One morning, about a month after the death of Captain Thornton, as Etta
and Mabel were preparing for their morning bath in the ocean, they grew
confidential, as girls are apt to do when arranging their toilets
together.
“Mabel,” said Etta, “I envy you the freedom you enjoy in seeing Ahleka
so often with none to interfere. How I wish I were in your place for I
must meet Uala clandestinely, so that papa shall not know of our love. I
hate to deceive papa, I am sure, but I don’t know what to do. Do you
think I do right to meet him as I do?”
“Yes indeed, I think you are right to meet him if you love him. It would
be far better if every woman would cling to the one man she loves; but
you are not right in meeting him secretly. You should not be ashamed to
acknowledge your love before all. When one is ashamed of their love it
is not the pure, strong unchangeable passion that alone should be called
by that name.” She spoke warmly, for she did not like this concealment
on the part of her friend.
“But Mabel, you do not understand me at all. I am not ashamed of my love
for Uala, but papa has said I should never marry any one on this island
with his consent. Now what am I to do?”
“What are you to do? Be a true woman and let your holy love for the man
who has won your heart, speak hereafter. Let it be his approval or
disapproval you abide by. When you were a child you owed your obedience
to your father, but now you are a woman with a woman’s love in your
heart and you should obey that love, even if it is in opposition to your
father’s will.”
“Would you have me marry Uala without my father’s consent?”
“Yes, by all means. You do not seem to realize that you are teaching
deception to Uala, and, you know, deceit among this people is a thing
unknown. Can you be the first to teach them, by example, that there are
such things as deceit, untruth and dishonesty?”
“No, Mabel. No, you know that I don’t,” exclaimed Etta. “Do have some
mercy on me. You forget how I am placed.”
“No, I do not forget,” answered Mabel, “but you do not belong to your
father. You are not a slave. Your heart, your mind, your will, are yours
and yours alone. When a father attempts to govern the love in his
daughter’s heart he undertakes that which he has no right to; for nature
has placed the feeling of love strong in the breast of every woman, and
whoever tries to thwart that love, should realize that they are
responsible for whatever of deceit, wrong doing and shame that may
follow. Half of the blighted, unhappy women of the world are made so,
either by the interference of others, in their love affairs, or by their
own weakness in not daring to marry a man if his so-called social
position is not equal to their own, or whose purse is not long enough to
satisfy their soaring ambition. If women married those they loved and
none else, as is done here, we should have no scandals in high life to
shock us, as is now constantly the case. Oh, stop this deceit, Etta, it
is unworthy of you! Be a true woman. There is no virtue more to be
admired in woman than sincerity, and if you love Uala, as you say——”
“Oh, Mabel! can you doubt my love?” broke in Etta. “I love him with my
whole heart, but I did not realize how false my conduct was, until now
that you have shown me how wrong I have been. I will tell papa
everything at once, and if he disapproves, as I know only too well that
he will, I shall do as you say, hold fast to my resolution, as I know I
shall always love Uala, and should be wretchedly unhappy without him.”
“I am glad, Etta dear, that you have come to so womanly a decision.”
“Do you suppose Mabel, that your father would approve of your marriage
with Ahleka if he know of it?”
“Yes,” answered Mabel, “I am quite sure he would. It was from his dear
lips that I learned to think on the subject of marriage as I do.”
After they had had their bath, Etta went directly to her father to tell
him of her love for Uala. It was a hard task, but she now saw her duty
and was determined to do it. After throwing her arms about his neck, and
kissing him, she dropped in a graceful little heap upon the mat at his
feet, and began: “Papa, do you love me very much?”
“What a question, why child, you are all in the world I have left to
love. Of course I love you.”
“But, papa, do you love me lots and lots, as I used to say when I was a
little thing?”
“I love you more and more every day of your life, my dear child.”
“Then you want me to be very happy, don’t you papa dear?” An odd
expression passed over the face of Captain Gray, as he replied:
“Want you to be happy? of course I do, you little kitten. If I were in
America now, after all this coaxing, I should expect a request to buy
you a seal skin jacket, but as this climate won’t do for seal skins, and
they are not to be had any way, I don’t know what I am expected to give
this little tease to make her so wonderfully happy.” His tone and words
were light and playful, but his face was stern, for he more than half
guessed what she meant to ask.
“Oh, papa,” she cried, “I know I am going to make you angry but I cannot
help it. I love Uala. Will you give your consent to our union?”
“Never! How can you ask for my consent to marry a black beggar?”
“Oh, papa! he is so manly and I love him with my whole heart.”
“Then the sooner you stop loving him the better, is all I’ve got to say,
for you shan’t marry that black-skinned hound.”
“Papa,” said Etta, rising to her feet, her whole manner changed in a
moment, from girlish playfulness to womanly dignity. She had been stung
by her father’s scornful words. “Papa, you have always been a kind and
affectionate father to me and my love and respect for you could not be
greater; but from to-day my love and respect is also given to another.
His, I am in heart and his I shall remain forever.”
“How dare you defy me!” he cried, “you shall never marry him, even if I
have to——” What he would have said farther will never be known, for the
sentence was never finished.