THE CATHEDRAL AT SEVILLE.
"The cathedral was magnificent. All its rich properties in velvets,
silver and gold, had been brought forth for its adornment. The altar was
one blaze of light--tapers of snow-white wax rose in crowds from golden
candlesticks, garlanded with flowers which sent their sweetness through
the pungent smoke of the censers, and clothed the altar with a sacred
whiteness. Reliquaires flaming with jewels, flashed out through all this
noonday splendor, and two enormous tapers, six feet high, stood like
sentinels on each side the altar. Yet all this was insufficient to light
up the vast edifice or penetrate the chapels in the side aisles. Here
all was shadowy and full of religious gloom, where any weary soul might
pray in solitude, notwithstanding the priests were saying high mass at
the great altar, and a grand choir of fresh, young voices filled the
whole edifice with music which seemed born of Heaven.
"The gloom along the centre of the building was heightened by draperies
of warm crimson velvet, which, banded at each seam with gold, swept down
the vast stone pillars and fell in massive folds over the great entrance
doors.
"I could not understand all that was said, for the service was in Latin,
but I did feel the solemn swell of the music in every fibre of my being,
and the devotional feeling which impressed the crowd touched me with
holy sympathy.
"I do not know what caused the impulse, but Mrs. Harrington took my hand
tenderly in hers. Then we stole to a side altar gleaming snow-white
through the shadows, and kneeling down together asked that help and
blessing from God which both of us thirsted for. The whispered prayers
we uttered that solemn hour, undoubtedly sanctified a friendship which
has been growing deeper and stronger from the first hour of my meeting
with this lovely woman. She wept that day, and I saw, for the first
time, that under her soft and gentle exterior, lay feelings and passions
which the world would never dream of.
"I did not appear to notice the singular emotion she betrayed at that
altar, but it recurred to me afterwards, and my mind was filled with
conjectures about its cause. Surely it could not be her husband. No
human being was ever more attentive and kind to a wife than General
Harrington was to his. There was something almost chivalric in his
devotion to her wishes. Was it her son? There my heart stood still. With
only these near relatives in the world, she could have no grief which
did not relate to them or one of them at least.
"That night Mrs. Harrington came into my room, which opened upon the
same verandah with her own. She sat down on the sofa I occupied, and
began to talk to me of the ceremonies we had witnessed that day in the
cathedral. From that she glided gradually to other subjects, and dwelt
with a touch of sadness on the impolicy of early marriages. 'Her own,'
she said, 'had been a happy one, and she had married at sixteen; but as
a general thing she would advise no girl to undertake the cares of
domestic life under two or three and twenty. Particularly she would urge
this on me. With no mother to guide me in a choice, with money enough
to invite venal offers, I was, she thought, liable to peculiar
temptations. Besides,' she added sweetly, 'I have no daughter, and crave
a little of your life, for there will come a time when I shall be very
lonely.'
"I did not ask her when that time would be, or to whom it related, but
sat still, mute and cold. Was James Harrington engaged? I thought of
Mrs. Eaton's vague speeches regarding him, of her daughter's blushes and
Harrington's attention to her that day when I seemed utterly forgotten.
Was the kind lady preparing me? Had she seen my weakness! Heavens, how
my heart burned within me that I had so betrayed myself to this delicate
and high-minded woman, his mother too. Wounded pride made me courageous.
I would answer carelessly. She should never know that I had been mute
from want of speech. I arose from the sofa and drank a glass of water,
eagerly, for it seemed as if I must strangle. Then I said with a laugh,
"'You have something to tell me. Who is it that is likely to enter into
an early marriage! certainly it is not me.'
"'No indeed, I have little fear of that, but they have been forcing the
subject on me since I came home. Why cannot people allow a family to
rest in peace. I have never seen that he cared so much for the girl.'
"'Of whom are you speaking?' I asked.
"'Of my son and Miss Eaton.'
"'Is he then engaged to her?'
"'I do not understand it, but the General seems confident that it will
soon come about. The Eatons are enormously wealthy, you know, and Lucy
is an only child.'
"'But what of that? There is no need that Mr. Harrington should make a
mercenary marriage. Are not you rich, and is not he an only son?'
"'Why how sharply you speak, Mabel. I never observed your voice so
shrill before,' exclaimed the lady, lifting up her two delicate hands as
if to ward off a disagreeable sound. 'Upon my word I think we are all
getting cross. When I told the General how much better I should like
you,--that is, how much better I did like you than that pretty thing
with the blue eyes, he asked me if I was willing to betray the young
creature thrown into our protection, by giving her wealth into the hands
of my own son, whom I knew--'
"She checked herself and turned her face from me like a guilty child.
"'When you knew that he did not like me?' I questioned, controlling
myself.
"'No, no, he did not say that. Who could help liking you, Mabel? It was
love he was talking about. She said it would be treacherous to let him
entangle you for your money, when I was sure that he looked upon you
only as a sister. I said that we were not sure of that by any means.
Indeed, sometimes it had seemed to me--Oh Mabel, how wild you look. I
did not say a thing to wound your delicacy. There is not a lady in the
land who might not be proud of any preference James Harrington can give.
I only thought that General Harrington was mistaken. As for my James
liking or marrying anybody for her money, the idea made me quite beside
myself. It is not often that I get out of temper, but this really made
me angry.'
"'No wonder,' I said, 'It was unkind indeed in the General to speak of
me in that way.'
"'No, no, you quite misunderstand again. General Harrington is incapable
of unkindness. As for indelicacy, a more perfect gentleman never lived.
His sensitive honor was touched. You are his ward, beautiful, young,
rich. James is his step-son, without a dollar of his own, wholly
dependent on the General--'
"'But I thought the property came from his father.' I said this so
abruptly that it brought the color into Mrs. Harrington's face, and sent
the hot blood into my own.
"'So it did, but my husband loved me dearly, and in his will gave every
dollar to me; knowing, he said, that I would be generous with our only
child; and so I have been, Mabel. The General is liberal to a fault.
James never wants for money.'
"'But he is a man now, and dependence must be irksome.'
"'Oh, he is not dependent; that feeling is impossible with a man like
the General. James knows well enough that the whole property will be his
when my husband has done with it--that is made sure in my will; first
the General, then my son. I should be a wretched woman else.'
"'I am sure you will do right in the end,' I said.
"'I had thought at one time that the property was so large and had
increased so much in value, that it would be well to divide it and give
James half; but the General fancied that it might take him too much away
from us--that he might get to speculate or want to go into business,--a
thing none of the Harringtons ever had stooped to, and we decided to put
it off. James felt a little hurt, I know, but it was all for his own
good, and because his society is so dear to us.'
"I think the woman was in earnest, and had no idea how unjust she seemed
in thus withholding the natural inheritance of her son, in behalf of the
man she had married. The whole thing disturbed me, all the more because
I dared not speak out the revolt of my own feelings. Mrs. Harrington saw
this in my face, I dare say, and began to apologise about troubling me
with family matters.
"'Here, I came to have a little chat about that girl Lucy, and we have
branched off into discussions on money, the last thing on earth that I
ever care to think about,' she said. 'Now tell me, do you think that she
is so very pretty?'
"'Yes,' I answered, 'very pretty. I have seldom seen anything more
delicately beautiful.'
"I spoke the truth, in spite of all the bitter feelings which the few
last days had engendered. That girl's beauty was so patent that even
prejudice must acknowledge it. Nay, in my determination to be just, her
perfections were perhaps a little exaggerated.
"'There, I think you are wrong, Mabel. I have seen fifty prettier girls
even of her own type--necks like lilies, cheeks like the lip of a sea
shell, and golden hair. But I like coloring, depth, richness. Now in my
estimation you are fifty times more beautiful than Lucy Eaton, and I
know James thinks so in spite of the General's belief about that girl.'
"'Oh, Mrs. Harrington, how partial and how kind you are.'
"'Well, I should like to have any one look at you now, and say if I am
wrong. Why, no peach was ever so richly crimsoned as your cheeks this
moment, and as for the eyes, Mabel, you have splendid eyes! That was the
first thing James told me when I asked about you; 'purplish gray,' he
said, with such curling lashes, their glance is something to remember
when she looks up.'
"'Did Mr. Harrington say this?'
"'Indeed he did, and a great deal more. Upon my word, Mabel, I think he
was taken with you then.'
"'I am sure you are mistaken. We scarcely exchanged a dozen words.'
"'But James has his eyes.'
"'I must not trust my ears when you flatter so sweetly,' I said.
"'Well, the truth is, Mabel, I am a little disappointed. My heart, I may
as well own it, was set on having you for a daughter-in-law, and I wont
believe it quite impossible yet. General Harrington is so nice in his
sense of honor, but women care nothing about business, and the idea of
refusing a noble young fellow because you have money, is just
ridiculous, especially as my son will have plenty by and by, don't you
think so.'
"'It would be where love existed, certainly,' I answered, ready to cast
myself into this woman's arms, and tell her all that was stirring in my
heart.
"'Ah, it is a pity that you could not have fancied him,' she answered,
'seeing it would have saved him from this choice which General
Harrington approves so much; but I cannot believe it yet.'
"'But the General should know.'
"'I hope not, I hope not. The truth is, dear, I never could like the
girl, and as for her mother, the very idea of a connection with her
makes me shiver.'
"'She certainly is not a pleasant woman,' I said.
"'Pleasant! but we will not talk of her. Mercy! that is her voice, let
me escape.'"