That is, for one brief, ridiculous moment she so believed. Then, with a
blush at her own credulity, Aunt Ruth speedily hurried out of doors and
laid her energetic mortal hand upon the specter’s shoulder.
“Paula! Paula Pickel! What in the name of common-sense is thee doing?”
But, as it was something rather in the nature of uncommon-sense, Paula
did not immediately answer.
A second, more vigorous shake awoke the young somnambulist, though to a
dazed and unsatisfactory condition which was as puzzling to Aunt Ruth
as the whole episode was. But the girl gradually came to herself, and
her first exclamation cleared the ghostly mystery.
“Dear me! Have I been walking in my sleep again?”
“I should say thee had,” retorted the aunt, feeling very decidedly
provoked at having so many people disturbed. “Thee has frightened
Grandmother Capers half to death with thy uncanny dancing. Come now, at
once, and show her who and what thee is. Then, maybe, the old lady can
get a bit of rest. Between thee and Melville it will be little enough
at the most.”
Paula resented her aunt’s tone and manner: she acknowledged no
authority except her own will, and, occasionally, that of her Uncle
Fritz.
“You have no right to speak like that to me--none whatever. Besides, I
am not going to meet a stranger in this dishabille. I am sorry that I
walked in my sleep, but I am not to blame for it.”
The young girl drew herself stiffly away from the firm touch which
still held her shoulder, and with an air of offended dignity started to
re-enter the house.
Ruth released her clasp, suffering Paula to follow her own inclination;
but a keen perception of the ludicrous was so thoroughly awakened
that the aunt could not restrain a hearty laugh. Truth was, Ruth
Kinsolving was little more than a girl, herself; a wholesome-natured
if high-spirited one, and, as mother Amy too well knew, but ill-fitted
to rule over a houseful of young folks, like these whom Providence had
brought to her door. Doubtless, being blessed with excellent sense,
she would find a way for herself out of the puzzle; and a way which
would retain her own self-respect while still commanding theirs. But as
yet she had not even thought about this way, nor of anything but the
immediate needs of her great family.
Paula turned, in a fury; forgetting instantly her determination to show
these American relatives what a great lady she was, and becoming the
actual reality,--a very quickly offended, untrained girl.
“I do not see occasion for laughter in my misfortune, Aunt Ruth; and I
wish that Uncle Fritz had never brought us here. You may as well learn
in the beginning that I never wished to come and that I shall go away
as soon as possible.”
A sharp retort formed itself in Ruth Kinsolving’s mind, but rested
there unspoken.
“I was not laughing at thee, dear little Paula, but at the absurdity of
thy attempted dignity, clad just as thee is. It is high time we were
both indoors, and thinking less about ourselves and more about our
neighbors. Come.”
Aunt Ruth slipped her arm, covered only by its cambric sleeve, about
the waist of her niece, and would have guided her affectionally back to
her chamber.
But Paula would not. She had been a trifle touched by the soft tone in
which this new aunt had said “dear little Paula,” but she was slower
to forget resentment than to feel it. So she hurried forward alone,
and made her way to the room where Christina was sleeping, in the
refreshing rest which follows a simple supper and bedtime thoughts of
sweet good-will.
Ruth went to Grandmother Capers, and found the old lady greatly shaken
by the shock she had received. Surprising as it was, Margaret Capers
persistently refused to accept Ruth’s plain and natural explanation
of the affair, and reiterated her belief that she had really seen a
spirit, whose visitation was intended as a warning of direful things to
come.
From his room adjoining, Melville heard the discussion and terminated
it in his own fashion: “Go to bed, grandma, and keep still! If, at your
age, you want to be a fool, be one, and not bother other folks about
it! As for you, Aunt Ruth, I wish you would get me a drink of fresh
water out of the well, and take yourself off out of the way. I hate
this night rowing! If you don’t get back to that side of the house
pretty soon, some of the rest of your imps will be breaking loose! I’ll
make grandmother get out of this!”
“Thee will, in a sense thee little understands, ungrateful boy!”
replied his long-suffering aunt, after she had drawn and brought the
water. “And I will ask thy permission to give thee a bedtime thought.
If there are any ‘imps’ under this roof this night, they are locked up
in thy own selfish heart. If thee is really a Kinsolving, see to it
that thee treats that poor old woman in yonder with common decency. One
of these nights thee will order her and she will not obey.” And with
that for a good-night, the much tried young house-mistress took herself
off.
Melville was sufficiently nervous to find sleep impossible for weary
hours to come; and it is probable that the self-indulgent lad had never
done a greater amount of thinking in a like space of time.
“Aunt Ruth has a way of saying things which cut; but they generally cut
in the right place when she says them to other people! Did she mean
it? Am I an ‘imp,’ myself? I suppose I don’t speak very respectfully
to grandma, sometimes; but she is such a silly thing that she tries me
awfully. And everybody knows I am an incurable invalid. It’s a pity I
can’t talk as I please, when I am doomed to lie here like a log! I’d be
a saint if I had that little imp Fritz’s legs and fists! How he did use
them, though! And I couldn’t but admire the young monkey, in spite of
my anger, he did so make me think of one of Abraham’s bantam roosters.
Well, maybe some of the Pickels will be relishable; and if they are,
I’ll try not to scare them away by crossness.”
From which soliloquy of Melville’s it will be seen that while the
would-be reformers had all gone to bed in the truly missionary spirit,
the sinner to be reconstructed was doing his own best to make his
stubborn clay pliable to their touch. Also, that his threat of “getting
out of this” was a threat merely, and not to be taken seriously.