the daisy chain, or aspirations-第177节

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They　could　not　follow　her　into　the　valley　of　the　shadow　of　death；　but
could　only　watch　the　frail　earthly　prison…house　being　broken　down；　as
if　the　doom　of　sin　must　be　borne；　though　faith　could　trust　that　it
was　but　her　full　share　in　the　Cross。　　Calmly　did　those　days　pass。
Ethel；　Richard；　and　Mary　divided　between　them　the　watching　and　the
household　cares；　and　their　father　bore　up　bravely　in　the　fullness　of
his　love　and　faith；　resigning　her　daughter　to　the　Hands　which　were
bearing　her　whither　her　joys　had　long　since　departed。

Hector　Ernescliffe　arrived　when　the　holidays　began；　and　his　agony　of
sorrow；　when　she　failed　to　recognise　him；　moved　Dr。　May　to　exert
himself　earnestly　for　his　consolation；　and；　at　the　same　time；　Tom；　in
a　gentle；　almost　humble　manner；　paid　a　sort　of　daughter…like
attention　to　the　smallest　services　for　his　father；　as　if　already
accepting　him　as　his　especial　charge。

It　was　midnight；　on　the　longest　night　of　the　year；　Ethel　was　lying　on
her　bed；　and　had　fallen　into　a　brief　slumber；　when　her　father's　low；
clear　voice　summoned　her：　〃Ethel；　she　is　going！〃

There　was　a　change　on　the　face；　and　the　breath　came　in　labouring
gasps。　　Richard　lifted　her　head；　and　her　eyes　once　more　opened；　she
smiled　once　more。

〃Papa！〃　she　said；　〃dear　papa！〃

He　threw　himself　on　his　knees　beside　her；　but　she　looked　beyond　him；
〃Mamma！　　Alan！　oh；　there　they　are！　　More！　more！〃　and；　as　though　the
unspeakable　dawned　on　her；　she　gasped　for　utterance；　then　looked；
with　a　consoling　smile；　on　her　father。　　〃Over　now！〃　she　saidand　the
last　struggle　was　ended。　　That　which　Richard　laid　down　was　no　longer
Margaret　May。

Over　now！　　The　twenty…five　years'　life；　the　seven　years'　captivity　on
her　couch；　the　anxious　headship　of　the　motherless　household；　the
hopeless　betrothal；　the　long　suspense；　the　efforts　for　resignation；
the　widowed　affections；　the　slow　decay；　the　tardy；　painful　death
agonyall　was　over；　nothing　left；　save　what　they　had　rendered　the
undying　spirit；　and　the　impress　her　example　had　left　on　those　around
her。

The　long　continuance　of　the　last　suffering　had　softened　the　actual
parting；　and　it　was　with　thankfulness　for　the　cessation　of　her　pain
that　they　turned　away；　and　bade　each　other　good…night。

Ethel　would　not　have　believed　that　her　first　wakening　to　the
knowledge　that　Margaret　was　gone　could　have　been　more　fraught　with
relief　than　with　misery。　　And；　for　her　father；　it　seemed　as　if　it
were　a　home…like；　comfortable　thought　to　him；　that　her　mother　had　one
of　her　children　with　her。　　He　called　her　the　first　link　of　his　Daisy
Chain　drawn　up　out　of　sight；　and；　during　the　quiet　days　that　ensued；
he　seemed　as　it　were　to　be　lifted　above　grief；　dwelling　upon　hope。
His　calmness　impressed　the　same　on　his　children；　as　they　moved　about
in　the　solemn　stillness　of　the　house；　and　when　Harry；　pale；　and
shocked　at　the　blow　to　him　so　sudden；　came　home；　the　grave　silence
soothed　his　violence　of　grief；　and　he　sat　beside　his；　father　or　Mary；
speaking　in　undertones　of　what　Margaret　had　loved　to　hear　from　him；
of　Alan　Ernescliffe's　last　moments。

Mary　gave　way　to　a　burst　of　weeping　when　she　sought；　in　vain；　for
daisies　in　the　wintry　garden；　but　Hector　Ernescliffe　went　down　to　the
cloisters；　and　brought　back　the　lingering　blossoms　to　be　placed　on
Margaret's　bosom。

The　dog　Toby　had　followed　him；　unseen；　to　the　cloister；　and　he　was
entering　the　garden；　when　he　was　struck　by　seeing　the　animal
bounding；　in　irrepressible　ecstasy；　round　a　lad；　whose　tarpaulin　hat；
blue…bordered　collar；　and　dark　blue　dress；　showed　him　to　be　a　sailor；
as　well　as　the　broad…shouldered；　grizzled；　elderly　man；　who　stood
beside　him。

〃I　say；　sir；〃　said　the　latter；　as　Hector's　hand　was　on　the　door；　〃do
you　belong　to　Dr。　May？〃

Hector　unhesitatingly　answered　that　he　did。

〃Then；　maybe；　sir；　you　have　heard　of　one　Bill　Jennings。〃

Hector　was　all　in　one　flush；　almost　choking；　as　he　told　that　he　was
Mr。　Ernescliffe's　brother；　and　gave　his　hand　to　the　sailor。　　〃What
could　he　do　for　him？〃

Jennings　had　heard　from　one　of　the　crew　of　the　Bucephalus　that　Mr。
May　had　been　met；　on　his　return　to　Portsmouth；　by　the　news　of　his
sister's　death。　　The　Mays　had　helped　his　boy；　he　had　been　with　Mr。
May　in　the　island；　he　had　laid　Mr。　Ernescliffe　in　his　grave；　and　some
notion　had　crossed　the　sailor　that　he　must　be　at　Miss　Margaret's
funeralit　might　be　they　would　let　him　lend　a　handand；　in　this
expedition；　he　was　spending　his　time　on　shore。

How　he　was　welcomed　need　not　be　told；　nor　how　the　tears　came　forth
from　full　hearts；　as　Dr。　May　granted　his　wish；　and　thanked　him　for
doing　what　Margaret　herself　would　indeed　have　chosen；　and；　in　his
blue　sailor　garb；　was　Jennings　added　to　the　bearers；　their　own　men；
and　two　Cocksmoor　labourers；　who；　early　on　Christmas　Eve；　carried　her
to　the　minster。　　Last　time　she　had　been　there；　Alan　Ernescliffe　had
supported　her。　　Now；　what　was　mortal　of　him　lay　beneath　the　palm
tree；　beneath　the　glowing　summer　sky；　while　the　first　snow…flakes
hung　like　pearls　on　her　pall。　　But　as　they　laid　her　by　her　mother's
side；　who　could　doubt　that　they　were　together？




CHAPTER　XXVI。



At　length　I　got　unto　the　gladsome　hill；
　　　　　　　　Where　lay　my　hope；
　　Where　lay　my　heart；　and；　climbing　still；
　　When　I　had　gained　the　brow　and　top；
A　lake　of　brackish　waters　on　the　ground；
　　　　　　　　Was　all　I　found。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GEORGE　HERBERT。


Late　in　the　evening　of　the　same　snowy　24th　of　December；　a　little
daughter　awoke　to　life　at　Abbotstoke　Grange；　and；　not　long　after；
Mrs。　Arnott　came　to　summon　Dr　May　from　the　anxious　vigil　in　the
sitting…room。　　〃Come　and　see　if　you　can　do　anything　to　soothe　her；〃
she　said；　with　much　alarm。　　〃The　first　sight　of　the　baby　has　put　her
into　such　a　state　of　agitation；　that　we　do　not　know　what　to　do　with
her。〃

It　was　so；　when　he　came　to　her　bedside；　that　fixed　stony　look　of
despair　was　gone；　the　source　of　tears；　so　long　dried　up；　had　opened
again；　and　there　she　lay；　weeping　quietly　indeed；　but　profusely；　and
with　deep　heaving　sobs。　　To　speak；　or　to　leave　her　alone；　seemed
equally　perilous；　but　he　chose　the　firsthe　kissed　and　blessed　her；
and　gave　her　joy。　　She　looked　up　at　him　as　if　his　blessing　once　more
brought　peace；　and　said　faintly；　〃Now　it　is　pardonnow　I　can　die！〃

〃The　cloud　is　gone！　　Thanks　for　that　above　all！　said。　Dr。　May
fervently。　　〃Now；　my　dear；　rest　in　thankful　gladnessyou　are　too
weak　to　talk　or　think。〃

〃I　am　weakI　am　tired　of　it　all；〃　said　Flora。　　〃I　am　glad　to　be
going　while　I　am　so　happythere　are　Margaretmy　own　darlingrest
peace〃

〃You　are　not　going；　dearest；〃　said　her　father；　〃at　least；　I　trust
not；　if　you　will　not　give　way；　here　is　a　darling　given　to　you；
instead　of　the　first；　who　needs　you　more。〃

He　would　have　taken　the　infant　from　the　nurse　and　held　her　to　her
mother；　but；　recollecting　how　little　Leonora　had　drawn　her　last
breath　in　his　arms；　he　feared　the　association；　and　signed　to　Mrs。
Arnott　to　show　her　the　child；　but　she　seemed　as　yet　only　able　to　feel
that　it　was　not　Leonora；　and　the　long　sealed…up　grief　would　have　its
way。　　The　tears　burst　out　again。　　〃Tell　Ethel　she　will　be　the　best
mother　to　her。　　Name　her　Margaretmake　her　a　Daisy　of　your　own
don't　call　her　after　me；〃　she　said；　with　such　passionate　caresses；
that　Mrs。　Arnott　was　glad　to　take　the　babe　away。

Dr。　May's　next　expedient　was　to　speak　to　her　of　her　husband；　who
needed　her　more　than　all；　and　to　call　him　in。　　There　seemed　to　be
something　tranquillising　in　his　wistful　manner　of　repeating；　〃Don't
cry；　Flora；〃　and　she　was　at　last　reduced；　by　her　extreme　exhaustion；
to　stillness；　but　there　were　still　many　fears　for　her。

Dr。　May's　prediction　was　accomplishedthat　she　would　suffer　for
having　over…exerted　herself。　　Her　constitution　had　been　severely
tried　by　the　grief　and　despondency　that　she　had　so　long　endured　in
silence；　and　the　fresh　sorrow　for　her　favourite　sister　coming　at　such
a　crisis。　　There　was　a　weariness　of　life；　and　an　unwillingness　to
resume　her　ordinary　routine；　that　made　her　almost　welcome　her
weakness　and　sinking；　and　now　that　the　black　terror　had　cleared　away
from　the　future；　she　seemed　to　long　to　follow　Margaret　at　once；　and
to　yearn　after　her　lost　child；　while　appeals　to　the　affection　that
surrounded　her　often　seemed　to　oppress　her；　as　if　there　were　nothing
but　weariness　and　toil　in　store。

The　state　of　her　mind　made　her　father　very　anxious；　though　it　was　but
too　well　accounted　for。　　Poor　Flora　had　voluntarily　assumed　the
trammels　that　galled　her；　worldly　motives　had　prompted　her　marriage；
and　though　she　faithfully　loved　her　husband；　he　was　a　heavy　weight　on
her　hands；　and　she　had　made　it　more　onerous　by　thrusting　him　into　a
position　for　which　he　was　not　calculated；　and　inspiring　him　with　a
self…consequence　that　would　not　recede　from　it。　　The　shock　of　her
child's　death　had　taken　away　the　zest　and　energy　which　had　rejoiced
in　her　chosen　way　of　life；　and　opened　her　eyes　to　see　what　Master　she
had　been　serving；　and　the　perception　of　the　hollowness　of　all　that
had　been　apparently　good　in　her；　had　filled　her　with　remorse　and
despair。　　Her　sufferings　had　been　the　more　bitter　because　she　had　not
parted　wi