He started slightly as he saw her conscious blush, turned pale instead of becoming red and embarra.s.sed, and, save a slight compression of his lips, made no other movement. She sang the concluding verse of the ballad in a rather unsympathetic manner, and, after a light instrumental piece devoid of sentiment, rose from the piano.
Haldane thanked her with frank heartiness, and then added in a playful manner that, although the concert was over, he was weather-bound on account of the shower, and would therefore try to compensate them for giving him shelter by relating a curious story which was not only founded on fact, but all fact; and he soon had both of his auditors deeply interested in one of those strange and varied experiences which occasionally occur in real life, and which he had learned through his mission cla.s.s. The tale was so full of lights and shadows that now it provoked to laughter, and again almost moved the listeners to tears.
While the narrator made as little reference to himself as possible, he unconsciously and of necessity revealed how practically and vitally useful he was to the cla.s.s among whom he was working. Partly to draw him out, and partly to learn more about certain characters in whom she had become interested, Mrs. Arnot asked after one and another of Haldane"s "difficult cases." As his replies suggested inevitably something of their dark and revolting history, Laura again forgot herself so far as to exclaim:
"How can you work among such people?"
After the words were spoken she was already to wish that she had bitten her tongue out.
"Christ worked among them," replied he gravely, and then he added, with a look of grateful affection toward Mrs. Arnot, "Besides, your aunt has taught me by a happy experience that there are some possibilities of a change for the better in "such people.""
"Mr. Haldane," said Laura impetuously, and with a burning flush, "I sincerely beg your pardon. As you were speaking you seemed so like my aunt in refinement and character that you banished every other a.s.sociation from my mind."
His face lighted up with a strong expression of pleasure, and he said:
"I am glad that those words are so heartily uttered, and that there is no premeditation in them; for if in the faintest and furthest degree I can even resemble Mrs. Arnot, I shall feel that I am indeed making progress."
"I shall say what is in my mind without any constraint whatever," said Mrs. Arnot. "Years ago, Egbert, when once visiting you in prison, to which you had been sent very justly, I said in effect, that in rising above yourself and your circ.u.mstances, you would realize my ideal of knighthood. You cannot know with what deep pleasure I tell you to-night that you are realizing this ideal even beyond my hopes."
"Mrs. Arnot," replied Haldane, in a tone that trembled slightly, "I was justly sent to that prison, and to-night, no doubt, I should have been in some other prison-house of human justice--quite possibly," he added, in a low, shuddering tone, "in the prison-house of G.o.d"s justice--if you had not come like an angel of mercy--if you had not borne with me, taught me, restrained me, helped me with a patience closely akin to Heaven"s own. It is the hope and prayer of my life that I may some day prove how I appreciate all that you have done for me. But, see; the storm is over, as all storms will be in time. Good-night, and good-by,"
and he lifted her hand to his lips in a manner that was at once so full of homage and grat.i.tude, and also the grace of natural and unstudied action, that there came a rush of tears into the lady"s eyes.
Laura held out her hand and said: "Mr. Haldane, you cannot respect me more than you have taught me to respect you."
He shook his head at these words, involuntarily intimating that she did not know, and never could, but departed without trusting himself to reply.
The ladies sat quite a long time in silence. At length Laura remarked with a sigh:
"Mr. Haldane is mistaken. The ice is thin here and there, but I had no idea that there were such depths beneath it."
Mrs. Arnot did not reply at once, and when she did perhaps she had in mind other experiences than those of her young friend, for she only said in a low musing tone:
"Yes, he is right. All storms will be over in time."
CHAPTER XLIX
A KNIGHTLY DEED
The year previous Haldane had buried himself among the mountains of Maine, but he resolved to spend much of the present summer in the city of New York, studying such works of art as were within his reach, haunting the cool, quiet libraries, and visiting the hospitals, giving to the last, as a medical student, the most of his time. He found himself more lonely and isolated among the numberless strange faces than he had been in the northern forests. He also went to his native city for the purpose of visiting Dr. Marks, and as the family mansion was closed, took a room at the hotel. His old acquaintances stood far aloof at first, but when Dr. Marks carried him off with friendly violence to the parsonage, and kept him there as a welcome guest, those who had known him or his family concluded that they could shake hands with him, and many took pains to do so, and to congratulate him on the course he was taking. Dr. Marks" parsonage was emphatically the Interpreter"s house to him, and after a brief visit he returned to New York more encouraged with the hope that he would eventually retrieve the past than ever he had been before.
But events now occurred which promised to speedily blot out all possibility of an earthly future. In answer to his letter describing his visit to Dr. Marks, he received from Mrs. Arnot a brief note, saying that the warm weather had affected her very unfavorably, and that she was quite ill and had been losing strength for some weeks. On this ground he must pardon her brief reply. Her closing words were, "Persevere, Egbert. In a few years more the best homes in the land will be open to you, and you can choose your society from those who are honorable here and will be honored hereafter."
There were marks of feebleness in the handwriting, and Haldane"s anxiety was so strongly aroused in behalf of his friend that he returned to Hillaton at once, hoping, however, that since the heats of August were nearly over, the bracing breath of autumn would bring renewed strength.
After being announced he was shown directly up to Mrs. Arnot"s private parlor, and he found himself where, years before, he had first met his friend. The memory of the bright, vivacious lady who had then entertained him with a delicate little lunch, while she suggested how he might make his earliest venture out into the world successful, flashed into his mind, with thronging thoughts of all that had since occurred; but now he was pained to see that his friend reclined feebly on her lounge, and held out her hand without rising.
"I am glad you have come," she said with quiet emphasis, "for your sympathy will be welcome, although, like others, you can do nothing for us in our trouble."
"Mrs. Arnot," he exclaimed in a tone of deep distress, "you are not seriously ill?"
"No," she replied, "that is not it. I"m better, or will be soon, I think. Laura, dear, light the gas, please, and Egbert can read the telegrams for himself. You once met my sister, Mrs. Poland, who resides in the South, I think."
"Yes, I remember her very well. There was something about her face that haunted me for months afterward."
"Amy was once very beautiful, but ill-health has greatly Changed her."
In the dusk of the evening Haldane had not seen Laura and Mr. Beaumont, as he entered, and he now greeted them with a quiet bow; but Laura came and gave him her hand, saying:
"We did not expect you to return so soon, Mr. Haldane."
"After hearing that Mrs. Arnot was ill I could not rest till I had seen her, and I received her note only this morning."
He now saw that both Laura"s eyes and Mrs. Arnot"s were red with weeping.
The latter, in answer to his questioning, troubled face, said: "The yellow fever has broken out in the city where my sister resides. Her husband, Mr. Poland, has very important business interests there, which he could not drop instantly. She would not leave him, and Amy, her daughter, would not leave her mother. Indeed, before they were aware of their danger the disease had become epidemic, and Mr. Poland was stricken down. The first telegram is from my sister, and states this fact; the second there is from my niece, and it breaks my heart to read it," and she handed it to him and he read as follows:
"The worst has happened. Father very low. Doctor gives little hope. I almost fear for mother"s mind. The city in panic--our help leaving--medical attendance uncertain. It looks as if I should be left alone, and I helpless. What shall I do?"
"Was there ever a more pathetic cry of distress?" said Mrs. Arnot, with another burst of grief. "Oh that I were strong and well, and I would fly to them at once."
"Do you think I could do any good by going?" asked Laura, stepping forward eagerly, but very pale.
"No," interposed Mr. Beaumont, with sharp emphasis; "you would only become an additional burden, and add to the horrors of the situation."
"Mr. Beaumont is right; but you are a n.o.ble woman even to think of such a thing," said Haldane, and he gave her a look of such strong feeling and admiration that a little color came into her white cheeks.
"She does not realize what she is saying," added Mr. Beaumont. "It would be certain death for an unacclimated Northener to go down there now."
Laura grew very pale again. She had realized what she was saying, and was capable of the sacrifice; but the man who had recognized and appreciated her heroism was not the one who held her plighted troth.
Paying no heed to Beaumont"s last remark, Haldane s.n.a.t.c.hed up the daily paper that lay upon the table, and turned hastily to a certain place for a moment, then, looking at his watch, exclaimed eagerly:
"I can do it if not a moment is wasted. The express train for the South leaves in an hour, and it connects with all the through lines. Miss Romeyn, please write for me, on your card, an introduction to your cousin, Miss Poland, and I will present it, with the offer of my a.s.sistance, at the earliest possible moment."
"Egbert, no!" said Mrs. Arnot, with strong emphasis, and rising from her couch, though so ill and feeble. "I will not permit you to sacrifice your life for comparative strangers."
He turned and took her hand in both of his, and said:
"Mrs. Arnot, there is no time for remonstrance, and it is useless. _I am going_, and no one shall prevent me." Then he added, in tones and with a look of affection which she never forgot, "Deeply as I regret this sad emergency, I would not, for ten times the value of my life, lose the opportunity it gives me. I can now show you a small part of my grat.i.tude by serving those you love. Besides, as you say, that telegram is such a pathetic cry of distress that, were you all strangers, I would obey its unconscious command. But haste, the card!"
"Egbert, you are excited; you do not realize what you are saying!" cried the agitated lady.
He looked at her steadily for a moment, and then said, in a tone so quiet and firm that it ended all remonstrance, "I realize fully what I am doing, and it is my right to decide upon my own action. To you, at least, I never broke my word, and I a.s.sure you that I will go. Miss Romeyn, will you oblige me by instantly writing that card? Your aunt is not able to write it."
His manner was so authoritative that Laura wrote with a trembling hand: