She followed my eyes to the picture, and her face was still almost stern from her last speech, though it is true that the sternness was a dimpled sternness, for the chin of my hostess was rounded.

“They overwhelmed us, Mr. Blake,—­my daughter there, and me, and God alone has counted how many other wretched women.  Her they struck a double blow—­they killed the two men she loved.  One was her father, but she flew to the other.  She found her picture in his dead hands.  Our young men were apt to die in that fashion; and when she put it back to be buried with him, her eyes were dry.  Even under her double blow, she was stronger than I. She has been stronger ever since, but she suffered more than I was made to.  Oh, it was a fine thing for them to do!”

Her voice rose at the last into a little trembling gust of passion, and I saw again the spirit that gave those women the right to stand with the men.  She recovered herself quickly, and the girl in her smiled upon me again.

“You must overlook my forgetfulness.  I shall not forget often, especially now that I am among these murderous fanatics.  But I was tired to-night, and I was so glad when I knew I could talk to you freely.”

Her eyes were upon me in friendly unreserve, in confident appeal.

In the face of what I should have felt, I was ashamed at that moment, and in the nervousness of hidden guilt I handled the minute coffee cup awkwardly.  Clem, who must have been equally nervous, stepped to right the thing in its saucer, with “Yes, seh, Mahstah Majah!”

From across the table I knew, without raising my eyes, that his mistress glanced up at Clem in quick astonishment, then that her eyes were fastened upon my face.  I still regarded the coffee interestedly, but I knew that I myself blushed now and I suspected that my hostess was pale.

“Major?” she began questioningly, then more decidedly, “Major Blake?”

I raised my eyes to hers and nodded idiotically.

She laughed a little laugh that was icy in its politeness.

“How stupid of me, and now I must ask your pardon for all my tirade, for my blasphemies, and for that monstrous toast I—­really—­”

She shot a look at Clem, under which he blanched visibly, then her eyes were again upon me and she smiled with a rare art.

“Really, you will overlook an old woman’s weakness.”

It was the inimical, remote, icy superiority of her tone that nettled me—­perhaps her implied assumption that I would not know it for such.  But also I felt curiously stricken by that swift withdrawal of her confidence, for Mrs. Caroline Lansdale had won me by her laugh and blush of ancient girlishness.  Further, I would not now be hurt by any woman, though she were ten times my years, without a show of defence.

I arose as Clem hastily fled from the room.

“Miss Caroline—­” I waited for the fine little brows to go up at that.  I had not long to wait.