"Only when I went to get news of the ship; for I don"t much like her."
"Indeed?"
"No; she hurts one"s feelings without meaning it, I dare say. Her haughtiness keeps every one at a distance."
Thrasher turned his face away, to conceal the proud smile that broke over it. He longed to defend the haughtiness of which Katharine complained--to say that it was the birthright of Ellen"s great superiority over all other women. But he checked the impulse and only answered:
"Perhaps it is so. I have seen very little of her since she married that--that--I mean since she married Captain Mason."
"She told me something last night that surprised me."
"What was it?"
"She said that you had loved her before she accepted Captain Mason, and that she refused you."
"Ah, she told you that; and did her ladyship tell you why she took Mason instead of me?"
"Because you was a third or second mate, I forget which, and he was a captain; that was the reason she gave--but you speak as if it were true."
"Well, when I say that I had never been to sea in my life when John Mason married Ellen Palmer, you"ll probably believe this nonsense."
"Then it was not true!" cried Katharine, smiling happily the first time that day.
"When women boast of their conquests, they seldom are true, Kate."
"But how unfeeling to say all this to me, your wife!"
"She didn"t know that; with a secret like ours, one is always getting into trouble, Kate; as for this haughty woman, I would not go near her again--she"ll find you out in no time."
Katharine smiled with a little bitterness.
"I suppose she would, for when the heart is full, it is hard to look calm. Last night I longed to tell the woman to her face, that I had a right to inquire after you--just as good a right as she had to be taking on about her husband."
"But you did not?"
"Certainly not. I only sat and cried. The little girl seemed to grudge me that comfort, for she said I had no husband nor father off to sea, and she couldn"t tell what I wanted to cry for like her own mother."
"The little fool!" sneered Thrasher. "So they were having a general season of mourning, because Mason did not present himself?"
"Not exactly that," said Katharine; "still, I was sorry for Mrs. Mason and the little girl, for they felt bad enough; and now, when you are safe--when I ought to be so happy--it is a shame to talk over their faults. I dare say she didn"t mean any thing. Such women sometimes fancy that men want to offer themselves who never had the idea. Besides, I told Mrs. Mason to her face that I didn"t believe a word of it."
Thrasher laughed.
"And so you managed to get up a little sparring-match between you, and all upon my account?"
"Not quite that," answered Katharine, laughing also. "But I was so disappointed that every thing went wrong. Besides, it"s no use denying it, Mrs. Mason made me angry. The idea of a married woman speaking of her offers! But then, you never did make her an offer--and I knew it."
"Well, any way, you have a pretty sure safeguard that I never shall make her one."
Katharine"s face brightened beautifully. She looked toward him with a long, steady glance of affection. Tears trembled on her long lashes, and shone like dew where they had fallen on the damask of her cheek. But the smile upon her mouth, and the tenderness in her eyes, were enough to excuse any man for remembering, just then, that she was his own wife.
Thrasher drew her toward him, and kissed her with hearty warmth for the first time since his return home.
I am afraid the dear old people standing by the window saw it, for they looked at each other slyly and turned away.
CHAPTER XVIII.
MRS. MASON"S RICH UNCLE IN THE SOUTH.
"Mother!"
"Well, Katharine?"
"Nelson Thrasher came home last night."
"Better have stayed away!" answered the stern old lady, thrusting her knitting-needle into the goose-quill tube of her sheath, which was fastened, like the leaf of some great, red flower, on the right side of her waist. "No good ever followed his coming, that I ever heard of."
The color came into Katharine"s face at this, for no woman likes to hear the man she loves spoken lightly of. Still she was striving to lead her mother"s mind quietly to the bad news which lay heavy at her own heart, and did not feel the scornful tones in which the words were spoken, as she would have done.
For a little time there was no sound save the rattle of Mrs. Allen"s needle in its sheath, which grew quicker and sharper each moment--a sure sign that the old lady was disturbed in her mind. After knitting twice round the top of a mixed stocking with unceasing vigor, amid a great click and rattle of the needles, she drew a length of yarn from the ball in her lap, with a jerk, and commenced again more deliberately.
Katharine sat still, for she knew that this was preliminary to a renewal of the conversation. The first words, however, came out with a suddenness that made her start.
"Have you seen that fellow?"
Katharine could keep a secret, to her sorrow, poor thing; but she was incapable of a direct falsehood, so she answered truly, but with a quiver of fear in her voice.
"Yes, mother, he overtook me on my way home from Mrs. Mason"s, last night."
"You saw him last night, last night, and got no word of my son. Where is he--when will he come, Katharine Allen? You could not have forgotten to ask."
"No, mother; but I--I was afraid to say any thing--indeed, I did not know until this morning, for I saw him under the great b.u.t.ternut tree by the road, and went out--I did not know what sad news he brought."
"Sad news of my son!" cried the woman, drawing herself up as if to ward off a blow; "did you say sad news, Katharine?"
"Yes, mother," answered the beautiful girl, stealing close to the high-backed chair that her own face might be concealed, but her voice and limbs shook with the emotion she strove to suppress, and this the old woman felt to the core of her heart.
"Is my son dead?" she inquired, in a deep, hoa.r.s.e voice.
"I fear so, mother."
"Fear! if you are not sure, speak out. Can"t you see that I must know, or--or drop dead in my chair!"
"They were wrecked. My brother, my poor, poor brother would not abandon the vessel. They were compelled to leave him."