For Woman's Love Part- 2, Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth [reading list .TXT] 📗

Two Pairs Of Sturdy Legs?

Are They Not Strong Enough To Convey You From Here To North End,  Where

You Can Get The Hotel Hack? And,  By The Way,  Why Did You Not Engage The

Hack To Come Here And Take You Back?"

 

"Because It Was Out,  Sir."

 

"Then You Two Should Not Have Come Here To Over-Load The Horses. But As

You Have Come,  You Must Walk Back. Has Sylvan Got Off His Perch? Ah,

Yes; I See. Well,  Tell The Coachman To Drive First To The North End

Hotel. And Do You Two Long-Legged Calves Walk After It. If The Hack

Should Be Still Out When We Get There,  You Can Stay At The Hotel Until

It Comes In."

 

"All Right,  Sir," Said Clarence,  Good Humoredly; And He Closed The Door,

And Gave The Order To The Coachman,  Who Immediately Started His Horses

Part 2 Chapter 20 (The Whispered Words) Pg 39

On The Way To North End.

 

On The Way Home Mr. Clarence Inquired Of His Nephew When He Expected To

Receive His Commission And Where He Expected To Be Ordered.

 

"How Can I Tell You? I Must Wait For A Vacancy,  I Suppose,  And Then Be

Sent To The Devil's Icy Peak Or Fort Jumping Off Place,  Or Some Such

Other Pleasant Post Of Duty On The Confines Of Terra Incognita. But The

Farther Off,  The Stranger And The Savager It Is,  The Better I Shall Like

It For My Own Sake,  But It Will Be Rough On Cora," Said The Youth.

 

"But You Do Not Dream Of Taking Cora Out There?" Exclaimed Clarence,  In

Pained Surprise.

 

"Oh,  But I Do! She Insists On Going Where I Go. She Is Bent On Being A

Voluntary,  Unsalaried Missionary And School-Mistress To The Indians

Just Because Rule Died A Martyred Minister And Teacher Among Them."

 

"She Is Mad!" Exclaimed Mr. Clarence; "Mad."

 

"She Has Had Enough To Make Her Mad,  But She Is Sane Enough On This

Subject,  I Can Tell You,  Uncle Clarence. She Is The Most Level-Headed

Young Woman That I Know,  And The Plan Of Life That She Has Laid Out For

Herself Is The Best Course She Could Possibly Pursue Under The Present

Circumstances. She Is Very Miserable Here. This Plan Will Give Her The

Most Complete Change Of Scene And The Most Interesting Occupation. It

Will Cure Her Of Her Melancholy And Absorption In Her Troubled Past,  And

When She Shall Be Cured She May Return To Her Friends Here,  Or She May

Meet With Some Fine Fellow Out There Who May Make Her Forget The Dead

And Leave Off Her Weeds. That Is What I Hope For,  Uncle Clarence."

 

And For The Rest Of Their Walk They Trudged On In Silence Or With But

Few Words Passed Between Them. It Was Sunset When They Reached North

End.

 

That Evening When Sylvan And Cora Found Themselves Together For A Moment

At Rockhold House,  The Youth Said:

 

"Corona Rothsay,  The Sooner I Get My Orders And You And I Depart For

Scalping Creek Or Perdition Peak,  Or Wherever I Am To Be Shoveled Off

To,  The Better,  My Dear," Said The Young Soldier.

 

"What Do You Think Of It All Now,  Sylvan?" She Inquired.

 

"I Think,  Cora,  That While We Do Stay Here It Would Be Christian Charity

To Be Very Good To 'The Rose That All Admire.' Nobody Will Admire Her

Any More,  I Think."

 

"Why?" Inquired Cora,  In Surprise.

 

"Oh,  You Didn't See Her Face. She Had Her Mask Veil,  Do You Call

It?--Down,  So You Couldn't See. But,  Oh,  My Conscience! How She Is

Part 2 Chapter 20 (The Whispered Words) Pg 40

Changed In These Last Six Weeks! She Is Not A Blooming Rose Any More.

She Is A Snubbed,  Trampled On,  Crushed,  And Wilted Rose. Her Face Looks

Pale; Her Hair Dull; Her Eyes Weak; Her Beauty Nowhere; Her Cheerfulness

Nowhere Else."

 

Early The Next Morning,  After A Hasty Breakfast,  Mr. Rockharrt Entered

His Carriage To Drive To The Works. Young Mrs. Rockharrt,  Under The Plea

Of Fatigue From Her Long Journey,  Retired To Her Own Room.

 

Cora Said To Her Brother:

 

"Sylvan,  I Wish You Would Order The Little Carriage And Take Me To The

Banks To See Violet. I Should Have Paid Her This Attention Sooner But

For The Pressure Of Work That Has Been Upon Me. I Must Defer It No

Longer,  But Go This Morning."

 

"All Right,  Cora!" Answered The Young Man,  And He Left The Room To Do

His Errand.

 

Cora Went Up Stairs To Get Ready For Her Drive.

 

In About Fifteen Minutes The Two Were Seated In The Little Open Landau,

That Had Been The Gift Of The Late Mrs. Rockharrt To Her Beloved

Granddaughter,  And That The Latter Always Used When Driving Out In The

Country Around Rockhold During The Summer.

 

They Did Not Have To Cross The Ferry,  As The New House Of Fabian

Rockharrt Was On The Same Side Of The River As Was Rockhold.

 

The Road On This West Side Was,  However,  Much Rougher,  Though The

Scenery Was Much Finer.

 

They Drove On Through The Woods,  Which Here Clothed The Foot Of The

Mountain And Grew Quite Down To The Water's Edge,  Meeting Over Their

Heads And Casting The Road Into Deep Shadow.

 

They Drove On For About Three Miles,  When They Came To A Point Where

Another Road Wound Up The Mountain Side,  Through Heavy Woods,  And

Brought Them To A Beautiful Plateau,  On Which Stood The Handsome House

Of Fabian Rockharrt,  In The Midst Of Its Groves,  Flower Gardens,

Arbors,  Orchards And Conservatories.

 

It Was A Double,  Two-Storied House,  Of Brown Stone,  With A Fine Green

Background Of Wooded Mountain,  And A Front View Of The River Below And

The Mountains Beyond. There Were Bay Windows At Each End And Piazzas

Along The Whole Front.

 

As The Carriage Drew Up Before The Door,  Violet Was Discovered Walking

Up And Down The Front Porch. She Looked Very Fragile,  But Very Pretty

With Her Slight,  Graceful Figure In A Morning Dress Of White Muslin,

With Blue Ribbons At Her Throat And In Her Pale Gold Hair.

 

She Came Down To Meet Her Visitors.

Part 2 Chapter 20 (The Whispered Words) Pg 41

 

"Oh,  I Am So Glad You Have Come,  Cora And Sylvan!" She Said,  Throwing

Her Arms Around The Young Lady And Kissing Her Heartily,  And Then Giving

Her Hand And Offering Her Cheek For A Greeting From The Young Man.

 

"I Fear You Must Be Lonely Here,  Violet," Said Cora.

 

"Awfully Lonesome After Fabian Has Gone Away In The Morning,  Cora. It

Would Be Such A Charity In You To Come And Stay With Me For A Little

While! Come In Now And We Will Talk About It," Said The Little Lady,  As

She Led The Way Back To The House.

 

"Sylvan," She Continued,  As They Paused For A Moment On The Porch,  "Send

Your Coachman Around To The Stable To Put Up Your Carriage. You And Cora

Will Spend The Day With Me At The Very Least."

 

"Just As Cora Pleases; Ask Her," Said The Young Man With A Glance Toward

His Sister.

 

"Yes," She Answered.

 

"You Are A Love!" Exclaimed Violet As She Led The Way Into The Hall And

Thence Into A Pleasant Morning Room.

 

Cora Laid Off Her Bonnet And Sank Into An Easy Chair By The Front

Window.

 

"Now,  As Soon As You Are Well Rested,  I Wish To Show You Both Over The

House And Grounds. Such A Charming House,  Cora! Such Beautiful Grounds,

Sylvan!" Exclaimed The Proud Little Mistress.

 

Cora Smiled Approval,  But Did Not Explain That She Herself Had Gone All

Through The Establishment Several Times,  In The Course Of Its Fitting

Up,  To See That All Things Were Arranged Properly Before The Arrival Of

The Married Pair.

 

And When,  A Little Later,  The Trio Went Through The Rooms,  She Expressed

As Much Pleasure In Their Appearance As If She Had Never Seen Them

Before.

 

The Brother And Sister Spent A Very Pleasant Day At Violet Banks,  And

When In The Cool Of The Evening They Would Have Taken Leave,  The Young

Wife Pleaded With Them To Stay All Night.

 

In The Midst Of This Discussion Mr. Fabian Rockharrt Came Home From

North End.

 

As He Entered The Parlor He Heard His Wood Violet At Her Petition. He

Greeted Them All,  Kissed His Wife,  Kissed Cora,  And Shook Hands With

Sylvan.

 

"Now Let Me Settle This Matter," He Said,  Good Humoredly,  As He Threw

Part 2 Chapter 20 (The Whispered Words) Pg 42

Himself Into A Large Arm Chair.

 

"First Tell Me,  Cora,  What Is The Obstacle To Your Spending The Night

With Us?"

 

"Only That I Did Not Announce Even This Visit To The Family At

Rockhold."

 

"Do You Owe Any Special Obligation To Do So?"

 

"It Is Not A Question Of Obligation,  But Of Courtesy. I Should Certainly

Be Remiss In Politeness To Leave The House For A Two Days' Visit Without

Giving Notice Of My Intention," She Answered.

 

"Oh! I See. Well,  I Can Fix All That. You Will Both Remain To Dinner.

After Dinner It Will Not Be Too Late For Sylvan To Take My Sure-Footed

Cob And Ride Back To Rockhold And Explain To The Family That Cora Is To

Remain Here Overnight,  And That I Will Myself Take Her Home To-Morrow

Evening If She Should Wish To Go."

 

"What Do You Say,  Cora," Inquired The Young Man.

 

"I Accept Uncle Fabian's Offer And Will Remain Here For The Present,"

Said The Young Lady.

 

"Like The Sensible Woman That You Are!" Exclaimed Mr. Fabian.

 

Half An Hour Later The Four Sat Down To Dinner In One Of The Prettiest

Little Dining Rooms That Ever Was Seen.

 

Soon After The Pleasant Meal Was Over,  Sylvan Took Leave Of His Friends,

Mounted The White Cob That Stood Saddled At