Morton House, Chapters XIX-XX [pp. 576-583]

1871.] ilIOR TON HO USE. 579
You know those messages I told you about. Is there a quiet place in
which I could deliver them?"
" Suppose we try the library," said Katharine.
They crossed the hall to the library, and found only one or two
-whist-parties in possession of it. At the farther end, a sofa was fitted
into a sort of alcove between two bookcases, and to this Katharine
led the way. She sat down first, and looked up at her companion out
of the soft gloom-her white dress and the blue flowers in her hair
showing in bright relief against the dark background.
" Will not this do? " said she, smiling; and somehow the little
scene came back to John Warwick long afterward, touching him
again as it touched him then.
" Yes, it will do very well," he taid, sitting down by her. Then
he added, suddenly, "You are looking very badly. htave you been
sick?"
"Not at all," answered she, growing a little paler. "I have been
quite well, and enjoying myself very much. Do you know thlat you
have terribly keen eyes?" she added, trying to laugh, and not succeeding very well.
"I hope I have serviceable eyes," he answered; "but it would not
require very keen ones to see that something is the matter with you.
If you have not been sick, you have been worried-and that is worse.
I may be blundering in speaking of it," he went on, "and, if so, you
must forgive me, but I was struck by the change in your appearance
when I saw you dancing."
"I have been sick all day," said Katharine, forgetting her contrary assertion of a moment back. "That is, I have had a headache
and been in bed with it. One does not look very well after a thing
.of that kind."
"No," said Mr. Warwick, regarding her with a pair of eyes which,
for the first time, she found uncomfortably penetrating. "If you have
been in bed all day," he added, "I suppose you did not see a visitor,
who called at Bessie's this morning, and whom she directed here?"
Dim as the light was, he noticed-he could not avoid noticingthe crimson tide which in a moment spread over her face and neck.
"Yes, I saw him," she answered; and, as she spoke, she gave a
piteous, imploring glance, that reminded him of the look sometimes
seen in an animal's eyes before the knife of the butcher descends and
strikes home to the heart. Its unconscious pathos touched him; but
the lawyer in his composition enabled him to persevere.
" Bessie's curiosity was quite excited," he said. "You know it
takes very little to excite her, and it seems that the gentleman-whom
she described as young and handsome-asked many questions about
you. That was enough to form the groundwork of a romance, which
she has been building ever since. Her only fear is, that you may be
induced to leave her, and that, she says, would break her heart."
"Mrs. Marks is very good," said Katharine, forcing a smile.
" But she need not fear. I am not likely to go away. The gentleman
who called to see me was " —a pause, and a great gulp of rage and
self-contempt-" was a person whom I knew in England."
"So he said," remarked Mr. Warwick, rather dryly.
"I hope he did not annoy Mrs. Marks in any way?" said Katharine, catching the intonation of his voice. "I —I do not think she
is likely to see him again. He will leave Tallahoma in a few daysto-morrow, perhaps."
"He did not annoy her at all," Mr. Warwick answered. "I hope
I have not said any thing to make you think so."
There was a pause after this. Katharine felt faint and sick, but
she kept her seat-whatever he should say next, she must be ready
to answer. Mr. Warwick, meanwhile, said nothing-his face looked
somewhat severe, as he gazed past her; but that was its usual expression when at rest. In this lull, the voices of the whist-players
sounded.
"Three by cards, and two by honors, sets us five, and four before,
is nine."
"You should have returned my lead of spades, Mr. Barry, and we
might have-I"
"If you had led out trumps, as you ought to have done," cried an
excited voice from the other table, "they could not have made a trick.
I held every high diamond, sir, and every one of them trumped!"
"We threw away the game by that play of hearts, Mrs. Dargan.
It gave them the lead, and then-"
This was the kind of talk which came in and bridged over Katharine's suspense. It is astonishing how oddly conscious people are
of such things at such times. When the last great struggle comes,
and the soul is about to go forth, shall we, even then, hear and notice
the bird that sings at our window, and the child who laughs in the
street below?
"Miss Tresham," said Mr. Warwick, turning round abruptly, "do
you remember the day we walked out to the pond, and I told you that
something was preying on your health and spirits?"
"Yes," Katharine answered, " I remember it."
"And do you also remember that I asked you if I could do any
thing to relieve you?
"Yes, Mr. Warwick, I remember that also-very gratefully."
"Well, I don't wish to force your confidence, but one glance at
your face to-night told me that the anxiety which I saw then had
made greater strides-had; in fact, been realized. As I told you be fore, if it is any thing relating to ideal troubles, I can do nothing for
you; but if it is real-if it is practical-Miss Tresham, remember that
I am both a man and a lawyer, and that, in either character, I am
ready to serve you."
"Mr. Warwick, you are very good-you are more than good," said
Katharine, almost ready to give way to the childish relief of tears.
"Don't-please don't think me ungrateful. I feel your kindness in
my very heart, and-and thank you for it. But I cannot do any thing
else."
" You cannot let me help you?"
"No-I cannot."
That ended the matter. After a minute, Mr. Warwick rose and
offered his arm. "Your partners will be looking for you," he said.
"I must not monopolize you so long. Have you any message for
Bessie?"
"My best love, and tell her I will see her to-morrow."
"What, are you coming back to Tallahoma?"
"Not to stay-I promised to remain here until after New-Yearbut on business. There is Mr. Talcott coming for me now."
"I have been looking for you everywhere, Miss Tresham," said
Mr. Talcott, quite breathless. "The dancing began some time ago,
and I am afraid we shall not get a place unless we make haste."
"Don't let me detain you," said Mr. Warwick. "Good-night."
"Shall I not see you again?"
"No, I only looked in to be able to tell Bessie how you are getting
on. I am going back to town now."
lie was as good as his word, and Katharine had no further glimpse
of him that night; but amid all the music and dancing, the gay voices
and bright smiles, his voice sounded, and she heard again and again
the words, "You cannot let me help you?" Her heart gave back an
answer, for every now and then she caught herself murmuring, "If I
only could!-ah, if I only could!"
CHAPTER XX.-MR. WARWICK'S NEW CLIENT.
ABOUT the time that Katharine threw herself down on the bed, and
was foolish enough to cry until she made her head ache, Babette was
tramping along the road w; ch led from Tallahomra to Morton House.
She had been sent on an errand by her mistress, and was returning
with two or three large parcels under her arm, disdainfully regardless
of the fact that she was the object of much attention and remark on
the part of several small boys in her rear. They knew better than to
come within reach of her hand, of which more than one of them had
felt the weight; but, taking care to keep at a respectful distance, they
followed her beyond the corporate limits. Indeed, Babette was a
sufficiently remarkable figure to excite attention in a place much more
used to remarkable figures than quiet Tallahoma. Besides her usual
foreign costume, she had, in consideration of the muddy state of the
roads, mounted a pair of sabots, and in them she went boldly clattering along, with her dress tucked up even shorter than the walkingskirt of a fashionable girl of the present day. "Good gracious,
aunty, where'd you get your shoes?" more than one audacious boy
inquired; but aunty's short nose only went a little higher in the air,
and her keen black eyes only gave a little quicker gleam by way of
reply. Her fierce appearance quite awed the good folk of the village.
They had an idea that she was a sort of dragoness, whom Mrs. Gordon had imported for special guard and defence. Poor Babette, whose
temper was irascible, but who was really of an excellent disposition,
and whose appearance only was against her, had no idea that when
1871.]
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579