imism of her saddest hour. She was a woman born for
happiness; when the Fates failed to accord it she defied them and found
her own.

In the autumn news came that Nicholas was elected to the General
Assembly. The judge brought it, riding out on a bright afternoon to chat
with the general before the blazing logs.

"The lad has a future," said the judge with a touch of pride. "Brains
don't grow on blackberry vines;" then he laughed softly. "Caesar voted
for him," he added.

The general slapped his knee.

"Caesar is a gentleman," he exclaimed. "He was the first darkey in
Kingsborough to vote the Democratic ticket. I walked up to the polls
with him and the boys cheered him. You weren't there, George."

The judge shook his head.

"They called it undue influence," he said; "but, on my honour, Tom, I
never spoke a political word to Caesar in my life. Of course he'd heard
me talk with Tom at dinner. He'd heard me say that the man of his race
who would dare to vote with white men would be head and shoulders above
his people, a man of mind, a man that any gentleman in the county would
be proud to shake by the hand--but seek to influence Caesar! Never, sir!"

"Now, there's that Ishmael of mine," said the general aggrievedly. "He
no sooner got his vote than he cast it just to spite me. I told the fool
he didn't know any more about voting than the old mule Sairy did, and he
said he didn't have to know 'nothin' cep'n his name.' He forgot that
when they challenged him at the polls, but he voted all the same--voted
in my face, sir."

They lighted their pipes and sang the praises of that idyllic period
which they called "before the war," while Eugenia crept away into the
shadows.

She was glad that Nicholas would go; glad, glad, glad--so glad that she
wept a little in the cold of a dark corner.

A week later Dudley came down, and she met him with a friendliness that
dismayed and disarmed him. Could a woman be so frankly cordial with a
man she loved? Could she face a passion that inspired her with such
serene self-poise? He questioned these things, but he did not hesitate.
He was of a Virginian line of lovers, and he charged in courtship as
courageously as his father had charged in battle. He was magnificent in
his youthful ardour, and so fitted for success that it seemed already to
cast a prophetic halo about his head.

"You are superb," Eugenia had said, half insolently, looking up at him
as he stood in the firelight. "Ho