MR. LAWRENCE MAKES A CALL.
Lawrence called upon us the next day: that is, he came to the house and
inquired for Mrs. Dennison, without one word regarding the rest of the
family. Mr. Lee was sitting in the square balcony when the gentleman
rode up, and cast a meaning glance at Jessie, as if he felt certain that
the visit was for her. She shrunk from his look with something like
affright; and when the servant came up with word that Mr. Lawrence was
in the drawing-room, waiting for Mrs. Dennison, she gave me a look of
wild reproof, as if I had been the cause of his evident displeasure.
Mr. Lee sat with his eyes upon her; and when Mrs. Dennison came from her
chamber, the expression of his face became so like that which pained me
in Jessie's, that I could not escape the idea that both suffered from
the same cause.
The shock of this thought made me tremble. It had never fastened upon me
as a reality before. Why did I turn so faint? Why did my soul rise up in
such bitter protest? God help me, I am not wise enough to answer; the
tumult of trouble within me was something I had never, till then,
experienced. Still the idea was a terrible one. How could a woman of
right principles feel otherwise? Thus I explained it away, and soothed
myself into a belief that any true-hearted person living in that family
as I did must have felt all the miserable sensations that tortured me.
These thoughts made me dizzy. When I could see clearly again, Jessie was
gone, and Mr. Lee sat a little more upright in his chair, looking hard
at the wall over the top of his book. I was glad those stern eyes were
not turned on me.
Mrs. Dennison came sweeping out of her chamber, leaving a scarcely
perceptible perfume in the hall as she passed. She did not observe me,
for I sat a little out of range from the door, and she evidently was not
conscious that Mr. Lee was looking after her. She caught his glance,
however, in turning to go down stairs, paused abruptly, and came back as
if she were eager to explain something; but again she stopped short on
seeing that I occupied a seat which commanded the balcony, and saying
hastily, "Oh, I thought Miss Jessie was here," went down the hall again,
evidently discomfited.
Mr. Lee resumed his volume, but there were no signs of reading. He
simply looked hard at the page without turning it over, and sat gnawing
at his under lip with a kind of ferocity I had never witnessed in him
before. I was getting sadly nervous, and felt a painful sensation in my
throat; what was all this coming to? What did it mean?
I left the balcony and went up to Mrs. Lee's chamber; here everything
was pure and quiet. The invalid lay upon her couch, with a book before
her; one slender and almost transparent hand rested upon the opposite
page to that which she was reading. It started like a frightened bird as
I came in, and she turned her head with one of those heavenly smiles I
have never seen equalled. But her face clouded over in an instant.
Evidently Martha Hyde was not the person that gentle invalid had hoped
to see.
I went up to the couch and sat down on the low seat at its head. She
handed me the book with a smile, saying that it made her eyes ache.
"Would I read a little till Mr. Lee came up?"
She said this languidly, and there was a strange look about her eyes, as
if they had been overtaxed. I received the volume, but fell into thought
with it in my hand, forgetting that she was observing me.
"What is the matter?" she said, touching me with her shadowy hand. "Has
anything gone wrong? No bad news about our young friend, I hope."
"No," I answered, starting; "I have not heard from him this morning."
"Well, what is it then? You look strangely, as if something had
frightened you."
"Do I? No, indeed, nothing has frightened me."
"Perhaps," she said, with a little hesitation, "you are getting anxious
about me; these heavy feelings that hang about my head in the morning
are a little depressing; I don't really know what to make of them."
I looked at her anxiously; there certainly was a singular expression in
her eyes which made me thoughtful. She went on in a soft, dreamy way, as
if talking to herself.
"Then I used to sleep so lightly. It was a great affliction,--that state
of semi-wakefulness which left everything unreal, but was not sleep,
wore me out; now I fall into such profound slumber, but it gives me no
more rest than the other state; and I awake with the sensation of a
person who has been struggling hard through the night."
"But this may arise from opiates."
"Opiates! Indeed, you know that I never take them, Miss Hyde."
I answered with some surprise that I had accounted for the strange
feeling which oppressed her by the idea that it must be something of
that kind; but omitted to say that Mrs. Dennison had bewailed to me the
habit of taking preparations of opium which Mrs. Lee had fallen into.
The invalid seemed a little hurt by this suggestion, and said over and
over again in her sweet way,--
"No, no, my dear. It must be terrible pain which can force me to take
these things; and thanks to Him and to all the loving care around me, I
do not suffer greatly."
"Still you are changed, dear lady," I said. "How, I cannot explain; but
in your face I find that look of struggle which you complain of."
"It is oppressive," she said, putting a hand to her forehead, "and I am
afraid makes me but dull company. Mr. Lee is not here quite so much as
usual: or is that a sick fancy, Miss Hyde?"
I answered with a tremor in my voice, for her earnest look troubled me,
that we all thought quiet better for her, even than the pleasant
excitement which his company might bring.
She shook her head, and observed with one of her touching smiles, "that
it did not help the flowers to keep back the dew when they thirsted for
it."
I had no answer; all my petty evasions against her affectionate
entreaties were like straw flung on the surface of a brook; I had no
heart to attempt more.
She had fallen into silence, and lay shading her eyes with one hand,
when Mr. Lee came in with a heavy, ringing step, and a cloud on his
face. His wife started up, and her eyes sparkled as she held out her
hand.
"Were you asleep? Have I disturbed you?" he said, abruptly.
"Oh! no, that is impossible, I think; but--but you look troubled. What
is it?"
"Troubled? Do I? Nothing of the kind. How fanciful you are, my dear!
What should any of us have to do with trouble?"
"Not while we are together," she said, touching the seat I had
abandoned with her hand, thus delicately inviting him to her side.
But he strode to the window, and looked out with anxiety. Something was
evidently on his mind. Just then I heard voices in the garden. It was
Mrs. Dennison calling aloud for Jessie.
"Jessie, Jessie, darling, where have you hidden yourself? Here is some
one wishes to see you."
The voice came ringing up clear and distinct; Mr. Lee heard it, and the
frown grew lighter upon his forehead. Directly a light step came up the
stairs. Mr. Lee turned and looked toward the door. Mrs. Dennison entered
the chamber without waiting for her knock to be answered.
"Where is Jessie?" she cried, all cheerfulness and animation; "she is
wanted, and I am quite out of breath searching for her in the garden,
Mr. Lee. Dear Miss Hyde, pray help me to find her."
Mr. Lee came forward at this challenge, almost smiling.
"Have you been to her room?" he said.
She answered him that she had not, but added something in a low, hurried
voice. Guarded as it was, I caught the sense.
"There was a little misunderstanding between them," she said; "he wanted
me to mediate, and is waiting for her in the garden."
Mr. Lee listened, and one of the rare smiles I have spoken of beamed
over his face. He made a movement as if to go out with the widow; but
seeing the anxiety in Mrs. Lee's eyes, I went forward at once, saying,
as I hurried by the couple,--
"As you are here to sit with Mrs. Lee, sir, I will look for Jessie."
The smile that crept across Mrs. Dennison's lips was like a reptile
feeding on a rose.
"You are very kind," she said. "I had no idea of enlisting Mr. Lee; his
duties here are too sacred for that."