Although my last: no matter, since I feel
The best is past:——Brother, my Lord the Duke
—— TempestThe savour of preparation, which had been noticed by Captain Lawton, began to increase vastly within the walls of the Cottage——Certain sweet smelling odours, that rose from the subterraneous territories of Cæsar, gave to the trooper the most pleasing assurance, that his olfactory nerves, which on such occasions were as acute as his eyes on others, had faithfully performed their duty; and for the benefit of enjoying the passing sweets as they arose, the dragoon so placed himself at a window of the building, that not a vapour, charged with the spices of the east, could exhale on its passage to the clouds, without first giving its incense, by way of tribute, to his nose. Lawton, however, by no means indulged himself in this comfortable arrangement without first making such preparations, to do meet honour to the feast, as his scanty wardrobe would allow. The uniform of his corps was always a passport to the proudest tables, and this, though somewhat tarnished by faithful service and unceremonious usage, was properly brushed and decked out for the occasion. His head, which nature had marked with the blackness of a crow, now shone with the spotless whiteness of the dove; and his hand, that so well became, by its bony and gigantic frame, the sabre it wielded so indiscreetly, peered from beneath a ruffle with something like maiden delicacy. The improvements of the dragoon went no farther, excepting that his boots shone with more than holiday splendor, and his spurs glittered in the rays of the sun like worthy offspring of the hills of Potosi.
Cæsar moved through the apartments with a face charged with an importance, vastly exceeding that which had accompanied him in his melancholy task of the morning. The black had early returned from the message on which he had been despatched by the pedlar, and obedient to the commands of his mistress, promptly appeared to give his services, where his allegiance was due—— so serious, indeed, was his duty now becoming that it was only by odd moments he was enabled to impart to his sable brother, who had been sent in attendance on Miss Singleton to the Locusts, any portion of the wonderful incidents of the momentous night he had so lately passed through. By ingeniously using, however, such moments as might be fairly thought his own, Cæsar communicated so many of the heads of his tale, as served to open the eyes of his visitor to a width that justly entitled them to the significant appellative of saucer. Indeed, to such a state of amazement had the gusto for the marvellous conducted the sable worthies, that Miss Peyton found it necessary to interpose her authority, in order to postpone the residue of the history to a more befitting opportunity.
"Ah! Miss Jin'nett," said Cæsar shaking his head, and looking all that he expressed, "'twas awful to see Johnny Birch walk on a feet, when he lie dead."
This concluded the conversation for the present,though the black promised himself, and actually put in execution his intention of having many a good gossip on the solemn subject hereafter.
The ghost thus happily laid, the department of Miss Peyton throve with additional success, and by the time the afternoon's sun had travelled a two hours journey from the meridian, the formal procession from the kitchen to the parlour commenced under the auspices of Cæsar, who led the van, supporting a turkey on the palms of his withered hands with the dexterity of a balance master.
Next followed the servant of Captain Lawton, bearing, as he marched stiffly and walking wide, as if allowing room for his steed, a ham of true Virginian flavour;——being a present from the spinster's wealthy brother in Accomac. The supporter of this savory dish kept his eye on his trust with military precision, and by the time he reached his destination it might be difficult to say which contained the most juice, his mouth or the Accomac bacon.
Third in the line was to be seen the valet of Colonel Wellmere, who carried in either hand chickens fricassied, and oyster pattys.
After him marched the attendant of Dr. Sitgreaves, who had instinctively seized an enormous tureen, as most resembling matters he understood; and followed on in place, until the steams of the soup so completely bedimmed the spectacles he wore as a badge of office, that on arriving at the scene of action, he was compelled to deposite his freight on the floor until, by removing the glasses, he could see his way through the piles of reserved china and plate-warmers in safety.
Next followed another trooper, whose duty it was to attend on Captain Singleton; and as if apportioninghis appetite to the feeble state of his master, he had contented himself with conveying a pair of ducks, roasted until their tempting fragrance began to make him repent his demolishing so lately, a breakfast that had been provided for his master's sister, with another prepared for himself.
The white boy who belonged to the house brought up the rear, groaning under the load of sundry dishes of vegetables that the cook, by way of climax, had unwittingly heaped on him.
But this was far from all of the preparations for that day's feast. Cæsar no sooner deposited his bird, which but the week before had been flying amongst the highlands of Duchess, little dreaming of so soon heading such a goodly assemblage, than he turned mechanically on his heel, and took up his line of march again for the kitchen. In this evolution the black was imitated by his companions in succession, and another procession to the parlour followed in the same order. By this admirable arrangement, whole flocks of pigeons, certain bevys of quails, shoals of flat-fish, bass, and sundry wood-cock, found their way into the presence of the company above stairs.
A third attack brought suitable quantities of potatoes, onions, beets, cold-slaw, rice, and all the other minutiæ of a goodly dinner; and for a time this completed the preparations.
The board now fairly groaned with American profusion, and Cæsar, glancing his eye over the show with a most approving conscience, after moving every dish that had not been placed on the table with his own hands, proceeded to acquaint the mistress of the revels, that his task was happily accomplished.
Some half hour before the martial array we have just recorded took place, all the ladies had disappeared, much in the same unaccountablemanner that swallows flee the approach of winter. But the spring-time of their return had arrived, and the whole party were collected in an apartment that, in consequence of its containing no side-table, and being furnished with a chintz-covered settee, was termed a withdrawing room.
The kind-hearted spinster had deemed the occasion worthy, not only of extraordinary preparations in the culinary department, but had seen proper to deck her own person in garments suited to the guests it was now her happiness to entertain.
On her head Miss Peyton wore a cap of exquisite lawn, which was ornamented in front with a broad border of lace, that spread from the face in such a manner as to admit of a display of artificial flowers, clustered in a tasteful group on the summit of her fine forehead.
The colour of her hair was lost in the profusion of powder with which it was covered; but a slight curling of the extremities in some degree relieved the formality of its starched arrangement, and gave a look of feminine softness to the features.
Her dress was a rich, heavy silk of violet colour, cut low around the bust, with a stomacher of the same materials, that fitted close to the figure, and exhibited the form, from the shoulders to the waist, in its true proportions: below, the dress was full, and sufficiently showed, that parsimony in attire was not a foible of the day. A small hoop displayed the beauty of the fabric to advantage, and aided in giving majesty to the figure.
The tall stature of the spinster was heightened by shoes of the same material with the dress, whose heels added more than an inch to the liberality of nature.
The sleeves were short and close to the limb, until they fell off at the elbows in large ruffles, that hung in rich profusion from the arm when extended; and duplicates and triplicates of lawn, trimmed with Dresden lace, lent their aid in giving delicacy to a hand and arm that yet retained their whiteness and symmetry. A treble row of large pearl closely encircled her throat, and a handkerchief of lace partially concealed that part of the person that the silk had left exposed, but which the experience of forty years had warned Miss Peyton should now be veiled.
Thus attired, and standing erect with the lofty grace that distinguished the manners of that day, the spinster would have looked into atoms a bevy of modern belles.
The taste of Sarah had kept even pace with the decorations of her aunt; and a dress, differing in no respect from the one just described, but in material and tints, exhibited her imposing form to equal advantage. The satin of her robe was of a pale blush colour. Twenty years did not, however, require the skreen that was prudent in forty, and nothing but an envious border of exquisite lace hid, in some measure, what the satin left exposed to the view. The upper part of the bust and fine fall of the shoulders were blazing in all their native beauty, and like the aunt, the throat was ornamented by a treble row of pearl, to correspond with which were rings of the same jewel in the ears. The head was without a cap, and the hair drawn up from the countenance so as to give to the eye all the loveliness of a forehead as polished as marble and as white as snow. A few straggling curls fell gracefully in the neck, and a bouquet of artificial flowers was also placed, like a coronet, over her commanding brow.
Miss Singleton had yielded her brother to the advice of Dr. Sitgreaves, who had succeeded in getting his patient in a deep sleep after quieting certain feverish symptoms that followed the agitationof the interview related. The sister was persuaded by the observant mistress of the mansion to make one of the party, and sat by the side of Sarah; differing but little in appearance from that lady, except in refusing the use of powder on her raven locks, and that her unusually high forehead and large and brilliant eye gave an expression of thoughtfulness to her features, that was possibly heightened by the paleness of her cheek.
Last and least, but not the most unlovely in this display of female charms, was the youngest daughter of Mr. Wharton. Frances, we have already mentioned, left the city before she had attained to the age of fashionable womanhood. A few adventurous spirits were already beginning to make inroads in the barriers which custom had so long drawn around the comforts of the fair sex; and the maid had so far ventured in imitation, as to trust her beauty to the height which nature had given her. This was but little, but that little was a master-piece. Frances several times had determined, in the course of the morning, to bestow more than usual pains in the decoration of her person. Each time in succession, as she formed this resolution, she spent a few minutes in looking earnestly towards the north, and then she as invariably changed it.
At the appointed hour, the maid appeared in the drawing room, clothed in a vestment of pale blue silk, of a cut and fashion much like that worn by her sister. Her hair was left to the wild curls of nature, its exuberance being confined to the crown of her head by a long, low comb made of light tortoise shell; a colour barely distinguishable in the golden hue of her tresses. Her dress was without a plait or a wrinkle, and fitted the form with an exactitude that might lead one to imagine the arch girlmore than suspected the beauties it displayed. A tucker of rich Dresden lace softened the contour of the figure. Her head was without ornament; but around her throat was a necklace of gold clasped in front with a rich cornelian.
Dr. Sitgreaves was a mineralogist among his other qualities, and during the day he ventured a remark on the beauty of the stone; and for a long time the simple operator was at a loss to conjecture what there was in the observation to call the blood so tumultuously to the face of the maiden. His surprise might haply have continued to the hour of his death, had not Lawton kindly intimated that it was indignation at his overlooking the object on which the bauble reposed. The gloves of kid which concealed the hands and part of the arm, leaving enough of the latter in sight, however, to proclaim its fair proportions, indicated that there was no one present to tempt the flattering, and perhaps unconscious display, of womanly power.
Once, and once only, as they moved towards the repast prepared with so much judgment and skill by Cæsar, did Lawton see a foot thrust itself from beneath the folds of her robe, and exhibit its little beauties encased in a slipper of blue silk, clasped close to the shape by a buckle of brilliants. The trooper caught himself sighing as he thought, though it was good for nothing in the stirrup, how enchantingly it would grace a minuet.
As the black appeared on the threshold of the room making a low reverence, which has been interpreted for some centuries into "dinner waits," Mr. Wharton, clad in a dress of drab, and loaded with enormous buttons, advanced formally to Miss Singleton, and bending his powdered head to near the level of the hand he extended, received her's in return.
Dr. Sitgreaves offered the same homage to Miss Peyton, and met with equal favor; the lady first pausing, with stately grace, to draw on her gloves.
Colonel Wellmere was honoured with a smile from Sarah while performing a similar duty; and Frances gave the ends of her taper fingers to Captain Lawton with a manner, that said so much to the corps, and so little to the man.
Much time, and some trouble was expended before the whole party were, to the great joy of Cæsar, comfortably arranged around the table with proper attention to all points of etiquette and precedence. The black well knew the viands were getting cold, and felt his honour concerned in the event.
For the first ten minutes all but the captain of dragoons found themselves in a situation much to their liking; but he felt himself a little soured at the multiplicity of the questions and offers of the host, which were meant to be conducive to his enjoyments, but which in truth had an exactly contrary effect. The captain could not eat and answer in a breath, and the demands for the latter somewhat interfered with the execution of the former.
Next came the drinking with the ladies; but as the wine was excellent, and the glasses of very ample size, the trooper bore this interruption with consummate good nature. Nay, so fearful was he of giving offence, and omitting any of the nicer points of punctilio, that having commenced this courtesy with the lady who sat next him, he persevered until not one of his fair companions could, with justice, reproach him with partiality in this particular.
His long abstemiousness from any thing like generous wine might plead the excuse of Captain Lawton, especially when exposed to so strong a temptation as was now before him. Mr. Wharton had been one of a set of politicians in New-York, whose principal exploits, before the war, had been to assemble, and pass sage opinions on the signs of the times, under the inspiration of certain liquors which were made from a grape that grew on the south side of the island of Madeira, and found its way into the colonies of North America by the way of the West Indies, sojourning awhile in the Western Archipelago, by way of trying the virtues of the climate. A large supply of this cordial had been drawn from his store-house in the city, and some of it now sparkled in a bottle before the captain, blushing luxuriantly in the rays of the sun, which were passing obliquely through it.
If the meat and vegetables had made their entrance with perfect order and propriety, their exeunt was effected with far less. The point was to clear the board something after the fabled tale of the harpies, and by dint of scrabbling, tossing, breaking, and spilling, the overflowing remnants of the repast vanished from the room. And now another series of processions commenced, by virtue of which a goodly display of pasty with its usual accompaniments, garnished the table.
Mr. Wharton poured out a glass of wine for the lady who sat on his right hand, and pushing the bottle to a guest, said, with a low bow——
"We are to be honoured with a toast from Miss Singleton."
Although there was nothing more in this movement than occurred every day on such occasions, yet the lady trembled, coloured, and grew pale again, seemingly endeavouring to rally her thoughts, until by her agitation she had excited the interest of the whole party; when, by aneffort, and in a manner as if she had strived in vain to think of another, Isabella said faintly——
The health was drank cheerfully by all but Colonel Wellmere, who wet his lips, and drew figures on the table with some of the liquor he had spilt; and Frances thought deeply on the manner of doing, what in itself would have excited no suspicions.
At length Colonel Wellmere broke silence by saying aloud to Captain Lawton——
"I suppose, sir, this Mr. Dunwoodie will receive promotion in the rebel army, for the advantage my misfortune gave him over my command."
The trooper had supplied the wants of nature to his perfect satisfaction; and perhaps, with the exception of Washington and his immediate commander, there was no mortal whose displeasure he regarded a tittle: he was free to converse or to fight; to him it mattered nought. First helping himself, therefore, to a little of his favorite bottle, he replied with admirable coolness——
"Colonel Wellmere, your pardon——Major Dunwoodie owes his allegiance to the confederated states of North America, and where he owes it he pays it, and is no rebel; promoted I hope he may be, both because he deserves it, and I am next in rank in the corps; and I know not what you call a misfortune, unless you deem meeting the Virginia horse as such."
"We will not differ about terms, sir" said the colonel haughtily; "I spoke as duty to my sovereign prompted; but do you not call the loss of a commander a misfortune to a party?"
"It certainly may be so," said the trooper with great emphasis.
"Miss Peyton, will you favor us with a toast?" cried the master of the house, anxious to stop adialogue in which he might be called on for an opinion.
The spinster bowed her head with infinite dignity as she named "General Montrose;" and her nephew smiled as he noticed the long absent bloom stealing lightly over her fine features.
"There is no term more doubtful than that word misfortune," said the surgeon, regardless of the nice man?uvres of the host: "some deem one thing a misfortune, others its opposite: misfortune begets misfortune: life is a misfortune; for it may be the means of enduring misfortune; and death is a misfortune, as it abridges the enjoyments of life."
"It is a misfortune that our mess has no such wine as this," interrupted the trooper abruptly, and laying in a stock to supply the deficiency.
"We will pledge you a sentiment in it, sir, as it seems to suit your taste," said Mr. Wharton, still uncertain what would be the termination of all these misfortunes.
Filling to the brim, Lawton said, looking hard at the English colonel——"a clear field and no favor."
"I drink your toast, Captain Lawton," said the surgeon gravely; "inasmuch as courtesy requires no less at my hands; but I wish never to see your troop nearer to an enemy than long pistol-shot."
"Let me tell you, Mr. Archibald Sitgreaves," said the dragoon hastily, "that's a damned unneighbourly wish."
The ladies bridled, and Miss Peyton made a motion to withdraw, which was instantly obeyed by her fair bevy of juniors.
The suddenness of the movement somewhat appalled the trooper, and he stammered out an apology to Frances, who stood next him, whichthe laughing maid received very good-naturedly out of regard to the coat he wore, although she knew it would afford matter of triumph to her sister for a month to come.
"'Tis unneighbourly to wish a man at such a distance from his friends," said the captain good-humouredly, in a manner that spoke his willingness to atone; it was, however, too late, and the ladies retired with much dignity amidst the bows and compliments of all but the chop-fallen dragoon. The discomfiture produced an utter stagnation in the thoughts of the trooper; and Mr. Wharton, making a profusion of apologies to his guests, arose and left the room, followed by his son, and together both quitted the house. The retreat of the ladies was the signal for the appearance of the surgeon's segar box, which, having comfortably established it in a corner of his mouth in a certain knowing way, caused not the slighest interruption to the following discourse——
"If any thing can sweeten captivity and wounds, it must be the happiness of suffering in the society of the ladies who have left us," said the colonel gallantly, feeling something of the kind due to the hospitality he experienced, and, perhaps, also, moved by a softer sentiment.
The doctor cast a glance of silent observation on the black scarf around the neck of the Englishman, and knocking the ashes from his segar with his little finger, in the manner of an adept, replied——
"Sympathy and kindness have, doubtless, their genial influence on the human system. The connexion is intimate between the moral and physical feelings; but still, to accomplish a cure, and restore nature to the healthy tone it has lost from disease or accident, requires more than can flow from unguided sympathies. In such cases, the lights"——the surgeon accidentally caught the eye of the trooper, which was fast regaining its complacency——taking two or three hasty puffs in huge disdain, he essayed to finish the sentence——"yes, in such cases, the knowledge that flows from the ——the lights."
"You were saying, sir," said Colonel Wellmere, sipping his wine.
"Yes, sir," said the operator, turning his back abruptly on Lawton; "I was saying that a bread poultice would not set a broken arm."
"More is the pity," cried the trooper, venturing again to trust the sound of his own voice.
"Now, Colonel Wellmere, to you, as a man of education," said the surgeon with great earnestness, "I can with safety appeal." The Colonel bowed complacently. "You must have noticed the dreadful havoc made in your ranks by the men who were led by this gentleman;" the colonel looked grave again; "how when blows lighted on their frames, life was invariably extinguished beyond all hope of scientific reparation——how certain yawning wounds were inflicted, that must prove fatal to the art of the most experienced practitioner; now, sir, to you I triumphantly appeal, to know whether your detachment would not have been as effectually defeated, if the men had all lost a right arm for instance, as if they had all lost their heads."
"The triumph of your appeal is somewhat hasty, sir," said Wellmere, nettled at the unfortunate conjunction of terms in the doctor's question.
"Is the cause of liberty advanced a step by such injudicious harshness in the field?" continued the surgeon, disregarding the other's equivocation, and bent on the favorite principle of his life.
"I am yet to learn that the cause of liberty is in any manner advanced by the services of any gentleman in the rebel army," said the colonel promptly.
"Not liberty," said the appalled operator in astonishment; "Good God, for what then are we contending?"
"Slavery, sir; yes, even slavery," cried the Englishman with confidence in his infallibility ——"you are putting the tyranny of a mob on the throne of a kind and lenient prince——where is the consistency of your boasted liberty?"
"Consistency," repeated the surgeon, looking around him a little wildly at hearing such sweeping charges against a cause he had so long thought to be holy.
"Ay, sir, your consistency. Your congress of sages have published a manifesto, wherein they set forth the equality of political rights."
"'Tis true, sir, and it is done most ably."
"I say nothing of its ability; but if true, why not set your slaves at liberty?" cried Wellmere, in a tone that plainly showed he had transferred the triumph to his own standard.
Every American feels humbled at the necessity of vindicating his country from the inconsistency and injustice of this practice; his emotions are much like those of a man who is compelled to exonerate himself from a disgraceful charge, although he may know the accusation to be false. At the bottom, Sitgreaves had much good sense, and thus called on, he took up the cudgels of argument in downright earnest.
"We deem it a liberty to have a voice in the councils by which we are governed. We think it a hardship to be ruled by a people who live at a distance of three thousand miles from us, and who cannot, and who do not, feel a single political interestin common with ourselves. I say nothing of oppression; the child was of age, and was entitled to the privileges of majority. In such cases, there is but one tribunal to which to appeal for a nation's rights——it is power, and we now make the appeal."
"Such doctrines may suit your present purposes," said Wellmere with a sneer of contempt; "but I apprehend it is opposed to all the opinions and practices of civilized nations."
"It is in conformity with the practices of all nations," said the surgeon, returning the nod, and drinking to Lawton, who enjoyed the good sense of his comrade as much as he disliked what he called "medical talk." "Who would be ruled when he can rule——the only rational ground to take is, that every community has a right to govern itself, so that in no manner it violates the laws of God."
"And is holding your fellow creatures in bondage, in conformity to those laws?" asked the colonel impressively.
The surgeon took another glass, and hemming once, returned to the combat.
"Sir," said he, "slavery is of very ancient origin, and seems to have been confined to no particular religion or form of government; every nation of civilized Europe does, or has held their fellow creatures in this kind of duresse.
"You will except Great Britain, sir," cried the colonel proudly.
"No, sir," continued the surgeon confidently, feeling that he was carrying the war out of his own country; "I cannot except Great Britain. It was her children, her ships, and her laws, that first introduced the practice into these states; and on her institutions the judgment must fall. It is true, we continue the practice; but we must comegradually to the remedy, or create an evil greater than that which we endure at present: doubtless, as we advance, the manumission of our slaves will accompany us, until happily these fair regions will exist, without a single image of the creator that is held in a state, which disqualifies him to judge of that creator's goodness."
It will be remembered that Doctor Sitgreaves spoke forty years ago, and Wellmere was unable to contradict his prophetic assertion.
Finding the subject exceeding his comprehension, the Englishman retired to the apartment where the ladies had assembled, and seated by the side of Sarah and her aunt, found a more pleasing employment in relating the events of fashionable life in the metropolis, and recalling the thousand little anecdotes of their former association. Miss Peyton was a pleased listener, as she dispensed the bounties of the tea-table with precise grace, and Sarah frequently bowed her blushing countenance to the needle work in her lap, as her face glowed at the flattering remarks of her companion.
The dialogue we have related established a perfect truce again between the surgeon and his comrade, and the former having paid a visit to Singleton, they took their leave of the ladies, and mounted; the former to visit the wounded at the encampment, and the latter to rejoin his troop. But their movement was arrested at the gate by an appearance, which we will relate in the succeeding chapter.
