fiercely; and
+rapidly the anxious woman directed her steps towards the
+house, that seemed as silent as the grave behind her.</p>
+<p>The hall door had swung partially open, and, dreading that
+she might be refused admittance if she rang the bell, she
+availed herself of the lucky accident (which in Elsie&#8217;s lifetime
+never happened), and entered unchallenged and unobserved.</p>
+<p>From the parlor issued a rather monotonous and suppressed
+sound, as of some one reading aloud, and, advancing a few
+steps, the governess stood inside the threshold.</p>
+<p>The curtains of the south window were looped back, the
+blinds thrown open, and the sickly sunshine poured in, lighting
+the easel, before which the mistress of the house had
+drawn an ottoman and seated herself.</p>
+<p>To-day, an air of unwonted negligence marked her appearance,
+usually distinguished by extraordinary care and taste.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_412' name='page_412'></a>412</span></div>
+<p>Her white merino <i>robe de chambre</i> was partially ungirded,
+and the blue tassels trailed on the carpet; her luxuriant hair
+instead of being braided and classically coiled, was gathered
+in three or four large heavy loops, and fastened rather loosely
+by the massive silver comb that allowed one long tress to
+straggle across her shoulder, while the folds in front slipped
+low on her temples and forehead.</p>
+<p>Intently contemplating her work, she leaned her cheek on
+her hand, and only the profile was visible from the door, as
+she repeated, in a subdued tone,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;I stanch with ice my burning breast,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>With silence balm my whirling brain,<br />
+O Brandan! to this hour of rest,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>That Joppan leper&#8217;s ease was pain.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The easel held the largest of many pictures, upon which she
+had lavished time and study, and her present work was a wide
+stretch of mid-ocean, lighted by innumerable stars, and a
+round glittering polar moon that swung mid-heaven like
+a globe of silver, and shed a ghostly lustre on the raging,
+ragged waves, above which an Aurora Borealis lifted its
+gleaming arch of mysterious white fires.</p>
+<p>On the flowery shore of a tropic isle, under clustering
+boughs of lime and citron, knelt the venerable figure of
+Saint Brandan,&mdash;and upon a towering, jagged iceberg, whose
+crystal cliffs and diamond peaks glittered with the ghastly
+radiance reflected from arctic moon and boreal flames, lay
+Judas, pressing his hot palms and burning breast to the frigid
+bosom of his sailing sapphire berg.</p>
+<p>No hideous, scowling, red-haired arch-apostate was this
+painted Iscariot,&mdash;but a handsome man, whose features were
+startlingly like those in the ivory miniature.</p>
+<p>It was a wild, dreary, mournful picture, suggestive of
+melancholy medi&#230;val myths, and most abnormal phantasms;
+and would more appropriately have draped the walls of some
+flagellating ascetic&#8217;s cell, than the luxuriously furnished room
+that now contained it.</p>
+<p>Bending forward to deepen the dark circles which suffering
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_413' name='page_413'></a>413</span>
+and remorse had worn beneath the brilliant eyes of the
+apostle, the lonely artist added another verse to her quotation,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Once every year, when carols wake<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>On earth the Christmas night&#8217;s repose,<br />
+Arising from the sinner&#8217;s lake<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>I journey to these healing snows.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>The motion loosened a delicate white lily pinned at her
+throat, and it fell upon the palette, sullying its purity with
+the dark paint to which its petals clung. She removed it,
+looked at its defaced loveliness, and tossed it aside, saying
+moodily,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Typical of our souls, originally dowered with a stainless
+and well-nigh perfect holiness, but drooping dust-ward continually,
+and once tainted by the fall,&mdash;hugging the corruption
+that ruined it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As the governess looked and listened, a half-perplexed,
+half-frightened expression passed over her countenance, and
+at length she advanced to the arch, and said, tremblingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Can I have a few moments&#8217; conversation with Mrs.
+Gerome, on important business?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My God! am I verily mad at last? Because I called up
+Judas, must I also evoke the partner of his crime?&#8221;</p>
+<p>With a thrilling, almost blood-curdling cry Mrs. Gerome
+had leaped to her feet at the sound of Miss Dexter&#8217;s voice,
+and, dropping palette and brush, confronted her with a look
+of horror and hate. The quick and violent movement shook
+out her comb, and down came the folds of hair, falling like
+a silver cataract to her knees.</p>
+<p>Bewildered by memories which the face and form recalled,
+the governess looked at the shining white locks, and her lips
+blanched, as she stammered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you Mrs. Gerome?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her scarlet hood had fallen back, disclosing her wealth of
+golden hair; and gazing at her thin but still lovely features,
+rouged by a hectic glow that lent strange beauty to the
+wide, brown eyes, Mrs. Gerome answered, huskily,&mdash;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_414' name='page_414'></a>414</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;I am the mistress of this house. Who is the woman who
+has the audacity to intrude upon my seclusion, and vividly remind
+me of one whose hated lineaments have cursed my memory
+for years? Woman, if I believed <i>she</i> had the effrontery
+to thrust herself into my presence, I should fear that at this
+instant I am afflicted with the abhorred sight of Edith Dexter,
+than whom a legion of devils would be more welcome!&#8221;</p>
+<p>The name fell hissingly from her stern mouth, and when
+she shook back the hair that drooped over her brow, the gray
+globe-like eyes glittered as polished blue steel under some fitful
+light.</p>
+<p>A low, half-stifled cry escaped the governess, and springing
+forward she fell on her knees and grasped the white hands
+that had clutched each other.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Evelyn! It must be Evelyn! despite this gray hair and
+wan, changed face! and I could never mistake these beautiful,
+beautiful hands&mdash;unlike any others in the world! Evelyn,
+my lost darling! oh, I thank God I have found you before I
+die!&#8221;</p>
+<p>She covered the cold fingers with kisses, and pressed her
+face to a band of the floating hair; but with a gesture of
+loathing Mrs. Gerome broke away, and retreated a few steps.</p>
+<p>&#8220;How dare you come into my presence? Goaded by a
+desire to witness the ruin you helped to accomplish? Your
+audacity at least astounds me; but fate decrees you the enjoyment
+of its reward. Lo! here I am! Behold the gray
+shadow of what was once a happy, confiding girl! Behold
+in the desolate, lonely woman, who hides her disgrace under
+the name of Agla Gerome, that bride of an hour, that Evelyn
+whose heart you stabbed! Does the wreck entirely satisfy
+you? What more could even fiendish malevolence desire?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Evelyn, you wrong me. For mercy&#8217;s sake do not upbraid
+and taunt me so unjustly!&#8221;</p>
+<p>In vain she held out her hands imploringly, while tears
+rolled over her crimsoned cheeks, and sobs impeded her utterance.
+Mrs. Gerome laughed bitterly.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What! I wrong you? Have <i>you</i> gone mad, instead of
+your victim? Miss Dexter, you and I can scarcely afford
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_415' name='page_415'></a>415</span>
+to deal in mock tragedy, and though you make a pretty
+picture kneeling there, I have no mind to paint you yonder,
+where I put your colleague, Judas. Is it not a good likeness
+of your lover, as he looked that memorable day when the
+broad banana-leaves overshadowed his handsome head?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She rapped the canvas with her clenched hand, and continued,
+in accents of indescribable scorn,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you kneel as penitent or petitioner? You come to
+crave my pardon, or my husband?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The governess had bowed her face almost to the carpet,
+like some fragile flower borne down by a sudden flood; but
+now she rose, and, throwing her head back proudly, answered
+with firm yet gentle dignity,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Of Mrs. Gerome I crave nothing. Of Evelyn Carlyle I
+demand justice; simply bare justice.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Justice! You are rash, Miss Dexter, to challenge fate;
+for, were justice meted out, the burden would prove more intolerable
+to you than that King Stork whom Zeus sent down
+as a Nemesis to quiet clamorous frogs. Justice, let me tell
+you, long <ins title='Was age'>ago</ins> fled from this hostile and inhospitable earth
+and took refuge beyond the stars, where, please God, you and
+I shall one day confront her and get our long-defrauded
+dues. Justice? Nay, nay! the thing I recognize as justice
+would crush you utterly, and you should flee to the <i>Ultima
+Thule</i> to avoid it. I divine your mission. You come as
+envoy-extraordinary from my honorable and chivalric husband,
+to demand release from the bonds that doom me to wear
+his name and you to live without that spotless &#230;gis? Since
+my fortune no longer percolates through the sieve of his
+pocket, and legal quibbles can not now avail to wring thousands
+from my purse, he desires a divorce, in order to remove
+to your fair wrists the fetters which have proved more galling
+to mine than those of iron.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Evelyn, insult must not be heaped upon injury. As God
+hears me, I tell you solemnly that you have seen your husband
+since I have. Upon Maurice Carlyle&#8217;s face I have never
+looked since that fatal hour when I last saw yours, ghastly
+and rigid, against the background of guava-boughs. From
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_416' name='page_416'></a>416</span>
+that day until this, I have neither seen, nor spoken, nor written
+to him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then why are you here, to torment me with the sight of
+your face, which would darken the precincts of heaven, if
+I met it inside of the gates of pearl?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have come to exonerate myself from the aspersions that
+in your frenzy you have cast upon me. Evelyn, I am here
+to prove that my wrongs are greater than yours,&mdash;and if
+either should crave pardon, it would best become you to sue
+for it at my hands. But for you, I should have been a
+happy wife,&mdash;blessed with a devoted husband and fond mother;
+and now in my loneliness I stand for vindication before her
+who robbed me of every earthly hope, and blotted all light,
+all verdure, all beauty from my life. You had known Maurice
+Carlyle six weeks, when you gave him your hand. I had
+grown up at his side,&mdash;had loved, trusted, prayed, and
+labored for him,&mdash;had been his promised wife for seven dreary
+years of toil and separation, and was counting the hours
+until the moment when he would lead me to the altar. Ah,
+Evelyn,&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>A violent spell of coughing interrupted the governess, and
+when it ended she did not complete the sentence.</p>
+<p>Impatiently Mrs. Gerome motioned to her to continue, and,
+turning her head which had been averted, the hostess saw that
+her guest was endeavoring to stanch a stream of blood that
+trickled across her lips. Involuntarily the former started forward
+and drew an easy-chair close to the slender figure which
+leaned for support against the corner of the piano.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you ill? Pray sit down.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is only a hemorrhage from my lungs, which I have long
+had reason to expect.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Wearily she sank into the chair, and hastily pouring a glass
+of water from a gilt-starred crystal <i>carafe</i>, standing on the
+centre-table, Mrs. Gerome silently offered it. As the governess
+drained and returned the goblet, a drop of blood that stained
+the rim fell on the hand of the mistress of the house.</p>
+<p>Miss Dexter attempted to remove it with the end of her
+plaid shawl, but her companion drew back, and taking a
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_417' name='page_417'></a>417</span>
+dainty, perfumed handkerchief from her pocket, shook out its
+folds and said, hastily,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is of no consequence. I see your handkerchief is already
+saturated; will you accept mine?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Without waiting for a reply, she laid it on the lap of the
+visitor, and left the room.</p>
+<p>Soon after, a servant brought in a basin of water and
+towels, which she placed on the table, and then, without question
+or comment, withdrew.</p>
+<p>Some time elapsed before Mrs. Gerome re-entered the parlor,
+bearing a glass of wine in her hand. Miss Dexter had
+bathed her face, and, looking up, she saw that the gray hair
+had been carefully coiled and fastened, and the flowing
+merino belted at the waist; but the brow wore its heavy cloud,
+and the arch of the lip had not unbent.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I hope you are better. Permit me to insist upon your
+taking this wine.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She proffered it, but the governess shook her head, and
+tears ran down her cheeks, as she said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank you,&mdash;but I do not require it; indeed I could not
+swallow it.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The hostess bowed, and, placing the glass within her reach,
+walked to the window which looked out on the marble mausoleum,
+and stood leaning against the cedarn facing.</p>
+<p>Five, ten minutes passed, and the silence was only broken by
+the ticking of the bronze clock on the mantelpiece.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Evelyn.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The voice was so sweet, so thrilling, so mournfully pleading,
+that it might have wooed even stone to pity; but Mrs. Gerome
+merely glanced over her shoulder, and said, frigidly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Can I in any way contribute to Miss Dexter&#8217;s comfort?
+The servants tell me there is no conveyance waiting for you;
+but, since you seem too feeble to walk away, my carriage is at
+your service whenever you wish to return. Shall I order it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, I will not trouble you. I can walk; and, after a
+little while, I will go away forever. Evelyn, do you think me
+utterly unprincipled?&#8221;</p>
+<p>A moment passed before she was answered.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_418' name='page_418'></a>418</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;While you are in my house, courtesy forbids the expression
+of my opinion of your character.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Evelyn, my darling! God knows I have not merited
+this harshness, this cruelty from your dear hands. Eight
+tedious, miserable years I have searched and prayed for you,&mdash;have
+clung to the hope of finding you, of telling you all,&mdash;of
+hearing your precious lips utter those words for which my
+ears have so long ached, &#8216;Edith, I hold you guiltless of my
+wretchedness.&#8217; But at last, when my search is successful, to be
+browbeaten, derided, denounced, insulted,&mdash;oh, this is bitter
+indeed! This is too hard to be borne!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her anguish was uncontrollable, and she sobbed aloud.</p>
+<p>Across Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s white lips crept a quiver, and over
+her frozen features rose an unwonted flush; but she did not
+move a muscle, or suffer her eyes to wander from the cross
+and crown on Elsie&#8217;s tomb.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Evelyn, I believe, I hope (and may God forgive me if I
+sin in hoping), that I have not many years, or perhaps even
+months to live; and it would comfort me in my dying hour
+to feel that I had laid before you some facts, of which I know
+you must be ignorant. You have harshly and unjustly prejudged
+me,&mdash;have steeled yourself against me; still I wish
+to tell you some things that weigh heavily upon my aching,
+desolate heart. Will you allow me to do so now? Will you
+hear me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>There was evidently a struggle in the mind of the motionless
+woman beside the window, but it was brief, and left no
+trace in the cold, ringing voice.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I will hear you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Slowly and impressively the governess began the narrative,
+of which she had given Dr. Grey a hasty <i>résumé</i>, and when
+she mentioned the midnight labors in which she had engaged,
+the copying of legal documents, the sale of her drawings, the
+hoarding of her salary in order to aid her mother and her
+betrothed, and to remove the obstacles to her marriage, Mrs.
+Gerome sat down, and, crossing her arms on the window-sill,
+hid her face upon them.</p>
+<p>Unflinchingly Miss Dexter detailed all that occurred after
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_419' name='page_419'></a>419</span>
+her arrival in New York; and finally, approaching the window,
+she insisted that her listener should peruse the last letter
+received from her lover, and containing the promise that
+within ten days he would come to claim his bride. But the
+lovely hand waved it aside, and the proud voice exclaimed impatiently,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I need no additional proof of his perfidy, which, beyond
+controversy, was long ago established. Go on! go on!&#8221;</p>
+<p>Upon all that followed the ceremony,&mdash;the departure of
+the wife,&mdash;and her own despairing grief, the governess dwelt
+with touching eloquence and pathos; and, at last, as she
+spoke of her fruitless journey to England,&mdash;her sad search
+through the insane asylums,&mdash;Mrs. Gerome lifted her queenly
+head, and bent a piercing glance upon the speaker.</p>
+<p>Ah! what a hungry, eager expression looked out shyly from
+her whilom hopeless eyes, when, with an imperious gesture,
+she silenced her visitor, and asked,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You spent your hard earnings, not in <i>trousseau</i>, or preparations
+for housekeeping; but hunting for me in lunatic
+asylums? Suppose you had found me in a mad-house?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Then I should have become an inmate of the same gloomy
+walls; and, while you lived, should have shared with faithful
+Elsie the care and charge of you. God is my witness, I had
+resolved to dedicate my remaining years to the task of cheering
+and guarding yours. Oh, Evelyn! not until we stand in
+the great Court of Heaven can you realize how sincerely, how
+tenderly, and unwaveringly, I love you. My darling, how
+can you distrust my faithful heart?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She sank on her knees, and, throwing her arms around the
+tall, slender form, looked with mournful, beseeching tenderness
+at the haughty features above her.</p>
+<p>For a moment the proud, pale face glowed,&mdash;the great
+shadowy eyes kindled and shone like wintry planets in some
+crystalline sky; but doubt, murderous, cynical doubt, grappled
+with hope, and strangled it.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Edith, I wish I could believe you. I am struggling desperately
+to lay hold of the fluttering garments of faith, but
+I cannot! Suspicion has walked hand in hand with me so
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_420' name='page_420'></a>420</span>
+long that I cannot shake off her numbing touch, and I distrust
+all human things, save the dusty heart that moulders
+yonder in my old Elsie&#8217;s grave.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She pointed to the white columns of the temple, and then
+the uplifted fingers fell heavily on Edith&#8217;s shoulder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Go on. I wish to learn whose treachery betrayed the
+secret of my retreat.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Pressing her feverish lips to the hand she admired so enthusiastically,
+Miss Dexter resumed her recital of what had
+occurred since her journey to London, and finally ended it
+with an account of her removal to &#8216;Grassmere,&#8217; and of the discovery
+of the miniatures that guided her to &#8216;Solitude.&#8217;</p>
+<p>A long pause followed, and a heavy sigh, only partially
+smothered, indexed the contest that raged under Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s
+calm exterior.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Edith, would you have inferred from Dr. Grey&#8217;s manner
+that he was not only acquainted with my history, but yours,
+at least, so far as it intersected mine? Did he furnish no
+hint, no clew, that aided you in your search?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;None whatever. On the contrary, he appeared so preoccupied,
+so abstracted, that I reproached him with indifference
+to my troubles. It is not possible that he knew all, while
+I briefly summed up a portion of the past.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;At that moment he was thoroughly cognizant of everything
+that I could tell him. But, at least, one honorable,
+trustworthy man yet graces the race; one pure, incorruptible,
+and consistent Christian remains to shed lustre upon a
+church that can nowhere boast his peer. I confided all to
+Dr. Grey, and he has kept the trust. Ah, Edith, if you had
+only reposed the same confidence in me, during those halcyon
+days of our early friendship,&mdash;days that seem to me now as
+far off, as dim and unreal, as those starry nights when I lay
+in my little crib, dreaming of that mother whose face I never
+saw, whose smile is one of the surprises and blessings reserved
+for eternity,&mdash;how different my lot and yours might
+have been! Why did you not trust me with your happy hopes,
+your lover&#8217;s name and difficulties? How differently I would
+have invested that fortune, which proved our common ruin,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_421' name='page_421'></a>421</span>
+and doomed three lives to uselessness and woe. To-day you
+might have proudly worn the name that I utterly detest;
+and I, the outcast, the wanderer, the tireless, friendless waif,
+drifting despairingly down the tide of time,&mdash;even I, the unloved,
+might have been, not a solitary cumberer, not a household
+upas,&mdash;but why taunt the hideous Actual with a blessed
+and beautiful Impossible? Ah, truly, truly,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'><ins title='Added quote'>&#8220;&#8216;What</ins> might have been, I know, is not:<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>What must be, must be borne;<br />
+But ah! what hath been will not be forgot,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Never, oh! never, in the years to follow!&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>She closed her eyes and seemed pondering the past, and
+mutely the governess prayed that hallowed memories of their
+former affection might soften her apparently petrified heart.</p>
+<p>Edith saw a great change overspread the countenance, but
+could not accurately interpret its import; and her own heart
+began to beat the long-roll.</p>
+<p>The heavy black eyelashes lying on Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s marble
+cheeks glistened, trembled, and tears stole slowly across
+her face. She raised her hand, but dropped it in her lap,
+and frowned slightly and sighed. Then she lifted it once
+more, and looking through the shining mist that magnified
+her splendid eyes, she laid her fingers on the golden head of
+the kneeling woman.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You and I have innocently wronged and ruined each
+other; you with your beauty, I with my accursed gold. Time
+was when at your bidding I would have laid my throbbing
+heart at your feet, provided I could thereby save you one
+pang; for I loved you as women very rarely love one another.
+But now, lonely and hopeless, I have lost the power, the capacity
+to love anything, and I have no heart left in my bosom.
+I acquit you of much for which I formerly held you responsible,
+and I honor the purity of purpose that forbade your
+receiving the visits or letters of him who must one day answer
+for our worthless lives. I fully forgive you the suffering that
+made me prematurely old; but my affection is as dead as all
+my girlish hopes, and buried under the crushing years that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_422' name='page_422'></a>422</span>
+have dragged themselves over my poor, proud, pain-bleached
+head. You are more fortunate, more enviable than I, for
+you have the comforting anticipation of a speedy release, the
+precious assurance that your torture will ere long be ended;
+while I must front the prospect of perhaps fourscore and ten
+years: for, despite my ivory skin and fever-blanched locks, I
+am maddeningly healthy. Friend of my childhood, friend of
+my happy, sunny, sinless days, I cordially congratulate you
+on your approaching deliverance. God knows I would pay
+you my fortune, if I could innocently and successfully inject
+into my veins and lungs the poison that will soon rob you of
+care and regret. If I was harsh to-day, forgive and forget it,
+for nothing rankles in the grave; and now, Edith, go away
+quickly, before I repent and recant the words I here utter.
+God comfort you, Edith Dexter, and remember that I hold
+you guiltless of my wrecked destiny.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Evelyn! add one thing more. Say, &#8216;Edith, I love
+you.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>A strangely mournful smile parted Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s perfect
+lips over her dazzling teeth, as she pushed the kneeling figure
+from her, and said coldly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Rise, and leave me. I love no living thing, brute or
+human, for even my faithful dog lies buried a few yards
+hence. Maurice treated my warm, loving nature, as Tofana
+did her unsuspecting victims, and for that slow poison there
+is no antidote. The sole interest I have in life centres in my
+art, and when death mercifully remembers me, some pictures
+I have patiently wrought out will be given to the public; and
+the next generation will, perhaps,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Hear the world applaud the hollow ghost,<br />
+Which blamed the living woman,&#8217;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>and, smiling grimly in my coffin, I shall echo,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Hither to come, and to sleep,<br />
+Under the wings of renown.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Both rose, and the two so long divided faced each other
+sorrowfully.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_423' name='page_423'></a>423</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Dear Evelyn, do not hug despair so stubbornly to your
+bosom. You might brighten your solitary existence if you
+would, and be comparatively happy in this lovely seaside
+home.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You think &#8216;Solitude&#8217; a very desirable and beautiful retreat?
+Do you remember the gay raiment and glittering
+jewels that covered the radiant bride of Giacopone di Todi?
+One day an accident at a public festival mangled her mortally,
+and when her gorgeous garments were torn off, lo!</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;A robe of sackcloth next the smooth, white skin.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>A sudden pallor crept over the delicate face of the governess,
+and, folding her hands, she exclaimed with passionate
+vehemence,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I cannot, I must not shrink from the chief object of my
+visit here. I came not only to exonerate myself, but to plead
+for poor Maurice.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Gerome started back, and the pitiless gleam came instantly
+into her softened eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do not mention his name again. I thought you had
+neither seen nor heard from him.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I must plead his wretched cause, since he is denied the
+privilege of appealing to your mercy. Evelyn, my friends
+write me that he is almost in a state of destitution. Only
+last night I received this letter, which I leave for your perusal,
+and which assures me he is in want, and, moreover, is dangerously
+ill. Who has the right, the privilege,&mdash;whose is the
+duty, imperative and stern, to hasten to his bedside, to alleviate
+his suffering, to provide for his needs? Yours, Evelyn
+Carlyle, and yours alone. Where are the marriage-vows that
+you snatched from my lips eight years ago, and eagerly took
+upon your own? Did you not solemnly swear in the presence
+of heaven and earth to serve him and keep him in sickness,
+and, forsaking all others, to hold him from that day forward,
+for better, for worse, until death did part ye? Oh, Evelyn!
+do not scowl, and turn away. However unworthy, he is your
+husband in the sight of God and man, and your wedding
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_424' name='page_424'></a>424</span>
+oath calls you to him in this hour of his terrible need. Can
+you sleep peacefully, knowing that he is tossing with paroxysms
+of pain, and perhaps hungering and thirsting for that
+which you could readily supply? If it were right,&mdash;if I dared,
+I would hasten to him; but my conscience inexorably forbids
+the thought, and consigns my heart to torture, for which
+there is no name. You will tell me that you provided once,
+twice, for all reasonable wants,&mdash;that he has recklessly
+squandered liberal allowances. But will that satisfy your conscience,
+while you still possess ample means to aid him? Will
+you permit the man whose name you bear to live on other
+charity than your own,&mdash;and finally, to fill a pauper&#8217;s grave?
+Oh, Evelyn! was it for this that you took my darling, my idol,
+from my clinging, loving arms? Will you see his body writhing
+in the agony of disease, and his precious, immortal soul
+in fearful jeopardy, while you stand afar off, surrounded by
+every luxury that ingenuity can suggest, and gold purchase?
+Oh, Evelyn! be merciful; do your duty. Like a brave, true,
+though injured woman, go to Maurice, and strive to make
+him comfortable; to lighten, by your pardon, his sad, heavily
+laden heart. By your past, your memories of your betrothal,
+your hopes of heaven, and above all, by your marriage vows,
+I implore you to discharge your sacred duties.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A bitter smile twisted the muscles about Mrs. Gerome&#8217;s
+mouth, as she gazed into the quivering, eloquent face of her
+companion, and listened to the impetuous appeal that poured
+so pathetically over her burning lips.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Edith, you amaze me. Is it possible that after all your
+injuries you can cling so fondly, so madly, to the man who
+slighted, and humiliated, and blighted you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah! you are his wife, and I am the ridiculed and pitied
+victim of his flirtation, so says the world; but my affection
+outlives yours. Evelyn, I have loved him from the time
+when I can first <ins title='Was recollet'>recollect</ins>; I loved him with a deathless devotion
+that neither his unworthiness, nor time, nor eternity can
+conquer; and to-day, I tell you that he is dear to me,&mdash;dear
+to me as some precious corpse, over which a gravestone has
+gathered moss for eight weary, dreary years. The angels in
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_425' name='page_425'></a>425</span>
+heaven would not blush for the feeling in my heart towards
+Maurice Carlyle; and the God who must soon judge me
+will not condemn the pure and sacred love I cherish for the
+only man who could ever have been my husband, but whom
+I have resolutely refused to see, even when the world believed
+you dead. I cannot go to him, and comfort, and provide for
+him now; but, in the name of God, and your oath, and if not
+for your own sake, at least for his and for mine, I ask you
+once more, Evelyn Carlyle, will you hasten to your erring
+but unhappy husband?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Her scarlet cheeks and lips, her glowing brown eyes, and
+waving yellow hair, formed a singular contrast to the colorless,
+cold face of her listener; whose steely gaze was fixed on
+the distant sea, that lay like a beryl mirror beneath the hazy
+sky.</p>
+<p>When the sound of the sweet but strained voice had died
+away, Mrs. Gerome turned her eyes towards the governess,
+and answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I will do my duty, no matter how revolting.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God! When will you go?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If at all, at once.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Evelyn, when you come home, will you not let me see
+you, now and then, and win my way back to my old place in
+your dear heart? Oh! my pale, peerless darling, do not deny
+me this.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Home? I have no home. My heart is grayer than my
+head,&mdash;and your old niche is full of dust, and skeletons, and
+murdered hopes. Let me see you no more in this world; and
+perhaps in the Everlasting Rest I shall forget my hideous
+past, which your face recalls.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, my poor bruised darling! do not banish me,&#8221; wailed
+the governess, endeavoring to fold her arms about the queenly
+form, which silently but effectually held her back.</p>
+<p>&#8220;At least, dear Evelyn, let me kiss you once more, in token
+that you cherish no bitterness against me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good-by, Edith. I hold you innocent of my injuries.
+May God help you, and call us both speedily to our dreamless
+sleep under moss and marble.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_426' name='page_426'></a>426</span></div>
+<p>She bent down, and with firm, icy lips, lightly touched the
+forehead of the governess, and walked away, unheeding the
+burst of tears with which the frigid caress was welcomed.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;And I think, in the lives of most women and men,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>There&#8217;s a moment when all would go smooth and even,<br />
+If only the dead could find out when<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>To come back, and be forgiven.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXXI' id='CHAPTER_XXXI'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXXI.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Madam, are you aware that you breathe an infected atmosphere?&mdash;that
+this building is assigned to small-pox cases?
+Pray do not cross the threshold.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The superintendent of the hospital laid aside his pipe, and
+advanced to meet the stranger whose knock had startled him
+from a <i>post-prandial</i> doze.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am not afraid of contagion, and came to see the patient
+who was brought here yesterday from No. 139 Elm Street.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Have you a permit to visit here?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes; you will find it on this paper, given me by the proper
+authorities.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is the name of the person you desire to see?&#8221;</p>
+<p>The superintendent opened a book that lay on the table
+beside him, and drew his finger up and down the page.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Maurice Carlyle.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, yes,&mdash;I have it now. Maurice Carlyle, Ward 3,&mdash;cot
+No. 7. Madam, may I ask,&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; I have no inclination to answer idle questions.
+Will you show me the way, or shall I find it?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Certainly, I will conduct you; but I was about to remark
+that a death has just occurred in Ward No. 3, and I am under
+the impression that it was the Elm Street case. Madam, you
+look faint; shall I bring you a glass of water?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No. Show me the body of the dead.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;This way, if you please.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He walked down a dim, low-vaulted passage, and paused at
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_427' name='page_427'></a>427</span>
+the entrance of a room lined with cots, where the nurse was
+slowly passing from patient to patient.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Nurse, show this lady to cot No. 7.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Swiftly the tall figure of the visitor glided down the room,
+and placing her hand on the arm of the nurse, she said
+huskily,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where is the man who has just died? Quick! do not
+keep me in suspense.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;There, to the right; shall I uncover the face?&#8221;</p>
+<p>Under the blue check coverlet that was spread smoothly
+over the cot, the stiff outlines of a human form were clearly
+defined; and, when the nurse stooped, the stranger put out
+one arm and held him back, while her whole frame trembled
+violently.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stop! be good enough to leave me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The attendant withdrew a few yards, and curiously watched
+the queenly woman, who stood motionless, with her fingers
+tightly interlaced.</p>
+<p>She was dressed in a gray suit of some shining fabric, and
+a long gossamer veil of the same hue hung over her features.
+After a few seconds she swept back the veil, and, as she bent
+forward, a stray sunbeam dipped through the closed shutters,
+and flashed across a white horror-stricken face, crowned with
+clustering braids of silver hair.</p>
+<p>She shut her eyes an instant, grasped the coverlet, and drew
+it down; then caught her breath, and looked at the dead.</p>
+<p>It was a young, boyish face, horribly swollen and distorted,
+and coarse red locks were matted around his brow and temples.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God, Maurice Carlyle still lives.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She involuntarily raised her hands towards heaven, and
+the expression of dread melted from her countenance.</p>
+<p>Slowly and reverently she re-covered the corpse, and approached
+the nurse.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am searching for my husband. Which cot is No. 7?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That on your left,&mdash;next to the dead.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Carlyle turned, and gazed at the bloated crimson mass
+of disease that writhed on the narrow bed, and a long shudder
+crept over her, as she endeavored to discover in that loathsome
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_428' name='page_428'></a>428</span>
+hideous visage some familiar feature&mdash;some trace of the
+manly beauty that once rendered it so fascinating.</p>
+<p>The swollen blood-shot eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling,
+and, while delirious muttering fell upon the ears of the visitor,
+she saw that his cheeks were somewhat lacerated, and his
+hands, partially confined, were tearing at the inflamed flesh.</p>
+<p>She shivered with horror, and a groan broke from her pitying
+heart.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What an awful retribution! My God, have mercy upon
+him! He is sufficiently punished.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Drawing her perfumed lace handkerchief from her pocket,
+she leaned over and wiped away the bloody foam that oozed
+across his lips, and lifting his hot head turned it sufficiently
+to expose the right ear, where a large mole was hidden by the
+thick hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Maurice Carlyle! But what a fearful wreck?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She covered her eyes with her hand, and moaned.</p>
+<p>The nurse came nearer, and said hesitatingly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Madam, surely he is not your husband? His clothes are
+almost in tatters, while yours are&mdash;ahem!&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Spare me all comments on the comparison. Can I obtain
+a comfortable, quiet room, in this building, and have him removed
+to it at once? You hesitate? I will compensate you
+liberally, will pay almost any price for an apartment where he
+can at least have silence and seclusion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;We can accommodate you, but of course if the patient is
+carried from this ward to a private room, we shall be compelled
+to charge extra.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Charge what you choose, only arrange the matter as
+promptly as possible. How soon can you make the change?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In twenty minutes, madam.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The nurse rang for an assistant, to whom the necessary instructions
+were given, and in the <i>interim</i> Mrs. Carlyle leaned
+against the cot, and brushed away the flies that buzzed about
+the pitiable victims.</p>
+<p>Two men carried the sufferer up a flight of steps, and ere
+long he was transferred to a large comfortable bed in an airy,
+well-furnished apartment.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_429' name='page_429'></a>429</span></div>
+<p>The removal had not been completed more than an hour,
+when the surgeon made his evening round, and followed the
+patient to his new quarters.</p>
+<p>He paused at sight of the elegantly dressed woman who sat
+beside the bed, and said, stammeringly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am informed that No. 7 is your husband, and that you
+have taken charge of his case, and intend to nurse him. Have
+you had small-pox?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Madam, you run a fearful risk.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I fully appreciate the hazard, and am prepared to incur
+it. Do you regard this case as hopeless?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Not altogether, though the probabilities are that it will
+terminate fatally.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have had too little experience to warrant my undertaking
+the management of the case, and, while I intend to remain
+here, I wish you to engage the services of some trustworthy
+nurse who understands the treatment of this disease. Can
+you recommend such a person?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Yes, madam; I can send you a man in whom I have entire
+confidence, and fortunately he is not at present employed.
+If you desire it, I will see him within the next hour, and give
+him all requisite instructions about the patient.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Promptness in this matter will greatly oblige me, and I
+wish to spare no expense in contributing to the comfort and
+restoration of the sufferer. As I am utterly unknown to you,
+I prefer to place in your hands a sufficient amount to defray
+all incidental expenditures.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She laid a roll of bills upon the table, and as Dr. Clingman
+counted them, she added,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is possible that I may be attacked by this disease,
+though I have been repeatedly vaccinated; and if I should die,
+please recollect that you will find in my purse a memorandum
+of the disposition I wish made of my body,&mdash;also the address
+of my agent and banker in New York City.&#8221;</p>
+<p>With mingled curiosity and admiration the physician looked
+at the pale, handsome woman, who spoke of death as coldly
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_430' name='page_430'></a>430</span>
+and unconcernedly as of to-morrow&#8217;s sun, or next month&#8217;s
+moon.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Madam, allow me to ask if you have no friends in this
+city,&mdash;no relatives nearer than New York?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;None, sir. It is my wish that our conversation should be
+confined to the symptoms and treatment of your patient.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Clingman bowed, and, after writing minute instructions
+upon a sheet of paper left on the mantelpiece, took his
+departure.</p>
+<p>Securing the door on the inside, Mrs. Carlyle threw aside
+her bonnet and wrappings, and came back to the sufferer on
+the bed.</p>
+<p>Eight years of reckless excess and dissipation had obliterated
+every vestige of manly beauty from features that disease
+now rendered loathsome, and the curling hair and long beard
+were unkempt and grizzled.</p>
+<p>Leaning against the pillow, the lonely woman bent over to
+scrutinize the distorted, burning face, and softly took into her
+cool palms one hot and swollen hand, which in other days
+she had admiringly stroked, and tenderly pressed against her
+cheek and lips. How totally unlike that countenance, which,
+handsome as Apollyon, had looked down at her on her bridal
+day, and fondly whispered&mdash;&#8220;my wife.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Memory mercilessly broke open sealed chambers in that
+wretched woman&#8217;s heart, and out of one leaped a wail that
+made her tremble and moan,&mdash;&#8220;Oh, Evelyn, my wife, forgive
+your husband.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Slowly compassion began to bridge the dark gulf of separation
+and hate, and as the wife gazed at the writhing form of
+her husband, her stony face softened, and tears gathered in
+the large, mournful eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Ah, Maurice! This world has proved a huge cheat to
+you and to me,&mdash;and well-nigh cost us all peace in the next
+one. My husband, yet my bitterest foe,&mdash;my first, my last,
+my only love! If I could recall one throb of the old affection,
+one atom of the old worshipping tenderness and devotion,&mdash;but
+it has withered; my heart is scorched and ashen,&mdash;and
+neither love nor hope haunts its desolate ruins. Poor, polluted,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_431' name='page_431'></a>431</span>
+down-trodden idol! Maurice&mdash;Maurice&mdash;my husband,
+I have come. Evelyn, your wife, forgives you, as she hopes
+for pardon at the hands of her God.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Kneeling beside the bed, with her snowy fingers clasped
+around his, she bowed her head, and humbly prayed for his
+soul, and for her own; and, when the petition ended, that
+peace which this world can never give,&mdash;which had so long
+been exiled, fluttered back and brooded once more in her
+storm-riven heart.</p>
+<p>Softly she lifted and smoothed the long tangled hair
+that clung to his forehead, and tears dripped upon his scarlet
+face, as she said; brokenly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;<i>Till death us do part!</i> Poor Maurice! Deserted and
+despised by your former parasites. After long years, my
+vows bring me back in the hour of your need. God grant you
+life, to redeem your past,&mdash;to save your sinful soul from
+eternal ruin.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Suns rose and set, weary days and solemn nights of vigil
+succeeded each other, and tirelessly the wife and hired nurse
+watched the progress of the dreadful disease. Occasionally
+Mr. <ins title='Was Carlye'>Carlyle</ins> talked deliriously, and more than once the name
+of Edith Dexter hung on his lips, and was coupled with
+tenderer terms than were ever bestowed on the woman who
+wore his own. Bending over his pillow, the pale watcher
+heard and noted all, and a sad pitying smile curved her mouth
+now and then, as she realized that the one holy love of this
+man&#8217;s life triumphed over the wreck of fortune, health, and
+hope, and kept its hold upon the heart that long years before
+had sold itself to Lucifer.</p>
+<p>Sleeplessly, faithfully, she went to and fro in that darkened
+room, whose atmosphere was tainted by infection, and
+at last she found her reward. The crisis was safely passed,
+and she was assured the patient would recover.</p>
+<p>The apartment was so dimly lighted that Mr. Carlyle took
+little notice of his attendants, but one afternoon when the
+nurse had gone to procure some refreshments, the sick man
+turned on his pillow, and looked earnestly at the woman who
+was engaged in writing at a table near the bed.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_432' name='page_432'></a>432</span></div>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Smith.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Mrs. Carlyle rose and approached him.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you Mrs. Smith,&mdash;my landlady?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir. I am merely your nurse.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My nurse? What is the matter with me?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Small-pox,&mdash;but the danger is now over.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Small-pox! Where did I catch it? Am I still in Elm
+Street?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; you are in the hospital.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Shading his inflamed eyes with his hand, he mused for some
+moments, and she saw a perplexed and sorrowful expression
+cross his features.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is there any danger of my dying?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;That danger is past.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What is your name?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Gerome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Stand a little closer to me. I find I am almost blind.
+Mrs. Gerome? Your voice is strangely like one that I have
+not heard for many years,&mdash;and it carries me back,&mdash;back&mdash;to&mdash;&#8221;
+He sighed, and pressed his fingers over his eyes.</p>
+<p>After a few seconds, he said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do give me some water. I am as parched as Dives.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She lifted his head and put the glass to his lips,&mdash;and
+while he drank, his eyes searched her face, and lingered admiringly
+on her beautiful hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Are you a regular nurse at this hospital?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am engaged for your case.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I see no pock-marks on your skin; it is as smooth as
+ivory. Shall I escape as <ins title='Added quote and question mark'>lightly?&#8221;</ins></p>
+<p>&#8220;It is impossible to tell. Here comes your dinner.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He caught her arm, and gazed earnestly at her.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is your hair really so white, or is it merely an illusion
+of my inflamed eyes?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;There is not a dark hair in my head; it is as white as
+snow.&#8221;</p>
+<p>While the nurse prepared the food and arranged it on the
+table, Mrs. Carlyle hastily collected several articles scattered
+about the apartment, and softly opened the door.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_433' name='page_433'></a>433</span></div>
+<p>Standing there a moment, she looked back at the figure
+comfortably elevated on pillows, and a long sigh of relief
+crossed her lips.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God! I have done my duty, and now he needs
+me no longer. Next time I see your face, Maurice Carlyle,
+I hope it will be at the last bar, in the final judgment; and
+then may the Lord have mercy upon us both.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The words were breathed inaudibly, and, closing the door
+gently, she hurried down the steps and in the direction of
+a small room which Dr. Clingman had converted into an
+office.</p>
+<p>As she entered, he looked up and pushed back his spectacles.</p>
+<p>&#8220;What can I do for you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;A little thing, which will cost you no trouble, but will
+greatly oblige me. Doctor, I have found you a kind and
+sympathizing gentleman, and am grateful for the delicate
+consideration with which you have treated me. Mr. Carlyle
+is beyond danger, and I shall leave him in your care. When
+he is sufficiently strong to be removed, I desire that you
+will give him this letter, which contains a check payable
+to his order. There, examine it, and be so good as to write
+me a receipt.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Silently he complied, and when she had re-enclosed the
+check and sealed the envelope she placed it in his hand.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Clingman, is there any other place to which small-pox
+cases can be carried? To-day I have discovered some symptoms
+of the disease in my own system, and I feel assured
+I shall be ill before this time to-morrow.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear madam, why not remain here?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Because I do not wish to be discovered by Mr. Carlyle,
+and forced to meet him again. I prefer to suffer, and, if
+need be, die, alone and unknown.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you will trust yourself to me, and to a faithful female
+nurse whom I can secure, I promise you, upon my honor
+as a gentleman, that I will allow no one else to see you,
+living or dead. My dear madam, I beg you to reconsider,
+and remain where I can watch over, and perhaps preserve
+your life. I dreaded this. You are feverish now.&#8221;</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_434' name='page_434'></a>434</span></div>
+<p>Wearily she swept her hand across her forehead, and a
+dreary smile flitted over her wan features.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My life is a worthless, melancholy thing, useless to
+others, and a crushing burden to me; and I might as well lay
+it down here as elsewhere. I accept your promise, Dr.
+Clingman, and hope you will obtain a room in the quiet
+and secluded portion of the building. If I should be so
+fortunate as to die, do not forget the memorandum in this
+purse. I leave my body in your care, my soul in the hands
+of Him who alone can give it rest.&#8221;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;The burden of my days is hard to bear,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>But God knows best;<br />
+And I have prayed,&mdash;but vain has been my prayer,&mdash;<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>For rest&mdash;for rest.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXXII' id='CHAPTER_XXXII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXXII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter, have you succeeded in seeing Mrs. Gerome
+since her return?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, sir; she obstinately refuses to admit me, though I
+have called twice at the house. Yesterday I received a letter
+in answer to several that I have addressed to her, all of which
+she returned unopened. Since you have already learned so
+much of our melancholy history, why should I hesitate to
+acquaint you with the contents of her letter? You know
+the object of her journey north, and I will read you the
+result.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The governess drew a letter from her pocket, and Dr.
+Grey leaned his face on his hand and listened.</p>
+<blockquote>
+<p class='sig3'>&#8220;<span class='smcap'>Solitude</span>, <i>May 10th, 18&mdash;</i>.</p>
+<p>&#8220;<i>Edith</i>,&mdash;No lingering vestige of affection, no remorseful
+tenderness, prompted that mission from which I have recently
+returned, and only the savage scourgings of implacable duty
+could have driven me, like a galley-slave, to my hated task.
+The victim of a horrible and disfiguring disease which so
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_435' name='page_435'></a>435</span>
+completely changed his countenance that his own mother
+would scarcely have recognized him,&mdash;and the tenant of a
+charity hospital in the town of&nbsp;&mdash;&mdash;, I found that man who
+has proved the Upas of your life and of mine. During his
+delirium I watched and nursed him&mdash;not lovingly (how could
+I?) but faithfully, kindly, pityingly. When all danger was
+safely passed, and his clouded intellect began to clear itself,
+I left him in careful hands, and provided an ample amount
+for his comfortable maintenance in coming years. I spared
+him the humiliation of recognizing in his nurse his injured
+and despised wife; and, as night after night I watched beside
+the pitiable wreck of a once handsome, fascinating, and
+idolized man, I fully and freely forgave Maurice Carlyle
+all the wrongs that so completely stranded my life. To-day
+he is well, and probably happy, while he finds himself possessed
+of means by which to gratify his extravagant tastes;
+but how long his naturally fine constitution can hold at
+bay the legion of ills that hunt like hungry wolves along
+the track of reckless dissipation, God only knows.</p>
+<p>&#8220;For some natures it is exceedingly difficult to forgive,&mdash;to
+forget, impossible; and while my husband&#8217;s abject wretchedness
+and degradation disarmed the hate that has for so
+many years rankled in my heart, I could never again look
+willingly upon his face. Edith, you and I have nothing
+in common but miserable memories, which, I beg you to believe,
+are sufficiently vivid, without the torturing adjunct
+of your countenance; therefore, pardon me if I decline to
+receive your visits, and return the letters that are quite
+as welcome and cheering to my eyes as the little shoes and
+garments of the long-buried dead to the mother, who would
+fain look no more upon the harrowing relics. I do not
+wish to be harsh, but I must be honest, and our intercourse
+can never be renewed in this world.</p>
+<p>&#8220;In bygone days, when I loved you so fondly and trusted
+you so fully, it was my intention to share my fortune with
+you; and, since I find that you have not forfeited my confidence
+in the purity of your purposes, such is still my wish.
+I enclose a draft on my banker, which I hope you will deem
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_436' name='page_436'></a>436</span>
+sufficient to enable you to abandon the arduous profession
+in which you have worn out your life. If I can feel assured
+that I have been instrumental in contributing to the peace
+and ease of the years that may yet be in store for you, it will
+serve as one honeyed drop to sweeten the dregs of the cup
+of woe I am draining. Edith, do not refuse the only aid
+I can offer you in your loneliness; and accept the earnest
+assurance that I shall be grateful for the privilege of promoting
+your comfort. Affection and trust I have not, and
+a few paltry thousands are all I am now able to bestow. By
+the love you once professed, and in the name of that compassion
+you should feel for me, I beg of you, despise not
+the gift; and let the consciousness that I have saved you
+from toil and fatigue quiet the soul and ease the heart of
+a lonely woman, who has shaken hands with every earthly
+hope. I have done my duty, my conscience is calm and contented,
+and I sit wearily on the stormy shore of time, waiting
+for the tide that will drift into eternity the desolate, proud
+soul of</p>
+<p class='sig2'>&#8220;<span class='smcap'>Vashti Carlyle.</span>&#8221;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>Tears rolled over the governess&#8217; cheeks, and, refolding the
+letter, she said, sorrowfully,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My poor, heart-broken Vashti! She has resumed the
+name which old Elsie gave her because it was her mother&#8217;s;
+and how mournfully appropriate it has proved. I could
+be happy if permitted to spend the residue of my days with
+her; but she decrees otherwise, and I have no alternative but
+submission to her imperious will.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey did not lift his face where the shadow of a
+great, voiceless grief hung heavily, and his low tone indexed
+deep and painful emotion, when he answered,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I sincerely deplore her unfortunate decision, for isolation
+only augments the ills from which she suffers. Many
+months have elapsed since I saw her last, but Robert Maclean
+told me to-day that she was sadly changed in appearance,
+and seemed in feeble health. She did not tell you that
+she had been dangerously ill with varioloid, contracted while
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_437' name='page_437'></a>437</span>
+nursing her husband. Although not in the least marked or
+disfigured, the attack must have seriously impaired her
+constitution, if all that Robert tells me be true. Since her
+return, one month ago, she has not left her room.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, exert your influence in my behalf, and prevail
+upon her to admit me.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Miss Dexter, you ascribe to me powers of persuasion
+which, unfortunately, I do not possess; and Mrs. Carlyle&#8217;s
+decree is beyond the reach of human agency. To the few
+who are earnestly interested in her welfare, there remains
+but one avenue of aid and comfort,&mdash;faithful, fervent prayer.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Perhaps you are not aware of the exalted estimate she
+places on your character, nor of the value she attaches to
+your opinions. Of all living beings, she told me she reverenced
+and trusted you most; and you, at least, would not
+be denied access to her presence.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She could not see the tremor on his usually firm lips, nor
+the pallor that overspread his face, and when he spoke his
+grave voice did not betray the tumult in his aching heart.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am no longer a visitor at &#8216;Solitude,&#8217; and shall not see
+its mistress unless she requires my professional aid. While
+I am very deeply interested in her happiness, I could never
+consent to intrude upon her seclusion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I know my days are numbered, and after a little while
+I shall sleep well under the ancient cedars that shade the
+head-stones of my father and mother; but I could die more
+cheerfully, more joyfully, if Evelyn would only be comforted,
+and accept some human friendship.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;For some weeks you have seemed so much better that I
+hoped warm weather would quite relieve and invigorate you.
+Spend next winter in Cuba or Mexico, and it will probably
+add many months, possibly years, to your life.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She smiled, and shook her head.</p>
+<p>&#8220;This beautiful springtime has temporarily baffled the
+disease, but for me there can be no restoration. Day by
+day I feel the ebbing of strength and energy, and the approach
+of my deliverer, death; but I realize also, what the
+Centaur uttered to Melampus, &#8216;I decline unto my last days
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_438' name='page_438'></a>438</span>
+calm as the setting of the constellations; but I feel myself
+perishing and passing quickly away, like a snow-wreath floating
+on the stream.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<p>As he looked at the thin, pure face where May sunshine
+streamed warm and bright, and marked the perfect peace
+that brooded over the changed features, Dr. Grey was reminded
+of the lines that might have been written for her,
+so fully were they suited to her case,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;I saw that one who lost her love in pain,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Who trod on thorns, who drank the loathsome cup;<br />
+The lost in night, in day was found again;<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>The fallen was lifted up.<br />
+They stood together in the blessed noon,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>They sang together through the length of days;<br />
+Each loving face bent sunwards, like a moon<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>New-lit with love and praise.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;My friend, the shadows are passing swiftly from your
+life, and, in the mild radiance of its close, you can well afford
+to forget the storms that clouded its dawn.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Forget? No, Dr. Grey, I neither endeavor nor desire
+to forget the sorrows that first taught me the emptiness of
+earthly things, the futility of human schemes,&mdash;that snapped
+the frail reed of flesh to which I clung, and gave me, instead,
+the blessed support, the immovable arm of an everlasting
+God. Ah! that woman was deeply versed in the heart-lore
+of her own sex, who wrote,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;When I remember something which I had,<br />
+But which is gone, and I must do without,<br />
+</p>
+<hr class='tb' />
+<p class='cg'><br />
+When I remember something promised me,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>But which I never had, nor can have now,<br />
+Because the promiser we no more see<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>In countries that accord with mortal vow;<br />
+When I remember this, I mourn,&mdash;but yet<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>My happier days are not the days when I forget.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;If Mrs. Carlyle possessed a tithe of your faith and philosophy,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_439' name='page_439'></a>439</span>
+how serene, how tranquilly useful her future years
+might prove.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In God&#8217;s own good time her trials will be sanctified to
+her eternal peace, and she will one day glide from grief to
+glory, for she can claim the promise of our Lord, &#8216;The pure
+in heart shall see God.&#8217; No purer heart than Vashti Carlyle&#8217;s
+throbs this side of the throne where seraphim and cherubim
+hover.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In the brief silence that succeeded, the governess observed
+the unusually grave and melancholy expression of her companion&#8217;s
+countenance, and asked, timidly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Has anything occurred recently to distress or annoy you?
+You look depressed.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I feel inexpressibly anxious about Salome, concerning
+whose fate I can learn nothing that is comforting. In
+reply to my letter, urging him to make every effort to ascertain
+her locality and condition, Professor V&mdash;&mdash; writes, that
+he is now a confirmed invalid, confined to his room, and unable
+to conduct the search for his missing pupil. She left
+Palermo on a small vessel bound for Monaco, and her farewell
+note stated that all attempts to discover her retreat
+would prove futile, as she was resolved to preserve her incognito,
+and wished her friends in America to remain in
+ignorance of her mode of life. Professor V&mdash;&mdash; surmises
+that she is in Paris, but gives no good reason for the conjecture,
+except that she possibly sought the best medical
+advice for the treatment of her throat and recovery of her
+voice. His last letter, received yesterday, informed me that
+one of Salome&#8217;s most devoted admirers, a Bostonian of immense
+wealth, was so deeply grieved by her inexplicable disappearance
+that he was diligently searching for her in Leghorn
+and Monaco. She left Palermo alone, and with a comparatively
+empty purse.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, are you aware of the suspicions which Muriel
+has long entertained with reference to Mr. Granville&#8217;s admiration
+of Salome, and the efforts of the latter to encourage his
+attentions?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have very cogent reasons for believing that however
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_440' name='page_440'></a>440</span>
+amenable to censure Mr. Granville doubtless is, Muriel&#8217;s
+distrust of Salome is totally unjust. If she were capable
+of the despicable course my ward is disposed to impute to
+her, I should cease to feel any interest in her career or fate;
+but I cherish the conviction that she would scorn to be
+guilty of conduct so ignoble. Her defects of character I
+shall neither deny nor attempt to palliate, but I trust her true
+womanly heart as I trust my own manly honor; and a stern
+sense of justice to the absent constrains me to vindicate her
+from Muriel&#8217;s hasty and unfounded aspersions. So strong
+is my faith in Salome&#8217;s conscientiousness, so earnest my
+friendship for her, that since the receipt of Professor V&mdash;&mdash;&#8217;s
+letter I have determined to go immediately to Europe, and
+if possible discover her retreat. My sister&#8217;s adopted child
+must not and shall not suffer and struggle among strangers,
+while I live to aid and protect her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Miss Dexter rose and laid her thin, feverish hand on his
+arm, while embarrassment made her voice tremble slightly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I am rejoiced to learn your decision, and God grant
+you speedy success in your quest. Do not deem me presumptuous
+or impertinent if, prompted by a sincere desire to see
+you happy, I venture to say, that he who lightly values the
+pure, tender, devoted love of such a woman as Salome Owen,&mdash;tramples
+on treasures that would make his life affluent
+and blessed&mdash;that neither gold can purchase nor royalty compel.
+Under your guidance, moulded by your influence, she
+would become a noble woman,&mdash;of whom any man might
+justly be proud.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Fearful that she had already incurred his displeasure, and
+unwilling to meet his eye, she turned quickly and made her
+escape through the open door.</p>
+<p>In the bright glow of that lovely spring day, the calm face
+of Ulpian Grey seemed scarcely older than on the afternoon
+when he came to make the farm his home; and though paler,
+and ciphered over by the leaden finger of anxiety, it indexed
+little of the long, fierce strife, that conscience had waged
+with heart.</p>
+<p>Lighter and more impulsive natures expend themselves
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_441' name='page_441'></a>441</span>
+in spasmodic and violent ebullitions, but the great deep of
+this man&#8217;s serene character had never stirred, until the one
+mighty love of his life had lashed it into a tempest that
+tossed his hopes like sea-froth, and finally engulfed the only
+rosy dream of wedded happiness that had ever flushed his
+quiet, solitary, sedate existence.</p>
+<p>Having kept his heart in holy subjection to the law of
+Christ, he did not quail and surrender when the great temptation
+rose, bearing the banner of insurrection; but sternly
+and dauntlessly fronted the shock, and kept inviolate the
+citadel, garrisoned by an invincible and consecrated will.</p>
+<p>The yearning tenderness of his strong, tranquil soul, had
+enfolded Mrs. Carlyle, drawing her more and more into
+the penetralia of his affection; but from the hour in which
+he learned her history he had torn away the clinging tendrils
+of love,&mdash;had endeavored to expel her from his heart, and
+to stifle its wail for the lost idol.</p>
+<p>Week after week, month after month, he had driven every
+day within sight of the blue smoke that curled above the
+trees at &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; but never even for an instant checked
+his horse to gaze longingly towards the Eden whence he had
+voluntarily exiled himself.</p>
+<p>There were hours when his heart ached for the sight of
+that white face he had loved so madly, and the sound of the
+mournfully sweet voice,&mdash;and his hand trembled at the
+recollection of the soft, cold, snowy fingers, that once
+thrilled his palms; but he treated these utterances of his
+heart as mercilessly as the hunter who cheers his dogs in
+the chase where the death-cry of the victim rings above bark
+and halloo.</p>
+<p>No wall of division, no sea of separation, would have proved
+so effectual, so insurmountable, as his own firm resolve that
+his earthly path should never cross that of one whom God&#8217;s
+statutes had set apart until death annulled the decree. In
+this torturing ordeal he was strengthened by the conviction
+that he alone suffered for his folly,&mdash;that Mrs. Carlyle
+was a stranger to feelings that robbed him of sleep, and
+clouded his days,&mdash;that the heaving tide of his devoted love
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_442' name='page_442'></a>442</span>
+had broken against her frozen heart as idly as the surges of
+the sea that die in foam upon the dreary, mysterious ruins
+of the Serapeon at Pozzuoli.</p>
+<p>In the silent watches of the night, as he pondered the
+brief, beautiful vision that had so completely fascinated
+him, he reverently thanked God that the woman he loved
+had never reciprocated his affection, and was not sitting in
+the ashes of desolation, mourning his absence. Striving
+to interest himself more and more in Stanley and Jessie,
+who had become inordinately fond of him, his thoughts
+continually reverted to Salome, and that subtle sympathy
+which springs from the &#8220;fellow-being,&#8221; that makes us &#8220;wondrous
+kind&#8221; to those whose pangs are fierce as ours, began
+faintly and shyly, but surely, to assert itself. A shadowy,
+intangible self-reproach brooded like a phantom over his
+generous heart, when, amidst the uncertainty that seemed
+to overhang the orphan&#8217;s fate, he remembered the numberless
+manifestations of almost idolatrous affection which he
+had coldly repulsed.</p>
+<p>In the earnest interest that day by day deepened in the
+absent girl, there was no pitiable vanity, no inflated self-love,
+but a stern realization of the anguish and humiliation
+that must now be her portion, and a magnanimous
+eagerness to endeavor to cheer a heart whose severest woes
+had sprung from his indifference.</p>
+<p>More than a year had elapsed, and no letter had ever
+reached him,&mdash;not even a message in her two brief epistles
+to Stanley, and Dr. Grey missed the bright, perverse element
+that no longer thwarted him at every turn.</p>
+<p>He longed to see the proud, girlish face, with its flashing
+eyes, and red lips, and the haughty toss of the large, handsome
+head; and the angry tones of her voice would have been
+welcome sounds in the house where she had so long tyrannized.
+To-day, as Ulpian Grey sat in his own little sitting-room,
+his eyes were fixed on a copy of Rembrandt&#8217;s <i>Nicholas
+Tulp</i>, which hung over the mantelpiece; but the mysteries
+of anatomy no longer riveted his attention, and his thoughts
+were busy with memories of a fond though wayward girl,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_443' name='page_443'></a>443</span>
+whom his indifference had driven to foreign lands,&mdash;to unknown
+and fearful perils.</p>
+<p>Through the windows stole the breath of Salome&#8217;s violets,
+and the sweet, spicy odor of the Belgian honeysuckle that
+she had planted and twined around the mossy columns that
+supported the gallery; and with a sigh he closed his eyes, shut
+out the anatomy of flesh, and began the dissection of emotions.</p>
+<p>Could Salome&#8217;s radiant face brighten his home, and win his
+heart from its devouring regret? Would it be possible for
+him to give her the place whence he had ejected Mrs. Carlyle?
+Could he ever persuade himself to call that fair, passionate
+young thing, that capricious, obstinate, maliciously perverse
+girl,&mdash;his wife?</p>
+<p>Involuntarily he frowned, for while pity pleaded for the
+refugee from home and happiness, the man&#8217;s honest nature
+scouted all shams, and he acknowledged to himself that
+he could never feel the need of her lips or hands,&mdash;could
+never insult her womanhood, or degrade his own nature, by
+folding to his heart one whose touch possessed no magnetism,
+whose presence exerted no spell over his home.</p>
+<p>Salome, his friend, his adopted sister, he wished to discover,
+to claim, and restore to the household; but Salome,
+his wife,&mdash;was a monstrous imaginary incubus that appalled
+and repelled him.</p>
+<p>The difficulties that presented themselves at the outset of
+his search would have discouraged a less resolute temperament,
+but it was part of his wise philosophy, that&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;We overstate the ills of life. We walk upon<br />
+The shadow of hills across a level thrown,<br />
+And pant like climbers.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>As a pitying older brother, he thought of Salome&#8217;s many
+foibles,&mdash;of her noble intentions and ignoble executions,&mdash;of
+her few feeble triumphs, her numerous egregious failures
+in the line of duty; and loving Christian charity pleaded
+eloquently for her, whispering to his generous soul, &#8220;We
+know the ships that come with streaming pennons into the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_444' name='page_444'></a>444</span>
+immortal ports; but we know little of the ships that have
+taken fire on the way thither,&mdash;that have gone down at sea.&#8221;</p>
+<p>What pure friendship could accomplish he would not withhold,
+and life at the farm was not so attractive now that he
+felt regret at the prospect of temporary absence.</p>
+<p>The disappointment that had so rudely smitten to the
+earth the one precious hope born of his acquaintance with
+&#8220;Solitude,&#8221; had no power to embitter his nature,&mdash;to drape
+the world in drab, or to shroud the future with gloom; and
+though his noble face was sadder and paler, Christian faith
+and resignation rang blessed chimes of peace in heart and
+soul, and made his life a hallowed labor of love for the
+needy and grief-stricken. To-day, as he sat alone at the south
+window, he could overlook the fields of &#8220;Grassmere,&#8221; where
+the rich promise of golden harvest &#8220;filled in all beauty and
+fulness the emerald cup of the hills,&#8221; and the waving grain
+rippled in light and shade like the billows of some distant
+sunset sea. Basking in the balmy sunshine, and contemplating
+his approaching departure for Europe, a sudden longing
+seized him to look once more on the face of Vashti
+Carlyle, before he bade farewell to his home.</p>
+<p>She was in feeble health, and might not survive his absence,
+and, moreover, what harm could result from one final
+visit to &#8220;Solitude,&#8221;&mdash;from a few parting words to its desolate
+mistress? She had sent a message through Robert, that
+she would be glad to see Dr. Grey whenever he could find
+leisure to call, and now hungry heart and soul cried out
+savagely,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Why not? Why not?&#8221;</p>
+<p>His heavy brows knitted a little, and his mouth grew rigid
+as iron, but after some moments the lips relaxed, and with
+a sad, patient smile, he repeated those stirring words of
+Richter to Herman,&mdash;&#8220;Suffer like a man the Alp-pressure
+of fate. Trust yourself upon the broad, shining wings of
+your <i>faith</i>, and make them bear you over the Dead Sea, so
+as not to fall spiritually dead within.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;No, no, Ulpian Grey,&mdash;keep yourself &#8216;unspotted from
+the world.&#8217; Strangle that one temptation which borrows
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_445' name='page_445'></a>445</span>
+the garments of an angel of light and mercy, and dogs you,
+sleeping and waking. I will see her no more till death snaps
+her fetters, and I can meet her in the presence of God, who
+alone can know what separation costs me. May He grant
+her strength to bear her lonely lot, and give me grace to be
+patient even unto the end, bringing no reproach on the
+sacred faith I profess.&#8221;</p>
+<p>It was the final struggle between love and duty, and though
+the vanquished heart wailed piteously, exultant conscience,
+like Jupiter of old, triumphantly applauded, &#8220;Evan, evoe!&#8221;</p>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXXIII' id='CHAPTER_XXXIII'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXXIII.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Wanted!&mdash;Information of Salome Owen, who will confer
+a favor on her friends, and secure a handsome legacy by
+calling at No.&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;&mdash;&mdash;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, for six months this advertisement has appeared
+every morning in two of the most popular journals in
+Paris, and as it has elicited no clew to her whereabouts, I
+am reluctantly compelled to believe that she is no longer
+in France.&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Removed quote'>Mr.</ins> Granville refolded the newspaper, and busied himself
+in filling and lighting his meerschaum.</p>
+<p>&#8220;By whom was that notice inserted?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;By M. de Baillu, the agent and banker of Mr. Minge
+of Boston, who was warmly and sincerely attached to your
+<i>protégée</i>, and earnestly endeavored to marry her. When she
+left Palermo, Mr. Minge came to this city and solicited my
+aid in discovering her retreat.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Pardon me, but why did he apply to you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Simply because he knew that I was an old acquaintance,
+and he had seen me with her, when she first came from
+America.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;How did you ascertain her presence in Paris?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Accidentally; one night, at the opera, whither she accompanied
+Professor V&mdash;&mdash;, I recognized her, and of course
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_446' name='page_446'></a>446</span>
+made myself known. To what shall I ascribe the honor of
+this rigid cross-questioning?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;To reasons which I shall very freely give you. But
+first, permit me to beg that you will resume your narrative
+at the point where I interrupted you. I wish to learn all
+that can be told concerning Mr. Minge.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;He was an elderly man of ordinary appearance, but extraordinary
+fortune, and seemed completely fascinated by Salome&#8217;s
+beauty. He offered a large reward to the police for
+any clew that would enable him to discover her, and finally
+found the physician whom she had consulted with reference
+to some disease of the throat, which occasioned the loss of
+her voice. He had prescribed for her several times, but
+knew nothing of her lodging-place, as she always called at
+his office; and finally, without assigning any reason, her
+visits ceased. Mr. Minge redoubled his exertions, and at
+last found her in one of the hospitals connected with a convent.
+The Sisters of Charity informed him that one bleak
+day when the rain was falling drearily, they chanced to see
+a woman stagger and drop on the pavement before their
+door, and, hurrying to her assistance, discovered that she
+had swooned from exhaustion. A bundle of unfinished needlework
+was hidden under her shawl, and they soon ascertained
+that she was delirious from some low typhus fever that had
+utterly prostrated her. For several weeks she was dangerously
+ill, and was just able to sit up when Mr. Minge discovered
+her. He told me that it was distressing and painful
+beyond expression to witness her humiliation, her wounded
+pride, her defiant rejection of his renewed offer of marriage.
+One day he took his sister Constance and a minister of the
+gospel to the hospital, and implored Salome to become his
+wife, then and there. He said she wept bitterly, and thanked
+him, thanked his sister also, but solemnly assured him she
+could never marry any one,&mdash;she would sooner starve in
+the&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+<p><ins title='Removed quote'>Dr.</ins> Grey raised his hand, signalling for silence, and for
+some moments he leaned his forehead against the chair
+directly in front of him.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_447' name='page_447'></a>447</span></div>
+<p>Mr. Granville cleared his throat several times, and loosened
+his neck-tie, which seemed to impede his breathing.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Shall I go on? There is little more to tell.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you please, Granville.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mr. Minge would not abandon the hope of finally persuading
+her to accept his hand, but next day when he called
+to inquire about her health, and to request the sisters to
+watch her movements, and prevent her escape, he was shocked
+to learn that she had disappeared the previous night, leaving
+a few lines written in pencil on a handkerchief, in which
+she had wrapped her superb suit of hair. They were addressed
+to the Sisters of Charity, and briefly expressed her
+gratitude for their kindness in providing for her wants, while
+she assured them that as soon as possible she would return
+and compensate them for their services in her behalf. Meantime,
+knowing the high price of hair, she had carefully cut
+off her own, which was unusually long and thick, and tendered
+it in part payment. When she was taken into the building,
+her nurse found concealed in her dress a very elegant watch,
+bearing her name in diamond letters, and she requested that
+the sisters would hold it in pawn, until she was able to
+redeem it. During her illness, it had been locked up, and
+they supposed she left it, fearing that an application for
+it would arouse suspicions of her intended flight. Mr. Minge
+bought the hair and handkerchief, and, after a liberal remuneration
+for their care of the invalid, he took charge of the
+watch, and left his address to be given her when she called
+for her property. That her mind had become seriously
+impaired, there can be little doubt, since nothing but insanity
+can explain her refusal to accept one of the handsomest
+estates in America. Unfortunately, a few days subsequent
+to her departure from the hospital, Mr. Minge was taken
+very violently ill with pneumonia, and died. Conscious of
+his condition, he prepared a codicil to his will, and bequeathed
+to Salome twenty-five thousand dollars, and an
+elegant house and lot in New York City. He exacted from
+his sister a solemn promise that she would leave no means
+untried to ferret out the wanderer, to whom he was so devotedly
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_448' name='page_448'></a>448</span>
+attached; and, should all efforts fail, at the expiration
+of five years the legacy should revert to the hospital
+which had sheltered her in the hour of her destitution. The
+watch he left with his sister Constance; the hair, he ordered
+buried with him. Three months have elapsed, and no tidings
+have reached Miss Minge, who remains in Paris for the purpose
+of complying with her brother&#8217;s dying request.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My poor, perverse Salome! To what desperate extremities
+has she been reduced by her unfortunate wilfulness.
+Gerard, will you tell me frankly your own conjecture concerning
+her fate?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;If alive, I believe she has left Europe.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Upon what do you base your supposition?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mr. Minge was convinced that her attachment to some
+one in America was the insurmountable barrier to his success
+as a suitor; and, if so, she probably returned to her
+native land. Dr. Grey, I will speak candidly to you of a
+matter which has doubtless given you some disquiet. Muriel
+informs me that you have no confidence in the sincerity of
+my attachment to her, and that upon that fact is founded
+your refusal to allow the consummation of our engagement,
+so long as she continues your ward. I confess I am not
+free from censure, but, while I have acted weakly, I am not
+devoid of principle. Sir, I was strangely and powerfully attracted
+to Salome Owen, and she exerted a species of fascination
+over me which I scarcely endeavored to resist. In an
+evil hour, infatuated by her face and her marvellous voice,
+I was wild enough to offer her my hand, and resolved to ask
+Muriel to release me. Dr. Grey, even at my own expense,
+I wish to exonerate Salome, who never for an instant, by
+word or look, encouraged my madness. She repulsed my
+advances, refused every attention, and when I rashly uttered
+words, which, I admit, were treasonable to Muriel, she almost
+overwhelmed me with her fiery contempt and indignation,&mdash;threatening
+to acquaint Muriel with my inconstancy,
+and appealing to my honor as a gentleman to keep inviolate
+my betrothal vows. Dr. Grey, if my heart temporarily wandered
+from its allegiance to your ward, it was not Salome&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_449' name='page_449'></a>449</span>
+fault, for in every respect her conduct towards me was that
+of a noble, unselfish woman, who scorned to gratify her vanity
+at the expense of another&#8217;s happiness. She shamed me out
+of my folly, and her stern honesty and nobility saved me
+from a brief and humiliating career of dishonorable duplicity.
+Whether living or dead, I owe this tribute to the pure
+character of Salome Owen.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank Heaven! I had faith in her. I believed her too
+generous to stoop to a flirtation with the lover of her friend;
+and, deplorable as was your own weakness, I am rejoiced,
+Gerard, to find that you have conquered it. Tell Muriel
+all that you have confided to me, and in her hands we will
+leave the decision.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Do you intend to prosecute the search which has proved
+so fruitless?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I do. She has not returned to America,&mdash;she is here
+somewhere; and, living or dead, I must and will find her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey seemed lost in perplexing thought for some time,
+then drew a sheet of paper before him, and wrote, &#8220;Ulpian
+Grey wishes to see Salome Owen, in order to communicate
+some facts which will induce her return to her family; and
+he hopes she will call immediately at No. Rue&nbsp;&mdash;&mdash;.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Gerard, please be so good as to have this inserted in all
+the leading journals in the city; and give me the address
+of Mr. Minge&#8217;s agent.&#8221;</p>
+<p>At the expiration of a month, spent in the most diligent
+yet unsuccessful efforts to obtain some information of the
+wanderer, Dr. Grey began to feel discouraged,&mdash;to yield to
+melancholy forebodings that an untimely death had ended
+her struggles and suffering.</p>
+<p>Once, while pacing the walks in the Champs-Elysées, he
+caught a glimpse of a face that recalled Salome&#8217;s, and started
+eagerly forward; but it proved that of a Parisian <i>bonne</i>, who
+was romping with her juvenile charge.</p>
+<p>Again, one afternoon, as he came out of the Church of St.
+Sulpice, his heart bounded at sight of a woman who leaned
+against the railing, and watched the play of the fountain.
+When he approached her and peered eagerly into her countenance,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_450' name='page_450'></a>450</span>
+blue eyes and yellow curls mocked his hopes. One
+morning, while he walked slowly along the <i>Rue du Faubourg
+St. Honoré</i>, his attention was attracted by the glitter of
+pretty baubles in the <i>Maison de la Pensée</i>, and he entered
+the establishment to purchase something for Jessie.</p>
+<p>While waiting for his parcel, a woman came out of a rear
+apartment and passed into the street, and, almost snatching
+his package from the counter, he followed.</p>
+<p>A few yards in advance was a graceful but thin figure,
+clad in a violet-colored muslin, with a rather dingy silk
+scarf wound around her shoulders. A straw hat, with a
+wreath of faded pink roses, drooped over her face, and streamers
+of black lace hung behind, while over the whole she had
+thrown a thin gray veil.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey had not seen a feature, but the <i>pose</i> of the shoulders,
+the haughty poise of the head, the quick, nervous, elastic
+step, and, above all, the peculiar, free, childish swinging of
+the left arm, made his despondent heart throb with renewed
+hope.</p>
+<p>Keeping sufficiently near not to lose sight of her, he walked
+on and on, down cross streets, up narrow alleys, towards a
+quarter of the city with which he was unacquainted. The
+woman never looked back, rarely turned her head, even to
+glance at those who passed her, and only once she paused
+before a flower-stall, and seemed to price a bunch of carnations,
+which she smelled, laid down again, and then hurried
+on.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey quickly paid for the cluster, and hastened after
+her.</p>
+<p>In turning a corner, she dropped a small parcel that she
+had carried under her scarf, and as she stooped to pick it up,
+her veil floated off. She caught it ere it reached the ground,
+and when she raised her hands to spread it over her hat, the
+loose open sleeves of her dress slipped back, and there, on
+the left arm, was a long, zigzag scar, like a serpentine bracelet.</p>
+<p>With great difficulty Dr. Grey stifled a cry of joy, and
+waited until she had gained some yards in advance.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_451' name='page_451'></a>451</span></div>
+<p>The woman was so absorbed in reverie that she did not
+notice the steady tramp of her pursuer, but as the number
+of persons on the street gradually diminished, he prudently
+fell back, fearing lest her suspicion should be excited.</p>
+<p>At a sudden bend in the crooked alley which she rapidly
+threaded, he lost sight of her, and, running a few yards, he
+turned the angle just in time to see the flutter of her dress
+and scarf, as she disappeared through a postern, that opened
+in a crumbling brick wall.</p>
+<p>Above the gate a battered tin sign swung in the wind, and
+dim letters, almost effaced by elemental warfare, announced,
+&#8220;<i>Adèle Aubin, Blanchisseuse</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey passed through the postern, and found himself in
+a narrow, dark court, near a tall, dingy, dilapidated house,
+where a girl ten years of age sat playing with two ragged, untidy
+children.</p>
+<p>It was a dreary, comfortless, uninviting place, and a greenish
+slime overspread the lower portions of the wall, and
+coated the uneven pavement.</p>
+<p>From the girl, who chatted with genuine French volubility
+and freedom, Dr. Grey learned that her father was an attaché
+of a barber-shop, and her mother a washer and renovater
+of laces and embroideries. The latter was absent, and, in
+answer to his inquiries, the child informed him that an
+upper room in this cheerless building was occupied by a
+young female lodger, who held no intercourse with its other
+inmates.</p>
+<p>Placing a five-franc piece in her hand, the visitor asked the
+name of the lodger, but the girl replied that she was known
+to them only as &#8220;<i>La Dentellière</i>,&#8221; and lived quite alone in
+the right-hand room at the top of the third flight of stairs.</p>
+<p>The parley had already occupied twenty minutes, when Dr.
+Grey cut it short by mounting the narrow, winding steps.
+The atmosphere was close, and redolent of the fumes of dishes
+not so popular in America as in France, and he saw that the
+different doors of this old tenement were rented to lodgers who
+cooked, ate, and slept in the same apartment. At the top of
+the last dim flight of steps, Dr. Grey paused, almost out of
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_452' name='page_452'></a>452</span>
+breath; and found himself on a narrow landing-place, fronting
+two attic rooms. The one on the right was closed, but
+as he softly took the bolt in his hand and turned it, there
+floated through the key-hole the low subdued sound of a
+sweet voice, humming &#8220;<i>Infelice</i>.&#8221;</p>
+<p>It was not the deep, rich, melting voice, that had arrested
+his drive when first he heard it on the beach, but a plaintive,
+thrilling echo, full of pathos, yet lacking power; like the notes
+of birds when moulting-season ends, and the warblers essay
+their old strains. Cautiously he opened the door wide enough
+to permit him to observe what passed within.</p>
+<p>The room was large, low, and irregularly shaped, with
+neither fire-place nor stove, and only one dormer window
+opening to the south, and upon a wide waste of tiled roofs
+and smoking chimneys. The floor was bare, except a strip
+of faded carpet stretched in front of a small single bedstead;
+and the additional furniture consisted of two chairs, a tall
+table where hung a mirror, and a washstand that held beside
+bowl and pitcher a candlestick and china cup. On the
+table were several books, a plate and knife, and a partially
+opened package disclosed a loaf of bread, some cheese, and an
+apple.</p>
+<p>In front of the window a piece of plank had been rudely
+fastened, and here stood two wooden boxes containing a few
+violets, mignonette, and one very luxuriant rose-geranium.</p>
+<p>The faded blue cambric curtain was twisted into a knot,
+and as it was now nearly noon, the sun shone in and made
+a patch of gold on the stained and dusky floor.</p>
+<p>On the bed lay the straw hat, garlanded with roses that had
+lost their primitive tints, and before the window in a low
+chair sat the lonely lodger.</p>
+<p>On her knees rested a cushion, across which was stretched
+a parchment pattern bristling with pins, and with bobbins
+she was swiftly knitting a piece of gossamer lace, by throwing
+the fine threads around the pins.</p>
+<p>Over the floor floated her delicate lilac dress, and the sleeves
+were looped back to escape the forest of pins.</p>
+<p>Dr. Grey had only a three-quarter view of the face that
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_453' name='page_453'></a>453</span>
+bent over the cushion, and though it was sadly altered in
+every lineament,&mdash;was whiter and thinner than he had ever
+seen it,&mdash;yet it was impossible to mistake the emaciated
+features of Salome Owen.</p>
+<p>The large, handsome head, had been shorn of its crown of
+glossy braids that once encircled it like a jet tiara, and the
+short locks clustered with childlike grace and beauty around
+the gleaming white brow and temples.</p>
+<p>There was not a vestige of color in the whilom scarlet
+mouth, whose thin lines were now scarcely perceptible; and,
+in the finer oval of her cheeks, and along the polished chin,
+the purplish veins showed their delicate tracery. The hands
+were waxen and almost transparent, and the figure was wasted
+beyond the boundaries of symmetry.</p>
+<p>In the knot of ribbon that fastened her narrow linen collar,
+she had arranged a sprig of mignonette, that now dropped
+upon the cushion as she bent over it. She paused, brushed it
+off, and for a few seconds her beautiful hazel eyes were fixed
+on the blue sky that bordered her window.</p>
+<p>The whole expression of her countenance had changed, and
+the passionate defiance of other days had given place to a sad,
+patient hopelessness, touching indeed, when seen on her proud
+features. Slowly she threw her bobbins, and a fragment of
+&#8220;<i>Infelice</i>&#8221; seemed to drift across her trembling lips, that
+showed some lines of bitterness in their time-chiselling.</p>
+<p>As Dr. Grey watched her, tears which he could not restrain
+trickled down his face, and he was starting forward, when she
+said, as if communing with her own desolate soul,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I wonder if I am growing superstitious. Last night I
+dreamed incessantly of Jessie and home, and to-day I cannot
+help thinking that something has happened there. Home!
+When people no longer have a home, how hard it is to forget
+that blessed home which sheltered them in the early years.
+Homeless! that is the dreariest word that human misery ever
+conjectured or human language clothed. Never mind, Salome
+Owen, when God snatched your voice from you, He became
+responsible; and your claims are like the ravens and sparrows,
+and He must provide. After all, it matters little where
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_454' name='page_454'></a>454</span>
+we are housed here in the clay, and Hobbs was astute when he
+selected for the epitaph on his tombstone, &#8216;This is the true
+philosopher&#8217;s stone.&#8217; Home! Ah, if I sadly missed my
+heart&#8217;s home, here in the flesh, I shall surely find it up yonder
+in the blessed land of blue.&#8221;</p>
+<p>A tear glided down her cheek, glistened an instant on her
+chin, and fell on her pattern. She brushed it away, and
+smiled sorrowfully,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;It is ill-omened to sprinkle bridal lace with tears. Some
+day this fine web will droop around a bride&#8217;s white shoulders
+and after a time it may serve to deck the cold limbs of some
+dead child. If I could only have my shroud now, I would not
+make lace a <i>desideratum</i>; serge or sackcloth would be welcome.
+Patience,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8216;What if the bread</p>
+<p class='cg'>Be bitter in thine inn, and thou unshod<br />
+To meet the flints? At least it may be said,<br />
+Because the way is <i>short</i>, I thank thee, God!&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>She partially rose in her chair, and took from the table a
+volume of poems. After some search, she found the desired
+passage, and, rocking herself to and fro, she read it aloud in
+a low, measured tone,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;O dreary life! we cry, &#8216;O dreary life!&#8217;<br />
+And still the generations of the birds<br />
+Sing through our sighing, and the flocks and herds<br />
+Serenely live, while we are keeping strife<br />
+With heaven&#8217;s true purpose in us, as a knife<br />
+Against which we may struggle! Ocean girds<br />
+Unslackened the dry land, savannah-swards<br />
+Unweary sweep,&mdash;hills watch unworn; and rife<br />
+Meek leaves drop yearly from the forest-trees,<br />
+To show above the unwasted stars that pass<br />
+In their old glory. &#8216;<i>O thou God of old,<br />
+Grant me some smaller grace than comes to these!<br />
+But even so much patience, as a blade of grass<br />
+Grows by, contented through the heat and cold.</i>&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_455' name='page_455'></a>455</span></div>
+<p>The book slipped from her fingers and fell upon the floor,
+and with a sob the girl bowed her head in her hands.</p>
+<p>Quickly the intruder glided unseen into the room, and stood
+at the back of her chair.</p>
+<p>He knew she was praying, and almost <ins title='Was breathessly'>breathlessly</ins> waited
+several minutes.</p>
+<p>At last she raised her face, and while tears trembled on
+her lashes, she said meekly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I ought not to complain and repine. I will be patient
+and trust God; for I can afford to suffer all through time,
+provided I may spend eternity with Christ and Dr. Grey.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, Salome! Thank God, we shall be separated neither
+in time nor in eternity! Dear wanderer, come back to your
+brother!&#8221;</p>
+<p>He stepped before her, and involuntarily held out his arms.</p>
+<p>She neither screamed nor fainted, but sprang to her feet,
+and a rapture that beggars all description irradiated her
+worn, weary, pallid face.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Is it really you? Oh! a thousand times I have dreamed
+that I saw you,&mdash;stood by you; but when I tried to touch
+you, there was nothing but empty air! Oh, Dr. Grey!&mdash;my
+Dr. Grey! Am I only dreaming, here in the sunshine, or is
+it you bodily? Did you care for me a <i>little</i>? Did you come
+to find <i>me</i>?&#8221;</p>
+<p>She grasped his arm, swept her hands up and down his
+sleeve, and then he saw her reel, and shut her eyes, and shudder.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My poor child, I came to Paris solely to hunt for my
+wayward Salome, and, thank God! I have found her.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He put his arm around her, and placed her head against
+his shoulder.</p>
+<p>Ah, how his generous heart ached, as he noted the hungry
+delight with which her splendid eyes lingered on his features,
+and the convulsive tenacity with which she clung to him,
+trembling with excess of joy that brought back carmine to her
+wasted lips and carnation bloom to her blanched cheeks.</p>
+<p>He heard her whispering, and knew it was a prayer of
+thanksgiving for the blessing of his presence.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_456' name='page_456'></a>456</span></div>
+<p>But very soon a change came over her sparkling, happy face,
+like an inky cloud across a noon sky, and he felt a shiver stealing
+through her form.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Let me go! You said once, that when I came to Europe
+to enter on my professional career, you wished never to touch
+my hands again,&mdash;you would consider them polluted.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dear Salome, I recant all those harsh, unjust words,
+which were uttered when I was not fully aware of the latent
+strength of your character. Since then, I have learned much
+from Professor V&mdash;&mdash;, and from Gerard Granville, that assures
+me my noble friend is all I could desire her,&mdash;that she
+has grandly conquered her faults, and is worthy of the admiration,
+the perfect confidence, the earnest affection, which
+her adopted brother offers her. Your pure, true heart makes
+pure hands, and as such I reverently salute them.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He took her hands, raised and kissed them respectfully,
+tenderly.</p>
+<p>She hid her burning face on his bosom, and there was a
+short pause.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Salome, sit down and let me talk to you of home,&mdash;your
+home. Have you no questions to ask about your pet sister
+and brother?&#8221;</p>
+<p>He attempted to release himself, but she clung to him, and
+clasping her arms around his neck, said in a strained, husky
+tone,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, did you bring your&mdash;your wife to Paris?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have no wife.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She uttered a thrilling cry of delight, threw her head back,
+and gazed steadily into his clear, calm, blue eyes.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, sir, they told me you had married Mrs. Gerome.&#8221;</p>
+<p>He placed her in the chair, and kneeling down beside her,
+took her quivering face in his palms and touched her forehead
+softly with his lips.</p>
+<p>&#8220;The only woman I ever wished to make my wife is bound
+for life to a worthless husband. Salome, I loved her before I
+knew this fact; and, since I learned (soon after your departure)
+that she was separated from the man whom she had
+wedded, I have not seen her, although she still resides at
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_457' name='page_457'></a>457</span>
+&#8216;Solitude.&#8217; Salome, I shall never marry, and I ask you now
+to come back to Jessie and Stanley, who will soon require
+your care and guidance, for it is my intention to return to
+the position in the U.S. naval service, which only Janet&#8217;s
+feeble health induced me to resign. God bless you, dear child!
+I wish you were indeed my own sister, for I am growing very
+proud of my brave, honest friend,&mdash;my patient lace-weaver.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The girl&#8217;s head sank lower and lower until it touched her
+knees, and sobs rendered her words scarcely audible.</p>
+<p>&#8220;If you deem me worthy to be called your friend, it is because
+of your example, your influence. Oh, Dr. Grey,&mdash;but
+for you,&mdash;but for my hope of meeting you in the kingdom
+of Christ, I shudder to think what I might have been! Under
+all circumstances I have been guided by what I imagined
+would have been your wishes,&mdash;your advice; and my reward is
+rich indeed! Your confidence, your approbation! Earth
+holds no recompense half so precious.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Thank God! my prayers have been abundantly answered,
+my highest hopes of your future fully realized. Henceforth,
+let us with renewed energy labor faithfully in the vast, whitening
+fields of Him who declares, &#8216;The harvest is plentiful, but
+the laborers are few.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;O human soul! as long as thou canst so<br />
+Set up a mark of everlasting light,<br />
+Above the howling senses&#8217; ebb and flow,<br />
+To cheer thee and to right thee if thou roam,<br />
+Not with lost toil thou laborest through the night,<br />
+Thou makest the heaven thou hopest indeed thy home.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXXIV_SAD_CASE_OF_MANIA_A_POTU' id='CHAPTER_XXXIV_SAD_CASE_OF_MANIA_A_POTU'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXXIV.</h2>
+<h3>&#8220;SAD CASE OF MANIA A POTU.&#8221;</h3>
+</div>
+<p>&#8220;Watchman McDonough reports that late last night, he
+picked up, on the sidewalk, the insensible body of Maurice
+Carlyle, who showed some signs of returning animation after
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_458' name='page_458'></a>458</span>
+his removal to Station House No.&nbsp;&mdash;&mdash;. A physician was
+called in, and every effort made to save the unfortunate victim
+of intemperance; but medical skill was inadequate to arrest
+the work of many years of excess, and before daylight the
+wretched man expired in dreadful convulsions. Coroner
+Boutwell held an inquest on the body, and the verdict rendered
+was &#8216;Death from <i>mania a potu</i>.&#8217; Mr. Carlyle was well
+known in this city, where for many years he was an ornament
+to society, and a general favorite in the fashionable and
+mercantile circle in which he moved. Of numbers who were
+once the recipients of his bounty and hospitality, none offered
+succor in the hour of adversity, and among all his former
+friends none were found to cheer or pity in the last ordeal to
+which flesh is subjected. The melancholy fate of Maurice
+Carlyle furnishes another illustration of the mournful truth
+that the wages of intemperance are destitution and desertion.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Such was the startling announcement, which, under the
+head of &#8220;Police Report,&#8221; Dr. Grey read and re-read in a
+prominent New York paper that had accidentally remained
+for some days unopened on his desk, and was dated nearly
+a month previous. Locking the door of his office, he sat
+down to collect his bewildered thoughts, and to quiet the tumult
+in his throbbing heart.</p>
+<p>During the two years that had drearily worn away since
+his last interview with Mrs. Carlyle, he had sternly forbidden
+his mind to dwell on its brief dream of happiness, and by
+a life of unusually active benevolence endeavored to forget
+the one episode which alone had power to disquiet and sadden
+him.</p>
+<p>He had philosophically schooled himself to the calm, unmurmuring
+acceptance of his lonely destiny, and looked forward
+to a life solitary yet not unhappy, although uncheered
+by the love and companionship which every man indulges the
+instinctive hope will sooner or later crown his existence.</p>
+<p>Now heart and conscience, so long at deadly feud, suddenly
+signalled a truce, clasped hands, embraced cordially. How
+radiant the world looked,&mdash;with what wondrous glory the
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_459' name='page_459'></a>459</span>
+future had in the twinkling of an eye robed itself. The
+woman he had loved was stainless and free, and how could
+she long resist the pleadings of his famished heart?</p>
+<p>He would win her from cynicism and isolation, would melt
+her frozen nature in the genial atmosphere of his pure and
+constant affection, and interweave her aimless, sombre life
+with the busy, silvery web of his own.</p>
+<p>After forty years, God would grant him home, and wife,
+and hearthstone peace.</p>
+<p>What a flush and sparkle stole to this grave man&#8217;s olive
+cheek, and calm, deep blue eyes!</p>
+<p>Ah! how hungrily he longed for the touch of her hand, the
+sight of her face; and, snatching his hat, he put the paper in
+his pocket, and hurried towards &#8220;Solitude.&#8221;</p>
+<p>In the holy hush of that hazy autumnal afternoon, nature&mdash;<i>Magna
+Mater</i>,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;The altar-curtains of whose hills<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Are sunset&#8217;s purple air,&#8221;<br />
+&#8220;Who dips in the dim light of setting suns<br />
+The spacious skirts of that vast robe of hers<br />
+That widens ever in the wondrous west,&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>seemed slumbering and dreaming away the day.</p>
+<p>The forests were gaudy in their painted shrouds of scarlet
+and yellow leaves, and long, feathery flakes of purple bloom
+nodded over crimson berries, emerald mosses, and golden-hearted
+asters.</p>
+<p>Only a few weeks previous, Dr. Grey had driven along that
+road, and, while the echo of harvest <ins title='Was hmyns'>hymns</ins> rang on the hay-scented
+air, had asked himself how men and women could
+become so completely absorbed in temporal things, ignoring
+the solemn and indisputable fact of the brevity of human life
+and the restricted dominion of man,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Whose part in all the pomp that fills<br />
+The circuit of the summer hills<br />
+Is, that his grave is green.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_460' name='page_460'></a>460</span></div>
+<p>But to-day all sober-hued reflections were exorcised by the
+rapturous <i>Jubilate</i> that hope was singing through the sunlit
+chambers of his happy heart; and when he entered the grounds
+of &#8220;Solitude&#8221; they seemed bathed in that soft glamour, that
+witching &#8220;light that never was on sea or land.&#8221;</p>
+<p>As he sprang from his buggy and opened the little gate
+leading into the <i>parterre</i>, Robert came slowly forward, bearing
+a basket filled with a portion of the crimson apples that
+flushed the orchard, just beyond the low hedge.</p>
+<p>&#8220;You could not have chosen a better time to come, Dr.
+Grey; and if I were allowed to have my way you would have
+been here last night. Were you sent for at last, or was it a
+lucky chance that brought you?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Merely an accident, as I received no summons. Robert,
+how is your mistress?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;God only knows, sir; I am sure I never can tell how she
+really is. She has not seemed well since she took that journey
+to the North, and for two weeks past she appears to have been
+slipping down by inches into her grave. She neither eats nor
+sleeps, and for the last three nights has not lain down,&mdash;so
+old Ruth, the housekeeper, tells me. Yesterday I begged my
+mistress to let me go for you, but she smiled that awful freezing
+smile that strikes to the very marrow of my bones, worse
+than December sleet,&mdash;and raised her finger so: and said, &#8216;At
+your peril, Robert. Mind your orchard, man, and I will take
+care of myself. I want neither doctors nor nurses, and only
+desire that you, and Ruth, and Anna, will attend to your
+respective duties and let me be quiet. All will soon be well
+with me.&#8217; I killed a partridge, had it nicely broiled, and carried
+it to her; and she thanked me, and made a pretence of
+eating the wing, just to please me; but when the waiter was
+taken away to the kitchen, I found all the bird on the plate.
+This morning, just before daylight, I heard her playing a
+wild, mournful thing on the piano, that sounded like a dirge
+or a wail; and Ruth says when she went into the parlor to
+open the blinds, she found her praying, and thinks she was
+on her knees for an hour. Please God! sometimes I wish she
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_461' name='page_461'></a>461</span>
+was in heaven with my mother, for she will never see any
+peace in this life.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;What seems to be the disease?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Heart-ache.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;You should have come and told me this long ago.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;And pray to what purpose, Dr. Grey? She vowed she
+would allow no human being to cross her threshold, except
+the servants, and I would sooner undertake to curl a steel, or
+make ringlets out of a pair of tongs, than bend her will when
+once she takes a stand. Humph! My mistress is no willow
+wand, and is about as easily moved as the church-steeple, or
+the stone-tower of the lighthouse.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Has she recently received letters that contained tidings
+which excited or distressed her?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;A letter came last week, but I know nothing of its contents.
+You need not go into the house if you wish to find her,
+for about an hour and a half ago I saw her come out into the
+grounds, and she never goes in till the lamps are lighted.&#8221;</p>
+<p>An anxious look clouded for an instant Dr. Grey&#8217;s countenance,
+but undaunted hope sang on of the hours of hallowed
+communion that the future held, while in her invalid condition
+he assumed the care and guardianship of his beloved;
+and, turning into the lawn, he eagerly searched the winding
+walks for some trace of her, some flutter of her garments,
+some faint, subtle odor of orange-flowers or tube-roses.</p>
+<p>Here and there clusters of purple, pink, and orange crysanthemums
+flecked the lawn with color; and a flower-stand,
+covered with china jars that held geraniums, seemed almost a
+pyramid of flame, from the profusion of scarlet blooms.</p>
+<p>The sun had gone down behind a waving line of low hills,
+where,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Thinned to amber, rimmed with silver,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Clouds in the distance dwell,<br />
+Clouds that are cool, for all their color,<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Pure as a rose-lipped shell.<br />
+Fleets of wool in the upper heavens<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Gossamer wings unfurl;<br />
+Sailing so high they seem but sleeping<br />
+<span class='indent2'>&nbsp;</span>Over yon bar of pearl.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_462' name='page_462'></a>462</span></div>
+<p>Still as crystal was the sapphire sea that mirrored that
+quiet, sapphire sky, and not a murmur, not a ripple, stirred
+the evening air or the yellow sands that stretched for miles
+along the winding coast.</p>
+<p>When Dr. Grey had partially crossed the lawn, he glanced
+towards the marble temple that gleamed against the dark
+background of deodars, and saw a woman sitting on the steps
+of the tomb. Softly he approached and entered the mausoleum
+by an arch on the opposite side, but, notwithstanding
+his cautious tread, he startled a white pigeon that had perched
+on the altar, where fresh violets, heliotrope, and snowy sprigs
+of nutmeg-geranium were leaning over the <ins title='Was scallopped'>scalloped</ins> edge of
+the Venetian glasses, and distilling perfume in their delicate
+chalices.</p>
+<p>Mrs. Carlyle had brought her floral tribute to the sepulchral
+urn, and, having carefully arranged her daily Arkja,
+had seated herself on the steps to rest.</p>
+<p>From the two sentinel poplars that guarded the front,
+golden leaves were sifting down on the marble floor, and
+three or four had drifted upon the lap of the quiet figure,
+while one, bright and rich as autumn gilding could make it,
+rested like a crown on the silver waves that covered her head.</p>
+<p>Down the shining steps trailed the folds of the white merino
+robe, and around her shoulders was wrapped the blue crape
+shawl, while a cluster of violets seemed to have slipped from
+her fingers, and strewed themselves at random on her dress.</p>
+<p>Softly Dr. Grey drew near, and his voice was tremulously
+tender, as he said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Mrs. Carlyle, no barrier divides us now.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She did not speak, or turn her queenly head, and he laid
+his hand caressingly on the glistening gray hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My darling, my first and only love&mdash;my brave, beautiful
+&#8216;Agla,&#8217; may I not tell you, at last, what conscience once forbade
+my uttering?&#8221;</p>
+<p>As motionless and silent as the sculptured poppies above
+her, she took no notice of his passionate pleading, and
+he sprang down one step directly in front of her.</p>
+<p>The white face was turned to the sea, and the large, wide,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_463' name='page_463'></a>463</span>
+wonderfully lovely yet mournful gray eyes were gazing fixedly
+across the waste of water, at a filmy cloud as fine as lace, that
+like a silver netting caught the full October moon which was
+lifting itself in the pearly east.</p>
+<p>The long black lashes did not droop, nor the steady eyes
+waver, and with a horrible foreboding Dr. Grey seized her
+hands. They were rigid and icy. He stooped, caught her to
+his bosom, and pressed his lips to hers, but they were colder
+than the marble column against which she leaned; for, one
+hour before, Vashti Carlyle had fronted her God.</p>
+<p>Alone in the autumn evening, sitting there with the golden
+poplar leaves drifting over her, the desolate woman had held
+her last communion with the watching ocean that hushed its
+murmuring, to see her die; and, laying down the galling
+burden of her sunless, dreary life, she had joyfully and <ins title='Was serenly'>serenely</ins>
+&#8220;put on immortality&#8221; in that everlasting rest, where &#8220;there
+was no more sea, no more death, neither shall there be any
+more pain, for the former things are passed away.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Ah! beautiful and holy was&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;That peaceful face wherein all past distress<br />
+Had melted into perfect loveliness.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='toprule' />
+<div class='chsp'>
+<a name='CHAPTER_XXXV' id='CHAPTER_XXXV'></a>
+<h2>CHAPTER XXXV.</h2>
+</div>
+<p>Since that October day when Ulpian Grey sat on the steps
+of the tomb, holding in his arms the beautiful white form,
+whom in life God had denied him the privilege of touching,
+six months had drifted slowly; yet time had not softened the
+blow, that, while almost crushing his tender, unselfish heart,
+had no power to shake the faith which was so securely anchored
+in Christ.</p>
+<p>Among the papers found in Mrs. Carlyle&#8217;s desk was one containing
+the request that Dr. Grey would superintend the erection
+of a handsome monument over the remains of her husband,
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_464' name='page_464'></a>464</span>
+whenever and wherever he chanced to die; and her will
+provided that her fortune should be appropriated as the
+nucleus of a relief fund for indigent painters.</p>
+<p>Her own pictures, to which she had carefully affixed in
+delicate violet ciphers the name &#8220;Agla,&#8221; she directed placed
+on exhibition in a New York gallery, and ultimately sold for
+the benefit of the orphans of artists. To Robert she bequeathed
+a sum sufficient to maintain him in ease and comfort;
+and to Dr. Grey her escritoire, piano, books, and the sapphire
+ring she had always worn.</p>
+<p>The latter was found in the silver casket, and had been
+folded in a sheet of paper containing these words,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&#8220;According to the teachings of the Buddhists, &#8216;the sapphire
+produces equanimity and peace of mind, as well as
+affording protection against envy and treachery. It produces
+also prayer and reconciliation with the Godhead, and brings
+more peace than any other gem of necromancy; <i>but he who
+would wear it must lead a pure and holy life</i>.&#8217; Finding my
+sapphire asp mockingly inefficacious in its traditional talismanic
+powers, I conclude that my melancholy career has been
+a violation of the stipulated condition, and therefore bequeath
+it to the only human being whom I deem worthy to wear it
+with any hope of success.&#8221;</p>
+<p>While awaiting orders from the naval department, Dr. Grey
+purchased &#8220;Solitude,&#8221; whither he removed, with Muriel and
+Miss Dexter, and temporarily established himself, until the
+arrival of Mr. Granville.</p>
+<p>Immediately after her return from Europe, Salome invested
+a portion of Mr. Minge&#8217;s legacy in the site of the old mill
+that had fallen to ruin. Here she built a small but tasteful
+cottage <i>orné</i> on the spot where her father had died, and here,
+with Jessie and Stanley, she proposed to spend her winters;
+while Mark and Joel were placed at the &#8220;Grassmere Farm,&#8221;
+a mile distant, and entrusted with its management until the
+younger children should attain their majority.</p>
+<p>Too proud to accept the home which Dr. Grey had tendered
+her, Salome was earnestly endeavoring to imitate the noble
+example of self-abnegation that lifted him so far above all
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_465' name='page_465'></a>465</span>
+others whom she had ever known; and the most precious hope
+of her life was to reach that exalted excellence which alone
+could compel his admiration and respect.</p>
+<p>From the day of Mrs. Carlyle&#8217;s death, the orphan had been
+a comparatively happy woman, for jealousy could not invade
+or desecrate the grave and its harmless sleeper; and Salome
+fervently thanked God, that, since she was denied the blessing
+of Dr. Grey&#8217;s love, at least she had been spared the torture
+of seeing him the fond husband of another.</p>
+<p>Time had deepened, but refined, purified, and consecrated
+her unconquerable affection for the only man who had ever
+commanded her reverence, and whose quiet influence had so
+happily remoulded her wayward, fiery nature.</p>
+<p>There were seasons when the old element of innate perversity
+re-asserted itself, but the steady reproving gaze of his
+clear, true eyes, or the warning touch of his hand on her head,
+had sufficed to still the rising storm.</p>
+<p>Conscientiously the passionate, exacting woman was striving
+to bring her heart and life into subjection to the law,&mdash;into
+conformity with the precepts of Christ; and though she
+was impulsive, proud Salome still,&mdash;the glaring blemishes in
+her character were gradually disappearing.</p>
+<p>One bright balmy spring morning previous to the day appointed
+for Muriel&#8217;s marriage, and for her guardian&#8217;s departure
+for the fleet in Asiatic waters, where he had been assigned
+to duty, Dr. Grey drove up the avenue of elms and
+maples that led to Salome&#8217;s pretty villa; and as he ascended
+the steps, Jessie sprang into his arms, and almost smothered
+him with caresses.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Oh, doctor! something so wonderful has happened,&mdash;you
+never could guess, and I am as happy as a bee in a woodbine.
+Sister will tell you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Where is she?&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;In the parlor, waiting for you.&#8221;</p>
+<p>The child ran off to join Stanley, who was trying a new
+pony in the yard, and Dr. Grey went into the cool fragrant
+room, which was fitted up with more taste than in earlier
+years he would have ascribed to its owner.</p>
+<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_466' name='page_466'></a>466</span></div>
+<p>Salome sat before the open piano, and at his entrance raised
+her face, which had been bowed almost to the ivory keys.</p>
+<p>&#8220;Good morning, Dr. Grey. I am glad you have come to
+rejoice with me, and I was just thanking God for the unexpected
+restoration of my voice. Once when it seemed so necessary
+to <ins title="Changed period to comma">me.</ins> He suddenly took it from me; and now, when
+it is a mere luxury to own it, He as unexpectedly gives it to
+me once more. Verily,&mdash;strange as it may appear, my voice
+is really better than when Professor V&mdash;&mdash; pronounced it
+the first contralto in Europe.&#8221;</p>
+<p>She had risen to greet him, and as he retained her hand in
+his, she stood close to him, looking earnestly into his face.</p>
+<p>There were tears hanging like tremulous dewdrops on the
+long jet under-lashes,&mdash;and the bright red in her polished
+cheeks, and the crimson curves of her parted lips made a picture
+pleasant to contemplate.</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear child, I do indeed cordially congratulate you.
+God saw that your voice might possibly prove a snare and a
+curse, by ministering to false pride and exaggerated vanity,
+and in mercy and wisdom He temporarily deprived you of an
+instrument that threatened you with danger. Now that you
+are stronger, more prudent, and patient, He trusts you again
+with one of the choicest blessings that can be conferred on a
+woman. You have deserved to recover it, and I joyfully unite
+my thanks with yours. Let me hear your voice once more.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Trembling with excess of happiness, she sat down and sang
+feelingly, eloquently, her favorite &#8220;<i>O mon Fernand</i>;&#8221; and,
+as he listened, Dr. Grey looked almost wonderingly at the
+beautiful flashing face, that had never seemed half so radiant
+before. There was marvellous witchery in her rich round flexible
+tones, that wound into the holy-of-holies of the man&#8217;s
+great heart, and elevated his thoughts above the dross and
+dust of earth.</p>
+<p>When she ended, he placed his soft palm tenderly on her
+head, and smoothed the glossy hair.</p>
+<p>&#8220;I thank you inexpressibly. Sometimes when sad memories
+oppress me, how I shall long to have you charm them
+away by that magical spell that bears my thoughts from this
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_467' name='page_467'></a>467</span>
+world to the next. There are some songs which you must
+learn for my sake.&#8221;</p>
+<p>Ah! at that moment, as she stood there robed in a soft
+stainless white muslin, with a cluster of double pomegranate
+flowers glowing in her silky hair, the girl was very lovely,
+very attractive, so full of youthful grace, so winning in her
+beautiful enthusiasm,&mdash;yet Ulpian Grey&#8217;s heart did not wander
+for an instant from one who slept dreamlessly under the
+sculptured urn on the marble altar of the mausoleum.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8220;Why are the dead not dead? Who can undo<br />
+What time hath done? Who can win back the wind?<br />
+Beckon lost music from a broken lute?<br />
+Renew the redness of a last year&#8217;s rose?<br />
+Or dig the sunken sunset from the deep?&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, if my voice can chase away one vexing thought,
+one wearying care or melancholy memory, I shall feel that
+I have additional reason to thank God for the precious gift.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;I have not seen you look so happy for three years. Indeed,
+my little sister, you have much for which to be grateful,
+and in the midst of your blessings try to recollect those grand
+words of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, &#8216;The soul is a God in
+exile.&#8217; My child, look to it that your expatriation ends with
+the shores of time, for&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'>&#8216;Yea, this is life; make this forenoon sublime,<br />
+This afternoon a psalm, this night a prayer,<br />
+And time is conquered, and thy crown is won.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>For some seconds Salome did not speak, for the shadow on
+his countenance fell upon her heart, and looking reverently
+up at him, she thought of Richter&#8217;s mournful <i>dictum</i>,&mdash;&#8220;Great
+souls attract sorrows, as mountains tempests.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;Dr. Grey, want of patience is the cause of half my difficulties
+and defeats, and plunges me continually into the
+slough of distrust and rebellious questioning. I find it so hard
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_468' name='page_468'></a>468</span>
+to stand still, and let God do his will, and work in his own
+way.&#8221;</p>
+<p>&#8220;My dear Salome, patience is only practical faith, and
+the want of it causes two-thirds of the world&#8217;s woes. I often
+find it necessary to humble my own pride, and tame my restless
+spirit by recurring to the last words of Schiller, &#8216;Calmer
+and calmer! many difficult things are growing plain and clear
+to me. Let us be patient.&#8217; Child, sing me one song more, and
+then come out and show me where you propose to place those
+grape-arbors we spoke of yesterday. This is the last opportunity
+I shall have to direct your workmen.&#8221;</p>
+<p>An hour later Salome fastened a sprig of Grand Duke jasmine
+in the button-hole of his coat,&mdash;shook hands with him
+for the day, and though she smiled in recognition of his
+final bow as he drove down the avenue, her thoughts were
+busy with the dreaded separation that awaited her on the
+morrow and, while her lips were mute, the cry of her heart
+was,&mdash;</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;O Beloved, it is plain</p>
+<p class='cg'>I am not of thy worth, nor for thy place.<br />
+And yet because I love thee, I obtain<br />
+From that same love this vindicating grace,<br />
+To live on still in love,&mdash;and yet in vain,&mdash;<br />
+To bless thee, yet renounce thee to thy <ins title='Added quote'>face.&#8221;</ins></p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p>Dr. Grey spent the remainder of the day in visiting his
+patients, and as he rode from cottage to hovel, bidding adieu
+to those whose lives had so often been committed to his professional
+guardianship, he was received with tearful eyes, and
+trembling hands; and numerous benedictions were invoked
+upon his head.</p>
+<p>Silver threads were beginning to weave an aureola in his
+chestnut hair, and the smooth white forehead showed incipient
+furrows, but the deep blue eyes were as tranquil and
+trusting as of yore, and full of tenderer light for the few he
+loved, for all in suffering and bereavement.</p>
+<p>With a sublime and increasing faith in the overruling wisdom
+and mercy of God, he patiently and hopefully bore his
+<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_469' name='page_469'></a>469</span>
+loneliness and grievous loss,&mdash;comforting himself with the assurance
+that, &#8220;the evening of life brings with it its lamp;&#8221;
+and looking eagle-eyed across the storm-drenched plain of the
+present to the gleaming jasper walls of the Eternal Beyond.</p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='center cg'><span class="dotspoem">...</span> &#8220;My wine has run</p>
+<p class='cg'>Indeed out of my cup, and there is none<br />
+To gather up the bread of my repast<br />
+Scattered and trampled,&mdash;yet I find some good<br />
+In earth&#8217;s green herbs, and streams that bubble up,<br />
+Clear from the darkling ground,&mdash;content until<br />
+I sit with angels before better food.<br />
+Dear Christ! when thy new vintage fills my cup,<br />
+This hand shall shake no more, nor that wine spill.&#8221;</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='pb' />
+<div class='chsp' style='padding-top:0'>
+<a name='POPULAR_COPYRIGHT_BOOKS_AT_MODERATE_PRICES' id='POPULAR_COPYRIGHT_BOOKS_AT_MODERATE_PRICES'></a>
+<h1>Popular Copyright Books <br /><span class='smcaplc'>AT MODERATE PRICES</span></h1>
+</div>
+<p class='center'><b>Any of the following titles can be bought of your
+bookseller at the price you paid for this volume</b></p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'><b>Alternative, The.</b> By George Barr McCutcheon.<br />
+<b>Angel of Forgiveness, The.</b> By Rosa N. Carey.<br />
+<b>Angel of Pain, The.</b> By E. F. Benson.<br />
+<b>Annals of Ann, The.</b> By Kate Trimble Sharber.<br />
+<b>Battle Ground, The.</b> By Ellen Glasgow.<br />
+<b>Beau Brocade.</b> By Baroness Orczy.<br />
+<b>Beechy.</b> By Bettina Von Hutten.<br />
+<b>Bella Donna.</b> By Robert Hichens.<br />
+<b>Betrayal, The.</b> By E. Phillips Oppenheim.<br />
+<b>Bill Toppers, The.</b> By Andre Castaigne.<br />
+<b>Butterfly Man, The.</b> By George Barr McCutcheon.<br />
+<b>Cab No. 44.</b> By R. F. Foster.<br />
+<b>Calling of Dan Matthews, The.</b> By Harold Bell Wright.<br />
+<b>Cape Cod Stories.</b> By Joseph C. Lincoln.<br />
+<b>Challoners, The.</b> By E. F. Benson.<br />
+<b>City of Six, The.</b> By C. L. Canfield.<br />
+<b>Conspirators, The.</b> By Robert W. Chambers.<br />
+<b>Dan Merrithew.</b> By Lawrence Perry.<br />
+<b>Day of the Dog, The.</b> By George Barr McCutcheon.<br />
+<b>Depot Master, The.</b> By Joseph C. Lincoln.<br />
+<b>Derelicts.</b> By William J. Locke.<br />
+<b>Diamonds Cut Paste.</b> By Agnes &amp; Egerton Castle.<br />
+<b>Early Bird, The.</b> By George Randolph Chester.<br />
+<b>Eleventh Hour, The.</b> By David Potter.<br />
+<b>Elizabeth in Rugen.</b> By the author of Elizabeth and Her German Garden.<br />
+<b>Flying Mercury, The.</b> By Eleanor M. Ingram.<br />
+<b>Gentleman, The.</b> By Alfred Ollivant.<br />
+<b>Girl Who Won, The.</b> By Beth Ellis.<br />
+<b>Going Some.</b> By Rex Beach.<br />
+<b>Hidden Water.</b> By Dane Coolidge.<br />
+<b>Honor of the Big Snows, The.</b> By James Oliver Curwood.<br />
+<b>Hopalong Cassidy.</b> By Clarence E. Mulford.<br />
+<b>House of the Whispering Pines, The.</b> By Anna Katherine Green.<br />
+<b>Imprudence of Prue, The.</b> By Sophie Fisher.<br />
+<b>In the Service of the Princess.</b> By Henry C. Rowland.<br />
+<b>Island of Regeneration, The.</b> By Cyrus Townsend Brady.<br />
+<b>Lady of Big Shanty, The.</b> By Berkeley F. Smith.<br />
+<b>Lady Merton, Colonist.</b> By Mrs. Humphrey Ward.<br />
+<b>Lord Loveland Discovers America.</b> By C. N. &amp; A. M. Williamson.<br />
+<b>Love the Judge.</b> By Wymond Carey.<br />
+<b>Man Outside, The.</b> By Wyndham Martyn.<br />
+<b>Marriage of Theodora, The.</b> By Molly Elliott Seawell.<br />
+<b>My Brother&#8217;s Keeper.</b> By Charles Tenny Jackson.<br />
+<b>My Lady of the South.</b> By Randall Parrish.<br />
+<b>Paternoster Ruby, The.</b> By Charles Edmonds Walk.<br />
+<b>Politician, The.</b> By Edith Huntington Mason.<br />
+<b>Pool of Flame, The.</b> By Louis Joseph Vance.<br />
+<b>Poppy.</b> By Cynthia Stockley.<br />
+<b>Redemption of Kenneth Galt, The.</b> By Will N. Harben.<br />
+<b>Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary, The.</b> By Anna Warner.<br />
+<b>Road to Providence, The.</b> By Maria Thompson Davies.<br />
+<b>Romance of a Plain Man, The.</b> By Ellen Glasgow.<br />
+<b>Running Fight, The.</b> By Wm. Hamilton Osborne.<br />
+<b>Septimus.</b> By William J. Locke.<br />
+<b>Silver Horde, The.</b> By Rex Beach.<br />
+<b>Spirit Trail, The.</b> By Kate &amp; Virgil D. Boyles.<br />
+<b>Stanton Wins.</b> By Eleanor M. Ingram.<br />
+<b>Stolen Singer, The.</b> By Martha Bellinger.<br />
+<b>Three Brothers, The.</b> By Eden Phillpotts.<br />
+<b>Thurston of Orchard Valley.</b> By Harold Bindloss.<br />
+<b>Title Market, The.</b> By Emily Post.<br />
+<b>Vigilante Girl, A.</b> By Jerome Hart.<br />
+<b>Village of Vagabonds, A.</b> By F. Berkeley Smith.<br />
+<b>Wanted&mdash;A Chaperon.</b> By Paul Leicester Ford.<br />
+<b>Wanted: A Matchmaker.</b> By Paul Leicester Ford.<br />
+<b>Watchers of the Plains, The.</b> By Ridgwell Cullum.<br />
+<b>White Sister, The.</b> By Marion Crawford.<br />
+<b>Window at the White Cat, The.</b> By Mary Roberts Rhinehart.<br />
+<b>Woman in Question, The.</b> By John Reed Scott.<br />
+<b>Anna the Adventuress.</b> By E. Phillips Oppenheim.<br />
+<b>Ann Boyd.</b> By Will N. Harben.<br />
+<b>At The Moorings.</b> By Rosa N. Carey.<br />
+<b>By Right of Purchase.</b> By Harold Bindloss.<br />
+<b>Carlton Case, The.</b> By Ellery H. Clark.<br />
+<b>Chase of the Golden Plate.</b> By Jacques Futrelle.<br />
+<b>Cash Intrigue, The.</b> By George Randolph Chester.<br />
+<b>Delafield Affair, The.</b> By Florence Finch Kelly.<br />
+<b>Dominant Dollar, The.</b> By Will Lillibridge.<br />
+<b>Elusive Pimpernel, The.</b> By Baroness Orczy.<br />
+<b>Ganton &amp; Co.</b> By Arthur J. Eddy.<br />
+<b>Gilbert Neal.</b> By Will N. Harben.<br />
+<b>Girl and the Bill, The.</b> By Bannister Merwin.<br />
+<b>Girl from His Town, The.</b> By Marie Van Vorst.<br />
+<b>Glass House, The.</b> By Florence Morse Kingsley.<br />
+<b>Highway of Fate, The.</b> By Rosa N. Carey.<br />
+<b>Homesteaders, The.</b> By Kate and Virgil D. Boyles.<br />
+<b>Husbands of Edith, The.</b> George Barr McCutcheon.<br />
+<b>Inez.</b> (Illustrated Ed.) By Augusta J. Evans.<br />
+<b>Into the Primitive.</b> By Robert Ames Bennet.<br />
+<b>Jack Spurlock, Prodigal.</b> By Horace Lorimer.<br />
+<b>Jude the Obscure.</b> By Thomas Hardy.<br />
+<b>King Spruce.</b> By Holman Day.<br />
+<b>Kingsmead.</b> By Bettina Von Hutten.<br />
+<b>Ladder of Swords, A.</b> By Gilbert Parker.<br />
+<b>Lorimer of the Northwest.</b> By Harold Bindloss.<br />
+<b>Lorraine.</b> By Robert W. Chambers.<br />
+<b>Loves of Miss Anne, The.</b> By S. R. Crockett.<br />
+<b>Marcaria.</b> By Augusta J. Evans.<br />
+<b>Mam&#8217; Linda.</b> By Will N. Harben.<br />
+<b>Maids of Paradise, The.</b> By Robert W. Chambers.<br />
+<b>Man in the Corner, The.</b> By Baroness Orczy.<br />
+<b>Marriage A La Mode.</b> By Mrs. Humphry Ward.<br />
+<b>Master Mummer, The.</b> By E. Phillips Oppenheim.<br />
+<b>Much Ado About Peter.</b> By Jean Webster.<br />
+<b>Old, Old Story, The.</b> By Rosa N. Carey.<br />
+<b>Pardners.</b> By Rex Beach.<br />
+<b>Patience of John Moreland, The.</b> By Mary Dillon.<br />
+<b>Paul Anthony, Christian.</b> By Hiram W. Hays.<br />
+<b>Prince of Sinners, A.</b> By E. Phillips Oppenheim.<br />
+<b>Prodigious Hickey, The.</b> By Owen Johnson.<br />
+<b>Red Mouse, The.</b> By William Hamilton Osborne.<br />
+<b>Refugees, The.</b> By A. Conan Doyle.<br />
+<b>Round the Corner in Gay Street.</b> By Grace S. Richmond.<br />
+<b>Rue: With a Difference.</b> By Rosa N. Carey.<br />
+<b>Set in Silver.</b> By C. N. and A. M. Williamson.<br />
+<b>St. Elmo.</b> By Augusta J. Evans.<br />
+<b>Silver Blade, The.</b> By Charles E. Walk.<br />
+<b>Spirit in Prison, A.</b> By Robert Hichens.<br />
+<b>Strawberry Handkerchief, The.</b> By Amelia E. Barr.<br />
+<b>Tess of the D&#8217;Urbervilles.</b> By Thomas Hardy.<br />
+<b>Uncle William.</b> By Jennette Lee.<br />
+<b>Way of a Man, The.</b> By Emerson Hough.<br />
+<b>Whirl, The.</b> By Foxcroft Davis.<br />
+<b>With Juliet in England.</b> By Grace S. Richmond.<br />
+<b>Yellow Circle, The.</b> By Charles E. Walk.</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<p class='center padtop'><b>Any of the following titles can be bought of your
+bookseller at 50&nbsp;cents per volume</b></p>
+<table summary=''><tr><td>
+<p class='cg'><b>The Shepherd of the Hills.</b> By Harold Bell Wright.<br />
+<b>Jane Cable.</b> By George Barr McCutcheon.<br />
+<b>Abner Daniel.</b> By Will N. Harben.<br />
+<b>The Far Horizon.</b> By Lucas Malet.<br />
+<b>The Halo.</b> By Bettina von Hutten.<br />
+<b>Jerry Junior.</b> By Jean Webster.<br />
+<b>The Powers and Maxine.</b> By C. N. and A. M. Williamson.<br />
+<b>The Balance of Power.</b> By Arthur Goodrich.<br />
+<b>Adventures of Captain Kettle.</b> By Cutcliffe Hyne.<br />
+<b>Adventures of Gerard.</b> By A. Conan Doyle.<br />
+<b>Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.</b> By A. Conan Doyle.<br />
+<b>Arms and the Woman.</b> By Harold MacGrath.<br />
+<b>Artemus Ward&#8217;s Works</b> (extra illustrated).<br />
+<b>At the Mercy of Tiberius.</b> By Augusta Evans Wilson.<br />
+<b>Awakening of Helena Richie.</b> By Margaret Deland.<br />
+<b>Battle Ground, The.</b> By Ellen Glasgow.<br />
+<b>Belle of Bowling Green, The.</b> By Amelia E. Barr.<br />
+<b>Ben Blair.</b> By Will Lillibridge.<br />
+<b>Best Man, The.</b> By Harold MacGrath.<br />
+<b>Beth Norvell.</b> By Randall Parrish.<br />
+<b>Bob Hampton of Placer.</b> By Randall Parrish.<br />
+<b>Bob, Son of Battle.</b> By Alfred Ollivant.<br />
+<b>Brass Bowl, The.</b> By Louis Joseph Vance.<br />
+<b>Brethren, The.</b> By H. Rider Haggard.<br />
+<b>Broken Lance, The.</b> By Herbert Quick.<br />
+<b>By Wit of Women.</b> By Arthur W. Marchmont.<br />
+<b>Call of the Blood, The.</b> By Robert Hitchens.<br />
+<b>Cap&#8217;n Eri.</b> By Joseph C. Lincoln.<br />
+<b>Cardigan.</b> By Robert W. Chambers.<br />
+<b>Car of Destiny, The.</b> By C. N. and A. N. Williamson.<br />
+<b>Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.</b> By Frank R. Stockton.<br />
+<b>Cecilia&#8217;s Lovers.</b> By Amelia E. Barr.<br />
+<b>Circle, The.</b> By Katherine Cecil Thurston (author of &#8220;The Masquerader,&#8221; &#8220;The Gambler&#8221;).<br />
+<b>Colonial Free Lance, A.</b> By Chauncey C. Hotchkiss.<br />
+<b>Conquest of Canaan, The.</b> By Booth Tarkington.<br />
+<b>Courier of Fortune, A.</b> By Arthur W. Marchmont.<br />
+<b>Darrow Enigma, The.</b> By Melvin Severy.<br />
+<b>Deliverance, The.</b> By Ellen Glasgow.<br />
+<b>Divine Fire, The.</b> By May Sinclair.<br />
+<b>Empire Builders.</b> By Francis Lynde.<br />
+<b>Exploits of Brigadier Gerard.</b> By A. Conan Doyle.<br />
+<b>Fighting Chance, The.</b> By Robert W. Chambers.<br />
+<b>For a Maiden Brave.</b> By Chauncey C. Hotchkiss.<br />
+<br />
+<b>Fugitive Blacksmith, The.</b> By Chas. D. Stewart.<br />
+<b>God&#8217;s Good Man.</b> By Marie Corelli.<br />
+<b>Heart&#8217;s Highway, The.</b> By Mary E. Wilkins.<br />
+<b>Holladay Case, The.</b> By Burton Egbert Stevenson.<br />
+<b>Hurricane Island.</b> By H. B. Marriott Watson.<br />
+<b>In Defiance of the King.</b> By Chauncey C. Hotchkiss.<br />
+<b>Indifference of Juliet, The.</b> By Grace S. Richmond.<br />
+<b>Infelice.</b> By Augusta Evans Wilson.<br />
+<br />
+<b>Lady Betty Across the Water.</b> By C. N. and A. M. Williamson.<br />
+<b>Lady of the Mount, The.</b> By Frederic S. Isham.<br />
+<b>Lane That Had No Turning, The.</b> By Gilbert Parker.<br />
+<b>Langford of the Three Bars.</b> By Kate and Virgil D. Boyles.<br />
+<b>Last Trail, The.</b> By Zane Grey.<br />
+<b>Leavenworth Case, The.</b> By Anna Katharine Green.<br />
+<b>Lilac Sunbonnet, The.</b> By S. R. Crockett.<br />
+<b>Lin McLean.</b> By Owen Wister.<br />
+<b>Long Night, The.</b> By Stanley J. Weyman.<br />
+<b>Maid at Arms, The.</b> By Robert W. Chambers.<br />
+<b>Man from Red Keg, The.</b> By Eugene Thwing.<br />
+<b>Marthon Mystery, The.</b> By Burton Egbert Stevenson.<br />
+<b>Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.</b> By A. Conan Doyle.<br />
+<b>Millionaire Baby, The.</b> By Anna Katharine Green.<br />
+<b>Missourian, The.</b> By Eugene P. Lyle, Jr.<br />
+<b>Mr. Barnes, American.</b> By A. C. Gunter.<br />
+<b>Mr. Pratt.</b> By Joseph C. Lincoln.<br />
+<b>My Friend the Chauffeur.</b> By C. N. and A. M. Williamson.<br />
+<b>My Lady of the North.</b> By Randall Parrish.<br />
+<b>Mystery of June 13th.</b> By Melvin L. Severy.<br />
+<b>Mystery Tales.</b> By Edgar Allan Poe.<br />
+<b>Nancy Stair.</b> By Elinor Macartney Lane.<br />
+<b>Order No. 11.</b> By Caroline Abbot Stanley.<br />
+<b>Pam.</b> By Bettina von Hutten.<br />
+<b>Pam Decides.</b> By Bettina von Hutten.<br />
+<b>Partners of the Tide.</b> By Joseph C. Lincoln.<br />
+<b>Phra the Phoenician.</b> By Edwin Lester Arnold.<br />
+<b>President, The.</b> By Afred Henry Lewis.<br />
+<b>Princess Passes, The.</b> By C. N. and A. M. Williamson.<br />
+<b>Princess Virginia, The.</b> By C. N. and A. M. Williamson.<br />
+<b>Prisoners.</b> By Mary Cholmondeley.<br />
+<b>Private War, The.</b> By Louis Joseph Vance.<br />
+<b>Prodigal Son, The.</b> By Hall Caine.<br />
+<br />
+<b>Quickening, The.</b> By Francis Lynde.<br />
+<b>Richard the Brazen.</b> By Cyrus T. Brady and Edw. Peple.<br />
+<b>Rose of the World.</b> By Agnes and Egerton Castle.<br />
+<b>Running Water.</b> By A. E. W. Mason.<br />
+<b>Sarita the Carlist.</b> By Arthur W. Marchmont.<br />
+<b>Seats of the Mighty, The.</b> By Gilbert Parker.<br />
+<b>Sir Nigel.</b> By A. Conan Doyle.<br />
+<b>Sir Richard Calmady.</b> By Lucas Malet.<br />
+<b>Speckled Bird, A.</b> By Augusta Evans Wilson.<br />
+<b>Spirit of the Border, The.</b> By Zane Grey.<br />
+<b>Spoilers, The.</b> By Rex Beach.<br />
+<b>Squire Phin.</b> By Holman F. Day.<br />
+<b>Stooping Lady, The.</b> By Maurice Hewlett.<br />
+<b>Subjection of Isabel Carnaby.</b> By Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler.<br />
+<b>Sunset Trail, The.</b> By Alfred Henry Lewis.<br />
+<b>Sword of the Old Frontier, A.</b> By Randall Parrish.<br />
+<b>Tales of Sherlock Holmes.</b> By A. Conan Doyle.<br />
+<b>That Printer of Udell&#8217;s.</b> By Harold Bell Wright.<br />
+<b>Throwback, The.</b> By Alfred Henry Lewis.<br />
+<b>Trail of the Sword, The.</b> By Gilbert Parker.<br />
+<b>Treasure of Heaven, The.</b> By Marie Corelli.<br />
+<b>Two Vanrevels, The.</b> By Booth Tarkington.<br />
+<b>Up From Slavery.</b> By Booker T. Washington.<br />
+<b>Vashti.</b> By Augusta Evans Wilson.<br />
+<b>Viper of Milan, The</b> (original edition). By Marjorie Bowen.<br />
+<b>Voice of the People, The.</b> By Ellen Glasgow.<br />
+<b>Wheel of Life, The.</b> By Ellen Glasgow.<br />
+<br />
+<b>When Wilderness Was King.</b> By Randall Parrish.<br />
+<b>Where the Trail Divides.</b> By Will Lillibridge.<br />
+<b>Woman in Grey, A.</b> By Mrs. C. N. Williamson.<br />
+<b>Woman in the Alcove, The.</b> By Anna Katharine Green.<br />
+<b>Younger Set, The.</b> By Robert W. Chambers.<br />
+<b>The Weavers.</b> By Gilbert Parker.<br />
+<b>The Little Brown Jug at Kildare.</b> By Meredith Nicholson.<br />
+<b>The Prisoners of Chance.</b> By Randall Parrish.<br />
+<b>My Lady of Cleve.</b> By Percy J. Hartley.<br />
+<b>Loaded Dice.</b> By Ellery H. Clark.<br />
+<b>Get Rich Quick Wallingford.</b> By George Randolph Chester.<br />
+<b>The Orphan.</b> By Clarence Mulford.<br />
+<b>A Gentleman of France.</b> By Stanley J. Weyman.</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+<hr class='pb' />
+
+<!-- generated by ppg.rb version: 3.21k2 -->
+<!-- timestamp: 2010-03-12 20:53:00 -0500 -->
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Vashti, by Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
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+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vashti, by Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
+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: Vashti
+       or, Until Death Us Do Part
+
+Author: Augusta J. Evans Wilson
+
+Release Date: March 13, 2010 [EBook #31620]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VASHTI ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charlene Taylor, Michael and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: The stranger raised his hat and said: "Permit me to ask
+your name?" "Salome Owen. And yours, sir, is--" "Ulpian Gray." Page
+10.--_Vashti._]
+
+
+
+
+VASHTI
+
+_or_ UNTIL DEATH US DO PART
+
+By AUGUSTA EVANS WILSON
+
+(Augusta J. Evans)
+
+Author of "Beulah," "Macaria," "Infelice," "St. Elmo," "Inez," etc.,
+etc.,
+
+"There is nothing a man knows, in grief or in sin half so bitter as to
+think, what I might have been."
+
+
+A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1869, by GEORGE W.
+CARLETON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United
+States for the Southern District of New York.
+
+Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1897, by MRS.
+AUGUSTA J. EVANS WILSON, In the office of the Librarian of Congress at
+Washington, D.C.
+
+_Vashti._
+
+
+
+
+TO THE HONORED MEMORY OF MY
+
+_Beloved Father_,
+
+WHOSE DEATH HAS RETARDED THE COMPLETION OF A WORK WHICH, IN THE
+BEGINNING, WAS BLESSED WITH HIS APPROVAL,
+
+I REVERENTLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+  "Every man has his own style, as he has his own nose; and it is
+  neither polite nor Christian to rally an honest man about his
+  nose, however singular it may be. How can I help it that my style
+  is not different? That there is no affectation in it, I am very
+  certain."
+
+    _Lessing._
+
+  "Yea, I take myself to witness,
+  That I have loved no darkness,
+  Sophisticated no truth,
+  Nursed no delusion,
+  Allowed no fear."
+
+                    _Matthew Arnold._
+
+
+
+
+UNTIL DEATH US DO PART.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+
+"I can hear the sullen, savage roar of the breakers, if I do not see
+them, and my pretty painted bark--expectation--is bearing down
+helplessly upon them. Perhaps the unwelcome will not come to-day. What
+then? I presume I should not care; and yet, I am curious to see
+him,--anxious to know what sort of person will henceforth rule the
+house, and go in and out here as master. Of course the pleasant,
+peaceful days are at an end, for men always make din and strife in a
+household,--at least my father did, and he is the only one I know much
+about. But, after all, why borrow trouble?--the interloper may never
+come."
+
+The girl stood on tip-toe, shading her eyes with one hand, and peering
+eagerly down the winding road which stretched at right angles to the
+avenue, and over the hills, on towards the neighboring town. No moving
+speck was visible; and, with a sigh of relief, she sank back on the
+grassy mound and resumed the perusal of her book. Above and around her
+spread the wide branches of an aged apple-tree, feathered thickly with
+pearly petals, which the wind tossed hither and thither and drifted
+over the bermuda, as restless tides strew pink-chambered shells on
+sloping strands; and down through the flowery limbs streamed the
+waning March sun, throwing grotesque shadows on the sward and golden
+ripples over the face and figure of the young lounger. A few yards
+distant a row of whitewashed bee-hives extended along the western side
+of the garden-wall, where perched a peacock whose rainbow hues were
+burnished by the slanting rays that smote like flame the narrow pane
+of glass which constituted a window in each hive and permitted
+investigation of the tireless workers within. The afternoon was almost
+spent; the air, losing its balmy noon breath, grew chill with the
+approach of dew, and the figure under the apple-tree shivered
+slightly, and, closing her book, drew her scarlet shawl around her
+shoulders and leaned her dimpled chin on her knee.
+
+Sixteen years had ripened and rounded the girlish form, and given to
+her countenance that indefinable charm which marks the timid hovering
+between careless, frolicsome youth, and calmly conscious womanhood;
+while perfect health rouged the polished cheeks and vermillioned the
+thin lips, whose outlines sharply indexed more of decision than
+amiability of character.
+
+There were hints of brown in the heavy mass of waveless dusky hair,
+that was elaborately braided and coiled around the well turned
+head, and certain amber rays suggestive of topaz and gold flashed
+out now and then in the dark-hazel iris of the large eyes, lending
+them an eldritch and baleful glow. Fresh as the overhanging
+apple-blooms, but immobile as if carved from pearl,--perhaps it
+was just such a face as hers that fronted Jason, amid the clustering
+boughs of Colchian rhododendrons, when first he sought old AEetes'
+prescient daughter,--the maiden face of magical Medea, innocent as
+yet of murder, sacrilege, fratricide, and plunder,--eloquent of
+all possibilities of purity and peace, but vaguely adumbrating all
+conceivable disquietude and guilt.
+
+The hushed expectancy of the fair young countenance had given place to
+a dreamy languor, and the dark lashes drooped heavily, when a long
+shadow fell upon the grass, and simultaneously the peacock sounded its
+shrill alarm. Rising quickly the girl found herself face to face with
+one upon whose features she had never looked before, and for a moment
+each eyed the other searchingly. The stranger raised his hat, and
+inclining his head slightly, said,--
+
+"Permit me to ask your name?"
+
+"Salome Owen. And yours, sir, is--"
+
+"Ulpian Grey."
+
+For a few seconds neither spoke; but the man smiled, and the girl bit
+her under-lip and frowned.
+
+"Are you the miller's daughter?"
+
+"I am the miller's daughter; and you are the master of Grassmere."
+
+"It seems that I come home like Rip Van Winkle, or Ulysses, unknown,
+unwelcomed,--unlike the latter,--even by a dog."
+
+"Where is your sister?"
+
+"Not having seen her for five years, I am unable to answer."
+
+"She went to town two hours ago, to meet you."
+
+"Then, after all, I am expected; but pray by what route--balloon or
+telegraph?"
+
+"Miss Jane went to the railroad depot, but thought it possible you
+might not arrive to-day, and said she would attend a meeting at the
+church, if you failed to come. I presume she missed you in the crowd.
+Sir, will you walk into the house?"
+
+Perhaps he did not hear the question, and certainly he did not heed
+it, amid the clamorous recollections that rushed upon him as he gazed
+earnestly over the lawn, down the avenue, and up at the ivy-mantled
+front of the old brick homestead. Thinking it might impress him as
+ludicrous or officious that she should invite him to enter and take
+possession of his own establishment, Salome reddened and compressed
+her lips. Apparently forgetful of her presence, he stood with his hat
+in his hand, noting the changes that time had wrought: the growth of
+venerable trees and favorite shrubs, the crumbling of fences, the
+gathering moss on the sun-dial, and the lichen stains upon two marble
+vases that held scarlet verbena on either side of the broad stone
+steps.
+
+His close-fitting travelling suit of gray showed the muscular,
+well-developed form of a man of medium size, whose very erect carriage
+enhanced his height and invested him with a commanding air; while the
+unusual breadth of his chest and shoulders seemed to indicate that
+life had called him to athletic out-door pursuits, rather than the dun
+and dusty atmosphere of a sedentary, cloistered career.
+
+There are subtle countenances that baffle the dainty stipple and line
+tracery of time, refusing to become mere tablets, mere fleshy
+intaglios of the past, whereon every curious stranger may spell out
+the bygone, and, counting their footprints, cast up the number of
+engraving years. Thus it happened that if Salome had not known from
+the family Bible that this man was almost thirty-five, her eager
+scrutiny of his features would have discovered little concerning his
+age, and still less concerning his character. Exposure to the winds
+and heat of tropic regions had darkened and sallowed the complexion,
+which his clear deep blue eyes and light brown hair declared was
+originally of Saxon fairness; in proof whereof, when he drew off one
+glove and lifted his hand it seemed as if the marble fingers of one
+statue were laid against the bronze cheek of another.
+
+Looking intently at this grave yet benignant countenance, full of
+serenity, because calmly conscious of its power, the girl set her
+teeth and ground her heel into the velvet turf, for _frangas non
+flectes_ was written on his smooth, broad brow, and she felt fiercely
+rebellious as some fiery, free creature of the Kamse, when first
+confronted with the bit and trappings of him who will henceforth
+bridle and tame the desert-bred.
+
+Waking from his brief reverie, the stranger turned and extended his
+hand, saying, in tones as low and sweet as a woman's,--
+
+"Will you not welcome a wanderer back to his home?"
+
+She gave him the tips of her fingers, but the "Imp of the Perverse"
+dictated her answer,--
+
+"As you saw fit to compare yourself, a few moments since, to certain
+celebrated absentees, I am constrained to tell you that I happen to be
+neither Penelope nor Gretchen, nor yet the illustrious dog referred
+to."
+
+He smiled good-humoredly, and replied,--
+
+"I am not very sure that there is not a spice of Dame Van Winkle
+somewhere in your nature. True, we are strangers, but I believe you
+are my sister's adopted child, and I hope you are glad to see her
+brother at home once more. Jane is a dear kind link, who should make
+us at least good friends; for, if you are attached to her you will in
+time learn to like me."
+
+"I doubt it,--seeing that you resemble Miss Jane about as nearly as I
+do the Grand Lama of Larissa, or the idol Bhadrinath. But, sir,
+although it is not my office to welcome you, I presume you have not
+forgotten the front door, and once more I ask, Will you walk in and
+make yourself at home in your own house?"
+
+As she led the way to the steps, the arched gate at the end of the
+avenue swung open, a carriage entered, and Salome retreated to her own
+room, leaving unwitnessed the happy meeting between an aged, infirm
+sister, and long-absent brother.
+
+Locking the door to secure herself from intrusion, she drew a low
+rocking-chair to the hearth, where smouldered the embers of a dying
+fire, and dropping her face in her palms, stared abstractedly at the
+ashes. As she swayed slowly to and fro, her lips parted and closed,
+her brows bent from their customary curves of beauty, and half
+inaudibly she muttered,--
+
+"The sceptre is departing from Judah. My rule is well nigh ended; the
+interregnum has been brief, and the old dynasty reigns once more.
+Just what I dreaded from the hour I heard he was coming home. I
+shall be reduced to a mere cipher, and made to realize my utter
+dependence,--and the iron will soon enter my soul. We paupers are
+adepts in the art of reading the countenance, and I have looked at
+this Ulpian Grey long enough to know that I might as well bombard
+Gibraltar with boiled peas as hope to conquer one of his whims or
+alter one of his purposes. There will be bitterness and strife between
+us. I shall wish him in his grave a thousand times before it closes
+over him,--and he, unless he is too good, will hate me cordially. I
+cannot and will not give up all my hopes and expectations, without a
+long, fierce struggle."
+
+Salome Owen was the eldest of five children, who, by the death of both
+parents, had been thrown penniless upon the world, and found a
+temporary asylum in the county poor-house. Her mother she remembered
+merely as a feeble, fractious invalid; and her father, who had long
+been employed as superintendent of large mills belonging to Miss Jane
+Grey, had, after years of reckless intemperance, ended his wretched
+career in a fit of mania a potu. His death occurred at a season when
+Miss Grey was confined to her bed by an attack of rheumatism, which
+rendered her a cripple for the remainder of her days; but the first
+hours of her convalescence were spent in devising plans for the
+education and maintenance of his helpless orphans. In the dusty,
+cheerless yard of the poor-house she had found the little group
+huddled under a mulberry tree one hot July noon; and, sending the two
+younger children to the orphan asylum in a neighboring town, she had
+apprenticed one boy to a worthy carpenter, another to an eminent
+horticulturist in a distant State; and Salome, the handsomest and
+brightest of the flock, she carried to her own home as an adopted
+child. Here, for four years, the girl had lived in peace and luxurious
+ease, surrounded by all the elegances and refining associations which
+though not inherent in are at the command of wealth; and so rapidly
+and gracefully had she fitted herself into the new social niche, that
+the dark and stormy morning of her life had become only a dim and
+hideous recollection, that rarely lifted its hated visage above the
+smooth and shining surface of the happy present.
+
+Fortuitous circumstances constitute the moulds that shape the majority
+of human lives, and the hasty impress of an accident is too often
+regarded as the relentless decree of all-ordaining fate; while to the
+philosophic anthropologist it might furnish matter for curious
+speculation whether, if Attila and Alaric had chanced to find
+themselves the pampered sons of some merchant prince,--some Rothschild
+or Peabody of the fifth century,--their campaigns had not been purely
+fiscal and bloodless, limited to the leaves of a ledger, while the
+names of Goth and Hun had never crystallized into synonyms of havoc
+and ruin; or had Timour been trained to cabbage-raising and
+vine-dressing, whether he would not have lived in history as the great
+horticulturist of Kesth, or the Diocletian of Samarcand, rather than
+the Tartar tyrant and conqueror of the East? How many possible Howards
+have swung at Tyburn? How many canonized and haloed heads have barely
+escaped the doom of Brinvilliers, and the tender mercies of Carnifex?
+
+Analogous to that wonderful Gulf Stream, once a myth and still a
+mystery, the strange current of human existence, four score and
+ten years long, bears each and all of us with a strong, steady sweep
+away from the tropic lands of sunny childhood, enamelled with verdure
+and gaudy with bloom, through the temperate regions of manhood and
+womanhood, fruitful and harvest-hued, on to the frigid, lonely shores
+of dreary old age, snow-crowned and ice-veined; and individual
+destinies seem to resemble the tangled drift on those broad
+bounding gulf-billows, driven hither and thither, strewn on barren
+beaches, scattered over bleaching coral crags, stranded upon blue
+bergs,--precious germs from all climes and classes; some to be
+scorched under equatorial heats; some to perish by polar perils; a
+few to take root and flourish and triumph, building imperishable
+land-marks; and many to stagnate in the long, inglorious rest of a
+Sargasso Sea.
+
+For all helpless human waifs in this surging ocean of time, there is
+comfort in the knowledge that the fiercest storms toss their drift
+highest; and one of these apparently savage waves of adversity had
+swept Salome Owen safely to an isle of palms and peace, where, under
+the fostering rays of prosperity, the selfish and sordid elements of
+her character found rapid development.
+
+In affectionate natures, family ties serve as cords to strangle
+selfishness; for, in large domestic circles, each member contributes a
+moiety to swell the good of the whole--silently endures some trial,
+makes some sacrifice, shares some sympathy and sunshine, hoards some
+grief and gloom, and had Salome remained with her brothers and
+sisters, their continual claims on her time and attention would have
+healthfully diverted thoughts that had long centred solely in self.
+Finding that fortune had temporarily sheathed in velvet the goad of
+necessity, the girl's aspirations soared no higher than the
+maintenance of her present easy and luxurious position, as a petted
+dependent on the affection and bounty of a weak but generous and
+lonely old lady. Having no other object near, upon which to lavish the
+love and caresses that were stored in her heart, Miss Jane had turned
+fondly to Salome, and so earnestly endeavored to brighten her life,
+that the latter felt assured she was selected as the heiress of that
+house and estate where she had dwelt so happily; and thus sanguine
+concerning her future prospects, the strong will of the girl
+completely dominated the feebler and failing one of her benefactress,
+through whose fingers the reins of government slipped so gradually,
+that she was unconscious of her virtual abdication.
+
+From this pleasant dream of a handsome heritage and life-long plenty,
+Salome had been rudely aroused by the unwelcome tidings that a young
+half-brother of Miss Jane was coming to reside under her roof; and
+prophetic fear whispered that the stranger would contest and divide
+her dominion. A surgeon in the United States navy, he had been absent
+for five years in distant seas, and only resigned his commission in
+consequence of letters which informed him of the feeble condition of
+his only surviving relative. Those who have eaten the bread of charity
+learn to interpret countenances with an unerring facility that
+eclipses the vaunted skill of Lavater, and the girl's brief inspection
+of the face which would henceforth confront her daily, yielded little
+to dispel her gloomy forebodings. The sound of the tea-bell terminated
+her reverie, and rising, she walked slowly to the dining-room,
+throwing her head as erect as possible, and compressing her mouth like
+some gladiator summoned to the fatal arena of the Coliseum.
+
+The dining-room was large and airy, with lofty wide windows, and
+neatly papered walls, where in numerous old-fashioned and quaintly
+carved frames hung the ancestral portraits of the family. Although one
+window was open, and the mild air laden with the perfumed breath of
+spring, a bright wood fire flashed on the hearth, near which Miss Jane
+sat in her large, cushioned rocking-chair, resting her swollen
+slippered feet on a velvet stool, while her silver-mounted crutches
+leaned against the arm of her chair. An ugly and very diminutive brown
+terrier snarled and frisked on the rug, tormenting a staid and aged
+black cat, who occasionally arched her back and showed her teeth; and
+Dr. Grey stood leaning over his sister's chair, smoothing the soft
+grizzled locks that clustered under the rich lace border of her cap.
+He was talking of other days,--those of his boyhood, when, kneeling by
+that hearth, she had pasted his kites, found strings for his tops,
+made bags for his marbles, or bound up his bleeding hands, bruised in
+boyish sports; and, while he read from the fresher page of his memory
+the blessed juvenile annals long since effaced from hers, a happy
+smile lighted her withered face, and she put up one thin hand to pat
+the brown and bearded cheek which nearly touched her head. To the
+pretty young thing who had paused on the threshold, watching what
+passed, it seemed a peaceful picture, cosy and complete, needing no
+adjuncts, defying intruders; but Miss Jane caught a glimpse of the
+shrinking figure, and beckoned her to the fire-place.
+
+"Salome, come shake hands with my sailor-boy, and tell him how glad we
+are to have his sunburnt face once more among us. Ulpian, this is my
+dear child Salome, who makes noise and sunshine enough in an otherwise
+dark and silent dreary house. Why, children, don't stand bowing at
+each other, like foreign ministers at court! Ulpian, you are to be a
+brother to that child; so go and kiss her like a Christian, and let us
+have no more state and ceremony."
+
+"_Sans ceremonie_ we introduced ourselves this afternoon, under the
+apple-tree, and I presume Salome will accept the assurance of my
+friendly intentions and fraternal regard, and decline the seal which
+only long acquaintance and perfect confidence could induce her to
+permit. Notwithstanding the very evident fact that she is not entirely
+overwhelmed with delight at my return, I gratefully acknowledge my
+indebtedness to one who has so largely contributed to my sister's
+happiness, and shall avail myself of every opportunity to prove my
+appreciation of her devotion."
+
+Dr. Grey stepped forward, took Salome's hand, and touched it lightly
+with his lips, while the grave dignity of his manner forbade the
+thought that affectation of gallantry or idle persiflage suggested the
+words or action.
+
+Disarmed by the quiet courtesy which she felt she had not merited, the
+girl's ready wit and nimbly obedient tongue for once proved
+treacherous; and, conscious that the flush was deepening on cheek and
+brow, she moved to the oval table in the centre of the floor, and
+seated herself behind the massive silver urn.
+
+"Ulpian, take your place yonder, at the foot, and excuse my absence
+from the table this first evening of your return. I always have my
+meals here, close to the fire, and Salome presides in my place. Child,
+put no cream in his tea, but a bountiful share of sugar. You see, my
+boy, I have not grown too old to recollect your whims."
+
+As he obeyed her, Salome was preparing to pour out the tea; but,
+catching his eye, she paused, and Dr. Grey bowed his head on his hand,
+and solemnly and impressively asked a blessing, and offered up fervent
+thanks for the family reunion. In the somewhat fragmentary discourse
+that ensued between brother and sister the orphan took no part; and, a
+half hour later, when the little party removed to the library and
+established themselves comfortably for the evening, Salome drew her
+chair close to the lamp, and, under pretence of examining a book of
+engravings, covertly studied the features and mien of the new-comer.
+
+His quiet, low-toned conversation was of other lands and distant
+nations, and, while there was an entire absence of that ostentatious
+braggardism and dropsical egotism which unfortunately attacks the
+majority of travellers, his descriptions of foreign scenery were so
+graceful and brilliant, that despite her ungracious determination and
+premeditated dislike, she became a fascinated listener; and, more than
+once, found herself leaning forward to catch his words. Her own vivid
+fancy travelled with him over the lakes and isles, temples and
+palaces, he had visited; and, when the clock struck eleven, and a
+brief silence succeeded, she started as from some delightful dream.
+
+"Janet, shall we have prayers, or have I already kept you up too
+late?"
+
+Dr. Grey stooped and pressed his lips to his sister's wrinkled
+forehead, and her voice faltered slightly, as she answered,--
+
+"It is never too late to thank God for all his goodness, especially in
+bringing my dear boy safely back to me. Salome, get the large Bible
+from the cushion in the parlor."
+
+As the orphan placed the book in Dr. Grey's hand it opened at the
+record of births, where on the wide page appeared only the name of
+Ulpian Grey, and from the leaves fluttered a small bow of blue
+ribbon.
+
+He picked it up, and, considering it merely a book-mark, would have
+replaced it, but Miss Jane exclaimed,--
+
+"It is the blue knot that fastens that child's collar. Give it to her.
+She lost it yesterday, and has searched the house for it. How came it
+in that old Bible, which I am sure has not been used for fifteen
+years?"
+
+Whatever solution of the mystery Salome might have deigned to offer,
+remained unuttered, for Dr. Grey kindly obviated the necessity of a
+reply by requesting her to bring him an additional candle from an
+adjoining room; and the superfluous celerity with which she started on
+the errand called a twinkle to his eye and a half-smothered smile to
+his lips. She felt assured that he was thoroughly cognizant of the
+curiosity which had prompted her researches among the family records,
+and inferred that he had either no vanity to be flattered by such
+trifles, or was dowered with too much generosity to evince any
+gratification at the discovery of an interest she would have
+vehemently disclaimed.
+
+It was the first time she had ever bowed before the family altar, and,
+notwithstanding her avowed aversion to "Puritanic ceremonials and
+Pharisaical practices," she was unexpectedly awed and deeply
+impressed by the solemnity with which he conducted the brief services;
+while, despite her prejudice, his grave courtesy toward her, and the
+subdued tenderness that marked his treatment of his sister, commanded
+her involuntary respect. When she stood before the mirror in her own
+room, unbraiding her heavy hair, a dissatisfied expression robbed her
+features of half their loveliness, and discontent ploughed distorting
+lines about the scarlet lips which muttered,--
+
+"I wonder if, in one of his evil fits, my father sold and signed me
+away to Satan? I certainly am _bon gre mal gre_ in bondage to him;
+for, from my inmost heart I hate 'good, pious, sanctified souls,' such
+as that marble man upstairs, who has come back to usurp my kingdom,
+and lord it over this heritage. After to-day a new regime. The
+potter's hands are fair and shapely, courteous and deft, but potter's
+hands nevertheless. Tough kneading he shall find it, and stiffer clay
+than ever yet was moulded, or my name is not Salome Owen. After all,
+how much better are we than the lower beasts of prey? In the race for
+riches there is but one alternative,--to devour, or be devoured;
+consequently that was an immemorial and well tested rule in the
+warfare that commenced when Adam and Eve found themselves shut out of
+Eden. 'Each for himself,' etc., etc., etc. Since I must _ex
+necessitate_ prey or be preyed upon, I shall waste no time in
+deliberation."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+
+When fifty-two years old, Daniel Grey amassed a handsome fortune
+by speculating in certain gold and coal mine stocks, which not
+only relieved him from the necessity of daily toil in his dusty
+counting-room, but elevated him to that more than Braminical caste,
+dubbed in Mammon-parlance--capitalists; whose decrees outweigh
+legislative statutes, and by feeling the pulse of stock-boards and
+all financial corporations, regulate the fiscal currents of the
+State. A few months subsequent to this sudden accession of wealth,
+his meek and devoted wife--who had patiently shared all the trials
+and hardships of his early impecunious career, and brightened an
+humble home which boasted no treasure comparable to her loving,
+unselfish heart,--was summoned to the enjoyment of a heritage beyond
+the stars; and Daniel Grey, capitalist, found himself a florid
+handsome widower, with two children, Enoch and Jane, to remind him
+continually of the pale wife over whose quiet ashes rose a costly
+mausoleum, where rare exotics nodded to each other across gilded
+slab and sculptured angels. That he profoundly mourned his loss no
+charitable mind could doubt, notwithstanding the obstinate fact that
+ere the violets had bloomed a twelvemonth over the dead mother of
+his children he had provided them with one who certainly bore her
+name, usurped her precious privileges, walked in her footsteps, but
+wofully failed to fill her place.
+
+Mrs. Daniel Grey, scarcely the senior of the step-daughter whose lips
+most reluctantly framed the sacred word "mother," was a fresh fair
+young thing, whose ideas of marriage extended no further than
+diamonds, white satin, reception cards, and bridal presents; and whose
+regard for her worthy husband sought no surer basis than his
+bank-stock and insurance dividends. Dainty and bright, in tasteful and
+costly apparel, the pretty child-wife flitted up and down in his house
+and over the serene surface of his life, touching no feeling of his
+nature so deeply as that colossal _parvenu_ vanity which exulted in
+the possession of a graceful walking announcement of his ability to
+clothe in fine fabrics and expensive jewels.
+
+Perhaps the mildew that stained the ghastly gaunt angels who kept
+guard over the dust of the dead wife, extended yet further than the
+silent territory over which sexton and mattock reigned, for one dreary
+December night, instead of nestling for a post-prandial nap among the
+velvet cushions of his luxurious parlor, Daniel Grey, capitalist,
+slept his last sleep in a high-backed, comfortless chair before his
+desk, where the confidential clerk found him next morning, with his
+rigid icy fingers thrust between the leaves of his check-book.
+
+According to the old Arab proverb,--
+
+  "The black camel named Death kneeleth once at each door,
+  And a mortal must mount to return nevermore."
+
+And, past all peradventure, having borne away one member of the
+household, the "Last Carrier" from force of habit hastens to perform
+the same thankless service for the remainder;--thus ere summer
+sunshine streamed on the husband's grave, another yawned at its side,
+and a wreathed and fluted shaft shot up close to his mausoleum, to
+tell sympathizing friends and careless strangers that the second wife
+of Daniel Grey had been snatched away in the morning of life.
+
+Her infant son Ulpian was committed to the tender guardianship of his
+maternal grandmother, in whose hands he remained until the close of
+his fourth year, when her death necessitated his return to the home of
+his only relatives, Enoch and Jane. At the request of his sister, the
+former had sold the elegant new residence in a fashionable quarter of
+the town, and removed to the old homestead and farm, hallowed by
+reminiscences of their mother, and invested with the magic attractions
+that early association weaves about the spots frequented in youth.
+
+Manifesting, even in boyhood, an unconquerable repugnance not only to
+curriculum, but the monotonous routine of mercantile pursuits, Enoch
+sullenly forswore stock-jobbing and finance, and declared his
+intention of indulging his rural tastes and becoming a farmer. Fine
+cattle and poultry of all kinds, heavy wheat-crops, and well-stored
+corn-cribs engrossed his thoughts, to the entire exclusion of abstract
+aesthetic speculation, of operatic music, and Pre-Raphaelitism; while
+the sight of one of his silky short-horned Ayrshires yielded him
+infinitely more pleasure than the possession of all Rosa Bonheur's
+ideals could possibly have done, and the soft billowy stretch of his
+favorite clover-meadow was worth all the canvas that Claude or Poussin
+had ever colored. While Enoch had cordially hated his fair blue-eyed
+young step-mother, not from any personal or individual grounds of
+grievance, but simply and solely because she dared to occupy the
+household niche, sanctified once and forever by his own meek
+gentle-toned mother, he nevertheless tenderly loved her baby-boy; and
+as Ulpian grew to manhood he became the idol, at whose shrine the
+brother and sister offered their pure and most intense affection.
+
+Neither had married, and when the youngest of the household band
+completed his studies, and decided to accept a naval appointment, the
+consternation and grief which the announcement produced at the
+homestead, proved how essential the presence of the half-brother had
+become to the happiness of the sedate stolid Enoch, and equable
+unselfish Jane. But the desire to travel subordinated all other
+sentiments in Ulpian's nature, and he eagerly embarked for a cruise,
+from which he was recalled by tidings of the death of his brother.
+
+A brief sojourn at the homestead had sufficed to arrange the affairs
+of the carefully-managed estate, and the young surgeon returned to his
+post aboard ship, in distant oriental seas. The increasing infirmity
+of his sister had finally induced the resignation of his cherished
+commission, and brought the man of thirty-five back to his home, where
+the "old familiar faces" seemed to have vanished forever; and, in lieu
+thereof, legions of cold-eyed strangers carelessly confronted him.
+
+Emancipated from all restraint, and early consigned to the guidance of
+his boyish caprices and immature judgment, Ulpian Grey's character had
+unfolded itself under circumstances peculiarly favorable for the
+fostering of selfishness and the development of idiosyncrasies. As a
+plant, unmolested by man and beast, germinates, expands, and freely
+and completely manifests all its inherent tendencies, whether
+detrimental or beneficial to humanity, so Dr. Grey's matured manhood
+was no distorted or discolored result of repeated educational
+experiments, but a thoroughly normal efflorescence of an unbiassed
+healthful nature.
+
+Habits of unwavering application and searching study, contracted in
+collegiate cloisters, tightened their grasp upon him, as he wandered
+away from the quiet precincts of _Alma Mater_ and into the crowded
+noisy campus of life; and even the gregarious and convivial manners
+prevalent aboard ship failed to divert his attention from the
+prosecution of scientific researches, or to retard his rapid progress
+in classical scholarship.
+
+For the treasures of knowledge thus patiently and indefatigably
+garnered through a series of years, travel proved an invaluable polyglot
+commentator, analyzing, comparing, annotating, and italicizing, and had
+converted his mind into a vast, systematically arranged pictorial
+encyclopaedia of miscellaneous lore, embellished with delicate etchings,
+noble engravings, and gorgeous illuminations,--a thesaurus where
+_savants_ might seek successfully for _data_, and whence artists
+could derive grand types, and pure tender coloring.
+
+Reverent and loving appreciation of the intrinsically "true, good,
+and beautiful" was part of the homage that his nature rendered to its
+Creator, and instead of flowering into a morbid and maudlin
+sentimentality which craves low-browed, long straight-nosed,
+undraped statuettes in every nook and corner,--or dwarfs the soul and
+pins it to the surplice of some theologic _dogmata_ claiming
+infallibility--or coffins the intellect in cramped, shallow,
+psychological categories,--it bore fruit in a wide-eyed, large-hearted,
+liberal-minded eclecticism, which, waging no crusade against the various
+Saladins of modern systems, quietly possessed itself of the really
+valuable elements that constitute the basis of every ethical,
+aesthetic, and scientific creed, which has for any length of time
+levied black-mail on the credulity of mankind.
+
+Breadth of intellectual vision promotes moral and emotional
+expansion--for true catholicity of mind manufactures charity in the
+heart; and toleration is the real mesmeric current which brings the
+extremes of humanity _en rapport_,--is the veritable ubiquitous
+Samaritan always provided with wine and oil for the bruised and
+helpless, who are strewn along the highway of life; and those who
+penetrated beyond the polished surface of Dr. Grey's character,
+realized that no tinge of cynicism, no affectation of contempt for his
+country and countrymen lurked in his heart, while erudition and
+foreign sojourning seemed only to have warmed and intensified his
+sympathy with all noble aims--his compassion for all grovelling ones.
+
+That his compulsory return to the uneventful routine of life at the
+homestead, involved a sacrifice which he would gladly have avoided, he
+did not attempt to deny; but having invested a large amount of
+earnest, vigorous faith in the final conservatism of that much-abused
+monster which the seditious army of the Disappointed anathematize as
+"Bad Luck," he went to work contentedly in this new sphere of action,
+and waited patiently and trustfully for the slow grinding of the great
+mill of Compensation, into whose huge hopper Fate had unceremoniously
+poured all his plans.
+
+His advent produced a very decided sensation not only in the quiet
+neighborhood in which the farm was located, but also in the adjacent
+town where the memory of Daniel Grey's meteoric ascent to pecuniosity
+still lingered in the minds of the oldest citizens, and pleasantly
+paved the way for a cordial reception of the fortunate son who
+inherited not only his mother's comeliness but his father's hoarded
+wealth.
+
+Living in the middle of the nineteenth century, and in a hemisphere
+completely antipodal to that in which Utopia was situated, or
+"Bensalem" dreamed of, the appearance of a good-looking, well-educated,
+affluent bachelor could not fail to stir all gossipdom to its dreg;
+and society, ever tenderly concerned about the individual affairs of
+its prominent members, was all agog--busily arranging for the
+_ci-devant_ United States Surgeon a programme, than which he would
+sooner have undertaken the feats of Samson or the Avatars of Vishnu.
+
+His published card, announcing the fact that he had permanently
+located in the city and was a patient candidate for the privilege of
+setting fractured limbs and administering medicine, somewhat dashed
+the expectations of many who conjected that the Grey estate could not
+possibly be worth the amount so long reputed, or the principal heir
+would certainly not soil his fingers with pills and plasters, instead
+of sauntering and dawdling with librettos, lorgnettes, meerschaums,
+and curiously-carved canes cut in the Hebrides or the jungles of
+Java.
+
+Over the door of that office, where the Angel of Death had smitten his
+father thirty-five years before, a new sign swung in the breeze, and
+showed the citizens the name of "Dr. Ulpian Grey. Office hours from
+nine to ten, and from two to three."
+
+The members of the profession called formally to welcome him to a
+share of their annual profits, and collectively gave him a dinner; the
+"best families" invited him to tea or luncheon, croquet or "German,"
+and thus, having accomplished his professional and social _debut_,
+Ulpian Grey, M.D., henceforth claimed and exercised the privilege of
+selecting his associates, and employing his time as inclination
+prompted.
+
+In the comprehensive course of study to which he had so long devoted
+his attention, he had not omitted that immemorial stereotyped
+volume--Human Nature--which, despite the attempted revisions of sages,
+politicians, and ecclesiastics, remains as immutable as the
+everlasting hills; printing upon the leaves of the youngest century
+phases of guilt and guilelessness which find their prototypes in the
+gray dawn of time, when the "morning stars sang together,"--yea, busy
+to-day as of yore, slaughtering Abel, stoning Stephen, fretting Moses,
+crucifying Christ. Finding much that was admirable, and more that
+seemed ignoble, he gravely and reverently sought to possess himself of
+the subtle arcana of this marvellous book, rejecting as equally
+erroneous and unreliable the magnifying zeal of optimism and the
+gloomy jaundiced lenses of sneering pessimism,--thoroughly satisfied
+that it was a solemn duty, obligatory upon all, to study that complex
+paradoxical human nature, for the mastery of which Lucifer and Jesus
+had ceaselessly battled since the day when Adam and Eve were called
+"to dress and to keep" the Garden by the Euphrates,--that heaven-born,
+heaven-cursed, restless human nature, which now, as then,--
+
+  "Grasps at the fruitage forbidden,
+  The golden pomegranates of Eden,
+  To quiet its fever and pain."
+
+A few days' residence under the same roof, and a guarded observation
+of Salome's conduct, sufficed to acquaint Dr. Grey with the ungenerous
+motives that induced her chagrin at his return; and, without
+permitting her to suspect that he had so accurately read her
+character, he endeavored as unobtrusively as possible to bridge by
+kindness and courtesy the chasm of jealous distrust which divided
+them.
+
+Indolent and self-indulgent, she neither brooked dictation, nor
+gracefully accepted any suggestions at variance with the reigning
+whim; for, since she became an inmate of Miss Jane's hospitable home,
+existence had been a mere dreamy, aimless succession of golden dawns
+and scarlet-curtained sunsets--a slow, quiet lapsing of weeks into
+months,--an almost stagnant stream curled by no eddies, freighted with
+few aspirations, bearing no drift.
+
+The circumstances and associations of her early life had destroyed her
+faith in abstract nobility of character; self-abnegation she neither
+comprehended nor deemed possible; and of a stern, innate moral heroism
+she was utterly sceptical; consequently a delicately graduated scale
+of selfishness was the sole balance by which she was wont to weigh men
+and women.
+
+Her irregular method of study and desultory reading had rather
+enervated than strengthened a mind naturally clear and vigorous, and
+left its acquisitions in a confused and kaleidoscopic mass, bordering
+upon intellectual salmagundi.
+
+One warm afternoon, on his return from town, as Dr. Grey ascended the
+steps he noticed Salome reclining on a bamboo settee at the western
+end of the gallery, where the sunshine was hot and glaring,
+unobstructed by the thin leafy screen of vines that drooped from
+column to column on the southern and eastern sides of the building. If
+conscious of his approach she vouchsafed not the slightest intimation
+of it, and when he stood beside her she remained so immovable that he
+might have imagined her asleep but for the lambent light which rayed
+out from eyes that seemed intently numbering the soft fluttering young
+leaves on a distant clump of elm trees, which made a lace-like tracery
+of golden glimmer and quivering shadow on the purple-headed clover at
+their feet.
+
+Her fair but long slender fingers carelessly held a book that
+threatened to slip from their light relaxing grasp, and compressing
+his lips in order to smother a smile under his heavy moustache, Dr.
+Grey stooped and put his hand on her plump white wrist, where the blue
+veins were running riot.
+
+"So young,--yet cataleptic! Unfortunate, indeed," he murmured.
+
+She shook off his touch, and instantly sat erect.
+
+"I should be glad to know what you mean."
+
+"I have an admirable, nay, I venture to add, an almost infallible
+prescription for catalepsy, which has cured two chronic and apparently
+hopeless cases, and it will afford me great pleasure to try the third
+experiment upon you, since you seem pitiably in want of a remedy."
+
+"Thank you. Were I as free from all other ills that 'flesh is heir
+to,' as I certainly am of the taint of catalepsy, I might indeed
+congratulate myself upon an immunity which would obviate the dire
+necessity of ever meeting a physician."
+
+"Are you sure that you sufficiently understand the symptoms, to
+recognize them unerringly?"
+
+The rose tint in her cheeks deepened to scarlet, as she haughtily drew
+herself up to her full height, and answered,--
+
+"Dr. Grey himself is not more sagacious and adroit in detecting them;
+especially when open eyes discover unwelcome and disagreeable objects,
+which, wishing to avoid, they are still compelled to see. I hope you
+are satisfied that I comprehend you."
+
+"My meaning was not so occult as to justify a doubt upon that subject;
+and moreover, Salome, lack of astuteness is far from being your
+greatest defect. My motive should eloquently plead pardon for my
+candor, if I venture to tell you that your frequent affectation of
+unconsciousness of the presence of others, 'is a custom more honored
+in the breach than the observance,' and may prove prolific of
+annoyance in coming years; for courtesy constitutes the keystone in
+the beautiful arch of social amenities which vaults the temple of
+Christian virtues. Lest you should take umbrage at my frankness, which
+ought to assure you of my interest in your happiness and improvement,
+permit me to remind you of the oriental definition of a faithful
+friend, that has more pith than verbal polish,--
+
+  "The true friend is not he who holds up Flattery's mirror,
+    In which the face to thy conceit most pleasing hovers;
+  But he who kindly shows thee all thy vices, sirrah!
+    And helps thee mend them ere an enemy discovers."
+
+Rising, Salome swept him a profound courtesy, and, while her fingers
+beat a tattoo on the book she held, she watched him with a peculiar
+sparkle in her eyes, which he had already learned to understand was a
+beacon flame kindled by intense displeasure. Dr. Grey seated himself,
+and, taking off his hat, said gently and winningly, as he pushed aside
+the hair that clustered in brown rings over his forehead,--
+
+"Here is ample room for both of us. Sit down, and be reasonable; and
+let me catch a glimpse of the amiable elements which I feel assured
+must exist somewhere in your nature, notwithstanding your persistent
+endeavor to conceal them. Your Janus character has hitherto breathed
+only war--war; but, my young friend, I earnestly invoke its peaceful
+phase."
+
+The kindness of tone and evident sincerity of manner might have
+disarmed a prejudice better founded than hers; but wrath consumed all
+scruples, and, recollecting his forbearance with various former acts
+of rudeness, she presumed to attempt further aggressions.
+
+Waving her hand in tacit rejection of the proffered share of the
+settee, she answered with more emphasis than perspicuity demanded,--
+
+"Does your reading of the book of Job encourage you to believe that
+when those self-appointed counsellors--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad
+the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite--returned to their respective
+homes, they had cause to congratulate themselves upon their cordial
+welcome to Job's bank of ashes, or felt bountifully repaid for their
+voluntary mission of advice?"
+
+"Unfortunately, no. My study of the record of the man of Uz renders
+painfully patent that humiliating fact--old as humanity--that sanctity
+of motive is no coat-of-mail to the luckless few who bravely bear to
+the hearts of those with whom they associate the unwelcome burden of
+unflattering truths. Phraseology--definitions--vary with advancing
+centuries, but not so the human impulses they express or explain; and
+friendship in the days of Job was the identical 'Mutual Admiration
+Society,' which at present converts its consistent servile members
+into Damon and Pythias, but punishes any violation of its canons with
+hatred dire and inextinguishable. Were I blessed with the genius of
+Praxiteles or of Angelo, I would chisel and bequeath to the world a
+noble statue,--typical of that rare, fearless friendship, which,
+walking through the lazaretto of diseased and morbid natures, bears
+not honied draughts alone, but scalpel, caustic, and bitter tonics."
+
+The calm sweetness of voice and mien lent to his words an influence
+which no amount of gall or satire could have imparted; and, in the
+brief silence that ensued, Salome's heart was suddenly smitten with a
+humiliating consciousness of her childish flippancy,--her utter
+inferiority to this man, who seemed to walk serenely in a starry plane
+far beyond the mire where she grovelled.
+
+Ridicule braced and exaggerated her weaknesses, and the strokes of
+sarcasm she could adroitly parry; but for persistent magnanimity she
+was no match, and recoiled before it like the traditional Fiend at
+sight of the _Santo Sudario_. Watching her companion's quiet
+countenance, she saw a shadow drift over it, betokening neither anger
+nor scorn, but serious regret; and involuntarily she drooped her head
+to avoid the eyes that now turned full upon her.
+
+"Since I became a man, and to some extent capable of discriminating
+with reference to the characters of persons with whom I found myself
+in contact, I have made and invariably observed one rule of
+conduct,--namely, never to associate with those whom I cannot
+respect. Ignorance, want of refinement, irritability of temper, and
+even lack of generous impulses, I can forgive, when redeemed by candor
+and stern honesty of purpose; but arrogance, dissimulation, and
+all-absorbing selfishness I will not tolerate. In you I hoped and
+expected better qualities than you permit me to find, and I trust you
+will acquit me of intentional rudeness if I acknowledge that you have
+painfully disappointed me. It was, and still is, my earnest wish to
+befriend and to aid you,--to contribute to your happiness, and
+cordially sympathize in any annoyances that may surround you; but thus
+far you have rendered it impossible for me to esteem you, and while I
+do not presume that my good opinion is of any importance to you, our
+present relations compel me to request that our intercourse may in
+future be characterized by more urbanity than has yet graced it. My
+sister has been much pained by the feelings with which you evidently
+regard me, and since you and I are merely guests under her roof, a due
+deference to her wishes should certainly repress the exhibition of
+antipathies towards those whom she loves. It is her earnest desire (as
+expressed in a conversation which I had with her yesterday) that I
+should treat you as a young sister; and, for her sake, I offer you
+once more, and for the last time, my hearty assistance in any
+department in which I am able to render it."
+
+"The folds of your flag of truce do not conceal the drawn sword
+beneath it; and let me tell you, sir, it is very evident that
+'demand' would far better have expressed your purpose than the
+word 'request.'"
+
+"At least you should not be surprised if I doubt whether you regard
+any truce as inviolable, and am inclined to suspect you of latent
+treachery."
+
+"Your accusation of dissimulation is unjust, for I have openly,
+fearlessly manifested my prejudice--my aversion."
+
+"That you dislike me is my misfortune, but that you allow your
+detestation to generate discord in our small circle is an error which
+I trust you will endeavor to correct. That I have many faults I shall
+not attempt to deny; but mutual forbearance will prove a mutual
+blessing. For Jane's sake, shall there not be peace between us?"
+
+Standing before her, he looked gravely down into her face, where flush
+and sparkle had died out, and saw--what she was too proud to
+confess--that he had partially conquered her waywardness, that she was
+reluctantly yielding to his influence; but he understood her nature
+too thoroughly to pause contented with this slight advantage in a
+contest which he foresaw must determine the direction of her aims
+through life.
+
+"Salome, I am waiting for your decision."
+
+Her lips stirred twice, but the words they framed were either too
+haughty or too humble, for she refused them utterance; and, while she
+deliberated, two tears settled the question by rolling swiftly over
+her cheeks, and falling upon the cherry ribbon at her throat.
+
+Accepting it as a tacit signature to his terms of capitulation, and
+satisfied with the result, Dr. Grey forbore to urge verbal assurances.
+Taking the book from her hand, he said, pleasantly,--
+
+"Are you fond of French? I frequently find you poring over your
+grammar."
+
+"I have never had a teacher, nor have I conquered the conjugations;
+consequently, I know comparatively little about the language."
+
+"Are you studying it with the intention of familiarizing yourself with
+French literature, or merely to enable you to translate the few
+phrases that modern writers sprinkle through novels and essays?"
+
+"For neither purpose, but simply because it is the court language of
+the old world; and, if I should succeed in my hope of visiting Europe,
+I might regret my ignorance of the universally received medium of
+communication."
+
+"Have you, then, no desire to master those noble bursts of eloquence
+by which Racine, Bossuet, Fenelon, and Cousin have charmed the
+intellects of all nations?"
+
+"None, whatever. I might as well tell you at once, what you will
+inevitably discover ere long if you condescend to inspect my meagre
+attainments, that for abstract study I have no more inclination than
+to fondle some mummy in the crypts of Cyrene, or play 'blind man's
+buff' with the corpses in the Morgue. My limited investments of time
+and thought in intellectual stock have been made solely with reference
+to speedy dividends of most practical and immediate benefits; and
+knowledge _per se_--knowledge which will not pay me handsome
+interest--has no more value in my eyes than a handful of the dust of
+those Atures found in the cavern of Ataruipe. Doubtless you think me
+pitiably benighted, and possibly I might find more favor in your sight
+if I affected a prodigious amount of literary enthusiasm, and
+boundless admiration for scholarship and erudition; but that would
+prove too troublesome an imposture,--for I am constitutionally,
+habitually, and premeditatedly lazy."
+
+She saw a smile lurking under his heavy lashes, and half ambushed in
+the corners of his mouth; and, vaguely conscious that she was
+rendering herself ridiculous, she bit her lip with ill-disguised
+vexation.
+
+"Salome, I am afraid that under the garb of a jest you are making me
+acquainted with a very mournful truth. You have probably never heard
+of Lessing,--Gotthold Ephraim Lessing."
+
+"Oh, I am not quite as ignorant as a Pitcairn's Islander; and I think
+I have somewhere seen that such a person as Lessing lived at
+Wolfenbuettel. He once said, 'The chase is always worth more than
+the quarry.' And again, 'Did the Almighty, holding in his right hand
+Truth, and in his left Search after Truth, deign to proffer me the
+one I might prefer,--in all humility, but without hesitation, I
+should request Search after Truth.' When you have nothing more
+important to occupy your attention, give ten minutes' reflection to
+his admonition, and perhaps it may declare a dividend years hence.
+Last week I found your algebra on the rug before the library grate,
+and noticed several sums worked out in pencil on the margin. Are
+you fond of mathematics?"
+
+"Not that I am aware of."
+
+"What progress have you made?"
+
+"My knowledge of arithmetic is barely sufficient to take me through a
+brief shopping expedition."
+
+"Have you no ambition to increase it?"
+
+"Dr. Grey, I have no ambition. That 'last infirmity of noble minds'
+has never attacked me; and, folding my hands, I chant ceaselessly to
+my soul, 'Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.' The rapture of
+the mathematician, who bows before the shrine of his favorite science,
+is to my dull intellect as incomprehensible as the jargon of
+metaphysics or the mysteries wrapped up in Pali cerements. Equations,
+conic sections, differential calculus, constitute a skull and
+cross-bones to which I allow as wide a berth as possible."
+
+The weary dissatisfied expression of her large, luminous eyes, belied
+the sneer in her voice and the curl of her thin lip, and it cost her
+an effort to answer his next question.
+
+"Will you tell me what rule you have adopted for the distribution of
+your time, and the government of your life?"
+
+"Yes, sir; you are heartily welcome to it: 'Yet a little slumber, a
+little folding of the hands to sleep.' _Laissez nous faire_. Moreover,
+Dr. Grey, if you will courteously lend me your ears, I will favor you
+with a still more felicitous exposition of my invaluable organon."
+
+Stooping suddenly, she raised from the floor a small volume which had
+been concealed by her dress, and, as it opened at a page stained with
+the juice of a purple convolvulus, she smiled defiantly, and read with
+almost scornful emphasis,--
+
+                         ... "'Ah, why
+    Should life all labor be?
+  Let us alone. Time driveth onward fast,
+    And in a little while our lips are dumb.
+  Let us alone. What is it that will last?
+    All things are taken from us, and become
+  Portions and parcels of the dreadful Past.
+    Let us alone. What pleasure can we have
+  To war with evil? Is there any peace
+    In ever climbing up the climbing wave?
+    All things have rest, and ripen towards the grave
+  In silence; ripen, fall, and cease:
+  Give us long rest or death; dark death or dreamful ease.'
+
+There, Dr. Grey, you have my creed and method,--_Laissez nous
+faire_."
+
+With a degree of gravity that trenched on sternness, he bowed, and
+answered,--
+
+"So be it. I might insist that the closing lines of 'Ulysses' nobly
+refute all the numbing heresy of the 'Lotos Eaters'--
+
+           ... 'But something ere the end,
+  Some work of noble note may yet be done.
+  That which we are, we are:
+  One equal templer of heroic hearts,
+  Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
+  To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'
+
+But I would not rouse you from a lethargy, which, knowing it to be
+fatal to all hopes of usefulness, you still deliberately prefer. Take
+care, however, lest you bury the one original talent so deep that you
+fail to unearth it when the Master demands it in the final day of
+restitution. I have questioned you concerning your studies, because I
+desired and intended to offer my services as tutor, while you
+prosecuted mathematics and the languages; but I forbear to suggest a
+course so evidently distasteful to you. Unless I completely misjudge
+your character, I fear the day is not distant, when, haunted by ghosts
+of strangled opportunities, you will realize the solemn and painful
+truth, that,--
+
+  'There is nothing a man knows, in grief or in sin,
+  _Half so bitter as to think, What I might have been_!'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+
+"Salome, you look so weary that I must insist upon relieving you. Give
+me the book and run out for a breath of fresh air--a glimpse of blue
+sky."
+
+Dr. Grey laid his hand on the volume, but the girl shook her head and
+pushed aside his fingers.
+
+"I am not at all tired, and even if I were it would make no
+difference. Miss Jane desires me to read this sermon aloud, and I
+shall finish it."
+
+The invalid, who had been confined to her bed for many days by a
+severe attack of rheumatism, partially raised herself on one elbow,
+and said,--
+
+"My dear, give him the book, while you take a little exercise. You
+have been pent up here long enough, and, moreover, I want to talk to
+Ulpian about some business matters. Don't look so sullen, my child; it
+makes no difference who reads the sermon to me. Kiss me, and run out
+on the lawn."
+
+The orphan relinquished chair and book, but there was no relaxation of
+her bent brows, and neither warmth nor lingering pressure in the firm,
+hardly drawn lips, which lightly touched the old lady's sallow,
+wrinkled cheek. When she had left the room, closing the door after her
+with more force than was requisite to bolt it securely, Miss Jane
+sighed heavily, and turned to her brother.
+
+"Poor thing! She is so jealous of you; and it distresses me to see
+that no friendship grows up between you, as I hoped and believed would
+be the case. If you would only notice her a little more I think you
+might win her over."
+
+"Leave it to time, Janet. I 'have piped unto her and she would not
+dance; I have mourned unto her, and she has not lamented,'--and
+concessions only feed her waywardness. If there be a residuum of good
+sense and proper feeling in her nature, they will assert themselves
+after a while; if not, all extraneous influences are futile. I will
+resume the reading, if agreeable to you."
+
+Moody and rebellious, Salome stood for some moments on the threshold
+of the front door, staring vacantly out over the lawn; then, snatching
+her hat from a hook in the hall, she swiftly crossed the grounds,
+climbed over a low lattice fence at the foot of the declivity, and
+followed a worn but neglected path leading into the adjoining forest.
+
+The sanctity of the Sabbath afternoon rested like a benison over the
+silent glades, where sunshine made golden roads along the smooth brown
+pine straw, and glinted on the purple flags that fluttered in the mild
+west wind. Even the melancholy plaint of sad-eyed dun doves was
+hushed, as they slowly swung in the swaying pine-tops; and two young
+lambs, neglected by the wandering flock, lay sleeping quietly, with
+their snowy heads pillowed on clustering violets,--far from the fold,
+forgotten by their mothers, at the mercy of strolling dogs, watched
+only by the Great Shepherd.
+
+Salome's rapid pace soon placed a mile between her and the fence that
+bounded the lawn; and, pushing through the dense undergrowth which
+betokened the proximity of a stream, she stood ere long on the margin
+of a wide pond which supplied the broad, shining sheet of beryl water
+that poured over the rocky dam, close to the large irregular building
+called "Grey's Mill."
+
+Piles of lumber were bleaching in the sunshine, but the machinery was
+at rest, the workmen were all absent, and not a sound broke the
+stillness, save the steady, monotonous chant of the water leaping down
+into the race, where a thousand foam-flakes danced along towards the
+huge wheels, and died on the soft green mosses and lush-creepers that
+stole down to bathe in the sparkling wavelets. The knotted roots of an
+old beech tree furnished a resting-place, and Salome sat down and
+leaned her head against the scarred trunk, where lightning had once
+girdled and partially destroyed it,--leaving one-half the branches
+leafy, the remainder scorched and barren.
+
+Overhanging willows darkened the edges of the pond; and, in the
+centre, one tall, venerable cypress, lonely as some palm in the
+desert, rose like a gray shaft tufted with a fine fringe of fresh
+green; and occasional clusters of broad, shining leaves, spread
+themselves on the surface of the water, cradling large, snowy lilies,
+whose gold-powdered stamens trembled ceaselessly. Now and then a trout
+leaped up, as if for a breath of May air, and fell back into the
+circle that widened until it touched either bank; and not far from a
+cow who stood knee-deep in water, browsing on a wild rose that
+clambered over the willows to peep at its pink image in the pond, a
+proud pair of gray geese convoyed a brood of yellow younglings that
+dived and breasted the ripples with evident glee.
+
+With her arms clasped around her knees, Salome sat watching the blue
+tendrils of smoke that rose from a clump of elms beyond the mill and
+curled lazily upward until they lost themselves in air; and, though
+the arching elm boughs hid mossy roof and chimney, she nevertheless
+felt that she was looking on the old house where she was born, and
+where ten dreary years of sorrow and humiliation had embittered and
+perverted her nature.
+
+Those elms had seen her mother die, had heard her father's drunken
+revelry, and bent their aged heads to listen on that wild wintry
+night, when in blood-curdling curses his soul rent itself from the
+degraded tenement of clay. Apparently peace brooded over earth, sky,
+and water; but to that lonely figure under the riven beech, every
+object within the range of vision babbled horrible tales of the early
+years, and memory pointed to a corner of the lumber-shed adjoining the
+mill where she had often secreted herself to avoid her father's
+brutality,--always keeping her head in the moonshine, because she
+dreaded the darkness inside, which childish fancy filled with ghostly
+groups. She hated the place as she hated the past, and this was the
+second time she had visited it since the day that consigned her to the
+poor-house; for it was impossible for her to look at the pond without
+recollecting one dark passage in her life, known only to God and
+herself. To-day she recalled, with startling vividness a dusky,
+starlit June evening, when, maddened by an unmerited and unusually
+severe punishment inflicted by her father, she had resolved to drown
+herself, and find peace in the mud at the bottom of the mill-pond.
+Placing her infant sister on the grass, she had kissed her good-by,
+and selecting the deepest portion of the water, had climbed out on a
+willow branch and prepared for the final plunge. Putting her fingers
+in her ears that she might not hear the bubbling of the murderous
+water, she shut her eyes and sprang into the pond; but her long hair
+caught the willow twigs, and, half strangled and quite willing to
+live, she scrambled up into the low limbs that seemed so anxious to
+rescue her from a watery grave; and, dripping and trembling, crept
+back to the house, comforting herself with the grim assurance that
+whatever else might befall, she certainly was not foreordained to be
+either beaten to death or drowned. The impulse which had brought her
+on this occasion to a scene so fraught with harrowing memories, was
+explicable only by the supposition that its painful surroundings were
+in consonance with the bitter and despondent mood in which she found
+herself; and, in the gloom that this retrospection shed over her
+countenance, her features seemed to grow wan and angular. For several
+days she had been sorely disquieted by the realization of Miss Jane's
+rapidly failing strength; and the probability of her death, which a
+year ago would have been entirely endurable as an avenue to wealth,
+now appeared the direst catastrophe that had yet threatened her
+ill-starred life.
+
+It was distressing to think of the kind old face growing stiff in a
+shroud, but infinitely more appalling to contemplate the possibility
+of being turned out of a comfortable home and driven to labor for a
+maintenance. Salome had a vague impression that either Providence or
+the world owed her a luxurious future, as partial compensation for her
+juvenile miseries; but since both seemed disposed to repudiate the
+debt, she was reluctantly compelled to ponder her prospective
+bankruptcy in worldly goods, and, like the unjust steward, while
+unwilling to work she was still ashamed to beg.
+
+Although she strenuously resisted the strong, steady influence so
+quietly exerted by Dr. Grey, the best elements of her nature, long
+dormant, began to stir feebly, and she was conscious of nobler
+aspirations than those which had hitherto swayed her; and of a
+dimly-defined self-dissatisfaction that was novel and annoying.
+Unwilling to admit that she valued his good opinion, she nevertheless
+felt chagrined at her failure to possess it, and gradually she
+realized her utter inferiority to this man, whose consistent Christian
+character commanded an entire respect which she had never before
+entertained for any human being. Immersed in vexing thoughts
+concerning her future, she mechanically stretched out her hand to
+pluck a bunch of phlox and of lemon-hued primroses that were nodding
+in the sunshine close to her feet; but, as she touched the stems, a
+large copper-colored snake slowly uncoiled from the tuft of grass
+where they nestled and, gliding into the water, disappeared in the
+midst of the lilies.
+
+"I wonder if throughout life all the flowers I endeavor to grasp will
+prove only Moccasin-beds! Why should they,--unless God abdicates and
+Satan reigns? I have found, to my cost, that existence is not made
+entirely of rainless June days; but I doubt whether darkness and
+storms shut out the warm glow and perpetually curtain the stars.
+Obviously I am no saint; still, I am disposed to believe I am not
+altogether wicked. I have committed no capital sins, nor grievously
+transgressed the decalogue,--and why should I despair of my share of
+the good things of life? I am neither Cain nor Jezebel, and therefore
+Fates and Furies have no warrant to dog my footsteps. Moreover, how do
+I know that Destiny is indeed the hideous, vindictive crone that
+luckless wretches have painted her, instead of an amiable, good soul,
+who is quite as willing to scatter blessings as curses? Because some
+dyspeptic Greek dreamed of three pitiless old weavers, blind to human
+tears, deaf to human petitions, why should we wise and enlightened
+people of the nineteenth century scare ourselves with the skeleton of
+Paganism? I have as inalienable a right to brocades, crown-jewels, and
+a string of titles, as any reigning queen, provided I can only get my
+hands upon them; and, since life seems to be a sort of snatch-and-hold
+game, quick keen eyes and nimble fingers decide the question. I have
+never trodden on the world's tender toes, nor smitten its pet follies,
+nor set myself aloft to gaze pityingly on its degradation, therefore,
+the world honors me with no special grudge. But one thing is
+mournfully certain,--my path is not strewn with loaves and fishes
+ready baked and broiled, and I must even go gleaning and fishing for
+myself. Almost everybody has some gift or some mission; but I really
+do not see in what direction I can set to work. Work! How I hate the
+bare thought! I have not sufficient education to teach, nor genius to
+write, nor a talent for drawing, and barely music enough in my soul to
+enable me to carry the church tunes respectably. Come, Salome Owen!
+Shake off your sloth, and face the abominable fact that you must earn
+your own bread. It is a great shame, and I ought not to be obliged to
+work, for I am not responsible for my existence, and those who brought
+me into the world owed it to me to provide for my wants. I cannot and
+will not forgive my father and mother; but that will not mend matters,
+since, nevertheless, here I am, with a body to feed and clothe, and
+God only knows how I am to accomplish it. I find myself with youth,
+health, some beauty, an average share of intellect, and all the wants
+pertaining thereunto. If the worst comes to the worst I suppose I can
+contrive, like other poverty-stricken girls, to marry somebody who
+will support me comfortably; but that is rather an uncertain
+speculation, and meantime Miss Jane might die. Now, if the Bible is
+true, it must indeed be a blessed lot to be born a brown sparrow, and
+have the Lord for a commissary. I am a genuine child of old Adam, and
+labor is the heaviest curse that could possibly be sent upon me."
+
+Once or twice during this profitless reverie she had paused to listen
+to a singular sound that came from a dense group of willows not far
+from the spot where she sat, and now it grew louder, swelling into a
+measured cry, as of a child in great distress.
+
+"Somebody in trouble, but it does not concern me; I have enough and to
+spare, of my own."
+
+She settled herself once more quite comfortably, but the low,
+monotonous wail, smote her heart, and womanly sympathy with suffering
+strangled her constitutional selfishness. Rising, she crept cautiously
+along the edge of the pond until she reached the thicket whence the
+sound proceeded, and, as she pushed aside the low branches and peeped
+into the cool, green nook, her eyes fell upon the figure of a little
+boy who lay on the ground, rolling from side to side and sobbing
+violently.
+
+"What is the matter? Are you sick or hungry?"
+
+Startled by the sound of her voice, the child uttered a scream of
+terror, and whirled over, hiding his face in the leaves and grass.
+
+"For Heaven's sake, stop howling! What are you about,--wallowing here
+in the mud, ruining your clothes, and yelling like a hyena? Hush, and
+get up."
+
+"Oh, please, ma'am, don't tell on me! Don't carry me back, and I will
+hush!"
+
+"Where do you live?"
+
+"Nowhere. Oh!--oh!" And he renewed his cries.
+
+"A probable story. What is your name?"
+
+"Haven't got any name."
+
+"You have no name, and you live nowhere? Come, little fellow, this
+will never do. I am afraid you are a very bad boy and have run away
+from home to escape being punished. Hush this instant!"
+
+He had kept his face carefully concealed, and, resolved to ascertain
+the truth, Salome stooped and tried to lift him; but he struggled
+desperately, and screamed frantically,--
+
+"Let me alone! I won't go back! I will jump into the pond and drown
+myself if you don't let me alone."
+
+He was so hoarse from constant crying that she could recognize no
+familiar tones in his voice, but a great dread seized her, and,
+suddenly putting her hands under his head, she forced the face up, and
+looked at the flushed, swollen features.
+
+"Stanley! Is it possible? My poor little brother!"
+
+The equally astonished boy started up, and stared half wistfully, half
+fearfully, at the figure standing before him.
+
+"Is it you, Salome? I did not know you."
+
+"How came you here? When did you leave the Asylum?"
+
+"I ran away, three days ago."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Because I was tired of living there, and I wanted to come back
+home."
+
+"Home, indeed! You miserable begger, don't you know you have no home
+but the Orphan Asylum?"
+
+"Yes, I have. I want to come back yonder. Don't you see home yonder,
+among the trees, with the pretty white and speckled pigeons flying
+over it?"
+
+He pointed across the pond to the old house beyond the mill, whose
+outlines were visible through the openings in the elms; and, as he
+gazed upon it with that intense longing so touching in a child's face,
+his sobs increased.
+
+"Stanley, that is not your home now. Other people live there, and you
+have no right to come back. Why did you run away from the Asylum? Did
+they treat you unkindly?"
+
+"No,--yes. They whipped me because I cried and said I hated to stay
+there, and wanted to come home."
+
+Salome looked at the soiled, torn clothes, and sorrowful face; and,
+bursting into tears, she bent forward and drew her brother to her
+bosom. He put his arms around her neck, and kissed her cheek several
+times, saying, softly and coaxingly,--
+
+"Sister Salome, you won't send me back, will you? Please let me stay
+with you, and I will be a good boy."
+
+For some minutes she was unable to reply, and wept silently as she
+smoothed the tangled hair back from the child's white forehead and
+pressed her lips to it.
+
+"Stanley, how is Jessie? Where did you leave her?"
+
+"She is well, and I left her at the Asylum. She had a long cry the
+night I ran away, and said she wanted to see you, and she thought you
+had forgotten us both. You know, Salome, it is over a year since you
+came to see us, and Jessie and I are so lonesome there, we hate the
+place."
+
+"What were you crying so bitterly about when I found you, just now?"
+
+"I am so hungry, and the man who lives yonder at home drove me away.
+He said I was prowling around to steal something, and if he saw me
+there any more he would shoot me. I ate my last piece of biscuit
+yesterday."
+
+"Why did you not come to me instead of the miller?"
+
+"I was afraid you would send me back to the Asylum; but you won't,--I
+know you won't, Salome."
+
+"Suppose I had not happened to hear you crying,--what would have
+become of you? Did you intend to starve here in the swamp?"
+
+"I thought I would wait till the miller left home, and then beg his
+wife to give me some bread, and, if I could get nothing, I was going
+to pull up some carrots that I saw growing in a field back of the
+house. Oh, Salome, I am so hungry and so tired!"
+
+She sat down on a heap of last year's leaves, which autumn winds and
+winter rains had driven against the trunk of a decayed and fallen
+sweet-gum, and, drawing the weary head with its shock of matted yellow
+curls to her lap, she covered her own face with her hands to hide the
+hot tears that streamed over her cheeks.
+
+"Salome, are you very mad with me?"
+
+"Yes, Stanley; you have behaved very badly, and I don't know what I
+ought to do with you."
+
+He tried to put aside one of her shielding hands, and failing, wound
+his arms around her waist, and nestled as close as possible.
+
+"Sister, please let me stay and live with you, and I promise--I
+declare--I will be a good boy."
+
+"Poor little fellow! You don't in the least know what you are talking
+about. How can you live with me when I have no home, and not a
+dollar?"
+
+"I thought you stayed with a rich lady, and had everything nice that
+you wanted."
+
+"I do not expect to have even a shelter much longer. The lady who
+takes care of me is sick, and cannot live very long; and, when she
+dies, I don't know where I shall go or what I may be obliged to do."
+
+"If you will only keep me I will help you work. At the Asylum I saw
+wood, and pick peas, and pull out grass and weeds from the strawberry
+vines, and sometimes I sweep the yards. Just try me a little while,
+Salome, and see how smart I can be."
+
+"Would you be willing to leave poor little Jessie at the Asylum? If
+she felt so lonesome when you were there, how will she get along
+without you?"
+
+"Oh, we could steal her out some night, and keep her with us. Salome,
+I tell you I don't mean to go back there. I will die first. I will
+drown myself, or run away to sea. I would rather starve to death here
+in the swamp. Everybody else can get a home, and why can't we?"
+
+"Because your father was a drunkard, and left his children to the
+charity of the poor-house; and, God knows, I heartily wish we were all
+screwed down in the same coffin with him. You and I, Jessie, and Mark,
+and Joel are all beggars--miserable beggars! Hush, Stanley, you will
+sob yourself into a fever! Stop crying, I say, if you do not want to
+drive me crazy! I thought I had trouble enough, without being
+tormented by the sight of your poor, wretched face; and now, what to
+do with you I am sure I don't know. There--do be quiet. Take your arms
+away; I don't want you to kiss me any more."
+
+In the long silence that succeeded, the child, spent with grief and
+fatigue, fell into a sound sleep, and Salome sat with his head in her
+lap and her clasped hands resting on her knee.
+
+The afternoon slowly wore away, and the dimpled pond caught
+lengthening shadows on its surface as the sun dipped into the forest.
+The measured tinkle of a distant bell told that the cows were wending
+quietly homeward; and, while the miller's wife drove her geese into
+the yard, the pigeons nestled in their leafy coverts high among the
+elm arches, and the solemn serenity of coming summer night stole with
+velvet tread over the scene, silencing all things save the silvery
+barcarolle of the falling water, and the sweet, lonely vesper hymn of
+a whippoorwill, half hidden in the solitary cypress.
+
+Although tears came very rarely to her eyes, the orphan had wept
+bitterly, and, surprised at finding herself so completely unnerved on
+this occasion, she made a powerful effort to regain her composure and
+usual stolidity of expression. Shaking the little sleeper, she
+said,--
+
+"Wake up, Stanley. Get your hat and come with me, at least for
+to-night."
+
+The child was too weary to renew the conversation, and, hand in hand,
+the two walked silently on until they approached the confines of the
+farm, when Salome suddenly paused at sight of Dr. Grey, who was
+crossing the pine forest just in front of them. Pressing his sister's
+hand, Stanley looked up and asked, timidly,--
+
+"What are you going to do with me?"
+
+"Hush! I have not fully decided."
+
+She endeavored to elude observation by standing close to the body of a
+large pine, but Dr. Grey caught a glimpse of her fluttering dress,
+and came forward rapidly, carrying in his arms one young lamb and
+driving another before him.
+
+"Salome, will you be so good as to assist me in shepherding this
+obstinate little waif? It has been running hither and thither for
+nearly half an hour, taking every direction but the right one. If you
+will either walk on and lower the bars for me or drive this lamb while
+I go forward, you will greatly oblige me. Pardon me,--you look
+distressed. Something painful has occurred, I fear."
+
+The girl's usually firm mouth trembled as she laid her hand on the
+torn straw hat that shaded Stanley's features, and answered,
+hurriedly,--
+
+"Yes. We have both stumbled upon stray lambs; but mine, unfortunately,
+happens to prove my youngest brother, and, since I am neither Reuben
+nor Judah, I could not leave him in the woods to perish. Stanley, run
+on and pull down the bars yonder, where you see the sheep looking
+through the fence."
+
+"How old is he?"
+
+"About eight years, I believe, but he is small for his age."
+
+"He does not in the least resemble you."
+
+"No; pitiable little wretch, he looks like nothing but destitution!
+When a poor man dies, leaving a houseful of beggarly orphans, the
+State ought to require the undertaker who buries him to shoot or hang
+the whole brood, and lay them all in the Potter's Field out of the
+world's way."
+
+"Such words and sentiments are strangely at variance with the
+affectionate gentleness and resignation which best become womanly
+lips, and I pity the keen suffering that wrings them from yours. He
+who 'setteth the solitary in families' never yet failed in loving
+guardianship of trusting orphanage, and certainly you have no cause to
+upbraid fate, or impiously murmur against the decrees of your God."
+
+He stood before her, with one hand stroking the head of the lamb that
+nestled on his bosom; but his face was sterner, his voice far more
+severe, than she had ever known either before, and her eyes fell
+beneath the grave and sorrowful rebuke which looked out from his.
+
+"Your brother ran away from the Asylum, three days ago."
+
+"How did you ascertain that fact?"
+
+"About an hour after you left the house, the matron of the Asylum sent
+to inquire whether you were aware of his absence, and to notify you
+that your little sister Jessie is quite ill. I was searching for you,
+when I accidentally found these lambs, deserted by their mother. Thank
+you, Stanley; I will put up the bars, and you can go to the house with
+your sister. Salome, the carriage is ready, and if you desire to see
+Jessie immediately I will take you over as soon as possible. There is
+a full moon, and you can return with me or remain at the Asylum until
+morning. Confer with my sister concerning the disposal of this little
+refugee."
+
+He patted the boy's head, and entered the sheepfold, while Salome
+stood leaning against the fence, looking vacantly down at the bleating
+flock.
+
+Catching her brother's hand, she hurried to the house, bathed his
+face, brushed his disordered hair, and gave him a bountiful supper of
+bread and milk; after which, Jane Grey ordered the little culprit
+brought to her bedside, where she delivered a kind lecture on his
+sinful disobedience. When Dr. Grey entered the room, Salome was
+standing at the window, while Stanley clung to her dress, hiding his
+face in its folds, vowing vehemently that he would not return to the
+Asylum, and protesting with many sobs that he would be the best boy in
+the world if he were only allowed to remain at the farm.
+
+"Salome, do quiet him; he will fret himself into a fever," said Miss
+Jane, whose nerves began to quiver painfully.
+
+"He has it already," answered the girl, without turning her head. She
+did not observe Dr. Grey's entrance, and when he approached the
+window, where the mellow moonshine streamed full on her face, he saw
+tears stealing over her cheeks, and noticed that her fingers were
+clenched tightly.
+
+"Salome, do you wish to see Jessie to-night? She has had convulsions
+during the day, and may not live until morning."
+
+She looked up at his grave, noble countenance, and her lips fluttered
+as she answered, huskily,--
+
+"I can do nothing for her, and why should I see her die?"
+
+"To whose care was she committed by her dying mother?"
+
+"To mine."
+
+"Have you faithfully kept the sacred trust?"
+
+"I did all that I could until Miss Jane placed her in the asylum."
+
+"Does your conscience acquit you?"
+
+She silently dropped her face in her hands, and for some seconds he
+watched her anxiously.
+
+"Have you and Janet decided what shall be done with Stanley?"
+
+"No; the longer I ponder the matter, the more confused my mind
+becomes."
+
+"Will you leave it in my hands, and abide by my decision?"
+
+"Yes, gladly."
+
+"You promise to be satisfied with any course upon which I may
+resolve?"
+
+Looking up quickly, she exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, yes; I trust you, fully. Do what you think best."
+
+Dr. Grey put his hand under Stanley's chin, and, lifting his face,
+examined his countenance and felt his pulse.
+
+"He is only frightened and fatigued. Put him to bed at once in your
+room, and then let me take you to see little Jessie. If you fail to
+go, you might reproach yourself in coming years."
+
+It was nine o'clock when the carriage stopped at the door of the
+Asylum, and Salome and Dr. Grey went up to the "Infirmary," where the
+faithful matron sat beside one of the little beds, watching the deep
+slumber of the flushed and exhausted sleeper.
+
+The disease had almost spent its force, the crisis was passed, and the
+attending physician had pronounced the patient much better; still,
+when Salome stooped to kiss her sister, the matron held her back,
+assuring her that perfect quiet was essential for her recovery.
+Kneeling there beside the motherless girl, Salome noted the changes
+that time and suffering had wrought on the delicate features; and, as
+she listened to the quick, irregular breathing, the fountain of
+tenderness was suddenly unsealed in her own nature, and she put out
+her arms, yearning to clasp Jessie to her heart. So strong were her
+emotions, so keen was her regret for past indifference and neglect,
+that she lost all self-control, and, unable to check her passionate
+weeping, Dr. Grey led her from the room, promising to bring her again
+when the sick child was sufficiently strong to bear the interview.
+
+During the ride homeward he made no effort to divert her thoughts or
+relieve her anxiety, knowing that although severe it was a healthful
+regimen for her long indurated heart, and was the _renaissance_ of her
+better nature.
+
+When they arrived at home, the moon was shining bright and full, and,
+as they waited on the gallery for a servant to open the door, Dr. Grey
+drew most favorable auguries from the chastened, blanched face, with
+its humbled and grieved expression.
+
+"Salome, I shall for the present keep Stanley here; and, until I can
+make some satisfactory arrangement with reference to his education, I
+would be glad to have you hear his recitations every day. Have you the
+requisite leisure to superintend his lessons?"
+
+"Yes, sir. I have not deserved this kindness from you, Dr. Grey; but I
+thank you, from my inmost heart. You are good enough to forgive my
+many offences, and I shall not soon forget it."
+
+"Salome, you owe me no gratitude, but there is much for which you
+should go down on your knees and fervently thank your merciful God. My
+young friend, will you do this?"
+
+He extended his hand, and, unable to utter a word, Salome gave him
+hers, for a second only, and hastened to her own room, where Stanley's
+fair face lay in the golden moonlight, radiant with happy dreams of
+white pigeons and pet lambs.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+
+"Don't strangle me, Jessie! Put down your arms, and listen to me.
+Sobbing will not mend matters, and you might as well make up your mind
+to be patient. Of course I should like to take you with me, if I had
+a home; but, as I told you just now, we are so poor that we must live
+where we can, not where we prefer. Because I wear nice pretty clothes
+do you suppose I have a pocketful of money? I have not a cent to buy
+even a loaf of bread, and I can't ask Miss Jane to take care of you as
+well as of Stanley and myself. Poor little thing, don't cry so! I know
+you are lonely here without Stanley, but it can't be helped. Jessie,
+don't you see that it can not be helped?"
+
+"I don't eat so very much, and I could sleep with Buddie and wouldn't
+be in the way,--and I can wear my old clothes. Oh, please, Salome! I
+will die if you leave me here."
+
+"You will do no such thing; you are getting well as fast as possible.
+Crying never kills people,--it only makes their heads ache, and their
+eyes red and ugly. See here, if you don't stop all this, I shall quit
+coming to see you! Do you hear what I say?"
+
+The only reply was a fresh sob, which the child strove to smother by
+hiding her face in Salome's lap.
+
+The matron, who sat by the open window, looked up from the button-hole
+she was working, and, clearing her throat, said,--
+
+"Better let her have her cry out,--that is the surest cure for such
+troubles as hers. She was always manageable and good enough until
+Stanley ran away, and since then she does nothing but mope and bite
+her finger-nails. Cry away, Jessie, and have done with it. Ah, miss,
+the saddest feature about Asylums is the separation of families;
+and if the matron had a heart of stone it would melt sometimes at
+sight of these little motherless things clinging to each other. I'm
+sure I have shed a gallon of tears since I came here. It is a
+fearful responsibility to take charge of an institution like this,
+for if I try to make the children respect my authority, and behave
+themselves properly, outsiders 'specially the neighbors, says I am
+too severe; and if I let them frolic and romp and make as much din
+and uproar as they like, why, then the same folks scandalize me
+and the managers, and say there is no sort of discipline maintained.
+I verily believe, miss, that if an angel came down from heaven to
+matronize these children, before six months elapsed all the
+godliness would be worried out of her soul by the slanders of the
+public and the squabbles of the children. Now I don't confess to be
+an angel, but I do claim a conscience, and God knows I make it a
+rule to treat these orphans exactly as I treated my own and only
+child, whom I buried three years ago. Do you suppose that any woman
+who has laid her first-born in its coffin could be brutal enough to
+maltreat poor little motherless lambs? I don't deny that sometimes I
+am compelled to punish them, for it is as much my duty to whip them
+for bad conduct as to see that their meals are properly cooked and
+their clothes kept in order. Am I to let them grow up thieves and
+liars? Must I stand by and see them pull out each other's hair and
+bite off one another's ears?"
+
+"Of course not, Mrs. Collins. You must preserve some discipline."
+
+"Must I? Well, miss, I will show you how beautifully that sounds and
+how poorly it works. There is your brother Stanley (I mean no offence,
+miss, but special cases explain better than generalities),--there's
+your brother Stanley, who ran away--for what?"
+
+"Because he was homesick and wanted to see me."
+
+"No such thing, begging your pardon. Perhaps he told you that, but
+remember there are always two sides to every tale. The truth of the
+matter is just this: Stanley has an ugly habit of cursing, which I
+will not tolerate; and, twice when I heard him swearing at the other
+children, I shamed him well and slapped him soundly. Last week I told
+him and Joe Clark to shell a basket of peas, while the cook was making
+some ginger-bread for them, and before I was out of the room they
+commenced quarrelling. They raised such an uproar that I came back and
+saw the whole fray. Stanley cursed Joe, who expostulated and tried to
+pacify him, and when he finally threatened to tell me that Stanley was
+cursing again, your brother snatched a hatchet that was lying on the
+dresser and swore he would kill him if he did. He aimed a blow at
+Joe's head, but slipped on the pea-hulls, and the hatchet struck the
+boy's right foot, cutting off one of his toes. Now what would you have
+done, under the circumstances,--allowed the children to be tomahawked
+in that style? You say I must have discipline. Well, miss, I tried to
+'discipline' Stanley's wickedness out of him by giving him a whipping,
+and the end of the matter was that he ran away that afternoon. That is
+not the worst of it,--for the children all know the facts, and since
+they find that Stanley Owen can run away and be sustained in his
+disobedience, of course it tends to demoralize them. So I say that if
+I do my duty I am lashed by the tongues of people who know nothing of
+the circumstances; and if I fail to perform my duty I am lashed by my
+own conscience,--and between the two I have a sorrowful time; for I
+declare to you, miss, that Stephen's martyrdom was a small affair in
+comparison with what I pass through every week. I love the children
+and try to be kind to them, but I can't have them cursing and swearing
+like sailors, and scalping each other. I must either raise them like
+Christians, or resign my situation to some one who is 'wise as
+serpents and harmless as doves.' It is all very fine to talk of
+'proper discipline' in charitable institutions; but, miss, in the name
+of common sense, how can I get along unless the friends of the
+children sustain me? Did you punish Stanley, and send him back? On the
+contrary, you countenanced his bad conduct and kept him with you, and
+it is perfectly natural that little Jessie here should be dissatisfied
+and anxious to join him. I can't scold her, for I know she misses her
+brother, who was always very tender and considerate in his treatment
+of her."
+
+"I appreciate the difficulties which surround you, and believe that
+you are conscientiously striving to do your duty towards these
+children; but I knew that if I compelled Stanley to return it would
+augment instead of correcting the mischief."
+
+At this juncture the matron was summoned from the room, and, during
+the silence that ensued, Jessie climbed into her sister's lap, wound
+her thin arms around her neck, and softly rubbed her pale cheek
+against the polished rosy face, where perplexity and annoyance were
+legibly written.
+
+"Salome, don't you love me a little?"
+
+"Of course I do; Jessie, don't be so foolish."
+
+"Please let me go with you and Stanley."
+
+"Do you want to starve,--you poor silly thing?"
+
+"Yes; I would rather starve with Buddie than stay here by myself."
+
+"I want to hear no more of such nonsense. You have not tried starving,
+and you are too young to know what is really for your good. Now,
+listen to me. At present I am obliged to leave you here,--come, don't
+begin crying again; but, if you will be a good girl and try not to
+fret over what cannot be helped, I promise you that just as soon as I
+can possibly support you I will take you to live with me."
+
+"How long must I wait?"
+
+"Until I make money enough to feed and clothe you."
+
+"Can't you guess when you can come for me?"
+
+"No, for as yet I know not how I can earn a dollar; but, if you will
+be patient, I promise to work hard for you and Stanley."
+
+"I will be good. Salome, I have saved a quarter of a dollar that the
+doctor gave me when I was sick,--because I let the blister stay on my
+side a half hour longer; and I thought I would send it to Buddie, to
+buy him some marbles or a kite; but I reckon I had better give it to
+you to help us get a house."
+
+She drew from her pocket a green calico bag, and, emptying the
+contents into her hand, picked out from among brass buttons and bits
+of broken glass a silver coin, which she held up triumphantly.
+
+"No, Jessie,--keep it. Stanley has plenty of playthings, and you may
+need it. Besides, your quarter would not go far, and I don't want it.
+Good-bye, little darling. Try to give Mrs. Collins no trouble, and
+recollect that when I promise you anything I shall be sure to keep my
+word."
+
+Salome drew the child's head to her shoulder, and, as she bent over
+and kissed the sweet, pure lips, Jessie whispered, "When we say our
+prayers to-night, we will ask God to send us some money to buy a home,
+won't we? You know he made the birds feed Elijah."
+
+"But we are not prophets, and ravens are not flying about with bags of
+money under their wings."
+
+"We do not know what God can do, and if we are only good, He is as
+much bound to take care of us as of Elijah. He made the sky rain manna
+and partridges for the starving people in the desert, and He is as
+much our God as if we came out from Egypt under Moses. I know God will
+help us, if we ask Him. I am sure of it; for last week I lost Mrs.
+Collins' bunch of keys, and, when I could not find them anywhere, I
+prayed to God to help me, and, sure enough, I remembered I left them
+in the dairy where I was churning."
+
+Jessie's countenance was radiant with hope and faith, which her sister
+could not share, yet felt unwilling to destroy; and, checking the
+heavy sigh that rose from her oppressed heart, she hastily quitted the
+house.
+
+In the midst of confused and perturbed reflections, rose like some
+lonely rock-based beacon in boiling waves her sacred promise to the
+trusting child, and ingenuity was racked to devise some means for its
+prompt fulfilment. Consanguinity began to urge its claim vehemently,
+and long dormant tenderness pleaded piteously for exiled idols.
+
+"If I were only a Christian, like Dr. Grey! His faith, like strong
+wings, bears him high above all sloughs of despond, all morasses of
+moodiness. People cannot successfully or profitably serve two masters.
+That is eminently true; not because it is scriptural, but _vice
+versa_; because it is so obviously true it could not escape a place in
+the Bible. Half work pays poor wages, and it is not surprising that
+neither God nor Mammon will patiently submit to it. I suppose the time
+has come when I must bargain myself to one or the other; for,
+hitherto, I have declared in favor of neither. I am not altogether
+sanctified, nor yet desperately wicked, but I hate Satan, who ruined
+my father, infinitely more than I dislike the restrictions of
+religion. I owe him a grudge for all the shame and suffering of my
+childhood,--which, if God did not interfere to prevent, at least there
+is strong presumptive evidence that he took no pleasure in witnessing.
+I don't suppose I have any faith; I scarcely know what it means; but
+perhaps if I try to serve God instead of myself, it will come to me
+as it came to Paul and Thomas. I wonder whether mere abstract love of
+righteousness and of the Lord drives half as many persons into
+Christian churches as the fear of eternal perdition. I don't deny that
+I am afraid of Satan, for if he contrives to smuggle so much sin and
+sorrow into this world what must his own kingdom be? If there be any
+truth in the tradition that every human being is afflicted by some
+besetting sin that crouches at the door of the soul, lying in ambush
+to destroy it, then my own 'Dweller of the Threshold,' is love of mine
+ease. Time was when I would have bartered my eternal heritage for a
+good-sized mess of earthly pottage, provided only it was well spiced
+and garnished; but to-day I have no inclination to be swindled like
+Esau. Idleness has well-nigh ruined me, so I shall take industry by
+the horns, and laying thereon all my sins of indolence, drive it
+before me as the Jews drove Apopompoeus."
+
+She walked on in the direction of the town, turning her head neither
+to right nor left, and keeping her eyes fixed on the blue air before
+her, where imagination built a home, through whose spacious halls
+Stanley and Jessie sported at will. On the principal street stood a
+fashionable dress-making and millinery establishment, and thither
+Salome bent her steps, resolved that the sun should not set without
+having witnessed some effort to redeem the pledge given to Jessie.
+
+Panoplied in Miss Jane's patronage, she demanded and obtained
+admission to the inner apartment of this Temple of Fashion, where
+presided the Pythoness whose oracular utterances swayed _le beau
+monde_.
+
+What passed between the two never transpired, even among the
+apprentices that thronged the adjoining room; but when Salome left the
+house she carried under her arm a large bundle which furnished work
+for the ensuing fortnight.
+
+Evening shadows overtook her, while yet a mile distant from home, and
+as she passed a small cottage, where candle-light flared through the
+open window, she saw Dr. Grey standing beside the bed, on which,
+doubtless, lay some sufferer.
+
+Ere many moments had elapsed, she heard his well-known footstep on
+the rocky road, and involuntarily paused to greet him.
+
+"What called you to old Mrs. Peterson's?"
+
+"Her youngest grandchild is very ill with brain fever; so ill that I
+shall return and sit up with him to-night."
+
+"I was not aware that physicians condescended to act as mere
+nurses,--to execute their own orders."
+
+"Then I fear you have formed a very low estimate of the sacred
+responsibilities of my profession, or of the characters of those who
+represent it. The true physician combines the offices of surgeon,
+doctor, nurse, and friend."
+
+"Mrs. Peterson is almost destitute, and to a great extent dependent on
+charity; consequently you need not expect to collect any fee."
+
+"Knowing her poverty, I attend the family gratuitously."
+
+"Is not your charity-list a very long one?"
+
+"Could I divest myself of sympathy with the sufferings of those who
+compose it I would not curtail it one iota; for I feel like Boerhaave,
+who once said, 'My poor are my best patients; God pays for them.'"
+
+"Then, after all, you are actuated merely by selfishness, and remit
+payments in earthly dross,--in 'filthy lucre,'--in order to collect
+your fees in a better currency, where thieves do not break through nor
+steal?"
+
+"'He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker; but he that
+honoreth Him, hath mercy on the poor.' If a tinge of selfishness
+mingle with the hope of future reward, it will be forgiven, I trust,
+by the great Physician, who, in sublimating human nature, seized upon
+its selfish elements as powerful agencies in the regeneration of
+mankind. An abstract worship of virtue is scarcely possible while
+humanity is clothed with clay, and I am not unwilling to confess that
+hope of eternal compensation influences my conduct in many respects.
+If this be indeed only subtle selfishness, at least we shall be
+pardoned by Him who promised to prepare a place in the Father's
+mansion for those who follow His footsteps among the poor."
+
+She looked up at him, with a puzzled, searching expression, that
+arrested his attention, and exclaimed,--
+
+"How singularly honest you are! I believe I could have faith if there
+were more like you."
+
+"Faith in what?"
+
+"In the nobility of my race,--in the possibility of my own
+improvement,--in the watchful providence of God."
+
+"Salome, there is much sound philosophy in the eighty-seventh and
+eighty-ninth maxims of cynical Rochefoucauld, 'It is more disgraceful to
+distrust one's friends than to be deceived by them. Our mistrust
+justifies the deceit of others.' My opportunities have been favorable
+for studying various classes of men, and my own experience corroborates
+the truth of Montaigne's sagacious remark, 'Confidence in another
+man's virtue is no slight evidence of a man's own.' Try to cultivate
+trust in your fellow creatures, and the bare show of faith will
+sometimes create worth."
+
+"Did Christ's show of confidence in Judas save him from betrayal?"
+
+"Let us hope that he was the prototype of a very limited class. You
+must not expect to find mankind divided into two great castes--one all
+angels, the other comprising hopeless demons. On the contrary, noble
+and most ignoble impulses alternately sway the actions and thoughts of
+the majority of our race; and the saint of to-day is not unfrequently
+tempted to become the fiend of to-morrow. Remember that the conflict
+with sinful promptings begins in the cradle--ends only in the
+coffin,--and try to be more charitable in your judgments."
+
+They walked a few yards in silence, and at length Salome asked,--
+
+"Were you not kept up all of last night?"
+
+"Yes; I was obliged to ride fifteen miles to set a dislocated
+shoulder."
+
+"Then you must be exhausted from fatigue, and unfit for watching
+to-night. Will you not allow me to relieve you, and take charge of
+Mrs. Peterson's grandchild? I admit I am very ignorant; but I will
+faithfully follow your directions, and I think you may venture to
+trust me."
+
+Confusion flushed her face as she made this proposition, but in the
+pale, pearly lustre of the summer starlight, it was not visible.
+
+"Thank you heartily, Salome. I could implicitly trust your intentions,
+but the case is almost hopeless, and I fear you are too inexperienced
+to render it safe for me to commit the child to your care. I
+appreciate your kindness, but am too much interested in the boy to
+leave him when the disease is at its crisis, and a cup of coffee will
+strengthen me for the vigil. You have been to the Asylum this
+afternoon; tell me something about little Jessie."
+
+"She is still rather pale, but otherwise seems quite well again. Of
+course she is dissatisfied since Stanley has left, and thinks she
+ought to be allowed to follow his example; but I finally persuaded her
+to remain there patiently, at least for the present. It is well that
+the poor have their sensibilities blunted early in life, for they are
+spared many sorrows that afflict those who are pampered by fortune and
+rendered morbidly sensitive by years of indulgence and prosperity."
+
+A metallic ring had crept into her voice, hardening it, and although
+he could not distinctly see her countenance, he knew that the words
+came through set teeth.
+
+"Salome, I hope that I misunderstand you."
+
+"No; unfortunately, you thoroughly comprehend me. Dr. Grey, were you
+situated precisely as I find myself, do you suppose you would feel
+your degradation as little as I seem to do? Do you think you would
+relish the bread of charity as keenly as one, who, for courtesy's
+sake, shall be nameless? Could you calmly stand by, and with utter
+_sang froid_ see your brothers and sisters--your own flesh and
+blood--drift on every chance wave, like some sodden crust or withered
+weed on a stormy, treacherous sea? Would not your family pride bleed
+and die, and your self-respect wail and shrivel and expire?"
+
+"You have so grossly exaggerated and overcolored your picture that I
+recognize little likeness to reality."
+
+"I neither gloze nor mask; I simply front the facts, which are,
+briefly, that you were nurtured in independence and trained to abhor
+the crumbs that fall from other people's tables, while all heroic
+aspirations and proud chivalric dreams were fed by the milk that
+nourished you; whereas, I grew up in the wan, sickly atmosphere of
+penury; glad to grasp the crust that chance offered; taught to
+consider the bread of dependence precious as ambrosia; willing to
+forget family ties that were fraught only with humiliation and
+wretchedness; coveting bounty that I had not sufficient ambition to
+merit; and eager to live on charity, as long as it could be coaxed,
+hoodwinked, or scourged into supporting me comfortably. Yesterday I
+read a sentence that might have been written for me, so felicitously
+does it photograph me, 'Temperament is a fate oftentimes, from whose
+jurisdiction its victims hardly escape, but do its bidding herein, be
+it murder or martyrdom. Virtues and crimes are mixed in one's cup of
+nativity, with the lesser or larger margin of choice. _Blood is a
+destiny._' You, Ulpian Grey, are what you are because your father was
+a gentleman, and all your surroundings were luxurious and refined; and
+I, the miller's child, am what you see me because my father was coarse
+and brutal; because my body and soul struggled with staring
+starvation,--physical, mental, and moral. Be just, and remember these
+things when you are tempted to despise me as a pitiable, spiritless
+parasite."
+
+"My little friend, you have most unnecessarily tortured yourself, and
+grieved and mortified me. Have I ever treated you with contempt or
+disrespect?"
+
+"You evidently pity me, and compassion is about as welcome to my
+feelings as a vitriol bath to fresh wounds."
+
+"Are you not conscious of having more than once acted in such a manner
+as to necessitate my compassion?"
+
+She was silent for some moments; but as they entered the avenue, she
+said, impetuously,--
+
+"I want you to respect me."
+
+"If you respect yourself and merit my good opinion, I shall not
+withhold it. But of one thing let me assure you; my standard of
+womanly delicacy, nobility, gentleness, and Christian faith is very
+exalted; and I cannot and will not lower it, even to meet the
+requirements of those who claim my friendship. Thoroughly cognizant of
+my opinions concerning several subjects, you have more than once,
+premeditatedly and obtrusively outraged them, and while I can and do
+most cordially overlook the offence, you should not deem it possible
+for me to entertain a very lofty estimate of the offender. When I came
+home you took such extraordinary pains to convince me that not a
+single noble aspiration actuated you that I confess you almost
+succeeded in your aim; but, Salome, I hope you are far more generous
+than you deign to prove yourself, and I promise you my earnest respect
+shall not lag behind,--shall promptly keep pace with your deserts. You
+can, if you so determine, make yourself an attractive, brilliant,
+noble woman; an ornament--and better still--a useful, honored member
+of society; but the faults of your character are grave, and only
+prayer and conscientious, persistent efforts can entirely correct
+them. I am neither so unreasonable nor so unjust as to hold you
+accountable for circumstances beyond your control; and, while I warmly
+sympathize with all your sorrows, I know that you are still
+sufficiently young to rectify the unfortunate warping that your nature
+received in its mournful early years. To ask me to respect you is as
+idle and useless and impotent as the soft murmur of this June breeze
+in the elm boughs above us; but you can command my perfect confidence
+and friendship solely on condition that you merit it. Salome,
+something very unusual has influenced you to-day, forcing you to throw
+aside the rubbish that you patiently piled over your better self until
+it was effectually concealed; and, if you are willing to be frank with
+me, I should be glad to know what has so healthfully affected you. I
+believe I can guess: has not little Jessie wooed and won her sister's
+heart, melting all its icy selfishness and warming its holiest
+recesses?"
+
+At this moment Stanley bounded down the steps to meet them, and,
+bending over to receive his kiss and embrace, Salome gladly evaded a
+reply. That night, after she had taught her brother his lessons for
+the next day and made him repeat the prayer learned in the dormitory
+of the Asylum,--when she had read Miss Jane to sleep and seen the
+doctor set out on his mission of mercy, she brightened the lamp-light
+in her own room, and, opening the parcel, drew out and commenced the
+dainty embroidery which she had promised should be completed at an
+early day.
+
+The night was warm, but the sea-breeze sang a lullaby in the trees
+that peeped in at her window, and now and then a strong gust
+blew the flame almost to the top of the lamp-chimney. Stanley
+slept soundly in his trundle-bed, occasionally startling her by
+half-uttered exclamations, as in his dreams he chased rabbits or
+found partridge-eggs. Oblivious of passing hours, and profoundly
+immersed in speculations concerning her future, the girl sewed
+on, working scallop after scallop, and flower after flower, in
+the gossamer cambric between her slender fingers. Stars that looked
+upon her early in the night had gone down into blue abysms below
+the horizon, and the midnight song of a mocking-bird, swinging in
+a lemon-tree beneath her window, had long since hushed itself with
+the chirp of crickets and gossip of the katydids.
+
+A tap on the facing of her open door finally aroused her, and she
+hastily attempted to hide her work, as Dr. Grey asked,--
+
+"What keeps you up so late? Are you dressing a doll for Jessie?"
+
+"What brings you home so early? Is your patient better?"
+
+"Yes; in one sense he is certainly better; for, free from all pain, he
+rests with his God."
+
+"What time is it?"
+
+"Half-past three. Little Charles died about an hour ago, and, as I
+shall be very busy to-morrow, I came upstairs to ask if you will
+oblige me by going over to Mrs. Peterson's and remaining with her
+until the neighbors assemble in the morning. It is an unpleasant duty,
+and unless you are perfectly willing I will not request you to perform
+it."
+
+"Certainly, sir; I will go at once. Why should I hesitate?"
+
+"Come down as soon as you are ready, and I will make Harrison drive
+you over in my buggy. As it is only a mile I walked home."
+
+When she stood before him, waiting for the servant to adjust some
+portion of the harness, Dr. Grey wrapped her shawl more closely around
+her, and said,--
+
+"What new freak keeps you awake till four o'clock?"
+
+"It is no freak, but the beginning of a settled purpose that reaches
+in numberless ramifications through all my coming years. It does not
+concern you, so ask me no more. Good-night. I suppose I ought to
+tender you my thanks for deeming me worthy of this melancholy mission;
+and if so, pray be pleased to accept them."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+
+"Jane, have you heard that we shall soon have some new neighbors at
+'Solitude'?"
+
+"No; who is brave enough to settle there?"
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, a widow, has purchased and refitted the house,
+preparatory to making it her home."
+
+"Do you suppose she knows the history of its former owners?"
+
+"Probably not, as she has never seen the place. The purchase was made
+some months since by her agent, who stated that she was in Europe."
+
+"Ulpian, I am sorry that the house will again be occupied, for some
+mournful fatality seems to have attended all who ever resided there;
+and I have been told that the last proprietor changed the name from
+'Solitude' to 'Bochim.'"
+
+"You must not indulge such superstitious vagaries, my dear, wise
+Janet. The age of hobgoblins, haunted houses, and supernatural
+influences has passed away with the marvels of alchemy and the weird
+myths of Rosicrucianism. Because many deaths have occurred at that
+place, and the residents were consequently plunged in gloom, you must
+not rashly impute eldritch influences to the atmosphere surrounding
+it. Knowing its ghostly celebrity, I have investigated the grounds of
+existing prejudice, and find that of the ten persons who have died
+there during the last fifteen years, three deaths were from hereditary
+consumption, one from dropsy, two from paralysis, one from epilepsy,
+one from brain-fever, one from drowning, and the last from a fall that
+broke the victim's neck. Were these attributable to any local cause,
+the results would certainly not have proved so diverse."
+
+"Call it superstition, or what you will, no amount of coaxing,
+argument, or ridicule, no imaginable inducement could prevail on me to
+live there,--even if the house were floored with gold and roofed with
+silver. It is the gloomiest-looking place this side of Golgotha, and I
+would as soon crawl into a coffin for an afternoon nap as spend a
+night there."
+
+"Your imagination invests it with a degree of gloom which is
+adventitious, and referable solely to painful associations; for
+intrinsically the situation is picturesque and beautiful, and the
+grounds have been arranged with consummate taste. This morning I
+noticed a quantity of rare and very superb lilies clustered in a
+corner of the _parterre_."
+
+"Pray, what called you there?"
+
+"A workman engaged in repairing some portion of the roof, slipped on
+the slate and broke his arm; consequently, they sent for me."
+
+"Just what he might have expected. I tell you something happens to
+everybody who ever sleeps there."
+
+"Do you suppose there is a squad of malicious spirits hovering in
+ambush to swoop upon all new-comers, and not only fracture limbs, but
+scatter to right and left paralysis, epilepsy, and other diseases?
+From your rueful countenance a stranger might infer that Pandora's box
+had just been opened at 'Bochim,' and that the very air was thick with
+miasma and maledictions."
+
+"Oh, laugh on if you choose at my old-fashioned whims and superstition;
+but, mark my words, that place will prove a curse to whoever buys it
+and settles there! Has Mrs. Gerome a family?"
+
+"I believe I heard that she had no children, but I really know little
+about her except that she must be a woman of unusually refined and
+cultivated tastes, as the pictures, books, and various articles of
+vertu that have preceded her seem to indicate much critical and
+artistic acumen. The entire building has been refitted in exceedingly
+handsome style, and the upholsterer who was arranging the furniture
+told me it had been purchased in Europe."
+
+"When is Mrs. Gerome expected?"
+
+"During the present week."
+
+"What aged person is she?"
+
+"Indeed, my dear, curious Janet, I have asked no questions and formed
+no conjectures; but I trust your baleful prognostications will find no
+fulfilment in her case."
+
+"Ulpian, I had some very fashionable visitors to-day, who manifested
+an extraordinary interest in your past, present, and future. Mrs.
+Channing and her two lovely daughters spent the morning here, and left
+an invitation for you to attend a party at their house next Thursday
+evening. Miss Adelaide went into ecstasies over that portrait in which
+you wore your uniform, and asked numberless questions about you; among
+others, whether you were still heart-whole, or whether you had
+suffered some great disappointment early in life which kept you a
+bachelor. What do you suppose she said when I told her that you had
+never had a love-scrape in your life?"
+
+"Of course she impugned the statement, which, to a young lady framed
+for flirtations, must indeed have appeared incredible."
+
+"On the contrary, she declared that the woman who succeeded in
+captivating you would achieve a triumph more difficult and more
+desirable than the victory of the Nile or of Trafalgar. I was tempted
+to ask her if she might be considered the ambitious Nelson, but of
+course politeness forbade. Ulpian, she is the prettiest creature I
+ever looked at."
+
+"Yes, as pretty as mere healthy flesh can be without the sublimation
+and radiance of an indwelling soul. There is nothing which impresses
+me so mournfully as the sight of a beautiful, frivolous, unscrupulous
+woman, who immolates all that is truly feminine in her character upon
+the shrine of swollen vanity; and whose career from cradle to grave is
+as utterly aimless and useless as that of some gaudy, flaunting
+ephemeron of the tropics. Such women act as extinguishers upon the
+feeble, flickering flame of chivalry, which modern degeneracy in
+manners and morals has almost smothered."
+
+His tone and countenance evinced more contempt than Salome had known
+him to express on any former occasion, and, glancing at his clear,
+steady, grave blue eyes, she said to herself,--
+
+"At least he will never strike his colors to Admiral Adelaide
+Channing, and I should dislike to occupy her place in his estimation."
+
+"My dear boy, you must not speak in such ungrateful terms of my
+beautiful visitor, who certainly has some serious design on your
+heart, if I may judge from the very extravagant praise she lavished
+upon you. I daresay she is a very nice, sweet girl, and you know you
+told me once that if you should ever marry your wife must be a beauty,
+else you could not love her."
+
+"Very true, Janet, and I have no intention of retracting or
+diminishing my rigid requirements, but my definition of beauty
+includes more than mere physical perfection,--than satin skin,
+pearl-tinted, fine eyes, faultless teeth, abundant silky tresses, and
+rounded figure. It demands that the heart whose blood paints lips and
+cheek, shall be pure, generous, and holy; that the soul which looks
+out at me from lustrous eyes shall be consecrated to another deity
+than Fashion,--shall be as full of magnanimity, and strength, and
+peace, as a harp is of melody; my beauty means meekness, faith,
+sanctity, and exacts mental, moral, and material excellence. Rest
+assured, my dear, sage counsellor, that if ever I bring a wife to my
+hearthstone I will have selected her in obedience to the advice of
+Joubert, who admonished us, 'We should choose for a wife only the
+woman we would choose for a friend, were she a man.'"
+
+"You expect too much; you will never find your perfect ideal walking
+in flesh."
+
+"I will content myself with nothing less--I promise you that."
+
+"Oh, no doubt you will believe that the woman you marry is all that
+you dream or wish; but some fine morning you will present me with a
+sister as full of foibles and vanities and frailties as any other
+spoiled and cunning daughter of Eve. Of course every bridegroom
+classes as 'perfect' the blushing, trembling young thing who peeps
+shyly at him from under a tulle veil and an orange wreath; but, take
+my word for it, there is a spice of Delilah in every pretty girl, and
+the credulity of Samson slumbers in all lovers. Nevertheless, Ulpian,
+I would sooner see you in bondage to a pair of white hands and hazel
+eyes,--would rather know that like all your race you were utterly
+humbugged--hoodwinked--by some fair-browed belle, whose low voice
+rippled over pouting pink lips, than have you live always alone, a
+confirmed old bachelor. After all, I doubt whether you have really
+never had a sweetheart, for every schoolboy swears allegiance to some
+yellow-haired divinity in ruffled muslin aprons."
+
+Dr. Grey laid his hand gently on the shrivelled fingers that were
+busily engaged in shelling some seed-beans, and answered, jocosely,--
+
+"Have I not often told you, that my dear, old, patient sister Janet,
+is my only lady-love?"
+
+"And your silly old Janet is not such an arrant fool as to believe any
+such nonsense,--especially when she remembers that from time
+immemorial sailors have had sweethearts in every port, and that her
+spoiled pet of a brother is no exception to his race or his
+profession."
+
+He laughed, and smoothed her grizzled hair.
+
+"Since my sapient sister is so curious, I will confess that once--and
+only once in my life--I was in dire danger of falling most desperately
+in love. The frigate was coaling at Palermo, and I went ashore. One
+afternoon, in sauntering through the orange and lemon groves which
+render its environs so inviting, I caught a glimpse of a countenance
+so serene, so indescribably lovely, that for an instant I was disposed
+to believe I had encountered the beatific spirit of St. Rosalie
+herself. The face was that of a woman apparently about eighteen years
+old, who evidently ranked among Sicilian aristocrats, and whose
+elegant attire enhanced her beauty. I followed, at a respectful
+distance, until she entered the garden of an adjacent convent and fell
+on her knees before a marble altar, where burned a lamp at the feet of
+a statue of the Virgin; and no painting in Europe stamped itself so
+indelibly on my memory as the picture of that beautiful votary. Her
+delicate hands were crossed over her heart,--her large, liquid, black
+eyes, raised in adoration,--her full, crimson lips parted as she
+repeated the '_Ave Maria_' in the most musical voice I ever heard.
+Just above the purplish folds of her abundant hair drooped pomegranate
+boughs all aflame with scarlet blooms that fell upon her head like
+tongues of fire, as the wind sprang from the blue hollows of the
+Mediterranean and shook the grove. The sun was going swiftly down
+behind the stone turrets of a monastery that crowned a distant hill,
+and the last rays wove an aureola around my kneeling saint, who,
+doubtless, aware of the effect of her graceful attitudinizing, seemed
+in no haste to conclude her devotions. As I recalled the charming
+tableau, those lines wherein Buchanan sought to photograph the
+picturesqueness of the Digentia, float up from some sympathetic cell
+of memory,--
+
+  'Could you look at the leaves of yonder tree,--
+  The wind is stirring them, as the sun is stirring me!
+    The woolly clouds move quiet and slow
+  In the pale blue calm of the tranquil skies,
+    And their shades that run on the grass below
+  Leave purple dreams in the violet's eyes!
+    The vine droops over my head with bright
+  Clusters of purple and green,--the rose
+  Breaks her heart on the air; and the orange glows
+  Like golden lamps in an emerald night.'
+
+My Sicilian Siren finally disappeared in a gloomy arched-way
+leading into the convent, and I returned to the hotel to dream of
+her until the morning sunshine once more bathed Conca D'Oro in
+splendor,--when I instituted a search for the name and residence of
+my inamorata. Six hours of enthusiastic investigation yielded me
+the coveted information, but imagine the profound despair in which
+I was plunged when I ascertained from her own smiling lips that
+she was a happy wife and the proud mother of two beautiful children.
+As she rose to present her swarthy husband, I bowed myself out and
+took refuge aboard ship. Here ends the recital of the first and last
+bit of romance that ever threw its rosy tinge over the quiet life of
+your staid and humble brother--Ulpian Grey, M.D."
+
+"Ah, my dear sailor boy, I am afraid thirty-five years of experience
+have rendered you too wary to be caught by such chaff as pretty girls
+sprinkle along your path! I should be glad to see your bride enter
+this door before I am carried out feet foremost to my final rest by
+Enoch's side."
+
+"Do not despair of me, dear Jane, for I am not exactly Methuselah's
+rival; and comfort yourself by recollecting that Lessing was forty
+years old when he first loved the only woman for whom he ever
+entertained an affection--his devoted Eva Koenig."
+
+Dr. Grey bent over his sister's easy-chair, and, taking her thin,
+sallow face tenderly in his soft palms, kissed the sunken cheeks--the
+wrinkled forehead; and then, laying her head gently back upon its
+cushions, entered his buggy and drove to his office.
+
+"Salome, what makes you look so moody? There are as many furrows on
+your brow as lines in a spider's web, and your lips are drawn in as if
+you had dined on green persimmons. Child, what is the matter?"
+
+Miss Jane lifted her spectacles from her nose, and eyed the orphan,
+anxiously.
+
+"I am very sorry to hear that 'Solitude' will be filled once more with
+people, and bustle, and din. It is the nearest point where we can
+reach the beach, and I have enjoyed many quiet strolls under its
+grand, old, solemn trees. If haunted at all, it is by Dryads and
+Hamadryads, and I like the babble of their leaves infinitely better
+than the strife of human tongues. Miss Jane, if I were only a pagan!"
+
+"I am not very sure that you are not," sighed the invalid.
+
+"Nor I. I have lost my place,--I am behind my time in this world by at
+least twenty centuries, and ought to have lived in the jovial age of
+fauns and satyrs, when groves were sacred for other reasons than the
+high price of wood,--when gods and goddesses were abundant as
+blackberries, and at the beck and call of every miserable wretch who
+chose to propitiate them by offering a flask of wine, a bunch of
+turnips, a litter of puppies, or a basket of olives. Hesiod and Homer
+understood human nature infinitely better than Paul and Luther."
+
+"Salome, you are growing shockingly irreverent and wicked."
+
+"No, madam,--begging your pardon. I am only desperately honest in
+wishing that my salvation and future felicity could be secured beyond
+all peradventure, by a sacrifice of oatcakes, or white doves, or black
+cats, instead of a drab-colored life of prayer, penance, purity, and
+patience. I don't deny that I would rather spend my days in watching
+the gorgeous pageant of the_ Panathenaea_, or chanting dithyrambics to
+insure a fine vintage, or even offering a _Taigheirm_, than in running
+neck and neck with Lucifer for the kingdom of heaven. I love kids, and
+fawns, and lambs, as well as Landseer; but I should not long hesitate,
+had I the choice, between flaying their tender flesh in sacrifice and
+mortifying my own as a devout life requires."
+
+"But what would have become of your poor soul if you had lived in
+Pagan times?"
+
+"What will become of it under present circumstances, I should be
+exceedingly glad to know. 'The heathen are a law unto themselves,' and
+I sometimes wish I had been born a Fejee belle, who lived, was
+tastefully tattooed, and died without having even dreamed of
+missionaries,--those officious martyrs who hope to wear a whole
+constellation on their foreheads as a reward for having been eaten by
+cannibals, to whom they expounded the unpalatable doctrine that,
+'this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
+loved darkness rather than light.' Moreover, I confess--"
+
+"That is quite sufficient. I have already heard more than I relish of
+such silly and sacrilegious chat. At least, you might have more
+prudence and discretion than to hold forth so disgracefully in the
+hearing of your little brother."
+
+Miss Jane's cheek flushed, and her feeble voice faltered.
+
+"He has fallen fast asleep over the bean-pods; and, even if he
+had not, how much of the conversation do you imagine he would
+comprehend? His sole knowledge of Grecian theogony consists of a
+brief acquaintance with a bottle of pseudo Greek fire which
+burnt the pocket out of his best pantaloons."
+
+"Salome, you distress me; and, if Ulpian had not left us, you would
+have kept all such heathenish stuff shut up in your sinful and wayward
+heart."
+
+"Dr. Grey is no Gorgon, having power to petrify my tongue. I am not
+afraid of him; and my respect for your feelings is much stronger than
+my dread of his."
+
+"Hush, child! You are afraid of him, and well you may be. I fear
+that all your Sabbath-school advantages--all your Christian
+privileges--have been wofully wasted; and I shall ask Ulpian to talk
+to you."
+
+"No, thank you, Miss Jane. You may save yourself the trouble, for he
+has given me over to hardness of heart and 'a reprobate mind,' and his
+patience is not only 'clean gone forever,' but he has carefully washed
+his hands of all future interest in my rudderless and drifting soul.
+Let me speak this once, and henceforth I promise to hold my peace. I
+do not require to be 'talked to' by anybody,--I only need to be let
+alone. Sabbath-schools are indisputably excellent things,--and I can
+testify that they are ponderous ecclesiastical hammers, pounding
+creeds and catechisms into the mould of memory; but these nurseries of
+the church nourish and harbor some Satan's imps among their
+half-fledged saints; and while they certainly accomplish a vast amount
+of good, they are by no means infallible machines for the manufacture
+of Christians,--of which fact I stand in melancholy attestation. I
+have a vague impression that piety does not grow up in a night, like
+Jonah's gourd or Jack the Giant-killer's beanstalk; but is a pure,
+glittering, spiritual stalactite, built by the slow accretion of
+dripping tears. Do you suppose that you can successfully train my soul
+as you have managed my body?--that you can hold my nose and pour a
+dose of faith down my throat, like ipecac or cod-liver oil? In matters
+of theology I am no ostrich, and, if you afflict me _ad nauseam_ with
+religious dogmas, you must not wonder that my moral digestion rebels
+outright. I shall not dispute the fact that in justice to your
+precepts and example I ought to be a Christian; but, since I am not, I
+may as well tell you at once and save future trouble, that I can
+neither be baited into the church like a hawk into a steel-trap, nor
+scared and driven into it like bees into a hive by the rattling of tin
+pans and the screaking of horns. Don't look at me so dolefully, dear
+Miss Jane, as if you had already seen my passport to perdition signed
+and sealed. You, at least, have done your whole duty,--have set all
+the articles of orthodoxy, well-flavored and garnished, before me;
+and, if I am finally lost, my spiritual starvation can never be
+charged against you in the last balance-sheet. I am not ignorant of
+the Bible, nor altogether unacquainted with the divers creeds that
+spring from its pages as thick, as formidable, as ferocious, as the
+harvest from the dragon's teeth; and, thanking you for all you have
+taught me, I here undertake to pilot my own soul in this boiling,
+bellowing sea of life. I doubt whether some of the charts you value
+will be of any service in my voyage, or whether the beacons by which
+you steer will save me from the reefs; but, nevertheless, I take the
+wheel, and, if I wreck my soul,--why, then, I wreck it."
+
+In the magic evening light, which touches all things with a rosy,
+transitory glamour, the fresh young face with its daintily sculptured
+lineaments seemed marvellously and surpassingly fair; but, like
+_morbidezza_ marble, hopelessly fixed and chill, and might have served
+for some image of Eve, when, standing on the boundary of eternal
+beatitude, she daringly put up her slender womanly fingers to pluck
+the fatal fruit. Her large, brilliant eyes followed the sinking sun
+as steadily--as unblinkingly--as an eagle's; but the gleam that rayed
+out was baleful, presaging storms, as infallibly as that sullen, lurid
+light, which glares defiantly over helpless earth when to-day's sun
+falls into the cloudy lap of to-morrow's tempest.
+
+A heavy sigh struggled across Miss Jane's unsteady lips, as, removing
+her glasses, she wiped her eyes, and said, slowly,--
+
+"Yes; I am a stupid, unsuspecting old dolt; but I see it all now."
+
+"My ultimate and irremediable ruin?"
+
+"God forbid!"
+
+Salome approached the arm-chair, and, stooping, looked intently at the
+aged, wan face.
+
+"What is it that you see? Miss Jane, when people stand, as you do,
+upon the borders of two worlds, the Bygone fades,--the Beyond grows
+distinct and luminous. Lend me your second sight, to decipher the
+characters scrawled like fiery serpents over the pall that envelops
+the future."
+
+"I see nothing but the grim, unmistakeable fact that my little,
+clinging, dependent child, has, without my knowledge, put away
+childish things, and suddenly steps before me a wilful, irreverent,
+graceless woman, as eager to challenge the decrees of the Lord as was
+complaining Job before the breath of the whirlwind smote and awed him.
+Some day, Salome, that same voice that startled the old man of Uz will
+make you bend and tremble and shiver like that acacia yonder, which
+the wind is toying with before it snaps asunder. When that time comes
+the clover will feed bees above my gray head, but I trust my soul will
+be near enough to the great white throne to pray God to have mercy on
+your wretched spirit, and bring you safely to that blessed haven
+whither you can never pilot yourself."
+
+Nervous excitement gave unwonted strength to the feeble limbs; and,
+grasping her crutches, Miss Jane limped into her own room and closed
+the door after her.
+
+For some moments the girl stood looking out over the lawn, where
+fading sunshine and deepening shadow made fitful _chiaroscuro_ along
+the primrose-paved aisles that stretched under the elm arches,--then,
+raising her fingers as if tracing lines on the soft, gold-dusted
+atmosphere that surrounded her, she muttered doggedly,--
+
+"Yes; I am at sea! But, if God is just, Miss Jane and I will yet shake
+hands on that calm, surgeless, crystal sea, shining before the throne.
+So, now I take the helm and put the head of my precious charge before
+the wind, and only the Almighty can foresee the result. In His mercy I
+put my trust. So be it.
+
+  'Gray distance hid each shining sail,
+    By ruthless breezes borne from me;
+  And lessening, fading, faint, and pale,
+    My ships went forth to sea.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+
+"Mother, I am afraid Mrs. Gerome does not like this place, or the
+furniture, or something, for she has not spoken a kind word about the
+house since she came. She looks closely at everything, but says
+nothing. What do you suppose she thinks?"
+
+Robert Maclean, the gardener at "Solitude," paused abruptly, as his
+mother pinched his arm sharply and whispered,--
+
+"Whist! There she comes down the azalea walk; and no one likes to
+stumble upon their own name when they are not expecting the sound
+or sight of it. No; she has turned off towards the cedars, and does
+not see us. As to her likes and dislikes, there is nothing this side
+of heaven that will content her; and you might have known better
+than to suppose she would be much pleased with anything. No matter
+what she thinks, she seldom complains, and it is hard to find out her
+views; but she told me to tell you that she approved all you had
+done, and thanked you for the pains you have taken to arrange things
+comfortably."
+
+Old Elsie tied the strings of her white muslin cap, and turned her
+back to the wind that was playing havoc with its freshly fluted
+frills.
+
+"Mother, I heard her laugh yesterday, for the first time. It was a
+short, quick, queer little laugh, but it pleased me greatly. The cook
+had set some duck-eggs under that fine black Spanish hen; and, when
+they hatched, she marched off with the brood into the fowl-yard, where
+they made straight for the duck-pool and sailed in. The hen set up
+such a din and clatter that Mrs. Gerome, who happened to get a glimpse
+of them, felt sorry for the poor frightened fowl, and tried to drive
+the little ones out of the water; but, whenever she put her hand
+towards them to catch the nearest, the whole brood would quack and
+dive,--and, when she had laughed that one short laugh, she called to
+me to look after them and went back to the house. You don't know how
+strangely that laugh sounded."
+
+"Don't I? Speak for yourself, Robert. I have heard her laugh twice,
+but it was when she was asleep, and it was an uncanny, bitter
+sound,--about as welcome to my ears as her death-rattle. Last night
+she did not close her eyes,--did not even undress; and the hall clock
+was striking three this morning when I heard her open the piano and
+play one of those dismal, frantic, wailing things she calls 'fugues,'
+that make the hair rise on my head and every inch of my flesh creep as
+if a stranger were treading on my grave. When she was a baby, cutting
+her eye-teeth, she had a spasm; and seeing her straighten herself out
+and roll back her eyes till only the white balls showed, I took it for
+granted she was about to die, and, holding her in my arms, I fell on
+my knees and prayed that she might be spared. Well, now, Robert, I am
+sorry I put up that petition, for the Lord knew best; and it would
+have been a crowning mercy if he had paid no attention to my
+half-crazy pleadings and taken her home then. What meddling fools we
+all are! I thought, at that time, it would break my heart to shroud
+her sweet little body; but ah! I would rather have laid my precious
+baby in her coffin, with violets under her fingers, than live to see
+that desperate, unearthly look, come and house itself in her great,
+solemn, hungry, tormenting eyes, that were once as full of sparkles
+and merriment as the sky is of stars on a clear, frosty night. My son,
+we never know what is good for us; for, many times, when we clamor for
+bread we break our teeth on it; and then, again, when we rage and howl
+because we think the Lord has dealt out scorpions to us, they prove
+better than the fish we craved. So, after all, I conclude Christ
+understood the whole matter when he enjoined upon us to say, 'Thy will
+be done.'"
+
+The old nurse wiped her eyes with the corner of her black silk apron,
+and, leaning against the trunk of a tree, crossed her arms comfortably
+over her broad and ample chest, while Robert busied himself in
+repotting some choice carnations.
+
+"But, mother, do you really think she will be satisfied to stay here,
+after travelling so long up and down in the world?"
+
+"How can I tell what she will or will not do? You know very well that
+she goes to sleep with one set of whims and wakes up with new ones.
+She catches odd freaks as some people catch diseases. She said
+yesterday that she had had enough of travel and change, and intended
+to settle and live and die right here; but that does not prove that I
+may not receive an order next week to pack her trunks and start to
+Jericho or Halifax, and I should not think the world was upside down
+and coming to an end if such an order came before breakfast to-morrow.
+Poor lamb! My poor lamb! Yonder she comes again. Do you notice how
+fast she walks, as if the foul fiend were clutching at her skirts or
+she were trying to get away from herself,--trying to run her restless
+soul entirely out of her wretched body? Come away, Robert, and let her
+have all the grounds to herself. She likes best to be alone."
+
+Mother and son walked off in the direction of the stables, and the
+advancing figure emerged from the dense shade where interlacing limbs
+roofed one of the winding walks, and paused before the circular stand
+on which lemon, rose, white, crimson, and variegated carnations,
+nodded their fringed heads and poured spicy aromas from their velvety
+chalices.
+
+The face and form of Mrs. Gerome presented a puzzling paradox, in
+which old age and youth seemed struggling for mastery; and "death in
+life" found melancholy verification. Tall, slender, and faultlessly
+made, the perfection of her figure was marred by the unfortunate
+carriage of her head, which drooped forward so heavily that the chin
+almost touched her throat and nearly destroyed the harmony of the
+profile outline. The head itself was nobly rounded, and sternly
+classic as any well authenticated antique, but it was no marvel that
+it habitually bowed under the heavy glittering mass of silver hair,
+which wound in coil after coil and was secured at the back by a comb
+of carved jet, thickly studded with small silver stars. The
+extraordinary lustrousness of these waves of gray hair that rippled on
+her forehead and temples like molten metal, lent a weird and wondrous
+effect to the straight, regular, rigid features,--daintily cut as
+those of Pallas, and quite as pallid. The delicate and high arch of
+the eyebrows was black as ebony, and in conjunction with the long
+jetty lashes formed a very singular contrast to the shining white
+tresses, which lay piled like freshly fallen snow-drift above them.
+The brow was full, round, smooth, and fair as a child's; and more than
+one azure thread showed the subtle tracery of veins, whose crimson
+currents left no rosy reflex on the firm, gleaming white flesh,
+through which they branched.
+
+Beneath that faultless forehead burned unusually large eyes, deep as
+mountain tarns, and of that pure bluish gray that tolerates no hint of
+green or yellow rays. The dilated pupils intensified the steel color,
+and faint violet lines ran out from the iris to meet the central
+shadows, while above and below the heavy black fringes enhanced their
+sombre depths, where mournful mysteries seemed to float like corpses
+just beneath the crystal shroud of ocean waves. The pale, passionless
+lips,--perfect in their pure curves, but defrauded of the blood which
+resolutely refused to come to the surface and tint the fine satin
+skin,--were lined in ciphers that the curious questioned and wondered
+over, but which few could read and none fully comprehend. The
+beautiful, frigid mouth, where all sweetness was frozen out to make
+room for hopelessness and defiance, would have admirably suited some
+statue of discrowned and smitten Hecuba; and no amount of sighs and
+sobs, no stormy bursts of grief or fierce invective, could rival the
+melancholy eloquence of its mute, calm pallor.
+
+The wan face, with its gray globe-like eyes, and the metallic glitter
+of the prematurely silvered hair, matched in hue the pearl-colored
+muslin dress which fluttered in the wind; and, standing there, this
+gray woman of twenty-three looked indeed like Pygmalion's stone
+darling,--
+
+  "Fair-statured, noble, like an awful thing
+  Frozen upon the very verge of life,
+  And looking back along eternity
+  With rayless eyes that keep the shadow Time."
+
+Her frail, white hands, with their oval nails polished and opalescent,
+were exceedingly beautiful; and, where the creamy foam of the fine
+lace fell back from the dimpled wrists, quaintly carved jet serpents
+with blazing diamond eyes coiled around the throbbing thread-like
+pulses of sullen _sang azure_.
+
+Bending over the carnations, she examined the gorgeous hues,--toyed
+with their fragile stems,--and then, glancing shyly over her shoulder
+like a startled fawn half expectant of hounds and hunter, she glided
+rapidly to an artificial mound crowned with a mouldering mossy plaster
+image of Ariadne and her pard, and stood surveying her new domain.
+
+"Solitude" filled a semicircular hollow between low wooded hills,
+which ran down to lave their grassy flanks in the blue brine of the
+Atlantic, and constituted the horns of a crescent bay, on whose
+sloping sandy beach the billows broke without barrier.
+
+The old-fashioned brick house--with sharp, peaked roof, turreted
+chimneys, and gable window looking down in front upon the clumsily
+clustered columns that supported the arched portico--was built upon a
+rocky knoll, of which nature laid the foundation and art increased the
+height; and, around and above it, towered a dense grove of ancient
+trees that shut out the glare of the sea and effectually screened the
+mansion from observation. The damp walls were heavily draped with the
+sombre verdure of ivy, whose ambitious tendrils clambered to the cleft
+chimney-tops, and peered impertinently over the broad stone
+window-sills, whence the indignant housemaid remorselessly sheared
+them away as often as their encroachments grew perceptible.
+
+In the rear of the house, and toward the west, stretched orchard,
+vegetable garden, vineyard, and wheat-field, whose rolling green waves
+seemed almost to break against the ruddy trunks of cedars that clothed
+the hillside. To the left and north lay low, marshy, meadow land,
+covered with rank grass and frosted with saline incrustations; while
+south of the building extended spacious grounds, studded here and
+there with noble groups of deodars, Norway spruce, and various
+ornamental shrubs, and bounded by a tall impenetrable hedge of osage
+orange. Before the house, which faced the ocean and fronted east, the
+lawn sloped gently down to a terrace surmounted by a granite
+balustrade; and just beyond, supported by stone piers on the golden
+sands, stood an octagonal boat-house, built in the Swiss style, with
+red-tiled roof, and floored with squares of white and black marble,
+whence a flight of steps led to the little boat chained to one of the
+rocky piers. Along the entire length of the terrace a line of giant
+poplars lifted their aged, weather-beaten heads, high above all
+surrounding objects,--ever on the _qui vive_, looking seaward,--trim
+and erect as soldiers on dress parade, and defiant of gales that had
+shorn them of many boughs, and left ghastly scars on their glossy
+limbs.
+
+Tradition whispered, with bated breath, that in the dim dawn of
+colonial settlement a rude log hut had been erected here by pirates,
+who came ashore to bury their ill-gotten booty, and rumors were rife
+of bloody deeds and midnight orgies,--all of which sprang into more
+vigorous circulation, when, in laying the foundations of the
+boat-house piers, an iron pot containing a number of old French and
+Spanish coins was dug out of the shells and sand.
+
+Melancholy tales of stranded vessels and drowned crews, of a
+slaver burned to the water's edge to escape capture, and of charred
+corpses strewn on the beach, thickened the atmosphere of legendary
+gloom that enveloped the spot,--where the successive demise of
+several proprietors certainly sanctioned the feeling of dread and
+superstitious distrust with which it was regarded. That the
+unenviable celebrity it had attained was referable to local causes
+generating disease, appeared almost incredible; for, if miasmatic
+exhalations rose dank and poisonous from the densely shaded humid
+house, they were promptly dispelled by the strong, invincible
+ocean-breeze, which tore aside leafy branches and muslin curtains, and
+wafted all noxious vapors inland.
+
+A committee of medical sages having cautiously examined the place,
+unanimously averred that its reputed fatality could not justly be
+ascribed to any topographical causes. Whereupon the popular nerve,
+which closely connected the community with supernaturaldom, thrilled
+afresh; and all the calamities, real and imaginary, that had afflicted
+"Solitude" from a period so remote that "the memory of man runneth not
+to the contrary," were laid upon the galled shoulders of some
+red-liveried, sulphur-scented Imp of Abaddon, whose peculiar mission
+was to haunt the "piratical nest;" and, in lieu of human victims, to
+addle the eggs, blast the grape crop, and make night hideous with
+spectral sights and sounds.
+
+To an unprejudiced observer the hills seemed to have gleefully clasped
+hands and formed a half-circle, shutting the place in for a quiet
+breezy communion with garrulous ocean, whose waves ran eagerly up the
+strand to gossip of wrecks and cyclones, with the staid martinet
+poplars that nodded and murmured assent to all their wild romances.
+
+Such was the pleasant impression produced upon the mind of the lonely
+woman who now owned it, and who hoped to spend here in seclusion and
+peace the residue of a life whose radiant dawn had been suddenly
+swallowed by drab clouds and starless gloom.
+
+The Scotch are proverbially credulous concerning all preternatural
+influences; and, had Robert Maclean been cognizant of half the ghostly
+associations attached to the residence which he had selected in
+compliance with general instructions from his mistress, it is scarcely
+problematical whether the house would not have remained in the hands
+of the real-estate broker; but, fortunately for their peace of mind,
+Elsie and her son were as yet in blissful ignorance of the dismal
+celebrity of their new home.
+
+Resting her folded hands on the bare shoulders of the Ariadne, which
+modest lichens and officious wreaths of purple verbena were striving
+to mantle, Mrs. Gerome scanned the scene before her; and a quick,
+nervous sigh, that was almost a pant, struggled across her lips.
+
+"Unto this last nook of refuge have I come; and, expecting little,
+find much. Shut out from the world, locked in with the sea,--no
+neighbors, no visitors, no news, no gossip,--solitary, shady, cool,
+and quiet,--surely I can rest here. Forked tongues of scandal can not
+penetrate through those rock-ribbed hills yonder, nor dart across that
+defying sea; and neither wail nor wassail of men or women can disturb
+me more. But how do I know that it will not prove a mocking cheat like
+Baiae and Maggiore, or Copais and Cromarty? I have fled in disgust and
+_ennui_ from far lovelier spots than this, and what right have I to
+suppose that contentment has housed itself as my guest in that old,
+mossy, brick pile, where mice and wrens run riot? Like Cain and
+Cartophilus, my curse travels with me, and I no sooner pitch my tent,
+than lo! the rattle and grin of my skeleton, for which earth is not
+wide enough to furnish a grave! Well! well! at least I shall not be
+stared to death here,--shall not be tormented by eye-glasses and
+sketch-books; can live in that dim, dark, greenish den yonder,
+unobserved and possibly forgotten and finally sleep undisturbed in the
+dank shade of those deodars, with twittering birds overhead and a
+sobbing sea at my feet. How long--how long before that dreamless
+slumber will fall upon my heavy lids,--weary with waiting? Only
+twenty-three yesterday! My God, if I should live to be an old woman!
+The very thought threatens insanity! Ten--twenty--possibly thirty
+years ahead of me. No; I could not endure it,--I should go mad, or
+destroy myself! If I were a delicate woman, if I only had weak lungs
+or a dropsical heart, or a taint of any hereditary infirmity that
+would surely curtail my days, I could be tolerably patient, hoping
+daily for the symptoms to develop themselves. But, unfortunately,
+though my family all died early, no two members, selected the same
+mode of escape from this bastile of clay; and my flesh is sound, and I
+am as strong and compact as that granite balustrade, and--ha!
+ha!--quite as hard. _Au pis aller_, if the burden of life becomes
+utterly intolerable I can shuffle it off as quickly as did that proud
+Roman, who, 'when the birds began to sing' in the dawn of a day
+heralded by tempestuous winds laden with perfume from the vales of
+Sicily, shut his eyes forever from the warm sparkling Mediterranean
+billows that broke in the roads of Utica, and pricked the memory of
+inattentive Azrael with the point of a sword. Neither Phaedo, family,
+nor fame, could coax Cato to respect the prerogative of Atropos; and
+if he, 'the only free and unconquered man,' quailed and fled before
+the apparition of numerous advancing years, what marvel that I, who am
+neither sage nor Roman, should be tempted some fine morning when the
+birds are sounding _reveille_ around my chamber windows, to imitate
+'what Cato did, and Addison approved'? After all, what despicable
+cowards are human hearts, and how much easier to die like Socrates,
+Seneca, and Zeno, than stagger and groan under the load of hated,
+torturing years, that are about as welcome to my shoulders as the 'old
+man of the sea' to Sinbad's! How long?--oh, how long?"
+
+The gloomy gray eyes had kindled into a dull flicker that resembled
+the fitful, ghostly gleam of sheet lightning, falling through painted
+windows upon crumbling and defiled altars in some lonely ruined
+cathedral; and her low, shuddering tones, were full of a hopeless,
+sneering bitterness, as painfully startling and out of place in a
+woman's voice as would be the scream of a condor from the irised
+throats of brooding doves, or the hungry howl of a wolf from the
+tender lips of unweaned lambs. In the gloaming light of a soft gray
+sky powdered by a few early stars, stood this desolate gray woman,
+about whose face and dress there was no stain of color save the blue
+glitter of a large sapphire ring, curiously cut in the form of a
+coiled asp, with hooded head erect and brilliant diamond eyes that
+twinkled with every quiver of the marble-white fingers.
+
+Impatiently she turned her imperial head, when the sound of
+approaching steps broke the stillness; and her tone was sharp as that
+of one suddenly roused from deep sleep,--
+
+"Well, Elsie! What is it?"
+
+"Tea, my child, has been waiting half-an-hour."
+
+"Then go and get your share of it. I want none."
+
+"But you ate no dinner to-day. Does your head ache?"
+
+"Oh, no; my heart jealously monopolizes that privilege!"
+
+The old woman sighed audibly, and Mrs. Gerome added,--
+
+"Pray, do not worry yourself about me! When I feel disposed to come in
+I can find the way to the door. Go and get your supper."
+
+The nurse passed her wrinkled hand over the drab muslin sleeves and
+skirt, and touched the folds of hair.
+
+"But, my bairn, the dew is thick on your head and has taken all the
+starch out of your dress. Please come out of this fog that is creeping
+up like a serpent from the sea. You are not used to such damp air, and
+it might give you rheumatic cramps."
+
+"Well, suppose it should? Does not my white head entitle me to all
+such luxuries of old age and decrepitude? Don't bother me, Elsie."
+
+She put out her hand with a repellent gesture, but Elsie seized it,
+and clasping both her palms over the cold fingers, said, with
+irresistible tenderness,--
+
+"Come, dearie!--come, my dearie!"
+
+Without a word Mrs. Gerome turned and followed her across the lawn and
+into the house, whose internal arrangement was somewhat at variance
+with its unpretending exterior.
+
+The rooms were large, with low ceilings; and fire-places, originally
+wide and deep, had been recently filled and fitted up with handsome
+grates, while the heavy mantelpieces of carved cedar, that once
+matched the broad facings of the windows and the massive panels of the
+doors, were exchanged for costly _verd antique_ and lumachella. The
+narrow passage running through the centre of the building was also
+wainscoted with cedar and adorned with fine engravings of Landseer's
+best pictures, whose richly carved walnut frames looked almost cedarn
+in the pale chill light that streamed upon them through the
+violet-colored glass which surrounded the front door and effectually
+subdued the hot golden glare of the sunny sun. The old-fashioned
+folding doors that formerly connected the parlor and library had been
+removed to make room for a low, wide arch, over which drooped lace
+curtains, partially looped with blue silk cord and tassels, and both
+apartments were furnished with sofas and chairs of rosewood and blue
+satin damask, while the velvet carpet, with its azure ground strewn
+with wreaths of white roses and hyacinths, corresponded in color.
+Handsome book-cases, burdened with precious lore, lined the walls of
+the rear room; and on either side of a massive ormolu _escritoire_,
+bronze candelabra shed light on the blue velvet desk where lay
+delicate sheets of gossamer paper with varied and _outre_ monograms,
+guarded by an exquisite marble statuette of Harpocrates, which stood
+in the mirror-panelled recess reserved for pen, ink, and sealing-wax.
+The air was fragrant with the breath of flowers that nodded to each
+other from costly vases scattered through both apartments; and, before
+one of the windows, rose a bronze stand containing china jars filled
+with pelargoniums, in brilliant bloom. An Erard piano occupied one
+corner of the parlor, and the large harp-shaped stand at its side was
+heaped with books and unbound sheets of music. Here two long wax
+candles were now burning brightly, and, on the oval marble table in
+the centre of the floor, was a superb silver lamp representing Psyche
+bending over Cupid, and supporting the finely-cut globe, whose soft
+radiance streamed down on her burnished wings and eagerly-parted sweet
+Greek lips. The design of this exceedingly beautiful lamp would not
+have disgraced Benvenuto Cellini, nor its execution have reflected
+discredit upon the genius of Felicie Fauveau, though to neither of
+these distinguished artificers could its origin have been justly
+ascribed. In its mellow, magical glow, the fine paintings suspended on
+the walls seemed to catch a gleam of "that light that never was on
+sea or land," for their dim, purplish Alpine gorges were filled with
+snowy phantasmagoria of rushing avalanches; their foaming cataracts
+braided glittering spray into spectral similitude of Undine tresses
+and Undine faces; their desolate red deserts grew vaguely populous
+with mirage mockeries; their green dells and grassy hill-sides,
+couching careless herds, and fleecy flocks, borrowed all Arcadia's
+repose; and the marble busts of Beethoven and of Handel, placed on
+brackets above the piano, shone as if rapt, transfigured in the mighty
+inspiration that gave to mankind "_Fidelio_" and the "_Messiah_."
+
+On the sofa which partially filled the oriel window, where the lace
+drapery was looped back to admit the breeze, lay an ivory box
+containing materials and models for wax-flowers; and, in one corner,
+half thrust under the edge of the silken cushion, was an unfinished
+wreath of waxen convolvulus and a cluster of gentians. There, too,
+open at the page that narrated the death-struggle, lay Liszt's "Life
+of Chopin," pressed face downwards, with two purple pansies crushed
+and staining the leaves; and a small gold thimble peeping out of a
+crevice in the damask tattled of the careless feminine fingers that
+had left these traces of disorder.
+
+The collection of pictures was unlike those usually brought from
+Europe by cultivated tourists, for it contained no Madonnas, no
+Magdalenes, no Holy Families, no Descents or Entombments, no Saints,
+or Sibyls, or martyrs; and consisted of wild mid-mountain scenery, of
+solemn surf-swept strands, of lonely moonlit moors, of crimson sunsets
+in Cobi or Sahara, and of a few gloomy, ferocious faces, among which
+the portrait of Salvator Rosa smiled sardonically, and a head of
+frenzied Jocasta was preeminently hideous.
+
+As Mrs. Gerome entered the parlor and brightened the flame of the
+Psyche lamp, her eyes accidentally fell upon the bust of Beethoven,
+where, in gilt letters, she had inscribed his own triumphant
+declaration, "_Music is like wine, inflaming men to new achievements;
+and I am the Bacchus who serves it out to them_." While she watched
+the rayless marble orbs, more eloquent than dilating darkening human
+pupils, a shadow dense and mysterious drifted over her frigid face,
+and, without removing her eyes from the bust above her, she sat down
+before the piano, and commenced one of those marvellous symphonies
+which he had commended to the study of Goethe.
+
+Ere it was ended Elsie came in, bearing a waiter on which stood a
+silver _epergne_ filled with fruit, a basket of cake, and a goblet of
+iced tea.
+
+"My child, I bring your supper here because the dining-room looks
+lonesome at night."
+
+"No,--no! take it away. I tell you I want nothing."
+
+"But, for my sake, dear--"
+
+"Let me alone, Elsie! There,--there! Don't teaze me."
+
+The nurse stood for some moments watching the deepening gloom of the
+up-turned countenance, listening to the weird strains that seemed to
+drip from the white fingers as they wandered slowly across the keys;
+then, kneeling at her side, grasped the hands firmly, and covered them
+with kisses.
+
+"Precious bairn! don't play any more to-night. For God's sake, let me
+shut up this piano that is making a ghost of you! You will get so
+stirred up you can't close your eyes,--you know you will; and then I
+shall cry till day-break. If you don't care for yourself, dearie, do
+try to care a little for the old woman who loves you better than her
+life, and who never can sleep till she knows your precious head is on
+its pillow. My pretty darling, you are killing me by inches, and I
+shall stay here on my knees until you leave the piano, if that is not
+till noon to-morrow. You may order me away; but not a step will I
+stir. God help you, my bairn!"
+
+Mrs. Gerome made an effort to extricate her hands, but the iron grasp
+was relentless; and, in a tone of great annoyance, she exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, Elsie! You are an intolerable--"
+
+"Well, dear, say it out,--an intolerable old fool! Isn't that what you
+mean?"
+
+"Not exactly; but you presume upon my forbearance. Elsie, you must not
+interrupt and annoy me, for I tell you now I will not submit to it.
+You forget that I am not a child."
+
+"Darling, you will never be anything but a child to me,--the same
+pretty child I took from its dead mother's arms and carried for years
+close to my heart. So scold me as you may, my pet, I shall love you
+and try to take care of you just as long as there is breath left in my
+body."
+
+She ended by kissing the struggling hands; and, striving to conceal
+her vexation, Mrs. Gerome finally turned and said,--
+
+"If you will eat your supper, and stay with Robert, and leave me in
+peace, I promise you I will close the piano, which your flinty Scotch
+soul can no more appreciate than the brick and mortar that compose
+these walls. You mean well, my dear, faithful Elsie, but sometimes you
+bore me fearfully. I know I am often wayward; but you must bear with
+me, for, after all, how could I endure to lose you,--you the only
+human being who cares whether I live or die? There,--go! Good night!"
+
+She threw her arms around Elsie's neck, leaned her wan cheek for an
+instant only on her shoulder, then pushed her away and hastily closed
+the piano.
+
+Two hours later, when the devoted servant stole up on tip-toe, and
+peeped through the half-open door that led into the hall, she found
+the queenly figure walking swiftly and lightly across the room from
+oriel to arch, with her hands clasped over the back of her head, and
+the silvery lamp-light shining softly on the waves of burnished hair
+that rippled around her pure, polished forehead.
+
+As she watched her mistress, Elsie's stout frame trembled, and hot
+tears streamed down her furrowed face while she lifted her heart in
+prayer, for the dreary, lonely, lovely woman, who had long ago ceased
+to pray for herself. But when the quivering lips of one breathed a
+petition before the throne of God, the beautiful cold mouth of the
+other was muttering bitterly,--
+
+  "Yea, love is dead, and by her funeral bier
+  Ambition gnaws the lips, and sheds no tears;
+  And, in the outer chamber Hope sits wild,--
+  Hope, with her blue eyes dim with looking long."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+
+"Ulpian, why do you look so grave and grieved? Does your letter
+contain bad news?"
+
+Miss Jane pushed back her spectacles and glanced anxiously at her
+brother, who stood with his brows slightly knitted, twirling a
+crumpled envelope between his fingers.
+
+"It is not a letter, but a telegraphic dispatch, summoning me to the
+death-bed of my best friend, Horace Manton."
+
+"The man whose life you saved at Madeira?"
+
+"Yes; and the person to whom, above all other men, I am most strongly
+and tenderly attached. His constitution is so feeble that I have long
+been uneasy about him; but the end has come even earlier than I
+feared."
+
+"Where does he live?"
+
+"On the Hudson, a few miles above New York City. I have no time to
+spare, for I shall take the train that leaves at one o'clock, and must
+make some arrangement with Dr. Sheldon to attend my patients. Will it
+trouble or tire you too much to pack my valise while I write a couple
+of business letters? If so, I will call Salome to assist you."
+
+"Trouble me, indeed! Nonsense, my dear boy; of course I will pack your
+valise. Moreover, Salome is not at home. How long will you be
+absent?"
+
+"Probably a week or ten days,--possibly longer. If poor Horace
+lingers, I shall remain with him."
+
+"Wait one moment, Ulpian. Before you go I want to speak to you about
+Salome."
+
+"Well, Janet, I lend you my ears. Has the girl absolutely turned
+pagan and set up an altar to Ceres, as she threatened some weeks
+since? Take my word for the fact that she does not believe or mean
+one half that she says, and is only amusing herself by trying to
+discover how wide her audacious heresies can expand your dear
+orthodox eyes. Expostulation and entreaty only feed her affected
+eccentricities and skepticism, and if you will persistently and
+quietly ignore them, they will shrivel as rapidly as a rank
+gourd-vine, uprooted on an August day."
+
+"Pooh! pooh! my dear boy. How you men do prate sometimes of
+matters concerning which you are as ignorant as the yearling calves
+and gabbling geese that I suppose your learned astronomers see
+driven every day to pasture on that range of mountains in the
+moon--Eratosthenes--that modern science pretends to have discovered,
+and about which you read so marvellous a paper last week."
+
+Miss Jane reverently clung to the dishonored remnants of the Ptolemaic
+theory, and scouted the philosophy of Copernicus which she vehemently
+averred was not worth "a pinch of snuff," else the water in the well
+would surely run out once in every twenty-four hours. Now, as she
+dived into the depths of her stocking-basket, collecting the socks
+neatly darned and rolled over each other, her brother smiled, and
+answered, good humoredly,--
+
+"Dear Janet, I really have not time to follow you to the moon, nor to
+prove to you that your astronomical doctrines have been dead and
+decently buried for nearly three hundred years; but I should like to
+hear what you desire to tell me with reference to Salome. What is the
+matter now?"
+
+"Nothing ails her, except a violent attack of industry, which has
+lasted much longer than I thought possible; for, to tell you the truth
+without stint or varnish, she certainly was the most sluggish piece of
+flesh I ever undertook to manage. Study she would not, keep house she
+could not, sewing gave her the headache, and knitting made her
+cross-eyed; but, behold! she has suddenly found out that her pretty
+little pink palms were made for something better than propping her
+peach-bloom cheeks. A few days ago I accidentally discovered that she
+was sitting up until long after midnight, and when I questioned her
+closely, she finally confessed that she had entered into a contract to
+furnish a certain amount of embroidery every month. Bless the child!
+can you guess what she intends to do with the money? Hoard it up in
+order to rent a couple of rooms, where she can take Jessie and
+Stanley to live with her. Ulpian, it is a praiseworthy aim, you must
+admit."
+
+"Eminently commendable, and I respect and admire the motive that
+incites her to such a laborious course. At present she is too young
+and inexperienced to take entire charge of the children, and I know
+nothing of your plans or intentions concerning her future; but, let me
+assure you, dear Jane, that I will cordially cooperate in all your
+schemes for aiding her and providing a home for them, and my purse
+shall not prove a laggard in the race with yours. Recently I have been
+revolving a plan for their benefit, but am too much hurried just now
+to give you the details. When I return we will discuss it _in
+extenso_."
+
+"You know that I ascribe great importance to blood, but strange as
+it may appear, that girl Salome has always tugged hard at my
+heart-strings, as if our proud old blood beat in her veins; and
+sometimes I fancy there must be kinship hidden behind the years, or
+buried in some unknown grave."
+
+"Amuse yourself while I am away by digging about the genealogical
+tree of the house of Grey, and, if you can trace a fibre that
+ramifies in the miller's family, I will gladly bow to my own blood
+wherever I find it, and claim cousinship. Meantime, my dear sister,
+do keep a corner of your loving heart well swept and dusted for your
+errant sailor-boy."
+
+He hastily kissed her cheek and turned away to write letters, while
+she went into the adjoining room to pack his clothes.
+
+When Salome returned from town, whither she had gone to carry a
+package of finished work and obtain a fresh supply, she found Miss
+Jane alone in the dining-room, and wearing a dejected expression on
+her usually cheerful countenance.
+
+"Did Ulpian tell you good-by?"
+
+"No, I have not seen him. Where has he gone?"
+
+"To New York."
+
+The long walk and sultry atmosphere had unwontedly flushed the girl's
+face, and the damp hair clung in glossy rings to her brow; but, as
+Miss Jane spoke, the blood ebbed from cheeks and lips, and sweeping
+back the dark tresses that seemed to oppress her, she asked,
+shiveringly,--
+
+"Is Dr. Grey going back to sea?"
+
+"Oh no, child! An old friend is very ill, and telegraphed for him. Sit
+down, dear,--you look faint."
+
+"Thank you, I don't wish to sit down, and there is nothing the matter
+with me. When will he come home?"
+
+"I can not tell precisely, as his stay is contingent upon the
+condition of his friend."
+
+"Is it a man or woman whom he has gone to see?"
+
+The astonishment painted on Miss Jane's face would have been ludicrous
+to a careless observer, less interested than the orphan in her slow
+and deliberate reply.
+
+"A man, of course."
+
+"Did he tell you so?"
+
+"Certainly. He went to see Mr. Horace Manton, with whom he was
+associated while abroad. But suppose it had been some winsome,
+brown-eyed witch of a woman, instead of a dying man, what then?"
+
+"Then you would have lost your brother, and I my French pronouncing
+dictionary,--that is all. Did he leave any message about my grammar
+and exercises?"
+
+"No, dear; but he started so hurriedly--so unexpectedly--he had not
+time for such trifles. Where are you going?"
+
+"To put away my bonnet and bundle, and look after Stanley, who is
+romping with the kittens on the lawn."
+
+The old lady laid down her knitting, leaned her elbows on the arms of
+her rocking-chair, and, clasping her hands, bowed her chin upon them,
+while a half-stifled sigh escaped her.
+
+"Mischief,--mischief, where I meant only kindness! I sowed good seed,
+and reap thistles and brambles! My charity-cake turns out miserable
+dough! But how could I possibly foresee that the child would be such a
+simpleton? What right has she to be so unnecessarily interested in my
+brother, who is old enough to have been her father? It is unnatural,
+absurd, and altogether unpardonable in Salome to be guilty of such
+presumptuous nonsense; and, of course, it is not in the least my
+fault, for the possibility of this piece of mischief never once
+occurred to me! True, she is as old as Ulpian's mother was when father
+married her; but then Mrs. Grey was not at all in love with her
+white-haired husband, and had set her affections solely on that
+Mercer-Street house, with marble steps and plate-glass windows. How do
+I know that, after all, Salome is not in love with Ulpian's fortune
+instead of the dear boy's blue eyes, and handsome hair, and splendid
+teeth? However, I ought not to think so harshly of the child, for I
+have no cause to consider her calculating and selfish. Poor thing! if
+she really cares for him there are breakers ahead of her, for I am
+sure that he is as far from falling in love with her as I would be
+with the ghost of my great-grandfather's uncle. Thank Providence, all
+this troublesome, mischievous, Lucifer machinery of love and marriage
+is shut out of heaven, where we shall be as the angels are. Ah,
+Salome! I fear you are a giddy young idiot, and that I am a blind old
+imbecile, and I wish from the bottom of my heart you had never
+darkened my doors."
+
+The quiet current of Miss Jane's secluded life had never been ruffled
+by a serious _affaire du coeur_; consequently she indulged little
+charity towards those episodes, which displayed what she considered
+the most humiliating weakness of her sex.
+
+While puzzling over the best method of extricating her _protegee_ from
+the snare into which she was disposed to apprehend that her own
+well-meant but mistaken kindness had betrayed her, she saw an unsealed
+note lying beneath the table, and, by the aid of her crutch, drew it
+within reach of her fingers. A small sheet of paper, carelessly folded
+and addressed to Salome, merely contained these words,--
+
+  "I congratulate you, my young friend, on the correctness of your
+  French themes, which I leave in the drawer of the library-table.
+  When I return I will examine those prepared during my absence;
+  and, in the interim, remain,
+
+  "Very respectfully,
+
+  "ULPIAN GREY."
+
+Miss Jane wiped her glasses, and read the note twice; then held it
+between her thumb and third finger, and debated the expediency of
+changing its destination. Her delicate sense of honor revolted at the
+first suggestion of interference, but an intense aversion to
+"love-scrapes" finally strengthened her prudential inclination to
+crush this one in its incipiency; and she deliberately tore the paper
+into shreds, which she tossed out of the window.
+
+"If Ulpian only had his eyes open he would never have scribbled one
+line to her; and, since I know what I know, and see what I see, it is
+my duty to take the responsibility of destroying all fuel within reach
+of a flame that may prove as dangerous as a torch in a hay-rick."
+
+Limping into the library, she took from the drawer the two books
+containing French exercises and laid them in a conspicuous place on
+the table, where they could not fail to arrest the attention of their
+owner; after which she resumed her knitting, consoling herself with
+the reflection that she had taken the first step towards smothering
+the spark that threatened the destruction of all her benevolent
+schemes.
+
+Up and down, under the spreading trees in the orchard, wandered
+Salome, anxious to escape scrutiny, and vaguely conscious that she had
+reached the cross-roads in her life, where haste or inadvertence might
+involve her in inextricable difficulties.
+
+She was neither startled, nor shocked, nor mortified, that the
+unceremonious departure of the master of the house stabbed her heart
+with pangs that made her firm lips writhe, for she had long been
+cognizant of the growth of feelings whose discovery had so completely
+astounded Miss Jane.
+
+The orphan had not eagerly watched and listened for the sight of his
+face--the sound of his voice--without fully comprehending herself;
+for, however ingeniously and indefatigably women may mask their hearts
+from public gaze and comment, they do not mock their own reason by
+such flimsy shams, and Salome could find no prospect of gain in
+playing a game of brag with her inquisitive soul.
+
+In the quiet orchard, where all things seemed drowsy--where the only
+spectators were the mellowing apples that reddened the boughs above
+her, and her sole auditors the brown partridges that nestled in the
+tall grass, and the shy cicadae ambushed under the clover leaves--her
+pent-up pain and disappointment bubbled over in a gush of passionate
+words.
+
+"Gone without giving me a syllable, a word, a touch! Gone, for an
+indefinite period, without even a cold 'good-by, Salome!' You call
+yourself a Christian, Dr. Grey, and yet you are cruel, now and then,
+and make me writhe like a worm on a fish-hook! He told Stanley he
+would return in two or three weeks, perhaps sooner,--but I know
+better. I have a dull monitor here that says it will be a long, dreary
+time, before I see him again. A wall of ice is rising to divide
+us--but it shall not! it shall not! I will have my own! I will look
+into his calm eyes! I will touch his soft, warm, white palms! I will
+hear his steady, low, clear voice, that makes music in my ears and
+heaven in my heart! It is three months since he shook hands with me,
+but all time cannot remove the feeling from my fingers; and some day I
+can cling to his hand and lean my cheek against it,--and who dare
+dispute my right? He says he never loved any woman! I heard him tell
+his sister he had yet to meet the woman whom he could marry,--and, if
+truth lingers anywhere in this world of sin, it finds a sanctuary in
+his soul! He never loved any woman! Thank God! I can't afford to doubt
+it. No one but his sister has touched his lips, or his noble,
+beautiful forehead. How I envied little Jessie when he put his arm
+around her and stooped and laid his cheek on hers. Oh, Dr. Grey,
+nobody else will ever love you as I do! I know I am unworthy, but I
+will make myself good and great to match you! I know I am beneath you,
+but I will climb to your proud height,--and, so help me God, I will be
+all that your lofty standard demands! He does not care for me
+now,--does not even think of me; but I must be patient and merit his
+notice, for my own folly sank me in his good opinion. When these
+apples were pale, pink blossoms, I dreaded his coming, and hoped the
+vessel would be wrecked; now, ere they are ripe, I am disposed to
+curse the cause of his temporary absence and think myself ill-used
+that no farewell privileges were granted me. Now I can understand why
+people find comfort in praying for those they love; for what else can
+I do but pray while he is away? Oh, I shall not, cannot, will not,
+miss my way to heaven if he gets there before me!"
+
+In utter abandonment she threw herself down in the long yellow
+sedge-grass,--frightening a whole covey of gossiping young partridges
+and a couple of meek doves, all of which whirred away to an adjacent
+pea-field, leaving her with her face buried in her hands, and watched
+by trembling mute crickets and cicadae.
+
+On the topmost twig of the tallest tree a mocking-bird poised himself,
+and sympathetically poured out his vesper canticle,--a song of
+condolence to the prostrate figure who, just then, would have
+preferred the echo of a man's deep voice to all Pergolese's strains.
+
+After a little while pitying Venus swung her golden globe in among the
+apple-boughs, peeping compassionately at her luckless votary; and,
+finally, in the violet west,--
+
+  "Two silver beacons sphered in the skies,
+  Eve in her cradle opening her eyes."
+
+Two weeks dragged themselves away without bringing any tidings of
+the absent master; but, towards the close of the third, a brief
+letter informed his sister that the invalid friend was still alive,
+though no hope of his recovery was entertained, and that it was
+impossible to fix any period for the writer's return. Salome asked
+no questions, but the eager, hungry expression, with which she
+eyed the letter as it lay on the top of the stocking-basket,
+touched Miss Jane's tender heart; and, knowing that it contained no
+allusion to the orphan, she put it into her hand, and noticed the
+cloud of disappointment that gathered over her features as she
+perused and refolded it. Another week--monotonous, tedious, almost
+interminable--crept by, and one morning as Salome passed the
+post-office she inquired for letters, and received one post-marked
+New York and addressed to Miss Jane.
+
+Hurrying homeward with the precious missive, her pace would well-nigh
+have distanced Hermes, and the dusty winding road seemed to mock her
+with lengthening curves while she pressed on; but at last she reached
+the gate, sped up the avenue, and, pausing a moment at the threshold
+to catch her breath and appear _nonchalant_, she demurely entered Miss
+Jane's apartment. The only occupant was a servant sewing near the
+window, and who, in reply to an eager question, informed Salome that
+the mistress had gone to spend the day with a friend whose residence
+was six miles distant.
+
+The girl bit her lip until the blood started, and, to conceal her
+chagrin, took refuge in the parlor, where the quiet dimness offered a
+covert. Locking the door, she sat down in one of the cushioned
+rocking-chairs and looked at the letter lying between her fingers. The
+gilt clock on the mantel uttered a dull, clicking sound, and a little
+green and gold-colored bird hopped out and "cuckooed" ten times. Miss
+Jane would not probably return before seven, possibly eight o'clock,
+and what could be done to strangle those intervening nine hours?
+
+The blood, heated by exercise and impatience, throbbed fiercely in her
+temples and thumped heavily at her heart, producing a half-suffocating
+sensation; and, in her feverish anxiety, the doom of Damiens appeared
+tolerable in comparison with the torturing suspense of nine hours on
+the rack.
+
+The envelope was an ordinary white one, merely sealed with a solution
+of gum arabic, and dexterous fingers could easily open and reclose it
+without fear of detection, especially by eyes so dim and uncertain as
+those for which it had been addressed. A damp cloth laid upon the
+letter would in five minutes prove an _open sesame_ to its coveted
+contents, and a legion of fiends patted the girl's tingling fingers
+and urged her to this prompt and feasible relief from her goading
+impatience. Secure from intrusion and beyond the possibility of
+discovery, she turned the envelope up and down and over, examining the
+seal; and the amber gleams lying _perdu_ under the shadows of her
+pupils rayed out, glowing with a baleful Lucifer light, as infallibly
+indicative of evil purposes as the sudden kindling in a crouching
+cat's or cougar's gaze, just as they spring upon their prey.
+
+It was a mighty temptation, cunningly devised and opportunely
+presented, and six months ago her parley with the imps of Apollyon who
+contrived it would not have lasted five minutes; but, in some natures,
+love for a human being will work marvels which neither the fear of
+God, nor the hope of heaven, nor yet the promptings of self-respect
+have power to accomplish.
+
+Now while Salome dallied with the temper and gave audience to the
+clamors of her rebellious heart, she looked up and met the earnest
+gaze of a pair of sunny blue eyes in a picture that hung directly
+opposite.
+
+It was an admirable portrait of Dr. Grey, clad in full uniform as
+surgeon in the U.S. Navy, and painted when he was twenty-eight years
+old. Up at that calm, cloudless countenance, the girl looked
+breathlessly, spell-bound as if in the presence of a reproving angel;
+and, after some seconds had elapsed, she hurled the unopened letter
+across the room, and lifted her hands appealingly,--
+
+"No,--no! I did not--I cannot--I will not act so basely! I must not
+soil fingers that should be pure enough to touch yours. I was sorely
+tempted, my beloved; but, thank God, your blessed blue eyes saved me.
+It is hard to endure nine hours of suspense, but harder still to bear
+the thought that I have stooped to a deed that would sink me one iota
+in your good opinion. I will root out the ignoble tendencies of my
+nature, and keep my heart and lips and hands stainless,--hold them
+high above the dishonorable things that you abhor, and live during
+your absence as if your clear eyes took cognizance of every detail.
+Yea,--search me as you will, dear deep-blue eyes,--I shall not shrink;
+for the rule of my future years shall be to scorn every word, thought,
+and deed that I would not freely bare to the scrutiny of the man whose
+respect I would sooner die than forfeit. Oh, my darling, it were
+easier for me to front the fiercest flames of Tophet than face your
+scorn! I can wait till Miss Jane sees fit to show me the letter, and,
+if it bring good news of your speedy coming, I shall have my reward;
+if not, why should I hasten to meet a bitter disappointment which may
+be lagging out of mercy to me?"
+
+Picking up the letter as suspiciously as if it had been dropped by
+the Prince of Darkness on the crest of Quarantina, she stepped upon a
+table and inserted the corner of the envelope in the crevice between
+the canvas and the portrait-frame, repeating the while a favorite
+passage that she had first heard from Dr. Grey's lips,--
+
+  "'God meant me good too, when he hindered me
+  From saying "yes" this morning. I say no,--no!
+  I tie up "no" upon His altar-horns,
+  Quite out of reach of perjury!'"
+
+Young though she was, experience had taught her that the most
+effectual method of locking the wheels of time consisted in sitting
+idly down to watch and count their revolutions; consequently, she
+hastened upstairs and betook herself vigorously to the work of
+embroidering a _parterre_ of flowers on the front breadth of an
+infant's christening dress which her employer had promised should be
+completed before the following Sabbath.
+
+Stab the laggard seconds as she might with her busy needle, the day
+was drearily long; and few genuine cuckoo-carols have been listened to
+with such grateful rejoicing as greeted those metallic gutturals that
+once in every sixty minutes issued from the throat of the gaudy
+automaton caged in the gilt clock.
+
+True, nine hours are intrinsically nine hours under all circumstances,
+whether decapitation or coronation awaits their expiration; but to the
+doomed victim or the heir-apparent they appear relatively shorter or
+longer. At last Salome saw that the shadows on the grass were
+lengthening. Her head ached, her eyes burned from steady application
+to her trying work, and laying aside the cambric, she leaned against
+the window-facing and looked out over the lawn, where Time seemed to
+have fallen asleep in the mild autumn sunshine.
+
+How sweet and welcome was the distance-muffled sound of tinkling
+cow-bells, and the low bleating of homeward-strolling flocks, wending
+their way across the hills through which the road crawled like a dusty
+gray serpent.
+
+A noisy club of black-birds that had been holding an indignation
+meeting in the top of a walnut tree near the gate, adjourned to the
+sycamore grove that overshadowed the barn in the rear of the house;
+and Stanley's pigeons, which had been cooing and strutting in the
+avenue, went to roost in the pretty painted pagoda Dr. Grey had
+erected for their comfort. Finally, the low-swung, heavy carriage,
+with its stout dappled horses, gladdened Salome's strained eyes; and,
+soon after, she heard the thump of Miss Jane's crutches and her
+cheerful voice, asking,--
+
+"Where are the children? Tell them I have come home. Bless me, the
+house is as dark as a dungeon! Rachel, have we neither lamps nor
+candles?"
+
+The orphan stole down the steps, climbed upon the table in the parlor,
+and, seizing the letter, hurried into the dining-room, where, quite
+exhausted by the fatigue of the day, the old lady lay on the sofa.
+
+She held out her hand and drew the girl's face within reach of her
+lips, saying,--
+
+"My child, I am afraid you have had rather a lonely day."
+
+"Decidedly the loneliest and longest I ever spent, and I believe I
+never was half so glad to see you come home as just now when the
+carriage stopped at the door."
+
+Ah, what hypocrisy is sometimes innocently masked by the earnest
+utterance of the truth! And what marvels of industry are accomplished
+by self-love, which seeks more assiduously than bees for the honied
+drops of flattery that feed its existence!
+
+Miss Jane was pardonably proud that her presence was so essential to
+the happiness of the orphan whom she fondly loved, and gratification
+spread a pleasant smile over her worn features.
+
+"Where is Stanley? The child ought not to be out so late."
+
+"He went down to the sheep-pen to count the lambs and look after one
+that broke its leg yesterday. Miss Jane, are you too much fatigued to
+read a letter which I found this morning in your box at the
+post-office?"
+
+"Is it from Ulpian? I was wondering to-day why I did not hear from
+him. Dear me, what have I done with my spectacles? They are the
+torment of my life, for the instant I take them off my nose they seem
+to find wings. Give me the letter, and see whether I left my glasses
+on the bed where I put my bonnet."
+
+Salome went into the next room and unsuccessfully searched the bed,
+bureau, table, and wardrobe; and in an agony of impatience, returned
+to the invalid.
+
+"You must have lost them before you came home; I can't find them
+anywhere. Let me read the letter to you."
+
+"No; I must have my glasses. Perhaps I dropped them in the carriage.
+Send word to the driver to look for them. It was very careless in me
+to lose them, but I am growing so forgetful. Rachel, do hunt for my
+spectacles."
+
+Salome ground her teeth to suppress a cry of vexation; and, to conceal
+her impatience, joined heartily in the search.
+
+Finally she found the glasses on the front steps, where they had
+fallen when their owner left the carriage; and, feeling that adverse
+fate could no longer keep her in suspense, she hurried into the house
+and adjusted them on Miss Jane's eagle nose.
+
+Conscious that she was fast losing control over the nerves that were
+quivering from long-continued tension, Salome stepped to the open
+window and stood waiting. Would the old lady never finish the perusal?
+The minutes seemed hours, and the pulsing of the blood in the girl's
+ears sounded like muttering thunder.
+
+Miss Jane sighed heavily,--cleared her throat, and sighed again.
+
+"It is very sad, indeed! It is too bad,--too bad!"
+
+Salome turned around, and exclaimed, savagely,--
+
+"Why can't you speak out? What is the matter? What has happened?"
+
+"Ulpian's friend is dead."
+
+"Thank God!"
+
+"For shame! How can you be so heartless?"
+
+"If the man could not recover I should think you would be glad that
+he is at rest, and that your brother can come home."
+
+"But the worst of the matter is that Ulpian is not coming home. Mr.
+Manton wished him to act as guardian for his daughter, who is in
+Europe, and Ulpian will sail in the next steamer for England, to
+attend to some business connected with the estate. It is too
+provoking, isn't it? He says it is impossible to tell when we shall
+see him again."
+
+There was no answer, and, when Miss Jane wiped her eyes and looked
+around, she saw the girl tottering towards the door, groping her way
+like one blind.
+
+"Salome,--come here, child!"
+
+But the figure disappeared in the hall, and when the moonlight looked
+into the orphan's chamber the soft rays showed a girlish form kneeling
+at the window, with a white face drenched by tears, and quivering lips
+that moaned in feeble, broken accents,--
+
+"God help me! I might have known it, for I had a presentiment of
+terrible trouble when he went away. How can I trust God and be
+patient, while the Atlantic raves and surges between me and my idol?
+After all, it was an angel of mercy whose tender white hands held
+back this bitter blow for nine hours. Gone to Europe, and not one
+word--not one line--to me! Oh, my darling! you are trampling under
+your feet the heart that loves you better than everything else in the
+universe,--better than life, and its hopes of heaven!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+
+"Salome, where did you learn to sing? I was astonished this morning
+when I heard you."
+
+"I have not yet learned,--I have only begun to practise."
+
+"But, my child, I had no idea you owned such a voice. Where have you
+kept it concealed so long?"
+
+"I was not aware that I had it until a month ago, when it accidentally
+discovered itself."
+
+"It is very powerful."
+
+"Yes, and very rough; but care and study will smooth and polish it.
+Miss Jane, please keep your eye on Stanley until I come home; for,
+although I left him with his slate and arithmetic, it is by no means
+certain that they will not part company the moment I am out of
+sight."
+
+"Where are you going?"
+
+"To carry back some work which would have been returned yesterday had
+not the weather been so inclement."
+
+In addition to the package of embroidered handkerchiefs, Salome
+carried under her arm a roll of music and an instruction-book; and,
+when she reached the outskirts of the town, turned away from the main
+street and stopped at the door of a small comfortless-looking house
+that stood without enclosure on the common.
+
+Two swart, black-eyed children were playing mumble-peg with a broken
+knife, in one corner of the room; a third, with tears still on its
+lashes, had just sobbed itself to sleep on a strip of faded carpet
+stretched before the smouldering embers on the hearth; while the
+fourth, a feeble infant only six months old, was wailing in the arms
+of its mother,--a thin, sickly woman, with consumption's red autograph
+written on her hollow cheeks, where the skin clung to the bones as if
+resisting the chill grasp of death. As she slowly rocked herself,
+striving to hush the cry of the child, her dry, husky cough formed a
+melancholy chorus, which seemed to annoy a man who sat before the
+small table covered with materials for copying music. His cadaverous,
+sallow complexion, and keen, restless eyes, bespoke Italian origin;
+and, although engaged in filling some blank sheets with musical notes,
+he occasionally took up a violin that lay across his knees, and, after
+playing a few bars, laid aside the bow and resumed the pen. Now and
+then he glanced at his wife and child with a scowling brow; but, as
+his eyes fell on their emaciated faces, something like a sigh seemed
+to heave his chest.
+
+When Salome's knock arrested his attention he rose and advanced to the
+half-open door, saying, impatiently,--
+
+"Well, miss, have you brought me any money?"
+
+"Good morning, Mr. Barilli. Here are the ten dollars that I promised,
+but I wish you to understand that in future I shall not advance one
+cent of my tuition-money. When the month ends you will receive your
+wages, but not one day earlier."
+
+"I beg pardon, miss; but, indeed, you see--"
+
+He did not conclude the sentence, but waved his hand towards the two
+in the rocking-chair and proceeded to count the money placed in his
+palm.
+
+"Yes, I see that you are very destitute, but charity begins at home,
+and I have to work hard for the wages that you have demanded before
+they are due. Good morning, madam; I hope you feel better to-day.
+Come, Mr. Barilli, I have no time to waste in loitering. Are you ready
+for my lesson?"
+
+"Quite ready, miss. Commence."
+
+For three-quarters of an hour he listened to her exercises, which he
+accompanied with his violin, and afterwards directed her to sing an
+air from a collection of songs on the table. As her deep, rich
+contralto notes swelled round and full, he shut his eyes and nodded
+his head as if in an ecstacy; and, when she concluded, he rapped his
+violin heavily with the bow, and exclaimed,--
+
+"Some day when you sing that at _Della Scala_, remember the poor devil
+who taught it to you in a hovel. Soaked as those old walls are with
+music from the most famous lips the world ever applauded, they hold no
+echoes sweeter than that last trill. After all, there is no
+passion--no pathos--comparable to a perfect contralto crescendo. It is
+wonderful how you Americans squander voices that would rouse all
+Europe into a _furore_."
+
+"I am afraid your eager desire for pupils biases your judgment, and
+invests my voice with fictitious worth," answered Salome, eyeing him
+suspiciously.
+
+"Ha! you mean that I flatter, in order to keep you. Not so, miss. If
+St. Cecilia herself asked tuition without good pay, I should shut the
+door in her face; but, much as I need money, I would not risk my
+reputation by praising what was poor. If one of my children--that
+miserable little Beatrice, yonder--only had your voice, do you think I
+would copy music, or teach beginners, or live in this cursed hole?
+You have a fortune shut up in your throat, and some day, when you are
+celebrated, at least do me the justice to tell the world who first
+found the treasure; and, out of your wealth, spare me a decent
+tombstone in the Campo Santo of--of--"
+
+He laughed bitterly, and, seizing his violin, filled the room with
+mournful _miserere_ strains.
+
+"How long a course of training do you think will be necessary before
+the inequalities in my voice can be corrected and my vocalization
+perfected?"
+
+"You are very young, miss, and it would not do to strain your voice,
+which is well-nigh perfect in itself; but, of course, your execution
+is defective,--just as a young nightingale cannot warble all its
+strains before it is full-feathered. If you study faithfully, in one
+year, or certainly one and a half, you will be ready for your
+engagement at Della Scala. Hist! see if you can follow me?"
+
+He played a subtle, chromatic passage, ending in a trill, and the
+orphan echoed it with such accuracy and sweetness that the teacher
+threw down his bow, and, while tears stood in his glittering eyes, he
+put his brown hand on the girl's head, and said, earnestly,--
+
+"There ought to be feathers here instead of hair, for no nightingale,
+nestled in the olive groves of Italy, ever warbled more easily and
+naturally. Don't go out to the world as Miss Owen,--make it call you
+_Rosignuolo_. Take the next page in the instruction-book for a new
+lesson, and practise the old scales over before you touch the
+new,--they are like steps in a ladder, and save jumps and jars. God
+made your voice wonderful, and, if you are only careful not to undo
+his work, it will develop itself every year in fresh power and depth.
+Ha! if my poor squeaking Beatrice only had it! But there is no more
+music stored in her throat and chest than in a regiment of rats. Good
+day, miss. Your lesson is ended, and I go to buy some wood for my
+miserable shiverers."
+
+He seized his hat and walking-stick and quitted the house, leaving his
+pupil to gather up her music and conjecture, meanwhile, whether the
+wood-yard or a neighboring bar-room was his real destination.
+
+His dissipated habits had greatly impaired her faith in the accuracy
+of his critical acumen touching professional matters, and, as she
+rolled up the sheet of paper in her hands, Salome approached the
+feeble occupant of the rocking-chair, and said, rather abruptly,--
+
+"Madam Barilli, you ought to know when your husband speaks earnestly
+and when he is merely indulging in idle flattery, and I wish to learn
+his real opinion of my voice. Will you tell me the truth?"
+
+"Yes, miss, I will. I am no musician, and never was in Europe, where
+he studied; but he talks constantly of your voice, and tells me there
+is a fortune in it. Only last night he swore that if he could control
+it, he would not take a hundred thousand dollars for the right; and
+then, poor fellow, he fell into one of his fierce ways and boxed my
+little Beatrice's ears, because, he said, all the teachers in the
+_Conservatoire_ could not put into her throat the trill that you were
+born with. Ah, no, he flatters no one now! He has forgotten how, since
+the day that I was coaxed to run away from my father's elegant home
+and marry the tenor singer of an opera troupe and the professor who
+taught me the gamut at boarding-school. Miss, you may believe him, for
+Sebastian Barilli means what he says."
+
+"One hundred thousand dollars! I promise him and you that if one-half
+of that amount can be 'trilled' into my pocket you shall both be
+comfortable during the remainder of your days."
+
+"Mine are numbered, and will end before your career begins; and, when
+you sing in Della Scala, I trust I shall be singing up yonder behind
+the stars, where cold and hunger and heart-ache and cruel words cannot
+follow me. But, miss, when I am gone, and Sebastian is over at the
+corner trying to drown his troubles, and my four helpless little ones
+are left here unprotected, for God's sake look in upon them now and
+then, and don't let them cry for bread. My own family long ago cast me
+off, and here I am a stranger; but you, who have felt the pangs of
+orphanage, will not stand by and see my darlings starve! Oh, miss,
+the poor who cannot pity the poor must be hard-hearted indeed!"
+
+The suffering woman pressed her moaning babe closer to her bosom, and,
+taking Salome's hand between her thin, hot fingers, bowed her
+tear-stained face upon it.
+
+Grim recollections of similar scenes enacted in the old house behind
+the mill crowded upon the mind of the miller's daughter, hardening
+instead of melting her heart; but, withdrawing her fingers, she said
+in as kind a tone as she could command,--
+
+"The poor are sometimes too poor to aid each other, and pity is most
+unpalatable fare; but, if your husband has not grossly deceived
+himself and me with reference to my voice, I will promise that your
+children shall not suffer while I live. For their sake do not despond,
+but try to keep up your spirits, else your husband will be utterly
+ruined. Gloomy hearthstones make club-rooms and bar-rooms populous.
+Good-by. When I come again, I will bring something to stimulate your
+appetite, which seems to require coaxing."
+
+She stooped and looked for a minute at the gaunt, white face of the
+half-famished infant pressed against the mother's feverish breast, and
+an irresistible impulse impelled her to stroke back the rings of black
+hair that clustered on its sunken temples; then, snatching her music
+and bundle, she hurried out of the close, untidy room, and, once more
+upon the grassy common, drew a long, deep breath of pure fresh air.
+
+Autumn, with orange dawns, and mellow, misty moons, when
+
+  "Sweet, calm days, in golden haze
+    Melt down the amber sky,"
+
+had died on bare brown stubble-fields and vine-veined hill-sides,
+purple with clustering grapes on leafless branches; and wintry days
+had come, with sleety morns and chill, crisp noons, and scarlet sunset
+banners flouting the silver stars in western skies, where the
+shivering, gasping old year had woven,--
+
+  "One strait gown of red
+    Against the cold."
+
+None of the earlier years of Salome's life seemed to her half so
+drearily long as the four monotonous months that followed Dr. Grey's
+departure; and, during the intervals between his brief letters to his
+sister, the orphan learned a deceptive quietude of manner, at variance
+with the tumultuous feelings that agitated her heart; for painful
+suspense which is borne with clenched hands and firmly-set teeth is
+not the more patient because sternly mute.
+
+Which suffered least, Philoctetes howling on the shores of Lemnos, or
+the silent Trojan priest, writhing in a death-struggle with the
+serpent folds that crushed him before the altar of Neptune?
+
+If any messages intended for Salome found their way across the ocean,
+they finally missed their destination, and reached the dead-letter
+office of Miss Jane's vast and inviolate pocket; and, while this
+apparent neglect piqued the girl's vanity, the blessed assurance that
+the absent master was alive and well proved a sovereign balm for all
+the bleeding wounds of _amour propre_.
+
+In order to defray the expense of her musical tuition, which was
+carried on in profound secrecy, it was necessary to redouble her
+exertions; and all the latent energy of her character developed itself
+in unflagging work, which she persistently prosecuted early and late,
+and in quiet defiance of Miss Jane's expostulations and predictions
+that she would permanently impair her sight.
+
+Paramount to the desire of amassing wealth that would enable her to
+provide for Jessie and Stanley rose the hope that the cultivation of
+her voice would invest her with talismanic influence over the man who
+was singularly susceptible of the magic of music; and, jealously
+guarding the new-found gift, she spared no toil to render it perfect.
+
+Fearful that her suddenly acquired fondness for singing might arouse
+suspicion and inquiry, she rarely practised at home unless Miss Jane
+were absent; and, having procured a tuning-fork, she retreated to the
+most secluded portion of the adjoining forest and rehearsed her
+lessons to a mute audience of grazing cattle, sombre pines, nodding
+plumes of golden-rod, and shivering white asters, belated and
+overtaken by wintry blasts. Alone with nature, she warbled as
+unrestrainedly as the birds who listened to her quavering crescendos;
+and more than once she had become so absorbed in this forest
+practising, that twinkling stars peeped down at her through the fringy
+canopy of murmuring firs.
+
+In fulfilment of a promise given to Stanley, with the hope of
+stimulating him to more earnest study, Salome one day took a piece of
+sewing and her music-book, and set off with her brother for the
+sea-shore, where he was sometimes allowed to amuse himself by catching
+crabs and shrimps. The route they were compelled to take was very
+circuitous, since strangers were now forbidden to stroll through the
+grounds attached to "Solitude," which was the nearest point where land
+and ocean met. Following a cattle-path that threaded the bare brown
+hills and wound through low marsh meadows, Salome at length climbed a
+cliff that overhung the narrow strip of beach running along the base
+of the promontory, and, while Stanley prepared his net, she applied
+herself vigorously to the completion of a cluster of lilies of the
+valley which she had begun to embroider the preceding night.
+
+It was a mild, sunny afternoon, late in December, with only a few
+flakes of white curd-like cirri drifting slowly before the stiffening
+south wind that came singing a song of the tropics over the gently
+heaving waste of waters--
+
+  "Where the green buds of waves burst into white froth flowers."
+
+Two glimmering sails stood like phantoms on the horizon; and a silent
+colony of snowy gulls, perched in conclave on a bit of weed-wreathed
+drift floating landward, were the only living things in sight, save
+the childish figure on the yellow beach under the bleaching rocks, and
+the girlish one seated on the tallest cliff, where a storm-scarred
+juniper, bending inland, waved its scanty fringe in the fresh salt
+breeze.
+
+No note of human strife entered here, nor hum of noisy business marts;
+and the solemn silence, so profound and holy, was broken only by the
+soft, mysterious murmur of the immemorial ocean, as its crystal
+fingers smote the harp of rosy shells and golden sands.
+
+Clasped in the crescent that curved a mile northward lay the house,
+and grove, and grounds of "Solitude," looking sombre in the distance,
+as the shadow of surrounding hills fell upon the dense foliage that
+overhung its quiet precincts, and toned down the garish red of the
+boat-house roof, which lent a brief dash of color to the peaceful
+picture. Beyond the last guarding promontory that seemed to have
+plunged through the shelving strand to bathe in blue brine and cut off
+all passage along its base, a strong well-trained eye might follow the
+trend of the coast even to the dim outlines and thread-like masts,
+that told where the distant town hugged its narrow harbor; and, in the
+opposite direction, low, irregular sand hills and brown marshes crept
+southward, as if hunting the warmth that alone could mantle them with
+living verdure.
+
+As the afternoon wore away, the sinking sun dipped suddenly behind a
+wooded eminence, which, losing the warm purples it had worn since
+noon, grew chill and blue as his rays departed; and, weary of her
+work, Salome put it aside and began to practise her music lesson,
+beating time with her slender fingers on the bare juniper-roots, from
+which wind and rain had driven the soil. Running her chromatic scales,
+and pausing at will to trill upon any minor note that wooed her
+vagrant fancy, she played with her flexible voice as dexterous
+violinists toy with the obedient strings they hold in harmonious
+bondage to their bows.
+
+Finally she pushed the exercises away, and began a _fantasus_ from
+"Traviata," which she had heard Mr. Barilli play several times; and so
+absorbed was she in testing her capacity for vocal gymnastics that she
+failed to observe the moving figure dwarfed by distance and pacing the
+sands in front of "Solitude."
+
+The rich, fresh tones which seemed occasionally to tremble with the
+excess of melody that burdened them played hide-and-seek among the
+hills, startling whole choruses of deep-throated echoes, and attending
+and retentive ocean, catching the strains on her beryl strings, bore
+them whither--and how far? To palm-plumed equatorial isles, where
+dying auricular nerves mistook them for seraphic utterances? To
+toiling mariners, tossed helplessly by fierce typhoons, who, pausing
+in their scramble for spars, listened to the weird melody that
+presaged woe and wreck? To the broken casements of fishermen's huts,
+on distant shores, where anxious wives peered out in the blackening
+tempest, and shrank back appalled by sounds which sea-tradition
+averred were born in coral caves, mosaiced with blanching human
+skulls? What hoary hierophant in the mysteries of cataphonics and
+diacoustics will undertake to track those trills across the blue bosom
+of the Atlantic or the purplish billows of the Indian Ocean?
+
+The wind went down with the sun; silver-edged cirri lost their
+glitter, and swift was
+
+                     ... "The spread
+  Of orange lustre through these azure spheres
+  Where little clouds lie still like flocks of sheep,
+  Or vessels sailing in God's other deep."
+
+In that wondrous and magical after-glow which tenderly hovers over the
+darkening face of the dying day, like the strange, spectral smile that
+only sheds its cold, supernatural light on lips twelve hours dead,
+Salome's fair face and graceful _pose_ was as softly defined against
+the western sky as some nimbussed saint or madonna on the golden
+background of old Byzantine pictures. Her small straw hat, wreathed
+with scarlet poppies, lay at her feet; and around her shoulders she
+had closely folded a bright plaid flannel cloak, which tinted her
+complexion with its ruddy hues, as firelight flushes the olive
+portraits that stare at it from surrounding walls, and the braided
+black hair and large hazel eyes showed every brown tint and topaz
+gleam.
+
+Leaning her arms on the top of her music-book, she rested her chin
+upon them, and sat looking seaward, singing a difficult passage, in
+the midst of which her nimble voice tripped on an E flat, and, missing
+the staccato step, rolled helplessly down in a legato flood of melody;
+whereupon, with an impatient grimace she shut her eyes, weary of
+watching the wave-shimmer that almost dazzled her. After a few
+seconds, when she opened them, there stood just on the edge of the
+cliff, as if poised in air, a woman whose face and form were as
+sharply cut in profile on the azure sea and sky as white cameo
+features on black agate grounds.
+
+Around the tall figure shining folds of silver poplin hung heavy and
+statuesque, and over the shoulders a blue crape shawl was held by a
+beautiful blue-veined hand, where a sapphire asp kept guard; while a
+cluster of double violets fastened behind one shell-like ear breathed
+their perfume among glossy bands of gray hair.
+
+  "There was no color in the quiet mouth,
+  Nor fulness; yet it had a ghostly grace,
+  Pathetically pale,"
+
+and wan, and woful--the still face turned seaward, fronting a round
+white moon that was lifting its full disk out of the line where air
+and water met--she stood motionless.
+
+Lifting her head, Salome shivered involuntarily, and grew a shade
+paler as she breathlessly watched the apparition, expecting that it
+would fade into blue air or float down and mingle with the waters that
+gave it birth. But there was no wavering mistiness about the shining
+drapery; and, presently, when she turned and came forward, the orphan,
+despite her sneers at superstition, felt the hair creep and rise on
+her temples, and, springing to her feet, they faced each other. As the
+stranger advanced, Salome unconsciously retreated a few steps, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"Gray-eyed, gray-haired, gray-clad, gray-faced, and rising out of that
+gray sea, I suppose I have at last met the gray ghost that people tell
+me haunts old 'Solitude.' But how came such a young face under that
+drift of white hair? If all ghosts have such finely carved, delicate
+noses and chins, such oval cheeks and pretty brows, most of us here in
+the flesh might thank fortune for a chance to 'shuffle off this mortal
+coil.' Say, are you the troubled evil spirit that haunts 'Solitude'?"
+
+"I am."
+
+The voice was so mournfully sweet that it thrilled every nerve in
+Salome's quivering frame.
+
+"Phantom or flesh--which are you?"
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, the owner of 'Solitude.'"
+
+"Oh, indeed! I beg your pardon, madam, but I took you for a wraith!
+You know the place has always been considered unlucky--haunted--and
+you are such an extraordinary-looking person I was inclined to think I
+had stumbled on the traditional ghost. I am neither ignorant nor
+stupidly superstitious; but, madam, you must admit you have an
+unearthly appearance; and, moreover, I should be glad to know how you
+rose from the beach below to the top of this cliff? I see no feathers
+on your shoulders--no balloon under your feet!"
+
+"I was walking on the sands in front of my door, and, hearing some
+very sweet strains that came floating down from this direction, I
+followed the sound, and climbed by means of steps cut in the side of
+this cliff. Since you regarded me as a spectre, I may as well tell you
+that I was beginning to fancy I was listening to one of the old
+sea-sirens, until I saw your rosy face and red lips, far too human for
+a dripping mermaid or a murderous, mocking Aglaiopheme."
+
+"No more a siren, madam, than you are a ghost! I am only Salome Owen,
+the miller's child, waiting for that boy yonder, whose sublimest idea
+of heaven consists in the hope that its blessed sea of glass is
+brimming with golden shrimp. Stanley, run around the cliff, and meet
+me. It is too late for us to be here. We should have started home an
+hour ago."
+
+"Who taught you 'Traviata'?"
+
+"I am teaching myself, with what small help I can obtain from a
+vagabond musician, who calls himself Signor Barilli, and claims to
+have been a tenor singer in an opera troupe at Milan."
+
+"You ought to cultivate your voice as thoroughly as possible."
+
+"Why? Is it really good? Tell me, is it worth anything? No one has
+heard it except that Italian violinist; and, if he praises it, I
+sometimes fear it is because he is so horribly dissipated that he
+confounds my _bravura_ runs with the clicking of his wine-glasses and
+the gurgling of his flask. Do you know much about music?"
+
+"I have heard the best living performers, vocal and instrumental, and
+to a finer voice than yours I never listened; but you need study and
+practice, for your execution is faulty. You have a splendid
+instrument; but you do not yet understand its management. Where do you
+live?"
+
+"At 'Grassmere,' a farm two miles behind those hills, and in a house
+hidden under elm and apple trees. Madam, it is very late, and I must
+bid you good-evening. Before I go, I should like to know, if you will
+not deem me unwarrantably impertinent, whether you are a very young
+person with white hair, or whether you are a very old woman with a
+wonderfully young face?"
+
+For a moment there was no answer; and, supposing that she had offended
+her, the orphan bowed and was turning away, when Mrs. Gerome's calm,
+mournful tones arrested her:
+
+"I am only twenty-three years old."
+
+She walked away, turning her countenance towards the water, where
+moonlight was burnishing the waves; and, when Salome and Stanley had
+reached the bend in their path that would shut out the view of the
+beach, the former looked back and saw the silver-gray figure standing
+alone on the silent shore, communing with the silver sea, as desolate
+and as hopeless as Buchanan's "Penelope,"--
+
+  "An alabaster woman, whose fixed eyes
+  Stare seaward, whether it be storm or calm."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+
+"Doctor Sheldon, do you think she is dangerously ill?"
+
+"I am afraid, Salome, that she will soon become so; for she is
+threatened with a violent attack of pneumonia, which would certainly
+be very dangerous to a woman of her age. It is a great misfortune that
+her brother is absent."
+
+"Dr. Grey reached New York three days ago."
+
+"Indeed! I will telegraph immediately, and hasten his return."
+
+Dr. Sheldon was preparing a blister in the room adjoining the one
+occupied by Miss Jane, and the orphan stood by his side, twisting her
+fingers nervously over each other, and looking perplexed and anxious.
+He returned to his patient, and when he came out some moments later,
+and took up his hat, his countenance was by no means reassuring.
+
+"Although I know that you are very much attached to Miss Jane, and
+would faithfully endeavor to nurse her, you are so young and
+inexperienced that I do not feel quite willing to leave her entirely
+to your guardianship; and, therefore, shall send a woman here to-night
+who will fully understand the case. She is a professional nurse, and
+Dr. Grey will be relieved to hear that his sister is in her hands, for
+he has great confidence in her good sense and discretion. I shall stop
+at the telegraph office, as I go home, and urge him to return at once.
+Give me his address. Do not look so dejected. Miss Grey has a better
+constitution than most persons are disposed to believe, and she may
+struggle through this attack."
+
+The new year was ushered in by heavy and incessant rains, and, having
+imprudently insisted upon superintending the drainage of a new
+sheepfold and the erection of an additional cattle-shed, Miss Jane had
+taken a severe cold, which resulted in pneumonia.
+
+Assiduously and tenderly Salome watched over her, and even after the
+arrival of Hester Dennison, the nurse, the orphan's solicitude would
+not permit her to quit the apartment where her benefactress lay
+struggling with disease; while Miss Jane shrank from the stranger, and
+preferred to receive the medicine from the hand of her adopted child.
+
+When Dr. Sheldon stood by the bed early next morning, and noted the
+effect of his treatment, Salome's keen eye observed the dissatisfied
+expression of his face, and she drew sad auguries from his clouded
+brow. He took a paper from his pocket, and said, cheerfully,--
+
+"Come, Miss Jane, get up a smile to pay me for the good news I bring.
+Can you guess what this means?" holding an envelope close to her
+eyes.
+
+"More blisters and fever mixtures, I suppose. Doctor, my poor side is
+in a dreadful condition."
+
+As she laid her hand over her left lung, she winced and groaned.
+
+"How much would you give to have your brother's hand, instead of mine,
+on your pulse?"
+
+"All that I am worth! But my boy is in Europe, and can't come back to
+me now, when I need him most."
+
+"No, he is in New York. You have been dreaming, and forget that he has
+reached America."
+
+"No, I never knew it. Salome, is there a letter?"
+
+"No letter, but a dispatch announcing his arrival. I told you; but you
+must have fallen asleep while I was talking to you."
+
+"No such thing! I have not slept a wink for a week."
+
+"That is right, Miss Jane; scold as much as you like; it will do you
+no harm. But, meantime, let me tell you I have just heard from Dr.
+Grey, and he is now on his way home."
+
+Salome was sitting near the pillow, and suddenly her head bowed
+itself, while her lips whispered, inaudibly,--
+
+"Thank God!"
+
+The invalid's face brightened, and, stretching her thin, hot hand
+towards the orphan, she touched her shoulder, and said:--
+
+"Do you hear that, my child? Ulpian is coming home. When will he be
+here?"
+
+"Day after to-morrow evening, I hope, if there is no detention and
+he makes all the railroad connections. I trust you will prove
+sufficiently generous to bear testimony to my professional skill, by
+improving so rapidly that when he arrives there will be nothing
+left to do but compliment my sagacity, and thank me for relieving you
+so speedily. Is not your cough rather better?"
+
+She did not reply; and, bending down, he saw that she was asleep.
+
+"Doctor, I am afraid she is not much better."
+
+He sighed, shook his head, and beckoned Hester into the hall in order
+to question her more minutely concerning the patient.
+
+That night and the next she was delirious, and failed to recognize any
+one; but about noon on the following day she opened her eyes, and,
+looking intently at Salome, who stood near the foot of the bed, she
+said, as if much perplexed,--
+
+"I saw Ulpian just now. Where is he?"
+
+"He will be here this afternoon, I hope. The train is due at two
+o'clock, and it is now a quarter past twelve."
+
+"I tell you I saw him not ten minutes since."
+
+"You are feverish, dear Miss Jane, and have been dreaming."
+
+"Don't contradict me! Am I in my dotage, think you? I saw my boy, and
+he was pale, and had blood on his hands, and it ran down his beard and
+dripped on his vest. You can't deceive me! What is the matter with my
+poor boy? I will see him! Give me my crutches this instant!"
+
+She struggled into a partially upright position, but fell back upon
+her pillow exhausted and panting for breath.
+
+"You were delirious. I give you my word that he has not yet come home.
+It was only a horrible dream. Hester will assure you of the truth of
+what I say. You must lie still, for this excitement will injure you."
+
+The nurse gave her a powerful sedative, and strove to divert her
+thoughts; but ever and anon she shuddered and whispered,--
+
+"It was not a dream. I saw my dear sailor-boy, and he was hurt and
+bleeding. I know what I saw; and if you and Hester swore till every
+star dropped out of heaven, I would not believe you. If I am old and
+dying, my eyes are better than yours. My poor Ulpian!"
+
+Despite her knowledge of the feverish condition of the sick woman, and
+her incredulity with reference to the vision that so painfully
+disturbed her, Salome's lips blanched, and a vague, nameless, horrible
+dread seized her heart.
+
+Very soon Miss Jane fell into a heavy sleep, and, while the nurse
+busied herself in preparing a bottle of beef-tea, the orphan sat with
+her head pressed against the bedpost, and her eyes riveted on the face
+of the watch in her palm, where the minute-hand seemed now and then to
+stop, as if for breathing-time, and the hour-hand to have forgotten
+the way to two o'clock.
+
+For nearly six months Salome had counted the weeks and days,--had
+waited and hoped for the hour of Dr. Grey's return as the happiest of
+her life,--had imagined his greeting, the bright, steady glow in his
+fine eyes, the warm, cordial pressure of his white hand, the friendly
+tones of his pleasant voice; for, though he had failed to bid her
+good-by, fate could not cheat her out of the interview that must
+follow his arrival. Fancy had painted so vividly all the incidents
+that would characterize this longed-for greeting, that she had lived
+it over a thousand times; and, now that the meeting seemed actually at
+hand, she asked herself whether it were possible that disappointment
+could pour one poisonous drop into the brimming draught of joy that
+rose foaming in amber bubbles to her parched lips.
+
+In the profound silence that pervaded the darkened room, the ticking
+of the watch was annoyingly audible, and seemed to Salome's strained
+and excited nerves so unusually loud that she feared it might disturb
+the sleeper. At a quarter to two o'clock she went to the hearth and
+noiselessly renewed the fire, laying two fresh pieces of oak across
+the shining brass andirons, whose feet represented lions' heads.
+
+She swept the hearth, arranged some vials that were scattered on the
+dressing-table, and gave a few improving touches to a vase filled with
+white and orange crocuses, then crept back to the bedside and again
+picked up the watch. It still lacked fifteen minutes of two, and,
+looking more closely, she found that it had stopped. Tossing it into a
+hollow formed by the folds of the coverlid, and repressing an
+impatient ejaculation, she listened for the sound of the railroad
+whistle, which, though muffled by distance, had not failed to reach
+her every day during the past week.
+
+Presently the silence, which made her ears ache, throbbed so suddenly
+that she started, but it was only the "cuckoo! cuckoo!" of the painted
+bird on the gilded clock. That clock was fifteen minutes slower than
+Miss Jane's watch; and Salome put her face in her hands, and tried to
+still the loud thumping sound of the blood at her heart.
+
+The train was behind time. Only a few moments as yet, but something
+must have happened to occasion even this slight delay; and, if
+something,--what?
+
+Hester came in and whispered,--
+
+"Dinner is ready, and Stanley is hungry. Has Miss Jane stirred since I
+went out?"
+
+"No; what time is it?"
+
+"Half after two."
+
+"Oh, nonsense! You are too fast."
+
+"Not a minute,--begging your pardon. My brother stays at the depot,
+and keeps my watch with the railroad time."
+
+Salome went to the dining-room, gave Stanley his dinner, and, anxious
+to escape observation, shut herself in the dim, cold parlor, where she
+paced the floor until the cuckoo jumped out, chirped three times, and,
+as if frightened by the girl's fixed eyes, fluttered back inside the
+clock. More than an hour behind time! Now, beyond all hope or doubt,
+there had been an accident! Loss of sleep for several consecutive
+nights, and protracted anxiety concerning Miss Jane, had so unnerved
+the orphan that she was less able to cope successfully with this
+harrowing suspense than on former occasions; still the sanguine
+hopefulness of youth battled valiantly with the ghouls that
+apprehension conjured up, and she remembered that comparatively
+trivial occurrences had sometimes detained the train, which finally
+brought all its human freight safely to the depot.
+
+The day had been very cold and gloomy; and thick, low masses of
+smoke-colored cloud scudded across the chill sky, whipped along their
+skirts by a stinging north-east blast into dun, ragged, trailing
+banners. Despite the keenness of the air, Salome opened one of the
+parlor windows and leaned her face on the broad sill, where a
+drizzling rain began to show itself. She had read and heard just
+enough with reference to the phenomena of _clairvoyance_ to sneer at
+them in happy hours, and to recur helplessly to the same subject with
+a species of silent dread when misfortune seemed imminent. To-day, as
+Miss Jane's delirious utterances haunted every nook and cranny of her
+excited brain, permeating all topics of thought, she recalled many
+instances, on legendary record, where the dying were endowed with
+talismanic power over the secrets of futurity. Could it be possible
+that Miss Jane had really seen what was taking place many miles
+distant? Reason shook her hoary head, and jeered at such childish
+fatuity; but superstitious credulity, goaded by an intense anxiety,
+would not be silenced nor put to the blush, but boldly babbled of
+Swedenborg and burning Stockholm.
+
+Once she had heard Dr. Grey tell his sister, in answer to some inquiry
+concerning the _arcana_ of mesmerism, that he had bestowed much time
+and thought upon the investigation of the subject, and was thoroughly
+convinced that there existed subtle psychological laws whose
+operations were not yet comprehended, but which, when analyzed and
+studied, would explain the remarkable influence of mind over mind, and
+prove that the dread and baffling mysteries of psychology were merely
+normal developments of intellectual power instead of supernatural or
+spiritual manifestations.
+
+This abstract view of the matter was, however, most unsatisfactory at
+the present juncture; and the current of Salome's reflections was
+abruptly changed by the sound of the locomotive whistle,--not the
+prolonged, steady roar, announcing arrival, but the sharp, short,
+shrill note of departure. Soon after, the clock struck four, and, ere
+the echoes fell asleep once more in the sombre corners of the quiet
+parlor, Dr. Sheldon drove up to the front door and entered the house.
+Springing into the hall, Salome met him, and laid her hand on his
+arm.
+
+"Salome, your face frightens me. How is Miss Jane? Has she grown worse
+so rapidly since I was here this morning?"
+
+"I see little change in her. But you have locked bad news behind your
+set teeth. Oh, for God's sake, don't torture me one second longer!
+Tell me the worst. What has happened?"
+
+"The down-train was thrown from an embankment twenty feet high, and
+the cars took fire. Many lives have been sacrificed, and it is the
+most awful affair I ever heard of."
+
+He had partially averted his head to avoid the sight of her whitening
+and convulsed features; but, laying her hands heavily upon his
+shoulders, she forced him to face her, and her voice sank to a husky
+whisper,--
+
+"Is he dead?"
+
+"I hope not."
+
+"Speak out,--or I shall go mad! Is he dead?"
+
+"Calm yourself, Salome, and let us hope for the best. We know nothing
+of the particulars of this dreadful disaster, and have learned the
+names of none of the sufferers. I have little doubt that Dr. Grey was
+on the train, but there is no certainty that he was injured. The
+regular up-train could not leave as usual, because the track was badly
+torn up; but a locomotive and three cars ran out a while ago with
+several surgeons and articles required for the victims. Pray sit down,
+my poor child, for you are unable to stand."
+
+"Where did it happen?"
+
+"Near Silver Run water-tank,--about forty miles from here. The
+accident occurred at twelve o'clock."
+
+Salome's grasp suddenly relaxed, and, tossing her hands above her
+head, she laughed hysterically,--
+
+"Ha, ha! Thank God, he is not dead! He is only hurt,--only bleeding.
+Miss Jane saw it all, and he is not dead, or she would have known it.
+Thank God!"
+
+Dr. Sheldon was a stern man and renowned for his iron nerves, but he
+shuddered as he looked at the pinched, wan face, and heard the
+unnatural, hollow sound of her unsteady voice. Had care, watching, and
+suspense unpoised her reason?
+
+Something of that which passed through his mind looked out of his
+eyes, and interpreting their amazed expression, the girl waved her
+hand towards the door, and added,--
+
+"I am not insane. Go in, and Hester will explain."
+
+He turned away, and she went back to the dusky room and threw herself
+down on the sofa, opposite to the portrait of the U.S. surgeon.
+
+Of what passed during the following two hours, she retained, in after
+years, only a dim, confused, painful memory of prayers and promises
+made to God in behalf of the absent.
+
+Once before, when Miss Jane's death seemed imminent, she had been
+grieved and perplexed by the possibility that Dr. Grey would inherit
+the estate and usurp her domains; but to-day, when the Great Reaper
+hovered over the panting, emaciated sufferer, and simultaneously
+threatened the distant brother and sole heir of the extended
+possessions which this girl had so long coveted, the only thought that
+filled her heart with dread and wrung half-smothered cries from her
+lips was,--
+
+"Spare his life, oh, my God! Leave me penniless--take friends,
+relatives, comforts, hopes of wealth--take all--take everything, but
+spare that precious life and bring him safely back to me! Have mercy
+on me, O Lord, and do not snatch him away! for, if I lose him now, I
+lose faith in Christ--in Thee--I lose all hope in time and eternity,
+and my sinful, wrecked soul will go down forever in a night that knows
+no dawning!"
+
+For six months she had been indeed,--
+
+  "A faded watcher through the weary night--
+  A meek, sweet statue at the silver shrines,
+  In deep, perpetual prayer for him she loved;"
+
+but patience, dragging anchor, finally snapped its cable, and now,
+instead of an humble suppliant for the boon that alone made existence
+endurable, she fiercely demanded that her idol should not be broken,
+and, battling with Jehovah, impiously thrust her life down before Him
+as an accursed and intolerable burden, unless her prayers were
+granted. Ah, what scorpions and stones we gather to our boards, and
+then dare charge the stinging mockeries against a long-suffering,
+loving God! Ten days before, Salome had meekly prayed, "Thy will be
+done," and had comforted herself with the belief that at last she was
+beginning to grow pious and trusting, like Miss Jane; but, at the
+first hint of harm to Dr. Grey, she sprang up, utterly oblivious of
+the protestations of resignation that were scarcely cold on her lips,
+and furious as a tigress who sees the hunter approach the jungle where
+all her fierce affections centre. God help as all who pray orthodoxly
+for His will, and yet, when the emergency arrives, fight desperately
+for our own, feeling wofully aggrieved that He takes us at our word,
+and moulds the clay which we make a Pharisaical pretense of offering!
+
+A slow drizzling rain whitened the distant hills, that seemed to
+blanch in their helplessness as the wind smote them like a flail; and
+it wove a grayish veil over the leafless boughs of bending, shivering
+elms, on the long, dim avenue. The wintry afternoon closed swiftly,
+and, in its dusky dreariness, Salome listened to the tattoo of the
+rain on the roof, and to the _miserere_ that wailed through the lonely
+chambers of her soul. The chill at her heart froze her to numbness and
+oblivion of the coldness of the atmosphere, and, when a servant came
+in to close the window against the slanting sleet, she lay so still
+that the woman thought her asleep, and stole away on tip-toe. The room
+grew dark; but, through the half-opened door, the light from the hall
+lamp crept in and fell on the gilded frame and painted face of the
+portrait, tracing a silvery path along the gloomy wall. As the night
+deepened, that wave of light rippled and glittered until the handsome
+features in the picture seemed to belong to some hierarch who peeped
+from a window of heaven, into a world drenched with unlifting
+darkness.
+
+That oval piece of canvas had become the one fetich to which Salome's
+heart clung in silent adoration, defiant of the iconoclastic touch of
+reason and the adverse decree of womanly pride; for natures such as
+hers will always grovel in the dust, hugging the mutilated fragments
+of their idol, rather than bow at some new, fretted shrine, where
+other images hold sway, commanding worship. Looking up almost
+wolfishly at that tranquil, shining countenance, she said to her
+sullen, mourning heart,--
+
+"There are no more like him, and, if we lose him, there is nothing
+left in life, and all hope is at an end, and _finis_ shall be printed
+on the first page of the book of our existence; and ruin, like a
+pitiless pall, shall cover what might have been a happy, possibly a
+grand and good, human career. We did not intend to love him,--no, no;
+we tried hard to hate him who stood between us and affluence and
+indolent ease, but he conquered us by his matchless magnanimity, and
+shamed our ignoble aims and base selfishness, and put us under his
+royal feet; and now we would rather be trampled by Ulpian, our king,
+than crowned by any other man. Let us plead with Christ to spare the
+only pilot who can save us from eternal shipwreck."
+
+Lying there so helpless yet defiant in her desolation, some subtle
+thread of association, guided, perhaps, by the invisible fingers of
+her guardian angel, led her mind to a favorite couplet often quoted by
+Dr. Grey,--
+
+  "I heard faith's low, sweet singing, in the night,
+  And, groping through the darkness, touched God's hand."
+
+If the painted lips in the aureola on the wall had parted and audibly
+uttered these words, they would scarcely have impressed her more
+powerfully as a message from the absent; and, rising instantly, the
+orphan prayed in chastened, humbled tones for strength to be patient,
+for ability to trust God's wisdom and mercy.
+
+How often, when binding our idolized Isaacs upon the altar, and,
+meekly submissive to what appears God's inexorable mandates, we
+unmurmuringly offer our heart's dearest treasure, the sacrificial
+knife is stayed, and our loathed and horrible Moriahs, that erst smelt
+of blood and echoed woe, become hallowed Jehovah-jirehs, all aglow,
+not with devouring flames, but the blessed radiance of God's benignant
+smile, and musical with thanksgiving strains. But Abraham's burden
+preceded Abraham's boon, and the souls who cannot patiently endure the
+first are utterly unworthy of the rapture of the last.
+
+As the girl's mind grew calmer under the breath of prayer--which
+stills the billows of human passion and strife as the command of Jesus
+smoothed the thundering surf of Genesareth,--she recollected that she
+had absented herself from the sick-room for an unusually long time.
+How long, she could not conjecture, for the face of the clock was
+invisible, and she had ceased to count the cuckoo-notes; but her limbs
+ached, and a fillet of fire seemed to circle her brow.
+
+With a lingering gaze upon the radiant portrait, she quitted the
+parlor, and went wearily back to renew her vigil.
+
+Hester Dennison was cowering over the hearth, spreading her bony hands
+towards the crackling flames, and, walking up to the mantelpiece,
+Salome touched the nurse, and whispered,--
+
+"Hester, what did the doctor say? Is there any change?"
+
+"Hush!" The woman laid a finger on her lip, and glanced over her
+shoulder.
+
+There was only a subdued light of a shaded lamp mingling with the
+flicker of the fire, and, as Salome's eyes followed those of the
+nurse, they rested upon the figure of a man kneeling at the bedside,
+and leaning his head against the pillow where Miss Jane's white hair
+was strewn in disorder.
+
+A cry of delight, which she had neither the prudence nor power to
+repress, rang through the silent chamber, startling its inmates, and
+partially arousing the invalid. Salome forgot that life and death were
+grappling over the prostrate form of the aged woman,--forgot
+everything but the supreme joy of knowing that her idol had not been
+rudely shattered.
+
+Springing to the bedside, she put out her hands, and exclaimed,
+rapturously:
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey! Were you much hurt? Thank God, you are alive and here!
+Indeed, He is merciful--"
+
+"Hush! Have you no prudence? Quit the room, or be quiet."
+
+Dr. Grey lifted his haggard face from the pillow, and the light showed
+it pallid and worn by acute suffering, while a strip of plaster
+pressed together the edges of a deep cut on his cheek. His clothes
+glistened with sleet, and bore stains that in daylight were crimson,
+though now they were only ominously dark.
+
+The stern tones of his voice, suppressed though it was, stung the
+girl's heart; and she answered, in a pleading whisper,--
+
+"Only tell me that you are not severely injured. Speak one kind word
+to me!"
+
+"I am not dangerously hurt. Hush! Remember life hangs in the
+balance."
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey! will you not even shake hands with me, after all these
+dreary months of absence? This is hard, indeed."
+
+She had stood at his side, with her hands extended imploringly; and
+now he moved cautiously, and, silently holding up one hand swathed in
+linen bands, pointed to his left arm, which was tightly splintered and
+bandaged.
+
+The mute gesture explained all, and, sinking to the carpet, she
+pressed her lips to the linen folds, and to the coat-sleeve, where
+sleet and blood-spots mingled.
+
+He could not have prevented her, even had he desired to do so; but at
+that instant his sister moaned faintly, and, bending forward to
+examine her countenance, he seemed for some minutes unconscious of the
+presence of the form crouching close by his side.
+
+After a little while he looked down, sighed, and whispered,--
+
+"My child, do go to bed. You can do no good here, and too much
+watching has already unstrung your nerves. Go to your room, and pray
+that God will spare our dear Janet to us."
+
+Was this the welcome for which she had waited and longed--of which she
+had dreamed by day and by night? Not a touch, barely a brief,
+impatient glance, and a few reproving, indifferent words. She had
+rashly dared fate to cheat her out of this long-anticipated greeting,
+and the grim, grinning crone had accepted the challenge, and now
+triumphantly snapped her withered fingers in the face of the
+vanquished.
+
+When coveted fruit that has been hungrily watched through the slow,
+tedious process of ripening finally falls rosy and mellow into
+eagerly uplifted fingers, and breaks in a shower of bitter dust on the
+sharpened and fastidious palate, it rarely happens that the
+half-famished dupe relishes the taste; and Salome rose, feeling
+stunned and mocked.
+
+In one corner of the room stood a chintz-covered lounge, and, creeping
+to it, she laid herself down; and, shading her features with her hand,
+looked through her fingers at the pale, grieved face of the anxious
+brother. Sometimes he stood up, studying the placid countenance of the
+sufferer, and now and then he walked softly to the fire-place, and
+held whispered conferences with Hester relative to the course of
+treatment that had been pursued.
+
+But everywhere Salome's eyes followed him; and finally, when he
+chanced to glance at the couch, and noticed its occupant, whom he
+imagined fast asleep, he pointed to a blanket lying on a chair, and
+directed Hester to spread it over the girlish figure. The thoughtful
+act warmed the orphan's heart more effectually than the thick woollen
+cover; and when he sat down in an easy-chair close to the bed, and
+within range of Salome's vision, she yielded to the comforting
+consciousness of his presence. And, while her lips were moving in
+thanks for his preservation and return, exhausted nature seized her
+dues, and the girl fell asleep and dreamed that Dr. Grey stood by the
+lounge, and whispered,--
+
+  "No star goes down, but climbs in other skies;
+  The rose of sunset folds its glory up
+  To burst again from out the heart of dawn,
+  And love is never lost, though hearts run waste,
+  And sorrow makes the chastened heart a seer;
+  The deepest dark reveals the starriest hope,
+  And Faith can trust her heaven behind the veil."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+
+"Yes, Hester, the danger is past; and, if the weather continues
+favorable, my sister will soon be able to sit up. My gratitude
+prompts me to erect an altar here, where the mercy of God stayed
+the Destroying Angel, as in ancient days David consecrated the
+threshing-floor of Araunah."
+
+"Dr. Grey, if you can possibly spare me, I should like to go back to
+town to-day as Dr. Sheldon has sent for me to take charge of a patient
+at his Infirmary."
+
+"You ought not to desert me while I am so comparatively helpless; and
+I should be glad to have you remain, at least until I recover the use
+of my hands."
+
+"Miss Salome can take my place, and do all that is really necessary."
+
+"The child is so inexperienced I am almost afraid to trust her;
+still--"
+
+"Don't speak so loud. She is standing behind the window-curtain."
+
+"Indeed! I thought she left the room when I entered it. Of course,
+Hester, I will not detain you if it is necessary that you should be at
+the Infirmary; but I give you up very reluctantly. Salome, if you are
+at leisure, please come and see how Hester dresses my hand and arm,
+for I must rely upon your kind services when she leaves us. Notice the
+manner in which she winds the bandages. There, Hester,--not quite so
+tight."
+
+"Dr. Grey, I never had an education, and am at best an ignorant,
+poor soul: therefore, not knowing what to think about many curious
+things that happen in sick-rooms, I should be glad to hear what you
+have to say concerning that vision of your sister. Remember, she
+saw it at the very minute that the accident happened. I don't
+believe in spirit-rapping, and such stuff as dancing tables, and
+spinning chairs, and pianos that play tunes when no human being is
+near them; but I have heard and seen things that made the hair rise
+and stand on my head."
+
+"The circumstance that occurred three days since is certainly rather
+singular and remarkable, but by no means inexplicable. My sister knew
+that I was then travelling by railroad,--that I would, without some
+unusual delay, reach the depot at a certain hour, and, being in a
+delirious condition, her mind reverted to the probability of some
+occurrence that might detain me. Having always evinced a peculiar
+aversion to railroads, which she deems the most unsafe method of
+travelling, she had a feverish dream that took its coloring from her
+excited apprehension of danger to me; and this vision, born of delirium,
+was so vivid that she could not distinguish phantom from reality. In
+ninety-nine cases out of every hundred similar ones, the dream
+passes without fulfilment, and is rarely recollected or mentioned;
+but the hundredth--which may chance by some surprising coincidence to
+seem verified--is noised abroad as supernatural, and carefully preserved
+among 'well-authenticated spiritual manifestations.' If I had escaped
+injury, the freaks of my sister's delirium would have made no more
+impression on your mind than the ravings of a lunatic; and, since I was
+so unfortunate as to be bruised and burned, you must not allow
+yourself to grow superstitious, and attach undue importance to a
+circumstance which was entirely accidental, and only startling because
+so exceedingly rare. Presentiments, especially when occurring in cases
+of fever, are merely Will-o-the-wisps floating about in excited,
+diseased brains. While at sea, and constantly associated with sailors,
+whose minds constitute the most favorable and fruitful soil for the
+production of phantasmagoria and _diablerie_, I had frequent
+opportunities of testing the fallacy and absurdity of so-called
+'presentiments and forebodings.' I am afraid it is the absence of
+spirituality in the hearts of the people, that drives this generation
+to seek supernaturalism in the realm of merely normal physics. The only
+true spiritualism is that which emanates from the Holy Ghost,--conquers
+sinful impulses, and makes a Christian heart the temple of God."
+
+Here Miss Jane called Hester into the adjoining room; and turning to
+Salome, Dr. Grey added,--
+
+"Notwithstanding the vaunted destruction of the ancient Hydra of
+superstition by the darts and javelins of modern rationalism, and the
+ponderous hot irons of empirics, it is undeniably true that the habit
+of 'seeking after a sign' survived the generation of Scribes and
+Pharisees whom Christ rebuked; and manifests itself in the middle of
+the nineteenth century by the voracity with which merely material
+phenomena are seized as unmistakable indications of preternatural
+agencies. The innate leaven of superstition triumphs over common sense
+and scientific realism, and men and women are awed by coincidences
+that reason scouts, but credulity receives with open arms. Salome, I
+regret exceedingly that I am forced to trouble you, but there are some
+important letters which I wish to mail to-day, and you will greatly
+oblige me by acting as amanuensis while I dictate. My present disabled
+condition must apologize for the heavy tax which I am imposing upon
+your patience and industry. Will you come to the library?"
+
+She made no protestations of willingness to serve him, and confessed
+no delight at the prospect of being useful, but merely bowed and
+smiled, with an expression in her eyes that puzzled him.
+
+Seated at the library-table, and writing down the sentences that he
+dictated while pacing the floor, Salome passed one of the happiest
+hours of her life; for it brought the blessed assurance that, for the
+present at least, he acknowledged his need of her.
+
+One of the letters was addressed to Mr. Gerard Granville, an _attache_
+of the American legation at Paris, and referred principally to
+financial affairs; and the other, directed to Muriel Manton, contained
+an urgent request that she and her governess would leave New York as
+speedily as possible and become inmates of his sister's house.
+
+When she had folded the letters and sealed them with his favorite
+emerald signet,--bearing the words, "_Frangas non Flectes_,"--Salome
+looked up, and asked,--
+
+"How old is your ward, Miss Manton?"
+
+"About your age,--though she looks much more childish."
+
+"Pretty, of course?"
+
+"Why 'of course'?"
+
+"Simply because in novels they are always painted as pretty as
+Persephone; and the only wards I ever knew happen to be fictitious
+characters."
+
+"Novels are by no means infallible mirrors of nature, and few wards
+are as attractive as my black-eyed pet. Muriel will be very handsome,
+I hope, when she is grown; but now she impresses me as merely sweet,
+piquant, and pretty."
+
+"Did you know her prior to your recent visit?"
+
+"Yes; her father's house was my home whenever I chanced to be in New
+York, and I have seen her, occasionally, since she was a little girl.
+For your sake, as well as mine, I am glad she will reside here,
+because I hope she will prove in every respect a pleasant companion
+for you."
+
+"Thank you; but, unfortunately, that is one luxury of which I never
+felt the need, and with which, permit me to tell you, I can readily
+dispense. I have little respect for women, and no desire to be wearied
+with their inane garrulity."
+
+She leaned back in her chair, and tapped restlessly with the end of
+the pen-staff on the morocco-covered table.
+
+Dr. Grey looked down steadily and gravely into her provokingly defiant
+face, and replied very coldly,--
+
+"Were I in your place, I think I should jealously guard my lips from
+the hasty utterance of sentiments that, if unfeigned, ought to bring a
+blush to every true woman's cheek; for I fear that she who has no
+respect for her own sex bids fair to disgrace it."
+
+A scarlet wave rolled up from throat to temples, and the lurking
+yellow gleamed in her eyes, but the bend of her nostril and curve of
+her lips did not relax.
+
+"Which is preferable, hypocrisy or irreverence?"
+
+"Both are unpardonable, in a woman."
+
+"Where is your vast charity, Dr. Grey?"
+
+"Busy in sheltering that lofty ideal of genuine female perfection
+which you seem so pertinaciously ambitious to sully and degrade."
+
+"You are harsh, and scarcely courteous."
+
+"You will never find me less so when you vauntingly exhibit such
+mournful blemishes of character."
+
+"At least, sir, I am honest, and show myself just what God saw fit to
+allow misfortune to make me."
+
+"Hush, Salome! Do not add impiousness to the long catalogue of your
+sinful follies. I hoped that there was a favorable change in you
+before I left home, but I very much fear that, instead of exorcising
+the one evil spirit that possessed you, you have swept, and garnished,
+and settled yourself comfortably with seven new ones."
+
+"And, like R. Chaim Vital, you come to pronounce _Nidui!_ and banish
+my diabolical guests. If cauterization cures moral ulcers as
+effectually as those that afflict the flesh, then, verily, you intend
+I shall be clean and whole. You are losing patience with your
+graceless neophyte."
+
+"Yes, Salome; because forced to lose faith in her inclination and
+capacity to sublimate her erring nature. Once for all, let me say that
+habitual depreciation of your own sex will not elevate you in the
+estimation of mine; for, however fallen you may find mankind, they
+nevertheless realize amid their degradation that,--
+
+  ''Tis somewhat to have known, albeit in vain,
+    One woman in this sorrowful, bad earth,
+  Whose very loss can yet bequeath to pain
+    New faith in worth.'"
+
+There was no taunt, no bitterness, in his voice; but grievous
+disappointment, too deep for utterance; and the girl winced under it,
+though only the flush burning on cheek and brow attested her
+vulnerability.
+
+"Remember, sir, that humanity was not moulded entirely from one
+stratum of pipe-clay. Only a few wear paint, enamelling, and gold as
+delicate costly Sevres; and, while the majority are only coarse
+pottery, it is scarcely kind--certainly not generous--in dainty,
+transparent china, belonging to king's palaces, to pity or denounce
+the humble Delft or Wedgewoodware doing duty in laborer's cottages."
+
+"Very true, my poor little warped, blotched bit of perverse pottery;
+but of one vital truth permit me to assure you: the purity and
+elevation of our race depend upon preserving inviolate in the hearts
+of men a belief that women's natures are crystalline as that
+celebrated glass once made at Murano, which was so exceedingly fine
+and delicate that it burst into fragments if poison was poured into
+it."
+
+"Then, obviously, I am no Venetian goblet; else long ago I should have
+shattered under the bitter, black juices poured by fate. It seems I am
+not worthy to touch the lips of doges and grand dukes; but let them
+look to it that some day, when spent and thirsty, they stretch not
+their regal hands for the common clay that holds what all their
+costly, dainty fragments can never yield. _Nous verrons!_ 'The stone
+which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.'"
+
+Dr. Grey had resumed his walk, but the half-suppressed, passionate
+protest, whose underswell began to agitate her voice, arrested his
+attention, and he came to the table and stood close to the orphan.
+
+"What is the matter with my headstrong young friend?"
+
+She made no answer; but her elfish eyes sought his, and braved their
+quiet rebuke.
+
+"This is the last opportunity I shall offer you to tell me frankly
+what troubles you. Can I help you in any way? If so, command me."
+
+"Once you could have helped me, but that time has passed."
+
+"Perhaps not. Try me."
+
+"It is too late. You have lost faith in me."
+
+"No; you have lost all faith in yourself, if you ever indulged
+any,--which I very much doubt. It is you who are faithless concerning
+your own defective character."
+
+"Not I, indeed! I know it rather too well, either to set it aloft for
+adoration or to trample it in the mire. When your faith in me expired,
+mine was born. Do you recollect that beautiful painted window in
+Lincoln Cathedral which the untutored fingers of an apprentice
+fashioned out of the despised bits of glass rejected by the
+fastidious master-builder? It is so vastly superior to every other in
+the church that the vanquished artist could not survive the chagrin
+and mortification, and killed himself. My faith is very strong, that,
+please God, I shall some day show you similar handiwork."
+
+"You grow enigmatical, and I do not fully understand you."
+
+"No; you do not in the least comprehend me. The girl whom you left six
+months ago has changed in many respects."
+
+"For better, or for worse?"
+
+"Perhaps neither one nor yet the other; but, at least, sir, 'my future
+will not copy fair my past.'"
+
+"Since my return, I have noticed an alteration in your deportment,
+which, I regret to say, I cannot consider an improvement; and I should
+feel inclined to attribute your restless impatience to nervous disease
+were I not assured by your appearance that you are in perfect health.
+Remember, that quietude of manner constitutes a woman's greatest
+charm; and, unfortunately, you seem almost a mimic maelstrom. But,
+pardon me, I did not intend to lecture you; and, hoping all things, I
+will patiently wait for the future that you seem to have dedicated to
+some special object. I will try to have faith in my perverse little
+friend, though she sometimes renders it a difficult task. May I
+trouble you to stamp those letters?"
+
+He could not analyze the change that passed swiftly across her face,
+nor the emotion that made her suddenly clinch her hands till the rosy
+nails grew purple.
+
+"Dr. Grey, don't you believe that if Judas Iscariot had only resisted
+the temptation of the thirty pieces of silver, and stood by his master
+instead of betraying him, that his position in heaven would have been
+far more exalted than that of Peter, or even of John?"
+
+"That is a question which I have never pondered, and am not prepared
+to discuss. Why do you propound it?"
+
+She did not answer immediately; and, when she spoke, her glittering
+eyes softened in their expression, and resembled stars rising through
+the golden mist of lingering sunset splendor.
+
+"God gave you a nobler heart than mine, and left it an easy, pleasant
+matter for you to be good; while, struggle as I may, I am constantly
+in danger of tumbling into some slough of iniquity, or setting up
+false gods for my soul to bow down to. Because it is so much more
+difficult for me to do right than for you, it is only just that my
+reward should be correspondingly greater."
+
+"I am neither John nor Peter, nor are you Judas; and only He who knows
+our mutual faults and follies, our triumphs and defeats in the
+life-long campaign with sin, can judge us equitably. I am too
+painfully conscious of my own imperfections not to sympathize
+earnestly with the temptations that may assail you; and, moreover, we
+should never lose sight of the fact,--
+
+  'What's done we partly may compute,
+  But know not what's resisted.'"
+
+"Dr. Grey, you have great confidence in the efficacy of prayer?"
+
+"Yes; for without it human lives are rudderless, drifting to speedy
+wreck and ruin."
+
+"If I ask a favor, will you grant it?"
+
+"Have I ever denied you anything that you asked?"
+
+"Yes, sir,--your good opinion."
+
+"I knew that had you really desired that, you would long since have
+rendered it impossible for me to withhold it. But to the point,--what
+is your petition?"
+
+"I want you to pray for me."
+
+"Salome, are you serious? Are you really in earnest?"
+
+"Mournfully in earnest."
+
+"Then rest satisfied that henceforth you will always have a place in
+my prayer; but do not forget the greater necessity of praying for
+yourself. Now, tell me how you have been employed during my long
+absence. Where are the accumulated exercises which I promised to
+examine and correct when I returned?"
+
+"Promised whom?"
+
+"You."
+
+"You forget that I did not see you the day you left, and that you did
+not even bid me good-by."
+
+"I referred to your French exercises in a brief and hurried note that
+I left for you."
+
+"Left where? I never received--never heard of it."
+
+"I laid it upon your plate, where I supposed you would certainty
+notice it when you came home to dinner."
+
+"Why did not you give it to Miss Jane?"
+
+"Simply because she was not in the room when I wrote it. It is rather
+surprising that it escaped your observation, as I laid it in a
+conspicuous place."
+
+She did not deem it necessary to inform him that on that unlucky day
+she had suddenly lost her appetite, and failed to go to the table; and
+now she put her fingers over her eyes to conceal the blaze of joyful
+light that irradiated them, as he mentioned the circumstance,
+comparatively trivial, but precious in her estimation, since it was
+freighted with the assurance that at least he had thought of her on
+the eve of his unexpected departure. What inexpressible comfort that
+note might have contributed during all those tedious months of silence
+and separation! While she sat there thinking of the dreary afternoon
+when, down in the orchard-grass she lay upon her face, Dr. Grey came
+nearer to her, and said,--
+
+"I hope you have not abandoned your French?"
+
+"No, sir; but I devote less time than formerly to it."
+
+"If agreeable to you, we will resume the exercises as soon as I can
+wield my pen."
+
+"If you can teach me Italian, I should prefer it; especially since I
+have learned to pronounce French tolerably well?"
+
+"What use do you expect to have for Italian,--at least, at present?
+French is much more essential."
+
+"I have a good reason for desiring to make the change, though just now
+I do not choose to be driven into any explanations."
+
+"Pardon me. I had no intention of forcing your confidence. When in
+Italy, I always contrive to understand and make myself understood;
+but my knowledge and use of the language is rather too slip-shod to
+justify my attempting to teach you idioms, hallowed as the medium
+through which Dante and Ariosto charmed the world. Miss Dexter,
+Muriel's governess, is a very thorough and accomplished linguist, and
+speaks Italian not only gracefully but correctly. I have already
+engaged her to teach you whatever she may deem advisable when she
+comes here to live."
+
+"You are very kind. Is she a young person?"
+
+"She is a very highly cultivated and elegant woman, probably
+twenty-five or six years old, and has been in Florence with Muriel."
+
+Involuntarily and unconsciously the orphan sighed, and the muscles in
+her broad forehead tangled terribly.
+
+"Salome, please put your hand in the right pocket of my vest, and take
+out a key that ought to be there. No,--not that; a larger steel one.
+Now you have it. Will you be so good as to open that trunk which came
+by express yesterday (it is in the upper hall), and bring me a box
+wrapped in pink tissue-paper? I would not trouble you with so many
+commissions if I could use my hands."
+
+Unable longer to repress her feelings, the girl exclaimed eagerly,--
+
+"If you could imagine what pleasure it affords me to render you the
+slightest service, I am very sure you would not annoy me with
+apologies for making me happy."
+
+In a few moments she returned to the library, bearing in her hand a
+small but heavy package, which she placed on the table before him.
+
+"Please open it, and examine the contents."
+
+She obeyed him; and, after removing the wrapping, found a blue velvet
+case that opened with a spring and revealed a parcel enclosed in
+silver paper. Dr. Grey turned and walked to the window; and, as Salome
+took off the last covering, a watch and chain met her curious gaze.
+One side of the former was richly and elaborately chased, and
+represented Kronos leaning on his scythe; the other was studded with
+diamonds that flashed out the name "Salome." Astonishment and delight
+sealed the orphan's lips, and, in silence, far more eloquent than
+words, she bowed her head upon the table. After a few moments had
+elapsed, Dr. Grey attempted to steal out of the room; but, being
+obliged to pass close by her chair, she put out her hand and arrested
+his movement.
+
+"It is the most beautiful watch I have ever seen; but, oh, sir! how
+shall I sufficiently thank you? How can I express all that is
+throbbing here in my proud, grateful heart? Although the costly gift
+is elegant and tasteful, I hold still more precious the fact which it
+attests,--that during your absence you thought of me. How shall I
+begin to prove my gratitude for your kindness and generosity?"
+
+"Do not thank me, my little friend; for, indeed I require no verbal
+assurances that my _souvenir_ is kindly received and appreciated. Wear
+the watch; and let it continually remind you not only of the sincerity
+of my friendship, but of the far more important fact that every idle
+or injudiciously employed hour will cry out in accusation against us
+in the final assize, when we are called upon to render an account of
+the distribution of that invaluable time which God allows us solely
+for the accomplishment of His work on earth. It is so exceedingly
+difficult for young persons to realize how marvellously rapid is the
+flight of time, that you will, I trust, forgive me if I endeavor to
+impress upon you the vital importance of making each day fragrant with
+the burden of some good deed, the resistance of some sore temptation,
+some service rendered to God or to suffering humanity which shall make
+your years mellow with the fruitage that will entitle you to a
+glorious record in the golden book of Abou Ben Adhem's angel. Let this
+little jewelled monitress of the fleeting, mocking nature of time,
+this ingenious toy, whose ticking is but the mournful, endless knell
+of dead seconds, remind you that,--
+
+  "This life of ours, what is it? A very few
+  Soon ended years, and then--the ceaseless psalm,
+  And the eternal Sabbath of the soul."
+
+As Salome looked up into his tranquil, happy face, two tears glided
+across her cheeks, and fell upon the pretty bauble.
+
+"You will find a key in the case, and can wind it up, and set it by
+the clock in the parlor."
+
+"Dr. Grey, are you willing that my watch shall bear daily testimony of
+something which I hold far above its diamonds,--that you have faith in
+Salome Owen?"
+
+"Perfectly willing that you should make it eloquent with all friendly
+utterances and sympathy. Hester has bound my arm so tightly that it
+impedes the circulation, and is very painful. Please loosen the
+bandage."
+
+She complied as carefully as possible, though her hands trembled; and,
+when the ligature had been comfortably adjusted and the arm restored
+to its sling, she stooped and pressed her lips softly and reverently
+to the cold, white fingers, that protruded from the linen bands. He
+endeavored ineffectually to prevent the caress, which evidently
+embarrassed him; but she left two kisses on the bruised hand, and,
+snatching her watch and chain from the table, hastily quitted the
+room.
+
+In after years, when loneliness and disappointment pressed heavily
+upon her heart, she looked back to the three weeks that succeeded Dr.
+Grey's return as the halcyon days, as the cloudless June morning of
+her life; and, in blissful retrospection, temporarily found Elysium.
+
+She wrote his letters, read aloud from his favorite books, dressed and
+bandaged his blistered hand and fractured arm, and surrendered her
+heart to an intense and perfect happiness such as she had scarcely
+dared to hope would ever be her portion.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+
+"Bring her into my office. Steady, men! There may be broken bones, and
+jarring would be torture. Don't stumble over that book on the floor.
+Lay her here on the sofa, and throw open the blinds."
+
+"Dr. Grey, is she dead?"
+
+"No, only badly stunned; and the contusion on the head seems to be
+very severe. Stand back, all of you, and give her air. When did it
+happen?"
+
+"About twenty minutes ago. She is a stout, heavy woman, and we could
+not walk very fast with such a burden. Ah! you intend to bleed her?"
+
+"Yes, I fear nothing else will relieve her. Mitchell, hold the arm for
+me."
+
+"How did she receive this injury?" asked Dr. Mitchell, who had been
+holding a consultation with Dr. Grey relative to some perplexing
+case.
+
+"Those gray ponies which we were admiring a half-hour since, as they
+trotted by the door, took fright at a menagerie procession coming up
+from the depot to the Hippodrome,--and ran away. In steering clear of
+the elephant, who was covered from head to foot, and certainly looked
+frightful, the horses ran into a mass of lumber and brick at the
+corner of Fountain and Franklin streets, where a new store is being
+erected, and the carriage was upset. Unfortunately the harness was
+very strong, and did not give away until the carriage had been dragged
+some yards among the rubbish, and one of the horses finally floundered
+into a bed of mortar, and broke the traces. The driver kept his hold
+upon the reins to the last, but was badly bruised, and this woman was
+thrown out on a pile of bricks and granite-caps. The municipal
+authorities should prohibit these menagerie parades, for the meekest
+plough-horse in the State could scarcely have faced that band of
+musicians, flanked by the covered elephant and giraffe, and the cages
+of the beasts,--much less those fiery grays, who seem snuffing danger
+even when there is no provocation."
+
+"Who is this woman?"
+
+"She is a total stranger to me," answered Dr. Grey, bending down to
+put his ear to the heart of the victim.
+
+A bystander seemed better informed, and replied,--
+
+"She is a servant or housekeeper of the lady who lives at 'Solitude.'
+But here comes the driver, limping and making wry faces."
+
+Robert Maclean approached the sofa, and his scratched and bleeding
+face paled as he leaned over the prostrate form of his mother.
+
+"Oh, doctors, surely two of you can save her! For God's sake, don't
+let her die! Does she breathe?"
+
+"Yes, the bleeding has already benefitted her. She breathes regularly,
+and the action of her heart is better. Sit down, my man,--you look
+ghastly. Mitchell, give him some brandy, and sew up that gash in his
+cheek, while I write a prescription."
+
+"Never mind me, doctor; only save my poor mother. She looks like death
+itself. Mother, mother, it is all over now! Come, wake up, and speak
+to me!"
+
+He seized one of her cold hands, and chafed it vigorously between both
+of his, while tears and blood mingled, as they dripped from his face
+to hers.
+
+"Doctor, tell me the truth; is there any hope?"
+
+"Certainly, my friend; there is every reason to believe she will
+ultimately recover, though you need not be surprised if she remains
+for some hours in a heavy stupor. Remember, a pile of brick is not
+exactly a feather pillow, and it may be some time before the brain
+recovers from the severity of the contusion. What is your name?"
+
+"Robert Maclean."
+
+"And hers?"
+
+"Elsie Maclean. Poor, dear creature! How she labors in her breathing.
+Suppose I lift her head?"
+
+"No; let her rest quietly, just as she is, and I trust all will be
+well. Come to the table, and allow me to put some plaster over that
+cut which bleeds so freely. Trust me, Maclean, and do not look so
+woe-begone. I am not deceiving you. There may be serious internal
+injuries that I have not discovered, but this stupor is not alarming.
+I can find no fractured bones, and hope the blow on the head is the
+most troublesome thing we shall have to contend with."
+
+Dr. Grey proceeded to sponge the bruised and stained face and, hoping
+to divert the man's anxious thoughts, said, nonchalantly,--
+
+"I believe you are in Mrs. Gerome's employment?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"How long have you been at 'Solitude'?"
+
+"I came here, sir, and bought the place, while she was in Europe. Ah,
+doctor, if my mother should die, I believe it would kill my
+mistress."
+
+"You are old family servants?"
+
+"My mother took her when she was twelve hours old, and has never left
+her since. She loves Mrs. Gerome even better than she loves me--her
+own flesh and blood. I can't go home and tell my mistress I have
+nearly killed my mother. She would never endure the sight of me again.
+Her own mother died the day after she was born, and she has always
+looked on that poor dear soul yonder as her foster-mother."
+
+Robert limped back to the sofa, and, seating himself on a chair,
+looked wistfully into his mother's countenance; then hid his face in
+his hands.
+
+"Come, be a man, Maclean; and don't give way to nervousness! Your
+mother's condition is constantly improving, though of course it is not
+so apparent to you as to me. What has been done with the carriage and
+horses?"
+
+"Oh, the carriage is a sweet pudding; and the grays--curses on
+'em!--are badly bruised. One of them had his flank laid open by a saw
+lying on a lumber-pile; and I only wish it had sawed across the
+jugular. They are vicious brutes as ever were bitted, and it makes my
+blood run cold sometimes to see their devilish antics when Mrs. Gerome
+insists on driving them. They will break her neck, if I don't contrive
+to break theirs first."
+
+"I should judge from their appearance that it was exceedingly unsafe
+for any lady to attempt to control them. They seem very fiery and
+unmanageable. What has been done with them?"
+
+"The deuce knows!--knocked in the head, I trust. I asked two men, who
+were in the crowd, to take them to the livery-stable. Mrs. Gerome is
+not afraid of anything, and one of her few pleasures is driving those
+gray imps, who know her voice as well as I do. I have seen them put up
+their narrow ears and neigh when she was a hundred yards off; and
+sometimes she wraps the reins around her wrists and quiets them, when
+their eyes look like balls of fire. But Rarey himself could not have
+stopped them a while ago, when they determined to run over that
+menagerie show. My mistress will say it was my fault, and she will
+stand by the gray satans through thick and thin. Hist, doctor, my
+mother groans!"
+
+"Would it not be best for you to go home and acquaint Mrs. Gerome with
+what has occurred?"
+
+"I would not face her without my mother for--twenty kingdoms! You have
+no idea how she loves her 'old Elsie,' and I couldn't break the news
+to her,--I would sooner break my head."
+
+"This is not a proper place for your mother, and I advise you to
+remove her to the hospital, which is not very far from my office. She
+can be carried on a litter."
+
+"Oh, my mistress would never permit that! She will let no one else
+nurse my mother; and, of course, she could not go to a public place
+like a hospital, for you know she is so dreadful shy of strangers."
+
+After many suggestions, and much desultory conversation, it was
+finally decided that Elsie should be placed on a mattress, in the
+bottom of an open wagon, and carried slowly home. A careful driver was
+provided, and when Dr. Grey had seen his patient comfortably arranged,
+and established Robert on the seat with the driver, he yielded to the
+solicitations of the son, that he would precede them to "Solitude,"
+and acquaint Mrs. Gerome with the details of the accident.
+
+Although ten months had elapsed since the latter took possession of
+her new home, so complete had been her seclusion that she remained an
+utter stranger; and, when visitors flocked from town and neighborhood
+to satisfy themselves concerning the rumors of the elegant furniture
+and appointments of the house, they were invariably denied admittance,
+and informed that since her widowhood Mrs. Gerome had not re-entered
+society.
+
+Curiosity was piqued, and gossip wagged her hundred busy tongues over
+the tormenting fact that Mrs. Gerome had never darkened the
+church-door since her arrival; and, occasionally, when she rode into
+town, wore a thick veil that thoroughly screened her features; and,
+instead of shopping like other people, made Elsie Maclean bring the
+articles to the carriage for her inspection.
+
+The servants seemed to hold themselves as much aloof as their
+mistress, and though Robert and his mother attended service regularly
+every Sabbath, they appeared as gravely silent and ungregarious as
+Sphinxes. The ministers of various denominations called to pay their
+respects to the stranger, but only the clerical cards succeeded in
+crossing the threshold; and, while rumors of her boundless wealth
+crept teasingly through Newsmongerdom, no one except Salome Owen had
+yet seen the new-comer.
+
+Cases of books and pictures occasionally arrived from Europe, and
+never failed to stir the pool of gossip to its dregs; for the wife of
+the express-agent was an intimate friend of Mrs. Spiewell, whose
+husband was pastor of the church which Elsie and Robert attended, and
+who felt personally aggrieved that the Rev. Charles Spiewell was not
+welcomed as the spiritual guide of the mistress of "Solitude."
+
+Finally, a morbid, meddling inquisitiveness goaded the chatty little
+woman beyond the bounds of ministerial decorum, and, having rashly
+wagered a pair of gloves that she would gain an entrance to the
+parlors (whereof the upholsterer's wife told marvellous tales), she
+armed herself with a pathetic petition for aid to build a "Widow's
+Row," and, with a subscription-list for a "Dorcas Society," and
+confident of ingress, boldly rang the bell. Unfortunately, Elsie
+chanced that day to be on post as sentinel, and, though she
+immediately recognized the visitor as the mother of the small colony
+of Spiewells who crowded every Sunday morning into the pew of the
+pastor, she courtesied, and gave the stereotyped rebuff,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome begs to be excused."
+
+"Ah, indeed! But she does not know who has called, or she would make
+an exception in my favor. I am your minister's wife, and must really
+see her, if only for two minutes. Take my card to her, and say I call
+on important business, which cannot fail to interest her."
+
+Not a muscle of Elsie's grave face moved, as she received the card,
+and answered,--
+
+"I am very sorry, madam, but Mrs. Gerome sees no visitors, and my
+orders are positive."
+
+Mrs. Spiewell bit her lip, and reddened.
+
+"Then take these papers to her, and ask if she will please be so good
+as to examine their claims to her charity. In the meantime I will wait
+in the parlor, and must trouble you for a glass of water."
+
+She thrust the petitions into Elsie's hand, and attempted to slip into
+the hall, through the partial opening of the door which the servant
+held during the parley; but, planting her massive frame directly in
+the way, the resolute woman effectually barred entrance, and, pointing
+to an iron _tete-a-tete_ on the portico, said, decisively,--
+
+"I beg pardon, madam, but you will find a seat there; and I will bring
+the water while Mrs. Gerome reads your letters. If you are fatigued, I
+will hand you luncheon and some wine."
+
+Mortified and enraged, Mrs. Spiewell grew scarlet, but threw herself
+into the seat designated, resolved to snatch a glimpse of the interior
+the instant the servant had disappeared.
+
+Very softly Elsie closed and securely latched the door on the inside,
+knowing that at that moment her mistress was sitting in the oriel
+window of the front parlor.
+
+In vain the visitor tried and twisted the bolt, and, completely
+baffled, tears of chagrin moistened her eyes. She had scarcely time to
+regain her seat, when Elsie reappeared, bearing on a handsome salver a
+wine-glass, silver goblet, and an elegant basket filled with cake.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome presents her compliments, and sends you this fifty dollar
+bill for whatever society you represent."
+
+Too thoroughly discomfited to conceal her pique and indignation, Mrs.
+Spiewell snatched letters and donation, and, without lingering an
+instant, swept haughtily down the steps, "shaking off the dust of her
+feet" against "Solitude" and its incorrigible owner.
+
+An innocent impertinence once coldly frustrated soon takes unto itself
+a sting and branding-irons, and thus, what was originally merely idle
+curiosity, becomes bitter malice; and henceforth the worthy minister's
+gossiping wife lost no opportunity of inveighing against the
+superciliousness of the stranger, and of insinuating that some very
+extraordinary circumstances led her "to fear that something was
+radically wrong about that poor Mrs. Gerome, for troubles that could
+not be poured into the sympathetic ears of pastors and of pastors'
+wives must be very dark, indeed."
+
+Whenever the name of the new-comer was mentioned, Mrs. Spiewell
+compressed her lips, shook her head, and shrugged her round shoulders;
+and, of course, persons present surmised that the "minister's lady"
+was acquainted with melancholy facts which charity prevented her from
+divulging.
+
+Many of the grievances and ills that afflict society spring not from
+sinful, envenomed hearts, but from weak souls and empty heads; and
+Mrs. Spiewell, who sat up with all the measle-stricken, teething, sick
+children in her husband's charge, and would have felt disgraced had
+she missed a meeting of the "Dorcas Society," or of the "Barefeet
+Relief Club," would have been duly shocked if any one had boldly
+charged her with slandering a woman whom she had never seen, and of
+whose antecedents she knew absolutely nothing. Verily, it is
+difficult, indeed, even for "the elect" to keep themselves "unspotted
+from the world;" and Zimmerman was a seer when he declared, "Who lives
+with wolves must join in their howls."
+
+Absorbed by professional engagements, or fiscal cares, the gentlemen
+of a community are rarely interested in or informed of the last wreck
+of character which the whirlpool of scandal strews on the strand of
+society; but vague rumors relative to Mrs. Gerome's isolation had
+penetrated even into the quiet precincts of Dr. Grey's sanctum, and
+consequently invested his present mission with extraneous interest.
+
+For the first time since her arrival he approached the confines of
+her residence, and, as he threw the reins over the dashboard of his
+buggy and stood under the lofty old trees that surrounded the house,
+he paused to admire the beauty of the grounds, the grouping of some
+statues and pot plants on a neighboring mound, and the far-stretching
+sheen of the rippling sea.
+
+No living thing was visible except a golden pheasant and scarlet
+flamingo strutting along the stone terrace at the foot of the lawn,
+and silence and repose seemed brooding over house and yard; when
+suddenly a rapid, passionate, piano-prelude smote the stillness till
+the air appeared to throb and quiver, and a thrillingly sweet yet
+intensely mournful voice sang the wailing strains of _Addio del
+Passato_.
+
+The indescribable yet almost overwhelming pathos of the tones affected
+Dr. Grey much as the tremolo-stop in some organ-overture in a
+dimly-lighted cathedral; and, as the singer seemed to pour her whole
+aching heart and wearied soul into the concluding "_Ah! tutto-tutto
+fini!_" he turned, and involuntarily followed the sound, like one in a
+dream.
+
+The front door was closed; but the sash of the oriel window had been
+raised, and through the delicate lace curtains that were swaying in
+the salt breath of ocean he could see what passed in the parlor. A
+woman sat before the piano, running her snowy fingers idly across the
+keys, now striking _fortissimo_ a wild stormy _fugue_ theme, and then
+softly evoking a subtle minor chord that seemed the utterance of some
+despairing spirit breathing its last prayer for peace.
+
+Her Marie-Louise blue dress was girded at the waist by a belt and
+buckle of silver, and the loose sleeve of the right arm was looped and
+pinned up, showing the dimpled elbow and daintily rounded wrist
+encircled by the jet serpent. Around her throat she had carelessly
+thrown a lace handkerchief, and from the mass of hair that seemed
+tiny, snow-capped waves, a cluster of blue nemophila leaned down to
+touch the white forehead beneath, and peep at the answering blue
+gleams in the large, shining, steely eyes. Her fingers strayed
+listlessly into a _Nocturne_; but from the dreamy expression of the
+face, upraised to gaze at the busts on the brackets above, it was
+evident that her thoughts had wandered far away from _Addio del
+Passato_, and were treading the drift-strewn strands of melancholy
+memory.
+
+Presently she rose, walked twice across the room, and came back to an
+_etagere_ where stood an azure Bohemian glass vase, supported by
+silver Tritons, and filled with late blue hyacinths and early
+pancratiums.
+
+Bending her regal head, she inhaled the mingled perfumes, worthy of
+Sicilian or Cyprian meadows; and, while her slight fingers toyed with
+the fragile petals, a proud smile lent its sad light to the chill
+face, and she said aloud, as if striving to comfort herself,--
+
+  "'Not the ineffable stars that interlace
+  The azure canopy of Zeus himself
+  Have surer sweetness than my hyacinths
+  When they grow blue, in gazing on blue heaven,
+  Than the white lilies of my rivers, when
+  In leafy spring Selene's silver horn
+  Spills paleness, peace, and fragrance.'"
+
+With a heavy sigh she turned away, and sat down in the rear room, near
+the arch, where an easel now stood, containing a large, unfinished
+picture; and, taking her ivory palette and brushes, she began to
+retouch the violet robe of one of the figures.
+
+Dr. Grey had seen more beautiful women among the gilded pillars and
+frescoes of palaces, and amid the olives and vineyards of Parthenope;
+but in Mrs. Gerome he found a fascinating mystery that baffled
+analysis and riveted his attention. Neither young nor old, she had
+crowned herself with the glories of both seasons, and seemed some
+sweet, dewy spring, wrapped in the snows and frozen in the icy garb of
+winter.
+
+He had expected to meet a middle-aged person, habited in widow's
+weeds, and meek from the severe scourging of a recent and terrible
+bereavement; but that anomalous white face and proud, queenly form
+were unlike all other flesh that his keen eyes had hitherto scanned;
+and he regarded her as curiously as he would have examined some
+abnormal-looking specimen of nerves and muscles laid upon the marble
+slab of a dissecting-table.
+
+Recollecting suddenly that, if he did not present himself, the wagon
+would arrive before he had accomplished the object of his visit, he
+drew a card from his pocket, and, stepping over the low sill of the
+oriel window, advanced to the arch.
+
+The mistress of the house sat with her back turned towards him, and
+was apparently absorbed in putting purple shadows into the folds of a
+mantle that hung from the shoulders of a kneeling figure on the
+canvas.
+
+Face-downward on an ottoman near, lay a beautiful copy of Owen
+Meredith's poems; and, after a few seconds, she paused, brush in hand,
+and, taking up the book, slowly read aloud--glancing, as she did so,
+from page to picture,--
+
+              ... "'Then I could perceive
+  A glory pouring through an open door,
+  And in the light five women. I believe
+  They wore white vestments, all of them. They were
+  Quite calm; and each still face unearthly fair,
+  Unearthly quiet. So like statues all,
+  Waiting they stood without that lighted hall;
+  And in their hands, like a blue star, they held
+  Each one a silver lamp.'"
+
+Standing immediately behind her, Dr. Grey saw that she had seized the
+weird "_Vision of Virgins_," and was putting into pigment that solemn
+phantasm of the poet's imagination where five radiant women were
+passing to their reward,--and five wailing over flickering, dying
+lamps, were huddled helplessly and hopelessly under a black and
+starless midnight sky. Although unfinished, there was marvellous power
+in the picture, and the sickly gleam from the expiring wicks made the
+surrounding gloom more supernatural, like the deep shadows skulking
+behind the lurid glare in some old Flemish painting.
+
+He saw also that she had followed the general outline of the poem; but
+one of the faces was so supreme in its mute anguish that he thought of
+Reni's "Cenci," and of a wan "Alcestis," and a desperate "Cassandra,"
+he had seen at Rome; and, in comparison, the description of the poet
+seemed almost vapid,--
+
+               ... "One as still as death
+  Hollowed her hands about her lamp, for fear
+  Some motion of the midnight, or her breath,
+  Should fan out the last flicker. Rosy clear
+  The light oozed through her fingers o'er her face.
+  There was a ruined beauty hovering there
+  Over deep pain, and dashed with lurid grace
+  A waning bloom."
+
+The room with its costly, quaint, and tasteful furniture,--the
+solitary and singularly beautiful woman; the wonderful picture,
+growing beneath her hand; the solemn silence, broken only by the deep,
+hollow murmur of the dimpling sea that sent its shimmer in at the
+window to meet the painted shimmer in a marine view framed on the
+wall,--all these wove a spell about the intruder that temporarily held
+him a mute captive.
+
+The artist laid a delicate green on the stripped and scattered leaves
+from a wreath of Syrian lilies lying on the marble steps of the
+bridegroom's mansion, and once more she read a passage from the open
+book,--
+
+                ... "'Then I beheld
+  A shadow in the doorway. And One came
+  Crown'd for a feast. I could not see the Face.
+  The Form was not all human. As the Flame
+  Streamed over it, a presence took the place
+  With awe. He, turning, took them by the hand
+  And led them each up the wide stairway, and
+  The door closed.'"
+
+The sound of her voice, low but clear, and burdened with a sadness
+that no language could exhaust or interpret, thrilled Dr. Grey's
+steady nerves as no music had ever done, and, stepping forward, he
+held out his card, and said,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, a painful necessity has compelled me to intrude upon
+your seclusion, and I trust you will acquit me of impertinence."
+
+Rising, she fronted him with a frown severe as that which clouded
+Artemis' brow when profane eyes peered through myrtle boughs into her
+sacred retreat, and the changed voice seemed thick with bristling
+icicles.
+
+"Your business must be imperative, indeed, if it warrants this
+intrusion. What servant admitted you?"
+
+"None. I came in haste, and, seeing the window open, entered without
+ringing. Madam, my card will explain my errand."
+
+"Has Dr. Grey an unpaid bill? I was not aware the servants had needed
+your services; but if so, present your claim to Robert Maclean, my
+agent."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome owes me nothing, and I came here reluctantly and in
+compliance with Robert Maclean's request, to inform her of an accident
+which happened this afternoon while--"
+
+He paused, awed by the change that swept over her countenance, filling
+it with horrible dread.
+
+"Those gray horses?"
+
+"Yes, madam."
+
+"Not Elsie? Oh! don't tell me that my dear old Elsie was mangled!
+Hush! I will not hear it!"
+
+Palette and brushes fell upon the carpet, and she wrung her fingers
+until the diamond-eyed asp set its blue fangs in her cold flesh.
+
+"Robert was merely bruised, but his mother was very badly injured, and
+is still insensible. Every precaution has been taken to counteract the
+effect of the severe blow on her head, and I hope that after an hour
+or two she will recover her consciousness. Robert is bringing her home
+as carefully as possible, and you may expect them momentarily. Only
+his urgent entreaties that I would precede him and prepare you for the
+reception of his mother could have induced me to waive ceremony and
+thrust myself into the presence of a lady who seems little disposed to
+pardon the apparent presumption of my visit."
+
+She evidently did not heed his words, and, suddenly clasping her hands
+across her forehead, she said, bitterly,--
+
+"Coward! why can't you speak out, and tell me that the corpse will
+soon be here, and a coffin must be ordered? This is the last blow!
+Surely, God will let me alone, now; for there is nothing more that He
+can send to afflict me. Oh, Elsie,--my sole comfort! The only one who
+ever loved me!"
+
+A bluish pallor settled about her mouth, and Dr. Grey shuddered as he
+looked into the dry, defiant eyes, so beautiful in form and color but
+so mournfully desperate in their expression.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, your servant is neither dead nor dying, and I have told
+you the worst. Down the road I can see the wagon coming slowly, and I
+would advise you to call the household together, in order to assist in
+lifting Elsie, who is very stout and heavy. Calm yourself, madam, and
+trust your favorite servant to my care."
+
+"Servant! Sir, she is mother, father, husband, friends,--all,--everything
+to me! She is the only human being who cares for, or understands, or
+sympathizes with me,--and I could not live without her. Oh, sir, do not
+ask me to trust you! The time has gone by when I could trust anybody
+but Elsie. You are a physician,--you ought to know what should be done
+for her; and, Dr. Grey, if you have any pity in your soul, and any
+skill in your profession, save my old Elsie's life! Dr. Grey--"
+
+She paused a few seconds, and added, in a whisper,--
+
+"If she dies, I am afraid I might grow desperate, and commit what you
+happy people call a crime."
+
+He felt an unwonted moisture dim his eyes, as he watched the delicate
+face, white as the hair that crowned it, and wondered if the wide,
+populous world could match her regal form and perfect features.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, I think I can promise that Elsie will recover from her
+injuries; but a prayer for her safety would bring you more comfort
+than my feeble words of assurance and encouragement. The mercy of God
+is surer than the combined medical skill of the universe."
+
+"The mercy of God!" she repeated, with a gesture of scorn and
+impatience. "No, no! God set his face like a flint against me, long,
+long ago, and I do not mock myself by offering prayers that only call
+down smitings upon me. Seven years since I prayed my last prayer,
+which was for speedy death; and, from that hour, I seem to have taken
+a new lease on life. Now I stand still and keep silent, and I hoped
+that God had forgotten me."
+
+She covered her face with her hands and Dr. Grey drew a chair close to
+her and endeavored to make her sit down, but she resisted and shrank
+from his touch on her arm.
+
+"Madam, the wagon has stopped at the door. Will you direct your
+servants, or shall I?"
+
+"If she is not dead, tell Robert to carry her into my room. Oh, Dr.
+Grey, you will not let her die!"
+
+As she looked up imploringly into his calm, noble face, she met his
+earnest gaze, brimming with compassion and sympathy, and her lips and
+chin quivered.
+
+"Trust your God, and have faith in me."
+
+He went out to assist in removing his patient, and when they had
+carried the mattress and its occupant into the room opposite the
+parlor and laid it on the carpet near the window, he had the
+satisfaction of observing a favorable change in Elsie's condition.
+While he stood by a table preparing some medicine, Robert stole up,
+and asked:
+
+"Do you notice any improvement? She groaned twice on the road, and
+once I am sure she opened her eyes."
+
+"Yes; I think that very soon she will be able to speak, for her pulse
+is gaining strength every hour."
+
+"How did my mistress take it?"
+
+"She was much shocked and grieved. Maclean, where are her friends and
+relatives?"
+
+There was no reply, and, glancing over his shoulder to repeat the
+inquiry, Dr. Grey saw Mrs. Gerome leaning against the door.
+
+"Robert, have you killed her?"
+
+"Oh, no, ma'am! She is doing very well, the doctor says."
+
+She crossed the room, and sat down on the edge of the mattress, taking
+one of the large brown hands in both of hers and bending her face over
+the pillow.
+
+"Elsie! mother! Elsie, speak to your poor child!"
+
+That wailing voice pierced the stupor, and Dr. Grey was surprised to
+see the woman's eyes unclose and rest wonderingly upon the countenance
+hovering over her.
+
+"My dear Elsie, don't you know me?"
+
+"Yes, my bairn. What ails you?"
+
+She spoke indistinctly, and shut her eyes once more, as if exhausted.
+
+"If she was in her coffin, I verily believe she would rise, if she
+heard your voice calling her," said Robert, wiping away the tears of
+joy that trickled across his sunburnt cheeks.
+
+Dr. Grey stooped to put his finger on Elsie's pulse, and Mrs. Gerome
+threw herself down on the carpet, and buried her face in the pillow,
+where her silver hair mingled with the grizzled locks that straggled
+from beneath the old woman's torn lace cap.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+
+"Well, Ulpian, are you convinced that 'Solitude' is an unlucky place,
+and that misfortune dogs the steps of all who make it a home? Once you
+laughed at my 'superstition.' What think you now, my wiseacre?"
+
+"My opinion has not changed, except that each time I see the place I
+admire it more and more; and, were it for sale, I should certainly
+purchase it."
+
+"Not with the expectation of living there?"
+
+"Most assuredly."
+
+Miss Jane had suspended for a moment the swift clicking of her
+knitting-needles in order to hear her brother's reply, and now she
+rejoined, almost sharply,--
+
+"You will do no such silly thing while there is breath left in my body
+to protest, or to persuade. Pooh! you only talk to tease me; for five
+grains of observation and common sense will teach you that there is a
+curse hanging over that old piratical nest."
+
+"Dear Janet, when headstrong drivers persist in carrying a pair of
+fiery, vicious horses into the midst of a procession of wild beasts
+that would have scared even your sober dull Dapples out of their lazy
+jog-trot, it is not at all surprising that snapped harness, broken
+carriage, torn flesh, and strained joints should attest the folly of
+the experiment. The accident occurred not far from my office, which is
+haunted by nothing worse than your harmless sailor-boy."
+
+"All very fine, my blue-eyed oracle, but I notice that the horses
+belonging to 'Solitude' were the only ones that made mischief and came
+to grief; and I promise you that all the hawsers in Gosport Navy-Yard
+will never drag me inside the doomed place. How is your patient? If
+you expect her to get well, you had better take a 'superstitious' old
+woman's counsel, and send her away from that valley of Jehoshaphat."
+
+"I am very sorry to tell you that she was more seriously hurt than I
+was at first inclined to believe. Her spine was so badly injured that
+although there is no danger of immediate death, she will never be
+able to sit up or walk again. She may linger many months, possibly
+years; but must, as long as life lasts, remain a bed-ridden cripple.
+It is one of the saddest cases I have had to deal with during my
+professional career; and Elsie Maclean bears her sufferings with
+such noble fortitude, such genuine Christian patience, coupled with
+stern Scotch heroism, that I cannot withhold my admiration and
+earnest sympathy. Yesterday I held a consultation with four
+physicians, and, when we told her the hopelessness of her condition,
+she received the announcement without even a sigh, and seemed only
+to dread that instead of an assistant she might prove a burden to her
+mistress."
+
+"She appears to be a very important personage in the household."
+
+"Yes; she is Mrs. Gerome's nurse, housekeeper, and counsellor,--and I
+have rarely seen such warm affection as exists between them. I wish,
+Janet, that you were strong enough to call at 'Solitude,' for its
+mistress leads a lonely, secluded life, and must require some
+society."
+
+"But, Ulpian, I hear strange things about her, and it is hinted that
+she is deranged."
+
+"Your knowledge of human nature should teach you how little truth is
+generally found in the floating _on dits_ of social circles."
+
+"How long has she been widowed?"
+
+"I do not know, but presume that her affliction has not been very
+recent, as she wears no mourning."
+
+"If she has discarded widow's weeds, and dresses in colors, why should
+she taboo society, and make herself the town-talk by refusing to
+receive even the clergy and their wives? She has lived here ten
+months, and I understand from Dolly Spiewell that not a soul has ever
+seen her. Of course such eccentricities provoke gossip and tickle the
+tongue of scandal, and if the world can't find out the real cause of
+such conduct, it very industriously sets to work and manufactures
+one."
+
+"Which, in my humble opinion, constitutes a piece of unwarrantable
+impertinence on the part of meddling Mrs. Grundy. The world might be
+more profitably engaged in mending its own tortuous and mendacious
+ways, and allowing poor solitary wretches to fondle their whims and
+caprices. If Mrs. Gerome does not choose to receive visitors, what
+right has the public to grumble, or even discuss the matter?"
+
+As Salome spoke, she plunged her stiletto vigorously into a piece of
+cambric, and her thin lip curled contemptuously.
+
+"Abstractly true, my dear child; but, from the beginning of time,
+people have meddled; and, since gossip she must, even Eve chatted too
+freely with serpents. Besides, since we are in the world, we should
+not turn eremites, and bristle at the sight of one of our own race;
+for society has a few laws that are inexorable,--that cannot be
+violated without subjecting the offender to being stung to death by
+venomous tongues; and one of these statutes is, that all shall see and
+be seen, shall talk and be talked about, and shall visit and be
+visited. When a woman unaccountably turns recluse, she is at the mercy
+of public imagination, stimulated by disappointed curiosity; and very
+soon the verdict goes forth that she is either deformed or deranged."
+
+"I dispute the prerogative of the public to dictate in such matters,
+and I shall rebel whenever it presumes to lay even a little finger
+across my path. What, pray tell me, is the world, but an aggregation
+of persons like you and me, and what possible concern can you or I
+have with the fact that Mrs. Gerome burrows like a mole, beyond our
+sight? If she sees fit to found a modern sect of Troglodytes, I can't
+understand that the wheels of society are thereby scotched, or that
+the public has a shadow of right to raise a hue-and-cry and strive to
+unearth her, as if she were a fox, a catamount, or a gopher. It is
+useless for society to constitute itself a turning-lathe for rounding
+off all individual angularities, and grinding people down to dull
+uniformity until they are as indistinguishable as a bag of unpainted
+marbles or of black-eyed peas; and, if God had intended that we should
+all invariably think, feel, and act after one pattern, He would have
+populated the world with Siamese twins; whereas, the first couple that
+were born on earth were so dissimilar that all the universe was not
+wide enough to hold them both, and manslaughter began when the race
+only numbered a quartette. If mankind had not arrogated the privilege
+of being its 'brother's keeper,' it would never have been forced to
+deny the fact. I admire the honesty and truth with which Alexander
+Smith bravely confessed, 'I love a little eccentricity; I respect
+honest prejudices. It is high time, it seems to me, that a moral
+game-law were passed for the preservation of the wild and vagrant
+feelings of human nature.'"
+
+"That is a dangerous doctrine, my dear child, especially for a woman
+to entertain; because custom rules us with an iron rod, and flays us
+alive if we contravene her decrees."
+
+"I should be exceedingly glad to learn by what authority or process
+Truth is provided with sex? Are some orthodox doctrines female and
+others male? Why have not we women as clear a right to any given set
+of principles as men? Truth is as much my property as that of the Czar
+of Russia, and, if I choose to lay hold of any special province of it,
+why must I perforce be dragged to the whipping-post of custom, simply
+because by an accident I am called Susan or Hepzibah instead of Peter
+or Lazarus? So long as my convictions of truth (which custom brands as
+vagaries) are innocuous, I have a perfect and inalienable right to
+indulge them; but the instant I become pestiferous to society, let me
+be consigned to the tender mercies of strait-jacket and insane-asylum
+regimen. If I creep quietly along my own intellectual and ethical
+trail, taking heed not to touch the sensitive toes of custom, why
+should it ungenerously insist upon bruising mine? My seer was right
+when he boldly declared, 'The world has stood long enough under the
+drill of Adjutant Fashion.' It is hard work, the posture is wearisome,
+and Fashion is an awful martinet, and has a quick eye, and comes down
+mercilessly on the unfortunate wight who can not square his toes to
+the approved pattern. It is killing work. Suppose we try 'standing at
+ease' for a little while? Wherefore, custom to the contrary
+notwithstanding, I contend that Mrs. Gerome has as indisputable a
+right to refuse admittance to Rev. Mrs. Spiewell as any anchorite of
+the Nitrian Sands to decline receiving a bevy of inquisitive European
+belles. If society rules like Russia or Turkey, then am I a candidate
+for knout and bastinado. I do not wish to be unwomanly, and honesty
+and candor are not necessarily unfeminine, because some coarse,
+rough-handed, bold-eyed woman has possibly rendered them unpopular."
+
+Miss Jane laid down her knitting, folded her hands, and, as she
+watched the girl, her emotions were probably similar to those that
+agitate some meek and staid hen, who, leading a young brood of ducks
+from her nest, suddenly beholds them displaying their aquatic
+proclivities by plunging into the horse-pond, and performing all the
+evolutions of a regatta.
+
+"Ah, child, I fear you think too little of what you wish or intend to
+make yourself!"
+
+"Only have patience, Miss Jane, and some day I will show you all the
+graces of Griselda and Gudrun the second. Dr. Grey, have you seen Mrs.
+Gerome?"
+
+"Yes,--on two occasions."
+
+"Is she not the most extraordinary and puzzling person you ever looked
+at?"
+
+"When and where could you have met her?"
+
+"For a few minutes only, last winter, I saw her on the beach, near
+'Solitude.' We exchanged a half-dozen words, and she left an
+impression on my mind which all time will not efface. Since that
+evening I have frequently endeavored to surprise her on the same spot,
+but only once I succeeded in catching a glimpse of a blue shawl that
+fluttered in the distance. She seemed to me a beautiful, pale
+priestess, consecrated to the ministry of the shrine of sorrow; and,
+when I hear snubbed-dom sneering at her, and remember the hopeless
+expression with which her wonderful, homeless eyes looked out across
+that grey, silent sea,--I cannot avoid thinking that she is very wise
+in barring her doors, and heeding the advice of Montenebi, '_Complain
+not of thy woes to the public: they will no more pity thee than birds
+of prey pity the wounded deer_.'"
+
+"My acquaintance with Mrs. Gerome is too slight to warrant the
+utterance of an opinion relative to her idiosyncrasies, but I am
+afraid cynicism rather than grief immures her from society. Her
+prematurely white hair and the remarkable pallor of her smooth
+complexion combine to render her appearance piquant and unnatural;
+and, certainly, there is something in her face strangely suggestive of
+old Norse myths, mystery, and magic. Her features, when analyzed,
+prove faultlessly regular, but her life is out of tune, and the
+expression of her countenance mars what would otherwise be perfect
+beauty. I can, in some degree, describe the impression she produced
+upon me by quoting the lines that were suggested when I saw her this
+morning, standing by Elsie Maclean's bed,--
+
+  'I saw a vision of a woman, where
+    Night and new morning strive for domination;
+  Incomparably pale, and almost fair,
+    And sad beyond expression.
+  Her eyes were like some fire-enshrining gem,
+    Were stately, like the stars, and yet were tender;
+  Her figure charmed me, like a windy stem,
+    Quivering, and drooped, and slender.
+  She measured measureless sorrow toward its length
+    And breadth, and depth, and height.'"
+
+Salome looked up from the eyelet she was working, but Dr. Grey had
+turned his head towards his sister who had fallen asleep in her chair,
+and the orphan could not see his face.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome must have been very young when she married, and--"
+
+"Hush! Janet looks so weary that I want her to have a long nap, and
+our voices might disturb her."
+
+He took his hat and gloves and left the room, and Salome forgot her
+embroidery and fell into a reverie that proved neither pleasant nor
+profitable, and lasted until Miss Jane awoke.
+
+In the afternoon of the following day, when the orphan returned
+from her clandestine visit to the Italian musician, she saw an
+unusual number of persons on the front gallery, and found that the
+long-expected party from New York had arrived during her absence. Miss
+Jane was talking to the governess--a meek-looking, but exceedingly
+handsome woman, of twenty-seven or eight years, with fair hair and
+quiet brown eyes; and every detail of her dress, speech, and bearing
+averred that Edith Dexter was no humble scion of proletariat. Her
+polished yet reserved manners bespoke high birth and aristocratic
+associations; but something in the composed, sad countenance, in the
+listless drooping of the pretty head, hinted that she had long since
+spilt the rosy sparkling foam of her cup of life, and was patiently
+drinking its muddy lees.
+
+On the upper step sat Dr. Grey, with his arm encircling the form of
+his ward, whose head rested very confidingly against his shoulder.
+Muriel Manton was dressed in deep mourning, and had evidently been
+weeping, for her guardian was tenderly wiping the tears from her cheek
+when Salome came up the avenue; and, with a keen, jealous pang that
+she had never felt before, the latter scanned the stranger's claims to
+beauty.
+
+Very black eyes, brilliant complexion, and fine teeth, she certainly
+possessed; but her features were rather coarse; her mouth was much too
+large for classic requirements; and Salome was rejoiced to find her
+nose indisputably _retrousse_.
+
+Years hence she would doubtless be a large, well-formed, commanding
+woman, who could exhibit Lyons silk or Genoese velvet to the best
+advantage, and would be considered a fine-looking, rosy, robust
+personage; but at present the face, which from under a small straw hat
+anxiously watched hers, was infinitely handsomer, more attractive,
+more delicate, and intellectual; and the miller's child felt that she
+had little to apprehend from the merely personal charms of the wealthy
+ward.
+
+Salome felt injured as she eyed the doctor's arm, which had never
+touched even her shoulder; and it was painful and humiliating to
+notice the affectionate manner in which his hand stroked one of
+Muriel's that lay on his knee,--and to remember that his fingers had
+not met hers in a friendly grasp since long before his visit to
+Europe,--had only clasped hers twice during their acquaintance.
+
+"Come in, Salome, and let me introduce you to my ward Muriel, and to
+Miss Dexter, who is prepared to receive you as a pupil."
+
+Muriel silently held out her hand; but Salome only bowed and ran
+lightly up the steps, as if she did not perceive the outstretched
+fingers. Miss Dexter rose and advanced to meet her, saying, in a tone
+that indexed great kindness of heart,--
+
+"I am exceedingly glad to meet you, Miss Salome; for Dr. Grey has
+promised that I shall find in you a most exemplary and agreeable
+pupil."
+
+"Thank you. I am indeed glad to hear that he has changed his opinion
+of me; and I must endeavor not to lose my newly acquired amiable
+character,--but he was rather rash to stand security for my good
+behavior."
+
+She saw that Dr. Grey was surprised at her cold reception of his pet
+and _protege_, and perversity took possession of her. Going to the
+back of Miss Jane's old-fashioned rocking-chair she put her arms
+around her, and, leaning over, kissed her cheek several times. It was
+not her habit to caress any one or any thing,--not even her little
+brother,--and this unusual demonstrativeness puzzled and surprised the
+old lady who said, fondly,--
+
+"I presume Ulpian is brave enough to encounter all the risks of
+standing security for your obedience and docility."
+
+"Certainly I appreciate his chivalry, since none knows better than he
+the danger--nay, probability, of a forfeiture of the contract on my
+part."
+
+Dr. Grey rose, and, looking steadily at her, said, in a tone which she
+well understood,--
+
+"Promises are, in my estimation, peculiarly sacred things; and that
+which I made to Miss Dexter in your behalf was based upon one that I
+gave you some time since, namely, that I would have faith in you. Come
+with me, Muriel; I want to show you and Miss Dexter the finest cow
+this side of Ayrshire, and some sheep that are handsome enough to
+compare favorably with the best that ever browsed in the 'Court of
+Lions.'"
+
+He took his ward's hand and led her away to the cattle-yard, whither
+Miss Dexter accompanied them.
+
+As Salome looked after the trio her eyes flashed and scarlet spots
+burned on her cheeks, while a feeling of suffocation oppressed her
+heart.
+
+"Why will you vex him, when you know that he tries so hard to like
+you?" asked Miss Jane in a distressed tone, stroking the girl's hot
+face, as she spoke.
+
+The head was instantly lifted beyond her reach, and the answer came
+swiftly, sharp and defiant,--
+
+"Do you mean to say that it is so extremely difficult for him to
+tolerate me?"
+
+"You are obliged to know that you are not one of his favorites, like
+that sweet-tempered Muriel, to whom he seems so warmly attached; and
+it is all your own fault, for he was disposed to like you when he
+first came home. Ulpian loves quiet and amiable people, who are never
+rude and snappish; and it appears to me that you are trying to see how
+hateful and spiteful you can be. Why upon earth did you not shake
+hands with those strangers, and treat them politely?"
+
+"Because I don't choose to be hypocritical,--and I don't like Miss
+Muriel Manton."
+
+"Nonsense! Stuff! I only wish you were half as well-bred and
+courteous, and lady-like."
+
+"Do you, really? Then, to be obedient and, oblige you, when they come
+back, I will imitate her example, and throw myself into Dr. Grey's
+arms, and rub my cheek against his shoulder, and fondle his hands. If
+this be 'lady-like,' then, indeed, I penitently cry '_peccavi!_' and
+promise that in future you shall not have cause to complain of me."
+
+"Pooh, pooh, child! What ails you? Muriel has known Ulpian all her
+life, and looks upon him now as her father. He has petted her since
+she was a little girl, and loves her almost as well as if she were his
+child, instead of his ward. You know she is an orphan; and it is very
+natural for her to cling to her guardian, who was for a great many
+years her father's most intimate friend."
+
+"We are both orphans, and she is certainly not my junior, yet your
+propriety would be shocked if I behaved as she does. Where is
+Stanley?"
+
+"Studying his geography lesson, with the assistance of the globe, in
+the library. What do you want with him?"
+
+"I am going to the beach, and wish him to walk with me."
+
+"It is too late for you to start for the seaside, and, moreover, it
+would appear very discourteous in you to absent yourself the first
+evening that these strangers spend here. Ulpian would be displeased."
+
+"According to your statement a few minutes since, that is his chronic
+condition, as far as I am concerned; and, as I do not belong to the
+mimosa species, I think I may brave his frowns."
+
+"That is not the worst you have to apprehend. Child, I think it would
+be bitter indeed, to bear Ulpian Grey's contempt."
+
+"I shall take care not to deserve it; and Dr. Grey never forgets to be
+just."
+
+"My dear little girl, what right have you to be jealous of his love
+for his young ward?"
+
+The flame that was slowly dying out of her face leaped up fiercer than
+before, and she crimsoned to the edges of her hair.
+
+"Jealous! Good heavens, Miss Jane, you must be dreaming! I merely
+question the taste that allows his 'lady-like' favorite to caress him
+so openly, and should not have expressed my disapprobation so
+strongly if you had not rated me soundly, and held her up as a model
+for my humble imitation. If she and her governess are to stir up
+strife between you and me, I shall heartily wish them a speedy passage
+to Halifax or heaven. Beyond all peradventure I shall get murderously
+jealous if you dare to give this sloe-eyed, peony-faced girl, my place
+in your dear old heart. She, of course, will fondle her guardian as
+much as she pleases, or as often as he sees fit to allow; but woe unto
+her if I catch her hands and lips about you, my dearest and best
+friend! Don't scold me and praise her, or some fine day I shall jump
+at and strangle her, which you know would not be 'well-bred' or
+'lady-like,' much less moral and Christian."
+
+She almost smothered the old lady in her arms, and kissed her several
+times.
+
+"What has stirred up the evil spirit in you? You look as wicked as
+your mother Herodias, thirsting for the blood of John the Baptist; or
+as Jezebel plotting against the prophet--"
+
+"And telling me that like her I am 'going to the dogs' is not the
+surest way to reform me. Stanley! Stanley! get your hat and come
+here."
+
+"Your awful temper will be your ruin if you don't put a curb-bit on
+it. See here, Salome, don't be so utterly silly and childish! I do not
+wish you to go to the sea-shore this evening."
+
+"Please, Miss Jane, don't order me to stay at home, because, then of
+course, I should feel bound to obey you, and I should not behave
+prettily, and you would wish me at the bottom of the sea, instead of
+on its brink. Let me go, and I will come back cool as a cucumber, and
+well-behaved as Miss Muriel Manton. Please don't prohibit me; and I
+promise I will lose my evil spirit in the sea, like that Gergesene
+wretch that haunted the tombs. Here comes Stanley. Don't shake your
+head. I am off."
+
+Miss Jane would not receive the proffered farewell kiss, but tears
+gathered and dimmed her eyes as she looked after the graceful, girlish
+figure, swiftly crossing the lawn; and sad forebodings filled her
+affectionate heart when she thought of the unknown future that
+stretched before that impetuous, jealous, imperious nature.
+
+Anxious that the strangers should feel thoroughly welcome and at home,
+she joined them as soon as possible after their return from the
+sheepfold, and exerted herself to keep the shuttlecock of conversation
+in constant motion; but her brother's watchful eyes discerned the
+perturbed feeling she sought to hide; and, when she insisted, for the
+first time in two years, upon taking her seat and presiding at the
+tea-table, he busied himself in arranging her cushions comfortably,
+and whispered,--
+
+"How good and considerate you are, my precious sister. A thousand
+thanks for this generous effort, which I trust will not fatigue you."
+
+He placed himself opposite, and was about to ask a blessing on the
+meal, but paused to inquire,--
+
+"Where are the children, Salome and Stanley?"
+
+"They have gone down to the beach, and we will not wait for them."
+
+Soon after, Muriel said,--
+
+"I think Salome is almost beautiful. She has splendid eyes and hair.
+Miss Edith, does she not remind you of a piece of sculpture at
+Naples?"
+
+"Yes; I noticed a resemblance to the _Julia-Agrippina_, and the
+likeness must be remarkable, since it impressed us simultaneously.
+Salome's brow is fuller, and her chin more prominent than that of the
+Roman woman we admired so ardently; and, besides, I should judge that
+she had quite as much or more will than the daughter of Germanicus,
+for her lips are thinner."
+
+Dr. Grey changed the topic of conversation, and Miss Dexter
+courteously followed the cue.
+
+The moon was high in heaven when Salome and her brother came up the
+avenue; and, observing that the lights were extinguished in the front
+rooms, she surmised that the new-comers had retired very early, in
+consequence of fatigue from their long journey. Sending Stanley to
+bed, she sat down on the steps to rest a few moments before going
+upstairs, and began to fan herself with her straw hat.
+
+She had grown very calm, and almost ashamed of her passionate
+ebullition in the presence of strangers; and numerous good resolutions
+were sending out fibrous roots in her heart. How long she rested there
+she knew not, and started when Dr. Grey said, in a subdued voice,--
+
+"Salome, I am waiting to lock the door, and should be glad if you will
+come in now, or be careful to secure the inner bolt whenever you do.
+As I always shut up the house, I was afraid you might not think of it;
+and burglaries are becoming alarmingly frequent."
+
+She rose instantly, and entered the hall.
+
+"What time is it?"
+
+"Eleven o'clock."
+
+"Is it possible? You know, sir, that the evenings are very short
+now."
+
+"Yes."
+
+He was removing a chair from the gallery and closing the Venetian
+blinds, and she could not see his face. Hoping to receive some
+friendly look, which she was painfully aware she did not deserve, she
+loitered till he turned around.
+
+"Salome, have you a light in your room?"
+
+"I do not know, but suppose so."
+
+"There are two candles in the library, and you had better take one,
+rather than stumble along in the dark and wake everybody."
+
+He brought out one, and handed it to her.
+
+"Thank you. Good-night, Dr. Grey."
+
+"Good-night, Salome."
+
+The candle-light showed no displeasure in his countenance, which was
+calm as usual, and there was not a hint of harshness in his unwontedly
+low voice; but she read disappointment in his grave, kind eyes. She
+knew that she could not sleep until she had made her peace with him;
+and, though it cost her a great effort to conquer her pride, she said,
+humbly,--
+
+"'And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven
+times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent,--thou shalt
+forgive him.'"
+
+"Yes; but the frequency of the offence renders it difficult to believe
+the repentance genuine."
+
+"Christ, your master, did not doubt it."
+
+"I am less than the disciples whom he addressed; and they answered,
+'Increase our faith.'"
+
+"You did not pray for me this morning."
+
+"I never neglect my promises. Why do you doubt that I fulfilled them
+this morning?"
+
+"This has been one of my sinful days, when Satan runs rough-shod over
+all my good intentions, and drags me through the mire that I was
+trying to hold my soul far above. I tell you, sir, that the 'unclean
+spirit' that vexed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman was mild,
+and harmless, and well-mannered, in comparison with the demon that
+takes bodily possession of me, and whose name is not '_Suset_'! but a
+fearful _Ruach_ demanding the ban _Cherem_. I once thought all that
+part of Scripture which referred to the casting out of devils was
+metaphorical; but I know better now; for the one that Luther assaulted
+with his inkstand was not more palpable than that which enters into my
+heart every now and then, and overturns the altars of the 'true, good,
+and beautiful,' and sets up instead a small hall of Eblis, as full of
+horrible, mis-shapen things as that hideous 'Last Judgment' of
+Orcagna, in the Campo Santo at Pisa, which you once showed me in a
+portfolio of engravings. Oh, Dr. Grey! you ought to be merciful to me;
+for indeed God gave me a fearfully wicked and cunning spirit for a
+perpetual companion and tempter. Even Christ had Lucifer and
+Quarantina."
+
+"Yes, and conquered both, and promised assistance to all who earnestly
+desire and resolve to follow his example."
+
+"You cannot forgive my rudeness?"
+
+"The act of incivility was very slight; but, my young friend, the
+unaccountable perversity of your character certainly fills my mind
+with serious apprehension concerning your future. Of course, I can
+very readily forgive the occasion that displayed it, but I cannot
+entirely forget the spirit that distresses me when I least expect
+it."
+
+"If you will dismiss this afternoon from your mind, I will never--"
+
+"Stop! Make me no more promises till you are strong enough to keep
+them inviolate. Promise less and pray more; I am not angry, but I am
+disappointed."
+
+She drooped her head to avoid his grave, sad gaze, and for a moment
+there was silence.
+
+"Dr. Grey, will you shake hands with me, in token of pardon?"
+
+"Certainly, if you wish it."
+
+He took her hand in both of his, pressed it kindly, and said, in a
+low, solemn tone,--
+
+"Good-night, Salome. May God guide, and strengthen, and help you to be
+the noble woman, the consistent Christian, which only His grace and
+blessing can ever enable you to become. Remember the cheering words of
+Jean Paul Richter, 'Evil is like the nightmare, the instant you bestir
+yourself it has already ended.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+
+"Ulpian, have you had any conversation with Salome?"
+
+"Upon what subject?"
+
+"Have you talked with her concerning her studies?"
+
+"Not recently. Soon after Muriel and Miss Dexter came, I mentioned to
+her the fact that I should be glad to see her enter a class with
+Muriel and pursue the same studies, and that such an arrangement
+would be entirely agreeable to Miss Dexter; but she declined the
+proposition, saying she would only trouble the latter to teach her
+Italian. Do you know why she is so anxious to acquire that language?"
+
+"No; to tell you the truth, I know less and less every day about her
+actions, for the child has suddenly grown very reserved. This morning
+she was walking up and down the library with her hands behind her and
+her eyes looking as if they were travelling to Jericho or Jeddo, and
+when I asked her why she was so unusually silent, she snapped like a
+toy-torpedo, 'I am silent because this is one of my wicked days, and I
+am fighting the devil; and if I open my lips I shall say something
+that will give him the victory.' I held out my hand to her and begged
+her to come and sit by me and tell me what troubled or tempted
+her,--and what do you suppose she said?"
+
+"Something, I am afraid, that I shall be sorry to hear you repeat."
+
+"She laid her hand on her heart and answered, 'You are very good, Miss
+Jane, but you can no more help me than the disciples could relieve
+that wretch whom only Christ healed.' '_This kind goeth not out but by
+prayer and fasting._' Whereupon, she snatched a book from the table
+and left the room. I did not see her for several hours, and when I met
+her in the hall, a few moments since, I said, 'Well, dear, which won
+the victory, sin or my little girl?' She put her hands on my
+shoulders, laughed bitterly, and answered, 'It was a drawn battle.
+Neither has much to boast of, and we lie on our arms watching--nay,
+glaring at each other. Let me be quiet a little while, and don't ask
+me about it.'"
+
+"Can you conjecture the cause of the present trouble?"
+
+"I have a suspicion."
+
+Miss Jane paused, sighed, and frowned.
+
+"I should think you might persuade her to confide in you."
+
+"Pooh! Persuade her? I would quite as soon undertake to persuade the
+Andes to dance a jig as attempt to discover what she has determined
+not to divulge. If you knew her as well as I do, you would appreciate
+the uselessness of trying to persuade her to do anything. But you men
+never see what lies right under your noses, and I believe if you lived
+in the same house with that child for five years longer you would
+understand her as little as you do to-day. Ulpian, shut the door, and
+sit down here close to me."
+
+Dr. Grey complied; and, laying her shrunken hand on her brother's
+knee, Miss Jane said, hesitatingly,--
+
+"My dear boy, I don't know whether I ought to tell you, and, indeed, I
+do not see my way clearly; but you seem so unsuspecting that I think
+it is my duty to talk to you."
+
+"Pray come to the point, dear Janet. Your exordium is very tantalizing.
+Tell me frankly what disturbs you."
+
+"It pains me to call your attention to a fact that I know cannot fail
+to produce annoyance."
+
+He put his arm around her, and, drawing her head to his shoulder,
+answered, tenderly,--
+
+"My precious sister, I have seen for some days that you were perplexed
+and anxious, but I abstained from questioning you because I felt
+assured whenever you deemed it best to confide in me, you would
+voluntarily unburden your heart. Now lay all your troubles upon me,
+and keep back nothing. Has Salome grieved you?"
+
+"Oh, the child does not intend to grieve me! Ulpian, can't you imagine
+what makes her unhappy, and restless, and contrary?"
+
+"She is very wayward, passionate, and obstinate, and any restraint
+upon her whims is peculiarly irksome and intolerable to her; but I
+believe she is really striving to correct the unfortunate defects in
+her character. She evidently dislikes our guests, and this proves a
+continual source of disquiet to her; for, while she endeavors to treat
+them courteously, I can see that she would be excessively rude if she
+dared to indulge her antipathies."
+
+"Do you know why she dislikes Muriel so intensely?"
+
+"No; I cannot even conjecture. Muriel is very amiable and affectionate,
+and seems disposed to become very fond of Salome, if she would only
+encourage her advances. Can you explain the mystery?"
+
+"If you were not as blind as a mole, or the fish in Mammoth Cave, you
+would see that Salome is insanely jealous of your affection for your
+ward, and that is the cause of all the trouble."
+
+"It is unreasonable and absurd in her to entertain such feelings; and,
+moreover, she has no right to cherish any jealousy towards my ward."
+
+"Unreasonable! Yes, quite true; but did you ever know a woman to be
+very reasonable concerning the man she loves?"
+
+Dr. Grey's quiet face flushed, and he rose instantly, looking
+incredulous and embarrassed.
+
+"Surely, my dear sister, you do not intend to insinuate, or desire me
+to infer, that Salome has any--"
+
+He paused, bit his lip, and walked to the window.
+
+"I mean to say, in plain Anglo-Saxon, and I desire you to understand,
+that Salome is no longer a child; and that she loves you, my dear boy,
+better than she will ever love any other human being. These things are
+very strange, indeed, and girls' whims baffle all rules and disappoint
+all reasonable expectations; but, nevertheless, it does no good to
+shut your eyes to facts that are as clear as daylight. It is not a
+sudden freak that has seized the poor child; it has grown upon her,
+almost without her understanding herself; but I discovered it the day
+that you left home so unexpectedly for New York. Her distress betrayed
+her real feelings; and, since then, I have watched her, and can see
+how completely her thoughts centre in you."
+
+"Oh, Janet, I hope you mistake her! I cannot believe it possible, for
+I recall nothing in her conduct that justifies your supposition; and I
+do not think I lack penetration. If she were really interested in me,
+as you imagine, she certainly would not thrust so prominently and
+constantly before me faults of character which she well knows I cannot
+tolerate. Moreover, my dear sister, consider the disparity in our
+years, the incompatibility of our tastes and habits, and the
+improbability that a handsome young girl should cherish any feeling
+stronger than esteem or friendship for a staid man of my age! No, no;
+it is too incredible to be entertained, and I am sorry you ever
+suggested such an annoying chimera to me. Salome is rather a singular
+compound, I willingly admit, but I acquit her of the folly you seem
+inclined to impute to her."
+
+Dr. Grey walked up and down the library floor, and, as his sister
+watched him, a sad smile trembled over her thin, wrinkled face.
+
+"Ulpian, you are considerably younger than our poor father was when
+he married a beautiful creature not one month older than Salome is
+to-day. Will you sit in judgment on your own young mother?"
+
+"Nay, Janet; the parallelism is not as apparent as you imagine, for my
+manner toward Salome has been calculated to check and chill any
+sentiment analogous to that which my father sought to win from my
+mother. Pray, do not press upon me a surmise which is indescribably
+painful to me."
+
+He resumed his seat, and, thrusting his fingers through his hair,
+leaned his head on his open hand.
+
+"My dear boy, if true, why should it prove indescribably painful to
+you?"
+
+"Cannot your womanly intuitions spare me an explicit reply?"
+
+"No; speak frankly to me."
+
+"No man of honor--no man who has any delicacy or refinement of
+feeling--can fail to be distressed and annoyed by the thought that he
+has unintentionally and unconsciously aroused in a woman's heart an
+interest which he cannot possibly reciprocate."
+
+"But, if you have never considered the subject until now, how do you
+know that you may not be able to return the affection?"
+
+"Because, when I examine my own heart, I find not even the germ of a
+feeling which years might possibly ripen into love."
+
+"Will you candidly answer the question I am about to ask you?"
+
+"Yes, I think I can safely promise that much, simply because I wish to
+conceal nothing from you; and I cannot conjecture any inquiry on your
+part from which I should shrink. What would you ask?"
+
+"Is it because you are interested in some other woman, that you speak
+so positively of the hopelessness of my poor Salome's case?"
+
+"No, my sister; no woman has any claim or hold on my heart stronger
+than that of mere friendship. I have never loved any one as I must
+love the woman I make my wife; and since I have seen and merely
+admired so many who were attractive, lovely, and lovable, I often
+think that I shall probably never marry.
+
+             ... 'For several virtues
+  I have liked several women; never any
+  With so full a soul, but some defect in her
+  Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owned,
+  And put it to a foil.'
+
+Of course this is a matter with reference to which I shall not
+dogmatize, for we are all more or less the victims of caprice; and,
+like other men, I may some day set the imperious feet of fancy upon
+the neck of judgment and sound reason. As yet, I have not met the
+perfect character whom I could ask to bear my name; still, I may be so
+fortunate as either to find my ideal, or imagine that I do; or else
+become so earnestly attached to some beautiful woman, that, for her
+sake, I will willingly lower my lofty standard. These are the merest
+possible contingencies, and I have little inclination to discuss them;
+but I wish at all times to be entirely frank with you. Salome would
+never suit me as a life-long companion. She meets none of the
+requirements of my intellectual nature, and her perverse disposition,
+and what might almost be termed _diablerie_, repel instead of
+attracting me. I pity the child, and can sympathize cordially with her
+efforts to redeem herself from the luckless associations of earlier
+years that wofully distorted her character; and I can truly say that I
+am interested in her welfare and improvement, and have a faint
+brotherly affection for her; but I thoroughly comprehend my own
+feelings when I assure you, Janet, that were Salome and I left alone
+in the world I could never for a moment entertain the idea of calling
+such a wayward child my wife. Are you satisfied?"
+
+"Convinced, at least, that you are not deceiving me. But, Ulpian, the
+girl is growing very beautiful--don't you think so?--or, is it my love
+that makes me see her through flattering lenses?"
+
+"Her lips are too thin, and her eyes too keen and restless for perfect
+beauty, which claims repose as one of its essential elements; but,
+notwithstanding these flaws, she has undoubtedly one of the handsomest
+faces I have ever seen, and certainly a graceful, fine figure."
+
+"And you are such an admirer of beauty," said Miss Jane, slipping her
+fingers caressingly into her brother's hand.
+
+"Yes; I shall not deny that I yield to no one in appreciation of
+lovely faces; but, if I am aware that, like some rich crimson June
+rose whose calyx cradles a worm, the heart beneath the perfect form is
+gnawed by some evil tendency, or shelters vindictive passion and
+sinful impulses, I should certainly not select it in making up the
+precious bouquet that is to shed perfume and beauty in my home, and
+call my thoughts from the din and strife of the outer world to
+holiness and peace."
+
+"You have no mercy on the child."
+
+"I ought to have no mercy on glaring faults which she should ere this
+have corrected."
+
+"But she is so young--only seventeen! Think of it!"
+
+Dr. Grey frowned, and partially withdrew his hand from his sister's
+clasp.
+
+"Janet, you grieve me. Surely you are not pleading with me in behalf
+of Salome?"
+
+Tears trickled over Miss Jane's sallow cheeks and dripped on the
+doctor's hand, as she replied,--
+
+"Bear with me, Ulpian. The girl is very dear to me; and, loving you as
+she unquestionably does, I know that you could make her a noble,
+admirable woman,--for she has some fine traits, and your influence
+would perfect her character. Believe me, my dear boy, you, and you
+only, can remould her heart."
+
+"Possibly,--if I loved her; for then I would be patient and forbearing
+towards her faults. But I cannot even respect that handsome, fiery,
+impulsive, unreasonable child, much less love her; and, if I ever
+marry, my wife must be worthy to remould my own defective life and
+erring nature. I am surprised, my dear sister, that you, whose sincere
+affection I can not doubt, should be willing to see me link my life
+with that of one so much younger, and, I grieve to say it, so far
+inferior in all respects. What congenial companionship could I
+promise myself? What confidence could I repose--what esteem could I
+entertain--for a silly girl, who, without warrant and utterly
+unsought, bestows her love (if, indeed, what you say be true) upon a
+man who never even dreamed of such folly, and is old enough to be her
+father?"
+
+"I can not comprehend the logic that condemns Salome, and justifies
+your own mother; for, if there be any difference in their lines of
+conduct, I am too stupid to see it."
+
+Miss Jane lifted her head from her brother's shoulder, resolutely
+dried her eyes, and settled her cap.
+
+"My mother's tombstone should shelter her from all animadversion,
+especially from the lips that owe their existence to her. Do not, my
+sister, disturb the mouldering ashes of the long-buried past. The
+unfortunate fact you have mentioned, and which I should gladly doubt
+if you would only permit me to do so, renders it necessary for me to
+be perfectly candid with you, and you will, I trust, pardon what I
+feel compelled to say to you. I have remarked that you watch me quite
+closely whenever I am engaged in conversation with my ward or her
+governess, and yesterday, when Muriel came, stood by me, and leaned
+her arm on my shoulder, you frowned and looked harshly at the child.
+Once for all, let me tell you that there is no more possibility of my
+loving Muriel or Edith, than Salome. Of the three, I care most for
+Muriel, who looks upon me as her second father, and to whom I am
+deeply attached. If I caress the poor, stricken child, and allow her
+to approach me familiarly, you ought to understand your brother
+sufficiently well not to ascribe his conduct to any feeling which he
+would blush to confess to his sister. The day before Horace died, he
+said, 'Be a father to my daughter; take my place when I am gone.' If I
+were at liberty to divulge some matters confided to me, I could easily
+assure you that there is not a shadow of possibility that Muriel will
+ever grieve and mortify me as Salome has done. Now look at me, dear
+Janet, and kiss me, and trust your brother; for he will never deceive
+you, and can not endure a moment's estrangement from you."
+
+Miss Jane put up her lips for the caress, and, after a short silence,
+Dr. Grey continued,--
+
+"Tell me now what you think best under the circumstances, and I will
+endeavor to cooperate with you. Does Salome know you are cognizant of
+her weakness--her misfortune--"
+
+He stammered, and again his face flushed.
+
+"Upon my word, Ulpian, you are positively blushing! Don't worry
+yourself, dear, over what can not be helped, or at least is
+attributable to no fault of yours. No; you may be sure Salome would be
+drawn, quartered, and broiled, before she would confess to me the
+feeling which she does not suspect I have discovered. Poor thing! I
+can't avoid pitying her whenever you take Muriel's hand or caress her
+in any way. This morning you smoothed the hair back from her forehead
+while she was stooping over her drawing, and poor Salome's eyes
+flashed and looked like a leopard's. She clenched her fingers as if
+she were strangling something, and an expression came over her face
+that was dangerous, and made me shiver a little. Something must be
+done; but I am sure I do not know what to advise."
+
+"How futile and mocking are merely human schemes! My principal object
+in bringing Muriel and Miss Dexter here, was to provide agreeable and
+improving companions for your pet and to afford her the privilege of
+sharing the educational advantages which Muriel enjoyed. _L'homme
+propose, et Dieu dispose_, if, indeed, an occurrence so earnestly to
+be deplored can be deemed providential. What are her plans relative to
+Jessie?"
+
+"If she has matured any, she keeps them shut up in her own heart. Once
+she talked freely to me on all subjects, but recently she seems to
+avoid acquainting me with her intentions or schemes. Of course,
+Ulpian, you know I have always expected to leave her a portion of my
+property."
+
+"Certainly, dear Janet; you ought to provide comfortably for the girl
+whom you have taught to rely upon your bounty. It would be cruel and
+unpardonable to foster hopes that you could not fully realize."
+
+"It was my intention to put into your hands the share I intended for
+her, and to leave her also to your care, when I die; but now I know
+not what is best. If she could be separated from you, she might divert
+her thoughts and become interested in other things or persons; but so
+long as you are in the same house I know there will be nothing but
+wretchedness and disappointment for her."
+
+After a long pause, during which Dr. Grey looked seriously pained and
+perplexed, he said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"You are right in thinking separation would be best; and I will go
+away at once--"
+
+"Go where?" exclaimed his sister, grasping his coat-sleeve.
+
+"I will furnish the rooms over my office, and live there. It will be
+more convenient for my business; but I dislike to leave you and the
+dear old homestead."
+
+"Stuff! You will churn the Atlantic, with the North Pole for a dasher!
+Ulpian Grey! come weal come woe, I don't intend to give you up. Here,
+right here, you will live while there is breath in my body,--unless
+you wish to make me sob it out and die the sooner. Pooh! Salome's
+shining eyes can not recompense me for the loss of my boy's blue ones,
+and I will not hear of such nonsense as the move you propose. You
+know, dear, I can't be here very long at the best, and while God
+spares me I want you near me. Besides, the separation of a few miles
+would not be worth a thimbleful of chaff; for, of course, Salome would
+hear of or see you daily, and the change would amount to nothing but
+anxiety and grief on my part. We will think the matter over, and do
+nothing rashly. But try to be patient with my little girl; and, for my
+sake, Ulpian, do not allow her to suspect that you dream of her
+feeling towards you. It is pitiable,--it is distressing beyond
+expression; and God knows, if I had thought for an instant that such a
+state of things would ever have come to pass, I would have left her in
+the poor-house sooner than have been instrumental in bringing such
+misery upon her young life. Last night I was suffering so much with my
+shoulder that I could not sleep, and I heard the child pacing her room
+until after three o'clock. It was useless to question her; for, of
+course, she would not confess the real cause, and I did not wish her
+to know that I noticed what I could not cure. But, my dearest boy, we
+are not to be blamed; so don't look so mortified and grieved. I would
+not have opened your unsuspecting eyes if I had not feared that your
+ignorance of the truth might increase the trouble, and I knew I could
+safely appeal to my sailor-boy's honor. Now you know all, and must be
+guided by your own good sense and delicacy in your future course
+toward the poor, proud young thing. Be guarded, Ulpian, and don't
+torment her by petting Muriel in her presence; for sometimes I am
+afraid there is bad blood in her veins, that brings that wicked glow
+to her eyes, and I dread that she might suddenly say or do some
+desperate thing that would plunge us all in sorrow. You know she is
+not a meek creature, and we must pity her weakness."
+
+Dr. Grey had grown very pale, and the profound regret printed on his
+countenance found expression also in the deepened and saddened tones
+of his voice.
+
+"Trust me, Janet! I will do all a man can to rectify the mischief, of
+which, God knows, I have been an innocent and entirely unintentional
+cause. Salome's course is unwomanly, and lowers her in my estimation;
+but she is so young I shall hope and pray that her preference for me
+is not sufficiently strong to prove more than an idle, fleeting,
+girlish fancy."
+
+He took his gloves from the table and left the room; and, for some
+time after his departure, his sister sat rocking herself to and fro,
+pondering all that had passed. Finally, she struck her hand decisively
+upon the cushioned top of her crutch, and muttered,--
+
+"Yes, he certainly is as nearly perfect as humanity can be; but,
+after all, Ulpian Grey is only flesh and blood, and despite his
+efforts to crush it, there must be some vanity hidden under his proud
+humility,--for certainly he is both humble in one sense, and
+inordinately proud in another; and I do not believe there lives a
+man of his age who would not be flattered by the love of a fresh young
+beauty like Salome. He thinks now that he is distressed and
+mortified; and, of course, he is honest in what he tells me; but I
+have studied human nature to very little purpose for the last fifty
+years, if, before long, he does not find himself more interested in
+Salome than he will be willing to confess. Her love for him will
+invest her with a charm she never possessed before, for men are
+vulnerable as women to the cunning advances of flattery. One thing
+is as sure and clear as that two and two make four,--if he is proof
+against Salome's devotion it will be attributable to the fact that he
+gives his heart to some one else; and I thought his blue eyes rather
+shied away from mine when he said he had yet to meet the woman he
+could marry. You don't intend to deceive me, my precious boy, I
+know you don't; but I should not be astounded if you had hoodwinked
+yourself,--a very little. But 'sufficient unto the day is the evil
+thereof,' and I will wait,--and we shall see what we shall see."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+
+"Elsie, it is worse than useless to talk to me. Once I could listen to
+you,--once I felt as you do now; but that time has gone by forever. I
+will read to you as often as you desire it, provided you do not make
+every chapter a text for a sermon. What do you wish to hear this
+morning?"
+
+"The fortieth Psalm."
+
+Mrs. Gerome opened the Bible, and, when she had finished the psalm
+designated, shut the book and laid it back close to Elsie's pillow.
+
+The old woman placed her hand on the round, white arm of her mistress,
+who rested carelessly against the bed.
+
+"You know, my child, that David's afflictions were sore indeed; but he
+declares, 'I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me,
+and heard my cry.' You will not be patient, and God can't help you
+till you are. We are like children punished for bad conduct,--as long
+as we rebel and struggle, of course we must be still further
+chastised; but the moment we show real penitence, our parents notice
+that we are bearing correction patiently, and then they throw away the
+rod and stretch out their arms, and snatch us close to their loving
+hearts. Even so God holds one hand to draw us tenderly to Him; and, if
+we are obstinately sinful, with the other He scourges us into the
+right path,--determined to help us, even against our own wills. Ah, if
+I could see you waiting patiently for the Lord!"
+
+"You will never see it. Patience was 'scourged' out of me, and now I
+stand still because I am worn out with struggling, waiting--not
+patiently, but wearily and helplessly--to see the end of my
+punishment. What have I done that I should feign a penitence I shall
+never feel? I was a happy, trusting, unoffending woman, when God smote
+me fiercely; and, because I was so innocent, I could not kiss my
+stinging rod, I grappled desperately with it. Elsie, don't stir up the
+bitter dregs in my soul, and mix them with every thought. Let them
+settle."
+
+"My darling, I don't want them to settle. I pray either that they may
+be stirred up and taken out, or sweetened by the grace of God. Do you
+ever think of the day when you will face your sainted mother?"
+
+"No. I think only of enduring this present life until death, my
+deliverer, comes to my rescue."
+
+"But, my bairn, you are not fit to die."
+
+"Fit to die as to live," answered her mistress, morosely.
+
+"For God's sake, don't flout the Almighty in that wicked manner! If
+you would only be baptized and take refuge in prayer, as every
+Christian should, you would find peace for your poor, miserable
+soul."
+
+"No; peace can't be poured out of a pitcher with the baptismal water;
+and all the waves tossing and glittering out there in the ocean could
+not wash one painful memory from my heart. I have had one baptism, and
+it was ample and thorough. I went down into the waters of woe, and all
+their black billows broke over me. Instead of the Jordan, I was
+immersed in the Dead Sea, and the asphaltum cleaves to me."
+
+"Oh, dearie, you will break my heart! I wish now that you had died
+when you were only fourteen months old, for then there would have been
+one more precious lamb in the flock of the Good Shepherd, safe in
+heavenly pastures--one more dear little golden head nestling on
+Jesus' bosom,--instead of--of--"
+
+Elsie's emotion mastered her voice, and she sobbed convulsively.
+
+"Why did not you finish? 'Instead of a gray head waiting to go down
+into the pit of perdition.' Yes, it was a terrible blunder that I was
+not allowed to die in my infancy; but it can't be helped now, and I
+wish you would not fret yourself into a fever over the irremediable.
+Why will you persist in tormenting yourself and me about my want of
+resignation and faith, when you know that exhortation and persuasion
+have no more effect upon me than the whistle of the plover down yonder
+in the sedge and seaweed,--where I heartily wish I were lying, ten
+feet under the shells? Rather a damp pillow for my fastidious, proud
+head, but, at least, cool and quiet. Calm yourself, my dear Elsie, for
+God will not hold you responsible if I miss my place among the saints,
+when He divides the sheep from the goats, in the last day,--_Dies irae
+dies illa_. Let me straighten your pillow and smooth your cap-border,
+for I see your doctor coming up the walk. There,--dry your eyes. When
+you want me, send Robert or Katie to call me."
+
+Mrs. Gerome leaned over the helpless, prostrate form on the bed,
+pressed her cheek against that of her nurse, where tears still
+glistened, and glided swiftly out of the room just before Dr. Grey
+entered.
+
+Never had he seen his patient so completely unnerved; but, observing
+her efforts to compose herself, he forbore any allusion to an
+agitation which he suspected was referable to mental rather than
+physical causes. Bravely the stubborn woman struggled to steady her
+voice, and still the twitching tell-tale muscles about her mouth; but
+the burden of anxiety finally bore down all resolves, and, covering
+her face with her broad hand, she wept unrestrainedly.
+
+In profound silence Dr. Grey sat beside her for nearly five minutes;
+then, fearful that the excitement might prove injurious, he said,
+gently,--
+
+"I hope you are not suffering so severely from bodily pain? What
+distresses you, my good woman? Perhaps, if I knew the cause, I might
+be able to render you some service."
+
+"It is not my body,--that, you know, is numb, and gives me no
+pain,--but my mind! Doctor, I am suffering in mind, and you have no
+medicine that can ease that."
+
+"Possibly I may accomplish more than you imagine is within reach of my
+remedies. Of one thing you may rest assured,--you will never have
+reason to regret any confidence you may repose in me."
+
+"Dr. Grey, I believe you are a Christian; at least, I have heard so;
+and, since my affliction, I have been watching you very closely, and
+begin to think I can trust you. Are you a member of the church?"
+
+"I am; although that fact alone should not entitle me to your
+confidence. We are all erring, and full of faults, but I endeavor to
+live in such a manner that I shall not bring disgrace upon the holy
+faith I profess."
+
+"Shut the door, and come back to me."
+
+He bolted the door, which stood ajar, and resumed his seat.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I know as well as you do that I can't last a great while,
+and I ought to prepare for what may overtake me any day. I have tried
+to live in accordance with the law of God, and I am not afraid to die;
+but I am afraid to leave my mistress behind me. When I am gone there
+will be no one to watch over and plead with her, and I dread lest her
+precious soul may be lost. She won't go to God for herself, or by
+herself, and who will pray for her salvation when I am in my shroud?
+Oh, I can not die in peace, leaving her alone in the world she hates
+and despises! What will become of my poor, bonnie bairn?"
+
+Elsie sobbed aloud, and Dr. Grey asked,--
+
+"Has Mrs. Gerome no living relatives?"
+
+"None, sir, in America. There are some cousins in Scotland, but she
+has never seen them, and never will."
+
+"Where are the members of her husband's family?"
+
+A visible shudder crept over that portion of the woman's body which
+was not paralyzed, and her face grew dark and stern.
+
+"He was an orphan."
+
+"His loss seems to have had a terrible effect upon Mrs. Gerome, and
+rendered her bitter and hopeless."
+
+"How hopeless, none but she and I and the God above us know. Once she
+was the meekest, sweetest spirit, that ever gladdened a nurse's heart,
+and I thought the world was blessed by her coming into it; but now she
+is sacrilegious and scoffing, and almost dares the Lord's judgments.
+Dr. Grey, it would nearly freeze your blood to hear her sometimes.
+Poor thing! she will have no companions, and so has a habit of talking
+to herself, and I often hear her arguing with the Almighty about her
+life, and the trouble He allowed to fall into it. Last night she was
+walking there under my window, begging God to take her out of the
+world before I die. Begging, did I say? Nay,--demanding. My precious,
+pretty bairn!"
+
+"Elsie, be candid with me. Is not Mrs. Gerome partially deranged?"
+
+She struggled violently to raise herself, but failing, her head fell
+back, and she lifted her finger angrily.
+
+"No more deranged than you or I. That is a vile slander of busybodies
+whom she will not receive, and who take it for granted that no lady in
+her sound senses would refuse the privilege of gossiping with them.
+She is as sane as any one, though there is an unnatural appearance
+about her, and if her heart was only as sound as her head I could die
+easily. They started the report of craziness long, long ago, in order
+to get hold of her fortune; but it was too infamous a scheme to
+succeed."
+
+Elsie's strong white teeth were firmly set, and her clenched fingers
+did not relax.
+
+"Who started the report of her insanity?"
+
+"One who injured her, and made her what you see her."
+
+"She had no children?"
+
+"Oh, no! Once I begged her to adopt a pretty little orphan girl we saw
+in Athens, but she ridiculed me for an old fool, and asked me if I
+wished to see her warm a viper to sting what was left of her heart."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome has indulged her grief for her husband's loss, until she
+has become morbidly sensitive. She should go into the world, and
+interest herself in benevolent schemes; and, ultimately, her diseased
+thoughts would flow into new and healthful channels. The secluded life
+she leads is a hotbed for the growth of noxious fungi in heart and
+mind. If you possess any influence over her, persuade her to re-enter
+society. She is still young enough to find not only a cure for her
+grief, but an ample share of even earthly happiness."
+
+Elsie sighed, and waved her hand impatiently.
+
+"You do not know all, or you would understand that in this world she
+can not expect much happiness. Besides, she is peculiarly sensitive
+about her appearance; and, of course, when she is seen, people stare,
+and wonder how such a young thing got that pile of white hair. That is
+the reason she quit travelling and shut herself up here."
+
+"Was it grief that prematurely silvered her hair?"
+
+"Yes, sir; it was as black as your coat, until her trouble came; and
+then in a fortnight it turned as gray as you see it now. Doctor, I
+said she was not deranged, and I spoke truly; but sometimes I have
+feared that, when I am gone, she might get desperate, and, in her
+loneliness, destroy herself. You are a sensible man, and can hold your
+tongue, and I feel that I can trust you. Now, I know that Robert loves
+her, and while he lives will serve her faithfully; but you are wiser
+than my son, and I should be better satisfied if I left her in your
+charge, when I go home. Will you promise me to take care of her, and
+to try to comfort her in the day when she sees me buried?"
+
+"Elsie, you impose upon me a duty which I am afraid Mrs. Gerome will
+not allow me to discharge; and, since she is so exceedingly averse to
+meeting strangers, I should not feel justified in thrusting myself
+into her presence."
+
+"Not even to prevent a crime?"
+
+"I hope that your excited imagination and anxious heart exaggerate the
+possibility of the danger to which you allude."
+
+"No; exaggeration is not one of my habits, and I know my mistress
+better than she knows herself. She thinks that suicide is not a sin,
+but says it is cowardly; and she utterly detests and loathes
+cowardice. Dr. Grey, I could not rest quietly in my coffin if she is
+left alone in this dreary house, after I am carried to my long home.
+Will you stay here awhile, or take her to your house,--at least for a
+short time?"
+
+"I will, at all events, promise to comply with your wishes as fully as
+she will permit. But recollect that I am comparatively a stranger to
+her, and her haughty reception of me the day I was compelled to come
+here on your account, does not encourage me to presume in future.
+Respect for her wishes, however unreasonable, and respect for myself,
+would forbid an intrusion on my part."
+
+"If you saw an utter stranger drowning, would fear of being considered
+presumptuous or impertinent prevent your trying to save him? Your
+self-love should not hold you back from a Christian duty."
+
+"And you may rest assured that it never shall, when I feel that
+interference--no matter how unwelcome or ungraciously received--will
+prove beneficial. But remember that your mistress is eccentric and
+shrinking, and all efforts to befriend her must be made very
+cautiously."
+
+"True, doctor; yet sometimes, instead of consulting her, it is best
+to treat her as a wilful child. I believe you could obtain some
+influence over her if you would only try to break the ice, because
+she has spoken kindly of you several times since I have been so
+helpless, and asked what she could do to show her gratitude for
+your goodness to me. Yesterday she said she intended to direct
+Robert to take some fine fruit to your house, and she remarked
+that your eyes were, in comparison with other folks', what Sabbath is
+to working week-days,--were so full of rest, that tired anxious
+people might be refreshed by looking at them. Sir, that is more than I
+have heard her utter for seven years about anybody; and, therefore, I
+think you might do her some good."
+
+Dr. Grey shook his head, but remained silent; and presently Elsie
+touched his arm, and continued,--
+
+"There is something I wish to say to you before I die, but not now. I
+want you to promise me that when you see my end is indeed at hand,
+you will tell me in time to let me talk a little to you. Will you?"
+
+"You may linger for months, and it is possible that you may die quite
+suddenly; consequently, it might be impracticable for me to fulfil the
+promise you require. Still, if I can do so, I will certainly comply
+with your wishes. Would it not be better to tell me at once what you
+desire me to know?"
+
+"While I live it is not necessary that any one should know, and it is
+only when I am about to die that I shall speak to you. For my sake,
+for humanity's sake, try to become acquainted with my mistress and
+make her like you, as she certainly will, if she only knows you."
+
+A tap at the door interrupted the conversation, and soon after, Dr.
+Grey quitted the sick-room.
+
+He paused in the hall to examine a fine copy of Landseer's "Old
+Shepherd's Chief Mourner," and, while he stood before it, a large
+greyhound started up from the mat at the front door, and bounded
+towards him. Simultaneously Mrs. Gerome appeared at the threshold of
+the parlor.
+
+"Come here, sir! Poor fellow, come here!"
+
+The dog obeyed her instantly; and, pressing close to her, looked up
+wistfully in her face.
+
+"Good morning, Mrs. Gerome. I must thank you for coming so promptly to
+my assistance. I have never seen this dog until to-day, and,
+consequently, was not on my guard."
+
+"He arrived only yesterday, and is so overjoyed to be with me once
+more that he allows no one else to approach."
+
+"He is by far the handsomest dog I have ever seen in America."
+
+"Yes, I had great difficulty in obtaining him. My agent assures me
+that he belongs to the best that are reared in the tribe of Beni Lam;
+and that he is a genuine Arab, there can be no doubt."
+
+"How long have you owned him?"
+
+"Two years. Unfortunately he was bitten by a snake one day while
+wandering with me among the ruins at Paestum, and was so singularly
+affected that I was forced to leave him at Naples. Various causes
+combined to delay his restoration to me until last week, when he
+crossed the Atlantic; and yesterday he went into ecstasies when I
+received him from the express agent. Hush! no growling! Down, sir!
+Take care, Dr. Grey; he will bear no hand but mine, and it is rather
+dangerous to caress him, as you may judge from the fangs he is showing
+you."
+
+The dog was remarkably tall, silky, beautifully formed, and of a soft
+mole-color; and around his neck a collar formed of four small silver
+chains, bore an oval silver plate on which was engraved in German
+text, "_Ich Dien--Agla Gerome_."
+
+"I congratulate you upon the possession of such a treasure," said
+the visitor, with unfeigned admiration,--as, with the eye of a
+_connoisseur_, he noted the fine points about the sleek, slim
+animal, who eyed him suspiciously.
+
+"Thank you. How is Elsie to-day?"
+
+"More nervous than I have seen her since the accident, and some of her
+symptoms are rather discouraging, though there is no immediate danger.
+Do not look so hopeless; she may be spared to you for many months."
+
+"Why will you not let me hope that she may ultimately recover?"
+
+"Because it is utterly futile, and I have no desire to deceive you,
+even for an instant. Good morning, Robert."
+
+The gardener approached with a large basket filled with peaches and
+nectarines, and, taking off his hat, bowed profoundly.
+
+"My mistress ordered these placed in your buggy, as I believe our
+nectarines ripen earlier than any others in the neighborhood."
+
+"Thank you, Maclean. Mrs. Gerome is exceedingly kind, and I have an
+invalid sister who will enjoy this beautiful fruit. Those nectarines
+would not disgrace Smyrna or Damascus, and are the first of the
+season."
+
+Robert passed through the hall, bearing the basket to the buggy; and
+at that instant there was a startling crash, as of some heavy article
+falling in the parlor. The dog sprang up with a howl, and Dr. Grey
+followed Mrs. Gerome into the room to ascertain the cause of the
+noise. A glance sufficed to explain that a picture in a heavy frame
+had fallen from a hook above the mantelpiece, and in its descent
+overturned some tall vases, which now lay shattered on the hearth. Dr.
+Grey lifted the painting from the rubbish, and, as he turned the
+canvas towards the light, Mrs. Gerome said,--
+
+"'_Une tristesse implacable, une effroyable fatalite pese sui l'oeuvre
+de l'artiste. Cela ressemble a une malediction amere, lancee sur le
+sort de l'humanite._' There is, indeed, some fatality about that copy
+of Durer's 'Knight, Death, and the Devil,' which seems really
+ill-omened, for this is the second time it has fallen. Thank you, sir.
+The frame only is injured, and I will not trouble you to remove it.
+Let it lean against the grate, until I have it rehung more securely."
+
+"It is too grim a picture for these walls, and stares at its
+companions like the mummy at Egyptian banquets."
+
+"On the contrary, it impresses me as grotesque in comparison with
+Durer's 'Melancholy,' yonder, or with Holbein's 'Les Simulachres de la
+mort.'"
+
+"Durer's figure of 'Melancholy' has never satisfied me, and there is
+more ferocity than sadness in the countenance, which would serve quite
+as well for one of the Erinney hunting Orestes, even in the adytum at
+Delphi. The face is more sinister than sorrowful."
+
+"Since your opinion of that picture coincides so entirely with mine,
+tell me whether I have successfully grasped Coleridge's dim ideal."
+
+Mrs. Gerome drew from a corner of the rear room an easel containing a
+finished but unframed picture; and, gathering up the lace curtain
+drooping before the arch, she held the folds aside, to allow the light
+to fall full on the canvas.
+
+"Before you examine it, recall the description that suggested it."
+
+"I am sorry to say that my recollection of the passage is exceedingly
+vague and unsatisfactory. Will you oblige me by repeating it?"
+
+"Excuse me; your hand is resting upon the book, which is open at the
+fragment."
+
+Dr. Grey bowed, and, lifting the volume from the table glanced
+rapidly over the lines designated, then turned to the picture, where,
+indeed,
+
+  "Stretched on a mouldering abbey's broadest wall,
+    Where ruining ivies propped the ruins steep,
+  Her folded arms wrapping her tattered pall,
+    Had Melancholy mused herself to sleep.
+  The fern was pressed beneath her hair,
+  The dark green adder's tongue was there;
+  And still as past the flagging sea-gale weak,
+  The long, lank leaf bowed fluttering o'er her cheek.
+    That pallid cheek was flushed; her eager look
+  Beamed eloquent in slumber! Inly wrought,
+    Imperfect sounds her moving lips forsook,
+  And her bent forehead worked with troubled thought."
+
+The beautiful face of the reclining figure was dreamily hopeless and
+dejected, yet pathetically patient; and, in the strange amber light
+reflected from a sunset sea, the fringy shadow of a cluster of
+fern-leaves seemed to quiver over the pale brow and still mouth, and
+floating raven hair, where the green snake glided with crest erect and
+forked tongue within an inch of one delicate, pearly ear. The gray
+stones of the lichen-spotted wall, the graceful sweep of the shrouding
+drab drapery, whose folds clung to the form and thence swung down from
+the edge of the rocky battlement, the mouldering ruins leaning against
+the quiet sky in the rear, and the glassy stretch of topaz-tinted sea
+in the foreground, were all painted with pre-Raphaelite exactness and
+verisimilitude, and every detail attested the careful, tender study,
+with which the picture had been elaborated.
+
+Was it by accident or design that the woman on the painted wall bore a
+vague, mournful resemblance to the owner and creator? Dr. Grey glanced
+from Durer's "Melancholy" to the canvas on the easel; then his
+fascinated eyes dwelt on the dainty features of the artist, and he
+thought involuntarily of another Coleridgean image,--of the "pilgrim
+in whom the spring and the autumn, and the melancholy of both, seemed
+to have combined."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, in this wonderful embodiment of Coleridge's fragmentary
+ideal you have painted your own portrait."
+
+"No, sir. Look again. My 'Melancholia' has a patient face, hinting of
+possible peace. When I design its companion, 'Desolation,' I may be
+pardoned if my canvas reflects what always fronts it."
+
+"May I ask when you wrought out this extraordinary conception?"
+
+"During the past month. The last touch was given this morning, and the
+paint is not yet dry on that cluster of purplish seaweed clinging to
+the base of the battlement. Last night I dreamed that Coleridge stood
+looking over my shoulder and while I worked he touched the sea, and it
+flushed a ruby red brighter than laudanum; and then he leaned down,
+and with a pencil wrote _Dele_ across the fragment in his Sibylline
+Leaves.' To-day I tried the effect of the hint, but the amber water
+mellows the woman's features, and the ruby light rendered them sullen
+and rigid."
+
+"Were I to judge from the _bizarre_ themes that you select, I should
+be tempted to fear that the wizard spell of opium evoked some of these
+strangely beautiful creations of your brush. What suggested this
+picture?"
+
+"You merely wish to complete your diagnosis of my psychological
+condition? If so, there is no reason why I should hesitate to tell you
+that while I was playing one of Chopin's _Nocturnes_ the significance
+of the Polish '_Zael_' perplexed me. In striving to analyze it,
+Coleridge's 'Melancholy' occurred to my mind, and teased and haunted
+me until I wrought it out palpably. My work there means more than his
+fragment, and includes something which I suppose Chopin meant by that
+insynonymous word '_Zael_.'"
+
+Standing under the arch, with one hand holding back the lace drapery,
+the other hanging nerveless at her side, she looked as weird as any of
+her ideal creations; and, in the greenish seashine breaking through
+the dense foliage of the trees about the house, her wan face, snowy
+muslin dress, and floating white ribbons, seemed unsubstantial as the
+figures on the wall. To-day there was no spot of color in face or
+dress, save the azure gleam of the large, brilliant ring, on her
+uplifted hand; and, as Dr. Grey scrutinized her appearance, he found
+it difficult to realize that blood pulsed in that marble flesh, and
+warm breath fluttered in that firm, frigid mouth. Glancing around the
+rooms, he said,--
+
+"Solitude is indeed a misnomer for a home peopled with such creations
+as adorn these walls."
+
+"No. Have you forgotten the definition of Epictetus? '_To be
+friendless is solitude._'"
+
+"I hope, madam, that you may never find yourself in that unfortunate
+category, and certainly there are--"
+
+"Sir, I know what Michael Angelo felt when he wrote from Rome, 'I have
+no friends; I need none.'"
+
+She interrupted him with an indescribably haughty gesture, and an
+anomalous spasm of the lips that belonged to no known class of
+smiles.
+
+"On the contrary, Mrs. Gerome, the hunger for true friends has
+rendered you morose and cynical."
+
+He did not shrink from the wide eyes that flashed like blue steel in
+moonshine; and as his own, calm, steady, and magnetic, dwelt gravely
+on her face, he fancied she winced, slightly.
+
+"No, sir. When I hunt or recognize friends, I shall borrow Diogenes'
+lantern. Good morning, Dr. Grey."
+
+"Pardon me if I detain you for a moment to inquire who taught you to
+paint."
+
+"The absolute necessity of self-forgetfulness."
+
+"But you surely had some tuition in the art?"
+
+"Yes; I had the usual boarding-school privilege of a master for
+perspective, and pastel. Dr. Grey, have you been to Europe?"
+
+"Yes, madam; on several occasions."
+
+"You visited Dresden?"
+
+"I did."
+
+"Step forward a little,--there. Now, sir, do you know that painting
+hanging over my _escritoire_?"
+
+"It is Ruysdael's 'Churchyard,' and, from this distance, seems a
+remarkably fine copy of that sombre, desolate, ghoul-haunted
+picture."
+
+"Thank you. That is the only piece of work of which I feel really
+proud. Some day, when the light is pure and strong, come in and
+examine it. Now there is a greenish tinge over all things in the room
+thrown by sea-shimmer through the clustering leaves. Ah, what a long,
+low, presageful moan that was, which broke from foaming lips, on
+yonder strand!"
+
+"Good morning, Mrs. Gerome. The inspection of your pictures has
+yielded me so much pleasure that I must tender you my very sincere
+thanks for your courtesy."
+
+She bowed distantly; and, when he reached his buggy, he glanced back
+and saw that perfect, pallid face, pressed against the cedar facing of
+the oriel, looking seaward. He lifted his hat, but she did not observe
+the salute; and, as he drove away, she kept her eyes upon the
+murmuring waves, and repeated, as was her habit, the lines that
+chanced to present themselves,--
+
+  "Listen! you hear the solemn roar
+  Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
+  With tremulous cadence, slow, and bring
+  The eternal note of sadness in.
+  Sophocles, long ago,
+  Heard it on the AEgean, and it brought
+  Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
+  Of human misery."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+
+"Miss Dexter, where is Muriel?" asked Dr. Grey, glancing around the
+library, where the governess sat sewing, while Salome read aloud a
+passage in Ariosto.
+
+"She is not very well, and went up stairs, two hours ago, to rest. Do
+you wish to see her immediately?"
+
+"Yes. Call her down."
+
+When the teacher left the room, Dr. Grey approached the table where
+Salome sat, and looked over her shoulder.
+
+"I went to the Asylum to-day, and found little Jessie very well, but
+quite dissatisfied because you visit her so rarely. You should see her
+as often as possible, since she is so dependent upon you for sympathy
+and affection."
+
+"I do."
+
+"Miss Dexter gives a flattering report of your aptitude for acquiring
+languages, and assures me that you will soon speak Italian fluently."
+
+"Miss Dexter doubtless believes that praise of a pupil reflects credit
+on the skill of the teacher. Unfortunately for her flattering estimate
+of me, I must disclaim all polyglot proclivities, and have no
+intention of eclipsing Mezzofanti, Max Muller, or Giovanni Pico
+Mirandola. I needed, for a special purpose, a limited acquaintance
+with Italian; and, as I have attained what I desired, I shall not
+trouble myself much longer with dictionaries and grammars."
+
+"And that special purpose--"
+
+"Concerns nobody else, consequently I keep it to myself."
+
+He turned from her and advanced to meet his ward, who came rapidly
+forward, holding out both hands.
+
+"Doctor, where have you been all day? I did not see you at breakfast
+or dinner, and it seems quite an age since yesterday afternoon. You
+see I am moping, horribly."
+
+"My dear child, I see you are looking pale and weary, which is overt
+and unpardonable treason. I sent for you to ask if it would be
+agreeable to you to walk, or drive with me."
+
+"Certainly,--either or both."
+
+She had placed her hands in his, and stood looking up joyfully into
+his quiet countenance.
+
+"Get your hat, while I order my buggy brought to the door."
+
+"Thank you, my dear doctor. The very thing I longed for, as I noticed
+you riding up the avenue. I never saw you on horseback until to-day.
+It is a delightful evening for a drive."
+
+She gaily swung his hands, like a gratified child, and started off
+for her hat, but, ere she crossed the threshold, turned back, and,
+walking up to her guardian, laid her arm on his shoulder and whispered
+something.
+
+He laughed, and put his hand under her chin, saying, as he did so,--
+
+"Little witch! How did you know it?"
+
+Her reply was audible only to the ears for which it was framed, and
+she darted away, evidently much happier than she had seemed for many
+days.
+
+While awaiting her return, Dr. Grey picked up her sketch-book, and was
+examining the contents, when Salome rose and hurried towards the door.
+As she passed him, his back was turned, and her muslin dress swept
+within reach of his spur, which caught the delicate fabric. She
+impatiently jerked the dress to disengage it, but it clung to the
+steel points, and a long rent was made in the muslin. With a
+half-smothered ejaculation, she tried to wrench herself free, but the
+dress only tore across the breadth from seam to seam. Dr. Grey turned,
+and stooped to assist her.
+
+"Wait an instant, Salome; you have almost ruined your dress."
+
+He was endeavoring to disentangle the shreds from the jagged edge of
+the spur, but she bent down, and, seizing the skirt in both hands,
+tore it away, leaving a large fragment trailing from the boot-heel.
+
+"'More haste, less speed.' Patience is better than petulance, my young
+friend."
+
+His grave, reproving voice, rendered her defiant; and, with a forced,
+unnatural laugh, she bowed, and hurried away, saying, as she looked
+over her shoulder,--
+
+"And spurs than persuasion? You mistake my nature."
+
+Dr. Grey had been riding, all the morning, across a broken stretch of
+country, where the roads were exceedingly insecure, and, as he removed
+the troublesome spur and laid it on the mantelpiece, he folded up the
+strip of muslin and put it into his pocket.
+
+"I am waiting for you," cried Muriel, from the hall door.
+
+He sighed, and went to his buggy; but the cloud did not melt from his
+brow, for, as he drove off, he noticed Salome's gleaming eyes peering
+from the window of her room; and pity and pain mingled in the emotions
+with which he recalled his sister's warning words.
+
+"Muriel, here is your letter, and, better still, Gerard will be with
+us to-morrow. Diplomatic affairs brought him temporarily to
+Washington, and he will spend next week with us. I cordially
+congratulate you, my dear child, and hastened home to bring you the
+good news, which I felt assured you would prefer to receive without
+witnesses."
+
+Muriel's blushing face was bent over her letter; but she put her hand
+on her guardian's, and pressed it vigorously.
+
+"A thousand thanks for all your goodness! Gerard writes that it was
+through your influence he was enabled to visit Washington; and,
+indeed, dear Dr. Grey, we are both very grateful for your kind
+interest in our happiness. Even poor papa could not be more
+considerate."
+
+"For several days past I have observed that you were unusually
+depressed, and that Miss Dexter looked constrained. Are you not
+pleasantly situated in my sister's house. Do not hesitate to speak
+frankly."
+
+Muriel's eyes filled with tears, and she answered, evasively,--
+
+"Miss Jane is very kind and affectionate."
+
+"Which means that Salome is not."
+
+"Dr. Grey, why does she dislike me so seriously? I have tried to be
+friendly and cordial towards her; but she constantly repels me. I
+really admire her very much; but I am afraid she positively hates
+me."
+
+"No, that is impossible; but she is a very peculiar, and, I am sorry
+to be forced to say, an unamiable girl, and is governed by every idle
+caprice. I hope that you will not allow yourself to be annoyed by any
+want of courtesy which she may unfortunately have displayed. Although
+a member of the household, Salome has no right to dispense or to
+withhold the hospitalities of my sister's home, or to insult her
+guests; and I trust that her individual whims will have no effect
+whatever upon you, unless they create a feeling of compassion and
+toleration in your kind heart. She has some good traits hidden under
+her _brusquerie_, and when you know her better you will excuse her
+rudeness."
+
+"Why is she so moody? I have not seen a pleasant smile on her face
+since I came here."
+
+"My dear child, let us select some more agreeable topic for
+discussion. Gerard will probably arrive on the early train, which will
+enable him to breakfast with us to-morrow. He will endeavor to
+persuade you to return at once to Europe; but I must tell you, in
+advance of his proposal, that I hope you will not yield to his wishes,
+since it would grieve me to part with you so soon."
+
+Muriel turned aside her head to avoid her guardian's penetrating gaze,
+and silently listened to his counsel concerning the course she should
+pursue towards her betrothed.
+
+For a year they had been affianced without the knowledge of her
+father, from whom she had been separated; but the frankness with which
+both had discussed the matter with Dr. Grey forbade the possibility of
+his withholding his approbation of the engagement; though he assured
+them he could not consent to its speedy consummation, as Muriel was
+too young and childish to appreciate the grave responsibility of such
+a step. Gerard Granville was several years older than his betrothed,
+and Dr. Grey had been astonished at his choice; but a long and
+intimate acquaintance led him to esteem the young man so highly, that,
+while he felt that Muriel was far inferior, he strove to stimulate her
+ambition, and hoped she would one day be fully worthy of him.
+
+To-day Dr. Grey drove for an hour through quiet, unfrequented country
+roads; and finally, when Muriel expressed herself anxious to catch a
+glimpse of the sea and a breath of its brine, he turned into a narrow
+track that led down to some fishermen's huts on the beach.
+
+While they paused on the edge of the low, yellow strand, and inhaled
+the fresh ocean air, Dr. Grey grew silent, and his companion fell
+into a blissful reverie relative to to-morrow's events. Suddenly he
+placed his hand on her arm, and said, "Listen! What a wonderfully
+sweet, flexible voice! Surely, fishermen's wives are not singing
+Mendelssohn's compositions? Did you hear that gush of melody? It
+comes not from that house, but seems floating from the opposite
+direction. Such strains almost revive one's faith in the Hindoo
+_Gandharvas_,--musical genii, filling the air with ravishing sounds.
+There! is it not exquisite? Hold these reins while I ascertain who
+owns that marvellous voice."
+
+Eager and curious as a boy, he sprang from the buggy, and, following
+the bend of the beach, passed two small deserted huts, and plunged
+into a grove of stunted trees, whence issued the sound that attracted
+his attention. Ere he had proceeded many yards he saw a woman sitting
+on a bank of sand and oyster-shells, and singing from an open sheet of
+music, while she made rapid gestures with one hand. Her face was
+turned from him, but, as he cautiously approached, the _pose_ of the
+figure, the noble contour of the head and neck, and a certain muslin
+dress which matched the strip in his pocket, made his heart beat
+violently. Intent only on solving the mystery, he stepped softly
+towards her; but just then a brace of plover started up at his feet,
+and, as they whirred away, the woman turned her head, and he found
+himself face to face with his musician.
+
+"Salome!"
+
+"Well, Dr. Grey."
+
+She had risen, and a beautiful glow overspread her cheeks, as she met
+his eyes.
+
+"What brings you to this lonely spot, three miles from home, when the
+sun has already gone down?"
+
+"Have I not as unquestionable a right to walk alone to the seaside as
+you to drive your ward whithersoever you list? Poverty, as well as
+wealth, sometimes makes people strangely independent. What have you
+done with Miss Muriel Manton?"
+
+There was such a sparkle in her eyes, such a bright flush on her
+polished cheeks and parted lips, that Dr. Grey wondered at her beauty,
+which had never before impressed him as so extraordinary.
+
+"Salome, why have you concealed your musical gift from me? Who taught
+you to sing?"
+
+"I am teaching myself, with such poor aid as I can obtain from that
+miserable vagabond, Barilli, who is generally intoxicated three days
+out of every six. Did you expect to find Heine's yellow-haired
+Loreley, or a treacherous Ligeia, sitting on a rock, wooing passers-by
+to speedy destruction?"
+
+"I certainly did not expect to meet my friend Salome alone at this
+hour and place. Child, do not trifle with me,--be truthful. Did you
+come here to meet any one?"
+
+"One never knows what may or may not happen. I came here to practise
+my music lesson, _sans_ auditors, and I meet Dr. Grey,--the last
+person I expected or desired to see."
+
+He came a step nearer, and put his hand on her shoulder.
+
+"Salome, you distress and perplex me. My child, are you better or
+worse than I think you?"
+
+She lifted her slender hand and laid it lightly on his, which still
+rested upon her shoulder.
+
+"I am both,--better and worse. Better in aim than you believe; worse
+in execution than you could realize, even if I confessed all, which I
+have not the slightest intention of doing. Ah, Dr. Grey, if you read
+me thoroughly, you would not be surprised, or consider it presumptuous
+that I sometimes think I am that anomalous creature, whom Balzac
+defined as 'Angel through love, demon through fantasy, child through
+faith, sage through experience, man through the brain, woman through
+the heart, giant through hope, and poet through dreams.'"
+
+As Dr. Grey looked down into the splendid eyes, softened and magnified
+by a crystal veil of unshed tears, he sighed, and answered,--
+
+"You are, indeed, a bundle of contradictions. Why have you so
+sedulously concealed the existence of your fine voice, which the
+majority of girls would have been eager to exhibit?"
+
+"It was not lack of vanity, but excess, that prompted me to keep you
+in ignorance, until I could astonish you by its perfection. You have
+anticipated me only by a few days, and I intended singing for you next
+week."
+
+"It is not prudent for you to venture so far from home, especially at
+this hour."
+
+"We paupers are not so fastidious as our lucky superiors, and cannot
+afford timid airs, and affectation of extreme nervousness. Having no
+escort, and expecting none, I walk alone in any direction I choose,
+with what fearlessness and contentment I find myself able to
+command."
+
+"It will be dark before you can reach the public road."
+
+"No, sir; there is a young moon swinging above the tree-tops, to light
+me on my lonesome ramble; and I come here so often that even the
+rabbits and whippoorwills know me. Where is Miss Muriel?"
+
+"Waiting in the buggy, on the beach. I must go back to her."
+
+"Yes. Pray do not delay an instant, or she will imagine that some dire
+calamity has befallen her knight, who, in hunting a siren, encountered
+Scylla or Charybdis. Good evening, Dr. Grey."
+
+"I am unwilling to leave you here so unprotected. Come and ride with
+Muriel, and I will walk beside the buggy. My horse is so gentle that a
+child can guide him."
+
+"Thank you. Not for a ten-acre lot in Mohammed's Paradise would I mar
+Miss Muriel's happiness, or punish myself by a _tete-a-tete_ with her.
+It would be positively 'discourteous' in me to accept your proposal;
+and, moreover, I abhor division,--_tout ou rien_."
+
+"Wilful, silly child! It is not proper for you to wander along that
+dreary road in the dark. Come with me."
+
+"Not I. Make yourself easy by recollecting that 'naught is never in
+danger.' See yonder in the west,--
+
+  'Where, lo! above the sandy sunset rose
+  The silver sickle of the green-gowned witch.'"
+
+She laughed lightly, derisively, and collected the sheets of music
+scattered on the bank.
+
+Silently Dr. Grey returned to his ward, who exclaimed, at sight of
+him,--
+
+"I am glad to see you again, for you stayed so long I was growing
+frightened. Did you find the singer?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"What is the matter? You look troubled and solemn."
+
+"I am merely annoyed by circumstances beyond my control."
+
+"Dr. Grey, who was that sweet singer?"
+
+"Salome Owen."
+
+"How can such a thing be possible, when I have never heard a note from
+her lips? You told me she had no musical talent."
+
+"I was not aware that she sang at all, until this afternoon, and your
+surprise does not equal mine."
+
+"Where did you find her?"
+
+"Sitting on a mound of sand, singing to the sea."
+
+"Who is with her?"
+
+"No one. I requested her to come with us, and offered to walk beside
+my buggy; but she declined. Please be so considerate as to say nothing
+about this occurrence, when you reach home; because animadversion only
+hardens that poor girl in her whimsical ways. Now we will dismiss the
+matter."
+
+Muriel endeavored to render herself an agreeable companion during the
+remainder of the drive; but her guardian, despite his efforts to
+become interested in her conversation, was evidently _distrait_, and
+both felt relieved when they reached Grassmere, where Miss Jane and
+the governess welcomed their return.
+
+Dr. Grey dismissed his buggy and entered the hall; but passed through
+the house, and, crossing the orchard, followed the road leading
+seaward.
+
+Only a few summer stars were sprinkling their silvery rays over the
+gray gloom of twilight, and the shining crescent in the violet west
+had slipped down behind the silent hills that girded the rough,
+winding road.
+
+When Salome put her fingers on the gloved hand which, in the surprise
+of their unexpected meeting, Dr. Grey had involuntarily placed on her
+shoulder, she had felt that he shrank instantly from her touch, and
+withdrew his hand hastily, as if displeased with the familiarity of
+the action. All the turbid elements in her nature boiled up. Could it
+be possible that he really loved his rosy-faced, bright-eyed,
+prattling ward? She set this conjecture squarely before her, and
+forced herself to contemplate it. If he desired to marry Muriel, of
+course he would do so whenever he chose, and the thought that he might
+call her his wife, and give her his name, his caresses, wrung a cry of
+agony from Salome's lips. She threw herself on the sand-bank, and,
+resting her chin on her folded arms, gazed vacantly across the yellow
+strand at the glassy, leaden sea that stared back mockingly at her.
+
+She was too miserable to feel afraid of anything but Dr. Grey's
+marriage; and, moreover, she had so often, during the early years of
+her life, gone to and fro in the darkness, that she was a stranger to
+that timidity which girls usually indulge under similar circumstances.
+The fishermen had abandoned the neighboring huts some months before,
+and "Solitude," one mile distant, was the nearest spot occupied by
+human beings.
+
+She neither realized nor cared that it was growing darker, and, after
+awhile, when the sea was no longer visible through the dun haze that
+brooded over it, she shut her eyes and moaned.
+
+Dr. Grey had walked on, hoping every moment to meet her returning
+home; and, more than once, he was tempted to retrace his steps,
+thinking that she might have taken some direct path across the hills,
+instead of the circuitous one bending around their base. Quickening
+his pace till it matched his pulse, which an indefinable anxiety
+accelerated, he finally saw the huts dimly outlined against the starry
+sky and quiet sea.
+
+Pausing, he took off his hat to listen to
+
+            "The water lapping on the crag,
+  And the long ripple washing in the reeds,"
+
+and, while he stood wiping his brow, there came across the beach,--
+
+  "A cry that shivered to the tingling stars,
+  And, as it were one voice, an agony
+  Of lamentation, like a wind that shrills
+  All night in a waste land, where no one comes,
+  Or hath come since the making of the world."
+
+In the uncertain light he ran towards the clump of trees where he had
+left Salome, and strained his eyes to discover some moving thing. He
+knew that he must be very near the spot, but neither the expected
+sound nor object greeted him, and, while he stopped and held his
+breath to listen, the silence was profound and death-like. He was
+opening his lips to call the girl's name, when he fancied he saw
+something move slightly, and simultaneously a human voice smote the
+oppressive stillness. She was very near him, and he heard her saying
+to herself, with mournful emphasis,--
+
+  "Have I brought Joy, and slain her at his feet?
+    Have I brought Peace, for his cold kiss to kill?
+  Have I brought youth, crowned with wild-flowers sweet,
+    With sandals dewy from a morning hill,
+    For his gray, solemn eyes, to fright and chill?
+  Have I brought Scorn the pale, and Hope the fleet,
+  And First Love, in her lily winding-sheet,--
+    And is he pitiless still?"
+
+Dr. Grey knew now that she was not crying. Her hard, ringing, bitter
+tone, forbade all thought of sobs or tears; but his heart ached as he
+listened, and surmised the application she was making of the
+melancholy lines.
+
+Unwilling that she should know he had overheard her, he waited a
+moment, then raised his voice and shouted,--
+
+"Salome! Salome! Where are you?"
+
+There was no answer, and, fearing that she might elude him, he
+stretched out his arms, and advanced to the spot, which he felt
+assured was only a few yards distant.
+
+She had risen, and, standing in the gloom of the coming night,
+deepened by the interlacing boughs above her, she felt Dr. Grey's hand
+on her dress, then on her head, where the moisture hung heavily in her
+thick hair.
+
+"Salome, why do you not answer me?"
+
+Shame kept her silent.
+
+He passed his hand over her hot face, then groped for her fingers,
+which he grasped firmly in his.
+
+"Come home with your best friend."
+
+He knew that she was in no mood to submit to reprimand, to appreciate
+argument, or even to listen to entreaty, and that he might as
+profitably undertake to knead pig-iron as expostulate with her at this
+juncture.
+
+For a mile they walked on without uttering a word; then he felt the
+fingers relax, twitch, and twine closely around his own.
+
+"Dr. Grey, where is Muriel? Where is your buggy?"
+
+"Both are at home, where others should have been, long ago."
+
+"You walked back to meet me?"
+
+"I did."
+
+"How did you find me, in the dark?"
+
+"I heard your voice."
+
+"But not the words?"
+
+"Why? Are you ashamed for me to hear what any strolling stranger, any
+unscrupulous vagabond, might have listened to?"
+
+"It is such a desolate, lonely place, I thought no one would stumble
+upon me, and I have been there so often without meeting a living thing
+except the crabs and plover."
+
+"You are no longer a child, and such rashness is altogether
+unpardonable. What do you suppose my sister would think of your
+imprudent obstinacy?"
+
+They walked another mile, and again Salome convulsively pressed the
+cool, steady, strong hand, in which hers lay hot and quivering.
+
+"Dr. Grey, tell me the truth,--don't torture me."
+
+"What shall I tell you? You torture yourself."
+
+"Did you hear what I was saying to my own heart?"
+
+"I heard you repeating some lines which certainly should possess no
+relevancy for the real feeling of my young friend."
+
+She snatched her fingers from his, and he knew she covered her face
+with them.
+
+They reached the gate at the end of the avenue, and Salome stopped
+suddenly, as the lights from the front windows flashed out on the
+lawn.
+
+"Go in, and leave me."
+
+She threw herself on the sward, under one of the elm-trees, and leaned
+her head against its trunk.
+
+"I shall do no such thing, unless you desire the entire household to
+comment upon your reckless conduct."
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey, I care little now what the whole world thinks or says!
+Let me be quiet, or I shall go mad."
+
+"No; come into the house, and sing something to compensate me for the
+anxiety and fatigue you have cost me. I do not often ask a favor of
+you, and certainly in this instance you will not refuse to grant my
+request."
+
+She did not reply, and he bent down and softly stroked the hair that
+was damp with dew and sea-fog.
+
+The long-pent storm broke in convulsive sobs, and she trembled from
+head to foot, while tears poured over her burning cheeks.
+
+"Poor child! Can you not confide in me?"
+
+"Dr. Grey, will you forget all that has passed to-day? Will you try
+never to think of it again?"
+
+"On condition that you never repeat the offence."
+
+"You do not despise me?"
+
+"No."
+
+"You pity me?"
+
+"I pity any human being who is so unfortunate as to possess your
+wilful, perverse, passionate disposition. Unless you overcome this
+dangerous tendency of character, you may expect only wretchedness and
+humiliation in coming years. I am sincerely sorry for you, but I tell
+you unhesitatingly, that I find it difficult to tolerate your grave
+and obtrusive faults."
+
+She raised her clasped hands, and said, brokenly,--
+
+"This is the last time I shall ever ask you to forgive me. Will you?"
+
+"As freely and fully as a grieved brother ever forgave a wayward
+sister."
+
+He took the folded hands, lifted her from the grass, and led her to a
+side door opening upon the east gallery.
+
+"Dr. Grey, give me one kind word before I go."
+
+The lamp-light from the hall shone full on his pale face, which was
+sterner than she had ever seen it, as he forcibly withdrew his hands
+from her tight clasp, and, putting her away from him, said, very
+coldly,--
+
+"I exhausted my store of kind thoughts and words when I called you my
+sister."
+
+He saw that she understood him, for she tried to hide her face, but a
+spasm passed over it, and she would have fallen had he not caught her
+in his arms and carried her up to her own room.
+
+Stanley was asleep with his head pillowed on his open geography, but
+the candle burned beside him, and Dr. Grey placed Salome on a lounge
+near the window, and sprinkled her face with water.
+
+Kneeling by the low couch, he rubbed her hands vigorously with some
+cologne he found on her bureau; and, watching her pale, beautiful
+features, his heart swelled with compassion, and his calm eyes grew
+misty. Consciousness very soon returned, and when she saw the noble,
+sorrowful countenance, bent anxiously over her, she covered her face
+with her hands and moaned rather than spoke,--
+
+"I can't endure your pity. Leave me with my self-contempt and
+degradation."
+
+"My little sister, I leave you in God's merciful hands, and trust you
+to the guidance of your womanly pride and self-respect. Good-night. We
+will not engrave this unfortunate day on our tablets, but forget its
+record, save one fact, that for all time it makes me your brother;
+and, Salome,--
+
+  "'So we'll not dream, nor look back, dear,
+    But march right on, content and bold,
+  To where our life sets heavenly clear,--
+    Westward, behind the hills of gold.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+
+"Dr. Grey, who is that beautiful girl to whom Muriel introduced me
+this morning? I was so absorbed in admiration of her face that I lost
+her name."
+
+As he spoke, Mr. Gerard Granville struck the ashes from his cigar, and
+walked up to the table where Dr. Grey was sealing some letters.
+
+"Her name is Salome Owen, and she is my sister's adopted child."
+
+"What is her age, if I may be pardoned such impertinent queries?"
+
+"I believe she has entered her eighteenth year."
+
+"She is a regal beauty, and shows proud blood as plainly as any
+princess."
+
+"Take care, Granville; imagination has cantered away with your
+penetration. Salome's family were coarse and common, though doubtless
+honest people. Her father was a drunken miller, who died in an attack
+of delirium tremens, and left his children as a legacy to the county.
+I merely mention these deplorable facts to show you that your boasted
+penetration is not entirely infallible."
+
+"Miller or millionaire,--the girl would grace any court in Europe, and
+only lacks a dash of _aplomb_ to make her irresistible. I have seen
+few faces that attracted and interested me so powerfully."
+
+"Yes, she certainly is very handsome; but I do not agree with you in
+thinking that she lacks _aplomb_. Granville, if you have finished your
+cigar, we will adjourn to the parlor, where the ladies are taking
+their tea."
+
+Dr. Grey collected his letters and walked away, followed by his guest;
+and, a moment after, a low, scornful laugh, floated in through the
+window which opened on the little flower-garden.
+
+Miss Jane had requested Salome to gather the seeds of some apple and
+nutmeg geraniums that were arranged on a shelf near the western window
+of the library; and, while stooping over the china jars, and screened
+from observation by a spreading lilac-bush, the girl had heard the
+conversation relative to herself.
+
+Excessive vanity had never been numbered among the faults that marred
+her character, but Dr. Grey's indifference to personal attractions,
+which strangers admitted so readily, piqued, and thoroughly aroused a
+feeling that was destined to bring countless errors and misfortunes in
+its train; and, henceforth,--
+
+  "There was not a high thing out of heaven,
+  Her pride o'ermastereth not."
+
+Hitherto the love of one man had been the only boon she craved of
+heaven; but now, conscious that the darling hope of her life was
+crushed and withering under Dr. Grey's relentless feet, she resolved
+that the admiration of the world should feed her insatiable hunger,--a
+maddening hunger which one tender word from his true lips would have
+assuaged,--but which she began to realize he would never utter.
+
+During the last eighteen hours, a mournful change had taken place in
+her heart, where womanly tenderness was rapidly retreating before
+unwomanly hate, bitterness, and blasphemous defiance; and she laughed
+scornfully at the "idiocy" that led her to weary heaven with prayers
+for the preservation of a life that must ever run as an asymptote to
+her own. How earnestly she now lamented an escape, for which she had
+formerly exhausted language in expressing her gratitude; and how much
+better it would have been if she could mourn him as dead, instead of
+jealously watching him,--living without a thought of her.
+
+All the girlish sweetness and freshness of her nature passed away, and
+an intolerable weariness and disappointment usurped its place. Since
+her acquaintance with Dr. Grey, he had been her sole _Melek Taous_,
+adored with Yezidi fervor; but to-day she overturned, and strove to
+revile and desecrate the idol, to whose vacant pedestal she lifted a
+colossal vanity. Her bruised, numb heart, seemed incapable of loving
+any one, or anything, and a hatred and contempt of her race took
+possession of her.
+
+The changing hues of Muriel's tell-tale face when Mr. Granville
+arrived, and the excessive happiness that could not be masked, had not
+escaped Salome's lynx vision; and very accurately she conjectured the
+real condition of affairs, relative to which Dr. Grey had never
+uttered a syllable. Bent upon mischief, she had, malice prepense,
+dressed herself with unusual care, and arranged her hair in a new
+style of coiffure, which proved very becoming.
+
+Now, as the hum of conversation mingled with the sound of Muriel's
+low, soft laugh, reached her from the parlor, her chatoyant eyes
+kindled, and she hastily went in to join the merry circle.
+
+"Come here, child, and sit by me," said Miss Jane, making room on the
+sofa, as her _protegee_ entered.
+
+"Thank you, I prefer a seat near the window."
+
+Dr. Grey sat in a large chair in the centre of the floor, with Muriel
+on an ottoman close to him, and Mr. Granville leaned over the back of
+the chair, while Miss Dexter shared Miss Jane's old-fashioned ample
+sofa. In full view of the whole party, Salome seated herself at a
+little distance, and, with admirably assumed nonchalance, began to
+enclose and sew up the geranium-seeds, in some pretty, colored paper
+bags, prepared for the purpose.
+
+After a few minutes Mr. Granville sauntered across the room, looked at
+the cuckoo clock, and finally went over to the window, where he leaned
+against the facing and watched Salome's slender white fingers.
+
+She was dressed in a delicate muslin, striped with narrow pink lines,
+and flounced at the bottom of the skirt, and wore a ribbon sash of the
+same color; while in the broad braids of hair raised high on her head,
+she had fastened a superb half-blown Baron Provost rose, just where
+two long glossy curls crept down. The puffed sleeves, scarcely
+reaching the elbows, displayed the finely rounded white arms, and the
+exactness with which the airy muslin fitted her form, showed its
+symmetrical outline to the greatest advantage.
+
+Muriel touched her guardian, and whispered,--
+
+"Did you ever see Salome look so beautiful? Her coiffure to-night is
+almost Parisian, and how very becoming!"
+
+Dr. Grey was studying the innocent, happy countenance of his
+unsuspecting ward, and he could not repress a sigh, when, turning his
+eyes towards Salome, he noticed the undisguised admiration in Mr.
+Granville's earnest gaze.
+
+A nameless dread made him take Muriel's hand and lead her to the
+piano.
+
+"Play something for me. I am music-hungry."
+
+"Is Saul sad to-night?" she asked, smiling up at him.
+
+"A little fatigued and perplexed, and anxious to have his cares
+exorcised by the magic of your fingers."
+
+With womanly tact she selected a _fantasia_ which Mr. Granville had
+often pronounced the gem of her _repertoire_, and momentarily expected
+to hear his whispered thanks; but page after page was turned, and
+still her lover did not approach the piano, where Dr. Grey stood with
+folded arms and slightly contracted brows. Muriel played brilliantly,
+and was pardonably proud of her proficiency, which Mr. Granville had
+confessed first attracted his attention; and to-night, when the piece
+was concluded and she commenced a _Polonaise_, she looked over her
+shoulder hoping to meet a grateful, fond glance. But his eyes were
+riveted on the fair rosy face at his side, and his betrothed bit her
+pouting lip and made sundry blunders.
+
+As she rose from the piano-stool, Mr. Granville exclaimed,--
+
+"Miss Muriel, you love music so well that I trust you will add your
+persuasions to mine, and induce Miss Owen to sing for us, as she
+declares she is comparatively a tyro in instrumental music, and would
+not venture to perform in your presence."
+
+"She has never sung for me, but I hope she will not refuse your
+request. Salome, will you not oblige us?"
+
+Muriel's eyes were dim with tears, but her sweet voice did not
+falter.
+
+"I was not aware that you sang at all," said Miss Dexter, looking up
+from a mat which she was crocheting.
+
+"She has a fine voice, but is very obstinate in declining to use it.
+Come, Salome, don't be childish, dear. Sing something," coaxed Miss
+Jane.
+
+The girl waited a few seconds, hoping that another voice would swell
+the general request, but the lips she loved best were mute; and,
+suddenly tossing the paper bags from her lap, she rose and moved
+proudly to the piano.
+
+"Miss Manton, will you or Miss Dexter be so kind as to play my
+accompaniment for me? I am neither Liszt, nor Thalberg, and the vocal
+gymnastics are all that I can venture to undertake."
+
+Muriel promptly resumed her seat before the instrument, and played the
+symphony of an aria from "Favorite," which Salome placed on the
+piano-board. Barilli had assured her that she rendered this fiery
+burst of rage and hatred as well as he had ever heard it; and, folding
+her fingers tightly around each other she drew herself up to her full
+height, and sang it.
+
+Mr. Granville leaned against the piano, and Dr. Grey was standing in
+the recess of the window when the song began, but ere long he moved
+forward unconsciously and paused, with his hand on his ward's shoulder
+and his eyes riveted in astonishment on Salome's countenance. She knew
+that the approbation and delight of this small audience was worth all
+the _encore_ shouts of the millions who might possibly applaud her in
+future years; and if ever a woman's soul poured itself out through her
+lips, all that was surging in Salome's heart became visible to the man
+who listened as if spell-bound.
+
+Miss Jane grasped her crutches, and rose, leaning upon them, while a
+look of mingled joy and wonder made her sallow face eloquent; and Miss
+Dexter dropped her ivory needle, and gazed in amazement at the singer.
+Muriel forgot her chords,--turned partially around, and watched in
+breathless surprise the marvelous execution of several difficult
+passages, where the rich voice seemed to linger while improvising
+sparkling turns and trills that were strangely intricate, and
+indescribably sweet.
+
+As she approached the close of her song, Salome became temporarily
+oblivious of pride, wounded vanity, and murdered hopes,--forgot all
+but the man at her side, for whose commendation she had toiled so
+patiently, and turning her flushed, radiant face, toward him, her
+magnificent eyes aflame with triumph looked appealingly up at his, and
+her hands were extended till they rested on his arm.
+
+So the song ended, and for a moment the parlor was still as a tomb.
+Dr. Grey silently enclosed the girl's two hands in his, and, for the
+first time since she had known him, Salome saw tears swimming in his
+grave, beautiful eyes, and noticed a slight tremor on his usually
+steady lips.
+
+"There is nothing in the old world or the new comparable to that
+voice, and I flatter myself I speak _ex cathedra_. Miss Owen, you will
+soon have the public at your feet."
+
+She did not heed Mr. Granville's enthusiastic eulogy. She saw nothing
+but Dr. Grey's admiring eyes,--felt nothing but the close warm clasp,
+in which her folded fingers lay,--and her ears ached for the sound of
+his deep voice.
+
+"Salome, I shall not soon forgive you for keeping me in ignorance of
+the existence of the finest voice it has ever been my good fortune to
+hear. Knowing your adopted brother's fondness for music, how could you
+hoard your treasure so parsimoniously, denying him such happiness as
+you might have conferred?"
+
+He untwined her fingers, which clung tenaciously to his, and saw that
+the blood ebbed out of cheeks and lips as she listened to his
+carefully guarded language. Silently she obeyed Miss Jane's summons to
+the sofa.
+
+"You perverse witch! Where have you been practising all these months,
+that have made you such a wonderful cantatrice? Child, answer me."
+
+"I did not wish to annoy the household by thrumming on the piano and
+afflicting their ears with false flat scales, consequently I followed
+the birds, and rehearsed with them, under the trees, and down on the
+edge of the sea. If you like my voice I am glad, because I have
+studied to perfect it."
+
+"Like it, indeed! As if I could avoid liking it! But you must have had
+good training. Who taught you?"
+
+"I took lessons from Barilli."
+
+"Aha,--Ulpian! Now you can understand how he contrives to feed his
+family. Salome's sewing-money explains it all. Kiss me, dear. I always
+believed there was more in you than came to the surface."
+
+"Miss Owen ought to go upon the stage. Such gifts as hers belong to
+the public, who would soon crown her queen of song."
+
+Salome glanced at the handsome stranger, and bowed.
+
+"It is my purpose, sir, to dedicate myself and future to the Opera,
+where I trust I shall not utterly fail, as I have been for a year
+studying with reference to this step."
+
+A bomb-shell falling in that quiet circle, would scarcely have
+startled its members more effectually; and, anxious to avoid comment,
+Salome quitted the parlor and ran out on the lawn.
+
+After awhile she heard Muriel's skilful touch on the piano, and, when
+an hour had elapsed, the echo of voices died away, and soon a profound
+silence seemed to reign over the house.
+
+The hot blood was coursing thick and fast in her veins, and evil
+purposes brooded darkly over her oppressed and throbbing heart. She
+was thoroughly cognizant of the intense admiration with which Mr.
+Granville regarded her, and to-night she had compared his handsome
+face with the older, graver, and less regular features of Dr. Grey,
+and wondered why the latter was so much more fascinating. Her beauty
+transcended Muriel's, and it would prove an easy task to supplant her
+in the affections of her not very ardent lover. Life in Paris, spiced
+with the political intrigues incident to diplomatic circles, would
+divert her thoughts, and might possibly make the coming years
+endurable. Was the game worth the candle? No thought of Muriel's
+misery entered for an instant into this entirely sordid calculation,
+or would have deterred her even momentarily, had it presented itself
+in expostulation. The girl's heart had suddenly grown callous, and her
+hand would have ruthlessly smitten down any object that dared to cross
+her path, or retard the accomplishment of her schemes. Weary at last
+of pacing the dim starlit avenue, and yet too wretched to think of
+sleeping, she re-entered the house, and cautiously locking the door,
+threw herself into a corner of the parlor sofa, which stood just
+beneath the portrait she so often studied.
+
+If she had not at this juncture been completely absorbed in gazing
+upon it, she might have seen the original, who soon rose and came
+forward from the shadow of the curtains.
+
+"Salome, I wish to make you my confidante,--to tell you something
+which I have not yet mentioned even to Janet. Can I trust you, little
+sister?"
+
+Resting against the arm of the sofa, he looked intently into her face,
+reading its perturbed lines.
+
+"I presume you are amusing yourself by tantalizing my curiosity, as
+your experiments appear to have thoroughly satisfied you that I am
+utterly unworthy of trust. I follow the flattering advice you were so
+kind as to give me some time since, and make no promises, which
+shatter like crystal under the hammer of the first temptation. You
+see, sir, you are teaching me to be cautious."
+
+"You are teaching yourself lessons in dissimulation and maliciousness,
+that you will heartily rue some day, but your repentance will come too
+tardily to mend the mischief."
+
+She tried to screen her countenance, but he was in no mood for
+trifling, and putting his palm under her chin, forced her to submit to
+his scrutiny.
+
+"Salome, if I did not cherish a strong faith in the latent generosity
+of your soul, I would not come to you as I do now to offer confidence,
+and demand it in return."
+
+She guessed his meaning, and her eyes glowed with all the baleful
+light that he had hoped was extinguished forever.
+
+"Dr. Grey makes a grace of necessity, and a pretence of confiding that
+which has ceased to be a secret. Is such his boasted candor and
+honesty?"
+
+"If I believed that you were already acquainted with what I propose
+to divulge, I would not fritter away my time in appealing to a
+nobility of feeling which that fact alone would prove the hopelessness
+of my ever finding in you."
+
+He felt her face grow hot, and for an instant her eyes drooped before
+his, stern and almost threatening.
+
+"Well, sir; I wait for your confidential disclosures. Is there a Guy
+Fawkes, or Titus Oates, plotting against the peace and prosperity of
+the house of Grey?"
+
+"Verily I am disposed to apprehend that there may be."
+
+She endeavored to wrench her face from his hand, but he held it
+firmly, and continued,--
+
+"I wish to say to you that Muriel is very sensitive, and I hope that
+during Mr. Granville's visit, you will try to be as considerate and
+courteous as possible, to both. Salome, Gerard Granville has asked
+Muriel to be his wife, and she has promised to marry him at the
+expiration of a year."
+
+The girl laughed derisively, and exclaimed,--
+
+"Pray, Dr. Grey, be so good as to indulge me with your motive in
+furnishing this piece of information?"
+
+"Your astuteness forbids the possibility of any doubt with reference
+to my motives,--which are, explicitly, anxiety for Muriel's happiness,
+and for the preservation of your integrity and self-respect."
+
+"What jeopardizes either?"
+
+"Your heartless, contemptible vanity, which tempts you to demand a
+homage and incense that should be offered only where it is due,--at
+another, and I grieve to add, a purer shrine."
+
+"Ah! My unpardonable sin consists in having braided my black locks,
+and made myself comely! If you will procure an authentic portrait of
+the Witch of Endor, I will do proper penance by likening my appearance
+thereunto. Poor little rose! Can't you open your pink lips and cry
+_peccavi_? Come down, sole ally and accomplice of my heinous vanity,
+and plead for me, and make the _amende honorable_ to this grim
+guardian of Miss Muriel's peace!"
+
+She snatched the drooping rose from her hair, and tossed it at his
+feet.
+
+"Salome, you forget yourself!"
+
+His stern displeasure rendered her reckless, and she continued,--
+
+"True, sir. I did forget that the poor miller's child had no right to
+obtrude her comeliness in the presence of the banker's daughter. I
+confess my 'high crime and misdemeanor' against the pet of fortune,
+and await my condign punishment. Is it your sovereign will that I
+shear my shining locks like royal Berenice, and offer them in
+propitiation? Or, does it seem 'good, meet, and your bounden duty,' to
+have me promptly inoculated with small-pox, for the destruction of my
+skin, which is unjustifiably smoother and clearer than--"
+
+"Hush, hush!"
+
+He laid his hand over her lips, and, for a while, there was an awkward
+pause.
+
+"If it were only possible to inoculate your heart with a little
+genuine womanly charity,--if it were possible to persuade you to adopt
+as your rule of conduct that golden one which Christ gave as a patent
+of peace to all who followed it. But it is futile, hopeless. You will
+not, you will not,--and my fluttering dove is at the mercy of a
+famished eagle, already poised to swoop. I 'reckoned without my host'
+when I so confidently appealed to your magnanimity, to your feminine
+integrity of soul. You are a 'deaf adder that stoppeth her ear.'"
+
+"Which will not 'hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he
+never so wisely.' Dr. Grey, what has the pampered heiress, the
+happy _fiancee_ of that handsome man upstairs, to fear from the
+poverty-stricken daughter of a miller, who you conscientiously
+inform your guest passed from time to eternity through the gate
+opened by delirium tremens. Mark you, my 'adder ears' have not been
+sealed all the evening."
+
+She had taken his hand from her lips, and thrown it from her.
+
+"People who condescend to listen to conversations that are not
+intended for them, generally deserve the punishment of hearing
+unpleasant truths discussed. Salome, our interview is at an end."
+
+"Not yet. Do you sincerely desire to see Muriel Mr. Granville's
+wife?"
+
+"I do, because I know that she is strongly attached to him."
+
+"And you are sufficiently generous to sacrifice your happiness, in
+order to promote hers? Oh, marvellous magnanimity!"
+
+"Your insinuation is beneath my notice."
+
+"How long have you known of her engagement?"
+
+"Since the first interview I had with her, after her father's death."
+
+"Let me see your face, Dr. Grey. If truth has not been hunted out of
+the earth, it took refuge in your eyes. There, I am satisfied. You
+never loved her. I think I must have been insane, or I would not have
+imagined it possible. No, no; she never touched your heart, save with
+a feeling of compassion. Don't go, I want to say something to you. Sit
+down, and let me think."
+
+She walked up and down the room for ten minutes, and, with his face
+bowed on his hand, Dr. Grey watched and waited.
+
+Finally he stooped to pick up the crushed rose on the floor, and then
+she came back and stood before him.
+
+"I promise you I will not lay a straw in the path of Muriel's
+happiness, and it shall not be my fault if Mr. Granville fails in a
+lover's _devoir_. I was tempted to entice him from his sworn
+allegiance. Why should I deny what you know so well? But I will not,
+and when I give my word, it shall go hard with me but I keep it;
+especially when you hold the pledge. Are you satisfied? I know that
+you have little cause to trust me, but I tell you, sir, when I deceive
+you, then all heaven with its hierarchies of archangels can not save
+me."
+
+After all, Ulpian Grey was only a man of flesh and blood, and his
+heart was touched by the beauty of the young face, and the mournful
+sweetness of the softened voice.
+
+"Thank you, Salome. I accept your promise, and rely upon it. As a
+pledge of your sincerity I shall retain this rose, and return it to
+you when little Muriel is a happy wife."
+
+She clasped her hands, and looked at him with a mournful, wistful
+expression, that puzzled him.
+
+"My friend, my little sister, what is it? Tell me, and let me help you
+to do your duty, for I see that you are wrestling desperately with
+some great temptation."
+
+"Dr. Grey, be merciful to me. Send me away. Oh, for God's sake, send
+me away!"
+
+She had grown ghastly pale, and her whole face indexed a depth of
+anguish and despair that baffled utterance.
+
+"My dear child, where do you desire to go? If your wishes are
+reasonable they shall be granted."
+
+"Will you persuade Miss Jane to take Jessie in my place, and send me
+to France or Italy?"
+
+"To study music with the intention of becoming a _prima donna_?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"My young friend, I cannot conscientiously advise a compliance with
+wishes so fraught with danger to yourself."
+
+"You fear that my voice does not justify so expensive an experiment?"
+
+"On the contrary, I have not a doubt that your extraordinary voice
+will lift you to the highest pinnacle of musical celebrity; and,
+because your career on the stage promises to prove so brilliant, I
+shudder in anticipating the temptations that will unavoidably assail
+you."
+
+"You are afraid to trust me?"
+
+"Yes, my little sister; you are so impulsive, so prone to hearken to
+evil dictates rather than good ones, that I dread the thought of
+seeing you launched into the dangerous career you contemplate, without
+some surer, safer, more infallible pilot than your proud, passionate
+heart. If you were homely, and a dullard, I should entertain less
+apprehension about your future."
+
+Her broad brow blackened with a frown that became a terrible scowl,
+and her eyes gleamed like lightning under the edge of a thunderous
+summer cloud.
+
+"What is it to you whether I live or die? The immaculate soul of
+Ulpian Grey, M.D., will serenely wing its way up through the stars, on
+and on to the great Gates of Pearl,--oblivious of the beggar who, from
+the lowest Hades, where she has fallen, eagerly watches his flight."
+
+"The anxious soul of Ulpian Grey will pray for yours, as long as we
+remain on earth. Salome, I am the truest friend you will ever find
+this side of the City of God; and, when I see you plunging madly into
+ruin, I shall snatch you back, cost me what it may. Your jeers and
+struggle have not deterred me hitherto, nor shall they henceforth. You
+are as incapable of guiding yourself aright, as a rudderless bark is
+of stemming the gulf-stream in a south-west gale; and I am afraid to
+trust you out of my sight."
+
+"Yes, I understand you; the good angel in your nature pities the demon
+in mine. But your pity stifles me; I could not endure it; and,
+besides, I cannot stay here any longer. I must go out into the world,
+and seize the fortune that people tell me my voice will certainly
+yield me."
+
+Flush and sparkle had died out of her face, which, in its worn,
+haggard pallor, looked five years older than when she entered the
+parlor, three hours before.
+
+"Pecuniary considerations must not influence you, because, while Janet
+and I live, you shall want nothing; and when either dies, you will be
+liberally provided for. Dismiss from your mind a matter that has long
+been decided, and which no wish of yours can annul or alter."
+
+With an impatient wave of the hand, she answered,--
+
+"Give to poor little Jessie and Stanley what was intended for me. They
+are helpless, but I can take care of myself; and, moreover, I am not
+contented here. I want to see something of the world in which--_bon
+gre mal gre_--I find myself. Let me go. Rousseau was a sage. '_Le
+monde est le livre des femmes_.'"
+
+He shook his head, and said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"No, your instincts are unreliable; and if you roam away from Jane
+and from me, you will sip more poison than honey. Be wise, and remain
+where Providence has placed you. I will bring Jessie here, and you
+shall teach her what you choose, and Stanley can command all the
+educational advantages he will improve. After a while, you shall, if
+you prefer it, have a pleasant home of your own, and dwell there with
+the two little ones. Such has long been my scheme and purpose; but,
+during my sister's life, she will never consent to give you up; and
+you owe it to her not to desert her in the closing years, when she
+most urgently requires the solace of your love and society."
+
+Salome covered her face with her hands, and something like a heavy dry
+sob shook her frame; but the spring of bitterness seemed exhaustless,
+and her voice was indescribably scornful in its defiant ring.
+
+"You are very charitable, Dr. Grey, and I thank you for all your
+embryonic benevolent plans for me and my pauper relatives; but I have
+drawn a very different map for my future years. You seem to regard
+this house as a second '_La Tour sans venin_,' which, like its
+prototype near Grenoble, possesses an atmosphere fatal to all
+poisonous, noxious things; but surely you forget that it has long
+sheltered me."
+
+"No, it has never arrogated the prerogative of '_La Tour sans venin_,'
+but of one thing, my poor wilful child, you shall never have reason to
+be skeptical,--that dear Jane and I will indefatigably strive to serve
+you as faithfully and successfully, as did in ancient days, the Psylli
+whom Plutarch immortalized."
+
+While he spoke Dr. Grey had been turning over the leaves of the old
+family Bible, which happened to lie within his reach; and now, without
+premonition, he read aloud the fifty-fifth Psalm.
+
+She listened, not willingly, but _ex necessitate rei_, and rebelliously;
+and, when he finished the Psalm, and knelt, with his face on his arms,
+which were crossed upon the back of a chair, she stood haughtily erect
+and motionless beside him.
+
+His prayer was brief and fervent, that God would aid her in her
+efforts to curb her passionate temper, and to walk in accordance with
+the teachings of Jesus; and that he would especially overrule all
+things, and guide her decision in the important step she contemplated.
+He rose, and turned towards her, but her countenance was hidden.
+
+"Good night, Salome. God bless you and direct you."
+
+She raised her face, and her eyes sought his with a long, questioning,
+pleading gaze, so full of anguish that he could scarcely endure it.
+Then he saw the last spark of hope expire; and she bent her queenly
+head an instant, and silently passed from the parlor.
+
+  "I have watched my first and holiest hopes depart,
+          One after one;
+  I have held the hand of Death upon my heart,
+          And made no moan."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+
+"Pardon my intrusion, Mrs. Gerome, and ascribe it to Elsie's anxiety
+concerning your health. In compliance with her request, I have come to
+ascertain whether you really require my attention."
+
+Dr. Grey placed his hat and gloves on the piano, and established
+himself comfortably in a large chair near the arch, where Mrs. Gerome,
+palette in hand, sat before her easel.
+
+"Elsie's nerves have run away with her sound common sense, and filled
+her mind with vagaries. She imagines that I need medicine, whereas I
+only require quiet and peace, which neither she nor you will permit me
+to enjoy."
+
+She did not even glance at the visitor, but mixed some colors rapidly,
+and deepened the rose-tints in a cluster of apple-blossoms she was
+scattering in the foreground of a picture.
+
+"If it is not of vital importance that those pearly petals should be
+finished immediately, I should be glad to have you turn your face
+towards me for a few moments. There,--thank you. Mrs. Gerome, do I
+look like a nervous, whimsical man, whose fancy mastered his
+professional judgment, or blunted his acumen?"
+
+"You certainly appear as phlegmatic, as utterly unimaginative, as any
+lager-loving German, whom Teniers or Ostade ever painted '_Unter den
+linden_.'"
+
+"Then my words should possess some influence when they corroborate
+Elsie's statement, that you are far from well. Do not be childishly
+incredulous, and impatiently shake your head; from a woman of your age
+and sense one expects more dignity and prudence."
+
+"Sir, your rudeness has at least a flavor of stern honesty that makes
+it almost palatable. Do you propose to take my case into your skilful
+hands?"
+
+"I merely propose to expostulate with you upon the unfortunate and
+ruinous course of life you have decided to pursue. No eremite of the
+Thebaid, or the Nitroon, is more completely immured than I find you;
+and the seclusion from society is quite as deleterious as the want of
+out-door air and sunshine. Your mind, debarred from communion with
+your race and denied novel and refreshing themes, centres in its own
+operations and creations, broods over threadbare topics until it has
+grown morbid; and, instead of deriving healthful nourishment from the
+world that surrounds it, exhausts and consumes itself, like fabled
+Araline, spinning its substance into filmy nothings."
+
+"Filmy nothings! Thank you. I flatter myself, when I am safely housed
+under marble, the world will place a different estimate upon some
+things I shall leave behind to challenge criticism."
+
+"How much value will public plaudits possess for ears sealed by death?
+Mrs. Gerome, you are too lonely; you must have companionship that will
+divert your thoughts."
+
+"Not I, indeed! All that I require, I have in abundance,--music,
+books, and my art. Here I am independent, for remember that he was a
+petted son of fame, who said, 'Books are the true Elysian fields,
+where the spirits of the dead converse, and into these fields a
+mortal may venture unappalled. What king's court can boast such
+company,--what school of philosophy such wisdom?' Verily if you
+had ever examined my library you would not imagine I lacked
+companionship. Why sir, yonder,--
+
+  'The old, dead authors throng me round about,
+  And Elzevir's gray ghosts from leathern graves look out.'
+
+Count Oxenstiern spoke truly, when he declared, 'Occupied with the
+great minds of antiquity, we are no longer annoyed by contemporaneous
+fools.'"
+
+She rose and pointed to the handsome cases in the rear room, filled
+with choice volumes; and, while she stood with one arm resting on the
+easel, Dr. Grey looked searchingly at her.
+
+To-day there was a _spirituelle_ beauty in the white face that he had
+never seen before; and the large eloquent eyes were full of dreamy
+sunset radiance, unlike their wonted steely glitter. A change, vague
+and indefinable, but unmistakable, had certainly passed over that
+countenance since its owner came to reside at "Solitude," and, instead
+of marring, had heightened its loveliness. The features were thinner,
+the cheeks had lost something of their pure oval moulding, and the
+delicate nostrils were almost transparent in their waxen curves; but
+the arch of the lip was softened and lowered, and the face was like
+that of some marble goddess on which mid-summer moonshine sleeps.
+
+Her white mull robe was edged at the skirt and up the front with a
+rich border of blue morning-glories, and a blue cord and tassel girded
+it at her waist, while the broad braids of hair at the back of her
+head were looped and fastened with a ribbon of the same color. Her
+sleeves were gathered up to keep them clear of the paint on the
+palette, and the dimples were no longer visible in her arms. The ivory
+flesh was shrinking closer to the small bones, and the diaphanous
+hands were so thin that the sapphire asp glided almost off the slender
+finger around which it was coiled.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you have lost twenty pounds of flesh within the last two
+months, and your extreme pallor alarms me."
+
+"All things look pallid in these rooms, for the light is bluish,
+reflected from carpet, furniture, and curtains."
+
+"I have noticed that you invariably wear blue, to the exclusion of all
+other colors."
+
+"Yes. Throughout the Levant it is considered a mortuary color; and,
+moreover, I like its symbolism. The _Mater dolorosa_ often wears blue
+vestments; also the priests during Lent; and even the images of Christ
+are veiled in blue, as holy week approaches. Azure, in its absolute
+significance, represents truth, and is the symbol of the soul after
+death; so, as I walk the earth,--a fleshy 'death in life,'--I clothe
+myself symbolically. In pagan cosmogonies the Creator is always
+colored blue. Jupiter Ammon, Vischnou, Cneph, Krischna,--all are
+azure. And because it is a solemn, consecrated color, mystic and
+mournful, I wear it."
+
+"My dear madam, this is a morbid whimsicality that trenches closely
+upon monomania, and would be more tolerable in a lackadaisical
+school-girl, than in a mature, intelligent, and gifted woman. Some of
+your fantasies would be positively respectable in a Bedlamite, and you
+seem an anomalous compound of eccentricities peculiar to extreme youth
+and to advanced age."
+
+"I believe, sir, that you are entirely correct in your analysis. I
+stand before you, young in years, but forsaken by that 'blue-eyed
+Hope' who frolics hand in hand with youth; and yet utterly devoid of
+that philosophy and wisdom which justly belong to the old age of my
+heart."
+
+Her tone was indescribably weary, and, as she laid aside her brush and
+folded her hands together on the cross-beam of the easel, the
+transient light died out of her countenance, and the worn, tired look,
+came back and settled on every feature.
+
+                ... "The soft, sad eyes,
+  Set like twilight planets in the rainy skies,--
+  With the brow all patience, and the lips all pain,"
+
+wove a strange spell over the visitor, whose gaze was riveted on the
+only woman who had ever aroused even temporary interest in his heart.
+
+She was always beautiful, but to-day there was a helpless, hopeless
+abandonment in her listless demeanor, that appealed successfully to
+the manly tenderness and chivalry of his nature; and into his strong,
+true, noble soul, came a longing to cheer, and guide, and redeem this
+strange, desolate woman, whose personal loveliness would have made her
+regnant over the gay circles of fashionable life, yet whose existence
+was more lonely than that of an eaglet in some mountain eyrie.
+
+Rising, he leaned against the easel and looked down into the colorless
+face that possessed such a wondrous charm for him.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, for natures diseased like yours, the only remedy, the
+only cure, is earnest, vigorous labor; and the regimen you really
+require is mournfully at variance with your present habits and modes
+of thought."
+
+"I do labor incessantly; more indefatigably than any plowman, or
+mason, or carpenter. Your prescription has been thoroughly tested, and
+found worthless, as an antidote to my malady,--hopelessness."
+
+"Unfortunately the labor has all been mental; heart and soul have
+stood aloof, while the brain almost wore itself out. This canvas is
+destroying you; your creations are too rapid, too exhausting."
+
+"Dr. Grey, you grievously misapprehend the whole matter, for my work
+reminds me of what Canova once said of West's pictures, 'He groups; he
+does not compose.'"
+
+Dr. Grey put his hand on her wrist, and counted the rapid, feeble,
+irregular pulse.
+
+She made an effort to throw off his fingers, but they clung
+tenaciously to the polished arm.
+
+"How many hours do you sleep, during the twenty-four?"
+
+"Sometimes three, occasionally one, frequently none."
+
+"How much longer do you suppose your constitution will endure such
+merciless taxation?"
+
+"I know very little about these things, and care still less, but as
+Horne Tooke said, when a foreigner inquired how much treason an
+Englishman might venture to write without being hanged, 'I cannot
+inform you just yet, but I am trying.'"
+
+"Has life become such an intolerable burden that you are impatient to
+shake it off?"
+
+"Even so, Dr. Grey. When Elsie dies the last link will have snapped,
+and I trust I shall not long survive her. If I prayed at all, it would
+be for speedy death."
+
+"If you prayed at all, existence would not prove so wearisome; for
+resignation would cure half your woes."
+
+"Confine your prescriptions to the body,--that is tangible, and may be
+handled and scrutinized; but venture no nostrums for a heart and soul
+of which you know nothing. Once I was almost a Moslem in the frequency
+and fervor of my prayers; but now, the only petition I could force
+myself to offer would be that prayer of Epictetus, '_Lead me, Zeus and
+Destiny, whithersoever I am appointed to go; I will follow without
+wavering; even though I turn coward and shrink, I shall have to
+follow, all the same._'"
+
+Dr. Grey sighed heavily, and answered,--
+
+"It is painful to hear from feminine lips a fatalism so grim as to
+make all prayer a mockery; and it would seem that the loss of those
+dear to you, would have insensibly and unavoidably drawn your heart
+heavenward, in search of its transplanted idols."
+
+He knew from the sudden spasm that seized her calm features, and
+shuddered through her tall figure, that he had touched, perhaps too
+rudely, some chord in her nature which--
+
+  "Made the coiled memory numb and cold,
+    That slept in her heart like a dreaming snake,
+  Drowsily lift itself, fold by fold,
+    And gnaw, and gnaw hungrily, half-awake."
+
+"Ah, indeed, my heart was drawn after them,--but not heavenward! No, no,
+no! My idols were not transplanted,--they were shattered!--shattered!"
+
+She leaned forward, looking up into his face; and, raising her hand
+impressively, she continued in a voice so mournful, so hopelessly
+bitter, that Dr. Grey shivered as he listened.
+
+"Oh, sir, you who stand gazing down in sorrowful reproach upon what
+you regard as my unpardonable impiety, little dream of the fiery
+ordeal that consumed my childlike, beautiful faith, as flames crisp
+and blacken chaff. I am alone, and must ever be, while in the flesh;
+and I hoard my pain, sparing the world my moans and tears, my wry
+faces and desperate struggles. I tell you, Dr. Grey,--
+
+  'None know the choice I made; I make it still.
+    None know the choice I made, and broke my heart,
+  Breaking mine idol; I have braced my will
+    Once, chosen for once my part.
+  I broke it at a blow, I laid it cold,
+    Crushed in my deep heart where it used to live.
+  My heart dies inch by inch; the time grows old,
+    Grows old in which I grieve.'"
+
+He did not comprehend her, but felt that her past must have been
+melancholy indeed, of which the bare memory was so torturing.
+
+"At least, Mrs. Gerome, let us thank God, that beyond the grave there
+remains an eternal reunion with your idol, and--"
+
+"God forbid! You talk at random, and your suggestion would drive me
+mad, if I believed it. Let me be quiet."
+
+She walked away, and seemed intently watching the sea, of whose
+protean face she never wearied; and, puzzled and tantalized, Dr. Grey
+turned to examine the unfinished picture.
+
+It represented an almost colossal woman, kneeling under an apple-tree,
+with her folded hands lifted towards a setting sun that glared from
+purple hills, across waving fields of green and golden grain. The
+azure mantle that enveloped the rounded form, floated on the wind and
+seemed to melt in air, so dim were its graceful outlines; and on one
+shoulder perched a dove with head under its wing, nestling to
+sleep,--while a rabbit nibbled the grass at her feet, and a squirrel
+curled himself comfortably on the border of her robe. In the
+foreground were scattered sheaves of yellow wheat, full ears of corn,
+bunches of blue, bloom-covered grapes, clusters of olives, and
+various delicate flowers whose brilliant hues seemed drippings from
+some wrung and broken rainbow.
+
+The face was unlike flesh and blood,--was dim, elfish, wan, with
+large, mild eyes, as blue and misty as the _nebulae_ that Herschel
+found in Southern skies,--eyes that looked at nothing, but seemed to
+penetrate the universe and shed soft solemn light over all things.
+Back from the broad, low brow, floated a cloud of silky yellow hair,
+that glittered in the slanting rays of sunshine as if powdered with
+gold dust; and over its streaming strands fluttered two mottled
+butterflies, and a honey-laden bee. On distant hill-slopes cattle
+browsed, and at the right of the kneeling woman a young lamb nibbled a
+cluster of snowy lilies, while a dappled fawn watched the gambols of a
+dun kid; and on the left, in a tuft of bearded grass, a brown snake
+arched its neck to peer at a brood of half-fledged partridges.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, will you be so kind as to explain this mythologic
+design?"
+
+She came back to the easel, and took up her palette.
+
+"If it requires an explanation it is an egregious failure, and shall
+find a vacant corner in some rubbish garret."
+
+"It is exceedingly beautiful, but I do not fully comprehend the
+symbolism."
+
+"If it does not clearly mean the one thing for which it was intended,
+it means nothing, and is worthless. Look, sir, she--
+
+  'Forgets, remembers, grieves, and is not sad;
+    The quiet lands and skies leave light upon her eyes;
+  None knows her weak, or wise, or tired, or glad.'"
+
+Dr. Grey bit his lip, but shook his head.
+
+"You must read me your painted riddle more explicitly. Is it Ceres?"
+
+"No, sir; a few sheaves do not make a harvest. I am a stupid bungler,
+spoiling canvas and wasting paint, or else you are as obtuse as the
+critics who may one day hover hungrily over it. Try the aid of one
+more clew, and if you fail to catch my purpose, I will dash my brush
+all loaded with ochre, right into those mystic, prescient eyes, and
+blur them forever. Listen, and guess,--
+
+  'This is my lady's praise;
+  God after many days
+  Wrought her in unknown ways,
+      In sunset lands;
+  This was my lady's birth,
+  God gave her might and mirth
+  And laid his whole sweet earth
+      Between her hands.'"
+
+"Pray do not visit the sin of my stupidity upon that fascinating
+picture. I am not familiar with the lines you quote, but know that you
+have represented Nature, have embodied an ideal Isis, or Hertha, or
+Cybele; though I can not positively name the phase of the Universal
+Mother, which you have seized and perpetuated."
+
+He caught her arm, and removed from her fingers the palette and
+brushes.
+
+"Dr. Grey, it is more than either or all of the three you mention; for
+Persian mythology, like Persian wines and Persian roses, is richer,
+more subtle, more fragrant, more glowing than any other. That woman is
+'_Espendermad_.'"
+
+"Thank you; now I comprehend the whole. God has endowed you with
+wonderful talent. The fruit and flowers in that foreground must have
+cost you much labor, for indeed you seem to have faithfully followed
+the injunction of Titian, 'Study the effect of light and shade on a
+bunch of grapes.' That luscious amber cluster lying near the poppies
+is tantalizingly suggestive of Rhineland, and of the vines that
+garland the hills of Crete and Cyprus."
+
+A shade of annoyance and disappointment crossed the artist's face.
+
+"Now, I quite realize what Cespedes felt, when, finding that visitors
+were absorbed by the admirable finish of some jars and vases in the
+foreground of the 'Last Supper,' upon which he had expended so much
+time and thought, he called his servant and exclaimed in great
+chagrin, 'Andres, rub me out these things, since, after all my care
+and study, people choose to see nothing but these impertinences.'"
+
+"If Zeuxis' grandest triumph consisted in painting grapes, you
+assuredly should not take umbrage at my praise of that fruit on your
+canvas, which hints of Tokay and Lachrima Christi. I am not an artist,
+but I have studied the best pictures in Europe and America, and you
+must acquit me of any desire to flatter when I tell you that
+background yonder is one of the most extraordinary successes I have
+ever seen, from either amateur or professional painters."
+
+Mrs. Gerome arched her black brows slightly, and replied,--
+
+"Then the success was accidental, and I stumbled upon it, for I bestow
+little study on the backgrounds of my work. They are mere dim
+distances of bluish haze, and do not interest me, and, since I paint
+for amusement, I give most thought to my central figure."
+
+"Have you forgotten the anecdote of Rubens, who, when offered a pupil
+with the recommendation that he was sufficiently advanced in his
+studies to assist him at once in his backgrounds, laughed, and
+answered, 'If the youth was capable of painting backgrounds he did not
+need his instruction; because the regulation and management of them
+required the most comprehensive knowledge of the art.'"
+
+"Yes, I am aware that is one of the _dogmata_ of the craft, but Rubens
+was no more infallible than you or I, and his pictures give me less
+pleasure than those of any other artist of equal celebrity. Dr. Grey,
+if I am even a tolerable judge of my own work, the best thing I have
+yet achieved is the drapery of that form. Perhaps I am inclined to
+plume myself upon this point, from the fact that it was the opinion of
+Carlo Maratti that 'The arrangement of drapery is more difficult than
+drawing the human figure; because the right effect depends more upon
+the taste of the artist than upon any given rules.' That sweep of blue
+gauze has cost me more toil than everything else on the canvas."
+
+"Pardon the expression of my curiosity concerning your modes of
+composition in these singular and quaint creations, for which you
+have no models; and tell me how this ideal presented itself to your
+imagination."
+
+"Dr. Grey, I am not a great genius like Goethe, and unfortunately can
+not candidly echo his declaration, that, 'Nothing ever came to me in
+my sleep.' I can scarcely tell you when this idea was first born in my
+busy, tireless brain, but it took form one evening after I had read
+Charlotte Bronte's 'Woman Titan,' in 'Shirley,' and compared it with
+that glowing description of Jean Paul Richter, 'And so the Sun stands
+at the border of the Earth, and looks back on his stately Spring,
+whose robe-folds are valleys, whose breast-bouquet is gardens, whose
+blush is a vernal evening, and who, when she rises, will be Summer.'
+Still it was vague, and eluded me, until I found somewhere in my most
+desultory reading, an account of '_Espendermad_,' one of the six
+angels of Ormuzd, to whom was entrusted the guardianship of the earth.
+That night I dreamed that I stood under a vine at Schiraz, gathering
+golden-tinted grapes, when a voice arrested me, and, looking over my
+shoulder, I saw that face peeping at me across a hedge of crimson
+roses. Next day I sketched the features as they had appeared in my
+dream, but I was not fully satisfied, and waited and pondered.
+Finally, I read 'Madonna Mia,' and then all was as you see it now,
+startlingly distinct and palpable."
+
+"Why did you not select some dusky-haired, dusky-eyed, olive-tinted
+oriental type, instead of a blonde who might safely venture into
+Valhalla as a genuine Celtic Iduna?"
+
+"With the exception of the yellow locks, I suspect the face of my
+'_Espendermad_' might easily be matched among the maidens of the
+Caucasus, who furnish the most perfect types of Circassian beauty. You
+know there is a tradition that when Leonardo da Vinci chanced to meet
+a man with an expression of character that he wished to make use of in
+his work, he followed him until he was able to delineate the face on
+canvas; but, on the contrary, the countenances I paint present
+themselves to my imagination, and pursue me inexorably until I put
+them into pigment. I do not possess ideals,--they seize and possess
+me, teasing me for form and color, and forcing me to object them on
+canvas. Such is the _modus operandi_ of whims that give me my
+'_Espendermad_' praying to the Sun for benisons on the Earth, which
+she is appointed to guard. Ah, if like the lambkins and birds, I, too,
+could creep to the starry border of her azure robe, and lay my weary
+head down and find repose. Some day, if my mind ever grows calm
+enough, I want to paint a picture of Rest, that I can hang on my wall
+and look upon when I am worn out in body and soul, when, indeed,--
+
+  'My feet are wearied, and my hands are tired,
+          My heart oppressed,
+  And I desire, what I long desired,
+          Rest,--only Rest.'"
+
+"My dear madam, unless you speedily change your present mode of life,
+you will not paint that contemplated picture, for a long rest will
+soon overtake you."
+
+A gleam that was nearer akin to joy than any expression he had yet
+seen, passed from eye to lip, and she answered, almost eagerly,--
+
+"If that be true, it offers a premium for the continuance of habits
+you condemn so strenuously; but I dare not hope it, and I beg of you
+not to tantalize me with vain expectations of a release that may yet
+be far, far distant."
+
+Dr. Grey's heart stirred with earnest sympathy for this lonely
+hopeless soul, who, standing almost upon the threshold of life,
+stretched her arms so yearningly to woo the advance of death.
+
+The room was slowly filling with shadows, and, leaning there against
+her easel, she looked as unearthly as the pearly forms that summer
+clouds sometimes assume, when a harvest-moon springs up from sea foam
+and fog, and stares at them. When she spoke again, her voice was chill
+and crisp.
+
+"My malady is beyond your reach, and baffles human skill. You mean
+only kindness, and I suppose I ought to thank you, but alas! the
+sentiment of gratitude is such a stranger in my heart, that it has yet
+to learn an adequate language. Dr. Grey, the only help you can
+possibly render me is to prolong Elsie's life. As for me, and my
+uncertain future, give yourself no charitable solicitude. Do you
+recollect what Lessing wrote to Claudius? 'I am too proud to own that
+I am unhappy. I shut my teeth, and let the bark drift. Enough that I
+do not turn it over with my own hands.' Elsie is signalling for me. Do
+you hear that bell? Good-night, Dr. Grey."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+
+"I have had a long conversation with Ulpian, and find him violently
+opposed to the scheme you mentioned to me several days since. He
+declares he will gladly share his last dollar with you sooner than see
+you embark in a career so fraught with difficulties, trials, and--"
+
+Miss Jane paused to find an appropriate word, and Salome very promptly
+supplied her.
+
+"Temptations. That is exactly what you both mean. Go on."
+
+"Well, yes, dear. I am afraid the profession you have selected is
+beset with dangerous allurements for one so inexperienced and
+unsophisticated as yourself."
+
+"Bah! Speak out. I am sick of circumlocution. What do you understand
+by unsophisticated?"
+
+"Why, I mean,--well, what can I mean but just what the word
+expresses,--unsophisticated? That is, young, thoughtless, ignorant of
+the ways of the world, and the excessive cunning and deceit of human
+nature."
+
+"Begging your pardon, it has another significance, which you will find
+if you look into your dictionary,--that blessed Magna Charta of
+linguistic rights and privileges. I do not claim the prerogatives of
+Ruskin's class of the 'well educated, who are learned in the peerage
+of words; know the words of true descent and ancient blood at a
+glance, from words of modern _canaille_;' but I venture the assertion
+that I am sufficiently sophisticated to plunge into the vortex of
+public life, and yet keep my head above water."
+
+"I don't want to see my little girl an actress, or a _prima donna_,
+bold, forward, and eager to face a noisy, clamorous crowd, who feel
+privileged to say just what they please about her. It would break my
+heart; and, if you are bent on such a step, I hope you will wait, at
+least, till I am dead."
+
+"You ought to be willing to see me do anything honest, that will
+secure my dependent brother and sister from want."
+
+"The necessity of laboring for them is not especially imperative at
+this juncture, and why should you be more sensitive now than formerly?
+Do not deceive yourself, dear child, but face the truth, no matter how
+ugly it may possibly be. It is not a sense of duty to the younger
+children, but an inflated vanity, that prompts you to parade your
+beauty and your wonderful voice on the stage, where they will elicit
+applause and flattering adulation. My little girl, that is the most
+dangerous, the most unhealthy atmosphere, a woman can possibly
+breathe."
+
+"Pray tell me how you learned all this? You, who have spent your life
+in this quiet old house, who have been almost as secluded as some
+Cambrian Culdee, can really know nothing of that public life you
+condemn so bitterly."
+
+"The history of those who have walked in the path you are now
+preparing to follow, proves the deleterious influences and ruinous
+associations that surround that class of women."
+
+"Jenny Lind and Sarah Siddons redeem any class, no matter how much
+maligned."
+
+"But what assurance have I, that, unlike the ninety-nine, you will
+resemble the one-hundredth?"
+
+"Only try me, Miss Jane."
+
+"Ah, child! A rash boy said the same thing when he tried to drive
+the sun, and not only consumed himself but nearly burned up the
+world. There is rather too much at stake to warrant such reckless
+experiments."
+
+"Quit mythology,--it is not in your line,--and come back to stern
+facts and serious realities. Because I wish to dance a quadrille or
+cotillion, and acquit myself creditably, does it ensue as an
+inexorable consequence, that I shall join some strolling ballet
+troupe, and out-Bayadere the Bayaderes?"
+
+"That depends altogether upon your agility and grace. If you could
+reasonably hope to rival your Hebrew namesake, I am afraid my little
+girl would think it 'her duty' to dance instead of to sing, for the
+acquisition of a fortune; and insist upon executing wonderful things
+with her heels and toes, instead of her voice."
+
+"You and Dr. Grey seem to have simultaneously arrived at the
+charitable conclusion that my heart is pretty much in the same
+condition that the Hebrew temple was, when Christ undertook to drive
+out the profane. Thongs in hand you two have overturned my motives,
+and, by a very summary court-martial, condemned them to be scourged
+out. Now, mark you, I am neither making change nor selling doves, and
+still less are you and your brother--Jesus. Dr. Grey does me the honor
+to indulge a chronic skepticism concerning the possibility of any good
+and unselfish impulse in my nature, and I am sorry to see that you
+have caught the contagious doubt of me, and of my motives."
+
+She began the sentence in a challenging, sneering voice, but it was
+ended in a lower and faltering tone.
+
+  "While in the light of her large angry eyes,
+  Uprose and rose a slow imperious sorrow."
+
+"My dear, don't attempt to whip Ulpian over my shoulders. You know
+very well that I have invested in you an amount of faith that the
+united censure of the world cannot shake; and if Ulpian does not
+follow my example, whose fault is it, I should be glad to know?
+Evidently not his,--certainly not mine,--but undoubtedly yours. I have
+noticed that you took extraordinary care and a very peculiar pleasure
+in making him believe you much worse in all respects than you really
+are; and since you have labored so industriously to lower yourself in
+his estimation, it would be a poor compliment to your skill and energy
+if I told you that you had not entirely succeeded in your rather
+remarkable aim. Before he came home you were as contented, and
+amiable, and happy, as my old cat there on the rug; but Ulpian's
+appearance affected you as the entrance of a dog does my maltese, who
+arches her back, and growls, and claws, as long as he is in sight. I
+am truly sorry you two could never agree, but I feel bound to tell you
+that you have only yourself to blame. I do not claim that my
+sailor-boy is a saint, but he is assuredly some inches nearer
+sanctification than my poor little Salome. Don't you think so? Be
+honest, dear."
+
+Miss Jane's hand tenderly caressed the beautiful head; and, as Salome
+was too sullen or too much mortified to reply, the old lady
+continued,--
+
+"Nevertheless, Ulpian is a true and devoted friend, and can not bear
+the thought of your leaving us, for any purpose, much less the one you
+contemplate. Last night he said, 'Janet, I am her brother, and think
+you I shall allow my sister to go out from the sacred precincts of
+home, and become a target for the envy and malice of the better
+classes who will criticise her, and for the coarse plaudits of the
+pit? Do you suppose I can willingly see her bare feet turned towards a
+path paved with glowing ploughshares? Tell her, for me, that if ever
+she should carry her unfortunate freak into execution, I shall never
+wish to touch her hand again, for I shall feel that it has lost its
+purity in the clasp of many to whom she can not refuse it during a
+professional career.'"
+
+The orphan lifted her head from the arm of Miss Jane's chair, where it
+had rested for some minutes, and striking her palms forcibly together,
+she exclaimed, proudly,--
+
+"Tell Dr. Grey I humbly thank him, but the threat has lost its sting;
+and if I should chance to meet him years hence, though my hands shall
+be pure and clean as Una's, and as unsullied as his own,--so help me
+heaven! I will never thrust my touch on his, nor so far forget myself
+as to suffer his fingers to approach mine. When I pass from this
+threshold, we will have shaken hands forever."
+
+"Dr. Grey's ears are not proof against such elevated, ringing tones of
+voice, and he could not avoid hearing, as he came up the steps, the
+childish words which he assures you he has no intention of believing
+or remembering."
+
+He had tapped twice at the half-open door, and now came forward with
+a firm, quick step, to the ottoman where Salome sat. Taking her
+hands, he patted the palms softly against each other, and smiling
+good-humoredly, continued,--
+
+"They are very white, and shapely, and pure, and I am not afraid that
+my little sister will soil them. Her brother looks forward to the day
+when they will gently and gracefully help him in his work among God's
+suffering poor. I have not forgotten how dexterous and docile I found
+your fingers, when I had temporarily lost the use of my own, and I
+shall not fail to levy contributions of labor in the coming years."
+
+She had snatched her fingers from his, and no sooner had he ceased
+speaking, than she bowed haughtily, and answered,--
+
+"Our reconciliations all belong to the Norman family, and are quite as
+lasting as Lamourette's. Ceaseless war is preferable to a violated
+truce, and since I have not swerved from my purpose, I shall not
+falter in its enunciation. If I live it shall not be my fault if I
+fail to go upon the stage. I am not so fastidious as Dr. Grey, and one
+who sprang from _canaille_ must be pardoned if she betrays a longing
+for the 'flesh-pots of Egypt.'"
+
+She would have given her right hand to recall her words,--when, a
+moment later, she met the gaze of profound pity and disappointment
+with which Dr. Grey's eyes dwelt upon her countenance, hardened now by
+its expression of insolent haughtiness; but he allowed her no
+opportunity for retraction, even had she mastered her overweening
+pride, and stooping to whisper a brief sentence in his sister's ear,
+he took a medical book from the table, and left the room.
+
+The silence that ensued seemed interminable to Salome, and at last she
+turned, bowed her head in Miss Jane's lap, and muttered through set
+teeth,--
+
+"You see it is best that I should go. Even you must be weary of this
+strife."
+
+The old lady's trembling hands were laid lovingly on the girl's hot
+brow and scorched cheeks.
+
+"Not half so weary as your own oppressed heart. My dear child, why do
+you persist in tormenting yourself so unmercifully? Why will you say
+things that you do not mean?--that are absolute libels on your actual
+feelings? I have often seen and deplored affectations of generosity
+and refinement, but you are the first person I ever met who delighted
+in a pretence of meanness, which her genuine nature abhorred. Salome,
+I have tried to prove myself a mother to you since the day that I took
+you under my roof; and now, when I am passing away from the
+world,--when a few short months will probably end my feeble life, I
+think you owe it to me to give me no sorrow that your hands can easily
+ward off. Don't leave me. When I am gone there will be time and to
+spare, for all your schemes. Stay here, and let me have peace and
+sunshine about me, in my last fading hours. Ah, dear, you can't be
+cruel to the old woman who has long loved you so tenderly."
+
+The orphan pressed the withered hands to her lips, and, covering her
+face with the folds of Miss Jane's black silk apron, exclaimed
+passionately,--
+
+"Do not think me ungrateful,--do not think me insensible to your love
+and kindness; but, indeed I am very miserable here. Oh, Miss Jane! if
+you knew how I have suffered, you would not chide, you would only pity
+and sympathize with me; for your heart will never steel itself against
+your poor wretched Salome!"
+
+She lost control of herself, and sobbed violently.
+
+"My dear little girl, tell me all your sorrows. To whom can you reveal
+your trials and griefs, if not to me? For some weeks past I have
+observed that you shunned my gaze, and seemed restless when I
+endeavored to discover how you were employing your time; and I have
+realized that you were sorely distressed, but I disliked to force your
+confidence, or appear suspicious. Now, I have a right to ask what
+makes you miserable in my house? Is the little girl ashamed to show me
+her heart?"
+
+"One month since, I would have gone to the stake rather than have
+shown it to you, or have had any one dream of the wretchedness locked
+in its chambers; but a week ago I was overwhelmed with humiliation,
+and now I am not ashamed to tell you. Now that Dr. Grey knows it, I
+would not care if the whole world were hissing and jeering at my
+heels, and shouting my shame with a thousand trumpets. I tried to keep
+it from him, and failing, the world is welcome to roll it as a sweet
+morsel under its busy, stinging, slanderous tongue. Miss Jane, I have
+intended to be sincere in every respect, but it appears that, after
+all, I have probably been an arrant hypocrite if you believe that I
+dislike your brother. I want to go away, because I can no longer
+endure to live in the same house with Dr. Grey, who shows me more
+plainly every hour that he can never return the affection I have been
+idiotic and presumptuous enough to cherish for him. There! I have said
+it,--and my lips are not blistered by the unwomanly confession, and
+you still permit my head to rest in your lap. I expected you would be
+indignant and insulted, and gladly send such a lunatic from your
+family circle,--or that you would dismiss me coolly, with lofty
+contempt; but only a woman can properly pity a woman's weakness, and
+you are crying over me. Ah, if your tears were falling on my grave,
+instead of my face!"
+
+Miss Jane was weeping bitterly, but now and then she stooped and
+kissed the quivering lips of her unhappy charge, who found some balm
+in the earnest sympathy with which her appeal was received.
+
+"My precious child, why should you be ashamed of your love for the
+noblest man who ever unconsciously became a woman's idol? I do not
+much wonder at your feelings, because you have seen no one else in any
+respect comparable to him, and it is difficult for you to realize the
+disparity in your ages. Poor thing! It must be terrible, indeed, to
+one who loves him as you do, to have no hope of possessing his
+affection in return. But I suppose it can't be helped,--and one half
+the world seem to pour out their love on the wrong persons, and find
+misery where they should have only joy and peace. Thank God, all this
+mischief is shut out of heaven! Dear, don't hide your face, as if you
+had stolen half of my sheep; whereas my poor innocent sailor-boy has
+unintentionally stolen my little girl's heart."
+
+"Miss Jane, you are too good,--too kind. Do not help me to excuse
+myself,--do not teach me to palliate my pitiable weakness. It is a
+grievous, a shameful, a disgraceful thing, for a woman to allow
+herself to love any man who gives her no evidence of affection, and
+shows her beyond all doubt that he is utterly indifferent to her. This
+is a sin against womanly pride and delicacy that demands sackcloth and
+ashes, and penance and long years of humiliation and self-abasement;
+and I tell you this is the one sin which my proud soul will never
+pardon in my poor weak, despised heart."
+
+"If you feel this so keenly, you will soon succeed in conquering and
+casting out of your heart an affection, which, having nothing to feed
+upon, will speedily exhaust itself. You are young, and your elastic
+nature will rebound from the pressure that you now find so painful. My
+dear, a few months or years will bring comparative oblivion of this
+period of your life."
+
+"No; they will engrave more deeply the consciousness that I have
+missed my sole chance of earthly happiness, for Dr. Grey is the only
+man I shall ever love,--is the only man who can lift me to his own
+noble height of excellence. I know it is customary to laugh at a
+girl's protestations of undying devotion, and that the theory of
+feminine constancy is as entirely effete as the worship of the Cabiri,
+or the belief in Blokula and its witches; but, unfortunately, the
+world has not sneered it entirely out of existence, and I am destined
+to furnish a mournful exemplification of its reality. Whether my
+nature is unlike that of the majority of women, I shall not undertake
+to decide; but this I know,--God gave me only so much love to spend,
+and I poured it all out, I deluged my idol with it, instead of doling
+it carefully through the future years. Like the woman of Bethany, I
+have broken my box of alabaster, and spilled all my precious ointment,
+which might have served for a lifetime of anointing, and I cannot
+renew the shattered receptacle, nor gather back the wasted fragrance;
+and so my heart must remain without spikenard or balm during its
+earthly sojourn. I have been prodigal,--have beggared my womanly
+nature,--and henceforth shall feast on husks. But this piece of folly
+can be laid on no shoulders but my own, and I must not wince if they
+are galled by burdens which only I have imposed. Some women, under
+similar circumstances, console themselves by fostering a tender and
+excessive gratitude, which they pet and fondle and call second love;
+but the feeling belongs to a different species, and is to strong,
+earnest, genuine love, what the stunted pines of second growth are to
+the noble, stalwart, unapproachable oaks, that spring from the
+primitive virgin soil."
+
+Miss Jane lifted the bowed face, and rested the head against her
+bosom.
+
+"If you are so thoroughly convinced of the impossibility of mastering
+this affection, why talk of going away? You will be happier here,
+under any circumstances, than among strangers."
+
+"Do not misapprehend me. I do not intend to cherish my weakness,--to
+caress and pamper it. I mean to strangle, and mangle, and bury it, if
+possible. I meant, not that I should always love Dr. Grey, but that I
+should never be able to regard any one else as I once loved him. I can
+not stay here, seeing him daily trample my alabaster and ointment
+under his feet. I can not endure the humiliation that has for some
+days past made this house more intolerable than I may one day find
+Phlegethon. I want to go into the whirl and din of life, where my
+thoughts can dwell on some more comforting theme than the peerless
+preeminence of the man who is master here, where I can spend hours in
+elaborating _toilettes_ and _coiffures_ that will show to the greatest
+advantage my small stock of personal charms; where the admiration and
+love of other men will at least amuse and soothe the heart that has no
+more love for anybody, or anything. Miss Jane, if I had never become
+so deeply attached to Dr. Grey, it might perhaps be unsafe for me to
+venture into the career which now lies before me; but when a woman's
+heart is cold and dead in her bosom, there is no peril she need fear;
+for only her warm, pleading heart, can ever silence the iron clang of
+conscience and the silvery accents of reason. Worshipping some clay
+god, my loving, yearning heart, might possibly have led me astray; but
+now, pride and ambition stand as sentinels over its corpse, and a
+heartless woman, desirous only of amassing a fortune and making
+herself a celebrity in musical circles, is as safe from harm as the
+bones of her grandmother, twenty years buried."
+
+The agony that convulsed the orphan's features, and shivered the
+smoothness of her usually sweet voice, touched the old lady's
+sympathy, and she wept silently; straining her imagination for some
+argument that would make an impression on the adamantine will with
+which she found her own in conflict.
+
+"My child, tell me how long you have had this trouble. When did you
+first feel an interest in Ulpian?"
+
+Unhesitatingly Salome related all that had occurred in her intercourse
+with Dr. Grey, and her companion was surprised at the frankness and
+mercilessness with which she analyzed her own feelings at each stage
+of the acquaintance that proved so disastrous to her peace of mind;
+and not only held her weakness up for scorn, but exonerated Dr. Grey
+from all censure.
+
+The minuteness of the confession was exceedingly painful; and, at its
+conclusion, she pressed her palms to her cheeks, and moaned,--
+
+"There, Miss Jane, I have not winced; I have kept back nothing. I have
+been as patient and inexorable in laying open my nature, in treating
+you to a _post-mortem_ examination of my heart, as a dentist in
+scraping and chiselling a sensitive tooth, or a surgeon in cutting out
+a cancer that baffled cauterization. Now you know all that I can tell
+you, and I here lay the past in a sepulchre, and roll the stone upon
+it, and henceforth I trust you will respect the dead; at least, let
+silence rest upon its ashes. _Hic jacet cor cordium._"
+
+Salome extricated herself from the arms of her best friend, and
+smoothed the hair that constant strokes had somewhat disordered.
+
+"Salome, I can not live much longer."
+
+"I know that, dear Miss Jane, and it pains me even to think of leaving
+the only person who ever really loved me."
+
+"For my sake, dear child, bear the trial of remaining here a little
+longer; at least, until I die. Do not desert me in my last hours. I do
+not want the hands of strangers about me, when I am cold and stiff."
+
+Salome rose and walked several times up and down the room; then paused
+beside the easy-chair, and laid her clasped hands in Miss Jane's.
+
+"You alone have a right to control me. Do with me as you think best. I
+will not forsake the true, tender friend, who has done more for me
+than all else on earth, or in heaven. For the present I remain here;
+but allow me to say that I do not abandon my scheme. I relinquish none
+of its details,--I only bide my time."
+
+"'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.' Thank you, my precious
+little girl, for yielding to my wishes when they conflict with yours.
+Some day you will rejoice that you made what seemed a sacrifice of
+inclination on the altar of duty. Now, listen to me. Ulpian is so
+enraptured with your voice, that, while he will never consent to this
+stage-struck madness, he is exceedingly anxious that you should enjoy
+every musical advantage, and is curious to ascertain to what degree of
+perfection your voice can be trained. After consulting me, he wrote
+two days ago to a celebrated professor of music in Philadelphia or New
+York (I really forget where the man is now residing), and offered him
+a handsome salary if he would come and teach you for at least six
+months, or as much longer as he deems requisite. I believe the
+gentleman is delicate and threatened with consumption, which obliges
+him to spend the winters in a warm climate, and Ulpian first met him
+in Italy. My boy thinks that the opinion of this Professor Von
+Somebody is oracular in musical matters; and, as he has trained some
+of the best singers in Europe, Ulpian wishes him to have charge of
+your voice. Say nothing about it until we hear whether he can accept
+our offer. Kiss me."
+
+Salome's face crimsoned, and she said, hesitatingly,--
+
+"Miss Jane, I can not consent that Dr. Grey should contribute one cent
+toward my musical tuition. I can humbly and gratefully accept your
+charitable aid, but not his. You love me, and therefore your bounty
+is not oppressive or humiliating, but he only pities and tolerates
+me, and I would starve in some gutter rather than live as the
+recipient of his charity. If you can conveniently spare the money
+necessary to give me additional cultivation, I shall thankfully
+receive it, for Barilli has taught me all of which he is master,
+and there is no one else in town in whom I have more confidence.
+It was my desire and determination that the work of my hands should
+pay for polishing my voice, but embroidery-fees would not suffice
+to defray the expenses of the professor to whom you allude; and, if
+Dr. Grey pays for his services, I must in advance assure you and
+him that I shall decline them, and rely upon Barilli and myself."
+
+"Pooh! pooh! It is poor philosophy to quarrel with your bread and
+butter, no matter who happens to hand it to you. Don't be so savage on
+Ulpian, who really cares more for you than you deserve. But if it
+comforts your proud, fierce spirit, you are welcome to know that
+I--Jane Grey--pay Professor Von--whatever his name may be; and
+Ulpian's pocket, about which you seem so fastidious, will not be
+damaged one dollar by the transaction. Are you satisfied,--you pretty
+piece of beggarly pride?"
+
+"I am more grateful to you, dear Miss Jane, than I shall ever be able
+to express. God only knows what would have become of me if you had not
+mercifully snatched me, soul and body, from the purlieus of ruin."
+
+She stooped to receive the fond kiss of her benefactress, and went
+into her own room.
+
+Nearly an hour later she slowly descended the stairs, and took her hat
+from the stand in the hall. As she adjusted it on her head, and tied
+the ribbons behind her knot of hair, Mr. Granville came out of the
+parlor and seized her hand.
+
+"Why will you torment me so cruelly? I have been waiting and watching
+for you, at least half an hour."
+
+She haughtily took her fingers from his, and indignantly drew herself
+up,--
+
+"Mr. Granville presumes on his position as guest, to intrude upon some
+who do not desire his society. I was not aware, sir, that I had any
+engagement with you."
+
+"Forgive me, Salome! How have I offended you? If you could realize how
+much pleasure your presence affords me, you would not punish me by
+absenting yourself as you have persistently done for three days
+past."
+
+He bent his handsome face closer to hers, looking appealingly into her
+beautiful flashing eyes; but she put up her hands to push him aside,
+and answered,--
+
+"I shall be happy to entertain you in the evenings, when the remainder
+of the household assemble in the parlor; and will, with great
+pleasure, sing for you whenever Miss Muriel will kindly oblige me by
+playing my accompaniments; but I prefer to confine our acquaintance to
+such occasions."
+
+"Will you not allow me the privilege of accompanying you in the walk
+for which you seem prepared?"
+
+"No, sir; I respectfully decline your attendance."
+
+She saw his cheek flush, and he said, hastily,--
+
+"Salome, I shall begin to hope that you fear to trust your own
+heart."
+
+"Do not forget yourself, sir. If you knew where my heart is housed,
+you would spare yourself the fruitless trouble, and me the annoyance,
+of attentions and expressions of admiration which I avail myself of
+this opportunity to assure you are particularly disagreeable to me. I
+wish to treat you courteously, as the guest of those under whose roof
+I am permitted to reside, but 'thus far, and no farther,' must you
+venture. Moreover, Mr. Granville, since we are merely comparative
+strangers, I should be gratified if you will in future do me the honor
+to recollect that it is one of my peculiarities,--one of my
+idiosyncrasies,--to prefer that only those I respect and love should
+call me Salome. Good afternoon, sir."
+
+She took her music-book, bowed coolly, and made her exit through the
+front door, which she closed after her.
+
+In the hammock that was suspended on the eastern side of the piazza,
+Dr. Grey had thrown himself to rest; and meanwhile, to search for some
+surgical operation recorded in one of his books.
+
+Just behind him a window opened from the hall, and to-day, though a
+rose-colored shade was lowered, the sash had been raised, and every
+word that was uttered in the passage floated distinctly to him.
+
+The whole conversation occurred so rapidly that he had no opportunity
+of discovering his presence to the persons within, and though he
+cleared his throat and coughed rather spasmodically, his warning was
+unheeded by those for whom it was intended.
+
+He knew that Salome could not possibly have guessed his proximity, as
+he was not accustomed to use this hammock, and was completely shielded
+from observation; and, while pained and surprised by Mr. Granville's
+dishonorable course, which threatened life-long wretchedness for poor
+Muriel, Dr. Grey's heart throbbed with joy at the assurance that
+Salome was not so ungenerous as he had feared. Probably no other human
+being would have so highly appreciated her conduct on this occasion;
+and, as he mused, with his thumb and forefinger thrust between the
+leaves of the book, a glad smile broke over his grave face.
+
+"God bless the girl! Her prayers and mine have not been in vain, and
+she is putting under her feet the baser impulses that mar her
+character. Granville is considered by the world exceedingly handsome
+and agreeable, and many,--yes, the majority of women, would have
+yielded, and indulged in a 'harmless flirtation,' where Salome stood
+firm. There was something akin to the scornful ring of Rachel's voice
+in that child's tones, when she told Gerard he presumed on his
+position as guest; and I will wager my hand that her large eyes did
+not exactly resemble a dove's when she informed him it was not his
+privilege to call her Salome. She has a fierce, imperious, passionate
+temper, that goads her into mischief; but, after all, she is--she
+must be--nobler than I have sometimes thought her. God grant it! God
+bless her!"
+
+  "But blame us women not,--if some appear
+    Too cold at times; and some too gay and light.
+  Some griefs gnaw deep. Some woes are hard to bear.
+    Who knows the Past? And who can judge us right?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, are you awake? Dr. Grey, here is a note from 'Solitude,'
+and the messenger begs that you will lose no time, as one of the
+servants is supposed to be dying."
+
+Salome had knocked twice at Dr. Grey's door, without arousing him, and
+the third time she beat a tattoo that would have broken even heavier
+slumbers than his.
+
+"I am awake, and will strike a light in a moment."
+
+She heard him stumbling about the room, and finally there was a crash,
+as of a broken vase or goblet.
+
+"What is the matter? Can't you find your matches?"
+
+"No; some one has removed the box from its usual place, and I am
+fumbling about at random, and smashing things indiscriminately. Will
+you be so good as to bring me a match?"
+
+"I have a candle in my hand, which you can take, while I order Elbert
+to get your buggy ready."
+
+"Thank you, Salome."
+
+She placed the candle on the mat before his door, laid the note beside
+it, and went down to the servants' rooms to call the driver.
+
+It was two o'clock, and Dr. Grey had come home only an hour before,
+from a patient who resided at some distance.
+
+Dressing himself as expeditiously as possible, he read the blurred and
+crumpled note.
+
+  "Dr. Grey: For God's sake come as quick as possible. I am afraid
+  my mother is dying.
+
+    "ROBERT MACLEAN."
+
+Three days before, when he visited Elsie, he found her more composed
+and comfortable than she had been for several weeks, and Mrs. Gerome
+had seemed almost cheerful, as she sat beside the bed, crimping the
+borders of the invalid's muslin caps which the laundress had sent in,
+stiff and spotless.
+
+Recollecting Elsie's desire to confide something to him before her
+death, and dreading the effect which this sudden termination of her
+life might have upon her mistress, in whom he was daily becoming more
+deeply interested, Dr. Grey hurried down stairs and met the orphan.
+
+"Elbert is not quite ready, but will be at the door directly. I told
+him the case was urgent."
+
+"You are very considerate, Salome, and I am much obliged for your
+thoughtfulness; though I regret that the messenger waked you, instead
+of Rachel or me. I have never before known Rachel fail to hear the
+bell, and I was so weary that I think a ten-inch columbiad would
+scarcely have aroused me."
+
+"I was not asleep,--was sitting at my window; and hearing some one
+slam the gate and gallop up the avenue, I went to the door and opened
+it, to prevent the ringing of the bell and waking of the entire
+household."
+
+"You should have been asleep four hours ago, and I had no idea you
+were still up, when I came home. There was no light in your room. Are
+you quite well?"
+
+"Thank you, I am quite well."
+
+She was dressed as he had seen her at dinner, and now, as she stood
+resting one hand on the balustrade of the stairway, he thought she
+looked paler and more weary than he had ever observed her.
+
+The scarlet spray of pelargonium had withered from the heat of her
+head, where it had rested all the evening, and the large creamy Grand
+Duke jasmine fastened at her throat by a sprig of coral, was drooping
+and fading, but still exhaled its strong delicious perfume.
+
+"Your appearance contradicts your assertion. Is your wakefulness
+attributable to any anxiety or trouble which I can remove?"
+
+"No, sir. I hear Elbert opening the gate. Who is sick at 'Solitude'?"
+
+"The servant who was so severely injured many months ago, by a fall
+from a carriage, has grown suddenly worse."
+
+Salome accompanied him to the front door, in order to lock it after
+his departure; and, as he descended the steps, he turned and said, in
+a subdued voice,--
+
+"You have probably heard that Mrs. Gerome is a very peculiar,--indeed,
+a decidedly eccentric person?"
+
+"Yes, sir; it is reported that she is almost a lunatic."
+
+"Which is totally false. She is very sensitive, and shrinks from
+strangers, and consequently has no friends here. If I should find
+Elsie dying, or if I need you, I wish you to come promptly. It may be
+necessary to have some one beside the household, and you are the only
+person I can trust. Try to go to sleep immediately, for I may send for
+you very early in the morning."
+
+"I shall be ready to come when I am needed."
+
+The buggy rolled up to the steps, and Dr. Grey sprang into it and
+drove swiftly down the avenue.
+
+Salome crept softly back up stairs, but Miss Jane called out,--
+
+"Who is there, in the hall? What is the matter?"
+
+The girl opened the door, and put her head inside.
+
+"Dr. Grey has been called to see a sick woman at 'Solitude,' and I
+have just locked the door after him."
+
+"Why could not Rachel do that, and save you from coming down stairs?
+What time of night is it?"
+
+"About half-past two. Rachel is asleep. Good-night."
+
+"'Solitude,' did you say?"
+
+"Yes, madam."
+
+"Well, if people will persist in burrowing in that unlucky den, they
+must take the consequences. Ulpian, poor fellow, will be completely
+worn out. Good-night, dear; don't get up to breakfast, if you feel
+sleepy."
+
+Salome went to her own room, changed her dress, laid gloves, hat, and
+shawl in readiness upon the bed, and threw herself down on the lounge
+to rest, and if possible to sleep.
+
+When Dr. Grey reached "Solitude," he found Robert Maclean pacing the
+paved walk that led to the gate.
+
+"Oh, doctor! Have you come at last? It seems to me I could have
+crawled twice to your house, since Jerry came back."
+
+"What change has taken place in your mother's condition? She was
+better than usual, when I saw her last."
+
+"We thought she was getting along very well, till all of a sudden she
+became speechless. Go in, sir; don't stop to knock."
+
+Mrs. Gerome sat at the bedside, mechanically chafing one of the hands
+that lay on the coverlet, and the face of the dying woman was not more
+ghastly than the one which bent over her. As Dr. Grey approached, the
+mistress of the house rose, and put out her hands towards him, with a
+wistful, pleading, childish manner, that touched him inexpressibly.
+
+"Do not let her die."
+
+He leaned over the pillow, and put his finger on the scarcely palpable
+pulse.
+
+"Elsie, tell me where or how you suffer."
+
+A ray of recognition leaped up in her sunken eyes, and she looked at
+him with a yearning, imploring expression, that was pitiable and
+distressing indeed.
+
+He saw that she was struggling to articulate, but failing in the
+effort, a groan escaped her, and tears gathered and trickled down her
+pinched face. He smoothed her contracted forehead, and said,
+soothingly,--
+
+"Elsie, you feel that I will do all that I can to relieve you. You can
+not talk to me, but you know me?"
+
+She inclined her head slightly, and in examining her he discovered
+that only one side was completely paralyzed, and that she could still
+partially control her left arm. When he had done all that medical
+skill could suggest, he stood at her side, and she suddenly grasped
+his fingers.
+
+He put his face close to hers, and observing her tears start afresh,
+whispered,--
+
+"You wish to tell me something before you die?"
+
+A gurgling sound, and a faint motion of her lips was the only reply of
+which she was capable.
+
+He placed a pencil between her fingers, but she could not use it
+intelligibly, and he noticed that her eyes moved from his to those of
+her mistress, as if to indicate that she was the subject of the
+desired conversation.
+
+It was distressing to witness her efforts to communicate her wishes,
+while the tears dripped on her pillow; and unable to endure the sight
+of her anguish, Mrs. Gerome sank on her knees and hid her face in the
+coverlet.
+
+Dr. Grey gently lifted Elsie's arm and placed her hand on the head of
+her mistress, and the expression of her face assured him he had
+correctly interpreted her feelings. Something still disturbed her, and
+he suggested,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, put your hand in hers."
+
+She silently obeyed him, and then the old woman's eyes looked once
+more intently into his. He could not conjecture her meaning, until, in
+feeling her pulse, he found that she was trying to touch his fingers
+with hers.
+
+He slipped his own into the palm where Mrs. Gerome's lay, and, by a
+last great effort, she pressed them feebly together.
+
+Even then, the touch of those white, soft fingers, thrilled his heart
+as no other hand had ever done, and he said,--
+
+"Elsie, you mean that you leave her in my care? That you put her in my
+hands? That you trust her to me?"
+
+It was impossible to mistake the satisfied expression that flashed
+over her countenance.
+
+"I accept the trust. Elsie, I promise you that while I live she shall
+never want a true and faithful friend. I will try to take care of her
+body, and pray for her soul. I will do all that you would have done."
+
+Once more, but very faintly, she pressed the two hands she had
+clasped, and closed her eyes.
+
+"Oh, doctor, can't you save her?" sobbed Robert.
+
+In the solemn silence that ensued Mrs. Gerome lifted her face, and Dr.
+Grey never forgot the wild, imploring gaze, that met his. He
+understood its import, and shook his head. She rose instantly, moved
+away from the bed, and left the room.
+
+For nearly an hour Dr. Grey hung over the prostrate form, which lay
+with closed eyes, and gradually sank into the heavy lethargic sleep,
+from which he knew she could never awake.
+
+Leaving her to the care of Robert and two female servants, he went in
+search of the mistress of the silent and dreary house.
+
+Taking a lamp from the escritoire in the back parlor, he went from
+room to room, finding nowhere the object he sought, and at length
+became alarmed. As he stood in the front door, perplexed and
+anxious, the thought presented itself that she might have gone down
+to the beach. He went back to the apartment occupied by the dying
+woman,--felt once more the sinking pulse, and took a last look at
+the altered and almost rigid face.
+
+"Robert, I can do her no good. Her soul will very soon be with her
+God."
+
+"Oh, sir, don't leave her! Don't give her up, while there is life in
+her body!" cried the son, grasping the doctor's sleeve.
+
+Dr. Grey put his hand on the Scotchman's shoulder, and whispered,--
+
+"I am going to hunt for Mrs. Gerome. She is not in the house. I may be
+able to render her some service, but your mother is beyond all human
+aid."
+
+"Is there any pulse?"
+
+"It is so feeble now, I can scarcely count it."
+
+"Please, doctor, stay here by her while she breathes. Don't desert the
+dear soul. My poor mother!"
+
+Robert lost all control of himself, and wept like a child.
+
+Loth to forsake him in this hour of direst trial, Dr. Grey leaned
+against the bed, and for some moments watched the irregular convulsive
+heaving of the woman's chest.
+
+"Oh, sir, if my mistress hadn't a heart of stone, she would have let
+her die peacefully. She might at least have granted her dying
+prayer."
+
+"What was it?"
+
+"All of yesterday afternoon she pleaded with her to be baptized. My
+mother--God bless her dear soul!--my mother told her that she could
+not consent to die until she saw her baptized; and, with the tears
+pouring down her poor face, she begged and prayed that I might fetch
+the minister from town, and that she might see the ceremony performed.
+But my mistress walked up and down the floor, and said, 'Never! never!
+I have done with mockeries. I have washed my hands of all that,--long,
+long ago.' And now--it is too late; and my poor mother can never--God
+be merciful to us! is it all over?"
+
+Dr. Grey raised the head, but the breathing was imperceptible and,
+after a little while, he softly pressed down the lids that were
+partially lifted from the glazed eyes, and quitted the room.
+
+His buggy stood at the rear gate, and the driver was asleep, but his
+master's voice aroused him.
+
+"Elbert, go home, and ask Miss Salome please to come over as soon as
+you can drive her here."
+
+The east was purple and gold, the sea a purling mass of molten amber,
+and only two stars were visible low in the west, where a waning moon
+swung on the edge of the distant misty hills. The air was chill, and a
+silvery haze hung above the moaning waves, and partially veiled the
+windings of the beach. Under the trees that clustered so closely
+around the house, the gloom of night still lingered like a pall, but
+as Dr. Grey approached the terrace, he felt the pure fresh presence of
+the new day. Up and down the sands his eyes wandered, hoping to
+discern a woman's figure, but no living thing was visible, except the
+flamingo and yellow pheasant still perched where they had spent the
+night, on the stone balustrade that bordered the terrace. He took off
+his hat to enjoy the crystalline atmosphere, and while he faced the
+brightening east, the sharp peculiar bark of the Arab greyhound broke
+the solemn silence that brooded over sea and land.
+
+The sound proceeded from the boat-house, and he hastened towards it,
+startling a mimic army of crabs and fiddlers that had not yet ended
+their nightly marauding. The tide was higher than usual at this early
+hour, and the waves were breaking sullenly against the stone piers.
+
+As Dr. Grey ascended the iron steps leading to the pavilion, the dog
+growled and showed his teeth, but the visitor succeeded in partially
+winning him over, and now passed unmolested into the circular room. A
+cushioned seat extended around the wall, where windows opened at the
+four points of the compass; and on the round table in the centre of
+the marble-tiled floor lay a telescope.
+
+At the eastern window sat Mrs. Gerome, with her head resting on her
+crossed arms. Although Dr. Grey's steps echoed heavily, as he trod the
+damp mosaic where the mist had condensed, she gave no evidence of
+having discovered his presence until he stood close beside her. Then
+she raised one hand, with a quick gesture of caution and silence. He
+sat down near her, and watched the countenance that was fully exposed
+to his scrutiny.
+
+No tears had dimmed the wide, mournful, almost despairing eyes, that
+gazed with strange intentness over the amber sea, at the golden
+radiance that heralded the coming sun; and every line and moulding of
+her delicate features seemed cold and rigid enough for a cenotaph.
+Even the lips were still and compressed, and a bluish shadow lay about
+their dimpled corners, and under the heavy jet eyelashes. Her silver
+comb had become loosened, and was finally dragged down by the coil of
+hair that slipped slowly until it fell upon the morocco cushion of the
+seat, and the glistening waves of gray hair rolled around her
+shoulders, and rippled low on her brow. Sea fog had dampened and sea
+wind tossed this mass of white locks, till it made a singular
+burnished frame for the wan face that looked out hopeless and
+painfully quiet.
+
+Her silk _robe de chambre_ of leaden gray, bordered with blue, was
+unbuttoned at the throat, and showed its faultless curve and contour;
+while the full, open sleeves, blown back by the strong breeze, bared
+the snowy arms, where one of the jet serpents that formed her
+bracelets, pressed so heavily on the white flesh that a purple band
+was visible when the hand was raised and the bracelet slipped back.
+
+Watching her intently, Dr. Grey could not detect the slightest quiver
+of nerve or muscle; and she breathed so low and softly that he might
+have doubted whether she was really conscious, if he had not correctly
+interpreted the strained expression of the unwinking gray eyes whose
+pupils contracted as the sky flushed and kindled.
+
+On the floor lay a dainty handkerchief, and stooping to pick it up, he
+inhaled the delicate, tenacious perfume of tube-rose, which, blended
+with orange-flowers, he had frequently discovered when standing near
+her.
+
+Placing it within reach of her fingers, he said, very gently and more
+tenderly than he was aware of,--
+
+"Mrs. Gerome,--"
+
+"Hush! I know what you have come to tell me. I knew it when I came
+away. Let me alone, now."
+
+She raised her head, and turned her eyes to meet his, and he shuddered
+at the hard, bitter look, that came swiftly over the blanched
+features. For some seconds they gazed full at each other, and Dr.
+Grey's eyes filled with a mist that made hers seem large and radiant
+as wintry stars.
+
+He knew then that his heart was no longer his own,--that this
+wretched, solitary woman, had installed herself in its most sacred
+penetralia; that she had not suddenly, but gradually, become the
+dearest object that earth possessed.
+
+He did not ask himself whether she filled all his fastidious and
+lofty requirements,--whether she rose full-statured to his noble
+standard,--whether reverence, perfect confidence, and unqualified
+admiration would follow in the footsteps of mere affection. He
+neither argued, nor trifled, nor deceived himself, but bravely
+confessed to his own true soul, that, for the first time in his
+life, he loved warmly and tenderly the only woman whose touch had
+power to stir his quiet, steady pulses.
+
+He had not intended to surrender his affections to the custody of any
+one until reason and judgment had analyzed, weighed, and cordially
+endorsed the wisdom of his choice; and now, although surprised at the
+rashness with which his heart, hitherto so tractable and docile,
+vehemently declared allegiance to a new sovereign, he did not attempt
+to mask or varnish the truth. Thoroughly comprehending the fact that
+it was neither friendship nor compassion, he gravely looked the new
+feeling in the face, and acknowledged it,--the tyrant which sooner or
+later wields the sceptre in every human heart.
+
+Had he faithfully kept his compact with himself, and followed the
+injunction of Joubert, "Choose for a wife only the woman, whom, were
+she a man, you would choose for your friend"?
+
+Because he found a fascination in her society, should he conclude that
+it was a healthful atmosphere for his sturdy, exacting, uncompromising
+nature?
+
+To-day he swept aside all these protests and questions, postponing the
+arraignment of his heart before the tribunal of slighted and indignant
+reason, and allowed the newly mitred pontiff to lead him whither she
+chose.
+
+Unconscious of the emotions that brought an unusual glow to his
+face and light to his eyes, Mrs. Gerome had dropped her head once
+more on her arms, and the weary, despairing expression of her
+countenance, as she looked at the gilded horizon, where sea and sky
+seemed divided only by a belt of liquid gold,--might have served for
+the face of some careless Vestal, who, having allowed the fire to
+expire on the altar she had sworn to guard sleeplessly, sat hopeless,
+desolate, and doomed,--watching from the dim, cheerless temple of
+Hestia, the advent of that sun whose rays alone could rekindle the
+sacred flame, and which, ere its setting, would witness the
+execution of her punishment.
+
+Dr. Grey bent over her, and said,--
+
+"I came here in quest of you, hoping to persuade you to return to the
+house."
+
+"No. You came to tell me that Elsie is dead. You came to break the
+news as gently as possible,--and to pity and try to comfort me. You
+are very good, I dare say; but I wish to be alone."
+
+"You have been too long alone, and I can not consent to leave you
+here."
+
+At the sound of his subdued voice, she turned her face towards him,
+and, for a moment,--
+
+  "A strange slow smile grew into her eyes,
+    As though from a great way off it came
+  And was weary ere down to her lips it fluttered,
+    And turned into a sigh, or some soft name
+  Whose syllables sounded likest sighs
+  Half-smothered in sorrow before they were uttered."
+
+"Dr. Grey, my loneliness transcends all parallels, and is beyond
+remedy. Why should I not stay here? All places are alike to me, now.
+That cold, silent corpse at the house, is not Elsie; and, since she
+has been taken, I shall be utterly alone, go where I may."
+
+She shivered, and he picked up a crape shawl lying in a heap under the
+table, and wrapped it around her. The soft folds were damp, and, as he
+lifted the veil of hair, to draw the shawl closer about her shoulders
+and throat, he felt that it was moist from the humid atmosphere.
+
+"Sir, I am not cold,--I wish I were. It is useless to wrap up my body
+so warmly, and leave my heart shivering until death freezes it
+utterly."
+
+Dr. Grey took her beautiful white hands in his warm palms, and held
+them firmly.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you do not know what is best for you, and must be guided
+by one who will prove himself your truest friend."
+
+"Don't mock my misery! I never had but one friend, and henceforth must
+live friendless. I knew what was before me, and therefore I dreaded
+this dark, dark day, and begged you to save her. She was the world to
+me. She supplied the place of father, mother, husband, society, and
+because God saw that her loving sympathy and care made my existence a
+trifle less purgatorial than He saw fit to render it, He took her
+away. My poor Elsie would quit the highest throne in heaven to come
+back to her desolate, dependent child; for only she knew how and why I
+trusted and leaned upon her. Ah, God! it is hard that I who have so
+long shunned strangers should be at their mercy, in the last hour of
+trial that can be devised by fiends, or allowed by heaven to afflict
+me."
+
+She struggled to free her hands and hide her face, but her companion
+clasped them in one of his, and attempted to draw her head down to his
+shoulder.
+
+"No, sir! The grave is the only resting-place for my poor, accursed
+head. Do not touch me."
+
+She shrank as far as possible from him, and her voice, hitherto so
+firm and dry, trembled.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, I intend to take Elsie's place. You had confidence in
+her sagacity and penetration, and know that she was cautious in all
+things. During her long illness she studied my character and
+antecedents, and finally begged me to take you under my guardianship
+when she could no longer watch over you. She was importunate in her
+appeal, and to comfort and compose her I gave her a solemn promise
+that at her death I would take her place. You may deem me intrusive,
+and perhaps presumptuously impertinent, but time proves all
+things, and, after a little while, you will cling to me as you so long
+clung to her. I shall wait patiently for your confidence; shall
+deserve,--and then exact it. You need a strong arm to curb and guide
+you,--you need a true, honest heart, to sympathize with your sorrows
+and difficulties,--you need a fearless friend to defend you from the
+assaults of gossip and malice; and all these, if God spares my life,
+I am resolved to be to you. You can not repulse, or offend, or
+chill, or wound me, for my word is sacredly pledged to the dead; and,
+by the grace of God, I will strictly and fully redeem it, when we
+meet at the last day."
+
+The earnestness of his manner, the grave resolution of his tone, and
+the invincible fearlessness with which his clear, calm, penetrating
+eyes, looked into hers, seemed momentarily to overawe her; and she sat
+quite still, pondering his unexpected words. Pressing her cold fingers
+very gently, he continued,--
+
+"Elsie had such confidence in my discretion, and friendly interest in
+your welfare, that she requested me to warn her of her approaching
+dissolution in order that she might communicate something, which she
+assured me she desired to confide to me before her death. The
+paralysis of her tongue prevented the fulfilment of her wish, but you
+saw how keenly she suffered from her inability to utter what was
+pressing on her heart. You can not have forgotten that her last act
+was to put your hand in mine, and you heard my solemn acceptance of
+the charge committed to me."
+
+An expression of dread that bordered on horror, came over her ghastly
+face, and her hands grasped his, almost spasmodically.
+
+"Did she hint what she wished to tell you? Did you guess it all?"
+
+"No. Whatever her secret may have been, it passed unuttered into that
+realm where all mysteries are solved. I neither know nor surmise the
+nature of her desired revelation, but some day when you fully
+understand me, I shall ask you to tell me that which she believed I
+ought to know. My dear madam, when I come to you and demand your
+confidence, I have no fear that you will withhold it."
+
+She closed her eyes as if to shut out some painful vision, and drooped
+her head lower, till it rested on her chest.
+
+The sun flashed up from his ocean bed, and, as the first beams fell on
+the woman's hair, Dr. Grey softly passed his broad white hand over its
+perfumed masses, redolent of orange flowers.
+
+"The air is too damp for you. Come with me to the house."
+
+She did not heed his words, and perhaps his touch on her head
+recalled some exquisitely painful memory, for she shook it off, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"Doubtless, like the remainder of the curious herd, you are wondering
+at my 'crown of glory,'--and conjecturing what dire tragedy bequeathed
+it to me. Sir,--
+
+  'My hair was black, but white my life:
+    The colors in exchange are cast!
+  The white upon my hair is rife,
+    The black upon my life has passed.'
+
+Dr. Grey, I understand you; but you need not stay here to keep guard
+over me, as if I were an imbecile or a refugee from an insane asylum.
+That I am not the one or the other, is attributable to the fact that
+my powers of endurance are almost fabulous. You fear that in my
+loneliness and complete isolation I may turn coward, at the last
+ordeal I am put through,--and, like Zeno cry out, and in a fit of
+desperation strangle myself? Dr. Grey, make yourself easy. I do not
+love my Creator so devotedly that I must needs hurry into his presence
+before He sees proper to send me a summons.'"
+
+"I am afraid to leave you here, for any woman who does not love and
+reverence her Maker, requires a guardian. Of course you will do as you
+like, but I shall remain here as long as you do."
+
+He rose, and crossing his arms on his chest, began to walk about the
+pavilion. She caught up her hair, twisted it hastily into a knot, and
+secured it with her comb. As she did so, a small cluster of double
+violets dropped into her lap. She had gathered them the preceding
+afternoon, had carried them as an offering to Elsie, who insisted that
+she should wear them in her hair, "they looked so bonnie just behind
+the little roguish ear." At her request Mrs. Gerome had placed them at
+the side of her head, and the old woman made her lean down that she
+might smell them, and leave a kiss on their blue petals. Now the sight
+of the withered flowers melted her icy composure, and, as she lifted
+the little crushed, faded bouquet, and pressed it against her wan
+cheek, a moan broke from her colorless lips.
+
+"Oh, Elsie,--Elsie! How could you desert me? You knew you were all
+I had to love and trust,--and how could you die and leave me
+alone,--utterly alone, in this miserable world that has so cruelly
+injured me!"
+
+She clasped her hands passionately over the flowers, and the motion
+caused the sapphire ring, which was now much too large, to slip from
+the thin finger, and roll ringing across the marble floor.
+
+Dr. Grey picked it up, and as he replaced it, drew her hand under his
+arm, and led her out of the boat-house. They walked slowly, and as
+they ascended the steps, he saw his buggy approaching the side gate.
+
+Opening the parlor door, he drew his companion into the room, where
+the Psyche lamp still burned brightly.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, will you trust me?"
+
+He had hoped that a return to the house would touch her heart and make
+her weep, but the cold, dry glitter of her eyes disappointed him.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I trust neither men nor women, nor even the angels in
+heaven; for one of them turned serpent, and if tradition be true, made
+earth the dismal 'Bochin' I have found it."
+
+She turned from him, and threw herself wearily upon the divan that
+filled the recess of the oriel window.
+
+Securing the door of the library, he extinguished the lamp, and
+closing the parlor went out to meet Salome.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, you look weary and anxious."
+
+"I feel so, for this has been a memorable night."
+
+"The servant who opened the gate for us said that the poor old woman
+died about day-break."
+
+"Yes; when I arrived I found her speechless, and of course could do
+nothing but watch her die. Come down this walk, I wish to talk to you
+before you go into the house."
+
+He pointed to a serpentine walk, overarched by laurustinus, and they
+had proceeded some yards before he spoke again.
+
+"Salome, I believe you told me that you had met Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+"Yes, sir; once upon the cliffs, a mile below, I saw her for a few
+moments."
+
+"She is a very eccentric woman."
+
+"I should judge so, from her appearance."
+
+"Her life seems to have been blighted by early griefs, and she has
+grown cynical and misanthropic. Loving no one but her faithful and
+devoted nurse, she has completely isolated herself, and consequently
+the death of this servant--companion--nay, foster-mother--is a
+terrible blow to her. I want your promise that what you may hear or
+witness in this house shall not travel beyond its walls to feed the
+worse-than-Ugolino hunger of never-satiated scandal and gossip."
+
+Salome's brow contracted and darkened.
+
+"Do you class me among newsmongers and character-cannibals?"
+
+"If I did, you certainly would not be here at this instant. I sent for
+you to come and take my place temporarily, as I am compelled to see a
+patient many miles distant, who is dangerously ill. The majority of
+women might go away, and comment upon the occurrences of this
+melancholy day, but I wish to keep sacred all that Mrs. Gerome desires
+to screen from public gaze and animadversion. Because she is not fond
+of society, it revenges itself by circulating reports detrimental to
+the owner of a house which is elegantly furnished, not for popular
+praise, but solely for her own comfort and gratification. While I
+regard her course as very deplorable, and particularly impolitic for
+one so young and unprotected, I am totally unacquainted with the
+reasons that control her; and, in this hour of grief and bitterness, I
+earnestly desire to shield her from intrusion and impertinent
+scrutiny."
+
+"In other words, you wish me to have eyes and yet see not,--and having
+ears to hear not? You must indeed have little confidence in my good
+sense, and still less in my feminine sympathy for the afflicted, if
+you suppose that under existing circumstances I could come to the
+house of mourning to collect materials to be rolled as sweet morsels
+under the slanderous tongues, that already wag so industriously
+concerning 'Solitude' and its solitary mistress. Verily, I occupy a
+lofty niche in your estimation, and it would doubtless be pardonably
+prudent in you to reconsider, and bid Elbert take me home with all
+possible dispatch, before I see Fatima or Bluebeard."
+
+"When will you cease to be childish, and remember that a woman's work
+lies before you?"
+
+"You may date that desirable transmogrification from the hour when you
+cease to stir up the mud and dregs in my nature, by doubting the
+possibility that they will ever settle, and leave a pure medium
+between your soul and mine. Just so soon,--and no sooner."
+
+"My young friend, you are too sensitive. I now offer you the strongest
+proof of confidence that I can ever hope to command. Will you take
+charge of this stricken household in my absence, and not only
+superintend the arrangements necessary for the funeral, but watch over
+Mrs. Gerome and see that no one disturbs her?"
+
+"You may trust me to execute her wishes and your orders."
+
+"Thank you. There certainly is no one except you whom I would trust in
+this emergency. One thing more; if Mrs. Gerome leaves the house, do
+not lose sight of her. It may be necessary to keep a very strict
+surveillance over her, and I will return as soon as possible, and
+relieve you."
+
+As they entered the house, Salome said,--
+
+"You will stop at home and get your breakfast?"
+
+"No, I shall not have time."
+
+"Let me make you a cup of coffee before you start."
+
+"Thank you, it is not necessary; and besides, the house is in such
+confusion that it would be difficult to obtain anything. Come with
+me."
+
+She followed him into the dim room, where the tall but emaciated form
+of Elsie Maclean had been dressed for its last long sleep. The
+housemaid sat at the bedside, and Robert stood at one of the windows.
+
+The first passionate burst of grief had spent itself, and the son was
+very calm.
+
+At a sign from Dr. Grey he came forward, and bowed to the stranger.
+
+"Robert, I am obliged to be absent for several hours, and Miss Owen
+will remain until I return. If you need advice or assistance come to
+her, and do not disturb Mrs. Gerome, who is lying on a sofa in the
+parlor. I will drive through town, and send your minister out
+immediately."
+
+"You are very good, sir. Do you think the funeral should take place
+before to-morrow? I want to speak to my mistress about it."
+
+"For her sake, it is advisable that it should not be delayed beyond
+this afternoon. It is very harrowing to know that the body is lying
+here, and I think she would prefer to leave all these matters to you.
+It would be better for all parties to have the funeral ceremonies
+ended this evening."
+
+"I suppose, sir, you know that my poor mother will be buried here, in
+the grounds."
+
+"For what reason? The cemetery is certainly the best place."
+
+Robert handed a slip of paper to Dr. Grey, who read, in a remarkably
+beautiful chirograph, the following words,--
+
+"Robert, it was your mother's desire and is my wish that she should be
+buried near that cluster of deodar cedars, just beyond the mound. Send
+for an undertaker, and for the minister who visited her during her
+illness; and let everything be done as if it were my funeral instead
+of hers. Put some geranium leaves and violets in her dear hands, and
+upon her breast."
+
+"When did you receive this?" asked Dr. Grey.
+
+"A moment ago, Phoebe, the cook, brought it to me from my mistress."
+
+"Of course you have no choice, but must comply with her wishes and
+those of the dead. Still, I regret this decision."
+
+"Yes, sir; it is ill luck to keep a grave near the eaves of a house,
+and it will be bad for my mistress to have it always in sight; for she
+mopes enough at best, and does not sleep o' nights, and the Lord only
+knows what will become of her with my poor mother's corpse and coffin
+within ten yards of her window. Sir, how does she take this awful
+blow? It comforted me to know you were with her."
+
+"She bears this affliction as she seems to have endured all others
+that have overtaken her, in a spirit of rebellious bitterness and
+defiance. I am afraid that the excitement will seriously injure her.
+Salome, I will return as early as the safety of a patient will
+permit."
+
+Robert followed the doctor to his buggy, to consult him with reference
+to some of the sad details of the impending funeral, and after a hasty
+glance at the placid countenance of the dead, Salome went back to the
+hall, and sat down opposite to the parlor door, which had been pointed
+out to her. Her nerves were strong, healthy, and firm, but the
+presence of death, the profound silence that reigned, the chill
+atmosphere, and dreary aspect of the house,--all conspired to oppress
+her heart.
+
+Through the open door she could see the ever restless sea, and hear
+its endless murmuring monotone, and imagination seizing the ill-omened
+legends she had heard recounted concerning this spot, peopled the
+corners of the hall with phantoms, and every flitting shadow on the
+lawn became a spectre.
+
+Now and then the servants--two middle-aged women--passed softly to and
+fro, and twice Robert crossed the passage, but not a sound issued from
+the parlor; and once, when Phoebe came with her mistress's breakfast
+on a waiter, and tried the bolt, she found the door locked. She
+knocked several times, but receiving no answer went quietly back to
+the kitchen.
+
+Weary of sitting on one of the hard, uncomfortable walnut chairs, that
+stood with its high carved back close to the wall, Salome rose, and
+amused herself by studying the engravings that surrounded her. In the
+midst of her investigations she was startled by a loud, doleful,
+blood-curdling sound, that seemed to proceed from some spot
+immediately beneath the floor of the hall. It was different from
+anything she had ever heard before, but resembled the prolonged howl
+of a dog, and rose and fell on the air like a cry from some doomed
+spirit.
+
+Robert came out of the room which his mother had always occupied, and,
+as he passed Salome, she asked,--
+
+"What is the matter? What is the meaning of that horrible noise?"
+
+"Only the greyhound howling at the dead that he knows is lying over
+his head. Ah, ma'am! The poor brute sees what we can't see, and his
+death-baying is awful."
+
+"Where is he? The sound seems to come through the floor."
+
+"He is so savage that I was afraid he would hurt some of the strangers
+who will come here to-day, so I chained him in the basement. Hist,
+ma'am! Did you ever hear anything so dreadful? It raises the hair off
+my head."
+
+He went down stairs, and the howling, which was caused by the fact
+that the dog was hungry and unaccustomed to being chained, ceased as
+soon as he was set free. Ere long Robert came back, followed by the
+greyhound, whose collar he grasped firmly. At sight of Salome he
+growled and plunged towards her, but Robert was on the alert, and held
+him down. Leading him to the parlor door, the gardener knocked, and
+put his mouth to the key-hole.
+
+"If you please, ma'am, will you let Greyhound in? It won't do to leave
+him at large, and when I chain him he almost lifts the roof with his
+howls."
+
+No reply reached Salome's strained ears, but the door was opened
+sufficiently to admit the dog, who eagerly bounded in, and then the
+click of the lock once more barred intrusion; and when the joyful
+barking had ceased, all grew silent once more.
+
+From a basket of fresh flowers brought in by the boy who assisted
+Robert, Salome selected the white ones and made a wreath, which she
+laid aside and sprinkled; then gathering some rose and nutmeg
+geranium-leaves, and a few violets blooming in jars that stood on the
+gallery, she cautiously glided into the chamber of death, and arranged
+them in Elsie's rigid hands.
+
+Soon after, the undertaker and minister arrived, and while they
+conferred with Robert concerning the burial service, the girl went
+back to her vigil before the parlor door, and endeavored to divert her
+thoughts by looking into a volume of poems that lay on the hall table.
+The book opened at "Macromicros," where a brilliant verbena was
+crushed between the leaves, and delicate undulating pencil-lines
+enclosed the passage beginning,--
+
+  "O woman, woman, with face so pale!
+    Pale woman, weaving away
+  A frustrate life at a lifeless loom."
+
+Slowly the hours wore away, and at noon Elsie's body was placed in
+the coffin and left on a table in the room opposite the parlor.
+
+It was two o'clock when Dr. Grey came up the steps, looking more
+fatigued than Salome had ever seen him. He sat down beside her on the
+gallery, and sighed as he caught a glimpse of the men who were
+bricking up the grave that yawned on the right hand side of the lawn.
+
+"Where is Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+"In the parlor. Once I heard her pacing the floor very rapidly, and
+saying something to her dog. Since then--two hours ago--not a sound
+has reached me."
+
+"She has taken no food?"
+
+"No, sir. The servant who prepared her breakfast knocked twice at the
+door, but was refused admittance."
+
+Dr. Grey went into the hall, and rapped vigorously on the door, but
+there was no movement within.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, please permit me to speak to you for a few minutes. If
+it were not necessary, I would not disturb you."
+
+The appeal produced no effect; and, without hesitating, he walked to
+the door of the library or rear parlor,--took the key from his pocket,
+opened it, and entered.
+
+The dog was asleep on the velvet rug before the hearth, and his
+mistress sat at her escritoire, with her arms resting on the blue
+desk, and her face hidden upon them. A number of letters and papers
+were scattered about, and, in an open drawer a silver casket was
+visible, with a pearl key in its lock.
+
+Before the marble Harpocrates stood two slender violet-colored
+Venetian glasses, representing tulips, and filled with fuchsias and
+clematis that were dropping their faded velvet petals, and the
+atmosphere was sweet with the breath of carnations and mignonette
+blooming in the south window.
+
+Dr. Grey hoped that Mrs. Gerome had fallen asleep; but when he bent
+over her, he saw in the mirror above her that the large, bright eyes
+were gazing vacantly into the recess of the desk.
+
+She noticed his image reflected in the glass, and instantly sat
+upright, spreading her hands over her papers as if to screen them. He
+drew a chair near hers, and put his finger on her pulse, which
+throbbed so rapidly he could scarcely count it.
+
+"Have you slept at all, since I left you this morning?"
+
+"No."
+
+"You promised that you would not attempt to destroy yourself."
+
+"I have kept my word."
+
+"Yes; you 'keep it to our ear, and break it to our hope,' for you must
+know that unless you take some rest and refreshment, you will be
+seriously ill."
+
+He saw a spark leap up in her eyes, like a bubble tossed into sunshine
+by a sudden ripple, and she shook back the hair that seemed to oppress
+her.
+
+"Do not tease and torment me, now. I want to be quiet."
+
+"My task is an unpleasant one, therefore I shall not postpone it. In a
+short time--within the next hour--Elsie will be buried, and you owe a
+last tribute of gratitude and respect to her remains. Will you refuse
+it to the faithful friend to whom you are indebted for so much
+affection and considerate care?"
+
+"She would not wish me to do anything that is so repugnant, so painful
+to me."
+
+"Have you no desire to look at her kind, placid face once more?"
+
+"I wish to remember it as in life,--not rigid and repulsive in
+death."
+
+"She looks so tranquil you would think she was sleeping."
+
+"No,--no! Don't ask me. I never saw but one corpse, and that was of
+a sailor drowned in mid ocean, and I shall never be able to forget
+its ghastliness and distortion as it lay on deck, under sickly
+moonshine."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you must follow Elsie's body to the grave. Believe that
+I have good reasons for this request, and grant it."
+
+She shook her head.
+
+"Your habits of seclusion have subjected you to uncharitable remarks,
+and your absence from the funeral would create more gossip than any
+woman can afford to give grounds for. There is a rumor that you are
+deranged, and the best refutation will be your quiet presence at the
+grave of your faithful nurse."
+
+She straightened herself, haughtily.
+
+"Seven years ago I turned my back upon the world, and scorned its
+verdict."
+
+"The men or women who defy public opinion invite social impalement,
+and rarely fail to merit the branding and opprobrium they invariably
+receive. Madam, I should imagine that to a nature so refined and
+shrinking as yours, almost any trial would seem slight in comparison
+with the certainty of becoming a target for sarcasm, pity, and malice,
+in every kitchen in the neighborhood. Permit my prudence to prevail
+over your reluctance to the step I have advised, and some day you will
+thank me for my persistency. You have time to make the proper changes
+in your dress, and, when the hour arrives, I will knock at your own
+door. My dear madam, do not delay."
+
+She rose, and began to replace the papers in the drawers of her desk,
+which she closed and locked.
+
+"Dr. Grey, why should you care if I am slandered?"
+
+"Because I am now your best friend, and must tell you frankly your
+foibles and dangers, and endeavor to guard you from the faintest
+breath of detraction."
+
+"I am very suspicious concerning the motives of all who come about me;
+and, at times, I have been so unjust as to ascribe even my poor
+Elsie's devotion to a desire to control my fortune for the benefit of
+herself and child. Do you expect me to trust you more implicitly than
+I ever trusted her?"
+
+"I shall make it impossible for you to doubt me. Come to your room.
+Elsie's few acquaintances will soon be here."
+
+Mrs. Gerome thrust the key of her desk into her pocket, but a moment
+after, when she drew out her handkerchief, it fell on the carpet, and
+without observing it, she passed swiftly across the hall, and into her
+own apartment.
+
+As Dr. Grey lingered to secure the door, his eye fell upon the silver
+key on the floor; and, placing it in his vest pocket, he rejoined
+Salome.
+
+At four o'clock several of Robert's friends came and seated themselves
+in the room where the coffin sat wreathed with flowers; and
+immediately after, Mr. and Mrs. Spiewell made their appearance,
+accompanied by two ladies whose features were concealed by thick
+veils. Robert and the servants soon joined them, and Salome stole into
+the room and sat down in one corner.
+
+Dr. Grey tapped softly at the door of Mrs. Gerome's apartment, and she
+came out instantly, and walked firmly forward till she stood in the
+presence of the dead. She was dressed in black silk, and wore two
+heavy lace veils over her bonnet, which effectually screened her
+countenance. Crossing the floor, she stood at Robert's side, and the
+minister rose and began the burial service.
+
+When a prayer was offered, all the other persons present bowed their
+heads, but the mistress of the mansion remained erect and motionless;
+and, as the pall-bearers took up the coffin and proceeded to the
+grave, she followed Robert.
+
+Dr. Grey stepped to her side and offered his arm, but she took no
+notice of the act, and walked on as if she were an automaton.
+
+The service was concluded, the coffin lowered, and, amid Robert's
+half-smothered sobs, the mound was raised under the deodars, whose
+long shadows slanted athwart it, in the dying sunlight.
+
+The little group dispersed, and Mr. Spiewell led his wife to the owner
+of "Solitude."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, Mrs. Spiewell and I have long desired the pleasure of
+your acquaintance, and hope, if you need friends, you will permit
+us--"
+
+"Thank you for your kindness in visiting my faithful old Elsie."
+
+The tall, veiled figure had cut short his speech by a quick,
+imperative gesture of her hand; and, turning instantly away,
+disappeared in one of the densely shaded walks that wound through the
+grounds.
+
+Dr. Grey escorted the party to their carriages, and as he handed Mrs.
+Spiewell in, she said, in her sharp nasal tones,--
+
+"I heard that Mrs. Gerome was devotedly attached to the poor old
+creature who had nursed her, but she certainly seems to me very
+indifferent and heartless."
+
+"She is more deeply afflicted by her loss than you can possibly
+realize, and I am exceedingly apprehensive that she will be ill in
+consequence of her inability to sleep or eat. My dear madam, we must
+not judge too hastily from appearances, else we shall deserve similar
+treatment. Who are those two ladies veiled so closely?"
+
+"Friends, I presume, or they would not be here."
+
+But the little woman seemed uneasy, and flushed under the doctor's
+searching gaze.
+
+"I hope dear Miss Jane is as well as one can ever expect her to be in
+this life. Come, Charles; you forget, my dear, that we have a visit to
+make before tea-time. I notice, doctor, that you have a new carpet on
+the floor of your pew, and a new cushion-cover to match; and, indeed,
+you are so fine that the remainder of the church seems quite faded and
+shabby. Good evening, doctor; my love to all at home."
+
+The clergyman's gray pony trotted off with his master and mistress,
+and Dr. Grey returned to Salome, who waited for him at the steps of
+the terrace.
+
+"What do you suppose brought Mrs. Channing and Adelaide to the poor
+old woman's funeral?" asked the orphan.
+
+"How did you discover them?"
+
+"I found this handkerchief, whose initials I embroidered two months
+ago, and recognize as belonging to Mrs. Channing. As for Miss
+Adelaide, when she moved her veil a little aside to peep at Mrs.
+Gerome, I caught a glimpse of her pretty face. Do they visit here?"
+
+"Certainly not; nobody visits here but the butcher, baker, and doctor.
+Those ladies came solely on a tour of inspection, and to gratify a
+curiosity that is not flattering to their characters. My dear child,
+you look tired."
+
+"Dr. Grey, what is there so mysterious about this house and its owner
+that all the town is agog and agape when the subject is mentioned?
+What is Mrs. Gerome's history?"
+
+"I am totally unacquainted with its details, and only know that since
+she became a widow, she has been a complete recluse. She is very
+unhappy, and we must exert ourselves to cheer her. This has been a
+lonely, dreary day to you, I fear, and I trust it will not be
+necessary for me to ask you to remain here to-night."
+
+The sun had set, leaving magnificent cloud-pictures on sky and sea,
+and while the orphan turned to enjoy the glorious prospect above and
+around her, Dr. Grey went in search of the lonely women who now
+continually occupied his thoughts.
+
+She was standing under the pyramidal cedars, looking down at the
+new grave, where Salome's wreath hung on the head-board, and
+hearing approaching footsteps would have moved away, but he said,
+pleadingly,--
+
+"Do not avoid me."
+
+She paused, and suddenly held out her hands to him.
+
+"Ah,--is it you? Dr. Grey, what shall I do? How can I bear to live
+here,--alone,--alone."
+
+He took her hands and looked down into her white, chill face.
+
+"My dear friend, take your suffering heart to God, and He will
+heal, and comfort, and strengthen you. If He has sorely afflicted you,
+try to believe that Infinite love and mercy directed all things, and
+that ultimately every sorrow of earth will be overruled for your
+eternal repose and happiness. Remember that this world is but a
+threshing-floor, where angels use afflictions as flails, to beat
+the chaff and dust from our hearts, and present them as perfect
+grain for the garners of God. I know that you are desolate, but you
+can never be utterly alone, since the precious promise, 'Lo! I am
+with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'"
+
+Despairingly she shook her head.
+
+"All that might comfort some people, but it falls on my ears and heart
+like the sound of the clods on Elsie's coffin. I have no religion,--no
+faith,--no hope,--in time or eternity. My miserable past entombs all
+things."
+
+"Do not unearth your woes,--let the grave seal them. Your life stands
+waiting to be sanctified,--dedicated to Him who gave it. My dear
+friend,--
+
+  'Cleanse it and make it pure, and fashion it
+  After His image: heal thyself; from grief
+  Comes glory, like a rainbow from a cloud.'"
+
+The sound of his voice, more than the import of his words, seemed to
+soothe her, for her eyes softened; but the effect was transitory, and
+presently she exclaimed,--
+
+"Mere 'sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal!' Pretty words, and
+musical; but empty as those polished shells yonder that echo only
+hollow strains of the never silent sea. Once, Dr. Grey,--"
+
+She paused, and a shiver crept through her stately form; then she
+slowly continued, in a tone of indescribable pathos,--
+
+"Once I could have listened to your counsel, for once my soul was full
+of holy aims, and my heart as redolent of pure Christian purposes as a
+June rose is of perfume; but now,--
+
+  'They are past as a slumber that passes,
+    As the dew of a dawn of old time;
+  More frail than the shadows on glasses,
+    More fleet than a wave or a rhyme.'"
+
+Dr. Grey drew her arm through his, and silently led her to the house,
+and into the parlor. He noticed that her breathing was quick and
+short, and that she sank wearily upon the sofa, as if her strength had
+well-nigh failed her.
+
+He untied her bonnet-strings and removed it, and she threw her head
+down on the silken cushion, as a spent child might have done.
+
+Taking a vial from his pocket, he dropped a portion of the contents
+into a wine-glass, and filled it with sherry wine.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, drink this for me. It will benefit you."
+
+She swallowed the mixture, and remained quiet for some seconds; then a
+singularly scornful smile curved her mouth as she said,--
+
+"You drugged the wine. Well, so be it. Nepenthe or poison are alike
+welcome, if they bring me death, or even temporary oblivion."
+
+Katie came in and lighted the lamp, and Dr. Grey sat beside the sofa
+and watched the effect of his prescription.
+
+Tired at length of the sober sea and dark gloomy grounds, Salome came
+back to the house and stood on the threshold of the parlor door,
+looking curiously at the quiet, silent group, and at the pictures on
+the walls.
+
+She could see very distinctly the beautiful white face of the mistress
+pressed against the blue damask cushion, and clear in outline as she
+had once observed it on the background of ocean; and she noticed that
+the features were sharper and that the figure was thinner. From the
+silvery lamp-light the gray hair seemed to have caught a metallic
+lustre on the ripples that ebbed back from the blue-veined temples,
+and the woman looked like a marble snow-crowned image, draped in
+black.
+
+With one elbow on his knee, and his cheek resting in his hand, Dr.
+Grey leaned forward, studying the features turned towards him, and
+watching her with almost breathless interest. He was not aware of
+Salome's presence, and was unconscious of the strained, troubled gaze,
+that she fixed upon him.
+
+The tender love that filled his heart looked out of his grave deep
+eyes, which never wandered from the face so dear to him, and moved his
+lips in an inaudible prayer for the peace and welfare of the lonely
+waif whom Providence or fate had brought into his path, to evoke all
+the tenderness latent in his sturdy, manly nature.
+
+In the twinkling of an eye, Salome had learned the whole truth and
+standing there, she staggered and grasped the doorway for support,
+wishing that the heavens and earth would pass away--that death might
+smite her, and end the agony that never could be patiently endured.
+
+Recently she had tutored herself to bear the loss of his love and the
+deprivation of his caresses,--she had mapped out a future in which her
+lot was one of loneliness,--but through all the network of coming
+years there ran like a golden cord binding their destinies the
+precious hope that at least Dr. Grey would die as he had lived
+hitherto,--without giving to any woman the coveted place in his heart,
+where the orphan would sooner have reigned than upon the proudest
+throne in Europe.
+
+She had prayed that, with this assurance, God would help her to be
+contented--would enable her to make her life useful and pure, and,
+like Dr. Grey's, a blessing to those about her.
+
+It had never occurred to her that the man whom she reverenced above
+all things human or divine, and whose exalted ideal of feminine
+perfection soared as far above her as the angels in Lebrun's "Stoning
+of St. Stephen" soared above the sinning multitude below them--that
+the man whose fastidiousness concerning womanly character and
+deportment seemed exaggerated and almost morbid, could admire or
+defend, much less love that gray-haired widow, whom the world
+pronounced either a lunatic, or a scoffing, misanthropic infidel.
+
+The discovery was so unexpected, so startling, that it partially
+stunned her; and, like one addicted to somnambulism, she softly
+crossed the room and stood behind Dr. Grey's chair.
+
+He had taken Mrs. Gerome's hand to examine her pulse, and retained it
+in his, looking fondly at the dainty moulding of the fingers and the
+exquisite whiteness of the smooth skin. How long she stood there
+Salome never knew, for paralysis seemed creeping, numb and cold, over
+her heart and brain.
+
+Dr. Grey saw that his exhausted patient was asleep, and knew that the
+opiate he had administered in the wine would not relinquish its hold
+until morning; and when her breathing became more quiet and regular he
+bent his head and softly kissed the hand that lay heavily in his.
+
+Salome covered her face and groaned; and rising, he was for the first
+time cognizant of her presence. His face flushed deeply.
+
+"How long have you been here?"
+
+"Long enough to discover why you visit 'Solitude' so often."
+
+He could not see her countenance, but her unnaturally hollow tone
+pained and shocked him.
+
+"You are very much fatigued, my dear child, and as soon as I have
+given some directions to Robert, I will take you home. Get your
+bonnet, and meet me at the door."
+
+He took a shawl that was lying on the piano and laid it carefully over
+the sleeper, then bent one knee beside the sofa, and mutely prayed
+that God would comfort and protect the woman who was becoming so dear
+to him.
+
+With one long, anxious, tender look into her hopeless yet beautiful
+face, he left the room and went in search of Robert and Katie. When he
+had given the requisite directions, and descended the steps, he found
+Salome waiting, with her fingers grasping the side of the buggy.
+Silently he handed her in; and, as she sank back in one corner and
+muffled her face, they drove swiftly through the sombre grounds, where
+the aged trees seemed murmuring in response to the ceaseless mutter of
+the sullen sea.
+
+  "Whom first we love, you know, we seldom wed.
+    Time rules us all. And Life indeed is not
+  The thing we planned it out ere hope was dead.
+    And then we women cannot choose our lot."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+
+"Ulpian, you certainly do not intend to sit up again to-night? Even
+brass or whitleather would not stand the wear and tear that your
+constitution is subjected to. You really make me unhappy."
+
+"My dear Jane, it would make you still more unhappy if from mere
+desire to promote my personal ease and comfort, I could forget the
+solemn responsibility imposed by my profession. Moreover, my physical
+strength is quite equal to the tax I exact from it."
+
+"I doubt it, for we have all remarked how pale and worn you look."
+
+"My jaded appearance is attributable to mental anxiety, rather than
+bodily exhaustion."
+
+"If Mrs. Gerome is so ill as to require such unremitting care and
+vigilance, she should have a nurse, instead of expecting a physician
+to devote all his time and attention to her. Where is Hester
+Denison?"
+
+"I have placed her at the steam-mill above town, where there is a bad
+case of small-pox, and even if she were not thus engaged, I should not
+take her to 'Solitude.'"
+
+"Pray, why not? She took first-rate care of me when I was so sick last
+year."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome is morbidly sensitive at all times, and at this juncture
+I should be afraid to introduce a stranger into her sick room."
+
+"When people are so excessively nervous about being seen, I can't help
+feeling a little suspicious. Do you suppose that Mrs. Gerome loved her
+husband so much better than the majority of widows love theirs, that
+seven years after his death she can't bear to be looked at? I like to
+see a woman show due respect to her husband's memory, but I tell you
+my experience--or rather my observation--leads me to believe that
+these young widows who make the greatest parade of their grief, and
+load themselves with crape and bombazine till they can scarcely
+stagger under their flutings, flounces, and jet-fringes, are the most
+anxious to marry again."
+
+"Stop, my darling sister! Who has been filling your tongue and
+curdling all the 'milk of human kindness' in your generous heart? If
+women refuse to each other due sympathy in sorrow, to what quarter can
+they turn for that balm which their natures require? I never before
+heard you utter sentiments that trenched so closely upon harsh
+uncharitableness. Your lips generally employ only the silvery language
+of leniency, which I so much love to hear, but to-day they adopt the
+dialect of Libeldom. Recollect, my dear sister, that even the pagan
+Athenians would never build a temple to Clemency, which they
+contended found her most appropriate altars in human hearts."
+
+"Pooh, Ulpian! You need not preach me such a sermon, as if I were a
+heathen. Facts, when they happen to be real facts, are the best
+umpires in the world, and to their arbitrament I leave my character
+for charity. When Reuben Chalmers died, his wife was so overwhelmed
+with grief that she shut herself up like a nun; and when she drove out
+for fresh air wore two heavy crape veils, and never allowed any one to
+catch a glimpse of her countenance. Not even to church did she
+venture, until one morning, at the end of two years, she laid aside
+her weeds, clad herself in bridal array, was married in her own
+parlor, and the next Sunday made her first appearance in public after
+the death of her husband, leaning on the arm of her second spouse.
+Now, that is true,--is no libel,--pity it is not! Though 'one swallow
+does not make a summer,' I can't help feeling suspicious of very young
+and hopelessly inconsolable widows, and am always reminded of
+Anastasia Chalmers. So you see, my blue-eyed preacher, when your old
+Janet talks of these things, she is not caught 'reckoning without her
+host.'"
+
+"One deplorable instance should not bias you against an entire class,
+and the beautiful constancy of Panthea ought to neutralize the example
+of a hundred Anastasia Chalmers. Is it not unfortunate that poor human
+nature so tenaciously recollects all the evil records, and is so
+oblivious of the noble acts furnished by history? Do cut the
+acquaintance of the huge family of _on dits_, who serve the community
+in much the same capacity as did the cook of Tantalus, when he dressed
+and garnished Pelops for the banquet table. Unluckily, devouring
+malice can not furnish the 'ivory shoulder' requisite to mend its
+mischief. We are all prone to forget the injunction, 'Judge not, that
+ye be not judged,' and instead of remembering that we are directed to
+bear one another's burdens, we gall the shoulders of many, by
+increasing the weights we should lighten. Janet, don't flay all the
+poor young widows; leave them to such measures of peace as they may
+find among their weeds."
+
+Miss Jane listened to her brother's homily with a half-smile lurking
+about the puckered corners of her eyes and mouth, and putting her
+finger in the button-hole of his coat, drew him closer to her, as they
+sat together on the sofa.
+
+"How long since you took the tribe of widows under your special
+protection?"
+
+"Since the moment, that, owing to some inexplicable freak, my dear
+Janet suffered 'evil communications to corrupt' her 'good manners,'
+and absolutely forgot to be just and generous."
+
+He kissed his sister and rose, but the troubled look that settled once
+more on his countenance did not escape her observation.
+
+"Ulpian, is Mrs. Gerome very ill?"
+
+"Yes, I am exceedingly unhappy about her. She is dangerously ill with
+a low, nervous, fever that baffles all my remedies."
+
+Dr. Grey walked up and down the room, and Miss Jane pressed her
+spectacles closer to her nose, and watched him.
+
+"If the poor woman leads such a lonely, miserable life, I should think
+that death would prove a blessed release to her. Of course it is
+natural and reasonable that you should desire to save all your
+patients, but why are you so very unhappy about her?"
+
+He did not answer immediately, and when he spoke his deep tone was
+tremulous with fervent feeling.
+
+"Because I find that she is dearer to me than all the other women in
+the world, except my sister; and her death would grieve me more than
+any trial that has yet overtaken me--more than you can realize, or
+than I can express."
+
+He took Miss Jane's face in his hands, kissed her, and left the room.
+
+Meeting Muriel and Salome in the hall, the former seized his arm, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"You shall not leave home again! Let me tell Elbert to put up your
+buggy. If you continue to work yourself down, as you are now doing,
+you will be prematurely old, and gray, and decrepit. Come into the
+parlor, and let me play you to sleep."
+
+"I heartily wish I could follow your pleasant prescription, but duty
+is inexorable, and knows no law but that of obedience."
+
+"Must you sit up to-night? Is that poor lady no better?"
+
+"I can see no improvement, and must remain until I do."
+
+"You are afraid that she will die?"
+
+"I hope that God will spare her life."
+
+His serious tone awed Muriel, who raised his hand to her lips, and
+murmured,--
+
+"My dear doctor, I wish I could help you. I wish I could do something
+to make you look less troubled."
+
+"You can help me, little one, by being happy yourself, and by aiding
+Salome in cheering my sister, while I am forced to spend so much time
+away from her. Good evening. Take care of yourselves till I come
+home."
+
+Humming a bar of a Genoese barcarole, Muriel ran up stairs to join her
+governess; but Salome turned and followed the master of the house to
+the front door.
+
+"Dr. Grey, can I render you any assistance at 'Solitude'?"
+
+"Thank you,--the time has passed when you might have aided me. Two
+weeks ago, when I requested you to go with me, Mrs. Gerome was
+rational and would have yielded to your influence, but now she is
+delirious and you could accomplish nothing. The servants are faithful
+and attentive, and can be trusted during my absence to execute my
+orders."
+
+A bright flush rose to Salome's temples, and her eyes drooped beneath
+his, so anxious and yet so calmly sad.
+
+"At the time you spoke to me I could not go, but now I really should
+be glad to accompany you. Will you take me?"
+
+"No, Salome."
+
+"Your reason, Dr. Grey?"
+
+"Is one whose utterance would pain you, consequently I trust you will
+pardon me for withholding it."
+
+"At my own peril, I demand it."
+
+"The motive which prompts your offer precludes the possibility of my
+acceptance."
+
+"How dare you sit in judgment on my motives? You who prate and
+homilize of charity! charity! and who quote the 'golden rule' solely
+for the edification and guidance of those around you. Example is more
+potent than precept, and we are creatures of imitation. Suppose I
+should question the disinterestedness of your motives in allowing one
+patient to monopolize your attention to the detriment of the
+remainder? Of course you would be shocked and think me presumptuous,
+for one's sins and follies often play hide and seek, and sometimes we
+insult our own pet fault when we find it housed in some other piece of
+flesh."
+
+"Good night, Salome. I shall endeavor to forget all this, since I am
+too sincerely your friend to desire to set your hasty words in the
+storehouse of memory."
+
+He looked down pityingly, sorrowfully, into her angry imperious eyes,
+and sudden shame smote her, making her cheeks glow and tingle as if
+from the stroke of an open hand.
+
+"Dr. Grey, wait one moment! Let me say something, that will
+show,--that will--"
+
+"Only make matters worse. No, Salome, I have little time for trifling,
+still less for recrimination, none at all for dissimulation; and, in
+your present mood, the least we can say will prove the most powerful
+for good."
+
+He went down to his buggy, but stopped and reflected; and fearing that
+he might have been too harsh, he turned and approached her, as she
+stood leaning against one of the columns of the gallery.
+
+"Do not think me rude. I am not less your friend than formerly, though
+I am anxious, and doubtless appear preoccupied. Let us shake hands in
+peace."
+
+He extended his own, but the girl stood motionless, and the remorseful
+anguish and humiliation of her uplifted face touched his heart.
+
+"Dr. Grey, if you really forgive and forget, prove it by taking me to
+'Solitude.'"
+
+"Do not ask what you well know I have quite determined it is best that
+I should not grant."
+
+The spark leaped up lurid as ever, in her dilating eyes.
+
+"You take this method to punish me for my refusal to comply with your
+wishes a fortnight since?"
+
+"I have neither the right nor inclination to punish you in any
+respect, and you must pardon my inability to accede to a request which
+my judgment does not approve. Good-by."
+
+He put his hand into his pocket, and left her; and while she stood
+irresolute and disappointed, a servant summoned her to Miss Jane's
+presence.
+
+"Can I do anything for you?" asked the orphan, observing the cloud on
+the old lady's brow.
+
+"Yes, dear; sit down here and talk to me. I feel lonely, now that
+Ulpian is away so constantly. He seems very uneasy about that woman at
+'Solitude,' and I never saw him manifest so much anxiety about any
+one. By the by, Salome, tell me something concerning her."
+
+"I have already told you all I know of her."
+
+"Wherein consists her attractiveness?"
+
+"Who said she was attractive? She is handsome, and there is something
+peculiar and startling about her, but she is by no means a beauty. I
+have heard Dr. Grey say that she possessed remarkable talent, but I
+have been favored with no exhibition of it. Why do you not question
+your brother? Doubtless it would afford him much pleasure to furnish
+an inventory of her charms and accomplishments, and dilate upon them
+_ad libitum_."
+
+"What makes you so savage?"
+
+"Simply because there happens to be a touch of the wild beast in my
+nature, and I have not a doubt that if the doctrine of metempsychosis
+be true, I was a tawny dappled leopardess or a green-eyed cougar in the
+last stage of my existence. Miss Jane, sometimes I feel as if it
+would be a luxury--a relief--to crunch and strangle something or
+somebody,--which is not an approved trait of orthodox Christian
+character, to say nothing of meek gentility and lady-like refinement."
+
+She laughed with a degree of indescribable scorn and bitterness that
+was pitiable indeed in one so young.
+
+"There is an evil fit on Saul."
+
+"Yes; and you are neither my harp nor my David."
+
+"Does my little girl expect to find a 'cunning player,' who will charm
+away all the barbarous notions that occasionally lead her astray, and
+tempt her to wickedness?"
+
+"Verily,--no. The son of Jesse has forsaken his own household, and
+made unto himself an idol elsewhere; and I--Saul--surrender to
+Asmodeus."
+
+Miss Jane laid her hand on the girl's arm, and said, in a hesitating,
+troubled manner,--
+
+"Has Ulpian told you?"
+
+"Why should he tell me? My eyes sometimes take pity on my ears,--and
+seeing very distinctly, save the necessity of hearing. My vision is
+quite as keen now as when in my anterior existence, I crouched in
+jungles, watching for my prey. Oh, Miss Jane! if you could look here,
+and know all that I have suffered during the past three weeks, you
+would not wonder that the tiger element within me swallows up every
+other feeling."
+
+She struck her hand heavily upon her heart, and the old lady was
+frightened and distressed by the glitter of the eyes and the dilation
+of the slender nostrils.
+
+"When I came in, I knew from your countenance that you had heard
+something which you desired to prepare me for,--which you intended to
+break gently to me. But your kindness is unavailing. The truth crashed
+in on my heart without premonition; and I saw, and understood, and
+accepted the inevitable; and since then,--ah, my God! since then--"
+
+Her head drooped upon her bosom, and a groan concluded the sentence.
+
+"Perhaps Ulpian only pities the poor woman's desolation, and will lose
+his interest in her when she recovers her health. You know how
+tenderly he sympathizes with all who suffer, and I dare say it is more
+compassion than love."
+
+"What hypocrites we often are, in our desire to comfort those whom we
+see in agony! Miss Jane, your kind heart is holding a hand over the
+mouth of conscience, to smother its cries and protests while you utter
+things in which you know there is no truth. You mean well; but you
+ought to know better than to expect to deceive me. I understand the
+difference between love and compassion, and so do you; and Dr. Grey
+has not kept the truth from you. He has given his heart to that
+gray-haired, gray-eyed woman,--and if she lives, he will marry her;
+and then, if there were twenty oceans, I should want them all to roll
+between us. I tell you now, I can not and will not stay here to see
+the day that makes that pale gray phantom his wife. I should go mad,
+and do something that might add new horrors to that doomed and
+abhorred 'Solitude,' that has become Dr. Grey's Mecca. I could live
+without his love, but I can not stand tamely by and see him lavish it
+on another. Some women,--such, for instance, as we read of in novels,
+would meekly endure this trial, as one appointed by Heaven to wean
+them from earth; would fold their hands, and grow devout, and
+romantically thin and wan,--and get sweet, patient, martyr expressions
+about their unkissed lips; but I am in no respect a model heroine, and
+it will prove safer for us all if I am far away when Dr. Grey brings
+his bride to receive your sisterly embrace. If you are lonely, send
+for Muriel and Miss Dexter, and let them entertain you. Just now, I am
+not fit company for any but the dwellers in Padalon; so let me go away
+where I can be quiet."
+
+"Stay, Salome! Where are you going?"
+
+"To walk."
+
+The orphan disengaged her dress from Miss Jane's fingers, which had
+clutched its folds to detain her, and made her escape just as Muriel
+tapped at the door.
+
+During the three weeks that had elapsed since Elsie's death Mrs.
+Gerome had not left the house, and the third day after the funeral she
+laid her head down on the pillow from which it seemed probable she
+would never again lift it.
+
+A low steady fever seized her, and at length her brain became so
+seriously affected that all hope of recovery appeared futile and
+delusive. In the early stages of her illness, Dr. Grey requested
+Salome to assist him in nursing her, but the girl dared not trust
+herself to witness the manifestations of an affection that nearly
+maddened her, and had almost rudely refused compliance.
+
+As the days wore drearily on, and Dr. Grey's haggard, anxious
+countenance, told her that her rival was indeed upon the brink of
+dissolution, a wild hope whispered that perhaps she might be spared
+the fierce ordeal she so much dreaded; that if Mrs. Gerome died, the
+future might brighten,--life would be endurable. In her wonted
+impulsive manner, the girl had thrown herself on her knees, and
+passionately prayed the Almighty to remove from earth the one woman
+who proved an obstacle to all her hopes of peace and contentment.
+
+She did not pause to inquire whether her petition was not an insult to
+Him who alone could grant it; she neither analyzed, nor felt
+self-rebuked for her sinful emotions and intense hatred of the sick
+woman,--but vowed repeatedly that she would lead a purer, holier life,
+if God would only interpose and prevent Dr. Grey from becoming the
+husband of any one.
+
+She had no faith in the superior wisdom of her Maker, and would not
+wait patiently for the developments of His divine will toward her; but
+chose her own destiny, and demanded that Omnipotence should become an
+ally for its accomplishment. Like many who are less honest in
+confessing their faith, this girl professed allegiance to her Creator
+only so long as He appeared a coadjutor in her schemes; and, when
+thwarted and disappointed, fierce rebellion broke out in her heart,
+and annulled her oaths of fealty and obedience.
+
+Dr. Grey was not ignorant of the emotions that swayed and controlled
+her conduct, and when she declared herself ready to attend the
+invalid, he was thoroughly cognizant of the fact that she longed to
+witness the death which she deemed impending; and he could not consent
+to see her eager eyes watching the feeble breathing of the woman whom
+he now loved so fervently.
+
+While he believed that in most matters Salome would not deceive him,
+he realized that in one of her passionate moods of jealous hate,
+irremediable mischief might result, and prudently resolved to keep her
+beyond the pale of temptation.
+
+It was almost dark when he reached the secluded house where he had
+passed so many days and nights of anxiety, and went into the quiet
+room in which only a dim light was permitted to burn. Katie was
+sitting near the bed, but rose at his approach, and softly withdrew.
+
+Emaciated and ghastly, save where two scarlet spots burned on the
+hollow cheeks, Mrs. Gerome lay, with her wasted arms thrown over her
+head, and her eyes fixed on vacancy. Even when delirium was at its
+height she yielded to the physician's voice and touch, like some wild
+creature who recognizes no control save that of its keeper; and from
+his hand alone would she take the medicines administered.
+
+Whether the influence was merely magnetic, he did not inquire, but
+felt comforted by the assurance that his presence had power to
+tranquillize her.
+
+Now, as he drew her arms down from the pillow, and took her thin hot
+hand in his cool palms, a shadowy smile stole over her features, and
+she fixed her eyes intently on his.
+
+"I knew you would protect me from him."
+
+"Protect you from whom?"
+
+"From Maurice. He is hiding yonder,--behind the window-curtain."
+
+She pointed across the room, and a scowl darkened her countenance.
+
+"You have only been dreaming."
+
+"No, I am awake; and if you look behind the curtain you will find him.
+His eyes are burning my face."
+
+Willing to dispel this fantasy, Dr. Grey went to the window, and,
+drawing aside the lace drapery, showed her the vacant recess.
+
+"Ah, he has escaped! Well, perhaps it is better so, and there will be
+no blood shed. Let him go back to Edith,--'golden-haired Edith
+Dexter,'--and live out the remnant of his days. He came hoping to find
+me dead, but I am not as accommodating now as formerly. Where are
+those violets? Tell Elsie to bring the jars in, where I can smell
+them."
+
+He took a bunch of the fragrant flowers from his coat pocket, and put
+them in her hand, for during her illness she was never satisfied
+unless there was a bouquet near her; and now, having feebly smelled
+them, her eyes closed.
+
+More than once she had mentioned the name of Edith Dexter, always
+coupling it with that of Maurice, who she evidently believed was
+lurking with evil purposes around her home; and Dr. Grey was sorely
+perplexed to follow the thread that now and then appeared, but failed
+to guide him to any satisfactory solution of the mystery. He knew that
+since she made "Solitude" her place of residence, Mrs. Gerome had
+never met Muriel's governess, and he conjectured that she had either
+known her in earlier years or now alluded to another person bearing
+the same name. Miss Dexter was very fair, with a profusion of light
+yellow hair, and suited in all respects the incoherent description
+that fell from the sick woman's lips.
+
+While at home for a short time that afternoon, Dr. Grey had spoken of
+the dangerous condition of his patient, and asked the governess if she
+had ever seen or known Mrs. Gerome. Without hesitation, Edith Dexter
+quietly replied in the negative.
+
+Formerly he had indulged little curiosity with reference to the
+widow's history, but since she had become endeared to him, he was
+conscious of an earnest desire to possess himself of a record of all
+that had so darkened and chilled the life of the only woman he had
+ever loved.
+
+Once she had been merely an interesting psychological puzzle, and in
+some degree a physiological anomaly: but from the day of Elsie's
+death, his heart had yielded more and more to the strange fascination
+she exerted over him; and now, as he sat looking into her face, so
+mournfully sharpened and blanched by disease, he acknowledged to his
+own soul that if she should die the brightest and dearest hopes that
+ever gladdened his life would be buried in her grave.
+
+Thoroughly convinced that his happiness depended on her recovery, he
+prayed continually that if consistent with God's will, He would spare
+her to him, and save him from the anguish of a lonely life, which her
+love might bless and brighten.
+
+But above the petition,--above all the strife of human love, and hope,
+and fear,--rose silvery clear, "Nevertheless, Father, not my will, but
+Thine."
+
+During his long vigils he had allowed imagination to paint beautiful
+pictures of the To-Come, wherein shone the figure of a lovely wife
+whose heart was divided only between God and her husband,--whose life
+was consecrated first to Christ, secondly to promoting the happiness
+of the man who loved her so truly.
+
+The apprehension of losing her was rendered still more acute by the
+reflection that her soul was not prepared for its exit from the realm
+of probation, and the thought of a separation that would extend
+through endless aeons, was well-nigh intolerable.
+
+If she survived this attack, he believed that his influence would
+redeem and sanctify her life; if she died, would God have mercy on her
+wretched soul?
+
+His faith in Providence was no jagged, quivering reed, but a strong,
+staunch, firm staff that had never yet failed him, and in this hour of
+severe trial he leaned his aching heart confidently and calmly upon
+it.
+
+That some mysterious circumstances veiled the earlier portion of Mrs.
+Gerome's life, he had inferred from Elsie's promise of confidence, and
+since death denied her the desired revelation, he had put imagination
+upon the rack, in order to solve the riddle.
+
+What could the old nurse wish to tell him, that she was unwilling to
+divulge until her latest breath? Could the stain of crime cling to
+that pale face on the pillow, or to those white hands that rested so
+helplessly in his? Had she soiled her life by any deed that would
+bring a blush to those thin sunken cheeks, or a flush of shame to the
+brow of the man who loved her? Now bending fondly over her, the
+language of his heart was,--
+
+"Let her dead past bury its dead! Let the bygone be what it may,--come
+sorrow, come humiliation, but I will dauntlessly shield her with my
+name, defend her with my strong arm, uphold her by my honor, save her
+soul by my prayers, comfort and gladden her heart with my deathless
+love."
+
+He was well aware that this night must decide her fate,--that her
+feeble frame could not much longer struggle with the disease that had
+almost vanquished it,--and leaning his forehead against her hand, he
+silently prayed that God would speedily restore her to health, or give
+him additional grace to bear the bitter bereavement.
+
+She slept more quietly than she had been able to do for some days, and
+Dr. Grey sent for Robert, who was pacing the walk that led to the
+stables. They sat down together on the steps at the rear of the house,
+and the gardener asked in a frightened, husky tone,--
+
+"Is there bad news?"
+
+"I see little change since noon, except that she is more quiet, which
+is certainly favorable; but she is so very ill that I thought it best
+to consult you about several matters. Do you know whether she has made
+a will?"
+
+"No, sir. How should I know it, even if she had?"
+
+"Who is her agent?"
+
+Robert hesitated, and pretended to be busy filling and lighting his
+pipe.
+
+"Maclean, I have no desire to pry into Mrs. Gerome's affairs, but it
+is necessary that those who direct or control her estate should be
+appraised of her condition. It is supposed that her fortune is ample,
+and her heirs should be informed of her illness."
+
+"She has no heirs, except--"
+
+He paused, and after a few seconds exclaimed,--
+
+"Don't ask me! All I know is that I heard her say she intended to
+leave her fortune to poor painters."
+
+"To whom shall I write, or rather telegraph? Where did she live before
+she came to 'Solitude'? Who were her friends?"
+
+"Mr. Simonton, of New York, is her lawyer and agent. Two letters have
+come from him since she has been sick. Of course I did not open them,
+but I know his handwriting. They are behind the clock in the back
+parlor."
+
+"Would it not be better to telegraph him at once?"
+
+"What good could he do? Better send for the minister, and have her
+baptized. Oh! but this is truly a world of trouble, and I almost wish
+I was safely out of it."
+
+"If she were conscious, she would not submit to baptism; and it would
+not be right to take advantage of her delirium and force a ceremony to
+which she is opposed."
+
+"Not even, sir, to save her soul?"
+
+"Her soul can not be affected by the actions of others, unless her
+will cooperates, which is impossible in her present condition. Robert,
+after your mother was partially paralyzed, she said that she desired
+to confide something to me just before her death, and intimated that
+it referred to Mrs. Gerome. She wished me to befriend her mistress,
+and felt that I ought to know the particulars of her early history.
+Unfortunately, Elsie was speechless when I arrived, and could not tell
+me what she had intended to acquaint me with. I mention this fact to
+assure you that if your mother could trust me, you need not regard me
+so suspiciously."
+
+"Dr. Grey, as far as I am concerned, you are very welcome to every
+thought in my head and feeling in my heart; but where it touches my
+mistress I have nothing to say. I will not deny that I know more than
+you do, but when my poor mother told me, she held my hand on the Bible
+and made me swear a solemn oath that what she told me should never
+pass my lips to any man, woman, or child. So you must not blame me,
+sir."
+
+"Certainly not, Robert. But if she has any friends it is your duty to
+send for them at once."
+
+Dr. Grey rose and went into the library, where for some moments he
+walked to and fro, perplexed and grieved. As his eye rested on the
+escritoire, he recollected the key which he had kept in his pocket
+since the hour that he picked it up from the carpet.
+
+Doubtless a few minutes' search in its drawers and casket would place
+him in possession of the facts which Elsie wished to confide; but
+notwithstanding the circumstances that might almost have justified an
+investigation, his delicate sense of honor forbade the thought. Taking
+the letters from the mantelpiece, he turned them to the lamp-light.
+
+  _Mrs. Agla Gerome,
+          Care of Robert Maclean,
+                  Box 20._
+                            ---- ----.
+
+They were post-marked New York, and from the size and appearance of
+the envelopes he suspected that they contained legal documents.
+Perhaps one of them might prove a will, awaiting signature and
+witnesses. Dr. Grey carried them into the room where his patient still
+slept, and placed them on the dressing-table. Accidentally his glance
+fell on a large worn Bible that lay contiguous, and brightening the
+light, he opened the volume, and turned to the record of births.
+
+"Vashti Evelyn, born June 10th, 18--.
+
+"Henderson Flewellyn, born April 17th, 18--.
+
+"Vashti Flewellyn, born January 30th, 18--."
+
+On the marriage record he found,
+
+"Married, July 1st, 18--, Vashti Evelyn to Henderson Flewellyn.
+
+"Married, September 8th, 18--, Evelyn Flewellyn to Maurice Carlyle."
+
+The only deaths recorded were those of Henderson and Vashti
+Flewellyn.
+
+Whatever the mystery might be, Dr. Grey resolved to pursue the subject
+no further; but wait patiently and learn all from the beautiful lips
+of the white-faced sphinx, who alone possessed the right to unseal the
+record of her blighted life.
+
+  "Who might have been--ah, what, I dare not think!
+    We all are changed. God judges for us best.
+  God help us do our duty, and not shrink,
+    And trust in heaven humbly for the rest."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+
+The profound stillness that pervades a room where life and death
+grapple for mastery, invites and aids that calm, inexorable
+introspection, which Gotama Buddha prescribes as an almost unerring
+path to the attainment of peace; and, in the solemn silence of
+his last and memorable vigil, Dr. Grey brought his heart into
+complete unmurmuring subjection to the Divine will. A _soi-disant_
+"resignation" that draws honied lips to the throne of grace,
+leaving a heart of gall in the camp of sedition, could find no
+harbor in his uncompromisingly honest nature; and though the
+struggle was severe, he felt that faith in Eternal wisdom and mercy
+had triumphed over merely human affection and earthly hopes, and
+his strong soul chanted to itself the comforting strains of
+Lampert's "Trust Song."
+
+No mere gala barge, gay with paint and gaudy with pennons, was his
+religion; no fair summer-day toy bearing him lightly across the
+sun-kissed, breeze-dimpled sea of prosperity and happiness, and frail
+as the foam that draped its prow with lace; but a staunch, trim,
+steady, unpretending bark, that with unfaltering faith at the helm,
+rode firmly all the billows of adversity, and steered unerringly
+harborward through howling tempests and impenetrable gloom. Human
+friendships and sympathy he considered unstable and treacherous as
+Peter, when he shrank from his Lord; but Christian trust was one of
+the silver-tongued angels of God, ringing chimes of patience and
+peace, far above the din of wailing, bleeding hearts, and the fierce
+flames of flesh martyrdom.
+
+One o'clock found Dr. Grey sitting near the pillow, where for five
+hours Mrs. Gerome had slept as quietly as a tired child. The
+fever-glow had burned itself out, and left an ashen hue on the lips
+and cheeks.
+
+Wishing to arouse her, he spoke to her several times and raised her
+head, but though she drank the powerful stimulant he held to her
+mouth, her heavy eyelids were not lifted, and when he smoothed the
+pillow and laid her comfortably upon it, she slumbered once more.
+
+At the foot of the bed, with his keen yellow eyes fastened on his
+mistress, crouched the greyhound, his silky head on his paws; and on a
+pallet in one corner of the room slept Katie, ready to render any
+assistance that might be required.
+
+The apartment was elegantly furnished, and green and gold tinted all
+its appointments. On an Egyptian marble table stood a work-box
+curiously inlaid with malachite and richly gilded, and there lay some
+withered flowers, a small thimble, and a pair of scissors with
+mother-of-pearl handles. Around the walls hung a number of paintings,
+which, with one exception, were landscapes or ocean-views; and as Dr.
+Grey sat watching the shimmer of lamp-light on their carved frames and
+varnished surfaces, they seemed to furnish images of
+
+  "Green glaring glaciers, purple clouds of pine,
+  White walls of ever-roaring cataracts;
+  Blue thunder drifting over thirsty tracts,
+  Rose-latticed casements, lone in summer lands,--
+  Some witch's bower; pale sailors on the marge
+  Of magic seas, in an enchanted barge
+  Stranded at sunset, upon jewelled sands.
+  Some cup of dim hills, where a white moon lies,
+  Dropt out of weary skies without a breath
+  In a great pool; a slumb'rous vale beneath,
+  And blue damps prickling into white fire-flies."
+
+No sweet-lipped, low-browed Madonnas, no rapt Cecilias, no holy Johns
+nor meek Stephens, no reeling Satyrs nor vine-clad _Bacchantes_
+relieved the eye, weary of mountain ghylls, red-ribbed deserts, and
+stormy surfage.
+
+One long narrow picture baffled interpretation, and excited
+speculations that served in some degree to divert the sad current of
+the physician's thoughts.
+
+It was a dreary plain, dotted with the "fallen cromlechs of
+Stonehenge," and in front of the desecrated stone altars stood a
+veiled woman, with her hands clasped over a silver crescent-curved
+knife, and her bare feet resting on oaken chaplets and mistletoe
+boughs, starred and fringed with snowy flowers. Under the dexterously
+painted gauze that shrouded the face, the outline of the features was
+distinctly traceable, end behind the film,--large, oracular, yet
+mournful eyes, burned like setting stars, seen through magnifying
+vapors that wreathe the horizon.
+
+It was a solemn, desolate, melancholy picture, relieved by no flush of
+color,--gray plain, gray distance, gray sky, gray temple tumuli, and
+that ghostly white woman, gazing grimly down at the gray-haired
+sufferer on the low bed beneath her.
+
+Under some circumstances, certain pictures seem basilisk-eyed,
+riveting a gaze that would gladly seek more agreeable subjects, and it
+chanced that Dr. Grey found a painful fascination in this piece of
+canvas that hung immediately in front of him. Wherein consisted the
+magnetism that so powerfully attracted him, he could not decide, but
+several times when the wind blew the scalloped edge of the lace
+curtain between the lamp and the picture, and threw a dim wavering
+shadow over the figure on the wall, he almost expected to see the veil
+float away from the stony face, and reveal what the artist had
+adroitly shrouded. Now it looked a doomed "Norma," and anon the
+Nemesis of a dishonored faneless faith, that was born among Magi, and
+had tutored Pythagoras; and finally Dr. Grey rose and turned away to
+escape its spectral spell.
+
+Waking Katie, he charged her to call him if any change occurred in his
+patient, and went to the front of the house for a breath of fresh
+air.
+
+Narcissus-like, a three-quarter moon was staring down at her own
+image, rocked on the bosom of the sea, while dim stars printed silver
+photographs on the deep blue beneath them,--
+
+  "And the hush of earth and air
+  Seemed the pause before a prayer."
+
+The wind that had blown steadily for two days past from the
+south-east, had gone down into some ocean lair; but the sullen
+element refused to forget its late scourging, and occasionally a long
+swelling billow dashed itself into froth against the stone piers of
+the boat-house, and the cliffs which stood like a phantom fleet along
+the southern bend of the beach, were fringed with a white girdle of
+incessant breakers.
+
+Far out from shore the rolling mass of water was darkly blue, but now
+and then a wave broke over its neighbor, and in the distance the foam
+flashed under moonshine like some reconnoitring Siren-face, peeping
+landward for fresh victims; or as the samite-clad arm that Arthur and
+Sir Bedivere saw rise above the mere to receive Excalibar.
+
+Following the beckoning of those snowy hands, and listening to the low
+musical monologue that sea uttered to shore, Dr. Grey started in the
+direction of the terrace, whence he could see the whole trend of the
+beetling coast, but some unaccountable impulse induced him to pause
+and look back.
+
+The dense shadow of the trees shut out from the spot where he stood
+the golden radiance of the moon, but over the lawn it streamed in
+almost unearthly splendor,--and there he saw some white object glide
+swiftly towards the group of deodars. The first solution that occurred
+to his mind was that Katie had fallen asleep, and Mrs. Gerome in her
+delirium making her way out of the house, was seeking her favorite
+walk; but a moment's reflection convinced him that she was too utterly
+prostrated to cross the room, still less the grounds, and, resolved to
+satisfy himself, he followed the moving object that retreated before
+him.
+
+Walking rapidly but stealthily in the shadow of the trees and
+shrubbery, he soon ascertained that it was a woman's figure, and saw
+that it stopped at Elsie's grave, and bent down to touch the
+head-board. Creeping forward, he had approached within ten yards of
+her, when his hat struck the lower limbs of a large acacia, and
+startled a bird that uttered a cry of terror and darted out. The sound
+caused the figure to turn her head, and catching a glimpse of Dr.
+Grey, she ran under the dense boughs of the deodars, and disappeared.
+
+He followed, and groped through the gloom, but when he emerged, no
+living thing was visible; and, perplexed and curious, he stood still.
+
+After some moments he heard a faint sound, as of some one smothering a
+cough, and pursuing it, found himself at the boundary of the grounds.
+Here a thick hedge of osage orange barred egress, and he saw the woman
+disentangling her drapery from the thorns that had seized it.
+
+Springing forward, he exclaimed,--
+
+"Stand still! You can not escape me. Who are you?"
+
+A feigned and lugubrious voice answered,--
+
+"I am the restless spirit of Elsie Maclean, come back to guard her
+grave."
+
+In another instant he was at her side, and laying his hand on the
+white netted shawl with which she was veiling her features, he tore it
+away, and Salome's fair face looked defiantly at him.
+
+"If I had known that my pursuer was Dr. Grey, I would not have
+troubled myself to play the ghost farce, for of course I could not
+expect to frighten you off; but I hoped you were one of the servants,
+who would not very diligently chase a spectre. I did not suppose that
+you could be coaxed or driven thus far from your arm-chair beside the
+bed where Mrs. Gerome is asleep."
+
+Astonishment kept him silent for some seconds, and, in the awkward
+pause, the girl laughed constrainedly--nervously.
+
+"After all your show of bravery in pursuing a woman, I verily believe
+you are too much frightened to arrest me if I chose to escape."
+
+"Salome, has something terrible happened at home, that you have come
+here at midnight to break to me?"
+
+"Nothing has happened at home."
+
+"Then why are you here? Are you, too, delirious?"
+
+Her scornful laugh rang startlingly on the still night air.
+
+"Oh, Salome! You grieve, you shock me!"
+
+"Yes, Dr. Grey, you have assured me of that fact too frequently--too
+feelingly--to permit me to doubt your sincerity. You need not repeat
+it; I accept the assertion that you are shocked at my indiscretions."
+
+Compassion predominated over displeasure, as he observed the utter
+recklessness that pervaded her tone and manner.
+
+"I am unwilling to believe that you would, without some very cogent
+reason, violate all decorum by coming alone at dead of night two miles
+through a dreary stretch of hills and woods. Necessity sometimes
+sanctions an infraction of the rules of rigid propriety, and I am
+impatient to hear your defence of this most extraordinary caprice."
+
+She was endeavoring to disengage the fringe of her shawl from the
+hedge, but finding it a tedious operation, she caught her drapery in
+both hands and tore it away from the thorns, leaving several shreds
+hanging on the prickly boughs.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I have no defence to offer."
+
+"Tell me what induced you to come here."
+
+"An eminently charitable and commendable interest in your fair
+patient. I came here simply and solely to ascertain whether Mrs.
+Gerome would die, or whether she could possibly recover."
+
+Unflinchingly she looked up into his eyes, and he thought he had never
+seen a fairer, prouder, or lovelier face.
+
+"How did you expect to accomplish your errand by wandering about these
+grounds, exposing yourself to insult and to injury?"
+
+"I have been on the gallery since twilight, looking through the lace
+curtains at Mrs. Gerome lying on her bed, and at you sitting in the
+arm-chair. Her eyes are keener than yours, for she saw me peeping
+through the window, and told you so. When you left the room I came out
+among the trees to escape observation. I scorn all equivocation, and
+have no desire to conceal the truth, for if I am not dowered
+
+  'With blood trained up along nine centuries,
+    To hound and hate a lie,'
+
+at least I hold my pauper soul high above the mire of falsehood; and
+
+               ... 'The things we do,
+  We do: we'll wear no mask, as if we blushed.'"
+
+They had walked away from the hedge, and Dr. Grey paused at the mound,
+where the Ariadne gleamed cold and white in the moonbeams that slanted
+across it like silver lances.
+
+Revolving in his mind the best method of extricating the orphan from
+the unfortunate predicament in which her rashness had plunged her, he
+did not answer immediately, and Salome continued, impatiently,--
+
+"If you imagine that I came here to act as spy upon your actions, you
+most egregiously mistake me, for I know all that the most rigid
+surveillance could possibly teach me. I heard you say that this night
+would prove a crisis in Mrs. Gerome's case, and I was so anxious to
+learn the result that I could not wait quietly at home until morning.
+I begged you to bring me, and you refused; consequently, I came alone.
+Deal frankly with me,--tell me, will that woman die?"
+
+The breathless eagerness with which she bent towards him, the
+strained, almost ferocious expression of her keen eyes, sickened his
+soul, and he put his hand over his face to shut out the sight of
+hers.
+
+"Tell me the truth. I must and will know it."
+
+Her sweet clear voice had become a low hoarse pant, and the knotted
+lines were growing harder and tighter on her beautiful brow.
+
+"I pray ceaselessly that God will spare her to me, and I hope all
+things from His mercy. Another hour will probably end my suspense, and
+decide the awful question of life or death. Salome, if she should die,
+my future will be very lonely,--and my heart bereft of the brightest,
+dearest hopes, that have ever cheered it."
+
+A half-smothered cry struggled across the orphan's trembling lips that
+had suddenly grown colorless, and he saw her clutch her fingers.
+
+"And if she lives?"
+
+"If she lives, and will accept the affection I shall offer her, the
+remainder of my years will be devoted to the work of making her forget
+the sorrows that have darkened the early portion of her life. I do
+not wish to conceal the fact that she is inexpressibly dear to me."
+
+During the long silence that ensued, a lifetime of agony seemed
+compressed into the compass of a few moments, but Salome stood
+motionless, with her arms pressed over her aching heart, and her head
+thrown haughtily back, while the moonlight streamed down on her face
+where pride and pain were struggling for right to reign.
+
+When all expectation of earthly happiness is smothered in a proud,
+passionate soul, and the future robes itself in those dun hues that
+only the day-star of eternity can gild, nerves and muscles shrink and
+shiver at the massacre of hopes which despair hews down, in the hour
+that it "storms the citadel of the heart, and puts the whole garrison
+to the sword."
+
+Dr. Grey could not endure the sight of that fixed, hardened face, and
+sorely distressed by the consciousness of the suffering which he had
+unintentionally inflicted on one so young, he moved away, and for some
+time walked slowly under the arching laurestines. Although his stern
+integrity of purpose acquitted him of all blame, and he could accuse
+himself of no word or deed that might be held amenable to conscience
+for the mischief and misery that had resulted from his acquaintance
+with this unfortunate girl, he regretted that he had remained in the
+same house, and, by constant association, fed the flame that absence
+might have extinguished.
+
+While he pitied the weakness that had induced her to yield so entirely
+to the preference she indulged for him, he felt humiliated at the
+thought that he, who had intended to guide and elevate this wayward
+child of nature, had been instrumental in darkening and embittering
+her young life.
+
+When he came back to the spot, whence she had not moved, and laid his
+hand gently on her shoulder, she smiled strangely, and
+
+  "Unbent the grieving beauty of her brows.
+  But held her heart's proud pain superbly still."
+
+"My little sister, you must not stay here any longer. Would you prefer
+to go home at once in my buggy, or remain in the parlor until
+daylight?"
+
+"Neither. Let me sit down on the stone terrace till the end comes. I
+will disturb no one. It will be three hours before day breaks, and
+when you know whether your idol will live or die, come and tell me.
+Take your hand from my shoulder."
+
+He had endeavored to detain her, but she shrank away from his grasp,
+and glided down the smooth sward to the terrace which divided it from
+the ripple-barred and ringed sands of the shelving beach.
+
+As he returned to the house, the wind sprang up and moaned through the
+dense foliage above him, and an owl, perched in some clustering bough
+that overhung the portico, screamed and hooted dismally. The sound was
+so startling that the greyhound leaped to his feet and set up an
+answering howl, which almost froze Katie with fright, and caused even
+Mrs. Gerome's heavy eyelids to unclose.
+
+Salome sat down on the paved terrace, crossed her arms over the low
+stone balustrade, and resting her chin upon them, looked out at the
+burnished bosom of the ocean. Just beneath her, and near enough to
+moisten the granite with the silvery spray,--
+
+  "Its waves are kneeling on the strand,
+    As kneels the human knee,
+  Their white locks bowing to the sand,
+    The priesthood of the sea."
+
+If the old Rabbinical legend of Sandalphon be grounded in some solemn
+vision granted to the saints of eld, who walked in Syria, then
+peradventure on this night, the angel must have been puzzled indeed
+concerning the petitions that floated up, and demanded admission to
+the Eternal ear.
+
+From the anxious heart of the sincere and humble Christian who knelt
+at the bedside of the invalid, rose a fervent prayer that if
+consistent with the Father's will, He would lay His healing hand upon
+the sufferer, and restore her to health and strength; while the
+wretched girl on the terrace prayed vehemently that God would crush
+the feeble flicker of life in Mrs. Gerome's wasted frame, would take
+from the world a woman whose existence was a burden to herself and
+threatened to prove a curse to others.
+
+The passionate cry of Salome's soul was,--
+
+"Punish me in any way, and all other ways! Send sickness, destitution,
+humiliation,--let every other affliction smite me; but save me from
+the intolerable anguish of seeing that woman his wife! O my God! the
+world is not wide enough to hold us both. Take her, or else call me
+speedily hence. I am not fit to die, but I shall never be better, if I
+am doomed to witness this marriage. I would sooner go down to
+perdition now, than live to see that thing of horror. Of two hells, I
+choose that which takes me farthest from her."
+
+For the first time in her life she felt that the hours were flying,
+that the day of doom was rushing to meet her, and she shuddered when
+one after another the constellations slipped softly and solemnly down
+the sky, and vanished behind the dim shadowy outline of the western
+hills. Gradually the moon sank so low that the sea could no longer
+reflect her beams, and as the mighty waste of waters slowly darkened,
+and the wind stiffened, and the song of the surf swelled like a rising
+requiem, the girl felt that all nature was preparing to mourn with her
+over the burial of her only hope of earthly peace.
+
+If Mrs. Gerome died, a quiet future stretched before the orphan, and
+she could bear to live without the love which she had the grim
+satisfaction of knowing brightened no other woman's life.
+
+The happiness of the man for whom she almost impiously prayed, was a
+matter of little importance compared with the ease of her own heart;
+and she had yet to learn that the welfare and peace of the object she
+loved so selfishly would one day become paramount to all other aims
+and considerations. That pure and sublime spirit of self-abnegation
+which immolates every hope and wish that is at variance with the
+happiness of the beloved had not yet been born in Salome's fiery
+nature; and she cared little for the anguish that might be Dr. Grey's
+portion, provided her own heart could be spared the pang of witnessing
+his wedded bliss.
+
+Through the trees, she could see the steady light of the lamp that
+burned in the room where the sick woman lay, and so she watched and
+waited, shivering in the shadow that fell over earth and ocean just
+before the breaking of the new day.
+
+Along the eastern horizon, the white fires of rising constellations
+paled and flickered and seemed to die, as a gray light stole up behind
+them; and the gray grew pearly, and the pearly opaline, and ere long
+the sky crimsoned, and the sea reddened until its waves were like ruby
+wine or human gore.
+
+In the radiant dawn of that day which would decide the earthly
+destinies of three beings, Salome saw Dr. Grey coming across the lawn.
+His step was quiet,--neither slow nor hasty, and she could not
+conjecture the result; but as he approached, she rose, wrapped her
+shawl about her, and advanced to meet him. He paused, took off his
+hat, and she knew all before a syllable passed his lips.
+
+"Salome, God has heard my prayers,--has mercifully taken my darling
+from the arms of death, and given her to me. I do not think I am too
+sanguine in saying that she will ultimately recover, and my heart can
+not find language that will interpret its gratitude and joy."
+
+Never before had such a light shone in his clear, calm blue eyes, and
+illumined his usually grave countenance; and though continued vigils
+and keen anxiety had left their signet on his pale face, his great
+happiness was printed legibly on every feature, and found expression
+even in the deepened and softened tones of his voice.
+
+The girl did not move or speak, but looked steadily into his
+bright eyes, and the calmness with which she listened, comforted
+and encouraged him to hope that ere long she would conquer her
+preference.
+
+How could he know that at that instant she was impiously vowing that
+heaven had heard her last prayer?--that never again should a petition
+cross her lips? God had granted one prayer,--had decided against
+hers,--had denied her utterly; and henceforth she would not weary
+Him,--she would not mock herself and her misery.
+
+Dr. Grey saw that there was no quiver on the still, pale lips, no
+contraction of the polished forehead; but the rigidity of her face
+broke up suddenly in a smile of indescribable mournfulness,--a smile
+where self-contempt and pity and hopeless bitterness all lent their
+saddest phases.
+
+"Dr. Grey, in your present happy mood, you certainly can not be so
+ungracious as to deny me a favor?"
+
+"Have I ever refused my little sister anything she asked?"
+
+"The only favor you can ever grant me will be to persuade Miss Jane to
+consent to my departure. Look to it, sir, that I am allowed to go, and
+that right speedily; for go I certainly shall, at all hazards.
+Convince your sister that it is best, and let me go away forever,
+without incurring the displeasure of the only friend I ever had or
+ever shall have."
+
+She moved away as if to leave the grounds, but he caught her arm.
+
+"Wait five minutes, Salome, and I will take you home in my buggy. It
+is not right for you to walk alone at this early hour, and I will not
+allow it."
+
+She shook off his hand as if it had been an infant's; and, as she
+walked away, he heard her laugh with a degree of savage bitterness
+that stabbed his generous heart like a dagger; while behind her
+trailed the hissing echo,--
+
+              ... "Oh, alone, alone,--
+  Not troubling any in heaven, nor any on earth."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+
+In the pure, clear light of early morning, "Grassmere," with its wide,
+smooth lawn, and old-fashioned brick house, weather-stained and
+moss-mantled, looked singularly peaceful and attractive. Against the
+sombre mass of tree-foliage, white and purple altheas raised their
+circular censers, as if to greet the sun that was throwing level beams
+from the eastern hill-top, and delicate pink, and deep azure, and
+pearl-pale convolvulus held up their velvet trumpets all beaded with
+dew, to be drained by the first kiss of the great Day-God. Up and down
+the comb of the steep roof, beautiful pigeons with necklaces that
+rivalled the trappings of Solomon, strutted and cooed; on the eaves,
+busy brown wrens peeped into the gutters,--
+
+  "And of the news delivered their small souls,"--
+
+gossiping industriously; while from a distant nook some vagrant
+partridge whistled for its mate, and shy doves swinging in the highest
+elm limbs, moaned plaintively of the last hunting-season, that had
+proved a St. Barthlomew's day to the innocent feathered folk.
+
+On the lawn a flock of turkeys were foraging among the clover-blossoms,
+and over the dewy grass a large brood of young guineas raced after
+their mother, or played hide-and-seek, like nut-brown elves, under
+the white and purple tufts of flowers. Save the bird-world--always
+abroad early--no living thing seemed astir, and the silence that
+reigned was broken only by the distance-softened bleating of
+Stanley's pet lamb.
+
+As Salome walked slowly and wearily up the avenue, she saw that the
+housemaid had opened the front door, and when the orphan ascended the
+steps, all within was still as a tomb, except the canary that sprang
+into its ring and began to warble a _reveille_ as she approached the
+cage. Miss Jane was usually an early riser, and often aroused her
+servants, but to-day the household seemed to have overslept
+themselves, and when Salome had rearranged her dress, and waked her
+little brother, she rang the bell for Rachel, who soon obeyed the
+summons.
+
+"Is Miss Jane up?"
+
+"No, ma'am, I suppose not, as she has not rung for me. You know I
+always wait for her bell."
+
+"Perhaps she is not very well this morning. I will go and see whether
+she intends to get up."
+
+Salome went down stairs and knocked at the door of Miss Jane's room,
+but no sound was audible within, and she softly turned the bolt and
+entered.
+
+The lamp was burning very dimly on a table close to the bed, and upon
+the open Bible lay the spectacles which the old lady had placed there
+twelve hours before, when she finished reading the nightly chapter
+that generally composed her mind and put her to sleep.
+
+Salome conjectured that she had forgotten to extinguish the lamp, and
+as she cautiously turned the wick down, her eyes rested on the open
+page where pencil-lines marked the twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes,
+and enclosed the sixth and seventh verses, "Or ever the silver cord be
+loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the
+fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust
+return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God
+who gave it."
+
+Removing the glasses, the girl closed the book, and leaned over the
+pillow to look at the sleeper. She had turned her face towards the
+wall, and one hand lay under her head, pressed against her cheek,
+while the other held her handkerchief on the outside of the
+counterpane.
+
+Very softly she slumbered, with a placid smile half breaking over her
+aged, wrinkled features; and unwilling to shorten the morning nap in
+which she so rarely indulged, Salome sat down at the foot of the bed,
+and leaning her head on her hands, fell into a painful and profound
+reverie.
+
+Nearly an hour passed, unheeded by the unhappy girl, whose anguish
+rendered her indifferent to all that surrounded her; and after a while
+a keen pang thrilled her heart, as she heard Dr. Grey's pleasant voice
+jesting with Stanley on the lawn. His happiness seemed an insult to
+her misery, and she stopped her ears to exclude the sound of his quiet
+laugh.
+
+A half hour elapsed, and then his well-known rap was heard at the
+door. Miss Jane did not answer, and Salome was in no mood to welcome
+him home; but he waited for neither, and came in, gently closing the
+door behind him.
+
+At sight of the orphan, he started slightly, and said,--
+
+"Is my sister sick?"
+
+"I don't know, but she is sleeping unusually late. I thought it best
+not to disturb her."
+
+The look of dread that swept over his countenance frightened her, and
+she rose as he moved hastily to the bedside.
+
+"Salome, open the blinds. Quick! quick!"
+
+She sprang to the window, threw the shutters wide open, and hastened
+back. Dr. Grey's hand was on his sister's wrist, and his ear pressed
+against her heart,--strained to catch some faint pulsation. His head
+went down on her pillow, and Salome held her breath.
+
+"Oh, Janet! My dear, patient, good sister! This is indeed hard to
+bear. To die alone--unsoothed--unnoticed; with no kind hands about
+you! To die--without one farewell word!"
+
+He hid his face in his hands, and Salome staggered to the bed, and
+grasped Miss Jane's rigid, icy fingers.
+
+In the silence of midnight, Death stole her spirit from its clay
+garments, and while she slept peacefully had borne her beyond the
+confines of Time, and left her resting forever in the City Celestial.
+
+A life dedicated to pure aims and charitable deeds had been rewarded
+with a death as painless as the slumber of a tired child on its
+mother's bosom, and, without struggle or premonition, the soul had
+slipped from the bondage of flesh into the Everlasting Peace that
+remaineth for the children of God.
+
+It was impossible to decide at what hour she had died; and when the
+members of the appalled household were questioned, Muriel and Miss
+Dexter stated that she had kissed them good night and appeared as well
+as usual at her customary time of retiring; and Rachel testified that
+after she was in bed, she rang her bell and directed her to tell the
+cook that as Dr. Grey would probably come home about daylight, she
+must get up early and have a cup of coffee ready when he arrived.
+Sobbing passionately, Rachel added,--
+
+"When I asked her if I should put out the lamp, she said, 'No; Ulpian
+may lose his patient, and come home sad, and then he will come in and
+talk to me awhile.' And just as I was leaving the room, she called to
+me, 'Rachel, what coat did Ulpian wear? It turns so cool now before
+daylight that he will take cold if he has on that linen one.' I told
+her I did not know, and she would not be satisfied till I went to his
+room and found that the linen coat was hanging in the closet, and the
+gray flannel one was missing. Then she opened her Bible and said, 'Ah,
+that is all right. The flannel one will do very well, and my boy will
+be comfortable.'"
+
+Dr. Grey's grief was deep, but silent; and, during the dreary day and
+night that succeeded, he would allow no one to approach him except
+Muriel, whose soft little hands, and tearful, tender caresses, seemed
+in some degree to comfort him.
+
+One month before, Salome would have wept and mourned with him, but the
+fountain of her tears was exhausted and scorched by the intense
+bitterness and despairing hate that had taken possession of her since
+the day of Elsie's burial; and stunned and dry-eyed, she watched the
+preparations for the obsequies of her benefactress.
+
+Her love for Miss Jane had never been sufficiently fervent to render
+her distress very poignant; but in the death of this devoted friend
+she was fully aware that at last she was set once more adrift in the
+world, without chart or rudder save that furnished by her will.
+
+Life to-day was not the beautiful web, all aglow with the tangling of
+gold and silver threads, that had once charmed and dazzled her, for
+the mildew of hopelessness had tarnished the gilding, and the mesh was
+only a mass of dark knots, and subtle crossings, and inextricable
+confusion.
+
+Like that lost star that once burned so luridly in Cassiopeia, and
+flickered out, leaving a gulf of gloom where stellar glory was, the
+one most precious hope that lights and sanctifies a woman's heart had
+waned and grown sickly, and finally had gone out utterly, and dust
+and ashes and darkness filled the void. In natures such as hers, this
+hope is not allied to the phoenix, and, once crushed, knows no
+resurrection; consequently she cheated herself with no vain
+expectation that the mighty wizard, Time, could evoke from corpse or
+funeral-pyre even a spark to cheer the years that were thundering
+before her.
+
+A few months ago the future had glistened as peaceful and silvery as
+the Dead Sea at midnight, when a full-orbed Syrian moon glares down,
+searching for the palms and palaces that once marked Gomorrah's proud
+places; and, like some thirsty traveller smitten with surface sheen,
+she had laid her fevered lips to the treacherous margin, and, drinking
+eagerly, had been repaid with brine and bitumen.
+
+Disappointment was with her no meek, mute affair, but a savage fiend
+that browbeat and anathematized fate, accusing her of rendering
+existence a mere Nitocris banquet, where, while every sense is
+sharpened and pampered, and fruition almost touches the outstretched
+hands of eager trust, the flood-gates of the mighty Nile of despair
+are lifted, and its chill, dusky waves make irremediable wreck of
+all.
+
+With the quiet thoughtfulness and good sense that characterized her
+unobtrusive conduct, Miss Dexter had prepared from Muriel's wardrobe
+an entire suit of mourning, which she prevailed upon Salome to accept
+and wear; and, on the morning of the funeral, the latter went down
+early into the draped and darkened parlor, where the coffin and its
+cold tenant awaited the last offices that dust can perform for dust.
+
+She had not spoken to Dr. Grey for twenty-four hours, and, finding him
+beside the table where his sister's body lay, the orphan would have
+retreated, but he caught the rustling sound of her crape and
+bombazine, and held out his hand.
+
+"Come in, Salome."
+
+She took no notice of the offered fingers, but passed him, and went
+around the table to the opposite side.
+
+The wrinkled, sallow face, still wore its tranquil half-smile, and,
+under the cap-border of fine lace, the grizzled hair lay smooth and
+glossy on the sunken temples.
+
+In accordance with a wish which she had often expressed, the ghostly
+shroud was abandoned, and Miss Jane was dressed in her favorite black
+silk. Salome had gathered a small bouquet of the fragile white
+blossoms of apple-geranium, of which the old lady was particularly
+fond, and, bending over the coffin, she laid them between the fingers
+that were interlaced on the pulseless heart.
+
+With a quiet mournfulness, more eloquent than passionate grief, the
+girl stood looking for the last time at the placid countenance that
+had always beamed kindly and lovingly upon her since that dreary day,
+when, under the flickering shadow of the mulberry-tree, she had called
+her from the poor-house and given her a happy home.
+
+She stooped to kiss the livid lips, that had never spoken harshly to
+her; and, for some seconds, her face was hidden on the bosom of the
+dead. When she raised it, the dry, glittering eyes and firm mouth,
+betokened the bitterness of soul that no invectives could exhaust, no
+language adequately express.
+
+"Dr. Grey, if the exchange could be made, I would not only willingly,
+but gladly, thankfully, lie down here in this coffin, and give your
+sister back to your arms. The Reaper, Death, has cut down the perfect,
+golden grain, and left the tares to shiver in the coming winter. Some
+who are useless and life-weary bend forward, hoping to meet the
+sickle, but it sweeps above them, and they wither slowly among the
+stubble."
+
+He looked at her, and found it difficult to realize that the pale,
+quiet, stern woman, standing there in sombre weeds, was the same fair
+young face that he had seen thirty-six hours before in the moonlight
+that brightened Elsie's grave. He thought that only the slow, heavy
+rolling of years could have worn those lines about her faded lips, and
+those dark purplish hollows under the steady, undimmed eyes. That
+composed, frigid Salome, watching him from across the corpse and
+coffin, seemed a mere chill shadow of the fiery, impetuous, radiant
+girl, whose passionate waywardness had so often annoyed and grieved
+him. The alabaster vase was still perfect in form, but the lamp that
+had hitherto burned within, lending a rosy glow to clay, had fluttered
+and expired, and the change was painful indeed.
+
+His attention was so riveted upon the extraordinary alteration in her
+appearance, that her words fell on his ear, as empty, as meaningless,
+as the echoes heard in dreams, and when she ceased speaking, he looked
+perplexed, and sighed heavily.
+
+"What did you say? I do not think I understand you; my mind was
+abstracted when you spoke."
+
+"True; you never will understand me. Only the dead sleeping here
+between us fully comprehended me, and even unto the end of my
+life-chapter I must walk on misapprehended. When the coffin-lid is
+screwed down over that dear, kind face, I shall have bidden adieu to
+my sole and last friend; for in the Hereafter she will not know me.
+Ah, Miss Jane! you tried hard to teach me Christianity, but it was
+like geometry, I had no talent for it,--could not take hold of
+it,--and it all slipped through my fingers. If there is indeed an
+inexorable and incorruptible Justice reigning behind the stars, you
+will be so happy that I and my sins, and my desolation will not
+trouble you. Good-by, dear Miss Jane; it is not your fault that I
+missed my chance of being coaxed into the celestial fold with the
+elect sheep, and find myself scourged out with the despised goats. God
+grant you His everlasting rest."
+
+She turned, but Dr. Grey stretched his arm across his sister's body,
+and caught the orphan's dress.
+
+"Salome, God has called my own sister to her blessed rest in Christ,
+but my adopted sister He has left to comfort, to sympathize with me.
+Here, in the sacred presence of my dear dead, I ask you to take her
+place, and be to me throughout life the true, loving, faithful friend
+whom nothing can alienate, and of whom only death can deprive me. My
+little sister, let the future ripen and sanctify our confidence,
+affection, and friendship."
+
+"No, sir; sinners can not fill the niches of the saints; and to-day we
+are more completely divided than if the ocean roared between us. Once
+I struggled hard to cure myself of my faults,--to purify and fashion
+my nature anew, but the incentive has died, and I have no longer the
+proud aspirations that lifted me like eagle's wings high above the
+dust into which I have now fallen,--and where I expect to remain. You
+need not fear that I shall commit some capital sin, and go down in
+disgrace to my grave; for there must be some darling hope, some
+precious aim, that goads people to crime,--and neither of these have
+I. I do not want your friendship, and I will not allow your dictation;
+and, if you are as generous as I have believed you, I think you will
+spare me the manifestation of your pity. Miss Jane was the only link
+that united us in any degree, and now we are asunder and adrift. You
+see at least I am honest, and since I have not your confidence, I
+decline your compassion and espionage, and refuse to accept a sham
+friendship,--to trust myself upon a gossamer web that stretches across
+a dismal gulf of gloom, and wretchedness, and endless altercation.
+When I am in one continent, and you are in another, we shall be better
+friends than now."
+
+Her cold, slow, measured accents, and the calm pallor of her features
+told how complete was the change that had set its stern seal on body
+and soul; and Dr. Grey's heart ached, as he realized how withering was
+the blight that had fallen on her once buoyant, sanguine nature.
+
+"My dear Salome, for Janet's sake, and in memory of all her love and
+counsel, let me beg you not to indulge feelings that can only result
+in utter--"
+
+"Dr. Grey, let there be silence and peace between us, at least in the
+presence of the dead. Expostulation from your lips only exasperates
+and hardens me; so pray be quiet. No! do not touch me! Our hands have
+not clasped each other so often nor so closely that they must needs
+miss the warmth and pressure in the coming years of separation, and I
+will not soil your palm with mine."
+
+She coldly put aside the hand that endeavored to take hers, and, after
+one long, sad gaze at the marble face in the coffin, turned away, and
+went back to her own room.
+
+Miss Jane's charities had carried her name even to the secluded nooks
+of the county, and, when her death was announced, many humble
+beneficiaries of her bounty came to offer the last testimonial of
+respect and gratitude, by following the remains to their final
+resting-place. As the hour approached for the solemn rites, the house
+was filled with friends and acquaintances; and the members of the
+profession to which Dr. Grey belonged came to attend the funeral, and
+officiate as pall-bearers.
+
+Seated beside Dr. Grey, on one of the sofas, Salome's dry eyes noted
+all that passed while the services were performed; and, when the
+hearse moved down the avenue, she took his offered arm, and was placed
+in the same carriage.
+
+It was a long, dreary drive to the distant cemetery, and she was
+relieved to some extent when they found themselves at the family
+vault. Miss Jane had always desired to be buried under the slab that
+covered her brother, and had directed a space left for that purpose.
+Now the marble was removed, and the coffins of Jane and Enoch Grey
+rested side by side. The voice of the minister ceased, and only little
+Stanley's sobs broke that mournful silence which always ensues while
+spade or trowel does its sad work. Then the sculptured slab was
+replaced, and brother and sister were left to that blessed repose
+which is granted only to the faithful when "He giveth His beloved
+sleep."
+
+  "Write, 'Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord,
+  Because they rest,' ... because their toil is o'er.
+  The voice of weeping shall be heard no more
+  In the Eternal City. Neither dying
+  Nor sickness, pain nor sorrow, neither crying,
+  For God shall wipe away all tears. Rest,--rest."
+
+In the death of his sister, Dr. Grey mourned the loss of the only
+mother he had ever known, for his earliest recollections were of Miss
+Jane's tender care and love, and his affection was rather that of a
+devoted son than brother; consequently, the blow was doubly painful:
+but he bore it with a silent fortitude, a grave and truly Christian
+resignation, that left an indelible impression upon the minds of Miss
+Dexter and Muriel, and taught them the value of a faith that could
+bring repose and trust in the midst of a trial so severe.
+
+His continued vigils at "Solitude," and the profound grief that could
+not find vent in tears or words, had printed characters on his pale,
+wearied face, that should have commanded the sympathy of all who
+shared his friendship; but the sight of his worn features and the
+sound of his slow step only embittered the heart of the orphan, who
+saw in these evidences of fatigue and anxiety new manifestations of
+affection for the patient who was not yet entirely beyond danger.
+
+Four days after the funeral, Dr. Grey came in to breakfast later than
+usual, having driven over very early to "Solitude;" and, as he seated
+himself at the table and received from Muriel's hand a cup of coffee,
+he leaned forward and kissed her rosy cheek.
+
+"Thank you, my child. You are very kind to wait for me."
+
+"How is that poor Mrs. Gerome? Will she never be well enough to
+dispense with your services?"
+
+Once, Salome would have answered, "He hopes not;" but now she merely
+turned her head a little, to catch his reply.
+
+"She is better to-day than I feared I should find her, as some
+alarming symptoms threatened her yesterday; but now I think I can
+safely say the danger has entirely passed."
+
+Muriel hung over the back of his chair, pressing him to try several
+dishes that she pronounced excellent, but he gently refused all except
+the coffee; and, when he had pushed aside the empty cup, he drew the
+face of his ward close to his own, and murmured a few words that
+deepened the glow on her fair cheeks, while she hastily left the room
+to read a letter.
+
+For some moments he sat with his head resting on his hand, thinking of
+the dear old face that usually watched him from the corner of the
+fire-place, and of the kind words that were showered on him while he
+breakfasted; but to-day the faded lips were frozen forever, and the
+dim eyes would never again brighten at his approach.
+
+He sighed, brushed back the hair that clustered in glossy brown rings
+on his forehead, and rose.
+
+"Salome, if you are not particularly engaged this morning, I should be
+glad to see you in the library."
+
+"At what hour?"
+
+"Immediately, if you are at leisure."
+
+The orphan put aside the fold of crape which she was converting into a
+collar, and inclined her head slightly.
+
+Since that brief and painful interview held beside Miss Jane's coffin,
+not a syllable had passed between them, and the girl shrank with a
+vague, shivering dread from the impending _tete-a-tete_.
+
+Silently she followed the master of the house into the library, where
+Dr. Grey drew two chairs to the table, and, when she had seated
+herself in one, he took possession of the other.
+
+Opening a drawer, he selected several papers from a mass of what
+appeared to be legal documents, and spread them before her.
+
+"I wish to acquaint you with the contents of my sister's will, which I
+examined last night. Will you read it, or shall I briefly state her
+wishes?"
+
+"Tell me what you wish me to know."
+
+She swept the papers into a pile, and pushed them away.
+
+"Have you ever read a will?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+She leaned her elbows on the table, and rested her face in her hands.
+
+"All these pages amount simply to this,--dear Jane made her will
+immediately after my return from Europe, and its provisions are: that
+this place, with house, land, furniture, and stock, shall be given to
+and settled upon you; and moreover that, for the ensuing five years,
+you shall receive every January the sum of one thousand dollars. Until
+the expiration of that period, she desired that I should act as your
+guardian. By reference to the date and signature of these papers, you
+will find that this will was made as soon as she was able to sit up,
+after her illness produced by pneumonia; but appended to the original
+is a codicil stating that the validity of the distribution of her
+estate, contained in the former instrument, is contingent upon your
+conduct. Feeling most earnestly opposed to your contemplated scheme of
+going upon the stage as a _prima donna_, she solemnly declares, that,
+if you persist in carrying your decision into execution, the foregoing
+provisions shall be cancelled, and the house, land, and furniture
+shall be given to Jessie and Stanley; while only one thousand dollars
+is set apart as your portion. This codicil was signed one month ago."
+
+Dr. Grey glanced over the sheets of paper, and refolded them, allowing
+his companion time for reflection and comment, but she remained
+silent, and he added,--
+
+"However your views may differ from those entertained by my sister, I
+hope you will not permit yourself to doubt that a sincere desire to
+promote your life-long happiness prompted the course she has
+pursued."
+
+Five minutes elapsed, and the orphan sat mute and still.
+
+"Salome, are you disappointed? My dear friend, deal frankly with me."
+
+She lifted her pale, quiet face, and, for the first time in many
+weeks, he saw unshed tears shining in her eyes, and glittering on her
+lashes.
+
+"I should be glad to know whether Miss Jane consulted you, in the
+preparation of her will?"
+
+"She conferred with me concerning the will, and I cordially approved
+it; but of the codicil I knew nothing, until her lawyer--Mr.
+Lindsay--called my attention to it yesterday afternoon."
+
+"You are very generous, Dr. Grey, and no one but you would willingly
+divide your sister's estate with paupers, who have so long imposed
+upon her bounty. I had no expectation that Miss Jane would so
+munificently remember me, and I have not deserved the kindness which
+she has lavished on me, for Jessie and Stanley I gratefully accept her
+noble gift, and it will place them far beyond the possibility of want;
+while the only regret of which I am conscious, is, that I feel
+compelled to pursue a career, which my best, my only friend
+disapproved. In the name of poor little Jessie and Stanley, I thank
+you, sir, for consenting to such a generous bequest of property that
+is justly yours. You, who--"
+
+"Pray do not mention the matter, for independent of the large legacy
+left me by my sister, my own fortune is so ample that I deserve no
+thanks for willingly sharing that which I do not need. My little
+sister, you must not rashly decide a question which involves your
+future welfare, and I can not and will not hear your views at present.
+Take one week for calm deliberation, weigh the matter prayerfully and
+thoughtfully, and at the expiration of that time, meet me here, and I
+will accept your decision."
+
+She shook her head, and a dreary smile passed swiftly over her
+passionless face.
+
+"Twenty years of reflection would not alter, or in any degree bend my
+determination, which is as firmly fixed as the base of the Blue-Ridge;
+and--"
+
+"Pardon me, Salome, but, until the week has elapsed, I do not wish or
+intend to receive your verdict. Before this day week, recollect all
+the reasons which dear Janet urged against your scheme; recall the
+pain she suffered from the bare contemplation of such a possibility,
+and her tender pleadings and wise counsel. Ah, Salome, you are young
+and impulsive, but I trust you will not close your ears against your
+brother's earnest protest and appeal. If I were not sincerely attached
+to you, I should not so persistently oppose your favorite plan, which
+is fraught with perils and annoyances that you can not now realize.
+Hush! I will not listen to you to-day."
+
+He rose, and laying his hands softly on her head, added, in a solemn
+but tremulously tender tone,--
+
+"And may God in His infinite wisdom and mercy overrule all things for
+your temporal and eternal welfare, and so guide your decision, that
+peace and usefulness will be your portion, now and forever."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+
+"Yes, Dr. Grey, I am better than I ever expected or desired to be in
+this world."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, this is scarcely the recompense that my anxious
+vigilance and ceaseless exertions merit at your hands."
+
+The invalid leaned far back in her cushioned easy-chair, and, as the
+physician rested his arm on the mantelpiece and looked down at her, he
+thought of the lines that had more than once recurred to his mind,
+since the commencement of their acquaintance,--
+
+  "What finely carven features! Yes, but carved
+  From some clear stuff, not like a woman's flesh,
+  And colored like half-faded, white-rose leaves.
+  'Tis all too thin, and wan, and wanting blood,
+  To take my taste. No fulness, and no flush!
+  A watery half-moon in a wintry sky
+  Looks less uncomfortably cold. And ... well,
+  I never in the eyes of a sane woman
+  Saw such a strange, unsatisfied regard."
+
+"I suppose I ought to be grateful to you, Dr. Grey, for Katie and
+Robert have told me how patiently and carefully you nursed and watched
+over me, during my illness; but instead of gratitude, I find it
+difficult to forgive you for what you have done. You fanned into a
+flame the spark of life that was smouldering and expiring, and baffled
+the disease that came to me as the handmaid of Mercy. Death,
+transformed into an angel of pity, kindly opened the door of escape
+from the woe and weariness of this sin-cursed world, into the calmness
+and dreamless rest of the vast shoreless Beyond; and just when I was
+passing through, you snatched me back to my burdens and my bitter lot.
+I know, of course, that you intended only kindness, but you must not
+blame me if I fail to thank you."
+
+"You forget that life is intended as a season of fiery probation, and
+that without suffering there is no purification, and no reward.
+Remember, 'Calm is not life's crown, though calm is well;' and those
+who forego the pain must forego the palm."
+
+"I would gladly forego all things for a rest,--a sleep that could know
+no end. Katie tells me I have been ill a month, and from this brief
+season of oblivion you have dragged me back to the existence that I
+abhor. Dr. Grey, I feel to-day as poor Maurice de Guerin felt, when he
+wrote from Le Val, 'My fate has knocked at the door to recall me; for
+she had not gone on her way, but had seated herself upon the
+threshold, waiting until I had recovered sufficient strength to resume
+my journey. "Thou hast tarried long enough," said she to me; "come
+forward!" And she has taken me by the hand, and behold her again on
+the march, like those poor women one meets on the road, leading a
+child who follows with a sorrowful air.'"
+
+"There is a better guide provided, if you would only accept and yield
+to his ministrations. For the flint-faced fate that you accuse so
+virulently, substitute that tender and loving guardian the Angel of
+Patience.
+
+  'To weary hearts, to mourning homes,
+  God's meekest Angel gently comes.
+   . . . . . . . . . .
+  There's quiet in that Angel's glance,
+  There's rest in his still countenance!
+   . . . . . . . . . .
+  The ills and woes he may not cure
+  He kindly trains us to endure.
+   . . . . . . . . . .
+  He walks with thee, that Angel kind,
+  And gently whispers, 'Be resigned.'
+
+A moment since, you quoted De Guerin, and perhaps you may recollect
+one of his declarations, 'I have no shelter but resignation, and I run
+to it in great haste, all trembling and distracted. Resignation! It is
+the burrow hollowed in the cleft of some rock, which gives shelter to
+the flying and long-hunted prey.' You will never find peace for your
+heart and soul until you bring your will into complete subjection to
+that of Him 'who doeth all things well.' Defiance and rebellious
+struggles only aggravate your sorrows and trials."
+
+She listened to the deep, quiet voice, as some unlettered savage might
+hearken to the rhythmic music of Homer, soothed by the tones, yet
+incapable of comprehending their import; and as she looked up at the
+grave, kingly face, her eyes fell upon the broad band of crape that
+encircled his straw hat, which had been hastily placed on the
+mantelpiece.
+
+"Dr. Grey, you ought to speak advisedly, for Robert told me that you
+had recently lost your sister, and that you are now alone in the
+world. You, who have severe afflictions, should know how far
+resignation lightens them. I was much pained to learn that your sister
+died while you were absent,--while you were sitting up with me. Ah,
+sir! you ought to have watched her, and left me to my release. You
+have been very kind and considerate toward one who has no claim upon
+aught but your pity; and I would gladly lie down in your sister's
+grave, and give her back to your heart and home."
+
+Her countenance softened for an instant, and she held out her hand. He
+took the delicate fingers in his, and pressed them gently.
+
+"God grant that your life may be spared, until all doubt and
+bitterness is removed from your heart, and that when you go down into
+the grave it may be as bright with the blessed faith of a Christian as
+that which now contains my sister Janet. Do not allow the gloom of
+earthly disappointment to cloud your trust, but bear always in mind
+those cheering words of Saadi,--
+
+  'Says God, "Who comes towards me an inch through doubtings dim,
+  In blazing light I do approach a yard towards him."'"
+
+"If I am to be kept in this world until all the bitterness is scourged
+out of me, I might as well resign myself to a career as endless as
+that of Ahasuerus. I tell you, sir, I have been forced to drink out of
+quassia-cups until my whole being has imbibed the bitter; and I am
+like that tree to which Firdousi compared Mahmoud, 'Whose nature is so
+bitter, that were you to plant it in the garden of Eden, and water it
+with the ambrosial stream of Paradise, and were you to enrich its
+roots with virgin honey, it would, after all, discover its innate
+disposition, and only yield the acrid fruit it had ever borne.'"
+
+"What right have you to expect that existence should prove one
+continued gala-season? When Christ went down meekly into Gethsemane,
+that such as you and I might win a place in the Eternal City, how
+dare you demand exemption from grief and pain, that Jesus, your
+God, did not spare Himself? Are you purer than Christ, and wiser
+than the Almighty, that you impiously deride and question their
+code for the government of the Universe, in which individual lives
+seem trivial as the sands of the desert, or the leaves of the
+forest? Oh! it is pitiable, indeed, to see some worm writhing in
+the dust, and blasphemously dictating laws to Him who swung suns and
+asterisms in space, and breathed into its own feeble fragment of clay
+the spark that enabled it to insult its God. Put away such unwomanly
+scoffing,--such irreverent puerilities; sweep your soul clean of all
+such wretched rubbish, and when you feel tempted to repine at your
+lot, recollect the noble admonition of Dschelaleddin, 'If this
+world were our abiding-place, we might complain that it makes our
+bed so hard; but it is only our night-quarters on a journey, and
+who can expect home comforts?'"
+
+"I can not feel resigned to my lot. It is too hard,--too unjust."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, are you more just and prescient than Jehovah?"
+
+She passed her thin hand across her face, and was silent, for his
+voice and manner awed her. After a little while, she sat erect in her
+chair, and tried to rise.
+
+"Doctor, if you could look down into the gray ruins of my heart, you
+would not reprove me so harshly. My whole being seems in some cold
+eclipse, and my soul is like the Sistine Chapel in Passion-week,
+where all is shrouded in shadow, and no sounds are heard but Misereres
+and Tenebrae."
+
+"Promise me that in future you will try to keep it like that Christian
+temple, pure and inviolate from all imprecations and rebellious words.
+If gloom there must be, see to it that resignation seals your lips.
+What are you trying to do? You are not strong enough to walk alone."
+
+"I want to go into the parlor,--I want my piano. Yesterday I attempted
+to cross the room, and only Katie's presence saved me from a severe
+fall."
+
+She stood by her chair, grasping the carved back, and Dr. Grey stepped
+forward, and drew her arm under his.
+
+In her great weakness she leaned upon him, and when they reached the
+parlor door, she paused and almost panted.
+
+"You must not attempt to play,--you are too feeble even to sit up
+longer. Let me take you back to your room."
+
+"No,--no! Let me alone. I know best what is good for me; and I tell
+you my piano is my only Paraclete."
+
+Holding his arm for support, she drew a chair instead of the
+piano-stool to the instrument, and seated herself.
+
+Dr. Grey raised the lid, and waited some seconds, expecting her to
+play, but she sat still and mute, and presently he stooped to catch a
+glimpse of her countenance.
+
+"I want to see Elsie's grave. Open the blinds."
+
+He threw open the shutters, and came back to the piano.
+
+Through the window, the group of deodars was visible, and there,
+bathed in the mild yellow sunshine was the mound, and the faded wreath
+swinging in the breeze.
+
+For many minutes Mrs. Gerome gazed at the quiet spot where her nurse
+rested, and with her eyes still on the grave, her fingers struck into
+Chopin's Funeral March.
+
+After a while, Dr. Grey noticed a slight quiver cross her pale lips,
+and when the mournful music reached its saddest chords, a mist veiled
+the steely eyes, and very soon tears rolled slowly down her cheeks.
+
+The march ended, she did not pause, but began Mozart's Requiem, and
+all the while that slow rain of tears dripped down on her white
+fingers, and splashed upon the ivory keys.
+
+Dr. Grey was so rejoiced at the breaking up of the ice that had long
+frozen the fountain of her tears, that he made no attempt to interrupt
+her, until he saw that she tottered in her chair. Taking her hands
+from the piano, he said gently,--
+
+"You are quite exhausted, and I can not permit this to continue. Come
+back to your room."
+
+"No; let me stay here. Put me on the sofa in the oriel, and leave the
+blinds open."
+
+He lifted her from the chair and led her to the sofa, where she sank
+heavily down upon the cushions.
+
+Without comment or resistance, she drank a glass of strong cordial
+which he held to her lips, and lay with her eyes closed, while tears
+still trickled through the long jet lashes.
+
+She wore a robe of white merino, and a rich blue shawl of the same
+soft material which was folded across her shoulders, made the wan face
+look like some marble seraph's, hovering over an altar where violet
+light streams through stained glass.
+
+For some time Dr. Grey walked up and down the long room, glancing
+now and then at his patient, and when he saw that the tears had
+ceased, he brought from a basket in the hall an exquisitely
+beautiful and fragrant bouquet of the flowers which he knew she
+loved best,--heliotrope, violets, tube-rose, and Grand-Duke
+jessamine, fringed daintily with spicy geranium leaves, and scarlet
+fuchsias.
+
+Silently he placed it on her folded hands, and the expression of
+surprise and pleasure that suddenly lighted her countenance, amply
+repaid him.
+
+"Dr. Grey, it has been my wish to except services from no one,--to owe
+no human being thanks; but your unvarying kindness to my poor Elsie
+and to me, imposes a debt of gratitude that I can not easily
+liquidate. I fear you are destined to bankrupt me, for how can I hope
+to repay all your thoughtful, delicate care, and generous interest in
+a stranger? Tell me in what way I can adequately requite you."
+
+Dr. Grey drew a chair close to the sofa, and answered,--
+
+"Take care lest your zeal prove the contrary, for you know a
+distinguished philosopher asserts that, 'Too great eagerness to
+requite an obligation is a species of ingratitude;' and such an
+accusation would be unflattering to you, and unpleasant to me."
+
+Turning the bouquet around in order to examine and admire each flower,
+Mrs. Gerome toyed with the velvet bells, and said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"Their delicious perfume always reminds me of my beautiful home near
+Funchal, where heliotrope and geraniums grew so tall that they looked
+in at my window, and hedges of fuchsias bordered my garden walks.
+Never have I seen elsewhere such profusion and perfection of
+flowers."
+
+"When were you in Madeira?"
+
+"Two years ago. The villa I occupied was situated on the side of a
+mountain, whose base was covered with vineyards; and from a grove of
+lemon and oleanders that stood in front of the house I could see the
+surging Atlantic at my feet, and the crest of the mountain clothed
+with chestnuts, high above and behind me. In one corner of my vineyard
+stood a solitary palm, which tradition asserted was planted when Zarco
+discovered the island; and the groves of orange, citron, and
+pomegranate trees were always peopled with humming-birds, and flocks
+of green canaries. There, surrounded by grand and picturesque scenery
+of which I never wearied, I resolved to live and die; but Elsie's
+desire to return to America, which held the ashes of her husband and
+child, overruled my inclination and the dictates of judgment, and
+reluctantly I left my mountain Eden and came here. Now, when I smell
+violets and heliotrope, regret mingles with their aroma; and, after
+all, the sacrifice was in vain, and Elsie would have slept as calmly
+there, under palm and chestnut, as yonder, where the deodar-shadows
+fall."
+
+"Is your life here a faithful transcript of that portion of it passed
+at Funchal?"
+
+"Yes; except that there I saw no human being but the servants, who
+transacted any business that demanded interviews with the consul."
+
+"It was fortunate that Elsie's wise counsel prevailed over your
+caprice, for many of your griefs proceed from the complete isolation
+to which you so strangely doom yourself; and until you become a useful
+member of that society you are so fully fitted to adorn and elevate,
+you need not hope or expect the peace of mind that results only from
+the consciousness of having nobly discharged the sacred obligations to
+God, and to your race. 'Bear ye one another's burdens,' was the solemn
+admonition of Him who sublimely bore the burdens of an entire world.
+Now tell me, have you ever stretched out a finger to aid the toiling
+multitudes whose cry for help wails over even the most prosperous
+lands? What have you done to strengthen trembling hands, or comfort
+and gladden oppressed hearts? How dare you hoard within your own home
+the treasure of fortune, talent, and sympathy, which were temporarily
+entrusted to your hands, to be sown broadcast in noble charities,--to
+be judiciously invested in promoting the cause of Truth in the fierce
+war Evil wages against it? Hitherto you have lived solely for
+yourself, which is a sin against humanity; and have pampered a morbid
+and rebellious spirit, that is a grevious sin against your God. Shake
+off your lethargy and cynicism, and let a busy future redeem a vagrant
+and worthless past. '_He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
+precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his
+sheaves with him._'"
+
+The flowers dropped on her bosom, and, clasping her hands across her
+forehead, she turned her face towards the sea, and seemed pondering
+his words.
+
+"Dr. Grey, my purse has always been open to the needy, and Elsie was
+my almoner. Whenever you find a destitute family, or hear an appeal
+for help, I shall gladly respond, and constitute you the agent for the
+distribution of my charity-fund. As for bearing the sorrows of others,
+pray excuse me. I am so weighed down with my own burdens that I have
+no strength or leisure to spare to my neighbors, and since I ask no
+aid, must not be censured for rendering none. It is utterly useless to
+urge me to enter society, for like that sad pilgrim in Brittany, 'In
+losing solitude I lose the half of my soul. I go out into the world
+with a secret horror. When I withdraw, I gather together and lock up
+my scattered treasure, but I put away my ideas sorely handled, like
+fruits fallen from the tree upon stones.' No, no; in seclusion I find
+the only modicum of peace that earth can ever yield me, and can
+readily understand why Chateaubriand avoided those crowds which he
+denominated, 'The vast desert of men.'"
+
+"You must not be offended, if, in reply, I remind you of the rude but
+vigorous words of that prince of cynics, Schopenhauer, 'Society is a
+fire at which the wise man from a prudent distance warms himself; not
+plunging into it, like the fool who after getting well blistered,
+rushes into the coldness of solitude, and complains that the fire
+burns.' Of the two evils, reckless dissipation and gloomy isolation,
+the latter is probably an economy of sin; but since neither is
+inevitable, we should all endeavor to render ourselves useful members
+of society, and unfurl over our circle the banner of St. Paul, 'Use
+this world as not abusing it.' Mrs. Gerome, do not obstinately mar the
+present and future, by brooding bitterly over the trials of the past;
+but try to believe that, indeed,--
+
+           ... 'Sorrows humanize our race;
+  Tears are the showers that fertilize this world.
+  And memory of things precious keepeth warm
+  The heart that once did hold them.'"
+
+He watched her eagerly yet gravely, hoping that her face would soften;
+but she raised her hand with a proud, impatient motion.
+
+"You talk at random, concerning matters of which you know nothing. I
+hate the world and have abjured it, and you might as well go down
+yonder and harangue the ocean on the sin of its ceaseless muttering,
+as expect to remodel my aimless, blank life."
+
+Pained and disappointed, he remained silent, and, as if conscious of a
+want of courtesy, she added,--
+
+"Do not allow your generous heart to be disquieted on my account, but
+leave me to a fate which can not be changed,--which I have endured
+seven years, and must bear to my grave. Now that you see how desolate
+I am, pity me, and be silent."
+
+"It will be difficult for you to regain your strength here, where so
+many mournful associations surround you, and I came to-day to beg you
+to take a trip somewhere, by sea or land. Almost any change of scene
+and air will materially benefit you, and you need not be absent more
+than a few weeks. Will you take the matter under consideration?"
+
+"No, sir; why should I? Can hills or waves, dells or lakes, cure a
+mind which you assure me is diseased? Can sea breeze or mountain air
+fan out recollections that have jaundiced the heart, or furnish an
+opiate that will effectually deaden and quiet regret? I long ago tried
+your remedy--travelling, and for four years I wandered up and down,
+and over the face of the old world; but amid the crumbling columns of
+Persepolis, I was still Agla Gerome, the wretched; and when I stood on
+the margin of the Lake of Wan, I saw in its waves the reflection of
+the same hopeless woman who now lies before you. Change of external
+surroundings is futile, and no more affects the soul than the roar of
+surface-surf changes the hollow of an ocean bed where the dead sleep;
+and, verily,--
+
+  'My heart is a drear Golgotha, where all the ground is white
+  With the wrecks of joys that have perished,--the skeletons of
+        delight.'"
+
+He saw that in her present mood expostulation would only aggravate the
+evil he longed to correct, and hoping to divert the current of her
+thoughts, he said,--
+
+"I trust you will not deem me impertinently curious if I ask what
+singular freak bestowed upon you the name of 'Agla'?"
+
+A startling change swept over her features, and her tone was haughtily
+challenging.
+
+"What interest can Dr. Grey find in a matter so trivial? If I were
+named Hecate or Persephone, would the world have a right to demur, to
+complain, or to criticise?"
+
+"When a lady bears the mystic name, which, in past ages, was given to
+the Deity, by a race who, if superstitious, were at least devout and
+reverent, she should not be surprised if it excites wonder and
+comment. Forgive me, however, if my inquiry annoyed you."
+
+He rose and took his hat, but her hand caught his arm.
+
+"Do you know the import of the word?"
+
+"Yes; I understand the significance of the letters, and the wonderful
+power attributed to them when arranged in the triangles and called the
+'Shield of David.' Knowing that it was considered talismanic, I could
+not imagine why you were christened with so mystical a name."
+
+"I was never christened."
+
+He could not explain the confusion and displeasure which the question
+excited, and anxious to relieve her of any feeling of annoyance, he
+added,--
+
+"Have you ever looked into the nature of the _Aglaophotis_?"
+
+She struggled up from her cushions, and exclaimed, with a vehemence
+that startled him,--
+
+"What induced you to examine it? I know that it is a strange plant,
+growing out of solid marble, and accounted a charm by Arab magicians.
+Well, Dr. Grey, do not I belong to that species? You see before you a
+human specimen of _Aglaophotis_, growing out of a marble heart."
+
+Sometimes an exaggerated whimsicality trenches so closely upon
+insanity, that it is difficult to discriminate between them; and, as
+Dr. Grey noted the peculiarly cold glitter of her large eyes, and the
+restless movement of her usually quiet hands, he dreaded that the
+crushing weight on her heart would ultimately impair her mind. Now he
+abruptly changed the topic.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, whenever it is agreeable to you to drive down the beach
+or across the woods and among the hills, it will afford me much
+pleasure to place my horse, buggy, and myself at your disposal; and,
+in fine weather like this, a drive of a few miles would invigorate
+you."
+
+"Thank you. I shall not trouble you, for I have my low-swung easy
+carriage, and my grays--my fatal grays. Ah if they would only serve me
+as they did my poor Elsie! When I am strong enough to take the reins,
+I will allow them an opportunity. Dr. Grey, if I seem rude, forgive
+me. You are very kind and singularly patient, and sometimes when you
+have left me, I feel ashamed of my inability to prove my sincere
+appreciation of your goodness. For these beautiful flowers, I thank
+you cordially."
+
+She held out her hand, and, as he accepted it, he drew from his pocket
+the silver key which he had so carefully preserved.
+
+"Accident made me the custodian of this key, which I found on the
+floor the day of Elsie's burial. Knowing that it belonged to your
+escritoire, whence I saw you take it, I thought it best not to commit
+it to a servant's care, and have kept it in my pocket until I thought
+you might need it."
+
+Although the room was growing dim, he detected the expression of dread
+that crossed her countenance, and saw her bite her thin lip with
+vexation.
+
+"You have worn for one month the key of my desk, where lie all my
+papers and records; and when I was so desperately ill, I presume you
+looked into the drawers, merely to ascertain whether I had prepared my
+will?"
+
+The mockery of her tone stung him keenly, but he allowed no evidence
+of the wound to escape him. Bending over her as she sat partially
+erect, supported by cushions, he took her white face tenderly in his
+hands, and said, very calmly and gently,--
+
+"When you know me better, you will realize how groundless is your
+apprehension that I have penetrated into the recesses of your
+writing-desk. Knowing that it contained valuable papers, I guarded it
+as jealously as you could have done; and, upon the honor of a
+gentleman, I assure you I am as ignorant of its contents as if I had
+never entered the house. When I consider it essential to my peace of
+mind to become acquainted with your antecedents, I shall come to you
+and ask what I desire to learn. While you were so ill, I told Robert
+that your friends should be notified of your imminent danger, and
+inquired of him whether you had made a will, as I deemed it my duty to
+inform your agent of your alarming condition. He either could not or
+would not give me any satisfactory reply, and there the matter ended.
+When I am gone, do not reproach yourself for having so unjustly
+impugned my motives, for I shall not allow myself to believe that you
+really entertain so contemptible an opinion of me; and shall ascribe
+your hasty accusation to mere momentary chagrin and pique."
+
+"Ah, sir! you ought not to wonder that I am so suspicious; you--but
+how can you understand the grounds of my distrust, unless--"
+
+"Hush! We will not discuss a matter which can only excite and annoy
+you. Mrs. Gerome, under all circumstances you may unhesitatingly trust
+me, and I beg to assure you I shall never divulge anything confided to
+me. You need a friend, and perhaps some day you may consider me worthy
+to serve you in that capacity; meantime, as your physician, I shall
+continue to watch over and control you. To-day you have cruelly
+overtasked your exhausted system, and I can not permit you to remain
+here any longer. Come immediately to your own room."
+
+His manner was so quietly authoritative that she obeyed instantly, and
+when he lifted her from the sofa, she took his arm, and walked towards
+the door. Before they had crossed the hall, he felt her reel and lean
+more heavily against him, and silently he took the thin form in his
+arms, and carried her to her room.
+
+The gray head was on his shoulder, and the cold marble cheek touched
+his, as he laid her softly down on her bed and arranged her pillows.
+He rang for Katie, and, in crossing the floor, stepped on something
+hard. It was too dusky in the closely curtained apartment to see any
+object so small, but he swept his hand across the carpet and picked up
+the key that had slipped from her nerveless fingers. Placing it beside
+her, he smiled and said,--
+
+"You are incorrigibly careless. Are you not afraid to tax my curiosity
+so severely, and tempt me so pertinaciously, by strewing your keys in
+my path? The next time I pick up this one, which belongs to your
+escritoire, I shall engage some one to act as your guardian. Katie, be
+sure she takes that tonic mixture three times a day. Good-night."
+
+When the sound of his retreating footsteps died away, Mrs. Gerome
+thrust the key under her pillow, and murmured,--
+
+"I wonder whether this Ulpian can be as true, as trusty, as nobly
+fearless as his grand old Roman namesake, whom not even the purple of
+Severus could save from martyrdom? Ah! if Ulpian Grey is really all
+that he appears. But how dare I hope, much less believe it? Verily, he
+reminds me of Madame de Chatenay's description of Joubert, 'He seems
+to be a soul that by accident had met with a body, and tried to make
+the best of it.'"
+
+"Did you speak to me, ma'am?" asked Katie, who was bustling about,
+preparing to light the lamp.
+
+"No. The room is like a tomb. Open the blinds and loop back all the
+curtains, so that I can look out."
+
+  "And the sunset paled, and warmed once more
+  With a softer, tenderer after-glow;
+  In the east was moon-rise, with boats off-shore
+  And sails in the distance drifting slow."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, sister says she wants to see you, before you go to
+town."
+
+Jessie Owen came softly up to the table where Dr. Grey sat writing,
+and stood with her hand on his knee.
+
+"Very well. Tell sister I will come to her as soon as I finish this
+letter. Where is she?"
+
+"In the library."
+
+"In ten minutes I shall be at leisure."
+
+He found Salome with a piece of sewing in her hand, and her young
+sister leaning on her lap, chattering merrily about a nest full of
+eggs which she and Stanley had found that morning in a corner of the
+orchard; while the latter swung on the back of her chair, winding over
+his finger a short curl that lay on her neck. It was a pleasant,
+peaceful, homelike picture, worthy of Eastman Johnson's brush, and for
+thirty years such a group had not been seen in that quiet old
+library.
+
+Dr. Grey paused at the threshold, to admire the graceful pose of
+Jessie's fairy figure,--the lazy nonchalance of Stanley's posture,--and
+the finely shaped head that rose above both, like some stately lily,
+surrounded by clustering croci; but Salome was listening for his
+footsteps, and turned her head at his entrance.
+
+"Stanley, take Jessie up to my room, and show her your Chinese puzzle.
+When I want either or both of you, I will call you. Close the door
+after you, and mind that you do not get to romping, and shake the
+house down."
+
+"How very pretty Jessie has grown during the last year. Her complexion
+has lost its muddy tinge, and is almost waxen," said the doctor, when
+the children had left the room and scampered up stairs.
+
+"She is a very sweet-tempered and affectionate little thing, but I
+never considered her pretty. She is too much like her father."
+
+"Salome, death veils all blemishes."
+
+"That depends very much on the character of the survivors; but we will
+not discuss abstract propositions,--especially since I have resolved
+to follow the old oriental maxim,--
+
+  'Leave ancestry behind, despise heraldic art,
+  Thy father be thy mind, thy mother be thy heart.
+  Dead names concern not thee, bid foreign titles wait;
+  Thy deeds thy pedigree, thy hopes thy rich estate!'
+
+Dr. Grey, the week has ended, and I took the liberty of reminding you
+of the fact, as I am anxious to acquaint you with my purposes for the
+future."
+
+He drew a chair near hers, and seated himself.
+
+"Well, Salome, I hope that reflection has changed your views, and
+taught you the wisdom of my sister's course with reference to
+yourself."
+
+"On the contrary, the season of deliberation you forced upon me has
+only strengthened and intensified my desire to carry into execution
+the project I have so long dreamed of; and to-day I am more than ever
+firmly resolved to follow, at all hazards, the dictates of my own
+judgment, no matter with whose opinions or wishes they may conflict."
+
+She expected that he would expostulate, and plead against her
+decision, but he merely bowed, and remained silent.
+
+"My object in asking this interview was to ascertain how soon it would
+be convenient for you to place in my hands the legacy of one thousand
+dollars which was bequeathed to me on condition that I went upon the
+stage; and also to inquire what you intend to do with the children, of
+whom Miss Jane's will constitutes you the guardian?"
+
+"You wish me to understand that you are determined to defy the wishes
+of your best friend, and take a step which distressed her beyond
+expression?"
+
+"I shall certainly go upon the stage."
+
+"I have no alternative but to accept your decision, which you are well
+aware I regard as exceedingly deplorable. The money can be paid to you
+to-morrow, if you desire it. Hoping that you would abandon this freak,
+I had intended to keep the children here, under your supervision,
+while I removed to my house in town, and left their tuition to Miss
+Dexter; but since you have decided otherwise, I shall remain here for
+the present, keeping them with me, at least until after Muriel's
+marriage. The income from this farm averages two thousand dollars a
+year, and will not only amply provide for their wants and education,
+but will enable me to lay aside annually a portion of that amount.
+When Muriel marries, Miss Dexter may not be willing to remain here,
+and if she leaves us I shall endeavor to find as worthy and reliable a
+substitute. Have you any objection to this arrangement?"
+
+"I have no right to utter any, since you are the legal guardian of the
+children. But contingencies might arise for which it seems you have
+not provided."
+
+"What do you mean?"
+
+"I mean that I can trust Jessie and Stanley to you, but when you are
+married I prefer that they should find another home; or, if need be,
+Jessie can come to me."
+
+An angry flush dyed Dr. Grey's olive face, and kindled a fiery gleam
+in his usually mild, clear, blue eyes, but looking at the girl's
+compressed and trembling lips, and noting the underlying misery which
+her defiant expression could not cover, his displeasure gave place to
+profound compassion.
+
+"Salome, dismiss that cause of anxiety from your mind, and trust the
+assurance I offer you now,--that when I marry, my wife will be worthy
+to assist me in guiding and governing my wards."
+
+She was prepared to hear him retort that the career she had chosen
+would render her an unsuitable counsellor for little Jessie; and
+conscious that she had deeply wounded him, his calm reply was the
+sharpest rebuke he could possibly have administered.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I have no extraordinary amount of tenderness for the
+children, because they are indissolubly associated with that period of
+my life to which I never recur without pain and humiliation that you
+can not possibly realize or comprehend; still, I am not exactly a
+brute, and I do not wish them to be trained to regard me as a Pariah,
+or to be told that I have forfeited their respect and affection. When
+I am gone, let them think kindly of me."
+
+"Your request is a reflection upon my friendship, and is so
+exceedingly unjust that I am surprised and pained; but let that pass.
+I am sure I need not tell you that your wishes shall be complied with.
+I have often thought that after Stanley completed his studies, I would
+take him into my office, and teach him my own profession. Have you any
+objection to this scheme?"
+
+"No, sir. I am willing to trust him implicitly to you. He has one
+terrible fault which I have been trying to correct, and which I hope
+you will not lose sight of. The boy seems constitutionally addicted to
+telling stories, and prefers falsehood to truth. I have punished him
+repeatedly for this habit, and you must, if possible, save him from
+the pauper vice of lying, which is peculiarly detestable to me. I know
+less of the little one's character, but believe that she is not
+afflicted with this evil tendency."
+
+"Stanley's fault has not escaped me, and two days ago I was obliged to
+punish him for a gross violation of the truth; but as he grows older,
+I trust he will correct this defect, and I shall faithfully endeavor
+to show him its enormity. Is there anything else you wish to say to me
+about the children? I will very gladly hear any suggestions you can
+offer."
+
+"No, sir. I have governed myself so badly, that it ill becomes me to
+dictate to you how they should be trained. God knows, I am heartily
+glad they were mercifully thrown into your hands; and if you can only
+make Stanley Owen such a man as you are, the old blot on the name may
+be effaced. From Mark and Joel I have not heard for several months,
+and presume they will be sturdy but unlettered mechanics. If I
+succeed, I shall interfere and send them to school; otherwise, they
+must take the chances for letters and a livelihood."
+
+"Salome, you are bartering life-long peace and happiness for the
+momentary gratification of a whim, prompted solely by vanity. How
+worthless are the brief hollow plaudits of the world (which will
+regard you merely as the toy of an hour), in comparison with the
+affection and society of your own family? Here, in your home, how
+useful, how contented you might be!"
+
+Her only reply was a hasty, imperious wave of the hand, and a long
+silence followed.
+
+In the bright morning light that streamed in through the tendrils of
+honeysuckle clambering around the window, Dr. Grey looked searchingly
+at the orphan, and could scarcely realize that this pale, proud,
+pain-stricken face, was the same rosy round one, fair and fearless,
+that had first met his gaze under the pearly apple-blossoms.
+
+Then, pink flesh, hazel eyes, vermillioned lips, and glossy hair had
+preferred incontestable claims to beauty; now, an artist would have
+curiously traced the fine lines and curves daintily drawn about eyes,
+brow and mouth, by the stylus of care, of hopelessness, of wild bursts
+of passion. Her figure retained its rounded symmetry, but the
+countenance traitorously revealed the struggles, the bitter
+disappointments, the vindictive jealousy, and rudely-smitten and
+blasted hopes, that had robbed her days of peace and her nights of
+sleep.
+
+Until this moment, Dr. Grey had not fully appreciated the change
+that had been wrought by two tedious years, and as he scrutinized
+the sadly sharpened and shadowed features, a painful feeling of
+humiliation and almost of self-reproach sprang from the consciousness
+that his inability to reciprocate her devoted love had brought down
+this premature blight upon a young and whilom happy, careless
+girl,--transforming her into a reckless, hardened, hopeless woman.
+
+While his inexorable conscience fully exonerated him from censure, his
+generous heart ached in sympathy for hers, and his chivalric
+tenderness for all things weaker than himself, bled at the reflection
+that he had been unintentionally instrumental in darkening a woman's
+life.
+
+But hope,--beautiful, blue-eyed, sunny-browed hope,--whispered that
+this was a fleeting youthful fancy; and that absence and time would
+dispel the temporary gloom that now lay on her heart, like some dense
+cold vapor which would grow silvery, and melt in morning sunshine.
+
+Under his steady gaze the blood rose slowly to its old signal-station
+on her cheeks, and she put up one hand to shield its scarlet banners.
+
+"Salome, will you tell me when and where you intend to go? Since you
+have resolved to leave us, I desire to know in what way I can aid you,
+or contribute to the comfort of the journey you contemplate."
+
+"From the last letter of Professor V----, declining your proposal that
+he should come here and instruct me, I learn that within the ensuing
+ten days he will sail for Havre, _en route_ to Italy, where he intends
+spending the winter. If possible, I wish to reach New York before his
+departure, and to accompany him. The thousand dollars will defray my
+expenses until I have completed my musical training, which will fit me
+for the stage, and insure an early engagement in some operatic
+company. Knowing your high estimate of Professor V----, both as a
+gentleman and as a musician, I am exceedingly anxious to place myself
+under his protection; especially since his wife and children will meet
+him at Paris, and go on to Naples. Are you willing to give me a letter
+of introduction, commending me to his favorable consideration?"
+
+The hesitating timidity with which this request was uttered, touched
+him more painfully than aught that had ever passed between them.
+
+"My dear child, did you suppose that I would permit you to travel
+alone to New York, and thrust yourself upon the notice of strangers? I
+will accompany you whenever you go, and not only present you to the
+professor, but request him to receive you into his family as a member
+of his home-circle."
+
+A quiver shook out the hard lines around her lips, and she turned her
+eyes full on his.
+
+"You are very kind, sir, but that is not necessary; and a letter of
+introduction will have the same effect, and save you from a
+disagreeable trip. Your time is too valuable to be wasted on such
+journeys, and I have no right to expect that solely on my account you
+should tear yourself away--from--those dear to you."
+
+"I think my time could not be more profitably employed than in
+promoting the happiness and welfare of my adopted sister, who was so
+inexpressibly dear to my noble Janet. It is neither pleasant nor
+proper for a young lady to travel without an escort."
+
+He had risen, and laid his hand lightly on the back of her chair.
+
+  "She smiled; but he could see arise
+  Her soul from far adown her eyes,
+  Prepared as if for sacrifice."
+
+"Is it a mercy, think you, Dr. Grey, to foster a fastidiousness
+that can only barb the shafts of penury? What right have toiling
+paupers to harbor in their thoughts those dainty scruples that
+belong appropriately to princesses and palaces? Why tell me that
+this, that, or the other step is not 'proper,' when you know that
+necessity goads me? Sir, I feel now like that isolated Florentine,
+and echo her words,--
+
+               ... 'And since help
+  Must come to me from those who love me not,
+  Farewell, all helpers. I must help myself,
+  And am alone from henceforth.'"
+
+"You prefer that I should not accompany you to New York?"
+
+"Yes, sir; but I gratefully accept a letter to Professor V----."
+
+"Very well; it shall be in readiness when you wish it. Have you fixed
+any time for your departure?"
+
+"This is Friday,--and I shall go on the six o'clock train, Monday
+morning."
+
+"Is there any service that I can render you in the interim?"
+
+"No, thank you."
+
+"As you have no likeness of the children, would it be agreeable to you
+to have their photographs taken to-day,--and, at the same time, a
+picture of yourself to be left with them? If you desire it I will meet
+you in town, at the gallery, at any hour you may designate."
+
+Standing before him, she answered, almost scornfully,--
+
+"I shall not have time. Some day--if I succeed--I will send them my
+photograph, taken in gorgeous robes as _prima donna_; provided you
+promise that said robes shall not constitute a _San Benito_, and doom
+the picture to the flames. I will detain you no longer, Dr. Grey, as
+the sole object of the interview has been accomplished."
+
+"Pardon me; but I have a word to say. Your career will probably be
+brilliantly successful, in which event you will feel no want of
+admirers and friends,--and will doubtless ignore me for those who
+flatter you more, and really love you less. But, Salome, failure may
+overtake you, bringing in its train countless evils that at present
+you can not realize,--poverty, disease, desolation, in the midst of
+strangers,--and all the woes that, like hungry wolves, attack
+homeless, isolated women. I earnestly hope that the leprous hand of
+disaster and defeat may never be laid upon your future, but the most
+cautious human schemes are fallible--often futile--and if you should
+be unsuccessful in your programme, and find yourself unable to
+consummate your plans, I ask you now, by the memory of our friendship,
+by the sacred memory of the dead, to promise me that you will
+immediately write and acquaint me with all your needs, your wishes,
+your real condition. Promise me, dear Salome, that you will turn
+instantly to me, as you would to Stanley, were he in my place,--that
+you will let me prove myself your elder brother,--your truest, best
+friend."
+
+He put his hand on her head, but she recoiled haughtily from his
+touch.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I promise you,
+
+  'I will not soil thy purple with my dust,
+  Nor breathe my poison on thy Venice-glass.'
+
+I promise you that if misfortune, failure, and penury lay hold of me,
+you shall be the last human being who will learn it; for I will cloak
+myself under a name that will not betray me, and crawl into some
+lazaretto, and be buried in some potter's field, among other
+mendicants,--unknown, 'unwept, unhonored, and unsung.'"
+
+If some motherless young chamois, rescued from destruction, and
+pampered and caressed, had suddenly turned, and savagely bitten and
+lacerated the hand that fondled and fed it, Dr. Grey would not have
+been more painfully startled; but experience had taught him the
+uselessness of expostulation during her moods of perversity, and he
+took his hat and turned away, saying, almost sternly,--
+
+"Bear in mind that neither palace nor potter's field can screen you
+from the scrutiny of your Maker, or mask and shelter your shivering
+soul in the solemn hour when He demands its last reckoning."
+
+"Which 'reckoning,' your eminently Christian charity assures you will
+prove more terrible for me than the Bloody Assizes. 'By the memory of
+our friendship!' Oh, shallow sham! Pinning my faith to the _dictum_,
+'The tide of friendship does not rise high on the bank of perfection,'
+my fatuity led me to expect that your friendship was wide as the
+universe, and lasting as eternity. Wise Helvetius told me that, 'To be
+loved, we should merit but little esteem; all superiority attracts awe
+and aversion;' _ergo_, since my credentials of unworthiness were
+indisputable, I laid claim to a vast share of your favor. But, alas!
+the logic of the seers is well-nigh as hollow as my hopes."
+
+He looked over his shoulder at her, with an expression of pity as
+profound as that which must have filled the eyes of the angel, who,
+standing in the blaze of the sword of wrath, watched Adam and Eve go
+mournfully forth into the blistering heats of unknown lands. Before he
+could reply, she laughed contemptuously, and continued,--
+
+"_Nil desperandum_, Dr. Grey. Remember that, 'Faith and persistency
+are life's architects; while doubt and despair bury all under the
+ruins of any endeavor.' When I have trilled a fortune into that
+abhorred vacuum, my pocket, I shall go down to the Tigris, and catch
+the mate to Tobias' fish, and by the cremation thereof, fumigate my
+pestiferous soul, and smoke out the Asmodeus that has so long and
+comfortably dwelt there."
+
+"God grant you a Raphael, as guide on your journey," was his calm,
+earnest reply, as he disappeared, closing the door after him.
+
+When the sound of his buggy-wheels on the gravelled avenue told her he
+had gone, she threw herself on the floor, and crossing her arms on a
+chair, hid her face in them.
+
+During Saturday, no opportunity presented itself for renewing the
+conversation, and early on Sunday morning Dr. Grey sent to her room a
+package marked $1,000.00--though really containing $1,500.00--and a
+letter addressed to Professor V----. Without examining either, she
+threw them into her trunk, which was already packed, and went down to
+breakfast.
+
+She declined accompanying Miss Dexter and Muriel to church, alleging,
+as an excuse, that it was the last day she could spend with the
+children.
+
+Dr. Grey approached her when the remainder of the family had left the
+table, where she sat abstractedly jingling her fork and spoon.
+
+He noticed that her breakfast was untasted, and said, very gently,--
+
+"I suppose that you wish to visit our dear Jane's grave, before you
+leave us, and, if agreeable to you, I shall be glad to have you
+accompany me there to-day."
+
+"Thank you; but if I go, it will be alone."
+
+He stooped to kiss Jessie, who leaned against her sister's chair, and,
+when he left the room, Salome caught the child in her arms, and
+pressed her lips twice to the spot where his had rested.
+
+Late in the afternoon she eluded the children's watchful eyes, and
+stole away from the house, taking the road that led towards
+"Solitude." In one portion of the osage hedge that surrounded the
+place, the lower branches had died, leaving a small opening, and here
+Salome gained access to the grounds. Walking cautiously under the
+thick and dark masses of shrubbery and trees, she reached the arched
+path near the clump of pyramidal deodars, whose long, drooping plumes
+were fluttering in the evening wind.
+
+Thence she could command a view of the house and grounds in front, and
+thence she saw that concerning which she had come to satisfy
+herself,--believing that the evidence of her own eyes would fortify
+her for the approaching trial of separation. Dr. Grey's horse and
+buggy stood near the side gate, and Dr. Grey was walking very slowly
+up and down the avenue leading to the beach, while Mrs. Gerome's tall
+form leaned on his arm, and the greyhound followed sulkily.
+
+Salome had barely time to look upon the spectacle that fired her heart
+and well-nigh maddened her, ere the dog lifted his head, gave one
+quick, savage bark, and darted in the direction of the cedars.
+
+Dread of detection and of Dr. Grey's pitying gaze was more potent than
+fear of the brute, and she ran swiftly towards the gap in the hedge,
+by which she had effected an entrance into the secluded grounds. Just
+as she reached it, the greyhound bounded up, and they met in front of
+the opening. He set his teeth in her clothes, tearing away a streamer
+of her black dress, and, as she silently struggled, he bit her arm
+badly, mangling the flesh, from which the blood spouted. Disengaging a
+shawl which she wore around her shoulders, she threw it over his head,
+and, as the meshes caught in his collar, and temporarily entangled
+him, she sprang through the gap, and seized a heavy stick which lay
+within reach. He followed, snarling and pawing at the shawl that
+ultimately dropped at Salome's feet; but finding himself beyond the
+boundary he was expected to guard, and probably satisfied with the
+punishment already inflicted, he retreated before a well-aimed blow
+that drove him back into the enclosure.
+
+The instant he started towards the cedars Dr. Grey suspected mischief,
+and, placing Mrs. Gerome on a bench that surrounded an elm, he hurried
+in the same direction.
+
+When he reached the spot, the dog was snuffing at a patch of bombazine
+that lay on the grass; and, confirmed in his sad suspicion, the doctor
+passed through the opening in the hedge and looked about for the
+figure which he dreaded, yet expected to see.
+
+Bushy undergrowth covered the ground for some distance, and, hoping
+that nothing more serious than fright had resulted from the escapade,
+he stowed away the bombazine fragment in his coat pocket, and slowly
+retraced his steps.
+
+Secreted by two friendly oaks that spread their low boughs over her,
+Salome had seen his anxious face peering around for the intruder, and
+when he abandoned the search and disappeared, she smothered a bitter
+laugh, and strove to stanch the blood that trickled from the gash by
+binding her handkerchief over it. Torn muscles and tendons ached and
+smarted; but the great agony that seemed devouring her heart rendered
+her almost oblivious of physical pain. In the dusk of coming night she
+crossed the gloomy forest, where a whippoorwill was drearily
+lamenting, and, walking over an unfrequented portion of the lawn, went
+up to her own room.
+
+She bathed and bound up the wound as securely as the use of only one
+hand would permit, and put on a dress whose sleeves fastened closely
+at the wrist.
+
+Ere long, Dr. Grey's clear voice echoed through the hall, and the
+sound made her wince, like the touch of some glowing brand.
+
+"Jessie, where is sister Salome? Tell her tea is ready."
+
+The orphan went down and took her seat, but did not even glance at
+the master of the house, who looked anxiously at her as she entered.
+
+During the meal Jessie asked for some sweetmeats that were placed in
+front of her sister, and, as the latter drew the glass dish nearer,
+and proceeded to help her, the child exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, look there! What is that dripping from your sleeve? Ugh! it is
+blood."
+
+"Nonsense, Jessie! don't be silly. Hush! and eat your supper."
+
+Two drops of blood had fallen on the table-cloth, and the girl
+instantly set her cup and saucer over them.
+
+She felt the slow stream trickling down to her wrist, and put her arm
+in her lap.
+
+"Is anything the matter?" asked Dr. Grey, who had observed the quick
+movement.
+
+"I hurt my arm a little, that is all."
+
+Her tone forbade a renewal of inquiry, and, as soon as possible, she
+withdrew to her room, to adjust the bandage.
+
+The children were playing in the library, and Muriel was walking with
+her governess on the wide piazza.
+
+While Salome was trying by the aid of fingers and teeth to draw a
+strip of linen tightly over her wound, a tap at the door startled
+her.
+
+"I am engaged, and can see no one just now."
+
+"Salome, I want to speak to you, and shall wait here until I do."
+
+"Excuse me, Dr. Grey. I will come down in ten minutes."
+
+"Pardon me, but I insist upon seeing you here, and hope you will not
+compel me to force the door open."
+
+She wrapped a towel around her arm, drew down her sleeve, and opened
+the door.
+
+"To what am I indebted for the honor of this interview?"
+
+"To my interest in your welfare, which cannot be baffled. Salome, what
+is the matter? You looked so pale that I noticed you particularly, and
+saw the blood on the table-cloth. My dear child, I will not be trifled
+with. Tell me where you are hurt."
+
+"Pray give yourself no uneasiness. I merely scraped and bruised my
+arm. It is a matter of no consequence."
+
+"Of that I beg to be considered the best judge. Show me your arm."
+
+"I prefer not to trouble you."
+
+He gently but firmly took hold of it, unwound the towel, and she saw
+him start and shudder at sight of the mangled flesh.
+
+"An ugly gash! Tell me how you hurt yourself so severely."
+
+"It is a matter that I do not choose to discuss; but since you have
+seen it, I wish you would be so good as to dress and bandage the
+wound."
+
+"Oh, my little sister! Will you never learn to trust your brother?"
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey! will you never learn to let me alone, when I am
+indulging the 'Imp of the Perverse' in an audience, and do not wish to
+be interrupted?"
+
+She mimicked his pleading tone so admirably that his face flushed.
+
+"Come to the sitting-room. No one can disturb us there, and I will
+attend to your injury, which is really serious."
+
+She followed him, and stood without flinching one iota, while he
+clipped away the jagged pieces of flesh, covered the long gash with
+adhesive plaster, and carefully bandaged the whole.
+
+"Salome, you must dismiss all idea of starting to-morrow, for indeed
+it would not be safe for you to travel alone, with your arm in this
+condition. It may give you much trouble and suffering."
+
+"Which, of course, _nolens volens_, I must bear as best I may; but, so
+surely as I live to see daylight, I shall start, even if I knew I
+should have to stop _en route_ and bury my pretty arm, and be forced
+to buy a cork one, wherewith to gesticulate gracefully when I die as
+'Azucena.' There! thank you, Dr. Grey; of course you are very
+good,--you always are. Shall I bid you all good-by now, or wait till
+morning? Better make my adieu to-night, so that I may not disturb the
+matutinal slumbers of the household."
+
+There was a dangerous, starry sparkle in her eyes, that he would not
+venture to defy, and, sighing heavily, he answered,--
+
+"I shall accompany you to the depot, and place you under the
+protection of the conductor."
+
+"I do not desire to give you that trouble, and--"
+
+"Hush! Do not grieve me any more than you have already done, by your
+hasty, unkind, unfriendly speeches. I shall see you in the morning."
+
+He left the room abruptly, to conceal the distress which he did not
+desire her to discover; and having found Muriel and Miss Dexter,
+Salome bade them good-by, requested them not to disturb themselves
+next morning on her account, and called the children to her room.
+
+For two hours they sat beside her on the lounge, crying over her
+impending departure, but when she had promised to take them as far as
+the depot, their thoughts followed other currents, and very soon
+after, both slumbered soundly in their trundle-bed.
+
+With her cheek resting on her hand, Salome sat looking at them, noting
+the glossiness of their curling hair, the flush on their round faces,
+the regular breathing of peaceful childhood's sleep. Once she could
+have wept, and would have knelt and prayed over them; but now her own
+overmastering misery had withered all the tenderness in her heart,
+and, while her eyes of flesh rested on the orphans, her mental vision
+was filled with the figure of that gray-haired woman hanging on Dr.
+Grey's arm. In a dull, cold, abstract way, she hoped that the little
+ones would be happy,--how could they be otherwise when fortune had
+committed them to Dr. Grey's guardianship? But a numb, desperate
+feeling had seized her, and she cared for nothing, loved nothing,
+prayed for nothing.
+
+How the hours of that night of wretchedness passed she never knew; but
+when the little bird in the parlor clock "cuckooed" three times, she
+was aroused from her reverie by the tramp of horses' hoofs on the
+gravel, and then the sharp clang of the bell echoed through the silent
+house.
+
+It was not unusual for messengers to summon Dr. Grey during the night,
+and she was not surprised when, some moments later, she heard his
+voice in the hall. After the lapse of a quarter of an hour, his firm,
+well-known step approached and paused at her threshold.
+
+"Salome, are you up?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Come into the passage."
+
+She opened the door, and stood with the candle in her hand.
+
+"I regret exceedingly that I am compelled to leave here immediately,
+as I must hasten to see a man and child who have been horribly burned
+and injured by the falling in of a roof. The parties live some
+distance in the country, and I fear I shall not be able to get back in
+time to go with you to the cars. I shall drive as rapidly as possible,
+and hope to accompany you, but if I should be detained, here is a note
+which I hastily scribbled to Mr. Miller, the conductor, whom you will
+find a very kind and courteous gentleman. I sincerely deplore this
+summons, but the sufferers are old friends of my sister, and I hope
+you will believe that nothing but a case of life and death would
+prevent me from seeing you aboard the train."
+
+"I am sorry, sir, that you thought it necessary to apologize."
+
+She was not yet prepared to part from him forever,--she had been
+nerving herself for the final interview at the depot; but now it came
+with a shock that utterly stunned her, and she reeled against the
+door-facing, as if recoiling from some fearful blow.
+
+The livid pallor of her lips, and the spasm of agony that contracted
+her features, frightened him, and, as he sprang closer to her, the
+candle fell from her fingers. He caught it, ere it reached the mat,
+and placed it on a chair.
+
+"My dear child, your arm pains you, and I beg you to defer your
+journey at least until Tuesday. I shall be anxious and miserable
+about you, if you go this morning, and, for my sake, Salome, if not
+for your own, remain here one day longer. I have not asked many things
+of you, and I trust you will not refuse this last request I may ever
+be allowed to make."
+
+She attempted to speak, but there came only a quiver across her mouth,
+and a sickly smile that flickered over the ghastly proud face, like
+the lying sunshine of Indian summer on marble cenotaphs.
+
+"Salome, you will, to oblige me, wait until Tuesday?"
+
+She shook her head, and mastered her weakness.
+
+"No, Dr. Grey; I must go at once. I take all the hazard."
+
+"Then you will find on the mantelpiece in my room, a paper containing
+directions for the treatment of your arm, which demands care and
+attention. I am sorry you are so obstinate, and, if I possessed the
+authority, I would forbid your departure."
+
+He could not endure the despairing expression of her eyes, which
+seemed supernaturally large and brilliant, and his own quailed, for
+the first time within his recollection. She knew that she was going
+away forever, to avoid the sight of his happiness with Mrs. Gerome;
+that, in comparison with that torture, all other trials, even
+separation, would be endurable, but the least evil was more severe
+than she had dreaded. Now, as she looked up at his noble face,
+overshadowed with anxiety and regret, and paler than she had ever seen
+it, the one prayer of her heart was, that, ere a wife's lips touched
+his, death might claim him for its prey.
+
+"Salome, I am deeply pained by the course you persist in following,
+but I will not provoke and annoy you by renewed expression of a
+disapprobation that has proved so ineffectual in influencing your
+decision. God grant that the results may sanction your confidence in
+your own judgment,--your distrust of mine. I promised you once that I
+would pray for you, and I wish to assure you, that, while I live, I
+shall never lay my head upon my pillow without having first committed
+you to the mercy and loving care of that Guardian who never 'slumbers,
+nor sleeps.' May God bless and guide you, my dear young friend, and if
+not again in this world, grant that we may meet in the Everlasting
+City of Peace. Little sister, be sure to meet me in the Kingdom of
+Rest, where dear Janet waits for us both."
+
+His calm eyes filled with tears, and his voice grew tremulous, as he
+took Salome's cold, passive hand, and kissed it.
+
+"Good-by, Dr. Grey; if I find my way to heaven, it will be because you
+are there. When I am gone, let my name and memory be like that of the
+dead."
+
+She stood erect, with her fingers lying in his palm, and the ring of
+her voice was like the clashing of steel against steel.
+
+He bent down, and, for the first time, pressed his lips to her
+forehead; then turned quickly and walked away. When he reached the
+head of the stairs, he looked back and saw her standing in the door,
+with the candle-light flaring over her face; and in after years, he
+could never recall, without a keen pang, that vision of a girlish form
+draped in mourning, and of fair, rigid features, which hope and
+happiness could never again soften and brighten.
+
+Her splendid eyes followed him, as if the sole light of her life were
+passing away forever; and, with a heavy sigh, he hurried down the
+steps, realizing all the mournful burden of that Portuguese sonnet,--
+
+  "Go from me. Yet I feel that I shall stand
+  Henceforward in thy shadow. Nevermore
+  Alone upon the threshold of my door
+  Of individual life, I shall command
+  The uses of my soul, nor lift my hand
+  Serenely in the sunshine as before,
+  Without the sense of that which I forbore--
+  Thy touch upon the palm. The widest land
+  Doom takes to part us, leaves thy heart in mine,
+  With pulses that beat double. What I do
+  And what I dream include thee, as the wine
+  Must taste of its own grapes. And when I sue
+  God for myself, He hears that name of thine,
+  And sees within my eyes the tears of two."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+
+"I hope nothing has gone wrong, Robert? You look unusually forlorn and
+doleful."
+
+Dr. Grey stepped out of his buggy, and accosted the gardener, who was
+leaning idly on the gate, holding a trowel in his hand, and lazily
+puffing the smoke from his pipe.
+
+"I thank you, sir; with us the world wags on pretty much the same,
+but when a man has been planting violets on his mother's grave he does
+not feel like whistling and making merry. Besides, to tell the
+truth,--which I do not like to shirk,--I am getting very tired of
+this dismal, unlucky place. If I had known as much before I bought
+it as I do now, all the locomotives in America could not have
+dragged me here. I was a stranger, and of course nobody thought it
+their special duty to warn me; so I was bitten badly enough by the
+agent who sold me this den of misfortune. Now, when it is too
+late, there is no lack of busy tongues to tell me the place is
+haunted, and has been for, lo! these many years."
+
+"Nonsense, Robert! I gave you credit for too much good sense to listen
+to the gossip of silly old wives. Put all these ridiculous tales of
+ghosts and hobgoblins out of your mind, man, and do not make me laugh
+at you, as if you were a child who had been so frightened by stories
+of 'raw-head and bloody-bones,' that you were afraid to blow out your
+candle and creep into bed."
+
+"I am neither a fool nor a coward, and I will fight anything that I
+can feel has bone and muscle; but I am satisfied that if all the water
+in Siloam were poured over this place, it would not wash out the curse
+that people tell me has always rested on it since the time the pirates
+first located here. I can't admit I believe in witches, but
+undoubtedly I do believe in Satan, who seems to have a fee-simple to
+the place. It is not enough that my poor mother is buried yonder, but
+my wheat and oats took the rust; the mildew spoiled my grape crop; the
+rains ruined my melons; the worms ate up every blade of my grass; the
+cows have got the black-tongue; the gale blew down my pigeon-house and
+mashed all my squabs; and my splendid carnations and fuchsias are
+devoured by red spider. Nothing thrives, and I am sick at heart."
+
+The dogged discontent written so legibly on his countenance, did not
+encourage the visitor to enter into a discussion of the abstract
+causes of blight, gales, and black-tongue, and he merely answered,--
+
+"The evils you have enumerated are not peculiar to any locality; and
+all the farmers in this neighborhood are echoing your complaints. How
+is Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+"Neither better nor worse. You know what miserable weather we have had
+for a week. This morning she ordered the small carriage and horses
+brought to the door, and when I took the reins, she dismissed me and
+said she preferred driving herself. I told her the grays had not been
+used, and were badly pampered standing so long in their stalls, and
+that I was really afraid they would break her neck, as she was not
+strong enough to manage them; but she laughed, and answered that if
+they did, it would be the best day's work they had ever accomplished,
+and she would give them a chance. Down the beach they went like a
+flash, and when she came home their flanks smoked like a lime-kiln.
+What is ever to be done with my mistress, I am sure I don't know. She
+makes the house so doleful, that nobody wants to stay here, and only
+yesterday Katie and Phoebe, the cook, gave notice that they wished to
+leave when the month was out. She has no idea what she will do, or
+where she will go. We have wanted a hot-house, and she ordered me to
+get the builder's estimate of the cost of two plans which she drew;
+but when I carried them to her, she pushed them aside, and said she
+would think of the matter, but thought she might leave this place, and
+therefore would not need the building. She is as notionate as a child;
+and no one but my poor mother could ever manage her. Hist! sir! Don't
+you hear her? You may be sure there is mischief brewing when she sings
+like that."
+
+Dr. Grey walked towards the house, and paused on the portico to
+listen,--
+
+  "Quis est homo, qui non fleret
+  Christi matrem si videret,
+  In tanto supplicio."
+
+The voice was not so strong as when he had heard it in _Addio del
+Passata_, but the solemn mournfulness of its cadences was better
+suited to the _Stabat Mater_, and indexed much that no other method of
+expression would have reached. After some moments she forsook Rossini,
+and began the _Agnus Dei_ from Haydn's Third Mass,--
+
+  "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere."
+
+Surely she could not render this grand strain if her soul was in
+fierce rebellion; and, with strained ears and hushed breath, Dr. Grey
+listened to the closing
+
+  "Dona nobis pacem,--pacem,--pacem."
+
+It was a passionate, wailing prayer, and the only one that ever
+crossed her lips, yet his heart throbbed with pleasure, as he noted
+the tremor that seemed to shiver her voice into silvery fragments; and
+as she ended, he knew that tears were not far from her eyes.
+
+When he entered the room, she had left the piano, and wheeled a sofa
+in front of the grate, where she sat gazing, vacantly into the fiery
+fretwork of glowing coals.
+
+A copy of Turner's "Liber Studiorum," superbly bound in purple velvet,
+lay on her knee, and into a corner of the sofa she had tossed a square
+of canvas almost filled with silken Parmese violets.
+
+"Good-evening, Mrs. Gerome; I hope I do not interrupt you."
+
+Dr. Grey removed the embroidery to the table, and seated himself in
+the sofa corner.
+
+"Good evening. Interruption argues occupation and absorbed attention,
+and the term is not applicable to me. I who live as vainly, as
+uselessly, as fruitlessly, as some fakir twirling his thumbs and
+staring at his beard, have little right to call anything an
+interruption. My existence here is as still, as stagnant, as some pool
+down yonder in the sedge which last week's waves left among the sand
+hillocks, and your visits are like pebbles thrown into it, creating
+transient ripples and circles."
+
+"You have gone back to the God of your aesthetic idolatry," said he,
+touching the "Liber Studiorum."
+
+"Yes, because 'Beauty pitches her tents before him,' and his pencil is
+more potent in conjuring visions that enchant my wearied mind, than
+Jemschid's goblet or Iskander's mirror."
+
+"But why stand afar off, trusting to human and fallible interpreters,
+when it is your privilege to draw near and dwell in the essence of the
+only real and divine beauty?"
+
+"Better reverence it behind a veil, than suffer like Semele. I know my
+needs, and satisfy them fully. Once my heart was as bare of adoration
+as Egypt's tawny sands of crystal rain-pools; but looking into the
+realm of nature and of art, I chose the religion of the beautiful, and
+said to my famished soul,
+
+  'From every channel thro' which Beauty runs,
+  To fertilize the world with lovely things,
+  I will draw freely, and be satisfied.'"
+
+"This morbid sentimentality, this sickly gasping system of aesthetics,
+_soi-disant_ 'Religion of the Beautiful,' is the curse of the
+age,--is a vast, universal vampire sucking the life from humanity.
+Like other idolatries it may arrogate the name of 'Religion,' but it
+is simply downright pagan materialism, and its votaries of the
+nineteenth century should look back two thousand years, and renew the
+_Panathenoea_. The ancient Greek worship of aesthetics was a proud and
+pardonable system, replete with sublime images; but the idols of
+your emasculated creed are yellow-haired women with straight
+noses,--are purple clouds and moon-silvered seas,--and physical
+beauty constitutes their sole excellence. Lovely landscapes and
+perfect faces are certainly entitled to a liberal quota of earnest
+admiration; but a religion that contents itself with merely
+material beauty, differs in nothing but nomenclature from the
+pagan worship of Cybele, Venus, and Astarte."
+
+A chill smile momentarily brightened Mrs. Gerome's features, and
+turning towards her visitor, she answered slowly,--
+
+"Be thankful, sir, that even the worship of beauty lingers in this
+world of sin and hate; and instead of defiling and demolishing its
+altars, go to work zealously and erect new ones at every cross-roads.
+Lessing spoke for me when he said, 'Only a misapprehended religion can
+remove us from the beautiful, and it is proof that a religion is true
+and rightly understood when it everywhere brings us back to the
+Beautiful.'"
+
+"Pardon me. I accept Lessing's words, but cavil at your interpretation
+of them. His reverence for Beauty embraced not merely physical and
+material types, but that nobler, grander beauty which centres in pure
+ethics and ontology; and a religion that seeks no higher forms than
+those of clay,--whether Himalayas or 'Greek Slave,'--whether emerald
+icebergs, flashing under polar auroras, or the myosotis that nods
+there on the mantelpiece,--a religion that substitutes beauty for
+duty, and Nature for Nature's God, is a shameful sham, and a curse to
+its devotees. There is a beauty worthy of all adoration, a beauty far
+above Antinous, or Gula or Greek aesthetics,--a beauty that is not the
+_disjecta membra_ that modern maudlin sentimentality has left it,--but
+that perfect and immortal 'Beauty of Holiness,' that outlives marble
+and silver, pigment, stylus, and pagan poems that deify dust."
+
+He leaned towards her, watching eagerly for some symptom of interest
+in the face before him, and bent his head until he inhaled the
+fragrance of the violets which clustered on one side of the coil of
+hair.
+
+"'Beauty of Holiness.' Show it to me, Dr. Grey. Is it at La Trappe, or
+the Hospice of St. Bernard? Where are its temples? Where are its
+worshippers? Who is its Hierophant?"
+
+"Jesus Christ."
+
+She closed her eyes for a moment, as if to shut out some painful
+vision evoked by his words.
+
+"Sir, do you recollect the reply of Laplace, when Napoleon asked him
+why there was no mention of God in his '_Mecanique Celeste_?' '_Sire,
+je n'avais pas besoin de cette hypothese._' I was not sufficiently
+insane to base my religion of beauty upon a holiness that was buried
+in the tomb supplied by Joseph of Arimathea,--that was long ago hunted
+out of the world it might have purified. Once I believed in, and
+revered what I supposed was its existence, but I was speedily
+disenchanted of my faith, for,--
+
+  'I have seen those that wore Heaven's armor, worsted:
+  I have heard Truth lie:
+  Seen Life, beside the founts for which it thirsted,
+  Curse God and die.'
+
+Dr. Grey, I do not desire to sneer at your Christian trust, and God
+knows I would give all my earthly possessions and hopes for a religion
+that would insure me your calm resignation and contentment; but the
+resurrection of my faith would only resemble that beautiful floral
+_Palingenesis_ (asserted by Gaffarel and Kircher), which was but 'the
+pale spectre of a flower coming slowly forth from its own ashes,' and
+speedily dropping back into dust. Leave me in the enjoyment of the
+only pleasure earth can afford me, the contemplation of the
+beautiful."
+
+"Unless you blend with it the true and good, your love of beauty will
+degenerate into the merely sensuous aesthetics, which, at the present
+day, renders its votaries fastidious, etiolated voluptuaries. The
+deification of humanity, so successfully inaugurated by Feuerbach and
+Strauss, is now no longer confined to realms of abstract speculation;
+but cultivated sensualism has sunk so low that popular poets chant the
+praises of Phryne and Cleopatra, and painters and sculptors seek to
+immortalize types that degrade the taste of all lovers of Art. The
+true mission of Art, whether through the medium of books, statues, or
+pictures, is to purify and exalt; but the curse of our age is, that
+the fashionable pantheistic raving about Nature, and the apotheosizing
+of physical loveliness,--is rapidly sinking into a worship of the
+vilest elements of humanity and materialism. Pagan aesthetics were
+purer and nobler than the system, which, under that name, finds favor
+with our generation."
+
+She listened, not assentingly, but without any manifestation of
+impatience, and while he talked, her eyes rested dreamily upon the
+yellow beach, where,--
+
+  "Trampling up the sloping sand,
+    In lines outreaching far and wide,
+  The white-maned billows swept to land."
+
+Whether she pondered his words, or was too entirely absorbed by her
+own thoughts to heed their import, he had no means of ascertaining.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, what have you painted recently?"
+
+"Nothing, since my illness; and perhaps I shall never touch my brush
+again. Sometimes I have thought I would paint a picture of Handel
+standing up to listen to that sad song from his own 'Samson,'--'_Total
+eclipse, no sun, no moon_!' But I doubt whether I could put on
+canvas that grand, mournful, blind face, turned eagerly towards the
+stage, while tears ran swiftly from his sightless eyes. Again, I have
+vague visions of a dead Schopenhauer, seated in the corner of the sofa,
+with his pet poodle, Putz, howling at his master's ghastly white
+features,--with his Indian Oupnekhat lying on his rigid knee, and
+his gilded statuette of Gotama Buddha grinning at him from the
+mantelpiece, welcoming him to Nirwana. There stands my easel, empty
+and shrouded; and here, from day to day, I sit idle, not lacking
+ideas, but the will to clothe them. Unlike poor Maurice de Guerin, who
+said that his 'head was parching; that, like a tree which had lived
+its life, he felt as though every passing wind were blowing through
+dead branches in his top,' I feel that my brain is as vigorous and
+restless as ever, while my will alone is paralyzed, and my heart
+withered and cold within me."
+
+"Your brush and palette will never yield you any permanent happiness,
+nor promote a spirit of contentment, until you select a different
+class of subjects. Your themes are all too sombre, too dismal, and the
+sole _motif_ that runs through your music and painting seems to be _in
+memoriam_. Open the windows of your gloomy soul, and let God's
+sunshine stream into its cold recesses, and warm and gild and gladden
+it. Throw aside your morbid proclivities for the melancholy and
+abnormal, and paint peaceful _genre_ pictures,--a group of sunburnt,
+laughing harvesters, or merry children, or tulip-beds with butterflies
+swinging over them. You need more warmth in your heart, and more light
+in your pictures."
+
+"Eminently correct,--most incontestably true; but how do you propose
+to remedy the imperfect _chiaro-oscuro_ of my character? Show me
+the market where that light of peace and joy is bartered, and I
+will constitute you my broker, with unlimited orders. No, no. I see
+the fact as plainly as you do, but I know better than you how
+irremediable it is. My soul is a doleful _morgue_, and my pictures
+are dim photographs of its corpse-tenants. Shut in forever from the
+sunshine, I dip my brush in the shadows that surround me, for,
+like Empedocles,--
+
+                 ... 'I alone
+  Am dead to life and joy; therefore I read
+  In all things my own deadness.'"
+
+"If you would free yourself from the coils of an intense and selfish
+egoism that fetter you to the petty cares and trials of your
+individual existence,--if you would endeavor to forget for a season
+the woes of Mrs. Gerome, and expend a little more sympathy on the
+sorrows of others,--if you would resolve to lose sight of the caprices
+that render you so unpopular, and make some human being happy by your
+aid and kind words,--in fine, if, instead of selecting as your model
+some cynical, half-insane woman like Lady Hester Stanhope, you chose
+for imitation the example of noble Christian usefulness and
+self-abnegation, analogous to that of Florence Nightingale, or Mrs.
+Fry, you would soon find that your conscience--"
+
+"Enough! You weary me. Dr. Grey, I thoroughly understand your motives,
+and honor their purity, but I beg that you will give yourself no
+further anxiety on my account. You cannot, from your religious
+standpoint, avoid regarding me as worse than a heathen, and have
+constituted yourself a missionary to reclaim and consecrate me. I am
+not quite a cannibal, ready to devour you, by way of recompense for
+your charitable efforts in my behalf, but I must assure you your
+interest and sympathy are sadly wasted. Do you remember that
+celebrated 'vase of Soissons,' which was plundered by rude soldiery in
+Rheims, and which Clovis so eagerly coveted at the distribution of the
+spoils? A soldier broke it before the king's hungry eyes, and forced
+him to take the worthless mocking fragments. Even so flint-faced fate
+shattered my happiness, and tauntingly offers me the ruins; but I will
+none of it!"
+
+"Trust God's overruling mercy, and those fragments, fused in the
+furnace of affliction, may be remoulded and restored to you in
+pristine perfection."
+
+"Impossible! Moreover, I trust nothing but the brevity of human life,
+which one day cannot fail to release me from an existence that has
+proved an almost intolerable burden. You know Vogt says, 'The natural
+laws are rude, unbending powers,' and I comfort myself by hoping that
+they can neither be bribed nor browbeaten out of the discharge of
+their duty, which points to death as 'the surest calculation that can
+be made,--as the unavoidable keystone of every individual life.' A
+grim consolation, you think? True; but all I shall ever receive. Dr.
+Grey, in your estimation I am sinfully inert and self-indulgent; and
+you conscientiously commend my idle hands to the benevolent work of
+knitting socks for indigent ditchers, and making jackets for pauper
+children. Now, although it is considered neither orthodox nor modest
+to furnish left-hand with a trumpet for sounding the praises of
+almsgiving right-hand, still I must be allowed to assert that I
+appropriate an ample share of my fortune for charitable purposes.
+Perhaps you will tell me that I do not give in a proper spirit of
+loving sympathy,--that I hurl my donations at my conscience, as 'a sop
+to Cerberus.' I have never injured any one, and if I have no tender
+love in my heart to expend on others, it is the fault of that world
+which taught me how hollow and deceitful it is. God knows I have never
+intentionally wounded any living thing; and if negatively good, at
+least my career has no stain of positive evil upon it. I am one of
+those concerning whom Richter said, 'There are souls for whom life has
+no summer. These should enjoy the advantages of the inhabitants of
+Spitzbergen, where, through the winter's day, the stars shine clear as
+through the winter's night.' I have neither summer nor polar stars,
+but I wait for that long night wherein I shall sleep peacefully."
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, defiant pride bars your heart from the white-handed
+peace that even now seeks entrance. Some great sorrow or sin has
+darkened your past, and, instead of ejecting its memory, you hug it to
+your soul; you make it a mental Juggernaut, crushing the hopes and
+aims that might otherwise brighten the path along which you drag this
+murderous idol. Cast it away forever, and let Peace and Hope clasp
+hands over its empty throne."
+
+From that peculiar far-off expression of the human eye that generally
+indicates abstraction of mind, he feared that she had not heard his
+earnest appeal; but after some seconds, she smiled drearily, and
+repeated with singular and touching pathos, lines which proved that
+his words were not lost upon her,--
+
+  "'Ah, could the memory cast her spots, as do
+  The snake's brood theirs in spring! and be once more
+  Wholly renewed, to dwell in the time that's new,--
+  With no reiterance of those pangs of yore.
+  Peace, peace! Ah, forgotten things
+  Stumble back strangely! and the ghost of June
+  Stands by December's fire, cold, cold! and puts
+  The last spark out.'"
+
+The mournful sweetness and calmness of her low voice made Dr. Grey's
+heart throb fiercely, and he leaned a little farther forward to study
+her countenance. She had rested her elbow on the carved side of the
+sofa, and now her cheek nestled for support in one hand, while the
+other toyed unconsciously with the velvet edges of the _Liber
+Studiorum_. Her dress was of some soft, shining fabric, neither satin
+nor silk, and its pale blue lustre shed a chill, pure light over the
+wan, delicate face, that was white as a bending lily.
+
+The faint yet almost mesmeric fragrance of orange flowers and violets
+floated in the folds of her garments, and seemed lurking in the waves
+of gray hair that glistened in the bright steady glow of the red
+grate; and moved by one of those unaccountable impulses that sometimes
+decide a man's destiny, Dr. Grey took the exquisitely beautiful hand
+from the book and enclosed it in both of his.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, you seem strangely unsuspicious of the real nature of
+the interest with which you have inspired me; and I owe it to you,
+as well as to myself, to avow the feelings that prompt me to seek
+your society so frequently. For some months after I met you, my
+professional visits afforded me only rare and tantalizing glimpses of
+you, but from the day of Elsie's death, I have been conscious that my
+happiness is indissolubly linked with yours,--that my heart, which
+never before acknowledged allegiance to any woman, is--"
+
+"For God's sake, stop! I cannot listen to you."
+
+She had wrung her hand violently from his clinging fingers, and,
+springing to her feet, stood waving him from her, while an expression
+of horror came swiftly into her eyes and over her whole countenance.
+
+Dr. Grey rose also, and though a sudden pallor spread from his lips to
+his temples, his calm voice did not falter.
+
+"Is it because you can never return my love, that you so vehemently
+refuse to hear its avowal? Is it because your own heart--"
+
+"It is because your love is an insult, and must not be uttered!"
+
+She shivered as if rudely buffeted by some freezing blast, and the
+steely glitter leaped up, like the flash of a poniard, in her large,
+dilating eyes.
+
+Shocked and perplexed, he looked for a moment at her writhing
+features, and put out his hand.
+
+"Can it be possible that you so utterly misapprehend me? You surely
+can not doubt the earnestness of an affection which impels me to offer
+my hand and heart to you,--the first woman I have ever loved. Will you
+refuse--"
+
+"Stand back! Do not touch me! Ah,--God help me! Take your hand from
+mine. Are you blind? If you were an archangel I could not listen to
+you, for--for--oh, Dr. Grey!"
+
+She covered her face with her hands, and staggered towards a chair.
+
+A horrible, sickening suspicion made his brain whirl and his heart
+stand still. He followed her, and said, pleadingly,--
+
+"Do not keep me in painful suspense. Why is my declaration of devoted
+affection so revolting to you? Why can you not at least permit me to
+express the love--"
+
+"Because that love dishonors me! Dr. Grey, I--am--a--wife!"
+
+The words fell slowly from her white lips, as if her heart's blood
+were dripping with them, and a deep, purplish spot burned on each
+cheek, to attest her utter humiliation.
+
+Dr. Grey gazed at her, with a bewildered, incredulous expression.
+
+"You mean that your heart is buried in your husband's grave?"
+
+"Oh, if that were true, you and I might be spared this shame and
+agony."
+
+A low wail escaped her, and she hid her face in her arms.
+
+"Mrs. Gerome, is not your husband dead?"
+
+"Dead to me,--but not yet in his grave. The man I married is still
+alive."
+
+She heard a half-stifled groan, and buried her face deeper in her arms
+to avoid the sight of the suffering she had caused.
+
+For some time the stillness of death reigned around them, and when at
+last the wretched woman raised her eyes, she saw Dr. Grey standing
+beside her, with one hand on the back of her chair, the other clasped
+over his eyes. Reverently she turned and pressed her lips to his cold
+fingers, and he felt her hot tears falling upon them, as she said,
+falteringly,--
+
+"Forgive me the pain that I have innocently inflicted on you. God is
+my witness, I did not imagine you cared for me. I supposed you pitied
+me, and were only interested in saving my miserable soul. The servants
+told me you were very soon to be married to a young girl who lived
+with your sister; and I never dreamed that your noble, generous heart
+felt any interest in me, save that of genuine Christian compassion for
+my loneliness and desolation. If I had suspected your feelings, I
+would have gone away immediately, or told you all. Oh, that I had
+never come here!--that I had never left my safe retreat, near Funchal!
+Then I would not have stabbed the heart of the only man whom I
+respect, revere, and trust."
+
+Some moments elapsed ere he could fully command himself, and when he
+spoke he had entirely regained composure.
+
+"Do not reproach yourself. The fault has been mine, rather than
+yours. Knowing that some mystery enveloped your early life, I should
+not have allowed my affections to centre so completely in one
+concerning whose antecedents I knew absolutely nothing. I have been
+almost culpably rash and blind,--but I could not look into your
+beautiful, sad eyes, and doubt that you were worthy of the love that
+sprang up unbidden in my heart. I knew that you were irreligious, but
+I believed I could win you back to Christ; and when I tell you that,
+after living thirty-eight years, you are the only woman I ever met
+whom I wished to call my wife, you can in some degree realize my
+confidence in the innate purity of your character. God only knows how
+severely I am punished by my rashness, how profoundly I deplore the
+strange infatuation that so utterly blinded me. At least, I am
+grateful that my brief madness has not involved you in sin and
+additional suffering."
+
+The burning spots faded from her cheeks as she listened to his low,
+solemn words, and when he ended, she clasped her hands passionately,
+and exclaimed,--
+
+"Do not judge me, until you know all. I am not as unworthy as you
+fear. Do not withdraw your confidence from me."
+
+He shook his head, and answered, sadly,--
+
+"A wife, yet bereft of your husband's protection! A wife, wandering
+among strangers, and a deserter from the home you vowed to cheer! Your
+own admission cries out in judgment against you."
+
+He walked to the table and picked up his gloves, and Mrs. Gerome rose
+and advanced a few steps.
+
+"Dr. Grey, you will come now and then to see me?"
+
+"No; for the present I do not wish to see you."
+
+"Ah! how brittle are men's promises! Did you not assure Elsie that you
+would never forsake her wretched child?"
+
+"Our painful relations invalidate that promise,--cancel that pledge. I
+can not visit you as formerly; still, I shall at all times be glad to
+serve you; and you have only to acquaint me with your wishes to insure
+their execution."
+
+"Remember how solitary, how desolate, I am."
+
+"A wife should be neither, while her husband lives."
+
+The cold severity of his tone wounded her inexpressibly, and she
+haughtily drew herself up.
+
+"Dr. Grey will at least allow me an opportunity of explaining the
+circumstances that he seems to regard as so heinous?"
+
+He looked at the proud but quivering mouth,--into the great, shadowy,
+gray eyes, and a heavy sigh escaped him.
+
+"Perhaps it is better that I should know your history, for it will
+diminish my own unhappiness to feel assured that you are worthy of the
+estimate I placed upon you one hour ago. Shall I come to-morrow, or
+will you tell me now what you desire me to know?"
+
+"I can not sleep until I have exonerated myself in your clear,
+truthful, holy eyes: I can not endure that you should think harshly of
+me, even for a day. This room is suffocating! I will meet you on the
+portico; and yonder, by the sea, I will show you my life."
+
+She went to the escritoire, opened one of the drawers, and took out a
+package. Wrapping a cloak around her, she quitted the parlor, and
+found Dr. Grey leaning against one of the columns.
+
+He did not offer her his arm as formerly, but slowly and silently they
+walked down towards the beach, where the surf was rolling heavily in
+with a steady roar, and tossing sheets of foam around the stone
+piers.
+
+           ... "While far across the hill,
+  A dark and brazen sunset ribbed with black,
+  Glared, like the sullen eyeballs of the plague."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+
+"Doctor Grey, had you possessed a tithe of the ingenuity of
+Peiresc, you might long ago have interpreted the deep, dark
+incisions in my character, which, like the indentations on his
+celebrated amethyst, show where the _laminae_ of luckless events
+inscribed my history with mournful ciphers. Elsie's hints would have
+furnished any woman with a clew; but, since you have not availed
+yourself of their aid, I must lift the shroud that hides the corpse of
+my youth, my happiness, my faith in man, my hope in God. Ah! unto what
+shall I liken it? This ruined, wretched thing I call my life? To the
+_Tauk e Kerra_,--standing in a dreary waste, lifting its vast,
+keyless arch helplessly to heaven? Even such a crumbling arch,
+beautiful and grand in its glorious promise, is the incomplete,
+crownless life of Agla Gerome,--a lonely and melancholy monument of a
+gigantic failure. Two months before my birth, my father, Henderson
+Flewellyn, died, and when I was three hours old, my poor young mother
+followed him, leaving me to the care of her nurse, Elsie Maclean,
+and of an old uncle who was at that time residing in Copenhagen.
+Having no relatives to dictate, Elsie named me Vashti, for my
+mother; but my great-uncle wrote that my baptism must be deferred
+until he could be present, and instructed her to call me Evelyn,
+after himself. But the stubborn Scotch will would not bend, and my
+name was written in the family Bible, Vashti Flewellyn. Before the
+expiration of three years, Mr. Mitchell Evelyn died, bequeathing his
+fortune to me, as Evelyn Flewellyn, and consigning me to the
+guardianship of Mr. Lucian Wright, a widowed minister of New York. I
+was a feeble, sickly child, hovering continually upon the confines of
+death, and, as city air was deemed injurious to me, Elsie kept me
+at a farm-house on the Hudson, belonging to the estate that I was
+destined to inherit. Here I remained until my tenth year, when Mr.
+Wright removed me to the vicinity of Albany, and placed me under
+the care of his maiden sister, who had a small class of girls to
+educate. Elsie accompanied and watched over me, and here I spent four
+quiet, happy years; but the death of my teacher set me once more
+afloat, and I was carried to New York, and left at a large and
+fashionable boarding-school. I was fond of study, and boundlessly
+ambitious, and soon formed a warm, close friendship with a teacher who
+entered the institution after I became one of its inmates. I had no
+one to love but Elsie, who never left me, and consequently, I gave
+to Edith Dexter, the young teacher, all the affection that I would
+have lavished on parents, brothers, and sisters, had they been granted
+to me. She was several years my senior, and the loveliest woman I ever
+saw. Reared in affluence, her family had become impoverished, and
+Edith was thrown upon her own resources for a support. My father's
+fortune was very large, and the property left me by Mr. Evelyn swelled
+my estate to very unusual proportions. Mr. Wright had carefully
+attended to the investment of the income, and I was regarded as the
+heiress of enormous wealth. Tenderly attached to Edith, whose
+beauty, intelligence, and varied accomplishments rendered her
+peculiarly attractive, I loaded her with presents, and determined
+that as soon as my educational career ended, I would establish
+myself in an elegant residence on Fifth Avenue, take Edith to live
+under my roof, treat her always as my sister, and share my ample
+fortune with her. Dr. Grey, you can form no adequate conception of
+the depth of the love I entertained for her. Day and night my busy
+brain devised schemes for lightening her labors, for promoting her
+happiness; and I spared no exertion to shield her from the petty
+vexations and humiliating annoyances incident to her situation.
+Waking, I prayed for her; sleeping in her arms, I dreamed of the
+future we should spend together. At the close of the session, she
+went into Vermont to visit her invalid mother, and I to Mr. Wright's
+quiet home, to remain until the end of vacation. The minister was a
+kind-hearted but weak old man, who treated me tenderly, and humored
+every caprice that attacked my brain. I had never before been his
+guest, and here, at his house, on the second day of my sojourn, I
+met his favorite nephew, Maurice Carlyle."
+
+Mrs. Gerome uttered the name through firmly set teeth, and the blue
+cords on her forehead tangled terribly.
+
+Clenching her fingers, she drew a long breath, and continued,--
+
+"At that time, he was by far the most fascinating, and certainly the
+handsomest man I have ever met, and when I recall the beauty of his
+face, the grace of his manner, the noble symmetry of his figure, and
+the sparkling vivacity of his conversation, I do not wonder that from
+the first hour of our acquaintance he charmed me. I was but a child, a
+proud, impulsive young thing, full of romance, full of wild dreams of
+manly chivalry and feminine constancy and devotion; and Maurice
+Carlyle seemed the perfect incarnation of all my glowing ideals of
+knightly excellence and heroism. He was thirty,--I not yet sixteen; he
+poor and fastidious,--I generous and trusting, and possessed of one of
+the largest estates on the continent. He had spent much of his life
+abroad, and was as polished as any courtier who ever graced St. Cloud
+or St. James; I an impetuous young simpleton, who knew nothing of the
+world, save those tantalizing glimpses snatched from behind the bars
+of a boarding-school. Here, examine these portraits, while the light
+still lingers, and you will see the woful disparity that existed
+between us at that period. They were painted a fortnight after I met
+him."
+
+She opened a velvet case, and laid before her companion two oval ivory
+miniatures, richly set with large pearls.
+
+Dr. Grey took them both in his hand, and, by the dull, lurid glow that
+tipped a ridge of clouds lying along the western horizon, he saw two
+pictures.
+
+One, a remarkably handsome man, with brilliant black eyes and regular
+features, and a cast of countenance that forcibly reminded him of the
+likenesses of Edgar A. Poe, while the expression denoted more of
+chicane than chivalry in his character. The other, a fresh, sweet,
+girlish face, eloquent with innocence and purity, with clear, gray
+eyes, overhung by jetty lashes, and overarched by black brows, while a
+mass of dark hair was heaped in short curls on her forehead and
+temples, and fell in long ringlets over her neck.
+
+Dr. Grey looked at Mrs. Gerome, and now at the portrait, but the
+resemblance could nowhere be traced, save in the delicate yet haughty
+arch of the eyebrows, and the dainty moulding of the faultless nose.
+
+While he glanced from one to the other, she placed a third miniature
+beside those in his hand, and he started at sight of a surpassingly
+lovely countenance, which recalled the outlines of one that he had
+left in his library three hours before, where Miss Dexter sat reading
+to Muriel.
+
+"There you have the gods of my old worship,--Edith and Maurice. Can
+you wonder at my infatuation?"
+
+She took the pictures, and a derisive smile distorted her lips, as she
+looked shiveringly at them, and hastily replaced them on their velvet
+cushions. Closing the spring with a convulsive snap, she tossed the
+case on the terrace, whence it fell to the grass below; and drew her
+blue velvet drapery closer around her.
+
+"Dr. Grey, you know quite enough of human nature to anticipate what
+followed. Three days after I met Maurice Carlyle, he swore deathless
+devotion to his 'gray-eyed angel,' and offered me his hand. Ah! when
+I recall that evening, and think of the words uttered so tenderly, so
+passionately, when I summon before me that radiant face, and
+listen again to the voice that so utterly bewitched me, the
+remembrance maddens me, and I feel a murderous hate of my race
+stirring my blood into fierce throbs. With my hands folded in his,
+we planned our future, painted visions that made my brain reel,
+and when his lips touched my forehead, as sacred seal of our
+betrothal, I felt that earth could add nothing to my blessed lot. Of
+course Mr. Wright warmly sanctioned my choice, drugging his
+conscience with the reflection that if Maurice was extravagant and
+inert, my fortune would obviate the necessity of his attending to his
+nominal profession, that of the law. The old man insisted, however,
+that as I was a mere child, we must defer our marriage two years. Mr.
+Carlyle frowned, and vowed he could not live more than twelve months
+without his 'peerless prize,' and like any other silly girl, I
+believed it as unhesitatingly as I did the lessons from the gospels
+that were read to us night and morning. What cloudless days flew
+over my young head, during the ensuing month; days wherein I never
+tired of kneeling and thanking God for the marvellous blessing of
+Maurice Carlyle's love. Life was mantling in a crystal goblet, like
+_eau de vie de Dantzic_, and I could not even taste it without
+watching the gold sparkles rise and fall and flash; and how could
+I dream, then, that the draught was not brightened with gilt leaves,
+but really flavored with _curare_? The only drawback to my happiness
+was Elsie's opposition to my engagement, and Mr. Carlyle's refusal to
+allow me to acquaint Edith with my betrothal. He was so 'furiously
+jealous of that yellow-haired woman whom his darling loved too well.'
+It would be quite time enough to inform her of my happiness when I
+returned to school. From the beginning, Elsie distrusted, disliked,
+and eyed him suspiciously, but her expostulations and arguments only
+strengthened his influence, and partially overthrew hers. One day Mr.
+Carlyle sought me in great haste, and with considerable agitation
+informed me that he had been unexpectedly summoned abroad. Business,
+with the details of which he tenderly forbore to weary me, would
+detain him many months in Europe, and he implored me to consent to
+a private marriage before his departure. Mr. Wright was in very
+feeble health, had been threatened with paralysis, and my ardent
+lover would be too unendurably miserable separated from me, when
+death might at any moment rob me of my guardian. I consented, and
+hastened to obtain Mr. Wright's sanction. That day chanced to be one
+of his despondent, hypochondriacal seasons, and after some persuasion
+on my part, and much sophistry from his nephew, the weak old man
+yielded. Then my lover pressed his advantage, and vowed he could
+never leave me, that his young bride must accompany him to London,
+that my mind would be too much engrossed by thoughts of him to permit
+the possibility of my studying advantageously in his absence, and
+that he would assume the responsibility of superintending and
+perfecting his wife's education. Mr. Wright demurred; Mr. Carlyle
+raved; I wept. Maurice clasped me in his arms, and in the midst of
+my tears and pleadings, my guardian succumbed. It was arranged that
+our marriage should take place within a fortnight, and that we
+should immediately start to Europe. Poor Elsie!--truest, wisest,
+best friend God ever gave me,--was enraged and distressed beyond
+expression. She wept, wrung her hands, and falling on her knees
+entreated me not to execute my insane purpose,--assured me I was a
+lamb led to sacrifice, was the victim of an infamous scheme between
+uncle and nephew to possess themselves of my estate, and she
+exhausted argument and persuasion in attempting to recall my
+wandering common sense. Much as I loved her, this bitter vituperation
+of my idol incensed and estranged me, and I temporarily forbade her
+to enter my presence. Poor, dear, devoted Elsie! When my heart
+relented, and I sought her to assure her of my forgiveness, tears
+and groans greeted me, and I found her sitting at the foot of her bed,
+with her face hidden in her apron."
+
+Stretching her arms towards the grave, Mrs. Gerome paused; her lips
+quivered, and two tears rolled down her cheeks.
+
+"Ah! dear old heart! Brave, true, tender soul! How different my lot
+would have been had I heeded her prayers and counsel! Not until I lie
+down yonder, and mingle my dust with hers, can I, even for an instant,
+forget her faithful, sleepless care and love. I believe she is the
+only human being who was ever tenderly and truly attached to me, and
+God knows I learned before I lost her how much her affection was
+worth."
+
+The cold, ringing voice grew tremulous, wavering, and some moments
+passed before Mrs. Gerome continued,--
+
+"Mr. Carlyle preferred a private wedding, but I insisted upon a
+ceremony at the church where Mr. Wright officiated, and immediately
+telegraphed to Edith, requesting her presence as bridesmaid, and
+offering to provide her outfit and defray all expenses, if she would
+accompany us to Europe. My betrothed bit his lip, and objected; but on
+this point, at least, I was firm, and assured him I would not be
+married unless Edith could be with me. She wrote, declining my
+invitation to Europe, but came to New York, the day of my wedding.
+When I look back at what followed, I have a vague, confused feeling,
+similar to that which results from taking opium. Mr. Carlyle had
+positively interdicted my taking Elsie to Europe, assuring me that his
+wife should not be in leading-strings to a spoiled and presumptuous
+nurse, and promising me that, when we returned to America, she might
+occupy the position of housekeeper in our establishment. Absorbed by
+my own supreme happiness, I scarcely saw Edith until we were dressed
+for the ceremony, and when she came and leaned against the table where
+the bridal presents were arranged, I noticed that she was pale and
+much agitated, but ascribed her emotion to grief at my approaching
+departure. Several of my schoolmates officiated as bridesmaids, and a
+large party assembled at the church to witness the marriage. Mr.
+Carlyle was a great favorite in society, and his friends were invited
+to the wedding breakfast at the parsonage. It was on the bright
+morning of my sixteenth birthday, when I stood before the altar and
+listened to and uttered the words that made me a wife. Every syllable,
+every intonation, of the minister's voice is branded on my memory as
+with a red-hot iron: 'Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband,
+to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of
+matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, serve him, love, honor, and keep him,
+in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, keep thee only
+unto him, so long as ye both shall live?' And there, before the altar,
+with the stained glass making a rainbow behind the pulpit, I answered,
+'_I will_.' Oh, Dr. Grey, pity me! pity me!"
+
+A cry of anguish escaped her, and she extended her arms until her
+hands rested on her companion's shoulder.
+
+In silence he bent his head, and put his lips to the tightly clasped
+fingers.
+
+"Tell me, sir,--if that vow means that man may make a plaything of
+God's statutes? If it binds for one hour, does it not bind while life
+lasts?"
+
+"'_So long as ye both shall live_,'" answered Dr. Grey, solemnly; and
+he gently removed her hand, and drew himself a little farther from
+her.
+
+She was too painfully engrossed by sad reminiscences to notice the
+action, and resumed her narrative.
+
+"There was a gay party at the breakfast, and I could not remove my
+fascinated eyes from the radiant face of my husband, who had never
+seemed half so princely as now, when he was wholly my own. Once he
+bent his handsome head to mine, and whispered, '_La Peregrina_,' the
+pet name he had given me, because he averred that, in his estimation,
+my love was worth as many ducats as that celebrated pearl of Philip.
+'_La Peregrina_,' indeed! Ah! he melted it in gall and hemlock, and
+drained it at his wedding feast. My heart was so overflowing with
+happiness that I slipped my fingers into his, and, in answer to his
+fond epithet, whispered, 'Maurice, my king.'"
+
+The speaker was silent for a moment, and an expression of disgust and
+scorn usurped the place of mournfulness.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I deserved my punishment, for no Aztec ever worshipped his
+stone God more devoutly than I did my black-eyed, smooth-lipped idol.
+'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Ah! my 'graven image'
+seemed so marvellously godlike that I bowed down before it; and there,
+in the midst of my adoration, the curse of idolatry smote me. Half
+bewildered by the rapture that made my heart throb almost to
+suffocation, I stole away from the guests and hid myself in the small
+hot-house attached to Mr. Wright's study, longing for a little quiet
+that would enable me to realize all the blessedness of my lot. With
+childish glee I toyed with my title,--with my new name,--Maurice
+Carlyle's wife--Evelyn Carlyle! How pretty it sounded,--how holy it
+seemed! My future was as brilliant as that vast enchanted hall into
+which poor Nouronihar was enticed through her insane love for Vathek,
+and, like hers, my illusion was dispelled by a decree that strangled
+hope in my heart, and enveloped it in flames."
+
+Here the flood of melancholy memories drowned her words, and, crossing
+her arms on the stone balustrade, she sat silent and moody.
+
+In the dusky, crepuscular light, Dr. Grey could no longer discern the
+emotions that printed themselves so legibly on her countenance; but
+the outline of her face, and the listless, hopeless droop of her
+figure, curved between him and the dun waste of waters.
+
+Overhead a few dim, hazy stars shivered on the ragged skirts of
+trailing gray clouds, and the ceaseless rustle of the shuddering
+poplars formed a mournful accompaniment to the muttering of the ocean,
+whose weary waves were sobbing themselves to rest, like scourged but
+unconquered children.
+
+"I thank you for your patience, Dr. Grey. You forbear to hurry me,
+even as you would shrink from rudely jostling or pushing forward the
+mattock which slowly digs into a grave,--removing human mould and
+crumbling coffin, searching for the skeleton beneath. Exhuming human
+bones is melancholy work, but sadder still is the mission of one who
+disinters the ashes of a woman's love, hope, and faith. Across the
+centre of Mr. Wright's hot-house ran a light trellis of fine
+lattice-work cut into an arch and covered with the dense luxuriant
+foliage of the bignonia trained over it. Behind this screen I had
+ensconced my happy self, and sat idly bruising the leaves of a rose
+geranium that chanced to be near me, when my blissful reverie was
+interrupted by the sound of that voice which had stolen my heart, my
+reason, my common sense. Believing that he had missed and was
+searching for his bride, I rose and peeped through the glossy leaves
+of the clambering vine that divided us. Not four feet distant stood my
+husband of an hour, with his arms clasped fondly around Edith, who, in
+a broken, passionate voice, denounced his perfidy and heartlessness.
+Vehemently he pleaded for an opportunity to exculpate himself, and
+there, tearful and sobbing, with her head on his bosom, my friend
+listened to an explanation that was destined to enlighten more than
+one person. From his lips I learned that he had become entangled in
+certain financial difficulties that involved his honor as a gentleman;
+he had used money to enable him to embark in a speculation which, if
+successful, would have afforded him the means of marrying in
+accordance with the dictates of his heart; but, like the majority of
+nefarious schemes, it failed signally, and fear of detection, and the
+absolute necessity of obtaining a large amount of money, had goaded
+him to the desperate step of sacrificing his happiness and offering
+his hand to me. He strained her to his breast, kissed her repeatedly,
+and impiously called God to witness that he loved her, and her only,
+truly, tenderly; that never for an instant had his affection wandered
+from her, 'his beautiful, idolized darling.' He bitterly denounced his
+folly, cursed the hour that had thrown me and my fortune in his path,
+and swore that he utterly loathed and despised the silly child whose
+wealth alone had made her his dupe; and, as he flatteringly expressed
+it, his 'hated and intolerable incubus.' He had intended to spare her
+and himself the agony of this hour,--had determined to remain always
+in Europe, where he could escape the mocking contrast of his bride and
+his beloved. With indescribable scorn, and a wonderful fertility of
+derisive epithets, he held me up, as on the point of a scalpel, and
+proved the utter impossibility of his having been influenced by any
+other than the most grossly mercenary motives; while, between the
+bursts of invective against me, he lavished upon her a hundred fond,
+tender, passionate phrases of endearment that had never been applied
+to me. Pressing one hand on her head, he raised the other, and called
+Heaven to witness, that, although the world might regard him as the
+husband of 'that sallow, gray-eyed, silly girl,' whose gold alone had
+bought his name, the only woman he could ever love was his own
+beautiful Edith; and, should death come to his aid and free him from
+the detested bond that linked him to the heiress, he swore he would
+not lose a day in claiming the lovely wife that fate had denied him.
+All this, and much more, which I have not now the requisite patience
+to recapitulate, fell on my ears, startling me more painfully than the
+trumpet-blast of the Last Judgment will ever do. Standing there, in my
+costly bridal robe, I listened to the revelation that blotted out all
+sun and moon and stars from my life,--that made earth a dismal Sheol
+and the future a howling desolation,--a dreary wilderness of woe. In
+my agony and shame I clenched my hands so savagely, one upon the
+other, that my diamond betrothal-ring cut sharply into the quivering
+flesh, and blood-drops oozed and dripped on my shining gossamer veil
+and white velvet dress. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, my
+whole nature was metamorphosed; and my coming years swept in panoramic
+vision before me, beckoning me to the prompt performance of a stern
+and humiliating duty. The blood in my veins seemed to hiss and bubble
+like a seething cauldron, and my heart fired with a hate for which
+language has no name, no garb, no provision; but my brain kept
+faithful guard, and reason calmly pointed out my future path. When Mr.
+Carlyle ended his tirade against me and his curses on his own folly, I
+moved forward into the arch and confronted my dethroned and defiled
+gods. If the tedious years of the primitive patriarchs could be
+allotted to me they would never suffice to efface the picture that
+lingers in deep, hot lines on my memory, and pursues me as ruthlessly
+as the avenging cross followed and tortured the miserable fugitive in
+Gustave Dore's '_Le Juif errant_,' or the Eyeless Christ that proved a
+haunting Nemesis to the Empress Irene. Edith's lovely face was on his
+bosom, and his false, handsome lips were pressed to hers. So, I met my
+husband and my dearest friend, one hour after the utterance of vows
+that were perhaps still echoing in the courts of heaven. Such
+spectacles of human perfidy are the real Medusas that Gorgonize
+trusting, tender, throbbing hearts, and in view of this one I laughed
+aloud,--laughed so unnaturally that it was no marvel I was called a
+maniac. At sight of my desperate white face Edith shrieked and
+fainted, and Maurice blanched and stammered and cowered. Without a
+word of comment or recrimination I silently passed on to my own room,
+where Elsie was waiting to clothe me in my travelling-suit. In three
+hours the steamer would sail, and I had little leisure for resolution
+and execution. Summoning the lawyer to whose care my estate was
+entrusted, I requested him to call Mr. Wright and Mr. Carlyle into the
+dressing-room that adjoined my apartment, and there I held an audience
+with the three who were most interested in my career. Briefly I
+explained what had occurred, and announced my determination, then and
+there, to separate forever from the man who could never be more than
+my nominal husband. I told them I held marriage, next to the Lord's
+Supper, the holiest sacrament instituted by God, but mine had been an
+infamous mockery, an unpardonable sin against me, and an insult to
+Heaven, whose blessing could never rest upon it. Marriage, without
+sanctifying love, was unhallowed, was a transgression of divine law,
+and a crime against my womanhood which neither God nor man should
+forgive. Maurice Carlyle had perjured himself,--had never loved the
+woman who went with him to the altar,--and the affection that had
+stirred my heart one hour before, was now as dead as the Pharaohs
+hidden for centuries under the pyramids. We two, who had sworn to
+love, honor, and cherish one another, now hated and despised each
+other beyond all possibility of expression; and I considered it a
+heinous sin to perpetuate the awful mockery, to cling to the letter of
+a contract that bade defiance to every impulse of heart and soul,--to
+every dictate of reason and decree of conscience. Wedded lives and
+divided hearts I believed a crime, and while I admitted that man could
+not put asunder those whom God's statutes joined together, I contended
+that Mr. Carlyle's perjury rendered it sinful for him and me to reside
+under the same roof. I could not recognize the validity of divorces,
+for human hands could not unlink God's fetters, and man's law had no
+power to free either of us from the bonds we had voluntarily assumed
+in the invoked presence of Jehovah. I would neither accept nor permit
+a divorce, for, in my estimation, it was not worth the paper that
+framed it, and was a species of sacrilegious trifling; but I would
+never live as the wife of a man who had repeatedly declared he had not
+an atom of affection for me. _Under some circumstances I deemed
+separation a woman's duty_, and while I fully comprehended the awful
+import of the vow '_Till death us do part_,' and denied that human
+legislators could free us, or annul the marriage, I was resolved,
+while life lasted, to consider myself a duped, an unloved, but a
+lawful wife,--a woman consecrated by solemn oaths that no human action
+could cancel. Since money was the bait, I was willing to divide my
+fortune as the price of a quiet separation; and though from that hour
+I intended to quit his presence forever, and regard the tie that
+linked us as merely nominal, I would allow him a liberal income until
+I attained my majority and would liquidate all his present debts. To
+your imagination, Dr. Grey, I leave the details of what ensued,--my
+guardian's remorseful grief, my lawyer's wonder and expostulation, Mr.
+Carlyle's confusion, chagrin, and rage. He pleaded, argued,
+threatened; but he might as well have attempted to catch and restrain
+in the hollow of his hand the steady sweep of Niagara, as hope to
+change my purpose. My terms were fixed, and I gave him permission to
+tell the world what he chose concerning this strange _denouement_ of
+the wedding feast. If I could only go away at once, I cared not what
+the public thought or said; and finally, finding me no longer a
+yielding child, but a desperate, stern, relentless woman, my terms
+were acceded to. Briefly we discussed the legal provisions, and I
+signed some hastily prepared papers that settled a bountiful annuity
+upon Mr. Carlyle. My trunks were sent to the steamer, the carriage was
+brought to the door, and in the presence of my guardian and the
+lawyer, I announced my desire never to look again upon the man who
+had so completely blighted my life. In silence I laid upon the table
+my betrothal and wedding rings, and the sparkling diamond cross that
+had constituted my bridal present. No word of reproach passed my lips,
+for women love when they upbraid, and only aching, fond hearts furnish
+stinging rebukes; but I hated and scorned the author of my ruin too
+utterly to indulge in crimination and reproach. So we two, who had
+just been pronounced man and wife, who had clasped hands and linked
+hearts and lives until we should stumble into the tomb,--we, Maurice
+Carlyle and Evelyn, his bride, four hours married, stood up and looked
+at each other for the last time. During the interview I had addressed
+no remark to him, and the last words I ever uttered to him were
+contained in that sentence fondly whispered when he bent over me at
+the table, 'Maurice, my king.' As I bade adieu to my guardian, and
+paused before the princely figure whom the world called my husband,
+our eyes met, and he flushed, and muttered, 'You will rue your
+rashness.' Silently I looked on the handsome features that had so
+suddenly grown loathsome to me, and he snatched my wedding ring from
+the table and held it appealingly towards me, saying remorsefully,
+'Evelyn, my wife, forgive your wretched husband!' Without a word, or a
+touch of his outstretched hands, I turned and went down to the
+carriage, where my faithful nurse sat weeping and waiting. One hour
+later, the vessel swung from her moorings, and Elsie and I were soon
+at sea. A girl only sixteen, four hours married, separated forever
+from husband and friends,--without hope or faith in either human or
+heavenly things,--hating, with most intolerable intensity, the man
+whose name she had just assumed, and to whom she felt indissolubly
+bound, in accordance with the vow '_So long as ye both shall live_.'"
+
+Out of the tossing, moaning sea, the moon had risen slowly, breaking
+through a rent scarf of cloud that barred her solemn, white disc,
+and silvering the foam of the racing waves that seemed to reflect
+the glittering fringe of the scudding vapor in the chill vault above
+them. There was no mellow radiance, no golden lustre such as
+southern moons are wont to shed, but a weird, fitful glitter on
+sea and land, that now shone with startling vividness, and anon
+waned, until sombre shadows seemed stalking in spectral ranks from
+some distant, gloomy ocean lair. It was one of those melancholy
+nights when the supernatural realm threatened to impinge upon the
+physical, that shuddered and shrank from the contact,--when the
+atmosphere gave vague hints of ghostly denizens, and every passing
+breeze seemed laden with sepulchral damps and vibrating with
+sepulchral sounds.
+
+Mrs. Gerome sat erect, with her hands resting on the balustrade, and
+under that mysteriously white moon her pearl-pale face looked as
+hopelessly cold and rigid as any Persepolitan sphinx, that nightly
+fronts the immemorial stars which watch the ruined tombs of
+Chilminar.
+
+Raising her fingers to her forehead, she lifted and shook a band of
+the shining white hair, and resumed her narration, in the same steady,
+passionless tone.
+
+"These gray locks were the fruit of that bridal day, for, on the
+afternoon that we sailed, I was taken very ill with what was called
+congestion of the brain,--was unconscious throughout the voyage, and
+when we reached Liverpool, my hair, once so black and glossy, was as
+you see it now. Ah! how often, since that time, have I heard poor
+Elsie mourning over my mother's untimely death, and quoting that
+ancient superstition, 'You should never wean a child while trees are
+in blossom; otherwise it will have gray hair.' Mr. Wright was so
+prostrated by grief at what had occurred, that he survived my departure
+only a few weeks; and at his death, Mr. Carlyle attempted to seize and
+control my estate. Urging the plea of my minority, he insisted upon
+assuming the charge of my property, and in order to consummate his
+avaricious designs, and screen his name from opprobrium, he told the
+world that I was hopelessly insane; and that the discovery of this
+fact, one hour after his marriage, had induced him to send me abroad
+under the care of a faithful and judicious nurse. To give plausibility
+to this statement, a paragraph was inserted in the New York papers
+announcing that I was a raving maniac and an inmate of an English
+asylum for lunatics. Mr. Clayton, my lawyer, was the sole surviving
+witness of my final interview, and of its financial provisions; and,
+had he yielded to bribes and threats which were unsparingly offered,
+God only knows what would have been my fate, since the tender mercies
+of my husband destined me to the cheerful and attractive precincts of
+a mad-house. To Mr. Clayton's stern integrity and brave defence, I am
+indebted for the preservation of my fortune and the defeat of a
+daring and iniquitous scheme to arrest me in London and commit me to the
+custody of an asylum-warden. Fortunately for me, he lived long enough
+to transfer to my own guardianship, when I attained my majority, the
+estate which had cost me every earthly hope. Six months after my
+departure from America I bade farewell to Europe, and plunged into
+the most remote and unfrequented portions of the East, where I wished to
+remain unknown and unnoticed. In a half-defiant and half-superstitious
+mood, I had assumed the talismanic and mystical name of Alga Gerome,
+with the faint hope that it might shield me from the intrigues and
+persecutions which I felt assured would always dog the steps of
+Evelyn Carlyle. Having appointed a cautious and confidential agent in
+New York and Paris, I destroyed all traces of my whereabouts, and
+became as utterly lost to the world as though the portals of the
+grave had closed upon me. Without friends, and accompanied only by
+Elsie and her son Robert, I lived year after year in wandering through
+strange lands. Books and pictures were my solace, and to strangle time
+I first devoted myself to drawing and painting. After a while I came
+back to Rome, and frequented the studios and galleries, perfecting
+myself in the mechanical department of Art. But fear of encountering
+some familiar face drove me from the Eternal City, and a sudden whim
+took me to Madeira, where I spent the only portion of my life to
+which I recur with any degree of satisfaction. There, surrounded by
+magnificent scenery, and safe from intrusion, I intended to drag out
+the remainder of my dreary years; but poor Elsie grew so restless, so
+homesick, so impatient to visit the graves of her household band, that I
+finally allowed myself to be persuaded into returning to my native land.
+Robert preceded us, and purchased this secluded spot, which I had
+stipulated must be upon the sea-shore and secure from all intrusion.
+Avoiding New York, I came reluctantly to Boston, thence to 'Solitude,'
+without seeing or hearing of any whom I had once known. When I was
+twenty-one, I transferred to Mr. Carlyle the sum of thirty thousand
+dollars, as a final settlement; but my agent scrupulously obeyed my
+instructions, and no human being, save himself, is aware of my place
+of residence or the name under which I am sheltered. Strenuous
+efforts have been made by Mr. Carlyle to unearth his wretched dupe,
+but since I left England, nearly eight years ago, he has been unable
+to discover any trace of my location. From time to time I received
+bills, contracted by him, and paid by my lawyer after I left New York;
+and in my escritoire are two accounts of jewellers, where I find
+charged the flashing ring and costly diamond cross, which I refused
+to retain but for which I paid, after my separation. Prone to
+dissipation, Mr. Carlyle plunged into excesses that would have
+squandered royal portions, and my agent writes that his eagerness to
+ascertain where I am residing has recently increased, in consequence of
+his pecuniary necessities, although the terms of our separation deprive
+him of every shadow of claim upon me or my purse. Such, Dr. Grey, is
+the shattered idol of my girlish adoration,--such the divinity of dust
+upon which I spent the treasures of my love and trust. Gray-haired,
+gray-hearted, mocked, and maddened in the dawn of my confiding
+womanhood, nominally a wife, but in reality a nameless waif, shut
+out from happiness, and pitied as a maniac,--such, is that most
+desolate and isolated woman, whom, as Agla Gerome, you have known as
+the mistress of this lonely place. As for my name, I sometimes wonder
+whether in the last great gathering in the court of Heaven, my own
+mother will know what to call her unbaptized child,--whether the sins
+charged against me will be read out as those of Vashti, or Evelyn,
+or Agla. Elsie persistently clung to Vashti, and verily there seems
+a grim fitness in her selection,--a dismal analogy between my
+blasted life and that of the discrowned Persian Queen. Be that as it
+may, if I miss a name I surely shall not miss the equity that man
+denies me. '_So long as ye both shall live_.' When I look out in
+springtime, over the blossoming earth, daisies, and violets, and
+primroses range themselves into lines that spell out these hated words
+of an ever-echoing vow, and if, in midnight hours, I raise my weary
+eyes, the sleepless stars revengefully group themselves, and flash back
+to me, in burning characters, '_Till death us do part_.' Up yonder,
+behind sun, and planet, and nebulae, I shall look God in the face, and
+pointing to my withered heart and blighted life, can say truly, 'At
+least I kept the ruins free from perjury; there, at your feet, is the
+oath unsullied, that I called you to accept on the awful day when I
+knelt at your altar.' Love, honor, and obedience, Maurice Carlyle's
+unworthiness rendered impossible; but the vow which consecrated and
+set me apart, which forbade the thought that other men might offer
+homage and affection, or even ordinary tributes of admiration, I
+have kept sacredly and faithfully. I might have plunged into the
+whirlpool of fashionable life, and found temporary oblivion of my
+humiliation and disappointment; but from such a career my whole
+being revolted, and in seclusion I have dragged out a dreary series of
+years that can scarcely be termed life. Recently I have been honored by
+several proposals for a divorce, on condition of an additional
+settlement of money upon my eminently chivalric and devoted husband;
+but my invariable reply has been, _human legislation is impotent to
+cancel the statutes of Almighty God, which declare that only death
+can free what Jehovah has joined together_, and the legal provisions
+of man crumble and shrivel before the divine command, '_For the woman
+which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he
+liveth_.' With what impatience, what ceaseless yearning, I await the
+cold touch of that deliverer who alone can sever my galling,
+detested fetters, none but the God above us can understand and
+realize. The eagerness with which I once anticipated my bridal hour
+does not approximate the intensity of my longing for the day of my
+death. O merciful God! surely, surely, I have been sufficiently
+tortured, and the tardy release can not be far distant."
+
+She raised her face skyward, as if invoking Divine aid, but her wan
+lips were voiceless; and only the song of the surf mingled with the
+whisper of trembling poplars, whose fading leaves gleamed ghostly and
+chill under the silver sheen of that broad white moon.
+
+  "There heavily, across the troubled night,
+  A warning comet trails her hideous hair,
+  And underneath, the wroth sea-waves are white."
+
+During the hour in which Dr. Grey listened to the recital of this
+woman's hapless career, she became as utterly dead to him as though
+shroud and sepulchre had already claimed her; and when she ceased
+speaking, he looked as sorrowfully down at her fair, frozen face, as
+if the coffin-lid were shutting it forever from his view.
+
+Henceforth she was as sacred in his sad eyes as some beloved corpse,
+and bowing his head upon his hands, he prayed long but silently that
+God would strengthen him for the duties of a desolate future,--would
+sanctify this grievous disappointment to his eternal welfare, and
+grant him power to lead heavenward the heart of the only woman whom he
+had ever desired to call his own.
+
+Putting away the beautiful dreams wherein this regal form had moved to
+and fro as crown and queen of his home and heart, he calmly resigned
+the cherished scheme that linked this woman's life with his; and felt
+that he would gladly barter all his earthly hopes for the assurance,
+that, throughout eternity, he might be allowed the companionship which
+time denied him.
+
+Mrs. Gerome rose, and folding her mantle around her, said proudly,--
+
+"Married life, unhallowed by love, is more acceptable in your
+righteous eyes than my isolated existence; and you have passed
+sentence against me. So be it. Strange code of morality you Christians
+hug to your hearts, squeezing the form that holds no spirit; but some
+day I shall be acquitted by that incorruptible tribunal where God
+alone has the right to judge us. Till then, farewell."
+
+She turned to leave the terrace, but he arrested the movement, and
+placed himself before her.
+
+"You misinterpret my silence, if you suppose it was employed in
+censuring your course. Pondering all that you have recapitulated, I
+can conjecture no line of conduct towards your husband less deplorable
+than that which you have pursued; and I honor the stern honesty and
+integrity of purpose from which you have never swerved. Mrs. Carlyle,
+I acquit you of all guilt, save that of impious defiance, of rebellion
+against your God, whose grace could sweeten even the bitter dregs of
+the cup you have well-nigh drained."
+
+At the sound of her name, so long unuttered, she winced and writhed as
+if some sensitive nerve had been suddenly pierced and torn; but
+without heeding her emotion, Dr. Grey continued,--
+
+"If your earthly lot has been stinted of sunshine, can you not bear a
+little temporary gloom,--must you needs people it with adverse
+witnesses, must you thicken the darkness with imprecations? You forget
+that life is only the racecourse, not the goal,--that this world is
+for human souls what the plain of Dura proved for the Hebrew trio who
+braved its flames. Suppose you are lonely and bereft of the love that
+might have cheered you? Was not Christ far more isolated and loveless?
+In His fearful ordeal He was forsaken by God,--but to you remains the
+everlasting promise, 'I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to
+you.' O wretched woman! give your aching heart to Him who emptied it
+of earthly idols in order to fit it up for His own temple.
+
+  'Is God less God, that thou art left undone?
+  Rise, worship, bless Him, in this sackcloth spun,
+  As in that purple.'"
+
+Silently she listened, looking steadily up at his noble face, where
+intense mental anguish had left unwonted pallor, and printed new
+ciphers on brow and lips; and when his adjuration ended, she put out
+her hand.
+
+"That you do not condemn me is the most precious consolation you could
+offer, for your good opinion is worth much to my proud, sensitive
+soul. If all men were like you there would be no mutilated, ruined
+lives, such as mine,--no nominal wives roaming up and down the world
+in search of an obscure corner wherein to hide dishonored heads and
+crushed hearts. God grant you some day a wife worthy of the noblest
+man it has ever been my good fortune to meet. Good-by."
+
+He did not accept the offered hand, and stood for a moment as if
+struggling to master some impulse to which he could not yield. Perhaps
+he dared not trust the touch of those gleaming, slender fingers that
+had clasped a living husband's; or perchance he was so absorbed by
+painful thoughts that he failed to observe them.
+
+Laying his palm softly on her snowy head, he said tenderly,--
+
+"Mrs. Carlyle, you have innocently, and I believe unconsciously,
+caused me the keenest suffering I have ever endured; and I feel
+assured you will not withhold the only reparation which you could
+render, or I accept. Will you promise to consecrate the remainder of
+your life to the service of Christ? Will you humble your defiant soul,
+and so spend your future, that when this brief earthly pilgrimage ends
+you can pass joyfully to the city of Rest? Girded with this hope, I
+can brave all trials,--can be content to look upon your face no more
+in this world,--can patiently wait for a reunion in that Eternal Home
+where they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and
+the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in
+marriage."
+
+"Oh, Dr. Grey, if it were possible!"
+
+She clasped her hands and bowed her chin upon them, awed by his tones,
+and unable to met his grave, pleading eyes.
+
+"Faith and prayer are the talismans that render all things possible to
+an earnest Christian; and it has been truly said 'We mount to heaven
+mostly on the ruins of our cherished schemes, finding our failures
+were successes.' Recollect,--
+
+  'There is a pleasure which is born of pain:
+  The grave of all things hath its violet,'
+
+and do not indulge a corroding bitterness that has almost destroyed
+the nobler elements of your nature. I will exact no promise, but when
+I am gone, do not forget the request that my soul makes of yours. May
+God point out your work and help you to perform it faithfully. May His
+hand guide and uphold, and His merciful arms enfold you, now and
+forever, is and shall be my prayer."
+
+For a moment his hand lingered as if in benediction upon the drooping
+gray head, then he quietly turned and walked away, knowing full well
+that he was bidding adieu to the most precious of all earthly
+objects,--that he too was shattering a lovely "graven image," before
+which his heart had fondly bowed.
+
+As the sound of his firm step died away, the lonely woman lifted her
+face and looked after the form, vanishing in the gloom of the
+overarching trees. When he had disappeared, and she turned seaward,
+where the moon, as if inviting her to heaven, had laid a broad shining
+band of beaten silver from wave to sky,--the miserable wife raised her
+hands appealingly, and made a new covenant with her pitying God.
+
+              ... "Wherefore thy life
+  Shall purify itself, and heal itself,
+  In the long toil of love made meek by tears."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+
+"Merton, you are not conscious of the extent of your infatuation, which
+has already excited comment in our limited circle of acquaintances."
+
+"Indeed! The members of 'our limited circle of acquaintances' are
+heartily welcome to whatever edification or amusement they may be able
+to derive from the discussion of my individual affairs, or the
+analysis of my peculiar tastes. You forget, my dear Constance, that to
+devour and in turn be devoured is an inexorable law of this world; and
+if my eccentricities furnish a _ragout_ for omnivorous society, I
+should be philanthropically glad that tittle-tattledom owes me
+thanks."
+
+The speaker did not lay aside the newspaper that partially concealed
+his countenance; and when he ceased speaking, his eyes reverted to the
+statistical table of Egyptian and Algerine cotton, which for some
+moments he had been attentively examining.
+
+"My dear brother, you are spasmodically and provokingly philosophical!
+Pray do me the honor to discard that stupid _Times_, which you pore
+over as if it were the last sensation novel, and be so courteous as to
+look at me while you are talking," replied the invalid sister, beating
+a tattoo on the side of her couch.
+
+"I believe I have nothing to communicate just now," was the quiet and
+unsatisfactory answer, as he drew a pencil from his pocket and made
+some numeral annotations on the margin of the statistics.
+
+"Surely, Merton, you are not angry with your poor Constance?"
+
+Merton Minge lowered his paper, restored the pencil to his vest
+pocket, and wheeling his chair forward, brought himself closer to the
+couch.
+
+"I wish you were as far removed from fever as I certainly am from
+anger. Your eyes are too bright, my pretty one."
+
+He put his fingers on her pulse, and when he removed them, compressed
+his lips to stifle a sigh.
+
+"Why will you so persistently evade me?--why will you always change
+the subject when I allude to that young lady?"
+
+"Because, when a man attains the sober and discreet age of forty
+years, he naturally and logically thinks he has earned, and is
+entitled to, an exemption from the petty teasing to which sophomores
+and sentimentalists are subjected. While I gratefully appreciate the
+compliment implied in your forgetfulness, permit to remind you of the
+disagreeable fact that I am no longer a boy."
+
+"You lose sight of that same ugly and ill-mannered fact, much more
+frequently than I am in danger of doing; and I affectionately suggest
+that you stimulate your own torpid memory. Ah, brother! why will you
+not be frank, and confide in me? Women are not easily hoodwinked,
+except by their lovers,--and you can not deceive me in this matter."
+
+"What pleasure do you suppose it would afford me to practice deceit of
+any kind towards my only sister? To what class of motives could you
+credit such conduct?"
+
+"I think you shrink from acknowledging your real feelings, because you
+very well know that I could never sanction or consent to them."
+
+Mr. Minge arched his heavy brows, and the sternly drawn lines of his
+large mouth relaxed, and threatened to run into curves that belonged
+to the ludicrous, as he turned his twinkling eyes upon his sister's
+face.
+
+"What extraordinary hallucinations attack even sage, sedate,
+middle-aged men? Ten minutes ago I would have sworn I was your
+guardian; whereas, it seems your apron-strings are the reins that rule
+me. Don't pout, my Czarina, if I demand your credentials before I bow
+submissively to your _ukase_."
+
+"Irony is not your forte; and, Merton, I beg you to recollect that I
+detest bantering,--it is so excessively ungenteel. No wonder you look
+nervous and ashamed, after your recent very surprising manifestation
+of--well, I might as well say what I mean--of _mauvais gout_."
+
+Constance Minge impatiently threw off the light worsted shawl that
+rested on her shoulders, and propped her cheek on her jewelled hand.
+
+Her brother's countenance clouded, and his lips hardened, but after
+one keen look at her flushed features, he once more resumed the
+perusal of the paper. Some moments elapsed, and his sister sobbed, but
+he took no notice of the sound.
+
+"Merton, I never expected you would treat me so cruelly."
+
+"Make out your charges in detail, and when you are sure you have
+included all the petty deeds of tyranny as well as the heinous acts of
+brutality, I will examine the indictment, and hear myself arraigned.
+Shall I bring you some legal cap, and loan you my pencil?"
+
+For five minutes she held her handkerchief to her eyes, and then Mr.
+Minge rose and looked at his watch.
+
+"You will not be so unkind as to leave me again this afternoon, and
+spend your time with that--"
+
+"Constance, you transcend your privileges, and this is a most
+_apropos_ and convenient occasion to remind you that presumption is
+one fault I find it particularly difficult to forgive. Since my
+forbearance only invites aggression, let me hear say (as an economy of
+trouble), that you are rashly invading a realm where I permit none to
+enter, much less to dictate. I hope you understand me."
+
+"I knew it,--I felt it! I dreaded that artful girl would make mischief
+between us,--would alienate the only heart I had left to care for me.
+Oh, how I wish she had been forty fathoms under the sea before you
+ever saw her!--before you ceased to love me!"
+
+A flood of tears emphasized the sentence, which seemed lost upon Mr.
+Minge, as he lighted a cigar, tried its flavor, threw it away, and
+puffed the smoke from a second.
+
+"I am sorry you can't smoke and compose your nerves, as I am preparing
+to do,--though I confess I prefer to kiss your lips untainted by such
+odors. Shall I?"
+
+He held his cigar aside to prevent the wind from wafting the curling
+column of smoke in her face, and bent his head close to hers; but she
+put up her hand to prevent the caress, and averted her face.
+
+"As you like. But mark you, Constance, the next time our lips touch,
+you will find yourself in the nominative case, while I meekly fill an
+objective position. You are a poor, wilful, spoiled child, and I must
+begin to undo my own ruinous work."
+
+He picked up his hat and walked off, followed by a pretty Italian
+mouse-colored greyhound, whose silver bell tinkled as she ran down the
+steps.
+
+"Merton, come back! Do not leave me here alone, or I shall die.
+Brother!--"
+
+On strode the stalwart figure, looking neither to right nor left,
+and behind him trailed the vaporous aroma of the fine cigar.
+Raising herself on her couch, the invalid elevated her voice, and
+exclaimed,--
+
+"Please, dear Merton, come back,--at least long enough to let me kiss
+you. Please, brother!"
+
+He paused,--wavered,--drew geometrical figures on the ground with the
+tip of his boot, and finally took off his hat, turned and bowed,
+saying,--
+
+"Show some flag of truce, if you really want me to return."
+
+She raised her hands and gracefully tossed him several kisses.
+
+Slowly Mr. Minge retraced his steps, and, as he sat down once more
+close to his sister and pushed back his hat, she saw that he intended
+her to realize that her reign was at an end; and she trembled and
+turned pale at the expression with which he regarded her.
+
+"Merton, don't you know--don't you believe--that I love you above
+everything else?"
+
+She sat erect, and stole one arm around the neck that did not bend
+toward her, as was its habit.
+
+"If you really loved me, you would desire to see me happy."
+
+"I do desire it, earnestly and sincerely; and there is no sacrifice I
+would not make to see you really happy."
+
+"Provided I selected your mode of obtaining the boon, and moreover
+consulted your caprices and antipathies; otherwise, my happiness would
+annoy and insult you."
+
+"Don't scold,--kiss me." She put up her lips, but he did not respond
+to the motion, and she pettishly drew his head down and kissed him
+several times. "How obstinate you have grown!--how harsh towards me!
+It is all the result of that--"
+
+She bit her lip, and her brother frowned.
+
+"Take care! You seem continually disposed to stumble very awkwardly
+into forbidden realms."
+
+The petted invalid nestled her pretty head on his bosom, and patted
+his cheek with one hot hand.
+
+"Brother, Kate Sutherland was here this morning, and left--besides
+numerous kind messages for you--a three-cornered note that I ordered
+Adele to place in your dressing-case, where I felt sure you would see
+it."
+
+"Yes, I saw it."
+
+"An invitation to ascend Monte Pellegrini?"
+
+"Which I respectfully decline."
+
+"O Merton! Why not go?"
+
+"Simply because I never premeditatedly, and with _malice prepense_,
+bore myself by joining parties composed of persons in whom I have not
+an atom of interest."
+
+"But Kate is so lovely?"
+
+"Not to me."
+
+"Nonsense! She was the handsomest young girl in Paris, and was the
+acknowledged belle of the season."
+
+"Possibly. Henna-dyed nails are considered irresistible in Turkey, but
+your opalescent ones attract me infinitely more pleasantly."
+
+"Pray what have my nails to do with Kate's beauty?"
+
+"Nothing destructive, I hope,--as I am disposed to think she has
+little to spare."
+
+"Good heavens! You surely would not insinuate that you believe
+or consider,--or would admit, that she is not vastly superior
+to--to--there, Beauty, down! She is actually dining on the fringe
+of my pelerine!"
+
+To cover her confusion, Constance addressed herself to the diminutive
+dog at her feet, and taking her flushed face in his hands, the brother
+looked steadily down, and answered,--
+
+"I never insinuate. It impresses me as a cowardly and contemptible bit
+of plebeian practice that found favor after the royal purple was
+trailed in agrarian democratic dust; and lest you should unjustly
+impute abhorred innuendoes to me, I will say perspicuously, that the
+most attractive and beautiful woman I have ever seen is not your fair
+friend Miss Sutherland, nor any other darling of diamond and satin
+sheen, but a young lady whom I admire beyond expression, Miss Salome
+Owen."
+
+An angry flush burned on the invalid's face, and her mouth curled
+scornfully.
+
+"She is rather handsome sometimes,--so are gypsies and other waifs;
+but it is a wild sort of beauty,--if beauty you persist in terming it;
+and low birth and blood are visible in everything that appertains to
+her. I never expected to see my brother condescend to the level of
+opera-singers, and I am astonished at your infatuation. There! you
+need not expect to blast me with that fiery look, and besides, you
+know you mentioned her name, which I had scrupulously avoided. I
+confess I am very proud of my family, and of you, its sole male
+representative, and I wish it preserved from all taint."
+
+"Untainted it shall remain, while a drop of the blood throbs in my
+veins, and I, who am jealous of my honor, have carefully pondered the
+matter, and maturely decided that he who entrusts his happiness to
+Salome Owen will be indeed an enviable man, and pardonably proud of
+his prize. Once I bartered myself away at the altar, and gave my name
+and hand for wealth, for aristocratic antecedents, for fashionable
+status, and five years of purgatorial misery was the richly merited
+penalty for the insult I offered my heart. Death freed me, and for ten
+years I have lived at least in peace, indulging no thought of a second
+alliance, and merely amused, or disgusted by the matrimonial snares
+that have lined my path. I no longer belong to that pitiable class who
+feel constrained to marry for position, and who convert the
+altar-steps into so many rounds of the social ladder; and I have
+earned the right to indulge my outraged heart in any caprice that
+promises to mellow, to gild the evening of my life with that
+home-sunshine that was denied its gloomy tempestuous morning. My
+future, my fortune, my social standing, my unblemished name, are all
+my own,--and I shall exercise my privilege of bestowing them where and
+when I please, heedless of the sneers and howls of disappointed
+mercenary schemers. Come weal, come woe, I here announce that neither
+you nor the world need hope to influence me one 'jot or tittle' in an
+affair where I allow no impertinent interference. I warn you this is
+the last time I shall permit even an indirect allusion to matters with
+which you have no legitimate concern; and provided you do not obtrude
+them upon me, it is a question of indifference to me what your opinion
+and that of your 'circle' may chance to be. Constance, you here have
+your ultimatum. Defy me, if you please, but prompt separation will
+ensue; and you will unexpectedly find yourself _en route_ for America.
+Peace or war? Before you decide, recollect that all your future will
+be irretrievably colored by it."
+
+"In my state of health it is positively cruel for you to threaten me;
+and some day when you follow my coffin to Mount Auburn, you will
+repent your harshness. I wish to heaven I had never left home!"
+
+A passionate fit of weeping curtailed the sentence, and, while the
+face was covered with the lace handkerchief, the brother rose and made
+his escape.
+
+Despite the fact that forty years had left their whitening touches on
+his head and luxuriant beard, Merton Minge, who had never been
+handsome, even in youth, was sufficiently agreeable in appearance to
+render him an object of deep interest in the circle where he moved.
+Medium-statured, and very robust, a healthful ruddy tinge robbed his
+complexion of that sallow hue which mercantile pursuits are apt to
+induce, and brightened the deep-set black eyes which his debtors
+considered mercilessly keen, cold, and incisive.
+
+The square face, with its broad, full forehead, and deep curved furrow
+dividing the thick straight brows,--its well-shaped but prominent
+nose, and massive jaws and chin partially veiled by a grizzled beard
+that swept over his deep chest,--was suggestive of ledgers rent-roll,
+and stock-boards, rather than aesthetics, chivalry, or sentimentality.
+The only son of a proud but impoverished family, who were eager to
+retrieve their fortune, he had early in life married the imperious
+spoiled daughter of a Boston millionaire, whose dower consisted of
+five hundred thousand dollars, and a temper that eclipsed the
+unamiable exploits of ancient and modern shrews.
+
+Hopeless of domestic happiness in a union to which affection had not
+prompted him, Mr. Minge devoted himself to the rapid accumulation of
+wealth, and by judicious and successful speculations had doubled his
+fortune, ere, at the comparatively early age of thirty, he was left a
+childless widower. Whether he really thanked fate for his timely
+release, his most intimate friends were never able to ascertain, for
+he wore mourning, badges for three years, and conducted himself in all
+respects with exemplary dignity and scrupulous propriety. But the
+frigid indifference with which he received all matrimonial overtures
+indicated that his conjugal experience was not so rosy as to tempt him
+to repeat the experiment.
+
+His mother was a haughty, frivolous woman, jealously tenacious of her
+position as one of the oligarchs of _le beau monde_, and his fragile
+sister had from childhood been the victim of rheumatism that
+frequently rendered her entirely helpless. To these two and their
+fashionable friends, he abandoned his elegant home, costly equipages,
+and opera-box, reserving only a suite of rooms, his handsome
+riding-horse, and yacht.
+
+Grave and unostentatious, yet not moody,--neither impulsively liberal
+and generous nor habitually penurious and uncharitable,--he led a
+quiet and monotonously easy life, varied by occasional trips to
+foreign lands, and comforted by the assurance that his income-tax was
+one of the heaviest in the state. Two years after the death of his
+mother, he took his sister a second time to Europe, hoping that the
+climate of the Levant might relieve her suffering; and upon the
+steamer in which he crossed the Atlantic he met Salome Owen.
+
+Extravagantly fond of music, though unable to extract it from any
+instrument, his attention had first been attracted by her exquisite
+voice, which invested the voyage with a novel charm and rendered her a
+great favorite with the passengers.
+
+Human nature is wofully inflexible and obstinate, and not all the
+Menus, Zoroasters, Solomons, and Platos have taught it wisdom;
+wherefore it is not surprising that a caustic wit and savage cynic
+asserts, "The vices, it may be said, await us in the journey of life
+like hosts with whom we must successively lodge; and I doubt whether
+experience would make us avoid them if we were to travel the same road
+a second time."
+
+Habit may be second nature, but it is the Gurth, the thrall of the
+first,--the vassal of inherent impulses; and even the most ossified
+natures contain some soft palpitating spot that will throb against
+the hand that is sufficiently dexterous to find it. In every man and
+woman there lurks a vein of sentiment, which, no matter how heavily
+crushed by the super-incumbent mass of utilitarian, practical
+commonplaceisms, will one day trickle through the dusty _debris_,
+and creep like a silver thread over the dun waste of selfishness; or,
+Arethusa-like, burst forth suddenly after long subterranean
+wandering.
+
+For forty years it had crawled silently and sluggishly under the
+indurated and coldly egoistic nature of Merton Minge,--had been dammed
+up at times by avarice and at others by grim recollections of his
+domestic infelicity; but finally, after tedious meandering in the
+Desert of Heartlessness, it struggled triumphantly to the surface one
+glorious autumn night, when a golden moon illumined the Atlantic waves
+and kindled a bewitching beauty in the face of Salome, who sat on
+deck, singing an impassioned strain from _La Favorite_.
+
+Her silvery voice was the miraculous rod that smote his petrified
+affections, and a wellspring of tenderness gushed forth, freshening,
+softening, and clothing with verdure and bloom his arid, sterile,
+stony temperament. Long-buried dreams of his boyhood stirred in their
+chilly graves and flitted dimly before him, and a hope that had
+slumbered so soundly he had utterly ignored its memory, started up,
+eager and starry-eyed, as in the college days of eld,--the precious
+hope, underlying all other emotions in a man's heart, that one day he
+too would be loved and prayed for by a pure womanly heart, and pure,
+sweet, womanly lips.
+
+Fifteen years before, he had vowed "to cherish," not the haughty girl
+whose hand he clasped, but the five hundred thousand dollars that
+gilded it; and faithfully he had kept his oath to the god of his
+idolatry, sacrificing the best half of his life to insatiate
+_Kuvera_.
+
+On that cloudless October night, as he watched the shimmer of the moon
+on Salome's silky hair, and noted the purely oval outline of her
+daintily carved face, and the childish grace of her fine form,--as he
+listened to flute-like tones, as irresistible as Parthenope's, his
+cold, formal, non-committal mouth stirred, his hand involuntarily
+opened and closed firmly, as if grasping some "pearl of great price,"
+and his slow, almost stagnant pulses, leaped into feverish activity,
+and soon ran riot. Perhaps more regular features, and deeper, richer
+carnation bloom had confronted him, but love makes sad havoc of
+ideals and abstract standards, and he who defined beauty, "the woman I
+love," was wiser than Burke and more analytical than Cousin.
+
+The freshness, the _brusquerie_, the outspoken honesty, that
+characterized Salome, strangely fascinated this grave, selfish,
+_blase_ aristocrat, who was weary of hollow, polished conventionalities
+and stereotyped society phrases; and, as he sat on deck watching her
+countenance, he would have counted out his fortune at her feet for
+the privilege of claiming her fair, slender hand, and her tremulous,
+scarlet lips, instinct with melody that entranced him.
+
+Henceforth life had a different goal, a nobler aim, a tenderer and
+more precious hope; and all the energy of his vigorous character was
+bent to the fulfilment of the beautiful dream that one day that young
+girl would bear his name, grace his princely home, and nestle in his
+heart.
+
+He did not ask, Can that fair, graceful, gifted young thing ever love
+a gray-haired man, old enough to call her his daughter? Nay, nay!
+Common sense was utterly dethroned and expelled,--romance usurped the
+realm, and draped the future with rainbows; and he only set his teeth
+firmly against each other, and said to his bounding heart and blinded
+soul, "Patience, ye shall soon possess her!"
+
+To Paris, Lyons, Naples, he had followed her, and finally secured a
+villa at Palermo, where Prof. V---- had established himself and his
+household in a comfortable suite of rooms.
+
+To-day, as he left his sister and approached the house where the
+professor dwelt, his countenance was moody and forbidding, but its
+expression changed rapidly, as he caught a glimpse of the white muslin
+dress that fluttered in the evening wind.
+
+Salome was swiftly pacing the wide terrace that commanded a view of
+the Mediterranean, and her hands were clasped behind her, as was her
+habit when immersed in thought.
+
+Over her head she had thrown a white gauze scarf of fringed silk,
+which, slipping back, displayed the elaborate braids of hair wound
+around the head, where a crescent of snowy hyacinths partially
+encircled the glossy coil, and drooped upon her neck.
+
+Her face wore a haggard, anxious, restless expression, and the thin
+lips had lost their bright coral tint,--the smooth, clear cheeks
+something of their rounded perfection.
+
+As Mr. Minge came forward, she paused in her walk and leaned against
+the marble railing of the terrace, where a lemon tree, white with
+bloom, overhung the mosaiced floor and powdered it with velvety
+petals.
+
+He held out his hand.
+
+"I hope I find you better?"
+
+"Do I look so, think you?" said she, eyeing him impatiently, and
+keeping her hands folded behind her.
+
+"Unfortunately, no; and if I possessed the right I have more than once
+solicited, other physicians should be consulted. Why will you tamper
+with so serious a matter, and unnecessarily augment the anxiety of
+those who love you?"
+
+"I beg you to believe that my self-love is infinitely stronger than
+any other with which I am honored, and prompts me to all possible
+prudential precautions. Three doctors have already annoyed me with
+worthless prescriptions, and this morning I paid their bills and
+dismissed them; whereupon, one of them revenged himself by maliciously
+informing me that I should not be able to sing a note for one year at
+least."
+
+"To what do they attribute the disease?"
+
+"To that attack of scarlet fever, and also to the too frequent and
+severe cauterization of my throat. Time was when like other fond
+fools, I fancied Fate was not the hideous hag that wiser heads had
+painted her, but an affable old dame, easily cajoled and propitiated.
+With Carthaginian gratitude she repays my complimentary opinion by
+trampling my hopes and aims as I crush these petals, which yield
+perfume to their spoiler, while I could--"
+
+She put her foot upon the drifting lemon blossoms, and bit her lip to
+keep back the bitter words that trembled on her tongue.
+
+"Come and sit here on the steps, and confide your plans to one whose
+every scheme shall be subordinated to your wishes, your happiness."
+
+Mr. Minge attempted to take her hand, but she drew back and repulsed
+him.
+
+"Excuse me. I prefer to remain where I am; and when I am so fortunate
+and sagacious as to mature any plans, I shall be sure to lock them in
+my own heart beyond the tender mercies of meddling, marplot fortune."
+
+Her whole face grew dark, sinister, almost dangerous in its sudden
+transformation, and, leaning against the railing, she impatiently
+swept off the snowy lemon leaves. Mr. Minge took the end of her scarf,
+and as he toyed with the fringe, sighed heavily.
+
+"Of course you are forced to abandon your contemplated _debut_ in
+Paris?"
+
+"Yes. A _debut_ minus a voice, does not tempt me. Ah! how bright the
+future looked when I sang for the agent of the Opera-House, and found
+myself engaged for the season. How changed, how cheerless all things
+seem now."
+
+"Salome, fate is Janus-faced, and while frowning on you smiles
+benignantly on me. I joyfully hail every obstacle that bars your path,
+hoping that, weary of useless resistance, you will consent to walk in
+the flowery one I have offered you. My beautiful darling, why will you
+refuse the--"
+
+"Silence! I am in no mood to listen to a repetition of sentiments
+which, however flattering to my vanity, have no power to touch my
+heart. Mr. Minge, I have twice declined the offer you have done me the
+honor to make; and while proud of your preference, my Saxon is not so
+ambiguous or redundant as to leave any margin for misconception of my
+meaning."
+
+"My dear Salome, I fear your decision has been influenced by the
+consciousness that my poor, petted Constance has occasionally
+neglected the courtesies which you had a right to claim from the
+sister of the man who seeks to make you his wife."
+
+"No, sir; your sister's sneers, and the petty slights and persecutions
+for which I am indebted to her friend, Miss Sutherland, have not
+sufficient importance to affect me in any degree. My decision is
+based upon the unfortunate fact that I do not love you."
+
+"No woman can withstand such devotion as I bring you, and time would
+soon soften and deepen your feelings."
+
+"Sir, you unduly flatter yourself. Neither time nor eternity would
+change me, and you would do well to remember that it is my voice,
+sir,--not my hand and heart,--that I offer for sale."
+
+"Your stubborn rejection is explicable only by the supposition that
+you have deceived me,--that you have already bartered away the heart I
+long to call my own."
+
+"I am a miller's child,--you a millionaire, but permit me to remind
+you that I allow no imputation on my veracity. Why should I condescend
+to deceive you?"
+
+She petulantly snatched her scarf from the fingers that still stroked
+it caressingly; but an instant later a singular change swept over her
+countenance, and pressing her hands to her heart, she said in a proud,
+almost exultant tone,--
+
+"Although I deny your right to question me upon this subject, you are
+thoroughly welcome to know that I love one man so entirely, so
+deathlessly, that the bare thought of marrying any one else sickens my
+soul."
+
+Mr. Minge turned pale, and grasped the carved balustrade against which
+he rested.
+
+"O Salome! you have trifled."
+
+"No, sir. Take that back. I never stoop to trifling; and the curse of
+my life has been my almost fatal earnestness of purpose. If I ever
+deliberated one moment concerning the expediency of clothing myself
+first with your aristocratic name, afterwards with satin, velvet, and
+diamonds,--if I ever silenced the outcry of my heart long enough to
+ask myself whether _gilded misery_ was not the least torturing type of
+the epidemic wretchedness,--at least I kept my parley with Mammon to
+myself; and if you obstinately cherished hopes of final success, they
+sprang from your vanity, not my dissimulation. Mark you, I here set up
+no claim to sanctity,--for indeed my sins are 'thick as leaves in
+Vallombrosa'; but my pedigree does not happen to link me with
+Sapphira, and deceit is not charged to me in the real Doomsday Book.
+Theft would be more possible for me than falsehood, for while both are
+labelled 'wicked,' I could never dwarf and shrivel my soul by the
+cowardly process of mendacity. Mr. Minge, had I been a trifle less
+honest and true than I find myself, I might have impaired my
+self-respect by trifling."
+
+"Forgive me, Salome, if the pain I endure rendered me harsh or unjust.
+My dearest, I did not intend to wound you, but indeed you are cruel
+sometimes."
+
+"Yes; truth is the most savagely cruel of all rude, jagged weapons,
+and leaves ugly gashes and quivering nerves exposed, and these are the
+hurts that never cicatrize--that gape and bleed while the heart throbs
+to feed them."
+
+"Tell me candidly whether the heart I covet belongs to that Mr.
+Granville, who paid you such devoted attention in Paris."
+
+A short, scornful, mirthless laugh rang sharply on the air, and
+turning quickly, Salome exclaimed contemptuously,--
+
+"I said I loved a man,--a true, honest, brave, noble man,--not that
+perfumed, unprincipled, vain, foppish automaton, who adorns a corner
+of the diplomatic apartment where _attaches_ of the American embassy
+'most do congregate'! Gerard Granville is unworthy of any woman's
+affection, for maugre the indisputable fact that he is betrothed to a
+fond, trusting girl, now in the United States, he had the effrontery
+to attempt to offer his addresses to me. If an honest man be the
+noblest work of God, then, beyond all peradventure, the disgrace of
+creation is centred in an unscrupulous one, such as I have the honor
+to pronounce Mr. Granville."
+
+Seizing her hands, Mr. Minge carried them forcibly to his lips, and
+said, in a voice that faltered from intensity of feeling,--
+
+"Is it the hope that your love is reciprocated which bars your heart
+so sternly against my pleadings? Spare me no pangs,--tell me all."
+
+She freed her fingers from his grasp, and retreating a few steps,
+answered with a passionate mournfulness which he never forgot,--
+
+"If I were dowered with that precious hope, not all the crown jewels
+in Christendom and Heathendom could purchase it. Not the proudest
+throne on that continent of empires that lies yonder to the north,
+could woo me one hour from the only kingdom where I could happily
+reign,--the heart of the man I love. No--no--no! That hope is as
+distant as the first star up there above us, which has rent the blue
+veil of heaven to gaze pityingly at me; and I would as soon expect to
+catch that silver sparkle and fold it in my arms as dream that my
+affection could ever be returned. The only man I shall ever love could
+not bend his noble, regal nature to the level of mine, and towers
+beyond me, a pinnacle of unapproachable purity and perfection. Ah,
+indeed, he is one of those concerning whom it has been grandly said:
+'_The truly great stand upright as columns of the temple whose dome
+covers all,--against whose pillared sides multitudes lean, at whose
+base they kneel in times of trouble._' Mr. Minge, it is despair that
+crouches at my heart, not hope that shuts its portals against your
+earnest petition; for a barrier wider, deeper than a hundred oceans
+divides me from my idol, who loves, and ere this, is the husband of
+another."
+
+She did not observe the glow that once more mantled his cheek, and
+fired his eyes, until he exclaimed with unusual fervor,--
+
+"Thank God! That fact is freighted with priceless comfort."
+
+Compassion and contempt seemed struggling for mastery, as she waved
+him from her, and answered, impatiently,--
+
+"Think you that any other need hope to usurp my monarch's place,--that
+one inferior dare expect to wield his sceptre over my heart? Pardon
+me,--
+
+  'If there were not an eagle in the realm of birds,
+  Must then the owl be king among the feathered herds?'
+
+Some day a gentler spirit than mine will fill your home with music,
+and your heart with peace and sunshine; and, in that hour, thank
+honest Salome Owen for the blessings you owe to her candor. I must bid
+you good-night."
+
+She drew the scarf closer about her head and throat, and turned to
+leave the terrace.
+
+"Will you not allow me to drive you to-morrow afternoon on the Marino?
+Do not refuse me this innocent and inexpressibly valued privilege. I
+will not be denied! Good-night, my--Heaven shield you, my worshipped
+one! Hush!--I will hear no refusal."
+
+He stooped, kissed the folds of the scarf that covered her head, and
+hurried down the steps of the terrace.
+
+The glory of a Sicilian sunset bathed the face and figure that stood a
+moment under the lemon-boughs, watching the retreating form which soon
+disappeared behind clustering pomegranate, olive, and palm; and a
+tender compassion looked out of the large hazel eyes, and sat on the
+sad lips that murmured,--
+
+"God help you, Merton Minge, to strangle the viper that coils in your
+heart, and gnaws its core. My own is a serpent's lair, and I pity the
+pangs that rend yours also. But after a little while, your viper will
+find a file,--mine, alas! not until death arrests the slow torture.
+To-morrow afternoon I shall be--where? Only God knows."
+
+She shivered slightly, and raised her beautiful eyes towards the west,
+where golden gleams and violet shadows were battling for possession of
+a reef of cloud islets, which dotted the azure upper sea of air, and
+were reflected in the watery one beneath.
+
+"Courage! courage!
+
+  'Those who have nothing left to hope,
+  Have nothing left to dread.'"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+
+"Muriel, where can I find Miss Dexter?"
+
+"She went out on the lawn an hour ago, to regale herself with what she
+calls, 'atmospheric hippocrene,' and I have not heard her come in,
+though she may have gone to her room. Pray tell me, doctor, why you
+wish to see my governess?--to inquire concerning my numerous
+peccadilloes?"
+
+Muriel adroitly folded her embroidered silk apron over a package of
+letters that lay in her lap, and affected an air of gayety at variance
+with her dim eyes and wet lashes.
+
+"I shall believe that conscience accuses you of many juvenile
+improprieties, since you so suspiciously attack my motives and
+intentions. Indeed, little one, you flatter yourself unduly, in
+imagining that my interview with Miss Dexter necessarily involves the
+discussion of her pupil. I merely wish to enlist her sympathy in
+behalf of one of my patients. Muriel, I would have been much more
+gratified if I had found you walking with her, instead of moping here
+alone."
+
+"I am not moping."
+
+The girl bit her full red lip, and strove to force back the rapidly
+gathering tears.
+
+"At least you are not cheerful, and it pains me to see that anxious,
+dissatisfied expression on a face that should reflect only sunshine.
+What disturbs you?--the scarcity of Gerard's letters?"
+
+Dr. Grey sat down beside his ward, and throwing her arms around his
+neck, she burst into a passionate flood of tears. The sudden movement
+uncovered the letters, which slipped down and strewed the carpet.
+
+"Oh, doctor! I am very miserable!"
+
+"Why, my dear child?"
+
+"Because Gerard does not love me as formerly."
+
+"What reason have you for doubting his affection?"
+
+"He scarcely writes to me once a month, and then his letters are short
+and cold as icicles, and full of court gossip and fashion items, for
+which he knows I do not care a straw. Yesterday I received one,--the
+first I have had for three weeks,--and he requests me to defer our
+marriage at least six months longer, as he cannot possibly come over
+in May, the time appointed when he was here."
+
+She hid her face on her guardian's shoulder, and sobbed.
+
+An expression of painful surprise and stern displeasure clouded Dr.
+Grey's countenance, as he smoothed the hair away from the girl's
+throbbing temples.
+
+"Calm yourself, Muriel. If Gerard has forfeited your confidence, he is
+unworthy of your tears. Do you apprehend that his indifference is
+merely the result of separation, or have you any cause to attribute it
+to interest in some other person?"
+
+"That is a question I cannot answer."
+
+"Cannot, or will not?"
+
+"I know nothing positively; but I fear something, which perhaps I
+ought not to mention."
+
+"Throw aside all hesitancy, and talk freely to me. If Granville is
+either fickle or dishonorable, you should rejoice that the discovery
+has been made in time to save you from life-long wretchedness."
+
+"If we were only married, I am sure I could win him back to me."
+
+"That is a fatal fallacy, that has wrecked the happiness of many
+women. If a lover grows indifferent, as a husband he will be cold,
+unkind, unendurable. If as a devoted fiancee you can not retain and
+strengthen his affection,--as a wife you would weary and repel him.
+Have you answered the last letter?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+"My dear child, do you not consider me your best friend?"
+
+"Certainly I do."
+
+"Then yield to my guidance, and follow my advice. Lose no time in
+writing to Mr. Granville, and cancel your engagement. Tell him he is
+free."
+
+"Oh, then I should lose him,--and happiness, forever!" wailed Muriel,
+clasping her hands almost despairingly.
+
+"You have already lost his heart, and should be unwilling to retain
+him in fetters that must be galling."
+
+"Ah, Dr. Grey! it is very easy for you who never loved any one, to
+tell me, in that cold, business-like way, that I ought to set Gerard
+free; but you cannot realize what it costs to follow your counsel. Of
+course I know that in everything else you are much wiser than I, but
+persons who have no love affairs of their own are not the best judges
+of other people's. He is so dear to me, I believe it would kill me to
+give him up, and see him no more."
+
+"On the contrary, you would survive much greater misfortune than
+separation from a man who is unworthy of you. I cannot coerce, but
+simply counsel you in this matter, and should be glad to learn what
+your own decision is. Do you intend to wait until Gerard Granville
+explicitly requests you to release him from his engagement?"
+
+She winced, and the tears gushed anew.
+
+"Oh, you are cruel! You are heartless!"
+
+"No, my dear Muriel; I am actuated by the truest affection for my
+little ward, and desire to snatch her from future humiliation. My
+knowledge of human nature is more extended, more profound than yours,
+but since you seem unwilling to avail yourself of my experience, it
+only remains for you to acquaint me with your determination. Are you
+willing to tell me the nature of your answer?"
+
+"I intend to accede to Gerard's wish, and will defer the marriage
+until November; but in the meantime, I shall endeavor to win back his
+heart, which I believe has been artfully enticed from me."
+
+"By whom?"
+
+She made no reply, and lifting her head from his shoulder, Dr. Grey
+looked keenly into her face, and repeated his question.
+
+"Do not urge me to express suspicions that may possibly be unjust."
+
+"That are entirely unjust, you may rest assured," said he, almost
+vehemently.
+
+"By what means did you so positively ascertain that fact?"
+
+"The result will prove. Now, my dear child, you must acquit me of
+heartlessness and cruelty when I tell you, that, under existing
+circumstances, I cannot and will not consent to the solemnization of
+your marriage until you are of age. Once the conviction that an
+earlier consummation of your engagement was essential to the happiness
+of both parties, overruled the dictates of my judgment, and induced me
+to acquiesce in your wishes; but subsequent events have illustrated
+the wisdom of my former opposition, and now I am resolved that no
+argument or persuasion shall prevail upon me to sanction or permit
+your marriage until you are twenty-one."
+
+With a sharp cry of chagrin and amazement, Muriel sprang to her feet.
+
+"You surely do not mean to keep me in this torture, for nearly three
+years? I will not submit to such tyranny, even from Dr. Grey."
+
+"As a faithful guardian, I can see no alternative, and fear of
+incurring your displeasure shall not deter me from the performance of
+a stern duty to the child of my best and dearest friend. I must and
+will do what your father certainly would, were he alive. My dear
+Muriel, control yourself, and do not, by harsh epithets and unjust
+accusations, wound the heart that sincerely loves you. To-day, as your
+guardian, I hearken to the imperative dictates of my conscience, and
+turn a deaf ear to the pleadings of my tender affection, which would
+save you from even momentary sorrow and disappointment. Since my
+decision is irrevocable, do not render the execution of my purpose
+more painful than necessity demands."
+
+Seizing his hand, Muriel pressed it against her flushed cheek, and
+pleaded falteringly,--
+
+"Do not doom your poor little Muriel to such misery. Oh, Dr. Grey!
+dear Dr. Grey, remember you promised my dying father to take his
+place,--and he would never inflict such suffering on his child. You
+have forgotten your promise!"
+
+"No, dear child. It is because I hold it so sacred that I cannot yield
+to your entreaties; and I must faithfully adhere to my obligations,
+even though I forfeit your affection. I shall write to Mr. Granville
+by the next mail, and it is my wish that henceforth the subject should
+not be referred to. Cheer up, my child; three years will soon glide
+away, and at the expiration of that time you will thank me for the
+firmness which you now denounce as cruelty. Good-morning. Be sure to
+think kindly of your guardian, whose heart is quite as sad as your
+own."
+
+She struggled and resisted, but he kissed her lightly on the
+forehead, and as he left the room heard her bitter invectives against
+his tyranny and hard-heartedness.
+
+Crossing the elm-studded lawn, he approached a secluded walk, bordered
+with lilacs and myrtle, and saw the figure of the governess pacing to
+and fro.
+
+During the four months that had elapsed since his last visit to
+"Solitude," he scrutinized and studied her character more closely than
+formerly, and the investigation only heightened and intensified his
+esteem.
+
+No hint of her history had ever passed the calm, patient lips, which
+had forgotten how to laugh, and now, as he watched her pale,
+melancholy face, which bore traces of extraordinary beauty, he
+exonerated her from all blame in the ruinous deception that had
+blasted more lives than one; and honored the silent heroism which so
+securely locked her disappointment in her own heart. He knew that
+consumption was the hereditary scourge of her family, that she bore in
+her constitution the seeds of slowly but surely developing disease,
+and did not marvel at the quiet indifference with which she treated
+symptoms which he had several times pointed out as serious and
+dangerous.
+
+To-day her manner was excited, and her step betrayed very unusual
+impatience.
+
+"Miss Dexter, from the frequency of your cough I am afraid you are
+imprudent in selecting this walk, which is so densely shaded that the
+sun does not reach it until nearly noon. Are not your feet damp?"
+
+"No, sir; my shoes are thick, and thoroughly protect them."
+
+She paused before him, and, in her soft, brown eyes, he saw a strange,
+unwonted restlessness,--an eager expectancy that surprised and
+disturbed him.
+
+"Are you at leisure this morning?"
+
+"Do you need my services immediately?"
+
+She answered evasively; and he noticed that she glanced anxiously
+toward the road leading into town.
+
+"You will greatly oblige me, if some time during the day, you will be
+so good as to superintend the preparation of some calves'-feet jelly,
+for one of my poor patients. I would not trouble you, but Rachel is
+quite sick, and the new cook does not understand the process. May I
+depend upon you?"
+
+"Certainly, sir; it will afford me pleasure to prepare the jelly."
+
+Looking more closely at her face, he saw undeniable traces of recent
+tears, and drew her arm through his.
+
+"I hope you will not deem me impertinently curious if I beg you to
+honor me with your confidence, and explain the anxiety which is
+evidently preying upon your mind."
+
+Embarrassment flushed her transparent cheek, and her shy eyes glanced
+up uneasily.
+
+"At least, Miss Dexter, permit me to ask whether Muriel is connected
+with the cause of your disquiet?"
+
+"My pupil is, I fear, very unhappy; but she withholds much from me
+since she learned my disapproval of her approaching marriage."
+
+"Will you acquaint me with your objections to Mr. Granville?"
+
+"Against Mr. Granville, the gentleman, I have nothing to urge; but I
+could not consent to see Muriel wed a man, who, I am convinced, has no
+affection for her."
+
+"Have you told her this?"
+
+"Repeatedly; and, of course, my frankness has offended and alienated
+her. Oh, Dr. Grey! the child totters on the brink of a flower-veiled
+precipice, and will heed no warning. Perhaps I should libel Mr.
+Granville were I to impute mercenary motives to him,--perhaps he
+fancied he loved Muriel when he addressed her,--I hope so, for the
+honor of manhood; but the glamour was brief, and certainly he must be
+aware that he has not proper affection for her now."
+
+"And yet, she is very lovable and winning."
+
+"Yes,--to you and to me; but her good qualities are not those which
+gentlemen find most attractive. What is Christian purity and noble
+generosity of soul, in comparison with physical perfection? Muriel
+often reminds me of one whom I loved devotedly, whose unselfish and
+unsuspicious nature wrought the ruin of her happiness; and from her
+miserable fate I would fain save my pupil."
+
+He knew from the tremor of her lips and hands, and the momentary
+contraction of her fair brow, to whom she alluded; and both sighed
+audibly.
+
+"My convictions coincide so entirely with yours, that I have had an
+interview with my ward, and withdrawn my consent to her marriage until
+she is of age."
+
+"Thank God! In the interim she may grow wiser, or some fortuitous
+occurrence may avert the danger we dread."
+
+In the brief silence that ensued, the governess seemed debating the
+expediency of making some revelation; and, encountering one of her
+perplexed and scrutinizing glances, the doctor smiled and said,
+gravely,--
+
+"I believe I understand your hesitancy; but I assure you I should
+never forfeit any trust you might repose in me. You have some cause of
+serious annoyance, entirely irrespective of my ward, and I may be
+instrumental in removing it."
+
+"Thank you, Dr. Grey. For some days I have been canvassing the
+propriety of asking your advice and assistance; and my reluctance
+arose not from want of confidence in you, but from dread of the pain
+it would necessarily inflict upon me, to recur to events long buried.
+It is not essential, however, that I should weary you with the minutiae
+of circumstances which many years ago smothered the sunshine in my
+life, and left me in darkness, a lonely and joyless woman. I have
+resided here long enough to learn the noble generosity of your
+character, and to you, as a true Christian gentleman, I come for
+aid,--premising only that what I am about to say is strictly
+confidential."
+
+"As such, I shall ever regard it; but if I am to become your coajutor
+in any matter, let me request that nothing be kept secret, for only
+entire frankness should exist between those who have a common aim."
+
+A painful flush tinged her cheek, and the fair, thin face, grew
+indescribably mournful, as she clasped her hands firmly over his arm.
+
+"Dr. Grey, when unscrupulous men or women deliberately stab the
+happiness of a fellow-creature, they have no wounded sensibilities, no
+haunting compunction,--and if remorse finally overtakes, it finds them
+well-nigh callous and indurated; but woe to that innocent being who is
+the unintentional and unconscious agent for the ruin of those she
+loves. I cannot remember the time when I did not love the only man for
+whom I ever entertained any affection. He was the playmate of my
+earliest years,--the betrothed of my young maidenhood,--and just
+before my poor father died, he joined our hands and left his blessing
+on my choice. Poverty was the only barrier to our union, but I took a
+situation as teacher, and hoarded my small gains in the hope of aiding
+my lover, who went abroad with a wealthy uncle, and completed his
+education in Germany. I knew that Maurice had contracted very
+extravagant and self-indulgent habits,--but in the court of love is
+there any 'high crime' or misdemeanor for which a woman's heart will
+condemn her idol? Nay, nay; she will plead his defence against the
+stern evidence of her own incorruptible reason; and, if need be, share
+his punishment,--die in his stead. I denied myself every luxury, and
+jealously husbanded my small salary, anticipating the happy hour when
+we might invest it in furniture for our little home; and, indeed, in
+those blessed days of hope, it seemed no hardship,--
+
+  'And joy was duty, and love was law.'
+
+From time to time our marriage was deferred, but I well knew I was
+beloved, and so I waited patiently, until fortune should smile upon
+me. In the interim I became warmly attached to a young girl in the
+school where I taught, and whose affection for me was enthusiastic and
+ardent. Evelyn was an orphan, and the heiress of enormous wealth,
+which she seemed resolved to share with me; and, more than once, I was
+tempted to acquaint her with the obstacle that debarred me from
+happiness. Ah! if I had only confided in her, and trusted her faithful
+love, how much wretchedness would have been averted! But she appeared
+to me such an impulsive child that I shrank from unburdening my heart
+to her, while she acquainted me with every thought and aim of her
+pure, guileless life. She was singularly, almost idolatrously fond of
+me, and I loved her very sincerely, for her character was certainly
+the most admirable I have ever met.
+
+"At vacation we parted for three months, and I hurried to meet my
+lover, who had promised to join me in Vermont, where my mother had
+gone to recruit her failing health. For the first time Maurice proved
+recreant, and wrote that imperative business detained him in New York.
+Did I doubt him, even then? Not in the least; but endeavored by
+cheerful letters to show him how patiently I could bear the separation
+that might result in pecuniary advantage to him. My mother looked
+anxious, and foreboded ill; but I laughed at her misgivings, and
+proudly silenced her warning voice. In the midst of my blissful dream
+came a lengthy telegraphic dispatch from my young girl-friend Evelyn,
+inviting me to hasten to New York, and accompany her on a bridal tour
+through Europe. In a brief and almost incoherent note, subsequently
+received, she accidentally omitted the name of her future husband, and
+designated him as 'my prince,' 'my king,' 'my liege lover.' The same
+mail brought me a long and exceedingly tender letter from my own
+betrothed, informing me that at the expiration of ten days he would
+certainly be with me to arrange for an immediate consummation of our
+engagement. A railroad accident delayed me twenty-four hours, and I
+did not reach New York until the morning of the day on which my friend
+was married. The ceremony took place at ten o'clock, and when I
+arrived, Evelyn was already in the hands of the hair-dresser. I was
+hurried into the room prepared for me, and while waiting for my trunk,
+noticed a basket containing some of the wedding cards. I picked up
+one, and you can perhaps imagine my emotions, when I saw that my own
+lover was the betrothed of my friend. Dr. Grey, eight miserable years
+have gone wearily over my head since then, but now, in the dead of
+night, if I shut my eyes, I see staring at me, like the rayless,
+glazed orbs of the dead, that silver-edged wedding card, bearing in
+silver letters--Maurice Carlyle, Evelyn Flewellyn. Oh, blacker than
+ten thousand death-warrants! for all the hopes of a lifetime went down
+before it. Every ray of earthly light was extinguished in a night of
+woe that can have no dawn, until the day-star of eternity shimmers on
+its gloom."
+
+She shuddered convulsively, and the agonized expression of her face
+was so painful to behold that her companion averted his head.
+
+"I was alone with my misery, and so overwhelming was the shock that I
+fainted. When the hair-dresser came to offer her services, she found
+me lying insensible on the carpet. How bitterly, how unavailingly,
+have I reproached myself for my failure to hasten to Evelyn, even
+then, and divulge all. But with returning consciousness came womanly
+pride, and I resolved to hide the anguish for which I knew there was
+no cure. As soon as I was dressed, we were summoned down stairs to
+meet the remainder of the bridal party, and there I saw the man whom I
+expected to call my husband talking gayly with his attendants.
+
+"Evelyn impetuously presented me as her 'dearest friend,' and,
+without raising his eyes, he bowed profoundly and turned away. How I
+endured all I was called to witness that morning, I know not; but
+my strength seemed superhuman. The ceremony was performed in
+church, and after our return to the house, Mr. Carlyle asserted and
+claimed the right to kiss the bridesmaids. There were four, and I was
+the last whom he approached. I was standing in the shadow of the
+window-curtain, which I had clutched for support, and, as he came
+close to me, our eyes met for the first time that day, and I can
+never, never forget the pleading mournfulness, the passionate
+tenderness, the despair, that filled his. I waved him from me, but
+he seized my hand, and pressed his hot lips lingeringly to mine.
+Then he whispered, 'My only love, my own Edith, do not judge till you
+hear your wretched Maurice. Meet me in the hot-house when Evelyn
+goes to change her dress, and I will explain this awful, this
+accursed necessity.' A few moments later he stood with his bride at
+the head of the table in the breakfast-room, while I was placed
+close to Evelyn, and the mirror opposite reflected the group. I know
+now it was sinful, but, oh! how could I help it? As I looked at
+the reflection in the glass, and compared my face with that of the
+bride, I felt my poor wicked heart throb with triumph at the
+thought that my superior beauty could not soon be forgotten,--that,
+though her husband, he was still my lover. Dr. Grey, do not despise me
+for my weakness, as I should have despised him for his perfidy; and
+remember that a woman cannot in a moment renounce allegiance to a man
+who is the one love of her life. They forced me to drink some wine
+that fired my brain and made me reckless, and an hour after, when
+Maurice came up and offered his arm, inviting me to promenade for a
+few minutes in the hot-house, I yielded and accompanied him. He told
+me a tale of dishonorable financial transactions, into which he had
+been betrayed solely by the hope of obtaining money that would enable
+him to hasten our union; but the utter failure of the scheme
+threatened him with disgrace, possibly with imprisonment, and the
+only mode of preserving his name from infamy, was to possess
+himself of Evelyn's large fortune. Just as he clasped me in his
+arms, and vehemently declared his deathless affection for me,--his
+contempt and hatred of his poor childish bride,--I heard a strange
+sound that was neither a wail nor a laugh, a sound unlike any other
+that ever smote my ears, and looking up, I saw Evelyn standing before
+us."
+
+Miss Dexter groaned aloud, and covered her eyes with her hand.
+
+"Oh, my God! help me to shut out that horrible vision! If I could
+forget that distorted, death-like face, with livid lips writhing away
+from the gleaming teeth, and desperate, wide eyes, glaring like globes
+of flame! She looked twenty years older, and from her clenched
+hands,--her beautiful, exquisite hands,--that were wont to caress me
+so tenderly, the blood was dripping down on her lace veil and her
+white velvet bridal dress. How much she heard I know not, for I never
+saw her again. I swooned in Maurice's arms, and was carried to my own
+room; and when I finally groped my way to Evelyn's apartment, they
+told me she had been gone two hours,--had sailed for Europe, leaving
+her husband in New York. What passed in her farewell interview with
+him none but he and her lawyer knew; but they separated there on
+condition that his debts were cancelled. She went abroad with a
+faithful old Scotch woman who had been her nurse, and her husband told
+the world she was a maniac."
+
+"Did he tell you so? Did you believe it?" exclaimed Dr. Grey, with a
+degree of vehemence that startled the governess.
+
+"I have never seen Maurice Carlyle since that awful hour in the
+hot-house. He came repeatedly to my home, but I refused to meet him,
+and dozens of his letters have been returned unopened. Once, while I
+was absent, he obtained an interview with my mother, and besought her
+intercession in his behalf, pleading for my pardon, and assuring her
+that, as his wife was hopelessly insane, he would apply for a divorce,
+and then claim the hand of the only woman he had ever loved. I dreaded
+the effect upon Evelyn, and had no means of ascertaining her real
+condition. Soon after, I lost my mother, whose death was hastened by
+grief and humiliation; and, when I had laid her down beside my father,
+I went in search of Evelyn. Several times I had attempted to
+communicate with her, and with Elsie, the nurse, but my letters always
+came back unopened, and bearing the London stamp. Having been informed
+that she was in an insane asylum in England, I took the money that had
+been so carefully hoarded for a different purpose and went to London.
+One by one, I searched all the asylums in the United Kingdom, and
+finding no trace of her, came back to America. Finally, on the
+death-bed of Mr. Clayton, her lawyer, who understood my great anxiety
+to discover her, I was told in strict confidence that she was
+perfectly sane,--had never been otherwise,--but preferred that the
+false report in circulation should not be corrected, since her husband
+had set it in motion. I learned that she was well and pleasantly
+located somewhere in the East, but would never see the faces of either
+friends or foes, and absolutely refused all intercourse with her race.
+From one of her letters (which, a moment after, he burned in the
+grate) Mr. Clayton read me a paragraph: '_The greatest mercy you can
+show me is to allow me to forget. Henceforth mention no more the names
+of any I ever knew; and let silence, like a pall, shroud all the past
+of Vashti._' He died next day, and since then--"
+
+The sad, sweet voice, which for some moments had been growing more and
+more unsteady, here sank into a sob, and the governess wept freely,
+while her whole frame shook with the violence of long-pent anguish,
+that now defied control.
+
+"Oh, if I could find her! If I could go to her and tell her all, and
+exonerate myself! If I could show her that he was mine always,--mine
+long before she ever saw him,--then she would not think so harshly of
+me. I know not what explanation Maurice gave her, nor how much of our
+conversation she overheard; and I cannot live contentedly,--oh! I
+cannot die in peace till I see my poor crushed darling, and hear from
+her lips the assurance that she does not hold me responsible for her
+wretchedness. Dr. Grey, I love her with a pitying tenderness that
+transcends all power of expression. Perhaps if Maurice had ever loved
+her, I could not feel as I do towards her; for a woman's nature
+tolerates no rival in the affection of her lover, and, unprincipled as
+mine proved in other respects, I know that his heart was always
+unswervingly my own. My dear, noble Evelyn! My pure, loving little
+darling! Ah! I have wearied heaven with prayers that God would give
+her back to my arms."
+
+Unable to conceal the emotion he was unwilling she should witness, Dr.
+Grey disengaged his arm and walked away, striving to regain his usual
+composure.
+
+Did the governess suspect the proximity of her long-lost friend? If
+she claimed his assistance in prosecuting her search, what course
+would duty dictate?
+
+Retracing his steps, he found that she had seated herself on a bench
+near one of the tallest lilacs, and having thrown aside her quilted
+hood of scarlet silk, her care-worn countenance was fully exposed.
+
+She was gazing very intently at some object in her hand, which she
+bent over and kissed several times, and did not perceive his approach
+until he stood beside her.
+
+"Dr. Grey, I believe my prayer has been heard, and that at last I have
+discovered a clew to the retreat of my lost Evelyn. Last week I went
+to a jewelry store in town, to buy a locket which I intended as a
+birthday gift for Muriel. Several customers had preceded me, and while
+waiting, my attention was attracted towards one of the workmen who
+uttered an impatient ejaculation and dashed down some article upon
+which he was at work. As it fell, I saw that it was an oval ivory
+miniature, originally surrounded with very large handsome pearls, the
+greater portion of which the jeweller had removed and placed in a
+small glass bowl that stood near him. I leaned down to examine the
+miniature, and though the paint was blurred and faded, it was
+impossible to mistake the likeness, and you cannot realize the thrill
+that ran along my nerves as I recognized the portrait of Evelyn. So
+great was my astonishment and delight that I must have cried out, for
+the people in the store all turned and stared at me, and when I
+snatched the piece of ivory from the work-table, the man looked at me
+in amazement. Very incoherently I demanded where and how he obtained
+it, and, beckoning to the proprietor, he said, 'Just as I told you;
+this has turned out stolen property.' Then he opened a drawer and took
+from it a similar oval slab of ivory, and when I looked at it and saw
+Maurice's handsome face, my brain reeled, and I grew so dizzy I almost
+fell. 'Madam, do you know these portraits?' asked the proprietor.
+
+"I told him that I did,--that I had seen these jewelled miniatures
+eight years before on the dressing-table of a bride, and I implored
+him to tell me how they came into his possession. He fitted them into
+a dingy, worn case, which seemed to have been composed of purple
+velvet, and informed me that he purchased the whole from an Irish lad,
+who asserted that he picked it up on the beach, where it had evidently
+drifted in a high tide. On examination, he found that the case had
+indeed been saturated with sea-water, but the pearls were in such a
+remarkable state of preservation that he doubted the lad's statement.
+He had bought the miniatures in order to secure the pearls, which he
+assured me were unusually fine, and to satisfy himself concerning the
+affair had advertised two ivory miniatures, and invited the owners to
+come forward and prove property. After the expiration of a week, he
+discontinued the notice, and finally ordered the pearls removed from
+their gold frames. When I had given him the names of the originals, he
+consented that I should take the portraits which were now worthless to
+him, and gave me also the name of the boy. It was not until two days
+afterward that I succeeded in finding Thomas Donovan, a lad about
+fourteen years old, whose mother Phoebe is a laundress, and does up
+laces and fine muslins. When I called and stated the object of my
+visit he seemed much confused, but sullenly repeated the assertion
+made to the jeweller. Yesterday I went again and had a long
+conversation with his mother, who must be an honest soul, for she
+assured me she knew nothing of the matter, and would investigate it
+immediately. The boy was absent, but she promised either to send him
+here this morning or come in person, to acquaint me with the result. I
+offered a reward if he would confess where he obtained them; and if he
+proved obstinate, threatened to have him arrested. Now, Dr. Grey, you
+can understand why I have so tediously made a full revelation of my
+past, for I wish to enlist your sympathy and claim your aid in my
+search for my long-lost friend. These portraits inadequately represent
+the fascinating beauty of one of the originals, and the sweetness and
+almost angelic purity of the other."
+
+She held up the somewhat defaced and faded miniatures for the
+inspection of her companion, but scarcely glancing at them, he said,
+abstractedly,--
+
+"You are sure they belong to Mrs. Carlyle?"
+
+"Yes. As she put on her diamonds just before going down stairs she
+showed me the portraits in her jewelry casket, where she had also
+placed a similar one of myself. Ah! at this instant I seem to see her
+beaming face, as she bent down, and sweeping her veil aside, kissed my
+picture and Maurice's."
+
+"Do you imagine that she is in America?"
+
+"No; I fear she is dead, and that these were stolen from the old
+nurse. Who is that yonder? Ah, yes,--Phoebe Donovan. Now I shall hear
+the truth."
+
+Forgetting her shawl, and unmindful of the fact that the sun was
+streaming full on her head and face, she hurried to meet the woman who
+was ascending the avenue, and very soon they entered the house.
+
+A quarter of an hour elapsed ere Phoebe came out, and walked rapidly
+away; and, unwilling to prolong his suspense, Dr. Grey went in search
+of the governess.
+
+He met her in the hall, and saw that she was equipped for a walk. Her
+cheeks were scarlet, her brown eyes all aglow with eager expectation,
+and her lips twitched, as she exclaimed,--
+
+"Oh, doctor, I hope everything; for I learn that the pictures were
+found on the lawn at 'Solitude,' where Phoebe was once hired as cook;
+and she recognized the case as the same she had one day seen on a
+writing-desk in the parlor. The boy confessed that he picked it up
+from the grass, and, after taking out the contents, soaked the case in
+a bucket of salt-water. Phoebe says the pictures belong to Mrs.
+Gerome, the gray-headed woman who owns that place on the beach, and I
+am almost tempted to believe she is Elsie, who may have married again.
+At all events, I shall soon know where she obtained the portraits."
+
+"You are not going to 'Solitude'?"
+
+"Yes, immediately. I cannot rest till I have learned all. God grant I
+may not be mocked in my hopes."
+
+The unwonted excitement had kindled a strange beauty in the whilom
+passive face, and Dr. Grey could for the first time realize how lovely
+she must have been in the happy days of eld.
+
+"Miss Dexter, Mrs. Gerome will not receive you. She sees no visitors,
+not even ministers of the gospel."
+
+"She must--she shall--admit me; for I will assure her that life and
+death hang upon it."
+
+"How so?"
+
+"If Evelyn is alive, and I can discover her retreat, I will urge her
+to go to her husband, who needs her care. You know Mrs. Gerome,--she
+is one of your patients. Come with me, and prevail upon her to receive
+me."
+
+In her eagerness she laid her hand on his arm, and even then noticed
+and wondered at the crimson that suddenly leaped into his olive face.
+
+"Some day I will give you good reasons for refusing your request,
+which it is impossible for me to grant. If you are resolved to hazard
+the visit, I will take you in my buggy as far as the gate at
+'Solitude,' and when you return will confer with you concerning the
+result. Just now, I can promise no more."
+
+An expression of disappointment clouded her brow.
+
+"I had hoped that you would sympathize with and be more interested in
+my great sorrow."
+
+"Miss Dexter, my interest is more profound, more intense, than you can
+imagine, but at this juncture circumstances forbid its expression. My
+buggy is at the door."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+
+Even at mid-day the grounds around "Solitude" were sombre and chill,
+for across the sky the winds had woven a thin, vapory veil, whose
+cloud-meshes seemed fine as lacework; and through this gilded netting
+the sun looked hazy, the light wan and yellow, and rifled of its
+customary noon glitter.
+
+Following one of the serpentine walks, the governess was approaching
+the house, when her attention was attracted by the gleaming surface of
+a tomb, and she turned towards the pyramidal deodars that were swaying
+slowly in the breeze,--
+
+  "Warming their heads in the sun,
+  Checkering the grass with their shade,"
+
+and photographing fringy images on the shining marble.
+
+A broad circle of violets, blue with bloom, surrounded a sexangular
+temple, whose dome was terminated by a mural crown and surmounted by a
+cross. The beautifully polished pillars were fluted, and wreathed
+with carved ivy that wound up to the richly-sculptured cornices, where
+poppies clustered and tossed their leaves along the architrave; and,
+in the centre, visible through all the arches, rose an altar, bearing
+two angels with fingers on their lips, who guarded an exquisite urn
+that was inscribed "_cor cordium_."
+
+Beneath the eastern arch, that directly fronted the sea, were two
+steps leading into the mausoleum, and, as Miss Dexter stood within,
+she saw that the floor was arranged with slabs for only two tombs
+close to the altar, one side of which bore in golden tracery,--
+
+  "_Elsie Maclean, 68. Amicus Amicorum._"
+
+Around the base of the urn were scattered some fresh geranium-leaves,
+and very near it stood a tall, slender, Venetian glass vase filled
+with odorous flowers, which had evidently been gathered and arranged
+that day.
+
+For whom had the remaining slab and opposite side of the altar been
+reserved?
+
+The heart of the governess seemed for a moment to forget its
+functions, then a vague hope made it throb fiercely; and rapidly the
+anxious woman directed her steps towards the house, that seemed as
+silent as the grave behind her.
+
+The hall door had swung partially open, and, dreading that she might
+be refused admittance if she rang the bell, she availed herself of the
+lucky accident (which in Elsie's lifetime never happened), and entered
+unchallenged and unobserved.
+
+From the parlor issued a rather monotonous and suppressed sound, as of
+some one reading aloud, and, advancing a few steps, the governess
+stood inside the threshold.
+
+The curtains of the south window were looped back, the blinds thrown
+open, and the sickly sunshine poured in, lighting the easel, before
+which the mistress of the house had drawn an ottoman and seated
+herself.
+
+To-day, an air of unwonted negligence marked her appearance, usually
+distinguished by extraordinary care and taste.
+
+Her white merino _robe de chambre_ was partially ungirded, and the
+blue tassels trailed on the carpet; her luxuriant hair instead of
+being braided and classically coiled, was gathered in three or four
+large heavy loops, and fastened rather loosely by the massive silver
+comb that allowed one long tress to straggle across her shoulder,
+while the folds in front slipped low on her temples and forehead.
+
+Intently contemplating her work, she leaned her cheek on her hand, and
+only the profile was visible from the door, as she repeated, in a
+subdued tone,--
+
+  "I stanch with ice my burning breast,
+    With silence balm my whirling brain,
+  O Brandan! to this hour of rest,
+    That Joppan leper's ease was pain."
+
+The easel held the largest of many pictures, upon which she had
+lavished time and study, and her present work was a wide stretch of
+mid-ocean, lighted by innumerable stars, and a round glittering polar
+moon that swung mid-heaven like a globe of silver, and shed a ghostly
+lustre on the raging, ragged waves, above which an Aurora Borealis
+lifted its gleaming arch of mysterious white fires.
+
+On the flowery shore of a tropic isle, under clustering boughs of lime
+and citron, knelt the venerable figure of Saint Brandan,--and upon a
+towering, jagged iceberg, whose crystal cliffs and diamond peaks
+glittered with the ghastly radiance reflected from arctic moon and
+boreal flames, lay Judas, pressing his hot palms and burning breast to
+the frigid bosom of his sailing sapphire berg.
+
+No hideous, scowling, red-haired arch-apostate was this painted
+Iscariot,--but a handsome man, whose features were startlingly like
+those in the ivory miniature.
+
+It was a wild, dreary, mournful picture, suggestive of melancholy
+mediaeval myths, and most abnormal phantasms; and would more
+appropriately have draped the walls of some flagellating ascetic's
+cell, than the luxuriously furnished room that now contained it.
+
+Bending forward to deepen the dark circles which suffering and
+remorse had worn beneath the brilliant eyes of the apostle, the lonely
+artist added another verse to her quotation,--
+
+  "Once every year, when carols wake
+    On earth the Christmas night's repose,
+  Arising from the sinner's lake
+    I journey to these healing snows."
+
+The motion loosened a delicate white lily pinned at her throat, and it
+fell upon the palette, sullying its purity with the dark paint to
+which its petals clung. She removed it, looked at its defaced
+loveliness, and tossed it aside, saying moodily,--
+
+"Typical of our souls, originally dowered with a stainless and
+well-nigh perfect holiness, but drooping dust-ward continually, and
+once tainted by the fall,--hugging the corruption that ruined it."
+
+As the governess looked and listened, a half-perplexed, half-frightened
+expression passed over her countenance, and at length she advanced to
+the arch, and said, tremblingly,--
+
+"Can I have a few moments' conversation with Mrs. Gerome, on important
+business?"
+
+"My God! am I verily mad at last? Because I called up Judas, must I
+also evoke the partner of his crime?"
+
+With a thrilling, almost blood-curdling cry Mrs. Gerome had leaped to
+her feet at the sound of Miss Dexter's voice, and, dropping palette
+and brush, confronted her with a look of horror and hate. The quick
+and violent movement shook out her comb, and down came the folds of
+hair, falling like a silver cataract to her knees.
+
+Bewildered by memories which the face and form recalled, the governess
+looked at the shining white locks, and her lips blanched, as she
+stammered,--
+
+"Are you Mrs. Gerome?"
+
+Her scarlet hood had fallen back, disclosing her wealth of golden
+hair; and gazing at her thin but still lovely features, rouged by a
+hectic glow that lent strange beauty to the wide, brown eyes, Mrs.
+Gerome answered, huskily,--
+
+"I am the mistress of this house. Who is the woman who has the
+audacity to intrude upon my seclusion, and vividly remind me of one
+whose hated lineaments have cursed my memory for years? Woman, if I
+believed _she_ had the effrontery to thrust herself into my presence,
+I should fear that at this instant I am afflicted with the abhorred
+sight of Edith Dexter, than whom a legion of devils would be more
+welcome!"
+
+The name fell hissingly from her stern mouth, and when she shook back
+the hair that drooped over her brow, the gray globe-like eyes
+glittered as polished blue steel under some fitful light.
+
+A low, half-stifled cry escaped the governess, and springing forward
+she fell on her knees and grasped the white hands that had clutched
+each other.
+
+"Evelyn! It must be Evelyn! despite this gray hair and wan,
+changed face! and I could never mistake these beautiful, beautiful
+hands--unlike any others in the world! Evelyn, my lost darling! oh,
+I thank God I have found you before I die!"
+
+She covered the cold fingers with kisses, and pressed her face to a
+band of the floating hair; but with a gesture of loathing Mrs. Gerome
+broke away, and retreated a few steps.
+
+"How dare you come into my presence? Goaded by a desire to witness the
+ruin you helped to accomplish? Your audacity at least astounds me; but
+fate decrees you the enjoyment of its reward. Lo! here I am! Behold
+the gray shadow of what was once a happy, confiding girl! Behold in
+the desolate, lonely woman, who hides her disgrace under the name of
+Agla Gerome, that bride of an hour, that Evelyn whose heart you
+stabbed! Does the wreck entirely satisfy you? What more could even
+fiendish malevolence desire?"
+
+"Evelyn, you wrong me. For mercy's sake do not upbraid and taunt me so
+unjustly!"
+
+In vain she held out her hands imploringly, while tears rolled over
+her crimsoned cheeks, and sobs impeded her utterance. Mrs. Gerome
+laughed bitterly.
+
+"What! I wrong you? Have _you_ gone mad, instead of your victim? Miss
+Dexter, you and I can scarcely afford to deal in mock tragedy, and
+though you make a pretty picture kneeling there, I have no mind to
+paint you yonder, where I put your colleague, Judas. Is it not a good
+likeness of your lover, as he looked that memorable day when the broad
+banana-leaves overshadowed his handsome head?"
+
+She rapped the canvas with her clenched hand, and continued, in
+accents of indescribable scorn,--
+
+"Do you kneel as penitent or petitioner? You come to crave my pardon,
+or my husband?"
+
+The governess had bowed her face almost to the carpet, like some
+fragile flower borne down by a sudden flood; but now she rose, and,
+throwing her head back proudly, answered with firm yet gentle
+dignity,--
+
+"Of Mrs. Gerome I crave nothing. Of Evelyn Carlyle I demand justice;
+simply bare justice."
+
+"Justice! You are rash, Miss Dexter, to challenge fate; for, were
+justice meted out, the burden would prove more intolerable to you than
+that King Stork whom Zeus sent down as a Nemesis to quiet clamorous
+frogs. Justice, let me tell you, long ago fled from this hostile and
+inhospitable earth and took refuge beyond the stars, where, please
+God, you and I shall one day confront her and get our long-defrauded
+dues. Justice? Nay, nay! the thing I recognize as justice would crush
+you utterly, and you should flee to the _Ultima Thule_ to avoid it. I
+divine your mission. You come as envoy-extraordinary from my honorable
+and chivalric husband, to demand release from the bonds that doom me
+to wear his name and you to live without that spotless aegis? Since my
+fortune no longer percolates through the sieve of his pocket, and
+legal quibbles can not now avail to wring thousands from my purse, he
+desires a divorce, in order to remove to your fair wrists the fetters
+which have proved more galling to mine than those of iron."
+
+"Evelyn, insult must not be heaped upon injury. As God hears me, I
+tell you solemnly that you have seen your husband since I have. Upon
+Maurice Carlyle's face I have never looked since that fatal hour when
+I last saw yours, ghastly and rigid, against the background of
+guava-boughs. From that day until this, I have neither seen, nor
+spoken, nor written to him."
+
+"Then why are you here, to torment me with the sight of your face,
+which would darken the precincts of heaven, if I met it inside of the
+gates of pearl?"
+
+"I have come to exonerate myself from the aspersions that in your
+frenzy you have cast upon me. Evelyn, I am here to prove that my
+wrongs are greater than yours,--and if either should crave pardon, it
+would best become you to sue for it at my hands. But for you, I should
+have been a happy wife,--blessed with a devoted husband and fond
+mother; and now in my loneliness I stand for vindication before her
+who robbed me of every earthly hope, and blotted all light, all
+verdure, all beauty from my life. You had known Maurice Carlyle six
+weeks, when you gave him your hand. I had grown up at his side,--had
+loved, trusted, prayed, and labored for him,--had been his promised
+wife for seven dreary years of toil and separation, and was counting
+the hours until the moment when he would lead me to the altar. Ah,
+Evelyn,--"
+
+A violent spell of coughing interrupted the governess, and when it
+ended she did not complete the sentence.
+
+Impatiently Mrs. Gerome motioned to her to continue, and, turning her
+head which had been averted, the hostess saw that her guest was
+endeavoring to stanch a stream of blood that trickled across her lips.
+Involuntarily the former started forward and drew an easy-chair close
+to the slender figure which leaned for support against the corner of
+the piano.
+
+"Are you ill? Pray sit down."
+
+"It is only a hemorrhage from my lungs, which I have long had reason
+to expect."
+
+Wearily she sank into the chair, and hastily pouring a glass of water
+from a gilt-starred crystal _carafe_, standing on the centre-table,
+Mrs. Gerome silently offered it. As the governess drained and returned
+the goblet, a drop of blood that stained the rim fell on the hand of
+the mistress of the house.
+
+Miss Dexter attempted to remove it with the end of her plaid shawl,
+but her companion drew back, and taking a dainty, perfumed
+handkerchief from her pocket, shook out its folds and said,
+hastily,--
+
+"It is of no consequence. I see your handkerchief is already
+saturated; will you accept mine?"
+
+Without waiting for a reply, she laid it on the lap of the visitor,
+and left the room.
+
+Soon after, a servant brought in a basin of water and towels, which
+she placed on the table, and then, without question or comment,
+withdrew.
+
+Some time elapsed before Mrs. Gerome re-entered the parlor, bearing a
+glass of wine in her hand. Miss Dexter had bathed her face, and,
+looking up, she saw that the gray hair had been carefully coiled and
+fastened, and the flowing merino belted at the waist; but the brow
+wore its heavy cloud, and the arch of the lip had not unbent.
+
+"I hope you are better. Permit me to insist upon your taking this
+wine."
+
+She proffered it, but the governess shook her head, and tears ran down
+her cheeks, as she said,--
+
+"Thank you,--but I do not require it; indeed I could not swallow it."
+
+The hostess bowed, and, placing the glass within her reach, walked to
+the window which looked out on the marble mausoleum, and stood leaning
+against the cedarn facing.
+
+Five, ten minutes passed, and the silence was only broken by the
+ticking of the bronze clock on the mantelpiece.
+
+"Evelyn."
+
+The voice was so sweet, so thrilling, so mournfully pleading, that it
+might have wooed even stone to pity; but Mrs. Gerome merely glanced
+over her shoulder, and said, frigidly,--
+
+"Can I in any way contribute to Miss Dexter's comfort? The servants
+tell me there is no conveyance waiting for you; but, since you seem
+too feeble to walk away, my carriage is at your service whenever you
+wish to return. Shall I order it?"
+
+"No, I will not trouble you. I can walk; and, after a little while, I
+will go away forever. Evelyn, do you think me utterly unprincipled?"
+
+A moment passed before she was answered.
+
+"While you are in my house, courtesy forbids the expression of my
+opinion of your character."
+
+"Oh, Evelyn, my darling! God knows I have not merited this harshness,
+this cruelty from your dear hands. Eight tedious, miserable years I
+have searched and prayed for you,--have clung to the hope of finding
+you, of telling you all,--of hearing your precious lips utter those
+words for which my ears have so long ached, 'Edith, I hold you
+guiltless of my wretchedness.' But at last, when my search is
+successful, to be browbeaten, derided, denounced, insulted,--oh, this
+is bitter indeed! This is too hard to be borne!"
+
+Her anguish was uncontrollable, and she sobbed aloud.
+
+Across Mrs. Gerome's white lips crept a quiver, and over her frozen
+features rose an unwonted flush; but she did not move a muscle, or
+suffer her eyes to wander from the cross and crown on Elsie's tomb.
+
+"Evelyn, I believe, I hope (and may God forgive me if I sin in
+hoping), that I have not many years, or perhaps even months to live;
+and it would comfort me in my dying hour to feel that I had laid
+before you some facts, of which I know you must be ignorant. You have
+harshly and unjustly prejudged me,--have steeled yourself against me;
+still I wish to tell you some things that weigh heavily upon my
+aching, desolate heart. Will you allow me to do so now? Will you hear
+me?"
+
+There was evidently a struggle in the mind of the motionless woman
+beside the window, but it was brief, and left no trace in the cold,
+ringing voice.
+
+"I will hear you."
+
+Slowly and impressively the governess began the narrative, of which
+she had given Dr. Grey a hasty _resume_, and when she mentioned the
+midnight labors in which she had engaged, the copying of legal
+documents, the sale of her drawings, the hoarding of her salary in
+order to aid her mother and her betrothed, and to remove the obstacles
+to her marriage, Mrs. Gerome sat down, and, crossing her arms on the
+window-sill, hid her face upon them.
+
+Unflinchingly Miss Dexter detailed all that occurred after her
+arrival in New York; and finally, approaching the window, she insisted
+that her listener should peruse the last letter received from her
+lover, and containing the promise that within ten days he would come
+to claim his bride. But the lovely hand waved it aside, and the proud
+voice exclaimed impatiently,--
+
+"I need no additional proof of his perfidy, which, beyond controversy,
+was long ago established. Go on! go on!"
+
+Upon all that followed the ceremony,--the departure of the wife,--and
+her own despairing grief, the governess dwelt with touching eloquence
+and pathos; and, at last, as she spoke of her fruitless journey to
+England,--her sad search through the insane asylums,--Mrs. Gerome
+lifted her queenly head, and bent a piercing glance upon the speaker.
+
+Ah! what a hungry, eager expression looked out shyly from her whilom
+hopeless eyes, when, with an imperious gesture, she silenced her
+visitor, and asked,--
+
+"You spent your hard earnings, not in _trousseau_, or preparations for
+housekeeping; but hunting for me in lunatic asylums? Suppose you had
+found me in a mad-house?"
+
+"Then I should have become an inmate of the same gloomy walls; and,
+while you lived, should have shared with faithful Elsie the care and
+charge of you. God is my witness, I had resolved to dedicate my
+remaining years to the task of cheering and guarding yours. Oh,
+Evelyn! not until we stand in the great Court of Heaven can you
+realize how sincerely, how tenderly, and unwaveringly, I love you. My
+darling, how can you distrust my faithful heart?"
+
+She sank on her knees, and, throwing her arms around the tall, slender
+form, looked with mournful, beseeching tenderness at the haughty
+features above her.
+
+For a moment the proud, pale face glowed,--the great shadowy eyes
+kindled and shone like wintry planets in some crystalline sky; but
+doubt, murderous, cynical doubt, grappled with hope, and strangled
+it.
+
+"Edith, I wish I could believe you. I am struggling desperately to lay
+hold of the fluttering garments of faith, but I cannot! Suspicion has
+walked hand in hand with me so long that I cannot shake off her
+numbing touch, and I distrust all human things, save the dusty heart
+that moulders yonder in my old Elsie's grave."
+
+She pointed to the white columns of the temple, and then the uplifted
+fingers fell heavily on Edith's shoulder.
+
+"Go on. I wish to learn whose treachery betrayed the secret of my
+retreat."
+
+Pressing her feverish lips to the hand she admired so enthusiastically,
+Miss Dexter resumed her recital of what had occurred since her journey
+to London, and finally ended it with an account of her removal to
+'Grassmere,' and of the discovery of the miniatures that guided her to
+'Solitude.'
+
+A long pause followed, and a heavy sigh, only partially smothered,
+indexed the contest that raged under Mrs. Gerome's calm exterior.
+
+"Edith, would you have inferred from Dr. Grey's manner that he was not
+only acquainted with my history, but yours, at least, so far as it
+intersected mine? Did he furnish no hint, no clew, that aided you in
+your search?"
+
+"None whatever. On the contrary, he appeared so preoccupied, so
+abstracted, that I reproached him with indifference to my troubles. It
+is not possible that he knew all, while I briefly summed up a portion
+of the past."
+
+"At that moment he was thoroughly cognizant of everything that I could
+tell him. But, at least, one honorable, trustworthy man yet graces the
+race; one pure, incorruptible, and consistent Christian remains to
+shed lustre upon a church that can nowhere boast his peer. I confided
+all to Dr. Grey, and he has kept the trust. Ah, Edith, if you had only
+reposed the same confidence in me, during those halcyon days of our
+early friendship,--days that seem to me now as far off, as dim and
+unreal, as those starry nights when I lay in my little crib, dreaming
+of that mother whose face I never saw, whose smile is one of the
+surprises and blessings reserved for eternity,--how different my lot
+and yours might have been! Why did you not trust me with your happy
+hopes, your lover's name and difficulties? How differently I would
+have invested that fortune, which proved our common ruin, and doomed
+three lives to uselessness and woe. To-day you might have proudly worn
+the name that I utterly detest; and I, the outcast, the wanderer, the
+tireless, friendless waif, drifting despairingly down the tide of
+time,--even I, the unloved, might have been, not a solitary cumberer,
+not a household upas,--but why taunt the hideous Actual with a blessed
+and beautiful Impossible? Ah, truly, truly,--
+
+  "'What might have been, I know, is not:
+    What must be, must be borne;
+  But ah! what hath been will not be forgot,
+    Never, oh! never, in the years to follow!'"
+
+She closed her eyes and seemed pondering the past, and mutely the
+governess prayed that hallowed memories of their former affection
+might soften her apparently petrified heart.
+
+Edith saw a great change overspread the countenance, but could not
+accurately interpret its import; and her own heart began to beat the
+long-roll.
+
+The heavy black eyelashes lying on Mrs. Gerome's marble cheeks
+glistened, trembled, and tears stole slowly across her face. She
+raised her hand, but dropped it in her lap, and frowned slightly and
+sighed. Then she lifted it once more, and looking through the shining
+mist that magnified her splendid eyes, she laid her fingers on the
+golden head of the kneeling woman.
+
+"You and I have innocently wronged and ruined each other; you with
+your beauty, I with my accursed gold. Time was when at your bidding I
+would have laid my throbbing heart at your feet, provided I could
+thereby save you one pang; for I loved you as women very rarely love
+one another. But now, lonely and hopeless, I have lost the power, the
+capacity to love anything, and I have no heart left in my bosom. I
+acquit you of much for which I formerly held you responsible, and I
+honor the purity of purpose that forbade your receiving the visits or
+letters of him who must one day answer for our worthless lives. I
+fully forgive you the suffering that made me prematurely old; but my
+affection is as dead as all my girlish hopes, and buried under the
+crushing years that have dragged themselves over my poor, proud,
+pain-bleached head. You are more fortunate, more enviable than I, for
+you have the comforting anticipation of a speedy release, the precious
+assurance that your torture will ere long be ended; while I must front
+the prospect of perhaps fourscore and ten years: for, despite my ivory
+skin and fever-blanched locks, I am maddeningly healthy. Friend of my
+childhood, friend of my happy, sunny, sinless days, I cordially
+congratulate you on your approaching deliverance. God knows I would
+pay you my fortune, if I could innocently and successfully inject into
+my veins and lungs the poison that will soon rob you of care and
+regret. If I was harsh to-day, forgive and forget it, for nothing
+rankles in the grave; and now, Edith, go away quickly, before I repent
+and recant the words I here utter. God comfort you, Edith Dexter, and
+remember that I hold you guiltless of my wrecked destiny."
+
+"Oh, Evelyn! add one thing more. Say, 'Edith, I love you.'"
+
+A strangely mournful smile parted Mrs. Gerome's perfect lips over her
+dazzling teeth, as she pushed the kneeling figure from her, and said
+coldly,--
+
+"Rise, and leave me. I love no living thing, brute or human, for even
+my faithful dog lies buried a few yards hence. Maurice treated my
+warm, loving nature, as Tofana did her unsuspecting victims, and for
+that slow poison there is no antidote. The sole interest I have in
+life centres in my art, and when death mercifully remembers me, some
+pictures I have patiently wrought out will be given to the public; and
+the next generation will, perhaps,--
+
+  'Hear the world applaud the hollow ghost,
+  Which blamed the living woman,'
+
+and, smiling grimly in my coffin, I shall echo,--
+
+  'Hither to come, and to sleep,
+  Under the wings of renown.'"
+
+Both rose, and the two so long divided faced each other sorrowfully.
+
+"Dear Evelyn, do not hug despair so stubbornly to your bosom. You
+might brighten your solitary existence if you would, and be
+comparatively happy in this lovely seaside home."
+
+"You think 'Solitude' a very desirable and beautiful retreat? Do you
+remember the gay raiment and glittering jewels that covered the
+radiant bride of Giacopone di Todi? One day an accident at a public
+festival mangled her mortally, and when her gorgeous garments were
+torn off, lo!
+
+  'A robe of sackcloth next the smooth, white skin.'"
+
+A sudden pallor crept over the delicate face of the governess, and,
+folding her hands, she exclaimed with passionate vehemence,--
+
+"I cannot, I must not shrink from the chief object of my visit here. I
+came not only to exonerate myself, but to plead for poor Maurice."
+
+Mrs. Gerome started back, and the pitiless gleam came instantly into
+her softened eyes.
+
+"Do not mention his name again. I thought you had neither seen nor
+heard from him."
+
+"I must plead his wretched cause, since he is denied the privilege
+of appealing to your mercy. Evelyn, my friends write me that he is
+almost in a state of destitution. Only last night I received this
+letter, which I leave for your perusal, and which assures me he is in
+want, and, moreover, is dangerously ill. Who has the right, the
+privilege,--whose is the duty, imperative and stern, to hasten to his
+bedside, to alleviate his suffering, to provide for his needs?
+Yours, Evelyn Carlyle, and yours alone. Where are the marriage-vows
+that you snatched from my lips eight years ago, and eagerly took
+upon your own? Did you not solemnly swear in the presence of heaven
+and earth to serve him and keep him in sickness, and, forsaking all
+others, to hold him from that day forward, for better, for worse,
+until death did part ye? Oh, Evelyn! do not scowl, and turn away.
+However unworthy, he is your husband in the sight of God and man,
+and your wedding oath calls you to him in this hour of his terrible
+need. Can you sleep peacefully, knowing that he is tossing with
+paroxysms of pain, and perhaps hungering and thirsting for that which
+you could readily supply? If it were right,--if I dared, I would
+hasten to him; but my conscience inexorably forbids the thought,
+and consigns my heart to torture, for which there is no name. You
+will tell me that you provided once, twice, for all reasonable
+wants,--that he has recklessly squandered liberal allowances. But
+will that satisfy your conscience, while you still possess ample
+means to aid him? Will you permit the man whose name you bear to
+live on other charity than your own,--and finally, to fill a
+pauper's grave? Oh, Evelyn! was it for this that you took my darling,
+my idol, from my clinging, loving arms? Will you see his body
+writhing in the agony of disease, and his precious, immortal soul
+in fearful jeopardy, while you stand afar off, surrounded by every
+luxury that ingenuity can suggest, and gold purchase? Oh, Evelyn!
+be merciful; do your duty. Like a brave, true, though injured woman,
+go to Maurice, and strive to make him comfortable; to lighten, by
+your pardon, his sad, heavily laden heart. By your past, your
+memories of your betrothal, your hopes of heaven, and above all, by
+your marriage vows, I implore you to discharge your sacred duties."
+
+A bitter smile twisted the muscles about Mrs. Gerome's mouth, as she
+gazed into the quivering, eloquent face of her companion, and listened
+to the impetuous appeal that poured so pathetically over her burning
+lips.
+
+"Edith, you amaze me. Is it possible that after all your injuries you
+can cling so fondly, so madly, to the man who slighted, and
+humiliated, and blighted you?"
+
+"Ah! you are his wife, and I am the ridiculed and pitied victim of his
+flirtation, so says the world; but my affection outlives yours.
+Evelyn, I have loved him from the time when I can first recollect; I
+loved him with a deathless devotion that neither his unworthiness, nor
+time, nor eternity can conquer; and to-day, I tell you that he is dear
+to me,--dear to me as some precious corpse, over which a gravestone
+has gathered moss for eight weary, dreary years. The angels in heaven
+would not blush for the feeling in my heart towards Maurice Carlyle;
+and the God who must soon judge me will not condemn the pure and
+sacred love I cherish for the only man who could ever have been my
+husband, but whom I have resolutely refused to see, even when the
+world believed you dead. I cannot go to him, and comfort, and provide
+for him now; but, in the name of God, and your oath, and if not for
+your own sake, at least for his and for mine, I ask you once more,
+Evelyn Carlyle, will you hasten to your erring but unhappy husband?"
+
+Her scarlet cheeks and lips, her glowing brown eyes, and waving yellow
+hair, formed a singular contrast to the colorless, cold face of her
+listener; whose steely gaze was fixed on the distant sea, that lay
+like a beryl mirror beneath the hazy sky.
+
+When the sound of the sweet but strained voice had died away, Mrs.
+Gerome turned her eyes towards the governess, and answered,--
+
+"I will do my duty, no matter how revolting."
+
+"Thank God! When will you go?"
+
+"If at all, at once."
+
+"Evelyn, when you come home, will you not let me see you, now and
+then, and win my way back to my old place in your dear heart? Oh! my
+pale, peerless darling, do not deny me this."
+
+"Home? I have no home. My heart is grayer than my head,--and your old
+niche is full of dust, and skeletons, and murdered hopes. Let me see
+you no more in this world; and perhaps in the Everlasting Rest I shall
+forget my hideous past, which your face recalls."
+
+"Oh, my poor bruised darling! do not banish me," wailed the governess,
+endeavoring to fold her arms about the queenly form, which silently
+but effectually held her back.
+
+"At least, dear Evelyn, let me kiss you once more, in token that you
+cherish no bitterness against me."
+
+"Good-by, Edith. I hold you innocent of my injuries. May God help you,
+and call us both speedily to our dreamless sleep under moss and
+marble."
+
+She bent down, and with firm, icy lips, lightly touched the forehead
+of the governess, and walked away, unheeding the burst of tears with
+which the frigid caress was welcomed.
+
+  "And I think, in the lives of most women and men,
+    There's a moment when all would go smooth and even,
+  If only the dead could find out when
+    To come back, and be forgiven."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+
+"Madam, are you aware that you breathe an infected atmosphere?--that
+this building is assigned to small-pox cases? Pray do not cross the
+threshold."
+
+The superintendent of the hospital laid aside his pipe, and
+advanced to meet the stranger whose knock had startled him from a
+_post-prandial_ doze.
+
+"I am not afraid of contagion, and came to see the patient who was
+brought here yesterday from No. 139 Elm Street."
+
+"Have you a permit to visit here?"
+
+"Yes; you will find it on this paper, given me by the proper
+authorities."
+
+"What is the name of the person you desire to see?"
+
+The superintendent opened a book that lay on the table beside him, and
+drew his finger up and down the page.
+
+"Maurice Carlyle."
+
+"Ah, yes,--I have it now. Maurice Carlyle, Ward 3,--cot No. 7. Madam,
+may I ask,--"
+
+"No, sir; I have no inclination to answer idle questions. Will you
+show me the way, or shall I find it?"
+
+"Certainly, I will conduct you; but I was about to remark that a death
+has just occurred in Ward No. 3, and I am under the impression that it
+was the Elm Street case. Madam, you look faint; shall I bring you a
+glass of water?"
+
+"No. Show me the body of the dead."
+
+"This way, if you please."
+
+He walked down a dim, low-vaulted passage, and paused at the entrance
+of a room lined with cots, where the nurse was slowly passing from
+patient to patient.
+
+"Nurse, show this lady to cot No. 7."
+
+Swiftly the tall figure of the visitor glided down the room, and
+placing her hand on the arm of the nurse, she said huskily,--
+
+"Where is the man who has just died? Quick! do not keep me in
+suspense."
+
+"There, to the right; shall I uncover the face?"
+
+Under the blue check coverlet that was spread smoothly over the cot,
+the stiff outlines of a human form were clearly defined; and, when the
+nurse stooped, the stranger put out one arm and held him back, while
+her whole frame trembled violently.
+
+"Stop! be good enough to leave me."
+
+The attendant withdrew a few yards, and curiously watched the queenly
+woman, who stood motionless, with her fingers tightly interlaced.
+
+She was dressed in a gray suit of some shining fabric, and a long
+gossamer veil of the same hue hung over her features. After a few
+seconds she swept back the veil, and, as she bent forward, a stray
+sunbeam dipped through the closed shutters, and flashed across a white
+horror-stricken face, crowned with clustering braids of silver hair.
+
+She shut her eyes an instant, grasped the coverlet, and drew it down;
+then caught her breath, and looked at the dead.
+
+It was a young, boyish face, horribly swollen and distorted, and
+coarse red locks were matted around his brow and temples.
+
+"Thank God, Maurice Carlyle still lives."
+
+She involuntarily raised her hands towards heaven, and the expression
+of dread melted from her countenance.
+
+Slowly and reverently she re-covered the corpse, and approached the
+nurse.
+
+"I am searching for my husband. Which cot is No. 7?"
+
+"That on your left,--next to the dead."
+
+Mrs. Carlyle turned, and gazed at the bloated crimson mass of disease
+that writhed on the narrow bed, and a long shudder crept over her, as
+she endeavored to discover in that loathsome hideous visage some
+familiar feature--some trace of the manly beauty that once rendered it
+so fascinating.
+
+The swollen blood-shot eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling, and, while
+delirious muttering fell upon the ears of the visitor, she saw that
+his cheeks were somewhat lacerated, and his hands, partially confined,
+were tearing at the inflamed flesh.
+
+She shivered with horror, and a groan broke from her pitying heart.
+
+"What an awful retribution! My God, have mercy upon him! He is
+sufficiently punished."
+
+Drawing her perfumed lace handkerchief from her pocket, she leaned
+over and wiped away the bloody foam that oozed across his lips, and
+lifting his hot head turned it sufficiently to expose the right ear,
+where a large mole was hidden by the thick hair.
+
+"Maurice Carlyle! But what a fearful wreck?"
+
+She covered her eyes with her hand, and moaned.
+
+The nurse came nearer, and said hesitatingly,--
+
+"Madam, surely he is not your husband? His clothes are almost in
+tatters, while yours are--ahem!--"
+
+"Spare me all comments on the comparison. Can I obtain a comfortable,
+quiet room, in this building, and have him removed to it at once? You
+hesitate? I will compensate you liberally, will pay almost any price
+for an apartment where he can at least have silence and seclusion."
+
+"We can accommodate you, but of course if the patient is carried from
+this ward to a private room, we shall be compelled to charge extra."
+
+"Charge what you choose, only arrange the matter as promptly as
+possible. How soon can you make the change?"
+
+"In twenty minutes, madam."
+
+The nurse rang for an assistant, to whom the necessary instructions
+were given, and in the _interim_ Mrs. Carlyle leaned against the cot,
+and brushed away the flies that buzzed about the pitiable victims.
+
+Two men carried the sufferer up a flight of steps, and ere long he was
+transferred to a large comfortable bed in an airy, well-furnished
+apartment.
+
+The removal had not been completed more than an hour, when the surgeon
+made his evening round, and followed the patient to his new quarters.
+
+He paused at sight of the elegantly dressed woman who sat beside the
+bed, and said, stammeringly,--
+
+"I am informed that No. 7 is your husband, and that you have taken
+charge of his case, and intend to nurse him. Have you had small-pox?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+"Madam, you run a fearful risk."
+
+"I fully appreciate the hazard, and am prepared to incur it. Do you
+regard this case as hopeless?"
+
+"Not altogether, though the probabilities are that it will terminate
+fatally."
+
+"I have had too little experience to warrant my undertaking the
+management of the case, and, while I intend to remain here, I wish you
+to engage the services of some trustworthy nurse who understands the
+treatment of this disease. Can you recommend such a person?"
+
+"Yes, madam; I can send you a man in whom I have entire confidence,
+and fortunately he is not at present employed. If you desire it, I
+will see him within the next hour, and give him all requisite
+instructions about the patient."
+
+"Promptness in this matter will greatly oblige me, and I wish to spare
+no expense in contributing to the comfort and restoration of the
+sufferer. As I am utterly unknown to you, I prefer to place in your
+hands a sufficient amount to defray all incidental expenditures."
+
+She laid a roll of bills upon the table, and as Dr. Clingman counted
+them, she added,--
+
+"It is possible that I may be attacked by this disease, though I have
+been repeatedly vaccinated; and if I should die, please recollect that
+you will find in my purse a memorandum of the disposition I wish made
+of my body,--also the address of my agent and banker in New York
+City."
+
+With mingled curiosity and admiration the physician looked at the
+pale, handsome woman, who spoke of death as coldly and unconcernedly
+as of to-morrow's sun, or next month's moon.
+
+"Madam, allow me to ask if you have no friends in this city,--no
+relatives nearer than New York?"
+
+"None, sir. It is my wish that our conversation should be confined to
+the symptoms and treatment of your patient."
+
+Dr. Clingman bowed, and, after writing minute instructions upon a
+sheet of paper left on the mantelpiece, took his departure.
+
+Securing the door on the inside, Mrs. Carlyle threw aside her bonnet
+and wrappings, and came back to the sufferer on the bed.
+
+Eight years of reckless excess and dissipation had obliterated every
+vestige of manly beauty from features that disease now rendered
+loathsome, and the curling hair and long beard were unkempt and
+grizzled.
+
+Leaning against the pillow, the lonely woman bent over to scrutinize
+the distorted, burning face, and softly took into her cool palms one
+hot and swollen hand, which in other days she had admiringly stroked,
+and tenderly pressed against her cheek and lips. How totally unlike
+that countenance, which, handsome as Apollyon, had looked down at her
+on her bridal day, and fondly whispered--"my wife."
+
+Memory mercilessly broke open sealed chambers in that wretched woman's
+heart, and out of one leaped a wail that made her tremble and
+moan,--"Oh, Evelyn, my wife, forgive your husband."
+
+Slowly compassion began to bridge the dark gulf of separation and
+hate, and as the wife gazed at the writhing form of her husband, her
+stony face softened, and tears gathered in the large, mournful eyes.
+
+"Ah, Maurice! This world has proved a huge cheat to you and to
+me,--and well-nigh cost us all peace in the next one. My husband, yet
+my bitterest foe,--my first, my last, my only love! If I could recall
+one throb of the old affection, one atom of the old worshipping
+tenderness and devotion,--but it has withered; my heart is scorched
+and ashen,--and neither love nor hope haunts its desolate ruins. Poor,
+polluted, down-trodden idol! Maurice--Maurice--my husband, I have
+come. Evelyn, your wife, forgives you, as she hopes for pardon at the
+hands of her God."
+
+Kneeling beside the bed, with her snowy fingers clasped around his,
+she bowed her head, and humbly prayed for his soul, and for her own;
+and, when the petition ended, that peace which this world can never
+give,--which had so long been exiled, fluttered back and brooded once
+more in her storm-riven heart.
+
+Softly she lifted and smoothed the long tangled hair that clung to his
+forehead, and tears dripped upon his scarlet face, as she said;
+brokenly,--
+
+"_Till death us do part!_ Poor Maurice! Deserted and despised by your
+former parasites. After long years, my vows bring me back in the hour
+of your need. God grant you life, to redeem your past,--to save your
+sinful soul from eternal ruin."
+
+Suns rose and set, weary days and solemn nights of vigil succeeded
+each other, and tirelessly the wife and hired nurse watched the
+progress of the dreadful disease. Occasionally Mr. Carlyle talked
+deliriously, and more than once the name of Edith Dexter hung on his
+lips, and was coupled with tenderer terms than were ever bestowed on
+the woman who wore his own. Bending over his pillow, the pale watcher
+heard and noted all, and a sad pitying smile curved her mouth now and
+then, as she realized that the one holy love of this man's life
+triumphed over the wreck of fortune, health, and hope, and kept its
+hold upon the heart that long years before had sold itself to
+Lucifer.
+
+Sleeplessly, faithfully, she went to and fro in that darkened room,
+whose atmosphere was tainted by infection, and at last she found her
+reward. The crisis was safely passed, and she was assured the patient
+would recover.
+
+The apartment was so dimly lighted that Mr. Carlyle took little notice
+of his attendants, but one afternoon when the nurse had gone to
+procure some refreshments, the sick man turned on his pillow, and
+looked earnestly at the woman who was engaged in writing at a table
+near the bed.
+
+"Mrs. Smith."
+
+Mrs. Carlyle rose and approached him.
+
+"Are you Mrs. Smith,--my landlady?"
+
+"No, sir. I am merely your nurse."
+
+"My nurse? What is the matter with me?"
+
+"Small-pox,--but the danger is now over."
+
+"Small-pox! Where did I catch it? Am I still in Elm Street?"
+
+"No, sir; you are in the hospital."
+
+Shading his inflamed eyes with his hand, he mused for some moments,
+and she saw a perplexed and sorrowful expression cross his features.
+
+"Is there any danger of my dying?"
+
+"That danger is past."
+
+"What is your name?"
+
+"Mrs. Gerome."
+
+"Stand a little closer to me. I find I am almost blind. Mrs. Gerome?
+Your voice is strangely like one that I have not heard for many
+years,--and it carries me back,--back--to--" He sighed, and pressed
+his fingers over his eyes.
+
+After a few seconds, he said,--
+
+"Do give me some water. I am as parched as Dives."
+
+She lifted his head and put the glass to his lips,--and while he
+drank, his eyes searched her face, and lingered admiringly on her
+beautiful hand.
+
+"Are you a regular nurse at this hospital?"
+
+"I am engaged for your case."
+
+"I see no pock-marks on your skin; it is as smooth as ivory. Shall I
+escape as lightly?"
+
+"It is impossible to tell. Here comes your dinner."
+
+He caught her arm, and gazed earnestly at her.
+
+"Is your hair really so white, or is it merely an illusion of my
+inflamed eyes?"
+
+"There is not a dark hair in my head; it is as white as snow."
+
+While the nurse prepared the food and arranged it on the table, Mrs.
+Carlyle hastily collected several articles scattered about the
+apartment, and softly opened the door.
+
+Standing there a moment, she looked back at the figure comfortably
+elevated on pillows, and a long sigh of relief crossed her lips.
+
+"Thank God! I have done my duty, and now he needs me no longer. Next
+time I see your face, Maurice Carlyle, I hope it will be at the last
+bar, in the final judgment; and then may the Lord have mercy upon us
+both."
+
+The words were breathed inaudibly, and, closing the door gently, she
+hurried down the steps and in the direction of a small room which Dr.
+Clingman had converted into an office.
+
+As she entered, he looked up and pushed back his spectacles.
+
+"What can I do for you?"
+
+"A little thing, which will cost you no trouble, but will greatly
+oblige me. Doctor, I have found you a kind and sympathizing gentleman,
+and am grateful for the delicate consideration with which you have
+treated me. Mr. Carlyle is beyond danger, and I shall leave him in
+your care. When he is sufficiently strong to be removed, I desire that
+you will give him this letter, which contains a check payable to his
+order. There, examine it, and be so good as to write me a receipt."
+
+Silently he complied, and when she had re-enclosed the check and
+sealed the envelope she placed it in his hand.
+
+"Dr. Clingman, is there any other place to which small-pox cases can
+be carried? To-day I have discovered some symptoms of the disease in
+my own system, and I feel assured I shall be ill before this time
+to-morrow."
+
+"My dear madam, why not remain here?"
+
+"Because I do not wish to be discovered by Mr. Carlyle, and forced to
+meet him again. I prefer to suffer, and, if need be, die, alone and
+unknown."
+
+"If you will trust yourself to me, and to a faithful female nurse whom
+I can secure, I promise you, upon my honor as a gentleman, that I will
+allow no one else to see you, living or dead. My dear madam, I beg you
+to reconsider, and remain where I can watch over, and perhaps preserve
+your life. I dreaded this. You are feverish now."
+
+Wearily she swept her hand across her forehead, and a dreary smile
+flitted over her wan features.
+
+"My life is a worthless, melancholy thing, useless to others, and a
+crushing burden to me; and I might as well lay it down here as
+elsewhere. I accept your promise, Dr. Clingman, and hope you will
+obtain a room in the quiet and secluded portion of the building. If I
+should be so fortunate as to die, do not forget the memorandum in this
+purse. I leave my body in your care, my soul in the hands of Him who
+alone can give it rest."
+
+  "The burden of my days is hard to bear,
+    But God knows best;
+  And I have prayed,--but vain has been my prayer,--
+    For rest--for rest."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII.
+
+
+"Miss Dexter, have you succeeded in seeing Mrs. Gerome since her
+return?"
+
+"No, sir; she obstinately refuses to admit me, though I have called
+twice at the house. Yesterday I received a letter in answer to several
+that I have addressed to her, all of which she returned unopened.
+Since you have already learned so much of our melancholy history, why
+should I hesitate to acquaint you with the contents of her letter? You
+know the object of her journey north, and I will read you the
+result."
+
+The governess drew a letter from her pocket, and Dr. Grey leaned his
+face on his hand and listened.
+
+  "SOLITUDE, _May 10th, 18--_.
+
+  "_Edith_,--No lingering vestige of affection, no remorseful
+  tenderness, prompted that mission from which I have recently
+  returned, and only the savage scourgings of implacable duty could
+  have driven me, like a galley-slave, to my hated task. The victim
+  of a horrible and disfiguring disease which so completely changed
+  his countenance that his own mother would scarcely have recognized
+  him,--and the tenant of a charity hospital in the town of ----, I
+  found that man who has proved the Upas of your life and of mine.
+  During his delirium I watched and nursed him--not lovingly (how
+  could I?) but faithfully, kindly, pityingly. When all danger was
+  safely passed, and his clouded intellect began to clear itself, I
+  left him in careful hands, and provided an ample amount for his
+  comfortable maintenance in coming years. I spared him the
+  humiliation of recognizing in his nurse his injured and despised
+  wife; and, as night after night I watched beside the pitiable
+  wreck of a once handsome, fascinating, and idolized man, I fully
+  and freely forgave Maurice Carlyle all the wrongs that so
+  completely stranded my life. To-day he is well, and probably
+  happy, while he finds himself possessed of means by which to
+  gratify his extravagant tastes; but how long his naturally fine
+  constitution can hold at bay the legion of ills that hunt like
+  hungry wolves along the track of reckless dissipation, God only
+  knows.
+
+  "For some natures it is exceedingly difficult to forgive,--to
+  forget, impossible; and while my husband's abject wretchedness and
+  degradation disarmed the hate that has for so many years rankled
+  in my heart, I could never again look willingly upon his face.
+  Edith, you and I have nothing in common but miserable memories,
+  which, I beg you to believe, are sufficiently vivid, without the
+  torturing adjunct of your countenance; therefore, pardon me if I
+  decline to receive your visits, and return the letters that are
+  quite as welcome and cheering to my eyes as the little shoes and
+  garments of the long-buried dead to the mother, who would fain
+  look no more upon the harrowing relics. I do not wish to be harsh,
+  but I must be honest, and our intercourse can never be renewed in
+  this world.
+
+  "In bygone days, when I loved you so fondly and trusted you so
+  fully, it was my intention to share my fortune with you; and,
+  since I find that you have not forfeited my confidence in the
+  purity of your purposes, such is still my wish. I enclose a draft
+  on my banker, which I hope you will deem sufficient to enable you
+  to abandon the arduous profession in which you have worn out your
+  life. If I can feel assured that I have been instrumental in
+  contributing to the peace and ease of the years that may yet be in
+  store for you, it will serve as one honeyed drop to sweeten the
+  dregs of the cup of woe I am draining. Edith, do not refuse the
+  only aid I can offer you in your loneliness; and accept the
+  earnest assurance that I shall be grateful for the privilege of
+  promoting your comfort. Affection and trust I have not, and a few
+  paltry thousands are all I am now able to bestow. By the love you
+  once professed, and in the name of that compassion you should feel
+  for me, I beg of you, despise not the gift; and let the
+  consciousness that I have saved you from toil and fatigue quiet
+  the soul and ease the heart of a lonely woman, who has shaken
+  hands with every earthly hope. I have done my duty, my conscience
+  is calm and contented, and I sit wearily on the stormy shore of
+  time, waiting for the tide that will drift into eternity the
+  desolate, proud soul of
+
+  "VASHTI CARLYLE."
+
+Tears rolled over the governess' cheeks, and, refolding the letter,
+she said, sorrowfully,--
+
+"My poor, heart-broken Vashti! She has resumed the name which old
+Elsie gave her because it was her mother's; and how mournfully
+appropriate it has proved. I could be happy if permitted to spend the
+residue of my days with her; but she decrees otherwise, and I have no
+alternative but submission to her imperious will."
+
+Dr. Grey did not lift his face where the shadow of a great, voiceless
+grief hung heavily, and his low tone indexed deep and painful emotion,
+when he answered,--
+
+"I sincerely deplore her unfortunate decision, for isolation only
+augments the ills from which she suffers. Many months have elapsed
+since I saw her last, but Robert Maclean told me to-day that she was
+sadly changed in appearance, and seemed in feeble health. She did not
+tell you that she had been dangerously ill with varioloid, contracted
+while nursing her husband. Although not in the least marked or
+disfigured, the attack must have seriously impaired her constitution,
+if all that Robert tells me be true. Since her return, one month ago,
+she has not left her room."
+
+"Dr. Grey, exert your influence in my behalf, and prevail upon her to
+admit me."
+
+"Miss Dexter, you ascribe to me powers of persuasion which,
+unfortunately, I do not possess; and Mrs. Carlyle's decree is
+beyond the reach of human agency. To the few who are earnestly
+interested in her welfare, there remains but one avenue of aid and
+comfort,--faithful, fervent prayer."
+
+"Perhaps you are not aware of the exalted estimate she places on your
+character, nor of the value she attaches to your opinions. Of all
+living beings, she told me she reverenced and trusted you most; and
+you, at least, would not be denied access to her presence."
+
+She could not see the tremor on his usually firm lips, nor the pallor
+that overspread his face, and when he spoke his grave voice did not
+betray the tumult in his aching heart.
+
+"I am no longer a visitor at 'Solitude,' and shall not see its
+mistress unless she requires my professional aid. While I am very
+deeply interested in her happiness, I could never consent to intrude
+upon her seclusion."
+
+"I know my days are numbered, and after a little while I shall sleep
+well under the ancient cedars that shade the head-stones of my father
+and mother; but I could die more cheerfully, more joyfully, if Evelyn
+would only be comforted, and accept some human friendship."
+
+"For some weeks you have seemed so much better that I hoped warm
+weather would quite relieve and invigorate you. Spend next winter in
+Cuba or Mexico, and it will probably add many months, possibly years,
+to your life."
+
+She smiled, and shook her head.
+
+"This beautiful springtime has temporarily baffled the disease, but
+for me there can be no restoration. Day by day I feel the ebbing of
+strength and energy, and the approach of my deliverer, death; but I
+realize also, what the Centaur uttered to Melampus, 'I decline unto my
+last days calm as the setting of the constellations; but I feel
+myself perishing and passing quickly away, like a snow-wreath floating
+on the stream.'"
+
+As he looked at the thin, pure face where May sunshine streamed warm
+and bright, and marked the perfect peace that brooded over the changed
+features, Dr. Grey was reminded of the lines that might have been
+written for her, so fully were they suited to her case,--
+
+  "I saw that one who lost her love in pain,
+    Who trod on thorns, who drank the loathsome cup;
+  The lost in night, in day was found again;
+    The fallen was lifted up.
+  They stood together in the blessed noon,
+    They sang together through the length of days;
+  Each loving face bent sunwards, like a moon
+    New-lit with love and praise."
+
+"My friend, the shadows are passing swiftly from your life, and, in
+the mild radiance of its close, you can well afford to forget the
+storms that clouded its dawn."
+
+"Forget? No, Dr. Grey, I neither endeavor nor desire to forget the
+sorrows that first taught me the emptiness of earthly things, the
+futility of human schemes,--that snapped the frail reed of flesh to
+which I clung, and gave me, instead, the blessed support, the
+immovable arm of an everlasting God. Ah! that woman was deeply versed
+in the heart-lore of her own sex, who wrote,--
+
+  'When I remember something which I had,
+  But which is gone, and I must do without,
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+  When I remember something promised me,
+    But which I never had, nor can have now,
+  Because the promiser we no more see
+    In countries that accord with mortal vow;
+  When I remember this, I mourn,--but yet
+    My happier days are not the days when I forget.'"
+
+"If Mrs. Carlyle possessed a tithe of your faith and philosophy, how
+serene, how tranquilly useful her future years might prove."
+
+"In God's own good time her trials will be sanctified to her eternal
+peace, and she will one day glide from grief to glory, for she can
+claim the promise of our Lord, 'The pure in heart shall see God.' No
+purer heart than Vashti Carlyle's throbs this side of the throne where
+seraphim and cherubim hover."
+
+In the brief silence that succeeded, the governess observed the
+unusually grave and melancholy expression of her companion's
+countenance, and asked, timidly,--
+
+"Has anything occurred recently to distress or annoy you? You look
+depressed."
+
+"I feel inexpressibly anxious about Salome, concerning whose fate I
+can learn nothing that is comforting. In reply to my letter, urging
+him to make every effort to ascertain her locality and condition,
+Professor V---- writes, that he is now a confirmed invalid, confined
+to his room, and unable to conduct the search for his missing pupil.
+She left Palermo on a small vessel bound for Monaco, and her farewell
+note stated that all attempts to discover her retreat would prove
+futile, as she was resolved to preserve her incognito, and wished her
+friends in America to remain in ignorance of her mode of life.
+Professor V---- surmises that she is in Paris, but gives no good
+reason for the conjecture, except that she possibly sought the best
+medical advice for the treatment of her throat and recovery of her
+voice. His last letter, received yesterday, informed me that one of
+Salome's most devoted admirers, a Bostonian of immense wealth, was so
+deeply grieved by her inexplicable disappearance that he was
+diligently searching for her in Leghorn and Monaco. She left Palermo
+alone, and with a comparatively empty purse."
+
+"Dr. Grey, are you aware of the suspicions which Muriel has long
+entertained with reference to Mr. Granville's admiration of Salome,
+and the efforts of the latter to encourage his attentions?"
+
+"I have very cogent reasons for believing that however amenable
+to censure Mr. Granville doubtless is, Muriel's distrust of Salome
+is totally unjust. If she were capable of the despicable course my
+ward is disposed to impute to her, I should cease to feel any
+interest in her career or fate; but I cherish the conviction that
+she would scorn to be guilty of conduct so ignoble. Her defects of
+character I shall neither deny nor attempt to palliate, but I trust
+her true womanly heart as I trust my own manly honor; and a stern
+sense of justice to the absent constrains me to vindicate her from
+Muriel's hasty and unfounded aspersions. So strong is my faith in
+Salome's conscientiousness, so earnest my friendship for her, that
+since the receipt of Professor V----'s letter I have determined to
+go immediately to Europe, and if possible discover her retreat. My
+sister's adopted child must not and shall not suffer and struggle
+among strangers, while I live to aid and protect her."
+
+Miss Dexter rose and laid her thin, feverish hand on his arm, while
+embarrassment made her voice tremble slightly,--
+
+"I am rejoiced to learn your decision, and God grant you speedy
+success in your quest. Do not deem me presumptuous or impertinent if,
+prompted by a sincere desire to see you happy, I venture to say, that
+he who lightly values the pure, tender, devoted love of such a woman
+as Salome Owen,--tramples on treasures that would make his life
+affluent and blessed--that neither gold can purchase nor royalty
+compel. Under your guidance, moulded by your influence, she would
+become a noble woman,--of whom any man might justly be proud."
+
+Fearful that she had already incurred his displeasure, and unwilling
+to meet his eye, she turned quickly and made her escape through the
+open door.
+
+In the bright glow of that lovely spring day, the calm face of Ulpian
+Grey seemed scarcely older than on the afternoon when he came to make
+the farm his home; and though paler, and ciphered over by the leaden
+finger of anxiety, it indexed little of the long, fierce strife, that
+conscience had waged with heart.
+
+Lighter and more impulsive natures expend themselves in spasmodic and
+violent ebullitions, but the great deep of this man's serene character
+had never stirred, until the one mighty love of his life had lashed it
+into a tempest that tossed his hopes like sea-froth, and finally
+engulfed the only rosy dream of wedded happiness that had ever flushed
+his quiet, solitary, sedate existence.
+
+Having kept his heart in holy subjection to the law of Christ, he did
+not quail and surrender when the great temptation rose, bearing the
+banner of insurrection; but sternly and dauntlessly fronted the shock,
+and kept inviolate the citadel, garrisoned by an invincible and
+consecrated will.
+
+The yearning tenderness of his strong, tranquil soul, had enfolded
+Mrs. Carlyle, drawing her more and more into the penetralia of his
+affection; but from the hour in which he learned her history he had
+torn away the clinging tendrils of love,--had endeavored to expel her
+from his heart, and to stifle its wail for the lost idol.
+
+Week after week, month after month, he had driven every day within
+sight of the blue smoke that curled above the trees at "Solitude," but
+never even for an instant checked his horse to gaze longingly towards
+the Eden whence he had voluntarily exiled himself.
+
+There were hours when his heart ached for the sight of that white face
+he had loved so madly, and the sound of the mournfully sweet
+voice,--and his hand trembled at the recollection of the soft, cold,
+snowy fingers, that once thrilled his palms; but he treated these
+utterances of his heart as mercilessly as the hunter who cheers his
+dogs in the chase where the death-cry of the victim rings above bark
+and halloo.
+
+No wall of division, no sea of separation, would have proved so
+effectual, so insurmountable, as his own firm resolve that his earthly
+path should never cross that of one whom God's statutes had set apart
+until death annulled the decree. In this torturing ordeal he was
+strengthened by the conviction that he alone suffered for his
+folly,--that Mrs. Carlyle was a stranger to feelings that robbed him
+of sleep, and clouded his days,--that the heaving tide of his devoted
+love had broken against her frozen heart as idly as the surges of the
+sea that die in foam upon the dreary, mysterious ruins of the Serapeon
+at Pozzuoli.
+
+In the silent watches of the night, as he pondered the brief,
+beautiful vision that had so completely fascinated him, he reverently
+thanked God that the woman he loved had never reciprocated his
+affection, and was not sitting in the ashes of desolation, mourning
+his absence. Striving to interest himself more and more in Stanley and
+Jessie, who had become inordinately fond of him, his thoughts
+continually reverted to Salome, and that subtle sympathy which springs
+from the "fellow-being," that makes us "wondrous kind" to those whose
+pangs are fierce as ours, began faintly and shyly, but surely, to
+assert itself. A shadowy, intangible self-reproach brooded like a
+phantom over his generous heart, when, amidst the uncertainty that
+seemed to overhang the orphan's fate, he remembered the numberless
+manifestations of almost idolatrous affection which he had coldly
+repulsed.
+
+In the earnest interest that day by day deepened in the absent girl,
+there was no pitiable vanity, no inflated self-love, but a stern
+realization of the anguish and humiliation that must now be her
+portion, and a magnanimous eagerness to endeavor to cheer a heart
+whose severest woes had sprung from his indifference.
+
+More than a year had elapsed, and no letter had ever reached him,--not
+even a message in her two brief epistles to Stanley, and Dr. Grey
+missed the bright, perverse element that no longer thwarted him at
+every turn.
+
+He longed to see the proud, girlish face, with its flashing eyes, and
+red lips, and the haughty toss of the large, handsome head; and the
+angry tones of her voice would have been welcome sounds in the house
+where she had so long tyrannized. To-day, as Ulpian Grey sat in his
+own little sitting-room, his eyes were fixed on a copy of Rembrandt's
+_Nicholas Tulp_, which hung over the mantelpiece; but the mysteries of
+anatomy no longer riveted his attention, and his thoughts were busy
+with memories of a fond though wayward girl, whom his indifference
+had driven to foreign lands,--to unknown and fearful perils.
+
+Through the windows stole the breath of Salome's violets, and the
+sweet, spicy odor of the Belgian honeysuckle that she had planted and
+twined around the mossy columns that supported the gallery; and with a
+sigh he closed his eyes, shut out the anatomy of flesh, and began the
+dissection of emotions.
+
+Could Salome's radiant face brighten his home, and win his heart from
+its devouring regret? Would it be possible for him to give her the
+place whence he had ejected Mrs. Carlyle? Could he ever persuade
+himself to call that fair, passionate young thing, that capricious,
+obstinate, maliciously perverse girl,--his wife?
+
+Involuntarily he frowned, for while pity pleaded for the refugee from
+home and happiness, the man's honest nature scouted all shams, and he
+acknowledged to himself that he could never feel the need of her lips
+or hands,--could never insult her womanhood, or degrade his own
+nature, by folding to his heart one whose touch possessed no
+magnetism, whose presence exerted no spell over his home.
+
+Salome, his friend, his adopted sister, he wished to discover, to
+claim, and restore to the household; but Salome, his wife,--was a
+monstrous imaginary incubus that appalled and repelled him.
+
+The difficulties that presented themselves at the outset of his search
+would have discouraged a less resolute temperament, but it was part of
+his wise philosophy, that--
+
+  "We overstate the ills of life. We walk upon
+  The shadow of hills across a level thrown,
+  And pant like climbers."
+
+As a pitying older brother, he thought of Salome's many foibles,--of
+her noble intentions and ignoble executions,--of her few feeble
+triumphs, her numerous egregious failures in the line of duty; and
+loving Christian charity pleaded eloquently for her, whispering to his
+generous soul, "We know the ships that come with streaming pennons
+into the immortal ports; but we know little of the ships that have
+taken fire on the way thither,--that have gone down at sea."
+
+What pure friendship could accomplish he would not withhold, and life
+at the farm was not so attractive now that he felt regret at the
+prospect of temporary absence.
+
+The disappointment that had so rudely smitten to the earth the one
+precious hope born of his acquaintance with "Solitude," had no power
+to embitter his nature,--to drape the world in drab, or to shroud the
+future with gloom; and though his noble face was sadder and paler,
+Christian faith and resignation rang blessed chimes of peace in heart
+and soul, and made his life a hallowed labor of love for the needy and
+grief-stricken. To-day, as he sat alone at the south window, he could
+overlook the fields of "Grassmere," where the rich promise of golden
+harvest "filled in all beauty and fulness the emerald cup of the
+hills," and the waving grain rippled in light and shade like the
+billows of some distant sunset sea. Basking in the balmy sunshine, and
+contemplating his approaching departure for Europe, a sudden longing
+seized him to look once more on the face of Vashti Carlyle, before he
+bade farewell to his home.
+
+She was in feeble health, and might not survive his absence,
+and, moreover, what harm could result from one final visit to
+"Solitude,"--from a few parting words to its desolate mistress? She
+had sent a message through Robert, that she would be glad to see
+Dr. Grey whenever he could find leisure to call, and now hungry
+heart and soul cried out savagely,--
+
+"Why not? Why not?"
+
+His heavy brows knitted a little, and his mouth grew rigid as iron,
+but after some moments the lips relaxed, and with a sad, patient
+smile, he repeated those stirring words of Richter to Herman,--"Suffer
+like a man the Alp-pressure of fate. Trust yourself upon the broad,
+shining wings of your _faith_, and make them bear you over the Dead
+Sea, so as not to fall spiritually dead within."
+
+"No, no, Ulpian Grey,--keep yourself 'unspotted from the world.'
+Strangle that one temptation which borrows the garments of an angel
+of light and mercy, and dogs you, sleeping and waking. I will see her
+no more till death snaps her fetters, and I can meet her in the
+presence of God, who alone can know what separation costs me. May He
+grant her strength to bear her lonely lot, and give me grace to be
+patient even unto the end, bringing no reproach on the sacred faith I
+profess."
+
+It was the final struggle between love and duty, and though the
+vanquished heart wailed piteously, exultant conscience, like Jupiter
+of old, triumphantly applauded, "Evan, evoe!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII.
+
+
+"Wanted!--Information of Salome Owen, who will confer a favor on her
+friends, and secure a handsome legacy by calling at No. -- ----."
+
+"Dr. Grey, for six months this advertisement has appeared every
+morning in two of the most popular journals in Paris, and as it has
+elicited no clew to her whereabouts, I am reluctantly compelled to
+believe that she is no longer in France."
+
+Mr. Granville refolded the newspaper, and busied himself in filling
+and lighting his meerschaum.
+
+"By whom was that notice inserted?"
+
+"By M. de Baillu, the agent and banker of Mr. Minge of Boston, who was
+warmly and sincerely attached to your _protegee_, and earnestly
+endeavored to marry her. When she left Palermo, Mr. Minge came to this
+city and solicited my aid in discovering her retreat."
+
+"Pardon me, but why did he apply to you?"
+
+"Simply because he knew that I was an old acquaintance, and he had
+seen me with her, when she first came from America."
+
+"How did you ascertain her presence in Paris?"
+
+"Accidentally; one night, at the opera, whither she accompanied
+Professor V----, I recognized her, and of course made myself known.
+To what shall I ascribe the honor of this rigid cross-questioning?"
+
+"To reasons which I shall very freely give you. But first, permit me
+to beg that you will resume your narrative at the point where I
+interrupted you. I wish to learn all that can be told concerning Mr.
+Minge."
+
+"He was an elderly man of ordinary appearance, but extraordinary
+fortune, and seemed completely fascinated by Salome's beauty. He
+offered a large reward to the police for any clew that would enable
+him to discover her, and finally found the physician whom she had
+consulted with reference to some disease of the throat, which
+occasioned the loss of her voice. He had prescribed for her several
+times, but knew nothing of her lodging-place, as she always called at
+his office; and finally, without assigning any reason, her visits
+ceased. Mr. Minge redoubled his exertions, and at last found her in
+one of the hospitals connected with a convent. The Sisters of Charity
+informed him that one bleak day when the rain was falling drearily,
+they chanced to see a woman stagger and drop on the pavement before
+their door, and, hurrying to her assistance, discovered that she had
+swooned from exhaustion. A bundle of unfinished needlework was hidden
+under her shawl, and they soon ascertained that she was delirious from
+some low typhus fever that had utterly prostrated her. For several
+weeks she was dangerously ill, and was just able to sit up when Mr.
+Minge discovered her. He told me that it was distressing and painful
+beyond expression to witness her humiliation, her wounded pride, her
+defiant rejection of his renewed offer of marriage. One day he took
+his sister Constance and a minister of the gospel to the hospital, and
+implored Salome to become his wife, then and there. He said she wept
+bitterly, and thanked him, thanked his sister also, but solemnly
+assured him she could never marry any one,--she would sooner starve in
+the--"
+
+Dr. Grey raised his hand, signalling for silence, and for some moments
+he leaned his forehead against the chair directly in front of him.
+
+Mr. Granville cleared his throat several times, and loosened his
+neck-tie, which seemed to impede his breathing.
+
+"Shall I go on? There is little more to tell."
+
+"If you please, Granville."
+
+"Mr. Minge would not abandon the hope of finally persuading her to
+accept his hand, but next day when he called to inquire about her
+health, and to request the sisters to watch her movements, and
+prevent her escape, he was shocked to learn that she had disappeared
+the previous night, leaving a few lines written in pencil on a
+handkerchief, in which she had wrapped her superb suit of hair. They
+were addressed to the Sisters of Charity, and briefly expressed her
+gratitude for their kindness in providing for her wants, while she
+assured them that as soon as possible she would return and compensate
+them for their services in her behalf. Meantime, knowing the high
+price of hair, she had carefully cut off her own, which was
+unusually long and thick, and tendered it in part payment. When she
+was taken into the building, her nurse found concealed in her dress a
+very elegant watch, bearing her name in diamond letters, and she
+requested that the sisters would hold it in pawn, until she was able
+to redeem it. During her illness, it had been locked up, and they
+supposed she left it, fearing that an application for it would arouse
+suspicions of her intended flight. Mr. Minge bought the hair and
+handkerchief, and, after a liberal remuneration for their care of
+the invalid, he took charge of the watch, and left his address to be
+given her when she called for her property. That her mind had become
+seriously impaired, there can be little doubt, since nothing but
+insanity can explain her refusal to accept one of the handsomest
+estates in America. Unfortunately, a few days subsequent to her
+departure from the hospital, Mr. Minge was taken very violently ill
+with pneumonia, and died. Conscious of his condition, he prepared a
+codicil to his will, and bequeathed to Salome twenty-five thousand
+dollars, and an elegant house and lot in New York City. He exacted
+from his sister a solemn promise that she would leave no means
+untried to ferret out the wanderer, to whom he was so devotedly
+attached; and, should all efforts fail, at the expiration of five
+years the legacy should revert to the hospital which had sheltered
+her in the hour of her destitution. The watch he left with his sister
+Constance; the hair, he ordered buried with him. Three months have
+elapsed, and no tidings have reached Miss Minge, who remains in
+Paris for the purpose of complying with her brother's dying request."
+
+"My poor, perverse Salome! To what desperate extremities has she been
+reduced by her unfortunate wilfulness. Gerard, will you tell me
+frankly your own conjecture concerning her fate?"
+
+"If alive, I believe she has left Europe."
+
+"Upon what do you base your supposition?"
+
+"Mr. Minge was convinced that her attachment to some one in America
+was the insurmountable barrier to his success as a suitor; and, if
+so, she probably returned to her native land. Dr. Grey, I will speak
+candidly to you of a matter which has doubtless given you some
+disquiet. Muriel informs me that you have no confidence in the
+sincerity of my attachment to her, and that upon that fact is founded
+your refusal to allow the consummation of our engagement, so long as
+she continues your ward. I confess I am not free from censure, but,
+while I have acted weakly, I am not devoid of principle. Sir, I was
+strangely and powerfully attracted to Salome Owen, and she exerted
+a species of fascination over me which I scarcely endeavored to
+resist. In an evil hour, infatuated by her face and her marvellous
+voice, I was wild enough to offer her my hand, and resolved to ask
+Muriel to release me. Dr. Grey, even at my own expense, I wish to
+exonerate Salome, who never for an instant, by word or look,
+encouraged my madness. She repulsed my advances, refused every
+attention, and when I rashly uttered words, which, I admit, were
+treasonable to Muriel, she almost overwhelmed me with her fiery
+contempt and indignation,--threatening to acquaint Muriel with my
+inconstancy, and appealing to my honor as a gentleman to keep
+inviolate my betrothal vows. Dr. Grey, if my heart temporarily
+wandered from its allegiance to your ward, it was not Salome's
+fault, for in every respect her conduct towards me was that of a
+noble, unselfish woman, who scorned to gratify her vanity at the
+expense of another's happiness. She shamed me out of my folly, and
+her stern honesty and nobility saved me from a brief and humiliating
+career of dishonorable duplicity. Whether living or dead, I owe this
+tribute to the pure character of Salome Owen."
+
+"Thank Heaven! I had faith in her. I believed her too generous to
+stoop to a flirtation with the lover of her friend; and, deplorable as
+was your own weakness, I am rejoiced, Gerard, to find that you have
+conquered it. Tell Muriel all that you have confided to me, and in her
+hands we will leave the decision."
+
+"Do you intend to prosecute the search which has proved so fruitless?"
+
+"I do. She has not returned to America,--she is here somewhere; and,
+living or dead, I must and will find her."
+
+Dr. Grey seemed lost in perplexing thought for some time, then drew a
+sheet of paper before him, and wrote, "Ulpian Grey wishes to see
+Salome Owen, in order to communicate some facts which will induce her
+return to her family; and he hopes she will call immediately at No.
+Rue ----."
+
+"Gerard, please be so good as to have this inserted in all the leading
+journals in the city; and give me the address of Mr. Minge's agent."
+
+At the expiration of a month, spent in the most diligent yet
+unsuccessful efforts to obtain some information of the wanderer, Dr.
+Grey began to feel discouraged,--to yield to melancholy forebodings
+that an untimely death had ended her struggles and suffering.
+
+Once, while pacing the walks in the Champs-Elysees, he caught a
+glimpse of a face that recalled Salome's, and started eagerly forward;
+but it proved that of a Parisian _bonne_, who was romping with her
+juvenile charge.
+
+Again, one afternoon, as he came out of the Church of St. Sulpice, his
+heart bounded at sight of a woman who leaned against the railing, and
+watched the play of the fountain. When he approached her and peered
+eagerly into her countenance, blue eyes and yellow curls mocked his
+hopes. One morning, while he walked slowly along the _Rue du Faubourg
+St. Honore_, his attention was attracted by the glitter of pretty
+baubles in the _Maison de la Pensee_, and he entered the establishment
+to purchase something for Jessie.
+
+While waiting for his parcel, a woman came out of a rear apartment and
+passed into the street, and, almost snatching his package from the
+counter, he followed.
+
+A few yards in advance was a graceful but thin figure, clad in a
+violet-colored muslin, with a rather dingy silk scarf wound around her
+shoulders. A straw hat, with a wreath of faded pink roses, drooped
+over her face, and streamers of black lace hung behind, while over the
+whole she had thrown a thin gray veil.
+
+Dr. Grey had not seen a feature, but the _pose_ of the shoulders, the
+haughty poise of the head, the quick, nervous, elastic step, and,
+above all, the peculiar, free, childish swinging of the left arm, made
+his despondent heart throb with renewed hope.
+
+Keeping sufficiently near not to lose sight of her, he walked on and
+on, down cross streets, up narrow alleys, towards a quarter of the
+city with which he was unacquainted. The woman never looked back,
+rarely turned her head, even to glance at those who passed her, and
+only once she paused before a flower-stall, and seemed to price a
+bunch of carnations, which she smelled, laid down again, and then
+hurried on.
+
+Dr. Grey quickly paid for the cluster, and hastened after her.
+
+In turning a corner, she dropped a small parcel that she had carried
+under her scarf, and as she stooped to pick it up, her veil floated
+off. She caught it ere it reached the ground, and when she raised her
+hands to spread it over her hat, the loose open sleeves of her dress
+slipped back, and there, on the left arm, was a long, zigzag scar,
+like a serpentine bracelet.
+
+With great difficulty Dr. Grey stifled a cry of joy, and waited until
+she had gained some yards in advance.
+
+The woman was so absorbed in reverie that she did not notice the
+steady tramp of her pursuer, but as the number of persons on the
+street gradually diminished, he prudently fell back, fearing lest her
+suspicion should be excited.
+
+At a sudden bend in the crooked alley which she rapidly threaded, he
+lost sight of her, and, running a few yards, he turned the angle just
+in time to see the flutter of her dress and scarf, as she disappeared
+through a postern, that opened in a crumbling brick wall.
+
+Above the gate a battered tin sign swung in the wind, and dim letters,
+almost effaced by elemental warfare, announced, "_Adele Aubin,
+Blanchisseuse_."
+
+Dr. Grey passed through the postern, and found himself in a narrow,
+dark court, near a tall, dingy, dilapidated house, where a girl ten
+years of age sat playing with two ragged, untidy children.
+
+It was a dreary, comfortless, uninviting place, and a greenish slime
+overspread the lower portions of the wall, and coated the uneven
+pavement.
+
+From the girl, who chatted with genuine French volubility and freedom,
+Dr. Grey learned that her father was an attache of a barber-shop, and
+her mother a washer and renovater of laces and embroideries. The
+latter was absent, and, in answer to his inquiries, the child informed
+him that an upper room in this cheerless building was occupied by a
+young female lodger, who held no intercourse with its other inmates.
+
+Placing a five-franc piece in her hand, the visitor asked the name of
+the lodger, but the girl replied that she was known to them only as
+"_La Dentelliere_," and lived quite alone in the right-hand room at
+the top of the third flight of stairs.
+
+The parley had already occupied twenty minutes, when Dr. Grey cut it
+short by mounting the narrow, winding steps. The atmosphere was close,
+and redolent of the fumes of dishes not so popular in America as in
+France, and he saw that the different doors of this old tenement were
+rented to lodgers who cooked, ate, and slept in the same apartment. At
+the top of the last dim flight of steps, Dr. Grey paused, almost out
+of breath; and found himself on a narrow landing-place, fronting two
+attic rooms. The one on the right was closed, but as he softly took
+the bolt in his hand and turned it, there floated through the key-hole
+the low subdued sound of a sweet voice, humming "_Infelice_."
+
+It was not the deep, rich, melting voice, that had arrested his drive
+when first he heard it on the beach, but a plaintive, thrilling echo,
+full of pathos, yet lacking power; like the notes of birds when
+moulting-season ends, and the warblers essay their old strains.
+Cautiously he opened the door wide enough to permit him to observe
+what passed within.
+
+The room was large, low, and irregularly shaped, with neither
+fire-place nor stove, and only one dormer window opening to the south,
+and upon a wide waste of tiled roofs and smoking chimneys. The floor
+was bare, except a strip of faded carpet stretched in front of a small
+single bedstead; and the additional furniture consisted of two chairs,
+a tall table where hung a mirror, and a washstand that held beside
+bowl and pitcher a candlestick and china cup. On the table were
+several books, a plate and knife, and a partially opened package
+disclosed a loaf of bread, some cheese, and an apple.
+
+In front of the window a piece of plank had been rudely fastened, and
+here stood two wooden boxes containing a few violets, mignonette, and
+one very luxuriant rose-geranium.
+
+The faded blue cambric curtain was twisted into a knot, and as it was
+now nearly noon, the sun shone in and made a patch of gold on the
+stained and dusky floor.
+
+On the bed lay the straw hat, garlanded with roses that had lost their
+primitive tints, and before the window in a low chair sat the lonely
+lodger.
+
+On her knees rested a cushion, across which was stretched a parchment
+pattern bristling with pins, and with bobbins she was swiftly knitting
+a piece of gossamer lace, by throwing the fine threads around the
+pins.
+
+Over the floor floated her delicate lilac dress, and the sleeves were
+looped back to escape the forest of pins.
+
+Dr. Grey had only a three-quarter view of the face that bent over the
+cushion, and though it was sadly altered in every lineament,--was
+whiter and thinner than he had ever seen it,--yet it was impossible to
+mistake the emaciated features of Salome Owen.
+
+The large, handsome head, had been shorn of its crown of glossy braids
+that once encircled it like a jet tiara, and the short locks clustered
+with childlike grace and beauty around the gleaming white brow and
+temples.
+
+There was not a vestige of color in the whilom scarlet mouth, whose
+thin lines were now scarcely perceptible; and, in the finer oval of
+her cheeks, and along the polished chin, the purplish veins showed
+their delicate tracery. The hands were waxen and almost transparent,
+and the figure was wasted beyond the boundaries of symmetry.
+
+In the knot of ribbon that fastened her narrow linen collar, she had
+arranged a sprig of mignonette, that now dropped upon the cushion as
+she bent over it. She paused, brushed it off, and for a few seconds
+her beautiful hazel eyes were fixed on the blue sky that bordered her
+window.
+
+The whole expression of her countenance had changed, and the
+passionate defiance of other days had given place to a sad, patient
+hopelessness, touching indeed, when seen on her proud features. Slowly
+she threw her bobbins, and a fragment of "_Infelice_" seemed to drift
+across her trembling lips, that showed some lines of bitterness in
+their time-chiselling.
+
+As Dr. Grey watched her, tears which he could not restrain trickled
+down his face, and he was starting forward, when she said, as if
+communing with her own desolate soul,--
+
+"I wonder if I am growing superstitious. Last night I dreamed
+incessantly of Jessie and home, and to-day I cannot help thinking that
+something has happened there. Home! When people no longer have a home,
+how hard it is to forget that blessed home which sheltered them in the
+early years. Homeless! that is the dreariest word that human misery
+ever conjectured or human language clothed. Never mind, Salome Owen,
+when God snatched your voice from you, He became responsible; and your
+claims are like the ravens and sparrows, and He must provide. After
+all, it matters little where we are housed here in the clay, and
+Hobbs was astute when he selected for the epitaph on his tombstone,
+'This is the true philosopher's stone.' Home! Ah, if I sadly missed my
+heart's home, here in the flesh, I shall surely find it up yonder in
+the blessed land of blue."
+
+A tear glided down her cheek, glistened an instant on her chin, and
+fell on her pattern. She brushed it away, and smiled sorrowfully,--
+
+"It is ill-omened to sprinkle bridal lace with tears. Some day this
+fine web will droop around a bride's white shoulders and after a time
+it may serve to deck the cold limbs of some dead child. If I could
+only have my shroud now, I would not make lace a _desideratum_; serge
+or sackcloth would be welcome. Patience,--
+
+                ... 'What if the bread
+  Be bitter in thine inn, and thou unshod
+  To meet the flints? At least it may be said,
+  Because the way is _short_, I thank thee, God!'"
+
+She partially rose in her chair, and took from the table a volume of
+poems. After some search, she found the desired passage, and, rocking
+herself to and fro, she read it aloud in a low, measured tone,--
+
+  "O dreary life! we cry, 'O dreary life!'
+  And still the generations of the birds
+  Sing through our sighing, and the flocks and herds
+  Serenely live, while we are keeping strife
+  With heaven's true purpose in us, as a knife
+  Against which we may struggle! Ocean girds
+  Unslackened the dry land, savannah-swards
+  Unweary sweep,--hills watch unworn; and rife
+  Meek leaves drop yearly from the forest-trees,
+  To show above the unwasted stars that pass
+  In their old glory. '_O thou God of old,
+  Grant me some smaller grace than comes to these!
+  But even so much patience, as a blade of grass
+  Grows by, contented through the heat and cold._'"
+
+The book slipped from her fingers and fell upon the floor, and with a
+sob the girl bowed her head in her hands.
+
+Quickly the intruder glided unseen into the room, and stood at the
+back of her chair.
+
+He knew she was praying, and almost breathlessly waited several
+minutes.
+
+At last she raised her face, and while tears trembled on her lashes,
+she said meekly,--
+
+"I ought not to complain and repine. I will be patient and trust God;
+for I can afford to suffer all through time, provided I may spend
+eternity with Christ and Dr. Grey."
+
+"Oh, Salome! Thank God, we shall be separated neither in time nor in
+eternity! Dear wanderer, come back to your brother!"
+
+He stepped before her, and involuntarily held out his arms.
+
+She neither screamed nor fainted, but sprang to her feet, and a
+rapture that beggars all description irradiated her worn, weary,
+pallid face.
+
+"Is it really you? Oh! a thousand times I have dreamed that I saw
+you,--stood by you; but when I tried to touch you, there was nothing
+but empty air! Oh, Dr. Grey!--my Dr. Grey! Am I only dreaming, here in
+the sunshine, or is it you bodily? Did you care for me a _little_? Did
+you come to find _me_?"
+
+She grasped his arm, swept her hands up and down his sleeve, and then
+he saw her reel, and shut her eyes, and shudder.
+
+"My poor child, I came to Paris solely to hunt for my wayward Salome,
+and, thank God! I have found her."
+
+He put his arm around her, and placed her head against his shoulder.
+
+Ah, how his generous heart ached, as he noted the hungry delight with
+which her splendid eyes lingered on his features, and the convulsive
+tenacity with which she clung to him, trembling with excess of joy
+that brought back carmine to her wasted lips and carnation bloom to
+her blanched cheeks.
+
+He heard her whispering, and knew it was a prayer of thanksgiving for
+the blessing of his presence.
+
+But very soon a change came over her sparkling, happy face, like an
+inky cloud across a noon sky, and he felt a shiver stealing through
+her form.
+
+"Let me go! You said once, that when I came to Europe to enter on my
+professional career, you wished never to touch my hands again,--you
+would consider them polluted."
+
+"Dear Salome, I recant all those harsh, unjust words, which were
+uttered when I was not fully aware of the latent strength of your
+character. Since then, I have learned much from Professor V----, and
+from Gerard Granville, that assures me my noble friend is all I could
+desire her,--that she has grandly conquered her faults, and is worthy
+of the admiration, the perfect confidence, the earnest affection,
+which her adopted brother offers her. Your pure, true heart makes pure
+hands, and as such I reverently salute them."
+
+He took her hands, raised and kissed them respectfully, tenderly.
+
+She hid her burning face on his bosom, and there was a short pause.
+
+"Salome, sit down and let me talk to you of home,--your home. Have you
+no questions to ask about your pet sister and brother?"
+
+He attempted to release himself, but she clung to him, and clasping
+her arms around his neck, said in a strained, husky tone,--
+
+"Dr. Grey, did you bring your--your wife to Paris?"
+
+"I have no wife."
+
+She uttered a thrilling cry of delight, threw her head back, and gazed
+steadily into his clear, calm, blue eyes.
+
+"Oh, sir, they told me you had married Mrs. Gerome."
+
+He placed her in the chair, and kneeling down beside her, took her
+quivering face in his palms and touched her forehead softly with his
+lips.
+
+"The only woman I ever wished to make my wife is bound for life to a
+worthless husband. Salome, I loved her before I knew this fact; and,
+since I learned (soon after your departure) that she was separated
+from the man whom she had wedded, I have not seen her, although she
+still resides at 'Solitude.' Salome, I shall never marry, and I ask
+you now to come back to Jessie and Stanley, who will soon require your
+care and guidance, for it is my intention to return to the position in
+the U.S. naval service, which only Janet's feeble health induced me to
+resign. God bless you, dear child! I wish you were indeed my own
+sister, for I am growing very proud of my brave, honest friend,--my
+patient lace-weaver."
+
+The girl's head sank lower and lower until it touched her knees, and
+sobs rendered her words scarcely audible.
+
+"If you deem me worthy to be called your friend, it is because of your
+example, your influence. Oh, Dr. Grey,--but for you,--but for my hope
+of meeting you in the kingdom of Christ, I shudder to think what I
+might have been! Under all circumstances I have been guided by what I
+imagined would have been your wishes,--your advice; and my reward is
+rich indeed! Your confidence, your approbation! Earth holds no
+recompense half so precious."
+
+"Thank God! my prayers have been abundantly answered, my highest hopes
+of your future fully realized. Henceforth, let us with renewed energy
+labor faithfully in the vast, whitening fields of Him who declares,
+'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.'"
+
+  "O human soul! as long as thou canst so
+  Set up a mark of everlasting light,
+  Above the howling senses' ebb and flow,
+  To cheer thee and to right thee if thou roam,
+  Not with lost toil thou laborest through the night,
+  Thou makest the heaven thou hopest indeed thy home."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIV.
+
+"SAD CASE OF MANIA A POTU."
+
+
+"Watchman McDonough reports that late last night, he picked up, on the
+sidewalk, the insensible body of Maurice Carlyle, who showed some
+signs of returning animation after his removal to Station House
+No. ----. A physician was called in, and every effort made to save the
+unfortunate victim of intemperance; but medical skill was inadequate
+to arrest the work of many years of excess, and before daylight the
+wretched man expired in dreadful convulsions. Coroner Boutwell held an
+inquest on the body, and the verdict rendered was 'Death from _mania a
+potu_.' Mr. Carlyle was well known in this city, where for many years
+he was an ornament to society, and a general favorite in the
+fashionable and mercantile circle in which he moved. Of numbers who
+were once the recipients of his bounty and hospitality, none offered
+succor in the hour of adversity, and among all his former friends none
+were found to cheer or pity in the last ordeal to which flesh is
+subjected. The melancholy fate of Maurice Carlyle furnishes another
+illustration of the mournful truth that the wages of intemperance are
+destitution and desertion."
+
+Such was the startling announcement, which, under the head of "Police
+Report," Dr. Grey read and re-read in a prominent New York paper that
+had accidentally remained for some days unopened on his desk, and was
+dated nearly a month previous. Locking the door of his office, he sat
+down to collect his bewildered thoughts, and to quiet the tumult in
+his throbbing heart.
+
+During the two years that had drearily worn away since his last
+interview with Mrs. Carlyle, he had sternly forbidden his mind to
+dwell on its brief dream of happiness, and by a life of unusually
+active benevolence endeavored to forget the one episode which alone
+had power to disquiet and sadden him.
+
+He had philosophically schooled himself to the calm, unmurmuring
+acceptance of his lonely destiny, and looked forward to a life
+solitary yet not unhappy, although uncheered by the love and
+companionship which every man indulges the instinctive hope will
+sooner or later crown his existence.
+
+Now heart and conscience, so long at deadly feud, suddenly signalled a
+truce, clasped hands, embraced cordially. How radiant the world
+looked,--with what wondrous glory the future had in the twinkling of
+an eye robed itself. The woman he had loved was stainless and free,
+and how could she long resist the pleadings of his famished heart?
+
+He would win her from cynicism and isolation, would melt her frozen
+nature in the genial atmosphere of his pure and constant affection,
+and interweave her aimless, sombre life with the busy, silvery web of
+his own.
+
+After forty years, God would grant him home, and wife, and hearthstone
+peace.
+
+What a flush and sparkle stole to this grave man's olive cheek, and
+calm, deep blue eyes!
+
+Ah! how hungrily he longed for the touch of her hand, the sight of her
+face; and, snatching his hat, he put the paper in his pocket, and
+hurried towards "Solitude."
+
+In the holy hush of that hazy autumnal afternoon, nature--_Magna
+Mater_,--
+
+  "The altar-curtains of whose hills
+    Are sunset's purple air,"
+  "Who dips in the dim light of setting suns
+  The spacious skirts of that vast robe of hers
+  That widens ever in the wondrous west,"
+
+seemed slumbering and dreaming away the day.
+
+The forests were gaudy in their painted shrouds of scarlet and yellow
+leaves, and long, feathery flakes of purple bloom nodded over crimson
+berries, emerald mosses, and golden-hearted asters.
+
+Only a few weeks previous, Dr. Grey had driven along that road, and,
+while the echo of harvest hymns rang on the hay-scented air, had asked
+himself how men and women could become so completely absorbed in
+temporal things, ignoring the solemn and indisputable fact of the
+brevity of human life and the restricted dominion of man,--
+
+  "Whose part in all the pomp that fills
+  The circuit of the summer hills
+  Is, that his grave is green."
+
+But to-day all sober-hued reflections were exorcised by the rapturous
+_Jubilate_ that hope was singing through the sunlit chambers of his
+happy heart; and when he entered the grounds of "Solitude" they seemed
+bathed in that soft glamour, that witching "light that never was on
+sea or land."
+
+As he sprang from his buggy and opened the little gate leading into
+the _parterre_, Robert came slowly forward, bearing a basket filled
+with a portion of the crimson apples that flushed the orchard, just
+beyond the low hedge.
+
+"You could not have chosen a better time to come, Dr. Grey; and if I
+were allowed to have my way you would have been here last night. Were
+you sent for at last, or was it a lucky chance that brought you?"
+
+"Merely an accident, as I received no summons. Robert, how is your
+mistress?"
+
+"God only knows, sir; I am sure I never can tell how she really is.
+She has not seemed well since she took that journey to the North, and
+for two weeks past she appears to have been slipping down by inches
+into her grave. She neither eats nor sleeps, and for the last three
+nights has not lain down,--so old Ruth, the housekeeper, tells me.
+Yesterday I begged my mistress to let me go for you, but she smiled
+that awful freezing smile that strikes to the very marrow of my bones,
+worse than December sleet,--and raised her finger so: and said, 'At
+your peril, Robert. Mind your orchard, man, and I will take care of
+myself. I want neither doctors nor nurses, and only desire that you,
+and Ruth, and Anna, will attend to your respective duties and let me
+be quiet. All will soon be well with me.' I killed a partridge, had it
+nicely broiled, and carried it to her; and she thanked me, and made a
+pretence of eating the wing, just to please me; but when the waiter
+was taken away to the kitchen, I found all the bird on the plate. This
+morning, just before daylight, I heard her playing a wild, mournful
+thing on the piano, that sounded like a dirge or a wail; and Ruth says
+when she went into the parlor to open the blinds, she found her
+praying, and thinks she was on her knees for an hour. Please God!
+sometimes I wish she was in heaven with my mother, for she will never
+see any peace in this life."
+
+"What seems to be the disease?"
+
+"Heart-ache."
+
+"You should have come and told me this long ago."
+
+"And pray to what purpose, Dr. Grey? She vowed she would allow no
+human being to cross her threshold, except the servants, and I would
+sooner undertake to curl a steel, or make ringlets out of a pair of
+tongs, than bend her will when once she takes a stand. Humph! My
+mistress is no willow wand, and is about as easily moved as the
+church-steeple, or the stone-tower of the lighthouse."
+
+"Has she recently received letters that contained tidings which
+excited or distressed her?"
+
+"A letter came last week, but I know nothing of its contents. You need
+not go into the house if you wish to find her, for about an hour and a
+half ago I saw her come out into the grounds, and she never goes in
+till the lamps are lighted."
+
+An anxious look clouded for an instant Dr. Grey's countenance, but
+undaunted hope sang on of the hours of hallowed communion that the
+future held, while in her invalid condition he assumed the care and
+guardianship of his beloved; and, turning into the lawn, he eagerly
+searched the winding walks for some trace of her, some flutter of her
+garments, some faint, subtle odor of orange-flowers or tube-roses.
+
+Here and there clusters of purple, pink, and orange crysanthemums
+flecked the lawn with color; and a flower-stand, covered with china
+jars that held geraniums, seemed almost a pyramid of flame, from the
+profusion of scarlet blooms.
+
+The sun had gone down behind a waving line of low hills, where,--
+
+  "Thinned to amber, rimmed with silver,
+    Clouds in the distance dwell,
+  Clouds that are cool, for all their color,
+    Pure as a rose-lipped shell.
+  Fleets of wool in the upper heavens
+    Gossamer wings unfurl;
+  Sailing so high they seem but sleeping
+    Over yon bar of pearl."
+
+Still as crystal was the sapphire sea that mirrored that quiet,
+sapphire sky, and not a murmur, not a ripple, stirred the evening air
+or the yellow sands that stretched for miles along the winding coast.
+
+When Dr. Grey had partially crossed the lawn, he glanced towards the
+marble temple that gleamed against the dark background of deodars, and
+saw a woman sitting on the steps of the tomb. Softly he approached and
+entered the mausoleum by an arch on the opposite side, but,
+notwithstanding his cautious tread, he startled a white pigeon that
+had perched on the altar, where fresh violets, heliotrope, and snowy
+sprigs of nutmeg-geranium were leaning over the scalloped edge of the
+Venetian glasses, and distilling perfume in their delicate chalices.
+
+Mrs. Carlyle had brought her floral tribute to the sepulchral urn,
+and, having carefully arranged her daily Arkja, had seated herself on
+the steps to rest.
+
+From the two sentinel poplars that guarded the front, golden leaves
+were sifting down on the marble floor, and three or four had drifted
+upon the lap of the quiet figure, while one, bright and rich as autumn
+gilding could make it, rested like a crown on the silver waves that
+covered her head.
+
+Down the shining steps trailed the folds of the white merino robe, and
+around her shoulders was wrapped the blue crape shawl, while a cluster
+of violets seemed to have slipped from her fingers, and strewed
+themselves at random on her dress.
+
+Softly Dr. Grey drew near, and his voice was tremulously tender, as he
+said,--
+
+"Mrs. Carlyle, no barrier divides us now."
+
+She did not speak, or turn her queenly head, and he laid his hand
+caressingly on the glistening gray hair.
+
+"My darling, my first and only love--my brave, beautiful 'Agla,' may I
+not tell you, at last, what conscience once forbade my uttering?"
+
+As motionless and silent as the sculptured poppies above her, she took
+no notice of his passionate pleading, and he sprang down one step
+directly in front of her.
+
+The white face was turned to the sea, and the large, wide,
+wonderfully lovely yet mournful gray eyes were gazing fixedly across
+the waste of water, at a filmy cloud as fine as lace, that like a
+silver netting caught the full October moon which was lifting itself
+in the pearly east.
+
+The long black lashes did not droop, nor the steady eyes waver, and
+with a horrible foreboding Dr. Grey seized her hands. They were rigid
+and icy. He stooped, caught her to his bosom, and pressed his lips to
+hers, but they were colder than the marble column against which she
+leaned; for, one hour before, Vashti Carlyle had fronted her God.
+
+Alone in the autumn evening, sitting there with the golden poplar
+leaves drifting over her, the desolate woman had held her last
+communion with the watching ocean that hushed its murmuring, to see
+her die; and, laying down the galling burden of her sunless, dreary
+life, she had joyfully and serenely "put on immortality" in that
+everlasting rest, where "there was no more sea, no more death, neither
+shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away."
+
+Ah! beautiful and holy was--
+
+  "That peaceful face wherein all past distress
+  Had melted into perfect loveliness."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXV.
+
+
+Since that October day when Ulpian Grey sat on the steps of the tomb,
+holding in his arms the beautiful white form, whom in life God had
+denied him the privilege of touching, six months had drifted slowly;
+yet time had not softened the blow, that, while almost crushing his
+tender, unselfish heart, had no power to shake the faith which was so
+securely anchored in Christ.
+
+Among the papers found in Mrs. Carlyle's desk was one containing the
+request that Dr. Grey would superintend the erection of a handsome
+monument over the remains of her husband, whenever and wherever he
+chanced to die; and her will provided that her fortune should be
+appropriated as the nucleus of a relief fund for indigent painters.
+
+Her own pictures, to which she had carefully affixed in delicate
+violet ciphers the name "Agla," she directed placed on exhibition in a
+New York gallery, and ultimately sold for the benefit of the orphans
+of artists. To Robert she bequeathed a sum sufficient to maintain him
+in ease and comfort; and to Dr. Grey her escritoire, piano, books, and
+the sapphire ring she had always worn.
+
+The latter was found in the silver casket, and had been folded in a
+sheet of paper containing these words,--
+
+"According to the teachings of the Buddhists, 'the sapphire produces
+equanimity and peace of mind, as well as affording protection against
+envy and treachery. It produces also prayer and reconciliation with
+the Godhead, and brings more peace than any other gem of necromancy;
+_but he who would wear it must lead a pure and holy life_.' Finding my
+sapphire asp mockingly inefficacious in its traditional talismanic
+powers, I conclude that my melancholy career has been a violation of
+the stipulated condition, and therefore bequeath it to the only human
+being whom I deem worthy to wear it with any hope of success."
+
+While awaiting orders from the naval department, Dr. Grey purchased
+"Solitude," whither he removed, with Muriel and Miss Dexter, and
+temporarily established himself, until the arrival of Mr. Granville.
+
+Immediately after her return from Europe, Salome invested a portion of
+Mr. Minge's legacy in the site of the old mill that had fallen to
+ruin. Here she built a small but tasteful cottage _orne_ on the spot
+where her father had died, and here, with Jessie and Stanley, she
+proposed to spend her winters; while Mark and Joel were placed at the
+"Grassmere Farm," a mile distant, and entrusted with its management
+until the younger children should attain their majority.
+
+Too proud to accept the home which Dr. Grey had tendered her,
+Salome was earnestly endeavoring to imitate the noble example of
+self-abnegation that lifted him so far above all others whom she had
+ever known; and the most precious hope of her life was to reach
+that exalted excellence which alone could compel his admiration and
+respect.
+
+From the day of Mrs. Carlyle's death, the orphan had been a
+comparatively happy woman, for jealousy could not invade or desecrate
+the grave and its harmless sleeper; and Salome fervently thanked God,
+that, since she was denied the blessing of Dr. Grey's love, at least
+she had been spared the torture of seeing him the fond husband of
+another.
+
+Time had deepened, but refined, purified, and consecrated her
+unconquerable affection for the only man who had ever commanded her
+reverence, and whose quiet influence had so happily remoulded her
+wayward, fiery nature.
+
+There were seasons when the old element of innate perversity
+re-asserted itself, but the steady reproving gaze of his clear, true
+eyes, or the warning touch of his hand on her head, had sufficed to
+still the rising storm.
+
+Conscientiously the passionate, exacting woman was striving to bring
+her heart and life into subjection to the law,--into conformity with
+the precepts of Christ; and though she was impulsive, proud Salome
+still,--the glaring blemishes in her character were gradually
+disappearing.
+
+One bright balmy spring morning previous to the day appointed for
+Muriel's marriage, and for her guardian's departure for the fleet in
+Asiatic waters, where he had been assigned to duty, Dr. Grey drove up
+the avenue of elms and maples that led to Salome's pretty villa; and
+as he ascended the steps, Jessie sprang into his arms, and almost
+smothered him with caresses.
+
+"Oh, doctor! something so wonderful has happened,--you never could
+guess, and I am as happy as a bee in a woodbine. Sister will tell
+you."
+
+"Where is she?"
+
+"In the parlor, waiting for you."
+
+The child ran off to join Stanley, who was trying a new pony in the
+yard, and Dr. Grey went into the cool fragrant room, which was fitted
+up with more taste than in earlier years he would have ascribed to its
+owner.
+
+Salome sat before the open piano, and at his entrance raised her face,
+which had been bowed almost to the ivory keys.
+
+"Good morning, Dr. Grey. I am glad you have come to rejoice with me,
+and I was just thanking God for the unexpected restoration of my
+voice. Once when it seemed so necessary to me. He suddenly took it
+from me; and now, when it is a mere luxury to own it, He as
+unexpectedly gives it to me once more. Verily,--strange as it may
+appear, my voice is really better than when Professor V---- pronounced
+it the first contralto in Europe."
+
+She had risen to greet him, and as he retained her hand in his, she
+stood close to him, looking earnestly into his face.
+
+There were tears hanging like tremulous dewdrops on the long jet
+under-lashes,--and the bright red in her polished cheeks, and the
+crimson curves of her parted lips made a picture pleasant to
+contemplate.
+
+"My dear child, I do indeed cordially congratulate you. God saw that
+your voice might possibly prove a snare and a curse, by ministering to
+false pride and exaggerated vanity, and in mercy and wisdom He
+temporarily deprived you of an instrument that threatened you with
+danger. Now that you are stronger, more prudent, and patient, He
+trusts you again with one of the choicest blessings that can be
+conferred on a woman. You have deserved to recover it, and I joyfully
+unite my thanks with yours. Let me hear your voice once more."
+
+Trembling with excess of happiness, she sat down and sang feelingly,
+eloquently, her favorite "_O mon Fernand_;" and, as he listened, Dr.
+Grey looked almost wonderingly at the beautiful flashing face, that
+had never seemed half so radiant before. There was marvellous witchery
+in her rich round flexible tones, that wound into the holy-of-holies
+of the man's great heart, and elevated his thoughts above the dross
+and dust of earth.
+
+When she ended, he placed his soft palm tenderly on her head, and
+smoothed the glossy hair.
+
+"I thank you inexpressibly. Sometimes when sad memories oppress me,
+how I shall long to have you charm them away by that magical spell
+that bears my thoughts from this world to the next. There are some
+songs which you must learn for my sake."
+
+Ah! at that moment, as she stood there robed in a soft stainless white
+muslin, with a cluster of double pomegranate flowers glowing in her
+silky hair, the girl was very lovely, very attractive, so full of
+youthful grace, so winning in her beautiful enthusiasm,--yet Ulpian
+Grey's heart did not wander for an instant from one who slept
+dreamlessly under the sculptured urn on the marble altar of the
+mausoleum.
+
+  "Why are the dead not dead? Who can undo
+  What time hath done? Who can win back the wind?
+  Beckon lost music from a broken lute?
+  Renew the redness of a last year's rose?
+  Or dig the sunken sunset from the deep?"
+
+"Dr. Grey, if my voice can chase away one vexing thought, one wearying
+care or melancholy memory, I shall feel that I have additional reason
+to thank God for the precious gift."
+
+"I have not seen you look so happy for three years. Indeed, my little
+sister, you have much for which to be grateful, and in the midst of
+your blessings try to recollect those grand words of Marcus Aurelius
+Antoninus, 'The soul is a God in exile.' My child, look to it that
+your expatriation ends with the shores of time, for--
+
+  'Yea, this is life; make this forenoon sublime,
+  This afternoon a psalm, this night a prayer,
+  And time is conquered, and thy crown is won.'"
+
+For some seconds Salome did not speak, for the shadow on his
+countenance fell upon her heart, and looking reverently up at him, she
+thought of Richter's mournful _dictum_,--"Great souls attract sorrows,
+as mountains tempests."
+
+"Dr. Grey, want of patience is the cause of half my difficulties and
+defeats, and plunges me continually into the slough of distrust and
+rebellious questioning. I find it so hard to stand still, and let God
+do his will, and work in his own way."
+
+"My dear Salome, patience is only practical faith, and the want of it
+causes two-thirds of the world's woes. I often find it necessary to
+humble my own pride, and tame my restless spirit by recurring to the
+last words of Schiller, 'Calmer and calmer! many difficult things are
+growing plain and clear to me. Let us be patient.' Child, sing me one
+song more, and then come out and show me where you propose to place
+those grape-arbors we spoke of yesterday. This is the last opportunity
+I shall have to direct your workmen."
+
+An hour later Salome fastened a sprig of Grand Duke jasmine in the
+button-hole of his coat,--shook hands with him for the day, and though
+she smiled in recognition of his final bow as he drove down the
+avenue, her thoughts were busy with the dreaded separation that
+awaited her on the morrow and, while her lips were mute, the cry of
+her heart was,--
+
+            ... "O Beloved, it is plain
+  I am not of thy worth, nor for thy place.
+  And yet because I love thee, I obtain
+  From that same love this vindicating grace,
+  To live on still in love,--and yet in vain,--
+  To bless thee, yet renounce thee to thy face."
+
+Dr. Grey spent the remainder of the day in visiting his patients, and
+as he rode from cottage to hovel, bidding adieu to those whose lives
+had so often been committed to his professional guardianship, he was
+received with tearful eyes, and trembling hands; and numerous
+benedictions were invoked upon his head.
+
+Silver threads were beginning to weave an aureola in his chestnut
+hair, and the smooth white forehead showed incipient furrows, but the
+deep blue eyes were as tranquil and trusting as of yore, and full of
+tenderer light for the few he loved, for all in suffering and
+bereavement.
+
+With a sublime and increasing faith in the overruling wisdom and mercy
+of God, he patiently and hopefully bore his loneliness and grievous
+loss,--comforting himself with the assurance that, "the evening of
+life brings with it its lamp;" and looking eagle-eyed across the
+storm-drenched plain of the present to the gleaming jasper walls of
+the Eternal Beyond.
+
+                   ... "My wine has run
+  Indeed out of my cup, and there is none
+  To gather up the bread of my repast
+  Scattered and trampled,--yet I find some good
+  In earth's green herbs, and streams that bubble up,
+  Clear from the darkling ground,--content until
+  I sit with angels before better food.
+  Dear Christ! when thy new vintage fills my cup,
+  This hand shall shake no more, nor that wine spill."
+
+
+
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