and wasn'tit elegant? I don't see how you could come away. Did you walk about,and see all them handsome buildings? and did you see the folks?"
The pedlar gazed at her in wonder. The girl's eyes were like stars,her whole face alight with enthusiasm. What did it mean?
"Handsome buildin's?" she repeated. "In Rome? I'll tell you what Isaw, child, and then you'll know. I saw the forlornest place on thisearth, I don't care where the next may be. I saw rocks and turkeys,and turkeys and rocks. The street (if you can call it a street;'twould be called a hog-wallow, down where I come from) is solid rockwhere it ain't mud, and solid mud where it ain't rock. There's a househere and a house there, and they all look as if they was tryin' to getaway from each other, but didn't darse to move for fear of fallin'down.
"The folks I saw were as lean as their own turkeys, and I can't say nofurther than that. I tried to sell 'em some of my salve; told 'em'twould heal the skin where 'twas broke with the bones comin' through,but they was past jokin' with.
"I tell you, child, Rome is the--Why, what's the matter?" The goodwoman stopped suddenly, for Narcissa was trembling all over, and herface shone white in the dim, half-lighted room.
"I--I don't understand you!" she cried wildly. "There's some mistake;you went to the wrong place, and never saw Rome at all. Look here!"and she led the way swiftly across the hall, into the other room, theroom into which she had taken Romulus Patten the day before. Shealmost ran up to the picture, and motioned the pedlar, with animperious gesture, strange in so gentle a creature, to look at it."That is Rome!" cried Narcissa. "You went to the wrong place, I tellyou. This--this is Rome!"
The woman drew out a pair of spectacles, and fitted them on her nosewith exasperating deliberation. She took a long look at the picture,and then turned to the trembling girl, with a kind light of pity inher eyes struggling with amusement.
"You poor--deluded--child!" she said at length. "Who ever told youthat was Rome, I should like to know?"
"But it says so!" cried Narcissa. "Can't you read? 'ROME.' There itis, in plain letters; and I--don't--" she wanted to say "I don'tbelieve you!" but the blue eyes that met hers steadily showed nothingbut truth and kindness.
"So it is Rome, dear!" said the pedlar, speaking now very gently. "Butit's ancient Rome, over in Europe; Italy, they call the country. Wherethe ancient Romans lived, don't you know? Julius Caesar, and all thosefellers who cut up such didoes, hundreds of years ago? Don't tell meyou never went to school, nor learned any history."
"I--I went for a spell!" Narcissa faltered. "I had to leave when I wasfourteen, because I was wanted to home, and we hadn't only got to theBattle of Lexington in history. I did hope to learn about theRevolution, to home, but father's wife didn't think much of readin',and she burned up the book."
There was a silence, and then the good-natured pedlar began fumblingin her bag.
"It's a livin' shame!" she cried indignantly. "Here--no, it ain't,neither. Well! I did think, much as could be, that I had two or threelittle books here, and I should have been pleased to give you one,dear, just for keeps, you know. But they don't seem to be here. Well,never mind! I was goin' to ask if you wouldn't like this piece ofyeller ribbon you seemed to take to. It's a real good piece, and Ishould be pleased--I declare, child, I do feel bad to have spoiledyour pretty notion of Rome. I s'pose you thought likely you'd go theresome day, hey? well, well! sit down, and let me put this ribbon onyour hair. You no need to be scairt of me. I act kind o' wildsometimes, like I did with your uncle, but it's four parts fun. I'mwell known up our way, and anybody'll tell you I come of good stock,if I am crazy enough to wear sensible clothes, that don't hender mewalkin' nor settin'. Mis' Transom, my name is. And he called youNarcissy, didn't he? Why, I had a cousin once, name of Narcissy; it'snot a common name either, and I allers thought it was real pretty. Setdown here, dear, and let's talk a spell."
Thus the kind woman rattled on, watching the girl keenly the while.She was making time for her, giving her a chance to recover from whatwas evidently a heavy blow.
But Narcissa scarcely heard her. She was dazed; her dream wasshattered, her glorious city laid in ruins, the beauty and romance ofher whole life dashed away, as a rude touch dashes the dew from themorning grass.
As she sat, trying to realize it, trying to think that it really wasnot so much, that there would be other pleasant things, perhaps, tofill the barren working days, and gild the grayness of the long lonelySabbaths,--as she sat thus, a new thought flashed into her mind,piercing like the thrust of a sword.
Her friend, Romulus Patten! She had sent him off on a false scent, hadlied to him about the place, the city--she could hardly bear even tothink of its dishonored name now. He had gone there, thinking to findwhat she had told him about,--the stately houses, the arches, the softsunshine gilding all. What would he think of her when he found it wasall a cheat, a lie? He had been kind to her, had seemed to care abouther as nobody had ever done in her forlorn young life; and this washow she had repaid him!
She started up, shrinking as if from some cruel sting. "I must go andtell him!" she cried. "I lied to him, though I didn't know it was alie. I must go and find him, and tell him I didn't mean to."
"Tell who?" cried the pedlar, catching her by the arm. "What is ittroubles you so, Narcissy? Who did you lie to, I should like to know?Don't believe she could tell a decent lie if 'twas to save her ownsoul," she added to herself.
But Narcissa did not heed her.
She had taken down her sunbonnet from a nail, and was tying it underher chin with trembling fingers, with a feverish haste that took nonote of anything.
"Where are you going?" cried Mrs. Transom, now beginning to befrightened at the girl's distracted looks. "You're never going out ofthe house feeling like this? You'll have a fit of sickness, sure asyou're alive, and then where'll you be? and 'tis all foolishness, too,I'll be bound. I can't understand a word you say. And there's a stormcoming up, too. I see it as I was coming along, and was reckoning onfinding shelter here when I fust stopped to speak to the oldgentleman. There, hear the thunder this very minute! Narcissy! Why,good land of deliverance, she's gone!"
* * * * *
The storm came on very suddenly,--first, a low bank of cloud heavingin sight on the western horizon, long and misshapen, like the back ofa kraken; then the whole monster revealed, rising across the sky,tossing monstrous arms about, showing ugly tints of yellow, uglydepths of purple and black.
There was no lightning at first, only low mutterings of thunder, andevery now and then a pale lifting of the darkness, as if the monsterwere opening his cavernous jaws, showing glimpses of dim horrorwithin. Then, of a sudden, with no note of warning, the whole skysprang into flame, the whole air was a roar and a bellow, deafeningthe ears, stunning the senses,--and the storm broke over the road toRome.
The rain struck aslant, driving a spray before it, as of a mountainstream. In five minutes no road was to be seen,--only a long stretchof brown water, hissing and writhing under the scourge of the rain andwind. A horse came plodding carefully along, crouching together aswell as he could, picking his way through the water. The two men inthe buggy behind him were crouching, too, and trying to hide behindthe rubber boot. It was some comfort to think that they were trying tokeep dry, though both knew that they were already drenched to theskin.
"It's lucky for me that I met you," said the younger of the two,shaking himself, and sending a shower of spray in all directions.
"P'r'aps 'tis just as well," replied the other man, with a chuckle."You'd hardly have known yourself from a muskrat by this time, ifyou'd had to foot it from Rome here. Been stoppin' there?"
"Stopping as long as I cared to," said the youth, who was no otherthan our friend Romulus Patten. "I got there last night, and was goodand ready to come away this morning. I'm travelling for Brown'sNurseries, and there don't seem to be any call for any of our goods inRome. Stone-crop's the only plant they raise much of, I guess."
"Well, that's so," said the elder
man. "That's so, every time. I neverknew but one man that could make anything grow in Rome, and he cartedall the dirt three miles, over from North Podley, before he could makea seed grow. Yes, sir, he did so. Mighty poor country up that way.Some say the Rome folks don't see any garden-truck from year's end toyear's end, and that if you ask a Rome girl to cook you up a mess ofstring beans, she takes the store beans and runs