She found her letter; pressed it to her heart and lips many times; then made a little silken bag, into which she put it; then tied it around her neck with a narrow ribbon.
And from that day it rested on her heart. It was her priceless treasure to be cherished above all others, "the first to be saved in fire or flood." It was the only relic of her lost love with his last good-by, and prayers and blessings. It was her magic talisman, still connecting her in some occult way with the vanished one. It was her anchor of hope, still promising in some mysterious manner the final return of her lost husband.
While Cora mourned and dreamed away these first days of the family"s return to their town house, old Aaron Rockharrt was sifting the evidence of the story told by Captain Ross; he proved the truth of the skipper"s account; and he failed to connect the young man"s late visit on that fatal night with the almost simultaneous disappearance of Rothsay.
The season pa.s.sed on. Mr. and Mrs. Rockharrt gave dinner parties and supper parties; and received and accepted invitations to similar entertainments in return; but no persuasions nor arguments could prevail on Cora to go into any society. Not even the iron will of the Iron King could conquer in this matter. His granddaughter was his own personal property, and one of the attractions of his house; it was in her place to wear her best clothes and costliest jewels, and to show herself to his guests; and her persistent refusal to do this put him in a gloomy, teeth-grinding, impotent rage.
"Cora is of age! She has a very sufficient provision. And now if she does not return to her duty and render herself amenable to my authority and obedient to my commands, I shall order her to find another home; for I mean to be master of my own house and of everybody in it!" he said, savagely, to his timid wife, one evening when she was doing valet"s duty by dressing his hair for a dinner party.
"Oh, Aaron! Aaron! have pity on the poor, heartbroken girl!" pleaded the old lady, falling into a fit of trembling that interfered with her task.
"Hold your tongue and heed my words, for I shall do as I say. And mind what you are about now! You have scratched my ear with the bristles of the brush."
"I beg your pardon, Aaron, but my hand shakes so."
"If that young woman don"t submit herself to my will, and obey my orders, I will pack her out of this house. And then, perhaps, your nerves will be quieter! I"ll do it, for I am not particularly fond of having gra.s.s widows about me," he growled.
She made no reply. She could not trust herself to speak. It required all her self-control to steady her hands so as to complete her master"s toilet.
Then she had to dress herself in haste and agitation to be ready in time to accompany her husband to the dinner party at the executive mansion, which was now occupied by Lieutenant-Governor Kenelm Kennedy--and from which the Iron King would not allow his wife to absent herself.
Old Aaron Rockharrt was the lion of the evening, as he was the lion of every party in the State capital, probably because he owned the lion"s share of the State"s wealth, and had more money, perhaps, than the State"s treasury. He enjoyed this beast worship, and came to his town house every season and went into general society to receive it.
Mrs. Rockharrt was very anxious to have a talk with her granddaughter, to warn her of impending danger and to implore her to obey the wishes of her grandfather, but the poor old lady had no opportunity.
Cora sat up for her grandparents, in case they should need any of her services on their return.
They came in very late, and then the exactions of the domestic tyrant kept his wife in attendance on him until they were all in bed.
CHAPTER VII.
NEWS OF THE MISSING MAN.
The next morning, while Aaron Rockharrt slept the sleep of the dead-in-selfishness, his wife arose and crept into the bedroom of her granddaughter.
Cora was awake, but not yet up.
"Oh, grandma, you will get your death of cold! walking about the house in your night gown. What is it? What do you want? Can I do anything for you?" cried the girl, springing out of bed to turn on the heat of the register, and then wrapping a large shawl around the old lady, and putting her into the cushioned easy chair.
"Now what is it, dear grandma? What can I do for you?" she inquired, as she drew on her own wadded dressing gown and sat on the side of the bed near the old lady.
"You can do something to set my mind at ease, my dear; but it will be painful for you, and I do not know whether you will do it," said the old lady with timid hesitation.
"I can do this, dear? Then, of course, I will do it," replied the girl.
"It is almost too much to ask of you, my child."
"There is nothing, nothing that I would not do to give you peace--you, poor dear, who have so little peace," said Cora, tenderly, smoothing the silver hair away from the wrinkled brow of the old lady, who began to drop a few weak tears of self-pity, excited by Cora"s sympathy.
"Well, my child," she said, "your grandfather is going to have a little talk with you soon--on the subject of your self-seclusion. Oh! my poor child, do not resist him, do not provoke, do not disobey him. Oh! for my sake, Cora, for my sake, do not!"
"Dearest dear, I will leave undone anything in the world you wish me not to do. I will no longer rebel against my grandfather"s authority, even when he exercises it in such a despotic manner," said Cora, raising the clasped hands of the old lady and pressing them to her lips.
Mrs. Rockharrt gathered the girl in her arms and kissed her, with a few more weak tears, but with no more words.
She did not tell Cora of the cruel threat made by the tyrant to turn her out of doors if she failed to obey him, and she hoped that the girl might never hear of it, lest in her wounded pride she might forestall the threat and leave the house of her own accord.
"Now be at ease, dear," said Cora, soothingly. "No more trouble--"
A bell rang sharply and cut off the girl"s speech.
"Oh, there he is awake! I must go to him," exclaimed the timid old creature.
Cora made her toilet, and then went down to the breakfast parlor, where she found the two old people about to sit down to the table. She bade her grandfather good morning and then took her place.
During breakfast Aaron Rockharrt said:
"Mrs. Rothsay, you will come to me in the library as soon as we leave the table. I have something to say to you that must be said at once and for the last time."
"Very well, sir," replied the girl.
Half an hour later she was closeted with her grandfather.
"Madam, I do not intend to waste much time over you this morning. I merely mean to put a test question, whose answer shall decide my future course in regard to you."
"Very well."
"I must preface my question by reminding you that you have constantly disregarded my wishes and disobeyed my orders by refusing to see my guests or to go out in company with me."
"Yes."
"When honored with an invitation to the state dinner at the executive mansion you declined to go, even though I expressed my will that you should accompany me."
"Yes."
"But for the future I intend to be master of my own house and of every living soul within it. Now, then, for my test question. You have received cards to the ball to be given at the house of the chief justice to-morrow evening. I wish you to attend it, and my wish should be a command."
"Of course."
"What is your answer? Think before you speak, for on your answer must depend your future position in my house."
Cora was silent for a few moments.
"Sir," she began at length, "you are a just man, at least, and you will not refuse to hear and consider my reasons for seclusion."