For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

Old Man Had Set His Heart Upon. But,  Cora,  Listen Here,  My Dear! You And

I Are Free At Present. We Need Not Countenance This Marriage By Our

Presence. I,  Your Brother,  Can Take You To Another Hotel,  Or Take You

Off To Saratoga,  Where We Can Stay Until I Get My Orders,  And Then You

Can Go Out With Me Wherever I Go. There! The Devil's Icy Peak Itself

Will Be A Holier Home Than Rockhold,  For You."

Cora Had Become Quite Calm By This Time,  And She Answered Quietly:

"No; You Misapprehend Me,  Sylvan. It Was Not From Indignation Or

Resentment That I Cried,  And Not At All For Myself. I Grieved For Him,

The Spellbound Old Man! No,  Sylvanus; Since We Feel Assured That No

Power Of Ours,  No Power On Earth,  Can Turn Him From His Purpose,  We Must

Do Our Duty By Him. We Must Refrain From Giving Him Pain Or Making Him

Angry; For His Own Poor Old Sake,  We Must Do This! Sylvan,  I Must Attend

His Bride To The Altar; And You Must Attend Him--As He Desired Us To

Do."

"'Desired!' By Jove,  I Think He Commanded! I Do Not Remember Ever To

Have Heard His Majesty The King Of The Cumberland Mines Request Anybody

To Do Anything In The Whole Course Of His Life. He Always Ordered Him To

Do It! Well,  Cora,  Dear,  I Will Be 'Best' Man To The Bridegroom,  Since

You Say So! I Have Always Obeyed You,  Cora. Ah! You Have Trained Me For

The Model Of An Obedient Husband For Some Girl,  Cora! Now,  I Am Going

Down Stairs To Smoke A Cigar. You Don't Object To That,  I Hope,  Mrs.

Rothsay?" Lightly Inquired The Youth As He Sauntered Out Of The Room.

He Had Just Closed The Door When Mrs. Stillwater Entered.

She Came In Very Softly,  Crossed The Room,  Sat Down On The Sofa Beside

Cora,  And Slipped Her Arm Around The Lady's Waist,  Purring And Cooing:

"I Have Been Waiting To Find You Alone,  Dearest. I Just Heard Your

Brother Go Down Stairs. Mr. Rockharrt Has Told You,  Dear?"

"Yes; He Has Told Me. Take Your Arms Away From Me,  If You Please,  Mrs.

Stillwater,  And Pray Do Not Touch Me Again," Quietly Replied The Young

Lady,  Gently Withdrawing Herself From The Siren's Close Embrace.

"You Are Displeased With Me. Can You Not Forgive Me,  Then?" Pleaded

Rose,  Withdrawing Her Arms,  But Fixing Her Soft Blue Eyes Pleadingly

Upon The Lady's Face.

"You Have Given Me No Personal Offense,  Mrs. Stillwater."

"Cora,  Dear--" Began Rose.

"Mrs. Rothsay,  If You Please," Said Cora,  In A Quiet Tone.

"Mrs. Rothsay,  Then," Amended Rose,  In A Calm Voice,  As If Determined

Not To Take Offense--"Mrs. Rothsay,  Allow Me To Explain How All This

Came To Pass. I Have Always,  From The Time I First Lived In His House,

Felt A Profound Respect And Affection For Your Grandfather--"

"Mr. Rockharrt,  If You Please," Said Cora.

"For Mr. Rockharrt,  Then,  As Well As For His Sainted Wife,  The Late Mrs.

Rockharrt. I--"

"Madam!" Interrupted Cora. "Is There Nothing Too Holy To Be Profaned By

Your Lips? You Should At Least Have The Good Taste To Leave That Lady's

Sacred Memory Alone."

"Certainly,  If You Wish; But She Was A Good Friend To Me,  And I Served

Her With A Daughter's Love And Devotion. In My Last Visit To Rockhold I

Also Served Mr. Rockharrt More Zealously Than Ever,  Because,  Indeed,  He

Needed Such Affectionate Service More Than Before. He Has Grown So Much

Accustomed To My Services That They Now Seem Vitally Necessary To Him.

But,  Of Course,  I Cannot Take Care Of Him Day And Night,  In Parlor And

Chamber,  Unless I Become His Wife--'The Abisheg Of His Age.' And So,

Cora,  Dear--I Beg Pardon--Mrs. Rothsay,  I Have Yielded To His Pleadings

And Consented To Marry Him."

"Mr. Rockharrt Has Already Told Me So," Coldly Replied Cora.

"And,  Dear,  I Wish To Add This--That The Marriage Need Make No

Difference In Our Domestic Relations At Rockhold."

"I Do Not Understand You."

"I Mean In The Family Circle."

"Oh! Thank You!" Said Cora,  With The Nearest Approach To A Sneer That

Ever She Made. "I Have Heard All You Have To Say,  Mrs. Stillwater,  And

Now I Have To Reply--First,  That I Give You No Credit For Any Respect Or

Affection That You May Profess For Mr. Rockharrt,  Or For Disinterested

Motives In Marrying The Aged Millionaire."

"Oh,  Cora--Mrs. Rothsay!"

"I Will Say No More On That Point. Mr. Rockharrt Is Old And Worn With

Many Business Cares. I Would Not Willingly Pain Or Anger Him. Therefore,

Because He Wills It,  For His Sake,  Not For Yours,  I Will Attend You To

The Altar. Also,  If He Should Desire Me To Do So,  I Shall Remain At

Rockhold Until The Return Of Mr. Fabian Rockharrt."

At The Sound Of This Name Rose Stillwater Winced And Shivered.

"Then,  Knowing That His Favorite Son Will Be Near Him,  I Shall Leave Him

With The Freer Heart And Go Away With My Brother,  Withersoever He May Be

Sent. Mr. Fabian Is Expected To Return Within A Few Weeks,  And Will

Probably Be Here Long Before My Brother Receives His Orders. Now,  Mrs.

Stillwater,  I Think All Has Been Said Between Us,  And You Will Please

Excuse My Leaving You," Said Cora,  As She Arose And Withdrew From The

Room.

Then Rose Stillwater Lost Her Self-Command. Her Blue Eyes Blazed,  She

Set Her Teeth,  She Doubled Her Fist,  And Shaking It After The Vanished

Form Of The Lady,  She Hissed:

"Very Well,  Proud Madam! I'll Pay You For All This! You Shall Never

Touch One Cent Of Old Aaron Rockharrt's Millions!"

Having Launched This Threat,  She Got Up And Went To Her Room. Ten

Minutes Later She Drove Out In A Carriage Alone. She Did Not Return To

Luncheon. Neither Did Mr. Rockharrt,  Who Had Gone Down To Wall Street.

Sylvan And Cora Lunched Alone,  And Spent The Afternoon Together In The

Parlor,  For They Had Much To Say To Each Other After Their Long

Separation,  And Much Also To Say Of The Impending Marriage. During That

Afternoon Many Packages And Bandboxes Came By Vans,  Directed To Mrs.

Rose Stillwater. These Were Sent To Her Apartment. At Dusk Mrs.

Stillwater Returned And Went Directly To Her Room. She Probably Did Not

Care To Face The Brother And Sister Together,  Unsupported By Their

Grandfather. A Few Minutes Later Mr. Rockharrt Came In,  Looking Moody

And Defiant,  As If Quite Conscious Of The Absurdity Of His Position,  Or

Ready To Crush Any One Who Betrayed The Slightest,  Sense Of Humor. Then

Dinner Was Served,  And Rose Stillwater Came Out Of Her Room And Entered

The Parlor--A Vision Of Loveliness--Her Widow's Weeds All Gone,  Her

Dress A Violet Brocaded Satin,  With Fine Lace Berthe And Sleeve

Trimmings,  White Throat And White Arms Encircled With Pearl Necklace And

Bracelets; Golden Red Hair Dressed High And Adorned With A Pearl Comb.

She Came In Smiling And Took Her Place At The Table.

Old Aaron Rockharrt Looked Up At Her In Surprise And Not Altogether With

Pleasure. Rose Stillwater,  Seeing His Expression Of Countenance,  Got A

New Insight Into The Mind Of The Old Man Whom She Had Thought She Knew

So Well. During Dinner,  To Cover The Embarrassment Which Covered Each

Member Of The Small Party,  Sylvan Began To Talk Of The Cadets' Ball At

West Point On The Preceding Evening; The Distinguished Men Who Were

Present,  The Pretty Girls With Whom He Had Danced,  The Best Waltzers,

And So Forth,  And Then The Mischievous Scamp Added:

"But There Wasn't A Brunette Present As Handsome As My Sister Cora,  Nor

A Blonde As Beautiful As My Own Grandmamma-Elect."

When They All Left The Table,  Mrs. Stillwater Went To Her Room,  And Mr.

Rockharrt Took Occasion To Say:

"I Wish You Both To Understand The Programme For To-Morrow. There Is To

Be No Fuss,  No Wedding Breakfast,  No Nonsense Whatever."

Sylvan Thought To Himself That The Marriage Alone Was Nonsense Enough To

Stand By Itself,  Like A Velvet Dress,  Which Is Spoiled By Additions; But

He Said Nothing. Mr. Rockharrt,  Standing On The Rug With His Back To The

Mantlepiece And His Hands Clasped Behind Him,  Continued:

"Sylvan,  You Will Wear A Morning Suit; Cora,  You Will Wear A Visiting

Costume,  Just What You Would Wear To An Ordinary Church Service. Rose

Will Be Married In Her Traveling Dress. Immediately After The Ceremony

We,  Myself And Wife,  Shall Enter A Carriage And Drive To The Railway

Depot And Take The Train For Niagara. You Two Can Return Here Or Go To

Rockhold Or Wherever You Will. We Shall Make A Short Tour Of The Falls,

Lakes,  St. Lawrence River,  And So On,  And Probably Return To Rockhold By

The First Of July. I Cannot Remain Long From The Works While Fabian Is

Away. Now,  Am I Clearly Understood?"

"Very Clearly,  Sir," Replied Sylvan,  Speaking For Himself And Sister.

"Then,  Good Night; I Am Going To Bed," Said The Iron King,  And Without

Waiting For A Response,  He Strode Out Of The Room.

"Who Ever Heard Of A Man Dictating To A Woman What She Shall Wear?"

Exclaimed Cora.

Sylvan Laughed.

"Why,  The King Of The Cumberland Mines Would Dictate When You Should

Rise From Your Seat And Walk Across The Room; When You Should Sit Down

Again; When You Should Look Out Of The Window,  And Every Movement Of

Your Life,  If It Were Not Too