University of Virginia Library

4. CHAPTER IV.
A SCENE IN THE PAST.

It is moonlight in a southern land! A sparkling river flows
with silvery beauty amid green shores! In its winding course it
frets among rocky islets; kisses the lithe willow branch drooping
to drink its wave; smiles as it laves the velvet verge of melining
lawns, and darts with arrowy swiftness and flashing light between
rock bound gorges! or, emerging, foaming and agitated, like a
frightened deer, out of the wild vortex of some bristling cascade,
over which, when most rejoicing in its placid beauty, it was resistlessly
plunged into a yawning whirlpool—it smooths its ruffled
crest, and spreads broadly away to bathe woodland shores and
sweet-scented meadows; its bosom decked with pleasant islands
and enlivened by the graceful sail of some pleasure boat, or the
light canoe of the sportsman or trout-fisher.

It was night upon this river of the southern clime. A tasteful
villa upon its banks was bathed in the soft beams of the mellow
moon. Tall oaks, majestic patriarchs of the olden forest,
rose high and broadly limbed upon the lawn that lay around it,
and in front swept undulating to the bright gliding waters. The
fairest part of the lovely river stretched in beauty before the mansion.
From the spot above, where a wooded headland towered
dark and sublime, came to the ear of the listener upon the piazza,
the subdued murmuring of the waterfull, though at times heard
loud and rudely as the wind rose fitfully and wasted the roar along
the still night. Below was visible a far stretch of lowland, diversified
with clump of wood, and vast treeless meadow-land. Amid
this wide champaigne reappeared the river, after disappearing a
mile below the house, winding, fur receeding, like a league-long
serpent, his silvery scales gleaming in the moon-became. In front
of the house was a lake-like scene! The river had here expanded
its generous bosom, insinuating itself between many a pretty
grove and the mainland, and adding it, a lovely isle, to deck its own
domain. And beautifully had she arranged the stolen emeralds
upon her glittering bosom. Here a sweet spot not larger than a
lady's boudoir, rose out of the water not far from the shore, all
carpeted with green and shaded by tall umbrageous trees, that
with their wide-reaching branches, half canopied it from the noonday
sun, and at night letting in the broken moonbeams upon the
sward, created a spot where Queen Mab and her mischievous
train would have loved to hold their mad-cap revels. Not bow-shot
distant sprung from the steely breast of the shadowy wave a
dark ragged rock, its sides overgrown with tangled vines and
beautiful evergreens peeping from every crevice, its black, frowning
head beetling far over the deep water and menacing the adventurous
boatman who cast his lines in the dark quiet pools at its
base. In mid-river lay a floating paradise! It was a lawn-like
island, darkly wooded, and of the purest green in the sunny light.
Romantic, needle-like rocks towering on one side, relieved its
softer character, while its faintly illumined druidical groves gave
to it a calm and solemn beauty. A few deer roved its glades and
browsed upon its lawn, and its tree-coverts were vocal with the
songs of birds. The squirrel leaped from branch to branch joyous
and free, and the timid hare found there a secure retreat from
the roaming hound or the heartless gunner; for it was a part of
the domain of the villa, directly before which it lay. And this
was the scene from its drawing-room windows! Lawn and woodland,
river and islands, rocks and waterfalls! What besides these
was wanting to complete a perfect scene? Life. Hearts to feel
and minds to appreciate! Beings with cultivated tastes and having
souls filled with moral beauty, and deep unextinguishable love
for the pure and the good. And such a being was Eve Innes! In
the bosom of this sweet spot she had budded and blown a sweet
rose, fit ornament and fairest of the lovely paradise. An only
child, and early an orphan, she was reared in all the luxury and
indulgence that wealth, guided by paternal pride and tenderness,
could bestow. Lovely as a child, she grew far lovelier still as
she approached that sweet age when the child merges into the
maiden. At sixteen Eve was lovely beyond the beauty of maidens.
She was gentle and good as she was fair. Her carefully
cultured mind knew no unseemly weed, and her heart was morally
pure. Her father loved; nay, worshipped her! In her presence,
and gazing upon her innocent and celestial beauty, listening to
the music of her voice and treasuring up every look and smile,
was he only happy. We need not say that one whom we have described
so gentle and good returned with all her affection, and
strong and deep was love in her nature, his tenderness and indulgence.

About a mile from the villa of Mr. Innes, in an old mansion
gloomily but romantically situated on a rock overhanging the
waterfull, resided a gentleman of recluse habits. Little was
known of him, save that many years ago he arrived at Charlestown
from the West Indies, where rumor said he had been a merchant
and accumulated great wealth. He purchased the estate just
alluded to from the heir of the ancient family that had long held
it, and building a small gothic chateau within the sound and sight
of the caseade, there took up his abode with his youthful son and
a few slaves. He coldly met the courtesies of the gentlemen in
the neighborhood, and invariably declining all invitations, he was
soon neglected and suffered to follow the bent of his own humor,
though many dark stories were whispered of the manner in which
he had obtained his vast wealth.

Eve Innes was nine years of age; and being of a wild, adventurous
spirit, one morning, accompanied only by a little
negro lad of ten years of age, the almost constant companion and
attendant of her rambles, she got into a skiff, in which an old

lave fished daily for the table, and pushed gaily out into the calm
river. She could paddle and so could Sambo; and after sailing
about a little while near the shore, invited by the beauty of the
lawn-like island in the middle of the river, she pointed Sambo with
a shout in that direction, and they made the light wherry fly towards
its green shore. Alighting on the ribbon of white sand that
bordered it, she bounded towards the grove in pursuit of a squirrel
which she had started from a rock on which he had been very busily
seated upright on his hind legs, nibbling a nut, held very daintily
between his fore paws. Sambo lingered a moment to secure the
skiff and then went lumbering after her like a bear, with his naked
splaw feet, while she run like a deer.

The squirrel knew how to escape pursuit, and she was soon
panting and looking at the topmost limb of a maple, on which he
sat gazing down upon her with provoking coolness.

“Sambo, you must go up after him with a stick and drive him
down,” she said as her “man Friday” came up.

“Od, lors! missy Ebe, Sambo be sure tumble head fus' and
break he neck. Squrl too nimble on de toe for nigger, missy Ebe.
'Sides, if I cotch 'um he bite you!”

Eve looked at the limb again and then shaking her pretty head,
with a sweet childish pout on her beautiful mouth, went rambling
farther through the wood. Its solemn and sombre majesty struck
her young mind with awe! She did not run but walked slowly on
and gazed up and around her with wonder and a sweet fear upon
her countenance. How true is nature to her duty! She ever
speaks to the heart and teaches, as never man taught, the existence
and power of a Creator.

The child paused. All around her was grand. Nature reigned impressive
and alone. The thought of God sunk deep into the lovely
child's soul. It took hold of her inner-life and left there impressed
the eternal truth that she was created to live forever. The
effect was a strange sense of fear at her heart. But from the dark, aweawakening
woods she lifted her tear gushing eyes beyond them to the
blue skies overhead, looking down upon her through the leafy
branches like soft azure eyes of angels! Then descended as from
Heaven, a sweet peace upon her heart: the strange fear fled and
love filled her soul. The tears that fear caused to gush from her
eyes, love dried up with a smile of serenity and peace; she looked
round again upon the solemn and awe-awakening wood and said in
her heart, “God is love!”

Thus was Eve Innes taught truth. Nature was her teacher, and
the spirit of truth led her to look through Nature up to Nature's
God!

“Dar' a yabbit, Missy Ebe,” suddenly cried Sambo, who all
the while had been looking about with his great round white
eyes to see if he could discover another “squrl,” for his young
mistress to pursue.

Eve was instantly recalled to her sport-loving mood by the
sound of his voice, but the seed of another life had been sown in her
soul for eternity.

She saw the little brown rabbit, leaping away through the grove
and the sight gave her wings! Sambo, although he had started
first, was soon distanced and on, onward with affrighted leaps
bounded the beautiful animal, leading the pursuing girl deep into
the wood towards the centre of the island. With her bonnet held
by a string in her hand, her golden tresses floating like sunny
waves about her head, and her attitude all grace and spirit, on, onward
she pursued! Sambo was soon left behind and quite out of sight
—and the rabbit went further and further towards the other side of
the beautiful island. Glimpses of the river through the trees beyond
first warned her how far she had run: but she still saw
the rabbit, who after getting a good ways ahead would stop, prick
up his long ears and tempt her on to catch him; and then laying
his ears back would again bound away from her eager pursuit.

She stopped when she saw the river gliding past on the opposite
side of the; island and then looking back for Sambo and not
seeing him she began to think she was lost. The rabbit stopped,
also, just where the edge of the wood met the lawn that sloped
to the shore. She then thought she would try the chase once more
when, being out of the wood she should be able to see where she
was. The graceful little animal waited until she was within a few
feet of him and then went skipping over the soft sward, looking
back at every agile leap. A high rock lay before him half in the
water, and she feared he would run to the top and so she should
lose him; for she still had hopes of getting possession of him.
But the poor little hare's fate seemed likely to be a less happy
one than to be folded to her bosom. As, after one of his bounds,
he was sitting upright looking back at her, and prettily tossing
ts ears, suddenly a large greyhound darted from behind the rock
and seized it in his mouth! Eve shrieked, perhaps as much in
alarm at the unexpected presence of the dog, as at the fate of poor
puss. Her shriek brought also from behind the rock a handsome,
dark complexioned boy, about fourteen years old, with a gun in his
hand. A glance at Eve and at his greyhound showed him the
cause of the out-cry, and calling to his dog in a stern tone he
bade him release the rabbit, at the same time running towards
him and striking him with his gun. The dog dropped the terrified
animal, which lay upon the ground seemingly without life. Regardless
of the lad, Eve darted forward and caught it up, and seeing
no blood placed her hand upon its little heart. It throbbed and she
knew that it had been more frightened than hurt.

“Is it wounded, Miss?” asked the lad with gentle interest in
the fate of what he supposed was a `pet.' If Stag has hurt him
he shall be whipped for it.”

“It is only frightened! Poor puss! You were very good
to call the grey-hound off. Oh, I have chased it so far. And
I should have been very sorry if Stag—is that his name?” “Yes.”
—“should have hurt it—for I was the cause of making it come
this side of the Island.” While she spoke the boy remained gazing
upon her lovely, flushed countenance, with deep admiration,
which his sparkling eye, and the heightened glow on his cheek
betrayed to be deep and feeling for one of his years. He was
tall, and finely formed with black hair, large expressive eyes,
and a mouth of singular beauty and haughtiness. His carriage
was proud and free, and his bearing was that of one impetuous
and little controlled. His gaze was earnest, yet respectful—ardent,
yet timid. Eve, by her caresses, in a short time restored the
little trembler to his senses. It looked terrified and shrunk with
in her arm as if fearing the boy rather than his lovely captor. Eve
was gratifled at this confidence and smiling, said prettily,

“Your large dark eyes terrify little puss. See how she nestles.”

The boy smiled in return and replied, with gallantry, “So
they alarm not its pretty mistress, I care nothing for puss's love.”

“But they will alarm me, sir, if you keep looking at me so earnestly
with them,” she said half in seriousness.

He again laughed and turned to call his hound who was straying.
He then looked at her a moment steadily and said in a low
tone—

“Are you not Eve Innes?”

“Yes.”

“I knew no one else could be so beautiful.”

Eve was scarcely ten; yet she dropped her eyes, blushed, and
felt confused she knew not why. She lifted her eyes and meeting
his full dark gaze let them fall again; and then thinking suddenly
of Sambo, she said hurriedly—

“I have lost my waiting man,” and she then called him in a
clear musical tone that all the singing birds took up. Never was
“Sambo” so sweetly repeated.

After listening a moment, he asked how she reached the island.
She told him and also how she had been led away by the
flight of the rabbit.

“Let Sambo find his way back as he can to the skiff,” he
said; and pointing behind the rock, added with earnestness—
“Here is my boat. I will row you home. Stag shall not go in
it but wait till I come back for him.”

Eve made some objections to leaving Sambo; but the enthusiastic
boy silenced them by assuring her that the negro was already

back in the skiff fast asleep waiting for her, and with the
promise that on landing her he would see that Sambo soon followed
her.

He then assisted her into the boat, from which he and Stag had
just landed at the rock when Eve and the rabbit made their appearance.

“Stag shall go too. How wistful he looks to get in,” said Eve
The boat is large enough, and I know he will lie quietly in the
bottom. I will be his friend because he did not harm my little
rabbit. But oh, you sadly frightened her, naughty Stag! Come
in sir!”

The dog with a grateful look, bounded in and crouched on the
bottom, in the centre of the boat and creeping gradually nigher
rested his nose on Eve's foot.

“I envy Stag,” said the boy as he pushed from the rock.

“Envy a dog!”

“You have said you will be his friend.”

“And I will be yours too, for calling him off!” she said laughing
in her frank, joyous-hearted way. “I shall keep puss as
a present from you, if you will let me.”

“Will you?” he said with a kindling eye and pleased look.
“If you like such things I will bring you squirrels and birds,
and I have a pet fawn at home you shall have.”

“Oh, how I should love a fawn! But,” and she suddenly
changed countenance and look at him very seriously, “but you
have not told me yet who you are?”

“I am afraid you will not take my fawn if I should tell you!”
he said confused, and bending down to his light oars.

“I hope you are not any body very bad,” she said archly,
yet not without a little fear.

“I am Mr. Carleton's son.”

“That dark, stern man that lives at Rock-Head!” she repeated
with a grave look. “Are you his son? I have heard you
were as wild and savage as an Indian, and as dark! But you
don't look savage, and I like a dark face! I wish we had been
friends before, how many a nice sail we should have had together.
What is your name?”

“George Edward,” he said, his face clearing up.

“I like Edward better than George, and will call you Edward.
But does your father live in a great black castle, and never go
out doors, and when his slaves offend him does he put them in
a dungeon that runs far under the river and starve them to
death?”

Edward smiled and then looked dark and displeased. At length
he answered, “Do you believe such stories, Eve?”

“No, not now that I have known you,” she said with a frank
look of confidence.

“My father, Eve, is like other men, human and kind. He
suffers from grief, and solitude he covets because he can be
most happy alone.”

“What grieves him?”

“That I know not. He treats me with kindness, but lets me
have my own way. Sometimes he is stern and terrible. I should
fear to anger him or incur his displeasure. He treats the servants
with gentleness and never has starved any to death, I assure
you, Eve.”

“And is there no black dungeon running far under the water at
his house?”

“No. They are idle tales with which the negroes have amused
you in the nursery.”

“Then I won't believe them, Edward. Oh, there is Sambo in
the boat trying to push her off. He sees me and you wont have
to go back to find him; so you can go up to the house with me
and show Sambo how to make a cage to put my little rabbit in.
I want Pa to see you! He is gone into Charleston to-day, but
he will be at home soon. He wouldn't guess you were Mr. Carleton's
son.”

“Why, Eve?”

“Because you are handsome, good and kind, and are not
near so black as an Indian.”

In a few minutes they landed upon the lawn, and with strange
sensitiveness the lad refused her warm invitation to accompany her
to the mansion, saying he would the next day meet her by the
water, and row her to the island.

And many were the meetings by the water, and the happy row,
to the island, and glad ramble through its shades, of the youthful
pair. The intimacy so began, grew with their growth. Every
where, and almost daily, Edward Carleton was Eve's companion.
Mr. Innes took a fancy to him, and suffered the companionship.
Eve reached her sixteenth year, and, instead of childish rambles,
Edward was ever at her side, when she rode on horseback, when
she walked by moonlight through the ground, or sat by her harp
or piano. They drew and painted together, and he taught her
Italian, the language of love. His voice mingled with hers in the
soul-warming song, and the glances of their eyes melted into one,
as each looked at the other, at some tender sentiment, for sympathy
of feeling. In Mr. Innes eyes Eve was still a child, and he
thought not of love; he guarded her no more at sixteen than at
ten. Edward, under a governer some hours daily at home, was
regarded by both parties as a boy, and no thought was taken of
the dangerous intimacy, of two young and passionate creatures.
But all too late would now have been the guard, that should have
been earlier set over Eve by her father, if he had feared her union
with Mr. Carleton's son. But marriage and Eve, he had never for
a moment associated together. His life was wrapped up in her.
But she had now another object for her regard; an object that called
into being a new and stronger love. As the sun-flower of her
young passion unfolded with her maiden years, it turned towards
him by her side, as to the sun-God of her love. Her heart had grown
to his, and love for him, as she grew in years, became her second
life. Oh, how deep and pure and comprehensive was her affection.
She knew no other happiness than to love him It was
beautiful to witness her holy affection; for holy and hallowed it
was by the pure, guideless heart from which it grew. And so she
loved him with all her being, yet loved her her? No.

Dark and gloomy and stern was his nature, and men said it came
from his sire; but what man knew his sire? There was much in
the mode in which young Edward had been brought up, in the
influences which he was subjected to, in the example of his father's
gloomy life; wild and uncontrolled wanderings from boyhood,
and the proud independence of his way of life, to from such
a character as his. He was dark and stern, and for a young man,
strangely so; but he was never thus in the presence of Eve. To
her he exhibited, as if reflected from her pure bosom, a kind and
generous and manly nature, with a mind susceptible of the finest
and most elevated sentiments, and a heart alive to every frank and
noble impulse. So Mr. Innes knew him; and so she knew him, and
loved him. And when love got deep rooted in her life, and
the darker features of his being, would suddenly unveil themselves
to her, she would not see them, but hide them with the veil of
her sweet love; and with a smile turn the night into the sunny
noon.

But we may not linger over the scenes of these days of seeming
happiness and promise. One day when Eve was past sixteen, and
Edward nineteen, Mr. Innes returned from Charleston, and Eve
flew to meet him. His face was pale, and wore a look of anxiety
mlnged with displeasure. He scarcely noticed her embrace, but
said hurriedly yet tenderly,

“Has Edward Carleton been with you to day, Eve?”

“He is in the drawing room, finishing a landscape for me,” she
answered timidly, alarmed by his look and manner.

“Eve, return by the piazza to your room awhile. I would speak
with him alone.”

Trembling she knew not why, and foreboding some evil, the
maiden obeyed. Mr. Innes walked into the drawing-room through
one of the open lawn-windows and approaching the young
man, who was engaged in finishing a painting by Eve from a
sketch of his own, said haughtily and sternly, for he was a noble,
gentlemanly looking man, and a proud stern air became him.

“Mr. Carleton, I desire that from this day your visits to my
house cease.”

Edward had turned round on hearing his step, and laid aside
his pencil. He now rose to his full height, a tall, dark handsome
youth, or rather a young man, and flashing back a haughty glance
demanded what he meant by such an address to him.

“I have heard that your father, sir, was a Slave-stealer; and
that his fortune was accumulated by this atrocious trade.”

“'Tis false!” cried Edward fiercely, his temples burning with
the blood of shame and anger.

“Nay 'tis true, young man. I hold the proof. But this I should
less heed, though the parent's stain must affix to the son in every
society. But there is a charge against yourself, personally, which
must forever shut my doors against you.”

“Name it, sir,” said Edward in a quiet voice—but with an eye
like a burning lake, and a lip and cheek as white as marble.

“That you are a gambler so noted, that not a black-leg in
Charleston but has your name familiarly on his tongue's end.
You have also in a fit of wrath shot one of your own slaves so
that he died. I know not how you have won for yourself such a
damning character so secretly. I could not have believed the
least of these, yet the least is greatest, but that I have the most
convincing proof. Some of my friends seeing my blindness, in
reference to your intimacy with my dear child, concerned themselves
to get the proofs, and to day opened my eyes to my weak
folly, and then placed them in my hands.”

“May the infernal devils take your friends for their pains,” he
said, with an eye and brow like lightning playing fiercely from a
dark cloud.

“This unbridled emotion, and fierce language convinces me,”
said Mr Innes with dignified resentment. “There sir!” and Mr
Innes pointed significantly to the door.

Carleton smiled proudly and revengfully; and slowly crossing
the room howed haughtily to Mr Innes and left the house. Flinging
himself upon his horse, he galloped off like a whirlwind, bearing
one within his bosom, and the plunging hoofs of his steed
were heard far down the avenue ere they were lost to the ear.
Then Mr Innes, with an expression on his countenance of deep
heart-suffering, pressed his hand to his head and sunk upon a sofa.

Eve overheard the high voice of her father, and the stern tones
of Carleton; but could distinguish nothing. Oh, what ages of
suspense were those moments. How agonizing the feelings of
evil forhoding that oppressed her heart. The quick, fiery step of
Edward as he left the house roused her; she flew to her window
to see him dashing past the window at mad speed.

“Oh, God, what has occurred!” she cried with anguish inexpressible;
and unable to endure the suspense that made her heart
seem as if a world's weight lay upon it, she hastened to the drawing-room

The interview between father and daughter, it is not necessary
to describe. Eve was told all that her father knew, and was borne
lifeless to her chamber; and he in that painful interview learned
with grief and self-inflicted reproach, the pure, deep faithful attachment
of his beloved child for the depraved young man.

Instead of an episode of one chapter, we could here make a
novel of the scenes that followed the expulsion of Edward Carleton
from the mansion of Eve's father. That he loved her not truly,
is proven by the fact that he left home that very day, and sailed
from Charleston in a Spanish vessel to Havana. His wanderings,
we do not follow, nor express the crimes in which he was a participator.
During the first few weeks of his absence, Mr Innes
hung night and day over the couch of delirium. Eve's ravings
betrayed to him how deep and in-woven with her life-chords, was his
child's love for the outcast. At length she recovered and seemed
to forget him. She spoke not of him, indeed she spoke but little,
and seemed to live within a world of her own thoughts.

By and by grief and self-condemnation and anxiety together
preyed upon her father's health. He was first confined to the
house; than to the easy chair; then tookto his bed. His evident
danger restored all Eve's energies. She watched by him night
and day like an angel; and when after weeks of lingering disease,
he sunk to the last rest left for man, she closed his eyes and gave
in silent prayer his spirit to God.

Eve was now an orphan; and an heiress; but, by the stern testament
of her father, penniless if she wedded with Edward Carleton?
thus do men make their prejudices live after them, and though
dead yet retain power aud authority binding on the living. A
female relative now came to reside with Eve who still remained in
her father's house.

In the meanwhile Mr. Carleton kept secluded as before at Rockhead.
If he knew of his son's attachment, and the cause of his abrupt
departure from his roof, no one was aware of it. His son had been
absent about a year, and Mr. Innes deceased nearly half that period,
when one of his negroes was seen riding to town at full
speed for a physician. The next day it was rumored that the
Master of Rock-head was attacked with paralysis of one side, and
that his life was in danger. The succeeding day an attorney was
seen riding very fast towards Rock-head, and the day following it
was noised abroad that the mysterious occupant of Rock-head was
no more. But we must trespass on a portion of another chapter
for the remainder of our episode.