CHAPTER XX.
THE JOURNEY.
Rachel's intention had been to stay with Miss Stiefbach until the returnof her uncle, whom she expected during the month of October; but Marionhad urged her to go home with her, and join their family party in theirsummer trip. Mrs. Berkley seconded the invitation so warmly that Rachelhad accepted with great pleasure.
Finding that Mr. Stevenson's means were not sufficient to enable him toallow Florence to join the party, Rachel, with the utmost delicacy andtact, had invited her to go with them,--an arrangement which proved morethan satisfactory to all.
I fear some of my readers have thought that Rachel's uncle must be acold, hard-hearted man to leave his orphan niece so long to the care ofstrangers, and in justice to that gentleman I must give some explanationof his seeming neglect.
Although a man of great wealth, he had devoted himself to the study ofsurgery, throwing into the pursuit as much energy as if he depended onhis skill for his daily bread. Having become quite famous as a surgeon,he had for several years given his services to a charity hospital inBerlin; but having been away from his native land for ten years, henotified the directors of the hospital, a month previous to hisbrother's death, that at the end of a year from that time he must leavethem. He signified his intention of donating to the hospital a sum ofmoney, the income of which would be sufficient to pay a handsome salaryto any one whom they might find competent to take his place. When thenews of his brother's death reached him, his first impulse had been tostart at once for America, and make a home for the orphan girl sosuddenly bereft of a father's care; but the same steamer brought himletters from his lawyer and business agent, stating that, according to awish expressed in the will of his deceased brother, his niece had beenplaced at an excellent boarding-school, where she would remain for ayear, unless other directions were received from him; so he deferredleaving until the time Rachel's school would close; but as she wrote himthat she was well and happy, and had made such pleasant plans for thesummer, he postponed his return still later, finding that until thattime no surgeon could be procured whom he felt capable of filling hisresponsible position.
Mr. and Mrs. Berkley, Marion, Florence, and Rachel, with Fred and Mr.Thornton, made up the travelling party. Mr. Berkley secured adrawing-room car for their exclusive use, and in the best possiblespirits they set out for New York. The day after arriving there theywent up the Hudson to West Point, spending a week at that delightfulplace, made up of enchanting scenery and still more enchanting cadets.It would be useless to say the girls did not enjoy the latter quite asmuch as the former, for what girl of eighteen ever could resist brassbuttons?
For a day or two, Mr. Thornton and Fred escorted them about town, tookthem to the review, and everywhere else that there was anything worthseeing, but never introducing one of their military acquaintances,notwithstanding said acquaintances gave them plenty of opportunities fordoing so. But such a state of things was not likely to last long; forthe young women, although apparently unconscious of the admiringglances with which they were favored, in their secret hearts knewperfectly well that those spruce cadets never met them whenever theywent out, or passed in front of their hotel-windows so many times a day,for the sole purpose of getting a bow from Fred or Mr. Thornton.
"The idea," exclaimed Marion, as the three girls were putting on theirhats for their usual walk, "of our going away from West Point withouthaving been introduced to a single cadet! I think it's outrageous!"
"But, Marion," said Rachel, "don't you suppose if they wanted to know usvery much, they'd find a way to get introduced?"
"How can they, when Fred and Arthur Thornton mount guard over us everytime we go out? Papa doesn't know any one but the old officers. ArthurThornton knows ever so many cadets, and I think it's _very_ strange hedoesn't bring them to call on us."
"I'm sure," said Florence, "Mr. Thornton is very polite and attentivehimself; I think he's very nice."
"Oh, so do I," replied Marion; "he's nice enough, but aren't we going tohave _him_ all summer? I tell you just how it is; he doesn't intend tointroduce any one, because he feels so grand taking us everywherehimself!"
"O Marion," laughed Rachel, "I'm afraid you're growing conceited."
"No, I'm not, but what I say is true. If we didn't dress in the fashion,and look pretty nice all the time, he'd be only too glad to get us offhis hands."
"Seems to me you're rather hard on Mr. Thornton," said Florence,smoothing the feather in her hat. "Why is he any more to blame thanFred?"
"Of course he is! Fred doesn't know any one, but some of the littlefellows, that Arthur Thornton hasn't introduced to him; besides, he'sjust the age when it makes him feel important to have three youngfemales under his charge. But I tell you I'm going to put a stop tothis; I know there are plenty of young men here actually dying to bepresented to us. I think it is positively cruel to let them languish anylonger, and if there isn't more than one cadet introduced to us beforenight, then my name is not Marion Berkley."
That morning the whole party went to the armory with an old officer, whowas at West Point making a visit to his son, a member of the graduatingclass. When they started from the hotel, Marion took her father's arm,and joined with him in his conversation with the officer. Before theyreached the armory Col. Stranburg was perfectly delighted with her, andthe interest she evinced for his profession, and quite devoted himselfto her during the morning.
"My dear young lady," he said as they were returning to the hotel, "Ishould like to call on you and your friends this evening, and bring myson with me."
"I should be delighted," replied Marion, who had been wondering how sheshould ask him to do that very thing without appearing too eager; "foras yet we do not any of us know a single cadet."
"What!" exclaimed the old gentleman, in unfeigned astonishment; "youdon't mean to say you've been at West Point three days, and don't know acadet! Why, I supposed that by this time you had a whole necklace ofbrass buttons."
"I haven't," laughed Marion, "and I don't think I care for one; but Ishould like to know some one here."
"Of course you would; and I don't understand it at all. Ah! now I see!"he exclaimed, with a meaning glance at the two young men who werewalking in front with Florence and Rachel; "you have been monopolized,but we'll alter the state of things."
Col. Stranburg was as good as his word, and called that evening,bringing with him, not only his son, but two other cadets, who proved tobe the very young gentlemen the girls had so often noticed. The next daythe young men called again, each bringing a friend, and so it went on;every evening their parlor was crowded, and the girls were showered withattentions and bouquets till the end of the week, when Mr. Berkleycarried them off, declaring that their heads would be completely turnedif they remained any longer.
From West Point they went to the Catskills, spending several weeksthere. Marion, who had never travelled to any extent, was perfectlydelighted with everything she saw, but above all with the exquisitebeauty of the scenery. She would often wander away from the others, findsome unfrequented spot, and sit for hours drinking in the lovelinessabout her, her whole nature expanding under its influence.
From the Catskills they went to Saratoga, giving only one day and nightto that abode of fashion; from there to Montreal; then down the St.Lawrence to Niagara, and from there home, arriving in Boston about thelast of September.
It would be useless for me to attempt to give an account of all they sawand did that summer; it would fill at least one small volume. Suffice itto say, that every one enjoyed themselves to the utmost; that Rachelcould never thank Mrs. Berkley half enough for inviting her to jointheir party; and Florence could never express half her gratitude toRachel for inviting her to go with her.
I think I conveyed to my readers the idea that Mr. Thornton was somewhatin love with Marion the first time he saw her; and the more he saw herthe better he liked her. Every one knows how easily people getacquainted who are thrown together as they were, and before the summerwas hal
f over, they felt as if they had known each other for years.
Marion liked Mr. Thornton very much; in fact, once or twice she had beenguilty of indulging in certain little day-dreams, in which that younggentleman figured quite extensively; but she had been heartily ashamedof herself afterwards, and resolved in the future not to let herimagination take such ridiculous flights. But she could not helpnoticing, that, polite as he was to her friends, he was still more so toher. There was a difference in the very way he spoke to her; not that hewas ever sentimental or tender; Marion would have had too much goodsense to allow anything of the kind, even if he had been inclined to beso foolish, which I am happy to say he was not. But she remembered, thatthroughout their whole journey she had never expressed a wish to go toany particular place, or see any lovely view which the rest of the partyconsidered rather unattainable, but what, somehow or other, Mr. Thorntoncleared away all difficulties, and almost before she was aware of it thewish was gratified. She would have been something more than human, ifsuch very chivalrous attentions had not been agreeable to her.