Aunt Kitty's Tales

by Madame Guizot

  CHAPTER XI.

  THE DECISION.

  Mr. Wallace stayed that night at Colonel Melville's. We had the nextmorning just assembled around the breakfast-table, when there was a ringat the door-bell, so loud and so hurried, that, surprised and startled,each one turned towards the door to watch for the entrance of theringer. The servant had probably been as much startled as we, for shemoved with unusual quickness, and scarce a minute passed from the ringto the entrance into the breakfast parlor of Ellen Leslie, flushed,breathless, and evidently agitated. Without speaking to, almost withoutlooking at any one else, she walked up to Mr. Wallace, and holding outher hand, said, "I have come to tell you, sir, that I will go with you."

  "I am very glad to hear it, my dear; but sit down, get your breath, andthen we will talk about it."

  "I don't want to talk about it," said Ellen, in an impatient tone; "Iwant to go. How soon can we go, sir?"

  "This afternoon at five o'clock, if you can be ready so soon."

  "I am ready now," Ellen began, but Mrs. Melville, who had risen from thetable on her coming in, now approached her, and taking off her bonnet,insisted that she should sit down, and take some breakfast before shesaid any thing more about going. Ellen looked at the breakfast-table,and seemed to find some attraction in it, for she drew nearer to it,then suddenly turning to Mrs. Melville, said, "But Mary does not know. Imust go and tell Mary."

  "I will send for Mary. Anna, go over to Mrs. Maclean's, and tell Maryshe must come and take her breakfast with us."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Melville," said Ellen; "I am sure I am much obliged toyou, for Mrs. Maclean would not give me any breakfast this morning, andpoor Mary felt so badly about it, that I dare say she has not eatenany."

  In a moment, I saw the whole reason of Ellen's unexpected resolve, ofher hurry and agitation. She had doubtless refused to go down tobreakfast--Mrs. Maclean had refused to let her breakfast go up toher--angry words had probably ensued--Ellen had declared she would goaway--Mrs. Maclean, instead of expressing sorrow or apprehension at sucha threat, had hoped she would, and Ellen, too proud to retract, toowilful to hesitate, had started off at once; and thus, the decisionabout which she had been advised to think so carefully and prayerfully,was made in a fit of anger, and carried through for the gratification ofproud and resentful feeling.

  Anna Melville was gone a longer time than was usually found necessaryfor a message to Mrs. Maclean's. Mary returned with her, and her eyesshowed that her tears had been just hastily wiped away as she enteredthe parlor. Neither of the sisters ate much breakfast, for Ellen wasstill too angry and Mary too sorrowful to feel hungry. Mrs. Melvilleplaced Mary by her at table--Ellen was at the other end--and was carefulthat nothing should be said in relation to Ellen's departure tillbreakfast was over. She then took Mary's hand, and leading her into thenext room, closed the door after her. They were gone almost an hour, andwhen they came back, though Mary's eyes were red and swollen, hercountenance was much more composed. Ellen looked anxiously at her as sheentered, and going up to her, took her hand and said, "Are you sorry Iam going, Mary?"

  "I am sorry and glad too, Ellen," said Mary, pressing her lips to hersister's forehead; "sorry to part with you, but glad, very glad that youare going to such a good, kind aunt as Mrs. Melville says our AuntHerbert is."

  "I do not care so much about that, for I am sure she cannot be more goodand kind than you are, Mary," and Ellen passed her arm around hersister's waist, and laid her head affectionately on her shoulder; "but Iam very glad that I shall not have to go back to that hateful Mrs.Maclean."

  "Hush--hush, Ellen. Mrs. Maclean is quick in her temper, but she hasbeen often very kind to us, and you should not call her hateful."

  "She may be very kind to you," said Ellen, "I do not know any thingabout that; but I do not call it kindness to tell me that she wouldrather go without her meals than eat them with me, and then to refuse togive me my breakfast. I told her I would never darken her door again,and I never will. I will not go back even to pack my trunk or get mythings."

  Mary looked as if she were about to remonstrate with her sister, butMrs. Melville interposed, saying, "It will not be at all necessary,Ellen, that you should; I will go over with Mary and assist her inpacking your trunk, and get such things as may be necessary for you onyour journey, of which I shall be a better judge than either of you, asI am an older traveller. In the mean time, you had better go around andsay good-by to some of your old friends in H. Anna will go with you."

  While Mrs. Melville was speaking, Colonel Melville and Mr. Wallace, whohad walked out together after breakfast, entered.

  "Well, my little fellow-traveller," said Mr. Wallace cheerfully, "willyou be ready at five o'clock?"

  "Yes, sir," said Ellen; then after hesitating a moment she added, "Yousay, sir, that if I want to come back to Mary I can."

  "Yes, my dear, if you want to come back after you have been six monthswith your Aunt. In a shorter time than that you could form no judgmentof what your life there would be; but if then you wish to return, I amsure that nothing will be done to detain you."

  "There, Mary, you hear that," said Ellen with great animation; "by thattime Uncle Villars will have come back, and then you can leavethat"--Ellen looked as if she wanted to say hateful again--"Mrs.Maclean, and we will all, I dare say, live together just as we used todo."

  "Mrs. Merrill and all," said Colonel Melville slyly, for he had heardfrom Mr. Villars something of Ellen's disagreements with Mrs. Merrill.

  Ellen colored very much, but after a minute's hesitation, she said,"Well, even Mrs. Merrill was not so bad as Mrs. Maclean."

  Our party now separated; Mary and Mrs. Melville went to Mrs. Maclean's,and Ellen and Anna set out to make their visits. Three o'clock broughtus all together again for dinner. The flush had now faded from Ellen'scheeks, and it was easy to see that being no longer sustained by angeror resentment, her heart had begun to fail her at the thought of theapproaching separation from her sister. But there was now no time forthe indulgence of feeling. Immediately after dinner Ellen's baggage wasbrought over; then she had to change her dress for that in which she wasto travel--then to have all the arrangements which Mrs. Melville andMary had made of those things that would be necessary to her comfort onthe journey explained to her; and before this was completed the carriagewas at the door, and her adieus must be made. Ellen started as she heardthis announcement, and flung herself into Mary's arms, exclaiming amidstsobs and tears, "Oh Mary, if you could only go with me! if you couldonly go with me, Mary!"

  Mary said not a word, but she folded Ellen closely to her heart, as ifto part with her were impossible, and wept over her as if that heartwere breaking. Anna and Emma Melville sobbed from sympathy, and the restof us stood around, silent and tearful spectators of the scene.

  "My dear children," said Mr. Wallace at last, "you are needlesslydistressing yourselves; remember it is but a visit Ellen is going on.She shall come back, I again promise you, in six months, if she desireto do so."

  "And Mary," said Colonel Melville, going up to her and taking her hand,"it will not do to keep Mr. Wallace waiting. For Ellen's sake, my deargirl, control yourself."

  Mary unclasped her arms from her sister, and as Mr. Wallace approachedto lead Ellen away she looked imploringly in his face, and exclaimed inthe most earnest tones, "Oh! be good to her, sir, be very good to her."

  "I will, my dear child, I will," was all that the kind old gentlemancould say.

  A silent kiss to Ellen from each of the party, and Mr. Wallace led herout to the carriage. The next moment the sound of wheels told that theywere off. Mary had stood listening for that sound. As it fell upon herear she turned from us into an adjoining room, and her quick, heavy sobsreached us where we stood, showing that she had gone there to weepalone. We left her undisturbed for some minutes, and then Mrs. Melvillewent in and talked soothingly and cheeringly to her. Mary had learnedearly to control her feelings for the sake of others, and she soon cameout with Mrs. Melville, looking and speak
ing calmly, though often, inthe course of the evening, I saw a tear steal down her cheek without herseeming to notice it. Just before night, Mary rose and took her bonnetto return home. "Stay, Mary," said Mrs. Melville, "you are not going toleave us so soon. I will send over to let Mrs. Maclean know that youwill not return to-night, and the messenger can bring any thing you maywant."

  And so Mary stayed that night, and the next day, and a week; and still,as she talked of going home, new reasons were found for delay. Herobliging temper and gentle manners rendered her so pleasing an inmate,that all found it painful to part with her; and at last it was arrangedthat she should remain at Colonel Melville's till Mr. Villars returned,continuing there to employ herself with her needle or pencil, and givinglessons in music, as she had hitherto done, to a few pupils. Leaving herto be loved and cherished by this kind family, we will follow Ellen toher new home.