“But I told you before, if master don’t keep faith long o’ mist’ess, we ain’t got no call to keep faith long o’ him, ’specially when it’s to rist her life.”
“Oh, if that’s the case, I’ll go at once,” answered the boy. For it was only necessary to convince him that his mistress’s safety depended on “mammy’s” arrival to make him eager to go and fetch her.
Yet just as he was about to leave the kitchen he turned and inquired;
“But isn’t better to ask mist’ess first?”
“No; she would be sure to object, though it’s for her own safety. You go and fetch mammy. And then I’ll let on to mist’ess how she come on a wisit to me, promiscuous like, and I’ll ’vise mist’ess to see mammy.”
“All right; but if you get me into a scrape for nothing, you know, Pina, it will be your own fault.”
“Just so; and I’ll be willing to bear all the blame.”
Leo went upon his errand, and Pina hurried up to her mistress’s chamber.
Drusilla had thrown herself out of bed, and was walking distractedly up and down the room, with her dark hair falling down over her white night-dress, her face pale, her eyes wild, and her fingers wreathed and wrung together in an agony of grief.
Vain were all Pina’s efforts to soothe her.