"But must I do nothing?" said Mrs. Rossitur, when she had remained quiet, with her face in her hands, for a minute or two after he had done speaking.
"Nothing but be willing ? be willing to have Christ in all His offices, as your Teacher, your King, and your Redeemer; give yourself to Him, dear Mrs. Rossitur, and He will take care of the rest."
"I am willing!" she exclaimed. Fresh tears came, and came freely. Mr. Carleton said no more, till; hearing some noise of opening and shutting doors above stairs, Mrs. Rossitur hurriedly left the room, and Fleda came in by the other entrance.
"May I take you a little out of the way, Mr. Carleton?" she said, when they had pa.s.sed through the Deepwater settlement.
"I have a message to carry to Mrs. Elster ? a poor woman out here beyond the Lake. It is not a disagreeable place."
"And what if it were?"
"I should not, perhaps, have asked you to go with me," said Fleda, a little doubtfully.
"You may take me where you will, Elfie," he said, gently. "I hope to do as much by you some day."
Fleda looked up at the piece of elegance beside her, and thought what a change must have come over him if _he_ would visit poor places. He was silent and grave, however, and so was she, till they arrived at the house they were going to.
Certainly it was not a disagreeable place. Barb"s much less strong-minded sister had at least a good share of her practical nicety. The little board path to the door was clean and white still, with possibly a trifle less brilliant effect.
The room and its old inhabitants were very comfortable and tidy ? the patchwork counterpane as gay as ever. Mrs. Elster was alone, keeping company with a snug little wood fire, which was near as much needed in that early spring weather as it had been during the winter.
Mr. Carleton had come back from his abstraction, and stood, taking half unconscious note of these things, while Fleda was delivering her message to the old woman. Mrs. Elster listened to her implicitly, with, every now and then, an acquiescing nod or e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n; but so soon as Fleda had said her say, she burst out, with a voice that had never known the m.u.f.flings of delicacy, and was now pitched entirely beyond its owner"s ken.
Looking hard at Mr. Carleton ?
"Fleda! Is _this_ the gentleman that"s to be your ? _husband?_"
The last word elevated and brought out with emphatic distinctness of utterance.
If the demand had been, whether the gentleman in question was a follower of Mohammed, it would hardly have been more impossible for Fleda to give an affirmative answer; but Mr.
Carleton laughed, and, bringing his face a little nearer the old crone, answered ?
"So she has promised, Ma"am ."
It was curious to see the lines of the old woman"s face relax as she looked at him.
"He"s worthy of you, as far as looks goes," she said, in the same key as before, apostrophising Fleda, who had drawn back, but not stirring her eyes from Mr. Carleton all the time. And then she added to him, with a little, satisfied nod, and in a very decided tone of information ?
"She will make you a good wife."
"Because she has made a good friend?" said Mr. Carleton, quietly. "Will you let me be a friend, too?"
He had turned the old lady"s thoughts into a golden channel, whence, as she was an American, they had no immediate issue in words; and Fleda and Mr. Carleton left the house without anything more.
Fleda felt nervous. But Mr. Carleton"s first words were as coolly and as gravely spoken as if they had just come out from a philosophical lecture; and with an immediate spring of relief, she enjoyed every step of the way, and every word of the conversation, which was kept up with great life till they reached Mrs. Plumfield"s door.
No one was in the sitting-room. Fleda left Mr. Carleton there, and pa.s.sed gently into the inner apartment, the door of which was standing ajar.
But her heart absolutely leaped into her mouth, for Dr.
Quackenboss and Mr. Olmney were there on either side of her aunt"s bed. Fleda came forward and shook hands.
"This is quite a meeting of friends," said the doctor, blandly, yet with a perceptible shading of the whilome broad sunshine of his face. "Your ? a ? aunt, my dear Miss Ringgan, is in a most extraordinary state of mind!"
Fleda was glad to hide her face against her aunt"s, and asked her how she did.
"Dr. Quackenboss thinks it extraordinary, Fleda," said the old lady, with her usual cheerful sedateness, "that one who has trusted G.o.d, and had constant experience of His goodness and faithfulness for forty years, should not doubt Him at the end of it."
"You have no doubt ? of any kind, Mrs. Plumfield?" said the clergyman.
"Not the shadow of a doubt!" was the hearty, steady reply.
"You mistake, my dear Madam," said Dr. Quackenboss, "pardon me ? it is not that: I would be understood to say, merely, that I do not comprehend how such ? a ? such security ? can be attained respecting what seems so ? a ? elevated ? and difficult to know."
"Only by believing," said Mrs. Plumfield, with a very calm smile. " "He that believeth on Him shall not be ashamed;" ?
"shall _not _ be ashamed!" " she repeated, slowly.
Dr. Quackenboss looked at Fleda, who kept her eyes fixed upon her aunt.
"But it seems to me ? I beg pardon; perhaps I am arrogant" ?
he said, with a little bow; "but it appears to me almost ? in a manner ? almost presumptuous, not to be a little doubtful in such a matter until the time comes. Am I ? do you disapprove of me, Mr. Olmney?"
Mr. Olmney silently referred him for his answer to the person he had first addressed, who had closed her eyes while he was speaking.
"Sir," she said, opening them, "it can"t be presumption to obey G.o.d, and He tells me to rejoice. And I do ? I do! ? "Let all those that love thee rejoice in thee, and be glad in thee!" But mind!" she added, energetically, fixing her strong grey eve upon him, "He does not tell you to rejoice ? do not think it ? not while you stand aloof from His terms of peace.
Take G.o.d at His word, and be happy; but if not, you have nothing to do with the song that I sing!"
The doctor stared at her till she had done speaking, and then slunk out of her range of vision behind the curtains of the bed-post. Not silenced, however.
"But ? a ? Mr. Olmney," said he, hesitating, "don"t you think that there is in general ? a ? a becoming modesty, in ? a ? in people that have done wrong, as we all have ? putting off being sure until they are so? It seems so to me!"
"Come here, Dr. Quackenboss," said aunt Miriam.
She waited till he came to her side, and then taking his hand, and looking at him very kindly, she said ?
"Sir, forty years ago I found in the Bible, as you say, that I was a sinner, and that drove me to look for something else. I found then G.o.d"s promise, that if I would give my dependence entirely to the Subst.i.tute he had provided for me, and yield my heart to his service, he would, for Christ"s sake, hold me quit of all my debts, and be my father, and make me his child.
And, Sir, I did it. I abhor every other dependence ? the things you count good in me I reckon but filthy rags. At the same time, I know that ever since that day, forty years ago, I have lived in his service, and tried to live to his glory. And now, Sir, shall I disbelieve his promise? do you think he would be pleased if I did?"
The doctor"s mouth was stopped, for once, He drew back as soon as he could, and said not another word.
Before anybody had broken the silence, Seth came in; and after shaking hands with Fleda, startled her by asking, whether that was not Mr. Carleton in the other room.
"Yes," Fleda said ? "he came to see aunt Miriam."
"Aint you well enough to see him, mother?"
"Quite ? and very happy," she said.
Seth immediately went back and invited him in. Fleda dared not look up while the introductions were pa.s.sing ? of "the Rev.
Mr. Olmney," and of "Dr. Quackenboss," the former of whom Mr.
Carleton took cordially by the hand, while Dr. Quackenboss, conceiving that his hand must be as acceptable, made his salutations with an indescribable air, at once of attempted gracefulness and ingratiation. Fleda saw the whole in the advancing line of the doctor"s person, a vision of which crossed her downcast eye. She drew back then, for Mr. Carleton came where she was standing, to take her aunt"s hand; Seth had absolutely stayed his way before to make the said introductions.
Mrs. Plumfield was little changed by years or disease since he had seen her. There was somewhat more of a look of bodily weakness than there used to be; but the dignified, strong- minded expression of the face was even heightened; eye and brow were more pure and unclouded in their steadfastness. She looked very earnestly at her visitor, and then with evident pleasure from the manner of his look and greeting. Fleda watched her eye softening with a gratified expression, and fixed upon him, as he was gently talking to her.