CHAPTER XVII
FREED!
In the same little parlor of the inn in which he had lunched withEmily the day before, Revere awaited the entrance of his mother andJosephine. His mother entered first and immediately clasped him infond embrace.
"Oh, Richard!" she exclaimed, tearfully; "I have been so miserableabout you! You never said a word about the gravity of your accident,and I only learned about it accidentally. You are not suffering, areyou? You have sustained no serious consequences?"
"No, mother dear; I'm all right. In fact, I feel better than I havefelt for six months. It really did me good. It was awfully good of youto come to see about me, though. I should have written and told youall about it and assured you that nothing serious was the matter, butI thought it would alarm you if I did; if I dwelt upon it too fully,that is. I'm very glad to see you; but there was no real necessity foryour coming."
"Richard," she answered, hesitatingly, with a long sigh of regret, "Idid not come only on that account. To be perfectly frank with you,Josephine--you have not yet greeted her."
She stopped abruptly. He turned and faced Josephine, who had stoodconstrainedly in the door-way, apparently an unwilling witness of themeeting.
"Oh," he said to her; "how do you do, Josephine? I'm awfully glad tosee you."
He had hitherto always signalized meetings of this kind by kissingher, generally upon the forehead or cheek. With a vivid recollectionof his present situation, however, he hesitated awkwardly, and thenconcluded that it would be better to act as if nothing had happened.But to his great surprise the objection came from the young ladyherself. As if she had divined something of his mental attitude, shedrew back her head and thrust out her hand. He took it, feeling verymuch embarrassed, yet greatly relieved.
"What a greeting," said his mother, "between--but I forget. Josephinehas something to say to you, Richard. She has made a decision which isa source of lasting grief to me, and will be to all who know you. I amsure it will be a great shock to you. Prepare yourself, my poor boy."
"Didn't you get my letter, Josephine?" said Richard, impetuously.
"No; I didn't receive any letter."
"Oh, then, you didn't----"
"Didn't what?"
"Well, er--nothing. What was it you wanted to say to me?"
"Richard," said the girl, "I may as well be frank with you. I----" Shehesitated and turned her face away. "I want to break our engagement."
"Want to break our engagement!" he exclaimed, dazed at thisdevelopment. "Why--I----"
"Yes," she said, honestly; "frankly, I do not believe that I careenough for you to marry you."
"But, Josephine----"
"Yes, yes; I know what you would say. I thought I loved you; but sinceI have come to know--Mr. Van Dorn, I am sure----"
"Josephine Remington, you don't mean to tell me that you have thrownme over for Charlie Van Dorn? Why, he----"
"Richard, don't say another word! I love Mr. Van Dorn, and he lovesme, and I have promised to be his wife," with great dignity.
"Great heavens!" answered Richard, trying desperately to keep hishappiness at this announcement out of his voice and out of his face;and yet he had to confess that he felt extremely annoyed at beingrejected in this summary manner for a man who he conceived to be inevery way inferior to himself.
He rejoiced, certainly; but the situation had elements ofunpleasantness. For a moment or two these had predominated, but as herealized that he was free, he could hardly keep from shouting for joy.Indeed, he felt that his face would betray his secret, and heinstinctively turned away from the two women, who were intentlywatching him, and covered it with his hand as he did so.
"Oh, Richard!" cried Josephine, contritely, "I'm so sorry; I didn'tthink you cared so much. I thought you felt as I do about theengagement,--only that it was an agreed thing, and everybody more orless expected it,--not that we loved each other very much--I'm sosorry."
"My poor boy!" said his mother, coming up and laying her hand tenderlyon his bowed head; "this is nearly as great a disappointment to me asit must be to you, although, of course, my grief cannot be like yours.Josephine, why didn't you wait a little longer? And in his weak state,too!"
"Never mind," said Revere, smiling--they thought him smiling bravely,by the way!--"I dare say I shall get over it; and if Josephine reallyloves Charlie Van Dorn, who is a splendid fellow, of course it is verymuch better that she should tell me frankly than feel that she mustremain bound by an engagement in which her heart does not enter. Letus say no more about it. I will take my medicine like a man," hecontinued, mendaciously; "and I congratulate you, Josephine, on yourpluck. I presume that I may kiss you now, just as I have done before,"he said, touching his lips to her forehead as he spoke.
"Yes, Richard. But I am sure they were never very lover-like kisses atbest."
"Not like Van Dorn's, eh!" said Richard, smiling.
"Richard, how can you jest about so serious a subject?" exclaimed hismother. "Poor boy!" she said aside to Josephine; "I fear his nervesare shattered."
"They are, mother, they are," exclaimed Richard, rapturously, givingher a bear-like hug; "but it's all right."
"Then, you don't care so very much, after all?" said Josephine, in herturn disappointed at the equanimity, not to say levity, with which herquondam lover received the news of her engagement to another man.
"Care? Of course I care! There, don't say anything more about it.Mother, did they tell you that my life was saved by a--er--a youngwoman?"
Ah, Richard, where was Barry then?
"A young woman!" exclaimed his mother, peering at him through herlorgnette in her very best Boston manner. "What sort of a person isshe?"
"She is not a person at all, mother," he answered, hotly andinconsequentially; "she is a charming young girl, the granddaughter ofone of the most distinguished officers in the United States navy. Andshe is as beautiful as she is brave and good."
"And who may this distinguished man be?" asked his mother, doubtfully.
"Admiral Charles Stewart, of the _Constitution_."
"Mercy!" she exclaimed. "Is he yet alive? I remember hearing of himwhen I was a little girl."
"He is very much alive and his granddaughter lives with him overyonder," he answered, pointing out of the window across the bay towardthe old white house embowered in the trees on Ship House Point. "Thatis his home, and he bade me say to you that he would be honored tohave you and Josephine accept his hospitality while you are here. Hebegs to be excused for his apparent discourtesy in not coming toinvite you in person, but he is unable to leave the house, he is soold and feeble. His granddaughter, however, will call this afternoonand extend the invitation, if it will be agreeable to you."
"I do not think we should stand on ceremony, Josephine, under thecircumstances, and we will go ourselves and call upon the admiralimmediately," said Mrs. Revere. "I should like to see this young ladyand thank her for Richard. How shall we get there, Dick?"
"I will row you over if you will allow me. There is a road by land,but this is a quicker and pleasanter way."
"Excuse me, Richard; I think we would better go by land. I presume youcan get some sort of a carriage. I confess I am not fond of boats atbest, and since you were wrecked in the _Josephine_ I have a horror ofventuring on them."
"Very well, mother; I will make all the arrangements, and meanwhile goback to the admiral and tell him to expect you."
"Do so," said his mother; "we will go and make ready. Come,Josephine."
"Presently," answered Miss Remington; "I wish to speak to Dick aminute."
"Richard," said his whilom fiancee, when they were alone, "are you inlove with that girl?"
"Well, er----"
"Answer me honestly!"
"I think it is very likely that I shall be, Josephine," he respondedat last. "You see, since you have thrown me over I----"
"Dick Revere, I believe you are in love with her now; I don't believeyou care a single bit whether I throw you over or not."
"Care!" exclaimed Revere. "I care immensely, I want to assure you,Josephine. But I really do not see, since you have thrown me over,that you have any right to object to my falling in love with anybodyelse, have you?"
"Oh, very well," said Josephine, petulantly; "no doubt what you say istrue; but one thing is certain: I am just as anxious to see that girlas your mother is."
"Just about as anxious, I suppose," laughed Revere, "as I should be tosee Charlie Van Dorn if I hadn't seen him until I am sick of the sightof him!" he said, meanly. "Well, prepare yourself, Miss JosephineRemington; you will see something charming when you do see 'thatgirl'! Good-by!"