CHAPTER VII
DAFFODIL'S NEW WORLD
Their first stage was in the coach. There was really quite a caravanfor the weather was very pleasant for such a trip. Mrs. Craig fussed alittle in a motherly way, and M. de Ronville watched her attentively,fearful she might give way to tears. But she had a stunned,incredulous feeling. Two men in the coach were arguing about thefeasibility of Philadelphia becoming the capital of the Nation. Itshould never have gone to New York, which, after all, had been a nestof Tories.
One of the men recalled grandad to her mind and she could not forbeara vague little smile. It roused her to an amused interest and sheasked M. de Ronville in a low tone which was right.
"The stout man is right, but he might be less dogmatic about it. Iwondered at its going so far North."
Mrs. Craig was quite chatty and a very sensible body who saw severalamusing things outside of the coach. All the passengers had broughtluncheons along and they stopped by a wayside spring for a refreshingdrink and to water the horses. Most of the travellers took a littlewalk around to rest their limbs. And then on again. The afternoonseemed long to Daffodil, though M. de Ronville entertained her withsome reminiscences of the war and before that time, and how queer andunpromising the first beginnings were, and about William Penn, whosedream and desire had been "A fair roomy city with houses set ingardens of greenery," and Benjamin Franklin, who had done so muchbrave work for the country.
The post road had been made very tolerable. The darkness dropped downand the woods seemed full of strange things that made her shiver. Thenthey stopped at an inn--taverns they were called in those days--andhad a good supper.
"Are you very tired?" asked M. de Ronville with much solicitude.
"Not so much tired as stiff. I think I never sat still so long even atschool," and she smiled.
"It's a rather long journey, and I hope," he was going to say, "youwill not be homesick," but checked himself and added, "that you willnot get clear tired out. I will see if we cannot get some horses forto-morrow. That will make a change."
"Oh, I shall like that," her face in a glow of pleasure.
The supper was very good and she was healthily hungry. Mrs. Craigfound some amusement to keep up the little girl's spirits, and shefared very well until she was safe in bed beside her kind companion.Then she turned her face to the wall and her mind went back to all thenights in her short life when she had been kissed and cuddled bymother or grandmere, or for the last ten days by Norry, and now shesuddenly realized what the separation meant.
The glamour was gone. She could not go back. Oh, why had she come! Shewanted to fly to the dear ones. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve ofher nightdress, and sighed very softly, but she need not have minded,for Mrs. Craig was gently snoring.
The next morning was bright and clear, but she wondered where she waswhen Mrs. Craig spoke to her. What a little bit of a room and a tinbasin to wash in!
"I hope you slept well. And I never dreamed a word! What a shame, whenyour dreams in a strange place come true--but you wouldn't want a baddream to come true."
"No," in a very sober tone.
There was noise enough, but it was not the familiar home tones andFelix bustling about. Daffodil made a great effort to restrain herfeelings and laughed a little at some of the sallies.
M. de Ronville was pacing up and down the hall, and he held out bothhands, but his eyes wore an anxious expression.
"My dear little girl, I could not help thinking last night that it wasvery selfish of me to want to take you away from your home and thosewho love you so dearly just for a bit of pleasure to myself. Did yougo to sleep thinking hard thoughts of me?"
She raised her lovely eyes, but the face was sweet and grave.
"Oh, you know I need not have come unless I had wanted to. I didn'tthink it would be so--so hard," and there was a little quiver in hervoice.
"And are you sorry? Do you want to go back?"
"No," she answered with a certain bravery. "I like you very much andyou want to do the things that please those you care a great deal for.And I want to see the beautiful city and the wonderful places wherethings have happened. And I am going to be very happy, only I shallthink of them all at home."
"That is right. And I am going to do all I can to make you happy. Thejourney will be tiresome--I have seldom had to take any delicateperson into consideration and I didn't think----"
"Oh, I shall not get tired out," laughing with some of her oldenspirit.
He had been upbraiding himself during the night for his covetousdesire of having her a little longer. Yes, he would have been glad ifshe was in reality his ward, if she were some friendless, homelesschild that he could take to his heart for all time. There were manyof them who would be glad and thankful for the shelter. But he wantedthis one.
The riding for awhile was a pleasant change, and they talked ofthemselves, of M. de Ronville's home, one of the early old houseswhere he had lived for years, alone with the servants. She had heardmost of it before, but she liked to go over it again.
"I wonder why you didn't marry and have children of your own," andthere was a cadence of regret in her tone that touched him.
"I supposed I would. But year after year passed by and then I grewsettled in my ways, and satisfied. I was a great reader."
"Oh, I wonder if I shall disturb you?" and there is a charm in heraccent that warms his heart. "You must have seen that we live soaltogether, that word just expresses it, as if all our interests werejust the same. And they are. And I shall be--strange. Is thehousekeeper nice?"
"Well--a little formal and dignified perhaps. Mrs. Jarvis. And she isa widow without children. Then there is Jane, quite a young woman. Ofcourse, Chloe belongs to the kitchen department. And there is a youngman."
There is no new accession of interest. She only says--"And is that allin a great big house?"
"Oh, there are visitors at times. I've had General Lafayette andCount de Grasse and not a few of our own brave men. But they havelargely dispersed now, and sometimes I have a rather lonely feeling. Isuppose I am getting old."
"Oh, I don't know how any one can live without folks, real folks oftheir very own," she said with emphasis.
"Yet, the friends have ties and interests elsewhere, and you have noclose claim on them. It is not a good thing. Suppose grandfatherDuvernay had been all alone those later years."
"Oh, I don't believe he could have lived. He was so fond of us all.And I loved him so. But I couldn't truly think he had gone away. Iused to sit on the arm of the chair and talk to him. Do you know justwhere they go, and can't they come back for a little while? Oh, I knowmother would. She couldn't stay away!"
Her eyes had a beautiful expression, almost as if she had a vision ofthe other world.
"Oh, he was to be envied," exclaimed de Ronville, with deep feeling.His own life looked lonelier than ever.
By noon she was glad to go back to the coach. It had changed some ofits passengers and there were two children that attracted Daffodil'sinterest and put her in a still more charming light.
It was a long and tiresome journey with one wild storm and somecloudy days, but at last they reached the much desired city, and weredriven out to the end of Broad Street. It was still the "greenecountry towne," although it had taken on city ways. This house stoodthen in the midst of greenery, having a garden on both sides, onedevoted to choice fruit, the other to flowers and a sort of kitchengarden. It was a square brick house with green blinds, a wide doorway,and a hall running through the centre.
Mrs. Jarvis answered the summons herself.
"A hundred warm welcomes, my dear friend," she said most cordially."We have missed you so much. I hope you are well?"
"Quite worn with the journey. And this is my ward--Miss DaffodilCarrick."
She held out her hand to the young girl and smiled at the attractiveface.
"Will you go upstairs at once? There will be time for a rest beforesupper. Oh, sir, you can hardly think how glad we are to get youbac
k."
The hall and stairs seemed to Daffodil as if they were carpeted withmoss. Four rooms opened on the upper hall. Jules had his master'sportmanteau as well as that of the girl, which he set down at theopposite door. Mrs. Jarvis led her in.
"This is my room and you see there is a connecting doorway so you neednot feel lonely. You must be tired with the dreadful journey. Howpeople ever ventured before there was a post road I can't imagine. Yetthere are families going out to Ohio and Kentucky, as if there was notland enough here to settle. Now I'll send up Jane with some warm waterthat will refresh you very much. And then you had better take a rest.Supper is at six. You have nearly two hours."
Left to herself Daffodil took a survey of the room. It looked quitesplendid to her untrained eyes with its soft carpet, its prettychairs, its bedstead and bureau of light wood, its clock and tallcandlesticks on the mantel, and the dressing mirror that stood on feetand in which you could see the whole figure. Then in a little nookcurtained off was a washing stand with beautiful appointments in whiteand old blue. She glanced around in amazement and was still standingthere when Jane entered.
A quaint enough figure in a short, scant frock, short-waisted as wasthe fashion of the times, of home-dyed blue linen that would have beenone of the new colors of to-day where we have gone through everyconceivable shade and hue. The sleeves were short, but there werelong-armed mitts for summer wear. The cape was of the same materialand the straw gipsy hat had a bow on the top and the strings to tieunder the chin when it was not too warm.
"Oh, you look as if you did not mean to stay," cried Jane. "Let metake your hat and cape."
Jane was nearer thirty than twenty, a comely, fresh-faced girl with anair of youthfulness, attired in a sort of Quaker gray gown, with alace kerchief crossed over her bosom. Her hair was banded straightabove her ears and gathered in a knot behind.
"Oh, miss, you look fagged out. Mrs. Jarvis said when you'd had a goodwash you must go to bed awhile. There's nothing freshens you up likethat. It must have been an awful journey! My brother has gone out toOhio. Do you live anywhere near that?"
"Not so very far away. And the Ohio river runs by us."
"I want to know now! The world's a funny sort of place, isn't it,Miss, with land here and water there and great lakes up North and agulf at the South that they do say is part of the ocean. Now--shan't Iunpack your portmanteau?"
"Monsieur de Ronville wouldn't let mother pack up much, he said thingscould be bought here."
"Yes, there's no end of them now that we are trading openly withFrance."
"And I was growing so fast," she continued apologetically, for the twofrocks looked but a meagre outfit. One was a delicate gingham made outof a skirt of her mother's when gowns were fuller, the other her bestwhite one tucked up to the waist and with some rare embroidery.
"Can I help you any?"
"No," returned Daffodil in a soft tone and with a half smile. "I'mused to waiting on myself."
"I'll come in and fasten your frock. You'll put on the white one;" andJane withdrew.
Oh, how good the fresh water and soap scented with rose and violetseemed! She loitered in her bathing, it was so refreshing. Then shedid throw herself across the foot of the bed and in a few moments wassoundly asleep, never stirring until some one said--"Miss; Miss!"
"Oh! I had a lovely rest. You get so jolted in a stage coach that itseems as if your joints were all spinning out."
"Oh, miss, what beautiful hair? It's just like threads of gold. And itcurls in such a lovely fashion! And such dark lashes and eyebrows setsyou off."
Jane was such a fervent note of admiration that Daffodil blushed.
She was very pretty in her frock that ended above the ankles, and herfine white linen home-knit stockings were clocked. True her shoes wererather clumsy, but her shoulders made amends for any shortcomings. Herskin was very fair; sometimes it burned a little, but it nevertanned.
"Oh, miss, if you had a ribbon to tie your curls up high! All theyoung ladies wear it so."
"I'm not _quite_ a young lady," archly.
M. de Ronville came out of the library to meet her. The little flushand the shy way of raising her eyes was enchanting. She seemed a partof the handsome surroundings, really more attractive than in theplainness of her own home.
"You are a most excellent traveller," he began. "And I give you a warmand heartfelt welcome to my house. You should have been mygranddaughter. What now?" seeing a grave look settled in her face.
"I was thinking. I wish I might call you uncle. It's queer but I neverhad an uncle with all the other relations. They seem to run in oneline," and she laughed.
"Oh, if you will. I've wished there was some way of bringing us nearertogether. Yes, you shall be my niece. You won't forget?"
"Oh, no; I am so glad." She seemed to come a little closer, and heplaced his arm around her. Oh why did he never know before how sweetlove could be! Then he kisses down amid the golden hair. Even hercheek is sacred to him and her lips must be kept for some lover.
There was a little musical string of bells that summoned them tosupper. A young man of three- or four-and-twenty stood just inside thedoor.
"For convenience sake Miss Carrick will be announced as my niece asshe is my ward. Allow me to present Mr. Bartram."
Daffodil flushed and bowed. M. de Ronville placed her chair for her.The table was round and very beautifully appointed. She and the youngman were opposite. He was rather tall, well looking without beingespecially handsome. Mrs. Jarvis poured the tea. The two men talked alittle business.
"I shall lay the matter before the Wetherills to-morrow," de Ronvillesaid. "I was surprised at the promise of the place and it has a mostexcellent location. At present it is rather wild, but after seethingand settling down the real town comes to the surface. It will not be abad investment if one can wait. And the Wetherills are not likely tolack descendants.
"I am glad you were not disappointed," returned the young man.
"We know so little about Pittsburg," said Mrs. Jarvis, "except thegreat defeat of Braddock in the old war. Your people are French, Ibelieve," turning to Daffodil.
"Yes, on the one side. The town seems to be made up of all nations,but they agree pretty well. And they have many queer ways andfashions."
Daffodil did not feel as strange as she had been fearing for the lasttwo or three days that she would. Mother and grandmere would stand acomparison with Mrs. Jarvis, who had the dignity and bearing of alady.
Some friends came in to congratulate M. de Ronville on his safereturn. Mrs. Jarvis was much relieved at Daffodil's quiet manner. Andshe certainly was a pretty girl. They had quite a little talk bythemselves when the guests were gone and Mrs. Jarvis was well pleasedthat she had come of a good family, as the town set much store bygrandfathers and the French were in high repute.
Before M. de Ronville went to business the next morning he made a callon Miss Betty Wharton, who was a person of consequence and had had aromance, a lover who had been lost at sea when he was coming to marryher and the wedding finery was all in order. She and her mother livedtogether, then the mother died and Betty went on in her small housewith a man and a maid and a negro cook. They were in high favor atthat time. She had been quite a belle and even now was in with theFranks and the Shippens and the Henrys, and through the war her househad been quite a rendezvous for the patriots. She was an excellentcard player, good humored and full of spirits, helpful in many societyways. She could have married, that all her friends knew; indeed two orthree elderly beaux were still dangling after her.
"I am come to ask a favor," he said after the talk of his journey wasover. "I have brought back with me a young girl, my ward, who willsome day have a big and valuable estate as the country improves. Mrs.Jarvis hardly feels capable of shopping for her, and of course doesnot go about much. She is a charming girl and my father and hergreat-grandfather were the dearest of friends. M. Duvernay almostrounded out his hundred years. I call her my niece as the French bloodmakes us kin. Could yo
u oblige me by taking her in hand, seeing thatshe has the proper attire and showing her through the paths ofpleasure? You will find her a beautiful and attractive young girl."
"Why--really!" and her tone as well as her smile bespoke amusement."French! Where did you unearth this paragon? And is she to have alover and be married off? Has she a fortune or is she to look forone?"
He would not yield to annoyance at the bantering tone.
"Why, she is a mere child, and has no thought of lovers. She will havefortune enough if times go well with us, and need not think of thatuntil her time of loving comes. She has been brought up very simply.There is a brother much younger. Her father was in the war the lastthree years. She is not ignorant nor unrefined, though Pittsburg doesnot aim at intellectuality."
"Pittsburg! Isn't it a sort of Indian settlement, and--well I reallydo not know much about it except that it is on the western borders."
"Oh, it is being civilized like all new places. We have had to workand struggle to plant towns and bring them into shape. Pittsburg has amost admirable position for traffic and abounds in iron ore as well asother minerals."
"And the girl _is_ presentable?"
"Oh, she is not old enough for society. I did not mean that. But to goabout a little and perhaps to a play, and places where it would lookodd for me to take her without some womenkind. We French have ratherstrict ideas about our girls. Come to supper to-night and see her."
"Why, I'll come gladly. I like your young man, too. He has not beenspoiled by the flirting young women. It is a shame I did not marry andhave such a son to lean on in my old age;" and she laughed gayly.
"Then you can see for yourself. And if you do not like Miss Carrick wewill let the matter drop through."
"Yes, I will be happy to come."
M. de Ronville went on to his office. Already there began to bebusiness streets in the Quaker City that was rapidly losing itsplainer appearance. This was rather old-fashioned and wore a quietaspect. One clerk sat on a high stool transcribing a lengthy deed,and young Bartram had just deposited another pile of letters on hisemployer's desk which was at the far end of the place and could beshut off.
"I think these are not worth your first consideration," he said in aquiet tone. "And here is a list of people anxious to see you to-day.And--if you can spare me a little while--I am due at the Surrogate'soffice."
"Yes," nodding politely. Then he watched the young man as he walkedaway with a light, firm tread. There had always been a certainmanliness in Aldis Bartram since the time he had attracted hisemployer's favor and been taken in as a clerk. Then he had an invalidmother to whom he had been devoted, that had been another passport tothe elder's favor. On her death M. de Ronville had offered him a homeand he was now confidential clerk and might one day be taken in thebusiness which had been made a most excellent one from the Frenchman'suprightness and probity as well as his knowledge and judgment. Many atime he had settled a dispute and made friends between two hot-headedlitigants.
He did not read his letters at first but dropped into a peculiar trainof thought. He was in good health and vigor, his mind was clear andalert. But he was growing old. And if Betty Wharton in the prime of adelightful life thought a son would conduce to the pleasure andsecurity of her old age, why not to his? Could he have a better sonthan Aldis Bartram? But he wanted the feminine contingent and he waspast marrying. He wanted some one young and bright, and, yes, charmingto look at, tender of heart. And here were these two in the veryblossom time of life. Why they might fancy each other and in thecourse of time have it ripen to a real and lasting regard. Oh, the oldhouse would be a Paradise. And if there were children----
He had to rouse himself from the dream with an effort and look overthe accumulation. For perhaps the first time business seemed irksometo him, and he had always been fond of it, too fond perhaps.
Men nearly always went home to a noon dinner. He found Mrs. Jarvis andDaffodil in a comfortable state of friendliness, but the girl's eyeslighted with pleasure at the sight of him and her voice was full ofgay gladness. No, she was not homesick; she had been in the garden andthere were so many flowers she had never seen before and the ripeluscious fruit. There had been so many things to look at that she hadnot finished her letter, but she would do that this afternoon.
She is a gleam of the most enchanting sunshine in the old house, andher voice soft and merry, the tiredness and discomfort of travellinggone out of it is sweetest music to him and warms his heart. The eyesare very blue to-day, not so much brilliant as gladsome and her rosylips curve and smile and dimple and every change seems morefascinating than the previous one. There is no young man in the room,it is the outcome of her own delightful golden heart. Oh, any youngman might fall in love on the spot.
"Miss Wharton will be in to supper," M. de Ronville remarked casually."She is not a young girl," seeing the look of interest in Daffodil'sface; "but you will find her a very agreeable companion."
"It's queer, but I don't know many young girls. Some of the older oneswere married in the spring, and I have been so much with mother andgrandmere and Norah that I'm a little girl, a big little girl, I'vegrown so much."
Her laugh was a gay ripple of sound. He took it with him to the officeand her golden head seemed dancing about everywhere, just as it had athome.
"Of course," Miss Wharton said to herself as she lifted the brassknocker, "de Ronville never could be so foolish as to fall in lovewith a chit of a thing, though I have heard of men training a younggirl just to their fancy. He has always been so discreet andpunctilious. French _are_ a little different."
No, he had not overpraised her beauty. Betty Wharton admitted that atonce. And her manners had a natural grace, it ran in the Frenchblood. Why it would be a pleasure to take her about and have menstare at her as they would be sure to do.
She and Mrs. Jarvis found enough to talk about, and while thehousekeeper had gone to look after the tea she turned her attention toDaffodil.
"Oh, I can't help liking the place," the child said with charmingeagerness. "Mrs. Jarvis has been telling me about the stores and thegardens a dozen times prettier than this, though I don't see how thatcan be. They don't seem to care much about gardens at home, they havea few posy beds, but you can go out and gather basketsful in thewoods, only they are not grand like these. And there are no suchbeautiful houses. Oh, there are lots of log huts, really, the olderones, and people are not--I don't just know what to call it, but theydo not seem to care."
"All towns improve after a while. The people in New York think theyare much finer than we, and then there is Boston--where the people arestarched so stiff with the essence of fine breeding that they canhardly curtsey to one another. I like my town the best, having seenthem all."
"Oh, how splendid it must be to go about to strange, beautifulplaces," the child said wistfully, with glowing eyes.
"But I have not been to France;" laughingly.
"Neither have I. But great-grandfather came from there when he was ayoung man. And he had been to Paris, but he did not live there. And heand grandmother, whom I never saw, had to fly for their lives becausethey worshipped God in a different fashion from Royalty. And I cantalk quite a good deal in French, but I like English better. It seemsto mean more."
Miss Wharton laughed at that.
They had a very delightful meal and Betty, by a well known societyart, brought out the brightness of the little girl, that made her verycharming without any overboldness.
"Why you have unearthed quite a prize," Miss Wharton said to her hostlater in the evening. "Has Pittsburg many such girls? If so I amafraid our young men will be running after them. You may command mefor any service, only I must have her as my guest now and then."
"A thousand thanks. Will you see about her wardrobe to-morrow? Thereis no need to stint."
"I shall be very glad to oblige you. I suppose you do not mean to turnher into a young lady?"
"No--o," rather hesitatingly.
"Then it shall be simple prettiness."
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After that Miss Wharton played on the spinet and sang several oldsongs. Daffodil wished grandad could hear two that were his favorites,and she was quite sure Norry could not have resisted jumping up anddancing at the sound of "The Campbells Are Coming." Mr. Bartram turnedover the leaves of the music, while Daffodil snuggled in the corner ofthe sofa beside her guardian. And when she went to bed her head wasfull of Norah's fairy stories come true.