THE WILL.
While seated in the parlour, into which I had been ushered, time
passed slowly; and the melancholy voice of Macfarisee, singing a
psalm, came drearily and hollowly through the large corridors of the
house, from the sick-room up stairs. He was giving ghostly comfort,
together with his legal advice, to the departing sinner, whom I had
been assured was now hovering between time and eternity, and who, at
most, had not many days to live. Knowing his character, as I did,
there seemed a horrible mockery in the words of the psalm:--
Lord, bow thine ear to my request,
And hear me by-and-by;
With grievous pain and grief opprest,
Full poor and weak am I.
Preserve my soul, because my ways
And doings holy be;
And save Thy servant, O my Lord!
Who puts his trust in Thee.
As the quivering voice of Macfarisee emitted this verse, I could not
repress a shudder of disgust and impatience, and tossed aside the
religious tract he had given me; for thus it is that such professors
bring a ridicule on piety itself.
I had turned over all the books in the room without finding one to
interest me, as they all belonged to the literature of cant; but my
eyes frequently reverted to the portrait of a young man in scarlet
uniform, for it made me think of my father's regiment,--of honest
men, and better things, and days long passed away. Then I thought of
my mother and of dear little Lotty, and longed to be at home with
them, for the night-wind sighed mournfully through the old sycamores
of Applewood, and my heart grew sad, I know not why. Red
sheet-lightning occasionally illuminated the far horizon, and cast
forward in black outline the stems of the trees and their tossing
branches. Then there would be heard the opening and shutting of
doors; the sound of steps hurriedly upon the well-carpetted stairs.
These made me fear that the old lady was really dead; and solemn
thoughts came over me, as I gazed down the dark avenue from the
window. Then I burned with impatience to be gone, but had to wait,
cypher-like, the time and pleasure of others whom I heartily despised.
After the lapse of nearly two hours, Messieurs Quirky and Macfarisee
entered the room. The cunning eyes of the latter were half-closed;
his grizzled hair was brushed stiffly up above each ear, till it
resembled two horns; and his chin was buried in his loose white
necktie. The two legal pundits were so absorbed in conversation as
scarcely to notice me.
"She won't last a week, now," said Quirky, in a low voice.
"You think so?"
"I am certain of it. One can never mistake that sad and dreary
expression of the face."
"Alas!" said Macfarisee, in his quavering tones, while upturning the
whites of his cunning eyes, "all flesh is grass; but, Heaven be
praised, the blessed truths of our Christian faith have been poured
into her ears by my unworthy tongue to-night; and not in vain,--let
us hope--not in vain!"
Quirky made a gesture of impatience; for the spirit of hypocrisy was
so strong in Macfarisee that he was now getting into the habit of
acting to _himself_ as well as to others.
"It is fortunate that this will," said Quirky, unfolding a slip of
paper, "is dated so far back--fully sixty days ago; so she may die
when she chooses, now."
"She is at peace with the Lord--she hath satisfied _Him_."
"She has satisfied _you_ too, I think; and I doubt not you consider
that a matter of much greater importance; but, of course, you are
aware that a holograph will, like this, does not convey lands and
houses in Scotland?"
"Eh?--what?--No. But it conveys furniture, plate, and pictures; and
it can be stamped and recorded on payment of a fee. But, alas, as I
said, all flesh _is_ grass."
"As a legal document, I fear it is valueless," said Quirky, who, at
times, had a strange fancy for teasing his compatriot; "letters of
administration will never be granted on it."
"Damn it, Quirky, don't say so!" said Macfarisee, forgetting himself
in his anger, "after all the trouble this old woman has given me;
confound her obstinacy, that declined a more legal form until it is
now too late."
"There will assuredly be a row about it; at least, unpleasant
speculations."
"But I shall leave it in the custody of the niece, Amy Lee, and that
will lessen all suspicion."
"A good idea--you are a lucky fellow."
"Hush," said Macfarisee, suddenly; "that boy Ellis is there--the
devil take him!"
"Where?"
"At the table, reading--Shakspear, I have no doubt, though I have
often told him that poetry is a device of the evil one. Mr. Ellis,"
he added in his blandest voice, handing me the folded document, "seal
up this and address it to Miss Lee; a desk is open there, and you
will find materials."
"In what way shall I do it?" I stammered, somewhat confused by having
been forced to overhear a conversation so singular in character.
"Do it--do it--what d'ye mean?" asked Quirky with great crossness of
manner.
"Young man," added our Nathaniel, "the scripture sayeth, 'whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it, with thy might.' Seal it up with Mrs.
Rose's seal, which I see lying there on the desk, and address it to
her niece."
After this they retired into the bay of a window, and conversed for
fully ten minutes in low and earnest whispers. Curious to learn what
a sheet of note-paper (for it was nothing more) could contain in the
form of a will, while slowly and carefully making an envelope, I read
the whole at a glance, and, so nearly as I can remember, it ran
somewhat in this fashion.
"Applewood, 10th August, 1791.
"I leave to my niece Amy Lee twenty guineas to purchase anything she
pleases, as a remembrance of me; but I leave all my property and
everything I possess, personal and heritable, Applewood, its house
and lands, carriages, horses, cattle, pictures, books, and plate, as
per catalogue, to Mr. Nathaniel Macfarisee, my approved friend and
dear and worthy brother in the Lord, and him I appoint my sole
executor and residuary legatee.
"PRUDENCE ROSE."
This strange and brief document, so terrible in its contents for the
unfortunate niece, was written in the tremulous handwriting of the
aunt; and was witnessed by Quirky and Macfarisee, whose names were
also appended thereto. However, all this was no business of mine; my
orders were imperative; I folded, sealed, and addressed it to Miss
Lee, who at that moment entered the room, and just as Macfarisee,
with his peculiar cunning, wrote his initials _above the seal_.
"Thank Heaven, sir," said she to Macfarisee, "my poor aunt sleeps at
last!"
"My humble ministration hath soothed her perturbed spirit," said he,
taking the pale girl's delicate and white hand in his, and caressing
it kindly; "but we must now depart, and into your custody we commit
this sealed document. Keep it carefully until I ask for it again,
and my dear, dear child, you are on no account whatever to break the
seal or show it to any one, least of all to your worthy aunt, whose
state of health will not permit her to survive much agitation. I
know I can trust to your excellent discretion, child; for, as the
scripture saith, 'Many daughters have done virtuously, but _thou_
excellest them all!'"
He kissed her on the cheek, as he frequently did young girls of his
congregation (our modern saint had a weakness that way), and then
retired with his mincing step, with a groan on his lips for the
nothingness of this life, and a smile in his stealthy eye at his own
success. His partner followed with the same cat-like bearing.
For a moment, boy as I was, I stood bewildered by the astounding game
Macfarisee was playing; and with a glance of commiseration at the
handsome young girl, who, all-unconscious of the evil intended for
her, with trembling white hands was securing the sealed document in
her desk, while her charming face was hidden by her dark ringlets as
she bent forward. Then I hastened after my august employers, who had
now reached the door of the house. Here they paused, and Mr. Quirky
patted me on the back, saying,--
"You are a sharp and intelligent lad, Oliver."
"Yes; a most discreet, quiet lad, and not a talker," added the junior
partner. "We like you very much, Oliver."
As they never praised me before (in fact, I was a very idle dog), I
bowed with a perplexed air, and asked myself what the deuce was in
the wind now?
"We have a little piece of business for you to do," said Macfarisee,
"and you must remain here for a few days to perform it."
"_Here?_" I reiterated.
"Here, my dear sir."
"But--but, sir, for what purpose?"
"Not so fast, young man," said Quirky, in his usual grating tones.
"You will remain here until you have copied the catalogues of movable
effects, which shall be shown to you by the housekeeper and steward;
the more complete these lists are made, the longer time you will have
here to enjoy yourself. They are required," he added in a whisper,
"with reference to the last testament of Mrs. Rose. As soon as the
copies are made, get them signed by Miss Lee, the steward, and
housekeeper, and return to town. You understand me, sir."
"The fact is, my dear young man, Mrs. Rose is not very strong in
health or intellect just now, and we are afraid she may add some
stupid codicil to her will, especially if her husband's brother,
Colonel Rose, returns from India. You will be left here ostensibly
to prepare these lists of her movable property; but the moment _he_
arrives (and he is expected shortly), start for town, and let me
know."
"And so I am to be left here?" I asked ponderingly.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"A week--it may be a fortnight--you understand."
I did not understand; but I afterwards divined that I was to be our
Nathaniel's spy upon the old lady and her household.
"My mother at home will believe I am lost."
"Oh, without fail I shall make the good lady aware that I have
detained you on special business."
All this thoughtfulness and unwonted politeness sorely puzzled me for
a time.
"You will find plenty of amusement here--a fine house and fine
grounds--books and pictures in plenty. It will be quite a vacation
for you."
"They are fortunate who possess such," said I with a sigh, as I
thought of my mother's little cottage.
"Young man, be not guilty of envy or covetousness, but work hard and
pray that God may keep you poor rather than rich; for wealth leadeth
to pleasures and employments which are abominations and vanities in
the sight of Heaven; so work, I say, for man was born to earn his
bread by the sweat of his brow; and so good night. Do not forget
your prayers at bed-time, and to attend church on Sunday while you
are here."
Macfarisee bowed and smiled through the window as the hackney-coach
was driven off; and I knew well that when _he_ smiled, it was with
mockery in his heart and mischief in his soul.
In a minute more, the sounds of the wheels had died away under the
trees of the gravelled avenue; and with a feeling of loneliness, and
something of dread, lest those two men were preparing a snare for me,
bewildered by all that was passing through my mind, I returned to the
parlour which I had just left.