for it looks just as if you had a doubt on me, as never doubted you,"
exclaimed the faithful creature, with an injured look.
"Heaven bless you, good soul! Then you _don"t_ believe it!" cried Sybil, in delight.
"Now look here, honey! I"ve nursed you ever since you was a month old, and how _could_ I believe you would do a thing like that! Though the good Lord knows as you had aggravation enough to drive you out"n your seventeen senses, and into anything! But you never did that! I"d stake my soul on to it. Why, see here! When that ignorant n.i.g.g.e.r, Dilly, as was a crying and a howling after you, fit to break her heart, when she axes me, "Oh, Miss Tabby, do you think as my mistress _did that_?" I fetches her sich a box of the years, as I shouldn"t wonder if they ring yet, though that was a matter of nigh two months ago!"
"Thanks, dear old friend, for your faith in me. And now, dear Miss Tabby, did you notice that fair boy whom we brought home with us?"
"I never see such a heavenly looking boy in all my days. To be sure I noticed of him. Wherever did you pick him up, Miss Sybil?"
"On my travels, old Tabby. I will tell you all I know about him, when you and I sit down together to gossip by that winter evening fire we spoke of."
"And, oh, how much you"ll have to tell me, my child. I looks to have my hair bristle up on ind!"
"Then wear a strong cap, and tie the strings under your chin tightly, that it may not be lifted from your head," laughed Sybil. "But about the boy; he is to make his home with us; and so I want you to have one of the best bedrooms prepared, and a plate always put on the table for him; and to instruct the servants that they are to treat him in all respects as a son of the house," answered Sybil.
"Lor" bless me! Is that so!" exclaimed the old maid, as her eyes opened in amazement. "Well, Miss Sybil, I have heard of ladies afore now, being so angelable as to pervide for their husband"s unnateral relations; but that you should do sich a thing I never would a believed. You"re a wery good child! but your goodness don"t lay into that toleratin" line, that I know."
"What on earth do you mean, Tabby?" sharply demanded Sybil. "I"m shocked and disgusted at you, that I am."
"Why, what for? You said the boy was to be respected as a son of the house; and then ag"in, they"ve both got light hair and blue eyes, and fair skins," said Miss Winterose, in dismay.
"Tabby, as far as I understand you, I am quite ashamed of you. That boy is the son of a man who calls himself Captain Inconnu, but whom I believe to own another name; but no matter about that now; that will figure in some of the stories that I shall tell you by our evening fires--Well, what do you want?"
This last question was addressed to a colored boy, who opened the chamber door and looked in.
"Please, ma"am, I wanted to tell Miss Tabby as dinner was on the table,"
said the child.
"And didn"t you know better, you little brute, than to open a lady"s door without knocking? Go down to the kitchen with yourself, this very instant!" exclaimed Miss Tabby, indignantly.
"Don"t scold the child this first day of my return," pleaded Sybil.
"And, lor", now here I have been a keeping on you, child, a-satisfyin"
of my old woman"s curiosity, and not even a leaving of you time enough to dress for dinner," said the old maid, regretfully.
"Dress for dinner!" echoed Sybil, lifting her eye-brows. "I had almost forgotten such a piece of propriety! I have not dressed for dinner for nearly two months!"
But for all that, she got up, and went to her toilet gla.s.s and smoothed her hair, and washed her hands, and put on a clean collar.
"That will do for to-day. Now don"t look hurt, you good old Tabby, and I"ll promise to-morrow to "dress up to the nines!"" said Sybil, laughing, as she tripped out of the room. She was in such good spirits at being home again, she had for the moment forgotten that she was only there on sufferance.
"And I had such a splendid dinner got for her, too! With all the silver-gilt and cut-gla.s.s out, and some of the old wine them devils happened to leave when they robbed the cellar. I haven"t told her about that robbery yet! I don"t want to tell her no bad news the first day as she gets home," ruminated Miss Tabby, as she sat over the fire with little Cromartie in her arms.
Of course Miss Winterose could not guess that Sybil had heard of the raid upon her cellars.
Sybil ran down stairs, at the foot of which she found Mr. Berners and Raphael waiting for her.
"I have been taking a nap on the parlor sofa, and my young friend here has been mousing among the books in the library," said Lyon Berners, as he met his wife.
"I hope you feel refreshed," said Sybil.
"Very much," answered Lyon. "Raphael, my boy, give Mrs. Berners your arm in to the dinner-table."
The lad blushingly obeyed, and they went in to dinner.
There was one little affectionate mischievous thought darted through Mr.
Berners" brain; "I will show my wife that I can trust her with this pretty page who is in love with her, better than she could trust me with the beautiful widow who was not in love with me," he said smilingly to himself, as he followed them in to the dining-room.
This may be said to be the re-commencement of Sybil Berners" happy home-life. Of the awful cloud that overhung her fate, she scarcely thought at all this evening. When dinner was over she led the way into her own bright drawing-room, which had been that day "swept and garnished" for her reception. Fresh snow-white lace curtains were at the windows, contrasting finely with the warm, bright hues of the crimson satin hangings, the crimson velvet parlor set, and the crimson Brussels carpet. A brilliant sea-coal fire was glowing in the grate, and vases filled with fragrant hot-house plants stood on every white marble-top table and stand.
Like a child home for the holidays, Sybil roamed about in delight from object to object, and fondly opened her disused piano, to try if it was still in tune. She was surprised and pleased to find that its tone was perfect. She had been absent but two months or less, and she knew it, yet she felt as if two years must have elapsed since she had touched her piano. She sat down and played some of her favorite airs, and sang some of her favorite songs, to the great entertainment of Mr. Berners and Raphael.
But this evening she was too happy and too restless to keep to any one thing. So she soon left the piano, and called Raphael to follow her to a book-stand in the corner, where she showed him some fine engravings from the old masters--a volume containing master-pieces from Guido, Correggio, Leonardo, Murillo, and others. With all this wealth of art the poor child-artist was delighted.
"But here is something better still, my boy! Here is a volume of the rarest gems," she said, opening a book of Raphael"s Madonnas and laying it before him.
He uttered a cry of delight, and then checked himself, blushed, and apologized.
Meanwhile Lyon Berners reclined upon the sofa. He was still weak from his accident, and from the imprudent journey that had followed it. He lay there, watching Sybil, content that she should be amused, until the wife herself suddenly lifted up the volume she had been examining with the boy, and calling Raphael to follow her, went over to her husband, and kneeling by his side, with the book resting on the edge of the sofa, she turned a page, and said:
"Look here, dear Lyon! I want you to notice this amazing resemblance,"
and she pointed first to an engraved head of the artist Raphael occupying the centre of the t.i.tle-page, and then to the living head of the boy Raphael bending by her side.
"It is a likeness," said Lyon.
"Likeness! It is a portrait! If I had known this boy before, and had seen this picture anywhere else, I should have supposed it had been taken for him," said Sybil, earnestly.
Lyon closed the book, and asked her to play and sing a certain beautiful evening hymn which was a great favorite with them, after which he suggested they should retire.
So pa.s.sed the first evening of Sybil"s recovered home.
The next morning, after she had breakfasted, she took another school-girl"s holiday frolic. She ran all over the house, renewing her acquaintance with every room.
She had scarcely finished her pleasant tour, when old Joe came after her to say that Marster Sheridan, from Blackville had called to see her.
Her counsel!
The announcement of this visitor awoke Sybil from her pleasant dream of home and safety.
With trembling hands she arranged her dress, and went below to the parlor, where she found Mr. Berners entertaining the lawyer.
Both arose at her entrance, and Mr. Sheridan shook hands with her, saying:
"I do not know a better place to get up my brief for the defence, Mrs.
Berners, than here on the scene of the tragedy and the imputed crime."
The tone and manner of the lawyer were very cheerful, and at once restored Sybil"s composure.