Aunt Rachel / A Rustic Sentimental Comedy

d at his feet, and then tenderly raising the instrument in both hands, looked up and dropped it to

xamining the violin with del

old man's eyes were ghastly, and his cheeks, which had usually a hectic flush of color

nge voice. "Art sure she's not

his face as suddenly

th his finger-tips, and listening to the tone, though he kep

instrument, but surely, he thought, a little chance danger to it should scarcely shake a man in this way. Ezra's trembling hands began to tune the strings, and at the sound of Ruth's voice Reuben turned away. His uncle's agitation shocked him. He had

aunt Rachel. Aunt, this is Mr. Reuben G

he was born when I quitted the village. I think I recognize my old friends, the Elds," she went on, with an air almost of patronage. "This will be Mr. Isaiah? Y

rned her head in a swift, bird-like way, and fixed her curiously youthful eyes upon him for an instant. The wit

bout her shoulders, stooped to kiss her wrinkled cheek. "The grandson," she cried, turning on the others with an air of pride and tender triumph, "of my

worldly distinctions she could scarcely

still at work at the violin

id. "Heydon Hay was such a little place five-and-twent

e when she lived here," said Ezra, look

ribs, to call his attention to this incident as a confirmation of the history he had told the night before. He miscalculated his distance, and landed on Isaiah's portly waistcoat with such force that the milder broth

lad. Dost mind what I tode thee abou

, entreated him to silence, but for a minute or two Isaiah refused to be pacified, and sat rubbing at his waistcoat and darting looks of vengean

for the other members of the little pa

ask what news there is of my dear mistress. I know that she is frail, and that correspondence would tax her ener

was trembling all over and her eyes were troubled. He was just about to answer when a sharp tw

ent effort; "this has gi'en way. I'm no hand at a fiddle nowadays," he added, wit

ad drawn a flat tin box from his pocket and had selected

and," she said. "We will sit here and

's attached and faithful servitor, and to be observed. There was a genuine kindliness in him, too, towards the little withered old woman who had nursed him in his baby

p at her companion and laying both hands upon his arm. "I cannot stay here," she went on, in a whisper. "There are reasons. There is a person here I have n

aid Ferdinand, in s

ighty. You do no credit to your own penetration, dear Mr. Ferdinand, if you deny it. That person is the ca

ridled, and took quaintly sentimental airs, but she was moved a great deal, though in what way he could not guess. He sat and

-"and now, Reuben, if thee hast got the old lady into fettle, let's have a taste of her quality. It's maney an' maney a year now sinc

hands folded behind him, stood with his habitual stoop more marked than common, and stared at the grass at his feet. Ruth, from her old station by the apple-tree, looked from one to the other. She had heard Sennacherib's story from her father, and her heart was predisposed to read a romance here, little as either of the actors in that obscure drama of so many years ago looked like the figures of a romance now. They had been lovers before she was born, and had quarrelled somehow, and had ea

r about her to see that the gesture had not been observed. Nobody looked at her. Her father and the two brothers were watching Reuben, Ezra preserved his old attitude, Ferdinand was fiddling with his eye-glass, and moving his hand and one foot in time to the music, and Rachel's strangely youthful eyes were bright wi

Reuben laid down his bow upon the table, "theer

r being played upon a li

o' life this five-and-twenty 'ear for a fiddle. Niver a chance of ketchin' cold or gettin' squawky. Allays wrapped up

hard for anything to be drier. Let's have a dr

d towards them, and took up a position behind Sennacherib's chair. Ezra made an uncertain movement or two,

do not know, Miss Blythe," he began again, with a new resolve, "in what manner I chanced to 'arn your grave displeasure. That is a thing I never knew." She turned upon him with a swift and vivid scorn. "A thing I never knew," he repeated. "If it is your desire to visit it upon me at this late hour, I have borne it for so many 'ears

asserting every inch of her small stature, "I desire

Miss Blythe," said Ezra, mildly.

hed and prim than ever, "I believed myself to hav

just in your earlier days," Ezra ans

returned to his former standing-place. Ruth was back agai

equent with her, with an exaggerated motion of the lips, "I s

an arm around her shoulders, walked away with her.

he matter," said th

the house by this time, and sheltered from observation. "You are

t before her, and answ

raged to contradict their seniors. I h

atched away, and Aunt Rachel dropped into a seat, and without preface began to cry. Ruth knelt beside her, twining a firm arm and supple hand about her waist, and

of affectation was too firmly fixed to be peeled off at a moment's notice. "We are all foolish at times. You will find that out for yourself, child, as you grow older. I

; "he seems scarcely e

el. "I cannot permit myself to move in

ery much," Ruth an

"You do not know him. I know him. A most despicable p

unt! What

r. Ezra Gold, and that among it. Now, dear, not a word of this to anybody. Will you tell dear Mr. Ferdinand that I shall be ho

front door with her usual crisp and bir

ho bear his name. I know them. I have cause to

e hopped down the steps which led towards the garden gate, and disappeared. Ruth stood

ght and hearing of the quartette party, who were by