THE SQUIRE'S PARTY.
WHILE at the breakfast table the next morning, Mr. Duxbury received a
package of envelopes, from among which he passed one to Emily directed
to herself. It proved to contain a card of invitation to a party in the
evening at Squire Matthews, one of the great men in the village. There
were cards also directed to Mr. and Mrs. Duxbury and family, which
included the teachers and any of the older pupils the Principal thought
proper to invite.
Half an hour later, Cecilia appeared, and was rejoiced to find
invitations had been sent to the school.
"But I do not intend to go," explained Emily. "I am getting quite too
dissipated."
"You must go," urged her friend, hesitating for a moment what reason to
give, as she could not state the real one.
"Why must I?"
"Oh, because there would be no enjoyment for me unless you were there."
"Why, you will have your brother."
"Certainly, that is, I suppose he will go. Now say you will accept to
oblige me."
"I'll think of it, and consult—"
"I am sure Mrs. Duxbury will wish you to accept. It's a fine thing for
the school to have her teachers so popular."
"I didn't intend to consult any person, only my engagement book. Since
you have been here, I have found your society so delightful that I have
not studied as much as I ought."
"But now you have ceased to appreciate me. Is that it, or is it—Will
you tell me the truth, dear? Is it because my brother behaved so much
like a bear last night? I can't make any excuse for him. He's a puzzle
to me. Why, he is usually very polite and polished. The truth is,
he has been spoiled by too much attention from ladies. If you could
have seen the enthusiasm with which he was received by the ladies in
Washington, the parties made for him, the caps set to catch the new
member from Michigan, the attention, for his sake, extended to his
sister, his favorite songs practiced and played at him, the traps set
for him, you'd scarcely wonder that with a very few exceptions, he has
not the highest opinion of ladies."
"I have nothing to complain of in his treatment of me," answered Emily,
with a slight curl of the lip. "I suppose the Judge's joke was that he
put an unusual meaning upon the term 'old' friend. I should scarcely
have gone to sing for a 'young' Honorable."
"Now, Emily, you are vexed with me, and I'm going away so soon."
"Indeed I am not vexed with any one. I love you very dearly, Cecilia;
and never, as long as I live, shall I forget your generous affection
for a stranger. I confess I was a trifle annoyed when I found a young
gentleman instead of one with silver hair, as I expected. I was afraid
I might be thought bold, but I resolved at once not to act silly but to
make the best of it."
"Emily, be a good girl and show me you forgive me by going to-night."
"I will try to get through my engagements in time, if it will really
please you."
The evening was quite advanced when Mr. and Mrs. Duxbury, with four
young ladies, reached the house of Squire Matthews. Cecilia, who had
been watching the door for an hour, had given her friend up, and was in
the conservatory with some young people.
There was one, however, who saw her enter, watched the ease and dignity
with which she made herself known to Mrs. Matthews, saw with what
affection she was greeted by young and old, stood near enough to listen
to her animated conversation with an old gentleman, in reference to a
new poem which was exciting much attention, heard her chat in a lively
tone with some who had been her pupils, and failed to hear one word
which would sting, or a single remark unfavorable to the character of
another.
He noticed that after a time she began to look around as though in
search of some one, and in doing so, her eye met his fixed gravely upon
her. She recognized him by a bow only, then left the room and soon
joined his sister.
Moving slowly towards the conservatory, he was stopped by Mrs.
Matthews, who asked, "Are you fond of music? If so, I think I can
promise you a treat. Miss Washburn has the finest voice I ever heard."
"I shall be most happy to hear her."
"I shall tell her so," laughing.
"I fear the wishes of a stranger would avail little."
But for a wonder, Emily declined to sing alone, and indeed begged Mrs.
Matthews to excuse her altogether.
"You know," she said frankly, "I do not want to be urged. I always
comply at once when I can."
Poor Mrs. Matthews looked so distressed that Emily agreed to join with
Cecilia in the beautiful piece set to the sentiment of the Psalmist.
"As pants the hart for cooling streams,
When heated by the chase,
So pants my soul, O Lord, for thee,
And thy redeeming grace."
The two friends went together to the piano, Cecilia standing by Emily
to turn the sheets, etc., but when the second part struck in, instead
of Cecilia's voice, a rich tenor sustained the response, and joined in
with the chorus.
The company showed their appreciation by their perfect silence.
When the piece was finished, Emily rose, turned to see who had
accompanied her, and met the eye of Honorable Mr. Lawrence fastened
upon her. Blushing vividly, she was turning hastily away, when he said—
"Excuse me, Miss Washburn. Like our father in olden time, I must cast
the blame on the woman, and say that Cecilia insisted."
She smiled and said, "Thank you, sir. Your voice gave me new courage."
After this evening, it was several days before Mr. Lawrence and Emily
met again. All Cecilia's begging, and coaxing, was in vain. She would
not go to Judge Wilson's, certainly while she was to be the only guest.
On Wednesday, invitations were issued for Mrs. Duxbury's levee, which
was to take place on Friday evening. Of course, Judge Wilson's family
and guests were specially remembered.
Cecilia watched her brother when Mrs. Wilson read the invitation,
adding that Mrs. Duxbury possessed the faculty of putting all her
guests at their ease, and that her levees were immensely popular. She
noticed that he looked pleased, and when the Judge added, "I shall
go if only to scold that naughty girl for neglecting me," he laughed
outright.
But within twenty-four hours, Cecilia was doomed to receive a shock in
her designs for her brother's happiness. She came upon him suddenly on
the porch, when he thought her at a distance, and found him looking
immensely happy over a letter he was reading, but which he immediately
put out of sight, and she was very sure that he blushed. Making some
incoherent excuse, he left her and went up to his chamber.
"What does it mean? Who can that letter be from?" she asked herself.
"If it were from a client, he would not have been so embarrassed."
Suddenly she perceived an envelope on the floor, and picking it up
with some curiosity, saw that it was directed in a very fine hand, to
Hon. Frederic Lawrence. The post mark was New York. Vexed as she was,
Cecilia could scarcely help laughing at the failure of her little plan,
but congratulated herself that she had kept it confined to her own
breast.
At the levee, she was more than ever proud of her friend, and felt sure
that only a prior attachment could render her brother unmindful of
Emily's charms of person and manner, they were so exactly what she had
often heard him describe as his ideal of a perfect lady.
At Mrs. Duxbury's special request, the music teacher stood by her
side to assist her in receiving her guests, and afterwards mingling
with them, sought by every means in her power to make the evening an
agreeable one. Old and young, ladies and gentlemen, all were made to
feel that their presence was desired, and contributed to the pleasure
of the occasion. She invited the young ladies to play, and the
gentlemen to join in the singing, but not until near the close of the
evening did she sing herself, and then at the request of Judge Wilson,
who said that he only came for the purpose of hearing her.
He gave her his arm, and escorted her to the piano, where he stood
until she had sung his favorite ballads. Then saying—
"That will do, little girl. You have done very well," he led her back
to his wife amidst the laughter of all the company.
On their return home, Judge Wilson asked Mr. Lawrence how he liked Mr.
Manning, a gentleman to whom he had introduced him.
"Do you mean the gentleman who tried to usurp Miss Washburn's
attention?"
"Yes," explained his sister. "And who conducted her to the refreshment
table."
"I think him one of the most disagreeable men I have met."
"I wonder whether there is an engagement between them. I think Emily
would have told me if there was anything settled, but he certainly
seems very much enamored." Cecilia addressed herself to the Judge, who
fired up at once, as she expected.
"If that child gets herself entangled in any matter of that kind
without my consent, I'll know the reason why."
Cecilia noticed, with special delight, that her brother looked very
glum, and that taking one of the night-lamps which had been placed on
the table by a servant, he went to his chamber without another word.
"After all," she reflected, "that letter may have been purely on
business."
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