k it an' kep' it faithful, waiten' fo' that
chile to come back, but she nevah come back while Rosa lived."

Monroe was staring still at the figure of Margeret, seen dimly, now,
through the window.

"Look here!" he said, sharply, "if the old man recognized the
likeness, how comes it that the mother herself did not see it?"

"Why, Margeret she not get here till nex' day after Madame Caron's
maid start down the river to take the cars fo' Savannah," explained
Pluto. "Then Miss Gertrude come a visiten' an' fetch Margeret along.
Yo' see, sah, that woman done been made think her chile dead a long
time ago, an' when Margeret went clean 'stracted the word went down to
Larues that she dead or dyen'--one! any way my Rosa nevah know'd no
different till Larues moved back from Georgy, so there wan't no one
heah to 'dentify her, an' there wan't no one heah to let that gal know
she _had_ a liven mammy."

Again Caroline called Pluto.

"Go on," said Monroe, "but get me the picture soon as you can. I leave
in the morning."

"I be right heah with it in hour's time," promised Pluto; "don' reckon
I can slip away any sooner, a sight o' quality folks a' comen'."

CHAPTER XXVI.

As Monroe entered the hall Judithe came down the stairs, a dainty
vision in palest rose. She wore armlets and girdle of silver filagree,
a silver comb in the dark tresses, and large filagree loops in her
ears gave the beautiful face a half-oriental character.

Admire her though he must, he felt an impatience with her, a wonder
that so beautiful a being, one so blest with all the material things
of life, should forsake harmony, home, and her own land, for the rude
contests where men fought, and plotted, and died--died ingloriously
sometimes, for the plots and intrigues through which she claimed to
find the only escape from ennui.

She saw him, hesitated an instant, and then came towards him, with a
suggestion of daring in her eyes.

"I might as well hear the worst, first as last," she said, taking his
arm. "Is not the veranda more cool than in here? Come, we shall see. I
prefer to be out of hearing of the people while you lecture me for
today's mishap."

She glanced up at him with a pretense of dread such as a child might
show; she was pleased to be alluringly gracious, but he could feel
that she was more nervous than she had ever shown herself before--the
strain was telling on her. Her beautiful eyes were not so slumbrous as
usual; they were bril