"If you loved me, you would climb off my back!" Joyhdee protested, but
it was in vain and soon she was promising to redouble her efforts.
A few more days passed without any word of progress and Ehlissa
despaired, so much so that she had skipped class and was in bed when
Joyhdee came in to see what was wrong with her. Ehlissa was in bed
under the covers, tears on her cheeks.
"Oh, what has happened?" Joyhdee asked, sitting at her sister's side
and wiping her cheek with the hand. "Mother sent me to check on you
and find out why you have turned into a recluse. And now I find you
like this? What is the matter?"
"How can you not know what the matter is?" Ehlissa asked. "When you
know how much it meant to me for you to win my introduction to
Hertha's social circle, and yet I still languish here with no new
friend and no hope of gaining a special spell that will win Tenser's
favor?"
"But I have, dear sister!" Joyhdee exclaimed, almost moved to tears
herself by her sister's strong emotion. "I was coming to tell you
just now of my long-awaited success."
Now Ehlissa forgot her tears and her sorrow. She bolted up in bed and
took both of Joyhdee's hands in hers and said, "Tell! Tell! Do not
leave out a word."
"The story is not so deep," Joyhdee said, as if to apologize. "As you
well know, one route I have pursued to Hertha is through her brother,
Welmer. For your happiness, I had circulated rumors that I would let
Welmer court me if he wished and that seed has finally born fruit in
the form of an invitation for mother and me to call on their family
this Freeday!"
"And you shall put in such good words for me within earshot of Hertha
that she will think well enough of me to make my acquaintance?"
Ehlissa prompted.
"No, you shall do so yourself," Joyhdee said, so excited and proud of
herself that her face looked like it was about to burst. "I shall
write back immediately saying that mother is not well enough to
attend, but that my older sister could come in her stead!"
"Joyhdee, you're brilliant!" Ehlissa cried. "What a clever schemer
you are. Here, here," she said, throwing off her blankets and racing
to her writing table. She lifted the cover. "Use my best vellum for
the letter. It is meant for spell transcribing, but this is so much
more im****tant. Oh!" she added with such alarm that she threw her
hand over her open mouth. "Oh, poor Joyhdee! What have I asked of
you, that you would consider Welmer? Welmer is so—"
"Don't worry," Joydhee said. "I will not lead on poor Welmer long and
then find some excuse to cancel our court****p before any arrangements
are made."
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