"
If he had been fine-looking in his sincere grief, he was thrice more
attractive in his sincere high spirit. Vesta, admiring him in spite of
her cares, did not like to see him in this unnatural recklessness.
"Dear father," she said, soothingly, "you have no cause of quarrel."
"I have every cause," he cried; "the proposal to marry you was an
insult, for which I should have challenged him, and shot him if he
declined. Now he has married you and absconded, using you and the Custis
honor with contempt. In my day I was the best shot in Eastern Virginia.
I can kill a man in this cause as easily as I have broken either of a
man's arms, at choice, in my courting days. Public opinion will clear me
under this provocation, and I can acquit my own conscience, abhorrent
as duelling is to me. My sons-in-law would leap to take the quarrel up,
and rid the world of Meshach Milburn."
"That is mamma's idea, to kill the debtor who has been specially kind to
her. She says she will send for Uncle Allan McLane, and is more
unreasonable than ever. Papa, your feelings are unjust. Something we do
not know of has happened to Mr. Milburn. He was not himself all the
while at the church. Now that I recollect, he was not ardent for the
marriage to be so soon. It was I who hastened the hour. Let us be right
in everything, having progressed so far with the recovery of our
fortunes, and let us await the fulfilment of events hopefully.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174