waited until she should turn
around and greet us. This was not true; no door was open; we
entered through the walls, or the roof, or down the chimney, or
somehow; but no matter, what Satan wished a person to believe, the
person was sure to believe, and so Marget was quite satisfied with
that explanation. And then the main part of her mind was on
Traum, anyway; she couldn't keep her eyes off him, he was so
beautiful. That gratified me, and made me proud. I hoped he
would show off, some, but he didn't. He seemed only interested in
being friendly and telling lies. He said he was an orphan. That
made Margot pity him. The water came into her eyes. He said he
had never known his mamma; she passed away while he was a
young thing; and said his papa was in shattered health, and had no
property to speak of-in fact none of any earthly value-but he
had an uncle in business down in the tropics, and he was very well
off and had a monopoly, and it was from this uncle that he drew his
support. The very mention of a kind uncle was enough to remind
Marget of her own, and her eyes filled again. She said she hoped
their two uncles would meet, some day. It made me shudder. Philip
said he hoped so, too, and that made me shudder again.
"Maybe they will," said Marget; "does your uncle travel much?"
"Oh, yes, he goes all about; he has business everywhere."
"Then he may come here-I hope he will. I should be so glad to
see him. What is his business?"
"Souls."
"Shoe-souls?"
"Yes. He trades in them. Buys them."
She asked where he lived; but Philip generalised on that, and
merely said it was a foreign country.
"Is he a foreigner himself? Was he born there?"
"Well, no. No, he was an emigrant."
"Is it a trying climate?"
"For some-yes; but he doesn't mind it."
"Acclimated, I suppose."
"Yes."
"Is it a colony?"
"Yes."
"What nationality?"
"Mixed. But mainly French."
"And so that is the language in use?"
"It is the official language."
And so they went on chatting, and poor I\larget forgot her
sorrows for one little while, anyway. It was probably the only really
bright and cheery hour she had known lately. I saw she liked
Philip, and I knew she would; anybody would. And when he told
her he was studying for the ministry I could see that she liked him
better than ever. And then, when he promised to get her admitted
to the jail so that she could see her uncle, that was the capstone. I
said he would give the guards a little present, and she must always
go in the evening after dark, and say nothing, "hut just show this
paper and pass in, and show it again when you come out"-and he
scribbled some queer marks on the paper and gave it her, and she
was ever so thankful, and right away was in a fever for the sun to
go down; for in that old cruel time prisoners were not allowed to see
their friends, and sometimes they spent years in the jails without
ever seeing a friendly face. I judged that the marks on the paper
were an enchantment, and that the guards would not know what
they were doing, nor have any memory of it afterward; and that was
indeed the way of it. Ursula put her head in at the door, now, and
said-
"Supper's ready, Miss." Then she saw us and looked frightened,
and motioned me to come to her, which I did, and she asked if we
had told about the cat. I said no, and she was relieved, and said
please don't; for if Miss Marget knew, she would think it was an
unholy cat and would send for a priest and have its gifts all purified
out of it, and then there wouldn't be any more dividends. So I said
we wouldn't tell, and she was satisfied. Then I was beginning to say good-bye to Marget, but Satan interrupted and said, ever so politely
-well, I don't remember just the words, but anyway he as good as
invited himself to supper, and me, too. Of course Marget was
miserably embarrassed, for she had no reason to suppose there
would be half enough food for a sick bird. Ursula heard him, and
she came
around and greet us. This was not true; no door was open; we
entered through the walls, or the roof, or down the chimney, or
somehow; but no matter, what Satan wished a person to believe, the
person was sure to believe, and so Marget was quite satisfied with
that explanation. And then the main part of her mind was on
Traum, anyway; she couldn't keep her eyes off him, he was so
beautiful. That gratified me, and made me proud. I hoped he
would show off, some, but he didn't. He seemed only interested in
being friendly and telling lies. He said he was an orphan. That
made Margot pity him. The water came into her eyes. He said he
had never known his mamma; she passed away while he was a
young thing; and said his papa was in shattered health, and had no
property to speak of-in fact none of any earthly value-but he
had an uncle in business down in the tropics, and he was very well
off and had a monopoly, and it was from this uncle that he drew his
support. The very mention of a kind uncle was enough to remind
Marget of her own, and her eyes filled again. She said she hoped
their two uncles would meet, some day. It made me shudder. Philip
said he hoped so, too, and that made me shudder again.
"Maybe they will," said Marget; "does your uncle travel much?"
"Oh, yes, he goes all about; he has business everywhere."
"Then he may come here-I hope he will. I should be so glad to
see him. What is his business?"
"Souls."
"Shoe-souls?"
"Yes. He trades in them. Buys them."
She asked where he lived; but Philip generalised on that, and
merely said it was a foreign country.
"Is he a foreigner himself? Was he born there?"
"Well, no. No, he was an emigrant."
"Is it a trying climate?"
"For some-yes; but he doesn't mind it."
"Acclimated, I suppose."
"Yes."
"Is it a colony?"
"Yes."
"What nationality?"
"Mixed. But mainly French."
"And so that is the language in use?"
"It is the official language."
And so they went on chatting, and poor I\larget forgot her
sorrows for one little while, anyway. It was probably the only really
bright and cheery hour she had known lately. I saw she liked
Philip, and I knew she would; anybody would. And when he told
her he was studying for the ministry I could see that she liked him
better than ever. And then, when he promised to get her admitted
to the jail so that she could see her uncle, that was the capstone. I
said he would give the guards a little present, and she must always
go in the evening after dark, and say nothing, "hut just show this
paper and pass in, and show it again when you come out"-and he
scribbled some queer marks on the paper and gave it her, and she
was ever so thankful, and right away was in a fever for the sun to
go down; for in that old cruel time prisoners were not allowed to see
their friends, and sometimes they spent years in the jails without
ever seeing a friendly face. I judged that the marks on the paper
were an enchantment, and that the guards would not know what
they were doing, nor have any memory of it afterward; and that was
indeed the way of it. Ursula put her head in at the door, now, and
said-
"Supper's ready, Miss." Then she saw us and looked frightened,
and motioned me to come to her, which I did, and she asked if we
had told about the cat. I said no, and she was relieved, and said
please don't; for if Miss Marget knew, she would think it was an
unholy cat and would send for a priest and have its gifts all purified
out of it, and then there wouldn't be any more dividends. So I said
we wouldn't tell, and she was satisfied. Then I was beginning to say good-bye to Marget, but Satan interrupted and said, ever so politely
-well, I don't remember just the words, but anyway he as good as
invited himself to supper, and me, too. Of course Marget was
miserably embarrassed, for she had no reason to suppose there
would be half enough food for a sick bird. Ursula heard him, and
she came
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