She paused and looked wistfully about the stately room.
"This house could tell the story of gay and beautiful scenes--of balls--receptions and garden parties in bowers of roses--of coaches drawn by six snow-white horses standing at our door for the start to the White Sulphur Springs--"
She stopped suddenly, mastered her emotions and went on dreamily:
"Of great men and distinguished families our guests from the North and the South--Bishop Mann, Chief Justice John Marshall, the Lees, the Robinsons, Wickhams, Adams, Cabells,--the Carringtons--Fredrika Bremer, the Swedish novelist, visited us and wrote of us in her 'Homes in the New World.' Jennie Lind in the height of her glory sang in this room. Edgar Allan Poe read here aloud his immortal poem, 'The Raven.' You must realize what it means to me to become an outcast in Richmond--"
She drew from her bosom a newspaper clipping and handed it to Socola.
"Read that paragraph from this morning's editorial columns--"
The young man scanned the marked clipping.
"One of the City papers contained on Monday a word of exhortation to certain females of Southern residence (and perhaps birth) but of decidedly Northern and Abolition proclivities. The creatures, though specially alluded to, are not named. If such people do not wish to be exposed and dealt with as alien enemies to the country they would do well to cut stick while they can do so with safety to their worthless carcasses--"
"It's not the way of our breed. I've been doing what I could for the past year. I have sent the Government at Washington letter after letter giving them full and accurate accounts of men and events here. I have made no concealment of my principles. We are Abolitionists and Unionists and they know it. These Southern men will not lift their hands against two helpless women unless they discover the deeper plans I've laid. I've stopped them on the streets and openly flung my sentiments into their faces. As the excitement has increased I have grown more violent and more incoherent. They have begun to say that I am insane--"
Socola lifted his hand in a quiet gesture.
A look of elation overspread the thin, intellectual features.
"True--I'll do it. I see it in a flash. 'Crazy old Bet,' they'll call me--"