CHAPTER XXI.
THE QUEER NAME
When Sally, bright as a new sixpence, appeared at breakfast the nextmorning, Parson Kendall regarded her with much thoughtfulness. And whenhe said, soberly, "I would see thee again in the library after thy mealis finished," she wondered what he might have to say.
He spoke gently, but wasted no words as he began:
"Maid Sally Dukeen, it hath pleased God to take unto himself the woman,Mistress Cory Ann Brace, who departed this life at midnight just past.
"But there was that on her mind which it beseemed her must be toldbefore she could die in peace. And she made confession that thy fatherleft thee suddenly when thou wert but six years of age, and being astranger, and thinking better of Mistress Brace than I greatly fear shedeserved, he left thee in her care, together with a considerable sum ofmoney, which was to pay for board and proper schooling.
"But being tempted of the Spirit of Evil, Mistress Brace used the moneyas if it was her own. A large portion of it she had spent, but some yetremains. This, she also confessed with tears and with sighs, sheintended to put at interest as soon as some of our present troubles wereover.
"What thy treatment was with Mistress Brace we need not dwell upon."
"She was not cruel, sir," said Maid Sally, wishing in her tender youngheart to speak kindly of the dead.
"Not cruel, perhaps, as to violent treatment, child," said the stern,just parson, "yet I hold it cruel, ah, very cruel, to have kept theemuch as a serving-maid, and keeping back thy education as she did, andwould have continued to have done, had it not been for the good bloodin thy veins that cried out for better things."
"Have I good blood in my veins, sir?" cried Sally, twisting her pointedfingers in an eager, nervous way.
"Aye, the best of blood, dear child, and the will of an iron-nervedforefather. I hurried out last night for that man of the law, SirGaspard Culpeper, that he might witness to what the poor misguided womanhad to say, and wishing God's mercy for myself as well as for allothers, I have it in my heart to admit that ignorance had much to dowith the great mistakes of Mistress Brace and her dealings.
"Hast thou ever seen this name before, Maid Sally? Look well upon it,and try to remember."
Sally looked at the paper the parson handed her, and the rich bloodspread over her face.
"Speak truth, child," said the parson.
"I did indeed see that name once, both on a cape and in a letter thatlay in a little trunk at Mistress Brace's," said Sally, "and--and--"
"Speak out without fear," said Parson Kendall, as Sally groped forwords; "much depends on my having a clear understanding of all thoucanst tell."
Then Sally told of the soldier who had thrust his card into her bendedarm.
"It was the same queer name," said Sally.
"Dost know what language it would belong to, young maid?" and the graveparson smiled.
"The soldier I think was French," said the maiden, a droop ofdisappointment in her voice. "I fear me the name must be French also."
"Spell it, and then pronounce it," said the parson.
And Sally spelled, then pronounced:
"'D-u-q-u-e-s-n-e, Doo-_kane_.'"
"You need feel nought but pride at bearing that ancient name!" criedParson Kendall. "No more noble officer hath the French navy ever knownthan the fearless, distinguished commander who once bore it. A marquis,child, a French nobleman! A Protestant, who conquered Spanish, Danes,and Dutch during his splendid career.
"Hast not thou felt the will of thine ancestor, stirring thee to makethe most of thyself? Hast thou not felt within thee a craving for thebest things in life? Hast not thou pushed thy way up to those betterthings?"
"Yes, oh, yes!" burst forth Maid Sally, with a great shuddering sob. "Ifelt it! I almost knew it! My good Fairy felt it must be so!"
"Your good Fairy?" The parson looked amazed.
"Yes," cried Sally, for to the winds went all fear of letting the kindparson know what was in her heart, and what had been one great comfortof her poor little life.
"Yes, my good Fairy, sir. I talked with another part of myself and foundhelp in pretending a Fairy dwelt in my soul. My poorer self was one partof me, the good Fairy the other. And the good Fairy did hearten andcomfort me."
"One was Sally Dukeen," and the parson smiled most pleasantly, "theother was Sara Doo-kane. Strange how the accent of but one letter canchange a name. I fancy it was Mistress Brace's incorrect way of callingit.
"But there is more for you to know. Your mother was an English lady,also of excellent birth, but on the way to this country with yourfather, to seek a better fortune, she died.
"Now very early this morning I sought out the soldier, Officer Duquesne,of whom you have told me and of whom I have heard. And although I knowhim to be a very different man from your ancestor of nearly a hundredyears ago, and his also, and fighting I hold on the wrong side, he yettold me some things I was pleased to know.
"The man who gave you his card, my dear maiden, was your father's owncousin, and I feel sure he once felt great love for your mother. He toldme of having seen a young maid who was so much the image of a belovedfriend of the past that he desired to know her name. And tears filledhis eyes when I showed him a small painted picture of your mother thathad lain in Mistress Brace's little trunk. For she would have us findthe trunk and see what was hiding inside."
"There!" again exclaimed Sally, "I have said to my Fairy, 'How know Ibut Mistress Cory Ann hath things that were my mother's and shouldbelong to me?'"
"There was a cape of finest needlework," continued the parson, "probablythe one you saw, also a letter of importance, as it told the name ofyour mother's family, and a few articles beside money, of value to you,found in the little trunk. Here is the picture of your poor mamma."
Sally gazed with curious eyes at the little painting that was so likeher own face as seen in the mirror, that she exclaimed:
"It is like my own face!" and suddenly she kissed it, a quick, warmkiss.
"I wonder what made me do that?" she asked, with a feeling of confusion.
"I think it was your warm French blood," said Parson Kendall.
"And what was my mother's name?" asked Sally.
"Earlscourt. She was of the same house as Lady Gabrielle, wife of SirPercival Grandison, although well removed. Officer Duquesne of theBritish army thought your mother lost money through some of herrelatives, who have died, so nothing can be proved."
"Enough has been proved!" cried Maid Sally.
Parson Kendall smiled.
"There speaketh your good Fairy," he said; "enough _has_ been proved.You are of noble blood on your father's side, and the Earlscourts holdthemselves to be of the best, as no doubt they are. What better could'stthou wish?"
Sally was speechless.
She had not taken in the whole truth of the last fact until it was thusplainly set before her.
Of kin to her Fairy Prince!
Could it be true? Yet here sat Parson Kendall, who had heard the storyfrom her father's own cousin, a man who knew root and branch all thetruth as to her kindred and relations.
"I think I had better go away and be alone by myself," said Sally, herface crimson, a feverish light in her eyes.
"We will say nothing of this outside the house for the present," advisedthe parson. "Officer Duquesne is one of the king's men,--and by the way,we had but until lately a fort of that name,--and he quite likely willacquaint Lady Grandison with the fact that she hath a young kinswoman inthe town. But, my dear damsel, she would, I fear, look but coldly justnow on one whom she would regard as a little rebel."
"Then her son is a rebel, too," said Sally, with dimples plumping in.
"Yes, and hath been aided in helping the rebel army, by his youngkinswoman, Sara Duquesne," laughed Parson Kendall with quiet glee.
"I must go away by myself awhile," again said Maid Sally.
"And take thy good Fairy with thee," said the parson. "But return fromwherever thou goest in an hour
, for Goodwife Kendall and myself go toCloverlove plantation to dine, and we go by stage, which passes thereand will not return until near evening.
"I have lessons for thee to learn, and would not have thee dwell toomuch on the knowledge that hath come to thee, and is indeed verypleasant."
"I think the world has turned topsyturvy," said the maiden, with thelook of one who dreams.
"And Fairies are but bright fancies of very human creatures," said theparson, in a low, kind voice.
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