Alcott, Louisa May - SSC 15 by Plots (and) Counterplots (v1.1) Read Free Book Online Page B

murmured the three listeners, drawing nearer, as
Lady Lennox fixed her eyes upon the fire and lowered her voice.
                 “It
is the custom in ancient Scottish families for the piper of the house, when
dying, to put the pipes into the hand of the heir to name or title. Well, when
old Dougal lay on his deathbed, he called for Earl, the fourth son—”
                 “What
a peculiar name!” interrupted Mrs. Berkeley.
                 “It
was not his proper name, but they called him so because of his strong
resemblance to the pictures of the great earl, Black Douglass. They continued
to call him so to this day, and I really don’t know whether his name is Allan,
Archie, or Alex, for they are all family names, and one cannot remember which
belongs to whom. Now the eldest son was Robert, and Dougal should have called
for him, because the title and the fortune always go to the eldest son of the
eldest son. But no, Earl must come; and into his hands the pipes were put, with
a strange prophecy that no heir would enjoy the title but a year until it came
to him.”
                 “Was
the prediction fulfilled?” asked Diana.
                 “To the letter. This was five or six years ago, and not one
year has passed without a death, till now a single feeble life is all that
stands between Earl and the title. Nor was this all. When his father died, though he had lain insensible for days, he rose up in his
bed at the last and put upon Earls hand the iron ring which is their most
precious heirloom, because it belonged to the ancient earl. This, too, should
have gone to Robert; but the same gift of second sight seemed given to the
father as to the servant, and these strange things made a deep impression upon
the family, as you may suppose.”
                 “That
is the mystery, then?” said Mrs. Vane, with an accent of disappointment in her
voice.
                 “Only a part of it. I am not superstitious, so the
prediction and all the rest of it don’t trouble me much, but what occurred
afterward does. When Earl was one-and-twenty he went abroad, was gone a year,
and came home so utterly and strangely changed that everyone was amazed at the
alteration. The death of a cousin just then drew people’s attention from him,
and when that stir was over the family seemed to be reconciled to the sad
change in him. Nothing was said, nothing ever transpired to clear up the
matter; and to this day he has remained a cold, grave, peculiar man, instead of
the frank, gay fellow he once was.”
                 “He
met with some loss in an affair of the heart, doubtless. Such little tragedies
often mar a young man’s peace for years—perhaps for life.”
                 As
Mrs. Vane spoke she lowered her screen, showing a pair of wonderfully keen and
brilliant eyes fixed full upon Diana. The young lady was unconscious of this
searching glance as she intently regarded Lady Lennox, who said:
                 “That
is my opinion, though Lady Carrick never would confirm it, being hampered by
some promise to the family, I suspect, for they are almost as high and haughty
now as in the olden time. There was a vague rumor of some serious entanglement
at Paris , but it was hushed up at once, and few gave
it credence. Still, as year after year passed, and Earl remains unmarried, I
really begin to fear there was some truth in what I fancied an idle report.”
                 Something
in this speech seemed to ruffle Mrs. Berkeley; a look of intelligence passed
between her and her niece as she drew herself up, and before Diana could speak,
the elder lady exclaimed, with an air of mystery, “Your ladyship does Mr.
Douglas great injustice, and a few months, weeks, perhaps, will quite change
your opinion. We saw a good deal of him last season before my poor brother’s
death took us from town, and I assure you that he is free to address