"No, you shall not kiss me, Neil,--never again. No right have you, Neil."
"You are to be my wife, Katherine?"
"That I have not said."
She drew herself from his embrace, and stood leaning against an elm-tree, watchful of Neil, full of wonder at the sudden warmth of his love, and half fearful of his influence over her.
"But you have known it, Katherine, ay, for many a year. No words could make the troth-plight truer. From this hour, mine and only mine."
"Such things you shall not say."
"I will say them before all the world. Katherine, is it true that an English soldier is wearing a bow of your ribbon? You must tell me."
"What mean you?"
"I will make my meaning plain. Is Captain Hyde wearing a bow of your orange ribbon?"
"Can I tell?"
"Yes. Do not lie to me."
"A lie I would not speak."
"Did you give him one? an orange one?"
"Yes. A bow of my St. Nicholas ribbon I gave him."
"Why?"
"Me he loves, and him I love."
"And he wears it at his breast?"
"On his breast I have seen it. Neil, do not quarrel with him. Do not look so angry. I fear you. My fault it is; all my fault, Neil. Only to please me he wears it."
"You have more St. Nicholas ribbons?"
"That is so."
"Go and get me one. Get a bow, Katherine, and give it to me. I will wait here for it."
"No, that I will not do. How false, how wicked I would be, if two lovers my colours wore!"
"Katherine, I am in great earnest. A bow of that ribbon I must have. Get one for me."
"My hands I would cut off first."
"Well, then, I will cut _my bow_ from Hyde"s breast. I will, though I cut his heart out with it."
He turned from her as he said the words, and, without speaking to Joris, pa.s.sed through the garden-gate to his own home. His mother and Mrs.
Gordon, and several young ladies and gentlemen were sitting on the stoop, arranging for a turtle feast on the East River; and Neil"s advent was hailed with e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns of pleasure. He affected to listen for a few minutes, and then excused himself upon the "a.s.surance of having some very important writing to attend to." But, as he pa.s.sed the parlour door, his father called him. The elder was casting up some kirk accounts; but, as Neil answered the summons, he carefully put the extinguisher on one candle, and turned his chair from the table in a way which Neil understood as an invitation for his company.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Katherine, I am in great earnest"]
A moment"s reflection convinced Neil that it was his wisest plan to accede. It was of the utmost importance that his father should be kept absolutely ignorant of his quarrel with Hyde; for Neil was certain that, if he suspected their intention to fight, he would invoke the aid of the law to preserve peace, and such a course would infallibly subject him to suspicions which would be worse than death to his proud spirit.
"Weel, Neil, my dear lad, you are early hame. Where were you the night?"
"I have just left Katherine, sir, having followed your advice in my wooing. I wish I had done so earlier."
"Ay, ay; when a man is seventy years auld, he has read the book o" life, "specially the chapter anent women, and he kens a" about them. A bonnie la.s.s expects to hae a kind o" worship; but the service is na unpleasant, quite the contrary. Did you see Captain Hyde?"
"We met near Broadway, and exchanged civilities."
"A gude thing to exchange. When Gordon gets back frae Albany, I"ll hae a talk wi" him, and I"ll get the captain sent there. In Albany there are bonnie la.s.ses and rich la.s.ses in plenty for him to try his enchantments on. There was talk o" sending him there months syne; it will be done ere long, or my name isna Alexander Semple."
"I see you are casting up the kirk accounts. Can I help you, father?"
"I hae everything ready for the consistory. Neil, what is the gude o" us speaking o" this and that, and thinking that we are deceiving each other? I am vera anxious anent affairs between Captain Hyde and yoursel"; and I"m "feard you"ll be coming to hot words, maybe to blows, afore I manage to put twa hundred miles atween you. My lad, my ain dear lad! You are the Joseph o" a" my sons; you are the joy o" your mother"s life. For our sake, keep a calm sough, and dinna let a fool provoke you to break our hearts, and maybe send you into G.o.d"s presence uncalled and unblessed.
"Father, put yoursel" in my place. How would you feel toward Captain Hyde?"
"Weel, I"ll allow that I wouldna feel kindly. I dinna feel kindly to him, even in my ain place."
"As you desire it, we will speak plainly to each other anent this subject. You know his proud and hasty temper; you know also that I am more like yourself than like Moses in the way of meekness. Now, if Captain Hyde insults me, what course would you advise me to adopt?"
"I wouldna gie him the chance to insult you. I would keep oot o" his way. There is naething unusual or discreditable in taking a journey to Boston, to speir after the welfare o" your brother Alexander."
"Oh, indeed, sir, I cannot leave my affairs for an insolent and ungrateful fool! I ask your advice for the ordinary way of life, not for the way that cowardice or fear dictates. If without looking for him, or avoiding him, we meet, and a quarrel is inevitable, what then, father?"
"Ay, weel, in that case, G.o.d prevent it! But in sic a strait, my lad, it is better to gie the insult than to tak" it."
"You know what must follow?"
"Wha doesna ken? Blood, if not murder. Neil, you are a wise and prudent lad; now, isna the sword o" the law sharper than the rapier o" honour?"
"Law has no remedy for the wrongs men of honour redress with the sword.
A man may call me every shameful name; but, unless I can show some actual loss in money or money"s worth, I have no redress. And suppose that I tried it, and that after long sufferance and delays I got my demands, pray, sir, tell me, how can offences which have flogged a man"s most sacred feelings be atoned for by something to put in the pocket?"
"Society, Neil"--
"Society, father, always convicts and punishes the man who takes an insult _on view_, without waiting for his indictment or trial."
"There ought to be a law, Neil"--
"No law will administer itself, sir. The statute-book is a dead letter when it conflicts with public opinion. There is not a week pa.s.ses but you may see that for yourself, father. If a man is insulted, he must protect his honour; and he will do so until the law is able to protect him better than his own strength."
"There is another way--a mair Christian way"--