A FEAST AND A LOVE FEAST.
While the evening was passing so pleasantly with Elsie, the principal
personages below stairs were holding a subdued revel in the
housekeeper's room.
Miss Dinah had come up from the village, and her ebony suitor was
expected. With that and their delight at Miss Elsie's improvement, the
whole staff was in excellent spirits.
"It's one ob dem 'casions," said Dolf, "when we ort ter do somethin' a
little out ob de common run--what do yer say, Miss Clorindy?"
Clo smiled affably; certain explanations had passed between her and Dolf
on the previous day, which made her inclined to consider any proposal of
his with high favor.
She summoned her unfortunate drudge Sally, and ordered her to set the
table at once.
"And don't spend yer time a gaupin' at Miss Dinah's new dress," said
she, severely; "'taint manners, nohow."
The truth was Sally had not observed the gown, but its bright crimson
had struck Clorinda's fancy, and being tempted to stare at it enviously
herself, she concluded the girl must be doing the same thing.
"Jis' obsarve what Miss Clorindy tells yer," remarked Dolf, "and yer'll
be on the road ter 'provement; Sally, yer couldn't hab a more reficient
guide."
Clo bridled and grew radiant; she cast a glance of triumph at Dinah, and
only regretted that Victoria had not yet come downstairs to hear these
benign words.
"I 'spect Othello won't get here till late," said Dinah, beginning to
fear that the good things would all have disappeared before his arrival.
"Der's some meeting at de hotel, and he'll be kept dar--de gemmen tinks
nobody else can wait on em."
"He desarves deir 'preciation," said Dolf, loftily, with the air of a
man so supremely great that he could well afford to allow ordinary
people to claim their little virtues unchallenged.
"Wal," said Clo, "arter all it needs trabbel and the world to develop a
man proper."
"Jis' so, Miss Clorindy; yer's allers rezact."
He gave her a very tender glance, and Clo giggled in delightful
confusion.
"But I tell you, Mr. Othello mustn't lose his share of 'freshment,"
pursued Dolf, anxious to secure as many extra meals as possible. "Miss
Clo, will you permit me to make a proposition?"
"I'll feel it an honor," said Clo.
"Yer does me proud," returned Dolf with a profound bow, while Dinah sat
quite aghast at their stateliness and high breeding, and Sally began to
think Clo must speak Spanish as well as Dolf.
"I moves we has our tea now," said Dolf; "it's a sort of delercate
compliment to Miss Elsie to eat when she does, and later in de ebenin'
arter Mr. Othello comes we might make a brile ob dat chicken in de
closet--marster don't eat nothin', and I'se afeared it'll be wasted."
Clo was complaisance itself, and went to work while Dolf encouraged her
with his smiles.
By the time Victoria came downstairs the table was spread sumptuously,
and in order to carry out Dolf's extraordinary idea of complimenting
Miss Elsie, there were sweetmeats and cakes, hot muffins, cold tongue,
and stores of eatables that brought the water into Dolf's crafty mouth.
The meal began in greatest harmony, Miss Dinah was very affable, Vic
really was the best-natured creature in the world, and just now she was
perfectly happy from seeing her beloved young mistress better; Dolf was
so circumspect in his conduct that Clo was kept in the state of high
good humor befitting the glory of her new turban, and the first
brightness of the change which had come upon her prospects.
The truth was, the day before, while she was peeling onions, Dolf grew
desperate, and was led on to that point beyond which there was no
turning back. Clo had grown tender and confidential--he learned the
amount of her fortune--five hundred hard dollars in the bank. After this
the happiness of that sable pair was supreme. For the moment she really
looked beautiful in his eyes, and with tears in their depths--the result
of affection, not of the onions he assured her--he implored her to make
him the happiest of men. He performed his part in the most grandiloquent
style, dropping on one knee as he had seen lovers do from the upper loft
of the Bowery Theatre, and holding her hands fast, one of which grasped
a knife and the other an onion.
Before they were disturbed matters were completely settled, though Dolf
pleaded for the engagement being kept secret a little while.
"I jis' want to see what dat ole parson'll say," he averred, though the
truth was, Dolf had been so indiscreet in his protestations to Victoria
that he was a little fearful of consequences if that high-spirited
damsel learned the news without a little preparation.
"Nebber you mind de parson," said Clo; "laws, I wouldn't wipe my ole
shoes on him, 'sides it ed be something wuth while jis' to denounce our
connubiolity to de hull company dis ebening."
But Dolf flattered and persuaded until she consented to comply with his
wishes.
Victoria had been so much occupied above stairs that she found no
opportunity for observation, otherwise Dolf's manner and the mysterious
air of importance which Clo assumed, would have warned her that
something extraordinary had happened.
Clo made Sally wait on her more than ever, boxed the girl's ears for her
own mistakes, tried on new turbans, surveyed herself in the glass, and
fluttered from room to room in the highest state of feminine triumph.
Dolf tried his best to be happy, but it required a vivid recollection of
the money lying in that bank to make him at all comfortable. He kept
repeating to himself:
"Five hundred dollars! One--two--three--four--five!"
Then he would remember Victoria's youth and golden beauty, his own
delicious freedom, and groan heavily. But he was sure to bring up his
spirits again by muttering, vigorously:
"Five hundred dollars! One--two--three--four--five!"
But it was a season of holiday delight to Clorinda. The highest
aspiration of her spinster soul was soon to be gratified--she would have
a husband! No long engagement for her; she made up her mind to that on
the moment. With that yellow bird once in the cage, she was not going to
lose time in closing the door--not she!
She fed her intended to repletion with dainties, and it spoke marvels
for his digestion that after all the dinner he had eaten he could make
such havoc among the cake and preserves, still looking complacently
forward to the prospect of broiled chicken. Crisp crullers disappeared
like frostwork in his nimble jaws, he laid in a very unnecessary stock
of tongue considering his natural advantages that way, made a dismal
cavern of an immense fruitcake, and softened the effect with a whole
mould of apricot jelly.
Dinah and Vic certainly kept him in countenance, but Clorinda rather
trifled with the sweets, drinking so much strong tea in her pleasurable
agitation, that to an observer given to ludicrous ideas, her jetty face
would have suggested the idea of an old fashioned black teapot, with her
pug nose for the chubby spout. Sally witnessed this dashing festival
from behind the door, scraped up the jelly left in the glasses, stole
bits of toast and muffins on their road to the table, and solaced her
appetite on various fragments, till at last, growing bold and getting
hungry, she crept to the pantry and purloined half a pumpkin pie. Until
it had disappeared, like a train down a tunnel, she never remembered
that Clo was sure to miss it in the morning, but reflected, in her
fright, that it was possible to shut the cat up in the closet at
bedtime, and so escape detection.
After tea Dolf brought out a pack of cards--a pack which had
mysteriously disappeared from the library table some time before--and
inducted the ladies into the mysteries of sundry little games, winning
their pennies easily and cheating them without the slightest
compunction.
That was a point beyond Clo, she could not lose her money even to Dolf,
and vowed from that time out she would only play for pins.
"Gamblin's wicked," she said, virtuously.
So they played for pins, and Dolf allowed her to be the gainer. When she
lost, Clo gave crooked ones in payment, and thus her high spirits were
preserved untarnished.