Judith made a sign to Delilah to go for Mrs. Temple. Scarcely was she out of the room, before Jacqueline’s head fell back on Judith’s shoulder. Judith, brave as she was, began to tremble and to weep.
“I did so want to see Throckmorton, to tell him something. I wanted to say to him—Judith—”
Mrs. Temple came in swiftly, followed by the general. Jacqueline had strength enough left to hold out a thin little hand. A smile like moonlight passed over her face. She gasped once, and all was over.
CHAPTER XIII.
The next night at midnight there was a solemn stir, a painful and heart-breaking commotion, at Barn Elms. Throckmorton had come. He had indeed missed the boat, and had driven seventy miles rather than wait a day. Mrs. Temple, as when Beverley died, had shut herself up in the “charmber” with General Temple. Most people thought it was to comfort General Temple, but in those two dreadful tragedies of her life it was General Temple who comforted Mrs. Temple. Both parents felt something like remorse in their grief. They had been good parents after their lights, but the wayward, capricious Jacqueline, although their child, was outside of their experience. Her nature had eluded both of them.
“Ole marse,” said Delilah, in a solemn whisper to Judith, sitting in Jacqueline’s peaceful room, “he set by mistis. He hole her han’ an’ he read de Bible ter her, an’ he tell her she ain’ got no reproachments fur ter make. Mistis, she jes’ lay in the bed, ez white ez de wall, an’ her eyes wide open, a-hole’in’ ole marse like she wuz drowndin’. It seem like ole marse ain’ got no sort o’ idee, ’cep ’tis ter comfort mistis. She do grieve so arter her chillen. She ain’ got none now.”
To Judith, whose grief was poignant and complex, was left the task of watching by Jacqueline. With tender superstition, she got out the wedding-gown—it could be put to no other use—and she and Delilah put it on Jacqueline, deftly hiding the blood-spots.
“My pretty little missy,” said Delilah, smoothing down the frock with her hard black hand. “Arter all, you gwi’ w’yar dis pretty little frock Miss Judy done wuk for you to git married in.”