CHAPTER XX
Pashar had not yet appeared, but Dorothy set forth upon her return withno thought of danger or delay.
It was now high noon, and the sun making itself felt disagreeably, shepushed back the hood of her red cloak as she entered the wood, the coolwind coming refreshingly about her bared head while she walked slowlyalong with downcast eyes, musing over this last prophecy of MollPitcher.
"Aha, Little Red Ridinghood, have you been, or are you going, to seeyour grandmother?"
Dorothy's heart throbbed tumultuously for an instant. Then she feltcold and half sick, as she looked up and saw coming from under thetrees the gleam of a scarlet coat, topped by a shapely head and oliveface, whose dark-blue eyes were bent laughingly upon her.
She stopped, startled and hesitating, not knowing what to do, whileCornet Southorn came toward her along the path, his hat swinging fromone hand, the other holding a spray of purple asters.
This he now raised to his forehead, saluting her in military fashion,as he said with a touch of good-humored mockery, "Your servant, fairmistress,--and will you accept my poor escort, to guard you from thewolf who is waiting to eat Little Red Ridinghood?"
A smile now began to dawn about the corners of the girl's mouth; butshe made an effort to keep it back, while she replied with an attemptat severity, "There are no wolves about here, sir, to guard against,save only such as wear coats of the color you have on."
"If my coat makes me anything so fearsome in your eyes, I will discardit forever." He had dropped his tone of playfulness, and now came astep closer, looking down into her face in a way to make her feeluneasy, and yet not entirely displeased.
"I have no liking," she said, in the same bantering manner he hadassumed at first, "for those who so readily change the color of thecoat they are in honor bound to wear."
"It was not an easy thing to contemplate until I met you," he repliedbluntly, and looking at her as if hoping for some approval of hisconfession.
This he failed to obtain, for Dorothy only smiled incredulously as sheasked, "Is it kind, think you, to credit me with so pernicious aninfluence over His Majesty's officers?"
"I credit you only with all that is sweetest and best in a woman," hesaid with quick impulsiveness. And coming still nearer to her, hedropped the flowers and seized one of her hands, while the basket fellto the ground between them.
"'T is small matter what you may or may not credit me with," sheanswered, with a petulant toss of her head. "Leave go my hand thisminute, sir! See, you have made me drop my basket; let me pick it up,and go my way."
A sudden, curious glance now flashed from his eyes, and looking sharplyinto her face, he said, "I thought that perhaps you would like me to gowith you, so that you might shut me up again in your father'ssheep-house."
Dorothy ceased her efforts to withdraw her hands--for he now held bothof them--from his clasp, and stared up at him in affright.
"Who told you I did?" she gasped. "Who said so?"
The young man threw back his head and laughed exultingly.
"Aha,--and so it was really you, you sweet little rebel! I was almostcertain of it, the morning I spoke to your father of the matter, andsaw the look that came into your eyes."
"You are hateful!" she cried, her fear now giving place to anger. "Letme go, I say,--let go my hands at once!" Her eyes were filled with hottears, and her cheeks were burning.
"Never, while you ask me in such fashion." And he tightened his claspstill more. "Listen to me!" he exclaimed passionately. "I have beeneating my heart out for dreary weeks because I could see no chance tohave speech with you. I felt that I could kill the men I've seenriding with you about the country. And now that I have thisopportunity, I mean to make the most of it, for who can say whenanother will come to me?"
His words were drying her tears, as might a scorching wind; and shestood mute, with drooping head.
"Don't be angry with me for what I have said," he entreated, "norbecause I found it was you who played that trick upon me. That prankof yours is the happiest thing I have to remember. You might lock meup there every day, and I would only bless you for being close enoughto me to do it."
He stopped and looked at her beseechingly. But she would not raise hereyes, and stood pushing at the spray of asters with the tip of herlittle buckled shoe, while she asked, "Think you I only find pleasurein going about the country to lock folk up?"
She spoke with perfect seriousness; and yet there was that in her lookand manner to make his heart give a great bound.
"I think of nothing, care for nothing," he replied, almost impatiently,"save that you are the sweetest little girl I ever met."
Something in his voice made Dorothy glance up at his face, and she sawhis eyes bent upon her lips with a look that startled her into a fearof what he might have in his mind to do. So, drawing herself up, shesaid with all the dignity she could muster, "Such speech may perchancebe an English custom, sir; but 't is not such as gentlemen in ourcountry think proper to address to a girl they may chance upon, as youhave me."
"Sweet Mistress Dorothy," and he seemed to dwell lovingly upon hername, "I crave your pardon. I meant no lightness nor disrespect. Andif I have lost my head, and with it my manners, you have but to lookinto your mirror, and you'll surely see why."
Dorothy knew not how to reply to this bold speech, and the look thatcame with it. They made her angry, and yet she knew that the flushupon her cheeks did not come from anger alone, but that a certainundefinable pleasure had much to do with it. Then came theconsciousness that she had no right to be where she was, and the fearof danger coming from it. And this was sufficient to make her say withsome impatience: "'T is idle to stand here prating in such fashion.Please release my hands, and let me go. I should be well on my wayhome by now."
He bent his head suddenly, and without a word kissed her hands. Andthe burning touch of his lips made her pulses thrill and her heart beatwith what she knew to be delight,--exultation.
Then, like a rushing flood, reason assailed her conscience, that sheshould permit a hated redcoat--one whom she ought to detest--to kissher hands, and not feel enraged at his boldness. And so, filled withindignation, she pulled one hand away, and raising it quickly, gave hisface a ringing slap.
He started back and placed a hand to his cheek, now showing a moreflaming color than her own, and for a moment his eyes were alight withan angry glitter. But he said nothing, and bowing low before her,stood away from the path.
Dorothy picked up her basket, and without glancing toward him passedalong on her way. But her eyes were brimming with tears, which weresoon trickling down her burning cheeks.
What had she done, and what could she do, in this new, strange matter,of which she might not speak to her father? How was she to act towardhim from whom she had never yet withheld her confidence?
And still how could she speak to any one--even him--of what was givingbirth to thoughts and feelings such as she had never dreamed of before?
With all this--and in spite of it--came the question as to what theredcoat would think of her now,--a maiden who went about at nightmasquerading in masculine garb, and who slapped His Majesty's officersin the face?
There came to her a woful sense of shame,--yes, of degradation, such asher young life had never imagined could exist, and seeming to overwhelmher with its possible results.
She was startled by a sudden footfall close behind her, and withoutlooking back, she quickened her pace into a run. But now a strong armwas thrown about her waist, holding her fast; and she caught a fierygleam of the scarlet coat against which her head was pressed by thehand that, although it trembled a little, prisoned her cheek withgentle firmness.
Then a mouth was bent close to her ear, so close that its quick breathfanned the tiny curling locks about her temples, and a voice whispered:"Sweetheart, forgive me--for God's love, forgive me! I cannot let yougo in this way; for see, you are weeping. Surely this pretence ofanger is unjust,--unjust to you and t
o me!"
Before she could speak, the voice went on, "Little rebel, sweet littlerebel, will you not surrender to--a vanquished victor?" And with this,a kiss was pressed upon her lips.
At first Dorothy had been too startled to speak,--too frightened anddumb from the tumult his caressing voice had aroused within her. Butthe touch of his lips awakened her like a blow.
"How dare you?" she cried, struggling from his arms. "Oh, how I wish Ihad never seen you!"
"You can scarce expect me to feel likewise," he said calmly, smilinginto her stormy little face, "for I--"
"Never speak to me again!" she interrupted, still more hotly. Andthen, as the tears of anger choked her voice, she turned from him andfled away down the path.
For a time she heard him in pursuit; and this made her run all theswifter, until at last, reaching the Salem road, she glanced back asshe mounted the low stone wall, and saw that he had stopped where thetimber ended, and stood watching her. Then without turning to lookagain, she went quickly across the sunlit meadow-land.
Her breath came sobbingly; and mingled with her terror was a feelingshe could not define, but which told her that life would never be thesame for her again. She still felt the clasp of his arms about her,the burning of his lips upon her hands,--their pressure upon her mouth.His voice still came caressingly to her ears, and the wind seemed to behis breath over her hair.
It was not long before she saw Pashar coming to meet her; and drawingthe hood about her face, she bade him go for the basket she had left inthe wood. Then, without waiting for him to return with it, shehastened directly to her father's house.
She reached her own room without having encountered any of thehousehold, and throwing off her cloak went to the glass. There,resting her elbows on the low, broad shelf, and dropping her soft roundchin into her small palms, she seemed to be studying what the mirrorshowed to her,--studying it with as much interest as though she now sawthe reflection of her features for the first time.
"You are a wicked, treacherous girl," she said aloud, addressing thecharming face staring back at her with great solemn eyes, "a perfectlittle traitor." Then--but now to herself--"Moll said his heart turnedtoward me as the flowers to the sun. And if this be true, why is itnot also truth that sorrow is to come with it?" She shivered, andpressed her hands over her eyes.
"Cousin Dot!" called a small voice outside the locked door.
"Yes, 'Bitha." Dorothy started guiltily, and made haste to dash somewater over her glowing face and tell-tale eyes.
"Aunt Lettice says the meal is ready," came the announcement fromwithout; "and Hugh Knollys is below with Uncle Joseph."
Dorothy felt thankful for this, as a guest at dinner would serve thebetter to divert attention from herself; and making a hasty toilette,she descended to the dining-room.
She found them all at the table, with Hugh at her father's right hand,and directly opposite her own place. The young man arose as sheentered the room, and responded with his usual heartiness to thegreeting she tendered him. But with it all he gave her so odd a lookas to make her wonder if he saw aught amiss in her appearance.
The two men resumed their talk of public matters and the town's doings,and were soon so absorbed that Dorothy was able to remain as silent asshe could have wished.
It had been resolved not to import, either directly or indirectly, anygoods from Great Britain or Ireland after the first of the comingDecember. And in case the tyrannical decrees of the mother countryshould not be repealed by the 10th of the following September, it wasagreed that no commodities whatever should be exported to GreatBritain, Ireland, or the British West Indies.
This would bring about an embarrassing state of affairs for both themen who were now discussing the matter, as they, like many others inthe town, had derived a considerable income from such exporting.
"But we'll stand shoulder to shoulder, Hugh," said Joseph Devereux,firmly, "if so be we forfeit every penny, until the oppressors give usfair dealings or we drive every redcoat from our soil. I will killevery cow and sheep--aye, and every horse as well, and cut down everystick o' timber on my land, for the keeping of us and our friends fedand warmed, but that I will maintain the stand I've pledged myself tokeep."
"Let us hope, sir, that the redcoats will not first seize your cattle,"said Hugh, his eyes fixed gravely upon the abstracted young faceopposite him. "I met Trent as I was riding along the pastures, and hetold me the sheep had escaped through a broken place in the fence ofthe ten-acre lot, and he had a chase after them to Riverhead Beach. Hesaid he met a party of soldiers there, and they deliberately took oneof the sheep from under his very nose, and carried it off with them tothe Neck. And when he remonstrated with them, they only laughed athim, and told him to send the bill to the King for the dinner theywould have."
The old man's eyes flashed with anger as he listened to this.
"It is an outrage!" he exclaimed when Hugh had finished,--"to stealstock under our very eyes. I must see Trent about the matter, and thecattle must be kept nigh the house."
"Why not take them by boatloads over to the islands till the redcoatsbe gone, as has been done before, for pasturage?" The suggestion camefrom Aunt Lettice, and was made rather timidly.
"You were never cut out for a farmer's wife, Lettice, my dear," herbrother-in-law replied, a good-humored smile now breaking over hisface, "else you'd remember there is no pasturage there at this time o'year. And I doubt if they'd be so safe on the islands as here, forTrent and the men would have to go each day with fodder for them, andthe soldiers' spying eyes would be sure to note the coming and going o'the boats. No," he added with decision, "I shall have the flocks keptpenned, nigh the house; and I shall make complaint o' this matter tothe Governor. As for the rest," and he smiled grimly, "I take it ourguns can protect ourselves and our property."
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