By Sanction of Law/Chapter 22
When Colonel Lauriston left Lida's room he went direct to his stable whence he dispatched a messenger to Old John Marley.
"Ride, boy," he commanded. "Ride like hell and tell Old John to come to me right away."
"Yes Suh," was the boy's response as he thrust his heels into the sides of his unsaddled mount. Old John was at home, sitting on his porch, fanning himself and puffing. The ride was a little better than two miles and both horse and boy were panting at the end of the trip.
"Mistah Lauriston done tole me to come and ast you to cum tuh him right away. Sump'n very 'portant's de mattah, Suh."
"It fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh must be important to send you on his favorite horse, gallivantin' across these sands at this time of day."
"Yes Suh— yes suh," was all the boy would say.
"All right. Go down to the barn and tell that lazy Sam to hitch up and bring my buggy here."
The boy lost no time executing the order and shortly Old John was easing his heft into the buggy.
"Fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh—watch out, when I get in," he cautioned his man. "Don't let the durned thing tip over."
The servant bore down as best he could to balance the vehicle till Old John was comfortably spread over the seat. He released his grip and handed the reins to his employer then stood aside hat in hand. Colonel Lauriston's messenger was still at the stable giving his horse a rub down and a rest before starting. This horse was the boy's personal favorite and the animal seemed to respond to affection by rubbing his nose over the lad's back as the latter bent to his task. After the horse had rested sufficiently he too started on the return trip, much more slowly, however. When he passed the veranda, Colonel Lauriston and Old John were bent over, head to head. The Colonel was gesticulating wildly and talking forcefully, while Old John was all attention.
As Old John Marley listened to Colonel Lauriston quietly, the only evidence of any excitement in his flacidity was the ruddy flush showing in his face and the increasing rapidity of his breathing. From time to time he nodded his head in encouragement, or uttered a monosyllabic oath. At last Colonel Lauriston leaned back in his chair as if concluding his narrative. He had been detailing to his old friend and crony the story of his daughter and the situation he was called to face.
"To think that one of mine should have come to this," he exclaimed pathetically. "But, By God, she will not.—She will not.—She will not marry him. I'll see her dead first."
"I fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh tell you what, Park. The best plan is to marry her off to one of our boys right away. Let her fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh marry my boy—fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh Young John. You remember I've said that same thing for the past year."
"Yes, you did, John," Colonel Lauriston agreed.
"You'll have to fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh keep good watch on her to see she don't up and run off on you. Girls in love are varmintsI'll tell you.—Let Little Joe come and take care of her. She'll soon learn to like him and before long they can get married. He can guard her from running off, too."
"Oh, God, to think that it would come to this!" exclaimed Colonel Lauriston. "To think that I would have to set a watch over a child of mine to keep her from harming herself and bringing disgrace on all of us."
"It's fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh her own good, Park. Better fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh to guard her and marry her off to Little Joe than fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh have the other thing," stammered Old John Marley sententiously.
Colonel Lauriston looked long at the speaker, his disgust at the proposition causing him to writhe more and more inwardly. At last he spoke.
"John, I almost hate you." He stood and walked a short distance away then returned and continued, "but I guess I'll have to give in. Lida will balk."
"Fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh what do you fuh-fuh-tuh care? My John ain't a scarecrow."
"No.—Neither is a porpoise," Colonel Lauriston commented drily, looking at Old John's bulk. The latter merely gave a slight gesture with his hands.
"John needn't annoy her—and he won't. He'll just be around handy when she's out walking or riding."
Colonel Lauriston thought a moment then spoke. "John may not like the idea himself."
"He'll like it well enough. He likes Lida now more than ever and will know how to manage it. Let the two run together a few days and you'll see."
"Very well," Colonel Lauriston agreed.
"He fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh wants to marry Lida and when I fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh tell him that she wants to fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh throw herself away on a nigger he'll be mad fuh-fuh-fuh-tuh enough to kill for her. You just fuh-fubfuh-fuh-tuh leave that to me."
Colonel Lauriston walked away from the man, his head bowed in silence. Old John lifted his three hundred weight from the creaking seat and waddled to his carriage and was soon driving away.
Left to herself, Lida continued in her room for the remainder of the day weeping for her lover to come to her aid. She refused all nourishment and comfort offered by her maid, Chloe. It was far into the night when she finally grew calm and her eyes closed in fitful slumber.
When she awoke the following day she was ill from worry and weeping. For a long time she lay tossing in bed, fever of anguish burning her soul. Through all her torture she revolved plans for escaping and returning to the North and Truman. She knew it was no longer possible to get a letter through, since she was convinced her father would take care that no mail left the house without his inspection.
While she was still puzzling over her predicament the maid entered the room with tea and toast. The aroma of the tea and the odor of the freshly made toast tempted her appetite.
"Thank you, Chloe," she said gratefully. "You're very kind to me."
The girl walked over to where Lida lay, looked down at her and said, "Miss Lida, I'm sorry you're sick. I wish I could help you."
Lida reached over and touched the girl's hand. "Thank you, Chloe. I do need help but you can't give it. I must find a way out myself." She buried her face in her pillow for a few moments then looked up at the girl again.
"Were you ever in love, Chloe?" she asked.
The girl dropped her head as she answered, "Yessum, Miss Lida. An' I'm goin' to git married in de fall."
"Lucky girl," Lida exclaimed. "I'm in love but don't know I'll ever marry." At this she began to weep while the maid comforted her. "Don't you cry, Miss Lida. Yore man'll cum fuh you."
"Thank you, Chloe," was all Lida could say. "Better leave me now." At the suggestion the maid gave the things on the tray a touch then glided from the room. The spasm of weeping ended, Lida dried her eyes and again being warned that she was hungry by the odor of the tea, lifted herself to her elbow and sipped from the cup prepared for her. A few sips of tea and bites of toast revived her courage and she decided to dress, then go to her cave retreat, a place she had not visited since her departure for the north the year before; a retreat to which as a child she had carried in secret all her cares and worries.
With this in mind she was soon dressed and prepared for walking. She descended to the first floor expecting to meet her father and another storm but he was absent. Glad of the respite from further scenes she passed to the veranda and down the steps to the drive and started toward the road. She had just reached the gate and turned toward the woods a half mile away where her brook tossed its waters over the falls when she looked up to see young John Marley approaching, hat in hand.
"Howdy, Lida.—I s'pose I should call you Miss Lida but you've always been Lida to me."
The girl paused in the middle of the white sanded road, wonder in her eyes that she should be meeting anyone so suddenly at this time in the day, a sun bonnet swinging in her hand. She resented the tone in which she was addressed; she resented also his appearing at such an inopportune time.
"I thought you were working," was her comment.
"I thought I'd pay you a call," Marley explained.
"Without being asked?" Lida queried.
"Neighbors don't usually have to ask, about here do they?"
"If they call in the heat of the day. Besides, I'm in no mood for company today, Mr. Marley." Lida started to walk on.
"Mr. Marley now, is it?" he asked. "It used to be John and Lida. I wish it could be so still."
"The wish is not mutual. Besides if you'd respect a lady's wishes and want to know what those wishes are it is to be alone."
"Sorry, can't oblige you. I want to talk to you and this is a good opportunity."
"We've nothing in common, Mr. Marley and a gentleman will not annoy a lady with his presence when his presence is undesired. I may as well be frank with you.—Yours is."
"Well, I'm here and I'm going to have my say. I've known you ever since a boy and always liked you. I like you more now and want to marry you. Lida, I want you for my wife."
"So this is a proposal, is it? Despite objections."
"Your father doesn't object."
"No, but I do—and I'm the principal. Besides, I don't love you and never will, never could for that matter. And another thing, I'm in love with someone else. Engaged to him."
"I know all about that. You'll never marry him.—Never have a chance. No use trying.—They won't let you off this place."
"Won't let me off? Who'll stop me?" she asked as she stamped her foot angrily.
"I won't for one," Marley stated. "I'm going to watch to see you don't."
"You call that the act of a gentleman—you call that the act of love, do you?"
"Yes, it's to save you from yourself."
"Oh, you're just offering yourself as a victim to save me from marrying the one I love!" she exclaimed indignantly.
Before he could utter a word she swung her hand to his face with a resounding smack. "Take that, you insulting wretch." Marley clapped his hand to the reddening spot on his face and looked at the girl in blank surprise for a moment. In that instant Lida turned and started back for the house, realizing that to go to the cave which had been her secret place of comfort for years would be to disclose it.
As soon as Marley recovered he bounded to her side biting his lips to control his anger.
"You'll not marry me, eh—I insult you, eh? Well, you'll never marry anyone else much less your white nigger and if he comes down here we'll kill him—and you too." When Lida looked at him too indignant for words, he continued: "I know all about it. I've been told. I'll not let you out of my sight."
With her eyes blazing as with anger of an Amazon, Lida faced him and pointed down the road and across the fields to the Marley home. Neither said a word. Her lips were drawn across her teeth in such tensity of emotion as to make them bloodlessly white. Marley could withstand the gaze no longer. He turned and walked away. Lida returned to the house and her room. She fervently wished for some way to escape.
Both she and her father seemed to avoid each other for the next few days, though at night she could hear Colonel Lauriston pacing the floor of his room or the veranda till far into the night. Each time she attempted to walk about the place she soon discovered that Marley was on hand making good his threat. She was in despair. Worry and gloom were fast sapping her strength. At times she believed she would go mad.