University of Virginia Library

39. CHAPTER XXXIX.
A PHYSICIAN DISAPPOINTED.

Gertrude and her friends had left the governor's mansion,
where the rejection of their petition had been so peremptory and
so positive, in silent and hopeless gloom, and they had returned
to their hotel as mourners return from the grave. It was only
when they had reached the private parlor which had been assigned
to their use, that some faint, formal words of condolence and
resignation were uttered, but not a syllable was said that breathed
of hope.

Gertrude's grief was of that alarming type which finds no outward
manifestation, and Ruth restrained her propensity to a more
violent sorrow out of regard to her silent and suffering friend.
Miss Van Kleeck's condition was such as to forbid the thought of
an immediate return to Kingston, and Mr. Strong, although
unsolicited, thought it advisable to seek medical aid in her behalf.

While he was absent on this errand, and while the young
ladies were alone in their room, Gertrude was surprised by receiving
the card of Edward Hadley B—, who was waiting,
she was told, in the ladies' parlor to see her. Who the visitor
was, she was utterly unable to imagine; nor could Ruth assist
her conjectures, for she had not heard the name of the young
gentleman who conversed with her at the governor's house, and
to whose inquiries she had attached no consideration, because she
regarded them only as the promptings of a casual curiosity.

Gertrude's first inclination was to deny herself to this unknown
visitor, but with her second thought came a faint gleam of hope,
so faint that it only served to render the depth of her despair discernible,
that he might be some messenger from the relenting
governor, and she resolved to see him. Ruth had not been
inquired for, and she descended alone, tremblingly, into the ladies'
public parlor, which she found unoccupied, excepting by the
gentleman who was awaiting her appearance, and who immediately
introduced himself with that air of graceful politeness
which seemed to be his natural demeanor. Conducting her to a
sofa, he took a seat at her side, and said hastily, as if anxious to
remove what he knew must be a painful curiosity,

“I was present, Miss Van Kleeck, this morning, at governor
Arthur's, and was a witness of the rejection of your petition. I
have since added my own entreaties to yours, without avail; and I
have now called upon you not merely to express an idle sympathy
for your sufferings, but”—

Hadley hesitated, and Gertrude, who had listened with breathless
attention, said, with sudden energy,

“But what? Can anything more be done? Is there yet any
hope?”

“Speak lower, that we may not be overheard. I will not say
that there is much ground for hope, but I think there may be
some—if”—

Again the young man hesitated, but this time with a smiling
air, and Gertrude again impatiently interposed—

“If what? There is no obstacle so great that we will not
attempt to surmount it to save our friend. Pray do not keep me
in a moment's longer suspense. If you knew all that I have suffered,
you certainly would not.”

“I will not keep you in suspense any longer than to impose
strict secrecy upon you in regard to what I am about to say;
secrecy from every one, even from the friends who are co-workers

with you here in this cause, until the time comes when I will
consent to disclosure.”

“I promise everything faithfully, earnestly. I will swear to it,
if you wish.”

“I ask nothing but your promise. To be brief, then, it is useless
longer to indulge the faintest expectation of the governor's
relenting, and there remains but one chance for your friend, a
slight one I grant, and yet a chance, if you can command a few
brave hearts and hands, as I do not doubt you can. You must
attempt his rescue!”

“His rescue!” echoed Gertrude, in a tone of sad disappointment.
“Ah, what hope is there of that, from a prison as strong as his—
aye, from a cell with walls of stone, with iron doors, doubly locked,
and he chained within it. No, this is no hope—it is impossible,”
and the wretched girl gave way to sobs of irrepressible anguish.

“Listen to me. I have no object in deceiving you, and none
in assisting you, excepting your happiness and that of your friends.
Suppose that I could remove some of these obstacles of which
you speak—that I could knock these fetters from your friend—
could remove him to a more accessible room; and, in short, suppose
that I had power to afford other facilities for such an attempt
as I speak of—what then?”

There was something so expressive in the tone and look of
Hadley as he said these words, that Gertrude's hopes again revived.

“Can you do this?” she asked, eagerly; “who and what are
you, that you should be able and willing to do so much for us?”

“That is a question of no moment,” replied Hadley, smiling;
“I am a young man, as you see, somewhat accustomed to odd
adventures, and taking particular delight in difficult ones. I
want to serve you, because I have seen your great distress and
that of your young friend. If I desire also to gratify my own
whims, by baffling my obstinate cousin, the governor, that is an
affair of my own.”

“Governor Arthur your cousin!” exclaimed Gertrude, in a half
whisper, and with an animated expression; “then, indeed, you
can help us!”

“Don't be too sure of that. You fly, lady-like, from one extreme
to another. But I think, as I said before, I can put you in a way
of helping yourself, if you can command aid of the right sort.
Not such men as your friend, Counsellor Strong. He must not
receive any intimation of it, for it would ruin him to be suspected
of the least cognizance of the affair.”

“And you—are not you afraid for yourself?”

“I have outlived worse suspicions,” returned Hadley, smiling;
“and if you are as discreet as I hope, there will be nothing
stronger than suspicion against me. Besides, my home is across
the ocean, and I care for nothing, as long as the governor does
not hear of it.”

“Sir George will be sure to suspect”—

“Oh, I don't mean the governor of Upper Canada, but my
governor, Lord B.”

Gertrude was again astonished to learn that she was conversing
with the son of a lord, perhaps a prospective lord himself, but she
had been too much won by his unaffected kindness, and by his
graceful and playful manners, to admit of feeling any embarrassment
at this new discovery.

“I could not express my gratitude to you if I should attempt
it,” she said; “and now I can speak of nothing but this new
hope. Yes, I have friends here, who will do and dare very much
for me, and I can, perhaps, bring more aid from the American
shore. I must have time to reflect. I may not even consult with
Mr. Strong?”

“Most certainly not—nor even with your eloquent child-friend.
Let me be your only counsellor at present; and first, I must warn
you that you will need a sagacious and able man to take the
management of the enterprise; and next you will require subordinates,

who are strong and bold, and who are willing to incur
some risk, for it need scarcely be said that the undertaking will be
a dangerous one.

“Of course it must be so. I have with me a friend and
servant, on both of whom I can rely in any emergency, and I can
doubtless procure other assistants from the other side; but for
such a leader as you describe I do not know where to look.
Will there be time for me to go to Ogdensburgh and return?”

“Abundant time. The a—affair is not to take place until
next Friday.”

Gertrude shuddered, but did not reply.

“You will not have any child's play in this matter, you know,
and if you undertake it you must be prepared to make the most
vigorous and determined efforts for a successful result. It will of
course involve some heavy outlay, which, I hope, you are prepared
to meet.”

“Yes, money shall not be wanting nor any efforts that I can
make. I must return at once to Ogdensburgh, where a brother of
the prisoner awaits advices from us. There money will procure
men, and, possibly, a leader competent to this great achievement.
At all events, I assure you my whole fortune, if needed, shall not
be wanting to reward the successful actors in this humane
effort.”

“I see that I shall have no cause to complain of you, if my
pretty scheme falls through. You certainly deserve success, and
I almost think I could find the man on Canadian soil, who would
become your vicegerent, if I dared to risk my secret here.”

“But when I go to my friends, I must be allowed to inform
them of the nature of the aid they are to receive.”

“Yes but only in general terms. Let them select a rendezvous
upon some island near to Kingston where you can communicate
with them at night by means of trusty messengers, and when
the proper time arrives, let the details of my plan be communicated

to their leader. With him I would like to confer personally,
although, of course, my name must not be known to him.”

Hadley proceeded to impart to the young lady more minute
instructions and advice in relation to the part she was to act, and
he also disclosed to her some further particulars of his proposed
plan of rescue. What else should become necessary for her to
know he would inform her of, he said, after her return from
Ogdensburgh to Kingston, to which latter place he himself was to
proceed within two or three days. He spoke in a cheerful and
lively tone, and succeeded in inspiring Gertrude with a portion of
his own sanguine expectation of success. He bade her keep up
good courage, and assured her that he believed nothing was wanting
but skill and boldness on the part of her friends, aided by the
facilities which he would be able to offer them, to ensure a triumphant
result.

But oh, how widely different were the emotions with which the
two individuals contemplated the momentous project under discussion.
To one it was the last faint hope of a long series, all
of which had as yet ended in disappointment, and if this also
failed, nothing remained to her but the submission of despair.

To the other, it was but an exciting and boyish exploit, prompted
indeed in the first instance by humane feelings, but carried out in
the spirit of adventure, and with that cherished oppugnation to
authority which had ever characterized the young scion of
nobility.

There was just enough of personal danger attending the
attempt, danger of censure from high sources, and of amenability
to violated laws, to add a zest to the undertaking. There was
something to be eluded by skill, or to be borne with heroism.

The friends, for such a brief interview and a community of
interest had made them, parted with a full understanding of their
respective designs, and with an appointment of the time and
place when they should again meet at Kingston, after Gertrude

had visited and conferred with her friends on the American
side.

When Miss Van Kleeck returned to her apartment, Ruth was
greatly surprised at her changed demeanor, but still more at the
secrecy which her friend was compelled to observe in relation to
the visit she had received.

“Do not ask me now, dear Ruth,” she said; “all that is proper
for you to know, I will tell you hereafter. It is enough that there
is something more to be done for Harry, and that there is some,
oh, how little, I fear it is yet! some hope remaining.”

Not less was the astonishment of Mr. Strong, who returned to
his hotel, accompanied by a medical man, prepared to restore
Gertrude from a state of syncope, and who found her already
revived by a more powerful medicine than any described in
his pharmacopœia, and making active preparations for departure
in the evening steamboat, on her return to Kingston.

He did not seek to dissuade her, for he had no longer the least
hope that any change could be wrought in the views of the
governor, and he thought that the sooner the friends of the prisoner
could reconcile their minds to his approaching and inevitable
fate, the better it would be both for them and him.

He did not question Gertrude in regard to her change of deportment,
supposing that she had resolved to devote the few
remaining days of her friend's life to solacing him with her sympathy
and with those lofty and glorious hopes of immortality, in
the light of which all earthly joys and sufferings alike dwindle
into insignificance. They left the capital that night and arrived
the next day in Kingston where the humane lawyer, after conducting
the ladies to their hotel, parted with them with many expressions
of kindness, and with a promise to call upon them daily
during the remainder of their stay in the city.

Garret and Brom were awaiting their arrival with great anxiety,
and with no little hope that they were to bring a full pardon for

the prisoner, whom they had encouraged to look for such a result.

“Has she got the pardon, Missa Roof?” the negro eagerly inquired,
while Van Vrank sought similar information from his
cousin.

“Oh! I know she has,” he added, with delight, “because she
does not cry. Let me go quick and tell him.”

Ruth commenced weeping, and this was the negro's answer,
confirmed the next instant by the voice of Gertrude herself, who
turned from her sorrowful cousin to her faithful servant, and said,
while large tears coursed down her cheeks,

“No, Brom, the governor will do nothing for us. Yet let us
hope still in the Great Governor of all. We must have faith.”

“Yes!” replied the negro, with a very frightened look and a
very earnest manner, “we must hab faith; but Massa Harry has
been tried, and convicted, and sentenced, and if the gubernor don't
pardon him, dey will sartinly hang him, Missa Getty, you may
'pend upon it.”

“Not unless it is God's will,” replied the young lady, sighing
deeply.

“I don't tink dey care any ting 'bout dat,” replied Brom, who
utterly failed to comprehend the strength and simplicity of his
young mistress' reliance upon Omnipotence.

“Let no one announce this news to him excepting myself,”
continued Gertrude. “Garret, you will go with me to the prison
in about half an hour; but remember that I must talk with Harry
alone.”

“I wouldn't tell him for a tousand dollars,” said the affectionate
negro. “I bin telling him all along how sartin sure you
would bring a pardon, 'cause Massa Strong went with you hissef;
but he would not believe it, and he said he knew this new risin'
over on t'other side would make the gubernor so angry, he would
not listen to you. See, he was right—poor Massa Harry!”