"You know my love for Mrs. Ronayne," continued Mrs. Headley, after
a pause of a few minutes. "Even as though she were my own daughter,
I regard her, and would do for her all that a fond mother could
for her child. Only yesterday afternoon, while Ronayne and the
Doctor were out with a party fishing on the old ground above
Hardscrabble, she expressed a wish to visit the tomb of her poor
mother, who, dying within a week after her marriage, had been buried
near the base of the summer-house on the grounds attached to their
cottage, and asked me to accompany her. Of course I consented; and
as you were busily engaged, you did not particularly notice my
absence. We crossed the river in the scow, and ascended leisurely
to the garden. It struck me as we walked that the figure of a man,
seemingly an Indian, floated rapidly past within the paling of the
garden, but I could not distinctly trace the outline, and therefore
assumed that I had been deceived, and so said nothing to my companion
on the subject.
"We had not been long in the garden when Mrs. Ronayne, leaving me
to saunter among and cull from the rich flowers which grew in wild
luxuriance around, begged me to wait for her a few minutes while
she ascended to the summer-house to commune in private with her
thoughts, and indulge the feelings which had been called up, at
this her first visit since the place had been abandoned, to the
once happy residence of her girlhood. At her entrance, I distinctly
heard her give a low shriek, but, taking it for granted that this
was in consequence of the effect upon her mind of a sudden recurrence
to old and well remembered scenes with which so much of the unpleasant
was associated, I paid no great attention to it. After this all
was still, and nearly an hour had elapsed when, fancying that it
was imprudent to leave her so long to her own melancholy thoughts,
I moved towards the summer-house myself, making as much noise with
my feet as possible to prepare her for my approach. I had got about
half way up the ascent, when to my astonishment I beheld issuing
from the entrance not Mrs. Ronayne, but the long-absent Wau-nan-gee,
who, with a flushed cheek and a fiery eye, divested of all its
former softness, made several bounds in an opposite direction, and,
without uttering a word, rapidly disappeared among the fruit trees
which bordered on the forest.
"Seized with a strong presentiment of evil, I entered the
summer-house. Judge my astonishment when I found it empty. Heaven!
what could this mean? I had distinctly seen Mrs. Ronayne enter it,
and I had scarcely since taken my eyes off the building. In an
agony of despair, I threw myself upon the wooden bench, and scarcely
conscious of what I did, called frantically on Maria's name.
Suddenly, a sound similar to that of a faint moan seemed to proceed
from beneath my feet. I rose, removed the rude Indian mat with
which the centre of the floor is covered, and perceived that it
had been recently cut into an oblong square nearly the size of the
mat itself. The whole truth now flashed upon me--it was evident
that my friend was beneath: but the great difficulty was to find
the means of removing the door, which fitted so closely that it
required some superinducing motive even to suspect its existence.
There was nothing inside the building which could effect my purpose.
I ran to the door and cast my eyes towards the cottage.
Around it I saw a number of Indians stealthily moving near one of
the wings to the rear. In a moment I saw the necessity for
promptitude, and hastened rapidly towards the beach where I had
left the crew of the boat, consisting of four men and Corporal
Collins, and bade them come as far as the entrance to the garden,
where they could distinctly see and be seen from the cottage. I
remarked that there were Indians lurking about the grounds, and
that neither Mrs. Ronayne nor myself liked being so near them
without protection. 'As for you, Corporal Collins,' I added playfully,
'you must lend me your bayonet; an Indian does not like that weapon,
and, should any of these people feel inclined to prove unruly, the
bare sight of it will be sufficient. Remain here at the gate until
I return with Mrs. Ronayne, and keep a good look out that we are
not carried off.'"
"But, my dear," interposed Captain Headley, anxiously, "why all
this mystery about the matter?--all this beating about the bush?--why
did you not take Collins and his party to the summer-house and
release Mrs. Ronayne, if indeed it was she whose moan you heard?
"Nay, Headley, in this I but followed your own example. There were
many reasons why this should not be. Firstly, for the sake of Maria,
whose actual position might be such as to render it injudicious
that they be made acquainted with it. Secondly, because it would
unavoidably have brought the men in collision with the Indians,
which would have entailed ruin upon us all. No; I felt the mere
sight of them would awe the Indians around the cottage, whom policy
would prevent from open outrage, and that, provided with Collins's
bayonet, I could open the trap door and deliver my friend, without
any of the party knowing aught of what had occurred."
"Right prudently and sagely did you act, my dear Ellen," returned
her husband--"go on: I am all impatience to hear the result."
"On regaining the summer-house, I applied the point of the weapon.
With some little exertion the door was raised, and, looking down,
I saw something broad and white in the gloom, on which lay a figure
indistinctly marked in outline. Gradually, as my eyes became
accustomed to the darkness, I remarked two or three rude stones
placed as steps, which I placed my feet upon and descended until
I had gained the bottom of the aperture and upon the white substance
I have just named. It was a large piece of white calico, covering
a bed of what appeared to me to be corn-leaves, on which sat or
rather reclined Maria. She looked the image of despair--as one
stupified--and when I first addressed her, could not speak. Her
dress was greatly disordered, her hat off and lying near her, and
the comb detached from the long hair.
"'Oh, Maria, my child!' I said to her soothingly, 'what a terrible
incident is this! Who could have believed Wau-nan-gee would have
committed this outrage?'
"The air let in from above tended greatly to revive her, and soon,
with my assistance, she was enabled to stand.
"Her voice and manner proclaimed deep agitation. 'Dear, dear Mrs.
Headley,' she said impressively, as she threw herself upon my bosom,
'as you love me, not a word to Ronayne or to any other human being.
Oh, merciful Providence! it can do no good that aught of this
occurrence should be revealed. Promise me then, my more than mother,
that what has passed since we entered this garden shall be confined
to your own breast.'
"'I comprehend and appreciate your motive for this concealment,
Maria,' I observed, soothingly. 'The knowledge of Wau-nan-gee's
wrong would arouse the anger of Ronayne in such manner as to give
rise to fatal discord between the Indians around and ourselves.
Depend upon it, both for the love I bear you, and the necessity
for silence, the occurrences of this day never shall be disclosed
by me.'
"'Thanks, thanks,' she returned fervently. 'To-morrow you shall
know all--the deep, the terrible secret that weighs at my heart
shall be revealed to you. Yes, give me but until then to prepare
myself for the full and entire disclosure of the unhappy truth,
and you will not hate me for all that has taken place.'
"'Maria--Mrs. Ronayne!' I said with some slight severity of manner.
"'Oh, you are surprised at my language and sentiments. When the
heart is full, the lip measures not its words. Yet, oh, my mother!
condemn me not. Hear first what I have to say. Again I repeat, ere
your eyes are closed in sleep to-morrow night, you shall know all.
The tale will startle you; but now,' she added, 'I feel that I have
strength enough to follow.'
"During this short and singular dialogue--singular enough, you must
admit, on the part of Mrs. Ronayne--I had assisted her in restoring
her dress, which, as I have already said, was very much disordered.
On turning to ascend by the stone steps, I remarked with surprise
certain articles of food placed on the corner of the calico, which
I had been too much occupied with Maria's condition to perceive
before. These consisted of a wooden bowl of milk--a brown earthen
pitcher of water--a number of flat cakes, seemingly made of corn
meal, and a portion of dried venison ham; a wooden spoon was in
the bowl, a black tin japanned drinking cup near the water, and a
common Indian knife stuck into the venison.
"'Bless me, Maria,' I said, with an attempt at pleasantry, after
we had ascended, and closed the door, 'it was well I came to your
rescue; Wau-nan-gee certainly meant to have kept you imprisoned
here some time, if we may judge from the quantity of food he had
provided.'
"'Such, I believe, was the original intention,' gravely replied
Mrs. Ronayne.
"She made no other remark, but sighed deeply. We now drew near the
gate where Collins and his men were stationed, looking out anxiously
for our appearance. I recommended to Maria, in a low tone, not to
appear dejected, as the men knew nothing of what had occurred--not
even that Wau-nan-gee had been on the grounds--and any appearance
of agitation might give rise to suspicion. She followed my suggestion
and rallied. I returned Collins his bayonet, stating, with a poor
attempt at pleasantry, that we had met with no enemy on whom to
try it. He then led the way back, with his party, to the boat.
"The presence of the men acting, in some degree, as a check upon
our conversation, Mrs. Ronayne consequently preserved an unbroken
silence. She seemed immersed in deep and painful thought, and I
could see beneath the thin veil she wore the tears coursing slowly
down her cheek. Her first inquiry, on landing, was whether the
fishing party was returned, and, on being told that it had not,
she seemed to be greatly relieved. I watched her closely, for I
need not say that my own daughter could not have inspired me with
deeper interest, and in the increased agitation I remarked
as the hour of her husband's expected return drew nearer, I began
to apprehend a fearful result. Not that, even if my suspicions were
correct, she could well be blamed, as the mere victim of a violence
she could not prevent; but what I did not like to perceive, and
which pained me much, was her evident prepossession in favor of
the impetuous boy, which induced her to abstain from all indignant
censure. These, however, are merely my own, crude and perhaps
unfounded impressions. That she has some terrible truth to reveal
to me, there cannot be a question, nor is it likely that it can
affect any but herself. This night, however, I shall know all from
her own lips, which, although sealed in prudence to her husband,
will not hesitate to confide to me the fullest extent of her painful
secret; meanwhile, I should recommend that Wau-nan-gee be watched.
His long absence from the fort, while evidently concealed in the
neighborhood, looks not well. Evidently, he has been long planning
the abduction of Maria, and now that he finds himself foiled by
her evasion this day, he will avail himself of the present crisis
to leave no means unaccomplished to possess her, no matter what
blood may be shed in the attainment of his object."
"Strange, indeed, what you have related," said Captain Headley,
gravely, when his wife had ceased. "I confess I scarcely know what
to think or how to act. I must hold council with my officers
immediately--hear their opinions without divulging aught of what
you have related, and act as my own judgment confirms. How
unfortunate! Ronayne and his wife, accompanied by Von Voltenberg,
have taken it into their heads to ride to Hardscrabble, and God
knows when they will be back. Really, this is most annoying."
At that moment a terrible shriek, as that of a man in his last
fearful agony, was heard without. Struck with sudden dismay, both
Captain Headley and his wife rushed to the door, which they reached
even as Ensign Ronayne, pale, without his hat, his hair blowing in
the breeze, and his cheek colorless as death, was in the act of
falling from his jaded horse, whose trembling limbs and sides
covered with foam, attested the desperate speed with which he had
been ridden.
"Oh, God! he has heard all--he knows all," murmured Mrs. Headley,
as she fell back in the arms of her husband. "Now, then, is the
drama of horror but commenced."
Before the unfortunate officer could be--raised and carried to his
apartments by the sympathizing soldiers of the garrison, another
horseman followed into the fort. It was Doctor Van Voltenberg,
whose flushed face and excited appearance denoted the speed at
which he too had ridden. He flung himself from his horse, and
followed anxiously to the apartment of his friend.
But where was the third of the party? where was Maria, the universally
beloved of every soldier of that garrison? where was Mrs. Ronayne?