MY COMPANIONS

“Vous étés belle: ainsi donc la moitié
Du genre humain sera vôtre ennemie.”

Voltaire.

“Oh, I think the cause
Of much was, they forgot no crowd
Makes up for parents in their shroud.”

R. Browning.

The servant came to call me down to tea while I was still sitting with my face in my hands upon the bed. I started up, lit the candles on the dressing-table, arranged my hair, washed the tears off my face, and hurried down the stairs. They were waiting for me in the parlor, and no doubt were quite impatient, as they had already waited for the arrival of the evening train, and it was nearly eight o’clock. The evening train had brought Mr. Eugene Whitney, of whom I can only say, that he was a very insignificant young man indeed. We all moved into the dining-room; the others took the seats they were accustomed to. Mr. Whitney and I, being the only new-comers, were advised which seats belonged to us by a trim young maid-servant, and I, for one, was very glad to get into mine. Mr. Whitney was my neighbor on one hand, the youngest of the Hollenbeck boys on the other. These were our seats:

Kilian,

Miss Leighton, Miss Henrietta Palmer,

Miss Benson, Mr. Eugene Whitney,

Tutor, Myself,

Boy, Boy,

Mrs. Hollenbeck.

The seat opposite me was not filled when we sat down.

“Where is Mr. Langenau, Charley?” said his mother.

“I’m sure I don’t know, mamma,” said Charley, applying himself to marmalade.

“Charley doesn’t see much of his tutor out of hours, I think,” said Miss Benson.

“A good deal too much of him in ’em,” murmured Charley, between a spoonful of marmalade and a drink of milk.

“Benny’s the boy that loves his book,” said Kilian; “he’s the joy of his tutor’s heart, I know,” at which there was a general laugh, and Benny, the younger, looked up with a merry smile.

The Hollenbeck boys were not fond of study. They were healthy and pretty; quite the reverse of intellectual; very fair and rosy, without much resemblance to their mother or her brothers. It was evident the acquisition of knowledge was far from being the principal pursuit of their lives, and the tutor was looked upon as the natural enemy of Charley, at the least.

“I don’t see what you ever got him for, mamma,” said Charley. “I’d study just as much without him.”

“And that wouldn’t be pledging yourself to very much, would it, Charley dear?”

“Wish he was back in Germany with his ugly books,” cried Charley.

But hush! there was a sudden lull, as the tutor entered and took his place by Charley. He was a well-made man, evidently about thirty. He was so decidedly a gentleman, in manners and appearance, that even these spoiled boys treated him respectfully, and the young ladies and gentlemen at the table were more stiff than offensive in their manner. But he was so evidently not one of them!

It is very disagreeable to be among people who know each other very well, even if they try to know you very well and admit you to their friendship. But I had no assurance that any one was trying to do this for me, and I am afraid I showed very little inclination to be admitted to their friendship. I could not talk, and I did not want to be talked to. I was even afraid of the little boys, and thought all the time that Charley was watching me and making signs about me to his brother, when in reality he was only telegraphing about the marmalade.

In the meantime, without any attention to my feelings, the business of the tea-table proceeded. Mrs. Hollenbeck poured out tea, and kept the little boys under a moderate control. Kilian cut up some birds before him, and tried to persuade the young ladies to eat some, but nobody had appetite enough but Mr. Whitney and himself. Charlotte Benson, who was clever and efficient and exceedingly at home, cut up a cake that was before her, and gave the boys some strawberries, and offered some to me. Miss Palmer simply looked very handsome, and eat a biscuit or two, and tried to talk to Mr. Whitney, who seemed to have a good appetite and very little conversation. Miss Leighton gave herself up to attentions to Kilian; she was saying silly little things to him in a little low tone all the time, and offering him different articles before her, and advising him what he ought to eat; all of which seemed most interesting and important in dumb-show till you heard what it was all about, and then you felt ashamed of them. At times, I think, Kilian felt somewhat ashamed too, and tried to talk a little to the others; but most of the time he seemed to like it very well, and did not ask anything better than the excellent woodcock on his plate, and the pretty young woman by his side.

“By the way,” said Sophie, when the meal was nearly over, “I had a letter from Richard to-day.”

“Ah!” said Kilian, with a momentary release from his admirer. “And when is he coming home?”

I looked up with quick interest, and met Mrs. Hollenbeck’s eyes, which seemed to be always on me. Then I turned mine down the table uncomfortably, and found Charlotte Benson looking at me too. I did not know what I had done to be looked at, but wished they would look at themselves and let me take my tea (or leave it alone) in peace.

“Not for two weeks yet,” said his sister; “not for two whole weeks.”

“How sorry I am,” said Charlotte Benson.

“I think we are all sorry,” said Henrietta the tranquil.

“Miss d’Estree confided to me that she’d be glad to see him,” said Kilian, cutting up another woodcock and looking at his plate.

“Indeed I shall,” I said, with, a little sigh, not thinking so much about them as feeling most earnestly what a difference his coming would make, and how sure I should be of having at least one friend when he got here.

“He seems to be having a delightful time,” said his sister.

“I am glad to hear that,” I said, interested. “Generally he finds it such a bore. He doesn’t seem to like to travel.” I was rather startled at the sound of my own voice and the attention of my audience; but I had been betrayed into speaking, by my interest in the subject, and my surprise at hearing he was having such a pleasant time.

“Ah!” she said, “don’t you think he does? At any rate, he seems to be enjoying this journey, and to be in no hurry to come back. I looked for him last week.”

Warned by my last experience, I said nothing in answer; and after a moment Kilian said:

“Well, if Richard’s having a good time, you may be sure he’s made some favorable negotiation, and comes home with good news for the firm. That’s his idea of a good time, you know.”

“Ah!” said Sophie, gently, “that’s his brother’s idea of his idea. It isn’t mine.”

Charlotte Benson seemed a little nettled at this, and exclaimed,

“Mrs. Hollenbeck! you are making us all unhappy. You are leading us to suspect that the stern man of business is unbending. What’s the influence at work? What makes this journey different from other journeys? Where does he tarry, oh, where?”

“Nonsense!” said Sophie, with a little laugh. “You cannot say I have implied anything of the sort. Cannot Richard enjoy a journey without your censure or suspicion? You must be careful; he does not fancy teasing.”

“O, I shall not accuse him, you may be sure; that is, if he ever comes. Do you believe he really ever will?”

“Not if he thinks you want him,” said Kilian, amiably. “He has a great aversion to being made much of.”

“Yes, a family trait,” interrupted Charlotte, at which everybody laughed, no one more cordially than Miss Leighton.

“Leave off laughing at my Uncle Richard,” said Benny, stoutly, with his cheeks quite flushed.

“We have, dear, and are laughing at your Uncle Kilian. You don’t object to that, I’m sure,” and Charlotte Benson leaned forward and threw him a little kiss past the tutor, who wore a silent, abstracted look, in odd contrast with the animated expressions of the faces all around him.

Benny did not like the joke at all, and got down from his chair and walked away without permission. We all followed him, going into the hall, and from thence to the piazza, as the night was fine. The tutor walked silently through the group in the hall to a seat where lay his book and hat, then passed through the doorway and disappeared from sight.