"Who ordered toil as the condition of life, ordered failure,
success; to this person a foremost place, to the other a struggle
with the crowd; to each some work upon the ground he stands on
until he is laid beneath it.... Lucky he who can bear his failure
generously, and give up his broken sword to Fate, the conqueror,
with a manly and humble heart."--WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY
When set at liberty, Ward Heathcote returned to New York.
The newspapers everywhere had published similar versions of Père
Michaux's agency in the discovery of the murderer, and Anne's connection
with it was never known. To this day neither Mrs. Blackwell, Mrs.
Strain, nor Mr. Graub himself, has any suspicion that their summer
visitors were other than the widow Young and her niece Ruth from the
metropolis of Washington.
Heathcote returned to New York. And society received him with widely
open arms. The women had never believed in his guilt; they now
apotheosized him. The men had believed in it; they now pressed forward
to atone for their error. But it was a grave and saddened man who
received this ovation--an ovation quiet, hardly expressed in words, but
marked, nevertheless. A few men did say openly, "Forgive me, Heathcote;
you can not be half so severe on me as I am on myself." But generally a
silent grip of the hand was the only outward expression.
The most noticeable sign was the deference paid him. It seemed as if a
man who had unjustly suffered so much, and been so cruelly suspected,
should now be crowned in the sight of all. They could not actually crown
him, but they did what they could.
Through this deference and regret, through these manifestations of
feeling from persons not easily stirred to feeling or deference,
Heathcote passed unmoved and utterly silent, like a man of marble. After
a while it was learned that he had transferred Helen's fortune to other
hands. At first he had tried to induce Miss Teller to take it, but she
had refused. He had then deeded it all to a hospital for children, in
which his wife had occasionally evinced some interest. Society divided
itself over this action; some admired it, others pronounced it Quixotic.
But the man who did it seemed to care nothing for either their praise or
their blame.
Rachel asked Isabel if she knew where Anne was.
"The very question I asked dear Miss Teller yesterday," replied Isabel.
"She told me that Anne had returned to that island up in the Northwest
somewhere, where she used to live. Then I asked, 'Is she going to remain
there?' and Miss Teller answered, 'Yes,' but in such a tone that I did
not like to question further."
"It has ended, then, as I knew it would," said Rachel. "In spite of all
that display on the witness stand, you see he has _not_ married her."
"He could not marry her very well at present, I suppose," began Isabel,
who had a trace of feeling in her heart for the young girl.
But Rachel interrupted her. "I tell you he will never marry her," she
said, her dark eyes flashing out upon the thin blonde face of her
companion. For old Mrs. Bannert was dead at last, and her
daughter-in-law had inherited the estate. Two weeks later she sailed
rather unexpectedly for Europe. But if unexpectedly, not causelessly.
She was not a woman to hesitate; before she went she had staked her all,
played her game, and--lost it.
Heathcote had never been, and was not now, a saint; but he saw life with
different eyes. During the old careless days it had never occurred to
him to doubt himself, or his own good (that is, tolerably good--good
enough) qualities. Suddenly he had found himself a prisoner behind bars,
and half the world, even his own world, believed him guilty. This had
greatly changed him. As the long days and nights spent in prison had
left traces on his face which would never pass away, so this judgment
passed upon him had left traces on his heart which would not be
outlived. As regarded both himself and others he was sterner.
Anne had returned with Miss Lois to the island. From New York he wrote
to her, "If I can not see you, I shall go back to the army. My old life
here is unendurable now."
No letters had passed between them: this was the first. They had not
seen each other since that interview in the Multomah prison.
She answered simply, Go.
He went.
* * * * *
More than two years passed. Miss Teller journeyed westward to the
island, and staid a long time at the church-house, during the first
summer, making with reverential respect an acquaintance with Miss Lois.
During the second summer Tita came home to make a visit, astonishing her
old companions, and even her own sister, by the peculiar beauty of her
little face and figure, and her air of indulgent superiority over
everything the poor island contained. But she was happy. She smiled
sometimes with such real naturalness, her small white teeth gleaming
through her delicate little lips, that Anne went across and kissed her
out of pure gladness, gladness that she was so content. Rast had
prospered--at least he was prospering now (he failed and prospered
alternately)--and his little wife pleased herself with silks that
trailed behind her over the uncarpeted halls of the church-house, giving
majesty (so she thought) to her small figure. If they did not give
majesty, they gave an unexpected and bizarre contrast. Strangers who saw
Tita that summer went home and talked about her, and never forgot her.
The two boys were tall and strong--almost men; they had no desire to
come eastward. Anne must not send them any more money; they did not need
it; on the contrary, in a year or two, when they had made their fortunes
(merely a question of time), they intended to build for her a grand
house on the island, and bestow upon her an income sufficient for all
her wants. They requested her to obtain plans for this mansion,
according to her taste.
Père Michaux was at work, as usual, in his water parish. He had
succeeded in obtaining a commutation of the death sentence, in Croom's
case, to imprisonment for a term of years, the criminal's mental
weakness being the plea. But he considered the prisoner his especial
charge, and never lost sight of him. Such solace and instruction as
Croom was capable of receiving were constantly given, if not by the
priest himself, then by his influence; and this protection was continued
long after the wise, kind old man had passed away.
Jeanne-Armande returned from Europe, and entered into happy possession
of the half-house, as it stood, refurnished by the lavish hand of
Gregory Dexter.
And Dexter? During the last year of the war he went down to the front,
on business connected with a proposed exchange of prisoners. Here,
unexpectedly, one day he came upon Ward Heathcote, now in command of a
regiment.
Colonel Heathcote was not especially known beyond his own division; in
it, he was considered a good officer, cool, determined, and if
distinguished at all, distinguished for rigidly obeying his orders,
whatever they might be. It was related of him that once having been
ordered to take his men up Little Reedy Run, when Big Reedy was plainly
meant--Little Reedy, as everybody knew, being within the lines of the
enemy, he calmly went up Little Reedy with his regiment. The enemy,
startled by the sudden appearance of seven hundred men among their seven
thousand, supposed of course that seventy thousand must be behind, and
retreated in haste, a mile or two, before they discovered their error.
The seven hundred, meanwhile, being wildly recalled by a dozen
messengers, came back, with much camp equipage and other booty, together
with a few shot in their bodies, sent by the returning and indignant
Confederates, one of the balls being in the shoulder of the calm colonel
himself.
When Dexter came upon Heathcote, a flush rose in his face. He did not
hesitate, however, but walked directly up to the soldier. "Will you step
aside with me a moment?" he said. "I want to speak to you."
Heathcote, too, had recognized his former companion at a glance. The
two men walked together beyond earshot; then they paused.
But Dexter's fluency had deserted him. "You know?" he said.
"Yes."
"It does not make it any better, I fear, to say that my belief was an
honest one."
"You were not alone; there were others who thought as you did. I care
little about it now."
"Still, I--I wish to beg your pardon," said Dexter, bringing out the
words with an effort. Then, having accomplished his task, he paused.
"You are a more fortunate man than I am--than I have ever been," he
added, gloomily. "But that does not lighten my mistake."
"Think no more of it," answered Heathcote. "I assure you, it is to me a
matter of not the slightest consequence."
The words were double-edged, but Dexter bore them in silence. They shook
hands, and separated, nor did they meet again for many years.