A CRISIS AT ROCKHOLD.
Brother and sister went to Newport and spent a month. The Dean of Olivet
was in the town, but they never met him because they never went into
society. Toward the last of June, Corona proposed that they should go at
once to Rockhold.
The next morning brother and sister took the early train for New York.
On the morning of the second day they took the express train for
Baltimore, where they stopped for another night. And on the morning of
the third day they took the early train for North End, where they
arrived at sunset. They went to the hotel to get dinner and to engage
the one hack of the establishment to take them to Rockhold.
Almost the first man they met on the hotel porch was Mr. Clarence, who
rushed to meet them.
"Hurrah, Sylvan! Hurrah, old boy! Back again! Why didn't you write or
telegraph? How do you do, Cora! Ah! when will you get your roses back,
my dear? And how is his Majesty? Why is he not with you? Where did you
leave him?" demanded Mr. Clarence in a gale of high spirits at greeting
his nephew and niece again.
"He is among the Thousand Islands somewhere with his bride," answered
Cora.
"His--what?" inquired Mr. Clarence, with a puzzled air.
"His wife," said Cora.
"His wife? What on earth are you talking about, Cora? You could not have
understood my question. I asked you where my father was!" said the
bewildered Mr. Clarence.
"And I told you that he is on his wedding trip with his bride, among the
Thousand Islands," replied Cora.
Mr. Clarence turned in a helpless manner.
"Sylvan," he said, "tell me what she means, will you?"
"Why, just what she says. Our grandfather and grandmother are on the
St. Lawrence, but will be home on the first of July," Sylvan explained.
But Mr. Clarence looked from the brother to the sister and back again in
the utmost perplexity.
"What sort of a stupid joke are you two trying to get off?" he inquired.
They had by this time reached the public parlor of the hotel and found
seats.
"Is it possible, Uncle Clarence, that you do not know Mr. Rockharrt was
married on the thirty-first of last month, in New York, to Mrs.
Stillwater?" inquired Cora.
"What! My father!"
"Why should you be amazed or incredulous, Uncle Clarence? The
incomprehensible feature, to my mind, is that you should not have heard
of the affair directly from grandfather himself. Has he really not
written and told you of his marriage?"
"He has never told me a word of his marriage, though he has written a
dozen or more letters to me within the last few weeks."
"That is very extraordinary. And did you not hear any rumor of it? Did
no one chance to see the notice of it in the papers?"
"No one that I know of. No; I heard no hint of my father's marriage from
any quarter, nor had I, nor any one else at Rockhold or at North End,
the slightest suspicion of such a thing."
"That is very strange. It must have been in the papers," said Sylvan.
"If it was I did not see it, but, then, I never think of looking at the
marriage list."
"I am inclined to think that it never got into the papers. The marriage
was private, though not secret. And you, Sylvan, should have seen that
the marriage was inserted in all the daily papers. It was your special
duty as groomsman. But you must have forgotten it, and I never
remembered to remind you of it," said Cora.
"Not I. I never forgot it, because I never once thought of it. Didn't
know it was my duty to attend to it. Besides, I had so many duties. Such
awful duties! Think of my having to be my own grandmother's church papa
and give her away at the altar! That duty reduced me to a state of
imbecility from which I have not yet recovered."
"But," said Mr. Clarence, with a look of pain on his fine, genial
countenance, "it is so strange that my father never mentioned his
marriage in any of his letters to me."
"Perhaps he did not like to mix up sentiment with business," kindly
suggested Sylvan.
"I don't think it was a question of sentiment," sighed Mr. Clarence.
"What? Not his marriage?"
"No," sighed Mr. Clarence.
"Well, don't worry about the matter. Let us order dinner and engage the
carriage to take us all to Rockhold. How astonished the darkies will be
to see us, and how much more astonished to hear the news we have to
tell! I wonder if they will take kindly to the rule of the new
mistress?" said Sylvan.
"Why did not one of you have the kindness, and thoughtfulness, to write
and tell me of my father's marriage?" sorrowfully inquired Mr. Clarence,
utterly ignoring the just spoken words of his nephew.
"Dear Uncle Clarence, I should certainly have written and told you all
about it at once, if I had not taken for granted that grandfather had
informed you of his intention, as was certainly his place to do. And
even if I had written to you on any other occasion, I should assuredly
have alluded to the marriage. But, you see, I never wrote to any one
while away," Cora explained.
"Now, Uncle Clarence, just take Cora's explanation and apology for both
of us, will you, for it fits me as well as it does her? And now you two
may keep the ball rolling, while I go out and order dinner and engage
the hack," said Sylvan, starting for the office.
When he was gone Clarence asked Cora to give him all the details of the
extraordinary marriage, and she complied with his request.
"It will make a country talk," said the young man, with a sigh, which
Cora echoed.
"And you say they will be home on the first of July?" he inquired.
"Yes," said Cora.
"I wish I had known in time. I would have had old Rockhold Hall prepared
as it should be for the reception of my father's bride, though I do so
strongly disapprove the marriage. Do you know, Cora, that old house has
never had its furniture renewed within my memory? Some of the rooms are
positively mouldy and musty. And whoever heard of a wealthy man like my
father bringing his wife home to a neglected old country house like
Rockhold, without first having it renovated and refurnished?"
"I do not believe he ever once thought of the propriety or necessity of
repairing and refitting. His mind is quite absorbed in his new and vast
speculations. He spent every day down in Wall Street while we stayed in
New York city."
"Well, Corona, this is the twenty-eighth of June, and we have four days
before us; for I do not suppose the newly married pair will arrive
before the evening of the first of July; so we must do the best we can,
my dear, to make the house pleasant in this short time."
"And Uncle Fabian and his wife will be at Rockhold about the same
time," added Cora.
"I knew Fabian would be at North End on the first of July, but I did not
know that he would go on to Rockhold. I thought he would go on to their
new house. So we shall have two brides to welcome, instead of one."
"Yes. And now, Uncle Clarence, will you please ring for a chambermaid? I
must go to a bed room and get some of this railroad dust out of my
eyes," said Cora.
At nine o'clock in the very warm evening, the three were sitting near
the open windows, when they started at the sound of a hearty, genial
voice in the adjoining room, inquiring for accommodations for the night.
"It is Fabian!" cried Mr. Clarence, springing up in joy and rushing out
of the room to welcome his only and much beloved brother.
The glad voices of the two brothers in greeting reached their ears, and
a moment after the door was thrown open again, and Mr. Clarence entered,
conducting Mr. and Mrs. Fabian Rockharrt.
As soon as they found themselves alone, the two brothers took convenient
seats to have a talk.
"How goes on the works, Clarence?" inquired Mr. Fabian.
"Very prosperously. You will go through them to-morrow and see for
yourself."
"And how goes on the great scheme?"
"Even better than the works. Last reports shares selling at one hundred
and thirty."
"Same over yonder. When I left Amsterdam shares selling like hot cakes
at a hundred and thirty-one seventenths. How is the governor?" inquired
Mr. Fabian.
"As flourishing as a successful financier and septuagenarian bridegroom
can be."
"Why!--what do you mean?"
"Haven't you heard the news?"
"What is it? You--you don't mean--"
"Has our father written nothing to you of a very important and utterly
unexpected act of his life?"
"No."
"I advised him to marry--"
"You! You! Fabian! You advised our father to do such an absurd thing at
his age?"
"I confess I don't see the absurdity of it," quietly replied the elder
brother.
"Oh, why did you counsel him to such an act?" inquired Mr. Clarence,
more in sorrow than in anger.
"Out of pure good nature. I was getting married myself and wanted
everybody to be as happy as I was myself, particularly my old father.
Now I wonder he did not write to me of his happiness; but perhaps he has
done so and the letter passed me on the sea. When did this marriage take
place?"
"On the last day of May."
"Whe-ew! Then there was ample time in which to have written the news to
me. And I have had at least half a dozen business letters since the date
of his marriage, in any of which he might have mentioned the occurrence
had he so chosen. The lady is no longer young. She must be forty-eight,
and she is handsome, cultured, dignified and of very high rank. A
queenly woman!"
"Do you know whom you are talking about, Fabian?"
"Mrs. Bloomingfield, the lady I recommended, whom father married."
"Oh, indeed; I thought you didn't know what you were talking about or
whom you were talking of," said Mr. Clarence.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Our father never accepted your recommendation; never proposed to the
handsome, high spirited Mrs. Bloomingfield."
"What!" exclaimed Mr. Fabian. "Whom, then?" "Whom? Whom should he have
selected but
"'The Rose that all ad-mi-r-r-?'
"Clarence, what, in the fiend's name, do you mean? Whom has my father
married?" demanded Mr. Fabian, starting up and staring at his younger
brother.
"Mrs. Rose Flowers Stillwater," replied Mr. Clarence, staring back.
Mr. Fabian dropped back in his chair, while every vestige of color left
his face.
"Why, Fabian! Fabian! Why should you care so much as all this? Speak,
Fabian; what is the matter?" inquired the younger brother, rising and
bending over the elder.
"What is the matter?" cried Mr. Fabian, excitedly. "Ruin is the matter!
Ruin, disgrace, dishonor, degradation, an abyss of infamy; that is the
matter."
"Oh, come now! see here! that is all wild talk. The young woman was only
a nursery governess, to be sure, in our house, and then widow of some
skipper or other; but she was respectable, though of humble position."
"Clarence, hush! You know nothing about it!" exclaimed Mr. Fabian,
wiping his forehead with his handkerchief, and then getting up and
walking the floor with rapid strides.
"I don't understand all this, Fabian. We were all of us a good deal cut
up by the event, but nothing like this!" said Mr. Clarence, uneasily.
"No; you don't understand. But listen to me: I was on my way to Rockhold
to join in the family reunion, and to show the old homestead to my wife;
but I cannot take her there now. I cannot introduce her to the new Mrs.
Rockharrt--the new Mrs. Rockharrt!" he repeated, in a tone and with a
gesture of disgust and abhorrence. "I shall turn back, and take my wife
to our new home; and when I go to Rockhold, I shall go alone."
"Fabian, you make me dreadfully uneasy. What do you know of Rose
Stillwater that is to her discredit?" demanded Clarence Rockharrt.
His elder brother paused in his excited walk, dropped his head upon his
chest and reflected for a few moments. Then he seemed to recover some
degree of self-control and self-recollection. He returned to his chair,
sat down, and said:
"Of my own personal knowledge I know nothing against the woman but just
this--that she is but half educated, deceitful, and unreliable. And that
knowledge I gained by experience after she had first left Rockhold, to
which I had first introduced her for a governess to our niece. I had
nothing to do with her return to the old hall, and would have never
countenanced such a proceeding if I had been in the country."
"That is all very deplorable, but yet it hardly warrants your very
strong language, Fabian. I am sorry that you have discovered her to be
'ignorant, deceitful, and unreliable,' but let us hope that now, when
she is placed above temptation, she will reform. Don't take exaggerated
views of affairs, Fabian."
The elder man was growing calmer and more thoughtful. Presently he said:
"You are right, Clarence. My indignation, on learning that that woman
had succeeded in trapping our Iron King, led me into extravagant
language on the subject. Forget it, Clarence. And whatever you do, my
brother, drop no hint to any one of what I have said to you to-night,
lest our father should hear of it; for if he should--"
Mr. Fabian paused.
"I shall never drop a hint that might possibly give our father one
moment of uneasiness. Be sure of that, Fabian."
"That is good, my brother! And we will agree to ignore all faults in our
young stepmother, and for our father's sake treat her with all proper
respect."
"Of course. I could not do otherwise. And, Fabian, I hope you will
reconsider the matter, and bring Violet to Rockhold to join our family
reunion."
"No, Clarence," said the elder brother; "there is just where I must draw
the line. I cannot introduce my wife to the new Mrs. Rockharrt."
"But it seems to me that you are very fastidious, Fabian. Do you expect
always to be able to keep Violet from meeting with 'ignorant, insincere
and unreliable' people, in a world like this?" inquired Mr. Clarence,
significantly.
"No, not entirely, perhaps; yet, so far as in me lies, I will try to
keep my simple wood violet 'unspotted from the world,'" replied Mr.
Fabian, who, untruthful and dishonest as he was in heart and life, yet
reverenced while he wondered at the purity and simplicity of his young
wife's nature.
"I am afraid the pater will feel the absence of Violet as a slight to
his bride," said Mr. Clarence.
"No; I shall take care that he does not. Violet is in very delicate
health, and that must be her excuse for staying at home."
The brothers talked on for a little while longer; and then, when they
had exhausted the subject for the time being, Mr. Clarence said he would
go and look up Sylvan, and he went out for the purpose. Fabian
Rockharrt, left alone, resumed his disturbed walk up and down the room,
muttering to himself:
"The traitress! the unprincipled traitress! How dared she do such a
deed? Didn't she know that I could expose her, and have her cast forth
in ignominy from my father's house? Or did she venture all in the hope
that consideration of my father's age and position in the world would
shut my mouth and stay my hand? She is mistaken, the jade! Unless she
falls into my plans, and works for my interest, she shall be exposed and
degraded from her present position."
Mr. Fabian was interrupted by the re-entrance of Mrs. Rothsay. He turned
to meet her and inquired:
"Where did you leave Violet, my dear?"
"She is in her own room, which is next to mine. I went in with her and
saw her to bed, and waited until she went to sleep," replied Cora.
"Poor little one! She is very fragile, and has been very much fatigued.
I do not think, my dear, that I can take her on to Rockhold to-morrow. I
think I must let her rest here for a day or two."
"It would be best, not only on account of Violet's delicacy and
weariness, but also on account of the condition of the house at
Rockhold, which has not been opened or aired for months."
"That is true; though I had not thought of it before," said Mr. Fabian,
who was well pleased that Cora so readily fell in with his plans.
"What do you think of the pater's marriage, Cora?' he next inquired.
"I would rather not give an opinion, Uncle Fabian," she answered.
"Then I am equally well answered, for that is giving a very strong
opinion!" he exclaimed.
"The deed is done and cannot be undone!"
"Can it not? Perhaps it can!"
"What do you mean, Uncle Fabian?"
"Nothing that you need trouble yourself about, my dear. But tell me
this--what do you mean to do, Cora? Do you mean to stay on at Rockhold?"
"I suppose I must do so."
"Not at all, if you do not like! You are an independent widow and may go
where you please."
"I know that and wish to go; but I do not wish to make a scene or cause
a scandal by leaving my grandfather's protection so suddenly after his
marriage, which is open enough to criticism, as it is. So I must stay on
at Rockhold so long as Sylvan's leave shall last, and until he shall
receive his commission and orders. Then I will go with him wherever his
duty may call him."
"Good girl! You have decided well and wisely. Though the post of duty to
which the callow lieutenantling will be ordered must, of course, be Fort
Jumping Off Point, at the extreme end of the habitable globe. Well, my
dear, I must bid you good night, for, see, it is on the stroke of eleven
o'clock, and I am rather tired from my journey, for, you must know, we
rushed it through from New York to North End without lying over," said
Mr. Fabian, as he shook hands with his niece.
He retired, and his example was soon followed by all his party.