MISS BURNEY LEAVES SHELLBEACH.
One evening, two or three weeks after the wedding at Newport, Dr.
James was sitting with Miss Burney in her little parlor. They often
used that privilege of fast friends, silence; and it was after an
unbroken pause of full a quarter of an hour that Martha looked up
from her sewing, and said:
"Why did you never notice that I have not resumed my school-work this
year?"
"I have noticed it; but supposed you had some good reason, which you
would tell me when you were ready."
"I am ready now. I have given up teaching for the present, and
perhaps for ever." The doctor made no reply, only showing by his
attentive face that he was listening.
"Margaret has offered me a home, and I have accepted it."
"I imagined you were too proud to accept assistance from any body."
"From any body else except her. In the first place, she is rich and
can afford it; secondly, it makes her happy to help people; thirdly,
I love her and she loves me, and that is the best reason of all."
"You are right; and what decided you to take this step?"
"It seems she has had it in her mind ever since last spring; however,
she only said to me, just before she left here, that she hoped I
would make no arrangements for the winter, without first telling
her my plans. Two weeks ago, I received a letter from her, saying
that she had decided not to live any longer with Mrs. Edgar; but,
after passing the month of September at Newport, to take a house for
herself in New York. She said she could not live alone, and that she
must have some one for company and for the sake of appearances. She
begged me to be that somebody, because there was no one else with
whom she could feel independent, and free to do what she chose. I
considered the subject a week, and then wrote her my consent to do as
she wished, for next winter at least. It will be a great advantage
to me, of course, as well as a pleasure. Still I should not think of
it on that account for a moment, if I did not believe that such an
arrangement would be a good thing for her as well as for me. I do
believe so, and therefore I am going to try the experiment."
"You will not repent it, I am sure. And when do you go?"
"Next week."
"Has she bought her house?"
"She has not decided yet, and wants my help about furnishing, etc.;
so the sooner I go the better."
"Is she in New York now?"
"Yes, at a private boarding-house, where I am to stay with her till
the house is ready."
Dr. James had made up his mind that nothing would astonish him
again, yet this did take him by surprise; after he thought about it,
however, he only wondered such an arrangement had not occurred to him
before. Miss Burney was a great loss to him; for there was no other
woman whose society was any pleasure to him, and Father Barry was now
the only person with whom he had any sympathy, and of him he saw more
and more.
He begged Martha Burney to write to him, but she was a miserable
correspondent; her letters were few and far between, and never told
him what he wanted to know. He was obliged to go to Miss Spelman for
all his information regarding these two people in whom he was so
deeply interested. He heard from her that Margaret had bought a very
pretty little house, furnished it, and was comfortably established
with Martha. She said Margaret always wrote in excellent spirits, and
seemed to her to be enjoying her winter very much.
The doctor's "young man" Richards, thanks to the careful instructions
and preparation he had received, was now become of great assistance,
and, being left in charge, had very successfully treated several
cases, and even performed very well one or two surgical operations,
so that people began to feel considerable confidence in him. Dr.
James encouraged this as much as possible; for the idea of giving
up his practice at Shellbeach and vicinity had taken strong hold on
him. Finding that he left his patients in competent hands, he often
went away on business for a week at a time, and felt his own work
considerably lightened.
At Christmas time, Miss Spelman went to New York, and staid a
month, and returned eloquent about the delights of her niece's
establishment, and the charming people she had met. The doctor, by
careful questions, learned from her that Margaret was occupied with
countless good works and charities, though Miss Selina seemed to have
only a vague idea what they were. She described to her attentive
auditor how she breakfasted in her own room, every day, at ten
o'clock, or as much later as she liked, (which had always been her
idea of comfort,) and then had the carriage to do what she chose
till luncheon at two, when she saw Margaret for the first time; for
she was always full of her charitable engagements till one, when she
came home to dress. After luncheon, in time for which some pleasant
person always dropped in, they drove, visited, or shopped, and dined
at six. Then Miss Spelman told of the opera, and concerts, and a
dinner-party that Margaret gave while she was there, and of the old
friends she had met, and of the many calls and great attention she
had received; and she went on, telling about herself, with only now
and then a word about Margaret, till the doctor was quite tired of
listening. He was very curious about Margaret's morning work; of that
his old friend, having seen nothing, could give no information; and
after the account of the gayeties of Miss Lester's household, Doctor
James grew more restless than ever.