Drusilla received no second letter from Alexander. On the day after his arrival in Richmond, he received and answered her first one. Then he went with his uncle and cousin down to Old Lyon Hall, where he lived very quietly with them for about ten days, all the party resting from their fashionable Washington campaign.
At the end of that time, in order to keep the letter of his promise to Drusilla, he pleaded urgent business, and went up to Richmond, “for a day or two,” as he said.
On reaching that city, he hurried to the post-office, where he found nearly a dozen letters from Cedarwood awaiting him. He did not stop to answer them; but took the first train to Washington, and arrived in the capital the same afternoon.
There was plenty of time for him to have gone out to Cedarwood that evening. But, true to his plan of never sleeping under the same roof with Drusilla again, if he could help it, he stayed at one of the city hotels all night.
In the morning, however, he hired a horse from a livery stable and set out to visit his home.
That day Drusilla had also risen very early, saying to herself:
“This is the last day of the fortnight, and Alick will be home to-night. That is to say, if nothing happens to prevent him—and surely there is nothing likely to happen—he will keep his pledged word with me and return to-night.”
And so she busied herself with affectionate preparations for his arrival.
There was nothing at all else that she could do to add to the attractions of the lovely home she had renovated and decorated for his comfort and pleasure. But there were certain dainty dishes that always delighted his epicurean taste; and these she had carefully prepared for him.
When they were ready, she went up to her chamber and sat down to the liliputian dress-making that was now the sweetest task in the world to her.