Joseph and His Friend

THE

ATLANTIC MONTHLY.

A Magazine of Literature, Science. Art,

and Politics.

CHAPTER XI.

THERE was not much of the happy bridegroom to be seen in Joseph’s face when he arose the next morning. To Philip’s eyes he appeared to have suddenly grown several years older ; his features had lost their boyish softness and sweetness, which would thenceforth never wholly come back again. He spoke but little, and went about his preparation with an abstracted, mechanical air, which told how much his mind was preoccupied. Philip quietly assisted, and when all was complete, led him before the mirror.

“There!” he said; “now study the general effect; I think nothing more is wanting.”

“ It hardly looks like myself,” Joseph remarked, after a careless inspection.

“ In all the weddings I have seen,” said Philip, “the bridegrooms were pale and grave, the brides flushed and trembling. You will not make an exception to the rule ; but it is a solemn thing, and I —don’t misunderstand me, Joseph—I almost wish you were not to be married to-day.”

“Philip!” Joseph exclaimed, “let me think, now, at least, — now, at the last moment, — that it is best for me ! If you knew how cramped, restricted, fettered, my life has been, and how much emancipation has already come with this — this love! Perhaps my marriage is a venture, but it is one which must be made ; and no consequence of it shall ever come between us ! ”

“ No ; and I ought not to have spoken a word that might imply a doubt. It may be that your emancipation, as you rightly term it, can only come in this way. My life has been so different, that I am unconsciously putting myself in your place, instead of trying to look with your eyes. When I next go to Coventry Forge, I shall drive over and dine with you, and I hope your Julia will be as ready to receive me as a friend as I am to find one in her. There is the carriage at the door, and you had better arrive a little before the appointed hour. Take only my good wishes, my prayers for your happiness, along with you,—and now, God bless you, Joseph ! ”

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by FIELDS, OSGOOD, & Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

The carriage rolled away. Joseph, in full wedding costume, was painfully conscious of the curious glances which fell upon him, and presently pulled down the curtains. Then, with an impatient self-reprimand, he pulled them up again, lowered the window, and let the air blow upon his hot cheeks. The house was speedily reached, and he was admitted by a festive waiter (hired for the occasion) before he had been exposed for more than five seconds to the gaze of curious eyes in all the windows around.

Mrs. Blessing, resplendent in purple, and so bedight that she seemed almost as young as her portrait, swept into the drawing-room. She inspected him rapidly, and approved, while advancing ; otherwise he would scarcely have received the thin, dry kiss with which she favored him.

“It lacks half an hour,” she said; “but you have the usual impatience of a bridegroom. I am accustomed to it. Mr. Blessing is still in his room; he has only just commenced arranging his cambric cravat, which is a work of time. He cannot forget that he was distinguished for an elegant tie in his youth. Clementina,” — as that young lady entered the room, — “is the bride completely attired ? ”

“All but her gloves,” replied Clementina, offering three fourths of her hand to Joseph. “ And she don’t know what ear-rings to wear.”

“ I think we might venture,” Mrs. Blessing remarked, “ as there seems to be no rule applicable to the case, to allow Mr. Asten a sight of his bride. Perhaps his taste might assist her in the choice.”

Thereupon she conducted Joseph up stairs, and, after some preliminary whispering, he was admitted to the room. He and Julia were equally surprised at the change in each other’s appearance : he older, paler, with a grave and serious bearing; she younger, brighter, rounder, fresher, and with the loveliest pink flush on her cheeks. The gloss of her hair rivalled that of the white satin which draped her form and gave grace to its outlines ; her neck and shoulders were slight, but no one could have justly called them lean ; and even the thinness of her lips was forgotten in the vivid coral of their color, and the nervous life which hovered about their edges. At that moment she was certainly beautiful, and a stranger would have supposed her to be young.

She looked into Joseph’s face with a smile in which some appearance of maiden shyness yet lingered. A shrewder bridegroom would have understood its meaning, and would have said, “ How lovely you are ! ” Joseph, it is true, experienced a sense of relief, but he knew not why, and could not for his life have put it into words. His eyes dwelt upon and followed her, and she seemed to be satisfied with that form of recognition. Mrs. Blessing inspected the dress with a severe critical eye, pulling out a fold here and smoothing a bit of lace there, until nothing further could be detected. Then, the adornment of the victim being completed, she sat down and wept moderately.

“O ma, try to bear up!” Julia exclaimed, with the very slightest touch of impatience in her voice ; “ it is all to come yet.”

There was a ring at the door.

“It must be your aunt,” said Mrs. Blessing, drying her eyes. “ My sister,” she added, turning to Joseph,— Mrs. Woollish, with Mr. Woollish and their two sons and one daughter. He’s in the — the leather trade, so to speak, which has thrown her into a very different circle ; but, as we have no nearer relations in the city, they will be present at the ceremony. He is said to be wealthy. I have no means of knowing; but one would scarcely think so, to judge from his wedding-gift to Julia.”

“ Ma, why should you mention it ?”

“ I wish to enlighten Mr. Asten. Six pairs of shoes ! — of course all of the same pattern ; and the fashion may change in another year! ”

“ In the country we have no fashionsin shoes,” Joseph suggested.

“ Certainly ! ” said Julia. “ I find Uncle Woollish’s present very practical indeed.”

Mrs. Blessing looked at her daughter, and said nothing.

Mr. Blessing, very red in the face, but with triumphant cambric about his throat, entered the room, endeavoring to get his fat hands into a pair of No. 9 gloves. A strong smell of turpentine or benzine entered with him.

“ Eliza,” said he, “you must find me some eau de cologne. The odor left from my — my rheumatic remedy is still perceptible. Indeed, patchouly would be better, if it were not the scent peculiar to parvenus.”

Clementina came to say that the clergyman’s carriage had just reached the door, and Mr. Blessing was hurried down stairs, mopping his gloves and the collar of his coat with liquid fragrance by the way. Mrs. Blessing and Clementina presently followed.

“Julia,” said Joseph when they were quite alone, “ have you thought that this is for life ? ”

She looked up with a tender smile, but something in his face arrested it on her lips.

“ I have lived ignorantly until now,” he continued, — “ innocently and ignorantly. From this time on I shall change more than you, and there may be, years hence, a very different Joseph Asten from the one whose name you will take to-day. If you love me with the love I claim from you, — the love that grows with and through all new knowledge and experience, — there will be no discord in our lives. We must both be liberal and considerate towards each other; it has been but a short time since we met, and we have still much to learn.”

“ O Joseph ! ” she murmured, in a tone of gentle reproach, “ I knew your nature at first sight.”

“ I hope you did,” he answered gravely, “ for then you will be able to see its needs, and help me to supply them. But, Julia, there must not the shadow of concealment come between us: nothing must be reserved. I understand no love that does not include perfect trust. I must draw nearer, and be drawn nearer to you, constantly, or — ”

He paused ; it was no time to utter the further sentence in his mind. Julia glided to him, clasped her arms about his waist, and laid her head against his shoulder. Although she said nothing, the act was eloquent. It expressed acquiescence, trust, fidelity, the surrender of her life to his, and no man in his situation could have understood it otherwise. A tenderness, which seemed to be the something hitherto lacking to his love, crept softly over his heart, and the lurking unrest began to fade from his face.

There was a rustle on the stairs ; Clementina and Miss Woollish made their appearance. “ Mr. Bogue has arrived,” whispered the former, “and ma thinks you should come down soon. Are you entirely ready? I don’t think you need the salts, Julia ; but you might carry the bottle in your left hand: brides are expected to be nervous.”

She gave a light laugh, like the purl and bubble of a brook, but Joseph shrank, with an inward chill, from the sound.

“ So ! shall we go ? Fanny and I — (I beg pardon; Mr. Asten — Miss Woollish) — will lead the way. We will stand a little in the rear, not beside you, as there are no groomsmen. Remember, the farther end of the room ! ”

They rustled slowly downward, in advance, and the bridal pair followed. The clergyman, Mr. Bogue, suddenly broke off in the midst of an oracular remark about the weather, and, standing in the centre of the room, awaited them. The other members of the two families were seated, and very silent.

Joseph heard the introductory remarks, the ceremony, and the final benediction as in a dream. His lips opened mechanically, and a voice which did not exactly seem to be his own uttered the “ I will ! ” at the proper time ; yet, in recalling the experience afterwards, he was unable to decide whether any definite thought or memory or hope had passed through his mind. From his entrance into the room until his hand was violently shaken by Mr. Blessing there was a blank.

Of course there were tears, but the beams of congratulation shone through them, and they saddened nobody. Miss Fanny Woollish assured the bridal pair, in an audible whisper, that she had never seen a sweeter wedding ; and her mother, a stout, homely little body, confirmed the opinion with, “Yes, you both did beautifully ! ” Then the marriage certificate was produced and signed, and the company partook of wine and refreshments to strengthen them for the reception.

Until there had been half a dozen arrivals, Mrs. Blessing moved about restlessly, and her eyes wandered to the front window. Suddenly three or four carriages came rattling together up the street, and Joseph heard her whisper to her husband : “ There they are! it will be a success!” It was not long before the little room was uncomfortably crowded, and the presentations followed so rapidly that Joseph soon became bewildered. Julia, however, knew and welcomed every one with the most bewitching grace, being rewarded with kisses by the gorgeous young ladies and compliments by the young men with weak mouths and retreating chins.

In the midst of the confusion Mr. Blessing, with a wave of his hand, presented “Mr. Collector Twining” and “ Mr. Surveyor Knob” and “Mr. Appraiser Gerrish,” all of whom greeted Joseph with a bland, almost affectionate, cordiality. The door of the diningroom was then thrown open end the three dignitaries accompanied the bridal pair to the table. Two servants rapidly whisked the champagne-bottles from a cooling-tub in the adjoining closet, and Mr. Blessing commenced stirring and testing a huge bowl of punch. Collector Twining made a neat little speech, proposing the health of bride and bridegroom, with a pun upon the former’s name, which was received with as much delight as if it had never been heard before. Therefore Mr. Surveyor Knob repeated it in giving the health of the bride’s parents. The enthusiasm of the company not having diminished, Mr. Appraiser Gerrish improved the pun in a third form, in proposing “the Ladies.” Then Mr. Blessing, although his feelings overcame him, and he was obliged to use a handkerchief smelling equally of benzine and eau de cologne, responded, introducing the collector’s and surveyor’s names with an ingenuity which was accepted as the inspiration of genius. His peroration was especially admired.

“ On this happy occasion,” he said, “ the elements of national power and prosperity are represented. My sonin-law, Mr. Asten, is a noble specimen of the agricultural population, — the free American yeomanry ; my daughter, if I may be allowed to say it in the presence of so many bright eyes and blooming cheeks, is a representative child of the city, which is the embodiment of the nation’s action and enterprise. The union of the two is the movement of our life. The city gives to the country as the ocean gives the cloud to the mountain-springs : the country gives to the city as the streams flow back to the ocean. [“ Admirable! ” Mr. Collector Twining exclaimed.] Then we have, as our highest honor, the representatives of the political system under which city and country flourish alike. The wings of our eagle must be extended over this fortunate house to-day, for here are the strong Claws which seize and guard its treasures ! ”

The health of the Claws was enthusiastically drunk. Mr. Blessing was congratulated on his eloquence ; the young gentlemen begged the privilege of touching their glasses to his, and every touch required that the contents be replenished ; so that the bottom of the punch-bowl was nearly reached before the guests departed.

When Joseph came down in his travelling-dress, he found the drawing-room empty of the crowd ; but leaves, withered flowers, crumbs of cake and crumpled cards, scattered over the carpet, indicated what had taken place. In the dining-room Mr. Blessing, with his cravat loosened, was smoking a cigar at the open window.

“ Come, son - in - law ! ” he cried ; “ take another glass of punch before you start.”

Joseph declined, on the plea that he was not accustomed to the beverage.

“Nothing could have gone off better!” said Mr. Blessing. “The collector was delighted : by the by, you're to go to the St. Jerome, when you get to New York this evening. He telegraphed to have the bridal-chamber reserved for you. Tell Julia: she won’t forget it. That girl has a deuced sharp intellect: if you ’ll be guided by her in your operations — ”

“Pa, what are you saying about me?” Julia asked, hastily entering the room.

“ Only that you have a deuced sharp intellect, and to-day proves it. Asten is one of us now, and I may tell him of his luck.”

He winked and laughed stupidly, and Joseph understood and obeyed his wife’s appealing glance. He went to his mother-in-law in the drawing-room.

Julia lightly and swiftly shut the door. “ Pa,” she said, in a strong, angry whisper ; “ if you are not able to talk coherently, you must keep your tongue still. What will Joseph think of me, to hear you ? ”

“What he ’ll think anyhow, in a little while,” he doggedly replied. “Julia, you have played a keen game, and played it well; but you don’t know much of men yet. He ’ll not always be the innocent, white-nosed lamb he is now, nibbling the posies you hold out to him. Wait till he asks for stronger feed, and see whether he ’ll follow you ! ”

She was looking on the floor, pale and stern. Suddenly one of her gloves burst, across the back of the hand.

“ Pa,” she then said, “ it ’s very cruel to say such things to me, now when I’m leaving you.”

“ So it is ! ” he exclaimed, tearfully contrite ; “ I am a wretch ! They

flattered my speech so much, — the collector was so impressed by me, — and said so many pleasant things, that-—-I don’t feel quite steady. Don’t forget the St. Jerome ; the bridal-chamber is ordered, and I ’ll see that Mumm writes a good account for the ‘ Evening Mercury.’ I wish you could be here to remember my speech for me. O, I shall miss you ! I shall miss you ! ”

With these words, and his arm lovingly about his daughter, they joined the family. The carriage was already at the door, and the coachman was busy with the travelling-trunks. There were satchels, and little packages,— an astonishing number it seemed to Joseph,— to be gathered together, and then the farewells were said.

As they rolled through the streets towards the station, Julia laid her head upon her husband’s shoulder, drew a long, deep breath, and said: “ Now all our obligations to society are fulfilled, and we can rest awhile. For the first time in my life I am a free woman,— and you have liberated me ' ”

He answered her in glad and tender words ; he was equally grateful that the exciting day was over. But, as they sped away from the city through the mellow October landscapes, Philip’s earnest, dark gray eyes, warm with more than brotherly love, haunted his memory, and he knew that Philip’s faithful thoughts followed him.

CHAPTER XII.

THERE are some days when the sun comes slowly up, filling the vapory air with diffused light, in advance of his coming; when the earth grows luminous in the broad, breezeless morning; when nearer objects shine and sparkle, and the distances melt into dim violet and gold ; when the vane points to the southwest, and the blood of man feels neither heat nor cold, but only the freshness of that perfect temperature, wherein the limits of the body are lost, and the pulses of its life beat in all the life of the world. But erelong the haze, instead of thinning into blue, gradually thickens into gray; the vane creeps southward, swinging to southeast in brief, rising flaws of the air; the horizon darkens; the enfranchised life of the spirit creeps back to its old isolation, shorn of all its rash delight, and already foreboding the despondency which comes with the east wind and the chilly rains.

Some such variation of the atmospheric influences attended Joseph Asten’s wedding-travel. The mellow, magical glory of his new life diminished day by day ; the blue of his sky became colder and grayer. Yet he could not say that his wife had changed : she was always ready with her smiles, her tender phrases, her longings for quiet and rest, and simple, natural life, away from the conventionalities and claims of Society. But, even as, looking into the pale, tawny-brown of her eyes, he saw no changing depth below the hard, clear surface, so it also seemed with her nature; he painfully endeavored to penetrate beyond expressions, the repetition of which it was hard not to find tiresome, and to reach some spring of character or feeling; yet he found nothing. It was useless to remember that he had been content with those expressions before marriage, had given them his own eager interpretation, independent of her will and knowledge ; that his duty to her remained the same, for she had not deceived him.

On the other hand, she was as tender and affectionate as he could desire. Indeed, he would often have preferred a less artless manifestation of her fondness; but she playfully insisted on his claiming the best quarters at every stopping-place, on the ground of their bridal character, and was sometimes a little petulant when she fancied that they had not been sufficiently honored, Joseph would have willingly escaped the distinction, allowing himself to be confounded with the prosaic multitude, but she would not permit him to try the experiment.

“ The newly married are always detected,” she would say, “and they are only laughed at when they try to seem like old couples. Why not be frank and honest, and meet half-way the sympathy which I am sure everybody has for us ? ”

To this he could make no reply, except that it was not agreeable to exact a special attention.

“But it is our right!” was her answer.

In every railway-car they entered she contrived, in a short time, to impress the nature of their trip upon the other travellers ; yet it was done with such apparent unconsciousness, such innocent, impulsive manifestations of her happiness in him, that he could not, in his heart, charge her with having intentionally brought upon him the discomfort of being curiously observed. He could have accustomed himself to endure the latter, had it been inevitable; the suspicion that he owed it to her made it an increasing annoyance. Yet, when the day’s journey was over, and they were resting together in their own private apartment, she would bring a stool to his feet, lay her head on his knee, and say: “Now we can talk as wc please, — there are none watching and listening.”

At such times he was puzzled to guess whether some relic of his former nervous shyness were not remaining, and had made him over-sensitive to her ways. The doubt gave him an additional power of self-control; he resolved to be more slow and cautious of judgment, and observe men and women more carefully than he had been wont to do. Julia had no suspicion of what was passing in his mind : she took it for granted that his nature was still as shallow and transparent as when she first came in contact with it.

After nearly a fortnight this flying life came to an end. They returned to the city for a day, before going home to the farm. The Blessing mansion received them with a hearty welcome, yet, in spite of it, a depressing atmosphere seemed to fill the house. Mrs. Blessing looked pinched and care-worn, Clementina discontented, and Mr. Blessing as melancholy as was possible to so buoyant a politician.

“ What’s the matter ? I hope pa hasn’t lost his place,” Julia remarked in an undertone to her mother.

“ Lost my place ! ” Mr. Blessing exclaimed aloud; “ I’d like to see how the collection of customs would go on without me. But a man may keep his place, and yet lose his house and home.”

Clementina vanished, Mrs. Blessing followed, with her handkerchief to her eyes, and Julia hastened after them, crying : “ Ma ! dear ma ! ”

“It’s only on their account,” said Mr. Blessing, pointing after them and speaking to Joseph. “A plucky man never desponds, sir, but women, you’ll find, are upset by every reverse.”

“ May I ask what has happened ? ”

“ A delicate regard for you,” Mr. Blessing replied, “would counsel me to conceal it, but my duty as your father-in-law leaves me no alternative. Our human feelings prompt us to show only the bright side of life to those whom we love; principle, however, conscience, commands us not to suppress the shadows. I am but one out of the many millions of victims of mistaken judgment. The case is simply this : I will omit certain legal technicalities touching the disposition of property, which may not be familiar to you, and state the facts in the most intelligible form; securities which I placed as collaterals for the loan of a sum, not a Very large amount, have been very unexpectedly depreciated, but only temporarily so, as all the market knows. If I am forced to sell them, at such an untoward crisis, I lose the largest part of my limited means ; if I retain them they will ultimately recover their full value.”

“ Then why not retain them ? ” Joseph asked.

“ The sum advanced upon them must be repaid, and it so happens — the market being very tight — that everyone of my friends is short. Of course, where their own paper is on the street, I can’t ask them to float mine for three months longer, which is all that is necessary. A good indorsement is the extent of my necessity; for any one who is familiar with the aspects of the market can see that there must be a great rebound before three months.”

“ If it were not a very large amount,” Joseph began.

“ Only a thousand ! I know what you were going to say: it is perfectly natural: I appreciate it, because, if out positions were reversed, I should have done the same thing. But, although it is a mere form, a temporary fiction, which has the force of reality, and, therefore, so far as you are concerned, I should feel entirely easy, yet it might subject me to very dishonoring suspicions ! It might be said that I had availed myself of your entrance into my family to beguile you into pecuniary entanglements ; the amount might be exaggerated, the circumstances misrepresented, — no, no ! rather than that, let me make the sacrifice like a man ! I ’m no longer young, it is true, but the feeling that I stand on principle will give me strength to work.”

“ On the other hand, Mr. Blessing,” said Joseph, “very unpleasant things might be said of me, if I should permit you to suffer so serious a loss, when my assistance would prevent it.”

“ I don’t deny it. You have made a two-horned dilemma out of a one-sided embarrassment. Would that I had kept the secret in my own breast ! The temptation is strong, I confess: for the mere use of your name for a few months is all I should require. Either the securities will rise to their legitimate value, or some of the capitalists with whom I have dealings will be in a position to accommodate me. I have frequently tided over similar snags and sand-bars in the financial current; they are familiar even to the most skilful operators, — navigators, I might say, to carry out the figure, — and this is an instance where an additional inch of water will lift me from wreck to floodtide. The question is, should I allow what I feel to be a just principle; a natural suggestion of delicacy, to intervene between my necessity and your generous proffer of assistance ? ”

“Your family—"Joseph began.

“ I know ! I know ! ” Mr. Blessing cried, leaning his head upon his hand. “There is my vulnerable point,—my heel of Achilles ! There would be no alternative,—better sell this house than have my paper dishonored! Then, too, I feel that this is a turning-point in my fortunes : if I can squeeze through this narrow pass, I shall find a smooth road beyond. It is not merely the sum which is at stake, but the future possibilities into which it expands. Should I crush the seed while it is germinating ? Should I tear up the young tree, with an opening fruit-bud on every twig ? You see the considerations that sway me : unless you withdraw your most generous proffer, what can I do but yield, and accept it ? ”

“ I have no intention of withdrawing it,”Joseph answered, taking his words literally ; “ I made the offer freely and willingly. If my indorsement is all that is necessary now, I can give it at once,”

Mr. Blessing grasped him by the hand, winked hard three or four times, and turned away his head without speaking. Then he drew a large leather pocket-book from his breast, opened it, and produced a printed promissory note.

“We will make it payable at your county bank,” said he, “ because your name is known there, and upon acceptance — which can be procured in two days — the money will be drawn here. Perhaps we had better say four months, in order to cover all contingencies.”

He went to a small writing-desk, at the farther end of the room, and filled the blanks in the note, which Joseph then indorsed. When it was safely lodged in his breast-pocket, he said,: “ We will keep this entirely to ourselves. My wife, let me whisper to you, is very proud and sensitive, although the De I'Hotels (Doolittles now) were never quite the equals of the De Belsains ; but women see matters in a different light. They can’t understand the accommodation of a name, but fancy that it implies a kind of humiliation, as if one were soliciting charity.”

He laughed and rubbed his hands. “ I shall soon be in a position,” he said, “ to render you a favor in return. My long experience, and, I may add, my intimate knowledge of the financial field, enables me to foresee many splendid opportunities. There are, just now, some movements which are not yet perceptible on the surface. Mark my words ! we shall shortly have a new excitement, and a cool, well-seasoned head is a fortune at such times.”

“ In the country,” Joseph replied, “we only learn enough to pay off our debts and invest our earnings. We are in the habit of moving slowly and cautiously. Perhaps we miss opportunities ; but if we don’t see them, we are just as contented as if they had not been. I have enough for comfort, and try to be satisfied.”

“ Inherited ideas ! They belong to the community in which you live. Are you satisfied with your neighbors’ ways of living and thinking? I do not mean to disparage them, but have you no desire to rise above their level? Money,—as I once said at a dinner given to a distinguished railroad man, — money is the engine which draws individuals up the steepest grades of society ; it is the lubricating oil which makes the truck of life run easy ; it is the safety-break which renders collision and wreck impossible ! I have long been accustomed to consider it in the light of power, not of property, and I classify men according as they take one or the other view. The latter are misers ; but the former, sir, are philosophers ! ”

Joseph scarcely knew how to answer this burst of eloquence. But there was no necessity for it; the ladies entered the room at that moment, each one, in her own way, swiftly scrutinizing the two gentlemen. Mrs. Blessing’s face lost its woe-worn expression, while a gleam of malicious satisfaction passed over Clementina’s.

The next day, on their journey to the country, Julia suddenly said, “I am sure, Joseph, that pa made use of your generosity ; pray don’t deny it.

There was the faintest trace of hardness in her voice, which he interpreted as indicating dissatisfaction with his failure to confide the matter to her.

“I have no intention of denying anything, Julia,” he answered. “I was not called upon to exercise generosity; it was simply what your father would term an " accommodation ’ ?”

“ I understand. How much ?

“An indorsement of his note for a thousand dollars, which is little, when it will prevent him from losing valuable securities.”

Julia was silent for at least ten minutes ; then, turning towards him with a sternness which she vainly endeavored to conceal under a “ wreathed smile,” she said: “In future, Joseph, I hope you will always consult me in any pecuniary venture. I may not know much about such matters, but it is my duty to learn. I have been obliged to hear a great deal of financial talk from pa and his friends, and could not help guessing some things which I think I can apply for your benefit. We are to have no secrets from each other, you know.”

His own words ! After all, what she said was just and right, and he could not explain to himself why he should feel annoyed. Perhaps he missed a frank expression of delight in the assistance he had so promptly given ; but why should he suspect that it was unwelcome to her? He tried to banish the feeling, to hide it under self-reproach and shame, but it clung to him most uncomfortably.

Nevertheless, he forgot everything in the pleasure of the homeward drive from the station. The sadness of late autumn lay upon the fields, but spring already said, “ I am coming ! ” in the young wheat; the houses looked warm and cosey behind their sheltering firtrees ; cattle still grazed on the meadows, and the corn was not yet deserted by the huskers. The sun gave a bright edge to the sombre colors of the landscape, and to Joseph’s eyes it was beautiful as never before. Julia leaned back in the carriage, and complained of the cold wind.

“There!” cried Joseph, as a view of the valley opened below them, with the stream flashing like steel between the leafless sycamores, — “ there is home-land ! Do you know where to look for our house ? ”

Julia made an effort, leaned forward, smiled, and pointed silently across the shoulder of a hill to the eastward. “You surely didn’t suppose I could forget,” she murmured.

Rachel Miller awaited them at the gate, and Julia had no sooner alighted than she flung herself into her arms. “ Dear Aunt Rachel! ” she cried : “ you must now take my mother’s place ; I have so much to learn from you ! It is doubly a home since you are here. I feel that we shall all be happy together ! ”

Then there were kisses, of which Joseph received his share, and the first evening lapsed away in perfect harmony. Everything was delightful; the room, the furniture, the meal, even the roar of the wind in the dusky trees. While Julia lay in the cushioned rocking-chair, Rachel gave her nephew an account of all that had been done on the farm ; but Joseph only answered her from the surface of his mind. Under the current of his talk ran a graver thought, which said : “ You wanted independence and a chance of growth for your life ; you fancied they would come in this form. Lo, now ! here are the conditions which you desired to establish ; from this hour begins the new life of which you dreamed. Whether you have been wise or rash, you can change nothing. You are limited, as before, though within a different circle. You may pace it to its fullest extent, but all the lessons you have yet learned require you to be satisfied within it.”

CHAPTER XIII.

THE autumn lapsed into winter, and the household on the Asten farm began to share the isolation of the season. There had been friendly visits from all the nearest neighbors and friends, followed by return visits, and invitations which Julia willingly accepted. She was very amiable, and took pains to confirm the favorable impression which she knew she had made in the summer. Everybody remarked how she had improved in appearance, how round and soft her neck and shoulders, how bright and fresh her complexion. She thanked them, with many grateful expressions to which they were not accustomed, for their friendly reception, which she looked upon as an adoption into their society; but at home, afterwards, she indulged in criticisms of their manners and habits which were not always friendly. Although these were given in a light, playful tone, and it was sometimes impossible not to be amused, Rachel Miller always felt uncomfortable when she heard them.

Then came quiet, lonely days, and Julia, weary of her idle life, undertook to master the details of the housekeeping. She went from garret to cellar, inspecting every article in closet and pantry, wondering much, censuring occasionally, and only praising a little when she found that Rachel was growing tired and irritable. Although she made no material changes, it was soon evident that she had very stubborn views of her own upon many points, and possessed a marked tendency for what the country people call “ nearness.” Little by little she diminished the bountiful, free-handed manner of provision which had been the habit of the house. One could not say that anything needful was lacking, and Rachel would hardly have been dissatisfied, had she not felt that the innovation was an indirect blame.

In some directions Julia seemed the reverse of “near,” persuading Joseph into expenditures which the people considered very extravagant. When the snow came, his new and elegant sleigh, with the wolf-skin robe, the silver-mounted harness, and the silversounding bells, was the envy of all the young men, and an abomination to the old. It was a splendor which he could easily afford, and he did not grudge her the pleasure; yet it seemed to change his relation to the neighbors, and some of them were very free in hinting that they felt it so. It would be difficult to explain why they should resent this or any other slight departure from their fashions, but such had always been their custom.

In a few days the snow vanished and a tiresome season of rain and thaw succeeded. The southeastern winds, blowing from the Atlantic across the intervening lowlands, rolled interminable gray masses of fog over the hills and blurred the scenery of the valley; dripping trees, soaked meadows, and sodden leaves were the only objects that detached themselves from the general void, and became in turn visible to those who travelled the deep, quaking roads. The social intercourse of the neighborhood ceased perforce, though the need of it were never so great: what little of the main highway down the valley was visible from the windows appeared to be deserted.

Julia, having exhausted the resources of the house, insisted on acquainting herself with the barn and everything thereto belonging. She laughingly asserted that her education as a farmer’s wife was still very incomplete; she must know the amount of the crops, the price of grain, the value of the stock, the manner of work, and whatever else was necessary to her position. Although she made many pretty blunders, it was evident that her apprehension was unusually quick, and that whatever she acquired was fixed in her mind as if for some possible future use. She never wearied of the most trivial details, while Joseph, on the other hand, would often have willingly shortened his lessons. His mind was singularly disturbed between the desire to be gratified by her curiosity, and the fact that its eager and persistent character made him uncomfortable.

When an innocent, confiding nature begins to suspect that its confidence has been misplaced, the first result is a preternatural stubbornness to admit the truth. The clearest impressions are resisted, or half consciously misinterpreted, with the last force of an illusion which already foresees its own overthrow. Joseph eagerly clung to every look and word and action which confirmed his sliding faith in his wife’s sweet and simple character, and repelled— though a deeper instinct told him that a day would come when it must be admitted — the evidence of her coldness and selfishness. Yet, even while almost fiercely asserting to his own heart that he had every reason to be happy, he was consumed with a secret fever of unrest, doubt, and dread.

The horns of the growing moon were still turned downwards, and cold, dreary rains were poured upon the land. Julia’s patience, in such straits, was wonderful, if the truth had been known, but she saw that some change was necessary for both of them. She therefore proposed, not what she most desired, but what her circumstances prescribed, — a visit from her sister Clementina. Joseph found the request natural enough: it was an infliction, but one which he had anticipated ; and after the time had been arranged by letter, he drove to the station to meet the westward train from the city.

Clementina stepped upon the platform, so cloaked and hooded that he only recognized her by the deliberate grace of her movements. She extended her hand, giving his a cordial pressure, which was explained by the brass baggage-checks thus transferred to his charge.

“ I will wait in the ladies’ room,” was all she said.

At the same moment Joseph’s arm was grasped.

“ What a lucky chance ! ” exclaimed Philip: then, suddenly pausing in his greeting, he lifted his hat and bowed to Clementina, who nodded slightly as she passed into the room.

“ Let me look at you ! ” Philip resumed, laying his hands on Joseph’s shoulders. Their eyes met and lingered, and Joseph felt the blood rise to his face, as Philip’s gaze sank more deeply into his heart and seemed to fathom its hidden trouble ; but presently Philip smiled and said: “ I

scarcely knew, until this moment, that I had missed you so much, Joseph ! ”

“ Have you come to stay ? ” Joseph asked.

“ I think so. The branch railway down the valley, which you know was projected, is to be built immediately; but there are other reasons why the furnaces should be in blast. If it is possible, the work — and my settlement with it — will begin without any further delay. Is she your first family visit ? ” He pointed towards the station.

“ She will be with us a fortnight; but you will come, Philip ? ”

“ To be sure ! ” Philip exclaimed. “ I only saw her face indistinctly through the veil, but her nod said to me, ‘A nearer approach is not objectionable.’ Certainly, Miss blessing ; but with all the conventional forms, if you please ! ” There was something of scorn and bitterness in the laugh which accompanied these words, and Joseph looked at him with a puzzled air.

“ You may as well know now,” Philip whispered, “ that when I was a spoony youth of twenty, I very nearly imagined myself in love with Miss Clementina Blessing, and she encouraged my greenness until it spread as fast as a bamboo or a gourd-vine. Of course, I ’ve long since congratulated myself that she cut me up, root and branch, when our family fortune was lost. The awkwardness of our intercourse is all on her side. Can she still have faith in her charms and my youth, I wonder? Ye gods! that would be a lovely conclusion of the comedy ! ”

Joseph could only join in the laugh as they parted. There was no time to reflect upon what had been said. Clementina, nevertheless, assumed a new interest in his eyes ; and as he drove her towards the farm, he could not avoid connecting her with Philip, in his thoughts. She, too, was evidently preoccupied with the meeting, for Philip’s name soon floated to the surface of their conversation.

“ I expect a visit from him soon,” said Joseph. As she was silent, he ventured to add: “You have no objections to meeting with him, I suppose ? ”

“ Mr. Held is still a gentleman, I believe,” Clementina replied, and then changed the subject of conversation.

Julia flew at her sister with open arms, and showered on her a profusion of kisses, all of which were received with perfect serenity, Clementina merely saying, as soon as she could get breath: “Dear me, Julia, I scarcely recognize you ! You are already so countrified ! ”

Rachel Miller, although a woman, and, notwithstanding her recent experience, found herself greatly bewildered by this new apparition. Clementina’s slow, deliberate movements and her even-toned, musical utterance impressed her with a certain respect; yet the qualities of character they suggested never manifested themselves. On the contrary, the same words, in any other mouth, would have often expressed malice or heartlessness. Sometimes she heard her own homely phrases repeated, as if by the most unconscious, purposeless imitation, and had Julia either smiled or appeared annoyed, her suspicions might have been excited; as it was, she was constantly and sorely puzzled.

Once, only, and for a moment, the two masks were slightly lifted. At dinner, Clementina, who had turned the conversation upon the subject of birthdays, suddenly said to Joseph : “By the way, Mr. Asten, has Julia told you her age ? ”

Julia gave a little start, but presently looked up, with an expression meant to be artless.

“ I knew it before we were married,” Joseph quietly answered.

Clementina bit her lip. Julia, concealing her surprise, flashed a triumphant glance at her sister, then a tender one at Joseph, and said: “We will both let the old birthdays go, we will only have one and the same anniversary from this time on ! ”

Joseph felt, through some natural magnetism of his nature rather than from any perceptible evidence, that Clementina was sharply and curiously watching the relation between himself and his wife. He had no fear of her detecting misgivings which were not yet acknowledged to himself, but was instinctively on his guard in her presence.

It was not many days before Philip calledJulia received him cordially, as the friend of her husband, while Clementina bowed with an impassive face, without rising from her seat. Philip, however, crossed the room and gave her his hand, saying cheerily: “We used to be old friends, Miss Blessing. You have not forgotten me ? ”

“ We cannot forget when we have been asked to do so,” she warbled.

Philip took a chair. “ Eight years ! ” he said : “ I am the only one who has changed in that time.”

Julia looked at her sister, but the latter was apparently absorbed in comparing some zephyr tints.

“The whirligig of time!” he exclaimed: “who can foresee anything ? Then I was an ignorant, petted young aristocrat, — an expectant heir; now behold me, working among miners and puddlers and forgemen! It’s a rough but wholesome change. Would you believe it, Mrs. Asten, I’ve forgotten the mazurka ! ”

“I wish to forget it,” Julia replied: “the spring-house is as important to me as the furnace to you.”

“ Have you seen the Hopetons lately ? ” Clementina asked.

Joseph saw a shade pass over Philip’s face, and he seemed to hesitate a moment before answering: “I hear they will be neighbors of mine next summer. Mr. Hopeton is interested in the new branch down the valley, and has purchased the old Calvert property for a country residence.”

‘‘Indeed? Then you will often see them.”

“ I hope so : they are very agreeable people. But I shall also have my own little household: my sister will probably join me.”

“ Not Madeline ! ” exclaimed Julia.

“ Madeline,” Philip answered. “ It has long been her wish, as well as mine. You know the little cottage on the knoll, at Coventry, Joseph ! I have taken it for a year.”

“ There will be quite a city society,” murmured Clementina, in her sweetest tones. “You will need no commiseration, Julia. Unless, indeed, the country people succeed in changing you all into their own likeness. Mrs. Hopeton will certainly create a sensation. I am told that she is very extravagant, Mr. Held?”

“ I have never seen her husband’s bank account,” said Philip, dryly.

He rose presently, and Joseph accompanied him to the lane. Philip, with the bridle-rein over his arm, delayed to mount his horse, while the mechanical commonplaces of speech which, somehow, always absurdly come to the lips when graver interests have possession of the heart, were exchanged by the two. Joseph felt, rather than saw, that Philip was troubled. Presently the latter said : “ Something is coming over both of us, — not between us. I thought I should tell you a little more, but perhaps it is too soon. If I guess rightly, neither of us is ready. Only this, Joseph, let us each think of the other as a help and a support ! ”

“ I do, Philip ! ” Joseph answered. “ I see there is some influence at work which I do not understand, but I am not impatient to know what it is. As for myself, I seem to know nothing at all; but you can judge, — you see all there is.”

Even as he pronounced these words Joseph felt that they were not strictly sincere, and almost expected to find an expression of reproof in Philip’s eyes. But no : they softened until he only saw a pitying tenderness. Then he knew that the doubts which he had resisted with all the force of his nature were clearly revealed to Philip’s mind.

They shook hands, and parted in silence ; and Joseph, as he looked up to the gray blank of heaven asked himself : “ Is this all ? Has my life already taken the permanent imprint of its future ? ”