CHAPTER VI.
"And, if division come, it soon is past,Too sharp, too strange an agony to last."MRS. NORTON.
Christine and Aunt Phillis, who had been left in charge of Miss Deane,had had a sore trial of patience in waiting upon her, humoring herwhims, listening to her fretting and complaints, and trying to sootheand entertain her. She was extremely irritable, and seemed determinednot to be pleased with any thing they could do for her.
"Where is your mistress?" she asked at length. "Pretty manners she has,to leave a suffering guest to the sole care of servants."
"Yes, Miss, Ise alluz t'ought Miss Zoe hab pretty manners and a prettyface," replied Aunt Phillis; "but dere is ladies what habn't none, an'doan' git pleased wid nuffin' nor nobody, an eayn't stan' no miserynowhars 'bout deirselves, but jes' keep frettin' and concessantlydisplainin' 'bout dis t'ing and dat, like dey hasn't got nuffin' to bethankful for."
"Impudence!" muttered Miss Deane, her eyes flashing angrily. Thenbidding her attendants be quiet, she settled herself for a nap.
She was waked by a slight bustle in the house, accompanied by sounds asif a number of men were carrying a heavy burden through theentrance-hall, and up the wide stairway leading to the second story.
"What's the matter? What's going on? Has any thing happened?" she asked,starting up to a sitting posture.
Christine had risen to her feet, pale and trembling, and stood listeningintently.
"I must go and see," she said, and hurried from the room, Aunt Phillisshambling after her in haste and trepidation.
"Stay!" cried Miss Deane: "don't leave me alone. What are you thinkingof?"
But they were already out of hearing. "I was never so shamefully treatedanywhere as I am here," muttered the angry lady, sinking back upon herpillows. "I'll leave this house to-morrow, if it is a possible thing,and never darken its doors again."
Listening again, she thought she heard sounds of grief, sobbing andwailing, groans and sighs.
She was by no means deficient in curiosity, and it was exceedinglytrying to be compelled to lie there in doubt and suspense.
The time seemed very much longer than it really was before Aunt Philliscame back, sobbing, and wiping her eyes on her apron.
"What is the matter?" asked Miss Deane impatiently.
"Dere's--dere's been a awful commission on de railroad," sobbed AuntPhillis; "and Marse Ed'ard's 'most killed."
"Oh, dreadful!" cried Miss Deane. "Have they sent for his mother?"
Aunt Phillis only shook her head doubtfully, and burst into fresh andlouder sobs.
"Most killed! Dear me!" sighed the lady. "And he was so young andhandsome! It will quite break his mother's heart, I suppose. But she'llget over it. It takes a vast deal of grief to kill."
"P'raps Marse Ed'ard ain't gwine ter die," said the old nurse, checkingher sobs. "Dey does say Doctah Arthur kin 'most raise de dead."
"Well, I'm sure I hope Mr. Travilla won't die," responded Miss Deane,"or prove to be permanently injured in any way.--Ah, Christine!" as thelatter re-entered the room: "what is all this story about a railroadaccident? Is Mr. Travilla killed?"
"No, no, he not killed," replied Christine, in her broken English. "Howbad hurt, I not know to say; but not killed."
Meantime Edward had been taken to his room, and put comfortably to bed;while Zoe, seated in her boudoir, waited anxiously for the doctor'sreport of his condition.
Ella was with her, and now and then tried to speak a comforting word,which Zoe scarcely seemed to hear. She sat with her hands clasped in herlap, listening intently to catch every sound from the room where herinjured husband lay. She looked pale and anxious, and occasionally atear would roll quickly down her cheek.
At last the door opened, and Arthur stepped softly across the room toher side.
"Cheer up, little cousin," he said kindly. "Edward seems to be doingvery well; and if you will be a good, quiet little woman, you may go andsit by his side."
"Oh, thank you! I'll try," she said, starting up at once. "But mayn't Italk to him at all?"
"Not much to-night," was the reply; "not more than seems absolutelynecessary; and you must be particularly careful not to say any thingthat would have the least tendency to excite him."
"Oh, then he must be very, very ill,--terribly injured!" she cried, witha burst of tears and sobs.
"That does not necessarily follow," Arthur said, taking her hand, andholding it in a kindly pressure. "But you must be more composed, or,"playfully, "I shall be compelled to exert my authority so far as toforbid you to go to him."
"Oh, no, no! don't do that!" she cried pleadingly. "I'll be calm andquiet; indeed, indeed I will."
"That's right," he said. "I think I may venture to try you."
"But won't you please tell me just how much you think he is hurt?" shepleaded, clinging to his hand, and looking up beseechingly into hisface.
"My dear little cousin," he said in a tenderly sympathizing tone, "Iwish to do all in my power to relieve your anxiety, but am as yet insome doubt myself as to the extent of his injuries. He is a good dealshaken and bruised; but, as I have said before, there are no brokenbones; and, unless there should be some internal injury which I have notyet discovered, he is likely to recover entirely in a few days orweeks."
"But you are not sure? Oh! how could I ever bear it if he should"--shebroke off with a burst of violent weeping.
He led her to a seat, for she seemed hardly able to stand: her wholeframe was shaking with emotion.
"Try not to meet trouble half way, little cousin," he said gently."'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,' and 'As thy days, soshall thy strength be.' It is God's promise to all who put their trustin him, and cannot fail; all his promises are yea and amen in ChristJesus."
"Yes, I know," she said, making a strong effort to control herself. "Andyou do hope Ned will soon be well?"
"I certainly do," he responded in cheerful accents. "And now, if youwill wipe away your tears, and promise to be very good and quiet, Iwill take you to him. He was asking for you when I left the room."
She gave the desired promise, and he led her to the bedside.
"I have brought you your wife, Ned," he said in a quiet tone, "and meanto leave her with you for a while; but you are to be a good boy, and notindulge in much chatter with her."
"We'll be good: I'll answer for her, and myself too," Edward returned,with a tenderly affectionate smile up into Zoe's face, as she bent overhim, and touched her lips to his forehead.
She dared not trust herself to speak, but silently put her hand in his,dropped on her knees by the bedside, and laid her pretty head on thepillow on which his rested.
"My own darling!" he murmured, softly pressing the hand he held: "my ownprecious little wife!"
Once more Arthur enjoined quiet, then went out, and left them alonetogether.
He paid a professional visit to Miss Deane, satisfied her curiosity inregard to Edward's injuries, and learned with pleasure that she wasquite resolved to go home the next morning.
"Of course Mrs. Travilla should give all her attention to her husbandnow," she remarked; "and I shall be only in the way. One disabled personis quite enough to have in a house at one time. So if you, doctor, willbe so kind as to have the ambulance sent out for me directly afterbreakfast, I'll be much obliged."
"I will do so," he said. "The journey will do you no harm, and you willprobably be better cared for and happier in your own home than here,under the circumstances."
Zoe's poor heart was longing to pour itself out into her husband's earin words of contrition, penitence, and love; and only the fear ofinjuring him enabled her to restrain her feelings, and remain calm andquiet, kneeling there close by his side, with her hand in his. Shecouldn't rest till she told him how very, very sorry she was for thepetulance of the past few days, and especially for the cold rejection ofhis invitation to accompany him on his drive to Roselands, how firmlyresolved never again to give him like cause to be displeased with her,and how dearly
she loved him.
But she must refrain, from fear of exciting him: she must wait till alldanger from that was past.
It was hard; yet there was strong consolation in the certainty that hisdear love was still hers. She read it in his eyes, as they gazed fondlyinto hers; felt it in the tender pressure of his hand; heard it in thetones of his voice, as he called her his "darling, his own preciouslittle wife."
Yet she was tormented with the fear that his accident had affected hismind and memory for the time, so that he had forgotten the unkindness ofthe morning; and that, when returning health and vigor should recallthe facts to his remembrance, he would again treat her with the coldnessand displeasure merited by her behavior.
"But," she comforted herself, "if he does, it will not last long: he issure to forgive and love me as soon as I tell him how sorry I am."
She did not want to leave him to take either food or rest; but Arthurinsisted that she should go down to tea, and later to bed, leavingEdward in his care; and she finally yielded to his persuasions, andexertion of medical authority.
She objected that it was quite useless to go to bed; she was positivelysure she could not sleep a wink: but her head had scarcely touched thepillow before she fell into a profound slumber, for she was quite wornout with anxiety and grief.
It was broad daylight when she woke. The events of yesterday flashedinstantly upon her mind; and she sprang from her bed and began dressingin haste.
She must learn as speedily as possible how Edward was; not worse,surely, for Arthur had promised faithfully to call her at once if thereshould be any unfavorable change during the night. Still, a light tap atthe door made her start, and turn pale; and she opened it with atrembling hand.
Ella stood there with a bright, smiling countenance. "Good-morning,coz," she said gayly. "I bring you good news,--two pieces of it. Ned isalmost himself again; Arthur is entirely satisfied that there is noserious injury,--internal or otherwise; and Miss Deane has already setout for her home, leaving me to give you her adieus. Now are you nothappy?"
"Indeed, indeed I am!" cried Zoe, dancing about the room in ecstasy, hereyes shining, and her cheeks flushing with joy.
"May I go to him at once?" she asked, stopping short, with an eager,questioning look.
"Yes. Art says you may, and Ned is asking for you. How fond he is ofyou, Zoe! though, I think, no fonder than you are of him."
"I don't deserve it," responded Zoe, with unwonted humility, answeringthe first part of the remark.
"I don't see but you do," said Ella. "Can I help you with your dressing?I know you are in a hurry to get to him."
"Thank you. I don't think you can, but I'll be done in five minutes."
Edward lay watching for her coming, listening for the sound of her lightfootsteps, and, as she opened the door, looked up, and greeted her witha tenderly affectionate smile.
"O Ned! dear, dear Ned!" she cried, hastening to the bedside; "how likeyourself you look again!"
"And feel, too, love," he said, drawing her down till their lips met ina long kiss.
Arthur had stepped out on her entrance, and they were quite alonetogether.
"God has been very good to us, darling, in sparing us to each other,"Edward said, in low, moved tones.
"Oh, yes, yes!" she sobbed. "And I didn't deserve it; for I was so crossto you day before yesterday, when you asked me to go with you: and I'dbeen cross for days before that. Can you, will you, forgive me, dearNed?"
"I have not been blameless, and we will exchange forgiveness," he said,drawing her closer, till her head rested against his breast.
"It is so good in you to say that," she sobbed. "Oh, if you had beenkilled, as I thought for one minute you were, I could never have had anhour of peace or comfort in this world! Those unkind words would havebeen the last I ever spoke to you; and I should never have been able toforget them, or the sad look that your face must have worn as you turnedaway. I didn't see it, for I had rudely turned my back to you; but Icould imagine it: for I knew you must have been hurt, and grieved too."
"So I was, little wife," he said tenderly, and passing his handcaressingly over her hair and cheek: "but a few moments' honestretrospect showed me that I was not blameless, had not been asforbearing and affectionate in my treatment of my darling little wife,for the past few days, as I ought to have been; and I resolved to tellher so, on the first opportunity."
"O Ned! I don't deserve such a kind, loving husband!" she sighed; "andyou ought to have a great deal better wife."
"I am entirely satisfied with the one I have," lifting her hand to hislips. "There isn't a woman in the world I would exchange her for."
"But I often do and say things you don't approve," she murmured, with aregretful sigh.
"Yes; but have I not told you more than once, that I do not want a pieceof perfection for my wife, lest there should be far too strong acontrast between her and myself?"
"But there wouldn't be," she asserted. "I don't believe there's anotherman in all the world quite so dear and good as my husband."
"Sweet flattery from your lips," he returned laughingly. "Now, dearest,go and eat your breakfast. I have had mine."
"Ned, do you know our tormentor is gone?" she asked, lifting her head,and looking into his eyes, with a glad light in her own.
"Yes, and am much relieved to know it," he replied. "And, dearest, sheshall never come again, if I can prevent it."