Elsie's Kith and Kin Read online

  CHAPTER II.

  "The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness."--SHAKSPEARE.

  Edward had met and held his desired interview with his businessacquaintance, seen him aboard his train, and was standing watching it asit steamed away and disappeared in the distance, when a feminine voice,close at hand, suddenly accosted him.

  "O Mr. Travilla! how are you? I consider myself very fortunate infinding you here."

  He turned toward the speaker, and was not too greatly pleased at sightof her.

  "Ah! good-evening, Miss Deane," he said, taking her offered hand, andspeaking with gentlemanly courtesy. "In what can I be of service toyou?"

  "By inviting me to Ion to spend the night," she returned laughingly."I've missed my train, and was quite in despair at the thought ofstaying alone over night in one of the miserable little hotels of thismiserable little village. So I was delighted to see your carriagestanding there, and you yourself beside it; for, knowing you to be oneof the most hospitable of men, I am sure you will be moved to pity, andtake me home with you."

  Edward's heart sank at thought of Zoe, but, seeing no way out of thedilemma, "Certainly," he said, and helped his self-invited guest to aseat in his carriage, placed himself by her side, and bade the coachmandrive on to Ion.

  "Now, really, this is very good in you, Mr. Travilla," remarked MissDeane: "there is no place I like better to visit than Ion, and I beginto think it was rather a fortunate mishap--missing my train."

  "Very unfortunate for me, I fear," sighed Edward to himself. "The lossof her drive will be a great disappointment to Zoe, and the sight ofsuch a guest far from making it up to her. I am thankful the visit is tobe for only a night."

  Aloud he said, "I fear you will find it less pleasant than on formeroccasions,--in fact, rather lonely; as all the family areabsent--spending the winter at Viamede, my mother's Louisianaplantation--except my wife and myself."

  "Ah! but your wife is a charming little girl,--I never can think of heras a woman, you know,--and you are a host in yourself," returned thelady laughingly.

  Zoe's callers had left; and she, having donned hat and cloak, not tokeep her husband a single moment, was at the window watching for hiscoming, when the carriage came driving up the avenue, and drew up at thedoor.

  She hurried out, expecting to find no one there but himself, and to beat once handed to a seat in the vehicle, and the next minute be speedingaway with him, enjoying her drive all the more for the littledisappointment that had preceded it.

  What, then, was her chagrin to see a visitor handed out, and thatvisitor the woman for whom she had conceived the most violent antipathy!

  "Miss Deane, my dear," Edward said, with an entreating look at Zoe,which she did not see, her eyes being at that instant fixed upon theface of her uninvited and unwelcome guest.

  "How do you do, my dear Mrs. Travilla? I hope you are glad to see me?"laughed the intruder, holding out a delicately gloved hand, "yourhusband has played the Good Samaritan to me to-night--saving me fromhaving to stay in one of those wretched little hotels in the villagetill two o'clock to-morrow morning."

  "I am in usual health, thank you. Will you walk in?" returned Zoe in afreezing tone, and utterly ignoring the offered hand. "Will you stepinto the parlor? or would you prefer being shown to your room first?"

  "The latter, if you please," Miss Deane answered sweetly, apparentlyquite unaware that Zoe's manner was in the least ungracious.

  "Dinah," said Zoe, to a maid-in-waiting, "show Miss Deane to the roomshe occupied on her last visit. Carry up her satchel, and see that shehas every thing she wants."

  Having given the order, Zoe stepped out to the veranda where Edwardstill was, having staid behind to give directions in regard to thehorses.

  "Zoe, love, I am very sorry," he said, as the man turned his horses'heads, and drove away toward the stables.

  "O Edward! how could you?" she exclaimed reproachfully, tears ofdisappointment and vexation springing to her eyes.

  "Darling, I really could not help it," he replied soothingly, drawingher to him with a caress, and went on to tell exactly what had occurred.

  "She is not a real lady," said Zoe, "or she never would have done athing like that."

  "I agree with you, love," he said; "but I was sorry your reception ofher was so extremely ungracious and cold."

  "Would you have had me play the hypocrite, Ned?" she asked indignantly.

  "No, Zoe, I should be very far from approving of that," he answeredgravely: "but while it was right and truthful not to express pleasurewhich you did not feel, at her coming, you might, on the other hand,have avoided absolute rudeness; you might have shaken hands with her,and asked after her health and that of her father's family."

  "I treated her as well as she deserved; and it does not make her any themore welcome to me, that she has already been the means of drawing downupon me a reproof from my husband's lips," Zoe said in tremulous tones,and turning away from him with her eyes full of tears.

  "My words were hardly intended as that, little wife," Edward respondedin a kindly tone, following her into the hall, catching her in his arms,and imprinting a kiss on her ruby lips.

  "And I wanted my drive with you so badly," she murmured, half hiding herface on his breast; "but she has robbed us of that, and--O Ned! is sheto come between us again, and make us quarrel, and be so dreadfullyunhappy?" Her voice was full of tears and sobs before she had ended.

  "No, no; I could not endure that any more than you," he said withemotion, and clasping her very close: "and it is only for to-night youwill have to bear the annoyance of her presence; she is to leave in themorning."

  "Is she? that is some comfort. I hope somebody will come in for theevening, and share with us the infliction of her society," Zoe said,concluding with a forlorn attempt at a laugh.

  "Won't you take off that very becoming hat and cloak, Mrs. Travilla, andspend the evening?" asked Edward playfully.

  "Thank you. I believe I will, if you will accompany me to thedressing-room," she returned, with a smiling look up into his face.

  "That I will with pleasure," he said, "provided you will reward me withsome assistance with my toilet."

  "Such as brushing your hair, and tying your cravat? Yes, sir, I will:it's a bargain."

  And so, laughing and chatting, they went up to their own privateapartments.

  Halt an hour later they came down again together, to find Miss Deane inthe parlor, seated by a window overlooking the avenue.

  "There's a carriage just drawing up before your front entrance," sheremarked: "the Roselands family carriage, I think it is."

  Zoe gave her husband a bright, pleased look. It seemed her wish for anaddition to their party for the evening had been granted.

  The next moment the room-door was thrown, open, and Dr. Conly and MissElla were announced.

  They were cordially welcomed, asked to tea, and staid the evening,greatly relieving Zoe in the matter of entertaining her unwelcome guest,who devoted herself to the doctor, and left Edward to his wife andcousin, a condition of things decidedly agreeable to Zoe.

  A little after nine the Roselands carriage was announced; and the doctorand Ella took their departure, Edward and Zoe accompanying them to theouter door.

  The sky was black with clouds, and the wind roaring through the trees onthe lawn.

  "We are going to have a heavy storm. I think," remarked Arthur, glancingupward: "there is not a star to be seen, and the wind blows almost agale. I hope no patient of mine will want the doctor very badlyto-night," he added with a slight laugh. "Step in out of the wind,cousin Zoe, or you may be the very one to send for me."

  Doing as directed, "No, indeed," she said: "I'm sure I couldn't have theheart to call anybody up out of a warm bed to face such a cutting windas this."

  "No, no; never hesitate when there is a real necessity," he returned,speaking from his seat in the carriage, where he had already taken hisplace beside his sister, whom Edward had handed in. "Good-night, andhurry in,
both of you, for my sake if not for your own."

  But they lingered a moment till the carriage turned, and drove swiftlydown the avenue.

  "I am so glad they came," remarked Zoe, as Edward shut the door andlocked it for the night.

  "Yes," he said: "they added a good deal to the pleasure of the evening.As we couldn't be alone together, three guests were more acceptable thanone."

  "Decidedly; and that one was delighted, I'm sure, to have an opportunityto exercise her conversational gifts for the benefit of a single maninstead of a married one."

  "Zoe, love, don't allow yourself to grow bitter and sarcastic," Edwardsaid, turning toward her, laying a hand lightly, affectionately, uponher shoulder, and gazing down into her eyes with a look of graveconcern.

  She colored under it, and turned away with a pout that almost spoiledthe beauty of her fair face. She was more than ever impatient to be ridof their self-invited guest.

  "She always sets Ned to scolding me," was the bitter thought in herheart as she went slowly back to the parlor, where they had left MissDeane, Edward following, sighing inwardly at the change in his darlingalways wrought by that unwelcome presence in the house.

  "How the wind roars down the chimney!" Miss Deane remarked as her hostand hostess re-entered the room, where she was comfortably seated in aneasy-chair beside the glowing grate. "I fear to-morrow will prove astormy day; but in that case I shall feel all the more delighted with mycomfortable quarters here,--all the more grateful to you, Mr. Travilla,for saving me from a long detention in one of those miserable littlecountry taverns, where I should have died of _ennui_."

  "You seem kindly disposed, my dear madam, to make a great deal of asmall service," returned Edward gallantly.

  But Zoe said not a word. She stood gazing into the fire, apparently lostin thought; but the color deepened on her cheek, and a slight frowncontracted her brows.

  Presently she turned to her guest, saying courteously, "You must beweary with your journey, Miss Deane: would you like to retire?"

  "Thank you, I should," was the reply; and thereupon the good-nights weresaid, and they sought their respective rooms.

  "You are not displeased with me, dear?" Zoe asked, lifting her eyesinquiringly to her husband's face as she stood before theirdressing-room fire with his arm about her waist: "you are looking sovery grave."

  "No, dearest, I am not disposed to find fault with you," he said, softlycaressing her hair and cheek with his disengaged hand; "though I shouldbe glad if you could be a trifle more cordial to our uninvited guest."

  "It's my nature to act just as I feel; and, if there's a creature onearth I thoroughly detest, it is she!" returned the child-wife withalmost passionate vehemence. "I know she hates me,--for all her purringmanner and sweet tones and words,--and that she likes nothing betterthan to make trouble between my husband and me."

  "My dear child, you really must try not to be so uncharitable andsuspicious," Edward said in a slightly reproving tone. "I do notperceive any such designs or any hypocrisy in her conduct toward you."

  "No: men are as blind as a bat in their intercourse with such women;never can see through their designs; always take them to be as sweet andamiable as they pretend to be. It takes a woman to understand her ownsex."

  "Maybe so," he said soothingly; "but we will leave the disagreeablesubject for to-night at least, shall we not?"

  "Yes; and, oh, I do hope the weather to-morrow will not be such as toafford her an excuse for prolonging her stay!"

  "I hope not, indeed, love," he responded; "but let us resolve, that, ifit does, we will try to bear the infliction patiently, and give ourself-invited guest no right to accuse us of a lack of hospitality towardher. Let us not forget or disobey the Bible injunction, to 'usehospitality one to another without grudging.'"

  "I'll try not to. I'll be as good to her as I can, without feeling thatI am acting insincerely."

  "And that is all I ask, love. Your perfect freedom from any thingapproaching to deceit is one of your greatest charms, in your husband'seyes," he said, tenderly caressing her. "It would, I am sure, be quiteimpossible for me to love a wife in whose absolute truth and sincerity Ihad not entire confidence."

  "And you do love me, your foolish, faulty little wife?" she said, in atone that was a mixture of assertion and inquiry, while her lovely eyesgazed searchingly into his.

  "Dearly, dearly, my sweet!" he said, smiling fondly down upon her. "Andnow to bed, lest these bright eyes and rosy cheeks should lose somethingof their brilliance and beauty."

  "Suppose they should," she said, turning slightly pale, as with suddenpain. "O Ned! if I live, I must some day grow old and gray and wrinkled,my eyes dim and sunken: shall you love me then, darling?"

  "Better than ever, love," he whispered, holding her closer to his heart;"for how long we shall have lived and loved together! We shall have cometo be as one indeed, each with hardly a thought or feeling unshared bythe other."