He waved farewell, and the dusk
swallowed up him and his boat. I went back to the house and to
her.
She was sitting as we had left her, with her small feet crossed upon
the cushion beneath them, her hands folded in her silken lap, the
air from the waving fan blowing tendrils of her dark hair against
her delicate standing ruff. I went and leaned against the window,
facing her.
"I have been chosen Burgess for this hundred," I said abruptly.
"The Assembly meets next week. I must be in Jamestown then and
for some time to come."
She took the fan from the negress, and waved it lazily to and fro.
"When do we go?" she asked at last.
"We!" I answered. "I had thought to go alone."
The fan dropped to the floor, and her eyes opened wide. "And
leave me here!" she exclaimed. "Leave me in these woods, at the
mercy of Indians, wolves, and your rabble of servants!"
I smiled. "We are at peace with the Indians; it would be a stout
wolf that could leap this palisade; and the servants know their
master too well to care to offend their mistress. Moreover, I would
leave Diccon in charge."
"Diccon!" she cried. "The old woman in the kitchen hath told me
tales of Diccon! Diccon Bravo! Diccon Gamester! Diccon
Cutthroat!"
"Granted," I said. "But Diccon Faithful as well. I can trust him."
"But I do not trust him!" she retorted.
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