Junius Keswick was received by Miss Roberta in the parlor. Her face was
colder and sterner than he had ever seen it before, and his countenance
was very much troubled. Each wished to speak first, and ask questions,
but the lady went immediately to the front.
"How did it happen that you and Mr Croft were coming here together?
Where had you been?"
"We came from the Green Sulphur Springs, where I called on him this
morning."
"I thought he was obliged to return immediately to the North. What made
him change his mind?"
"Perhaps it will be better not to discuss that now," said Junius.
"I wish to discuss it," was the reply. "What induced him not to go?"
"I did," answered Junius, looking steadfastly at her. "Did you not wish
to see him?"
For a moment Miss Roberta did not answer, but her face grew pale, and
she threw herself back in the chair in which she was sitting. "Never in
my life," she said, "have I been subjected to such mortification! Of
course I wished him to come, but to come of his own accord, and not at
my bidding. How do you suppose I would have felt if he had presented
himself, and asked me what I wished to say to him? It is an insult you
have offered me."
"It is not an insult," said Keswick quietly. "It was a service of--of
affection. I saw that you were annoyed and troubled by Mr Croft's
failure to keep his engagement, and what I did was simply--"
"Stop!" said Roberta peremptorily. "I do not wish to talk of it any
more."
Junius stood before her a moment in silence, and then he said: "Will you
tell me if my Aunt Keswick is ill or dead, and why did Mr Brandon go
there?"
"She is neither;" answered Roberta, "and he went there on business." And
with this she arose and left the room.
Peggy, who had been in the hall, now made a bolt down the back stairs
into the basement regions, where was situated the kitchen. In this
spacious apartment she found Aunt Judy, the cook, sitting before a large
wood fire, and holding in her hand a long iron ladle. There was nothing
near her which she could dip or stir with a ladle, and it was probably
retained during her period of leisure as a symbol of her position and
authority.
Peggy squatted on her heels, close to Aunt Judy's side, and thus
addressed her: "Aun' Judy, ef I tell you sumfin', soul an' honor, hope
o' glory, you'll neber tell?"
"Hope o' glory, neber!" said Aunt Judy, turning a look of interest on
the girl.
"Well, den, look h'yar. You know Miss Rob she got two beaux; one is
Mahs' Junius, an' de udder is de gemman wid de speckle trousers from de
Norf."
"Yes, I know dat," said Aunt Judy. "Has dey fit?"
"Not yit, but dey wos gwine to," said Peggy, "but I seed 'em, an' I tore
down de road to de gate whar dey wos gittin ready to fight, an' I jes'
let dat dar Mister Crof' know wot low-down white trash Miss Rob think he
wos, an' den he said ef dat war so 'twant no use fur to come in, an' he
turn' roun' de buggy, an' cl'ar'd out. Den Mahs' Junius he come to de
house, an' dar Miss Rob in de parlor waitin' fur him. I stood jes'
outside de doh', so's to be out de way, but Mahs' Junius he kinder back
agin de doh', an' shet it. But I clap'd my year ter de crack, an' I hear
eberything dey said."
"Wot dey say?" asked Aunt Judy, her mouth open, her eyes dilated, and
the long ladle trembling in her hand.
"Mahs' Junius he say to Miss Rob that he lub her better'n his own skin,
or de clouds in de sky, or de flowers in de fiel' wot perish, an' dat de
udder man he done cut an' run, an' would she be Miss Junius all de res'
ob der libes foreber an' eber, amen?"
"Dat wos pow'ful movin'!" ejaculated Aunt Judy. "An' wot did Miss Rob
say?"
"Miss Rob she say, 'I 'cept your kind offer, sah, wid pleasure.' An' den
I hearn 'em comin', an' I cut down h'yar."
"Glory! Hallelujah!" exclaimed Aunt Judy, bringing her ladle down upon
the brick hearth. "Now is I ready to die when my time comes, fur Mahs'
Junius 'll have dis farm, an' de house, an' de cabins, an' dey won't
go to no strahnger from de Norf."
"Amen," said Peggy. "An' Aun' Judy, dat ar piece ob pie ain't no 'count
to nobuddy."
"You kin hab it, chile," said Aunt Judy, rising, and taking from a shelf
a large piece of cold apple pie, "an' bressed be de foots ob dem wot
fotch good tidin's."
Junius Keswick did not see Miss Roberta again that day, and early in the
morning he borrowed one of the Midbranch horses, and rode away. He did
not wish to be at the house when Mr Croft should come; and, besides, he
was very anxious and disturbed in regard to matters at the Keswick farm.
Of all places in the world why should Mr Brandon go there?
It was not a very pleasant ride that Junius Keswick took that morning.
He had anxieties in regard to what he would meet with at his aunt's
house, and he had even greater anxieties as to what he was leaving
behind him at Midbranch. It was quite evident that Roberta was angry
with him, and this was enough to sadden the soul of a man who loved her
as he loved her, who would have married her at any moment, in spite of
all opposition, all threats, all curses. He was not in the habit of
looking at himself after the manner of Lawrence Croft, but on this
occasion he could not help a little self-survey.
Was it a purely disinterested motive he asked himself, that took him
over to the Springs to bring back Lawrence Croft? Did he not believe in
his soul that Roberta would never have spoken so freely to him in regard
to what the gentleman from the North would probably say to her if she
had not intended to decline that gentleman's offer? And was there not a
wish in his heart that this matter might be definitely and
satisfactorily settled before Roberta and Mr Croft went to New York for
the winter? He could not deny that this issue to the affair had been in
his mind; and yet he felt that he could conscientiously assure himself
that if he had thought things would turn out otherwise, he still would
have endeavored to make the man perform the duty expected of him by
Roberta, in whose service Junius always felt himself to be. But,
apparently, he had not benefited himself or anybody else, except,
perhaps, Croft, by this service which he had performed.
It was late in the forenoon when Junius met Mr Brandon returning to
Midbranch. In answer to his expressions of surprise, Mr Brandon, who
appeared in an exceptionally good humor, informed Junius of his reasons
for the visit to the widow Keswick, and what he had found when he
arrived there.
"Your little cousin," said he, "is a most charming young creature, and
on interested motives I should oppose your going to your aunt's house,
were it not for the fact that she is married, and, therefore, of no
danger to you. I was very glad to find her there. Her influence over
your aunt will, I think, be highly advantageous, and the first fruit of
it is that the old lady will now welcome you with open arms. Would you
believe it! she has already announced that she wishes to make a match
between you and this little cousin; and in order to do so, has actually
engaged me to endeavor to bring about a divorce between the young lady
and her absent husband. The widow Keswick has as many cranks and
crotchets in her head as there are seeds in a tobacco pod; but this is
the queerest and the wildest of them all. The couple seem very much
attached to each other, and nothing can be said against the husband
except that he did not accompany his wife on her visit to her relatives;
and if he knew anything about the old lady I don't blame him a bit. Now
your course, my dear boy, is perfectly plain. Let your aunt talk as much
as she pleases about this divorce, and your union with the little Annie.
It won't hurt anybody, and she must talk herself out in time. In the
mean time take advantage of the present circumstances to mollify and
tone down, so to speak, the good old lady. Make her understand that we
are all her friends, and that there is no one in the connection who
would wish to do her the slightest harm. This would be our Christian
duty at any time, but it is more particularly our duty now. I would like
you to bring your cousin over to see us before Roberta goes away. I
invited her to come, and told her that my niece would first call upon
her were it not for the peculiar circumstances. But if the families can
be in a measure brought together--and I shall make it a point to ride
over there occasionally--if your aunt can be made to understand the
kindly feelings we really have toward her, and can be induced to set
aside, even in a slight degree, the violent prejudice she now holds
against us, all may yet turn out well. Now go, my boy, and may the best
of success go with you. Don't trouble yourself about sending back the
horse. Keep him as long as you want him."
Mr Brandon rode on, leaving Junius to pursue his way. "It is very
pleasant," thought the young man, who had said scarcely a word during
the interview, "to hear Mr Brandon talk about all turning out well, but
when he gets home he may discover that there is something to be done at
Midbranch as well as on the Keswick place."
Mr Brandon's reflections were very different from those of Junius. It
appeared to him that a reconciliation between the two families, even
though it should be a partial one, was reasonably to be expected. That
newly arrived cousin was an angel. She was bound to do good. A marriage
between his niece and Junius Keswick was the great object of the old
gentleman's heart, and he longed to see the former engagement between
them re-established before Roberta went to New York, where her beauty
and attractiveness would expose his cherished plan to many dangers.
The road he was on led directly north, and it was joined about a
quarter of a mile above by the road which ran through the woods to the
Green Sulphur Springs. On this road, at a point nearly opposite to him,
he could see, through the foliage, a horseman riding toward the point of
junction. Something about this person attracted his attention, and Mr
Brandon took out a pair of eye-glasses and put them on. As soon as he
had obtained another good view of the horseman he recognized him as Mr
Croft. The old gentleman took off his glasses and returned them to his
vest pocket, and his face began to flush. In his early acquaintance with
Mr Croft he had not objected to him, because he wished his niece to have
company, and he had a firm belief in the enduring quality of her
affection for Junius. But, latterly, his ideas in regard to the New York
gentleman had changed. He had thought him somewhat too assiduous, and
when he had unexpectedly returned from the North, Mr Brandon had not
been at all pleased, although he had been careful not to show his
displeasure. This condition of things made him feel uneasy, and had
prompted his visit to the widow Keswick. And now that everything looked
so fair and promising, here was that man, whom he had supposed to have
left this part of the country, riding toward his house.
Mr Brandon was an easy-going man, but he had a backbone which could be
greatly stiffened on occasion. He sat up very straight on his horse, and
urged the animal to a better pace, so that he arrived first at the point
where the roads met. Here he awaited Mr Croft, who soon rode up. The
old gentleman's greeting was very courteous.
"You are on the way to my house, I presume," he said.
Mr Croft assured him that he was, and hoped that Miss March was quite
well.
"I have been from home for a little while," said Mr Brandon, "but I
believe my niece enjoys her usual health. I have had a long ride this
morning," he continued, "and feel a little tired. Would it inconvenience
you, sir, if we should dismount and sit for a time on yonder log by the
roadside? It would rest me, and I would like to have a little talk with
you."
Lawrence wondered very much that the old gentleman should want to rest
when he was not a mile from his own house, but of course he consented to
the proposed plan, and imitated Mr Brandon by riding under a large tree,
and fastening his bridle to a low-hanging bough. The two gentlemen
seated themselves on the log, and Mr Brandon, without preface, began his
remarks.
"May I be pardoned for supposing, sir," he said, "that your present
visit to my house is intended for my niece?"
Lawrence looked at him a little earnestly, and replied that it was so
intended.
"Then, sir, I think I have the right to ask, as my niece's present
guardian, and almost indeed as her father, whether or not your visit is
connected in any way with matrimonial overtures toward that lady?"
Not wishing to foolishly and dishonorably deny that such was his purpose
in going to Midbranch; and feeling that it would be as unwise to decline
answering the question as it would be unmanly to resort to subterfuge
about it, Lawrence replied, that his object in visiting Miss March that
day was to make matrimonial overtures to her.
"I think," said Mr Brandon, "that you will be obliged to me if I make
you acquainted with the present condition of affairs between Miss March
and Mr Junius Keswick."
"Has not their engagement been broken off?" interrupted Lawrence.
"Only conditionally," answered the old gentleman. "They love each other.
They wish to be married. With one exception, all their relatives desire
that they should marry. It would be a union, not only congenial in the
highest degree to the parties concerned, but of the greatest advantage
to our family and our family fortunes. There is but a single obstacle to
this most desirable union, and that is the unwarrantable opposition of
one person. But, I am happy to say that this opposition is on the point
of being removed. I consider it to be but a matter of days when my niece
and Mr Keswick, with the full approbation of the relatives on either
side, will renew in the eyes of the world that engagement which I
consider still exists in fact."
"If this is so," said Lawrence, grinding his heel very deeply into the
ground, "why was I not told of it?"
"My dear sir!" exclaimed Mr Brandon, "have you ever intimated to me or
to any of my family, that your intentions in visiting Midbranch were
other than those of an ordinary friend or acquaintance?"
Lawrence admitted that he had never made any such intimation.
"Then, sir," said Mr Brandon, "what reason could we have for mentioning
this subject to you--a subject that would not have been referred to now,
had it not been for your admission of your intended object in visiting
my house?"
Lawrence had no answer to make to this, but it was not easy to turn him
from his purpose. "Excuse me, sir," he said, "but I think a matter of
this sort should be left to the lady. If she is not inclined to receive
my addresses she will say so, and there is an end of it."
The face of Mr Brandon slightly reddened, but his voice remained as
quiet and courteous as before. "You do not comprehend, sir, the state of
affairs, or you would see that a procedure of that kind would be
extremely ill-judged at this time. Were it known that at this critical
moment Miss March was addressed by another suitor, it would seriously
jeopardize the success of plans which we all have very much at heart."
Lawrence did not immediately reply to this crafty speech. His teeth were
very firmly set, and he looked steadfastly before him. "I do not
understand all this," he said, presently, "nor do I see that there is
any need for my understanding it. In fact I have nothing to do with it.
I wish to propose marriage to Miss March. If she declines my offer there
is an end of the matter. If she accepts me, then it is quite proper that
all your plans should fall to the ground. She is the principal in the
affair, and it is due to her and due to me that she should make the
decision in this case."
Mr Brandon had not quite so many teeth as his younger companion, but the
very fair number which remained with him were set together quite as
firmly as those of Lawrence had been. He remarked, speaking very
distinctly but without any show of emotion: "I see, sir, that it is
quite impossible for us to think alike on this subject, and there is,
therefore, nothing left for me to do but to ask you--and I assure you,
sir, that the request is as destitute of any intention of discourtesy as
if it were based upon the presence of sickness or family
affliction--that you will not visit my house at present."
Lawrence rose to his feet with a good deal of color in his face. "That
settles the matter for the present," he said. "Of course I shall not go
to a house which is forbidden to me. I wish you good-morning, sir." And
he stalked to his horse, and endeavored to pull down the limb to which
its bridle was attached.
Mr Brandon followed him. "You must mount before you can unfasten your
bridle," he said. "And allow me to assure you, sir, that as soon as this
little affair is settled I shall be very happy indeed to see you again
at my house."
Lawrence having succeeded in loosening his bridle from the tree, made
answer with a bow, and galloped away to the Green Sulphur Springs.
Mr Brandon now mounted and rode home. This was the first time in his
life that he had ever forbidden any one to visit Midbranch, and yet he
did not feel that he had been either discourteous or inhospitable.
"There are times," he said to himself, "when a man must stand up for his
own interest; and this is one of the times."