"A hired villain! without even the paltry excuse of an interested motive to palliate the offence. O G.o.d! that I should be brought so low!"--and the doctor wrung his hands in anguish.
"Perhaps, sir," said Emily, "he is not so bad as you think; let us hear before we condemn him."
Her resentment, if her gentle nature had for a moment harbored such a feeling, had all given way to the abundant sympathy she felt for the doctor in his deep distress. Forgiving as the spirit of mercy, she now applied restoratives to the man who had so lately attempted to wrong her; and Dr. Vaudelier, with a sad heart, a.s.sisted her in her merciful duty.
Hatchie, on his approach to the cottage, had been a.s.sailed by the men whom Vernon had sent to secure him. A severe encounter had ensued, and although Hatchie"s great muscular power and skill had enabled him to keep his a.s.sailants at bay, he would eventually have had the worst of it; but Jerry Swinger came to his aid in season for him to save his mistress from injury. Vernon"s party, like that of Maxwell, were all secured.
The noise caused by the entrance of Vernon had awakened Henry Carroll from his slumbers. He listened, but could not make out the occasion of it; for, in consideration of his feeble condition, he had not been informed of the meditated attack. The cry for help uttered by Emily convinced him of the nature of the disturbance. His first impulse was to rise and rush to her a.s.sistance; but of his inability to do this he was painfully reminded in his attempt to rise. The heavy fall of Vernon on the floor, and the voice of Hatchie, a.s.sured him that, whatever the affair might be, it had a.s.sumed a new phase. His painful apprehensions were quieted by the appearance of Hatchie, who in a concise manner related the events of the night.
The last lingering doubt of the suspicious invalid was removed by the entrance of Emily herself.
"You are safe, dear Emily!" exclaimed he.
"I am, thank G.o.d!"
"And I could not a.s.sist in your defence!"
"Heaven will protect me, Henry. It seems as if a veritable angel hovered over my path to shield me from the thousand perils that a.s.sail me."
"The angels do hover around you, Emily; you are so pure, and good, and true, that they are ever near you, even in your own heart. Angels always minister to the good,--to those who resist the temptations of the world."
"You speak too well of me. But you have been excited by this tumult, Henry."
"I was a little disturbed; but, unable to help myself, I could do nothing for others,--not even for you, dearest."
"I know what you would have done, if you had been able. I know your heart, and I feel just as grateful as though your strong arm had rescued me."
Dr. Vaudelier, who had succeeded in restoring Vernon--or, by his true name, Jerome Vaudelier--to consciousness, now entered the room. He appeared more melancholy and hara.s.sed in mind than Emily had before seen him. His soul seemed to be crushed by the terrible realization that _his son_ was a common felon--worse than felon, the persecutor of innocence.
A soul as sensitive as his to the distinctions of right and wrong could hardly endure the misery of that hour.
With an absent manner, he inquired into the condition of the patient, and took the necessary steps to soothe him to slumber again.
Hatchie, having satisfied himself that the prisoners were all safe, left them under guard of the woodmen, and returned to the chamber of the sick man; and, at the doctor"s urgent request, Emily left Henry to his care.
CHAPTER XXI.
"_Friar_ Can you forgive?
_Elmore_. As I would be forgiven."
LOVELL.
On the morning following the defeat of Maxwell and Vernon, it became necessary to make some disposition of the prisoners, so that the conquerors could attend to their daily duties. Their number was too large to be left upon the island in the absence of its defenders. A consultation between Dr. Vaudelier and the princ.i.p.als of the party took place. There were so many difficulties in the way of bringing the invaders to justice, that it was finally decided to release them all.
The burden of the evidence was against the physician"s son. The doctor, however much he deprecated the deed, was anxious to save his son from the publicity of a trial. His friends, seeing the melancholy truth, relieved his mind by suggesting that all of them be released, which was accordingly done.
Vernon had entirely recovered from the effects of Hatchie"s blow, and was seated at the window of his apartment, contemplating the means of escape. At his father"s request, two men had sat by him during the night, as much to prevent his escape as to minister to his wants. The watchers were still in the room. Vernon was not yet informed of the relation he sustained to the proprietor of the mansion in which he now involuntarily abode. He thought that, considering the unequivocal circ.u.mstances under which he had been made a prisoner, he was treated with a great deal of gentleness; but to him the reason was not apparent.
He had been an alien from his father"s house for a long period, and was not acquainted with the history of the past three or four years of the doctor"s life.
His mind was now occupied in devising the means of escape; and just as he had struck upon a feasible project, he was interrupted by the entrance of Jerry Swinger, who had been sent by Dr. Vaudelier to ascertain the present frame of his son"s mind, and broach to him the tidings that he was beneath his father"s roof,--a circ.u.mstance of which his watchers were also ignorant.
"Well, stranger, how do you feel yourself, this morning?" asked Jerry.
"Better. That was a cursed hard rap which some one gave me, last night,"
replied Vernon,--as, from the force of habit, we must still call him.
"That are a fack, stranger; the man that gin you that blow has a moughty hard fist; and I advoise you to keep clear of him, or he will beat you into mince-meat."
"I will try to do so."
"You will larn to, if he mought have one more chance at that head of yours."
"Who is he?"
"He"s an oncommon fine fellow, and made your cake dough once before."
"Ah, was it Miss Dumont"s--that is, the quadroon"s servant."
"Quadroon, man!--that"s all humbug. But he"s the boy, and is bound to fotch his missus out straight, in the end."
"Well, if she is his mistress, I hope he may. I wish her no harm, however much appearances belie me."
"Is that a fack, stranger?"
"Certainly; she never did me any harm."
"Then what mought be the reason you were so onmerciful to her?"
"I never used her hardly. My friend said she was his slave, and all I wished was to have him obtain his own. In short, I was paid for my services."
"No doubt of it, stranger. But I can"t see how the tenth part of a man could hunt down such a gal as that,--it"s onnateral. Besides, you didn"t believe she was a slave."
""Pon my honor I did, or I would not have lifted a finger. But I see you have released the rest of your prisoners,--I hope you will be as generous towards me."
"Don"t flatter yourself, stranger!"
"I have a mortal aversion to courts of justice."
"Quite likely," returned Jerry, pleased with the man"s frankness.
"Besides, I belong to a respectable family, who will not mind paying something handsome to avoid exposure."
"Can"t be bought, stranger; besides, respectable villains arn"t any better nor others."
"True; but, you know, their friends, who are educated, are more sensitive in such matters than others."