“No, papa, it would be suicidal,” added Henrietta. “His fortune would
do us no good if we caught the fever.”
“Go, then! but there is still one in the house who has a heart,”
replied Mr. Mason, as he left the room to seek the apartment of Grace.
Grace was ready in a moment to attend her uncle to the sick room,
where, regardless of the danger of contagion, she laved the burning
brow of the sufferer, and did all that an angel hand could do to render
him comfortable.
Early in the morning, Mrs. Mason and her daughter departed for the
residence of a friend in the country.
_CHAPTER III._
For several weeks Grace, with such assistance as Mr. Mason and Charles
could give, nursed the invalid with the most untiring devotion. All her
time was spent by his bedside. She was all gentleness and sympathy,
bearing patiently with his petulance and ill humor, and never betraying
the slightest appearance of anger when he scolded and even swore at her.
The fever turned, and he began to mend. He was now out of danger, and
rapidly advancing to complete restoration.
The physician commended the skill and devotion of his nurse, assuring
him that he owed his life to her.
But the devotion of the poor girl cost her dearly; for scarcely had
uncle Joseph recovered before she was taken down with the fever, and
for weeks languished on the very verge of the grave.
Yet there was no female hand to lave her brow save that of a hired
nurse. Charles Mason loved her as he did his own existence, and day and
night he watched over her with a constancy and a devotion worthy the
loving heart of the gentler sex.
Uncle Joseph, too, was an anxious watcher round her bed. Though he was
a bachelor, and had spent the greater part of his life in India, away
from the gentle influences of female society, he showed an aptness in
the sick room that would have done honor to a Benedict.
To the intense relief of her devoted friend, Grace recovered. The
disease was now banished from the house, and Mrs. Mason and Henrietta
ventured to return.
“I trust you have had a pleasant visit, madam,” said uncle Joseph,
coldly.
“Pleasant! nay, far from it. You do us injustice; we were perfectly
miserable on account of your dangerous illness.”
“Humph!” said uncle Joseph, with a sneer.
The love between Charles and Grace, strengthened by the scenes of
suffering through which they had passed, was now an unalterable
sentiment. Of course, uncle Joseph had not witnessed their mutual
devotion to him in his illness, without suspecting the existence of
some strong bond of union between them. And the young man’s untiring
attention to her in her own sickness had confirmed the opinion.
Seeking a favorable opportunity, he conversed with Charles upon the
subject, who readily admitted his affection. The bachelor recommended
an immediate marriage.
The step was not, of course, ungrateful to the feelings of the lover.
And the desire to redeem Grace from the life of drudgery to which she
was reduced by the heartlessness of his mother, seemed to demand their
immediate union.
The young man’s intentions were soon noised through the family. Mrs.
Mason renewed the opposition she had before made, and even went so far
as to threaten that, if she could not break up the match, she would
imbitter the lives of the parties.
Uncle Joseph remonstrated.
“May I ask, madam, what objection you can possibly have to the
marriage?” said he, with considerable sternness in his manner.
“What objection! why, the girl is a beggar; I have employed her in my
family to keep her out of the almshouse, which, I think, is objection
enough,” replied Mrs. Mason, disliking the interference of uncle Joseph.
“Your son, I think, is not wealthy, so that he need not _demand_ a rich
wife.”
“He need not marry a beggar, though.”
“She is worthy a prince, beggar though she is.”
“O, very likely,” sneered the lady.
“I owe my life to her, and I can never cease to be grateful to her.
When _others_ forsook me, _she_ was constant,” replied uncle Joseph,
pointedly.
“She knew you were rich,” said Mrs. Mason, sarcastically.
“So did you and your amiable daughter. You were like angels round
my pillow till the doctor said ‘ship fever,’ when you fled like two
frightened sheep.”
The lady looked as black as a thunder cloud.
“I trust you will withdraw your objections to this marriage, Mrs.
Mason. You perceive that Charles is resolute, and will have his own way
about it,” continued uncle Joseph, in a more pliable tone.
“His _own_ way! All this for bad advising! I cannot prevent it,
perhaps; but I will never consent to it. No! a son of mine shall never
have my consent to marry a beggar girl.”
“Madam, she is no longer a beggar. She is the heiress of all my
fortune,” said uncle Joseph, with sudden energy.
Mrs. Mason’s brow contracted.
“And Henrietta?” said she.
“Never touches a penny! She deserted me when I most needed a friend,”
replied the bachelor, vehemently. “If I had ten thousand fortunes, they
would be but a poor return for all that Grace has done for me. I make
over fifty thousand dollars to the newly-married couple as soon as the
knot is tied; the residue at my decease.”
The marriage took place soon after. The ceremony was performed at the
house of Mr. Mason, in spite of the opposition of his wife; for when
the merchant said it should be so, he had the firmness to carry his
point.
The newly-married couple took up their residence in a beautiful house,
purchased for them by uncle Joseph, who consented to make his home with
them.
Henrietta is now five-and-thirty years of age, and an “old maid.” Mrs.
Mason still continues to be a termagant, though her husband maintains
his integrity with firmness and decision. She has never forgiven uncle
Joseph for making Grace the heiress, and probably never will. But the
worthy bachelor never ceases to rejoice over the disposition he has
made of his property, and probably _he_ never will.
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Transcriber’s Notes
• Italics represented with _underscores_.
• Small Caps converted to ALL CAPS.
• Obvious typographic errors silently corrected.
• Archaic spelling kept as in the original.
• Illustrations relocated close to relevant material.