"And Brutus did it? I knew he would!" cried Rose, dropping her work to wring her hands, as if she guessed the ending of the story now.
"Yes, and if he wasn"t shot already I"d do it myself with pleasure; for he"s done his best to kill Charlie," muttered Charlie"s mate with a grim look; then gave a great sigh, and added with averted face,--
"I shouldn"t blame the brute; it wasn"t his fault: he needed a firm hand, and--" he stopped there, but Rose said quickly,--"Go on. I _must_ know."
"Charlie met some of his old cronies, quite by accident; there was a dinner-party, and they made him go, just for a good-by they said. He couldn"t refuse, and it was too much for him. He would come home alone in the storm, though they tried to keep him as he wasn"t fit. Down by the new bridge,--that high embankment you know,--the wind had put the lantern out--he forgot--or something scared Brutus, and all went down together."
Archie had spoken fast and brokenly; but Rose understood, and at the last word hid her face with a little moan, as if she saw it all.
"Drink this and never mind the rest," he said, dashing into the next room and coming back with a gla.s.s of water, longing to be done and away; for this sort of pain seemed almost as bad as that he had left.
Rose drank, but held his arm tightly as he would have turned away, saying in a tone of command he could not disobey,--
"Don"t keep any thing back: tell me the worst at once."
"We knew nothing of it," he went on obediently. "Aunt Clara thought he was with me, and no one found him till early this morning. A workman recognized him; and he was brought home, dead they thought. I came for uncle an hour ago. Charlie is conscious now, but awfully hurt; and I"m afraid from the way Mac and uncle look at one another that--Oh! Oh!
think of it, Rose! crushed and helpless, alone in the rain all night, and I never knew, I never knew!"
With that poor Archie broke down entirely; and, flinging himself into a chair, laid his face on the table, sobbing like a girl. Rose had never seen a man cry before, and it was so unlike a woman"s gentler grief that it moved her very much. Putting by her own anguish, she tried to comfort his, and going to him lifted up his head and made him lean on her; for in such hours as this women are the stronger. It was a very little to do, but it did comfort Archie; for the poor fellow felt as if fate was very hard upon him just then, and into this faithful bosom he could pour his brief but pathetic plaint.
"Phebe"s gone, and now if Charlie"s taken I don"t see how I _can_ bear it!"
"Phebe will come back, dear, and let us hope poor Charlie isn"t going to be taken yet. Such things always seem worse at first, I"ve heard people say; so cheer up and hope for the best," answered Rose, seeking for some comfortable words to say, and finding very few.
They took effect, however; for Archie did cheer up like a man. Wiping away the tears which he so seldom shed that they did not know where to go, he got up, gave himself a little shake, and said with a long breath, as if he had been under water,--
"Now I"m all right, thank you. I couldn"t help it: the shock of being waked suddenly to find the dear old fellow in such a pitiful state upset me. I ought to go: are these ready?"
"In a minute. Tell uncle to send for me if I can be of any use. Oh, poor Aunt Clara! how does she bear it?"
"Almost distracted. I took mother to her, and she will do all that anybody can. Heaven only knows what aunt will do if--"
"And Heaven only can help her," added Rose, as Archie stopped at the words he could not utter. "Now take them, and let me know often."
"You brave little soul, I will," and Archie went away through the rain with his sad burden, wondering how Rose could be so calm, when the beloved Prince might be dying.
A long dark day followed, with nothing to break its melancholy monotony except the bulletins that came from hour to hour, reporting little change either for better or for worse. Rose broke the news gently to Aunt Plenty, and set herself to the task of keeping up the old lady"s spirits; for, being helpless, the good soul felt as if every thing would go wrong without her. At dusk she fell asleep, and Rose went down to order lights and fire in the parlor, with tea ready to serve at any moment; for she felt sure some of the men would come, and that a cheerful greeting and creature comforts would suit them better than tears, darkness, and desolation.
Presently Mac arrived, saying the instant he entered the room,--
"More comfortable, cousin."
"Thank Heaven!" cried Rose, unclasping her hands. Then seeing how worn out, wet, and weary Mac looked as he came into the light, she added in a tone that was a cordial in itself, "Poor boy, how tired you are!
Come here, and let me make you comfortable."
"I was going home to freshen up a bit; for I must be back in an hour.
Mother took my place so I could be spared, and came off, as uncle refused to stir."
"Don"t go home; for if aunty isn"t there it will be very dismal. Step into uncle"s room and refresh, then come back and I"ll give you your tea. Let me, let me! I can"t help in any other way; and I _must_ do something, this waiting is so dreadful."
Her last words betrayed how much suspense was trying her; and Mac yielded at once, glad to comfort and be comforted. When he came back, looking much revived, a tempting little tea-table stood before the fire; and Rose went to meet him, saying with a faint smile, as she liberally bedewed him with the contents of a cologne flask,--
"I can"t bear the smell of ether: it suggests such dreadful things."
"What curious creatures women are! Archie told us you bore the news like a hero, and now you turn pale at a whiff of bad air. I can"t explain it," mused Mac, as he meekly endured the fragrant shower-bath.
"Neither can I; but I"ve been imagining horrors all day, and made myself nervous. Don"t let us talk about it; but come and have some tea."
"That"s another queer thing. Tea is your panacea for all human ills; yet there isn"t any nourishment in it. I"d rather have a gla.s.s of milk, thank you," said Mac, taking an easy-chair and stretching his feet to the fire.
She brought it to him and made him eat something; then, as he shut his eyes wearily, she went away to the piano, and having no heart to sing, played softly till he seemed asleep. But, at the stroke of six, he was up and ready to be off again.
"He gave me that: take it with you and put some on his hair; he likes it, and I do so want to help a little," she said, slipping the pretty flagon into his pocket, with such a wistful look, Mac never thought of smiling at this very feminine request.
"I"ll tell him. Is there any thing else I can do for you, cousin?" he asked, holding the cold hand that had been serving him so helpfully.
"Only this: if there is any sudden change, promise to send for me, no matter at what hour it is: I _must_ say "Good-by.""
"I will come for you. But, Rose, I am sure you may sleep in peace to-night; and I hope to have good news for you in the morning."
"Bless you for that! Come early, and let me see him soon. I will be very good, and I know it will not do him any harm."
"No fear of that: the first thing he said when he could speak was, "Tell Rose carefully;" and, as I came away, he guessed where I was going, and tried to kiss his hand in the old way, you know."
Mac thought it would cheer her to hear that Charlie remembered her; but the sudden thought that she might never see that familiar little gesture any more was the last drop that made her full heart overflow, and Mac saw the "hero" of the morning sink down at his feet in a pa.s.sion of tears that frightened him. He took her to the sofa, and tried to comfort her; but, as soon as the bitter sobbing quieted, she looked up and said quite steadily, great drops rolling down her cheeks the while,--
"Let me cry: it is what I need, and I shall be all the better for it by and by. Go to Charlie now, and tell him I said with all my heart, "Good-night!""
"I will!" and Mac trudged away, marvelling in his turn at the curiously blended strength and weakness of womankind.
That was the longest night Rose ever spent; but joy came in the morning with the early message, "He is better. You are to come by and by." Then Aunt Plenty forgot her lumbago and arose; Aunt Myra, who had come to have a social croak, took off her black bonnet as if it would not be needed at present, and the girl made ready to go and say "Welcome back," not the hard "Good-by."
It seemed very long to wait; for no summons came till afternoon, then her uncle arrived, and at the first sight of his face Rose began to tremble.
"I came for my little girl myself, because we must go back at once,"
he said, as she hurried toward him hat in hand.
"I"m ready, sir;" but her hands shook as she tried to tie the ribbons, and her eyes never left the face that was so full of tender pity for her.
He took her quickly into the carriage, and, as they rolled away, said with the quiet directness which soothes such agitation better than any sympathetic demonstration,--
"Charlie is worse. I feared it when the pain went so suddenly this morning; but the chief injuries are internal, and one can never tell what the chances are. He insists that he is better, but will soon begin to fail, I fear; become unconscious, and slip away without more suffering. This is the time for you to see him; for he has set his heart on it, and nothing can hurt him now. My child, it is very hard; but we must help each other bear it."
Rose tried to say, "Yes, uncle," bravely; but the words would not come; and she could only slip her hand into his with a look of mute submission. He laid her head on his shoulder, and went on talking so quietly that any one who did not see how worn and haggard his face had grown with two days and a night of sharp anxiety might have thought him cold.
"Jessie has gone home to rest, and Jane is with poor Clara, who has dropped asleep at last. I"ve sent for Steve and the other boys. There will be time for them later; but he so begged to see you now, I thought it best to come while this temporary strength keeps him up. I have told him how it is, but he will not believe me. If he asks you, answer honestly; and try to fit him a little for this sudden ending of so many hopes."
"How soon, uncle?"