“Suppose you and I don’t go down to luncheon,” said Scottie to Ivanhoe;
“I am not a bit hungry, and would very much prefer remaining up here;
how is it with you?”
“That’s my fix, exactly; I’m glad you mentioned it. Take my arm, and let
us have a walk and a talk both.”
“Agreed; now what did your spy report, a moment ago, about the two
detectives?”
“I shall find out everything that is going on. It is such rare sport,
too, to be tracking detectives who imagine themselves to be so clever!”
“Oh, bother the clever detectives! tell me what you know.”
“Now, Scottie, don’t you begin to lose your temper; you know I have made
a confidante of you.”
“I think you and I ought to be very good friends.”
“So do I.”
“I think we ought to know more about each other.”
“So do I.”
“When do you intend to tell me who you are, Scottie?”
“As soon as the queen gives her consent.”
“What has the queen got to do with it, I should like to know?”
“No doubt you would; but I have given my solemn promise not to reveal
her name nor my own to any person without her permission; and she has
promised that as soon as Ingomar’s story is finished all secrecy may be
discarded. But now I want to hear what you have discovered about the two
seedy men.”
“They are going to arrest Ingomar, and take him off at Vicksburg; he is
charged with a bloody murder (so the seedy men say). They state that he
committed the crime somewhere in Mississippi, and while in jail awaiting
trial managed to make his escape. The friends of the murdered man
offered a large reward for the capture of the perpetrator, and then the
State added another large sum to that offered by the friends of the
deceased, and those two seedy men are officers from Mississippi who have
got Ingomar spotted.”
“Does Ingomar know they are watching him?”
“No, I think not.”
“Then why not warn him of the danger?”
“That would be wrong, because if he is guilty he ought to suffer; if he
is innocent he is in no danger.”
“Do you believe he is guilty?”
“I can’t say that I do, for I know nothing about it. I shall therefore
accept the legal theory, which regards every man innocent until the
contrary is established by competent proof.”
“It would require a pile of evidence as high as Pike’s Peak to make me
believe that Ingomar is a murderer.”
“So it would to convince me.”
“What have you discovered about the mysterious lady in the black
domino?”
“Ah, my spy has met her match there! With all her cleverness, the black
domino is too much for her. One circumstance, however, has been brought
to the surface; the black domino is shadowing Ingomar too, and the
strangest thing about it is, that she is not in any manner working with
the seedy men--it’s a separate game.”
“Goodness gracious! what on earth can it all mean?”
“I’m sure I don’t know; I wish I did.”
“Perhaps she is the wife of the murdered man; or she may be his sister,
or his sweetheart, who is watching him.”
“Can’t say as to that; but it is certain that she is shadowing him. One
circumstance connected with her, however, tends to prove your theory
about it. The lady in the black domino seems to be unusually melancholy
all the time--has often been seen weeping, and never speaks to any one.
That goes to prove that she has lost a dear friend or relative; and it
may be, as you say, that she was related to the man who was murdered.”
“The truth is, I can’t stand this suspense much longer; I shall die of
mere curiosity if things don’t change soon.”
“I beg you not to make a die of it, Scottie, before I get a look at your
face.”
“And pray why should you wish to see my face?”
“I am sure I should like it.”
“Suppose you did like it--what would that signify?”
“It might bring about a coincidence, you know.”
“Look, look! there comes the black domino; see how she follows Ingomar!
I saw her pointing at him just now, and whispering something in her
uncle’s ear. The whirlwind is going to burst on us ere long; don’t you
think so?”
“Indeed I do! There is a strange game being played on this boat--it may
end in a tragedy.”
“Pray don’t talk that way--you frighten me. I think I had better mention
the matter to the queen, and have this nonsense ended at once.”
“No, no! don’t do that, by any means, I beseech you. Our best plan is to
remain silent and wait for the denouement.”
“Be it so, then, sir knight. You shall be my champion when the war
begins.”
“I shall be proud of the honor--I’ll emblazon my banner with the name of
Scottie, in letters of gold, and fight the world in arms in defense of
my lady-love. Then I’ll imitate the brave Spanish king, when he met Sir
Roderick Dhu on Clanalpine’s lofty height. You know he threw himself
against a rock--which I’ll do when the fight opens.”
“But there are no rocks here, you see.”
“Oh, never mind that; I’ll make the pilot-house answer for the rock.
I’ll just throw myself against it while you can hide inside, and then
hear me cry:
“‘Come one, come all! this rock shall fly
From its firm base as soon as I.’”
“Brave, bravo! my gallant knight. I’ll swap my domino for a laurel
crown, to deck the brow of my brave champion.”
“There, there, Scottie, I cry enough! Come, let us join our
friends--they are waiting for us yonder. Don’t you see the queen is
beckoning to you?”
“When I received Lottie’s note requesting me to come to her immediately,
you may guess how my heart fluttered--for I thought something serious
had surely occurred, and but very few moments elapsed before I was at
the gate in front of Mr. Rockland’s residence. It was a considerable
walk from the drug-store to his residence, and I was compelled to halt
in order to rest a moment before entering, as I wished to appear
composed. While I was leaning against a tree wiping the perspiration
from my face and panting with fatigue, I saw Lottie coming rapidly
toward me. She had been watching for me.
“‘Oh, Eddie, it’s all settled!’ she exclaimed, as she caught both my
hands in hers. I made a move as if I were going to take her in my arms.
She gently pushed me back. ‘Don’t be quite so familiar, Eddie--can’t you
see papa looking at us? Oh, such a storm as we have had here to-day!
Papa ordered me to go away from his home because I wouldn’t let him tell
you that I wanted our engagement broken off.”
“‘Well, why didn’t you take him at his word? you knew where you could
find another home.’
“‘I did, but the good, dear old darling relented before I could pack my
things, and fell to hugging and kissing me, and wouldn’t let me go.’
“‘Lottie, Mr. Rockland is really a good man, and I respect him very
much--mainly because he loves you.’
“‘Indeed he is! and my heart was most broken when he ordered me to go
away; but did you wish to have our engagement broken off?’
“‘No, you know I did not! What could have put such an idea as that into
your mind? Mr. Rockland did not tell you I wished it ended, did he?’
“‘He didn’t say that you said so, but he said you were willing to cancel
it if I would consent to it.’
“‘Ah, I see now how it is: Mr. Rockland put the case very strong in
favor of his side. That was a good stroke of policy, you see, Lottie;
you didn’t believe for a moment that I wanted to have the engagement
canceled?’
“‘No, I did not.’
“‘I declare, Lottie, I never saw you look so pretty before.’
“‘I am truly glad that you think so; it makes me very happy to please
you.’
“‘Ah! how could I be otherwise than well pleased when I know Lottie
loves me? I feel like a new man since I found it out. Will my Lottie
always love me?’
“‘Yes, of course I will; I am so very, very happy when you are with me,
and so miserable when you are away from me. What shall become of poor me
when my Eddie goes away to Philadelphia?’
“‘Let us look forward to the happy day that brings me back to my love.
Let us keep our minds on the bright future, when we shall be always
together.’
“‘I wish I could do that, but I cannot; I shall all the time be thinking
you are ill, or that something has gone wrong with you. I should die if
you were to fall ill among strangers!’
“‘I’ll take good care of myself for your sake; I’ll be prudent in all
things, and let you know if anything goes wrong; but you must do the
same.’
“‘Let us go in; I see Mr. Rockland waiting for you--he is going to talk
to you about our engagement, and you must be careful not to offend him.’
“‘Fear nothing on that score; I think we will now come to an
understanding entirely satisfactory to all parties concerned.’
“Mr. Rockland met me on the portico with his cold, placid smile, and
directed me to follow him into the library. He also asked Lottie to go
with us. Pointing to a seat, he requested me to take it; Lottie stood
calmly by my chair, while Mr. Rockland took his usual seat on the
opposite side of the table.
“‘Mr. Demar,’ he began, with his austere tone of voice, ‘I have had an
interview with Lottie on the subject about which we were speaking a
short while ago.’
“‘So Lottie told me, Mr. Rockland.’
“‘Her views and mine differed somewhat; but we have managed to reconcile
them to some extent; and we may therefore reasonably hope to have all
things amicably settled.’
“‘I am truly glad to hear it, Mr. Rockland.’
“‘Thank you, Edward; are you willing to promise me that the marriage
shall be deferred until the end of two years from this date?’
“‘Indeed, Mr. Rockland, I should like very much to be able to comply
with your request, but why not let the marriage be solemnized when I
return from Philadelphia in the spring?’
“‘Lottie would be too young to marry then.’
“‘Grant papa’s request, Eddie,’ said Lottie; ‘I am very willing to put
it off indefinitely, if you can be with me often.’
“That settled the question; so it was agreed that Lottie should be my
wife at the end of two years.
“‘Come,’ said Lottie, as she took my arm, and looking up at me, her
sweet little mouth puckered up in a comical shape; ‘we’ll go to the
study now, as everything has been settled between you and papa; I want
to show you some new flowers that I have secured; oh, they are such nice
ones! They flourish better in the fall season than they do in the
spring.’
“She led me through her flower garden, stopping occasionally to point
out the different plants, giving a graphic description of their nature
and the manner of their culture; and when we came near the summer-house
the old parrot began to chatter:
“‘Ah, ha! Lottie! here we come--here we come!’
“‘Can’t he say anything but that, Lottie?’ I inquired.
“‘Oh, yes, he can talk a great deal when he takes a notion. Did you know
I had a letter from Viola, Eddie?’
“‘No, have you?’
“‘Yes; let me read it to you; she writes such a nice, smooth hand, and
her letter is so friendly; but here it is:
“‘NEW YORK, AUG. 16.
“‘DEAR LOTTIE--I must first offer an apology to you for neglecting
to answer your last letter. You must not for a moment think that
the delay was caused by a lack of love for you on my part. When
your letter came I had not returned from my boarding school, but as
soon as I came home and found your darling letter I lost no time in
answering it. Oh, Lottie, I am so happy just now that I cannot find
words to tell you as I should like to do. Papa has consented to let
me spend the winter in Memphis, and you may look for me by the last
of September. Oh, isn’t that delightful? Won’t we have lots of fun?
I often think of you and your heroic little brother--but I ought
not to speak of him as your little brother now, I suppose, because
he must be a man by this time. I have his picture, you know,
Lottie, and oh, how much I do think of it! I keep it next to my
heart all the time. All the gold in California could not buy it
from me. I expect Harry has changed very much since we parted--you
know I was only a little child then, but now I am a great,
overgrown mushroom--and as green as a half-grown gourd. Dear papa
says I am pretty, but you know evidence of that kind is unreliable;
still I confess I should like to know it was true. You may tell
Harry--I suppose I ought to say Mr. Wallingford--that I have not
forgotten him, and I don’t think I ever shall. I was so glad to
hear that he was going to make a great lawyer of himself. Mr.
Rockland says, in his letters to papa, that Mr. Wallingford
possesses great talent, and will be sure to distinguish himself
some day. Would you believe it, I shed lots of joyful tears when
papa read the letter to me? I envy you; how happy you must be! how
proud of such a brave, heroic, talented brother! You see, I am well
posted in everything that concerns you and your noble brother. I
often wonder if he ever thinks of the little foolish girl he kept
from being crushed to death by the engine? I wonder if he has
forgotten how he and I went rolling and tumbling down the
embankment together! I was so much delighted at your description of
your flower garden; I know I shall enjoy it very much. You people
of the dear sunny South have great advantages over us in that
respect. I think I should like to live in the South all the time. I
suppose you knew I had a darling little brother--yes, I know you
did, because I remember now that I told you of it in my other
letters. Poor little fellow, he is not a healthy child at all; he
is now nearly five years old, and looks like a mere baby, though
papa says he will come out all right after a while. Did I ever tell
you what his name was? I don’t think I did. Well, you see mamma and
papa couldn’t agree on a name for him, and, to keep peace in the
family, it was agreed that I should have the honor of selecting his
name. What do you think I did? I named him after your heroic
brother. We call him Wallie. That, you know, is an abbreviation of
Wallingford. He was baptized as “Harry Wallingford Bramlett,” and
papa and mamma were both delighted with the good selection I made.
But I must close now, because I fear I have made this letter too
long, anyway. Present my highest regards to your brother, and
accept my best, truest love for yourself, and write soon to
“‘Your true friend,
“‘VIOLA.’
“‘That’s a splendid letter, Lottie, for a girl of sixteen to write,’
said I, when it was read through.
“‘She is not quite sixteen yet, either,’ said Lottie.
“‘That document conveys the best news, my darling, that I have heard
since you told me you would be mine.’
“‘To what part of it do you refer?’
“‘That wherein she says she is going to spend the winter with you. It
will be a great consolation for me to know, when I am so far from you,
that you will have such a sweet friend for a companion. I was thinking
of the long, dreary winter days and nights that you would be compelled
to pass through all alone, but now how could you be lonely with such a
lively little cricket as Viola?’
“‘I dare say she will prove a great comfort to me, yet she cannot fill
the aching void that will be caused by your absence.’
“As she said this her large dreamy eyes were glancing up at me, while a
tear trembled in each, and I drew her head against my breast, too happy
to speak. I led her to a seat, letting her fair cheek remain resting on
my heart, while my mind went straying into the future. A thousand
thoughts of various kinds intruded on me--some pleasant, others very
different. What if Mr. Rockland should resort to strategy, during my
absence, to entrap my Lottie into a marriage with Heartsell? What if he
should throw his great intellect, with his vast wealth and influence
into the balance against me? Would my Lottie be able to withstand it?
Would she be able to do battle successfully against such odds? These
unwelcome questions forced themselves upon me, causing a shudder to dart
through my body. Lottie felt the shock, and exclaimed:
“‘What’s the matter? why do you tremble so? I declare, your heart made a
violent jump just now, then began to flutter and knock against your
breast; what does it mean?’
“‘I was thinking how I should feel if you were to cease loving me, when
I went away, and should marry Mr. Heartsell!’
“She started up, looking at me reproachfully: ‘How can you talk so;
didn’t you know I had rejected Mr. Heartsell’s offer?’
“‘Indeed I did not; I was not aware of the fact that he had made it,
though I knew he intended to do so.’
“‘Well, he has done it, and you may be easy now.’
“‘Tell me what he said, and what you said.’
“‘Mr. Heartsell, I think, is a very nice, good man, and worthy of a true
woman’s love; but I had no heart for him, because you, like a good old
thief, went and stole it. I felt highly honored by Mr. Heartsell’s
partiality, and told him so; but I thought it my duty to tell him the
truth at once, which I did. I told him my hand and heart belonged to
another. Poor fellow! he wept when I told him I loved another, and
could not love him. He said he would not give me up, but would wait
until I should think better of him; and he seemed to think that I would
change my mind and love him after all; but don’t you know that I can
never change?’
“‘I can’t express my admiration, Lottie, for your extraordinary
prudence; not one girl in a hundred would have taken the proper view in
such an emergency. Of course you did right to tell Mr. Heartsell the
whole truth; most girls under similar circumstances would have evaded
the truth, and left the man a reasonable hope.’
“‘By the by, have you ever mentioned our engagement to brother Harry?’
“‘Oh, yes, I named it to him before I did to any one else.’
“‘And what did he think of it?’
“‘He was glad of it--said it was just what he expected and
desired--congratulated me heartily--said I was a lucky fellow to be the
winner of such a heart--said he knew you loved me, all the time--told me
that if ever I caused you trouble he would kill me--and, to tell you the
truth, Lottie, I believe he would kill any one who would bring trouble
on you.’
“‘Oh, he is such a noble, generous, heroic brother! Viola loves him, and
I hope they will make a match of it.’
“‘Ah, Lottie, that will never happen.’
“‘May I know the reason why you think so?’
“‘Viola is a great heiress, and you know how proud Harry is; no matter
how much he might love her, he would never tell her of it. Do you know
that I think the only fault Harry has is his unprecedented pride? I have
been acquainted with many proud men, but there is something in Harry’s
pride that places it beyond anything I ever have witnessed in other
people. No, Lottie, let me advise you not to build your pyramid of hopes
on a foundation of that sort.’
“‘Is Mr. Bramlett very wealthy?’
“‘Mr. Rockland tells me that he is a millionaire, and you know he has
only two children.’
“‘Then I must confess that I don’t think Harry would be doing exactly
right were he to seek Viola’s hand in marriage. If that’s what you refer
to when you speak of his pride, I am fully prepared to indorse it.’
“The dreadful day for my departure had come at last; the awful moment
in which I was to part from Lottie had come and gone. The parting words
had been uttered--the bitter tears had been shed, the farewell kiss
given; the long, loving embrace was over. I had handed dear Lottie,
fainting, into Mrs. Rockland’s arms, and was on my way to Philadelphia.”