Maum Hannah’s bed in the corner of the room was freshly made up with clean things and the wedding-dress lay spread out on it, waiting to be worn. The wide white muslin skirt trimmed halfway up with narrow frills and the tucked waist trimmed with lace at the neck and sleeves made a garment that matched the wedding-cake in looks. Budda Ben had dug up all his buried savings to buy the cloth and to get the best seamstress on the plantation to make it, but it was worth every cent he paid out. He said so himself when Mary tried it on to let him see how well it fitted.
She carefully licked off the sweet potato bits that stuck to her fingers, then squatted on the hearth close to the fire to warm good through and through before she put on her clothes. One good yawn, one good stretch, then she would dress fast and fetch the water and finish up whatever had to be done yet this morning. “You ever was like a cat, Si May-e; always stretchin. But after today, you ain’ gwine have time to be gapin an’ warmin, an’ pleasurin youself in de mornins. You’ll see.”
Sister Mary stood up and slipped out of her nightgown, which dropped near to the pot Maum Hannah was stirring. The old woman looked up with a merry twinkle in her eyes. “Is you crazy, gal? Look how you duh fan ashes in de victuals. Fo Gawd’s sake put on some clothes. You ain’ to stand up buck naked like dat. You’s a grown ’oman now. Is you forgot?”
Mary laughed and stretched out her long slim body until every muscle was taut. What did she care if Maum Hannah saw her buck naked now when she had seen her so a thousand times? But Maum Hannah’s laugh had cut off and she was leaning forward with her eyes blinking and gazing as if they could not see quite clearly. They were searching Mary’s body from head to foot, marking each line, each curve, as if something astonished and distressed them. Mary crouched down and, picking up a garment, hurriedly put it on, but Maum Hannah’s eyes were wise and keen. There was no use to be covering up now.
“What de matter ail you, Auntie? How-come you duh gaze at me so hard, like you ain’ never seen me naked befo?” Mary tried to sound cool and guiltless, but she could not look Maum Hannah in the face.
“May-e—honey, I can’ hardly b’lieve my own eyes. What you been doin, gal?” Her piercing eyes cut into Mary’s heart.
It was no use to lie, or to try to deceive them. Nothing could escape them when they shone like that.
“Honey—May-e—look at me—”
“Yes’m—I’m a-lookin—” Something quivered in Mary’s throat.
“Honey—” It was the third time Maum Hannah said the word, as if she could get no further. It fell so sorrowfully, with such pity, that Mary hung her head low.
“May-e, you an’ July is been a-havin sin, enty?”
Mary wanted to deny it, but to save her life her lips could not raise a sound. She could not even say, “Yes.”
“Enty?” Maum Hannah asked again, softly, gently. “I raised you to know right from wrong, enty? An’ you went an’ let July make you have sin?” Maum Hannah sighed deep. “Lawd, dat July is a case. A heavy case in dis world.”
Mary wanted to say that July was not all to blame, but her breath fluttered and spilled the words.
“I see now why Satan sent dat rat to gnaw a hole in you weddin-cake. Satan knowed you b’longed to him an’ not to Jedus. Oh, honey, I’m dat sorry, I could cry. What you done pure cuts my heartstrings. I wouldn’ a thought you had de heart to fool me so. No.”
“Wha dat I done so awful bad, Auntie? Me an’ July is gwine marry today.” She tried to speak calmly, but her throat went dry and the words fell into a husky whisper.
Maum Hannah shook her head gloomily. “Don’ ax me, gal. Looka you bosom, a-struttin, a-tellin de bad news an’ you body a-swellin an’ a-braggin. Why couldn’ you wait for de preacher to read out de Book over you an’ make you July’s lawful wife? Lawd, gal, I’m dat sorry, I could pure cry like a baby. I could, fo-true. Some sin is black, an’ some ain’ so black, but dis sin you had is pure scarlet.”
Cold misery made Mary sick. Frightened tears began streaming down her cheeks. She slipped down on her knees.
“But you love me, enty, Auntie?”
Maum Hannah sighed, “Sho, I love you, I couldn’ stop lovin you. I’ll never stop, not till I’m dead. I love de sinner, but I hate de sin. Yes, Jedus. A scarlet sin is a awful bad sin.”
A sudden hope sprang in Mary’s heart. Maybe if she denied the sin, Maum Hannah might think her eyes had not seen right.
“I ain’ had sin, Auntie—I’m just a-growin. I’m just fat by I eat so much victuals lately.” Mary ventured it timidly, but Maum Hannah’s eyes flashed fire and her voice grew sharp and stinging.
“Shut you mout’, gal, befo Gawd strikes you dead wid a lie on you tongue. You might could fool some people, but you can’ fool me! Neither Gawd. Gawd’s eye stays on you, all de time, day an’ night. A-seein all you do same like dat lookin-glass on de wall sees dis room. Evy time you have sin, a big white angel up in Heaven writes it down in a book. All dat what you an’ July done, is wrote down. On de day o judgment, dat same angel’ll stand up an’ read em out for de whole world to hear. De livin an’ de dead’ll know, same like I know right now, how you an’ July let Satan fool you. If
