English
DayhadbrokenbeforetheseveraldenizensoftheWildernesshadallreturnedtotheirhomes,thepolicefinishedtheirinquiries,andallcomebacktoitsnormalquiet.
Mrs.Westmacotthadbeenleftsleepingpeacefullywithasmallchloraldraughttosteadyhernervesandahandkerchiefsoakedinarnicaboundroundherhead.
Itwaswithsomesurprise,therefore,thattheAdmiralreceivedanotefromheraboutteno’clock,askinghimtobegoodenoughtostepintoher.
Hehurriedin,fearingthatshemighthavetakensometurnfortheworse,buthewasreassuredtofindhersittingupinherbed,withClaraandIdaWalkerinattendanceuponher.
Shehadremovedthehandkerchief,andhadputonalittlecapwithpinkribbons,andamaroondressing-jacket,daintilyfulledattheneckandsleeves.
“Mydearfriend,”saidsheasheentered,“Iwishtomakealastfewremarkstoyou.
No,no,”shecontinued,laughing,asshesawalookofdismayuponhisface.
“Ishallnotdreamofdyingforatleastanotherthirtyyears.
Awomanshouldbeashamedtodiebeforesheisseventy.
Iwish,Clara,thatyouwouldaskyourfathertostepup.
Andyou,Ida,justpassmemycigarettes,andopenmeabottleofstout.”
“Nowthen,”shecontinued,asthedoctorjoinedtheirparty.“Idon’tquiteknowwhatIoughttosaytoyou,Admiral.Youwantsomeveryplainspeakingto.”
“’Ponmyword,ma’am,Idon’tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout.”
“Theideaofyouatyouragetalkingofgoingtosea,andleavingthatdear,patientlittlewifeofyoursathome,whohasseennothingofyouallherlife!It’sallverywellforyou.
Youhavethelife,andthechange,andtheexcitement,butyoudon’tthinkofhereatingherheartoutinadrearyLondonlodging.Youmenareallthesame.”
“Well,ma’am,sinceyouknowsomuch,youprobablyknowalsothatIhavesoldmypension.HowamItoliveifIdonotturnmyhandtowork?”
Mrs.Westmacottproducedalargeregisteredenvelopefrombeneaththesheetsandtosseditovertotheoldseaman.
“Thatexcusewon’tdo.Thereareyourpensionpapers.Justseeiftheyareright.”
Hebroketheseal,andouttumbledtheverypaperswhichhehadmadeovertoMcAdamtwodaysbefore.
“ButwhatamItodowiththesenow?”hecriedinbewilderment.
“Youwillputtheminasafeplace,orgetafriendtodoso,and,ifyoudoyourduty,youwillgotoyourwifeandbegherpardonforhavingevenforaninstantthoughtofleavingher.”
TheAdmiralpassedhishandoverhisruggedforehead.
“Thisisverygoodofyou,ma’am”saidhe,“verygoodandkind,andIknowthatyouareastaunchfriend,butforallthatthesepapersmeanmoney,andthoughwemayhavebeeninbrokenwaterlately,wearenotquiteinsuchstraitsastohavetosignaltoourfriends.
Whenwedo,ma’am,there’snoonewewouldlooktosoonerthantoyou.”
“Don’tberidiculous!”saidthewidow.
“Youknownothingwhateveraboutit,andyetyoustandtherelayingdownthelaw.
I’llhavemywayinthematter,andyoushalltakethepapers,foritisnofavorthatIamdoingyou,butsimplyarestorationofstolenproperty.”
“How’sthat,ma’am?”
“Iamjustgoingtoexplain,thoughyoumighttakealady’swordforitwithoutaskinganyquestions.
Now,whatIamgoingtosayisjustbetweenyoufour,andmustgonofarther.
Ihavemyownreasonsforwishingtokeepitfromthepolice.
Whodoyouthinkitwaswhostruckmelastnight,Admiral?”
“Somevillain,ma’am.Idon’tknowhisname.”
“ButIdo.Itwasthesamemanwhoruinedortriedtoruinyourson.Itwasmyonlybrother,Jeremiah.”
“Ah!”
“Iwilltellyouabouthim—oralittleabouthim,forhehasdonemuchwhichIwouldnotcaretotalkof,noryoutolistento.
Hewasalwaysavillain,smooth-spokenandplausible,butadangerous,subtlevillainallthesame.
IfIhavesomehardthoughtsaboutmankindIcantracethembacktothechildhoodwhichIspentwithmybrother.
Heismyonlylivingrelative,formyotherbrother,Charles’sfather,waskilledintheIndianmutiny.
“Ourfatherwasrich,andwhenhediedhemadeagoodprovisionbothforJeremiahandforme.
HeknewJeremiahandhemistrustedhim,however;soinsteadofgivinghimallthathemeanthimtohavehehandedmeoverapartofit,tellingme,withwhatwasalmosthisdyingbreath,toholditintrustformybrother,andtouseitinhisbehalfwhenheshouldhavesquanderedorlostallthathehad.
Thisarrangementwasmeanttobeasecretbetweenmyfatherandmyself,butunfortunatelyhiswordswereoverheardbythenurse,andsherepeatedthemafterwardstomybrother,sothathecametoknowthatIheldsomemoneyintrustforhim.
Isupposetobaccowillnotharmmyhead,Doctor?
Thankyou,thenIshalltroubleyouforthematches,Ida.”
Shelitacigarette,andleanedbackuponthepillow,withthebluewreathscurlingfromherlips.
apictureofthecountryside
“Icannottellyouhowoftenhehasattemptedtogetthatmoneyfromme.
Hehasbullied,cajoled,threatened,coaxed,doneallthatamancoulddo.
Istillhelditwiththepresentimentthataneedforitwouldcome.
WhenIheardofthisvillainousbusiness,hisflight,andhisleavinghispartnertofacethestorm,aboveallthatmyoldfriendhadbeendriventosurrenderhisincomeinordertomakeupformybrother’sdefalcations,IfeltthatnowindeedIhadaneedforit.
IsentinCharlesyesterdaytoMr.McAdam,andhisclient,uponhearingthefactsofthecase,verygraciouslyconsentedtogivebackthepapers,andtotakethemoneywhichhehadadvanced.Notawordofthankstome,Admiral.
Itellyouthatitwasverycheapbenevolence,foritwasalldonewithhisownmoney,andhowcouldIuseitbetter?
“IthoughtthatIshouldprobablyhearfromhimsoon,andIdid.
Lasteveningtherewashandedinanoteoftheusualwhining,cringingtone.
Hehadcomebackfromabroadattheriskofhislifeandliberty,justinorderthathemightsaygood-byetotheonlysisterheeverhad,andtoentreatmyforgivenessforanypainwhichhehadcausedme.
Hewouldnevertroublemeagain,andhebeggedonlythatIwouldhandovertohimthesumwhichIheldintrustforhim.
That,withwhathehadalready,wouldbeenoughtostarthimasanhonestmaninthenewworld,whenhewouldeverrememberandprayforthedearsisterwhohadbeenhissavior.
Thatwasthestyleoftheletter,anditendedbyimploringmetoleavethewindow-latchopen,andtobeinthefrontroomatthreeinthemorning,whenhewouldcometoreceivemylastkissandtobidmefarewell.
“Badashewas,Icouldnot,whenhetrustedme,betrayhim.
Isaidnothing,butIwasthereatthehour.
Heenteredthroughthewindow,andimploredmetogivehimthemoney.
Hewasterriblychanged;gaunt,wolfish,andspokelikeamadman.ItoldhimthatIhadspentthemoney.
Hegnashedhisteethatme,andsworeitwashismoney.ItoldhimthatIhadspentitonhim.Heaskedmehow.
Isaidintryingtomakehimanhonestman,andinrepairingtheresultsofhisvillainy.
Heshriekedoutacurse,andpullingsomethingoutofthebreastofhiscoat—aloadedstick,Ithink—hestruckmewithit,andIrememberednothingmore.”
“Theblackguard!”criedtheDoctor,“butthepolicemustbehotuponhistrack.”
“Ifancynot,”Mrs.Westmacottansweredcalmly.
“Asmybrotherisaparticularlytall,thinman,andasthepolicearelookingforashort,fatone,Idonotthinkthatitisveryprobablethattheywillcatchhim.
Itisbest,Ithink,thattheselittlefamilymattersshouldbeadjustedinprivate.”
“Mydearma’am,”saidtheAdmiral,“ifitisindeedthisman’smoneythathasboughtbackmypension,thenIcanhavenoscruplesabouttakingit.
Youhavebroughtsunshineuponus,ma’am,whenthecloudswereattheirdarkest,forhereismyboywhoinsistsuponreturningthemoneywhichIgot.Hecankeepitnowtopayhisdebts.
ForwhatyouhavedoneIcanonlyaskGodtoblessyou,ma’am,andastothankingyouIcan’teven——”
“Thenpraydon’ttry,”saidthewidow.“Nowrunaway,Admiral,andmakeyourpeacewithMrs.Denver.
IamsureifIweresheitwouldbealongtimebeforeIshouldforgiveyou.
Asforme,IamgoingtoAmericawhenCharlesgoes.You’lltakemesofar,won’tyou,Ida?
ThereisacollegebeingbuiltinDenverwhichistoequipthewomanofthefutureforthestruggleoflife,andespeciallyforherbattleagainstman.
Somemonthsagothecommitteeofferedmearesponsiblesituationuponthestaff,andIhavedecidednowtoacceptit,forCharles’smarriageremovesthelasttiewhichbindsmetoEngland.
Youwillwritetomesometimes,myfriends,andyouwilladdressyourletterstoProfessorWestmacott,EmancipationCollege,Denver.
FromthereIshallwatchhowthegloriousstrugglegoesinconservativeoldEngland,andifIamneededyouwillfindmehereagainfightingintheforefrontofthefray.
Good-bye—butnotyou,girls;IhavestillawordIwishtosaytoyou.
“Givemeyourhand,Ida,andyours,Clara,”saidshewhentheywerealone.
“Oh,younaughtylittlepusses,aren’tyouashamedtolookmeintheface?
Didyouthink—didyoureallythinkthatIwassoveryblind,andcouldnotseeyourlittleplot?
Youdiditverywell,Imustsaythat,andreallyIthinkthatIlikeyoubetterasyouare.
Butyouhadallyourpainsfornothing,youlittleconspirators,forIgiveyoumywordthatIhadquitemadeupmymindnottohavehim.”
AndsowithinafewweeksourlittleladiesfromtheirobservatorysawamightybustleintheWilderness,whentwo-horsecarriagescame,andcoachmenwithfavors,tobearawaythetwoswhoweredestinedtocomebackone.
Andtheythemselvesintheircracklingsilkdresseswentacross,asinvited,tothebigdoubleweddingbreakfastwhichwasheldinthehouseofDoctorWalker.
Thentherewashealth-drinking,andlaughter,andchangingofdresses,andrice-throwingwhenthecarriagesdroveupagain,andtwomorecouplesstartedonthatjourneywhichendsonlywithlifeitself.
CharlesWestmacottisnowaflourishingranchmaninthewesternpartofTexas,whereheandhissweetlittlewifearethetwomostpopularpersonsinallthatcounty.
Oftheiraunttheyseelittle,butfromtimetotimetheyseenoticesinthepapersthatthereisafocusoflightinDenver,wheremightythunderboltsarebeingforgedwhichwillonedaybringthedominantsexupontheirknees.
TheAdmiralandhiswifestillliveatnumberone,whileHaroldandClarahavetakennumbertwo,whereDoctorWalkercontinuestoreside.
Astothebusiness,ithadbeenreconstructed,andtheenergyandabilityofthejuniorpartnerhadsoonmadeupforalltheillthathadbeendonebyhissenior.
Yetwithhissweetandrefinedhomeatmosphereheisabletorealizehiswish,andtokeephimselffreefromthesordidaimsandbaseambitionswhichdragdownthemanwhosebusinessliestooexclusivelyinthemoneymarketofthevastBabylon.
AshegoesbackeveryeveningfromthecrowdsofThrogmortonStreettothetree-linedpeacefulavenuesofNorwood,sohehasfounditpossibleinspiritalsotodoone’sdutiesamidstthebabeloftheCity,andyettolivebeyondit.
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