"Lilly ain' talk ter Tishy long, 'fo' she fine out Tishy want ter sing er chune. Lilly she go an' tell John: "'Yer mus' ax Tishy ter sing.' "John say, 'I'm too bizzy ter fool wid Tishy.' "Lilly coo sof' an' ax', 'Please, John.' "John say, 'All right.' "Oh, I tell yer, John sing ev'rybody's chune wid 'em. He so happy he can' keep his mouf shet. Jes' den he 'nounce dat Miss Tishy Peafowel gwine sing. Ev'rybody feel like shettin' der eyes whin dat straggly fe'th'r Tishy walk up ter de pianny. She 'nounce, she do: "'I ain' sot er chune sense I got well, but ef youall's bleege ter hyah me, I'll do m' bes'.' "Mussy gracious! de fokes hatt'r hole on ter der ye'rs,--" "Why, Mammy?" At that moment, the peafowl in Mary Van's yard uttered a piercing screech. "Dat's de rees'n," she answered. "Peafowel's bin singin' jes' dat erway sense den. Whoopee, whin Tishy see fokes stoppin' up der ye'rs, she fling herse'f 'roun' an' grab John Mockin'bird by de arm an' walk clean out'n de meetin' house." "Was her feath'rs dropping out, too?" reminded Mary Van. "Dat dey wus, she scatter 'em ev'ywhar she go. Whin she git John out in de dark, she flounce 'roun' an' say: 'You ain' sich er big sumbody, John Mockin'bird! Lilly Dove say she jes' 'spise you an' yo' ugly ole flow'rs--dat she wush ter de Lawd she had er nice gent'mun like Mist'r Jack Sparrer ter car'y her home ternight. She say she jes' plum sick er you.' John look at Tishy, tryin' ter make out whut she say, den he sorter puff out his chist an' strut back in de meetin'." "Didn't he know Tishy was mean an bad?" asked Willis. "How he gwine know, son? Tishy wus mouty fus' class 'fo' Big Eye come eroun'. Howsomev'r, whin him an' Tishy go back in de meetin' house, Tishy had done los' ev'y one er her purty feath'rs, an' she wusn't nuthin' but er ugly ole brown Peahen!--an' she bin ugly ev'r sense, 'caze she ain' nuv'r got nuf purty on de inside, ter make no mo' purty on de outside ergin." "Did Jack Sparrow take Lilly Dove home?" asked Mary Van. "Yas, mam, 'caze John ax him ter, an' John ax Lilly ter give him dem flow'rs, too. Lilly dunno whut ter make whin she see John take an' th'ow 'em out'n de wind'r--she mos' die!" "Did she cry, Mammy?" Mary Van asked sympathetically. "She nuv'r cry den, but she sho' bus' her eyes op'n whin she git home by herse'f. Po' Lilly, she stay er prayin' an' er cryin' all night long." Phyllis's voice trembled in sympathy, and unconsciously the little girl and boy found themselves on either side of her, so close as to prevent the progress of quilt making. She laid the unfinished square on the table, and placed an arm about each. "Yas, chillun, Lilly fix her eyes on de Lawd. Dat's de diffunce b'twixt her an' Tishy--yer see, trubble make some fokes purtier on de inside 'n ev'r. Lilly dunno whut ail John, but she _do know_ dat she holdin' on ter de Lawd." "Tell God about Lilly quick, Mammy." Willis fidgeted. "Ain' I done tole yer de Lawd doan need fokes ter hope Him?"