The Project Gutenberg eBook of Straight forward
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: Straight forward
or, walking in the light
Author: Lucy Ellen Guernsey
Release date: September 16, 2024 [eBook #74428]
Language: English
Original publication: Boston: Henry Hoyt, 1859
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STRAIGHT FORWARD ***
Transcriber's notes: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the
public domain.
[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE.]
STRAIGHT FORWARD;
OR,
_Walking in the Light._
A STORY FOR SCHOOL GIRLS OF ALL AGES.
—————
BY LUCY ELLEN GUERNSEY
AUTHOR OF "IRISH AMY," "THE SIGN OF THE CROSS,"
"TABBY'S TRAVELS," "KITTY MAYNARD," "READY WORK," ETC., ETC.
—————
BOSTON:
HENRY HOYT
No. 9 Cornhill.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by
HENRY HOYT,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
CONTENTS.
—————
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XI.
STRAIGHT FORWARD.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER I.
"BUT this is such a little matter, Lucy,—only a dollar!"
"Whether it is little or much does not signify, so long as I cannot
afford it," was the reply, and the speaker laid down the pretty set of
tablets she held in her hands, and turned to look at something else.
"I think you are very foolish," continued the first speaker. "They are
the prettiest I ever saw, and very cheap. Janet Graves paid twice as
much for hers, and they are no better. Come, Lucy, be advised, and take
a set."
"If you have no money with you, it is of no consequence," observed the
polite shopman; "you can easily hand it to me another time; and, as the
young lady observed, these are really superior articles."
Lucy's determination, however, was not to be moved, and her companion
turned from her, and addressed herself to another young lady, who was
also examining the tablets.
"Well, Emily, have you found a set to suit you?"
"I like these very well," replied Emily, in rather an undecided tone;
"but I have no money with me."
"That need make no difference," said the person in attendance; "I can
add it to the bill."
Emily hesitated, looked again, and finally decided to take the tablets.
The party of school girls then proceeded to a dry-goods store, where
Lucy inquired for gloves, and her companions for embroideries and
laces. A splendid stock of the latter was soon displayed before their
admiring eyes, and the girls began to turn them over, with many
exclamations at their beauty. Even Emily admitted that the prices were
wonderfully low, though she made no attempt to purchase.
"Come," said Delia Mason, after she had selected and paid for some
articles for herself, "now is the time to supply yourselves with
collars. You will allow, Lucy, that these are really worth having."
"They are very pretty, if one wants them," replied Lucy, smiling, "but
I do not stand in need of anything of the sort at present."
"Just like her!" said Delia half aloud, as Lucy walked to the other
end of the shop. "I should not like to be as stingy as she is. She has
plenty of money, too, for I saw her purse yesterday when she was buying
some oranges in the hall, and she had quite a roll of bills. She never
thought whether or not she could afford that."
"She gave them to little Kitty Mastick, I know," said Emily, looking
round to see that Lucy was not within hearing. "Lucy is careful of her
money it is true, but I don't think you do right to call her stingy.
She is always ready to assist poor people, or do anything of that sort,
and she subscribed more for the reading room than you did, Delia."
"Oh, yes, because she knows it pays," sneered Delia. "The teachers
always think well of any one who subscribes to the reading room."
"Oh, come Delia, that is hardly fair. You know you said yourself; that
Lucy was very good-natured when she took care of Clarissa Crosby all
that time when she had the toothache. I am sure she is always ready to
do a good turn for any one that wants it."
"I don't deny that Lucy is a very good girl," replied Delia, apparently
rather ashamed of what she had said, "and, of course, she knows her own
affairs best. But come, don't you mean to have some of these collars?
I am sure you need them, for yours are as old-fashioned as the days
before the flood."
Emily again pleaded her want of money, and was again over-ruled, and
the collars were folded up, and the price added to her account. The
purchase was a beautiful one, and the price was certain sufficiently
reasonable, yet it was with an uneasy feeling that she pursued her walk
homeward with Delia, Lucy having dropped a little behind, with one of
the day scholars, who had joined them as they issued from the store.
"I wish I had not bought those things," said she at last. "My old
collars would have answered well enough, and I have spent four dollars
since I came out, for things, which after all were not necessary."
"You have not exactly spent it," observed Delia.
"I have run in debt though, and that is even worse," replied Emily.
"Father is so very particular about that. I believe he thinks it is as
bad as stealing. I must contrive some way to pay my bills before he
finds them out; I should think they would not come to much altogether!
Let me see." And she began a mental calculation, which, however, she
soon abandoned, for Emily was not one to look a disagreeable truth in
the face, so long as she could help it, and she could not help seeing
that the amount was likely, after all, to be very considerable.
Emily Arlington was the daughter of a rich merchant in the city. Her
mother died when she was only five years old, and she was committed to
the charge of a maiden aunt, residing in a quiet country village,—a
lady actuated by Christian motives and principles, and, therefore,
disposed to do everything in her power for the spiritual and temporal
welfare of her young charge.
Miss Arlington, however, was not altogether fitted by nature for the
charge she had undertaken. Though remarkably sweet tempered, she
was rather weak-spirited; her will was by no means a match for Miss
Emily's, and she was somewhat embarrassed by the restrictions imposed
upon her by her brother's somewhat peculiar ideas upon the subject of
female education. One of his favorite notions was, that young children,
and above all girls, should never be allowed to associate with young
people of their own age. Accordingly, the little Emily was secluded
like a cloistered nun, with no companions or playmates, but her doll,
her aunt and the servants. Moreover, Mr. Arlington had a great horror
of feminine independence, and this feeling was fully shared by his
sister, who accustomed Emily never to think for herself, but to ask
for direction in even the smallest matters, so that, until she was
fifteen, she had never bought a pair of gloves, or chosen a plaything
for herself.
At this age, her aunt died; and her father finding, not long after,
that business matters imperatively required his presence in Europe,
decided, after much doubt and hesitation, to send his daughter to
school. Emily was accordingly placed in the establishment, and under
the especial care of Mrs. Pomeroy, whose school had for a quarter of a
century enjoyed the enviable reputation of turning out more finished
young ladies, and first rate scholars, than any other boarding school
in the country.
Mr. Arlington did not leave his daughter without much good advice,
and many charges to behave herself properly. He placed in her hand a
purse containing what he considered a suitable amount of pocket money,
informed her that Mrs. Pomeroy would supply her with clothes and other
necessaries, and took an affectionate leave, intending to set out on
his journey immediately.
Emily had seen very little of her father, and that little had induced
her to fear rather more than she loved him; so that she may be pardoned
if she parted from him without any very strong emotion. It was with
a singular mixture of feeling that she followed Mrs. Pomeroy to the
dining hall, where all the members of the family, some fifty in number,
were now assembled, waiting the appearance of their principal to begin
the evening meal.
"A new scholar, young ladies," said Mrs. Pomeroy, as they entered,
"Miss Emily Arlington, Miss Spencer; will you take Miss Arlington next
you at the French table?"
Emily was at first bewildered by the number of strange faces, and
could hardly collect her thoughts sufficiently to reply to the polite
remarks of her neighbors, who chatted merrily among themselves, though
in subdued tones, and in French, supplying a missing word now and then
with its Latin or German substitute. By degrees, however, she recovered
her self-possession, and began to take an interest in observing the
peculiarities of the little world by which she was surrounded. The
scrutiny led her upon the whole to form a favorable opinion of her
future companions.
They were indeed a remarkably pretty and well-dressed set of girls, and
the manners of most of them appeared agreeable and lady-like. A good
many things struck her as peculiar; she wondered at the consumption
of bread and butter, and bread and syrup, going on around her, and
she could not help staring a little to see the young ladies who had
finished their meals, produce their books or their work, while waiting
for their companions.
Tea was followed by prayers in the large school-room, and Emily was
much impressed by the beauty of the responsive service and the singing.
"After all," she said to herself, while preparing for bed, "I don't see
why I cannot be very happy here."
Emily was so unaccustomed to the society of girls of her own age, that
for some days she was nervous and embarrassed, and shrunk from their
friendly advances from sheer awkwardness; but this feeling soon wore
off, and before the end of a fortnight, she was on familiar terms with
most of the young ladies in the hall where she lodged, and had formed
something like an intimacy with two or three of them.
The first one with whom she became particularly acquainted was Lucy
Spencer, a very quiet, unpretending girl, a year or two older than
herself. She had been an inmate of the school for four years, and
expected to remain for some time longer, and her steady good principles
and perfect truthfulness made her as much a favorite with Mrs. Pomeroy
and the teachers, as did her sweet temper and gentle cheerfulness
with her companions. We do not pretend to say that Lucy was perfectly
faultless—such girls being found only in old-fashioned story books,—but
she was blessed with a naturally sunny and equable disposition,
and this happy temperament was strengthened by truly Christian
principles—principles which were brought to bear upon every action of
her everyday life.
No one felt any hesitation, at asking a favor of Lucy, for if she felt
herself obliged to refuse, it was done so gently and sweetly that it
was impossible to be offended, while whatever was in her power was sure
to be granted. Being in point of residence the oldest scholar in the
school, it often fell to her lot to take a kind of oversight of the
new pupils, and induct them into the way of the family, and thus it
happened that for the first few days, Emily saw more of her than of any
other girl in the house.
Mr. Arlington had made it a particular request that his daughter
might have a room to herself, but this Mrs. Pomeroy had been unable
to promise. Her house was full, there was but one empty room, and she
was expecting another young lady very soon, so Mr. Arlington was fain
to acquiesce. It was not, however, till Emily had sole possession of
her room for three weeks, that her room-mate made her appearance in
the person of Miss Delia Mason, who has already been introduced to our
readers.
Delia was a very handsome girl, about Lucy Spencer's age, but from her
style of dress and manners, appearing much older. She had lost her
own mother at the age of ten years, and, in three years' time, her
father was married again to a very amiable and lovely woman, who was
desirous of doing everything in her power to render her husband and his
daughters happy.
But Delia was one of those independent young ladies, whom it is by no
means easy to render happy. She at once made up her mind her father
had offered her a great insult and been guilty of the most flagrant
injustice to her, in marrying again; and she had resolved from the
first, not only that she would never be obedient to a step-mother, but
that she would do all in her power to make a residence in the house
disagreeable to the new comer.
Now the resolution to be disagreeable is one easily kept by persons
of the most limited capacity, and Delia's capacity in this respect,
especially, was by no means limited. That grand resource of ill-natured
people—tears—was hers in no measured quantity, and for the first few
days after her mother's arrival, she cried incessantly, refusing to
appear at table, and acting to perfection the part of a heart-broken
damsel, consoling herself meanwhile by stolen visits to cupboard and
store room, and by private repast in her own apartment.
Growing weary of this vein after a while, she condescended to mingle
with the rest of the family, but she still preserved a manner of the
utmost coldness and disrespect to the new comer, never speaking to her
if she could help it, and always addressing her as Mrs. Mason, instead
of the natural and endearing title of mother, which had been easily
adopted by her little sisters of four and five years old, who had at
once been won by the gentle and attractive face of their new mama.
Delia had been accustomed to tyrannise over these little ones to her
heart's content, treating them alternately as playthings and slaves.
She was by no means pleased to see that her empire over them was likely
to be entirely destroyed, and she set herself strenuously to work to
defeat her step-mother's designs for their benefit. Was any indulgence
forbidden them, Delia would contrive some way to give it them secretly
or openly, defending herself when reproved by saying, "their mother
always let them have it, and I don't see why it should be refused them
by a stranger." If Mrs. Mason refused them, Delia invariably took their
part, and incited them to impertinent replies and open rebellion,
telling them that she was not their own mother, and they ought not to
submit to be ordered about by a step-mother. Mr. Mason was away from
home a great deal, and, as his wife never made a complaint, he was for
some time quite unconscious of the discomfort caused her by Delia's
misconduct, as well as of the injury she was doing to Rose and Celia.
It chanced after a time, however, that a slight accident confined him
to the sofa for a fortnight, during which he had ample time to satisfy
himself in regard to the state of things in the household.
After vainly endeavoring to convince Delia of the folly and impropriety
of her conduct, and receiving no answer but tears and hysterics, he
informed her at last that the comforts of the household should no
longer be sacrificed to her caprices, and bade her prepare to go to a
boarding school at the end of a week.
Though Delia liked nothing better, in her heart, she pretended to be
greatly grieved by this sentence of banishment, as she chose to call
it, and spent the intervening time in lamenting to one and another,
of the circle of her mother's relatives, that she should be driven
from her own father's house by the influence of a stranger, adding
pathetically that her father had changed entirely toward her since he
had married that artful woman. The relatives of a first wife are not
apt to be too indulgent towards a second, and Delia's insinuations
had their intended effect upon the minds of her aunts who were not,
at best, remarkable for sense or discernment; so that she had the
satisfaction of knowing, before she left, that she had added another
drop to the cup of discomfort and vexation, she had prepared for a
person whose whole course to her had been one of uniform kindness.
The school to which she was first sent was, unfortunately, not one in
which she was likely to gain much improvement in those moral qualities
wherein she was most deficient. The Classical Gymnasium, for such was
its high-sounding title, was conducted upon what somebody calls the
high-pressure system. With a great array of names of officers and
professors, the whole care of watching over the conduct and manners
of some seventy or eighty girls was left to two or three overworked
and under-paid female teachers, of the sort to be obtained "cheap for
cash," who were only too glad to gain a little rest for themselves,
by conniving at many irregularities, to call them by no worse name,
and by winking pretty hard, or shutting their eyes altogether, when
the young ladies contrived to meet their friends and admirers in the
Saturday afternoon shopping excursions, which formed almost their only
authorized recreation.
It may be imagined that, in such an establishment, Delia was not
likely greatly to improve. At the end of two years, her father became
thoroughly dissatisfied, and certain correspondences of Miss Delia's
coming to light, which revealed anything but a desirable set of
acquaintances for a young lady, she was removed from the Classical
Gymnasium, and placed in the institution of Mrs. Pomeroy, which, during
the twenty-five years of its existence, had never aspired beyond the
simple title of a Female Seminary, and where the old-fashioned branches
of reading, writing and arithmetic still continued to be reckoned among
the necessary studies.
The mental and moral atmosphere of Mrs. Pomeroy's house, was as
different as possible from that of the Classical Gymnasium. No one was
crowded with studies; plenty of time was allowed for recreation; the
play-room being abundantly furnished with incentives to cheerful and
active exercise, and the work of instruction was fairly shared among a
large body of efficient and well paid teachers. There was no scrimping
about the establishment. Healthy, though plain food, well-warmed rooms,
and plenty of playtime, conduced to the health of the inmates, and
Delia could not help drawing a very favorable contrast between the
troop of alert, rosy, and wide-awake girls, who came pouring into the
school-room at the hour of evening study, fresh from an hour of active
and merry exercise, and the pale waxen-faced, languid looking young
ladies, who assembled at the same hour in the Classical Gymnasium
aforesaid, nervous and spiritless, and ready to cry at the least
provocation, from sheer exhaustion.
Of course, Emily felt a good deal of curiosity about her new room-mate,
and during the evening she took every opportunity of looking at her
when she could do so unobserved. Delia was, as we have said, a handsome
and graceful girl. Her dress, thanks to the care of her despised
step-mother, was in good taste and in the latest fashion, and Emily
felt rather painfully the contrast between them in this respect. Miss
Arlington, her aunt, had latterly lived very much out of the world; she
cared little for dress, and seldom noticed what other people wore, and
consequently Emily's clothes, though good enough in quality, were two
or three years behind the fashion. On the whole she was pretty well
satisfied with the result of her scrutiny.
Delia on her part was no less anxious. She had her own plans and
purposes to carry out. She knew that her success in some of these
must depend not a little upon the character of her room-mate, and her
attention was upon the alert to discover any little circumstance which
might give her some insight in Emily's mind and habits.
She was not left long in the dark.
Emily had been religiously brought up, and she had been accustomed
never to omit her prayers and Bible reading night and morning. The
continuance of these most excellent habits had been easy enough, so
long as she roomed alone, but now that she had a companion it was
different. She was nervously afraid of being laughed at, and the mere
suspicion that she had exposed herself to ridicule, was enough to make
her miserable for a whole day. She had already made the discovery that
Delia was inclined to be sarcastic, and she could not help doubting, as
she caught several glimpses of her countenance during prayers, whether
she had any special respect for the ordinances of religion.
The right way, of course, would have been for her to take a simple,
straight-forward course, reading her Bible and saying her prayers just
as usual, whereby not only would she have satisfied her own conscience,
but she would also have gained the respect of her companion, for
consistency is always respectable. She did no such thing, however.
She could not make up her mind to face either the covert sneer or
open ridicule of her room-mate, and almost for the first time in all
her life, she went prayerless to bed. She tried, indeed, to snatch
an opportunity of reading a few verses in her Bible when Delia was
looking another way, but she shut the book hastily as she turned round,
and restored it to its place, as though she had only taken it up by
accident.
Delia noticed the action, and understood it perfectly.
"Pshaw!" said she to herself. "I shall have little trouble in managing
her."
This might be said to be Emily's first false step in school, and she
could not well have made a worse. Her situation was, at best, one of
peculiar temptation and trials, coming as she did from such entire
seclusion, into the midst of this busy and bustling little world, where
all sorts of passions had their representatives, and thrown almost
entirely upon her hitherto untried resources.
Her only safety would have been in the closest and most constant
recourse to the Fountain of all strength and wisdom—strength and wisdom
liberally imparted by Him who giveth and upbraideth not. From this
Fountain of living waters, however, she had deliberately turned aside.
She had broken her own staff, and thrown aside her only shield, and
she had nothing left to protect her from the assaults of him who goeth
about like a roaring lion.
In the course of a week, Emily was completely under the influence of
her room-mate, with scarcely a pretense of having a mind of her own
about anything. Nor was she the only one who felt the influence of
the new comer. In a family of some forty girls, it may be conceived
that not all were wise or well principled, and as birds of a feather
proverbially flock together, Delia soon collected around her a circle
of society nearly as much to her taste as that which she had left at
the Classical Gymnasium. It was the height of her ambition to form a
clique or party attached to her interest and governed by her influence,
and in this she succeeded beyond her hopes.
These young ladies formed themselves into a secret society, as
they were pleased to call it, and held their meetings with a great
affectation of secrecy in each other's rooms. There the talk was
mostly of beaux and dances, of successful evasions of rules, and the
acquirement of forbidden indulgences, while teachers and masters, and
even Mrs. Pomeroy herself, were the subject of unsparing ridicule.
Emily could not help noticing, that though Delia rather encouraged this
sort of talk in others, she seldom took an active part in it herself,
and had once or twice put an end to it rather sharply, when it seemed
to be going beyond the bounds of all propriety or decency. Indeed, she
treated her constituents in all respects as subjects, and Emily often
wondered at their bearing with it so patiently.
All this could hardly have escaped the vigilant eye and ear of Mrs.
Pomeroy, had not her time been very much occupied by the illness of a
favorite little scholar, an orphan and dependent, who, after a long
time of delicate health, seemed now threatened with settled consumption.
If Kitty Mastick had never known a mother's care, she had never missed
it, for Mrs. Pomeroy had been father and mother, teacher and friend
to her, ever since she could remember. Her mother had been one of
Mrs. Pomeroy's early pupils. She had married contrary to the wishes
of her father, who had cast her off during his life, and finally
died, refusing to the last to see his offending child, and positively
forbidding her sister to see or hold any communication with her. Her
husband was killed by an accident soon after, and the young widow was
left without friends or refuge. Hearing of her desolate condition, Mrs.
Pomeroy sent for her and offered her an asylum, which Mrs. Mastick
thankfully accepted, hoping that she might after a while be able to
be useful to her benefactress, in the capacity of a teacher of music.
After the birth of little Kitty, she did indeed rally a little, but
soon sunk, and died, leaving her daughter no inheritance except a
remarkable talent for music, and great delicacy of constitution.
At the time our story commences, Kitty was twelve years old, but very
small and slender for her age, and seemed likely soon to follow her
mother to the grave. Mrs. Pomeroy, however, could not help hoping that
by care and attention the predisposition to disease might be overcome,
and she devoted to Kitty every moment of her spare time.
It is not to be supposed that the teachers were blind to the influence
that Delia was exerting, but they saw no way of interfering with
advantage, and could not help hoping that the evil would, in time, cure
itself. Delia was a good scholar, she was remarkably neat and very
systematic in her habits for a girl of her age, and took a certain
pride in maintaining a good place in the school, so that she was in
this respect rather an advantage to Emily than otherwise.
This increased Emily's dependence upon her, for she was unused to
regular application, and having never been to school in her life, she
found great difficulty in accommodating herself to the regular hours
and exact punctuality of the establishment. This served to increase
and maintain Delia's ascendancy over her. There was not, after all,
however, so much difference between them as might have been imagined.
Emily had religions feeling and habit, of both of which Delia was
entirely destitute, but neither of them had any principle.
CHAPTER II.
AS we have before remarked, Emily had always been kept in a state of
the most entire dependence, especially in money matters. She had hardly
ever in her life known what it was to have fifty cents of her own,
and it was not at all strange, that the four five dollar bills which
her father had put into her hands at his departure, should appear an
inexhaustible mine of wealth to her inexperienced eyes, or that this
wealth should be spent very freely so long as it lasted.
The shops in M. were remarkably good for a place of the size, and the
bookstores and confectioners' shops furnished irresistible temptations
to Emily, who was equally fond of story books, and of bonbons, both of
which she had been hitherto unable to procure, except by stealth, and
in the most limited quantities.
Every one knows how soon a five dollar bill vanishes when it is once
changed. Quarters seem to take to themselves wings, and dimes to
vanish into thin air, and unless one is in the habit of keeping a cash
account, it is very difficult to know what becomes of it all. So it was
with Emily, especially after the advent of Miss Mason.
Delia was well supplied with money by her father, and her store was
largely increased by her aunts, whose eyes were completely blinded to
her true character by the prejudice they had conceived against her
step-mother. She began her school career with some fifty dollars in her
pocket, and a tolerable certainty that when that was gone, she should
have little difficulty in obtaining more from the same source. She was
therefore not apt to deny herself anything that she fancied, though it
must be allowed that her purchases were usually made with considerable
taste and judgment.
"Come, Emily, here is something that you want," she would often say,
when they were out together. "This is just the thing for you."
And Emily, so long as the money lasted, was always ready to purchase.
It was with great astonishment and dismay, that on taking out her purse
one day to pay for something, she found that she had only a single
dollar remaining. It was not more than half as much as she wanted, but
the article was already cut off and put up. She thought she could not
possibly refuse to take it, and thus was contracted her first debt,—the
first link of a chain by which she was to be bound and led away, she
knew not whither.
The first step being taken, the next was of course much easier;
self-denial was a virtue she had never learned, and it was by no means
easy to practice in the company of one who seemed to have no idea of
it. She hardly ever went out without buying something, and thus at the
time our story commences, she had run up two or three considerable
bills.
Emily dropped her mental calculation of the amount of these bills, as
she walked homeward, and tried to turn her thoughts to something else,
but the uneasy feeling at her heart still remained, and she fully
resolved that she would never buy another article till she could pay
for it. But even if she had adhered to this resolution, it would not
have discharged the debts already contracted, and as it happened, she
was to be more than ever tempted by circumstances.
The school always broke up for the holidays three days before
Christmas, and the day after its close, a grand Christmas tree was
planted in the school-room, upon which were placed innumerable gifts,
from teachers to scholars, from scholars to teachers, and from the
girls to each other. This wonderful tree was lighted up in the evening,
when the presents were distributed, and the boarders and day scholars
were entertained by Mrs. Pomeroy.
Of course, all spare moments, and perhaps some that could not well be
spared, were devoted by the girls to the preparation of their gifts.
Great was the consumption of Chipland, Berlin and split zephyr, silver
braid and embroidery silk, and all other working materials and numerous
the enquiries for netting, knitting and crotchet needles, at old Mr.
Barton's, who had kept a toy shop in M. from time immemorial, and who
now filled his shelves with an immense variety of articles, useful,
beautiful, and comical, each individual thing, according to his own
account, being sold for just exactly what he gave for it.
Deeply did Emily regret the extravagance into which she had been
betrayed, and which left her at this critical juncture, entirely
without funds. Thanks to her aunt's training, she excelled in every
species of work, both plain and ornamental, and she had made great
calculations as to what she was going to do; but the best seamstress
in the world cannot work without thread, nor the most expert knitter
dispense with her wool and needles.
Emily saw no resource but to plunge deeper and deeper into debt, which
she did with a recklessness which astonished herself, and induced Delia
to give her a caution one day when she was more profuse than usual.
"You had better reckon up what you have bought already, Emily," said
she, as her friend gave an order for a large quantity of Berlin wool.
"Worsted amounts up faster than one thinks."
"I know it," said Emily, "but I must finish up what I have begun, and,
as Almira says, I may as well die for a sheep as for a lamb."
"You are doing a great deal of work, Emily," remarked Mrs. Pomeroy to
her the same evening, as she sat at work in the sitting room. "You seem
to be especially fond of knitting."
"Yes, ma'am," said Emily. "It gets on so fast, and does not try my eyes
in the evening like fine sewing. I think, too, it pays, when it is
done, better than any other kind of work."
"As to that, I cannot say," replied Mrs. Pomeroy, smiling. "It is
rather expensive, I think, though I must allow that yours is very
beautiful. I should like to have you give Kitty some lessons, as it is
work very well suited to her state of health."
"I like to do anything for Kitty," said Emily. "She is so good and
patient, and it seems so hard for such a little thing to be shut up so,
when all the rest are out at play. Do you think she will ever be quite
well, Mrs. Pomeroy?"
"I cannot help hoping so," replied Mrs. Pomeroy. "She has improved
very much of late, notwithstanding the unfavorable weather, and Dr. J.
thinks that a very encouraging circumstance. Her patient and cheerful
disposition is very much in her favor."
She returned to the book she was reading, but presently resumed the
conversation by saying—"I hope, Emily, you pay for your materials as
you buy them. You know I altogether disapprove of the young ladies
making bills."
"Yes, ma'am," said Emily, hastily, glad that she was sitting so that
Mrs. Pomeroy could not observe the blush which she felt mounting to her
face. "I have indeed forbidden the merchants to trust them, without my
own express permission," continued Mrs. Pomeroy, "so that they must
look to the young ladies and their parents, and not to me for the
payment of their accounts. It sometimes happens that a young lady's
father gives her permission to purchase upon credit, and then I have
nothing to say, but I dislike the plan, and was glad to find that your
father agreed with me."
Emily could not command her voice to answer, and worked away in
silence, while Mrs. Pomeroy continued. "There is another thing which I
dislike very much, and which, though positively forbidden, I regret to
say, I have never been able entirely to prevent. I allude to the girls
borrowing money of each other. It leads to trouble and quarrels without
end. If you are over tempted to do so, remember that I shall be most
seriously displeased."
"I have never borrowed money since I have been here," said Emily,
feeling that she must say something, and glad to be able to make the
assertion with truth.
"I am glad to hear you say so," replied Mrs. Pomeroy. "I did not speak
because I suspected you, but only that you might be warned. An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure."
"It is, indeed!" thought Emily. "Especially when the pound of cure is
not to be had at any price. Oh, how I wish I had never made a debt.
But there is no use in wishing, the only way is to discover some
method of paying, though I am sure I don't know where to look for it.
At any rate, I will find out this week how much I do owe, and perhaps
something may occur to me. If I only had an aunt like Delia's to send
me money."
At this moment, a sudden light flashed upon her mind. She had a cousin,
a very rich man, and a bachelor, who had sometimes made her Christmas
presents of money—why should she not write to him and ask for what she
wanted.
Two or three difficulties stood in the way of this scheme. In the first
place, all the letters were carried to Mrs. Pomeroy's room before they
were posted, as she was in the habit of looking at all the directions,
and if anything struck her as suspicious, she was sure to make inquiry
about it. Emily had no regular correspondent except her father, and if
Mrs. Pomeroy should ask her a question, what could she say?
She must contrive to get her letter posted privately; but this she
thought she might accomplish by means of one of the day scholars, who
sometimes did such errands for the boarders. But what was she to do
when the answer came? Leaving this difficulty to be met by some bright
thought, she wrote her letter that very night. At first she was at
some loss on what pretext to ask for what she wanted, but after some
consideration she wrote as follows:
DEAR COUSIN DAVID:
The girls are going to subscribe and buy a handsome Christmas present
for Mrs. Pomeroy, and I want to give as much as the rest, but I have no
money with me, and there is no time to write to my father. I might ask
Mrs. Pomeroy, but she would be sure to ask me what it was for, and the
girls do not want her to know anything about it. I should be very much
obliged to you, if you would send me a little money before Christmas.
This letter was copied in her very best hand upon a sheet of note
paper, and committing it to the care of Miss Stone, she waited
anxiously for the result of her experiment. It was true that a two
shilling subscription was actually on foot among the girls, to procure
a present for Mrs. Pomeroy, but it was also true that she had already
paid her share of the said subscription, with an odd quarter which had
escaped being spent, by dropping into a drawer, and cunningly taken
refuge in the tops of a pair of folded stockings. It would be two
or three days before she received an answer, and meantime she would
collect all her bills and ascertain the amount of her indebtedness,
which she thought could not exceed ten dollars.
"Cousin David will be sure to send me as much as that," she thought,
"and then, if any one catches me in such a scrape again, I am resolved,
that come what may, I will never buy another thing without paying
for it. I mean to turn over a new leaf next year, about all sorts of
things. I wish I were like Lucy. She never gets into any trouble, and
everything goes smoothly with her." Emily heaved a deep sigh, and then
brightened up as she repeated, "I mean to turn over a new leaf next
year."
"Miss Arlington is wanted in the library," said the monitress, putting
her head in at the door.
Emily started. "Who wants me, Almira?" she asked, as a wild fancy that
her father might have returned, came into her head and made her heart
beat fast.
"Mrs. Pomeroy, of course," replied Almira, "and I advise you to make
haste, for if you are in a scrape, you will not mend matters by keeping
her waiting, I can tell you."
"I wonder if she can possibly have found out anything about those
bills," thought Emily as she descended. "I almost wish she had, and
then, at least, it would be off my mind. If I only dared tell her—but
they say she is so strict about such things. But what is the use of
borrowing trouble. It may, after all, only be something about my
lessons."
Mrs. Pomeroy was sitting by her table with a letter in her hand, and
Emily took courage on seeing her look just as usual.
"Here is a letter for you, Emily," said she, "I see it is a money
letter, and I thought best to put it into your own hands. I believe,
too, I must take the liberty of asking your correspondent's name?"
"It is from my cousin David, I daresay," said Emily, much relieved.
"He often gives me money for my Christmas present. Yes, that is his
hand," she added, as she looked at the superscription; "I should know
it anywhere."
"Who is he?" asked Mrs. Pomeroy. "Is he a young gentleman?"
"Oh, no, ma'am," replied Emily, laughing. "He is older than my father.
I have known him ever since I can remember."
"Very well," said Mrs. Pomeroy, "I dare say it is all right. Money is
very acceptable at these times, and, by the by, my dear, I can let you
have a little, if you wish it."
"How foolish I was not to ask her before," thought Emily, but she only
said, "Thank you, Mrs. Pomeroy, I shall be very glad of some, because I
have not quite finished my presents."
"I suppose three dollars will be enough," said Mrs. Pomeroy, taking out
her purse. "Your father does not wish you to be extravagant, and you
must remember that at such a time as this, you are always in danger of
spending more than you intend."
Emily would gladly have asked for more if she had dared, but she always
stood very much in awe of Mrs. Pomeroy, and the feelings were not
lessened by the consciousness of concealing a secret from her; so she
took the three dollars thankfully, and retired anxious to examine her
cousin's letter. Greatly was she rejoiced to find that it contained
a bright, new ten dollar bill; so delighted was she indeed, that she
hardly paused to read the kind letter which accompanied the liberal
gift.
"Thirteen dollars?" she said to herself. "I am sure that those bills
cannot amount to more than that. Oh, how glad I shall be to get them
off my mind."
That very afternoon she asked and received permission to go down town,
proposing to get rid of her indebtedness at once. Her bill at the
bookstore was only two dollars, and was easily disposed of; but that
at the dry-goods store was nearly ten, and at Barton's, where she had
purchased her working materials, and many other little matters, the
bill amounted to about the same sum.
Emily could hardly believe her ears or eyes. She was sure there was
some mistake, but the items were all regularly set down, and she could
not help remembering them all. She felt sick at heart as she reflected
that after all her pains, she had not half enough funds to meet them.
She paid the first amount and received a receipt, but what to do with
the other she could not tell. Mr. Barton looked rather grim, when she
proposed to take it home and look it over, spoke of hard times and
shortness of cash, and finally intimated that if it were not paid soon,
he should be under the necessity of appealing to Mrs. Pomeroy.
Emily promised to attend to it immediately, and having succeeded in
pacifying the old man, she put the bill in her pocket and walked toward
home, with her heart heavy enough. She was not, after all, much better
off than she had been in the morning. If Mrs. Pomeroy found out about
this bill, she might about as well know of all the rest; and Emily was
almost tempted to wish she had let matters take their course, and saved
her cash for future exigencies.
She was walking slowly up the long gravel path which led to the side
door, when her down-cast eyes fell upon a piece of paper lying at the
foot of one of the trees. Almost mechanically she picked it up and
looked at it. It was a ten dollar bill!
Emily's heart leaped for joy. Here was a windfall come to her in
her utmost need, but the next moment her spirits fell again, as she
reflected that the money was not hers, and that she ought to take
immediate steps to find the rightful owner. Then came a thought—a
wicked thought, which three months ago she would have rejected with
horror,—she might say nothing about finding the bill, and appropriate
it to the payment of the account which weighed her down like a
nightmare.
Such was the temptation which had assailed her! She might have rejected
it at once, and still have been without sin, for temptation is not sin.
She might have yielded to her honest convictions, and taken measures
to restore the money to its proper owner. But, alas she had learned to
stifle the voice of conscience—she had ceased to pray for direction
or strength—she had left off to watch and be sober, and now she was
abandoned to her own miserable weakness and folly till she should drink
of the cup which her own hands had prepared.
She turned and walked toward the gate again, as though she intended to
retrace her steps, but the ringing of a bell warned her that she had
already been out too long, and reluctantly she turned toward the house,
putting the money in her pocket as she did so, with the half-formed
resolution to institute an immediate inquiry respecting it. As she was
putting away her bonnet and shawl, she put her hand in her pocket and
pulled out Mr. Barton's bill.
"What is that?" asked Delia, who was writing at the table.
"It is that horrible bill of Mr. Barton's, Delia. Just see what
an immense amount,—nine dollars and sixty cents. I believe he has
overcharged me. I am sure I have never had all that worsted."
"Worsted mounts up very fast," observed Delia, looking over the bill,
"and you have had a great deal lately. You know I told you, you were
getting yourself into trouble. That shawl for Kitty took nearly a
pound, and that is four dollars."
"What is the use of always saying, 'I told you so,'" interrupted Emily,
fretfully.
"Here, then, is the morocco and velvet and the silver braid for two
pairs of slippers, and the silk and card board for your handkerchief
boxes, besides all the presents you bought," continued Delia, without
heeding the interruption. "Yes, I should have expected it to be as much
as that at least, for mine was seven, and I did not buy nearly as much
as you."
"Have you paid yours?" asked Emily.
"Yes, indeed, two weeks ago. I could not let it go to Mrs. Pomeroy,
for anything, she makes such a fuss about the girls' running in debt.
She threatened to send Jenny Carpenter home for making a bill at the
milliner's. Jenny wanted the woman to wait till she came back after
holidays, but she said she had waited for several young ladies who
never came back at all, and she meant to send it to Mrs. Pomeroy
directly. Jenny did not believe she would dare do it, but she did, and
Jenny was in trouble, I can tell you."
"I knew she was in disgrace that time that she did not come to the
table," said Emily, "but I never heard exactly what the matter was. I
don't know what would happen to me if she should send me home. To be
sure I have a home to go to. But I should never dare to look my father
in the face again."
"Is he so very particular?" asked Delia, who was folding her letter.
"Oh dear, yes; and so stern, if anything displeases him. Mrs. Pomeroy
is nothing to him. The worst of it is, that only the other day Mrs.
Pomeroy asked me in so many words whether I had made any bills, and
almost without thinking, I told her no. Now if she gets hold of this
one—"
"I would not be in your place for something," said Delia. "But hav'nt
you money enough to pay it?"
"I have," replied Emily, looking steadfastly out of the window, "but—"
"But you want to spend it for something else, I suppose," said Delia,
after waiting in vain for the conclusion of the sentence. "Now, Emily,
if you will take my advice, you will pay this bill and have done with
it, whether you ever have any money to spend again or not. Think how
dreadful it would be to be sent home in disgrace, and have your name
printed in the catalogue as expelled! Your father would never get over
it."
"It would kill him, I do believe," said Emily, "and I am sure it would
kill me. You are right, Delia. I must pay it at all risks."
"What risk would there be?" asked Delia, surprised. "I should think the
risk was all the other way."
"I was thinking how I should get down there," answered Emily, seizing
the first evasion that offered itself. "You see I have had permission
to go out twice this week already, and I dare not ask again. She would
not let me go, and she might suspect. I might send by Matilda Stone."
"I would not do that," said Delia, as Emily paused, apparently for a
reply to her suggestion. "I made up my mind that I should not send by
her again. I do not think she is honest."
"Oh, Delia!" exclaimed Emily, feeling the hot blood mantle in her
cheeks.
"It is so," continued Delia. "I know she has several times charged me
more than she has paid for things, because I have inquired the prices
afterwards. Besides, she might threaten to tell, and that would give
her a hold upon you which might be very inconvenient." She considered a
little, and then said, "I think I see how we can manage it. You know we
are to go to the dressmaker's before school, and Mrs. Pomeroy will have
to give us permission for that, because Miss Sampson depends upon us.
Then you know Barton's is only a few steps below, and we can easily run
down there, and make it all straight. By the by, did you remember that
little matter at the jeweler's—the beads and spangles, you know—"
"I never thought of them," replied Emily, clasping her hands with a
feeling of desperation, at the idea of this new liability. "Oh, dear,
what shall I do? Cannot you lend the money, Delia? I will pay you the
very first minute I can."
"I suppose I might," said Delia, considering a little. "I would not do
it for every one, because you know how strictly lending is forbidden,
but rather than have you get into a scrape, I will run the risk for
once."
"Oh, thank you, Delia," exclaimed Emily. "What a good girl you are."
"But if I do," continued Delia, "mind, I shall expect you to be equally
ready to oblige me."
"Of course," replied Emily. "I shall pay you the very moment I get any
money."
"I was not thinking about the money," Delia answered. "I might want
you to do some thing else for me. If I run risks for you, you must be
ready, if necessary, to run risks for me."
"I will do anything in the world for you, if you will only get me out
of this scrape," said Emily.
Delia struck a light, for they had hitherto been talking in the dark,
and took some money out of her desk. "How much do you need," she asked,
as she counted it over.
"Three dollars," replied Emily. "It cannot possibly be more than that."
"Here are five," said Delia. "That will pay all your debts, and perhaps
leave you something over. But remember what you have promised."
"Indeed I will, Delia. I never was so much obliged to any one in my
life. Oh, how glad I shall be to get it all off my mind." Emily stopped
suddenly.
What had become of her resolution to inquire for the owner of the money
she had found. How could she appropriate it to her own use, without
incurring the guilt of theft? Yet the bill must be paid at all hazards.
The tea bell rung in the midst of her reflections, and she descended to
the table looking so pale that two or three of the girls noticed it,
and one of the teachers asked her if she were ill.
"My head aches, Miss Gilbert," Emily answered, with perfect truth,
but she might have said that a heart-ache was worse to bear than a
head-ache, and a pain in the conscience worst of all.
How she started when Mrs. Pomeroy tapped on the tea-urn with a spoon,
which was her way of calling the attention of the young ladies, and how
relieved she felt, when she heard that her remarks related only to a
change in the breakfast hour.
But the dull, aching pain came back the next moment, with a still
sharper pang accompanying it, as she remembered that by keeping the
money so long, and saying nothing about it, she had already put a great
difficulty in the way of returning it at all. What could she say if any
one questioned her, and in what reasonable manner could she account for
her delay? As she was passing out of the room after tea, Mrs. Pomeroy
stopped her.
"Don't you feel well, my dear?" she asked. "You look very pale and
tired. You can be excused from study this evening, if you wish it."
"I am tired," admitted Emily, hardly able to restrain her tears at the
undeserved kindness, "but I don't care about being excused from study,
thank you. It makes the evening seem so long."
"Just as you please, only don't make yourself sick," said Mrs. Pomeroy.
"I shall be glad when this affair is over, for you are all wearying
yourselves out with working for it. I have seen the knitting fever run
pretty high before, but I do not think it has ever prevailed to quite
such an alarming extent. Even Kitty has caught it, and I have every now
and then to take her work away by main force to prevent her from tiring
herself out altogether."
"How is Kitty, ma'am," asked Emily, more from the necessity of saying
something, than because she felt any particular interest in the answer.
"She seems very much better," replied Mrs. Pomeroy, "and I cannot
help being very much encouraged. She has been out of doors to-day,
and I have promised that if she is no worse for it, she shall go down
town to-morrow. One of her aunts has sent her some money, and she is
enjoying very much the idea of purchasing her Christmas gifts herself.
Well, good night, my dear, and remember to be careful of your health."
CHAPTER III.
IT was only by a strong effort that Emily was able, so far, to turn her
thoughts from her pecuniary embarrassments, as to allude to her lessons
for the evening, and it was not till Miss Gilbert, whose turn it was
to preside in the school-room, had spoken to her once or twice, that
she threw off her abstraction, sufficiently to hear and answer what was
said to her. After they returned to their room, Delia rallied her a
little upon her absence of mind.
"Any one would think you had all the cares of the nation upon your
shoulders, Emily, instead of a little bill for worsted. People Will
begin to suspect something presently, if you are not more careful. When
Mrs. Pomeroy spoke to the girls at the table, you started as though you
had been shot, and when she stopped you coming out of the room, you
turned as pale as ashes. Why cannot you learn to put a good face upon
matters."
"I never before had a secret to hide, Delia," said poor Emily, sighing
heavily; "and I am sure I hope I shall never have another. Oh, I do
think it is dreadful to live in such constant fear of being found out."
Delia looked rather annoyed. "When you have been at school as long as I
have, you will not mind it," said she. "I think it rather good fun to
have a secret, but, Emily, if you are so afraid of them, I do not see—"
"Do not see what?" added Emily, as Delia came to a full stop.
"I do not see how you are to help me as you promised," returned Delia.
"I expected you would be so, or I should never have begun."
"Begun what?" asked Emily again. "You are so very mysterious, Delia, I
don't know at all what to make of you. Ever since the day that we went
down to Barton's after the braid, you have acted as if you had some
wonderful secret upon your mind, which you were determined to keep all
to yourself."
"And so I have," said Delia, "only I have no desire at all to keep it
all to myself; but if you have such a great dread of knowing anything
which you cannot talk about, I don't see but I must do so whether I
wish it or not. I did not think you would fail me just when I needed
you, especially after what you said this afternoon." And Delia seemed
just ready to cry.
"But I have not failed you, Delia," said Emily, much disturbed at the
implied accusation. "I am sure I never told anything that you asked
me to keep, and it is my own secret that troubles me, not yours. That
would be a very different matter. There is no one in the world that I
would do more to oblige than yourself, for I am sure I don't know what
would have become of me without you."
"Then you will promise solemnly not to betray me, if I let you into my
secret," said Delia.
"Of course I will," returned Emily, confidently, but feeling
nevertheless a little frightened. "I have promised already."
Delia paused and played with her chain, as though she did not exactly
know where to begin. Emily was surprised at her embarrassment.
"Why, you are as bad as I am," she said, laughing, and really rejoiced
at the prospect of hearing something which might divert her mind from
her own troubles. "One would think you had a love affair upon your
hands at the very least."
"I never said I had not," returned Delia abruptly. She paused a moment,
and then went on, apparently recovering her confidence after the first
step. "You were speaking of that day we went down to Barton's—do you
remember the gentleman we met there?"
"The one with the black whiskers who spoke with such a French
accent—yes, what of him?"
"He is come to teach French and Italian at the academy," pursued Delia,
"and he hopes that Mrs. Pomeroy will employ him, as Mademoiselle is
going away at holidays."
"Mademoiselle going away—how sorry I am!" exclaimed Emily.
"So am not I," said Delia; "nor will you be either, when you know all
about it. Mr. Hugo used to teach at the Gymnasium and all the girls
there worshipped him."
"And so you want him to come here," said Emily, as Delia stopped again.
"But, Delia, I don't think I like reciting to a gentleman as well as to
a lady."
"I thought you liked Mr. Fletcher?" said Delia.
"Yes, because he is so patient and makes one understand so well, but I
am afraid of him, if I don't have my lesson. His eyes flash so, and his
voice sounds so deep when he is displeased, it is quite awful. That is
why the girls call him Jupiter Touans."
"Pshaw, Emily, cannot you be serious?" said Delia sharply. "I tell
you I am in earnest. If Mr. Hugo can only come here in Mademoiselle's
place, I shall be perfectly happy."
Emily stopped laughing, and looked grave enough. She did not yet see
the whole of Delia's meaning, but a light began to dawn upon her
understanding. "And so you want him to come here," she repeated; "did
you like him so very much?"
"Like him!" said Delia—the tone was expressive. "He liked me at any
rate. You know that beautiful bracelet I showed you?"
Emily nodded.
"He gave it to me. I never wear it at home for fear Mrs. Mason should
notice it, and make inquiries about it, for as for my father, I might
wear the Koh-i-Noor diamond in a ring, and he would never see it."
"But how could you accept such a present from a gentleman, Delia?
Aunt always said it was very improper to put ourselves under such
obligations," she stopped for Delia began to look vexed again.
"I wonder you did not think of that, when you wrote to ask your
cousin for money," said she. "I should think that was about as bad as
accepting a bracelet when it was offered."
It was now Emily's turn to color. "I think that was different," said
she. "There was no harm in that."
"If there was no harm in it, why did you send it down by Miss Stone,
instead of in the regular way?"
Emily had no answer ready, and Delia continued, "But there is no use
in going on so. All I wanted to say was, that if you happen, during
holidays, to hear anything said about Mr. Hugo, you must not let any
one think that you have ever known anything about him before. He told
me that Mr. Glover gave him a very high recommendation, and that he had
little doubt of succeeding in engaging himself here."
"But if Mrs. Pomeroy knows that he came from L., and of course she
must, she will be sure to ask me if I have heard you say anything about
him," said Emily. "What then?"
"Then you can simply say that I thought him a very good teacher,"
replied Delia. "I can say that with a safe conscience, for he really
does teach admirably, though he is sharp sometimes."
"But I don't understand it yet," said Emily. "Why are you so very
anxious to have him here?"
"I am not going to tell you any more at present," said Delia, "you will
see for yourself after a while. Only remember your promise."
Emily promised again, and the conversation was ended by the ringing of
the night bell, after which all talking was forbidden. But she felt
nervous and excited and could not sleep soundly. The wind, too, was
awake, and moaned drearily round the corners of the building, rattling
the doors and the windows as though trying to find some place to get in.
Their room looked out on a narrow street or alley, seldom used in
winter, but Emily felt sure that she more than once heard some one
walking under the window. She raised her head to listen. She certainly
heard footsteps. They passed on, came back and paused, and then there
was a low whistle.
"Delia! Delia!" she whispered. "Wake up and listen. What can that be?"
"I am awake," returned Delia, in the same low tone. "Don't make any
noise, Emily, it is all right." She rose from her bed as a second
whistle was heard and softly raised the window.
Emily uttered a terrified exclamation, for she was always a coward, and
the present state of her mind did not tend to increase her courage.
"Hush, you little goose; you will raise the house!" said Delia in a low
but energetic tone. "It is all right, I tell you."
She dropped out something white through the blind as she spoke, and
lowered the sash again, but not before some one was heard stirring in
the hall.
"There, you have roused Miss Thomas by your noise," said Delia. "Now to
put a good face on the matter!"
Candle in hand, Miss Thomas entered as she spoke.
"What are you about, girls?" she said in her sharp way, and looking
suspiciously round the room. "I heard some one open the window."
"I opened it, Miss Thomas," replied Delia, with perfect calmness,
settling herself in bed once more. "The blinds rattled in the wind, and
I got up to try and fix them. Then Emily waked, and seeing me standing
there, she was frightened and made a noise."
The explanation seemed probable enough, and Miss Thomas was not
inclined to keep up in the cold longer than was necessary. "The blinds
are noisy," she remarked. "I wish they might be put in order a little.
Good night, and don't let me hear any talking."
"Good night, Miss Thomas!" returned Delia, politely. "And a new pair of
spectacles to you," she added, as the door was closed. "Did I not carry
it off nicely, Emily?"
Emily made no reply. She did not, indeed, know what to say.
"What a verdant old soul she is, for all her suspicions!" continued
Delia. "She is always smelling a rat, as the boys say, but she never
can contrive to see one. She is more than half blind, if she would only
confess it, but I suppose she would die before she would confess it."
"Oh, Delia, how could you do so? I am sure it is very wrong," exclaimed
Emily, finding her voice at last. "What would your father say?"
"What does this mean?" asked Delia in surprise. "How long do you
mean to have it last this time—till you want me to run away with you
to-morrow, I suppose, to pay a debt which you had no business to make,
and about which you have told two or three lies, already. Well, I must
say, consistency is a jewel! Perhaps your next fit of it may lead you
to betray me to Mrs. Pomeroy."
"For shame, Delia," said Emily, who was now crying bitterly, "you know
I would not betray you for anything in the world."
"Well, I hope not, I am sure, but when you begin to talk in that way,
I don't know what to make of you, nor what you will take it into your
head to do next. But come, don't cry! There is no use in that, and you
will only make yourself sick. Only have confidence in me, and I will
bring everything out right for you and myself too."
Emily suffered herself to be persuaded, and tried to check her tears,
but without success, for her spirits had been deeply burdened for
several days, and this was the first time she had given way. She
cried herself to sleep, and awoke unrefreshed, miserable with the
consciousness of deception and disobedience.
The first thing she thought of was the walk to the dressmakers, and
having obtained the desired permission, they set off directly after
breakfast that they might have time for their stolen expedition, and
still be back before school. As they closed the gate, they saw little
Kitty Mastick wrapped in a large shawl and hood coming timidly down the
steps.
[Illustration: Kitty Mastick.]
"How very imprudent in Kitty to come out so early!" observed Delia. "I
wonder if Mrs. Pomeroy knows it?"
"If it were any one else, I should think she had gone without
permission," said Emily. "But, hurry Delia, we have no time to lose."
Their plan was perfectly successful. Miss Sampson kept them only a few
minutes, and they almost ran down to the shops, happy at meeting no one
by the way. Mr. Barton's face looked unpromising as they entered, but
relaxed when Emily took out her purse.
"So you have come to pay the bill!" said he.
"Yes," replied Delia. "You need not have been so dreadful afraid of
being cheated, Mr. Barton."
"Well, Miss Mason, when you have been in the fancy business as long
as I have, you may learn to be suspicious too," returned Mr. Barton,
making change with his usual deliberation. "You see it is an irregular
thing for me to allow any of Mrs. Pomeroy's young ladies to make a bill
at all, and more than once it has happened that a young lady has gone
home for the holidays, promising to pay me when she came back, and that
has been the last I have ever heard of it. However, all's well that
ends well. There is your bill receipted, Miss, and what goods shall I
show this morning?"
"Nothing!" replied Emily, who felt at this moment as though no shop
would ever offer any temptations to her again. "Come, Delia, you know
we have another errand."
"There is something wrong about that girl," said the shrewd old man, as
he watched them out of the shop. "I wonder where she got the money to
pay me, for I am sure she did not have it last night. However, that is
no business of mine."
Her jeweler's bill turned out less than two dollars, which was
considerably below what Emily had expected.
"How thankful I am to have them all off my hands," said she as they
walked rapidly back to school, "I never felt so relieved in my life.
If any one ever catches me in such a scrape again! There are the other
three dollars, Delia, and I am much obliged to you. I shall never
forget your kindness as long as I live."
"Keep it," said Delia, putting back the bill which Emily proffered.
"You might want some money in holiday time very much, and I can wait
for it as well as not! Indeed you had better keep it," she continued,
as Emily still held the money in her hand. "You might not like to ask
Mrs. Pomeroy for money so soon again. Your father will be sure to send
you a supply one of these days, and then you can repay me. There is
the first bell; we have saved our distance wisely. I think you must
acknowledge Emily, that a friend in need is a friend indeed."
"Yes, that she is!" replied Emily with earnestness. "I would do
anything in the world for you Delia!"
"We shall see," said Delia rather coldly, "You know I think much more
of practice than of professions. Now don't go into a taking, but put
away your things and get ready for school."
As they entered the school-room, they observed that both boarders and
day scholars were gathered into groups, talking of something with a
great appearance of interest.
"Only think, girls!" began Lucy Spencer, who seemed roused quite beyond
her usually quiet manner—but the ringing of the bell on Mrs. Pomeroy's
table put a stop to her intended disclosures, and they were obliged to
take their seats.
When prayers were over, the girls were to disperse to their daily
occupations as usual, when another touch of the bell warned all to
resume their seats.
"I have an important matter to mention to you, young ladies," said the
principal with more than usual gravity. "Kitty Mastick has lost a ten
dollar bill. She very carelessly put it loosely into her pocket when
she went out to exercise upon the long walk yesterday, and she supposes
she must have dropped it there. What are you doing, Miss Arlington? I
wish the attention of all the young ladies."
"I stooped to pick up my handkerchief, Mrs. Pomeroy," replied Emily
with a burning blush, telling the first story that came into her mind.
Mrs. Pomeroy noticed the additional color, but supposing it to be
caused by the suddenness of her question, she went on,—
"I am very much afraid she will never see it again, as the wind was so
high last night, but I hope you will all keep watch, and if any one is
so fortunate as to find it, she will bring it directly to me."
Mrs. Pomeroy then made some general remarks upon the evil effect of
carelessness, and having dismissed the young ladies to their several
employments, she returned to her own room to comfort Kitty, whom she
considered to have been already sufficiently punished by the loss of
her treasure.
"I should not mind it so much," said the poor little thing amid her
sobs, "though I did want to give some presents this Christmas, if I had
not been so naughty about it. You told me to put it away carefully, but
I was in such a hurry to go out—"
A fresh burst of sobs brought on a terrible fit of coughing, which
lasted so long that Mrs. Pomeroy became seriously alarmed and almost
feared she would never breathe again. When at last the paroxysm had
worn itself out, she was so much exhausted that the only thing to be
done was to put her to bed, and keep her as quiet as possible. Such was
the termination of the day to which Kitty had looked forward with so
much pleasure only the night before.
But Kitty was a docile little creature, and had a wonderfully patient
spirit, and before long, she was amusing herself placidly with a story
book, and with her dear friends the old cat and her two kittens, which
she was allowed as a special favor to have on the bed; while only an
occasional quiver of the lip, and a sigh which seemed to come from the
very depths of her heart, showed when the loss of her treasure returned
to her mind.
Recess came at last to unloose the tongues in the school-room. Of
course Kitty's misfortune was the subject of general conversation.
"Mrs. Pomeroy has often told Kitty that it would take some sharp lesson
to cure her carelessness," remarked one of the girls; "and she has
certainly got it now. I don't believe she will ever do such a thing
again."
"I am afraid she will not live to do much more of any thing," said
Lucy Spencer, sadly. "She looks so like my little sister that it seems
sometimes as if it must be Anne herself. She had just such a cough for
a year before she died, and her skin had that clear, waxy look that
Kitty's has. I do not believe she will ever live to grow up."
"After all, perhaps it will be as well for her if she does not,"
remarked one of the elder scholars, a sad and depressed looking girl.
"It is a miserable thing for a girl to be dependent upon strangers."
"Mrs. Pomeroy can hardly be called a stranger," replied Lucy. "She knew
Mrs. Mastick long before Kitty was born, and besides Alice," she added
with a little hesitation, "I do not think any girl need be dependent
who has her health and a good education."
"I think you don't know much about it, Lucy," said Miss Parker. She
seemed as if she were about to add more, but checked herself abruptly
and walked to the other end of the room.
"I wonder why she is always so sad," said Lucy. "As to being dependent,
I am sure with her splendid musical talent, she might support herself
as she pleased."
"I suppose she thinks herself bound by the wishes of her friends," said
Janet Graves, who knew Alice at home. "She was the daughter of a poor
relation of Mrs. Williams, who adopted her when she was about ten years
old, and agreed to give her the best possible education, upon condition
that she should see her own mother only once a year. It seems rather
singular that a mother should consent to part with her daughter upon
such terms, but no doubt she put aside her own feelings under the idea
that she was acting for the good of the child. From what I know of Mrs.
Williams, however, I should imagine that Alice might be happier with
almost any one else, and a great deal of that vulgar sort of pride
which considers poverty a degradation. But for this sort of feeling on
the part of Mrs. Williams, Alice would willingly support herself, but
she feels herself to be under obligation to the person who has brought
her up."
"Kitty will not suffer in that way, at all events," remarked Delia
Mason. "I have no doubt Mrs. Pomeroy will be perfectly willing to allow
her to work for a living, particularly if she works for her."
"For shame, Delia!" said Lucy, much more sharply than usual with her,
"I am sure Mrs. Pomeroy does everything in the world for Kitty, as much
as if she was her own daughter."
"Who said she didn't?" asked Delia, laughing. "Were not you saying just
now, that it was a wonderful privilege to work for one's living?"
"I said I should prefer to be independent, if that is what you mean."
"Well, then, according to your view, would it not be the greatest
kindness Mrs. Pomeroy could do, Kitty, to allow her to be independent
as you call it. And would not Kitty herself, naturally prefer living
with Mrs. Pomeroy to working for strangers?"
"I never know how to answer you, Delia," replied Lucy, "because I never
know whether you are in jest or in earnest."
"It does not greatly matter in this case," returned Delia, carelessly.
"However, I hope the poor little thing will find her money. So many
people are constantly passing over that walk, that it is very curious
it should not have been picked up."
She happened to look at Emily as she spoke, and all at once a light
flashed upon her mind. She was very quick witted, and a dozen
circumstances at once crowded to her mind, all pointing unmistakably to
the same conclusion. Emily had found the money, and had spent it to pay
her debts! She went on talking, however, in the same half careless tone.
"But then a stranger, or one of the servants, might have picked it up,
in which case, of course, we should hear no more of it."
"I don't quite think it is right to say that, Delia," observed Emily,
who had hitherto been very silent, but who now felt the necessity of
urging herself to speak. "It is never right to suspect people without
reason, and Mrs. Pomeroy thinks all the servants are honest."
"Mrs. Pomeroy always thinks all her own geese, swans," replied Delia.
"I fancy servants are pretty much alike about such matters."
"In this case, the wind seems to be the suspected one," said one of the
girls. "It blew hard enough last night to carry away a gold piece, let
alone a bill."
"The wind did not begin to blow till about nine o'clock," replied
Delia, "and the bill was dropped before four. However, that is nothing.
It will all come to light, sooner or later."
"I am sorry for the thief, if any one has really stolen it," said Bella
Faushane, who had just come in from assisting in the vain search for
the missing money; "I should not like to be the one to rob an orphan
child! I should never expect to prosper afterwards."
"Ill-gotten gain never prospers," said Lucy.
"Well, I often hear people say so, but I am not so sure about it,"
said Annette Flower, rather doubtfully. "There was Capt. Brown, of our
place—he made a great fortune by all sorts of wickedness—people said
he had even been a pirate. I don't know how that was, but there was no
doubt at all that he was a very bad man, yet he seemed to be prosperous
enough, and he died very rich. Such cases as that seem to contradict
your idea, don't it?"
"Perhaps they might, if this life were all," replied Lucy, seriously,
"I don't think we could decide the matter, unless we could look beyond
the grave, and see how we prospered there."
"Of course," agreed Annette. "He had to leave all his wealth behind
him, but so does every one else."
"And he might have carried away with him something which he would have
been very glad to leave behind," continued Lucy.
"Yes, if he had to carry all his sins, his money would not do him much
good," replied Annette, thoughtfully: "because I suppose, even if he
had enjoyed life ever so much, it would seem as nothing to look back
upon from the other world. And so it will be with the person who has
got Kitty's money."
"Yes, unless he repents and makes restitution," said Lucy.
"We will not suppose that any one has taken it, until we know something
about the matter," said Delia, seeing that Emily was in danger of
losing her self-control, and anxious for several reasons to prevent any
one from coming to the same conclusion as herself. "As Lucy says, it
is not fair to suspect any one on such slight grounds, and a hundred
things might have happened. You know Grip, Mr. Fletcher's little dog,
always tears to pieces every bit of waste paper he finds. Kitty was
playing with him at the time she lost it, and he might easily have
picked it up and gnawed it all to bits, before any one saw what he was
about."
"To be sure," said Bella, "I never thought of that."
"Nor I, till this moment," replied Delia, "though I have often given
him bits of paper on purpose to see him play with them. But now, girls,
instead of conjecturing any farther as to the money which seems to
be hopelessly gone; suppose we set on foot a contribution to replace
it. There are so many of us that we can easily make up that sum among
ourselves without any one's feeling it, and it would do her so much
good. Poor child, she does not have too many pleasures at the best."
"Oh, thank you, Delia, how good-natured of you to think of such a
thing," said Lucy, already repenting of having done her companion
injustice, even in her thoughts. "But do you think we can raise it? Ten
dollars is a good deal of money."
"We can raise as much as we can, at any rate," replied Delia. "You see
here are forty boarders, to say nothing of day scholars whom we might
include or not as we pleased. If we each give a quarter, there are over
ten dollars at once. If the day scholars come into it—"
"Come into what?" asked two or three of the day scholars coming up as
she spoke.
Delia unfolded her plan which was received with universal approbation,
for the gentle, patient little Kitty was a favorite with all. Delia was
appointed treasurer of the fund, and all the girls promised to bring
their money in the afternoon.
"How wretchedly Emily Arlington looks lately," remarked Annette, as
they were standing round the dinner table, waiting as usual for Mrs.
Pomeroy to come in, before taking their seats. "She does not look like
the same girl that she was when she first came here. I don't believe
school life agrees with her."
"She has been working very hard for the Christmas tree," replied her
companion, "and then I dare say she feels the confinement, for she was
never at school before in her life. I believe Mrs. Pomeroy thinks she
works too hard, for I heard her tell her that she might be excused from
study last night."
"She is a good girl," said Annette. "Do you know, she cried this
morning, when Mrs. Pomeroy told us about Kitty's losing her money? I
saw the tears in her eyes several times."
"Yes, she has a great deal of feeling. But then every one is sorry for
Kitty. I think Delia showed her sympathy in the best way by proposing
the contribution."
Not one of the girls forgot to bring her money. Delia's little leather
bag was quite filled with dimes and quarters, and when she came to
count her money, there were twelve dollars instead of ten. Louisa
proposed returning the surplus, but none of the girls were willing to
take back what they had given, and finally Emily suggested that they
should buy a present for Kitty with the extra two dollars, and hang it
on the Christmas tree. Her idea was received with great applause, and
Bella Faushane and one of the day scholars were appointed a committee
to select the present. Emily was placed on the committee but she
declined, and could not be prevailed upon to have any thing more to do
with the matter, and Delia was put in her place.
"What in the world ails you, Emily?" asked Delia, as she went to her
room to put on her bonnet. "It is a new thing for you to decline an
opportunity of going out."
"If you had any idea how tired I am and how my head aches, you would
not wonder that I am glad to keep quiet," said Emily. "I should wish
I were dead, only I am not sure that I should be any better off. Oh
dear, I would give all I ever had in the world, if I had never seen the
inside of this school."
Delia was touched by the tone of utter despondency, and wretchedness
in which Emily spoke. She had fully made up her mind as to the cause
of all this misery, but it was no part of her plan to have Emily guess
how much she knew, and she answered soothingly, "Oh, don't give way so,
Emily. You are only tired and nervous. You will feel better to-morrow."
"I shall never feel better," said Emily, half to herself.
"You will feel better to-morrow," pursued Delia, without appearing to
heed the interruption. "You have never been used to school, and you
feel everything more upon that account. Take off your dress and lie
down, and I will ask Mrs. Pomeroy to let me bring your tea. You will
feel refreshed after a good long rest. The girls are all out of doors
or in the school-room, so you will have a quiet time."
She busied herself in unfastening Emily's dress and settling her
comfortably as she spoke, and Emily submitted passively, thankful for
any kindness, too weary to resist, and above all glad to be left alone,
that she might throw off the mask of constraint which she had been
obliged to wear all day, and which seemed crushing her very life out.
Poor Emily.
CHAPTER IV.
THE money which had been collected to repair Kitty's loss, being put
into Mr. Fletcher's hands, was by him transmuted into ten bright little
gold dollars, after which they were put into Mrs. Pomeroy's hands to be
presented to Kitty, who received them with a delight that was almost
painful.
"I don't see how the girls came to think of such a thing," she said to
Mrs. Pomeroy. "I don't understand why they should care so much for me.
They are always doing kind things for me, though I never can make any
return. I don't see why it is."
"Because you are a good, patient little girl," replied Mrs. Pomeroy,
"and you have so few amusements, that your schoolmates like to do all
in their power to make you happy. They know it is not very pleasant for
you to sit by the fire or lie on the sofa when they are out at play."
"It is very tiresome," admitted poor Kitty with a sigh. "Sometimes I
think I shall never be strong and well as they are, and then I feel as
though I didn't want to live at all. Do you think that is wrong?" she
asked, rather anxiously, seeing that Mrs. Pomeroy looked grave.
"It is a very natural feeling," said Mrs. Pomeroy, "but I would not
indulge it if I were in your place, because it might tear you to be
impatient. You know that God appoints the sort of life, he thinks best
for you, and you must try to be willing that everything should be as he
pleases."
"I know it," replied Kitty. "It is only when I am very tired indeed
that I feel so, because after all, I do enjoy myself very much
sometimes. Do you think I shall be able to go out and buy my presents
to-morrow, aunty?" she continued, turning her money over in her hand.
"It seems as though I should enjoy giving them a great deal more if I
bought them myself."
"If it should be pleasant to-morrow, and you should sleep well
to-night, I think you will be able to do so," replied Mrs. Pomeroy. "If
not, you will be obliged to trust to my judgment."
"But I want to get something for you, too," said Kitty anxiously; "and
I don't see how I shall manage it."
Mrs. Pomeroy smiled. "You might ask Miss Gilbert or Mr. Fletcher
to select something for you," said she. "You know you have great
confidence in Mr. Fletcher's taste."
"I do hope I can go," said Kitty, but she coughed as she spoke and
put her hand to her side, as though it hurt her very much. Even after
the fit of coughing was over, she seemed to breathe with pain and
difficulty.
"You must have taken cold yesterday," said Mrs. Pomeroy, "and I do not
see how you could have done so, for you were very warm when you came
in."
Kitty colored. "I got cold this morning, aunt. I went out directly
after breakfast to look for my money, before I told you that I had lost
it. I could not help hoping that I should find it."
"That was very naughty, Kitty," said Mrs. Pomeroy, looking seriously
displeased. "You know. I positively forbade your going out without
especial permission."
"I know it," replied Kitty through her tears; "but I did want to find
it so much."
"You see how one wrong doing leads to another," Mrs. Pomeroy
continued. "First you were disobedient about the money, which was the
cause of your losing it, and then you were tempted to another act
of disobedience to conceal the first. You might have been led still
farther. If you had found what you lost, and I had asked you how you
took cold, you might have been tempted to tell a lie about it. If you
had told me of your loss the moment you discovered it, the bill might
very possibly have been found. But do not cry, my dear," she added,
kindly, "you will make your cough worse, and I want you to sleep
to-night. The girls will be very much disappointed if you are unable to
be down to-morrow evening."
But it was by no means easy for Kitty to compose herself. Her
conscience was almost morbidly tender, and this little act of
disobedience gave her more pain than Delia Mason had ever felt for
all her sins put together. Moreover, she had taken a severe cold, and
both these causes together produced such a degree of fever, that Mrs.
Pomeroy became seriously alarmed. She was very ill all night, and even
delirious at times, and the morning made it plain that she would be not
only unable to participate in the festivities of the day, but even to
sit up at all.
"She is very ill," was Mrs. Pomeroy's reply to the questions of the
girls at breakfast time. "I have never known her to pass a worse night."
"You don't think her in any danger, do you," asked Annette.
"I cannot say," answered Mrs. Pomeroy. "I always fear that every fresh
attack may be the last, and I have never seen her suffer more. She has
so little strength to spare."
"Do you think it was crying about her money that brought it on?" asked
Delia, who was standing with her arm round Emily's waist.
"Not entirely, though no doubt it helped. I discovered last night that
she was out in the morning looking for it, and did not come in till
she was thoroughly chilled. It was one of her very few acts of wilful
disobedience."
"I recollect now, that we saw her coming down the steps, just as we set
out to go to Miss Sampson's," said Delia. "Don't you remember, Emily,
that I remarked at the time that I did not believe Mrs. Pomeroy knew
it."
"Some people's sins do seem to go to judgment beforehand," remarked
Miss Gilbert. "I suppose there are not half a dozen girls in the school
so habitually obedient as Kitty. It seems strange that she should be
the one to suffer."
"I have sometimes wished that every act of disobedience might be
discovered at once," said Mrs. Pomeroy. "One concealed sin is so apt to
lead to another."
"How true that is!" thought Emily. "I was terribly afraid that Mrs.
Pomeroy would find out that I was in debt at Barton's, and yet if she
had, how much wickedness and misery it would have saved me. What is to
become of me now is more than I can tell, but I suppose I must face
it out. Nobody shall know how I feel, not even Delia. Nobody knows or
suspects it, that is one comfort."
Ah, Emily, was not that a terrible mistake? Was there not one who knew
every thought and action? Was there not an eye which had followed every
wandering step, from the first omission of that evening prayer, to the
present time? Was there not one voice that whispered constantly in your
ear, "Return, wanderer, while there is time! Repent, confess, and be
forgiven?"
Yes the voice was there, but its whispers were fainter and fainter,
hour and hour, or rather she had closed her ears that she might not
hear, and hardened her heart that she might not feel, but she should
hear with her ears, and understand with her heart, and consent to be
healed.
Pursuing her miserable resolution, however, she hardened her heart more
and more, and by way of diverting her thoughts, she threw herself into
whatever was going on, with an energy and gaiety which surprised all
her friends, among whom she had hitherto passed for a quiet, retiring,
and rather indolent person.
"How Emily has come out," remarked Lucy to Alice Parker, as they were
finishing the trimming of the school-room, "she accomplished as much as
any two in the room. I am glad to see her in such good spirits, for she
has not seemed at all well lately. Most girls feel rather badly at not
going home for the holidays, but she does not seem to mind it at all."
"Perhaps her home is not a pleasant one," said Alice.
"I believe she can hardly be said to have any home at present," said
Lucy, "for her father is in Europe, and her mother is dead. I thought
she would perhaps go home with Delia, but it seems she is expecting to
stay."
"Do you take any one home with you?" asked Miss Parker.
"No," replied Lucy, "mother does not care about having me do so, and
really I do not wish it myself. I think I enjoy myself more to have no
one but our own family, and it is so pleasant at home that I grudge
every evening that I am obliged to spend anywhere else. I never go out
in holiday time, if I can help it."
"You must have a delightful home," remarked Miss Parker. "Ah, Lucy, you
know very little of the trials of life."
"Perhaps you are not the very best judge of that, Alice," replied Lucy.
"You remember the old story of the exchange of burdens. We know the
weight of our own crosses but not the weight of those our neighbors
carry. Only He who sends the cross knows that."
"Then you do have some trials," said Alice, interrogatively.
"Every one has them, I suppose," said Lucy, "but Alice, I do not
believe it is best to talk of them, or even think of them too much. I
believe that talking of them especially, has a tendency to make them
appear much larger than they really are."
"But you say God sends them," persisted Alice, "and if so—"
"He sends them for our good no doubt, but I don't believe he means that
we should exaggerate them. You know you can shut out the view of all
this beautiful world with a bit of black cloth not so large as your
hand, if you only hold it close enough to your eye; and so, by dwelling
on one single trouble, we may keep out of view all the mercies of our
lot."
"But what if some one persists in holding the black cloth close to your
eyes, and would not let you look at any thing else."
"Then I would make the most of every peep of sunshine I could get,"
said Lucy, smiling.
Alice sighed and turned away. She could not appreciate Lucy's
philosophy, or religion rather, and she could not help repeating to
herself that Lucy could know very little of the trials of life, or she
would not be so cheerful.
Notwithstanding Alice's conclusion, Lucy had seen something of trouble.
Two of her sisters had died of consumption, her mother was wasting
slowly, but surely by the same disease; they were not rich, and Lucy
had no other prospect when her school education should be finished,
than that of going out into the world to earn her daily bread as a
teacher. Yet with all this, she could be cheerful and even merry, not
only seeming to enjoy but actually enjoying every pleasant circumstance
in her lot.
Why? Because she had early learned to acquaint herself with God, and be
at peace. Because she had cultivated habits of thankfulness, referring
every enjoyment however small, to God as the giver. Because she had
asked and received grace, fully to accept the meaning of that most
precious and wonderful promise—
"All things work together for good to them that love God."
Alice was religious too, and very conscientious about many things,
but she had never learned to apply her conscience in this direction,
and truth to tell, she took a certain pleasure in brooding over her
troubles, making the worst of them, and above all talking of them to
any one who would listen to her.
The work of arranging and decorating the school-room went on merrily
and rapidly. And now, nothing remained to do, but to hang the presents
each with its ribbon and label upon the Christmas tree, a task which
was entrusted to the younger teachers, and from which not only the
girls, but the great magnates of the house, Mrs. Pomeroy, Mr. Fletcher
and Miss Gilbert were entirely shut out.
Great was the contriving and managing, and deep the schemes to prevent
any teacher from getting a premature sight of her own present, and much
was the merriment excited by some of the gifts.
Bella Faushane had constructed: a dog of brown cotton flannel, supposed
to be an accurate likeness of Mr. Fletcher's terrier Cornelius Agrippa,
a quadruped of wonderful sagacity and amiable manners, but so ugly
that as Belle declared, he was afraid to sleep alone; and a cat of
white plush intended to represent Mrs. Pomeroy's cat Posy, between whom
and Cornelius Agrippa there raged continual war. These effigies were
intended respectively for Mrs. Pomeroy and Mr. Fletcher.
A wonderfully elaborate smoking cap, and a pipe of inordinate
dimensions for good old Mr. Holz, the German music master, who had been
in the house as long as Mrs. Pomeroy herself, without improving in the
least in his English or his habits of smoking.
A miniature dust pan and feather duster awaited Miss Thomas, who was
famous for finding dirt where nobody else could see any.
While hundreds of other gifts, many pretty and valuable, crowded the
Christmas tree, whose glittering and many colored fruits were expected
to show to still greater advantages when illuminated by the rays of the
multitudes of wax tapers liberally scattered among them.
Up stairs in the hall, as it was always styled, par excellence, all
were equally occupied. The girls who were not busy with their packing,
were arranging their dresses for the evening, or putting the last
touches to some of their gifts, and all were talking over plans for the
holidays.
"There!" said Annette, emphatically, as she held up her hand, and
arranged upon it a silken net which she had just finished. "That is the
last piece of work I am going to do. I never could have believed that I
should be so tired of fancy work."
"After all, you have not done as much as some others," remarked
Bella Faushane, who having finished trimming her own gloves, was now
benevolently engaged in ornamenting those of several of her companions.
"There is Emily Arlington, for instance; I never saw any one accomplish
as much."
"I should think you would hate the very sight of it, Em!" said Annette,
turning to Emily.
"I do!" said Emily emphatically. "I will never touch another bit as
long as I live, unless I lose my senses first!"
Emily's energy raised a laugh, in which she herself joined. Two or
three of the girls had remarked how much she had laughed that day.
"I don't say as much as that," said Annette, when the merriment had
subsided. "I dare say I shall like it as well as ever after a while,
and so will you."
"Never!" returned Emily. She spoke with an energy and bitterness which
made the girls look at her with surprise.
And Bella said, "I am sure, Emily, you have no reason to be
dissatisfied. You work better than any of us, and those of your
presents that I have seen are almost the prettiest of all. You must
have spent a good deal of money, as well as time, upon them."
Emily winced almost as if some one had struck her, but she made no
reply.
"Isn't it a pity that Kitty won't be able to come down?" said Annette,
after a moment's silence. "She has thought so much about it, and worked
so hard."
"Cannot she come down?" asked some one.
"Oh, no! I saw Mrs. Pomeroy after dinner, and she told me that Kitty
could not even sit up long enough to mark her presents. Lucy is doing
it for her. Well I know one thing! I should not like to be the person
that got her money!"
"There it is again, Manny?" said Emily sharply. "You are always harping
on that string. I thought we all agreed to believe that the money
was not stolen, but lost by accident. The next we know, you will be
accusing some one of having taken it."
Gentle Annette looked surprised and hurt. "I am sure I did not mean any
such thing, Emily. I have accused no one."
"No one in particular," returned Emily, "but every one in general,
which is quite as bad. There is no proof that it was taken at all,
and I do not think any one in this house would steal from—" the words
seemed to choke her, but she went bravely on, "from an orphan child."
"I think Emily is right, Manny, though there was no need of speaking
so sharply," remarked Bella. "That will be the next thing, if we allow
that it is stolen at all. I dare say that before vacation is over, the
story will be going in the village that some one of the young ladies
took it out of Kitty's pocket, and if any one of the boarders should
happen not to return, it will be said that she was the thief, and that
Mrs. Pomeroy forbade her coming back."
Poor Annette began to look quite alarmed at the amount of
responsibility which seemed to be thrown upon her. "I am sure I did not
mean any thing," she repeated again. "I hope I have not done any harm."
Bella was going to reply, but Delia interrupted her. "Pray Bella,
don't say any more, or you will have Manny going to Mrs. Pomeroy, and
confessing that she did the deed herself, by way of averting suspicion
from any one else. No Manny, you have done no harm to any one, and I
don't believe you ever did in your life."
"I am sure I never meant any," said Annette.
"I believe that," said Bella. "You are a dear good little soul,
though I don't believe you will ever set the river on fire, unless by
accident."
"I hope not," replied Manny, with the direct simplicity, which made her
at once the laughing stock, and the favorite of her companions.
"You are not angry, are you, Emily?"
"No, of course not!" returned Emily rather shortly. "You have done
nothing to ma. Do let the matter drop? I have heard of it till I am
fairly sick. Cannot some one think of something else to talk about
beside that everlasting ten dollar bill?"
"I can," said Bella. "Do you know that we are to have a new French
teacher after holidays?"
"I supposed so, because I knew that Mademoiselle was not coming back,"
replied Delia quietly. "Have you heard any thing decided, Bella?"
"Miss Gilbert told me that Mrs. Pomeroy had determined to employ the
same person that they have at the Academy—a Mr. Hugo, who is very
highly recommended."
"Then we shall have no resident French teacher, and of course no French
table," said Almira Crosby, who was notoriously lazy about her French,
as indeed she was about most things. "What a blessing that will be."
"Well I like the French table well enough," said Bella, laying down a
finished glove and taking up another, "and so would you, if you would
take any pains to learn. I am sorry that Mademoiselle is going away. I
like her better than any teacher in the house, except Mr. Fletcher."
"So don't I!" said Almira. "She is so cross and over particular."
"Oh, you think any teacher over particular, who wont let you keep your
dirty shoes and clean collars in the same drawer, and who wont let you
talk about pang and dang-dongs," replied Bella. "You did not like it,
because she sent you back from walking, for having a great piece of
molasses candy sticking to your fur cape, like a new kind of bullion
trimming."
"Hush girls, stop quarrelling," said Delia impatiently, as Almira was
about to reply. "Not another word Almira, or I will mark you, for I am
monitress to-day, and I mean to make the most of my authority while it
lasts. I wonder if this can be the same Mr. Hugo who used to teach at
the Gymnasium, when I was there. If he is, you will have to mind your
p's and q's, I can tell you, for he is as much more particular than
Mademoiselle, as Mademoiselle is more particular than Almira!"
"Oh Delia! The force of exaggeration could no farther go," exclaimed
Janet Graves laughing.
Emily meanwhile looked at her room-mate with a feeling of perfect
amazement. "Well," was her thought, "I should like to know what she is
made of; that is all. Here she has been scheming and planning for ten
days past to get this man into the house, and yet she speaks of him as
coolly as though he were a perfect stranger."
But Delia was going on in answer to some questions from Annette who was
a dunce in French, because she was too timid ever to trust herself to
speak.
"I believe he would expire of horror if he should hear some of the
French that is spoken at our table. He told Bessy Gardiner that her
language was worthy of an assassin, because she would persist in
putting pas after pouvoir."
"Then you don't like him, Delia," said Bella.
"Oh, yes well enough," said Delia carelessly. "I never had any trouble
with him, and then after all, it may not be the same person. Hugo is a
very common French name."
"Well you will have an opportunity of seeing him here to-night," said
Bella. "Miss Gilbert told me that Mrs. Pomeroy had invited him. You
must brush up your French, Annette, for Mrs. Pomeroy will be sure to
introduce him to all the French scholars."
Annette looked overcome with consternation at the very idea. "If I
thought so, I would not go down—I declare I would not," said she half
crying. "I would make some excuse and stay up stairs all the evening."
"That would be really worth while," said Delia rising; "after you have
been working all this time, to lose the sight of the tree because you
are afraid some one will ask you a question in French. I think I see
you giving such a reason to Mrs. Pomeroy." She went into her room as
she concluded the sentence, and Emily followed, shutting the door after
her.
"Well Delia," said she, "I suppose you are satisfied now that you have
gained your point."
"Pretty well satisfied," said Delia. "I thought he would live in the
house, but after all perhaps it is just as well as it is."
"I don't know what you mean by 'after all,'" continued Emily, looking
very much perplexed and very uncomfortable. "I don't know where you
expect it to end."
"I am not aware that there is any need of your knowing," returned
Delia, rather drily; "and besides it will be time enough to think about
the end when it comes."
"It may be too late then," said Emily.
"Leave me to take care of that. I know what I am about as well as you,
and perhaps better, and I am able to take care of myself. Now don't be
offended!" she continued, seeing Emily's color rise. "All I mean to say
is, that you must trust me to bring everything out right. I am older
than you, you know, and have seen more of the world."
"I have seen as much of the world as I want to, and more!" said Emily,
sighing. "I think I should like to go into a convent, and be out of the
way of it altogether."
"What difference would that make so long as you yourself are the same
person?" asked Delia. "I dare say you used to do as many naughty things
when you lived at home with your aunt, as you do now."
"I don't think I did," said Emily. "I used do wrong things I know, but
I was a very different girl then. Sometimes when I think about it, it
hardly seems possible that I can be the same person."
"Well, don't fret about it," said Delia kindly. "Only have a little
spirit, and things will turn out well enough. You have got rid of the
worst part of your troubles,—your debts—so you need not have much to
worry you."
"I owe you something yet," suggested Emily. "And I don't see how I am
ever to pay you, unless father sends me some money."
"That is nothing. I don't care if you never pay it," replied Delia,
kissing Emily affectionately. "I am sure a true friend is worth more
than five dollars, any day."
Emily was soothed by the flattery and the caress, and she dropped
the subject, endeavoring to concentrate all her thoughts upon the
preparation for the evening.
Seven o'clock came at last. The large school-room, which had been
locked all day was now brilliantly lighted, and the girls all in their
best, began to gather in the parlors. When all were assembled, the day
scholars and boarders together amounting to nearly a hundred, Mrs.
Pomeroy herself appeared, splendid in black satin and diamonds, and a
new lace cap, and led the way to the school-room.
A universal exclamation of delight was heard as they entered. There
stood the tall green tree, bright with a hundred tapers, and glittering
with spangles, glass balls, and sugar ornaments. Vain would be the
attempt to enumerate the gifts which adorned its fruitful branches.
There were dolls and picture books—hoods and scarfs, mittens and
slippers, bags, baskets and boxes knitted, netted and crocheted, and
manufactured in all other imaginable ways—pen knives, fruit knives,
drinking cups and inkstands—every thing pretty, useful and convenient,
which could be devised by the imagination, wrought with the fingers, or
purchased with the pocket money of Mrs. Pomeroy's young ladies.
Good Mr. Holz was in extacies, and declared in his most emphatic manner
that it was worthy of the Fatherland. And Mrs. Pomeroy thought as
she sat upon the platform, and looked on, that she had never seen a
prettier sight. The pleased young faces and merry voices were indeed
delightful to the eye and ear, and pleasanter still were the universal
good humor and kind feeling that prevailed.
"How sorry I am, that Kitty cannot come down," she said to Miss Gilbert
as she stood near her. "She would enjoy it so much. I have been hoping
all day, that she would be able to make her appearance at least for a
few minutes, but she is too weak."
"Her aunt's present has turned out any thing but a benefit to her,"
remarked Miss Gilbert.
"Yes in one sense it has proved a great misfortune. I only hope it may
not be the cause of her death."
Emily Arlington was standing within hearing, and Mrs. Pomeroy's eye
happening to rest upon her as she spoke, she was astonished to see her
turn as pale as ashes.
"Why, my dear, what is the matter?" she exclaimed, rising in alarm, for
she thought her about to faint. "Are you not well?"
"I feel a little giddy," replied Emily, glad to take the proffered
seat, for her heart throbbed so that she could not stand, "but it is
nothing of any consequence. I have had the same feeling several times
to-day. I think I must have taken cold."
A sort of faint shadow of a suspicion darted through Mrs. Pomeroy's
mind at the moment, but it was gone before she fairly recognised it.
Emily soon recovered her color, and in a few moments, she was laughing
and chatting as gaily as ever, but the watchful and motherly eye still
followed her, and Mrs. Pomeroy could not help thinking that much of her
merriment was forced and unnatural.
"I must watch that child," she said to herself. "I fancy she studies
too hard. I think she must drop something after holidays, if she is not
better. Poor child, she has never been in school before, and I dare say
she finds it hard to keep up."
Her mind was diverted from these reflections, by seeing Mr. Fletcher
approaching with the new French teacher. Mr. Hugo was so much
like other Frenchmen that it would be difficult to describe him
particularly. He had black hair and black eyes, he had a large mustache
and no whiskers, and he was dressed elegantly but plainly in black. His
manners were polished and his address unexceptionable, though there was
an expression of constant watchfulness about him, which was not always
pleasant, as it gave one the idea that he was always suspecting the
approach of an enemy.
On the whole, however, Mrs. Pomeroy felt very well pleased with the
new master, especially as his accent was undeniably perfect, as even
Mademoiselle allowed. As Bella had prophecied, nearly all the French
pupils were presented to him. On being introduced to Delia, he bowed,
said he had the pleasure of numbering her among his former pupils,
and inquired after her family and her studies in a half paternal way
which might well have removed Mrs. Pomeroy's suspicions, had she
happened to entertain any. Delia on her part was quite composed and
placid, and Emily's wonder was renewed by the calm, half indifferent
manner in which she answered Mrs. Pomeroy's inquiries as to her former
acquaintance with Mr. Hugo.
The French pupils were unanimous in his praise, all but poor Annette,
who had kept most carefully out of his sight all the evening, and who
declared that she should never dare to open her mouth before him.
"So much the better," said Bella Faushane. "You can keep it shut and
talk through your nose. Don't you know how often Mademoiselle tells
us that a correct rendering of the nasal sounds, is essential to the
beauty of French pronunciation?"
"For shame, Bella," said Lucy. "You ought not to tease the poor girl
so. I dare say she will speak French as well as any of us, after a
while."
"Ah, well, Lucy, there is nothing like having faith," returned Bella.
"But Annette does not mind my laughing at her a little, do you dear?"
"No, no," said Annette slowly, "because you are so good to me in other
ways; but really and truly, Bella, I don't think you would like it
yourself, sometimes."
"You are a dear good girl, and I wont tease you another bit, till after
holidays. Do see what heaps of things Mrs. Pomeroy has got for Kitty. I
don't believe there is another person who has as many, unless it is Mr.
Fletcher. See, he has got his dog tied into his button hole. The Queen
of Sheba has fared pretty well, too. How handsome she looks in that
pretty red scarf; but her things are nothing to Kitty's."
Kitty had indeed been bountifully remembered, and there seemed some
fears lest she should be thrown into serious embarrassment, how
to bestow her goods. Emily's present of a warm knitted shawl, was
particularly admired, and it was indeed beautiful both in material and
workmanship.
"Ah!" thought poor Emily. "How differently they would all feel about it
if they knew how it had been paid for."
All evenings, whether merry or sad, come to an end sooner or later. The
presents were all distributed, the lights on the Christmas tree burned
out, the guests departed, and the house was left to such a degree of
quiet and repose as is to be found in a large boarding school the night
before breaking up.
Many of the girls were to leave early, and had not finished their
packing, others felt little inclined to go to bed, and very much
inclined to talk over the events of the day. Even Miss Thomas did not
feel disposed to excessive strictness in enforcing rules, but she
roused herself at last, and absolutely commanded every young lady to
seek her room and her pillow. There was nothing for it but to obey, and
for a few hours at least, silence and repose reigned supreme over the
halls and dormitories of Mrs. Pomeroy's seminary.
CHAPTER V.
EVERYBODY knows that holidays at schools are not usually very
interesting or lively affairs. Mrs. Pomeroy had always been accustomed
to do a good deal to make them pass pleasantly to those who stayed, and
when some dozen girls remained together, they often found the time fly
quite quickly enough.
It happened this year that nearly all the girls went home, and Emily
was left with no companions but Alice Parker and Janet Graves, who
had already graduated, and was staying at the seminary another year,
in order to perfect herself in music and painting. Passionately fond
of both pursuits, and rejoicing in the fact of having the best light
in the painting room, and the best piano in the house all to herself,
Janet kept herself busy from morning till night, and Emily scarcely
saw her except at meals. And Alice was at no time a very enlivening
companion.
Thus Emily was thrown very much upon her own resources. She had no
lessons, except that she read a little with Mr. Fletcher. She had
plenty of books to be sure, but she could not read all the time; she
hated the very idea of fancy work, and plain sewing did not furnish
sufficient employment for her thoughts to keep them from dwelling upon
all sorts of disagreeable things. Indeed, she was in a manner obliged
to think, whether she would or no.
None of the teachers remained at the seminary except Mr. Fletcher, who
never went away, except to take a long journey on foot or on horseback,
during the summer vacation. Mr. Fletcher had been with Mrs. Pomeroy a
great many years, and had taught mathematics to a dozen generations
of girls, yet he never seemed to grow any older, nor could any one
remember that he had ever looked younger. He was small and slight of
stature, with very black hair and whiskers, with eyes which were grey
when he was quiet, black when he was excited, and the color of burning
coals when he was angry, an event which did not occur very often, for
he was unusually even-tempered. His manners were remarkably kind and
gentle, and his voice, though deep, was the softest in the world.
Yet no one in the establishment, not even Mrs. Pomeroy herself, was
regarded with so much respect, and even awe. Though he often jested
with the girls and was particularly fond of playing with children,
there was that about him which effectually repressed anything like
taking a liberty. Bold indeed was the rebel who dared confront him, and
the boldest never tried the experiment a second time.
Mr. Fletcher taught the Bible classes, which all the boarders were
obliged to join, so that the whole family of girls came more or less
under his influence. He was eminently calculated for the post of
religious instructor to the young, not only because his own piety was
so deep and fervent, but also because he never employed a false or
weak argument to support a just cause—an example which all religious
teachers of the young would do well to follow. His knowledge,
especially of the manners and customs of Biblical nations, was
something wonderful. He had himself travelled in Palestine, in Egypt,
and in Assyria, and it was a common remark, that in narrating events
and transactions recorded in Sacred History, he spoke almost as if he
himself had been an eye witness of the scenes he described, so vivid
were the pictures he presented to the minds of his auditors.
Emily had entered one of Mr. Fletcher's classes immediately on her
arrival in the school, and for a time had shown much interest in her
lessons, taking great pains in preparing them, and often going to Mr.
Fletcher during the week for the answer to a difficult question. As
we have before remarked, she had been carefully brought up in this
respect, and her religious feelings, if not her principles, were very
strong, so that she found great pleasure in listening to Mr. Fletcher's
earnest and practical lessons; and he had begun to think her one of his
most hopeful scholars, when Delia Mason arrived.
It was not long before the influence Delia gained over her room-mate
showed itself very perceptibly. She ceased to ask instructions out of
the class, lost her interest in her lessons, and contented herself with
spending only as much time upon them as would save her from downright
disgrace in the class. Mr. Fletcher was not slow in perceiving the
change, or in attributing it to the right cause. He soon saw through
Delia, and made up his mind as to her true character, but he was
habitually reserved and cautious in his speech, and never expressed an
opinion of a scholar, unless he was particularly requested to do so by
Mrs. Pomeroy herself. So he said nothing, but contented himself with
watching the course of events, hoping that a time might come when he
should be able to interfere to advantage.
On the Sunday afternoon after Christmas, Emily was in the sitting room,
rather listlessly turning over the book she had taken from the library.
Mrs. Pomeroy was with Kitty, who, though better, was not yet able to
leave her room. Alice Parker had gone to bed with a head-ache, and
Janet, wrapped in furs, was walking up and down the long path in the
garden, enjoying the fine mild air and the lovely prospect, sometimes
reading in the Bible she carried, sometimes looking above and around
her.
The house was so still that the ticking of the old clock in the hall
below was distinctly heard. Even the animals seemed to feel the
quiet influence of the hour, and Grip, Mr. Fletcher's dog,—short for
Cornelius Agrippa,—and Posey, Mrs. Pomeroy's cat, intermitted their
usual feud, and lay quietly sleeping together on one side of the grate,
while Grip's master occupied the other, seated in a luxurious chair,
and apparently absorbed in the contents of a great old-fashioned volume
with brass clasps and corners, which, from its size and venerable
appearance, might have passed for a book of magic, if such things were
supposed to exist now-a-days.
Emily turned over her book and tried to read, and then looked out of
the window at Janet studying her Bible, and wondered how she could be
interested in a book that she must know by heart, and a prospect that
she had seen almost every day for two years. Then she thought of Delia,
and wondered whether she were enjoying her holidays, and how she got on
with her step-mother; and then she remembered her dead aunt, and the
thought came into her mind how she was passing these same holidays.
Last Christmas she had been in her own house, dispensing quiet
hospitalities to her neighbors, especially the poorer ones among them,
happy herself in her silent and subdued way, and making all happy
about her, with every prospect of a long continuance in the same
sphere. Now she was in heaven—Emily could not doubt that, remembering
Mrs. Arlington's consistent Christian life and humble trust in her
Redeemer—enjoying the society of angels and of friends gone before, and
rejoicing in the visible presence of her God and Saviour.
The time had been when Emily would have delighted in following out the
train of thought, or rather of reverie, and in picturing to herself
the condition of the blessed in that glorious invisible world. Now she
turned hastily from these ideas, perhaps because they suggested too
vividly to her mind the contrast between her own spiritual condition
a year ago, and the state in which she now found herself. With a deep
sigh she turned again to her book, and as she did so, she became aware
that Mr. Fletcher was observing her.
[Illustration: Emily turned over her book.]
"You do not seem very much interested in your book," he remarked
kindly. "Perhaps you would like to return it, and try something else."
"I don't care about it," she replied, pettishly enough. "The Sunday
books are all stupid alike, I think. Perhaps the limit is in me,"
she added, rather frightened after she had spoken, as she remembered
hearing that Mr. Fletcher had selected most of the books himself.
"Possibly," returned Mr. Fletcher, a little drily.
"Perhaps if I could read your book, I might be interested in that,"
continued Emily. "You seem to find it so very entertaining."
"You can look at it if you please," said Mr. Fletcher, spreading it on
the table, which it pretty nearly covered. "Can you read black letter?"
"A little," replied Emily.
He turned to the curiously illuminated title page, with its quaint
illuminated border of angels, and palm trees, and Scripture characters,
all very much mixed up with each other, and Emily saw with surprise
that the book was neither more nor less than a Bible!
"What a curious Bible," said she. "It must be very old."
"It is one of the oldest specimens of the printed English Scriptures,"
replied Mr. Fletcher, pointing to the date, which showed that the
volume was printed in the reign of King Edward the Sixth. "I suppose
this may have been a church Bible, in the days when the parish was
obliged to have a copy of the sacred Scriptures chained to the church
desk, to be read to the people at proper times. We can imagine the
bluff country gentleman, and the gentle dames, with their maids and
children, and a few of the common people, gathered round to hear the
reading of the Holy Word, of which most of them had hitherto known
only by report, and by the brief snatches read in the church service.
Perhaps some of the martyrs who suffered for the truth in the next
unhappy reign, may have gathered strength and patience from these very
pages."
"How interesting it must have been to them," said Emily, roused from
her listlessness, and turning over the pages with a feeling almost of
reverence for a book which had outlived so many changes. "It seems
strange to think of thus hearing, for the first time, of Joseph and his
brothers, and Moses in the ark of bulrushes, and all those stories that
one has known ever since one can remember."
"And the baby in the manger at Bethlehem, and the appearance of the
angels to the shepherd, and all the wonderful history," continued
Mr. Fletcher. "Some unhappy sinner straying in, and shrinking into a
corner away from the noble and virtuous dames who sat near the chancel,
may have first wept and then repented at hearing of her who anointed
Jesus's feet, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and those very
ladies may have felt more inclined to stretch out a helping hand to
their erring fellow creature, as they listened to his declaration. 'Her
sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much.'
"Or some old father and mother, whose gallant and goodly son, who
should have been the stay of their declining years, had gone down in
the Mary Rose, King Henry's great ship which was sunk at Plymouth
with hundreds of sailors and gentlemen of England's best blood on
board,—such a father and mother may have listened with tears which were
not wholly sorrowful to that story of the grave at Bethany which was a
cave, and of which Jesus said, 'Take ye away the stone.'"
"It must seem strange to read the Bible for the first time," said
Emily, after a pause. She stopped again, and added rather timidly, "I
don't see how it is Mr. Fletcher, that you who are such a scholar, and
have studied so much, can take such pleasure in reading the Bible. I
should think you must have learned it all by heart long ago."
"I suppose, Emily," said Mr. Fletcher, "that the very wisest man
living could not read the Bible in the right spirit, without learning
something from its pages. The most accomplished scholar I ever met,—a
man who knew more languages than I can tell you, and who had read
more deeply in the great book of nature than falls to the lot of most
men—was never weary of studying the Holy Scriptures. It is a mine which
can never be exhausted—a spring which will never run dry."
Emily sighed. "I used to like to read it when I lived at home," said
she, "but it is different here."
"Why," asked her companion.
"I don't know exactly. I suppose it is because I have so much to do,
and my head is so taken up with other studies."
"But for the first three or four weeks of school, you seemed very much
interested in your Bible lessons," remarked Mr. Fletcher. "I think you
found much more difficulty then than now in keeping up with your other
classes; yet you always found time to study your Bible lesson during
the week, and you often came to me with questions which I was very
happy to answer. What is it that makes the difference?"
Emily was silent. She did not know exactly what to say.
"Is it not that you have allowed your head to be taken up with other
things than your lessons—things which burden your conscience more than
your mind?" continued Mr. Fletcher gravely but kindly. "Is it not that
you have left off some things without which no reading of God's word is
of much avail? I think when you first came here, you would hardly have
been willing to spend the time of morning prayer in reading a story
book, even if you had been quite certain of not being found out."
Emily's eye fell, and her color rose under the penetrating look which
was fixed upon her. She well knew to what he alluded, and that it was
not the only time she had sinned in the same way.
"I do not wish to press into your confidence, my child," continued
Mr. Fletcher kindly, "but I feel a deep interest in you, as in all my
scholars, and I very much fear that you are not walking in the way of
wisdom which is the path of peace. Tell me, are you as happy now, as
when you were more attentive to your religious duties?"
"I am not as happy as I was before I came to school," said Emily with
bitterness, "and I wish with all my heart, that I had never been sent
here."
"Yet you liked it very much at first!"
"I did not know much about it," returned Emily. "It was all new; and
beside, things were different them."
"I admit that," said Mr. Fletcher. "There was a very different spirit
in the school at that time from the one that prevails now. A little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump."
He seemed speaking more to himself than to her, and she dared not ask
him what he meant.
"But however that may be," he continued, "it makes no difference to
you. If you are living in habitual neglect of your religious duties—God
not being in all your thoughts—you cannot be good or happy any
where—no, not if you were in heaven itself, and the sooner you return
to the right path, the better it will be to you, and the more easily
you will find it. Be warned in time, my child! You may wander so far
from that plain and narrow way, as never to find it again."
"Oh, if I dared tell him every thing!" thought Emily.
She looked up as this thought crossed her mind, and saw the Professor's
dark eyes fastened upon her, as though he would read her very soul. She
waited almost in terror for his next word, but he only repeated,—
"Be warned in time!" and returned to his reading.
If he had any idea of the true state of the case, he had evidently no
idea of forcing her to the confession which she was almost ready to
make of her own accord. Happy had it been for her if she had done so!
But as she was deliberating, came Shame, and cowardly Fear, picturing
to her mind the disgrace, the loss of her high position in school, the
displeasure of her father and Mrs. Pomeroy's anger. She listened to the
tempter, and locked her guilty secret in her heart again.
After a little silence she said—
"If I wanted to be like what I was before, I should not know how."
"Return to God and He will return to you," said Mr. Fletcher, briefly.
"That is just the very point," said Emily, impatiently. "I don't know
how to go to work to return."
"The only way of going to God is in prayer," said Mr. Fletcher. "You
know that as well as I do. If you have left off prayer, you must begin
it again, and if you are indulging in sin, you must forsake it."
"I never feel like praying now," said Emily. "It was different when I
was at home. Everything was so quiet and peaceful there."
"Pray whether you feel like it or not," was the answer. "Your feelings
are not of so very much consequence. Act rightly, and you will soon
feel rightly. The best, and indeed the only way to bring one's mind and
heart to a proper state, is to perform one's known duty."
This was new and not very acceptable doctrine to Emily, who had, been
taught by her aunt's precepts, and perhaps a little by her example, to
attach altogether too much importance to states of feeling and mental
impressions. She would gladly have gone on talking about herself for an
hour longer, but Mr. Fletcher gave her no encouragement to do so. He
had returned to his book, and when Emily complained that her prayers
now never seemed to have any wings, he only answered rather sternly,
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
Janet came in at this moment with her hands full of bright-colored
rose berries and cedar leaves, which she had arranged into a bouquet
for Kitty, and Emily slipped out and escaped to her own room. Her
conscience troubled her more than ever, and again and again she wished
she had had the courage to open her mind to Mr. Fletcher, whom she
could not help suspecting of knowing already more of her affairs than
he chose to tell. "If I had not been so foolish at first," she said
to herself, "if I had kept on reading my Bible and praying, as I knew
I ought to do, I should never have been drawn into the matter, and I
don't believe but that Delia would have had more real regard for me. I
believe she loves me well enough now, and she was certainly very kind
in helping me about those bills; but I don't think she respects me as
she does Lucy and Janet, or even Annette. I heard her say once, 'You
all laugh at Annette, and yet she has more sense about some things than
any of you. You will never see her laughed into doing anything wrong.'
"Those miserable bills! They were the beginning of all the trouble—no,
the first trouble was in being afraid to say my prayers, for fear Delia
would laugh at me. And now, here is this affair of hers with Mr. Hugo,
and no one knows how it will end, and I dare not say a word for fear of
her telling Mrs. Pomeroy of me. I am thankful for one thing—that she
does not know anything about the money I found; if she did, I should be
her slave in good earnest. But, oh dear, if I only knew what to do!"
Emily burst into tears and cried a long time. That night she read her
Bible carefully, and tried to pray; but as she said, her prayers had
no wings, and left her feeling more wretched and heavy laden than
before, while the sentence with which Mr. Fletcher had concluded their
conversation seemed to ring in her ears, and to be repeated again and
again, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
She knew the right way. She knew that she should find neither rest nor
peace till she had confessed her sin, not only to God, but also to
the fellow creature she had wronged, and made all the reparation in
her power. But whenever she thought of this, the vivid image of the
dreaded consequences of her faults rose up before her, and she dared
not proceed.
Still she persevered in her devotions, though she found little or no
benefit from them, unless might be the constantly increasing conviction
that she could never be happy with such a load of concealed guilt upon
her conscience.
It happened, that a day or two after the conversation we have recorded,
she was invited by one of the day scholars to spend some time with
her. Mrs. Pomeroy saw no objection to her accepting the invitation,
and Emily was only too happy to snatch at anything which promised her
some little diversion. Abby Carson was a lively, merry girl, of about
her own age, and she expected a good deal of pleasure from her society.
The day passed very pleasantly in various employments and diversions;
but when the hours began to draw toward bed-time, a struggle arose in
Emily's heart. She knew that she was to sleep with Abby—should she put
her resolution to the test by kneeling down and saying her prayers,
or should she act as she had done before in Delia's case? She knew
what she ought to do well enough, but what she should do was another
question.
Abby's frankness, however, removed her difficulties. She was delaying
and fidgeting about undressing, when her companion said—
"If you want to read and say your prayers, Emily, don't let me hinder
you. There is a Bible on the table."
"Thank you," said Emily, relieved, and blushing for herself. "Here I
will do just as if I were in my own room."
She sat down and found her place as she spoke, and, at Abby's
request, read her chapter aloud. She could not help feeling a little
self-righteous, as she observed that Abby lay down without even the
semblance of a prayer. "After all," she thought, "I am not the worst
person in the world."
"Don't you say your prayers, Abby?" she asked, after they were both in
bed and the light was put out.
"Not very often," replied Abby. "I used to say them when I slept in the
nursery, but since I have had a room to myself, I have got out of the
habit of it; and besides, to tell you the truth, I do so many wrong
things, every day, I am ashamed to say them."
"That is not the way to be any better," said Emily. "It is only adding
sin to sin."
"I know it, and I wish with all my heart that I were a Christian, but I
am not, and there is the end of it. I mean to be different some day."
"Some day may never come," said Emily.
"Well, I know that too. I think about these things, Emily, though I am
so wild and careless sometimes. But I am going to turn over a new leaf
after holidays, and you will see how much better I shall be. There will
be some comfort in saying my prayers, when I am not in a scrape every
day of my life."
"Mr. Fletcher would say that was like curing one's self and then
sending for the doctor," observed Emily. "How do you expect to get
strength to do so much better if you do not pray for it?"
"I don't know!" said Abby, sighing. "I only know that I hav'nt got it
now. But, Emily, I should not think that your ways and Delia's would
suit very well. She seems to be anything but a religious character."
"Delia is not so much worse than any body else," said Emily. "I know
she is not what she ought to be about such things, but she has a great
deal of sense and feeling, and I cannot help thinking that she will
come round after a while. One thing is, that her step-mother professes
to be very pious, and Delia dislikes her so much, that I think it sets
her against the whole subject."
"I wonder at that, too," said Abby. "Mother has known Mrs. Mason from
a child, and she thinks all the world of her. I was telling her one
day, what Delia said about her step-mother, and she said if Delia had
any trouble, it must be all her own fault, for there was never a better
temper, or better principles than hers."
"Delia thinks it is all artfulness and hypocrisy in her," observed
Emily, "but I don't believe any one else would have suited her any
better. She was angry at having a step-mother at all, just as I should
be. I believe I should hate the best woman that ever lived, if she was
my father's second wife."
"Then I think you would do very wrong," said Abby with spirit; "I don't
believe any girl ever loved her mother better than I did mine, and she
had only been dead a year and a half, when my father married again. But
as soon as I heard of it, I made up my mind to make the very best of
her, however she might turn out, and to do every thing in my power to
make her comfortable in the house. So the day she was coming, I put her
room in the neatest order I could, and arranged flowers in the vases,
although I could not help crying every now and then, when I thought
how my dear mother had used these very things. It did seem hard thus
to have a stranger come into her place so soon, but as I said, I had
determined to make the very best of it, and the minute she came into
the house, though it seemed as though I should choke, I went and kissed
her, and called her mother."
"What did she say?" asked Emily, much interested.
"She did not say much, only kissed me and called me her dear child, but
I heard her tell father afterwards that she felt as though a thousand
pounds was lifted off her mind when I called her mother. So, you see, I
had my reward that time. If one has a difficult thing before one, it is
so much easier to do it the very minute one has a chance, than it is if
one puts it off, and then while you are delaying very likely something
happens which makes it almost impossible for you to do it at all."
Emily thought of the money, and gave an unqualified assent. "But how
have you got on since?" she asked.
"Oh, nicely!" replied Abby. "She takes such good care of the children,
and makes father so happy, that I could not help liking her, though we
do not agree about some things exactly. But then I know, of course,
it is my place to give way, and as it takes two to make a dispute, we
never have any. She is really very kind to me, too, so that it is no
great matter if she is a little fussy sometimes. But if I had begun by
quarreling, or even by crying and fretting, I dare say I should have
ended by disliking her as much as Delia does Mrs. Mason."
"You don't do Delia justice, Abby. It is harder for her than it would
be for many people, she has such strong feelings."
"Fiddle-de-dee!" said Abby, not very elegantly. "What is the use of
strong feelings, or deep feelings, if they don't make people act
rightly? If feeling was all, I could be as good a Christian as any
body, but it is when it comes to action that I find the trouble. I am
no believer in that sort of Christianity. However, as far as Delia is
concerned, I don't mean to judge her. She may be quite different from
what I have thought her—indeed, I think she must be, or you and she
would not agree so well."
Emily sighed and blushed, as she remembered how little opportunity she
had given Delia of commenting upon her religion, either in principle
or in practice. She was somewhat uplifted in her own esteem, however,
by what had passed that evening, forgetting how near she had come to
yielding, and that she had been saved from it more by Abby's frankness
than by any courage of her own; and she resolved that on the very first
evening of Delia's return, she would show her that she did not fear her
ridicule, when the cause of religion was concerned.
She spent several days very pleasantly at Mrs. Carson's, becoming
more and more attached to Abby, as she saw how much she did to render
home happy. With a great many excellent and lovable qualities, and a
sincere desire to do her duty, Mrs. Carson was, as Abby said, a little
fussy, and she sometimes interfered unnecessarily in Abby's plans and
projects, in a way which would have been very vexatious to most girls
of her age, but Abby took every thing pleasantly, contriving to avoid
collisions, and giving up when it was irresistible with a perfect good
grace.
"She is better than I am," thought Emily upon one of these occasions,
"though she does not make any pretensions to piety, but I am resolved
that I will turn over a new leaf. Delia shall see that I am determined
to do right in the future, whatever I may have done in the past. I have
been very wicked, I know, but I hope I have repented, and, as to making
restitution, that is just impossible, and no one is called upon to do
what is impossible."
So did Emily reason, and so did she resolve. What her reasonings and
resolutions amounted to, we shall perhaps see in future.
CHAPTER VI.
EMILY'S good resolution lasted at least a week after school commenced.
It opened on Wednesday, and Delia did not return till the following
Monday, so that she had her room to herself for that time. She had
succeeded in lulling her conscience into a certain degree of quietness,
and the exact performance of the routine of religious observances which
she had imposed upon herself, gave her a feeling of self-righteousness,
so that she found herself, upon the whole, more comfortable than she
had been for a long time back. Still there was all the time, at the
bottom of her heart, an uneasy consciousness that all was not as it
should be.
Her lesson upon Sunday was thoroughly learned and well recited, which
was not the case generally in the class, and Emily rather expected
some particular commendation, but Mr. Fletcher only said, "Very well,
Emily," and she could not help thinking that his tone and manner were
both sad and severe.
"If he knows anything about the matter, why don't he tell of it and
have done?" she thought, rather impatiently. "I believe I should be
almost glad to have it come out by accident. Almost anything would be
better than to have it hanging over one's head forever."
Several of the girls noticed how serious Emily seemed, and, after they
returned to their rooms, one of them remarked upon it, adding, "I
wonder how long it will last?"
"Till Delia Mason comes back, and no longer," said Bella Faushane.
"Delia can twist Emily round her finger, and she does it too."
"Perhaps Emily may have more stability about her than you think,"
remarked Lucy, who had always a kind word for every one. "She is very
persevering about some things."
"That is true," said Bella, "and I may do her injustice; but I have
noticed that there is nothing Emily dreads so much as ridicule. The
mere making a little blunder in class, if it is noticed, seems to
render her miserable for all day. I do not believe she will have the
courage to say her prayers once if Delia laughs at her, and laugh at
her she will, unless I am very much mistaken. Now here is Annette, who
was afraid to go down the other night, lest Mr. Hugo should ask her a
question in French, and who cries if she happens to make a mistake in
repeating her text at the table. Yet, if it were a case of conscience,
I believe she would be no more afraid of the den of lions than Daniel
himself."
"Oh, well! That is different," said Annette. "Saying one's prayers is a
thing one ought to do, and so one has to do it, whether one is afraid
or not."
"A grand sentiment, awkwardly expressed, my dear child, as Mr. Fletcher
would remark," said Bella, who was very fond of Annette, though she
laughed, as all the girls did, at her simplicity. "But, tell me,
Annette, is it not also a duty to improve in French, so long as our
parents send us here especially for that purpose?"
"I suppose it is," said Annette, after some consideration.
"But in order to improve, is it not necessary to practice speaking at
every proper opportunity?"
Annette assented after a little more thought.
"Well then," continued Bella, pursuing her Souatic method of reasoning,
"does it not plainly follow that it is your duty to speak French,
whether you are afraid or not, or whether you like it or not?"
"I believe it is," said Annette, "but I never thought of it in that way
before. Thank you, Bella."
"Annette has a new idea," said Janet Graves, as Annette left them, and
went to her own room.
"And she will practice upon it, too," said Bella. "Notice her at the
breakfast table, and see if she does not speak French."
Contrary to the expectation of the girls, that unpopular institution,
the French table, had not been abolished, and the rule remained in
force. Even as Bella had predicted, Annette made a heroic effort, and
not only asked for all she wanted in French, but actually came out with
several sentences of original conversation in that language, which
had evidently been carefully meditated beforehand. The girls who had
been present at the conversation the day before, looked at each other
and smiled; but there was no expression of ridicule in the smile, for
they respected the strength of principle which prompted Annette to do
bravely that which she so much disliked, so soon as she was convinced
that it was her duty.
Delia returned on Monday, full of spirits, boasting of the "grand times
she had had," and pitying Emily for her dull holidays.
"What did you do with yourself all the time?" she asked.
"Oh, I read and walked, and helped take care of Kitty," said Emily;
"and then I spent four days with Abby Carson, which I enjoyed very
much. On the whole, it was not so tiresome as I expected."
"Did you have any lessons?" asked Delia.
"Only reading Latin with Mr. Fletcher. He says I improve very fast, and
I never took so much interest in it before. What an excellent teacher
he is!"
"He is well enough," said Delia. "I never could discover any of the
extraordinary things about him that the other girls see or imagine; but
I confess to being a little afraid of those black eyes of his. But how
do the girls like Mr. Hugo?"
"We have not had a recitation yet," replied Emily.
She had been dreading the introduction of this topic, for she had
fully made up her mind that she ought to tell Delia that she would
have nothing more to do with the matter. Unlike Annette, however, to
acknowledge an obligation and to fulfil it were with Emily two very
different things. To do her justice, she did make an effort, but
instead of speaking boldly at once, she began by saying,—
"I wish you would not go on with that, Delia. I am sure you will be
sorry some day, and then it will be too late."
"I will be the judge of that, my dear," returned Delia. "You know I
told you that, before."
"But your father—"
"My father knows nothing about it, and need not know. It may very
likely never come to anything, and then there will be no harm done.
Moreover, my father has not been so very careful of my comfort or
interest, that I should submit all my affairs implicitly to his will.
He need not have brought a strange woman into the house to tyrannise
over me, if he had wanted me to stay at home. She has trained Ron
and Alice so that I cannot do anything with them, and Alice had the
impudence to tell me that I had no business to speak so to my mother.
Mother, indeed!"
"Mrs. Carson said she used to know your mother, and always thought her
a very nice woman," remarked Emily.
"Mrs. Carson is a step-mother herself, and of course she is bound
to stand up for the whole tribe," returned Delia. "But, now tell
me, who has come back, and whether there are any new scholars? I
have not seen any as yet. And how is Kitty? I have brought her some
beautiful preserved strawberries from home. Mrs. Mason is an excellent
housekeeper. I will say that much for her. I don't know but I might get
to like her after all, if it were not for the pride of the thing."
Emily answered these questions and a batch of others, such as always
come up at such times, and the tea bell rang before any further
allusion was made to Mr. Hugo.
Delia might have been excused from evening study, it being the custom
of the house to require no duties from new comers on the first day,
but she asked particularly about the lessons, and was soon apparently
busily engaged in writing her exercise. Not far off sat Annette,
working with grammar, dictionary, and phrase book, as laboriously as
though her daily bread depended upon it. The outward actions of the two
girls were very much alike, and even an acute observer might have seen
nothing to choose between them, but how different did they appear in
the eyes of Him who seeth the mind and the heart!
Emily did not feel at all satisfied with herself. After all her
resolutions she had failed in the very first effort to keep them, and
that being the case, what encouragement had she to proceed? She did
not, however, give up at once, but when the nine o'clock bell rang,
sending all to their rooms, she sat down resolutely to the table, and
took up her Bible.
"What in the world are you doing?" asked Delia. "You are not studying
your Sunday lesson so early in the week?"
"No," replied Emily, coloring, and resisting a strong impulse to tell a
falsehood, "but think it is a good plan to read a little every night,
don't you?"
"I don't see any particular use in it, I must say," returned Delia,
"but of course there's no harm in it if you like to do it, but don't be
late, that's all."
"I won't," said Emily, going on with her reading, but very much annoyed
and distracted by the consciousness that Delia was smiling as she
curled her hair, and dreading more and more the ordeal of kneeling down
to say her prayer. She read on, and on, almost without taking the sense
of a single word, until Delia exclaimed,—
"You will certainly be late, Emily. The bed bell will ring directly,
and you have not even begun to undress."
"I will hurry," replied Emily. She closed her book, and added, with a
great effort, "I must say my prayers first."
"Say them, and welcome," returned Delia, "but I am afraid they will
not save you from a mark, and I should not like to be imperfect in
deportment the very first week, if I were you."
Emily knelt down without replying, but, as may be imagined, her mind
was in any thing but a devotional state. She could not at first compose
herself sufficiently to remember even a form of words, and the bell
rang before she had finished the Lord's prayer. She started up and
began to undress as fast as possible, but she had not nearly finished
when the door opened, and Miss Thomas, who was going her rounds in the
regular discharge of her duties, as officer, put her head into the room.
Miss Thomas' passion for neatness and punctuality have been noticed
before. Her temper, never very placid, had already been severely
ruffled by several untoward events, such as finding her own towel
fallen into the slop jar, and various skirts, hoops, etc., belonging
to the young ladies, scattered upon the floors of their respective
apartments, instead of being neatly disposed for the night. She
reproved Emily sharply, would listen to no excuses, telling her that
three-quarters of an hour was time sufficient for any young lady to
prepare for bed, and concluded by saying that she should give her a
mark, which she need not seek to have excused. All this did not, of
course, tend to the increase of Emily's serenity.
"Hateful, cross old thing!" said she, as the door finally closed upon
Miss Thomas and her lecture. "I wish she were in Jericho!"
"And just as you were being so extra good too," returned Delia,
laughing. "But never mind, Emily, you can call it persecution for
righteousness sake, you know."
"You are very provoking, Delia," retorted Emily. "I do believe you are
glad to have me get into a scrape, just that you may have the pleasure
of saying, 'I told you so!'"
"Upon my word, your devotions don't seem to have improved your temper,"
said Delia, not without reason. "I am sure I did all I could to save
you from trouble. I don't object to your saying as many prayers as you
like, only as I have told you before, consistency is a jewel."
Emily felt that Delia had some reason for her remarks, and checked
the sharp answer which rose to her lips, but her frame of mind was
any thing but amiable or Christian. As one goes to sleep at night, so
one is very apt to awake in the morning, and she opened her eyes with
that unpleasant feeling which every one has experienced at one time or
another, that something very disagreeable had happened which she did
not exactly remember.
Delia was already up, curling her hair at the dressing-table, and
looking as neat and bright as ever, while Emily's uncurled locks hung
tangled and uncomfortable around her face—another circumstance to
remind her of course of the night before. Delia made no remark upon
them, however, but assisted Emily to arrange her hair neatly and
comfortably, straightened and smoothed the tumbled collar and sleeves,
and sewed on a missing button. She generally delivered a little lecture
upon neatness upon these occasions, for the most perfect tidiness
was one of her good qualities, and she had already rendered Emily an
essential service in reforming her rather careless habits.
At this time, however, she never even alluded to the subject, but
chatted pleasantly of matters at home, and at which Emily felt grateful
for her forbearance. She hoped that Delia would go out and leave her
alone fur a few minutes, but no such thing occurred, and the breakfast
bell rang before she had quite made up her mind what to do. So the
previous preparations for the day's duties and trials was again lost.
Things had by this time fallen nearly into their usual train, in
which, though as all the girls had not yet returned, it was impossible
to arrange the classes accurately. When will parents learn that it
is quite as important to their daughters as to their sons, to return
regularly and promptly to their duties? Boys are for the most part
sent back to school, or college, on the very day of the opening, but
girls are allowed to linger at home for two, three, or four days, or
even a week or two after the school commences, to the great annoyance
of the teachers and their own equal disadvantage. Mrs. Pomeroy had
waged war on this custom for years, but with little success, and there
were always at least half a dozen behind hand to produce confusion
in classes, and vexation to teachers. On this occasion it was Mr.
Fletcher's Latin class which clashed with Mr. Hugo's French, and of
course Mr. Fletcher gave way to the stranger till matters could be
arranged.
"I am glad the Latin was put aside," said Almira to Emily, as they
gathered up their books, and went down together to the lecture room. "I
would not miss this first recitation for any thing—it will be so odd
to write French to a gentleman. Do you know I don't think Mr. Fletcher
likes him very much!"
Emily had somehow received the same impression, though she could not
tell how, and she asked her companion what made her think so. But
Almira would not tell, only she did not believe he did. The large
class was assembled in the lecture room, quite filling the raised
seats in front of the apartment, before Mr. Hugo made his appearance.
Some of the girls were looking over their lessons, some were occupied
with their personal appearance, some simpering and giggling in that
indescribable flutter which characterizes a certain style of young
women (and some who are not so young) when there is a prospect of
seeing a strange individual of the male sex. Delia sat on one of the
front seats, quite composed and collected, though Emily thought she had
rather more color than usual.
Punctually at the striking of the clock the Professor made his
appearance, and mounted the platform without seeming in the least
disconcerted by the array of young ladies. He did look slightly annoyed
when Mrs. Pomeroy came in and seated herself upon one of the back
benches, and he glanced at her in no very friendly way from under
his bushy eyebrows. But the head of Minerva over the clock was not
more impenetrable than Mrs. Pomeroy, and as she calmly took out her
knitting, as though she had quite made up her mind to hear the lesson
through, Mr. Hugo had no alternative but to proceed.
The lesson began with a general examination upon the principles of
French Grammar, especially the verbs, that having been Mademoiselle's
great hobby. The young ladies did themselves much credit, and Mr. Hugo
not only professed himself satisfied, but paid a graceful compliment to
their former teacher. He then dictated while they wrote, (an admirable
plan by the way,) and then requested to see the exercises.
Only three young ladies beside Delia and Emily were prepared in this
part of the lesson, and to the surprise of every body, one of these
was Annette. She blushed visibly as she gave in her paper, but looked
pleased at receiving a kind "very well, Annette!" from Mrs. Pomeroy,
while Bella whispered to Lucy, who sat beside her, "You were right,
after all. We shall see her a good French scholar yet."
Mr. Hugo glanced at all the papers, said they were very neatly written,
and that he would return them the next morning; requested the young
ladies to be particular in endorsing their names on the outside of
their exercises, to prevent mistakes, and dismissed the class with a
bow. His method of teaching seemed admirable, and as his manners were
quiet and gentlemanly, Mrs. Pomeroy decided that she had done very well
in engaging him, and said as much to Mr. Fletcher.
"I have seen so little of him that I am not prepared to judge, at
present," was Mr. Fletcher's reply. "I cannot say, however, that I am
pleased with the expression of his face."
Though Mrs. Pomeroy often asked Mr. Fletcher's opinion upon matters
connected with the school, she was not apt to attach much importance
to it, unless it coincided with her own. Mr. Fletcher had advised her
to learn more of Mr. Hugo before engaging him, but she had thought the
recommendation quite satisfactory which he had brought from his late
employer in L., and his manners and accent were those of a gentleman.
She could not help thinking that some of Mr. Fletcher's distrust of him
arose from annoyance at his advice having been disregarded, and hinted
es much, but Mr. Fletcher only smiled, and made no reply.
The class next day was very much the same that it had been the day
before, except that Mr. Hugo returned the exercises he had taken the
day before, commenting upon the faults he had marked in each. Poor
Annette's paper was covered with many lines, notwithstanding the pains
she had taken, and Emily felt sorry for her as the Professor handed it
back with the not very encouraging remark, that it did not contain one
perfectly correct sentence. Her own was pronounced "tres bien," and
Delia's also seemed without a flaw, though she did not open it, but
placed it carefully in her book.
When the class was dismissed, Emily lingered a moment to talk to Bella
and Lucy, who were endeavoring to console Annette for her failure, and
on trying the door of her room she found it locked. It was a moment
or more before Delia opened it, and Emily thought she looked a little
confused, but she made no remark.
"Let us go and see Kitty," said Delia, after school was dismissed in
the afternoon. "I have not called on her yet, and I want to take her my
strawberries."
Kitty was dressed and sitting by the fire in Mrs. Pomeroy's room,
wrapped in the warm knitted shawl which had been Emily's Christmas
present to her. She was very grateful for the strawberries, and still
more for the remembrance that prompted the gift.
"Every one is so good to me," said she, "that I don't know how to thank
them. Just see what a beautiful shawl Emily made for me! Aunt says it
is the prettiest one she ever saw." And she ran on about it till Emily
was glad to turn her attention to something else, by asking her how she
contrived to amuse herself. The question only gave the sweet little
girl still farther opportunity of expatiating upon the goodness of
every one about her.
Janet had made her a beautiful picture book, which she could look at
when she was unable to read. Miss Thomas had brought her a lovely
little bird from New York, which sang all day long, and Mr. Fletcher
always came to her as soon as school was out, and told her such
charming stories, and he had taught her kittens to play ball just
as Grip did. Then she returned to the shawl, and displayed all its
beauties, till Delia laughingly declared she was growing jealous, and
carried Emily off.
"What a sweet little creature she is!" she remarked, after they had
left the room. "I should almost be willing to be sick, too, to be so
good and gentle. And she is so cheerful, too, notwithstanding all she
suffers. I don't see how it is that she contrives to keep up such good
spirits, do you?"
Emily thought she could understand the source of Kitty's cheerfulness,
but she felt every day less and less inclined to converse on such
matters with Delia, so she turned the subject by reminding her
companion that if they meant to walk in the yard, it was time they were
about it. Hoods and furs were quickly donned, and they were soon pacing
up and down the sunny walk, in front of the house, where many of their
companions, in twos and threes, were enjoying the same exercise.
"Do look at those girls," said Belle Faushane, as she joined them,
and directed their attention to some three or four young ladies (so
styled by courtesy) who had stopped in their promenade as near to the
gates as rules permitted, and were evidently trying to attract the
attention of some young men who were passing. "What fools they do make
of themselves! Every boy that passes, they stop short and look at him.
If I were so very anxious for a beau, I would not show it quite so
plainly. There is Almira Crosby, a grown up woman, almost."
"Quite grown up, I should say," interrupted Delia, laughing; "at best
it is to be hoped that she would not grow any taller."
"Well, but do see her, shaking her long curls, and simpering at that
little slip from the Academy. And there is Sue Dayton, waving her
handkerchief. What a fool she is!"
"Hush, hush, don't call such hard names!" said Lucy Spencer, while
Delia and Emily laughed at Belle's vehement indignation. "Sue is very
steady sometimes—when she is with steady people. I must allow that she
is something of a chameleon, and takes her color a good deal from her
surroundings. If she were always with good girls, she would be a good
girl herself."
The girls laughed, but Emily had an uneasy feeling that Lucy's remarks
might apply to herself, as well as to Susan.
"I wish Mrs. Pomeroy would make Almira cut off those curls," pursued
Belle, who was apt, when excited, to give more than a sufficient
license to her tongue. "I am sure she would have more in the inside
of her head, if there were less on the outside. It runs to ringlets,
instead of to brains."
"Thank you," said Emily, laughing, as she thought of her own heavy
braids. "I suppose that is partly meant for me."
"Oh, your hair is of a more solid character," returned Belle. "It is
not of the wavy and willowy kind. But see, girls, there is Mrs. Pomeroy
looking out of the library window. She will be out here in a moment,
and then for an explosion. I would not be in Sue Dayton's shoes for
something."
Even as she had prophesied, Mrs. Pomeroy no sooner caught sight of the
group of girls which had so roused Belle's indignation, than her cap
disappeared from the window, and in a moment, more appeared at the
door, while in imperative tones she called—"Almira Crosby, Anne Prior,
Susan Dayton, come into the house!"
Horror-struck, they obeyed, and were seen no more that evening, nor did
they again "take their walks abroad," in the front of the house, for a
long time afterward.
For two or three days every thing went on quietly, and Emily began to
hope that Delia had given up her whims. She still persisted in saying
her prayers at night, though they were often sadly hurried and formal,
and she took great pains with all her daily duties, so that she seemed
in a fair way to recover her original standing in school.
Lucy rejoiced in this apparent amendment, for she had been attached to
Emily from the first, and even Belle, who had less confidence in her
stability, began to think she had done her injustice.
Even Emily herself was more comfortable than she had been for a long
time. She had now become fully convinced that her guilty secret was
confined to her own breast, which was great satisfaction to her, and
her perseverance in saying her prayers (from which, however, Delia
never said a word to dissuade her) gave her a much better opinion of
herself. This went on for some days, when an event occurred which at
once dispelled her fancied security, and showed her her true condition.
It happened one day that Delia awoke with a violent sick head-ache, a
disorder to which she was somewhat subject. She persisted in getting
up to breakfast, and tried to keep about as usual, but with all her
resolution, the pain and sickness overcame her, and she was obliged to
go to bed. Emily would have been excused to wait upon her, but this
Delia would not hear of, assuring her that she should be better alone,
and that it was not worth while for her to lose her lessons.
Emily darkened the room and arranged the pillows for her friend, and
then prepared to go down to the French class.
"Be sure you bring up my exercise!" said Delia, rousing herself as
Emily went out. She seemed about to add more, but a fresh paroxysm of
pain seized her, and she sank back with a groan.
Emily closed the door softly, and went down stairs to the lecture room,
where the class was already assembled, receiving a short and sharp
rebuke from the Professor for being behind hand. She made her excuses
by saying that Delia was sick, which Mr. Hugo graciously accepted, and
then proceeded with the lesson.
Annette's exercise was ready as usual, and Mr. Hugo encouraged her with
the remark that she was making great improvement. To do him justice,
he was really in most respects an excellent teacher, though his temper
and patience were of the shortest. He was not the man to explain and
simplify, and go over a lesson with a dull scholar, as Mr. Fletcher
did. If one did not understand at once, that was the end of the matter,
but then his expositions were remarkably clear, and his manner of
speaking fixed the attention, even in spite of one's self.
"I will take Delia's exercise to her, if you please," said Emily, as
the class was dismissed.
Mr. Hugo looked first surprised, and then doubtful. "Did she tell you
to ask for it?" said he, holding it in his hand, as though undecided
what to do.
"Certainly, sir!" replied Emily, wondering at the question.
Mr. Hugo finally handed it to her, with an injunction not to lose
it, and to give it to no one but Delia herself. Two or three of the
girls were standing round the hall stove, discussing some point in the
lesson, apparently relating to Annette's exercise.
"I am sure Annette is right," said Janet Graves; "I remember talking
over that very thing with Mademoiselle last year. It is too bad, to
charge the poor child with more mistakes than she makes. I will look
back at some of my old books, and see what can find about it."
"Look at Delia's exercise, Emily, and see if he has corrected it
there," said Annette. "Delia and myself are writing in the same place."
Unthinkingly Emily opened the carefully folded paper, and cast her eyes
over it, but a single glance showed her that it was not an exercise at
all, and she hastily refolded it, and turned away, saying that she must
go and see how Delia was.
"Only just look at that one thing, Emily," persisted Annette; "because
I really want to know whether it is right or not."
But Emily was already out of hearing.
"How queerly she acted!" said Almira Crosby. "What possible harm could
it do Delia to have her exercise looked at?"
"I don't believe that was it," said Annette. "She was in a hurry, that
was all. You are always imagining things, Almira."
"I keep my eyes and ears open," said Almira, significantly; "and that
is more than some folks do. There are not many things going on in this
house, that I do not see into."
"Especially when they are none of your business," said Belle. "We all
know what a benevolent interest you take in other people's concerns,
Almira. It is rather a pity you should not devote a little of your
spare time to your own affairs, and so save yourself from disgrace
now and then. I don't believe there has been one Friday since school
commenced, that you have not been deficient in something."
"That is none of your business, any way," retorted Almira. "But as to
Delia Mason, she is very close with her affairs. She thinks she can
turn every one round her finger, as she does Emily, but she may find
herself mistaken some day. You must allow that it was very curious in
Emily to make such a fuss about showing a French exercise."
"What a great quantity of bricks you are making, without any straw at
all," said Belle, impatiently. "What was it, after all? Annette asked
to look at Delia's exercise, and Emily said she was in a hurry, and
must go and see to Delia herself. You all know that Delia is sick, and
what was more natural than that Emily should want to get back to her?"
"Dear me, what did I say? You need not be so angry, Belle. I am sure
I have no ill-will against Emily, but I do think it was odd that she
should not want to show that exercise!"
Emily, meanwhile, had escaped to her room. Delia was now sleeping
heavily, her head-aches usually going off in this way, so she sat down
by the darkened window in silence, and began to consider what she ought
to do.
The hasty glance she had taken at the paper, showed her that it was
certainly not a French exercise—not Delia's hand writing at all. It
was clearly a letter. Emily now saw through several things which had
puzzled her very much of late. Delia's great industry in writing her
French exercise, which she always copied carefully, and about which she
would accept no assistance, though she had always heretofore, been glad
to avail herself of Emily's help in her French lessons—her punctuality
at recitations, being always in the school-room several minutes before
any one else. All these matters now become plain as daylight.
Instead of abandoning her schemes, Delia was prosecuting them with
vigor, and holding a close correspondence with her lover in the very
face of her schoolmates and teachers. Emily could not but wonder at her
boldness.
Then the thought occurred to her, that after all she might be entirely
mistaken in the character of the document. It was probably some private
paper of Mr. Hugo's, which he had given her by mistake. This seemed
such a likely supposition, that she accepted it at once, and was ready
to laugh at herself for her fears, but then the Professor's peculiar
manner, recurred to her memory, and she was again in doubt. Finally,
she wished to take another look and satisfy herself. She opened the
paper and glanced at it. There was no mistake! It was clearly a letter,
addressed to his beloved Delia, and signed with the Christian name of
Mr. Hugo.
She was just folding it again, when the sound of her own name startled
her, and looking round, she beheld Delia setting up in bed, and gazing
at her with pale cheeks and lips, and eyes that flashed fire.
"How dare you look at my papers?" was the question uttered in a voice
of such concentrated anger, that she could hardly believe it to be
Delia's.
"What harm is there in looking at your French exercise?" returned
Emily, with a presence of mind which surprised herself. "There is
nothing private in that, is there?"
Delia recovered herself with a visible effort and said more calmly,
"There is no use in our trying to deceive each other, Emily. You
have seen now, if you did not know before, that that paper is not an
exercise."
"I have," replied Emily, "much to my regret. I hoped you had given up
the whole thing."
"Did I not tell you that I would never give it up?" asked Delia. "I
should be very foolish to do so now, when I have the game in my own
hands."
"You must not expect me to help you about it," said Emily firmly. "I
will have nothing more to do with it."
"What is the matter now?" asked Delia coolly. "Another fit of
conscience, I suppose. They don't last long, that is one comfort."
"You will find it will last this time, however," said Emily with
spirit. "I am determined not to have that on my conscience at any rate,
and so I tell you frankly, that you need not ask me to help you in any
way or shape. I love you, Delia, and I won't have any thing to do with
your ruining yourself, as I am sure you will."
"Thank you," said Delia composedly, "perhaps your affection for me may
lead you to betray me to Mrs. Pomeroy."
"I do not think I shall do that, though I will not promise. I think if
you persist, it will be my duty to do so."
"I hope your duty will lead you to confess your sins at the same time,"
said Delia, betraying no signs of perturbation, but rising from her bed
and beginning to arrange her hair and dress as she spoke.
"About the debts do you mean. That is all settled, and the bills are
paid, so there is no more to be said about it."
"Unless Mrs. Pomeroy should happen to ask you where you get your
money to pay them. I think you would find that rather an embarrassing
question."
"Mrs. Pomeroy knows that Cousin David sent me some money, and I
borrowed some of you. It is against rules to borrow I know, but,—"
"But you know," said Delia, interrupting her; "that your cousin only
sent you ten dollars; and I lent you five, while the bills amounted to
almost twice that amount. Where did the rest of the money come from,
and how did it happen that you did not have it on Wednesday evening,
and did have it on Thursday morning? Isn't it, then, rather a curious
coincidence between that fact and the circumstance that a ten dollar
bill was unaccountably lost about that very time? And wont Mrs. Pomeroy
be very apt to put these circumstances together, even if no body does
it for her? Kitty, poor child, need not have been so very grateful for
her shawl, if she had known whose money paid for it."
Emily did not answer, and Delia turning round to observe the effect of
her words, discovered that her room-mate had fainted away.
CHAPTER VII.
STARTLED as she was by the unexpected effects of her words, Delia did
not lose her presence of mind. She gently turned the key in the door,
and then applying herself to a judicious use of such restoratives as
were within reach, she had soon the satisfaction of seeing Emily open
her eyes. She seemed bewildered at first, and asked what was the matter.
"You fainted," replied Delia, quietly, continuing to bathe her head.
"Do you feel better?"
Emily looked at her for a moment, and then as the tide of recollection
rushed back upon her mind, she turned away her head, and burst into a
passion of tears and hysterical sobs.
"Listen to me Emily," said Delia firmly, but not unkindly, and taking
Emily's hand in hers. "This will never do. You must command yourself
and be quiet, or I shall have to send for Mrs. Pomeroy, and then an
exposure will be inevitable. For your own sake, make an effort and
compose yourself."
"I wish she did know all about it," said Emily, as soon as she could
speak, "and then it would be over."
"I think you are mistaken there," replied Delia. "You do not know
as much of schools as I do. Are you quite prepared to take the
consequences?"
"What consequences?"
"In the first, place, expulsion from the school. Mrs. Pomeroy, as you
well know, values the reputation of her school above every thing else
in the world. Do you think she would keep a girl in the house who had
deliberately robbed an orphan child, and that child Kitty Mastick, whom
she loves as the apple of her eye? It is true she might send you away
privately, but that would make little difference. The whole affair
would soon become known, and your reputation would be ruined forever.
Then where would you go? You have no home. Your father—"
Emily groaned, but Delia pitilessly pursued her course—
"Your father, as you always say, detests nothing so much as dishonesty
in money matters, and from what you have told me of him, I imagine
that he would visit such a sin more severely upon the head of his own
daughter, than upon that of a stranger. If you were terrified at the
very idea of his knowing that you had made a little bill at a store,
with what sort of feeling will you tell him that you have stolen money
enough to send you to the Penitentiary?"
"I wish I were dead—I do wish I were dead," said Emily despairingly.
"That is quite useless; and if all Mr. Fletcher says is true, you would
not improve your condition much by dying. No, Emily, the case is simply
this. You must listen to reason and be guided by me, and I promise
you that I will be your friend; but then you must be willing to do
something for me in return. I can save you from expulsion and disgrace,
and I will do so, but it must be on my own terms."
"And how do I know that you will not bring me to disgrace instead of
saving me from it?" demanded Emily.
"Simply because I have not yet done so," replied Delia. "Though I have
known your secret from the beginning, I have never before hinted my
knowledge even to you, nor should I have done so now, if you had not
forced it upon me."
"But to have disgrace always hanging over my head—always to be under—"
Emily shuddered without finishing the sentence. "No, Delia, I cannot
bear it. I must confess and have it over at once; I will go to Mrs.
Pomeroy this minute."
She tried to rise from the bed as she spoke, but her head was still
giddy—the room seemed to turn dark, and she nearly fell. Delia caught
her, replaced her on the bed without speaking, and then turning the key
in the lock, she opened the door as if to go out.
"Where are you going?" asked Emily, fearing she knew not what.
"I am going to ask Mrs. Pomeroy to give me another room-mate," said
Delia decidedly. "If she asks me the reason, of course I shall have to
tell her the whole story."
"You forget that I have also a story to tell!"
"And who will believe you? You have no proof. No one has seen the
letter but yourself, and it is not now in existence; while I have my
corrected exercise to show, and all the girls will bear witness to my
conduct in class. You have told Mrs. Pomeroy more than one lie already,
and she will think you have manufactured this story, simply out of
revenge. I repeat again, you have not one particle of proof for your
story, while I have plenty for mine."
Emily had nothing to say. She saw how completely she had ensnared
herself, and that Delia had her altogether in her power.
"At the same time," continued Delia, her tone relenting a little, "I
have not the least desire to make an ungenerous use of my knowledge.
I do not want to injure you, and I think I have proved it by not
betraying you at the time of the inquiry. I repeat, if you will be
guided entirely by me, I will save you from disgrace and ruin, and
all things shall go well. You have no occasion to trouble yourself as
to how my affairs are likely to turn out. I am perfectly well able
to manage them myself. Take your choice! Promise to be guided by me,
and to help me when I wish it, or prepare yourself for expulsion from
school, perhaps for being discarded by your father, for the ruin of
your reputation, and of all your prospects in life. It is now half past
eleven. I give you till twelve o'clock to make up your mind."
"You are so hard upon me, Delia!" pleaded poor Emily.
"I have no desire to be so," returned Delia, in a softened tone. "I
want to serve you if I can. How many girls in this school would have
done for you what I have done? Do you think Lucy Spencer or Belle
Faushane would have gone on treating you just the same as before, if
they had known what I know? Would they have lent you money without the
least chance of being repaid, or risked disgrace for themselves to keep
it from you? I don't say these things by way of upbraiding you, Emily;
you know very well that is not my way. I only wish to set before you
the reasons you have for confiding in me. But I will say no more. I
leave you to make your own decision."
Delia took up her book, and seating here by the window was soon
apparently absorbed in study.
The tumult in Emily's mind maybe better imagined than described. At
one moment she thought she would confess, at all hazards. Then came
the thought of all the train of consequences which Delia had set
before her. Mrs. Pomeroy's anger—the stern wrath of her father, of
whose uncompromising temper she had already had some experience, and
who would feel himself involved in her disgrace—the contempt of her
schoolmates, with whom she had always been a favorite, and the loss
of the good opinion of Mr. Fletcher—all these lay in her way. What a
despicable hypocrite they would think her, especially after her late
religious professions!
How Almira Crosby, and Sue Dayton, and all that set of girls would
triumph, not only over her, but over Lucy and Belle, and all the
religious girls in the school. There would be some reason in what they
were always saying—that after all, people were no better for being so
pious. The cause of true religion in the school would receive a wound,
through her fault, from which it might be years in recovering. Would
it not be better, if only upon that account, to conceal the matter,
even though such a concealment involved the necessity of a certain
complicity in Delia's designs, which, after all, might never come to
any thing?
Delia was not the only one in the school who did such things. There was
Jane Emmons—she corresponded all last term with a young gentleman she
had never seen, sending her letters in those of his sister, and all
the girls knew she did, but nothing came of it, and Almira Crosby had
almost always some love affair in hand. Delia was shrewd enough, and
would keep herself from disgrace, and suppose she did marry Mr. Hugo,
what harm would there be in that? A great many people married teachers.
Mrs. Pomeroy's own niece had done so, and every one thought it a fine
thing for her. Besides, Delia was so determined, that she would have
her own way at any rate, so that by interfering she probably would
succeed in ruining herself, without saving her friends.
And then came the bitter reflection that she had indeed no proof of her
assertions, while Delia had plenty of them. Who would believe a thief
and a convicted liar?
Then, after all, something might turn up. Delia or Mr. Hugo might go
away, or she might leave school herself—her father might send her some
money, or perhaps—she shuddered at the idea that she could find relief
in such a supposition—perhaps he might never return. Was it not better
to run the chances of concealment, rather than those of exposure?
Was it not better, at least, to wait? At any rate, she did not see
that she could do any thing else at present, but accede to Delia's
proposition, and by and by she might take advantage of some favorable
time and set the matter right, so far as it was now possible to do so.
By confessing at present, she could do nothing but harm to herself, to
Delia, and the cause of religion. She should leave school some time,
and then she could write to Mrs. Pomeroy, tell the whole story, and
enclose the money. At present she could only keep silence.
The twelve o'clock bell rang as she came to this conclusion, and Delia
closed her book and turned round.
"Well, Emily!"
"I don't see what I can do, except to follow your advice," said Emily.
"I have no choice. But oh, Delia, don't ask me to do any thing else
that is wrong! I have sins enough upon my conscience already."
"I have not asked you to do any thing, except to keep silence,"
returned Delia. "All the rest I can manage myself. You are not obliged
to know any more than I choose to tell you, and if I want you to give
me any active help, I will be sure to contrive matters so that no harm
shall happen to you."
"That is true," said Emily, catching eagerly at the first part of the
reply, and hardly heeding the concluding sentence. "It is only keeping
silence, after all, and Mrs. Pomeroy herself says, she never wants us
to tell of each other. I promise you, Delia."
"That is acting like my own sensible Emily," said Delia, kissing her.
"I was sure you would come to the right view of the case at last, and I
promise you in return, that I will never betray your secret so long as
you are faithful to me. Not only that, but I will take care that other
people do not suspect you. You must be aware that there are many prying
eyes about this house, besides Mrs. Pomeroy's. Almira Crosby and her
set would be perfectly delighted to find out one of the 'pious girls,'
as they call them, in such a scrape."
"I thought of that," said Emily, in a low tone.
"I don't pretend to be influenced by such considerations, myself,"
continued Delia, "though I think it very bad taste to talk upon those
subjects as Almira does—but if I were—however, that is not what I
was going to say. You know how prying Almira is. She was never quite
satisfied about that money, and she is always hinting that she will
find out about it some day. But I know how to manage her ladyship, and
I think I can insure you from any mischief from that quarter. I know
too many of her secrets for her to be very willing to offend me."
"How much better off people are, who have no secrets at all," sighed
Emily. "I don't suppose either Lucy or Belle ever had a concealment in
their lives—"
"There are about half a dozen girls in this school whom we can
thoroughly respect!" said Delia, with considerable feeling. "There is
Lucy to begin with, and there is Janet Graves, though the girls do call
her the Queen of Sheba, and Belle, though she is not always careful
enough of what she says, and poor dear Annette, and three or four
others, who have a right to call themselves Christians. I should not
mind exchanging places with any of them. As for the rest—I did not mean
to hurt your feelings," she added, seeing the tears in Emily's eyes,
"but you must be aware that it is not possible for me to consider you
very consistent."
Emily sighed. "I cannot blame you, Delia. I don't think I shall ever
make any more pretensions in that way. Oh, how I wish I had never come
to school."
"It seems to me that your religious principles could not be worth much,
if they only kept you out of trouble just so long as you could not get
into it," replied Delia. "But never mind that now. The dinner bell will
ring in a few minutes, and you will not have more than time to get
ready. Try to sit up, and I will brush your hair for you."
"I don't believe I can possibly go down to dinner," said Emily. "Every
thing turns dark to me the moment I rise up. I shall faint at table, if
I try."
"I don't believe you can, indeed," said Delia, watching her friend's
changing color. "Lie down again, and I will make your excuses, and
get Mrs. Pomeroy to send you something. You had better lie still till
tea-time, and if Mrs. Pomeroy comes to see you, take care you don't
betray yourself. I shall tell her that you stood too long at the
blackboard, and fainted away in consequence. Mr. Hugo does keep the
girls up there an unconscionable time. I shall speak to him about it."
Delia was as good as her word. Her excuse was accepted, and she
obtained permission to carry up Emily's dinner herself. Mrs. Pomeroy
soon followed to ascertain Emily's condition, satisfied herself that
the attack was not a dangerous one, and would be best treated by
allowing the patient to lie still, excused her from duty, and sent her
an entertaining book to read; rather to the disgust of Miss Thomas,
who was accustomed to look upon all illness among the girls as only a
pretext to escape from school duties, and who thought that Emily might
as well have amused herself with her algebra and slate.
By tea-time, Emily was so far recovered as to be able to go down, but
all the girls noticed her paleness and want of appetite. Delia had told
all inquirers that Emily had fainted in consequence of standing too
long at the blackboard, and they were all very ready to believe it—the
blackboard exercise being a very unpopular innovation introduced by Mr.
Hugo.
Almira connected Emily's illness with the affair of the exercise, and
decided that there must be something in it after all, but on hinting
her suspicions to Delia, she received from that young lady such an
answer as convinced her that she had much better hold her peace.
All things now went on in their accustomed train for some time. Delia
handed in her exercise every day, and received a paper in return, but
Emily neither knew nor sought to know whether the correspondence was
continued. Mr. Hugo won golden opinions from all sorts of people about
the house, unless it might be from Mr. Fletcher, who never expressed
any opinion whatever. The girls liked him because he gave moderate
lessons, and explained them clearly—and Mrs. Pomeroy was pleased with
his manners, and thought his appearance creditable to the school. Emily
regarded him with mingled disgust and terror, but she kept out of his
way, and never spoke to him if she could help it.
The end of February was marked with extraordinary mild weather for the
season. The brook in the garden babbled as freely as in summer, there
was no ice on the lake, and warm clothing was really burdensome. If it
had only been as pleasant under foot as over head, the weather would
have been delightful; even as it was, many long walks were enjoyed in
spite of the mud, and woeful were the complaints of the laundress at
the number of white skirts and stockings that the young ladies put
in the wash. The only really dry promenades in the neighborhood were
the long paved walks in the garden, which being swept every day, were
always clean and pleasant, and consequently very popular.
"How I should like to come down here by moonlight, sometime," said
Emily, one afternoon, when nearly the whole school were amusing
themselves on these walks.
"You had better let Miss Thomas hear you say 'moonlight,'" said Belle
Faushane, laughing. "She would think you were all ready to make a
runaway match to-morrow, and she would watch you as a cat watches a
mouse."
"It would not be very difficult to escape from her if she did,"
observed Emily. "She is so near-sighted that she cannot distinguish
countenances six yards off. I would wear spectacles, if I was in her
place."
"It would be much better," said Lucy, "but she is so absurdly sensitive
on the subject, that there is no use in talking to her about it. The
only time I ever got into disgrace with her, was by asking her very
innocently, why she did not wear glasses. She did not get over it for a
week, and I got more marks during that week than I ever had before or
since. But she is a good soul, in spite of her crotchets."
"So she is," said Janet. "It is a pity she should think so much of her
personal appearance, for it really injures her influence in the school.
I should think any woman could be above thinking all the time, whether
she was looking as pretty as she possibly could. It seems so degrading."
"There spoke the Queen of Sheba!" said Emily laughing.
Janet laughed, too. She had borne the nickname too long to be sensitive
about it, and she had long ago learned the great secret that the best
way of disarming ridicule is to laugh one's self. She could well afford
to be laughed at a little, as notwithstanding her dignified carriage
and grand airs, as the girls called them, her obliging disposition
made her a general favorite in the school, and all the little girls
especially, all but worshipped her. She accepted the sobriquet of Queen
of Sheba with a perfectly good grace, and answering to it as readily as
to her own name, and she had borne it so long that even Mrs. Pomeroy
ceased to look grave when she heard it.
"I really should like to come down here by moonlight," said Emily to
Delia, after the other girls had left them. "The moon will be almost
full to-night, and it will be as bright as day."
"I am coming out," said Delia quietly, "and as I want you to come with
me, your desire will be gratified."
"You don't really mean it," said Emily, surprised. "How in the world
will you manage to get permission!"
"I shall take it," replied Delia.
"But how will you get out?"
"Easily enough. We will go to bed as usual, but without entirely
undressing, and wait till every thing is quiet. Then we will put on
our frocks and cloaks, and taking the water pitcher, we will go down
quietly and slip out of the garden door. Miss Thomas is officer, and
she sleeps as sound as a log, and besides, if she does catch a glimpse
of us, she is so near-sighted she will never know who it is."
"But suppose she comes down and catches us?"
"Then we will say we went out for some water, which is no very heinous
crime. Some of the girls do so every little while, and even they are
caught, there is very little said about it."
Emily could not help feeling some misgiving, but she had been so
passive in Delia's hands, that she hardly thought of dissenting from
any plan that the other proposed. Then, too, she really enjoyed the
idea of a ramble in the garden by moonlight, and as she said, "There
was no more harm in walking by moonlight than by daylight," forgetting
that the harm lay not in the nature of the act itself, but in the
disobedience it involved.
But as the Scotch poet remarks in the oft quoted lines—
"The best laid schemes of mice and men
Gang aft agley."
About sunset, the sky became overcast, and a heavy winding wind coming
up from the southwest, drove before it such a tremendous shower of
rain, that Emily decided at once that the expedition must be given up.
Delia was not quite so ready to be convinced. She looked dismayed when
the first burst of rain rattled against the window, but prophesied that
it would not last long, and that the sky would be as bright as ever in
half an hour. But the clouds thickened more and more—the wind came in
heavier and heavier gusts, and shook the building sensibly. Presently
one of the large school-room windows was driven in with a tremendous
crash, the glass flying half across the room, and at the same time, a
bright flash was followed by a terrific peal of thunder which shook the
building like an earthquake.
A scene of confusion ensued, such as that school-room had seldom seen.
A chorus of shrieks rose up from the terrified girls, who all thought
the building had been struck by lightning. Even Miss Gilbert uttered a
terrified exclamation. Alice Parker fainted away, and Almira Cosby went
into hysterics, while even the most energetic and sensible of the girls
were paralyzed for the moment.
Good Mr. Holz, who had come into the school-room for a missing book,
rushed to the window and put his head out with a vague idea of doing
something, when the wind catching his wig, it was carried up into the
air, and borne away to parts unknown. Having offered this propitiatory
sacrifice to the powers of the elements, Mr. Holz returned to his
place, meekly conscious of the comical appearance of his bald head,
as contrasted with his heavy moustache and whiskers, and seemed to be
pondering as to what he should do next.
Another loud peal of thunder augmented the alarm of the girls, and at
the same moment, a gust of wind extinguished the remaining light, all
but a solitary gas jet over the desk, which happened to be covered by a
shade. A new burst of shrieks was heard above the roar of the elements,
and the confusion was at its height, when a man's voice made itself
heard, calm and clear amid all the tumult—
"What is the meaning of all this noise? Let me have silence instantly!"
The noise was hushed on the instant, and all eyes were now turned to
the desk, where stood Mr. Fletcher. His cloak was dripping with wet,
as though he had just come in, but he stood composedly at his post,
looking with flashing eyes, upon the disorderly assembly.
"Silence!" he commanded again, as a hysterical sob made itself heard.
"Almira Crosby, sit up and be quiet."
Almira's sobs ceased. Much as she feared the storm, she feared Mr.
Fletcher more.
"It is impossible for you to stay here," he continued in a quiet way,
as though in the exercise of his ordinary school duties. "The window
cannot be repaired immediately, and the room is quite cold. You will
therefore go quietly to the dining room, and take your seats there with
as little confusion as possible. Miss Graves, Miss Spencer, Miss Mason,
you seem to have your wits about you: please take charge of the little
girls; Miss Faushane and Annette will attend to Miss Parker; Miss
Gilbert will you have the kindness to go before and see that the lamps
are lighted."
The confusion was quelled at once. Every one felt relieved at leaving
the exposed school-room, while the coolness and promptitude displayed
by Mr. Fletcher calmed the fears of the most timid. Lucy, Janet, and
Delia, each took one or two of the little ones by the hand; Miss Parker
roused herself by a brave effort, and all were soon quietly seated
in the dining room, which was sheltered from the wind, and where the
closed blinds kept out the glare of the lightning.
Mr. Fletcher was too wise to expect impossibilities. He had seen upon
his first entrance into the school-room, that authority was absolutely
needful, and he had used it accordingly. But he also saw that the
girls' minds were in no condition for study, and he did not require
it of them, while at the same time, he endeavored to divert them
from their fears. He spoke of a thunder storm in winter as a thing
unusual, indeed, but by no means unprecedented, and described two or
three remarkable instances which he had witnessed in different parts
of the globe. Then, in answer to some questions, he diverged to other
incidents and scenes of his extensive travels, describing scenery and
manners with that vividness which belonged to him, and which kept every
one's attention entranced as long as he chose to speak.
After a time, seeing that the painful excitement had passed away,
he returned again to the events of the evening. He uttered a mild
reproof for the alarm, and the lack of presence of mind which had been
manifested by the girls in general, "with some honorable exceptions,"
and recalled to their thoughts the fact that wind and storm fulfil the
word of the Almighty, who is also the All-wise and the All-merciful,
and to whom the night is as clear as the day. Even the giddiest of the
girls felt ashamed of her terror as she listened.
And they were few who did not join heart and soul in the prayer which
followed these remarks.
By bed-time, the minds of all were tranquilized and prepared for
repose. The storm, too, had passed over, and the moon was shining as
brightly as ever.
"You will hardly think of taking a walk to-night," said Emily to Delia,
as they were undressing. Since the day of their memorable explanation,
she had given up even the semblance of prayer, feeling it to be, as
indeed it was, only a mockery of the Almighty.
"No, indeed," replied Delia, "nothing would tempt me to go."
"Mr. Fletcher complimented you on having your wits about you," pursued
Emily, "but I think you were as much frightened as any of us. I saw you
turn pale at every clap of thunder, and even when all the rest of us
were attending to Mr. Fletcher's stories, you seemed to be listening to
the wind."
"I was very much frightened," replied Delia, "but you know it is not my
way to make a fuss about things. Do you know, Emily, I could not help
feeling as though it were a warning?"
"I had the same feeling," replied Emily.
"A thunder storm is not like any other danger," pursued Delia,
thoughtfully. "One is so perfectly helpless. In sickness, or an
accident, or even in case of fire, there is always something that one
can do, but in a storm there is nothing for it but to sit still and
await one's doom. I suppose really religious people feel differently,
though Alice Parker was as much alarmed as any one. She was the only
person that fainted."
"You know her health is very delicate," said Emily, apologetically.
"But about the storm—I felt just as you did—that it was a warning. Oh,
Delia, let us take it so. Let us leave off doing wrong, and try to do
as we ought. I am sure we shall both be happier in the end. Just think,
if we had been killed, where should we be now?"
Emily hid her face, and wept bitterly, and even Delia seemed affected,
and said seriously that she would think of it. She evidently desired to
avoid further conversation upon the subject, and Emily could not force
it upon her.
"To-morrow!" said Delia to herself, as so many have said before her.
To-morrow came, and found her seriousness vanished. She made light
of her alarm of the night before, and when Emily adverted to their
conversation, she turned it off with a jest and an allusion to the
past, which silenced Emily completely.
"A thunder storm is not enough to convert me, Emily. It will require an
earthquake, at the very least, and then you will see that I shall stay
converted. My religion will not be of the intermittent kind."
Of course the storm and its result were the subjects of conversation
for the day, and many were the jokes uttered at the expense of the
hysterical young ladies, and of poor Mr. Holz, whose wig had been
discovered by Cornelius Agrippa, lying on the ground in the farthest
part of the garden, and brought to his master by that sagacious
quadruped, who was clearly under the impression that he had discovered
a rare specimen of the animal kingdom.
"You may laugh, if you please," said Belle, who always took the part of
the meek little music master. "Mr. Holz at least tried to do something.
He did not think only of himself, as most of the rest of us did. Wasn't
Mr. Fletcher grand, though? I wonder what it is about him, that always
governs every body on the instant. Even Almira acknowledged the force
of his genius last night. Which did you fear most, Almira, the thunder
or the Professor?"
"Well, I am afraid of him," said Almira, sulkily, "and I cannot bear
him. For my part, I think it was very hard-hearted in him to show so
little regard to our feelings. He told me to be quick, as though I had
been a dog."
"You should have minded the first time," said Belle. "Besides, you know
that you made more than half of it. It was not more than five minutes
after we got into the dining room, before I saw you eating the cake you
stole from the tea-table."
"Perhaps it was the consciousness of the theft that shamed her,"
remarked some one in the group. "But Alice fainted away, and Mr.
Fletcher did not scold her at all."
"Thunder always makes me faint," said Alice. "It is not because I am
afraid, either, for I should like to watch the storm coming up, if it
did not make me sick. I suppose it must be something in the air. I
had been feeling very unwell for some time before the window blew in,
but I thought I would brave it out. You know I never could make the
experiment with the electrical machines, because they made my head ache
so."
"Yes, and if it had been any one but you, Mr. Fletcher would say it was
affectation," returned Almira.
"Oh, Almira!" said Lucy. "I think there are a good many girls in this
school whose word Mr. Fletcher would take in such a case."
"Well, I was frightened for one, I confess," said Annette, "though I
tried hard not to show it on account of the children, for I remembered
how I was first taught to be afraid of thunder."
"How?" asked some one.
"By seeing other people afraid. I had never thought of such a thing
till I was almost five years old, but I used to stand at the window and
watch the flashes. About that time a lady came to our house, who was
afraid of all sorts of things, especially of thunder. It was not long
before a storm came up, and she flew round the house, shutting all the
windows and doors—"
"A very unphilosophical thing to do," interrupted Janet, "as any one
may see who takes the trouble to think about it."
"Well, at any rate she did it, and then she got into the middle of
a feather bed, and there she sat and covered her eyes and cried. Of
course I thought something dreadful was going to happen, and I cried
and screamed because she did. That was the first time I thought of
being afraid of thunder, and it was a long, long time before I got over
it."
"What cured you at last?" asked Emily, who had come out of her room
just in time to hear Annette's story.
"Why, I was sitting up with my little sister one night. She had had
a dreadful time of the ear-ache, and had not slept any for several
nights, nor mother either, and finally I persuaded her to go to bed and
leave Josy with me. I sang to her, and told her stories, and after a
while she got asleep in my lap. About eleven o'clock a terrible thunder
storm came up—oh, a great deal worse than that last night. I had left
the blinds open and the curtains up to please Josy, because she liked
to look out and see the moonlight, and of course, as she was asleep in
my arms, I could not get up to shut them."
"Couldn't you put her down?" asked Almira.
"Not without waking her, and I wouldn't have done that for the world.
She did not seem to mind the thunder at all, though it was the loudest
I ever heard. So I began to repeat all the Psalms and Bible verses I
could remember, and then all the hymns, and I managed to sit still all
through the storm, though it was pretty hard work, especially as the
lightning struck a tree in the meadow close by our house."
"How could you do it?" asked Almira.
"Why I had to!" said Annette. "Because I did not want to wake mother or
Josy. Mother never knew a word about it till morning."
"Well," said Almira, "all I have to say is, I should like to see myself
sitting with the blinds open all through a thunder storm, for fear of
waking one of our young ones. I guess it will be after this when I do."
"I guess it will!" said Belle. "And did that cure you, Manny?"
"Pretty much," replied Annette. "I never seemed to care much for
thunder after that. I always say to myself, if I could keep from making
a fuss once, I can again; and besides," she added, blushing, as she
always did when she spoke on religious subjects,—"you know Somebody can
take care of us as well in a thunder storm as any other time."
"True!" said Belle. "And it certainly shows a want of faith in Him to
be so much alarmed." She looked at Emily as she spoke, but Emily did
not answer, and the bell now summoned them to the French class.
The Professor was undeniably cross this morning. The lessons had been
somewhat interrupted by the events of the evening before, and were
not as well prepared as usual, but Mr. Hugo seemed to think the storm
offered no excuse, and was particularly severe upon those who could
be induced to break their engagement by a paltry disturbance of the
elements. Fears like those, he said, were unworthy of rational beings,
and none but fools would indulge them, either in themselves or others.
The young ladies might be glad that they had not him to deal with.
"I am!" whispered Janet to her neighbor. "I perfectly agree with him
there."
"What insolence is that Miss Graves?" thundered the Professor. "Repeat
your remark!"
"My remark was that I agreed with you," returned the Queen of Sheba
with spirit—"if you consider that impertinent. Permit me to add, that I
never am guilty of insolence myself, nor do I suffer it from others."
Two or three of the girls looked terribly frightened, but Mr. Hugo only
bowed grimly, and said as the subject of the storm seemed exhausted,
they would now proceed with the lesson.
"What ailed Mr. Hugo?" asked Emily of Delia, after they had returned to
their room. "He was perfectly savage, and I for one was glad that Janet
answered him as she did. I must say I think his insinuations about Mr.
Fletcher were very improper."
"It was uncalled for certainly," said Delia. "No one can deny that Mr.
Fletcher behaved very well. But every one is out of humor sometimes,
and I dare say he had had something to vex him before he came, We must
have our walk to-night, Emily."
Emily was now very unwilling to consent to the scheme, and reminded
Delia of what she had said the night before, but Delia only laughed and
said it was certainly very foolish, as Mr. Hugo said, to be frightened
from one's purpose by a mere disturbance of the elements. It was not
however without a great deal of persuasion, and even an insinuated
threat, that Emily consented, with many misgivings, to accompany Delia
on her stolen expedition.
CHAPTER VIII.
ABOUT half past eleven o'clock, when all was quiet in the house, Delia
and Emily slipped on their frocks and cloaks, and taking a pitcher, to
serve as an excuse if they happened to be caught, they stole quietly
down stairs, and out at the school-room door into the garden. The moon
was full, and shone with extraordinary brilliancy.
Not a sound was to be heard except the babble of the brook, and the
distant barking of a dog; not a mouse seemed to stir in all the long
range of buildings belonging to the Seminary, yet Emily felt strangely
timid, as setting her pitcher on the well, she walked with Delia down
one of the long alleys. She could not help peeping uneasily into every
shadowy nook by the side of the path. The evergreen shrubs took strange
and suspicious shapes; there were unaccountable rustlings in the
hedges, and their footsteps echoed so strangely upon the flags that she
could not help glancing behind her more than once, under the impression
that they were followed by something.
Delia did not seem inclined for conversation, so that Emily had full
leisure to work herself up to the highest state of excitement, and
she nearly screamed aloud when the tall cloaked figure of a man rose
abruptly from behind the group of arbor vitæ bushes, which shaded a
rustic garden seat near the end of the long alley.
Delia grasped her arm hard.
"Hush, you little fool! Don't you see that it is Mr. Hugo?"
"Apparently Miss Emily is timid," remarked Mr. Hugo, seeming by no
means pleased at seeing her. "I think, Delia, you would have been much
wiser to have left her behind. She has clearly no taste for adventure."
"I did not wish to come without a companion," replied Delia. "Emily is
in my confidence, and I have no reason to distrust her."
Mr. Hugo did not seem quite satisfied, and murmured something which was
lost in his overhanging moustache. He then gave his arm to Delia, and
they walked away together, leaving Emily struck dumb with consternation
and shame.
To what a transaction had she made herself a party? It was clearly no
accidental meeting. Delia had contrived the whole affair before hand,
and it was doubtless her failure to meet her engagement of the evening
before, which had put Mr. Hugo so out of temper in the morning. If
she had guessed at the object of this stolen expedition, she thought
she would have refused, at all hazards, to have any participation
in the matter. And yet, what good would that have done? Delia would
have come alone, which would have been much worse, and she might have
precipitated her own disgrace.
She looked anxiously after the promenaders, and felt much relieved to
see that they had reached the limit of the walk and turned back, for at
first she had been in dread of an actual elopement.
She walked up and down uneasily for a while, and then sat down on
the garden seat—that very seat where she had once been accustomed
to come on Sunday afternoons to read her Bible, and tried to enjoy
the prospect. There was the village spread out before her, with its
peaceful homes sleeping in the moonlight, its graceful spires and
towers pointing the way to heaven—nearer lay the still more peaceful
city of the dead, the grave-stones and monuments glistening in the
moonlight, and, conspicuous among them the tall white marble pillar,
surmounted by a cross, which marked that portion of the ground
appropriated to the Seminary. Far away stretched the lake, blue and
beautiful, closed in by high hills, which might almost be called
mountains.
But "all these things pleased not her eye," for it is only to the pure
heart and tranquil spirit that great nature unveils her fair and awful
beauty, and neither of these were Emily's. The wonderful creation might
as well have been a blank for all her enjoyment of its glories, and the
holy quiet of the hour brought her no peace, for there is no peace,
saith God, to the wicked.
For a long, long hour, she sat in the arbor, or walked backward and
forward upon the stones, shivering with the cold, terrified at every
rustle of the branches, and wondering when the conference would be
finished. At last, to her great delight, the pair separated. Mr. Hugo
departed, and was heard softly to close the garden gate, and Delia
returned to her companion, with something in her hand, which she
slipped hastily into her pocket.
"You poor child!" said she, kissing Emily. "What a stupid time you have
had here by yourself. It was too bad to serve you so, but I did not see
how to help it, for come I must, and I dared not come alone."
"If I had had any idea of your object," Emily began, but Delia
interrupted her—
"Do you mean to say that you really had no idea? Did you think I was
going to take all that trouble only for the sake of a walk? Oh, Emily,
what a little goose you are!"
"But how dare you do such a thing? If Mrs. Pomeroy should find you out—"
"Nothing venture, nothing have," said Delia. "Besides, I don't mean
that she shall find me out. I wish I were as sure of another person as
I am of her."
"Who do you mean?"
"Mr. Fletcher! I do fear that man in spite of myself. He never turns
his eyes upon me, but I feel as though he could read me through and
through. I wish he were a thousand miles off. Mr. Hugo fears him as
much as I do, and hates him, too; I believe he would kill him, if he
dared."
"Oh, Delia,—kill Mr. Fletcher!" exclaimed Emily, in horror.
"My dear child, you need not take every word one says so absolutely
literally. I do not suppose he would kill him outright, but he wishes
him out of his way. But come, we must hurry in, and remember if we meet
any one, we have only been out for some water."
They filled their pitcher accordingly, and returned by the same way
they had come out, but on opening the garden door they were confronted
by Miss Thomas, in her wrapper and with a lamp in her hand. Her hair
was decidedly disordered, and the want of her front teeth, which she
had forgotten in her hurry to make sure of the culprits, did not add to
the dignity of her appearance.
"So, Miss Mason!" was her salutation. "I have caught you at last, have
I!"
"So it seems, Miss Thomas," was the cool reply. "But are you not afraid
of taking cold with no shoes or stockings, on these cold floors?"
"Umph!" returned Miss Thomas, rather taken aback by the calmness of
the culprit, whom she had supposed would be too much abashed to utter
a word. "I should like to know what has taken you out at this time of
night?"
"I went to get some water," replied Delia, holding up her pitcher! "It
is against rules I know, but the salt beef made me so thirsty that—"
"That you had to walk up and down the garden for an hour with a
gentlemen," interrupted Miss Thomas. "Go to your room, both of you, and
don't leave it till you have permission. I shall tell Mrs. Pomeroy all
about it, and see what she says to such goings on."
"I propose to tell her the story myself, Miss Thomas," said Delia, with
a dignity which might have become the Queen of Sheba herself. "If I
have committed a fault, I have no intention of concealing it. Meantime,
let me advise you not to make slanderous assertions, which you have no
means of sustaining, lest you get into trouble yourself."
"Go to your room without another word," said the angry teacher. "We
shall see whether I can sustain my accusation or not!"
Delia made no answer, except to shut the door in her face, when she
attempted to enter the room, for the purpose of continuing her lecture.
Emily had not spoken one word. She was no adept at making excuses, and
she perceived that Delia was perfectly competent to sustain the warfare
with Miss Thomas, but her heart sank as she thought of being summoned
to Mrs. Pomeroy's presence on the morrow.
"Oh, Delia, what shall we do now?" were her first words, after the door
had closed upon Miss Thomas and her exhortations. "I don't see but we
are ruined outright."
"We are in a scrape, certainly," replied Delia, beginning to undress.
"But I have been as badly off before, and I think I see my way out."
"That is more than I do," said Emily. "What can we possibly say to Mrs.
Pomeroy? Who would have thought Miss Thomas could see so far?"
"She did not see, she only guessed," returned Delia. "I saw how she
winced when I told her she had no proof. Every one in the house knows
that she is as near-sighted as a bat, besides being old. I shall tell
Mrs. Pomeroy frankly, that after filling our pitcher, we were tempted
by the beauty of the night to take a walk in the garden, and stayed
longer than we intended. Then we shall get a lecture, and a long piece
of French or Latin to learn by heart, and perhaps be forbidden to go
out two or three weeks, and that will be the end of the matter. Miss
Thomas is not such a favorite with Mrs. Pomeroy that she will be a very
partial judge where she is concerned. Oh no, it is not nearly as bad as
you think.
"Dear me, if you knew some of the things the girls used to do at the
Gymnasium—this is not a circumstance. The rules there were ten times
more strict than they are here, and I am sure there was forty times as
much mischief going on. The girls were forbidden even to raise their
eyes when they passed a man in the street, and they were not allowed to
walk in front of the house at all. It was perfectly ridiculous, and did
no good either. But come, dear, go to sleep, and leave the whole to me.
I promise you it shall all go right, yet."
Delia's confidence restored some degree of courage to Emily, though she
could not keep her heart from sinking, as she thought of meeting Mrs.
Pomeroy's eye in the morning. Of that other Eye, from which no secrets
are hid, she had almost ceased to think. She had silenced the voice of
conscience so long and so determinedly, that the inward monitor now
seldom made itself heard, though there was all the time a dull, heavy
pain pressing on her heart, and paralyzing her energies. She turned and
tossed, and finally fell into an unquiet slumber, which seemed to have
lasted only a few minutes, when the rising bell rung, and reminded her
of all that was before her.
As the girls were forbidden to leave their rooms, they did not go down
to breakfast. No sooner were prayers over, than the monitress appeared
with the much dreaded summons to attend Mrs. Pomeroy in the library.
Why is it, that the study or the library must always be the place of
fear in every boarding school? So it almost invariably is, and so it
was at Mrs. Pomeroy's, and few were they who entered its precincts
on any special summons without a shudder. The lady principal now sat
enthroned in awful state upon her velvet covered chair, dignified as
usual, but evidently somewhat ruffled. Near her sat Miss Thomas, her
cheeks flushed, and her little black eyes sparkling, clearly not in a
very sweet humor.
"Good morning, young ladies," said Mrs. Pomeroy, with dignity. "Be
pleased to sit down."
The girls curtseyed, and obeyed in silence, and she proceeded. "I am
sorry to say, I am informed by Miss Thomas of great misconduct upon
your part. I am told that you, or one of you, was walking in the garden
at a late hour last night, and in very improper company." She paused a
moment, and then went on. "It would be much better for you to confess
your fault at once, than to make any attempt to conceal it."
"I have no desire for concealment, Mrs. Pomeroy," answered Delia,
respectfully, "nor has Emily. That we did very wrong, I acknowledge,
and I am ready to tell you the whole story, as I should have done to
Miss Thomas last night, but she did not seem disposed to listen."
"How dare you—" began Miss Thomas, but Mrs. Pomeroy waived her hand.
"Allow me, Miss Thomas—Proceed, Delia. I presume you speak for your
companion, as well as for yourself."
"I do," said Delia. "Emily and I both ate a good deal of dried beef for
tea, which made us very thirsty. We had no water in the room except the
cistern water, which, you know, is not quite fit to drink at present."
"It is true!" assented Mrs. Pomeroy. "The cisterns are to be cleaned
to-day, but go on, my dear."
"My dear," was always a sign of approaching fine weather with Mrs.
Pomeroy.
Miss Thomas moved uneasily in her chair, and Delia went on modestly,
but steadily.
"I proposed to Emily, that rather than suffer from thirst all night,
we should go down and get some water. We should have asked permission,
but it was late, and Miss Thomas was asleep, and knowing how much she
has lately suffered from toothache, we were unwilling to disturb her.
So we put on our clothes and went down as quietly as we could, and when
we got out, the night was so fine that we were tempted to take a ramble
in the garden. We got talking down by the arbor, and stayed out longer
than we intended. It was very wrong, and we are ready to apologize, and
submit to the penalty. I am sure, Emily, I may speak for you as well as
myself."
Emily, who had hidden her face in her handkerchief; murmured assent.
"But Miss Thomas declares, that standing at her bed-room window, she
saw you walking up and down the garden with a gentleman," said Mrs.
Pomeroy. "How was that?"
"Courage!" thought Delia. "If she came no nearer than the bed-room
window, we are safe and she has cornered herself." Such was her
thought, but she answered as modestly as before—
"If I might be permitted to ask Miss Thomas a few questions, without
being considered disrespectful—"
"Certainly," said Mrs. Pomeroy, as she paused for a reply. "It is but
just that you should have every opportunity of defending yourself."
"Will Miss Thomas please to tell me how many people she saw walking in
the garden, from her bed-room window?"
"I saw two people," said Miss Thomas.
"That is to say, myself or Emily, and a gentleman in a cloak."
"Of course!" returned the teacher, evidently much irritated by Delia's
questions, and her studiedly respectful manner. "A gentleman in a long
cloak. Have you done?"
"Not quite," replied Delia, in the same even tone. "Will you have the
goodness, Miss Thomas, to read, from where you are sitting the third
row of figures upon that blackboard?" Pointing to one which had been
used in a recitation, and left with the figures upon it.
"Nonsense!" said Miss Thomas, coloring deeply, and looking just ready
to explode with anger. "I shall do no such thing."
Delia looked at Mrs. Pomeroy, and was delighted to see the first dawn
of a smile on her countenance. She began to see what Delia was aiming
at, and could not help being amused at her ingenuity.
"Read the figures, if you please, Miss Thomas," said she mildly. "What
possible objection can you have to doing so? They are very plainly
written."
"I can't see them," said Miss Thomas, bursting out at last. "I cannot
tell one line from another, at this distance, and you know I can't."
"I have but little more to say," continued Delia, without manifesting
any triumph at the success of her experiment. "Miss Thomas says that
she only two people walking in the garden, and we have both confessed
to being there. She cannot see to read a line of large white figures
on a black ground at the distance of four yards, so it is no great
wonder that she should mistake poor Emily, in her long black cloak and
fur cap, for a gentleman, especially as she seemed to have made up her
mind that there must be a beau in the case, any how. I do not mean to
say any thing disrespectful, but I must say I think she should furnish
herself with more substantial proofs, before bringing such accusations
against young ladies of good character. I do not think either my
father, or Emily's, would be at all pleased to think that we had been
subjected to such suspicions."
Delia spoke with a propriety and dignity which might have prepossessed
the sternest judge in her favor, and the apparently free confession
of her real fault, had great weight with Mrs. Pomeroy, who valued
frankness above all things. Miss Thomas' defective vision was well
known to every one, notwithstanding the absurd pains she took to
conceal it. She was, moreover, extremely suspicious in her temperament,
and apt to draw conclusions from what she imagined, than from what she
really saw; and consequently her word had less weight with Mrs. Pomeroy
than that of any other teacher in the school. This being the case, Mrs.
Pomeroy was quite willing to give the girls the benefit of the doubt
which evidently existed, and consider the whole matter as nothing more
than a girlish frolic. So she gave them due praise for their openness,
and a kind admonition to do better in future, appointed them an act of
Athalie to learn by heart, (she always gave punishment lessons out of
Athalie), and dismissed them to their duties. Emily was crying too much
to speak, but Delia said, and this time with real feeling:
"You are very kind, Mrs. Pomeroy. I shall try to act in such a manner,
in future, that you shall never regret your goodness to me to-day. Miss
Thomas, I am sorry that I spoke disrespectfully to you last evening,
and I beg your pardon."
Miss Thomas received this apology with a kind of snort, making no other
reply, but the moment the door closed behind the girls, she opened her
fire upon Mrs. Pomeroy.
"So this is the reward I get for my faithfulness in your behalf,
ma'am—losing my rest, and endangering my health, to be browbeaten and
put down in your very presence, ma'am, by those who can pull the wool
over your eyes by a few fine speeches. But this is the last time I
shall expose myself in your service—" She paused for lack of breath.
"You are exposing yourself now, without doing any one service, least of
all, yourself," answered Mrs. Pomeroy, calmly. "I appreciate your good
qualities, Miss Thomas, and desire to bear with your infirmities—"
"Infirmities! ma'am—infirmities. I should beg respectfully to know what
they are? I know I am a sinful mortal, of course, like every one else,
but I should like to know what fault you, or any one else, have to find
with me?"
"But I must beg to remind you, that I am always accustomed to be
mistress in my own house," pursued Mrs. Pomeroy, with a slight smile.
"As to your implied threat of leaving, you are at liberty to fulfil
it at any day or hour you choose, though I should advise you to think
well, before taking such a step, where you are likely to meet with
another engagement. The clock is striking ten, and my history class
will be in directly. I advise you to go to your room, and endeavor to
compose yourself before returning to the school-room!"
Miss Thomas obeyed, determined at first to seek another home, without
delay, but before dinner, cool reflection came, and convinced her that
she had better be quiet. Not one person in twenty, she well knew, would
have as much patience with her as her present principal, to whom she
was at heart deeply attached, and, as Mrs. Pomeroy had hinted, another
engagement would probably not be attainable at that time of the year.
So she swallowed her resentment, apologized for her violence, and fell
again into her usual train of school duties.
"Well," said Emily, after they had reached their room, "we really have
got off a good deal better than I expected. I never believed that even
you could have managed matters so cleverly, though, after all, that
French lesson is no joke. It will take all our play time for ever so
long."
"I think you might be thankful that there was nothing worse," said
Delia. "Mrs. Pomeroy was so kind, and so ready to believe me, that it
made me feel more ashamed than ever I did before in my life, to think
she should trust me, when I was deceiving her so. When a person is
always watching and spying, and seems to take pleasure in finding one
out in mischief, as Miss Thomas does, I don't at all mind setting my
wits against her, but I must say, I could not help feeling very mean
and contemptible, in my own mind, to think of the confidence I was
betraying."
"What can you think of Mr. Hugo then?" Emily ventured to ask. "I am
sure he is betraying Mrs. Pomeroy's confidence in the very worst way
possible."
"I know it," said Delia in a low voice, and after a little silence, she
continued: "I thought of that very thing this morning, and what surety
have I that he will not serve me in the same way?"
"Oh, Delia, if you would only think so," exclaimed Emily overjoyed.
"If you would only give him up! Then the whole thing would be past and
gone, and we should be so happy."
"You might be happy, but I never could," returned Delia, shaking her
head. "There is the trouble of playing with edge tools! I cared for
nothing but the fun at first, but it is very different now." She walked
to the window as she spoke, and stood a few minutes looking out. "But
I might refuse to have any more secret meetings or correspondence with
him," said she presently returning. "I shall leave school pretty soon,
and then there will be nothing to prevent the affair going on openly.
I have property of my own, left me by my mother, and there will be
nothing to prevent his marrying, if we are so disposed."
"I don't believe you would be," said Emily. "You would feel differently
by that time."
"Possibly!" returned Delia. She mused for some time, and then said
suddenly, "That is what I will do, Emily. I am resolved. I must see him
once more to tell him of my determination, and after that I will have
nothing more to do with the matter for the present. He will be very
angry, I know, and I cannot blame him, but I cannot help it."
"Then you ought to give him back his presents and his letters," said
Emily, anxious to bring the whole affair to a conclusion at once.
"Of course!" said Delia. "And so I will. We agreed to burn each other's
letters, and so they are disposed of, but I will return the ring and
bracelet, and the book he gave me last night."
She rose as she spoke, and took down the dress she had worn the evening
before, but on putting her hand into the pocket, it was empty. The book
was gone!
"What is the matter?" asked Emily surprised and terrified at Delia's
sudden change of countenance. "What has happened?"
"I have lost that book," said Delia, sitting down in the chair that
Emily hastily placed for her. "I must have dropped it, instead of
putting it into my pocket. If it is found, I am ruined."
"What was the book?" asked Emily. "Was your name in it?"
"I don't even know the title of it," replied Delia, "nor whether my
name was in it or not. He gave it to me and told me to read it. How
careless I was! What shall I do?"
"I don't see that you can do any thing just now," said Emily after some
consideration. "If you dropped it on the walk, or in the arbor, it
must have been found long before this time. If your name is not in it,
you are not obliged to know any thing about it, since you can say with
truth that you never read even the title."
"Upon my word, Emily, for a young lady who was afraid to tell even a
white lie a few months ago, that is a pretty fine calculation. I should
say you had made pretty good progress in your education."
"If I have, you are the very last person to reproach me with it," said
Emily, with bitterness. "I am your pupil, and you have spared no pains
to teach me, either by precept or example."
"We will neither of us reproach the other, Emily. If I have harmed you,
you have done as much for me. I believe Lucy Spencer and Mr. Fletcher
would have converted me before this time, if your example had not
always been before my eyes, to show me how much religious professions
are worth. But as I said, reproaches are useless. I have now only to
await my fate with as much philosophy as I can."
"Don't give up in despair," said Emily. "I will go out and look as soon
as the French class is dismissed, and it is possible after all that I
may find it. You need not go."
"Thank you, but there would be more risk than good in doing so. Most
likely some one has found it before this time, and the very fact of
your being seen searching for any thing will excite suspicion."
"But I really did lose something yesterday, Delia—a lead pencil with an
ivory head. If any one asks me a question, I can say I am looking for
that."
"Just as you please," was the reply, "but don't accuse me of asking
you to tell lies for me. I don't mean to be ungracious, dear, but I am
so tired and sick of the whole concern. I shall manage to see Mr. Hugo
when class is out, and do you wait for me up here. Heigho! I wish it
was over. I know he will be so angry."
As soon as class was over, Delia approached Mr. Hugo with a paper,
and requested him to look over and correct a French letter, which she
had been writing to a former schoolmate. He took the hint at once,
dismissed the other young ladies, and Emily went up to her room to
dispose of her books.
She could not help hoping that the worst of her troubles was over.
Delia was evidently heartily sick of the part she had been playing
and seriously desirous of throwing it up. The loss of the book was
unfortunate, but after all her name might not be in it, and then no one
need know to whom it had belonged. She put on her bonnet and went down
to the garden, which she found quite deserted, for the morning was raw
and cold. She was walking slowly along, looking carefully on each side
the path, when she almost ran against some one, and looking up, she
beheld Mr. Fletcher. She would rather have seen almost any one else.
"What are you searching for, Emily?" said he, rather sternly.
"For my pencil, sir," replied Emily, quietly, for she had, as Delia
remarked, made great progress in the art of lying. "I think I dropped
it here, yesterday, when I was walking and here it is, sure enough,"
she added, stooping down and picking it up. "It lies between the stones
as nicely as if it had been put there for safe keeping."
She turned to go into the house, but Mr. Fletcher detained her.
"Do you know any thing about this book?" he asked, holding up a small
volume elegantly gilded and ornamented, which he took from his pocket.
"No sir, I never saw it before," replied Emily. So far as words went,
she spoke truth, for she had never seen the book at all. "What is it?"
"It is a book I should be very sorry to see in the hands of any young
lady in this school," replied Mr. Fletcher, holding out the volume as
if it had been a cock-roach, or something worse. "It is a French novel,
of the very worst class. I cannot conceive who should have brought such
a thing here."
"Is there no name in it?" asked Emily, trembling at her own boldness in
putting the question.
"None whatever, but quite a tender inscription, as though it had been
presented to some one. Grip found it under one of the currant bushes,
and brought it to me in his mouth. I only hope it won't poison him."
"Mr. Hugo often walks in the garden, between the classes," Emily
ventured to suggest. "Perhaps it belongs to him!"
"Perhaps so!" said Mr. Fletcher, putting the offending volume in his
pocket again. "If so, I must give him a hint not to sow such poisonous
weeds in our grounds."
He detained her a moment with some remarks as to the propriety of
carefulness in reading, and then went into the house, followed by
Cornelius Agrippa, who certainly showed no signs of being poisoned.
With a light heart, Emily returned to her room, where she found Delia
standing by the window, apparently absorbed looking out.
"Good news, Delia!" she exclaimed, joyfully. "The book is found, but
no harm is done. Grip discovered it, and carried it to his master, but
there is no name in it, and Mr. Fletcher has not the least suspicion,
except that he thinks it may belong to Mr. Hugo. So don't let us
trouble ourselves any more about that."
Delia turned round, as Emily spoke. She was ashy pale, and seemed
unable to speak, though she tried, but as Emily went up to her in
alarm, she put her arm round her neck, and laying her head on her
shoulder, burst into a passionate fit of weeping. It was the first time
Emily had ever seen her shed a tear.
CHAPTER IX.
IT was some moments before Delia became composed enough to speak at
all, so that Emily had time to imagine every conceivable misfortune,
before she found out the real state of the case. At last Delia
recovered herself by a strong effort.
"It is all useless, Emily. I can do nothing! I am entirely in his
power, and must do just as he, says. Oh, why was I ever such a fool as
to listen to him!"
"But how is it?" asked Emily. "I don't understand."
"You know I told you we had agreed to burn each other's letters."
Emily nodded.
"Do you believe he has kept all mine, every one of them and they are
all signed with my name. He declares if I drop the correspondence now,
he will publish them to all the world, and that, with other things I
have done, would ruin me forever."
"I don't know what else you have done, except meeting him in the
garden."
"That is enough, and more than enough for his purpose, even if it were
all, but there is more than that. It is not the first time."
"The villain!" exclaimed Emily, indignantly. "He deserves to be hung!"
"You are too hard upon him, Emily. He would never have thought of it,
if I had not encouraged him in the first place. He complains that I
have trifled with him outrageously, which is true enough, and says I am
bound to him in all honor."
"I should think there could be very little honor in such a case," said
Emily, "especially as he broke his word in not destroying your letters."
"He says that he did not understand the agreement to destroy them,
which may be true, and that he shall not make any use of them, unless I
drive him to it. And you must remember that I have been quite as much
to blame as he, and more so."
"And is there no way?" asked Emily.
"No way, but to let the matter run to its close. I have made my bed,
and now I must lie upon it."
"But cannot something be done? Oh, Delia, let me tell Mrs. Pomeroy, or
Mr. Fletcher! They are so kind. I am sure that you have no reason to
fear them! Just think how good she was this morning!"
Delia shook her head. "You don't know. A frolic in the garden is a very
different thing from such a matter as this. Besides it would lose Mr.
Hugo his place, and I have no right to do that. No, Emily, you must not
say one word. I wish with all my heart and soul that I had never drawn
you into it. I might have been content with my own share of wickedness,
without making you as bad as myself."
"You did not hurt me," said Emily. "I never had any principle. I can
see it now. It was all feeling, and doing as other people did. But do
let me do something for you, dear, I don't mind my own disgrace at all,
if I can only help you."
"You are very kind, Emily, but it would be of no use. You would only
hurt yourself, and not help me. Don't cry for me, darling, I am not
worth it. Let us get ready for dinner. We have a good excuse for red
eyes, that is one thing. But how pale you are. Don't you feel well?"
"No!" said Emily. "My head aches, and I have such pains in my limbs
that I can hardly help screaming. I think I must have taken cold last
night."
"I don't feel any the worse," said Delia, "but then I kept in motion,
and you were sitting most of the time on that cold stone bench. How
selfish I was! You ought to hate me, Emily, for I have done you nothing
but harm ever since I knew you. I almost wish you did."
"I don't!" replied Emily. "I love you dearly, and as to going out, it
was as much my fault as yours. I proposed it in the first place, when
we were walking in the afternoon."
"It was all arranged long before that," said Delia, "and I should have
gone at any rate. But come, there is the bell. Miss Thomas will be
quite satisfied with our state of minds I think," she added, looking
in the glass. "You know she always measures the girls penitence by the
redness of their eyes and noses."
Emily could not laugh, as she usually did, at Delia's jests.
Delia noticed her gravity, and, said, "We may as well laugh as cry, you
know, as long as we cannot help ourselves."
"I don't know that," replied Emily, "I know I don't feel very much like
laughing. Oh, that pain again! It seems as though it would take my life
away."
"Perhaps you will feel better after dinner." remarked Delia. "Do try to
keep up, if you can. I believe I should go mad, if you should be taken
seriously ill."
Emily did try, and managed to sit up till the middle of the afternoon,
when she was overcome by pains and giddiness, and obliged to lie
down. She made a heroic endeavor to rise when the tea bell rang, but
the effort brought on such excruciating pain, that it was with much
difficulty she repressed a scream.
Delia perceived that something serious was the matter, and that Emily
ought to receive immediate attention. She called Mrs. Pomeroy, and
Mrs. Pomeroy called the doctor, who pronounced that Miss Arlington was
laboring under a severe attack of rheumatic fever.
"We must have her moved over to the sickroom before she grows so much
worse as to make it impossible," said Mrs. Pomeroy to Delia, who stood
by, looking the picture of misery, but perfectly silent unless spoken
to. "Poor child, that moonlight walk has cost her dear."
"It has, indeed," replied Delia, bitterly, but she said no more.
The transit was not accomplished without extreme suffering upon Emily's
part, and she shrieked more than once, notwithstanding her efforts at
fortitude.
All that night, and for many succeeding nights and days, she suffered
agonies almost beyond endurance. Her mind wandered at times, and then
she talked incessantly of her home life, but curiously enough, she
made no allusion to any thing which had happened at school. When her
reason returned, and she found she had been wandering, she showed great
anxiety and distress, and asked with much earnestness what she had
talked about, but seemed relieved when she was assured that she had
said nothing that any one could understand.
At last the fever was subdued, but it left her so weak that it seemed
for many days as though her life hung upon a thread. Delia would gladly
have devoted her whole time to nursing, but her presence seemed to
excite Emily so much, that at last it was deemed best for her not to
enter the room at all.
Delia wept bitterly when she heard of the prohibition, but she made no
objection in words. Indeed, she did not seem to speak at all, if she
could help it. All the girls noticed how sad and reserved she was, but
her depression was naturally laid to the account of Emily's danger and
suffering.
"How much feeling Delia shows," said Belle Faushane, one day, to Alice
Parker. "I never before gave her credit for caring for any one but
herself. It shows how wrong it is to judge any one so severely."
"Delia is very different from what she used to be," observed Alice.
"I should not wonder if Emily's loss should be the means of her
conversion."
"Her loss—what do you mean?" asked Belle, startled. "You don't think
Emily is going to die?"
"I believe she will," said Alice. "I was in to see her a moment this
afternoon, and I never saw any one look more like it. She is so weak
that she cannot speak above a whisper, and I do not see that she gains
at all."
"But the fever is subdued," argued Belle, "and that is the great thing.
I heard Dr. J. tell Mrs. Pomeroy that he was very much encouraged about
her."
"Doctors always say so," said Alice, "so that is nothing. For my part,
if I were in her place, I would rather it should be so than not. I
am sure there is very little in this world worth living for," she
added, sighing as usual,—"nothing but sin and sorrow and all sorts of
trials—there is nothing to tempt one to stay here longer than one can
help."
"Well I don't know!" said Belle. "I think there is a good deal about it
that is pleasant too—at least I should suppose there ought to be."
"Ought to be!" repeated Alice. "Why?"
"Who made the world?" asked Belle gravely.
"God made the world of course," was the reply, "nobody doubts that."
"And He orders all things in it, and arranges all its affairs and ours,
according to the counsel of his wisdom and goodness—in other words by
His Providence.—Does he?"
"Certainly," replied Alice. "What of it?"
"A good deal of it, I think," said Belle. "If God made the world and
all things in it, he must have made it as He thought right, and I
should think what was good enough for Him, ought to be good enough for
you."
Alice looked a little startled by this view of the case. "But you
cannot deny there are a great many trials in this life!"
"I don't wish to deny it," replied Belle. "God sends us trials and
cares no doubt, but it is because they are needful for us, and we ought
to take them in that way."
"It is easy for one to talk who has never suffered," said Alice. "You
don't know any thing about trouble, Belle."
"That does not affect the argument," said Belle. "Either He sends us
sorrow because it is good for us, or He does not. The Bible says that
all things work together for good to them that love Him, and if that is
true, and I suppose you won't dispute it, it appears to me that when
God gives us a lesson, we ought to learn it cheerfully, even though it
is a pretty hard one, and not fret over it, like Almira Crosby over a
French verb."
"I don't mean to distrust God," said Alice, somewhat vexed, "and I
don't think I do. I am sure if I am willing to entrust Him with my
eternal salvation—"
"You ought to be willing to trust Him with your temporal prosperity,"
interrupted Belle, finishing the sentence for her. "I think so too; but
it appears to me that in the view you take of life, you seem to say in
effect, that you are willing to trust God to dispose of the concerns
of eternity, but as for those of time, you would prefer to manage them
yourself. But I don't think that is very consistent either, for if you
don't like His arrangements here, it is very possible that you may not
like them any better in Heaven; so that you have no better prospect
than that of going on fretting to all eternity."
Alice seemed a good deal struck with this view of the case, but she
said again: "You don't know how I am situated, Belle."
"I know that your situation is an uncomfortable and difficult one,"
replied Belle, "but then I know too that God placed you there, and I
don't imagine that He would have done so, unless He had had some work
in that particular place which you could do better than anyone else. I
don't believe He makes any mistakes in His appointments."
"I am sure I never found out what it was," observed Alice rather
peevishly.
"Perhaps you never tried," said Belle.
Alice looked rather hurt. "What should you say was my work," she asked.
"I should say part of it was to cultivate a cheerful temper, and try
to make your religion attractive by that means," replied Belle. "What
use is there in your talking to the girls about the power of religion
to make them happy, when they see you crying half the time, and moping
the other half? I think they may be excused for not believing it, when
they have such an example before their eyes. I don't mean to hurt your
feelings, Alice, but I must say I think your continued low spirits are
a reproach to the cause you advocate, as well as a great injury to
yourself. I dare say Lucy would have said all this a great deal better
than I have done, but it is true, and I think you will see it so if you
give it a little consideration."
The days wore on, and Emily improved slowly, and grew able to be moved
without pain, and then to sit up a little, and be amused with reading
or conversation for a little while at a time. The girls were only too
ready to give her their company, and Mrs. Pomeroy was obliged to make
a law that no more than two should be admitted at once. Lucy and Belle
were perhaps the most frequent visitors, next to Delia, who now spent
some hours of every day with her.
Belle's prattle was always amusing, and she was the first person who
succeeded in making Emily laugh. Lucy's sweet cheerfulness brought
sunshine every where, so it is no wonder that she was a desirable
visitor in the sick room. Delia's depression instead of lightening with
the progress of her friend's recovery, seemed to grow deeper and deeper
every day. She would read aloud to Emily for hours, but she seldom
spoke unless she was directly addressed, and then she would converse
only on the most indifferent topics. Yet her affection for Emily seemed
undiminished, and she never parted from her without a kiss and embrace
as passionate as though she never expected to see her again.
Mr. Fletcher had returned Mr. Hugo his book with an expression of
disgust which seemed to surprise and rather amuse the learned Professor.
"What harm, mon ami? It is not perhaps exactly the book one would
circulate among the young ladies, though I believe the sweet darlings
are not all such innocent angels, either,—but it is a choice book for
all that, and will not harm either you or me."
"I do not agree with you," answered Mr. Fletcher coldly. "Such moral
pitch cannot be touched by any one without danger of defilement. I
profess no immunity from such contagion."
"Eh bien! What signify these grand airs of virtue when we are by
ourselves?" asked Mr. Hugo contemptuously. "Better to keep them for
Madam's benefit."
Mr. Fletcher looked at the gentleman as though he were resisting a
strong impulse to turn him out of the room, but he made no response.
And Mr. Hugo, finding that he was not invited to sit down, departed,
muttering between his teeth, something which did not sound like a
compliment. Mr. Fletcher walked up and down his room for some time,
apparently deep in thought, and then taking his hat and cane, and
whistling to Grip, he went out, and took his way straight to the
telegraph office, where he remained for a considerable time.
It was now the first week in April, and Emily was so far recovered as
to be able to sit up part of the day, and had taken two or three little
walks from the bed to her chair, and from her chair to the window,
though she still could not step without assistance. Mrs. Pomeroy and
the Doctor prophesied that she would be about again, before warm
weather came on, and she herself began to be encouraged and hopeful,
and to form plans about commencing her studies by little and little.
She had been talking over all these matters with Delia one afternoon,
or rather she had been talking and Delia listening, for she seemed to
have given up conversation altogether herself.
"Mrs. Pomeroy says I may begin to read a little Latin with Mr. Fletcher
to-morrow, and that you may come and read with me, instead of going
into class. Won't it be nice to have him all to ourselves?"
"Very!" replied Delia compelling herself to attend, as Emily seemed to
wait for an answer. "Mrs. Pomeroy is always kind. I only wish I had
made her a better return for all her goodness."
"But I am sure you have been very good lately," said Emily. "Mrs.
Pomeroy said herself that she had never seen any one improve more. She
said she only wished she could see you in better spirits, and that she
must talk with you, and find out what the matter was. Oh, Delia, if you
would only tell her the whole story!"
"I do wish with all my heart I had done so at the time you were taken
sick," said Delia. "I came very near it, and if there had been no
one but myself to suffer, I believe I should have ventured it. But I
thought he would lose his place and be left without resources. Let me
give you one piece of advice, Emily, perhaps it is the last, I may over
give you, and I should like to think I had done one good thing for you.
When you see your duty, go straight-forward and do it, without stopping
to calculate the consequences, and don't tell a lie, to save yourself
from any danger or trouble. Straight-forward, is the only right way."
There was something in Delia's manner which startled Emily very much,
and she was just about asking a question, when two or three of the
girls came in with their hands full of early wild flowers, all eager to
give Emily an account of the "splendid ramble" Mr. Fletcher had given
them, and Delia slipped out without giving an opportunity for any more
conversation. But the words and the tone in which they were uttered
recurred to Emily's mind many times during the day.
She could not help feeling that matters were drawing towards some
great catastrophe, and she resolved to make at least one more effort
to induce Delia at least to try to escape from the toils in which she
seemed to think herself so hopelessly involved.
Emily was now so much better that it was not thought necessary for any
one to sleep in the room with her, and as she was rather nervous and
easily disturbed, she preferred to be alone at night. This particular
night she felt wakeful and thoughtful. The wind blew, and the rain
dashed against the windows, bringing vividly back to her mind the night
of the thunder storm—the last evening but one that she had been in the
school-room. How long ago it seemed!
Since then she had been near to death's door, and God had mercifully
spared her—spared her she hoped, to repentance and reformation. She had
fully made up her mind, to make a full confession of her own fault,
whatever might be the consequences, and she had only delayed, hoping
to persuade Delia to join her. She felt more than ever the truth of
the remark she had made to Delia, before her illness, namely, that she
had never possessed any religious principles. Feelings she had had in
abundance, but no settled rules of action.
She prayed earnestly for guidance—for forgiveness for the past and
strength for the future—above all for poor Delia, whom she loved more
tenderly than ever.
It was growing late, and the storm seemed subsiding, when she thought
she heard some one moving about the house. She raised herself upon her
elbow and listened. Some one was already walking very gently through
the long hall. Probably Mrs. Pomeroy had come out to see that all the
windows were closed before retiring herself. She sank down upon her
pillow again, and prepared to compose herself to rest, when the door
opened, and some one entered the room, closing it after her with great
care, as though she feared to be overheard.
It was Delia! She was deadly pale, except a little spot of red in each
cheek. She wore her travelling dress and bonnet and a thick veil, and
carried a satchel on her arm. She came to the bed-side and kissed
Emily, who was at first too much paralyzed with wonder and fear to
speak. But as Delia turned to depart, she found words, and catching her
dress to detain her, she gasped rather than spoke:
"What does this mean? Where are you going at this time of night, and in
this storm?"
"I am going to my fate, whatever it is," replied Delia in a whisper
which had more of despair in its tones than many a shrill scream of
anguish. "I have risked a great deal to see you once more, but I felt
that I must bid you good-bye. You may tell Mrs. Pomeroy every thing
to-morrow. I have left a letter for her on my table, and something for
you. God bless you, Emily, whatever becomes of me." She kissed Emily
again, and would have gone, but Emily still held her.
"But what—what is it?"
"I am going to be married to Mr. Hugo. We shall leave here in the
twelve o'clock train. I will write to you from the first stopping
place."
She forcibly extricated her dress from Emily's grasp, and as the door
closed behind her, Emily sank back insensible. How long she remained so
she did not know, but she recovered her senses at last, and collecting
her thoughts with a desperate effort, she turned up the gas, and looked
at her watch. It wanted yet ten minutes to twelve, but she knew that
the railroad time was faster than hers, and the train might be—probably
was—already gone.
No matter! There was a chance, a bare chance it was true, but still a
chance of saving her friend, and she must try it at all hazards. She
must call Mrs. Pomeroy, and tell her the whole story. As she came to
this resolution, she fancied she heard the whistle of the train, and
without stopping to put on even her shoes, she ran through the halls
and knocked at Mrs. Pomeroy's door.
Mrs. Pomeroy was up, and she opened the door at the first summons,
greatly wondering who beside herself could be awake at this hour, for
she generally out-watched every one in the house but Mr. Fletcher. Her
astonishment was changed to terror, as she beheld Emily bare-footed and
in her night-dress—as she said afterward, it was the nearest she had
ever come to seeing a ghost.
"Good heavens, my child, what is the matter?" she exclaimed.
"Oh, Mrs. Pomeroy, save Delia!" was the burned reply. "Do not stop a
moment, or it will be too late. Never mind me. Oh, do go!" she repeated
in agony.
"But what is it, love? You must have been dreaming. Delia has been safe
in bed these two hours."
"No, no!" replied Emily, exerting herself to speak intelligibly, as she
saw that she was not understood. "She has gone away with Mr. Hugo. She
came to bid me good-bye, and he was waiting for her outside. I heard
him whistle. I know she did not want to go, but she was afraid of him.
I will tell you all about it, but oh, do hurry! There may be time."
Mrs. Pomeroy could think faster than about any person in the world, and
her calmness increased always in proportion to the emergency. "Delia
must be saved, and if possible without exposure," that was her first
idea. The next thought was for Emily. She took her up like an infant
and laid her in her own bed, and having partially calmed her by a hasty
assurance that all should be well, she descended to seek Mr. Fletcher,
who was famous for keeping late hours, and whom she expected to find
ready dressed. There was a light burning in his rooms, which opened
upon the piazza, and Grip was lying upon the sofa, but Mr. Fletcher
was not there, and his cap and cloak were no where to be seen. He had
evidently gone out.
"Just like him!" said the good lady much disappointed and vexed. "A
storm that would keep any other man within doors only seems to offer
him an additional inducement to go out. What shall I do now?"
Even as she spoke however, she heard his step on the wet gravel and
hastened to the door to meet him. But we must now follow our fugitives.
Delia sat alone in the large empty waiting room at the station, closely
veiled, and shrinking from observation every time the only official
person then about the establishment cast his eyes towards her. The
misgivings had grown more and more intense ever since she left the
house, and her feelings now amounted almost to agony, but she saw no
escape, for even if she should insist upon returning to the house, she
could not get in, as she had fastened behind her the door from which
she had made her escape, nor was it very likely that Mr. Hugo would
permit her to do so. He had treated her harshly more than once of late,
and given way to such fits of rage, as made her tremble before him. She
had not consented to the elopement without a severe struggle, and she
would have given her right hand to be able to retreat, but it seemed
now too late.
Mr. Hugo, who had been talking to the man in the ticket office now
returned to her, looking anything but well pleased.
"The train is behind time, Delia," said he. "There has been an
accident, and it will not be here for three or four hours—perhaps not
till morning. Ah, ma chere, when we are once in France, I will show
you very different arrangements from these. But we can never wait that
length of time."
"Oh let us go back!" said Delia complainingly. "Let us give it up."
"It is rather too late for that, my timid beauty," returned her
companion with a smile, which certainly did not add much to the
attractiveness of his features. "Even if you care for nothing else,
you must remember that I have risked much for your sake, and I am not
likely to give up my prize now that have it fairly in my hands. No,
we will not give it up, but we will procure a carriage, and go on to
the next station, where we can wait in comparative safety. I go to
seek one. Meantime you will remain here. I have told our friend in the
office that you are a lady slightly insane, whom I am conveying to her
friends, so he will have an eye to your safety."
He smiled again and departed, leaving Delia overwhelmed with terror and
despair. She thought at first that she would run home at all hazards,
but she saw the baggage master watching her, and she dared not attempt
it. He believed her insane, and even if she told him her story, he
would not believe her. She covered her face with her hands, and burst
into tears of agony, but at that moment, a strong hand was laid on her
arm, and a familiar voice said, "Delia!"
She looked up in amazement. There stood Mr. Fletcher, wrapped in his
long dark cloak, his black hair dripping with the rain, and his eyes
like blazing fires!
"Delia," he repeated, "what are you doing here?"
Delia had once feared Mr. Fletcher more than any other living being,
but now he seemed to her like an angel sent from Heaven to her rescue.
She threw herself at his feet, and exclaimed, "Oh, Mr. Fletcher, save
me, take me home!"
Mr. Fletcher raised her without a word, drew her shawl around her, and
taking her arm within his, prepared to leave the room, when the baggage
master interfered—"What's the case, Mr. Fletcher? Anything wrong? The
French gentleman said the lady was crazy."
"The French gentleman is a scoundrel, and you may tell him I say so,"
was Mr. Fletcher's reply. "This lady is under my protection, and you
know me."
"All right!" returned the baggage master, as if it were all in the
ordinary course of business. "I am glad you came in, for I had begun
to suspect something wrong. One of the seminary girls, I suppose," he
continued to himself, as the pair left the room. "The rascal! I should
like to give him a thrashing myself."
In about ten minutes, Mr. Hugo returned. His surprise and wrath at
finding Delia gone, may be imagined.
[Illustration: "Oh! Mr. Fletcher, save me!"]
"Where is the lady, sir?" he asked in rather a threatening manner,
approaching the baggage master, who was a herculean fellow, with a
clear blue eye, and that peculiar coolness of manner which is rather
apt to characterize railroad men. "What has become of the lady?"
"The crazy lady?" asked the other, with a slight elevation of the
eyebrows, but without removing his hands from his pockets. "She might
have stepped into the other room. You can see if you like."
Mr. Hugo opened the door, but no lady was there, and he returned more
wrathful than ever.
"Where is the lady?" he reiterated, absolutely foaming with rage. "What
have you done with her?"
"Mr.," said Mr. Brown, "I hav'nt done anything with her myself, but a
gentleman of my acquaintance called and took her away. She seemed glad
enough to go, poor thing. He said it was all right, and left a message
to you."
"What message, you villain?" demanded the enraged Frenchman.
"He said you were a scoundrel," said Mr. Brown, adding an expletive
which certainly Mr. Fletcher had never made use of, "and I am much of
that opinion myself."
Mr. Hugo shook his fist in the man's face.
The baggage master took his hands out of his pockets, and in another
moment, the professor found himself sprawling on his face in a mud
puddle outside the station room door.
Meantime Mr. Fletcher pursued his way homeward, walking rapidly and
almost carrying Delia, who could scarcely support herself, and stumbled
continually. He did not speak, except to encourage her as she looked
back evidently in deadly fear of being pursued. Her hands grew lighter,
as the distance between them and the station increased, and when they
reached the seminary gate she felt comparatively safe.
"We will go in at my door, and I will take you directly to Mrs.
Pomeroy's room," said he as he helped her up the steps. "We must save
you from any exposure if possible." He prepared to open the door as he
spoke, but Mrs. Pomeroy saved him the trouble.
"I bring you a stray lamb!" was his greeting. "A repentant wanderer,
I hope, since she has come back of her own accord. Let us thank God
for all His mercies. A little moment longer and I should have been too
late."
CHAPTER X.
MR. HUGO picked himself up, his appearance not greatly improved by
the mud which decorated his dress and moustache, or by the black eye
so generously bestowed upon him by the baggage master, who had again
put his hands in his pockets, and was coolly regarding him through
the glass door of the station house, much as he might have amused his
leisure hours by the contemplation of a stray dog or horse.
His first impulse was to annihilate his late antagonist upon the spot,
but a second thought convinced him that the work of annihilation would
not be a very easy task, and might be attended with inconvenience
to himself; so he contented himself with threatening to procure his
immediate discharge from office, a prospect which Mr. Brown seemed to
take very coolly, and walked off to his lodgings.
As he himself expressed it, he had still another card to play. Delia
was out of his power, and her fortune was lost to him, and he gnashed
his teeth with rage, as he thought how Mr. Fletcher had carried her off
from under his very face and eyes; but he had still all her letters,
and he believed that her father would be very glad to purchase his
silence and their destruction, by the sacrifice of a part of that
fortune which he had hoped to secure entire. Revolving these schemes in
his mind, he retired to rest.
We have already related how Mr. Fletcher and his companion were
received by Mrs. Pomeroy at the door. It was no time for reproof or
inquiry, for Delia was clearly all but beside herself with excitement
and terror, and moreover, it was necessary to have the house quiet
before any alarm should be given which might lead to inconvenient
questions. It was not till Delia was half led, half carried up stairs
into Mrs. Pomeroy's room, her dripping shawl and dress removed, and a
restorative administered, that Mrs. Pomeroy spoke.
"My poor, dear child," said she, "What could have induced you to take
such a step?"
"I don't know," replied Delia. "I was possessed, I think."
A man's step was heard at the door at the moment, and trembling all
over she clung to Mrs. Pomeroy, exclaiming—"Oh, Mrs. Pomeroy, don't let
him come near me—he will kill me!"
"Do not be frightened, my love,—it is only Mr. Fletcher, and you do not
fear him. No one shall hurt you. Poor thing," she said to herself, as
she disengaged herself and opened the door. "It is clearly no time for
lecturing. I must get her to bed at once, and it is a wonder if she is
not sick enough in the morning to make a good excuse for keeping her
there. I only hope poor Emily won't be sick again. What an effort she
must have made!"
Mr. Fletcher had come to suggest that some one should go over to
Delia's room, and take measures to prevent any untoward discoveries
being made in the morning.
"I will go myself, as soon as I got her to bed," said Mrs. Pomeroy.
"She is terrified almost out of her senses."
"I believe she has been ruled by terror more than any thing else,"
replied Mr. Fletcher. "She was evidently most thankful to see me come
in. The villain thought he had provided against her escape, by telling
Brown that she was deranged, and he was her keeper. He did not know
exactly with whom he was dealing."
"There is one thing I should like to know," said Mrs. Pomeroy, "and
that is, how you came to be there at all?"
Mr. Fletcher only smiled, and said good night, nor though Mrs. Pomeroy
often attacked him upon the subject afterward, did she ever succeed in
getting an answer. Whatever might be his sources of information, he
kept them to himself.
"I shall put you to bed in my room for to-night," said Mrs. Pomeroy,
returning to Delia, "and to-morrow we will see what is to be done.
But this much I must say—I will do nothing for you—I will leave
you to the fate you have provoked by your misconduct, unless you
promise to be guided entirely by me, and to be perfectly obedient and
straight-forward."
"I will," replied Delia, earnestly. "I have had enough of crooked
courses, and by the help of God,—if He will help such a creature as I
am—I will never tell another lie as long as I live."
"You must not doubt of God's mercy," said Mrs. Pomeroy. "The greatest
sinner may return to Him, with a full assurance of welcome and pardon.
At the same time, you must not expect to escape entirely from the
consequences of transgression."
"I don't mind that," replied Delia. "Only for my father's sake, I
should be glad to escape from disgrace. But I fear that is impossible!"
And she burst into tears.
"We will talk it all over in the morning, and decide what is best to
be done," said Mrs. Pomeroy, soothingly. "You must go to bed now, and
try to rest. See, here is poor Emily waiting for you! You ought to be
grateful to her, for she ran a great risk to try to save you."
"Oh, Delia!" whispered Emily, as she clasped her friend in her arms, "I
told! I could not help it!'"
"You was right," replied Delia, returning the embrace. "If I had only
listened to you—but it is too late, now!"
"You must not give way to despair," observed Mrs. Pomeroy, over-hearing
her. "Think how much worse it would have been if Mr. Fletcher had not
found you, or if the cars had come in time! Lie down, now, and do not
talk any more. I am going over to your room, and hope to find you both
asleep when I return."
She kissed them both, turned down the gas, and left them to repose.
They had both been greatly excited, and now felt as though rest was
almost out of the question, but sleep comes easily to the young, and
when Mrs. Pomeroy returned, she found them slumbering in each other's
arms.
Mrs. Pomeroy's prophecy proved true, and Delia, next morning, was too
ill to rise. Great was the questioning and wonderment when her room was
found empty, and Miss Thomas came running over to Mrs. Pomeroy's room
with the news, in a state of the greatest excitement.
"What do you think, ma'am? Miss Mason is gone! Her room is empty, and
all her clothes that she wore yesterday are gone: She has gone off to
be married, no doubt. Well, I only hope I shall be allowed to believe
my own eyes, next time, that is all. I am not quite a goose, nor
absolutely a blind bat, though some folks seem to think so!"
"Gently, gently, my dear Miss Thomas," said Mrs. Pomeroy, smiling in
spite of herself. "Miss Mason is safe in my room, and has been there
since midnight. She is very ill, and excessively nervous, and I shall
be obliged to you and the other teachers, if you will keep the house
as quiet as possible, and allow none of the young ladies to come to my
room—but I will arrange that matter myself."
Miss Thomas retreated to her own domain, rather disgusted than
otherwise that Delia should be safe after all, for she was a prophet of
the school of Jonah, and would rather half the young ladies should run
away to be married, than that one of her own predictions should fall to
the ground.
"What is it, Miss Thomas? What did Mrs. Pomeroy say? Does she know that
Delia has gone?" were some of the questions that greeted her from the
group of dressed, undressed, and half-dressed girls, which surrounded
her as she made her appearance in the hall.
"Hold your peace all of you, and get ready for breakfast!" was
the polite rejoinder of the teacher. "Delia is in Mrs. Pomeroy's
sick in bed. That is the whole story, and no one in their senses
would have thought of any thing else. Look at your petticoats, Miss
Faushane,—actually sweeping the floor—I wonder you don't take them to
rub the stove with. Miss Crosby, I will give you an untidy mark for
every curl on your head, if you don't get rid of those curl papers
by breakfast time. Miss Graves, if none of the other teachers think
it worth while to pay any attention to their duties, I think as long
as you are monitress, you might see that the young ladies behave
themselves properly, instead of indulging in idle gossiping conjectures
about their companion."
Janet only shrugged her shoulders and retreated to her own room, to
finish her toilet. She had found that the best way to silence Miss
Thomas, was to let her alone. But Belle was not quite so forbearing.
"I wonder who started the idle gossipping conjectures," said she quite
loudly enough to be heard by the retreating teacher. "No one would have
dreamed of Delia's having run away, if Miss Thomas had not said so."
"It is queer, though," said Almira Crosby. "How did she come to be over
there without any one's knowing it?"
"Easy enough," replied Belle. "She rooms alone, and not feeling well,
she probably dressed herself, and went over to Mrs. Pomeroy's room for
some medicine, and Mrs. Pomeroy kept her."
"She has not seemed like herself for a good while," remarked Annette.
"She has grown so nervous. I have noticed how she changes color when
she gives in her exercise, and you know we did not used to think she
cared for any such thing."
"There is something wrong about those exercises," said Almira. "I have
never felt satisfied about that matter."
"Oh, Almira!" exclaimed Janet, who had appeared again upon the scene,
when Miss Thomas had departed. "What a vacuum your head must be! If
you get a notion into it, it buzzes there like a bee in an empty cask.
It seems to me that I would stuff it with something, if it were only
to stop the echo. No one but yourself sees anything wonderful in the
matter at all, and I had forgotten it long ago."
"Very likely," returned Almira, no-ways abashed by the ridicule, to
which indeed she was pretty well accustomed. "But I don't forget a
thing when once I hear it."
"Don't you?" said Belle. "In what year was the English revolution? You
hear that often enough."
"In 1492," retorted Almira triumphantly. "You didn't catch me that
time, Miss Faushane!"
"Well, I don't know," said Belle. "I should rather think I did."
"I don't care!" returned Almira. "I remember some things, if I don't
recollect dates."
"Such as French verbs, and rules in Arithmetic, I suppose. But come
there is the breakfast bell."
Mrs. Pomeroy appeared at the breakfast table, serene as usual, and no
one was missing but Delia. Emily had been gone so long, that the girls
had ceased to look for her. Towards the end of the meal, Mrs. Pomeroy
tapped with her spoon upon the urn before her, and the girls were all
attention in a moment. Mrs. Pomeroy spoke with her usual deliberation.
"I wish to say to the young ladies, that some of them must come to my
bed-room to-day, upon any pretext whatever, but must apply to Miss
Gilbert who will supply any thing that may be necessary. Miss Mason is
quite ill, and it is necessary that she should be kept perfectly quiet.
I am sure your own good feeling will lead you to make as little noise
as possible in going back and forth to your lessons. There will be no
recitations in French this morning, and the young ladies will study in
the school-room during that hour. You are excused."
"There, I knew there was something queer," said Almira, exultingly.
"I knew that Mr. Hugo was mixed up in it somehow. What is he away for
to-day, if it is not so?"
"Perhaps he has shot himself!" said Janet, bravely.
"Or lost, or accidentally mislaid himself," added Lucy, taking up the
ball.
"Or lost his boots—or broken his bottle of hair-dye—or got a black
eye—" continued Belle, coming nearer to the truth than she imagined in
this last suggestion. "Send down some one with your compliments, and
inquire."
"I don't care," said Almira, sulkily, "I will find out all about it,
yet,—see if I don't, if I have to listen at the door."
"There will be no occasion to see if you don't, since we shall all
be sure to hear if you do," said Belle. "But I advise you not to let
Mrs. Pomeroy catch you listening. She does not admire the pursuit of
knowledge under such circumstances."
Delia slept till nine o'clock, and awoke so much refreshed and
composed, that Mrs. Pomeroy no longer feared to question her on the
events of the past night. She concealed nothing, but related the whole
affair from the very beginning at the Classical Gymnasium; where the
correspondence commenced, to its close, screening Emily as much as
possible, and taking the whole blame upon herself.
"But I do not understand, Emily, why you did not refuse to have any
participation in the matter," said Mrs. Pomeroy. "You might at least
have done that, if your false ideas of honor and friendship prevented
you from revealing the secret. It was not what I would have expected
from you. I had a good deal of confidence in your good principles."
"Your confidence was sadly misplaced," said poor Emily. "I had a secret
of my own, even worse than Delia's." She felt that the time had come
for her to lay down the burden which had weighed on her so long, and
with many tears, she confessed all her faults from that first one of
making "a bill at the store," to the last and most disgraceful ending.
Mrs. Pomeroy was excessively shocked. She had never dreamed of such
a thing as that the money should have been taken by one of the young
ladies, and she could hardly believe her ears when she heard that such
was the case.
Emily concluded by saying, "Ever since I was sick, I have made up my
mind to confess at all hazards, and I was only waiting to have one more
talk with Delia to try and persuade her to join me. I am ready to tell
the story before the whole school, if you wish me to do so."
"There would be no good, but a great deal of harm in that," replied
Mrs. Pomeroy. "The whole matter has died away now, and there is no use
in recalling it. I think it will be necessary to tell Kitty, but we can
rely upon her discretion as much as if she were fifty years old. The
poor child will be terribly shocked, for she almost worshipped you,
Emily."
"I have been thinking," said Emily in a low voice, "that I ought to
write and tell my father."
"There is some good in her yet," thought Mrs. Pomeroy, "or she would
never propose such a step of her own accord." "You are quite right in
thinking so," she said aloud. "It is one of the best proofs you can
give of your sincere repentance."
"And my father," said Delia anxiously, "what about him?"
"I have written to him and your mother to come here," replied Mrs.
Pomeroy, "and I shall expect them to-morrow morning. We must consult
together what is best to be done. I cannot now arrive at any decision,
and till I do so, I wish neither of you to leave this room on any
pretext whatever, nor shall I allow you to see any one. You must not
complain if I treat you altogether as culprits till you have shown
yourselves worthy of confidence."
There was a violent ring at the door as she spoke, and a few minutes
afterward, a servant appeared and informed Mrs. Pomeroy that Mr. Hugo
was below, and desired to see Miss Mason immediately.
Delia turned pale.
"Oh, Mrs. Pomeroy, I cannot see him. Don't let him come near me!"
"Fear nothing, my child. He shall not harm you, if I can help it. I
only wonder at his insolence in presenting himself here at all."
She stopped a moment to put her cap to rights, for in no emergency was
she seen with any part of her dress in disorder, and descended to the
drawing room, which was directly under her own apartments.
The girls sat clasped in each other's arms, Delia trembling and
terrified, listening to the angry voice which made itself heard through
the floor, and offered a striking contrast to Mr. Fletcher's deep and
composed tones. Leaving them to comfort each other, we will follow Mrs.
Pomeroy to the drawing room.
Mr. Hugo was walking up and down the long apartment, raging like a wild
beast, his appearance not improved by his black eye, or the loss of his
moustache, which he had been obliged to sacrifice, being quite unable
to clean it from the tenacious clay which it had contracted in his
fall. Mr. Fletcher stood by the fire-side, quietly regarding him with
his dark, bright eyes, but showing no signs of disturbance. Mr. Hugo
turned round as Mrs. Pomeroy entered.
"To what am I indebted for the unexpected honor of seeing Madame?"
he inquired, with sarcastic politeness. "If my memory serves me, I
inquired for Miss Mason, alone."
"When visitors inquire for my young ladies, I am accustomed to receive
them myself," was the quiet reply. "Miss Mason is at present quite too
unwell to see any one, and she requests me to say, that neither now,
nor at any other time, does she wish to receive visits from Mr. Hugo.
I must add, that owing to recent events, I must decline any further
attendance from you at this establishment."
"Which I have degraded myself ever to have entered—" burst forth Mr.
Hugo. "But upon what pretext does Miss Mason deny my visits?"
"I am not aware that any pretext is necessary, but if it were, I have
forbidden her to leave her room till her father arrives, nor, I may
add, has she any wish to do so. She has related to me the whole story
of her acquaintance, from the beginning, and I have her authority not
only for refusing any further correspondence, but also for returning
your presents, and requesting the return of her letters."
"Which, nevertheless, I shall take the liberty of retaining," said Mr.
Hugo, with his peculiar smile. "These same letters will make a pretty
little romance, which will, no doubt, be pleasing to the friends of
Miss Mason and Miss Arlington, and add greatly to the reputation of
Mrs. Pomeroy's school, as showing the care which is taken of the young
ladies' morals at that establishment."
This was touching Mrs. Pomeroy upon a tender point. As Delia had once
remarked, she valued the reputation of her school above all things, and
it had hitherto been above a breath of reproach. She cast a glance of
some alarm at Mr. Fletcher, which Mr. Hugo perceived, and fancying that
he had gained an advantage, he pursued it.
"Very pretty documents are these same letters, and when they are
properly arranged, and accompanied with some account of moonlight
walks, and meetings in the back rooms of confectionary shops, and so
forth, they will make a nice story for some of the daily prints. Your
respectable pension will derive additional lustre from the fact of its
having been the scene of such a transaction, and I shall put a pretty
little sum in my pocket. This will be some compensation for the loss of
the fortune of Miss Delia, who, as the heroine of this romance, will
confer honor on her family name. Monsieur says nothing," he added,
turning from Mrs. Pomeroy to Mr. Fletcher. "Possibly he is struck dumb
with astonishment!"
"Not at all!" replied Mr. Fletcher. "I always believed you to be a
consummate rascal, from the first moment I saw you. I suppose the
plain English of all this rodomontade is, that you want to be paid for
suppressing the letters. If that is your object, you would do better to
state it directly."
"Monsieur is very quick-sighted," said Mr. Hugo, with a grin. "You
must be aware that the publication of these letters will irrecoverably
injure the young lady. Notwithstanding the way in which she has treated
me, I have a disinterested regard for her—"
"We will dispense with any reference to your regard," interrupted
Mr. Fletcher, "which might have been somewhat modified, had you been
acquainted with the fact that the young lady's fortune is wholly
forfeited if she marries without her father's consent, before she comes
of age."
"The traitress!" exclaimed Mr. Hugo. "She never told me that. However,
it is no reason why I should not make my profit off these documents."
At this juncture, Mr. Fletcher was called out of the room. He remained
about some five minutes, during which time Mr. Hugo walked up and down,
examining the pictures, and commenting upon them in a way which told a
good deal for his knowledge of arts, and still more for his powers of
impudence, while Mrs. Pomeroy sat on thorns, afraid lest someone should
come in, and wondering what could detain Mr. Fletcher.
Presently he returned. He did not, however, resume his former place but
remained standing by the door, with his hands behind him, and a curious
smile on his face, which Mrs. Pomeroy could not exactly understand.
"Well sir!" said he. "Have you made up your mind how much to ask for
these same documents?"
"Ah! That is coming to the point," said Mr. Hugo. "I have no desire to
be exorbitant, out I am, at this moment, in want of money to return to
France. I should think that a thousand dollars from the young lady's
father, and another thousand from Madame here, would content me—for the
present."
Mrs. Pomeroy opened her eyes in amazement.
Mr. Fletcher said quietly:
"And suppose we pay this sum, what security have we that you will
perform your part of the engagement?"
"The honor of a Frenchman, Monsieur!" said Mr. Hugo, drawing himself up
in a magnificent manner.
Mr. Fletcher laughed outright. "I am afraid you would hardly get a note
discounted upon that security," said he. "I think your terms high, and
as I hold the documents in my possession, at this moment, I must beg
leave respectfully to decline the bargain."
He brought his right hand from behind him as he spoke, and displayed a
large bundle of papers, arranged and filed in a manner which did credit
to Mr. Hugo's business habits. Mrs. Pomeroy uttered an exclamation of
joy, and Mr. Hugo seemed for a moment as though he were about to spring
upon Mr. Fletcher like a wild cat. He restrained himself; however, and
said grimly through his teeth:—
"You search gentlemen's rooms, do you?"
"No," replied Mr. Fletcher, "but there are those who render that
service to such honorable gentlemen as yourself!"
He tapped the door slightly as he spoke. It opened on the instant, and
in walked two stout professional looking men, of decidedly determined
aspect, followed by Mr. Hugo's old acquaintance, Mr. Brown, the baggage
master.
At the sight of the foremost man, Mr. Hugo turned ghastly pale: all his
assurance seemed to desert him—he looked helplessly round as though
searching in vain for some way of escape, and then dropped into a
chair; as the officer, for such he was, walked up to him and laid his
hand on his shoulder, he seemed to collapse and shrink into himself,
and Mrs. Pomeroy looked to see him disappear altogether.
"Excuse me, madam," said the officer, politely addressing Mrs. Pomeroy.
"It becomes my duty to arrest this person for forgery and bank robbery
committed at New Orleans, some time since. We have been for a long time
upon his track, and only heard of his whereabouts a short time ago. I
understand he has been acting as teacher in your establishment, and
elsewhere, under the assumed name of Emile Hugo."
"It is true," replied Mrs. Pomeroy, recovering a little from her first
surprise. "My eyes have been but just now opened to his true character."
"It is well that they are so," said the officer. "From what I gathered
from the papers found in his apartment, I should imagine that he had
been endeavoring to draw some young lady under your charge into a
clandestine marriage. Had he succeeded, he would have been liable to a
prosecution for bigamy, as he has a wife now living in New Orleans."
"My poor Delia!" exclaimed Mrs. Pomeroy, quite thrown off her balance
by this new proof of villainy. "From what a fate have you been saved?"
"Mr. Fletcher, to whom we are indebted for the information which led to
Mr. Bruce's apprehension," continued the last speaker, "has informed me
that the prisoner had an idea of extorting money from the young lady's
friends, by means of those letters, which I thought proper to deliver
to him. As you may have some fears on this point, I take pleasure
in informing you that neither you, nor the lady in question, need
entertain any apprehension, as the proof against him will be more than
sufficient to send him to finish his days in the State prison."
He produced a pair of hand-cuffs, as he spoke, and in a few minutes
the wretched man had taken his departure between his two guards. We
have only to add, that the officers' prediction was fulfilled, and the
accomplished Mr. Hugo now dresses stone in the State prison.
Mr. Brown lingered a moment, to talk the matter over with Mr. Fletcher.
"Well!" said he. "The fellow is well disposed of. The officers came
on the morning train—the very one he would have taken, if it had been
in time. I knew who they were the moment I saw them, and something,
I don't know what, gave me a guess of who they might be after—so I
stepped up and asked them if it was a Frenchman they were looking for.
They said yes, and I described the man who was in the office last night
with the girl. That was their customer, they said, and asked me to go
with them. We went to his boarding-house first, and there saw these
letters lying on the table. I hinted to them that he had been trying
to run off with one of the Seminary girls, and told them to bring the
letters along, intending to hand them to you or Mrs. Pomeroy."
"Thank you, very much," said Mr. Fletcher. "For the poor girl's sake,
I must ask you not to mention what happened last night, as we want to
keep the affair quiet, if possible."
Mr. Brown's tawny moustache twitched a little. "I had a daughter of my
own, about that poor girl's age, Mr. Fletcher. She was a good girl, and
has gone to a better place than this—but I know how I should have felt
if any rascal had tried to serve her so. I am not what I should be, but
I've got a father's feelings, and no one will ever know a word from me!"
"You are a good fellow, Brown," said Mr. Fletcher, grasping his hand.
"But hav'nt you another daughter? I think I have seen a little girl
with you sometimes."
"Yes," replied Mr. Brown, surprised at the question—"Why?"
"I want you to send her up here to school, and let me educate her," was
the reply. "I am sure she will be an honor to the establishment, and
both Mrs. Pomeroy and myself shall consider her education but a small
return for the service you have rendered us in this unhappy affair."
"Pray do so, Mr. Brown," added Mrs. Pomeroy. "I assure you, she shall
be cared for, as if she were my own daughter."
"I don't want any return," said Mr. Brown, a little gruffly. "I did
as I would be done by, and that's enough. At the same time, I have no
right to refuse such an opportunity for the girl, who is a good one, if
I say it myself. I am much obliged to you, ma'am, and since you are so
kind, I shall send her to you to-morrow."
We will not attempt any description of Delia's feelings, when she was
informed by Mrs. Pomeroy of the events that had transpired in the
parlor. It would be hard to tell whether she were more horror-struck at
the danger to which she had been exposed, or thankful for her escape.
Mrs. Pomeroy had a long conversation with her, and was fully convinced
of the reality of her repentance.
"There are your letters," she said in conclusion, putting the parcel
into her hands, "and the only penance I shall at present impose upon
you, is, that of reading them through from first to last, before you
commit them to the flames."
We have but one more incident to record of this most eventful day,
and that is an adventure of Miss Almira Crosby's in the pursuit of
knowledge. Pursuant to the declaration she had made in the morning, she
had been watching and peeping all day, but she had ascertained nothing
beyond the fact that Mr. Hugo had called, and that he had gone away
in company with several other persons; and that Delia and Emily were
together in Mrs. Pomeroy's room.
At last an opportunity presented itself which was too good to be lost.
Mrs. Pomeroy's dressing room opened upon a kind of upper piazza or
balcony, which was accessible by a flight of steps from below. This
door was seldom opened in winter, but as Almira was passing to and
fro upon the walk, trying at least to catch a glimpse of some one
passing the window, she suddenly perceived that the door was ajar. Her
resolution was instantly formed. She slipped off her shoes, and putting
them in her pocket, she stole softly up the stairs, and applied her ear
the door.
All was still at first. There seemed to be no one in the dressing room,
but he heard a murmur of voices beyond, and as her ear grew accustomed
to the sound, she could easily distinguish the words. She heard Mrs.
Pomeroy say, "Are you prepared—"
She listened eagerly for the remainder of the sentence, placing her
head still closer to the door, when alas! A gush of wind came round the
corner—the door slammed violently and suddenly, and poor Almira found
herself a prisoner, held fast by the whole of one side of her long
ringlets, which had been caught by the closing door so close to her
head, that it was a marvel her ear had not shared the same fate.
Here was a dilemma! What was to be done? She could not open the door,
which had no handle on the outside. Mrs. Pomeroy might come out of the
bed-room and find her there at any moment, or some of the girls might
come round the corner. There was but one way. Luckily she had a pair of
scissors in her pocket; she drew them forth, and in another moment she
was at liberty, but at the expense of one whole side of her ringlets,
which she was obliged to leave hanging in the door. It was not till she
had succeeded in escaping unseen to her room, and looked in the glass,
that the whole extent of her misfortune burst upon her, and she saw
that the other side must needs share the fate of its fellow. She burst
into tears, but there was no remedy, and reluctantly she applied the
scissors once more, laying each severed curl carefully and mournfully
away.
"What in the world have you been doing to yourself, Almira?" exclaimed
Annette, opening her eyes in amazement, as Almira came out of her room
when the tea bell rang.
"I have cut off my hair," replied Almira, trying to put a good face
upon the matter. "It was altogether too much trouble, and took too much
of my time."
"But you need not have cut it so short," said Annette. "Why didn't you
just brush it back plain. You look like a picked chicken."
"I made a mistake," replied Almira.
"Never mind, it will soon grow again," said Belle, consolingly, seeing
that Almira looked annoyed. "She will come to something, after all,"
she continued to Janet, as they went down stairs together. "I shall
have some hope of her, now that she has got rid of those curls. Poor
thing, what a struggle it must have cost her."
"Those same ringlets never went for nothing," replied the Queen of
Sheba, who in her office of monitress had been more than usually
disturbed by Almira's carelessness and laziness during the day. "I
should not be surprised if we should hear something more about them
before long."
So it turned out. In her distress at her loss, it had never occurred to
Almira that she was leaving behind her a token of her presence, which
could not fail to be recognized.
Mrs. Pomeroy, coming out of her bed-room, had seen the unlucky ringlets
hanging in the door, and at once divined how they came there. For more
than a year, she had been trying by all sorts of gentle means, to break
Almira of her habit of eaves-dropping, and prying into the concerns
of others, but without the least success, and she now determined to
try the effect of another course. Taking the locks in her hand, she
descended to the tea-table, and at the end of the meal, the usual
signal announced a speech from the throne.
"Has any young lady lost any thing?" asked Mrs. Pomeroy.
There was silence, but one or two glanced significantly at poor Almira,
whose cheeks began to burn.
"These curls were found hanging in the outside door to my dressing
room," continued Mrs. Pomeroy, holding them up in full view of the
assembled family. "I cannot, of course, imagine how they should have
come there, unless, indeed, some one has been listening at the door,
but if they belong to any young lady in the establishment, she can have
them returned, by calling at my room and proving her property."
CHAPTER XI.
MR. AND MRS. MASON arrived next morning, and had rather a lengthened
conversation with Mrs. Pomeroy, before they were admitted to see Delia,
who continued very unwell, and seemed threatened with serious illness.
Poor Delia meantime was trembling with conflicting emotions, among
which shame, perhaps, predominated. She had, as Mrs. Pomeroy requested,
read through all the returned letters, from beginning to end. The task
was a hard one, but it did her good. Now that her eyes were opened to
the man's real character, she wondered what it could have been about
him that fascinated her.
"But I never really did care for him," she said to Emily. "My vanity
was flattered by his attentions, and I thought there was something very
interesting in having a secret correspondence. There were plenty of
such things going on at the Gymnasium, and some of the teachers knew
it well enough, too. I have seen Miss Jenkins look the other way, very
hard indeed, when she knew, as well as they did, that the girls were
doing things that were forbidden. But the poor thing was so overworked,
and the girls plagued her so, that it was no wonder if she was glad
to buy a little peace at any price. How long they stay down stairs! I
do wish they would come up, and yet I dread to see them, especially
mother. I have acted so shamefully towards her."
"Don't excite yourself," said Emily, seeing that Delia was growing
feverish again. "If your mother is as good as every one says, I am sure
you have no cause to fear her. Oh, dear me! I only wish I had a mother
to turn to."
The door opened as she spoke, and Mrs. Pomeroy entered, followed by
Mr. and Mrs. Mason. Mr. Mason had been very angry at hearing of his
daughter's misconduct, and had fully determined to treat her with great
sternness, a resolution from which Mrs. Pomeroy had attempted in vain
to dissuade him. As they were going up stairs, however, Mrs. Mason
dropped behind and whispered to her.
"You need have no fear of Mr. Mason's using any undue severity. You
will see how it will be!"
Delia was still confined to her bed, but she raised herself, as they
entered, and looked eagerly towards them. She had grown very thin and
pale of late, and her black eyes looked unnaturally large and bright.
She did not speak at first. Mr. Mason made an effort to deliver his
intended reproof.
"Delia!" he began, with an extra amount of sternness in his voice, as
he felt his courage giving way at the sight of his daughter. "I am very
much shocked—I could never have believed that a daughter of mine—bless
me, how thin she is—why she looks like a ghost. There, there, don't
cry, poor dear, and we won't say any more about it, just now. It is all
over, and you have only to get well, and try to do better in future."
Mrs. Mason glanced at Mrs. Pomeroy, as she stooped to kiss Delia, while
Mr. Mason walked away to the window, to blow his nose and wipe his
spectacles.
"Oh, mother!" were Delia's first words. "If I had only been guided by
you, I should never have been where I am."
"Try not to agitate yourself, my love," was Mrs. Mason's quiet reply.
"We can talk of that another time. You must keep yourself quiet as
possible now, in order not to increase your fever. Mrs. Pomeroy has
told us the whole story, and we are ready to forgive every thing.
Nobody else knows any thing of the matter, and you have nothing more to
fear from your persecutor."
"I don't want you to judge him too hardly, mother," said Delia. How
naturally the word mother now came to her lips, and how she wondered
that she should ever have found it so hard to speak. "I do not think
Mr. Hugo was nearly so much to blame as myself. He would never have
thought of such a thing, if I had behaved properly."
"I dare say not," said Mrs. Mason. "In ninety-nine such cases out of a
hundred, the fault rests more with the woman than the man. If a girl
respects herself, other people will respect her."
"I think it will be hard for me to respect myself, after this," said
Delia, sighing. "I am sure I cannot expect others to respect me. It
does not seem as though I could ever look any one in the face again."
"That very humility must be your safeguard, my child. But Delia, there
is One against whom you have offended far more than against any earthly
friend. Have you asked forgiveness of Him?"
"Yes, mother," replied Delia, in a low voice, "but it is very hard for
me to think that He will forgive me. I don't feel so."
"You have a surer witness than any mere feeling, my dear."
Delia looked at her, inquiringly.
"You have the promises of God, expressed in Holy Scripture, that no
repentant sinner who comes seeking forgiveness through the intercession
and merits of our Saviour, will be cast out. Feeling is a very
uncertain thing, at the best; and often leads us astray, but not so
the promises of God. There is no variableness nor shadow of turning in
them."
"That is something like what Emily says," observed Delia. "She was very
religious when she first came to school, but she says now that it was
all feeling, and that she had no more principle than I had."
"Probably that is true," said Mrs. Mason. "They are often mistaken, the
one for the other."
"Then you think, mother," said Delia, after a little pause—"that I
ought to believe that God has forgiven me? I should be only too glad to
think so, but it seems almost presumptuous."
"Do you think, Delia, that you have truly repented of your past sins?"
"Yes, mother, I think so."
"You have asked the forgiveness of your Father in Heaven, through the
merits and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ?"
"Yes, mother, over and over again."
"And what about the future. Do you wish, or intend that it shall be
like the past?"
"Oh no, indeed!" replied Delia, shuddering. "I do hope to live a
Christian life after this. But I don't know—I have no faith in myself."
"Nor is it necessary or desirable that you should have faith in
yourself. Faith in God is much better. But since you are truly
repentant, and have sought God's forgiveness in the way of His own
appointment, is it not rather more presumptuous to indulge a doubt of
receiving it, than it is to believe in his plainly expressed promises?"
"Perhaps so!" replied Delia, sighing, as if with a feeling of relief.
"I had never looked at it in that way. I am sure I shall be only too
glad to believe it."
"We will not say much now," said Mrs. Mason, observing that Delia
seemed very tired. "You are evidently over excited, and need rest and
quiet. We will talk over these matters another time."
"Yes, yes," said Mr. Mason. "Talk it over with your mother. She
understands such things. She has taught me a great deal that I never
knew before. But I want to see you well, now. Poor dear, how much you
must have suffered. I only hope you have had enough of secrets to last
you all the rest of your life. They are wretched things. Why, dear me,
it makes me miserable to have any thing on my mind that I can't talk
about."
Delia could not help smiling.
"There, that's right. Now you look natural again. But as I was saying,
I don't think you will ever want any more secrets."
"No, indeed!" said Delia, heartily. "I don't think I shall as long as I
live."
Great was the wonderment of the school when the true story of Mr.
Hugo's departure came out, and great also the triumphing of Almira,
who declared that she knew there was something queer about him, and
appealed to the girls to know if she had not always said so. She
had kept herself pretty quiet after the loss of her hair, and the
consequent exposure, but the "delight" of finding herself in the right,
as she expressed it, quite overcame her previous mortification, and she
was loud in her exaltation, ending by saying—
"And more than that, I know that Emily Arlington and Delia Mason had
something to do with the business, or why does Delia stay in Mrs.
Pomeroy's room and see no one, and why were her father and mother
sent for in such a wonderful hurry? As to her being sick, that is all
humbug. I don't believe she is any more sick than I am. Mrs. Pomeroy
means to keep the thing quiet, that is all."
"Did you learn all that the night you lost your hair?" asked some one.
"You just be quiet, Sue Dayton. I am not the only person in this house
that has ever listened at a door. But any how, I know just as well as I
know any thing—"
"That is not so strong an assertion as you might use, Almira,"
interrupted Belle; "since there are some things that you don't know
very well."
"Just as well as I know any thing," continued Almira, disregarding the
interruption—"that Em. Arlington and Delia Mason were mixed up in that
affair of Mr. Hugo's."
"Let me advise you, as a friend, not to repeat that assertion, Almira,"
said Janet Graves, seriously. "Mrs. Pomeroy would be very angry to hear
you connect the name of any of her young ladies with Mr. Hugo's, and
you do not stand so well with her now, that you can afford to lose any
favor. It would only take a very few more mis-steps on your part, to
ensure your dismission from school."
"I should like to know how you come to know so much about it," said
Almira. "You are not a teacher, and I don't believe Mrs. Pomeroy tells
you every thing."
"It is true, I am not a teacher," replied Janet, "but since Miss
Bronson has been sick, I have helped Miss Gilbert to make up her books,
and I know the standing of every scholar in school. Your marks are not
what I should like to have mine, and though I am not at liberty to say
any more, I certainly advise you to take care how you make them any
worse. Even you would not like to be sent home in disgrace."
"Dear me, no!" said Almira, in alarm. "I should never dare to show my
face there, if I was expelled. But are they so very bad, Janet? I did
not think they would be."
"I don't know how you can think so, when hardly a week passes that
your name is not at the very bottom of the bill, both for lessons and
deportment. You have only been in the perfect list once this term."
"But just tell me how many marks I have, Janet, or let me guess—Is it
fifty?"
"Did I not tell you that I was bound in honor not to say any more?"
said the Queen of Sheba, much disgusted. "If you had any sense of
propriety, you would never ask me another question, after that."
"Dear me! What is the use of being so grand?" asked Almira. "Of course,
I should not tell Miss Gilbert, and what harm would it do, so long as
she did not know it?"
Her majesty deigned no reply, but walked away, leaving Almira to her
reflections, if she could be supposed to have any.
"After all," said Lucy, when Janet related this conversation to her
afterward. "Perhaps we are all too hard upon poor Almira. She has had
no home advantages. Her mother is just as great a gossip as herself,
and I dare say, Almira has heard all the affairs of the neighborhood,
public and private, beside a good many that never existed at all,
talked over in her presence over since she can remember. I don't
believe Mrs. Crosby ever read through a book of any sort in her life. I
could not help laughing the last time I was at home, to hear her tell
mother, with such an appearance of self-satisfaction, that she had no
time for reading or study—she had to attend to her domestic concerns,
which she considered as woman's proper sphere."
"But one would think Almira might have improved," said Janet. "Mrs.
Pomeroy has taken so much pains with her, that it seems as if she might
have formed a different sort of character."
"Her character was pretty much formed before Mrs. Pomeroy had any thing
to do with her, I imagine," replied Lucy. "Remember that she was almost
sixteen when she came here. I do hope, however, that she will not be
sent home, for neither her father nor mother would have any forbearance
with her, under such circumstances."
"It was for that very reason that I gave her a hint," said Janet. "I
know how angry it would make Mrs. Pomeroy to hear that any such talk
was going on in the school. But it is nonsense to say that Delia is not
sick. I saw her for a moment this morning, and really don't think I
should have known her."
Delia did, indeed, continue very unwell. Mrs. Pomeroy had hoped that
her illness would have passed away with the excitement which caused it,
but such was not the case, and as the days went on, it became evident
that her health had received a serious shock. It was at last decided
that she would be more likely to recover in the quietness of home, and
under the care of her mother, to whom she now clung almost as much as
she had hitherto disliked her; and as soon as she was able to travel,
she was removed.
Even Miss Thomas was moved, when she saw Delia for the first and last
time, and she bade her an affectionate farewell. None of the girls,
except Emily and Janet, saw her at all, as she was still very weak, and
unable to bear the least excitement, but she exerted herself to look
out of the carriage and wave her handkerchief, as she passed the gate,
where most of her companions were assembled to see the last of her.
"Oh, how happy I might have been here," she sighed, as she sank back
again, "but it was all my own fault."
"Let us hope that you have many happy days still in store," said Mrs.
Mason. "Your lesson, though a hard one, will be worth all it has cost
you, if it has led you to the foot of that Cross wherein alone is
safety and salvation."
Emily had not forgotten her resolution, and as soon as Delia was gone,
she sat down resolutely to write to her father. It was a hard task,
and was not accomplished without many tears, but she knew what was her
duty, and she resolved to perform it faithfully. She concealed nothing,
but related the whole story of her faults, from the very beginning,
without attempting the least excuse or palliation of her conduct. She
concluded, by humbly asking permission to remain at the school till
her father's return, that she might have an opportunity of redeeming
her character, and regaining the confidence of Mrs. Pomeroy, of whose
kindness she could hardly say enough. This letter was submitted to Mrs.
Pomeroy, who approved it, and added one of her own, which, however, she
did not show to Emily.
When Mr. Arlington received these two letters, his first impulse was to
remove Emily from the school at once, and keep her in future entirely
under his own eye. But he was not a hasty man, and though his temper
was naturally severe, he was lacking neither in a sense of justice,
nor in a due regard for his daughter. He could not help observing that
Emily's letter showed every sign of true contrition, without the least
attempt at self-justification, and he was particularly pleased with the
sensible and straight-forward tone of Mrs. Pomeroy's note.
Mrs. Pomeroy had written that she should not make any attempt to excuse
Emily, further than to remind him that she was still very young, and
that the perfect retirement in which she had lived previously to
entering school, had, perhaps, not altogether fitted her for resisting
temptation. There could be no doubt of the sincerity of her repentance,
as her letter, written entirely of her own free will, and by her own
suggestions, abundantly showed. She had no desire to lose Emily from
the school, but stood ready to dispose of her as her father should
appoint.
Mr. Arlington reflected that it would be exceedingly inconvenient for
him to return home, or to have Emily come out to him, and that she
would be more likely to get into fresh trouble among strangers, than
with Mrs. Pomeroy, who was well acquainted with her faults, and for her
own sake, would watch her carefully hereafter. Finally, he decided to
let her remain where she was, at least for another year, and wrote to
Mrs. Pomeroy to that effect, at the same time enclosing money to pay
all her indebtedness. His letter to Emily was extremely kind—more so
than she had anticipated, or indeed than he had at first intended, but
as he went on writing, his heart melted toward the motherless child, so
far separated from him, and though he did not conceal his displeasure
at her faults, he assured her of his entire forgiveness and continued
affection, and his desire to act solely for her good, concluding with a
fervent blessing upon his only and darling child.
Emily watched and waited for this letter till her heart was sick with
fear and hope deferred, but when it came, she hardly dared to open it
till Mrs. Pomeroy assured her that it contained no ill news. Many were
the tears of joy and sorrow which she shed over its pages, and most
fervent were her prayers that she might have grace given her from on
high to enable her to show herself worthy of so much affection. It
gave her a different feeling toward her father, from any she had ever
entertained before, and she thought she should never again fear to open
her heart to him. In fact, from this time might be dated the beginning
of a thoroughly good understanding between Mr. Arlington and his
daughter which was never again interrupted.
Mrs. Pomeroy paid Kitty the ten dollars which she was at first very
unwilling to receive, but she consented to do so upon Mrs. Pomeroy's
representing to her that she would thereby relieve Emily from a painful
sense of obligation. She had been greatly shocked on being informed of
the transaction, but her anger was quite swallowed up in her sympathy
for Emily's distress. Again and again she kissed her and assured
her that it was no matter—that she had done quite as well without
it, and that she was even glad she had lost it, as that it gave her
an opportunity of seeing how much the girls loved her. Nor did any
allusion to the matter ever pass her lips. Her health was improving
greatly, and Mrs. Pomeroy began again to hope with trembling that she
might be spared to grow up a comfort to her own declining years.
Mr. Arlington had requested Mrs. Pomeroy to give Emily a certain weekly
allowance, such as she should deem suitable, and Mrs. Pomeroy did so,
but Emily seemed all at once to have grown very economical. She never
asked permission to go out shopping, the candy woman's attractions were
passed by unheeded, and even resisted the temptation of purchasing
some beautiful verbenas to plant in her garden. Mrs. Pomeroy noticed
this economy, but made no remark upon it, nor was she much surprised,
when after the lapse of some time, Emily brought her ten dollars; the
whole sum of her allowance, requesting her to expend it in some way for
Kitty's benefit.
But though not surprised, she was much pleased. She thought it a sign
of no small firmness and principle in Emily thus to have denied herself
almost every pleasure, in order to restore from what was strictly her
own, that which she had stolen. Nor did she refuse the money, though
she declined to appropriate it to Kitty. There was a charitable fund
which had existed in the school, almost since its commencement to which
most of the girls were subscribers, and the proceeds of which were
appropriated to clothing poor children for Sunday Schools. Mrs. Pomeroy
proposed to Emily that this ten dollars, the fruit of her self-denial,
should be quietly placed in this fund, and Emily joyfully consented,
feeling her heart very much relieved.
Little now remains to be added to our story.
Delia remained very unwell, and greatly depressed in spirits for a
considerable time, but the quiet of home, and the kind attentions of
her friends at last had their effect, and she gradually recovered her
health. Emily spent the summer vacation with her, and they returned
to school together. Delia was not a person to do anything by halves.
She had once said that it would take an earthquake to convert her,
but that then she should stay converted. It was even so. She had
had the earthquake, and the rest of the prediction seemed likely to
be fulfilled. Her reformation was complete and lasting, and during
the last year of her stay at school, she was as noticeable for her
consistent Christian character, as she had formerly been the reverse.
Her presence was of great service to Emily, who was not possessed of
her friend's force of character, and might perhaps have been led again
into temptation, without the help of Delia's counsel and example.
They finished their school course with credit to themselves and their
instructress, and are now both useful and respected women.
We are sorry not to be able to say as much for Miss Crosby. She
returned home at the end of the year, not one particle wiser than she
had been at its beginning, having expended more time and ingenuity in
getting rid of lessons than would have been requisite to learn them
twice over. But she was very pretty and graceful, and was soon married
to a gentleman, who believed such lovely simplicity would be easily
guided, and thought it would be a delightful task to form the mind of
such an artless young creature. It is possible that he may have found
out by this time that the artless young creature has not only a mind,
but a will of her own already formed. Such at least is the idea current
among his friends, who do not appear to consider him an object of envy.
Alice Parker was considerably impressed by her conversation with Belle
Faushane at the time of Emily's sickness, and began to consider whether
she had not been in some degree to blame in making the very worst
of her lot instead of the best. As she was not deficient either in
strength of mind, or religious principle, she was induced to make an
effort at greater cheerfulness, and had really improved considerably,
when she received intelligence which seemed likely to throw her back
again. Mrs. Williams was attacked with paralysis, and her presence was
required at home immediately. Mrs. Williams partially recovered, but
remained quite feeble and helpless, and as she was unwilling to have
her adopted daughter away from her side, Alice's school career came to
a sudden termination. The effect of the change upon her character, was
reported by Belle Faushane after her return to school in the fall.
"Oh, and by the way, I went to see Alice."
"How does she get on?" asked Delia. "I suppose she must be more dismal
than ever, now that she has to live at home all the time."
"On the contrary, she has brightened up amazingly. I never saw any one
so changed. She did not sigh once while I was there, and she laughed
quite merrily two or three times. Poor Mrs. Williams suffers a great
deal and is quite childish, and Alice has to contrive all sorts of ways
to amuse her. She has prevailed upon her to have Mrs. Parker there to
keep house for them, which of course makes it much pleasanter, but
after all, I believe the change is more in Alice herself."
"I always thought Alice might be happier at home if she managed
differently," observed Lucy. "But she always had such a way of acting
as though she was terribly abused by some one, that it was not
calculated to conciliate a woman like Mrs. Williams, especially when
she felt at the same time that she really was doing a great deal for
Alice."
"I think Alice feels that herself," said Belle. "She said to me, 'You
told me once that the reason I did not find my work was, because I did
not look for it, and I believe you were right. I have found it now, and
it seems likely to be lasting, but I am far from quarrelling with it,
for it has made me happier than ever I was before.'"
Belle herself has found her work. She has married a clergyman and is
the very head and front of all the charitable, literary and other
undertakings in a large city parish, where she is much liked and
admired, though it must be confessed that she sometimes terrifies
and now and then extinguishes, certain fine young gentlemen of the
weaker sort, causing them to seek revenge in remarking upon safe
opportunities, that Mrs. Garland would be quite a fine woman if she was
not so sarcastic.
She is quite worshipped by all the poor people, children and servants
in the parish, including her own, and she and her husband think each
other the most wonderful people in the world. She is an admirable
housekeeper too, which rather surprised Miss Thomas, who lately spent a
Christmas vacation with her.
Miss Thomas confessed to Mrs. Pomeroy on her return that she had never
seen a household better managed, but added—"As much pains as I took
with her, it would be strange if she did not turn out something, but
there are none of the girls of the present day, who compare with that
set. They are all slatterns and idlers from beginning to end."
From which remark it may be inferred that Miss Thomas is not much
altered by the lapse of time.
Mr. Hugo's place was supplied by an amiable and accomplished French
lady, under whose instructions Annette made such progress that she
actually received the second French prize. It is unnecessary to say
that her amiable disposition and strength of principle made her a happy
and useful woman.
Lucy became a teacher in the seminary after the death of her mother,
and had the pleasure of seeing her two little sisters educated under
the fostering care of Mrs. Pomeroy, who still continues her honorable
and useful career, cheered by the love and care of Kitty Mastick, and
of Agnes Brown, the baggage master's daughter, who has been with her
ever since the memorable night when her father knocked down the gallant
Mr. Hugo.
Mr. Fletcher lives honored and venerated by all who know him. He is
still addicted to going out in the stormiest weather and making long
botanical excursions on foot. Mrs. Pomeroy has never found out how he
came to be in the station room just in time to meet Delia.
Cornelius Agrippa lived to a very great age, and died much lamented.
His remains repose in the garden under a picturesque monument, erected
by the contributions of the young ladies. His master was much afflicted
at his loss, but was partially consoled by an opportune present of four
horned frogs, which were carefully brought all the way from one of the
southwestern military posts by a favorite pupil who had been home to
spend the summer. These charming creatures were alive and thriving at
the last accounts.
I cannot close this little volume better than by commending to one and
all of my young readers, the motto adopted by Emily Arlington for her
graduating composition—
"WALK IN THE LIGHT, AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT. HE THAT WALKETH IN
DARKNESS KNOWETH NOT WHITHER HE GOETH."
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STRAIGHT FORWARD ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™
Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
