It was Pluto who reached her first, lifting her in his arms and carrying her to a bed. She had almost fainted from pain or fright, and when she opened her eyes again it was to meet those of her mistress in one wild appeal. Pluto had not moved after placing her on the bed, though the other darkies had retired into the hall, and Judithe's first impression of the scene was the huge black eyes fairly devouring the girl's face with his curious gaze. He stepped back as Mrs. McVeigh entered with camphor and bandages, but he saw that pleading, frightened glance. "Never mind, Louise, it will all be well," said her mistress, soothingly; "this has happened before," she added, turning to Mrs. McVeigh. "It needs stout bandages and perfect rest; in a week it will be forgotten." "A week!"--moaned the girl with pale lips, "but tomorrow--I _must_ go tomorrow!" "Patience, patience! You shall so soon as you are able, Louise, and the less you fret the sooner that may be." Judithe herself knelt by the bed and removed tenderly the coquettish shoe of soft kid, and, to the horror of the assembled maids at the door, deliberately cut off the silk stocking, over which their wonder had been aroused when the short skirts of Louise had made visible those superfine articles. The pieces of stocking, needless to say, were captured as souvenirs and for many a day shown to the scoffers of neighboring plantations, who doubted the wild tales of luxury ascribed to the foreign magnate whose servants were even dressed like sure enough ladies. "We must bandage it to keep down the swelling," said Judithe, working deftly as she spoke; "it happened once in New Orleans--this, and though painful, is not really serious, but she is so eager to commence the refurnishing of the yacht that she laments even a day's delay." Louise did not speak again--only showed by a look her comprehension of the statement, and bore patiently the binding of the ankle. It was three days before she could move about the room with help of a cane, and during those days of feverish anxiety her mistress had an opportunity to observe the very pointed and musical interest Pluto showed in the invalid whose language he could not speak. He was seldom out of hearing or her call and was plainly disturbed when word came from Loringwood that the folks would all be over in a few days. He even ventured to ask Evilena if Mr. Loring's eyesight hadn't failed some since his long sickness, and was well satisfied, apparently, by an affirmative reply. He even went so far as to give Louise a slight warning, which she repeated to her mistress one day after the Judge and Delaven had called, and Louise had promptly gone to bed and to sleep, professing herself too well now for a doctor's attention.