At breakfast Cora watched Mr. Fabian and Rose, because she could not help doing so, and she certainly discovered signs of a secret understanding between them--signs so slight that they would have been unnoticed by any one who had not the key to the mystery. But how sickening and depressing was all this! Rose Flowers, or Stillwater, or Rockharrt--whichever name she could legally claim--was a fraud. Mr.
Fabian Rockharrt was another fraud. Those two were secretly engaged or secretly married.
After breakfast the party were ready for their journey Then came the leave-taking.
Every one, except Cora Haught, shook hands warmly with Rose Stillwater.
Mrs. Rockharrt embraced and kissed her fondly, and renewed and pressed her invitation to the beauty to come and make a long visit.
Rose put her arms around the old lady"s neck and clung to her, and, with tearful eyes and trembling tones and loving words, a.s.sured her that she would fly to Rockhold on the first possible opportunity, and, after many caresses, she reluctantly turned away and went toward Cora.
The girl had lowered her blue veil, and tied it mask-like over her face, in a way that women often do, but which Cora never did, except on this occasion, when she wished to evade the sure to be offered kiss of Rose Stillwater.
But Rose embraced her strongly and kissed her through the veil, endearments which the young girl could not repel without attracting attention, but which she only endured and did not return.
The party reached Rockhold on the evening of the second day"s travel.
Old Aaron Rockharrt found himself so weary of traveling that he announced his intention of remaining in Rockhold for the entire winter, nor leaving it even to go to his town house for a few weeks during the session of the legislature.
Cora was disappointed. She longed to go to Washington for the season--to go into company, to go to b.a.l.l.s and parties, concerts and operas, to see new people and make new friends, perhaps to attract new admirers; and as she was now nineteen years of age, she need not be too severely criticised for so natural an aspiration.
Mr. Fabian was the most zealous and active member of the firm. He would go to North End and stay two days at a time to be near his scene of duty.
Time pa.s.sed, but Rose Stillwater did not make her promised visit.
Old Aaron often referred to it, and worried his wife to write to her and remind her of her promise. The old lady always complied with her husband"s requirements, and wrote pressing letters; but the beauty always wrote back excusing herself on the ground of "the captain"s" many engagements, which confined him to the ship and her to his side.
So time pa.s.sed, and nearly another year went by. The Rockharrts were still at Rockhold.
A political crisis was at hand--the election for the State legislature.
The candidate for representative of the liberal party in that election district was Regulas Rothsay.
The election day came at length, as anxious a day for Cora Haught as for any one.
It was a grand success, a glorious triumph for the printer boy and for the workingmen"s cause as well. Rule Rothsay was elected representative for his district in the State legislature by an overwhelming majority.
Cora was destined to a joyful surprise the next morning, when the domestic autocrat suddenly announced:
"I shall take the family to my town house on the first of next week. My last bill, which was defeated last year, may be pa.s.sed this session."
Cora now, on the Irishman"s principle of pulling the pig backward if you want him to go forward, ventured on the a.s.surance of counseling her grandfather by saying:
"I would not approach Mr. Rothsay on the subject of this bill, if I were you, sir."
"But you are not I, miss!" exclaimed the old man, opening his eyes wide to stare her down. "And the new man is the very one to whom I shall first speak. He is the most proper person to present the bill. He represents my own district. His election is largely due to the men in my own employ. I am surprised that you should presume to advise upon matters of which you can know nothing whatever."
Cora bowed to the rebuke, but did not mind it in the least, since now she felt sure of meeting Rule Rothsay in town.
On the following Monday the Rockharrts went to town.
Mr. Rockharrt met and compared notes with some of the lobbyists.
One veteran lobbyist gave him what he called the key to the riddle of success.
"You appealed to reason and conscience!" said he. "My dear sir, you should have appealed to their stomachs and pockets. You should have given them epicurean feasts, and put money in your "purse" to be transferred to theirs!"
"Bribery and corruption! I would lose my bill forever! And I would see the legislature--_exterminated_, before I would pay one cent to get a vote," said the Iron King. And he used a much stronger as well as much shorter word than the one underscored; but let it pa.s.s.
As soon as the morning papers announced--among other arrivals--that of the new a.s.semblyman, the Hon. Regulas Rothsay, Aaron Rockharrt sought out the young legislator, and explained that he wished to get a charter for a railroad that he wished to build. The company--all responsible men--had been incorporated some time, but he had never succeeded in getting a charter from the legislature.
Rule saw that the enterprise would be a benefit to the community at large, and especially to the workingmen, the farmers, shop keepers and mechanics; so when he had heard all the old Iron King had to say on the subject, he promptly gave a promise which neither favor, affection nor self-interest could ever have won from him, but which reason, conscience and the public good constrained him to give--namely, to present the pet.i.tion for the charter to the a.s.sembly, and to support it with all his might.
After this Regulas Rothsay came often and more often, until at length he pa.s.sed every evening with the Rockharrts when they were at home. Old Aaron Rockharrt esteemed him as he esteemed very, very few of his fellow creatures. Mrs. Rockharrt really loved him. Mr. Fabian and Mr. Clarence liked him. Cora admired and honored him. He was made so welcome in the family circle that he felt himself quite at home among them.
On the second of January the first business taken up was that of the bill to charter the projected railroad. It was presented by Mr. Rothsay, and referred to the proper committee.
The charter bill was reported with certain amendments, sent back again and reported again, with modified amendments, laid on the table, taken up and generally tormented for ten days, and then pa.s.sed by a small majority.
Rule had conscientiously done his best, and this was the result: Old Aaron Rockharrt thanked him stiffly.
"You have worked it through, sir! No one but yourself could have done it! And it is a wonder that even you could do so with such a set of pig-headed rascals as our a.s.semblymen. And now, will it pa.s.s the senate?"
"I believe it will, Mr. Rockharrt. I have been speaking to many of the senators, and find them well disposed toward it," said Rule.
To be brief, the bill was soon taken up by the senate; and after much the same treatment it had received in the a.s.sembly, it came safely through the ordeal, and was pa.s.sed--again by a small majority.
Old Aaron Rockharrt was triumphant, in his sullen, dogged and undemonstrative way.
But having gained his ends, for which alone he had come to the city, he ordered his family to pack up and be ready to leave town for Rockhold the next day but one.
But the worst was to come.
When all the household were a.s.sembled at luncheon, he shot his last bolt.
"Now look you here, all of you! We are going to Rockhold to-morrow. I do not wish to have any company there. I am tired of company! I hate company! I am going to the country to get rid of company. So see that you do not, any of you, invite any one to visit us."
The next morning the Rockharrt family left town for North End, where they arrived early in the afternoon.
A monotonous season followed, at least for the two ladies, who led a very secluded life at the dreary old stone house on the mountain side.
Winter, spring, summer and autumn crept slowly away in, the lonely dwelling. In the last days of November he announced to his family, with the usual suddenness of his peremptory will, that he should go to Washington City for the winter, taking with him his wife and granddaughter, and leaving his two sons in charge of the works, and that they would be joined in Washington at Christmas by his grandson, for whom he was about to apply for admission into the military academy at West Point.
Regulas called frequently, and his attentions to Cora were marked.
The Rockharrt party went to Washington on the first of December, and took possession of the suite of rooms previously engaged for them at one of the large West End hotels.
One morning, when Rule was out of the way, being on a canva.s.sing round with Mr. Rockharrt among such members of Congress as had remained in the city, Sylvan suddenly asked his sister:
"Cora, what"s to make the pot boil?"