How fervently I blessed these Cherokees before the day was ended no one will ever know. Lady Thesiger never left us; Agatha worked very hard. Looking at the sweet, calm, high-bred face, I wondered if she knew that a lover, with his heart on fire, sat near her.
Lunch came—we went to the dining-room. Lady Thesiger told us we had only half an hour to spare; she had promised the duchess to send everything in that evening, and she did not wish to break her word.
"It is worse than slavery," I said, and Lady Thesiger laughed, little knowing why I was so impatient.
Back again to work. Happily, all was finished, and the servants were called in to pack the pretty, fragile articles.
"Now I shall have five minutes," I thought to myself, "and I will find out whether she cares for me or not."
Alas! there was the dressing-bell. "We have just finished in time for dinner," said Lady Thesiger. "Sir John will not be at home; he does not return until late."
I was tortured with impatience. Had I been waiting for a verdict over life or death, my agony would not have been one-half so great.
The long ordeal of dinner had to pass.
"You will allow me to go to the drawing-room with you," I said to the mistress of the house. "I could not sit here alone."
Then I saw a chance. Agatha went to the piano and played one of Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words." The difference between the pure, sweet, high-bred English girl and the brilliant, seductive French woman never appeared to me so great as when they were at the piano. Coralie's music wrapped one's soul, steeped one's senses, brought one nearer to earth; Agatha took one almost straight to heaven. Listening to her, pure and holy thoughts came, high and noble impulses.