The Broken Font: A Story of the Civil War, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Page 8
CHAP. VIII.
My true love hath my heart, and I have his. SIDNEY.
When the painter, who followed Francis Heywood from the boat, saw theaffecting situation of the parties, and discerned clearly, at aglance, that they were not only well acquainted with each other, butapparently suffering from very deep and embarrassing emotions, hewithdrew. There was a something in this meeting of Francis andKatharine, under present circumstances, so mournful, that JaneLambert, from a sympathy with their sacred feelings, walked to a shortdistance from the spot, and left them together. They stood alone; theywere both pale; both trembling; the greeting of the embrace, and theutterance of each other's names, had already passed in the presence ofJane. Silence was first broken by Francis. "I bless the leading of mybetter angel for bringing me here this evening. Oh, Katharine, how Ihave longed for an interview with you: that blessing is come; it is aboon of Providence; we meet again: once more I have heard your lipspronounce my name; once more I gaze upon the living form which hasdwelt with me as a bright shadow; the comfort of my wanderings andtoils; the cherished idol of my lonesome hours; the household imagethat gladdened my solitary lodging. Nay, do not seek to silence me; donot avert your eyes from me; let not displeasure cloud your gloriousbrow. I have loved you long, faithfully, and well. I hail this meetingas an omen of Heaven's favour: the hour will come that I may dare askthee of thy father without shame or fear."
"Francis, that hour will never come; it was an unhappy hour in whichwe first became acquainted."
"Oh, say not so: from that sweet hour I date a happiness that cannotdie: why look so grave upon me? You cannot quench my love:--it grew asdoes the flower which with a constancy looks ever to the sun. Thouart a sun to me; and till I am cut down by the swift scythe of war, orwither in decay, thus will it ever be."
"Oh, Francis, who hath bewitched you? Why did you return to England?Why did you leave the green savannas of the New World, and your pureand peaceful labours, for scenes of strife and of rebellion?Away--afar--separated from me by the stormy ocean--and too painfullyconscious myself that the course of our true love never could runsmooth--I had a comfort in your absence. We are divided in time, wasmy thought--but not for ever. There is a high and distant region,where we may meet again to part no more;--but now, Francis--it is nottoo late--put off these arms--return to America. Here, now, let ustake our last and long farewell. Return to your father, and give meback the happiness of knowing that he who loves me may be, without acrime, beloved again. Yes--I have loved you well. I have known thatour union was impossible:--to honour a parent's will is the duty of achild. But hear me, Francis:--if all such obstacles were by some magicpower removed,--if fortune crowned you with all those gifts of wealthand station, which so generally secure the consent of fathers and theapproval of the world,--never would I accept the hand of that man, whohad raised his sword against his king."
While Katharine was delivering this earnest, fond remonstrance, withall the tenderness of a woman, but with a tone of decision towards theclose at once solemn and mournful, Francis stood pale and attentive,with eyes that regarded her countenance admiringly. He remained silentfor more than a minute after she had ceased from speaking, as ifwaiting to hear more; then coming closer to her, he took her hand,gazed on her with intense affection, and slowly answered,--
"With due deliberation of my deed, I took commission of theParliament, and swore the oath prescribed; and I will keep it,Katharine, as a soldier should. You live at home, as women use to do,and therefore cannot know the truth of this great nation's quarrelwith its king. Spirits there are in this bad world, to whom their ownsecurity and peace bring no content, while any are debarred a commonright. Such lead the people now; such, standing up in arms, demand forall, true liberty--and I am with them. The anointed head of England'sking is to me, as to you, sacred, and I would defend it from theswords of my own squadrons should any dare to threaten it. You havenone near you, my beloved Katharine, to show you things in their truecolours, and your gentle and pious fear of evil misleads your betterjudgment."
"Francis, I thank God I live apart from the great world, and hear butlittle of their teaching; but this I know, nations are families, andhe that slays his brother in any quarrel commits a sin, and he thatputs forth his hand against a nation's father is tempted to a crime solike to parricide, that the laws do visit treason with the samepunishment. I'll pray for thee, cousin,--pray that some power divinemay turn thy deceived heart,--may touch it with the spirit of peace,and love, and holy fear. Lay not the flattering unction to your soul,that the cause of true religion, or of true liberty, can be promotedby the sword of rebellion. It will turn into your own generous bosomhereafter, and pierce you through with sorrows."
"Well, Katharine, a nation is a family; but if some of the children dopoison a father's mind against others, and these last rise up topunish their treachery, at whose door lieth the sin?"
"My heart is too heavy, Francis, to deal with you in argument. Sure Iam, that you feel persuaded in your own mind of the truth of that viewwhich lures you on to misery. Oh, that I could move thee. Francis,from the tender age at which I kneeled upon a mother's lap, and lispedmy infant prayer, I was taught to love and to reverence the church inwhich I was baptized; to worship in her courts; to kneel before heraltars; and now I may not see her in the dust without a pang."
"Katharine, I would sooner this arm should rot than that it shouldviolate a church, or desecrate one pillar of the temple; but all thatare called Israel are not Israel. There are unseemly spots upon theraiment of the King's daughter. She will come forth more glorious forpurification. Fear not, my gentle cousin, fear not, all will yet bewell."
"Not so--not so; my heart more truly tells some fatal end. What scarfis that upon thy shoulder? Where is thy king? Doth not his sacred headeven now pillow upon thorns? His throne! his crown! where are they? bywhom assailed? by whom defended?"
"The true enemies of the King, the true foes of the church, aregathered about the royal person; have poisoned his ear; have turnedthe generous blood of a princely heart to the black and bitter streamthat swells the veins of tyrants. The best friends both of the churchand of the King march to free them and to reinstate them in the loveof all the people."
"Oh, that it were so, Francis--were truly so! Is Falkland in yourranks? Oh, that I had a tongue of persuasion to win you back again!Oh, that you were riding among your king's defenders!"
"Katharine, by the sweet sacredness of my deep and constant love foryou, ask me not that which I could never do with honour. Beneath thecope of heaven there walks no being whose wish is such a law to me asthine. My services are pledged--my colours chosen. My heart is in thecause. If thou couldst give to me thy precious self in marriage, asthe mighty price of my desertion, I were unworthy of thee--we shouldbe unworthy of each other. Our fall would be beyond the common lapseof false mankind. Even in our wedding garments our love would die."
"Lord of my constant heart, forget my words:--I know not what theymeant--I know not how I spake them. Sorrow, and fear, and love, anddark forebodings, do half bewilder me. I would not have thee otherthan thou art in any thing. Thy heart is no traitor's heart. Delusion,bright as is the garment of an archangel, goes before thee; and inHeaven's chosen squadrons you shall be one day marshalled. Whene'erthou fallest in the battle, I shall know it:--the stars will tell itme: Francis, thou wilt be taken away from me,--I know it:--a presagedark and cold overshadows me."
"Nay, love, that fear is idle; 'tis a passing weakness. Nor time, norspace, nor life, nor death, can e'er divide our loves. In all I think,in all I do, you are present with me. Spirits are not confined:--inlonely forest haunts, across the wide Atlantic, I have had thee withme, Katharine, _visibly with me_; and I do know by the mysterioussympathy between us, that thou hast seen me sit with thee, beneath thyfavourite cedar, when ocean rolled between us. This is the high andglorious privilege of love like ours. Come to my heart:--be foldedthere in one such fond embrace as may liv
e in memory's cup to be adaily nectar." He pressed her majestic form to his manly breast, andbowed his head upon her shoulder. Just then a trumpet sounded from thecity. He strained her yet closer to his heart, then cast his eyesaround with eager glance, and made signal with his hand till Janeobserved him and came up:--to her he passed his pale and silent chargewith soft and reverent action, and, with the quick farewell ofsoldiers' partings, broke suddenly away.