“Aunt Alice,” said Francesca a few days after that, “can you go to New York this afternoon or to-morrow morning?”

“Certainly, dear.  I purposed returning to-day or early in the morning to see the Seventh march away.  Of course you would like to be there.”

“Yes.”  She spoke slowly, and with seeming indifference.  It was because she could scarcely control her voice to speak at all.  “I should like to be there.”

Francesca knew, what her aunt did not, that Surrey was a member of the Seventh, and that he would march away with it to danger,—­perhaps to death.

So they were there, in a window overlooking the great avenue,—­Mrs. Lancaster, foreigner though she was, thrilled to the heart’s core by the magnificent pageant; Francesca straining her eyes up the long street, through the vast sea of faces, to fasten them upon just one face that she knew would presently appear in the throng.

“Ah, heavens!” cried Mrs. Lancaster, “what a sight! look at those young men; they are the choice and fine of the city.  See, see! there is Hunter, and Winthrop, and Pursuivant, and Mortimer, and Shaw, and Russell, and, yes—­no—­it is, over there—­your friend, Surrey, himself.  Did you know, Francesca?”

Francesca did not reply.  Mrs. Lancaster turned to see her lying white and cold in her chair.  Endurance had failed at last.

CHAPTER VII

  “The plain, unvarnished tale of my whole course of love.”

  Shakespeare

“What a handsome girl that is who always waits on us!” Francesca had once said to Clara Russell, as they came out of Hyacinth’s with some dainty laces in their hands.

“Very,” Clara had answered.

The handsome girl was Sallie.

At another time Francesca, admiring some particular specimen of the pomps and vanities with which the store was crowded, was about carrying it away, but first experimented as to its fit.

“O dear!” she cried, in dismay, “it is too short, and”—­rummaging through the box—­“there is not another like it, and it is the only one I want.”

“How provoking!” sympathized Clara.

“I could very easily alter that,” said Sallie, who was behind the counter; “I make these up for the shop, and I’ll be glad to fix this for you, if you like it so much.”

“Thanks.  You are very kind.  Can you send it up to-morrow?”

“This evening, if you wish it.”

“Very good; I shall be your debtor.”

“Well!” exclaimed Clara, as they turned away, this is the first time in all my shopping I ever found a girl ready to put herself out to serve one.  They usually act as if they were conferring the most overwhelming favor by condescending to wait upon you at all.”

“Why, Clara, I’m sure I always find them civil.”

“I know they seem devoted to you.  I wonder why.  Oh!”—­laughing and looking at her friend with honest admiration,—­“it must be because you are so pretty.”