At this point of her cogitation she became aware that Rosa's eyes
were wide open, and staring at her with a whimsical blending of
curiosity, melancholy, and gratification.
"Aunt Rachel!" she said, bluntly, "you are a very good woman! the
best and most forgiving human being I ever heard of. I should not
feel one particle of surprise to see you float up gently through the
roof, at any minute--cap, spectacles, and all--translated to the
society of your sister angels--and no questions asked by St. Peter
at the gate of Paradise!"
"My love!"
Well as she knew her erratic disposition and wild style of speech,
Mrs. Sutton moved her hand toward the patient's pulse.
"I am not raving! I speak the words of truth and soberness--very sad
soberness, too! Believing as you do that Frederic was once the cause
of much sorrow to you and to one you loved, and having no reason to
care one iota for me, but rather to distrust me, you nevertheless
obey my call upon you for service, as if I had every right to make
it. And when here, you treat me just as you would Mabel, were her
situation as deplorable, her need equal to mine."
"Why shouldn't I?" questioned Mrs. Sutton, simply. "I have no ground
for a quarrel with you. And if I had--well, the truth is, my dear, I
have a poor memory for such things!"
Rosa caught at the scarcely perceptible emphasis upon the "YOU," and
disregarded the remainder of the remark.
"You cannot yet acquit Frederic of wrong-doing! Indeed, Mrs. Sutton,
he has been foully wronged among you. It is not because he is my
husband that I say this. Mabel's name has never passed his lips---
nor mine in his hearing, since I became his wife. And every one of
the family has been equally guarded when he was by. I doubt,
sometimes, if he has ever heard whom she married or where she
lives--so carefully has he shunned every reference to her or any of
the Ridgeley people. During the nine years we have lived together,
he has given me no cause to suspect that he ever thinks of her, or
laments the broken engagement. If I have made myself wretched by
imagining the contrary, it was my fault, not his--my foolish, wicked
jealousy. I would scorn to imply a doubt of his integrity, by
reminding him of the charges proferred against him by Winston
Aylett, and believed by his sister--much less ask him to contradict
them. I never put any faith in them from the outset. It comforts me
to recollect that my confidence in him stood fast when everybody
else distrusted him--my noble, slandered darling! But my declaration
of his innocence is founded upon his blameless life and upright
principles. No one could be with him as I have been, and doubt him.
He is a perfect man--if there was ever a sinless
mortal--great-hearted, gentle, and sincere. Do not I know this? Have
I not proved him to the utmost?"