Part 25 (1/2)
”I rarely ever go down town at night,” said the banker; ”that is the reason of their uneasiness. Yes, the only cause, I a.s.sure you.”
He pa.s.sed out into the hall, his wife following him. He took an umbrella from the rack, and preparing to hoist it, stepped out upon the veranda. His wife spoke to him and he started as if he had not noticed her. ”James,” she said, ”something is wrong and you are deceiving me.”
”Nothing at all, my dear,” he replied, hoisting the umbrella. ”The truth is, I want to see Sawyer.”
”In relation to Mr. Lyman?” she asked, putting her hand on his arm to detain him.
”Well, yes, indirectly. The truth is, I authorized Zeb to offer him a sum of money to go away--quite too much I am sure--and I want to ask him to withdraw the offer. I can't afford to invest that much ready money at present, I really cannot.”
”If you have been afraid that he will accept the offer--”
”What,” he said, closing the umbrella and looking at her, ”what do you know about it?”
”I know, or at least I believe, that he is not a man to be bribed,--to be turned from his purpose.”
”His purpose. What is his purpose?”
”To claim his wife.”
”Lucy, whatever you may be unreasonable enough to think, don't talk that way to me. He may claim her as his wife and may force his claim, but it will be after I am dead. I don't like the fellow personally. He is impudent; he is an anarchist. There now,” he added, hoisting the umbrella, ”go back and don't worry about me.”
He stepped out upon the walk, and she stood in the door until he had pa.s.sed into the lane, into the heavy darkness of the trees. When she returned to the parlor the minister was preparing to take his leave.
”My mission in coming might have been discharged in a moment,” he said; ”but seeing that your husband was worried I did not like to bring it up in his presence. Young Henry Bostic is soon to preach over at Mt. Zion. I know that in this family a prejudice is felt against him, but he is deeply in earnest and I feel that it is your Christian duty, madam, to give him on that occasion the encouragement of your presence. He believes that he is inspired to preach the Word, and who, indeed, shall say that he is not? I have talked to him frequently of late, and I am convinced that toward this household he bears no malice.”
”Eva and I will go,” Mrs. McElwin replied promptly.
”n.o.bly said, madam,” the minister rejoined, looking upon her with an eye that had swept over many a field of duty. ”I did not believe that I should appeal to you in vain. We have but a little while here,” he went on, his white head shaking. ”The future has seemed far, but the past is short, and soon the time comes when we must go. They may dispute our creed and pick flaws in our doctrine, but they acknowledge the mighty truth of death. There is nothing in life worth living for--”
”Except love,” said the girl standing beside him.
He put his tremulous hand upon her head, a withered leaf upon a flower in bloom. ”Yes, my child, love which is G.o.d's spirit come down to earth.”
He bade them good night, and for a long time they sat in silence.
”Sometimes,” said the mother, ”I feel a sudden strength, and I look up in surprise and see that it has come from you.”
”I believe that I am developing,” the daughter replied. ”But I shall be strong if he asks me to go with him.”
”What do you mean, my dear?”
”I mean that if he were to ask me, I would be strong enough to go.”
”And leave me?”
”Leave the world--everything!”
”Why, my child, how can you talk so? Really, you alarm me. You scarcely know the man; you have met him but a few times, and then your talks with him were brief.”
”I don't attempt to explain, mother. I simply know.”