The Pilot (16 page)

"Katherine! Katherine! can you jest when there is so much to apprehend?
Forget you what Alice Dunscombe told us of the gale, this morning? and
that she spoke of two vessels, a ship and a schooner, that had been seen
venturing with fearful temerity within the shoals, only six miles from
the abbey, and that unless God in his gracious providence had been kind
to them, there was but little doubt that their fate would be a sad one?
Can you, that know so well who and what these daring mariners are, be
merry about the self-same winds that caused their danger?"

The thoughtless, laughing girl was recalled to her recollection by this
remonstrance, and every trace of mirth vanished from her countenance,
leaving a momentary death-like paleness crossing her face, as she
clasped her hands before her, and fastened her keen eyes vacantly on the
splendid pieces of silk that now lay unheeded around her. At this
critical moment the door of the room slowly opened, and Colonel Howard
entered the apartment with an air that displayed a droll mixture of
stern indignation, with a chivalric and habitual respect to the sex.

"I solicit your pardon, young ladies, for the interruption," he said; "I
trust, however, that an old man's presence can never be entirely
unexpected In the drawing-room of his wards."

As he bowed, the colonel seated himself on the end of the couch,
opposite to the place where his niece had been reclining, for Miss
Howard had risen at his entrance, and continued standing until her uncle
had comfortably disposed of himself. Throwing a glance which was not
entirely free from self-commendation around the comfortable apartment,
the veteran proceeded, in the same tone as before:

"You are not without the means of making any guest welcome, nor do I see
the necessity of such constant seclusion from the eyes of the world as
you thus rigidly practise."

Cecilia looked timidly at her uncle, with surprise, before she returned
an answer to his remark.

"We certainly owe much to your kind attention, dear sir," she at length
uttered; "but is our retirement altogether voluntary?"

"How can it be otherwise! are you not mistress of this mansion, madam?
In selecting the residence where your and, permit me to add, my
ancestors so long dwelt in credit and honor, I have surely been less
governed by any natural pride that I might have entertained on such a
subject, than by a desire to consult your comfort and happiness.
Everything appears to my aged eyes as if we ought not to be ashamed to
receive our friends within these walls. The cloisters of St. Ruth, Miss
Howard, are not entirely bare, neither are their tenants wholly unworthy
to be seen."

"Open, then, the portals of the abbey, sir, and your niece will endeavor
to do proper credit to the hospitality of its master."

"That was spoken like Harry Howard's daughter, frankly and generously!"
cried the old soldier, insensibly edging himself nearer to his niece.
"If my brother had devoted himself to the camp, instead of the sea,
Cecilia, he would have made one of the bravest and ablest generals in
his majesty's service—poor Harry! he might have been living at this
very day, and at this moment leading the victorious troops of his
sovereign through the revolted colonies in triumph. But he is gone,
Cecilia, and has left you behind him, as his dear representative, to
perpetuate our family and to possess what little has been left to us
from the ravages of the times."

"Surely, dear sir," said Cecilia, taking his hand, which, had
unconsciously approached her person, and pressing it to her lips, "we
have no cause to complain of our lot in respect to fortune, though it
may cause us bitter regret that so few of us are left to enjoy it."

"No, no, no," said Katherine, in a low, hurried voice; "Alice Dunscombe
is and must be wrong; Providence would never abandon brave men to so
cruel a fate!"

"Alice Dunscombe is here to atone for her error, if she has fallen into
one," said a quiet, subdued voice, in which the accents of a provincial
dialect, however, were slightly perceptible, and which, in its low
tones, wanted that silvery clearness that gave so much feminine
sweetness to the words of Miss Howard, and which even rang melodiously
in the ordinarily vivacious strains of her cousin.

The surprise created by these sudden interruptions caused a total
suspension of the discourse. Katherine Plowden, who had continued
kneeling in the attitude before described, arose, and as she looked
about her in momentary confusion, the blood again mantled her face with
the fresh and joyous springs of life. The other speaker advanced
steadily into the middle of the room; and after returning, with studied
civility, the low bow of Colonel Howard, seated herself in silence on
the opposite couch. The manner of her entrance, her reception, and her
attire, sufficiently denoted that the presence of this female was
neither unusual nor unwelcome. She was dressed with marked simplicity,
though with a studied neatness, that more than compensated for the
absence of ornaments. Her age might not have much exceeded thirty, but
there was an adoption of customs in her attire that indicated she was
not unwilling to be thought older. Her fair flaxen hair was closely
confined by a dark bandeau, such as was worn in a nation farther north
by virgins only, over which a few curls strayed, in a manner that showed
the will of their mistress alone restrained their luxuriance. Her light
complexion had lost much of its brilliancy, but enough still remained to
assert its original beauty and clearness. To this description might be
added, fine, mellow, blue eyes; beautifully white, though large teeth; a
regular set of features, and a person that was clad in a dark lead-
colored silk, which fitted her full, but gracefully moulded form with
the closest exactness.

Colonel Howard paused a moment after this lady was seated, and then
turning himself to Katherine with an air that became stiff and
constrained by attempting to seem extremely easy, he said:

"You no sooner summon Miss Alice, but she appears, Miss Plowden—ready
and (I am bold to say, Miss Alice) able to defend herself against all
charges that her worst enemies can allege against her."

"I have no charges to make against Miss Dunscombe," said Katherine,
pettishly, "nor do I wish to have dissensions created between me and my
friends, even by Colonel Howard."

"Colonel Howard will studiously avoid such offences in future," said the
veteran, bowing; and turning stiffly to the others, he continued: "I was
just conversing with my niece as you entered, Miss Alice, on the subject
of her immuring herself like one of the veriest nuns who ever inhabited
these cloisters. I tell her, madam, that neither her years, nor my
fortune, nor, indeed, her own, for the child of Harry Howard was not
left penniless, require that we should live as if the doors of the world
were closed against us, or there was no other entrance to St. Ruth's but
through those antiquated windows. Miss Plowden, I feel it to be my duty
to inquire why those pieces of silk are provided in such an unusual
abundance, and in so extraordinary a shape?"

"To make a gala dress for the ball you are about to give, sir," said
Katherine, with a saucy smile that was only checked by the reproachful
glance of her cousin. "You have taste In a lady's attire, Colonel
Howard; will not this bright yellow form a charming relief to my brown
face, while this white and black relieve one another, and this pink
contrasts so sweetly with black eyes? Will not the whole form a turban
fit for an empress to wear?"

As the arch maiden prattled on in this unmeaning manner, her rapid
fingers entwined the flags in a confused maze, which she threw over her
head in a form not unlike the ornament for which she intimated it was
intended. The veteran was by far too polite to dispute a lady's taste,
and he renewed the dialogue, with his slightly awakened suspicion
completely quieted by her dexterity and artifice. But although it was
not difficult to deceive Colonel Howard in matters of female dress, the
case was very different with Alice Dunscombe, This lady gazed with a
steady eye and reproving countenance on the fantastical turban, until
Katherine threw herself by her side, and endeavored to lead her
attention to other subjects, by her playful motions and whispered
questions.

"I was observing, Miss Alice," continued the colonel, "that although the
times had certainly inflicted some loss on my estate, yet we were not so
much reduced as to be unable to receive our friends in a manner that
would not disgrace the descendants of the ancient possessors of St.
Ruth. Cecilia, here, my brother Harry's daughter, is a young lady that
any uncle might be proud to exhibit, and I would have her, madam, show
your English dames that we rear no unworthy specimens of the parent
stock on the other side of the Atlantic."

"You have only to declare your pleasure, my good uncle," said Miss
Howard, "and it shall be executed."

"Tell us how we can oblige you, sir," continued Katherine, "and if it be
in any manner that will relieve the tedium of this dull residence, I
promise you at least one cheerful assistant to your scheme."

"You speak fair," cried the colonel, "and like two discreet and worthy
girls! Well, then, our first step shall be to send a message to Dillon
and the captain, and invite them to attend your coffee. I see the hour
approaches."

Cecilia made no reply, but looked distressed, and dropped her mild eyes
to the carpet; Miss Plowden took it upon herself to answer:

"Nay, sir, that would be for them to proceed in the matter; as your
proposal was that the first step should be ours, suppose we all adjourn
to your part of the house, and do the honors of the tea-table in your
drawing-room, instead of our own. I understand, sir, that you have had
an apartment fitted up for that purpose in some style; a woman's taste
might aid your designs, however."

"Miss Plowden, I believe I intimated to you some time since," said the
displeased colonel, "that so long as certain suspicious vessels were
known to hover on this coast, I should desire that you and Miss Howard
would confine yourselves to this wing."

"Do not say that we confine ourselves," said Katherine, "but let it be
spoken in plain English, that you confine us here."

"Am I a jailer, madam, that you apply such epithets to my conduct? Miss
Alice must form strange conclusions of our manners, if she receive her
impressions from your very singular remarks. I—"

"All measures adopted from a dread of the ship and the schooner that ran
within the Devil's Grip, yester-eve, may be dispensed with now,"
interrupted Miss Dunscombe, in a melancholy, reflecting tone. "There are
few living who know the dangerous paths that can conduct even the
smallest craft in safety from the land, with daylight and fair winds;
but when darkness and adverse gales oppose them, the chance for safety
lies wholly in God's kindness."

"There is truly much reason to believe they are lost," returned the
veteran, in a voice in which no exultation was apparent.

"They are not lost!" exclaimed Katherine, with startling energy, leaving
her seat, and walking across the room to join Cecilia, with an air that
seemed to elevate her little figure to the height of her cousin. "They
are skilful and they are brave, and what gallant sailors can do will
they do, and successfully; besides, in what behalf would a just
Providence sooner exercise its merciful power, than to protect the
daring children of an oppressed country, while contending against
tyranny and countless wrongs?"

The conciliating disposition of the colonel deserted him, as he
listened. His own black eyes sparkled with a vividness unusual for his
years, and his courtesy barely permitted the lady to conclude, ere he
broke forth:

"What sin, madam, what damning crime, would sooner call down the just
wrath of heaven on the transgressors, than the act of foul rebellion? It
was this crime, madam, that deluged England in blood in the reign of the
first Charles; it is this crime that has dyed more fields red than all
the rest of man's offences united; it has been visited on our race as a
condign punishment, from the days of the deservedly devoted Absalom,
down to the present time; in short, it lost heaven forever to some of
the most glorious of its angels, and there is much reason to believe
that it is the one unpardonable sin named in the holy gospels."

"I know that you have authority for believing it to be the heavy
enormity that you mention, Colonel Howard," said Miss Dunscombe,
anticipating the spirited reply of Katherine, and willing to avert it;
she hesitated an instant, and then drawing a heavy shivering sigh, she
continued, in a voice that grew softer as she spoke: "'tis indeed a
crime of magnitude, and one that throws the common blackslidings of our
lives, speaking by comparison, into the sunshine of his favor. Many
there are who sever the dearest ties of this life, by madly rushing into
its sinful vortex; for I fain think the heart grows hard with the sight
of human calamity, and becomes callous to the miseries its owner
inflicts; especially where we act the wrongs on our own kith and kin,
regardless who or how many that are dear to us suffer by our evil deeds.
It is, besides, Colonel Howard, a dangerous temptation, to one little
practiced in the great world, to find himself suddenly elevated into the
seat of power; and if it does not lead to the commission of great
crimes, it surely prepares the way to it, by hardening the heart."

"I hear you patiently, Miss Alice," said Katherine, dancing her little
foot, in affected coolness; "for you neither know of whom nor to whom
you speak. But Colonel Howard has not that apology. Peace, Cecilia, for
I must speak! Believe them not, dear girl; there is not a wet hair on
their heads. For you, Colonel Howard, who must recollect that the
sister's son of the mothers of both your niece and myself is on board
that frigate, there is an appearance of cruelty in using such language."