\"HowIshallloveyou!\"exultedPolly,givingElnoraapartinghug。
Thegirlslowlyandgravelywalkedbacktothewillow。
Shecouldnotimaginewhatwascoming,butshewaspromisingherselfthatshewouldbeverypatientandcontrolhertemper。
\"Willyoubeseated?\"sheaskedpolitely。
EdithCarrglancedatthebench,whileashuddershookher。
\"No。Iprefertostand,\"shesaid。\"DidMr。Ammongiveyoutheringyouarewearing,anddoyouconsideryourselfengagedtohim?\"
\"Bywhatrightdoyouasksuchpersonalquestionsasthose?\"inquiredElnora。
\"Bytherightofabetrothedwife。IhavebeenpromisedtoPhilipAmmoneversinceIworeshortskirts。Allourliveswehaveexpectedtomarry。Anagreementofyearscannotbebrokeninoneinsanemoment。Alwayshehaslovedmedevotedly。Givemetenminuteswithhimandhewillbemineforalltime。\"
\"Iseriouslydoubtthat,\"saidElnora。\"ButIamwillingthatyoushouldmakethetest。Iwillcallhim。\"
\"Stop!\"commandedEdithCarr。\"ItoldyouthatitwasyouIcametosee。\"
\"Iremember,\"saidElnora。
\"Mr。Ammonismybetrothed,\"continuedEdithCarr。
\"IexpecttotakehimbacktoChicagowithme。\"
\"Youexpectconsiderable,\"murmuredElnora。\"Iwillraisenoobjectiontoyourtakinghim,ifyoucan——but,I
tellyoufrankly,Idon\'tthinkitpossible。\"
\"Youaresosureofyourselfasthat,\"scoffedEdithCarr。
\"Onehourinmypresencewillbringbacktheoldspell,fullforce。Webelongtoeachother。Iwillnotgivehimup。\"
\"Thenitisuntruethatyoutwicerejectedhisring,repeatedlyinsultedhim,andpubliclyrenouncedhim?\"
\"Thatwasthroughyou!\"criedEdithCarr。\"PhilandIneverhadbeensonearandsohappyaswewereonthatnight。Itwasyourclingingtohimforthingsthatcausedhimtodesertmeamonghisguests,whilehetriedtomakemeawaityourpleasure。Irealizethespellofthisplace,forasummerseason。Iunderstandwhatyouandyourmotherhavedonetoinveiglehim。Iknowthatyourholdonhimisquitereal。Icanseejusthowyouhaveworkedtoensnarehim!\"
\"Menwouldcallthatlying,\"saidElnoracalmly。
\"ThesecondtimeImetPhilipAmmonhetoldmeofhisengagementtoyou,andIrespectedit。IdidbyyouasIwouldwantyoutodobyme。Hewasherepartsofeachday,almostdailylastsummer。TheAlmightyismywitnessthatneveronce,bywordorlook,didIevermaketheslightestattempttointeresthiminmypersonorpersonality。Hewroteyoufrequentlyinmypresence。
Heforgotthevioletsforwhichheaskedtosendyou。
Igatheredthemandcarriedthemtohim。Isenthimbacktoyouinunswervingdevotion,andtheAlmightyisalsomywitnessthatIcouldhavechangedhisheartlastsummer,ifIhadtried。Iwiselyleftthatworkforyou。AllmylifeIshallbegladthatIlivedandworkedonthesquare。
Thatheeverwouldcomebacktomefree,byyouract,Ineverdreamed。WhenheleftmeIdidnothopeorexpecttoseehimagain,\"Elnora\'svoicefellsoftandlow,\"
and,behold!Yousenthim——andfree!\"
\"Youexultinthat!\"criedEdithCarr。\"Letmetellyouheisnotfree!Wehavebelongedforyears。
Wealwaysshall。Ifyouclingtohim,andholdhimtorashthingshehassaidanddone,becausehethoughtmestillangryandunforgivingwithhim,youwillruinallourlives。
Ifhemarriedyou,beforeamonthyouwouldreadheart-hungerformeinhiseyes。Hecouldnotlovemeashehasdone,andgivemeupforalittlescenelikethat!\"
\"Thereisagreatpoem,\"saidElnora,\"onelineofwhichreads,`Foreachmankillsthethingheloves。\'Letmetellyouthatawomancandothatalso。Hedidloveyou——thatIconcede。Butyoukilledhisloveeverlastingly,whenyoudisgracedhiminpublic。Killeditsocompletelyhedoesnotevenfeelresentmenttowardyou。To-day,hewoulddoyouafavour,ifhecould;butloveyou,no!
Thatisover!\"
EdithCarrstoodtrulyregalandfilledwithscorn。
\"Youaremistaken!Nothingonearthcouldkillthat!\"
shecried,andElnorasawthatthegirlreallybelievedwhatshesaid。
\"Youareverysureofyourself!\"saidElnora。
\"Ihavereasontobesure,\"answeredEdithCarr。
\"Wehavelivedandlovedtoolong。Ihavehadyearswithhimtomatchagainstyourdays。Heismine!
Hiswork,hisambitions,hisfriends,hisplaceinsocietyarewithme。Youmayhaveasummercharmforasickmaninthecountry;ifhetriedplacingyouinsociety,hesoonwouldseeyouasotherswill。Ittakesbirthtoposition,schooling,andendlesspracticetomeetsocialdemandsgracefully。Youwouldputhimtoshameinaweek。\"
\"IscarcelythinkIshouldfollowyourexamplesofar,\"
saidElnoradryly。\"IhaveafeelingforPhilipthatwouldpreventmyhurtinghimpurposely,eitherinpublicorprivate。Asformanagingasocialcareerforhimhenevermentionedthathedesiredsuchathing。WhatheaskedofmewasthatIshouldbehiswife。Iunderstoodthattomeanthathedesiredmetokeephimacleanhouse,servehimdigestiblefood,motherhischildren,andgivehimlovingsympathyandtenderness。\"
\"Shameless!\"criedEdithCarr。
\"Towhichofusdoyouintendthatadjectivetoapply?\"
inquiredElnora。\"Ineverwaslessashamedinallmylife。
PleaserememberIaminmyownhome,andyourpresencehereisnotonmyinvitation。\"
MissCarrliftedherheadandstruggledwithherveil。
Shewasverypaleandtremblingviolently,whileElnorastoodserene,afaintsmileonherlips。
\"Suchvulgarity!\"pantedEdithCarr。\"HowcanamanlikePhilipendureit?\"
\"Whydon\'tyouaskhim?\"inquiredElnora。\"Icancallhimwithonebreath;but,ifhejudgedusaswestand,Ishouldnotbetheonetotrembleathisdecision。
MissCarr,youhavebeenquiteplain。Youhavetoldmeincarefullyselectedwordswhatyouthinkofme。
Youinsultmybirth,education,appearance,andhome。
IassureyouIamlegitimate。Iwillpassatestexaminationwithyouonanyhighschoolorsupplementarybranch,orFrenchorGerman。Iwilltakeaphysicalexaminationbesideyou。Iwillfaceanysocialemergencyyoucanmentionwithyou。IamacquaintedwithawholeworldinwhichPhilipAmmoniskeenlyinterested,thatyouscarcelyknowexists。Iamnotafraidtofaceanyaudienceyoucangettogetheranywherewithmyviolin。
Iamnotrepulsivetolookat,andIhaveawholesomeregardfortheproprietiesandcivilitiesoflife。PhilipAmmonneveraskedanythingmoreofme,whyshouldyou?\"
\"Itisplaintosee,\"criedEdithCarr,\"thatyoutookhimwhenhewashurtandangryandkepthiswoundwideopen。
Oh,whathaveyounotdoneagainstme?\"
\"Ididnotpromisetomarryhimwhenanhouragoheaskedme,andofferedmethisring,becausetherewassomuchfeelinginmyheartforyou,thatIknewInevercouldbehappy,ifIfeltthatinanywayIhadfailedindoingjusticetoyourinterests。Ididsliponthisring,whichhehadjustbrought,becauseIneverownedone,anditisverybeautiful,butImadehimnopromise,norshallImakeany,untilIamquite,quitesure,thatyoufullyrealizeheneverwouldmarryyouifIsenthimawaythishour。\"
\"Youknowperfectlythatifyourpunyholdonhimwerebroken,ifhewerebackinhishome,amonghisfriends,andwherehewasmeetingme,inoneshortweekhewouldbemineagain,ashealwayshasbeen。Inyourheartyoudon\'tbelievewhatyousay。Youdon\'tdaretrusthiminmypresence。Youareafraidtoallowhimoutofyoursight,becauseyouknowwhattheresultswouldbe。Rightorwrong,youhavemadeupyourmindtoruinhimandme,andyouaregoingtobeselfishenoughtodoit。But——\"
\"Thatwilldo!\"saidElnora。\"SparemetheenumerationofhowIwillregretit。Ishallregretnothing。
IshallnotactuntilIknowtherewillbenothingtoregret。
Ihavedecidedonmycourse。Youmayreturntoyourfriends。\"
\"Whatdoyoumean?\"demandedEdithCarr。
\"Thatismyaffair,\"repliedElnora。\"Onlythis!
Whenyouropportunitycomes,seizeit!AnytimeyouareinPhilipAmmon\'spresence,exertthecharmsofwhichyouboast,andtakehim。Igrantyouarejustifiedindoingitifyoucan。IwantnothingmorethanIwanttoseeyoumarryPhilipifhewantsyou。Heisjustacrossthefenceunderthatautomobile。Gospreadyourmeshesandexertyourwiles。Iwon\'tstirtostopyou。TakehimtoOnabasha,andtoChicagowithyou。Useeveryartyoupossess。
IftheoldcharmcanberevivedIwillbethefirsttowishbothofyouwell。Now,Imustreturntomyvisitors。
Kindlyexcuseme。\"
Elnoraturnedandwentbacktothearbour。EdithCarrfollowedthefenceandpassedthroughthegateintothewestwoodswheresheaskedHendersonaboutthecar。
Asshestoodnearhimshewhispered:\"TakePhilbacktoOnabashawithus。\"
\"Isay,Ammon,can\'tyougotothecitywithusandhelpmefindashopwhereIcangetthispinionfixed?\"
askedHenderson。\"Wewanttolunchandstartbackbyfive。
Thatwillgetushomeaboutmidnight。Whydon\'tyoubringyourautomobilehere?\"
\"Iamaworkingman,\"saidPhilip。\"Ihavenotimetobeoutmotoring。Ican\'tseeanythingthematterwithyourcar,myself;but,ofcourseyoudon\'twanttobreakdowninthenight,onstrangeroads,withwomenonyourhands。
I\'llsee。\"
Philipwentintothearbour,wherePollytookpossessionofhislap,fingeredhishair,andkissedhisforeheadandlips。
\"Whenareyoucomingtothecottage,Phil?\"sheasked。
\"Comesoon,andbringMissComstockforavisit。Allofuswillbesogladtohaveher。\"
PhilipbeamedonPolly。\"I\'llseeaboutthat,\"hesaid。
\"Soundsprettygood。Elnora,Hendersonisintroublewithhisautomobile。HewantsmetogotoOnabashawithhimtoshowhimwherethedoctorlives,andmakerepairssohecanstartbackthisevening。Itwilltakeabouttwohours。MayIgo?\"
\"Ofcourse,youmustgo,\"shesaid,laughinglightly。
\"Youcan\'tleaveyoursister。Whydon\'tyoureturntoChicagowiththem?Thereisplentyofroom,andyoucouldhaveafinevisit。\"
\"I\'llbebackinjusttwohours,\"saidPhilip。\"WhileI
amgone,youbethinkingoverwhatweweretalkingofwhenthefolkscame。\"
\"MissComstockcangowithusaswellasnot,\"saidPolly。
\"Thatbackseatwasmadeforthree,andIcansitonyourlap。\"
\"Comeon!Docome!\"urgedPhilipinstantly,andTomLeveringjoinedhim,butHendersonandEdithsilentlywaitedatthegate。
\"No,thankyou,\"laughedElnora。\"Thatwouldcrowdyou,andit\'swarmanddusty。Wewillsaygood-byehere。\"
Sheofferedherhandtoallofthem,andwhenshecametoPhilipshegavehimonelongsteadylookintheeyes,thenshookhandswithhimalso。
CHAPTERXXIII
WHEREINELNORAREACHESADECISION,ANDFRECKLESANDTHEANGELAPPEAR
Well,shecame,didn\'tshe?\"remarkedMrs。ComstocktoElnoraastheywatchedtheautomobilespeeddowntheroad。AsitturnedtheLimberlostcorner,Philiparoseandwavedtothem。
\"Shehasn\'tgothimyet,anyway,\"saidMrs。Comstock,takingheart。\"What\'sthatonyourfinger,andwhatdidshesaytoyou?\"
Elnoraexplainedabouttheringasshedrewitoff。
\"Ihaveseveralletterstowrite,thenIamgoingtochangemydressandwalkdowntowardAuntMargaret\'sforalittleexercise。Imaymeetsomeofthem,andIdon\'twantthemtoseethisring。YoukeepituntilPhilipcomes,\"saidElnora。\"AsforwhatMissCarrsaidtome,manythings,twoofimportance:one,thatIlackedeverysocialrequirementnecessaryforthehappinessofPhilipAmmon,andthatifImarriedhimIwouldseeinsideamonththathewasashamedofme——\"
\"Aw,shockins!\"scornedMrs。Comstock。\"Goon!\"
\"Theotherwasthatshehasbeenengagedtohimforyears,thathebelongstoher,andsherefusestogivehimup。Shesaidthatifhewereinherpresenceonehour,shewouldhavehimunderamysteriousthingshecalls`herspell\'again;ifhewerewhereshecouldseehimforoneweek,everythingwouldbemadeup。Itisheropinionthatheissufferingfromwoundedpride,andthattheslightestconcessiononherpartwillbringhimtohiskneesbeforeher。\"
Mrs。Comstockgiggled。\"Idohopetheboyisn\'tweak-kneed,\"
shesaid。\"Ijusthappenedtobepassingthewestwindowthisafternoon——\"
Elnoralaughed。\"Nothingsaveactualknowledgeeverwouldhavemademebelievetherewasagirlinallthisworldsoinfatuatedwithherself。Shespeakscasuallyofherpowerovermen,andboastsof`bringingamantohisknees\'ascomplacentlyasIwouldpickupanetandsay:
`Iamgoingtotakeabutterfly。\'ShehonestlybelievesthatifPhilipwerewithherashorttimeshecouldrekindlehisloveforherandawakeninhimeveryparticleoftheolddevotion。Mother,thegirlishonest!Sheisabsolutelysincere!ShesobelievesinherselfandthestrengthofPhil\'sloveforher,thatallherlifeshewillbelieveinandbroodoverthatthought,unlesssheistaughtdifferently。Solongasshethinksthat,shewillnursewrongideasandpineoverherblightedlife。ShemustbetaughtthatPhilisabsolutelyfree,andyethewillnotgotoher。\"
\"Buthowonearthareyouproposingtoteachherthat?\"
\"Thewaywillopen。\"
\"Lookeyhere,Elnora!\"criedMrs。Comstock。\"ThatCarrgirlisthehandsomestdarkwomanIeversaw。She\'sgottotheplacewhereshewon\'tstopatanything。Hercominghereprovesthat。Idon\'tbelievetherewasathingthematterwiththatautomobile。IthinkthatwasaschemeshefixeduptogetPhilwhereshecouldseehimalone,assheworkedtoseeyou。IfyouaregoingdeliberatelytoputPhilipunderherinfluenceagain,you\'vegottobraceyourselfforthepossibilitythatshemaywin。
Amanisaweakmortal,wherealovelywomanisconcerned,andheneverdeniedthathelovedheronce。Youmaymakeyourselfdownrightmiserable。\"
\"Butmother,ifshewon,itwouldn\'tmakemehalfsomiserableastomarryPhilmyself,andthenreadhungerforherinhiseyes!Someonehasgottosufferoverthis。
Ifitprovestobeme,I\'llbearit,andyou\'llneverhearawhisperofcomplaintfromme。IknowtherealPhilipAmmonbetterinourmonthsofworkinthefieldsthansheknowshiminallheryearsofsocietyengagements。
Sosheshallhavethehoursheasked,many,manyofthem,enoughtomakeheracknowledgethatsheiswrong。
NowIamgoingtowritemylettersandtakemywalk。\"
Elnorathrewherarmsaroundhermotherandkissedherrepeatedly。\"Don\'tyouworryaboutme,\"shesaid。
\"Iwillgetalongallright,andwhateverhappens,Ialwayswillbeyourgirlandyoumydarlingmother。\"
Shelefttwosealednotesonherdesk。Thenshechangedherdress,packedasmallbundlewhichshedroppedwithherhatfromthewindowbesidethewillow,andsoftlywentdownstairs。Mrs。Comstockwasinthegarden。Elnorapickedupthehatandbundle,hurrieddowntheroadafewrods,thenclimbedthefenceandenteredthewoods。Shetookadiagonalcourse,andafteralongwalkreachedaroadtwomileswestandonesouth。
Thereshestraightenedherclothing,putonherhatandathindarkveilandwaitedthepassingofthenexttrolley。
SheleftitatthefirsttownandtookatrainforFortWayne。
Shemadethatpointjustintimetoclimbontheeveningtrainnorth,asitpulledfromthestation。ItwasaftermidnightwhensheleftthecaratGrandRapids,andwentintothedepottoawaitthecomingofday。
Tiredout,shelaidherheadonherbundleandfellasleeponaseatinthewomen\'swaiting-room。Longafterlightshewasawakenedbytheroarandrattleoftrains。Shewashed,re-arrangedherhairandclothing,andwentintothegeneralwaiting-roomtofindherwaytothestreet。Shesawhimasheenteredthedoor。Therewasnomistakingthetall,lithefigure,thebrighthair,thelean,brown-splotchedface,thesteadygrayeyes。Hewasdressedfortravelling,andcarriedalightovercoatandabag。StraighttohimElnorawentspeeding。
\"Oh,Iwasjuststartingtofindyou!\"shecried。
\"Thankyou!\"hesaid。
\"Youaregoingaway?\"shepanted。
\"NotifIamneeded。Ihaveafewminutes。Canyoubetellingmebriefly?\"
\"IamtheLimberlostgirltowhomyourwifegavethedressforCommencementlastspring,andbothofyousentlovelygifts。Thereisareason,averygoodreason,whyI
mustbehiddenforatime,andIcamestraighttoyou——asifIhadaright。\"
\"Youhave!\"answeredFreckles。\"AnyboyorgirlwhoeversufferedonepangintheLimberlosthasaclaimtothebestdropofbloodinmyheart。Youneedn\'tbetellingmeanythingmore。TheAngelisatourcottageonMackinac。Youshalltellherandplaywiththebabieswhileyouwantshelter。Thisway!\"
Theybreakfastedinaluxuriouscar,talkedovertheswamp,theworkoftheBirdWoman;Elnoratoldofhernaturelecturesintheschools,andsoontheyweregoodfriends。IntheeveningtheyleftthetrainatMackinawCityandcrossedtheStraitsbyboat。Sheetsofwhitemoonlightfloodedthewaterandpavedamoltenpathacrossthebreastofitstraighttothefaceofthemoon。
Theislandlayadarkspotonthesilversurface,itstalltreessharplyoutlinedonthesummit,andamillionlightsblinkedaroundtheshore。Thenightgunsboomedfromthewhitefortandadarksentinelpacedtherampartsabovethelittlecitytuckeddownclosetothewater。
Agreattenorsummeringinthenorthcameoutontheupperdeckofthebigboat,andbaringhishead,facedthemoonandsang:\"Oh,themoonshinesbrightonmyoldKentuckyhome!\"ElnorathoughtoftheLimberlost,ofPhilip,andhermother,andalmostchokedwiththesobsthatwouldariseinherthroat。OnthedockawomanofexquisitebeautysweptintothearmsofTerenceO\'More。
\"Oh,Freckles!\"shecried。\"You\'vebeengoneamonth!\"
\"Fourdays,Angel,onlyfourdaysbytheclock,\"
remonstratedFreckles。\"Wherearethechildren?\"
\"Asleep!Thankgoodness!I\'mworntoathread。Ineversawsuchinventive,activechildren。Ican\'tkeeptrackofthem!\"
\"Ihavebroughtyouhelp,\"saidFreckles。\"HereistheLimberlostgirlinwhomtheBirdWomanisinterested。
MissComstockneedsarestbeforebeginningherschoolworkfornextyear,soshecametous。\"
\"Youdearthing!Howgoodofyou!\"criedtheAngel。
\"Weshallbesohappytohaveyou!\"
Inherroomthatnight,inabeautifulcottagefurnishedwitheveryluxury,ElnoraliftedatiredfacetotheAngel。
\"Ofcourse,youunderstandthereissomethingbackofthis?\"shesaid。\"Imusttellyou。\"
\"Yes,\"agreedtheAngel。\"Tellme!Ifyougetitoutofyoursystem,youwillstandabetterchanceofsleeping。\"
Elnorastoodbrushingthecopper-brightmassesofherhairasshetalked。WhenshefinishedtheAngelwasalmosthysterical。
\"Youinsanecreature!\"shecried。\"Howcrazyofyoutoleavehimtoher!Iknowbothofthem。Ihavemetthemoften。Shemaybeabletomakegoodherboast。
Butitisperfectlysplendidofyou!And,afterall,reallyitistheonlyway。Icanseethat。IthinkitiswhatI
shouldhavedonemyself,ortriedtodo。Idon\'tknowthatIcouldhavedoneit!WhenIthinkofwalkingawayandleavingFreckleswithawomanheonceloved,toletherseeifshecanmakehimloveheragain,oh,itgivesmeagraveyardheart。No,Inevercouldhavedoneit!YouarebiggerthanIeverwas。Ishouldhaveturnedcoward,sure。\"
\"Iamacoward,\"admittedElnora。\"Iamsoul-sick!
IamafraidIshalllosemysensesbeforethisisover。
Ididn\'twanttocome!Iwantedtostay,togostraightintohisarms,tobindmyselfwithhisring,tolovehimwithallmyheart。Itwasn\'tmyfaultthatIcame。
Therewassomethinginsidethatjustpushedme。Sheisbeautiful——\"
\"Iquiteagreewithyou!\"
\"Youcanimaginehowfascinatingshecanbe。Sheusednoartsonme。Herpurposewastocowerme。Shefoundshecouldnotdothat,butshedidathingwhichhelpedhermore:sheprovedthatshewashonest,perfectlysincereinwhatshethought。ShebelievesthatifshemerelybeckonstoPhilip,hewillgotoher。SoIamgivinghertheopportunitytolearnfromhimwhathewilldo。
Sheneverwillbelieveitfromanyoneelse。Whensheissatisfied,Ishallbealso。\"
\"But,child!Supposeshewinshimback!\"
\"ThatisthesuppositionwithwhichIshalleatandsleepforthecomingfewweeks。Wouldonedareaskforapeepatthebabiesbeforegoingtobed?\"
\"Now,youareperfect!\"announcedtheAngel。\"InevershouldhavelikedyouallIcan,ifyouhadbeencontenttogotosleepinthishousewithoutaskingtoseethebabies。Comethisway。Wenamedthefirstboyforhisfather,ofcourse,andthegirlforAuntAlice。
Thenextboyisnamedformyfather,andthebabyfortheBirdWoman。Afterthiswearegoingtobranchout。\"
Elnorabegantolaugh。
\"Oh,Isuspecttherewillbequiteanumberofthem,\"
saidtheAngelserenely。\"Iamtoldthemoretherearethelesstroubletheymake。Thebigonestakecareofthelittleones。Wewantalargefamily。Thisisourstart。\"
Sheenteredadarkroomandheldaloftacandle。Shewenttothesideofasmallwhiteironbedinwhichlayaboyofeightandanotherofthree。Theywereperfectlyformed,rosychildren,theelderareplicaofhismother,theotherverylike。Thentheycametoacradlewhereababygirlofalmosttwosleptsoundly,andmadeapicture。
\"Butjustseehere!\"saidtheAngel。Shethrewthelightonasleepinggirlofsix。Amassofredcurlssweptthepillow。LineandfeaturethefacewasthatofFreckles。
Withoutasking,Elnoraknewthecolourandexpressionoftheclosedeyes。TheAngelhandedElnorathecandle,andstooping,straightenedthechild\'sbody。Sheranherfingersthroughthebrightcurls,andlightlytouchedthearistocraticlittlenose。
\"Thesupplyoffrecklesholdsoutinmyfamily,yousee!\"
shesaid。\"Bothofthegirlswillhavethem,andthesecondboyafew。\"
Shestoodaninstantlonger,thenbending,ranherhandcaressinglydownarosybareleg,whileshekissedthebabyishredmouth。Therehadbeensomereasonfortouchingallofthem,thekissfellonthelipswhichwerelikeFreckles\'s。
ToElnorashesaidatendergood-night,whisperingbravewordsofencouragementandmakingplanstofillthedaystocome。Thenshewentaway。Anhourlatertherewasalighttaponthegirl\'sdoor。
\"Come!\"shecalledasshelaystaringintothedark。
TheAngelfeltherwaytothebedside,satdownandtookElnora\'shands。
\"Ijusthadtocomebacktoyou,\"shesaid。\"IhavebeentellingFreckles,andheisalmosthurtinghimselfwithlaughing。Ididn\'tthinkitwasfunny,buthedoes。
Hethinksit\'sthefunniestthingthateverhappened。
HesaysthattorunawayfromMr。Ammon,whenyouhadmadehimnopromiseatall,whenhewasn\'tsureofyou,won\'tsendhimhometoher;itwillsethimhuntingyou!
HesaysifyouhadcombinedthewisdomofSolomon,Socrates,andalltheremainderofthewisemen,youcouldn\'thavechosenanycoursethatwouldhavesealedhimtoyousosurely。HefeelsthatnowMr。Ammonwillperfectlyhateherforcomingdownthereanddrivingyouaway。Andyouwenttogiveherthechanceshewanted。
Oh,Elnora!Itisbecomingfunny!Iseeit,too!\"
TheAngelrockedonthebedside。Elnorafacedthedarkinsilence。
\"Forgiveme,\"gulpedtheAngel。\"Ididn\'tmeantolaugh。
Ididn\'tthinkitwasfunny,untilallatonceitcametome。Oh,dear!Elnora,itfunny!I\'vegottolaugh!\"
\"Maybeitis,\"admittedElnora\"toothers;butitisn\'tveryfunnytome。Anditwon\'tbetoPhilip,ortomother。\"
Thatwasverytrue。Mrs。Comstockhadbeenslightlypreparedforstringentactionofsomekind,bywhatElnorahadsaid。Themotherinstantlyhadguessedwherethegirlwouldgo,butnothingwassaidtoPhilip。ThatwouldhavebeentoinvalidateElnora\'stestinthebeginning,andMrs。ComstockknewherchildwellenoughtoknowthatsheneverwouldmarryPhilipunlessshefeltitrightthatsheshould。Theonlywaywastofindout,andElnorahadgonetoseektheinformation。Therewasnothingtodobutwaituntilshecameback,andhermotherwasnotintheleastuneasybutthatthegirlwouldreturnbraveandself-reliant,asalways。
PhilipAmmonhurriedbacktotheLimberlost,stronginthehopethatnowhemighttakeElnoraintohisarmsandreceiveherpromisetobecomehiswife。Hisfirstshockofdisappointmentcamewhenhefoundhergone。
IntalkingwithMrs。ComstockhelearnedthatEdithCarrhadmadeanopportunitytospeakwithElnoraalone。
Hehasteneddowntheroadtomeether,comingbackalone,anagitatedman。Thensearchrevealedthenotes。Hisread:
DEARPHILIP:
IfindthatIamnevergoingtobeabletoansweryourquestionofthisafternoonfairlytoallofus,whenyouarewithme。SoIamgoingawayafewweekstothinkovermattersalone。Ishallnottellyou,orevenmother,whereIamgoing,butIshallbesafe,wellcaredfor,andhappy。Pleasegobackhomeandliveamongyourfriends,justasyoualwayshavedone,andonorbeforethefirstofSeptember,I
willwriteyouwhereIam,andwhatIhavedecided。PleasedonotblameEdithCarrforthis,anddonotavoidher。Ihopeyouwillcallonherandbefriends。Ithinksheisverysorry,andcovetsyourfriendshipatleast。UntilSeptember,then,asever,ELNORA。
Mrs。Comstock\'snotewasmuchthesame。Philipwasillwithdisappointment。Inthearbourhelaidhisheadonthetable,amongtheimplementsofElnora\'slovedwork,andgulpeddowndrysobshecouldnotrestrain。Mrs。Comstockneverhadlikedhimsowell。Herhandinvoluntarilycrepttowardhisdarkhead,thenshedrewback。Elnorawouldnotwanthertodoanythingwhatevertoinfluencehim。
\"WhatamIgoingtodotoconvinceEdithCarrthatI
donotloveher,andElnorathatIamhers?\"hedemanded。
\"Iguessyouhavetofigurethatoutyourself,\"saidMrs。Comstock。\"I\'dbegladtohelpyouifIcould,butitseemstobeuptoyou。\"
Philipsatalongtimeinsilence。\"Well,Ihavedecided!\"
hesaidabruptly。\"AreyouperfectlysureElnorahadplentyofmoneyandasafeplacetogo?\"
\"Absolutely!\"answeredMrs。Comstock。\"Shehasbeentakingcareofherselfeversinceshewasborn,andshealwayshascomeoutallright,sofar;I\'llstakeallI\'mworthonit,thatshealwayswill。Idon\'tknowwheresheis,butI\'mnotgoingtoworryabouthersafety。\"
\"Ican\'thelpworrying!\"criedPhilip。\"Icanthinkoffiftythingsthatmayhappentoherwhenshethinkssheissafe。Thisisdistracting!First,Iamgoingtorunuptoseemyfather。Then,I\'llletyouknowwhatwehavedecided。IsthereanythingIcandoforyou?\"
\"Nothing!\"saidMrs。Comstock。
Butthedesiretodosomethingforhimwassostrongwithhershescarcelycouldkeepherlipsclosedorherhandsquiet。ShelongedtotellhimwhatEdithCarrhadsaid,howithadaffectedElnora,andtocomforthimasshefeltshecould。Butloyaltytothegirlheldher。IfElnoratrulyfeltthatshecouldnotdecideuntilEdithCarrwasconvinced,thenEdithCarrwouldhavetoyieldortriumph。
ItrestedwithPhilip。SoMrs。Comstockkeptsilent,whilePhiliptookthenightlimited,abitterlydisappointedman。
Bynoonthenextdayhewasinhisfather\'soffices。Theyhadalongconference,butdidnotarriveatmuchuntiltheelderAmmonsuggestedsendingforPolly。AnythingthatmighthavehappenedcouldbeexplainedafterPollyhadtoldoftheprivateconferencebetweenEdithandElnora。
\"Talkaboutlovelywoman!\"criedPhilipAmmon。\"OnewouldthinkthataftersuchadoseasEdithgaveme,shewouldbesatisfiedtoletmegomyway,butno!Notcaringformeenoughherselftosavemefrompublicdisgrace,shemustnowpursuemetokeepanyotherwomanfromlovingme。
Icallthattoomuch!Iamgoingtoseeher,andIwantyoutogowithme,father。\"
\"Verywell,\"saidMr。Ammon,\"Iwillgo。\"
WhenEdithCarrcameintoherreception-roomthatafternoon,gownedforconquest,sheexpectedonlyPhilip,andhimpenitent。Shecamehurryingtowardhim,smiling,radiant,readytouseeveryallurementshepossessed,andpausedindismaywhenshesawhiscoldfaceandhisfather。
\"Why,Phil!\"shecried。\"Whendidyoucomehome?\"
\"Iamnotathome,\"answeredPhilip。\"Imerelyranuptoseemyfatheronbusiness,andtoinquireofyouwhatitwasyousaidtoMissComstockyesterdaythatcausedhertodisappearbeforeIcouldreturntotheLimberlost。\"
\"MissComstockdisappear!Impossible!\"criedEdithCarr。
\"Wherecouldshego?\"
\"Ithoughtperhapsyoucouldanswerthat,sinceitwasthroughyouthatshewent。\"
\"Phil,Ihaven\'tthefaintestideawheresheis,\"saidthegirlgently。
\"Butyouknowperfectlywhyshewent!Kindlytellmethat。\"
\"Letmeseeyoualone,andIwill。\"
\"Hereandnow,ornotatall。\"
\"Phil!\"
\"WhatdidyousaytothegirlIlove?\"
ThenEdithCarrstretchedoutherarms。
\"Phil,Iamthegirlyoulove!\"shecried。\"Allyourlifeyouhavelovedme。Surelyitcannotbeallgoneinafewweeksofmisunderstanding。Iwasjealousofher!
Ididnotwantyoutoleavemeaninstantthatnightforanyothergirlliving。ThatwasthemothIwasrepresenting。
Everyoneknewit!Iwantedyoutobringittome。
Whenyoudidnot,Iknewinstantlyithadbeenforherthatyouworkedlastsummer,shewhosuggestedmydress,shewhohadpowertotakeyoufromme,whenI
wantedyoumost。Thethoughtdrovememad,andIsaidanddidthoseinsanethings。Phil,Ibegyourpardon!
Iaskyourforgiveness。Yesterdayshesaidthatyouhadtoldherofmeatonce。ShevowedbothofyouhadbeentruetomeandPhil,Icouldn\'tlookintohereyesandnotseethatitwasthetruth。Oh,Phil,ifyouunderstoodhowIhavesufferedyouwouldforgiveme。Phil,IneverknewhowmuchIcaredforyou!Iwilldoanything——anything!\"
\"ThentellmewhatyousaidtoElnorayesterdaythatdroveher,aloneandfriendless,intothenight,heavenknowswhere!\"
\"Youhavenothoughtforanyonesaveher?\"
\"Yes,\"saidPhilip。\"Ihave。BecauseIoncelovedyou,andbelievedinyou,myheartachesforyou。Iwillgladlyforgiveanythingyouask。Iwilldoanythingyouwant,excepttoresumeourformerrelations。Thatisimpossible。
Itishopelessanduselesstoaskit。\"
\"Youtrulymeanthat!\"
\"Yes。\"
\"ThenfindoutfromherwhatIsaid!\"
\"Come,father,\"saidPhilip,rising。
\"YouweregoingtoshowMissComstock\'slettertoEdith!\"suggestedMr。Ammon。
\"IhavenottheslightestinterestinMissComstock\'sletter,\"saidEdithCarr。
\"Youarenoteveninterestedinthefactthatshesaysyouarenotresponsibleforhergoing,andthatIamtocallonyouandbefriendswithyou?\"
\"Thatisinteresting,indeed!\"sneeredMissCarr。
Shetooktheletter,readandreturnedit。
\"Shehasdonewhatshecouldformycause,itseems,\"
shesaidcoldly。\"Howverygenerousofher!DoyouproposecallingoutPinkertonsandinstitutingageneralsearch?\"
\"No,\"repliedPhilip。\"IsimplyproposetogobacktotheLimberlostandlivewithhermother,untilElnorabecomesconvincedthatIamnotcourtingyou,andnevershallbe。Then,perhaps,shewillcomehometous。
Good-bye。Goodlucktoyoualways!\"
CHAPTERXXIV
WHEREINEDITHCARRWAGESABATTLE,ANDHARTHENDERSONSTANDSGUARD
Manypeoplelooked,afewfollowed,whenEdithCarrslowlycamedownthemainstreetofMackinac,pausinghereandtheretonotetheglowofcolourinonesmallboothafteranother,overflowingwithgaycurios。
Thatstreetofpackedwhitesand,windingwiththecurvesoftheshore,outlinedwithbrilliantshops,andthrongedwithlaughing,bare-headedpeopleinoutingcostumeswasapicturesqueandfascinatingsight。
Thousandsannuallymadelongjourneysandpaidexorbitantpricestotakepartinthatpageant。
AsEdithCarrpassed,shewasthemostdistinguishedfigureoftheoldstreet。Herclingingblackgownwassufficientlyelaborateforadinnerdress。Onherheadwasalarge,wide,drooping-brimmedblackhat,withimmensefloatingblackplumes,whileonthebrim,andamongthelacesonherbreastglowedvelvety,deepredroses。
Somewaythesemadeupforthelackofcolourinhercheeksandlips,andwhilehereyesseemedunnaturallybright,toacloseobservertheyappearedweary。Despitetheeffortshemadetomovelightlyshewasverytired,anddraggedherheavyfeetwithaneffort。
Sheturnedatthelittlestreetleadingtothedock,andwenttomeetthebiglakesteamerploughinguptheStraitsfromChicago。Pastthelandingplace,ontotheveryendofthepiershewent,thensatdown,leanedagainstadocksupportandclosedhertiredeyes。Whenthesteamercameverycloseshelanguidlywatchedthepeopleliningtherailing。Instantlyshemarkedoneleananxiousfaceturnedtowardhers,andwithathrobofpitysheliftedahandandwavedtoHartHenderson。Hewasthefirstmantoleavetheboat,comingtoherinstantly。Shespreadhertrailingskirtsandmotionedhimtositbesideher。
Silentlytheylookedacrossthesoftlylappingwater。
Atlastsheforcedherselftospeaktohim。
\"Didyouhaveasuccessfultrip?\"
\"Iaccomplishedmypurpose。\"
\"Youdidn\'tloseanytimegettingback。\"
\"IneverdowhenIamcomingtoyou。\"
\"Doyouwanttogotothecottageforanything?\"
\"No。\"
\"ThenletussithereandwaituntilthePetoskeysteamercomesin。Iliketowatchtheboats。
SometimesIstudythefaces,ifIamnottootired。\"
\"Haveyouseenanynewtypesto-day?\"
Sheshookherhead。\"Thishasnotbeenaneasyday,Hart。\"
\"Andit\'sgoingtobeworse,\"saidHendersonbitterly。
\"There\'snouseputtingitoff。Edith,Isawsomeoneto-day。\"
\"Youshouldhaveseenthousands,\"shesaidlightly。
\"Idid。Butofthemall,onlyonewillbeofinteresttoyou。\"
\"Manorwoman?\"
\"Man。\"
\"Where?\"
\"LakeShoreprivatehospital。\"
\"Anaccident?\"
\"No。Nervousandphysicalbreakdown。\"
\"PhilsaidhewasgoingbacktotheLimberlost。\"
\"Hewent。Hewastherethreeweeks,butthestrainbrokehim。Hehasanoldletterinhishandsthathehashandleduntilitisragged。Heheldituptomeandsaid:
\"Youcanseeforyourselfthatshesaysshewillbewellandhappy,butwecan\'tknowuntilweseeheragain,andthatmayneverbe。Shemayhavegonetoonearthatplaceherfatherwentdown,someofthatLimberlostgangmayhavefoundherintheforest,shemayliedeadinsomecitymorguethisinstant,waitingformetofindherbody。\"
\"Hart!Forpitysakestop!\"
\"Ican\'t,\"criedHendersondesperately。\"Iamforcedtotellyou。Theyarefightingbrainfever。Hedidgobacktotheswampandheprowleditnightandday。
Thedaysdowntherearehotnow,andthenightswetwithdewandcold。Hepaidnoattentionandforgothisfood。
Afeverstartedandhisunclebroughthimhome。
They\'veneverhadawordfromher,orfoundatraceofher。Mrs。ComstockthoughtshehadgonetoO\'Mores\'atGreatRapids,sowhenPhilbrokedownshetelegraphedthere。
Theyhadbeengoneallsummer,sohermotherisasanxiousasPhil。\"
\"TheO\'Moresarehere,\"saidEdith。\"Ihaven\'tseenanyofthem,becauseIhaven\'tgoneoutmuchinthefewdayssincewecame,butthisistheirsummerhome。\"
\"Edith,theysayatthehospitalthatitwilltakecarefulnursingtosavePhil。Heissurroundedbystacksofmapsandrailroadguides。Heistryingtoframeupaplantosettheentiredetectiveagencyofthecountrytowork。
Hesayshewillstaytherejusttwodayslonger。Thedoctorssayhewillkillhimselfwhenhegoes。Heisasickman,Edith。Hishandsareburningandshakyandhisbreathwashotagainstmyface。\"
\"Whyareyoutellingme?\"Itwasacryofacuteanguish。
\"Hethinksyouknowwheresheis。\"