She came down to meet her visitors.
"Oh, I am so glad you have come, Cora and Sylvan!" she said, throwing her arms around the young lady and kissing her heartily, and then giving her hand and offering her cheek for a greeting from the young man.
"I fear you must be lonely here, Violet," said Cora.
"Awfully lonesome after Fabian has gone away in the morning, Cora. It would be such a charity in you to come and stay with me for a little while! Come in now and we will talk about it," said the little lady, as she led the way back to the house.
"Sylvan," she continued, as they paused for a moment on the porch, "send your coachman around to the stable to put up your carriage. You and Cora will spend the day with me at the very least."
"Just as Cora pleases; ask her," said the young man with a glance toward his sister.
"Yes," she answered.
"You are a love!" exclaimed Violet as she led the way into the hall and thence into a pleasant morning room.
Cora laid off her bonnet and sank into an easy chair by the front window.
"Now, as soon as you are well rested, I wish to show you both over the house and grounds. Such a charming house, Cora! Such beautiful grounds, Sylvan!" exclaimed the proud little mistress.
Cora smiled approval, but did not explain that she herself had gone all through the establishment several times, in the course of its fitting up, to see that all things were arranged properly before the arrival of the married pair.
And when, a little later, the trio went through the rooms, she expressed as much pleasure in their appearance as if she had never seen them before.
The brother and sister spent a very pleasant day at Violet Banks, and when in the cool of the evening they would have taken leave, the young wife pleaded with them to stay all night.
In the midst of this discussion Mr. Fabian Rockharrt came home from North End.
As he entered the parlor he heard his Wood Violet at her pet.i.tion. He greeted them all, kissed his wife, kissed Cora, and shook hands with Sylvan.
"Now let me settle this matter," he said, good humoredly, as he threw himself into a large arm chair.
"First tell me, Cora, what is the obstacle to your spending the night with us?"
"Only that I did not announce even this visit to the family at Rockhold."
"Do you owe any special obligation to do so?"
"It is not a question of obligation, but of courtesy. I should certainly be remiss in politeness to leave the house for a two days" visit without giving notice of my intention," she answered.
"Oh! I see. Well, I can fix all that. You will both remain to dinner.
After dinner it will not be too late for Sylvan to take my sure-footed cob and ride back to Rockhold and explain to the family that Cora is to remain here overnight, and that I will myself take her home to-morrow evening if she should wish to go."
"What do you say, Cora," inquired the young man.
"I accept Uncle Fabian"s offer and will remain here for the present,"
said the young lady.
"Like the sensible woman that you are!" exclaimed Mr. Fabian.
Half an hour later the four sat down to dinner in one of the prettiest little dining rooms that ever was seen.
Soon after the pleasant meal was over, Sylvan took leave of his friends, mounted the white cob that stood saddled at the door, and rode down the wooded hill to the river road leading to Rockhold.
The three left behind spent the remainder of the evening on the front porch, watching the deep river, the h.o.a.ry mountains, the starry sky, and listening to the hum of insects, the whirl of waters and the singing of the summer breeze through the pines that clothed the precipice, and talking very little.
They retired to rest at a late hour.
Yet on the next morning they met at an early breakfast, for Mr. Fabian had to go to the works to make up for much lost time while affairs were left under the sole management of Mr. Clarence.
Cora remained with Violet, who took her into a more interior confidence, and exhibited with equal pride and delight sundry dainty little garments of fine cambric and linen richly trimmed with lace or embroidery, all the work of her own delicate fingers.
"They tell me, Cora, that I could buy all these things as cheap and as good as I can make them. But I do take such pleasure in making them with my own hands."
Cora kissed her tenderly for all reply.
Then the little lady began to ask questions about her new step-mother-in-law.
"You know, Cora, that I could not ask you yesterday while Sylvan was with us. He is in your full confidence, no doubt, and I have perfect faith in him; but for all that we cannot speak freely on all subjects before a third person, however near and dear. At least I could not ask searching questions about Mr. Rockharrt"s marriage, before Sylvan. Such a strange marriage, with such a disparity in years between a man of Mr.
Rockharrt"s venerable age and Mrs. Stillwater"s blooming youth! I saw her once by chance. She looked a perfect Hebe of radiant health and beauty."
Cora Rothsay smiled. She might have told this little lady that there was not much more difference between the ages of Rose Stillwater at thirty-seven and Aaron Rockharrt at seventy-seven than there was between Violet Wood at seventeen and Fabian Rockharrt at fifty-two. But as the young wife did not see this fact, Cora refrained from showing it to her.
Then Violet wanted to know what Cora herself thought of the marriage.
Cora said she thought it concerned only the parties in question, and only time could tell how it would turn out.
In such confidential talk pa.s.sed the long summer day.
In the cool of the evening Mr. Fabian came home to dinner.
He joined his wife in trying to persuade Cora to remain with them yet another day; but Cora explained that there were many reasons for her return to Rockhold.
Finding her obdurate, Mr. Fabian ordered Mrs. Rothsay"s landau to be at the door at a certain hour.
And as soon as dinner was over and Cora had put on her bonnet and taken leave of Violet, with a promise to return within a few days, Mr. Fabian placed her in the Carriage, took his seat beside her, and drove down the wooded hill to the river road below.
"It is not altogether for pleasure that I pressed you to stay till to-night, Cora, although your presence gave great pleasure to my wife and self. I wished to have a private talk with you. Cora, you ought not to stay at Rockhold. You should come to us," said Mr. Fabian, as they bowled along the wooded road between the foot of the hills and the banks of the river.
"Why?" inquired the lady.
He did not answer at once, but drove slowly on as if to gain time for thought. At length, however, he said:
"I think that a home with Violet and myself at the Banks would be much more congenial to you than one with your grandfather and his new wife at Rockhold."
"But, my dear Uncle Fabian, under present circ.u.mstances my grandfather is my natural protector and Rockhold my proper home until my brother has one to offer me."
"Cora, you are not frank with me. I know how you feel about staying at Rockhold, and also why you feel as you do; though I do not see by what agency or intuition you could have gained the knowledge you seem to possess."
"Uncle Fabian, I have no positive knowledge of any cause why I should shrink from continuing in my natural home. I have only suspicions, which perhaps you could clear up or confirm, if you would be frank with me."