at else could we
expect?"

"Can she hear us, Licorice?"

"Not she! She was fast asleep an hour ago."

"Wife, if it be so, have we not deserved it?"

"Abraham, don't be a fool!" cried Licorice, so very snappishly that it
sounded as if her conscience might have responded a little to the
accusation.

"I cannot but think thou didst evil, Licorice,--thou knowest how and
when."

"I understand thee, of course. It was the only thing to do."

"I know thou saidst so," answered Abraham in an unconvinced tone. "Yet
it went to my heart to hear the poor child's sorrowful moan."

"Thy heart is stuffed with feathers."

"I would rather it were so than with stones."

"Thanks for the compliment!"

"Nay, I said nothing about thee. But, Licorice, if it be as thou
thinkest, do not let us repeat that mistake."

"I shall repeat no mistakes, I warrant thee."

The conversation ceased rather suddenly, except for one mournful
exclamation from Abraham,--"Poor Anegay!"

Anegay! where had Belasez heard that name before? It belonged to no
friend or relative, so far as she knew. Yet that she had heard it
before, and that in interesting connection with something, she was
absolutely certain.

Belasez dropped asleep while she was thinking. It seemed to her that
hardly a minute passed before she woke again, to hear her mother moving
in the next room, and to see full daylight streaming in at the window.

And suddenly, just as she awoke, it rushed upon her when and how she had
heard of Anegay.

She saw herself, a little child, standing by the side of Licorice. With
them was old Belya, the mother of Hamon, and before them stood an
enormous illuminated volume at which they were looking. Belasez found
it impossible to remember what had been said by Belya; but her mother's
response was as vivid in her mind as if the whole scene were of
yesterday.

"Hush! The child must not know. Yes, Belya, thou art right. That was
taken from Anegay's face."

What was it that was taken? And dimly before Belasez's mental eyes a
picture seemed to grow, in which a king upon his throne, and a woman
fainting, were the principal figures. Esther before Ahasuerus!

That was it, of course. And Belasez sprang up, with a determination to
search through her father's books, and to find the picture which had
been taken from Anegay's face.

But, after all, who was Anegay?

Licorice was in full tide of business and porridge-making, in her little
kit