Touchusgently,gentleTime!We’venotproudorsoaringwings,Ourambition,ourcontent,Liesinsimplethings;HumblevoyagersareweO’erlife’sdimunsoundedsea;Touchusgently,gentleTime!BARRYCORNWALL。NotmanydaysafterJohnBarton’sfuneralwasover,allwasarrangedrespectingJem’sappointmentatToronto;andthetimewasfixedforhissailing。Itwastotakelacealmostimmediately;yetmuchremainedtobedone;manydomesticpreparationsweretobemade;andonegreatobstacle,anticipatedbybothJemandMary,toberemoved。ThiswastheoppositiontheyexpectedfromMrsWilson,towhomtheplanhadneveryetbeennamed。Theyweremostanxiousthattheirhomeshouldcontinueevertobehers,yettheyfearedthatherdisliketoanewcountrymightheaninsuperableobjectiontothis。AtlastJemtookadvantageofaneveningofunusualplacidity,ashesatalonewithhismotherjustbeforegoingtobed,tobroachthesubject;andtohissurprisesheaccededwillinglytohispropositionofheraccompanyinghimselfandhiswife。“Tobesure’Mericaisalongwaytoflitto;beyondLondonagoodbitIreckon;andquiteinforeignparts;butI’veneverhadnoopinionofEngland,eversincetheycouldbesuchfoolsastotakeupaquietchaplikethee,andclaptheeinprison。Whereyougo,I’llgo。PerhapsinthemIndiancountriesthey’llknowawell-behavedladwhentheyseehim;ne’erspeakawordmore,lad,I’llgo。Theirpathbecamedailymoresmoothandeasy;theresentwasclearandpracticable,thefuturewashopeful;theyhadleisureofmindenoughtoturntothepast。“Jem!“saidMarytohim,oneeveningastheysatinthetwilight,talkingtogetherinlowhappyvoicestillMargaretshouldcometokeepMarycompanythroughthenight,“Jem!you’veneveryettoldmehowyoucametoknowaboutmynaughtywayswithpooryoungMrCarson。“Sheblushedforshameattheremembranceofherfolly,andhidherheadonhisshoulderwhilehemadeanswer。“Darling,I’malmostloathtotellyou;yourauntEsthertoldme。““Ah,Iremember!buthowdidsheknow?IwassoputaboutthatnightI
didnotthinkofaskingher。Wheredidyouseeher?I’veforgottenwhereshelives。“Marysaidallthisinsoopenandinnocentamanner,thatJemfeltsuresheknewnotthetruthrespectingEsther,andhehalfhesitatedtotellher。Atlengthherelied,“WheredidyouseeEstherlately?When?Tellme,love,foryou’venevernameditbeforeandIcan’tmakeitout““Oh!itwasthathorriblenight,whichislikeadream。“AndshetoldhimofEsther’smidnightvisit,concludingwith,“Wemustgoandseeherbeforeweleave,thoughIdon’trightlyknowwheretofindher。““DearestMary——’“What,Jem!“exclaimedshe,alarmedathishesitation。“YourpoorauntEstherhasnohome:——she’soneofthemmiserablecreaturesthatwalkthestreets。“AndheinhisturntoldofhisencounterwithEsther,withsomanydetailsthatMarywasforcedtobeconvinced,althoughherheartrebelledagainstthebelief。“Jem,lad!“saidshe,vehemently,“wemustfindherout,——wemusthuntherup!“sheroseasifshewasgoingonthesearchthereandthen。“Whatcouldwedo,darling?“askedhe,fondlyrestrainingher。“Do!Why!whatcouldwenotdo,ifwecouldbutfindher?She’snonesohappyinherways,thinkye,butwhatshe’dturnfromthem,ifanyonewouldlendherahelpinghand。Don’tholdme,Jem,thisisjustthetimeforsuchashertobeout,andwhoknowsbutwhatImightfindhercloseathand。““Stay,Mary,foraminute;I’llgooutnowandsearchforherifyouwish,thoughit’sbutawildchase。Youmustnotgo。Itwouldbebettertoaskthepoliceto-morrow。ButifIshouldfindher,howcanImakehercomewithme?Oncebeforesherefused,andsaidshecouldnotbreakoffherdrinkingways,comewhatmight““Youneverwillpersuadeherifyoufearanddoubt,“saidMary,intears。
“Hopeyourself,andtrusttothegoodthatmustbeinher。Speaktothat,——shehasitinheryet,——oh,bringherhome,andwewillloveherso,we’llmakehergood。““Yes!“saidJem,catchingMary’ssanguinespirit;“sheshallgotoAmericawithus;andwe’llhelphertogetridofhersins。I’llgonow,mypreciousdarling,andifIcan’tfindher,it’sbuttryingthepoliceto-morrow。
Takecareofyourownsweetself,Mary,saidhe,fondlykissingherbeforehewentout。Itwasnottobe。Jemwanderedfarandwidethatnight,butnevermetEsther。
Thenextdayheappliedtothepolice;andatlasttheyrecognisedunderhisdescriptionofher,awomanknowntothemunderthenameofthe“Butterfly,“
fromthegaietyofherdressayearortwoago。Bytheirhelphetracedoutoneofherhaunts,alowlodging-housebehindPeterStreet。Heandhiscompanion,akind-heartedpoliceman,wereadmitted,suspiciouslyenough,bythelandlady,whousheredthemintoalargegarret,wheretwentyorthirtypeopleofallagesandbothsexeslayanddozedawaytheday,choosingtheeveningandnightfortheirtradesofbeggary,thieving,andprostitution。“IknowtheButterflywashere,“saidshe,lookinground。“Shecamein,thenightbeforelast,andsaidshehadnotapennytogetaplaceforshelter;andthatifshewasfarawayinthecountryshecouldstealasideanddieinacopse,oraclough,likethewildanimals;butherethepolicewouldletnoonealoneinthestreets,andshewantedaspottodiein,inpeace。It’saqueersortofpeacewehavehere,butthatnighttheroomwasuncommonempty,andI’mnotahard-heartedwomanIwishIwere,I
couldha’madeagoodthingoutofitaforethisifIwereharder,soIsentherup,——butshe’snotherenow,Ithink。““Wassheverybad?“askedJem。“Aye!noughtbutskinandbone,withacoughtotearherintwo。“Theymadesomeinquiries,andfoundthatintherestlessnessofapproachingdeath,shehadlongedtobeoncemoreintheopenair,andhadgoneforth,——where,nooneseemedtobeabletotell。Leavingmanymessagesforher,anddirectionsthathewastobesentforifeitherthepolicemanorthelandladyobtainedanycluetoherwhereabouts,JembenthisstepstowardsMary’shouse;forhehadnotseenherallthatlongdayofsearch。Hetoldherofhisproceedingsandwantofsuccess;
andbothweresaddenedattherecital,andsatsilentforsometime。Afterawhiletheybegantalkingovertheirplans。Inadayortwo,Marywastogiveuphouse,andgoandliveforaweekorsowithJobLegh,untilthetimeofhermarriage,whichwouldtakeplaceimmediatelybeforesailing;
theytalkedthemselvesbackintosilenceanddeliciousreverie。MarysatbyJem,hisarmroundherwaist,herheadonhisshoulder;andthoughtoverthesceneswhichhadpassedinthathomeshewassosoontoleaveforever。SuddenlyshefeltJemstart,andstartedtoowithoutknowingwhy;shetriedtoseehiscountenance,buttheshadesofeveninghaddeepenedsomuchshecouldreadnoexpressionthere。Itwasturnedtothewindow;shelookedandsawawhitefacepressedagainstthepanesontheoutside,gazingintentlyintotheduskychamber。Whiletheywatched,asiffascinatedbytheappearance,andunabletothinkorstir,afilmcameoverthebright,feverish,glitteringeyesoutside,andtheformsankdowntothegroundwithoutastruggleofinstinctiveresistance。“ItisEsther!“exclaimedthey,bothatonce。Theyrushedoutside;and,fallenintowhatappearedsimplyaheapofwhiteorlight-colouredclothes,faintingordead,laythepoorcrushedButterfly-theonceinnocentEsther。Shehadcomeasawoundeddeerdragsitsheavylimbsoncemoretothegreencoolnessofthelairinwhichitwasborn,theretodie,toseetheplacefamiliartoherinnocence,yetonceagainbeforeherdeath。Whethershewasindeedaliveordead,theyknewnotnow。JobcameinwithMargaret,foritwasbedtime。HesaidEsther’spulsebeatalittleyet。TheycarriedherupstairsandlaidheronMary’sbed,notdaringtoundressher,lestanymotionshouldfrightenthetremblinglifeaway;butitwasallinvain。Towardsmidnight,sheopenedwidehereyesandlookedaroundontheoncefamiliarroomJobLeghkneltbythebed,prayingaloudandferventlyforher,buthestoppedashesawherrousedlook。Shesatupinbedwithasuddenconvulsivemotion。“Hasitbeenadream,then?“askedshe,wildly。Thenwithahabit,whichcamelikeinstincteveninthatawfuldyinghour,herhandsoughtforalocketwhichhungconcealedinherbosom,and,findingthat,sheknewallwastruewhichhadbefallenhersincelastshelayaninnocentgirlonthatbed。Shefellback,andspokewordnevermore。Sheheldthelocketcontainingherchild’shairstillinherhand,andonceortwiceshekisseditwithalongsoftkiss。Shecriedfeeblyandsadlyaslongasshehadanystrengthtocry,andthenshedied。TheylaidherinonegravewithJohnBarton。Andtheretheyliewithoutname,orinitial,ordate。Onlythisverseisinscribeduponthestonewhichcoverstheremainsofthesetwowanderers。Psalmciii。v。9——“ForHewillnotalwayschide,neitherwillHekeepHisangerforever。“Iseealonglowwoodenhouse,withroomenoughandtospare。Theoldprimevaltreesarefelledandgoneformanyamilearound;onealoneremainstoovershadowthegable-endofthecottage。Thereisagardenaroundthedwelling,andfarbeyondthatstretchesanorchard。ThegloryofanIndiansummerisoverall,makingtheheartleapatthesightofitsgorgeousbeauty。Atthedoorofthehouse,lookingtowardsthetown,standsMary,watchingthereturnofherhusbandfromhisdailywork;andwhileshewatches,shelistens,smiling,“Claphands,daddycomes,WithhispocketfullofplumsAndacakeforJohnnie。“ThencomesacrowofdelightfromJohnnie。Thenhisgrandmothercarrieshimtothedoor,andgloriesinseeinghimresisthismother’sblandishmentstoclingtoher。“Englishletters!’Twasthatmademesolate!““Oh,Jem,Jem!don’tholdthemsotight!Whatdotheysay?““Why,somegoodnews。Come,giveaguesswhatitis。““Oh,tellme!Icannotguess,“saidMary。“Thenyougiveitup,doyou?Whatdoyousay,mother?“JaneWilsonthoughtamoment。“WillandMargaretaremarried?“askedshe。“Notexactly,——butverynear。Theoldwomanhastwicethespiritoftheyoungone。Come,Mary,giveaguess!“Hecoveredhislittleboy’seyeswithhishandsforaninstant,significantly,tillthebabypushedthemdown,sayinginhisimperfectway,“Tan’tsee。““Therenow!Johnniecansee。Doyouguess,Mary?““They’vedonesomethingtoMargarettogiveherbackhersight!“exclaimedshe。“Theyhave。Shehadbeencouched,andcanseeaswellasever。SheandWillaretobemarriedonthetwenty-fifthofthismonth,andhe’sbringingheroutherenextvoyage;andJobLeghtalksofcomingtoo,——nottoseeyou,Mary,——noryou,mother,——noryou,mylittlehero“kissinghim,“buttotryandpickupafewspecimensofCanadianinsects,Willsays。Allthecomplimentistotheearwigs,yousee,mother!““DearJobLegh!“saidMary,softlyandseriously。
TheEnd