lady was stepping into bed, by
declaring that she must see Mr. Browning before she slept.
Mr. Browning sat in his library, alone. He did not usually retire early,
but this night he had cause for wakefulness. The burst of passion he had
witnessed in his protegee, had carried him back to a time when another
than little Rosamond Leyton had laughed his wishes to scorn.
"And is it ever thus with them?" he said. "Are all women furies in
disguise?--and Rosamond seemed so gentle, so good."
He did not hear the low knock on his door, for his thoughts were far
away in the south-land, where he had learned his first lesson of
womankind. Neither did he hear the light footfall upon the floor, but
when a sweet, tearful voice said to him, "Mr. Browning, are you feeling
so badly for me?" he started, and on a hassock at his feet saw
Rosamond Leyton. The sight of her was unexpected, and it startled him
for a moment, but soon recovering his composure, he said gently:
"Why are you here? I supposed you were in bed."
Rosamond began to cry, and with her usual impetuosity replied, "I
came to tell you how sorry I am for behaving so rudely to you. I do try
to govern my temper so hard, but it sometimes gets the mastery. Won't
you forgive me, sir? It wasn't Rosamond that acted so--it was a vile,
wicked somebody else. Will you forgive me?" and in her dread that the
coveted forgiveness might be withheld, she forgot that he was only
_twenty-four_, and laid her head upon his knee, sobbing like a little
child.
"Had she done like this, how different would my life have been,"
thought Mr. Browning, and involuntarily caressing the curly head, he
was about to speak, when Rosamond interrupted him, saying,
"I won't deceive you, Mr. Browning, and make you think I'm better
than I am. I am sorry I acted so to you, but I don't believe I'm sorry
about Mrs. Van Vechten. I don't like her, for she always treats me as
though I were not near as good as she, and I can't wait on her any more.
Must I? Oh, don't make me," and she looked beseechingly into his face.
He could not help respecting her for that inborn feeling, which would
not permit herself to be trampled down, and though he felt intuitively
that she was having her own way after all, he assured her of his
forgiveness, and then added: "Mrs. Van Vechten will not require your
services, for she received a letter to-night, saying her presence was
needed at home, and she leaves us to-morrow."
"_And Ben?_" she asked--"does he go, too?"
"He accompanies his mother to New York," Mr. Browning said, "and I
believe she intends leaving him there with a friend, until his school
commences again."
In spite of herself, Rosamond rather liked Ben, and feeling that she was
the cause of his banishment from Riverside, her sympathy was enlisted
for him, and she said, "If I were not here, Ben would stay. Hadn't you
rather send me away?"
"No, Rosamond, no;--I need you here," was Mr. Browning's reply, and
then as the clock struck eleven, he bade her leave him, saying it was
time children like her were in bed.
As he had said, Mis. Van Vechten was going away, and she came down
to breakfast next morning in her traveling dress, appearing very
unamiable, and looking very cross at Rosamond, with whom she finally
parted without a word of reconciliation. Ben, on the contrary, was all
affability, and managed slyly to kiss her, telling her he should come
there again in spite of his mother.
After their departure the household settled back into its usual
monotonous way of living, with the exception that Rosamond, being
promoted to the position of an equal, became, in many respects, the real
mistress of Riverside, though Mrs. Peters nominally held the reins, and
aside from superintending her work, built many castles of the future
when her protegee would be a full grown woman and her master still
young and handsome!
CHAPTER IV
ROSAMOND'S EDUCATION
One year has passed away since Mrs. Van Vechten departed for the
South, and up the locust lined avenue which leads to Riverside, the
owner of the place is slowly riding. It is not pleasant going home
tonight, and so he lingers by the way, wondering why it is that the
absence of a child should make so much difference in one's feelings!
During the year Rosamond had recited her lessons to him, but with
many others he fancied no girl's education could be finished unless she
were _sent away_--and two weeks before the night of which we write
he had taken her himself
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