CHAPTER XXII.
DR. DRAYTON'S HOUSE-KEEPER.
"Mrs. Berkley, I'm in a dilemma," said Dr. Drayton, as he entered thelibrary one morning where that lady was sitting, and took a chair nearher.
"Can I help you out of it?"
"If you can't, I don't know of any one else to go to," said Dr. Drayton,who had become a daily visitor at the Berkleys'. "I have bought a house,and now I want a house-keeper. Even if I felt inclined to brave theopinion of Mrs. Grundy, and settle down with Rachel at the head of myestablishment, I would not do it; she is too young to have so much careon her shoulders; I want the rest of her life to be as bright and happyas it is possible for me to make it. My idea is to get some cultivated,refined, middle-aged lady to come and take the care of thehouse-keeping, and be a person who would make it pleasant for Rachel,and any young friends she might wish to have with her. But how can I getsuch a person? I answered two advertisements last week, and hadinterviews with the females themselves at the Tremont House. One of themwas old and thin, and had a sharp voice that sent a chill through meevery time she spoke,--would be about as cheerful a member of society asan animated skeleton; the other fair, fat, and forty, but an incessanttalker, and looked as if she had not brushed her hair for a week. Now,Mrs. Berkley, what shall I do? Here I am, a poor, forlorn bachelor, whothrows himself on your hands. You must help me somehow or other."
"Well, the best thing I can advise," replied Mrs. Berkley, with anamused smile, "is for you to cease to be a bachelor."
Dr. Drayton shrugged his shoulders. "Impossible, madame!"
"And why, I should like to know? You certainly are not bad-looking; yourname is quite surrounded by a fast-increasing halo of fame,--somethingwhich is always attractive to the young ladies, you know,--and, whatwould be above all to many, you have money."
"Exactly," replied Dr. Drayton, with considerable energy. "When I firstsettled down in Berlin, through some very influential friends the veryfirst society of the place was open to me, and I found myself therecipient of marked attention from the heads of several families. I wasdelighted with them. Such cordiality! such hospitality! I really feltproud of myself for calling it forth, for then I was young, and thelittle halo which you speak of had not shed its benign influence overme; of course it was to my personal attractions, and nothing else, Iowed my popularity. I happened to speak to a young American friend ofmine, of the attentions I was constantly receiving,--invitations tothis, that, and the other house, and wondered why it was he was notequally fortunate. 'My dear fellow,' said he, 'don't you know I haven'tgot any money?' His answer was certainly a damper to my feelings; but itwas a good thing for me. I gave less time to balls and parties, and moreto my profession; gradually, as I showed myself less and less insociety, I received fewer invitations, and those from gentlemen allhaving marriageable daughters. No, Mrs. Berkley, don't ask me to getmarried; at least not at present. I don't know anything about Americangirls; but I suppose they are all very much the same as other youngladies, and not until I can find one who will love me for myself, andnot my money, will there ever be a Mrs. Drayton at the head of mytable."
"That is certainly a good resolution," replied Mrs. Berkley, laughing;"but I am afraid I could find you a wife much easier than ahouse-keeper, such as you want. Of course you will want to put yourhouse in order, and furnish it; meanwhile we are delighted to keepRachel with us."
"You are very kind, very kind indeed, and I certainly shall benefitmyself by your offer, for I don't like the idea of taking her to ahotel. But you haven't asked me where my house is."
"Sure enough," replied Mrs. Berkley; "but my mind has been too full ofyour house-keeper to think of your house. Where is it?"
"That house on the corner of Beacon Street and the street just belowhere, I can't recall the name."
"The free-stone house we noticed for sale the other day?" inquired Mrs.Berkley.
"Yes, that is the one. It is larger than I really need; but thearrangement of the ground-floor suits me admirably, for I must have anoffice."
"Then you intend to practise?"
"Certainly, I should be ashamed of myself if I gave up my profession;but I do not intend to do anything out of office-hours, so it will notconfine me at all. I intend to take the entire charge of Rachel'sproperty until she is of age; meanwhile I want to give her a clear ideaof the value of money, so that she may be able to make a good use of herimmense fortune."
"I will look about me," said Mrs. Berkley, "and if I hear of any ladythat I think will suit you in every way, I will let you know; but herecome the girls; they have been out to see Florence Stevenson."
Rachel was delighted with the house her uncle had bought, for it wasonly a few moments' walk from Mr. Berkley's, and she would be able to bewith Marion every day. The two girls commenced making plans for thewinter, Rachel deciding that the first thing she would do, when they gotinto their new house, would be to have Florence in for a long visit.
A few days after the conversation between Mrs. Berkley and Dr. Drayton,Mr. Berkley received a letter from a distant cousin of his, a lonelywidow, who having lost her property, had written to him to see if hecould get her a situation as house-keeper in some refined family. Uponshowing this letter to his wife, she at once exclaimed that the lady wasthe very person for Dr. Drayton.
The necessary arrangements were soon made; the house was put in perfectorder, and elegantly furnished; and Dr. Drayton took his niece to asdelightful a home as one could wish to have, for Mrs. Marston proved tobe all that he desired. Cultivated and agreeable, she soon won hisheartfelt esteem, and Rachel loved her from their very first meeting.
After the new household had got fairly settled, Dr. Drayton proposed toRachel that she should continue her German and French under hisdirection. He spoke both languages as fluently as he did English, andsuggested that the lessons should consist entirely of conversation, andreading aloud from some of the best French and German authors. Rachelwas very much pleased at his proposition, and asked if Marion might notjoin with them.
"Yes, if she likes," replied Dr. Drayton, in answer to her request; "butI'm afraid her head will be too full of balls and parties, for her toever keep up a regular course of studies."
"Why, Uncle Robert!" indignantly cried Rachel; "you don't know Marion atall, or you would not say that!"
"I don't pretend to," quietly replied the doctor; "but I suppose she isvery much like all other young ladies."
"Indeed she is not," replied Rachel, energetically. "I don't know of agirl that has as much strength of character as Marion."
"Not even excepting Miss Florence?"
"No, not even excepting her. I love Florence dearly; she is a lovelygirl, but there is something about Marion which _she_ has not got."
"I should say so, decidedly," replied Dr. Drayton, with provokingcoolness.
"Why, Uncle Robert, I never dreamed you didn't like Marion!"
"Did I say I did not?" asked her uncle, as he unfolded the newspaper,and glanced down its columns.
"No, you didn't say exactly those words, but you implied it."
"I was not aware of the fact," said the doctor, as he lighted his cigar."You said there was something about her different from Florence, and Iagreed with you. I suppose, with feminine perversity, you would havepreferred that I should have disagreed, thus giving you an opportunityto make an argument in favor of your side of the question; next timeI'll remember."
"Uncle Robert, you are perfectly provoking!" exclaimed Rachel, jumpingup, and taking the paper away from him; "there!--you shan't have ituntil you've said something in Marion's favor."
"Very well," replied her uncle, slightly raising his eyebrows; "youenumerate the catalogue of her virtues, and I'll subscribe to all Ican."
"In the first place, she's very handsome," commenced Rachel.
"Well, no, not exactly what I call handsome," said the doctor in adeliberating tone; "she's not large enough for that."
"Beautiful then; that's better still."
"
Well, yes,--I suppose you think so."
"But it isn't to be what I think," impatiently replied Rachel. "Youcertainly _must_ acknowledge she has beautiful eyes; true as steel; thekind of eyes you could trust!"
"I'll examine them the next time I see her," replied Dr. Drayton, as helaid back in his chair, and puffed a cloud of smoke into the air."Excellence No. 3, if you please, Rachel."
"She's very intelligent, and an excellent scholar," replied Rachel,tapping the floor with her foot, and trying not to get provoked.
"As yet I have never had any conversation with her of any deeper importthan the shade of your window-curtains; but I've no doubt she's at homewith any subject, and is a perfect walking 'Encyclopaedia Americana.'"
"Uncle Robert, you are incorrigible! you are determined _not_ to see anygood in her."
"Not at all, my dear; the difficulty is, that after a six weeks'acquaintance, you expect me to be as enthusiastic over her as you areafter a lengthy _school-girl_ intimacy."
"I know what you mean to insinuate by a 'school-girl intimacy,' and Iagree with you that as a general thing they don't amount to anything;but just let me tell you what Marion did for me, and then see if you'llwonder that I'm '_enthusiastic_' over her."
"Go on; I am prepared for anything. I suppose she rescued you from a'watery grave' in true novel fashion."
"She did more than that; she risked finding one herself. She walked allalone, at midnight, from our school to the doctor's house, which is atleast a mile and a half, and crossed the river on a bridge _that theflooring was taken off, and nothing for her to walk on but the beamwhere the railing was_!"
"A heroine, as I live!" cried the doctor, holding up both hands;"something of which I've always had an innate horror."
"Uncle Robert," said Rachel, really hurt, "I thought after that you'd atleast show some regard for her, if only for my sake."
"My dear girl," he replied, drawing her towards him, "I certainly willacknowledge that it was very brave in her; now give me my newspaper."
"You don't deserve it, but you shall have it, if you will let Marionjoin our lessons."
"I should be delighted to have her; and Miss Florence too."
"Florence won't be able to give her time to it, I know. She can't cometo make me a visit until spring, for she was away all summer, and herfather can't spare her yet."
"Very well; you arrange everything with Mrs. Berkley; only the time mustnot interfere with office-hours; before or after that I am at yourservice."
"You're the dearest uncle in the world!" exclaimed Rachel, kissing him.
"Even if I don't worship your heroine."
"Oh, don't call her a _heroine_, for mercy's sake! and above all don'tever let her know that I told you."
"My lips shall be sealed on the subject. Now run off, and let me read mypaper in peace."
Marion was very much pleased with the plan for the French and Germanlessons, and it was arranged that they should devote two hours, twice aweek, to each language, meeting alternately at Marion's and Rachel'shouses. Marion was a very good French scholar, and could manage to makeherself understood in German; but she was really afraid of Dr. Drayton,and never did herself justice at the lessons. He was very patient andkind, but nevertheless very critical, and corrected the pronunciation oftheir German so many times, that Marion at last declared she never wouldsay another word, for she knew she never could suit him; but she foundhim even more determined than M. Beranger, and soon learned, that if thelessons went on at all, his directions must be strictly attended to; andafter a while the girls never thought of speaking English, during theirFrench and German hours. Mr. Berkley, who happened to look in upon themone day when they were carrying on quite an excited argument, declaredthey were all jabbering just to hear themselves talk, for he knewperfectly well they couldn't any one of them understand a word theothers were saying.
* * * * *
The intimacy between the two families increased daily, and the Berkleyswelcomed Dr. Drayton most cordially to their family circle, finding himin every way a most delightful companion. Intelligent, cultivated, andrefined, and having travelled over almost every country in Europe, hehad the rare gift of describing everything he had seen in such a manneras to bring it vividly before the minds of his hearers, withoutincessantly introducing the personal pronoun, which, as a general thing,finds its way so often into a traveller's account of his journeyings.
He became a general favorite with the family. Charley always ran tomeet him, and commenced a raid upon his pockets, sure of findingsomething stowed away there for his especial benefit; the baby crowedwith delight whenever he came near him; and Fred bestowed upon him,after their first meeting, the highest compliment he could pay aman,--"he was a regular brick!" But Marion declared "she thought theymade altogether too much fuss over him, and she did not intend to joinwith the family in setting him up as a perfect hero; she must say shethought he was rather conceited, for he never paid her any attention,and when young people were there, and they were all having a nice timein the parlor, he always sat off with papa and mamma, in the library, asif he thought himself above such childish follies."