her cheek, and she smiled faintly, in scorn of the girl and scorn of
herself. Then, freeing her skirt from Audrey's clasp, she passed in
silence from the room.

Audrey stood at the window, and with wide, pained eyes watched her go down
the path. Mistress Stagg was with her, talking volubly, and Evelyn seemed
to listen with smiling patience. One of the bedizened negroes opened the
chair door; the lady entered, and was borne away. Before Mistress Stagg
could reenter her house Audrey had gone quietly up the winding stair to
the little whitewashed room, where she found the minister's wife astir and
restored to good humor. Her sleep had helped her; she would go down at
once and see what Mary was at. Darden, too, was coming as soon as the
meeting at the church had adjourned. After dinner they would walk out and
see the town, until which time Audrey might do as she pleased. When she
was gone, Audrey softly shut herself in the little room, and lay down upon
the bed, very still, with her face hidden in her arm.

With twelve of the clock came Darden, quite sober, distrait in manner and
uneasy of eye, and presently interrupted Mistress Stagg's flow of
conversation by a demand to speak with his wife alone. At that time of day
the garden was a solitude, and thither the two repaired, taking their
seats upon a bench built round a mulberry-tree.

"Well?" queried Mistress Deborah bitterly. "I suppose Mr. Commissary
showed himself vastly civil? I dare say you're to preach before the
Governor next Sunday? Or maybe they've chosen Bailey? He boasts that he
can drink you under the table! One of these fine days you'll drink and
curse and game yourself out of a parish!"

Darden drew figures on the ground with his heavy stick. "On such a fine