The Bondwoman Part 33

"It may be your visitor from France, Evilena said she had gone riding.

Of course you know we are all eager to meet her. Dr. Delaven sings her praises to us until it has become tantalizing."

"We should have driven over to see you but for that accident to her maid--the poor thing, except a few words, could only speak her own language, and we could not leave her entirely to the servants. Madame Caron seemed quite impressed with the brief glance she got of Loringwood, and when she heard it was likely to be sold she asked a great many interested questions concerning it. She is wealthy enough to humor her fancies, and her latest one is a Carolina plantation near enough to water for her yacht, which Mobile folks say is the most beautiful thing--and the Combahee would always be navigable for so small a craft, and the Salkahatchie for most of the year."

"She certainly must be able to humor any sort of fancy if she keeps a yacht of her own; that will be a new departure for a woman in Carolina. It sounds very magnificent."

"It is; and it suits her. That is one reason why I thought she might be the very best possible purchaser for Loringwood. She would resurrect all its former glories, and establish new ones."

Matthew Loring entered the sitting room, moving somewhat haltingly with the help of a cane. Gertrude arranged a chair near the window, in which he seated himself slowly.

"Do you feel tired after the ride, Uncle?"

"No," he said, fidgetting with the cushion back of his head, and failing to adjust it to suit him, either let it fall or threw it on the floor. Gertrude replaced it without a word, and Mrs. McVeigh smiled quietly, and pretended not to see.

"I think I can promise you a pleasant visitor, Mr. Loring," she remarked, turning from the window. "A gentleman just turned in at our gate, and he does look like Judge Clarkson."

Gertrude left the room to join the others who were talking and laughing in the arbor, a few steps across the lawn. Mrs. McVeigh busied herself cutting some yellowing leaves from the plants on the stand by the window. Loring watched her with a peculiar peering gaze.

His failing sight caused him to pucker his brows in a frown when he desired to inspect anything intently, and it was that regard he was now directing toward Mrs. McVeigh, who certainly was worth looking at by any man.

The dainty lace cap she wore had tiny bows of violet showing among the lace, and it someway had the effect of making her appear more youthful instead of adding matronliness. The lawn she wore had violet lines through it, and the flowing sleeves had undersleeves of sheer white gathered at the wrist. The wide lace collar circled a throat scarcely less white, and altogether made a picture worth study, though Matthew Loring's view of it was rather blurred because of the failure of vision which he denied whenever opportunity offered; next to paralysis there was nothing he dreaded so much as blindness, and even to Delaven he denied--uselessly--any tendency in that direction.

"Hum!" he grunted, at last, with a cynical smile; "if Gid Clarkson keeps up his habit of visiting you regularly, as he has done for the past ten years, you ought to know him a mile away by this time."

"Oh!"--Mrs. McVeigh was refastening her brooch before the mirror, "not ten years, quite."

"Well, long enough to be refused three times to my certain knowledge; why, he doesn't deny it--proud to let the country know his devotion to the most charming of her s.e.x," and he gave an ironical little nod for which she exchanged one of her sweetest smiles.

"Glad you looked at me when you said that," she remarked, lightly; "and we do depend on Judge Clarkson so much these days I don't know what I ever would do if his devotion dwindled in the least. But I fancy his visit this morning is on your account instead of mine."

At that moment the white hat of Clarkson could be seen above the veranda railing, and Mrs. McVeigh threw open the gla.s.s doors as he appeared at the top of the steps with an immense boquet held with especial care--the Judge's one hobby in the realm of earth-grown things was flowers.

He bowed when he caught sight of the mistress of the Terrace, who bestowed on him a quaint courtesy such as the good nuns of Orleans taught their pupils thirty years before, she also extended her hand, which he kissed--an addition to fine manners the nuns had omitted--probably they knew how superfluous such training would be, all Southern girls being possessed of that knowledge by right of birth.

"Good morning, Judge."

"Mistress McVeigh!" Loring uttered an inarticulate exclamation which was first cousin to a grunt, as the Judge's tone reached his ear, and the profound bow was robbed of its full value by the Judge straightening, and glancing sideways.

"My delight, Madame, at being invited over this morning is only to be expressed in the silent language of the blossoms I bring. You will honor me by accepting them?"

"With very great pleasure, Judge; here is Mr. Loring."

"Heartily pleased to see you have arrived," and the Judge moved over and shook hands. "I came within bowing distance of Miss Gertrude as I entered, so I presume she has induced you to come over to the Pines for good. Your position, Mr. Loring, is one to be envied in that respect. Your hours are never lonely for lack of womanly grace and beauty in your household;" he glanced at Mrs. McVeigh, who was arranging the flowers in a vase, "I envy you, sir, I envy you."

"Oh, Gertrude is well enough, though we don't unite to spoil each other with flattering demonstrations," and he smiled cynically at the other two, and peered quizzically at Mrs. McVeigh, who presented him with a crimson beauty of a rose, for which he returned a very gracious, "Thank you," and continued: "Yes, Gertrude's a very good girl, though it's a pity it wasn't a boy, instead, who came into the Loring family that day to keep up the old name. And what about that boy of yours, Mistress McVeigh? When do you expect him home?"

"Very soon, now. His last message said they hoped to reach Charleston by the twentieth--so you see the time is short. I am naturally intensely anxious--the dread of that blockade oppresses me."

"No need, no need," and Loring's tone was decided and rea.s.suring. "We got out through it, and back through it, and never a Yankee in sight; and those men on a special commission will be given double care, you may be sure."

"Certainly; the run from Na.s.sau has kept the mail service open almost without a break," a.s.sented Clarkson, "and we have little reason for anxiety now that the more doubtful part of the undertaking has been successfully arranged."

"Most successfully; he writes that the English treat our people with extreme consideration, and heartily approve our seceding."

"Of course they do, and why shouldn't they?" demanded Loring. "I tell you, they would do much more than give silent sympathy to our cause if it were not that Russia has chosen to send her warships into Yankee harbors just now on guard against the interference of any of our friends, especially against Great Britain's interference, which would be most certain and most valuable."

"Quite true, quite true," a.s.sented the Judge, with a soothing tone, calculated to allay any combative or excited mood concerning that or any other subject; "but even their moral support has been a wonderful help, my dear sir, and the securing of an important addition to our navy from them just now means a very great deal I a.s.sure you; once let us gain a foothold in the North--get into Washington--and she will be the first to acknowledge us as a power--a sovereign power, sir!"

"I don't understand the political reasons of things," confessed their hostess, "but I fear Kenneth has imbibed the skepticism of the age since these years of military a.s.sociations; he suggests that England's motive is really not for our advantage so much as her own. I dislike to have my illusions dispelled in that respect; yet I wonder if it is all commercialism on their part."

"Most a.s.suredly," said the Judge. "England's policy has always been one of selfishness where our country was concerned. We must not forget she was the bitterest foe of our fathers. She has been sent home from our sh.o.r.es badly whipped too often to feel much of the brotherly love she effects just now for her own purposes. We must not expect anything else. She is of help to us now for purposes of revenue, only, and we will have to pay heavy interest for all favors. The only thought of comfort to us in the matter is that our cause is worth paying that interest for."

Loring acknowledged the truth of the statements, and Mrs. McVeigh sighed to think of the duplicity of the nation she had fancied single-hearted. And to a woman of her trustful nature it was a shock to learn that the British policy contained really none of the sweetly domestic and fraternal spirit so persistently advertised.

To change the conversation the Judge produced a letter just received--a proposal for Loringwood at Mr. Loring's own price.

"Already?" asked Mrs. McVeigh; and Loring, who realized that his own price was a remarkably high one, showed surprise at the ready acceptance of it.

"The offer is made by a law firm in New Orleans, Hart & Logan,"

continued Clarkson. "But the real purchaser is evidently some client of theirs."

"Well, I certainly hope the client will prove a pleasant personage if he is to locate at Loringwood," remarked Mrs. McVeigh. "Some one in New Orleans? Possibly we know them."

"I am led to believe that the property is desired for some educational inst.i.tution," said Clarkson, handing the letter to Loring, who could not decipher two lines of the fine script, but refrained from acknowledging it.

"I must say the offer pleases me greatly." He nodded his head and uttered a sigh of satisfaction; "a school or seminary, no doubt, I like that; so will Gertrude. Speak to her, and then write or telegraph the acceptance, as they prefer. This is remarkably quick work; I feared it would be a long while before a purchaser could be found.

This is most fortunate."

"Then I congratulate you, Mr. Loring," said Mrs. McVeigh, who was grateful to the Judge for bringing news likely to make the entertainment of the invalid an easier affair. "But your fortunate offer from New Orleans dispels a hope I had that my friend, Madame Caron, might buy it. She seemed quite impressed with it. I was just saying so to Gertrude."

"Yes, we've all been hearing considerable about this charming foreigner of yours, who is daring enough to cross to a war-ridden country to pay visits."

"She owns a fine property in New Orleans, but left there in disgust when the Yankees took possession. I was delighted to find her in Mobile, and persuaded her to come along and see plantation life in our country. We met her first in Paris--Kenneth and I. He will be delightfully surprised to find her here."

"No doubt, no doubt," but Loring's a.s.sent was not very hearty; he remembered those first comments on her at Loringwood. "Dr. Delaven, also, was among her Parisian acquaintances, so you will have quite a foreign colony at the Terrace."

"I was much pleased with that fine young fellow, Dr. Delaven,"

remarked the Judge, "and really consider you most fortunate to secure his services--a very superior young man, and possessed, I should say, of very remarkable talent, and of too gay a heart to be weighed down with the importance of such special knowledge, as is too often the case in young professional men--yes, sir; a very bright young man."

Mrs. McVeigh, hearing laughter, had stepped out on the veranda, and smiled in sympathy with the couple who appeared on the step. The very talented young man just mentioned was wreathed in blossoms and wild vines; he carried Aunt Sajane's parasol, and was guided by reins formed of slender vines held in Miss Evilena's hands; the hat he wore was literally heaped with flowers, and he certainly did not appear to be weighed by the importance of any special knowledge at that moment.

At sight of the Judge, Evilena dropped her improvised lines and ran to him.

"Oh, Judge, it is right kind of you to come over early today. Aunt Sajane is coming, she was down to the river with us; she laughed too much to walk fast. We were getting wild flowers for decorating--and here is Dr. Delaven."

"Yes, I'm one of the things she's been decorating," and he entered from the veranda, shook hands with Clarkson, and stood for inspection.

"Don't I look like a lamb decked for the sacrifice? But faith it was the heart of a lion I needed to go into the moccasin dens where she sent me this day. The blossoms desired by your daughter were sure to grow in the wildest swamps."

"I didn't suppose a bog-trotter would object to that," remarked the girl, to Loring's decided amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Lena!" and at the look of horror on her mother's face she fled to the veranda.