University of Virginia Library

14. CHAPTER XIV.

Leaning upon the shoulder of Cæsar, the
captain limped out of the room, a cane held
in his left hand, aiding his locomotion. Upon
reaching the foot of the stairs he called
out,

`Jenny, dear child.'

The maiden was seated by the window
which overlooked the water, just where and
just as we left her, a part of the time sewing,
but more of the time gazing vacantly from
the window with her thoughts upon her lover;
for she truly loved the unknown stranger,
though her strict sense of maidenly propriety
had led her to bid him cease to think of
her. There was some cause other than usual
which brought him at this time so forcibly
to mind, and made her think so much and
tenderly upon him. The voice of the disguised
sailor, unknowingly to her, had reminded
her of Gordon, and so without knowing
why she let him fill her thoughts. Well and
truly did the captain say to Gordon, that she
loved him, for she acted like a maiden lost-hearted.

The sound of her father's voice startled
her from a pleasing reverie. She was fancying
that the handsome young officer perhaps
should one day meet her and rescue her from
some danger, and then insist on accompanying
her home. Of course she could not
refuse, and on the way, it being a moonlight
evening, he declares his passions for her, and
offers her his hand and heart. She then fancied
that she accepted him after be had
proved his sincerity, and that they were
about to be married, and the wedding dress
was sent to her, when—

`Nennette! come down, child.'

The voice of her father broke the vision,
and she sprang from the box on which she
had been seated, answering,

`I am coming, dear father. How long
have I been here? It seems an hour,' she
added to herself. I wonder if Cæsar and his
friend the benevolent sailor are gone?'

She hastened to the stairs and met her
father and Cæsar at the foot of them.

`What, dear father! Are you going out?'

`Only on the stoop to smoke and chat with
Cæsar. I want you to go in and entertain
my friend the while.'

`Indeed, sir, he is a stranger, though it is
true he has been very kind.'

`But he is my friend, Jenny,' said her
father in an under tone, `you mustn't say
no! Go in and be civil to him at the best.'
And a smile twinkled in the old man's eye,
and his manner was so significant that the
odd idea all at once flashed upon Jennette's
mind that the sailor with the red beard had
made proposals for her hand and the fifty
dollars were a sort of bonus to aid his suit'

`No, father, I can't go in! I am sorry
that he gave you the gold! I feared that it
was some sinister motive.'

`What sinister motive, eh?'

`Why do you want me to be so civil to
him? Why do you wish me to be alone with
him? He may be your friend, dear father,
but—but—'

`What is the matter with the child! Tears!
What bug-bear is this, my dear Jenny.'

`Plainly, I believe that the fifty dollars
had some reference to my personal liberty,'
she answered with spirit.

`Good! Excellent, my dear Jennette! So
you think I want to give you to the—the
sailor a tete-a-tete so that he may make you
an offer.'

`Else why this mystery! You leave him
there—send for me—bid me go in and entreat
him civily, while you and Cæsar, go and
smoke on the stoop' It is enough to alarm
any poor girl.'

`And you, I see, are thoroughly frightened,
child,' cried the captain laughing. Well,
don't be afraid! I will never ask you to
marry him if you don't want to! Go along
and wait for me on the stoop Cæsar! But
let me tell you that I shouldn't be surprise
if you should ask me to let you have him ere
you are many days older.'

`Why, my dear father!' exclaimed Jennette,
with deep blushes. `I am poor but—'

`But you would never take up with a common
sailor—is that it?'

`Yes, sir,' she answered drooping her eyelids.

`Nor a naval officer either, I dare say?'
added the captain provokingly.

Jennette's cheeks were at first crimson
and then became pale, and her bosom heaved
violently. She could not speak, though she
would have made some observation upon
what her father had said. He smiled, kissed
her and remarked in an under tone of great
tenderness.

`I will not trifle with you, Jennette. Your
secret is known to me! I know that you
love him, and you shall marry no one else
unless you wish it.'

`Love who, dear father?' she cried, looking
at him with amazement and a half-conscious
smile of intelligence.

`Love the young officer who behaved so
gallantly in your behalf on the bridge.'

`Why, my dear father—'

`And who found your needle-case and returned

it to you in the milliner's shop?'

`Where—how did—'

`And who helped you tie the monkey to
the old Italians arm.'

`Who—how have—where did you—'
but here she stopped covered with confusion
and amazement, and hid her face in her
hands.

`Oh, I have a little fairy that tells me all
these pretty secrets.'

`Do tell me, my dear father, how you
knew all this?' she at length cried with emotion
and amazement.

`Well, to tell you the truth the sailor Jack,
in the room there told me.'

`He?'

`To be sure! He has sailed with this
officer and knows all his secrets. He is as
it were his factotum—his shadow.'

`And has he sent him here to—'

`I can't answer any questions,' responded
the captain, shaking his head and preparing
to limp off, `if you want to hear more you
must go and talk with him; for he wishes to
see you particularly. But you may do as you
please. Come here, Cæsar, and let me lean
upon you.'

With these words he turned from her and
took Cæsar's arm and hobbled out of the entry,
leaving Jennette standing irresolute,
pleased and wondering, upon the flight of
stairs where this conversation had taken
place. Her fingers was upon her lips as if
preventing the thoughts which rushed upon
her mind, from uttering themselves aloud.

`Is it possible that he has found me out and
sent this seaman to make known to my father
his passion. If it be so, it is an honorable
one, and my father approves of it. Oh, how
my heart bounds. I shall not be able to
keep it still if I go in but what he will hear
it beat and know how I love him who sent
him here. But I will go in, since my father
commands, and learn what it is he has to
say. Perhaps he has a note! Oh, sweet
joy, if he has continued to think kindly of
me! But how odd that my father should
find out that I love him; for he plainly
does know it. This vexes me, that I should
be such a simple girl as to let him read it in
my very eyes! I will go in.'

With a hesitating and trembling step Jennette
crossed the broken floor of the old hall
and placed her hand upon the latch. Here
she stood fearing to raise it, for she shrunk
from yet yearned one and at the same time
from the interview with the messenger of her
unknown lover. By a sudden effort of courage
she opened the door and entered, leaving
it ajar. But imagine her surprise—her joy, the
delighted confusion of her senses, as she beheld
not the red-beard sailor in his round-about,
but the same elegant young officer
whom she had met, and met but to love.

With an exclamation half uttered she
started back, while her eyes rapidly traversed
the room for the form of the sailor. But
not seeing him, she knew that it was with
him her father had wished her to have the interview.
Her first impulse was to retire, but
ere she could decide what to do or how to
act, Gordon advanced and smiling, extended
his hand and laid it gently upon her waist
while his eyes sought the depths of her own.

`Do not fly from me, dearest Jennette! I
have long sought for this happy moment.'

`You—you, have forgotten, sir, what I
said when I last saw you,' she said trying to
speak with self possession, but failing utterly;
for embarrassment grew every moment
greater. Her hand trembled in his, and she
did not raise her eyes to his face, but stood
like a beautiful status half in flight half in
confiding repose.

`I have not forgotten one word you uttered,
dear Jennette.'

`Why then have you followed me here? I
should not have come in but I understood my
father that it was a sailor who—'

`I am that sailor! There lies the dress
which covered my uniform, and you see
there's the patch and beard which concealed
my features.'

`I am vexed that—that—not knowing you

I should have been betrayed into some remarks
I recollect making when I was in this
room an hour ago! Why, sir, if your—if—
Why do you come here in disguise? Would
you enter a rich man's door in that costume!
I am sorry, sir, that you should resort to this
step in order to force yourself into my presence.'

She spoke with a firmness and dignity that
surprised him and pleased him. If he had
been guilty of the charge, he would have
been confused.

`You would condemn me justly, had I assumed
this disguise to force myself into your
presence, beautiful Jennette. Believe me,
when I say that I did not know you were an
inmate of this house until on entering it with
Cæsar I recognized you with joy. I came
here in disguise, because I was on a duty that
might endanger me if I were known. I was
ignorant of your presence here; for although
I have been diligently seeking you out since
we met, I despaired of ever meeting you, I
began to fear I had driven you from the city.'

`Are you sincere, sir? If you knew my
father, you knew he had a daughter.'

`True, I knew he had a daughter, and it
was that daughter I came to see.'

`That daughter you came to see! And—'

`I had not the most remote idea that it
would prove to be the lovely girl who had
robbed me of my heart.'

`Sir,' she said coldly, `If you thought of
another, you could little for me!' and she
drew back from him with a pale cheek and a
tremulous lip.

`Both grieved and offended,' said Gordon,
to himself. `I know now that she loves me!
But I must explain or I may lose her forever!
Fair Jennette, I have told you that I came
in disguise to see the daughter of Captain
Alison, and that I knew not that she was one
I had ever met! Why I come to see her, you
shall know! But I am about to entrust to
you a secret that involves the lives of others
and my own honor.'

`If it is necessary that I should hear it, I
will not betray it, sir.'

`It is, as, on your decision, may hang the
safety of one condemned to die.'

`On my decision, sir!' she exclaimed
with mingled amazement and horror.

`Yes, Jennett. I will explain in a few
words if you will listen!'

Gordon then briefly and feelingly described
to her the situation of Colonel Ogilvie, in
prison condemned to die, the anguish of his
son and his resolution to effect his rescue or
die by his side. Jennette listened with deep
interest. She forgot her fear of Gordon and
her confidence in him seemed stronger every
word he uttered. Indeed as he talked more
and more they became acquainted, and when
he ceased, adding, `Now Jennette, on you
we both depend for success,' she cried,

`What can I do? all that I can do I will!
But, sir, how can I aid?'

`You shall now learn!'

`And Gordon then made known to her the
plan by which he hoped with her aid to carry
out successfully his purpose, in behalf of
the prisoner.

`It was,' he continued, `to ascertain if the
daughter of Captain Alison, (little expecting
who that daughter was,) would engage in it!
Cæsar had told me of her, of her beauty, of
her filial devotion, of her father's poverty,
and I hoped that by the temptation of
money, I might prevail upon her! I therefore
came here disguised as a seaman to see
her. I disguised myself that I might not be
afterwards recognized in my usual costume
by your father should he, after knowing our
plan, decline to take part in it; for when he
should subsequently hear that the escape had
been effected, he would only be able to say
that a common sailor had been engaged in it.
But judge my surprise, my happiness, dearest
Jennette, when I recognized in that
daughter, your own self!' Jennette cast down
her eyes! Her heart beat violently. `Providence
has guided me hither to find you! Say
that from this hour we are friends; that—
that—dear Jennette, in one word I love you
dearly. Will you give me one faint ray of
hope,that—that—I may be loved in return?'