HOLIDAY.
Ha! like a kind hand on my brow
Comes this fresh breeze.
Cooling its dull and feverish glow,
While through my being seems to flow
She breath of a new life--the healing of the seas.
Good-by to pain and care! I take
Mine ease to-day;
Here where these sunny waters break,
And ripples this keen breeze. I shake
All burdens from the heart, all weary thoughts away.
With every nerve, vein, and artery throbbing with excitement Ishmael
hurried away from the house that contained Claudia.
The solitary walk through the thick woods calmed his emotion before
he reached Woodside.
He found a tidy room, a tempting tea-table, and smiling faces
waiting to welcome him.
"That's my boy!" exclaimed Reuben, coming forward and grasping his
hand; "I telled Hannah to keep the tea back a spell, 'cause I knowed
you wouldn't disappoint us."
"As if I ever thought you would, Ishmael! Reuben is always
prophesying things that can't fail to come true, like the rising of
the sun in the east every day, and so forth. And he expects to get
credit for his foresight," said Hannah, taking her seat before the
steaming tea-pot and calling upon the others to sit down.
"Well, that was rayther a surprise, as met you and the judge, when
you comed home from church, wasn't it?" inquired Reuben, as he began
to cut slices from the cold ham.
"You knew of the arrival, then?" questioned Ishmael.
"Why, bless you, yes! Why, laws, you know the carriage passed right
by here, and stopped to water the horses afore going on to
Tanglewood. But look here! There was nobody in it but Mrs. Vincent--
blame my head--I mean Mrs. Lord Vincent--and her city maid."
"Lady Vincent, Reuben. How many times will I have to tell you that?"
said Hannah impatiently.
"All right, Hannah, my dear; I'll remember next time. Ishmael, my
boy, I think you got all your interlects from Hannah. You sartainly
didn't get 'em from me. Well as I was a-saying of, there was no one
inside except Mrs. Lord--I mean Mrs. Lady Vincent and her city
waiting-maid. And on the outside, a-sitting alongside o' the driver,
was a gentleman, as Jim as happened to be here introduced to me as
Mr. Frisbie, Lord Vincent's vallysham, whatever that may be."
"Body-servant, Reuben," said his monitress.
"Servant! Well, if he was a servant, I don't know nothink! Why,
there ain't a gentleman in S'Mary's county as dresses as fine and
puts on as many airs!"
"That is quite likely, Uncle Reuben; but for all that, Frisbie is
Lord Vincent's servant," said Ishmael.
"Well, hows'ever that may be, there he was alongside o' the driver.
But what staggers of me is, that there wa'n't no Lord Vincent
nowhere to be seen! He was 'mong the missin'. And that was the
rummest go as ever was. A new bride a-comin' home to her 'pa without
no bridegroom. And so I jest axed Mr. Frisbie, Esquire, and he
telled me how his lordship missed the trail. What trail! And what
business had he to be offen the trail, when his wife was on it?
That's what I want to know. And, anyways, it's the rummest go as
ever was. Did you hear anythink about it, Ishmael?"
"I chanced to overhear Lady Vincent say to her father--that she was
alone. That was all. I did not even see her ladyship."
"Well, now, that's another rum go. Didn't wait to see her. And you
sich friends? Owtch! Oh! Ah! What's that for, Hannah? You've trod on
my toe and ground it a'most to powder! Ah!"
"If your foot is as soft as your head, no wonder every touch hurts
it!" snapped Mrs. Gray.
"Law, what a temper she have got, Ishmael!" said poor Reuben,
carressing his afflicted foot.
Hannah had effected the diversion she intended, and soon after gave
the signal for rising from the table. And she took good care during
the rest of the evening that the subject of Lord and Lady Vincent
should not be brought upon the tapis.
The next morning being Monday, Ishmael accompanied Reuben in his
rounds over his own little farm and the great Tanglewood estate, to
see the improvements. The "durrum" cow and calf and the "shank-bye"
fowls received due notice. And the first ripe bunches of the
"hamburg" grapes were plucked in the visitor's honor.
In the afternoon they went down to the oyster banks and amused
themselves with watching Sam rake the oysters and load the cart.
They returned to a late tea.
It was while they were sitting out on the vine-shaded porch,
enjoying their usual evening chat under the star-lit sky, that they
heard the sound of approaching wheels.
And a few moments afterwards a carriage drew up at the gate.
Reuben walked up to see who was within it. And Ishmael heard the
voice of Lord Vincent inquiring:
"Is this the best road to Tanglewood?"
"Well, yes, sir; I do s'pose it's the best, if any can be called the
best where none on 'em is good, but every one on 'em as bad as bad
can be!" was the encouraging answer.
"Drive on!" said Lord Vincent. And the carriage rolled out of sight
into the forest road.
After all, then, the viscount had not absconded. He probably had
missed the train. But why had he missed it? That was still the
question.
On Tuesday morning Ishmael took leave of Hannah and Reuben,
promising to stop and spend another day and night with them on his
return to Washington; and mounted on a fine horse, borrowed from
Reuben, with his knapsack behind him, he started for the Beacon.
It was yet early in the forenoon when he arrived at that cool
promontory where the refreshing sea breezes met him.
As he rode up to the house, that you know fronted the water, he saw
Bee, blooming and radiant with youth and beauty, out on the front
lawn with her younger sisters and brothers.
Their restless glances caught sight of him first; and they all
exclaimed at once:
"Here's Ishmael, Bee! here's Ishmael, Bee!" and ran off to meet him.
Bee impulsively started to run too, but checked herself, and stood,
blushing but eager, waiting until Ishmael dismounted and came to
greet her.
She met him with a warm, silent welcome, and then, looking at him
suddenly, said:
"You are so much better; you are quite well. I am so glad, Ishmael!"
"Yes, I am well and happy, dearest Bee--thanks to you and to
Heaven!" said Ishmael, warmly pressing her hands again to his lips,
before turning to embrace the children who were jumping around him.
Then they all went into the house, where Mr. and Mrs. Middleton met
him with an equally cordial welcome.
"And how did you leave the family at Tanglewood? Family, said I? Ah!
there is no family there now; no one left but the old judge. How is
he? And when is Claudia and her lordling expected back?" inquired
Mr. Middleton, when they were all seated near one of the sea-view
windows.
"The judge is well. Lord and Lady Vincent are with him," replied
Ishmael.
And then in answer to their exclamations of surprise he told all he
knew of the unexpected arrival.
A luncheon of fruit, cream, cake, and wine was served, and the
welcome guest was pressed to partake of it.
Ishmael tasted and enjoyed all except the wine--that, faithful to
his vow, he avoided, and was rewarded by a sympathetic look from
Bee.
This was one of the bright days of Ishmael's life. Nowhere did he
feel so much at home or so happy as with these kind friends. They
had an early seaside dinner--fish, crabs, oysters, and water-fowl,
forming a large portion of the bill of fare. Luscious, freshly
gathered fruits composed the dessert. After dinner, as the evening
was clear and bright, the wind fresh and the waters calm, they went
for a sail down to Silver Sands, and returned by starlight.
Ishmael remained all the week at the Beacon. And it was a week of
rare enjoyment to him. He passed nearly all the time with Bee and
her inseparable companions, the children. He helped them with the
lessons in the schoolroom in the morning; he went nutting with them
in the woods, or strolled with them on the beach; and he gave
himself up to the task of amusing them during the hour after the
lamp was lighted that they were permitted to sit up.
All this was due partly to his desire to be with his betrothed, and
partly to his genial love to children.
About the middle of the week, as they were all seated at breakfast
one morning, missives came from Tanglewood to the Beacon--
invitations to dine there the following Wednesday evening. These
invitations included Mr. and Mrs. Middleton, Beatrice, and Ishmael.
"You will go, of course, Worth?" said Mr. Middleton.
"I am due at Brudenell Hall on Tuesday evening, and I must keep my
appointment," said Ishmael.
"Well, I suppose that settles it, for I never knew you to break an
appointment, under any sort of temptation," said Mr. Middleton.
And Bee, who well understood why, even had Ishmael's time been at
his own disposal, he should not have gone to Tanglewood, silently
acquiesced. On this day Ishmael sought an interview with Mr. and
Mrs. Middleton, and besought them, as his present income and future
prospects equally justified him in taking a wife, to fix some day,
not very distant, for his marriage with Bee.
But the father and mother assured him, in the firmest though the
most affectionate manner, that at least one year, if not two, must
elapse before they could consent to part with their daughter.
Ishmael most earnestly deprecated the two years of probation, and
finally compromised for one year, during which he should be
permitted to correspond freely with his betrothed, and visit her at
will.
With this Ishmael rested satisfied.
The remainder of the week passed delightfully to him.
Mrs. Middleton took the children off Bee's hands for a few days, to
leave her to some enjoyment of her lover's visit.
And every morning and afternoon Ishmael and Bee rode or walked
together, through the old forest or along the pebbly beach.
Sometimes they had a sail to some fine point on the shore. Their
evenings were passed in the drawing room, with Mr. and Mrs.
Middleton, and were employed in music, books, and conversation.
And so the pleasant days slipped by and brought the Sabbath, when
all the family went together to the old Shelton church.
Monday was the last day of his visit, and he passed it almost
exclusively in the society of Bee. In the evening Mr. and Mrs.
Middleton left them alone in the drawing room, that they might say
their last kind words to each other unembarrassed by the presence of
others.
And on Tuesday morning Ishmael mounted his horse and started for
Brudenell.