"She is a poor wild Indian girl--my daughter, I call her.I will tell you her story hereafter.""Your daughter? My grand-daughter, then.Come hither, maiden, and be my grand-daughter."Ayacanora came obedient, and knelt down, because she had seen Amyas kneel.
"God forbid, child! kneel not to me.Come home, and let me know whether I am sane or mazed, alive or dead."And drawing her hood over her face, she turned to go back, holding Amyas tight by one hand, and Ayacanora by the other.
The crowd let them depart some twenty yards in respectful silence, and then burst into a cheer which made the old town ring.
Mrs.Leigh stopped suddenly.
"I had forgotten, Amyas.You must not let me stand in the way of your duty.Where are your men?""Kissed to death by this time; all of them, that is, who are left.""Left?"
"We went out a hundred, mother, and we came home forty-four--if we are at home.Is it a dream, mother? Is this you? and this old Bridgeland Street again? As I live, there stands Evans the smith, at his door, tankard in hand, as he did when I was a boy!"The brawny smith came across the street to them; but stopped when he saw Amyas, but no Frank.
"Better one than neither, madam!" said he, trying a rough comfort.
Amyas shook his hand as he passed him; but Mrs.Leigh neither heard nor saw him nor any one.
"Mother," said Amyas, when they were now past the causeway, "we are rich for life.""Yes; a martyr's death was the fittest for him.""I have brought home treasure untold."
"What, my boy?"
"Treasure untold.Cary has promised to see to it to-night.""Very well.I would that he had slept at our house.He was a kindly lad, and loved Frank.When did he?"--"Three years ago, and more.Within two months of our sailing.""Ah! Yes, he told me so."
"Told you so?"
"Yes; the dear lad has often come to see me in my sleep; but you never came.I guessed how it was--as it should be.""But I loved you none the less, mother!"
"I know that, too: but you were busy with the men, you know, sweet;so your spirit could not come roving home like his, which was free.
Yes--all as it should be.My maid, and do you not find it cold here in England, after those hot regions?""Ayacanora's heart is warm; she does not think about cold.""Warm? perhaps you will warm my heart for me, then.""Would God I could do it, mother!" said Amyas, half reproachfully.
Mrs.Leigh looked up in his face, and burst into a violent flood of tears.
"Sinful! sinful that I am!"
"Blessed creature!" cried Amyas, "if you speak so I shall go mad.
Mother, mother, I have been dreading this meeting for months.It has been a nightmare hanging over me like a horrible black thunder-cloud; a great cliff miles high, with its top hid in the clouds, which I had to climb, and dare not.I have longed to leap overboard, and flee from it like a coward into the depths of the sea.--The thought that you might ask me whether I was not my brother's keeper--that you might require his blood at my hands--and now, now! when it comes! to find you all love, and trust, and patience--mother, mother, it's more than I can bear!" and he wept violently.
Mrs.Leigh knew enough of Amyas to know that any burst of this kind, from his quiet nature, betokened some very fearful struggle;and the loving creature forgot everything instantly, in the one desire to soothe him.
And soothe him she did; and home the two went, arm in arm together, while Ayacanora held fast, like a child, by the skirt of Mrs.
Leigh's cloak.The self-help and daring of the forest nymph had given place to the trembling modesty of the young girl, suddenly cast on shore in a new world, among strange faces, strange hopes, and strange fears also.
"Will your mother love me?" whispered she to Amyas, as she went in.
"Yes; but you must do what she tells you."Ayacanora pouted.
"She will laugh at me, because I am wild.""She never laughs at any one."
"Humph! " said Ayacanora."Well, I shall not be afraid of her.Ithought she would have been tall like you; but she is not even as big as me."This hardly sounded hopeful for the prospect of Ayacanora's obedience; but ere twenty-four hours had passed, Mrs.Leigh had won her over utterly; and she explained her own speech by saying that she thought so great a man ought to have a great mother.She had expected, poor thing, in her simplicity, some awful princess with a frown like Juno's own, and found instead a healing angel.
Her story was soon told to Mrs.Leigh, who of course, woman-like, would not allow a doubt as to her identity.And the sweet mother never imprinted a prouder or fonder kiss upon her son's forehead, than that with which she repaid his simple declaration, that he had kept unspotted, like a gentleman and a Christian, the soul which God had put into his charge.
"Then you have forgiven me, mother?"
"Years ago I said in this same room, what should I render to the Lord for having given me two such sons? And in this room I say it once again.Tell me all about my other son, that I may honor him as I honor you."And then, with the iron nerve which good women have, she made him give her every detail of Lucy Passmore's story and of all which had happened from the day of their sailing to that luckless night at Guayra.And when it was done, she led Ayacanora out, and began busying herself about the girl's comforts, as calmly as if Frank and Amyas had been sleeping in their cribs in the next room.
But she had hardly gone upstairs, when a loud knock at the door was followed by its opening hastily; and into the hall burst, regardless of etiquette, the tall and stately figure of Sir Richard Grenville.
Amyas dropped on his knees instinctively.The stern warrior was quite unmanned; and as he bent over his godson, a tear dropped from that iron cheek, upon the iron cheek of Amyas Leigh.