Gradually as she read there stole over her face a strange expression. It
was a look of despair--of hope utterly crushed, but she finished the letter
and then mechanically passing it to her father, she said, "Read it; it
concerns us all," and then rising she went to her room, leaving her father
to read and swear over Julia's letter at his leisure. That he did so no
one will doubt when they learn its contents.
The first page contained assurances of love; the second congratulated
Fanny upon her engagement with Frank, but chided her for suffering Lida
Gibson to be the bearer of the news. "Why did you not write to me
yourself?" she said--"that is the way I shall do, and now to prove my
words, you will see how confiding I am." Then followed the intelligence
that Dr. Lacey had the night before offered his heart and hand and of
course had been accepted. "You will not wonder at it," she wrote, "for you
know how much I have always loved him. I was, however, greatly surprised
when he told me he always preferred me to you, but was prevented from
telling me so by my silly engagement with Mr. Wilmot and my supposed
affection for him." The letter ended by saying that Dr. Lacey would
accompany her home some time during the latter part of October, when their
marriage would take place. There was also a "P.S.," in which Julia wrote,
"Do, Fan, use your influence with the old man and make him fix up the
infernal old air castle. I'd as soon be married in the horse barn as
there."
This, then, was the letter which affected Fanny so, and called all of
Uncle Joshua's biggest oaths into use. Mrs. Middleton tried to calm her
husband and remind him of his promise not to swear. "I know it," said he,
"I know I promised not to swear, and for better than two months I hain't
swore, but I can't help it now. And yet I expected it. I know'd 'twould be
so when I let Tempest go to New Orleans. But he'll run himself into a
hornet's nest, and I ain't sure but it's just the punishment for him."
"Why, then, do you rave so?" asked Mrs. Middleton.
"Because," answered her husband, "when I let Tempest go, I'd no idee
Sunshine cared so much for him. If I had, I'd have slung a halter round
Tempest's neck and tied her up in the hoss barn she likes so well!"