"Three years ago."
"Ah! but you are older now; and you will let me write and ask his consent? I may say that you are not quite indifferent to me?"
"Yes," she murmured, turning her sweet, blushing face away from his ardent gaze.
"Thank you, dearest, a thousand thanks!" he cried, pressing her hand in his. "And now may I ask who and what that Mr. Travilla is?"
She explained, winding up by saying that he was much like a second father to her.
"Father!" he exclaimed, "he doesn"t look a day over twenty-five."
"He is about two years younger than papa and doesn"t look any younger, I think," she answered with a smile. "But strangers are very apt to take papa for my brother."
Egerton left an hour before Mr. Travilla came, and that hour Elsie spent in her own room in a state of great excitement,--now full of the sweet joy of loving and being loved, now trembling with apprehension at the thought of the probable effect of Mr. Travilla"s story upon her father. She was fully convinced of Egerton"s truth and innocence; yet quite aware that his explanation might not prove so satisfactory to Mr. Dinsmore.
"Oh, papa, papa!" she murmured, as she paced restlessly to and fro, "how can I obey if you bid me give him up? And yet I must. I know it will be my duty, and that I must."
"What a color you hab in your cheeks, darlin"! an" how your eyes do shine. I"se "fraid you"s gettin" a fever," said Chloe, with an anxious, troubled gaze into her young lady"s face, as she came in to dress her for the evening.
"Oh, no, mammy, I am perfectly well," Elsie answered with a slight laugh. Then seating herself before the gla.s.s, "Now do your best," she said gayly, "for we are to have company to tea. I doubt if you can guess whom?"
"Den "spose my pet saves her ole mammy de trouble. "Taint ma.s.sa, for sure?"
"No, not quite so welcome a guest; but one you"ll be delighted to see.
Mr. Travilla."
"Ki, darlin"! he not here?"
"Yes, he came this morning. Ah! I knew you"d be delighted."
Elsie knew that it would require the very strongest proof to convince her father of the truth of Mr. Egerton"s story, but hoped to find Mr.
Travilla much more ready to give it credence. She was proportionably disappointed when, on hearing it from her, he scouted it as utterly unworthy of belief, or even examination.
"No, my child," he said, "the man"s face is indelibly impressed upon my memory, and I can not be mistaken in his ident.i.ty."
Elsie"s face flushed crimson, and indignant tears sprang to her eyes and trembled in her voice as she answered, "I never knew you so uncharitable before, sir. I could not have believed it of my kind-hearted, generous old friend."
He gave her a very troubled, anxious look, as he replied, "Why should you take it so to heart, Elsie? Surely this man is nothing to you."
"He is to be some day, if papa will permit," she murmured, turning away her blushing face from his gaze.
Mr. Travilla uttered a groan, made two or three rapid turns across the room, and coming back to her side, laid his hand in an affectionate, fatherly manner upon her shoulder.
"My dear," he said with emotion, "I don"t know when I have heard anything that distressed me so much; or that could give such pain and distress to your doting father."
"Mr. Travilla, you will not, you cannot be so unkind, so cruel, as to try to persuade papa to think as you do of--of Mr. Egerton?"
Her tone was half indignant, half imploring, and her eyes were lifted pleadingly to his face.
"My poor child," he said, "I could not be so cruel to you as to leave him in ignorance of any of the facts; but I shall not attempt to bias his judgment; nor would it avail if I did. Your father is an independent thinker, and will make up his mind for himself."
"And against poor Bromly," thought Elsie, with an emotion of anguish, and something akin to rebellion rising in her heart.
Mr. Travilla read it all in her speaking countenance. "Do not fear your father"s decision, my little friend." he said, sitting down beside her again, "he is very just, and you are as the apple of his eye. He will sift the matter thoroughly, and decide as he shall deem best for your happiness. Can you not trust his wisdom and his love?"
"I know he loves me very dearly, Mr. Travilla, but--he is only human, and may make a mistake."
"Then try to leave it all in the hands of your heavenly Father, who cannot err, who is infinite in wisdom, power, and in His love for you."
"I will try," she said with a quivering lip. "Now please talk to me of something else. Tell me of that young man. Did you say he shot himself?"
"Young Beresford, my friend"s son? No, he was prevented." And he went on to tell of Rudolph"s horror and remorse on account of that rash act, and of the excesses that led to it; also of the trembling hope his parents and friends were beginning to indulge that he was now truly penitent, and, clothed in his right mind, was sitting at the Saviour"s feet.
Elsie listened with interest. They had had the parlor to themselves for an hour or more, Miss Stanhope having received an unexpected summons to the bedside of a sick neighbor.
She was with them at tea, and during most of the evening, but left them alone together for a moment just before Mr. Travilla took his leave, and he seized the opportunity to say to Elsie that he thought she ought to refrain from further intercourse with Egerton till she should learn her father"s will in regard to the matter.
"I cannot promise--I will think of it," she said with a look of distress.
"You write frequently to your papa?"
"Every day."
"I know you would not wish to deceive him in the least. Will you tell him what I conceive to be the facts in regard to Mr. Egerton? or shall I?"
"I cannot, oh, I cannot!" she murmured, turning away her face.
"Then I shall spare you the painful task, by, doing it myself, my poor child. I shall write to-night."
She was silent, but he could see the tumultuous heaving of her breast, and the tears glistening on the heavy drooping lashes that swept her pale cheek. His heart bled for her, while his indignation waxed hot against the hypocritical scoundrel who, he feared, had succeeded only too well in wrecking her happiness.
She had described to him Egerton"s character as he had made it appear to her, telling of their conversations on religious subjects, his supposed conversion, etc., etc.; thus unintentionally enabling Travilla to see clearly through the man"s base designs. He silently resolved to stay in Lansdale and watch over her until her father"s arrival.
"You ride out daily?" he inquired.
"Yes, sir."
"May I be your escort to-morrow?"
She cast down her eyes, which she had lifted to his face for an instant, blushing painfully. It seemed an effort for her to reply, and the words came slowly, and with hesitation. "I--should be glad to have you, sir; you know I have always valued your society, but--Mr. Egerton always goes with us--Lottie King and me--of late; and--and I can hardly suppose either of you would now find the company of the other agreeable."
"No, Elsie; but what do you think your father would wish?"
"I know he would be glad to have me under your care, and if you don"t mind the unpleasantness."
"My dear, I would cheerfully endure far more than that, to watch over your father"s child. You will not let this unhappy circ.u.mstance turn you against your old friend? I could hardly bear that, little Elsie."
And he drew her toward him caressingly.
"Oh, no, no! I don"t think anything could do that; you"ve always been so good to me--almost a second father."