Part 26 (1/2)
”Tell the truth! Is it so--this shame--crime? Speak! I will shake the truth from you!”
”Father! Don't!” she screamed, terrified by his look; and from his searching gaze, she essayed to hide, by covering her face with her hands, the secret her conscience magnified so as to forbid confession and denial alike. I am glad to recall this act of womanhood, which showed her inability to brazen all accusation out.
But Mr. Faringfield saw no palliating circ.u.mstance in this evidence of womanly feeling. Seeing in it only an admission of guilt, he raised his arms convulsively for a moment as if he would strike her down with his hands, or crush her throat with them. But, overcoming this impulse, he drew back so as to be out of reach of her, and said, in a low voice shaken with pa.s.sion:
”Go! From my house, I mean--my roof--and from Philip's part of it.
G.o.d! that a child of mine should plot against my country, for England--that was enough; but to be false to her husband, too--false to Philip! I will own no such treason! I turn you out, I cast you off!
Not another hour in my house, not another minute! You are not my daughter, not Philip's wife!--You are a thing I will not name! We disown you. Go, I bid you; let me never see you again!”
She had not offered speech or motion; and she continued to stand motionless, regarding her father in fear and sorrow.
”I tell you to leave this house!” he added, in a slightly higher and quicker voice. ”Do you wait for me to thrust you out?”
She slowly moved toward the door. But her mother ran and caught her arm, and stood between her and Mr. Faringfield.
”William!” said the lady. ”Consider--the poor child--your favourite, she was--you mustn't send her out. I'm sure Philip wouldn't have you do this, for all she might seem guilty of.”
”Ay, the lad is too kind of heart. So much the worse her treason to him! She _shall_ go; and you, madam, will not interfere. 'Tis for me to command. Be pleased to step aside!”
His pa.s.sion had swiftly frozen into an implacable sternness which struck fear to the childish heart of his wife, and she obeyed him dumbly. Dropping weakly upon a chair, she added her sobs to those of f.a.n.n.y, which had begun to break plaintively upon the tragic silence.
Margaret raised her glance from the floor, in a kind of wistful leave-taking, to us who looked on and pitied her.
”Indeed, sir,” began Mr. Cornelius softly, rising and taking a step toward Mr. Faringfield. But the latter cut his good intention short, by a mandatory gesture and the harshly spoken words:
”No protests, sir; no intercessions. I am aware of what I do.”
”But at midnight, sir. Think of it. Where can she find shelter at this hour?”
”Why,” put in my mother, ”in my house, and welcome, if she _must_ leave this one.”
”Thank you, Mrs. Russell,” said Margaret, in a stricken voice. ”For the time being, I shall be glad--”
”For all time, if you wish,” replied my mother. ”And we shall have your things moved over tomorrow.”
”By the Lord, sis,” cried Ned, with a sudden friendliness quite astonis.h.i.+ng after the part he had taken, and to be accounted for only by the idea that had struck him, ”here's a blessing in disguise!
There's a s.h.i.+p sails next Wednesday--so I found out this evening--and d.a.m.n me if you sha'n't go to London with me! That's the kind of a forgiving brother I am!”
She had utterly ignored his first words, but when he reached the point, she looked at him thoughtfully, with a check upon her resentment. She made no reply, however; but he had not missed her expression. Tom and I exchanged side glances, remembering Ned's former wish that he might imitate his Irish friend by taking his sister to London to catch a fortune with. As for Margaret, as matters stood, it would be something to go to London, relying on her beauty. I fancied I saw that thought in her look.
Mr. Faringfield, who had heard with cold heedlessness my mother's offer and Ned's, now rang the bell. Noah appeared, with a sad, affrighted face--he had been listening at the door--and cast a furtive glance at Margaret, in token of commiseration.
”Bring Mrs. Winwood's cloak,” said Mr. Faringfield to the old negro.
”Then open the door for her and Mr. Edward.”
While Noah was absent on this errand, and Margaret waited pa.s.sively, Tom went to her, kissed her cheek, and then came away without a word.