among the hills.

[Illustration: She waved a hand in farewell.]

He caught the gesture and looked at her quickly. "That's nice of
you," said he, "mighty nice."

In some new sort of half-abashment she found no immediate reply.
He left her then, and walked steadily back up the driveway, saying
nothing in farewell, and not once looking back. For a time she
followed him with her gaze, a strange sinking at her heart of which
she was ashamed, which gave her alike surprise and sudden fear.

It was a much abashed and still tearful though not a repentant
Jeanne who embraced her mistress, after the simple little wedding
of Jeanne and Hector, when they had repaired to the wedding feast
at the _maison_ Fournier.

"But come, Madame," said Jeanne. "Behold my new home. Is it not
delightful? This is the mother of Hector, Madame, and this--ah,
this is the home of Hector and myself. To-night also it is yours.
I am rejoiced. Madame," she added, in an aside, while Lily, stupid
and awkward, was for the time out of the way, "I can not bear to
think of your going away with but that impossible niggaire there to
care for you. Almost--were it not for Hector and for this
home--could you take Hector also--I should forget all and go with
you even yet. To-morrow I shall go with you to the boat."

But alas! in the morning Jeanne had again forgotten.

When at last the busy little steamer swung inshore, presently to
churn her way out again into the current, Josephine went aboard
with only the colored girl for her company. Her heart sank
strangely, and she felt more lonely than ever in her life before.
She leaned against the rail for a time, looking at the banks slip
back across the turbid stream. The truth was coming into her heart
that it was not with exultation she now was turning back to the
East to take up her life again. Something was different now--was
it the loss of Jeanne? Again surprise, terror, shame, withal
wonder.

CHAPTER XXIII

IM WASHINGTON

Meantime, the storm dreaded as so immediate by the administration
at Washington--the organization of a new political party, born of
the unrest over the slavery question--had spent its force, and,
temporarily, long since had muttered away in the distance, leaving
scarce a trace behind it on the political sky. Austria, England,
the Old World creeds of monarchies arrayed against popular
governments, had their way at our capital, where the birth of an
actual democracy i