“The next morning there came
a knock at the door; it was my maid. She came
to inform me that the General was ready to start, and
desired to bid me good-bye.
“I went down stairs and met
him coming out of his wife’s room.
“‘Pray go and comfort
her,’ he said in a tremulous voice; ’I
would not have undertaken this journey if I had thought
that she would have felt it so much, though she insists
on my going; she is very cheerful now, but I am afraid
she will break down when I am gone.’
“‘I will do all that I can to comfort
her,’ I said.
“’I am sure of that!
I could not leave her if you were not here. James
is fond of his mother but well,
young men will be young men.’
“I did not attempt to return
his smile I was too indignant with young
Mr. Harrington to aid in glossing over his conduct.
“‘Believe me, my dear
ward,’ said the General suddenly, ’only
a grave reason has made me start on this journey.
Good bye God bless you. Let me find
you well and happy when I return.’
“He touched my forehead gently
with his lips, and was gone.
“I was about to knock at Mrs.
Harrington’s door, when I saw James coming down
the corridor, evidently going there, too. I turned
away and went into the salon. I did not wish
even to exchange a word with him then.
“It might have been half an
hour after, when Lucy Eaton tapped at the door and
opened it before I could speak.
“‘I knew you were here alone,’ she
said, ‘may I come in?’
“How pretty she looked, standing
there in her dress of thin blue muslin, her golden
hair falling about that lovely face which, probably,
had never in her whole life been disturbed by a single
thought or fancy that could cause pain to another.
“‘So the General has gone
to Cadiz,’ she said, as she came into the room
and flung herself in a graceful attitude on the sofa
near me. ’How lost dear Mrs. Harrington
will be; we must all try to console her.’
“I was so unreasonable and bad
tempered that I fear my first impulse was to ask her
what possible right she could have to offer the lady
consolation; but I managed to keep back that little
ebullition of temper, and answered, instead
“’He will only be gone
a few days; Mrs. Harrington will not have a great
deal of time to be lonely.’
“’And then she has you
with her, and I can’t fancy anybody feeling
solitary, dear Miss Crawford, while they can have your
society.’
“‘Dear Miss Crawford,’
was in no mood to accept compliments patiently they
would have had a false ring to my ear at that moment,
coming even from those whom I knew well and loved,
so they were not likely to be accepted with good grace
from this comparative stranger. I suppose she
would have thought me unkind for considering her so,
but I never found it easy to get up the girlish enthusiasm
necessary for cementing sudden and violent friendship.
“‘That is a very pretty
speech,’ I said bluntly, ’but it doesn’t
mean anything at all.’
“Lucy dropped her tiny hands
and went off into a peal of laughter that, I must
confess, was sweet as a chime of silver bells.
“‘You do say the oddest
things!’ she exclaimed. ’I never knew
any one so original as you are, but dear Miss Crawford,
though I like it exceedingly myself, do you think ’
“She hesitated, and as I saw
she never would finish her sentence unless I asked
the desired question, I inquired
“‘Do I think what, Miss Eaton?’
“’That that
gentlemen quite like it. Young girls have to be
so particular, you know, or they displease them.’
“‘Really,’ I said,
’I have never taken the trouble to think about
the matter; and to tell you the truth, I fear I should
not much care, even if I had.’
“’Ah, to be sure, you
are differently situated from so many girls with
your beauty and your great fortune, whatever you say
or do will always be thought charming Oh,
dear Miss Crawford, I did not mean that indeed
I did not! Now you are vexed with me, I am sure.’
“’I am not quite bad tempered
enough to take offence where none is meant, Miss Eaton.’
“’Bad tempered? Why,
I think you have the sweetest disposition I ever knew!
Mamma was saying only this morning, that you had a
face like an angel.’
“I doubted that, for I was confident
Mrs. Eaton had no great prepossession in my favor,
but of course I let it pass.
“‘I am so heedless,’
moaned Lucy; ’I say everything that comes in
my head mamma says she wishes I could acquire
a little of your dignity but I never shall
be like you never.’
“The glance of self satisfaction
which she cast in the mirror where her pretty figure
was reflected gracefully curled up among the sofa
cushions, was extremely amusing to me.
“‘I think,’ I said,
’that you may congratulate yourself on there
being no resemblance between us.’
“‘Oh, that was not what
I meant,’ she replied. ’You are very
beautiful, and I am sure nobody would ever say that
of poor little me.’
“I thought I had now talked
all the nonsense that the most exaggerated idea of
courtesy could require, so I said
“‘You must not think me unkind, but ’
“‘Unkind?’ she repeated.
’I never knew you to have an unkind thought.
Whatever you do or say would always be considered charming.’
“‘More pretty speeches,’
said I, trying to laugh, for I had the grace to feel
a little ashamed of my ill humor. ’You quite
overwhelm me with them to-day let me try
my skill. Do you know that your dress is particularly
becoming, and that you are looking your very loveliest
to-day?’
“‘Oh, my! no,’ returned
she, glancing at herself in the opposite mirror.
’I don’t think the dress pretty at all it’s
mamma’s taste and I am sure I am
looking horribly. I told mamma I would not come
in, only I was certain there was nobody here beside
you.’
“‘I have not seen Mrs.
Harrington since the General left,’ I said, by
way of trying to bear my part in the conversation more
than from any other reason; ‘but her son is
with her.’
“‘Mr. Harrington is so
devoted to his mother,’ exclaimed Lucy.
’Mamma says that he is a model, and that so
good a son could not fail to make ’
“She broke off with a little
attempt at embarrassment, that was rather a failure.
“‘Would make a good husband,
you mean, I suppose,’ returned I. ’That
is the old proverb, I believe.’
“’Yes but I
hesitated I’m so foolish. It
always seems immodest to name such things outright.’
“‘I am sorry that I am
immodest,’ said I, ’but straight-forward
words are natural to me, and I utter them abruptly
sometimes.’
“’I suppose I really ought
to go and see if I can do anything for Mrs. Harrington.
She is probably alone by this time.’
“At that moment the door opened,
and James looked into the room. He did not see
Lucy Eaton where he stood, and said coldly enough
“‘Miss Crawford, if you
have leisure, my mother would like to see you.’
“‘Certainly,’ I said, rising.
“‘And I must go back,’
cried Lucy, springing up in a flutter. ’Mamma
will positively think I am lost.’
“‘Good morning, Miss Eaton,’
James said; ’pray excuse me. I supposed
Miss Crawford was alone. I beg pardon of both
for having interrupted you.’
“‘Oh, there was no interruption,’
said Lucy, moving toward him with her thin dress sweeping
out like a cloud. ’We were through talking,
and what do you suppose it was all about?’ she
added coquettishly.
“‘I really have no idea,’
he answered, with a degree of indifference that I
wondered she did not notice.
“‘I am sure I shall not
tell you,’ she said, tossing her curls.
’We’ll not tell, will we, Miss Crawford?’
I was busy putting away some books that had been lying
on a chair, and so had an excuse for being conveniently
deaf.
“’Since you are so determined,
it would be useless for me to attempt to persuade
you,’ James replied, and I knew that he was trying
to be polite in order to hide how it bored him to
stand there and talk nonsense.
“I think that a few days before
it would have pleased me to have this proof that Mr.
Harrington did not care so much for pretty Lucy Eaton,
but it brought me no satisfaction now. Straightway,
as if something had whispered it in my ear, came the
reason for his indifference. His mind was so
completely engrossed by thoughts of our conversation
about the girl Zillah, that there was no room for
other ideas to find a place.
“The bare idea turned me faint
with indignation and disquiet. The worst thing
of all the hardest to bear was
to lose my respect for him; and he was forcing me
rapidly to do that.
“If he had loved Lucy Eaton,
it would have been an honorable affection, such as
every man has a right to choose for himself; but in
this entanglement, which I was more and more convinced
fettered his feelings and movements, there could be
nothing but secresy and dishonor.
“I wanted to go away to
get beyond the sight of his face the sound
of his voice. As I stood there listening to their
idle conversation, I felt that I almost hated the
man. With his wicked secret on his soul what
right had he to bring himself into the presence of
innocent women, and assume a position of equality
with them. I knew how foolish it all was I
tried to think that the meanness was in my entertaining
such suspicions, but I could no more change my feelings
than I could banish my doubts.
“I walked to the door; as James
stepped aside to allow us to pass, I caught one strange,
troubled look from his eyes, which I could not understand.
Did it mean that he believed I had divined his secret,
and was appealing to my generosity for silence?
“There was no time to think
about it. Lucy was holding me by the sleeve and
saying
“’I don’t believe
you have heard a syllable Mr. Harrington has said.
His mother wants us to go out driving with her toward
sunset.’
“‘So Mrs. Harrington told me this morning.’
“‘But you did not mention it.’
“’No, because she spoke
before she knew of her husband’s journey, and
I thought she might not feel inclined to go out.’
“‘I am sure I shall be
delighted,’ Lucy said. ’Do you mean
to take the other seat, Mr. Harrington?’
“‘If you permit.’
“’Oh, my! I’m
sure it’s not for me to say! But I know
your mother never half enjoys herself unless you are
present, and really, one feels so much safer driving
when there’s a gentleman along. One never
knows what these dreadful Spanish coachmen may do.’
“‘I believe ours is very
trusty,’ James replied. ’Please don’t
hint your fears to my mother, or she would not drive
again while she is here.’
“’Oh, of course not!
Any way, I did not mean anything I always
speak without thought! Mamma says my head is
no better than a feather. Isn’t that cruel
of her, Mr. Harrington?’
“‘You can console yourself
by being certain that she does not mean it.’
“’Oh, I don’t know!
Mamma has a great admiration for dignified, stately
creatures, like our dear Miss Crawford. She says
I will be nothing but a spoiled little kitten all
my days.’
“James looked so impatient of
all this nonsense, that I was amused in spite of myself.
I went away to his mother’s room, and left him
to free himself from Miss Eaton the best way he could.”