The Jalna Saga – Deluxe Edition: All Sixteen Books of the Enduring Classic Series & The Biography of Mazo de la Roche by Mazo de la Roche Page A
Authors: Mazo de la Roche
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faint.”
“I shall stand at a little distance — within reach but out of sight.”
“That will do … Do you think I might write her a letter, as Sholto did me?”
“By gad, if I had my hand on those boys! Yes — write her a letter, if you prefer that way.”
“Perhaps you would write the letter. I believe she would take it better from you.”
“I am no letter writer,” he answered testily. “Your family excels at that.” He took her by the arm. “Come into the salon and I’ll get a glass of sherry for you. That will put heart into you.”
In the little room, graced by so high-flown a name, Adeline sipped the sherry and thought miserably of what she had to do. At one moment she would ejaculate — “Oh, the young villains!” And at the next — “Oh, the poor mother!” — or — “It were better the ship had gone down with all of us!” But the sherry did her good and finally she sprang up exclaiming — “I’ll do it now and have it over.”
“That’s a good girl,” he said.
She scowled. “Don’t you ‘good girl’ me! After all, you should be breaking the news to her. You’re a man and ’tis your own brother-in-law has done the mischief!”
“Adeline, I cannot.”
He followed her down to the door of Mrs. Cameron’s cabin. She rapped, trembling in every limb.
“Yes?” came the voice from within.
“Mrs. Cameron, I have something to tell you.”
“Come in.”
She found Mrs. Cameron putting things in order and still wearing a hurt air. But there was something touching about her. She was small and neat and you could see she had been through a great deal. Adeline spoke gently.
“A while ago you said you supposed Mary was off somewhere with those brothers of mine. You were right. She is.”
Mary’s mother only stared.
“She is off with them,” went on Adeline. “Right off the ship and away home!”
“Are you mad?” said Mrs. Cameron. “What nonsense are you telling me?”
“It is the truth. They left the ship — Mary and my two little brothers — but they’ve gone home. She’ll be quite safe.”
Mrs. Cameron had turned a ghostly pale. She put her hand to her throat and demanded: —
“Who told you this?”
“I had a letter from Sholto. And my husband was told by one of the sailors who saw them.”
Mrs. Cameron spoke in a hoarse whisper.
“Show me the letter.”
Adeline handed it to her. She riveted her eyes on it as though she would tear the written words from the page. At the end she reeled across the cabin but she recovered herself. She faced Adeline in a fury, her hands clenched at her sides.
“It’s your fault!” she cried. “It’s all your fault! You encouraged them. You begged me to allow Mary to go about with thatwicked boy. Oh — ” As she was struck by the possibilities of the situation her voice rose to a scream — “Oh, what has he done to her! My little ewe lamb! She was as pure as the driven snow till we came on board this accursed ship! Oh, can’t something be done? Where is the Captain?”
She pushed her way past Adeline, thrust aside Philip’s restraining hand, and bounded up the companionway. So flimsy were the partitions that a general consternation was caused by her outbreak. People came running from all directions (some thought a fresh disaster had befallen the ship) while Adeline and Philip followed after, miserably conscious of what had really happened.
“What’s this — what’s this, madam?” asked Captain Bradley, coming to meet Mrs. Cameron.
She flung herself against his shoulder.
“Oh, save her! Save my little girl!” she cried hysterically.
“Where is she?” he asked, in his resonant voice.
“There!” She pointed landward. “She left the ship with those horrible Irish boys! I call everyone to witness that she was as pure as the driven snow! Oh, what shall I do?”
“What’s all this about?” Captain Bradley demanded on Philip.
“The girl has eloped with my young brother-in-law, a lad of
“I shall stand at a little distance — within reach but out of sight.”
“That will do … Do you think I might write her a letter, as Sholto did me?”
“By gad, if I had my hand on those boys! Yes — write her a letter, if you prefer that way.”
“Perhaps you would write the letter. I believe she would take it better from you.”
“I am no letter writer,” he answered testily. “Your family excels at that.” He took her by the arm. “Come into the salon and I’ll get a glass of sherry for you. That will put heart into you.”
In the little room, graced by so high-flown a name, Adeline sipped the sherry and thought miserably of what she had to do. At one moment she would ejaculate — “Oh, the young villains!” And at the next — “Oh, the poor mother!” — or — “It were better the ship had gone down with all of us!” But the sherry did her good and finally she sprang up exclaiming — “I’ll do it now and have it over.”
“That’s a good girl,” he said.
She scowled. “Don’t you ‘good girl’ me! After all, you should be breaking the news to her. You’re a man and ’tis your own brother-in-law has done the mischief!”
“Adeline, I cannot.”
He followed her down to the door of Mrs. Cameron’s cabin. She rapped, trembling in every limb.
“Yes?” came the voice from within.
“Mrs. Cameron, I have something to tell you.”
“Come in.”
She found Mrs. Cameron putting things in order and still wearing a hurt air. But there was something touching about her. She was small and neat and you could see she had been through a great deal. Adeline spoke gently.
“A while ago you said you supposed Mary was off somewhere with those brothers of mine. You were right. She is.”
Mary’s mother only stared.
“She is off with them,” went on Adeline. “Right off the ship and away home!”
“Are you mad?” said Mrs. Cameron. “What nonsense are you telling me?”
“It is the truth. They left the ship — Mary and my two little brothers — but they’ve gone home. She’ll be quite safe.”
Mrs. Cameron had turned a ghostly pale. She put her hand to her throat and demanded: —
“Who told you this?”
“I had a letter from Sholto. And my husband was told by one of the sailors who saw them.”
Mrs. Cameron spoke in a hoarse whisper.
“Show me the letter.”
Adeline handed it to her. She riveted her eyes on it as though she would tear the written words from the page. At the end she reeled across the cabin but she recovered herself. She faced Adeline in a fury, her hands clenched at her sides.
“It’s your fault!” she cried. “It’s all your fault! You encouraged them. You begged me to allow Mary to go about with thatwicked boy. Oh — ” As she was struck by the possibilities of the situation her voice rose to a scream — “Oh, what has he done to her! My little ewe lamb! She was as pure as the driven snow till we came on board this accursed ship! Oh, can’t something be done? Where is the Captain?”
She pushed her way past Adeline, thrust aside Philip’s restraining hand, and bounded up the companionway. So flimsy were the partitions that a general consternation was caused by her outbreak. People came running from all directions (some thought a fresh disaster had befallen the ship) while Adeline and Philip followed after, miserably conscious of what had really happened.
“What’s this — what’s this, madam?” asked Captain Bradley, coming to meet Mrs. Cameron.
She flung herself against his shoulder.
“Oh, save her! Save my little girl!” she cried hysterically.
“Where is she?” he asked, in his resonant voice.
“There!” She pointed landward. “She left the ship with those horrible Irish boys! I call everyone to witness that she was as pure as the driven snow! Oh, what shall I do?”
“What’s all this about?” Captain Bradley demanded on Philip.
“The girl has eloped with my young brother-in-law, a lad of
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