Part 12 (1/2)
Betty shuddered. For the moment F Street seemed flaunting with old Aunty Dinah's bandannas. She replied hurriedly,--
”You will have all sorts of new ideas by the time you go out of mourning. I suppose you will wear black for a year.”
”That makes me think. While I'm in black I can't see your fine friends.
I'd like to study. Could I afford a teacher?”
”You can have a dozen. I've told you that I intend to turn over to you the money father left me. Mr. Emory will attend to it. You will have about five hundred dollars a month to do what you like with.”
The girl gasped, then shook her head. ”I can't realize that sum,” she said. ”But I know it's riches, and I wish--I wish _he_ were alive.”
”If he were you would not have it, for I should not know of you. You will enjoy having a French teacher and a Professor of Belles Lettres.
Have you any talent for music?”
”I can play the banjo--”
”I mean for the piano.”
”I never saw one till yesterday, so I can't say. But I reckon I could play anything.”
Her Southern brogue was hardly more marked than Jack Emory's, but she misp.r.o.nounced many of her words and dropped the final letters of others: she said ”hyah” for ”here” and ”do'” for ”door,” and once she had said ”done died.” Betty determined to give special instructions to the Professor.
Senator Burleigh and Emory dined at the house that evening, and although Harriet was shy, and blushed when either of the men spoke to her the deep and tragic novelty of their respectful admiration finally set her somewhat at her ease, and she talked under her breath to Emory of the pleasurable impression Was.h.i.+ngton had made on her rural mind.
After dinner she went with him to the library, where he showed her his favourite books, and advised her to read them.
”Will you have a cigarette?” he asked. ”Betty accuses me of being old-fas.h.i.+oned, but I am modern enough to think that a woman and a cigarette make a charming combination: she looks so companionable.”
”I've smoked a pipe,” said Harriet, doubtfully; ”but I've never tried a cigarette. I reckon I could, though.”
He handed her a cigarette, and she smoked with the natural grace which pervaded all her movements. She sank back in the deep chair she had chosen, and puffed out the smoke indolently.
”I am so happy,” she said. ”I reckoned down there that the world was beautiful somewhere, but I never expected to see it. And it is, it is.
Poor old uncle used to say that nothing amounted to much when you got it, but he didn't know, he didn't know. This room is so big, and the light is so soft, and this chair is so lazy, and the fire is so warm--”
She looked at Emory with the first impulse of coquetry she had ever experienced; and her eyes were magnificent.
”Are you, too, happy?” she asked softly.
He stood up suddenly and gave a little nervous laugh, darting an embarrasing glance over his shoulder.
”I feel uncommonly better than usual,” he admitted.
XVII
Betty awoke the next morning with the impression that she was somewhere on the border of a negro camp-meeting. She had pa.s.sed more than one when driving in the country, and been impressed with the religious frenzy for which the human voice seemed the best possible medium. As she achieved full consciousness, she understood that it was not a chorus of voices that filled her ear, but one,--rich, sonorous, impa.s.sioned. It was singing one of the popular Methodist hymns with a fervour which not even its typical African drawl and wail could temper.
It was some moments before Betty realized that the singer was Harriet Walker, and then she sprang out of bed and flung on her wrapper.
”Great heaven!” she thought. ”How shall we ever be able to keep her secret? A bandanna gown and a voice like a cornfield darky's! I suppose all the servants are listening in the hall.”