“And who was Judith Pacewalk?” asked Dora; “and why was it teaberry?  It is not teaberry color.”

“No,” said Miss Panney; “the color had nothing to do with it, but I must say it has kept very well.  Let me see,” taking out her watch, “it is not yet eleven o’clock, and if you young people have time enough, I will tell you the story of that gown.  What does the master say?”

Ralph declared that they must have the story, and that time must not be considered.

CHAPTER XVII

JUDITH PACEWALK’S TEABERRY GOWN

“Judith Pacewalk,” said Miss Panney, “was Matthias Butterwood’s cousin.  Before Matthias got rich and built this house, he lived with his Aunt Pacewalk on her farm.  That was over at Pascalville, about thirty miles from here.  He superintended the farm, and Judith and he were very good friends, although he never showed any signs of caring anything for her except in the way of a cousin; but she cared for him.  There was no doubt about that.  I lived in Pascalville, then, and used to be a great deal at their house, and it was as plain as daylight to me that Judith was in love with her cousin, although she was such a quiet girl that few people suspected it, and I know he did not.

“The Pacewalks were poor, and always had been; and it could not be expected that a man like Matthias Butterwood could stay long on that little farm.  He had a sharp business head, and was a money-maker, and as soon as he was able he bought a farm of his own, and this is the farm; but there was no house on it then, except the little one that Mike now lives in.  But Matthias had grand ideas about an estate, and in the course of five years he built this house and the great barn, and made a fine estate of it.

“When this was going on, he still lived with his Aunt Pacewalk.  He did not want to go to his own house until everything was finished and ready.  Of course, everybody supposed he would take a wife there, but he never said anything about that, and gave a sniff when the subject was mentioned.  During the summer in which Cobhurst was finished—­he named the place himself—­he told his aunt that in the fall he was going there to live, and that he wanted her and Judith to come there and make him a visit of a month.  He said he intended to have his relations visit him by turns, and that was the sort of family he would have.  Now it struck me that if Judith went there and played her cards properly, she could stay there as mistress.  Although she was a girl very much given to keeping her own counsel, I knew very well that she had something of the same idea.