practices gradually invested him, inthe eyes of his domestics, with a certain preternatural mystery, whichenhanced the fear with which they habitually regarded him, and wassubsequently confirmed by his giving orders to have the furniture takenout of the ominous suite of rooms, and the doors nailed up and secured.He gave no reason for this odd and abrupt measure, and gossip of coursereported that the direction had originated in his having encountered thespecter of the murdered baronet, in one of these strange and unseasonablevisits to the scene of the fearful catastrophe.
In addition to all this, Marston's conduct towards his wife becamestrangely capricious. He avoided her society more than ever; and when hedid happen to exchange a few words with her, they were sometimes harshand violent, and at others remorsefully gentle and sad, and this withoutany changes of conduct upon her part to warrant the wayward uncertaintyof his treatment. Under all these circumstances, Mrs. Marston'sunhappiness and uneasiness greatly increased. Mademoiselle de Barras,too, upon several late occasions, had begun to assume a tone of authorityand dictation, which justly offended the mistress of the establishment.Meanwhile Charles Marston had returned to Cambridge; and Rhoda, no longerenjoying happy walks with her brother, pursued her light and easy studieswith Mademoiselle de Barras, and devoted her leisure hours to the lovedsociety of her mother.
One day Mrs. Marston, sitting in her room with Rhoda, had happened tocall her own maid, to take down and carefully dust some richly boundvolumes which filled a bookcase in the little chamber.
"You have been crying, Willett," said Mrs. Marston, observing that theyoung woman's eyes were red and swollen.
"Indeed, and I was, ma'am," she replied, reluctantly, "and I could nothelp it, so I could not."
"Why, what has happened to vex you? Has anyone ill-treated you?" saidMrs. Marston, who had an esteem for the poor girl. "Come, come, you mustnot fret about it; only tell me what has vexed you."
"Oh! Ma'am, no one has ill-used me, ma'am; but I can't but be vexedsometimes, ma'am, and fretted to see how things is going on. I haveone wish, just one wish, ma'am, and if I got that, I'd ask no more,"said the girl.
"And what is it?" asked Mrs. Marston; "what do you wish for? Speakplainly, Willett; what is it?"
"Ah! Ma'am, if I said it, maybe you might not be pleased. Don't ask me,ma'am," said the girl dusting the books very hard, and tossing them downagain with angry emphasis. "I don't desire anybody's harm, God knows;but, for all that, I wish what I wish, and that is the truth."
"Why, Willett, I really cannot account for your strange habit of latelyhinting, and insinuating, and always speaking riddles, and refusing toexplain your meaning. What do you mean? Speak plainly. If there are anydishonest practices going on, it is your duty to say so distinctly."
"Oh! Ma'am, it is just a wish I have. I wish--; but it's no matter. If Icould once see the house clear of that Frenchwoman--"
"If you mean Mademoiselle de Barras, she is a lady," interruptedMrs. Marston.
"Well, ma'am, I beg pardon," continued the woman; "lady or no lady, it isall one to me; for I am very sure, ma'am, she'll never leave the housetill there is something bad comes about; and--and--. I can't bring myselfto talk to you about her, ma'am. I can't say what I want to tell you:but--but--. Oh, ma'am, for God's sake, try and get her out, any way, nomatter how; try and get rid of her."
As she said this, the poor girl burst into a passionate agony of tears,and Mrs. Marston and Rhoda looked on in silent amazement, while she forsome minutes continued to sob and weep.
The party were suddenly recalled from their various reveries by a knockat the chamber-door. It opened, and the subject of the girl's deprecatoryentreaty entered. There was something unusually excited and assured inMademoiselle de Barras's air and countenance; perhaps she had a suspicionthat she had been the topic of their conversation. At all events, shelooked round upon them with a smile, in which there was somethingsupercilious, and even defiant; and, without waiting to be invited, sateherself down, with a haughty air.
"I was about to ask you to sit down, mademoiselle, but you haveanticipated me," said Mrs. Marston, gravely. "You have something to sayto me, I suppose; I am quite at leisure, so pray let me hear it now."
"Thank you, thank you, madame," replied she, with a sharp, and evenscornful glance; "I ought to have asked your permission to sit; I forgot;but you have condescended to give it without my doing so; that was verykind, very kind, indeed."
"But I wish to know, mademoiselle, whether you have anything veryparticular to say to me?" said Mrs. Marston.
"You wish to know!--and why, pray madame?" asked Mademoiselle deBarras, sharply.
"Because, unless it is something very urgent, I should prefer yourtalking to me some other time; as, at present, I desire to be alone withmy daughter."
"Oh, ho! I ought to ask pardon again," said mademoiselle, with the sameglance, and the same smile. "I find I am de trop--quite in the way.Helas! I am very unfortunate today."
Mademoiselle de Barras made not the slightest movement, and it wasevident that she was resolved to prolong her stay, in sheer defiance ofMrs. Marston's wishes.
"Mademoiselle, I conclude from your silence that you have nothing verypressing to say, and, therefore, must request that you will have thegoodness to leave me for the present," said Mrs. Marston, who felt thatthe spirit of the French girl's conduct was too apparent not to have beenunderstood by Rhoda and the servant, and that it was of a kind, forexample sake, impossible to be submitted to, or tolerated.
Mademoiselle de Barras darted a fiery and insolent glance at Mrs.Marston, and was, doubtless, upon the point of precipitating the openquarrel which was impending, by setting her authority at defiance; butshe checked herself, and changed her line of operations.
"We are not alone madame," she said, with a heightened color, and aslight toss of the head. "I was about to speak of Mr. Marston. I hadsomething, not much, I confess, to say; but before servants I shan'tspeak; nor, indeed, now at all. So, madame, as you desire it, I shall nofurther interrupt you. Come, Miss Rhoda, come to the music-room, if youplease, and finish your practice for today."
"You forget, mademoiselle, that I wish to have my daughter with me atpresent," said Mrs. Marston.
"I am very sorry, madame," said the French lady, with the same heightenedcolor and unpleasant smile, and her finely-penciled brows justdiscernibly knit, so as to give a novel and menacing expression to herbeautiful face--"I am very sorry, madame, but she must, so long as Iremain accountable for her education, complete her allotted exercises atthe appointed hours; and nothing shall, I assure you, with my consent,interfere with these duties. Come, Miss Rhoda, precede me, if you please,to the music-room. Come, come."
"Stay where you are, Rhoda," said Mrs. Marston, firmly and gently, andbetraying no symptom of excitement, except in a slight tremor of hervoice, and a faint flush upon her cheek--"Stay where you are, my dearchild. I am your mother, and, next to your father, have the first claimupon your obedience. Mademoiselle," she continued, addressing theFrenchwoman, calmly but firmly, "my daughter will remain here for sometime longer, and you will have the goodness to withdraw. I insist uponit, Mademoiselle de Barras."
"I will not leave the room, I assure you, madame, without my pupil,"retorted mademoiselle, with resolute insolence. "Your husband, madame,has invested me with this authority, and she shall obey me. Miss Rhoda, Isay again, go down to the music-room."
"Remain where you are, Rhoda," said Mrs. Marston again. "Mademoiselle;you have long been acting as if your object were to provoke me to partwith you. I find it impossible any longer to overlook this grosslydisrespectful conduct; conduct of which I had, indeed, believed youabsolutely incapable. Willett," she continued, addressing the maid, whowas evidently bursting with rage at the scene she had just witnessed,"your master is, I believe, in the library; go down, and tell him that Ientreat him to come here immediately."
The maid started on her mission with angry alacrity, darting a venomousglance at the handsome Frenchwoman as she passed.
Mademoiselle de Barras, meanwhile, sate, listless and defiant, in herchair, and tapping her little foot with angry excitement upon the floor.Rhoda sate close by her mother, holding her hand fast, and lookingfrightened, perplexed, and as if she were on the point of weeping. Mrs.Marston, though flushed and excited, yet maintained her dignified andgrave demeanor. And thus, in silence, did they all three await thearrival of the arbiter to whom Mrs. Marston had so promptly appealed.
A few minutes more, and Marston entered the room. Mademoiselle'sexpression changed as he did so to one of dejected and sorrowfulsubmission; and, as