Part 20 (2/2)

”The time and opportunity for cool heads,” he smilingly a.s.sured himself, ”is when men are parting with judgment and reason.”

Such was his spirit when he sought the presence of the girl whose soul was keyed up to almost a pa.s.sion of self-sacrifice. His mind belittled the cause for which her idolized father was, at that moment, perilling his life, and to which her dearest friends had consecrated themselves. He was serene in congratulating himself that ”little Strahan” had gone, and that the storm would prevent the presence of other interlopers.

Although the room was lighted as usual, he had not waited many moments before a slight chill fell upon his sanguine mood. The house was so still, and the rain dripped and the wind sighed so dismally without, that a vague presentiment of evil began to a.s.sert itself.

Heretofore he had found the apartment full of life and mirth, and he could not help remembering that some who had been its guests might now be out in the storm. Would she think of this also?

The parlor was scarcely in its usual pretty order, and no flowers graced the table. Evidently no one was expected. ”All the better,”

he a.s.sured himself; ”and her desolation will probably incline her the more to listen to one who can bring golden gleams on such a dreary night.”

A daily paper, with heavy headlines, lay on a chair near him. The burden of these lines was DEFEAT, CARNAGE, DEATH.

They increased the slight chill that was growing upon him, and made him feel that possibly the story of his birth and greatness which he had hoped to tell might be swallowed up by this other story which fascinated him with its horror.

A slight rustle caused him to look up, and Marian stood before him.

Throwing aside the paper as if it were an evil spell, he rose, would have offered his hand had there been encouragement, but the girl merely bowed and seated herself as she said: ”Good-evening, Mr. Merwyn. You are brave to venture out in such a storm.”

Was there irony in the slight accent on the word ”brave”? How singularly severe was her costume, also!--simple black, without an ornament. Yet he admitted that he had never seen her in so effective a dress, revealing, as it did, the ivory whiteness of her arms and neck.

”There is only one reason why I should not come this evening,--you may have hoped to escape all callers.”

”It matters little what one hopes in these times,” she said, ”for events are taking place which set aside all hopes and expectations.”

In her bitter mood she was impatient to have the interview over, so that she accomplished her purpose. Therefore she proposed, contrary to her custom with him, to employ the national tragedy, to which he was so indifferent, as one of her keenest weapons.

”It is quite natural that you should feel so, Miss Vosburgh, in regard to such hopes as you have thus far entertained--”

”Since they are the only hopes I know anything about, Mr. Merwyn, I am not indifferent to them. I suppose you were at the depot to see your friend, Mr. Strahan, depart?” and the question was asked with a steady, searching scrutiny that was a little embarra.s.sing.

Indeed, her whole aspect produced a perplexed, wondering admiration, for she seemed breathing marble in her cold self-possession. He felt, however, that the explanation which he must give of his absence when so many were evincing patriotic good-will would enable him to impress her with the fact that he had superior interests at stake in which she might have a share.

Therefore he said, gravely, as if the reason were ample: ”I should have been at the depot, of course, had not my legal adviser come up from town to-day and occupied me with very important business.

Mr. Bodoin's time is valuable to him, and he presented, for my consideration, questions of vital interest. I have reached that age now when I must not only act for myself, but I also have very delicate duties to perform towards my mother and sisters.”

”Mr. Strahan had a sad duty to perform towards his mother and sisters,--he said good-by to them.”

”A duty which I shall soon have to perform, also,” Merwyn said.

She looked at him inquiringly. Had he at last found his manhood, and did he intend to a.s.sert it? Had he abandoned his calculating policy, and was he cheris.h.i.+ng some loyal purpose? If this were true and she had any part in his decision, it would be a triumph indeed; and, while she felt that she could never respond to any such proposition as he had made through her mother, she could forget the past and give him her hand in friendly encouragement towards such a career as Lane and Strahan had chosen. She felt that it would be well not to be over-hasty in showing resentment, but if possible to let him reveal his plans and character fully. She listened quietly, therefore, without show of approval or disapproval, as he began in reply to her questioning glance.

”I am going to be frank with you this evening, Miss Vosburgh. The time has come when I should be so. Has not Mrs. Vosburgh told you something of the nature of my interview with her?”

The young girl merely bowed.

”Then you know how sincere and earnest I am in what--in what I shall have to say.”

To his surprise he felt a nervous trepidation that he would not have imagined possible in making his magnanimous offer. He found this humble American girl more difficult to approach than any other woman he had ever met.

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