Barbara Ladd

by Sir Charles G. D. Roberts

  CHAPTER XX.

  Returning about noon to Westings House, early that they might have timeto dress for dinner, Glenowen started to let down the pasture bars.But Barbara, in high spirits, went over them like a cat, forgetful ofher new dignity. So Glenowen vaulted after her. As they rounded theend of the barn, Amos came leading a tall sorrel across the yard; andstraightway Barbara assumed a more stately air, while a quick radiancewent over her face.

  "That's Robert Gault's horse!" she explained. "I want you to be verylovely to him, Uncle Bob, for he's such a nice boy, and was so verycivil to me when I made him help me run away. I gave him a terriblelot of anxiety, you know!"

  Glenowen laughed uproariously.

  "I don't doubt you did, dear heart!" he agreed. "But Lord, oh, Lord,what a way of commending a young man to a young lady's doting uncle, tosay he mighty civilly helped her to run away!"

  "Now, Uncle Bob, I won't like you if you talk nonsense! You know verywell what I mean. And you are to be nice to Robert!" retorted Barbara,crisply.

  As they went up the long, box-bordered path, Mistress Mehitable andRobert came strolling down to meet them; and the warmth of Glenowen'sgreetings to Robert fulfilled Barbara's utmost demands. For her ownpart, however, under the sway of a sudden whim, she chose to be by nomeans extraordinarily civil. And Robert's contentment was dashed by achilly doubt as to whether or no he had chosen the right day for hisvisit. Before they went to their rooms to dress, however, Barbararelented.

  "You should have come last night, Robert," she said, turning to himgraciously at the foot of the stairs. "Then Uncle Bob and I would havetaken you over the lake with us this morning, in _the_ canoe, to seeold Debby!"

  She threw an intimate emphasis on the "the,"--and watched with acurious sense of triumph the swift fading of the cloud from Robert'sface.

  For this dinner Barbara dressed with unwonted care. Her plain whitesilk petticoat, duly lengthened, worn under her cream brocaded satinpanniers, with buff satin bodice, and white lace short sleeves, gaveher, as she could not but think, a most genteel appearance. With hernew white silk stockings and white satin shoes, two large red roses inher bosom, and one in the dark mass of her hair just where the curlhung down, a tiny patch from the adorable new patch-box discreetlyfixed near the corner of her mouth, and the new love-hood to be throwncarelessly over her head in due time, she felt herself equipped to beas imperious and unpleasant to Robert as the caprice of the momentmight suggest. When she went down-stairs she found Mistress Mehitablewaiting in the hall, in a gayer gown than she had ever before seen herwear. It was a silk polonaise, of a tender, gris-de-lin shade, whichbecame her fair colouring to a marvel; and Barbara was astonished tosee how young and pretty she looked.

  "How _perfectly lovely_ you look, dear!" she cried, turning MistressMehitable twice around, and putting a deft touch to the light,abundant, simply coiffured hair. "No one will give one look at meto-day!"

  Her aunt flung an arm about her, smiling, then tripped away girlishly,flushed a pretty pink, lifted the edge of her petticoat, and displayeda slender ankle encased in embroidered sky-blue silk. Barbara clappedher hands with approval.

  "It is five years since I have worn them," said Mistress Mehitable."Seeing that I failed so, child, in my efforts to lead you along thepaths of gravity, I have concluded to try and let you lead me along thepaths of frivolity--a little! So I got out my blue silk stockings!"And spreading her skirts, she was in the act of making Barbara anelaborate curtsey, when Glenowen, coming up quickly behind her, caughther and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

  Mistress Mehitable, startled and taken aback, blushed furiously, andstood for a second or two in confusion. Then she recovered herself.She made another stately curtsey, and saying, demurely, "Let me turnthe other cheek also, Mr. Glenowen," presented her face again for amore formal and less hasty salute.

  Barbara clapped her hands with gleeful approbation, but her commentbrought a new rose to Mistress Mehitable's face.

  "If I didn't love you so much, Uncle Bob," said she, "I'd tell DoctorJohn and Doctor Jim." And from the fact that she felt embarrassed bythis raillery, the conscientious Mistress Mehitable was almost ready tobelieve she had done wrong.

  The dinner was at two o'clock--an extremely formal hour for SecondWestings; and a further element of formality was added by the presenceof the Reverend Jonathan and Mrs. Sawyer, which effectually removed itfrom the category of family affairs. These outsiders, however, were akindly pair, and cast no serious shadow upon the gathering. TheReverend Jonathan kept his austerity pretty strictly for the Sabbath;and being both well-bred and well educated, knew how on occasion to layaside his cloth without sacrifice of dignity or prestige. He wassomething of a _bon vivant_, too, in his scholarly way, and among folkwho were unimpeachably of his own class. And his judgment on a butt ofMadeira or a hogshead of old West India rum was accounted second tonone in Second Westings. His hands were long and white, and he usedthem with impressive pulpit-gestures to point his carefully constructedwitticisms. His presence was favourably regarded even by Barbara, whoappreciated his brains and breeding in spite of certain disastrousassociations which she could never quite erase from her memory. Hiswife was a non-significant, abundant, gently acquiescent pudding of awoman, not without her utility as a background; and no one but Barbarahad the slightest objection to her presence. But Barbara, having afierce impatience of nonentities in general unless they chanced to beanimals instead of human beings, felt critical when her eyes fell uponthe good lady's expansive red bosom. She could not refrain from aprivate grimace at Doctor John, and from whispering in his ear an acridcomment on the inviting of a feather-bed to dinner. She was greatlydisconcerted, however, when Doctor John roared aloud; and, creditingthe good lady with an intuition quite foreign to her placid substance,her conscience smote her smartly for the unkind comment. By calculatedchance she managed to let herself drift into the scant, unoccupiedcorner of the sofa on which Mrs. Sawyer was sitting; and for the longhalf-hour before dinner was served she beguiled the good lady mostsuccessfully with thrilling descriptions of the presents which Glenowenhad brought. Mistress Sawyer was dearly fond of dining; but soenthralled did she become in the description of Mistress Mehitable'sFrench night-rail that she did not hear when dinner was announced.Then Barbara escaped, with an appetite and a proud conscience; andproceeded to deal Robert a cruel blow by seating herself as far awayfrom him as possible, between Glenowen and Doctor Jim, who wiselyavoided trouble by avoiding interference on the dejected youth's behalf.

  Doctor John and Doctor Jim being both tenacious of old Connecticutcustoms, the dinner began with a pudding of boiled Yokeag, or maizemeal, stuffed with raisins and suet, and eaten with a rich sauce. Thencame fish and meats in lavish variety, with ripe old ale, followed byelaborate confections, nuts and fruits, and a fiery, high-flavouredMadeira. With the Madeira came eloquence in conversation, and theelaborate interchange of repartee and compliment deepened into adiscussion of the great matters which at that hour filled men's minds.Barbara tried by daring gaieties to stem the tide of seriousness, whichseemed to her incongruous with the nuts and wine. But she was sweptaway, at first reluctantly, then willingly; for, during the past twoyears, in the intervals of fighting her aunt and loving her cats, dogs,and horses, she had studied history, both colonial and English, with acharacteristic, avid zeal, and now had a pretty foundation of theoryunder her seemingly reckless conclusions.

  In response to many interrogations, Glenowen had given at some lengthand with temperate fairness an account of the latest difference inVirginia between the royal governor and the stiff-necked House ofBurgesses. As the result of this lamentable clash of authorities, theHouse had been dissolved, the Old Dominion was being governed in afashion contrary to the terms of her long-cherished charter, and thetrade of the colony was disastrously shrunken, because her people wererefusing to import goods subject to duties which they had notthemselves imposed. "When men and women begin to deny themselvesvoluntarily
for the sake of a principle, whether it be right or wrong,"continued Glenowen, "it is time for those at the helm to considerclearly the course on which they are steering the ship of state!"

  "When kings lay hands on charters, free men rise up armed," said theReverend Jonathan Sawyer, rolling the polished phrase with a relish.The sentiment sounded so at variance with those which he was commonlyheld to cherish, that every one looked at him for a moment in silentquestion.

  "I speak but in the abstract," he explained, waving a white handairily. "In the concrete the question baffles me, and I wait forlight!"

  "I confess I am astounded at Virginia," said Doctor Jim, in a greatvoice, solemn with reprobation. "Virginia, colony of gentlemen, sidingwith the rabble against the king! Where are Virginia's aristocrats?"

  "Would you impugn the gentility of Mr. Washington?" inquired DoctorJohn, mildly.

  "Yes, I would, John Pigeon," snapped Doctor Jim, "or of any one elsewho did not show his gentility by his deeds. And so would you, if youwere not a bit tarred with the same dirty brush as Mr. Washington."

  "Don't you think," ventured Robert, with diffidence, "that ourgrievance--for, of course, there is a grievance, Doctor Jim--is againstthe English Parliament? What is Parliament to us, that we should bowdown to it, when we have always had parliaments of our own? What'ssacred in Parliament? But the king,--that's a question of loyalty.What's a gentleman without loyalty? Surely the gentry must stand orfall with the king! Surely--"

  "What nonsense, Robert!" interrupted Barbara, severely scornful,indignant at him for his views, but grateful to him for the opportunityto express her own with point. "Who was it that whipped King John intosubmission, and made him sign Magna Charta? Was it the riffraff or thegentry, I'd like to know? Where there is a real aristocracy, Robert,there is no need of kings!"

  "Barbara, dear!" cried Mistress Mehitable, appalled at this sweepingheterodoxy. But the others laughed, with varying degrees of sympathyor dissent. Doctor Jim wagged his head.

  "That's right, Robert, my boy," said he, sympathetically. "You drawher fire, and let me skirmish around. That's the kind of thing I getcontinually!"

  "Is it true," inquired Doctor John, "that that clear and capaciousintellect, James Otis, is permanently clouded since the wound he got inthe affair with the king's officers?"

  "''Tis true, 'tis pity; and pity 'tis, 'tis true!'" quoted Glenowen."A fine brain wasted in a smuggler's brawl. I take it there's nowisdom to waste, among either Tories or Whigs, these days,--for thesedays are big with Fate!"

  "Uncle Bob!" said Barbara, fixing him with a wide, level look, "whatare you, Whig or Tory? You seem so careful!"

  Glenowen laughed.

  "You insist on pinning me down to it, do you, saucy hussy? Well, Iwish I knew! I think there are some hundred thousand or more of honestmen in these colonies who are trying to find out which they really are,right to the bone. But I can tell you in part. For one thing, I am anEnglishman, just as much an Englishman here as if I lived in England!Do you know what that means?"

  "No!" said Barbara, bluntly, dissatisfied at this caution when shecounted on a hot partisanship.

  "It means that I will not be taxed save by my own consent! I am toogood an Englishman to let Englishmen in England treat me as less thanan Englishman because I am a colonist. But I am no leveller. I haveno patience with the doctrine of those sentimental Frenchmen whopromulgate the palpable folly that all men are born equal. I am loyalto the king,--or, perhaps, rather, I should say, to the throne, whichseems to me just now unfortunate in its occupant. But I will not pay atax imposed by those who have no right to tax me! I would fight first.I stand on Magna Charta."

  "Then you are a patriot now, Uncle Bob," said Barbara, fairlysatisfied, "and before long you will be a rebel! You wait and see!You're all afraid to say it, but before long the colonies will befighting King George!"

  There were exclamations of protest from every one, even Doctor John,the avowed and consistent Whig,--every one but Glenowen, who smiledthoughtfully at Barbara's rashness.

  "Tut! Tut! You little fire-eater!" exclaimed Doctor John. "Youmustn't bring discredit on your party! We will fight withconstitutional weapons for our just rights, and bring that pig-headedGeorge to his senses. We must teach him to reign properly, and not tomeddle, that's all. No throat-cuttings in the English family!"

  "It would break my heart to fight against my countrymen," said Robert,earnestly. "But if they should be so misguided as to take up armsagainst the king, I should have no doubt as to my duty. The king maybe unjust; but if so, the injustice will doubtless be remedied by andby. But better, surely, suffer some injustice than be traitor to yourking." This speech took courage on Robert's part, with Barbara's eyesblazing scorn upon him. But he looked into vacancy, and made hisconfession of faith regardless of consequence.

  "You fatigue me, Robert!" said Barbara. "Would you rather betray yourcountry than your king? Was the country made for the king? What's aking? Greece and Rome did pretty well without them!"

  "What's this stuff and nonsense about fighting?" broke in Doctor Jim,ignoring Barbara's argument as the chatter of a child. "Stuff andnonsense! The notion of our clodhoppers standing up to the king'ssoldiers, who have whipped the armies of the world! It is easy fordemagogues to rant, but they'd find it still easier to run!"

  "I fear you all underrate the peril--except this sauce-box here!" saidGlenowen, soberly. "And you, Pigeon, are like the king's purblindadvisers in underrating the spirit of the people. It is not a noisy,but a sullen temper that seems to be spreading. And clodhoppers arenot all cowards! And those who call themselves patriots are not allclodhoppers."

  "But who among our people can be so suicidal as to think of war?" askedthe Reverend Jonathan Sawyer, taking a contemplative pinch of snuff."To fight a hopeless battle, and in inevitable defeat lose all!"

  "It is not the people who think of war as yet!" said Glenowen. "Butthe arrogant soldiery, the blindly self-confident officials, theinsolent English officers, who seem chosen not to conciliate but toenrage. So many of the officers sent out here do dishonour to therepute of English gentlemen. They seem to look on colonists as asubject race. I have seen them, in New York and in Boston, treat ourladies with an insufferable condescension, such as they would neverhave dared to show toward the same ladies in England. And I have seenthem studiously insolent to colonial gentlemen of birth and breedingfar above their own, as if the accident of being born in the mothercountry instead of in America made them another race. Such conduct,while unimportant in itself, rankles deeply, and sets the two branchesof the race in antagonism. Personal affront is mightier than argument,and men cannot overlook a slight to their women."

  "I should think not!" cried Robert, loftily. "I would shed the lastdrop of my blood for the king, but I should not let the king himselfput slight upon one of our ladies! I wonder you could endure to seesuch things, Mr. Glenowen!"

  "I did not!" confessed Glenowen. "I have had several differences oflate!"

  Barbara's eyes sparkled, and her lips parted eagerly over her whiteteeth.

  "You fought them, Uncle Bob! You fought them!" she cried. "Realduels! How many did you fight? Oh, how lovely!"

  "Two, sweetheart, I'm sorry to say!" replied Glenowen, modestly. "Itwas very inconvenient and annoying, because I have so manyresponsibilities and could not afford to be skewered."

  "And how did you come off?" asked Doctor John, leaning far over thetable in his eagerness.

  "Nothing but a scratch or two, thanks to the righteousness of mycause!" said Glenowen.

  "And the other chaps?" inquired Doctor Jim. "Doubtless they werelow-bred scoundrels, whom London would have none of! I hope youpricked 'em!"

  "I wish I could feel sure that their manners had mended as well astheir wounds!" laughed Glenowen, gaily.

  Then, to Barbara's ill-concealed disgust, Mistress Mehitable led theway into the drawing-room, leaving the men to smoke long pipes andthrash out prob
lems of constitutional law to the accompaniment of thefiery old Madeira. In the drawing-room she was moody and silent,grudging all the arguments that were going on without her. And whenRobert, who felt himself too unseasoned to stay with his elders beyondone pipe and an extra glass, followed the ladies at a decent interval,Barbara received him far from graciously. His last speech, in commenton the insolence of the officers, had mollified her a little, but shefelt a smart resentment at his presumption in maintaining views soopposite to hers.

  "I should think you would stay with the other men," she said, tartly.

  "I couldn't stay a moment longer," said Robert, gallantly, "for longingto be with the most fair if _not_ the most gracious of ladies!"

  "You had better go back and learn something about your duty to yourcountry, by listening to Doctor John and Uncle Bob!" she counselled,rudely.

  Robert bowed low, having himself just now well in hand, though hisheart was sore.

  "I take great pleasure in listening to them, as well as to Doctor Jim,who also seems intelligent!" said he.

  "Oh," exclaimed Barbara, much nettled. "Doctor Jim talks a lot ofnonsense just to tease me; but he doesn't mean it,--at least, not allof it. Besides, he is always interesting. But you, with your pedanticstuff about loyalty and kings and treason, I don't find you interestingat all! Please go and talk to Aunt Hitty and Mrs. Sawyer, and let meread. Perhaps I'll be able to forget what you said at dinner!"

  "It is my pleasure to obey your lightest wish, fair mistress!" saidRobert, inwardly indignant, but outwardly amused at her ill-humour. Hewent at once to the other side of the room, and exerted himself to suchgood purpose that soon Mistress Mehitable's rare and silvery laughtergrew frequent, against an almost ceaseless gurgle of content from Mrs.Sawyer. Robert was completely absorbed, while Barbara's interest inher book was vexatiously divided. After half an hour she got up andleft the room, but he never noticed her going. Fifteen minutes latershe came back, with the gray and white "Mr. Grim" on her shoulder; andhe never noticed her coming, so intent he was, and so successful, inhis task of amusing Aunt Hitty and Mrs. Sawyer. This was carryingobedience a little too far, and it fretted Barbara. Then the men camein from the dining-room, smoky, and a little more fluent than ordinary,and Robert was ousted from his post by Glenowen and Doctor John. Butinstead of returning now to Barbara, he attached himself with anengrossed air to Doctor Jim; and Barbara found herself established inher nook with the Reverend Jonathan Sawyer. To be sure, his Reverencemade himself most agreeable, flattering her by the attention he wouldhave paid to a grown woman whom he considered intelligent. Heappreciated her brains, and acknowledged the lengthening of herpetticoats; and his attitude was a gratifying proof to her that shereally had grown to be a personage, rather than a child, within thepast few days. But she found herself unable to concentrate her wits onwhat he was saying, and passed a rather grievous hour trying to lookthe attention which her brain was not giving. When, at last, DoctorSawyer arose to go, she felt that he must think her the most stupidgirl in the world. Doctor Sawyer, on the contrary, enchanted by therapt silence and appreciation with which apparently she had hung uponhis words, went away with the conviction that she was a young woman ofastonishing intellect, whom they had, indeed, wronged greatly instriving to force her into the narrow Second Westings mould. From thathour, when she had watched him with glowing eyes, but hearing scarce aword of all his wit, the Reverend Jonathan Sawyer was one of Barbara'sstaunchest champions.

  When she turned from saying good-bye to Mrs. Sawyer, Barbara foundRobert standing close beside her in the hall door, apparently absorbedin contemplation of Mrs. Sawyer's billowy, retreating figure. Barbaratouched him on the arm, and he turned to her with a quick apologeticcourtesy, as if his thoughts had been far off.

  "What were you thinking of, so far, far away?" she asked, feelingsomewhat left out and forlorn.

  "Why--why--I was thinking--" he stammered, as if unwilling to say, yetunready with an evasion.

  "Oh, you needn't tell me, if it is so embarrassing as all that!" saidBarbara, tossing her head. "I was going to say, that after all thetalk and the excitement, I think the loveliest thing would be somefresh, sweet air, and the smell of the woods!"

  "It would be, indeed--with you!" said Robert.

  "Then we will ride till supper-time. No,--there is a moon. We willride after supper. You may escort me if you want to! Do you?"

  Robert drew a long breath before he answered--and to Barbara the answerwas sufficient.

  "Yes, I want to!" he said, simply. "I was afraid I was to go awaywithout really seeing you at all!"

  "Go away!" exclaimed Barbara, lifting her brows in sharp displeasure."What do you mean, Robert?"

  "I must go back to Gault House to-morrow morning, without fail, for Istart for New York the day following, to be gone all winter."

  "Oh!" said Barbara; and turned and led the way back into thedrawing-room, leaving Robert completely mystified as to the meaning ofthat noncommittal interjection.