"Seen with him! What! My--With him!"
"So it is understood in the servants" hall."
"The servants" hall!"
Hurst fairly ground his teeth with rage. Had Ruth"s good name fallen so low that it was a matter of criticism in the servants" hall?
"You know Mrs. Mason is her G.o.dmother?"
"Well!"
"And, of course, takes a deep interest in the matter. She talks all her troubles over with Mrs. Hipple, and even came to me about the wedding gifts. Of course, I took an interest. Ruth has so long been the pet of the house, and I love her; that is, there was a time when I loved her dearly."
"Loved her dearly? And now you speak with tears in your voice, as if that pleasant time had pa.s.sed. Why is that, Lady Rose?"
The young lady"s voice sunk low as she answered,
"I--I think we have both changed."
"But there must be some reason for this. What has Ruth done that you should shrink away from her?"
"Perhaps she feels the difference of position," faltered Rose.
"But that has changed in nothing, at least in her disfavor," answered Hurst, flushing red with a remembrance of that day in the little church.
"She was so dainty, so sweetly retiring. It seemed to me impossible that she could ever have been brought to care for a man like young Storms. Now, that it is so, can I help feeling separated?"
"By Heavens! Lady Rose--" The young man checked himself suddenly, adding, with haughty decision, "We have dropped into a strange discussion, and are handling the name of a young girl with less delicacy than becomes me, at least. Shall we speak of something else?"
A flood of haughty crimson, and a struggle against the tears that rose in spite of herself, was all the reply this curt speech received from Lady Rose. The poor girl was not quite sure of her own disinterested judgment. For the world, she would not have said a word against Ruth, believing that word false; but she was conscious of such infinite relief when the news came to her of the engagement between Ruth Jessup and Storms, that the joy of it made her self-distrustful. How could she be glad that a creature so bright, so delicate, and thoroughly well-bred, should be mated with this keen, sinister man, whom no one loved, and who was held, she knew well, in little respect by his own cla.s.s? Was she willing to see this sacrifice, that her own jealous fears might be appeased, and did Walton Hurst suspect the feelings which were a wound to her own delicacy? Were his last brief words a reproach to her?
Tears of wounded pride, and bitter self-distrust, rose to her eyes, so thick and fast, that the lady almost fled from the room, that Hurst might not hear the sobs that she had no power to suppress.
CHAPTER LI.
THE G.o.dMOTHER"S MISTAKE.
Young Hurst was scarcely conscious that he was left alone. His feeble strength was taxed to the utmost. That one burst of indignant feeling had left his breath in thrall, and his limbs quivering. At length he became conscious that Lady Rose was gone, and starting up, with a sudden effort of strength, flung open the gla.s.s door, which led out upon a flower-terrace, and would have pa.s.sed through on his way to the cottage, for his brain was all on fire, but that Mrs. Mason stood there chatting to one of the under-gardeners, who was tr.i.m.m.i.n.g the rose-bushes, while he talked with her.
"Mercy on me!" cried the dame, breaking off her stream of gossip, with a cry of amazement, "if there isn"t the young master, looking like the beautiful tall ghost of his own dear self. Never mind cutting the flowers now. I"ll be back for them presently."
Young Hurst had forced his strength too far; a swift dizziness seized upon him, and, but for a garden-chair, that stood near, he must have fallen before the good housekeeper reached him. As it was, he half lay upon the iron seat, grasping it with his hands, or he would have entirely dropped to the ground.
"My master! My dear young master!" cried the good woman, half-lifting him to a sitting posture. "What could have tempted you out in this state? No wonder you were taken faint, and this the first time down-stairs. There, now, the fresh wind is doing you good. Dear me, it gives one a pleasure to see you smile again."
"The air is sweet, and you are very kind, Mason. I felt so strong a minute ago; but see where it has ended."
"Oh, that is nothing. The first step always counts for the most.
To-day across the terrace--to-morrow in the park!"
"Do you think so, Mason? Do you really think so?"
"Think so? Of course! Young people get up so quickly. If it were me now, or that old man at the garden cottage, there would be no telling."
"You have seen him, then? Is he better? Is he--"
"Seen him? Of course I have. It is a heavy walk, but Webb told me how eagerly you took to the strawberries; so I bade Ruthy save the ripest for you every morning; not that she needed telling, for she has picked every one of them, with her own fingers, and the flowers, too."
"Indeed!" murmured the young man, and he smiled as if the strawberries were melting in his mouth.
"Yes, indeed, this morning, when she got here with her little basket full, her fingers were red with them; for she came directly from the beds, that you might have them in their morning-dew, as if they would be the better for that, foolish child."
"Is she well? Is she looking well, Mason?"
"What, Ruthy? No; I can"t just say that. With so much sickness in the house, how should she? But a rose is a rose, whether it be white or red."
"Does she ever inquire about me, Mason? We used to be play-fellows, you know."
"Inquire? As if those great eyes of hers had done anything but ask questions; but then years divide people of her rank and yours.
Children who play together as equals are master and servant as they become men and women, and my G.o.ddaughter is not one to forget her place."
A faint smile quivered over Hurst"s lips.
"No, she is not one to forget her place," he murmured, tenderly. Then, remembering himself, he said, with an attempt at carelessness, "But is there not some foolish story afloat about young Storms? That might trouble her, I should think."
"Trouble her? Why, the child only laughs, as if it was the most maidenly thing on earth to be roaming about with the young man by moonlight and starlight, for that matter, and protesting to her best friends that there is nothing in it; that she has no thoughts of marrying him, and never leaves the cottage on any pretence after night-fall. Of course young women think such things no lies, and never expect to be believed; but Ruthy has been brought up better, and need not attempt to throw sand into her G.o.dmother"s eyes, whatever she does with the rest of the world."
"You speak as if you believed all this nonsense," said Hurst, with quick fire in his eyes.
"Believe it? Why, there isn"t a man on the estate who has not seen them, over and over again. Not that there is harm in it, because old Storms and Jessup have agreed upon it while they were children, and Ruth was ever obedient. Only I don"t like her way of denying what everybody knows, especially to me, who have been a mother to her. It isn"t just what I had a right to expect, now, is it, Master Walton?"
"I cannot tell; your statement seems so strange."
"Oh, it is only the old story. Girls never will tell the truth about such matters; besides, I do not wonder that my G.o.ddaughter is just a little shamefaced about her sweetheart. He isn"t one to boast of overmuch; though, they tell me, no needle was ever so sharp on money.
There he beats old Storms, out and out. Jessup has laid by a pretty penny for his child, to say nothing of what I may do. So Ruthy will not go away from home empty-handed, and one may be sure he knows it."
Walton Hurst broke into a light laugh, but he became serious at once, and, looking kindly on the genial old woman, said, "You always were good to her, G.o.d bless you!"
"Thank you, for saying so; but who could help it, the pretty little orphan? It was like taking a bird into one"s heart."
"It was, indeed," answered Hurst, thinking of himself, rather than the old woman.
"And then to think that she must fly off into another nest. Well, well, girls will be girls. Speaking of that, here comes my Lady Rose, looking more like a lily to my thinking, so I will go my way."
Mrs. Mason did go her way, leaving the young man for a while perfectly alone, for, though Lady Rose was hovering about her own pretty boudoir, she did not come fairly out of its shelter, waiting, in her maidenly reserve, for some sign that her presence out of doors would be welcome.