Part 31 (2/2)

”It will please Willie so much,” he said, after it was well over, by way of apology. ”That gentle little cripple of yours, Mrs. g.a.y.l.o.r.d,” he continued, ”has taken a long hitch into my affections, and it does me good to gratify his whims.”

”They are together, then?”

”Yes, out on the farm. I was there last week and told them you were coming, although I was not positive in the matter as I would like to have been; but I guessed it! You know that is our Yankee privilege.”

No amount of persuasion could induce the lady to remain in the city for a rest; she must go at once! ”What a sad time poor Lily must have had of it. I am so anxious to hear all about it!”

”Your curiosity will not gain any great corpulency by what she can tell you, I imagine,” he laughed. ”She seems very reticent when touching the supposed reasons for her ride, and it is my opinion that there was more in the tender solicitude of that precious friend she found down south than was discernable to the naked eye!”

”Was there ever an open transgression, or an imaginary evil perpetrated that a woman was not at the bottom of it?” Mrs. Bancroft made this little speech in the form of an inquiry with a very smiling face, and a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes. ”There is my good husband, for instance, who declared this very morning that if you did not come, it would be because I did not more positively insist! Just as though you did not know how much I loved you years ago, and, although a woman, love you still!”

”But she has come, wife,” interposed the laughing husband, ”and, no doubt, is tired and hungry. You will wait until morning before proceeding farther?” he queried, turning to the visitor.

”I shall be obliged to, I suppose, for, if I remember correctly, there is but one more train in that direction to-night, and that is at five, while it is nearly four now.”

The following morning, on the first train going west was Mrs. g.a.y.l.o.r.d, with her dusky-browed companion, who seldom was apart from her mistress.

Now they were going to the little village for the third time, where both had spent so many pleasant days. ”We will take dinner there,” the lady had said, ”and then I will go for a drive and find Lily.”

Tiny had said nothing, but her eyes were open as well as those of her mistress; and now a smile came and lingered around the well-formed mouth.

Mrs. g.a.y.l.o.r.d saw it.

”How do you imagine Miss Lily came out on the ocean that dark night, Tiny? There is that at times in your face which leads me to think you know something about it.”

”O no, Missus; Tiny don't know nothin'; she 'spect tho', dat de good Lord didn't take her dar.”

”But He took her off, Tiny?”

”Yes, Missus, He duz that, but He neber got n.o.body to carry her dar.”

”Did any one do that?”

”Don't know, but I'se see Missus Belmont talkin' to a white trash more'n once, and I 'spects somthin'.”

”Who were they, Tiny?”

”Couldn't tell; 'twas drefful dark down on secon' street, but I know'd her. I went wid Ca.s.sa down to see Pliny, what was sick, and she was dar by de carriage shop talkin'.”

Perplexities thickened. If she had done this, why was it done? There must have been a reason for such a terrible act!

The whistle blew, and the train stopped at the junction. Carriages were waiting, and into one stepped Mrs. g.a.y.l.o.r.d, followed by her servant.

”Ah! Glad to see you at Kirkham again.”

The lady turned quickly. ”O, it is you, Frank. How warm you are here.

Drive on, there is a cool breath waiting for me under the maples.”

With the sensation of unburdening, Mrs. g.a.y.l.o.r.d went out before dinner into the pleasant grove in the rear of the hotel, where she found the cool breath waiting. Here, at least, the war could not reach her! The sound of strife, of anger or oppression could not search her out! The first great battle had been fought, and there was mourning as well as exultation in the land, while the blood of patriots was at boiling heat.

Was it this that oppressed her? Had she grieved at the result, or had her Southern tendencies made it joy? She asked herself this question more than once; and as she sat under the shadows of the whispering trees, concluded that, let the results be what they would, she loved the cool, unimpa.s.sioned Northerners, with their independence and self-sustaining powers. She would wait. She had found peace in days gone by as she looked calmly out over the waste of waters whither she was floating, and felt no hard throbbings of the heart where love was dying!

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