"You are his father and believe me," she said.
"Yes, Katharine, I believe you--I will give all that I have to prove how innocent you are--I will mortgage the farm to-morrow, if that will do."
"Only tell me where I can find him. He will not let any one harm me; you know that."
"If we knew--if we only knew; but the sea is a broad desert of waters, where no man finds his fellow for seeking."
"Has Nelson gone to sea?" faltered the poor girl.
"Yes, Katharine, on a long voyage. He may not come back for years."
She stood still, dumb with pain, and thrills of awe ran through her voice when it struggled back to her.
"Who told me of this before?"
"No one, my child; it came in a letter, and we never mentioned a word of it to a living soul."
"A letter to you and none to me; but who told me, I say? or when did I dream something like it? I wish all this was clear. Nelson writes to you, and yet I know beforehand what news the letter brings. It has kept me awake nights, but in the daytime fell back into dreams again."
She stood a moment with one hand to her forehead, then dropped it, and said, quickly:
"Let me read his letter, may I?"
The old man opened the great Bible, and took the letter from between its leaves. She knelt down upon the hearth and read it through.
"Yes," she said, "it is true. He has gone. I might search the world over and never find him. They might kill me, and my husband never hear of it.
This is worse than their threats, worse than death, for it shuts out all hope. Where could I go? The world is so wide, and I have not learned the way anywhere."
"Oh, if you could but stay with us till he comes!" exclaimed the old lady.
"But they will not let me. To-morrow, perhaps, those men will come here and force you to give me up."
"I never will, never on earth," cried the old woman, flushing with the generous courage that filled her heart. "They shall tear me all to pieces first."
The old man stood up. The solemn thoughtfulness had left his face, and it was sadly calm, as if some painful doubt had left his mind. He went up to Katharine and laid both hands on her head. She looked at him with her sad eyes, and almost smiled, his face was so pleasant that it rea.s.sured her.
"You have thought of some way by which we can find him?" she said, with a gush of grat.i.tude mellowing her voice.
"No, Katharine, that is impossible. Ships that have sailed can never be overtaken; but have you forgotten, child, that the guilty alone stand in need of flight--G.o.d protects the innocent."
"Oh, he has abandoned me," sighed the poor fugitive. "Some wicked thing has woven snares about me that look so like guilt that even he turns away."
"He never turns away. By-and-by, child, his doings will be made clear.
Out of the depths of tribulation great mercies are sometimes wrought."
"You do not think it wise that I escaped from those men," she faltered.
He pressed one broad hand lovingly on her head. The touch sent a holy shock through her frame. Some of the broad courage that filled his Christian heart entered hers, and it flashed upon her how cowardly her flight had been--how much like a confession of guilt it appeared.
"I have nowhere to go," she said, mournfully. "If I get away every one will think it was from a sense of guilt that I left. I am his wife, your son"s wife, and must not let myself be unjustly condemned. Is that what you mean, father?"
"Go to bed, child, and before you sleep ask these questions of our Father who is in heaven. He will turn your heart aright."
She bent her head and clung for a moment to the hand which he had extended; a great pain struggled at her heart; she knew what his words portended. Like the angel who met Hagar in her extremity, he was about to warn her back to her bonds.
They parted for the night, and Katharine went up to Thrasher"s chamber, led through the darkness by the gentle guidance of his mother. The moonlight lay full in the room, and she could see all the objects it contained--his bed, the gla.s.s in which he had feared to look, and the carpet which his boyish knees had pressed.
The old lady helped her undress, and after she lay down, arranged the bed-clothes and pillows as she had a thousand times for her son.
"Shall I stay with you, child?" she said, at last, stooping down and kissing her in that sweet, motherly fashion which carries protection with it.
Katharine lay in her husband"s bed overpowered by a strange tranquillity. Her face looked out sweetly through the moonlight, and both hands were folded over her bosom; she had dropped unconsciously into an att.i.tude of prayer.
"Shall I stay with you, dear child?"
"No, it is his room, I am not afraid; go to your own bed, mother; in the morning I shall be strong."
She had called his parents father and mother more than once that evening; there was a fascination in the words that could not be conquered. It made the old woman"s heart swell to be so addressed. Her son"s wife--it was next to having him there in person. She kissed Katharine on the forehead, and went away through the darkness, knowing well that a violent death hovered over that young head, but feeling glows of happiness in her heart all the time; for, like her husband, she believed devoutly that G.o.d protects the innocent. He does--He does, but not always in the way His creatures are presumptuous enough to mark out for Him.
CHAPTER XLII.
ON THE FIRST STAGE TO PRISON.
"Well now, jest tell me all about it," said Tom, hurrying little Paul away from his playmates to a corner of the school-house where a few gleams of sunshine gave some slight idea of warmth. "Tell me what them chaps did when they found out what we"d been up to. Oh, golly, but I"d a gin the last four-pence half-penny I"ve got to have seen "em. Didn"t they rip and tear beautifully? Didn"t they rare up and fall over backward? Oh, yes, I kinder see "em now staring at one another like "stonished pigs, and wondering what cute little shaver did it. But you don"t tell me, Paul--seem kind o" down in the mouth about something."
"No," said Paul, gently, "my mouth isn"t down, but I feel sad, very much for the poor mademoiselle."
"Oh, that aint nothing; just let me get things put to rights, and she"ll be in New York and crowing over "em all. What do you shake your head for?"
"She wont go, Tom."
"She wont go?"
"No; they will kill her, but she will not run away, clear off, as we desire."
"How do you know that?"
"I think so, sure."
"Oh, bother, you"ve got the drag on. Now jist tell me all about what happened up yonder. How did them officer fellows act when they found out that she was gone?"
"Oh, they found out nothing at first. Madame, that is Mrs. Allen, came down-stairs so softly and made one good breakfast, very nice, and they sat down, eating plenty. Madame look very white, and her hand shook when she pour coffee into their cups, but the men very sleepy and never see that, but sit so, with eyes almost shut and opening the mouth wide two, three times, sleepy a good deal."
"Wal, I reckon it warn"t for want of snoring over night. My, didn"t they go it in them two chairs," cried Tom, gleefully.