Bacon and his companion having left O'Reily with the horses, now
commenced descending an immense hill which formed one side of a dark and
dismal looking glen. The tall pine trees with which the higher grounds
were covered seemed to reach half way to the clouds. A cold midnight
breeze swept through the damp and dewy foliage of the trees and
shrubbery. The birds of night chimed mournfully and dismally in unison
with the monotonous rustling of the leaves, and the rippling of a little
brook just before them. When they had stepped across the stream, and
cast their eyes up the face of the opposite hill, the rays of the moon
suddenly broke through a fissure of the clouds, revealing to them rather
the darkness around than any distinct traces of the path which they were
to pursue. Bacon stood for an instant, and gazed intently upon a little
spot of partially cleared ground half way to the summit, then gently
drawing his companion to the same place where he stood, and pointing
upwards, he said "Do you not perceive something moving yonder? It is he!
you must now proceed alone!"
"Alone, Nathaniel? Impossible!"
"You must, Virginia; he will not admit more than one person at a time
within his cell. Fear not there is no earthly danger; I will be within
call. Rouse your drooping courage! the worst half of your undertaking is
now accomplished."
"By far the worst half is yet to come, Nathaniel; you can form no
conception of the awe with which I look upon that being! You forget that
I have never seen more of him than I see now, notwithstanding you say
that he is so much attached to me."
"It is strange, I confess Virginia, but it is nevertheless true."
"His affection, if it exists, must be the fruit of your representations
as to some imaginary proficiency in my studies."
"Not at all; he seems to know every one in Jamestown, and all the
circumstances connected with their history: but come, Virginia, we are
losing precious time. Move on and fear nothing."
Clasping her hands, and internally summoning up all her resolution, she
advanced with a sort of desperate determination. Having arrived within
some forty yards of the spot before alluded to, the outlines of a
gigantic figure could easily be discerned as his footfalls were
distinctly heard moving restlessly to and fro on a sort of platform or
level space, left by nature or formed by art, in the side of the hill.
His head towered far above the stunted undergrowth, interspersed among
the rugged outlines of the scene. And as he impatiently measured the
narrow limits of this outer court to his castle, he seemed not unlike a
chafed and hungry monarch of the forest when making the narrow rounds of
his iron bound limits. Having gone thus far, she was sensible that it
was nearly as bad to recede as go forward, and that if she retreated now
upon the very eve of the fulfilment of all that Bacon had promised, her
past anxieties would have been endured for nothing: she braced her
nerves therefore, and endeavoured to subdue the overpowering terror
which the distant view of this strange and mysterious man had excited.
Summoning all her resolution for one desperate effort, she threw herself
forward and fell at the feet of the huge mortal, who stood apparently
astounded at the abrupt appearance of his unwonted and untimely visiter.
When Virginia found courage enough to raise her lately closed eyes, she
was not a little astonished to see him leaning against the stone walls
of his cell, no less agitated than herself. He was apparently about
sixty years of age, his hair slightly silvered, and his features worn
and weatherbeaten, yet eminently handsome. His person was very
remarkable, being about six feet and a half in height and perfectly
proportioned. His dress conformed in some degree to the military
fashions of the day, having however rather the appearance of undress
than full uniform. The expression of his countenance was decidedly
intellectual; and about the lower part of his face there were some
indications of a disposition to sensuality, but tempered and controlled
in no ordinary degree by some other fierce and controlling passion. His
eye was wild and unsettled at times, and again assumed the mild serenity
of the profound student. Altogether, his presence was intellectual and
commanding in the highest degree.
As he stood against the wall of his cell quaking like an aspen, an
indifferent observer would have been at a loss to determine which was
the most agitated, he or his gentle visiter. Virginia noted with more
than one furtive glance his strange and unexpected embarrassment, still
however, preserving her humble and supplicating posture. At length,
struggling with the emotions which unmanned him, muttering all the while
broken sentences which fell strangely upon her ear, and among which she
could distinguish repeated allusions to herself, and to events of long
passed years, recalled as it appeared by some fancied resemblance traced
by his excited imagination in her form and features. He approached the
kneeling maiden, and taking her hand, he raised her from the ground, and
said in a tone of kindness, "My wayward fancies frighten thee, my child;
be not alarmed, however--there is nothing here to harm thee. My house is
poor and cheerless, but such as it is, thou art welcome to its shelter,
and to any services which I can render to thee. Come, my daughter, let
us in from the damps of the night."
The cell of the Recluse was formed on three sides by stone walls without
windows, as O'Reily had described them, the fourth being furnished by
the side of the hill, and the roof an arch of masonry overgrown with
moss, grass and weeds.[1]
[Footnote 1: A house very similar to that we have described stands to
this day near the Ancient City. Its former objects and uses are entirely
unknown.]
Pressing open the rude door, he entered, followed by Virginia. Near one
corner of the room stood a common deal table, on which was placed a
small iron lamp, and near to it a three legged stool of the rudest
construction. These were the only articles of furniture of which the
apartment could boast. The floor, which consisted of the earth, as
nature had made it, was overgrown with weeds and bushes. "This," said
he, with a bitter smile upon his countenance, "is my hall of audience!
Here I receive my guests, with one solitary exception; thou shalt be
another." Having thus spoken, he took the lamp from the table, and
drawing aside some dried bushes which were piled against the side formed
by the hill in apparent carelessness, he exhibited to her view the mouth
of a cavern, not sufficient in height by several feet to admit his
person in the erect position. "This," said he as he stooped to enter,
"is not a house made with hands, and it is built upon a rock of ages.
The rains may descend, floods may come, winds blow and beat upon it, but
it falleth not. It is proper that thou shouldst see it, and such has
long been my intention. I have much to say to thee, and doubtless thou
hast something to communicate to me, or thou wouldst not have made this
visit. But not a whisper of what thou mayst see or hear must ever pass
thy lips, save to those I shall authorize thee to make partakers of thy
knowledge. This is a condition which thou must impress upon thy mind."
Stepping in a bent position within the mouth of the cavern, he moved
forward and downward, motioning her to follow. They descended many rude
and natural steps, which were imperfectly seen by the light of the lamp
borne by her singular guide, the rays being often obscured by the bulk
and great height of his person in the narrow passages of the cave, so
that she was more than once compelled to grope her way by sliding her
hand along the cold damp and dripping walls, and by slipping her feet
over the uneven ground, without raising them in the act of stepping.
Having completed the descent, she found herself in a long natural
vestibule to the inner apartments. Her guide had gained rapidly upon
her, so that when once more upon level ground, some thirty feet below
the outer surface of the earth, he was almost out of sight. She would
have cried out, had she not been restrained by a counteracting feeling,
which placed her in a grievous dilemma between horror at the dismal
place, and fear of the singular being who had undertaken to guide her
through its recesses. Commending herself however to her Maker in mental
prayer, and trusting in his protection the more confidently on account
of the motive for her undertaking, she hastened forward so as with great
exertions to keep within sight of the rising and sinking light of the
lamp, and the devious windings of the cavern. The footfalls of her
Herculean guide reechoed along the damp and gloomy tunnels with an awful
and dismal effect, amidst the grave-like stillness of the place.
Occasionally flickering shadows were reflected against the walls, when
the light turned suddenly round a projecting rock, affording to her
imagination the most startling and frightful images. While her mind was
combatting these unreal terrors, she was surprised by the tone of a deep
hoarse voice abruptly rumbling through the high dark arches far above
her head, with that reverberating sound peculiar to these secret places
of the earth. But her amazement was still greater, when lifting her eyes
in the direction of the lamp she beheld the Recluse standing upon a
lofty but narrow ledge of rock, the lamp flickering and sinking every
now and then so as to threaten total darkness. He was pointing with his
finger, and directing her to a projecting and winding pathway by which
she must ascend to the platform upon which he stood. This once gained,
she had a complete view of the resting place of her mysterious guide.
Immediately fronting the platform was a natural doorway, about as high
as her own head, leading into the inner chamber. From the high and
vaulted arches hung thousands of the fantastic creations of hoary time,
and from the centre of these a cord swung into the middle of the area,
to which was suspended a burning lamp, the rays of which were
brilliantly reflected from a thousand shining mirrors of nature's
forming. In one corner she discovered, as they entered, several pieces
of firearms, and against the wall on one side hung huge swords, long
enough for two-handed weapons to ordinary mortals, together with Indian
war clubs, moccasins, wampum, pipes, tomahawks, spears, arrows, and
other implements of savage warfare. In another corner stood a rude
bedstead, evidently constructed by the hands of its nightly occupant, a
small table, two or three chairs, and a few culinary articles,--some the
manufacture of the savages, and others the product of civilized
ingenuity. By far the largest part of one side of the room was occupied
by coarsely constructed shelves, bearing many volumes of the most
venerable appearance. One of these was lying open upon the table, a pair
of horn spectacles upon the page to mark the place where the owner had
last been engaged. The very letters in which it was printed were entire
strangers to the eyes of our heroine. Some thirty yards distant, in the
remotest part of the room, a little furnace diffused a narrow circle of
glowing light through its otherwise gloomy precincts. These completed
the establishment, so far as the eye could discover its arrangement.
When he had led Virginia into the habitable part of this area, he placed
a chair, and motioned for her to be seated, drawing a stool near the
table at the same time for himself, and resting his head upon the palm
of his hand. "I will not affect ignorance of thy name and person, my
daughter, nor yet of thy errand here. The first I should most certainly
have known, if I had not surmised the last. Alas! my child, thou wilt
think no doubt that I speak in riddles when I tell thee that those
features have been engraven upon the heart of one who has forsworn the
world for many a long and irksome year. Thou mayest well look amazed, my
poor bewildered child, but it is true! I cannot explain it to thee now,
however; some day perhaps thou mayest know all. Oh, if thou couldst
imagine what events must take place in this little isolated world around
Jamestown, before the mysteries of which I speak can rightfully be made
clear to thee, thou wouldst fall upon thy knees and pray that such
disastrous knowledge might never come to thy understanding!"
As his eye rested from time to time, while he spoke, upon the features
of the beautiful girl, he covered his face with his hands, and seemed
for an instant to give way to an agitation similar to that which
unnerved him at her first appearance on the platform. Occasionally too,
when not speaking himself, he became profoundly abstracted for a moment,
and his eye was wild and restless, and not a little alarming to his
gentle visiter, as it ever and anon fell upon herself, and seemed to
gather in her face the solution of some subtle doubt of his troubled
mind. But observing that his glances, wild as they were, always became
humanized and softened as they rested upon her face, she seized the
first opportunity to complete the object of her journey, not well
knowing how it might terminate, being herself ignorant of its especial
object, and indeed of the very nature of the threatened danger.
"Father, I came here to seek your aid and protection for those who are
near and dear to me; My honoured parents--my mother"--she would have
proceeded, but at the mention of her mother's name he was seized with
such a convulsive shudder that she paused in astonishment. It seemed as
if the hand of death was already laying its cold grasp upon his vitals.
His eye gleamed wildly--his lips trembled, and his hands shook as one
stricken with the palsy, or overwhelmed by some sudden stroke of
calamity. By a desperate effort of resolution, he speedily resumed his
attention to the discourse, and she proceeded: "I have been advised and
urged in my resort to this step by one not unknown to you, under the
vain hope, I fear, that you were cognizant of some threatened danger to
my dear parents and kindred, and that you would communicate the
knowledge to me rather than to him."
"As I have already said, my daughter, I surmised that something of this
nature was the object of thy visit, and I will now confess to thee that
this appeal places me in an embarrassing position between some friends
of former and better days and my desire to grant thy request." Pausing
and apparently soliloquizing, he continued: "But have they not acted
against my advice? Did I not tell them, that we had had enough of that
already? Did I not warn them against this very result? I cannot betray
them, however; no, no, my old comrades, I will give you another warning,
and then your blood, if it must flow, be upon your own heads." He was
about to resume his discourse to his visiter, but stopping suddenly and
raising his finger in the attitude of one listening in the profoundest
attention, he seized the small lamp, rushed past the little furnace in
the direction of the cave through the hill opposite the entrance, at one
time rising and anon descending, until Virginia (who had followed,
fearing to be left alone) supposed they must be again near the surface
of the earth. He paused once more to listen, motioning her at the same
time to be silent. He had scarcely done so, when the distant sound of
running water struck upon her ear,--sometimes distinct, and again as if
buried in the bowels of the earth. Then came the noise as of a stone
splashing in the water. The eye of the Recluse sparkled as he turned
with a quick and expressive glance towards his companion. He hastily
applied his ear to the rocky side of the cavern and listened for a
second, then hurried back, taking Virginia by the hand in his return,
and leading her to her former seat. He then busied himself for a few
moments in exchanging the short cutlass by his side for one of the huge
weapons hanging on the wall, and placed a pair of large and richly
inlaid petronels in his belt, as if about to march on some secret and
desperate expedition.
Whether these were really for such a purpose, or were his usual
preparations for repose, Virginia was entirely at a loss to determine.
Meantime she had an opportunity to survey the features and expression of
his countenance, as he from time to time faced towards her, intently
engaged with his occupation, and muttering all the while words to her
altogether inexplicable at the time.
His large and light blue eye had an expression of forced resignation and
calmness, drops of cold perspiration stood upon his brow, lip, and bald
head, which was now uncovered. His features were large and striking, but
well proportioned, the lips protuberant, the teeth large, white, and
regular, and as a smile, indicative more of wretchedness than mirth,
played upon his face, the impression was irresistible that the wrinkles
which marked his features were the impress of suffering rather than of
age. In his personal as well as mental attributes he was eminently
gifted, though there seemed to be a settled design, as much to clothe
the one in the garb of age, as to exhibit the other, if at all, in
meekness and humility.
"It is not consistent with my duty to all parties in this business, my
daughter, to enlighten thee as to the nature of the danger which
threatens thy friends, or as to the means of preventing it. I owe it to
myself, first to warn those from whom it comes, yet once more against
their undertaking, as I have already done--but thus far in vain. If they
are still deaf to my admonition and entreaties, rest assured that I will
leave no power or influence within my control unexerted to thwart their
purposes. Thou mayest therefore direct him who must have conducted thee
hither, to see me early on the morrow, and I will inform him as to the
result of my endeavours and the best means to pursue in case they are
unsuccessful. Rest thou contented yet a little while; I see thou art
impatient, but I have some things to say to thee concerning other
matters than those which brought thee hither. I see thou art studying
these evidences of years in my features as the forester examines the
rings in the fallen tree to estimate its age, but these (pointing to the
wrinkles) are records which years alone could not have wrought. Few of
us, my daughter, can read these marks of time and destiny, and trace
through them one by one, the disappointed hopes, the cruel mishaps, the
hair-breadth adventures, their failure, sealed perhaps in the blood of
those who had basked together with us in the sunshine of youth and hope,
without a sinking of the heart within us, and a deep sense of the utter
worthlessness of all those gay illusions which beam so brightly on thy
own youthful features.
"I allude to this subject now, my daughter, because there seems to be
some connexion between it and the one upon which I have been so anxious
to commune with thee. Although we have never met before, it is not the
first time I have seen thee, nor is this, which thou hast given me, the
first information I have received concerning thee and thine. I have
taken some pains to learn even the minutest circumstances connected with
thy past history, present occupation and future prospects. I see thy
surprise, but it was not done in idle gossip thou mayest be well
assured. My motives will all be made plain enough to thee some day. In
the mean time I must approach a subject which I fear will give thee
pain, but my duty is imperative, I mean the state of thy mind and
feelings."
"Alas, father, I fear you will find them but too deeply engrossed with
the cares and pleasures of this world."
"Thy mistake is a natural one," said he, (one of those smiles of
wretchedness passing over his pale countenance, as a flash of
electricity darting along the horizon sometimes shows us the extent and
depth of the darkness beyond) "my situation and past misfortunes would
indeed seem to fit me for a teacher of holy things, but my present
business is with thy worldly affections. Start not, my daughter; I have
the most urgent reasons which a mortal can have for thus endeavouring to
intrude myself into thy feminine secrets; believe me, no trifling cause
could impel me thus to startle thy maidenly delicacy, nor indeed needest
thou be startled on one account which I see agitates thee. Thou very
naturally supposest me to have some charge to bring against thee for
want of proper spirit and maidenly reserve; I see it by thy blushes; but
there is no such thought within my breast; thou mayest have been even
more guarded than is customary with females of thy age. My business is
with facts, and facts of such a nature that however stubborn they may
be, I fear that thou art unconscious of them, though they relate to
thyself and one other person only. However, without bringing thee to
confessional, I think I can sufficiently put thee upon thy guard without
wounding thy delicacy. The only question in my own mind is, whether the
time to speak has not already passed."
"I am at a loss to comprehend you, father."
"I will speak more plainly then. Thou hast been associating for some
years with a youth of little more than thine own age. He is noble and
gifted with every manly and generous attribute; well instructed too for
his time and country. To thee I will give credit for corresponding
qualities suitable to thy own sex, and I have no doubt that thou
possessest them. Thinkest thou then that two such persons could grow up
together constantly within the influence of each other's expanding
personal attractions, besides the nobler ones of mind and heart, without
feeling more towards each other than two ordinary mortals of the same
sex? Oh, I see the crimson tell-tale mounting in thy cheeks; thou
hangest thy head too in tacit acknowledgement, that I have surmised no
more than the truth." His visiter for some time made a vain effort to
speak, and at length overcoming her confusion and surprise, in broken
sentences exclaimed, "Indeed" indeed, father, you wrong me! indeed you
wrong us both! such a subject was never mentioned between us to this
hour! Nay more, it never entered our"--as she looked up and perceived
his searching glance riveted upon her countenance, her head again sunk
in embarrassment, and the words died upon her lips.
"Cease, cease, my daughter, to punish thyself. I will give thee credit
for all thou wouldst say. I am willing to believe that neither of you
has ever mentioned this subject, and perhaps that neither has ever been
conscious of more than a brotherly affection towards the other.
Nevertheless, the last half hour has fully convinced me that
self-examination, some sudden prospect of separation, or some untoward
circumstance in the ordinary current of your intercourse was only
necessary to awaken both to the perception of the truth. But my business
now is of a far more painful nature than the mere finding of the facts.
I am bound in duty to warn thee! solemnly warn thee that this passion
must be subdued in its inception. I beg of thee not to suppose for one
moment, that my warning has reference merely to obstacles which commonly
obstruct the current of young and mutual affection! They are absolutely
insurmountable,--far more so than any that could arise from difference
of rank, or faith, or country! Nay, if death itself had put its seal
upon one or both, the gulf could not have been more impassable!" His
language began gradually to grow more impassioned, his eye shot forth a
continued instead of occasional gleam of wildness--he rose upon his
feet, and as he pronounced the barrier to be impassable, he took down a
large and ancient manuscript volume, bound in leather, threw it open
upon the table, and to her astonishment a bloody hand was all that was
visible upon the page which seemed to have been accidentally turned up.
He pointed to this singular sign-manual--his finger trembling with
emotion--"See there," said he--"see what it is to neglect a solemn
warning. There is the diary of my eventful life--the transactions of
every day for more than twenty-seven years are there written, save one!
There is the only record of that day! Its history is written in blood!
The seal of Cain is stamped upon all the events of the succeeding pages.
Since that bloody token was placed there, its author has been a wanderer
and an outcast. I was born among the haughty and the proud of a proud
land--there is my coat of arms," said he, with a horrid laugh which sent
the blood coursing back to the heart of our heroine chilled and
horrified. "These are not or should not be uninteresting records to
thee!--had that crimson attestation never been imprinted there, thou
wouldst never have been born! but this will suffice for the first
lesson," (and he closed the book and replaced it upon the shelf;) "at
some more convenient season I will reveal another page of the history of
one with whom henceforth thou wilt be more connected than thou now
imaginest. Now, my daughter, before thou takest leave, let me entreat
thee to remember and ponder well upon what I have said to thee. Shouldst
thou ever be in any sudden strait of danger or difficulty send to me a
memento of the bloody seal and I will come to thee, if within the
compass of mortal means; and remember likewise, should I ever send such
an emblem to thee--pause well upon what thou art about to do. Now thou
mayest depart in peace, but say nothing of what thou hast seen or heard
farther than I have directed thee to do." And thus speaking he took the
lamp and conducted her out by the same opening at which they had
entered.
They stood upon the platform overlooking the shadowy mazes of moonlit
foliage down the glen; all nature was as silent as when it first came
from the hands of its Creator. Looking towards heaven, and placing his
hand upon her flaxen ringlets, now wafted about in the richest
reflections and deepest contrasts of light and shadow, as a cold breeze
from the valley beneath sought an opening to the plains beyond, he said,
"May God Almighty bless and preserve thee, my daughter!" And then led
her some distance down the hill--bade her adieu, and left her to seek
her more youthful guide, and to ponder upon some novel and not very
pleasing passages in the diary of her own experience.
Her ideas were any thing but clear and definite. The whole scene of her
late interview was so new--the subject so startling to her young and
innate delicacy. Taking it for granted, however, that all the surmises
of the Recluse were true with regard to herself, that person has studied
human nature to little purpose, who supposes that she, after all that
had been so solemnly announced, admitted the undefined obstacles
mentioned to be as insuperable as the person who suggested them seemed
to imagine. Nevertheless an injunction so grave and authoritative had
its minor effects--the first of which were visited upon the head of our
hero, who impatiently awaited her approach at the foot of the hill.