<h2 id="id00470" style="margin-top: 4em">CHAPTER VIII</h2>
<h5 id="id00471">THE FOREST FAIRY.</h5>
<p id="id00472" style="margin-top: 2em">On the afternoon of the same day spent by Miss Nancy Skamp at Old Field
Cottage, the family at Luckenough were assembled in that broad, central
passage, their favorite resort in warm weather.</p>
<p id="id00473">Five years had made very little alteration here, excepting in the case
of Jacquelina, who had grown up to be the most enchanting sprite that
ever bewitched the hearts, or turned the heads of men. She was petite,
slight, agile, graceful; clustering curls of shining gold encircled a
round, white forehead, laughing in light; springs under springs of fun
and frolic sparkled up from the bright, blue eyes, whose flashing light
flew bird-like everywhere, but rested nowhere. She seemed even less
human and irresponsible than when a child—verily a being of the air,
a fairy, without human thoughtfulness, or sympathy, or affections! She
only seemed so—under all that fay-like levity there was a heart. Poor
heart! little food or cultivation had it had in all its life.</p>
<p id="id00474">For who had been Jacquelina's educators?</p>
<p id="id00475">First, there was the commodore, with his alternations of blustering
wrath and foolish fondness, giving way to his anger, or indulging his
love, without the slightest regard to the effect produced upon his young
ward—too often abusing her for something really admirable in her
nature—and full as frequently praising her for something proportionately
reprehensible in her conduct.</p>
<p id="id00476">Next, there was the dark, and solemn, and fanatical Dr. Grimshaw, her
destined bridegroom, who really and truly loved the child to fatuity,
and conscientiously did the very best he could for her mental and moral
welfare, according to his light. Alas! "when the light that is in one is
darkness, how great is that darkness!" Jacquelina rewarded his serious
efforts with laughter, and flattered him with the pet names of Hobgoblin,
Ghoul, Gnome, Ogre, etc. Yet she did not dislike her solemn suitor—she
never had taken the matter so seriously as that! And he on his part bore
the eccentricities of the elf with matchless patience, for he loved her,
as I said, to fatuity—doted on her with a passion that increased with
ripening years, and of late consumed him like a fever.</p>
<p id="id00477">And then there was her mother, last named because, whatever she should
have been, she really was the least important of Jacquelina's teachers.
Fear was the key-note of Mrs. L'Oiseau's character—the key-stone in the
arch of her religious faith—she feared everything—the opinion of the
world, the unfaithfulness of friends, changes in the weather, reverses
of fortune, pain, sickness, sorrow, want, labor!</p>
<p id="id00478">Now the time had not yet come for this proposed marriage to shock the
merry maiden. She was "ower young to marry yet."</p>
<p id="id00479">So thought not the commodore; for a year past, since his niece had
attained the age of fourteen, he had been worrying himself and the
elders of the family to have the marriage solemnized, "before the little
devil shall have time to get some other notion into her erratic head,"
he said. All were opposed to him, holding over his head the only rod he
dreaded, the opinion of the world.</p>
<p id="id00480">"What would people say if you were to marry your niece of fourteen to a
man of thirty-four?" they urged.</p>
<p id="id00481">"But I tell you, young men are beginning to pay attention to her now,
and I can't take her to church that some jackanapes don't come capering
around her, and the minx will get some whim in her head like Edith
did—I know she will! Just see how Edith disappointed me! ungrateful
huzzy! after my bringing her up and educating her, for her to do so!
While, if she had married Grim when I wanted her to do it, by this time
I'd have had my grandchil—! I mean nieces and nephews climbing about my
knees. But by ——! I won't be frustrated this time!"</p>
<p id="id00482">And so Jacquelina was kept more secluded than ever. Secluded from
society, but not from nature. The forest became her haunt. And a chance
traveler passing through it, and meeting her fay-like form, might well
suppose he was deceived with the vision of a wood-nymph.</p>
<p id="id00483">The effervescent spirits of the elf had to expend themselves in the same
way. As a child she had ever been as remarkable for surprising feats of
agility as for fun, frolic, mischief, and <i>diablerie</i>. And every one of
these traits augmented with her growth. Feats of agility became a
passion with her—her airy spirit seemed only to find its full freedom
in rapid motion in daring flights, in difficult achievements, and in
hair-breadth escapes. Everything that she read of in that way, which
could possibly be imitated, was attempted. She had her bows and arrows,
and by original fitness, as well as by constant practice, she became an
excellent markswoman. She had her well-trained horse, and her vaulting
bars, and made nothing of flying over a high fence or a wide ditch. But
her last whim was the most eccentric of all. She had her lance. And, her
favorite pastime was to have a small ring suspended from a crossbeam,
and while riding at full speed, with her light lance balanced in her
hand, to catch this ring and bear it off upon the point of that lance.
In feats of agility alone she excelled, not in those of strength—that
airy, fragile form was well fitted for swiftness and sureness of action,
yet not for muscular force. Her uncle and Grim indulged her in all these
frolics—her uncle in great delight; Grim, under the protest that they
were unworthy of an immortal being with eternity to prepare for.</p>
<p id="id00484">In these five past years, Cloudesley had been at sea, and had only
returned home once—namely, at the end of the stated three years. He had
been received with unbounded joy by his child-friend; had brought her
his outgrown suit of uniform; had spent several months at Luckenough,
and renewed his old delightful intimacy with its little heiress
presumptive, and at length had gone to sea again for another three
years' voyage. And it must be confessed that Jacquelina had found the
second parting more grievous than the first. And this time Cloudesley
had fully shared her sorrow. He had been absent a year, when, upon one
night the old mansion, that had withstood the storms of more than two
hundred winters, was burned to the ground!</p>
<p id="id00485">The fire broke out in the kitchen. How, no one knew exactly.</p>
<p id="id00486">Be the cause as it may, upon the evening of the fire Jacquelina had gone
to her room—she had an apartment to herself now—and feeling for the
first time in her life some little uneasiness about her uncle's "whim"
of wedding her to Grim, she had walked about the floor for some time in
much disquietude of mind and body; then she went to a wardrobe, and took
out Cloudy's treasured first uniform, and held it up before her. How
small it looked now; why, it was scarcely too large for herself! And how
much Cloudy had outgrown it! It had fitted him nicely at sixteen, now he
was twenty-one, and in two years more he would be home again! Smiling to
herself, and tossing her charming head, as at some invisible foe, she
said:</p>
<p id="id00487">"Yes, indeed. I should so like to see them marry me to that ogre Grim!"</p>
<p id="id00488">She pressed the cloth up to her face, and put it away, and, still
smiling to herself, retired to rest, to dream of her dear playmate.</p>
<p id="id00489">She dreamed of being in his ship on the open sea, the scene idealized to
supernatural beauty and sublimity, as all such scenes are in dreams; and
then she thought the ship took fire, and she saw, and heard, and felt
the great panic and horror that ensued.</p>
<p id="id00490">She woke in a terrible fright. A part of her dream was true! Her
chamber was filled with smoke, and the house was chaotic with noise
and confusion, and resounded with cries of "Fire! Fire!" everywhere.
What happened next passed with the swiftness of lightning. She jumped
out of bed, seized a woolen shawl, and wrapped it around her head, and
even in that imminent danger not forgetting her most cherished
treasure—Cloudy's suit of uniform—snatched it from the wardrobe and
fled out of the room. Her swift and dipping motion that had gained her
the name of "Lapwing" now served her well. Shooting her bright head
forward and downward, she fled through all the passages and down all the
stairs and out by the great hall, that was all in flames, until she
reached the lawn, where the panic-stricken and nearly idiotic household
were assembled, weeping, moaning and wringing their hands, while they
gazed upon the work of destruction before them in impotent despair!</p>
<p id="id00491">Jacquelina looked all around the group, each figure of which glared
redly in the light of the flames. All were present—all but the
commodore! Where could the commodore be?</p>
<p id="id00492">Jacquelina ran through the crowd looking for him in all directions. He
was nowhere visible, though the whole area was lighted up, even to the
edge of the forest, every tree and branch and twig and leaf of which was
distinctly revealed in the strong, red glare.</p>
<p id="id00493">"Where is uncle? Oh! where is uncle?" she exclaimed, running wildly
about, and finally going up to Mrs. Waugh, who stood looking, the statue
of consternation.</p>
<p id="id00494">Jacquelina shook her by the arm.</p>
<p id="id00495">"Aunty! aunty! Where is uncle? Are you bewitched? Where is uncle?"</p>
<p id="id00496">"Where? Here, somewhere. I saw him run out before me."</p>
<p id="id00497">"No, you didn't! You mistook somebody else for him. Oh, my Lord! he is
in the burning house! he is in the house!"</p>
<p id="id00498">"Oh, he is in the house! he is in the house!" echoed Henrietta, now
roused from her panic, and wringing her hands in the most acute
distress. "Oh! will nobody save him! will nobody save him!"</p>
<p id="id00499">It was too late! Commodore Waugh was in the burning mansion, in his
bedchamber, near the top of the house, fast asleep!</p>
<p id="id00500">"Good heaven! will no one attempt to save him?" screamed Henrietta,
running wildly from one to the other.</p>
<p id="id00501">They all gazed on each other, and then in consternation upon the burning
building, every window of which was belching flame, while the sound of
some falling rafter, or the explosion of some combustible substance, was
continually heard! To venture into that blazing house, with its sinking
roof and falling rafters, seemed certain death.</p>
<p id="id00502">"Oh! my God! my God! will none even try to save him?" cried Henrietta,
wringing her hands in extreme anguish.</p>
<p id="id00503">Suddenly:</p>
<p id="id00504">"Pray for me, aunty!" exclaimed Jacquelina, and she darted like a bird
toward the house, into the passage, and seemed lost in the smoke and
flame!</p>
<p id="id00505">Wrapping her woolen shawl closely about her, and keeping near the floor,
she glided swiftly up the stairs, flight after flight, and through the
suffocating passages, until she reached her uncle's door. It was open,
and his room was clearer of smoke than any other, from the wind blowing
through the open window.</p>
<p id="id00506">There he lay in a deep sleep! She sprang to the bedside, seized and
shook the arm of the sleeper.</p>
<p id="id00507">"Uncle! uncle! wake, for God's sake, wake! the house is on fire!"</p>
<p id="id00508">"Hum-m-m-e!" muttered the old man, giving a great heave and plunge, and
turning over into a heavier sleep than before.</p>
<p id="id00509">"Uncle! uncle! You will be burned to death if you don't wake up!" cried<br/>
Jacquelina, shaking him violently.<br/></p>
<p id="id00510">"Humph! Yes, Jacquelina! um—um—um—Grim! um—um—Luckenough!"
muttered the dreamer, flinging about his great arms.</p>
<p id="id00511">"Luckenough is in flames! Uncle! wake! wake!" she cried, shaking him
frantically.</p>
<p id="id00512">"Ah! ha! yes! d—d little rascal is at her tricks again!" he said,
laughing in his sleep.</p>
<p id="id00513">At that moment there was the sound of a falling rafter in the adjoining
room. Every instant was worth a life, and there he lay in a sodden,
hopeless sleep.</p>
<p id="id00514">Suddenly Sans Souci ran to the ewer; it was empty. There was no time to
be lost! every second was invaluable! He must be instantly roused, and
Jacquelina was not fastidious as to the means in doing so!</p>
<p id="id00515">Leaping upon the bolster behind his great, stupid head, she reached
over, and, seizing the mass of his gray, grizzly beard, she pulled up
the wrong way with all her might, until, roaring with pain, he started
up in a fury, and, seeing her, exclaimed:</p>
<p id="id00516">"Oh! you abominable little vixen! is that you: Do you dare! Are you
frantic, then? Oh, you outrageous little dare-devil! Won't I send you to
a mad-house, and have you put in a strait-jacket, till you know how to
behave yourself! You infernal little wretch, you!"</p>
<p id="id00517">A sudden thought struck Sans Souci to move him by his affection for
herself.</p>
<p id="id00518">"Uncle, look around you! The house is burning! if you do not rouse
yourself and save your poor little 'wretch,' she must perish in the
flames!"</p>
<p id="id00519">This effectually brought him to his senses; he understood everything! he
leaped from his bed, seized a blanket, enveloped her in it, raised her
in his arms, and, forgetting gout, lameness, leg and all, bore her down
the creaking, heated stairs, flight after flight, and through the
burning passages out of the house in safety.</p>
<p id="id00520">A shout of joy greeted the commodore as he appeared with Jacquelina in
the yard.</p>
<p id="id00521">But heeding nothing but the burden he bore in his arms, the old sailor
strode on until he reached a convenient spot, where he threw the blanket
off her face to give her air.</p>
<p id="id00522">She had fainted—the terror and excitement had been too great—the
reaction was too powerful—it had overwhelmed her, and she lay insensible
across his arms, her fair head hanging back, her white garments streaming
in the air, her golden locks floating, her witching eyes closed, and her
blue lips apart and rigid on her glistening teeth—so she lay like dead
Cordelia in the arms of old Lear.</p>
<p id="id00523">Henrietta and Mrs. L'Oiseau, followed by all the household, crowded
around them with water, the only restorative at hand.</p>
<p id="id00524">At length she recovered and looked up, a little bewildered, but soon
memory and understanding returned and, gazing at her uncle, she suddenly
threw her arms around his neck and burst into tears.</p>
<p id="id00525">She was then carried away into one of the best negro quarters and laid
upon a bed, and attended by her mother and her maid Maria.</p>
<p id="id00526">The commodore, with his wife, found shelter in another quarter. And the
few remaining members of the household were accommodated in a similar
manner elsewhere.</p>
<p id="id00527">It was near noon before they were all ready to set forth from the scene
of disaster, and it was the middle of the afternoon when they found
themselves temporarily settled at the little hotel at Benedict in the
very apartments formerly occupied by Edith and Marian.</p>
<p id="id00528">Here Jacquelina suffered a long and severe spell of illness, during
which her bright hair was cut off.</p>
<p id="id00529">And here beautiful Marian came, with her gift of tender nursing, and
devoted herself day and night to the service of the young invalid. And
all the leisure time she found while sitting by the sick bed she busily
employed in making up clothing for the almost denuded family. And never
had the dear girl's nimble fingers flown so fast or so willingly.</p>
<p id="id00530">Every day the commodore, accompanied by Dr. Grimshaw, rode over to
Luckenough to superintend the labors of the workmen in pulling down and
clearing away the ruins of the old mansion and preparing the site for a
new building.</p>
<p id="id00531">Six weeks passed and brought the first of August, before Jacquelina was
able to sit up, and then the physicians recommended change of air and
the waters of Bentley Springs for the re-establishment of her health.</p>
<p id="id00532">During her illness, Jacquelina had become passionately attached to
Marian, as all persons did who came under the daily influence of the
beautiful girl. Dr. Grimshaw was to accompany the family to Bentley.
Jacquelina insisted that Marian should be asked to make one of the
party. Accordingly, the commodore and Mrs. Waugh, nothing loth, invited
and pressed the kind maiden to go with them. But Marian declined the
journey, and Commodore Waugh, with his wife, his niece and his Grim set
out in the family carriage for Bentley Springs. Jacquelina rapidly
regained health and rushed again to her mad breaks. After a stormy scene
with the commodore, the latter vowed she should either marry Dr.
Grimshaw or be sent to a nunnery. To the convent of St. Serena she went,
but within a week she was home in disgrace.</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />