Cord and Creese

J >> James de Mille >> Cord and Creese

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37

I stood quietly. Had I not been prepared for some such thing as this I
might perhaps have broken down under grief, but I had read the MS., and
nothing could surprise or wound me.

I waited there for nearly half an hour, during which time no notice was
taken of me. I heard my father and John walk down the piazza steps and
go away. They had evidently forgotten all about me. At last a man came
toward the door who did not look like a servant. He was dressed in
black. He was a slender, pale, shambling man with thin, light hair, and
a furtive eye and a weary face. He did not look like one who would
insult me, so I asked him where I could find Mrs. Compton.

He started as I spoke and looked at me in wonder, yet respectfully.

"I have just come from China," said I, "and my father told me to find
Mrs. Compton."

He looked at me for some time without speaking a word. I began to think
that he was imbecile.

"So you are Mr. Potts's daughter," said he at last, in a thin, weak
voice. "I--I didn't know that you had come--I--I knew that he was
expecting you--but heard you were lost at sea--Mrs. Compton--yes--oh
yes--I'll show you where you can find Mrs. Compton."

He was embarrassed, yet not unkind. There was wonder in his face, as
though he was surprised at my appearance. Perhaps it was because he
found me so unlike my father. He walked toward the great stairs, from
time to time turning his head to look at me, and ascended them. I
followed, and after going to the third story we came to a room.

"That's the place," said he.

He then turned, without replying to my thanks, and left me. I knocked at
the door. After some delay it was opened, and I went in. A thin, pale
woman was there. Her hair was perfectly white. Her face was marked by
the traces of great grief and suffering, yet overspread by an expression
of surpassing gentleness and sweetness. She looked like one of these
women who live lives of devotion for others, who suffer out of the
spirit of self-sacrifice, and count their own comfort and happiness as
nothing in comparison with that of those whom they love. My heart warmed
toward her at the first glance; I saw that this place could not be
altogether corrupt since she was here.

"I am Mr. Potts's daughter," said I; "are you Mrs. Compton?"

She stood mute. An expression of deadly fear overspread her countenance,
which seemed to turn her white face to a grayish hue, and the look that
she gave me was such a look as one may cast upon some object of mortal
fear.

"You look alarmed," said I, in surprise; "and why? Am I then so
frightful?"

She seized my hand and covered it with kisses. This new outburst
surprised me as much as her former fear. I did not know what to do. "Ah!
my sweet child, my dearest!" she murmured. "How did you come here, here
of all places on earth?"

I was touched by the tenderness and sympathy of her tone. It was full of
the gentlest love. "How did you come here?" I asked.

She started and turned on me her former look of fear.

"Do not look at me so," said I, "dear Mrs. Compton. You are timid. Do
not be afraid of me. I am incapable of inspiring fear." I pressed her
hand. "Let us say nothing more now about the place. We each seem to know
what it is. Since I find one like you living here it will not seem
altogether a place of despair."

"Oh, door child, what words are these? You speak as if you knew all."

"I know much," said I, "and I have suffered much."

"Ah, my dearest! you are too young and too beautiful to suffer." An
agony of sorrow came over her face. Then I saw upon it an expression
which I have often marked since, a strange straggling desire to say
something, which that excessive and ever-present terror of hers made her
incapable of uttering. Some secret thought was in her whole face, but
her faltering tongue was paralyzed and could not divulge it.

She turned away with a deep sigh. I looked at her with much interest.
She was not the woman I expected to find. Her face and voice won my
heart. She was certainly one to be trusted. But still there was this
mystery about her.

Nothing could exceed her kindness and tenderness. She arranged my room.
She did every thing that could be done to give it an air of comfort. It
was a very luxuriously furnished chamber. All the house was lordly in
its style and arrangements. That first night I slept the sleep of the
weary.

The next day I spent in my room, occupied with my own sad thoughts. At
about three in the afternoon I saw _him_ come up the avenue My
heart throbbed violently. My eyes were riveted upon that well-known
face, how loved! how dear! In vain I tried to conjecture the reason why
he should come. Was it to strike the first blow in his just, his
implacable vengeance? I longed that I might receive that blow. Any thing
that came from _him_ would be sweet.

He staid a long time and then left. What passed I can not conjecture.
But it had evidently been an agreeable visit to my father, for I heard
him laughing uproariously on the piazza about something not long after
he had gone.

I have not seen him since.

For several weeks I scarcely moved from my room. I ate with Mrs.
Compton. Her reserve was impenetrable. It was with painful fear and
trembling that she touched upon any thing connected with the affairs of
the house or the family. I saw it and spared her. Poor thing, she has
always been too timid for such a life as this.

At the end of a month I began to think that I could live here in a state
of obscurity without being molested. Strange that a daughter's feelings
toward a father and brother should be those of horror, and that her
desire with reference to them should be merely to keep out of their
sight. I had no occupation, and needed none, for I had my thoughts and
my memories. These memories were bitter, yet sweet. I took the sweet,
and tried to solace myself with them. The days are gone forever; no
longer does the sea spread wide; no longer can I hear his voice; I can
hold him in my arms no more; yet I can remember--

"Das suesseste Glueck fuer die trauernde Brust,
Nach der schonen Liebe verschwundener Lust,
Sind der Liebe Schmerzen und Klagen."

I think I had lived this sort of life for three months without seeing
either my father or brother.

At the end of that time my father sent for me. He informed me that he
intended to give a grand entertainment to the county families, and
wanted me to do the honors. He had ordered dress-makers for me; he
wished me to wear some jewels which he had in the house, and informed me
that it would be the grandest thing of the kind that had ever taken
place. Fire-works were going to be let off; the grounds were to be
illuminated, and nothing that money could effect would be spared to
render it the most splendid festival that could be imagined.

I did as he said. The dress-makers came, and I allowed them to array me
as they chose. My father informed me that he would not give me the
jewels till the time came, hinting a fear that I might steal them.

At last the evening arrived. Invitations had been sent every where. It
was expected that the house would be crowded. My father even ventured to
make a personal request that I would adorn myself as well as possible. I
did the best I could, and went to the drawing-room to receive the
expected crowds.

The hour came and passed, but no one appeared. My father looked a little
troubled, but he and John waited in the drawing-room. Servants were sent
down to see if any one was approaching. An hour passed. My father looked
deeply enraged. Two hours passed. Still no one came. Three hours passed.
I waited calmly, but my father and John, who had all the time been
drinking freely, became furious. It was now midnight, and all hope had
left them. They had been treated with scorn by the whole county.

The servants were laughing at my father's disgrace. The proud array in
the different rooms was all a mockery. The elaborate fire-works could
not be used.

My father turned his eyes, inflamed by anger and strong drink, toward
me.

"She's a d----d bad investment," I heard him say.

"I told you so," said John, who did not deign to look at me; "but you
were determined."

They then sat drinking in silence for some time.

"Sold!" said my father, suddenly, with an oath.

John made no reply.

"I thought the county would take to her. She's one of their own sort,"
my father muttered.

"If it weren't for you they might," said John; "but they ain't overfond
of her dear father."

"But I sent out the _invites_ in her name."

"No go anyhow."

"I thought I'd get in with them all right away, hobnob with lords and
baronets, and maybe get knighted on the spot."

John gave a long scream of laughter.

"You old fool!" he cried; "so that's what you're up to, is it? Sir John
--ha, ha, ha! You'll never be made Sir John by parties, I'm afraid."

"Oh, don't you be too sure. I'm not put down. I'll try again," he
continued, after a pause. "Next year I'll do it. Why, she'll marry a
lord, and then won't I be a lord's father-in-law? What do you say to
that?"

"When did you get these notions in your blessed head?" asked John.

"Oh, I've had them--It's not so much for myself, Johnnie--but for you.
For if I'm a lord you'll be a lord too."

"Lord Potts. Ha, ha, ha!"

"No," said my father, with some appearance of vexation, "not that; we'll
take our title the way all the lords do, from the estates. I'll be Lord
Brandon, and when I die you'll get the title."

"And that's your little game. Well, you've played such good little games
in your life that I've nothing to say, except--'Go it!'"

"She's the one that'll give me a lift."

"Well, she ought to be able to do something."

By this time I concluded that I had done my duty and prepared to retire.
I did not wish to overhear any of their conversation. As I walked out of
the room I still heard their remarks:

"Blest if she don't look as if she thought herself the Queen," said
John.

"It's the diamonds, Johnnie."

"No it ain't, it's the girl herself. I don't like the way she has of
looking at me and through me."

"Why, that's the way with that kind. It's what the lords like."

"I don't like it, then, and I tell you _she's got to be took
down!_"

This was the last I heard. Yet one thing was evident to me from their
conversation. My father had some wild plan of effecting an entrance into
society through me. He thought that after he was once recognized he
might get sufficient influence to gain a title and found a family. I
also might marry a lord. He thus dreamed of being Lord Brandon, and one
of the great nobles of the land.

Amidst my sadness I almost smiled at this vain dream; but yet John's
words affected me strongly--"You've played such good little games in
your life." Well I knew with whom they were played. One was with
Despard, the other with Brandon.

This then was the reason why he had sent for me from China. The
knowledge of his purpose made my life neither brighter nor darker. I
still lived on as before.

During these months Mrs. Compton's tender devotion to me never ceased. I
respected her, and forbore to excite that painful fear to which she was
subject. Once or twice I forgot myself and began speaking to her about
her strange position here. She stopped me with her look of alarm.

"Are you not afraid to be kind to me?" I asked.

She looked at me piteously.

"You are the only one that is kind to me," I continued. "How have you
the courage?"

"I can not help it," she murmured, "you are so dear to me."

She sighed and was silent. The mystery about her remained unchanged; her
gentle nature, her tender love, and her ever-present fear. What was
there in her past that so influenced her life? Had she too been mixed up
with the crime on the _Vishnu_? She! impossible. Yet surely
something as dark as that must have been required to throw so black a
cloud over her life. Yet what--what could that have been? In spite of
myself I associate her secret with the tragedy of Despard. She was in
his family long. His wife died. She must have been with her at the time.

The possibilities that have suggested themselves to my mind will one day
drive me mad. Alas, how my heart yearns over that lonely man in the
drifting ship! And yet, merciful God! who am I that I should sympathize
with him? My name is infamy, my blood is pollution.

I spoke to her once in a general way about the past. Had she ever been
out of England? I asked.

"Yes," she answered, dreamily.

"Where?"

She looked at me and said not a word.

At another time I spoke of China, and hinted that perhaps she too knew
something about the East. The moment that I said this I repented. The
poor creature was shaken from head to foot with a sudden convulsion of
fear. This convulsion was so terrible that it seemed to me as though
another would be death. I tried to soothe her, but she looked fearfully
at me for a long time after.

At another time I asked her directly whether her husband was alive. She
looked at me with deep sadness and shook her head. I do not know what
position she holds here. She is not housekeeper; none of the servants
pay any attention to her whatever. There is an impudent head servant who
manages the rest. I noticed that the man who showed me to her room when
I first came treats her differently from the rest. Once or twice I saw
them talking in one of the halls. There was deep respect in his manner.
What he does I have not yet found out. He has always shown great respect
to me, though why I can not imagine. He has the same timidity of manner
which marks Mrs. Compton. His name is Philips.

I once asked Mrs. Compton who Philips was, and what he did. She answered
quickly that he was a kind of clerk to Mr. Potts, and helped him to keep
his accounts.

"Has he been with him long?" I continued.

"Yes, a considerable time," she said--but I saw that the subject
distressed her, so I changed it.

For more than three months I remained in my room, but at last, through
utter despair, I longed to go out. The noble grounds were there, high
hills from which the wide sea was visible--that sea which shall be
associated with his memory till I die. A great longing came over me to
look upon its wide expanse, and feed my soul with old and dear memories.
There it would lie, the same sea from which he so often saved me, over
which we sailed till he laid down his noble life at my feet, and I gave
back that life to him again.

I used to ascend a hill which was half a mile behind the Hall within the
grounds, and pass whole days there unmolested. No one took the trouble
to notice what I did, at least I thought so till afterward. There for
months I used to go. I would sit and look fixedly upon the blue water,
and my imagination would carry me far away to the South, to that island
on the African shore, where he once reclined in my arms, before the day
when I learned that my touch was pollution to him--to that island where
I afterward knelt by him as he lay senseless, slowly coming back to
life, when if I might but touch the hem of his garment it was bliss
enough for one day. Ah me, how often I have wet his feet with my tears--
poor, emaciated feet--and longed to be able to wipe them with my hair,
but dared not. He lay unconscious. He never knew the anguish of my love.

Then I was less despairing. The air around was filled with the echo of
his voice; I could shut my eyes, and bring him before me. His face was
always visible to my soul.

One day the idea came into my head to extend my ramble into the country
outside, in order to get a wider view. I went to the gate.

The porter came out and asked what I wanted. I told him.

"You can't go out," said he, rudely.

"Why not?"

"Oh, them's Potts's orders--that's enough, I think."

"He never said so to me," I replied, mildly.

"That's no odds; he said so to me, and he told me if you made any row to
tell you that you were watched, and might just as well give up at once."

"Watched!" said I, wonderingly.

"Yes--for fear you'd get skittish, and try and do something foolish. Old
Potts is bound to keep you under his thumb."

I turned away. I did not care much. I felt more surprise than any thing
else to think that he would take the trouble to watch me. Whether he did
or not was of little consequence. If I could only be where I had the sea
before me it was enough.

That day, on going back to the Hall, I saw John sitting on the piazza. A
huge bull-dog which he used to take with him every where was lying at
his feet. Just before I reached the steps a Malay servant came out of
the house.

He was about the same age as John. I knew him to be a Malay when I first
saw him, and concluded that my father had picked him up in the East. He
was slight but very lithe and muscular, with dark glittering eyes and
glistening white teeth. He never looked at me when I met him, but always
at the ground, without seeming to be aware of my existence.

The Malay was passing out when John called out to him,

"Hi, there, Vijal!"

Vijal looked carelessly at him.

"Here!" cried John, in the tone with which he would have addressed his
dog.

Vijal stopped carelessly.

"Pick up my hat, and hand it to me."

His hat had fallen down behind him. Vijal stood without moving, and
regarded him with an evil smile.

"D--n you, do you hear?" cried John. "Pick up my hat."

But Vijal did not move.

"If you don't, I'll set the dog on you," cried John, starting to his
feet in a rage.

Still Vijal remained motionless.

"Nero!" cried John, furiously, pointing to Vijal, "seize him, Sir."

The dog sprang up and at once leaped upon Vijal. Vijal warded off the
assault with his arm. The dog seized it, and held on, as was his nature.
Vijal did not utter a cry, but seizing the dog, he threw him on his
back, and flinging himself upon him, fixed his own teeth in the dog's
throat.

John burst into a torrent of the most frightful curses. He ordered Vijal
to let go of the dog. Vijal did not move; but while the dog's teeth were
fixed in his arm, his own were still fixed as tenaciously in the throat
of the dog.

John sprang forward and kicked him with frightful violence. He leaped on
him and stamped on him. At last, Vijal drew a knife from his girdle and
made a dash at John. This frightened John, who fell back cursing. Vijal
then raised his head.

The dog lay motionless. He was dead. Vijal sat down, his arm running
blood, with the knife in his hand, still glaring at John.

During this frightful scene I stood rooted to the spot in horror. At
last the sight of Vijal's suffering roused me. I rushed forward, and
tearing the scarf from my neck, knelt down and reached out my hand to
stanch the blood.

Vijal drew back. "Poor Vijal," said I, "let me stop this blood. I can
dress wounds. How you suffer!"

He looked at me in bewilderment. Surprise at hearing a kind word in this
house of horror seemed to deprive him of speech. Passively he let me
take his arm, and I bound it up as well as I could.

All this time John stood cursing, first me, and then Vijal. I said not a
word, and Vijal did not seem to hear him, but sat regarding me with his
fiery black eyes. When at last I had finished, he rose and still stood
staring at me. I walked into the house.

John hurled a torrent of imprecations after me. The last words that I
heard were the same as he had said once before. "You've got to be took
down; and I'll be d--d if you don't get took down precious soon!"

I told Mrs. Compton of what had happened. As usual, she was seized with
terror. She looked at me with a glance of fearful apprehension. At last
she gasped out:

"They'll kill you."

"Let them," said I, carelessly; "it would be better than living."

"Oh dear!" groaned the poor old thing, and sank sobbing in a chair. I
did what I could to soothe her, but to little purpose. She afterward
told me that Vijal had escaped further punishment in spite of John's
threats, and hinted that they were half afraid of him.

The next day, on attempting to go out, Philips told me that I was not to
be permitted to leave the house. I considered it the result of John's
threat, and yielded without a word.

After this I had to seek distraction from my thoughts within the house.
Now there came over me a great longing for music. Once, when in the
drawing-room on that famous evening of the abortive fete, which was the
only time I ever was there, I had noticed a magnificent grand piano of
most costly workmanship. The thought of this came to my mind, and an
unconquerable desire to try it arose. So I went down and began to play.

It was a little out of tune, but the tone was marvelously full and
sweet. I threw myself with indescribable delight into the charm of the
hour. All the old joy which music once used to bring came back.
Imagination, stimulated by the swelling harmonies, transported me far
away from this prison-house and its hateful associations to that happier
time of youth when not a thought of sorrow came over me. I lost myself
therein. Then that passed, that life vanished, and the sea-voyage began.
The thoughts of my mind and the emotions of my heart passed down to the
quivering chords and trembled into life and sound.

I do not know how long I had been playing when suddenly I heard a sob
behind me. I started and turned. It was Philips.

He was standing with tears in his eyes and a rapt expression on his
emaciated face, his hands hanging listless, and his whole air that of
one who had lost all senses save that of hearing. But as I turned and
stopped, the spell that bound him was broken. He sighed and looked at me
earnestly.

[Illustration: "I STOOD LOOKING AT HIM WITH A GAZE SO FIXED AND INTENSE
THAT IT SEEMED AS IF ALL MY BEING WERE CENTERED IN MY EYES."]

"Can you sing?"

"Would you like me to do so?"

"Yes," he said, in a faint imploring voice.

I began a low song--a strain associated with that same childhood of
which I had just been thinking--a low, sad strain, sweet to my ears and
to my soul; it spoke of peace and innocence, quiet home joys, and calm
delights. My own mind brought before me the image of the house where I
had lived, with the shadow of great trees around, and gorgeous flowers
every where, where the sultry air breathed soft, and beneath the hot
noon all men sank to rest and slumber.

When I stopped I turned again. Philips had not changed his attitude. But
as I turned he uttered an exclamation and tore out his watch.

"Oh, Heavens!--two hours!" he exclaimed. "He'll kill me for this."

With these words he rushed out of the room.

I kept up my music for about ten days, when one day it was stopped
forever. I was in the middle of a piece when I heard heavy footsteps
behind me. I turned and saw my father. I rose and looked at him with an
effort to be respectful. It was lost on him, however. He did not glance
at me.

"I came up to say to you," said he, after a little hesitation, "that I
can't stand this infernal squall and clatter any longer. So in future
you just shut up."

He turned and left me. I closed the piano forever, and went to my room.

The year ended, and a new year began. January passed away. My melancholy
began to affect my health. I scarcely ever slept at night, and to eat
was difficult. I hoped that I was going to die. Alas! death will not
come when one calls. One day I was in my room lying on the couch when
Mrs. Compton came. On entering she looked terrified about something. She
spoke in a very agitated voice: "They want you down stairs."

"Who?"

"Mr. Potts and John."

"Well," said I, and I prepared to get ready.

"When do they want me?"

"Now," said Mrs. Compton, who by this time was crying.

"Why are you so agitated?" I asked.

"I am afraid for you."

"Why so? Can any thing be worse?"

"Ah, my dearest! you don't know--you don't know."

I said nothing more, but went down. On entering the room I saw my father
and John seated at a table with brandy before them. A third man was
there. He was a thick-set man of about the same height of my father, but
more muscular, with a strong, square jaw, thick neck, low brow, and
stern face. My father did not show any actual ferocity in his face
whatever he felt; but this man's face expressed relentless cruelty.

On entering the room I walked up a little distance and stood looking at
them.

"There, Clark; what do you think of that?" said my father.

The name, Clark, at once made known to me who this man was--that old
associate of my father--his assistant on board the _Vishnu_. Yet
the name did not add one whit to the abhorrence which I felt--my father
was worse even than he.

The man Clark looked at me scrutinizingly for some time.

"So that's the gal," said he, at last.

"That's the gal," said my father.

Clark waved his hand at me. "Turn round sideways," said he.

I looked at him quietly without moving. He repeated the order, but I
took no notice of it.

"D--n her!" said he. "Is she deaf?"

"Not a bit of it," said John; "but she's plucky. She'd just as soon
you'd kill her as not. There isn't any way of moving her."

"Turn round!" cried my father, angrily.

I turned as he said. "You see," said he, with a laugh, "she's been
piously brought up; she honors her father."

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37