CHAPTER VIII.
THE ELLSWORTH HONOR.
"Of all that life can teach us, There's naught so true as this: The winds of Fate blow ever, But ever blow amiss."
Since the world began there was never a truer, sweeter love, nor onethat promised more fairly, but, alas! none over which threatening cloudsof Fate ever hung more darkly.
Two weeks passed away, and the lovers kept the secret of theirengagement with difficulty, for Love was passionately anxious to showhis happiness to the whole world.
But Dainty's shrinking from her cousins' comments made her hold herlover to the compact of silence, hoping by delay to win from them morekindly thoughts.
And yet every one could see the handsome young pair were in love witheach other.
They could no more hide their mutual tenderness than they could helpbreathing. Their glances turned so often to each other, their smileswere so tender, their voices had so soft a cadence when they called eachother's names, that every one could guess the passion of their hearts.
Ellsworth and the surrounding neighborhood had been very gay the pastfew weeks.
Dances and picnics, moonlight rides and tea parties, all varied theprogramme, and contributed to the pleasure of Mrs. Ellsworth's beautifulnieces.
Dainty, even in her simple gowns and hats, was the beauty of everygathering, and might have been the belle of everything had she sochosen; but she was shy and cold with all other men, in her loyalty toher noble lover.
There came a day, toward the second week in July, when Mrs. Ellsworthasked her step-son for a private interview in her boudoir.
"I am obliged to speak to you on a very important subject," she said,anxiously.
He bowed inquiringly.
"Can you not guess the subject to which I refer?" she continued. "Haveyou forgotten the peculiar provisions of your father's will, by whichyou will be disinherited in my favor unless you marry on or before yourtwenty-sixth birthday?"
"I have not forgotten," he replied, calmly.
"Then perhaps you have forgotten that the first day of August will beyour birthday?"
"I have not forgotten that, either," he replied, coolly.
The handsome old lady regarded him with some irritation, and snappedout:
"Then perhaps you will condescend to explain the reason for your strangeshilly-shallying? Your birthday scarcely three weeks off, and yourinheritance dependent on your marriage, yet not even engaged!"
"Dear madame, there is plenty of time yet," he replied, with provokingcoolness.
"You expect, then, to be married on your birthday?"
"Certainly, madame. You can not suppose that I am going to remainsingle, and resign my birthright to you or any one?"--sarcastically.
"I scarcely thought you such a fool," she said, tartly; adding: "But Iconsider your behavior very strange. You are not yet engaged that I knowof, and the bride ought to have more than three weeks to prepare hertrousseau."
"That is all nonsense about an elaborate trousseau. She will need only awedding and traveling-gown, and the other finery can be bought while weare on our wedding-tour in Paris," he returned, airily.
She exclaimed, suspiciously:
"Perhaps you are engaged already to some grand foreign lady, and intendto return to Europe in time to marry her on your birthday?"
"You are mistaken, madame. There is no girl in the world for me but oneof our lovely Americans. That is why I came home from my wanderings. Iwanted to choose one of my own beautiful country women to be my bride."
"I applaud your taste," she smiled. "I have traveled over the wholeworld, but I found no women as charming as the Americans; and I am gladyou will choose one to reign at Ellsworth. But have you made yourchoice?"
"Ah, madame! that is hard to do among so many lovely girls," he replied,evasively.
She studied him gravely a moment, then exclaimed, boldly:
"I wish you would make your choice between my nieces, Olive and Ela."
"Dainty is your niece, too, I believe?"--coolly.
"Only my half-niece--the daughter of a half-brother I never loved. Isimply asked her here through kindness to give her a good time. But withthe other two it was different. I own to you I desired you to fall inlove with one, and marry her, while I would make the other my heiress,thus settling them both luxuriously in life."
"Ah! And what did you expect to do for pretty littleDainty?"--curiously.
"Nothing. She would return to Richmond, and become aschool-teacher"--irritably.
Love said nothing, only regarded her so gravely, that she snapped:
"Well, what do you say? Can you fall in with my plans?"
"Really, I can't say, you have taken me so much by surprise. Besides,the choice is very limited. Put Dainty in the balance with the other twonieces, and I will promise to choose between the three."
"Love, you are surely not thinking seriously of Dainty Chase for a wife?I assure you that she would not make a fitting mistress for Ellsworth.You admire brave, spirited women, I know, and Dainty is a weak,hysterical little coward, taking dreams for realities. Sheila Kellyassures me that every night since she has been sleeping in her room shehas had a hysterical spell, declaring that she has either seen or heardthe old monk, although nothing at all supernatural has happened toSheila, showing that it is nothing but bad dreams and hysterics onDainty's part. If she goes on in this way long, she will either lose herhealth or her reason; and I am thinking seriously of sending her home toher mother."
"You will do nothing of the kind. Write at once, and invite her motherto come to Ellsworth," he said, so sternly that she started with anger,exclaiming:
"I will not do it! Instead, I will send away this hateful girl who istrying to thwart all my hopes and plans for Olive and Ela!"
She saw by the pallor of his face and the flash of his eyes that she hadgone too far, and her heart sank as he said, haughtily:
"Take care that you do not transcend your authority, madame, in thusthreatening to send away the future fair mistress of my home! Yes, Iwill trifle with you no longer. You shall hear the truth, and governyourself accordingly. Dainty Chase is my promised bride, and we will bemarried on the first of August, my happy birthday!"
She could have killed him for the pride and joy that rang in his voice,as he towered above her, proclaiming the truth. An insane rage rosewithin her, as she hissed:
"It is as I feared and suspected. The sly minx has made a fool of you,and you will be insane enough to marry her; but she does not love you.She only angled for you because you are rich! She had a lover inRichmond, poor like herself, whom she threw over as soon as she foundshe had a chance to win you. Already he has followed her here, and theyhave had two secret meetings in the grounds at twilight. Even theservants are gossiping about it."
His eyes blazed, his face grew ashen, and his teeth clinched, as hestormed in bitter wrath:
"It is a hellish falsehood!"
"Do you say so? Then here are the proofs--the notes she lost, that werepicked up by a servant, and brought to me. Read them, and be convinced!"she cried, in coarse triumph.
His eyes flashed on her like sheet lightning, as he clinched them in hishand.
"Read them!" she repeated, sharply; and she shrank back in bitterhumiliation, as he thundered:
"Do you forget I am an Ellsworth--a descendant of that grand old racewhose motto is: 'Honor before everything'?"
"Well?" she cried, cringingly.
"Do you think that an Ellsworth--a born Ellsworth, I mean, not one bythe accident of marriage, like you--could stoop to the meanness ofinvading another person's private correspondence? It is the act of ahound, not a gentleman! No; I will not read these papers; but I willrestore them to their owner, and she shall explain or not, as she will,the foul aspersion you have cast upon her honor in declaring she hasanother lover. I trust in her as I do in Heaven!" and he rushedviolently from the room in search of Dainty.