Blanche, on the contrary, after recovering from the illness which followed immediately on her arrival in S----, had continued in excellent health; and was growing daily more matured and womanly both as to mental development and personal bearing.
The mill improvements went on all summer, exciting no little interest in our town, and occasioning no small amount of talk and speculation.
It was some time in the fall of that year, that I was permitted to hear this brief conversation between a couple of townsmen. Mr. A----had made some query as to the source of all the money expended on the new mill of Squire Floyd, which was now standing forth, under roof, in most imposing proportions, compared with the old works. Mr. B----shrugged his shoulders, and replied,
"Floyd and the Judge are joint executors of old Allen"s estate, you know."
"What does that signify?" inquired Mr. A----.
"It may signify a great deal. They have trust funds in their possession to a large amount, I am told."
"They are both honorable men, and would not violate their trust," said A----.
"I will not gainsay that," answered Mr. B----. "Still, they may use these funds temporarily, and wrong no one."
Nothing more was said in my presence, but I turned their remarks over and over again, feeling less satisfied the more I pondered them. A day or two afterwards I met Mr. Wallingford, and said to him,
"How comes on the search for the heirs of the Allen estate?"
The question caused him to look grave.
"No progress has been made, so far as I can learn," he answered.
"Isn"t this indifference on the part of the executors a little extraordinary?" I remarked.
"I must confess that I do not understand it," said the young lawyer.
"There is personal, as well as real estate?"
"Yes. Stocks worth twenty thousand dollars."
"I have heard it suggested, that trust funds in the case are going into Squire Floyd"s mill."
Wallingford started at the suggestion, and looked for some moments intently in my face; then dropped his eyes, and stood lost in thought a good while.
"Where did you hear the suggestion?" he at length inquired.
I repeated the conversation just mentioned, and named the individuals with whom it had occurred.
"And now, Henry," said I, "put this hint, and the singular neglect of the executors to search for the heirs to the Allen property, together, and tell me how the matter shapes itself in your mind. We speak confidentially with each other, of course."
"I don"t just like the appearance of it, that is all I can say, Doctor,"
he replied in a half absent manner.
"As you represent the interests of Mrs. Montgomery," said I, "is it not your duty to look a little closer into this matter?"
"It is; and I shall give it immediate attention."
He did so, and to his surprise, found that all the bank stock had been sold, and transferred. It was now plain to him where at least a part of the funds being so liberally expended on the mill property of Squire Floyd came from. On venturing to make some inquiries of Judge Bigelow bearing on the subject, that individual showed an unusual degree of irritation, and intimated, in terms not to be misunderstood, that he thought himself competent to manage any business he might undertake, and did not feel disposed to tolerate any intermeddling.
From that time, Wallingford saw that a separation from his old preceptor was inevitable; and he so shaped events, that in less than three months he made the separation easy and natural, and took an office to himself alone.
Still there was no movement on the part of the executors in regard to the valuable estate in their hands. Summer and fall pa.s.sed, and Christmas saw the splendid improvements of Squire Floyd completed, and the new mill in operation, under the vigorous power of steam. The product thus secured was almost fabulous in the eyes of the half asleep and awake people of S----, many of whom could hardly imagine people enough in the country to consume the miles of cloth that came streaming out from the rattling looms. And yet, we were informed, that more than quadruple this product could be sold by the extensive house of Floyd, Lawson, Lee, & Co.; and that all that stood in the way of creating a magnificent fortune out of cotton bales, was the lack of productive facilities.
During this winter I saw more than usual of Mrs. Dewey. She came up from New York with her nurse and child, a babe not quite a year old, and spent over six weeks with her parents. She had lost, in the two years which had pa.s.sed since her marriage, nearly all those beautiful traits of character which made her once so charming. Fashionable city life seemed to have spoiled her altogether. Her mind had not grown in the right direction. She had wholly abandoned that tasteful reading through which intellectual refinement comes; and to all appearance, no longer cared for anything beyond the mere sensuous. Nothing in S----had any interest for her; and she scarcely took the pains to conceal her contempt for certain sincere and worthy people, who felt called upon, for the sake of her parents, to show her some attention. She was not happy, of course. When in repose; I noticed a discontented look on her face. Her eyes had lost that clear, innocent, almost child-like beauty of expression, that once made you gaze into them; and now had a cold, absent, or eagerly longing expression, as if her thought were straining itself forward towards some coveted good.
Her conversation was almost always within the range of New York fashionable themes; and barren of any food upon which the mind could grow. There was not even the pretence of affection between her and her husband. The fairest specimen of well bred indifference I had yet seen was exhibited in their conduct to each other. Their babe did not seem to be a matter of much account either. Delia took no personal care of it whatever--leaving all this to the nurse.
It happened one day that I was called in to see the child. I found it suffering from some of the ill effects of difficult dent.i.tion, and did what the case required. There was an old friend of Delia"s at the house--a young lady who had been much attached to her, and who still retained a degree of her old friendship. They were talking together in a pleasant, familiar way, when I came down stairs from my visit to the sick child--the mother had not shown sufficient interest in the little sufferer to attend me to the nurse"s room. A word or two of almost careless inquiry was made;--I had scarcely answered the mother"s queries, when her friend said, in a laughing way, looking from the window at the same time,
"There, Delia! see what you escaped."
I turned my eyes in the same direction, and saw Mr. Wallingford walking past, on the opposite side of the street, with his head bent down. His step was slow, but firm, and his air and carriage manly.
Delia shrugged her shoulders, and drew up the corners of her lips. There was an expression very much like contempt on her face.--But she did not make any reply. I saw this expression gradually fade away, and her countenance grow sober. Her friend did not pursue the banter, and the subject dropped.
What she had escaped! It was a dark day in the calendar of her life, when she made that escape; and I think there must have been times when a consciousness of this fact pressed upon her soul like a suffocating nightmare.
CHAPTER XVI.
Spring opened again, and the days glided swiftly on towards summer; and yet, so far as the movements of the executors could be traced, nothing had been done in the work of searching for the heirs. One day, early in June, Mrs. Montgomery sent for Mr. Wallingford. On attending her, she placed in his hands a communication which she had just received. It was from the executors, giving notice in a kind and respectful way, that, for the interest of the legal heirs, and their own security, it would be necessary for them to a.s.sume full possession of the mansion and grounds, unless she felt willing to pay a rental that was equivalent to the interest on their value.
"I have expected this," said the lady; "and, so far from considering myself aggrieved, feel grateful that a quiet residence here has been so long accorded me."
"You will remove?"
"There is no other course left. My income will not justify a rent of some three thousand dollars."
"As the property is unproductive, no such rent as that will be required."
"The letter says, "a rental equivalent to the interest on their value.""
"I will see Judge Bigelow this morning, and ascertain precisely what views are held in regard to this matter."
They were sitting near one of the parlor windows that looked out upon the portion of the grounds that sloped away towards the stream, that threw its white folds of water from one rocky ledge to another in graceful undulations. As Mr. Wallingford ceased speaking, Mrs.
Montgomery turned her head quickly and looked out. The sound of voices had reached her ears. Three men had entered the grounds, and were pa.s.sing the window at a short distance.
"Who are they?" asked Mr. Wallingford. Then, answering his own question, he said, "Oh, I see; Judge Bigelow, Squire Floyd, and Ralph Dewey, his son-in-law."
The three men, after going a few hundred rods in the direction of the stream, turned and stood for some minutes looking at the house, and talking earnestly. Dewey appeared to have the most to say, and gesticulated quite freely. Then they moved on to that portion of the stream where the water went gliding down the mimic rapids, and remained there for a considerable time. It was plain that some scheme was in their heads, for they took measurement by pacing off the grounds in various directions; drew together in close conference at times; then separated, each making some examination for himself; and again stood in close deliberation. At last, as if satisfied with their investigations, they returned by way of the mansion, and pa.s.sed out without calling.
"Put that and that together, and there is a meaning in this procedure beyond the simple rental of the place," said Wallingford.
"What is your inference?" asked Mrs. Montgomery.
"I have made none as yet," he replied. "But I will see Judge Bigelow, and have some talk with him. Of course, I can have nothing to say, adverse to a requirement of rent. Executors are responsible for the right use of property in their hands, and must see that it produces an interest, if in a position to pay anything. You do not, of course, wish to occupy the whole of these grounds. It may be, that the use of the house, garden, lawn, and appurtenances, may be secured at a moderate rent. If so, do you wish to remain?"