irt, stammering as readily as Montgomery
would have done and ostensibly to reassure her mistress, but, in
reality, for her own protection. Madam could be so stately and grand
that she must awe any intruder who looked upon her, and behind her black
skirt the girl felt safer.

"Scared, Alfaretta? How absurd! But coming so suddenly upon our quietude
the summons surprised me. Take the candle from the side table and open
the door."

The Mansion was still lighted by candles which its mistress herself
prepared, molding them in tin molds exactly as had been done by the
first lady who had ever ruled there, but for economy's sake as few were
burned as possible. One now glimmered upon the supper-table and another,
unlighted, waited elsewhere for just such an emergency--but an emergency
so long delayed that Alfy had never expected it to arrive.

She had learned to polish the antique stick to a dazzling brilliancy,
its snuffers and extinguisher as well, "in case we should have an
evening call," being the weekly remark that accompanied the polishing.
But till now the wick of the candle thus prepared had remained white as
when removed from the mold, and Alfaretta's hand trembled as she now
left her ambush of black serge and tried to obey.

"Take care, child! You're lighting the candle--not the wick! Take
another lighter and try again."

Even matches were a luxury to be reckoned with in that impoverished
home; and besides, all the family had always used paper "lighters"
daintily twisted, and crimped at top, nor was Elinor Sturtevant one to
go behind her own traditions. But, at that moment, Alfaretta had already
wasted three lighters without igniting the new wick when again that loud
knocking was repeated.

Madam's patience fled.

"You clumsy child! Don't delay any longer. Whoever it is will think us
most inhospitable. Take this one already burning and go to the door at
once."

"I--I dassent!" quavered Alfaretta, retreating toward the kitchen.

"You--dare--not? How ridiculous. Then I will go myself! though when one
has a maid one expects her to attend the door. That's a point upon which
I am very particular. Remember that, in future."

"Yes'm," murmured the girl, absently. There were so many "points" upon
which the old gentlewoman insisted that some of them fell on unheeding
ears. At present, she was conscious only of two things: she must either
remain alone behind in a dark room or she must go with her mistress and
face wh