"David!" ejaculated Maurice, in an astonished tone. "You wish Isabella to marry him?" "Yes. He loves Isabella much more than you do, and he asked permission--which you didn't--to pay his addresses to her. I consented, and so," Mrs. Dallas raised her voice, "he shall marry her." "I refuse to marry Mr. Sarby," said Isabella, vehemently. "I hate him!" "That is no matter," replied her mother, coldly. "You must marry him." "Must!" repeated Maurice, with great indignation. "Yes, Mr. Alymer. Must! Must! Must! If you want an explanation of that you can ask--" Here Mrs. Dallas paused with a strange smile and added slowly: "Major Jen." "The major! My guardian!" cried Alymer, quite thunderstruck. "Is he against me?" "Ask him." "I don't believe it." "Ask him," repeated Mrs. Dallas. "Nor I," said Isabella. "The major is a kind man, and he wants to see me happy. He is--" "That is enough," interrupted Mrs. Dallas, rising in a cold fury. "I want no further speeches from you. Go to your room, Isabella. Mr. Alymer, your way lies yonder," and with a swift gesture she pointed to the window. Resigning himself to the inevitable, Maurice gave one glance at Isabella, and went outside with a heavy heart. Dido was standing upon the veranda with her eyes glowing like two coals. Yet there was an ill-concealed expression of triumph in her gaze, which Maurice, in his then disturbed and angered state of mind, could ill brook. He paused abruptly as he passed by her, and asked a direct question: "Why do you hate me. Dido?" The negress glared savagely at him. "Voodoo!" said she, in a harsh voice. "What do you mean by that jargon?" he demanded, in angry tones. "Voodoo!" said Dido again, and showed her teeth in anything but a pleasant fashion. "Bah! you black parrot!" muttered Maurice scornfully and turned upon his heel. As he vanished down the walk Dido clapped her hands together with great satisfaction and began to sing in low tones. Her song was barbaric in words and strange beyond all telling in the music. It rose and fell, and moaned and drawled, in a curiously painful manner. In the drawing-room Mrs. Dallas had risen to her feet at the first deep contralto note, and now stood rocking herself to and fro with an expression of alarm on her face. Isabella was terrified in her turn by Dido's song and her mother's strange conduct, though by this time she should have been used to these eccentricities. "Mother, what is it? What does Dido sing?" Mrs. Dallas, closing her eyes, continued rocking herself to and fro, saying but one word in answer. "Voodoo!" she said, and that was all. But it was enough for Isabella. She shrieked and ran out of the room. Then Dido, still singing, appeared at the window, and looked at Mrs. Dallas with an expression of triumph. "Why do you sing the death song?" asked Mrs. Dallas, opening her eyes, "Because de master hab doomed dat yaller-ha'r," said Dido, and continued her song.