neck.
But his father brought a little of his common sense to the rescue.
"Tut, Hector!" he said; "give the lass time to come to her senses. Wouldyou woo her like a raving maniac? I don't, indeed, wonder, after whatyou heard her tell me, that you should have taken such a sudden fancy toher; but--"
"Father," interrupted Hector, "it is no fancy--least of all a suddenone! I fell in love with Annie the very first time I saw her waiting attable. It is true I did not understand what had befallen me for sometime; but I do, and I did from the first, and now forever I shall bothlove and worship Annie!"
"Mr. Hector," said Annie, "it was too bad of you to listen. I did notknow anyone was there but your father. You were never intended to hear;and I did not think you would have done such a dishonorable thing. Itwas not like you, Mr. Hector!"
"How was I to know you had secrets with my father, Annie? Dishonorableor not, the thing is done, and I am glad of it--especially to have heardwhat you had no intention of telling me."
"I could not have believed it of you, Mr. Hector!" persisted Annie.
"But, now that I think of it," suggested Mr. Macintosh, "may not yourmother think she has something to say in the matter between you?"
This was a thought already dawning upon her that terrified Annie; sheknew, indeed, perfectly how his mother would regard Hector's proposal,and she dared not refer the matter to her decision.
"I must be out of the house first, Mr. Hector," she said--and I thinkshe meant--"before I confess my love."
The impression Annie had made upon her master may be judged from thefact that he rose and went, leaving his son and the parlor-maidtogether.
What then passed between them I cannot narrate precisely. Overwhelmed byHector's avowal, and quite unprepared as she had been for it, it was yetno unwelcome news to Annie. Indeed, the moment he addressed her, sheknew in her heart that she had been loving him for a long time, thoughnever acknowledging to herself the fact. Such must often be the casebetween two whom God has made for each other. And although he were abold man who said that marriages were made in heaven, he were a bolderwho denied that love at first sight was never there decreed. For whereGod has fitted persons for each other, what can they do but fallmutually in love? Who will then dare to say he did not decree thatresult? As to what may follow after from their own behavior, I would beas far from saying that was _not_ decreed as from saying theconduct itself _was_ decreed. Surely there shall be room left, evenin the counsels of God, for as much liberty as belongs to our being madein his image--free like him to choose the good and refuse the evil! Hewho _has_ chosen the good remains in the law of liberty, free tochoose right again. He who always chooses the right, will at length befree to choose like God himself, for then shall his will itself be free.Freedom to choose and freedom of the will are two different conditions.
Before the lovers, which it wanted no moment to make them, left theroom, they had agreed that Annie must at once leave the house. Hectortook her to her mother's door, and when he returned he found that hisfather and mother had retired. But it may be well that I should tell alittle more of what had passed between the lovers before they parted.
Annie's first thought when they were left together was, "Alas! what willmy mistress say? She must think the worst possible of me!"
"Oh, Hector!" she broke out, "whatever will your mother think of me?"
"No good, I'm afraid," answered Hector honestly. "But that is hardlywhat we have to think of at this precise moment."
"Take back what you said!" cried Annie; "I will promise you never tothink of it again--at least, I will _try_ never once to do so. Itmust have been all my fault--though I do not know how, and never dreamedit was coming. Perhaps I shall find out, when I think over it, where Iwas to blame."
"I have no doubt you are capable of inventing a hundred reasons--afterhearing your awful guilty confession to my father, you little innocent!"answered Hector.
And the ice thus broken, things went on a good deal better, and theycame to talk freely.
"Of course," said Hector, "I am not so silly or so wicked as to try topersuade you that my mother will open her arms to you. She knows neitheryou nor herself."
"Will she be terribly angry?" said Annie, with a foreboding quaver inher voice.
"Rather, I am afraid," allowed Hector.
"Then don't you think we had better give it up at once?"
"Never forever!" cried Hector. "That is not what I fell in love with youfor! I will not give you up even for Death himself! He is not the rulerof our world. No lover is worthy of the name who does not defy Death andall his works!"
"I am not afraid of him, Hector. I, too, am ready to defy him. But is itright to defy your mother?"
"It is, when she wants one to be false and dishonorable. For herself, Iwill try to honor her as much as she leaves possible to me. But mymother is not my parents."
"Oh, please, Hector, don't quibble. You would make me doubt you!"
"Well, we won't argue about it. Let us wait to hear what _your_mother will say to it to-morrow, when I come to see you."
"You really will come? How pleased my mother will be!"
"Why, what else should I do? I thought you were just talking of thehonor we owe to our parents! Your mother is mine too."
"I was thinking of yours then."
"Well, I dare say I shall have a talk with _my_ mother first, butwhat _your_ mother will think is of far more consequence to me. Iknow only too well what my mother will say; but you must not take thattoo much to heart. She has always had some girl or other in her mind forme; but if a man has any rights, surely the strongest of all is theright to choose for himself the girl to marry--if she will let him."
"Perhaps his mother would choose better."
"Perhaps you do not know, Annie, that I am five-and-twenty years of age:if I have no right yet to judge for myself, pray when do you suppose Ishall?"
"It's not the right I'm thinking of, but the experience."
"Ah, I see! You want me to fall in love with a score of women first, sothat I may have a chance of choosing. Really, Annie, I had not thoughtyou would count that a great advantage. For my part, I have never oncebeen in love but with you, and I confess to a fancy that that mightalmost prove a recommendation to you. But I suppose you will at leastallow it desirable that a man should love the girl he marries? If mypreference for you be a mere boyish fancy, as probably my mother is atthis moment trying to persuade my father, at what age do you suppose itwill please God to give me the heart of a man? My mother is sure toprefer somebody not fit to stand in your dingiest cotton frock. Anybodybut you for my wife is a thing unthinkable. God would never degrade meto any choice of my mother's! He knows you for the very best woman Ishall ever have the chance of marrying. Shall I tell you the sort ofwoman my mother would like me to marry? Oh, I know the sort! First, shemust be tall and handsome, with red, fashionable hair, and cool, offhandmanners. She must never look shy or put out, or as if she did not knowwhat to say. On the contrary, she must know who's who, and what's what,and never wear a dowdy bonnet, but always a stunning hat. And she musthave a father who can give her something handsome when she is married.That's my mother's girl for me. I can't bear to look such a girl in theface! She makes me ashamed of myself and of her. The sort I want is onethat grows prettier and prettier the more you love and trust her, andalways looks best when she is busiest doing something for somebody. Yes,she has black hair, black as the night; and you see the whiteness of herface in the darkest night. And her eyes, they are blue, oh, as blue asbits of the very sky at midnight! and they shine and flash so--just likeyours, and nobody else's, my darling."
But here they heard footsteps on the stair--those of Mrs. Macintosh,hurrying up to surprise them. They guessed that her husband had justleft her, and that she was in a wild fury; simultaneously they rose andfled. Hector would have led the way quietly out by the front door; butAnnie turning the other way to pass through the kitchen, Hector at onceturned and followed her. But he had hardly got u
p with her before shewas safe in her mother's house, and the door shut behind them. ThereHector bade her goodnight, and, hastening home, found all the lightsout, and heard his father and mother talking in their own room; but whatthey said he never knew.
The next morning Annie had hardly done dressing when she heard a knockat the street-door.
"That'll be Hector, mother," she said. "I'm thinking he'll be come tohave a word with you."
"Annie!" exclaimed her mother, in rebuke of the liberty she took. "Butif you mean young Mr. Macintosh, what on earth can he want with me?"
"Bide a minute, mother," answered
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