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Margarita's Soul: The Romantic Recollections of a Man of Fifty, a novel by Josephine Daskam Bacon |
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Part Four. In Which The Stream Winds Through A Sullen Marsh And Becomes A Brook - Chapter 13. Straws That Showed The Wind |
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_ PART FOUR. IN WHICH THE STREAM WINDS THROUGH A SULLEN MARSH AND BECOMES A BROOK CHAPTER XIII. STRAWS THAT SHOWED THE WIND Alas for this unlucky womb! Alas my son that grew so strong! Sir Hugh and the Mermaiden.
BOSTON, Sept. 7th, 188-- MY DEAR ROGER: Your mother, I am sorry to say, is not physically able to answer your surprising and most disturbing letter, and has laid upon me the unpleasant task of doing so. It is, as you somewhat brusquely say, unnecessary to discuss at any length what you have done, since it is irrevocable. We can but feel, however, that a thing so hastily entered upon can be productive of no good (if, indeed, the matter has been as sudden as you lead us to suppose). To a woman of your mother's deep family pride this alliance with a nameless girl from the streets, practically, if I am to read your letter aright, can be nothing short of humiliating. She instructs me to tell you that she can take no cognisance of any such connection with any justice to the family interests, and that although you will always be welcome here, she cannot undertake to extend the welcome further with any sincerity of heart. I sent, following your suggestions, for Winfred Jerrolds, but I cannot say that his evidently unwilling admissions made the affair any the more palatable--how could they? Some of the inferences I was forced to draw I cannot bring myself to discuss, even with your mother. Winfred's French bringing up and the influence of a weakly affectionate mother have singularly warped his moral perception. It is impossible for us not to feel that had you followed Aunt Miriam's advice and established yourself in Boston, these dreadful results would have been avoided. I try to believe that with the altered standards of the city you have chosen your very fibre has so weakened that you cannot grasp the extent of the mistake you have made. Winfred Jerrolds may, as you say, have been your best friend, in one sense, but I fear that sense is a very narrow one. He has certainly succeeded beyond anything he could have hoped in his connection with our family. I always thought his attentions to Uncle Winthrop unnatural in so young a boy, but he was always politic. I am informed by Uncle Searsy's partner that nothing can be done about it; you will be pleased, probably. You will realise, I hope, that living as I do with Aunt Miriam, I cannot with propriety take any course counter to hers in the matter of your marriage. It may be that she will be more reconciled with time--I hope so, for it must be a terrible thought for you that she might die with such feelings as she now has for her only son! Your affectionate cousin, SARAH THAYER BRADLEY.
STRATFORD, CONN., Sept. 7th, 188-- MY DARLING BOY: This is a hasty note to tell you that I am afraid I cannot come to you and help dear Roger's bride (how interesting and beautiful she must be!) for I must stay and nurse poor old Jeanne, who has had a bad fall putting up the new curtains and nearly fractured her hip. She is in a great deal of pain and cannot bear anyone but me about her. I should enjoy helping Roger's wife with her trousseau--how did he happen to go to the island she lives on? Is she one of the Devonshire Prynnes? Your father knew a Colonel Prynne--cavalry, I think. How you will miss Roger--for it will be different, now, Winfred--it must be, you know. Oh, my dear boy, if only I could help your wife! If only I could see you with children of your own! Don't wait too long. Your father and I had but four years together, but I would live my whole life over again with no change, for those four. I must go to Jeanne, now. Your loving MOTHER.
NEWTON, MASS., Sept. 10th, 188-- DEAR JERRY: I hope you and Roger will not think me unkind, but Walter will not hear of my looking up Roger's wife, as you ask me. You see Mother has just begun to to be nice to him, and we can't afford to lose her good-will, Winfred--we simply can't. I think Roger has a perfect right to marry whom he chooses and I don't believe a word of the horrid things Sarah says. They are not true, are they? But of course they're not. But why did Roger do it so suddenly? Why not let us meet her first? What will people think? She will hate me, I suppose, but Roger knows what we have suffered from Mother and I hope he will understand. Walter's eyes have been very bad, lately, and Mother is going to get Cousin Wolcott Sears to send him on some confidential business to Germany, the voyage will do him so much good! Do explain to Roger--he will understand. And ask him to write to me, if he will. Yours always, ALICE BRADLEY-CARTER.
3---- COMMONWEALTH AVE., Boston, Mass., Sept. 12th, 188-- MY DEAR ROGER: Your mother has communicated to me the facts of your marriage, and while I cannot pretend that I feel the haste and apparent mystery surrounding it are entirely satisfactory to your aunt and myself, I have hastened to point out to your mother that a man of your age and known character is beyond question competent to use his judgment in such a matter and that I cannot believe you so unworthy of the family traditions as she feels you to have shown yourself. In any case, I disapprove heartily of any public break or scandal, and in the event of her failing to reverse her decision, which I believe to be too severe and unjustifiable in view of your consistently clean record in all your family relations, I am writing to offer you, in your aunt's name as well as my own, the hospitality of our house as long as you and Mrs. Bradley care to avail yourselves of it. With every hope that this distressing situation may be quietly and privately adjusted, and regards to Mrs. Bradley from your aunt and myself, believe me, Yours faithfully, WOLCOTT SEARS.
UNIVERSITY CLUB, NEW YORK, Sept. 13th, 188-- DEAR JERRY: I can't resist sending you a line to tell you of my encounter with Russell Dodge, just now. You might drop Roger a hint of it if you like, not going into details, of course. I hope it will be for the best. I was so hot at the fellow's impertinence I let myself get caught into a lie, I'm afraid, but like Tom Sawyer's aunt, I can't help feeling "it was a good lie!" He was dining here with a set of pretty well-known New York men and I had my back to his table. Suddenly I heard Roger's name and a great deal of laughing and in a moment I found myself overhearing (unavoidably) a disgusting and scandalous piece of gossip. In some strange way a garbled account of his marriage has come in from Boston, and Dodge, with that infernally suggestive way of his, was cackling about Roger's "jumping over the broomstick" with a "handsome gypsy" and letting his relatives believe the thing was serious in order to tease his stiff-necked family. I tell you, it made me hot! I jumped up and looked that fellow Dodge as straight in the eye as anyone can look him, and said, "I beg your pardon for this interruption, Dodge, but you happen to be making more of a fool of yourself than usual. As regards the lady you are speaking of, I married her myself at her father's country place, last week, with Winfred Jerrolds as best man." He mumbled something or other, but I forced him to apologise plainly, and they all heard him. Then he said that he had understood that no one in Boston even knew what her name was, and I said almost (I hope!) before I thought, "she was a Miss Prynne." Then I left for the writing-room. My only excuse is that Roger himself did not correct that fellow from the station when he called her that, and, honestly, I couldn't turn on my heel and leave that last remark open. I'm ready to eat dirt, if need be, but for a fire-eating parson I still think I did pretty well! To think of my running against Dodge again after all these years--you remember our famous duel? What a strange day we had out there! Let me know how Roger feels about it. It's sure to be in the papers now, I suppose. The name, I mean--I've quashed the other part, of course. Yours faithfully, TYLER FESSENDEN ELDER.
3--WASHINGTON SQUARE, Sept. 14th, 188-- JERRY DEAR: It occurred to me in the middle of the night that you might be excused for thinking me cold and uninterested in your request apropos of Roger's wife, and I can't bear you to think so for a moment. Shall I be quite frank (and how foolish to be anything else with you, dear Win!) and admit that I was just a little hurt that Roger had not told me? It was stupid of me, I know, and I hereby forgive him--before he asks me, par exemple! I do it thus quickly, I am afraid, because of an unusually nasty letter from Sarah. How can a woman be so good and yet so horrid? If Roger has been unwise, all the more reason for us to stand by him! But apparently he has not, and you are under the same spell that bewitched him--don't attempt to deny it. Madam Bradley threatens us all with excommunication, it seems, but n'importe--she has been kind to me, in her alabaster way, but it is incredible that I should desert Roger after his unspeakable goodness to me. I will meet you whenever and wherever you say and give the new Mrs. Roger the benefit of whatever good taste Providence has blessed me with--I am a past mistress of the art of a hasty trousseau, I assure you! And I pray she may wear hers more happily than I did mine. Be sure to let me know the moment I am wanted. Let Roger know how glad I am--if he asks. What friends you two are! I wonder if you know what you are losing? Probably not--men don't foresee, I suppose. Your friend always, SUE PAYNTER.
SEARS, BRADLEY AND SEARS Attorneys and Counsellors-at-Law Cable Address, Vellashta 2--COURT STREET, BOSTON, MASS. Sept. 12th, 188-- WINFRED JERROLDS, ESQ., University Club, New York, N. Y. DEAR SIR: We are instructed by the heirs and next-of-kin of the late Mr. Winthrop Bradley and by Mr. Sears Bradley, as his administrator appointed by the Probate Court, to advise you that the will of Mr. Winthrop Bradley, of the existence of which we have so long felt confident, has finally been discovered in an unexpected way and that you are the principal legatee thereunder. We are further instructed to advise you that its genuineness is unquestioned. We are already taking steps to probate the will here and in North Carolina. You will see by the will, of which we enclose you copy, that Mr. Winthrop Bradley bequeathed to you $100,000--in bonds of the ---- Co., which bear 4-1/2 per cent. interest, and in addition his lands in ---- and ---- Counties, North Carolina, which aggregate about 12,000 acres, and of which a part has been farmed on shares for a number of years past, bringing in an annual income varying between $75 and $250 above the taxes on the whole tract. We shall be pleased to receive any instructions you desire to give us in the premises. We remain, Yours very respectfully, SEARS, BRADLEY AND SEARS.
News of will forwarded in packet from office. More glad than can say, deserve it all. Cold wave here and shall take noon express Thursday. Sail Saturday. R. B. _ |
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