THE MOTHER'S FRAUD.
That solemn oath is on my soul,
Its weight is creeping through my life--
It binds me with a firm control,
I cannot--cannot be thy wife!
Frederick Farnham would not leave the country. With the resolution of
a strong will he persisted in treating Isabel's vow as nothing, and
would not be convinced that she might not herself see it in this light
at last. As for his mother, one month more and he would be of age, and
her power over him must give way; surely Isabel would recognize his
independent position then.
Every day he went to the Old Homestead with renewed hope, and left it
in disappointment. Isabel's recovery was protracted till even the
physician believed that she was sinking into a decline. She could not
see Frederick in her wretched state, the excitement would have killed
her.
Oh, that rash, rash oath! In the pure atmosphere of her new home, with
the invigorating influence of Mary Fuller's cheerful piety and rare
good sense assuming its former sway, Isabel began to see her act in
its true light, but repentance could not expunge the black vow from
her soul. It was devouring her vitality like a vampire.
At last she came down stairs; the doctor thought it possible, that one
unvaried scene retarded her advancement, and, one day, Frederick was
surprised by a vision of her pale loveliness, as she sat in her
easy-chair, by a window of the room in which sister Anna died.
Reverently and almost holding his breath, with intense feeling, young
Farnham stole up to this window.
"Isabel, my Isabel!"
She started, with a faint shriek.
"Are you afraid, Isabel? has the sight of me become a terror," he
said, sadly.
"No, no," answered the young girl, and her eyes filled; "I wanted to
see you; it was for this I consented to come down stairs."
"Bless you for that, darling."
"I wanted to tell you how very, very sorry I am for having taken that
wicked oath. It was against you, Frederick, but more against my own
heart; I think that one sin will kill me in the end!"
"Then you repent. You see how romantic and foolish it was, how like a
puff of wind it ought to be on your conscience. We shall be happy yet,
dear Isabel!"
The poor girl shook her head.
"It was foolish--cruel, but unchangeable, Frederick; I have fastened
it here between your love and mine for ever and ever. I haughtily
fancied myself an avenger. Behold, to what it has brought me!"
Isabel lifted her thin hand, which was so pale you could almost see
the light shining through it.
"Yes, my poor Isabel, you have suffered, and this wild resolve has
given me so much pain. Let us cease to remember it; get well--only get
well! When your mind is strong you will look upon all this as I do."
"Oh, how I wish it were possible! but even Mary considers a vow, such
as I have taken, binding, so does aunt Hannah, so must every
unprejudiced person."
"They are all stupid--no, no, I did not mean that--but it's not the
less nonsense. What can a nice little thing like Mary or that old
maid, aunt Hannah, know of subtle questions in moral philosophy? I
tell you, Isabel, a wicked promise, that can do no good, but infinite
harm, ought not to be kept. Besides, that vow was not solemnly taken,
it was an outbreak of enthusiasm, brought on by the gorgeous twilight
of that old edifice--the music and atmosphere. It was a vow of the
senses, not of the soul."
Poor Isabel was so feeble, so completely incapable of reasoning
justly, that she dared not listen to these ingenious arguments, for
she was growing keenly conscientious, and feared that weakness might
betray her into a fresh wrong.
"Do not talk to me in this way just now," she said, gently. "Let me
rest."
Frederick gathered hope from her gentleness, and his voice trembled
with affection, as he promised not to excite her again.
"Only get well by my birth-day, Isabel," he said; "have the roses on
your cheeks then, and all will end happily."
In spite of herself, a gleam of hope brightened in Isabel's eyes; her
resolution was not shaken, but there was so much warmth in his faith
that she could not choose but share it with him. She went up to her
chamber that night invigorated and almost cheerful.
When this conversation was repeated to Mary, she looked serious, and
said very tenderly:
"Not in that way, Isabel. It was a vow taken before the Most
High--besides," she added, with a faint tremor of the voice, "there
does seem to be something that shocks the feelings in this marriage.
It may be prejudice, but I should shrink from marrying a Farnham had
I your father's blood in my veins."
Isabel's cheerfulness fled with these words, and she drooped more
despondingly than ever.
But aunt Hannah was earnest in comforting her, and though she gave no
tangible grounds for hope, the confidence that woman of few words
expressed in the future, gave Isabel new strength.
Salina, too, with her warm defence of Frederick's course--her contempt
for vows of any kind--for in this she was an intensely strong-minded
woman--and her detestation of Mrs. Farnham, served to strengthen the
life in that drooping form. In spite of her hopelessness, Isabel grew
perceptibly better; but with this slow gathering of strength came back
the old struggle; nothing had been changed. How could she ever be well
again with this eternal strife between her conscience and her heart?
Cold weather came on, producing no event at the Old Homestead. Uncle
Nathan stationed his easy-chair by the kitchen fire, but insisted on
resigning it to Isabel whenever she came down to sit with the family.
Aunt Hannah became more and more lonesome, but was always keenly
observant, and towards the young girls her kindness was exhibited in a
thousand noiseless ways, that filled their warm hearts with gratitude.
Young Farnham had been to the city, and it was only two evenings
before his birth-day that he returned.
Since the time when Isabel left his house, he had avoided all
conversation with his mother regarding the young girl, and Mrs.
Farnham, after sending the poor girl's wardrobe after her, seemed to
have forgotten that such a being existed, except that she talked to
her son about the ingratitude of the world in general, and of
poorhouse creatures in particular.
The young man had a clear head and a firm will, that might waver to
circumstances, but seldom swerved entirely from its object. His
resolution to marry Isabel Chester was unshaken, even by the firmness
of the young lady herself. He was resolved to conquer the prejudice,
as he thought it, which was the great obstacle to their immediate
union. His mother's consent he did not despair of attaining.
The night after he returned home, Mrs. Farnham was in a state of
remarkable good humor. Frederick had brought her pleasant news from
the city. The house they had been building in one of the avenues was
completed, and ready for its furniture. There was a promise of endless
shopping excursions and important business of all kinds. The lady was
heartily tired of her present still life, and found the prospect of
returning to town, under these circumstances, exhilarating.
"I am glad you are so well pleased," said Frederick, seating himself
among the silken cushions of the couch, upon which his mother had
placed herself; for, as we have said, Mrs. Farnham affected great
splendor even in her country residence.
"I am glad you are pleased, mother, for I wish very much to see you
happy."
"Oh, if it hadn't been for that wicked upstart girl we should always
have been happy, Fred. I'm so grateful that you have got over that
degrading fancy," said Mrs. Farnham, a little anxiously, for with that
low-born cunning which is the wisdom of silly women, she took this
indirect way of ascertaining whether Frederick really held to his
attachment for the wronged girl or not.
"Such a catch as you are, Fred; young, handsome and a millionaire, to
throw yourself away on a pauper, when half the most fashionable girls
in town are dressing and dancing at you."
"Hush, mother," said the young man, I cannot hear you speak lightly of
Isabel, for God willing, if I can win her consent, the day I am of age
makes her my wife."
"Are you crazy, Farnham? how dare you say this to me?"
"Because it's the truth, mother."
"And you _will_ brave me! you _will_ bring a pauper into my house! be
careful, sir, be careful!"
"Mother, in this thing, I must judge for myself. My father, I know,
intended that I should, else why did he leave me, untrammeled as I
am?"
Mrs. Farnham started up--her pale blue eyes gleamed venomously. She
stood for a moment, growing paler, and more repulsive; some evil idea
evidently possessed her.
"Be careful, be careful," she said, shaking her finger at him,
menacingly, "do not provoke me--don't go a step farther, or I will
prove how far you are untrammeled. Another word and there will be no
medium between my love and my hate."
"Mother, are you mad?"
"Mother, indeed! I have been a mother to you. I've done what few
mothers would have the courage to undertake for a child, but what I
have done can be taken back--don't provoke me, I tell you, again,
Frederick Farnham--don't provoke your mother."
"Oh, be a mother, a true-hearted woman," cried Fred, imploringly;
"Isabel will love you; be kind to her."
Mrs. Farnham drew back, and folded her arms in an attitude she had
seen Rachel assume on the stage, and which she deemed very imposing.
"Frederick Farnham, if you marry that girl I will bring you to her
level--I will make a pauper of you."
Frederick smiled; the whole thing struck him as a farce badly played.
"I shall certainly marry her, if she will accept me," he said, coldly.
Mrs. Farnham strode from the room, sweeping by her son with a furious
display of temper. Directly she returned with a folded paper in her
hand.
"Here, sir, is your father's will, made out by his own hand, three
days before his death; we shall prove how far it makes you independent
of your mother."
"My father's will!" exclaimed Frederick, turning white with surprise;
"my father's will in your hands, and produced for the first time!
Madam, explain this."
The stern paleness of his face struck the woman with terror; the
passion that had made her forget everything but revenge, was quenched
beneath his firm glance. She began to tremble, and attempted to hide
the paper in the folds of her dress.
"Promise me to give up this girl, and I will burn it," she said, with
a frightened look. "It was for your sake I kept it back; he wanted to
give your fortune away; I could not stand it, besides no one asked for
the will; promise me, and I'll burn it."
"I will make no promise. If that is my father's will give it to me and
it shall be acted upon, though every cent I have be swept away. Give
me the will, madam."
"No, no, don't ask for it. There is a medium in all things; I was
angry, I did not mean what I said."
"Oblige me, madam, I must see that paper--mother, I will see it!"
exclaimed Frederick, impetuously, as she crumpled the document tightly
in her hand, retreating backward from the room with her eyes fixed
upon his with the expression of a weak child, detected in its
wickedness.
"How dare you, Frederick Farnham, how dare you speak to your mother in
that tone?" she said, in a voice that was half defiant, half
reproachful, still retreating from him.
"It is useless, mother, I demand that paper! It must be placed in the
hand of my guardian."
"It never shall!" cried the mother, darting through the door; and
rushing toward the kitchen with angry swiftness, she dashed the paper
over Salina's shoulder into a huge fire that blazed in the chimney.
Frederick followed her, pale with excitement.
"You have not, mother, you dare not!"
Mrs. Farnham broke into a hysterical laugh.
"It's burned--it's ashes!" she said. "Oh, Frederick, what a mother I
have been to you."
Farnham turned away, muttering gloomily to himself. The old lady
followed him.
"Don't be angry, Fred, I did it for your good, for your own good;
nobody is hurt by it but myself; I lose all authority over you now.
Why, Fred, by that will, if you'd persisted in marrying without my
consent, the whole property would have been--yes, would have been
mine. See what I have sacrificed to you; but there is a medium in
everything but a mother's love. I could have forced you to give up
that girl, but see how I have destroyed my own power. You will
remember this, dear boy, and not break my heart by this low match."
"Mother, if that paper was my father's will, you have committed a
great wrong--a serious legal wrong. I cannot be grateful for it, I can
never respect you again."
Mrs. Farnham began to cry.
"There it is," she said. "If I have done any wrong, it's you that
urged me to it; as for that will, I always meant to keep the just
medium between right and wrong, and let the thing rest in my
writing-desk without saying a word about it. I wouldn't have burned
it--nor have touched it again on any account, but you made me do both.
First you provoked me to bring it out from where it had rested
innocent as a lamb for so many years. Then, as if that wasn't enough,
the way you went on was so dreadful. You drove me to it; what else
could you expect from a mother's love, especially such a mother as I
have been to you, Frederick?"
Farnham was still excited, but sternly thoughtful.
"Mother," he said, "I must know what the will contained. It shall be
acted upon to the very letter. You know its contents; tell me on your
honor as a lady, on your honesty as a woman, all that you remember of
it, word for word."
"No!" said Mrs. Farnham, petulantly, "I won't say a word about it, I
won't own that there ever was a will; but if you'll be quiet,
to-morrow Mr. Wales, my lawyer will be up. I sent for him to meet your
guardian and myself on your birth-day, to help about settling the
affairs, he will talk with you."
"Beit so, mother, but remember this testament must be carried out to
the letter."
"Very well; I'll consult about it, we shall be able to strike a medium
yet. Fred, you may not believe it, but you've got a mother, a true
mother, one in ten thousand, Frederick Farnham."
By the way Mrs. Farnham withdrew, one might have fancied she had done
a meritorious thing in concealing, and at last destroying her
husband's will. Indeed she had convinced herself of this, and went out
with an air of great self-complacency.