TRADING:
FINISHING THE
STORY OF "THE HOUSE IN TOWN," &c.
BY THE AUTHOR OF
"WIDE WIDE WORLD," "THE OLD HELMET,"
"WALKS FROM EDEN," &c., &c.
"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country,who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods."
NEW YORK:
ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS,
530 BROADWAY.
1873.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by
ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
CAMBRIDGE:
PRESS OF JOHN WILSON AND SON.
TRADING.
CHAPTER I.
Christmas day was grey with clouds; on the roofs of the city and in thestreets the sun never shone all day. People called it cold. SarahStaples found it so on her crossing. Inside Mrs. Lloyd's front-door,however, it seemed to Matilda to be nothing but sunshine. She had notleisure to look at the grey sky, and to be sure the temperature wasthat of summer. Matilda had a great deal to do. Her various parcelswere to be neatly tied up in white paper, with the names of the personsthey were for nicely written thereon, and then committed to Mrs.Bartholomew for arranging on the Christmas tree. Then the presents forAnne and Letitia were to be directed and sent; Maria's basket packedand put in charge of the express-man; and several little letterswritten, one to Mr. Richmond. Till all these things were done, Matildahad no time to think of the weather; then she found that the snow wasbeginning to fall and coming thick.
"Yes," said Norton, to whom she announced her discovery; "and it'sstinging! and coming on to blow. It will be a night! I like it. Thatfeels like Christmas."
"Then there'll be no party?" said Matilda, rather more disappointedthan she wanted to shew.
"Party?" said Norton, "what about the party? It won't snow in _here_.Pink. What are you thinking of? The party'll be all the merrier. I tellyou, it feels like Christmas."
"But will they come, through all the storm?"
"They'd come, if the hailstones were as big as eggs," said Norton. "Younever saw one of grandmother's Christmas trees, Pink; and they neverdid anywhere else. No fear but they'll come, every one of them. You goalong and get dressed."
Matilda ran upstairs, glancing out of the hall window as she passedwith a thrill of delight and mystery. The air was darkening alreadywith the falling snow, and the wind swept it past the house in a whitemass; by contrast the evening splendours seemed greater than ever. Shedressed in a trembling excitement of pleasure, as far as her own partof the preparation went; then Mrs. Laval's maid came in to finish hertoilette, and Mrs. Laval came to superintend it. Matilda had only tostand still and be curled and robed and sashed and slippered; till thework was done, the maid went, and Mrs. Laval took the child in her armsand asked if she was happy?
"_Very_ happy," Matilda said.
"It does not take much to make you happy, love."
"Why, mamma!" said Matilda looking down at her white ruffles and thenat her adopted mother, "I have so much that I don't know what to do!"
Mrs. Laval smiled and sighed, and kissed her again.
"And yet Christmas night is only beginning," she said. But the wind andthe hail dashed at the windows as if answering her that it had indeedbegun outside. Mrs. Laval went away to her own dressing, and Matildastood a moment at the window listening. It was long after dark now; butshe could hear the whistle of the sleet as the wind bore it past, andthe rush of ice and snow against the window-panes, and even through theclose-fining sash she could feel a little gush of keen air. And for onemoment Matilda's thoughts darted to Sarah, at her crossing and in hercellar home all that day and night. The contrast was as sharp as thatlittle gush of icy air. Was it right? Matilda thought. Was it right,that her dainty white dress should be so pretty on her and theChristmas party so fine, when Sarah and others like her were in coldand wet and rags? It was too disagreeable to think about, as Matildacould not help it; and she went downstairs.
How the house was lighted up! it was a second daylight, only moresplendid. What delicious warm air filled every room, and everystaircase, and every lobby! How handsome looked the marble floor of thehall, with its luxurious mats at every door! But as her foot touchedthe marble Matilda found something else to think of. Norton came out.He looked her up and down.
"What's the matter, Norton?" said Matilda, a little wanting to know hisopinion.
"Nothing," said he nodding. "You'll do."
"This will be a very funny dress for me to play proverbs in,--don't youthink so? I don't look much like Judy's Satinalia."
"Not much," said Norton. "You don't look much like Judy's anything. OPink! do you know we are going to have a witch here to-night?"
"A witch?" said Matilda.
"A capital witch. It's a capital idea too, for it's a new thing; andit's so hard to get hold of something new. I expect this'll be theparty of the season."
"What do you mean?" said Matilda.
"You'll see," said Norton. "Only don't be frightened. The witch won'thurt you."
And here came Judy, and took a good silent stare at Matilda. The twogirls were dressed alike. Norton watched them with a sly glance.Without any remark or salutation Judy passed them with a toss of herhead, and went into one of the drawing-rooms.
"She'll do," said Norton, with a competent nod of his head in Judy'sdirection. "That is, she'll do the insolent, whenever she has a mindto. She is a case, is Judy Bartholomew. Well, come, we must get out ofthe way, Pink. Somebody'll be here soon."
So they strolled into the lighted drawing-rooms, where Judy and Davidwere; and strolled about, consulting arrangements for the play, tillthe doors opened and other white dresses, and coloured sashes, andgallant white-trowsered young gentlemen began to pour in and claimedtheir attention. And ladies accompanied them, not a great many, but afew favoured mothers and aunts and elder sisters; and soon thedrawing-rooms were all alive with motion and colour, and noisy with thehum of many voices.
It was a wonderful scene to Matilda. She forgot that she had so littleto do with it, and was so left out of it by the gay little throng. Shedid not at first think of that. To be sure she was a stranger; it wasquite natural, as it seemed to her, that she should be left out. Thepleasure was great enough, merely to look on. Everybody else was verybusy talking and laughing and moving about the rooms,--all exceptherself. Matilda had never seen such a display of very young ladies andgentlemen; the variety of styles, the variety of dresses, the diversityof face and manner, were an extremely rich entertainment. She noticedairs and graces in some, which she thought sat very ill onthem;--affectations of grown-up manner, tossings of curls, andflaunting of white gloves, and waving of fans, at which Matilda'ssimplicity was greatly astonished. Little gentlemen stood before littleladies, with hands behind their backs, and entertained them inconversation which appeared to be of the politest sort. And Judy's bluescarf flitted from end to end of the rooms, dipped to the floor as shecourtesied to new comers, and fluttered with delight as she darted tospeak to some favourite or other. The rooms grew very lively. The gaslights shone upon all the colours of the rainbow, moving and changingas if Mrs. Lloyd's house had been a kaleidoscope. David and Norton werenot in the company. Suddenly Norton stood at Matilda's side.
"What are you doing here, Pink?"
"Nothing." Matilda looked and smiled at him. "Only looking ateverything."
"But you ought to be _in it_, Pink."
"In what?"
"Why! in the work; in the talk. What are you sitting in a corner herefor?"
"You know, Norton, I do not know anybody."
"Hasn't Judy introduced you? Not to any one?" said Norton. "Left youhere? Judy Bartholomew! if it wa
sn't Christmas night and aninconvenient time to make a row"--
"Hush, hush, Norton. I am having a very good time," said Matilda,looking as she felt, like a very happy little girl.
"Well," said Norton, "there are two odd people here to-night. One of'em's Judy Bartholomew, and the other is--somebody you don't know.Come! come here. Esther Francis!--this is my sister, my new sisterMatilda. Hasn't Judy introduced you?"
Norton had caught by the arm, as she was passing, a girl of aboutJudy's age, whom he thus brought face to face with Matilda. She wassweet-faced and very handsomely dressed, and she had no sort of shynessabout her. She took Matilda's hand and looked at her with a steady look.
"Take care of her, will you?" Norton went on. "I have got to go andarrange things with Davie; and Judy has her head full. Tell Matildawho's who; she does not know the people yet."
The two girls stood a minute or two silently together; Esther givinghowever a side glance now and then at her companion.
"You have not been long in town?" she said then, by way of beginning.
"Only three weeks."
"Of course then you are quite a stranger. It is very disagreeable,isn't it, to be among a whole set of people that you don't know?"Esther said it with a little turn of her pretty head, that was--Matildacould not tell just what it was. It shewed the young lady very much ather ease in society, and it was not quite natural; that was all shecould make out. Matilda answered, that she did not find anythingdisagreeable. Esther opened her eyes a little wider.
"Do you know all about the arrangements to-night?" she whispered.
"I suppose I do."
"Will there be dancing?"
"I have heard nothing about dancing," said Matilda. "I don't thinkthere'll be much time for it. I don't see how there can be."
"Are you very fond of dancing?" Esther asked, with her eyes at thefurther end of the next room.
Matilda was conscious of feeling ashamed of her answer. Neverthelessshe answered. "I do not know how to dance."
"Not dance!" said Esther, with a new glance at her. "Did you neverdance? O there's nothing I care for at parties but to dance. And thereare just enough here to night; not a crowd. Aunt Zara will send you todancing-school, I suppose. But it isn't so pleasant to begin to learnwhen you are so old."
"_Aunt_ Zara!" said Matilda. "Norton did not say you were his cousin."
"Norton's head was too full," said Esther with another movement of herhead that struck Matilda very much; it was quite like a grown-up younglady; and gave Matilda the notion that she thought a good deal ofNorton. "Yes; we are cousins; that is why he told me to take care ofyou."
Matilda was tempted to say that Norton would save her that trouble assoon as he was at leisure to take it upon himself; but she did not.Instead, she asked Esther how old _she_ had been when she began to takedancing lessons?
"I don't know; three and a half, I believe."
The deficiency of Matilda's own education pressed upon her heavily. Shewas a little afraid to go on, for fear of laying bare some other want.
"Yes," said Esther after another interval of being absorbed in what wasgoing on in the next room;--"yes; of course, you know I began to learnto dance as soon as I began to wear--stays," she uttered in a whisper,and went on aloud. "The two things together. O yes; I was almost fouryears old."
Here she broke off to speak to some one passing, and Matilda was lostin wonderment again. A little uneasy too; for though the young ladykept her post at the side of the charge Norton had given her, andevidently meant to keep it, Matilda thought she had an air of findingher office rather a bore. A young lady who had danced and worn staysfrom the time she was four years old, must necessarily know so much oflife and the world that a little ignoramus of a country girl _would_ bea bore.
"What are they going to do then to-night, if we are not to dance?"resumed Esther when her friend had passed on. "Just have the Christmastree and nothing else?"
Nothing else _but_ a Christmas tree! Here was an experience!
"Norton and David are going to make a play," said Matilda; "acting aproverb."
"Oh!" said Esther. "A proverb! David is a good player, and Norton too;excellent; that will be very good. I thought I heard something about a_witch;_ what is that?"
"What is what?" said Judy, who found herself near.
"About the witch?" said Esther.
"It'--mystery."
"Then _is_ there to be a witch?"
"Certainly."
"Who will it be?"
"Part of the mystery," said Judy. "Upon my word I don't know. Icouldn't find out. And I tried, too."
"What is she going to do?"
"That's the rest of the mystery. Without being a witch myself, how am Igoing to tell?"
"I have heard sometimes that you were," said Esther.
"Ah! But there are witches and witches," said Judy; "black and white,you know, and good and bad. I'm a black witch, when I'm any. It's notmy business to get people out of trouble."
"I shall never ask you," said Esther shaking her head. "But where isthe witch to be? and when will she appear?"
"She won't appear. She will be in her den. All who want to see her willgo to her den. So much I can tell you." And Judy ran off before anotherquestion could be asked.
The elder ladies came in now, and there was a fresh stir. Mrs. Lavalintroduced Matilda to several boys and girls in the company before manyminutes had gone; but there was time for little else beside anintroduction, for the boys were ready to play; and all the guests wereassembled in one room to leave the other free for their operations andgive a good view of them. In that room the lights were lowered too, tomake the scene of the play more brilliant by comparison.
The play was a great success. Matilda laughed for very delight, as wellas at the fun of the thing. David, who personated the poor man who hadcome to sell a piece of ground, talked so admirably like a countryman,and was so oddly crochety and cross and gruff and impossible to maketerms with; and then Norton, who was the rich man he had come to seeand who wanted the land, coaxed him so skilfully, and ordered all sortsof good things to be brought to him, when he found he had come a goodway and was hungry; and the imaginary banquet was very funny, Davidmaking inquiries and comments over the dishes he did not know andNorton supplying him with others, till he was satisfied. Then, insoothed good humour, David was easy to deal with, and let his land go abargain. The acting was really extremely good; both the boys beingclever and without any sort of embarrassment or any even shyaffectation. The proverb which Matilda and Judy were to have played wasgiven up for want of time. The boys' proverb was guessed by one of theelder ladies--"It is ill talking between a full man and a fasting."Matilda was very glad, for her part, that she and Judy were let off.
A hush of expectancy fell now upon the little company. It was time forthe tree to be displayed. Even talking hushed, while all eyes were uponthe folding doors leading to the last drawing-room to be thrown open.Matilda was at the back of the crowd, but even there she could see theblaze of light beyond as soon as this was done; and the whole companypressed forward and peeped in. Such a beautiful sight then, her eyeshad never beheld. The tree was a generous, large, tall young fir, setin a huge green tub; but whereas in the wood where it grew it had greenbranches, with fringy, stiff, prickly leaves, now its branches were ofevery colour and as it were fringed with light. From the lowest boughto the topmost shoot it was a cone of brilliancy and a pyramid ofriches. Lights glittered from every twig, and among the lights, belowthem and above them, near the stem and out at the tips of the bendingboughs and covering the moss which covered the tub, were trinkets ortoys or articles of wear or packages done up in white or coloured paperand made gay with coloured ribbands. So bountiful a tree, so elegant atree, one so rich in its resources of pleasure, perhaps no eyes therehad ever seen; for when Mrs. Lloyd did anything she was accustomed todo it thoroughly; and she had on this occasion two backers. One burstof admiration from the whole little crowd was followed by accents ofdelight and murmur
s of expectation.
The tree stood in the middle of the large drawing-room, and the brightcrowd which formed round it was surely a pretty sight. A sight for theelders alone; no child had eyes for anything but the tree. Eager eyes;glad eyes; sparkling and glowing with delight and expectation; alittle, soft, rustling, hustling crowd, swaying gently, agitated, movedhere and there, to and fro, but all fastened to that brilliant centreof a Christmas tree, as much as ever the planets to their centre. Atthe very back of the crowd, as she was, Matilda stepped on an ottomanto see better; and for her even expectation was almost lost inbewildered fascination. In truth the Christmas tree was a beautifulspectacle. The fairy-like beauty was what Matilda thought of at first;then she began gradually to notice how its branches were laden withother things besides lights, and how the little company was all ontiptoe with eagerness. With a certain faint flutter at her own heart,Matilda stood on her perch and watched.
Presently a tall young fellow, one of the oldest among the boys, tookhis stand by the tree with a long gilt rod in his hand. The crowd fellback a bit, and hushed its murmur and rustle. No danger of anybodyseeing Matilda; not an eye turned her way. The lad with the gilt rod,who also was decorated with a favour of red and white ribbands, nowlifted down from the tree one of its many packages, looked close at it,and called aloud the name written thereon. A name Matilda did not know.The crowd stirred in out place and a little figure came forward andtook the package. Matilda wanted to know what it was, very much; butthe little girl herself made no haste to discover. A slight privateexamination she gave, and with a smile and a blush clasped her littlehand upon the package and looked to see what would be next. The playwent on after this fashion; the presiding gilt rod was quick in itsoperations, as indeed it had need to be; names were called out in rapidsuccession; and presently the whole circle was astir, with coming andgoing, explanations and questions and whispers of delight, now and thena spring or a dance of exultation; and still the gilt rod went onhooking down things from the tree and signalling the owners to come andtake possession.
"Mrs. Laval!--from Matilda. I suppose Mrs. Laval knows who Matildais?"--said the master of ceremonies. A new thrill went all through thedistant possessor of that name. "That's my obelisk!" she thought. "Iwonder if she will like it? Yes, she knows Matilda, a little."
"Norton Laval!--from his sister. I didn't know that Norton had asister."
"The things you don't know are always more than the things you do know,Edward Foster," said Norton coming forward to receive his watch-guard.
"'You' meaning--whom?" said gilt rod, hooking down anotherribband-looped parcel. "By virtue of my office I know so many thingsjust now, that I grow conceited, and am surprised to find myselfignorant any where. Matilda Laval!--from her mother."
With a great leap of her heart, Matilda jumped down from her ottomanand made her way as she could through the throng. The tall boy with thegilt rod presented to her a small square packet, sealed and tied.Matilda's fingers clasped upon it as she stepped back; and then for thefirst time that evening she found Judy at her side. Perhaps Judy wouldhave spoken, if the next call had not been,
"Matilda Laval!--from Mrs. Bartholomew."
Flushing and trembling, Matilda stepped forward again and received asecond little packet, much like the former. Then Judy herself wascalled; everybody by this time was getting his hands full; and stillthe Christmas tree blazed on as brightly as ever.
Presently Matilda got a third present; this was from David; muchlarger. She was very much astonished; for without opening she couldguess that it was something valuable; it was hard and square and heavy.Of all there, not a child was in such private ecstasies as she. Herflushed cheeks told it; otherwise she was quite undemonstrative. ThoughI say wrong; for eyes and lips were abundantly expressive of tremulousjoy.
"Is that my present?" said Judy, by her side again. "No, it is David's.Do you know what it is?"
"No," Matilda whispered.
"I don't either. Why don't you look?"
"I will look by and by."
"Nonsense!" said Judy; but Matilda was called off again to take whatJudy had prepared for her.
"That isn't much," said that young lady, when Matilda fell back to herformer place; "it's only bonbons. What has aunt Zara given you?"
"I don't know yet, Judy."
"O look. And mamma. Mamma wouldn't tell me. Those are their gifts inyour hand there, aren't they? Look, and see. I can guess," said Judypeering round Matilda to see the packets.
"No, you can't," said Norton at the other side. He was fastening hisguard-chain in its place. "_You_ don't know, and she don't know. I likepeople who can keep cool, and not dash their heads under water thefirst thing."
"Stuff!" said Judy. "I want her to get her head above water; she don'tsee anything now, nor know anything."
"Her head's all right," said Norton composedly. "Knowledge'll come intime. I guess there's a good deal of it to come, too."
"What has David got, Norton?"
"Loads of books," said Norton. "And a rifle."
"A rifle!" screamed Judy.
"And a dressing-case. And a dressing-gown. And a riding-whip. And awatch-chain."
"And what have _you_ got, Norton?" Matilda asked.
"Just what I wanted," said Norton, with a smile of confidence andsecret good fellowship which was most pleasant to Matilda; it made herfeel not quite so much alone in that crowd. "You shall see," he wenton. "Hallo! you're called. Give me some of your traps to hold for you,Pink; you have not got a hand to take anything more."
So Matilda gave him her bonbons and box, if it were a box, to hold,while she went for ward again. This present was from Norton, and ofitself filled her arms. Wrapped up in papers as it was, she could notknow more of it than that. She came back to Norton with high-colouredcheeks and eyes very bright indeed.
"What's that?" said Judy. "What has Norton given you? it's big enough.Pshaw! I know; it's a desk."
"A desk!" exclaimed Matilda in tones of delight.
"Keep your own counsel, Judy," said Norton coolly. "You have no idea ofkeeping other people's."
"Norton," said Esther coming up to them, "who is the witch?"
"Can't tell, even if I know," said Norton. "I keep other people'scounsel."
"But where are we to see her?"
"In her den, of course."
"Where's that?"
"You will know when the time comes."
"Then she won't come in here among us all?"
"I reckon not," said Norton. "She'll see only one at a time, I hear."
"What for?" said Esther.
"Ah, what for!" echoed Norton. "_I_ don't know, I can tell you. Andwhat's more, I don't know yet whose notion it is. Now, Pink, I proposewe go upstairs and put these things away. Supper will be in a fewminutes, and then what will you do with your hands full? Come!"
And away he and Matilda went, slipping out of the room as quietly asthey could, and then running upstairs, till they found a quiet cornerand breathing place in Matilda's room.
"Now, Pink, don't you want to look?" said Norton turning up the gas. Hehad his own curiosity too, it seems. But he did not interfere with her;he looked on, smiling and superior, while Matilda's trembling fingerspulled off the papers, from his package-first. Judy had spoken truly;it was an elegant little desk, all fitted and filled. Matilda's heart,Norton could see, was quite full with that.
"Come!" said he gayly, "let us see David's choice. I don't know what itis, David don't tell all his mind."
And he stopped, for Matilda uttered a little scream of pleasure.David's choice had been a work-box. It was of pretty fancy wood,charmingly lined and fitted up.
"Pretty well for David!" said Norton "He thinks you know what to dowith a work box, and reason too. Good for him. But now, Pink, guesswhat this is!"
And Norton possessed himself of the little parcel which bore hismother's handwriting and held it up before Matilda.
"I can't guess."
"Try. What would you _like_, Pink?
What would you like better thananything else? Think."
"Oh Norton!" said Matilda with changing colour, "I don't know; I amafraid to guess. It's something small; could it be a locket with herhair?"
Norton with a delighted face put his hand with the parcel close toMatilda's ear, with the other hand forbidding her to touch it."Listen!" he said. Matilda listened, and absolutely grew pale withintensity of excitement.
"I hear something, Norton!" she said seizing the package.
"Ah, you do!" said Norton. "_Now_ you know? Yes, just look at it. Isn'tit a beauty? I was with mamma when she got it. There's no mistake inthat, Pink; it's a splendid watch, Bars and Bullion said;--I mean, theman at Bars and Bullion's, and I believe it was Bullion himself. Do youlike it? Now Pink, we must not stay a minute longer; supper will be onhand, and you want some, don't you. Come! Put these away, and come."
Matilda could do it, even without looking at her bonbons or Mrs.Bartholomew's present, and with only a glance at her watch. She lockedup her treasures and went down with Norton; a happy child, if there wasone in the city that night.