LUCIFER'S VOTARIES RAMPANT.
"Yes, Silas Jones shall hear of how we found his precious Sarah Kane
alone in a man's bedroom," sneered the coldly cruel voice of Mrs. Cole,
entering, and not making a seductive picture in bright green dressing
gown, with large purple flowers, her hooked nose as red as her high
cheek bones, her awful eyes fixed, staring and stony, her uncle and aunt
following.
"Oh dear, oh dear! Heaven help us! I forgot to lock the door when I
brought the poor fellow the foot-warmer," thought Sarah Kane,
distractedly.
"I thought I heard a jabbering going on before you called me, Margaret,"
said her uncle, savagely.
"How dare you bring disrepute on a virtuous home by coming to a man's
bedroom at night, and alone, Sarah Kane?" asked Miss Stone, quivering
with rage at being disturbed after her late supper.
"Sarah Kane, go and pack up, and see that you develop no light-finger
tricks; you leave Broadlawns at daybreak," hissed Margaret, between her
teeth.
"Please let me stay, ma'am, until Mr. Cole recovers; indeed, indeed he
is very, very ill."
"That is _my_ affair--go!" and she points to the now open door.
"She has been kind to me, she must stay; I am too ill for her to leave
me; if she goes she must take me," said Cole, sitting upright, his pulse
rapidly rising.
"We don't harbor women of her stamp," said Margaret, beside herself with
rage at her having gained the ear of Cole; she would willingly have torn
her limb from limb.
"Get out of here, and at _once_, Sarah Kane, unless you would have me
use violence," said Stone, savagely; for from the words of Cole he sees
she has made a favorable impression.
"I implore you not to go and leave me here," said the sick man,
excitedly; "my brain is on fire. I am weak and ill; oh! by everything
you hold sacred, stay by me and nurse me; if not, I go too, if I have to
crawl to the door;" and he attempted to rise.
"This is nonsense, Cole; she must go; I have wanted to turn her adrift
before this. We shall procure you a medical attendant at once; though, I
think, did you take a berth in a steamer immediately for America, it
would be best, and set you up all right, especially with Margaret as
nurse. Sarah Kane, what are you waiting for?"
"For the impetus of someone's foot, I presume," sneered Margaret.
Sarah Kane, with a pitiful look at Cole, her lip quivering and whole
frame trembling, prepared to leave the room, saying, as she smoothed his
pillows:
"Try and keep calm, sir, you will get well all the quicker, and I shall
go and tell Silas Jones, and see if he can help you."
At a sign from Margaret, her uncle followed her from the room, when she
said, hurriedly:
"I am going to give the wretch permission to remain until morning, to
prevent an interview with Silas Jones; after breakfast, you say you will
drive her in to Mrs. Mansfield's. We have never let her know she wants
her, but now she will be capital bait; Sarah Kane will bite, and so be
hooked, when you can lodge her for safe keeping at Tom Lang's, who, if
needs be, may give her the luxury of a straight-jacket."
"I feel inclined to say No, and kick her out at once; otherwise, yours
is a good plan."
"It is the only gag to fit the case; but out of that room _she shall
go_. She may go and pack up. I'll show them who is mistress."
"Yes, do; besotted fool, that Cole is, to have turned us against him.
You don't think that viper will go to Silas Jones at daybreak, do you?"
"No; his shop won't be open until seven. By that time cook can have an
early breakfast for you, and you will then at once drive off to London,
and if Silas Jones comes prowling around here after her, leave him to
me, that's all," she said, cruelly, returning to the sick room.
"Go to your room at once, Sarah Kane, pack up your things, and be ready
to leave this house at seven sharp; go," she said, stamping her foot.
"Don't pollute us by your presence any longer."
"I pray of you to let me stay and nurse him; I will do just what you
wish, spare you from fatigue, be no trouble, only let me stay," she
cried, imploringly.
Margaret turned her stony gaze upon her. "Put her out, Uncle Timothy, or
I shall."
"Get out, woman," he said, taking her by the shoulder, Miss Stone
shoving her, and saying:
"Be thankful, hussy, you are getting off so well."
"At your peril send her forth; it will be the worse for you all when I
recover, if you do," said Cole, with the utmost excitement.
"Keep cool, Cole; you don't know what a viper we have harbored. I am
only going to take her to a Mrs. Mansfield's, and, if she can speak so
much truth, she will tell you she is a friend of hers," said Stone,
vengefully.
"You are heaping coals of fire on the viper's head by taking her there,
Timothy," said Miss Stone, wonderingly.
"Is this person a friend of yours, Sarah?" asked Cole, forlornly
pressing both hands to his throbbing temples. "How cruel they are to
send you from me. Do you know of a good physician, Sarah?"
"Oh, yes, sir; Dr. Annesley, of London; he----"
"Hold your prate, Sarah Kane, and mind your own business," cried
Margaret, trembling with rage. "Get out of here," and with a smart push
she is outside and the key turned.
For a few moments Sarah Kane stood irresolute, when the clock struck
three.
"Yes, that will be best," she thought, "but I have no time to lose,"
and, quickly flying to her own apartment, she hurriedly packs up, but
not the handsome wardrobe willed her by her late mistress, of which she
knows not, but simply her own modest apparel; this she places in two
trunks, weeping silently the while for the evil come upon the poor sick
man in yonder east chamber, for her own forced desertion of him into the
cruel hands of the inmates at Broadlawns, for her own undefined plans to
find her young mistress, and endeavor to reinstate her in the fortune
willed her, which she is in doubt now that the law will give her, as she
has not married Charles B. Cole. She weeps on, as she thinks of the
fearful fraud that has been committed; for here is Mr. Cole married!
actually married to Miss Villiers, in Sarah Kane's estimation, the most
wicked woman that lives, when he had been the intended husband of her
sweet, gentle Miss Pearl.
"Woe, woe, that I did not go to Dr. Annesley, and tell him of the
prolonged absence of Miss Pearl, instead of watching here, or to a
lawyer; but I dreaded their fees, as they have paid me no salary for
five years, nor can I claim it, as they told me if I staid I should get
nothing. I have erred in judgment. God help me and that poor sick man.
Yes, I must slip away and tell Silas. It is fortunate Mary is with him
still, or they (if by some mischance they miss me) might again make
occasion to malign me as to going to see a man; how easily those
smooth-tongued hypocrites can take away one's character, and they doing
the real harm all the while. My grey ulster and hat will not be too
heavy; it is quite a cool morning, and being up all night, and
supperless to bed, makes me feel chilly. How surprised Silas and his
sister will be. I know he will want me to marry him at once, but I feel
too old and grey; but, as he says, so I have told him for years; and he
has waited and waited until the clouds at Broadlawns would lighten, and
now they are blacker than ever. Kind Silas, good and true Silas, what
will you say to this terrible marriage of poor Mr. Cole to awful Miss
Villiers?"
And now her expeditious fingers having set her house in order, her grey
hair rolled back from her brow, her small, regular features, sensitive
mouth, and good blue eyes looking wan and anxious, locking her door, she
slips down the back stairs, and out into the chill dulness of an October
morning. In fifteen minutes she knocks at the house of Silas Jones, the
front room of which he calls his shop, selling in a quiet way stationery
and current literature. The city clocks are ringing the last quarter
before four, and Mary is the first to hear the unusual sound on the
knocker at that early hour. Waiting to hear it repeated, she lifts the
window, when, at Sarah Kane's voice calling Silas, they both hasten down
to open the door.
"Dear me, Sarah; what's up?" said Mary, kissing her. "What a scare you
gave me!"
"You have been up all night, Sarah," said Silas Jones, reproachfully,
leading her in, as he again locked the door. "However, as this is the
earliest kiss I have ever had, I shall not scold you too much; but whom
have you been looking nearer your own grave for this time, Sarah? You
have been nursing again, I suppose, and are returning to Broadlawns?"
"How you chatter, Silas, dear; Sarah can't get in a word edgeways," said
Mary, kindly, but curiously.
"I was only giving our Sarah time to catch her breath, she has been
running and is cold," he said, rubbing her hands. "Make her a hot drink
over the spirit-lamp, Mary, please."
"The very thing, Silas, dear; what a good man you will make our Sarah;
here, drink this, Sarah, and promise to marry Silas this day week (my
wedding-day too, Sarah), for indeed, you want someone to make you stay
in your bed o' nights."
"Yes, Sarah, dear, Mary is right; for it's my belief the wretches at
Broadlawns wish to see you in your grave, seeing as you know too much."
"Oh, Silas, that young man, Mr. Cole, came; and they have married him to
Miss Villiers, instead of our sweet Miss Pearl," blurted out Sarah, in
trembling tones.
"You don't say, Sarah; what a fearful piece of wickedness," cried Mary,
with distended eyes.
"I am not surprised at any villainy on their part," said Silas, with
knitted brows. "Let me see, the will reads, on Miss Pearl coming of age
and marrying young Mr. Cole, she inherits all (so Dr. Annesley told me,
and, by the way, he sent me word he wants to see me); well they have got
rid, the de'il knows how, of Miss Pearl, and this ugly vixen marries the
man to inherit; bad business, their having similar Christian names; so
it's from there you come, and not from sick nursing? Tell us all, dear."
"Well, Silas, that's just what I ran here for, for they've as good as
turned me out, at least, I am to go at daybreak, and----"
"Did they dare to turn you out, you a lady born, though their
drudge--faithful in nursing, faithful in your housekeeping. Shielding
them, when you could have put the blood-hounds of the law on their
track, hoping things would right themselves in this very marriage; but
to Miss Pearl--turn you out, after wasting your youth and mine in a
martyr's life, to see that right was eventually done to the innocent
daughter of your dead friend, growing literally grey in this
self-imposed duty, while we both lived lonely lives apart, when they
should be in a felon's dock for breach of trust; never mind, it is my
turn now, they shall be exposed, and compelled to disgorge; Miss Pearl
must be found, Mrs. Mansfield may know something."
"Mrs. Mansfield, yes, Silas, that is where Mr. Stone is going to drive
me at seven sharp this a.m., and, oh dear, it is near six; I must hasten
back, else they may make me black in Bayswater, for they have called me
a hussy to-night, Silas, because I went to poor Mr. Cole's bedroom, who
is very ill, and he was sorry when they turned me out, Silas, for he
knows he has fallen into their net, and he is ill in mind and body; God
help him. He is kindly and handsome, is yielding and pliable, and so an
easy prey; he was to have met his father, he tells me. Ah, he would have
saved him, but he is ill, he learned on his arrival, and away off across
the sea at Montreal; but I had to come and tell you, Silas, for I missed
you last evening, when they sent me to the city, so I should be out of
the way, and alas! I came back too late to save him," she said,
tearfully.
"Don't go near them again, Sarah," said Mary, sympathetically.
"Yes, Sarah, that's it; stay with us, and we will pet and nurse you, and
you will be my wife."
"No dears, I could not remain inactive so near poor Mr. Cole; he hates
them as his enemies, it is best for me to go to Mrs. Mansfield, I shall
be near Dr. Annesley, and must see what can be done; you will come and
see me at Mrs. Mansfield's, so good-bye, now, dears."
"I shall come to the city to-morrow, Sarah, so look out for me, dear,"
he said, buttoning her ulster.
"You shouldn't be parting us at all, Sarah," said Mary, tearfully.
"But only for a few days, Mary."
"You must marry me this day week, Sarah, dear, for somehow I feel as if
evil will come to you parted from me; promise, it will bridge the time,"
he said, following her out into the grey morning light.
"I promise." And there and then, in the dim gaze of the earliest bees in
life's hive, she is pressed to his loyal heart.