THE LOVER'S CONFESSION.
Ralph dared not confide in his brother James, as he had proposed to
himself, and the elder Harrington was so occupied with his own
conflicting thoughts that the momentary annoyance expressed by the youth
had passed from his mind. He did not even remark that Ralph avoided any
conversation with him, or that Lina was paler than usual, and from time
to time looked anxiously in his face, as if to draw some reassurance
from its expression that might bring her back into the bosom of the
family from which she felt all at once inexplicably repulsed. The
General was absent, or remained in his own room, sending down word that
he was occupied, and that the business of the day must go on without
him.
Mabel was not yet well enough to leave her own immediate apartments.
Thus it happened that a silent and uncomfortable meal followed every
reunion of the family for some days after the storm, which seemed still
brooding blackly over the household. James Harrington went forth again
and again from the breakfast room, without regarding the anxious looks
of his brother, or the tearful eyes of poor Lina, and both these young
persons held him in that awe which is always felt when reserve and
secrets creep into bosoms warmed with kindred life.
Poor Lina. She felt, in that splendid mansion, like Eve wandering
through the bowers of paradise after the sentence of banishment had been
passed upon her. Lonely and sad of heart, she sat hour after hour in her
solitary chamber waiting for some one to summon her, or ask a cause for
the tears that came trembling with every thought to her heavy eyes. She
avoided Ralph, for without his parents' consent, her own sensitive
delicacy rendered the old intercourse impossible, and any other wounded
her to the soul with its restraints. Thus it happened that pretty,
pure-hearted Lina sat in her room and wept.
But Ralph was more impetuous. After exploring every part of the old
mansion, dragging out guns, fishing tackle, and other provocatives of
amusement, only to put them back again in disgust--after rowing
furiously up and down the river, unconscious and uncaring what course he
took, the youth grew impatient under his restraints, and promptly
resolved to break through them at any rate, as far as Lina was
concerned. She should creep away in gentle silence and spend her time in
weeping no longer. He remembered that General Harrington had not
forbidden them to meet as of old, and that his prohibition of speech
could not extend to the mother, who had already been to some extent
confided in. In short, Ralph was young, ardent, and restive of trouble,
so, after a brief battle with himself, he resolved that the General had
meant nothing by his prohibition, but to prevent premature gossip in the
household.
When quite convinced of this, the youth cast all other thoughts aside,
and sought out Lina in her solitude. She heard his footsteps with a leap
of the heart, and a brightening of the eye which no sense of duty could
check. How hopefully it sounded, how bold and firm it was. What had
happened? Would he stop at her door?
Yes, yes, Lina! his heart bounds and throbs even more warmly than your
own! His face is radiant with hope, which, without other source, springs
out of his own buoyant nature. He has cast doubt behind him, and says,
in answer to the arguments that struggle to get possession of his
reason, "Let to-morrow take care of itself. I will see Lina to-day!"
He knocks at her door, and a smile that she cannot help, breaks through
the trouble in Lina's eyes, as she arises with a thrill of mingled joy
and dread, to let him in. She opens the door, and stands before him,
blushing, and all in a tremor of delight, which will not be suppressed,
but which her little heart says is very ungrateful and wicked, knowing,
as she did, how wrong it was for her, a poor little outcast, to think of
Ralph Harrington, when his mother is opposed to it utterly, and his
father almost treats the whole subject with ridicule. Ralph has told her
faithfully every word that passed between him and his father, and her
delicate intuition detects the uncertainty and hollowness of it all.
With these honorable feelings warring against the newly-awakened love
in her heart, it is no wonder that gentle Lina trembled, and grew red
and white again in the presence of her lover.
"Lina, dear, dear, Lina."
She reached out her hand. How could she resist beneath that bright,
hopeful look? Her lips, that had begun to quiver, dimpled into a smile,
as the soft fingers yielded themselves to his clasp. She attempted to
reprove his coming, but that rebellious little mouth would only say
"Ralph! oh, Ralph!" with a gush of tender joy in the words, which made
the heart leap in his bosom, like a prisoned bird called suddenly by its
mate.
"Lina, dear, dear, Lina! you look sad. Your poor eyes are heavy. You can
bear this no longer. I am a man, and strong, but it almost kills me to
be away from you. The General is away. I believe my mother is in her
room. Come with me. Anything is better than seeing you suffer."
Lina drew back, and tried to wrest her hand from his grasp, but he only
held it more firmly.
"No, no. I do not suffer any, hardly. Go away, Ralph, dear Ralph, go
away, or it will kill me."
"I do not wish to see you unauthorized. Come to my mother, Lina!"
"No, no, I dare not. It kills me to remember that look."
"But I can endure these restraints no longer, Lina. My father, at least,
does not withhold a conditional consent--surely our mother, the dearest
and best woman that ever drew breath, will not be less generous. At any
rate, we will know the worst. Come, Lina."
The young man, with his untamed will, drew the timid Lina firmly, but
tenderly, from her vantage ground in the room, and hurried her away
toward his mother's room.
Mabel was sitting up, calm and pale, like one who ceases to resist,
though in the midst of a storm. She arose to receive her son with a
gentle smile, and glanced kindly at Lina.
Ralph, full of impetuous warmth, threw his arm around the young girl,
and brought her forward with gentle force.
"Mother, you have always loved her; now let it be more than ever, for my
sake. She is all the world to me."
They were looking upward to Mabel's face--the one boldly and with honest
confidence, the other shy and wistful--dreading the first glance, as if
it had been a dagger. But an exclamation of astonishment broke from them
both, at the sudden illumination of those eyes--at the smile that parted
her lips, like sunshine forcing a red rose bud into sudden flower. Yes,
the countenance of Mabel Harrington brightened into beauty then, and it
was one which the heart leaped toward with gushes of tenderness.
The eyes of Ralph Harrington danced and sparkled in their joy, and
Lina's brightened up, till the very tears shone like diamonds in them.
"Oh, mother, my blessed, blessed mother, how happy you have made us--how
good you are!"
And yet she had not spoken a word. That eloquent face had done it all.
She sunk slowly to her seat, sighing, but, oh! how pleasantly. Ralph
seized her hand, which he covered with grateful kisses. Lina fell upon
her knees, and burying her face in Mabel's lap, mingled soft murmurs
with a world of broken sighs, as she had done many a time when a little
petted child. Her gentle heart was brimful of thanksgiving, which she
could utter in no other way.
"My children you have made me so happy!" exclaimed Mabel, folding them
both in her arms. "I never expected to be happy again, and lo! God heaps
all this blessedness at my feet."
"I thought you were offended with me," said Lina, lifting her bright
face to meet the pleasant glance bent upon her.
"Offended, darling! I misunderstood you. Why, lady-bird, did you call my
son Ralph, Mr. Harrington?"
Lina blushed scarlet, and Ralph laughed, little dreaming what cruel
struggles had followed this trifling change of names. Indeed, Ralph was
rather proud of the new dignity with which Lina's bashful love had
invested him; and Lina was greatly puzzled to know what harm there was
in calling so fine a young fellow Mr. Harrington, after all.
While they were hovering around Mabel's chair, overwhelming her with the
abundance of their own happiness, there was a commotion among the
passion-flowers at the window, and the vine was once so violently
agitated, that some of its blossoms dropped away and fell through the
sash-door; but no one of that happy trio heeded it, and Agnes Barker
escaped once more from the balcony unseen.