After an interval of silence so pa.s.sed there was a gentle tap at the bay window. Mr. Raby went and threw it open, and immediately a woman"s voice, full, clear, and ringing, sang outside:
"The first Noel the angels did say, Was to three poor shepherds, in fields as they lay, In fields where they were keeping their sheep, On a cold winter"s night that was so deep.
Chorus.--Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel."
The chorus also was sung outside.
During the chorus one of the doors opened, and Jael Dence came in by it; and the treble singer, who was the blacksmith"s sister, came in at the window, and so the two women met in the room, and sang the second verse in sweetest harmony. These two did not sing like invalids, as their more refined sisters too often do; from their broad chests, and healthy lungs, and n.o.ble throats, and above all, their musical hearts, they poured out the harmony so clear and full, that every gla.s.s in the room rang like a harp, and a bolt of ice seemed to shoot down Grace Carden"s backbone; and, in the chorus, gentle George"s ba.s.s was like a diapason.
"They looked up and saw a star That shone in the East beyond them far, And unto the earth it gave a great light, And so it continued both day and night.
Chorus--Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel."
As the Noel proceeded, some came in at the window, others at the doors, and the lower part of the room began to fill with singers and auditors.
The Noel ended: there was a silence, during which the organ was opened, the bellows blown, and a number of servants and others came into the room with little lighted tapers, and stood, in a long row, awaiting a signal from the Squire.
He took out his watch, and, finding it was close on twelve o"clock, directed the doors to be flung open, that he might hear the great clock in the hall strike the quarters.
There was a solemn hush of expectation, that made the sensitive heart of Grace Carden thrill with antic.i.p.ation.
The clock struck the first quarter--dead silence; the second--the third--dead silence.
But, at the fourth, and with the first stroke of midnight, out burst the full organ and fifty voices, with the "Gloria in excelsis Deo;" and, as that divine hymn surged on, the lighters ran along the walls and lighted the eighty candles, and, for the first time, the twelve waxen pillars, so that, as the hymn concluded, the room was in a blaze, and it was Christmas Day.
Instantly an enormous punch-bowl was brought to the host. He put his lips to it, and said, "Friends, neighbors, I wish you all a merry Christmas." Then there was a cheer that made the whole house echo; and, by this time, the tears were running down Grace Carden"s cheeks.
She turned aside, to hide her pious emotion, and found herself right opposite the picture, with this inscription, large and plain, in the blaze of light--
"GONE INTO TRADE"
If, in the middle of the pious harmony that had stirred her soul, some blaring trumpet had played a polka, in another key, it could hardly have jarred more upon her devotional frame, than did this earthly line, that glared out between two gigantic yule candles, just lighted in honor of Him, whose mother was in trade when he was born.
She turned from it with deep repugnance, and seated herself in silence at the table.
Very early in the supper she made an excuse, and retired to her room: and, as she went out, her last glance was at the mysterious picture.
She saw it again next morning at breakfast-time; but, it must be owned, with different eyes. It was no longer contrasted with a religious ceremony, and with the sentiments of grat.i.tude and humility proper to that great occasion, when we commemorate His birth, whose mother had gone into trade. The world, and society, whose child she was, seemed now to speak with authority from the canvas, and to warn her how vain and hopeless were certain regrets, which lay secretly, I might say clandestinely, at her heart.
She revered her G.o.dfather, and it was no small nor irrelevant discovery to find that he had actually turned a picture in disgrace to the wall, because its owner had descended to the level, or probably not quite to the level, of Henry Little.
Jael Dence came up from the farm on Christmas afternoon, and almost the first word Grace spoke was to ask her if she knew whose picture that was in the dining-room. This vague description was enough for Jael. She said she could not tell for certain, but she had once heard her father say it was the Squire"s own sister; but, when she had pressed him on the subject, the old man had rebuked her--told her not to meddle too much with other folks" business. "And, to be sure, Squire has his reasons, no doubt," said Jael, rather dryly.
"The reason that is written on the back?"
"Ay: and a very poor reason too, to my mind."
"You are not the best judge of that--excuse me for saying so. Oh dear, I wish I could see it."
"Don"t think of such a thing, miss. You can"t, however, for it"s padlocked down that way you could never loose it without being found out. No longer agone than last Yule-time "twas only turned, and not fastened. But they say in the kitchen, that one day last month Squire had them all up, and said the picture had been tampered with while he was at Hillsboro"; and he scolded, and had it strapped and padlocked down as "tis."
The reader can imagine the effect of these fresh revelations. And a lover was at hand, of good birth, good manners, and approved by her G.o.dfather. That lover saw her inclining toward him, and omitted nothing to compliment and please her. To be sure, that was no uphill work, for he loved her better than he had ever loved a woman in his life, which was a good deal to say, in his case.
They spent Christmas Day very happily together. Church in the morning; then luncheon; then thick boots, a warmer shawl, and a little walk all together; for Mr. Raby took a middle course; since no positive engagement existed, he would not allow his fair guest to go about with Mr. Coventry alone, and so he compromised, even in village eyes; but, on the other hand, by stopping now and then to give an order, or exchange a word, he gave Coventry many opportunities, and that gentleman availed himself of them with his usual tact.
In the evening they sat round the great fire, and Mr. Raby mulled and spiced red wine by a family receipt, in a large silver saucepan; and they sipped the hot and generous beverage, and told stories and legends, the custom of the house on Christmas night. Mr. Raby was an inexhaustible repertory of ghost-stories and popular legends. But I select one that was told by Mr. Coventry, and told with a certain easy grace that gave it no little interest.
MR. COVENTRY"S TALE.
"When I was quite a child, there was a very old woman living in our village, that used to frighten me with her goggle eyes, and muttering.
She pa.s.sed for a witch, I think; and when she died--I was eight years old then--old people put their heads together, and told strange stories about her early life. It seems that this Molly Slater was away in service at Bollington, a village half way between our place and Hillsborough, and her fellow-servants used to quiz her because she had no sweetheart. At last, she told them to wait till next Hilisboro" fair, and they should see. And just before the fair, she reminded them of their sneers, and said she would not come home without a sweetheart, though she took the Evil one himself. For all that, she did leave the fair alone. But, as she trudged home in the dark, a man overtook her, and made acquaintance with her. He was a pleasant fellow, and told her his name was William Easton. Of course she could not see his face very well, but he had a wonderfully sweet voice. After that night, he used to court her, and sing to her, but always in the dark. He never would face a candle, though he was challenged to more than once. One night there was a terrible noise heard--it is described as if a number of men were threshing out corn upon the roof--and Molly Slater was found wedged in between the bed and the wall, in a place where there was scarcely room to put your hand. Several strong men tried to extricate her by force; but both the bed and the woman"s body resisted so strangely that, at last, they thought it best to send for the parson. He was a great scholar, and himself under some suspicion of knowing more than it would be good for any less pious person to know. Well, the parson came, and took a candle that was burning, and held it to the place where poor Molly was imprisoned, and moaning; and they say he turned pale, and shivered, for all his learning. I forget what he said or did next; but by-and-by there was a colloquy in a whisper between him and some person unseen, and they say that this unseen whisper was very sweet, and something like the chords of a harp, only low and very articulate. The parson whispered, "G.o.d gives a sinner time." The sweet voice answered, "He can afford to; he is the stronger." Then the parson adjured the unseen one to wait a year and a day. But he refused, still in the gentlest voice. Then the parson said these words: "By all we love and fear, by all you fear and hate, I adjure you to loose her, or wait till next Christmas Eve."
"I suppose the Evil Spirit saw some trap in that proposal, for he is said to have laughed most musically. He answered, "By all I fear and hate, I"ll loose her never; but, but I"ll wait for her--till the candle"s burnt out;" and he chuckled most musically again.
""Then wait to all eternity," the parson roared; and blew the candle out directly, and held it, with his hands crossed over it."
Grace Carden"s eyes sparkled in the firelight. "Go on," she cried, excitedly.
"The girl was loosed easily enough after that; but she was found to be in a swoon; and not the least bruised, though ten villagers had been pulling at her one after another."
"And what became of her afterward?"
"She lived to be ninety-six, and died in my time. I think she had money left her. But she never married; and when she was old she wandered about the lanes, muttering, and frightening little boys, myself among the number. But now my little story follows another actor of the tale."
"Oh, I"m so glad it is not over."
"No. The parson took the candle away, and it was never seen again. But, somehow, it got wind that he had built it into the wall of the church; perhaps he didn"t say so, but was only understood to say so. However, people used to look round the church for the place. And now comes the most remarkable thing of all; three years ago the present rector repaired the floor of the chancel, intending to put down encaustic tiles. Much to his surprise, the workmen found plenty of old encaustic tiles; they had been interred as rubbish at some period, when antiquity and beauty were less respected than they are now, I suppose."
Mr. Raby broke in, "The Puritans. Barbarians! beasts! It was just like them. Well, sir--?"
"When the rector found that, he excavated more than was absolutely necessary for his purpose, and the deeper he went the more encaustic tiles. In one place they got down to the foundation, and they found an oak chest fast in the rock--a sort of channel had been cut in the rock for this chest, or rather box (for it was only about eighteen inches long), to lie in. The master mason was there luckily, and would not move it till the rector had seen it. He was sent for, but half the parish was there before him; and he tells me there were three theories firmly established and proved, before he could finish his breakfast and get to the spot. Theory of Wilder, the village grocer: "It is treasure hidden by them there sly old monks." Mr. Wilder is a miser, and is known to lay up money. He is, I believe, the only man left in the North Country who can show you a hundred spade guineas."
Mr. Raby replied, energetically, "I respect him. Wilder forever! What was the next theory?"
"The skeleton of a child. I forget who propounded this; but I believe it carried the majority. But the old s.e.xton gave it a blow. "Nay, nay,"
said he; "them"s the notions of strangers. I was born here, and my father afore me. It will be Molly Slater"s candle, and naught else."
Then poor Molly"s whole story came up again over the suspected box. But I am very tedious."
"Tedious! You are delightful, and thrilling, and pray go on. The rector had the box opened?"
"On the spot."
"Well!"
"The box went to pieces, in spite of all their care. But there was no doubt as to its contents."
Grace exclaimed, enthusiastically, "A candle. Oh, do say a candle!"