And when the service was over Christmas gifts were distributed, mostly in articles of clothing, to the servants. To Palma he gave a casket of pearls and rubies that had been his mother’s; to Stuart he gave a fine horse, with new saddle and bridle, that he had within a few days past purchased from a neighbor.
Cleve and Palma gave to him an olive-green velveteen dressing-grown and skullcap to match, which they had purchased for this very purpose; and to the servants each they gave a piece of gold coin, having nothing else to offer them. And then the congregation dispersed joyfully.
The snowstorm continued, with a high wind. The contemplated dinner party for the twenty-seventh had to be given up. The state of the road made travel impossible for several days.
One of the first expeditions abroad was made by Josias, who, mounted on a stout mule, tried to reach the post office at Wolfswalk. It took him all day to go and come, but he succeeded, and late in the evening brought back letters and parcels that had been forwarded from New York to the Stuarts—letters and parcels that bore the London and the Haymore postmarks. The first were from the London solicitors of the Hays, of Haymore, and contained the information that certain railway, mining and manufacturing shares had been transferred from the name of Randolph Hay to that of Palma Hay Stuart, and were at her disposal, and included the bonds—for, after all, self-indulgent Will Walling had decided not to take the long journey to the mountains of Virginia in the midst of winter, but to forward the documents by mail, and without even an explanatory letter from himself.
“I think you will have no trouble in finding the funds for the reclamation of your Mississippi estate,” said John Cleve with a smile as he received the information which Stuart seemed proud and glad to give him. “Your wife’s cousin is a noble, generous fellow. Whom did he marry?”
Cleve Stuart was for a moment dumfounded by the question. He had not so far risen above conventionality as not to feel much embarrassment in replying.
“Miss Judith Man, of California,” answered Palma, on seeing that Stuart had found nothing to say.
“Ah! Who was she?” next inquired Mr. Cleve.
“The best, the noblest, the loveliest girl I ever met with in my life!” warmly responded Palma.
“Ah! that is well, very well! Of what family was she?” persevered the old gentleman, who was completely unconscious of the embarrassment his questions were causing.