CHAPTER IX
The household was astir early the next morning to set the travellers ontheir road with a warm meal and a parting word; and despite the absenceof Aunt Penine, all the domestic machinery moved as smoothly as usual.
There could still be seen a few stars, not yet blotted out by thepearly haze, shot with palest blue, that the dawn was putting in frontof them.
Over the sea hung a curtain-like gathering of fog, and the air washeavy with the odors from the wood and fern, brought forth by the damp.
Nicholson Broughton, having borrowed a saddle from his host, haddecided to pursue the remainder of his journey on horseback; and he,with his two younger companions, was now about to set forth.
Mary stood near her father's horse, while he gave her some partingwords of encouragement.
"Now bear in mind, Pigsney, all I have said, and never fail to keep awatchful eye and stout heart. All at the house will go well until myreturn; and do you abide here, safe and close, with our good friends.Be sure to keep away from the town, and whether the Britishers come tothe Neck or no, you will be safe."
She promised all this, and turned away as he rode off, waving afarewell to his host, who stood within the porch, with Aunt Lettice andlittle 'Bitha alongside him.
Hugh Knollys followed, with a gay good-by to all, while John Devereux,who had been talking with Dorothy, now vaulted into his saddle.
As he was about to start, Mary Broughton passed along in her slow walkto the house. She turned, and their eyes met in a look that told of amutual understanding. But she flushed a little, while he only smiled,doffing his hat as he rode slowly past her down the driveway.
Dorothy was waiting, close to her father, on the porch.
"Don't you wish you were a man, Mary," she said, as her friend came upthe steps, "so that you could ride away to do battle for our rights,instead of being only a woman, to stop at home and wonder and worryover matters, while the baking and churning must be done day after day?"
Her father smiled at this, and pinched Dorothy's cheek; then a sadnesscame to his face as he looked at her.
"To be a woman does not always mean the doing of over-much baking orhousework," said Mary, with a meaning smile, her cheeks fresher and herblue eyes brighter, like the flowers, from the pure morning air.
Joseph Devereux nodded an assent. "If you and Mary," he said toDorothy, "were to ride to Boston this day, who would there be to dowhat you are entrusted with the doing on? Mark ye, my daughter," andhe bent a grave look upon her bright face, "women, as well as men, havehigh and holy duties to perform,--aye, indeed, some of them evenhigher. Where would come the nerve and hope for the proper ambition o'men's minds, were there no mothers and wives and--sweethearts, to maketheir lives worth the living, and their homes worth fighting for,--yes,and their country so much more worth saving from oppression. Nay, mybaby, what would become o' your old father, if he had not a little maidto console him, when his only son must needs face risks and dangers?"
Dorothy did not answer, but her face softened, and her arm stole upabout his neck.
"Dot," said Mary, presently, "do not forget the matter we talked oflast evening,--that your father was to know."
"And pray, what is that?" the old gentleman asked briskly.
"Come into the library, father, with Mary and me, and we will tellyou." And slipping her hand around his arm, she started to lead himin. Mary was about to follow, when he turned to her and held out hisother arm. With an answering smile she placed her hand within it, andall three went inside.
Aunt Lettice had gone off to her own apartments, taking 'Bitha for herusual morning instructing, and so they were not likely to be disturbed.
As soon as her father was seated, Dorothy, standing by the window,burst forth with her accustomed vehemence.
"I want to tell you, father," she exclaimed, "that I am sure AuntPenine is a loyalist!"
"Chut, chut!" he replied reprovingly. But he smiled, used as he was tothe differences betwixt his daughter and her exacting relative.
"I have good reason for what I say," Dorothy insisted; "and Mary cantell you so, as well."
"Well, child, first tell me all about it, and do not begin by misnamingany one," her father said gently.
She told him in a few rapid words,--first, what had happened theevening before, and ending by a detailed account of finding the tea inthe store-closet.
Her father was scowling ominously by the time the story was finished;and he sat in silence for a few moments, his head bent, as thoughconsidering what she had told him. Then he said: "I thank you, mychild, for what you have told me. I must speak with Penine o' thesematters, and that right away. Do you go, Dot, and tell her I wish totalk with her, and must do so as soon as she can see me in her room."
"Why not let Mary go?" Dorothy suggested. "Aunt Penine likes Mary, andshe does not like me--nor I her." And she looked quite belligerent.
"I will be glad to go, if you say so," Mary offered, rising from herchair.
"Well, well," he said, "it matters little to me who goes; only I mustsee her at once. And thank you, Mary, child, if you will kindly tellher so."
As soon as Mary left the room, Dorothy came over to her father's chairand perched herself upon one of its oaken arms.
"And now there is another thing I wish to tell you," she said, "and I'dbest do it now."
He put an arm about her and smiled up into her troubled face.
"Well, well," he said playfully, while he smoothed her curls, "what awise little head it has grown to be all on a sudden! We shall behearing soon that Mistress Dorothy Devereux has been invited by thegreat men o' the town--Lee and Orne and Gerry, and the rest o' them--tobe present at their next meeting, and instruct them on matters they wotnot on, despite their age and wisdom."
She would not smile at his badinage, but went on soberly to warn him ofwhat she suspected between her Aunt Penine and their ostracizedneighbor, Jameson,--telling him also of the unusual amount of coinbeing spent by the boy, Pashar, whom she had seen carrying notes forher aunt.
The smile left her father's face as he listened to this, and he shookhis head gravely. And when she finished, he said, as though tohimself, "'T is the enemies in one's own household that are ever themost dangerous." Then rising, he added, "Come with me, Dot, while Ispeak first to Tyntie."
The old Indian woman had been devoted to the interests of the familysince forty years before, when Joseph Devereux found her--a beaten,half-starved child of ten--living with her drunken father in a wretchedhut on the outskirts of the town, and brought her to his own house forhis wife to rear and instruct. And because of her idolatrous love forher benefactor and his family, she had endured patiently the exactingtyranny of Aunt Penine, whom she detested.
Her tall, spare figure was now moving about her domain with a curiousdignity inseparable from her Indian birth; but she paused in what shewas doing the moment her master and his daughter appeared at the door,and remained facing them in respectful silence.
She was alone, the men having gone off to their duties about the farm,and the maids to the dairy, or to the housework above stairs.
"I desire to ask you, Tyntie," her master began, addressing her withthe same grave courtesy he would have used in speaking to the best-bornlady in the land, "if, since I forbade the making or using o' tea in myhouse, any has been brewed?"
"Yes, master," she answered without any hesitancy; and a sly look, asof revenge, crept into her black eyes.
"How dared ye do such a thing?" he demanded, his face severe withindignation.
"I never did it," was her laconic reply.
"Then who did? I command ye to make a clean breast o' the matter."And he struck his stick peremptorily upon the floor, while Dorothy,awed by the unusual anger showing in his voice and bearing, drew alittle away from him.
"It was Mistress Penine brewed the tea, for her own drinking." AndTyntie showed actual pleasure in being thus enabled to expose heroppressor.
"And how ofte
n hath this happened since I gave strict orders that noneshould be had or drunk in this house o' mine?"
"'Most every day; and sometimes more than once in the day."
"And how were you guarding your master's interests, to permit suchsecret goings on under his roof, without giving him warning?"
The tears rose to Tyntie's eyes and stood sparkling there; but hervoice was firm as she replied, "It was not for me to know that MistressPenine was doing anything wrongful, nor for me, a servant, to come toyou, my master, with evil reports o' your own kinsfolk."
She spoke slowly and with calm dignity, and her words softened thewhite wrath from the old man's face.
He bent his head for a moment, as though pondering deeply; then helooked at her and said in a very different tone: "You are aright-minded, faithful servant, Tyntie, and I must tell you I am sorryto have spoken as I did a moment agone. But from this day henceforth,bear in mind that should you ever see aught being done under my roofthat you've heard me forbid, 't is your bounden duty to come and informme freely o' such matter."
"Yes, master." Tyntie now wiped her eyes, and looked very muchcomforted.
"Now," he asked, his voice growing stern once more, "know you whereaught o' the forbidden stuff be kept, or if there still be any in thehouse?"
Tyntie went silently to the store-closet and fetched a sizable can ofburnished copper. This she opened and held toward her master and youngmistress, who saw that it was nearly half filled with the prohibitedtea.
Joseph Devereux scowled fiercely as he beheld this tangible evidence ofPenine's bad faith and selfishness.
"Do you take that in your own hands, Tyntie, as soon as may be," hesaid; "or no--take it this instant, down to the beach, and throw it,can and all, into the water. And see to it that you make mention o'this matter to no one."
Then turning slowly, he took his way again to the front of the house,Dorothy following in silence, and feeling unwontedly awed by theapprehension of the storm she felt was about to break; for it was arare matter indeed for Aunt Penine to be the one entirely at fault inanything.
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