-doves cooing on the ledge
outside. Finally their importunate tapping on the glass arrested her
attention, and she raised the sash and scattered a handful of rice and
millet seed; whereupon a cloud of dainty wings swept down, and into the
library, hovering around her sunny head, and pecking the food from her
open palms. One dove seemed particularly attracted by the glitter of
the diamond in her engagement ring, and perched on her wrist, made
repeated attempts to dislodge the jewel from its crown setting.
Playfully she shook it off several times, and amused by its
pertinacity, finally closed her hands over it, and rubbed her soft
cheek against the delicate silvery plumage.

"No, no, you saucy scamp! I can't afford to feed you on diamonds from
my sacred ring! Did you get your greedy nature from some sable Dodonean
ancestress? If we had lived three thousand years ago, I might be
superstitious, and construe your freak into an oracular protest against
my engagement. Feathered augurs survive their shrines. Clear out! you
heretic!"

As she tossed it into the garden and closed the window, the portiere of
the library was drawn aside, and her maid approached, followed by a
female figure draped in a shawl and wearing a lofty turban.

"Miss Leo, Aunt Dyce wants to see you on some particular business."

"Howdy do, Aunt Dyce? It is a long time since you paid us a visit.
Justine, push up a chair for her, and then open the cages and let the
birds out for an hour. What is the matter, Aunt Dyce, you look
troubled? Sit down, and tell me your tribulations."

"Yes, Miss Leo, I am in deep waters; up to my chin in trouble, and my
heart is dragging me down; for it's heavier 'an a bushel of lead. You
don't remember your own ma, do you?"

"I wish I did; but I was only five months old when I lost her."

"Well, if she was living to-day, she would stretch her two hands and
pull me out of muddy waves; and that's why I have come to you. You see,
Miss Marcia and my young Mistiss, Miss Ellice, was bosom friends,
playmates, and like sisters. They named their dolls after one another,
and many a time your ma brought her wax doll to our house, for me to
dress it just like Miss Ellice's, 'cause I was the seamstus in our
family, and I always humored the childun about their doll clothes. They
had their candy pullins, and their birthday frolics, and their shetlan'
ponies no bigger 'an dogs, and, oh Lord! what blessed happy times them
was! Now, your ma'