Frederica and her Guardians Part 20

She did not like the task he had a.s.signed her, and she liked it less when she saw the mother and her daughters together. She could not but feel that her father was exposing himself to remark--nay, to just censure--by remaining away so long in the circ.u.mstances of his family; and she felt the greatest unwillingness to say a word to Fred about leaving home. But Fred did not even take the matter into consideration.

She dismissed the subject with a single word.

"I'm not going," said she quietly. But an angry spot burned on her cheek. She would not say to Mrs Brandon, or even to Selina, that she thought it unkind of their father to ask such a thing--more than unkind to remain longer away. She checked the hasty words of blame that rose to. Tessie's lips in Caroline's presence. But she was grieved and vexed too.

"I am not going," said she, "and n.o.body must tell mama that papa, wished it. He ought to know that--"

She stopped suddenly, not sure of her voice.

"She has been ill so long," said Mrs Brandon. "I suppose papa thinks she is as she always has been, now a little better, now worse. He thinks you are over-anxious, and I am afraid he does not understand.

What does Dr Gerard say?"

"If you were to tell him, Caroline, he might understand," said Selina.

"Will you not write and tell him how we all want him home?"

"I will write certainly, and I will also see Mrs Bury. It would make you too unhappy to leave now, though I trust your mother is not really worse."

"Thank you. No, I could not go now. Even Mr St. Cyr is ill, and they have no one but me--" said Fred, speaking with difficulty.

"My darling," said Mrs Brandon, moved to unwonted tenderness by the sight of Frederica's tears, "you are not to be discouraged. Remember how often your mother has been worse than she is now; and papa will be sure to come when I write and tell him how much you all want him. And, dear, if you break down, what will become of the rest?"

"I am not going to break down," said Fred, swallowing her tears, and trying to smile. "Be sure and bring baby next time, and hasten now, for the rain is near. Good-bye?"

She went to the gate, and stood looking after the carriage for a minute or two. Then, instead of going into the house, she walked round the garden several times, telling herself that there was no one but her to care for the rest, and that she must be strong and not discouraged for their sake. But for the moment she was utterly discouraged and afraid.

Though it was still early in the afternoon, it had grown very dark, and there was first the silence, and then the low sighing of the wind among the trees, that tells of the near approach of a storm; and the sudden recollection that her little brothers had not returned from their walk hastened Frederica's footsteps again to the gate. A few large drops of rain fell before she reached it, and as she looked out a cloud of dust and leaves came whirling down the street, and a strong gust of wind made it necessary for her to cling for a moment to the gate, lest she should be thrown down.

There was nothing to be seen of her brothers; but, fighting against the wind, and s.h.i.+elding his eyes from the clouds of dust which it bore, came a slender bowed figure that made her forget them. For just a moment she thought it was Mr St. Cyr, but even before he came near, she saw it was not he, but an older man. His hair was snowy white, and he walked with a great effort, bowing his head low to meet the blast. Opposite the gate, a sudden gust nearly overthrew him. He let fall a book which he carried in his hand, and in stooping to recover it his cane slipped from his grasp. Frederica sprang forward to lift it for him; and when she met the sweet, grave smile that thanked her, she quite forgot that the face was the face of a stranger.

"Come in," said she eagerly. "You are not strong enough to meet this terrible wind. And see, the rain has begun to fall already. Come in and rest."

"I shall be glad to rest," said the stranger; and so, at Frederica's bidding, there pa.s.sed over their threshold an angel unawares.

The brothers came home with a run and a shout, only in time to escape the rain that soon fell in torrents. In the house it grew as dark as night for a little while, and then the lightning flashed, and the thunder broke over the roof with a peal that seemed to shake the foundations. The servants of the house, awed and anxious, flocked into the hall where the stranger sat, and where the children had gathered.

Their mother was there too, trembling and white with nervous terror.

For a minute or two the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled continuously, and for a time not a word was spoken. Then that cloud pa.s.sed, and it grew light.

"You are not afraid," said Hubert, looking up into the face of the stranger.

"No," said he gently, "I have no cause."

"But we are afraid, except Selina," said the boy, looking round on the terrified faces. "Selina does not see the lightning. But why are not you afraid?"

"'G.o.d is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble.

Therefore shall not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.' No, I am not afraid."

"But the lightning might kill you."

"Yes, it might kill me."

"And yet you are not afraid! Why are you not afraid?"

"Because I hope--yes, I believe, that when death shall come to me, it will be as G.o.d's messenger, not to hurt, but to take me beyond all reach of hurt for ever and for ever. Truly, my little lad, death is the last thing of which one whom G.o.d loves need be afraid."

Another cloud was pa.s.sing, and Hubert's face was hidden in his sister's lap as once more the thunder broke over them. But the worst of the storm was over. There were now longer pauses between the gradually receding peals, and in the silence of one of them Selina asked softly,--

"Frederica, who is he that is not afraid of death?"

And Frederica answered in the same tone, "One whom G.o.d loves, he says."

"And surely He loves us all."

Gradually the storm pa.s.sed over. The servants went away to their duties, and Miss Agnace took the little boys to change their coats, which she only now discovered were quite wet. The girls helped their mother into her room again, and Tessie opened the window. There were clouds heavy and dark still in the sky, but beyond the clouds there was brightness, and the cool sweet air brought refreshment to them all. The stranger stood on the threshold, regarding with grave, compa.s.sionate eyes the group which the mother and daughters made.

"Mama," said Frederica, answering her mother's look of surprise, "I brought him in because of the rain."

"Who is it?" said Selina eagerly. "Is it he whom G.o.d loves, and who has no cause to be afraid of death? Frederica, ask him why he is not afraid. And does not G.o.d love us all?"

"G.o.d is our Father. Truly He loves all His children."

Drawn by his voice, Selina approached, and took in both hers his outstretched hand. Not once in a hundred times did the blind girl seek to get by the sense of touch a knowledge of strangers. But now she gently pa.s.sed her hand over his, and over his face, and his soft white hair; and then she drew him gently into the room, and over towards her mother's chair.

"Come and tell mama why you are not afraid."

"Because 'G.o.d so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' No one need fear death, who has the promise of life everlasting."

"No," said Selina. "And have you that promise? And is it for us too?

for mama, and all of us?"

For answer, the old man repeated the text again, "G.o.d so loved the world," and so on to the end.

"It is the world He loves; and the promise is to whosoever believeth."

"Do you hear, mama? It says, 'Whosoever believeth.' Are you listening, mama?" said Selina eagerly.

"My darling, I know not what to believe, or what to do," said Mrs Vane sadly. "I have never in all my life thought about these things."

"No," said Selina, turning her eager face towards the stranger. "We have never thought about these things. Could we begin now, do you think? and what must we do?"

Frederica and Tessie looked and listened in amazement. It was so unlike Selina to have anything to say to a stranger. Their mother looked as eager as she did, and very anxious; and she said, before the stranger could reply,--

"Yes, the children might begin now. As for me, I can do nothing."

"But," said the old man gently, "it does not say _do_, but believe."

"Surely, mama, 'Whosoever believeth.' And what are we to believe?"

"The text says, 'Whosoever believeth in Him'."

"Yes--that is Jesus. And what are we to believe?"