"I always did like to work out my own perplexities."
Rollo laughed at her a little, and let the subject drop.
But the business of Nightingale he took up in earnest the next day.
Stuart shewed some fencing, which however was widely distant from fight; and in the end gave in to Rollo"s proposal, with the exception that he contrived to bargain for five thousand down in addition. Rollo and Hazel were well content. Stuart received the guaranty of thirty thousand dollars, and Josephine Charteris was saved to her family and to society. And n.o.body knew anything about it.
Chapter x.x.xIII.
ABDICATION.
Chickaree again,?and clear cold weather, although it was March.
Spring declared herself timidly on the sunny side of slopes, and by the water courses; spoke softly in the scented wind, hung out her colours where snow-drops and violets grew; and shouted?Spring fashion?from the feathered throats of blue birds and robins; but otherwise, in byeways and corners, the snow lay and the ice glistened. The world of Chickaree outdoors looked cold enough.
Not cold within! Sunlight flooded the breakfast room,?and a gay fire: and before the hearth the little lady of the house stood crimson-robed and pink-cheeked, and just now very contemplative. She was slowly balancing a great bunch of keys?
large keys and small?upon her pretty fingers. Such was the picture before the eyes of the new head of the house when he came in to breakfast. I think he liked it too well to be willing to break the spell of silence which seemed to be upon the dainty lady, for while his eyes took keenest notice, he made no open demonstrations.
Hazel sorted her keys, choosing out one, changing it for another, then swinging the bunch by a third and putting the rest in a certain sequence. Then she turned suddenly round, growing more pink- cheeked than before.
"I did not know you were here!"
"Pray what then?" said he smiling.
"Are you at leisure for breakfast?"
"I usually am, at this time in the morning. And to-day is not an exception."
Hazel sounded her whistle.
"Will you be at leisure _after_ breakfast, Mr. Rollo?"
"Depends on what meaning you attach to the words."
"As we are not in theological?neither scientific?regions, you might answer closer than that," said Hazel. "Well have you time for a long excursion into parts unknown?"
"Where?"
"I thought," said the girl, swaying her keys softly and looking down at them?"Would you like? At least, shall I take you over the house after breakfast?"
"You shall take me anywhere you please. Why over the house?
Does anything need repair?"
"You have never seen it all,?you do not know where you are, yet.
Nor what you have to work with."
"To work with?" Dane repeated looking at her. "It strikes me the house is for you to work with. I have six mills to run."
"Yes, but?" Hazel threw off her first words with a laugh, and chose others. "Not just as it used to be, you know," she said sedately. "And part of it has been shut up,?and you have never seen the whole. And if I am to be house steward??" Dingee came in with the breakfast, and Wych Hazel turned off to that. It pleased Dane to let her take her own time to explain herself on this occasion; he would not hurry her. So he talked of other things until breakfast was over. He had seen Heinert already, and the change in him was wonderful. Feeling thoroughly at home in his old chum"s house, he was as happy as a child; not c.u.mbering himself with what he would do when he got well, which now he securely expected to do. It might be some time first; for the present Heinert was happy; and Hazel would see him at luncheon. And, meantime, she had quite forgotten his existence in more pressing things.
"I want you to see all the house," she said, handling her keys again; "because then you will know?what you want done. And so shall I."
"I do not want anything done," said Rollo, looking for the meaning of all this, which as yet he did not see.
"Yes you do," said Hazel. "Or you will. All sorts of things. So come."
But instead of that, he put his arm round her and drew her to his side, looking into her changing face.
"Who said you were to be a house steward."
"Must a thing be said in order to be true?"
"No. But generally speaking, it had better not be said unless it is true. Nicht?"
"I suppose I must be something!" said Hazel, with that pretty half laugh which covered so many thoughts.
"Yes," said he laughing and stooping to kiss her. "Do you want me to tell you what?"
"Keeping strictly to fact and not fancy?"
"Strictly fact." And folding her close, and watching her face, sometimes touching it, he went on,?"Something, of which it is said that "her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." She does not exactly "seek wool and flax"?or if, it is Berlin wool, I believe; but it is certainly true that "she considereth a field, and buyeth it." And "she stretcheth out her hands to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple." I do not think she "makes fine linen;" nevertheless I hope it will be true that "she looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."
And if all her household are not "clothed in scarlet," she is very fond of wearing it herself."
Wych Hazel listened with eyes looking down, and lips that parted yet did not speak. But now they curled unmistakeably.
"Ha, ha!" she laughed. "What a mixed piece of fact that is! past, present, and future, in one grand conglomerate. Do you suppose I shall ever _again_ have a chance to dabble in land? And I thought you had ruled out the "silk and purple"?"
"Did you? I suppose, in Old Testament language the silk and purple means that she was suitably dressed."
"Scarlet ditto. But I do not know what "spoil" can mean. If it said "supervision," I could understand that."
"Spoil means, profits and honours."
"That makes no sense of the rest of the verse."
"Excellent sense. The heart of her husband hath such a trust in her, that he can afford to dispense with what makes other men rich."
"O?is that the way you put it. Romantic, but not practical," said Hazel, arching her brows. "It might be so, but he would not find it out. Now come and see the house."
"I will go and see the house," said Rollo, speaking with a cool business tone now. "In fact I suppose I should like to go anywhere where you would go before and open the doors. But what is your thought, Wych?"
"Only a small ceremony of invest.i.ture. I want to take you over my haunts,?and leave you in possession?of them, and any small facts you may find there."
But taking one of her hands and holding it, Rollo neither moved towards the door himself nor let her.
"What is going to become of you," said he, "after you have left me in possession of your haunts?"
"I shall linger round to do all the mischief I can,?after the fashion of abdicators."