For a few days more that carriage continued to appear, and then ceased.
Richling dropped in one morning at Number 3-1/2 Carondelet, and settled his bill with Narcisse.
The young Creole was much pleased to be at length brought into actual contact with a man of his own years, who, without visible effort, had made an impression on Dr. Sevier.
Until the money had been paid and the bill receipted nothing more than a formal business phrase or two pa.s.sed between them. But as Narcisse delivered the receipted bill, with an elaborate gesture of courtesy, and Richling began to fold it for his pocket, the Creole remarked:--
"I "ope you will excuse the "an"-a-"iting."
Richling reopened the paper; the penmanship was beautiful.
"Do you ever write better than this?" he asked. "Why, I wish I could write half as well!"
"No; I do not fine that well a-"itten. I cannot see "ow that is,--I nevva "ite to the satizf.a.gtion of my abil"ty soon in the mawnin"s. I am dest"oying my chi"og"aphy at that desk yeh."
"Indeed?" said Richling; "why, I should think"--
"Yesseh, "tis the tooth. But consunning the chi"og"aphy, Mistoo Itchlin, I "ave descovvud one thing to a maul cettainty, and that is, if I "ave something to "ite to a young lady, I always dizguise my chi"og"aphy.
Ha-ah! I "ave learn that! You will be aztonizh" to see in "ow many diffe"n" fawm" I can make my "an"-a-"iting to appeah. That paz thoo my fam"ly, in fact, Mistoo Itchlin. My hant, she"s got a honcle w"at use"
to be cluck in a bank, w"at could make the si"natu"e of the pwesiden", as well as of the cashieh, with that so absolute puffegtion, that they tu"n "im out of the bank! Yesseh. In fact, I thing you ought to know "ow to "ite a ve"y fine "an", Mistoo Itchlin."
"N-not very," said Richling; "my hand is large and legible, but not well adapted for--book-keeping; it"s too heavy."
"You "ave the "ight physio"nomie, I am shu". You will pe"haps believe me with difficulty, Mistoo Itchlin, but I a.s.su" you I can tell if a man "as a fine chi"og"aphy aw no, by juz lookin" upon his liniment. Do you know that Benjamin Fw.a.n.klin "ote a v"ey fine chi"og"aphy, in fact? Also, Voltaire. Yesseh. An" Napoleon Bonaparte. Lawd By"on muz "ave "ad a beaucheouz chi"og"aphy. "Tis impossible not to be, with that face. He is my favo"ite poet, that Lawd By"on. Moze people pwefeh "im to Shakspere, in fact. Well, you muz go? I am ve"y "appy to meck yo" acquaintanze, Mistoo Itchlin, seh. I am so"y Doctah Seveeah is not theh pwesently. The negs time you call, Mistoo Itchlin, you muz not be too much aztonizh to fine me gone from yeh. Yesseh. He"s got to haugment me ad the en" of that month, an" we "ave to-day the fifteenth Mawch. Do you smoke, Mistoo Itchlin?" He extended a package of cigarettes. Richling accepted one. "I smoke lawgely in that weatheh," striking a match on his thigh. "I feel ve"y sultwy to-day. Well,"--he seized the visitor"s hand,--"_au" evoi"_, Mistoo Itchlin." And Narcisse returned to his desk happy in the conviction that Richling had gone away dazzled.
CHAPTER X.
GENTLES AND COMMONS.
Dr. Sevier sat in the great easy-chair under the drop-light of his library table trying to read a book. But his thought was not on the page. He expired a long breath of annoyance, and lifted his glance backward from the bottom of the page to its top.
Why must his mind keep going back to that little cottage in St. Mary street? What good reason was there? Would they thank him for his solicitude? Indeed! He almost smiled his contempt of the supposition.
Why, when on one or two occasions he had betrayed a least little bit of kindly interest,--what? Up had gone their youthful vivacity like an umbrella. Oh, yes!--like all young folks--_their_ affairs were intensely private. Once or twice he had shaken his head at the scantiness of all their provisions for life. Well? They simply and unconsciously stole a hold upon one another"s hand or arm, as much as to say, "To love is enough." When, gentlemen of the jury, it isn"t enough!
"Pshaw!" The word escaped him audibly. He drew partly up from his half recline, and turned back a leaf of the book to try once more to make out the sense of it.
But there was Mary, and there was her husband. Especially Mary. Her image came distinctly between his eyes and the page. There she was, just as on his last visit,--a superfluous one--no charge,--sitting and plying her needle, unaware of his approach, gently moving her rocking-chair, and softly singing, "Flow on, thou shining river,"--the song his own wife used to sing. "O child, child! do you think it"s always going to be "shining"?" They shouldn"t be so contented. Was pride under that cloak?
Oh, no, no! But even if the content was genuine, it wasn"t good. Why, they oughtn"t to be _able_ to be happy so completely out of their true sphere. It showed insensibility. But, there again,--Richling wasn"t insensible, much less Mary.
The Doctor let his book sink, face downward, upon his knee.
"They"re too big to be playing in the sand." He took up the book again.
""Tisn"t my business to tell them so." But before he got the volume fairly before his eyes his professional bell rang, and he tossed the book upon the table.
"Well, why don"t you bring him in?" he asked, in a tone of reproof, of a servant who presented a card; and in a moment the visitor entered.
He was a person of some fifty years of age, with a patrician face, in which it was impossible to tell where benevolence ended and pride began.
His dress was of fine cloth, a little antique in cut, and fitting rather loosely on a form something above the medium height, of good width, but bent in the shoulders, and with arms that had been stronger. Years, it might be, or possibly some unflinching struggle with troublesome facts, had given many lines of his face a downward slant. He apologized for the hour of his call, and accepted with thanks the chair offered him.
"You are not a resident of the city?" asked Dr. Sevier.
"I am from Kentucky." The voice was rich, and the stranger"s general air one of rather conscious social eminence.
"Yes?" said the Doctor, not specially pleased, and looked at him closer.
He wore a black satin neck-stock, and dark-blue b.u.t.toned gaiters. His hair was dyed brown. A slender frill adorned his shirt-front.
"Mrs."--the visitor began to say, not giving the name, but waving his index-finger toward his card, which Dr. Sevier had laid upon the table, just under the lamp,--"my wife, Doctor, seems to be in a very feeble condition. Her physicians have advised her to try the effects of a change of scene, and I have brought her down to your busy city, sir."
The Doctor a.s.sented. The stranger resumed:--
"Its hurry and energy are a great contrast to the plantation life, sir."
"They"re very unlike," the physician admitted.
"This chafing of thousands of compet.i.tive designs," said the visitor, "this great fretwork of cross purposes, is a decided change from the quiet order of our rural life. Hmm! There everything is under the administration of one undisputed will, and is executed by the unquestioning obedience of our happy and contented slave peasantry. I prefer the country. But I thought this was just the change that would arouse and electrify an invalid who has really no tangible complaint."
"Has the result been unsatisfactory?"
"Entirely so. I am unexpectedly disappointed." The speaker"s thought seemed to be that the climate of New Orleans had not responded with that hospitable alacrity which was due so opulent, reasonable, and universally obeyed a guest.
There was a pause here, and Dr. Sevier looked around at the book which lay at his elbow. But the visitor did not resume, and the Doctor presently asked:--
"Do you wish me to see your wife?"
"I called to see you alone first," said the other, "because there might be questions to be asked which were better answered in her absence."
"Then you think you know the secret of her illness, do you?"
"I do. I think, indeed I may say I know, it is--bereavement."
The Doctor compressed his lips and bowed.
The stranger drooped his head somewhat, and, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair, laid the tips of his thumbs and fingers softly together.
"The truth is, sir, she cannot recover from the loss of our son."
"An infant?" asked the Doctor. His bell rang again as he put the question.
"No, sir; a young man,--one whom I had thought a person of great promise; just about to enter life."
"When did he die?"
"He has been dead nearly a year. I"-- The speaker ceased as the mulatto waiting-man appeared at the open door, with a large, simple, German face looking easily over his head from behind.
"Toctor," said the owner of this face, lifting an immense open hand, "Toctor, uf you bleace, Toctor, you vill bleace ugscooce me."