"Come, Clarence, let us follow this little stream up to its head. It cannot be far away," said Corona.
Mr. Clarence silently drew her arm within his, and they walked on up the little valley until it narrowed into a gorge, clothed with stunted trees in brilliant autumn hues, through which the gray rocks jutted. The tinkling of the spring which supplied the stream could be heard while it was yet out of sight.
"Did you bring your drinking cup with you, Clarence? I should like a draught from the spring," said Corona.
"Oh, yes," said her uncle, producing the silver cup. They clambered up the side of the gorge until they reached the spring--a great jet of water issuing from the rock. But there both stopped short, spellbound, in amazement. On a ledge of rock above the spring, and facing them, stood a majestic man, clothed in coat of buckskin, faced and bordered with fur, leggings of buckskin and sandals of buffalo hide. On his head he wore a fur cap that half concealed his tawny hair. The face was fine, but sunburnt and half covered with a long, tawny beard. Corona looked up, and recognized--Regulas Rothsay!
With a cry of terror, she struck her hands to her eyes, as if to dispel an optical illusion, and sank half fainting, to be caught in the arms of her uncle and laid against the side of the rocks, while he sprinkled her face with water from the spring.
She recovered her breath, opened her eyes, and looked anxiously, fearfully, all around her.
There was no one in sight anywhere. The apparition had vanished. Corona and her uncle were alone.
CHAPTER x.x.xVI.
THE MEETING ON THE MOUNT.
"What is this? Am I mad? Have I seen a spirit? Oh, Clarence, what is it?" cried Corona, in a tumult of emotion in which her life seemed throbbing away as she clung to her uncle for support.
"Try to compose yourself, dear Cora," he answered, as he gently laid her down on the mossy rocks, and went and brought her water from the spring in his pocket cup.
She raised herself and drank it at his request, and then staring wildly at him, repeated her questions:
"Oh, what was it? Who was here just now? Or was it--or was it--was it--delusion?"
"For Heaven"s sake, Cora, calm yourself. It was Regulas Rothsay who stood here a moment ago."
"Rule himself, and no delusion! But, oh! I knew it! I knew it all the time!" she exclaimed, still trembling violently.
"My darling Cora, try--"
"Where did he go? Where?" she cried, staggering to her feet and clinging to her uncle. "Where? Oh, take me to him!"
"Do you see that log cabin on the plateau above us, Cora, to the right?"
he said, pointing in the direction of which he spoke.
Her eyes followed his index, and she saw a cottage of rough-hewn logs standing against the rocky steep at the back of the broad ledge above them.
"What do you mean? Is he up there? Is he up there?" she breathlessly demanded.
"Yes; he is in that hut. I saw him climb the rocks and enter it, and close the door. But, for Heaven"s sake! compose yourself, my dear. You are shaking as with an ague, and your hands are cold as ice," said Clarence.
"In that hut, did you say? So near? So near?"
"Yes, dear Cora; but be calm."
"Take me there! Take me there! Oh, give me your arm, Uncle Clarence, and help me. My limbs fail now, when I need them more than ever before. Ah!
and my heart fails, too!" she moaned, growing suddenly pale and fainter as she leaned heavily against her uncle.
"Cora, darling! Cora, rouse yourself, my girl! This weakness is not like you. Take courage; all will be well," said Mr. Clarence, caressingly, laying his hand on her head.
She sighed heavily as she asked:
"How will he receive me? Oh, how will he receive me? Will he have me now? But he must! Oh, he must! For I will never, never, never go down this mountain side again without him! I will perish on its rocks sooner!
Oh, come, come! Help me to reach that hut, Clarence."
There was no resisting her wild and pa.s.sionate appeal. Clarence put his arm around her waist, to sustain her more effectually, as he said:
"Now lean on me, Cora, and step carefully, for the path is almost hidden, and very rugged."
"Oh, Clarence, did he recognize me? did he, Clarence? did he?" she eagerly inquired.
"Yes, Cora, he did," gravely answered the young uncle.
"And turned and went away! And turned and went away! Went away and left me without one word!" she wailed, in doubt and distress.
"Cora, my dear, pray control yourself," said Clarence, uneasily.
"Did he speak to you?" she suddenly inquired.
"Not one word."
"Did you speak to him?"
"No; for he was gone in an instant, before I recovered from my astonishment at his appearance."
"How did he look?--how did he look when he recognized me? In anger?"
"No, Corona; but in much sorrow, pity, and tenderness," gravely replied Clarence.
"Then, why did he leave me? Oh, why did he turn away from me?"
"My dear, he had every reason to think that his sudden appearance had frightened you, and that his presence grieved and distressed you."
"Why, oh, why should he have thought so?" she demanded, with increasing agitation.
"My dear girl, you were frightened. I might say appalled. You saw him suddenly, and with a half-smothered scream threw your hands to your eyes as if to shut out the sight, and then sank to the ground. Now what could the man think but that you feared and hated the sight of him?"
"Just as he thought before! Just as he thought before!"
"And he turned sorrowfully away and walked up to his cabin on the mount, entered, and shut the door. I saw him do it."
"Just as he did before! Just as he did before! Oh, Rule! what a fatality! That appearances should always be false and disastrous between us!" she moaned.