Conspicuous in the happy chattering company, Lysbet Van Heemskirk bustled about, in the very whitest and stiffest of lace caps; making a suggestion, giving an opinion, scolding a careless servant, putting out upon the sideboard Hollands, Geneva, and other strong waters, and ordering in from the kitchen hot chocolate and cakes of all kinds for the women of the company. Very soon after sundown, Elder Semple and madam his wife arrived; and the elder, as usual, made a decided stir among the group which he joined.
"No, no, Councillor," he said, in answer to the invitation of Joris to come outside. "No, no, I"ll not risk my health, maybe my vera life, oot on the stoop after sunset. "Warm," do you say? Vera warm, and all the waur for being warm. My medical man thinks I hae a tendency to fever, and there"s four-fourths o" fever in every inch o" river mist that a man breathes these warm nights."
"Well, then, neighbours, we"ll go inside," said Joris. "Clean pipes, and a s...o...b..ll, or a gla.s.s of Holland, will not, I think, be amiss."
The movement was made among some jokes and laughter; and they gathered near the hearthstone, where, in front of the unlit hickory logs, stood a tall blue jar filled with feathery branches of fennel and asparagus.
But, as the jar of Virginia was pa.s.sed round, Lysbet looked at Dinorah, and Dinorah went to the door and called, "Baltus;" and in a minute or two a little black boy entered with some hot coals on a bra.s.s chafing-dish, and the fire was as solemnly and silently pa.s.sed round as if it were some occult religious ceremony.
The conversation interrupted by Semples entrance was not resumed.
[Ill.u.s.tration: A little black boy entered]
It had been one dealing out unsparing and scornful disapproval of Governor Clinton"s financial methods, and Clinton was known to be a personal friend of Semple"s. But the elder would perhaps hardly have appreciated the consideration, if he had divined it; for he dearly loved an argument, and had no objections to fight for his own side single-handed. In fact, it was so natural for him to be "in opposition,"
that he could not bear to join the general congratulation to De Vries on his fortunate voyage.
"You were lang awa", Captain," was his opening speech. "It would tak" a deal o" gude fortune to mak" it worth your while to knock around the high seas for three years or mair."
"Well, look now, Elder, I didn"t come home with empty hands. I have always been apt to get into the place where gold and good bargains were going."
"Hum-m-m! You sailed for Rotterdam, I think?"
"That is true; from Rotterdam I went to Batavia, and then to the coast of Africa. The African cargo took me to the West Indies. From Kingston it was easy to St. Thomas and Surinam for cotton, and then to Curacoa for dyeing-woods and spices. The "Great Christopher" took luck with her.
Every cargo was a good cargo."
"I"ll no be certain o" that, Captain. I would hae some scruples mysel"
anent buying and selling men and women o" any colour. We hae no quotations from the other world, and it may be the Almighty holds his black men at as high a figure as his white men. I"m just speculating, you ken. I hae a son--my third son, Alexander Semple, o" Boston--wha has made money on the Africans. I hae told him, likewise, that trading in wheat and trading in humanity may hae ethical differences; but every one settles his ain bill, and I"ll hae enough to do to secure mysel"."
Batavius was puzzled; and at the words "ethical differences," his big brown hand was "in the hair" at once. He scratched his head and looked doubtfully at Semple, whose face was peculiarly placid and thoughtful and kindly.
"Men must work, Elder, and these blacks won"t work unless they are forced to. I, who am a baptized Christian, have to do my duty in this life; and, as for pagans, they must be made to do it. I am myself a great lover of morality, and that is what I think. Also, you may read in the Scriptures, that St. Paul says that if a man will not work, neither shall he eat."
"St. Paul dootless kent a" about the question o" forced labour, seeing that he lived when baith white and black men were sold for a price.
However, siller in the hand answers a" questions and the dominie made a vera true observe one Sabbath, when he said that the Almighty so ordered things in this warld that orthodoxy and good living led to wealth and prosperity."
"That is the truth," answered Justice Van Gaasbeeck; "Holland is Holland because she has the true faith. You may see that in France there is anarchy and bloodshed and great poverty; that is because they are Roman Catholics."
It was at this moment that Katherine came and stood behind her father"s chair. She let her hand fall down over his shoulder, and he raised his own to clasp it. "What is it, then, _mijn Katrijntje kleintje_?"
"It is to dance. Mother says "yes" if thou art willing."
"Then I say "yes," also."
For a moment she laid her cheek against his; and the happy tears came into his eyes, and he stroked her face, and half-reluctantly let Batavius lead her away. For, at the first mention of a dance, Batavius had risen and put down his pipe; and in a few minutes he was triumphantly guiding Joanna in a kind of mazy waltzing movement, full of spirit and grace.
At that day there were but few families of any wealth who did not own one black man who could play well upon the violin. Joris possessed two; and they were both on hand, putting their own gay spirits into the fiddle and the bow. And oh, how happy were the beating feet and the beating hearts that went to the stirring strains! It was joy and love and youth in melodious motion. The old looked on with gleaming, sympathetic eyes; the young forgot that they were mortal.
Then there was a short pause; and the ladies sipped chocolate, and the gentlemen sipped something a little stronger, and a merry ripple of conversation and of hearty laughter ran with the clink of gla.s.s and china, and the sc.r.a.ping of the fiddle-bows.
"Miss Katern Van Heemskirk and Mr. Neil Semple will now hab de honour of "bliging de company wid de French minuet."
At this announcement, made by the first negro violin, there was a sudden silence; and Neil rose, and with a low bow offered the tips of his fingers to the beautiful girl, who rose blushing to take them. The elder deliberately turned his chair around, in order to watch the movement comfortably; and there was an inexpressible smile of satisfaction on his face as his eyes followed the young people. Neil"s dark, stately beauty was well set off by his black velvet suit and powdered hair and gold buckles. And no lovelier contrast could have faced him than Katherine Van Heemskirk; so delicately fresh, so radiantly fair, she looked in her light-blue robe and white lace stomacher, with a pink rose at her breast. There were shining amber beads around her white throat, and a large amber comb fastened her pale brown hair. A gilded Indian fan was in her hand, and she used it with all the pretty airs she had so aptly copied from Mrs. Gordon.
Neil had a natural majesty in his carriage; Katherine supplemented it with a natural grace, and with certain courtly movements which made the little Dutch girls, who had never seen Mrs. Gordon practising them, admire and wonder. As she was in the very act of making Neil a profound courtesy, the door opened, and Mrs. Gordon and Captain Hyde entered. The latter took in the exquisite picture in a moment; and there was a fire of jealousy in his heart when he saw Neil lead his partner to her seat, and with the deepest respect kiss her pretty fingers ere he resigned them.
But he was compelled to control himself, as he was ceremoniously introduced to Councillor and Madam Van Heemskirk by his aunt, who, with a charming effusiveness, declared "she was very uneasy to intrude so far; but, in faith, Councillor," she pleaded, "I am but a woman, and I find the news of a wedding beyond my nature to resist."
There was something so frank and persuasive about the elegant stranger, that Joris could not refuse the courtesy she asked for herself and her nephew. And, having yielded, he yielded with entire truth and confidence. He gave his hand to his visitors, and made them heartily welcome to join in his household rejoicing. True, Mrs. Gordon"s persuasive words were ably seconded by causes which she had probably calculated. The elder and Madam Semple were present, and it would have been impossible for Joris to treat their friends rudely. Bram was also another conciliating element, for Captain Hyde was on pleasant speaking terms with him; and, as yet, even Neil"s relations were at least those of presumed friendship. Also, the Van Gaasbeeks and others present were well inclined to make the acquaintance of a woman so agreeable, and an officer so exceptionally handsome and genteel. Besides which, Joris was himself in a happy and genial mood; he had opened his house and his heart to his friends; and he did not feel at that hour as if he could doubt any human being, or close his door against even the stranger and the alien who wished to rejoice with him.
Elder Semple was greatly pleased at his friend"s complaisance. He gave Joris full credit for his victory over his national prejudices, and he did his very best to make the concession a pleasant event. In this effort, he was greatly a.s.sisted by Mrs. Gordon; she set herself to charm Van Heemskirk, as she had set herself to charm Madam Van Heemskirk on her previous visit; and she succeeded so well, that, when "Sir Roger de Coverley" was called, Joris rose, offered her his hand, and, to the delight of every one present, led the dance with her.
It was a little triumph for the elder; and he sat smiling, and twirling his fingers, and thoroughly enjoying the event. Indeed, he was so interested in listening to the clever way in which "the bonnie woman flattered Van Heemskirk," that he was quite oblivious of the gathering wrath in his son"s face, and the watchful gloom in Bram"s eyes, as the two men stood together, jealously observant of Captain Hyde"s attentions to Katherine. Without any words spoken on the subject, there was an understood compact between them to guard the girl from any private conversation with him; and yet two men with hearts full of suspicion and jealousy were not a match for one man with a heart full of love. In a moment, in the interchange of their hands in a dance, Katherine clasped tightly a little note, and un.o.bserved hid it behind the rose at her breast.
But nothing is a wonder in love, or else it would have been amazing that Joanna did not notice the rose absent from her sister"s dress after Captain Hyde"s departure; nor yet that Katherine, ere she went to rest that night, kissed fervently a tiny bit of paper which she hid within the silver clasps of her Kirk Bible. The loving girl thought it no wrong to put it there; she even hoped that some kind of blessing or sanction might come through such sacred keeping; and she went to sleep whispering to herself,--"_Happy I am. Me he loves; me he loves; me only he loves; me forever he loves_!"
[Ill.u.s.tration: Tail-piece]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Chapter heading]
V.
"_All pleasure must be bought at the price of pain. The true pay the price before they enjoy it; the false, after they enjoy it_."
"My dear d.i.c.k, I am exceedingly concerned to find you in such a taking,--a soldier who has known some of the finest women of the day, moping about a Dutch school-girl! Pshaw! Don"t be a fool! I had a much better opinion of you."
""Tis a kind of folly that runs in the family, aunt. I have heard that you preferred Colonel Gordon to a duke."
"Now, sir, you are ill-natured. Dukes are not uncommon: a man of sense and sensibility is a treasure. Make me grateful that I secured one."
"Lend me your wit, then, for the same consummation. I a.s.sure you that I consider Katherine Van Heemskirk a treasure past belief. Confess, now, that she was the loveliest of creatures last night."
"She has truly a fine complexion, and she dances with all the elegance imaginable. I know, too, that she sings to perfection, and has most agreeable and obliging manners."
"And a heart which abounds in every tender feeling."
"Oh, indeed, sir! I was not aware that you knew her so well."
"I know that I love her beyond everything, and that I am likely so to love her all my life."
"Upon my word, d.i.c.k, love may live an age--if you don"t marry it."
"Let me make you understand that I wish to marry it."
"Oh, indeed, sir! Then the church door stands open. Go in. I suppose the lady will oblige you so far."