"Don"t worry about that, dear child," said Mrs. Keith kindly; "we are not so very far from Philadelphia, and I think your uncles will let you come sometimes to see us."
That comforted Ethel and she grew quite cheerful.
The Eldon brothers entered their office together the next morning and as usual found a pile of letters, brought by the early mail, awaiting them.
"Ah, where does this come from, I wonder!" remarked Mr. George, taking up one directed in a delicate female hand.
He broke the seal and glanced over the contents. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "a post-script signed by our little niece Ethel. The letter was written by her dictation, she says, because she cannot write very fast, and every word in it is true. Dear, dear, what a wretch is that Coote!" Then he read the missive aloud to his brother.
"The scoundrel! the unfeeling monster!" exclaimed Mr. Albert in hot indignation. "He shall not be allowed another opportunity to abuse those poor little ones. I"ll go for them at once and have them safe in my own house before night. I shall take them out of his clutches without a moment"s delay." He drew out his watch as he spoke, and glancing at it, "There is barely more than time for me to catch the first train," he said, "but I need no preparation."
"Except some money, I presume," said his brother, handing him a roll of bank-bills which he had just taken from the safe.
"Ah, yes! that is very essential!" he returned, pocketing them and taking up his hat. "Good-by; you may look for my return this afternoon with the four children."
"Yes, I hope so," said his brother, "and in the meantime I shall do what I can to prepare our wives to receive the poor little things and give them a kind and cordial welcome."
Ethel and her little brother and sisters had just finished their dinner when the door bell rang and their Uncle Albert"s voice was heard in the hall asking for them.
Ethel"s heart beat fast with mingled hope and fear. Had he come in response to her letter? and if so was it in anger toward her oppressors?
Her eyes turned enquiringly upon the face of Mrs. Coote, where she read both surprise and suppressed wrath.
"Is this some of your doing?" she muttered menacingly; but before the frightened child could reply the door opened and Mr. Coote put in his head, saying:
"Mr. Eldon is here, asking to see the children. Let them come right in.
No help for it, Sarah," he added in a lower tone and with a look of suppressed anger and apprehension. "I can"t say yet whether it"s any tale-telling that"s brought him; but if that"s the case somebody"ll have to suffer for it." And he too looked menacingly at poor trembling little Ethel.
"There then, go along all o"you," said Mrs. Coote, who had just finished wiping their hands and faces, "and mind what you say and do, or you may get yourselves into trouble."
Then Ethel spoke up bravely, "Don"t be afraid, Nan," for the little one looked sadly frightened and ready to cry; "we needn"t any of us be afraid of our own dear kind Uncle Albert," and with that they all hastened into his presence.
He received them most affectionately, hugging and kissing them in turn.
"I have come to take you home with me," he said, "and we will start just as soon as you and your luggage can be got ready. You may go and pack all your belongings, for you shall never spend another night in this house."
Then turning to Coote:
"And you, sir, may be thankful that after your brutal treatment of my little nephew I allow you to escape with no greater punishment than the loss of the salary that is due you for the care--such care as it has been too! of these poor little helpless children--my deceased brother"s orphans. My blood boils with indignation when I think of it, and I feel that it would be a satisfaction to thrash you within an inch of your life. But I have decided simply to take the children where it will be out of your power to torment and ill-use them as you have been doing, leaving your punishment to Him who has said: "Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless children. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath shall wax hot and I will kill you with the sword." I wonder you are not afraid of G.o.d"s judgments lighting upon you, for in His Word He is called the deliverer of the fatherless, their judge, their helper, and their father. And you who profess to be His minister ought to be well acquainted with His Word."
"And you who are only a layman, should not dare to so accuse and abuse me--one of the clergy!" exclaimed Coote wrathfully, yet paling visibly as he spoke. "Pray, sir, what proof can you bring of your insulting accusations? which I declare to be false, for I have--according to promise--treated these ill-behaved, rebellious children with all the lenity and fatherly kindness I should had they been my own offspring."
The children were still lingering in the room listening in round-eyed wonder to the strange and excited colloquy between the two men.
"Ethel, dear child," said her uncle turning to her, "do not fear to speak out and tell me in the presence of this man how he has beaten and abused you all, particularly your brother."
"You are going to take us away, uncle?" she asked, with a timid glance at the wrathful countenance of Coote.
"Yes, at once; so that he will never again have an opportunity to ill-use any one of you."
"He has been very cruel to us, uncle," Ethel said in reply; "to poor Harry most of all. I"m afraid he would have killed him that last time if the people hadn"t come to the doors and windows and made him stop. Poor Harry could hardly walk for days afterward," she added with a burst of sobs and tears.
"Yes, uncle, he "most killed me, and I"ve got some of the marks on me yet," said Harry, pulling up his coat-sleeve and displaying some marks on his arm. "Guess he would have killed me if folks hadn"t come and stopped him. But I"m going to pay him back well when I"m a big man. I"ll just thrash him till he can"t stand."
"I think you"ll forget about the smart and be willing to forgive him before that," returned Mr. Eldon with a half smile, drawing the little fellow to him and smoothing his hair caressingly.
Coote was striding angrily to and fro across the floor, clenching his fists, grinding his teeth, and scowling at the little group as though fairly aching to knock them all down.
Mrs. Coote was not there; she had lingered but a moment in the hall, then, having heard the announcement of Mr. Eldon that he had come to take the children away, had hastened to their room and set to work with much energy and despatch to gather together and pack up all that belonged to them.
"There now, my dears, go and get ready for your journey," said Mr.
Eldon, releasing Harry from his embrace and smiling kindly upon all four. "Gather up all your possessions--at least all that you care to keep. No doubt Mrs. Coote will help you with the work, and as soon as you are ready we will start for the station." Then noting the look of apprehension on each young face, he said: "Harry and Nannette may as well stay here with me; so many of you would only be in Mrs. Coote"s way, and their hats and coats can be put on here."
"But they don"t look so very well dressed, uncle," said Ethel hesitatingly; "and wouldn"t you like them to have their best clothes on?"
"Ah, yes; that is well thought of," he replied. "Well, get them ready first and send them down here to me; then follow as soon as you and the trunk are ready."
At that all four hurried obediently from the parlor and up to the room in which most of their time had been pa.s.sed since their coming to the house. Mrs. Coote was there, down on her knees, packing their trunk with great expedition. She turned her head and looked grimly at them as they entered.
"Somebody"s been telling tales, I reckon," she remarked gruffly. "Well, it"ll rid me of a good deal of care and bother. I shall breathe freer when you"re gone, for you"ve been no end of trouble."
"I"m sorry if we have, ma"am," said Ethel. "I"ve really tried to be good and helpful."
"Yes, you have, Ethel, and I"ve been fonder of you than I ever thought to be of any child," returned Mrs. Coote, her voice softening. "But I"ve got to give you up now, and there"s no use fretting. There, children, I"ve laid out all your best clothes on the bed. Get into them as fast as you can while I finish packing your trunk."
They made haste to obey, Ethel and Blanche helping the younger two, and in a very short time they and their trunk were ready.
In the meanwhile Mr. Eldon had settled with Mr. Coote in full for all that was owing on the children"s account; a carriage was waiting at the gate, and the moment they appeared for their journey, he rose, told them to say good-by, then took his leave, leading Nannette, while the other three followed.
Mrs. Weston, Mrs. Keith, and little Mary were out on their own porch, watching with interest what was going on next door, fearing they were about to lose their little friends.
"Oh," cried Blanche, "there are our friends who"ve been so good to us and whom we love dearly. Uncle Albert, mayn"t we run over and say good-by to them before we go?"
"Yes, certainly," he said. "I will go too and thank them for helping Ethel to send me word that you were not well treated or happy here."
It had been a hasty farewell, as it was near train time, and some tears were shed, but Mr. Eldon tried to comfort them all with the hope that the separation need not be for so very long, inviting the ladies and little Mary to visit his nephew and nieces at his house, and promising some day to bring Ethel, Blanche, Harry, and Nannette to see them.
CHAPTER XIII.
For more than an hour after his brother"s departure Mr. George Eldon was very busy in his office, buying and selling; then came a lull for a short s.p.a.ce, giving him time to think again of Ethel"s letter and what might be done to secure a kindly welcome for the little orphans at his own house and that of his brother.
"Albert will be back with them before night, and our wives ought to have warning that they are coming. It would be hardly fair to take them entirely by surprise. I promised my brother too, that I would endeavor to prepare them for the unexpected arrival," he mused. "Well, I think I can spare the time now as easily as later."
At that instant the door into the counting room opened and his eldest son came in.