CHAPTER XXII
NUMBER 526
"Mother, that was Margot!"
Mrs. Wadislaw heard but did not comprehend what Adrian was saying. Shewas flushed and panting from her rush after the retreating train andher nerves were excited.
"I'll never, never--run--for any car--in this world, again!" shegasped. "It's dangerous, and--so--so uncomfortable. My heart----"
"Poor mother! I'm sorry. I'll get you some water."
The young fellow was excited himself but on quite a different matter;yet he knew that nothing could be done for the present and that thedisturbed lady would take no interest in anything until her ownagitation was calmed.
"No, no. Don't you leave me. Touch the button. Let the porterattend--I--I am so shaken. I'll never, never do it again."
He obeyed her and sat down in the easy-chair beside her. She had beencompelled to run else they had been left behind, and she had beenhurried from the platform of that last car through the long train totheir own reserved seats in the drawing-room car.
"It was foolish; doubly so, because trains are so frequent. There wasno need for haste, anyway, was there?"
"Only this need: that when anybody accepts a dinner invitation oneshould never keep a hostess waiting."
"But when the hostess is only your own sister, and daughter?"
"One should be most punctilious in one's own family. Oh, yes. It is nolaughing matter, my son, and since you have come home and regainedyour common sense, you must regard all these seeming trifles. Half thedisagreements and discomforts of life are due to the fact that evenwell-bred people treat their own households with a rudeness theywould not dare show strangers. Now that you have given up yourcareless habits I shall take care to remind you of all these details,and expect to see you a finished society man within a twelvemonth."
"No, indeed!"
"Adrian! How can you trifle so? Now when you've so lately beenrestored to me?"
"Dearest mother, I am not trifling. I should be, though, if I meant toshine nowhere else than at a fashionable dinner-table. There, don'tlook worried. I'll try not to disgrace you, yet---- Well, I've learneda higher view of life than that. But can you hear me now? That wasMargot--woodland Margot--who saved my life!"
"Nonsense. It couldn't be."
"It surely was; and I'm going to ask you to excuse me from this onevisit so that I can go back and find her."
"Find her? If it were she, and I'm positive you are mistaken, ofcourse she is not in the city alone. Her uncle must be with her, andyour sister will be deeply hurt if you fail her this first time. At adinner, you know, there are a certain and limited number of guests.The failure of one leaves his or her partner in an awkward position.You must keep your engagement, even if---- But, Adrian?"
"Yes, mother."
"You must not exaggerate your obligations to those people. They didfor you only what anybody would do for a man lost in the woods. Bytheir own admission you were worth a great deal to that farmer. Elsehe never would have parted with eighty dollars, as he did. I shallalways prize the gold piece you brought me; indeed, I mean to haveit set in a pin and wear it. But this Maine farmer, or lumberman,or whatever he is, just drop him out of mind. His very name isobjectionable to me, and you must never mention it before your father.Years ago there was a--well, something unpleasant with some people;and, please oblige me by--by not being disagreeable now. After all myanxiety while you were gone and about your father's health, I think--Ireally----"
Adrian slipped his arm across the back of the lady's chair and smiledupon her, lovingly. He was trying his utmost to make up to her and allhis family for whatever they had suffered because of his former"misdeeds." He had come home full of high resolves and had had hissincerity immediately tested by his father's demanding that:
"If you are in earnest, if you intend to do a son's part by us, goback into the bank and learn a good business. This 'art' you talkabout, what is it? But the shifty resource of a lot of idle fellows.Get down to business. Dollars are what count, in this world. Putyourself in a place where you can make them, and while I am alive toaid you."
Adrian's whole nature rebelled against this command, yet he had obeyedit. And he had inwardly resolved that, outside the duties of hisclerkship, his time was his own and should be devoted to his belovedpainting.
"After all, some of the world's finest pictures have been done bythose whose leisure was scant. If it's in me it will have to come out.Some time, in some way, I'll live my own life in spite of all."
It had hurt him, too, a little that his people so discouraged allhistory of his wanderings.
All of his sisters were married and well-connected, and one of themvoiced the opinion of all, when she said:
"Your running away, or your behaving so that you had to be sent away,is quite disgrace enough. That you are back safe, and sensible, is allany of us care to know."
But because he was forbidden to talk of his forest experiences hedwelt upon them all the more in his own mind; and this afternoon'sglimpse of Margot's sunny head had awakened all his former interest.Why was she in New York? Was the "master" with her? He, of whomhis own mother spoke in such ignorant contempt, as a "farmer," a"lumberman," yet who was the most finished scholar and gentleman thatAdrian had ever met.
"Well, I can't get home till after that wretched dinner, and I shouldhave to wait for the next train, anyway, even if the 'mater' would letme off. I've promised myself to make her happy, dear little woman, ifI can, and sulking over my own disappointments isn't the way to dothat," he reflected. So he roused himself to talk of other matters,and naturally of the sister at whose home they were to dine.
"I don't see what made Kate ever marry a warden of state's prison. Ishould think life in such a place would be hateful."
"That shows how little you know about it, and what a revelation thisvisit will be to you. Why, my dear, she has a beautiful home, withhorses and carriages at her disposal; her apartments are finelyfurnished and she has one comfort that I have not, or fewhousekeepers in fact."
"What is that?"
"As many servants as she requires, and at no expense to herself.Servants who are absolutely obedient, thoroughly trained, and never'giving notice.'"
"I do not understand."
"They are the convicts. Why, they even have an orchestra to play attheir entertainments, also of convicts; the musical ones to whom theplaying is a great reward and treat. I believe they are to playto-night."
"Horror! I hope not. I don't want to be served by any poor fellow outof a cell."
"You'll not think about that. Not after a little. I don't at all, now,though I used to, sometimes, when they were first in office. It's oddthat though they've lived at Sing Sing for two years you've not beenthere yet."
"Not so odd, little mother. Kate and I never get along together verywell. She's too dictatorial. Besides, she was always coming home andI saw her there. I had no hankering after a prison, myself. Andspeaking of disgrace, I feel that her living in such a place is worsethan anything I ever did."
"Adrian, for a boy who has ordinary intelligence you do say thestrangest things. The office of warden is an honorable one and wellpaid."
The lad smiled and his mother hastily added:
"Besides, it gives an opportunity for befriending the unhappyprisoners. Why, there is a man----"
She hesitated, looked fixedly at her son as if considering her nextwords, then concluded, rather lamely:
"But you'll see."
She opened her novel and began to read and Adrian also busied himselfwith the evening paper; and presently the station was reached and theyleft the train.
A carriage was in waiting for them, driven by men in livery, andaltogether quite smart enough to warrant his mother's satisfaction asthey stepped into it and were whirled away to the prison.
But as he had been forewarned, there was no suggestion of anythingrepulsive in the charming apartments they entered, and his sister'sgreeting was sufficiently affectionate to make him feel that he hadm
isjudged her in the past.
All the guests were in dinner dress and Adrian was appointed to takein his own mother, Kate having decided that this would be a happysurprise to both parties. They had been the last to arrive and as soonas greetings were over the meal was immediately served; but on theirway toward the dining-room, Mrs. Wadislaw pressed her son's arm andnodded significantly toward the leader of the palm-hidden orchestra.
"Take a look at that man."
"Yes. Who is he?"
"A convict, life sentence. Number 526. He plays divinely, violin.But----"
Again she hesitated and looked sharply into Adrian's face. Should she,or should she not, tell him the rest? Yes. She must; it would be thesurest, shortest way of curing his infatuation for those wood people.Her boy had spoken of this Margot as a child, yet with profound loveand admiration. It would be as well to nip any nonsense of that sortin the bud. There was only a moment left, they were already takingtheir places at the elegantly appointed table, and she whispered therest:
"He is in for robbery and manslaughter,--your own father the victim.His name is Philip Romeyn, and your woodland nonpareil is hisdaughter."