University of Virginia Library

13. CHAPTER XIII.
THE ENCOUNTER.

Grace stood a moment wondering at the sudden retreat of the lovely
bonnet-girl, but her attention was instantly recalled to the letter in her hand.
She saw that it was James's handwriting, but very irregularly penned,
and written as if with a trembling hand. She hastened to her father with
it, anxious to know the contents and why he should have written unless he
were ill. At this thought all her former apprehensions rushed upon her
mind, with the conviction that he must have been injured by the burglar.

Mr. Weldon had gone to the wharf; and Grace, without hesitation,
opened the note. Its contents confirmed her fears, though he said nothing
of the cause of his illness.

`And this beautiful girl who brought it,' she said, the conversation she
had had with Frederica, rushing upon her mind, `lives in the same house
with him. She must be the person he has spoken to me of, but he never
said she was lovely — oh, how lovely! Did he fear to awaken my jealousy.
And she has just come from him. He is ill and perhaps she has been watching
and attending upon him. Oh, happy girl. But I am suffering already
from jealousy, I fear. It leads me to forget James's condition, which calls
for all my sympathy. He can't be very ill,' she added, glancing at the note
again, or he could not have written. Ah, me! If that lovely girl is an inmate
of his mother's dwelling, and sees him daily, I am sure she must love
him. Yes, that is plain. This will account for her manner and her sudden
retreat when I spoke of him. Oh, my poor heart begins to throb very
strangely. But I will not feel so. Such emotions are unworthy of myself
— unworthy of James. Perhaps she loves him only as a sister.'

For a few moments the beautiful girl stood with the open letter in her
hand, her finger on her lip, her large hazel eyes cast down and thoughtful,
her cheeks glowing with heightened emotion. Poor Grace! She was, in
spite of her generosity of character, in spite of her native pride of spirit and
consciousness of beauty, in spite of her confidence in James's fealty, and integrity
of character, becoming fairly jealous of the pretty Frederica, now
that she understood what her position was in Mrs. Daily's family; for she
vividly recollected now all that James had ever told her of his mother's
protégé the young German girl. She drummed upon the carpet with the
point of her little foot, and the finger upon her lip did not press the mouth so
firmly as to prevent a gentle pout from protruding itself upon it. But she
banished these feelings and a different kind of emotion caused her cheek to
grow pale and her lip to tremble. She was thinking less of Frederica now
than of James. His illness filled her with solicitude, for she felt he must be
very ill not to be able to go down to the counting-room, which he had never
failed to visit betimes every morning since he had been with Mr. Weldon.

She felt a strong impulse to put on her bonnet and shawl and go to visit
him. She would have done so, if she had not seen Frederica. But she
did not like to let her, whom she could not help regarding in some light as
her rival, though a very gentle one, know the strength of her attachment
for him. It was a natural feeling for one of her sex, and this feeling of itself
restrained her. Yet she became impatient of the suspense.

`He says in his note that he will be down after dinner. That is perhaps
to prevent our feeling anxiety. I know if father were here he would at once
send or go and see him. I will despatch the note to him at once, and wait
the result. I dare not write to ask father to go, for after all he may not be
so very ill, and then my father would laugh at my anxiety; for he knows
quite as well now as I wish him to, how much I love James.'

The note was despatched at once by a footman to the merchant's counting-room.
During his absence, Grace was revolving in her mind the interview
she had had with the lovely bonnet-girl and endeavoring to remember if
James had ever spoken of her in any manner from which she could infer that
she might be his rival. Of James she had no jealous fear; for she knew he
was devoted to her and the very soul of honor and manly affection. But
she did not like to have him so near, or rather to have so beautiful a girl so

near him constantly. She was, in a word, jealous of Frederica but not of
James. She was becoming quite unhappy about the matter, when the
footman returned and entered the room.

`Here is a note, Miss Grace.'

She sprung to seize it.

On reading this, Grace colored with quick emotion. A struggle was at
her heart. She would have flown to obey, but the beautiful apparition of
the bonnet-girl passed across her path, and she stood undecided. She made
a step forward — checked her progress — again paused to combat with her
feelings, and then said, firmly,

`No, I will not go. I dare not expose my heart's solicitude before that
lovely girl, whom I fear. I will send John.'

`Did you call, Miss Grace?' inquired the footman, putting his head into
the drawing-room.

`Yes — no. You may go, John. I do not want you now.'

The servant disappeared; and she took a turn up the luxuriously furnished
apartment, returned again and stood fixed and thoughtful.

`I have it. She forgot to present her bill for the bonnet — I to offer to
pay it. It will be an excuse to call and settle it.'

Quicker than she ever threw on her shawl and hat before, the beautiful
heroine of our story enveloped her person for the street, and with her veil
dropped over her face, took her way up Summer street, towards Mrs.
Daily's. When she had got up opposite to Trinity church she abruptly
stopped.

`She will guess my object. I will not go.'

She hesitated between pride and love, when a voice accosted her.

`Good morning, Miss Weldon. This is a fortunate encounter for me.
You seem to have come out for a walk round the Common, from your morning
costume and the step with which you seem to have started. If you had
not stopped I should hardly have overtaken you.'

`I am sorry you should have put yourself to the trouble to try,' answered
Grace, smiling slightly, yet with a certain reserve in her manner.

The young man slightly colored at this very delicately-pointed hint that
she had rather have passed on alone, and then remarked,

`I was about to call on you, hearing that your house was broken open
last night and much plate stolen. I was going to offer my services towards
effecting something in the way of detecting the rogues.'

`Thank you, Mr. Ellery,' said Grace who walked on at the same fast pace
she had before held; for she did not feel like talking then, and especially
with one whose particular and marked addresses for some time past had
annoyed her. She knew nothing against Ellery's character, for he was artful,
cautious, and prudent in the management of all his vices. His standing

was equal to her own in society, and he was the heir presumptive of a
fine property at the demise of his uncle, Col. Duane. He was handsome in
person, educated, and possessed a pleasing address. But the heart of the
young lady was already given, and therefore, the persevering attentions of
Carlton Ellery were annoying. To tell him that her heart was another's
she had not considered herself called upon to do, though she had very significantly
shown him that she could never regard him other than as an indifferent
acquaintance. Ellery had, however, discovered her attachment to
James, was convinced of their betrothal to each other, and therefore arose in
his heart that hostility towards him which has already manifested itself in
words, as it will yet in actions.

By this time they had entered Washington street. Annoyed by his
presence Grace now resolved to go into Mrs. Daily's to avoid him, and pay
the bill for the hat without asking after him, hoping accident would enable
her to gather some intelligence there of his true state and if he were in any
danger.

Before them, as they advanced, her attention was attracted by a large concourse
of people gathered in the street directly opposite Mrs. Daily's door.
Her heart throbbed, for a maiden's fears and hopes are always apparent
when she is in love, and the lover is their first object. She trembled lest
this crowd at that spot should in some way concern James. As she came
nearer, persons passed out of the multitude and went by, on whose lips the
words, `Murder!' `A foul assassination!' caught her ears. She turned
pale and stopped. `What is this all, Mr. Ellery?'

`Do not be alarmed at the crowd, Miss Weldon. Take my arm and
I will conduct you safely through.'

`No, I will not go on. They talk of murder. Who is injured?' she
scarcely was able to articulate.

`A woman was killed by her husband, marm, in that are house last night,'
officiously answered a man with `a shocking bad hat,' who overheard the
trembling question, and glad to have an opportunity of giving the news to
a person ignorant of it.

`A woman!' repeated Grace, with a sensation of relief, mingled at the
same time with horror at such a fearful announcement.

`Yes, marm. He shotted her dead with a loaded pistol. And the people
are goin' in an' out to see the blood on the carpet and look at the body. If
you'd like to see'em, marm, I'll elbow a way for you through the muss. The
woman as is killed is Mrs. Anson, the Manty-makeress.'

Grace made no reply, but clung involuntarily to Ellery's offered arm, with
a feeling of sickness at the heart which such dreadful intelligence was naturally
calculated to produce; for the person murdered had been engaged to
make a dress for her only the day before.

`Thanks, Grace,' said Ellery, as he felt her arm clinging to his for that
support without which she felt she should have fallen. `Will you go on, or
return.'

His manner and the familiarity of his address, as he felt her arm on his,
caused her to make an effort to release it; but he had taken it in his as if to
keep her from being torn from him by the crowd, and it was not until she
had repeated his name very firmly and with a look of surprise and displeasure
that he released it.

`Pardon, Miss Weldon! You mistake my motives. I intended no offence.
The crowd —'

`I will return,' said Grace, who feared he would accompany her into Mrs.
Daily's, and she did not wish him to do so, or suspect her errand; besides
she saw that it would be difficult to reach the door, as both side-walks were
filled with people, as well as nearly all the breadth of the street. As she
spoke she turned and hastened to go back. Ellery kept by her side.

`A horrible affair, Miss Weldon. I have seen that Anson—a dissipated
fellow! I am not surprised at your emotion. Perhaps, if you are going to
the Common we had best turn up Winter street.'

`Thank you, sir. I go down Summer street,' answered Grace. `Good
morning!' and she was turning the corner when a man met her, and fixing
upon her and Ellery a sudden glance of surprise, bowed slightly to the former
with a peculiar smile, which inspired in her bosom instantly a strange
fear of the man, combined with a suspicion of something evil in Ellery who
had received his glance. He was dressed in a blue Spanish cloak, thrown
across one shoulder, wore a small, foreign-shaped hat; was of a very dark
complexion, with burning black eyes, and luxuriant whiskers that nearly
enveloped his chin and covered his cheeks. On his upper lip he wore a
slight and very elegant jet-black mustache. He moved with a haughty
step and an air at once suspicious and defying.

`I will also accompany you that way,' answered Ellery. `Did you notice
that gentleman? He is a wealthy Portuguese who is visiting this country.
I was introduced to him — let me see — at — at the Albion!'

Grace made no reply, but walked steadily down Summer street. She
had felt herself insulted by the manner he had seized upon her hand and
called her by her Christian name! She was not now sorry for the act, as
it gave her a good occasion for treating him with coldness, and putting an
end to his hopes of ever winning that hand he had dared to seize upon with
such boldness, when accident had placed it in his power. She therefore resolved,
not only to show him her displeasure, but convince him that he had
no longer favor with her.

`I am surprised, Miss Weldon, that you have seen fit to take umbrage at
so slight a matter,' he said, in a tone between pique and raillery. `What
shall I do to atone for my great crime?'

`Leave me,' she said, calmly, but very firmly.

`I will leave you, Miss Weldon, and trust that when we meet again you
will be in sweeter humor,' answered Ellery, his eye kindling, and his cheek
burning with anger. `But I will tell you before I go, that there is one suspected
of breaking into your house last night, you little dream of! Would
you like to know his name? It was to tell you and your father that I
thought of calling on you.'

`Who is it?'

`One who has recently involved himself by play, and needs money to
make up embezzlements. The virtuous James Daily, better known as
“Jemmy Daily, the newsboy!” added Ellery, with a look of derision and
triumph.

Grace was thunder-struck. She stood perfectly still in the street, and
looked him full in the face. The expression of his countenance made her
shrink.

`It is false, sir. I saw the burglar! He was a ruffian. The feelings that
led you to make this foul and bold accusation, against an innocent man, are
unworthy of a gentleman, and are easily understood by me! Is it possible
Mr. Carlton Ellery has let a low spirit of jealous revenge cause him to forget
truth, to invent falsehoods, to seek the ruin of a deserving man!'

`I mean not that Daily was the burglar. But I do mean that he was a
party interested, and that he joined the burglar after he had got out of the
house with his booty!'

`'Tis false!' answered Grace. `It is, I can see, a conspiracy of revenge,
on your part, to ruin a rival. I treat it with the contempt it merits!'

Thus speaking, she turned from him, and the next moment was within her
own door.