The Maid of Maiden Lane

"Grandfather, this living for the future is the curse of the English land-owners. They enjoy not the present, for they are busy taking care of the years they will never see. Their sons are in their way; it is their grandsons and their great-grandsons that interest them. Why should my father plan for my marriage? He may be Earl Hyde for twenty years-- and I hope he will. For twenty years Cornelia and I can be happy here in America; and twenty years is a great opportunity. Everything can happen in twenty years. Of one thing I am sure--I will marry Cornelia Moran, even if I run away with her to the ends of the earth."

"'Run away with her.' To be sure! That is in the blood;" and the old man looked sternly back to the days when Hyde's father ran away with his own little daughter.

With some anger Lysbet answered his thoughts. "What art thou talking about? What art thou thinking of? Many good men have run away with their wives. This almighty Doctor John ran away with his wife. Did not Ava Willing leave her father's house and her friends and her faith for him? And did not the Quakers read her out of their Meeting for her marriage?-- and I blame them not. Doctor John was no match for Ava Willing. More, too, if thou must look back; remember one May night, when thou and I sat by the Collect in the moonlight, and thou gave me this ring. What did thou say to me that night?"

"'Tis years ago, Lysbet, and If I have forgotten--"

"Forgotten! Well, then, men do forget; but they may be thankful that God has so made women that they do NOT forget. The words thou said that night have been singing in my heart for fifty years; and yet, if thou must be told, some of those words were about RUNNING AWAY WITH THEE;-- for, at the first, my father liked thee not."

"Lysbet! My sweet Lysbet! I have not forgotten. For thy dear sake I will stand by Joris, though in doing so I am sure I shall make some unfriends."

"Good, my husband. I take leave to say that thou art doing right."

"Well, then," said Hyde, "if my grandmother stand by me, and you also, sir; and also Madame Jacobus--"

"Madame Jacobus!" cried Lysbet.

"Yes, indeed!" answered Hyde. "'Tis to her understanding and kindness I owe my opportunity; and she gave me, also, one look which I cannot pretend to misunderstand--a look of clear sympathy--a look that promised help."

"She is a clever woman," said Van Heemskirk. "If Joris has her good will it is not to be thrown away."