The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-06

friend in you. But why all this preface Is it
something so dreadful that you have to tell, that
your lips dare not utter it?n
You said just now, madam, that you had no
enemies What is Mrs. Morninglory ?"
y Pshaw pse,,do-rivak / do not dread
any who are not able to conceal their pique."
let she has woman's tongue And Mr..
!" L. he really false, then ?" said Mrs. Flem-
ing now thoroughly alarmed. al have sus.
pected it. Yet | have done great deal for that
man. lie owes half his position to me-"
have you never seen through him, madam !?
But do not wonder He has very deceiving
face, and is wonderfully smooth-spoken. 1 have
known him long. He tried to ask me some
questions about you very long ago, but do not
think my style of response was altogether
agreeable to the old Fox at least, he quit
that part of the garden very suddenly, and in
high dudgeon. Then saw the claw under the
velvet paw. He wanted to know abune Mr..
sJaSper, where he was, and why he was gone
away, also"
Il fear him, Richard, if he is nv enemy.
But why do you speak of them? Have they
" They have found out very little, and in
vented a great deal more. lis diabolical
plot said the gardener, very theoretically.
Then he proceeded: And your maid, Cla-
rissa, she has left you / believe ?"
:" Yes--I dismissed her.
8 And she threatened you -
Yes-go on"
Do you know, Mrs. Fleming, that Clarissa
is liring with Mrs. Morninglory now, and went
to her directly from you 3"
Mrs. Fleming started a little, but responded
with shrug Of the shoulders: az did not
know that. She will be likely to gossip, but
what does it matter more?p
1t matters this madam. She is varra bitter
against you. She has been bribed, and has
told falsehoods about you"
And think you, Richard, said Mrs. Elem
ing, with that naughty gesture of hers, " think
you can be injured by the prating of SER
want? Am used to let such vile matters give
me annoyance? Dismiss the subject, ifMis is
the sum of the communication you come to
make me-"
MADAM" said Richard, in the serious tone
OF admonitiOn of one old in experience, II
believe it is your only fault that you are con-
teenually in the habit of setting too low a value
.,on the power of those who are inferior to you.
| II won't do, any way you can fix it. Now, hear
what plot these deevils have Matched up be-
tune 'em," said Richard, growing excited, and
falling back nnconsciously into his native dia-
lect. "This Clarissa has tauld her certain sto.
/ ries about ye; weel, yon Mrs. Morninglory dis
seminates them far and wide amang thae win.
nun, so that they wull be everywhere known,
and believed, for tell We it's only the nature
of wimmun to believe all scandal and those
yit don't believe wull not haze the pluck to
: stand by We, except vera few. Then Gin
quaint he does the same to t amang the men
, dye see, and they haze planned it betune 'em
they three brides, SO that We wull be sighted
and insulted, and shamed in pooblic, at the
r ball -
''Richardl" Mrs. Fleming was standing up
erect, with flaming eyes. "Richardl
Aye, madam, as l tauld We, it's deev'lisl
> plot. Ye maun not gang to they ball.'
Richard!'' said Mrs. Fleming again-sht
had been walking up and down the floor, will
her hand clenched tightly over her breast
mrs plainly, aud III few words, what thu
: plot is. All you know, ALL"
They say that We never loed Mr.. Fleming
7 and that We did love somebody else in the place
, where Mr.. Jasper went to school"
SWELL" Oh, how hard the word came
how pale she was
" That We carried on correspondence wi
s that person -
t WELL" The same dry, hard, constrained
tone.
That your son JASPER found out about tina
correspondence, and left his home on that &C
: count"
, "My God, Richard To say my son fed
, was forced to flee, on account of his mother,
: shame! Who dares -
That when your son was game, We took tha
. person until your house -
"What they surely don mean Mr.. Classic y
, and she laughed in disdainful way, in which
7 there was, however, vein of relief, as if she
had apprehended some other conclusion
: ~" But, madam, do not laugh. See what a
fendish plot it a is. That Clarissa, she claps
the capstane to the story, by saying-that -
How those great eyes glared
z "By saying? Go on. Tell me what she
says. Don't seek soft words"
, Oh, the woman's wondrous strength how
sublimely did it then assert ITSELF
She says, that We were in the habit of-o
5 receiving Mr.. Classic Until your room O nights
, the dumbned hizzy!"
Mrs. Fleming's face did not change color
nor did feature twitch. She resumed hel
seat composedly, and looked the gardener full in
the face. l
g Is that all of it?"
Richard was confused he stammered, "That
is a-except that yon villain Clinquant, am
tauld, hea ben putting his pretty pen at work
and cooking up story about it, which is to ap
, pear in the - magazine for the MKT month
The ungrateful beggar"
" How did you learn all this?"
, Richard seemed more confused than ever
r "Why, part heard through the servants man
whom Clarissa has been Boosting till, and the
rest got from-from friend.'
Mrs. Fleming paused awhile, seeming to re
feet then she looked up again, and said:
" 1t as well-woven plot Richard, and adj
mirably calculated to break down one of your
weak, weeping women. But mel" added she
with a flaming eye and a defiant wave of her
hand-"me! / will shatter them Crush them
, 1t was for this then, this petty vileness, that
you told me | must not go to the ball?"
'fCertainly We would not wish to be insuted
A few weeks, and the fauseness of the charge will
/ be proven. Waitaaell it blows over before -
q Blows over Storms blow not over me!
meet them, and turn them, or they crush me |! ?
Thus went the proud Clipper into the old storm
kings realm, oh, my dear madam, with thy
dear Jasper at the helm, too. Shall we say
ard, for your counsel, but | shall 60 to the
bali"
"Nonsense, Richard, you forget" She drew
! portfolio towards her, and began writing.
eve must prepare for the storm, however,
Richard" said she, smiling family, "and first
, to manage Mr.. Clinquant. l think know how
: to do that, at least" She wrote few hurried
lines in couple of notes, sealed and directed
them, and handed them to Richard.
"You must go Immediately to Mr.. Digest
Office, and hand him this. From there, 60 d.
rectly home, and hand that note to Mr. Classic. =
"To Mr.. Classic!r asked the gardener, in
wondering dismay. eyes. He must attend
me to the ball."
/" But, don't We see, madam -
That fair arm waved its queenliest gesture
again, as Mrs. Fleming interrupted him with )
| 600 Richa ri that Won arc about tn hecomp