CHAPTER IV.
Bacon and his companion having left O'Reily with the horses, nowcommenced descending an immense hill which formed one side of a dark anddismal looking glen. The tall pine trees with which the higher groundswere covered seemed to reach half way to the clouds. A cold midnightbreeze swept through the damp and dewy foliage of the trees andshrubbery. The birds of night chimed mournfully and dismally in unisonwith the monotonous rustling of the leaves, and the rippling of a littlebrook just before them. When they had stepped across the stream, andcast their eyes up the face of the opposite hill, the rays of the moonsuddenly broke through a fissure of the clouds, revealing to them ratherthe darkness around than any distinct traces of the path which they wereto pursue. Bacon stood for an instant, and gazed intently upon a littlespot of partially cleared ground half way to the summit, then gentlydrawing his companion to the same place where he stood, and pointingupwards, he said "Do you not perceive something moving yonder? It is he!you must now proceed alone!"
"Alone, Nathaniel? Impossible!"
"You must, Virginia; he will not admit more than one person at a timewithin his cell. Fear not there is no earthly danger; I will be withincall. Rouse your drooping courage! the worst half of your undertaking isnow accomplished."
"By far the worst half is yet to come, Nathaniel; you can form noconception of the awe with which I look upon that being! You forget thatI have never seen more of him than I see now, notwithstanding you saythat he is so much attached to me."
"It is strange, I confess Virginia, but it is nevertheless true."
"His affection, if it exists, must be the fruit of your representationsas to some imaginary proficiency in my studies."
"Not at all; he seems to know every one in Jamestown, and all thecircumstances connected with their history: but come, Virginia, we arelosing precious time. Move on and fear nothing."
Clasping her hands, and internally summoning up all her resolution, sheadvanced with a sort of desperate determination. Having arrived withinsome forty yards of the spot before alluded to, the outlines of agigantic figure could easily be discerned as his footfalls weredistinctly heard moving restlessly to and fro on a sort of platform orlevel space, left by nature or formed by art, in the side of the hill.His head towered far above the stunted undergrowth, interspersed amongthe rugged outlines of the scene. And as he impatiently measured thenarrow limits of this outer court to his castle, he seemed not unlike achafed and hungry monarch of the forest when making the narrow rounds ofhis iron bound limits. Having gone thus far, she was sensible that itwas nearly as bad to recede as go forward, and that if she retreated nowupon the very eve of the fulfilment of all that Bacon had promised, herpast anxieties would have been endured for nothing: she braced hernerves therefore, and endeavoured to subdue the overpowering terrorwhich the distant view of this strange and mysterious man had excited.Summoning all her resolution for one desperate effort, she threw herselfforward and fell at the feet of the huge mortal, who stood apparentlyastounded at the abrupt appearance of his unwonted and untimely visiter.When Virginia found courage enough to raise her lately closed eyes, shewas not a little astonished to see him leaning against the stone wallsof his cell, no less agitated than herself. He was apparently aboutsixty years of age, his hair slightly silvered, and his features wornand weatherbeaten, yet eminently handsome. His person was veryremarkable, being about six feet and a half in height and perfectlyproportioned. His dress conformed in some degree to the militaryfashions of the day, having however rather the appearance of undressthan full uniform. The expression of his countenance was decidedlyintellectual; and about the lower part of his face there were someindications of a disposition to sensuality, but tempered and controlledin no ordinary degree by some other fierce and controlling passion. Hiseye was wild and unsettled at times, and again assumed the mild serenityof the profound student. Altogether, his presence was intellectual andcommanding in the highest degree.
As he stood against the wall of his cell quaking like an aspen, anindifferent observer would have been at a loss to determine which wasthe most agitated, he or his gentle visiter. Virginia noted with morethan one furtive glance his strange and unexpected embarrassment, stillhowever, preserving her humble and supplicating posture. At length,struggling with the emotions which unmanned him, muttering all the whilebroken sentences which fell strangely upon her ear, and among which shecould distinguish repeated allusions to herself, and to events of longpassed years, recalled as it appeared by some fancied resemblance tracedby his excited imagination in her form and features. He approached thekneeling maiden, and taking her hand, he raised her from the ground, andsaid in a tone of kindness, "My wayward fancies frighten thee, my child;be not alarmed, however--there is nothing here to harm thee. My house ispoor and cheerless, but such as it is, thou art welcome to its shelter,and to any services which I can render to thee. Come, my daughter, letus in from the damps of the night."
The cell of the Recluse was formed on three sides by stone walls withoutwindows, as O'Reily had described them, the fourth being furnished bythe side of the hill, and the roof an arch of masonry overgrown withmoss, grass and weeds.[1]
[Footnote 1: A house very similar to that we have described stands tothis day near the Ancient City. Its former objects and uses are entirelyunknown.]
Pressing open the rude door, he entered, followed by Virginia. Near onecorner of the room stood a common deal table, on which was placed asmall iron lamp, and near to it a three legged stool of the rudestconstruction. These were the only articles of furniture of which theapartment could boast. The floor, which consisted of the earth, asnature had made it, was overgrown with weeds and bushes. "This," saidhe, with a bitter smile upon his countenance, "is my hall of audience!Here I receive my guests, with one solitary exception; thou shalt beanother." Having thus spoken, he took the lamp from the table, anddrawing aside some dried bushes which were piled against the side formedby the hill in apparent carelessness, he exhibited to her view the mouthof a cavern, not sufficient in height by several feet to admit hisperson in the erect position. "This," said he as he stooped to enter,"is not a house made with hands, and it is built upon a rock of ages.The rains may descend, floods may come, winds blow and beat upon it, butit falleth not. It is proper that thou shouldst see it, and such haslong been my intention. I have much to say to thee, and doubtless thouhast something to communicate to me, or thou wouldst not have made thisvisit. But not a whisper of what thou mayst see or hear must ever passthy lips, save to those I shall authorize thee to make partakers of thyknowledge. This is a condition which thou must impress upon thy mind."Stepping in a bent position within the mouth of the cavern, he movedforward and downward, motioning her to follow. They descended many rudeand natural steps, which were imperfectly seen by the light of the lampborne by her singular guide, the rays being often obscured by the bulkand great height of his person in the narrow passages of the cave, sothat she was more than once compelled to grope her way by sliding herhand along the cold damp and dripping walls, and by slipping her feetover the uneven ground, without raising them in the act of stepping.Having completed the descent, she found herself in a long naturalvestibule to the inner apartments. Her guide had gained rapidly uponher, so that when once more upon level ground, some thirty feet belowthe outer surface of the earth, he was almost out of sight. She wouldhave cried out, had she not been restrained by a counteracting feeling,which placed her in a grievous dilemma between horror at the dismalplace, and fear of the singular being who had undertaken to guide herthrough its recesses. Commending herself however to her Maker in mentalprayer, and trusting in his protection the more confidently on accountof the motive for her undertaking, she hastened forward so as with greatexertions to keep within sight of the rising and sinking light of thelamp, and the devious windings of the cavern. The footfalls of herHerculean guide reechoed along the damp and gloomy tunnels with an awfuland dismal effect, amidst the grave-like stillness of the place.Occasionally flickering shadows were reflected
against the walls, whenthe light turned suddenly round a projecting rock, affording to herimagination the most startling and frightful images. While her mind wascombatting these unreal terrors, she was surprised by the tone of a deephoarse voice abruptly rumbling through the high dark arches far aboveher head, with that reverberating sound peculiar to these secret placesof the earth. But her amazement was still greater, when lifting her eyesin the direction of the lamp she beheld the Recluse standing upon alofty but narrow ledge of rock, the lamp flickering and sinking everynow and then so as to threaten total darkness. He was pointing with hisfinger, and directing her to a projecting and winding pathway by whichshe must ascend to the platform upon which he stood. This once gained,she had a complete view of the resting place of her mysterious guide.
Immediately fronting the platform was a natural doorway, about as highas her own head, leading into the inner chamber. From the high andvaulted arches hung thousands of the fantastic creations of hoary time,and from the centre of these a cord swung into the middle of the area,to which was suspended a burning lamp, the rays of which werebrilliantly reflected from a thousand shining mirrors of nature'sforming. In one corner she discovered, as they entered, several piecesof firearms, and against the wall on one side hung huge swords, longenough for two-handed weapons to ordinary mortals, together with Indianwar clubs, moccasins, wampum, pipes, tomahawks, spears, arrows, andother implements of savage warfare. In another corner stood a rudebedstead, evidently constructed by the hands of its nightly occupant, asmall table, two or three chairs, and a few culinary articles,--some themanufacture of the savages, and others the product of civilizedingenuity. By far the largest part of one side of the room was occupiedby coarsely constructed shelves, bearing many volumes of the mostvenerable appearance. One of these was lying open upon the table, a pairof horn spectacles upon the page to mark the place where the owner hadlast been engaged. The very letters in which it was printed were entirestrangers to the eyes of our heroine. Some thirty yards distant, in theremotest part of the room, a little furnace diffused a narrow circle ofglowing light through its otherwise gloomy precincts. These completedthe establishment, so far as the eye could discover its arrangement.
When he had led Virginia into the habitable part of this area, he placeda chair, and motioned for her to be seated, drawing a stool near thetable at the same time for himself, and resting his head upon the palmof his hand. "I will not affect ignorance of thy name and person, mydaughter, nor yet of thy errand here. The first I should most certainlyhave known, if I had not surmised the last. Alas! my child, thou wiltthink no doubt that I speak in riddles when I tell thee that thosefeatures have been engraven upon the heart of one who has forsworn theworld for many a long and irksome year. Thou mayest well look amazed, mypoor bewildered child, but it is true! I cannot explain it to thee now,however; some day perhaps thou mayest know all. Oh, if thou couldstimagine what events must take place in this little isolated world aroundJamestown, before the mysteries of which I speak can rightfully be madeclear to thee, thou wouldst fall upon thy knees and pray that suchdisastrous knowledge might never come to thy understanding!"
As his eye rested from time to time, while he spoke, upon the featuresof the beautiful girl, he covered his face with his hands, and seemedfor an instant to give way to an agitation similar to that whichunnerved him at her first appearance on the platform. Occasionally too,when not speaking himself, he became profoundly abstracted for a moment,and his eye was wild and restless, and not a little alarming to hisgentle visiter, as it ever and anon fell upon herself, and seemed togather in her face the solution of some subtle doubt of his troubledmind. But observing that his glances, wild as they were, always becamehumanized and softened as they rested upon her face, she seized thefirst opportunity to complete the object of her journey, not wellknowing how it might terminate, being herself ignorant of its especialobject, and indeed of the very nature of the threatened danger.
"Father, I came here to seek your aid and protection for those who arenear and dear to me; My honoured parents--my mother"--she would haveproceeded, but at the mention of her mother's name he was seized withsuch a convulsive shudder that she paused in astonishment. It seemed asif the hand of death was already laying its cold grasp upon his vitals.His eye gleamed wildly--his lips trembled, and his hands shook as onestricken with the palsy, or overwhelmed by some sudden stroke ofcalamity. By a desperate effort of resolution, he speedily resumed hisattention to the discourse, and she proceeded: "I have been advised andurged in my resort to this step by one not unknown to you, under thevain hope, I fear, that you were cognizant of some threatened danger tomy dear parents and kindred, and that you would communicate theknowledge to me rather than to him."
"As I have already said, my daughter, I surmised that something of thisnature was the object of thy visit, and I will now confess to thee thatthis appeal places me in an embarrassing position between some friendsof former and better days and my desire to grant thy request." Pausingand apparently soliloquizing, he continued: "But have they not actedagainst my advice? Did I not tell them, that we had had enough of thatalready? Did I not warn them against this very result? I cannot betraythem, however; no, no, my old comrades, I will give you another warning,and then your blood, if it must flow, be upon your own heads." He wasabout to resume his discourse to his visiter, but stopping suddenly andraising his finger in the attitude of one listening in the profoundestattention, he seized the small lamp, rushed past the little furnace inthe direction of the cave through the hill opposite the entrance, at onetime rising and anon descending, until Virginia (who had followed,fearing to be left alone) supposed they must be again near the surfaceof the earth. He paused once more to listen, motioning her at the sametime to be silent. He had scarcely done so, when the distant sound ofrunning water struck upon her ear,--sometimes distinct, and again as ifburied in the bowels of the earth. Then came the noise as of a stonesplashing in the water. The eye of the Recluse sparkled as he turnedwith a quick and expressive glance towards his companion. He hastilyapplied his ear to the rocky side of the cavern and listened for asecond, then hurried back, taking Virginia by the hand in his return,and leading her to her former seat. He then busied himself for a fewmoments in exchanging the short cutlass by his side for one of the hugeweapons hanging on the wall, and placed a pair of large and richlyinlaid petronels in his belt, as if about to march on some secret anddesperate expedition.
Whether these were really for such a purpose, or were his usualpreparations for repose, Virginia was entirely at a loss to determine.Meantime she had an opportunity to survey the features and expression ofhis countenance, as he from time to time faced towards her, intentlyengaged with his occupation, and muttering all the while words to heraltogether inexplicable at the time.
His large and light blue eye had an expression of forced resignation andcalmness, drops of cold perspiration stood upon his brow, lip, and baldhead, which was now uncovered. His features were large and striking, butwell proportioned, the lips protuberant, the teeth large, white, andregular, and as a smile, indicative more of wretchedness than mirth,played upon his face, the impression was irresistible that the wrinkleswhich marked his features were the impress of suffering rather than ofage. In his personal as well as mental attributes he was eminentlygifted, though there seemed to be a settled design, as much to clothethe one in the garb of age, as to exhibit the other, if at all, inmeekness and humility.
"It is not consistent with my duty to all parties in this business, mydaughter, to enlighten thee as to the nature of the danger whichthreatens thy friends, or as to the means of preventing it. I owe it tomyself, first to warn those from whom it comes, yet once more againsttheir undertaking, as I have already done--but thus far in vain. If theyare still deaf to my admonition and entreaties, rest assured that I willleave no power or influence within my control unexerted to thwart theirpurposes. Thou mayest therefore direct him who must have conducted theehither, to see me early on the morrow, and I will inform him as to theresul
t of my endeavours and the best means to pursue in case they areunsuccessful. Rest thou contented yet a little while; I see thou artimpatient, but I have some things to say to thee concerning othermatters than those which brought thee hither. I see thou art studyingthese evidences of years in my features as the forester examines therings in the fallen tree to estimate its age, but these (pointing to thewrinkles) are records which years alone could not have wrought. Few ofus, my daughter, can read these marks of time and destiny, and tracethrough them one by one, the disappointed hopes, the cruel mishaps, thehair-breadth adventures, their failure, sealed perhaps in the blood ofthose who had basked together with us in the sunshine of youth and hope,without a sinking of the heart within us, and a deep sense of the utterworthlessness of all those gay illusions which beam so brightly on thyown youthful features.
"I allude to this subject now, my daughter, because there seems to besome connexion between it and the one upon which I have been so anxiousto commune with thee. Although we have never met before, it is not thefirst time I have seen thee, nor is this, which thou hast given me, thefirst information I have received concerning thee and thine. I havetaken some pains to learn even the minutest circumstances connected withthy past history, present occupation and future prospects. I see thysurprise, but it was not done in idle gossip thou mayest be wellassured. My motives will all be made plain enough to thee some day. Inthe mean time I must approach a subject which I fear will give theepain, but my duty is imperative, I mean the state of thy mind andfeelings."
"Alas, father, I fear you will find them but too deeply engrossed withthe cares and pleasures of this world."
"Thy mistake is a natural one," said he, (one of those smiles ofwretchedness passing over his pale countenance, as a flash ofelectricity darting along the horizon sometimes shows us the extent anddepth of the darkness beyond) "my situation and past misfortunes wouldindeed seem to fit me for a teacher of holy things, but my presentbusiness is with thy worldly affections. Start not, my daughter; I havethe most urgent reasons which a mortal can have for thus endeavouring tointrude myself into thy feminine secrets; believe me, no trifling causecould impel me thus to startle thy maidenly delicacy, nor indeed needestthou be startled on one account which I see agitates thee. Thou verynaturally supposest me to have some charge to bring against thee forwant of proper spirit and maidenly reserve; I see it by thy blushes; butthere is no such thought within my breast; thou mayest have been evenmore guarded than is customary with females of thy age. My business iswith facts, and facts of such a nature that however stubborn they maybe, I fear that thou art unconscious of them, though they relate tothyself and one other person only. However, without bringing thee toconfessional, I think I can sufficiently put thee upon thy guard withoutwounding thy delicacy. The only question in my own mind is, whether thetime to speak has not already passed."
"I am at a loss to comprehend you, father."
"I will speak more plainly then. Thou hast been associating for someyears with a youth of little more than thine own age. He is noble andgifted with every manly and generous attribute; well instructed too forhis time and country. To thee I will give credit for correspondingqualities suitable to thy own sex, and I have no doubt that thoupossessest them. Thinkest thou then that two such persons could grow uptogether constantly within the influence of each other's expandingpersonal attractions, besides the nobler ones of mind and heart, withoutfeeling more towards each other than two ordinary mortals of the samesex? Oh, I see the crimson tell-tale mounting in thy cheeks; thouhangest thy head too in tacit acknowledgement, that I have surmised nomore than the truth." His visiter for some time made a vain effort tospeak, and at length overcoming her confusion and surprise, in brokensentences exclaimed, "Indeed" indeed, father, you wrong me! indeed youwrong us both! such a subject was never mentioned between us to thishour! Nay more, it never entered our"--as she looked up and perceivedhis searching glance riveted upon her countenance, her head again sunkin embarrassment, and the words died upon her lips.
"Cease, cease, my daughter, to punish thyself. I will give thee creditfor all thou wouldst say. I am willing to believe that neither of youhas ever mentioned this subject, and perhaps that neither has ever beenconscious of more than a brotherly affection towards the other.Nevertheless, the last half hour has fully convinced me thatself-examination, some sudden prospect of separation, or some untowardcircumstance in the ordinary current of your intercourse was onlynecessary to awaken both to the perception of the truth. But my businessnow is of a far more painful nature than the mere finding of the facts.I am bound in duty to warn thee! solemnly warn thee that this passionmust be subdued in its inception. I beg of thee not to suppose for onemoment, that my warning has reference merely to obstacles which commonlyobstruct the current of young and mutual affection! They are absolutelyinsurmountable,--far more so than any that could arise from differenceof rank, or faith, or country! Nay, if death itself had put its sealupon one or both, the gulf could not have been more impassable!" Hislanguage began gradually to grow more impassioned, his eye shot forth acontinued instead of occasional gleam of wildness--he rose upon hisfeet, and as he pronounced the barrier to be impassable, he took down alarge and ancient manuscript volume, bound in leather, threw it openupon the table, and to her astonishment a bloody hand was all that wasvisible upon the page which seemed to have been accidentally turned up.He pointed to this singular sign-manual--his finger trembling withemotion--"See there," said he--"see what it is to neglect a solemnwarning. There is the diary of my eventful life--the transactions ofevery day for more than twenty-seven years are there written, save one!There is the only record of that day! Its history is written in blood!The seal of Cain is stamped upon all the events of the succeeding pages.Since that bloody token was placed there, its author has been a wandererand an outcast. I was born among the haughty and the proud of a proudland--there is my coat of arms," said he, with a horrid laugh which sentthe blood coursing back to the heart of our heroine chilled andhorrified. "These are not or should not be uninteresting records tothee!--had that crimson attestation never been imprinted there, thouwouldst never have been born! but this will suffice for the firstlesson," (and he closed the book and replaced it upon the shelf;) "atsome more convenient season I will reveal another page of the history ofone with whom henceforth thou wilt be more connected than thou nowimaginest. Now, my daughter, before thou takest leave, let me entreatthee to remember and ponder well upon what I have said to thee. Shouldstthou ever be in any sudden strait of danger or difficulty send to me amemento of the bloody seal and I will come to thee, if within thecompass of mortal means; and remember likewise, should I ever send suchan emblem to thee--pause well upon what thou art about to do. Now thoumayest depart in peace, but say nothing of what thou hast seen or heardfarther than I have directed thee to do." And thus speaking he took thelamp and conducted her out by the same opening at which they hadentered.
They stood upon the platform overlooking the shadowy mazes of moonlitfoliage down the glen; all nature was as silent as when it first camefrom the hands of its Creator. Looking towards heaven, and placing hishand upon her flaxen ringlets, now wafted about in the richestreflections and deepest contrasts of light and shadow, as a cold breezefrom the valley beneath sought an opening to the plains beyond, he said,"May God Almighty bless and preserve thee, my daughter!" And then ledher some distance down the hill--bade her adieu, and left her to seekher more youthful guide, and to ponder upon some novel and not verypleasing passages in the diary of her own experience.
Her ideas were any thing but clear and definite. The whole scene of herlate interview was so new--the subject so startling to her young andinnate delicacy. Taking it for granted, however, that all the surmisesof the Recluse were true with regard to herself, that person has studiedhuman nature to little purpose, who supposes that she, after all thathad been so solemnly announced, admitted the undefined obstaclesmentioned to be as insuperable as the person who suggested them seemedto imagine. Nevertheless an injunction
so grave and authoritative hadits minor effects--the first of which were visited upon the head of ourhero, who impatiently awaited her approach at the foot of the hill.
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