The Allen House | Page 5

four weeks old. The nurse
described the meeting of husband and wife as very lover-like and
tender on his part, but with scarcely a sign of feeling on hers. She did
not repel him, nor turn from him; but received his caresses with the

manner of one in whom all quick emotion had died. And so it
continued between them--he thoughtful and assiduous, and she cold,
and for the most part silent. But, to her babe, the young mother was
passionate at times in her loving demonstrations. The pent up waters of
feeling gave way in this direction, and poured themselves out, often, in
a rushing flood. Towards all others she bore herself with a calm, sweet
dignity of manner, that captivated the heart, and made it sigh for a
better acquaintance with one around whom mystery had hung a veil
that no hand but her own could push aside--and that hand was never
lifted.
The next event in the Allen House, noted by the people, was the birth
of a daughter. The same nurse was called in, who remained the usual
time, and then retired; bearing with her a history of the period, which
she related, very confidentially, at tea-tables, and in familiar gossip
with choice spirits of her own.
Those who knew her best, were always something in doubt as to which
of her stories contained truth and which romance. The latter element
mingled largely, it is presumed, in all of them.
A great change had taken place in the Captain's manner. He no longer
played the lover to a cold and distant mistress, but carried himself
haughtily at times--captiously at times--and always with an air of
indifference. All affection seemed transferred to his boy, who was
growing self-willed, passionate, and daring. These qualities were never
repressed by his father, but rather encouraged and strengthened. On
learning that his next heir was a daughter, he expressed impatience, and
muttered something about its being strangled at birth. The nurse said
that he never deigned even to look at it while she was in the house.
The beautiful young wife showed signs of change, also. Much of the
old sweetness had left her mouth, which was calmer and graver. Her
manner towards Captain Allen, noted before, was of the same quiet,
distant character, but more strongly marked. It was plain that she had
no love for him. The great mystery was, how two so wholly unlike in
all internal qualities, and external seeming, could ever have been
constrained into the relationship, of man and wife. She was, evidently,

an English woman. This was seen in her rich complexion, sweet blue
eyes, fair hair, and quiet dignity of manner. Among the many probable
and improbable rumors as to her first meeting with Captain Allen, this
one had currency. A sailor, who had seen a good deal of service in the
West Indies, told the following story:
An English vessel from Jamaica, richly freighted, had on board a
merchant with his family, returning from a residence of a few years on
the island, to the mother country.
They had been out only a day, when a pirate bore down upon them, and
made an easy capture of the ship. The usual bloody scenes of that day
followed. Death, in terrible forms, met the passengers and crew, and the
vessel, after being robbed of its costliest treasures, was scuttled and
sent down into the far depths of the ocean, from whence no sign could
ever come.
But one living soul was spared--so the story went. An only child of the
English merchant, a fair and beautiful young girl, whose years had
compassed only the early spring-time of life, flung herself upon her
knees before the pirate Captain and begged so piteously for life, that he
spared her from the general slaughter he had himself decreed.
Something in her pure, exquisitely beautiful face, touched his
compassion. There were murmurs of discontent among his savage crew.
But the strong-willed Captain had his way, and when he sailed back
with his booty to their place of rendezvous, he bore with him the
beautiful maiden. Here, it was said, he gave her honorable protection,
and had her cared for as tenderly as was possible under the
circumstances. And it was further related, that, when the maiden grew
to ripe womanhood, he abandoned the trade of a buccaneer and made
her his wife. The sailor told this story, shrugged his shoulders, looked
knowing and mysterious, and left his auditors to draw what inference
they pleased. As they had been talking of Captain Allen, the listeners
made their own conclusion as to his identity with the buccaneer. True
to human nature, in its inclination to believe always the worst of a man,
nine out of ten credited the story as applied