Everything about her bore witness to the Faith, even the pattern on her
dress and the shape of her ornaments; down to the embroidery on her silk
gloves, in which a cross and an anchor were so designed as to form a
Greek X, the initial letter of the name of Christ. Her ambition was to
appear simple and superior to all worldly vanities; still, all she wore
must be rich and costly, for she was here to do honor to her creed. She
would have regarded it as a heathen abomination to wear wreaths of fresh
and fragrant flowers, though for the money which that string of pearls
had cost she might have decked the circus with garlands from end to end,
or have fed a hundred poor for a twelvemonth. It seems so much easier to
cheat the omniscient Creator of the Universe than our fellow-fools!

So Dame Maria sat there in sour and virtuous dignity, looking like the
Virgin Mary as painters and sculptors were at that time wont to represent
her; and her farmer-son shuddered whenever his eye fell on his step-
mother. It did him good, by contrast, to hear a hearty peal of laughter
that came up from the lowest ranks of the podium. When he had discovered
the spot from whence it proceeded he could hardly believe his eyes, for
there sat the long-sought Dada, between an old man and a young woman,
laughing as though something had just occurred to amuse her extremely.
Demetrius stretched his limbs with a feeling of relief and satisfaction;
then he rose, and seeing his city agent seated just behind the girl, he
begged him to change places with him, as he thought it advisable not to
lose sight of the game now it was caught; the old man was very ready to
oblige him and went up to the other seat with a meaning smile.

For the first time since she could recollect anything Dada had spent a
sleepless night. Whether the wind and thunder would have sufficed to
keep her awake who can tell; but the thoughts that had whirled through
her brain had been varied and exciting enough to rob her of sleep. Her