The Red City: A Novel of the Second Administration of President Washington

by S. Weir Mitchell

  XXII

  "Let us skate to-night. I have tried the ice," said Schmidt, oneafternoon in February. "Pearl learned, as you know, long ago." She wasin town for a week, the conspirators feeling assured of Rene'sresolution to wait on this, as on another matter, while he was busy withhis double work. Her mother had grown rebellious over her long absence,and determined that she should remain in town, as there seemed to be nolonger cause for fear and the girl was in perfect health. Aunt Gainor,also, was eager for town and piquet and well pleased with the excuse toreturn, having remained at the Hill long after her usual time.

  "The moon is a fair, full matron," said Schmidt. "The ice is perfect.Look out for air-holes, Rene," he added, as he buckled on his skates."Not ready yet?" Rene was kneeling and fastening the Pearl's skates. Ittook long.

  "Oh, hurry!" she cried. "I cannot wait." She was joyous, excited, and hesomehow awkward.

  Then they were away over the shining, moonlighted ice of the broadDelaware with that exhilaration which is caused by swift movement, theeasy product of perfect physical capacity. For a time they skatedquietly side by side, Schmidt, as usual, enjoying an exercise in which,says Graydon in his memoirs, the gentlemen of Philadelphia wereunrivaled. Nearer the city front, on the great ice plain, were manybonfires, about which phantom figures flitted now an instant black inprofile, and then lost in the unillumined spaces, while far away,opposite to the town, hundreds of skaters carrying lanterns were seen orlost to view in the quick turns of the moving figures. "Like greatfireflies," said Schmidt. A few dim lights in houses and frost-caughtships and faint, moonlit outlines alone revealed the place of the city.The cries and laughter were soon lost to the three skaters, and a vastsolitude received them as they passed down the river.

  "Ah, the gray moonlight and the gray ice!" said Schmidt, "a Quakernight, Pearl."

  "And the moon a great pearl," she cried.

  "How one feels the night!" said the German. "It is as on the Sahara.Only in the loneliness of great spaces am I able to feel eternity; forspace is time." He had his quick bits of talk to himself. Both youngpeople, more vaguely aware of some sense of awe in the dim unpeopledplain, were under the charm of immense physical joy in the magic ofeasily won motion.

  "Surely there is nothing like it," said Rene, happy and breathless,having only of late learned to skate, whereas Pearl had long since beenwell taught by the German friend.

  "No," said Schmidt; "there is nothing like it, except the quick sweep ofa canoe down a rapid. A false turn of the paddle, and there is death.Oh, but there is joy in the added peril! The blood of the Angels findsthe marge of danger sweet."

  "Not for me," said Pearl; "but we are safe here."

  "I have not found your Delaware a constant friend. How is that, Rene?"

  "What dost thou mean?" said Pearl. "Thou art fond of teasing mycuriosity, and I am curious, too. Tell me, please. Oh, but thou must!"

  "Ask the vicomte," cried Schmidt. "He will tell you."

  "Oh, will he, indeed?" said Rene, laughing. "Ah, I am quite out ofbreath."

  "Then rest a little." As they halted, a swift skater, seeking theloneliness of the river below the town, approaching, spoke to Margaret,and then said: "Ah, Mr. Schmidt, what luck to find you! You were to giveme a lesson. Why not now?"

  "Come, then," returned Schmidt. "I brought you hither, Rene, because itis safer away from clumsy learners, and where we are the ice is safe. Iwas over it yesterday, but do not go far. I shall be back in a fewminutes. If Margaret is tired, move up the river. I shall find you."

  "Please not to be long," said Margaret.

  "Make him tell you when your wicked Delaware was not my friend, andanother was. Make him tell."

  As he spoke, he was away behind young Mr. Morris, singing in his lustybass snatches of German song and thinking of the ripe mischief of thetrap he had baited with a nice little Cupid. "I want it to come soon,"he said, "before I go. She will be curious and venture in, and it willbe as good as the apple with knowledge of good and--no, there is evil inneither."

  She was uneasy, she scarce knew why. Still at rest on the ice, sheturned to De Courval. "Thou wilt tell me?" she said.

  "I had rather not."

  "But if I ask thee?"

  "Why should I not?" he thought. It was against his habit to speak ofhimself, but she would perhaps like him the better for the story.

  "Then, Miss Margaret, not because he asked and is willing, but becauseyou ask, I shall tell you."

  "Oh, I knew thou wouldst. He thought thou wouldst not and I should beleft puzzled. Sometimes he is just like a boy for mischief."

  "Oh, it was nothing. The first day I was here I saved him from drowning.A boat struck his head while we were swimming, and I had the luck to benear. There, that is all." He was a trifle ashamed to tell of it.

  She put out her hand as they stood. "Thank thee. Twice I thank thee, fora dear life saved and because thou didst tell, not liking to tell me. Icould see that. Thank thee."

  "Ah, Pearl," he exclaimed, and what more he would have said I do notknow, nor had he a chance, for she cried: "I shall thank thee always,Friend de Courval. We are losing time." The peril that gives a keenerjoy to sport was for a time far too near, but in other form than inbodily risk. "Come, canst thou catch me?" She was off and away, nownear, now far, circling about him with easy grace, merrily laughing ashe sped after her in vain. Then of a sudden she cried out and came to astandstill.

  "A strap broke, and I have turned my ankle. Oh, I cannot move a step!What shall I do?"

  "Sit down on the ice."

  As she sat, he undid her skates and then his own and tied them to hisbelt. "Can you walk?" he said.

  "I will try. Ah!" She was in pain. "Call Mr. Schmidt," she said. "Callhim at once."

  "I do not see him. We were to meet him opposite the Swedes' church."

  "Then go and find him."

  "What, leave you? Not I. Let me carry you."

  "Oh, no, no; thou must not." But in a moment he had the slight figure inhis arms.

  "Let me down! I will never, never forgive thee!" But he only said in avoice of resolute command, "Keep still, Pearl, or I shall fall." She wassilent. Did she like it, the strong arms about her, the head on hisshoulder, the heart throbbing as never before? He spoke no more, butmoved carefully on.

  They had not gone a hundred yards when he heard Schmidt calling. At oncehe set her down, saying, "Am I forgiven?"

  "No--yes," she said faintly.

  "Pearl, dear Pearl, I love you. I meant not to speak, oh, for a time,but it has been too much for me. Say just a word." But she was silent asSchmidt stopped beside them and Rene in a few words explained.

  "Was it here?" asked Schmidt.

  "No; a little while ago."

  "But how did you come so far, my poor child?"

  "Oh, I managed," she said.

  "Indeed. I shall carry you."

  "If thou wilt, please. I am in much pain."

  He took off his skates, and with easy strength walked away over the ice,the girl in his arms, so that before long she was at home and in hermother's care, to be at rest for some days.

  "Come in, Rene," said Schmidt, as later they settled themselves for theusual smoke and chat. The German said presently: "It was not a very badsprain. Did you carry her, Rene?"

  "I--"

  "Yes. Do you think, man, that I cannot see!"

  "Yes, I carried her. What else could I do?"

  "Humph! What else? Nothing. Was she heavy, Herr de Courval?"

  "Please not to tease me, sir. You must know that, God willing, I shallmarry her."

  "Will you, indeed! And your mother, Rene, will she like it?"

  "No; but soon or late she will have to like it. For her I am still achild, but now I shall go my way."

  "And Pearl?"

  "I mean to know, to hear. I can wait no longer. Would it please you,sir?"

  "Mightily, my son; and when it comes to the mother, I must say a word ortwo."

  "She will not like that. S
he likes no one to come between us."

  "Well, we shall see. I should be more easy if only that Jacobin houndwere dead, or past barking. He is in a bad way, I hear. I could havewished that you had been of a mind to have waited a little longer beforeyou spoke to her."

  Rene smiled. "Why did you leave us alone to-night? It is you, sir, whoare responsible."

  "_Potstausend! Donnerwetter!_ You saucy boy! Go to bed and repent. Thereare only two languages in which a man can find good, fat, mouth-fillingoaths, and the English oaths are too naughty for a good Quaker house."

  "You seem to have found one, sir. It sounds like thunder. We can do itpretty well in French."

  "Child's talk, prattle. Go to bed. What will the mother say? Oh, notyours. Madame Swanwick has her own share of pride. Can't you wait awhile?"

  "No. I must know."

  "Well, Mr. Obstinate Man, we shall see." The wisdom of waiting he saw,and yet he had deliberately been false to the advice he had more thanonce given. Rene left him, and Schmidt turned, as he loved to do, to thecounselor Montaigne, just now his busy-minded comrade, and, lightingupon the chapter on reading, saw what pleased him.

  "That is good advice, in life and for books. To have a 'skipping wit.'We must skip a little time. I was foolish. How many threads there are inthis tangle men call life!" And with this he read over the letters justcome that morning from Germany. Then he considered Carteaux again.

  "If that fellow is tormented into taking his revenge, and I should beaway, as I may be, there will be the deuce to pay.

  "Perhaps I might have given Rene wiser advice; but with no proofconcerning the fate of the despatch, there was no course which wasentirely satisfactory. Best to let the sleeping dog lie. But why did Ileave them on the ice? _Sapristi!_ I am as bad as Mistress Gainor. Butshe is not caught yet, Master Rene."