CHAPTER XIX
Mrs. Driscoe was not a reasonable woman, never had been reasonable, hadno desire to be reasonable; it was therefore not to be expected that shewould take a reasonable attitude toward Sidney Renshawe when he wentdown to Virginia early that spring and asked her for her Nannie. In vaindid he argue and cajole, in vain did the dear Colonel remonstrate, invain did little Nannie cry and plead; to one and all she turned a deafear. It was no--no--no then and forever.
The County discussed the situation freely and wondered that so worldly amother should frown upon so eligible a _parti_. Sidney Renshawe was wellborn, fairly rich, rising steadily in his profession; all the Countyknew that much, though it is doubtful if any one of them had ever beenin Radnor. What if Renshawe's hair was red and his mustache a triflebristly? Didn't that add a touch of strength to his face and suggest aresemblance to a certain Prisoner of Zenda, who, though only a man in abook, as every one said, was, nevertheless, the most idolized of heroes.As for poor little Nannie, it was plainly to be seen she was losingflesh over the situation.
As she wrote the girls, she was "torn by conflicting emotions," usingthe well-worn phrase because the poor little thing had no words of herown in which to express her feelings. She had never had complex feelingsbefore. Hitherto her life had consisted in loving and being loved, whichled her naturally enough into a similar state of things with SidneyRenshawe, who came, saw and conquered her girlish heart. The Colonel washer stanch friend and ally. He liked Renshawe and felt he was just theman to whom he could trust his little girl when the time came to giveher up. And that was not necessarily imminent, for if Mrs. Driscoe wasunreasonable Renshawe certainly was not and was willing to wait one,two, three years if need be. But Mrs. Driscoe remained obdurate and thehousehold was plunged into a state of strained atmospheric conditionssuch as had never been known before.
"I can't help loving him and it isn't wrong to love him, is it?" littleNannie would say appealingly to the Colonel.
"No, no, Puss, be patient. We'll win her over soon." It is doubtful ifthe Colonel believed this cheerful prophecy, but the child had to becomforted.
Renshawe had remained two weeks with his friends at the plantationadjacent to the Driscoes, seeing Nannie every day. Mrs. Driscoe did notrefuse him this boon but, declined to receive him herself and intimatedso plainly that the man's room was preferable to his company that thegirl took little pleasure in his visits and agreed with him that it wasfar better he should go away. Without her mother's permission sherefused to become engaged but the night previous to his departure sheallowed him to slip on her finger a certain simple little ring which hereminded her he had been carrying in his pocket since the night theymet. The next day he went north leaving his heart in Virginia, with adelicious sense of its security in Nannie's keeping. The consciousnesswas strong within him that the winning of such as she was worth thewaiting.
And Mrs. Driscoe all this while went about with the aggrieved air of onewhose troubles were scarcely to be understood by an unsympathetic world.If she had been put to it she could have given no reason for heropposition to Renshawe, for she had none and had shown him marked favorat the beginning. But that was before, as she told the Colonel, "hersuspicions were aroused." From the moment they were, Renshawe was madeunpleasantly conscious of it.
While Nannie, sustained by the Colonel and the County's backing, gotwhat solace she could out of the days that were so long and oh! solonely after Sidney left her, he, back in Radnor, turned for comfort tothe Dale girls, who took him into their hearts for Nannie's sake andsoon learned to like him for his own. He became a frequent visitor,calling usually Sunday afternoons when he felt he would be less likelyto disturb them, and he wrote Nannie that except a certain little girlin Virginia whose name he would never divulge, they were the sweetestgirls he had ever known and the bravest. But he did not tell Nannie howas he came to observe them more closely he discovered in their faceslittle careworn lines which told a tale their lips never would havedisclosed and how about Julie, especially, there was a subdued, almostintense manner, as if she were holding herself in a vise. They neverspoke of their work or their cares to him or any one else and made lightof any passing reference to their business. Indeed, as far as Sidneymight have known from them, they lived quite like other girls.
In regard to his friend Gremond's previous connection with them or ofhis call on Julie, Renshawe knew nothing. The Frenchman left town theday following that on which he had seen Julie and had not referred tothe Dales in any way either to him or Dr. Ware, who was left to draw hisown conclusions. This was not so simple as might be supposed, for whilein one light the man's sudden disappearance looked as if Julie mighthave given him his conge, viewed from another point, especially taken inconnection with a certain happy light in Julie's eyes these days when hecaught her glance, it led him to believe that perhaps the girl had givenhim her promise but required that he should wait yet a longer time toclaim her. The Doctor longed to know and wearied himself with imaginingwhy she did not confide in him. But since she did not, delicacy forbadehis mentioning Gremond's name.
Another person who did some speculating over Gremond was Mrs. Lennox,but being a woman she arrived at her conclusions quickly and decidedthat his precipitous flight to France when he had been booked for someweeks in Radnor, argued ill for the result of his trip across thecountry. She was not at home the one time he had called on her and thefact that he was not at more pains to seek her out and continue theconfidential relations established in her sanctum on his previous visit,satisfied her that he could not have found what he was so eagerlyseeking. Being a sympathetic woman she was sorry, but she would havethought more of him had he chosen to tell her the outcome of hisaffairs. As he did not, she dismissed him from her mind altogether,having agreed with Miss Marston one day when they were discussing him,that he was a clever man but after all a trifle too self-centered. Totell the truth Mrs. Lennox had been mistaken in her analysis of hischaracter and it annoyed her.
A fortnight after the wedding the Dale girls were devouring with eagereyes one morning a very small note and a very large check which theycould scarcely read, so great was their excitement.
"Oh, what a relief!" cried Julie, "to know that everything pleased Mrs.Truxton, and how good she was to write such a kind appreciative note topeople like us whom she scarcely knows! Let's go and read it toBridget."
Bridget, when she heard it, was reduced to tears and presently they wereall laughing and crying together, for the work of this first big orderhad been more of an anxiety than any one of them cared to acknowledge,while its success expressed so kindly by their thoughtful customer meantas much in its way as the accompanying check, which fairly dazzled them.
"One hundred and twenty-five dollars!" cried Hester ecstatically. "We'remillionaires! Oh-- oh--oh! to think of our _earning_ so much money!" Shewaved the check wildly over her head and even insisted that Peter Snooksshould have a sniff at it before she said, "Wouldn't you just like toframe it and keep it forever?"
"I know what I should like best of all to do with it," said Julie.
"I bet Miss Hester can guess by the knowin' look in her eyes," saidBridget. "It's meself that knows too, what your blessed selves isthinkin'."
"Of course you both know," Julie said quietly, "we want to begin to payDr. Ware rent."
They went the next afternoon to his office. On the doorsteps theyencountered Miss Ware, who turned about as she saw them approach.
"Don't let us detain you," said Julie politely, "we have just come for alittle business talk with your brother."
"Ah!" she replied, "I fancied you got about all of that sort of thingyou wanted at home. You'd better come upstairs and let me make you sometea--you look peaked, both of you. Philip ought to give you a tonic.Tell him I said so, and come up afterward. I insist upon it and shallhave the tea ready. It will not do you any harm to sit down in adifferent atmosphere for a while. I suppose you do get sick to death ofa kitchen."
There was no doubt that Miss W
are possessed to perfection the faculty ofrubbing one the wrong way, but Julie deemed it wise not to decline theseovertures and made no further protest against her going in with them.
"Horrid old thing! How I hate her!" whispered Hester, as Miss Ware wenton upstairs and they waited a moment in the Doctor's ante-room.
"So do I, but she's _his_ sister and she means well."
"You'd find excuses for the old boy himself."
"No, I wouldn't," laughed Julie, "but--here's Dr. Ware."
He bowed to them as he entered from the private office and passed bywith an elderly man, with whom he was in deep conversation. In a momenthe returned and greeted the girls warmly.
"Well," he said, giving each a hand, "this is delightful. Come into theother room. That was old Mr. Landor--Kenneth's father, by the way--didyou notice him? He is about half Kenneth's size, but he has force enoughfor a dozen men. I wish you girls knew him."
He pulled out chairs as he talked and ensconced the girls comfortably,then stood against the table facing them with arms folded and the smileon his face which Bridget vowed was "like the blessed sun for warmin'the cockles of your heart."
"It is good to have you here," he said heartily, "I wish you came moreoften. Perhaps," with a laugh that showed the gleam of his white teeth,"I do not give you a chance--I go so often to see you."
"If you came every hour of the day it wouldn't be too often," exclaimedHester, who never loved people by halves. "But Julie is going to do thetalking to-day. I intend to keep still."
"As if you could! Well, Julie?" smiling at her.
"We have come to have a little business talk with you," she said,twisting her fingers together nervously and finding it a littledifficult to begin.
"Delighted to be so honored," he replied lightly, bowing low.
"It is about the--the rent," said Julie, who wished her words would notstick in her throat. "We are getting on so well with our work that wewant to begin to pay you. We thought if you would let us begin thismonth and--"
"And not object or scold us or anything," broke in Hester who nevercould remain out of a conversation, "but just take the money, we'd feela thousand times happier, though no money or anything else could everexpress our gratitude for all you are doing."
He still leaned against the table with folded arms but the smile hadgiven place to an expression of sadness.
"Have you both quite finished?" he asked when Hester had stopped forlack of breath.
"We never could finish talking about your kindness," put in Julie.
The Doctor raised his hand as if to waive that aside. "I have listenedto your proposition," he said, "because I am a practical business manand I understand your spirit. It is the height of your ambition to beindependent."
"Yes," they assented.
"When your father broke down," he continued, "I longed to take you allhome and look after you. I was amply able to do it and he is my oldestand best friend. I would have done it, too, if you girls had notastonished me by displaying so much courage and such a determination tofight your own battles that I could only stand aside and watch you workout your own salvation."
"You have made the way easier all the time," said Julie tremulously.
The Doctor cleared his throat.
"I have been so glad to share a bit of the responsibility, but now myfaithful little comrades want to shoulder it all."
"Oh, Dr. Ware, you don't think--" began Hester impulsively.
"Yes, I do think," he interrupted, "that you have the right idea andwhatever my personal inclination may be, I like your spirit ofindependence and it shall be as you say."
Hester flung her arms about his neck and kissed him. "Do you know," shesaid brokenly, "Julie and I are getting so puffed up with conceit overour business prosperity that presently you will disown us altogether."
"Shall I?" holding her fast. "What do you think, Julie?" with asearching gaze into the face of the older girl who stood a little apartfrom them.
Julie flushed and turned her eyes away--tell-tale eyes like hers werenot to be trusted. "I think," she said with a supreme effort to speakcalmly, "I think we had better go upstairs for tea. Miss Ware will bewondering what has become of us."
When the Doctor learned that tea was brewing in the library he followedthem upstairs and electrified his sister by handing about tea and takinga cup himself with as much complacency as if he were in the habit ofdawdling around a tea-table every afternoon of his life. Miss Warewished he hadn't come, for she had intended to ply the girls withquestions about their work; questions which in the presence of herbrother she hesitated to ask, standing, as she did, in considerable aweof him. She did manage, while he was talking to Hester, to catechiseJulie a little, but that young woman's answers were so evasive, yetwithal so sweetly polite that Miss Ware felt very much as if she werehitting a rubber ball, which, while showing the imprint of her attack,bounded back every time to the starting point. It happened also that Dr.Ware having some notion of what his sister might be up to, rescued Juliefrom too prolonged a tete-a-tete and with infinite tact kept theconversation in such general channels that personalities were forgottenand Miss Ware quite shone in her desire to be agreeable. There are manypersons who, given their own conversational way, manage in the course ofan hour to reduce to a state of irritation every person in the room, yetwho, guided and steered by a stronger force, rise to the best that is inthem and produce such a favorable impression that one wonders how oneever thought them other than agreeable. It was thus with Miss Ware, whounder the guidance of her brother, appeared to the girls in a new light,and she herself had the unusual sensation of regretting that they hadtaken so early a departure.
"I wish I had asked them to stay on to dinner," she said when they hadgone.
"I wish you had," said the Doctor, accustomed to her after thoughts.
"Why didn't you suggest it?"
"I was not sure that it would be agreeable to you, Mary."
"Humph!" she said. Then critically, "Hester _is_ extraordinarilypretty--and what an air! She's almost conspicuous. How is your schemeabout Kenneth getting on?"
"It is not a 'scheme,' Mary. I wish you would not express it just thatway. And I have concluded I am not the right person to go in formatch-making. Think no more about it."
"Humph!" she said again.
"I doubt if either of the girls will care to marry," he volunteered.
"Girls are queer," she said sententiously.
"Are they?" he rejoined wearily. "I do not think I know."