"Rosa! dear friend! my sympathizing little sister! I shall not
readily gain my own pardon for having distressed you so sorely. When
you can do it with comparative ease to yourself, I want you to tell
me one or two things more, and then we will never allude to
irreparable bygones again."
"I am ready!" removing her soaked cambric, and forcing a fluttering
smile that might show how composed she was; "don't think of me! I
was only grieved for your sake, and sorry because I had unwittingly
hurt you. I was in hopes--I imagined--"
"That I had ontlived my disappointment? You said, that same
September day, that women hid their green wounds in sewing rooms and
oratories. Mine should have been cauterized long ago, by other and
harsher means, you think. It seldom bleeds--but tonight, I had not
time to ward off the point of the knife and it touched a raw spot.
Don't let me frighten you! now that the worst is upon me, I must be
calmer presently. You were at Ridgeley, in September, a year since,
when she who was then Miss Aylett"--compelling himself to the
articulation of the sentence that signified the later
change--"received her brother's command to reject me?"
"I was."
"He would never tell me upon what evil report his prohibition was
based. He was more communicative with his sister, I suppose?"
And Rosa, following the example of other women--and men--who vaunt
their principles more highly than she did hers, made a frank
disclosure of part of the truth and held her tongue as to the rest.
"I couldn't help seeing that something was wrong, for Mabel, who, up
to the receipt of her brother's letter and one from you that came by
the same mail, had been very cheerful and talkative, suddenly grew
more serious and reserved than was her habit at any time; but she
told me nothing whatever, never mentioned your name again in my
hearing. Mrs. Sutton did hint to me her fear that Mr. Aylett had
heard something prejudicial to your character, which had greatly
displeased him and shocked Mabel, but even she was unaccountably
reticent. Intense as was my anxiety to learn the particulars of the
story, and upon what evidence they were induced to believe it, I
dared not press my inquiry into what it was plain they intended to
guard as a family secret."
His reply was just what she had foreseen and guarded against.
"It would have been a kind and worthy deed, had you written to warn
me of my danger, and advised me to make my defence in person. As it
was, I was thrown off roughly and pitilessly--my demand upon the
brother for the particulars of the accusation against me--my appeal
to the sister--loving and earnest as words could make it--for
permission to visit her and learn from her own lips that she trusted
or disowned me, were alike disregarded. Mr. Aylett's response was a
second letter, more coldly insulting than the first--hers, the
return of my last, after she had opened and read it, then the
surrender of my gifts, letters, notes, everything that could remind
her that we had ever met and loved. Mrs. Sutton, too, my father's
old and firm friend, deserted me in my extremity. And she must have
been acquainted with the character and extent of the charges
preferred against me. I had hoped better things from her, if only
because I bear her dead husband's name. Did she never speak in your
hearing of writing to me?"