"If happiness have not her seat and center in the breast,We may be wise, or rich, or great; we never can be blest."
"If happiness have not her seat and center in the breast,We may be wise, or rich, or great; we never can be blest."
She shut up the splendid New York mansion, and, taking Lucy with her, went back to Sea View, the home she had always loved best. There, lulled by the ocean waves, and nursed by the tender breezes, she hoped to find a measure of rest and contentment.
"Lucy, there can be no more talk of mistress and maid between you and me," she said then. "You have proved yourself a true and faithful friend. I shall settle ten thousand dollars upon you, and you shall stay, if you will, as my companion."
But Lucy Moore proved obstinate.
"I haven't got education enough to be your companion," she answered; "I would rather be your maid still. I love to be about you, and tend you, and care for you."
Bonnibel settled the sum she had named upon her, but the devoted girl still remained with her in her old position. Summer came with birds and flowers, and gentle breezes, then waned and faded, as do all things beautiful, and autumn winds blew coldly over the sea.
One cool yet sunny afternoon the lovely widow went down to the shore for her accustomed row in her pretty namesake, theBonnibel, which had been newly repaired and trimmed.
To her surprise, the little bark was not there, rocking idly about at its own sweet will.
"Who can have borrowed it?" she wondered, sitting down on the sands to watch for its return.
But after awhile her hands dropped into her lap and clasped each other loosely; she fell into a fit of musing, and forgot to watch the sea for return of her truant bark. There was a vague doubt and trouble tugging at her heart-strings as she recalled some lines she had loved long ago:
"And yet I know past all doubting, truly,A knowledge greater than grief can dim—I know as he loved, he will love me duly,Yea, better, even better than I love him."And as I walk by the vast calm river,The awful river so dread to see,I say, 'Thy breadth and thy depth foreverAre bridged by his thoughts that cross to me.'"
"And yet I know past all doubting, truly,A knowledge greater than grief can dim—I know as he loved, he will love me duly,Yea, better, even better than I love him.
"And as I walk by the vast calm river,The awful river so dread to see,I say, 'Thy breadth and thy depth foreverAre bridged by his thoughts that cross to me.'"
The keel of theBonnibelgrated suddenly on the shore; the boatman sprang out by her side.
She looked up into the dark eyes of Leslie Dane.
"No, do not rise," he said, kneeling down beside her as she made a nervous movement, "I do not wish to startle you."
He held out his hand and she laid hers silently within it for a moment.
"I have been traveling all over my native land with my friend, Mr. Muller," he said, "and we talk of returning to Europe soon; but I could not go, Bonnibel, till I came down here to thank you for—that day when you saved my life at such a sacrifice."
"It is a canceled debt," she answered, quietly. "Do not forget that you were about to give your life to save my secret."
There was silence for a moment. She was looking out at the ocean with troubled, blue eyes, and a faint quiver on the tender lips. He was looking at her as he looked long ago with his heart in his eyes. Suddenly he caught both hands in his and held them tightly.
"It was a dreadful mistake I made that night when I thought I had bound you so truly my own," he said. "Bonnibel, I wonder whether you are glad or sorry now that it happened so?"
"Perhaps it was for the best," she answered, gently, "the way things fell out."
A shade of disappointment crossed his handsome features.
"Then, Bonnibel, my darling, loved through it all," he cried, "you would not be willing to give yourself to me now?"
She smiled and lifted her eyes to his. In their blue and tender depths he saw shining on him the unchangeable love of a lifetime.
"Make the bond a tighter one, next time, Leslie," she said, with a shy and radiant smile.
He stooped and clasped her fondly in his arms.
"Ah, darling," he answered, holding her tightly clasped to his wildly beating heart, "there shall be no blind, boyish mistake this time. There shall be a license that shall hold you mine as fast and tightforeveras I hold you now in my arms!"
THE END.
Transcriber's Notes:This story was first serialized in theNew York Family Story Paperin 1881; the version used as the basis for this electronic text comes from Street & Smith'sEagle Seriesno. 192, which also contained the full text of another Mrs. Miller novel,Jacquelina.Added table of contents.Images may be clicked to view larger versions.Some unusual spellings, such as using "hight" instead of "height" (a consistent habit of this author), are retained from the original.Some inconsistent punctuation (e.g. schoolroom vs. school-room) has been retained from the original.Page 1, corrected "portentious silence" to "portentous silence."Page 13, corrected "should-ders" to "shoulders" ("which had slipped from her shoulders").Page 17, corrected "Dean" to "Dane" in "Leslie Dane drew the old man aside."Page 21, corrected typo "necesary" in "Is it necessary to reveal it?"Page 29, corrected comma to apostrophe in "gossip in the servants' hall."Page 37, Added missing close single quote after "present woes and past" and corrected "iudustry" to "industry." Added missing single quotes around poem beginning "Ah! who can tell how hard it is to climb."Page 39, added missing space to "every one" in "every one has been like a stab."Page 44, corrected "herself" to "himself" in "waited a proper season to declare himself." Retained unusual spelling "impident" as presumed dialect.Page 52, changed "yov" to "you" and "he" to "the" in "you to refuse Colonel Carlyle, and remain here to cheat her out of the...." Corrected typo "difficulty" in "the difficult art of self-control." Corrected typo "humilation" in "humiliation of her clever, handsome daughter." Corrected single to double quote before "It is impossible for me to marry...."Page 53, corrected ? to ! after "out you go from under the shelter of this roof!"Page 56, corrected "hals" to "half" in "he said, half questioningly."Page 58, corrected typo "Felese" in "tutored by Felise."Page 60, corrected comma to period after "against her cruelty."Page 61, moved misplaced quote from before "I will not have them!" to before "Mother, have done with your warnings" and corrected typo "warning's" in that second phrase.Page 62, deleted duplicate "some" from "like some wild heart." Changed "deeper meaner" to "deeper meaning."Page 65, removed unnecessary quote after "animated her now."Page 66, changed "Ere his first" to "Ere this first."Page 73, added missing period after "he answers, furiously."Page 75, added missing quote after "if I had been tucked into my bed."Page 81, added missing "a" before "lovely garden of roses."Page 86, added missing quote after "paint the portrait of a wrinkled old woman." Changed "was" to "were" in "chairs and sofas were upholstered."Page 88, corrected typo "Carlisle" in "You flatter me, Colonel Carlyle" and "Carlyle's masquerade ball."Page 96, corrected "wiil" to "will" in "will be as safe." Removed unnecessary quote after "hastened their departure."Page 98, added missing quote after "I did not wrong you willfully." Corrected ? to ! in "We will neither of us trouble you!"Page 99, corrected "she" to "he" in "'Leslie Dane,' he repeated."Page 103, corrected typo "resurection" in "man's resurrection from the grave."Page 110, corrected single to double quote after "Arnold was dead."Page 112, corrected typo "hirlings" in "set hirelings and slaves."Page 113, corrected typo "spear" in "spare me that indignity."Page 114, corrected typo "sten" in "his stern voice evoked."Page 117, added missing quote before "I have made every possible provision."Page 122, added missing comma after "So am I."
This story was first serialized in theNew York Family Story Paperin 1881; the version used as the basis for this electronic text comes from Street & Smith'sEagle Seriesno. 192, which also contained the full text of another Mrs. Miller novel,Jacquelina.
Added table of contents.
Images may be clicked to view larger versions.
Some unusual spellings, such as using "hight" instead of "height" (a consistent habit of this author), are retained from the original.
Some inconsistent punctuation (e.g. schoolroom vs. school-room) has been retained from the original.
Page 1, corrected "portentious silence" to "portentous silence."
Page 13, corrected "should-ders" to "shoulders" ("which had slipped from her shoulders").
Page 17, corrected "Dean" to "Dane" in "Leslie Dane drew the old man aside."
Page 21, corrected typo "necesary" in "Is it necessary to reveal it?"
Page 29, corrected comma to apostrophe in "gossip in the servants' hall."
Page 37, Added missing close single quote after "present woes and past" and corrected "iudustry" to "industry." Added missing single quotes around poem beginning "Ah! who can tell how hard it is to climb."
Page 39, added missing space to "every one" in "every one has been like a stab."
Page 44, corrected "herself" to "himself" in "waited a proper season to declare himself." Retained unusual spelling "impident" as presumed dialect.
Page 52, changed "yov" to "you" and "he" to "the" in "you to refuse Colonel Carlyle, and remain here to cheat her out of the...." Corrected typo "difficulty" in "the difficult art of self-control." Corrected typo "humilation" in "humiliation of her clever, handsome daughter." Corrected single to double quote before "It is impossible for me to marry...."
Page 53, corrected ? to ! after "out you go from under the shelter of this roof!"
Page 56, corrected "hals" to "half" in "he said, half questioningly."
Page 58, corrected typo "Felese" in "tutored by Felise."
Page 60, corrected comma to period after "against her cruelty."
Page 61, moved misplaced quote from before "I will not have them!" to before "Mother, have done with your warnings" and corrected typo "warning's" in that second phrase.
Page 62, deleted duplicate "some" from "like some wild heart." Changed "deeper meaner" to "deeper meaning."
Page 65, removed unnecessary quote after "animated her now."
Page 66, changed "Ere his first" to "Ere this first."
Page 73, added missing period after "he answers, furiously."
Page 75, added missing quote after "if I had been tucked into my bed."
Page 81, added missing "a" before "lovely garden of roses."
Page 86, added missing quote after "paint the portrait of a wrinkled old woman." Changed "was" to "were" in "chairs and sofas were upholstered."
Page 88, corrected typo "Carlisle" in "You flatter me, Colonel Carlyle" and "Carlyle's masquerade ball."
Page 96, corrected "wiil" to "will" in "will be as safe." Removed unnecessary quote after "hastened their departure."
Page 98, added missing quote after "I did not wrong you willfully." Corrected ? to ! in "We will neither of us trouble you!"
Page 99, corrected "she" to "he" in "'Leslie Dane,' he repeated."
Page 103, corrected typo "resurection" in "man's resurrection from the grave."
Page 110, corrected single to double quote after "Arnold was dead."
Page 112, corrected typo "hirlings" in "set hirelings and slaves."
Page 113, corrected typo "spear" in "spare me that indignity."
Page 114, corrected typo "sten" in "his stern voice evoked."
Page 117, added missing quote before "I have made every possible provision."
Page 122, added missing comma after "So am I."