by W. S. Lewis
XV
Scarcely a day went by now without Tom's tracing his steps to the Norrishouse. He seldom bothered any more with the formality of the door: goingaround to the terrace side, he walked into the drawing-room unannounced.If no one was at home, he sat down with a magazine or book in thelibrary or drummed at the piano. Then, possibly, he would go beforeanyone arrived; but the house which was so friendly to him and so fullof Nancy, was far dearer to him than her own, for Henry's hostility wastoo marked to make his visits there other than difficult.
So it was that he came unexpectedly upon Mrs. Norris, Mary, and Nancywhen he walked into the library on the day following the race; and thenhe regretted his free and easy entrance. For Mary was in tears and wasreceiving the comfort of her mother and friend. Tom backed hurriedlyout, muttering an inarticulate apology and cursing himself for anawkward fool. Mary saw him, however, and with a sob brushed past him inthe hall and went upstairs. Her mother who swept after her like a largeand stately galleon in her black silk dress, was more troubled than hehad ever seen her. Still, as she passed, she told him not to mind. Andthen he was alone with Nancy.
"What on earth is the matter?" he asked. Nancy, too, was thoroughlyupset.
"Just look at that," she said, and pointed to an article in a New Yorkevening paper. "Woodbridge Professor Drowns," ran the headlines."Overtaken by Cramps After Eating Cherries and Milk." It appeared thatProfessor Furbush had defied the popular fear of the fatal combinationand, in order to make his defiance complete, had promptly gone inswimming after eating it. The tragedy had occurred at the country houseof relatives; and though a number of people were present, they took hiscries for help as a joke until it was too late. The account went on toexplain that it was more sad even than it might at first appear, for itwas generally supposed that the dead man had been engaged to marry MissMary Norris, daughter of the Acting President of Woodbridge.
"Why, isn't that dreadful," said Tom. It is always a little hard to knowwhat should be said in such circumstances. If the one who has just diedis close to us, we don't think about what to say at all, but if it isonly an acquaintance and we are merely a little thrilled by his going,it is difficult; for decency requires a solemn look and a shocked word.So Tom did what he could to be decent; and Nancy, who was staring withhalf averted face out upon the garden, made no reply. She, of course,knew all the secrets of Mary's heart and must be sharing her sorrow.Accordingly, any words from him, other than sympathetic ones for Mary'sloss, would be untimely. Perhaps, even, she would insist upon remainingin sisterly spinsterhood! "It's awfully tough, isn't it," Tom added.
"Yes," said Nancy, somewhat faintly, from the curtains. Nancy seemedvery much upset. Tom knew that Furbush had been a frequent visitor ather house, and probably she had grown fond of him. He was not at allaware, however, that Furbush's affair with Mary had progressed so far.He could not picture Furbush marrying Mary--or anyone else, for thatmatter--and he doubted whether Furbush would have married her. Still, itappeared that Mary had cared for him, and now her little romance wasover.
"It's awfully hard on Mary, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Furbush was gone. Who would take his place? His place, an AssistantProfessorship--there was now a vacancy! A flood of excitement sweptthrough him. But how foolish to expect that it would fall to him. He hadtaught but one year, and he was only twenty-five. People still spoke ofHarry Spear's having been given his Assistant Professorship at the endof three years as a record-breaking performance. He knew perfectly well,furthermore, that he had not made a startling success of it; not thekind of success that makes a man jump from a Captaincy to aBrigadiership. Still, he thought he stood quite as well as the otheryoung instructors in the department; and his "outside connections" wereconsiderably better. After all, a man's career in college counted forsomething. And so, although he knew that the thing was impossible andthat what they would do would be to go outside for an older man, heluxuriated for a moment in the picture of the Dean congratulating him onhis success. An Assistant Professorship and Nancy! The two were linkedin his mind as the sum-total of desire; and since he could think ofNancy without thinking of the Assistant Professorship, but could notthink of the Professorship without thinking of Nancy, it is to besupposed that Nancy came first.
And there she was now, over by the window, painfully aware of the gardenand fidgeting ever so little with the curtain. Perhaps this might not besuch a bad time to repeat his question, after all. Had she not of herown free will come to the Norris house, at which she knew that he wasalmost a daily visitor? There was in that something to give him heart.As if he hadn't enough evidence without it!
"You will admit, though, Nancy, that it was an awfully stupid thing forhim to eat the cherries and milk, won't you? Everyone knows that itcan't be done." Tom moved over nearer to her, but she did not answerhim. Instead, she fixed her eyes steadily on the bulging root of an elmin the garden. She must concentrate everything on that to keep frombeing an utter fool. But what an hour it had been! First the dreadfulnews about Furbush and that thing in the paper, and then Tom'sunexpected entrance. How wonderful he looked as he came into the room;he had been so self-possessed, and she should have been such a ninny inhis place!
Tom took a step nearer. "Nancy," he said very tenderly.
The root was waving now; it _would_ become indistinct. How gentle hewas, and how different from Henry! "Nancy!" he repeated. Then the rootbecame altogether blurred and meaningless, and she felt him take her inhis arms and kiss her. "Darling Nancy," he was saying; and, somehow, toher great relief, she found an apparently adequate reply.
* * * * *
It was decided that a long engagement was altogether unnecessary, adecision which was without repeal, in view of the absence of parentalsupervision. Why waste the perfectly good summer? Why indeed? And so thewedding was set for a few days after Commencement.
"That will give me just about enough time to get ready," said Nancy,"and I really think you must get a new cutaway."
Then at last Commencement was over. The electricians bore away foranother year the last of the class numeral signs which had hung fromtheir respective Headquarters. The Headquarters themselves had beenswept and cleaned and restored to their owners, and one by one thedwellers, in Tutors' Lane prepared to board up their houses for thesummer and depart for the mountains or for the shore.
The wedding alone kept most of them in Woodbridge. Few there were thathad not some pleasant memory of Nancy, and the sacrifice of a day or twoof vacation was counted as little. Furbush's dramatic end had held thecentre of the Woodbridge stage, but it was now forced into thebackground by the question: Was Tom good enough for Nancy? It wasgenerally agreed that he was getting the best of it, but not manythought that she was altogether throwing herself away upon him. Nancymight have married anyone, it was pointed out, and having had so muchresponsibility, she could have graced the board of a much older man.Instead, she had chosen a young instructor--a pleasant enough boy,perhaps but still unproved. Well, Nancy would make the most of him,there was no question of that, and of course he was a great friend ofthe Norrises and it was known that Mrs. Robert Lee-Satterlee herselfapproved of the match. So they would hope for the best, and Nancy was adear girl.
Tom was in perfect accord with the last sentiment, and it will perhapsbe charitable to draw a veil over his behaviour at this time. Such namesas "Mrs. Mouse" and "Boofly Woofly" are all very well when whisperedteasingly into the delighted ear of one's intended, but they hardlystand the light of unromantic day. They have even been known to set upopposing currents of emotion in breasts not so nicely attuned, and toinspire such expressions as "Fish!" or even "Blat!" It may well be aconsiderate office, therefore, not to submit our lovers to the gracelessmanners of the unsympathetic, but to let them enjoy their artlesspassages unmolested.
One of these, alone, might be risked. Nancy had confidingly told himthat she had all the faith in the world in his future, and he heard hergratefully. "Why, the way you ta
lked to those men at the mill showsclearly enough what you can do," she said.
Tom coloured slightly, but let the moment pass without explanation. Whenhe had first done so it was with the mental reservation that he wouldlaughingly explain it some day, and he would, too, but it wasn't yetjust the right time. So he stooped and kissed her affectionately; andthen, as he was hatless at the time, she was reminded of something shehad long wanted to tell him.
"If you don't look out, Tom, you will be perfectly bald in five years."
"Well, I've done everything I can, and----"
"Now, all you have to do is to brush it five minutes in the morning andfive minutes at night."
"Ten minutes a day! I should be exhausted."
"Well, I shall do it for you, then." Whereupon the scene acquired anexcess of sentiment at once.
Certain more mundane passages may be observed, however, without anyparticular offence.
The passages that took place around the opening of the wedding presentswere possibly as diverting as any. Tom, whose mind's eye was ever uponthe little colonial house in Tutors' Lane, now his property, was perhapsmore concerned than most grooms are in the furnishing of his nest. Hefound himself greatly elated when he or his bride would draw forth someshining prize of a silver bowl or plate--until they began getting toomany of them--and correspondingly depressed when some many-colouredglass lamp or strange dish would appear. What on earth could they dowith them? Dear old Mrs. Conover, for example, sent a large Bohemianglass jar of a peacock-eyes pattern. It would have to be on view whenshe called, and as they had no way of knowing when that would be, it hadto be on view all the time.
From Omaha came an ominous package which made Tom shudder. Would hissister contrive to mortify him? He could picture her pleasure in doingso, and when the package was opened and out came two china parrots, Tomthought the pleasure was hers. A note which came with the birdsexplained that they were very fashionable in Omaha at the time and thatall Omaha had them on its dinner table. To Tom, his sister's gift andnote could hardly have been worse, but Nancy kissed him and told him notto be stupid, that the parrots were nice; and Tom was so flustered hecouldn't tell whether they were or not. At any rate, Nancy wrote acharming, sisterly little note, and Tom was more pleased with his futurethan ever.
The silver tea service which arrived early from Mrs. RobertLee-Satterlee was among the grandest presents that Nancy received fromoutside the family. She was particularly grateful for it, since itenabled her to leave her mother's with Henry and thus avoid a discussionwhich would have been unendurable at the time. It was true that Henry'swife had had a tea service herself and that it was now his; but it wasnot so fine as the Whitman one, and Henry would have regarded itsremoval with a jaundiced eye. His wife's silver, however, was quite abit more handsome than the family silver, and he relinquished the latterwith a gesture so graceful that any further donation of property to thehymeneal happiness seemed almost fulsome. Still he did make a furthercontribution--a costly set of John Stuart Mill.
A few days after she announced her engagement Nancy was waited upon bythe Misses Forbes. Their mission was one of obvious importance, for theyseldom moved out of their warm little house, excepting, of course, MissJennie, who was quite indifferent to the outside and marched forthalmost without a thought. They wore, furthermore, a seriousdemeanour--even Miss Jennie, whose assumption of a cavalier mannerdidn't quite hide her excitement. She was carrying a small parcel neatlydone up in white tissue paper; and when, after a period of rocking, shelaunched upon the little speech she had prepared, her liver-spotted oldhands opened and closed over it. "You must know, my dear," she said,"that we are going to miss you very much. Of course, you are not reallygoing away"--the little colonial house was in truth only a quarter of amile farther from their house than Nancy's present one--"yet it can't bequite the same, and we want to mark your going with our love and bestwishes. So we have brought you the Burnham lace for you to keep and handdown to your children, and may God bless you, my dear, and keep you."Then they all had a quiet turn at their handkerchiefs, and the Burnhamlace passed into the House of Reynolds.
Leofwin also called and delivered his gift in person. Tom wasfortunately in the room at the time, and the somewhat painful scene wasnot protracted. It was the first meeting they had had since Leofwin hadoffered his hand and been rejected, and even Leofwin was constrained.Nancy wondered if Elfrida were to have her trip to Italy, but she couldnot put the question without appearing unmaidenly since she knew so wellthe only condition of the trip; and as Woodbridge had not many girlsthat were eligible for Leofwin's love, the prospect was indeed black."Your happiness is all I ask," he said in a low tone, and, despite thetheatrical diction, even Tom was touched by his sincerity. "You know, ofcourse," he went on, "that I am not in a position now to make anadequate expression of my wishes"--it _was_ rather affecting even thoughnobody present quite knew what he meant--"but I have brought you thebest I have. It is of small material value, but its sentimental valueis great. I did all my best work with it." Whereupon he handed her apaint brush.
With considerable of a to-do, Mrs. Norris announced the gift of agrandfather's clock. "There is no use, Nancy dear, in dragging it aroundfrom house to house, and I'm having it sent to your new one."Accordingly, when the expressman announced its arrival everyoneproceeded to the little colonial house in Tutors' Lane. Thendifficulties arose. To begin with, it was too tall for any room in thehouse; and after a great deal of staggering around with it, trying itfirst in this place and then in that, a gorgeous wooden plume whichstuck up from its head had to be removed. Then it was discovered thatthere were no works in it, Mrs. Norris having bought only the case,supposing of course that the thing was complete. When finally the partshad all been assembled and adjusted--which was in the second year ofTom's and Nancy's married life--it was learned that the ways of theclock were nearly as eccentric as those of its donor, for when it wentat all, the hands made the downward journey with so much rapidity thatthey were exhausted at the bottom and in no condition for the returntrip. The end came one morning when the clock, which was known as "AuntHelen," was discovered to have died at six-thirty; and, all horologicalassistance having been summoned in vain, it was suffered to stand in itscorner, untouched except by dust cloths, its hands forever pointing atsix-thirty, an eloquent warning of the end of indolence.
Although perhaps Mrs. Norris's contribution to the future life of ourlovers was not distinguished by that perfect satisfaction which we allstrive to furnish with our wedding gifts, her services at the weddingitself were invaluable. Nancy naturally turned to her for assistancewith the thousand and one preliminaries that the bride's mother usuallyperforms, and, moving in her own wondrous ways, Mrs. Norris saw toeverything.
The night before the wedding arrived, and she gave a dinner for thebridal party. As, after considerable discussion, Nancy had consented tohave the reception at the Norris house, Mrs. Norris relieved the mindsof her people in the kitchen by having a buffet supper--and using papernapkins.
Nancy was grateful for this, for she was extremely tired, and thesimpler everything could be, the better. So the supper was eaten allover the house and out on the terrace, and when the last paper napkinhad been crumpled up, and the entire party had been brought together todrink the bride's health, and her future husband's, and their mutualhealths, in the Dean's 1854 champagne, the party was whisked off up tothe college church for rehearsal.
Upon arriving there, Nancy being engaged momentarily with Mary, who hadheroically consented to be her maid of honour, Tom stole away byhimself. Before the church the ridge sloped gently away, giving anunobstructed view of the valley. The evening was a perfect one, and Tomenjoyed one of those rare moments when one feels in complete accord witheverything. All around him were the sights and sounds of bucolictranquillity; and within, apart from the comfortable effects of theDean's wine and cigar, were such melting thoughts as we may only guessat. Life was now just beginning for him--and how good it was!
The sun died in
ever darkening carmine. Tom flicked the ash from hiscigar and held it up against the light. It matched perfectly. A longzeppelin-like cloud hung, apparently motionless, a little higher up. Tommoved his cigar up to it and cocked one eye. Again perfect harmony. But,even as he looked, the cloud thinned out at one end and spoiled it alittle. Oh, well, it was perfect, anyway.
Behind him came the strains of the church organ and the voices of thebridal party. They were calling him. He paused deliciously, drinking inthe last moments of his freedom. And then, throwing away his cigar, hepassed quickly up the hill and into the lighted church.
* * * * *
_NEW BORZOI NOVELS_
_FALL, 1922_
THE QUEST _Pio Baroja_
THE ROOM _G. B. Stern_
ONE OF OURS _Willa Cather_
MARY LEE _Geoffrey Dennis_
THE PROMISED ISLE _Laurids Bruun_
THE RETURN _Walter de la Mare_
THE BRIGHT SHAWL _Joseph Hergesheimer_
THE MOTH DECIDES _Edward Alden Jewell_
INDIAN SUMMER _Emily Grant Hutchings_
+------------------------------------------------------------+ |Transcriber's Note: | |The book title on the cover shows "Tutor's", while inside is| |"Tutors'"; and whereas "Woodbridge Center" is spelled thus, | |the alternative spelling "centre" is used elsewhere. | +------------------------------------------------------------+