James Fenimore Cooper's Five Novels

by James Fenimore Cooper

  “Where is Dunwoodie, Isabella?” he said. “The excellent fellow is never weary of kind actions. After a day of such service as that of yesterday, he has spent the night in bringing me a nurse, whose presence alone is able to raise me from my couch.”

  The expression of the lady’s countenance changed; her eye roved round the apartment with a character of wildness in it that repelled the anxious Frances, who studied her movements with unabated interest—

  “Dunwoodie! is he then not here? I thought to have met him by the side of my brother’s bed.”

  “He has duties that require his presence elsewhere. The English are said to be out by the way of the Hudson, and they give us light troops but little rest; surely nothing else could have kept him so long from a wounded friend; but, Isabella, the meeting has been too much for you; you tremble.”

  Isabella made no reply; she stretched her hand towards the table which held the nourishment of the captain, and the attentive Frances comprehended her wishes in a moment. A glass of water in some measure revived the sister, who was enabled to say—

  “Doubtless it is his duty. ’Twas said above, a royal party was moving on the river; though I passed the troops but two miles from this spot.” The latter part of the sentence was hardly audible, and it was spoken more in the manner of a soliloquy, than as if intended for the ears of her companions.

  “On the march, Isabella?” eagerly inquired her brother.

  “No, dismounted, and seemingly at rest,” was the reply.

  The wondering dragoon turned his gaze on the countenance of his sister, who sat with her eye bent on the carpet in unconscious absence, but found no explanation. His look was changed to the face of Frances, who, startled by the earnestness of his expression, arose, and hastily inquired if he would have any assistance.

  “If you can pardon the rudeness,” said the wounded officer, making a feeble effort to raise his body, “I would request to have Captain Lawton’s company for a moment.”

  Frances hastened instantly to communicate his wish to that gentleman, and impelled by an interest she could not control, she returned again to her seat by the side of Miss Singleton.

  “Lawton,” said the youth impatiently as the trooper entered, “hear you from the major?”

  The eye of the sister was now bent on the face of the trooper, who made his salutations to the lady with ease blended with the frankness of a soldier—

  “His man has been here twice,” he said, “to inquire how we fared in the Lazaretto.”

  “And why not himself?”

  “That is a question the major can answer best; but you know the red coats are abroad, and Dunwoodie commands in the county; these English must be looked to.”

  “True,” said Singleton slowly, as if struck with the other’s reasons; “but how is it that you are idle when there is work to do?”

  “My sword arm is not in the best condition, and Roanoke has but a shambling gait this morning; besides there is another reason I could mention, if it were not that Miss Wharton would never forgive me.”

  “Speak, I beg, without dread of my displeasure,” said Frances, returning the good-humoured smile of the trooper with the archness natural to her own sweet face.

  “The odours of your kitchen, then,” cried Lawton bluntly, “forbid my quitting the domains, until I qualify myself to speak with more certainty concerning the fatness of the land.”

  “Oh! aunt Jeanette is exerting herself to do credit to my father’s hospitality,” said the laughing girl, “and I am a truant from her labours, as I shall be a stranger to her favour unless I proffer my assistance.”

  Frances withdrew to seek her aunt, musing deeply on the character and extreme sensibility of the new acquaintance chance had brought to the cottage.

  The wounded officer followed her with his eyes, as she moved with infantile grace through the door of his apartment, and as she vanished from his view, he observed—

  “Such an aunt and niece are seldom to be met with, Jack; this seems a fairy, but the aunt is angelic.”

  “You are doing well, I see; your enthusiasm for the fair sex holds its own.”

  “I should be ungrateful as well as insensible did I not bear testimony to the loveliness of Miss Peyton.”

  “A good motherly lady; but as to love, that is a matter of taste. A few years younger, with deference to her prudence and experience, would accord better with my fancy.”

  “She must be under twenty,” said the other quickly.

  “It depends on the way you count. If you begin at the heel of life, well; but if you reckon downward, as is most common, I think she is nearer forty.”

  “You have mistaken an elder sister for the aunt,” said Isabella, laying her fair hand on the mouth of the invalid, “you must be silent; your feelings are beginning to affect your frame.”

  The entrance of Doctor Sitgreaves, who, in some alarm, noticed the increase of feverish symptoms in his patient, enforced this mandate; and the trooper withdrew to pay a visit of condolence to Roanoke, who had been an equal sufferer with himself in their last night’s somerset. To his great joy, his man pronounced the steed to be equally convalescent with the master; and Lawton found, that by dint of rubbing the animal’s limbs, several hours without ceasing, he was enabled to place his feet in what he called systematic motion. Orders were accordingly given to be in readiness to rejoin the troop at the Four Corners, as soon as his master had shared in the bounty of the approaching banquet.

  In the mean time, Henry Wharton entered the apartment of Wellmere, and, by his sympathy, succeeded in restoring the colonel to his own good graces. The latter was consequently enabled to rise and prepared to meet a rival of whom he had spoken so lightly, and as the result had proved, with so little reason. Wharton knew that their misfortune, as they both termed their defeat, was owing to the other’s rashness; but he forbore to speak of any thing except the unfortunate accident which had deprived the English of their leader, and to which he good-naturedly ascribed their subsequent discomfiture.

  “In short, Wharton,” said the colonel putting one leg out of bed, “it may be called a combination of untoward events; your own ungovernable horse prevented my orders from being carried to the major, in season to flank the rebels.”

  “Very true,” replied the captain, kicking a slipper towards the bed; “had we succeeded in getting a few good fires upon them in flank, we should have sent these brave Virginians to the right about.”

  “Ay! and that in double quick time,” cried the colonel, making the other leg follow its companion; “then it was necessary to rout the guides, you know, and the movement gave them the best possible opportunity to charge.”

  “Yes,” said the other, sending the second slipper after the first, “and this Major Dunwoodie never overlooks an advantage.”

  “I think if we had the thing to do over again,” continued the colonel, raising himself on his feet, “we might alter the case very materially, though the chief thing the rebels have now to boast of is my capture; they were repulsed you saw, in their attempt to drive us from the wood.”

  “At least they would have been, had they made an attack,” said the captain, throwing the rest of his clothes within reach of the colonel.

  “Why that is the same thing,” returned Wellmere, beginning to dress himself; “to assume such an attitude as to intimidate your enemy is the chief art of war.”

  “Doubtless, then you may remember in one of their charges they were completely routed.”

  “True—true,” cried the colonel with animation; “had I been there to have improved that advantage we might have turned the table on the yankies;” saying which, he displayed still greater animation in completing his toilette, and he was soon prepared to make his appearance, fully restored to his own good opinion, and fairly persuaded that his capture was owing to casualties absolutely beyond the control of man.
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  The knowledge that Colonel Wellmere was to be a guest at the table in no degree diminished the preparations which were already making for the banquet; and Sarah, after receiving the compliments of the gentleman, and making many kind inquiries after the state of his wounds, proceeded in person to lend her counsel and taste to one of those laboured entertainments, which, at that day, were so frequent in country life, and which are not entirely banished from our domestic economy, at the present moment.

  Chapter XIII

  “I will stand to and feed,

  Although my last:”

  Tempest.

  * * *

  THE SAVOUR of preparation, which had been noticed by Captain Lawton, began to increase within the walls of the cottage—Certain sweet smelling odours, that arose from the subterranean territories of Caesar, gave to the trooper the most pleasing assurance, that his olfactory nerves, which on such occasions were as acute as his eyes on others, had faithfully performed their duty; and for the benefit of enjoying the passing sweets as they arose, the dragoon so placed himself at a window of the building, that not a vapour, charged with the spices of the east, could exhale on its passage to the clouds, without first giving its incense to his nose. Lawton, however, by no means indulged himself in this comfortable arrangement without first making such preparations, to do meet honour to the feast, as his scanty wardrobe would allow. The uniform of his corps was always a passport to the best tables, and this, though somewhat tarnished by faithful service and unceremonious usage, was properly brushed and decked out for the occasion. His head, which nature had ornamented with the blackness of a crow, now shone with the whiteness of snow; and his bony hand that so well became the sabre, peered from beneath a ruffle with something like maiden coyness. The improvements of the dragoon went no farther, excepting that his boots shone with more than holiday splendor, and his spurs glittered in the rays of the sun as became the pure ore, of which they were composed.

  Caesar moved through the apartments with a face charged with an importance, exceeding even that which had accompanied him in his melancholy task of the morning. The black had early returned from the errand on which he had been despatched by the pedlar, and obedient to the commands of his mistress, promptly appeared to give his services, where his allegiance was due—so serious, indeed, was his duty now becoming that it was only at odd moments he was enabled to impart to his sable brother, who had been sent in attendance on Miss Singleton to the “Locusts,” any portion of the wonderful incidents of the momentous night he had so lately passed. By ingeniously using, however, such occasions as accidentally offered, Caesar communicated so many of the heads of his tale, as served to open the eyes of his visitor to their fullest width. The gusto for the marvellous was innate in these sable worthies, and Miss Peyton found it necessary to interpose her authority, in order to postpone the residue of the history to a more befitting opportunity.

  “Ah! Miss Jin’nett,” said Caesar shaking his head, and looking all that he expressed, “’twas awful to see Johnny Birch walk on a feet, when he lie dead.”

  This concluded the conversation, though the black promised himself the satisfaction, and did not fail to enjoy it, of having many a good gossip on the solemn subject at a future period.

  The ghost thus happily laid, the department of Miss Peyton flourished, and by the time the afternoon’s sun had travelled a two hours journey from the meridian, the formal procession from the kitchen to the parlour commenced under the auspices of Caesar, who led the van, supporting a turkey on the palms of his withered hands, with the dexterity of a balance master.

  Next followed the servant of Captain Lawton, bearing, as he marched stiffly and walking wide, as if allowing room for his steed, a ham of true Virginian flavour;—a present from the spinster’s brother in Accomac. The supporter of this savory dish kept his eye on his trust with military precision, and by the time he reached his destination it might be difficult to say which contained the most juice, his own mouth or the Accomac bacon.

  Third in the line was to be seen the valet of Colonel Wellmere, who carried in either hand chickens fricassied, and oyster pattys.

  After him marched the attendant of Dr. Sitgreaves, who had instinctively seized an enormous tureen, as most resembling matters he understood; and followed on in place, until the steams of the soup so completely bedimmed the spectacles he wore, as a badge of office, that on arriving at the scene of action, he was compelled to deposite his freight on the floor until, by removing the glasses, he could see his way through the piles of reserved china and plate-warmers.

  Next followed another trooper, whose duty it was to attend on Captain Singleton; and as if apportioning his appetite to the feeble state of his master, he had contented himself with conveying a pair of ducks, roasted until their tempting fragrance began to make him repent his having so lately demolished a breakfast that had been provided for his master’s sister, with another prepared for himself.

  The white boy, who belonged to the house, brought up the rear, groaning under the load of sundry dishes of vegetables that the cook, by way of climax, had unwittingly heaped on him.

  But this was far from all of the preparations for that day’s feast. Caesar had no sooner deposited his bird, which but the week before had been flying amongst the highlands of Duchess, little dreaming of so soon heading such a goodly assemblage, than he turned mechanically on his heel, and took up his line of march again for the kitchen. In this evolution the black was imitated by his companions in succession, and another procession to the parlour followed in the same order. By this admirable arrangement, whole flocks of pigeons, certain bevies of quails, shoals of flat-fish, bass, and sundry wood-cock, found their way into the presence of the company.

  A third attack brought suitable quantities of potatoes, onions, beets, cold-slaw, rice, and all the other minutiae of a goodly dinner.

  The board now fairly groaned with American profusion, and Caesar, glancing his eye over the show with a most approving conscience, after re-adjusting every dish that had not been placed on the table with his own hands, proceeded to acquaint the mistress of the revels, that his task was happily accomplished.

  Some half hour before the culinary array just recorded took place, all the ladies disappeared, much in the same unaccountable manner that swallows flee the approach of winter. But the spring-time of their return had arrived, and the whole party were collected in an apartment that, in consequence of its containing no side-table, and being furnished with a chintz-covered settee, was termed a withdrawing room.

  The kind-hearted spinster had deemed the occasion worthy, not only of extraordinary preparations in the culinary department, but had seen proper to deck her own person in garments suited to the guests whom it was now her happiness to entertain.

  On her head Miss Peyton wore a cap of exquisite lawn, which was ornamented in front with a broad border of lace, that spread from the face in such a manner as to admit of a display of artificial flowers, clustered in a group on the summit of her fine forehead.

  The colour of her hair was lost in the profusion of powder with which it was covered; but a slight curling of the extremities in some degree relieved the formality of its arrangement, and gave a look of feminine softness to the features.

  Her dress was a rich, heavy silk of violet colour, cut low around the bust, with a stomacher of the same material, that fitted close to the figure, and exhibited the form, from the shoulders to the waist, in its true proportions. Below, the dress was full, and sufficiently showed, that parsimony in attire was not a foible of the day. A small hoop displayed the beauty of the fabric to advantage, and aided in giving majesty to the figure.

  The tall stature of the lady was heightened by shoes of the same material with the dress, whose heels added more than an inch to the liberality of nature.

  The sleeves were short and close to the limb, until they fell off at the elbows in large ruffles, that hung in rich profusio
n from the arm when extended; and duplicates and triplicates of lawn, trimmed with Dresden lace, lent their aid in giving delicacy to a hand and arm that yet retained their whiteness and symmetry. A treble row of large pearls closely encircled her throat, and a handkerchief of lace partially concealed that part of the person that the silk had left exposed, but which the experience of forty years had warned Miss Peyton should now be veiled.

  Thus attired, and standing erect with the lofty grace that distinguished the manners of that day, the maiden would have looked into nothingness a bevy of modern belles.

  The taste of Sarah had kept even pace with the decorations of her aunt; and a dress, differing in no respect from the one just described, but in material and tints, exhibited her imposing form to equal advantage. The satin of her robe was of a pale bluish colour. Twenty years did not, however, require the skreen that was prudent in forty, and nothing but an envious border of exquisite lace hid, in some measure, what the satin left exposed to view. The upper part of the bust and the fine fall of the shoulders were blazing in all their native beauty, and like the aunt, the throat was ornamented by a treble row of pearls, to correspond with which were rings of the same quality in the ears. The head was without a cap, and the hair drawn up from the countenance so as to give to the eye all the loveliness of a forehead as polished as marble and as white as snow. A few straggling curls fell gracefully on the neck, and a bouquet of artificial flowers was also placed, like a coronet, over her brow.

  Miss Singleton had resigned her brother to the advice of Dr. Sitgreaves, who had succeeded in getting his patient into a deep sleep after quieting certain feverish symptoms that followed the agitation of the interview. The sister was persuaded by the observant mistress of the mansion to make one of the party, and she sat by the side of Sarah, differing but little in appearance from that lady, except in refusing the use of powder on her raven locks, and that her unusually high forehead and large, brilliant eyes, gave an expression of thoughtfulness to her features, that was possibly heightened by the paleness of her cheek.