Miss Taylor

“ Miss Taylor winced, wondering if the girl were lying again. She said quickly:
"Why, yes—that is, I like some kinds of work."
"What kinds?"
But Miss Taylor refused to have the matter made personal, as Zora had a disconcerting way of pointing all their discussions.
"Everybody likes some kinds of work," she insisted.
"If you likes it, it ain't work," declared Zora; but Mary Taylor proceeded around her circumscribed circle:
"You might make a good cook, or a maid."
"I hate cooking. What's a maid?"
"Why, a woman who helps others."
"Helps folks that they love? ”

“ She never gives her efforts grudgingly, but puts her whole soul forth. The women of the North and of the South gave all they had—-their dear ones whose going away clouded the light of home, their services in ministering to the sick, their patient skill in furnishing articles for their personal use. All these things women did for the cause, and much more.
Miss Taylor was born in New York, but lived at the breaking out of the war in [252] New Orleans. She was ever ready to work in the hospitals, and gave liberally of her means to the boys in the army. ”

“ A little thin Englishwoman had taken her seat beside Cornélie.
“And for you, Miss Taylor, I have a card for a low mass in His Holiness’ private chapel.”
Miss Taylor was radiant with delight.
“Have you been sight-seeing again?” the pock-marked gentleman continued.
“Yes, Museo Kircheriano,” said Miss Taylor. “But I am tired out. It was most exquisite.” [10]
“My prescription, Miss Taylor, is that you stay at home this afternoon and rest.”
“I have an engagement to go to the Aventino....”
“You mustn’t. You’re tired. You look worse every day and you’re losing flesh. ”

“ “A straightforward, open-hearted man like Weston, and a rational, unaffected woman like Miss Taylor, may be safely left to manage their own concerns. You are more likely to have done harm to yourself, than good to them, by interference.”
“Emma never thinks of herself, if she can do good to others,” rejoined Mr. Woodhouse, understanding but in part. “But, my dear, pray do not make any more matches; they are silly things, and break up one's family circle grievously.” ”

“ Taylor quite nervous to think of such a thing, and she remarked that that was the worst of having distinguished people to stop with one; there was always somebody running after them. Eliza Jamieson, we noticed, was treated with marked coldness by the Taylors for some time afterwards, and Miss Taylor recollected darkly that it was Eliza's suggestion, in the first instance, that The Uncle should be consulted on the choice of books for the Reading Society. ”

“ I spend the greater part of the second day in reading books by Frank Harris, Waldo Frank, Claude McKay, and Major Douglas's "Economic Democracy."
The next day I met Miss Taylor, a famous moving-picture actress of England, and Mr. Hepworth, who is a director of prominence in Great Britain. Miss Taylor, though sensitive, shy, and retiring, has a great bit of charm. 210
They are making their first trip to America, and we soon become good friends. We discuss the characteristics of the American people, contrasting their youthful, frank abruptness with the quiet, shy, and reserved Britisher. ”

“ She could see him as he had looked that night in the cottage; she could hear his voice making the confession. The letter was like him. It seemed to fall short; it had not even the courage of his love; and yet she knew he loved her. His very weakness in this hour, when he so needed strength, touched her woman’s heart. Her abhorrence of his deed had clouded her own perception of his misery, but now, in a flash, she saw it. It was as great as hers.
She was still standing there, her head bowed, when she heard steps on the piazza and her father’s latch-key in the door. ”

“ His philology is helpless word-play. The attraction of his discourses was in his jocose manner; they exhibit no real humour, but his taunts are smart. His drollery, though of a low type, is never impure.
Released from gaol in 1833, Taylor retired from public view. He married an elderly lady of property; the marriage was a happy one, but it exposed Taylor to an action for breach of promise on the part of Miss Richards, to whom a jury awarded 250l. To escape paying this, Taylor removed to France, practising as a surgeon at Tours, where he died in September 1844. ”

“ In 1794, according to her own account, she married a man named Clarke. Miss Taylor says that he was the son of well-to-do people and a stonemason by trade, and that he did not marry her until after she had had two children; she herself said that he was the nephew of a certain Alderman Clarke of London, who denied the fact, and Captain Gronow absurdly says that he was an officer. How she got her first entrée into the fashionable circles where she met the Duke of York is also uncertain. Miss Taylor gives a list of various lovers, and says she played Portia at the Haymarket Theatre ”

“ Some dim, half interpreted perception of this chilled her heart and stayed the passionate greeting on her lips; she stood a moment looking at him, terribly aware of the calmness of his bearing, his pallor, his dark troubled eye which neither kindled nor blenched at the sight of her, but met hers with a studied gentleness which expressed neither joy nor reluctance. A keen pang of dread tore her heart, but the next instant joy, wild, almost childish joy at the sight of him, welled up and swept away her doubts. ”

“ Emma laughed, and replied: "But I had the assistance of all your endeavours to counteract the indulgence of other people. I doubt whether my own sense would have corrected me without it."
"Do you?—I have no doubt. Nature gave you understanding:—Miss Taylor gave you principles. You must have done well. My interference was quite as likely to do harm as good. It was very natural for you to say, what right has he to lecture me?—and I am afraid very natural for you to feel that it was done in a disagreeable manner. I do not believe I did you any good. ”

“ Virginia laughed, blushing again.
“What would we do if we all liked the same thing?” she asked lightly, and then, very sweetly: “William, I think your wife is beautiful. At first, one can’t decide, the face is so charming, so piquant; but when she smiles and those dark eyes of hers dwell on you—she’s beautiful!”
William said nothing for a moment. He was sitting in the colonel’s chair, his hat on his knees, and Virginia could see new haggard lines in his face. He did not look at her, but away toward a distant spire that appeared above the thick foliage, like a finger pointing upward. ”

“ You smile, gentlemen. You think the old man is approaching senility. Perhaps I am, but if the contention is raised that no connection has been shown to exist between Mrs. Taylor and this foreign Madame, save such as was made by the death of Madame's child, I must retort by asking who warned Madame Duclos of the fatal occurrence at the museum in time for her to flee before even our telephone messages reached her hotel? Gentlemen, there is but one person who could have done this—our chief witness, Ermentrude Taylor. She alone had not only the incentive, but the necessary opportunity. ”

“ People have different notions of luck.”
“Notions!”
“He has been very kind.”
“Kind!” And now without further simmering, Mrs. Taylor's wrath boiled up and poured copiously over Molly Wood. “Kind! There's a word you shouldn't use, my dear. No doubt you can spell it. But more than its spelling I guess you don't know. The children can learn what it means from some of the rest of us folks that don't spell so correct, maybe.”
“Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Taylor—”
“I can't wait, deary. Since the roughness looks bigger to you than the diamond, you had better go back to Vermont. ”

“ Price hurried up the long driveway to the seminary. She was going home, and, being small and round and oldish, she panted and bubbled a little in her haste. Even her exactly appropriate garb, patterned closely on “correct and distinctive styles for more mature figures,” and her very sober little hat, shaped like a sugar-bowl, palpitated with undue excitement.
She burst in upon the dean and Fanny, who were quietly enjoying a cup of tea in the sunny little sitting-room, where a yellow rose showered its golden buds against the wide stone sills of the bay window. ”

“ When a woman prefers you to a czar, you may consider yourself a fortunate man. I honor her for her constancy.”
“She is an angel,” he replied briefly, as he walked to and fro,—his habit when excited.
“Are you not over-anxious,” I remarked, after a little thought. “Has not madame pushed matters, to alarm and intimidate mademoiselle? Mayhap, there is more smoke than fire. I thought that I saw signs of great favor for the Livonian girl.”
Without a word he walked to the table, and, thrusting his hand into his breast, brought out a packet, and laid a splendid ring in my hand. ”

“ Sir William looked at the beautiful young face so close to his, and his heart relented.
“Thou art a witch, Betty,” he said; “have thy will, but make the man talk sense to thee.”
She had pushed him to the door, and would have thrust him out if the warder had not fastened it from without. Having disposed of one, she ran back to the other disputant, who stood leaning on his chair with a gloomy face.
“Have you also so poor an opinion of me?” he asked, looking searchingly at the fair face.
“Would I be here?” she answered simply. “Ah, my lord, a woman comes not lightly to such a place!” ”

“ Her smile, which had faded, reappeared. On the lips which Taylor so much admired a little [197] pout became visible, and she looked quite enchanting.
"I do not even remember being at that hotel at all," she protested. "Did Mr. Taylor say I was there?" she inquired, with just that added look of exquisite näivete which the utterance of a lover's name should call up on the face of a prospective bride.
"No," I answered gravely; "Mr. Taylor, unhappily, was not with you that morning." She looked startled. ”

“ Her eyes followed the long, unbroken reaches of snow until they rested on the dark-blue line of the distant water. As she sensed the intense cold and saw the sparkle of ice, her mind went back to the polar wastes, and she found her eyes filling with tears as she thought of the man who had fallen exhausted and alone. The face of Overton, so unlike the face of Faunce, rose before her. ”

“ Duty!” she repeated scornfully, “then may no man henceforth do his duty! Such virtue is more vile than vice—such courage worse than cowardice! How dare you face me or look at me? An injured woman! I mark your white face, sir, and I marvel at its pallor; it should burn with shame.”
Spencer ground his teeth in anger. “You saucy minx,” he said, “how dared you have that man here?”
“How dared I?” she repeated, “how dared I have my husband with me? Whom should I have with me if not my husband?”
She paused for breath; her bosom rose and fell, she put her hands to her throat as if she choked. ”

“ I will tell thee why. Go," she continued to the woman. "You are kind. Go now. I have that to say to my sister which no one must hear. Go! We are priestesses, and will serve the Mother in our own fashion. But if I need shelter for her, wilt thou give it?"
"Ah," replied the dame, "we are poor people, and can do little; but the Máhá Ranee is kind and just—I will speak to her."
"True," replied Gunga absently; "if needs be, I will come to thee again—now, go. Tara!" she continued, stretching out her hands to her imploringly when the woman had gone out—"O Tara, look up! ”

“ The service was nearly concluded, but she paid no heed to that; moving quietly across the aisle and finding a dark corner, she sat down wearily, and crossing her arms upon the back of the pew in front of her hid her face upon them. Mere physical weariness had brought a dull relief to the gnawing pain at her heart; it clouded her brain [281] too, as weariness sometimes does, and she found the horrible vivid thoughts which had tormented her slipping softly away into a haze of forgetfulness; her mind seemed a mere blur.
The soft organ tones swelling through the dim church harmonized with her mood ”

“ When I met Taylor at the club the other night, he looked so cheerful I scarcely knew him.
"What is it?" cried I, advancing with outstretched hand.
"I am going to be married," was his gay reply. "This is my last night at the club."
I was glad, and showed it. Taylor is a man for whom domestic life is a necessity. He has never been at home with us, though we all liked him and he, in his way, liked us.
"And who is the fortunate lady?" I inquired; for I had been out of town for some time and had not as yet been made acquainted with the latest society news. ”

“ One great clump of bushes opposite choked the entrance to the cellar.
“I have seen enough, and been through enough, to realise my difficulties,” I said calmly, “but what is a man’s right arm for, Maître le Bastien, if it be not to fight in a good cause? I will not allow even Sophia to snatch my wife away, and I will not leave her in the hands of her enemies. But tell me, how fares it with you? I would not imperil you.”
“I am safe enough,” he replied at once. “Galitsyn will protect me; against me he has no quarrel, and has sent some Streltsi already to keep my house from the mob. ”

“ Poor Daniel cared for her! She was afraid that he cared more than she had dreamed. It touched her so much that her eyes misted.
“Nightmare? Not a bit of it. I tell you what to do, Virginia—when you’re through with it let me have it. I’ll hang it up over my desk when I [193] want an inspiration. A poor lawyer needs an inspiration. The law’s as dry as dust.”
She lifted her eyes reluctantly but smilingly to him. She had almost been afraid to meet them, but she was not now. Dan’s look was just the same look he had always given her—and she had never understood! ”