as the hero of the
world's initial tragedy, but as its Satanic villain.

"He sutt'n'y have bewitched Miss Becky," she told Calvin; "she ain'
got her min' on nothin' but him."

"Yo' put yo' min' on yo' roas' lamb, honey," Calvin suggested. "How-cum
you got late?"

"That chile kep' me fixin' that pink dress. She ain' never cyard what
she wo'. And now she stan' in front o' dat lookin'-glass an' fuss an'
fiddle. And w'en she ain' fussin' an' fiddlin', she jus' moons around,
waitin' fo' him to come ridin' up in that red car like a devil on
greased light'in'. An' I say right heah, Miss Claudia ain' gwine like
it."

"Why ain' she?"

"Miss Claudia know black f'um w'ite. An' dat man done got a black
heart----"

"Whut you know 'bout hit, Mandy?"

"Lissen. You wait. He'll suck a o'ange an' th'ow it away. He'll pull a
rose, and scattah the leaves." Mandy, stirring gravy, was none the less
dramatic. "You lissen, an' wait----"

"W'en Miss Claudia comin'?"

"In one week, thank the Lord," Mandy pushed the gravy to the back of the
stove and pulled forward an iron pot. "The soup's ready," she said; "you
go up and tell the Jedge, Calvin."

All through dinner, Becky was conscious of that lock of hair in George's
pocket. The strand from which the lock had been cut fell down on her
cheek. She had to tuck it back. She saw George smile as she did it. She
forgave him.

It was after dinner that George spoke of Becky's gown.

"It is perfect," he said, "all except the pearls----?"

She gave him a startled glance. "The pearls?"

"I want to see you without them."

She unwound them and they dripped from her hand in milky whiteness.

He made his survey. "That's better," he said, "if they were real it
would be different--I don't like to have you cheapened by anything less
than--perfect----"

"Cheapened?" She smiled inscrutably, then dropped the pearls into a
small box on the table beside her. "Yes," she said, "if they were real
it would be different----"

There was something in her manner which made him say hurriedly, "You
must not think that I am criticizing your taste. If I had my way you
should have everything that money can buy----"

Her candid eyes came up to his. "There are a great many things that
money cannot buy."

"You've got to show me," George told her; "I've never seen anything yet
that I couldn't get with money."

"Could you buy--dreams----"

"I'd rather buy--diamonds."

"And money can't buy happiness."