CHAPTER XIII. TOM GORDON.

"Harry,"shesaid,inapitying,half-admonitorytone,"dothinkwhatyouaresaying!Ifyouloveme,bequiet!" "Loveyou?Youhavealwaysheldmyheartinyourhand.Thathasbeentheclaspuponmychain.Ifithadn'tbeenforyou,Ishouldhavefoughtmywaytothenorthbeforenow,orIwouldhavefoundagraveontheroad!" "Well,Harry,"saidNina,afteramoment'sthought,"myloveshallnotbeaclaspuponanychainfor,asthereisaGodinheaven,Iwillsetyoufree!I'llhaveabillintroducedattheverynextlegislature,andIknowwhatfriendwillseetoit.Sogo,now,Harry,go!" Harrystoodamoment,thensuddenlyraisedthehandofhislittlemistresstohislips,turned,andwasgone. Clayton,whohadbeenpassingthroughtheshrubbery,andwhohadremarkedthatNinawasengagedinaveryexcitingconversation,haddrawnoff,andstoodwaitingforheratthefootoftheverandasteps.AssoonasNinasawhim,shereachedoutherhandfrankly,saying,— "Oh,there,Mr.Clayton,youarejusttheperson!Wouldn'tyouliketotakearidewithme?" "OfcourseIshould,"saidhe. "Waithereamoment,"saidshe,"tillIgetready.Thehorseswillbehereimmediately."And,runningupthesteps,shepassedquicklybyhim,andwentintothehouse. ClaytonhadfelthimselfincircumstancesofconsiderableembarrassmenteversincethearrivalofTomGordon,theeveningbefore.Hehadperceivedthattheyoungmanhadconceivedaninstinctivedislikeofhimself,whichhewasatnoparticularpainstoconcealandhehadfounditdifficulttopreservetheappearanceofonewhodoesnotnotice.HedidnotwishtointrudeuponNinaanyembarrassingrecognitionofhersituation,evenundertheguiseofsympathyandassistanceandwaited,therefore,tillsomewordfromhershouldauthorizehimtospeak.Heheldhimself,therefore,readytomeetanyconfidencewhichshemightfeeldisposedtoplaceinhimnotdoubting,fromthefranknessofhernature,thatshewouldsoonfinditimpossiblenottospeakofwhatwassodeeplyinterestingtoher. Ninasoonreappeared,and,mountingtheirhorses,theyfoundthemselvesridingthroughthesameforest-roadthatledtothecottageofTiff,fromwhichadivergentpathwenttotheBellevilleplantation. "I'mgladtoseeyoualonethismorning,formanyreasons,"saidNina"forIthinkIneverneededafriend'shelpmore.I'mmortifiedthatyoushouldhaveseenwhatyoudidlastnightbut,sinceyouhave,Imayaswellspeakofit.Thefactis,thatmybrother,thoughheistheonlyoneIhave,neverdidtreatmeasifhelovedme.Ican'ttellwhatthereasonis:whetherhewasjealousofmypoorfather'sloveforme,orwhetheritwasbecauseIwasawilful,spoiledgirl,andsogavehimreasontobesetagainstme,orwhateverthereasonmightbe,—heneverhasbeenkindtomelongatatime.Perhapshewouldbe,ifIwouldalwaysdoexactlyashesaysbutIammadeaspositiveandwilfulasheis.Ineverhavebeencontrolled,andIcan'trecognizetherightwhichheseemstoassumetocontrolme,andtodictateastomyownprivateaffairs.Hewasnotleftmyguardianand,thoughIdolovehim,Ishan'tcertainlytakehimasone.Now,yousee,hehasabitterhatred,andamostunreasonableone,towardsmyHarryandIhadnoidea,whenIcamehome,inhowmanywayshehadthepowertoannoyme.Itdoesseemasifanevilspiritpossessedthembothwhentheygettogethertheyseemasfullofelectricityastheycanbe,andIameveryinstantafraidofanexplosion.UnfortunatelyforHarry,hehashadamuchsuperioreducationtothegeneralityofhisclassandstation,andthesituationoftrustinwhichhehasbeenplacedhasgivenhimmorethefeelingsofafreemanandagentlemanthanisusualfor,exceptTom,thereisn'toneofourfamilycirclethathasn'talwaystreatedhimwithkindness,andevenwithdeferenceandIthinkthisverythingangersTomthemore,andmakeshimtakeeverypossibleoccasionofprovokingandvexing.IbelieveitishisintentiontopushHarryuptosomedesperateactionand,whenIseehowfrightfullytheylookateachother,Itremblefortheconsequences.Harryhaslatelymarriedaveryprettywife,withwhomhelivesinalittlecottageontheextremityoftheBellevilleestateandthismorningTomhappenedtospyher,anditseemedtoinspirehimwithamostingeniousplantotroubleHarry.HethreatenedtocomeoverandbuyherofMadamLeClereandso,toquietHarry,Ipromisedtocomeoverherebeforehim,andmakeanofferforher." "Why,"saidClayton,"doyouthinkhermistresswouldsellher?" "Ican'tsay,"saidNina."SheisapersonIamacquaintedwithonlybyreport.SheisaNewOrleanscreolewhohaslatelyboughttheplace.Lisette,Ibelieve,hiredhertimeofher.Lisetteisaningenious,activecreature,andcontrives,bymanylittleartsandaccomplishments,topayahandsomesum,monthly,tohermistress.Whethertheofferofalargesumatoncewouldtempthertosellher,ismorethanIknowuntilit'stried.IshouldliketohaveLisette,forHarry'ssake." "Anddoyousupposeyourbrotherwasreallyserious?" "Ishouldn'tbeatallsurprisedifhewere.But,seriousornotserious,Iintendtomakethemattersure." "Ifitbenecessarytomakeanimmediatepayment,"saidClayton,"Ihaveasumofmoneywhichislyingidleinthebank,andit'sbutdrawingacheckwhichwillbehonoredatsight.Imentionthis,becausetheabilitytomakeanimmediatepaymentmaymakethenegotiationeasier.Yououghttoallowmethepleasureofjoiningyouinagoodwork." "Thankyou,"saidNina,frankly."Itmaynotbenecessarybut,ifitshouldbe,Iwilltakeitinthesamespiritinwhichitisoffered." Afterarideofaboutanhour,theyarrivedintheboundariesofBellevilleplantation. Informerdays,Ninahadknownthisastheresidenceofanancientrichfamily,withwhomherfatherwasonvisitingterms.Shewasthereforeuncomfortablystruckwiththeairofpoverty,waste,anddecay,everywhereconspicuousthroughthegrounds. NothingismoredepressinganddishearteningthanthesightofagradualdecayofwhathasbeenarrangedandconstructedwithgreatcareandwhenNinasawthedilapidatedgateway,thecrushedandbrokenshrubbery,thegapsinthefineavenuewherethetreeshadbeenimprovidentlycutdownforfire-wood,shecouldnothelpafeelingofdepression. "HowdifferentthisplaceusedtobewhenIcamehereasachild!"saidshe."Thismadam,whateverhernameis,can'tbemuchofamanager." Asshesaidthis,theirhorsescameupthefrontofthehouse,inwhichthesamemarksofslovenlyneglectwereapparent.Blindswerehangingbyonehingethedoorhadsunkdownintotherottensillthewoodenpillarsthatsupporteditweredecayedatthebottomandthetwiningroseswhichonceclimbeduponthemlaidtrailing,dishonored,upontheground.Theverandawaslitteredwithallkindsofrubbish,—roughboxes,saddles,bridles,overcoatsandvariousnondescriptarticlesformedconvenienthiding-placesandretreats,inwhic