"It has worked. It is well," said Mrs. Darke, lifting the girl's feet
on the couch, and producing a large pair of scissors.
Loveday could not repress a little shriek.
"Hush!" as the woman untied the black silk hood, drew it gently off,
and then undid the ribbon that confined the victim's abundant tresses.
"Bah! it will be grown by the time she arrives, and if not so long as
present, what will they know of it? It will be the more agreeable
surprise! Here, put yonder cloth under her head while I hold it up."
"I cannot," sobbed Loveday. "This is too much. I never would have
entered my Lady's service if I had known I was to be set to such as
this."
"Come, come, Grace Loveday, I know too much of you for you to come
the Presician over me."
"Such a sweet innocent! So tender-hearted and civil too."
"Bless you, woman, you don't know what's good for her! She will be
a very queen over the black slaves on the Indies. Captain Karen will
tell you how the wenches thank him for having brought 'em out. They
could never do any good here, you know, poor lasses; but out there,
where white women are scarce, they are ready to worship the very
ground they tread upon."
"I tell you she ain't one of that sort. She is a young lady of birth,
a cousin of my Lady's own, as innocent as a babe, and there are two
gentlemen, if not three, a dying for her.
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