Part 14 (1/2)
”That Mr. Heywood had been carried off by the Indians.”
”From whom did she hear it?”
”It was I who told her, on the strength of what the corporal reported, not only to myself, but to Captain Headley.”
”You are a considerate fellow, Elmsley,” said his friend, warmly pressing his hand. ”I thank you for that, and now that the great question, as you term it, is answered, I am quite ready for the promised breakfast. Did these fellows bring home any fish? I have a great fancy for fish this morning.”
”No; they brought home dead men,” and the lieutenant looked searchingly into the face of his companion, dwelling on every word, moreover, as if he would convey that he (Ronayne), knew perfectly well what freight the boat had brought to the Fort.
Further remark was prevented by their arrival at their destination--the front-door being open, and revealing the little party within. The first upon, whom the young officer's eye fell, was Mrs. Headley, of whose intended presence, his friend had not thought of apprising him. Still smarting under a keen sense of the severity of reproof of his commanding officer, and falling into the common error of involving the wife in the unamiability of the husband, Ronayne would have retired, even at the risk of losing his breakfast, and, what was of far more moment to him, of delaying his meeting with her to whom his every thought was devoted.
But when Mrs. Headley, who had remarked the movement, came forward to the door, and gave him her hand with all the warmth and candor of her n.o.ble nature, the pique vanished from his mind, and in an instant, he, like Elmsley, evinced that devotion and regard for her, which her fascinating manner could not fail to inspire.
The sense of constraint being thus banished by the only one whose presence had occasioned it, the party, after a few minutes low conversation between the lovers, sat down gaily to a meal--half-break fast, half-luncheon, at which the most conspicuous actor was the lately reprimanded ensign.
”Really, Mr. Ronayne, you must have met with a perfect chapter of adventures during your absence last night. You have devoured the last four fresh eggs, my cook says, there were in the house--three limbs of a prairie fowl, and nearly the half of a young bear ham. Do, pray, tell us where you have been to gain such an appet.i.te? Indeed you must--I am dying to know.”
”My dear Mrs. Elmsley,” he replied, coloring, ”where should I have been but in the Fort?”
”True! where SHOULD you have been, indeed; but this is not the point, my hungry gentleman. Where WERE you? If I was, I KNOW WHO,” she added, significantly, ”I should have my suspicions, unless, indeed, you have already confessed within the few minutes you have been in the room.”
”Nay, do not imagine I have so much influence over the truant, as to compel him to the confessional,” said Maria Heywood. ”I a.s.sure you I am quite as much in the dark as any one present.”
”Come, Mr. Ronayne, recount your adventures,” added Mrs. Headley.
”Recollect you are not on parade now, or exactly before the sternest Court of Inquiry in the world, and should therefore, entertain no dread of punishment on your self-conviction.”
”Thus urged and encouraged,” said the ensign, during one of the short pauses of his knife and fork, which, in truth, he had handled as much to study what he should say, as to satisfy his hunger; ”who could resist such pleading, were there really any thing to communicate; but I am quite at a loss to conceive why so general an opinion seems to prevail that I have been out of the Fort, and in quest of adventure. Why not rather ascribe my tardiness at parade to some less flattering cause--a head-ache--fatigue from night-watching--indolence, or even a little entetement, arising from the denial of a very imprudent request I made to Captain Headley last evening, to allow me the command of a detachment for a particular purpose. Pardon me, I have made quite a speech, but indeed you compel me.”
”Let us drown this inquisition in a b.u.mper of claret,” interposed Elmsley, coming to the a.s.sistance of his friend, whose motive for thus parrying inquiry into his conduct, he thought he could divine. ”I say, my dear fellow, you may wish yourself a head-ache--fatigue--indolence, or even a little entetement every morning of your life, if it is to be cured in this manner. This is some of the most splendid Lafayette that ever found its way into these western wilds. Look well at it. It is of the clearest, the purest blood of the grape--taste it again. A bottle of it will do you no harm if you had twenty guards in charge.”
As he had desired and expected, the introduction of his remarks on the wine proved not only a means of changing the conversation, but of causing the ladies to withdraw from the table, round which they had been sitting, rather to keep the young officer company, than to partic.i.p.ate in the repast themselves. Mrs. Headley was the first to move.
”Give me your arm, and see me home,” she said carelessly, to Ronayne, who now having finished his breakfast, had also risen. ”Do not be jealous, my dear Miss Heywood, but you will later know, if you do not know already, that the wife of the commanding officer always appropriates to herself, the handsomest unmarried young officer of the regiment.”
Both Ronayne and his betrothed were too quick of apprehension not to perceive, under this light gaiety, a deep interest, and a desire to convey to them both, that, if unhappily, there did not exist a cordial understanding between her husband and the former, in matters purely military, and in relation to subjects which should have no influence over private life, she was by no means, a party to the disunion.
”Not very difficult to choose between the handsomest and the cleverest of the unmarried officers of the garrison of Chicago,” replied Maria Heywood with an effort at cheerfulness; ”therefore, Mr. Ronayne, I advise you not to be too much elated by Mrs. Headley's compliment. After that caution, I think you may be trusted with her.”
”What a n.o.ble creature, and what a pity she has so cold and pompous a husband,” remarked Lieutenant Elmsley, as Mrs. Headley disappeared from the door-way. ”I never knew her so well as this morning, and upon my word, Margaret, were both HE and YOU out of the way, I should be greatly tempted to fall in love with her.”
”You would act wisely if you did, George; I have always thought most highly of her. She is, it is true, a little reserved in manner, but that I am sure comes wholly from a certain restraint, imposed upon her by her husband's formality of character. I say I am sure of this, for there have been occasions when I have seen her exhibit a warmth of address, as different from her general demeanor, as light is from shadow.”
”Perhaps Headley has systematically drilled her into the particular bearing that ought to be a.s.sumed by the wife of the commandant of a garrison.”
”Nay, George! that is not generous, but I know you are not serious in what you say. You judge Mrs. Headley better, and that she is not a woman to be so drilled. She has too much good sense, despite all her partiality for her husband, to allow herself to be improperly influenced, where her judgment condemns; and although, as his wife, she must necessarily act in concert with him, it by no means follows that she approves unreservedly, all that he does.”
”You are a dear, n.o.ble creature yourself!” exclaimed the gratified Elmsley, as he fondly embraced his wife. ”There is nothing I love so much as to see one woman warm in the defence of another--one so seldom meets with that sort of thing. What, Maria, tears?”
”Yes--tears of pleasure!” she answered earnestly, as she held her handkerchief to her eyes--”tears of joy to see so much generosity of feeling among those whom I have so much reason to esteem and admire. You are right,” she pursued, addressing Mrs. Elmsley, ”she is indeed a n.o.ble woman. Perhaps I may justly be accused of a little partiality, for I never can forget the frank and cordial proffers of friends.h.i.+p with which she received me on the first night of my appearance here.”
”Ha! Von Vottenberg to the rescue!” exclaimed Elmsley, with sudden animation, as the stout figure of the former shaded the door-way. ”Well, doctor, have you pa.s.sed away in the evaporation produced by fright, the violent head-ache you were suffering from this morning? If not, try that claret. It is capital stuff, and a tumbler of it will make up for the breakfast you have lost.”