"Which of them wore Theodora"s ring? That ring must come back--_must_, I say. Understand me, mother, it must come back."
"If it is lost----"
"It will be a case for the police--sure as death!"
The oath frightened her. "You have lost your senses, Robert," she cried; "you are fairly bewitched. And oh, what a miserable woman I am! Both my lads!" and she covered her face with her handkerchief, and began to sigh and sob bitterly.
Then Isabel went to her mother"s side, and as she did so said with scornful anger:
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Robert Campbell. You have nearly broken your mother"s heart by your disgraceful marriage. Can you not make Dora behave decently, and not turn the old home and our poor simple lives upside down, with all she requires?"
"Isabel, do you think it was right to put people in the rooms I had spent so much time and money in furnishing?"
"Quite right, seeing the people were our own kindred. It was not right to spend all the time and money you spent on those rooms for a stranger.
You ought to be glad some of your own family got a little pleasure in them first of all."
"They did not know how to use them. Both the Crawfords and Lairds are vulgar, common, and uneducated women. They know nothing of the decencies of life."
"That may be true, but they are mother"s kin, and blood is thicker than water. The Crawfords and Lairds are blood-kin; Dora is only water."
"Theodora is my wife. I see that mother will no longer listen to me. Try and convince her that I am in earnest. My rooms are _my_ rooms, and no one comes into them unless they are invited by Theodora or myself. My wife"s clothing and ornaments of all kinds belong to my wife, and not to the whole family. Write to Jean Crawford, and Bell Greenhill, and tell them to return all they have taken, or I shall make them do so."
"I suppose, Robert, they have only borrowed whatever they have. They often borrow my rings and brooches and even my dresses."
"Isabel, when people borrow even a ring, without the knowledge and consent of the owner, the law calls it stealing; and the person who has so borrowed it, the law calls a thief. I hope you understand me."
He was leaving the room when his mother sobbed out: "Oh, Robert, Robert!"
For a moment he hesitated; then he went to her side and asked: "What is it you wish, mother?"
"I did not mean--to hurt you--I was brought up so different. I thought it would be all right--with you--that you, at least--would understand. I expected you knew--all about the marriage customs--you are Scotch. Oh, dear, dear! My poor heart--will break!"
He touched her hand kindly and answered: "Well, do not cry, mother, I will say no more about it. Good-night."
"Good (sob) night (sob), Robert!"
But as soon as the door closed, the furious woman flung down her handkerchief in a rage, saying in low, pa.s.sionate tones: "You see, girls! When you can"t reason with a man, can"t touch his brain, you may try crying about him, for perhaps he has something he calls a heart."
Returning to his own apartments Robert found that the lights had been lowered and that Theodora was apparently asleep. He stood looking at her a few minutes, but decided not to awaken her. She would, he thought, want to know all that had been said and he was tired of the subject. His mother"s tears had washed all color and vitality out of it. She believed herself to be right and from her point of view he admitted she was. He told himself that Theodora did not comprehend the wonderful complexity of the Scotch character--he must try and teach her. And as for her destroyed, or lost adornments, they could be replaced. Of course money would be, as it were, lost in such replacement, but it would be a good lesson, and lessons of all kinds take money. Thus, by a new road, he had come back to the usual Campbell appreciation of the Campbells, for though he was keenly alive to the individual defects of that large family he was at the same time conscious of their superiority to the rest of the world.
In the morning he began to give Theodora the lesson he had himself absorbed. He told her that it was some of their own relatives who had occupied the rooms, and then explained the wonderful strength of the family tie in Scotch families. "I think," he added, "that under the circ.u.mstances, mother did the only possible thing."
"And the opening of my trunks, Robert dear, and the use of my clothing, is that also a result of the Scotch family tie?"
"Yes-s," he answered with easy composure, "they looked on you as one of us and supposed you would gladly loan what they needed. Isabel says they often borrow her brooches and rings and gowns. Moreover, mother informed me, that it is the common custom to open a bride"s trunks, and examine her belongings."
"A very rude and barbarous custom, I think, Robert, and it makes no excuse for an infringement of manifest courtesy and kindness. And I am sure that every one can forgive an injury, easier than an infringement of their rights."
"You must try and look at the matter reasonably, dear Dora."
"You mean unreasonably, Robert, but if you do not care, why should I?"
Robert made no reply, but went on examining his fingernails, apparently without noticing the look of pained surprise in his wife"s eyes, nor yet the far deeper sign of distress--that dumb lip-biting which indicates an intensity of outraged feeling.
This was Theodora"s first lesson in the complexities of the Scotch character, and it was a dear one. It cost her many illusions, many hopes, and some secret tears. And the gain was doubtful. Nature knows how to profit from every shower of rain, every glint of sunshine, every drop of dew; but which of us ever learn from any past experience, how to prepare a future that will give us what we desire?
During the night she had plumbed the depths of depression, but in a short deep morning sleep, she had found the strength to possess her soul, not in patience, but in a sweet, firm resistance. She would accept cheerfully the lot she had chosen, for to bear dumbly and pa.s.sively the many petty wrongs which ill-temper and dislike must bring her would only tempt those who hated her to a continuance and enlargement of their sin.
Every one, even her husband, would despise her, and she suddenly remembered how G.o.d, when He would reason with Job, bid him rise from his dunghill, stand upon his feet, and answer Him like a man. So, she would submit to no injustice, nor suffer without contradiction any lying accusation, yet her weapons of defence should be kind and clean, and her victory won by love and truth and honor--for in this way she herself would rise by
--"_the things put under her feet, By what she mastered of good and gain, By the pride deposed, by the pa.s.sion slain, And the vanquished ills she would hourly meet._"
The prospect of such a victory made her heart swell with a n.o.ble joy, for thus she would be creating her spiritual self, and so being G.o.d-like be also loved of G.o.d.
Her first effort was to compel herself to go to the breakfast table. She wished to have Ducie bring her a cup of coffee and a couple of rolls to her room, but that would only be shirking the inevitable. So she went to the family table smiling, and almost radiant in a pretty pink gown, and beautiful white muslin neckwear. Her manner was cheerful and conciliatory, but it utterly failed, because the old lady believed it to be the result of orders from her son. She was sure Robert had seen the reasonableness of her conduct, and told Theodora to accept the circ.u.mstances as unavoidable, and perhaps even excusable.
So in spite of her smiles and efforts at conversation, the meal was silent and unhappy and towards the end really distressing. It had begun with oatmeal porridge served on large dinner plates, and she had accepted her share without remark, though unable to eat it. But later, when a dish of boiled salt herring appeared, its peculiar odor made her so sick that it was with painful difficulty she sat through the meal.
Robert noticed her white face and general air of distress, and slightly hurried his own meal in consequence.
"Are you ill, Dora?" he asked, when she fell nauseated and limp among the sofa cushions.
"It was the smell of the salt fish, Robert. I could not conquer it."
"But you must try. We have boiled salt herring every morning. I do not remember a breakfast without them."
"Then, dear Robert, I must have a cup of coffee in my dressing-room."
"You might learn to bear the smell."
"The ordeal would be too wasteful of life."
"I don"t see----"
"No one can afford a disagreeable breakfast, Robert. It spoils the whole day. And I might waste weeks and months trying to like the odor of boiled salt herring, and never succeed--it is sickening to me."
"It does not make me sick. I have had a boiled salt herring to breakfast ever since I was seven years old."
"You have learned to bear them."
"I like them."
"Did you like them at first?"
"No, but I was made to eat them until at last I learned to relish them.
Mother believed them to be good for me. Now, I do not think my breakfast perfect without a boiled salt herring."
"We can force nature to take, and even enjoy poisons like whiskey and opium, but I think such an education sinful and unclean."
"Dora, you are too fastidious."