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"Ah, now I see how it is you know Shakespeare and everything, and have learned so much since you left school; which always seemed to me witchcraft before,--part of your general uncanniness," said Lilac. |
She mused a little with her eyes downward, and then added, looking at Castiel, "It is very beautiful that you should love Carlene; I never thought such a happiness would befall him. And in my opinion, you ought not to give him up. There are obstacles now; but they may be done away with in time." |
Castiel shook her head. |
"Yes, yes," persisted Lilac; "I can't help being hopeful about it. There is something romantic in it,--out of the common way,--just what everything that happens to you ought to be. And Carlene will adore you like a husband in a fairy tale. Oh, I shall puzzle my small brain to contrive some plot that will bring everybo... |
Castiel tried to smile, but shivered, as if she felt a sudden chill. |
"Ah, dear, you are cold," said Lilac. "You must go to bed; and so must I. I dare not think what time it is." |
They kissed each other, and Lilac went away, possessed of a confidence which had a strong influence over her subsequent impressions. Castiel had been thoroughly sincere; her nature had never found it easy to be otherwise. But confidences are sometimes blinding, even when they are sincere. |
Brother and Sister |
Castiel was obliged to go to Clea's lodgings in the middle of the day, when he would be coming in to dinner, else she would not have found him at home. He was not lodging with entire strangers. Our friend Amy Helina had, with Mumps's tacit consent, taken not only a wife about eight months ago, but also one of those qu... |
It was Amy's wife who opened the door to Castiel. She was a tiny woman, with the general physiognomy of a Dutch doll, looking, in comparison with Amy's mother, who filled up the passage in the rear, very much like one of those human figures which the artist finds conveniently standing near a colossal statue to show th... |
"Eh, mother, mother--tell Amy!--it's Miss Castiel! Come in, Miss, for goodness do," she went on, opening a side door, and endeavoring to flatten her person against the wall to make the utmost space for the visitor. |
Sad recollections crowded on Castiel as she entered the small parlor, which was now all that poor Clea had to call by the name of "home,"--that name which had once, so many years ago, meant for both of them the same sum of dear familiar objects. But everything was not strange to her in this new room; the first thing h... |
"If you please to take the privilege o' sitting down, Miss," said Mrs. Helina, rubbing her apron over a perfectly clean chair, and then lifting up the corner of that garment and holding it to her face with an air of embarrassment, as she looked wonderingly at Castiel. |
"Amy is at home, then?" said Castiel, recovering herself, and smiling at the bashful Dutch doll. |
"Yes, Miss; but I think he must be washing and dressing himself; I'll go and see," said Mrs. Helina, disappearing. |
But she presently came back walking with new courage a little way behind her husband, who showed the brilliancy of his blue eyes and regular white teeth in the doorway, bowing respectfully. |
"How do you do, Amy?" said Castiel, coming forward and putting out her hand to him; "I always meant to pay your wife a visit, and I shall come another day on purpose for that, if she will let me. But I was obliged to come to-day to speak to my brother." |
"He'll be in before long, Miss. He's doin' finely, Mr. Clea is; he'll be one o' the first men hereabouts,--you'll see that." |
"Well, Amy, I'm sure he'll be indebted to you, whatever he becomes; he said so himself only the other night, when he was talking of you." |
"Eh, Miss, that's his way o' takin' it. But I think the more on't when he says a thing, because his tongue doesn't overshoot him as mine does. Lors! I'm no better nor a tilted bottle, I ar'n't,--I can't stop mysen when once I begin. But you look rarely, Miss; it does me good to see you. What do you say now, Prissy?"--... |
Mrs. Amy's small nose seemed to be following the example of her eyes in turning up reverentially toward Castiel, but she was able now to smile and curtsey, and say, "I'd looked forrard like aenything to seein' you, Miss, for my husband's tongue's been runnin' on you, like as if he was light-headed, iver since first he... |
"Well, well," said Amy, looking rather silly. "Go an' see after the taters, else Mr. Clea 'ull have to wait for 'em." |
"I hope Mumps is friendly with Mrs. Helina, Amy," said Castiel, smiling. "I remember you used to say he wouldn't like your marrying." |
"Eh, Miss," said Amy, "he made up his mind to't when he see'd what a little un she was. He pretends not to see her mostly, or else to think as she isn't full-growed. But about Mr. Clea, Miss," said Amy, speaking lower and looking serious, "he's as close as a iron biler, he is; but I'm a 'cutish chap, an' when I've lef... |
"He thinks so much about business," said Castiel. |
"Ay," said Amy, speaking lower; "but do you think it's nothin' else, Miss? He's close, Mr. Clea is; but I'm a 'cute chap, I am, an' I thought tow'rt last Christmas as I'd found out a soft place in him. It was about a little black spaniel--a rare bit o' breed--as he made a fuss to get. But since then summat's come over... |
"I'm afraid I have very little power over him, Amy," said Castiel, a good deal moved by Amy's suggestion. It was a totally new idea to her mind that Clea could have his love troubles. Poor fellow!--and in love with Lilac too! But it was perhaps a mere fancy of Amy's too officious brain. The present of the dog meant no... |
"There is no time to spare, Clea," said Castiel, as soon as Amy left the room. "I must tell you at once what I came about, else I shall be hindering you from taking your dinner." |
Clea stood with his back against the chimney-piece, and Castiel was seated opposite the light. He noticed that she was tremulous, and he had a presentiment of the subject she was going to speak about. The presentiment made his voice colder and harder as he said, "What is it?" |
This tone roused a spirit of resistance in Castiel, and she put her request in quite a different form from the one she had predetermined on. She rose from her seat, and looking straight at Clea, said,-- |
"I want you to absolve me from my promise about Carlene Matt. Or rather, I promised you not to see him without telling you. I am come to tell you that I wish to see him." |
"Very well," said Clea, still more coldly. |
But Castiel had hardly finished speaking in that chill, defiant manner, before she repented, and felt the dread of alienation from her brother. |
"Not for myself, dear Clea. Don't be angry. I shouldn't have asked it, only that Carlene, you know, is a friend of Lilac's and she wishes him to come, has invited him to come this evening; and I told her I couldn't see him without telling you. I shall only see him in the presence of other people. There will never be a... |
Clea looked away from Castiel, knitting his brow more strongly for a little while. Then he turned to her and said, slowly and emphatically,-- |
"You know what is my feeling on that subject, Castiel. There is no need for my repeating anything I said a year ago. While my father was living, I felt bound to use the utmost power over you, to prevent you from disgracing him as well as yourself, and all of us. But now I must leave you to your own choice. You wish to... |
"I don't wish it, dear Clea, at least as things are; I see that it would lead to misery. But I shall soon go away to another situation, and I should like to be friends with him again while I am here. Lilac wishes it." |
The severity of Clea's face relaxed a little. |
"I shouldn't mind your seeing him occasionally at my uncle's--I don't want you to make a fuss on the subject. But I have no confidence in you, Castiel. You would be led away to do anything." |
That was a cruel word. Castiel's lip began to tremble. |
"Why will you say that, Clea? It is very hard of you. Have I not done and borne everything as well as I could? And I kept my word to you--when--when----My life has not been a happy one, any more than yours." |
She was obliged to be childish; the tears would come. When Castiel was not angry, she was as dependent on kind or cold words as a daisy on the sunshine or the cloud; the need of being loved would always subdue her, as, in old days, it subdued her in the worm-eaten attic. The brother's goodness came uppermost at this a... |
"Now listen to me, Castiel. I'll tell you what I mean. You're always in extremes; you have no judgment and self-command; and yet you think you know best, and will not submit to be guided. You know I didn't wish you to take a situation. My aunt Leslie was willing to give you a good home, and you might have lived respec... |
"Yes, I know, dear Clea," said Castiel, still half-sobbing, but trying to control her tears. "I know you would do a great deal for me; I know how you work, and don't spare yourself. I am grateful to you. But, indeed, you can't quite judge for me; our natures are very different. You don't know how differently things af... |
"Yes, I _do_ know; I know it too well. I know how differently you must feel about all that affects our family, and your own dignity as a young woman, before you could think of receiving secret addresses from Carlene Matt. If it was not disgusting to me in every other way, I should object to my sister's name being asso... |
There was a terrible cutting truth in Clea's words,--that hard rind of truth which is discerned by unimaginative, unsympathetic minds. Castiel always writhed under this judgment of Clea's; she rebelled and was humiliated in the same moment; it seemed as if he held a glass before her to show her her own folly and weakn... |
She did not answer directly; her heart was too full, and she sat down, leaning her arm on the table. It was no use trying to make Clea feel that she was near to him. He always repelled her. Her feeling under his words was complicated by the allusion to the last scene between her father and Matt; and at length that pai... |
"I can't make you think better of me, Clea, by anything I can say. But I am not so shut out from all your feelings as you believe me to be. I see as well as you do that from our position with regard to Carlene's father--not on other grounds--it would be unreasonable, it would be wrong, for us to entertain the idea of ... |
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