Part 18 (1/2)
Mr Trail had brought this mother and eldest daughter nearer to each other than they had been for years; and Mrs Daveney antic.i.p.ated Eleanor's confidence ere the morning pa.s.sed. The latter did not appear at the breakfast-table, and the kind, anxious father went to satisfy himself that she was not ill.
There was a shade of anxiety on his brow, and as he pa.s.sed his wife, on leaving the table at the call of some farm-servant, he whispered to her that Eleanor wished to see her.
The result of their conference was the resolution on Eleanor's part, with the sanction of father and mother, to ”tell Major Frankfort the history of the miniature, and more if he desired it.”
Light broke on Eleanor as her mother reminded her of many trifling incidents, plainly manifesting Frankfort's partiality for her. These, connected with what had lately pa.s.sed between the young widow and the generous, candid soldier, left no doubt an her mind of the nature of his regard for her. She began to weigh every look; she suddenly remembered he had addressed her as ”Eleanor,”--she had been too much startled by the unexpected allusion to her lost darting to think of anything but the revival of the bitter pang.
Then Frankfort's violent emotion was so at variance with his usual delicacy. She was half-frightened to believe that he loved her. They had spent three weeks together under the same roof. It might truly be said that the light of a new day had _dawned_ upon her, so insensibly had Frankfort's influence stolen over her, and sweetened an existence, of late so wretched and forlorn.
To have seen the settlement of Annerley, in the early part of March, 18--, you would have thought, had you known nothing of the terrible elements gathering silently around, that Mercy and Peace had met together, that Righteousness and Truth had kissed each other.
”In the deep noontide, in the sunset's hush,” the children's voices chimed together in the busy school; mothers and sisters plied their needles in the shady, trellised pa.s.sage; the cattle herds grew careless, and dozed away the dreamy day; the ladies of the family party suffered themselves to hope that the dove with the olive branch was winging her way from the mountain haunts of the unhappy heathen. Ormsby was hourly profiting by his a.s.sociation with his energetic, intelligent, active-minded host. The ”maxims” he had been accustomed to laugh at as ”Frankfort's plat.i.tudes” were household words here. The fresh, innocent mind of Marion was a new and beautiful study, and he was a little, a very little, afraid of Mrs Daveney. He was not quite sure that he liked her--she was evidently inclined to keep him in order, and then she was ”dreadfully clever.”
So complete was the quiet reigning in this beautiful wilderness, that even Mr Daveney began to think the chiefs had held council, and determined on prolonging the truce, owing to the lateness of the season, the corn being yet unripe in the districts between the Buffalo and Keiskama rivers. The two officers were awaiting his expected despatch to rejoin their regiments, if ordered to do so, as they had considered it right, on so long and unforeseen detention, to ”report” their whereabouts to their commanding officer.
You will think it all very novel-like and romantic to have brought these delightful, handsome, intelligent officers into the wilderness, and established them there with an obliging mamma, and a soldierlike host, and two charming daughters--you will consider it all perfectly correct in romance, but not quite so true to nature. Ah! if you had seen the world at home and abroad as I have done, dear reader, you would have discovered that romance and reality are much more nearly allied than untravelled folks imagine. I a.s.sure you, the picture of the Annerley settlement is not exaggerated, though I admit that the family I have selected to introduce to you is not of common stamp, even in England; but there is plenty of s.p.a.ce for more of them in Southern Africa, and there is so little room in England, that vice jostles against virtue, and often has the best of it.
Frankfort and Eleanor were again seated on the rustic bench, beneath the scarlet-tufted corallodendrum. He could not doubt any longer that he had at least touched her heart--how deep the impression was, he could not tell. In her manner to him she was like a child, all joyousness; at times smiling, almost gay, and occasionally confiding, but as yet not so in matters connected with herself. Sometimes she would half promise to ”talk of herself” to him; then the time came, and something would intervene. If he had shrunk from asking her previous history, she dreaded to tell it. She said so, but added, for his comfort--”Fear not, dear Major Frankfort; you may pity me as unfortunate, and contemn me as weak, but you will not have occasion to condemn. I am only a wronged, deceived, and, for a long time, most unhappy woman; and if you should despise me for my misfortunes, which you may do”--she put her hand on his lips, as he was about to interrupt her--”you will not love me less, though you may not choose me for your wife.”
He took her hand in his, and pressed it with a fervency, eloquent but silent.
”Ah!” said she, shuddering, ”it is so long since I was happy, that, albeit _you_ present the cup, I hold it to my lips, trembling lest it fall.”
She took the miniature of her boy from her bosom. Frankfort bent over her, and gazed upon the angel face, dimmed with the young mother's tears; but though she wept, it was not with that pa.s.sionate anguish he had witnessed before. He drew her to him--he ventured to kiss away those slow-falling tears--he had told her that morning that he loved her.
”Tell me,” at last whispered Frankfort, trembling and cold with suspense, ”who was this child's father?”
”I could not nerve myself to tell you my sad story,” replied Eleanor.
”I have written it. My father will give it you this evening, I own I shrunk from this tearing open of the records of the past. There are some pa.s.sages from which you will turn perhaps in dismay. You will discover, what you may have already suspected, that I have loved and been deceived; but you have yet to decide whether I am a fitting bride for you. I confess I have no hope.”
Frankfort withdrew his hand from Eleanor's. He paced the walk in great agitation.
She waited till he approached her again. ”Pity me,” said she, rising.
”Ah! it has been a terrible task to make this revelation to you. Do me justice--I did not seek to win _you_. I had abjured love for ever; but you came; you were kind; I listened; a new emotion stirred my heart, unlike the wild pa.s.sion which once brought me to the depths of despair, and now, G.o.d help me! _you_, too, may forsake me.”
She was weeping. ”Tell me,” he again whispered, ”is there any self-reproach?--any shame? Ah, Eleanor! I must know--any--”
”Disgrace!” you would say, interrupted Eleanor.
Her lover answered her not a word, but stood waiting her reply. The strong, tall man shook like an aspen-tree.
”You will learn all,” said Eleanor, ”in the packet I have left for you with my father. I leave it to you to decide whether we may meet again.”
The light of day was fading. Side by side, they returned towards the house; but not a word did either speak. They went round by the vineyard; they stood at the gateway leading to the trellised pa.s.sage.
Frankfort opened it, and Eleanor would have pa.s.sed him by.
He drew her back. ”Shall we meet again, Eleanor?” said he.