He was aroused from his daydream by the entrance of Phædra, in more excitement than he had ever seen her betray.
Without a word spoken, she fell upon his neck, and, clasping him closely, burst into tears; then, quickly sinking down by his side, clasped his knees, dropped her head upon them, and wept convulsively.
Astonished and alarmed, Valentine tried to raise her, exclaiming:
"Mother! what is the matter? Mother! why, mother! what ails you? What has happened?"
But she clung around his knees, and buried her face, and wept as she had never wept before.
Using all his strength, the youth forcibly unclasped her arms, and got up, and raised her, and placed her in the chair that he had vacated.
"Now, mother, what is the matter?" he asked, bending affectionately over her.
"Oh, Valentine!" she said, as soon as she could speak for sobbing, "Oh, Valentine! after all, there is no will!"
"No will!" he repeated, in quiet perplexity, for he did not quite comprehend the cause of her excessive emotion. "No will, did you say, mother?"
"No! no! no! no!" she repeated, tearing her hair, "there is no will! although he promised--and I felt sure he'd keep his word--I never doubted it, because he was an honorable man, after his fashion--there was no will!"
"Well, my dear mother, what of that, that it should distress you so?"
"What of that? Oh, Valley! Valley! what a question!"
"Indeed, I do not know why you should take the non-existence of a will so much to heart, mother," he said, soothingly.
"Oh, Valley! Valley! Master promised faithfully that he would leave you free, and leave you money to take you to France, or to some other foreign country. And he broke his word to me! Master broke his pledged word to me, who served his family so faithfully so many years. I didn't ask for freedom for myself, only for you!"
"Mother, don't take it to heart so! don't go on so, don't."
"Hush! hush! it is the Spanish woman's curse falling on us--me! She cursed me, dying."
"My own dear mother, the curse recoiled upon her own head, for she died mad. It never reached you, who did not in any way deserve it. It was you that was wronged, not her, I am sure."
"Yes, yes, it was I that was wronged! It was I that was wronged! I came to my master with his other property--with his land, and with his negroes. I had no mother, for my mother died when I was but seven years old. I was brought up by an old negro, named Dinah. I was but fourteen years old when I came into the possession of my master, along with his patrimony."