Susan Warner

“ Rufus went on bitterly, half communing with himself. — "I for fiery impulse, and you for calm rule."
"I don't want to rule," said Winthrop half laughing. "And I assure you I make no effort after it."
"You do it, and always will. You have the love and respect and admiration of everybody that knows you — in a very high degree; and there is not a soul in the world that cares for me, except yourself."
"I do not think that is true, Will," said Winthrop after a little pause. "But even suppose it were — those are not the things one lives for." ”

“ Haye.
"I don't know," said Elizabeth. "And I don't care — even to ask."
"Suppose they are not returned?"
"I have supposed that in the first place," she answered.
"At that rate you might be over head and ears in your regard for several people at once, none of whom cared a straw for you," said Mr. Haye.
"When I find several, men or women, that deserve the sort of respect and esteem I am talking of," said Elizabeth — "I am not talking of a common kind, that you can give common people — I shall be in a new world!"
"And have you this sort of 'respect and esteem' for Mr.
Winthrop Landholm?" ”

“ Poor child, as she stood there the tears dropped fast, at that meeting of hope and sorrow; hope as intangible as the light, sorrow a thicker mantle than that of the cedar trees. And now the sunlight seemed to say 'Ask' — and the green glittering earth responded — "and ye shall receive." Elizabeth looked; — she heard them say it constantly. She did not question the one word or the other. It seemed very sweet to her, the thought of doing her duty; and yet, — the tears which had stayed, ran fast again when she thought of Mrs. Nettley's going away and how utterly alone she should be. ”

“ How alone! — In the parlour after midnight, with the lamps burning as if the room were gay with company; herself, in her morning dress, on the sofa for a night's rest, and there on her blanket on the carpet, Clam already taking it. How it told the story, of illness and watching and desertion and danger; how it put life and death in near and strong contrast; and the summer wind blew in through the blinds and pushed the blinds themselves gently out into the room, just as Elizabeth had seen and felt in many a bright and happy hour not so long past. ”

“ Will you go and ride with me to-morrow, Winifred?"
"Ride?" said Winifred.
"Yes. In my carriage. We'll go out of town."
"O yes! O thank you! I should like it very much."
"You don't look very strong," said Elizabeth. "How is it that you can take such long walks?"
"O Winthrop don't let me get tired you know."
"But how does he manage to help it?" said Elizabeth smiling.
"Can he do everything?"
"I don't know," said Winnie. "He don't let me stand too long, and he doesn't let me walk too fast; and his arm is strong, you know; —he can almost hold me up if I do get tired." ”

“ Herder had found his way to their side.
"Miss Elisabet'!" he said, — "and Mistress Haye! what has made you to come here to-day?"
"Mr. Satterthwaite wanted us to hear your favourite Mr. Landholm," said Rose, — "so I came. Lizzie didn't come for that."
Elizabeth shook hands with her friend smilingly, but said never a word as to why she was there.
"Winthrop is good to hear," said Mr. Herder, "when you can understand him. He knows how to speak. I can understand him — but I cannot understand Mr. Brick — I cannot make nozing of him when he speaks." ”

“ For anything."
"What do you want me to do, Will?" said Winthrop looking up.
"To tell me why I should not marry Miss Haye or Miss
Cadwallader."
"You not knowing, yourself."
"Yes — I don't," said Rufus.
Winthrop turned over a few leaves of his book and then spoke.
"You are stronger, not to lean on somebody else's strength. You are more independent, not to lean at all. You are honester, not to gain anything under false pretences. And you are better to be yourself, Will Landholm, than the husband of any heiress the sun shines upon, at such terms." ”

“ Winthrop stood still.
"I would give anything in the world," said Elizabeth, lifting her head and at first humbly and then proudly wiping her tears away, — "if I could learn self-control — to command myself. Can one do it, Mr. Landholm? — one with whom it is not born?"
"I believe so."
"After all, you can't tell much about it," said Elizabeth, "for it belongs to your nature."
"No credit to him," said Rufus returning; — "it comes of the stock. An inch of self-control in one not accustomed to it, is worth more honour than all Governor's, which he can't help." ”

“ The moonlight poured down noiselessly on the water, and over the low dusky distant shore; the ripples murmured under the sloop's prow; the wind breathed gently through the sails. Now and then the creak of the rudder sounded, but the very stars were not more calmly peaceful than everything else.
"There is quiet and soothing in the speech of such a scene as this," Winthrop said after a time.
"Quiet!" said Elizabeth. Her voice choked, and it was a little while before she could go on. — "Nothing is quiet to a mind in utter confusion." ”

“ Elizabeth left the supposition unquestioned.
"You are sadly fatigued, Miss Haye," said Mrs. Nettley after a longer pause than before.
"I suppose I am," said Elizabeth rising, for patience had drawn her last breath; — "I am going down by the water to rest. Don't let any one follow me or call me — I want nothing — only to rest by myself."
And drawing her scarf round her, she strode through the rank grass to the foot of the lawn, and then between scattered rocks and sweetbriars and wild rose-bushes, to the fringe of cedar trees which there clothed the rocks down to the water. ”

“ The whole little bay, with its high green border, the further river-channel with Diver's Rock setting out into it, and above, below, and over against him the high broken horizon line of the mountains; the flecked grey cloud and the ripply grey water.
"This is a pretty place!" said the naturalist. "I have seen no such pretty place in America. I should love to live here. I should be a happy man! — But one does not live for to be happy," he said with half a sigh.
"One doesn't live to be happy, Mr. Herder!" said Elizabeth. ”

“ Because my life has nothing to look forward to — in this world — and heaven is not enough; I want something in this world. — Yes, I do. — Yet Winthrop Landholm has nothing more than I have, in this world's things, and he don't feel like me. What is the reason? Why is his face always so at rest, — so bright — so strong? Ah, it must be that he is so much better than I! — he has more, not of this world's things; religion is something to him that it is not to me; he must love his Master far better than I do. ”

“ Elizabeth's look went from it to Rufus. His was beaming.
"Capital!" he said. "That was admirable!"
"No," said Elizabeth after a slight hesitation, — "it was not."
"I thought it was," said Rufus, — "admirably done. Why was it not, Miss Haye? — if I am not as impertinent as another? — I thought he richly deserved his punishment."
"Yes," said Elizabeth in a dissatisfied kind of way, — "enough of that, — but I deserved better of myself than to give it to him."
"You are too hard upon yourself."
"Circumstances are sometimes."
"Will it do to say that?" said Winthrop looking up. ”

“ Nothing is reliable that is not tried. "And yet," she said to herself, "I am reliable. I know I am."
"What can anybody's wish make of a hindrance?" was her reply.
"Graff it in well, and anybody can make a pretty large thorn of it."
"Why Mr. Winthrop! — but I mean, in the way of dealing with it pleasantly?"
"Pleasantly? — I don't know," said he; "unless they could get my mother's recipe."
"What does her wish do with a hindrance?"
"It lies down and dies," he said, with a change of tone which shewed whither his thoughts had gone.
"I think I never wish mine to do that," said Elizabeth. ”

“ Rose's pretty night-cap was presenting itself.
"Lizzie! — aren't you afraid without a man in the house?"
"There is a man in the house."
"Is there?"
"Yes. Anderese — Karen's brother."
"But he is old."
"He's a man."
"But aren't you ever afraid?"
"It's no use to be afraid," said Elizabeth. "I am accustomed to it. I don't often think of it."
"I heard such queer noises," said Rose whispering. "I didn't think of anything before, either. May I come in here?"
"It's of no use, Rose," said Elizabeth. "You would be just as much afraid to-morrow night. There is nothing in the world to be afraid of." ”

“ The sunlight was growing ardent upon the hills and the river; but over Elizabeth's head the shade was still unbroken. A soft aromatic smell came from the cedars, now and then broken in upon by a faint puff of fresher air from the surface of the water. Hardly any sound, but the murmur of the ripple at the water's edge and the cheruping of busy grasshoppers upon the lawn. Now and then a locust did sing out; he only said it was August and that the sun was shining hot and sleepily everywhere but under the cedar trees. ”

“ Mosses and lichens, brown and black with the summer's heat, clothed the rocks and dressed out their barrenness; green tufts of fern nodded in many a nook, and kept their greenness still; and huckleberry bushes were on every hand, in every spare place, and standing full of the unreaped black and blue harvest. And in the very path, under their feet, sprang many an unassuming little green plant, that in the Spring had lifted its head in glorious beauty with some delicate crown of a flower. A stranger would have made nothing of them; but Winnie and Winthrop knew them all, crowned or uncrowned. ”

“ They crept up, close under the shore, the oars almost touching the rocks; but always, as if a spirit of divination were in her, the little boat turned its head from the threatened danger, edged in and out of the mimic bays and hollows in the shores, and kept its steady onward way. The scene was a fairy-land scene now. Earth, water, and air, were sparkling with freshness and light. The sunlight lay joyously in the nest of the southern mountains, and looked over the East, and smiled on the heads of the hills in the north; while cool shadows began to walk along the western shore. ”

“ Elizabeth answered with infinite gravity.
"And the opinions of the rest of men you would despise?" said
Rufus.
"Utterly! — so far as they trenched upon my freedom of action."
"You can't live so," said Rufus shaking his head.
"I will live so, if I live at all."
"Wint'rop, you do not say nozing," said the naturalist.
"What need, sir?"
"Dere is always need for everybody to say what he thinks," said Mr. Herder. "Here we have all got ourselves in a puzzle, and we don't know which way we stand."
"I am afraid every man must get out of that puzzle for himself, sir." ”

“ But yet its real brightness, to her apprehension, shone upon a "land that is very far off;" and left all the way thereunto with but a twilight earnest of good things to come; and Elizabeth did not like looking forward; she wanted some sweetness in hand. Yet she clung to that, her one stand-by. She had a vague notion that its gleam might lead to more brightness even this side of heaven; that there might be a sort of comfort growing out of doing one's duty, and the favour of him whose service duty is. Winthrop Landholm was always bright, — and what else had he to make him so? ”

“ Very good-humouredly the naturalist left Mr. Haye and came to them, and presently was deep in quartz and silica, and onyx and chalcedony, and all manner of stones that are precious. He told all that Elizabeth wanted to know, and much more than she had dreamed of knowing. Even Rose listened; and Rufus was eagerly attentive; and Elizabeth after she had asked questions as far as her knowledge allowed her to push them, sighed and wished she knew everything.
"Then you would be more wise than anybody, Miss Elisabet' — you would be too wise. The man who knows the most, knows that he knows little." ”