I
ASTRANGERFROMSOUTHCAROLINA
Timetouchesallthingswithdestroyinghand;
andifheseemnowandthentobestowthebloomofyouth,thesapofspring,itisbutabriefmockery,tobesurelyandswiftlyfollowedbythewrinklesofoldage,thedryleavesandbarebranchesofwinter。AndyetthereareplaceswhereTimeseemstolingerlovinglylongafteryouthhasdeparted,andtowhichheseemsloathtobringtheevilday。Whohasnotknownsomeeven—temperedoldmanorwomanwhoseemedtohavedrunkofthefountainofyouth?Whohasnotseensomewhereanoldtownthat,havinglongsinceceasedtogrow,yethelditsownwithoutperceptibledecline?
Somesuchtritereflection——asappositetothesubjectasmostrandomreflectionsare——passedthroughthemindofayoungmanwhocameoutofthefrontdoorofthePatesvilleHotelaboutnineo’clockonefinemorninginspring,afewyearsaftertheCivilWar,andstarteddownFrontStreettowardthemarket—house。Arrivingatthetownlatethepreviousevening,hehadbeendrivenupfromthesteamboatinacarriage,fromwhichhehadbeenabletodistinguishonlytheshadowyoutlinesofthehousesalongthestreet;sothatthismorningwalkwashisfirstopportunitytoseethetownbydaylight。Hewasdressedinasuitoflinenduck——thedaywaswarm——apanamastrawhat,andpatentleathershoes。Inappearancehewastall,dark,withstraight,black,lustroushair,andveryclean—cut,high—bredfeatures。Whenhepausedbytheclerk’sdeskonhiswayout,tolighthiscigar,thedayclerk,whohadjustcomeonduty,glancedattheregisterandreadthelastentry:——
\"`JOHNWARWICK,CLARENCE,SOUTHCAROLINA。’
\"OneoftheSouthCa’linabigbugs,Ireckon——probablyincotton,orturpentine。\"ThegentlemanfromSouthCarolina,walkingdownthestreet,glancedabouthimwithaneagerlook,inwhichcuriosityandaffectionweremingledwithatouchofbitterness。Hesawlittlethatwasnotfamiliar,orthathehadnotseeninhisdreamsahundredtimesduringthepasttenyears。Therehadbeensomechanges,itistrue,somemelancholychanges,butscarcelyanythingbywayofadditionorimprovementtocounterbalancethem。Hereandthereblackenedanddismantledwallsmarkedtheplacewherehandsomebuildingsoncehadstood,forSherman’smarchtotheseahadleftitsmarkuponthetown。Thestoresweremostlyofbrick,twostorieshigh,joiningoneanotherafterthemannerofcities。Someofthenamesonthesignswerefamiliar;others,includinganumberofJewishnames,werequiteunknowntohim。
Atwominutes’walkbroughtWarwick——thenamehehadregisteredunder,andasweshallcallhim——tothemarket—house,thecentralfeatureofPatesville,fromboththecommercialandthepicturesquepointsofview。Standingfoursquareintheheartofthetown,attheintersectionofthetwomainstreets,a\"jog\"ateachstreetcornerleftaroundthemarket—housealittlepublicsquare,whichatthishourwaswelloccupiedbycartsandwagonsfromthecountryandemptydraysawaitinghire。Warwickwasunabletoperceivemuchchangeinthemarket—house。Perhapsthesurfaceoftheredbrick,longunpainted,hadscaledoffalittlemorehereandthere。Theremighthavebeenaslightaccretionofthemossandlichenontheshingledroof。Butthetalltower,withitsfour—
facedclock,roseasmajesticallyanduncompromisinglyasthoughthelandhadneverbeensubjugated。
Wasitsoirreconcilable,Warwickwondered,asstilltopealoutthecurfewbell,whichatnineo’clockatnighthadclamorouslywarnedallnegroes,slaveorfree,thatitwasunlawfulforthemtobeabroadafterthathour,underpenaltyofimprisonmentorwhipping?Wastheoldconstable,whosechiefbusinessithadbeentoringthebell,stillaliveandexercisingthefunctionsofhisoffice,andhadagelessenedorincreasedthenumberoftimesthatobligingcitizensperformedthisdutyforhimduringhistemporaryabsencesinthecompanyofconvivialspirits?Afewmomentslater,Warwicksawacoloredpolicemanintheoldconstable’splace——astrongerreminderthaneventheburnedbuildingsthatwarhadleftitsmarkupontheoldtown,withwhichTimehaddealtsotenderly。
Thelowerstoryofthemarket—housewasopenonallfourofitssidestothepublicsquare。
Warwickpassedthroughoneofthewidebrickarchesandtraversedthebuildingwithaleisurelystep。
Helookedinvainintothestallsforthebutcherwhohadsoldfreshmeattwiceaweek,onmarketdays,andhefeltagenuinethrillofpleasurewhenherecognizedtheredbandanaturbanofoldAuntLyddy,theancientnegrowomanwhohadsoldhimgingerbreadandfriedfish,andtoldhimweirdtalesofwitchcraftandconjuration,intheolddayswhen,asanidleboy,hehadloafedaboutthemarket—house。Hedidnotspeaktoher,however,orgiveheranysignofrecognition。Hethrewaglancetowardacertaincornerwherestepsledtothetownhallabove。Onthisstairwayhehadonceseenamanacledfreenegroshotwhilebeingtakenupstairsforexaminationunderacriminalcharge。Warwickrecalledvividlyhowtheshothadrungout。Hecouldseeagainthelividlookofterroronthevictim’sface,thegatheringcrowd,theresultingconfusion。Themurderer,herecalled,hadbeentriedandsentencedtoimprisonmentforlife,butwaspardonedbyamercifulgovernorafterservingayearofhissentence。AsWarwickwasneitheraprophetnorthesonofaprophet,hecouldnotforeseethat,thirtyyearslater,eventhiswouldseemanexcessivepunishmentforsoslightamisdemeanor。
Leavingthemarket—house,Warwickturnedtotheleft,andkeptonhiscourseuntilhereachedthenextcorner。Afteranotherturntotheright,adozenpacesbroughthiminfrontofasmallweather—beatenframebuilding,fromwhichprojectedawoodensign—boardbearingtheinscription:——
ARCHIBALDSTRAIGHT,LAWYER。
Heturnedtheknob,butthedoorwaslocked。
Retracinghisstepspastavacantlot,theyoungmanenteredashopwhereacoloredmanwasemployedinvarnishingacoffin,whichstoodontwotrestlesinthemiddleofthefloor。Notatallimpressedbythemelancholysuggestivenessofhistask,hewaswhistlingalivelyairwithgreatgusto。
UponWarwick’sentrancethiseffusioncametoasuddenend,andthecoffin—makerassumedanairofprofessionalgravity。
\"Good—mawnin’,suh,\"hesaid,liftinghiscappolitely。
\"Good—morning,\"answeredWarwick。\"CanyoutellmeanythingaboutJudgeStraight’sofficehours?\"
\"Deolejedgehasbe’nalittleonreg’larsencedewah,suh;buthegin’allygitsroun’’boutteno’clockerso。He’sbe’nkin’erfeebleferdelas’
fewyeahs。An’Ireckon,\"continuedtheundertakersolemnly,hisglanceunconsciouslyseekingarowoffinecasketsstandingagainstthewall,——\"I
reckonhe’llsoonbegoin’dewayeralldeearth。
`Mandatisbawner’omanhathbutasho’ttimeterlib,an’isfullermis’ry。Hecomethupan’iscutdownlackasaflower。’`Dedayserhislifeisthree—sco’an’ten’——an’deolejedgeislibbedmo’d’ndat,suh,byfiveyeahs,tersaydeleas’。\"
\"`Death,’\"quotedWarwick,withwhosemoodtheundertaker’sremarkswereintune,\"`isthepenaltythatallmustpayforthecrimeofliving。’\"
\"Dat’safac’,suh,dat’safac’;sodeymus’——
sodeymus’。An’denalldedeadhasterbeburied。
An’wedoesou’sheerofit,suh,wedoesou’sheer。
Weconduc’sdeobs’quieseralldebes’w’itefolkserdetown,suh。\"
Warwicklefttheundertaker’sshopandretracedhisstepsuntilhehadpassedthelawyer’soffice,towardwhichhethrewanaffectionateglance。
AfewrodsfartherledhimpasttheoldblackPresbyterianchurch,withitssquaretower,emboweredinastatelygrove;pasttheCatholicchurch,withitsmanycrosses,andapaintedwoodenfigureofSt。Jamesinarecessbeneaththegable;andpasttheoldJeffersonHouse,oncetheleadinghotelofthetown,infrontofwhichpoliticalmeetingshadbeenheld,andpoliticalspeechesmade,andpoliticalhardciderdrunk,inthedaysof\"TippecanoeandTylertoo。\"
ThestreetdownwhichWarwickhadcomeintersectedFrontStreetatasharpangleinfrontoftheoldhotel,formingasortofflatironblockatthejunction,knownasLibertyPoint,——perhapsbecauseslaveauctionsweresometimesheldthereinthegoodolddays。JustbeforeWarwickreachedLibertyPoint,ayoungwomancamedownFrontStreetfromthedirectionofthemarket—house。
Whentheirpathsconverged,WarwickkeptondownFrontStreetbehindher,ithavingbeenalreadyhisintentiontowalkinthisdirection。
Warwick’sfirstglancehadrevealedthefactthattheyoungwomanwasstrikinglyhandsome,withastatelybeautyseldomencountered。Ashewalkedalongbehindheratameasureddistance,hecouldnothelpnotingthedetailsthatmadeupthispleasingimpression,forhismindwassingularlyalivetobeauty,inwhateverembodiment。
Thegirl’sfigure,heperceived,wasadmirablyproportioned;shewasevidentlyattheperiodwhentheanglesofchildhoodwereroundingintothepromisingcurvesofadolescence。Herabundanthair,ofadarkandglossybrown,wasneatlyplaitedandcoiledaboveanivorycolumnthatrosestraightfromapairofgentlyslopingshoulders,clearlyoutlinedbeneaththelightmuslinfrockthatcoveredthem。Hecouldseethatshewastastefully,thoughnotrichly,dressed,andthatshewalkedwithanelasticstepthatrevealedalightheartandthevigorofperfecthealth。Herface,ofcourse,hecouldnotanalyze,sincehehadcaughtonlytheonebriefbutconvincingglimpseofit。
TheyoungwomankeptondownFrontStreet,Warwickmaintaininghisdistanceafewrodsbehindher。Theypassedafactory,awarehouseortwo,andthen,leavingthebrickpavement,walkedalongonmotherearth,underaleafyarcadeofspreadingoaksandelms。Theirwaylednowthrougharesidentialportionofthetown,which,astheyadvanced,graduallydeclinedfromstaidrespectabilitytopoverty,openandunabashed。Warwickobserved,astheypassedthroughtherespectablequarter,thatfewpeoplewhometthegirlgreetedher,andthatsomeotherswhomshepassedatgatesordoorwaysgavehernosignofrecognition;fromwhichheinferredthatshewaspossiblyavisitorinthetownandnotwellacquainted。
Theirwalkhadcontinuednotmorethantenminuteswhentheycrossedacreekbyawoodenbridgeandcametoarowofmeanhousesstandingflushwiththestreet。Atthedoorofone,anoldblackwomanhadstoopedtoliftalargebasket,piledhighwithlaunderedclothes。Thegirl,asshepassed,seizedoneendofthebasketandhelpedtheoldwomantoraiseittoherhead,whereitrestedsolidlyonthecushionofherhead—kerchief。
Duringthisinterlude,Warwick,thoughhehadslackenedhispacemeasurably,hadsonearlyclosedthegapbetweenhimselfandthemastoheartheoldwomansay,withthedulcetnegrointonation:——
\"T’anky’,honey;deLawdgwineblessyousho’。Youwuzalluzagoodgal,anddeLawdloveeve’ybodyw’athe’pdepo’olenigger。Yougwineterhabgoodluckallyo’bawndays。\"
\"Ihopeyou’reatrueprophet,AuntZilphy,\"
laughedthegirlinresponse。
ThesoundofhervoicegaveWarwickathrill。
Itwassoftandsweetandclear——quiteinharmonywithherappearance。Thatithadafaintsuggestivenessoftheoldwoman’saccenthehardlynoticed,forthecurrentSouthernspeech,includinghisown,wasrarelywithoutatouchofit。
Thecorruptionofthewhitepeople’sspeechwasoneelement——onlyone——ofthenegro’sunconsciousrevengeforhisowndebasement。
Thehousestheypassednowgrewscattering,andthequarterofthetownmoreneglected。
Warwickfelthimselfwonderingwherethegirlmightbegoinginaneighborhoodsouninviting。
Whenshestoppedtopullahalf—nakednegrochildoutofamudholeandsethimuponhisfeet,hethoughtshemightbesomeyoungladyfromtheupperpartofthetown,boundonsomeerrandofmercy,orgoing,perhaps,tovisitanoldservantorlookforanewone。OnceshethrewabackwardglanceatWarwick,thusenablinghimtocatchasecondglimpseofasingularlyprettyface。Perhapstheyoungwomanfoundhispresenceintheneighborhoodasunaccountableashehaddeemedhers;for,findinghisglancefixeduponher,shequickenedherpacewithanairofstartledtimidity。
\"Awomanwithsuchafigure,\"thoughtWarwick,\"oughttobeabletofacetheworldwiththeconfidenceofPhryneconfrontingherjudges。\"
BythistimeWarwickwasconsciousthatsomethingmorethanmeregraceorbeautyhadattractedhimwithincreasingforcetowardthisyoungwoman。Asuggestion,atfirstfaintandelusive,ofsomethingfamiliar,hadgrownstrongerwhenheheardhervoice,andbecamemoreandmorepronouncedwitheachrodoftheiradvance;
andwhenshestoppedfinallybeforeagate,and,openingit,wentintoayardshutofffromthestreetbyarowofdwarfcedars,WarwickhadalreadydiscountedinsomemeasurethesurprisehewouldhavefeltatseeingherentertherehadhenotwalkeddownFrontStreetbehindher。Therewasstillsufficientunexpectednessabouttheact,however,togivehimadecidedthrillofpleasure。
\"ItmustbeRena,\"hemurmured。\"Whocouldhavedreamedthatshewouldblossomoutlikethat?ItmustsurelybeRena!\"
Hewalkedslowlypastthegateandpeeredthroughanarrowgapinthecedarhedge。Thegirlwasmovingalongasandedwalk,towardagray,unpaintedhouse,withasteeproof,brokenbydormerwindows。Thetraceoftimidityhehadobservedinherhadgivenplacetothemoreassuredbearingofonewhoisuponhisownground。Thegardenwalkswereborderedbylongrowsofjonquils,pinks,andcarnations,inclosingclumpsoffragrantshrubs,lilies,androsesalreadyinbloom。
Towardthemiddleofthegardenstoodtwofinemagnolia—trees,withheavy,darkgreen,glisteningleaves,whilenearerthehousetwomightyelmsshadedawidepiazza,atoneendofwhichahoneysucklevine,andattheotheraVirginiacreeper,runningoverawoodenlattice,furnishedadditionalshadeandseclusion。Ondarkorwintrydays,theaspectofthisgardenmusthavebeenextremelysombreanddepressing,anditmightwellhaveseemedafitplacetohidesomeguiltyordisgracefulsecret。ButonthebrightmorningwhenWarwickstoodlookingthroughthecedars,itseemed,withitsgreenframeandcanopyanditsbrightcarpetofflowers,anidealretreatfromthefiercesunshineandthesultryheatoftheapproachingsummer。
Thegirlstoopedtopluckarose,andasshebentoverit,herprofilewasclearlyoutlined。Sheheldtheflowertoherfacewithalong—drawninhalation,thenwentupthesteps,crossedthepiazza,openedthedoorwithoutknocking,andenteredthehousewiththeairofonethoroughlyathome。
\"Yes,\"saidtheyoungmantohimself,\"it’sRena,sureenough。\"
Thehousestoodonacorner,aroundwhichthecedarhedgeturned,continuingalongthesideofthegardenuntilitreachedthelineofthefrontofthehouse。Thepiazzatoarearwing,atrightanglestothefrontofthehouse,wasopentoinspectionfromthesidestreet,which,tojudgefromitsdesertedlook,seemedtobebutlittleused。Turningintothisstreetandwalkingleisurelypastthebackyard,whichwasonlyslightlyscreenedfromthestreetbyachina—tree,Warwickperceivedtheyoungwomanstandingonthepiazza,facinganelderlywoman,whosatinalargerocking—chair,plyingapairofknitting—needlesonahalf—finishedstocking。Warwick’swalkledhimwithinthreefeetofthesidegate,whichhefeltanalmostirresistibleimpulsetoenter。Everydetailofthehouseandgardenwasfamiliar;athousandcordsofmemoryandaffectiondrewhimthither;butastrongercounter—motiveprevailed。Withagreateffortherestrainedhimself,andafteramomentarypause,walkedslowlyonpastthehouse,withabackwardglance,whichheturnedawaywhenhesawthatitwasobserved。
Warwick’sattentionhadbeensofullyabsorbedbythehousebehindthecedarsandthewomenthere,thathehadscarcelynoticed,ontheothersideoftheneglectedby—street,twomenworkingbyalargeopenwindow,inalow,rudebuildingwithaclapboardedroof,directlyoppositethebackpiazzaoccupiedbythetwowomen。Boththemenwerebusilyengagedinshapingbarrel—staves,eachwieldingasharp—edgeddrawing—knifeonapieceofseasonedoakclaspedtightlyinawoodenvise。
\"Ijes’wonderwhodatmanis,an’w’athe’sdoin’ondisstreet,\"observedtheyoungerofthetwo,withasuspiciousair。Hehadnoticedthegentleman’sinvoluntarypauseandhisinterestintheoppositehouse,andhadstoppedworkforamomenttowatchthestrangerashewentondownthestreet。
\"Nev’min’’boutdatman,\"saidtheelderone。
\"You’ten’teryo’wukan’finishdatbairl—stave。
Youspen’senti’elytoomucheryo’timestretchin’
yo’neckatterotherpeople。An’youneedn’’sturbyo’se’f’boutdemfolks’crossdestreet,ferdeyain’tyo’kin’,an’you’rewastin’yo’timeboth’in’
yo’min’wid’em,erwidfolksw’atcomesondestreetonaccountof’em。Looksha’pnow,boy,eryou’llgitdatstavetrim’toomuch。\"
Theyoungermanresumedhiswork,butstillfoundtimetothrowaslantingglanceoutofthewindow。Thegentleman,heperceived,stoodforamomentontherottingbridgeacrosstheoldcanal,andthenwalkedslowlyaheaduntilheturnedtotherightintoBackStreet,afewrodsfartheron。
II
ANEVENINGVISIT
Towardeveningofthesameday,WarwicktookhiswaydownFrontStreetinthegatheringdusk。
Bythetimenighthadspreaditsmantleovertheearth,hehadreachedthegatebywhichhehadseenthegirlofhismorningwalkenterthecedar—
borderedgarden。Hestoppedatthegateandglancedtowardthehouse,whichseemeddarkandsilentanddeserted。
\"It’smorethanlikely,\"hethought,\"thattheyareinthekitchen。IreckonI’dbettertrythebackdoor。\"
Butashedrewcautiouslynearthecorner,hesawaman’sfigureoutlinedintheyellowlightstreamingfromtheopendoorofasmallhousebetweenFrontStreetandthecoopershop。Wishing,forreasonsofhisown,toavoidobservation,Warwickdidnotturnthecorner,butwalkedondownFrontStreetuntilhereachedapointfromwhichhecouldsee,atalongangle,arayoflightproceedingfromthekitchenwindowofthehousebehindthecedars。
\"Theyarethere,\"hemutteredwithasighofrelief,forhehadfearedtheymightbeaway。\"I
suspectI’llhavetogotothefrontdoor,afterall。
Noonecanseemethroughthetrees。\"
Heretracedhisstepstothefrontgate,whichheessayedtoopen。Therewasapparentlysomedefectinthelatch,foritrefusedtowork。Warwickrememberedthetrick,andwithaslightsenseofamusement,pushedhisfootunderthegateandgaveitahitchtotheleft,afterwhichitopenedreadilyenough。Hewalkedsoftlyupthesandedpath,tiptoedupthestepsandacrossthepiazza,andrappedatthefrontdoor,nottooloudly,lestthistoomightattracttheattentionofthemanacrossthestreet。Therewasnoresponsetohisrap。Heputhiseartothedoorandheardvoiceswithin,andthemuffledsoundoffootsteps。Afteramomentherappedagain,alittlelouderthanbefore。
Therewasaninstantcessationofthesoundswithin。Herappedathirdtime,tosatisfyanylingeringdoubtinthemindsofthosewhohefeltsurewerelisteninginsometrepidation。Amomentlaterarayoflightstreamedthroughthekeyhole。
\"Who’sthere?\"awoman’svoiceinquiredsomewhatsharply。
\"Agentleman,\"answeredWarwick,notholdingityettimetorevealhimself。\"DoesMis’
MollyWaldenlivehere?\"
\"Yes,\"wastheguardedanswer。\"I’mMis’
Walden。What’syo’rbusiness?\"
\"IhaveamessagetoyoufromyoursonJohn。\"
Akeyclickedinthelock。Thedooropened,andtheelderofthetwowomenWarwickhadseenuponthepiazzastoodinthedoorway,peeringcuriouslyandwithsignsofgreatexcitementintothefaceofthestranger。
\"You’vegotamessagefrommyson,yousay?\"
sheaskedwithtremulousagitation。\"Ishesick,orintrouble?\"
\"No。He’swellanddoingwell,andsendshislovetoyou,andhopesyou’venotforgottenhim。\"
\"Fergothim?No,GodknowsIain’tfergothim!Butcomein,sir,an’tellmesomethin’
mo’abouthim。\"
Warwickwentin,andasthewomanclosedthedoorafterhim,hethrewaglanceroundtheroom。
Onthewall,overthemantelpiece,hungasteelengravingofGeneralJacksonatthebattleofNewOrleans,and,ontheoppositewall,aframedfashion—platefrom\"Godey’sLady’sBook。\"Inthemiddleoftheroomanoctagonalcentre—tablewithasingleleg,terminatinginthreesprawlingfeet,heldacollectionofcuriouslyshapedsea—shells。
Therewasagreathairclothsofa,somewhattheworseforwear,andawell—filledbookcase。ThescreenstandingbeforethefireplacewascoveredwithConfederatebank—notesofvariousdenominationsanddesigns,inwhichtheheadsofJeffersonDavisandotherConfederateleaderswereconspicuous。
\"ImperiousCaesar,dead,andturnedtoclay,Mightstopaholetokeepthewindaway,\"
murmuredtheyoungman,ashiseyefelluponthisspecimenofdecorativeart。
Thewomanshowedhervisitortoaseat。Shethensatdownfacinghimandlookedathimclosely。
\"Whendidyoulastseemyson?\"sheasked。
\"I’venevermetyourson,\"hereplied。
Herfacefell。\"Thenthemessagecomesthroughyoufromsomebodyelse?\"
\"No,directlyfromyourson。\"
Shescannedhisfacewithapuzzledlook。Thisbeardedyounggentleman,whospokesopolitelyandwasdressedsowell,surely——no,itcouldnotbe!andyet——
Warwickwassmilingatherthroughamistoftears。Anelectricsparkofsympathyflashedbetweenthem。Theyroseasifmovedbyoneimpulse,andwereclaspedineachother’sarms。
\"John,myJohn!ItISJohn!\"
\"Mother——mydearoldmother!\"
\"Ididn’tthink,\"shesobbed,\"thatI’deverseeyouagain。\"
Hesmoothedherhairandkissedher。\"Andareyougladtoseeme,mother?\"
\"AmIgladtoseeyou?It’slikethedeadcomin’tolife。IthoughtI’dlostyouforever,John,myson,mydarlin’boy!\"sheanswered,hugginghimstrenuously。
\"Icouldn’tlivewithoutseeingyou,mother,\"
hesaid。Hemeantit,too,orthoughthedid,althoughhehadnotseenherfortenyears。
\"You’vegrownsotall,John,andaresuchafinegentleman!AndyouAREagentlemannow,John,ain’tyou——sureenough?Nobodyknowstheoldstory?\"
\"Well,mother,I’vetakenaman’schanceinlife,andhavetriedtomakethemostofit;andIhaven’tfeltunderanyobligationtospoilitbyrakingupoldstoriesthatarebestforgotten。
Therearethedearoldbooks:havetheybeenreadsinceIwentaway?\"
\"No,honey,there’sbe’nnobodytoread’em,excep’Rena,an’shedon’ttaketobooksquitelikeyoudid。ButI’vekep’’emdustedclean,an’kep’
themothsan’thebugsout;forIhopedyou’dcomebacksomeday,an’knowedyou’dliketofind’emallintheirplaces,jus’likeyouleft’em。\"
\"That’smightyniceofyou,mother。Youcouldhavedonenomoreifyouhadlovedthemforthemselves。ButwhereisRena?Isawheronthestreetto—day,butshedidn’tknowmefromAdam;nordidIguessitwassheuntilsheopenedthegateandcameintotheyard。\"
\"I’vebe’nsogladtoseeyouthatI’dfergotabouther,\"answeredthemother。\"Rena,oh,Rena!\"
Thegirlwasnotfaraway;shehadbeenstandinginthenextroom,listeningintentlytoeverywordoftheconversation,andonlykeptfromcominginbyacertainconstraintthatmadeabrotherwhomshehadnotmetforsomanyyearsseemalmostasmuchastrangerasifhehadnotbeenconnectedwithherbyanytie。
\"Yes,mamma,\"sheanswered,comingforward。
\"Rena,child,here’syo’rbrotherJohn,who’scomebacktoseeus。Tell’imhowdy。\"
Asshecameforward,Warwickrose,puthisarmaroundherwaist,drewhertowardhim,andkissedheraffectionately,toherevidentembarrassment。
Shewasatallgirl,buthetoweredaboveherinquiteaprotectingfashion;andshethoughtwithathrillhowfineitwouldbetohavesuchabrotherasthisinthetownallthetime。Howproudshewouldbe,ifshecouldbutwalkupthestreetwithsuchabrotherbyherside!Shecouldthenholdupherheadbeforealltheworld,oblivioustotheglanceofpityorcontempt。Shefeltaverypronouncedrespectforthistallgentlemanwhoheldherblushingfacebetweenhishandsandlookedsteadilyintohereyes。
\"You’rethelittlesisterIusedtoreadstoriesto,andwhomIpromisedtocomeandseesomeday。DoyourememberhowyoucriedwhenI
wentaway?\"
\"Itseemsbutyesterday,\"sheanswered。\"I’vestillgotthedimeyougaveme。\"
Hekissedheragain,andthendrewherdownbesidehimonthesofa,wherehesatenthronedbetweenthetwolovingandexcitedwomen。Nokingcouldhavereceivedmoresincereordelightedhomage。Hewasaman,comeintoahouseholdofwomen,——amanofwhomtheywereproud,andtowhomtheylookedupwithfondreverence。
Forhewasnotonlyason,——abrother——butherepresentedtothemtheworldfromwhichcircumstanceshadshutthemout,andtowhichdistancelentevenmorethanitsusualenchantment;andtheyfeltnearertothisfar—offworldbecauseoftheglorywhichWarwickreflectedfromit。
\"You’reaveryprettygirl,\"saidWarwick,regardinghissisterthoughtfully。\"IfollowedyoudownFrontStreetthismorning,andscarcelytookmyeyesoffyoualltheway;andyetI
didn’tknowyou,andscarcelysawyourface。
Youimproveonacquaintance;to—night,Ifindyouhandsomerstill。\"
\"Now,John,\"saidhismother,expostulatingmildly,\"you’llspileher,ifyoudon’tmin’。\"
Thegirlwasbeamingwithgratifiedvanity。
Whatwomanwouldnotfindsuchpraisesweetfromalmostanysource,andhowmuchmoresofromthisgreatman,who,fromhisexaltedstationintheworld,mustsurelyknowthethingswhereofhespoke!Shebelievedeverywordofit;sheknewitverywellindeed,butwishedtohearitrepeatedanditemizedandemphasized。
\"No,hewon’t,mamma,\"sheasserted,\"forhe’sflatteringme。HetalksasifIwassomerichyounglady,wholivesontheHill,\"——theHillwasthearistocraticportionofthetown,——
\"insteadofapoor\"
\"Insteadofapooryounggirl,whohasthehilltoclimb,\"repliedherbrother,smoothingherhairwithhishand。Herhairwaslongandsmoothandglossy,withawaveliketherippleofasummerbreezeuponthesurfaceofstillwater。Itwasthegirl’sgreatpride,andhadbeensedulouslycaredfor。\"Whatlovelyhair!Ithasjustthewavethatyourslacks,mother。\"
\"Yes,\"wastheregretfulreply,\"I’veneverbe’nabletogitthatwaveout。Butherhair’sbe’ntookgoodcareof,an’thereain’tnarygalintownthat’sgotanyfiner。\"
\"Don’tworryaboutthewave,mother。It’sjustthefashionableripple,andbecomesherimmensely。IthinkmylittleAlbertfavorshisAuntRenasomewhat。\"
\"YourlittleAlbert!\"theycried。\"You’vegotachild?\"
\"Oh,yes,\"herepliedcalmly,\"averyfinebabyboy。\"
Theybegantopurrinproudcontentmentatthisinformation,andmademinuteinquiriesabouttheageandweightandeyesandnoseandotherimportantdetailsofthispreciousinfant。Theyinquiredmorecoldlyaboutthechild’smother,ofwhomtheyspokewithgreaterwarmthwhentheylearnedthatshewasdead。TheyhungbreathlessonWarwick’swordsasherelatedbrieflythestoryofhislifesincehehadleft,yearsbefore,thehousebehindthecedars——howwithastoutheartandanaboundinghopehehadgoneoutintoaseeminglyhostileworld,andmadefortunestandanddeliver。Hisstoryhadforthewomenthecharmofanescapefromcaptivity,withallthethrillofapirate’stale。Withthewholeworldbeforehim,hehadremainedintheSouth,thelandofhisfathers,where,heconceived,hehadaninalienablebirthright。BysomegoodchancehehadescapedmilitaryserviceintheConfederatearmy,and,indefaultofolderandmoreexperiencedmen,hadundertaken,duringtherebellion,themanagementofalargeestate,whichhadbeenleftinthehandsofwomenandslaves。Hehadfilledtheplacesoacceptably,andemployedhisleisuretosuchadvantage,thatatthecloseofthewarhefoundhimself——hewasmodestenoughtothink,too,indefaultofabetterman——thehusbandoftheorphandaughterofthegentlemanwhohadownedtheplantation,andwhohadlosthislifeuponthebattlefield。Warwick’swifewasofgoodfamily,andinamoresettledconditionofsocietyitwouldnothavebeeneasyforayoungmanofnovisibleantecedentstowinherhand。Ayearortwolater,hehadtakentheoathofallegiance,andhadbeenadmittedtotheSouthCarolinabar。Richinhiswife’sright,hehadbeenabletopracticehisprofessionuponahighplane,withouttheworryofsordidcares,andwithmarkedsuccessforoneofhisage。
\"Isuppose,\"heconcluded,\"thatIhavegotalongatthebar,aselsewhere,owingtothelackofbettermen。Manyofthegoodlawyerswerekilledinthewar,andmostoftheremainderweredisqualified;whileIhadtheadvantageofbeingalive,andofneverhavingbeeninarmsagainstthegovernment。Peoplehadtohavelawyers,andtheygavemetheirbusinessinpreferencetothecarpet—
baggers。Fortune,youknow,favorstheavailableman。\"
Hismotherdrankinwithpartedlipsandglisteningeyesthestoryofhisadventuresandtherecordofhissuccesses。AsRenalistened,thenarrowwallsthathemmedherinseemedtodrawcloserandcloser,asthoughtheymustcrushher。
Herbrotherwatchedherkeenly。Hehadbeentalkingnotonlytoinformthewomen,butwithadeeperpurpose,conceivedsincehismorningwalk,anddeepenedashehadfollowed,duringhisnarrative,thechangingexpressionofRena’sfaceandnotedherintenseinterestinhisstory,herprideinhissuccesses,andtheoccasionalwistfullookthatindexedherself—pitysocompletely。
\"An’Is’poseyou’rehappy,John?\"askedhismother。
\"Well,mother,happinessisarelativeterm,anddepends,Iimagine,uponhownearlywethinkwegetwhatwethinkwewant。Ihavehadmychanceandhaven’tthrownitaway,andIsupposeIoughttobehappy。Butthen,Ihavelostmywife,whomIlovedverydearly,andwholovedmejustasmuch,andI’mtroubledaboutmychild。\"
\"Why?\"theydemanded。\"Isthereanythingthematterwithhim?\"
\"No,notexactly。He’swellenough,asbabiesgo,andhasagoodenoughnurse,asnursesgo。
Butthenurseisignorant,andnotalwayscareful。
Achildneedssomewomanofitsownbloodtoloveitandlookafteritintelligently。\"
Mis’Molly’seyeswerefilledwithtearfulyearning。
Shewouldhavegivenalltheworldtowarmherson’schilduponherbosom;butsheknewthiscouldnotbe。
\"Didyourwifeleaveanykin?\"sheaskedwithaneffort。
\"Nonearkin;shewasanonlychild。\"
\"You’llbegettin’marriedagain,\"suggestedhismother。
\"No,\"hereplied;\"Ithinknot。\"
Warwickwasstillreadinghissister’sface,andsawthesparkofhopethatgleamedinherexpressiveeye。
\"IfIhadsomerelationofmyownthatIcouldtakeintothehousewithme,\"hesaidreflectively,\"thechildmightbehealthierandhappier,andI
shouldbemuchmoreateaseabouthim。\"
Themotherlookedfromsontodaughterwithadawningapprehensionandasuddenpallor。WhenshesawtheyearninginRena’seyes,shethrewherselfatherson’sfeet。
\"Oh,John,\"shecrieddespairingly,\"don’ttakeherawayfromme!Don’ttakeher,John,darlin’,forit’dbreakmyhearttoloseher!\"
Rena’sarmswereroundhermother’sneck,andRena’svoicewassoundinginherears。\"There,there,mamma!Nevermind!Iwon’tleaveyou,mamma——dearoldmamma!YourRena’llstaywithyoualways,andnever,neverleaveyou。\"
Johnsmoothedhismother’shairwithacomfortingtouch,pattedherwitheredcheeksoothingly,liftedhertenderlytoherplacebyhisside,andputhisarmabouther。
\"Youloveyourchildren,mother?\"
\"They’reallI’vegot,\"shesobbed,\"an’theycos’meallIhad。Whenthelas’one’sgone,I’llwanttogotoo,forI’llbeallaloneintheworld。
Don’ttakeRena,John;forifyoudo,I’llneverseeheragain,an’Ican’tbeartothinkofit。Howwouldyouliketoloseyo’ronechild?\"
\"Well,well,mother,we’llsaynomoreaboutit。Andnowtellmeallaboutyourself,andabouttheneighbors,andhowyougotthroughthewar,andwho’sdeadandwho’smarried——andeverything。\"
ThechangeofsubjectrestoredinsomedegreeMis’Molly’sequanimity,andwithreturningcalmnesscameasenseofotherresponsibilities。
\"Goodgracious,Rena!\"sheexclaimed。
\"John’sbe’ninthehouseanhour,andain’thadnothin’toeatyet!Gointhekitchenan’spreadacleantablecloth,an’gitoutthat’taterpone,an’
apitchero’thatlas’kago’persimmonbeer,an’
letJohntakeabitean’asip。\"
Warwicksmiledatthementionofthesehomelydainties。\"Ithoughtofyoursweet—potatoponeatthehotelto—day,whenIwasatdinner,andwonderedifyou’dhavesomeinthehouse。Therewasneveranylikeyours;andI’veforgottenthetasteofpersimmonbeerentirely。\"
Renalefttheroomtocarryoutherhospitablecommission。Warwick,takingadvantageofherabsence,returnedafterawhiletotheformersubject。
\"Ofcourse,mother,\"hesaidcalmly,\"I
wouldn’tthinkoftakingRenaawayagainstyourwishes。Amother’sclaimuponherchildisahighandholyone。Ofcourseshewillhavenochancehere,whereourstoryisknown。Thewarhaswroughtgreatchanges,hasputthebottomrailontop,andallthat——butithasn’twipedTHATout。
Nothingbutdeathcanremovethatstain,ifitdoesnotfollowusevenbeyondthegrave。Hereshemustforeverbe——nobody!Withmeshemighthavegotoutintotheworld;withherbeautyshemighthavemadeagoodmarriage;and,ifImistakenot,shehassenseaswellasbeauty。\"
\"Yes,\"sighedthemother,\"she’sgotgoodsense。Sheain’tasquickasyouwas,an’don’treadasmanybooks,butshe’skeerfulan’painstakin’,an’alwaystriestodowhat’sright。She’sbe’nthinkin’aboutgoin’awaysomewherean’
tryin’togitaschooltoteach,ersomethin’,sencetheYankeeshavestarted’emeverywhereforpo’
whitefolksan’niggerstoo。ButIdon’tlikeferhertogotoofur。\"
\"Withsuchbeautyandbrains,\"continuedWarwick,\"shecouldleavethistownandmakeaplaceforherself。Theplaceisalreadymade。
Shehasonlytostepintomycarriage——afterperhapsalittlepreparation——andrideupthehillwhichIhavehadtoclimbsopainfully。Itwouldbeagreatpleasuretometoseeheratthetop。
Butofcourseitisimpossible——amereidledream。
YOURclaimcomesfirst;herdutychainsherhere。\"
\"Itwouldbesolonelywithouther,\"murmuredthemotherweakly,\"an’Iloveherso——mylas’
one!\"
\"Nodoubt——nodoubt,\"returnedWarwick,withasympatheticsigh;\"ofcourseyouloveher。
It’snottobethoughtofforamoment。It’sapitythatshecouldn’thaveachancehere——buthowcouldshe!Ihadthoughtshemightmarryagentleman,butIdaresayshe’lldoaswellastherestofherfriends——aswellasMaryB。,forinstance,whomarried——HomerPettifoot,didyousay?OrmaybeBillyOxendinemightdoforher。
Aslongasshehasneverknownanybetter,she’llprobablybeaswellsatisfiedasthoughshemarriedarichman,andlivedinafinehouse,andkeptacarriageandservants,andmovedwiththebestintheland。\"
Thetorturedmothercouldendurenomore。
Theonethingshedesiredaboveallotherswasherdaughter’shappiness。Herownlifehadnotbeengovernedbythehigheststandards,butaboutherloveforherbeautifuldaughtertherewasnotaintofselfishness。Thelifehersonhaddescribedhadbeentoheralwaystheidealbutunattainablelife。
Circumstances,somebeyondhercontrol,andothersforwhichshewasherselfinameasureresponsible,hadputitforeverandinconceivablybeyondherreach。Ithadbeenconqueredbyherson。Itbeckonedtoherdaughter。Thecomparisonofthisfreeandnoblelifewiththesordidexistenceofthosearoundherbrokedownthelastbarrierofopposition。
\"OLord!\"shemoaned,\"whatshallIdowithouther?It’llbelonely,John——solonely!\"
\"You’llhaveyourhome,mother,\"saidWarwicktenderly,acceptingtheimpliedsurrender。
\"You’llhaveyourfriendsandrelatives,andtheknowledgethatyourchildrenarehappy。I’llletyouhearfromusoften,andnodoubtyoucanseeRenanowandthen。Butyoumustlethergo,mother,——itwouldbeasinagainsthertorefuse。\"
\"Shemaygo,\"repliedthemotherbrokenly。
\"I’llnotstandinherway——I’vegotsinsenoughtoanswerforalready。\"
Warwickwatchedherpityingly。Hehadstirredherfeelingstounwonteddepths,andhissympathywentouttoher。Ifshehadsinned,shehadbeenmoresinnedagainstthansinning,anditwasnothisparttojudgeher。HehadyieldedtoasentimentalweaknessindecidinguponthistriptoPatesville。Amatterofbusinesshadbroughthimwithinaday’sjourneyofthetown,andanover—
masteringimpulsehadcompelledhimtoseekthemotherwhohadgivenhimbirthandtheoldtownwherehehadspenttheearlieryearsofhislife。
Noonewouldhaveacknowledgedsoonerthanhethefollyofthisvisit。Menwhohaveelectedtogoverntheirlivesbyprinciplesofabstractrightandreason,whichhappen,perhaps,tobeatvariancewithwhatsocietyconsidersequallyrightandreasonable,should,forfearofcomplications,becarefulaboutdescendingfromtheloftyheightsoflogictothecommonlevelofimpulseandaffection。
Manyyearsbefore,Warwick,whenaladofeighteen,hadshakenthedustofthetownfromhisfeet,andwithit,hefondlythought,theblightofhisinheritance,andhadachievedelsewhereaworthycareer。Butduringalltheseyearsofabsencehehadcherishedatenderfeelingforhismother,andnowagainfoundhimselfinherhouse,amidthefamiliarsurroundingsofhischildhood。Hisvisithadbroughtjoytohismother’sheart,andwasnowtobringitsshroudedcompanion,sorrow。Hismotherhadlivedherlife,forgoodorill。Awiderdoorwasopentohissister——hermothermustnotbartheentrance。
\"Shemaygo,\"themotherrepeatedsadly,dryinghertears。\"I’llgiveherupforhergood。\"
\"Thetable’sready,mamma,\"saidRena,comingtothedoor。
Thelunchwasspreadinthekitchen,alargeunplasteredroomattherear,withawidefireplaceatoneend。Onlyyesterday,itseemedtoWarwick,hehadsprawleduponthehearth,turningsweetpotatoesbeforethefire,orroastinggroundpeasintheashes;or,moreoften,reading,bythelightofablazingpine—knotorlumpofresin,somevolumefromthebookcaseinthehall。FromBulwer’snovel,hehadreadthestoryofWarwicktheKingmaker,anduponleavinghomehadchosenitforhisown。Hewasanewman,buthehadthebloodofanoldrace,andhewouldselectforhisownoneofitsworthynames。Overheadloomedthesamesmokybeams,decoratedwithwhatmighthavebeen,fromallappearances,thesamebunchesofdriedherbs,thesamestringsofonionsandredpeppers。Overinthesamecornerstoodthesamespinning—wheel,andthroughtheopendoorofanadjoiningroomhesawtheoldloom,whereinchildhoodhehadmorethanoncethrowntheshuttle。
Thekitchenwasdifferentfromthestatelydining—roomoftheoldcolonialmansionwherehenowlived;butitwashomelike,anditwasfamiliar。
Thesightofitmovedhisheart,andhefeltforthemomentasortofablindangeragainstthefatewhichmadeitnecessarythatheshouldvisitthehomeofhischildhood,ifatall,likeathiefinthenight。Butherealized,afteramoment,thatthethoughtwaspuresentiment,andthatonewhohadgainedsomuchoughtnottocomplainifhemustgiveupalittle。Hewhowouldclimbtheheightsoflifemustleaveeventhepleasantestvalleysbehind。
\"Rena,\"askedhermother,\"how’dyouliketogoan’payyo’rbrotherJohnavisit?IguessI
mightspareyouforalittlewhile。\"
Thegirl’seyeslightedup。Shewouldnothavegoneifhermotherhadwishedhertostay,butshewouldalwayshaveregardedthisasthelostopportunityofherlife。
\"Areyousureyoudon’tcare,mamma?\"sheasked,hopingandyetdoubting。
\"Oh,I’llmanagetogitalongsomehoworother。
Youcangoan’staytillyougithomesick,an’thenJohn’llletyoucomebackhome。\"
ButMis’Mollybelievedthatshewouldnevercomeback,except,likeherbrother,undercoverofthenight。Shemustloseherdaughteraswellasherson,andthisshouldbethepenanceforhersin。
Thatherchildrenmustexpiateaswellthesinsoftheirfathers,whohadsinnedsolightly,afterthemannerofmen,neithershenortheycouldforesee,sincetheycouldnotreadthefuture。
ThenextboatbywhichWarwickcouldtakehissisterawayleftearlyinthemorningofthenextdaybutone。HewentbacktohishotelwiththeunderstandingthatthemorrowshouldbedevotedtogettingRenareadyforherdeparture,andthatWarwickwouldvisitthehouseholdagainthefollowingevening;for,ashasbeenintimated,therewereseveralreasonswhythereshouldbenoopenrelationsbetweenthefinegentlemanatthehotelandthewomeninthehousebehindthecedars,who,whilesuperiorinbloodandbreedingtothepeopleoftheneighborhoodinwhichtheylived,wereyetundertheshadowofsomecloudwhichclearlyshutthemoutfromthebettersocietyofthetown。Almostanyresidentcouldhavegivenoneormoreofthesereasons,ofwhichanyonewouldhavebeensufficienttomostofthem;andtosomeofthemWarwick’smerepresenceinthetownwouldhaveseemedaboldanddaringthing。
III
THEOLDJUDGE
Onthemorningfollowingthevisittohismother,Warwickvisitedtheoldjudge’soffice。
Thejudgewasnotin,butthedoorstoodopen,andWarwickenteredtoawaithisreturn。Therehadbeenfewerchangesintheoffice,wherehehadspentmany,manyhours,thaninthetownitself。
Thedustwasalittlethicker,thepapersinthepigeon—holesofthewalnutdeskwerealittleyellower,thecobwebsinthecornersalittlemoreaggressive。Thefliesdronedasdrowsilyandthemurmurofthebrookbelowwasjustasaudible。
Warwickstoodattherearwindowandlookedoutoverafamiliarview。Directlyacrossthecreek,onthelowgroundbeyond,mightbeseenthedilapidatedstonefoundationofthehousewhereoncehadlivedFloraMacdonald,theJacobiterefugee,themostromanticcharacterofNorthCarolinahistory。OldJudgeStraighthadhadatreecutawayfromthecreek—sideoppositehiswindow,sothatthishistoricruinmightbevisiblefromhisoffice;forthejudgecouldtracethetiesofbloodthatconnectedhimcollaterallywiththisfamouspersonage。HispamphletonFloraMacdonald,printedforprivatecirculation,washighlyprizedbythoseofhisfriendswhowerefortunateenoughtoobtainacopy。Totheleftofthewindowaplacidmill—pondspreaditswideexpanse,andtotherightthecreekdisappearedunderacanopyofoverhangingtrees。
Afootstepsoundedinthedoorway,andWarwick,turning,facedtheoldjudge。Timehadleftgreatermarksuponthelawyerthanuponhisoffice。
Hishairwaswhiter,hisstoopmorepronounced;
whenhespoketoWarwick,hisvoicehadsomeoftheshrillnessofoldage;andinhishand,uponwhichtheveinsstoodoutprominently,adecidedtremorwasperceptible。
\"Good—morning,JudgeStraight,\"saidtheyoungman,removinghishatwiththegracefulSoutherndeferenceoftheyoungfortheold。
\"Good—morning,sir,\"repliedthejudgewithequalcourtesy。
\"Youdon’trememberme,Iimagine,\"suggestedWarwick。
\"Yourfaceseemsfamiliar,\"returnedthejudgecautiously,\"butIcannotforthemomentrecallyourname。Ishallbegladtohaveyourefreshmymemory。\"
\"IwasJohnWalden,sir,whenyouknewme。\"
Thejudge’sfacestillgavenoansweringlightofrecognition。
\"Youroldoffice—boy,\"continuedtheyoungerman。
\"Ah,indeed,soyouwere!\"rejoinedthejudgewarmly,extendinghishandwithgreatcordiality,andinspectingWarwickmorecloselythroughhisspectacles。\"Letmesee——youwentawayafewyearsbeforethewar,wasn’tit?\"
\"Yes,sir,toSouthCarolina。\"
\"Yes,yes,Iremembernow!IhadbeenthinkingitwastotheNorth。Somanythingshavehappenedsincethen,thatittaxesanoldman’smemorytokeeptrackofthemall。Well,well!andhowhaveyoubeengettingalong?\"
Warwicktoldhisstoryinoutline,muchashehadgivenittohismotherandsister,andthejudgeseemedverymuchinterested。
\"Andyoumarriedintoagoodfamily?\"heasked。
\"Yes,sir。\"
\"Andhavechildren?\"
\"One。\"
\"Andyouarevisitingyourmother?\"
\"Notexactly。Ihaveseenher,butIamstoppingatahotel。\"
\"H’m!Areyoustayinglong?\"
\"Ileaveto—morrow。\"
\"It’swellenough。Iwouldn’tstaytoolong。
Thepeopleofasmalltownareinquisitiveaboutstrangers,andsomeofthemhavelongmemories。
Irememberwewentoverthelaw,whichwasinyourfavor;butcustomisstrongerthanlaw——inthesematterscustomISlaw。Itwasagreatpitythatyourfatherdidnotmakeawill。Well,myboy,Iwishyoucontinuedgoodluck;Iimaginedyouwouldmakeyourway。\"
Warwickwentaway,andtheoldjudgesatforamomentabsorbedinreflection。\"Rightandwrong,\"hemused,\"mustbeeternalverities,butourstandardsformeasuringthemvarywithourlatitudeandourepoch。Wemakeourcustomslightly;oncemade,likeoursins,theygripusinbandsofsteel;webecomethecreaturesofourcreations。Byonestandardmyoldoffice—boyshouldneverhavebeenborn。YetheisasonofAdam,andcameintoexistenceinthewayordainedbyGodfromthebeginningoftheworld。
Inequityhewouldseemtobeentitledtohischanceinlife;itmighthavebeenwiser,though,forhimtoseekitfartherafieldthanSouthCarolina。Itwastoonearhome,eventhoughthelawswerewithhim。\"
IV
DOWNTHERIVER
NeithermothernordaughtersleptagreatdealduringthenightofWarwick’sfirstvisit。
Mis’Mollyanointedhersacrificewithtearsandcriedherselftosleep。Rena’semotionsweremoreconflicting;shewassorrytoleavehermother,butgladtogowithherbrother。Themerejourneyshewasabouttomakewasagreateventforthetwowomentocontemplate,tosaynothingofthegoldenvisionthatlaybeyond,forneitherofthemhadeverbeenoutofthetownoritsvicinity。
Thenextdaywasdevotedtopreparationsforthejourney。Rena’sslenderwardrobewasmadereadyandpackedinalargevalise。Towardssunset,Mis’Mollytookoffherapron,putonherslat—bonnet,——shewaseverthepinkofneatness,——pickedherwayacrossthestreet,whichwasmuddyfromarainduringtheday,traversedthefoot—bridgethatspannedtheditchinfrontofthecoopershop,andspokefirsttotheelderofthetwomenworkingthere。
\"Good—evenin’,Peter。\"
\"Good—evenin’,ma’m,\"respondedthemanbriefly,andnotrelaxingatalltheenergywithwhichhewastrimmingabarrel—stave。
Mis’Mollythenaccostedtheyoungerworkman,adark—brownyoungman,smallinstature,butwithawell—shapedhead,anexpressiveforehead,andfeaturesindicativeofkindness,intelligence,humor,andimagination。\"Frank,\"sheasked,\"canIgityoutodosomethin’fermesooninthemo’nin’?\"
\"Yas’m,Ireckonso,\"repliedtheyoungman,restinghishatchetonthechopping—block。\"W’atisit,Mis’Molly?\"
\"Mydaughter’sgoin’awayontheboat,an’I
’lowedyouwouldn’min’totin’herkyarpet—bagdowntothew’arf,onlessyou’drutherhaulitdownonyo’rkyart。Itain’tveryheavy。Ofco’seI’llpayyouferyo’rtrouble。\"
\"Thanky’,ma’m,\"hereplied。Heknewthatshewouldnotpayhim,forthesimplereasonthathewouldnotacceptpayforsuchaservice。\"Isshegwinefur?\"heasked,withasorrowfullook,whichhecouldnotentirelydisguise。
\"AsfurasWilmin’tonan’beyon’。She’llbevisitin’herbrotherJohn,wholivesin——anotherState,an’wantshertocomean’seehim。\"
\"Yas’m,I’llcome。Iwon’needdekyart——
I’lltotedebag。’Boutw’attimeshillIcomeover?\"
\"Well,’long’boutseveno’clockorhalfpas’。
She’sgoin’ontheOldNorthState,an’itleavesateight。\"
FrankstoodlookingafterMis’Mollyasshepickedherwayacrossthestreet,untilhewasrecalledtohisdutybyasharpwordfromhisfather。
\"’Ten’teryo’wuk,boy,’ten’teryo’wuk。You’rewastin’yo’time——wastin’yo’time!\"
Yes,hewaswastinghistime。Thebeautifulyounggirlacrossthestreetcouldneverbeanythingtohim。Buthehadsavedherlifeonce,andhaddreamedthathemightrenderheragainsomesignalservicethatmightwinherfriendship,andconvinceherofhishumbledevotion。ForFrankwasnotproud。Asmile,whichPeterwouldhaveregardedascondescendingtoafreeman,who,sincethewar,wasasgoodasanybodyelse;akindword,whichPeterwouldhaveconsideredoffensivelypatronizing;apieceofMis’
Molly’sfamouspotatoponefromRena’shands,——abonetoadog,Petercalleditonce;——wereamplerewardsforthethousandandonesmallservicesFrankhadrenderedthetwowomenwholivedinthehousebehindthecedars。