THE FOREIGN PACKAGE.
After Sir William's departure a package was brought to his house bearing
a foreign postmark, and sealed with unusual formality. It was for
Barbara Stafford, directed to the care of Sir William Phipps, and had
doubtless come over in the ship which Norman had seen the day before
buffeting its course shoreward through the storm.
When this package was brought to Lady Phipps she held it irresolute for
some minutes. An idea flashed across her mind that it contained some
hint of that unhappy woman's life, and a wild impulse rose in her heart
to read it. But such thoughts could find no resting-place in her pure
nature. She called to Norman Lovel, gave him the package, and bade him
take it at once to the prison.
Norman placed the package in his bosom, drew his cloak over it, and went
forth one of the heaviest-hearted men ever called upon to undertake a
cruel labor of love. He had stayed away from the prison purposely,
hoping that the governor might yet return; but when the night stole on
with such ruthless certainty, he was preparing to visit the prisoner
with the heart-rending assurance that Sir William Phipps had uttered his
irrevocable decree. There was no hope for her. On the morrow she must
die. Filled with such trouble as youth seldom knows, he took the package
in silence, and went his way.
Norman found Barbara Stafford in her dungeon reading in a prayer-book
which the authorities had permitted her to receive with other articles
of her own property from her trunks in the farm-house. She looked up as
Norman entered, and met his despairing glance with a faint smile.
"I have been expecting you," she said.
"And now I come to say--"
He could not utter the word, but stood before her dumb with anguish.
"That I must suffer to-morrow. Do not grieve; I expected it," she said,
with sweet sadness.
"It is true. The governor is inexorable."
Never to his dying day did he forget the expression of that face when he
told Barbara how hopeless his suit had been. It was like that of a
grieved angel, calm and mournful, but holy with resignation. It seemed
as if her soul were repeating the words of our Saviour, "Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do!"
Norman sat down by her, but could not speak. He had come himself with
the terrible tidings, hoping to soften her fate by words of soothing and
consolation, but the occasion was too overpowering; he could only sit at
her feet and gaze wistfully into her eyes for the comfort he had lost
all power to give.
After a time the doomed woman made a gentle attempt to soothe him, and
calm the anguish, which was the more terrible because of its stillness.
But the very sound of her voice thrilled him with pain. She saw that he
could not speak. Her hand fell gently on his head, and bending over him
she whispered:
"My son, remember how few years lie between this home and that meeting
which will be all joy. Nay, do not weep so, or you will make me wish to
live."
"Oh, would to God that I could die for you!" cried the young man in a
burst of passionate grief.
"Hush! hush! In this world one meets with many things harder to endure
than death. When that comes we may hope for such sweet pity as you give
me now; but there exist sorrows which must be borne in silence, to which
even a violent exit from life is happiness. Do not mourn for me, now,
dear friend, for I have learned to suffer and be patient. Come, cheer
up. I must find that smile on your face before we part to-night. See how
your grief has disturbed me. I had almost forgotten to inquire after
that sweet child, Elizabeth Parris, for in the greatest peril I did not
forget that the young girl, my innocent enemy, was borne from the court
insensible. Nay, do not shake that head, but tell me how much you love
this pretty creature. My time is short, but I may yet have power to
brighten your lives."
"There will be nothing bright for me after you are gone!" was the
mournful answer.
"Nay, but I will make my very memory a blessing to you both. You must
wed this girl, for she loves you dearly."
"I know it," answered the young man, lifting his head and gazing on his
doomed friend through a blinding rush of tears. "And I loved her
before--"
"Hush, hush! You love her now--ever will love her. There is one thing,
Norman, which I think would make me die happier."
"Any thing that I can do?" he questioned eagerly.
"Yes; before I--before to-morrow it would comfort me to feel certain of
your marriage with Elizabeth Parris."
"What! now, in this gloomy place, can you think of that?"
"But it is not so very gloomy. I am prepared. Now, I remember, where is
the leather case which I entrusted to your keeping that day when you
claimed me from the soldiers in Salem? I trust it is in safety, for when
I am gone its contents shall be yours; and they are of value."
"I brought the case with me, under my cloak, thinking that it might
contain gold which you could use."
"Yes; you will find gold there after I am gone. Keep it with the rest."
"Dear friend, you will break my heart with this cruel kindness."
"What! I? No! no! I wish to make you very happy."
"Lady, in my grief I forgot every thing. Here is a package which came
over from England in a ship which has just arrived."
Barbara started, and a sudden color came to her face. The excitement was
but momentary. She received the package from Norman's hand without
looking at it.
"Like all things else it comes too late," she said, quietly; "still I
thank you."
That moment a turnkey opened her dungeon door, and peered in with a
wistful, inquiring look; over his shoulders appeared a thin face, sharp,
and grayish pale, whose black eyes wandered through the dungeon with a
sort of timid eagerness, as if he searched, and yet shrunk from some
object.
Barbara Stafford saw the face, and stood up with a mournful smile on her
lip; thus she remained, waiting, till Samuel Parris came in, and paused
before her, like the ghost of some pale friar that had wandered from its
substance.
"Samuel Parris, my kind host, my stern accuser," said Barbara Stafford.
"Alas! old man, you seem more dreary than I; no wonder: my troubles will
be over to-morrow; but yours--oh! God forgive you, Samuel Parris! May
the God of heaven help you to forgive yourself!"
Samuel Parris sat down upon a stool. He had come to persuade Barbara
Stafford into saving herself by confession, for her coming death
troubled him sorely; but when he saw her standing there, so calm and
pale, like a queen--no, like that grander thing, a brave, delicate
woman, who knows how to die like a woman--he had no voice wherewith to
tempt her weakness, or win on her conscience; but sat down, with trouble
in his eyes, gazing on her in silence.
"Old man," said Barbara, smiling, oh! how mournfully, "if you came to
encourage me to support my weakness through the dark scene of to-morrow,
I thank you."
"Nay," said the old man, "I came to exhort thee to confession."
Barbara made a faint movement with her hand.
"Without that," continued the minister, "there is no hope. Governor
Phipps has left his home, that his heart may be no longer wrung with our
importunities, for I, even I, and Elizabeth my daughter--nay, the very
wife of his bosom--have been on our knees before him to no avail. Now,
that death treads so closely on our words, we, who have been thy honest
accusers, would fain see thee sent safely beyond seas, rather than this
fearful sentence should be fulfilled."
Barbara Stafford bent her face, shrouding it with both hands, while a
flood of soft, sweet tears rained from her eyes. It was comforting to
know that even these, her bitter enemies, had relented a little.
"Old man," she said, with gentle dignity, "I have nothing to confess
connected with the crime of which you charge me."
"But without confession there can be no forgiveness; of that rest
assured," pleaded the minister.
"Nor can I ask forgiveness for a crime which has never been committed.
Old man, I thank you for this kind intent, but it can be of no avail. I
am a weak woman, it is true, and shrink from suffering, but that which
God permits I will strive to endure with befitting courage."
"Unhappy woman," said the minister, regarding her with a look of intense
compassion, "can nothing be done to persuade thee? Wouldst thou die and
leave doubt on the soul of an old man who never meant evil by thee?"
The minister's voice was low and entreating. He seemed about to weep.
Barbara went close to him.
"If it will avail to make you happier," she said, gently, "I can say of
a truth that I believe you have dealt honestly with me, and when death
comes, I, the victim and the sufferer, hold you free from all blame. If
I have in any thing brought trouble under your roof, forgive me now
before we part forever."
As she stood thus, bowed forward, with both hands up to her temples,
there was something in the attitude, and in the very depth of her sobs,
that struck the old man with compassion. He stood up, and with his
withered hands attempted to put back the hair from her face, as if she
had been a little girl whose grief he pitied.
"Would to God thou hadst never crossed my path," he said; "or that I had
now the power to save as it has been given me to destroy."
"Do not mourn for me, or blame yourself," answered the lady. "If it
seems hard to die, it was harder still to live. Give me your blessing,
Samuel Parris, for, despite the fate that threatens me, I do think you a
Christian. So let us part in peace."
The old man lifted his hands, and blessed the woman he had destroyed.
Barbara turned to Norman Lovel. "Go with this good old man," she said.
"He is heavy-hearted to-night. Speak kindly to him, and come early in
the morning. You will stay with me to the last."
"To the last!" answered the young man. Then he and the minister went
out, leaving Barbara Stafford alone.