Part 5 (2/2)
She s.h.i.+vered as if the thought had chilled her heart, and her voice trembled, while she pressed the stiffened forms to her, breast.
”Come along as fast as you can, dear, you are wanted in the parlour.
I believe you are going away.”
”Oh! has my mother come?”
”I don't know, but I am afraid you will leave us.”
”Will you be sorry, Sister Angela?”
”Very sorry, dear child, for we love our little girl too well to give her up willingly.”
Regina paused and pressed her lips to the cold white fingers that clasped hers, but Sister Angela hurried her on till she reached a door opening into the Mother's reception-room. Catching the child to her heart, she kissed her twice, lifted the dead darlings from her ap.r.o.n, and, pus.h.i.+ng her gently into the small parlour, closed the door.
It was a cool, lofty, dimly lighted room, where the glare of suns.h.i.+ne never entered, and several seconds elapsed before Regina could distinguish any object. At one end a wooden lattice work enclosed a s.p.a.ce about ten feet square, and here Mother Aloysius held audience with visitors whom friends.h.i.+p or business brought to the convent.
Regina's eager survey showed her only a gentleman, sitting close to the grating, and an expression of keen disappointment swept over her countenance, which had been a moment before eloquent with expectation of meeting her mother.
”Come here, Regina, and speak to Mr. Palma,” said the soft, velvet voice behind the lattice.
The visitor turned around, rose, and watched the slowly advancing figure.
She was dressed in blue muslin, the front of which was concealed by her white bib-ap.r.o.n, and her abundant glossy hair was brushed straight back from her brow, confined at the top of her head by a blue ribbon, and thence fell in s.h.i.+ning waves below her waist. One hand hung listlessly at her side, the other clasped the drooping lily and held it against her heart.
The slightly curious expression of the stranger gave place to astonishment and involuntary admiration as he critically inspected the face and form; and, fixing her clear, earnest eyes on him, Regina saw a tall, commanding man of certainly not less than thirty years, with a n.o.ble ma.s.sive head, calm pale features almost stern when in repose, and remarkably brilliant piercing black eyes, that were doubtless somewhat magnified by the delicate steel-rimmed spectacles he habitually wore. His closely cut hair cl.u.s.tered in short thick waves about his prominent forehead, which in pallid smoothness resembled a slab of marble, and where a slight depression usually marks the temples his swelled boldly out, rounding the entire outline of the splendidly developed brow. He wore neither moustache nor beard, and every line of his handsome mouth and finely modelled chin indicated the unbending tenacity of purpose and imperial pride which had made him a ruler even in his cradle, and almost a dictator in later years.
In a certain diminished degree children share the instinct whereby brutes discern almost infallibly the nature of those who in full fruition of expanded reason tower above and control them; and, awed by something which she read in this dominative new face, Regina stood irresolute in front of him, unwilling to accept the shapely white hand held out to her.
He advanced a step, and took her fingers into his soft warm palm.
”I hope, Miss Regina, that you are glad to see me.”
Her eyes fell from his countenance to the broad seal ring on his little finger, then, gazing steadily up into his, she said:
”I think I never saw you before, and why should I be glad? Why did you come and ask for me?”
”Because your mother sent me to look after you.”
”Then I suppose, sir, you are very good; but I would rather see my mother. Is she well?”
”Almost well now, though she has been quite ill. If you promise to be very good and obedient, I may find a letter for you, somewhere in my pockets. I have just been telling Mother Aloysius, to whom I brought a letter, that I have come to remove you from her kind sheltering care, as your mother wishes you for a while at least to be placed in a different position, and I have promised to carry out her instructions. Here is her letter. Shall I read it to you, or are you sufficiently advanced to be able to spell it out without my a.s.sistance?”
He held up the letter, and she looked at him proudly, with a faint curl in her dainty lip, and a sudden lifting of her lovely arched eyebrows, which, without the aid of verbal protest, he fully comprehended. A smile hovered about his mouth, and disclosed a set of glittering perfect teeth, but he silently resumed his seat. As Regina broke the seal, Mother said:
”Wait, dear, and read it later. Mr. Palmer has already been detained some time, and says he is anxious to catch the train. Run up to the wardrobe, and Sister Helena will change your dress. She is packing your clothes.”
When the door closed behind her a heavy sigh floated through the grating, and the sweet seraphic face of the nun clouded.
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