The next thing that happens after you have done a noble deed is, you either regard it as a reward of virtue or as a punishment for having been foolish.  I felt both ways when Judge Wade came down the platform at St. Pancras, looking so much grander than any other man in sight that I don’t see how they ever stand him.  At that minute the noble black-silk deed felt foolish, but at the next minute I was glad I had done it.

It is nice to watch for a person to catch sight of you if you feel sure how they are going to take it, and somehow in this case I felt sure.  I was not disappointed, for his smile broke his face up into a joy-laugh.  Off came his hat instantly so I could catch a glimpse of the fascinating frost over his temples, and with a positive sigh of pleasure he got into the same carriage and took a seat beside me.  I turned with an echo smile all over me, when suddenly his face became grave and considerate, and he looked at me as all the people in Hillsboro have been doing ever since poor Mr. Carter’s funeral.

“Mrs. Carter,” he said very kindly, in a voice that pitched me out of the carriage window and left me a mile behind on the rails, all by myself, “I wish I had known of your sad errand to town, so that I could have offered you some assistance in your selection.  You know we have just had our family grave in the cemetery finally arranged, and I found the dealers in memorial stones very confusing in their ideas and designs.  Mrs. Henderson just told my mother of your absence from home last night, and I could only come up to town for the day on important business or I would have arranged to see you.  I hope you found something that satisfied you.”

What is a woman going to say when she has a tombstone thrown in her face like that?  I didn’t say anything, but what I thought about Aunt Adeline filled in a dreadful pause.

Perfectly dumb and quiet I sat for a space of time and wondered just what I was going to do.  It was beyond me at the moment, and the Molly that is ready for life quick didn’t know what to say.  I shut my eyes, counted three to myself as I do when I go over into the cold tub, and then told him all about it.  We both got a satisfactory reaction, and I never enjoyed myself so much as that before.

I understand now why Judge Wade has had so many women martyr themselves over him and live unhappily ever afterward, as everybody says Henrietta Mason is doing.  He’s a very inspiring man, and he fairly bristles with fascinations.  Some men are what you call taking, and they take you if they want you, while others are drawing, and after you are drawn to them they will consider the question of taking you.  The judge is like that.

In the meantime I feel that it will be good for his judgeship for me to let him “draw” me at least a little way.  I may get hurt, but I shall at least have only myself to thank for it.  When we reached home, the judge stopped under the old lilac bush that leans over my side-gate and kissed my hand.  Old Lilac shook a laugh of perfume all over us, and I believe signalled the event with the top of his bough to the white clump on the other side of the garden.  I’m glad Aunt Adeline isn’t in the flower fraternity.  Suppose she had seen or heard!