The Bondwoman

by Marah Ellis Ryan

  CHAPTER XXI.

  When Pluto brought her mail, an hour later, he tried to express moreclearly in words the utter happiness showing through every feature ofhis dark face, but she stopped him with a little gesture.

  "I see you are glad--no need to tell it," she remarked, briefly; "ifyou want to thank me do it by helping any of your people whom you findin trouble. There are many of them, no doubt."

  And when Mrs. McVeigh thanked her for doing what she could not havedone on such short notice, Judithe put the question aside quite aslightly.

  "The man is a very good groom," she remarked. "I enjoyed my ride themore today for having him along to answer all my curious questions ofthe country. I meant to give him 'backsheesh,' as the Orientals callit, so why not select what the fellow most wants--even though it be apickaninny?"

  "Well, he certainly is singing your praises down in the cook-house. Ieven heard several 'hallelujas' from Aunt Dilsey's particular corner.Judge Clarkson has endorsed the check and will send a white manhorseback with it to Larues in the morning. Pluto starts tonight onfoot across country--says he can't sleep, any way--he's so happy. Thewomen are arguing already as to which shall have the special care ofZekal. Altogether, you have created a sensation in the household, andwe all love you for it."

  "What further recompense to be desired? It really is not worth so muchof praise."

  "Kenneth will not think so when he comes home," and Kenneth's motherslipped her arm around the girl's shoulder affectionately, notnoticing how her careless expression changed at mention of the name.

  "Oh! Will he, then, be interested in such small things as pickaninnies?"and her light words belied the look in her eyes.

  "Will he? Well, I should think so! You have done just what he wouldwant done--what he would do if it were possible. For two generationsthe McVeighs have neither bought nor sold slaves"--Judithe's eyes shotone disdainful flash--"just kept those inherited; but I'm sure thatboy of mine would have broken the rule for his generation in thiscase, and he'll be so grateful to you for it. Pluto was his playmateand respected monitor as a child, and Pluto's Zekal certainly willhave a place in his affections."

  Judithe picked up one of several letters, over which she had glanced,and remarked that she would expect a visitor within a week--possiblyin a day or two, the master of her yacht, which from a letterreceived, she learned had reached Savannah before Louise. A storm hadbeen encountered somewhere along the southern coast, and he wouldsubmit the list of damages--not heavy, yet needing a certain amount ofrefitting.

  "Fortunate Louise did go down," she said, with a certain satisfaction,as she laid down the communication. "She will be perfectly happy, evenhobbling around with a cane, if she is only buying things; shedelights in spending money;" then, after a pause, "I presume Col.McVeigh's return is still uncertain?"

  "Yes, rather; yet I fancy each morning he will come before night, andeach night that he may waken me in the morning. I have been living inthat delightful hopefulness for a week."

  Lena called them and they went out to the rustic seat circling thegreat live oak at the foot of the steps. The others were there, andthe Judge was preparing to drive the three miles home with his sister.Now that the invalid was better, and the wanderer returned fromMobile, Aunt Sajane bethought herself of the possible sixes and sevensof her own establishment, and drove away with promises of frequentvisits on both sides.

  Long after the others had retired for the night Judithe's lightburned, and there was little of the careless butterfly of fashionin her manner as she examined one after another of the letters broughther by the last mail, and wrote replies to some she meant to take tothe office herself during her early morning ride; it was sodelightful to have an errand, and Pluto had shown her the road.After all the others were done she picked up again the communicationshe had shown to Mrs. McVeigh--the report from the yacht master, andfrom the same envelope extracted a soft silken slip of paper withmarks peculiar--apparently mere senseless scratches of a thoughtlesspen, but it was over that paper and the reply most of the eveningwas spent. It was the most ancient method of secret writing knownto history, yet, apparently, so meaningless that it might passunnoticed even by the alert, or be turned aside as the ambitiousscrawlings of a little child.

  Each word as deciphered she had pencilled on a slip of paper, and whencomplete it read:

  "Courant brings word McV. is likely to be of special interest. If hetravels with guard we can't interfere on road from coast, and youwill be only hope. A guard of Federals will be landed north ofBeaufort and await your orders. Messenger will communicate soon asmovements are known. You may expect Pierson. We await your orders orany suggestions."

  There was no signature. Her orders or suggestions were written in thesame cipher, and required much more time and thought than had beengiven to the buying and freeing of Pluto's pickaninny, after which shedestroyed all unnecessary writings, and retired with the satisfiedfeeling of good work done and better in prospect, and in a short timewas sleeping the calm, sweet sleep of a conscienceless child.

  She rode even further next morning than she had the preceding day,when Pluto was her guide, and she rode as straight east as she couldgo towards the coast. When she met colored folk along the road shehalted, and spoke with them, to their great delight. She asked of theolder ones where the road led to, and were the pine woods everywherealong it, and what about swamps and streams to ford, etc., etc.Altogether, she had gained considerable knowledge of that especialterritory by the time she rode back to the Terrace and joined the restat the late breakfast. She had been in the saddle since dawn, andrecounted with vivacity all the little episodes of her solitaryconstitutional; the novelty of it was exhilarating. That it appeared atrifle eccentric to a Southerner did not suggest itself to her; allher eccentricities were charming to the McVeigh household, and Delavenlamented he had not been invited as proxy for Pluto, and amused thebreakfast party by anecdotes of hunting days in Ireland, and theenergy and daring of the ladies who rode at dawn there.

  Several times during the day Judithe attempted to have a tete-a-tetewith Mrs. McVeigh, and learn more about Miss Loring's silent maid,who was the first person she saw on her return from the ride thatmorning. The absolute self-effacement of an individual whose reposesuggested self-reliance, and whose well shaped head was poised soadmirably as to suggest pride, made the sad-faced servant afascinating personality to any one interested in questions concerningher race. No other had so won her attention since she made compactwith Kora in Paris.

  But Mistress McVeigh was a very busy woman that day. Pluto'sabsence left a vacancy in the establishment no other could fill sointelligently. Miss Loring had promptly attached herself as generalassistant to the mistress of the house. Delaven noticed how naturallyshe fell into the position of an elder daughter there, and,remembering Evilena's disclosures at Loringwood, and Matthew Loring'sown statement, he concluded that the wedding bells might sound at anytime after Kenneth's return, and he fancied they had been delayed,already, three years longer than suited the pleasure of her uncle.

  Delaven, as well as Judithe, was attracted by the personality ofMargeret. In the light, or the shadow, of the sad story he hadlistened to, she took on a new interest, an atmosphere of romancesurrounded her. He pictured what her life must have been as a child,amid the sunshine of Florida, the favorite of her easy-living,easy-loving Greek father, the sole relic of some pretty slave! As shewalked silently along the halls of the Terrace, he tried to realizeNelse's description of her gayety, once, in the halls of Loringwood.And when he observed the adoring eyes with which she regarded theMarquise after the pickaninny episode, he understood it was anotherchild she was thinking of--a child who should have been freed, and wasnot, and the feelings of Pluto were as her own.

  Two entire days passed without Pluto's return. There was some delay,owing to the absence of the overseer from the Larue estate; then,Zekal was ailing, and that delayed him until sundown of the secondday, when he took the child in his arms--his own child now--and w
ithits scanty wardrobe, and a few sundry articles of Rose's, all savedreligiously by an old "aunty," who had nursed her--he started homewardon his long night tramp, so happy he scarce felt the weight of the boyin his arms, or that of the bundle fastened with a rope across hisshoulders. He had his boy, and the boy was free! and when he thoughtof the stranger who had wrought this miracle his heart swelled withgratitude and the tears blinded him as he tramped homeward through thedarkness.

  The first faint color of dawn was showing in the east when he walkedinto Dilsey's cook-house and showed the child asleep in his arms.

  What a commotion! as the other house servants mustered in, sleepily,and straightway were startled very wide awake indeed, and eachinsisted on feeling the weight of the newcomer, just, Dilsey said, asif there never was a child seen on that plantation before. And all hadcures for the "brashy" spell the little chap had been afflicted by,and which seemed frightened away entirely, as he looked about him witheyes like black beads. All the new faces, and the petting, were arevelation to Zekal.

  Dilsey put up with it till everything else seemed at a standstill inthe morning's work, when she scattered the young folks right and leftto their several duties, got Pluto an excellent breakfast, and gavethe child in charge of one of the mothers in the quarters till"mist'ess" settled about him.

  "Yo' better take his little duds, too, Lucy," suggested Pluto, as theboy was toddling away with her, contentedly, rich in the possessionof two little fists full of sweet things; "they're tied up in thatbandana--not the blue one! That blue one got some o' his mammy'sthings I gwine look over; maybe might be something make him shirts oraprons, an' if there is a clean dress in that poke I--I like to haveit put on 'im 'fore she sees him--Madame Caron, an', an' Mist'ess, o'course! I like her to see he's worth while."

  Then he asked questions about what all had been done in his absence,and learned there had been company coming and going so much MahsLoring had his meals in his own room, "'cause o' the clatter theymade." Margeret had been over at the Pines with Miss Loring to seeabout the work already commenced there, and Madame Caron and Miss Lenaand Dr. Delaven just amused themselves.

  He learned that the mail had been detained and no one had gone for it,and, tired though he was, started at once. He had noticed MadameCaron's mail was of daily importance, and it should not be neglectedby him even if company did make the others forgetful.

  He was especially pleased that he had gone, when the postmaster handedover to him, besides several other letters and papers, a large,important-looking envelope for the Marquise de Caron--a titledifficult for Pluto to spell; though he recognized it at sight.

  The lady herself was on the veranda, in riding garb, when he presentedhimself, and she smiled as she caught sight of that special envelopeamong the rest.

  "Margeret tells me you brought back the boy," she said, glancing up,after peering in the envelope and ascertaining its contents, "and,Pluto, you paid me for Zekal when you brought this letter to me--sothe balance is even."

  Pluto made no comment--only shook his head and smiled. He could notcomprehend how any letter, even a big one, could balance Zekal.

  She retired to her room to examine the other letters, while Plutoplaced the mail for the rest at their several places on the breakfasttable.

  Judithe unfolded the large enclosure and gave a sigh of utter contentas her eyes rested on the words there. They conveyed to the Marquisede Caron, of France, an estate in South Carolina outlined anddescribed and known as Loringwood. The house was sold furnished as itstood, and there followed an inventory of contents, excepting onlyfamily china and portraits.

  "Not such an unlucky journey, after all, despite the coffins in thetea cups," and she smiled at the fearful fancies of Louise, as shelaid the paper aside; for the time it had made her forget there wereother things equally important.

  There was another letter, without signature. It said: "McVeigh is inCharleston, detained by official matters. Pierson leaves withparticulars. Mail too irregular to be reliable. Your latest word fromColumbia most valuable; we transmitted it as you suggested. Yourlocation fortunate. The Powers at W. delighted with your success, butdoubtful of your safety--unhealthy climate except for the natives!Report emancipation will be proclaimed, but nothing definite heardyet."

  She removed her habit and joined the rest at the breakfast table, cladin the daintiest of pink morning gowns, and listened with pleasedsurprise to Mrs. McVeigh's information that her son, the Colonel,might be expected at any time. They had passed the blockadesuccessfully, reached Charleston two nights before; were detained byofficial matters, and hoped, surely, to reach home within twenty-fourhours after the letter. His stay, however, would have to be brief, ashe must move north at once with his regiment.

  And in the midst of the delight, Judithe created a sensation byremarking:

  "Well, my good people, I am not going to allow the Colonel all thesurprise. I have had one of my own this morning, and I can scarcelywait to share it with you. It is the most astonishing thing!" and sheglanced around at the expectant faces.

  "If it's of interest to you, it will be the wide world's worth to us,"affirmed Delaven, with exaggerated show of devotion, at which shelaughed happily, and turned to her hostess.

  "You remember I informed you in Mobile I meant to sell my Orleansproperty, as I would not occupy it under existing rule;" to whichexplanation Matthew Loring actually beamed commendation, "well, I leftit in the hands of my business man with orders to invest the moneyfrom the sale in some interior plantations not under Federal control.I wanted a house furnished, colonial by choice--some historicalmansion preferred. The particular reason for this is, I have norelatives, no children to provide for, and the fancy has come to mefor endowing some educational institution in your land, and for suchpurpose a mansion such as I suggested would, in all ways bepreferable. Well, they forwarded me a list of properties. I sent themback unread lest I should covet them all, for they all would cost solittle! I repeated to them the description Madame McVeigh had given meof your ancestral home, my dear sir, and told them to secure me aproperty possessing just such advantages as yours does--near enough tothe coast for yachting, and far enough from cities to be out of socialchains, except the golden one of friendship," she added, letting hereyes rest graciously on her listeners. "Well, can you surmise theresult of that order?"

  Each looked at the other in wonder; her smile told half the truth.

  "I am afraid to put my surmise in words," confessed Mrs. McVeigh, "forfear of disappointment."

  "I'm not!" and Evilena flourished her napkin to emphasize her delight,"its Loringwood! Oh, oh, Madame Caron, you've bought Loringwood!"

  Margeret was entering the room with a small tray containing somethingfor Mr. Loring, whose meals she prepared personally. Delaven, who wasfacing her, saw her grow ashen, and her eyes closed as though struck aphysical blow; a glass from the tray shivered on the floor, as hesprang up and saved her from falling.

  "What ails you, Margeret?" asked Gertrude, with the ring of the silversounding through her tones. "There--she is all right again, Dr.Delaven. Don't come into the dining room in future unless you feelquite well. Uncle can't endure crashes, or nervous people, abouthim."

  "I know; I beg pardon, Miss Gertrude, Mistress McVeigh," andMargeret's manner was above reproach in its respectful humility,though Delaven observed that the firm lips were white; "the kitchenwas very warm. I--I was faint for a minute."

  "Never mind about the glass, Caroline will pick it up," said Mrs.McVeigh, kindly; "you go lay down awhile, it is very warm in thekitchen. Dilsey always will have a tremendous fire, even to fry an eggon; go along now--go rest where it's cool."

  Margeret bent her head in mute acknowledgment of the kindness, andpassed out of the room. Mr. Loring had pushed his plate away with animpatient frown, signifying that breakfast was over for him, any way.

  Delaven, noticing his silence and the grim expression on his face,wondered if he, too, was doubtful of that excuse uttered by the woman.The kitchen, n
o doubt, was warm, but he had seen her face as she heardEvilena's delighted exclamation; it was the certainty that Loringwoodwas actually sold--Loringwood, and that grave under the pines?Possibly she had fostered hope that it might not be yet--not for along time, and the suddenness of it had been like a physical shock tothe frail, devoted woman. He had reasoned it out like that, and hiswarm, Irish heart ached for her as she left the room, and, glancingabout the table, he concluded that only Matthew Loring and himselfsuspected the truth, or knew the real reason of her emotion, thoughthe eyes of the Marquise did show a certain frank questioning as theymet his own.

  "Margeret's fit just frightened the plantation away for a minute,"resumed Evilena, "but do own up, Madame Caron, is it Loringwood?"

  "Yes," assented Judithe, "the letter from my lawyer, this morning,informs me it is really Loringwood."

  "I am very much pleased to hear it, Madame," and Matthew Loring's tonewas unusually hearty. "Since we part with it at all, I am pleased thatno scrub stock gets possession. The place is perfectly adapted to theuse you have planned, and instead of falling into neglect, the oldhome will become a monument to progress."

  "So I hope," replied Judithe, with a subtle light, as of stars, in thedepths of her eyes; "I am especially delighted to find that the oldfurnishings remain; it would be difficult for me to collect articlesso in keeping with the entire scheme of arrangement, and it wouldmake a discord to introduce new things from the shops."

  "You will find no discords of _that_ sort at Loringwood," saidGertrude, speaking for the first time; "and, I hope, not many of anykind. Many of the heavy, massive old things I disliked to part with,but they would be out of place at the Pines, or, in fact, in any houseless spacious. Like uncle, I am pleased it goes into the keeping ofone who appreciates the artistic fitness of the old-fashionedfurnishings."

  "Which she has never seen yet," supplemented Evilena, as Judithereceived this not very cordial compliment with a little bow and abrilliant smile.

  "We will remedy that just as soon as we can secure an invitation fromthe present lady of the manor," she said, in mock confidence toEvilena, across the table, at which the rest laughed, and Mr. Loringdeclared that now she was the lady of the manor herself, and his oneregret was that he and his niece were not there to make her firstentrance a welcome one.

  "That would certainly add to the pleasure of the visit," and her smilewas most gracious. "But even your wish to welcome me makes it all themore delightful. I shall remember it when I first enter the door."

  Gertrude made an effort to be cordial, but that it was an effort Mrs.McVeigh easily discerned, and when they were alone, she turned to herin wonder:

  "What is it, dear? Are you displeased about the sale? I feel soresponsible for it; but I fancied it would be just what you wouldwant."

  "So it is, too; but--oh, I had no idea it could all be settled soquickly as this!"

  "When people never hesitate to telegraph, even about trifles, andJudithe never does, they can have business affairs moved veryquickly," explained Mrs. McVeigh; "but what possible reason have youfor objecting to the settlement?"

  "I don't object, but--you will think me silly, perhaps--but, I amsorry it is out of our hands before Kenneth returns. I should like tohave him go over the old place, just once, before strangers claimit."

  "Never mind, dear, the nearer you are to the Terrace the better thatKenneth will like it, and the Pines is a great improvement in thatway."

  "Yes; still it was at Loringwood I first saw him. Do you remember? Youfolks had just moved here from Mobile; it was my tenth birthday, and Ihad a party. Kenneth was the beau of the whole affair, because he wasa new-comer, and a 'town boy,' and, I remember, we compared ages andfound that he was three months older than I, and for a long time heassumed superior airs in consequence," and she smiled at theremembrance. "Well, Uncle Matthew is delighted, and I suppose I shouldbe. It ends all our money troubles for awhile, any way. Now, what areyou planning for Kenneth's home coming? All the people will want tosee him."

  "And so they shall. We certainly can depend on him for tomorrow night,and we will have a party. Pluto shall start with the invitations atonce."

  And Pluto did, just as soon as he had brought Zekal around for aninspection, which proved so entirely satisfactory that Evilenathreatened to adopt him right away. He should be her own especial boysoon as he was big enough to run errands, which statement appeared tomake an impression on Zekal not anticipated, for he so delighted togaze on the pretty young white lady who petted him, that he objectedlustily to being removed from the light of her countenance; andDelaven gave him a coin and informed him that he felt like himself,often. This remark, made in the presence of Madame Caron, who laughed,brought on a tilt at hostilities between himself and Miss Evilena, whodeclared he was mocking her, and trying to render her ridiculous inthe eyes of the only foreigner she admired excessively! He endeavoredto persuade her to extend the last by warbling "Sweet Evilena," whichshe declared she could not endure to hear for three distinct reasons.

  "Let's hear them," he suggested, continuing the low humming:

  "Ten years have gone by And I have not one dollar; Evilena still lives In that green grassy hollow."

  "There! what sort of man would he be, any way?" she demanded, "a manwho couldn't earn a dollar in ten years!"

  "Arrah, now! and there's many a one of us travels longer and findsless, and never gets a song made about him, either; so, that's yourfirst reason, is it?"

  "And a very good one, too!" affirmed the practical damsel; "do youwant to hear the second?"

  "An' it please your sovereign grace!"

  "Well, it doesn't, for you can't sing it," and she emphasized thestatement by flaunting her garden hat at every word.

  "Me, is it? Ah, now, listen to that! I can't sing it, can't I? Well,then, I'll practice it all day and every day until you change yourmind about that, my lady!"

  "I shan't; for I've heard it sung so much better--and by a boy _whowore a uniform_--and that's the third reason."

  After that remark she walked up the steps very deliberately, and wasvery polite to him when they met an hour later, which politeness wasthe foundation for a feud lasting forty-eight hours; she determinedthat his punishment should be nothing _less_ than that; it would teachhim not to make her a laughing stock again. He should find he had notan Irish girl to tease, and--and make love to--especially before otherfolks!

  And to shorten the season of her displeasure, he evolved a planpromising to woo the dimples into her cheeks again, for, if nothingbut a uniformed singer was acceptable to her, a uniformed singer sheshould have. For the sake of her bright eyes he was willing to humorall her reasonable fancies--and most of her unreasonable ones. Theconsequences of this particular one, however, were something he couldnot foresee.