The Bondwoman

  CHAPTER XXV.

  "Certainly, I apologize," and Masterson looked utterly crushed by hismistaken zeal; "apologize to every one concerned, collectively andindividually."

  Even McVeigh felt sorry for his humiliation, knowing how thoroughlyhonest he was, how devoted to the cause; and Mrs. McVeigh wasdisconsolate over "loyal, blundering Phil Masterson," whom, she couldnot hope, would remain for the party after what had occurred, and shefeared Judithe would keep to her room--who could blame her? Such ascene was enough to prostrate any woman.

  But it did not prostrate Judithe. She sent for Mrs. McVeigh, to tellher there must on no account be further hostilities between ColonelMcVeigh and Captain Masterson.

  "It was all a mistake," she insisted. "Captain Masterson no doubt onlydid his duty when presented with the statements of the secret serviceman; that the statements were incorrect was something CaptainMasterson could not, of course, know, and she appreciated the factthat, being a foreigner, she was, in his opinion, possibly, morelikely to be imposed upon by servants who were not so loyal to theSouth as she herself was known to be."

  All this she said in kindly excuse, and Mrs. McVeigh thought her themost magnanimous creature alive.

  Her only anxiety over the entire affair appeared to be concerning hermaid Louise, who, also, was suffering the suspicion attaching toforeigners who were non-residents; it was all very ridiculous, ofcourse, but would necessitate her going personally to Savannah. Shecould not leave so faithful a creature in danger.

  Mrs. McVeigh prevailed upon her to send word with Mr. Pierson to theauthorities, and remain herself for two days longer--until Kenneth andhis men left for the front, which Judithe consented to do.

  Masterson, who for the first time in his life found the McVeighslacking in cordiality to him (Evilena, even, disposed to look on himas dead and buried so far as she was concerned), felt his loyal heartgo out to Gertrude, who was the only one of them all who franklyapproved, and who was plainly distressed at the idea of him going atonce to join his company.

  "Don't go, Phil," she said, earnestly; "something is wrong here--terriblywrong; I can't accuse anyone in particular--I can't even guess what itreally means, but, Phil," and she glanced around her cautiously beforeputting the question, "What possible reason could Madame Caron andCaptain Monroe have for pretending they met here as strangers, when itwas not a fact?"

  Whereupon Gertrude told him of her discovery in that direction.

  "I can't, of course, mention it to Kenneth or Mrs. McVeigh, now," shewhispered; "they are so infatuated with her, Kenneth in particular.But I do hope you will put aside your personal feelings; make any andevery sort of apology necessary, but remain right here until you seewhat it all means. You may prove in the end that you were not entirelymistaken today. What do you think of it?"

  Think! His thoughts were in a whirl. If Madame Caron and CaptainMonroe were secretly friends it altered the whole affair. Monroe,whose conduct on arrest was unusual; who had a parole which might, ormight not, be genuine; who had come there as by accident just in timeto meet Pierson; who had been in the room alone with Pierson beforeMadame Caron came down the stairs--he knew, for he had been in sightwhen she crossed the hall.

  He had been a fool--right in theory, but wrong as to the individual.He would remain at the Terrace, and he would start on a new trail!

  Mrs. McVeigh was very glad he would remain; she believed implicitly inhis profound regret, and had dreaded lest the question be recalledbetween the two men after they had gone to the front; but, if Philremained their guest, she hoped the old social relations would becompletely restored, and she warned Evilena to be less outspoken inregard to her own opinions.

  So, Captain Masterson remained, and remained to such purpose thatduring the brief hour of Mr. Pierson's stay he was watched veryclosely, and the watcher was disappointed that no attempt was made ata private interview with Captain Monroe, who very plainly (Mastersonthought, ostentatiously) showed himself in a rather unsocial mood,walking thoughtfully alone on the lawn, and making no attempt tospeak, even with Madame Caron.

  Pierson had a brief interview with her, rendered the more brief thathe was conscious of Masterson's orderly lounging outside the window,but plainly within hearing, and the presence of Mrs. McVeigh, who wasall interest and sympathy concerning Louise.

  When he said: "Don't be at all disturbed over the work to be done,Madame; there is plenty of time in which to complete everything," theothers present supposed, of course, he referred to the repairs on theyacht; and when he said, in reply to her admonitions, "No fear of melosing the road again, I shall arrive tonight," they supposed, ofcourse, he referred to his arrival at the coast. Judithe knew better;she knew it meant his return, and more hours of uncertainty for her.

  Colonel McVeigh helped to keep those hours from dragging by followingup his love-making with a proposal of marriage, which she neitheraccepted or declined, but which gave her additional food for thought.

  All the day Pluto brooded over that scene in the library. He wasoppressed by the dread of harm to Madame Caron if some one did not atonce acquaint her with the fact that the real spy was Madame's maid,who had fled for fear of recognition by the Lorings. He had beencurious as to what motive had been strong enough to bring her back tothe locality so dangerous to her freedom. He was puzzled no longer--heknew.

  But, how to tell Madame Caron? How could a nigger tell a white ladythat story of Rhoda and Rhoda's mother? And if part was told, all mustbe told. He thought of telling Dr. Delaven, who already knew thehistory of Margeret, but Dr. Delaven was a friend to the Lorings, andhow was a nigger to know what a white man's honor would exact that hedo in such a case? And Pluto was afraid to ask it.

  Instinctively his trust turned to the blue uniformed "Linkum soldier."No danger of him telling the story of the runaway slave to the wrongperson. And he was Madame Caron's friend. Pluto had noted how hestepped beside her when Masterson brought his accusation against her,or her agent, Pierson. Monroe had been a sort of divinity to him fromthe moment the officer in blue had walked up the steps of the Terrace,and Pluto's admiration culminated in the decision that he was the oneman to warn Madame Caron of her maid's identity without betraying itto any other.

  The lady who caused all this suppressed anxiety was, apparently,care-free herself, or only disturbed slightly over the reportconcerning Louise. She knew the girl was in no real danger, but sheknew, also, that at any hint of suspicion Louise would be in terroruntil joined by her mistress.

  She heard Matthew Loring had sent over for Judge Clarkson to arrangesome business affairs while Kenneth was home, and despite Mrs.McVeigh's statement that they neither bought nor sold slaves, shefancied she knew what one of the affairs must be.

  Judge Clarkson, however, was not at home--had been called across thecountry somewhere on business, but Aunt Sajane sent word that theywould certainly be over in the evening and would come early, if Gideonreturned in time.

  But he did not. Several of the guests arrived before them; ColonelMcVeigh was employed as host, and the business talk had to be deferreduntil the following morning.

  Altogether, the sun went down on a day heavy with threats andpromises. But whatever the rest experienced in that atmosphere ofsuppressed feeling, Kenneth McVeigh was only responsive to thepromises; all the world was colored by his hopes!

  And Monroe, who saw clearly what the hopes were, and who thought hesaw clearly what the finale would be, had little heart for thefestivities afoot--wished himself anywhere else but on the hospitableplantation of the McVeighs, and kept at a distance from the charmingstranger who had bewitched the master of it.

  Twilight had fallen before Pluto found the coveted opportunity ofspeaking with him alone. Monroe was striding along the rose arbor,smoking an after-supper cigar, when he was suddenly confronted by thenegro who had questioned him about the Federal policy as to slavery.

  He had been running along the hedge in a stooping position so as notto be seen from the windows of the dining room, where th
e otherservants were working, and when he gained the shadows of an oleandertree, straightened up and waited.

  "Well," remarked Monroe, as he witnessed this maneuver, "what is it?"

  Pluto looked at him steadily for an instant, and then asked,cautiously:

  "Mahs Captain, you a sure enough friend of Madame Caron?"

  "'Sure enough' friend--what do you mean?"

  "I mean Madame Caron gwine to have trouble if some sure enough frienddon't step in an' tell her true who the spy is they all talk 'bouttoday."

  "Indeed?" said Monroe, guardedly; his first thought was one ofsuspicion, lest it be some trick planned by Masterson.

  "Yes, sah; I find out who that woman spy is, but ain't no one elseknows! I can't tell a white lady all that story what ain't nowaysfitten' fo' ladies to listen to, but--but somebody got to tell her,somebody that knows jest how much needs tellen', an' how much to keepquiet--somebody she trusts, an' somebody what ain't no special friendo' the Lorings. Fo' God's sake, Mahsa Captain, won't yo' be thatman?"

  Monroe eyed him narrowly for an instant, and then tossed away thecigar.

  "No fooling about this business, mind you," he said, briefly; "whathas Madame Caron to do with any spy? And what has Matthew Loring?"

  "Madame not know she got _anything_ to do with her," insisted Pluto,eagerly, "that gal come heah fo' maid to Madame Caron, an' then oleNelse (what Lorings use to own) he saw her, an' that scare her plumoff the place. An' the reason why Mahsa Loring is in it is 'cause thatfine French maid is a runaway slave o' his--or maybe she b'long toMiss Gertrude, _I_ don' know rightly which it is. Any how, she'sMargeret's chile an' ought to a knowed more'n to come a 'nigh toLoring even if she is growd up. That why I know fo' suah she come backfo' some special spy work--what else that gal run herself in dangerfo' nothen'?"

  "You'd better begin at the beginning of this story, if it has one,"suggested Monroe, who could see the man was intensely in earnest, "andI should like to know why you are mixing Madame Caron in the affair."

  "She bought my baby fo' me--saved him from the trader, Mahsa Captain,"and Pluto's voice trembled as he spoke. "Yo' reckon I evah fo'get thatar? An' now seems like as how she's got mixed up with troubles, an' Icome to yo' fo' help 'cause yo' a Linkum man, an' 'cause yo' herfrien'."

  It was twenty minutes later before Pluto completed his eager, hurriedstory, and at its finish Monroe knew all old Nelse had told Delaven,and more, too, for confidential servants learn many hidden things, andRosa--afterwards Pluto's wife--knew why Margeret's child was sent tothe Larue estate for training. Mistress Larue, whose conscience was ofthe eminently conventional order, seldom permitting her to contest anydecision of her husband, yet did find courage to complain somewhat ofthe child's charge and her ultimate destination--to complain, not onmoral, but on financial grounds--fully convinced that so wealthy aman as Matthew Loring could afford to pay more for her keeping thanthe sum her husband had agreed to, and that the youth, KennethMcVeigh, to whose estate the girl was partly sold, could certainlyafford more of recompense than his guardian had agreed to.

  Pluto told that portion of the story implicating his master withconsiderable reluctance, yet felt forced to tell it all, that Monroeshould be impressed with the necessity of absolute secrecy to everyone except Madame Caron, and she, of course, must not hear that partof it.

  "Name o' God, no!" burst out Pluto, in terror of what such arevelation would mean. "What yo' reckon Madame Caron think o' we allef she done heah _that_? Don't reckon his own ma evah heard tell awhisper o' that ar; all Mahs Matt Loring's doin's, that salewas--_must_ a been! Mahs Ken wan't only a boy then--not more'nfifteen, so yo' see--"

  Monroe made no comment, though he also had a vision of what it wouldmean if Madame Caron--she of all women!--should hear this evidentlytrue story just as Pluto related it.

  He walked along the rose hedge and back again in silence, the coloredman regarding him anxiously; finally he said:

  "All right, my man. I'll speak to Madame and be careful not to tellher too much. You are all right, Pluto; you did right to come to me."

  Some one called Pluto from the window. He was about to go when Monroeasked:

  "What about that picture you said your wife had of the girl? MadameCaron may not be easy to convince. You'd better let me have it to showher. Is it a good likeness?"

  "'Fore God I don' know! I only reckon it is, 'cause Nelse took her,on sight, fo' Margeret's ghost, which shows it must be the plain imageof her! I done been so upset since I got back home with Zekal I nevahhad a minute to look ovah Rosa's b'longens', but the likeness is inthat bundle somewhere; Rosa alles powerful careful o' that locketthing, an' kep' it put away; don't mind as I evah seen it but once,jest when we fust married. I'd a clean fo'got all 'bout it, only fo'an accident--an' that's the woman now it was painted from."

  He pointed to a window where Margeret stood outlined for an instantagainst the bright background.

  "Don't look more like her now, I reckon," he continued, "all hertrouble must a' changed her mightily, fo' the ole folks do say she wascounted a beauty once. Little Rhoda went a'most crazy when some onestole the locket, so Rosa said; then by and by the gal what took itgot scared--thought it was a hoodoo--an' fetched it back, but Rhodagone away then. My Rosa took it an' kep' it faithful, waiten' fo' thatchile to come back, but she nevah come back while Rosa lived."

  Monroe was staring still at the figure of Margeret, seen dimly, now,through the window.

  "Look here!" he said, sharply, "if the old man recognized thelikeness, how comes it that the mother herself did not see it?"

  "Why, Margeret she not get here till nex' day after Madame Caron'smaid start down the river to take the cars fo' Savannah," explainedPluto. "Then Miss Gertrude come a visiten' an' fetch Margeret along.Yo' see, sah, that woman done been made think her chile dead a longtime ago, an' when Margeret went clean 'stracted the word went down toLarues that she dead or dyen'--one! any way my Rosa nevah know'd nodifferent till Larues moved back from Georgy, so there wan't no oneheah to 'dentify her, an' there wan't no one heah to let that gal knowshe _had_ a liven mammy."

  Again Caroline called Pluto.

  "Go on," said Monroe, "but get me the picture soon as you can. I leavein the morning."

  "I be right heah with it in hour's time," promised Pluto; "don' reckonI can slip away any sooner, a sight o' quality folks a' comen'."