第8章

"Ihopeyouwon"tfindoutyourmistakewhenitistoolate.Ifyouthinkofmarryingthatartistfellow,Thorpe,Imayaswelltellyouthathecanhardlysupporthimself,muchlessawife."

ThiswasmorethanMabelcouldbear.Sherosetoherfeet,andhereyesflashedfire.

"Youhavenorighttosaythis,"sheexclaimed."Mr.Thorpehasneverspokentomeoflove.Asforhiscircumstances,Ihaveneverconsideredthem.Ionlyknowthatheisagentleman."

Shesweptoutoftheroomindignantly,leavingMr.Chesterratherbewildered.Hetookhishatandleftthehouse,sorelydisappointed,andstillmoreangry.Hisvanityhadreceivedaseverewound,whichwouldtakealongertimetohealthanhisheart,whichhadnotbeensoseriouslyaffected.

AshewalkedtowardsthehotelhefeltverybittertowardsMabel,andscowledfiercelyatAllanThorpe,whomhehappenedtomeetontheway,though,asitwasdark,theartistwashappilyunconsciousofit.Hethirstedforrevenge.HewishedtoshowMabelthathewasnotinconsolable.Unhappilyforthebachelor,hewasinthismoodwhenhereachedthehotelandmetMissClementinaRaymond.

Hedidnotcareaparticleforher,butspiteagainstMissFrosthurriedhimontotheavowalofapassionthathedidnotfeel.Hisofferwasratheracool,business-likeproposalthananimpulsivedeclarationofaffection.ButClementinamadeupforhislackofsentimentbyabashfulconfusion,whichwasverywellassumed.

"I

amsosurprised,andsoembarrassed,Mr.Chester,"shesaid.

"HowcouldIdreamthatyouwerekindenoughtoregardmewithsuchsentiments?Iought,perhaps,toconsultmamma."

"Ifyouhaveanydoubtaboutyouranswer,"saidMr.Chesterabruptly,alreadyhalfregrettinghisprecipitancy,"saysowithouthesitation."

Evidentlythedelaywouldbedangerous,andClementinadecidedtosettlethematteratonce.

"No,"shesaid,"Iwillnotconsultmamma.Iknowherhighopinionofyou,dearMr.Chester——letmesayRandolph.Ifyoucareforthislittlehand,itisyours,"andshetimidlylaidalargeandwelldevelopedpalminhis.Shewasratherdisappointedthathedidnotpressittohislips.

InallthenovelsshehadtakenfromtheBrooklynMercantileLibrary,thatwaswhatenrapturedloversalwaysdidwhenaccepted.Mr.Chesterjustpressedthehandslightly,and,rising,saidinabusiness-likeway;"Verywell,MissRaymond,wewillconsiderthemattersettled.Iwillleaveyounow,asyouwillprobablywishtotellyourmother."

ThiswasthewayinwhichClementinatoldhermotherthenews:"Mamma,thatoldgoosehasproposed,andIhaveacceptedhim."

"Whatoldgoose?"

"RandolphChester,ofcourse.He"sasoldasthehills,buthe"sgotmoney."

"Andyouarenearlytwentyfive,mylove."

"Oh,bother,mamma!What"stheuseofmentioningmyage?Somebodymightbewithinhearing.Remember,ifheaskshowoldIam,youarenottoanswersoimpertinentaquestion."

"Verywell,Clementina.Ofcourse,mychild,ourinterestsarethesame.I

amreallygladyouwillhaveahusbandofmeans.Ithasbeenveryhardtokeepupagenteelappearanceonourlimitedincome,anditwillbearelieftohavesomeonetoprovide."

"Youareright,mother.OfcourseIwouldn"tthinkofmarryingtheoldmummyifhehadn"tplentyofmoney.Hethinkswearerich;soyoumustbecarefulnottodropanyhintofourrealsituationuntilafterwearemarried.

IwonderifIcan"tinducehimtotakemetoEuropeforourweddingtour."

"Thatwouldbeaverypleasantarrangement,Clementina.IalwayswantedtogotoEurope."

"Ofcourseyoucouldn"tgo,mamma,"saidtheselfishdaughter.

"IamsureMr.Chesterwouldn"tagreetoit.Imayfinditveryhardtoinducehimtotakeme."

"I

shouldbeverylonelyifyouleftmeathome,"saidthedisappointedmother.

"I

shouldwriteyouoften.Thatwoulddoalmost,aswell."

Mrs.

Raymonddidnotthinkso,butsheknewherdaughter"shard,ingrainedselfishnesstoowelltopressthematter.ShereceivedMr.Chesteronthefootingofason-in-lawmostgraciously,thoughitdidoccurtoherthatitwouldhavebeenbetterifshecouldhavesecuredhimasahusbandinsteadofClementina;thenshecouldhavemadetheEuropeantour.

Itmaybeaswell,however,tosayherethatneithertomothernordaughterwererevealedthesceniccharmsofEurope.WhenRandolphChesterdiscoveredthathehadmarriedagenteelpauperhewasdeeplyincensed,andwasinnomoodtograntfavorstothewifewhohaddeceivedhim.Hemarriedinhaste,torepentatleisure.

Chapter12

Thedayofexaminationcame,andthesmallschoolroomwasthrongedwithvisitors.Theexercisespassedoffinthemostsatisfactorymanner.SquireHadley,aschairmanoftheSchoolCommittee,madethefirstspeech.Itwasnotamodelofeloquence,buthemadeitclearthatheconsideredtheschoolasuccessandtookcredittohimselfforengagingsocompetentateacher.Mr.Wilsonfollowed.Hetoo,expressedheartyapprovaloftheexercises,andtenderedhiscordialcongratulationstoMissFrostforremarkablesuccessininspiringthescholarswithaloveoflearning.

Hehopedthetownwouldbeabletoretaintheservicesofsoaccomplishedaninstructress.TohimsucceededAdoniramFry,who,inajocularway,lamentedthatasaboyithadnotbeeninhispowertobeascholarunderMissFrost"sinstruction.Allwerecomplimentary,andMabel"scheekswereflushedwithpleasure.

RandolphChesterwasnotpresentattheclosingexercises.NeitherweretheRaymonds.Theengagementhadleakedout,andthereforetheirabsencedidnotexcitesurprise.Itwasascertainedthattheyhaddriventoaneighboringtown.

Itwasnotdiscovered,however,tilllater,whattheirerrandwas.Theydroveatoncetotheresidenceofaclergyman,andwhentheyreturnedClementinawasMrs.RandolphChester.Clementinaherselfhadartfullyhintedhowromanticitwouldbe,andhowpeoplewouldbetakenbysurprise.Mr.Chestercarednothingforthis;butitoccurredtohimthatMabelwouldbemortifiedonlearninghowquicklyhehadbeenconsoledforherloss.PoorMr.Chester!Inafteryearshelookeduponthisasthemostidioticactofhislife.

IntheeveningAllanThorpecalledandinvitedMabeltogooutforawalk.Itwasabeautifulmoonlightnight.Theywalkedslowlytothepond,whichwasnotfaraway,andsatdownonarusticseatbeneathawidespreadingoak.Theyhadbeentalkingonvariousthingsforsometime,whenasuddensilencecameuponboth.

Itwasatlengthbrokenbytheyoungartist.

"I

hopeyouwillforgivemeforbringingyouhere,"hesaid.

"Whyshouldyouwantforgiveness?"sheasked,verymuchsurprised.

"BecauseIbroughtyouherewithaspecialobjectinview.Rebukemeifyouwill,but——Mabel,Iloveyou."

Shedidnotseemmuchsurprised.

"Howlonghasitbeenso?"sheaskedinalowvoice.

"I

begantoloveyou,"heanswered,"whenIfirstsawyouattheartists"reception.ButyouweresofarremovedfrommethatIdidnotdaretoavowit,eventomyself.Youwerearichsocialqueen,andIwasapoorman.I

shouldneverhavedaredtotellyouallthisifyouhadnotlostyourwealth."

"Doesthismakemeanymoreworthy?"askedMabelsmiling.

"Ithasbroughtyounearertome.WhenIsawhowbravelyyoumetadversefortune;whenIsawagirlbroughtuptoeveryluxury,asyouwere,quietlydevotingherselftoteachingavillageschool,Irejoiced.Iadmiredyoumorethanever,andIresolvedtowinyouifpossible.Canyougivemeahope,Mabel?

Hebentoverherwithalookoftenderaffectioninhismanlyface.

"I

won"tkeepyouinsuspense,Allan,"shesaidwithanansweringlook.

"Ihavenotknownyoulongbutlongenoughtotrustmyfutureinyourhands."

AfterawhileAllanThorpebegantodiscusshisplansandhopesforthefuture.

"I

ambeginningtobesuccessful,"hesaid."Ican,evennow,supportyouinamodestway,andwithhealthIfeelassuredofalarger——Ihopeamuchlarger——incomeintime.Icanrelieveyoufromteachingatonce."

Mabelsmiled.

"ButsupposeIdonotconsideritaburden.SupposeIlikeit."

"Thenyoucanteachme."

"Itmightbecomemonotonoustohaveonlyonepupil."

"I

hopenot,"saidAllanearnestly.

Whenhepressedhertonameanearlydayfortheirmarriage,Mabelsaid:"Beforewegoanyfurther,Ihaveaconfessiontomake.Ihopeitwon"tbedisagreeabletoyou."

Hesilentlyinclinedhisheadtolisten.

"WhotoldyouIhadlostmyproperty?"sheasked.

"Noone.Iinferreditfromfindingyouhere,teachingavillageschoolforsevendollarsaweek,"repliedAllan.

"What!Haveyouinquiredmyincomesoexactly?Ifearyouaremercenary."

"I

canrememberthetime——notsolongsince,either——whenIearnedlessthanthatbymyart.But,Mabel,whatdoyoumeanbyyourquestions?Ofcourseyouhavelostyourproperty."

"Thenmybankerhasfailedtoinformmeofit.No,Allan,IamnopoorerthanIeverwas."

"Why,then,didyoubecomeateacher?"askedAllanThorpe,bewildered.

"BecauseIwishedtobeofsomeservicetomykind;becauseIwastiredofthehollowfrivolityofthefashionableworld.Idon"tregretmyexperiment.I

neverexpectedtobesorichlyrewarded."

"Andyou,asrichasever,bestowyourhandonapoorartist?"heexclaimedalmostincredulously.

"Unlessthepoorartistwithdrawshisoffer,"sheansweredwithasmile.

OftheconversationthatfolloweditisneedfulonlytoreportthatitwasmutuallydecidedthatMabel"ssecretwastobekeptforthepresent.ShewasstilltobethepoorschoolteacherintheeyesofGranville.ThemarriagewastotakeplaceinOctober,MabelbeingreconciledtothebriefnessoftheengagementbytherepresentationthatOctoberwouldbeafavorablemonthforavoyagetoEurope.TheyhadalreadydecidedtospendtwoyearsinItaly.MabelhadalwayslongedtoseeItaly,anditwouldnodoubtbefullofdelightfulopportunitiesofimprovementinhisartforAllanThorpe.

Mabel"sengagementmadeasecondsensation,Mr.Chester"selopementbeingthefirst.

Manywerethecongratulationsoffered,thoughtheseweremingledwithregretthatsogoodateachershouldbelosttothevillage.Mr.Chesterheardthenewsingloomysilence.Hiswiferemarkedpatronizinglythatitwasaverysuitablematch,for"bothareaspooraspoverty,goodnessknows!"

TheweddingtookplacequietlyinOctober,andinGranville.NooneasyetknewthatMabelwasotherthansheseemed,thoughMr.Wilsonhadbeeninformedofherrealname.When,however,acheckforfivehundreddollarswashandedtohimashisfeeforcelebratingthemarriage,hefalteredinamazement,asheinquired,"Whatdoesthismean,Allan?"

"Itmeans,mydearuncle,thatMabelisnotonlyrichineveryvirtueandeveryaccomplishment,butsheisalsoburdenedwithalargeportionofthisworld"sgoods.Thisismyfirstopportunityforsayingwhatsheauthorizedmetosay,thatwewillgladlydefrayRalph"sexpensesthroughcollegewheneveryouarereadytosendhim."

"Godisindeedgoodtomeandmine!"saidtheminister,hisfacebeamingwithhappiness."Mydearchild"——thiswastoMabel——

"mayyoualwaysbeashappyasyouhavemadeus."

"Youhavemadeusallhappy,dearMabel,"saidherhusband."ItwasindeedablesseddaywhenyoucametoGranvilletoteach."