Cousin Maude

So saying, he turned away, feeling happier than he could well

express, that Maude had not only escaped from death, but that there

would be no marks left to tell how near the ravager had been.

Scarcely had the door closed on him when, emboldened by his last

words to ask a question she greatly wished, yet dreaded to ask,

Maude turned to John and said, "Am I much pitted?"

Rolling up his eyes and wholly mistaking her meaning, John replied,

"I aint no great of a physiognomer, but when a thing is as plain as

day I can discern it as well as the next one, and if that ar' chap

haint pitied you, and done a heap more'n that, I'm mistaken."

"But," continued Maude, smiling at his simplicity, "I mean shall I

probably be scarred?"

"Oh, bless you, not a scar," answered John, "for don't you mind how

he kep' the iled silk and wet rags on yer face, and how that night

when you was sickest he held yer hands so you couldn't tache that

little feller between yer eyes. That was the spunkiest varmint of

'em all, and may leave a mark like the one under yer ear, but it

won't spile yer looks an atom."

"And Louis?" said Maude, "is he disfigured?"

"Not a disfigurement," returned John, "but the ole governor, he's a

right smart sprinklin' of 'em, one squar' on the tip of his nose,

and five or six more on his face."

Thus relieved of her immediate fears Maude asked many questions

concerning Louis, who she learned had not been very sick.

"You can see him afore long, I reckon," said John, and in a few days

she was able to join him in the sitting room below.

After a while Hannah returned to her post of duty, her beauty

unimpaired, and herself thoroughly ashamed of having thus

heartlessly deserted her master's family in their affliction. As if

to make amends for this she exerted herself to cleanse the house

from everything which could possibly inspire fear on the villagers,

and by the last of August there was scarce a trace left of the

recent scourge, save the deep scar on the end of the doctor's nose,

one or two marks on Louis' face, and a weakness of Maude's eyes,

which became at last a cause of serious alarm.

It was in vain that Louis implored his father to seek medical aid in

Rochester, where the physicians were supposed to have more

experience in such matters. The doctor refused, saying, "'twas a

maxim of his not to counsel with anyone, and he guessed he knew how

to manage sore eyes."