PETTICOAT DISCIPLINE.
When the sulky sleighing party reached Luckenough they found Commodore
Waugh not only up and waiting, but in the highest state of
self-satisfaction, a blessing of which they received their full share of
benefit, for the old man, in the overflowing of his joy, had ordered an
oyster supper, which was now all ready to be served smoking hot to the
chilled and hungry sleigh-riders.
"I wonder what's out now?" said Jacquelina, as she threw off her
wrappings, scattering them heedlessly on the chairs and floor of the
hall. "Some awful calamity has overtaken some of Uncle Nick's enemies.
Nothing on earth but that ever puts him into such a jolly humor. Now
we'll see! I wonder if it is a 'crowner's 'quest' case? Wish it was
Grim."
Mrs. Henrietta blessed her stars for the good weather, without inquiring
very closely where it came from, as she conducted Marian to a bedroom
to lay off her bonnet and mantle.
It was only at the foot of his own table, after ladling out and serving
around the stewed oysters "hot and hot," that the commodore, rubbing his
hands, and smiling until his great face was as grotesque as a
nutcracker's, announced that Miss Nancy Skamp was turned out of
office--yea, discrowned, unsceptred, dethroned, and that Harry Barnwell
reigned in her stead. The news had come in that evening's mail! All
present breathed more freely--all felt an inexpressible relief in
knowing that the post-office would henceforth be above suspicion, and
their letters and papers safe from, desecration. Only Marian said:
"What will become of the poor old creature?"
"By St. Judas Iscariot, that's her business."
"No, indeed, I think it is ours; some provision should be made for her,
Commodore Waugh."
"I'll recommend her to the trustees of the almshouse, Miss Mayfield."
Marian thought it best not to pursue the subject then, but resolved to
embrace the first opportunity of appealing to the commodore's smothered
chivalry in behalf of a woman, old, poor, feeble, and friendless.
During the supper Dr. Grimshaw sat up as stiff and solemn--Jacquelina
said--"as if he'd swallowed the poker and couldn't digest it." When they
rose from the table, and were about leaving the dining-room, Dr.
Grimshaw glided in a funereal manner to the side of the commodore, and
demanded a private interview with him.
"Not to-night, Nace! Not to-night! I know by your looks what it is! It
is some new deviltry of Jacquelina's. That can wait! I'm as sleepy as a
whole cargo of opium! I would not stop to talk now to Paul Jones, if he
was to rise from the dead and visit me!"
And the professor had to be content with that, for almost immediately
the family separated for the night.
Marian, attended by the maid Maria, sought the chamber assigned to
herself. When she had changed her tight-fitting day-dress for a wrapper,
she dismissed the girl, locked the door behind her, and then drew her
chair up before the little fire, and fell into deep thought. Many causes
of anxiety pressed heavily upon Marian. That Thurston had repented his
hasty marriage with herself she had every reason to believe.
She had confidently hoped that her explanation with Thurston would have
resulted in good--but, alas! it seemed to have had little effect. His
attentions to Miss Le Roy were still unremitted--the young lady's
partiality was too evident to all--and people already reported them to
be engaged.
And now, as Marian sat by her little wood-fire in her chamber at
Luckenough, bitter, sorrowful questions, arose in her mind. Would he
persist in his present course? No, no, it could not be! This was
probably done only to pique herself; but then it was carried too far; it
was ruining the peace of a good, confiding girl. And Jacquelina--she had
evidently mistaken Dr. Grimshaw for Thurston, and addressed to him words
arguing a familiarity very improper, to say the least of it. Could he be
trifling with poor Jacquelina, too? Jacko's words when believing herself
addressing Thurston, certainly denoted some such "foregone conclusions."
Marian resolved to see Thurston once more--once more to expostulate with
him, if happily it might have some good effect. And having formed this
resolution, she knelt and offered up her evening prayers, and retired to
bed.
The next day being Holy Thursday, there was, by order of the trustees, a
holiday at Miss Mayfield's school. And so Marian arose with the prospect
of spending the day with Jacquelina. When she descended to the
breakfast-room, what was her surprise to find Thurston Willcoxen, at
that early hour, the sole occupant of the room. He wore a green shooting
jacket, belted around his waist. He stood upon the hearth with his back
to the fire, his gun leaned against the corner of the mantle-piece, and
his game-bag dropped at his feet. Marian's heart bounded, and her cheek
and eye kindled when she saw him, and, for the instant, all her doubts
vanished--she could not believe that guilt lurked behind a countenance
so frank, noble and calm as his. He stepped forward to meet her,
extending his hand. She placed her own in it, saying:
"I am very glad to see you this morning, dear Thurston, for I have
something to say to you which I hope you will take kindly from your
Marian, who has no dearer interest in the world than your welfare."
"Marian, if it is anything relating to our old subject of dispute--Miss
Le Roy--let me warn you that I will hear nothing about it."
"Thurston, the subjects of a neighborhood's gossip are always the very
last to hear it! You do not, perhaps, know that it is commonly reported
that you and Miss Le Roy are engaged to be married!"
"And you give a ready ear and ready belief to such injurious slanders!"
"No! Heaven knows that I do not! I will not say that my heart has not
been tortured--fully as much as your own would have been, dear
Thurston, had the case been reversed, and had I stooped to receive from
another such attentions as you have bestowed upon Miss Le Roy. But, upon
calm reflection, I fully believe that you could never give that young
lady my place in your heart, that having known and loved me--"
Marian paused, but the soul rose like a day-star behind her beautiful
face, lighting serenely under her white eyelids, glowing softly on the
parted lips and blooming cheeks.
"Ay! 'having known and loved me!' There again spoke the very enthusiasm
of self-worship! But how know you, Marian, that I do not find such
regnant superiority wearisome?--that I do not find it refreshing to sit
down quietly beside a lower, humbler nature, whose greatest faculty is
to love, whose greatest need to be loved!"
"How do I know it? By knowing that higher nature of yours, which you now
ignore. Yet it is not of myself that I wish to speak, but of her.
Thurston, you pursue that girl for mere pastime, I am sure--with no
ulterior evil purpose, I am certain; yet, Thurston!" she said,
involuntarily pressing her hand tightly upon her own bosom, "I know how
a woman may love you, and that may be death or madness to Angelica,
which is only whim and amusement to you. And, Thurston, you must go no
further with this culpable trifling--you must promise me to see her no
more!"
"'Must!' Upon my soul! you take state upon yourself, fair queen!"
"Thurston, a higher authority than mine speaks by my lips--it is the
voice of Right! You will regard it. You will give me that promise!"
"And if I do not--"
"Oh! there is no time to argue with you longer--some one is coming--I
must be quick. It is two weeks, Thurston, since I first urged this upon
you; I have hesitated already too long, and now I tell you, though my
heart bleeds to say it, that unless you promise to see Angelica no more,
I will see and have an explanation with her to-morrow!"
"You will!"
"You can prevent it, dearest Thurston, by yourself doing what you know
to be right."
"And if I do not?"
"I will see Miss Le Roy, to-morrow!"
"By heaven, then--"
His words were suddenly cut short by the entrance of Mrs. Waugh. In an
instant his countenance changed, and taking up his bag of game, he went
to meet the smiling, good humored woman, saying with a gay laugh:
"Good-morning, Mrs. Waugh! You see I have been shooting in the woods of
Luckenough this morning, and I could not leave the premises without
offering this tribute to their honored mistress."
And Thurston gayly laid the trophy at her feet.
"Hebe! will you please to see that a cup of hot coffee is sent up to
Mrs. L'Oiseau; she is unwell this morning, as I knew she would be, from
her excitement last night; or go with it yourself, Hebe! The presence of
the goddess of health at her bedside is surely needed."
Marian left the room, and then Mrs. Waugh, turning to the young
gentleman, said:
"Thurston, I am glad to have this opportunity of speaking to you, for I
have something very particular to say, which you must hear without
taking offense at your old aunty!"
"Humph! I am in for petticoat discipline this morning, beyond a doubt,"
thought the young man; but he only bowed, and placed a chair for Mrs.
Waugh.
"I shall speak very plainly, Thurston."
"Oh! by all means! As plainly as you please, Mrs. Waugh," said Thurston,
with an odd grimace; "I am growing accustomed to have ladies speak very
plainly to me."
"Well! it won't do you any harm, Thurston. And now to the point! I told
you before, that you must not show any civility to Jacquelina. And now I
repeat it! And I warn you that if you do, you will cause some frightful
misfortune that you will have to repent all the days of your life--if it
be not fatal first of all to yourself. I do assure you that old Grimshaw
is mad with jealousy. He can no longer be held responsible for his
actions. And in short, you must see Jacquelina no more!"
"Whe-ew! a second time this morning! Come! I'm getting up quite the
reputation of a lady-killer!" thought the young man. Then with a light
laugh, he looked up to Mrs. Waugh, and said:
"My dear madam, do you take me for a man who would willingly disturb the
peace or honor of a family?"
"Pshaw! By no means, my dear Thurston. Of course I know it's all the
most ridiculous nonsense!"
"Well! By the patience of Job, I do think--"
Again Thurston's words were suddenly cut short, by the entrance of--the
commodore, who planted his cane down with his usual emphatic force, and
said:
"Oh, sir! You here! I am very glad of it! There is a little matter to be
discussed between you and me! Old Hen! leave us! vanish! evaporate!"
Henrietta was well pleased to do so. And as she closed the door the
commodore turned to Thurston, and with another emphatic thump of his
cane, said:
"Well, sir! a small craft is soon rigged, and a short speech soon made.
In two words, how dare you, sir! make love to Jacquelina?"
"My dear uncle--"
"By Neptune, sir; don't 'uncle' me. I ask you how you dared to make love
to my niece?"
"Sir, you mistake, she made love to me."
"You impudent, impertinent, unprincipled jackanape."
"Come," said Thurston to himself, "I have got into a hornet's nest this
morning."
"I shall take very good care, sir, to have Major Le Roy informed what
sort of a gentleman it is who is paying his addresses to his daughter."
"Miss Le Roy will be likely to form a high opinion of me before this
week is out," said Thurston, laughing.
"You--you--you graceless villain, you," cried the commodore in a
rage--"to think that I had such confidence in you, sir; defended you
upon all occasions, sir; refused to believe in your villainy, sir;
refused to close my doors against you, sir. Yes, sir; and should have
continued to do so, but for last night's affair."
"Last night's affair! I protest, sir, I do not in the least understand
you?"
"Oh! you don't. You don't understand that after the lecture last
evening, in leaving the place, Jacquelina thrust her arm through
yours--no; I mean through Grim's, mistaking him for you, and said--what
she never would have said, had there not been an understanding between
you."
Thurston's face was now the picture of astonishment and perplexity. The
commodore seemed to mistake it for a look of consternation and detected
guilt, for he continued:
"And now, sir, I suppose you understand what is to follow. Do you see
that door? It leads straight into the hall, which leads directly through
the front portal out into the lawn, and on to the highway--that is your
road, sir. Good-morning."
And the commodore thumped down his stick and left the room--the image of
righteous indignation.
Thurston nodded, smiled slightly, drew his tablets from his pocket, tore
a leaf out, took his pencil, laid the paper upon the corner of the
mantel-piece, wrote a few lines, folded the note, and concealed it in
his hand as the door opened, and admitted Mrs. Waugh, Marian and
Jacquelina. There was a telegraphic glance between the elder lady and
the young man.
That of Mrs. Waugh said:
"Do have pity on the fools, and go, Thurston."
That of Thurston said:
"I am going, Mrs. Waugh, and without laughing, if I can help it."
Then he picked up his shooting cap, bowed to Jacquelina, shook hands
with Mrs. Waugh, and pressing Marian's palm, left within it the note
that he had written, took up his game bag and gun, and departed.