“You likely to catch cold down there, Madame,” said the soft voice. “I saw you come in here a good while ago, an’ I thought I’d come see if I could serve you some way.”
Judithe accepted the proffered hand and rose to her feet. For an instant Margeret’s arms had half enfolded her, and 387 the soft color swept into the woman’s face. Judithe looked at her kindly and said:
“You have already tried to serve me today, Margeret; I’ve been thinking of it since, and I wonder why?”
“Any of the folks here would be proud to serve you, Madame Caron,” said the woman, lapsing again into calm reticence.
Judithe looked at her and wondered what would become of her and the many like her, now that freedom was declared for the slaves. She could not understand why she had denied seeing her in the corridor, for they had met there, almost touched! Perhaps she was some special friend of Pluto’s, and because of that purchase of the child––
“I leave tomorrow for Savannah,” said Judithe, kindly. “Come to my room this evening, and if there is anything I can do for you––”
Margeret’s hands were clasped tightly at the question, and those strange, haunting eyes of hers seemed to reach the girl’s soul.
“There is one thing,” she half whispered, “not now, maybe, not right away! But you’ve bought Loringwood, and I––I lived there too many years to be satisfied to live away from it. They––Miss Gertrude––wouldn’t ask much for me now, and––”
“I see,” and Judithe wished she could tell her that there would never be buying or selling of her again––that the law of the land had declared her free! “I promise you, Loringwood shall be your home some day, if you wish.”
“God forever bless you!” whispered Margeret, and then she pushed aside the curtains and went through the library and up the stairs, and Judithe watched her, thoughtfully wondering why any slave should cling to a home where Matthew Loring’s will had been law. Was it true that certain 388 slavish natures in women––whether of Caucasian or African blood––loved best the men who were tyrants? Was it a relic of inherited tendencies when all women of whatever complexion were but slaves to their masters––called husbands?