A KNIGHT OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, Edward Payson Roe [top young adult novels TXT] 📗

To Get Here. I Understand That Mr. Patrick M'Cabe Is No Longer

Under Any Obligations To You, And From Him I Can Learn Additional

Particulars. Good-Morning."

 

 

 

"Yes, Go To That Unsullied source Of Truth, Whom I Have Just Discharged

For Lying and Disobedience. Go To Perdition, Also, If You Please; But

Take Yourself Out Of My Office," Said Mr. Arnot Recklessly, For He Was

Growing Desperate From The Unexpected complications Of The Case. Then He

Summoned one Of His Clerks, And Said In a Tone Of Authority, "Take This

Lady To My Residence, And Leave Her In the Care Of Mrs. Arnot."

 

 

 

Mrs. Haldane Rose Unsteadily, And Tottered toward The Door.

 

 

 

"No," Said She Bitterly; "I May Faint In the Street, But I Will Not Go

To

Your House."

 

 

 

"Then Assist The Lady To Her Carriage;" And Mr. Arnot Turned the Key Of

His Private Office With Muttered imprecations Upon The Whole Wretched

Affair.

 

 

 

"Whither Shall I Tell The Man To Drive?" Asked the Clerk, After Mrs.

Haldane Had Sunk Back Exhausted on The Seat.

 

 

 

The Lady Put Her Hand To Her Brow, And Tried to Collect Her Distracted

Thoughts, And, After A Moment'S Hesitation, Said:

 

 

 

"To The Prison."

 

 

 

The Carriage Containing Mrs. Haldane Stopped at Last Before The Gloomy

Massive Building, The Upper Part Of Which Was Used as A Court-Room And

Offices For City And County Officials, While In the Basement Were

Constructed the Cells Of The Prison. It Required a Desperate Effort On

The Part Of The Timid And Delicate Lady, Who For Years Had Almost Been A

Recluse From The World, To Summon Courage To Alight And Approach A Place

That To Her Abounded in many And Indefinite Horrors. She Was Too

Preoccupied to Observe That Another Carriage Had Drawn Up To The

Entrance, And The First Intimation That She Had Of Mrs. Arnot'S Presence

Occurred when That Lady Took Her Hand In the Shadow Of The Porch, And

Said:

 

 

 

"Mrs. Haldane, I Am Greatly Surprised to See You Here; But You Can Rely

Upon Me As A True Friend Throughout This Trial. I Shall Do All In my

Power To--"

 

 

 

After The First Violent Start Caused by Her Disturbed nervous Condition,

Mrs. Haldane Asked, In a Reproachful And Almost Passionate Tone:

 

 

 

"Why Did You Not Prevent--" And Then She Hesitated, As If She Could Not

Bring Herself To Utter The Concluding Words.

 

 

 

"I Could Not; I Did Not Know; But Since I Heard I Have Been Doing

Everything In my Power."

 

 

 

"It Was Your Husband Who--"

 

 

 

"Yes," Replied mrs. Arnot, Sadly, Completing In thought Her Friend'S

Unfinished sentence. "But I Had No Part In the Act, And No Knowledge Of

It Until A Short Time Since. I Am Now Doing all I Can To Procure Your

Son'S Speedy Release. My Husband'S Action Has Been Perfectly Legal, And

We, Who Would Temper Justice With Mercy, Must Do So In a Legal Way.

Permit Me To Introduce You To My Friend, Mr. Melville. He Can Both

Advise Us And Carry Out Such Arrangements As Are Necessary;" And Mrs.

Haldane Saw That Mrs. Arnot Was Accompanied by A Gentleman, Whom In her

Distress She Had Not Hitherto Noticed.

 

 

 

The Janitor Now Opened the Door, And Ushered them Into A Very Plain

Apartment, Used both As An Office And Reception-Room. Mrs. Haldane Was

So Overcome By Her Emotion That Her Friend Led her To A Chair, And

Continued her Reassuring Words In a Low Voice Designed for Her Ears

Alone:

 

 

 

"Mr. Melville Is A Lawyer, And Knows How To Manage These Matters. You

May Trust Him Implicitly. I Will Give Security For Your Son'S Future

Appearance, Should It Be Necessary, And I Am Quite Satisfied it Will Not

Be, As My Husband Has Promised me That He Will Not Prosecute If The

Money Is Refunded."

 

 

 

"I Would Have Paid Ten Times The Amount--Anything Rather Than Have

Suffered this Public Disgrace," Sobbed the Poor Woman, Who, True To Her

Instincts And Life-Long Habit Of Thought, Dwelt More Upon The Consequent

Shame Of Her Son'S Act Than Its Moral Character.

 

 

 

"Mr. Melville Says He Will Give Bail In his Own Name For Me," Resumed

Mrs. Arnot, "As, Of Course, I Do Not Wish To Appear To Be Acting In

Opposition To My Husband. Indeed, I Am Not, For He Is Willing That Some

Such An Arrangement Should Be Made. He Has Very Many In his Employ, And

Feels That He Must Be Governed by Rigid Rules. Mr. Melville Assures Me

That He Can Speedily Effect Egbert'S Release. Perhaps It Will Save You

Pain To Go At Once To Our House And Meet Your Son There."

 

 

 

"No," Replied the Mother, Rising, "I Wish To See Him At Once. I _Do_

Appreciate _Your_ Kindness, But I Cannot Go To The Place Which Shelters

Your Husband. I Can Never Forgive Him. Nor Can I Go To A Hotel. I Would

Rather Stay In this Prison Until I Can Hide Myself And My Miserable Son

In Our Own Home. Oh, How Dark And Dreadful Are God'S Ways! To Think That

The Boy That I Had Brought Up In the Church, As It Were, Should Show

Such Unnatural Depravity!" Then, Stepping To The Door, She Said To The

Under-Sheriff In waiting, "Please Take Me To My Son At Once, If

Possible."

 

 

 

"Would You Like Me To Go With You?" Asked mrs. Arnot, Gently.

 

 

 

"Yes, Yes! For I May Faint On The Way. Oh, How Differently This Day Is

Turning Out From What I Expected! I Was In hopes That Egbert Could Meet

Me In a Little Trip To New York, And I Find Him In prison!"

Chapter XV (Haldane'S Resolve)

It Was Not In accordance With Nature Nor With Haldane'S Peculiar

Temperament That He Should Remain Long Under A Stony Paralysis Of Shame

And Despair. Though Tall And Manlike In appearance, He Was Not A Man.

Boyish Traits And Impulses Still Lingered; Indeed, They Had Been

Fostered and Maintained longer Than Usual By A Fond And Indulgent

Mother. It Was Not An Evidence Of Weakness, But Rather A Wholesome

Instinct Of Nature, That His Thoughts Should Gradually Find Courage To

Go To That Mother As His Only Source Of Comfort And Help. She, At Least,

Would Not Scorn Him, And With Her He Might Find A Less Dismal Refuge

Than His Narrow Cell, Should It Be Possible To Escape Imprisonment. If

It Were Not, He Was Too Young And Unacquainted with Misfortune Not To

Long For A Few Kind Words Of Comfort.

 

 

 

He Did Not Even Imagine That Mrs. Arnot, The Wife Of His Employer, Would

Come Near Him In his Deep Disgrace. Even The Thought Of Her Kindness And

His Requital Of It Now Stung Him To The Quick, And He Fairly Writhed as

He Pictured to Himself The Scorn That Must Have Been On Laura'S Face As

She Saw Him On His Way To Prison Like A Common Thief.

 

 

 

As He Remembered how Full Of Rich Promise Life Was But A Few Days Since,

And How All Had Changed even More Swiftly And Unexpectedly Than The

Grotesque Events Of A Horrid Dream, He Bowed his Head In his Hands And

Sobbed like A Grief-Stricken Child.

 

 

 

"O Mother, Mother," He Groaned, "If I Could Only Hear Your Voice And

Feel Your Touch, A Little Of This Crushing Weight Might Be Lifted off My

Heart!"

 

 

 

Growing Calmer After A Time, He Was Able To Consider His Situation More

Connectedly, And He Was About To Summon The Sheriff In charge Of The

Prison, That He Might Telegraph His Mother, When He Heard Her Voice As,

In The Company Of That Official, She Was Seeking Her Way To Him.

 

 

 

He Shrank Back In his Cell. His Heart Beat Violently As He Heard The

Rustle Of Her Dress. The Sheriff Unlocked the Grated iron Door Which Led

To The Long, Narrow Corridor Into Which The Cells Opened, And To Which

Prisoners Had Access During The Day.

 

 

 

"He'S In that Cell, Ladies," Said The Officer'S Voice, And Then, With

Commendable Delicacy, Withdrew, Having First Ordered the Prisoners In

His Charge To Their Cells.

 

 

 

"Lean Upon My Arm," Urged a Gentle Voice, Which Haldane Recognized as

That Of Mrs. Arnot.

 

 

 

"O, This Is Awful!" Moaned the Stricken Woman; "This Is More Than

_I_ Can Endure."

 

 

 

The Pronoun She Used threw A Chill On The Heart Of Her Son, But When She

Tottered to The Door Of His Cell He Sprang Forward With The Low,

Appealing Cry:

 

 

 

"Mother!"

 

 

 

But The Poor Gentlewoman Was So Overcome That She Sank Down On A Bench

By The Door, And, With Her Face Buried in her Hands, As If To Shut Out A

Vision That Would Blast Her, She Rocked back And Forth In anguish, As

She Groaned:

 

 

 

"O Egbert, Egbert! You Have Disgraced me, You Have Disgraced your

Sisters, You Have Disgraced yourself Beyond Remedy. O God! What Have I

Done To Merit This Awful, This Overwhelming Disaster?"

 

 

 

With Deep Pain And Solicitude Mrs. Arnot Watched the Young Man'S Face As

The Light From The Grated window Fell Upon It. The Appeal That Trembled

In His Voice Had Been More Plainly Manifest In his Face, Which Had Worn

An Eager And Hopeful Expression, And Even Suggested the Spirit Of The

Little Child When In some Painful Emergency It Turns To Its First And

Natural Protector.

 

 

 

But Most Marked was The Change Caused by The Mother'S Lamentable Want Of

Tact And Self-Control, For That Same Face Became Stony And Sullen.

Instead Of Showing a Spirit Which Deep Distress And Crushing Disaster

Had Made Almost Childlike In its Readiness To Receive A Mother'S Comfort

Once More, He Suddenly Became, In appearance, A Hardened criminal.

 

 

 

Mrs. Arnot Longed to Undo By Her Kindness The Evil Which Her Friend Was

Unwittingly Causing, But Could Not Come Between Mother And Son. She

Stooped down, However, And Whispered:

 

 

 

"Mrs. Haldane, Speak Kindly To Your Boy. He Looked to You For Sympathy.

Do Not Let Him Feel That You, Like The World, Are Against Him."

 

 

 

"O No," Said Mrs. Haldane, Her Sobs Ceasing Somewhat, "I Mean To Do My

Duty By Him. He Shall Always Have A Good Home, But Oh! What A Blight And

A Shadow He Has Brought To That Home! That I Should Have Ever Lived to

See This Day! O Egbert, Egbert! Your Sisters Will Have To Live Like

Nuns, For They Can Never Even Go Out Upon The Street Again; And To Think

That The Finger Of Scorn Should Be Pointed after You In the City Where

Your Father Made Our Name So Honorable!"

 

 

 

"It Never Shall Be," Said Haldane Coldly. "You Have Only To Leave Me In

Prison To Be Rid Of Me A Long Time."

 

 

 

"Leave You, In prison!" Exclaimed his Mother; "I Would As Soon Stay Here

Myself. No; Through Mrs. Arnot'S Kindness, Arrangements Are Made For

Your Release. I Shall Then Take You To Our Miserable Home As Soon As

Possible."

 

 

 

"I Am Not Going Home."

 

 

 

"Now, This Is Too Much! What Will You Do?"

 

 

 

"I Shall Remain In this City," He Replied, Speaking From An Angry

Impulse. "It Was Here I Fell And Covered myself With Shame, And I Shall

Here Fight My Way Back To The Position I Lost. The Time Shall Come When

You Will No Longer Say I'M A Disgrace To You And My Sisters. My Heart

Was Breaking, And The First Word You Greet Me With Is 'Disgrace'; And If

I Went Home, Disgrace Would Always Be In your Mind, If Not Upon Your

Tongue. I Should Have The Word And Thought Kept Before Me Till I Went

Mad. If I Go Home All My Old Acquaintances Would Sneer At Me As A

Mean-Spirited cur, Whose Best Exploit Was To Get In jail, And When His

Mother Obtained his Release He Could Do Nothing More Manly Than Hide

Behind Her Apron The Rest Of His Days. As Far As I Can Judge, You And My

Sisters Would Have No Better Opinion Of Me. I Have Been A Wicked fool, I

Admit, But I Was Not A Deliberate Thief. I Did Hope For A Little Comfort

From You. But Since All The World Is Against Me, I'Ll Face And Fight The

World. I Have Been Dragged through These Streets, The Scorn Of Every

One, And I