all was fixed up onto that first
floor, then he brought her home sure enough."

Without lifting her face, Salome murmured some words in so low and
smothered a tone that they were inaudible to her visitor.

"I beg pardon, my lady. What did you please to say?" inquired the woman,
bending toward the bowed head of the bride.

"I asked how long ago was it?" she repeated, in a faint voice.

"Just about a year, my lady."

"Go on."

"Well, then, my lady, first along he seemed very fond of her, seemed to
doat on her, and loaded her with dresses, and trinkets, and sweetmeats,
and nick-nacks of all sorts, and never came home without bringing of her
something. And she never got anything very nice but what she would call
me up and give me some; for she made quite a companion of me, my lady.
But after a few weeks, Mr. John Scott was frequent away from home for
days together. But this didn't trouble Mrs. John Scott much. I soon saw
as she wasn't that deep in love with him as she couldn't live without
him. And so he kept her well supplied with finery and dainties, or with
the money to get them, he might go off as often, and stay as long as
he liked. She lived an idle, easy, merry life, and frequent went to the
play-house, and took me. 'And all was merry as a marriage bell,' as the
old saying says, until this summer, when Mr. John Scott went off, and
stayed longer then he ever stayed before. Well, my lady, while he was
still away, one morning in last June, Mrs. John Scott takes up the
_Times_ to look over. She didn't often look over the papers, and
when she did it was only to see what was going to be played at the
theatres. But _that_ morning her eyes happened to light down on
something in the paper as put her into a perfect fury. She was so beside
herself as to let out a good deal that she meant to have kept in. And by
her own goings on I found out that it was the announcement of the
marriage, that was to come off in two days at Lone Castle, between the
young Marquis of Hereward and the daughter and heiress of Sir Lemuel
Levison, as had set her on fire. I tried my best to quiet her, and even
asked her what it was to her? She said she would soon let 'em all know
what it was to her. I begged her to explain. But she would give me no
satisfaction. She seemed all cock-a-whoop, begging your ladyship's
pardon, to go somewhere and do something. And that same night she packed
her carpet-bag and off she went. I asked her what I should say