Her Mother's Secret Part 38

"A yielding to anger always tends to make bad worse," said Dr. Peters.

"Uncle," said Le--who always, it will be remembered, addressed his relative by this t.i.tle--"have you any more commands for me?"

"No, my boy; I only wished you to stay to hear this telegram, if it should come. You have heard it, and now I will relieve you."

"Yes, I have heard it! I have heard it! Good-day, uncle! Good-day, Dr.

Peters!" said the young man, rising.

"When will you be back, Le?" inquired Mr. Force.

"Some time this evening, I hope, sir; but don't wait for me," replied the midshipman, and, with another bow, he left the room.

"What is that lad thinking of?" anxiously inquired the rector.

"Nothing unworthy of my ward, or your pupil, reverend sir, we may be sure of that!" replied the squire.

"Young blood is hot and hasty!" sighed the good man.

As he spoke, the door opened, and Mrs. Force entered.

"Good-morning, Dr. Peters! I have just met Leonidas Force, who told me of your arrival, as he hurried from the house, but told me no more. I could not restrain my impatience. What answer, if any, is there to the telegram?" she eagerly inquired.

They told her.

"Thank Heaven!" she exclaimed, fervently, clasping her hands and sinking into the chair just vacated by Leonidas.

The serious walks side by side with the farcical.

The door opened unceremoniously, and Mrs. Anglesea entered, shaking her skirts to shake off ends of soft twine and sc.r.a.ps of lint or paper that stuck to her dress, and exclaimed:

"Well, I've got through with helping the young uns to tie them parcels, and, Lord! wa'n't there a lot of them! And I come downstairs to look for the ole 'oman, and they told me she was in here 'long of the parson, so I knowed you had come about the telegraph message; and how do you do, sir, this morning? And I hope you find yerself very well, and it's all right about the sitifikit and the parish register, eh?"

"They are all correct, madam, I believe--the certificate and the entries in the register perfectly corresponding," replied Dr. Peters.

"Oh, I knowed that; I never expected nothing else, of course. I only wanted the ole folks here to be satisfied as the gal had no right to my ole man, and would only ruinate herself, if she took him."

"Will you take a seat, ma'am?" inquired Mr. Force, rising and bringing forward a large, cushioned armchair.

"Lord, no! I don't want to disturb you! I only come to hear the upshot of this business! I went in the kitchen just now, and asked the cook if I could help her, and she said no; but I saw a heap of currants and raisins on the table to be picked for the plum pudding, and now I am going to help her to do it, whether or no! Well, I reckon I shall stay 'long o' you all till the spring, and try make myself useful and cheerful and contented, as it ain't never no use crying for spilt milk; and, then, I reckon as I can't get any of my money out'n that man--Lord! why, he's gambled it all away long a-merry-ago! I'll just go back to Wild Cats', and open a miners'

boarding house! The boys won't let me want! And I s'pose by the time I make another pile my rascal will be coming back to me, to get hold of it!

For that's the way they all do! But just let him, that's all! The boys would give him a short trial and a long rope, you bet! You needn't look so horrified, Mr. Parson. You just wait till some foreign beat comes and marries you, and then runs off with all your money, and then see how you'd feel!"

The aged husband of an old wife, the father of married sons and daughters, the grandfather of growing or grown-up boys and girls, could not, by any effort of imagination, put himself in the wrong wife's case; so he only answered by a deprecating bow.

"Well, now I must be going, if I mean to pick them dried currants and raisins for the plum pudding!" said the intruder, and she left the room as suddenly and unceremoniously as she had entered.

"What do you think of our guest, Dr. Peters?" inquired Mrs. Force.

"A rough, untrained, but well-meaning, woman, I should say," replied the rector.

"A mere good-natured animal, I should call her," added the squire.

"My dear, have you got through with your accounts?" inquired the lady.

"Yes, for the present."

"Then let us go into the parlor. It is so much pleasanter there. Come, Dr.

Peters."

They left the room, and went into the cheerful, little parlor, usually occupied by Mrs. Force, and having her worktable and low chair in the corner between the open wood fire and the side window, with its pleasant view of the lawn and the woods.

Scarcely were they seated, however, when little Elva came in, first gave her hand to the old minister, who drew her toward him and kissed her cheek, and then went to her mother, and said:

"Mamma, Odalite is wide, wide awake now. She has had some tea, and she wants to see you."

"Very well, dear; I will go to her. You will excuse me, Dr. Peters?"

The rector replied with a bow and a smile.

The lady took the hand of the little girl, and they left the room together.

When they reached Odalite's chamber, Mrs. Force was surprised to see her eldest daughter up and dressed, and sitting in the armchair before the fire.

"My darling, I am so glad to see you so well recovered!" exclaimed the lady, pressing a kiss upon the forehead of her child, and then drawing a chair and seating herself by her side.

"Mamma," said Odalite, "I seem to have been in a trance, or a dream, ever since you gave me that composing draught! What was it--opium, hasheesh, amyle--what? And, mother, how much was real and how much was dream that I have pa.s.sed through? It seems like the phantasmagoria of a midnight orgie--through which only one thing seems to stand out clearly--that I have had 'some outlet through thunder and lightning' into freedom! Mother, is it true? Am I free?"

"Yes, dearest dear, you are free!" replied the lady, in deep emotion.

"Oh, thank Heaven! Thank Heaven! Oh, I feel as if I could never thank Heaven enough!" exclaimed Odalite, convulsively clasping her hands.

There was silence between them for a few moments, and then Odalite, looking all around the room, and finding herself alone with her mother, dropped her voice to the tenderest murmur, and asked:

"But, mamma, sweet mamma, are you free? Are you free from that man's threats and persecutions?"

"Ah, my dear, I do not know! I do not know!" sighed the lady.

"Then, darling mother, if you are not free, I am not. I am your bondsmaid, and I am your hostage to that man for your deliverance from him. I wish to be nothing else, mamma. I do wish to give my whole life, if it be necessary, to secure your peace of mind."

"My own, own heavenly angel, the sacrifice will not be required. You have been once offered, and you have been wonderfully delivered. It is final, my darling. No victim was ever laid a second time upon the fire!"

"But yet you are not free, mamma?"

"I do not know. I cannot even conjecture what the monster's next move may be. But I do know this--that, whatever he does, or attempts to do, he will not be permitted to touch you, or even to see or to speak to you again!"

"Oh, I should be overjoyed to hear that, if only you were free from him, sweet mother!"

"My darling, the arm that delivered you is not shortened that it cannot save. For, Odalite, whatever the instrument might have been, it was the hand of Providence that saved you."