"Certainly, I will help you, if possible, when you have told me your trouble," replied Mrs. Delano.
"Yes, I will tell," said Flora, sighing. "Mr. Fitzgerald is the gentleman who married my sister; but we don"t live at his plantation.
We live in a small cottage hidden away in the woods. You never saw anybody so much in love as he was with Rosa. When we first came here, he was never willing to have her out of his sight a moment. And Rosa loves him so! But for these eight or ten weeks past he has been making love to me; though he is just as affectionate as ever with Rosa. When she is playing to him, and I am singing beside her, he keeps throwing kisses to me behind her back. It makes me feel so ashamed that I can"t look my sister in the face. I have tried to--keep out of his way. When I am in the house I stick to Rosa like a burr; and I have given up riding or walking, except when he is away. But there"s no telling when he _is_ away. He went away yesterday, and said he was going to Savannah to be gone a week; but this morning, when I went into the woods behind the cottage to feed Thistle, he was lurking there. He seized me, and held his hand over my mouth, and said I _should_ hear him. Then he told me that Rosa and I were his slaves; that he bought us of papa"s creditors, and could sell us any day. And he says he will carry me off to Savannah and sell me if I don"t treat him better. He would not let me go till I promised to meet him in Cypress Grove at dusk to-night. I have been trying to earn money to go to Madame Guirlande, and get her to send me somewhere where I could give dancing-lessons, or singing-lessons, without being in danger of being taken up for a slave. But I don"t know how to get to New Orleans alone; and if I am his slave, I am afraid he will come there with officers to take me. So, dear new Mamita, I have come to you, to see if you can"t help me to get some money and go somewhere."
Mrs. Delano pressed her gently to her heart, and responded in tones of tenderest pity: "Get some money and go somewhere, you poor child! Do you think I shall let dear Alfred"s little daughter go wandering alone about the world? No, darling, you shall live with me, and be my daughter."
"And don"t you care about my being colored and a slave?" asked Floracita, humbly.
"Let us never speak of that," replied her friend. "The whole transaction is so odious and wicked that I can"t bear to think of it."
"I do feel so grateful to you, my dear new Mamita, that I don"t know what to say. But it tears my heart in two to leave Rosa. We have never been separated for a day since I was born. And she is so good, and she loves me so! And Tulee, too. I didn"t dare to try to speak to her. I knew I should break down. All the way coming here I was frightened for fear Gerald would overtake me and carry me off. And I cried so, thinking about Rosa and Tulee, not knowing when I should see them again, that I couldn"t see; and if Thistle hadn"t known the way himself, I shouldn"t have got here. Poor Thistle! It seemed as if my heart would break when I threw the bridle on his neck and left him to go back alone; I didn"t dare to hug, him but once, I was so afraid. O, I am so glad that you will let me stay here!"
"I have been thinking it will not be prudent for you to stay here, my child," replied Mrs. Delano. "Search will be made for you in the morning, and you had better be out of the way before that. There are some dresses belonging to Mrs. Welby"s daughter in a closet up stairs.
I will borrow one of them for you to wear. The boat from Beaufort to Savannah will stop here in an hour to take some freight. We will go to Savannah. My colored laundress there has a chamber above her wash-room where you will be better concealed than in more genteel lodgings. I will come back here to arrange things, and in a few days I will return to you and take you to my Northern home."
The necessary arrangements were soon made; and when Flora was transformed into Miss Welby, she smiled very faintly as she remarked, "How queer it seems to be always running away."
"This is the last time, my child," replied Mrs. Delano. "I will keep my little bird carefully under my wings."
When Flora was in the boat, hand in hand with her new friend, and no one visible whom she had ever seen before, her excitement began to subside, but sadness increased. In her terror the poor child had scarcely thought of anything except the necessity of escaping somewhere. But when she saw her island home receding from her, she began to realize the importance of the step she was taking. She fixed her gaze on that part where the lonely cottage was embowered, and she had a longing to see even a little whiff of smoke from Tulee"s kitchen. But there was no sign of life save a large turkey-buzzard, like a black vulture, sailing gracefully over the tree-tops. The beloved sister, the faithful servant, the brother from whom she had once hoped so much, the patient animal that had borne her through so many pleasant paths, the flowery woods, and the resounding sea, had all vanished from her as suddenly as did her father and the bright home of her childhood.
The scenes through which they were pa.s.sing were beautiful as Paradise, and all nature seemed alive and jubilant. The white blossoms of wild-plum-trees twinkled among dark evergreens, a vegetable imitation of starlight. Wide-spreading oaks and superb magnolias were lighted up with sudden flashes of color, as scarlet grosbeaks flitted from tree to tree. Sparrows were chirping, doves cooing, and mocking-birds whistling, now running up the scale, then down the scale, with an infinity of variations between. The outbursts of the birds were the same as in seasons that were gone, but the listener was changed.
Rarely before had her quick musical ear failed to notice how they would repeat the same note with greater or less emphasis, then flat it, then sharp it, varying their performances with all manner of unexpected changes. But now she was merely vaguely conscious of familiar sounds, which brought before her that last merry day in her father"s house, when Rosabella laughed so much to hear her puzzle the birds with her musical vagaries. Memory held up her magic mirror, in which she saw pictured processions of the vanished years. Thus the lonely child, with her loving, lingering looks upon the past, was floated toward an unknown future with the new friend a kind Providence had sent her.
CHAPTER IX.
Rosa was surprised at the long absence of her sister; and when the sun showed only a narrow golden edge above the horizon, she began to feel anxious. She went to the kitchen and said, "Tulee, have you seen anything of Floracita lately? She went away while I was sleeping."
"No, missy," she replied. "The last I see of her was in her room, with the embroidery-frame before her. She was looking out of the window, as she did sometimes, as if she was looking nowhere. She jumped up and hugged and kissed me, and called me "Dear Tulee, good Tulee." The little darling was always mighty loving. When I went there again, her needle was sticking in her work, and her thimble was on the frame, but she was gone. I don"t know when she went away. Thistle"s come back alone; but he does that sometimes when little missy goes rambling round."
There was no uneasiness expressed in her tones, but, being more disquieted than she wished to acknowledge, she went forth to search the neighboring wood-paths and the sea-sh.o.r.e. When she returned, Rosa ran out with the eager inquiry, "Is she anywhere in sight?" In reply to the negative answer, she said: "I don"t know what to make of it.
Have you ever seen anybody with Floracita since we came here?"
"n.o.body but Ma.s.sa Gerald," replied Tulee.
"I wonder whether she was discontented here," said Rosa. "I don"t see why she should be, for we all loved her dearly; and Gerald was as kind to her as if she had been his own sister. But she hasn"t seemed like herself lately; and this forenoon she hugged and kissed me ever so many times, and cried. When I asked her what was the matter, she said she was thinking of the pleasant times when _Papasito querido_ was alive. Do you think she was unhappy?"
"She told me once she was homesick for Madame Guirlande," replied Tulee.
"Did she? Perhaps she was making so many things for Madame because she meant to go there. But she couldn"t find her way alone, and she knew it would be very dangerous for either of us to go to New Orleans."
Tulee made no reply. She seated herself on a wooden bench by the open door, swinging her body back and forth in an agitated way, ever and anon jumping up and looking round in all directions. The veil of twilight descended upon the earth, and darkness followed. The two inmates of the cottage felt very miserable and helpless, as they sat there listening to every sound. For a while nothing was heard but the dash of the waves, and the occasional hooting of an owl. The moon rose up above the pines, and flooded earth and sea with silvery splendor.
"I want to go to the plantation and call Tom," said Rosa; "and there is such bright moonshine we might go, but I am afraid Gerald would be displeased."
Tulee at once volunteered to bring out Thistle, and to walk beside her mistress.
Both started at the sound of footsteps. They were not light enough for Floracita, but they thought it might be some one bringing news. It proved to be the master of the house.
"Why, Gerald, how glad I am! I thought you were in Savannah,"
exclaimed Rosa. "Have you seen anything of Floracita?"
"No. Isn"t she here?" inquired he, in such a tone of surprise, that Tulee"s suspicions were shaken.
Rosa repeated the story of her disappearance, and concluded by saying, "She told Tulee she was homesick to go to Madame."
"She surely wouldn"t dare to do that," he replied.
"Ma.s.sa Gerald," said Tulee, and she watched him closely while she spoke, "there"s something I didn"t tell Missy Rosy, "cause I was feared it would worry her. I found this little glove of Missy Flory"s, with a bunch of sea-weed, down on the beach; and there was marks of her feet all round."
Rosa uttered a cry. "O heavens!" she exclaimed, "I saw an alligator a few days ago."
An expression of horror pa.s.sed over his face. "I"ve cautioned her not to fish so much for sh.e.l.ls and sea-mosses," said he; "but she was always so self-willed."
"_Don"t_ say anything against the little darling!" implored Rosa.
"Perhaps we shall never see her again."
He spoke a few soothing words, and then took his hat, saying, "I am going to the sea-sh.o.r.e."
"Take good care of yourself, dear Gerald!" cried Rosa.
"No danger "bout that," muttered Tulee, as she walked out of hearing.
"There"s things with handsomer mouths than alligators that may be more dangerous. Poor little bird! I wonder where he has put her."
His feelings as he roamed on the beach were not to be envied. His mind was divided between the thoughts that she had committed suicide, or had been drowned accidentally. That she had escaped from his persecutions by flight he could not believe; for he knew she was entirely unused to taking care of herself, and felt sure she had no one to help her. He returned to say that the tide had washed away the footprints, and that he found no vestige of the lost one.
At dawn he started for the plantation, whence, after fruitless inquiries, he rode to the Welby estate. Mrs. Delano had requested the household servants not to mention having seen a small young lady there, and they had nothing to communicate.
He resolved to start for New Orleans as soon as possible. After a fortnight"s absence he returned, bringing grieved and sympathizing letters from the Signor and Madame; and on the minds of all, except Tulee, the conviction settled that Floracita was drowned. Hope lingered long in her mind. "Wherever the little pet may be, she"ll surely contrive to let us know," thought she. "She ain"t like the poor slaves when _they_"re carried off. She can write." Her mistress talked with her every day about the lost darling; but of course such suspicions were not to be mentioned to her. Gerald, who disliked everything mournful, avoided the subject entirely; and Rosabella, looking upon him only with the eyes of love, considered it a sign of deep feeling, and respected it accordingly.
But, blinded as she was, she gradually became aware that he did not seem exactly like the same man who first won her girlish love. Her efforts to please him were not always successful. He was sometimes moody and fretful. He swore at the slightest annoyance, and often flew into paroxysms of anger with Tom and Tulee. He was more and more absent from the cottage, and made few professions of regret for such frequent separations. Some weeks after Flora"s disappearance, he announced his intention to travel in the North during the summer months. Rosabella looked up in his face with a pleading expression, but pride prevented her from asking whether she might accompany him.
She waited in hopes he would propose it; but as he did not even think of it, he failed to interpret the look of disappointment in her expressive eyes, as she turned from him with a sigh.
"Tom will come with the carriage once a week," said he; "and either he or Joe will be here every night."
"Thank you," she replied.
But the tone was so sad that he took her hand with the tenderness of former times, and said, "You are sorry to part with me, Bella Rosa?"
"How can I be otherwise than sorry," she asked, "when I am all alone in the world without you? Dear Gerald, are we always to live thus?
Will you never acknowledge me as your wife?"
"How can I do it," rejoined he, "without putting myself in the power of those cursed creditors? It is no fault of mine that your mother was a slave."
"We should be secure from them in Europe," she replied. "Why couldn"t we live abroad?"