ConstanceTrescot 10000692

CO N S T AN CE T RE S C O T
R H O OD will see yo u in the library

.
,
”
sir .
George T r esc o t followed the servant ,

'
and when left alone began to wander

a b out a large room w hi ch looked o u t
o n the north coast o f M assachusetts Bay Why it .
was called a library might well have puzzled the

y oung man There were few books except those o f
.
reference but o n chair and table were mill and rail

,
way rep orts and newspapers in superabundance

,
.
A s the clock struck the hour o f noon a woman

o f some twenty se ven years entered the room
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Hear .
ing the doo r open T r esc o t turned from a brief and

,
hopeless e fio rt t o comprehend the genealogical tree

of the Hood family which hung o n the wall in
,
much splendor o f heraldic b lazonry .
M i ss H OO d came in smilin g as if she had j ust

’
been amused and was e nj oying the remembrance .
—
Her face had what is more often found in plain
women than in those t o whom nature has been more
—
bountiful great power of expressin g both k i n dl i
ness and mirth She was slight but o f a dmirable
.
,
4 CO N STAN CE T RE S CO T
figure and p ossessed the mysterious gift o f grace

,
.
F o r the rest she w as unselfish seriously religious

, , ,
and perp lexed at times by the comic asp ect of things ,
har dly realizin g the fact that a ready sense o f humor

had often been as useful in helping her to endure
the le sser tria l s of existence as the religious faith
which she held to with the simple trust o f a child .
Life presented it self to her in relentless simplicity ,
and consisted o f things right and things wron g with ,
over sensitive self reproach when either seemed too

- -
amusing She was socially speaking fearless and

.
, , ,
occasionally outspoken to a degree which embar
“
r asse d others but never Susan Hood
Good morning maj or ”
,
she sai d , I am glad , .

.
“
to se e you I consider myself neglected of late
.
I shall be the best o f brothers i n l aw Miss - -

,
.
“
Susan .
O h that is all very well

,
The future does n o t .
always pay the debts of the present Y o u will b e .
as good as my sister will let yo u be ; but I am easily

”
“
satisfied .
I ought to be he said And by the way I

, .
, ,
am only Mr T r esc o t not Maj or These labels shoul d

.
, .
have gone when the war ended ; but I suppose men
“
”
like titles I shed mine long ago
.
.
”
Y o u are quite right she returned smiling with , ,
“
the aid o f a large and expressive mouth and show o f
rather irregular very white teeth , I see that I .
am j ust in time to save yo u a fall from the ge

n eal o g i c al tree o f the Hoo ds I incline t o think some .
o f the limbs a trifle i nsecure My uncle cl imbs it .
at least once a wee k and believes in its fab ul ous ,

CON ST AN C E T RE S CO T 5
fruit as h e does in nothing else I tol d him last .
night that it w as more genial than logical If he .
had understood me I do not know what would have,

”
happened .
T r esc o t laughed Mr Hood exp lained it t o me

. .
“
last week I near ly fell asleep o n the to p branch
.
Did yo u ? You would never have b een forgiven

.
It is still growin g ; the mustard seed was nothing -
”
to it . Then the further temptations o fiered by
the comp arison presented themselves t o her as ir
‘
“
reverent an d she said
,
By the way I am sent by my uncle to entertain

,
-
you as he is j ust now engaged A s a matter o f

, .
fact he is engaged in settling what he will say t o

,
you He is enj oy i ng it t o o
. Sit down ; you will
,
.
have to put up with me for as long as he chooses

”
“
t o remain agreeably perplexed
”
.
himself .
“
Perplexed ? sai d the young man as he seated
What is there to perple x ? It seems t o
,
“
m e very simple .
A n d to me Yo u have asked my sister to marry

.
y o u . She desires t o d o so My u n cle says he

. is o l d ,
and that he has entitled himself to o u r society u n

til he dies I have told him that if he would kindly
.
set a time fo r that event we shoul d know what to

d o and that he w as pretty secure as to me
, He did .
not like it N othing is simple t o my uncle

. .
”
I suppose not said T r esc o t laughing
,
The , .
asking him seemed to me a mere formal matter .
Cons tance is o l d enough to know her o w n mind and , ,
I fancy to have her o wn way I did n o t ask o f him

, .
”
an y favors .
6 CON ST AN C E T RE S C O T
They should not need to be asked ; but he wil l

be sure to think you expect him to provide for Con
stance —as in fact he ought to do ”
“ , ,
I expect nothing of the kind nor does Con

,
,
.
stance We are prep ared t o wait until I can o fier

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her a home That may be in a year or even two

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,
”
“
years There is no need to discuss it
.
Indee d ! Wait until you k now my uncle better

.
He discusses everything He woul d discuss whether .
two and two make four He constructs theories as .

,
he calls them and when it is needful to act does ,
not always abide by them which I as sure you: i s , , ,
o n the whole rather fortunate as I hop e you may

, ,
”
“
discover .
Well o n this sub j ect Mi ss Hood I have also

, , ,
my theory and an abiding faith i n it

,
She laughed merrily and said : Wait a bit You “ .
have as yet seen only one side of my uncle He can .
be as you know a pleasant rather cynical o l d gen

, , ,
t l em an N ow you present yourself to him under

.
a novel aspect and he will be sure to construct what

,
he cal l s a theory for himself and you to fit the o c ,
casion It w i ll be somethi ng like this — I may as

.
‘
well prepare you : My theory si r is that people , ,
never chan ge These young women have always.
had all the money they wan ted ; ther efo r e they will ,
always want it It must be clear to you that we .
shal l need to discu ss the matter at length — at length ,
si r.
—
Money in my si r in my opinion is develop , ,
’
mental ; without money etc He will be delight , .
fully irrelevant I wish I could overhear the inter .
vi ew He really d oes not care about money ; but

.
he likes t o tal k a bout it It may be he will light .
“
”
o n somethi ng else Y o u will have to be p atient
. .
I can be that B ut as concerns money I do not

.
,
—
w ant t o r rather I want it very much but n o t
i , , ,
from him I mean in time to get it myself C o n

. .
“
fo u n d it ! Pardon me but really
,
,
O h that is a very mild expletive ; if it applies

t o Uncle Rufus it is quite unnecessary : he is j ust
,
now su fficiently confounded A nd after all if you .

, ,
were an o l d man like my uncle would you willingl y ,

”
“
part with so delightful an inmate as my sister ?
N o laughed T r esc o t ; no indeed
,
“ ,
.
Well that is honest Y o u may be s u rp rised to

,
.
learn that he would obj ect quite as much to part

with me as to p art with my sister I am n o t mali .
”
c i o u s enough to ask you to explain that .
T r esc o t was relieve d from need t o repl y when ,
“
awaiting no answer she continued : ,
The fact is he likes me becaus e we disagree

,
radically about everything from religion t o p olitics , ,
and Constance because they a gree about most things ,
excep t politics There they are far ap art

. His .
op inions about the war have been to both o f us

a matter o f real unhappiness Had he lived in the .
South he would have been bitter against secession .
He is always in the Opposition but he despises p eo ,

”
“
ple w ho yield .
Then he will certainly f all in love with me .
“
Thank yo u f o r the hint
,
.
O h I did not mean it fo r that and I suspect it ,
was not needed A fter all it is n o t that you have

.
,
no money that troubles my uncle ; it is really far

8 CON ST AN C E T R E S COT
more the idea that Constance is ungratef ul and ,
shows great lack o f taste in being willing to desert

him for you o r for any o n e
,
I think I hear his .
voice I must go ; but when yo u are through with

.
uncle my sister wants to see you in the garden .
If you make yourself very disagreeable you will

find that Uncle Rufus will find some ingenious e x
cuse for being reasonable He wi l l think it proper .
,
after he has posed a little as a shrewd man o f bus i

”
ness to p ose as the good uncle
,
.
T r esc o t stood with her in the window recess while “
they talked an d now turning glanced at the

, , ,
shrewd kind face with its readiness o f humoro us

,
comment and said,

,
I shoul d like to hear what “

might be the character o f Geo rge T resc o t yo u would
”
“
present to Mr Hood .
Would yo u indeed ? she returned looking up

,
.
,
.
It was a strong face she saw and more serious just ,
now than the qual ity of the question suggested .
Yet it smiled in ple as ed fellowship o f mirth as she
“
answered laughin g :
,
Ah there is my uncle ! I have half a mind n o t

,
”
t o tell you .
Perhaps I had better n o t insist Y o u are sure .
t o be painfully honest and I may have ca us e t o r e ,
gret
“
.
But I will I should say —well I sho ul d say

.
,
‘
Uncle Rufus I like him ’
, .
Thank you I shall put that with what Sherid an

.
“
once said t o me
What did he say ? Do tell me
.
‘
O h he sa id That w as well done Maj or Tres
, , ,
CON ST AN CE T RE S COT 9
Wh at had yo u done ?
What had I done ? A h he la u ghed , yo u m ust ,
ask Sheridan .
But I may never se e him She w as c urious .
about large things rarely about l i ttle ones o r mere,

“”
“ O f course you will tell me

’
social trivialities . .
Perhap s if some day o n trial y o u prove to b e

, , ,
”
“
a quite p erfect sister i n law - -
.
A m I not good enough n ow ? I said I liked yo u .
’
Is n t that a form o f goo dness ? I assure yo u that
there are no better j udges o f men than o l d m aids
’
“
and sisters in law - -
.
Indeed ! But yo u are only a sort o f brevet sister

n-
.
— —
i law An d why shall I dare to say are o ld maids
”
“
goo d j udges o f men ?
O h they look down from a heaven o f n e u tral
,
ity where there is no giving in marriage Go odness ! .
”
w hat am I saying ?
’
Hearin g her uncle s step o n the stair she tu rned ,
t o leave T r esc o t saw with approval her tri m neat

.
fi gu re and said laughin g

,
The basis o f Op i nion
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“ ,
“
is n o t alto gether secure
”
N onsense ! she exclai m ed I am already o n
.
the family tree my destiny predete rmined

,
— ‘
S us an ,
’
Hood sp inster
,
But here is Uncle Rufus If he
. .
does n o t first indulge in vain genealo gies I shall

b e surprised Good b y ! I wonder what St Pa ul
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.
”
meant by vain genealogies ?
A s she sp oke a small very thin man o f some
, ,
seventy years entered with a t o o obvious afi ec tat io n ,
“
o f youthful briskness
I leave Mr T r esc o t to your tender mercies

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,
H
10 CON ST AN CE T RE S CO T
Al l , good morning
Fine day Sit down said .
“ .
,
Mr Hood as she le ft them

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,
Pray sit down
began at once with an air o f decision ,
He
I sup pose
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,
,
“ .
this matter o f which my niece has sp oken to me

”
appears to you very simple .
It did not at o n e tim e It does no w I have . .
as ked Miss Constance to be my wi fe She has done .
“
”
m e the honor to say yes What else is there ? .
E veryt hing sir ; everythin g I do not propose

,
.
that my niece shall leave me She owes to me the .
affection o f a chil d I am old and cannot live long . .
Her sense of duty should forbid her to d eser t m e .

h
If it does not I must act fo r her and prevent what

, ,
is both criminal and foolish I m ust create for her .
“
a virtue which she has not
But Mr Hood ,
said T r esc o t raisin g a hand
.
.
“
in appeal .
N o sir ; do n o t interrupt me I obj e ct to it

,
.
altogether Y o u have no money and she has none

.
, .
—
Y o u know nothin g o each other nothin g
f A s to .
— —
waiting a year two years until you can provide
for her it is nonsense When she mentioned this
,
.
highly absurd proposition I tol d her as much N ow .

,
sir you have my decision an d my niece has already

, ,
”
“
had it .
’
May I ask what w as Miss Constance s reply ?
She said she meant to mar ry you if she had to
’
sew for a livin g By George ! she can t sew o n a .
button I was quite prep ared fo r her rep ly She

. .
“
has the obstinacy o f my pe ople
Then Mr Hood yo u may rest assured that I
,
.
,
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shall marry her I can wait . .

CON STAN C E T RE S COT 11
B u t I c annot wait Do yo u suppose I mean to

.
have a love sick girl maundering about my house

-
for two years ? N o sir ; you do not know her From

, .
a child she has been obstinate when she wanted any

”
“
thing ; I should have no p eace
”
.
“
I am sorry fo r you said T r esc o t much
amused ; b ut I can only repeat what I have said
, ,
already . Unless Miss Constance changes her
“
mind
She never changes her mind ; we never do—it
”
“
is a family trait .
I hop e n o t ; and in that case I trust you will see

this matter in a more favorable light But in any .
“
case to be frank I mean to marry her
, ,
I suppose then there is no help for it

, ,
said
.
“
the elder man with a curious collapse o f resolution
I am o l d and feeble
,
”—
which was true The girl .
“ .
is un grateful I rely up on her for everything

. .
Susan is wrapped up in her poor and her p arson

she calls him her rector I believe I find it i n c o n
,
.
sistent with my sense of duty to let you go o n in

blin d ignorance Y o u will discover Constance t o
.
be efficient obstinate ; and as I am told by Susan

,
that yo u are what is called religious you ought also ,
to know that my niece and I agree in the entire

”
“
absence o f that adj ective
That
I
,
said T r esc o t coldly ,
.
is a matter I pre ,
”
fer not to discuss He kn ew very well by this time
.
that the woman he loved had unlike himself no , ,
“
distinct creed .
Well I d esire that yo u shoul d understand her

,
.
”
She is ver y like me .
CON ST AN C E T R E S CO T
”
Indeed ! he returned much amused ,
Then I .
shall be sure to end by likin g you Mr Hood I ,

. .
“
p resume that I may consi d er it as settled
N O sir ; I may yield but I will never consent ;
, ,
.
and I consider it my duty to warn you I have said .
as much Thi s girl this woman is a c re ature o f

.
, ,
instincts A s a child her temper was terrible ; under

.
my wise rule it has been tamed She loves and .
hates with animal fidelity ; and once she is se t o n

doing anything neither saint n o r devil can change
,
“
”
her.
“
That is rather gratifying said T r esc o t b e
, ,
tween suppressed mirth and annoyance Certainly .
this was an extraordinary o l d man .
She was an unreasoning Union woman and I am ,
o f Opinion that the South was altogether in the
ri ght But neither reas on nor respect fo r me has

.
“
ever altered what she calls her views
You will p ardon me if I say that I am very
.
“
gl ad t o hear it
‘
.
A h well well that is as yo u please A pity

, , ,
.
you agree It is a theory of mine that di ff erence o f

.
Opinion is a bas is of true happ iness in married life ;

”
otherwise it becomes monotonous .
T re sc o t sat still studying the self pleased face

,
-
,
an d amused himself with thought of the mirth

with which Susan would have heard her uncle giv
ing Cons tance a charac ter fo r her new place He .
kept a res pectfu l silence as the o l d man wandered

o n ; but b y what path s he reached an e xpress ion o f
opinion as to the constitutional rights of Sta t es and

cities to sec ede T resco t never could rememb er A t
, .
CON STAN C E T RE S CO T 13
l ast he was given to understand that the right o f

States to secede w as based on the un doubte d right
o f individuals to secede from States Here as the .
,
’
o l d man s voice rose to p olitical levels of emphasis
,
it recalle d T r esc o t from the dreaming mood which

was taking him somewhere into the fairyland o f love .
He recovered power to listen but at last disap , ,
p ointed by the absence o f exhilarating di ff erence

o f opinion Mr Hoo d said :
, . We seem t o have “
strayed I was about to add that my niece and I
.
have always agreed except as regards o n e subject ;

,
and I regret to say as concerns that matter even

, , ,
the unfortunate closure o f the war has in no degree

—
abated her feeling a child sir instinctive and as , , ,
I observed obstinate I think I have already dwelt

, .
“
o n that p eculiarity
,
.
Yes I so understood you A nd n o w Mr Hood .

,
.
,
“
that yo u have su fli c ie n tl y warned and informed me ,
—
“
and have decided t o consent I beg p ardon yield
I did nothing o f the kind I sometimes give way .
,
but I never yield I do not like this marriage But

. .
I do n o t propose that y o u shall cause my niece t o

quarrel with me She cannot stay here and make
.
m e uncomfortable ; she cannot marry yo u and

”
“
’
starve ; I won t p ermit it .
Then may I ask what yo u propose to do ?

Well first I desire to state that although I am
, ,
said to be a rich man I do not intend to leave t o

,
my nieces more than a very small comp etence I .
have a theory o n this subj ect It is interesting A t . .
another time I shall be happy t o set it before yo u

”
at len g th .
14 CON ST AN CE T R E S CO T
T r esc o trose I assure you sir that I should

.
, ,
have been glad to feel that in case o f anythi ng go

ing wron g with my p ower to provide for my wife ,
—such as my death o r what not — she would be at

, ,
ease I should be a fool if I told you I do not

.
care what you do with your money ; but if you i m

agine as you seem to take for granted that it is
, ,
influencing me in my relation to Miss Constance ,
we had better drop the matter o f m oney alto
“
gether
But
.
said Hood testily

,
I am not going to b e
, ,
bullied into dropping it I mean to have my o wn .

fi
”
way .
T r esc o t was a man not merely good tempered but -

,
o f a certain gay sweetness o f disp osition which cap
t u r e d men an d women He began however to be .

, ,
“
a little imp atient and in reply said ,
I have been for a half hour endeavoring sir to -

, ,
find out what it is you want That I am to marry .
”
app ears to be settled .
I suppose so I know Constance t o o well to

.
oppose it I am told by my niece that you can

.
not marry at present But if you choose to accept .
the positi o n Of my agent in St An n Missouri .

, ,
I will insure my niece an income fo r five years

s ay ,
two thousand dollars Y o u would be called .
up on to manage my property and I should exp ect ,
that you would ej ect squatters bring suits and , ,

”
otherwise care for my interests He fell back in .
his chair with an air of having settled the matter .
For a moment T r esc o t was silent and regarded ,
the feeble shrunken o l d man who sat watching

, ,
CON ST AN C E TRE SCOT 15
him and pul ling ner vously at his thin gray side
whiskers With some sense o f the niece being sold
.
“
to him fo r a consideration he returned quietly ,
N o ; I do not wish t o leave B oston I am n o t .
a land agent and t o be plain Mr Hood , I cannot

, , ,
.
“
accept your o fi er
But you will
.
N o I think not ; I cannot What yo u please

,
.
to give your niece o r not to give her must have no

relation to any business interests you may choose
to confide to me in the very doubtful case o f my
,
”
“
considering your o ff er .
You had better talk first to Constance , I think

she must know yo u already f o r she declared that ,
yo u would not accept my o fier and then she made ,

”
“
m e another
Indeed !
.
”
T r esc o t di d not like this any better .
She says that if I give her two thousand a year ,
and put my afiai rs at St A nn in your h ands o n a

.
”
pure business basis you will perhap s think o f it
, , ,
.
T r esc o t would have much p referred to have had

t he o fi er made directly t o himself He said he wo ul d .
Sp eak to Constance about it It w as not a thing to .
“
settle without time and thought
B u t it is settled said the Ol d man
, Yo u
.
will find that o u t Constance usuall y kn ows her

.
“
o w n mind ;
B ut n o t mine ,
returned T r esc o t rising He ,
.
’
had had by this time as much o f the uncle s inde
c i si o n s and feeble display o f business sharpne ss as
a nearly p erfect temper would bear He had learned .
that his o w n tender and respectful love had been

16 CON STAN C E T R E SC O T
m et by a p assion of a ffection which ha d seemed to

take as small thought o f the future as a bird might
do and yet here was a certain competence in her
,
dealings wi th her uncle fo r which he was u np re

pared .
A s he went away to meet her he said to himself ,

”
It seems reasonable but felt again that he should
,
have p re ferred t o be left to arrange matters invo l v

ing business and so complete a change o f residence .
E OR G E T RE S C O T
was like Constance , ,
an orphan and o f the same o l d N ew

,
E ngland bree d as the woman he loved .
With slender means he had made his ,
way in college unassiste d by aiding , ,
d uller men as a tutor and had p assed through ,

'
the law school with unusual distinction Then the .
war broke o u t and enlisting in the ran ks he rose

, , ,
rapidly as de ath cleared the way until in the

, ,
final struggle he was so wounded as p artially to d is

able his right shoulder which he commonly eased
,
by carryin g his hand caught in his waistco at Al .
though five years had gone by at times it gave him ,
pain and he felt thi s as he p assed through the

,
’
drawing room and o u t into the garden Constance s
-
.
appearance o f being tall struck him as she passed

across the path and disapp eared behind a row o f
shrubs which sheltered the garden from the rough
sp ort o f the eas t winds In reality admirable sym
.
,
metry was responsible fo r she was n o t o f more than

,
ful l mi ddle height .
A s he turned to meet her she was j oyously flushed ,
his arms “
a glad welcome in her eyes In a moment she w as in
”
A whole week ! she cried
.
.
Conscious that the embrace was as much hers as

his he c as t an uneasy glance about hi m fearful o f
, ,
2 17
18 CON ST ANC E T RE S CO T
profane eyes o f whi ch she w as to ap pearance

, , ,
heedless .
The moment was exp ressive He loved her with .
some sense that she w as a thing ap art from other

women A great respect went with it — a delicate
.
,
shy tenderness which p as sed into delicious wonder

at the deep passion which he had awakened .
They had met first at a d ance wher e as he crossed , ,
the room an awkward p artner in the waltz had

,
brought her roughly against his wounded shoulder .
In extreme p ain he had dropp ed into a chair She

” “ .
caught sight o f his face

Her partner replied
Who is he ? she said
He is George T resc o t my old ,
“ .
,
.
maj or in the Sixth I must have hu rt his wo unded .
“
arm E xc u se me a moment
.
N o take me to him
,
”
.
.
”
T r esc o t said his friend I am sorry ; I w as
, ,
”
“
awkward .
May I too ap ologize ? said she

, , .
A s they sp oke T r esc o t pale with p ain looked , , ,
up and tried to rise He met a pair o f violet eyes .
and a face o f anxious interest he w as never t o
“
forget .
Pardon me he said ; I shall be all right in

,
a little while It was worth some p ain to know Miss

.
“
Hood .
Thank you That is a great deal to say . .
He asked for a glass o f wine and as his friend , ,
“
went for it she sat down beside him
”
,
I am more so rry she said than I c an tell yo u , ,

“ .
Were you hurt in the war ? I think Mr Ware .
”
said so .
CON ST AN C E TR E S CO T 19
Ye s ; but p ardon me I cannot talk —not no w not

, ,
”
j ust yet But do not go
. .
She had no such intention She w as silent watch .

,
in g his set face sensitively aware o f some eager wish

,
to help him .
His friend returned T r esc o t took the wine and

said at las t as they rose
.
I am better but I think ,

“ ,
I must go .
She said My sister and I sh al l be glad t o see

,
you ; we are always at home o n Monday after

”
“
noons .
Thank you he returned ; I shall hop e to be

,
”
better comp any when we meet again ,
.
There w as no indecision about this love a ff air -

.
In two weeks they were engaged She had ofte n .
said to herself that she would be hard t o p lease ,
and that only a long acquaintance wo ul d j ustify

a woman in giving herself to a man She aske d her .
sel f no questio ns as to the unreasoning p assion which

made easy fo r T r esc o t what so many had found
hard Their mutual attraction had the inevitability
.
of the physical forces From the moment of their .
first meeting Constance Hood was the realization

,
o f hi s dream o f the most stately womanhood The .
impression he made on her was as sudd en He was .
not over her own height slightly made and j ust

,
, , ,
then even delicate in appearance The look Of in

,
.
t ell ec t and power which a few faces show w ith

features o f gr eat refinement gave added charm t o
manners which were gently formal with some flavor ,
o f a more leisurely day when men had time to be
courteous .
20 CON ST AN C E T R E S CO T
The contr ast between his frail look and the stories
men tol d of his fea r le ssnes s in the great war had its
influence on the woman who had broken into a p as
sion o f anger and grief when the new s o f Sum ter
revealed the p ower o f sentiment to stir her as it ,
stirred and energized the manhood o f a great na

tion presumed by those who thus challenge d i t to be
,
given over to the ledger and day book -

.
Susan Hoo d watche d with surprise anxiety and , ,
a little amusement the progress o f a love a ffair -
which did not explain itself to o n e who considere d

marriage as a matter not to be entered into lightly
o r unadvisedly and who had had no personal exp e
,
ricuce to shock her with the discovery of p assions in

herself o r another T O the very humorous love
'
.
,
comes with di fficulty .
Very soon Constance talked t o her with stran ge

unreserve This abandonment to love so profound
.
, ,
so abrupt shocked Susa n A man might thus ex

,
.
hib i t aff ection n o t a woman

,
N eedless to say that
.
it was for a time only the sister who thus saw and
heard and wondered dismayed at a p as sion as wild
,
as that o f Juliet .
WH EN T r esc o t having left her uncle found C o n

, ,
stance the lovers sat down beyond the garden b e

, ,
fore them the quiet o f an u n r u ffl e d sea and the
“
’
eastward glow o f the setting sun The woman s .
”
hand sought his and hel d it Has uncle told you ?
.
“
she said .
Your uncle is an amaz ing person but I learn ed ,

”
at last that you and he had settled the matter .
CO N STANC E T RE S COT 21
She was aware at once that he was n o t entirely
“
satisfied and said
,
,
O h of course George it rests with you If , , .
yo u accept we can be married soon and if you ,
say no we must wait a year or even two years , .
How can I be without you so long ? My uncle

remains here in the country all the year as you ,
know ; and now that I have disturbed his theory

as t o what my life was to be I shall be made t o ,
”
su fi e r .
But we would be near and I should see you ,
often — ve ry often
“ Yes I know ; but it would be hard — o h harder
,
.
than you can kn ow ; and my uncle is never done

with a subj ect ; my life would be made intolerable .
A nd then after all we should not be there — I

, ,
mean at St A nn — always ; you would succeed and

.
,
”
some day we should come home She made it all .
seem clear definite and certain Indeed it so ap

, ,
.
,
p ear e d to her .
It seemed much more vagu e t o the young man ,
but the bribe she o fi er ed was too much for him to
“
resist .
We should go among a strange and hostile p eo

,
—
ple Constance I a N orthern o flfic er yo u with your ,
”
“
stron g feeling about the South
I should learn to hold my tongue and you would
.
“
”
be sure t o m ake friends .
”
Perhaps
then went on
He remained silent a moment and
.
I have rarely had doubts as to any

.
“ ,
future dear except as concern ed whether I could

, ,
make you love me But this future o f a life at St . .

22 C ON STAN C E T RE S CO T
Ann seems to me a very doubtful matter . I am
“
to disp lace the p resent agent and
But Mr A verill — m y uncle calls hi m with r e
.
,
spect maj or general — Mr A verill desires to give up

,
-
.
’
the care o f uncle s lan ds He did n o t tell you that .
,
”
“
I am sure
N O he did not
,
.
O f course that somewhat sim .
p l ifies the matter But to act f o r a man like Mr

. .
“
Hoo d may well have i ts difficulties .
I do not think so He always backs down before .
a resolute man or even an obstinate woman Y o u

,
.
will have your o w n way and we sh all be so happy , ,

”
“
George .
O f that I am sure there o r anywhere ; and yet I ,
am in reason and above all beca us e I love you

, ,
bound to think o f the future I am n aturally san .
guine Constance E ven in the darkest hours of the

,
.
war I was that ; but in this matter I am not sangu ine ,
and if yo u were to ask me why I coul d not tell yo u , .
“
I have a feeling
A feeling George ?
and here he p aused
”
,
.
Yes like that I had once o n South Mountain I

, .
was about to ride o n to a hillock fo r a better vie w

’
of the enemy s line when I felt for a moment a ,
curious reluctance I pulle d up my horse half .

,
—
surprised at myself and then with a sense o f the ,
absurdity Of the thing I rode on As my horse , .
moved across the sp ace between a shell exploded o n ,

”
“
the hill ock
O h George
, !
.
’ —
But it is n t l i k e that was not
”
that a pure superstition ?
Yes very absurd utterly ridiculous in i ts ap

, ,
“
plication here ; I ought not to have said it
It does not in the least trouble me although ,
.
like my uncle I have my o w n little thrills about

,
thirteen at table and all such nonsense My uncle

,
.
“
says and she stopp ed
Well dear ? ,
”
.
O h he says that a p erson may reason himself

,
o u t o f religious beliefs but can never quite get rid ,

”
o f these little half beliefs -
.
”
I think he returned
,
that people wh o are ,
really and thoughtfully religious have least of these

”
“
remn ants o f a more ignorant day
A nd yet George ,
”
she retur ned laughingly
,
.
, ,
you obeyed an impulse quite without reason ; I
“
should hardly call it a sup erstition
N o ; you are right But to go back to what is .
.
fo r you and me a very serious question I believe .
’
now that I may accept your uncle s offer But I .
must think it over when those dear eyes are no t

loo king into mine those lips sayin g Come let us
,
‘
, ,
’
g o away and be all o f life to each other Let us .
drop it n o w and talk o f other thin gs I have to go .
back to B oston by the late train Within a day I .
shall write to yo u and to your uncle I mu st t al k .

,
”
it over with an older lawyer .
S he w as satisfied and saw o r thought she saw

,
, , ,
that he would be o f her opinion She had her own .
reas ons for desiring to have no such delay as he

would have tranquilly accep te d He had all through .
life been denying himself this o r that t o day in -

24 CON STAN C E T RE SC O T
’
order that he might b e more sec ur e o f to morrow s -
wants .Such a p assion as poss essed her with the

p ower o f a primal instinct w as not yet in him vic
t br i o u s over all rational considerations He kn ew .
little o f women and nothing o f the woman who

,
desires to absorb so t o speak all o f the thoughts

, ,
and feelings o f the o ne man and who as time goes , ,
on becomes j ealous o f his friends an d even o f his

, ,
work and at las t o f every hour not given t o her

, , ,
.
Such women are happ ily rare but are n o w and then ,
t o be found From the hour she first saw him

.
,
frail and p allid from suffering a vast protectin g ,
eagerness arose in her mind A s her kinship o f p ity

.
blossomed into love the desire to be with hi m and

,
watc h over what see med to her in her new anx iety
a more delicate life than it really was supplied her ,
with a reas on fo r early marriage She had never .
asked herself why she had been so sudde nl y cap

t u r e d ; but as time went on she knew that she had
drawn a prize in the uncer t ain lottery o f love and ,
felt tha t his charm o f manner his distinction the , ,
delicacy and re finement with which he had pleaded

fo r her love had fully j ustified her choice
, .
A fter further tal k he le ft her at t wilight and ,
at the last moment in haste to catch his train She

, .
watched him as he walk ed swiftly away noting the ,
arm caught fo r relieving supp ort in hi s waistcoat ,
the upright soldierly carri age o f figure well b u ilt

, , ,
“
but lacking flesh She s ai d : .
Ah ! but I love you well ; ho w well yo u do n o t ,
yet know George T r esc o t b u t yo u w ill —yo u

, ,
-
shall .
CO N ST AN CE T R E S CO T
the gar d en gate t o loo k back she

A s he turned at
“ ,
“
”
cried as she ran to ward him Yo u forgot Geo rge
, , , .
”
Wh at ? he said .
T o kiss me again .
Late in the afternoon o f the next day she received

a letter with which she fled to the roc ks above the
,
sea She tore it o p en and re ad

.
“
D EARES T C ON S TAN C E
I wonder ho w yo u g ot that p l easantly prophetic
name Y o u must tell me
. .
Yes I have made up my mind ; my friend has

,
’
urgently advised me to accept your un cle s o ff er .
He thinks the p osition a ff ords chances I ought not

t o decline and with your ever dear self thr own in
,
yo u remember the Scotch song
‘ ’
I ll gie ye my bonny blac k hen
’
If ye 11 but advise me t o marry
’
The lad I love dearly Tam Glenn ,
I gladly conclude to say yes With what j o y I am .
filled yo u I trust know I am not very strong as yet

, , , .
,
but I come of a vigorous breed and no tonic has ,
ever helped me like the bounty o f love Y o u have .
—
“
given me yourself ho w can I ask more ?
Between us there lies o n e large gulf o f d ifieren c e
and only o ne That some day we shall bridge it
-
.
over I hope an d believe Meanwhile we shall trust

,
.
,
each other s honesty in thi s , life s lar g est matter

’ ’
,
and so trusting wait with the patience o f love

, ,
26 CO N ST AN CE T RE S CO T
’
No , she said looking up it is not fo r me life s
, ,
largest matter This human love is for me the

.
larger His religion o r any faith is compared to

.
, , ,
that dim misty unsatisfying But love ! ah that

, , , .
,
”
“
is near and sweet and real
”
.
Well well
ter in her lap
, ,
“
she mused as she sat with the let
He would have me to believe as he
,
believes Would I wish him to change ? N o He is

. .
my religion That would shock him

. To please .
him I could almost make believe to think as he

does To be sep arated in anythin g from him seems
.
”
terrible .
She was facing a har d que stion made the more ,
difli c u l t by p ure i gnorance Since chi ldhood she .
’
had be en in her uncle s care He had his own very .
p eculiar views and the delight in opposition which

,
is fed by self esteem and accounts in some degree for

-
the ways and opinions o f men who in the conduct

of life depart radica lly from the common sense -
standards of the world at large His theories foun d .
a fair fiel d in Constance She was never to be pun .
i shed ; reasoning wo u l d do everything Ho w co ul d .
a child acce p t a creed ? She must be k e p t with a

neutral mind She had never been a llowed to set
.
foot in a church When she grew up she might .
choose for herself It shocked the elder sister who .

, ,
until the death of an aun t with whom she lived ,
saw Constance rarely as they were separated by ,
a hundre d miles When later she he rself w as left

.
’
without a home she gladly accepted her uncle s i n
,
vi t at i o n to live with them .
The new abode was far m ore luxurious than the

’
o ne she had lost up on her aunt s death It was also .
very difieren t A s time ran o n and she became

.
,
more familiar with what she felt to be a rather

sin gul ar household she had an eager desire to help
,
her young sister to escape from what seemed to ‘
Susan a bondage o f the sp irit She became watch

.
ful and observant of her uncle and Constance and ,
saw with something like dismay the completeness

, ,
’
o f her sister s isolation from all kn owledge of that
which seemed to her an essential part o f the higher

life She was by temp erament and sense of duty
.
made unwilling to accep t a neutral attitude ; a grow

ing affection adde d a strong motive and she was res ,
olute not to go o n endlessly without protest Some .
feeble attempts to approach the subj ect o n which

the elder sister felt so deep ly were met by Con
st ance either with indi fference o r mild amusement ,
as a thing long since disposed o f o r as beneath the

,
consideration Of the larger mind Rather than by .
persistence risk the loss of a growing affection ,
Susan ceased to speak o f that which she held with

such reverent faith an d coul d only pray that time
,
and circumstances would afio r d more prosperous Op

p o r t u n i t i es
. With her uncle she was still less for
t u n at e b u t as he at least rested content with the
,
situation he ha d created she felt forced at last to

,
secure fo r herself an Opportunity to make the pro

test to which she felt driven by motives which left
no escap e p ossible .
He had soon become accustomed to u se her for

many o f the little tasks which Constance disliked .
She w as seated with her uncle in his library after

breakfast engaged in cutting the leaves o f a report

,
on the census He was minutely noting in his diary

.
the state o f the barometer and such reflections o f

his o w n as he considered worth preservin g and as ,
to this he was generous .
He was not too busy to Observe that true to the ,
ha b it o f the born reader she w as now and then ,
caught by some fact of interest and ceased using the

‘
“
pap er cutter
-
.
”
Ah she exclaimed laughin g the census o f
, , ,
this State embraces three millions o f women p oor—

”
“
Mr Census
.
Yes yes ,
.
he returned ,
quite remarkable , ,
an o l d j oke I believe But I wish yo u would fin i sh

,
. .
I need the book Constance has been trained to do

.
”
o n e thing at a time The niece thus characterized
.
had declined the task and gone o u t to sail ,

.
I shall finish it si r in a few minutes , ,

.
There was again silence until at last she said ,
The metho d o f securing the number o f people in

the di fferent religious sects seems t o me quite ab
surd —just listen Uncle Rufus ”
“ ,
I have no interest in it It ought t o be left o u t .

.
The multitudinous Opinions o f irrelevant minds are

disgraceful to the hum an intelligence N egation .
is the prop er attitude Constance represents it to .
”
my satisfaction .
’
Susan s chance had co me She laid the book down
an d said earnestly : Y o u mus t p ardon me if I
“ .
say that I think you ar e wr ong .
Well I am always ready to hear honest opinions ,
—go on .
CON ST A N C E T RE S COT 29
DO not think that t o leave a yo ung girl

o
y u
without any sense of relation t o God must result
“
”
in her never acquiring any when grown up ?
N o I do n o t
,
I have my views When she is
. .
“
a woman and mature she w ill choose
But wi ll she ? She will have no interest in the
,
.
“
matter.
Well what then ? Suppose that she never has

, .
Susan was shocked ; but after a moment replied

Well why not let her choose her morals ? Why i n
,
sist o n her being as a child truthful and charit

, , ,
able ? Why insist On goo d manners ? Let her choose

her morals and her manners when she is what you
”
call mature .
N onsense ; you are sophistical and you are t o o ,

”
clever n o t t o know it .
Susan was well enough aware o f the difficulty in

defending her statement but she w as to o vexed to
be logical and said : Y o u have taken away from a
,
“ ,
youn g life o ne o f the most imperative motives to be
“
”
all that a woman ought to be .
I think I am a better j udge o f that than you .
I have never missed what you call religion nor will ,
Constance I have my views and I insist that you

.
,
”
“
are not to bother the girl with your sup erstitions
I am sorry uncle but I can make no promise
, ,
.
I suppose n o t You are as obstinate in your

.
“
”
folly as I am resolute in my common sense .
”
That is fine murmur ed Susan as she return ed
, ,
to her work making him n o reply and incline d

, ,
for the time to abandon a u s ele ss purpose Pr es .
entl y she laid the book bes ide him saying : ,

Is there anything else ?

”
N O nothing,
.
She left him and went o u t to the comp any o f

the flowers and the wholesomeness o f a perfect day ,
troubled that she had made no impression and ask ,
ing herself if after all her argument was sophis

, ,
tical .
’
As she sat lookin g at the white s ail o f Constance s
cat boat rocking over an unquiet sea she began t o
-
, ,
sum up her slowly acquired knowledge o f the

yo u nger woman .
Yes she was intelligent — clever ac c o mpl ishe d as

‘
, , , ,
Susan was not ; an adm i rable musician singularly ,
i gnorant o f the great literature but like her uncle , , ,
unusually well informed on the history o f her coun

try Ho w she had come to have p olitical opinions
.
’
the reverse of her uncle s puzzled Susan It might .
be that she to o loved to be in opp osition but cer ,
t ainl y she held to her views with such passion as

he was incapable o f A nd surely the girl was beau
.
tiful A s yet Susan could go no further in her in

.
t er este d analysis Y es she had the virtues of her

.
,
cas te and great capacity f o r afiec t i o n

, .
The woma nconcerning whom it was thus needful

t o digress went back t o her letter .
We will put this question aside fo r the time .
Yo u will let me try to help you Your uncle made .
me understand that his afi ai rs would su fier by de

lay and n o w that I am clear in mind I see no cause
,
to prevent us from being married whenever yo u can

set a time N o time will be too soon for me I have
. .
CON ST AN C E T RE S COT 31
been alone in the world these many years All that

.
.
friendship co ul d give in the army and at home I

have had but neither love o f mother nor o f sister
, ,
nor of any other woman has been mine Y o u have .
it all — the all that might have been others is yours ,

”
t o day and always
-
.
A gain she p aused with the thought that

,
ta k e to
him away even from his friends gave her a sense
of such completeness of possession as filled her with
j oy The rest o f what he wrote w as as delightful
. .
She p ut the letter in her bosom and felt it move with

her breathin g ; now and again she took it o u t and
k issed it
.
M ON T H had gone by A sav age nor th .
east wind w as rocking the p ines and

hurling a thunderous surf o n the rock
guarded coast It was the third o f .
March the night before the day set

,
fo r the marria ge Their uncle having as usual gOn e

.
to bed early the two sisters sat alone by a bright

,
wood fire in the sitting room they shared

“
-
.
Susan rose and went t o the window What a wild .
“
”
night ! she said as the rain wind driven cr ashed
, , ,
against the p anes and the e ase m ent ra ttled

,
The .
gardener said this afternoon a ship had gone ashore

”
“
’
o n Carlton s Re ef I hop e no lives were lo st
. .
Yes Uncle Rufus told me Of it and was gra

, ,
c i o u s enough t o observe that going t o sea was like
getting married — a very uncertain b usiness ”

.
Susan as she returned to the fire remarke d

, ,
He has an unequaled cap acity fo r saying u n

pleasant things but I really believe that he does
,
not m ean to be malicious The trouble is he val .

,
ues the product o f his o w n min d too highly t o be

willing t o suppress any of it I might have had .
the fancy that the ocean and marriage are uncertain .
I should no t have thought it fit o r worth whi le t o

say so .
I do no t see Susan ho w Geo rge has stood it f o r

, ,
32
CON STAN C E TR E S COT 33
’
this last month What with Uncle Rufus s endless
.
indirectness and perpetual indecision I cannot ,
wonder that George is puzzled to understand what

he wants I shall be more than glad to have done
.
with it and get half a continent between us and

,
”
“
uncle .
“
You will never be done with it while he lives
returned Susan ; and you may be pretty sure that
,
he will some day app ear at St Ann and still fur .
“
ther bother George .
—
Well George is a s obstinate as I ought to say
,
—
“
more resolute than Un cle Rufus
George asked me said Susan ,
ho w u n c l e had
.
,
'
been so fortunate in his a ffairs I told him what .
’
y o u o f course k now that uncle s
,
fortune was largely
inherited and that as the mills in which most o f
,
it was invested are managed by wiser men and he ,
is almost morbidly cautious it is easy to see ho w

,
he became rich Those lands in and about St Ann

. .
’
were o n e o f his father s ventures They have been .
the source o f constant trouble I suspect that Gen .
eral A verill could not agree to do as uncle desired ,
and that when he gave up no o n e else would accep t

”
the agency .
N o sooner had she spoken than she knew that she

had been unwise Constance rose with a quick move
.
ment a n d turning to her sister said :

“ ,
Uncle said nothing like that to me o r to George

,
Do yo u mean that he is usin g George because he

could get no one else ? I shall go and ask him if
he has dared to do that A s she spoke she moved
.
quickly to the door Susan was j ust in time

. .
3
34 CON STAN C E T RE S CO T
Stop dear ,
she said ; I have no authority fo r
,
”
“
what I said .
Then you should n o t have spoken Yo u make .
me unhappy —and no w to night o f all nights If ,

-
.
your susp icion be correct it is a thing I will not ,

”
“
stand Let me go
No
.
.Susan set her back t o the door Liste n

.
.
,
”
“
dear Uncle is asleep
.
I do not care He mus t wake up .

.
But yo u must care ; and if I have been foolish

o r imprudent it is too late for you to act wildly
,
o n a mere fancy o f mi ne Forget it dear and b e -
.
, ,
’
sure that no matter what may be uncle s little
schemes George T r esc o t will succeed where others
,
”
have failed .
The tall girl still flushed angry and only half

, , ,
convinced moved away and stoo d beside the fire

, ,
silent for a moment Then as Susan took her hand .

, ,
“
she said
You are right ; but indeed if he has put George , ,
in a false p osition I shall never forgive him I shall .
”
not tell George .
I sho u l d not dear Sit down It is really o f

,
. .
n o moment but I was as indiscreetly anxious in

,
’
George s interest as yo u can be Let u s drop it . .
“
This is o u r last talk What a mad storm Conny !
Yes Listen to the wind
.
”
.
.
,
But yo u love storms dear , .
”
Yes but not to night O h not to night !
,
-
.
,
-
I hOp e you will have sunshine to morrow -

.
”
O h sister I do hope so
, ,
.
It does not look like it Conny ; but there is ,

sunshine enough in George T r esc o t No o n e .
could hel p liking him ; I am half in love with him

”
myself .
’
Constance laughed I can t have that I want. .
“
him all t o myself .
That yo u will not have said Susan quietly , ,

.
I am so glad that you concluded to be married
“
in church .
He wanted it and I really did not care

,
.
But yo u will some day dear Y o u canno t live ,

.
with that man year after year and fail to feel the
value o f the influences which guide and guard his
life — and dear it was n o t your fa ul t I think it
, ,
.
”
was cruel wicked ,
.
Constance looked up D o you think h e is really .
—I mean because o f that —better than I am ? O h ,
—
“
I mean you k now what I mean
I think yo u know dear ”
said Susan o r ought
, ,
.
to know He has had a life of trial you o n e o f ease

.
,
.
Both o f yo u are what nature and the chances o f life

have made yo u I think you were unfairly dealt
.
with. Before I came and ever since uncle has , ,

”
had his way .
Yes I know ; but truly Susan I am neither

, , , ,
”
“
religious nor non religious ; I am op en minded - -
.
A re you my dear sister ? Has not your Op en

,
mindedness left you with the door Of the mind very

hard to open wide ? Time will show Y o u have .
never yet foun d yourself ; you have simply the con

v ent i o n al morals and Opinions o f o u r own social
world H o w they will serve yo u in days o f strain

.
”
and trouble God alone knows .
36 CON ST AN C E T RE S CO T
I think you are severe Susan I supp ose I shall , .
“
laugh o r cry an d grieve or be merry like others
,
You are not like others Y o u are very unlike .

,
.
“
others .
Am I n o t ?
N o ; you are too natural .
T O O natural Upon my word Susan yo u are .

, ,
quite too enigmatical for my p owe r s o f compre

”
“
he n si o n
Well
.
dear we won t talk any more I did not

, ,
’
.
want to trouble you A nd ho w am I to do without .
“
yo u ?
Oh must come to see us after a while when
, yo u ,
”
“
we are settled
,
.
O h shall I not ? N ow to bed to bed dear for , , ,

”
a beauty sleep .
She kissed her and Constance went away The ,

.
elder woman r em al n ed long in thought by the fire ,
reflecting upon her own imprudent frankn ess The .
youn ger lay awake for a time wondering a little ,
what Susan meant by calling her too natural She .
awoke early to hear the surf and the constant rain ,
and the wail o f the wind among the p ines .
T RE S C O T had never been his former vigorous self

since he was wounded and now a resolute doctor , ,
insisting upon a long holiday five happy weeks went ,
by much to the betterment o f his health and looks

,
.
A s they go t o u t of the train at St An n early in .
Ap ril o n a Saturday afternoon a gentleman ap

, ,
p r o ac he d them and in the soft Southern

,
tong u e
said
CO N ST AN C E T RE SCO T 37
Mrs T r esc o t I b elieve I am General A verill

.
,
. .
A llow me to make you welcome to St A nn . .
A s T r esc o t gave him his left hand he adde d in a

“
cordial way
Have you met with an accident ? N othing very
”
bad I hope
,
He seemed really distressed
. And .
“
in your honeymoon too
Y o u are very kind said T r esc o t
,
I am
.
,
.
a fraid that you are in a way resp onsible ; it was a
“
Confederate bullet
O h indeed ? It is to o late fo r apologies but
, ,
n o t for regret So you were a soldier Well I am

. .
,
glad of that It is n o t the men who fought w ho

.
are making mischief now My carriage is here . .
”
This way madam Here boy , to an aged black
.
, , ,
and he gave some directions concerning their bag

gage
But we are going to the hotel said T r esco t ,
.
”
I wrote and arranged for rooms
The general laughed You are goin g t o your .
“ .
o w n house sir My wife has been busy there o r she

,
.
,
”
“
would have met Mrs T r esc o t
But we have no house ”
said Constance
.
,
.
—
A little surprise madam as I understand a , ,
wedding gift from Mr Hood Mrs A verill wrote

-
. . .
and wished to be allowed to put it in order Then .
Miss Hood came to St Ann Your uncle and I are . .
o l d friends as you kn ow ; and n o w that I see yo u

, ,
Mrs T re sc o t it is more than a pleasure — i t is a

.
,
privilege — to have been thus allowed to be o f use .
A h ! here is the carriage Permit me . .
T r esc o t could only express formal thanks and ,

38 CON ST AN C E T R E SCO T
they chatted as they drove through the o l d Creole

settlement with its ill kept gardens and new wooden
,
-
houses .
’
T r esc o t was much amazed by the uncle s sudden
and secret liberality They had been five weeks .
away from home and except that Susan had writ,
ten soon after the y left that St A nn would su r

, ,
.
prise them they had b een unprep ared for what

,
now they heard .
Unab le for the time to discuss matters they

, , ,
drove o n for a half mi le through the dust of the -
main street ; and when a little way o u t o f the fast

growing southwestern town the general said This ,
“
’ ”
is what we call R aeb u r n s addition Where the .
road began t o mp e to the broad river a too san

guine specul ator had p ut up a half dozen scattered -
cottage s .
This is your home Mrs T r esc o t N o I shall ,

. .
,
leave yo u to enj oy it alone M rs A verill has gone . .
away and hop es you will be pleased

,
Y o u will .
”
find supp er ready in an hour .
They stood a moment o n the roadside A neat .
o l d black woman in a gay bandana head kerchief -
stood at the op en door ; the general hat in hand , ,
kind genial courteous a little profuse in talk The

, , ,
.
two youn g p eople thanked him and they were left ,
alone .
Constance had misgivings as to what she might

expect in this new home She said nothing o f the .
feeling she had that she should have been consulted

as to the furniture But much o f what was needed .
had been chosen by Susan and some simple but ,

CON STA N C E T R E S C OT 39
refined t aste had presided over the rest A s she

looked about her she cried : O h George when I
,
“ ,
.
heard I was afraid ; b ut it is really so very pretty

and so simple ; and was it not considerate to leave
’
u s alone ? And was n t it like Susan j ust to go
away and leave us t o ourselves and Mrs A verill , .
“
to o ?
Y do
not yet know the best o f these Southern
ou
p eople Constance,
It will be both p leasant and
.
desirable th at you and I learn to like them I am .
sure you will Imagine the kindness o f it and the

.
,
”
trouble !
They went from room to room in the little house ,
looking o u t o n the roses already in bloom the grass ,
slop es and the river beyond A t last they found

,
.
their way into the dining room and then into an -

,
apartment where were shelves and a businesslike

table ; but here the cases sent o n by T r esc o t and
Constance had been left unop ened A gain husband .
and wife recognized the feeling which had left their

personal belongings untouched .
O ne o f the se rvants an o l d woman once a slave of

,
the Averills conducted Constance over the kitchen

, ,
and up s tairs and down again and was delighted ,
when after supper the cooking was praised

, ,
.
Then as the shadows came and they sat o n the

, ,
back porch among clustering Cherokee roses she ,
brought him a match and as his pip e glowed or ,
darkened they talked o f the new life before them ;

’
she recognizing with fresh happiness the man s
gain in health and vigor ; he at moments in thought , ,
with certain reasonable fears Would this distin .

40 CON STAN C E T RE SCOT
g u i she d
looking woman with her music her social
-
, ,
ties her unchecke d exp enditures her familiar Bos

, ,
—
ton circle would she be contented here in this
simpler life ? Would every o n e be as kind as Mrs .
A verill ? He became more and more silent as they

sat in the twilight She too had her less distinct
.
, ,
doubts but heretofore they had said little o f the

,
life which lay before them N ow she spoke touch .

,
ing his brown hair as he sat o n the step below her .
She was strangely intuitive as concerned George
“
T re sc o t .
I kno w what you are thinking o f, my dear dear ,

”
“
George .
O h ! What love ? ,
”
Yo u are wondering whether I shall be satisfied

here in this new life amid the people you fought and
“
I hated .
I was ; but you will n o t hate them

,
I never .
A nd I shall if they are good to you

no t .
’
O h whether o r not ; and you won t miss the ease
,
o f home the varied life your carriage and ri di n g

, ,
”
“
horse ?
I I have yo u .
But you will not have me always as yo u have

”
had for these happy weeks .
But yo u will be always thinking of me .
E ven that may not b e possible I sometimes
“
fancy it would have been better
N o no ; we did wisely and love is my only
, ,
”
“
answer .
Then once and for all l et us put away the

,
7’
Yes Ah letters ! Thank you

, she said to the ,
maid . Let us go in George and read them ,
they sat down she cried : Gracious ! Oh do listen

,
As
“ ,
,
.
”
to this George
,
It is from uncle. .
MY D EAR C ON S TAN C E
Maj or General A verill will give yo u the title
-
deeds of the house It will I hope make you less

.
, ,
discontented for yo u will have to economize as you

,
never did here I trust also that my generosity w ill

.
be an inducement to that obstinate young man t o
“
give the f ul lest attention to my afi air s
Susan will no doubt tell you that she made me
, ,
.
give you the house ; but her religion is t o o vag ue

a thing to have taught her accuracy What she calls .
faith I am happy to say I am without ; it is t oo

,
va gu e fo r intellectual assimilation
“ .
Yours a ffectionately
R UF U S H OO D “ ,
O f which has he none — faith intellectual or

”
assimilation ? laughed T r esc o t Up on my word .
,
Constance what about the blind belief we call love ?

,
N o o ne knows everything o f any one The rest we .
call trust faith ; and without the mystery o f the

,
unknowable in man woman and God the half o f

, , ,
the charm o f life and love were gone .
She did not answer him directly b ut said : Uncle ,
Rufus is plain enough and I kn ow yo u and yo u , ,

”
me
“.
N O not alto gether ; what yo u woul d do o r be in

,
cert ain contin gencies o f this changeful life I do no t ,

7 9
42 CON ST AN CE T RE SCOT
”
Am I not s imple ?
”
Yo u ? No no he la u ghed
, . B ut what does
Sus an say ?
She read
D EAR C ONN Y
“
A s soon as yo u w ere engaged I set t o work to
make Uncle Rufus behave decently He is no t mean .
o r ungenerous but you were to be pun ished for

,
preferring George to him and to have a narrow ,
income as a reminder o f your iniquity We had .
it about and about He enj oyed the r o w and as

.
,
usual backed down I made him groan when the

,
.
bills came in ; but he had to p ay and now he tells ,
every o n e about the pleasure he had in surp rising

you with the house I send a few books of refer
.
—
ence fo r George the cyclop edia he wanted an d a ,
few other boo ks .
Constance looked up “
She said nothing o f what further she had done
But I meant to give you
.
.
”
that cyclop edia myself I told her so . .
She ha d a chil dl ike disappointment becaus e o f

having been thus anticip ated He saw and under .
“
stood .
But I want far more —the new biographic al dic

t i o n ary and how many other books I dare not tell
,
y o u
. T o morrow we shall see when we unp ack the
-
’ ”
“
boxes What else is there in your sister s letter ?
.
N othin g o f moment She wishes to kn ow if the

.
,
r — ’
l —
house o u house is n t that de ightful needs any
”
other furn it ure .
CON ST AN C E T RE SCOT 43
I should think n o t said T resc o t faintly j es l

, ,
o u s o f the liberality which had p rovide d what in
time he had hope d to give He said however : I .

,
“
confess dear to being very glad that you are t o be
, ,
so pleasantly nested I feare d a little the long stay

.
at an inn o r in lodgings where yo u would have al l ,

”
“
manner of unavoidable contacts
”
Yes she said that would have been dreadfu l
, ,
“ .
’
T o have been able all one s life t o choo se o r avoid ,
’
to say A t home o r n o t and then to be obliged
‘
,
t o meet all the time the chance acquaintances o f

, ,
a boarding house ! I did not expect to have a house

-
f o r a year at least .
George T resc o t reflected anew upon the sacrifices

she had made and o n how less than little she knew
,
’
o f what she w as saved b y Sus an s p ersistency and
self sac rific e

-
.
We o w e Sus an a great debt he said ; and I ,
am as grateful as a man o u ght to be ; but I wish

I had been able to do all this for yo u myself I have .
been so anxious that yo u should be satisfied .
Constance slipped down o n to the step beside him ,
shoulder .
“
cast an arm around him and laid her head o n his
Y o u need n o t have been afraid George
,
,
.
Life can ask nothing o f me large o r small which , ,

”
I would not give o r be o r do for yo u
became low and measured as she went o n
The voice
I c oul d
.
.
“
beg o r do anything Y o u will se e ho w I shall help
, .
you . I shall make all these St Ann people o u r .
—
friends oh whether I like them o r not ; but
, ,
George I am scared sometimes when I think o f how

,
all other love has shrunk to nothing as if it had all ,

gone t o m a k e up o n e great love for you If any .
one — man o r woman — loves you I shall be j ealous ; ,
if any one does not I shall hate him O h I am a ,

.
,
fine fool of l ove ! I am half j ealous o f the company

”
you fin d in your pipe
“ .
“He said Ar e yo u indee d ?

,
,
Yes I am really O h yo u may laugh but I

,
,
.
, ,
The stress o f p assion in her words w as broken by

this half humorous reflection an d a littl e to the
-
,
’
man s relief even if he hardly knew it The qu al ity
,
.
of his affection was governed by temperament and , ,
never reachin g the instinctive freedom o f her pas

sion was nobler in that it looked forward to being
, ,
always the true lover and also the friend who ,
guides and counsels ; for already he saw that both

guidance and counsel might be needed He smiled
‘
“
as he kissed her .
Well shall I give up my friend o f many camp

,
”
“
fires o f sad days o f long night rides ? -
, ,
What a p retty defense ! N O indee d I like it ,
because it can comfort an d cannot love .
She rose as she sp oke and standing before him , ,
threw up her hand s with a gesture of emphatic

abandonment and cried : O h George I am so “ , ,
’
hap py ! Come let us walk in the garden Is n t
,
.
—
it little ? but do look at the roses ”
.
He went with her and they talked more quietly ,
o f the kindness o f the gener al and his wife ; o f

the i r o w n plans and o f his work To his surp rise
she said n o word o f Susan
,
A t l ast he said It is .
.
,
“ ,
early but you must be tired

, .
CON ST AN C E T RE SCO T 45
O h I am never tired ; but I have to unpack , and

,
“
what the colored women can do I have yet to learn
T o morrow will be Sunday Constance
-
,
”
.
.
I am going to church with you Y o u will have

.
to find the places for me in your prayer book but-
I am going because — bec a

“ use yo u are going
Thank you ! Yo u are very good to me my love !
,
.
”
Goo d night.
She left him and he lighted his pipe and fo r an

, ,
hour moved about in thought .

S they went up the slight ascent of
West Street toward the E piscop al
church Constance said t o her hus b and
“ ,
Since we left home you have gone to

church alone I mean that yo u sha l l
.
never do that again But George do yo u k now tha t

.
, ,
this will be the fir st time I have ever been present
“
at a church service ?
It will interest you he said realizing with
, ,
regret how complete had been the denial o f the

highest opp ortunities t o the woman he loved Care .
ful to show no surp rise he went o n to speak o f the

,
service and o f how it had been formed and molded

, ,
until arrivi n g at the church they sat down near

, ,
to the door A fter church they slipped away u n

.
,
noticed except casually by General A verill O n the

,
.
way homeward Constance was silent for a time and

, ,
seemin g to her h usband thus inclined he made no ,
effort to disturb her mood .
Presently however she began to speak o f the

, ,
i mpress ion this amazing novelty o f a great ritual

had left with her The congregation had been large
.
and very devoted She confessed to interest and

.
something like awe a certain wonder at it a trained

-
,
disbelief in i ts verities She sp oke with care and he

.
, ,
o n his side listened without critic ism

,
Certainl y .
46
to her it was so strange that he found it hard to put

himself i n her attitude o f mind and preferred with , ,
the p atience which was p art o f his character to do ,
no more than wait f o r such better chances as time

m ight bring .
The music she found good and simple Caught .
b y its charm her full soprano rose in the hymns he

,
knew so well and added to the satisfaction he felt

,
when she exp ressed her surprise at the refin ed faces

she saw about her He exp lained that the Older
.
settlers had been Virginians and many o f them ,
gentlefolk She was sure she would like them ; and

.
the elderly wom an she saw as they came out must

be Mrs A verill She smiled at them as the general
. .
—
raised his hat a handsome couple There w as even .
a kind o f distinction in the o l d fashioned gowns and -
“
bonnets .
I thin k the y were all curious about us she ,
added .
There may be other re as ons he laughed fo r , ,
looking at yo u my dear I sometimes enj oy that

, .
”
p rivilege myself .
Sunday passed quietly in their new home and ,
they fully recognized the thoughtful kindness which

left them thus undisturbed In the afternoon they .
decided t o see the little city and their neighborhood .
They were about a half mile from the cou r t house

‘
- -
green beyond which o n an upper rise were a dozen

, , ,
houses not very well cared fo r but set p leasantly

, ,
among trees and well tende d gardens O n the level -

.
land above the river bluff were the straggling houses

and shop s which in their fresh shingles and paint
, ,
8 CON ST ANC E T R E S CO T
gave evidence here and there o f the new m ateria l

growth which had begun since the war Below the .
bluff o n the shore o f the great curve o f the turbid

,
river were warehouses cotton presses and rudely

, ,
-
,
built p iers where steamers lay Much o f the nearer .
water front w as occup ied and as they stood Tres

-
,
cot p ointed o u t where at the bend o f the river, ,
lay the long stretch o f frontage which was in

litigation and was claimed by Mr Hood
,
De . .
’
scendin g to the water s edge they found a rough ,
road which p assed through l o w growths and the

rude clearings o f the squatters who had refused t o
vacate their l ands Beyond the roa d wound along
.
,
the river bank an d over the land which T r esc o t

,
had pointed o u t as valuable o n account o f the deep

water in front o f it .
When o n their homeward way they came near to

their o wn house the p ath so narrowed in front o f
,
an ill kept garden that T r esc o t fell behind A gen

-
.
t l em an in gray clothes and wearing an undress ,
army cap with Confederate buttons moved aside

-
,
into the road to make room for Mrs T r esc o t to p ass . .
He lifted his cap and showed some attentive sur

prise as T r esc o t touched his straw hat and they
“
passed o n
”
.
By George ! he murmured who can that be ? ,

”
What a beautiful woman ! He s tared after her
well clad figure noting the ease and grace o f her
-
,
walk and then the slighter form o f the man See

, .
“
ing them turn in at their o w n gate he said aloud
’
That m ust b e Old Hood s new agent He is very
'
,
”
y oung .
CO N ST AN C E T R E S CO T 49
Meanwhile Mrs T r esc o t said :

. George did
, yo u
”
notice that gentleman ?
He looks like an Indi an chief and very unlike ,
the p eople I saw t o da y He is handsome but how

-
.
,
”
“
dark he is !
O h there is some o l d Creole blood here — o f
,
French descent very likely — a fine big man prob

, , ,
abl y a C onfederate soldier .
TH E Mon day mornin g o f their first week at St .
A nn found them after breakf as t o n the back porch

of their new home The man was gravely happy ;
.
the youn g wife a little excited as they began to c o n

sider what they were t o do o n this the first morn
ing o f their new life Past t he l ittl e garden the
.
~
grassy slop es and green maize fiel ds were bounded -
belo w by a fringe Of oaks beyond which the brown ,
current o f the mighty river swept onward in its

march to the gu lf The Cherokee rose was all about
.
them in red clusters the humming birds were bu sy

,
-
o n quivering wing and the warmth and moisture

,
o f the Southland — A pril already — invited to rep ose
“
and idleness .
It is very pleasant here said T r esc o t but , ,
there will be many things to do and I sup pose o n e ,

”
must begin . A s he S poke he rose The t em pt a .
tions to linger were very great But at last he com .
promised with sense o f duty by resolving as many ,
a man has done to go as soon as his pipe had gone

,
ou t. N evertheless he economically nursed the fail

ing p ipe A s he lingered Constance asked
.
What have you to do George ? I mean at once ,

.
O h many things,
I must see the general and .
’
learn all I can o f your un cle s a ff airs There are u n .
paid rents mortgages in arrears taxes and what

, , ,
n o t — a sad tangle I fea r

,
Then if I am to app ear
,
.
,
in the courts I must qualify by an examination to

practise in this State .
She w as at once eager to know why

”
I could app ear he returned in a Unite d
, ,
States court but not before local tribunals B u t

, .
”
that is all simple A nd in fact after a for t.
, ,
night he was enabled thus to qualify for practic e at

St An n
. .
When at last the pip e refused to furnish excuse s

for delay he left his wife to her new househol d
,
duties She foun d herself amply occupied an d

.
,
while her husband sp ent a busy morning with Aver .
ill she went about the house with the two black ser
,
.
’
vants arranging her husband s books and givin g
, ,
to the rooms that look o f having been lived in which ,
is o n e of the mysterious accomplishments o f certain

women T re sc o t heard snatches o f song as he came
.
in at midday to meet her eager questions and t o

, ,
note with satisfaction what she had done to change
“
the house into a home
”
How hard yo u must have worked ! he said see
.
ing all of his many books in order .
I did not unp ack your law books George ,

.
N O you were right ; I must have them with me

,
.
’
I am to have a bit o f an o ffice next to the general s .
I find that he has come into some prop erty of late ,
and wants t o give up p art of his work I mean —

CON ST AN C E T R E S COT 61
’
chiefly your uncle s afl air s There are I fancy .
, ,
other reasons He was somewhat reticent. From .
’
what I gathered I fear that your uncle s business is
going to be difficult ; and he has been so hard to deal
with that people here say it is impossible to settle
anythin g However we shall see I suspect that
.
,
.
the general has been indisposed to push matters and ,
that your uncle has been unyieldingly opposed to

”
“
any compromises
Very likely ”
.
said Constance ; but if the gen

,
eral had b een firm uncle would have given way He .
always does But for that he should be here He

. .
“
is always most obstinate in his letters
That is hardly consoling ”
said T r esc o t A nd ,
.
oh,
Constance I would not hang my sword here
,
.
“
”
Put it in your room .
I should like that

standing him
she said
“
at once under
I see that yo u do n o t wear your
.
, ,
Loyal Legion button — I suppose we are to forget ? ”
“ Yes and forgive as they t o o will in time I

, , , , .
lost a brother and many friends in the war but , ,
dear I learn that o u r o l d general lost his two sons

, ,
his only children Constance — his all They are

, ,
.
“
childless .
O h George ! That mother ! She was here to

,
day and such kindness I never could have hoped

,
fo r N o w I understand her
.
sad eyes
’
Wherein no expectation lies .
Who said that George ? I forget I wondered

, .
what gave her that look ; I noticed it when I fir st

saw her I think S us an quo t ed it once And my

. .
,
dear George she heard me singing in that absurd

,
way in church and would I j oin the choir and they

, ,
would exp ect us to u s e their pew and there are ,
sew ing circles and what not I had to say several

-
,
.
noes ; I did it sweetly and said I must think about ,

”
it Imagine me in a sewing circle ! -
I am sure you said j ust the right thing A s for .
the general he too w as more than kind He begged

, , ,
.
me t o be careful about war tal k People were still

sensitive And I ought to b e made aware that your
.
uncle whom no o n e here has seen is detested a n d

, , ,
supp osed to hinder the growth of the town by r e

fu sal s to sell o r improve He wants me to see people .
socially and it seems there is a little club which he

,
thinks I had better j oin I said it would be as well .
to wait I do not want any nee dless expe nses — even

.
“
the smallest
O h I shall manage George
,
.
I have talked to ,
.
Mrs A verill We shall have enough It might be

. . .
b etter to j o in the club .
I shall think o f it he said But my best , .
“
club is elsewhere
Yes ; but you would see these people there
.
O nl y I shall be j ealous o f the hours I do not

,
”
o wn
“ .
You all my hours Constance A nd by the

o wn .
,
way talking o f j ealousy the dark gentleman you

, ,
admired yesterday has some Indian and some Creole

blood I guessed well But his name I take it is
. .
, ,
E nglish —G r eyhu rst He is the lawyer who has been .
engaged in the suit to d ispos sess your un cle o f the

CON ST ANCE T R E S CO T 53
water front I hear also that he i s pretty deeply

-
.
, ,
and per sonally interested in lands along the water .
She determined to know more of this man when

she saw the general She had some vagu e feeling
.
that here was a man who would be hostile ; and she

had not liked the smiling face with the dark at ,
t en t ive eyes
.
The next day being Tuesday while T r esc o t was , .
again busy with the Old general Constance dressed ,
with care and set o u t to visit his wife The sun was .
warm and as she walked along the road to the town

,
she was full of plans for a social camp aign which
should be o f use to the man she loved There was .
enough to interest in the negro huts and children ,
the wayside flowers the straggling town its bloom

, ,
ing gardens and the houses which war and its at

,
tendant poverty had left long uncared for A s she .
gained the main street she began to see that she was
,
the obj ect o f notice ; but to this she was not unac
customed and did not find it unpleasing Her looks
,
.
and her p ower to be agreeable were a p a r t o f

’
George s cap ital She noted the men on horseback
.
— now and then a man in a battle worn suit o f Con

“
-
”
federate gray ; twice she observed the C S . .
branded on the flanks o f mules — and felt the near

ness o f that v as t struggle which had left the South
wrec k ed and imp overished .
’
A question o r two brought her to the general s
house It stood on a rise t o the eastward and above
.
the town — an ample brick dwelling o f more p reten

sion than those near by The garden around it o n
.
all sides was admirably cared for but the fence ,

was broken and the gate lay o n the ground The .
hall door was open but she looked in vain for a

,
bell and used the brass knocker without e ff ect A t

,
.
last she entered and saw through the back door of

,
the hall the gray head of M rs A verill in the garden .

,
moving between tall rows of O sage orange F o r a .
moment some inbred re g ard for conventional usages

’
staye d the visitor s steps and then seeing no other , ,
way she walked through the house and down the

,
garden p ath .
Mrs A verill turned setting down a basket of

.
,
“
roses and with both hands welcomed her visitor
,
Come in ”
she said ;
,
come in out o f the sun “ .
Her looks approved the proudly carried head the ,
rich red o f the cheeks the large blue eyes and that
, ,
indescribable air of caste and good breeding which -
the day before as they came o u t o f church had been

, ,
at once and easily reco gnized .
Constance too saw that here was an Older woman

, ,
o f her o w n worl d — a woman as she wrote to Susan , ,
who seemed suited to the Old fashioned garden and -
i ts familiar fl o w ers — a delicately provincial dame ,
with an assured way o f sayin g gently very p ositive

thi n gs and with hands and feet thin delicate and
, , ,
marvelously small .
The Southland ton gue as Mr s A verill used it .

,
’
with its half lost r s and a certain precision in her
-
choice o f words delighte d the critical taste of Co n

,
stance .
As they entered the large p arlor Mrs A verill , .
said : Sit do w n my dear ; it is very warm I m ust

, .
—
find my servants nowadays they are never to be
7,
Constance said she should be glad to have it and ,
w as left alone She looke d after her hostess with

.
increasing satisfaction Mrs A verill w as exquisitely

. .
neat from the little cap over abundant gray hair

, , ,
and wide white kerchief to the white gown and the

long garden gloves The room offered an u n p l eas
.
ing contrast The wall p aper was worn an d spotted

.
-
,
the seats of the chairs showed signs o f wear Some .
o f them were o f Colonial resp ectability some with ,
the black hair cloth covers o f a day of worse t aste

-
.
The mattin g W as much mended and a thin legged ,

-
p iano not too free from dust suggest ed indi fference

, , ,
or,
more probably the housekeep ing troubles of
,
.
which as yet Constance was happ ily i gnorant .
O n the walls were t w o o r three p ortraits in the

thin manner o f the el der Peale and an admirable ,
Copley o f a husband and wife O ver the fireplace .
hung a p air o f crossed swords suspended by broad

black ribbons B elow were ill colored p hotographs
.
-
“
of tw o young O fficers in Confederate uniform
”
Poor mother ! said Constance O ver all caught .
,
.
up in folds hung a torn battle fl ag o f the rebel

,
-
States and below it the flag of a Maine regiment

, ,
also tattered and battle scarred evidently a cap

-
,
t u r e d trophy .
For a moment the youn g f aces o f the dead sons

troubled her and then the two flags sent a rush o f
,
—
angry blood t o her face a return o f the p assionate
feelings the great war had so Often caused her .
Here before her was the record o f battle and o f

death o f the pathos and the courage and endurance
,
o f a struggle which shoul d have left and did leave ,
for the best o f those who fought and w o n only ad ,

56 CO N STAN C E T R E S CO T
m i r at io n , pity , and magnanimity Constance had .
little o f that greatness of soul which is the noblest

factor in the large gospel o f forgiveness The p er .
sonal feeling which entered so largely into her life

during the war w as supported by a n unusually i n
t ell i gen t knowledge o f o u r history and kept angrily ,
’
alive by her uncle s attitude when rej oicing over ,
Confederate victories he thus kept her irritated and

,
o n edge throughout the years o f that s ad stru ggle
ever glorious for t ho se w ho w o n and those who lost .
Hearing Mrs A verill s step at the doorway she

.
’
,
turned quickly from the mantel t o meet her com ,
posing her face with the habitual ease o f a caste ao

cus tomed to hide emotion The little old lady so .
,
“
gray so worn became o f a sudden grave
, ,
”
Sit down here beside me she said Y o u were
,
.
—
looking at the flags and the faces o f my dead .
—
O f course it troubled yo u I s w that the fla gs
a —
— ’
and the rest I won t have you excuse yourself ;
.
it was natural O ne b o y fell dead o n the flag he

.
had captured ; they sent it home to me The other .

,
a prisoner died in the N orth after having been

, ,
cared f o r as we could not have cared fo r him in

those terrible days Y o u see I am explaining to
.
,
yo u because we are to be friends ; but some day ,
“
when yo u are a mother you
Please don t ’ ”
,
said Constance taking her thin

, ,
’
hand B oth women s eyes were full o f tears
. .
“F o r a moment they were silent Then Constance .
“
”
said , H o w did you live through it ?
G o d helped me as some day he may need to he l p
,
y o u. It is less hard to forgive a nation than if it

l
had been a man and John Av er il l was sp ared to ,
sorrow with me Some day I shall see my boys

. .
There my dear we must n o t talk o f it any more ;

, ,
but we are very sore in the South and the state o f ,
things in the Carolinas makes it impossible to for

get defeat in the face o f continual humiliation
I know ”
said Constance
,
It is shameful and .
“ .
— —
no o n e n o t even you can feel it more than my
husband He tries to put aside the war He never
. .
S peaks o f it although his crippled arm is a sad

,
reminder He will not let me hang his sword where

.
it can be seen i n She p aused feeling that she ,
had made o n e of those social slips which even the
“
best trained do n o t altogether escape She went on
-
.
quickly : We want to make friends with the peo

ple here Y o u will tell us ho w Y o u know it is to
. .
“
be our home .
My dear yo u will easily make friends ; but

,
sometim es you will have to be forbearing and keep

silent It may be hard but for those w ho won it
.
,
should not be Constance thought o f George and ,
assented Mr T r esc o t will find it less easy ; but

. .
his having been in your army will help him with

all but the women ; we are u n reasonably venomous
”
“
a few o f us not all ,
Well that will save me some j ealousies

,
said
.
“
Constance smiling ,
Ah here is the lemonade

,
said her hostess
.
,
.
I was p ickin g these flowers fo r yo u ; will yo u care

to carry the basket o r shall I send them ? I w as ,
about to call again this afternoon I thought I .
might help yo u It must all be so strange to you

. .
Constance thanking her rose saying : You will

, , ,
”
“
let me come again ?
O h often I hope — often
, , , .
She walked away through the sun an d down the

dusty street carryin g the roses
,
The men looked .
after her erect fig u re the women made comments

,
o n gown and bonnet .
She was lost to her surroundings thinking o f the ,
fla gs and the dead boys and wondering at the p eace

,
o f soul which had come to the childless mother .
She could not comprehend it and thought that such ,
a calamity falling o n herself would have left he r

with an undyin g hatred Presently feeling the
.
,
heat she was reminded that she had promised not

,
to tempt its consequences through the summ er

months The idea o f leaving George troubled her
.
,
and she quickened her p ace in order the sooner to

se e him .
HE T r esc o ts by degrees se ttled into a
routine o f life which while it left Con
,
stance alone in the mornings usually,
permitted o f their bein g together the

rest o f the day and in the evening
, .
A few friends o r relatives o f the A verills called

upon them ; but these visits were evidently formal
’
or made t o oblige the general S wife and they were
,
left much alone .
If T r esc o t soon felt the social atmosphere to be

cold he excused it and trusted to time and chance
, ,
f o r better things . E xcept that Constance saw in

their reception difficulties fo r her husband she had
,
small regret o n account o f the conditions which r e

li eved her from being constantly o n gu ard and ,
m ade her secure of a larger share o f the society she

preferred to all other .
The women she met an d tried to find pleasant were

chiefly interested in their households in the diffic u l
,
ties caused by the emancip ation o f the slaves and ,
in the awkward subj ect o f the misgovernment o f the

South . There were but few subj ects which were
free from peril and such intellectual symp athi es
,
as Constance possessed awakened little interest

among overburdened women whom m any form s o f
59
60 CON ST AN C E TRE S COT
disaster had left with t o o constant tho u ght of the

morrow .
Wh at help and advice Constance required she

found in the Averill hous e where now and then they ,
ate a meal and were at all times welcome guests .
’
The older woman discovered to her husband s j oy , ,
’
a novel pleasure in Constance T r esc o t s music ; and
it became comm on for the o l d general and his wife
to appear o f an evening and while the men smoked ,
’
their p ipes o n the porch the piano Susan s wed ,
ding gift was opened and song after song o r the

-
, , ,
tones of the greater music soothed and pleased the ,
“
p ale little lady who sat a silent listener o r pleaded
for j ust o n e more my dear ”
,
.
,
Then too Susan sent the new books and the

, ,
magazines and these were p as sed o n t o the A verills

, ,
who formed b y degrees an increasing attachment

, ,
t o the yo un g man an d his wife and became thought ,
fully busy i n the difficult task o f bringing them into

cordial relations with what was best in the town .
A s far as was p ossible to a woman like Constance ,
the regard was return ed She had all her life had .
a sin gu lar incap acity for generous division o r shar

ing o f her afiec t i o n O nce it had been wholly S u
.
’ ’
s an s It w as n o w George T r esc o t s and this pre
.
,
d isp ositi on was reinforced by a p assion deep j eal ,
o u s an d exactin g
,
The man so long lonely sunned
.
hi mself in the warmth of all that an intelligent and

beautiful woman brought to help and glorify his
life with n o mind t o c riticize the quality o f the
,
’
wo m an s love .
And so the latter days O f A pril passed and the ,

warmth of May and June came while with the all , .
’
su fli c ien t comp any of books music and talk time , , ,
moved onward In the evening he read to her o r

.
told her o f his work and she o f what she had seen
,
and done O f the keen sense he had of hostility

.
in the very air o f the place he said but little She .
was but t o o anxiously aware o f it and said as little , .
O n an evening early in June the general came in ,
and leavin g Constance alone with her Open piano ,
“
the t w o men went o u t o n to the porch
I came in Mr T r esc o t because I want to talk
, .
,
.
of the squatters I heard to day that there may be

.
-
trouble I wish my friend Mr Hood were more rea

. .
“
sonable .
He is not and never will be and there is nothing

, ,
”
“
to do but to serve the usual notices o n them
It has already excited a good deal o f feeling
.
The squatters will resist or at least two o f them ,
will The fact is that I have been un able to make

.
up my mind in the p ast to turn o u t three o l d sol

diers o f my o w n regiment O ne o f these is a lame .
man crippled in the war Cannot yo u wait until

,
.
“
the suit fo r the water front has been tried ? -
It is l o w down o n the docket and it will be ,
O ctober before it can come up But what would .
be gained by that — b y waiting ? ”
The general was unprepared to reply He w as .
merely inclined like most o l d men t o put o ff the

, ,
disagreeable having that faith in the help fulness

,
of time which is a p art o f the business creed o f the

aged .
He said at last that he was o f opinion that Grey

62 CO N STAN CE T RE S CO T
b u rst was stirri ng them up The eviction o f a l o t .
o f o l d sol di ers o n e o f them ei ghteen y ear s on the

,
ground father and son wo ul d further prejudice

, ,
an already hostile public opinion and make it the ,
harder to secure a j ust verdict in regard to the

question o f title to the lands beyond them o n the
river
“ .
cot ,
”
he said “
What I disliked to do about these men Mr Tres
will be dangerous for yo u to at
,
, .
tempt I thi nk i t right to tell you that Their land

. .
is not valuable f o r steamboat landings and for any ,
other purp ose it is useless because the squatte rs ,

’
never can sell it ; but they won t give up and are ,
utterly in di fier ent to law an d quite well aware that ,
the community is o n their side Best let them alone .
“
j ust now Wait a l ittle
N o I must go o n
,
.
”
.
.
It will be at the risk of your life .
He could have said nothing better fitted to add

’
“
vi gor t o T r esc o t s resolute intention He replied
laughin g : I p resume that we have both been shot
.
,
“
at pretty o ften
But this is difi er ent T r esc o t
.
,
.
Yes I kn ow that But am I t o believe general

,
.
, ,
that an opp onent lawyer deliberately advises an
“
assassination
O h n o I beg yo u not to misun derstand me ; I
, ,
spoke rather too positively G reyhu rst wo ul d never .
do that ; and up on my word he never did anythi n g

, ,
deliberate in his life The man is imp ulsive and .
quick to resent and very imprudent in talk He,

.
is in debt and if he can win this suit he wi l l pro b

,
CON S TAN C E T R E S CO T 63
ably receive a large contingent fee These men es .

,
p e c i all y t hat fellow name d Co ffi n have been to see ,
—
him I p ointed the man o u t to you o n the street
,
yesterday Mr G r eyhu r st has told them that you

. .
surely mean to evict them I do not think he can .
“
have gone further .
If he said only that I mean to evict that is true , .
I would tell them that myself Was there anything .
“
else ?
N o ; but there are ways o f saying things It .
w as none o f his business They did not consult him .
as a lawyer and he was merely making mischief

,
.
These mountain men who are now squatted on the

-
flats come to me like children They were some of .

,
them in my comp any when I first went o u t and

, ,
they look to me for protection It is a damned dis .
a greeable business si r ; and none the easier for John

,
’ ’
G r eyhu r st s interference and Mr Hood s stupid o h .
“
st i n ac y
I presume
.
general that you really could n o t

, ,
’
make up your mind to act o n Mr Hoo d s determina .
“
tion to evict .
I must confess Mr T r esc o t that I would not

,
.
,
.
I think I said as much The legal right no o ne .
can disp ute ; but I could not come down on these

poor devils with the law without being looked
up on as an oppressor and what is worse just , ,
n o w as the instrument o f a N orthern man

,
E ven .
for me my dear T r esc o t to evict mercilessly

, ,
men who have lived there five ten even eighteen , ,
y ears unmolested —even for m e si r there might be , ,

”
risk .
An d for me ,
queried T r esc o t , smiling ,
much
”
“
more risk ?
That is my belief sir I do not think Mr Hoo d , . .
“
has ever taken in the situation
N o ; it is his land The men must go F o r him .
.
it is simple — but fo r me and yo u there are the

,
human ties to land men have cleared and plowed ,
the sense o f the home and all manner o f associations ,

.
Mr Hood prides h imself o n being exact in b usiness

. .
O ut of it he is generous even lavish He has not ,

.
imagination enough to b e largely charitable I .
“
never saw a man like hi m
Then sir ”
said the o l d general grimly hu
,
.
m o ro u s he had better lavish o n yo u a good r e

,
volver o r a fir st class rifle What I could not o r -

.
would not do yo u will surely risk your life if yo u

,
try to do I may as w ell say t o you that my chief

.
’
reason fo r giving up Hood s agency was his infer
nal obstinacy about these squatters Did he tell .
you that I had said so and that no reputable gen ,

”
t l em an in St Ann would accept the p osition ?
“ ,
.
N o he did n o t returned T resc o t somewhat sur , ,
“
’
prised at thi s revelation o f Mr Hood s methods . .
Well no o n e here would take it o n his terms

, ,
and as I see it he has plac ed you in what is a p o

, ,
sitiou o f real dan ger E ven n o w before you have .

,
moved legally these men are sure they will be,
turned Ou t They are n o t men to wait and the

.
,
whole town is o n their side Think it over A very . .
”
little money would settle the business .
Yo u are no doubt right ; but what can I do ? I

’
m ust give up the agency o r act o n Mr Hood s o r .
CON ST A N C E T RE SC OT 65
ders I came here to do so and I mean to move

.
,
in the matter H o w can I hop e to convince him if

.
”
you failed ?
’
The general lai d a hand o n T resc o t s knee and ,
“
said very earnestly
Wait until I write to him again I have k nown
- .
l ives lost in this country for far less things and if ,
you are se t o n takin g legal action I beg that you

will go about armed
T r esc o t laughed Why my dear general I am
.
, ,
half crippled and it would be simply useless Do

,
.
”
y
“o u all carry revolvers ?
I do n o t ; but if I were bent o n fol lowing o u t
Mr Hoo d s orders I m ost assuredly should do so
.
’
,
and t o o I sho ul d be rather carefu l ho w I went o u t

, ,
at night .
T r esc o t thanked him and said : Y o u will do n o

thing with Hood ; b ut could n o t we do something
”
“
with these men if yo u and I saw them together ?
It is worth trying I shall go with you with .
p leasure Before I leave let me say a word more

.
about that land suit It was first brought the year .
after the big flo od in sixty three Who suggeste d -

.
’
to the B ap ti ste people to disp ute Hoo d s title I do
n o t know Two lawyers have had it ; o n e died and
.
o n e threw up the case Then it came into Grey .
’
hurst s hands and has hung o n I had t o o slight
-
,
.
’
evi dence in Mr Hood s favor to want to try it and
.
,
G r eyhu rst evidently took it with the hop e o f for

’
cing a compromise I can t think he believes their .
“
claim just .
Well I shall urge it and we can make him come

, ,
5
66 CON ST AN C E T RE S COT
to time It is very much like a S ort o f legally dis

.
gu ised blackm ail What kin d o f man is he ? I

.
“
ought to know Y o u said he was impulsive
.
Yes it is as well that you should A rather u n

, .
.
usual person He has had a wild life but is not

.
,
uncultivated He certainly has a high opinion o f

.
John G r eyhu rst and the most damned insecur e

,
temper I ever met with Halloa ! Talk o f him an .
”
other time Listen to that !
.
There was a l o w mellow roll o f murmurous thun

der The general rose
.
,
We are in for one o f our .

“
big thunder storms -
It will cool the air Say
. .
”
good b y to Mrs T r esc o t I must hurry
-
. He went . .
away aroun d the house in haste .
A s T r esc o t stoo d looking at the darkenin g sky

a blinding splendor o f violet light made bright the
distant river and the march o f dark masses o f cloud
” “
across the star lighted sky
“ Come o u t he called
-
.
,
to his wife .The general has gone Constance ; ,

”
come o u t on the porch .
She rej oiced in a great storm as she di d in any ,
display o f the might o f nature such as the wild sea ,
drama o f a gale o n her o w n rock bound coast She -

.
came o u t at once and they walke d into the garden .
The herald wind o f the coming storm shook the
“
house and brought a cool breath o f freshness
Ho w delicious the air is George and how mag , ,
.
”
n i fic e n t how glorious !
,
Swift j avelins o f light flashed incess ant with ,
crashes o f thunder and soon the sudden downfall ,
“
o f rain drove them to the shelter o f the p orch
’
N o , I can t go in George I never b e fore saw , .
.
CON ST ANC E T RE S COT 67
such a sto rm I love it I sho ul d l ike t o be once in

. .
“
an earthquake
No t I
”
,
.
he returned laughing I saw o n e in , .
N ew Mexico I prefer to face again the worst fire

.
I was ever u nder I got o u t o f a window o n t o a

.
”
shed and the house went down behind me
, .
A gain a vast flare o f lightning made every drop

“
’
o f rain in the air a moment s j ewel .
“ The rain blows in here ; get your rain cloak he -

,
Wait I shall get it —o r better to go in

“
said .
,
O h no ; I must see it Y o u could not find the .

.
cloak .
She left him where he stood enj oying the storm -

.
A s the quick coming flashes lighted the hill slope he

-
saw a man moving very slowly a s it seemed to him

,
f o r o n e storm caught some thirty feet beyond the

-
,
garden fence He called o u t

. Halloa ! come in ,
”
here .
Surprised to receive no reply he called again A ,

.
moment after amid still more vivid light T resc o t

, ,
was aware of a flash lower down o n the hillside ,
and o f the soun d once familiar o f a r ifl e shot The

, ,
-
.
bro ken glass of the window j ust to the left j angled .
A s the instant lightning flared T r esc o t seeing the , ,
man moving down the hill ran through the garden ,
and o u t o f the gate in hot pursuit thinking quickl y

as he c aught sight o f him at moments It was th e
,
,
“
’
o l d fashioned rifle ; he can t reload
-
B y George ! .
he is lame ; I shall have him .
’
He w as not twenty feet away when T r esc o t s foot
caught in a tangle o f briers and he fell He rolled .
over on his lame shoulder and in some pain got up ,

68 CON ST AN C E TRE S C O T
to find he had lost his man in the wood at the foot

o f the hill He stood still a moment in the rain
.
,
and then walked back up the rise of ground

His wife was o n the p orch Where have you .
“ .
been ? What was that , G e orge ? I heard glass

break .
Concealment was impossible I am all right A . .
man shot at me ; one o f those squatters I suppose ,

.
I saw him plainly ; he was lame Come in dear I .

,
.
sho ul d have had him in a moment if I had n o t

fallen .
Yo u are n o t hurt ? she asked anxiously .
N o but come i n The shot went quite wide and

.
broke the glass Do not mention it to those blacks

. .
It must appear to have been an accident w hile I

was closing the shutters .
When they were in the lighted room and the house

,
“
shut up he saw how p ale she was He p ut his arm
”
.
“
around her
n o t occur again
Constance love
”
. he said
He was by no means sure
.
this will
,
Do
, ,
.
“
not be worried ; I am to see these men with A verill
i n a day o r t w o We shall settle with them in some
.
way
“
.
But what will you do ? and how can I live here

with the chance o f having you brought home to me
dead ? O h this barbarous country ! An d I made
,
y ou come —and my uncle I shall never forgive ,

”
him .
A t last he p ersuaded her to go t o bed She p assed .
a restless night ,
—
almost without sleep perhaps fo r
the first time in her life o f vigorous health .
When n ext day she insisted on his not l eaving

, ,
,
CON ST ANC E T RE S CO T 69
’
her he said at last : We shall walk t o the Averills
, ,
and I shall call for you after I have gone over some
”
o f the o l d French deeds I shall not be long
. Her .
very visible anxiety troubled him and the more b e ,
cause it was reasonable She was not easily an

.
“
sw er ed
But
.
what will yo u do George ? she went o n , .
’
Can t you arrest him ? Something must be done ,
“
and without delay I shall write to uncle
.
No you must not do that ; it would be o f no u se

,
.
B efore he could reply I shall have consulted with

”
the general and done something He had no clear .
idea o f what he should do except that he still meant,
“
t o visit the squatters with A verill
But I cannot sit still and wait
He said as much
”
she returned
.
,
.
”
I simply cannot .
'
Such reassurance as he w as able t o give quite

failed to satisfy her She went slowly u p stairs step
.
-
,
by step deep in thought and then making a su d

, , ,
den decision dressed herself with unusual care and

,
came down to j oin him A lthough she commonly .
talked much when with her husband as they walked ,
o n she barely answered him and finally left him at ,

’
Mrs A verill s gate
. .
During the night as Constance lay awake she had

, ,
reproached herself again and again for having urged

’
her husband to accep t her uncle s o fier What now .
he would do ha d not satisfied her A s she walked .
b y his side she kept on perplexing herself about

a situation in which as a woman she felt herself
, ,
p owerles s A fter an uneasy half hour with Mrs

.
- .
Averill t o whom she said nothing o f what had hap

,
pened she took her leave and with a sudden and

, ,
well defin e d resolution in her mind went down the

-
steep road from the b l u fi and leaving the busy cot ,
ton marts and p res ses behin d her followed the river
-
,
bank The p ath led through scrubby undergrowth

.
o n to rudely cultivated clearings Here were tw o .
well built l o g cabins In front o f the nearer o n e a

-
.
man well beyond middle age was seated o n a stump

engaged in oiling the lock o f a rifle A s she came .
upon him he stood up in wonder at the loveliness o f

the wandering stranger .
"
She said : Will you kindly give me a dr ink o f
”
“
water and may I si t down ? I am tired
,
’
Woul d yo u come in ma am out of the sun ? , ,
.
She followed him and took the chair he o ff ered

, ,
“
and the tin cup .
What good water you have ! Thank you .
A s he moved she observe d his lameness and ,
Sharply observant saw about her no evidence o f a

,
“
’
woman s care This was the man she sought
. .
’ ’
Yes ma am ; it S a S pring below the blu ff
,
.
What a handsome bearskin ! Did you shoo t

”
him ?
“
Yes ; last winter up in the Virginia hills ,
.
”
Are you a good shot ?
I reckon I am .
But you mi ssed my husband last night

Great Scott ! ”
he exclaimed w ho told yo u ,
“ .
“
that ?
He saw yo u It is useless to deny it and the
.
,
fact is Mr — what is your name ? ”
“ ’
,
.
I m T o m Co flin and I j ust want ,

Wait a little If yo u had killed him yo u woul d

.
“
have killed your best friend
’
Well now that s pretty good
, , My friend !
.
’ ’ ’
T ain t a matter to talk over with women He s .
’
got t o let me alone My father that s dead and .
, ,
me we have bee n here eighteen years and now

, ,
“
comes your man and says git out
Is the land so goo d ? ”
.
’ ’
N o it is n t but it s mine and it s all I have
’
, , .
Supp ose m y husband were to o fl er to do o n e o f

”
“
two things ?
Well ”
he said ,
’
he ain t o ffered nothing
,
.
If he wins o u r suit about the bounds of the land

below yo u o n the river and would give you a deed ,
fo r five acres o n the blu ff good land too — would

,
-
, ,
y o u take it in e x change for what does not belong to

”
“
you ?
’
I would but he has n t got it Mr G r eyhu rst
:
. .
says he won t git it .
Then the man became o f a sudden suspicious .
’ ’
Look here ma am ; I ain t used to dealing with
,
’
ladies Did Mr T r esc o t send you ? He need n t
. .
“
have been afraid
”
.
A fraid ! she said proudly rising as she spoke ,

.
George T r esc o t my husband afraid ! It was not

, ,
he who ran last night Who was it ran from an .
unarme d man ? ”
Then in a moment she was bac k in a well played -
“
p art .
Mr Co ffin I came here just because I am a

.
,
woman and a young wife My husband does not .
know or I never should have been allowed to come

,
.
CON ST ANC E T RE S COT
I want to make sure that you will n o t kill an u n

’
armed crippled man I can t stand by and wait t o
, .
see what will hap pen I will not go until you prom
.
i se me that you will agree if we win t o exchange , ,
your clearing for the better land below ; o r if you

will n o t do that tell me now what yo u will take t o
,
—
move if w e I mean my uncle does not win his —
”
suit .
’
C o fli n weakened This gracious woman with her
.
soft voice and eyes full o f tears captured the m an .
’ ”
Who s going to make sure o f the p ay ?
I shall pay Come now let us be friends I
.
, , .
’
am really o n your side You can t fi ght the law
. .
Some day you will have to go and get nothing

fo r all you have done Come n o w what will yo u
.
, ,
“
take ?
Woul d you say three hundred ma am ? ’
,
”
N o ; four hundred she said quic kl y It was , .
“
the hal f o f her little personal savings
’
I ll take it ”
he said
,
.
.
She put o u t her hand He too k it shyl y as she .

,
“
said :
A re yo u busy all day ?
’ ”
N o I m no t
,
.
Co ul d yo u come up in the afternoon s and hel p

”
me in my garden for three dollars a week ?
,
’
I will if your man wants me ; he won t want m e .
Yes he will You should have come at first and

,
.
talked to him Yo u are both o l d soldiers ; an d

.
,
Mr Co ffin you must be a N orthern man —yo u have

.
,
”
a good o l d N ew E ngland name
“
‘
N o ; my father was He came fro m Massachu .
g T h e n h e w a s S il e n t
. .
CON ST AN C E TRE SCO T 73
She saw that he was still unsatisfied Ah my .

,
own Sta te Is there anything else ? I want it all

.
cle ar
“ .
’
Well it is n t and I wan t to kn ow The fact
, , .
’
is ma am Mr G reyhu r st told me yo u folks
, ,
.
would n t do anything but j ust drive me o u t F a

’
, .
ther and I have been here eighteen years and my ,

’
sister has the cabin j ust below here Her man s .
’
sick and there s two children and go was the
, ,
”
“
word j ust like we were dogs
,
If Mr G reyhu rst told yo u that he said what

.
.
was not true He knew nothing about it o r what .

,
Mr T r esc o t would do
. My husband was coming .
“
here with General A verill to morrow -
.
Was he ? — he and my o l d captain ? ”
Yes and yo u come like a coward and shoot at

,
”
“
an unarmed man w ho is ready t o help you
O Lord drop that ! I w as j ust fooled by that

,
,
.
’
man G r eyhu rst I 11 get even with him I was . .
thin k ing — me and another man — ’

that we d go and e
see Mr T r esc o t G r eyhu r st he said it was n o good

. . .
’
Y o u can tell your husband if he s minded n o t to ,
be hard o n us I can help him about those bounds ,

’
down below I won t say n o more till we talk
.
me and him .
’
Constance surprised returned : I l l leave yo u
, ,
’
to settle that with him but don t go and what yo u ,
”
call get even with Mr G r eyhu r st
chief i n this
She saw mis
Keep it all to yourself ; do not l et
.
“ . .
him know that yo u are o n o u r side Promise me ; .
“
you know I trust you
’
I can hold my ton gu e m a am Darn that law
.
11 v " , .
74 CON STAN CE T RE S CO T
’
Well she said
, here is y o ur first week s ,
”
“
wages .
’ ’
N o ; I don t take money I have n t earned .
”
Yes you must ,
and she left the notes in his ,
“
great rough hand
O f course Mr G reyhu r st will see yo u in my gar .
.
’ ’
Well it ain t none o f his business Guess I l l
,
.
’
be the fooler this time When wi l l I come ? I don t .
“
half like it
But you will
.
Come to day at six It is t o o

.
-
.
“
late fo r work but I want Mr T r esc o t to talk t o you
’ ’
,
Well I 11 come I ve said it and I 11 come

,
’
.
.
,
.
Good b y -
.
Well p leased she went away across the clearing

,
and up the b l u fi determ i ned that her uncle should

agree to p ay o r that she herself must do so
,
,
I .
“
’ ”
have bought a man and saved a man s life she said ,
j oyously She was glad elate and at ease

.
, ,
.
‘
She had been so long with Co fli n that her hus
band had gone home She hurried her step s and .
entered the house j ust after him A great j oy was .
in her heart She woul d tell him in this way n o

.
—
,
it shoul d be in that way The adventure delighted .
her and the feeling that she had been able to help
,
“
her husband and make him secure
”
.
I mis sed yo u
little library ; what made yo u so late ? ” “
he said as they sat down in the, ,
I went for a walk I went down to the river .
and then through the woods to where your squatters
“
live .
Constance yo u must not do that again , Go d .

knows what might happen among those lawless men .
This fellow Co ffin — I know him now — i s o n e of the

”
“
worst o f them Promise me love
—
.
I can I do But I saw your lame scoundrel

.
,
.
”
Saw hi m! You saw him !
Yes A nd she p oured o u t the whole story while
.
,
he listened amazed and not too well pleased She , .
saw the gravity o f his look the slight frown as she ,
“
finished .
Was I wrong George ? she said anxiously , .
“He hesitated and then replied

’
Yes ; this is not a woman s business You have .
pledged me without thought to what your uncle '
—
will never agree to do ; and the money where is it
”
“
to come from ?
I have it George and more t han enough
,
I ,
.
will not —
,
oh I cannot let this state o f things go
,
on. My uncle must give y o u freedom to act as

’
seems best It is he who p ut yo u in peril I won t
. .
“
”
stand it .
And still Constance this must n o t occur again

, ,
.
“
It w as thoughtless and unwise
Thoughtless ! O h George
.
sudden p assion o f tears

she cried with a
it was anything but
,
,
“ , ,
thoughtless I scarcely closed my eyes last night

. .
I have been in an agony o f apprehension I could .
not wait to see what would ha pp en If I had been .
a man and loved you as no man can love o h I

,
-
,
should have killed him ! Do you think this kind o f

thing will go on ? A nd I brought you here I made ,
you come I bribed you with my love myself N o w

, ,
.
I can sleep yo u are safe I have found an enemy

,
.
76 CON ST AN CE T RE S COT
and made him a friend O h this horri ble town ! .

,
Let us go Let us give up

. .
She went o n with broken phrases and d iscon
“
n ec t e d words and was soothed only when at last as
, , ,
she lay sobbing o n his breast he said : Try dear to , , ,
control yourself ; we must talk this over quietly .
N ow wait a little ; do not speak

, .
ing her eyes said : There it is over ; but I m u st

,
“
By degrees she steadied herself and at last wip
,
, ,
’ “
finish and I won t be so weak again I do think
, .
y o u must se e George that this w as n o t with m e

, ,
a matter o f choice I had to do it Yo u are the one

. .
thing in life for me There is no other O h yo u . .

,
have your work and your enlarging future your r e ,
l i gi o n
. I have yo u That is my sole excuse T o
. .
m orrow I would do it aga i n That is all An d if I . .
have done what m y love made me do at least yo u ,
must see that o u t o f it comes some good .
He had been amazed and annoyed by her abrupt

interference but as she talked he quiete d himself
, ,
and while in wonder at the abandonment o f a p as

sion so all p ossessing began to feel that her pledges
-
,
must be kept t o the letter He said so t o her j o y

and added as he kissed her tears away : I a m sorry
,
.
“
, ,
you went but I love yo u the more fo r the courage

,
that carried you through

She smiled .
“
Ah George it was the courage o f
,
.
selfishness ; it was the co u rage o f love And I am .
“
forgiven ? I want yo u to say it
Hush ! We shall never need the word —never
.
And so I am to see that scamp t o day at six He -

.
must be a p retty cool fellow The humor o f it .

CON ST AN C E T RE S CO T
st ru ck him
asked laughing
,
“
Do you exp ect to be present ? he
.
To be shot at overnight by a
.
man who proposes to attend to your garden the day

”
after is something delightfully unusual .
There was no laugh in it fo r Constance The .
man was back again in his every day calm The -

.
woman remained excited restless and even ex , ,
hau st e d by the strain o f the morning and the talk

with her husband Her mind was still o n the
.
“
matter .
Y o u must write to Uncle Rufus and simply

”
say yo u mean t o have your way .
I will think it over Probably I shall do so.

,
but yo u in the meantime must not do what I alone

, ,
“
ought to do
No ”
she returned
,
.
somewhat meekly ;
,
I am
’
o u t o f the business now But George don t tell.
, ,
that man he is a scoundrel He is the captive o f .
”
my b o w and spear .
N o I think I shall mana ge it ; but I hardly think

,
”
I can ap ologiz e for n o t being hit
“ Please don t’ ”
she said ,
and went up to her ,
.
room glad then and again after lunch to lie down

, , ,
and rest with a mind at ease The rather grim .
humor o f the situation did no t st rike her as it would

have done her sister .
LIT TL E before six Co ffin stood hesi
tating at the gate in front of the house .
He to o had some reasona b le sense of

, ,
embarrassment A s T r esc o t walked

.
across the front room he saw him and

understanding went o u t at once and said
,
Come
,
“ ,
, ,
”
in ; glad to see you Co ffin advanced with his
.
halting gait until they met at the door

,
N o Mr .
,
“ ,
.
’ ’
T r esc o t ; I don t go in till I ve said my word I .
was told you were a hard man and meant to kick

me o u t I was bred up in the Tennessee mountains
.
,
’
and I v e seen men shot fo r less things than that .
’
I ve been on that ground m o and father eighteen, ,
years ; and I j ust want to say right here that b e ,

”
“
lievin g what that c us s told me I was j ustified
I see ,
”
,
said T r esc o t ; but were yo u n o t a little

.
“
h asty ?
’ ’
I don t say I might n t o f been and I m not ’
,
’
a man that crawls easy ; but I m that damn glad
’ ’
t o day I did n t git yo u that if I was a p r ayin
-
’
cuss I d down o n my knees and thank the Lord .
’ ”
That there woman o f yours she s a wonder ,
Then .
“
T r esco t understood and liked it
Mr Co ffin
.
,
”
,
he said “
I have a Confederate s
,
.
bul let in my shoulder and bear n o m alice I cer

,
.
78
t ain l y have none fo r the many who missed me I .
“
’ ”
want to say that I stand by my wife s bargain .
’
Then I ll come in .
The two men shook hands and passed into the

library When they were seated T r esc o t said : Do
.
,
“
”
you want it n o w in black and white ?
N o ; if I trust a man I trust him I ve go t ’
, .
something t o say to you about those lands and just ,

’
you listen You ve got a good title to the land
.
’
I m o n ; we all know that A little money will .
clear o ff the other squatters if I give up and go I .
can settle them I understand from General A verill

.
’ ’
that it s the big deep water front below that s the -
“
trouble .
Y es that is so
,
Y o u will do me a great service
.
if yo u can help u s .
I can The bounds were set by b lazing trees

. .
My father helped ru n that line before ever we set

t l e d here The blazed trees o n the west was washed
.
away nigh ten years ago clean gone down the ,
river N ow about the ones back o n the blu ff that

.
,
mark the bound to eastward

T r esc o t broke in : N O o n e can find the blazed
“
trees where they ought t o be There are no end .
“
o f big ones but n o blaze o n any o f them
,
’
,
Well there s ways o f looking Fact is those .

.
,
’
blazes i s growed over Why it s near o n to forty .
,
years The blazes leave a hollo w like The bark

. .
grows over and hides them I can find the trees ; .
’
they r e oaks Cut them down and saw them up .
,
and yo u have your blaze plain as day O n e is a .
”
walnut .
80 CON S T AN C E T RE S CO T
’
If you can do that when I m ready Mr Co ffin , .
,
yo u will get a bigger farm than my wife promised ;

but m eanwhile yo u must hold your tongue and
, , ,
tell no o n e and not quarrel with G r eyhu r st Did

, .
“
”
yo u tell him o f this ?
’ ’
No I did n t
, It was n t any concern o f mine
.
,
’ ’
and I don t like him none t o o well I m your man .
,
’
si r ; and if you don t mind a poor chap like me say
’
in g it I m her man t o o I never saw no woman
, ,
.
“
like her
No r I
.
said T r esc o t pleasantly

, An d now , .
’
she wants yo u here to morrow abo u t four o clo c k -
, ,
”
“
f o r her garden work
’
I 11 come ”
.
.
T r esc o t kn ew the habits o f the place to o well to

fail t o say
H ave a little bourbon Mr Coffin ? , .
’ ”
Don t min d if I do .
”
Your health said T r esc o t , .
”
A nd yours t o o ,
.
“
H is host laughed
I see ”
,
’
said Co ffi n grinning ; I w as n t wish
.
ing yo u much health last ni ght ; b ut if yo u can

afford to lay that t o o ne side I guess I can And ,
.
’ ’
I don t want yo u to think I can t shoot better than
”
that It was the lightning bothered me
. .
Much am u sed at this o dd form Of vanity Tres ,
c o t m ade a light reply laughed and the woodsman , ,
went away leaving him doubly at ease and as

, ,
t o n ished at the luck which had brought him the

evidence so long desired .
When it bec am e plain t o Constance that she had

CON STAN C E T R E S CO T 81
no t only t u rned a foe into a friend but had also ,
be en the means o f adding valuably to the proo f

’
needed to insure her uncle s title she w as over ,
j oyed and began to make more sure the adhesion

,
o f her garden helper .
She e xplained to him with p atience the work she

required help ed with such luxuries as were needed
,
by the brother i n law w ho was slowly dying and

- -
,
soon bound t o her a man who had been unlucky ,
and had at last fallen into a state o f despondency

and become reckless and vindictive .
her ,
“
O ne warm evenin g early in July T r esc o t said to
I shall become j ealous o f the general Con
,
stance He says yo u are capturing all these Old

.
rebels .
She laughed gail y Yes men are easy game

.
, ,
but n o t their woman k ind But I did have my little .
triumph this a fternoon I walked in quite by chance.
’
o n their society meeting It was at Mrs A verill s. .
—somethin g f o r the orphans o f Confederate sol

diers They were p retty cool and I was all sweet
.
,
ness A t last I got up and ap ologized fo r my i n

trusion and said I must go
,
But then the dear .
o l d lady asked me if I would n o t sing fo r them
while they sewed O ne o r two o f them were civi l

.
enough to say they would be glad to hear me I .
sat down at that queer o l d piano and what do yo u

!
“
thin k I did ?
Heaven knows ! ”
Yo u could never guess .
I admit it as hopeless .
I sang Dixie for them

‘ ’
O h George I sang .
, ,
e
2 CO N ST ANC E T RE S CO T
it as they never never heard it before They quit

,
.
sewing and j ust sat and listened When I turned .
half round o n the stool some of them were crying .
O ne o l d lady came and kissed me and they crowded ,
around the piano thanking me Then another a .

,
“
‘
shy little o l d maid said Would you mind playing
, ,
My I had to say I did n o t k now

i t — and then Geo rge I had an insp iration
, ,
I .
turned to the piano and broke o u t into that reall y

,
—
fine rebel song you like and I sang Oh I sang
“
, ,
it well — Stonewall Jackson s Way

‘ ’ ’
That time .
they really gave up They clapped and praised me

.
,
and were so surp rised when I said you liked it .
A s I finished I saw the o l d general standing in

the doorway He too thanked me with his fine
.
, , ,
o l d mannered way ;
-
and George I felt what an , ,
”
“
awful hyp ocrite I was
O h but yo u are not
,
Y o u were not
.
Think . .
what these people have suffered and what now have ,
they left except S plendid memories and a song ?

,
Think o f their deaths their poverty the h u milia , ,
tion o f defeat ! I have shared that feeling with a

well whipped army Imagine it fo r a whole p eo
-
.
”
ple
“
.
I know — I know ; but they hate us I have .
heard enough to know what is said o f yo u here .
“
”
C o fli n told me .
O h han g the fellow ! We are doing better than

,
I ever expected to do If your uncle had any sense.
we should have no trouble at all I wrote to him .
“
last night after you went to bed
And yo u were p ositive ? ”
.
CON ST AN C E T R E S CO T 83
I was ; but this i s my second letter to the same

”
“
effect and the first was unanswered
,
How like Uncle Rufus ! That reminds me I

.
have a letter from Susan You must hear it There .

.
”
is a message for you ; I will get it .
While she was gone he reflected not altogether ,
pleasantly u pon the stron g feeling o f dislike with

,
which Constance still regarded the people among

whom they had chosen to live He did not compre .
hend that it rested very largely o n her belief that

they were hostile to him Feeling as he supposed .
her to feel he did not quite like that for him o r in

.
his interest she should do as she had done In his .
o w n intercourse with the men he met he had been
S imple and natural ; and as most o f them had been

soldiers , they met o n a ground o f common self
respect avoiding p olitical discussions
,
That some .
Of them and all who had not fought were still

, ,
embittered he knew too well and knowing was

, , ,
careful kindly and magnanimous

, ,
.
’
Susan s letter was la u ghingl y discussed as the y
sat in the librar y .
D EAR C ON N Y
“ Come soon and restore decent peace to this
household Imagine my combination o f mirth and
.
satisfac tion when uncle told me that General Averill

had written him he had seen you in church last
Sunday and thought you looking well He was in .
o n e o f his mild rages You can ima gine a b o x

.
turtle angry I advised him to write to you and

.
complain He went away declaring he would alter

.
84 CON ST AN C E T R E SCOT
his will A s he has made three wills in a year

.
,
this need not alarm you If there be a disease o f .
“
indecision he has it
’
,
A bout George s last l etter I really had to fight

.
‘ ’ ‘
There ! he said ; read that He wants me to p ay .
squatters to leave ; he thinks the suit about my title

ought to be compromised ; he talks about the bad
feeling in the town because I will n o t sp end money
“
’
o r improve my p roperty .
Then as o u r Old cook says I j ust spoke up I

, , .
said George w as right and that uncle ought to want ,
to help his unlucky rebel friends w ho had lost

‘
everything This quite upset him . Rebels ! I p re .
’
sume you to mean Confederates I was advised t o .
study the constitutional history o f the Unit ed States '
of A merica You kn ow hi s full phrases I a dvised

. .
him to read what George Washington wrote abo ut

State feeling I had not the most fog gy idea what
.
G W wrote but it stopped him and he went o ff

. .
,
again o n my good brother i n law He declared that - -

.
’
George s want o f tact and your opinions and t he , ,
’ ’
general s weak ways and George s despotic manage ,
ment had been responsible fo r makin g him Rufus ,
Hood unpopular in that stran ge town o f which

,
you write such amusing accounts He had received .
’
the St Ann Herald with an article o n a b sentee
‘
.
o w ners O h my dear Conny he was at his loveliest

.
, ,
worst Yo u were t o blame and if yo u had no t gone

.
,
to church yo u would n o t have lost the little c o m

m o n sense yo u had and woul d have conciliate d ,
these peo p le O f cour se yo u had bee n e x asperating

. ,
an d then it w as George George etc etc At l as t , ,

.
,
.
I told him he was like A unt N ancy who as yo u may , ,
recall fell ill Of a plum cake she had made and

, ,
never could settle in her mind whether it w as the

raisins the currants o r the citrons Uncle Rufus
, , .
has a lon g buried fraction o f a talent fo r seeing a

-
j oke and dear he really laughed till he looked

, , ,
five years younger and until he remembered that

,
his mirth was suicidal and began to go over it all

’
again A t last I said But yo u must do something
.
, .
He sa id he would think it over and write to George ,
and p erhaps he had better go to St A nn when yo u .
return He had been misunderstood

. Some o n e .
’
named G reyhu r st (is n t he one o f the claimants ? !
”
had written to him about a compromise .
”
What a muddle ! said George Confound .
G r eyhu r st ! Imagine Mr Hood in an attit u de Of .
”
conciliation ! Well what else ? ,
She read o n :
I re all y p ity George T resc o t If I were he I .

,
should do what seems best and take the chance ,
o f a back down -
o r o f my uncle yielding as he is
, ,
pretty sure t o do Come soon C onny ; you must

.
,
need o u r seaside freshening The roses say come .

,
and so do I .
Yo urs al ways ,
S U SAN H OOD .
Const ance sa id T r es c o t
, ,
S us an is ri ght ; soon
o r late I must have my way
,
o r give up a hopeless
”
task.
86 CON STAN C E T RE S COT
’
Well I have always said so ; but don t be in a
,
hurry George I feel as if now it will be all easy

, . .
’
The squatters you can manage with C o ffin s help .
Yo u cannot try the land case until O ctober Then in .
A ugust when you go home with me together we can

, ,
brin g Uncle Rufus to some decent sense o f what is

”
“
needed .
I hate t o tell yo u Const ance ; but I cann ot go ,
E ast this summer The general and Mrs A verill

. .
are going to N ew York o n the third O f A ugust and

will ta ke care o f you He has asked me to remain .
in charge Of his o w n work and o n the tenth to go ,
to N ew O rleans about a claim fo r damaged cotton

sent here last year It is a great compliment and .
involves the sharin g Of a large fee if I can settle the

”
“
matter I am sorry
.
O h George how can I leave yo u ?

, ,
”
.
I know dear ; I hesitated to tell yo u but it is

, ,
really a turning po int in my career If I win I

-
.
shall oblige several p eople of importance and make

friends ; and Constance I am sure that we need
, ,
them or that I do Right o r wron g the way p eople

,
.
,
feel has much to do with the settlement Of land

cases Juries are human and here I fancy they
.
, , ,
are far too readily afiec t ed by public Op inion This .
“
is why I welcome every chance o f making friends
’
I see but I don t like it Could not you j oin .
.
“
us later ?
N o O n my return I must give myself up en
.
t ir el y to the land case The general will Of course .

, ,
act as my senior but he looks to me to collect evi

,
dence The man who surveyed the land is dead

.
,
CON ST AN C E T R E S COT 87
and I have to go to Indiana to see his widow and

secure her evidence and his books There is really .
no more time than I require and yo u would not ,
“
”
wish me t o fail .
I see perfectly she said ,

I must go and you
.
must stay I am feeling this moist heat and yo u

.
,
“
”
are t o o
, .
N O even my wicked arm is less ill behaved

,
I .
really think the heat suits it and I never w as bet

,
ter.
Her intelligence was convinced but n o t her heart , .
An d with some people it requires a good deal o f

head to keep the heart from revolt That for every .
'
reason it was best for him to remain was the o n e

thing that aided her to submit B efore S he finally .
yielded the increasing heat o f July made excuses

,
difficult and she began to feel for the first time in

, ,
her life a sense o f languor which she had to ac

,
knowledge as a cry o f the body fo r her native air .
S he had made up her mind that the summer plans ,
which for a time would separate them were such ,

’
as to serve her husband s interests Had they been .
a ble to do without what his profession began to
b ring in her real desire would have been to cut

,
O ff his work entirely and to leave him no relations

,
to life except those o f a love which o n her side she

felt to be boundlessly sufficient She had been .
trained to certain habits which p as sed for duties ;

but being without any ultimate beliefs by which
t o test her actions when called upon by the u n
usual the instincts Of a t o o natural creature were
,
apt t o be seen in what she did o r felt She would .

possibly have denied even to hers elf that she had

n o interests in life which did not consider George
T r esc o t and would have smiled at the idea that

,
her j ealousy o f whatever too k him from her side

might in the end inj ure the m an she loved and ,
would in time become selfishly exacting .
A s T resc o t exp ected to act only as jun ior counsel ,
he had o f course many consultations with Averill

, ,
.
O n o n e Of these occasions the general said to him

When I leave yo u may have occasion to see and
,
talk with G r eyhu r st He tells me that he has called

.
“
o n you .
Yes but we were o u t I returned his visit but

,
.
,
I have seen very little of him I supp o se we shall .
try the case in O ctober .
Yes unless he contrives to put it OE as he has

,
done before I think he is doubtful as in fact

.
-
, ,
he ought to be Is he waiting for some OE er from

.
“
”
us ? I think that likely .
He will not get it ; but he wo ul d if I had m y

”
“
way .
Well he will call o n you about it H e said as

,
.
much B e a little careful He is like some o f the

. .
rest o f the bar a trifle i n diE er en t as t o the right

,
’
o r the wrong Of his client s case ; but he did not
suggest this suit and he is a better fellow outs ide

,
”
“
o f his profess ion than in it
DO yo u think he believes that Mr H oo d does n o t

.
“
o w n that land ?
Certainly not ; b u t he is willing t o m a k e Mr .
Hood p ay for what the river did when it ate away

the Baptiste water fronta ge It is no t a highl y
-
.
m oral attitu de and yet there is something

, to be
”
“
said fo r it .
Yes as
T r esc o t
,
“
that I entirely agree with yo u
to
Considering what we know and he does
.
said ,
’
n o t he ought to lose the suit
, If Mr Hood were . .
reasonable I sho u ld like to put all o u r evidence b e

,
fore G r eyhu rst and then O ff er some form o f c o m

,
promise A s it is we m u st try it and take the risk

.
, ,
“
o f failure .
Yes ; b ut I do n o t feel quite so secu re as yo u do .
Well that is al l Yo u will take care o f o u r case

,
.
this summer while I am away and yo u will o f

, , ,
course write to me i f yo u need advice And my

,
.
,
dear fellow be a little careful o f o u r noon sun and

, ,
”
Of the evening coolness .
Thanks general I have ever y re ason t o want

,
.
both health and life .

BE S C O T
felt more than was c o nve
’
nient Constance s too steady call upon
his time during the three weeks which
passed before she left him With both .
will and wish to gratify her it was no t ,
always easy or even p ossible The general had b e.
come attached to him w o n by his considerate ways

,
and the charm Of a kindliness interpreted by man

ners which were winning and gracious He was in .
du str i o u s and p ossessed of that form o f legal i n

,
te ll ec t which reaches conclusions with a swiftness

~
due t o unusual rapidity o f thought but which to ,
slower minds appears to have the quality o f in

tuition. The older lawyer who reasoned slowly
, ,
began more an d more to admire and to t r ust him ,
and S p oke Of the p ossib ility o f a p artnership in

the near future .
’
As the days went by T r esc o t seeing his wife s
, ,
languor and her increasing sense o f disappointment

at his absence during the hours of business gave her ,
all the time he could spare from wearisome study O f

the Old French titles and the other work in which
,
the general asked his aid and fo r which he was

,
fairly p aid .
Whatever absence the daylight ho urs e x acted the ,
90
evening belonged to Constance and he resisted ,
every increasing temptation to carry home fo r c o m

p l e t i o n the unfinished work of the day unless it was ,
o f a nature t o interest her While to the tired man

.
at evening her music was restful and t o the mind ,
that which change o f climate may be to the body ,
he also enj oyed when with her an ever widening

satisfaction in awakening to larger appreciation a
nature long shut up within too limited intellectual
bounds Under the thoughtful guidance Of a man
.
whom w ar an d a keen sense o f responsibility had

helped t o mature the mind o f the woman w as slowly
,
unfolding . O n o n e o f these cherished evenings ,
shortly before her departure she was p erched o n the ,
“
’
arm o f T r esc o t s chair and sharing the delightful
”
fun o f Mi l k anw atha that b est o f all p arodies
,
.
They were laughing merry as t w o children when

, ,
the black maid appeared and said there was a gen
“
tl em an in the p arlor waiting to see Mr T r esc o t
This is to o bad George ,
said Constance ; can
,
.
”
we never be left alone ?
In fact they were rarely disturbed in the even
,
“
ing ; but o f this he did not remind her and said
merely : Take to your piano dear ; I Shall no t be ,
,
long . She smiled and he went into the parlor

, ,
where he found G r eyhu rst moving about o r pausing
“
to loo k at the engravings hung o n the walls .
him .
“
Good evening he said as T r esc o t welcomed
,
It is pleasant t o hear p eople with a talent

,
“
for laughter .
O h yo u heard us ? We laugh a good deal in

,
this house Sit down I am glad t o see you O r

. . .
will o
y u come into the library and see Mrs Tres .
cot
“?
With pleasure ; but first may I ask fo r a few
’
minutes talk over the business Of those lands ? The
general is soon going away and I thought it well
“
”
to ask you to consider the matter a gain .
Certainly ; if you want to say anyt hing I shall

be most ready to hear We have already discussed .
it pretty fully Y o u must Of course be aware that

.
, ,
I am not acting altogether as I should desire to do ,

’
but am more o r less hampered by the owner s i n
”
str u c t i o n s .As he looked at his guest there was
“
something a b out him which put T r esc o t susp iciously
”
o n guard .
“
He added : But pray go o n and said ,
to himself The man is anxious

,
G r eyhu r st said :
“
I want first t o say t o yo u once
.
more that the case yo u prop ose t o try in O ctober yo u

will lose E ven a man like Mr Hoo d may be
. .
brought to reason The deeds were lost in the war

. .
There are no records ; the O ffice w as burned and ,
y o u have t o fall back o n surveys o f which there

is no evidence except brief memoranda if even these ,
”
are t o be had .
T r esc o t knew well the value Of silence He made .
n o S ign o f dissent and as he meant to try the c ase

, , ,
had no idea Of enlightening a man w ho might

profit by what T r es co t the general and Co ffin alone
, ,
“
k new .
There is another co nsideration Yo u have n o t .
been here long Mr T r es c o t and perhaps are n o t

,
.
,
fully awar e Of the dangerous host ility p rovoked

’
by Mr H ood s for ec lo sures and the cruelty o f his
.
,
CON ST AN C E TR E S COT 93
intention to drive o u t tho se o l d Confederate soldiers

”
from their h omes .
A nd still T r esc o t held his tongue ; but as Grey ,
“
h urst seemed to p ause for a r eply he said
Well Mr G reyhu rst what else ?
,
.
”
,
‘
,
The p ersistent entirely courteous listening began

,
t o embarrass the older man w ho was some ten years ,
the senior o f his host He hesitated a moment and .

,
then setting his large dark eyes o n T r esc o t went

, , ,
on :
Yo u will pardon me I am sure if I repeat , ,
that yo u are a stranger to o u r ways and feelings ,
and that yo u are a youn g man put by Mr Hoo d in .
”
a false position .
“A nd still the cooler man failed to speak

I have already said t o the general that we are
.
Open t o settle this matter by some equitable divi

sion o f the lands at the bend I n o w come to you .
,
and sir I represent the public sentiment o f this

, ,
community These lands are n o w useless and will

.
,
“
”
be ti l l this matter is settled .
”
Mr G r eyhu r st
. said T r esc o t I am greatly
, ,
obliged by your friendly visit and am sorry to be ,
unable to meet you o n a common groun d My client .
refuse s t o compromise o r to surrender any p art o f

his land on deep water at the bend The courts .
must d ec i de and we are instructed t o try the c ase

,
”
“
in O ctober .
Yo u will be sure to lose it .
So m uch the better for yo u l aughed T r esco t ,

.
If winning be so certain why seek fo r a compro ,
mise ? The foreclosures are the only remedy for

y ears ofunpaid interest or o f absolutely illegal

p ossession A s however you are naturally i n
.
, ,
t er est e d in these p oor people I have no hesitation ,
i n tellin g you that some o f the mortgages have been

amicably arranged and that time will be given to
,
others I hop e t o have no trouble with the squat

.
”
ters .
“ He was indisposed to say more

Then your m anHood must all Of a sudden have
.
“
become damned amiable
Pardon me ”
.
said T r esc o t rising ; Mr Hood is

, , .
’ ”
Mrs T r esc o t s un cle A llow me to close the door
. . .
ceased to be heard O ne moment .

“
It had been left o n a crack and the p iano had j ust
he added as
,
, ,
was about to reply “

G r eyhu rst flushing deeply at the implie d reproof
,
O ne moment I have listened .

,
to you p atiently although I fail to see what the

,
other cases in my charge have t o do with the issue

we shall tr y in the fall I shall however again ad.
, ,
vise my client o f your desire to settle o u r case and ,
I may say also that if he is willing I shall gladly
“
p resent to him any O E er you may make
Then let him m ake one ”
.
.
Frankly Mr G r eyhu r st I do not thin k he will

,
.
, ,
nor do I believe that he would accept o ne Yo u .
are an Older lawyer than I and must know that we ,
“
cannot always make o u r clients re asonable
Perhaps if he knew the state o f feeling here he
.
woul d understand the gravity Of the situation I .
“
am sure that
E xcuse me if I interru pt yo u Public Op inion .
has nothing to do with the matter ; and as yo u sp oke ,

a little while ago o f what I suppose I may call hos

t ili ty to m e I may add that it wi l l in no way af
,
feet the course I shall take .
“
G reyhu rst moved uneasily as he listened and
then said abruptly : Y o u will find o u t when you
,
“
come before a j ury o f Southern men
I shall feel sure they will do what is right and
.
I am glad to say that personally I have met with

, ,
much kindness in St A nn nor do I think political

.
,
feeling will a ffect your courts o r the course Of j us

tice Let me add that I have not of late been aware
.
“
o f any personal hostility such as yo u speak o f
Well you will see

,
”
'
said G reyhu rst

,
and soon “ .
I do n o t quite u nderstand yo u .
Indeed ! Y o u will know better when I tell

you that yo u were blackbal led last night at the
club .
T r esc o t flushed an d returned instantly : I asked

the general not to p resent my name and if yo u o r ,
any o n e presumes to supp ose that this annoys me ,
he is much mistaken and yet more so if he ven

,
tures to believe that it will in any way deter me

from doing my duty as a lawyer I do not see .
what motive yo u can possibly have in telling me ,
unless you really sup pose that I am to be moved

by fear O f His voice rose as he spoke but his ,
speech was suddenly checked by the entrance o f
“
Mrs T r esc o t
. .
Mr G r eyhu r st I believe Do not let me inter

.
,
.
rupt you I came in to get a book Ho w yo u men

. .
can talk with my piano going I do no t understand .

When yo u are through George perhap s I may have , ,

”
a little visit .
G r eyhu rst cooled instantl y He was in the pres .
ence of o n e o f the rare women who fo r good o r ,
ill attract because o f some inexplicable quality o f

,
se x Incap able o f analysis it accounts for divorces

.
,
and ruined households even for suicides o r m u r ,
ders It may be faithful to a great p assion and be

.
,
modified by character and education and even by ,
religion ; but it is felt whether the woman wishes ,
it o r not and she w ho has it inst inctively knows

,
its p ower .
A s Mrs T r esco t sp oke she cast her large bl ue

.
eyes o n the man and for an instant he was dum b ,
and stood in mute ad m iration ; nor was T r esc o t
“
so rry for her comin g
I think we have finished he said but did
.
, ,
n o t urge G r eyhu r st to accept the invitation his w ife
ha d given .
I shall hop e f o r the pleas ure an other time ,
said G r eyhu r st He knew that he should like t o

.
see her again and he had said enough to T r esc ot

,
“
t o make a sudden return to cordiality di fficult
’
Yo u won t forget Mr G r eyhu rst
”
,
. .
.
He said something pleasant as he stood facin g her

a strongly built man o f soldierly carriage dark ,
skinned with larg e regu lar features and the high

, , ,
cheek bones which tol d o f his remote strain o f In

-
dian bloo d A s he left T r esc o t at the outer door

.
’
he tu rned an d said rather to his hos t s surprise
“ If I have been abrupt o r indiscreet I hop e yo u
,
will p ardon me I sometimes say o r do thin gs o n

.
the impulse o f the moment and then regret them , .
“
Yo u will excuse me .
O h we all do that sort o f thing n o w and then ;

,
and as f o r the club it is o f no moment although , ,

”
I am sorry you told me Good b y .
-
.
“
A s he went toward the drawing room he said to -
himself : What a strange man ! Was he trying to

scare me o r was it a game o f b l u E ? And then
,
”
his apolo gy ! Confound the fellow !
Meanwhile G r eyhu rst walked away with as com
,
pl e t e dismissal o f the lawsuits and all other earthly

interests as if he were A dam in the garden alone
with the new born E ve He was thinkin g o f the
-
.
woman .
It was the eE ec t she was apt to produce o n men ,
young o r Old He felt it even although it recalled

.
,
to his min d a woman o f quite di E er en t typ e Then

“ .
he turned to thought Of the suit

per ! ”
he exclaimed
Damn my tem
That confounded Yankee .
“ .
”
was as cold blooded as a frog-
It has i ts uses . .
He felt his defeat .
WELL Constance
the library
,
“
said T r esc o t as he reentered
,
ho w much did you hear o f that fel

,
,
“
’
low s agreeable talk ?
A good deal o f it —pretty much all .
I am sorry you heard him I did not want to .
be in their club ; but it is the civilians n o t the sol ,
diers w ho are unfriendly and really it is o f no

, ,
“
”
moment .
N one she said

by it all ? ”
,
But what did the man mean
A nd then she added : But the things
.
“
98 CON S T AN C E T R E S CO T
he said — Oh Geo rge do you think you are sti l in

, ,
l
any danger here ? Since that awful night I cannot

”
get it o u t of my mind How am I to go away ? .
He comforted her as best he could n o t in the ,
least degree sharing her apprehensions

A t last she said : What do yo u supp ose he “ .
“
wanted ?
I think dear it would be hard t o say
, ,
He did .
not choose to a dmit that it had app eared to him

to be an attempt to alarm him He added that the .
man had been fooli sh and yet was n o t a fool

fancy him to be in debt ”
he said
,
I
and to dep end , ,
“ .
“
too anxiously on the issue o f this suit
”
.
I do not like him

He laughed “ .
Would you like any o n e w ho di d

”
not think George T resc o t a legal angel ?
”
I should not she cried and kissed him
,
He ,
.
“
is very handsome but he made me uncomfortable
O h he is quite harmless
,
”
,
.
.
S O is a p oor little dead snake o n the road but ,
“
I j ump when I see it
Go to bed Mrs E ve he said laughin g
,
.
.
, ,
.
A moment after she p ut her cha rming head

through the half Open doorway and cried : I hate
-
“
”
him !
“
O h go to bed you bad child Y o u don t hate
, ,
’
.
“
anybody
But I do
.
she murmured as she went up the

, ,
stair.
Her weekly letter to Susan went next day She .
wrote :
“D EAR S U SAN
In t wo weeks I shal l be at E astwood but how ,
I am to live there two months with uncle and with ,
o u t George I do not yet see

, I am sometimes sur .
prise d to recognize how completely he is all of life

t o me ; and then I am glad I rej oice in my good .
looks and my voice because they are for him and ,
because they help him among these strange people

who are still sullen and bitter about the war they
brought upon us and about what it cost them A s
, .
if we t o o had not had our Share ! George expects

, ,
me t o be very tender of their feelings and I am ,
indeed I am ; but when I see George nursing that

crippled arm and evidently in pain o f which I am
,
never to S p eak I sometimes ,

But I wi ll say no more
to you my only confessor When George says that
,
.
I am to forget and what I cannot forget forgive

, , ,
I can almost do it Indeed I go to church because

.
,
he goes an d sing the hym ns — you should hear me

,
.
If it would make him more happy I could al

most pretend to believe what he believes It can .
not be only a creed which makes him so tender so ,
entirely true so thoughtful and above all what I

, , , ,
am n o t so magnanimous concerning these people

,
.
He brings home no stories o f his annoy ances but ,
I have heard and seen more than enough to make

me cry at times because I urge d him to come to this
‘
place He only says : Why all this is natural and
.
,
must pass away with time But still I feel that.
“
we are in a hostile land .
Knowing what he has to endu re , I said to him

1 00 CON STAN C E T RE S CO T
last week that his religion nowhere orders us to

forgive the enemies o f those we love Y o u should .
have seen his face I go t a prop er scolding ; and

.
Oh I love him t o scold me Can you understand

,
.
“
that ?
Last night we had a visit from a Mr G r eyhu rst .
,
’
who is the lawyer o f the people who disp ute uncle s
land claims I overheard them talking rather high
.
,
and suddenly appeared as peacemaker The man .
looked at me and was quiet It was like a charm ; .
but the way he looked was not quite pleasant A .
dark Spanish looking p erson with overbold eyes

,
-
, ,
and very handsome with a strong unea sy face , ,
a curious contrast t o the refinement and intellectual
beauty o f George who looked slight and almost

,
’
frail beside this man s massive figure Sometimes .
I am anxious when I look at George and know that

he has to remain in this heat When in your last .
,
letter you said that I had no resource in me o r

,
my beliefs against the sorrows o f life I had a sud ,
den and horrible fear lest you might have been

thinkin g Of George and then I felt it was cruel Of
,
you and as if I never could write to you again ; but

,
I ought to have known better This strained anxious

.
,
l ife is I suppose making me morbid and perhaps

, , ,
“
something e l se is having a like eE e c t
George has heard from uncle who either does ,

.
no t o r will n o t realize the state o f aE ai rs here among
his dear rebels w ho hate him and no wonder A t

, ,
.
first I di sliked the idea Of his coming t o St A nn ; .
but o n the whole it may be as well He c an be sti ff

, ,
.
e nough in a letter but not when he is face to face

,
CO N ST AN C E T RE S CO T 1 01
with a res olute man . He will learn a little when he

comes .
Yours always ,
C ON S TAN C E .
P S I have been rather depressed o f late but

. .
-
,
this is largely because of the prospect o f leaving

George In truth we have been making some friends
.
, ,
and j ust n o w the to wn is lovel ywith fl o w er gardens -

.
CC
C .
RS AV E RILL had been absent a week
.
,
o n a vi sit to friends in the co u ntry b e ,
fore Constance s aw her again .
Constance standing at the gate , ,
watched her for a moment as she moved

among her flowers in the front garden The o l d .
lady turning smil e d a glad welcome for the face

, ,
o n which the j o y of youth and love and perfec t

”
health were plain to see Ah for shame ! she .
,
cried lookin g over the box row

,
prying at an Old ,
lady alone with her flowers Come in my dear ; I .

,
forgive yo u If you knew what I was saying to

.
my flowers you would like it ; I was really thinkin g

o f you There are flowers which always remind me
.
’
o f certain p eople O h no ; I won t tell yo u what
.
,
”
“
I was thinking
”
.
Then said Constance gaily I shall be equally

, , ,
cruel and not tell you what delightful thi n gs were

”
“
in my mind .
Let us trust that they were complimentary .
She was so pretty and so sweetly gracious with ,
her underlying p athetic expression O f abidin g sor

,
row that Constance felt tempted to say : What a

,
'
“
beautiful Ol d lady you are ! I wonder what I shall
”
“
be like if I live as long She limited herself to
saying : Y es they were as —well as com p limentary
,
.
,
”
as yo u could desire .
CON ST AN C E T RE S CO T 1 03
Thank you my dear That is saying a gr eat ,

.
deal I suppose we never outlive o u r vanity Come

. .
”
i n 1 t is too hot for you here .
N0 there is shade enough How is the general ?

,
.
Very well for him He is never very strong , . .
Just n o w he is worried because of what your hus

’
band told him o f Mr G reyhu rst s visit and that .
,
miserable business of the club Y o u overheard it he .

,
said The general blames himself and o f course

.
, , ,
did n o t mean to say a word about it to Mr T r esc o t . .
He does not think that Mr G r eyhu r st did anythin g .
“
to influence the vote
’ ’
Perhap s not ; but I don t like and I don t tr ust
.
“
that man .
I do not like him either my dear But we do , .
hop e that neither o f you will think that the Old Offi ,
cers here have any other than good will to your hus -
band M r G r eyhu r st is a very strange man He

. . .
was divorced from his wife w ho died eigh teen ,
months ago During the war he put her money

.
into Confederate securities We have all found .
“
them rather insecure ; and she smiled
Y es ; so I have heard
”
said Constance ,
.
’
A t o n e time he was o n General Hill s st aE but ,
he was constantly quarreling and the general says ,
he was t o o impulsive and resentful t o be a good

”
“
o fli c er .
I wish some o ne else had the case ,

said Con
“
stance .
Well my child ,
could quarrel with your ,
no one
husband and after all , the general will be the senior

, ,
’
co unsel .
1 04 CO N ST AN C E T RE S CO T
“
Constance bent over and kissed the little o l d lady
saying : Thank yo u ; you always comfort me ; and
,
—
then Oh ! ”
G r eyhu rst w as leaning over the p aling fence

Good evening ”
he said May I come in ?
,
.
“ .
What goo d luck yo u have with flowers ! I see Mrs .
’
T r esc o t s every day as I go by I fancy they grow .
best for the ladies I see that yo u have C o Ein work

.
in g fo r yo u He can hardly know much about

.
“
flowers .
O h I am teaching him ; he wanted work and

, ,
“
I am glad to help him
A lazy worthless vagabond Mrs T r esc o t I fear ;
,
.
, .
,
o n e of the squatters I am surprised he would work.
fo r Mr T r esc o t after the way he talks

. These .
“
squatters are pretty saucy
’
He is my gardener not Mr T r esc o t s ; and as ,
.
”
yet my husband has made no Obj ection She was .
’
quietly amused at Co ffin s diplomacy .
M rs A verill a little puzzled looked up from the

.
, ,
“
flowers she was pruning
Well ”
returne d G r eyhu r st
,
that is a comfort
.
,
”
“
able view o f the situation
It is very useful ”
sai d Mrs T r esc o t in mar
,
.
.
,
ried life for husband and wife to know how to ho ld

”
“
their tongues
! uite true my dear
.
sa id Mrs A verill still a

, ,
.
,
little in the dark .
Therefore when Co ffin a b uses my husband I

,
’ ‘
shall say : A re the geraniums doing well ?
‘
Best in
’ ’ ‘
to w n ma am
,
Then I shall say : COEi n I forgive
.
,
’n
yo u .
CON ST ANCE T RE SCO T 1 05
G r eyhu rst was not quite up t o the light give and

take o f mere chat to which Constance was trained
, .
Mrs A verill saw in it a tactful e E o r t to reduce a

.
serious question to a harmless level The man felt

“ .
“
h imself c haE e d and said : You will find him o u t
”
,
N ot in work hou rs she laughed -

Punctuality , .
.
is my o n e virtue That I insist o n even in a hu s

.
,
”
“
band .
Will y ou n o t come in ? said Mrs A verill not .

,
’
liking the man s ill repressed look o f embarrassed -
“
annoyance
NO
”
.
he said ; I retreat under fire I must go

,
. .
Mrs T r esc o t is t o o sharp fo r a poor o l d Confederate ;

.
“
I shall retire before worse comes
That was what we did not do in the war Mr
.
,
.
“
G reyhu rst said Mr s A verill gaily
”
,
I protest said Constance against considering

,
.
,
,
.
“
m e as an enemy
Oh ”
he returned
,
.
after all it is generally the, ,
man w ho retreats I ask f o r terms Of honorable sur

.
”
render .
Mrs A verill said smiling

. You may march out
, ,
”
with colors flying and here they are ,
giving him ,
“
a rose .
’
And Mrs T r esc o t s ? he asked
. .
’
I never give roses o u t o f other p eople s gardens ,
”
and just now there are none in mine
He took O E his hat saying : I am usually t o o late ,
“ .
o r t o o early That i s the fate O f some Of us May

. .
I hope to be more fortunate when your roses ap

”
“
pear ?
Perhaps if you are very very good
,
she cri ed , , ,
1 06 CON ST AN C E T RE S CO T
relenting and disp osed a gainst her feelin gs to send

,
“
him away in a good humor
Thank you he said not ill pleased ; and setting
, ,
.
“
’
Mrs A verill s rose in his buttonhole left them alone
.
, .
My dear Constance were you not rather hard o n

,
”
“
that man ?
N O ; he was insolent and he meant t o be ; and I ,
know he lied about C o fli n T o m is a man who might .
kill you but he woul d never work for a man and

,
lie about him Heaven knows what he sa id to Mr

. .
“
G r eyhu r st He owes him a gru dge
.
Yes my dear ; but it is worse than no us e to

,
.
make a man like John G r eyhu rst angry It is really .
a p oor kind o f triumph You had better have ap .
p
“
ea r e d not to notice what he said
I could not help it The man is unpleasant to .
.
Best no t t o show it Come in and let us talk .
over o u r plans Do yo u want to stop in Washing

.
”
t o n On your way N orth ?
A s Constance walked homeward she acknowledged
to hers elf that she had been unwise and kn ew as ,
by instinct that a very little graciousness t o this

man would have better serve d her hus b and She .
smiled as she went down the dusty street at her

, ,
certainty that she could bring the man to her feet

like a fawning spaniel She read with natural r eadi
.
ness the eager eyes Of this ungoverned p ersonality .
’
Then she saw in her mind the fine lines o f T r esc o t s
face and thought o f the restraint and p atience with
,
which he refrained from urging upon her op inions

which she felt with intense feeling were their only
CON ST AN CE TRE S CO T 1 07
gro un d Of di Eer en c e The manners o f a man to

.
his wife are a final test o f conduct ; and again she

smiled as though at some fresh discovery and the
, ,
j oy Of its tender recognition .
She was now a well known figu re in the town -

.
Many p ersons ackn owledged her greeting She went .
into two o r three shops helped a little child up some

,
steps and left with every o n e a pleasing sense o f

,
liberal cheerfulness and o f that charm of manner

,
which made her somewhat startling beauty a co n

t ri b u t i o n to the j oys o f life .
“ A s she came o u t o f a shop S he met Coffin

Well ”
she said
,
T o m ho w is your brother ih
, ,
.
“
law ?
’
He s failing ma am ,
’
.
Is there anythin g yo u need fo r him ?

’
Yes ma am I was going t o ask yo u something
,
.
H e says would yo u come and read o u t o f the Bible

’ ”
t o him ? We can t any Of us read well .
She hesitated and then said quic kly Yes I will

, , ,
”
“
come ; but cannot his wife read ?
’
Yes ; but not like yo u can ; it s yo u he wants .
I will come Have yo u seen Mr G reyhu rst

. .
“
lately ?
Yes ; and I reckon I fooled him well .
”
You abused my husband she said merril y ,
.
Who told you that ? I did — I did

”
.
Mr G r eyhu rst
. .
Well he is a fool He j ust swallowed it all like

,
.
’
them big catfish grabs a bait Well you 11 come .
,
’ ”
“
soon ? He ain t going to live lon g .
I will come ; I shall be there to morrow -

.
As T o m left her she wondered why she had said ,
she would read t o the man In fact she had no .

,
ready excuse f o r denying so simple a request .
N ot far from her home she was aware o f Grey

hurst He met her and turned back walkin g b e
.
,
“
side her .
Mrs T r esc o t
. he said quietly I was ru de to
, ,
“
”
“
you ; I desire to ask your p ardon
Indeed ”
she returne d sweetly
, we were both
.
, ,
”
“
I fear a little cross
, .
Thank yo u ; that is more than a p ardon

ing a moment he added gravely
Paus
I have had
,
“ .
mada m a rather sad and disappointing life an d I

, ,
'
supp ose it has soured me A re you ever sorry for .
”
thin gs yo u do ?
C onstance was less amazed at the Odd turn his
talk had taken than a man would have been for ,
men say easil y to women things they never could

say t o those o f their o w n sex .
Yes I am sorry every day she returned

, ,
.
I was hasty in what I said to Mr T r esc o t the .
other night I fear that yo u overheard us and I

.
,
wish n o w to assure yo u that I did not blackball him

”
at the club .
I wonder thought she if that be tru e

,
temper was rising but she said coldly : The whole

Her
,
,
“ .
matter is unimp ortant — entirely unimportant ”
“ .
N ot to me madam , not to me ; but Mr T r esc o t

,
.
“
has a way o f being
Stop Mr G r eyhu rs t
,
she said ; yo u forget
.
,
yourself We are going t o qu arrel a ga in It seems

. .
CON ST AN C E T R E S CO T 1 09
to me that you have an extraordinary gift o f say

”
ing disagreeable things .
That is true My life is o n e long story o f re

.
g t
r e.s —
I there is no o n e I should be less willing to
”
annoy than yo u .
He turned his dark eyes on her as he spoke for ,
“
now they were at her gate and she had stopped
I am sure of that she said ,
,
.
.
Very strange t o her was this strong man big and ,
athletic with ardent eyes and sudden familiarities

, ,
and impulsive sp eech and childlike regrets .
She gave him her hand saying good b y but did ,

-
,
not ask him to come in T o her surprise b e bent .

,
over it raised it to his lips and kissed it and lifting

, ,
“
his hat went on his way
Well ”
,
she said,
“
next to Uncle Rufus that i s
,
.
the most singular man I ever met I wonder if he .
”
is quite sound in mind She gave a queer little .
glance at the hand he had kissed A mong the older .
gentlemen o f Creole descent it was n o t rare to see

this p retty usage But this man she had not seen
.
over a half dozen times and it was o u t o f doors

-
,
.
She went in wisely resolvin g to say nothing and

, ,
much inclined to avoid G r eyhu rst in f uture .

H E increasing heat o f the latter days
o f July the dust the dried u p garden
, ,
-
,
and the mosquitos helped the young

’
wife s faltering will so that she felt ,
physically convinced that a change was

imperative .A nd there was also another and * a
p owerful motive for care o f her health .
She said to her husband next morning at break
“
fast :
I have arranged with Mrs A verill that we leave .
“
a week from t o day on the evening train
,
I am glad it is settled Constance I shall be , .

.
”
happier when yo u are breathin g the good salt air .
”
It had to be I suppose
, .
Yes it had to be
,
.
She was silent fo r a moment and then said ,
George Thomas Wilson has asked me — i t was

,
Co ffin who brought the message —if I would go to

”
“
see him to day -
.
Well why n o t ? But I do not like you to be in

,
“
those clearings alone
Coffin will be there
.
That will answer I su p pose What else is

,
.
“
there ?
He wants me t o read the Bible to him His .
wife cannot read o r reads badly These people are

,
.
1 10
CO N STAN C E T RE S CO T 11
amazingl y uneducated Why cannot he get a .
“
”
preacher ? I was foolish to say yes .
”
Well dear ? ,
Surel y George you must understand me

, , .
He saw her di fficulty at once and said smiling , ,
Yo u may trust me always to understand you Y o u .
know dear my o w n feeling in regard to freedom

, ,
O f belief and indeed of unbelief You know t o o

, , .
, ,
what I desire and never urge I see your difficulty .

,
but there is no need for yo u to pretend anything .
He will ask no questions The B ible is a book — o r .

,
rather many books We have read much o f it to

,
.
”
gether .
It was true Without any concealed intention on

.
his part and purely as noble literature they had

, ,
read at times in their evenings alone much of the

, ,
great Hebrew p oetry as they had also read much ,
Of the best E nglish prose and verse

,
”
Yes I know she returned ; but this is so dif ,
“ .
fer en t George What am I to read to a dying man ?

,
.
—
I went there once It was horrible so slovenly and .
dirty and ill smellin g ; and I never before saw a

-
man dying It was dreadful It seemed to me so

. .
unnatural .
The thought struck him as sin gular That is .

,
he returned only because in the ordinary ways

,
o f life to see a death is rare for most p eople I .
have seen thousands die To me for four years .

, ,
death was ever near a sadly common event It is ,

.
what may precede death that I dread — long ill ,
ness the loss of competence but not death I hope

, ,
-
.
that when I die my twilight may be brief

, ,
.
’ ”
Please don t she said But what am I to ,
”
“
read ?
Well then to settle your mind dear read him
, , , ,
the fourteenth chapter of John and take my little ,
Bible with you I doubt if there be a Bible in the .
“
whole settlement
Thank yo u George ,
.
Shall I go with you ? I sho ul d be very glad
“
77
Oh no no, She felt that this would have

,
.
“
embarrassed her
Remember the fourteenth Of John It is very
,
.
“
beautiful Have y ou never read it ?
N ever
.
The reply shocked him In spite o f what he kn ew .
o f her life it also surprised him

,
For the moment .
he had been puzzled by her question ; but the chap

ter he named was a favorite o f his o w n and he ,
would after all have been unable to name any other

, ,
more suitable .
In the afternoon she foun d Co ffin waiting at the

foot o f the b l u E He walked with her past the busy .
cotton pres ses and then o u t o f the woo d o n to the

-
,
cleared lands with their broken fences and half

burned stumps ”
Wait for me here she said and “ , ,
’
went on to Wilson s log cabin The woman and her .
children were absent By the dim light within she .
saw as she p aused at the door the broken chairs

, , ,
the op en press with soiled gowns and the lean ,
chickens picking up the crumbs lying about the

dirty floor The air was heavy with the Odors o f
.
uncared for il lness

- A s she a p proached the rude .
CON STAN C E T R E S CO T
’
bed Wilson said trying to sit up There
,
a chair
, ,
s ,
’
ma am S et down N ot that o n e ; it s broke
’
.
f
. .
She took the hot dry hand and feeling a keen , ,
desire to run away sat down beside him saying , , ,
as she put her basket o n the table I brought yo u ,
“
some soup I hope yo u are bette r
’
.
N O ma am ; and I never will be no better

,
The
.
’
doctor yo u sent told my wife I could n t hold o u t
’
lon g She s awful troubled about the funeral We
. .
’
talked it over and I reckon it won t cost much I
,
.
”
told her so T o m will make the co ffin
. .
She was seeing a new aspect Of life —the crude

business o f death among the p oor It shocked a .
woman w ho in her abounding health and immense

,
vitality had little more reali z ation Of decay and

,
death than has the normal animal

She murmured softly DO n o t worry ; we w ill ,
“ .
“
take care o f all that
Thank you he said ; ’
that s mighty good
,
.
’ ”
o f yo u I can t talk long ; it makes me cough
.
’
Then after a brief p ause he said : I ve been think
, ,
“ .
’
ing a heap about things I ain t been a bad man .
,
but I killed a man in T ennessee Y o u see he shot .

,
Brother B ill a week before Seems t o me it was .
yes it was Christmas eve and snowin g I got him

, , .
’
c omin o u t o f his barn N o w I want to kn ow My . .
’
wife fetched a p reacher here He s a Methody . .
’ ’
He sai d I d g o t to rep ent o f that man or I d go to ,
’ ’
hell I did n t want him any more I don t repent
. . .
’
If a man was to kill your man yo u would n t forgive ,
”
“
him now would you ?
,
I would not S he replied ,

.
s
CON ST AN CE T RE SC O T
I knowed you would say something like that ,

’ ’
and it s a real comfort The other notion ain t .
”
natural .
The woman sat still in thought while he coughed

’
until he was exhausted What would George have .
said ? Why did men confess to her ? She had been

’
reinforcing a dying man s undying hatred An d .
yet how could she lie ?

,
A t last he whispered hoarsely : Sometimes in the

’ ’
night I ain t easy about it It s a kind of muddle .
,
’
life is You don t ever get things cleared up Did
. .
you fetch the Book ? I use d to like mother t o read

the stories in it when I was a little chap When .
’
father was dying sh e read o u t of it and n o w I m ,
”
going too Would yo u read some ?
.
She Op ened the Bible where T r esc o t had left a

marker and read in tones which gathered pathetic
,
sweetness as she went o n near to the end o f the chap

ter when he stopped her
,
that ” “
Seems to me I remember
he said ; must have heard it once in church
,
.
up i n the hills What s that about the Holy Gho st ?

’
.
’
That s what bothered me when I w as a young fellow .
I took religion bad once ; but that about the Holy

,
Ghost used to kind o f scare me of nights What .
”
doe s that mean ?
Constance p aused searching the page for an an
,
swer It was a childlike creature who lay gasping

.
under the soiled sheet and yet it was a man ; and ,
she felt that o u t of her l arger life she owed him an
answer But what to say she knew not

. .
F o r a moment she sat still glad that he was u n ,
able t o reco gnize her embarrassment Then her eye .

,
wandering over the p age she said : Perhaps this ,
“
‘ ’
may help you The Holy Ghost the Comforter
.
, .
’ ’
There can t be no comfort in what a man can t
’
u nderstand I don t know as that
.
A cruel sp ell of coughing stop ped him ; and the

agony Of v ain eE o r t shook the rickety bed until it
creaked sharply F o r some reason this strangely
.
,
aE ec t e d her It seemed an inanimate expression o f

.
the extent o f discomfort and wretchedness

last worn o u t he groaned
,
My God that s aw
,
’
At
,
“ ,
.
”
ful ! as he wiped away the blood on his lips and
’ “
the gray tangle o f his beard ; and then with recur
rent reflection : But there s a heap o f things a
,
’
man can t understand .
She shared his conviction as she sat with her

glove o n the open page p enciled here and there
by a hand she loved She murmured Yes yes
.
,
”
,
“ , ,
and rea d o n ‘
Peace I leave with yo u ; my p eace I
.
give unto yo u : not as the world giveth give I un to ,
“
! n
yo u .
’
Won t y ou say that again ? he murmured fee
bly.
The clear tones Of a voice Often spoken o f for its

charm repeated the promise She was close to tears .
as she continued
‘
Let not your heart be troubled neither let ,
’
it be afraid .
She w as emotionally t o o much disturbe d to go o n ,
and made a brief pause t o regain her command of

speech relieved by the strange comments which gave
,
“
her time .
’
That about being afraid now that s curious , ,
’ ’
like I ve been tro uble d p retty o ften b u t I d o n t
.
,
”
know as I ever was afraid .
She made n o reply but read o n as o ne may do , ,
automatically with o n e half cons cious mind o n the

,
-
text and with o n e other mind p erplexed by thoughts

,
—
Of dea th and life the sudden sense o f the sweet
values o f mystery in love and friendshi p and r e
l i gi o n Of which G eorge had spoken
, S he read On .
to the end not taking in the mean in g o f the three

,
“
vers es which followed
’
Is that all ma am ? ,
.
”
Yes ; that is all .
”
Thank yo u He lay o n his back silent the
.
, ,
sweat o n his forehead his chee ks red his eyes clo sed , ,
.
What were his thoughts ? There o n the edge o f the

grave was this rude half civilized man o f the woods ,
-
,
without education with hi s creed o f an eye fo r an

,
eye and here the woman o f another world with

, ,
every gift and every chance that wealth had given ,
and both alike bewildered over the simple words o f

a promise which neither could comprehend nor yet
kn ow ho w to use .
The fli es buz zed in and o u t an d settled on the

hot face un di sturbed until she began to fan them ,
“
away .
“ I w as n t asleep he said f eebly Op ening hi s

”
, ,
“
eyes : I was a thi n king S O too w as she
-
. .
,
”
I w as thinking he rep eated that maybe you
, ,
’ ’
would n t mind saying a prayer Y o u won t need .
’ ’
to kn eel down the floor s that filthy ; it s them
,
’
chickens and my wife s wore o u t
,
.
The voice was very earnest in its appeal I .
m i ht at . so m e he!
Constance sat up in her p erplexity fanning him

,
more rap idly She was helpless stranded full o f

.
, ,
pity Was this a time fo r deceit ? To whom could

.
she p ray ? She felt f er the man in his hour Of doubt

and pain putting fort h yearning hands fo r a sure
,
hold o n something Wo uld such an hour ever come

.
to her ?
He felt vaguely her hesitation and with the gen
t l en ess o f the mountain man said : Maybe yo u ain t
-
’
,
“
”
“
used to praying in comp any
N o no,
”
she said glad o f the frailest pret ense ;
, ,
.
I am not ; and the room is close I must get ,

”
o utside . It was true She had the k eenest sen .
ing ,
“
si ti ven ess to evil Odors Her head swam and say
I will come again ; I must get into the air
.
,
she stood up and emptied her b as k et o f fruit lemons

.
, ,
and the bottle o f soup You must need ice I will

. .
- —
send it to morrow no t o night C o Ein will b ring ,
-
.
”
it.
He thanked her and again she had t o to u ch the

,
hot dry hand as he pleaded : This is n t any kind

, ,
’ “
’
o f place for folks like yo u ma am ; but the angels ,
might be like you — I don t ask no better Y o u will

’
.
“
’
come again won t you ? ,
I will ; certainly I will she said and went o u t , ,

.
A sad kind o f angel yo u are Con stance Tres ,
co t ,
she murmured as she drank in the fres h ,
pine scented air She had a p ained sense o f in c o m

-
.
p l et en ess o f ,
incompetence o f failure ,
.
Her uncle s views which were nourished by the

’
,
pleasure of being in Opposition to his o w n worl d ,
had kept her ignorant o f all that Susan kn ew so

w ell C o n s t a n c e h a d f e lt no n e e d o f it for herself
118 CON ST AN C E TRE S CO T
or for others With all her many reso u rces her edu
.
,
cation her acceptance by a man like T r esc o t o n

,
terms o f intellectual equality she had shr unk away ,
defeated unable to answer help fully a simple u h

, ,
educated woodsman She moved on into the forest .

,
deep in thought followed by her doglike guardian , .
Presently as she went past the cotton presses she

,
-
,
was aware of coming steps and met Mr G r eyhu rst . .
He turned and went with her Seeing whence she

had come he sai d with some seriousness : These
, ,
.
“
clearings are rather lonesome places for ladies Mrs ,
.
T r esc o t ; and now that the blacks are free n o t a l

, ,
together safe Y o u must pardon my frankness Mr

. . .
T r esc o t may not fully comprehend the risks the

”
N orth has brought on u s .
It w as said kindly and as she felt he was n o t

without reason she rep lied : Y o u are no doubt
,
,
“
right ; but when I come here among these poor p eople
”
“
I ask my garden helper Co ffin t o follow me
S O I se e but he is a wild fellow like the rest
,
, ,
,
.
Oh I suppose trustworthy in a way I should think

, ,
.
you would find these people interesting They are .
mostly men who have drifted down from the mo un

”
“
tain country .
Yes I like them This time I went to take a

,
.
S ick man some luxuries

“Y o u are very good —
These p eople and in fact .
.
, ,
—
most o f o u people are t o o poor to be able t o hel p
r
“
o n e another .
O h these are tr ifl es any o n e can a r d

,
.
Perhaps I called o n you again yesterday bu t

.
,
”
was unlucky Will you allow me to say o n e thing ?
.
She laughed Being ignorant I must I sup

.
, ,
”
p ose be generous What is it ?
,
.
He went o n with a manner so timid and unas

,
sured as t o be in marked contrast with his athletic
“
build and ordinary self asse r tive carriage -
.
We have been so long accustomed to regard

Mr Hoo d as a sort o f desp otic landlord stand
.
,
in g in o u r way here in St A nn that your app ear .

,
ance as representing him rather startled o u r good

”
“
ladies .
I trust they were agreeably startled A re we .
“
so surp rising ?
O h I said yo u Mrs T r esc o t ; men are never sur

, ,
.
“
prising .
Indeed ! I have often found them so I think .

,
however when my uncle comes in the fall fo r that

,
tiresome trial you will find o n e man w ho will pass

,
as a greeably surprising I want him to come b e .
cause we wish him to know St A nn and all these .
delightful people Besides he is a great friend O f

.
,
the South — what at home we called a Copperhead .
He could do a great deal to help this town ; and ,
once here o n the spot he may be brought to see ,
that even in business it is Often the best p olicy to
“
be generous .
Y o u will p ardon me M r s T r esc o t if I say that

,
.
,
“
”
he has hardly been that o r even j ust ,
.
Perhap s n o t ; but we trust that in the end St .
Ann will no t have to regret o u r coming or o u r in

fl u en c e with him In business my uncle loves to be
.
what he calls exact ; outside o f it he is the prey o f

”
everybody w ho wants help .
That is unusual he return e d ; but u nf o r tu

, ,
”
“
h ately this is all business
,
Yes ; but after all Mr G r eyhu rst it is hard fo r

, ,
.
.
,
a man t o escape from the tyranny of his o w n tem

p er a m en t My uncle is a lways in the Opposition
.
,
and for that reason I think he really enj oys a legal

”
“
battle .
It is Often a costly lux ury .
Yes ; but he does not care about that .
What you say about the difficulty o f escap e from

the despotism o f temp erament — ah ! that is sadly
true N O one kn ows that better than I I envy Mr
. . .
T r esc o t his entire self control I think the bar is -

.
“
scarcely a good education in amiability
If she laughed
,
my husband degenerates in ,
“ .
St A nn I shall run away I think General A verill

. .
is a poor illustration o f the influence of the practice

”
o f the law .
O h the general ! N O o n e is like Averill

,
He .
has the tenderness o f a woman He is impossible .
”
as an example .
C annot a man make himself what he really wants

”
to be ?
He glanced at her with interest and returned ,
”
“
gaily ,
Can a woman ?
N o she said ; no ,
.
’
N either can I Mrs T r esc o t more s the , .
,
”
pity .
He was once more o n the point o f o n e o f those

easy confessions which for some occult reason of
, ,
sex sym p athies men as I have said are so apt to

, , ,
confide to the charity of women Young as she was .

,
she was prep ared for it and n o t liking the to o per ,
“
sonal turn the talk had taken she said :
Y o u have told m e what folks think o f us in St
,
Ann b ut you have never asked —no o n e has —what

,
”
“
we think o f St A nn
”
Well he said ,
.
“
that might be worth while
,
.
We like it and the people .
She was scarcely accurate t o state it in n o worse ,
“
w ay .
That is pleasant I accept my share ; .
li ghtly .
“
I must leave the partition to you
What a big river steamer ! ”
she sa i d
-
,
Yes ; the S to n ew all J a c kso n a new boat , .
“
”
Ho w warm it i s ! She raised her p arasol as
they came out o n the b l u E Is it always as warm .
as this in your July weather ?

They went o n talkin g o f every day matters In
“
-
.
the main street she said : I must leave yo u here ;

”
I have to make a call and do some shopping .
He took it to be a dismissal and raising his hat , , ,
left her .
He walked o n absorbed in thought The woman

,
.
had a calming influence upon his uncertain temp er .
Most women so aE ec t ed him With men his self .
esteem was always o n the watch f o r Slights It made .
his associates uncomfortably careful He was at .
times aware Of their reserve and without fully u n , ,
derst a n d in g the cause resented it He felt it in

, .
his business and most o f all with T r esc o t w ho al

, , ,
though very desirous o f keepin g o n good terms with

him foun d it increasingly difficult That morning
,
.
,
’
in A verill s O ffice G reyhu rst had returned t o the
,
’
question of
an amicable settlement o f Hood s claim
t o o w n the Water front at the bend
-
T r esc o t had .
once more made the reply that it lay with Mr Hood .

,
and that he had himself failed t o move him Grey .
hurst had lost his temp er and made his disbelief

so plain that nothin g excep t A verill s very p ositive
’
’
interference and indorsement Of T r esc o t s statement
had saved an op en quarrel G r eyhu r st had relue .
tautly ap olo gized and T r esc o t had been exasp er at

,
i n gl y good humored-
.
A s G r eyhu rst walked o n he said with returning

remembrance O f his annoyance : Damn the man ! “
,
i —
I was a fool to talk o f t a child but his cold -
, ,
”
blooded ways are hard to stand A s he murmured .
his condemnation Of T r esc o t a big black fellow , ,
much in liquor hustled him He struck him sav

,
.
a g el y and went on The man gathered himself up

.
’
and following him said meekly : I did n t go t o do
,
“ ,
”
,
“
it massa .
O h go to the devil !
,
”
exclaimed G r eyhu rs t .
’ ”
Get out or you 11 get a bullet through you !
,
He had made himself angry about o n e man and ,
another had su ff ered A minute later he was sorry

.
for his brutal haste His life was full o f such r e

.
g r e t s ; but this was a minor one and did n o t trouble ,
him long .
Y and by her errands done Constance
, ,
’
called at her husband s O ffice and they ,
walked homeward together .
He told her that he had heard from

her uncle He had once more declined
.
’
to yield assent to any o f T r esc o t s prop osals The .
squatters must go .
Constance laughed Wait till I have him here

. .
“
I know a way .
Up on my word dear I begin to respect your

, ,
legal resources ; but they are so far rather costly

, , .
Y o u have provided for Co ffin H o w much it will

.
require to get the rest to leave we do no t know .
A s fo r the u se o f the machinery o f the law t o tur n

them o u t t o shift for themselves — I will throw up
”
“
the whole business rather than do that
Indeed I should George if it came t o that ;
, , ,
.
“
but it will not ; there will be n o occasion
Well I trust no t I have had a long talk with
,
.
.
’
G reyhu rst this morning in Averill s O ffice I never .
knew so peculiar a man He tol d me that he at

.
,
least had had no hand in that club business Wh en

,
.
I thanked him and said that I had never f o r a mo

ment supposed the Confederate o fficers had been in
it he said some Of them had and would have told
, ,
me who they were if I had not said I did not wish

1 23
1 24 CON ST AN C E T RE S COT
to kn ow their names He laughed and remarked

.
,
that it w as as well not to know because I might feel ,
obliged t o call them to account I said in reply that .
I ha d no malice about the blackballing and that in ,
a case Of even graver injury I should not feel j usti

fie d in avenging myself by shooting a man and that ,
a bullet in the shoulder was in my case a pretty , ,
“
p ositive p eacemaker .
A s he made no reply I went o n to say that I,
had never desired to be a member o f the club and ,
was therefore quite easy in mind When A verill .
asked him at what time in O ctober he thought o u r

c ase would come up he said he did not know and
, ,
that it never ought to come up at all ; and when I

said that was my desire b ut that it would have to
,
go to trial he quite suddenly lost his temper and

, ,
said that I ought t o be able to bring about a set

t l em en t A nd then there was more of it and
.
,
”
“
worse .
What did you say George ? ,
O h A verill interfered and I said I should do

, ,
everything possible ; and indeed I shall He went .
away in a curious sullen humor and upon my word , , ,
he is like some rude undisciplined boy ; but I thi nk

,
he has brains enough to know that he has a bad case .
If he kn ew all I know he woul d give it up although

, ,
’
“
that is not A verill s Opinion .
I met him in the woods as I came from Wilson s’
.
He was pretty sharp ly critical o f Uncle Rufus and ,

”
“
was rather intimate in his talk about himself
Was he ? I sho uld not have tho u ght hi m a man
.
”
to do that .
CON STANCE T RE S CO T 1 25
It surprised me l ess than it d oes yo u for men ,

”
“
have a queer way o f op ening their mi n ds t o women
I am sure you said what was right How is .
.
“
p oor Wilson ?
I was wrong t o go George ,
.
Realizing what must have happ ened and n o t al

together sorry he said : What was your trouble
,
“ ,
,
”
my love ? Did yo u read to him ?
Yes ; I read to him and Oh George he asked , , ,
’
“
me questions
What dear ? ,
.
She hesitated and then said : It was dreadful

,
.
He asked me what was the Holy Ghost what kind ,
o f a Ghost It was awful How did I know ? How

. .
does any o n e know ? Your Bible is a tangle o f
“
mysteries .
It is answered in the same chapter Co nstance , .
”
Answered ?
Yes ; it is the Comforter .
”
I said that .
It i s also called the Spirit o f Truth C onstance ,

.
That which is as o l d as the world as Old as He who ,
made it the Spirit before which science bends in

,
worship t hat o n which the world o f morals rests

, .
’ ”
“
Is n t that simple enough ?
Y es ,
”
she said doubtfully .
Was that all dear ? ”

,
O h n o n o ; he asked me t o pray fo r him

, , .
He looked at her She was troubled tearful ; he

.
,
question by “
hardly knew what to say and at last wisely put the
We will talk o f that at another time
.
,
n o t n o w ; it is a large question .
I did not do it .
N O ; you were right .
Thank you George , .
T o kn ow that thinking believin g as he did he

, , ,
was able to put himself in her position aE ec t ed her

deeply She was about to go o n and say something
.
’
of the man s confession and his creed of u n fo r give
ness but recalling what she too had said in reply
, ,
she was silent .
The next week she went away t o her Old home

w ith the general an d Mrs A verill The day after . .
her arrival she wrote to T r esc o t
“D EAR G EORG E
I am sitting o n the great rock at sunset and ,
it seems as though the waves I love are glad o f my

coming A mad gale is hurling them o n the rocks
.
below me and far away there is a wild turmoil o f

,
waters about Little Misery Islands The air is .
sweet and salt and it wants only the sunshine of the

,
“
lo ve I miss every hour .
I found Susan well and utterly unchanged .
Why shoul d she not b e ? —only that I have changed ,
and am wiser and a larger p erson than when you

first knew me What your dear love and company
.
have done for me I know full well The atmo .
sphere Of my Old home seems t o me other than it

was. I think I shall understand Susan better .
O nce I used to think her narrow Uncle Rufus is .
thinner than thin with a wilted autumnal look and

, ,
the same delicate features and the same meek v io ,
lence in his Opinions I refused to be taken in the

.
CON STAN CE T RE S CO T 127
toils of an invitation to discuss his Western aE airs ,
but it will have to be soon o r late though I shall ,
not be serious with him until we are in St Ann . .
Then he may look o u t And now I must go I . .
hear voices in the garden .
Constantly your constant

C ON S TAN C E “ .
’
Is n t that pretty sir ? ,
P S Tell me all the news big and little How

. .
-
, .
are Wilson and Co ffin and my cat ? The A verills

were most kind and will b e here ve ry soon for a
,
“
visit .
P S — I am writing a second P S — almost in

. . . .
,
the dark Far away to right Marblehead Light is

.
,
flashing at intervals over the stormy water There .
is another a lesser o ne far to the left I like it bet

, ,
.
ter It is sir if yo u please constant like me

.
, , , ,
.
She wrote daily and a week later said ,
I can see that dear grave face when I tell yo u ,
that I went to church last Sunday with Susan I .
am not going to pretend I went for any reason e x

cept because I love you but that is not reason for , ,
—
my love is all o me body soul and mind I S that
f , ,
.
a riddle sir ? I had to tell Susan that I went because

,
it would please you She put on o n e o f her queer

.
looks and said it was creditable t o my sense of

,
the humorous I did not like that I do not think

. .
that even you can understand the absolute negation

from childhood Of all thought about this vast mat
ter o f religion Since I came a little girl to E ast
.
, ,
wood I have been imprisoned within the bo u nds

,
’
o f my uncle s belief o r un belief an d only Of late
, ,
years did I slowly apprehend that his attitude was

purel y due to the j oy o f standing up against other
’
p eople s beliefs But think dear what this i gn o
.
, ,
rance ridicule and denial did with a childhood like

, ,
mine Susan said once you cannot even teach man

.
ners without f orms n o r make a child religious and

,
reverent without forms Is that so ? I had a .
wicked little j oy when uncle saw me go out to church

with Susan He said as if it were a tragedy A nd
.
‘
, ,
’
this is the end and as Susan says twinkled away
, , ,
.
He does not walk like other people but onl y from ,
his knees — really an absurd little person as he ap ,
pears to me now w i th a queer way o f suddenly

,
saying unexp ected things He told me once when .

,
I was fifteen that I w as a fine animal

,
I was .
“
furious but I think I know now what he meant
,
The A verills came and were made much o f

.
Since the general was here uncle has sp oken o f

yo u t o our friends with a newly acquired pride to ,
the vast amusement o f Susan Y o u are t o under .
stand that when in O ctober you have the help Of a

, ,
man with some knowledge o f business everyt hing

‘
will be settled I said Better then uncle not to
.
, , , ,
’
discuss things with an ignorant woman ; an d with
“
this he was contented for half a day
Whenever it is possible I go o u t in o u r cat boat
.
-
,
and Oh to sail with a mad east wind driving the

,
fo g in your face ! DO y o u like that ? N ature is

never t o o riotous for me — and then these summer
evenin gs by the sea ; what a blithe playmate ! I
used to like best to be alone o n the shore o r in the

‘
woods ; but no w ah ! t o have you and cry Look at
, , ,
“
’
this George ; and see that
,
.
Yo u say I am making you vain I leave you to .
imagine ho w much I love you ho w emptied is life ,
without you My uncle concerns himself with every

.
thing from the dairy and the butter to my poor

,
‘
little every day letters to yo u-
Absurd waste Of .
’
pa per he says ; and then with his inconsequent
, ,
‘ ’
felicity What would I do if yo u were dead ?
,
I
said : DO ? I should kill myself in the hOp e t o find
‘
— ,
’
you Oh somewhere ! DO you know he laughed and , ,
‘ ’
said : Just so j ust so I do not doubt it
,
Then he
. .
‘
went o n : O nce yo u had a doll and it fell into the
well Y o u were caught trying to climb down the
.
chain to get it ; and then when yo u were punished , ,
y o u said y o u wo u ld starve until some o n e got that

’
doll . It was tr u e A t last I scared him so that a
.
man went down and go t it There was not much .
doll left but it w as my doll He went o n and I

,
.
,
learned more about my obstinate ways until I fled ,
away leaving him talking until as I p resume he

, , , ,
“
discovered that he was alone
Yesterday we had a dense fo g It rolled in
.
from the sea in gray masses An east wind drove .
it landward I went to the shore and lay o n the

.
rocks j ust above the sea The fo g shut o u t the .
islands and at last was like a gray wall about me

,
.
Y o u know how the sea o f a bright day seems to

explain itself when from far away the waves rise
,
and gather and grow and break o n the shore ; but

'
n o w yo u c o u l d not see twenty feet and the great ,
9
rollers came as if out o f nowhere and tumbled at

my feet Somewhere o u t at sea a steamer screame d
.
as if lost O h but I wante d you ! You wo u l d have

.
,
said things of it all I cannot say I can o nl y see .
and enj oy and badly describe .
A few days before she retu rned St A nn to . o ne
o f his replies to her daily letters ran thus
Yes the rooms w ill be in order for your un cle

,
and o u r welcome Susan M rs A verill has been

. .
sending me a lot o f thin gs — I presume owing to

your distrust o f my capacity to keep house I have .
at least laid in a stock Of p atience f o r u se when

your uncle comes and have got out and duste d my
,
other u nused virtues I received last week a kind

.
note from Colonel La Gran ge with a check for my ,
settlement o f the damaged cotton You may gu ess .
ho w much —enough to make it easier t o deal with
“
your uncle .
Y o u ask in your last whom I see and would like ,
t o kn ow what I do all day Yo u ask if I have made

.
any new friends I scent the wicked weed j ealousy

.
in the garden Of love Fie for shame ! More peo

.
ple have been able this year to get away I see no .
women excep t Mrs A verill and if you are j ealous

.
,
o f any woman it must be o f Rosalin d o r Portia or
Lady Macbeth I have been refreshing myself with

.
the company o f these ladies in your absence Horses .
ar e so plenty that I have be en able to ride a few

CON ST AN C E T R E SCOT 1 31
times with La Grange and I begin to thin k o f the

,
j y
o o f some day riding with o
y u .
Poor Wilson is dead ; and as yo u desired I took, ,
care o f the funeral The rest may keep E very

. .
thing goes well and there are still fl o w ers —oh in

, , ,
abundance ! I hear that the rector is not well and

has given up A youn g man named Kent has taken
.
his place I ha d some distant rel atives named Kent

. .
I never saw them Y o u may tell Susan that La

.
Grange who knows Mr Kent says he is young and

,
.
,
very good looking That is all my news DO take

-
. .
care Of yourself .
”
Poor Susan ! thought C onstance ; I think she
prefers them Old . I imagine Susan in a mil d clerical
”
flirt ation !
N the evenin g
the first o f O ctober of ,
Constance found herself to her great ,
j oy again in her o w n home They ar

, .
rived late and Mr Hoo d very tired

, . .
He appeared however at breakfast , ,
next morning having slept unusually well A fter

, .
an ample meal during which he found time to com

,
plain Of the butter the eggs the corn bread and

, ,
-
,
his cocoa he informed Susan that she had better

,
’
take a rest and that Consta nce at eleven o clock
, , ,
would go with him to show him the way to Mr .
’ ’
G r eyhu r st s o ffice and to the general s A t five in .
the afternoon George would drive him about the

country He desired to see his lands In the even
. .
ing he would be prepared to discuss matters with

T r esc o t .
The family thus disposed Of rose in revolt

, ,
.
T r esc o t had aE air s which would keep him b us y ;

there would be a buggy and Co ffin to drive Mr Hoo d .
about It was t o o far for him to walk and Co n

.
,
stance would be occupied Susan declined to be ad .
T r e sc o t said :
“
vised She had to unpack He gave up at once .
It woul d be as well not to call o n

.
Mr G reyhu rst But if you do may I ask that yo u

. .
,
1 32
will not commit yourself in any way until the gen

eral and I have been able to lay before you more
”
fully what has been done .
O f course n o t T r esc o t ; I have not been a busi

,
ness man all my life without h aving learned cau

tion.
”
He had a brisk little air o f assurance I .
“
hope to make the acquaintance of some of the Co n
federate O fficers I think you said Mr G r eyhu rst
. .
was o ne o f them With my views o f the late dis

.
“
astrous war everything will become easy
”
,
.
m _
g o o u t that
,
“
I tru st sir
y o
,
u
said T r esc o t as he was about to
may
,
enable me now that yo u

,
are ,
here t o act as I have not been as yet authorized

,
to do Unless you ca n make up your mind to yield

.
a little you will find difficulties as we have done

,
Mr Ho od waved them awa y

. Difficulties are
,
.
“ .
not fo r the resolute .
Constance shook her head at her husband who , ,
thus advised quietly gave up ; and the little Old

,
man went o u t o n the p orch to get his morning ex

e r c ise. He walked up and down with his hands ,
behind his back smiling at intervals and contem

, ,
plating with satisfaction novel Opp ortunities fo r

the exercise o f his adroitness in aE ai r s Mean .
while Susan also disapp eared

,
.
A s Constance left him at the door T resc o t said ,
There are limitless cap acities for mischief in that

”
Old man .
There are ; but he is as timi d as a house fl y -

.
The general has already disposed him to yield He .
is only making believe t o be very bold ; and if Mr .
G r eyhu r st represents to him the state o f feelin g

here he will be pretty well alarmed at the attitu de

,
“
o f his Confederate friends
That is very sensible dear and n o doubt true ; ,

.
but he will say yes to day and no to morrow and -

,
-
,
I shall b e presumed t o have advised him That is .
where the mischief will come in And now I must .
”
go .
Constance was fully resolved t o have her o w n

’
share in these counsels She saw her hus band s u n
.
easiness and was sensible that there was peril in

,
the air and a general belief that this absentee mil

,
li o n ai r e was standing in the way Of progress and

threatenin g men who had been sol diers and for
whom the deepest sympathy was felt She was as .
clear as George that to relieve the squatters and

make easy settlements with the owners Of mort
gaged lands woul d leave only the larger matter
Of the more valuable land claim o n the bend She -
.
cared nothing for what her uncle might make o r

lose but she had had one s t ern illustration of the
,
methods of the rude men who co nsidered them

selves wronged and ho w the issues were to aEe c t
,
her husband had been from the first her chief

anxiety She had been fortunate in her venture
.
with Co ffin and now again she meant to act and

, ,
was the more resolute because she w as n o t quite

’
at ease in regard to T r esc o t s health He had felt .
’
the summer s heat and more Often than before ,
carried his right arm caught for supp ort in his

wa i stcoat .
A s the day proved cool Mr Hood decided to ,

.
walk When he stood in front o f the o n e story

.
-
CON STAN CE T R E S CO T 1 35
wooden OEic e of John G r eyhu rst he considered ,
with disapproval the want o f fresh p aint and

the ill kept window p anes -
They gave him a -
.
sense o f superiority He was himself as neat as .
a cat .
He went up the entry and in a moment was in ,
the presence o f G reyhu rst who knew at a glance ,
that the eager little gentleman in well fitt in g gray -
sum mer dress must be Mr Hood A s he rose t o wel . .
come him —large square shouldered and powerful

, ,
-
, ,
—the contrast was striking

“ Mr Hood I am sure.
”
, .
.
Yes .
There was a cordial greeting G r eyhu rst removed .
some law books from a chair and they sat down

Mr Hood saying
. It gives me great pleasure to
:
“ , ,
see yo u Y o u may not be aware that I am o n e o f the

.
many at the N orth whose sympathies were with the

South and I have long felt that if I could ven
,
”
ture at my age to come to St A nn I might
,
’
he remembered T r esc o t s warning —
,
I might clear
.
“ ,
”
up some misunderstandings .
The lawyer was not o n e o f those w ho like Tres ,
c o t could let a man go o n to tangle himself in the

,
net o f his own garrulity He said : O h there have .

“ ,
been more than enough troubles sir Y o u are quite ,

.
corre c t but I should hesitate to call them mi su n der

,
standings unless Mr T r esc o t has utterly set aside

,
.
your wishes He is a bolder man than your form er

.
agent — I may say a rasher man

,
He has taken , .
measures t o turn out some broken down soldiers -
from their miserable little clearings He has given .

notices o f merciless foreclosures T o some Of these .
”
p eople it i s ruin .
Hood had not the frankness to say that these

had been his o w n very positive orders nor that ,
T r esc o t had insisted on milder measures He moved .
“
uneasily as he returned
I am inclined t o be lenient but business is busi ,
“
ness Mr G r eyhu r st
,
. .
Yes no doubt ; but I thi nk that yo u ought to be

,
aware that we are a wrecked p eople ; that p eople w ith

no money cann ot p ay ; and worst of all there is , ,
that land claim at the bend -

O ne o f o u r Oldest .
families is interested an d has the sympathy o f ,
o u r entire community The failure to settle this .
is standing in the way O f o u r prosperity and

limiting our river facilities I do n o t imagine sir .
, ,
that you know o u r hot blooded p eople There is -

.
risk si r —peril — in the course that is b eing p ur

, , ,
”
sued
“ .
”
Peril ! said the little o l d gentleman sittin g up , .
I do not understand He w as imposed up on by

.
“
the emphatic statements of the stalwart dark faced -
,
man . I should be glad to be enlightened Who .
”
is in danger ?
G r eyhu rst had no desire to go beyond vagu e gen
“
e r al i t i es
Y
.
I said there was peril If you lived here

es, .
you would understand N o Southern co mmunity .
will tamely submit to these measures A compro .
mise with a fair division o f the water front at the

,
-
bend would quiet the feeling The rest woul d be

,
.
easy to mana g e I have urged thi s in v ai n Mr

. . .
C ON STAN CE T RE S CO T 1 37
T re sco t pleads your orders A s a lawyer I assu re .
you your claim will not stand .
Hood held up the hand o f appeal I —I sir will .

, ,
consider the matter I will talk it over with Mr

. .
”
T r esc o t I will speak to the general
. .
He had come hither t o talk business as he called ,
it and was scared and humiliated This was not

,
business He went o n : We would be prep ared t o

.
“ .
“
go into an y reasonable propositions
I have invited them over and over
.
”
Dear me ! that is bad very bad , .
Then yo u agree to divide the water front ? -
O h no ; I could n o t say that ; I — I am accus

,
’ ”
t o me d t o discuss such matters I don t quite know . .
He was getting confused and nervous and as ,
“
eager to get away as he had been to come He rose -
. .
It has been a great pleasure to see yo u Ah ! my .
“
hat thank you ; I must go o n t o see A verill
,
I shall have the pleasure t o call and meanwhile ,

.
y o u ma y trust me to do all I can t o restrain the

feeling here It is bitter very bitter — in fact dan
.
, ,
”
“
ger o u sl y bitter
”
Good morning.
Bless me ! said the Ol d gentleman as b e en

.
“
t er e d the street and stoo d wiping his forehead
,
what an abrup t p erson ! I must talk t o George

,
”
T r esc o t .
A s he moved he reflected that Gr eyhu rst had

on
no direct connection with the aE airs Of the squatters ,
n o r with the mortgages If he intended to alarm

.
him Rufus Hood he should learn that it was not

, ,
easy The further he got away from the impressive

.
p h y sical bulk and threatening manner o f the law

yer the m ore he resolved to have his rights He

, .
was as I have said close and narrow in bus iness

, ,
aE ai r s but outside o f them not ungenerous and

, ,
very willing to let the left hand know o f the bounty

o f the right A fter he had ousted these land rob
.
—
bers he might help them might do something The .
idea o f thus p osing as a benefactor refreshed him .
He went o n to A verill s ’
.
He foun d the general rather doubtful as to the

very valuable land at the bend It was a d iffic ult .
matter ; n o r was he much disp osed to make that or

’
any O f Hood s business appear easy He said no .
thing o f the new evi dence Mr Hood wo uld have . .
to yield and not drive men to extremities He told .
him that T r esc o t would set before him in full as ,
concerned the water front the s t ate o f the evidence

-
,
in his favor It must rest largely o n their ability

.
to prove the bounds o f a survey made for Mr .
’
Hoo d s father forty years back If they failed .
,
then the B aptiste heirs would come in under an

Old French title When Hoo d mentioned what the
.
A verill laughed .
“
lawyer had said o f violence and public Opinion
A little b l u E The man is not .
,
very sure o f his case A fter Mr T r esc o t talks t o

. .
you we will be better able to decide if it be well to

,
“
compromise .
Compromise ! That I will never do I am no t

a man t o be scared o u t o f my rights
Averill smiled and said : Be gentle with the “ .
squatters and the rest Their lands are o f small

.
value ; the water i s shoal near the to w n ; soon o r late

all o u r bus iness has got to go to the bend I shoul d .
willingly abandon all yo ur other interests t o insure

”
that .
Mr Hood went away well pleased Here was b usi

. .
ness and to sp are He would be firm firm

. He ,
.
struck his stick o n the broad sidewalk and went on , .
In the afternoon Constance took her uncle to

drive in a buggy along a bad wood road to see the -
lands so long in dispute It gave her the Opp o rt u

.
n i ty she needed .
In the woods she tied the horse and walke d about

until her uncle was tired and much bewildered .
Then they sat down o n a l o g He had been tell

.
ing her over and over how determined he was A t .
“
last during a pause in his repetitions she said
,
What do yo u mean to do about the squatters ?

,
”
Turn them o u t Of course It is my land
,
. .
They are pretty l awless men Uncle Rufus ,

.
O h I have heard all about that from Mr Grey

,
.
hurst I am not a man to be easily alarmed The

. .
general says it is all talk — pure b l u E ”
“ .
“ Indeed ? Were you ever shot at ?

I ! G o d bless me ! no What do yo u mean ?
.
”
Why should I be shot at ?
When George first came here o r soon after , ,
these men were told that you meant to ej ect them ,
and that he would act promptly O ne o f them shot.
”
at George ; I had j ust left him ; it was at night .
looked about him sayin g

,
“
The neat little Old man w as at once uneasy and
Good gracious Con ,
,
stance ! It must have been an accident A re you .
“
sure ? D O they live near here ?
The b ullet broke a pane Of glass If yo u are .
curious you can see the hole it made in the wall

,
.
N o w uncle this is serious and not a matter fo r doubt

, , ,
o r delay Y o u have tied Geo rge up so that he is

.
hated and I do n o t kn ow what may happ en He

, .
has done some things to quiet these men He has .
settled certain Of the mortgages and yo u will have ,
to stand by his acts ; but there is still danger If .
you had been here it wo ul d have b een yo u they ,
would have shot at Y o u have been merciless and it .

,
has got to stop I will not have George killed in

.
order that you may make a few thousand dollars I .
”
will not have it !
’
Ho w violent you are Const ance ! You don t ,
supp ose there is any — any danger now ? It was

most inconsiderate most unusual O f course the
,
.
“
man was arrested
’
.
Arrested ? N o ; you can t arrest a whole town .
I mean that public opinion would be o n his S ide .
He got away and no o n e kn ows of it If you talk

,
.
“
o f it I w ill never never forgive you
I will not ”
he said
,
I never heard of such a

,
.
“ .
”
thing It is awful
. .
She turned sharply as they sat o n the l o g Yo u .
sa y it is awful It is yo u w ho made what woul d

.
have been easy full o f risk to my hus band It lies .
with you to put an end to this state o f things If .
y o u will n o t I shall leave

,
St Ann with George — Oh .
,
at once ! N ow what do yo u mean to do ? We have

already talked o f i t — O f leaving ”
“ What do you want me t o do ? he returned

.
“
feebly .
Will you a gree to let George buy OE the squat

’7
CO N STAN CE TRES COT
I will talk t o him Women know nothing Of .
“
business .
I do uncle George T r esc o t is my business This

,
. .
’
trifling with my husband s life and my happiness
m ust end — n o w and here Y o u talk of business !
“
”
.
She rose and stood facing him I am in the busi .
ness o f life E ither you do as I say o r I shall make

.
,
George give up your aE ai r s and go away You have .
been entirely regardless Of what might happen .
George and the general wrote to you over and over ; ,
yo u did not reply or y o u refused t o yield anything .
These rebel friends o f yours hate yo u ; and no w thi s

attempt at murder comes as a result o f your selfish
“
folly .
—
N O o e mentioned this this remarkable inci
n
dent I have been left in the most culp able i gn o

.
rance I am a perfectly reasonable man Let Tres

. .
c o t clear them o u t and I will — well I will then see

, ,
”
“
what may be done to help them
Yes ; yo u will see ; and with George dead and
.
yo u t o o if you announce your intention and stay

here I will not have it Will yo u do as George
. .
“
w ants o r will you not ?
,
I will not be bullied I must think it over . .
Y o u will do no such thing This life o f sus .
p ense is simply unendurable Have you no c o m .
mon sense —n o compassion for me no realization of ,

”
the danger you have brought up on us ? She turned
from him with a gesture o f despair crying : Y o u ,
“
are an impossible person Y o u have neither common .
sense nor heart I have done with you I hope never

. .
to see you a gain A s she ended she moved away

.
,
I: at e s thr mi h the d ar k e n in
1 42 CON ST AN C E T R E S CO T
”
Great heavens ! he cried as he stoo d up , .
”
Are you going to leave me here alone ?
“
I am ; you can walk home ”
.
”
Constance ! Constance ! he cried .
She turned back Well what is it ? .

,
”
I will do it .
—
Yes until yo u get home O h you and your .
,
money ! I want no more o f it ; I had rather sew o r

‘
1 7
b eg
But I will do it George may do as he likes
. .
And you will p ay ? Y o u will let hi m settle with

”
“
the squatters ?
Yes yes ”
,
.
And the other thin gs —the foreclosures ?

”
Yes y es ,
He rose very shaky She gave him
.
, .
“
her arm as he tottered
And about the lands here ?
.
I will never give them up .
She smiled an d contented with her vic tory said

, , ,
I would not if I were you Here is the buggy . .
He was sil ent all the way home nursing his ,
wrath .
“
Her husband met them as they ente red his library
Have you had a pleasant drive Mr Hood ? ”
,
.
.
I have not sir It has been most disa greeable

,
. .
My uncle has agreed George that whatever , ,
terms yo u may make with the squatters and about ,

”
the mortgages he will abide by them
T r esc o t was surprised
,
O h thank you he cried .

“ ,
.
,
.
It is a great relief si r great , ,
I agreed to it under compulsion said Hoo d ,

.
O n reflection I am o f op inion,
CON STAN C E T RE S CO T 1 43
T r esc o t turned o n him Did yo u tell my wife .
“
y ou would do as she has said ?
I did ; but upon reconsidering I
, ,
Then sir I shall act o n your very wise decision ;

, ,
and it is time I did and none too soon I will talk

, .
“
it all over with yo u to night or to morrow
“
- -
.
“
”
We shall see said the Old man ;
,
I am too
”
“
weak to discuss matters at present
I have no desire to do so ”
returned T r esc o t ,
.
”
Uncle said Susan an amused listener
, ,
you ,
had better lie down before dinner ; yo u must be

”
“
tired .
”
Damn everybody ! said the Old man and disap ,
“
’
p e ar e d clutching
,
at Susan s arm .
An d n o w dear said George as yo u have been

, , ,
“
acting for me in this business
N O n o ; I was acting for myself
,
.
I see dear ; and what did yo u sa y to that im

,
”
“
p robable Old man ?
I said you had been shot at .
Constance
I did He thinks he will be killed I told him
. .
that would be a great relief O h I said horrid .

,
“
things He is half dead already
.
Do yo u think yo u were altogether wise to make

.
“
him angry ?
What do I care ? I am a woman in love at bay ,
.
O h I used my claws ; but he gave way ; he always

,
”
“
does TO morrow he will change his mind
-
. .
B e at ease dear ; I am to o relieved to give him a

,
chance to escap e I could not have used any risk

.
I run o r ha ve run to make your uncle give me a

, ,
free hand ; but I should simply have said E ither ,
I am t o do as seems best o r I give up the charge o f

,
”
“
yo u r aE ai rs .
I told him you would .
Susan entered laughing , George she said .

, ,
my uncle wants a time table o f the railroad E ast -

.
”
What have yo u done to him Conny ? ,
George and Constance laughed as she replied I ,

”
“
frightened him well
He is a bit over cooked Conny
.
said Susan
-
, , .
Did you tell him he wo ul d be scalp ed ? He is in

”
“
a p anic .
’
He won t b e to morrow returned Constance
-
, ,
“
still a little cross .
He thinks he will n o t get up fo r dinner When .
ever his feelings are hurt by yo u o r me he decides t o

make a new will I shall hear o f it to morrow I
.
-
.
have been very rich steeped in poverty and mod

, ,
er at el y wel l O E He tells me all about it every

.
time It woul d be very very fun ny if there were

.
,
n o t t oo much of it It is money money money I

.
, ,
.
think there m ust b e devil saints and their blood -
money It is an obsession with Uncle Rufus He

. .
is now being robbed and ruined by these unlucky

squatters and is talkin g o f giving thousands to
,
endow an asylum fo r the orp hans of dead rebels !

It all has its serious side but I could no t help being
,
”
“
amused .
Amused ? There is nothin g amusing about it

nothing N othin g as unreasonable as Uncle Rufus
.
is amusing to me ; and he is always acting with him ,

’
self f o r a u dience when the play does n t draw He .
was horribly scared Susan Is he still ? I have

, .
worse things in store if he shoul d dare to change his

mind This is no matter for laughter I hOpe he
. .
will go This is all o f my life It is George Tres

. .
cot. She was becoming more and more excited and
cot,
I shal l do nothing to keep him here
laying a hand o n her arm
said Tres
But be quiet .
“ ,
,
”
dear .
N ever before had he seen her swep t by such a

storm o f passionate wrath .
She drew herself up at hi s touch and was i n ,
st an t l y quieted like some splendid animal tamed

,
“
and stilled by the touch Of a master
I did n o t mean to laugh at you said Susan
.
, ,
her ki ndly face with its great power o f expression

,
becoming suddenl y grave ; but you ought by this “ ,
time t o know Conny dear that everything has its

, ,
droll side fo r me Y o u take uncle t o o seriously

. .
Yo u get superbly angry ; I make him appear r i di cu

lous E ither answers ; and dear the anger hurts
.
, ,
y o u ; the ridicule is effective and hurts no one I,

.
am alto gether o n your side But what about that .
“
time table
-
I have none said T r esc o t ; and he cannot go

,
until we have set all this matter at rest A fter .
“
that he cannot go t o o soon .
Very well ; he shall stay j ust as long as you

”
want said Susan and left the room
, , .
Then Constance sat down and burst into tears .
”
What is it my love ? said T r esc o t comforting
, ,
O h everything
, George everyt hin g ; I di d not
, ,
think any o n e coul d be as heartless I hope they will .
—
“
all go away o h soon ; I want yo u to myself
,
I do not think he will stay and I do n o t want ,

.
him ; he will only muddle matters Come o u t into .
the garden ; we will talk o f other thin gs Let this .
”
rest .
It w as his way t o avoid needless disc us sions and , ,
havin g settled a thing and reached a decision t o ,
dwell upon it no longer It was othe r w ise with

.
Constan c e It required a distinct e E o r t as Susan

.
said — and she kn ew her sister well

,
for Conn y to ,
-
“ ,
”
p ick the burs O E her mind He too was begin .
, ,
ning to observe the p ersistency with which she dwelt

u pon unpleasant and indeed pleasant ideas , ,
.
The quiet o f a windless night with the unclouded ,
brilliancy Of the Southern he avens was over them ,
as they went into t he garden She slipp ed her hand .
into his and they walked up and down the garden

,
p ath A fter a little she said : I behaved like a bad

.
“
”
“
child You do not scold me Ge orge
.
I never shall You have that withi n which

.
,
.
“
scolds enough at need
I sometimes doubt it
.
O h no ; never do that
,
.
I envy you your p atience George I wonder ,

.
if ever I shall be like you They say husband and .
“
wi fe do sometimes grow to be alike .
O r more and more unlike We are both distinct .
characters and both strong natures ; we shall never

,
”
grow into resemblance .
She made no immediate r eply but after a litt le ,

CO N ST AN CE T RE S CO T 1 47
asked inconsequently : Were yo u ever afraid ,
“
”
George ?
O h Often ; always when going under fire Wh y
, .
”
“
do you ask ?
I have been afraid o f late ; I do no t know why .
It is like the fear in a dream Is there such a thing .
“
”
as pure ca u seless fear ?
Yes ”
,
he said
,
“
some insane p eople have it o r ,
so I have heard .
Well I am not that

,
she said laughin g I, ,
suppose it is a result o f my long an x iety about yo u

—my sense o f danger ever since that dreadful
”
“
night.
Well he returned we are o r are going t o be

, , , ,
”
in quiet waters See ho w glorious O rion is
. .
She was not yet to be turned aside .
O h I was quite hopeless about these wretched

,
aE ai r s and you never are ; and you are always p a

,
tient with me and every o ne even when thin gs seem ,
“
”
S O utterly hopeless .
Ah , Constance
‘
Where hop e is none
’
Patience is there a go d .
Ho w yo u love to quiet me with a quotation ! It

’
is very clever I never have an answer Is n t that
. .
”
Jupiter George ? she said looking up at the shin
, ,
ing stars .
Yes ; I think it is What a little part o f it all

.
we are ; and yet we are A nd like the great rolling.

,
worl ds overhead , we to o are pulled by a hun dred

1 48 CO N S T AN CE T R E S CO T
exterior forces and like them must keep o u r orbits

, ,
”
“
steadily
Thank yo u
.
she said ; I a c cept the lesson I

, .
will try ; you know what is for me the o ne over

”
“
r ul in g force .
I know dear ; but there are others

, .
”
Is n o t love enough ?
Yes ; the love that is in and o f all earthly love
”
at its best .
She walked o n in silence and then returned : I ,
understand you ; but do you think I cou l d ever love

”
you more o r better than I do ?
He hesitated and then answered : Will you not
,
’
love me better as the years go o n and as with God s , ,
help I shall be better worth the lovin g fo r indeed

, ,
-
, ,
”
“
I mean t o be ?
O h yes yes , ,
.
’
Then there will be reasons fo r love s sweet i n
”
“
crease .
I am trapped ! ”
she cried laughin g Yo u ,
.
”
ought to be ashamed Goo d night ; and kissing
him she went away crying : It w as not fair ; I
, ,
.
“
”
shall be careful ho w I make admissions .
US AN announced next day at break
fast that her uncle woul d remain in his
room and desired t o be alon e
, He
wished Constance to know that the
toast was burned an d that he had r e
,
c e i ve d a shock to a sensitive nervous system My .
dear Conny he thinks them equally important He

, .
—
wished me to say to yo u and I do dear for he , ,
—
will ask me I was t o say that the least gratitude
o n your p art would have saved him from this dis
”
“
tressing incident .
Toast o r nervous shock ? asked Constance

’
Don t be cynical dear said Susan ; toast Of
, ,
“ .
,
”
course .
T r esc o t decline d any connection with the matter ,
and went away laughing .
O n the following day Mr Hood came down to .
breakfast He was unusually silent and refusing

.
,
to say where he was going went o u t alone , He .
l unched with General A verill and returned late , ,
havin g elaborately arranged his ideas fo r the legal

consultation t o take place that evening .
When Constance mildly penitent as to methods

,
because victorious asked him to walk in the garden

, ,
he said he preferred his o w n societ y and declined ,
1 49
the rose she o E er e d with a well worn classical quo

,
-
t at i o n concerning the Greeks and their gifts .
When Susan reminded him o f the need to rest

before dinner he said in a querulous tone that he
,
was never left alone a moment and he wished ,
“
Susan would attend to her o w n aE airs
My dear Conny ”
said Susan o n her return,
.
when Uncle Rufus p inches you o r me it is beca use ,
some o n e wh om he cannot p inch has been pinch ing

him . I know his subdued look Somethin g dis .
agreeable has happ ened He will be sure to tell .
”
us all about it .
A t dinner he seemed to have recovered his goo d

humor and was in o n e Of his talkative moods an d
, ,
’
soon fulfilled Susan s prediction A pp arently Con .
stance was forgiven ; indeed his resentments rarely ,
lasted long and as Susan said the su n would have

, , ,
-
“
t o hurry if it meant to go down upon his wrath
Well Mr Hood ,
said T r esc o t we are waitin g
.
, ,
“ .
to hear what yo u think o f St A nn Yo u have been . .
“
o u t all day .
I find it a remarkab le place —a most remarkable
“
place .
In what way uncle ? said Constance ,

.
,
—
O h the people the p eople .
”
But how remarkable ? asked T r esc o t In .
every way ? They are very kindly some o f them ,
cross and n o wonder ; but still amon g them there

, ,
are many very pleasant well bred gentlefolks I

,
-
.
find a few o f the older people real ly charming with ,

”
“
their flavor o f Creole ways Whom did you meet ?
I met that rude anim al G r eyhu r st He wanted
.
,
.
CON ST AN C E TR E S CO T 1 51
me to come into his office f o r another talk I de .
“
c l in e d .He is a brute .
But really I do not think he means to be ill

mannered or rude
,
”
,
said T r esc o t
, He certainly .
“
“
is imp ulsive and short o f temper
That is very well sir ; but I conceive myself ,
.
to be at least able to j udge o f manners A .
brute sir ; a wild beast I desire to be understoo d

,
.
as stating categorically that he is a m annerless

”
“
cur .
That see ms definite I am glad yo u refu sed t o .
talk business .
”
I did .
Whom else did yo u see ? as k ed Susan begin ,
ning to enj oy herself with murmured comments t o

,
“
her sister about the spider and the fly
’
I met at the general s Colonel Dudley o f Gen
.
,
’
eral Stonewall Jackson s staE I fo und him i n .
t er estin g When I expresse d myself with regard to

.
my convictions concerning State rights we had a ,
very agreeable conversation We went away from .
’
A verill s together and he took me to their club He
,
.
was somewhat in doubt as to my argument in r e

gard to the secession o f the individual as j ustifying
”
“
that o f the State
’
.
“ Is n t that fin e Conny ? said Susan in a w his

, ,
p er . Why not divorce as an additional argument ?

’
Is n t that a form Of secession ?
“
’
Longing to pa ss o n Susan s contributions to her
husband Constance asked : Whom did you meet
,
”
“
there ?
The accommodations are very remar k able I b e ,
lieve ,
said T resc o t ; but I have never been ins ide
o f the club .
The colonel explained to me replied Hood , ,
why there were no front steps ; they contemplate

larger quarte rs We went in at the back ; in f act
.
,
”
“
through the kitchen
Well said Susan
,
.
that is rather novel ; but

,
”
“
it might be of use when o n e i s go m g o u t to dine
There app eared to be but one room and a kind ,
.
— ”
“
of bar at one end quite genially p rovincial
Delightful ”
whispered Susan
,
I am sure he .
“ .
”
told them so .
“
I hope they made you j uleps uncle
”
said Co n , ,
“
stance . They are delicious
They did I was presented to several Confed
.
.
er at e o fficers E very one o f them ha d a sep arate

.
receipt for a mint j ulep The Ol d black fellow

-
.
seemed to k now them all I tried o n e — I think it .
’ ’
w as Colonel La Grange s grandfather s receipt I .
regretted it ; I was a little giddy after it I drank .
to the memory o f the Confederacy — a tribute

”
Tithes of mint Conny said Susan , ,
.
”
Did you really do that uncle ? said Constance ,
.
”
I did .
Di d they like your toast ? asked T r esc o t as he ,

’
“
caught his wife s exp ression of mirthful surp rise
Like it ? Yes I think so ; they did n o t say so
,
.
They appeared to me t o be more reserved than I

”
“
had expected to find them
Y o u must have enj oyed your visit remarked
.
“
Susan o n the track of inquiry
,
—
N ot altogether ; one o f them a Cap tain Tracy
.
CON ST AN CE T RE S CO T 53
p ointed o u t the photographs o f J eE erso n Da vis and

’
General Lee and a bad copy o f Peale s Washin gton
, .
Colonel Dudley asked me o n which side I supposed

Washin gton would have been had he lived in the
time o f o u r late war I said he could have been o n.
“
only o ne side .
“ That seems pro b able said Susan with complete , ,
“
gravity ; but did they agree with you uncle ?
N O ; they did not Colonel La Grange said .
,
Washington was a damned Federalist and wo u ld ,
have been with the N orth He liked a Strong central .
“
government .
That is fine exclaimed T r esc o t

,
I like that . .
I did n o t It was disgu sting si r ; and they

.
,
all laughed I was Shocked

. A fter that I ven .
t u r e d to sound some o f them about the absurd feel

ing I understand t o exist here in regard t o the
“
squatters .
I am sorry you did that

”
A nd so w as I said Hood mee kly
said T r esc o t
,
They were
,
,
.
“ .
,
”
“
I may say quite unpleasant
But
,
”
,
said Constance you told them I ho p e ,

“
.
, ,
”
“
that yo u meant to buy up these claims
I did no t ; I have reconsidered the matter
.
”
But I have not
ing back his chair I hear the genera l
.
,
“
said T r esc o t decisively push , ,
”
Dear me ! said the o l d gentleman how very ,
”
“
hasty everybody is !
I am in no hurry said Constance ; and Susan ,
was never in a hurry in all her life Take your .
w m e l n p eace with us uncle George will send f o r

,
.
y o u when he and Mr A verill are ready . .

1 54 CON ST AN CE T RE S COT
General A verill corrected Mr Hood cracking

, .
,
“
a pec an nut with an emphasizing snap
-
.
”
Maj or general said Susan with an upward
-
, ,
’
lift of her eyebrows and a touch of her sister s foot, .
Y es yes ; thank you my dear

, There are so ,
.
many generals here it is quite confusing O ne is .
”
an editor I u n derstand
, .
Constance was thus reminded o f her desire that

her u n cle sho ul d see the St Ann Herald ”
and “ .
, ,
“
risin g said :
,
I think uncle yo u may like to see the general

, ,
’ ”
e ditor s p aper I never fail to read it Here it is ;
. .
and so sayin g she laid it o n the table and sat down

,
to observe what would be the result o f this inno

cent eE o r t t o i nstruct and amuse .
While Susan took up a book and Constance sat

expectant Mr Hood adjusted his glasses and began
,
.
to consider the small sheet before him Some p eo .
ple rea d the dailies some r u n over them as indexes,
o f p assing events Mr Hoo d studied them For

. . .
ten minute s he was absorbed C o fit an c e watche d .
him as a boy watches the bob o f his fishi n g line A t -

.
“
last desiring an appreciative consp irator she said
,
”
,
Susan did you brin g me o u r o l d receip t book ?

“
-
,
Susan looking up caught her eye

,
Yes ; shall
,
.
“
I get it now ?
No ”
.
’
Having drawn Susan s attention a slight ,
facial gesture indicated her desire that Sus an should

be the appreciative boy o n the bank Susan i n .
,
st ant l y comprehending began t o Observe her uncle ,

.
Presently and without looking up he murmured

, ,
”
Very remarkable It w as a w ay he had when
.
thus engaged Very satisfactory The C and

. . .
St A i s t hink in g o f a line to the bend Hum ! I

'
. . .
might assist that Good gracious ! That is i n .
t er est in g .
He began to read aloud while Constance and her ,
sister exchanged smiles His way o f anno u ncing .
what interested him in his pap er failed altogether

t o consider the occupying interests of others The .
habit is keenly felt in some family circles as a

breakfast nuisance Cotton has gone up t w o cents . .
’ — ’
What s this what S this ? — ‘
We understand that
Mr Hood the obstru ctive N ew E ngland million
.
,
aire is now in St An n at the residence o f his niece

,
. .
We trust that he wi ll see the necessity o f more l o

nient action in an imp overished community than he
’
o r his agent has hitherto shown .
He laid down the paper and said : What does ,
the man mean ? I must call o n him t o morrow an d -
”
explain .
I think George would prefer t o do that him

sel f uncle,
When he announces your generous
.
intentions yo u will se e what a fine ap ology there

”
will be .
Among you all I seem to be very little c o nsi d

ered I wish yo u to understand that I am not a
.
”
puppet for George T r esc o t to pull the wires .
A s neither woman replied he returned to his ,

”
study of the St A nn Herald and Susan o n a .
, ,
signal from Constance t o a study o f his face ,

.
Presently he looked up again .
”
Good heavens !
”
What is it ? said Constanc e .
What a country ! what people ! It is in c r ed

”
“
ible monstrous l
,
They are very pleasant people uncle I wish ,

.
some of our o w n were as courteous and as gen

tle We are harder I fear O f course there are
.
,
.
all kinds and some most undesirable

,
But what .
“
is it ?
Most uncivilized ! Listen to this : A n u n fo r tu
‘
nate rencontre occurre d yesterday o n the levee b e , ,
tween Mr James Lawton and Mr Burp ee

. We . .
regret to state that the former was wounded — it was

supposed mortally Mr Burpee lost a finger and . .
,
a small negro boy was unlucky enough t o be shot

i n the stomach He is n o w dead The aE air was
. .
the final result o f a long quarrel in regard to the

title to a lot o n the main street O n inquiry we .
learn that Mr Lawton is less serio usly wounded

.
’
than had been supp osed .
Hoo d looked up from the p aper Does this k ind .
”
o f thing occur Often Constance ? ,
”
O h now and then
,
she replied lightly ; o ne ,
gets used to it Y o u hear a shot and then p eople as

.
, ,
”
“
they say squander ,
You had better buy a revolver uncle said S u

.
, ,
san laughing
,
.
He sto od up tottering a little It does no t pre

,
.
sent itself to me young women as a matter for in , ,
considerate mirth Y o u seem to forget that I have .
property in this town and that occurrences o f this ,
kind may aE ec t i ts value He began to walk .
about the room the p aper in his hand m u ttering

“
to himself : Most astounding ! most barbarous !
,
”
,
CON S T AN CE T R E S CO T 1 57
Both nieces preserved an amused silence .
I think yo u stated that this kind O f incident is

”
“
common Constance
Rather uncle
,
”
,
.
.
It app eared t o Susan a definite b ut n o t very

pleasing method o f settlin g a business di fficulty and ,
as she so expressed herself T r esc o t appeared and

carried Mr Hood away to the study where w as Gen
.
,
eral A verill .
A s he disappeared Constance said : O f course , ,
dear you saw that I meant to make it all as bad as

,
”
“
I could .
Yo u were quite right .
In fact this kind o f thing is very dreadful

, .
Mr Lawton is really a most agreeable and highly

.
educated man and has been very kind to George ;

,
but oh Susan I have lived here in constant ter

, , ,
ro r
. I do not see how the women stand it I had .
already heard of this last horror from George Mr . .
Lawton is not badly hurt but I fancied the news ,
“
would be morally useful to uncle
Is it so common Conny ? ”
,
.
N o ; but it has happ ened twice since we came

once in the country and once o n the main street ,
.
T w o men were killed This is the third o f these .
“
a greeable incidents
It seems very dreadful

.
Yes it is it is ; and dear Susan I mu st tell you

, , , ,
.
I was told no t t o mention it but I must George , .
”
was shot at by o n e of these squatters She to l d .
“
the story but without naming Co ffin
,
,
O h my p oor Conn y why was I not told sooner ? ,

.
Yo u ought not to stay here . You m u st not stay

”
“
here
Oh
.
I do n o t know
, I hop e not lon g and it .
,
’
is not George s fault We are re garded by all but .
,
’
a few O l d soldiers as hard and cruel It is uncle s ,
.
fault There is not o n e thing that could n o t b e set

.
“
tl e d easily with a little forbearance
Knowing uncle as I do I can read ily believe ,
.
you I think Conny you sent him away in an e x

.
, ,
c o llent frame o f mind He will yield everything and .
go home I suppose you told him o f this awful

.
“
thing It was like him to conceal it
.
Yes I to ld him ; and I wish he wo ul d go I hat e

,
.
“
him !
O h Conny n o t that
, , .
”
I do I ha t e him ! .
Susan was right To the amazement o f A verill .

,
Hood stood t o his bargain with Constance and ,
agreed to give t o the squatters land o n the b l u E at

some distance from the water lin e o f the bend He -
.
was even willing to pay at need He authoriz ed .
George to withdraw the remaini ng foreclosures and

to cancel o r lesse n the p ast indebtedness fo r unp aid
interest where that seemed best When A verill p ut .
before him an agreement authorizing George t o

carry these arrangements into c E ec t he hesitated ; ,
but at last seeing A verill smile he signed the p aper

“ , ,
.
It will have an excellent influence o n public

op inion ”
said the general
,
An d what now about .
“ , ,
”
the case o f the wate r front at the bend ? -
T r esc o t waited watching Mr Hood He w as sat

,
. .
i sfie d wi th what he had won and no t unwilling t o ,

CON STAN C E T RE SCOT 1 59
try a case as important as that o f the ej ectment suit

brought by the heirs Of the Baptiste family A nd .
still he felt that if it wer e hi s o w n land he would

have listened to any equitable form o f settlement
outside o f the courts .
Here at last was a chance fo r the endless discus

sions which Hood enj oyed His eyelids drew to
gether and his face became eager as he said : I
.
“
“
should like to go into that matter fully fully
Let me state it ”
said T r esc o t ,
Just forty .
“
, .
years a go in 1 830 your father bought land o n the

, ,
b l u E from the B aptiste family They retained the .
river front below the b l u E and some o f the b l u E

-
,
to eastward of it E ven then the shore had p r o sp ec

.
tive value The river has since then eaten away

.
their beach their frontage o n the b l u E and some

, ,
hundreds of feet of that which your father bought .
Y o u now o w n therefore the valuable river frontage

, ,
-
,
i f we can prove the sale to your father and define

”
“
the bounds .
That seems simple said Hood

No ,
”
said A veril l ; it is n o t sim p le
,
“ .
”
And why no t ? .
When your p eople were here in the war we

burned the cotton The Old town o n the b l u E took
.
fir e and was utterly destroyed ; the records were

burned My o w n house o n the b l u E went and with
.
,
it your deeds But all this you know as well as

.
“
I do .
Yes ; but the taxes .
Taxes go for little in land cases and where are ,
the receipts ? I had them once but they to o are , , ,

1 60 CON STAN C E TRE S COT
gone with the de eds We have with di fficulty ac .
’
quired the surveyor s books with a description o f the
l o t and a rough map His wife had luckily kept .
’
them and will prove H azew ell s writing
,
It is .
“
hardly enough and j uries are very uncertain
It is damned rascality
,
”
said Hood It is a ,
.
“ .
pure swindle — blackmail

“ It may be ; but yo u must n o t say so —least o f
.
all to Mr G reyhu rst He is employed to prosecute

. .
the B aptiste claim and if he wins will have a large

, , ,
fee —p erhap s a handsome share o f the frontage I .
think him over eager —o n e o f the men who become

-
identified with their clients He is very quick t em .

-
p ered ; but I do n o t think him a rascal O ne has to .
“
be careful here in the u se o f langu age Mr Hood
O h o f course —certainly
,
. .
,
“ He was at once sub
dued but said : Then you advise m e t o settle with
,
.
”
them divide do something ?
,
walked about
,
’ “ He got u p and
I don t see my way to it I won t ’
.
do it N O o n e ever doubted my title until the floo d

.
made it valuable I shall think it over It will r e

. .
quire further consideration and I am tired — I ,
must beg to be excused We can take it up again .
“
t o morrow .
But had yo u n o t better hear the rest o f the evi

”
eager as ever O ne word ” “

dence ? said A verill Hood at once sat down as
said A verill
.
We ,
.
“ ,
are Old friends I ask yo u as a favor to let us

.
o ffer to divide the front and thus settle this b usi ,
“
ness .
I will n o t do it It is contrary t o my sense o f

.
j ustice I have yielded everythin g else I w as bul

. .
CON STAN CE T R E S CO T 1 61
lied by that man and insulted in the club I mean

, .
to have this case go to trial Is that the whole o f o u r .
“
case ? Yo u said there was more
Yes ”
said T resc o t ; the general has said it is
,
“ .
n o t all and is aware that we can probably prove the

,
bounds We shall find the blazed trees and that

.
, ,
”
“
with other evidence ought to win the case
Then sir yo u meant to conceal this and induce
, ,
, .
”
m e to settle !
T r esc o t flushed N o ; I meant to tell you ; you
.
_
interrupted us ; but even now I beg o f yo u to take

the more generous view I think we shall win ; but .
it will go t o another court and result in endless liti
“
”
gat i o n .
’
I do not care T r esc o t last statement had
. s
made him obstinate I shall tell Mr Gr eyhu r st . .
that I will listen to n o compromise o r p erhap s Tres ,

”
c o t had better inform him o f my decision
But said A verill

,
if we win will you not ,
“ ,
.
then consider the unfortunate accident which has

”
“
cost these p eople so dear and arrange the matter ?
N O sir I will not
,
I mean to teach these peo
,
.
,
“
ple that
What p eople ? said A verill coldly ,
.
These —this town I mean to have my rights . .
Averill was both indignant and hurt ; but see

ing that it was vain to reason with him after ,
an unpleasant talk they gave up T r e sc o t who .

,
felt that he had done his duty was not sorry ,
t o accept the situation It was o n e to tempt a .
youn g and able lawyer Before leaving the house .

,
A verill told him that their case woul d come up

11
1 62 CON S T AN C E T RE S CO T
in a week which was rather sooner than T r esc o t

,
desired .
Before g o m g to bed Mr Hood announced that he

,
.
intended to leave the next day Constance was not .
grieved She however urged him to stay ; but he

.
, ,
“
replied
—
N o ; I never change my mind you know that ;
and I am not well ”
which was true -
I want my .
“
home comforts and I wish t o escape being c o n
,
”
t r ad i c t e d every minute .
He went at noon the next day taking Susan with ,
him and assured Constance as he left that he had

, , ,
never been more uncomfortable .
F o r an hour after leaving St A nn he talked to .
Susan with apparent satisfaction o f the ease with

, ,
which his presence and cap acity in aE ai rs had

settled these lon g standing difficulties He was at
-
.
no p ains to relate the various influential motives

which had contributed to make him listen to rea
son His decision to abide by the issues O f the ap
.
p r o ac h i n g trial presented itself to his mind as likely

to a r d a useful lesson to a community which he
described as lawless .
He soon made it clear to Susan that his anger at

Constance was Of longer life than usual Most .
“
generally women degenerate when they marr y She .
is degenerating I think She was very imp ertinent

,
.
“
to me .
What did she do ?

O h no matter It is over I have been treated
,
. .
with great disresp ect Susan I think I shall make

,
.
a new will and leave you everyt hing .

CON ST AN CE TRE S CO T 1 63
It would save trouble uncle I should at Once , .
“
divide with C onny
N o yo u would not
,
.
”
Try me she laughed ,
I do no t think yo u can .
“
kn ow me .
DO I n o t ! Y o u are like your father It is some .
times an advantage to have known two o r three

what I may adequately describe as degenerations .
Yo u are like him — very like him He j oked his way .
through life He j oked away an estate as large as

.
“
mine and laughed when it was gone
,
, ,
’
I thought si r it w as lost by his p artner s ras
.
ca
“
l ity .
Well perhap s yo u know better than I do

,
Susan shifted the talk But w ho is Constance .

“ .
“
like ?
Like ? She is like her mother .
That does n o t help me I never saw my mother .
to remember her Y o u have more than once made.
clear to me that you were not friends and so you ,
must p ardon me if I ask you to be very careful

”
“
what yo u say .
Good gracious Susan ! I said nothing u n pl eas

,
ant I will say nothing o f your mother ; but I will

.
say that Constance is a fool and is very like her , .
If Constance ever has children she will be like a ,

’
tigress with her cubs There s really a good bit .
“
more Of the savage animal in women than in men
Is that your own wisdom Uncle Rufus ? ”
,
.
He said at times things which app eared to imply

, ,
glimpses o f insight into character which were far

above his ordinary range Of appreciations .
1 64 CON ST ANC E T RE S COT
It is ; and I wish you wo ul d stop talking I .
”
shall try t o get a nap .
Susan made no comment His statement about

.
her sister was extreme but was felt by Susan t o

,
have in it a certain amount o f truth That in the

.
life Of their mother there had been any j u stific a

tion fo r the more than implie d Opinion o f her Susan
,
knew t o be untrue . She was glad when the talk

fell away and he dro p p ed asleep .
RE S CO T
lost n o tim ! He went with
Co ffin and fi x ed o n the great trees o f
the inland boundary and made other ,
arrangements N ext he called o n

.
A verill to report his success He .
foun d him in bed and likely t o be laid by fo r several

,
days. Thus deprived o f his senior co u n sel he ,
should have t o re ly o n himself alone He felt him .
self quite equ al t o the task .
’
In the latter part o f the day after Hood s de ,
parture he busied himself with personal visits to

,
several o f the persons o n whose prop erties he had

been ordered t o foreclose mortgages and left with ,
some o f them as the agent o f Mr Hood entire o r

,
.
,
p artial releases from their deb ts for past interest ,
and a promise in regard to others t o give them time

, ,
and lower rates of interest in the future .
He had n o trouble with the squatters There were .
seven in all He o E e r ed them small holdings in fee

.
,
simple o n the lands back o f the bend and in case

, , ,
Of failure in the suit a reasonable comp ensation in

,
money In this he was aided by Co ffin and met

.
,
with n o di fficult y .
Thus released he gave himself up t o the c as e

,
before him and t o arrange matters with the o p

, ,
165
1 66 CO N ST AN C E T RE S CO T
posing counsel called up on G r eyhu r st

, The law .
yer was i n a very good humor He knew o f A ver .
’
ill s illness and believed that if the case went at once
,
“
to trial he would find a feebler antagonist in T r esc o t
He said : Sit down A little bourbon ? N O ? I .
.
’
hope you don t mean to ask for delay o n account
’ ”
o f A verill s il l ness
“ I really could not consent
.
N o ; the time is rather short but I can — indeed ,

.
I mean to be ready The court will reach it abo ut

.
“
the seventh of O ctober I sup pose
Yes on the seventh I am sure I hear that the
,
,
,
.
“
general is ill Shall you have any other counsel ?
.
N O ; but I do not mean on that account t o ask

”
“
fo r p ostp onement I shall try it alone
.
Do you still feel that all chance o f settlement

.
“
is out o f the question ?
Yes ; I am instructed to try the case .
I can only regret it said G r eyhu rst , .
Y o u were so kind at one time as to warn me in

’
regard to the hostility Mr Hood s measures had .
caused I was really very much obliged to yo u

. .
N ow as it has no bearing on o u r o wn case you will

, ,
be glad to know that I have settled amicably most

of the larger mortgage cases and also tho se o f the ,
’
poor fellows who have squatted o n Mr Hood s land . .
—
It has been to me and I fancy to them a very —
”
agreeable relief .
G r eyhu r st was ill pleased A weapon was lost t o .
’
him T r esc o t s gentle ways his quiet manner and
.
,
well bred consideration had made fo r him friends

-
, ,
and his success in arranging the matter o f the dam

aged cotton had obliged important p eople And .
now this more than liberal treatment o f debtors

would tell in his favor and he might find a j ury
,
quite t o o amiably disposed G r eyhu rst did not like

.
it To be annoyed w as with him sure to result

.
, ,
in anger and that in heedless o r irritating sp eech

, .
“
He said
Y o u were very wise The generosity comes at
.
a time when it is politic

T r esc o t laughed
“ .
It would have come long ago

.
“
had I had my way .
T resc o t rose.
“
Yo u will find few to believe that
Mr G r eyhu rst we have hardly
.
,
.
had o n e talk over this matte r in which you have not

said something disagreeable I do not see why you .
do so I have done nothing to entitle yo u to doubt

.
my word We are both Ol d soldiers and now about

.
to go into a legal contest It ought to involve neither

.
”
bitterness nor any need to be other than courteous .
It was difficult to resist wor d s conveyed with the

manner which made George T r esc o t so much liked .
A nger would have bred anger The gentlen ess o f .
the remonstrance checked an irascible man He .
said
“
I spoke hastily Mr T r esc o t
,
. .
Thank you ; I was sure yo u did .
Showing none o f the annoyance he still felt he ,
shook hands with G r eyhu rst as they p arted and ,
went o u t feeling how hard it had been not to make

,
such a reply as the words and still more the manner

, ,
o f the older lawyer invited He resolved t o be .
equally cool and p atient in the trial .
It is strangely true that at the moment his opp o

nent w as f o r the thousandth time regretting u h

, ,
reasonable anger and promising himsel f also fo r the

,
future a more reso lute self rule The general once -

.
remarked o f him that he was half broken like an ,
ill trained colt This was said to Dudley over their

-
.
“
cards at the little club j ust before A verill fell ill
It is that strain o f Indian blood returned ,
.
Du dl ey ; but it must be far back I knew his .
—
grandmother a fine Old Creole dame They were .
“
friends of my people
”
I wish said A verill that if he is your friend
,
.
, , ,
yo u would teach him to muzzle his temper He .
never sees T r esc o t without saying what would mak e

”
“
o n e o f us call him o u t
I am no t his friend said Dudley The man

.
, .
has n o friends He has intimates and acquaintances

.
,
but he is too thin skinned for friendship -

It is .
a p ity to o He is not a bad fellow and is enough

,
.
,
o f a gentleman to be sorry after his damned vanity

”
has made him say something disagreeable .
In the ordered life o f a more complex society

’
G r eyhu r st s readiness to take o E en se would have
caused amusement and been checked in any excessive
manifestation In the wilder West and in St
.
,
.
A nn where he had lived since the war the indi

, ,
v i du al it i es o f men were less conventionally governed .
He was felt to be a dangerous man and as resent ,
ments were here apt to result seriously he was either ,
avoided o r treate d cautiously by his Old comrades

in arms .
Constance pleased to be again alone with Tres

,
cot ,
complain ed that he was n o w away from her
CON STAN C E T R E S COT 1 69
all d ay H e m ade clear that for a week he must

.
be at his o ffice o r elsewhere than with her ; but that

after the trial he wo uld go away with her for a
fortnight to N ew O rleans A nd still as usual he .
, ,
kept the evenings f o r her bringing his work home ,
where it was incomplete and making plain to her ,
the evidence in the land case and his line o f de

fen se .
Flattered by the appeal to her intelligence and ,
enj oying the novelty o f the interest thus awa

k e ne d she followed his explanations with keen
~
~
d elight When the law business was laid aside

.
,
and while she played the tired man sat still with ,
his pipe s o othed and reste d as he watched her

,
face and the house vibrated with the m u sic o f the

great masters .
N ow she turned from the instrument Oh .

,
George I wish there were no business and then I

, ,
”
could have you all the time .
H e had heard this before He thought it sweetly

unreasonable Laughing he returned :
. I should ,
.
“
soon cease t o be worth having It is the contrasts .
Of life that make for its j oys I come home tired .

,
and here are love and p eace I go away re freshed .

,
and yo u are with me always That ought to satisfy .
“
you .
It does not I want yo u t o be at the head o f your

.
professi on and I do not want you to be so long and

,
’
so Often away from me IS n t that silly George ? .
,
And I kn ow — I know that I shall be more and more

j ealous as time goes o n I should like t o be compe .
”
tent t o fill your entire life .
1 70 CON STAN C E T R E S CO T
That dear is p ossible in o n e sense ; in another

, , ,
”
“
it never can be .
I suppose not This is Saturday is n t it ?’

.
,
Yes H o w the week has gone by ! TO morrow I

.
-
shall be free all day and Tuesday will end the strain , .
“
”
I have felt it in my arm as I do when I am tired .
I saw that you were saving it George Will , .
“
”
this trial last two days ?
Y es ; p erhaps three .
Cannot I be p resent ?
Why n o t ? He anticipated success an d was
p leased to think S he should be there and that he
alone was to try the case
,
The general will b e .
“ , ,
in court but not as counsel You know that I shall

,
.
call him as a witness which I could n o t do were he ,
”
in the case He is still far from well
. .
Then as usual he read to his wife what she liked

, ,
best a short tale — this time a story o f Hawthorne s

,
’
.
She left him with his p ipe saying : You will not ,
”
“
work any more .
N o ; I am ful ly prep ared Good night . .
The Sundays were delightful to Constance because

o f their freedom from visitors and esp ecially b e ,
cause there w as no l aw business p artly to occupy

’
George s attention .
In the afternoon o f this S unday he sat o n the back

p orch watching the sunset as seen across the yel
,
low waters of the great river N o w and then he .
fo ll owed with appreciative j oy the tall fi gure o f

Constance as she moved to and fro in the garden ,
gathering the roses which were still abundant in this

genial clime .
CON STAN CE T RE S CO T 1 71
“ He called to her : Pick me a red rose Constance

There is but o n e she called back to him
,
.
.
’
Then I want it He had a woman s love of
.
flowers ; and no w as she returned with her basket

,
full o f roses the white clad figure with the wide

,
-
straw hat made fo r him a picture which he found

altogether charming He went in with her saying
.
,
prettinesses o f love speech and then aided her to

-
,
arrange the flowers bein g himsel f sensitive c o n

,
cern i ng their grouping and having more refined ,
appreciation o f their color values than had his wife -

.
The great red rose he had desired was set in a long
“
stemmed glass o n his table
This is you ,
”
he said an ambassador o f love ,
.
It seems to have the conscious p ride o f beauty O h .

,
y o u have it
,
t o o .
She flushed with pleasure as she cried : George ,

”
how absurd you are ! Yet she liked it well His .
tendency to set his love in delicacies o f p oetic ex

pression pleased her She could show in many
.
ways the stren gth an d quality Of her aE ec t i o n but ,
she had not his gift o f language Her love was .
more p assionate than his o f another p erhaps n o t -

,
o f so fine a fiber .
A fter their evening meal they sat in the library ,
with open windows in the still warm air He felt

, , .
better for the quiet hour and fo r the peace o f the ,
morni ng service where her voice rose that day in

,
the Ol d hymns familiar to his childhood She went .
“
because it pleased him ; she sang because he liked it .
”
The Sunday stillness is very pleasant she said ,
.
”
Y o u always look rested o n Sunday night .
1 72 CON STAN CE T RE S COT
Yes ; it is like an oasis in the desert —w e p ause

to rest and win refreshment fo r the march o f the
morning It is the o n e day when it is all evening
.
,
and man ceases from labor That is a bit far .
“
fetched but I so fee l it
,
,
.
I understand George ; b u t f o r me it is o f all ~
days the best because I have you and people stay ,
away an d there is no business Is it I or is it the

, .
”
church that is so restful ?
He smile d : “
I do not know my love whether , ,
w omen Often feel what some men do that even if ,
the hours o f the service did not represent something

higher to be merely taken for a time o u t o f the
,
turmoil and worries o f the week day life and into -

,
a region of higher thoughts would have its p eculiar

,
”
value .
She wante d him t o say that it was her companion

ship which gave the day i ts restfulness She would .
’
have denied even to herself that her husband s r e
, ,
l i gi o n was strange as it may seem a subj ect o f j e e l

, ,
o u sy . Any approach to discussion o f a matter so

dear to him embarrassed her and she made haste to ,
“
escap e saying ,
D o you really find that long service so restful ?

”
Yes ; and more than that — Oh far more ”

,
.
I wonder if I ever shall I have not heard from

.
’
Sus an since she wrote about uncle s being so fee
”
ble.
E ntirely aware o f her state o f min d he accepted , ,
as usual her disinclination to dwell longer o n what

,
was to him so serious a p art o f his daily life ; and

CON STAN CE T RE S COT 1 73
w e nt to follow her lead and to talk about their

on ,
E astern home and their letters — she sitting the while
“
o n the arm of his chair as she liked to do
It is curious Constance how o n e changes Yes

,
,
,
.
t er d ay I w as tired and not as sure o f my case as I

know I should have been T o day I feel elate and .
-
eager and yet I am n o t much subj ect t o moods

, .
It must be purely physical I was never ill in my .
”
life until I was hit .
“
Constance said quickly with a half repressed -
,
”
“
laugh : Y o u must touch wood George
What a strange o l d superstition ! he returned
”
,
.
smiling .
“
I wonder ho w it grew u p —where it came
,
“
from .
But to u ch it —touch it ! ”
NO ! he cried laughin g ; and then seein g her

, ,
“
t o o earnest look he tapped o n the table
,
It is all nonsense o f course but , ,

”
But what ?
I do n o t know Uncle has a d o zen such S illi
.
nesses I never had — I never used t o have I thin k

. .
“
love must nourish superstition
And so n o w you wish to be superstitious by
.
proxy ; and dear y o u have been very quiet to d ay

, ,
.
I shoul d call it absent minded Where now is your -

.
“
mind absent ? Does anything worry yo u ?
Yes I saw Mrs Averill after church
. . .
Well ?
She said she was very sorry that the general
”
“
w as not to take an active p art in the case
An d so am I Was that all ?
.
.
No ; she
said he was o n e of the few people w ho
could keep Mr G r eyhu r st in order ; and yo u know
.
,
“
’ ”
George that man s reputation
, .
Yes I know it The old lady was hardly as c o n

, .
siderate as usual A nd so it is this which troubles

.
you . It need n o t We are merely two lawyers .
engaged to try a suit O f course S harp things are .
said at times and the sam e men meet afterward

,
and laugh over it I think t o o you kn ow dear.

, , , ,
that I am pretty goo d tempered I can even forgive -

.
— ”
y
“o u for being j ealous o f my mistress the law
’
O h but I am ; and I don t like this man George
, ,
.
“
”
I should hate any o n e w ho had been rude t o yo u .
”
Please not to say such thin gs Constance he , ,
“
returned with an appealing hand o n her arm
,
The man has bee n ill mannered but after all -

, ,
.
there has hardly been material enough even t o sug

gest forgiveness Keep that for something larger
. .
“
Let us drop him and n o t spoil o u r Sunday
Pardon me dear dear George ; I shall never
, ,
.
never be like yo u Y o u see I am asking fo r forgive

.
“
ness .
mouth
H u sh
.
“
he said putting his hand over her
,
The word is n o t in the voca b ulary o f love

,
“
Sha l l I read to you ?
Yes ; some short stor y I want t o be amused . .
”
O h no t the magazines
,
She rose and settled her .
self comfortably in an easy chair as she spoke -

.
T o her surp rise he took up the Bible ,

O f late he .
had read to her p arts o f its greater p oetry avoiding ,
all that was doctrinal Much o f it was new t o her .

,
and the splendor and passion and novel t y o f the lan

CON S TAN CE TR E S COT
guage had found echoes o f symp athetic answer in

the stirred depths Of her awakening nature But .
now she said quickly : N ot t o night George ; some -

,
thing light — a short story ”
“ Wait a little Here shall be an o l d tale the best

.
.
,
”
“
short story ever written
”
What is it ? she questioned suddenly curious
.
, .
“He made no direct reply but turned to the Book

O nce up on a time
, .
”
O h I like that Is that in the B ible ?
,
.
O nce upon a time This is the story of Joseph
“
”
the Dreamer .
A h ! go o n George She fell back in the chair

,
.
,
lu x uriously at ease and fanning herself as she lis

,
tened for the night was warm and the voice she
, ,
loved admirably modulated She knew t o o how he .

, ,
would deal with the story .
When he read to her the B ible tales o r the Hebrew

ballads it was in a way quite p eculiarly his o w n
, ,
with thoughtful comments occasional scenic back ,
grounds and a word no w and then o f O riental dress

,
and customs She closed her eyes the better to

.
,
secure visions o f what he drew fo r her He made .
her see the p arched hillsides o f Shechem ; the wan

dering lad proud o f his colored coat ; the brothers
,
Reuben and Judah sharply characterized ; the c o n

,
t emp l at ed murder ; the sale o f the terrified boy ; the

long caravan march o f his masters over the desert
’
to E gypt She felt the sad youth s grief ; and then
.
shared his amazement at the pyramids the turbid ,
N ile the funeral boats with many oarsmen the

, ,
crowded towns the strange o l d civilization , and the

,
changeless red sunsets The gaps in the Scripture .
narrative were well filled as she saw t oo the slave , , ,
market and the lad led away to the house o f Poti

,
phar He made real to her the prison story Of the

.
’
dreams and o f the slave boy s good fortune Then -
.
came the famine and the visit of the brothers with ,
their terror when at their evenin g halt in the des ,
ert they found in their sacks the money and the

,
drinking cup She saw the splendidly clad governor

-
.
and the returning brothers heard their plea for ,
the Ol d man and o f his love for the little brother

, ,
the child of his age and then their trembl ing wor ds ,
concerning that other who was dead He read o f .
’
Joseph s emotion o f his easy forgivene ss o f those ,
who had sent him to capti vity and thus t o high ,
fort une As he rea d o f these simple pastoral p e o

.
ple dazzled by the wonders o f the teemin g land

, ,
pyramids palace and temple and the o n e high

, , ,
way beside the N ile and the strange hill hidden ,

-
graves the descrip tions became p art o f the story

, ,
and what she heard she seemed to see He ended .
with the m eeting o f the father and the long lost -
“
so n
Thank
.
you said Constance H o w true yo u , .
make it seem how real ! O h some day we m ust go

, ,
”
“
t o E gyp t
v
.
Yes and everywhere ; I seem to see my way .
clearly In a year or two we will go home t o Boston

. .
I do n o t deceive myself Some day there will be

. .
nothing in reason which I shall not be ab l e to give

”
yo
“u A nd
.
yo u liked
O h much —very much
,
the story
”
?
.
He turned over the pages and then mechanically ,

“
picked up a glove she had left o n his table and laid
it in the Book saying : We will read this other story
,
“ ,
“
next time .
What story George ? ,
Ruth O f course yo u know that

. .
Yes in a way ; but I never read it

,
.
Her ignorance as t o certain things never failed

to cause him an unpleasing surprise ; but neither by
“
look nor by word did he ever show it He said :
Y o u will like it although it is n o t as skilfully told
,
.
as the tale o f Joseph and the scenery is more sim ,
“
ple.
I am sure I shall like it if it has the directness

of that story o f Joseph It is that which makes it so .
“
”
striking .
Y o u are quite right ; but I do n o t think I ever

saw before what it was that gave this story i ts p ec u
liar charm There is none o f the modern excess in

.
the analysis o f motives Y o u seem to have seen it .
”
as I did not .
Thank you she returned She liked above all

,
.
,
th i ngs praise even the mildest from her husband ;

,
and flushing a little continued :

,
,
I did like the ,

,
“
directness o f it The men do this o r that but yo u
.
,
are not told that they are goo d o r b ad —o h n o t ,
even when they sell the little brother I liked an .
’
other thin g Is n t there a gle am o f humor where
.
Joseph says t o Judah W o t ye n o t that such a man

‘
,
’
as I can cert ainly divine ?
He lo o ked up pleased to b e able t o say : Yes , ,
that is true but often as I have read it I never

, ,
12
noticed it It is very human Any more s u ch wise

. .
“
comments dear ?
Yes ”
she replied
,
,
Was it natural for Joseph .
to forgive his brothers —and so easily t o o ? F o r my ,
p art I should have made them su E er I could not

,
.
have forgott en ; I should have hated them all through

”
“
those years .
O h no ; I am sure yo u would n o t
, .
But George even if he forgave them his o wn

, ,
su E er in gs how could he pardon them f o r the p oor

,
’
o l d father s misery ? N o ; I could never have done
that She rose as she spoke I am glad I w as . n
n o t Joseph
get a good rest

.
.
"
Yo u will go t o be d early George and , ,
Yes ; goo d night .
She kissed him as he sat As he p icked up a .
“
book he saw that she had come back
Well dear ? ”
,
.
She seemed to him as she stood bending over him , ,
like some queenl y lily —gracious sweet and stately , ,

.
“
He said as much lookin g up ,
I wanted to kiss yo u a gain That w as only cere

.
monial ; this is love .
si o n at el y
“
She threw her arms around him kissin g him pas
’
N o w early ; don t read long
.
,
,
A s she turn ed away the great red rose she ,
had set o n his table of a sudden fell to p ieces the ,
red p eta l s dropping o n the table and o n the open

book he was holding She raised her hand in a
quick gest ure and cried o u t : O h the r o se I gave
,
.
“ ,
“
”
y o u !
Wel l ,
he said quickly ,
what o f it Co ns tance ? ,
O h , nothing It startled me ; I sup pose I am

.
”
a little n ervous I never used to be Good night
. . .
Sitting with the book in his hand he gave a mo ,

’
ment s thought to the little incident Then with a .
smile he recalled the fact that once late at night ,
at Cambridge when about to go to bed as he left

, ,
his table a rose had of a sudden fallen to pieces .
He had had a faint sense o f unpleasantness in this

abrupt ending of a life of beauty in the unexpected ,
ness o f this sudden death He remembered that it .
had seemed to him as if an unseen hand had crushed
said to himself : “
it He swep t the red petals OE the Open book and
.
I suppose any o n e would feel

,
’
that way It was natural I don t wonder it star
. .
t l ed her . Then recalling an intention he read ,
again a letter f rom Sus an which purposely he ha d

not shown t o his wife .
She wrote :
Uncle Rufus is very feeble since his return and

continually talks Of the way in which he was r e
c eive d at St A nn It was like him to be very much
. .
frightened when there and very bold n o w that he is

,
away I think yo u ought to know that he wrote a

.
very imprudent and quite childish letter to Mr .
G r eyhu rst He showed it to me with an air o f tri

.
umph : He said in it that his age and weakness had

alone prevented him from punishing Mr G r eyhu r st .
fo r the insulting manner in which he had treated

him and that Mr G reyhu r st had thus made a com
,
.
promise which he had intended (think o f that ,
George ! ! quite o u t o f the question I wonder ho w .

1 80 CON ST AN CE T R E SCO T
yo u have had the patience to stand him and I do ,
hOp e that this inconceivable foll y will n o t add to
“
y our troubles .
DO not tell Constance She is already quite too .
nee dl essly alarmed and now it is very necessary fo r

,
”
her to be free from care .
Pretty bad that murmured T r esc o t A fter a

, , .
’
few moments thought he wrote t o Mr Hood : .
S T AN N ,
.
S unday ,
P . M .
,
O ctober 6 .
“
D E AR MR HOOD
.
We shall win I believe A nd n o w I beg leave

, .
to say that it has come to my kn owledge that you

have again gone by me your agent and written to , ,
Mr G r eyhu r st a most imprudent letter The gen

. .
eral and I think that the p overty of some o f the Bap

tiste heirs a widow and three o rphans with the mis
, ,
fortune O f their loss by natural events Of what goes

to p rofit you ought to induce yo u t o deal char i
,
tably with them an d avoid for them and you fur

ther litigation If after the trial you still refuse
.
, ,
and are Of a mind to interfere in your o w n aE air s

without regard to your agent I beg leave t o give up ,
the care o f your property Y o u may consider this .
as final and no t open to discussion

“ .
Yours resp ectfully

G EO RG E T RE S COT “ ,
R UF U S HOO D E sq
.
.
,
He read the letter with care and directin g it , , ,
left it o n his table where it lay fo r some days fo r

, ,
gotten during the excitement of the trial .

H E crowd in and abo u t the court room -
was so great that it was with difficulty

T r esc o t found fo r Constance a seat at
the front He then entered within the
.
rail spoke a word o r tw o t o the gen

,
eral shook hands with G r eyhu rst and others sat

, ,
d own and looked about him

,
.
The room was large and full o f p eo p le some o f ,
whom he knew and many both men and women Of

, , ,
all classes whom he did not know from the town

, ,
and the surrounding country He arranged his .
p apers and waited A single case precede d his o w n

. .
It was soon over and the crier called the case o f

,
“
E lise Baptiste and others versu s Rufus Hood
The j udge said : The case will n o w proceed
.
G r eyhu r st handsome soldierly erect and clad in

, , , ,
“
C onfederate gray a rose in his coat stood up and
,
said : May it please your honor I appear fo r the ,

,
”
p l a i n t i E s
. T r e sc o t stated that he app eared for the
defendant and regretted that circ u mstances left
,
him alone in the conduct Of the case .
A jury was imp aneled T o four j urors G reyhu rst

.
o b j ected T resc o t challenged no o ne and c ontented

.
,
himself with asking each juror if he could decide

the case without fear or favor .
1 81
The j urors were in place and a deepening still

ness fell upon an audience full Of interest As .
Constance eager an d anxious looked at the slight

, ,
figure and refined face o f her husband he seemed , ,
as she thought t o be conscious o f her anx iety and

, , ,
turning smiled assurance o f the confidence he felt

,
G r eyhu r st Opened the case May it please your .

“ .
honor and the gentlemen Of the j ury It is plain .
from this great audience that this is a case which

excites the interest o f every o n e in th is community .
It should do so A writ o f ej ectment has be en

.
served upon Rufus Hood t o test his right to lands

at the bend o f the river .
Mr Hood lays claim to certain — I might say u n

.
certain —acres a p art O f the large es t ate known as

,
the Bap tiste tract and held under an indisputable ,
French title for which I shall produce the original

,
“
grant .
’
N o o n e can defin e the limits of the defendant s
claim . The defendant will assert that it began
”
inland somewhere and extended t o l o w water .
,
—
Where he asked did it begin at what points ? He
,
went on t o speak o f the erosion o f the water front -

,
and o f this as the reason why a m an already rich

was eager to p ut forward a claim which had no
foundation He was confident that no credible evi
.
’
dence could be produced to uphold the defendant s
pretension .
The direct evidence Of ownership by the B ap

tistes wo ul d n o t keep him long It wo ul d consist .
merely in the p roduction and proof o f the original

grant and Of the wills required to prove the present
,
CON ST AN C E TRE SCOT 1 83
o wnership It was S imple The defendant had n o

. .
deeds to put in evidence no p roof o f undisputed p o s

,
session no real k nowledge o f such boundin g monu

,
ments as could be sworn to He was very cool and

‘
impressive as he sp oke and dwelt at length upon the

,
’
unfairness O f the defendant s claim characterizing ,
it as an attempt to i nflict inj ury o n imp overished

and unfortunate people .
The original French grant was produced and sub

m itted to the court and the j ury The wills prov .
ing title by descent were exhibited and T r esc o t ad , ,
mitting their validity o E er ed n o Obj ections

, Al l .
the evidence for the plainti ffs w as before the court ,
although the details occupied considerable time and ,
G r eyhu rst sat down stating that the p l ain ti E rested

,
the case .
T r esc o t rose cast a smiling glance at Constance

, ,
and went o n t o state his case He had declined to .
question the validity Of the grant o r the wills He .
accepted both f o r his client He wished neither .
to delay nor t o obstruct His business was to prove .
that forty years ago the holder o f the Baptiste grant

had sold t o James Hood the father of his client , ,
a certain tract of land f o r which a deed had been

,
given He would deal frankly with the matter The

. .
war and the great cotton fire had destroyed the rec
ords and also the deeds and surveys once in p o s
session o f Mr Hood s former agent General A verill
’
.
,
.
E ven the tax receip ts were gone He would prove .

,
however that such a deed had e x isted that a s u r

, ,
vey had been made He would produce the sur

.
’
veyo r s notes giving the bounds and prove by his
, ,
widow his handwriting ; and also wo u l d produce a

plot of the survey appended to the notes .
This survey set forth that from an oak at o ne

time o n the b l u E the line ran due east sixty seven -
p erches more o r less t o a tree a certain live oak ;

, , ,
-
thence north o n e hundred perches to a third tree .
a walnut ; and west again sixty seven perches to an -
oak on the b l u E A line carried south between the

.
two trees originally o n the b l u E completed the orig

i nal bounds O f the tract O bserve he said that thi s
.
, ,
left the Baptistes in p ossession Of a tract between

’
Mr Hood s land and the river p artly b l u E and
.
,
p artly the shore below .
He would produce a witness who assisted the sur

vey o r and prove that the said surveyor had with
,
him as a guide a deed o r paper defining the bounds ,
and that the witness saw him consult the said p aper .
He would p rove what no doubt op posing counsel

— —
would admit indeed had admitted the erosion o f
, ,
the b l u E He would prove p ast dispute the present

.
, ,
existence o f the two trees marking the eastern line Of

the survey and thus S how that lines drawn due
,
westward from said trees the number of p erches

’
stated in the survey would carry his client s claim
far o u t beyond the present low water mark -
.
The great storm and flood of seven years before

had carried away the proj ecting headland had ,
taken the Baptiste shore their up l and on the b l u E

, ,
’
Mr Hood s front and his western boundary trees
.
,
.
A ll o f the Baptiste land had gone and a p art o f

H e trusted that he had made it entirel y
cl ear .
CON ST AN C E T R E S COT 1 85
G r eyhu rstat first assumed an attitude Of careless

inattention but as T r esc o t went o n he began to
,
listen intently and to take notes

, .
’
The fact o f A verill s being no longer o f counsel
in the case left T r esc o t free to u se his evidence as
he could not otherwise have done He felt that the .
a ffection and respect with which the general was

regarded by all men were sure to give great weight
to what he would say an d enabled T re sc o t to do ,
without some other and feebler witnesses A s the .
general when called took his o ath G r eyhu rst said

,
to Colonel Dudley who sat beside him : A fo rt u

,
, ,
“
”
“
nate illness that and n o t very lastin g
,
Y o u do n o t mean si r that General A verill , ,

.
”
Oh no ,
said G reyhu r st interrupting him ; of
, ,
course not .
“Dudley was silent

Were you ”
asked T r esc o t
,
Mr
.
Hood s ’
,
.
“
a gent ?
Yes I was from the year 1 852 I am n o t n o w

,
‘
. .
Did you at any time hold for the defendant a

”
“
deed fo r land o n the b l u E at the bend o f the river ?
I did — both a deed and the survey made by ,
o ne H azew e l l .
A fter further questions he went to say that to on ,
the best O f his remembrance this deed described the ,
holding as extending westward to land retained b y

the Baptistes on the b l u E He had p aid taxes o n the .
land but the receipts and his o w n books had been

,
burned during his absence in the war He also bore .
witness to the erosion Of the bend .
G r eyhu rst cross examined him with extreme cour

-
tesy o n his failure to remember accurately the terms

o f the deed .
A t last he asked What taxes have been paid on ,
“
”
this land by you since the war ?
N one ; the property was in dispute and as the , ,
j ury knows taxes may run o n unpaid for years

,
without finall y affecting the title That means no .
“
thing .
Pardon me said G r eyhu r st ; but I Obj ect to

,
the witness in structing the j ury It is facts not .

,
”
op inions we want ,
.
The general smiled and was dismissed when ,
T r esc o t interp osing said

, Did the B aptis tes ; at , ,
”
any time since the war pay t axes ? ,
G r eyhu rst obj ected b u t not in time to prevent the ,
”
witness from saying They did not , .
Mrs H azew e ll the wido w o f the surveyor and

.
, ,
now brought from Indiana produced a book contain ,
ing with other matters a statement o f the boun

, ,
darics and ar ea o f a survey made by her husband , ,
o f land o n the Baptiste property for James Hood

in O ctober 1 830 With it was a neat plot o f the
,
.
property indicating certain trees as monuments at

,
the corners There was also a memorandum o f

.
receipt o f p ayment fo r the work She identified the .
book and swore to the handwriting as that Of her

husband S O carefully had T r esc o t gu arded his wit
.
nesses that the utmost surprise was created as the

case went o n The book and plot were submitted to
.
the jury and although the witness was sharply cross

,
examined her evidence was not shaken

,
As the .
young lawyer develop ed his case and it was seen ,

CON ST AN CE T RE S CO T 1 87
how the dates as given by the witnesses co incided ,
the elder members Of the bar began to listen with

growing interest and to exchange glances o f sur
,
p rise Or whispers o f astonishment that G reyhu rst

, ,
shoul d have ventured to try the case at all .
Several persons swore to the fact o f the great

flood and the amount o f erosion o f the blu ffs ; and
,
a map showin g these changes was also p ut in evi

dence Thi s was not disputed
. .
T O the e vident amazement Of G r eyhu rst the next ,
witness called was Thomas Co ffin A fter the usual .
“
preliminaries T r esc o t asked
,
What do yo u know o f the survey o f this tract
“
o n the b l u E
I helped my father He was a chain bearer and .

-
,
“
blazed the bounds
How Old were you at that time ?
.
’
Well it s forty years ago I am fifty eight n o w
,
.
-
,
come February I was eighteen years o l d That

. .
“
was in O ctober ,
H o w were yo u employed in the survey ?

”
I helped ; I carried the a x .
Can yo u swear to the trees marking the east

”
“
ward bound ? Those which were blazed ?
I can ”
.
Ho w do yo u know them ?
Saw father blaze them He made tw o blazes .
One o n the west side and o n e o n the east He always .
did that He was a mighty careful man

. .
Did he blaze only with the ax ?

N O ; he burned the blaze to o , with a ho t crow ,
”
bar I made the fire
. .
1 88 CON ST ANCE T RE S CO T
’
Showing him the surveyor s plot T r esc o t asked ,
DO yo u understand this map ? ”
”
Yes si r
, .
Could you say where o n it the trees would be

—
you have sp oken O f those o n the inland side ? Look
”
at it carefully ; take your time .
A fter a little hesitation during which the stillness ,
o f the crowded room deepened he replied pointing : , ,
,
—
Yes sir there and there
, .
Here are two p ins ; put them in at the places .
He did so and the plot o f the survey was submitted

,
to the j ury .
H o w do yo u know the trees are those said to
“
have been blazed ?
I cut them do w n yesterday both Of them those — , ,
I showed you — me and another man cut them down .
Mr Douglas he was there I sawed them through and

.
,
.
foun d the blazes But be fore they was felled I knew

.
“
them by the sinking in o f the bark over the blazes
Where are the trees ? ”
.
The blazed parts — that s the sections with the

’
bark o E — is in a wagon back o f the court ”
“ I shall ask your honor ”

said T r esc o t to have ,
.
them brought in o r as they are heavy that the j ury

, , ,
shall go o u t and examine them .
G r eyhu r st rose to Obj ect that there was n o proof

o f these bein g the trees in question Being over .
ruled the j ury went o u t inspected the sections and

, , ,
returned t o their seats .
With this unlooked for evidence the int erest b e

-
came intense while Constance watched steadily the

,
face o f her hu sband .

That is all
O ne moment
said T r esc o t to Co ffi n
”
,
said G r eyhu rst

,
I prefer if .
“
.
counsel does not obj ect to cross examine the wit

,
-
’
ness after all the defendant s evidence is con
clu ded .
T r esc o t said A lthough this is unusual I shall

, ,
urge no Obj ection .
Peter Douglas the county surveyor was next

, ,
called He had been present when the trees were

.
felled and sawed He had himself driven with the

.
sections to the court house He swore that the sur

-
.
vey shown him gave correctly the distance between

the tw o trees marking the eastern bound and that ,
lines carried west as required o n the survey shown

him would now end far o u t in the river .
’
G reyhu rst s cross questioning o f the county sur
-
v ey o r was brief and served only t o make that o ffi

,
’
c i al angry and to weaken the plainti ff s case .
A s link on link was added to the chain O f evidence ,
murmurs o f surprise ran through the audience ; for

G reyhu rst had talked confidently Of the utter weak
’
ness o f the defendant s case .
T resc o t bowed to the j udge and then said : I ,
have done My witnesses are in your hands Mr

.
, .
G r eyhu rst .
Coffin was recalled for cross e x amination Grey -

.
hurst , unprepared fo r the ability with which evi

dence had been collected and guarded was as usu al , , ,
“
annoyed and even angered
Your name is Thomas Co Ein ?
.
’
Yes that s my name
,
.
’
What s yo u r business ?
1 90 CON S T AN CE T RE S CO T
I c u t and haul wood ; been lumbering most all ’
m y life .
Y o u must have a good memory .
I always did have .
Then perhaps yo u remember w ho p aid yo u to

find trees you saw in a big woo d when you were
”
a boy .
T r esc o t was o n his feet in a moment I p rotest .

,
your honor against the form Of the question

,
”
a gainst a grave insinuation .
The j udge suggested that counsel put the ques

tion di E er en t ly .
G r eyhu rst then asked : H o w did you happen

to inform Mr T r esc o t as t o these very convenient
.
”
trees ?
" ‘
Because I wanted to .
Did he o n this occasion p ay yo u o r make any ,
promise o f pay if yo u would find these m u ch needed

,
-
“
trees ?
’
He did n t make any p romi se and he did n t ’
,
”
pay me .
G r eyhu rst smiled and went o n Did Mr T r esc o t . .
“
send any o n e to yo u about these boun dari es ?
N O he did n t
,
’ ”
.
N ow take care said G reyhu r st advancing He

,
towered above the small lean woo dman

,
Yo u have
,
,
.
“ .
sworn t o tell the truth and the whole truth Did .
not Mrs T r esc o t come to yo u r ho use in the p ean u t

.
“
p atch ?
She did .
What day ?
’
I a in t sure o f the day G uess yo u know . .
CON ST AN CE TR E S CO T 1 91
I want an answer — not insolence Was it o n the .
“
sixth Of June ?
Yes I reckon it was
,
.
A t this bringing of his wife into the case T r esc o t

was for the moment annoyed ; an d then catching a
, , ,
loo k from Constance was strangely set at ease She

, .
was evidently undisturbed In the court room al .

-
most motionl ess attention told how increasingly deep

was the concern with which the audience watched
“
the unexpected developments Of the case
N o w take care
,
”
said G r eyhu rst
,
What did .
“ .
Mrs T r esc o t say to yo u ? I want all Of it What

. .
”
did she say first ?
’
I won t tell yo u .
A faint stir in the hall told o f astonishment .
T r esc o t instantly un derstood that Co ffin was nat

u r all y unwilling t o confess that he had shot at him .
“
It was this which stopped him
Pardon me Mr G r eyhu r st
,
. he said I think
.
, .
I can assist yo u r cross examination I am desirous

-
.
“
th at the witness conceal nothing
I do not ask your assistance Mr T resc o t When ,
.
. .
“
I want a j unior counsel y o u shall have your chance
”
.
Very good returned T r e sc o t and sat down

,
Come now said G r eyhu rst I want an answer

, , ,
“ ,
.
What did Mrs T r esc o t say to you and what did

.
,
“
you say t o her ?
I reckon you go t my answer .
Do yo u kn ow what will happen if yo u do not

”
reply as you are sworn to do ?
’
I do I 11 go to j ail
. .
Did any o n e tell you not t o answer ?

1 92 CON ST AN C E TRE S CO T
Yes and Co ffin grinned

, .
Indeed ! Who was it ? ”
“ Thomas Co ffin ”
The audience laughed . .
A s G r eyhu rst turned to address the j udge Tres

cot rose again “
May I ask your honor if the wit
,
ness is bound to state what would tend to criminate

him ? I know and comprehend his di fficulty It has .
no direct connection with the case If the learned .
counsel will ask my witness what passed in relation

to the boundary trees and leave Mrs T r esc o t o u t of
,
.
the matter he will attain his end an d I shall be

, ,
”
grateful .
He was most unwilling that his wife should be

known t o have tried to secure him from the anger
o f Co ffin He knew what these people o r many of
.
,
them would think He was smiling and c o u r t eo i1 s

,
.
as he sp oke o f his wife and a murm ur o f app r o b a ,
“
tion was audible
Perhaps ”
said G r eyhu rst
,
.
Mr T resc o t may ,
.
like to conduct both sides of this case May it please .
your honor I accept this suggestion and for the

, ,
present we will leave Mrs T r esc o t o u t o f the mat .
ter
“ .
N ow Co ffin what did you say to the lady about

, ,
the bounds ?
’ ’
Co ffin s face cleared There was n t a word said .
Of those trees o r this cla im until M r s T r esc o t was .
going away and then I told her t o tell Mr T r esc o t

,
.
I k new about them trees —an d I did ”

.
G r eyhu r st was disapp ointed He said : Your .
honor when I call witnesses in rebuttal I shall deal

,
”
further with this mystery That will do my man .
,
.
’ ’
I am nobody s man but my own Why don t .
you ask me what you said t o me about Mr T r esc o t .
”
the week before I tol d about the trees ?
The counsel within the rail smiled the audience
tittered ; and G reyhu rst said angrily : You may go ,
do yo u hear ?
Co ffin turned t o T r esc o t Do yo u want me any
.
“
more ?
N O ; certainly not
.
S o long as G r eyhu rst felt his case to be a good

o ne,
his very able mind acted well ; but 1n the
presenc e o f impending defeat he became irritable ,
and lost the tranquillity which is needful fo r quick

and p erfect use Of the mental mechani sm .
He had been surprised by the evi dence o f Co ffin .
The secret had been well kept and now he feared

,
that his case w as lost He stated to the court that

.
’
he was through with the defendant s witness es and ,
at noon the court adj ourned t o meet at o n e and a hal f - - -
’
o clock .
N o trial in years had so interested St An n It . .
was a rich N orthern man against poor Southern

people who were desperately battling for valuable
land It involve d well kn own questions o f technical
.
-
interest ; erosion of river frontage lumber interests

-
, ,
and the value o f Old blazes as evidence — all these

were familiarly discussed as the audience came o u t ;
but above all was the excitement cause d by Co ffin s ’
refusal to sp eak freely o f what Mrs T r esc o t had .
said.
T he lawy ers saw which way the case w as going ,
and several o f them congratulated T r esc o t as he

13
j oined his wife They stayed to lunch with the

.
A verills in place o f going home M r s T r esc o t w as . .
’
in high sp irits Her husband s success satisfied
.
her pride The dramatic character o f the trial and

.
, ,
’
above all C o fli n s refusal to commit himself and
, ,
his pleasure in ba ffl ing G r eyhu r st interested and ,
amu sed her so that altogether the trial w as to her

,
both novel and entertaining .
The general was as well pleased T r esc o t had jus .
’
t i fie d his Opinion both of the young lawyer s legal
mind and o f his readiness and coolness He said .
,
turning t o T r esc o t as they smoked alone after the
“
meal
If I know G r eyhu r st he will lose his head as he
,
loses his case He w il l lose it too ; I kept my eye

.
,
o n the j ury ; but what he will do in summing up will
be sure to be unpleasant You will have no Op p o r

.
t u n i ty t o answer and I am sorry for that

,
He .
seems to have the skill o f the devil in breeding

anger A nd I ve ry deeply regret th at I am no t ac
.
“
t iv el y in this case .
I shall reply beforehand to his summing up ,
general I think I know what he will say It will

. .
’
be a personal at tack o n Mr Hood s harshness I . .
have my answer as you are aware F o r the rest

,
.
,
I am not easily stirred What he can do in ex

.
e mining witnesses in rebuttal I do not know How .
can he damage us ? If Co ffin were the worst o f men ,
’
he is so sustained by facts and by the surveyor s evi
dence that to prove he never before in his life had
told the truth would not help the case .
I do not k now Thi s suit means much to Grey

.
h urst He will go to all lengths He is angry I

. . .
'
saw that He is a proud over sensitive man w ho

.
,
-
makes no allowance fo r the feelings o f others and ,
desires to have his own attentively considered N ow .
he is hard hit and by Jove ! do yo u know I thin k

, , ,
“
”
he will call Mrs T r esc o t . .
”
O h hardly
,
.
Yes ; he is puzzled and thinks there is something ,
he may u se in what Co ffin concealed I was n o t at .
all surprised when you told me o f the attempt to h
kill yo u I had fully warned yo u O f c o u r se Co Ein

. .
was not fool enough to answer and confess an at

tempt t o murder His feud w as over and Mrs
.
,
.
T r esc o t had won him as she does all o f us But ,

.
’
what a strange business ! I don t wonder the audi
e nce was curious Before we return let me once
.
,
m ore prep are yo u fo r some such insolence from

G r eyhu r st as will force yo u into the quarrel he is
“
sure to seek if he fail in his case
I shall try to keep my head But M rs T resc o t .
.
.
,
general — that may be di fficult She will refuse to

,
.
“
betray C o ffin .
Let us hop e G r eyhu rst will n o t call her ; but

o —
in any case he wi ll try t be courteous indeed he , ,
is sure to be unless that infernal temper Of his gets

,
the better Of him You never can calculate upon .
what he will do He is as impulsive as a child and

.
,
”
as dangerous as a wild animal .
’
This summary Of his antagonist s character and ,
’
his o w n knowledge o f his wife s nature left the ,
youn g man more than a little uneasy .
When G r eyhu r st left the court he went alone ,

to a tavern near by for his midday meal and ,
drank j ust enough to supply him with the self c o n -
fiden c e which alcohol gives He was as a rule.

, ,
sober .
S O far the Yankee lawyer as he lm ew had made , ,
o u t an impregnable case The chance for a compro

.
mise had rested o n the p resume d weakness o f the

’
defendant s title It was n o w most unlikely that
.
,
with a strong case Hood would consent to that which

,
he had refused when his title appeare d to be weak .
G r eyhu rst reflected with more comfort that his

p ower over j uries had won fo r him victories when
all seemed lost In fact he was more an advocate
.
,
than a la wyer He was less well satisfied when he

.
considered what might be his future in case Of fail

ure He had debts and some which were embarrass
.
,
ing ; but he o w ned land beyond the bend which w as

rising in value He was comp etent enough to have
.
had more business but his insecure temper handi

,
cappe d a man who should otherwise have done far

better Just now as he sat alone the explanatory
.
, ,
ghosts of p ast failures possessed the hour and ,
haun ted him as he went moodily back to the court

house .
her : “
T r esc o t walking o n alone with his wife said to
,
I am sorry Constan ce ; but A verill thinks

,
,
you will be called as a witness G r eyhu rst is puz .
zl e d and thinks there is something which Coffin c o n
c e al e d ,
and which is o f moment to his case He .
is vexed and has the hOp e that he can S how by yo u

that some improp er influence was brought to bea r
on Co ffin It is very absurd ; but I see that he may
.
CON STAN C E TR E S COT 1 97
p ut yo u and me in a disagreeable situation Y o u .
”
will be called I fear ,
.
I shall not like that and still she admitted ,
to he rself that the thought Of a contest with Grey

hurst strangely pleased her .
It by no means pleased her husband w ho walked

on in silence and then at last said : Try not to
,
“
,
“
make this man angry B e very quiet and cool
But George ”
,
she continued I really cannot,
.
,
“ .
’
betray Co ffin s confidence He never meant me to .
make public that he wished th at he tried to kill -
you ; and he was so sim ple about it and so frank ! ,
And then if I sp eak out and tell the whole story

, ,
it will look as if you sent me because yo u were

’ ”
afraid O h I can t do it !
“ .
,
I hate it But you will have to speak o u t

. .
Who o n earth can make me ?

'
”
The judge .
Wh at yo u call contempt O f co u rt ?
”
Yes ; contempt o f court .
George they will never do here as they might

,
do at home O nly do not let that man annoy you

. .
Y o u shall see that I am able to take care o f your

”
wife .
They were late and he had t o leave her He was .
still troubled N ot so the woman A s she made her

. .
way through the crowd she was sorry not to have

been able t o dress fo r the occasion A gentleman .
,
reco gniz ing her gave up to her a seat o n the front

,
bench .
H E N silence was p roclaime d to the
“
crowded room G r eyhu rst rose
,
,
I p ropose your honor to call two ,

.
witnesses in rebuttal as to the utterly

worthless character o f the witness on
’
whose testimony the defendant s cas e princip ally
”
rests.
Thomas An drews took the stand and was sworn

— a fat brown man uneasy and embarrassed Grey
, , .
“
hurst asked the usual formal questio ns and then
DO you kn ow Thomas Co ffin ?
”
,
I do ; ever since we were boys .
”
Where did yo u know him ?
A t home in Tenness ee and in the lum ber camps
,
-
,
' ”
“
and here too ,
.
Do you know his character for truth and vera

city in the comm un it y in which he resides ?
”
I do .
Wh at is it ?
Bad .
Woul d yo u believe him o n his oath ?

’ ”
N o I would n t
,
.
Was Thomas Co ffin ever charged with any

”
crime ?
T r esc o t rose The question as your honor well
.
,
1 98
kn ows is Objectionable ; but in rising to say so I

, , ,
desire to state that I shall not urge any obj ection .
He sat down .
“G r eyhu r st repeated his question

Yes ; he killed a man He was arrested b u t he .
.
go t away from the sh e r iE .
Meanwhile T r esc o t used the moments o f this

,
damaging statement to e x change a few words with
“
C o ffin
.
Tha t will do said G reyhu rst ,
O ne moment said T r esc o t I wish to ask a “

.
,
question N ow Mr A ndrews do yo u know why

.
,
.
,
Co ffin killed the man ?
“He hesitated .
Take your time ; but remember that yo u are o n

”
“
your oath to tell the truth
,
’
Well they said he shot Tom s brother
.
’ ”
D i d he shoot Tom s brother ?
They said so —I was n t there
’
.
Ah w as that so ? Were yo u ever in the Co n

,
”
“
federate service ?
I was ”
.
”
Ho w long ?
About three months .
“
Y o u were wounded were yo u not ? ,
Yes in the leg ; I was took prisoner It was o n

, .
the skirmish line It was in a wood ; we were t o o

-
.
”
far Ont .
The man began to be uneasy anxious to e xplain ,

.
”
Were yo u not deserting ?
G r eyhu r st protested .
I withdraw the question said T resc o t satisfied , , ,

200 CON STAN CE TRE S CO T
— for the man s face answered it as he said :

’
Damn
“
’
you ! no I w as n t
,
That will do said T r esc o t ,

.
A nd now said G r eyhu rst I must very rel u c

, ,
t an tl y as a matter o f s imple duty ask Mrs Tr esc o t

, , .
”
to take the stand .
There w as a stir o f fresh interest and expectant

attention in the crowded room Peo p le sp oke t o .
their neighbors an d then there was entire quiet

,
as in reply to the usual sum mons C onstance

, ,
went smiling p ast her husband The room was .
ho t and close an d she left her hat o n the seat

,
.
—
“
A s she stood in the witness box erect a little o n -
,
,
h —
guard slightly fl u s e d a faint murmur which
spoke o f admiration was heard throughout the
room .
She hesitated a little as she took the B ible and
“
heard the usual formula o f the oath Then she .
“
answered I do ,
Your name is M rs T r esc o t ?

.
Yes Constance T r esc o t .
”
Y o u live in St A nn ? .
”
I do .
Y o u were I believe o n the si x th Of June at the

, , ,
”
“
cabin o f Thomas Co ffin ?
I was ”
.
Why did you go there ? ”
”
An errand o f my own .
Tell the court what first p assed o n that occasion

”
“
between you and C o fi n
I asked fo r a drink o f wa ter I said it was very
.
”
goo d water .
CON ST ANC E T RE S CO T 201
Pardon me madam ; but we will omit these

,
”
“
t ri fl es What else was said ?
.
I told Mr Co ffi n something and he to l d me

.
,
“
something neither o f which I am at liberty to state
,
I ask again What p assed between yo u o n this

,
.
“
occasion ?
I decline to answer .
I insist that y o u tell the court and jury .
I will not I cannot betray what trusting my

.
,
honor and good feeling Co ffin said t o me ,

The .
latter p art Of what p assed I sh all be glad to r e

”
“
late.
But said G r eyhu r st

,
you appear to forget
,
that this is a court o f j ustice ; you have taken an

—
o ath ; yo u have no choice n o r indeed have I , , ,
”
“
any .
I very much regret that I cannot answer she ,
“
ret urned very qu ietly
I rep eat my question
.
She was silent facing the lawyer tranq u il firm

, , , ,
“
faintly smiling at his evident annoyance
I must most reluctantly ask your honor t o direct
.
”
the witness to a n swer
“
said G r eyhu rst
,
The judge said : I fear Mrs T resc o t that yo u ,

.
.
,
”
“
must reply to the question put by counsel
With the utmost respect fo r the court I decline ,
.
to answer I regret your honor that it is i mp o s

.
, ,
”
sible .
The j udge sat up evidently troubled as Grey

, ,
“
hurst turned to him sayin g ,
The matter is in the hands o f the court .
T r esc o t watched the unmoved woman himself a ,

202 CON ST ANC E T R E S CO T
little anxious but with proud pleasure in the cour

,
ag e and quiet good breeding she h ad shown -

.
Then to the amazement o f every o n e a voice

, ,
“
broke the silence and Co ffi n seated near by said
’
,
Don t you mind me Mrs T r esc o t j ust you tell ; ,

,
.
,
”
“
’
I don t care .
Thank you Turning to G r eyhu rst she said

.
,
The real chivalry and the good feeling of at least

o n e man for a woman in an awkward situation set
me free Your honor will I trust p ardon me I

.
, , .
”
will now answer Mr G r eyhu rst . .
The j udge bowed .
Well said G r eyhu rst flushing and ill p leas ed

, , ,
’
“
what p assed between you and C o ffin ?
To explain clearly what p assed I mus t tell the
”
entire story and I hope I may be allowed to do S O
,
.
She p aused f or a moment ; G r eyhu r st moved rest

lessly and seemed about t o interfere but dreading ,
the eE ec t o f Obj ection at this time rema ined silent ,
“
as she went o n
In the midst o f a storm o n the night o f June
5th while I had left o u r p orch for a wrap a r ifl e
, ,
’
shot broke a p ane of glass over my husband s head .
The lightnin g w as incessant and he saw the man ,
who fired He ran after him and was so near that

.
,
he saw him clearly and also saw that he was lame ,

‘
and ran with d ifli c u l ty Then m y husband fell .
,
and the man go t away ; but he was sure it was Coffin .
Wh en my husband came back he told me all about ,
it and who the man w as I had heard the shot o f

,
.
,
“
course .
I was sure it would happ en again I could not .

CO N STAN CE T R E S CO T 203
sleep that night I was most unhappy I did n o t

. .
tell my husband what I meant to do I had to do .
it I went next day to see the man I went alone

. . .
I said to him bluntly : Why did you try to ki ll my

‘
’
husband ? Y o u see Mr G r eyhu rst he was cleanin g
,
.
,
his rifle and I knew what that meant He did n o t

,
.
‘
try t o lie to me but replied : Because Mr G r eyhu rst
,
.
told me your husband was going to turn me o u t o f

—
m y home the whole o f us like dogs ’
,
.
It w as a lie said G r eyhu r st

T r esc o t was up instantly
,
Y o u are disc o urte .

“ .
o u s sir
, Yo u asked for the whole truth and are
.
,
getting it and to sp are ,

He sat down ; but as .
G r eyhu rst turned with a sharp reply o n his lips

Mrs T r esc o t said quietly : I did n o t understand
.
“ ,
“
Mr G r eyhu r st as asserting me to be untruthful
.
Certainly not ”
he returned ,
.
.
”
Shall I go o n ? she asked in her gentlest voice .
”
Y es if yo u p lease
,
.
When Co ffin said he had been told that he was

to have no mercy and be driven o u t at once I told ,
“
him that it was not true
”
An d was it n o t ? asked G r eyhu rst Can you
.
”
s ay that ?
I have said it was not I tol d him nothing was .
settled I then said that I personally would make

.
him an o ff er either of land on the bend back o f the

,
b l u E if we won the suit o r o f money

,
I said my ,
.
husband never would consent to drive these p oor

p eople o u t o f their homes They had been soldiers .
“
as he had been and were to be helped n o t robbed
O ne m oment ”
,
said G r eyhu rst

,
I think yo u .
“
,
.
204 CON ST AN C E T R E SC OT
said Mr T resc ot authorized you t o m ak e this state

.
”
ment .
It was a common and feeble device which always ,
“
fails with a good witness
Keep cool ”
sai d A verill to T r esc o t
,
I told
.
“
y u he would lose his wits with his case
o
NO
”
replie d Mrs T r esc o t ; I did not say so
, .
.
Well p erhaps not,

.
A gain A verill laid a restra in i n g touch o n Tres

’
cot s arm .
At all events said G r eyhu r st bitterly

,
it , ,
“
should have been a man s erra n d Pray go o n
’
. .
,
I meant t o undeceive him I did I made clear . .
to him that in any case he should be p aid to move .
I asked him to take care of my garden I p ay him ,

.
’
f o r it . I desire d to save my husband s life A .
cruel slander had put it in peril I made a friend .
“
o f an enemy
’
.
”
By George that s fir st rate ! said a voice in
,
-
the crowd Silence was ordered and there was need

.
,
Of the order .
Turning to the j ury G r eyhu rst spoke a gain in

a voice Of ill governed anger : A woman may be
-
,
“
forgiven fo r the things this lady has said o f me .
I shall look e l sewhere for an explanation I have .
for her no answer She at least is irresponsible .

, ,
.
’
May I venture to ask madam if as Mr Hood s or , , ,
.
’
Mr T r esc o t s envoy you visite d the cabin o f Co Ein
.
,
”
“
at any other time ?
N o ; I did not .
But I had the pleasure t o meet you .
That is true I had been t o see Wilso n o ne o f

.
,
”
t he s natter s .
CON STAN CE T R E S CO T
’
Co ffin brother in law
s - -
.
Yes ; I meant t o say so — a dying man in need

O f luxuries and even o f good food My husband
,
.
“
and I had help ed him
Y o u seem to have cultivated the good will Of the
.
“
family .
I have ; I neglected to say that without the least ,
prompting o n my p art Co ffin told me that he could ,
give Mr T resc o t information in regard to the blazed

.
“
’
trees o n the corners of Mr Hoo d s land . .
Yo u appear to have made good use o f yo ur o p

”
p o
“r t u n i t i es madam
,
said G r e h
y u rst
I have ; and I assure you I enj oyed it ; and
,
.
above all when as I w as leavin g Co ffin said

, , ,
She p aused long enough fo r G r eyhu r st to say

Yo u seem t o hesitate madam ; we want the whole ,
”
o f this very remarkable story .
O h with p leasure
,
Coffin assured me that he
.
’
was as he said right glad he had n t ki lled my hus
, ,
band and was a goo d bit ashamed That was about

,
.
the shooting I understood him to mean that he

.
”
was ashamed to have missed him This was so .
wholly in character that court and audience broke

into laughter .
’
G r eyhu r st s face flushed the color deepening o n ,
his dark skin Averill sat watchful and uneasy

. .
“
She had said to o much
That is all madam Thank yo u
,
.
said Grey .
,
hurst .
T r esc o t said simply : I have a few questions to

ask the witness I regret to b e obliged to ask them
.
,
”
but the circumstances demand it The bar and .
t h e a u d i e n c e w e r e d e li g hte d .
C onstance turned to him much amused , .
Did your husband know of your intention to

”
“
intervene between him and Co ffin ?
N o he did n o t
,
”
.
Did he express himself in regard to it when he

”
“
heard of it ?
Yes ; he objected ; he was j ust a little cross .
The court smil ed and the crowd laughed,

.
” ’
That i s all said T resc o t
,
.
This closed the evidence It now became the duty .
o f the defendant to su m up for the defense The .
“
j udge said
The evidence has been so brief that the court
will si t out the case unless counsel are so lengthy
,
”
as t o forbid it .
T r esc o t rose May it please your honor and

.
,
“
you gentlemen o f the j ury I shall be brief
,
In putting before you in its fullness a connected

, .
statement Of what you have heard from the wit

nesses it may be wise and certainly i s of interest to
, , ,
“
sketch for you the history o f this suit
’
James Hood my client s father bought in 1 830
, ,
.
a tract of land which lay within the vast grant held

so long by the Baptiste family Why he bought it I .
do not know ; it had very little value The B ap .
’
tistes reserved several hundred feet from Mr Hood s .
western line o n the b l u E and o f course the river , , ,
front p erhaps anticipating its future usefulness

,
.
’
The years go o n ; no o n e disputes Mr Hood s title . .
Some seven years ago comes the flood and Mr Hood ,

.
finds he has lost land but has acquired a water ,
front The rip arian rights thus strangely w o n soon

.
become so very valuable that some o n e advises the

unfortunate p eo p le whose land has gone down to the
—
Gulf some one advises them I say to see what , ,
can be made o u t o f an unlucky situation Many .
Western decisions have made it clear beyond dis

pute that the man whose land the great river took
has no remedy at law except p erhaps and your
, , ,
-
honor will pardon the j est — to sue the Gulf o f Mex

,
ico as the receiver o f stolen goods But really this .
“
claim o f the pl ain tiE s has its humorous aspects
Then this some o n e — I do n o t know who i—may
.
have suggested an inquiry into the possibility o f

’
disproving my client s title It is not as I go o n a
.
, ,
very pleasant history The war had done its sad

.
—
work almost every evidence o f title was lost The .
surveyor was long dead and his people scattered

,
.
Ap parently no bounds could be proved Thus en .
c o u r age d a suit for ej ectment is brought and very

, ,
soon the reason for it appears when the p l ainti E s

seek for a compromise — a division Of the water
front This case has gone on through the hands of
.
three sets o f counsel If Mr Hood owns the land o n

. .
the b l u E he n o w owns the river front If he doe snot

-
.
he is practically a squatter and should have that ,
symp athy which the learned counsel for the plain

t i E s asks fo r those who are o n land they do n o t
own . ”
The court smiled and there was much laughter
,
.
It is only too plain that belief in the presumed

’
weakness Of my client s claim suggested the suit to
ej ect in the hope that fear o f total loss would force
,
”
my client to O E er o r accept a compromise .
G r eyhu rst rose Does the learned counsel mean

.
that I was concerned in advisin g a suit with th is so le

”
“
purp ose in view ?
O h no ,
”
said T resc o t
, The case w as not o f .
your creation I do not know who devised that

.
“
which was clearly what I prefer not to characte rize
It is j ust as well that yo u should explain and ,
.
”
the explanation comes none t o o Soon
hurst .
“ said Grey
You may think yo u r explanation sat isfac
,
”
tory I do n o t
. .
T r esc o t made no reply .
As the case stands you gentlemen o f the j ury , , ,
have been led to think to believe if that were p os , ,
sible that it is we w ho are the p l ain t iE s we who

, ,
complain ; we and n o t an ac t o f natur e who are

, ,
“
the Opp ressors .
May I further tax your p atience before return

ing t o the essential facts ? So much has been said
’
th at i s p ersonal both in and o u t of the court that
, ,
I shall ask leave t o say a few words not in immediate
“
relation to the ca se I S hall be brief .
I cam e hither as the agent and legal adviser o f

.
Mr Hood I foun d myself a N orthern so ldier in

. .
, ,
a co mmunity naturally aggrieved and hostile I .
have sought honestly to give no o E en se and I have ,
been able to induce my client t o deal most gener

o u sl y with his many debtors and to make kindl y ,
and even liberal provision for the squatters who ,
lon g undisturbed had come to b elieve they had a

,
right to their holdin gs N O single debtor Of Mr . .
’
Hood s will before long have the slightest cause
, ,
for c om p laint So m e attempt has been made to

.
CON ST AN C E T R E SC O T 209
a ff ect p ublic sentiment by word of mouth as you ,
have heard and I regret to say in p rint also and

, ,
thi s t o o while arrangements were being made to

, ,
deal j ustly and even generously I cannot believe .
that such e E o rts have had any influence o n this j ury .
—
S O fully do I so fully did I trust the honor and
j ustice o f the men I have learned to like in this city
that as you know I made no Obj ection to any j ury
, ,
”
man My learned friend was less easily pleased
. .
A s he paused taking up a p aper G r eyhu rst rose

“ ,
DO I understand your charges to allude in any

,
.
“
”
way t o me ?
I do said T r esc o t ; and I refer the couns el
”
“
to Co ffin s evidence as to what you said to him
The man w ho said so lies and the m an who now ,
.
”
says so lies .
he sat down sayin g : Well we shall see

,
“
The j udge at once called G reyhu rst to order and
”
,
.
,
T r esc o t went on making no allusion t o the in sult

,
.
He stated with admirable clearness the conclusions

, ,
to be drawn from the evidence Of the survey and the

plan o f the river as it had been and as it had come
to be With singular p ower of lucid statement he
.
dealt with the evidence admitting the validity o f

,
the o l d French gr ant as an essential to his o w n

case. He emphas ized the fact that no one had
’
doubted his client s title until the erosion O f the
river frontage made it valuable He wound up by
-
.
an appeal fo r simple j ustice and gathering his ,
p ap ers together sat down ,

.
It was n o w so late that the judge asked G r eyhu r st

how long a time he would require Up on his saying .
14
21 0 CON ST AN CE T R E S CO T
he could no t tell the court adj ourned to meet at

,
ten the next day .
G reyhu r st walked sullenly away from the group

o f older lawyers who gathered with warm praise
about T r esc o t Mrs T r esc o t havin g left to attend to

. .
some household matters A verill said to T r esc o t as

” “
,
“
they left the court : That fool called you a liar
Yes he said that I lied I presume he meant
,
.
.
“
Co ffi n also .
I think T r esc o t that yo u will have to ask him

, ,
what he meant o r invite him to with draw his

,
”
“
words .
N O I shall n o t general
, , .
But my dear T r esc o t your position is really u n

, ,
tenable o r at least it is so here To accept a charge

,
.
O f lying and to do nothing ! Y o u would lose caste

Oh utterly .
Then I must risk that T o ask him would mean .
an acceptance o f added insult o r a duel My o wn .
beliefs and I may say the peace makin g eE e ct Of

,
-
a rebel bullet make a duel imp ossible ,
l aughed as he added : I might hit a house with

He
“ .
my left hand but my dear general I come from

, , ,
a community where a duel is as absurd as to you ,
I dare say such a state o f feeling may be I am

,
.
’
much Of George Washington s Opinion as concerns
”
“
the matter
I know
.
said A verill ; but he never lived in

,
St Ann D O yo u go armed ?
“
. .
I ? N O —O f course not .
”
Y o u had better .
Tr esc o t laughed My b est weap on among p eople

.
like yours is the fact well known to G reyhu rst and

,
many that I do not carry arms and am c r ippled

, ,
.
’
Don t worry general the man will quiet down
,
~
“
'
an d I shall be careful .
Yo u do not know G r eyhu rst .
’
He was touched by the old man s kindness and , ,
having no malice toward any o n e went away elated ,
with the ce rtainty o f success .
When in the morning Constance and he talked

,
over the trial she said : I do not want to hear or

,
”
“
s ee that man again George
G r eyhu rst must close

,
When will it be over ?
Then the j udge will sum
.
.
up ; but how long the j ury may be o u t I do not

”
“
know I will send you word as I may be detained
.
You will not forget me ? ”

,
.
”
DO I ever forget you Constance ? ,
Never ; but I shall be so very unea sy .

N the next morning some intervenin g
court busine ss made it late before the
c as e w as called for continuance The .
crowd was still greater when Grey

’
hurst as the p l ai n t iE s counsel rose to
’
, ,
“
sum up with some return o f his usual self c o n fiden c e -
, .
May it p lease your honor and you gentlemen , ,
o f the j ury I represent here to day the cause o f the

,
-
widow and orphans o f a Confederate soldier The .
—
claimant is rich indeed far beyond o u r modest ,
conceptions o f wealth His agent is a young man

.
w ho se r ved in the war which has left us ruined ,
oppressed and insulted Until j u st in time for ef

,
.
f ec t in this trial we heard very little o f certain

,
much vaunted generous intentions Let us hop e that

-
.
’
they were more honest than Mr Hood s former pol .
icy woul d seem to make credible The opposing .
counsel has seen fit to speak Of his personal relation

to this case In his u se Of witnesses he has made
.
imp lications in regard to me which j ustify me in

saying that I personally at least can a r d to smile
, ,
at slander which represents me as lying and which ,
leaves the statement for u se in the safe hands Of a

”
“
female and a vagabond
”
My heavens general ! said T resco t
,
.
I cannot ,
“
stand that He rose at once
. Stop ! he said
Sir whatever statements have been mad e —and
,
. .
y o u have utterly misrepresented them — I alone am ,
responsible N O gentleman could have said what

.
”
yo u have j ust now p ermitted yourself to say !
G reyhu r st laughed : The shaft has found its“
mark I had heard sir that in the sense in which
.
, ,
Southern gentlemen use the phrase yo u did not ,
consider yourself responsible .
T r esc o t still o n his feet said quietly

,
I have said
, ,
”
that I am responsible .
The general looked from the o n e man to the other ,
uneasy and amazed that T r esc o t had been badgered

into assuming at last a position so Opposed to his
principles .
G reyhu r st returned sharp ly Well I am relieved , ,
to hear it It was unexpected

. And then as Tres .
,
“
cot resumed his seat he turn ed to the j ury saying
And now for this boasted evidence
,
”
.
,
A s he went o n T r esc o t sat still conscious o f hav

, ,
ing been goaded by insult to commit himself t o what

he knew to be wrong A s he sat he thought a mo
.
,
ment o f A lexander Hamilton whom he greatly ad

mired Then he said to himself
. When the evil
,
“
”
takes shape I will deal with it and began again to ,
listen t o his antagonist G r eyhu rst dwelt long o n the

.
untrustwort hy character o f the evidence given by

C o fli n — On his convincing reasons for o E e r i n g as
,
sist an c e to the defendant with utter disre gard o f the
truth T r esc o t again self controlled and listening

.
,
-
,
’
quietly felt at ease as to his case His opponent s
,
.
’
criticisms left his witnesses testimony uninj ured .
What doubt w as possible was thrown on the ab sence

’
o f d eeds on the slight value o f the surveyor s notes
,
so provi dentially preserved o n the fail ure to pay

,
cot
,
“
taxes In fact as an Ol d lawyer whispered t o Tres
.
,
he has no case at all and had better throw it

,
up . He finished with a passionate app eal to the

j ury to see the equity o f the situation — where nat
ural causes had swept away land and given to the
greed o f avarice a motive to add one more cause o f
p overty t o the ruin o f an o l d and honored family
A murmur o f applause in the audience assured
him as he sat down that he must have equally af
, ,
f e c t e d the j ury .
’
The court adj ourned to meet fo r the j udge s
charge in the afternoon .
The case was o f unusual importance and the ,
charge o f the j udge to the j ury was Of great length .
He gave the usual caution as to the weight and

consideration to be given to the facts as stated and ,
as to the credib ility o f witnesses He charged the .
j ury that if these and the extraordinary disco very

and production Of the blazes and the description ,
o f the land were proved to their satisfaction they

, ,
must o f need find for the defendant He urged that .
the unfor tunate personalities of the trial be set aside ,
and that with no regard to the sectional prej udices

,
which with as little relation had been brought for

, ,
ward they should decide as true men

,
.
Besides dealin g with the evidence he had felt ,
obliged to make entirely clear the decisions as to the

changes in ownership o f riparian rights made by
these frequent erosive alterations in the courses o f
the great Western rivers The lamps around the .
walls Of the court room were lighted before the -
j udge had finished and it was late when he gave

,
the case to the j ury and retired to await their

verdict .
N 0 one moved The interest the case excite d was

.
such as to keep people in their seats although the ,
room was hot and the air Oppressive Within the .
rail where the lawyers sat there w as equal interest

, , ,
and a feeling expressed in undertones that the

, ,
words which had p assed between co un sel must soon

o r late result seriously .
During the hour in which men waited to hear the

verdict G r eyhu rst sat still He had scarce a hop e .
o f success and to fail woul d be fo r him a grave

,
calamity He reflected o n this o r considered plans

.
,
fo r future litigation as he sat still ; o r seeing the

, ,
hands o f the clock p ass the hour began to believe ,
in a disagreement o f the j ury But ever at times .
his face which he had never learned t o control

, ,
changed as with his eyes half closed he frowned

, , ,
and gripped the arms o f his chair He thought .
o f the way in which he had been fooled by Co ffin
a n d ba ffled b y this frail looking young lawyer He -

.
r ecalled the amused faces o f the listening counsel ,
c ot
.
“
the exasperating quiet and gentle manners o f Tres
Damn him ! ”
N ow and again a flash o f
anger lit his face with p assion as the lightning ,
i lluminates for a secon d the dark ness of a stormy

n ight .
Meanwhile T r esc o t confident and happy chatted

, , ,
with Averill o r others .

Time ran o n and it w as now late A t the close

, .
“
o f a n hour the j udge returning t o his seat reca l led
, ,
the j ury . It is plain gentlemen he said that

, , ,
y o u may require some time to reach a conclusion .
’
I shall remain in my room until eight o clock t o hear
from you I shall then leave If after that hour
. .
, ,
you are o f o n e min d and will return to the clerk o f

the court a written verdict he will ins truct you that ,
it must be signed by every one o f you and seal ed

‘
Y o u will then be discharge d and avoid the necessity ,

”
o f being detained here all night With this the .
court broke up and the audience left

,
.
It will be unnecessary to dwell at len gt h up on “
the eE ec t which this delay had upon the several

p ersons c oncerned T r esc o t went home confident
.
as to the lawsuit and intent o n concealing the

,
gravity o f the personal question he had yet to face .
His wife was uneasy and was also doing her best ,
to hide her anxiety .
Wh ile to them the result o f the trial was for ,
many reas ons a matter o f interest to G r eyhu rst

, ,
it meant far more He went slowly homeward in

.
the dusk a troubled anxious irritated man He ate

, , ,
.
his supp er hastily and sat down in hi s library ,
resolving to rid his mind o f the cares o f a d isap

p ointing day He took up a book
. His taste in .
literature was good and the lonel iness his tempera

,
ment fostered had helpe d to make hi m a reader .
’
B ut now the thoughts o f the day s pas sions coul d
n o t easily be dismissed He closed a volume o f .
Burke and sat still ; but whether he reflecte d o n his

,
gathering debts his p olitical ambitions o r the loss

, ,
an adverse verdict would mean he rec u rred as was , ,
habitual with hi m t o some human instrument as

,
responsible ; and now it was above all the Yankee , ,
lawyer whose triumph would cost him so dear and ,
w ho had insulted him and although G r eyhu rst did , ,
not confess it had preserved that serenity o f temper

,
which so exasperates those for whom a slight i s

an outrage and a hasty word an insult He knew
, .
full well the mischief making cap acity o f his tem -
per and at times dreaded the p ossible results O f

,
such consequent outbreaks as others feared and as ,
had cost him many hours o f regretful penitence .
He was n o master o f himself and n o w an evil ,
mood possessed the hour He drank more than was .
his habit and at last went to be d only t o pass a

, ,
restless night and to awaken unrefreshed .
A great crowd was p ouring into o r gathering

around the court house next morning A s G r eyhu r st
-
.
p assed through it sullen and anxious he fancied men

, ,
were smiling at him and his probable defeat Tres .
cot nodded to him coldly as he entered within the

bar but the elder man stare d at him with set face
, ,
and without returning the salutation .
A little after ten the j ury entered ; the j udge took

his seat amid profound silence The clerk an .
n o u n c e d that at half past nine the night before the

-
j ury having agreed had all signed a verdict which

, ,
had then been sealed The clerk having handed the .
p aper to the foreman it was op ened and read

“
aloud : We the undersigned find a verdict for the
,
,
,
”
defendant . E ach j uryman was asked in turn if , ,
this were his verdict and the jury was discharged, .

218 CON ST AN C E T RE SC O T
Am id the buz z and stir this announcement made

in the court room a few pleased the larger number
-
, ,
disapp ointed G r eyhu r st moved t oward T r esc o t and

, ,
then as if otherwise minded turned aside and gath

, ,
ered up hi s p apers N o o n e sp oke to him while .

,
A verill and several of the older members o f the bar

gathered about T r esc o t A s they di scussed some o f .
the points o f the case a youn g lawyer who had left ,
“
the c o u r t room returned and said to T r esc o t :
-
Mrs T r esc o t is waiting outside She asked me

. .
to tell you to come to her at once She desired me .
”
to say it was very important .
T r esc o t turned to A verill and said : My wi fe i s -
outside and has sent for me in haste I shall be back .
”
in a few minutes .
He hurried out of a side door and foun d C o n
“
stance wait ing .
I heard it George You have won O h I am

, . .
,
glad ! Mr Randolph tol d me But come over here

. .
”
in the shade How pale you are !
.
Yes ; my arm is giving me pain .
I am sorry George ,
Come over here to that .
“
bench under the trees I have bad news
What is it ? A telegram ? ”
. .
Yes ; read it Uncle Rufus is dead I thought

. .
”
y o u ought to know o f it at once .
He read
“
T o M RS G EOR GE T RE S COT
.
’
Uncle died last night at eleven O clock suddenly , , .
Knowing o f the trial and your great anxiety I add , ,
that there is no will I am sure Of this We are the. .

CO N STAN C E T R E S CO T 21 9
sole heirs Let George act as seems best I shall

. .
approve See letter to follow

. .
S U SAN H OOD .
’
That Constance felt the shock o f her uncle s su d
den death w as certain but far more to her w as her ,
’
husband s interest and j ust now even his safety, .
She had tried not to let him see her anxiety It .
was very great for she had not failed to see the
,
material o f a serious quarrel in the scenes of the

court room ; and now here was death bringing
-
p eace and p ower to consider generously the peo

,
ple concerned in the suit and above al l release , , ,
from fear and freedom to fly t o more congenial

,
surroundings .
He was very grave as he twice read the telegram .
“
Constance sat still There was much to think about
Y o u are the sole heirs
.
he said ; and I suppose ,

“ .
“
dear it is a great estate .
,
,
—
Yes yes ; but now at once use this George -
,
.
—
Do settle at Once Give them half give them all
.
”
.
He smiled at her urgency He was pleased to be .
set at liberty to act kindly but his nature did not ,
admit o f the excitement which Constance felt He .
said as they sat in the shade : N othing can be done

,
”
“
’
in haste We must wait for Susan s letter
. .
Y es yes ; I know ; but yo u c an at least see the

,
gen er al now —at once — and ask hi m t o let these p oor

people know that we intend to be reasonable ; my
”
uncle never was .
“He sat fo r some minutes talking and at last said

’
Y o u are practically Susan s attorney A t all
,
.
220 CON STAN C E T R E S CO T
events she will do as we think b est It is a v ast .
relief .
“He read the telegram again

It is a strange fate Consta nce She says he ,
.
died at eleven Had he died before the ver di ct was

.
signed that was at half p ast nine i t would have

,
- -
,
-
been a mistrial and all to go over again I shoul d .
not have been sorry to have compromised matters

”
“
without a trial
But you will do something George n o w I i n
.
, , .
“
sist that you do not delay
Yes dear and most gladly
, ,
.
’ ”
An d you won t delay ?
I will not An d now dear I m u st go I will
.
, , .
”
come back soon ; wait for me here Rising he put .
,
“
the telegram in the left hand p ocket of his waist -
coat saying : I shall find A verill at once and ask

,
him to se e G r eyhu rst Constance sat down o n the .
be nch under the trees .
A s he moved away the crowd went by tal kin g , ,
gesticul ating excited T r esc o t moving o n sought

,
.
, ,
eagerly for A verill among the lawyers and others

now comin g out o f the side exit Wh en n o t more .
than twenty feet away he observed the general o n ,
the top step A t the same moment he saw G r eyhu rst

.
emerge from the crowd and kn ew that he must meet ,
him first He would S how him the telegram and

.
,
O E e r to divide the land It pleased him and forget .

, ,
f ul of the insults he had received and smiling at the ,
kin dl y thought he raised his lame hand to take the

,
telegram from his pocket As he did so he was .
’
aware of G reyhu r st s leveled revolver He stood .
CON S T AN CE T R E S CO T 221
facing his foe motionless ; saw the crowd scatter

, ,
heard Constance scream and heard no more o n ,
earth He fell on his face clutching the telegram

.
, .
Twenty feet away G r eyhu rst stood still pistol ,
in hand A verill caught him by the shoulder and

.
swun g him round “

Y o u scoundrel ! to shoot an
.
“
u narmed crippled man
,
N O man shall call me that and live !

”
Y o u fool ! A bullet in me and you swing in

”
“
ten minute s from o n e of these trees !
He was drawing On me ”
.
He was not He never went armed and yo u

.
,
”
knew it .
G r eyhu rst made no reply It w as wild quick talk .

, ,
and meanwhile a crowd gathered where Constance
“
kn elt beside her husband They turned him over
”
.
“
o n his back I s he dead ?
.
H o w can he be dead ?
”
She cried looking u p
The features twitched the
,
,
.
sp oke.
“
face grew white and the eyes became set N o o n e
Tell me ”
,
she cried ,
Will no o n e tell .
“ .
”
me ? Is he dead ?
Some o n e said softly He is dead ,
.
She rose and looked about her as if in search o f ,
something and then with b Oth hands struck aside

,
the yielding crowd She walked swiftly to where.
G reyhu r st stood He fell back a step or two the

.
,
p istol in his hand She said as if with eE o rt slowly

.
, , ,
“
word by word
Y o u have murdered an unarmed man Oh .
,
”
coward ! coward !
A crowd gathered quickly excited curious silent , , , ,
while the woman stood a moment p aling motionless , , ,

unable to say more ,

her lips movin g ,
her face
twitching .
G r eyhu rst stared at her He said nothing but .

,
his face changed The wild madness o f anger w as .
gone
“ .
”
My G o d ! she cried and fell at his feet The , .
man moved a step to ward her and then stood still , ,
horror stricken
-
.
She was mercifully in sensible convulsed and ,
quiver ing as they carried her to the porch o f the

court house
-
.
Averill said : G O o n Dudley and tell my wife , ,

.
”
Send me a carriage at once
G r eyhu rst :
“ Then he turned to
If sir you feel insulted I am at your
, ,
.
disposal Gentlemen in my State do not murder

.
unarmed men I will see your seconds at any time ;

.
”
but never dare to speak t o me again He waited .
an answer fo r a moment and receiving none moved , ,
away .
G r eyhur st turning stared after him

,
Some o n e ,
.
“
said : How was it G r eyhu r st ? Wh at did he do ? ,
”
O h go to,
l he returned ; and dropping the
p istol into his p ocket he walked slowly away men , ,
silently looking after him .
He went to a magistrate and gave himself up .
A fter a brief hearing bail was accepted and he ,

’
went away to his home now seeing the woman s ,
face o f anguish and n o w the smiling triumph o f

,
the man he had killed He tried to think that .

,
accordin g to his Western co de he was j ustified He ,

.
had been told that T r esc o t never carried arms He .
had not believed it at the time and now fell back ,

S
CON T AN CE T R E S CO T 22 3
on this remembrance Most men went armed and .

,
certainly T r esc o t had seemed to him about to draw

a pistol ; and the man had said he was responsible ,
which in St Ann meant that he was prep ared to ex

.
p e c t attack .
A nd Averill ? He w as in no mood for another

quarrel A s concerned the legal consequences he
.
was in no wise disturbed nor indeed did they at , , ,
all occupy him He had had aE r ays in wild mining

.
camps had himself been wounded but had never

, ,
killed a man N o w being a person with some im

.
,
ag i n at i o n and sensitive as to his o w n moods he

, ,
began to reflect on this tremendous fact He had .
killed a man By the time he reached his home he

.
ha d become uneasy in mind A certain uncontrol .
lable rush of thoughts came over him — a j ostling o f

self excuses a sense o f wrong done to himself o f
-
, ,
insult a wish that he had been less hasty

,
Oh .
,
”
my God ; that woman ! he murmured as he entered ,
his home To morrow he would consider it all ; now

.
-
he must cease to think for to think was torment ,
and led to nothing help ful He went up s tairs and .

,
drank glass after glass o f whisky until he had ‘
drugged him sel f into a state where he ceased to

reason and where memory was dulled and at last
, ,
dead He lay on a lounge all day and through the

.
night ; without undressing sleep ing a drunken Slum ,
ber.
A t morning when he awakened it all came back

, ,
to him by degrees and again he recalled the ver ,
dict and was filled with dull anger The evening

, .
‘
before he had made himself incap able of efli c ient
2 24 CO N ST AN C E T RE SCOT
reasoning N ow o ne aspect o f the aE air presented

.
itself and now another B its o f the death scene ap

, .
-
’
p e e r ed the woman s wide op en eyes their color ;
- -
,
that her chin muscles had twitched before she fell ;

-
ho w as by instinct he had made a s tep forward to

, ,
p ick her up and then did not Some unseen hand , .
f
was j angling the wires o p upp et memories he a —
helpless looker o n -
.
He had re gret rather than anythin g as positive

as remorse and soon recovered the power to deal
,
with the facts Seated in his library in sunshine .

,
he was at last able to dismiss the emotional dis

t u rb an c e which had disquieted him the day before ,
and to consider the e E e c t o f what he had done on his

legal and political career and o n his social p osition .
His an ger still burned and he lost nothing of his ,
hatred He was sorry only because Of the hasty form

.
his revenge had taken for what he considered in

su l t in g With a few men like A verill it would i n
.
j ure him A duel would have been wiser Then he

. .
thought o f the woman in the madne ss o f her grief

She had called him coward ”
It stung him like “ .
.
a whip .
Well he would outlive it and as he m us t live

, ,
and had interests in and near the town he must ,
learn to control a temper which he kn ew had lost

him friends influence and Opp ortunities He hop ed
, ,
.
to be chosen by the county to represent it in the

leg islature The death by his hand o f an unp op ular
.
lan d agent —a Yankee Office r — woul d hardly tr ouble

the rough coun try folk -
.
He rose and walked about among his bo oks He .

CON STAN CE T RE SCOT 225
had lived much alone s ince his wife had left him ;
and as is Often the case in small towns had read
, ,
as men in larger comm unities do not As he rose .
early he was apt after breakfast to sit down for

, , ,
an hour with a cigar and a book It was the habit .
“
o f a lonely man
‘
.
N ow he said to himself I must do j ust as

, ,
”
I usually do He sat down and took up the v ol
.
ume he had been readin g — a life of John Marshall .
It had lost interest He co ul d not keep his atten

.
“
“
tion o n the text His cigar went o u t Damn i t -
. .
he exclaimed if this goes o n

,
O f a sudden the
naked fact o f having killed came back to him This .
was not murder N o o n e would call it that O nce

. .
he had read
The devil owns the min u tes ,

”
Go d the years .
This began to say itself over and over in his mind ,
brin ging back again the fatal scene What had the
’
devil s minute brought ? What would the years
.
“
”
Of G o d bring ?
Time would go o n People would forget Mrs . . .
T re sc o t would go away o f course He would see , .
her stately grace n o more The thought o f her called .
up the face Of another woman far away in Sacra

mento What would she sa y ? What would she
.
“
think ?
Well he said I had better go o u t and show
,
myself He went to his room and took his watch

.
from the table He had forgotten to wind it Then

. .
15
he p icked up his revolver glanced at the one empty

,
barrel hesitated a moment put it back o n the table

, , ,
’
and went down to his Office A s he p asse d T r esc o t s
.
home he looked across at the house and quickened

his step s .
The ne x t day he left St A nn and remained absent

.
until as he supp osed the funeral o f his victim

, ,
would be over .
! VII
HE days went by and it was n ow late ,
in O ctober Mrs Averill waited at the

foot of the stairs
.
Will she live ? ”

.
.
“
she said as she met Dr E skridge a
, .
,
“
war worn old Confederate surgeon
-
.
“
”
Yes ,
he said unhappily she will live
,
He .
had k nown and liked Constance What she will .
be o r what she will do when this wild hysteria is

”
“
over no o ne can say N o w she k nows nothing
,
.
I was with her all last night doctor A t times ,

.
.
she lay in a stup or ; at others she talked laughing , ,
about her child and said over and over It m ust

,
‘
, ,
’
“
be called George .
Poor lady that hope is at an end

,
.
’ ”
Yes ; and more s the pity .
I still think that her sister sho u ld no t see her

She understands that ”
said Mrs Averill , A . .
“ .
most sensible thoughtful young woman and so con

, ,
siderate My p oor husband is distressed beyond mea

.
sure I did n o t think there was possible for him any

.
other Sorro w o n earth e x cept my death and I am ,
Old But this young man was in some ways like

.
, ,
my son Harry I am worried about the general

. .
“
I wish yo u would talk to him
I wil l .
—
In a few weeks p erhaps abruptly
.
227
Mrs T r esc o t wi ll come o u t o f this state perhap s

.
,
well p erhap s physically broken in health Then she

, .
“
”
must g o away and never return .
I supp ose that will be be st These two young .
women are both rich my dear doctor and can go

, ,
where they pleas e Mr Hood did n o t mean to leave

. .
them much money but he died without leaving a

,
will and now they have all

, He was a sin gular .
m an and really this dreadful aE air was caused by

,
“
his o b stinate hardness
I have heard as much
.
said the doctor , .
He made a dozen wills and fortunately burned ,

”
“
the last o ne the day before he died
Well well ”
,
said the doctor
,
a will is the only ,
“ .
contribution to folly a dead man can make Ah .

,
good morning Miss Hood Your sister is somewhat

,
.
“
be tter ; we must have p atience
I have it ”
said S u san
,
But come into the .
garden with m e a moment It seems j ust now im .
p ossible to fin d a quiet place He followed her and .

,
as they walked down the p ath she said

Do you think that if she recovers she will be
in min d what she was ; and can you with your great ,
e x perience and what yo u kn ow o f her form any ,
idea o f ho w this calamity will influence her life ?

”
“
She is all I have and I am so very anx ious
,
I think it likely that she will get well and be

.
sound in mind and body Unless misfortune wrecks .
us utterly and we become insane after a shock like ,
this we remain essentially what we were N ew con .
di ti o n s accidents sorrow may cause people to ap

, , ,
p ear for a time alien from themselves They are .

CO NST AN C E T RE S CO T 29
r ar ely so The novel incident only evolves what

.
mi ght have remained unused unknown for a life , ,
time She may surp rise you but it will be with

.
,
the u se o f some qu ality you have never had occasion

—
t o se e o r she to employ Grief does no t as a r ul e
.
, ,
”
alte r p eople radically .
Susan listened deeply concerned an d thoughtful

Thank yo u ”
she said ,
,
But it does seem as if .

“ .
“
a thing like this must change o ne
No Put yourself in her p lace What would
.
.
“
”
y o u be o r become ? What would y o u do ?
I should go to the E ast —t o E gypt O ne seem s .
there so small so puny I should try to forgive

,
. .
O h I should try t o save my soul alive ; but then

, ,
doctor I am an Old maid and cannot imagine what

, ,
”
a woman like Constance feels o r will feel .
figure o f the o l d maid ”“

The doctor considered fo r a moment the face and
and smiling looked at his
, , ,
watch Y o u Old maids are perilous folk

. N o o ne .
else shall abuse yo u but Miss S us an and I do n o t ,
mean to tell yo u what I think o f yo u I shall come .
in to night-
.
She went with him through the house t o the door ,
and there saw Co ffin seated o n the steps He .
haunted the place questioning the servants o r with

, , ,
boundless patience w o n in the loneliness o f the

woods waiting until some o ne came o u t w ho could
,
tell him o f Mrs T r esc o t

Susan said : Come in “
. .
’
N o I won t come in Ho w is she ? Will she die ?
, .
“
I could not stand that
NO ; she will get well
.
But Mr Co ffin I want .

, .
,
yo u to think over what I said to yo u Y o u tal ked .
“
”
wildly of killing that man ; yo u frightened me .
’ ’ ’
I v e thought about that When she s well I 11 .
“
’
see ; if she wants it I ll get him sure , ,
.
She never will want that —never ”

.
’ ’
I m not that sure and I ain t made that way , ,
’
neither I m goin g to wait and see If she j ust
. .
“ “
’
lifts a finger I ll kill that man .
O h no no
,
!
”
she cried,
—
It is horrible murder .
o n murder We are going away as soon as she is

.
well enough God will help her to forget and she

.
,
’
is young and time is God s great peacemaker
, .
’
She is going away ! goin g away ! That s awful .
Since I was a boy I never had a friend like she was

— and she s going
’ ”
His eyes filled and he stood
.
still the tears rolling down o u t o f the p atient eyes

,
over his brown su n tanned cheeks ,

He brushed-
.
them away with his sleeve and went o u t o f the gate

s aying over and over
’
She s going ”
,
“ .
,
The weeks went by while Constance slowly r e

covered A t times she sat up o f a sudden with di
.
lated pupils staring but silent A t other times she

, ,
.
babbled o f her home her childhood o f S usan but , , ,
never o f recent events .
A t last o n e morning after a natural slumber she

, , ,
sat up and said to Mrs A verill .
Where am I ? Tell George I want him at once .
”
I say at once !
Susan hearing her high pitched cry ran in
,
-
,
.
”
What are yo u doing here ? asked Constance .
Where is George ?
CON STAN CE TRE S COT 2 31
The tw o women stood by mute and witho u t r e ,
“
source
’
.
Why don t you answer ? Something happ ened .
She fell back to their relief again insensible

, , .
From this time she began to recover as it were ,
in fragments her m emory Of the tragic p ast For

,
.
a while she lost t o day such remembrances as yes

-
t e r day had brought A little later the storm which

.
,
had left her nervous system shattered p assed away ,
and she began to p iece together her recovered r ec o l

lections Susan sat by in wonder grieving for the
.
,
p ain this revival o f memories was plainly writing

o n the face once so j oyous and so fair Some .
where she had seen described such a condition O f

mind and as o n e day she talked o f it t o the doctor
, , , ,
she recalled and quoted the lines
’
‘
Fo r again life s scattered fragments m emories o f ,
j o y and w o e ,
Tremulously grew t o onen ess as a storm torn lake -
may grow
! u iet winning back its pictures when the wild
, ,
’
winds cease t o blow !
Yes he said ; that describes it p erfectly

, .
A word o r two now and then told that she knew

‘
’
o f T r esc o t s death Fo r a week she asked n o ques
.
tions but l ay still entirely p atient A t last o ne

, , .
,
day the doctor uneas y at her changeless melan

,
c ho l y said to her
,
,
“
Yo u are better ; do yo u no t feel
”
better ?
2 32 CON ST AN C E T R E S COT
Yes, I am better ; I should like to get on to the

”
lo unge .
Pleased at any return o f will o r wish he said , ,

” ’
Yes certainly, and with Susan s help lifted her ,
“
wa sted frame and laid her o n the loun ge
She said : Thank you and please leave me with ,
.
“
Dr E skr idge
.
Doctor ”
Susan went o u t
said Mrs T r esc o t
,
.
I kn ow all about .
,
.
He was i mmediately relieved He had looked for

ward with anxiety to the hour o f questions My
.
.
“ e
“
p oor child ! was all he could say
Ho w long have I been ill ? ”
.
”
N ine weeks Mrs T r esc o t
Suddenly she asked : A nd the child ?
,
.
“ .
He took her hand She rea d his answer in the .
kind eyes which had seen so much o f disaster and
“
death .
I see —I know If anything could make it worse .

,
“
that does
Do not talk any more
.
he said as he rose , ,
.
Yes I must N o you cannot go ; I m us t finish

,
.
,
.
Was that — that man ever tried ? ”
“ Yes ”
.
Well ? — oh tell me ; don t be afraid ; I can bear

’
,
—oh anything now — anything

“ ,
He was declared n o t guilty

,
”
How coul d that be ?
But n o w Dr E skridge saw signals which made
him resolute He replied : When yo u are better
.
.
“
yo u shall hear I will answer n o more questions
.
now .
CON STAN CE T RE S COT
O ne — only o ne . I insist . Will he live here ?
“
Does he live here ?
Yes .
Thank yo u I will ask n o more questions

. I .
—
promise to be good very good ”
.
The doctor rose relieved He said : ,

In tw o .
weeks you must go away and later it would really ,
be best to go abroad Y o u are young and will get

'
.
”
well and stron g .
She smiled feebly the large blue eyes unnatural ,
and strange in the worn thin features —they alone ,
unwasted and beautiful .
‘ ’ ’
I am young Is n t that what is always said
'
.
,
”
“
doctor ?
Yes ; but it is true and let me add that how , ,
ever imp ossible i t may seem to yo u time is very ,
kind — t o the young at least ”
“ I am n o t y oung and time — yes I want its help

,
.
,
.
“
I do n o t wish to die ; I want to live
”
N ow that is better he said and went down
, , ,
.
stairs telling Susan o n the way that her sister k new

,
everything and was really in a wholesome state

,
o f mind and eager to get well .
Susan shook her head How could that be ? B e .
ing a woman she wondered that her sister coul d

,
wish to live .
Const ance asked n o more questions ; but seem ,
ing to put it all aside set her self to get well , .
Three days before they left she calle d Susan

and the general to her room insisting that she ,
would n o t be satisfied until she w as at ease about

certain matters She surp rised both by the clear
.
2 34 C ON STAN C E TRE S CO T
ness and decision with which she stated her
“
wishes .
Susan and I general are I am sure agr ee d

, , , ,
t o divide the shore land at the bend with the Bap

-
tiste he i rs ; but let me ask will such action bene

, ,
”
fit that man ?
Susan looke d up .
I do not know He lost the su it and o f course

.
, , ,
his large contingent fee I do not see how a sep a

.
rate agreement as between you and Mrs B aptiste .
can benefit him even if his fee had been arranged

,
”
“
to be a share o f the land
Then ”
said Constance
,
if they agree not to
.
litigate further and he is none the better for it

, ,
“
we will divide Does that suit you Susan ?
.
Yes I have said so ; anything dear that yo u

, ,
,
want done I shall want done ; and this I especially

desire as an act of simple justice We will give the .
“
general a power o f attorney to act fo r us
Then sister and I wish the squatters t o have
.
land on the b l u E back of the bend —to eastward I ,

”
mean .
The general made notes .
The land must be good said Constance ; and ,
we wish to be generous I should like them all to .
be helped to buy what they need to clear and till
“
the land .
It will b e rather costly

Yes ”
said Susan ;
,
but Constance wishes it “ .
and there is a large amount o f accumulated in terest

’ ”
in bank It was my uncle s way
. .
I want Co ffin esp ecially cared fo r said Con ,

CON STANC E T RE S COT 2 35
stance . I wish him to have the c l eared l and

nearest the b l u E ; and general I want yo u , ,
t o p ay him five dollars a week t o care for my
“
garden .
”
Your garden Conny ! exclaimed S u san , .
Yes ; I mean to shut up the house ; but I shall

keep it ; I shall never sell it I want no one to enter .
“
the study Lock it Has it been disturbed ?
.
N o dear ; I locked it and have the key

,
.
Then give it to me The house is mine I shall . .
“
keep it as it is
Is not that unwise sister ?
.
I have made up my mind .
Well dear it is yours We will not discuss it

, , . .
The doctor had long since warned her against con

tr adi c t i o n s and against anything which might stir
,
up dangerous emotion .
”
Is that all ? asked the general .
”
Yes said Susan ;
,
except that we desire to
make the most liberal arrangements in regard to the
mortgages n o t yet settled Y o u cannot be t o o gen .
er o u s . My sister and I know how your people have

”
su ff ered .
said .
“
The Old soldier looked up touched by what she
Yo u are giving a sad o l d man a rare ple a
,
“
sure Is that all ?
.
”
N o , said Constance I have here a letter . .
Read it please when I am gone If you dislike to

, , .
do what I ask it can wait There is no hurry about

,
.
,
“
it and I am very sorry t o trouble you
Y o u do n o t trouble me Ah my dear children .
,
.
,
”
we shall miss yo u sadly .
2 36 CON ST AN C E TRE SC O T
B u t ne x t s um mer said S usan yo u will

, ,
“
spend with us at Beverly
Perhaps ”
he said ; but yo u had better go
,
”
a b road .
Constance had put OE seeing Co ffin ; but o n the

sixteenth o f December the day before they were ,
to leave she sent fo r him

,
.
He entered halting i n his gait somewhat b o w

, ,
legged a round shouldered man in much worn gray

,
- -
,
with here and there a lingering Confederate button ,
a ra gged felt hat in his hand What Susan call ed .
the lost dog look was in his eyes

-
.
What he saw was a tall wasted woman in black , .
She was very thin and without a relic Of the rosy

color which once added so much t o her beauty .
The large framework o f her features showed too

prominently in the absence Of flesh A bove all .
,
the man was shocked at her complete p allor He .
was too u nthoughtful to have been prep ared for

the e E ec ts o f emotion and consequent illness Her .
quiet manner not less amazed him The women .
o f his o w n class wept and were natural This .
woman had back o f her two centuries o f Puritan

self restraint and the controlling reserve o f a cl ass
-
,
accustomed to hide emotion .
She said as she gave him her thin cold hand

, ,
Sit down ; but first shut the door I want to talk .
”
to yo u .
“
He sat down o n the edge of the chair .
Ho w are yo u ? she asked .
’ ”
O h very well ma am
, ,
.
Can you hold your tongu e T o m ? ,

I want to
tr t
ex (111
CON STAN C E T R E S CO T 2 37
I c an . He was a man by lon g habit wood

—
dumb as the Old lumb ermen say a man o f few
,
“
words .
I want y ou t o take care o f my garden .
’ ”
Yes ma e m
,
.
Y o u will come every week to the general t o get

five dollars ; you will care for my garden Yo u .
“
are also to have the best land on the b l u E
’ ’
I did n t expect all that I m right thankful .
.
’
They do say yo u r e going away Mrs A verill . .
“
’
says yo u 11 never come back A re that so ? .
N o ; they think so ; but I am coming back That .
is what I want no o n e to know Will you keep it .
“
t o yourself ?
I reckon Mrs T r esc o t yo u know yo u can trust
, .
,
I am sure I can she said as she rose

,
I am .
still weak and I cannot talk to yo u as I want t o

,
do when I come back If yo u need anything Gen

.
,
—
eral A verill will see t o it I mean anything f o r
”
“
the Wilsons .
Thank you ma am ’
,
.
She gave hi m her hand He took it with some .
thing like reverence Then he stood uneasy evi

.
, ,
“
d ent l y with something unsaid
Well ? she asked Is there anything else
.
“ .
“
Co ffin ?
I was thinking you might be wanting some o ne
”
to kill that there man He spoke simply in his
.
,
drawling mountain dialect as he might have asked ,
what tree he should fell .
The thought had been too Often in her mind t o

cause her an shock She said N o no .
”
.
“ .
2 38 C ON ST AN C E T R E S CO T
’ ’ ’
It would n t be no trouble ma am I d as l ief ,
.
“
”
do it o n my o w n account as not
No
”
she said again ; no That wo ul d not be
,
“ .
.
any comfort to me Tom I want that man to suf

,
.
fer I want him to su E er every day every night

.
, ,
’
till he curses the day he was born I don t want .
him to die T om ;
,
n o t yet — no not yet ,
.
He accepted her statement with blind faith in

her resources and with the obedient trust o f a faith
,
fu l do g wishing t o help and n o t knowing how

,
.
’
I would n t know how to fetch that a b out .
“
N ow if you know
,
N O T o m not yet
, ,
I must first get well a n d
.
strong Good b y ; I shall ask Mrs A verill to let me

.
-
.
hear how you get o n and the Wi l son children and

,
the rest But remember no o ne — n o o n e must know

.
,
”
what I have said t o yo u .
He went away wondering sorry not to be abl e ,
to bring about what she desired and with dul l ,
wonder because Of her unwillingness to accept the

vengeful service for which he was so ready .
! VII I
N the afternoon
the next day the sis of
ters left for the long j ourney to their

home o n the B everly coast o f Massa
c hu set ts The general w ho had gone
.
,
with them to the station o n his return ,
came into the p arlor — no o n e called it a drawing

room in St A nn Mrs A verill was seated before
. . .
the hickory lo g fire her knitting o n her lap She

-
,
.
was looking up at the rival flags the swords and , ,

’
the p oor little photographs As she heard Averill s .
step she took up her knitting smili ng sadl y at the

intrusive remembrance conce rning the ’
r avell d
,
“
”
sleave Of care w hi ch none can knit He had a let .
“
ter in his hand
E leanor ”
he said
,
.
this has been a great shock

,
”
“
to me I could n o t have imagined it as possible
.
”
N o new trouble ? she said quickly What is .
“ .
it ? Al ways tell me things first and say what you

”
like afterward Men always p repare o n e
. She .
“
was slightly irritated
O h it is o f no personal moment
,
.
Read that .
,
”
E leanor an d tell me what o n earth I am t o do
,
.
She took the letter and read

239
2 40 C ON ST AN C E T RE S CO T
MY D EAR G EN ERAL
If what I now ask seems to you t o o st range ,
o r may in any way annoy yo u to carry o u t let it ,
go it can wait .
I want a S imple gray stone put over m y hu s

’
band s grave with this inscription :
,
‘
In memory of George T r esc o t A ged 2 9 years . .
Late Maj or 6th Massachusetts Volunteers .
‘ ’
Murdered o n O ctober 9 1 870 in St Ann , ,
. .
Mrs A verill slowly folded the letter an d replaced

.
it in the envelop Do yo u not think E dward that

.
“ ,
,
she may be a little — well n o t quite sane ? It is t o o ,

-
“
strange t o o horrible
,
N O ; she is sane enough E leanor B ut grief

.
, .
“
plays strange tricks with the most sane
I at least cannot imagine a really great so r
, ,
.
row associated with ideas o f revenge ; but after all , ,
E dward there is more than revenge here —o r p er

,
haps less It would after all be only an un usu al

.
, ,
”
act of justice .
But yo u could never have desired such a thing .
I am not sure N o I could n o t ; but I am not.

,
”
Constance I do not blame her
. .
The general stood by the fir e the letter in his

hand . A t last he sai d : Personally E leanor I “ ,
, ,
could wi sh this th ing done A man co mmits a crime .
like this and j ustice fails ; p eople forget and the re ,
is not even a record ; and at l ast the man to o I , ,

”
“
suppose forgets ,
.
But does he ? D O you think that a man l ike

him do es at last cease t o feel what he mu st have
felt when that dear beautiful woman fell at his ,
feet ? I often think as I sit here E dward j ust a — , , ,
sad,
childless mother that i f the men whose bul ,
-
lets left u s lonely could have seen us o r fully known

what they had done they could not have failed to ,
be unhappy ”
Then she p aused and looking up
.
,
aE ec t i o n at el y at the kind brave face of the c o m

rade and lover added : But I am glad they can
,
“
,
”
not know .
Yes that is as well dear I too have helped

, , .
, ,
’
t o create in unseen homes the misery of war m ore s ,
the p ity If every man in an army k new and saw

.
whom his shot killed o r crip pled and saw t o o , , ,
all the far away never ending consequences I thin k

-
,
-
,
”
“
wars would cease
Perhaps perhaps ,
.
she said as she looked up , ,
with full eyes at the crossed swords over the mantel .
They were silent again f o r a little while Then .
“
she said
What will yo u do about this letter —this in
“
scription
I hardly kn ow .
Yo u may be sure that the churchwarden will

never p ermit it Y o u can se e him and Show him the
.
letter in confidence He will say no ; and you can .
”
rep eat this to o u r poor Constance .
'
The general w ell pleased t o be thus co u nseled

, ,
had his interview with the astonished warden and ,
upon his protesting wrote to Constance t o that e E ec t .
She replied that no one not even Su san knew , ,
anything of her letter and that no further steps ,
need be taken S he w as sorry to have given trouble

. .
1s
2 42 CON S TAN CE TRE S CO T
She wrote from time to t ime but her letters were ,
rare and never personal Meanwhile they had gone .

,
to E urope as the doctor had desired them to do

, .
Susan wrote often Constance was apparently .

, ,
well again but still thin and without a trace Of her

,
lovely coloring The doctors said it was anemia

.
,
but one in Milan insisted that it was n o t want o f

blood but some change in the nervous system He
,
.
.
“
had seen such cases and said that she would al
ways be p ale I really think said Susan that , ,
“
she is more beautiful than ever but it i s the beauty ,
o f living marble ; and dear Mrs A verill I had , .

,
a cherished belief that this awful thing would make

my sister turn where alone are peace and rest and
the hop e that lives when earth has none I can see , .
no such result She will not even let me speak o f

.
what is so near to me This alone makes her irri .
table and that is new to Constance People stare

, .
,
—
at her and n o wonder so p ale so stately and so , ,
sadly i n diE er ent She reads little goes to the gal

.
,
l er i es and takes n o real interest in anyt hing ex

,
cept that she shows the most eager desire to get

w ell and vigorous I should have wished to die
. .
She was always excep t with George and me a, ,
reserved person and now I am sure there is some

,
thin g constantly o u her mind It is not a mere .
torturing memory but something which when she , ,
thin ks she is unnoticed makes her smile in a cold ,
way I cannot describe it ; but it does worry me

. .
O nce only she has shown interest and that was ,
about the miniatures we have had made fo r you

from the photo graphs o f your sons They are very .
CO N STAN C E T RE S CO T 2 43
admirable and t o know what they will be to o u r

,
‘
dear friends please d her She said Ho w G eorge .
,
’
would have liked them ! and believe me this is the , ,
only time I have heard his name pass her lips I .
can give yo u n o better idea o f the eE e c t she produces

than t o tell you what happened yesterday at the
—
Pitti no it was at the B argello
,
I was seated .
,
looking at the statue o f David My sister was .
moving about never looking long at any o n e o f the

,
wonderful things o n every side I heard a man .
‘
near by say to a younger man : Did yo u see that
’ ‘ ’ ‘
woman ? Yes he said what a colorless face
,
! :
‘
She is as pale as death The other said : But .
what a cold beautiful face ! She must have had a

,
’
history worth hearing They strolled away and I.
,
heard no more I have a dreadful desire to know

.
what has become of that man G r eyhu rst Is he .
still in St A nn ? .
Mrs A verill looked up from the letter she had

.
“
been reading aloud to her husband .
“ I have never chanced t o set eyes o n him

”
she ,
“
said. But then I rarely leave my home
”
,
A s you know dear returned Averill we do

,
, ,
.
n o t speak O f course I see him and hear O f him

. .
I think he has been made to feel that men are more

than ever inclined t o avoid him ; not so much I ,
’
am sorry to say o n account of T resc o t s death as
,
because o f that terrible evidence o f his uncertain

temp er A t the club I notice that he is n o t asked
.
”
to take a hand at cards although he plays well , .
”
That is rather a mild p unishment .
Yes ; but it means something to him ; and the

2 44 CON ST AN C E TR E S CO T
social dis cipline has had its e ff ect o n a man who

is o r w as amusing an d who lik ed the society o f
, , ,
men He is a sensitive p erson and feels it I hear

. .
,
“
t o o that he no longer carries a revolver
,
Indeed ! and here where it is so common ! ”

,
.
Yes ; Colonel Dudley told me He has had t wo .
o r three successful cases Of late and behaved with ,
“
”
p ropriety and good temper .
Mrs Dudley told me that he has been speakin g

.
”
in the county at p olitical meetings
Yes ”
said A verill
,
and admirably well He ,
“ .
wants to go to the legislature That is all I know .

,
E leanor I dislike even to talk about him So far

. .
he is p rospering and that dear fellow is forgotten

,
.
This is a strange world and no t altogether satis ,

:
”
factory .
Mrs A verill w as silent fo r a moment au t o m ati

.
‘
cally plying her knitting needles The general stood

-
.
“
with a hand on her shoulder Presently she said :
Will yo u drive me to the churchyard this after
.
— “
noon ? I want to leave some flowers o n the grave
”
.
He replied Certainly O f course

,
“
Then she added : I was wonderin g ho w in the
.
far futu re these t w o lives will end —her life and

,
his
O h she is youn g and he will live o n and the
, , ,
whole thing will be forgotten in time It is not the .
only case we have had in St An n ; and as far as I .

,
have been able to see the actors in these tragedies ,
appe ar to be very little influenced o r altere d Grey .
hurst is the sole instance I recall in which the man

w ho kil led se emed t o be p ersonally changed by what
he had done He certainly is changed —Dudley

.
“
says very much changed
But ho w ? ”
.
O h he is moody and silent ; he is less gay ;

,
he i s more deferential Suppose we drop him

.
,
”
E leanor
“ .
It is all very sad she said ; and gathering up

,
her knitting she went out into the garden where now
, ,
in the late sp r in g the flowers were welcoming the

'
su n .
Y E A R had gone by since T resc o t s ’
death St A nn was prosper i n g and

. .
on the way t o become a great city .
The shops were larger the cotton ,
presses more busy a new railroad was

,
approaching the town A lready the divided water

.
front at the bend was being needed for cotton

storage and t o supply landin gs for freight boats -
.
G reyhu r st p rofited by the general rise in real

estate and was able t o sell two o r three lots
,
at good prices . His p olitical p rospects were als o

promising and with increased means and lessening
,
causes o f irritability he began to feel some return o f

,
self c o n fiden c e and the amiability of a man reas

-
sured as to his future A fortunate decision in a

.
case against the United States government added

local popularity and it may be said that except
, ,
in the op inion o f a small class he had su ffered lit

,
tle in the eyes o f a community largely made up o f

n o t altogether the best elements o f the West and
South .A s he became busier chiefly with small

,
suits occupation served to assist the blurring in

,
fl u en c e o f time .
And yet he had his hours or at least his m inutes , ,
of regret He was sensitive as the irritable often

.
,
are not merely to slights but also to memorial r e

, ,
minders He never willingly walke d over the

.
ground where he had seen T r esc o t fall He had .
that day put a rose in his buttonhole He never .
did so again He still excused his act as j ustified

.
by what T r esc o t had said and by the self belief ,

-
encouraged in his trial by those who swore they

thought T r esc o t was about to draw and defen d
himself He was measurably successful but never
.
,
coul d deal as readily with his remembrance o f the

agonized face o f Constance T r esc o t That she h ad .
gone never to be seen by him again was a vast

, ,
relief .
There is however a little space o f time when

, ,
the specters o f thought or memory p ossess the scene .
In the brief interval between the waking state and

sleep when the will is becoming dormant and im
, ,
agi n at i o n plays us sa d tricks he saw her as she ,
stood before him pronouncing the sentence which

he never could forget O f late this visualized mem .
o r y was becomin g less vivid He felt that also t o .
be a relief .
O n the ninth o f O ctober the anniversary o f Tres ,

’
cot s death G r eyhu r st walked up the hill slope
,
from his o wn house and p ast the long closed home

,
-
o f the man he had killed He had a startling revival .
o f memory as he saw that the windows were op en ,
but he reflecte d with satisfaction that it had some

new owner Very naturally he had never spoken o f
.
it o r its former tenant and knew nothing in regard ,

to it He went o n setting his mind upon the busi

.
,
ness o f the day nor did he venture to ask any one

,
w ho had taken the house

A t dusk the day before Constance T resc o t and a
maid arrived at St A nn Unrecognized in her black
'
. .
veil she had driven t o her o l d home A letter from

,
.
her and a desp airing note from Susan Hood had

prepare d the A ver ills for her comi ng so that she ,
found the house in order and her o l d servants ready .
F o r two days she was by her own wi sh alone , , ,
having be gged her sister w ho utterly disapproved o f ,
her return to St A nn n o t to j oin her for a fort

.
,
night .
She found the house as she had desired t o find it , ,
unaltered She went up s tairs and changed her

.
dress asking t o have tea sent up to her Later in

, .
the evening when the house had been closed and

, ,
the serv ants had gone to bed she took a candle ,
and went down to the study The room by her .

,
wish had never been opened and the dust lay thick
, ,
o n everything Fo r a m inute she stoo d with the

.
candlestick in her hand an d looked about her .
—
There were the table and books the Bible with
one o f her o w n gloves left in it as a marker at the
story o f Ruth which T r esc o t had meant ne xt t o
,
read to her The dead rose stem was in the tall

.
-
glass the dried petals o n the table The p iano was

,
.
’
there an d her music ; o n a chair lay T r esc o t s spurs
,
and his riding whip She sat down and fo r the

-
.
,
first time in months broke into a p assion of tears .
That yearning fo r the dead which few escap e came

up on her She threw up her hands with a wild
.
25O CON STAN CE T RE S CO T
she cried
“
gesture o f utter desp air Ho w am I to bear it ?
H o w am I to bear it ?
.
.
A t last she lay down o n the lounge and wip in g , ,
her eyes resolutely controlle d herself

, O nce r e .
p ossessed o f p ower to think she lay quiet reflecting , , .
All summer at times she had set herself t o plan

, ,
some scheme o f punishment fo r the man who had
Wrecked her life She had schemed in vain She

. .
was a woman and powerless ,

What could she do ? .
The air was warm the room close She opened, .
a door and went o u t and s t ood in the garden The .
damp night air brought to her the fragrance o f

l in gering autumn roses with the keen memories ,
p erfumes s o surely recall and the darkness intensi

,
fied her abiding sense of loneliness .
She sat down o n the steps o f the porch and fed ,
he r grief with remembere d j oy An immense long .
ing came over her to see her dead as he was in life ,
and it seemed to her as though she must have some

p ower to comp el this V ision She had greatly de .
sired to dream o f him and had never done so A t ,

.
times as now she failed to b e able to call his face

, ,
into mental view The longing seemed to a ff ect

.
her whole strong youn g body so that she felt her ,
heart beat in her neck and down t o her finger ends -

.
Suddenly she swayed to o n e side She sat u p .

,
alarmed . A slight abrupt sense o f weakness o f

, ,
want o f control over her muscles announce d that ,
to indulge in the remembrance o f hours o f p assion

ate love o r o f j oyous comradeship was perilous
, ,
to such absolute self command as she well knew -
’
she should need She recalled the o l d doctor s warn
.
ing. He had said that to give way to emotion

“
would fo r a long time to come be likely to bring
about a fresh attack o f loss o f self command She -
.
set herself stern l y to recover calmness o f mind and ,
with it the p ower to reason A s she rose she felt .
am azed at this sudden feebleness Resolving n o t .
again to give way to the sweetness and pain o f try

ing to live back into the too real recollection o f the
days o f a supreme passion she went in and to , , ,
her surprise slept a deep a n d as she knew next

,
m ornin g an unrefreshing slu mber

,
This shal l not
,
.
“
”
happ en again she said
,
as she turned over her
,
letters at breakfast ; an d in fact unsatisfied desire

, ,
’
to make her husband s murderer atone in su ff ering
took the place o f a more perilous form o f mental
activity .
A fter brea k fast she quietly arranged her house

hold afiairs fo r the day and then busied herself
,
in setting the stu dy in order , dusting it with care ,
to leave all things as they had been .
’
A t last she sat down at T r esc o t s table and p re , ,
occupied dipp ed a pen into the dry inkstand She

,
.
laid down the pen and went t o get her traveling

inkstand Returning she stood still a moment and
.
, ,
then turned to her o wn table and again sat down , .
She had the feeling that no t where he sat could she
He would have said “

plan a course o f life so Opposed to all he held dear
Forgive ; forget
, Fo r a .
.
minute and for the first time the woman hesitated

, ,
.
She w as at the p arting o f the ways She looked .
around her at the memorials o f a true and noble

life and forward at the lonely desert o f days and
,
years without hOp e and void of all the j oys that

belon g t o youth and love
she simply felt
” “
She did not reason
N o she said aloud ; I must go
.
,
.
“
my way .From that sad hour she held t o o n e u n
chan gi ng resolve .
First she must see Co ffin and must know all that ,
’
was possible o f her enemy s life How could she .
,
a young woman enter into it with power to ruin

,
and make him su E er ? She resolved to be p atient .
Had it been some lesser inj ury she could have ,
made the man love her and then cast him aside t o
realize the p ain o f loss She knew as by instin ct .
, ,
her p ower over men She dismissed the thought in

.
disgu st and horror and risin g walked about and

, , , ,
at last went into the front p arlor and to air the , ,
long closed room threw up a sash A s she moved to

-
,
.
the other window she saw herself in a mirror a tall ,
form in deep mourning dress with a face the whiter -

,
from contrast with her black gown and mass o f

dark hair She threw up the sash and stood still
.
,
hel d motionle ss as if by some fascination ; for o n ,
the farther side o f the street in the brilliant sun ,
shine she saw John G r eyhu rst walking slowly t o

,
ward the town He glanced over at the house and

.
saw and kn ew her Instantly quickening his p ace

.
,
he looked away an d moved o n .
N oting the suddenly averted head the ab r u pt ,
“
hastening o f hi s steps she looked after him and
said aloud : He feels ; he is sensitive ”
A stern
,
.
,
“
j y
o p ossessed
N o w I know
her and
she said
,
she turned
,
away satisfied
.
.
When she went back to the study she saw T o m

Co mu on the back p orch . She called him : T o m,

”
“
Tom !
I heard was here I w
yo u that sure y . as ou
”
“
would come back A re you going to stay ma m ? ’
.
, a
Y I do not k ow h w long I told y

es ; I n o . ou
“
”
meant to come Did you keep my secret ?
.
”
I did .
A re o
y u the b l u fi ?
doing well on
’
Why Mrs T r esc o t I m saving money N ever
,
.
, .
’
did that before in all my life and it s all alon g o f ,
’ ”
you O h we r e right well pleased all o f us
.
, , .
“It was a long sp eech for T o m

I am very glad A nd now I want something .
.
I want to know all about that man T o m How he ,

.
spends his time He goes to his o ffice I suppose

.
, ,
and t o that club and to to the court house Does

,
- -
.
he go to any houses ? Does he visit any o n e —any
“
”
woman ?
’
Y o u want me t o find o u t ? That s easy enough .
”
B ut he must not kn ow he is watched
T o m smiled A ll right
.
”
He looked at her“ .
.
and wondered what she could mean to do It .
seemed simple to him —a r ifl e shot and that wo uld -

,
end the matter She ha d said n o Her desire fo r

. .
some continuity o f punishment would have been

foreign to his mountain code o f vengeance For .
men o f his kind there was some recognized j o y in

the crude pleasure o f p ipe and glass o f the visible ,
results o f the hunt and o f the use o f a x and plow ,

.
The men he knew had no other j oys and to take ,
life was to take away all that was valuable and ,
competently to deal with a wrong He left her puz .

,
2 54 CO N STAN CE T R E S CO T
zl e d as to what she meant to do but as al ways her , , ,
willing instrument in small things o r in large , .
O n the following day the general found her in
“
the p arlor
Well my dear ,
.
he said we are glad and , ,
sorry to see you here again Y o u are still t o o p ale . .
“
Are you we ll ?
Yes ; I think I may say that I am as strong as
“
”
I ever was Sit down ; I want to talk to you
. .
Certainly my dear child There is a good deal

, .
o f business The water front at the bend ought to

.
-
“
be improved and ,
E xcuse me general but those matters may w

, ai t ,
.
I have other things to speak o f and to me far more , , ,
imp ortant things .
He was surp rised an d c u rious N ow as always .

, ,
“
”
I am at your disp osal .
I asked yo u some time ago t o do fo r me what

”
“
I was sure yo u would disapprove o f
Yes o n the whole I did disapprove ; and when
,
.
the warden said he would never consent I felt r e

l i eve d. Mrs A verill and I considered it unwise
.
,
and onl y to be explained b y the condition in which

your illness left you It would have been an im .
“
propriety to say no more ,
I do not feel as yo u do she returned A

.
,
.
’
u seful noble life is ended by a brute s an ger He
,
.
lives o n unpun ished A j ury j ustifies his act ; no .
o n e remembers Is there to be no record ? Mus t

.
this man live and go his way just as before ? As

I live I do n o t mean that he shall If to k ill him
,
.
would satisfy me and I had been a man I wo u ld , ,

have shot him as I should any other wild beast and ,
not have had a pang of remorse But something I .
must do — oh something,
She rose and walked up and down the room the ,
“
figure o f an avenging fate splendid in her wrath
My dear Constance ! let me beg of you
, .
Pardon me let me finish I mean to make this

,
.
man suffer — o h as I have snfier e d ; oh more if

, , ,
that be possible ! I have now but o n e pu r pose in

life and to it I mean to give my strength my
, ,
thought and at need every dollar I have in the

, ,
‘
world .
He lifted a hand in app eal : God knows dear , ,

”
that I feel for you ; but what can you do ?
He felt in a larger way much as Co ffin felt ; but
’
this woman s talk o f some more refined vengeance
“
struck him as p itiable in its incap acities
What I can do general I do not know as yet
, ,
.
I have felt however that I wishe d you beforehand

, ,
t o understand that if I seem strange in what I

do o r as men se e things eccentric yo u will not
, , , ,
consider me insane I am fully aware that yo u will

.
disapprove I cannot help that

. A man dies .
,
and a woman must s it down and cry I am not so .
”
made ; I cannot and I would not if I could
, .
This stormy p assion troubled him I t w as not like .
any woman he had ever known There was some .
thing in it of the deadly instinct o f attack o f a

wounded animal — something not modern Revenge .
had been in his experience the prerogative o f man .
He did not know how to answer her and fell upon ,
p etty futilities —
People would talk she would
.
s u rely be thought to be crazy He hesitated to say .
that this vain dream o f a woman ruining a strong

man outside of the p ossibility of contact o r influence
was absurd and might come to seem ridiculous even
, ,
with the tragedy behind it .
He moved her no whi t A s he talked she contin

ued to walk about uneasily and at last p ausing
before him said : I know ho w you how any man
,
“ ,
, ,
must feel about what I have said If there are men .
fools enough to think lightly o f it I swear to yo u ,
there will be o n e man who will not laugh when I am

”
done with him .
be. He said : “
T he general began to think that it might ver y well
I should be a p oor friend Co n ,
stance if I did not try to st 0 p you

,
Think it .
over Let Mrs A verill talk to you and wait my

. .
, ,
“
dear Do nothing rash
.
Certainly general I shall do as yo u sa y I a m

, ,
.
“
in no hurry but nothing on earth will move me
,
I am very very sorry ”

,
.
.
I could hardly have imagined that y o u would

agree with me May I ask you if that man is pros
.
”
p e r o u s if p eople
,
have condoned his act ?
He hesitated It was unnatural disagreeable this
.
, ,
curiosity about a man who ought to have p as sed
“
unmentioned o u t o f her life
You do not want to answer me
.
Frankly I do n o t He and I do not speak If

, . .
ever he did I should call him o u t and kill him

“ Thank yo u
,
I shall no t urge yo u further I

.
.
can easily learn all I need to lea rn A sk my dear .
Mrs A verill to come here at four t o day I have

. .
the m iniat ures fo r her I have made myself u n .
”
pleasant Yo u will forgive me I am sure
.
, .
He too k her hand as he rose kissed it in the o l d ,
fashioned way and left her feeling that he had

, ,
entirely failed t o bring her to reason .
,
“
When he related to Mr su Aver il l this amazing in
t erv i ew she said : It i s very sad but it is a l so ,
absurd I will make her understand that as a w o

.
,
man I feel wi th and for her It will then be easy

, .
t o make clear ho w utterly impossible it is for her . .
”
to do anyt hing It is really childish
The general smiled Wait a little
.
he said .
“ .
wait until yo u hear her talk .
When M rs A verill had kissed the p ale cheek and

.
e xpressed pleasure at seein g her again Constance ,
gave her the tw o miniatures They were a dmirably .
’
done and the mother s eyes filled as she looked up
,
and tha nke d the kind thought which had made them
“
hers.
And new dear she said

,
the general has
, ,
told me o f your talk I am a woman and can enter .
into your feelings ; but dear I am a Christian and , , ,
must plead with you by all that George T r esc o t ,
held dear and true to put aside these thoughts ,
o f revenge They are wicked ; and even if they

.
were n o t it is practically useless for you o r me

, ,
o r any woman to think o f afi ec t i n g the life o f such

,
”
“
a man .
But I am n o t a Christian Mrs A verill ,

. .
N o ; Susan told me that long ago to my regret , ,
“
d ear
. But still you must at least feel
Pardon me my dear Mrs A verill ,
she broke .
,
17
258 C ON ST AN CE T R E S CO T
in. I m us t go my way and I mean to do so I ,

.
may fail ; I think I shall n o t fail But let me say .

,
dear friend once fo r all j ust this

,
a hand o n the knee o f the elder woman

and she laid
I am here
, ,
“
f o r a purpose but I shall live my life — the usual
,
life I shall see you often I hop e ; and while here

.
,
I shall try to do what good I can to those who are

in need o r su ffering All p ain and all human dis
.
tress appeal t o me as they never did before We will .
never recur to this subj ect and yet last o f all let , , ,
me say j ust only this : if a man killed me do you ,
think George T r esc o t no matter what his c reed , ,
“
woul d have left him unpunished ?
”
But that is di fferent
”
said the o l d lady feebly
I do n o t so see it said Constance ,
We won t’
,
.
“ ,
.
talk about it any more Here are some new fl o w er .
”
seeds and a meerschaum p ip e for o u r dear general .
Mrs A verill thanked her and they spoke o f

.
,
other matters — Susan dress fore i gn travel and at, , , ,
last o f the home for the orphans o f Confederate

,
soldiers She — Constance — desired to help it

. .
A fter a long chat the pretty o l d lady put o n her

,
gloves and ros e quite conscious that she had fared no

,
better than her husband She had been accustomed .
t o act in her quiet sweet tempered way as a peace

,
-
making influence Her gray wrinkled p atient face

.
, ,
preache d silent sermons o f gentleness and endur

ance She had lost children fortune and all that
.
, ,
helps us to bear the inevitable addition o f such

p hysical disabilities as the years bring to the o l d .
She still retained a certain p leasure in her p ower

to a ff ect for good the lives o f the younger people ,
whom ,
that the general was once m ore p ros
no w
p e r o u s,
she liked to see about her — the young and
the happy What she had heard from Constance
.
was both a novel revelation and a shock to her

womanly sense o f what w as proper and reasonable .
With larger kn owledge and increased Opp ortunities

she might be able to turn this young friend aside
from a course which seemed to her both wrong and

"
foolish She to o had su ff ered and had won at last
.
, , ,
the sad serenity o f a sorrow for which this earth

has no competent relief and which looks for an ,
swer to another world than ours She had nothing .
in her o w n nature o r exp erience t o explain either

the strength o r the defects o f a woman like C o n
stance T r esc o t That she should want t o avenge
.
an injury and yet earnestly desire to help the poor

,
and the su ffering seemed to E leanor A verill an in

,
credible attitude o f mind A s she walked homeward .
she consoled herself with the belief that p erhap s ,
after all Constance would soon come to realize her

,
o w n incap acity an d abandon her purpose She had .
learned as the o l d learn to have great faith in time

, ,
.
RE YHU R S T , w ho
had reflecte d no t a
little o n the return o f Mrs T r esco t .
,
concluded that her l arge business i n

t er est s alone could have brought her
to St A nn . She was unlikely t d r e
.
main ; and even if her stay should be long what did ,
it matter ? O n the third day after her return he

went to his o ffice and began to read his letters .
’
O ne in a firm large charactered woman s hand i n
,
-
t er est ed him He broke the black seal o f the mourn

.
ing paper A yellow slip fell o u t He read

-
. .
S IR
“
The inclosed telegram was in the hand o f the
man yo u murdered at the moment he w as going
toward you to o ff er as before he had no p ower t o
,
do a friendly and even generous division o f the

, , ,
lands at the bend His bloo d is o n it as I trust

.
,
“
'
i t m ay rest o n your o w n soul .
C ON S TAN C E T RES COT .
His first feeling was simply astonishment F o r .
a moment he held the letter in act to tear it up .
Then as if that were impossible he laid it do w n

, ,
and m echanically u n folded the telegram an d read

260
it over and over It was terribly new to him The

. .
general had never S p oken t o him since the day

o f his fatal anger He knew of course o f the more
.
, ,
recent and accepted p r o fi er to Mrs Baptiste to .
divide the frontage He sat stu p efie d

. He saw .
the brown blood stains o n the p aper and let it fall

-
, .
The scene came back to him Yes the man w as

.
,
—
smiling he had thought it the smile o f triumph .
—
There he was dead dead ! He tore the p apers
,
to pieces and cast them into the waste basket at his -
side A brief fury o f anger came over him H e

“
-
. .
rose and walked to and fro By heavens if she

.
,
”
“
were a man ! Then he controlled himself saying
—
A fter all what does it matter a woman s re
,
’
,
”
venge !
I have said that he was variously sensitive By .
degrees he had set aside and carefull y rid himself

o f even the smallest re m inder o f an hour which he
deeply regretted He had ceased to wear his revol

.
ver ; had put it aside and locked it up He had .
found that the gray suit he wore during the trial

revived a dark memory He gave it away A nd
. .
’
n o w the feeble ingenuity o f a woman s hatred had
,
brought back in dreadful clearness all that time

had mercifully dealt with .
He went o u t and forced himsel f to attend t o the

business o f the day He stayed late at the club
.
,
seekin g society unwilling to face the solitude o f

,
his o w n house.
A s he walked homeward in the darkness he took

refuge in that which had somewhat helped him at
an earlier period During his trial men swore t o
.
2 62 CON ST ANC E T RE S CO T
their belief that the younger man w as in act to

draw his p istol This as he thought o f it in cold
.
,
blood j ustified his o w n action as defensive

, He .
clung to thi s view of the matter ; set it before his

mind as true and with sophistry which was scarcely
, ,
self convincing so manipul ated the facts that at

-
,
last mere rep etition of the mental states did as

sist him to escap e from the self reproach which -
fell up on him when A verill had struck hi m with

the verdict o f a man whom all men honored The .
telegram and M rs T r esc o t s letter had forced him

’
.
again to think it all over He realized how small .
had been his victory over the recording pow er of

memory He had been at the mercy o f a slip o f
.
paper — and at once that which chanced a year ago

, ,
was to him as if it had happened yesterday A t .
times he felt competent to defend and excuse his

action ; at others he su fier e d the anguish o f such
regret as was inevitable in an imag inative man who ,
felt keenly the accusation o f having taken advantage

o f a man w ho carried no arms and was to some e x ,
tent incap able o f protecting hi mself

,
.
By degrees as the days went by he comforted

, ,
himself with the idea that here at least w as the end .
He had to o at times an indistinct feeling that there

, ,
was cruelty in thus tormentin g a man who had bit

t er l y repented ; and the memory o f the be auty and
grace o f the woman and his immense admiration o f ,
her barbed and p oisoned the shaft which had gone

,
so surely to its mark .
Meanwhile Constance took up her life b ut with

, ,
more o r less thought o f its sup reme purpose She .

heard from Co ffin what were the habits o f Grey

’
hurst s days and began to plan ways of knowing
,
more o f his life A t first all thought o f him dis

.
t u rb e d her emotionally ; but this she learned to put

’
aside She was frequently at the general s but
.
,
would go nowhere else He had found fo r her rid

’
ing horses and an o l d slave f o r a groom so that soon

-
, ,
her figure in the black riding habit became familiar -
in and near the town In a word she lived o r

.
, ,
seemed to live the ordinary life o f a youn g widow

,
of more than usual means .
N o one she knew mentioned G r eyhu rst an d ex , ,
cept the A verills and Co ffin no o n e suspected that ,
she was doing or thinking otherwise than the two
or three sad women in St A nn who like herself .

, ,
were su ffering from the c ru el consequences o f some

deadly quarrel .
T oward the close o f her second week at St Ann .

,
Mrs A verill asked her t o be present at a meeting o f

.
women who were interested in their modest home

for the orphans o f Confederate soldiers to which ,
Constance had promised help from Susan and her

self Contact with the A verills and the misery she
.
,
had seen as the direct o r indirect result o f war had ,
lessened her o w n strong p artizan feeling Disposed .
by nature to be generous she was moreover eager , , ,
to make friends and secure allies ; and thus al ,
though rather reluctant t o face the many she woul d

meet she decided at last to accep t Mrs A verill s
,
’
.
invitation It w as late in the afternoon when she

.
found herself among some two dozen ladies o l d ,
and young Many o f them she had met and all

.
,
were either anxious to express their symp athy by

a kin d ly greeting or were merely curious to see the
,
rich wi dow who had so strangely elected to return

t o St Ann . .
Mrs Averill exp lained that the meeting was in

.
formal and designed to assist the male managers

o f the home She sp oke fo r C onstance s informa
.
’
,
tion o f the good it had done and o f the great d iffi

, ,
culty they had in carr ying it on A lady read the .
quarterly statement of the treasurer and the small ,
ness of the deficit gave Constance a sad sense o f

their limited resources Several women o E ered mo d .
est aid and then there was the usual silen c e

,
.
Constance whisp ered to Mrs A ver ill who sai d .

,
Certainly my dear A sk what questions yo u

, .
”
please .
C onstance rose Mrs A ver il l p ermits me t o

. .
ask fo r some little information May I inqu ire ho w .
”
many children you have in your home ?
From this she went o n in a b u sin esslike way to
put herself in possession o f all the facts she r e
“
quired to kn ow
I have had she said
.
some acquaint ance with

, ,
an institution like yours and now may I learn ,
”
finally ho w much per head p er day it costs you ?
N o o n e was quite prep ared to answer ; bu t Miss
Bland a spinster she had met before said : We
, ,
“
can say that if we had a t housand do ll ars a year ,
with o u r p resent subscriptions it woul d be enough ,

”
to support all o u r home has room f o r .
Constance then said : My sister and I shall be

most glad to give between us that amo unt f o r five
, ,
CON STAN C E TRE S CO T 2 65
years ; and p robably we may be able then t o secure

”
the same su m to you as a p ermanent income .
There were exclamations o f pleasure and surprise ,
and warm and grateful words as they turned to

thank her A t last o n the suggestion of further
.
,
business Mrs March a stout elderly dame and

, .
, ,
their chairman said : We sh al l ask the gentlemen

, ,
o u r managers t o offer you formal thanks Mrs

, .
,
T r esc o t fo r your generous help

,
A s Southern ladies .
we thank you and ma y I venture to add that every

,
'
o n e in St Ann appreciates the kind and lib er al w ay

.
in which you and Miss Hood have dealt with the

squatters and indeed with all those with whom yo u
, ,
”
have had to deal
’
Mrs March drew back her chair and smoothing

.
,
out her gown sat down well p lease d with her lit
, ,
“
tle speech .
Thank yo u Mrs March said Constance

,
. It ,
.
is quite unnecessary t o tha nk us formally I have .
here a blank check ; I will fill it o u t fo r the first si x

months And your little deficit I shall like to make
.
”
good as my personal gift .
Miss Bland who sat o n her right said :

,
Oh , ,
’
thank you ; and don t yo u want t o see o u r printed
”
report ?
Mrs A verill shook her head ; but the signal came
.
t o o late .Constance said : Y es certainly Miss , ,

”
Bland ; I am much interested She gl anced at .
the first p age and saw that the managers were all
ex o ffic ers of the C o n fe der ac y and that the seventh
-
l
,
’
name was John G r eyhu rst s A faint flush rose to
cheek and forehead Thank yo u ”
she said as
.
“ .
, ,
2 66 CON STAN C E TRE SCO T
with an eE o r t to seem calm she returned the p am

“ ”
,
“
phlet I do not want it
O h keep it ”
,
said Miss Bland ; I have another
,
.
“
copy .
‘
I said I do n o t want it
,
’
retu r ned Constance , ,
with emphasis .
Mrs A verill frowned and Mrs Du dl ey seated

.
,
.
,
behind Miss Bland whisp ered to her with vicious , ,

”
satisfaction : Take care E liza ! How could you ?
“ I do n o t see what I have done ”
,
A s Mrs T r esc o t rej ected the p amphlet she sat

.
up quite too visibly disturbed to escap e the notice

,
o f those who were within view o f her face Wi t h .

~
the p ersistency o f the dull witted Miss Bland an

“
-
, ,
’
noyed at Mrs Du dl ey s reproof exclaimed : O h
.
, ,
”
do take it !
Constance t urned toward her sayin g so as to ,
be generally heard : I kn ow Miss Bland that it , ,
co ul d not have occurred to yo u that among the

names o f the managers is that o f and she
stopped controlling herself
,
.
Mrs Dudley leaning over the back o f Miss

’
.
Bland s chair whispered

,
It is G r eyhu rst ! H o w
, ,
“
”
“
could you !
”
O h I never thought ! cried Miss Bland awk
,
w ar dl y apolo getic I am sorry ’

I did n t r e “ .
,
“
member .
I was sure o f that D o not let it trouble yo u . .
“
’
Constance s voice broke and then recovering she , , ,
”
added Y o u have really done me a service
,
.
”
Y o u may be sure M r s T r e sc o t said Mrs Dud
ley ,
“
that we never thought —w e
,
.
,
.
CON ST AN C E T R E S COT 2 67
E xc u se
T r esc o t .
“
m e if I interrup t you returned Mrs
A fter what I have j ust learned I must
,
,
.
ask yo u to consider o u r gift as entirely in the hands

o f the visiting ladies and n o t at the disposal of the ,
”
male managers .
Mrs A verill said at once

. It shall be as
you wish dear The gentlemen have been so i n
,
.
active that it did not occur t o any o f us to think

o f them The man referred to was put on the
.
board three years ago when it was first formed ,

.
It should have occurred t o us ; I ought to have

told yo u .
There was a moment o f silence when Mrs March

“
said : You may rest assured M rs T r esc o t that no ,
,
.
,
.
o n e here fails t o feel with you ; and if under the ,
circumstances yo u would rather not give at all we

, ,
”
“
should all understand it
Thank yo u ”
said Constance proudly ; you are
,
.
most considerate But you are welcome t o all we .
can do and if yo u find the situation embarrassing

, ,
as may be the case I will write to Colonel Dudley ,
and explain it myself I see that he is chairman o f .
“
the board
O h n o no,
.
said several women

,
By no
, .
”
means ; it is quite unnecessary .
Constance smiled in her cold way shaking her ,
“
head as she sp oke and rising
I must go It is — i t w as a little too much for
.
,
.
”
me And you are all so goo d I must go Good b y
. . .
-
.
Mr s A verill went with her to the outer door

. .
O h my dear I am so sorry — and in m y hous e to o ;

, , ,
”
I am so very sorry !
2 68 CON STAN C E T RE S COT
I am n o t very sure that I am said Cons tance , ,
as she kissed her and went away .
Mrs A verill looke d after her in p uz zled amaze

.
ment and then returned to the room where her

,
friends were bus ily discussing this unpleasant in
“
eident .
It is just as well she had to know soon o r late ,
said Mrs March .O f course he will hear Of it

.
”
and I for o ne hOp e that he will hear o f it
, , .
O thers were o f her way O f thinking and in a ,
dozen homes that evening the sad story was revived

’
and Constance s generosity praised and her sad ,
fate p itied anew .
That evening she wrote to Mrs March i nclosing a .

,
copy o f a note sent to Colonel Dudley She could .
not leave the ladies in a situation which obliged

them to make to the managers an e x planation which
shoul d properly come from her .
T o the president Of the board Of the ho m e she

wrote
D EAR C O LON EL D UDLEY

‘
My sister and I are much interested in yo u r e x cel
lent charity and we shall have the pleasure of aiding
,
it to the extent Of o n e thousand dollars a year for

five years Then o r sooner we hop e to endow it
.
, ,
with enough to represent the same income An .
accident brought to my kn owledge the fact that

o n e o f your members i s the man who murdered my
husband You will I am sure understand why I

.
, ,
have felt it to be imp ossible for me t o confide o u r

gl adly given help to a board of which he is a mem
he r .I have placed the money and shall in fu t ure ,
lace it in the hands o f the visiting committee Of

p ,
ladies for their use and theirs alone

,
My o w n,
.
’
strong feeling and my late husband s great regard
,
f o r you will I kn ow excuse to you my very frank

, , ,
statement .
A courteous note acknowledging the receipt of
her letter was all she heard o f it for a week o r more .
Susan Hood had twice p ut Ofi her j ourney t o St .
A nn having no reason to leave the home she loved

,
except her a ff ection for Constance She had r e .
l u c t an tl y come to the conclusion that marriage and

trouble had in some way set up barriers between
them She had been the one strong and even j e al
.
,
’
o u s a ff ection o f Constance s younger life and now
, ,
sadl y felt that it had incomp rehensibly lessened ,
and that her sister seemed to have been incapable o f

more than o n e such relation at a time .
’
A fter T r esc o t s death Constance had be gun again
t o rely o n her and to defer to her opinion o n the
,
lesser matters o f life But all through the summer .
and their many months o f travel she had felt that

the mind once so Open to her was hiding and cher
i shin g thoughts which she Susan was not allowed , ,
to share Al l her kindly attempts to enter into the

.
confidence o f her sister failed and now being about , ,
t o j oin her she wrote in some an x iety and distress

, ,
MY D EAR C ON N Y
Why yo u so obstinately insisted up on retu rnin g
t o a place which must be full of p ainful m emories
I have never yet learned E ven for me it must ever

.
be hateful But yo u are all I have in life ; whither

.
you go I shall go It is my duty and I shall make it

.
,
my pleasur e That is all — except dear that I am

.
, ,
sure you are bent o n something which you have ,
so far concealed and which I hope to understand

, ,
.
I have respected your reticence assured that it ,
must have a reasonable basis ; but we once lived

a frank and undivided life and your attitude to me ,
all summer has made me most unhappy Let us .
“
be dear as we once were
, ,
T ry to get a goo d horse for me Love to t he

.
Yours always “
A verills I shall arrive o n N ovember 2 D V
S U SAN ,
, . .
O ctober 25 ,
It was near to the close o f the month when Co n

stance received this letter and she knew at once
that further concealment woul d be imp ossible She .
was equally well aware that Susan would be

shocked and grieved at a course o f conduct so Op
posed to the beliefs which governed her o wn ao
tions . Cons tance was sorry but it did n o t a ff ect ,
her resolve .
She was always at home to the increasing n u m ber

o f women young and Old who called upon her
,
Al
,
.
though her piano remained closed she made her ,
house interesting to people who had few chances

o f intellectual enj oyment lending books and maga ,
zines and when alone busying herself with hanging

,
prints and water colors brought from abroad In

-
.
the afternoons she rode in all weathers .

CON ST AN C E T RE S COT 2 71
SO far she had won her w ay as she had meant to ,
do makin g her rather excessive bounty to the poor

,
and sick the more gracious by the attraction of man

ner which made those whom she tactfully obliged
partners O f the honest j oy she felt especially in help ,
ing the sad and hopelessly stranded women o f her

o w n class .
Her desire to know more Of her enemy than

C o fi n could tell her found at last an ally Just .
’
before Susan s arrival she had come from a long ,
ride and met at her door a woman whose face and

,
worn look had intereste d her for a moment at the

meeting in Mrs A verill s home
’
Seein g her in
. .
her riding dress the woman would have gone away

“
-
, ,
but Constance sai d : N O I am quite at leisure ,

.
Do come in Y o u are I think the matron o f the

.
, ,
“
home I saw you at the meeting
.
Yes ; I am Miss A lthea Le Moine

.
She was dressed in clothes which had evidently

been long in use Her air o f furtive apprehension
struck Constance
.
A provincial lady was the

.
“ ,
’
hostess s conclusion as they sat down
“ Constance
rang saying : I have the habit o f indul ging my
,
,
.
self with a cup Of tea after I ride May I tempt .
”
yo u ?
The tea was brought and the toast and cake ,
evidentl y enj oyed while they talked of the home ,
and its needs or Constance turned over her Flor

,
en t in e photographs setting at ease a woman whom ,
she felt to be somewhat embarrassed
A t last Miss A lthea said : I have come to yo u “ .
,
”
Mrs T r esc o t to ask a little help
.
,
.
Now that is very kind Of y o u said her host ess ,

.
”
Let us talk What is it ? .
It seemed that she owned a small house left t o
tain .
“
her by a brother who had fallen at Lookout Moun
He w as a Confederate soldier ”
she added , .
A mortgage upon it was o n e Of the smaller debts

due t o Mr Hood .Perhap s Mrs T r esc o t would
. .
kindly wait The interest was in arrears the rent

.
—
was ill paid ; but she hoped
Constance interrupte d her I shall have plea .
sure in speakin g o f it t o General A verill I thin k .
that it h as —
already been cons idered and by the ,
”
“
way how much is it ?
,
Five hun dr ed dollars ; and really the ho u se is

”
“
all I have .
Make your mind easy ; when my sister arrives

we will do something to relieve you and will cer ,
’
tain ly cancel the back interest N ow don t cry . .
Y o u have given me a pleasure and if yo u cry I ,
shall cry and I hate to cry Let us tal k o f some

, .
“
”
thing else .
Ho w can I thank yo u ? I have been so troubled

’ ”
“y o u won t mind m y telli

I ? N o indeed What is it ?
,
n g y o
”
u the rest
.
?
O ne o f my brothers was in the N orthern army .
H e lived in Kentucky He died some time ago . .
Last month the ladies found o u t that he was a

Federal o fficer an d n o w I am so afraid they will
,
think —Oh o n e o f them said I ought no t t o be

,
”
“
kept o n .
N O o ne wi ll disturb yo u Yo u are needlessly .
alarmed I will sp eak to Mrs March Yo u m a y

. . .
CON STAN C E T R E S COT 2 73
feel entirely at ease Is there anything else I can .
“
”
“
do for you ?
O h no ,
said Miss Al the a as she rose
,
I ,
‘
do think I shall sleep to night I wish there was -

.
anything I could do t o show you ho w grateful I

am
“.
Stop said Mrs T r esc o t

,
Sit down You . . .
c an help me But first I want to ask you to con

.
, ,
sider what I shall sa y as c o n fiden ti al — absolutely
“
confidential
Y es o f course
,
.
Miss A lthea was c u ri o u s an d

.
,
‘
“
her narrowing life had left her little O f interest
I learned lately as yo u know that the man , ,
.
who killed my husband is o n e o f the managers o f

the home It embarrassed me . Y o u can under .
’
stand that and why it must keep me from visiting

,
”
at the home as I should like to do .
But he never comes there Mrs T r esc o t At ,

. .
’
the visitors meeting yesterday Mr s Dudley said .
that the colonel had told him that as he never at ,
tended their meetings he ought to resign and he , ,

”
“
has done so
Thank yo u said Mrs T r esc o t
.
I have rea
,
. .
— —
sons very good reasons for desiring to know more
of this man I have trusted yo u ; and now when .
,
you hear anyt hing o f interest about him I want ,

”
you to come and tell me .
Miss A lthea much astonished promised to be

'
, ,
watchful an d went away comforted but with her

, ,
curiosity u n gr at ifie d .
O n the following day G r eyhu r st reco gnized in

the morning mail the black edged envelop and the -
18
2 74 CON STAN CE TRE S C OT
w riting of
Constance T r esc o t He threw it o n the .
table He had again the feeling that in a variety

.
o f ways he had been made to atone f o r a min ute
o f p assionate resentment and the fatal action in
which it had resulted A lways what men called

.
thin skinned and feeling keenly what would have

-
,
affected others but little he had become o f late , , ,
less obviously i rritable but even more sens itive ,

.
The hint to resign from the board which a year ,
before he would have angrily resented humiliated ,

’
him the more when hearing later o f Mrs T r esc o t s
,
.
gift to the home he knew at once what hand had

,
struck him He knew too as he sat at his ta ble,

‘ '
.
, ,
that to burn this letter would be the wiser course .
He could n o t It held him as with a sp ell as a

.
,
serpent charms a bird both drawin g and repelling

,
.
He tore it Open at last and an inclosure fell o u t ,

.
For a moment he held it unread ; and then as if ,
compelled re ad ,
“
S IR
The inclosed is a copy Of a letter my hus band
left o n hi s desk the morn ing o f O ctober 7 1 870 ,
.
You will see that he meant to sacrifice his p osition

’
as my uncle s agent if Mr Hood still refused to .
’
deal generously with your clients My husband s .
’
murder and my uncle s death left to my sister and
to me the privilege o f generous deal i ng Of which ,
your hand deprived G eorge T re sc o t

C ON S TAN C E T RE S CO T “ .
”
C urse the woman ! he cried I was a fool to .
” ’
read it He cru m pled T r esc o t s letter in his hands
.
CON ST AN C E T RE S COT 2 75
as he sat and then smoothed it out and read it again

, .
He never for a moment doubted that it told the

truth He was a man o f too easy morals but capa
.
,
ble Of affection and even o f love A new and over .
whelming realization Of what he had done to this

m
wo an swept over him in a storm Of self reproach -
and p ity .
He sat with his face in his hands his elbows o n ,

’
the table the copy o f T r esc o t s letter before him
,
.
He lit a match and saw that his hand shook as he

held the t w o pap ers over it and they slowly burned
away Then rising he lighted a cigar and threw
.
, ,
himself o n a sofa The cigar went o u t He cast

. .
it away Ho w woul d this end ? There must be a

.
limit to the ability Of this woman to torture him ,
and to his o w n capacity to su fi er A fter all he .

,
was a man and she but a woman The matter Of .
his resignation from the board o f the home was a

trifle and he was prospering as never before It
,
.
w as not so easy t o deal with the horrible p ower

these letters had to bring back emotion s which time
had helped to render less p oignant He had a bad .
memory fo r faces ; but now as he lay he saw again , ,
the smiling young fellow appro aching with his mes

sage o f peace and kindness He migh t have under .
stood even then ; but long years o f unrestraint had

combine d with the bitterness Of de feat t o ruin him
!
.
He ros e and returning t o his table tried to lose

, ,
himself in the enforced study Of an important case .
It was vain He we nt out to a stable near by and

.
mounted a horse he had j ust bought It proved .
unruly and a furious ride bro u ght back the horse

,
2 76 CON S TAN C E T RE SCO T
t ired and the rider relieved more at ease and with

, ,
a renewed sense Of mastery .
His life was t o o busy to leave him large leisure

for p ainful reflection He had cases to try and
.
,
o n e which called him away to the cap ital Of the
State He was gone for a week His p olitical am

. .
bitions also claimed a p art o f his time as he hoped ,
in a year to be a successful candidate fo r the legis

l atu r e and would then be absent fo r long periods
,
.
Meanwhile in o n e and another way from Coffin

, ,
and from the gossip A lthea Le Moine willingly and

in wonder brought to Constance she kn ew Of Grey ,
’
hurs t s habits and expectations and silently brooded
,
over plans O f disturbin g her prey not as yet fully ,
realiz ing her p ower nor comprehending how far

,
the sensitive nature o f the m an was aiding her

p urp ose .
US AN H O O D ha d been a week at St .
Ann before she was able to learn any

thing o f the design so steadily held , ,
that had brought Constance bac k t o

a \ place which she at least wished , ,
\
never to see again .
She foun d the house made pretty and far more

comfortable and a p art o f the back porch converted
,
into a conservatory There were riding horses

.
-
,
the best they had ever had —and in fact every sign
, , ,
of intention t o make St A nn a p lace Of long if

.
,
n o t permanent residence
,
.
It seeme d also to Susan that there was m ore

cordiality in the many women and the few men who
dropp ed in after their easy Southern way E vidently .
there was here some change It had never b een

.
’
her sister s habit o r desire t o be o n terms Of c o r
dial relation t o society at large so that her present
,
absence o f reserve and her rather watchful eager

,
ness to p lease everybody fo r a time p uz zled the elder

,
woman .
’
N o o n e entered T r esc o t s library except C o n
stance. She herself kept i t dusted neat and u n , ,
changed Susan understood why being Constance

.
, ,
she should spend daily certain hours alone where

277
2 78 CON ST AN CE T RE S CO T
T r esc o t
had lived with her and his books It .
”
woul d not have been my way said S u san ; but , ,
”
then I am commonplace
, She thought unwhole .
’
some her sister s attitude in the p resence O f a great
calamity and found t o o something that seemed
, , ,
’
to her false in the contrasted asp ects o f Constance s
life Then as usual with her she convicted herself
.
, ,
Of i gnorant want Of charity havin g never been in ,
love ; and said she must really ri d herself o f what

h
s e calle d cynicism — as if the cynical are them
selves ever conscious O f the quality .
A week after her arrival they were seated alone

before the fire n o w grateful at close o f day i n t he
,
N ovember weather
“ Constance said Susan ,
.
tell the m aid not to ,
let in any visitors I want to talk t o yo u We are

. .
so rarely alone and this constant e ffort t o be a gree

,
able t o p eop le you certainl y were once far from

liking is rather surprising .
,
“
Constance ignorin g a p art Of her sister s indict
,
’
ment said : My dear you can t choose here whom ,
"
you will see I never refuse to see p eople They
.
don t understand it A t St Ann yo u are always . .

.
“
at home if you are in
You must have changed your ways Conny
.
,
.
”
Yes I have ,
she returned with a glance at
, ,
Susan who w as bus ily cuttin g the leaves Of a book

,
.
She was at once aware that it would not long be

p ossible to hide from so acute an Observer as Susan
what she was doing and why she had returned t o ,
St A nn
. Indeed she confessed to herself a cer
.
,
tain prosp ect Of relief in being able to break down

CON STAN C E T RE SCOT 2 79
the barriers o f reserve which she had set up The .
Old aE e c t i o n strangely weakened by her marriage

,
and her incap acity t o care deeply f o r more than

o n e person at a time was returning in full force
, .
When she had confessed that as Susan said she had , ,
changed b oth were silent for a moment when Susan

, ,
“
returned
Yo u have been unl ik e my Constance all sum mer .
I can understand that grief like yours may take

m any forms ; but while abroad you would see n o
o n e not even the most interesting people ; here you
,
see every o n e.
even that p laintive little shrivel Of
,
a woman Miss Al thea

,
Wh at bro u ght you here
.
,
“
Constance ?
I knew that yo u wo ul d ask It is very simple . .
A man has murdered my husband and utterly

wrecked my life I tried — Oh very hard ! — to ao
.
,
cep t it as other women accept such thin gs I could .
not. I know I shall shock yo u when I say that

f o r a time I thought of suicide Then it seemed .
to me that I must kill him If I had been a man .
“
he would have been dea d to day -
.
O h sister ! Ho w can yo u say such things ?

,
Ta king n o notice o f the gentle protest Constance ,
“
continued
I gave it up because death is n o p unishment ;
it mer ely destroys the p ower to feel and su ffer I .
want that man to feel such anguish as he brought

into my life and I want to know that he su ff ers
,
.
I came here resolved to find some way to make him

wretched . I know n o w that he is sensitive It .
seems incredible but he is A nd le t me say once

,
.
2 8O CON STAN CE T RE S CO T
fo r all that I shall go my way and I shall su cceed ,
I k now I shall succeed in making his life unbear

able — Oh such as he has made mine !
,
”
Susan had thought o f many explanations o f her

’
sister s return but certainly not Of this She had
,
.
ceased using the p aper kn ife and as Constance -

, ,
spoke with increasing p assion closed the book A ,

.
look at the stern set face so white so beautiful

, , , ,
made the elder woman sure that here was a side o f

character which was serious and new to her and no t ,
t o be dealt with lightly

she excla imed :
“
Turning to her sister
Dear dear s ister drop this ; come
,
.
,
,
away with me Let us go abroad again

. .
But it is horrible and what can y o u do ? Thin k

,
how that dear fellow woul d have felt Think what .
he did feel even in the face o f insult ; ho w p atiently

he bore with the behavior Of these people Oh .
,
”
“
Conny !
Y o u may rest assured Susan that I have thought , ,
o f all that ; but I am not like you — n o r alas ! like ,
him I have no beliefs which teach me to sit down

.
’
and cry and pretend to forgive I don t believe that .
any one ever does forgive a wrong so cruel I .

,
—
at least cannot an d I never will never !
, ,
”
Y o u can do nothing Your lives are far apart

. .
What can you do ? E ven if revenge were right ,

”
you are helpless .
“
’
It seemed to Susan s common sense p ast belief
“ A nd dear she went o n supp ose the i mp o s
, , ,
sib le ; suppose yo u ruin this wretch make him s u f ,

”
fer what good will i t do ?
,
—
It will make me happy as happy as I can ever
Happy Constance ! Can revenge bring happi

,
ness ? Will it not serve only to keep Open wo unds

which ought to close ? Does it not keep in your
mind thoughts o f a bad man in place Of the beauty ,
and nobleness o f the man whose death you wish to

avenge ? T o b e in thought a murderer — to wish
to kill — that seems to me so dreadful that I ask
myself if you can be your o w n self or if disease o r ,
shock has changed yo u Let it all gO — oh dear .

,
Conny let it go Leave it t o God to deal with this

,
.
man Be sure that in the en d he will rep ay He

. .
”
has his ways .
Constance stood up His ways —yes Suppose . .
I am the instrument Of his j ustice Why not ? Ho w .
do yo u know ? That seems horrible to you ; but I

’
can t help it ; we have no common ground I have .
love and loss and hate ; you have never known them
, , .
Leave me t o do what I think right f o r neither ,
man n o r woman can turn me n o r stop me I will .
never willingly speak o f this again an d neither ,

”
must you .
Puzzled worried and hurt Susan saw that t o

, , ,
reason wo uld be vain ; that the appeal o f afi ec t io n

was thus lightly p u t aside filled her with slowly
“
gatheri ng anger .
I s hall do no w as yo u say ; but I make no

promises Y o u surely do n o t e xp ect me to help
.
”
y o
“u .
I do not I want you t o be the dear good woman

.
,
yo u are . I shall neither as k n o r nee d help .

Yo u certainly w ill no t get it from me ; I think

”
“
it wicked foolish
Y e s yes
,
”
,
said Constance ;
,
.
from your p oint

o f view n o t from mine
, B ut yo u will not love me
.
the less ? I co u l d n o t bear that O nly dear let .

, ,
us never talk Of this any more I am not a child . .
I am not hysterical o r in sane I shall not trouble .
your life We w i ll live like other people N ow

. .
,
that is all She bent over and kissed the elder

sister w ho sat starin g into the fire her hands clasped
, ,
about her knees A ccepting the kiss coldly Susan

.
,
looked up but finding no comfort in the set face Of

,
,
f —
her sister her o w n eyes ful l O tears for she l Oved ,
wi th a deep and changeless love and wished to be ,
able to respect as well as to love she rose and said ,

-
’
as she stoo d : I shall never have a moment s peace ;
I shall always be thi nking Of what yo u may do Yo u .
“
have made me very unh appy
”
.
I am sorry said Constance

,
S us an left her sayi ng : I wish yo u were more

,
“ .
”
sorry .
Despite her ass ertion Of cert ainty Constance was ,
not secure as to what her future course should be ;

whil e Susan as their life went o n in its usual way
, ,
regain ed her belief that Constance wo u l d some day

acknowledge her schemes to be as absurd as they
appeared to her o wn good sense .
In the mornin g a few days later Constance w as

, ,
leaving General A verill s house when she saw for

’
,
only the second t ime since her return the largely ,
built figu re o f G r eyhu rst He came upon her sud .
denl y as she stood at the gate between the hi g h

CON ST AN CE T R E S CO T 2 83
rows o f bo x His face changed

. He half raised .
his hand in Obedience to the habit o f salute dropped ,
it and went o n
,
.
She turned o u t o f the gate p aused a moment and , ,
fo l lowed him Half way down the slop e to the

.
-
main street he looked back He saw twenty feet .
behind him the tall black robed woman He turned

,
-
.
to go up the main street It was the busy hour .
near t o noon Both were familiar figures People

. .
looked after them in wonder Two gentlemen in .
talk o n the board sidewalk lifte d their hats as she

went by and observing G r eyhu r st in front o f her
, , ,
remarked on it as strange D id G r eyhu r st know .
who was behind him ? Did she reco gnize the man ?
They p assed o n A t his Office he looked back once
.
more She w as very near an d had raised her veil

.
, .
She met his gaze with steady eyes

'
He saw the .
white face with its look of immeasurable p ain and , ,
p assing into the house fell On a chair limp and wet

, ,
with the sudden sweat o f an emotion akin to ter

ror .
N or was she less observant She was aware Of .
the quick change in a face where all expressions

revealed themselves with distinctness and went o n ,
murmuring : “
her way with her share o f a moment o f agitation
I must be to him like a ghost I .
,
f —
know n ow that he su ers and he shall su fier
f
Fro mthat time she was more frequently seen in
the morning hours o n the o n e busy street o f the
town N ow and then as if by chance she came
.
, ,
up on the man she sought but w as careful no t to ,
overdo that which would lose force by repetition .

2 84 CON ST AN C E T R E SCO T
Twice she followed him o n hi s homeward way The .
last time was at dusk He became aware o f her

.
presence as he left the verge of the town and

turned into West Street She kept her pl ace some
.
few paces behind him He did n o t loo k back but

.
,
w as t erribly conscious o f her nearn ess He could .
not have described o r analyzed the form o f dis

tress which kn o w ledge Of her presence brought upon
him He longed to look back at her and was sure
.
,
that t o do so would abruptly freshen the memory

of all he desired to forget No w for the first time
.
, ,
he felt fear in its p urity — such fear as the child

—
has when goin g up s tairs in the dark fear u n asso
c i at e d with a definite Obj ect o r distinct idea .
A t his o wn gate he turned and looked back The .
tall black figure was but ten steps away Of a .
sudden obeying one Of those unreasonable impulses

,
-
to which he was subj ect he went toward her

,
.
For a moment she was afraid b ut did not move

He stopp ed before her and said : My G o d ! have
,
“ .
“ ”
S nfie r ! she cried .
“
you no p ity ? Cannot you see how I suffer ?
I am glad that yo u suffer !
Pity ? I have for yo u such pity as yo u had fo r
”
him and me !
With n o more words she crossed the street and
, ,
her dark figure was lost in the deepenin g gloom .
The man looke d after her for a moment and then ,
walked back to his house and moving heavily went

up the steps murmuring
,
,
“,
My G o d ! my G od !
,
”
,
Before this he had thought it hardl y strange that

he met her so often for ever y o n e met alm o st daily
,
in the o n e business str eet He had felt it keenly

. .
CON S T A N C E T RE S CO T 2 85
But now he b ecame certain that she had o f purp ose

chosen to meet and follow him This sudden sense .
o f being causelessly afraid for a little while o c c u
pied his consciousness to the shutting out of other

thought. He was a man who had been in battle
fearless and so rash as t o be blamed for leading
,
his men into needless p eril What n o w did he

.
dread ? He did not know and that troubled him

, .
These revelations of what lies hidden in the abysses

o f the mind are at times startling evidence o f
, ,
ho w little we know o f the world o f self That it .
was not physical fear was what disturbed him most .
When seated in his library he succeeded in fas ,
tening his attention o n the tangled accounts of a

’
bankrup t client s business He was ap t at figures
.
and liked t o deal with them A fter two hours o f .
hard work he began to consider the situation in

which he was placed T o have it continue would
.
be intolerable He had t o be absent for a week

.
,
but must return f o r a day to sp eak at Or near the

county town Then he was to go to California and
.
attend to certain minin g interests in which the go v

e rn o r and other p olitical friends were concerned .
He would be awa y at least two months and for , ,
more than o n e reason looked forward with relief

,
to this absence and with hop e as t o what it might

,
bring into his life .
Ho wever adroitly Constance managed t o make her

encounters with G r eyhu r st seem to be accidental ,
the fact that she did n o t avoid him as most women ,
so situate d would have done excited very natural

,
surprise in the little town .

When it became common knowledge that she p ur

p o sel y followed him the interest and consequent
,
gossip increased She had made herself liked but

.
,
now even her closest friends felt her actions to be

indecorous and inexplicably o u t o f relation to an
existence so ful l o f good sense and so notable f o r
well bred regard fo r the decencies o f life When
-
.
Mrs A verill greatly distressed by the gossip which

.
,
soon came to her ea rs thought prop er to talk o f Co n

,
stance to Susan Hood the latter became fully awak

,
.
’
ened to the results o f her sister s behavior .
T o reason with her would be vain F o r a mo .
ment she thought Of the new rector with who mshe

'
had formed friendly relations but knew alas ! how , ,
futile would be that resort M rs Averill remem . .

,
bering her former defeat was indisposed to renew ,
her o w n e fforts and at last laid the matter before

,
her husband who had already heard quite too much

,
o f it .
He said : My dear E leanor a lady witho u t a ,
husband usually relies o n o n e Of two men —her

preacher o r her doctor A sk Dr E skridge to see
. .
her He ought to be able to influence her if any

.
,
o n e can He is a gentleman and will se e this o u t

.
rageous conduct in a prop er light As concerns .
myself I can do nothin g and whether she annoys

, ,
that m an o r not I do not care But Constance must .
not be talked about I had to stop some young

.
“
fellows at the club last night
Do you think E dward that the man feels it ?
, ,
.
Yes ; yo u asked me that b efore This o r some .

,
thing is a ffectin g him deeply E ver si n c e he ki l led

,
.
f'
‘
—
poor T r esc o t he has been well softer less easily , ,
p ut o u t But of late he is moody and silent ; every

.
“
o ne notices it
I wish he woul d go away o r that she would

'
.
, .
However I will talk to Susan who is in desp air

, , ,
”
an d I will see the doctor .
She did both and as a consequence the next , , ,
morning Dr E skridge called o n Mrs T r esc o t He

. . .
led a busy life and she had seen but little o f the ,
cheerful ruddy rather stout Old man with small

, ,
bright eyes an d alert ways He had been at one .
time in charge o f the State asylum fo r the insane ,

’
and then during the war a surgeon in Pickett s
, ,
division of the Confederate army .
While waiting for M r s T r esc o t he looked at the .
pictures and then fell with interest up on a maga

,
zine which he laid down as Constance with both

,
hands made him welcome reproaching hi m with ,
“
neglect o f an Ol d p atient
If I come I stay t o o long and I am a busy o l d
.
fellow I was reading in this j ournal an account

.
’
O f Pickett s charge I was behind his line and got .
somehow to o near I have still a memorial in my .
“
leg May I take the j ournal home ?
.
O f course My husband was o n the hill H o w

. .
”
strange it all seems !
He looked at the mournful figure and the sad
white face and said to her
“ ,
Y o u will not mind my saying that I and othe rs

o f o u r Ol d army both liked and respected your
”
“
husband .
O h I k now I know A nd he was so sure o f the

, ,
.
—
soldiers so p atient with the feeling agai ns t us !
O h, doctor , why did I bring him here ? He did not
”
want to come I urged it I am so unhappy !
. .
It was the usual story We must confess t o some .
n
o e — a priest o r better to the large
, ,
wise charity
, ,
o f the doctor It was a relief to the woman who

.
,
was in disposed t o talk O f her husb and even to Sus an ,
and still less to p our o u t t o any o n e else her abid

in g re gret at havin g allowed her eager love t o over
’
rul e George T r esc o t s wish to wait until he coul d
“
O E e r her a home in Boston
I was wrong ”
she said ; and it was I w ho
,
.
killed him But fo r me he would b e alive n o w

.
,
”
“
now !
My dear he said ,
we do what seems best
,
to us and w ho can p redict the far away resul ts ?

,
-
I tell a man to go t o E urop e and the ship goes ,

”
“
down at sea Am I to blame ?
,
.
O h that is di fferent I was selfish I did no t

. .
do what was best I shoul d have known it was not

. .
I loved as few women love I could not wait ; I .
wanted him near me always I sho u ld be ashamed .
to confess ho w I felt Ho w did I come to sp eak.
”
o f it ? I never do .
He saw that she was wiping her eyes as he r e
“
turned
Y o u are in a mood to assum e blame Y o u are .
wrong Mr T r esc o t was fully advised by Older men

. .
,
his friends that it was wise to come here A nd after

,
.
,
all I am right and there is no use in o u r vain regrets

, ,
.
If we u se the errors o r mistakes o f the past to wreck

ou r present and make u s useless —what o f th at ? ”
CON STAN CE T RE S COT 2 89
Am I useless doctor ? ,
He saw that he was astray an d said : NO ; I ,
must be pardoned —you are not ; but if I am n o t

mistaken yo u are doing that which will surely end
,
”
in ruining y our health and making yo u useless .
She drew herself up and regarded him w ith

steady eyes This man understoo d her an d the
.
strain to which she was subj ecting herself That .

,
“
t o o was a relief
,
.
I am sure that yo u know I am right he urged ,

—
.
An d let me say a few words more Y o u are ex .
citing ta lk and gossip by what yo u are doing .
Your sister and your friends are hurt and troubled

and —p ardon me ashamed
“
-
.
They have asked yo u t o come here and try t o

make me do as other weak helpless women have ,
”
“
done ?
Yes ; but I shoul d no t so state it .
Doctor yo u are the o n e person I can o r w il l

,
”
talk to freely o f thi s matter Listen to me . .
”
I will .
This man murdered my husband If he had .
killed your wife yo u would have shot him as yo u

,
”
“
wo uld any other wild beast
I wo ul d he said ,
.
.
This accursed town goes thro u gh the farce o f

a trial H e is free He prospers E x cept a few
.
,
. .
,
w ho cares fo r the death o f a Yankee o fli c er ? T he

—
man will go to the legislature perhaps some day , ,
t o Congress A t first p eople are a little shocked

. .
It was pretty bad they say Does no o n e here p un

,
.
ish a murderer ? NO o ne ! I at least cann ot sit , ,
19
290 CON STAN CE TRE S COT
down and do nothing I am still too much o f a .
woman to kill him ; and after all death does not , ,
—
p unish o r if it does should I ever know ? I
, ,
mean to ru in this man and I can These mild ,

.
women who love in their weak way are shocked .
”
What does that matter t o me ?
I will tell you how it matters he said I , .
have heard you rave in your i l lness I at least .

, ,
can un derstand ; I at least cannot altogether blame

, ,
yo u . But there are two o r thre e thin gs I want

to urge upon you I do not p ropose to discus s
.
the right and wrong o f this matter ; but I entreat

yo u t o listen to me as p atiently as I have listened
”
“
to you .
I will do so .
Y o u are following G r eyhu rst at times N o do .

,
not interrup t me ; let me have my say It has ex .
—
cited unpleasant talk too unpleasant to repeat A t .
—
“
the club and among the women it is dis cussed
— ”
he
hesitated even laughed at
was the medicine I wish to be frank with yo u
.
“
He knew how bitter .
I know this man He is by birth and early breed

.
ing a gen tleman I am making no plea fo r him

. .
Who indeed coul d ? I am sure that not only has

, ,
he n o t escaped self torment but that your follow-

,
ing him is probably a severe p unishment But what .
“
o f yourself ?
O f myself docto r ? I have never in this mat

,
”
“
ter given myself a thought
N O no ; and that is the trouble
,
Y o u are thi nk
.
ing o f o n e thing and are regardl e ss o f eve ryt hing

,
,
—
else o f ever y o n e else o f sister friends O f all w ho , ,
CON ST AN C E TRE S CO T 291
love yo u If any woman I did not kno w and like

.
as I do yo u were to take so petty a mode Of aveng

ing a wrong as great as yo u have snfiered I shoul d ,
n o t hesitate to say how it looks t o me and to those

(
“
yo u can not fail to resp ect
What do yo u mean doctor ? ,
.
”
.
I mean that it is vulgar

She colored slightly Y o u have certainly the .
“ .
“
courage Of your Opinions
An d t o o
,
”
he said a ver y great regard fo r
, ,
a lady w ho should be far above the use o f such

”
means .
N othing he had said o r could have said afiected

her as did this sentence She saw it all in a minute .
,
“
and gave way at once
'
If it be true that he su fi ers through me I am ,
glad to have hurt the man But I see the force o f .
what yo u say I shall not do as I have done ; and

.
there are other ways which will neither annoy my

”
“
friends nor make me seem ridiculous
Thank yo u ”
he said well pleased ,
But that ,
.
is n o t all Y o u speak o f other ways T ake care

. . .
The steady thinking o n anything that involves emo

tion is full o f p eril to a woman like yo u ; in fact ,
”
“
to any o n e man o r woman .
,
I kn ow that It is true and I am guarding my

.
,
self with c are I have taught myself to deal coldly

.
with this matter I keep myself busy I ride ; I . .
read ; I draw ; I go among your p oor I have had my .
“
lesson.
But what do you mean t o do ?

N o w there my dear doctor I must stop
,
I do ,
.
292 O N ST AN C E
C T RE S CO T
no t know I m e an to ruin this man , to dr ive him
A s she sp oke the doctor cons idered her resolute

face . He had an insecure belief that she woul d
in some way comp ass her ends She wo ul d collect .
this debt o f vengeance with usury thereto How ,

.
she would do it he co ul d not imagine He expressed .
his doubts and even more than he felt in the hope

, ,
o f inducin g her to give up altogether her u s e o f
means full o f danger to her mental health She .
“
turned o n him at last with her reply
Y o u say that I am p owerless and that I shall
"
n o t onl y harm myself but hurt all who lov e me , ,
and yet do this man no real inj u ry I want one .
friend who will credit me with not being a fool ,

”
“
and what I say is for you alone
That o f course Mrs T resc o t
, ,
.
.
She then told him what she had done with the tele
“
gram and the letter .
I cannot blame you

perfectly calm statement
he said as she finished a
I do n o t blame you
,
.
“ ,
I shall say no more I had far rather you left

.
venge ance to Him who soon o r late is s u re to pun

ish as man cannot I see that I at least am u n
.
, ,
able to convince yo u But ta ke care ; yo u are o n a

.
dark and dangero us way I shall say no more to .
Mrs Averill than that yo u will occasion no further

.
talk by what you do .
”
Yes she said rising ; thank you my good doc
, , ,
to r
. I shall be gla d to have yo u put an end to this
”
gossip Good b y
.
-
.
He went o u t to his gig sa ying to himself as he ,

drove awa y : The m an is doomed If she persists .
—
he will do something G o d kn ows what He will .
be unable t o b ear it These sensitive p eople never.
can stand still and wait They are always nettled .
”
into doing something He began to consider as .
,
he drove into the country whether he had ever seen ,
any o n e like Constance T r esc o t He at last smiled .
with the satisfied n o d o f a man who has found what

he was looking fo r There was something feline in
.
her delicate ways her grace Of movement her neat

, ,
ness the preservation o f p rimitive p assions arfd in

'
st i n c t s
turing “
her satisfaction in the chase an d in t o r
,
Let u s add
.
”
said the Old doctor the , ,
“
human intelligence and we have her Get up Bob ! ,
.
,
”
I t is as near as we shall ever get .
T w o days later the doctor received a note
MY DEA R D O CT OR
Yesterday as Susan wanted to hear a real st um p
,
speech Colonel Dudley rode with us to E kr on ; and

,
there o n the edge o f the woo ds he got us a standing

, ,
place (every o n e was very kind ! close to the speak

e rs .I soon had enough o f the sectional eloquence ;
but Susan who was taken with the humor o f it
, ,
woul d not go I had been told that that man was not
.
to be present When he got o n the stump not ten

.
,
feet from us for a moment he sp oke to the people

,
‘
behin d him Colonel Dudley said to me : Come
.
’ ‘
away ; I did not exp ect this Susan said : I must .
’ ‘
g o
. I said : N O ; I will n o t go ; I will n o t be driven
’
away A s I refused he turned and saw me I can
. .
not describe to yo u with what satisfaction I saw

what before I had o nl y gu essed I cannot describe .
ho w his face changed His voice broke for a mo .
ment and then he went o n He was embarr as sed

, . .
That might well be ; but there was more He got .
confused and then was clear again Some o n e said .
he w as drunk A lthough he tried not to look at me

.
,
the speech was evidently a failure and the crowd ,
surp rised A s he stepped down I said : N ow we

.
‘
’
will go .
I write because I was seen by many w ho will

think that I went p urposely or should have left at
once I w i sh yo u who will hear o f it to k no w that
.
, , _
“
I did not break my promise .
Believe me with grateful remembrance

,
C ON S TAN C E T RES COT “ ,
But she stayed for al l that said the doctor

, , .
”
H o w will it end ?
O thers were as curious ; and over the cocktails
and j uleps at the club o n the evening Of the stump
speaking the ex Confederates and others discussed
,
-
thi s novel vendetta A s the doctor entered with

.
C olonel Dudley a young fellow was describing the

,
scene and the evident e ff ect upon G r eyhu rst An .
other a little Older said : I saw her follow him

, ,
down the street Ho w the deuce could she want to

.
“
come back here ? It must be awful .
Yes ; f o r him
“
.
Said Dudley : Y o u boys had better drop that I .
took this lady to the meeting N O o n e knew that Mr . .
G r eyhu rst was to speak An d let me as an o l d fel .

,
low remind you that we do no t discuss ladies here

,
.
CON ST A N CE T RE S C O T 295
Oh but , colone l , this was such an amazing
“
thin g .
Would make a good art icle said the editor as , ,
“
they sat down
But never will sir
.
remarked the doctor , , ,
“
sharply over the shrubbery of his j ulep
O f course not
,
”
said the editor , .
.
The young fellows ap ologized and the colonel ,
began to chat with the doctor .
A few minutes later G r eyhu rst entered the smoke

“
fil l ed room Without speaking to any o n e else he
.
,
went over to where Dudley sat Will you do me .
the favor to speak to me a few minutes ? N o t o u t

”
side,
around
he added a little louder as men looked
. The o l d Confederate rose saying Of
,
, ,
“
”
“
course ; but let no o n e take away my j ulep
N o t outside
”
G r eyhu r st repeated
,
U p stairs .
.
-
,
”
colonel .
Dudley followed him to the room a b ove where ,
were two candles some chairs a p oker table and, ,

-
,
“
mildewed walls
Let us sit down
.
said G reyhu r st I shall n o t

,
.
“
keep yo u long .
Very good ; it is chilly here What is it ?

G reyhu r st said :
“
Y o u will I know p ardon me ,
.
if I am wrong ; but you as much as told me I must

leave the board Of the orphan home I have since .
learned o r inferred that Mrs T resc o t was behind

, ,
.
“
the matte r .
Yes in a way ; indirectly In fact I have no

,
.
,
reason to conceal from you that she declined to

leave in the hands o f the managers the money she
gave b eca u se yo u were On the board I thought her

,
.
’
j ustified but Of course I could not brin g a lady s
,
”
name into the matter when I talked t o yo u Dud .
ley was not a man to excuse his actions He expected .
an angr y answer To his surprise G r eyhu rst said

.
,
“
quietly :
Yes she w as j ustified May I ask if when you
,
.
,
rode o u t with her to the meeting this afternoon yo u ,
“
were aware that I was to speak ?
”
I was n o t Is that all ? asked the colonel as he
.
,
“
stood up .
Y es that is all
,
“
said G r eyhu rst in t o n es b o th
,
sad and gentle ; and si r I tru st that you will ac , ,

, h
“
cept my excuses fo r such unusual questions
It is all right ”
said the colonel Then seeing
,
.
.
that G r eyhu rst still lingered standing with o n e , ,
thumb o n the table somethin g struck him in this ,
large square shouldered man with the dark eyes

,
-
.
E ither curiosity o r faintly felt p ity o r both made , ,
“
him say
Is there anythi n g else I can do for yo u ?
Yes ; if I m ay keep yo u a few minutes .
Pray go o n ,
.
I am in a situation Colonel Dudley which is , ,
v ery unusual I was unfortunate a year ago — most

.
unfortunate ; and since M rs T r esc o t has returned .
to St Ann I fear that my presence our accidental

.
,
encounters o u r — well I fin d it di fficult to avoid

, ,
her I put it as a man must do about a lady It

. .
”
has become unendurable He did not wish to com .
plain that he was haunted b y this living ghost He .
looked steadily at the Old colonel and added I ,

CON ST AN C E T RE SCO T 297
hope I make myself understood ? H e w as unwil l

ing to say that she followed him .
I supp ose said Dudley coldly ,

that I must , ,
admit that yo u do It is p lain enough as you put .
i t unusual t oo as yo u state ; but let me add that

-
, ,
’
I do n o t p rop ose t o discuss with you this lady s
”
course .
G r eyhu rst said promptly : I did not expect you

t o do that I wish to ask advice of an older man as
.
“
to what as a gentleman I shoul d do
’
,
I can t give it Mr G r eyhu rst There are r ea ,

.
,
.
.
l
sons why even to be asked is disagreeable to me I .
allowed yo u t o question me in regard to my presence

with Mrs T r e sc o t at that meeting I answered yo u
. .
frankly But I did not like it sir ; I did not like

.
,
it If I had declined t o r ep l y we should have quar

.
r el e d .I think this talk had better end before my

—
temper gives o u t o r yours .
G r eyhu r st had been looking down as they tal k ed ,
seeming t o weigh his words N o w with something .

,
like a wan smile o n his dark face he said quic kl y

as he looked up : N o man Colonel Dudley can “ ,
,
,
,
”
ever quarrel with me again o r make me quarrel ,
.
“
’
Dudley s face cleared as he said at once in his ,
frank pleasant way : I misunderstood You must

,
.
p ardon me I am free to say to you that little as I

.
,
’
like o r a pprove this lady s course you sir can do , , ,
nothi n g I did not mean to advise but no w I have

.
,
done so and I have only this to add N one o f us

, .
who know Mrs T r esco t are likely t o stop her I

. .
s aw her at the meeting If ever a woman hated a .
man she hates yo u Whether she is j ustified in her

,
.
298 CON ST AN CE T RE S COT
course o r n o t you know best Y o u have made me

, .
sp eak o u t an d I have had to exp ress myself in a

,
way sir which is n o t a greeable to me and cannot

, ,
”
be pleas ant to you .
“
‘
I have said that she is jus tified said G r eyhu rst , ,
slowly —
I have had n o day since since I killed
.
that man which has n o t been ful l Of regret I do .
n o t hesitate to say so to you B ut a man must live . .
I cannot go away ; I have not the means What c an .
“
I do ?
Do ? Damn it ! yo u can do nothing .
Thank yo u ; that is my o w n unhappy conclusion .
A t all events I shall be released for a time I go

, .
to California next week and shall be gone a month ,
“
’
o r even two Y o u know it is about Dexter s mines
.
,
.
He said next with a certain timidity : Would

,
you do me the great favor to allow me to refer to

”
you some business matters while I am a b sent ?
Dudley hesitated and then replied shortly : Yes ; ,
tell them to come to me .
”
Thank yo u said G r eyhu r st ,
.
Upon this they went down stairs in sil ence As

,
-
.
G r eyhu rst turned to gO o u t the o l d colonel for the

first time put o u t his hand saying : I am sorry
,
,
,
“ ,
f o r you G r eyhu rst both fo r the p ast and for the

, ,
”
present Goo d night
. .
The lawyer made no rep ly and the colonel went ,
“
back t o his euchre and the j ulep and the doctor
”
I w as afraid said the Ol d army co mrade that
, ,
“ .
“
there might be something unpleasant .
N o ; but I had to speak my mind He was as .
”
sweet tempered as well as yo u are doctor
- -
, ,
.
CON STAN C E T RE SCO T
Th en he is changed In fact since he kill ed .

,
T r esc o t he is strangely p atient E very o ne noti c es .
’7
it
”
Damn him ! said Dudley I don t think he .
’
would even kill a fl y n o w Your deal doctor .

, .
The g ame went o n to the end and the colonel

who had won said laughing : Yo u are n o t in your
, ,
“ , ,
“
usual form E skridge ,
N O ; my mind was elsewhere I was thinking o f

.
G r eyhu r st and what a mess he has made o f his life

, .
I do not believe the man has a friend in the worl d ;

and I supp ose he quarrels with John G r eyhu rst as
Often as with others Many o f us are n o t our o wn .
friends I doubt a little if he is even his o wn ac

.
qu aintance .
Dudley laughed Yo u have a queer way o f put

.
”
ting thin gs .
The doctor was in his sp ecul ative vein H e went .
on
“
.
It was simple murder that good fellow death ,

’
s .
I wonder ho w a man feels after he has done a thing

like that If he is educated and imaginative and
.
,
has p ower to feel it mus t set him ap art as it were

, , ,
in a kind Of awful loneliness a sort o f solitar y -
“
imprisonment in himself
’
O h I don t supp ose men take it that way E sk
.
ridge
“ .
Some ; n o t all O f course there are b rutes w ho

.
“
have no power to su fier fo r what they do
An d yo u think this man does su Eer ? ”
.
”
I do I am sure o f it
. .
An d so am I Another j ulep doctor ?

.
,
No ;
I I have o n e dyin g man to see ,
and there is another so ul about to fill up the rank s .
“
You see I live o n the ski rm ish line o f life
-
.
,
”
What the deuce do yo u mean ?
O h I leave yo u to digest my remark
,
He went
.
ou t
. laughing .
S the days went by G reyhu rst some , ,
what relieved by the prospect O f a long

absence arranged his a ffairs and pre
, ,
pared himself for his j ourney to Cali

formia Constance T r esc o t well aware
.
,
of his plans was deep in thought o f the man who

,
was fo r a time to be o u t o f her reach Her i n

, ,
.
creasing abstraction her lessening interest in books

, ,
and she had never been an eager reader — her still ,
silent piano all alike contributed t o increase the

,
anxiety in which the elder sister lived

.
In fact .
,
Constance had exhausted her resources ; b ut n o w an

accident came t o her aid and doin g f o r her that
, ,
which she never would have done inflicted on her ,
enemy a torture beyond the dream o f malice and ,
far reaching in its consequences

-
.
A n errand o f charity t o o n e o f the families now

residing o n the blu ff had occupied her afternoon .
It was dusk and the shadows were deep ening as

Constance walked slowly along a woo d p ath which
led into the road o n which she lived A s she came o u t .
o f the forest in the dusk she quickened her steps ,
and deep in thought moved o n until Of a sudden

, , ,
she became aware o f being o n the same side o f the

way and in front o f the house in which G reyhu rst
301
30 2 CON ST AN CE T RE SCO T
resided .She stopped short recalling that j us t ,
here she an d her husband had first met him A s .
she t urned quickly to cross the street she stumbled ,
o n the rough sidewa l k recovered her balance and

, ,
cro ssed over to her own side o f the way A t her .
garden gate she suddenly missed a little velvet bag

which usuall y hung from her belt Instantly she .
remembered that it held besides her cards a small

, ,
morocco case in whi ch was a photograph o f her hus

’
band in his maj or s uniform Realizin g the fact .
that she had stumble d and might then have lost it ,
and much troubled she was about t o return and

,
look for it when she saw G r eyhu rst who had j ust
, ,
come o u t o f his garden A s she hesitated he picked

.
,
up something whi ch she knew must be her bag .
She had a moment o f indecision T o seek him or .

,
t o send fo r it she felt to be impossible

,
She had .
a larger copy a duplicate o f the photo graph Wh at

,
.
e ff ect would this p icture Of the man he had ki l led

have o n the murderer ? With a s ingu lar sm ile o n
her face she turne d and went into her o w n house
,
.
She had a wil d desire to see that meeting o f the

sl ayer and the slain .
Without the least idea o f the ownership o f the

bag G r eyhu r st carelessly lai d it o n the table of his
,
library He then lighted a lamp and mildl y curi

.
, ,
o u s began t o look at the con t en t s o f the bag

,
He .
came first o n the small c ase and drew o u t the pho ,
t o gr aph As he turned it over he saw the face o f

.
Ge orge T resc o t .
The suddenness o f this pictu red revival o f a face

he had o f late seen with less painfu l clearness gave
f ar it ir m . We let
.
CO N ST AN CE T RE S CO T 303
it fa ll The face lay uppermost He made a great

. .
“
e ff ort and seizin g it threw it from him
,
”
My G o d ! he said
,
“
I shall end by killing that
,
.
”
w oman !
F o r a moment he entertained the idea that she
had meant him t o find it Then as he saw the .
,
cards and some memoranda he knew that she must ,
have accidentally drop ped the bag ; and still the hor ,
ror o f the thing was increased f o r him rather than

lessened by his certainty that he was the victim o f
a chance loss Was everything against him ?
.
He p icked up the p hotograph and resolute not , ,
t o yiel d to what he felt was weakness he set it b e ,
fore him and with his head in his hands stared at

,
the strong well bred kindly face It was t o o much

,
-
,
.
f o r him The tears began to gather and as they

.
,
rolled down his face he slowly replace d the portrait

in the case laid it in the bag and closed the cl asp
, ,
.
The test o f endurance had been beyond his p owers ,
and had p roduced on his nervous sys tem an e ffect
“
such as could never have been anticipated
”
My God ! he cried as he fell back in his chair ,
.
,
”
am I n o t p unishe d enough !
A s he spoke he looked up and saw as if some
, ,
ten feet away and a little to the left the face o f ,
the man he had killed F o r a moment he was .
si mp l y ast o n i she d It was larger than life and

.
smilin g and not like the photograph He rubbed

,
.
his eyes closed and Opened them and moved about

, ,
.
The phantom kept its p lace ; and at last he Ob

served that if he loo ked down he lost it He was .
,
as I have said intelligent and recognized in this

, ,
v i s i o n t h e e ff e c t o f Io n s train a n d s u d d en shock .
And still it meant even to his knowledge something

sinister but about w hich it w as poss ible to reason
,
.
It a ff ected him at the moment less than had done

the letters o r telegram or the presence Of the woman
,
who had sent them His fear was not so much of

.
what was as o f what might follow What did it .
mean ? Was he about to be ill ? He resolved to see

Dr E skr idge and to talk to him frankly He awak
. .
ened the next day still seein g the face at times dimly , ,
at others clearly Its persistency troubled him

. .
Was it a symptom of some imp ending mental dis

aste r ? Had his head been clear o f late — his mem
o ry unimpaired ? When the mind o f the sen sitive
becomes critical concerning the health o f i ts own pro
cesses there is p eril in the way He found h imself
, .
caught in machinery not readily arrested by the

will which set it in motion He had always bee n .
in vigorous health and had rarely had occasion to

consult a physician He had however lacked power
.
, ,
to dismiss unpleasant thoughts and now the terror ,
o f decay of reason haun ted him unceasingly And it .
was a woman who had brought this fear upon him a ,
woman against whom he was absolutely defenseless .
E arly in the morning he gave the bag to a maid

and asked her much to her amazement to leave it
, ,
’
at Mrs T r esc o t s When it was laid on the break
. .
fast table beside Constance her sister aske d a ques

tion in regard to it Constance replied :
.
,
I lost “
it yesterday I suppose that some o n e finding my
.
,
”
“
cards has returned it
,
Y o u are fortunate dear

.
,
.
”
Yes am I no t ?
,
H E town o f St Ann was prospering . .
There were more horses hitched about

the gnawed posts in front O f the gro
cery shops ; more men in well worn
- -
gray coming in from the country to

buy or sell In a word there was more money
.
, .
There was also as a consequence less anxiety and

, , ,
more time o r rather more leisure ; and the Christ

, , ,
mas season was less sad as the years went o n .
Miss Susan Hoo d had thrown herself with energy

and good humor into the church work and had r e ,
organized the Sunday schools The orphan home had -

.
also her care and as she had money and a bountiful

,
sense o f the humorous asp ects O f life she foun d ,
ready occasion for the varie d forms o f generosity o f

which she was capable and constant mild amuse ,
ment in what she saw and heard A s concerned .
Constance she was still uneasy and the more so b e ,
cause she was sure that her sister had by no means

given u p her designs against G reyhu rst The fact
/
.
that Co n stance sedulously concealed whatever she

was doing still further added to her discomfort and , ,
except Mrs A verill there was n o one to whom she

.
,
felt free to talk She resolved once more to reopen

.
the subj ect with Constance .
20 305
O n this special morning Miss Althea had been lon g

closeted with Mrs T r esc o t and when she had gone
.
,
Co nstance took up her garden gloves fl o w er basket ,

-
,
and scissors and p utting on a long white ap ron

, , ,
went o u t into the little conservatory Here she .
foun d Co ffin who un der her instructions w as with

, , ,
much labor Of mind slowly learning how to care for

flowers His Old weather worn face was more eager
.
,
-
than usual .
He said : That man is going away ; I thought t o

”
“
come and tell you
Are you sure ? I heard that he was Don t
.
’
.
”
sp eak so loud .
’
Tom s voice had the volume needed fo r great
“
wood spaces
’
.
Yes I m sure His o l d black woman she says

,
.
’ ”
so It 11 be for a month or two .
”
Indeed ! S O long ! She stood before the lame
little w o odm an taller by a head For him there was
,
.
the sense Of a commanding presence remembrance o f ,
kindness with flavor Of comprehending friendliness ,
and yet such sense Of aloofness as the statue o f a god

dess may have had fo r some Greek hewer o f wood .
“
She stood still in thought ; at last he asked
Was you worried over that vermin ? ”
Her ven
gean c e had brought her into singul ar partnerships
“
.
”
N o ; not while he is here .
Thought yo u would have liked him clean o u t

”
“
o f sight .
N o ; I mean to ruin him If he goes away I can .
no t .
What she had done or desired to do he did not

know ; n o r had he kn own would her slow methods

, ,
have appealed to his coarser conception of what he

’ ”
called evenin up things
“
He said : It might be best t o do what I said
.
’ ’ ’ ’
I d do it You see ma am it s sure , and it don t
.
, ,
”
give no trouble .
’
G reyhu rst s life hun g o n the issue o f a m inute Of
indecision A wild anger came upon her at the
.
thought o f his escaping A little flush grew o n .
“
the pale cheek and then faded
”
,
“ .
NO
Well
,
she said
”
,
I can wait
returned Co ffin
.
’
it is n t my notion o f ,
“ .
“
’ ”
thin gs I d j ust kill him and get done with him
. .
N o ; yo u must not do that .
’ ’
It 11 be as yo u say B out these rose bugs .
-
,
’ ’ ”
they r e mighty troublesome ma am ,
.
He dismissed the m att er li ght l y He was a man .
o f the Tennessee border where women do n o t v al ue ,
a man w ho cannot shoot straight a land of long -
nourished hatreds where men kill but do not steal

, ,
where the vendetta is medieval in the simplicity of

its o n e demand He could not comprehend the feel
.
ing which stayed his hand but nevertheless he was , , ,
entirely the vassal of her will .
S he answered o n e o r tw o questions about the fl o w

ers with some directions an d sent him away with ,
r o ses for Mrs March

. . .
While her sister was thus engaged Susan had ,
been in the p arlor in earnest talk with the new rec

t o r O f the church at St A nn Ve ry soon after her . .
arrival she had added to her church work some care

o f the freed slaves and happy in the relief o f new
, ,
duties had brought inspiriting good sense and

,
money t o aid the many forms o f useful ness in whi ch

Mr Kent was interested
. .
The rector had been talking o f George T r esc o t .
Y o u must have met him said Susan , .
N O ; we exchanged visits but he was much o f

’
the time absent since I came ; and fo r a few weeks
“
”
I was myself in the E ast .
I am sorry yo u never met .
An d I I think I mentioned that we were r e

.
—
lated distant cousins Perhaps if Mrs T r esc o t
.
,
.
knew that she might be will ing to see me I very

,
.
much want t o help you and her A n d there is so .
“
much wild talk
Yes I know ; but my sister has op inions which
,
I neither share nor l ike — oh excuse me I fear I , ,
must cut short o u r talk I see that her gardener .
”
is going and I have to se e her before she goes out
,
.
He rose sayin g : I shall t ry again I hOp e t o

,
.
“
have better luck .
I shall see you to morrow at the library The

-
.
“
books I ordered sho u l d be here to day -
.
O ne moment Miss Hood ,

May I be p ardoned .
”
if I ask why M rs T r esc o t never comes to church ?
.
That is a long story and a sad o n e Some day

,
.
“
we will talk about it not now ,
Yo u will not forget the flowers for S unday ?

.
”
O f course not .
A fter he left her S u san went o u t i nto the little

,
conservatory .
Said Constance : Has your rector o r director , ,
gone ? Wh at can yo u find to talk about ? He makes

CON STANCE T RE S COT 30 9
rather long visits I must admit that he rides well .
for a preacher I saw him pass yesterday

. He .
“
loo ks to be about twenty o n e -
.
”
He is no t young said Susan shortly , , .
O h preachers never are youn g

,
He is rather .
“
goo d looking
-
.
Yes rather I wish yo u wo ul d see him when he

, .
”
calls Y o u see every o n e else
. .
O h some day if you really want m e to see him

, , .
I should like it Conny ,

.
Susan was indisp osed t o discuss the rector o r t o ,
insist to o much o n his being receive d ; but why she ,
would have been unable o r more likely unwilling , , , ,
“
to say She changed the subj ect
.
Y o u had your two beauties C onny You think ,

.
I talk lon g with Mr Kent H o w you find talk for . .
an hour with that depressing A lthea I cannot ima

gine. Her head wabbles about as if she were a
feeble chicken and her nose —di d yo u ever notice
,
”
“
her nose ?
NO
”
,
said Constance She is a very goo d w o .
man and very unfortunate I do n o t see why yo u

,
.
“
m ake fun o f her .
I ? The fun is ready made ; and really Conny , ,
I can p ity and could at need help her with

, , , ,
out enj oying her society Wh at do yo u talk .
“
a bout ?
O h , many things .
’
Susan had overheard p ortions o f A lthea s gossip .
”
I think I co uld guess Is i t never to end ? .
Constance who had been moving about the room

, ,
t u rned o n her .
31 O CON STAN C E T R E S CO T
I thought Susan we had ag reed to dismiss that

, ,
”
“
subj ect .
N o ; or if we did I cannot go o n in this way

, , .
I did not lightly bring this matter up O h Conny .

, ,
“
if you only would
I would do anyt hing else for you But for the .
present you may be at ease He is going away .
“
to be gone perhap s for two months
,
I am v ery glad ”
.
, .
And I am not O h there i s the lunch bell

.
,
-
.
She was already d eeply engaged in a new scheme ,

’
and feared to face any more of Susan s questions .
To p lan p ossible or imp ossible means Of w ound

ing her enemy gave her the only satisfaction her
narrowing life afi o r de d To talk of him w as p ain .
ful or at least Susan was not the neutral minded

,
-
confessor w ho would see in her course the least

shadow of human excuse .
A fter lunch she went into T r esc o t s study The

’
.
feeling which rigidly guarded the room from any

presence but that o f Constance seemed t o Susan
’
morbid N evertheless she had resp ected her sister s
.
,
wish . Constance entere d and sat down When .
there she had at times that sense o f the nearness

—
o f the dead which many have known and known
with intense longing fo r the sound Of a voice that “
”
is still .
She had long since b rought his sword from her

chamber and placed it o n his table She picked it .
up and dusted it and laid it down ,

The room .
w as full O f him She walked about thinkin g o f her

.
,
dead and then with another thrill Of anguish o f

, , ,
CON STAN C E TRE S CO T 31 1
the lost child

”
give ! she cri ed
.
“
A nd you would have had me for
O h George George how can
.
, , ,
I ! Yo u are dead ; I shall see you n o more My .
— —
baby is dead and I am dead too oh dead to love , , ,
to j oy ! A nd it gets worse and not better .
She sat down and rocked back and forward

clasp ing her head “
Perhap s to die were better
. .
Her face twitched aroun d the mouth her j aw sti f ,

’
feued and she recalled again the doctor s warning
, .
E ven the luxury o f self abandonment to lonely -
grief was not for her She controlled herself but .

, -
not readily The p assio ns are near neighbors And

. .
stormy force .
“
with the thought o f G r eyhu r st her anger rose to
”
A nd he did it ! she cried and
,
,
“
lives and is to have years of ease and at last fo r
, ,
g et f u l n ess N ever
. never if I can ,
help i t — and no ,
o n e shall stop me ; and if all else fail I have always , ,
that —that ! ”
She w as thinking o f the temptation
Coffin had crudely set before her .
She grew agitated looking about her ,

No t .
here ; I must not think of it here Would he forgive .
”
me ? He woul d know I had to go my way .
She went o u t o f the room and met her sister who

seeing her agitation said : My dear Conny what is
,
“ ,
, ,
“
the matter ?
N othing is the matter I wish you would let me .
“
alone .
O h; Conny what have I done ?

’
,
”
She w as hurt ; but was far too wise to say

more for of late her sister had become irritable
,
.
A s she turned aside repre ssing the sharp answer

she felt inclined to make Constance said :
,
Where is ,
“
31 2 CON ST AN C E T RE SCO T
the paper ? I have not seen it to day Yo u always -

.
“
take it . It was her habit to run over it daily
”
I will get it said Susan,
Wait dear ; I know .
“ ,
.
”
where it is .
When she returned Constance took the little sheet .
“
Presumably she foun d what she sought
The land sale we mentioned some time ago in
.
c l u des a long stretch o f shore to the south o f the
Hood estate It was we un derstand bought by Mr

.
, , .
G r eyhu r st ; but whether f o r hi mself or others is

not known The water at this place o n the river
.
front is shallow ; but if as we hear the deep , ,

’
water front between it and the Hoods has also ~ ~
been acquired from the Baptistes it woul d give Mr ,

.
’
G r eyhu r st s frontage all it needs and add much ,
to its value .
For a little while Constance sat think ing Then .
she rose dressed herself for the street and went o u t

, ,
.
She had more than enough to think about Al .
thea had heard that Mr G r eyhu r st was bent on

.
other busin ess than mines They did say that there
.
was a lady in Sacramento who had refused to

marry him while his divorced wife lived But n o w .
,
that lady being dead a year o r more it might be that ,
she would reconsider her refusal N o ; A lthea did .
not know her name She was said to be rich

. .
A t first Constance thought it an unlikely b it O f

gossip ; but if it were true her foe might escape .
She had fed the flame O f her anger with the fuel of
grief and as was usual with her this surrender
, , ,
to pas sionate sorrow left her set and resolute She .
must know more An d so Al thea w as petted and

.
CON ST AN CE T RE S COT 31 3
flatte red and hidden to listen and report all she

,
heard Meanwhile there was this other matter

. .
She had told Susan that she would not ride and ,
n o w walked away into the town passing G r eyhu rst ,
o n the main street He had again the sense o f being

.
haunted as the tall black figure went by almost ,
touching him Well he wo ul d soon be far away

.
,
from it all The face of T r esc o t went with him

.
still misty and delicate

,
.
Mrs T r esc o t soon found what she sought and

.
reading o n the sign Paul Marcel Land A gent ,

“ ,
,
,
”
Second Story went up s tairs and knocking was
, , ,
“
bidden to enter
1 am Mrs T r e sc o t
.
she said throwing back

.
, ,
her veil .
’
Marcel s daughter had spoken Of her but he him ,
self knew her only by si ght She accepted a chair .
“
and began at once :
Y o u will be so kind Mr Marcel as to consider ,
.
,
”
my business confidential o r at least fo r the present ,
.
”
Certainly madame He was an Old man brisk
,
.
,
and al ert with hair cut short and upstanding in

,
a way that gave an aggressive expression to a not

unkindly clean shaven face
,
His accent was dis
-
.
“
t in c tl y that o f the o l d Creole French
H o w can I oblige you ?
”
he said
.
She unrolle d a small plan of the river front -

.
”
He re she said
,
Mr Marcel are o u r lands ,
.
,
.
You may b e aware that we gave Mr s B aptiste the .
“
half o f o u r river frontage nearest to the city -
.
”
It was more than generous he said The ,
”
land should be improved .
31 4 CO N ST AN C E T RE S COT
Yes ; that will come O ur own land lies next .

,
you observe We have — I do not now recall how

.
many feet It is ample ; but we would be better O ff

.
if we owned the next lots to the south o f u s — I
“
think there is about four hundred feet
I see ”
he said
,
It has the deepest water o n
.
“ -
.
the entire frontage — very desirable It belongs to .
a niece O f Madame B aptiste I have heard some .
n —
thi g about i t lately It can be bought no doubt .
it can be bought The land beyond it is O f very

.
'
little value because of the shallo w ness Of the

”
“
water .
But with this she asked quickl y ,

it would ,
”
“
become valuable ?
Yes very o f course I fancy it to h ave been
, ,
.
acquired with a view to subsequent purchase Of

’
Mademoi selle Baptiste s water front The sale may -
.
“
have been already made ; I think not
I shoul d like to know as soon as p ossible
.
If madame will wait a minute — ten minutes to ,
be more accurate ? The agent o f the Baptistes is

”
near by .
Madame would wait He went o u t She got up . .
and moved about impatient , .
When he came back he said : I have learned

that as I supposed it i s for sale An o ffer has been
, , .
made for it Then he hesitated and said very ,
courteously : I think Madame T r esc o t should be
“
made to know who is the p erson who is bidding
I do know ”
she returned coldly
,
It is a pure .
“ .
“
matter o f business
E h bi en !
.
It is a matter of business He o ff ers .

twelve thousand ; they ask fifteen I could not ad .
“
vise that It i s too much
Buy it
.
she said
,
“
.
and if you please without , ,
— —
“
delay now at once .
But madame it is inordinate May I as k is it

, , .
for the Hood estate ? Y o u will p ardon me if I say

that in that case you should consult General Aver
ill
It is for me personally ,
.
A h ! that is so ; and is madame resolved ?

”
She is said Constance smiling
, ,
.
”
It can be bought he said and went o u t In a
few moments he w as back again
,
It is an a ff air
,
.
“ .
finished ; but I have saved yo u eight hundred dol

”
lars
“
.
Then it is secure ? There can be no mistake ? It

”
is my property ?
“
Her anxiety struck him as singular ; but he made
haste to reassure her Yes it is yours I will see
.
,
.
to the titles ; but I know them as my hand In a .
’ ”
“
few days I shall ask for madame s check
Thank you ; but there must be no mistake
.
There can be none I have it in writing here .

,
”
in my hand .
She thanked him and went o u t

Di a b l e !
”
he said ! u ell e femm e !
.
“ .
’
O n hi s way to the doctor s that evening Grey ,
hurst called at the house of the agent o f Mademo i

selle B aptiste He said : Monsieur Pierre I leave
.
“ ,
to morrow to be gone about two months Before I go

-
,
.
I should like to settle about those water lots I -

.
left yo u an O E er ; yo u refused it What will .

31 6 CO N STAN CE T RE S CO T
yo u take ? I must leave part o f the p ayment o n

mortgage ?
The agent — like M Marcel o f Creole descent — was .
,
by no means friendly to G r eyhu r st but he was also
“
very much afraid Of him
’
C est d o mmag e monsieur I t o o deeply regret
,
.
. .
“
I was about t o write
What do yo u regret ? Can yo u Frenchmen never
.
“
sp eak o u t and say what yo u mean !
But I was sorry Monsieur G r eyhu r st fo r to dis, ,
app oint you Paul Marcel was her e t O day and

. x -
,
”
“
the land is so ld
Sold ! ”
.
Yes ; I have consult mademoiselle who live near ,
by as you know and she say take it I could only

, ,
.
advise to do the same The Ofier was large and it .

,
”
“
was yes o r no .
This seems to me very strange ; I sho ul d have

”
“
been told .
‘
Yes I say so Marcel he say We Ofier t welve
,
.
,
’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’
thousand I say N O
. He say Ho w much ?
,
I .
,
’
say
‘
Fifteen tho us and He Ofi er fourteen thousand
,
. .
‘
I say we split Then he say Fourte en thousand tw o
.
,
’
hundred ; and mademo iselle who was there she say , ,
’
‘
very quick I take it ,
Mats m o n Di eu ! monsieur .
, ,
”
what could I do ? It is sold .
Pierre w as surprised and relieved that G r eyhu rst

showed n o anger In fact he w as restraining him
‘
.
self with a great e ff ort He said : O E er to take it .

,
“
’
Off Marcel s hands I will give him fifteen thou .
sand It is worth that to me ; but any o ne else is

.
”
a fool to take it at your price .
They will not sell It is to hold . .
”
Who bought it ?
Pierre was maliciously enj oying the situation and ,
’
was made less timid by G r eyhu rst s unusually quiet
“
manner .
It was bought for a lady He was tormenting .
his big mouse and liked the game

,
.
‘ ’ ’
A lady ! Why the mischief can t yo u eu
”
“
swer ? What lady ?
It was Madame T r esc o t .
Damnation ! You tw o cursed Frenchmen have

”
“
sol d me between you !
Mats monsieur what co ul d be done ? Y o u set
, ,
”
a limit .
G r eyhu r st made n o reply but turned and went ,
o u t lea ving the Old Creole still ap ologetic

, gest i cu ,
lating and by no means ill pleased A s he p assed

,
.
into the street he pulled down his hat and walked

,
o n looking downward because o f the vision Of the

,
“
smiling silvery face
,
A lways that devil Of a woman ! he said ”

.
”
When will it end ? Sup pressed anger divided his
mind with the fear o f some sudden bodily disaster
such as the phantom seemed to threaten He mus t .
live must be we l l There was his child far away at

,
.
,
,
h —
school and the one cherished Op e the little woman
in Sacr amento He put aside the business o f the
.
land It was ruinous and he be gan t o o ful ly to r e

.
,
alize what money may do to aid a revengeful p ur

pose Forgetting fo r a moment he looke d up The
.
,
.
face was there in the bustling street as elsewhere

,
.
H e walked faster speaking to no o ne his head b ent

, ,
31 8 CON ST AN CE T R E S CO T
’
down He lost the face as he stood on Dr E sk r i dge s
. .
step and looking at his watch rang the bell He

, ,
.
had w ritten ask ing the doctor t o receive him at this

hour .
The doctor had never had any likin g for the man
for whom he was now waiting and his feeling had ,
been much intensified by the fatal consequences o f

’
G r eyhu rst s ungoverned temper He had however .
, ,
a fund o f p itiful charity kept f ul l by sad p ersonal

,
’
experiences and by the physician s vast explanatory
knowledge o f the lives o f men and women which ,
accepts heredity education and environment as

, ,
matters not t o be left out of the considerati on o f

’
disease o r o f the motives of men s actions .
He was reflectin g upon what had made G r eyhu rst

what he was when the man who thus occupied his
,
thoughts entered the room A s they had met o f late .

,
o n the street o r elsewhere he had casually noticed ,
the slight loss o f soldierly carriage and the ab ,
sence Of a certain defiant challenge in his expression .
N ow as they sat down he cast o n G r eyhu r st a quick

, ,
look o f observant attention and saw that the large ,
frame had lost flesh He began to be curious as to

.
the obj ect of this visit ; but as the lawyer had in ,
the past consulted him in regard to minor matters

o f health he knew him to be free from grave organic
,
maladies and was quite unp rep ared fo r the abrupt

,
“
statement with which he began
Doctor ”
he said as he sat down
,
I am going
.
away to morrow and I want to ask you a question

-
,
.
—
I have o f late been troubled not all the time I ,
—
ought to say b y an occasional sensation o f quite
CON ST A N CE T RE S CO T 31 9
causeless fear —well something like the terror a

,
”
“
timid child has when alone in the dark
”
Indeed ! said the doc tor Is that all o r is .
“ .
,
”
“
there anythi ng else ?
N o ; that is n o t all I have also been annoyed
.
by seeing a face in the air a little to the left It , .
is lost when I look down It appears as if made o f .
gossamer and I se e things through it Does it o r

,
.
the other trouble represent any probability of mental

”
failure ?
He was sweating as he spoke and wip ed his fore ,
head repeatedly .
The doctor toyed with a p aper cutter a habit he -

,
“
had when intensely intereste d
Y o u are well otherwise ?
”
.
Yes I have lost appetite and flesh but otherwise

.
,
I am as usual I shoul d add that /I still have at

.
times that inexplicable fear ; the vision is nearly al

”
“
ways present I cannot get rid o f it
.
Indeed ! N o headaches ? ”
.
N o never ; a slight vertigo now and then

,
I .
never drank to excess and less now than ever I ,

.
smoke too much ; but you see I have been worried

, ,
—
about business matters and abo u t other things ”
“ A s you look up now do you see the face ?

,
”
,
.
”
I do .
Is this phantasm that o f a face yo u have ever

”
seen ?
The question was natural and innocent the reply ,
“
startling .
My God ! doctor It is the face o f the man I

.
k illed
I beg pardon Mr G r eyhu rst I am sorry —sorry,

. .
I asked and very sorry for yo u I co ul d n o t have

, .
“
dreamed o f this I am sorry .
I am glad o n e man is sorry I am in a hell o f

.
“
sorr ow .
’
That can t be helped I fear ,
.
NO I suppose not ; but I have got to live — and

,
there is Mathilde my child D oes this mean any ,

.
thing serious — that is what I want to know —this

sp ecter — that fear ? I can stand it if it does not
”
“
imply the nearness o f some mental failure
Before I answer may I venture to ask if this ,
.
spectral illusion came only at times and then m ore

and more Often and was there any immediate ca us e ?
,
”
Do not reply if to do so annoys you .
G reyhu r st read in the grave and kindly face so ,
keen an d attentive sympathy which included in ,
i ts charity alike the weaknesses and the crimes o f

men He too like others felt the human craving
.
, , ,
to escap e by confession from the loneliness of re
“
membered sin For a moment he reflected and then
.
”
,
“
said : I may as well tell you all
N ot unless it will help me to help you He d is
.
trusted his own increasing curiosity and w as there ,
fore careful as to how far he should invite c o n fi
“
d en c es .
Yes you may help me G

,
. od knows I need,
ad
vice — counsel
“ But fi st said E skridge
r ,
.
let me say that the ,
face yo u see will fade away in time unless the cause ,

”
“
which occasioned it is repeated
O f that I cannot be sure I may as well tell you .
.
CON ST AN C E T R E S CO T
Very well That may be better . .
I came by mere chance upon a photo graph o f

Mr T resc o t I came o n it abruptly unprep ared ; an d
. .
,
—
then as I looked up I w the face that face —not
sa
at all that o f the photo graph but the same man , ,
only —smiling .
The doctor had heard in his long life many strange

things but this was the strangest He repressed his
,
”
“
astonishment and said quietly : Is that all ?
N O ; and I want to tell you the rest — all of i t
all I have been since my unchecked sp oiled boy
.
, ,
-
hood a p assionate man

,
It wrecked my married .
life and did me evil service during the war and

, ,
later in my career at the bar My Western life .
made it worse — that w as before the war The Hood .
lawsuit found me embarrassed as to money matters .
I lost it and I knew I ought t o have lost it Things

,
.
passed in the trial which — well no matter I was ,

.
—
insulted ; I was told b y b y T r esc o t that he was
—
responsible yo u know what that means with us I .
shot that man I did think he was drawing his pis

tol if I thought at all
,
.
He wip ed his forehead . I .

“
did not think I was sorry for my haste Since then
. .
I have more and more bitterly regretted But it was .
done — and I must live I went o n hoping that with .

,
time I should su ff er less Then Mrs T resc o t came

,
. .
back ; and from the time of her return I have been

—
”
in hell no demon could be more ingeniously cruel
”
than that woman .
He went o n to relate all that she had done includ ,
ing the ruining purchase of the land on the river .
B Oth men were silent for a moment and then Grey ,
hu r st . a d de d :
I can do nothing Regret — remorse if you like .

,
— is the only thing a man can give I know what .
“
”
I have done ; but I must live .
”
Y es yes said the doctor refl ec tivel y
, , Could , .
“
you not go away and live elsewhere ?
No I cannot I have my girl at school in Cin
, .
c inn at i as you know

, I am o r I was better o fi ; but
.
, ,
this land business seriously embarrasses me an d I ,
must take care o f the child A ll my interests are .
here ; I cannot go away ; I fear for what that woman

may do A t first it troubled me but I said to m y
.
,
self that she could do no more ; now I am honestly

“
afraid I credit her intelligence doctor wi th t er
.
, ,
rible capacity to hurt me Can I bear this strain ? .
A m I n o w breaking under it ? I have reason to hop e

that I may marry again The lady lives in Sacra .
mento I hope to be able to explain to her — I

.
“
He hesitated
”
Indeed ! exclaimed the doctor
.
But you mean .
to tell her ? She will have heard o f course You ,

.
”
will do well to be frank .
Yes o f course ,
She knows what my life has
.
been She at least is a woman This other is a

.
, ,
.
devil .
The doctor became yet more grave Whatever .
she is you may count o n her unending hatred

,
If .
you marry and I hOp e you may you will n o t

,
-
,
-
must n o t — live here ”
“ N o ; not if I marry And let me say that Miss

.
Wilson shall know in the frankest way j ust what

you know O ur acquaintance began through my
.
carrying her wounded brother o u t o f a heavy fire

CON ST ANC E T RE S COT 32 3
at A ntietam He died and I got a ball in the

.
,
side. I w as able to write to her at Mobile o f

his death at a time when I w as pretty near it
,
myself Yo u may trust me as a gentleman that

.
she shall know all I believe that she will fee l

.
”
for me .
The doctor rose Would he — could he —b e really

.
frank to her ? He had a good deal of doubt as to

’
G reyhu rst s p ower t o confess the actual facts as
“
others saw them .
I must go now This phantom will fade It is

. .
really o f n o great moment and is no indication o f ,
failure in mind o r body Bu t stay away as long .
as you can ; better if you were never to return to St .
”
Ann .
G reyhu r st left him with a great sense o f relie f ,
and walking homeward observed that he had lost

, ,
the smiling face o f George T r esc o t .
Returning in an hour the doctor sat down with ,
his pipe and his thoughts Both the personages in .
this sad drama had told him their stories The .
mixture o f good and evil in these two lives struck

him Both were without that steadying faith which
.
had been his from childhood G r eyhu rst w as sim .
p ly unreligious by habit Constance had no religion .

,
and as Susan had told him declared herself simply

, ,
i n d i E e r en t .Motives such as might otherwise have

helped t hem were absent The contrasts o f Grey .
hurst s life interested him — his unchecked boyhood

’
,
his passionate nature his intelligence hi s impul sive

, ,
ness his sensitiveness the incidentally told act of

, ,
sel f exp osing courage He felt how vain it was to

-
.
32 4 CON S TANC E T R E S COT
j udge o f human actions without the largest know

ledge .
Then he reflected up on the calm steadily pursued ,
revenge o f the woman with i ts dreadful inventive

,
ness its implacable hatred

, .
He knocked the ashes o u t O f his pipe as he won

dered what manner o f woman might she be whom
G r eyhu rst desired to marry The man had been
.
scourged by vain regret His repentance had so

.
modified and gentled his life that all men saw it .
If the woman loved him and he coul d live elsewhere

,
than in St A nn it might be the final solution of

.
,
serious questions ; but there was o n e i n c al ciil ab le

factor in this tangle o f human p assions — the strong
p ersonality of Constance T r esc o t He lighted his .
candle and went up to bed more than a little piti

,
ful for the woman who su ff ered and f o r the man ,
who had ca used her to suffer .

H E N Constance quietly relate d to S u
san what she had done about the land ,
the elder sister was as near to reason

able wrath as it was possible fo r her
t o be They were at breakfast when
.
this revelation was unintentionally drawn o u t n o t ,
“
’
altogether to Constance s satisfaction .
Susan had said : I want Conny to put a new , ,
roo f o n the church an d I thought yo u would like to

,
buy the land northwest of the churchyard They .
”
talk o f stables there .
The church roof does not interest me ; the other

does Susan But I cannot buy anything no w
,
. I .
have found u se for all my spare income

Susan looked up “
An d fo r what ?
.
”
.
Y o u may as well know it from me sister So m e ,

.
o n e will be sure t o tell y o u and I suppose thi s ,
wretched little town will feed i t s gossip with this

”
“
fo r a month O f orphan sewing circles -
.
What have yo u been doing now Conny ? ,
I have p ai d an extravagant price for the strip o f

,
/
'
frontage next to ours Mr G r eyhu rst owns the lots

. .
beyond it His land is valueless without the addi

.
tion o f the deep water front between us He was in

-
.
treaty fo r the Baptiste strip and I bought it I , .
said I meant to ruin him I had to tell yo u I do

. .
325
not like to talk o f it But I will not be lectured . .
It is perfectly useless What I feel you can never .
feel I am glad to be alone in what I do and I am

.
,
”
not yet d one with him .
She sp oke with increasing passion more and more ,
rapidly sittin g forward erect as poor Susan aston

, , ,
i she d let fall her egg sp oon and fell back in her
,
-
“
chair .
I have s een all along that I make you unhappy .
A s comp are d to the p ersonal j ustice I am dealing

out where other j ustice failed I hardly care But ,
.
neither afiec t io n nor Op inion shall come b etween

me and that man I think you set the doctor to
.
warning me He did What was health of mind

. .
or body comp ared to this ? I supp ose it will be the

pre acher next But I a dvise you not to try that
. .
“
Let us say no more o r we shall quarrel ,
Y o u say dearest sister let us say no more

,
It ,
.
is you who furnished both text and se rmon I have .
said next to nothin g I a sked nothing It was you . .

,
and you alone who began it ,

.
“
The plain goo d natured face was tearful as she
-
,
went o n : We can never quarrel That is imp os .
sible But I think you both unkind to me and u n

.
j ust as I have never reopened this most painful

,
subj ect I do not say that I n ever meant to Y o u

. .
spoke of the rector and of what I might ask him ,
to do ; and lest you should again misunderstand me ,

” —
I may as well s ay now
“
and she calmed herself a
little as she spoke — that Mr Kent intends to call .
o n you again I wish you to know that I did not

. .
ask h im to do so I have never dreamed o f askin g

.
CON ST AN CE T RE SCOT 32 7
him to interfere I have never thought of doing so

. .
I do not mean to imply that he has never spoken

o f what yo u have been doing E verybody talks o f it
. . .
I think M r s Dudley may have spoken to him o f

.
your strange conduct and he has mentioned some ,
things to me which I had never heard of and which I ,
trust may not be true But dear Conny you are .

, ,
”
“
the talk o f the town
I do not care ”
.
.
That is the worst o f it She paused and then .

,
a dded : But I will say no more I have done and .

,
when yo u say that not even afie c t i o n for me would

”
check you it is time I ceased to speak
,
.
“
Constance studied the p ained face a moment and
then returned : Y es we had better stop here ; and
,
,
as to your rector I ap ologize I did not imagine

,
.
y o u cared I have
. no fancy for clergymen ; but
”
if you want me to see him I will ,
.
’
O h I don t care whether you see him o r n o t
,
.
“ “
’
Susan s temp er was failing her at last .
” ’
Susan said Constance
,
that is n t like yo u ,
.
’
I don t want to hurt you If I have said to o much .
,
”
“
forgive me .
O h Conny ! Y o u have done so much that it is

,
”
“
hard to forgive where I so constantly disapprove
Yes that may be I can t help it A s for Mr
,
’
. .
.
Kent I kn ow you wish me to see him I will I will

,
I presume ”
she added lightly
,
that he will not ,
“
.
,
.
“
undertake my reformation
He is a gentleman and my friend Susan ,
.
flushed a little as she stoo d up I must go to my .
B ible class I almost forgot it Good b y

-
. .
-
.
Constance sat still She was pleased to do some .
thing that would be agreeable t o Susan She wo ul d .
see Mr Kent He had come to St A nn t o relieve

. . .
a clerical friend who had fallen ill and up on the ,
rector resigning had accepted his p arish She knew .
no more than this ; but was it p ossible that Susan

N O ; it was absurd Susan would never leave her
.
,
“
and had often laughed at what she called these
Sunday school unions -
She had however no .
, ,
’
ticed Susan s slight embarrassment and her u n u su
ally quick show Of resentment when Constance had
spoken of Kent Ye s ; she was perfectly sure that
. _
Susan would never marry and that they would ,
never be p arted A nd still the thought left her

.
a little uneasy .
G r eyhu r st had been away fo r a week ; but the

news about the land p urchase lent fresh zest to the
gossip which so greatly annoyed the A verills Colo .
nel Dudley had been confidential to Mrs Dudley .
’
concerning G r eyhu r st s a ffairs and she in turn t o ,
others some o f whom were o f Op inion that C o n

—
stance s mind had given way a decision no t easily
accepted by those who met her in her o wn home
and knew of her care o f the poor and Of the i n ,
t el l i gen t interest with which she talked o f books

an d the politics o f the day She was living a double .
life .
It was now p ast Christmas and clear and cold , ,
when o n e morni n g Susan set o u t to visit Mrs Av

, ,
.
erill her sole confidante The Old lady had again

,
.
felt it a duty to express herself so freely that C o n

stance resentful o f interference now visi ted the
, ,
A verills but rarely She ha d also had an unpleasant

.
interview with the general in regard to her purchase

o f lan d .
Susan found neither help nor comfort from her

friend and only the relief o f being able to cry like
,
a child — with the sad companionship o f the tears

o f an older wom a n .
Coming o u t of the house with red eyes and very ,
conscious of an emotional breakdown she saw the

m
,
rector Mr Kent comin g up the street fro

,
.
,
the ‘
town He moved slowly and seemed to Susan to

.
,
be deep in study o f the broken boards o f the side

walk .
Susan was o f n o mind to meet him j ust n o w

Their intimacy had reached the stage which permits
o f sympathetic curiosity and she was aware that ,
her eyes were red She waited to let him go by ; but

.
turning in at A verill s gate his face lighted up as

’
,
the woman descended the step s and they met .
“ He saw that she had been crying but merely said

A fine frosty day Miss Susan ; a pleasant r e ,
,
“
”
minder o f N ew E ngland .
Yes I like it ; and indeed I wish I were there

, , , .
”
Shall I find you at home this afternoon ?
N o ; we ride to day -
.
But it is dark early Perhaps late o n your re .

,
”
“
turn ?
Very well then late ; and by the way my sis
, , , ,
”
“
ter will see yo u
—
.
I am glad of that at six then ,

.
He turned to go hesitated and said : Y o u are

, ,
troubled I fe ar I can easily guess why and I can

,
.
,
330 CON ST ANC E T RE S CO T
not wonder at it . I wish it were in m y p ower to help

o
“
y u
No
.
one can do that .
It is needl ess to hide from you Miss Susan ,
what every o n e knows That miserable man has gone .
’
away Will not that put an end to your sister s
.
“
strange conduct ?
It might with any o n e else It will not with .
her From her childhood it has been like this Y o u

. .
are very kind but it is like the p ossession one reads

,
Of — n o o n e can help her or me But I must g o .
”
good b y -
.
He had seen much o f her in the p arish work and

elsewhere and now as Often before noted with
, , ,
pleasure the tw o gifts she had in common with Con

stance — the charm of grace in movement and with , ,
less height a faultless figure He quite forgot his

,
.
intention to call on Mrs A verill and remained fo r .

,
a moment looking after Susan Hood .
Dr E skridge on the farther side o f the street

.
,
benevolently regarded this interview and its results ,
when Kent seeing himself observed crossed over

, , ,
guiltily conscious like a boy caught in an apple

,
orchard but as yet regretfully innocent o f the j oy

,
o f transferred property .
If yo u are going my way said the doctor I , ,
will walk with you ; but you must remember the an

t i qu ity of my le gs and not travel at your usual rate
,
.
A fellow must begin t o be old somewhe re I am as .
well pleased that it is not in the head You have .
“
been in the mountains I hear Get any deer ? .
,
Yes three ; and I had some queer experiences

,
.
CON STAN C E T RE S CO T
It is like nothing I ever saw elsewhere I camp ed .
in the snow with a mild looking little man who is -
said to have killed three men He explained to me .

,
in a casual way that he p referred t o avoid a certain

,
settlement because a man lived there whose father

”
“
he had shot
I suppose
.
said E skridge that it was o n e o f

,
“
those well preserved vendettas
-
.
’
Yes ; just that He remarke d that it would n t.
’
matter if he were alone ; but he did n t want to get
me into trouble We were lying by the cam pfire
.
-
at night an d he went o n to tell me o f his quarrel

, ,
much as yo u might o f any o f the commonplaces o f
“
life .
Did you take his morals in hand ? sa id the doc

tor with a questioning look at the strong face of the
,
younger man fo r whom he had both respect and

,
“
friendly regard .
N o not then I did not see my way Later

, . .
in the evening he asked me what I did for a living .
I said I was a preacher an E p iscopal clergyman , .
This appeared to interest him He said there were .
none o f that kind in the hills — only Methodists .
Upon this I asked if they preached against killing

o n e another He said yes ; but when a man shot
.
o n e of your people what could you do ? I could ,
only reply that Christ taught us to forgive injuries .
‘
He was silent for a moment and then said : It ,
’
woul d n t work in the mountains beca use next , ,
thing the fellow would kill you to get clear o f your

,
killing him ; and where then woul d the forgiveness , ,

’
co m e in ?
CO N ST AN CE T RE SCOT
The doctor laughed I should have been puz

.
zl e d to reply o r at least so as to be o f any real use

, .
”
What did yo u say ?
Wh at could I say ? The very basis o f the morals
o f forgivene ss was wanting I trie d to clear the .
ground a little He listened and when at last I

. .
,
‘
quoted Vengeance is mine ; I will repay saith the
, ,
’ ‘ ’
Lord he said he had knowed that tried by fel
,
’
lows that were afraid and had n t ever seen that ,
”
“
it worked .
It must be a strange life said E skridge But , .

,
Kent here we have in this little town a woman

,
who is no better than your friend A stranger .
story could hardly be Doctors soon or late hear .

, ,
everyt hin g ; and I perhaps know more o f it than

any o n e else I have long meant to talk to you
.
about it Both these sisters must be su fier in g

. .
May I ask if you have any i nfl uence with Mrs .
“
T r esc o t ?
N one at all doctor She has I fear ,
.
, ,
like these
”
“
men nothing to which I can appeal
,
And Miss Susan ? ”

.
She has failed —

altogether failed .
The doctor reflected with app roval o n the inti

macy with Susan which enabled Kent to answer
“
as he had done .
Well the man has gone away I hear from more

,
.
than o n e source that he is engaged to a Miss Jean

ette Wilson We used at o n e time to see her here
.
,
a very sweet intelligent pretty girl with a great

, , ,
deal o f money If it be true this may end a fool

.
,
i sh and wicked busin ess and enable G r eyhu rst to

CON S T AN C E TR E S CO T 33 3
live elsewhere as I am assured he woul d very gladly

,
M
do
It is almost to o good to be true Do yo u think .
,
doctor that he has ever sincerely repented o f that

,
“
”
awful murder ? I hear men say so .
Repented Kent ? N o ! N ot in your sense

,
I .
am sure that he is punished by regret and the most

honest self reproach I know that he su ffers Mrs
-
. . .
T r esc o t has punished him with such ingenuity o f

revenge as almost makes one pity the man This last .
land business has terribly embarrassed him in regard

to money But the course she has taken has inflicted
.
su fi er i n g o f various kinds o n innocent p eople ,
—
and above all o n her sister to me the finer nature
, ,
”
“
o f the two
Yes her sister ,

.
repeate d Kent softly ,

I
Per ,
.
haps when Mr s T r esc o t learns o f this other w o

,
.
“
’
man she will give up
,
.
’
I hardly think so L e di a b l e d u n e i d! e i s a very .
“
p ersistent fiend an d very mischievous
Yes ; the devil o f o n e idea ”
said Kent
,
,
.
While the two men were thus discussing her ,
Constance liking the cold air and the brilliant su n

,
shine was seated o n the back p orch She was r e

,
.
fl ec t in g with her too habitual intensity upon what

she had done There were minutes when she was
.
made v agu el y uneasy by the gradual failure o f her

t
interest in books and flowers and by her di fficulty ,
in setting aside schemes which she knew to be u t

t erl y vain Moreover the satisfaction she p romised
.
,
herself in creating misery and adding ruin w as not

such as she had expected Ho w much G reyhu rst .
3 34 C ON ST AN C E TR E S CO T
had su fier ed she had not fully known until in his ,
few and only words to her he had let her see that
,
she had inflicted lasting p ain How wo ul d it en d ? .
The man had gone and she was at the l imit o f her
,
resources .
When she thought o f this and o f Susan and o f , ,
the p ain she had given the A veril ls to whom she ,
“
owed so much kindness in those darkest hours, she
said : Why not stop here ? It was save once b e ,
fore almost literally her first moment o f doubt o r

,
indecision ; but then as if a giant fate were shutting

,
o u t all other p aths her obsession rose again dom

,
in an t and deprived her o f liberty to reflect or t o

,
marshal the forces o f reason She stood up and .

,
felt as she did so some sense o f inertness some

, , ,
lack of her usual strength o f body .
She rode with Susan in the aftern oon as they ,
had agreed to do and returning went up t o change

, , ,
her dress .
Susan was still at the door and giving the black

maid some household directions when Mr Kent came .
up the garden p ath from the street He knew that .
his visit was welcome The plain sweet face with

.
, ,
i ts humorous lines made that distinct enough

,
In .
fact he was the o ne p e rson whose presence insured

,
her happy talk and freedom from the thought o f

what dreadful surprise Constance might have in
store with which to trouble her life .
She thanked him for the venison he had sent and ,
they fell into talk of his mountain j ourney the ,
scenery of the hills and the books constantly su p

,
plied from the E ast .

“
A t l as t he said :
N o ; not o f late
Does your sister read much ?
In fact my sister never was a
.
,
g reat reader ; and n o w sh e is t o o uneasy too rest ,

”
“
less minde d to sit down to a b o ok
-
.
,
That seems a p ity Books are sometimes such .
ble ssed apostles But to get good out of them or

.
,
help or consolation does require a certain tempera

,
ment and the habit o f books A fter all readers .

, ,
“
like p oets are born n o t made
,
, ,
Y es the habit of books ; she never had that Do

.
’
you know Lord Macaulay s verses about this thing
—the comforting o f books ? ”
“ N o I do not
,
”
.
I have a poor memory fo r quotations I envy .
the p eople who p ossess a remembere d li b rary o f

p oetry There is o n e o f the verses which I sup
.
pose I am able to recall because I liked it more than ,
the rest He is telling o f the gift o f love o f litera

.
ture which the fairy godmother gave him at birth .
‘
Fortune that lays in sp ort the mighty l o w ,
A ge that to penance turns the j oys o f youth ,
Shall leave untouched the gifts which I bestow ,

’
The sense of beauty and the thirst fo r truth .
I like that and I shall be glad t o see the whole

,
”
“
p oem .
I will send you the book t o morrow I must -

.
confess that o f late not even books are capable o f

, ,
distracting my mind My sister is evidently fail .
ing in health She is becoming more and more

.
silent and she is gradually losin g interest in the

,
charitable work she did so well ; in fact I here ,
she p aused feeling with the defensive instincts of

, ,
a woman that these advances in the direction o f per

,
sonal statements were somewhat perilous .
“
With some realization o f her state o f mind he said
quickly : Yes I can imagine how trying it must
,
,
all be to you If I can be o f any u se I am sure you

.
,
must know how entirely I am at your service ; and

if to talk o f this trouble hurts and does n o t help ,
let us drop it .
’
The look o f anxious kindness o n the man s face
as he leaned toward her the sense that here was the ,
sympathy o f a strong and comprehending manhood ,
in some way o f a sudden weakened her habitual

, ,
self control
-
.
Repressed here and troubled there missing the Old ,
aE ec t i o n the demand for love and attention o f

, ,
’ ’
Constance s former days Susan s gentle spirit to , ,
which love meant so much to her dismay gave way , , ,
and she began to show in tears the t o o visible signals
“
o f distress
O h Susan
,
.
he said I am so sorry for yo u !

, ,
I know o f course I know what is hurting yo u I

,
. .
“
wish I could tell yo u ho w much it all means to me
Yes yes she said I know
, ,
”—
wiping her eyes ;
,
“ .
y o u are — yo u have been both good and helpful .
But it goes o n and o n and I am afraid I live in ,

.
“
constant fear o f what t o morrow ma y bring -
.
’
—
Let me have the right t o end it all the right
”
“
t o speak fo r yo u as yo u cannot
No n o
,
”
She shook her head and sat tapping her
.
.
skirt mech anically with her riding whi p -

.
“ He took her hand

Hush she said
This must not go o n
Here comes Constance
,
.
.
.
A s they stood up she raised his hand to her lips , .
“ He bent over and kissed her forehead

Yo u must not she said shyly , .
.
”
But I did he replied ; and as they drew apart
, , ,
— “
Susan flushed tearful and not unhappy said ,
”
quickly : I must g o oh do let me go ! and leav
,
,
,
ing him p assed in haste through the back p arlor and

,
u p stairs
-
.
At another or an e arlier day the unusual speed ,

’ ’
of Susan s exit and Kent s slightly embarrassed
,
look would n o t have escaped notice from Constance

, ,
who now entered from the hall The younger sis .
ter was however freed from suspicion by the t o o

, ,
“
constant ideas which occupied her mind She said
graciously : I am very glad to see you Mr Kent ; ,
.
”
and how delicious your venison was !
A t times she had seen him in the street and twice ,
’
at the A verills ; but excep t for a moment never , ,
in her home o r elsewhere Something in his gen .
eral bearing disturbed her ; was it beca u se he looked

like some one ? He had very little o f the c o ri ven
t i o n al clergyman in dress o r manner and Constance ,
knew in a minute o r two that she was talking t o a

man o f her own class and accustomed to the ways ,
and habits o f a larger world than she had found
“
at St Ann . .
I must say to you Mrs T resc o t how much plea ,

.
,
sure it gives me t o see you I am kept p retty busy .
among these unlucky freedmen who are like chil ,
dren and I have had very little time for social

,
22
338 CON ST ANC E T R E SC O T
visits . She recognized and liked the tact which

thus set her free from need to explain why she had
not seen more of him She found herself sayi ng .
with cordia l ity that she hoped he would find time

in the future and that as he rode often he would
, , ,
be able t o —
j oin them a pleasure which Susan had
refused him believin g that Constance would be
,
“
ill pleased .
I should like nothing be tter he said ; I came ,
near to taking that liberty last Tuesday ; but I had
“
to hurry home
I saw you ahead o f us
.
she returned and , ,
told my sister that you had the cavalry seat a n d

”
that yo u must have see n se r vice Susan did n o t .
appear t o k now and I was rather curious

, .
O h Mi ss Susan
,
he said to himsel f , y o u did ,
”
not know ! There was little about his life which
that lady did n o t know
“
He replied : Yes I was born in N orth Carolin a ;
,
.
but I was educated at a seminary in the N orth and ,
had a p arish in Portland when the war b roke o u t .
I thought the N orth right and I serve d as a chap

l ain i n the E ighth Maine
'
I came here o n a holi .
day to relieve a sick friend and when he gave up ,
I accepted the p arish A t first I had trouble but .

,
now I get on well enough It is impossible not .
to like these people When once they accep t yo u .
there is no limit to their kindness ; and as I was a

Southern man w ho had been in the N orthern army ,
I was surprise d to find ho w soon I was made to feel

at home .
A gain the smile and something in his face ta xed

,
C ON STANC E T R E S CO T 339
her memory She said : They were most kind t o

.
—
me in my great trouble most kind I shall never .
“
forget it .
Mrs T resc o t
. he said as you have spoken o f
, ,
that sad calamity may I venture to say that I am ,
a distant cousin o f George T r esc o t ? My grand

father went from Massachusetts to Carolina .
Then Constance understood There was some .
’
occasional reminder in Kent o f her husband s face .
She said with something o f her o l d interest

,
There is a likeness ; it is ver y very pleasant to me ,

.
”
I wonder that Susan never sp oke o f it Susan .
.
“
had her o w n reasons f o r saying very little to her
sister But Susan is so wrapp ed up in her poor ,
and your Bible class and the freedmen that very

-
, ,
”
little else interests her which was n o t Reginald ,
’
Kent s op inion .
Then the talk fell upon the stormy p olitics of the

day and the last novel o f Thackeray which she had
, ,
n o t read A s he talked and he talked well he

.
— —
felt rather than saw that he soon failed t o interest
, ,
Mrs T r esc o t
. .
A s he rose Constance said : Y o u w ill come

,
”
“
again ?
Yes he said ; it will give me great pleasure
,
.
She watched him as he went and said to herself ,
Well , for a clergyman that is an unusual man ,

.
He had said not a word of her absence from

church —nor in fact anything to remind her that
, ,
he was a clergyman That he rode well could .

,
rough it with the mountain men hunt o n snow -

,
shoes — all were to Constance s liking ; but above all ,

’
,
340 CO N ST AN C E T RE S CO T
that he had been in the army o f the N orth pleased

her She spoke p leasantly o f him that evening at
.
dinner for they kept to their late N orthern hours

, .
She thought him a gentleman and interesting S u .
san was o f like opinion but was discreetly careful as , ,
was advisable with C onstance fo r a variety o f rea ,
sons .
She said to Susan : He told me o f his distant r e
“
l ati o n ship to George
”
.
Indeed ! said the sister surprised for o f Tres , ,
c o t Constance rarely spoke .
Yes ; did yo u not observe the resemblance S u ,

”
“
san ? It is slight .
N ow that you mention it I do returned the , ,
,
“
sister mildly disingenuous and lookin g down at
”
,
“
her plate I am glad you liked him
.
Do yo u ? O h o f course yo u do Yo u like all

, .
.
“
clergymen
Yes more o r less
,
.
The man o f who m they talke d w as pleased with

his visit He had made himself agreeable as he
.
,
had meant to do and now went o n his way whistling

, ,
softly in unclerical fashion He was wise enough .
not to call soo n again o n Mrs T r esc o t There were . .
other chances o f seeing Susan Hood and as her sis

.
ter now rode more rarely he found added Oppo r ,
t u n it i es of bein g alone with the woman he loved .
The month o f January passed and the first two ,
weeks o f February G r eyhu rst was still absent and

.
,
Constance was moodily brooding ove r the sudden

termination o f her means o f carrying o u t her p ur
p ose I t had become so despotic in its rule as t o
.
m ake all else secondary in value and as is the case , ,
with the domination of a fixed idea to imp air in , ,
time the comp etence of will and o f reason Thought

, .
is then emotionally disturbed and soon o r late mere , , ,
indecision and indefinite craving replace resolute

and well considered plans o f action Constance was
-
.
near the verge o f such a condition but still far ,
enough away to feel alarmed at her lessened effi

c i en c y She was irritable spent more time alone
.
, ,
rode less fre quently and became in di ff erent as r e

,
garded her charities — all o f which the watchful ,
worried sister saw with the alarm o f undiminished

afi e c t i o n The p ale face was thinner the set look
.
, ,
as she sto od at times listless and unoccupied more ,
intense Meanwhile gossip ceased or for lack of

.
, ,
novel occasion became uninteresting ; and because

, ,
o f heavy rain the river was rising and causing alarm

,
and excitement There was something more serious

.
’
t o occupy attention than Mrs T r esc o t s strange .
ways .
Miss A lthea Le Moine still called o n Constance ;

but her visits being no longer helpful Constance sat
,
'
still while she talked feebly about the home and the
floo ds dimly conscious that her useful patroness
,
was losing interest .

A T E in February occurred the monthly
meeting o f the women who managed
the home for orphans .
A fter the session Althea was called ,
in to answer questions and receive di

rections The business having been concluded the
.
,
ladies lingered .
M rs Dudley said : I hear that the river is fall

.
”
ing It droppe d five inches last night
.
”
Indeed ! returned Miss Bland That i s good .
“ .
news But dear me what a du l l winter it has been !

.
, ,
I was drivin g yesterday when I met Susan Hood ,
o n horseback with Mr Kent,

I cannot M agme . .
’
what he sees in that homely o l d maid They can t .
”
talk Sunday school all the time
-
.
”
She is anything but homely said Mrs A verill
who loved Susan and disliked gossip Plain if
,
.
“
.
,
,
you like but surely not homely ; and any o ne must

,
”
“
admit that she has a perfect figure
’
O h that s her gowns
,
”
remarked Miss Marcel ,
.
Mr s A verill smiled as she regarded Miss Marcel s

.
’
gaunt out l ines but was too kin dly to do more than
,
whi sper to her neighbor Mrs March who smiled

i n a ns wer as Mr s Dudley remarked aloud :
. She is
,
.
,
“
not too much o f an Old maid either fo r fin e go w ns o r
”
for a clerical flirtation .
CO N ST ANC E TRE S C OT 3 43
”
O h , that wou l d be absurd ! exclaimed Miss t oo
Bland who had o f late develop ed a novel interest
,
“
in altar decorations and Sunday schools -
.
”
He is certainly very handsome said Mrs , .
A verill a little annoyed and more than a little

,
amused .
My dear E liza — this

M rs March laughed
.
was to Miss Bland — Miss Hood may be plain but

,
“ .
,
her fortune is also plain ; and really clergymen do , ,
“
seem to capture the rich girls in a remarkable way
said Mrs A verill in her
.
Do not you think

most quiet manner — “
do not yo u think that we are
,
.
,
“
gossiping just a little more than is advisable ?
Y o u are quite right
”
said Mrs M arch ; I , .
'
agree with yo u E leanor But I do love a good talk

,
.
about our neighbors ; and after all we have not , ,

”
been very vicious .
Mrs Dudley eager fo r an Opp ortunity remarked

.
, ,
Well we shall see But have you heard the latest

.
“
news ?
O h what is it ? said Miss Marcel
,
.
Colonel Dudley consented to take charge o f Mr .
’
fi i —
G r eyhu r st s a a s while he was away but that
r
“
is not all .
Was he not terribly broken up by that extr ao r

”
“
d in ary land purchase ?
O h awfully
,
”
asked Mrs March
.
. .
It has always seemed t o me said Miss Bland , ,

’
that Constance T r esc o t s conduct was most u n
”
“
w omanly .
And unchristian I should say added Miss

, ,
Marcel tartly
,
.
3 44 CO N ST A N C E TRE S C O T
I am sure that you will pardon me said Mrs , .
Averill rising if I remind you that you are speak

, ,
ing o f a woman to whom our home is deeply in

”
“
debted and also that she is my friend
I know ”
,
said Miss Bland But really Mrs

, .
“ .
, , .
Averill
“ N o matter my dear returned the o l d lady , , .
Let us drop it I am sure you must agree with me .
“
when you come to think about it
But I really must tell you my news said Mrs
.
Dudley as they stood about to leave

,
Mr Grey , . .
hurst is engaged to be married .
E ven Mrs A verill stopp ed surprised into int erest

.
, .
Wh o is it ? asked two or three in a breath

”
I am sorry for her whoever she may be said , ,
Mrs A verill
“ . Can she kn ow the man ? .
She is a Miss Jeanette Wilson I think yo u .
know her Mrs A verill They were Mobile p eople

,
. . .
“
She is very well o ff and
O h I remember her
,
broke in Miss Marcel
,
,
.
She was here staying in the country j ust after , ,
the war — a little woman a blonde Y o u met her ,

.
,
”
E liza
“ she added turning to Mi s s Bland
,
Y e s a very quiet girl

,
I thought her mighty
,
.
.
”
dull Well that is news !
.
,
Miss Marcel went o u t with Miss Bland talking ,
volubly as to what that terrible Mrs T re sc o t woul d .
think o f it .
Mrs A verill walked homeward with Mrs March

. . .
For a few moments both were busy with their o wn

reflections concerning what they had just heard A t .
last Mrs March said : .

CO N STAN CE T RE S CO T 3 45
E leanor , I wonder if it is really true ? Yo u

’
know the quality o f Jane Dudley s gossip I have .
”
had reason to remember it .
I should be glad if it were true fo r — well for , ,

’
Constance T r esc o t s sake It would p ut an end to .
“
this unnatural vendetta .
Is it unnatural E leanor ? Unusual I grant you

, ,
that ; but only too natural Think o f the other .
woman ! I shall want more certain information b e

”
“
fore I believe it Y o u must recall the girl
I do of course
,
.
She w as here ju st after the

.
.
war ; a very pretty blonde with very gentle ways ,

.
“
She must be by this time about twenty fiv e -
.
”
O ld enough to kn ow better .
—
Yes ; but ah well it is vain t o discuss love
, ,
aff airs ; no o n e ever knows the why and the where

— ”
“
fore least o f all the people most concerned
Yes ; I sup pose o n e must admit that I shall .
.
be glad o n account o f Constance and sorry for the ,

”
“
girl .
’
Her father was o n the general s staff and I b e ,
lieve it is at least true that since his death the girl

”
“
has had money left her
”
A strange business said Mrs March Good ,
.
. .
by.
A lthea who had listened eagerly was delighted

, ,
t o have at last something o f moment to say to Mrs

, ,
.
T r e sc o t She was entirely without moral sense of

.
’
the right o r wr ong o f Mr s T r esc o t s ways but dis .
,
’
t in c t l y aware of that lady s useful relation t o Ai
thea Le Moine .
Mrs Dudle y sat down with those w ho remained

.
,
profusely ready to discuss this matter and to pour ,
out all she knew with surmises in regard to what ,
she did not know .
When late in the afternoon A lthea found Mrs

, , .
T r esc o t alone on the back p orch that lady rose t o ,
“
greet her sayin g rather wearily
,
A h Miss Al thea sit dow n Were you at the

, ,
.
“
meeting ?
N o ; I am not allowed to be present as I think ,
woul d be fitting I was called in afterward and I

.
,
am glad I w as because I know yo u will be i n

,
”
t er est e d .
Constance thought it unlikely but said langu i dly ,
Have the orphans got over the mumps o r refused ,

”
“
hash ?
It is much more imp ortant Mrs T r esc o t re ,
.
,
plied Al thea with a clear conviction that the news

,
“
woul d r efl ec t ivel y add to her own value
Well what is it ?
,
”
.
—
It is really su rprising most surprisin g .
”
Well go o n What is it ?
,
.
”
Yo u will be interested .
”
Goo d heavens ! said Constance irritably , .
Will you have the goodness to say what yo u
“
mean ?
”
O h ! exclaime d A lthea with a little start I , ,
”
beg p ardon Mr s T r esc o t
,
. .
Well will you never go o n ?

,
Mr G r eyhu r st is going to marry Miss Jeanette

.
Wilson She is a blonde She lives in San Fran

. .
cisco — no I mean Sacramento

,
She is ri ch She . .
is very small I thought y o u wo uld wish to know

. .
She lives with an Old aunt Miss Ruth Wilson , .
’ ”
Is n t it horrid ?
A s Miss A lthea delivered herself of this news ,
in her usual inconsecutive manner Constance sat ,
up and grasping the arms o f her chair listened

, , ,
.
“
Her languor w as gone
N o w be careful Miss A lthea she said, Is
.
, .
”
this true ? I s there any doubt about it ?
A lthea repeated her tale with slight variations .
Y es Colonel Dudley has had a letter

, It w as an .
o l d a ffair Miss Wilson had once been in St A nn

. .
,
or near it ; but Miss Wilson i s very strict in her

views and would not listen to him while Mrs Grey
, .
hurst was alive Y o u kn o w she was divorced

Mrs T r esc o t rose
.
.
I am sorry that I cannot ask

.
“ .
you to stay I am n o t ve ry well

. In fact she was .
,
“
greatly agitated and w as eager to be alone
Yes ; it is quite upsetting ”
,
said Althea O ne ,
.
“
never kn ows what will happen .
Thank you for coming and oblige me by saying ,
nothin g to any one o f yo u r h avi n g told me Pray .
“
pardon my ab r uptness
Certainly Y o u do look upset
.
.
Y es ; I am not quite myself to day Come soon -

.
”
again o r if you hear more let me know at once
,
.
Althea had made mischief She was morally as .
’
innoc ent as the slow match between the engineer s -
hand and the gunpowder in the mine .
Constance returned t o the porch and walke d

slowly to and fro .
G r eyhu r st had left St A nn a half ruined man .

-
,
an d ,
she was sure an unhappy man ,
She had .
had in mind a dozen schemes to be worked o u t o n

—
his return some utterly vain some grave enough , .
She had heard that his house was mortgaged and ,
the interest in arrears What if she bought the.
mortgage ? She had been however lavishly waste , ,
ful and to do that she must trench o n her cap ital

, .
N ow he was about to escap e and with a new hope , ,
in life to find love and the p ower o f flight o r the

, , ,
means O f resistance money would give .
A s usual and more and more of late too intense

, ,
thought brought o n emotion T o sit still and see this .
murderer unpunishe d and p erhaps happy abl e to ,
live o n and forget would she felt he unendurable

, , ,
.
O h rather should he die ! and she laughed a laugh

,
that startled her as though it were a ghost o f mirth .
She walked faster up and down the porch thinking ,
o f what she could do until o f a sudden realizing

, ,
the completeness of her defeat she stood still star , ,
ing at the distant r i ver Suddenly as she sat down

.
, ,
she saw with vividness the man with the revolver ,
the little haze Of smok e rising as he stood the dead ,
man the dearly loved face the crowd She caught

, ,
.
her hea d in her hands clutching it in the agony o f a

,
hysterical vision which reproduced the angu ish o f

’
l ife s darkest hour Her hair fell about her over
.
'
the black dress She staggered to her feet and

.
, ,
swayi n g dropped o n the floor

, .
A n hour later Susan glowing and happy cam e

, , ,
home from a ride with Re ginald Kent She gathered .
her skirts and went in asking for Constance No t

,
.
finding her in the house she went o u t to the porch , ,
and saw Constance lyin g, with clenched han ds ,

rigid and motionless She understood at once that

.
it was a return of the former trouble and being a , ,
woman o f sense and resource knew what was to be ,
done .
When Dr E skridge arrived he found Constance

.
,
o n a lounge in the parlor already better and asking ,
what was the matter Had she fainted ? There

.
were slight returns o f rigidity and forgetfulness ,
but before morning she was herself A few days o f .
rest would be needed She assented willingly re .

,
l i eved that Susan asked no questions .
In a day o r two she reco gnize d that she had been

strangely eased by this riotous outbreak of emotion ,
but felt as if bruised in every inch o f her strong

b Ody .
A nd now Miss Susan ,

aid the doctor after ,
s
his second visit as they went down stairs

,
what -
,
“
caused this trouble ?
Wait a little doctor She has the hearing o f an
,
.
”
animal .
He was silent until they had entered the p arlor
“
and she had closed the door
”
N ow she said we can talk unheard Co n
, ,
“ .
stance hears everything You asked what caused it . .
I do not kn ow N othing unusual happ ened Miss

. .
A lthea Le Moine was here but she comes very often ,
to see Constance — a furtive childish dried u p w o , ,

-
man On e of the helpless wrecks o f the war C o n

,
.
”
stance is goo d t o her I fancy ,
.
The doctor asked questions concerning Mrs Tres .
cot few o f which Susan was abl e to answer Sorry

,
.
fo r both sisters he went away in doubt as he had

, ,
gone so Often from amon g the griefs an d p erp lex

ities o f many in his long life o f honest service .
When in the afternoon Mrs A verill called Susan

, ,
.
,
heard o f the gossip at the home and began to sus ,

’
peet that it was Miss Le Moine s visit which had
’
been the cause o f Constance s attack She dislike d .
to question Miss Le Moine and felt herself power ,
less I t was u n advisable to reopen the subj ect with

.
her sister She would learn nothing Kent was as

. .
little able to advise her .
Meanwhile the days went by and Constance was

up and about the house She was evidently better .
,
and submitted to every order with patience longi ng ,
to regain her ful l strength and decide upon what she

should do .
A t the close of a fortnight she mailed the follow ,
ing letter to Miss Jcanette Wilson in the care o f '

,
Miss Ruth Wilson Sacramento California , ,
ST . AN N , WE S T S TR EE T March ,
1 2 , 1 872 .
D EAR MI SS WIL SON :

“ I have learned of late that you are engaged to
be married to Mr G r eyhu rst o f St Ann If it be
. . .
not true I simply o ffer my ap ologies for this letter

, .
If o n the other hand it be true I should be want

, , ,
ing in my sense O f duty if I failed to do what prob

ably no o n e else will do B elieve me I have no .
,
motive except that as a woman who has greatly

,
’
snfier e d by this man s act I cannot leave another ,
“
woman ignorant
’
.
Mr G re yhu rst s first marriage resulted in a

.
divorce caused by his ill temper O n the ninth of -

.
O ctober , 1 870 he murdered my husband , sho oting

,
down in cold blood an unarmed man p artly crippled , ,
and who at the moment was going forward to meet

, ,
him with a message of peace and an offer to settle

generously the case Mr G r eyhu rst had j ust lost
. .
‘
If for your misfortune you doubt my statement
, , ,
General A verill will I am sure indorse all I have

, ,
said Probably Mr G r eyhu r st has told you his o w n

. .
story Wh ether yo u can t r ust it o r not you must

.
decide His only excuse can be that what he did

.
was an act o f sudden anger the fatal result O f a ,

-
“
life without moral law and without religion
I leave you to imagine what p rospect o f happi
.
ness a union with such a man may o fi er I trust .

,
at least to hear that you have received this letter

, .
To write it has cost me dear and has renewe d fo r me ,
a scene I saw and can never forget .
Very truly yours

C ON S TAN C E T RE S COT “ ,
Mi ss JEAN E TT E WIL S ON .
Havin g shot her arrow C onstance waited with the,
patience o f a huntin g animal The letter thus sent .
was not such as S he coul d have written in her earlier

months o f desire for retributive punishment Cer .
t ai nl y her motives in writing it were untruly stated ,
and she had once been truthful The cunning it .
displayed was a sad illustration o f the failure o f

a character which in the presence of o n e consuming
,
p urpose had ceased to be influenced by anything

,
else
.
What p ain She was to inflict o n this unseen w o

’
man gave her no concern O f Susan s op inion she .
did think at times ; but Susan wo uld never know o f

this letter nor at this time would it in the least
, , ,
degree have a ffected her own course o f action Her .
p ower o f self trial and self c ondemnation was lost

- -
.
If she had any doubts she put them aside and as , ,
usual with her was set at ease fo r the time by a

,
decisive act .
Meanwhile her letter crossed the continent and

,
passed the train in which G r eyhu r st returned to St .
A nn He lingered a day to se e Colonel Dudley and

.
,
then went E ast t o meet ce rtain bankers in N ew York ,
whom he hop ed to interest in the mines an d Who

I
were to advance money to op en and develop them .
His fee was to be a S hare in the propert y and he ,
looked forward with confidence to such a favorable

result of his negotiations as would in some degree
release him from his increasing embarrassments .
He felt that he had been terribly punished for

an act o f rashness and p assion ; but now with gain
o f health and freedom from material re m
,
inders o f
gu ilt he began to feel a return o f belief in a more
,
happy future Time has for crime as well as for

.
,
grief its alleviating help fulness and even the sharp

, ,
est remorse may be dulled as the years go by .
He honestly loved the woman who had lon g r e ,
fused to consider hi s suit When again he saw her .
in Sacramento she w as shocked and p itiful as she

,
Obse rved how greatly he w as altered She had heard .
o f the death o f T res c o t an d he was wise enough to

,
face the matter He told her of his o w n life of his

.
,
boyhood o f the temptations and rude existence in

,
the mining camp s o f the West He desc r ibed with

-
.
,
every S ign o f regret his su d den meeting with Tres ,
cot and told o f his belief that he was about to use

,
a weapon and o f how the man who had insulted him

,
came forward with a smile o f triumph and then of ,
his o w n quick anger and o f the fatal consequence , .
He was profoundly m oved and she hardly less so , .
She w as and had long been o n the border line

, ,
-
o f that complete abandonment to love which once ,
it is passed excuses all things and has cost women

, ,
so much unhappiness B eing however a person o f .

, ,
great goo d sense of ready decision and p ossessed

, ,
of that quick apprehension which is so mysterious

to the male mind his statement checked her Some , .
thing i n i t — and she acknowledged the feeling with

p ain — did not ring true She refused finally to .
commit hersel f ; he must wait She gave no distinct .
reason except that S he was n o t sure o f herself ; and

,
he went away not altogether dissatisfied She had

,
.
been so tender so sorry not to be able to say yes ;

,
(
so full of what in fact was yearning pity afraid

, ,
to trust itself to sp eech .
When he had gone she would have had him back .
Had he returned she would have had no more to ,
s ay than S he had already said She approved her .
own decision but knew it to be insecure ; and

, ,
fully comp rehending the gravity o f the q uestion ,
felt that fo r her sake and hi s she ought not to

, ,
leave him long without a definite answer But how .
could she become more reasonably sure of what this

man w as ? H o w could she be certain that he had
told her the facts as they had appeared to less p ar
23
354 CON S T AN CE T R E S CO T
tial witnesses ? She was a woman in her twenty

fifth year and more than usually mature
,
Her r e .
l i g i o u s convictions were positive her beliefs distinct ,

.
It was not po ssible for her to fail to consider so

grave a matter ap art from the views which had been
i nfluential in a life not free from trials She k new .
that her lover w as by habit i n di E er en t to what She

, ,
re garded as o f the utmost moment She smiled .
’
sadly as S he thought o f St Paul s advice and felt .
,
that under ordinary circum stances she woul d have

been free to yield trusting with afi ec t io n ate hope
,
to what influence time and love might have But .
this other matter made her pause ; no that mu st be ,
seen by her as others saw i t — those in whose heart s

there was no constant advocate willing o r wishing
to believe John G reyhu r st innocent and the sad vic
tim o f circums tances .
Resolute at last to put an end to her doubt and ,
accustomed for years to independence o f action she ,

’
decided to go to S t A nn and in G r eyhu rs t s ah
.
, ,
sence to see the A verills whom she had known as

, ,
a girl and who had been friends o f her dead f a

,
ther She cherished a tender hope that here would

.
be the friends who would incline to think the be st
“
p ossible Of G r eyhu rst She j ustified that night the.
E astern proverb In the Inn of Decision men sleep

,
”
well and awakened self assured that she was right
,
-
.
She wrote to her cousins at Tr 0 1 s Iles on the river ,
below St An n that she would make them a short

.
,
visit .
The night before her dep art ure S he received Mrs .
’
T r esc o t S letter Her future darkene d as she ran
.
over the p ages She had never before realized that

.
which when thus told by an agonized eye witness

,
-
,
dismissed fo r her at once the merciful vagueness of

a thin g unseen O nce more considering the letter
.
,
she read between the lines as she had read between

,
the words her lover had used It was natural that

.
an unfortunate woman Should overstate the guilt

o f the man who had cost her so dear A gain she
.
doubte d again wondere d where the tr uth lay and

, ,
found new distress in the thought o f the young wife

alone with her grief Had G r eyhu r st ever th ought
.
,
after that day o f death o f the woman alone with the

,
sorrow he had created ? He had never mentioned

her.
A T E m the morning Miss Wilson ar
’
rived at her cousin s home at Troi s
Iles and anxiously intent on her pur
, ,
p ose took the afternoon ferry boat to

,
-
St A nn . .
She had been in the town j ust after the war and ,
when it was half in ruins When about to ask the .
way to General A verill s She met M rs Dudl ey

’
“ ”
. .
lady.
“
Why this must be Jeanette Wilson
,
said that
So glad to see you ! How we l l you look and
,
,
”
ho w young ! It was true The blonde little woman .
still kept the childlike look which is the peculiar
“
privilege o f her type .
Thank you M rs Dudley May I ask you to tell

,
. .
“
me where the A verills live ?
Up o n the hill A nd so you are engaged to be
.
“
m arried to Mr G r eyhu rst
N o I am not
.
”
.
.
.
Bless me my dear ! I coul d not have m i su n der

,
”
“
stood my husband
I fear that you have done so
.
Mr G r eyhu r st I . .
,
am quite sure never could have said that

,
.
Mrs Dudley would have been shocked had any

.
o n e accused her of intention to deceive but she was ,
356
so habitu ally inaccurate as to have obtained fo r her

self the credit O f want o f veracity Like most in .
accurate persons she was exceedingly p ositive, .
When therefore Miss Wilson denied her engage

,
ment Mrs Dudley returned : O h that is always

,
.
,
“ ,
the way with young women I suppose it amounts to .
“
the same thing .
Hardly ; and I must ask that yo u do me the

favor to contradict any rumo r t o that c fiec t I am .
”
not engaged .
Certainly ; of course said Mrs Dudley no t at ,

.
,
all convinced What stay do yo u make in St

. .
”
Ann ?
“ O nly a day o r t w o .
”
Ind eed !
Yes that is all
,
Then she p a u sed and r e .
,
solved o f a sudden and not very wisely to take Mrs , ,

.
“
Dudley into her con fidence
Would you mind my asking yo u t o tell me
.
“
something ?
”
Certainly no t What is it ?
eager and curious
She was at once
Come in my dear It is only
.
.
“ ,
.
”
a step to our house A h here we are When they .
,
.
“
were seated she said p romptly :
A nd now my dear what can I do fo r yo u ?
, ,
Y o u can help me I hop e Mr G reyhu rst is I ,

. .
,
“
believe a friend o f Colonel Dudley
,
.
My husband has charge o f his aE ai rs while he

is absent but I coul d hardly say they were friends
,
.
Y o u see Miss Wilson in St A nn they

,
an d S he ,
.
“
checked herself .
”
They what ? returned Miss Wilson too gr e atl y ,
35 8 CON ST AN C E T R E SC O T
’
concerned to accep t Mrs Du dl ey s prudent arrest .
“
o f speech .
O h nothing ; it is o f no moment
, .
Mrs Dudley Mr G r eyhu rst had a very seriou s

.
,
.
trouble more than a year ago I have ur gent rea .
sons to know all about it May I ask you frankly .
”
to tell me the whole story ?
F o r once M rs Dudley was cautious
,
What she. .
might say woul d possibly go back to G r eyhu r st and ,
as he had never quite lost the evil reputation Of

being quarrelsome the colonel might as had once , ,
“
’
happened be asked to answer for his wife s wo rds
, .
She replied : O h that is an o l d story and we , ,

”
“
never talk about such things Miss Wilson
I know I know ; but o h Mrs Dudley I am in
,
,
,
.
.
great trouble I hop ed that as an older woman and

.
, ,
without my saying more you woul d help me I ,

.
shoul d consider whatever you told me as absolutely

confidential .
Mrs Dudley had no firm trust in the possibility

.
o f any woman preserving under temptation the vir
tue o f entire S ilence Moreover S he was b ecoming .

,
alarmed at a S ituation too perilous to p ermit o f the

luxury o f gossip She said therefore : Help yo u .
“ ,
my dear ? Indeed I would if I co u l d ; but really I ,

”
“
cann ot .
I fear M rs Dudley that when you say yo u do

,
.
,
n o t like t o tell me it means that yo u will not tell me

,
.
If that is so I ,
Mrs Dudley interrupting said

. O h yes if you
, , , , ,
”
like to put it that way T o pour o u t the whole .
sad story was her dear desire .

Thank you
was her quest
said Miss Wilson seeing ho w vain
,
Thank you I am at least your

.
“ .
,
debtor for being frank with me I think I under .
”
st and .
w ar dl y :
.
“
Mrs Dudley w as not S O clear and said awk
O h yes o f course I thought you would
, ,
.
,
”
What a lovely gown !
Poor Miss Wilson sad as was her case came near , ,
t o smiling .
It was a crude method o f dismissing the subj ect ,
but it answered the p urpose ; and seeing that she

had failed and urging her hostess no further the
, ,
younger woman accepted the change o f conversa

t io n al base She skilfully put aside some rather i n
.
t r u sive questions and finally went away unsatisfied , ,
and leaving Mrs Du dl ey eagerly desirous t o know .
more .
Jeanette w as fortun ate in finding Mrs A verill at .
home and was grateful for the cordial welcome S he

,
received as that lady at once remembere d her and

, ,
’
that her visitor s father had served during the war
’
o n the general s brigade staff .
Seeing the miniatures of the dead sons on the

table Jeanette admired them and asked how Mrs
, ,
.
Averill came to be so fortunate as to p ossess them .
Mrs Averill suddenly recalling the fact that Miss

.
,
Wilson was said to be en gaged to G r eyhu r st hoped ,
that she would be content with the answer that they

were done in Italy the kind gift of friends U n , .
luckily Miss Wilson turned over the o n e she held

and saw o n the back
,
From Susan Hoo d and C o n ,

“ ,
”
stance T re sc o t .
She laid it down and looking up said : Mrs , , .
“
T r esc o t is a friend o f yours ?
Yes she is my friend ; and her sister too
, , .
Miss Wilson somewhat embarrassed said :

, I ,
“
never kn ew them They came to St An n long after
. .
”
my last visit ; and after a brief p ause added : And
— and he w as killed I mean Mr T r esc o t ” -
. .
Mrs A verill saw her distur bed face Leaning fo r

. .
ward S he took her hand and said in her l o w sweet

, ,
voice : Let us talk of something else my dear ,

.
That is a matter t o o sad to discuss He t oo was .

, ,
”
“
o u r friend .
O h no no ; I came to talk o f —o f this : but it is

, ,
’
hard Y o u won t mind will yo u ? Y o u see I must ;
.
, ,
”
I have to .
Mrs A verill knew t o o well what was in the

.
“
younger woman s mind
’
Don t be worried my dear What is it ? What ,
.
“
can I do for yo u ?
I do not know I am in trouble Mrs Dudley
. . .
tells me that I am sai d t o be engaged to Mr Grey .
hurst and I am not ; I may never be O h deae

,
s .
,
.
Averill I am in deep waters I care fo r him Oh

,
— .
, ,
—
very much but we are not engaged I have had
,
.
in my life much sorrow and I cannot now think of ,
marrying him without knowing all of that awful

story I came here to know He has given me his
. .
own account o f it ; but it is natural he should make

’
the best o f it ; and Oh won t yo u dear Mrs Averill
, , ,
.
—won t you help me ? Won t you tell me all about

’ ’
what you and General A verill think should guide

—
me ? I have no o n e to turn to n o o n e I want .
some o ne knows w ho to tell me plainly —all about

—
”
it
.
Mrs A verill knew that all social relations b e

.
tween G r eyhu r st and her husband had ceased from

’
the time o f T r esc o t s death However much she .
pitied the young woman who thus appealed to her ,
she was re asonably unwilling to be frank She hesi .
t at e d j ust long enough for Miss Wilson to note the

tardiness o f reply and to feel what it implied Mrs . .
A verill usually spoke with ease and readiness ; now

“
she said slowly with care as to her words
,
I am very sorry but I cannot I do not feel ,

-
quite free to answer you The general does not now .
know Mr G r eyhu rst They do not speak In fact

. . .
,
I would rather not discuss this subj ect I think the .
”
general will also be unwilling .
It is a little t o be feared that she knew with what

entire unreserve her husband would have told all he
“
knew and what he thought o f G r eyhu r st
”
I see I understand said the blonde little lady
, ,
.
Y o u must p ardon me The unusual caution of

one older woman and the obvious indisposition o f
,
a far di E er en t o n e told her almost as much o f what

,
she wished and yet feared t o know as if they had
been rashly outspoken

Mrs A verill said : There is my dear nothing to
.
“ .
, ,
pardon I am honestly sorr y to be u n able to help

.
“
you and I think that yo u must see why I cannot
,
Yes Thank you I will not trouble you any

. .
.
further ; but somehow I m u s t know Will you be

, ,
.
so kind as to read this letter ?

.
She Op ened the envelop and laid Mrs Tres .

362 C ON ST AN CE TR E S COT
’
cot s letter on Mrs A verill s lap
.
’
,
who said inno
“
c en tl y :
Of course my dear ; what is it ?

,
She put o n
her glasses recognized the handwriting at once and
, ,
with surp rise and p ain read the letter

shocke d and sorry
She was
That is very terrible my dear
.
“ .
—
chil d ; how could she have done i t o r done it as S he
”
“
has ?
If what she says be true Mrs A verill and I were ,
.
,
in her place I should have done it I will ask but

,
.
o e more question
n — a harmless o n e Was Mr Tres . .
— to provoke o r grossly insul t another ? ”
“
c o t a man to
N o n o ; he w as not
,
”
.
What kin d o f man was he ?

He was all that a man ought to b e — a gentle
man to the co re and in no way to blame ; and now
, ,
Miss Wil son you must not as k me any more ques

,
tions I do not feel fr ee to reply I wish I could

. .
help you but I cannot ; nor can I tell you w ho will

,
be willing to do so I beg that yo u w ill not embar .
“
rass my husband by asking him
I will not You have been most kind t o me
.
.
and I thank you ; but some o n e must help me May .
I come again ? I promi se not to sp eak o f this

”
this subj ect .
The Ol d lady rose Y o u will always be welcome .
— always And I do trust that God may gu ide yo u

.
in the right way .
She went with her to the hall door saying : The ,
general will be glad to hear o f yo u and I know he ,

”
will like to talk with you about your father .
Mrs A verill went back to her kni tting and r e

.
,
fl e c te d with womanly compassion upon the strength

and maturity o f the character which could thus reso
l a tely determine the fullness o f love impossible with
o u t complete trust and entire respect .
Miss Wilson w as in fact j ust what Mrs A verill

, , .
“
supposed her to be She had longed to say to the girl
Do n o t marry that man ”
.
E ven o n her door step .

-
,
,
as they p arted she had felt that she had n o t done her
,
duty to a soul in deep distress .
Miss Wilson p aused a moment in thought outside

o f the gate and then returning found Mrs A verill
, , .
in the p arlor and asked her where she could find

Mr Kent Mrs A verill replied
. . . A t the church ,
“ ,
my dear ,
and gave her the needed di rections add ,
ing that he would p robably be in the vestry room -

,
which he used as a study o r p ossibly in the library ,
roo m of the parish Sunday school Could she desire -

.
t o ask his advice ? That might be the case He .
would she thought be prudent

, , .
The clergyman ha d occurred t o the y oung woman

as for her a natural and final resort Her friends .
had written o f him in their letters as a man o f high

character and much liked Where else could S he go ? .
A t all events she would tell her story and ask his aid
,
.
When she rang at the library door it was Opened ,
by Miss Hood who had been busy with a case of

,
new books she had j ust received She went with her .
“
to the vestry saying as Kent Opened the door
,
Here is a lady to see yo u Mr Kent ”

,
,
. .
,
A s he made her welcome and she sat down she ,
was fo r a moment disapp ointed having for no rea , ,
so n e xp ected t o see a man of full middle age

,
The .
3 64 CON ST AN CE TR E S CO T
p leas ant smiling face and something she kn ew n o t

, , ,
what in his eyes reassured her When S he apolo

i
,
g ed for troubling him and he said

z N o I am not
,
,
.
,
“ ,
”
busy ; I am much at your service she felt at once ,
that here at least S he woul d fin d a sympathetic

, ,
hearin g and making no further excuses said S im

, ,
l
p y
I am a woman Mr Kent in great perplexity ,
.
, .
I am Jeanette Wilson I may add that I am an .
E p iscopalian F o r some time I was in more than

.
doubt as to whether I ought to marry a gentleman .
It is about him I wish t o speak While his wife .
lived — you kn ow he had been divorced — I could not

,
even consider the matter N ow that she has died .

,
”
he has again asked me to share his l ife .
Kent listened with inter ested attention She was .
young pretty and evidently under the influence o f

, ,
deep emotion A fter a moment o f p ause she added

“ An d n o w aga i n I hesitate
”
.
May I without indiscretion ask his name o r

, , ,
“
”
can I ad vise o r aid your decision without that ?
You may know hi m He is Mr John Grey . .
”
h u rst.
“Kent was more than surp ris ed

’
Yes ; I met him once in Colonel Du dl ey s o fii c e
.
I can hardly say I know him in any fuller p ersonal ,
sense But pray go on and be sure that I shall

.
, , ,
“
be most glad to give yo u any help in my p ower
I was sur e you would I am in the utmost per .
.
pl exit y I know much of his life He has told me

. .
of the — the death of Mr T r esc o t I want to b e . .
lieve his account of it ; but Oh Mr Kent at the , .

,
best it is terrible and I fear to trust his statement

, .
If he has n o t been entirely truthful I must know ,
. i —
it W th so much at stake it is i t mu st b e — nat ,
ural fo r a man to fin d excuses for so awful a sin .
I want to help him to a better life I want to be .
able to marry him B efore I let myself go — and

.
,
I could I am resolved to learn from some o n e the

,
-
whole truth If he had repented in your sense an d

.
mine I shoul d believe him ; he has not He regrets

,
.
and has su ffered that is sure ; but oh Mr Kent

, , .
,
that is so little — S O very little I have been t o two .
women to ask — to know more o f Mr G r eyhu r st to .

,
hear the whole story of this dreadful thing I have .
come from Sacramento to learn and n o w no o ne will ,

‘
tell me If they are afraid of him that is bad ; but

.
,
at all events I must know I do n o t want advice ; I .
want only full knowledge ; then I shall decide for

”
“
myself .
Is this all Miss Wilson ? ,
N o ; while I was still in doubt after Mr Grey ,

.
hurst left California I received a letter from Mrs,

.
T r esc o t .I can put myself in her place di fferent as ,
our views must be I might G o d help me ! have done

.
,
the same Have the kindness to read it si r If S he

. ,
,
.
tells the exact truth he has n o t told all o f it and

, ,
it had been more wise to have wholly trusted a w o

’ ”
man s love and pity .
’
That was Kent s op inion as he considered the
childlike sweetness o f the face below the blonde hair .
Without a word he took the letter He frowned .

,
annoyed and displeased as he read ; and folding the ,
sheet returned it
,
.
Yo u
are right he said gravely As a clergy
,
.
man and also as a man yo u have a ri ght t o all I

, ,
“
know
”
If she said it will make trouble fo r yo u with
,
Mr G r eyhu rst
.
He interrupted her with That is no p art o f the ,
matter I shall write to him an d tell him what I

.
Shall now say ; and I may say to you that I know the
whole o f this sad story although at the time it ,
”
happ ened I w as not in St An n . .
Is it necessary that you do this —I mean tell
Y es, fo r
me it is Mr G r eyhu rst was angry at . .
the loss o f his case There were some sharp p as .
sages between T r esc o t and hi mself such as occur in ,
trials O f these I know least As I have said I was

. .
,
n o t in St Ann at that time

. I believe that he said .
thi ngs o f Mr T r esc o t — and to his wife whom he

.
,
called as a witness — thin gs no man should have said .
I do not wish t o overstate the matter Mr Grey . .
hurst was said to be in debt This suit was o f great .
moment to him and I suppose that the verdict was

,
a serious disappoin tment When he came o u t o f the .
court Mrs T r esc o t was near by waiting for her

,
.
,
”
“
husband
,
.
O h sir did he see her ? ,

asked Miss Wilson ,
an x iously
“ .
I do not know He saw Mr T r esc o t coming to. .
“
meet him and without warning killed him
,
But he was drawin g a pistol

,
she said quickly

,
,
.
N o ; he never so much as owned a pistol His .
right arm w as c rippled from a wound as was gen ,

CON STAN C E T RE S COT 36 7
known because he usually rested it caught in

e r al l y
his waistcoat A s he approached he was smiling

.
“
Yo u see he w as pleased t o be able to be generous
”
,
My G o d ! she exclaimed Go on ; tell me all ! ”

.
“ .
Yes ; he had j ust received a telegram au tho r iz

in g him t o divi de the land in dispute in order to ,
’
treat more liberally Mr G re yhu rst s clients He . .
raised his lame arm to take o u t the telegram from

his pocket an d was as is known advancing to
, , ,
make the o ffer He had it in his hand when Mr . .
“
G r eyhu rst fired
Is that all ? she said faintly
.
N o ; o n his desk was found a letter to Mr Hood .

,
stating that he would give up the agenc y unless Mr .
H o od the ow ner would after the trial consent

, , , ,
to a compromise as an act o f equitable justice to

’
p eople who had no legal claim Mr Hood s sudden . .
death enabled Miss Hood the sister o f Mrs T r esc o t ,

.
,
t o give Mr T re sc o t full authority to settle the mat

.
ter Mrs T r esc o t called him o u t o f the cou r t to give

. .
him the telegram and to beg him at once to o ffer ,
Mr G r eyhu r st the adj ustment they desired That

. .
is all I have been long but it seemed to me that

.
,
y o u had a right to know the whole I believe that .
“
I have stated it correctly
Then ”
she said as her head drooped
,
it was
,
.
,
”
murder and without shadow o f excuse
,
back appalled at her verdict murmuring again

,
She fell
It ,
.
,
“
”
“
was murder and without excuse
,
,
Yes as I see it it was murder ; whether pre ,

.
meditated o r the sudden outcome of anger an d dis

,
”
a pp ointment God alone kn ows ,
.
O ne word more Mr Kent There had been ill

, . .
feeling between them ? Sharp words had p assed .
You said so Mr G r eyhu r st believed himself to

. .
“
have been insulted
Yes I have so heard
,
.
What kind of man was Mr T r esc o t ? Yo u see

she said eager to fin d excuses
,
I want to know all ,
.
“ ,
“
”
both sides .
I never saw him ; but as to that there was but

one op inion He was a sweet tempered kin dl y and
.
-
, ,
most honorable gentleman a servant o f your M as

'
,
”
“
ter and mine .
That is enough and t o o much God pity him ,

.
”
and me !
She rose as She spoke and standing with bowed
head looking down a dded : I cannot thank you
, ,
,
“
t o o much Y o u have done me the greatest service
.
a man coul d render a woman I think that you .
ought to know that I shall never marry John Grey

hurst I meant to ask you r advice but now I do not
.
,
”
need it The way of my duty is plain Good b y
. .
-
.
She let fall her veil and went o u t p assing Miss ,
“
Hood who was still busy with her books
,
I shall be j ealous Reginald if yo u are so long , ,

.
“
closeted with pretty women
’
Don t begin quite so soon he said o r the sup
.
, ,
ply o f j ealousy may not e qu al the demand Come .
and walk with me ; I have had a rather grim half

’
hour .
She l oo k ed u p at him curious but asked n o ques , ,
tions .
RS T RE S C O T received no ackn ow
.
ledgment of the receipt of her letter ,
nor had the unhappy woman to whom

it was sent any intention of answering
it. She desired never again to hear
o f the writer .
Making such excuses as were possible to her as

t o n i she d friends Miss Wilson took the train to the
,
N orth o n the day after her visit to Mr Kent an d .

,
thence returned t o Sacramento She was wise .
enough to avoid a meeting with G r eyhu r st .
From Chicago she wrote to Mr Kent a note o f . .
renewe d thankfulness and earnestly asked that he

,
woul d not feel it necessary to mention to Mr Grey

“ .
hurst what he Mr Kent had told her

grateful to yo u
,
”
.
she wrote
,
,
I am most
for the courage o f ,
“ .
what you did for me a stranger ; but I cannot rest

,
easy under the idea that in his anger and di sap,
p ointment a man as p as sionate may again do some

,
thing as rash as that which haS p arted us forever .
It will be alto gether unnecessary for you to speak

’
o f what you said to me becau se M rs T r esc o t s let
,
.
ter will suffice to explain to him the reasons for my

decision It is an unfeeling letter but it will so
.
,
24 369
j ustify my decision as t o relieve yo u from need to

sp eak .
’
Her request had no e ff ect on Kent s intention .
He had taken o n himself a grave responsibility and ,
meant t o abide by it He had neither fear o f u n

.
pleasant consequences nor belief that they would

occur The thought that Mr s T r esc o t s letter woul d
.
’
.
reach G r eyhu r st made him far more uneasy He r e .
solved to speak to the law yer o n his return which ,
took place two days later .
G re yhu rst had found di fli c u l ty in satisfying the

bankers on whom he relied The money market was .
-
unsettled and men were indisposed to go i n tO even

I
the most promising ventures He was advised to .
wait to return in a month He left N ew York a

,
.
much disappointed man and went home to meet ,
conditions which he knew must result in ruin .
Thinking sadly o f his aE air s and with some r e ,
lieving hOp e in regard to Jeanette Wilson whom he ,
very honestly loved and sincerely resp ected he left ,
the station at St Ann The phantom face had been

. .
seen of late but rarely and had lost distinctness

,
.
O n his way he called to see Colonel Dudley His

“ .
“
wife was in the hall Glad to see yo u back
. she ,
“
said . My husband is out
Tell the colonel that I was detaine d in N ew York
.
“
I will call to night
-
.
Y o u have j ust missed Miss Wilson .
Miss Wilson ! Has she been in St A nn ? .
Y e s ; but she stayed only two o r three days .
“
She has gone .
Did yo u se e her Mrs Dudley ?,

.
O h yes ; S he was looking very pretty and very

,
well We had a little talk

. I hop e I may soon .
be able to con gratulate yo u .
If She desired t o make him speak o f Miss Jean
“
ette she was mistaken
,
Yo u may n o t
”
he returned abruptly,
.
He knew Mrs Dudley well and disliked her

. .
Something in her face and manner and what she ,
had mentioned made him uncomfortable He said

,
.
good b y and went On to his o ffice

-
He unlocked ,
.
it and went in His clerk had left a number o f

.
letters o n his table N one of them were very r e

.
assuring The people from whom he had bought the

.
river frontage in his hope o f adding the strip Mrs

-
,
.
T r esc o t had taken from him were urgent for p ay ,
ment o f interest upon a mortgage left on the prop

e r ty
. There were other claims as pressing : notice
o f a note gone to protest two unp aid bills for the,
schooling of his daughter He tossed the pap ers .
aside and turnin g over his other letters in eager

, ,
haste fell upon o n e in a hand he knew and loved

,
.
He tore it open and read
“
D EAR S IR
A fter seeing yo u I spent some o f the most mis
er ab l e hours a not too happy life has brought me .
I was wretched because I felt that you might not

have been able to be entirely truthful I had to .
learn more than I could expect you to tell My .
whole life w as at stake Where I love I must also .
respect and I was in an agony o f doubt I coul d

,
.
not stand it I went to St Ann and there gathered

. .
,
3 72 CON ST AN C E TRE S COT
from various sources all that men knew o f that one

sad matter o f which you talked to me I heard t o o .
much fo r my o w n happiness I thought it all over .
with such grief as it p ains me to remember ; and ,
with every desire to be just I have prayed to be ,
rightly guided and n o w I must tell yo u that I can

,
“
never marry you .
I Shall give no further explanations The let .
ter I inclose hard and cruel as it i s would have

, ,
been enough I will never see you again and this is

.
,
final What this decision costs me you can never

.
know May G o d guide an d guard yo u ! Forgive

.
me the p ain this letter will inflict on you It cannot .
be greater than what it costs me

Yours truly “ .
JO H N G REY H U RS T E sq ,
.
He turned with sudden anger to the inclosed let

ter from Mrs T r esc o t He read that also He let
. . .
it fall and lay back in his chair A s he read the .

,
remembrance of the young man walking toward him ,
with the smile o f what he had taken to be triumph ,
came back to him He looked up and saw once more

.
the silvery phantom for some weeks absent at times

,
o r indistinct .It too was smiling

, ,
He took up .
’
Jeanette Wilson s letter and read it and r e read it - .
When at last he laid it down the p aper was wet

from his sweating hands He kn ew her too well to .
have the slightest hOp e She herself coul d never

.
have had any conception o f the p assion with which

he loved her nor could she have fully app reciated
,
w h a t t o h i m w o u l d b e thi s e n d i n g o f h i s ho es for
CON STAN C E T RE S CO T
a life that would atone for the p ast and satisfy her
’
ideals . And this was that woman s work ! He
cursed her with oaths t o o dreadful to rep eat She .
had brought him to the verge of ruin had tortured ,
him into imp ossibility o f forgetfulness and n o w ,
she had taken away from him the o ne real love o f

his unhapp y life .
“
”
He rose seeing the face as before
,
My G o d ! .
he cried staring at the phantom

,
George T resc o t , ,
”
yo u ought to thank me ! A s he stood up he stag
ger ed with a return o f the o l d vertigo and seized ,
a chair back until it p assed away It did not now .
alarm him He caught up his traveling cap and

.
-
,
as he p assed o u t left the door open In the street .
“
he was recognized by two o r three men O ne said
He has been drinking ”
He went o n his way
.
‘
.
,
turning down West Street toward his house which , ,
in his absence had been closed Walki n g rapidly

,
.
,
he went p ast the church at the corner and crossed ,
to the south side o f the street Kent had j ust come .
o u t o f hi s st udy and stood still enj oying the splen ,
d o r o f scarlet above the setting sun and the strange ,
colors cast on the yellow waters of the mighty river

below . It was unusual and becoming more and , ,
more intense w as changing from moment to mo

,
me n t
.
Kent wondered if Susan Hoo d were feeling the

mysterious awe which f o r him vast masses o f red
created N o other color so aE ec t e d him He wished
. .
her to share with him the solemn beauty of the

fadin g day and while hastening to find her at her
,
home he saw G r eyhu r st in front o f him

,
.
G l a d o f a n e ar l c han c e t o fr e e hi s min d he
3 74 CON ST AN C E T RE S C O T
quickened his p ace and overtook him He said as .

,
he j oined him
Good evening Mr G r eyhu rst , . .
Without turning hi s head the man beside him ,

”
said ,
Good evening an d leaving him abruptly , ,
crossed the street .
. Kent was surp rised and said t o hi mself He , ,

”
must have heard but ho w could he have heard ? ,
With increas e of interest he saw G r eyhu r st stop ,

’
look over at Mrs T r esc o t s and p ass o n Still more
.
, .
amazed he too went by the house and p ausing

, , , , ,
observed G reyhu rst go up his o w n steps and as it

'
, _
seemed try the door App arently finding himself

,
.
'
unable to enter he went around the house through

, ,
the garden and w as lost to view

,
Kent thought .
it all rather O d d ; but like the man o n the main street , ,
concluded that G r eyhu r st must have been drinking ,
and turned back to seek Susan Hood .
The March day in this warm clime w as already

rich with the young buds of spring He p icked an .
opening rose and ringing the bell stood at the

, , ,
door left open for the cooler air of evening to sweep

,
through the hall He saw how the vast flood o f

.
scarlet to westward was slowly darkening t o orange .
The maid sai d Miss Susan had just come in and

w as u p stairs Mrs T r esc o t was in the p arlor He
-
. . .
he s itated a moment and then went in .
Mrs T r esc o t was seated at the western window in

.
a listless attitude her hands in her lap She turned

,
.
“
as he entered saying
Yes ”
she said ; ,
Wh at a glory o f color !
but I do not like it I dislike .
”
red I always did even when a chi ld
.
,
.
CON ST AN C E T RE SCOT 3 75
Well he said smiling

, N ature is generously
, ,
“
resp ectful ; she is shifting her scenery
”
An d then she said it will be night and I
, ,
“ .
do not love darkness I should like to live in endless

.
”
daylight .
He thought singular both her moody manner and
“
the feeling she exp ressed
The N ort hland woul d suit yo u for half the
.
y ea r ,
b u t not me
. I hope Miss Hoo d did not miss
.
“
the sunset
I do n o t know
.
F o r a moment there was silence — the woman ,
gazin g at the slowly dar kening pall above the dy

ing day the man resolute to fulfil a lon g held
,
-
“
purpose .
I do not know whether yo u can unders tand the

great pleasure you gave me the other day when you
said I have some likeness to my cousin It has been .
noticed by others but for yo u to see it meant much

,
to me If in all ways I could be like him I should

.
“
be well satisfied with mysel f
”
.
him .
“
Y o u are like him she said turning toward
It pleased me and I wondered that I had
,
,
,
n o t seen it before It is in manner more than in

.
”
face.
He returned earnestly : May not that give me the

privilege o f taking with you a liberty greater than
”
“
o u r brief acqu aintance justifies ?
O h yes if y o u want to
,
”
,
She would have said .
no in some form if there had not been something

’
sadly familiar in the grave gentleness o f Kent s
app roach ; something which forba d e her to deny
3 76 CON STAN CE T RE S CO T
him .She was deeply moved as in the lessenin g ,
light S he heard him say

,
I want to sp eak to yo u as a man not as a clergy ,

”
“
man .
Go o n she returned faintly

, .
Thank y o u Y ou .
—
cannot know yo u cannot
—
have known the pain you have given to Miss Susan
and to the many whom you have helped in St A nn . .
May I not ask you to think how it will end I .
should feel glad for you and others that it Should

, ,
end
Yes it m ust end I fear that now it is at a n
, .
end.
Her voice lost i ts lan gu or She ceased to regard .
either the sunset o r the man and sat up a little , ,
“
excited looking straight in front of her
”
,
If she continued it had not been at an end I

, ,
“ .
do not think I should have been willing to listen to

you I h ave allowed no one to interfere with my
.
actions — not even my sister ; but now I do not care I .
have made that man suffer I have taken from him .
the p ower to forget I have ruined him financially

.
,
—
and I believe yes I am sure — that I have taken
,
from him the love o f a woman ; and now you ask me

how it will end ! If you had talked to me about my
soul and of the sin o f punishing a murderer I
, ,
Should have laughe d at you Y o u did not You . .
have done what you think a duty Y o u have talked .
as George woul d have done and so I answer that I ,
know nothing more I can do If there were an y .
thing I could do to injure o r to p unish I S hould do ,

”
it eagerly There is nothing . .
And he said are you satisfied ?

, ,
N o I am not
,
If I could fill his days with gr l ef
.
— h , ,
—
like mine o to his latest hour if I could make ,
his nights like mine one long anguish o f yearning

, ,
”
and unrest I should be satisfied ,
.
He touched the thin white hand which lay o n her ,
knee He made no other reply The malady was

. .
past his helping She turned and looked at him.
steadily A certain tender sweetness in his silent

.
failure to respond some fresh recognition o f re ,
“
semblance disturbed her as she said
,
F o r good o r ill I suppose it i s at an end , .
Then as he heard a heavy footfall behind him

, ,
she was on her feet John G r eyhu rst was standing .
in the doorway Tall broad shouldered p ale and

.
,
-
, ,
with eyes deeply congested he came quickly to the ,
middle of the room and stood still as Mrs T resc o t .
leaped to her feet and faced him .
Kent laid a hand o n his arm This he said

‘
.
, ,
”
“
is the last house yo u should dare to enter
”
.
What do you want ? said M r s T r esc o t faintly ;

and then in sudden anger O ut o f this murderer
, ,
“ .
,
,
”
go !
’
He shook o ff Kent s arm and said in unnaturally
“
measured tones
N 0 ; this is my hour no t yours For these many ,
.
month s you have driven me to desp air You have .
taken from me at last all that was left to me

, ,
’
a woman s love I am here to end it to settle my
.
-
”
debt.
AS he sp oke and his hand droppe d to his p ocket

, ,
Kent instantly threw himself before him The .

woman stood still glad o f the swift coming of ,
death .
With his left arm G reyhu r st threw Kent violently

from him across the room and as the youn g man ,
fell stunned for the moment he covered her with

, ,
“
his revolver She s tood motio nl ess
Thank you She said ;
.
I am glad — glad to
,
“ .
”
die !
”
He laughed Yo u fool ! he cried and tu r ning
.
,
the pistol to his temple fired His arm dropped in ,

.
j erks For a moment he stood sta ring and then fell

.
, ,
as a tree falls shaking the room with his bulk

,
.
The woman staggered back caught behind her ,
with both hands the edge of a table and stared at ,
the man at her feet — dead .
A S the servants ran in and o u t again screaming , ,
Kent was on his feet He knelt beside G r eyhu rst .
and then looked up as Susan ran in and stood still ,
“
terrified
”
.
Is he dead ? asked Constance .
”
Yes he is dead
,
.
Then he is gone and I am alive Will yo u have,

.
— —
it taken away quick quick o u t of my house ? ”
,
Kent caught her as she staggered to the door

swaying and crying Take him away take him ,
“ ,
,
,
—
away o u t of this house anywhere ! ”
She pushed
Kent aside p assed into the study and as Susan
, , ,
followed her fell on to a lounge The house fil led

,
.
with a crowd o f neighbors Susan always most quiet .

,
when others lost their heads S hut the door Kent ,

.
,
havin g said a word o f explanation to those in the

parlors re entered the study
,
.
CON ST ANC E T RE S COT 3 79
Constance w as breathing fast her eyes wide op en , .
Leaving a scared maid beside her Kent led Susan ,
into the hall and in as few words as possible told

,
“
her what had happened
And this is the end she said How te rrible !
.
, .
My poor Conny ! Did he mean to kill her Regi ,

”
“
n al d
I thought
?
fo r
a moment ; I do not k now I
so .
struck my hea d as he threw me and what followed ,
I did n o t fully see I will go for Dr E skridge and

. .
send fo r General A verill Shall yo u mind my leav .
in g you alone with her ?

O h no ; I think there is no danger She seems
, .
conscious I will get her up to bed

. Come back .
”
soon .
A s he went o u t he cast his eyes o n the sword up on

the table the Bible with its marking glove the dead
,
fl o w er petals the sacredly guarded room

-
,
I won .
,
“
der he thought as he hurried up the street what
, , ,
this woman would have been had George T r esc o t

”
lived .
A s he hastened to find the doctor he sought to

recall j ust what had happened Surely the man .
meant to kill Constance T resc o t and then himself .
She most plainly w as glad to die Yes she had said .

,
saying Y o u fool
,
“
so ; o n which he had turned the pistol o n himself
What did he mean ? Did he

,
“
n o t want to kill her because she wished to die ?
”
Ah poor lady ! he said
,
Perhaps George Tres .
“
—
cot was fortunate and my poor Susan ! ”
ON T RAR Y t o what the doctor and S u
s an expected Constance came o u t of
,
her daze d state in a few hours S he .
aske d quickly if they had taken it

away
. When assured as to this she ,
seemed at ease and put no other questions Al tho u gh .
her mind was clear she spoke little and w as ap

, ,
p a r e n t l y i n d i fi er en t to everything She asked

. ho w ,
ever after a few days to be taken to her Beverly

,
home Kent made all the needed arrangements and

.
went with them This seemed to excite no surp rise

.
in the min d o f Constance ; she accepted everything

in an ap athetic way and when Kent w as leaving
,
them at the end o f their j ourney said goo d b y list

,
-
lessly and with no word o f thanks For a month o r .
more she lost flesh and vigor daily so that S usan ,
thought that S he would su rely fin d the relief of

death .
In A ugust S he began to recover her strength but ,
not her looks She had lived many years in one

.
,
and excep t fo r the still lovely eyes had little left

, ,
o f her former beauty .The framework o f her face

w as on a scale which needed the fullness o f health ,
and this she had lost forever .
A s she slowly regained her strength She turned

380
anew to Susan for the only S ociety she cared t o have ,
and by degrees taxed more and more heavily the

time and attention O f the self sac r ific in g sister She -
.
began at last to read o r liked better to be read to ;

,
but never returned to her music and never spoke o f ,
the A verills or o f —
Kent n o r indeed o f any o n e
, , , ,
in St A nn N either did she ever mention George

. .
T r e sc o t So long as she had been actively employed

.
in thinking of means o f ruining G r eyhu rst she had ,
aske d of Susan no more attention and care than was

easy and pleasant to give When once her pursuit .
had ended and o n e dominating idea had ceased to

,
occupy her mind she be gan t o enlarge the boundaries

,
o f those despotic claims which the feeble o r su ff ering

-
sometimes make upon the unselfish It is p robable .
that Constance was not fully aware of this avarice o f

a ffection which caused her to accep t o r grasp and
u se the service o f the sister and to overesteem the ,
love she hersel f gave in return A t first Susan .
looked upon it all as evidence of a revival of Co n

’
stance s former a ffection She was un willing to .
be alone she desired no occup ation and would not

, ,
ride o r walk far What S he liked best was to sit

.
in S ilence with Susan reading aloud to her in the

garden o r to drive for hours in the carriage To
,
.
esc ap e from her comp any was so di fficult that Susan

found only those hours her own in which Constance
slept A t times S he wondered whether o r n o t this
.
j ealous absorption o f a life would not soon o r late

have been applied to George T re sc o t .
A s the warm summer days came and went S u ,
san was made to feel more and more plainly that she
3 82 C ON ST A NC E T RE S CO T
was becoming the slave o f exactions which had in

them somethin g morbid To her alarm she began
.
,
also to suspect that incessant care o f a depressed

and t o o dependent woman might p rove to be a
dangerous tax o n health and recognized at last with
,
some alarm that she herself was consciously losing

vigor .
When making vain e fforts to assert her in dep en

dence she was met by unlooked for difficulties In -
.
’
her uncle s house as the elder sister Susan had
, ,
exer ted more o r less authority ; but now she had the
feeling that Constance was as indeed she looked
, ,
the Older sister By degrees Susan also learned that

.
Constance relied o n her misfortunes and her long

il lness to insure to her an excess o f sympathetic af
fec t i o n and unremitting service The discoveries .
thus made troubled the less selfish S ister and her ,
goo d sense made p lain to her that to p ermit limit

less u se o f thi s form o f devotion was to commit
suicide o f health and to sacrifice more than herself .
There was o n e escape p ossible and o f this she k new

,
that at some time she should have to speak for her ,
health and all that was once hers alone she felt
.
were no longer to be ri sked without unfairness t o o n e

more dear to her than C onstance O ver and over .
,
when approaching this subj ect her courage failed ,
her.
When she chanced t o mention even in the most ,
casual way the man whom she had promised to

,
marry Constance said at once : Y o u must know

,
“ ,
Susan — yo u ought to know — that I have n o desire

, ,
to hear of him o r o f any one in St Ann I think

,
. .
CON S T A NCE T RE S COT 383
you show small consideration for my feelings .
Although aware that her S ister and Kent corre ~
sp o n de d and that letters came and went daily she

, ,
took no more interest in it than she di d 1 n whatever

was Outside of her own immediate and limited life .
It w as to Susan an almost inconceivable condition ,
an d she was well aware that not only must it come

to an end but that to hear of her decision would be
,
to Constance a painful awakening .
A t last when in September Constance seeme d

, , ,
still better Susan knew that she must speak o u t

, ,
and frankly Constance furnished the opportunity

. .
They were seated at evening in the garden above a

quiet sea Constance said : I have been thinking
.
,
Susan about the winter and what would be best f o r

,
me The doctor talks about Algiers How would

. .
that do ? It is time I made my plans I do not .
supp ose yo u care where we go so long as we are to ,

”
gether .
“
For a moment Susan made no reply ; then she
said : Let us put that aside for a moment I have .
lon g wanted to talk to you Conny about another , ,
matter but you have never been willing to listen

,
.
While you were S O weak I felt that you must not

be troubled by what I kn ew you must some day
know I am engaged to Reginald Kent and we are
.
,
to be married late in O ctober Y o u mus t have .
”
known Conny that it would be
, ,
.
Constance heard her with an app earance o f in

di ff erence .
O h I saw there w as something ; but you cannot

,
really mean to leave me You are all I have all .

,
3 84 CON STAN CE T RE S CO T
I care for It is simply out O f the question Y o u

.
.
“
”
must see that your duty lies with me .
Yes dear I see that ; and we hop e that you will

, ,
live with us Reginald is to have a parish near

.
“
B oston .
I will never consent to it Must I always be .
“
sa crificed
If yo u mean that yo u will not consent to my
marriage you have no right to say that ; if yo u
,
mean n o t to live with us I shall be sorry I do ,

.
not think that you should have S poken as you have

done Y o u have had from me all that I coul d give
.
,
and dear you do not know how much you cl aim

, , ,
nor do you seem to see that even with my sound

health I am not fit to be and do what you e xp ect o f
— ”
“
me in fact that it i s I who am sacrificed
Then you think I am selfish ? ”
,
.
I think dear that in your sorrow and weakness

, ,
”
“
you need more than I can give
And yo u intend to marry that man and leave
.
I mean to marry Reginal d Kent .
’
Then I shall find a comp anion and go abroad ,
she said ; and rising went away into the ho use

, ,
.

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CO N S T AN CE T RE S C O T

R H O OD will see yo u in the library

George T r esc o t followed the servant ,

and when left alone began to wander

was called a library might well have puzzled the

reference but o n chair and table were mill and rail

way rep orts and newspapers in superabundance

A s the clock struck the hour o f noon a woman

ing the doo r open T r esc o t turned from a brief and

hopeless e ﬁo rt t o comprehend the genealogical tree

much splendor o f heraldic b lazonry .

M i ss H OO d came in smilin g as if she had j ust

been amused and was e nj oying the remembrance .

ﬁgure and p ossessed the mysterious gift o f grace

F o r the rest she w as unselﬁsh seriously religious

and perp lexed at times by the comic asp ect of things ,

har dly realizin g the fact that a ready sense o f humor

Life presented it self to her in relentless simplicity ,

and consisted o f things right and things wron g with ,

over sensitive self reproach when either seemed too

amusing She was socially speaking fearless and

occasionally outspoken to a degree which embar

she sai d , I am glad , .

I shall be the best o f brothers i n l aw Miss - -

O h that is all very well

always pay the debts of the present Y o u will b e .

as good as my sister will let yo u be ; but I am easily

I ought to be he said And by the way I

am only Mr T r esc o t not Maj or These labels shoul d

have gone when the war ended ; but I suppose men

am j ust in time to save yo u a fall from the ge

o f the limbs a triﬂe i nsecure My uncle cl imbs it .

at least once a wee k and believes in its fab ul ous ,

fruit as h e does in nothing else I tol d him last .

night that it w as more genial than logical If he .

had understood me I do not know what would have,

T r esc o t laughed Mr Hood exp lained it t o me

Did yo u ? You would never have b een forgiven

It is still growin g ; the mustard seed was nothing -

By the way I am sent by my uncle to entertain

you as he is j ust now engaged A s a matter o f

fact he is engaged in settling what he will say t o

have to put up with me for as long as he chooses

A n d to me Yo u have asked my sister to marry

y o u . She desires t o d o so My u n cle says he

and that he has entitled himself to o u r society u n

set a time fo r that event we shoul d know what to

not like it N othing is simple t o my uncle

asking him seemed to me a mere formal matter .

Cons tance is o l d enough to know her o w n mind and , ,

I fancy to have her o wn way I did n o t ask o f him

They should not need to be asked ; but he wil l

I expect nothing of the kind nor does Con

stance We are prep ared t o wait until I can o ﬁer

her a home That may be in a year or even two

Indee d ! Wait until you k now my uncle better

He discusses everything He woul d discuss whether .

two and two make four He constructs theories as .

he calls them and when it is needful to act does ,

not always abide by them which I as sure you: i s , , ,

o n the whole rather fortunate as I hop e you may

Well o n this sub j ect Mi ss Hood I have also

my theory and an abiding faith i n it