There is good news for the Tenant family! The large commercial house in
London whose failure dragged down Tenant & Co., had a branch at Rio.
This branch had been heavily drawn on, and suspended because the firm
in London stopped. When affairs were investigated, it turned out that
the Rio branch was well aboveboard. The result was that the London house
was enabled to pay a composition of fifteen and sixpence in the pound.
This not only enabled Tenant & Co. to settle with their creditors, but
placed that old and respectable firm in a position to go on with their
business, though in a manner somewhat limited when compared with their
former operations. The whole commercial community rejoiced at this. Tho
house had been so long established, and was conducted with so much
integrity, that to have it go down seemed a blow struck at the fair name
and prosperity of the city. A committee appointed by the creditors had
investigated everything connected with the failure, prior to hearing of
the news from Rio. This committee utterly refused to permit Mr. Tenant
to put his house into the list of assets from which to pay the company's
debts. He insisted, but they were inexorable. This was highly gratifying
to him, but he was not content. Now he could meet all on equal terms.
We must forgive Mrs. Tenant if she felt a very great degree of
exultation at this result. The affair between Hiram Meeker and her
daughter had touched her so deeply (until Emma was away she did not feel
how deeply), that she could not but indulge her triumph that now, when
she encountered him, she was able to pass him with complete
indifference. While her husband was crippled, she continued to feel
scorn and contempt. Having regained her old position, she enjoyed a
repose of spirits and was no longer tantalized by recollection of the
scenes of the last few months.
Emma Tenant had a most charming European tour. She was absent a year.
Two or three months before her return, and while spending a few weeks
among the Bernese Alps (I think Emma once told me it was at the Hotel
Reichenbach, near Meyringen), she encountered an old acquaintance, that
is, an acquaintance of her childhood, in the person of young
Lawrence--Henry Lawrence--who was taking advantage of a business trip
abroad to view the glory and the majesty of nature in the Oberland
Bernois.
However much it may seem contrary to the theory of romantic young men
and women, I am forced to state that notwithstanding her former love for
Hiram Meeker, Emma Tenant had not been six months in Europe before the
wound might be considered healed. As her mind became enlarged by taking
in the variety of scenes which were presented, scenes ever fresh and
changing, she was better enabled to judge how far such a person as Hiram
Meeker could ultimately make her happy. Day by day she saw his character
more clearly and in a truer light, and could thus fully appreciate the
narrow escape she had from a life of wretchedness.
Before she encountered young Lawrence, she had become entirely
disenchanted. The former illusion was fully dispelled, and her heart
left quite free to be engrossed by a new interest.
Young ladies and gentlemen! Am I giving currency to theories which you
are accustomed to consider heretical? I am but recording the simple
truth.
* * * * *
By the time Emma Tenant had reached New York the affianced of Henry
Lawrence (subject, of course, to her parents' approbation), Hiram Meeker
was engaged to--Miss Thorne.
Once decided on his course, Hiram pursued his object with the tenacity
of a slow hound.
He took advantage of every weakness. He operated on her jealous nature
so as to subject her to all the tortures which that spirit begets. By
turns he flattered and browbeat her. He was sunny and amiable, or
crabbed and austere, as suited his purpose. In fact, he so played on
the poor girl, whose vanity and suspicion and jealous fear of a rival
were intense, that he made her life miserable. She was even thwarted in
the quarter where her strength principally lay. For Hiram treated her
fortune as a mere nothing at all. If she, as had been her custom, headed
a subscription for some charity at St. Jude's, Hiram was sure to put
down his name for double the amount in close proximity to hers.
At last her spirit was completely broken by the persevering, unsparing,
flattering, cajoling, remorseless Hiram. So she stopped quarrelling, and
yielded. Then, how charming was our hero! Amiable, kind, desirous to
please, yet despotic to an extent: never yielding the power and
ascendency he had gained over her.
The great point now was to prevent any marriage settlement. Being
married, since Miss Thorne's property was all 'personal,' he could at
once possess himself of it. Prior to the engagement, Hiram had often
repeated that he would many no woman who maintained a separate estate.
And so much did he dwell on this that Miss Thorne was actually afraid to
speak to her solicitor on the subject.
In the summer succeeding the gay season we have spoken of, Hiram Meeker
and Arabella Thorne were united at St. Jude's by the Rev. Charles
Myrtle, in presence of 'the most aristocratic and fashionable concourse
ever assembled on such an occasion.' The Bennetts were present in great
profusion. Mrs. Myrtle, all smiles and tears, stood approvingly by. Mr.
Myrtle, so all declared, never performed the ceremony so well before.
Miss Innis had a conspicuous place in the proceedings, she being the
first of the four bridesmaids who attended Arabella to the altar.
I have never been able to explain her selection of one she had so feared
and hated as a rival, nor Miss Innis's acceptance. But there she stood,
very beautiful, and apparently much interested in what was going on.
* * * * *
After they had returned from their wedding tour, Hiram took possession
of his wife's securities. His heart throbbed with excitement and his
eyes glistened as he looked them over.
Mr. Bennett had fallen considerably short of the mark. Here were more
than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars!
Just then real estate had fallen to the extreme lowest point after the
collapse of the former high speculative prices. Hiram took immediate
advantage of this state of things. During the next three months he had
sold out his wife's securities, and invested two hundred thousand
dollars in vacant lots admirably situated in the upper part of the city.
The balance he put into his business.
From that period it did not require a heavy discounting of the future to
write Hiram Meeker a MILLIONAIRE.