Sharing Her Crime: A Novel

by May Agnes Fleming

  CHAPTER XXII.

  FETTERS FOR THE EAGLET.

  "I'm o'er young, I'm o'er young-- I'm o'er young to marry yet. I'm o'er young; 'twould be a sin To take me from my mammy yet."--BURNS.

  "Gipsy, my dear, come here and sit beside me. I have something veryimportant to say to you," said the squire, as, half an hour later, hecaught sight of Gipsy, running, singing, down stairs.

  "Why, Guardy, what's the matter? You look as solemn as a coffin," saidGipsy, coming in and sitting down on a stool at his side.

  "Gipsy, marriage is a solemn subject."

  "Shockingly solemn, Guardy. And who are you thinking of marrying?"

  "I'm thinking of marrying you----"

  "Marrying _me_? Oh, Jerusalem! Well, if aunty consents, I'm willing. La!won't it be fun? Just fancy Louis calling me grandmother! Ha, ha!

  "Hush, you chatterbox--don't interrupt me. As I was saying, I have beenthinking of marrying you to some discreet, sensible man. You are toowild and giddy, and you must get married and settle down."

  "Just so, Guardy; I've been thinking of it myself."

  "Now, there's Doctor Wiseman, for instance. He'd be an excellent husbandfor you. He's a pleasant gentleman, possessing many sound, sterlingqualities, learned, and not bad looking----"

  "Exactly, Guardy--useful as well as ornamental. For instance, he'd do toput in a corn-field to scare away the crows."

  "Don't be impertinent, Miss Gower! Doctor Wiseman is a serious man,self-balanced and grave----"

  "Grave! I guess so! He always reminds me of death and his scythewhenever I see him."

  "Silence, and listen to me! Now what objection could you possibly maketo Doctor Wiseman as a husband?"

  "As a husband? Ha, ha, ha! Why, Guardy, you don't mean to say that thatyellow-skinned, spindle-shanked, dwarfed old ogre, with one leg in thegrave, and the other over the fence, is thinking of marrying--do you?"

  "Hold your tongue, or you'll lose it, you little wretch! Doctor Wisemanis no old ogre, but a dark-complexioned----"

  "Saffron, saffron, Guardy! Tell the truth, now, and shame your master.Isn't it saffron?"

  "I'll brain you if you don't stop! A man can't get in a word edgewayswith you. Dr. Wiseman, minx, has done you the honor to propose for yourhand. I have consented, and----"

  But the squire broke off suddenly, in a towering rage--for Gipsy, afteran incredulous stare, burst into a shout of laughter that made the housering. Pressing her hands to her sides, she laughed until the tears randown her cheeks; and, at last, unable to stop, she rolled off her seaton to the floor, and tumbled over and over in a perfect convulsion.

  "Oh, you little aggravation! _Will_ you stop?" cried the squire, seizingher by the shoulder, and shaking her until she was breathless.

  "Oh, Guardy, that's too good! Marry me? Oh, I declare, I'll split mysides!" exclaimed Gipsy, going into another fit of laughter, as sheessayed in vain to rise.

  "Gipsy Gower! Cease your folly for a moment, and rise up and listen tome," said the squire, so sternly that Gipsy wiped the tears from hereyes, and pressing her hands to her sides, resumed her seat.

  "Gipsy, I do not wish you to consider me a boaster, but you know I havedone a great deal for you, brought you up, educated you, and intendedleaving you a fortune at my death----"

  "Thank you, Guardy; couldn't you let me have part of it now?"

  "Silence, I tell you! Gipsy, this is what I _intended_ doing; but,child, I have become involved in debt. Mount Sunset will be taken fromme, and you, and Louis, and the rest of us will be beggars."

  Up flew Gipsy's eyebrows, open flew her eyes, and down dropped her chin,in unfeigned amazement.

  "Yes," continued the squire, "you may stare, but it's true. And now,Gipsy, since you told me you were not ungrateful--now is the time toprove it, by saving me and all your friends from ruin."

  "_I_ save you from ruin?" said Gipsy, staring with all her eyes, andwondering if "Guardy" was wandering in his mind.

  "Yes, _you_. As I told you, I am involved in debt, which it is utterlyimpossible for me to pay. Now, Doctor Wiseman, who has fallen in lovewith my fairy, has offered to pay my debts if you will marry him. Don'tlaugh, _don't_, as I see you are going to do--this is no time forlaughter, Gipsy."

  "Oh, but Guardy, that's too funny! The idea of me, a little girl ofseventeen, marrying a man of sixty--'specially such a man as SpiderWiseman! Oh, Guardy, it's the best joke of the season!" cried Gipsy,bursting into another immoderate fit of laughter.

  "Ungrateful, hard-hearted girl!" said the squire, with tears actually inhis stormy old eyes; "this is your return for all I have done for you!You, the only living being who can save those who have been your bestfriends from being turned out of the old homestead, instead of rejoicingin being able to do it, you only laugh at him in scorn, you--" thesquire broke down fairly here.

  Never had the elf seen the usually violent old man so moved. A pang shotthrough her heart for her levity; and the next moment her arms wereround his neck, and her white handkerchief wiping away the tears ofwhich he was ashamed.

  "Dear--_dear_ Guardy, I'm so sorry! I never thought you felt so badabout it. I'll do anything in the world to help you; I'm notungrateful. What do you want me to do, Guardy?"

  "To save me, by marrying Doctor Wiseman, my dear."

  "Oh, Guardy, oh, _Guardy_! You surely weren't serious in proposing_that_?" exclaimed Gipsy, really astonished.

  "Serious? Alas! I was never so serious before in my life. You will dothis, Gipsy?"

  "Oh, Guardy! Marry _him_? Heaven forbid!" exclaimed Gipsy, with aviolent shudder.

  "Then you will let us all be turned out from the old roof-tree--out intothe world to die; for, Gipsy, if the old place is taken from me, Ishould break my heart through grief!"

  "Oh, Guardy, it won't be so bad as that! Surely _something_ can be done?How much do you owe?"

  "More than I dare mention. Child, nothing can be done to save us unlessyou consent to this marriage."

  "Oh! that is too horrible even to think of. Can you not write to Louis?I'm sure he could do something to save us."

  "No, he could do nothing; and he must never know it at all. Evensupposing he could, before a letter could reach him we would be publiclydisgraced--I should be branded as a rogue, and turned out of doors todie. No, Gipsy, unless you consent, before the week is out, to becomethe bride of Doctor Wiseman, all hope will be over. And thoughafterward, by some hitherto unheard-of miracle, the property should berestored to us, I should not live to see it; for if you persist inrefusing, Gipsy, I will die by my own hand, sooner than live to bebranded like a felon. And Lizzie and Mrs. Gower, who love you so well,how do you think they could live, knowing that all had been lost throughyour ingratitude! Louis, too, your foster-brother, how will he look onthe girl whose obstinacy will make him a beggar? Consent and all will bewell, the gratitude and love of an old man will bless you through life;_refuse_, and my death will be on your soul, haunting you through allyour cheerless, unblessed life."

  With all the eloquence and passion of intense selfishness he spoke,while each word burned into the heart and soul of his listener. She waspacing up and down the floor, half-maddened by his words, while the word_ingratitude_ seemed dancing in living letters of fire before her.

  "Oh! what shall I do? What shall I do?" she cried, wringing her handswildly.

  "Let me advise you; I am older and have had experience, and a claim onyour obedience. Marry Doctor Wiseman; he is, I know, somewhat older thanyou, but you _need_ a man of age and wisdom. He is rich, and loves you;and with him, conscious that you have done your duty, you will beblessed by God, and be happy."

  "Happy!" she broke in, scornfully, "and with him! Happy!"

  "It is the first favor I ever asked of you, Gipsy, and I know you willnot refuse. No one must know of it, not one, save Lizzie and Mrs. Gower.You must not breathe it to a living soul, save them."

  "Guardy, there is some guilt or mystery connected with this debt. Whatis it?"

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p; "I cannot tell you now, child; when you have obeyed me, I will. Come,Doctor Wiseman will be here for your answer to-morrow. Shall I tell himyou have consented?"

  "Oh! no, no! no, no! Good heavens!" she cried, shudderingly.

  "Gipsy! Gipsy! consent. I implore you, by all you hold dear on earth,and sacred in heaven, to consent!" he said, with wild vehemence.

  "Oh! I cannot! I cannot! I _cannot_! Oh, Guardy, do not urge me to thisliving death," she cried passionately.

  "Then you can see me die, child. This, then, is your gratitude!" hesaid, bitterly.

  "Oh, Guardy, you will not die! I will work for you--yes, I will toilnight and day, and work my fingers to the bone, if need be. I can workmore than you would think."

  "It would be useless, worse than useless. I should not live to make youwork for me. Refuse, if you will, and go through life with the death ofa fellow-creature on your soul."

  "Oh! I wish I had never been born," said Gipsy, wringing her palefingers in anguish.

  "Consent! consent! Gipsy, for my sake! For the sake of the old man wholoves you!"

  She did not reply; she was pacing up and down the room like onehalf-crazed, with wild, excited eyes, and flushed cheeks.

  "You do not speak. 'Silence gives consent,' as Solomon says," said thesquire, the ruling habit still "strong in death."

  "Let me think! You must give me time, Guardy! I will go to my room now,and to-morrow you shall have my answer."

  "Go, then; I know it will be favorable. I dare not think otherwise.To-morrow morning I will know."

  "Yes, to-morrow," said Gipsy, as she left the room and fled wildly upstairs.

  "To-morrow," said the old sinner, looking after her. "And what will thatanswer be? 'Who can tell what a day may bring forth?' as Solomon says."