"I am afraid, in a good many things ? in general reading ? and in what are called accomplishments ?"
"You shall read as much as you please, by and by," said he, "provided you will let me read with you; and, as for the other want, Elfie, it is rather a source of gratification to me."
Elfie very naturally asked "Why?"
"Because, as soon as I have the power, I shall immediately const.i.tute myself your master in the arts of riding and drawing, and in any other art or acquisition you may take a fancy to, and give you lessons diligently."
"And will there be gratification in that?" said Fleda.
His answer was by a smile. But he somewhat mischievously asked her, "Will there not?" ? and Fleda was quiet.
CHAPTER XXIII.
"Friends, I sorrow not to leave ye; If this life an exile be, We who leave it do but journey Homeward to our family."
SPANISH BALLAD.
The first of April came.
Mr. Rossitur had made up his mind not to abide at Queechy, which only held him now by the frail thread of Hugh"s life.
Mr. Carleton knew this, and had even taken some steps towards securing for him a situation in the West Indies. But it was unknown to Fleda; she had not heard her uncle say anything on the subject since she came home; and though aware that their stay was a doubtful matter, she still thought it might be as well to have the garden in order. Philetus could not be trusted to do everything wisely of his own head, and even some delicate jobs of hand could not be safely left to his skill; if the garden was to make any head-way, Fleda"s head and hand must both be there, she knew. So, as the spring opened, she used to steal away from the house every morning for an hour or two, hardly letting her friends know what she was about, to make sure that peas, and potatoes, and radishes, and lettuce, were in the right places at the right times, and to see that the later and more delicate vegetables were preparing for. She took care to have this business well over before the time that Mr. Carleton ever arrived from the Pool.
One morning she was busy in dressing the strawberry beds, forking up the ground between the plants, and filling the vacancies that the severe winter or some irregularities of fall dressing had made. Mr. Skillcorn was rendering a somewhat inefficient help, or, perhaps, amusing himself with seeing how she worked. The little old silver-grey hood was bending down over the strawberries, and the fork was going at a very energetic rate.
"Philetus ?"
"Marm!"
"Will you bring me that bunch of strawberry plants that lies at the corner of the beds, in the walk? ? and my trowel?"
"I will!" said Mr. Skillcorn.
It was, another hand, however, that brought them and laid them beside her; but Fleda, very intent upon her work, and hidden under her close hood, did not find it out. She went on busily putting in the plants as she found room for them, and just conscious, as she thought, that Philetus was still standing at her side, she called upon him from time to time, or merely stretched out her hand, for a fresh plant as she had occasion for it.
"Philetus," she said at length, raising her voice a little that it might win to him round the edge of her hood, without turning her face ? "I wish you would get the ground ready for that other planting of potatoes ? you needn"t stay to help me any longer."
" "Tain"t me, I guess," said the voice of Philetus, on the other side of her.
Fleda looked in astonishment to make sure that it really was Mr. Skillcorn proceeding along the garden path in that quarter, and turning, jumped up and dropped her trowel and fork, to have her hands otherwise occupied. Mr. Skillcorn walked off leisurely towards the potato ground, singing to himself in a kind of consolatory aside ?
"I c.o.c.k"d up my beaver, and who but I!
The lace in my hat was so gallant and so gay, That I flourished like a king in his own countray."
"There is one of your countrymen that is an odd variety, certainly," said Mr. Carleton, looking after him with a very comic expression of eye.
"Is he not?" said Fleda. "And hardly a common one. There never was a line more mathematically straight than the course of Philetus"s ideas; they never diverge, I think, to the right hand or the left, a jot from his own self-interest."
"You will be an invaluable help to me, Elfie, if you can read my English friends as closely."
"I am afraid you will not let me come as close to them," said Fleda, laughing.
"Perhaps not. I shouldn"t like to pay too high a premium for the knowledge. How is Hugh, to-day?"
Fleda answered, with a quick change of look and voice, that he was much as usual.
"My mother has written me that she will be here by the "Europa," which is due to-morrow. I must set off for New York this afternoon; therefore I came so early to Queechy."
Fleda was instinctively pulling off her gardening gloves, as they walked towards the house.
"Aunt Miriam wants to see you, Mr. Carleton ? she begged I would ask you to come there some time ?"
"With great pleasure. Shall we go there now, Elfie?"
"I will be ready in five minutes."
Mrs. Rossitur was alone in the breakfast-room when they went in. Hugh, she reported, was asleep, and would be just ready to see Mr. Carleton by the time they got back. They stood a few minutes talking, and then Fleda went to get ready.
Both pair of eyes followed her as she left the room, and then met with perfect understanding.
"Will you give your child to me, Mrs. Rossitur?" said the gentleman.
"With all my heart!" exclaimed Mrs. Rossitur, bursting into tears ? "even if I were left alone entirely ?"
Her agitation was uncontrolled for a minute; and then she said, with feeling seemingly too strong to be kept in ?
"If I were only sure of meeting her in heaven, I could be content to be without her till then!"
"What is in the way, my dear Madam?" said Mr. Carleton, with a gentle sympathy that touched the very spring he meant it should. Mrs. Rossitur waited a minute, but it was only till tears would let her speak, and then said like a child ?
"Oh, it is all darkness!"
"Except this," said he, gently and clearly, "that Jesus Christ is a sun and a shield; and those that put themselves at His feet are safe from all fear, and they who go to Him for light shall complain of darkness no more."
"But I do not know how ?"
"Ask Him, and He will tell you."
"But I am unworthy even to look up towards Him," said Mrs.
Rossitur, struggling, it seemed, between doubts and wishes.
"He knows that, and yet He has bid you come to Him. He knows that; and, knowing it, He has taken your responsibility, and paid your debt, and offers you now a clean discharge, if you will take it at His hand; and for the other part of this unworthiness, that blood cannot do away, blood has brought the remedy ?
Shall we, who are evil, give good things to our children; and shall not our Father, which is in heaven, give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"