“No coffee, nothing for me. Now, Doctor, if you want to show me the library; you know we must not linger, this is to be a busy day at the Terrace.”
They had gone through the lower rooms, of which she had little to say. He had shown her the dashing portrait of Marmeduke Loring and given her a suggestion of the character as heard from Nelse. He had shown her the pretty, seraphic portrait of Gertrude as a little child, and the fair, 259 handsome face of Tom Loring, as it looked down from the canvas with a smile for all the world in his genial eyes.
They had made no further progress when Raquel appeared upon the scene again with a request from Aunt Chloe, “Would Mahs Doctor come roun’ an’ tell her jest what ailed her most, she got so many cu’eous compercations.”
He followed to see what the complications were, and thus it happened that Judithe was left alone to look around her new possessions.
But she did not look far. After a brief glance about she returned to the last portrait, studying the frank, handsome face critically.
“And thou wert the man,” she murmured. “Why don’t such men bear faces to suit their deeds, that all people may avoid the evil of them? Fair, strong, and appealing!” she continued, enumerating the points of the picture, “and a frank, honest gaze, too; but the painter had probably been false in that, and idealized the face. Yet I have seen eyes that were as honest looking, cover a vile soul, so why not this one?”
The eyes that were as honest looking were the deep sea-blue eyes she had described once to Dumaresque, confessing with light mockery their witchcraft over her; she thanked God those days were over. She had now something more to dream over than sentimental fancies.
She heard the quick beat of horse hoofs coming up the avenue and stopping at the door; then, a man’s voice:
“Good morning, Jeff––any of our folks over from the Terrace?”
“Yes, sah; good mawn, sah; leastwise I jest saw Miss Gertrude go in; they all stayen’ ovah at Terrace; I reckon 260 she rode back for something. I reckon you find her in library; window’s open thah.”