“What! you alive?” said Little, staring.
“Alive, and that is all,” said Coventry. “Pray excuse me for not dying
to please you.”
Ere Little could reply, Mr. Carden, who had heard of his arrival, looked
in from the library, and beckoned him in.
When they were alone, he began by giving the young man his hand, and
then thanked him warmly for his daughter. “You have shown yourself a
hero in courage. Now go one step further; be a hero in fortitude and
self-denial; that unhappy man in the next room is her husband; like you,
he risked his life to save her. He tells me he heard the dam was going
to burst, and came instantly with a ladder to rescue her. He was less
fortunate than you, and failed to rescue her; less fortunate than you
again, he has received a mortal injury in that attempt. It was I who
found him; I went down distracted with anxiety, to look for my daughter;
I found this poor creature jammed tight between the tree he was upon
and a quantity of heavy timber that had accumulated and rested against
a bank. We released him with great difficulty. It was a long time before
he could speak; and then, his first inquiry was after HER. Show some
pity for an erring man, Mr. Little; some consideration for my daughter's
reputation. Let him die in peace: his spine is broken; he can't live
many days.”
Little heard all this and looked down on the ground for some time in
silence. At last he said firmly, “Mr. Carden, I would not be inhuman to
a dying man; but you were always his friend, and never mine. Let me see
HER, and I'll tell her what you say, and take her advice.”
“You shall see her, of course; but not just now. She is in bed, attended
by a Sister of Charity, whom she telegraphed for.”
“Can I see that lady?”
“Certainly.”
Sister Gratiosa was sent for, and, in reply to Little's anxious
inquiries, told him that Sister Amata had been very much shaken by the
terrible events of the night, and absolute repose was necessary to her.
In further conversation she told him she was aware of Sister Amata's
unhappy story, and had approved her retirement from Hillsborough,
under all the circumstances; but that now, after much prayer to God for
enlightenment, she could not but think it was the Sister's duty, as a
Christian woman, to stay at home and nurse the afflicted man whose name
she bore, and above all devote herself to his spiritual welfare.
“Oh, that is your notion, is it?” said Henry. “Then you are no friend of
mine.”
“I am no enemy of yours, nor of any man, I hope. May I ask you one
question, without offense?”
“Certainly.”
“Have you prayed to God to guide you in this difficulty?”
“No.”
“Then seek his throne without delay; and, until you have done so, do not
rashly condemn my views of this matter, since I have sought for wisdom
where alone it is to be found.”
Henry chafed under this; but he commanded his temper, though with
difficulty, and said, “Will you take a line to her from me?”
The Sister hesitated. “I don't know whether I ought,” said she.
“Oh, then the old game of intercepting letters is to be played.”
“Not by me: after prayer I shall be able to say Yes or No to your
request. At present, being at a distance from my Superior, I must needs
hesitate.”
“Right and wrong must have made very little impression on your mind, if
you don't know whether you ought to take a letter to a woman from a man
who has just saved her life--or not.”
The lady colored highly, courtesied, and retired without a word.
Little knew enough of human nature to see that the Sister would not pray
against feminine spite; he had now a dangerous enemy in the house, and
foresaw that Grace would be steadily worked on through her religious
sentiments.
He went away, sick with disappointment, jealousy, and misgivings, hired
a carriage, and drove at once to Raby Hall.