The Old Man's Bride CHAPTER 7.
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The more Mrs. Barker thought about her treatment of Helen, the more uncomfortable her feelings became. Her icy reception had, evidently, prevented the young teacher from making known some request, upon the granting of which, much, it might be, depended.
"I will see her when she comes in the morning to give Clara a lesson, and learn in what way I can serve her."
With this resolution, she endeavored to dismiss the subject from her mind, but, for some reason, it would keep returning, and troubling her.
"I will try and get her a few more scholars," said Mrs. Barker, as she still thought of Helen. "Her parents are entirely dependent upon her, and I hardly think her income can, at present, be equal to their needs. Struggling industry needs encouragement and aid at times — as well as absolute indigence. I did think of letting Madame Arcot give Maggy lessons in French in order to secure the true Paris pronunciation; but Helen's French is very pure, and I am not certain that I would really gain anything for my daughter, by giving her a foreign instructor. There are many things about Madame Arcot which I do not like, and, besides, she has not always borne the most unblemished character. I think, upon the whole, I will give Miss Lee another scholar. And there are Jane and Florence Ewing. Only yesterday I was talking with their mother about Madame Arcot, and she was hesitating on the question of employing her as their teacher. A word from me will, I know, determine the question in her mind. If I say that I prefer Miss Lee, and am about engaging her to give lessons to Maggy, she will decide to do the same. This will give Helen three more scholars, and make a very important addition to her income."
Her mind now thoroughly interested, Mrs. Barker called upon Mrs. Ewing, who was very ready to act from her suggestion. And not only so; becoming, through Mrs. Barker, interested in Helen, she promised to get up an interest for her among her friends, and did not, in the least, doubt her ability to secure for her some two or three more scholars.
Greatly relieved in mind, Mrs. Barker waited for the appearance of Helen, on the next morning. The hour had nearly arrived, at which she usually came, when she remembered that the lesson had been deferred on account of indisposition.
"That was but an excuse to cover some more important request, which my lack of kindness prevented her from making. She will probably come as usual."
And in this, she did not err; for, even as she thought so, Helen entered. There was so marked a change in her appearance, that Mrs. Barker could hardly help an exclamationwhen she came in. Marks of intense mental pain were strongly visible on her pale face, and there was a tightness about her lips, that no longer arched gracefully. Her eyes, usually drooping and modest, looked strangely large, and in them was something that Mrs. Barker could not comprehend, and from which she shrunk instinctively.
"You have been sick, Miss Lee," said she. "Why did you come out this morning?"
"I am quite well," Helen replied; but without referring to the fact that she had asked the privilege of omitting a lesson, on the plea of indisposition. There was a coldness in the tones of her voice, unmarked before, and a distance in her manner which repelled.
"When you called yesterday," said Mrs. Barker, now forcing herself to approach a subject that was uppermost in her mind, "my attention was so much occupied with a book I was reading, that my manner must have seemed to you repulsive. It did not occur to me, until after you had gone away, that, in all probability, your visit to me was of more importance than merely to ask permission to omit a lesson on account of indisposition. In fear that my absent manner may have repulsed you, I have been troubled ever since. Am I right in this conclusion?"
"You are," replied Helen, with cold dignity.
"I regret, exceedingly, that you did not make known your wishes," said Mrs. Barker, with earnest kindness. "Believe me, that if I can serve you in anything, I will do so with sincere pleasure. What did you wish to ask of me?"
"The advance of a sum of money on Clara's lessons, in order to pay a small debt, for which my poor father was sorely troubled. In a moment of desperation, on hearing him abused and threatened, I promised that the money would be paid by a certain hour. I had no present means to do this, and, in a moment after the promise was made, felt that I had done wrong. But my word was given — and must be kept. I knew where I could get the needed assistance, but, above all things, wished to avoid that application; and so, ma'am, I came to you, believing that you had not only the heart to feel for me, but the willing hand to help me in my extremity."
"So I have, Miss Lee! So I have," replied Mrs. Barker warmly. "How much money do you need? Oh! why did you not make free to tell me this, yesterday?"
And, while she said this, Mrs. Barker drew her purse from her pocket.
"I was choked when I saw you, and could not utter a word of what was in my mind," replied Helen, with a distance and reserve that Mrs. Barker partly attributed to an offended state of mind.
"It is not too late to aid you," resumed Mrs. Barker. "Tell me how much you need, and be assured, Miss Lee, that I will supply the sum with heart-felt pleasure."
"It is too late," said Helen in a tone that came like a freezing breath on the feelings of her auditor.
"Too late! Say not so, Miss Lee. Have you obtained the needed sum?"
"I have."
"From whom did you get it?"
There was a pause of some moments. Then Helen answered, in a voice that betrayed but little feeling, "From Mr. Bullfinch."
"Adam Bullfinch!" exclaimed Mrs. Barker, in surprise. "Why, of all others, did you apply to him?"
"Because I knew that I had but to make known my need, and it would be supplied."
"And it was?"
"It was."
"Did he advance the sum you needed on the lessons you were giving his niece?" asked Mrs. Barker, her eyes fixed earnestly on the face of Helen.
"I asked the money as an advance," was coldly replied.
"How much did you require?"
"The debt was sixty-four dollars."
"I will lend you the money, or double the sum, if required. Here it is," and she unclasped her purse. "Take, it, and at once cancel this obligation to Mr. Bullfinch. Was there none but him to whom you could go for such a favor?"
"None," sighed Helen, as she pushed back the hand of Mrs. Barker. "I thank you for your kindness; but it is too late, now."
"Too late! Miss Lee. Too late! How am I to understand this?" said Mrs. Barker, in visible concern.
"Time will explain all," murmured Helen, speaking in part to herself. Then, rising, she said, "It is late, and I have two more lessons to give this morning. Is Clara in her room?"
"A moment longer," said Mrs. Barker, laying her hand upon the arm of her auditor. "I have some good news for you. Mrs. Ewing told me, yesterday, that she was going to engage you to give French lessons to her two daughters. And I have another scholar for you, besides."
The expression that came into the face of Helen, when Mrs. Barker said this, was one of pain rather than pleasure. It was evident that she was disturbed by a quick emotion, to subdue which cost her a strong effort. In a little while, she replied, calmly —
"Two days ago, this would have been pleasant news to me; but it is of no particular interest, now. I have concluded to make no more engagements, and to give up all my present scholars, at the end of their respective quarters.
"Why, Helen! What does this mean!" exclaimed Mrs. Barker. "What are you going to do?"
Helen had no voice to reply. There was a genuine interest in the lady's manner, which touched her feelings; the more so, as the full conviction now dawned clearly on her mind, that, if she had but spoken out freely what was in her heart, on the day before — she might have been saved from the dreadful alternative she had so reluctantly taken. It was too late, now. A little while she sat silent, striving to regain her icy self-possession. Failing in this, she left the room abruptly.
At all this, Mrs. Barker was greatly troubled; and sorely did she repent of her fatal indifference on the day before.
"When golden opportunities are lost," she sighed, "how rarely do they return to us again! We only have the present in which to do good; and if the present is neglected, it passes away from us forever. Poor child! What has she done? What can be the meaning of her suddenly formed resolution, to give up her present occupation? Surely, she cannot have consented to become — "
She left the sentence unfinished in her own mind. She could not, even in thought, utter the word that was suggested.
"I must see her again before she leaves the house," said Mrs. Barker, after musing for some minutes. "It will not do to let a matter so serious as this, take its course. Unhappy girl! What must she not have suffered! I never saw anyone so changed in as brief a space of time."
The longer she continued to dwell upon the subject, the more earnest did she become. Impatiently she waited the hour to expire during which Helen was engaged with her daughter. More and more clearly did her mind begin to see how she might extricate the poor girl from the unhappy position into which she had fallen.
"I will save her from a fate so dreadful," Mrs. Barker had just said to herself, when her ear caught the sound of light footsteps along the passage.
"Miss Lee!" she called, starting up and going quickly to the door of the room in which she was sitting. There was no answer, but she was in time to catch a momentary view of Helen as she was passing hurriedly from the house.
"Miss Lee! Helen!" she called again. But her voice was drowned in the heavy jar of the closing door. Clasping her hands together, she stood for a few moments, all her thoughts in a state of bewilderment. Then, as she turned slowly, and went back into the room from which she had come, she murmured, sadly —
"Unhappy girl! What a future is before her! Oh, that I had but known the greatness of her extremity! And I might have known it. God sent her to me; and when she came, shrinkingly and fearfully — my coldness and indifference repulsed her. Will He call me to answer for the marring of so fair and noble a spirit? But is it yet too late? No, no, I will not believe it. She will be here again several times. I will secure her confidence, learn all the truth in relation to this matter between her and Mr. Bullfinch, and, if it is as I suppose — devise some means to save her from the false step she is about to take. To accomplish this, I will do and sacrifice much. And," she added, in a confident tone, "I must succeed in so good a work."
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