FACE TO FACE.
During the bustle of these preparations, Elizabeth, Mr. North and Elsie
had dropped out of the party and wandered off, no doubt, into the shady
places of the woods; no one had observed how or where they went. Hawkins
had been with Elsie at first, but she had sent him down a ravine for
some tinted ash leaves, and when he came back to the stone on which she
had been sitting, it was vacant. Probably she had become tired of
waiting, and had gone in search of the forest leaves herself; as for
Mrs. Mellen and North, of course they were all right somewhere, and
would be on hand safe enough when the chowder was ready.
While Mrs. Harrington and Hawkins were talking in this idle fashion,
they sat on a large ledge of rock that crowned the very brink of the
precipice; and chancing to look down, saw two persons near the foot
moving towards the tavern. One they recognised, even from that distance,
to be Mr. North, for his tall, grand figure was not to be mistaken. The
other was a lady; the dark riding-dress and floating plumes might belong
to any female of the party, there was no individuality in a dress like
that. The couple had evidently found some passage down the brow of the
precipice, for it would have been impossible to reach the spot where
they stood by any other route.
"Well," said Mrs. Harrington, "if that isn't a sly proceeding; what on
earth does it mean? How Mrs. Mellen can drag her long skirts down that
hill, just to look at a common tavern, which she's seen a hundred times,
I cannot imagine."
"Perhaps they are going down to the beach," said Hawkins, who had no
more malice in his composition than a swallow.
"No, no! they are turning toward the house," said the widow,
considerably excited. "What can they want there?"
"Oh, very likely they have gone in to rest. You know North lives there
when he comes on the island to fish or shoot."
"What! Mr. North, he live there and never tell me! I thought he was a
perfect stranger on the island."
"As to that," answered Hawkins, a little startled by her earnestness,
"he only comes down for a day now and then. It's nothing permanent, I
assure you."
"There! there! they have gone in!" exclaimed the lady. "I wonder where
Elsie is; I must tell Elsie."
"Why, what nonsense!" answered Hawkins, with some spirit; "can't Mrs.
Mellen step into a house to rest herself a moment without troubling her
friends so terribly?"
"Just be quiet, Hawkins, you don't know what you are talking about,"
answered the lady, keeping her gaze fastened on the tavern. "Turn an eye
on the house while I look at the time. It must be five minutes since
they went in. Dear, dear, what a world we live in!"
Mrs. Harrington kept the little enamelled watch, sparkling with
diamonds, in her ungloved hand full ten minutes, only glancing from it
to the door of the tavern in her vigilance. At the end of that time Mr.
North and his companion came out of the house and disappeared in the
undergrowth which lay between that and the precipice.
Mrs. Harrington watched some time for them to appear again, but her
curiosity was baffled, and her attention soon directed to other objects.
At last she was aroused by Elsie coming suddenly upon the ledge,
flushed, panting for breath and glowing with anger. She turned upon
Hawkins like a spiteful mockingbird.
"A pretty escort you are, Mr. Hawkins, to leave a lady all alone in the
woods. I declare, Mrs. Harrington, he lost me in one of those dreadful
ravines, and I scrambled up the wrong bank and have been wandering
everywhere, climbing rocks and tiring myself to death. Only think of
dragging this long skirt over my arm and tearing my way through the
bushes. I heard the servants laugh and that guided me, or I might have
been roaming the woods now."
"My poor dear," said the widow, full of compassion, "how heated and
wearied you look! Hawkins, can't you find something to fan her with?"
Hawkins broke off a branch full of leaves and offered to fan her with
it. But she snatched it out of his hand and flung it over the precipice.
"Where is Elizabeth? Go tell Elizabeth I wish to speak with her, if you
want to make up with me."
"We have not seen Mrs. Mellen since you went away; nor Mr. North either.
They have finished that ride by strolling off together," said Mrs.
Harrington.
Elsie started, and the warm color faded from her face.
"What! Elizabeth; has she been roaming about? and--and----"
"With Mr. North, Elsie."
The tone in which this was conveyed said more than the words. At first
Elsie looked bewildered; then, as if her gentle spirit had received the
shock of a painful idea, she fell into troubled thought.
"And you saw her go away," she said, in a low voice. "In what
direction?"
"We did not know how or when she went, but certainly did see her and Mr.
North together."
"Where?"
"Down yonder, going into that low tavern."
Elsie gazed into her friend's face, startled and astonished.
"She would not go there. You must be mistaken, Mrs. Harrington. No
person could be recognised from this distance--it's all nonsense."
"Ask her," said Mrs. Harrington, "for here she comes."
Elizabeth came up from a hollow in the woods and joined the party. She
seemed completely worn out, and sat down on a fragment of rock, panting
for breath. She was very pale, as if some great exertion had left the
weariness of reaction upon her. She had evidently rested somewhere
before joining them.
"Elizabeth, where have you been?" said Elsie, looking anxiously at her
sister-in-law.
"Down in the woods."
Elizabeth pointed to the forest that sloped back from the precipice.
Before Elsie could resume her questions Mrs. Harrington broke in with a
faint sneer on her lips.
"And where did you leave Mr. North?" she said, fixing a cunning,
sidelong glance on Elizabeth.
"I have not seen Mr. North," answered Mrs. Mellen, with apparent
indifference, though the hot color mounted to her face, brought there
either by some inward consciousness or the perceptible sneer leveled at
her in the form of a question.
"Not seen Mr. North," exclaimed the widow, "dear me what things optical
delusions are!"
Elizabeth did not hear or heed this, for that instant Mr. North came up
to them very quietly and sat down near the widow.
"Have you had a pleasant ramble?" he said, addressing Elsie. "I saw you
and Hawkins in the woods and had half a mind to join you."
"But changed your mind, and went--may I ask where?" said Elsie, with a
shade of pallor on her face; for it seemed as if the man had surprised
her with bitter thoughts of his deception in her mind, and she could not
refrain from revealing something of distrust.
"Oh, I took a ramble around the brow of the precipice," he answered,
carelessly, "and went into the tavern for a glass of water."
"And the lady," said Elsie, looking steadily in his face. "What lady was
it in a riding-dress who bore you company? Mrs. Harrington saw one from
her perch here on the ledge."
North cast a quick glance on Elizabeth, who did not speak, but sat
looking from him to her sister-in-law, as if stricken by some sudden
terror.
"It was a mistake. No lady shared my rambles," said North.
"But there was a lady," cried Mrs. Harrington, a good deal excited. "I
saw her with my own eyes. Mr. Hawkins remarked her too."
North smiled and shook his head.
"She had on a riding-habit and an upright plume like----"
"Well, well," said North, gently, "it is useless going on with the
subject. I assure you that I went down the precipice alone and came up
alone."
Mrs. Harrington looked at Elsie and smiled.
"Of course he is in honor bound to say that," she whispered.
Elsie seemed disturbed and answered quickly, "I, for one, believe that
he speaks the truth. It is folly to say that you saw any one in that
dress; besides, it was just as likely to be me as Elizabeth--our habits
are alike."
"Poor generous dove!" whispered the widow, "you know better; but if you
are satisfied it's no business of mine, only if Mellen asks me about it
I must tell the truth."
"Mary Harrington, you must have better proof than this before you dare
to make mischief between my brother and his wife," said Elsie, with a
force of expression that made the widow open her eyes wide. "Don't be
slanderous and wicked, for I won't bear that, especially against
Elizabeth."
"Dear me, what a storm I have raised. Well, well, I did not see a lady,
that's enough. And there comes that wonderful colored person of yours,
to say that the feast is spread and the chowder perfect. Come, come, one
and all."
The whole party had assembled on the ledge by this time. At Mrs.
Harrington's invitation, it moved off, and went laughing and chatting
towards a large flat rock, that gleamed out from among the surrounding
grass and mosses, like a crusted snow bank, so white and crisp was the
linen spread over it. Here a dainty repast presented itself, for the
smoking dish of chowder that stood in the centre gave its name to what
was, in fact, a sumptuous feast. Directly the noise of flying corks and
the gurgle of amber-hued wines, with bursts of laughter and flashes of
wit, frightened the birds from their haunt in the great maple-tree
overhead, and made its rich yellow leaves tremble again in the sunshine
that came quivering over the forest, and rippled up the broad ocean with
silvery outbursts.
Whatever had gone before, all was hilarity and cordial good-humor now.
North, for one, came out resplendently; such graceful compliments, such
bright flashes of wit no one had ever heard from his lips till then. It
aroused the best talent of every one present. When the party broke up
and its members went to the covert where their horses had been fed, it
was joyously, like birds flying home to their nests.
A ride through the golden coolness of a lovely sunset brought the party
back to Piney Cove, and all that had gone wrong during the day seemed
forgotten.
The visitors were to start for New York early in the morning, and, as
all were somewhat fatigued, the house was closed somewhat earlier than
usual.
Elsie had retired earlier than the rest, having some preparations to
make for her little journey. She busied herself awhile about her boudoir
and bed-room, selecting a few articles of jewelry and so on to be
packed, then sat down and read awhile; tired of that, she turned down
the lights in the alabaster lily cups, which one of the statues held,
sat down in the faint moonshine, with which she had thus flooded the
room, and fell into a train of restless thought; a pale gleam darted up
now and then from the lilies, and trembled through the floss-like curls
under which she had thrust her hand, revealing a face more earnest and
thoughtful than was usual to the gay young creature. Whether it was that
she had become anxious from the dart of suspicion that had been that day
cast at her brother's wife, or was disturbed by some other cause I
cannot say, but her eyes shone bright and clear in the pale radiance
that surrounded her; now and then she would start up and listen at
Elizabeth's door, as if about to enter and question her of the things
that evidently troubled her mind. At last she fell into quiet, and lying
on the couch, scarcely seemed to breathe. It was almost midnight then.
The house was still, and she could hear the distant waves beating
against the shore. She closed her eyes and listened dreamily, reluctant
to seek any other place of rest, yet changing the azure cushions of her
couch impatiently from time to time.
At last, as she half rose for this purpose, a noise from the outer room,
which was a square passage or hall, in which were placed some bronze
statues and antique shields, arrested her attention. Resting on her
elbow, she held her breath and listened.
The noise came again more distinctly. It seemed as if a door had been
opened with caution. Elsie arose, stole softly across the carpet, turned
the lock of her dressing-room door and entered the passage, carrying a
little night-lamp in her hand, which she had kindled among the alabaster
lilies. She had half crossed the hall, casting frightened looks around,
when a cry of dismay broke from her lips, for close by the door which
led to her sister-in-law's apartments she saw Elizabeth standing, pale
as death, but with her eyes burning like fire, turned upon a man who
stood leaning against one of the statues. It was Mr. North.
The two women stood face to face, regarding each other in dead silence,
while North smiled upon them both. The lamp trembled in Elsie's hand,
her face became white as snow. Without uttering a word she turned,
entered her room and locked the door.
The next day she left Piney Point with Mrs. Harrington. Mr. North left
also, but he went alone.