Audrey

The tone was very cold, but Audrey scarce noticed that it was so. "If I

may, I should like to serve you, ma'am," she said pleadingly. "I will be

very careful."

Leaving the window, she came and knelt beside Evelyn; but when she would

have put the golden hood upon her head, the other drew back with a gesture

of aversion, a quick recoil of her entire frame. The hood slipped to the

floor. After a moment Audrey rose and stepped back a pace or two. Neither

spoke, but it was the one who thought no evil whose eyes first sought the

floor. Her dark cheek paled, and her lips trembled; she turned, and going

back to her seat by the window took up her fallen work. Evelyn, with a

sharp catch of her breath, withdrew her attention from the other occupant

of the room, and fixed it upon a moted sunbeam lying like a bar between

the two.

Mistress Stagg returned. The hood was fitted, and its purchaser prepared

to leave. Audrey rose and made her curtsy, timidly, but with a quick,

appealing motion of her hand. Was not this the lady whom he loved, that

people said he was to wed? And had he not told her, long ago, that he

would speak of her to Mistress Evelyn Byrd, and that she too would be her

friend? Last May Day, when the guinea was put into her hand, the lady's

smile was bright, her voice sweet and friendly. Now, how changed! In her

craving for a word, a look, from one so near him, one that perhaps had

seen him not an hour before; in her sad homage for the object of his love,

she forgot her late repulse, and grew bold. When Evelyn would have passed

her, she put forth a trembling hand and began to speak, to say she scarce

knew what; but the words died in her throat. For a moment Evelyn stood,

her head averted, an angry red staining neck and bosom and beautiful,

down-bent face. Her eyes half closed, the long lashes quivering against

her cheek, and she smiled faintly, in scorn of the girl and scorn of

herself. Then, freeing her skirt from Audrey's clasp, she passed in

silence from the room.

Audrey stood at the window, and with wide, pained eyes watched her go down

the path. Mistress Stagg was with her, talking volubly, and Evelyn seemed

to listen with smiling patience. One of the bedizened negroes opened the

chair door; the lady entered, and was borne away. Before Mistress Stagg

could reenter her house Audrey had gone quietly up the winding stair to

the little whitewashed room, where she found the minister's wife astir and

restored to good humor. Her sleep had helped her; she would go down at

once and see what Mary was at. Darden, too, was coming as soon as the

meeting at the church had adjourned. After dinner they would walk out and

see the town, until which time Audrey might do as she pleased. When she

was gone, Audrey softly shut herself in the little room, and lay down upon

the bed, very still, with her face hidden in her arm.