in less than a week from that time, caterina was persuaded to travel in a comfortable carriage, under the care of mr. gilfil and his sister, mrs. heron, whose soft blue eyes and mild manners were very soothing to the poor bruised child—the more so as they had an air of sisterly equality which was quite new to her. under lady cheverel’s uncaressing authoritative goodwill, tina had always retained a certain constraint and awe; and there was a sweetness before unknown in having a young and gentle woman, like an elder sister, bending over her caressingly, and speaking in low loving tones.
maynard was almost angry with himself for feeling happy while tina’s mind and body were still trembling on the verge of irrecoverable decline; but the new delight of acting as her guardian angel, of being with her every hour of the day, of devising everything for her comfort, of watching for a ray of returning interest in her eyes, was too absorbing to leave room for alarm or regret.
on the third day the carriage drove up to the door of foxholm parsonage, where the rev. arthur heron presented himself on the door-step, eager to greet his returning lucy, and holding by the hand a broad-chested tawny-haired boy of five, who was smacking a miniature hunting-whip with great vigour.
nowhere was there a lawn more smooth-shaven, walks better swept, or a porch more prettily festooned with creepers, than at foxholm parsonage, standing snugly sheltered by beeches and chestnuts half-way down the pretty green hill which was surmounted by the church, and overlooking a village that straggled at its ease among pastures and meadows, surrounded by wild hedgerows and broad shadowing trees, as yet unthreatened by improved methods of farming.
brightly the fire shone in the great parlour, and brightly in the little pink bedroom, which was to be caterina’s, because it looked away from the churchyard, and on to a farm homestead, with its little cluster of beehive ricks, and placid groups of cows, and cheerful matin sounds of healthy labour. mrs. heron, with the instinct of a delicate, impressible woman, had written to her husband to have this room prepared for caterina. contented speckled hens, industriously scratching for the rarely-found corn, may sometimes do more for a sick heart than a grove of nightingales; there is something irresistibly calming in the unsentimental cheeriness of top-knotted pullets, unpetted sheep-dogs, and patient cart-horses enjoying a drink of muddy water.
in such a home as this parsonage, a nest of comfort, without any of the stateliness that would carry a suggestion of cheverel manor, mr. gilfil was not unreasonable in hoping that caterina might gradually shake off the haunting vision of the past, and recover from the languor and feebleness which were the physical sign of that vision’s blighting presence. the next thing to be done was to arrange an exchange of duties with mr. heron’s curate, that maynard might be constantly near caterina, and watch over her progress. she seemed to like him to be with her, to look uneasily for his return; and though she seldom spoke to him, she was most contented when he sat by her, and held her tiny hand in his large protecting grasp. but oswald, alias ozzy, the broad-chested boy, was perhaps her most beneficial companion. with something of his uncle’s person, he had inherited also his uncle’s early taste for a domestic menagerie, and was very imperative in demanding tina’s sympathy in the welfare of his guinea-pigs, squirrels, and dormice. with him she seemed now and then to have gleams of her childhood coming athwart the leaden clouds, and many hours of winter went by the more easily for being spent in ozzy’s nursery.
mrs. heron was not musical, and had no instrument; but one of mr. gilfil’s cares was to procure a harpsichord, and have it placed in the drawing-room, always open, in the hope that some day the spirit of music would be reawakened in caterina, and she would be attracted towards the instrument. but the winter was almost gone by, and he had waited in vain. the utmost improvement in tina had not gone beyond passiveness and acquiescence—a quiet grateful smile, compliance with oswald’s whims, and an increasing consciousness of what was being said and done around her. sometimes she would take up a bit of woman’s work, but she seemed too languid to persevere in it; her fingers soon dropped, and she relapsed into motionless reverie.
at last—it was one of those bright days in the end of february, when the sun is shining with a promise of approaching spring. maynard had been walking with her and oswald round the garden to look at the snowdrops, and she was resting on the sofa after the walk. ozzy, roaming about the room in quest of a forbidden pleasure, came to the harpsichord, and struck the handle of his whip on a deep bass note.
the vibration rushed through caterina like an electric shock: it seemed as if at that instant a new soul were entering into her, and filling her with a deeper, more significant life. she looked round, rose from the sofa, and walked to the harpsichord. in a moment her fingers were wandering with their old sweet method among the keys, and her soul was floating in its true familiar element of delicious sound, as the water-plant that lies withered and shrunken on the ground expands into freedom and beauty when once more bathed in its native flood.
maynard thanked god. an active power was re-awakened, and must make a new epoch in caterina’s recovery.
presently there were low liquid notes blending themselves with the harder tones of the instrument, and gradually the pure voice swelled into predominance. little ozzy stood in the middle of the room, with his mouth open and his legs very wide apart, struck with something like awe at this new power in ‘tin-tin,’ as he called her, whom he had been accustomed to think of as a playfellow not at all clever, and very much in need of his instruction on many subjects. a genie soaring with broad wings out of his milkjug would not have been more astonishing.
caterina was singing the very air from the orfeo which we heard her singing so many months ago at the beginning of her sorrows. it was ‘ho perduto’, sir christopher’s favourite, and its notes seemed to carry on their wings all the tenderest memories of her life, when cheverel manor was still an untroubled home. the long happy days of childhood and girlhood recovered all their rightful predominance over the short interval of sin and sorrow.
she paused, and burst into tears—the first tears she had shed since she had been at foxholm. maynard could not help hurrying towards her, putting his arm round her, and leaning down to kiss her hair. she nestled to him, and put up her little mouth to be kissed.
the delicate-tendrilled plant must have something to cling to. the soul that was born anew to music was born anew to love.
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