"Dear child," sighed Tessa, with her five and twenty years tugging at her heart.
She longed for a sight of Miss Jewett"s untroubled face to-night; if she might only tell her about the right thing that she had tried to do and how the power to do it had been taken from her!
But no one could comfort her concerning it; not her father, not Miss Jewett, not Ralph Towne, not Gus Hammerton, not Felix!
One glance up into the sky over the trees in the Park helped her more than any human comforting. It was a new experience to have outgrown human comforting; she thought that she had outgrown it that day-the last day of the year; still she must see Miss Jewett; it would be a rest to hear some one talk who did not know about Felix or that other time that the sunshiny eyes had brought to life again. Would they meet as heretofore? Must they meet socially upon the street or at church?
If it might have been that he might remain away for years and years-until she had wholly forgotten or did not care!
Miss Jewett was almost alone; there was no one with her but Sue Greyson tossing over neckties to find a white one with fringe.
Through the silks there shone on the first finger of Sue"s left hand the sparkle of a diamond; she colored and smiled, then laughed and held her finger up for Tessa"s inspection.
"Guess who gave it to me," she said defiantly.
It could not be Dr. Lake-Tessa would not speak his name; it must be her father-but no, Sue would not blush as she was blushing now; it could not be Mr. Gesner! Tessa"s heart quickened, she was angry with herself for thinking of Mr. Gesner. Mr. Towne! But that was not possible.
"Can"t you guess?" Sue was enjoying her confusion.
"No. I can"t guess."
"Say the Man in the Moon. I as much expected it. It"s from Stacey! I knew you would be confounded. Wasn"t I sly about it? We are to be married the first day of October. We settled on that because it is Stacey"s birthday! It is Dr. Lake"s too. Isn"t it comical. Stacey is twenty-three and the doctor is twenty-nine! Stacey is a year younger than I. I wish that he wasn"t. I think that I shall change my age in the Bible. When I told Dr. Lake, he said that I seemed inclined to change some other things in the Bible. Don"t you tell, either of you. It"s a profound secret. Wasn"t father hopping, though? But I told him that I would elope if he didn"t consent like a good papa; and now since Stacey"s salary is raised he hasn"t a bit of an excuse for being ugly about it. I am going to have all the new furniture, too; I bargained for that. Won"t it be queer for me to live so far away? Stacey is in a lace house in Philadelphia, don"t you remember? You ought to see the white lace sacque that he brought me for an engagement present; it"s too lovely for any thing. Why, Tessa, you look stunned, are you speechless?
Don"t you relish the idea of my being married before you? You ought to have seen Dr. Lake when I showed my ring to him! He turned as white as a sheet and trembled so that he had to sit down; all he said was, "May G.o.d forgive you." Don"t you think that it was wicked in him to say that? I told him that it sounded like swearing. Yes, I"ll take this one, please.
And, oh, Tessa, I want you to help me to buy things. I am to have a dozen of every thing. I shall be married in white silk; I told father that he would never have another daughter married so that he might as well open his long purse. We shall go to the White Mountains on our wedding tour. It"s late in the season, of course, but I always wanted to go to the White Mountains and I will if we are both frozen to death. I know that you are angry with me, but I can"t help it. You are just the one to believe in love. I have always liked Stacey; he has just beautiful hands, and his manners are really touching. You ought to see him lift his hat; Mr. Towne is nowhere."
"What will your father do?" asked Miss Jewett.
"Oh, Aunt Jane must come back, she hasn"t captivated the widower yet; or he might get married himself. I think that I"ll suggest it. _Wouldn"t_ it be fun to have a double wedding? I"ll let father be married first; Stacey and I will stand up with them."
Sue went off into a long, loud peal of laughter; Miss Jewett smiled; Tessa spoke gravely: "Sue, your mother would not like to hear that."
"Oh, bother! She doesn"t think of me. I want some silks, too, please. I shall have to make Stacey a pair of slippers and a lot of other pretty things. And oh, Tessa, I haven"t told you the news! The queerest thing!
Dr. Towne-we must call him that now-has bought that handsome brick house opposite the Park and is going into practice. Dr. Lake says that of course people will run after _him_ while they would let him starve!"
"Then he"ll smell of medicine, too," Tessa could not forbear suggesting.
"Yes, and have bottles in all his pockets. I"m going to see your mother; she cares more about dress than you and Dine put together. If your father should die, she would be married before either of you. I won"t come if you look so cross at me."
At that moment Mr. Hammerton pushed open the door; he had come for gloves and handkerchiefs. Tessa selected them for him and would then have waited for her word with Miss Jewett, had not one of the clerks returned from supper.
"Come, Lady Blue, I am going your way."
"Father is not well to-night; he will not play chess."
"I am going all the same, however; you shall play with me, and Dine shall read the "Nut Brown Maid.""
As they were crossing the Park, they met Dr. Lake; he was walking hurriedly; she could not see his face.
"What do you think Lake said to me last night? We were talking-rather, he was-about trouble. He has seen a good deal of it one time and another I imagine; his nerves are so raw that every thing hurts. For want of something to suit him in my own experience, I quoted a thought of Charles Kingsley"s. He turned upon me as if I had struck him-"A man in a book said that." A man in a book _did_ say it, so I had nothing to say.
Something is troubling you, what is it?"
"More than one something is troubling me. I just heard a bit of news."
"Not good news?"
"I can not see any good."
He repeated in a hurried tone:
""Good tidings every day; G.o.d"s messengers ride fast.
We do not hear one half they say, There is such noise on the highway Where we must wait while they ride past.""
"Perhaps I do not hear one half they say this time; the half I do hear is troublesome enough. Some day, when I may begin "five and fifty years ago," I will tell you a story."
"Will it take so long for me to become worthy to hear it?"
"I wish I _might_ tell you; you always help me," she said impulsively.
"Is there a hindrance?"
"It is too near to be spoken of."
She was not in the mood for chess, but her father brightened at Mr.
Hammerton"s entrance, arose, threw off the shawl, and came to the table, saying that he would watch her moves. He seated himself close to her, with an arm across the back of her chair, once or twice bringing his head down to the chestnut braids.
"How alike you are!" exclaimed Mr. Hammerton.
"Yes, I am very pretty," replied Mr. Wadsworth, seriously.
Mrs. Wadsworth had taken her work over to Mrs. Bird for a consultation thereupon; Dine fell asleep, resting her curly head on the book that Mr.
Hammerton had brought her.
When Mr. Hammerton arose, Mr. Wadsworth went to the door with him to look out into the night; Tessa said good night and went up-stairs; the sleepy head upon the book did not stir.
"I never can find a constellation," remarked Mr. Wadsworth. "Tessa is always laughing at me."
"Step out and see if I can help you."
They moved to the end of the piazza leaving the door wide open; the sleepy brown eyes opened with a start-was she listening to words that she should not hear?
Mr. Hammerton had surely said "Dinah." And now her father was saying-was she dreaming still?-"Take her, and G.o.d bless you both. I have nothing better to hope for my darling. She will make you a good wife."
"Let it remain a secret I want her to love me without any urging. She must love me because I am necessary to her and not merely because I love her."
Could Tessa have heard his voice, she would never again have accused him of coldness.
"I shall have to wait-I expect an increase of salary. I am not sure that she thinks of me otherwise than as a grown-up brother-but I will bide my time. I know this-at least I think I do-that she does not care for any one else."
"I am sure of that," said her father"s voice. "You do not know how you have taken a burden from me, my son! I have _hoped_ for this." Startled little Dinah arose and fled.