"But," persisted Frank, "I thought you were very anxious to see the new owner, in order to ascertain whether you could at some future time purchase it yourself."
"Yes, so I was, and so I am, but not _here_." He soon, however, became more composed.
Mrs. Reynolds appeared to suffer almost as much as her husband; but long sorrow had given her more control over her feelings. "William," she said in a low voice, "our friends who have done so much for us invited us here to give us pleasure. Let us try to enjoy it. They could not know,"
she continued with a sigh, "how very sad we should feel."
I stood near them, and almost without a thought, asked, "How can you bear to live here then when you have purchased it?"
"Oh! that would be very different," replied Anna. "But will her father allow her to sell?" she inquired, looking most earnestly at Lucy.
William also aroused at this question, and with open mouth awaited the reply.
I looked at Lucy with a smile, and she said, "it is with his consent and permission that I now make over to you the right and t.i.tle to Rose Cottage. Henceforth it is yours."
For one instant, they both seemed stupefied; and then as if actuated by one heart, they sunk upon their knees. Amid tears of joy, we all followed their example, when Frank in a most appropriate prayer thanked G.o.d in their behalf and dedicated the happy abode to "_temperance_, _union_ and _love_."
When we arose, our hearts were somewhat relieved. Mr. Reynolds pressed his wife to his heart, and thanked G.o.d for such a treasure. When he became more composed, he said, "I am well aware that it is the purity and goodness of my Anna which have thus met their reward; but I hope and believe, this gift will stimulate me to imitate her example."
I cannot describe to you the astonishment as well as delight of the now happy pair as they went from room to room, and beheld the well filled closets, and every convenience for house-keeping. They could not realize such a change in the Squire as that he should voluntarily give up this property. When we sat at the well furnished board, Emily, who presided, playfully asked Mrs. Reynolds to excuse her for taking the head of the table. But that lady could not reply except by a tearful smile. We hurried through supper in order to leave the family alone and give them an opportunity to recover from their excited feelings. As we did so, Lucy put into Mrs. Reynolds"s hand the doc.u.ment, her husband had refused.
CHAPTER XXIII.
"Habitual evils change not on a sudden, But many days must pa.s.s, and many sorrows; Conscious remorse, and anguish must be felt, To curb desire, to break the stubborn will, And work a second nature in the soul, Ere virtue can resume the place she lost." ROWE.
_Wednesday, August 23d._
The Doctor received a hasty note from Lucy, requesting him to call this morning at his earliest convenience. He did so, and found his patient agitated and trembling, who immediately requested to be left alone with Frank.
"Dr. Lenox," said he, "I have sent for you to receive a confession from me, which I little thought would ever pa.s.s my lips." He tried to wipe the moisture which was gathering on his face, but his hand shook so much that he was unable. Frank took a seat near him and performed that office, when he continued, "I have been a great sinner, Doctor, as you well know; but there is one crime lying upon my conscience, which I would gladly give all I am possessed of to be free from. Oh, dear!" He gasped convulsively. "You don"t know, you have never felt the agony of remorse!"
Frank tried to soothe his patient, and pointed him to the Saviour as one ready to bear all our sins. "I"ve tried to think so Doctor; sometimes the devil tempts me to believe that there can be no forgiveness of sins like mine. In addition to all my drunkenness and profanity, all my abuse of widows and orphans, and all my grinding the face of the poor, I have been--Oh!--_Oh, dear!_--I am a MURDERER!"
Frank started involuntarily. But Squire Lee cried aloud, while the Doctor bathed his temples, and endeavored to quiet him, but reluctantly allowed him to proceed. Making a great effort to control himself, the distressed invalid proceeded to say, that while abroad many years ago, he had met a lady who interested him more than any one he had ever seen.
Though his wife was still living at home, he had fallen in love with her, and had made the most disgraceful proposals to her, which she repelled with scorn. "She told me," he exclaimed, "her husband was in India, and that it was well for me that such were the case, for he would revenge to the death such an insult to his wife. Her indignation only added to her beauty; and I was almost beside myself that I could not accomplish my purpose. But I determined to have my revenge. I wrote anonymously to her husband, at first only hinting at her unfaithfulness to him, but subsequently stating the facts more fully. There was a gentleman who spent much of his time in her society and in the education of her child. It was this man to whom I referred in my letter to her husband, though I had abundant reason to know that her character was above suspicion. Sometime later, when my wicked pa.s.sion had had time to cool, I again pa.s.sed through the place, and to my horror learned that my letters had been the means of recalling her husband from abroad, and of the death of--of both--of them! Yes, Colonel Shirley killed his friend, and his wife died of a broken heart, leaving her husband to suppose her the guilty woman whom I had falsely represented."
Squire Lee here groaned heavily and was overcome by his emotions.
"Doctor," said the agonized man when he revived, "a word more; you cannot realize what a relief this will be here," laying his hand upon his breast, Frank bowed a.s.sent. The sick man then earnestly begged the Doctor to take the name of Colonel Shirley, and to use every means in his power to ascertain whether that gentleman were living; and if he should ever see or hear of him, to communicate to him the fact of his wife"s innocence, and of the fiendish revenge which prompted the writer of those letters.
_Thursday, September 7th._
The Doctor was hastily summoned yesterday to Squire Lee, who has had another shock of paralysis. But it proved to be slight compared with the first. It was occasioned by his receipt of a bank notice from the city of New York, of a note left there for collection, and signed by his son Joseph as agent for his father, and requesting the immediate payment thereof. The bank notified the father instead of the son, who had falsely a.s.sumed to act as his agent, and who was reported to have left the country.
At first the Squire was very angry, and said to Lucy, "I must pay this note, but it is the last he shall ever have from my estate."
_Monday, October 2d._
I think Squire Lee supposes himself to be near his end. A few weeks since, he requested his daughter to leave him alone with Allen, when he asked the young man, "Do you still love Lucy?"
"I have never ceased to love her," was the reply.
"Then," said the old gentleman, in a very affecting manner, "my daughter is a good girl, and I should like to see her happily married before I die." He also added, "if you marry her, you will not have a portionless bride."
_Monday, October 9th._
Emily has just consented to go to the city to make some purchases for the intended bride, as Lucy cannot think of leaving her father, who is very feeble. He told her in the presence of Allen, that he did not wish their marriage to be delayed.
The ardent lover persuaded Lucy to name an early day; and the nineteenth of this month is decided upon. It will be strictly a private wedding.
The service is to be performed in the chamber of the invalid, with only our family as witnesses. Lucy wished Emily to be her bridemaid; but as there was no one intimate enough in the family with whom it would be pleasant for her to stand, sister easily persuaded her to dispense with this part of the ceremony.
_Thursday, October 19th._
To-day I accompanied the Doctor and Emily to Squire Lee"s. He is exceedingly feeble, and Frank almost feared, lest the excitement of the occasion would be too much for him. But the service was very short and informal. When we were seated, Allen and Lucy came in from the adjoining room, a short prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr. Munroe, the covenant of marriage was administered and received, by which the parties pledged themselves to a faithful performance of the duties of husband and wife, as set forth in the holy scriptures, the benediction was p.r.o.nounced, and our dear friend was Lucy Lee no longer, but _Mrs. Lucy Mansfield_. In this new character, she stepped forward quickly to her father and kissed his pale brow, while we silently retired from the room, the Doctor alone remaining with the patient. And he joined us in a few moments, leaving the sick man far less fatigued than we had feared.
Frank says, he would give a great deal to know whether Squire Lee has made provision for his daughter. After we all left the room, Lucy sat on a cricket chafing his poor withered hand. He looked at her with melting tenderness, as he said to Frank, who had returned to him, "Doctor, she is a good girl."
_Friday, October 20th._
The Doctor called yesterday to see whether his patient had suffered from the excitement of the previous day. Lucy was requested by her father to leave the room, when he asked Frank to tell him plainly how long he should probably live. The Doctor replied that he might linger some weeks; but it would not surprise him, if he did not live many days, and he advised him to set his house and his soul in order to meet the solemn event. Squire Lee thanked him, and said, "I have much to do; I must delay no longer."
Encouraged by his calmness, Frank had a very interesting conversation with him, and was rejoiced to find him in a humble, penitent frame of mind, with a trembling hope of forgiveness through the blood of Christ.
"He wept; he trembled; cast his eyes around, To find a worse than he; but none he found.
He felt his sins, and wonder"d, he _should_ feel, Grace made the wound, and grace alone could heal."
When the Doctor called again to see his patient, Mrs. Burns said that the Squire had sent the porter out for a man who was then engaged with him, and that she believed them to be making a will, as she had answered the bell, and had taken into the chamber paper, pens and other apparatus for writing; and when doing so she had heard her master, in a feeble voice say something in which she clearly distinguished the words "legal instrument."
The Doctor told her not to interrupt them, and a.s.sured her that he would call again. Not long after, Jacob, the porter, came in haste for him to go back, saying that he had been twice to the office in the village to find him.
Frank met him on the road and instantly returned with him. On the way, he was told a lawyer had been sent for who soon went out and returned with two other men. After they all retired, Lucy hastened to the room, fearing the effect of this unusual excitement upon her father. But as he lay perfectly quiet, she supposed him to be sleeping. She sat by his side, when perceiving that he remained for a long time in exactly the same position, she became alarmed and began to chafe his temples and hands. But as he still remained unconscious, she called Allen and sent for the Doctor. When Frank entered the chamber, he found him slightly revived, but unable to speak. He will not probably survive many hours.
Lucy is very anxious for the Doctor to remain through the night, and he sent me word that he had consented to do so.
_Tuesday, October 24th._
My dear husband did not return home until near noon, as he has many patients whom he was obliged to visit after leaving Squire Lee"s. He remained by the bed of the dying man the entire night. Poor old man! It was really affecting to see how hard he tried to speak. He is very anxious to make Lucy comprehend something, but she cannot get the least clew to it. The feeble invalid wept that they could not understand him.
At length, Frank put a pencil into his hand and held the paper before him; but in vain. He could not hold the pencil, and shook his head in despair.
About eight o"clock this morning, the Doctor was called from the room by Mrs. Burns, who said to him, "Mr. Colby, the lawyer, is below; and when informed that you were in the house, he requested to see you."