CHAPTER XVI
THE PROMISE
On returning to Mrs. Van Reypen’s room, Patty found that lady sleepingquietly, so she herself went to bed on a couch in the dressing-roomadjoining. Next morning, the patient was weak and ill, and when thedoctor arrived he sent at once for two nurses. Patty went home, feelingsad, for she feared her kind old friend might not survive this illness.
But Nan cheered her up, saying that while grip was sometimes a seriousmatter, more often, it was light and of short duration.
“But it is contagious,” Nan went on, “and I don’t want you to catch it,Patty. Don’t go over there again, until Mrs. Van Reypen gets better.”
Patty agreed to this, but a few days later, there came such animperative summons from Mrs. Van Reypen that Patty felt she must respondto the call.
“Well, don’t go very near her,” begged Nan, as Patty started. “You aresusceptible to colds, and if you get grip, it will wear you out.”
* * * * *
Reaching the house, Patty was shocked at the appearance of Mrs. VanReypen. She was emaciated and her face had a waxen pallor. But her darkeyes were feverishly bright, and she greeted Patty with an eager smile.Then she sent the nurse from the room, with peremptory orders not toreturn until called.
“Patty, I want to talk to you,” the old lady began.
“All right, Lady Van,” said Patty, lightly, “but you musn’t talk much.If it’s an important subject, you’d better wait till you are stronger.”
“I shall never be stronger, my dear. This is my last illness,——”
“Oh, now, don’t talk like that. Grip always makes its patientsdiscouraged, but you are too sensible to be fooled by it. Brace up, andresolve to get well, and then you will get well.”
Patty was arguing against her own convictions, for she saw the ravagesthe disease had made, and she feared the worst. But she did all shecould to cheer and encourage.
“It’s useless for you to talk like that,” the invalid went on, “for Iknow what I know. Now listen to me. I am going to die. I know it, and Iam not afraid. I am seventy years old, I have had a happy life, and ifmy time has come, I am willing to die. Life is sweet, but we must alldie, and it is only a coward who fears death. I am going to leave you afortune, Patty. I have made my will and in it, I bequeath you a hundredthousand dollars.”
“Oh, Lady Van,” Patty gasped, “don’t, _don’t_ leave me all that money! Ishould be overcome with the responsibility of it.”
“Nonsense! But listen to the plan. I want you to have half of itabsolutely for yourself, and the other half, use to build a Children’sHome. I know you will enjoy doing this, and I trust you to do it well.Thus, you see, your own share of the money is, in a way, payment foryour work and responsibility of the Home. You may build, rent, or buy ahouse for the purpose. Your father and Philip will help you as to thebusiness matters. But the furnishing and house planning will be yourwork. Will you do this?”
“I’d love to do it!” and Patty’s eyes shone at the idea. “If I amcapable.”
“Of course you’re capable. Not a big Home, you understand, but as largeas the money will properly pay for. Then, have it bright and pretty, andif it only accommodates a dozen children, I don’t care. I know this isyour favourite form of philanthropy and it is also mine. I wish we couldhave done it together, but it is too late for that now. But Philip willhelp you, and if more money is necessary, he will give it to you, fromhis own inheritance. Phil is a rich man, but I shall leave him all myfortune except what I give you. So don’t hesitate to ask him if you needmore funds.”
“All right, but I shall put your whole bequest into the scheme. I don’twant to be paid for doing what will be a great pleasure.”
“Don’t be a little simpleton! You will take your own half for yourindividual use, and not a cent of it is to go toward the Home. There ismoney enough for that. And it isn’t payment. I give it to you, because Iam really very fond of you. You have made sunshine in my life ever sinceI first found you, and I am glad to give you a small fortune. When youmarry, as you will some day, you will find it very nice to be able tobuy what you want for your trousseau. You can buy worth-while jewelswith it, or, if you prefer, put it out at interest and have a statedincome. But accept it you must, or I shall think you don’t love me atall.”
“Oh, yes, I do. Dear Lady Van, you know I do.”
“Then don’t upset my last hours by refusing what I offer.”
Patty almost laughed at the snappish tone, so incongruous in one who wasmaking a splendid gift. But Mrs. Van Reypen was getting more and moreexcited. A red spot burned in either cheek, and her eyes blazed as shegesticulated from her pillows.
“And there’s another thing, Patty Fairfield, that you are to do for me.You are to marry my boy, Philip.”
“Well,” and Patty laughed lightly, “we won’t discuss that now.”
“But we will discuss it now. I want your promise. Do you suppose I gotyou over here just to tell you about my will? No. I want you to promiseme that you will grant me this happiness before I die. Philip loves youdeeply. He wants you for his wife and he has told you so. Where couldyou find a better man? A more honourable, a kinder, a more generous andloving heart? And he worships you. He would always be gentle and tenderwith you. He is of fine old stock, there is no better family tree in thecountry than the Van Reypens. Now, will you give me your promise?”
“Oh, Lady Van, I can’t promise offhand, like this. You must let me thinkit over.”
“You’ve had time enough for that. Tell me,—you care for Philip, don’tyou?”
“Yes, indeed I care for him a great deal,—as a friend. But I don’tthink I love him as I ought to—as I want to love the man I marry.”
“Fiddlesticks! You don’t know your own mind, that’s all. You’re afoolish, sentimental child. Now, look here, you marry Philip soon,—andyou’ll find out that you do love him. Why, who could help it? He’s sucha splendid fellow. He would make you as happy as the day is long. Patty,he’s a man of a thousand. He hasn’t a bad trait or an unworthy thoughtin his mind. You don’t know how really fine he is. And he adores youso,—he would give you every wish of your heart.”
“I know he would. He has told me so. But I can’t feel sure that I carefor him in the right way. And I can’t promise——”
“You mean you won’t! You are willing to trifle with Philip’s affectionsand lead him on and lure him with false hopes and then——”
“Stop, stop! That’s not fair! I never led him on! We have been goodfriends for years, but I never even imagined his wanting to marry meuntil he told me so last summer.”
“Last summer! And you haven’t given him a definite answer yet! You keephim on tenter-hooks without the least consideration or care as to hisfeelings. If he were not such a patient man, he would have given up allidea of wanting you. Do you know what you are, Patty Fairfield? You’re alittle flirt, that’s what you are! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!How many other men have you on a string? Several, I dare say.”
“Lady Van, you have no right to talk to me like this? If you were notill, I’d be very angry with you. But as you are, I ascribe your harshspeeches to the illness that is racking you. Now, let us drop thesubject and talk of something pleasanter.”
“We’ll do nothing of the sort! I sent for you to get your promise, andI’m going to get it!” Mrs. Van Reypen sat upright in her bed, and shookher clenched hand at Patty. “You little fool!” she cried, “any girl inher senses would be only too glad to get such a man as my nephew! Youare honoured by his wanting you. I am very fond of you myself,—you areso pretty and sunny-faced. But if you refuse me this wish of my heart, Ishall cease to love you. I won’t leave you that money, I——”
The old lady’s voice rose nearly to a shriek, and she glared at Pattywith a fairly malevolent gaze.
That last speech was too much for Patty.
??
?I don’t want your money,” she said, rising to go. “I cannot stay andlisten to such unjust remarks as you have been making. I’m sorry, but Ican’t give you the promise you ask, and as I can’t please you I thinkI’d better go.”
“Sit down,” begged Mrs. Van Reypen, and now her anger was gone, and hertones were wheedlesome. “Forgive me, dear, I have no right to force yourwill. But please, Patty Girl, think it over, here and now. You caneasily learn to love Phil,—you’re not in love with anybody else, areyou?”
“No,” replied Patty.
“Then, as I say, you can easily learn to love him, he is such a dear.And he would treat you like a princess. He would shower you with giftsand pleasures. You could live in this house, or he would buy you orbuild you whatever home you fancied. Then, together, you could carry outmy project for the Children’s Home. Your life would be a heaven onearth. Don’t you think so, Patty,—dear Patty?”
When Lady Van chose she could be very sweet and ingratiating. And sheseemed to hypnotize Patty. The girl looked at her with a hesitatingexpression.
“Say yes,” pleaded the old lady. “Please, Patty, say yes. You’ll neverregret it, and you will be happy all your life. And you will have thesatisfaction of knowing that you eased the last hours of a dying womanand sent her out of the world happy and contented to go. For I am dying,Patty. You do not know all of my ills. I may live a few days, but notlonger. The doctor knows and so do the nurses. I haven’t told Philip,for I hate to cause him pain. But if I can tell him of your promise tomarry him, it will mitigate his grief at saying farewell to me. Now youwill say yes, won’t you, my dear little Patty Girl?”
“But——”
“No buts now. You couldn’t have the heart to refuse the dying request ofone who has always loved you like a daughter. I would gladly haveadopted you, Patty, had your people been willing to spare you. I went tosee your parents not long ago. Your father said there is no man in theworld he would rather see you marry than Philip. And Mrs. Nan said thesame. Why do you fight against it so? Is it merely shyness? Justmaidenly reserve? If that’s it, I understand and appreciate. But waiveall that, for my time is short. You needn’t marry him at once if youdon’t wish, but promise me that he shall be your choice. That he will bethe man you will some day wed and make happy. Won’t you promise, Patty?”
“I—can’t——”
“Yes, you can!” Mrs. Van Reypen leaned out of her bed, and graspedPatty’s arm in a vise-like clutch. “You can and you shall! Now,—atonce! Promise!”
The black eyes of the old lady bored into Patty’s own. Her firm, hardmouth was set in a straight line. And with both hands she grippedPatty’s arms and shook her slightly. “Promise, or I shall die on thespot!”
“I promise,” said Patty, faintly, urged on by the older woman’s force ofintensity of will.
Mrs. Van Reypen fell back exhausted. She seemed unconscious, but whetherin a faint, or stunned by sudden reaction, Patty did not know.
She flew to the door and called the nurse.
“Goodness! What happened?” inquired Miss French. “Has she had any sortof mental shock?”
“She has given me one,” returned Patty, but the nurse was busyadministering restoratives, and paid no heed.
Patty went slowly downstairs and out into the street. She walked home ina daze. What had she done? For to Patty a promise was a sacred thing andnot to be broken. She hoped Mrs. Van Reypen would get better and shewould go and ask to be released from a promise that was fairly wrungfrom her. She was undecided whether to tell Nan about it or not, butconcluded to wait a day or two first. And then, she thought to herself,why wasn’t she prepared to fulfill the promise? Why didn’t she want tomarry Phil, big, kind-hearted Phil, who loved her so deeply? At times italmost seemed as if she did want to marry him, and then again, shewasn’t sure.
“I’ll sleep over it,” she thought, “and by tomorrow I’ll know my ownmind better. I must be a very wobbly-brained thing, anyhow. Why don’t Iknow what I want? But I suppose every girl feels like this when shetries to make up her mind. Philip is a dear, that’s certain. Maybe I’mworrying too much over it. Well, I’ll see by tomorrow.”
But the next day and the next, Patty was equally uncertain as to whethershe was glad or sorry that she had made that promise.
And after another day or two she went down herself with the grip.
“I told you you’d catch it from Mrs. Van Reypen,” scolded Nan. “You hadno business to go there and expose yourself.”
“But I had to go when she sent for me,” said Patty.
“What did she want of you? you never told me.”
“Well, for one thing, she thinks she’s going to die, and she wants toleave me a hundred thousand dollars in her will.”
“A hundred thousand! Patty, you must be crazy.”
“Well, it isn’t all for me, only half.” And then Patty told about theplan for the Children’s Home, but she said nothing about the promise shehad given.
Nan was greatly excited over the bequest. “But,” she said, “I don’tbelieve Mrs. Van is going to die. She’s better today. I justtelephoned.”
“I hope she won’t die,” said Patty fervently. “I don’t want her money,and if she gets well she can run that Home project herself, and I’llwillingly help. Oh, Nan, I do feel horrid.”
Grip has the reputation of making people feel horrid. The doctor cameand sent Patty to bed, and for several days she had a high fever, whichwas aggravated by her mental worry over the promise she had made to Mrs.Van Reypen.