On the strength of her three months sojourn with Mrs. Perkins, who was
undeniably quality, she felt herself capable of teaching many things to
her young mistress, who had seldom repressed her, and who now made no
answer except to ask, "How do I look?"

She had hesitated a moment as to the dress she would wear in place of
the one discarded. She had very few to select from, and finally took
down a white gown sacred to her, because of the one occasion on which
she had worn it. It was a coarse muslin, but made rather prettily with
satin bows on the sleeves, and shoulders, and neck. Several times,
since she had hung it on a peg under a sheet to keep it from getting
soiled, she had looked at it and stroked it, wondering if she would ever
wear it again. Now she took it down and smoothed the bows of ribbon, and
brushed a speck from the skirt, while there came to her eyes a rush of
glad tears as she put it on, with a thought that he would like her in
it, and then tried to see its effect in the little eight by twelve
cracked glass upon the wall. All she could see was her head and
shoulders, and so she asked the opinion of Mandy Ann, who answered
quickly, "You done look beautiful--some like de young ladies in
Jacksonville, and some like you was gwine to be married."

"Perhaps I am," Eudora replied, with a joyous ring in her voice. "Would
you like to have me get married?"

Mandy Ann hesitated a moment and then said, "I'se promised never to tole
you no mo' lies, so dis is de truffe, ef I was to drap dead. I'd like
you to marry some de gemmans in Jacksonville, or some dem who comes to
de Brock House, but not him downstars!"