 | CHAPTER XXIV.
JOHN JR. AND MABEL. 'Lena Rivers |  |
24. CHAPTER XXIV.
JOHN JR. AND MABEL.
Time and absence had gradually softened John Jr.'s
feelings toward Nellie. She was not married to Mr. Wilbur—possibly
she never would be—and if on her return
to America he found her the same, he would lose no time
in seeing her, and, if possible, secure her to himself. Such
was the tenor of his thoughts, as on one bright morning
in June he took his way to Lexington, whither he was
going on business for his father. Before leaving the
reaching there just as the cars bound for Frankfort were
rolling away. Upon the platform of the rear car stood
an acquaintance of his, who called out, “Halloo, Livingstone,
have you heard the news?”
“News, no. What news?” asked John Jr., following
after the fast moving train.
“Bob Wilbur and Nellie Douglass are married,”
screamed the young man, who, having really heard of
Mr. Wilbur's marriage, supposed it must of course be
with Nellie.
John Jr. had no doubt of it, and for a moment his
heart fainted beneath the sudden blow. But he was not
one to yield long to despair, and soon recovering from
the first shock, he raved in uncontrollable fury, denouncing
Nellie as worthless, fickle, and good for nothing,
mentally wishing her much joy with her husband, who
in the same breath he hoped “would break his confounded
neck,” and ending his tirade by solemnly vowing to
offer himself to the first girl he met, whether black or
white!
Full of this resolution he put spurs to Firelock and
sped away over the turnpike, looking neither to the right
nor the left, lest a chance should offer for the fulfillment
of his vow. It was the dusk of evening when he reached
home, and giving his horse into the care of a servant,
he walked with rapid strides into the parlor, starting
back as he saw Mabel Ross, who, for a few days past,
had been visiting at Maple Grove.
“There's no backing out,” thought he. “It's my destiny,
and I'll meet it like a man. Nellie spited me, and
I'll let her know how good it feels.”
“Mabel,” said he, advancing toward her, “will you
marry me? Say yes or no, quick.”
This was not quite the kind of wooing which Mabel
had expected. 'Twas not what she read of in novels,
but then it was in keeping with the rest of John Jr.'s
conduct, and very frankly and naturally she answered
“Yes.”
“Very well,” said he, beginning to feel better already,
and turning to leave the room—“Very well, you fix the
day, and arrange it all yourself, only let it be very soon,
for now I've made up my mind, I'm in a mighty hurry.”
Mabel laughed, and hardly knowing whether he were
in earnest or not, asked “if she should speak to the minister,
too.”
“Yes, no,” said he. “Just tell mother, and she'll fix it
all right. Will you?”
And he walked away, feeling nothing, thinking nothing,
except that he was engaged. Engaged! The very
idea seemed to add new dignity to him, while it invested
Mabel with a charm she had not hitherto possessed.
John Jr. liked everything that belonged to him exclusively,
and Mabel now was his—his wife she would be—and when
next he met her in the drawing-room, his manner toward
her was unusually kind, attracting the attention of his
mother, who wondered at the change. One after another
the family retired, until there was no one left in the parlor
except Mabel and Mrs. Livingstone, who, as her husband
chanced to be absent, had invited her young visitor
to share her room. When they were alone, Mabel, with
many blushes and a few tears, told of all that had occurred,
except, indeed, of John's manner of proposing,
which she thought best not to confide to a third person.
Eagerly Mrs. Livingstone listened, mentally congratulating
herself upon the completion of her plan without her
further interference, wondering the while how it had been
so suddenly brought about, and half trembling lest it
John Jr.'s wish that the marriage should be consummated
immediately, she replied, “Certainly—by all means.
There is no necessity for delay. You can marry at once,
and get ready afterwards. It is now the last of June. I
had thought of going to Saratoga in July, and a bride is
just the thing to give eclat to our party.”
“But,” answered Mabel, who hardly fancied a wedding
without all the usual preparations, which she felt she
should enjoy so much, “I cannot think of being married
until October, when Nellie perhaps will be here.
Nellie's return was what Mrs. Livingstone dreaded, and
very ingeniously she set herself at work to put aside
Mabel's objections, succeeding so far that the young girl
promised compliance with whatever she should think
proper. The next morning, as John Jr. was passing
through the hall, she called him into her room, delicately
broaching the subject of his engagement, saying she knew
he could not help loving a girl possessed of so many excellent
qualities as Mabel Ross. Very patiently John Jr.
heard her until she came to speak of love. Then, in
much louder tones than newly engaged men are apt to
speak of their betrothed, he exclaimed, “Love! Fudge!
If you think I'm marrying Mabel for love, you are greatly
mistaken. I like her, but love is out of the question.”
“Pray what are you marrying her for? Her property?”
“Property!” repeated John, with a sneer, “I've seen
the effect of marrying for property, and I trust I'm not
despicable enough to try it for myself. No, madam, I'm
not marrying her for money—but to spite Nellie Douglass,
if you must know the reason. I've loved her as I
shall never again love woman-kind, but she cheated me.
She's married to Robert Wilbur, and now I've too much
spirit to have her think I care. If she can marry, so can
what she had done, I vowed I'd offer myself to the first
female I saw. As good or bad luck would have it, 'twas
Mabel, who you know said yes, of course, for I verily believe
she likes me far better than I deserve. What kind
of a husband I shall make, the Lord only knows, but I'm
in for it. My word is passed, and the sooner you get us
tied together the better, but for heaven's sake, don't go
to making a great parade. Mabel has no particular home.
She's here now, and why not let the ceremony take place
here. But fix it to suit yourselves, only don't let me hear
you talking about it, for fear I'll get sick of the whole
thing.”
This was exactly what Mrs. Livingstone desired. She
had the day before been to Frankfort herself, learning
from Mrs. Atkins of Mr. Wilbur's marriage with the
English girl. She knew her son was deceived, and it was
highly necessary that he should continue so. She felt
sure that neither her daughters, Mabel, nor 'Lena knew
of Mr. Wilbur's marriage, and she resolved they should
not. It was summer, and as many of their city friends
had left Frankfort for places of fashionable resort, they
received but few calls, and by keeping them at home until
the wedding was over, she trusted that all would be
safe in that quarter. Durward, too, was fortunately absent,
so she only had to deal with Mabel and John Jr.
The first of these she approached very carefully, casually
telling her of Mr. Wilbur's marriage, and then hastily
adding, “But pray don't speak of it to any one, as there
are special reasons why it should not at present be discussed.
Sometime I may tell you the reason.”
Mabel wondered why so small a matter should be a secret,
but Mrs. Livingstone had requested her to keep silence,
and that was a sufficient reason why she should do
to take place there, and in the course of three weeks,
saying that it was her son's wish. But on this point she
found more difficulty than she had anticipated, for Mabel
shrank from being married at the house of his father.
“It didn't look right,” said she, “and she knew Mr.
Douglass would not object to having it there.”
Mrs. Livingstone knew so, too, but there was too much
danger in such an arrangement, and she replied, “Of
course not, if you request it, but will it be quite proper
for you to ask him to be at all that trouble when Nellie
is gone, and there is no one at home to superintend?”
So after a time Mabel was convinced, thinking, though,
how differently everything was turning out from what
she expected. Three weeks from that night was fixed
upon for the bridal, to which but few were to be invited,
for Mrs. Livingstone did not wish to call forth remark.
“Everything should be done quietly and in order,”
she said, “and then, when autumn came, she would give
a splendid party in honor of the bride.”
Mr. Douglass, when told of the coming event by Mrs.
Livingstone, who would trust no one else, expressed much
surprise, saying he greatly preferred that the ceremony
should take place at his own house.
“Of course,” returned the oily-tongued woman, “Of
course you had, but even a small wedding party is a vast
amount of trouble, and in Nellie's absence you would be
disturbed. Were she here I would not say a word, but
now I insist upon having it my own way, and indeed, I
think my claim upon Mabel is the strongest.”
Silenced, but not quite convinced, Mr. Douglas said
no more, thinking, meanwhile, that if he only could afford
it, Mabel should have a wedding worthy of her. But he
could not; he was poor, and hence Mrs. Livingstone's
her, John Jr. manifested no inclination to go out at all.
A kind of torpor seemed to have settled upon him, and
day after day he remained at home, sometimes in a deep
study in his own room, and sometimes sitting in the parlor,
where his very unlover-like deportment frequently
brought tears to Mabel's eyes, while Carrie loudly denounced
him as the most clownish fellow she ever saw.
“I hope you'll train him, Mabel,” said she, “for he
needs it. He ought to have had Nellie. Douglass. She's
a match for him. Why didn't you have her, John?”
With a face dark as night, he angrily requested Carrie
“to mind her own business,” saying “he was fully competent
to take charge of himself, without the interference
of either wife or sister.”
“Oh, what if he should look and talk so to me!”
thought Mabel, shuddering as a dim foreboding of her
sad future came over her.
'Lena, who understood John Jr. better than any one
else, saw that all was not right. She knew how much he
had loved Nellie; she believed he loved her still; and
why should he marry another? She could not tell, and
as he withheld his confidence from her, appearing unusually
moody and cross, she dared not approach him. At
last, having an idea of what she wanted, and willing to
give her a chance, he one day, when they were alone, abruptly
asked her what she thought of his choice.
“If you ask me what I think of Mabel,” said she, “I
answer that I esteem her very highly, and the more I
know her the better I love her. Still, I never thought
she would be your wife.”
“Ah—indeed!—never thought she would, hey?” answered
John, beginning to grow crusty, and elevating his
thought did; but what is your objection to her?”
“Nothing, nothing,” returned 'Lena. “Mabel is amiable,
gentle, and confiding, and will try to be a good wife.”
“What the deuce are you grumbling for, then?” interrupted
John Jr. “Do you want me yourself? If
you do, just say the word, and it shall be done! I'm
bound to be married, and I'd sooner have you than anybody
else. Come, what do you say?”
'Lena smiled, while she disclaimed any intention toward
her cousin, who, resuming the position which in his
excitement he had slightly changed, continued: “I have
always dealt fairly with you, 'Lena, and now I tell you
truly, I have no particular love for Mabel, although I intend
making her my wife, and heartily wish she was so
now.”
'Lena started, and clasping John's arm, exclaimed,
“Marry Mabel and not love her! You cannot be in
earnest. You will not do her so great a wrong—you
shall not.”
“I don't know how you'll help it, unless you meddle
with what does not concern you,” said John. “I am
doing her no wrong. I never told her I loved her—
never acted as though I did; and if she is content to have
me on such terms, it's nobody's business. She loves me
half to death, and if the old adage be true that love begets
love, I shall learn to love her, and when I do I'll let
you know.”
So saying, the young man shook down his pants, which
had become disarranged, and walked away, leaving 'Lena
to wonder what course she had better pursue. Once she
resolved on telling Mabel all that had passed between
them, but the next moment convinced her that, as he had
said, she would be meddling, so she decided to say nothing,
than she feared.
It was Mabel's wish that 'Lena and Anna should be her
bridesmaids, Durward and Malcolm officiating as groomsmen,
and as Mr. Bellmont was away, she wrote to him,
requesting his attendance, but saying she had not yet mentioned
the subject to 'Lena. Painful as was the task of being
thus associated with 'Lena, Durward felt that to refuse
might occasion much remark, so he wrote to Mabel
that “he would comply with her request, provided Miss
Rivers were willing.”
“Of course she's willing,” said Mabel to herself, at the
same time running with the letter to 'Lena, who, to her
utter astonishment, not only refused outright, but also
declined giving any particular reason for her doing so.
“Carrie will suit him much better than I,” said she, but
unfortunately, Carrie, who chanced to be present, half
hidden in the recess of a window, indignantly declined
“going Jack-at-a-pinch” with any one, so Mabel was
obliged to content herself with Anna and Mr. Everett.
But here a new difficulty arose, for Mrs. Livingstone
declared that the latter should not be invited, and Anna,
in a fit of anger, insisted that if he were not good enough
to be present, neither was she, and she should accordingly
remain in her own room. Poor Mabel burst into tears,
and when, a few moment's afterward, John Jr. appeared,
asking what ailed her, she hid her face in his bosom and
sobbed like a child. Then, frightened at her own temerity,
for he gave her no answering caress, she lifted up her
head, while with a quizzical expression John Jr. said,
“So-ho, Meb, seems to me you've taken to crying on my
jacket a little in advance. But what's the matter?”
In a few words Mabel told him how everything went
wrong, how neither 'Lena, Carrie, nor Anna would be
because Malcolm was not invited.
“I can manage that,” said John Jr. Mr. Everett shall
be invited, so just shut up crying, for if there's anything
I detest, it's a woman's sniveling;” and he walked off,
thinking he had begun just as he meant to hold out.
| CHAPTER XXIV.
JOHN JR. AND MABEL. 'Lena Rivers | |