The Bondwoman

by Marah Ellis Ryan

  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  The sun was just peeping, fiery red and threatening, above the bank ofclouds to the east when Delaven was roused from sweet sleep by theapparition of Colonel McVeigh, booted, spurred and ready for thesaddle.

  "I want you to come riding with me, and to come quick," he said, witha face singularly bright and happy, considering the episode of thenight before, and the fact that his former friend was now a prisonerin a cottage back of the dwelling house, guarded by the orderlies.

  He had dispatched a courier for a detachment of men from one of thefortifications along the river. He would send Monroe in their chargeto Charleston with a full statement of the case before he left to joinhis brigade--and ere that time:--

  Close to his heart lay the little note Pluto had brought him less thanan hour before, the second written word he had ever received fromJudithe. The first had sent him away from her--but this!

  So Delaven dressed himself quickly, ate the impromptu breakfastarranged by the Colonel's order, and joined Judithe at the steps asthe horses were brought around.

  She was gracious and gay as usual, and replied to his gallant remarkswith her usual self-possession, yet he fancied her a trifle nervous,as was to be expected, and that she avoided his gaze, looking overhim, past him, every place but in his eyes, at which he did notwonder especially. Of all the women he had known she was the last toassociate with a hurried clandestine marriage. Of course it was allexplained by the troublous war times, and the few brief hours, andabove all by the love he had always fancied those two felt for eachother.

  They had a five mile ride to the country home of a disabled chaplainwho had belonged to McVeigh's regiment--had known him from boyhood,and was home now nursing a shattered arm, and was too well used tothese hurried unions of war times to wonder much at the Colonel'srequest, and only slightly puzzled at the added one of secrecy.

  At the Terrace no one was surprised at the early ride of the three,even though the morning was not a bright one. Madame Caron had madethem accustomed to those jaunts in the dawn, and Mrs. McVeigh wasrelieved to learn that Kenneth had accompanied her. Shocked as she wasto hear of Monroe's arrest, and the cause of it, she was comfortedsomewhat that Kenneth did not find the affair serious enough tointerfere with a trifle of attention to her guest.

  In fact the Colonel had not, in the note hastily scribbled to hismother, given her anything like a serious account of the case. CaptainMonroe had for certain military reasons been placed under guard untilan escort could arrive and accompany him to Charleston for somespecial investigations. She was not to be disturbed or alarmed becauseof it; only, no one was to be allowed to see or speak with him withouta special permit. He would explain more fully on his return, and onlyleft the note to explain why Captain Monroe would breakfast alone.

  Matthew Loring also breakfasted alone. He was in a most excitablestate over the occurrence of the night before, which Judge Clarksonwas called on to relate, and concerning which he made all thereservations possible, all of them entirely acceptable to hislisteners with the exception of Miss Loring, who heard, and then sentfor Phil Masterson.

  She was talking with him on the lawn when the three riders returned,and when Kenneth McVeigh bent above Judithe with some laughing wordsas he led her up the steps, the heart of his girl-playmate grew sickwithin her. She had feared and dreaded this foreign exquisite from thefirst; now, she knew why.

  Evilena was also watching for their return and gave Delaven a coollittle nod in contrast to the warm greeting given her brother andMadame Caron. But instead of being chilled he only watched hisopportunity to whisper:

  "I wore the uniform!"

  She tossed her head and found something interesting in the view on theopposite side of the lawn. He waited meekly, plucked some roses, whichhe presented in silence and she regarded with scorn. But as she didnot move away more than two feet he took heart of grace and repeated:

  "I wore the uniform!"

  "Yes," she said, with fine scorn, "wore it in our garden, where youwere safe!"

  "Arrah! Was I now?" he asked in his best brogue. "Well, it's myselfthought I was anything but safe for a few minutes. But I saved thepapers, and your brother was good enough to say I'd saved his honor."

  "You!"

  "Just me, and no other," he affirmed. "Didn't I hold on to thoseinstructions while that Yankee spy was trying to send me to--heaven?And if that was not helping the cause and risking my life, well now,what would you call it?"

  "Oh!" gasped Evilena, delightedly, "I never thought of that. Why, youwere a real hero after all. I'm so glad, I--"

  Then realizing that her exuberance was little short of caressing, andthat she actually had both hands on his arm, she drew back and addeddemurely that she would always keep those roses, and she would like tokeep the guitar, too, just as it was, for her mama agreed that it wasa real romance of a serenade--the serenade that was not sung.

  After which, he assured her, the serenades under her window should notalways be silent ones, and they went in search of the broken guitar.

  Judge Clarkson was pacing the veranda with well concealed impatience.Colonel McVeigh's ride had interfered with the business talk he hadplanned. Matthew Loring was decidedly irritable over it, and he,Clarkson, was the one who, with Gertrude, had to hear the complaints.But looking in Kenneth's happy face he could not begrudge him thosebrief morning hours at Beauty's side, and only asked his considerationfor the papers at the earliest convenient moment, and at the same timeasked if the cottage was really a safe place for so important aprisoner as Monroe.

  "Perfectly safe," decided McVeigh, "so safe that there is no danger ofescape; and as I think over the whole affair I doubt if on trialanything in this world can save him."

  "Well, I should hate to take his chances in the next," declared theJudge; "it seems so incredible that a man possessed of the courage,the admirable attributes you have always ascribed to him, should proveso unworthy--a broken parole. Why, sir, it is--is damnable, sir,damnable!"

  Colonel McVeigh agreed, and Clarkson left the room without perceivingthat Madame Caron had been a listener, but she came in, removing hergloves and looking at the tiny band of gold on her third finger.

  "The Judge referred to Captain Monroe, did he not?" she asked,glancing up at him. "Kenneth"--and her manner was delightfullyappealing as she spoke his name in a shy little whisper, "Kenneth,there may be some horrible mistake. Your friend--that was--may beinnocent."

  "Scarcely a chance of it, sweetheart," and he removed her other gloveand kissed her fingers, glancing around first, to see that no one wasin sight.

  She laughed at his little picture of nervousness, but returned to thesubject.

  "But if it were so?" she persisted; "surely you will not counsel hastein deciding so serious a matter?"

  "At any rate, I mean to put aside so serious a subject of conversationon our wedding morning," he answered, and she smiled back at him asshe said:

  "On our wedding morning, sir, you should be mercifully disposedtowards all men."

  "We never class traitors as men," and his fine face grew stern for aninstant, "they are vampires, birds of prey. A detail has been sent forto take him to court-martial; there is little doubt what the resultwill be, and--"

  "Suppose," and she glanced up at him with a pretty appeal in her eyes,"that your wife, sir, should ask as a first favor on her wedding daythat you be merciful, as the rules of war allow you to be, to thispoor fellow who danced with us last night? Even supposing he is mosthorribly wicked, yet he really did dance with us--danced very well,and was very amusing. So, why not grant him another day of grace? No?"as he shook his head. "Well, Monsieur, I have a fancy ill luck mustcome if you celebrate our wedding day by hastening a man to meet hisdeath. Let him remain here under guard until tomorrow?"

  He shook his head, smilingly.

  "No, Judithe."

  "Not even for me?"

  "Anything else, sweetheart, but not that. It is really out of my powerto delay, now, even if I wish
ed. The guard will come for him some timethis evening. I, myself, shall leave at dawn tomorrow; so, yousee!--"

  She glanced at him in playful reproach, a gay irresponsible specimenof femininity, who would ignore a man's treason because he chanced tobe a charming partner in the dance.

  "My very first request! So, Monsieur, this is how you mean to love,honor and obey me?"

  He laughed and caught the uplifted forefinger with which sheadmonished him.

  "I shall be madly jealous in another minute," he declared, with mockferocity; "you have been my wife two full hours and half of thatprecious time you have wasted pleading the cause of a possible rival,for he actually did look at you with more than a passing admiration,Judithe, it was a case of witchery at first sight; but for all that Irefuse to allow him to be a skeleton at our feast this morning. Therecomes Phil Masterson for me, I must go; but remember, this is not aday for considerations of wars and retribution; it is a day forlove."

  "I shall remember," she said, quietly, and walked to the windowlooking out on the swaying limbs of the great trees; they were beingswept by gusts of wind, driving threatening clouds from which the triohad ridden in haste lest a rain storm be back of their shadows. Thestorm Monroe had prophesied the night before had delayed and grumbledon the way, but it was coming for all that, and she welcomed thecoming. A storm would probably delay that guard for which McVeigh hadsent, and even the delay of a few hours might mean safety for CaptainMonroe; otherwise, she--

  She had learned all about the adventures of the papers, and had madeher plans. Some time during that day or evening there would be a raidmade on the Terrace by Federals in Confederate uniform. They wouldprobably be thought by the inmates a party of daring foragers, andwould visit the smoke houses, and confiscate the contents of thepantry. Incidentally they would carry Colonel McVeigh and CaptainMasterson back to the coast as prisoners, if the required papers werenot found, otherwise nothing of person or property would be molestedby them; and they would, of course, free Captain Monroe, but forcehim, also, to go with them until within Federal lines and safety.

  She had planned it all out, and knew it would not be difficult. Thecoast was not far away, a group of men in Confederate uniform couldride across the country to the Salkahatchie, at that point,unobserved. The fortifications on the river had men coming and going,though not thoroughly manned, and just now the upper one had no menstationed there, which accounted for the fact that Colonel McVeigh hadto send farther for extra men. He could not spare his own orderlies,and Masterson's had not yet returned from following Pierson. Unlessthe raiders should meet with a detachment of bona-fide Confederatesthere was not one chance in fifty of them being suspected if they cameby the back roads she had mapped out and suggested; and if theyreached the Terrace before the Confederate guard, Monroe would befreed.

  She had not known there was that hope when she wrote the noteconsenting to the marriage. She heard they had sent down to the fortfor some men and supposed it was the first fort on the river--merelyan hour's ride away. It was not until they were in the saddle that shelearned it would be an all day's journey to the fort and back, andthat the colored carrier had just started.

  She knew that if it were a possible thing some message would be sentto her by the Federals as to the hour she might expect them, but if itwere not possible--well--

  She chafed under the uncertainty, and watched the storm approachingover the far level lands of the east. Blue black clouds rolled nowwhere the sun had shot brief red glances on rising. Somewhere thereunder those heavy shadows the men she waited for were riding to herthrough the pine woods and over the swamp lands; if she had been apraying woman she would have prayed that they ride faster--no music solonged for as the jingle of their accoutrements!

  She avoided the rest and retired to her own room on the plea offatigue. Colonel McVeigh was engaged with his mother and JudgeClarkson on some affairs of the plantation, so very much had to becrowded into his few hours at home. Money had to be raised, propertyhad to be sold, and the salable properties were growing so few inthose days.

  Masterson was waiting impatiently for the Colonel, whom he had onlyseen for the most brief exchange of words that morning. It was nownoon. He had important news to communicate before that guard arrivedfor Monroe; it might entail surprising disclosures, and the minutesseemed like hours to him, while Judge Clarkson leisurely presented onepaper after another for Kenneth's perusal and signature, and Mrs.McVeigh listened and asked advice.

  Judithe descended the stairs, radiant in a gown of fluffy yellowstuff, with girdle of old topaz and a fillet of the same in quaintdull settings. The storm had grown terrific--the heavy clouds trailingto the earth and the lightning flashes lit up dusky corners. Evilenahad proposed darkening the windows entirely, lighting the lamps todispel the gloom, and dressing in their prettiest to drive awayforgetfulness of the tragedy of the elements; it was Kenneth's lastday at home; they must be gay though the heavens fell.

  Thus it was that the sitting room and dining room presented theunusual mid-day spectacle of jewels glittering in the lamplight, forGertrude also humored Evilena's whim to the extent of a dainty dressof softest sky blue silk, half covered with the finest work ofdelicate lace; she wore a pretty brooch and bracelet of turquoise, andwas a charming picture of blonde beauty, a veritable white lily of awoman. Dr. Delaven, noting the well-bred grace, the gentle, unassumingair so truly refined and patrician, figuratively took off his hat tothe Colonel, who, between two such alluring examples of femininity,two women of such widely different types as the Parisian and theCarolinian, had even been able to make a choice. For he could see whatevery one but Kenneth could see plainly, that while Miss Loring wasgracious and interested in her other men friends, he remained, asever, her one hero, apart from, and above all others, and if Judithede Caron had not appeared upon the scene--

  Gertrude looked even lovelier than she had the night before at theparty. Her cheeks had a color unusual, and her eyes were bright withhope, expectation, or some unspoken cause for happiness; it sounded inthe tones of her voice and shone in the happy curves of her lips asshe smiled.

  "Look at yourself in the glass, Gertrude," said Evilena, dragging herto the long mirror in the sitting room, "you are always lovely, dear,but today you are entrancingly beautiful."

  "Today I am entrancingly happy," returned Miss Loring, looking in themirror, but seeing in it not herself, but Judithe, who was crossingthe hall, and who looked like a Spanish picture in her gleam of yellowtissues and topazes.

  "Wasn't it clever of me to think of lighting the lamps?" asked Evilenain frank self-laudation, "just listen how that rain beats; and did yousee the hail? Well, it fell, lots of it, while we were dressing;that's what makes the air so cool. I hope it will storm all the raindown at once and then give us a clear day tomorrow, when Kenneth hasto go away."

  "It would be awful for any one to be out in a storm like this,"remarked the other as the crash of thunder shook the house; "whatabout Captain Monroe having to go through it?"

  "Caroline said the guard has just got here, so I suppose he will haveto go no matter what the weather is. Well, I suppose he'd just as soonbe killed by the storm as to be shot for a spy. Only think of it--aguest of ours to be taken away as a spy!"

  "It is dreadful," assented Gertrude, and then looking at Judithe, sheadded, "I hope you were not made nervous by the shot and excitementlast night; I assure you we do not usually have such finales to ourparties."

  "I am not naturally timid, thank you," returned Judithe, with acareless smile, all the more careless that she felt the blue eyes wereregarding her with unusual watchfulness; "one must expect all thoseinconveniences in war times, especially when people are located on theborder land, and I hear it is really but a short ride to the coast,where your enemies have their war vessels for blockade. Did Iunderstand you to say the military men have come for your friend, theFederal Captain? What a pity! He danced so well!"

  And with the careless smile still on her lips, she passed them andcrosse
d the hall to the library.

  Evilena shook her head and sighed. "_I_ am just broken hearted overhis arrest," she acknowledged, "but it is because--well, it is _not_merely because he was a good dancer! Gertrude, I--I did somethinghorrid this morning, I just _could_ not eat my breakfast withoutshowing my sympathy in some way. You know those last cookies I baked?Well, I had some of those sent over with his breakfast."

  "Poor fellow!" and Delaven shook his head sadly over the fate ofMonroe. Evilena eyed him suspiciously; but his face was all innocenceand sympathy.

  "It is terrible," she assented; "poor mama just wept this morning whenwe heard of it; of course, if he really proves to be a spy, we shouldnot care what happened to him; but mama thinks of his mother, and ofhis dead brother, and--well, we both prayed for him this morning; itwas all we could do. Kenneth says no one must go near him, and ofcourse Kenneth knows what is best; but we are both hoping with all ourhearts that he had nothing to do with that spy; funny, isn't it, thatwe are praying and crying on account of a man who, after all, is areal Yankee?"

  "Faith, I'd turn Yankee myself for the same sweet sympathy," declaredDelaven, and received only a reproachful glance for his frivolity.

  Judithe crossed the hall to the library, the indifferent smile stillon her lips, her movements graceful and unhurried; under the curiouseyes of Gertrude Loring she would show no special interest in the manunder discussion, or the guard just arrived, but for all that thearrival of the guard determined her course. All her courage was neededto face the inevitable; the inevitable had arrived, and she was not acoward.

  She looked at the wedding ring on her finger; it had been the weddingring of the dowager long ago, and she had given it to Kenneth McVeighthat morning for the ceremony.

  "Maman would approve if she knew all," she assured herself, and nowshe touched the ring to remind her of many things, and to blot out theremembrance of others, for instance, the avowal of love under thearbor in the dusk of the night before!

  "But _that_ was last night," she thought, grimly; "the darkness mademe impressionable, the situation made of me a nervous fool, who saidthe thing she felt and had no right to feel. It is no longer night,and I am no longer a fool! Do not let me forget, little ring, why Iallowed you to be placed there. I am going to tell him now, and Ishall need you and--Maman."

  So she passed into the library; there could be no further delay, sincethe guard had arrived; Monroe should not be sacrificed.

  She closed the door after her and looked around. A man was in thelarge arm chair by the table, but it was not Colonel McVeigh. It wasMatthew Loring, whose man Ben was closing a refractory bangingshutter, and drawing curtains over the windows, while Pluto brought ina lighted lamp for the table, and both of them listened stoically toLoring's grumbling.

  For a wonder he approved of the innovation of lamps and closedshutters. He had, in fact, come from his own room because of the furyof the storm. He growled that the noise of it annoyed him, but wouldnot have acknowledged the truth, that the force of it appalled him,and that he shrank from being alone while the lightning threw threatsin every direction, and the crashes of thunder shook the house.

  "No, Kenneth isn't here," he answered, grumpily. "They told me he was,but the nigger lied."

  "Mahsa Kenneth jest gone up to his own room, Madame Caron," saidPluto, quietly. "Mist'ess, she went, too, an' Judge Clarkson."

  "Humph! Clarkson has got him pinned down at last, has he?" and therewas a note of satisfaction in his tone. "I was beginning to think thatbetween this fracas with the spy, and his galloping around thecountry, he would have no time left for business. I should not thinkyou'd consider it worth while to go pleasure-riding such a morning asthis."

  "Oh, yes; it was quite worth while," she answered, serenely; "thestorm did not break until our return. You are waiting for ColonelMcVeigh? So am I, and in the meantime I am at your service, willing tobe entertained."

  "I am too much upset to entertain any one today," he declared,fretfully; "that trouble last night spoiled my rest. I knew the womanMargeret lied when she came back and said it was only an accident. I'mnervous as a cat today. The doctors forbid me every form ofexcitement, yet they quarter a Yankee spy in the room over mine, andcommence shooting affairs in the middle of the night. It's--it'soutrageous!"

  He fell back in the chair, exhausted by his indignation. Judithe tookthe fan from Pluto's hand and waved it gently above the dark,vindictive face. His eyes were closed and as she surveyed the cynicalcountenance a sudden determination came to her. If she _should_ leavefor Savannah in the morning, why not let Matthew Loring hear, first,of the plans for Loringwood's future? She knew how to hurt KennethMcVeigh; she meant to see if there was any way of hurting thistrafficker in humanity, this aristocratic panderer to horrid vices.

  "You may go, Pluto," she said, kindly. "I will ring if you areneeded."

  Both the colored men went out, closing the door after them, and shebrought a hassock and placed it beside his chair, and seated herself,after taking a book from the shelf and opening it without glancing atthe title or pages.

  "Since you refuse to be entertainer, Monsieur Loring, you must submitto being entertained," she said, pleasantly; "shall I sing to you,read to you, or tell you a story?"

  Her direct and persistent graciousness made him straighten up in hischair and regard her, inquiringly; there was a curious mocking tone inher voice as she spoke, but the voice itself was forgotten as helooked in her face.

  The light from the lamp was shining full on her face, and the face wascloser to him than it had ever been before. If she designed to dazzlehim by thus arranging a living picture for his benefit she certainlysucceeded. He had never really seen her until now, and he caught hisbreath sharply and was conscious that one of the most beautiful womenhe had ever seen in his life was looking at him with a strange smiletouching her perfect mouth, and a strange haunting resemblance to someone once known, shining in her dark eyes.

  "What sort of stories do you prefer--love stories?" she continued, ashe did not speak--only stared at her; "or, since we have had a realadventure in the house last night, possibly you would be interested inthe intrigue back of that--would you?"

  "Do you mean," he asked, eagerly, "that you could give me some newfacts concerning the spy--Monroe?"

  "Yes, I really think I could," she said, amiably, "as there happen tobe several things you have not been well informed upon."

  "I know it!" he said, tapping the arm of the chair, impatiently, "theynever tell me half what is going on, now!--as if I was a child! andwhen I ask the cursed niggers, they lie so. Well, well, go on; tell methe latest news about this Yankee--Monroe."

  "The very latest?" and she smiled again in that strange mocking way."Well, the latest is that he is entirely innocent; had nothingwhatever to do with the taking of the papers."

  "Madame Caron!"

  "Yes, I am quite serious. I was just about to tell Colonel McVeigh,but we can chat about it until he comes;" and she pretended not tonotice the wonder in his face, and went serenely on, "in fact, it wasnot a man who took the papers at all, but a woman; yes, a woman," shesaid, nodding her head, as a frown of quick suspicion touched hisforehead and his eyes gleamed darkly on her, "in fact a confidentialagent, whom Captain Masterson designated yesterday as most dangerousto the Confederate cause. I am about to inform Colonel McVeigh of heridentity. But I do not fancy that will interest you nearly so much asanother story I have for you personally."

  She paused and drew back a little, to better observe every expressionof his countenance. He was glaring at her and his breath was coming inbroken gasps.

  "There are really two of those secret Federal agents in this especialterritory," she continued, "two women who have worked faithfully forthe Union. I fancied you might be especially interested in the storyof one of them, as she belongs to the Loring family."

  "To our family? That is some cursed Yankee lie!" he burst outfiercely, "every Loring is loyal to the South! To _our_ family? Letthem try to prove that state
ment! It can't be done!"

  "You are quite right, Monsieur Loring," she agreed, quietly, "it_would_ be difficult to prove, even if you wished to do it." He fairlyglared at the possibility that he should want to prove it. "But it mayhave an interest to you for all that, since the girl in question wasyour brother's daughter."

  "My brother's--!" He seemed choking, and he gazed at her with ahorrible expression. The door opened and Mrs. McVeigh entered ratherhastily, looking for something in the desk. Loring had sunk back inthe chair, and she did not see his face, but she could see Judithe's,and it was uplifted and slightly smiling.

  "Have you found something mutually interesting?" she asked, glancingat the book open on Judithe's knee.

  "Yes; a child's story," returned her guest, and then the door closed,and the two were again alone.

  "There is a woman to be loved and honored, if one could only forgetthe sort of son she has trained," remarked Judithe, thoughtfully,"with my heart I love her, but with my reason I condemn her. Can youcomprehend that, Monsieur Loring? I presume not, as you do notinterest yourself with hearts."

  He was still staring at her like a man in a frightened dream; shecould see the perspiration standing on his forehead; his lips weretwitching horribly.

  "You understand, of course," she said, continuing her formerdiscussion, "that the daughter in the story is not the lovely lady whois your heiress, and who is called Miss Loring. It is a youngerdaughter I refer to; she had no surname, because masters do not marryslaves, and her mother was a half Greek octoroon from Florida; hername was Retta Lacaris, and your brother promised her the freedom shenever received until death granted her what you could not keep fromher; do you remember that mother and child, Monsieur Loring?--themother who went mad and died, and the child whom you sold to KennethMcVeigh?--sold as a slave for his bachelor establishment; a slave whowould look like a white girl, whom you contracted should have theaccomplishments of a white girl, but without a white girl'sinconvenient independence, and the power of disposing of herself."

  "You--you dare to tell me!--you--" He was choking with rage, but sheraised her hand for silence, and continued in the same quiet tone:

  "I have discussed the same affair in the salons of Paris--why not toyou? It was in Paris your good friend, Monsieur Larue, placed the girlfor the education Kenneth McVeigh paid for. It was also your friendwho bribed her to industry by a suggestion that she might gain freedomif her accomplishments warranted it. But you had forgotten, MatthewLoring, that the child of your brother had generations of whiteblood--of intellectual ancestry back of her. She had heard beforeleaving your shores the sort of freedom she was intended for, and yourschool was not a prison strong enough to hold her. She escaped, fledinto the country, hid like a criminal in the day, and walked alone atnight through an unknown county, a girl of seventeen! She found afriend in an aged woman, to whom she told her story, every word of it,Matthew Loring, and was received into the home as a daughter. Thathome, all the wealth which made it magnificent, and the title whichhad once belonged to her benefactress, became the property of yourbrother's daughter before that daughter was twenty years old. Now, doyou comprehend why one woman has crossed the seas to help, ifpossible, overthrow an institution championed by you? Now do youcomprehend my assurance that Captain Monroe is innocent? Now, dare youcontest my statement that one of the Loring family is a Federalagent?"

  "By God! I know you at last!" and he half arose from his chair as ifto strike her with both upraised shaking hands. "I--I'll have you tiedup and whipped until you shed blood for every word you've utteredhere! You wench! You black cattle! You--"

  "Stop!" she said, stepping back and smiling at his impotent rage. "Youare in the house of Colonel McVeigh, and you are speaking to hiswife!"

  He uttered a low cry of horror, and fell back in the chair, nerveless,speechless.

  "I thought you would be interested, if not pleased," she continued,"and I wanted, moreover, to tell you that your sale of your brother'schild was one reason why your estate of Loringwood was selected inpreference to any other as a dowered home for free children--girlchildren, of color! Your ancestral estate, Monsieur Loring, will beused as an industrial home for such young girls. The story of yourhuman traffic shall be told, and the name of Matthew Loring execratedin those walls long after the last of the Lorings shall be under thesod. That is the monument I have designed for you, and the design willbe carried out whether I live or die."

  He did not speak, only sat there with that horrible stare in his eyes,and watched her.

  "I shall probably not see you again," she continued, "as I leave forSavannah in the morning, unless Colonel McVeigh holds his wife as aspy, but I could not part without taking you into my confidence to acertain extent, though I presume it is not necessary to tell you howuseless it would be for you to use this knowledge to my disadvantageunless I myself should avow it. You know I have told you the truth,but you could not prove it to any other, and--well, I think that isall." She was replacing the book in the case when Gertrude enteredfrom the hall. Judithe only heard the rustle of a gown, and withoutturning her head to see who it was, added, "Yes, that is all, exceptto assure you our tete-a-tete has been exceedingly delightful to me; Ihad actually forgotten that a storm was raging!"