"I am your Uncle Richard."
"True as you live and breathe are you Uncle d.i.c.k," the boy almost screamed, winding his chubby arms around the stranger"s neck, while Nina standing upon her feet chirped out her joy as she patted the bearded cheek, and called him "Uncle "Ick."
Surely if there had been any lingering pain in the heart of Richard Harrington it was soothed away by the four soft baby hands which pa.s.sed so caressingly over his face and hair, while honeyed lips touched his, and sweet bird-like voices told how much they had been taught to love the one whom they always called Uncle.
These children had been the hardest part of all to forgive, particularly the first born, for Richard, when he heard of him had felt all the old sorrow coming back again; a feeling as if Edith had no right with little ones which did not call him father. But time had healed that wound too, until from the sunny slopes of France, where his home had so long been, his heart had often leaped across the sea in quest of those same children now prattling in his ear and calling him Uncle d.i.c.k. There was another, a dearer name by which they might have called him, but he knew now that "twas not for him to be thus addressed. And still he felt something like a father"s love stealing into his heart as he wound his arms around the little forms, giving back kiss for kiss, and asking which was like their mother.
"Ain"t none of us much," d.i.c.k replied, "We"re like father and Aunt Nina, hanging on the wall in the library. Mother"s got big black eyes, with winkers a rod long, and her hair shines like my velvet coat, and comes most to her feet."
Richard smiled, und was about to speak again, when d.i.c.k forestalled him by asking--not if he had him something but where it was.
"It"s in your trunk, I guess," he said, as his busy fingers investigated every pocket and found nothing savoring of playthings, except a knife, both blades of which were opened in a trice, and tried upon the window sill!
Richard, who, never having known much of children, had not thought of presents, was sorely perplexed, when luckily Victor returned, bringing a paper of mola.s.ses candy, which he slyly thrust into his master"s hand, whispering to him,
"They always like that."
Victor had calculated aright, for nothing could have pleased the St. Claires more; and when, as she entered at the door, Edith caught sight of her offspring, she hardly knew them, so besmeared were their little faces with mola.s.ses, Nina having wiped her hands first upon her hair and then rubbed them upon Richard"s knee, while Victor looked on a little doubtful us to what the mother might say.
"There"s mam-ma," Nina cried, trying to shake back her curls, which nevertheless stuck lightly to her forehead. "There"s mam- ma," and in an instant Little d.i.c.k, as he was called, found himself rather unceremoniously set down upon his feet, as Richard adjusted his shade, and resumed the air of helplessness so natural to the blind.
Edith had been to New York with Marie and the children, leaving the former there for a few weeks, and was now on her way home, whither she hoped ere long to welcome Richard, whom she had never seen since the night of her marriage, when Victor led him half fainting from the altar. He would not join them at the breakfast next morning, but sent them his good-bye, and when they returned from their long, happy bridal tour they found a letter for them saying Richard was in Paris.
Regularly after that they heard from him, and though he never referred to the past, Edith knew how much it cost him to write to one whom he had loved so much. Latterly, however, his letters had been far more cheerful in their tone, and it struck Edith that his hand-writing too, was more even than formerly, but she suspected nothing and rather antic.i.p.ated the time when she should be eyes for him again, just as she used to be. He had said in his last letter that he was coming home ere long, but she had no idea that he was so near, and she wondered what tall, greyish haired gentleman it was who had taken possession of her seat.
"Mother," little d.i.c.k was about to scream, when Victor placed his hand upon his mouth, at the same time turning his back to Edith, who, a little surprised at the proceeding, and a little indignant it may be, said rather haughtily, and with a hasty glance at Richard,
"My seat, sir, if you please."
The boy by this time had broken away from Victor, and yelled out, "Uncle d.i.c.k, ma, Uncle d.i.c.k;" but it did not need this now to tell Edith who it was. A second glance had told her, and with face almost as white as the linen collar about her neck, she reeled forward, and would have fallen but for Victor, who caught her by the shoulder and sat her down beside his master.
Richard was far less excited than herself, inasmuch as he was prepared for the meeting and as she sank down with the folds of her grey traveling dress lying in his lap, he offered her his hand, and with the same old sunny smile she remembered so well, said to her,
"Do you not know me?"
"Yes," she gasped, "but it takes my breath away. I was not expecting you so soon. I am so glad."
He knew she was by the way her snowy fingers twined themselves around his own and by the fervent pressure of her lips upon his hand.
"Mam-ma"s tyin," said Nina, and then Edith"s tears fell fast, dropping upon the broad hand she still held, which very, very gradually, but still intentionally drew hers directly beneath the green shade, and there Richard kept it, his thumb hiding the broad band of gold which told she was a wife.
It was a very small, white, pretty hand, and so perhaps he imagined, for he held it a long, long time, while he talked quite naturally of Arthur, of Grace, of the people of Shannondale, and lastly of her children.
"They crept into my heart before I knew it," he said, releasing Edith"s hand and lifting Nina to his knee. "They are neither of them much like you, my namesake says."
This reminded Edith of the mysterious shade which puzzled her so much, and, without replying directly to him, she asked why it was worn. Victor shot a quick, nervous glance at his master, who without the slightest tremor in his voice, told her that he had of late been troubled with weak eyes, and as the dust and sunlight made them worse, he had been advised to wear it while traveling as a protection.
"I shall remove it by and by, when I am rested," he said.
And Edith hoped he would, for he did not seem natural to her with that ugly thing disfiguring him as it did.
When Hartford was reached Richard found an opportunity of whispering something to Victor, who replied,
"Tired find dusty. Better wait, if you want a good impression."
So, with a spirit of self-denial of which we can scarcely conceive Richard did wait, and the shade was drawn closely down as little Nina, grown more bold climbed up beside him, and poised upon one foot, her fat arm resting on his neck, played "peek-a-boo" beneath the shade, screaming at every "peek," "I seen your eyes, I did."
A misstep backward, a tumble and a b.u.mped head brought this sport to an end, just as Shannondale was reached, and in her attempts to soothe the little girl, Edith failed to see that the shade was lifted for a single moment, while, standing upon the platform, Richard"s eyes wandered eagerly, greedily over the broad meadow lands and fields of waving grain, over the wooded hills, rich in summer glory, and lastly toward Collingwood, with its roofs and slender tower basking in the July sun.
"Thank G.o.d thank G.o.d," he whispered, just as Victor caught his arm, bidding him alight as the train was about to move forward.
"There"s papa, there--right across the track," and d.i.c.k tugged at his father"s coat skirts, trying to make him comprehend, but Arthur had just then neither eyes nor ears for any thing but his sobbing little daughter, whose forehead he kissed tenderly, thereby curing the pain and healing the wounded heart, of his favorite child, his second golden-haired Nina. d.i.c.k, however, persevered, until his father understood what he meant, and Nina was in danger of being hurt again, so hastily was she dropped when Arthur learned that Richard had come. There was already a crowd around him, but they made way for Arthur, who was not ashamed to show before them all, how much he loved the n.o.ble man, or how glad he was to have him back.
"Richard has grown old," the spectators said to each other, as they watched him till he entered the carriage.
And so he had. His hair was quite grey now, and the tall figure was somewhat inclined to stoop, while about the mouth were deep- cut lines which even the heavy mustache could not quite conceal.
But he would grow young again, and even so soon he felt his earlier manhood coming back as he rode along that pleasant afternoon, past the fields where the newly-mown hay, fresh from a recent shower, sent forth its fragrance upon the summer air, while the song of the mowers mingled with the click of the whetting scythe, made sweet, homelike sounds which he loved to hear. Why did he lean so constantly from the carriage, and why when Victor exclaimed, "The old ruin is there yet," referring to Gra.s.sy Spring did he, too, look across the valley?
Arthur asked himself this question many times, and at last, when they reached Collingwood and Edith had alighted, he bent forward and whispered in Richard"s ear, not an interrogation, but a positive affirmation, which brought back the response,
"Don"t tell her--not yet, I mean." Arthur turned very white and could scarcely stand as he stepped to the ground, for that answer, had taken his strength away, and Victor led him instead of his master into the house, where the latter was greeted joyfully by the astonished servants.
He seemed very weary and after receiving them all, asked to go to his room where he could rest.
"You will find it wholly unchanged," Arthur said. "Nothing new but gas."
"I trust I shall not set the house on fire this time," was Richard"s playful rejoinder, as he followed Victor up the stairs to the old familiar chamber, where his valet left him alone to breathe out his fervent thanksgivings for the many blessings bestowed on one, who, when last he left that room, had said in his sorrow, there were no sunspots left.
The first coming home he so much dreaded was over now, and had been accompanied with far less pain than he feared. He knew they were glad to have him back--Arthur and his dear sister, as he always called her now. Never since the bridal night had the name Edith pa.s.sed his lips and if perchance he heard it from others, he shuddered involuntarily. Still the sound of her voice had not hurt him as he thought it would; nothing had been half so hard as he had antic.i.p.ated, and falling upon his knees, he poured out his soul in prayer, nor heard the steps upon the threshold as Arthur came in, his heart too full to tarry outside longer. Kneeling by Richard, he, too, thanked the Good Father, not so much for his friend"s safe return as for the boon, precious as life itself which had been given to that friend.
When at last their prayers were ended, both involuntarily advanced to the window, where, with his handsome, manly face turned fully to the light, Arthur stood immovable, nor flinched a hair, as Edith would ere long when pa.s.sing the same ordeal. He did not ask what Richard thought of him, neither did Richard tell, only the remark,
"I do not wonder that she loved you best."
They then talked together of a plan concerning Edith, after which Arthur left his brother to the repose he so much needed ere joining them in the parlor below. Never before had pillows seemed so soft or bed so grateful as that on which Richard laid him down to rest, and sleep was just touching his heavy eyelids, when upon the door there came a gentle rap, accompanied with the words,
"P"eae, Uncle "Ick, let Nina tome. She"s all dressed up so nice."
That little girl had crept way down into Richard"s heart, just as she did into every body"s, and he admitted her at once, suffering her to climb up beside him, where, with her fat, dimpled hands folded together, she sat talking to him in her sweet baby language,
""Ess go to sleep, Nina tired," she said at last, and folding his arms about her, Richard held her to his bosom as if she had been his own. ""Tain"t time to say p"ayers, is it?" she asked, fearing lest she should omit her duty; and when Richard inquired what her prayers were, she answered,
"Now I lay me--and G.o.d bess Uncle "Ick. Mam-ma tell me that."
Richard"s eyes filled with tears, which the waxen fingers wiped away, and when somewhat later Victor cautiously looked in, he saw them sleeping there together, Nina"s golden head nestled in Richard"s neck, and one of her little hands lain upon his cheek.
Meantime, in Edith"s room Arthur was virtually superintending the making of his wife"s evening toilet, a most unprecedented employment for mankind in general, and him in particular. But for some reason wholly inexplicable to Edith, Arthur was unusually anxious about her personal appearance, suggesting among other things that she should wear a thin pink muslin, which he knew so well became her dark style of beauty; and when she reminded him of its shortcomings with regard to waist and sleeves, he answered playfully,
"That does not matter. "Twill make you look girlish and young."