“Then why does he not say that they shall not take place?” she uttered half aloud, as she thought of the burdens that Stanton Armour was obliged to carry. “I would not endure it were I in his place.”
“A woman only has power over Ephraim to weep and implore and make supplication unto him,” said a voice behind her.
Vivienne scarcely turned her head. She had become fully accustomed to having Mammy Juniper creep upon her at all times and seasons. Ever since the day that the old Negro woman had seen Stanton Armour’s magnificent diamond ring flashing upon Vivienne’s finger she had changed her tactics with regard to her. The girl was to be taken into the family, hence she must be treated with respect, and strange to say, in a very short time she was as much fascinated by Vivienne, and as completely under her influence, as she had formerly been antagonistic and threatening to her. Her insane prejudice, which had been largely a matter of duty, entirely passed away. The girl’s slight imperiousness exercised the same charm over the Maroon woman’s half-crazed mind that it did over Joe’s stolid one, and she followed her new mistress about with offers of service and petitions for the privilege of performing some of her ancient duties of lady’s maid, that sometimes amused and sometimes annoyed Vivienne.
To-night she stood motionless for some time beside the reclining figure, then seeing that the girl did not wish to be disturbed, moved softly about the room, turning up the wicks of the different lamps, arranging the furniture and gathering up books and papers, till finally coming back to Vivienne, she saw that she had fallen asleep.
Deftly, and with a gentle touch, the woman drew out the large pins that confined the girl’s hair, and allowed it to fall in a dusky mass over her shoulders, then dropping a rug over her sat down and watched her.
“To-day the chaff driven by the whirlwind came into my room,” she muttered, “and the doves went mourning about the house. The anger of the Lord is about to come upon us; woe to him that sets his nest on high. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee? Ephraim has brought shame to his house by cutting off many people. For the stone shall cry out to the wall and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. Woe to him that buildeth a house with blood.”
The night wore on and Vivienne, undisturbed by Mammy Juniper’s mutterings, still slept. There was no sound to break the deathly stillness inside and outside the house, till shortly after one o‘clock the girl started up with a low cry of “Stanton!”
Mammy Juniper went over to her. “Awake, my princess, the hour of the Lord is at hand.”
Vivienne’s dazed glance took in the black figure standing over her, the bright lamps of the room, the darkness outside, then she shuddered. “I have had a distressing dream. Is Mr. Armour here? I thought that he was hurt.”
“Mourn not for the elder but for the younger branch, O princess,” chanted the old woman. “Ephraim is a proud man. He transgresseth by wine, neither keepeth at home. He enlargeth his desire as hell and as death, that cannot be satisfied.”