them, but Janeremembered that the name was Haldon, and remembering that theyhad gone away because they had had trouble, she recognized at aglance what sort of trouble it had been. Mrs. Haldon was tall andyoung, and to Jane Foster's mind, expressed from head to foot theperfection of all that spoke for wealth and fashion. Her garmentswere heavy and rich with crape, the long black veil, which shehad thrown back, swept over her shoulder and hung behind her,serving to set forth, as it were, more pitifully the whitewornness of her pretty face, and a sort of haunting eagerness inher haggard eyes. She had been a smart, lovely, laughing andlovable thing, full of pleasure in the world, and now she was sostricken and devastated that she seemed set apart in an awfullonely world of her own.
She had no sooner crossed the threshold than she looked about herwith a quick, smitten glance and began to tremble. Jane saw herlook shudder away from the open door of the front room, where thechairs had seemed left as if set for some gathering, and thewax-white flowers had been scattered on the floor.
She fell into one of the carved hall seats and dropped her faceinto her hands, her elbows resting on her knees.
"Oh! No! No!" she cried. "I can't believe it. I can't believeit!"
Jane Foster's eyes filled with good-natured ready tears ofsympathy.
"Won't you come up-stairs, ma'am?" she said. "Wouldn't you liketo set in your own room perhaps?"
"No! No!" was the answer. "She was always there! She used to comeinto my bed in the morning. She used to watch me dress to go out.No! No!"
"I'll open the shutters in the library," said Jane.
"Oh! No! No! No! She would be sitting on the big sofa with herfairy story-book. She's everywhere--everywhere! How could I come!Why did I! But I couldn't keep away! I tried to stay in themountains. But I couldn't. Something dragged me day and night.Nobody knows I am here!" She got up and looked about her again."I have never been in here since I went out with HER," she said."They would not let me come back. They said it would kill me. Andnow I have come--and everything is here--all the things we livedwith--and SHE is millions and millions--and millions of milesaway!"
"Who--who--was it?" Jane asked timidly in a low voice.
"It was my little girl," the poor young beauty said. "It was mylittle Andrea. Her portrait is in the library."
Jane began to tremble somewhat herself. "That--?" she began--andended: "She is DEAD?"
Mrs. Haldon had dragged herself almost as if unconsciously to thestairs. She leaned against the newel post and her face droppedupon her hand.
"Oh! I don't KNOW!" she cried. "I cannot believe it. How COULD itbe? She was playing in her nursery--laughing and playing--and sheran into the next room to show me a flower--and as she looked upat me--laughing, I tell you--laughing--she sank slowly down onher knees--and the flower fell out of her hand quietly--andeverything went out of her face--everything was gone away fromher, and there was never anything more--never!"
Jane Foster's hand had crept up to her throat. She did not knowwhat made her cold.
"My little girl--" she began, "her name is Judith--"
"Where is she?" said Mrs. Haldon in a breathless way.
"She is up-stairs," Jane answered slowly. "She goes--into thatback room--on the fourth floor--"
Mrs. Haldon turned upon her with wide eyes.
"It is locked!" she said. "They put everything away. I have thekey."
"The door opens for her," said Jane. "She goes to play with alittle girl--who comes to her. I think she comes over the rooffrom the next house."
"There is no child there!" Mrs. Haldon shuddered. But it was notwith horror. There was actually a wild dawning bliss in her face."What is she like?"
"She is like the picture." Jane scarcely knew her own monotonousvoice. The world of real things was being withdrawn from her andshe was standing without its pale--alone with this woman and herwild eyes. She began to shiver because her warm blood was growingcold. "She is a child with red hair--and there is a deep dimplenear her mouth. Judith told me. You must not touch her."
She heard a wild gasp--a flash of something at once anguish andrapture blazed across the haggard, young face--and with aswerving as if her slight body had been swept round by a suddengreat wind, Mrs. Haldon turned and fled up the stairs.
Jane Foster followed. The great wind swept her upward too. Sheremembered no single intake or outlet of breath until she wasupon the fourth floor.
The door of the Closed Room stood wide open and Mrs. Haldon wasswept within.
Jane Foster saw her stand in the middle of the room a second, atall, swaying figure. She whirled to look about her and flung upher arms with an unearthly rapturous, whispered cry:
"It is all as she left it when she ran to me and fell. She hasbeen here--to show me it is not so far!"
She sank slowly upon her knees, wild happiness in her face--wildtears pouring down it.
"She has seen her!" And she stretched forth yearning arms towardsthe little figure of Judith, who lay quiet upon the sofa in thecorner. "Your little girl has seen her--and I dare not waken her.She is asleep."
Jane stood by the sofa--looking down. When she bent and touchedthe child the stillness of the room seemed to have got into herblood.
"No," she said, quivering, but with a strange simplicity. "No!not asleep! It was this way with her Aunt Hester."
THE END
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