The voice he craved, or the echo of it, did reach her, for Jessie had
been present when the fancy first seized him to hear of Sarah, and in
the shadowy twilight she told her mother all, dwelling most upon the
touching sadness of his face when he said, "Does she know how sick and
sorry I am?"
The pillow which Agnes pressed that night was wet with tears, while in
her heart was planted a germ of gratitude and respect for the young
girl doing her work for her. All that she could do for Maddy without
going directly to her, she did, devising many articles of comfort,
sending her fruit and flowers, the last new book, or whatever else she
thought might please her, and always finding a willing messenger in
Guy. He was miserable, and managed when at home to make others so
around him. The sight of Maddy bearing her burden so uncomplainingly
almost maddened him. Had she fretted or complained could bear it
better, he said, but he did not see the necessity for her to lose all
her spirit or interest in everything and everybody. Once when he
hinted as much to Maddy, he had been awed into silence by the subdued
expression of her face as she told him in part what it was which
helped her to bear and made the rough places so smooth. He had seen
something like this in Lucy, when paroxysms of pain were racking her
delicate frame, but he could not understand it; he only knew it was
something he could not touch--something against which his arguments
beat helplessly, and so, with an added respect for Maddy Clyde, he
smothered his impatience, and determining to help her all he could,
rode down to Honedale every day, instead of twice a week, as he had
done before.
Attentions so marked could not fail to be commented upon; and while
poor, unsuspecting Maddy was deriving so much comfort from his daily
visits, deeming that day very long which did not bring him to her, the
Honedale gossips, of which there were many, were busy with her
affairs, talking them over at their numerous tea-drinkings, discussing
them in the streets, and finally at a quilting, where they met in
solemn conclave, deciding, that, "for a girl like Maddy Clyde it did
not look well to have so much to do with that young Remington, who,
everybody knew, was engaged to a somebody in England."
"Yes, and would have been married long ago, if it wasn't for this
foolin' with Maddy," chimed in Mrs. Joel Spike, throwing the chalk
across the quilt to her sister, Tripheny Marvel, who wondered if Maddy
thought he'd ever have her.