The Indian sachems departed, and life in Chillicothe fell back into
its accustomed grooves.
Captain Bernard left for his Virginia home, but Lyttleton remained
a boarder at the General Anthony Wayne, a self-appointed spy upon
Kenneth's movements, and very frequent visitor to the hospitable
dwelling of Major Lamar.
He continued to be a favorite with Clare, but found scant favor with
Nell, whose politeness was sometimes freezing, while at others she
would be only tolerably gracious. She was constantly comparing him,
and always to his disadvantage, with Dr. Clendenin.
Lyttleton was handsome, polished, and an accomplished
conversationalist, but Kenneth was fully his equal in these respects,
and oh, how much more noble, brave and true; what an earnest,
unselfish, useful life he led; how different from that of this gay
idler who seemed to have no thought of anything but his own ease and
pleasure!
She had about made up her mind that Lyttleton was a coward, too,
remembering how pale he had turned on his first sight of Wawillaway,
and having heard that he showed great agitation at the roll of the
drum which so frightened the women and children with its false alarm
that the Indians were almost upon them.
And nothing else so excited Nell's scorn and contempt as cowardice in
a man.
Besides he now and then indulged in some remark disparaging to
Kenneth, insinuating that he was of low birth and connections,
less highly educated than himself, unskillful in his profession,
pharisaical in his religion, and wanting in ease and refinement of
manner.
All utterly false, as Nell knew; and she never failed to retort with
cutting sarcasm, stinging rebuke, or a panegyric upon Dr. Clendenin
so warm and earnest that she recalled it afterward with burning
blushes.
What if her words should reach Dr. Clendenin's ears! What would he
think of her, for with a sore heart she was compelled to acknowledge
to herself that eloquently as his eyes had spoken once and again,
his lips had never yet breathed one word of love to her; and not for
worlds would she have him think she cared for him.
But there was no danger that Lyttleton would report their
conversation; he would be loth indeed to give Kenneth the pleasure
of knowing how high he stood in Miss Lamar's estimation, nor would
he dare repeat his own base innuendoes. It dawned upon him at length
that depreciation of his rival was not the best means of ingratiating
himself into the fair girl's favor, and he changed his tactics,
avoiding as far as possible all mention of Dr. Clendenin's name in
her presence.
But she neither forgot nor forgave what he had already said, and in
revenge threw out an occasional hint that she had grave doubts of his
own bravery, while at the same time she lauded that of Dr. Clendenin
to the skies.
Lyttleton was deeply mortified and cast about in his mind for some
way of proving to her that he was not wanting in the manly attribute
of courage.
"You seem to have an unbounded confidence in Dr. Clendenin's valor,"
he said one day in a tone of pique; "pray tell me what he has ever
done to prove it?"
"With pleasure," she answered in grave, sweet accents, but with
kindling eyes and a slight smile hovering about the lips, "I have
seen it tried, or known it to be so, in many ways during the several
years of our acquaintance;--in unhesitating exposure to contagious
disease, in encounters with the fierce wild beasts of our hills and
forests, in long lonely journeys out into the wilderness, all endured
without flinching.
"So much for his physical courage. His moral courage is fully equal
to it. He is not afraid or ashamed to show his colors, to stand by
his principles, to acknowledge his allegiance to his divine Master by
work or act, in whatever company he finds himself. He is not afraid
of ridicule, of taunts or jeers, and I am sure would never hesitate
to espouse the cause of the downtrodden and oppressed."
"I hate cant," said Lyttleton, coloring, "and never could abide these
people who set themselves up as so much better than their neighbors."
"I entirely agree in those sentiments," replied Nell, "and so would
Dr. Clendenin. He never obtrudes his sentiments or talks cant; and
has a very humble opinion of himself; yet his life is such, so pure,
earnest, self-denying and useful, that no one is left in doubt as to
whose servant he is: and oh, he knows how to speak words of comfort
and hope to the weak and weary, the sin-burdened and sorrowing!"
"And permit me to add, is most fortunate in having secured so fair
and eloquent an advocate," returned Lyttleton with a bow and a
mocking smile; "yet I must beg to be excused for my inability to see
in him the paragon of perfection your rose-colored glasses would
make him."
"If my glasses are rose-colored, permit me to say, yours are
evidently begrimed with London smoke," retorted Nell.
"You hate me because I am an Englishman," he said gloomily; "and it
is most unjust, since I had personally nothing whatever to do with
what you Americans are pleased to style the oppressions of the mother
country."
"No, I don't think I absolutely hate you, Mr. Lyttleton," she said
meditatively, staying her needle in mid air for an instant; "on
the contrary I have occasionally found your society not at all
disagreeable; but," and the needle again went swiftly in and out,
while her eyes were fixed upon her work, "I think if I were in need
of a protector from--any great immediate danger--an expected attack
by hostile Indians for instance, I should prefer one of my countrymen
by my side."
"Now, Nell, that was really too bad," remarked Clare, after Lyttleton
had gone. "The English are hardly less brave as a nation than
ourselves."
"Of course, I don't deny that, but he's an exception, and deserving
of all and more than I gave him for his mean way of depreciating a--"
"An absent rival," put in Clare with a laugh, as Nell paused for an
appellation suited to Kenneth's worth. "Really I think you might
forgive his evident jealousy, which is certainly flattering to you."
"No, not a rival but a far better and nobler man than himself," said
the girl, the rose deepening on her cheek.
Lyttleton went away full of anger and chagrin, and lay awake half the
night trying to contrive some means of convincing Miss Lamar that no
more valiant man than himself was anywhere to be found.
He summoned his German valet at an unusually early hour the next
morning.
"Hans," said he, while the man was busied about his person, "you are
from Hesse, I think, and were over here during the war?"
"Yass, mynheer, that ish so; but I dells it not to dese peobles."
"No; of course not; and you need not fear that I shall betray you.
But your experience may enable you to be of use to me in a new
capacity."
"Vat ish dot, mynheer?"
"Have patience, Hans, and I will explain all in good time. Were you
an officer?"
"Nine, nine, mynheer; not so goot as dot; vat you galls a brivateer?"
"A private, you blockhead," corrected Lyttleton, with a laugh. "Well,
I wish you had been higher, though," he added meditatively. "If I
could but get hold of the uniform of a Hessian officer, it would not
matter now."
"Vell, mynheer, an' you gan keep von leedle segret, I dinks dot gan
be found?"
"What! here in this little out of the way village?"
Hans nodded wisely. "Yaas, I finds him pooty quick."
"If you will do so and will make use of it as I direct," said
Lyttleton, "you shall be handsomely paid for your trouble. And may
rest assured that I will never betray your secret."
"Vell den, mynheer, I dell you, and I porrows de gloes, and does de
work. Karl Hedwig was in de war, an--vat you call it?"
"Officer?"
"Yaas, and he's got de soldier gloes."
"Now? Here?"
Hans answered in the affirmative, going on to explain that Hedwig,
whom he recognized as an old acquaintance, and his former superior
in the army, had begged of him not to divulge the fact that he had
served against the Americans: fearing that it would render him
unpopular; but doubtless if it could be done without incurring that
risk, he would lend his uniform for a consideration.
Lyttleton authorized Hans to hire it for the winter, naming a liberal
sum and enjoining secrecy.
"I expect to find use for it one of these days or nights, which is
all you need to know at present," he concluded.
Hans promised to attend to the commission promptly, and with due care
that none should know of it save Hedwig and himself.
Godfrey Dale ran in to Major Lamar's that morning, directly after
breakfast, to say that the young people were getting up a riding
party for that afternoon, and to ask Nell if he might be her escort.
"You must please excuse my coming at so early an hour," he said, with
a mischievous smile; "it was in order to forestall the Englishman,
who almost monopolizes you of late, it seems to me."
"No, he does not," said Nell, looking but ill pleased. "He is here a
great deal, I know, but I cannot forbid him the house."
"I left him in Clendenin's office," remarked Dale. "He is generally
to be found there when he is not here; seems to admire the doctor
prodigiously, tells me he has conceived a very warm friendship for
him."
"Then he is an arrant hypocrite!" exclaimed Nell, her eyes flashing
with indignation. "He is always saying or hinting disparaging things
of him to me."
Dale looked surprised, then angry, then laughed lightly.
"To you, Miss Nell? Well, I suppose he dreads Clendenin's rivalry,
and thinks all is fair in love."
"I shall think but ill of you, Mr. Dale, if you uphold him on any
such plea as that," Nell said with vexation.
"Uphold him? No, indeed, Miss Nell. I only wish to be as charitable
as the case will allow."