XLV.
"THE HOUR OF SIX IS SACRED."
"Mightier far Than strength of nerve or sinew, or the sway Of magic potent over sun and star, Is love, though oft to agony distrest,
And though its favorite seat be feeble woman's breast."
--WORDSWORTH.
It was at the close of a winter afternoon. Paula who had returned toGrotewell for the few weeks preceding her marriage, sat musing in thewindow of her aunt's quaint little parlor. Her eyes were on the fieldsbefore her all rosy with the departing rays of the sun, but her thoughtswere far away. They were with him she best loved--with Cicely, waitingin patience for the solution of the mystery of the stolen bonds; withBertram, eagerly, but as yet vainly, engaged in searching for thevanished janitor; and last but not least, with that poor, wretchedspecimen of humanity moaning away her life in a New York hospital;--forthe sight of the Japha house, in a walk that day, had reawakened hermost vivid remembrances of Jacqueline. All that had ever been done andsuffered by this forsaken creature, lay on her heart like a weight; andthe question which had disturbed her since her return to Grotewell,viz., whether or not she ought to acquaint Mrs. Hamlin with the factthat she had seen and spoken to the object of her love and prayers,pressed upon her mind with an insistence that required an answer. Therewas so much to be said for and against it. Mrs. Hamlin was not well, andthough still able to continue her vigil, showed signs of weakening, dayby day. It might be a comfort to her to know that another's eyes hadrested on the haggard form for whose approach she daily watched; thatanother's kiss had touched the scarred and pallid forehead she longed tofold against her breast; that the woman she loved and of whose fate shehad no intimation, was living and well cared for, though her shelter wasthat of a hospital, and her prospects those of the grave.
On the other hand, the awful nature of the circumstances which hadbrought her to her present condition, were such as to make any generousheart pause before shocking the love and trust of such a woman as Mrs.Hamlin, by a relation of the criminal act by which Jacqueline had slainher child and endangered her own existence. Better let the poor old ladygo on hoping against hope till she sinks into her grave, than destroylife and hope at once by a revelation of her darling's recklessdepravity.
And yet if the poor creature in the hospital might be moved torepentance by some word from Mrs. Hamlin, would it not be a kindness tothe latter to allow her, though even at the risk of her life, toaccomplish the end for which she indeed professed to live?
The mind of Paula was as yet undecided, when a child from the villagepassed the window, and seeing her sitting there, handed her a smallpackage with the simple message that Mrs. Hamlin was very ill. Itcontained, as she anticipated, the great key to the Japha mansion, andunderstanding without further words, what was demanded of her, Paulaprepared to keep the promise she had long ago made to this devotedwoman. For though she knew the uselessness of the vigil proposed to her,she none the less determined to complete it. Easier to sit an hour inthat dark old house, than to explain herself to Mrs. Hamlin. Besides,the time was good for prayer, and God knows the wretched object of allthis care and anxiety, stood in need of all the petitions that might beraised for her.
Telling her aunts that she had a call to make in the village, she glidedhurriedly away, and ere she realized all to which she was committed,found herself standing in the now darkened streets, before the grim doorof that dread and mysterious mansion. Never had it looked moreforbidding; never had the two gruesome poplars cast a deeper shadow, orrustled with a more woful sound in the chill evening air. The verywindows seemed to repel her with their darkened panes, behind which shecould easily imagine the spirits of the dead, moving and peering. Achill not unlike that of terror, assailed her limbs, and it was with areally heroic action that she finally opened the gate and glided up thepath made by the daily steps of her aged friend. To thrust the big keyinto the lock required another effort, but that once accomplished, shestilled every tumultuous beating of her heart, by crying under herbreath, "She has done this for one whom she has not seen for fifteenyears; shall I then hesitate, who know the real necessity of her forwhom this hour is made sacred?"
The slow swinging open of the door was like an ushering into the abodeof ghosts, but she struck a light at once, and soon had the satisfactionof beholding the dismal room with its weird shadows, resolve into itsold and well remembered aspect. The ancient cabinet and stiff hair-clothsofa, Colonel Japha's chair by the table, together with all the otherobjects that had attracted her attention in her former visit, confrontedher again with the same appearance of standing ready and waiting, whichhad previously so thrilled her. Only she was alone this time, and terrormingled with her awe. She scarcely dared to glance at the doors that ledto other portions of the house. In her present mood it would seem sonatural for them to swing open, and let upon her horrified gaze thestately phantom of the proud old colonel or the gentler shade ofJacqueline's mother. The moan of the wind in the chimney was dreadful toher, and the faint rumbling sounds of mice scampering in the walls, madeher start as though a voice had spoken.
But presently the noise of a sleigh careering by the house recalled herto herself, and remembering it was but early night-fall, she sat down ina chair by the door, and prepared to keep her vigil with suitablepatience and equanimity. Suddenly she recollected the clock on themantel-piece and how she had seen Mrs. Hamlin wind it, and rising up,she followed her example, sighing unconsciously to find how many of thesixty minutes had yet to tick themselves away, "Can I endure it!" shethought, and shuddered as she pictured to herself the dim old staircasebehind those doors, and the empty rooms above, and the little Biblelying thicker than ever with dust, on the yellowed pillows ofJacqueline's bed.
Suddenly she stood still; the noise she had just heard, was not made bythe pattering of mice along the rafters, or even the creaking of thewithered vines that clung against the walls! It was a human sound, aclicking as of the gate without, a crunching as of feet dragging slowlyover the snow. Was Mrs. Hamlin coming after all, or--she could notformulate her fear; a real and palpable danger from the outside worldhad never crossed her fancy till now. What if some stranger shouldenter, some tramp, some--a step on the porch without made her hair riseon her forehead; she clasped her hands and stood trembling, when asudden moan startled her ears, followed by the sound of a heavy fall onthe threshold, and throwing aside all hesitation, she flung herselfforward, and tearing open the door, saw--oh, angels that rejoice inheaven over one sinner that repenteth, let your voices go up in praisethis night, for Jacqueline Japha has returned to the home of herfathers!
She had fainted, and lay quite still on the threshold, but Paula, whowas all energy now, soon had her in the centre of the sitting-room, andwas applying to her such restoratives as had been provided against thisvery emergency. She was holding the poor weary head on her knee, whenthe wan eyes opened, and looking up, grew wild with a disappointmentwhich Paula was quick to appreciate.
"You are looking for Margery," said she. "Margery will come by-and-by;she is not well to-night and I am taking her place, but when she hearsyou have returned, it will take more than sickness to keep her to herbed. I am Paula, and I love you, too, and welcome you--oh, welcome youso gladly."
The yearning look which had crept into the woman's bleared and fadedeyes, deepened and softened strangely.
"You are the one who told me about Margery," said she, "and bade mebring my baby here to be buried. I remember, though I seemed to pay noheed then. Night and day through all my pain, I have remembered, and assoon as I could walk, stole away from the hospital. It has killed me,but I shall at least die in my father's house."
Paula stooped and kissed her. "I am going to get your bed ready," saidshe. And without any hesitation now, she opened the door that led intothose dim inner regions that but a few minutes before had inspired herwith such dread.
She went straight to Jacqueline's room. "It must all be according toMrs. Hamlin's wishes," sh
e cried, and lit the fire on the hearth, andpulled back the curtains yet farther from the bed, and gave the benefitof her womanly touch to the various objects about her, till cheerfulnessseemed to reign in a spot once so peopled with hideous memories. Goingback to Jacqueline, she helped her to rise, and throwing her arm abouther waist, led her into the hall. But here memory, ghastly accusingmemory, stepped in, and catching the wretched woman in its grasp, shookher, body and soul, till her shrieks reverberated through that desolatehouse. But Paula with gentle persistence urged her on, and smiling uponher like an angel of peace and mercy, led her up step after step of thatdreadful staircase, till at last she saw her safely in the room of herearly girlhood.
The sight of it seemed at first to horrify but afterwards to soothe theforlorn being thus brought face to face with her own past. She movedover to the fire and held out her two cramped hands to the blaze, as ifshe saw an altar of mercy in its welcoming glow. From these she passedtottering and weak to the embroidery-frame, which she looked at for amoment with something almost like a smile; but she hurried by themirror, and scarcely glanced at a portrait of herself which hung on thewall over her head. To sink on the bed seemed to be her object, andthither Paula accompanied her. But when she came to where it stood, andsaw the clothes turned down and the pillows heaped at the head, and thelittle Bible lying open for her in the midst, she gave a great andmighty sob, and flinging herself down upon her knees, wept with abreaking up of her whole nature, in which her sins, red though they wereas crimson, seemed to feel the touch of the Divine love, and vanish awayin the oblivion He prepares for all His penitent ones.
When everything was prepared and Jacqueline was laid quiet in bed, Paulastole out and down the stairs and wended her way to Mrs. Hamlin'scottage. She found her sitting up, but far from well, and very feeble.At the first sight of Paula's face, she started erect and seem to forgether weakness in a moment.
"What is it?" she asked; "you look as though you had been gazing on thefaces of angels. Has--has my hope come true at last? Has Jacquelinereturned? Oh, has my poor, lost, erring child come back?"
Paula drew near and gently steadied Mrs. Hamlin's swaying form. "Yes,"she smiled; and with the calmness of one who has entered the gates ofpeace, whispered in low and reverent tones: "She lies in the bed thatyou spread for her, with the Bible held close to her breast."
* * * * *
There are moments when the world about us seems to pause; when thehopes, fears and experiences of all humanity appear to sway away andleave us standing alone in the presence of our own great hope orscarcely comprehended fear. Such a moment was that which saw Paulare-enter Jacqueline's presence with Mrs. Hamlin at her side.
Leaving the latter near the door, she went towards the bed. Why did sherecoil and glance back at Mrs. Hamlin with that startled andapprehensive look? The face of Jacqueline was changed--changed as onlyone presence could change it, though the eyes were clearer than when sheleft her a few minutes before, and the lips were not without the shadowof a smile.
"She is dying," whispered Paula, coming back to Mrs. Hamlin; "dying, andyou have waited so long!"
But the look that met hers from that aged face, was not one of grief;and startled, she knew not why, Paula drew aside, while Mrs. Hamlincrossed the room and quietly knelt down by her darling's side.
"Margery!"
"Jacqueline!"
The two cries rang through the room, then all was quiet again.
"You have come back!" were the next words Paula heard. "How could I everhave doubted that you would!"
"I have been driven back by awful suffering," was the answer; andanother silence fell. Suddenly Jacqueline's voice was heard. "Love slewme, and now love has saved me!" exclaimed she. And there came no answerto that cry, and Paula felt the shadow of a great awe settle down uponher, and moving nearer to where the aged woman knelt by her darling'sbedside, she looked in her bended face and then in the one upturned onthe pillow, and knew that of all the hearts that but an instant beforehad beat with earth's deepest emotion in that quiet room, one alonethrobbed on to thank God and take courage.
And the fire which had been kindled to welcome the prodigal back, burnedon; and from the hollow depths of the great room below, came the soundof a clock as it struck the hour, seven!