CONTENTS

SALLYDOWS

THECONSPIRACYOFMRS。BUNKER

THETRANSFORMATIONOFBUCKEYECAMP

THEIRUNCLEFROMCALIFORNIA

SALLYDOWS。

PROLOGUE。

THELASTGUNATSNAKERIVER。

Whathadbeeninthecoolgrayofthatsummermorningadewycountrylane，markedonlybyafewwagontracksthatneverencroacheduponitsgrassyborder，andindentedonlybythefaintfootprintsofacrossingfoxorcoon，wasnow，beforehighnoon，alreadycrushed，beatendown，andtrampledoutofallsemblanceofitsformergraciousness。Theheavyspringlessjoltofgun—carriageandcaissonhadcutdeeplythroughthemiddletrack;thehoofsofcrowdingcavalryhadstruckdownandshreddedthewaysidevinesandbushestoburythemunderacloudoffollowingdust，andtheshort，plungingdouble—quickofinfantryhadtroddenoutthishideousruinintoonedustylevelchaos。Alongthatrudelywidenedhighwayuselessmuskets，tornaccoutrements，knapsacks，caps，andarticlesofclothingwerescattered，withhereandtherethelargerwrecksofbroken—downwagons，roughlythrownasideintotheditchtomakewayforthelivingcurrent。Fortwohoursthegreaterpartofanarmycorpshadpassedandrepassedthatway，but，comingorgoing，alwayswithfacesturnedeagerlytowardsanopenslopeontherightwhichranparalleltothelane。Andyetnothingwastobeseenthere。Fortwohoursagrayandbluishcloud，rentandshakenwithexplosionafterexplosion，butalwaysclosingandthickeningaftereachdischarge，wasallthathadmettheireyes。Nevertheless，intothisominouscloudsolidmovingmassesofmeningrayorbluehadthatmorningmeltedaway，oremergedfromitonlyasscatteredfragmentsthatcrept，crawled，ran，orclungtogetheringroups，tobefollowed，andovertakenintherollingvapor。

Butforthelasthalfhourthedesolatedtrackhadstretchedemptyanddeserted。Whiletherewasnocessationoftherattling，crackling，anddetonationsonthefatefulslopebeyond，ithadstillbeensilent。Onceortwiceithadbeencrossedbytimid，hurryingwings，andfrightenedandhesitatinglittlefeet，orlaterbyskulkersandstragglersfromthemaincolumnwhoweretemptedtoenteritfromthehedgesandbusheswheretheyhadbeencreepingandhiding。Suddenlyaprolongedyellfromthehiddenslopebeyond——thenearestsoundthathadyetbeenheardfromthatominousdistance——sentthemtocoveragain。Itwasfollowedbythefuriousgallopingofhorsesinthelane，andahandsome，red—cappedofficer，accompaniedbyanorderly，dasheddownthetrack，wheeled，leapedthehedge，rodeoutontheslopeandhalted。Inanotherinstantacloudofdustcamewhirlingdownthelaneafterhim。Outofitstrainedtheheavyshouldersandtightenedchain—tracesofsixfrantichorsesdraggingtheswayinggunthatinthistempestofmotionaloneseemedpassiveandhelplesswithanawfulforeknowledgeofitspower。Asinobediencetoasignalfromtheofficertheycrashedthroughthehedgeafterhim，asuddenjoltthrewanartillerymanfromthelimberbeforethewheel。Adriverglancedbackonthetensechainandhesitated。"Goon！"yelledtheprostrateman，andthewheelwentoverhim。Anotherandanothergunfollowedoutofthedustcloud，untilthewholebatteryhaddeployedontheslope。Beforethedriftingdusthadfairlysettled，thefallingbackofthepantinghorseswiththeirdriversgaveamomentaryglimpseofthenearestgunalreadyinpositionandofthefourerectfiguresbesideit。Theyellthatseemedtohaveevokedthissuddenapparitionagainsoundednearer;ablindingflashbrokefromthegun，whichwasinstantlyhiddenbytheclosinggrouparoundit，andadeafeningcrashwiththehighringingofmetalrandownthelane。Acolumnofwhite，woollysmokearoseasanotherflashbrokebesideit。Thiswasquicklyfollowedbyanotherandanother，witharesponsefromthegunfirstfired，untilthewholeslopeshookandthundered。Andthesmoke，nolongerwhiteandwoolly，butdarkeningandthickeningaswithunburntgrainsofgunpowder，mingledintotheoneominousvapor，anddrivingalongthelanehideventheslopefromview。

Theyellinghadceased，butthegrindingandrattlingheardthroughthedetonationofcannoncamenearerstill，andsuddenlytherewasashowerofleavesandtwigsfromthelowerbranchesofachestnut—

treenearthebrokenhedge。Asthesmokethinnedagainarisingandfallingmedleyofflappinghats，tossinghorses’headsandshiningsteelappearedforaninstant，advancingtumultuouslyuptheslope。Buttheapparitionwasasinstantlyclovenbyflamefromthetwonearestguns，andwentdowninagushofsmokeandroarofsound。Solevelwasthedeliveryandsoclosetheimpactthataspaceseemedsuddenlyclearedbetween，inwhichthewhirlingoftheshatteredremnantsofthechargingcavalrywasdistinctlyseen，andtheshoutsandoathsoftheinextricablystrugglingmassbecameplainandarticulate。Thenagunnerservingthenearestpiecesuddenlydroppedhisswabandseizedacarbine，foroutofthewhirlingconfusionbeforethemasingleriderwasseengallopingfuriouslytowardsthegun。

Thered—cappedyoungofficerrodeforwardandknockedupthegunner’sweaponwithhissword。Forinthatrapidglancehehadseenthattherider’sreinswerehanginglooselyontheneckofhishorse，whowasstilldashingforwardswiththefranticimpetusofthecharge，andthattheyouthfulfigureoftherider，wearingthestripesofalieutenant，——althoughstillerect，exercisednocontrolovertheanimal。Thefacewasboyish，blond，andghastly;

theeyesweresetandglassy。ItseemedasifDeathitselfwerechargingthegun。

Withinafewfeetofitthehorseswervedbeforeabrandishedrammer，andstrikingthecheeksofthegun—carriagepitchedhisinanimaterideracrossthegun。Thehotbloodofthedeadmansmokedonthehotterbrasswiththereekoftheshambles，andbe—

spatteredthehandofthegunnerwhostillmechanicallyservedthevent。Astheyliftedthedeadbodydowntheordercameto"ceasefiring。"Fortheyellsfrombelowhadceasedtoo;therattlingandgrindingwererecedingwiththesmokefarthertotheleft。Theominouscentralcloudpartedforabriefmomentandshowedtheunexpectedsunglitteringdowntheslopeuponanearandpeacefulriver。

Theyoungartilleryofficerhaddismountedandwasnowgentlyexaminingthedeadman。Hisbreasthadbeencrushedbyafragmentofshell;hemusthavediedinstantly。Thesamemissilehadcutthechainofalocketwhichslippedfromhisopenedcoat。Theofficerpickeditupwithastrangefeeling——perhapsbecausehewasconscioushimselfofwearingasimilarone，perhapsbecauseitmightgivehimsomecluetotheman’sidentity。Itcontainedonlythephotographofaprettygirl，atendriloffairhair，andtheword"Sally。"Inthebreast—pocketwasasealedletterwiththeinscription，"ForMissSallyDows。TobedeliveredifIfallbythemudsill’shand。"Afaintsmilecameovertheofficer’sface;

hewasabouttohandthearticlestoasergeant，butchangedhismindandputtheminhispocket。

Meantimethelaneandwoodsbeyond，andeventheslopeitself，werecrowdingwithsupportsandwaitingtroops。Hisownbatterywasstillunlimbered，waitingorders。Therewasaslightcommotioninthelane。

"Verywelldone，captain。Smartlytakenandgallantlyheld。"

Itwasthevoiceofageneralofficerpassingwithhisstaff。

Therewasanoteofpleasantreliefinitstone，andthemiddle—

aged，care—drawnfaceofitsownerwasrelaxedinapaternalsmile。

Theyoungcaptainflushedwithpleasure。

"Andyouseemtohavehadcloseworktoo，"addedthegeneral，pointingtothedeadman。

Theyoungofficerhurriedlyexplained。Thegeneralnodded，saluted，andpassedon。Butayouthfulaideairilylingered。

"Theoldman’sfeelinggood，Courtland，"hesaid。"We’verolled’emupallalongtheline。It’sallovernow。Inpointoffact，I

reckonyou’vefiredthelastroundinthisparticularfratricidalengagement。"

Thelastround！Courtlandremainedsilent，lookingabstractedlyatthemanithadcrushedandbrokenathisfeet。

"AndIshouldn’twonderifyougotyourgold—leafforto—day’swork。Butwho’syoursunnySouthernfriendhere？"headded，followinghiscompanion’seyes。

Courtlandrepeatedhisstoryalittlemoreseriously，which，however，failedtosubduetheyoungaide’slevity。"Soheconcludedtostopover，"heinterruptedcheerfully。"But，"lookingattheletterandphotograph，"Isay——lookhere！’SallyDows？’

Why，therewasanothermanpickedupyesterdaywithalettertothesamegirl！DocMurphyhasit。And，byJove！thesamepicturetoo！——eh？Isay，Sallymusthavegatheredintheboys，andrakeddownthewholepile！Lookhere，Courty！youmightgetDocMurphy’sletterandhuntherupwhenthiscruelwarisover。Sayyou’re’fulfillingasacredtrust！’See？Goodidea，oldman！Ta—ta！"

andhetrottedquicklyafterhissuperior。

Courtlandremainedwiththeletterandphotographinhishand，gazingabstractedlyafterhim。Thesmokehadrolledquiteawayfromthefieldsontheleft，butstillhungheavilydownthesouthontheheelsoftheflyingcavalry。Alongbuglecallswelledupmusicallyfrombelow。Thefreedsuncaughtthewhiteflagsoftwofieldhospitalsinthewoodsandglancedtranquillyonthebroad，cypress—fringed，lazy—flowing，andcruelbutbeautifulSouthernriver，whichhadallunseencreptsosmilinglythatmorningthroughtheveryheartofthebattle。

CHAPTERI。

Thetwoo’clockexpressfromRedlandstoForestville，Georgia，hadbeenproceedingwiththelanguidplacidityoftheriverwhosebanksitskirtedformorethantwohours。But，unliketheriver，ithadstoppedfrequently;sometimesatrecognizedstationsandvillages，sometimesattheapparitionofstraw—hattedandlinen—coatednativesinthesolitudeofpinewoods，where，afteradecentintervalofcheeryconversationwiththeconductorandengineer，iteithertookthestrangeronboard，orrelievedhimofhisparcel，letter，basket，oreventheverbalmessagewithwhichhewascharged。Muchofthewaylaythroughpine—barrenandswampywoodswhichhadneverbeenclearedorcultivated;muchthroughdecayedsettlementsandruinedvillagesthathadremainedunchangedsincetheWaroftheRebellion，nowthreeyearspast。Therewerevestigesoftheseverityofaformermilitaryoccupation;theblackenedtimbersofrailwaybridgesstillunrepaired;andalongthelineofacertainmemorablemarch，sectionsofironrailstakenfromthetorn—uptrack，roastedinbonfiresandbentwhilered—hotaroundthetrunksoftrees，werestilltobeseen。Thesemementosofdefeatseemedtoexciteneitherrevengenortheenergytoremovethem;thedullapathywhichhadsucceededthedaysofhystericalpassionandconvulsionstilllingered;eventheslowimprovementthatcouldbedetectedwasmarkedbythelanguorofconvalescence。

Thehelplessnessofarace，hithertodependentuponcertainbarbaricconditionsorpoliticalplaceandpower，unskilledininvention，andsuddenlyconfrontedwiththenecessityofpersonallabor，wasvisibleeverywhere。EyesthatbutthreeshortyearsbeforehadturnedvindictivelytotheNorth，nowgazedwistfullytothatquarterforhelpanddirection。Theyscannedeagerlythefacesoftheirenergeticandprosperousneighbors——andquondamfoes——upontheverandasofSouthernhotelsandthedecksofSouthernsteamboats，andwereevennowwatchingfromagroupinthewoodsthewindowsofthehaltedtrain，wherethefacesappearedoftwomenofmanifestlydifferenttypes，butstillalientothecountryindress，features，andaccent。

Twonegroeswereslowlyloadingtheenginetenderfromawoodpile。

Therichbrownsmokeoftheturpentineknotswasfillingthetrainwithitsstingingfragrance。TheelderofthetwoNorthernpassengers，withsharpNewEnglandanglesinhisface，impatientlyglancedathiswatch。

"Ofallcreatedshiftlessness，thisbeatseverything！Whycouldn’twehavetakeninenoughwoodtolastthetenmilesfarthertotheterminuswhenwelaststopped？Andwhyinthunder，withallthisfiringup，can’twegofaster？"

Theyoungerpassenger，whosequiet，well—bredfaceseemedtoindicatemoredisciplineofcharacter，smiled。

"Ifyoureallywishtoknowandaswe’veonlytenmilesfarthertogo——I’llshowyouWHY。Comewithme。"

Heledthewaythroughthecartotheplatformandleapeddown。

Thenhepointedsignificantlytotherailsbelowthem。Hiscompanionstarted。Themetalwasscalingoffinthinstripsfromtherails，andinsomeplacesitsthicknesshadbeenreducedaquarterofaninch，whileinotherstheprojectingedgesweretornoff，orhanginginironshreds，sothatthewheelsactuallyranonthenarrowcentralstrip。Itseemedmarvelousthatthetraincouldkeepthetrack。

"NOWyouknowwhywedon’tgomorethanfivemilesanhour，and——

arethankfulthatwedon’t，"saidtheyoungtravelerquietly。

"Butthisisdisgraceful！——criminal！"ejaculatedtheothernervously。

"Notattheirrateofspeed，"returnedtheyoungerman。"Thecrimewouldbeingoingfaster。AndnowyoucanunderstandwhyagooddealoftheotherprogressinthisStateisobligedtogoasslowlyovertheirequallydecayingandrottenfoundations。Youcan’trushthingshereaswedointheNorth。"

Theotherpassengershruggedhisshouldersastheyremountedtheplatform，andthetrainmovedon。Itwasnotthefirsttimethatthetwofellow—travelershaddiffered，althoughtheirmissionwasacommonone。Theelder，Mr。CyrusDrummond，wasthevice—presidentofalargeNorthernlandandmillcompany，whichhadboughtextensivetractsoflandinGeorgia，andtheyounger，ColonelCourtland，wastheconsultingsurveyorandengineerforthecompany。Drummond’sopinionswereagooddealaffectedbysectionalprejudice，andaself—satisfiedandrighteousignoranceoftheactualconditionsandlimitationsofthepeoplewithwhomhewastodeal;whiletheyoungerman，whohadservedthroughthewarwithdistinction，retainedasoldier’srespectandesteemforhislateantagonists，withaconscientiousandthoughtfulobservationoftheircharacter。Althoughhehadresignedfromthearmy，thefactthathehadpreviouslygraduatedatWestPointwithhighhonorshadgivenhimprefermentinthistechnicalappointment，andhisknowledgeofthecountryanditspeoplemadehimavaluablecounselor。Anditwasafactthatthecountrypeoplehadpreferredthissoldierwithwhomtheyhadoncepersonallygrappledtothecapitalisttheyhadneverknownduringthestruggle。

Thetrainrolledslowlythroughthewoods，soslowlythatthefragrantpinesmokefromtheenginestillhungroundthewindowsofthecars。Graduallythe"clearings"becamelarger;theysawthedistantwhitewoodencolonnadesofsomeplanter’shouse，lookingstillopulentandpretentious，althoughthefenceofitsinclosurehadbrokengaps，andthegatesaggedonitssinglehinge。

Mr。Drummondsniffedatthisdamningrecordofneglectandindifference。"Eveniftheywereruined，theymightstillhavespentafewcentsfornailsandslatstoenablethemtolookdecentbeforefolks，andnotparadetheirpovertybeforetheirneighbors，"

hesaid。

"Butthat’sjustwhereyoumisunderstandthem，Drummond，"saidCourtland，smiling。"Theyhavenoreasontokeepupanattitudetowardstheirneighbors，whostillknowthemas’Squire’so—and—so，’Colonel’thisandthat，andthe’Judge，’——ownersoftheirvastbutcrippledestates。Theyarenotashamedofbeingpoor，whichisanaccident。"

"Buttheyareofworking，whichisDELIBERATION，"interruptedDrummond。"Theyareashamedtomendtheirfencesthemselves，nowthattheyhavenoslavestodoitforthem。"

"Idoubtverymuchifsomeofthemknowhowtodriveanail，forthematterofthat，"saidCourtland，stillgood—humoredly，"butthat’sthefaultofasystemolderthanthemselves，whichthefoundersoftheRepublicretained。Wecannotgivethemexperienceintheirnewconditioninoneday，andinfact，Drummond，Iamverymuchafraidthatforourpurposes——andIhonestlybelieveforTHEIR

good——wemusthelptokeepthemforthepresentastheyare。"

"Perhaps，"saidDrummondsarcastically，"youwouldliketoreinstateslavery？"

"No。ButIshouldliketoreinstatetheMASTER。AndnotforHIS

sakealone，butforfreedom’ssakeandOURS。Tobeplain：sinceI

havetakenupthismatterforthecompany，Ihavesatisfiedmyselffrompersonalobservationthatthenegro——evenmorethanhismaster——cannothandlehisnewcondition。Heisaccustomedtohisoldtraditionaltask—master，andIdoubtifhewillworkfairlyforanyother——particularlyforthosewhodon’tunderstandhim。Don’tmistakeme：Idon’tproposetogobacktothewhip;tothatbrutalinstitution，theirresponsibleoverseer;tothebuyingandselling，andseparationofthefamily，noranyoftheoldwrongs;butI

proposetomaketheoldmasterOUROVERSEER，andresponsibletoUS。

Heisnotafool，andhasalreadylearnedthatitismoreprofitabletopaywagestohisoldslavesandhavethepowerofdismissal，likeanyotheremployer，thanbeobliged，undertheoldsystemofenforcedlaborandlifeservitude，toundergothecostofmaintainingincompetenceandidleness。Theoldsentimentofslave—owninghasdisappearedbeforenaturalcommon—senseandselfishness。Iamsatisfiedthatbysomesuchprocessasthisutilizingoftheoldmasterandthenewfreedomwewillbebetterabletocultivateourlandsthanbybuyinguptheirestates，andsettingtheoldownersadrift，withalittlemoneyintheirpockets，asanidle，discontentedclasstoreviveoldpoliticaldogmas，andfomentnewissues，orperhapssetupadangerousoppositiontous。

"Youdon’tmeantosaythatthoseinfernalniggerswouldgivethepreferencetotheiroldoppressors？"

"Dollarfordollarinwages——yes！Andwhyshouldn’tthey？Theiroldmastersunderstandthembetter——andtreatthemgenerallybetter。Theyknowourinterestinthemisonlyanabstractsentiment，notarealliking。Weshowitateveryturn。ButwearenearingRedlands，andMajorReedwill，Ihavenodoubt，corroboratemyimpressions。Heinsistsuponourstayingathishouse，althoughthepooroldfellow，Iimagine，canillaffordtoentertaincompany。Buthewillbeoffendedifwerefuse。"

"Heisafriendofyours，then？"askedDrummond。

"IfoughtagainsthisdivisionatStonyCreek，"saidCourtlandgrimly。"Henevertiresoftalkingofittome——soIsupposeI

am。"

AfewmomentslaterthetrainglidedbesidetheRedlandsplatform。

AsthetwotravelersdescendedahandwaslaidonCourtland’sshoulder，andastoutfigureintheblackestandshiniestofalpacajackets，andthewhitestandbroadestofPanamahats，welcomedhim。

"Gladtoseeyo’，cun’nel。IreckonedI’dwaltzoverandbringalongtheboy，"pointingtoagrizzlednegroservantofsixtywhowasbowingbeforethem，"tototeyo’rthingsoverinsteadofusingahack。Ihaven’trunmuchonhorsefleshsincethewah——ha！ha！

WhatIdidn’tuseupforremountsIreckonyo’rcommissarygobbledupwiththeotherlivestock，eh？"Helaughedheartily，asiftherecollectionswerepurelyhumorous，andagainclappedCourtlandontheback。

"Letmeintroducemyfriend，Mr。Drummond，MajorReed，"saidCourtland，smiling。

"Yo’wereinthewah，sir？"

"No——I"——returnedDrummond，hesitating，heknewnotwhy，andangryathisownembarrassment。

"Mr。Drummond，thevice—presidentofthecompany，"interposedCourtlandcheerfully，"wasengagedinfurnishingtousthesinewsofwar。"

MajorReedbowedalittlemoreformally。"Mostofusheah，sir，wereinthewahsometimeorother，andifyougentlemenwillhonahmebyjoininginasocialglassatthehotelacrosstheway，I’llintroduceyoutoCaptainPrendergast，wholeftalegatFairOaks。"

Drummondwouldhavedeclined，butasignificantpressureonhisarmfromCourtlandchangedhisdetermination。Hefollowedthemtothehotelandintothepresenceoftheone—leggedwarrior（whoturnedouttobethelandlordandbarkeeper），towhomCourtlandwashilariouslyintroducedbyMajorReedas"theman，sir，whohadpoundedmydivisionforthreehoursatStonyCreek！"

MajorReed’shousewasbutafewminutes’walkdownthedustylane，andwaspresentlyheraldedbythebayingofthreeorfourfoxhoundsandforeshadowedbyadilapidatedconditionofpicket—fenceandstuccoedgatefront。BeyonditstretchedthewoodenDoriccolumnsoftheusualSouthernmansion，dimlyseenthroughthebroadleavesofthehorse—chestnut—treesthatshadedit。Thereweretheusuallistlessblackshadowshauntingtheverandaandouteroffices——

formerslavesandstillattachedhouse—servants，arrestedlikelizardsinbreathlessattitudesattheapproachofstrangefootsteps，andstillholdingthebrush，broom，duster，orhomeimplementtheyhadbeenlazilyusing，intheirfixedhands。Fromthedoorwayofthedetachedkitchen，connectedbyagallerytothewingofthemansion，"AuntMartha，"thecook，gazedalso，withasaucepanclaspedtoherbosom，andherrevolvinghandwiththescrubbingclothinitapparentlystoppedonadeadcentre。

Drummond，whosegorgehadrisenattheseevidencesofhopelessincapacityanduttershiftlessness，wasnotrelievedbythepresenceofMrs。Reed——asoured，disappointedwomanofforty，whostillcarriedinhersmalldarkeyesandthinhandsomelipssomethingofthebitternessandantagonismofthetypical"Southernrights"woman;norofhertwodaughters，OctaviaandAugusta，whoselanguidatrabiliousnessseemedapartofthemourningtheystillwore。Theoptimisticgallantryandgoodfellowshipofthemajorappearedthemoreremarkablebycontrastwithhiscypress—shadowedfamilyandtheirvenomouspossibilities。PerhapstheremighthavebeenalightveinofSoutherninsincerityinhisgoodhumor。

"Paw，"saidMissOctavia，withgloomyconfidencetoCourtland，butwithaprettycurlofthehereditarylip，"isabouttheonly’reconstructed’oneoftheentirefamily。Wedon’tmake’emmuchaboutyer。ButI’dadviseyo’friend，Mr。Drummond，ifhe’scomingherecarpet—bagging，nottotrusttoomuchtopaw’s’reconstruction。’

Itwon’twash。"ButwhenCourtlandhastenedtoassureherthatDrummondwasnota"carpet—bagger，"wasnotonlyfreefromanyofthepoliticalintrigueimpliedunderthatbalefultitle，butwasawealthyNortherncapitalistsimplyseekinginvestment，theyoungladywasscarcelymorehopeful。"Isupposehereckonstopaypawforthoseniggersyo’stole？"shesuggestedwithgloomysarcasm。

"No，"saidCourtland，smiling;"butwhatifhereckonedtopaythoseniggersforworkingforyourfatherandhim？"

"Ifpawisgoingintotradingbusinesswithhim;ifMajorReed——aSo’th’ngentleman——isgoingtokeepshop，heain’tsuchafoolastobelieveniggerswillworkwhentheyain’tobligedto。THAT’S

beentriedoveratMirandyDows’s，notfivemilesfromhere，andtheniggersarehalfthetimehangin’roundheretakin’holiday。

Sheputupnewquartersfor’em，andtriedtomake’emeattogetheratalongtablelikethoselow—downfolksupNorth，anddidawaywiththeircabinsandtheirmelonpatches，andalloweditwouldget’emoutoflyingroundtoomuch，andwanted’emtoworkover—timeandgetmo’pay。Andtheresultwasthatsheandherniece，andalotofpoorwhites，IrishandScotch，thatshehadtopickup’’longtheriver，’doallthework。AndhernieceSallywasmo’

thanhalfUnionwomanduringthewah，anduptoallNo’th’ntricksanddodges，andswearin’bythem;andyet，forallthat——thethingwon’twork。"

"Butisn’tthatpartlythereason？Isn’therfailureagreatdealduetothislackofsympathyfromherneighbors？Discontentiseasilysown，andthenegroisstillweighteddownbysuperstition;

theFifteenthAmendmentdidnotquiteknockoffALLhischains。"

"Yes，butthatisnothingtoHER。Forifthereeverwasapersoninthisworldwhoreckonedshewasjustborntomanageeverythingandeverybody，itisSallyDows！"

"SallyDows！"repeatedCourtland，withaslightstart。

"Yes，SallyDows，ofPineville。"

"YousayshewashalfUnion，butdidshehaveanyrelationsor——

or——friends——inthewar——onyourside？Any——who——werekilledinbattle？"

"Theywereallkilled，Ireckon，"returnedMissReeddarkly。

"Therewashercousin，JuleJeffcourt，shotinthecemeterywithherbeau，who，theysay，wasSally’stoo;therewereChetBrooksandJoyceMasterton，whowerebothgoneonherandbothkilledtoo;

andtherewasoldCaptainDowshimself，whoneverliftedhisheadagainafterRichmondwastaken，anddrankhimselftodeath。Itwasn’tconsideredhealthytobeMissSally’srelationsinthosetimes，ortobeevenwantin’tobeone。"

ColonelCourtlanddidnotreply。Thefaceofthedeadyoungofficercomingtowardshimoutofthebluesmokeroseasvividlyasonthatmemorableday。Thepictureandletterhehadtakenfromthedeadman’sbreast，whichhehadretainedeversince;theromanticandfruitlessquesthehadmadeforthefairoriginalinafterdays;andthestrangeandfatefulinterestinherwhichhadgrownupinhisheartsincethen，henowknewhadonlybeenlulledtosleepinthebusypreoccupationofthelastsixmonths，foritallcamebacktohimwithredoubledforce。Hispresentmissionanditspracticalobject，hishonestzealinitspursuit，andthecautiousskillandexperiencehehadbroughttoit，allseemedtobesuddenlydisplacedbythisromanticandunrealfantasy。Oddlyenoughitappearednowtobetheonlyrealityinhislife，therestwasanincoherent，purposelessdream。

"Is——is——MissSallymarried？"heasked，collectinghimselfwithaneffort。

"Married？Yes，tothatfarmofheraunt’s！Ireckonthat’stheonlythingshecaresfor。"

Courtlandlookedup，recoveringhisusualcheerfulcalm。"Well，I

thinkthatafterluncheonI’llpaymyrespectstoherfamily。Fromwhatyouhavejusttoldmethefarmiscertainlyanexperimentworthseeing。IsupposeyourfatherwillhavenoobjectiontogivemealettertoMissDows？"

CHAPTERII。

Nevertheless，asColonelCourtlandrodedeliberatelytowardsDows’

Folly，asthenewexperimentwaslocallycalled，althoughhehadnotabatedhisromanticenthusiasmintheleast，hewasnotsorrythathewasabletovisititunderapracticalpretext。ItwasratherlatenowtoseekoutMissSallyDowswiththeavowedintentofbringingheraletterfromanadmirerwhohadbeendeadthreeyears，andwhosememoryshehadprobablyburied。Neitherwasittactfultorecallasentimentwhichmighthavebeenaweaknessofwhichshewasashamed。Yet，clear—headedandlogicalasCourtlandwasinhisordinaryaffairs，hewasneverthelessnotentirelyfreefromthatpeculiarsuperstitionwhichsurroundseveryman’sromance。Hebelievedtherewassomethingmorethanamerecoincidenceinhisunexpectedlyfindinghimselfinsuchfavorableconditionsformakingheracquaintance。Fortherest——iftherewasanyrest——hewouldsimplytrusttofate。Andso，believinghimselfacool，sagaciousreasoner，butbeingactually，asfarasMissDowswasconcerned，asblind，fatuous，andunreasoningasanyofherpreviousadmirers，herodecomplacentlyforwarduntilhereachedthelanethatledtotheDowsplantation。

Hereabetterkeptroadwayandfence，whosecarefulrepairwouldhavedelightedDrummond，seemedtoaugurwellforthenewenterprise。Presently，eventheold—fashionedlocalformofthefence，aslantingzigzag，gavewaytothemoredirectlineofpostandrailintheNorthernfashion。Beyonditpresentlyappearedalonglowfrontageofmodernbuildingswhich，toCourtland’ssurprise，wereentirelynewinstructureanddesign。TherewasnoreminiscenceoftheusualSouthernporticoedgableorcolumnedveranda。YetitwasnotNortherneither。Thefactory—likeoutlineoffacadewaspartlyhiddeninCherokeeroseandjessamine。

Alongroofedgalleryconnectedthebuildingsandbecameaverandatoone。Abroad，well—rolledgraveldriveledfromtheopengatetothenewestbuilding，whichseemedtobetheoffice;asmallerpathdivergedfromittothecornerhouse，which，despiteitsseveresimplicity，hadamoreresidentialappearance。UnlikeReed’shouse，therewerenoloungingservantsorfieldhandstobeseen;theywereevidentlyattendingtotheirrespectiveduties。

Dismounting，Courtlandtiedhishorsetoapostattheofficedoorandtookthesmallerpathtothecornerhouse。

Thedoorwasopentothefragrantafternoonbreezewaftedthroughtheroseandjessamine。Soalsowasasidedooropeningfromthehallintoalongparlororsitting—roomthatranthewholewidthofthehouse。Courtlandenteredit。Itwasprettilyfurnished，buteverythinghadtheairoffreshnessandofbeinguncharacteristicallynew。Itwasempty，butafainthammeringwasaudibleontherearwallofthehouse，throughthetwoopenFrenchwindowsattheback，curtainedwithtrailingvines，whichgaveuponasunlitcourtyard。

Courtlandwalkedtothewindow。Justbeforeit，ontheground，stoodasmalllightladder，whichhegentlyputasidetogainabetterviewofthecourtyardasheputonhishat，andsteppedoutoftheopenwindow。

Inthisattitudehesuddenlyfelthishattippedfromhishead，followedalmostinstantaneouslybyafallingslipper，andthedistinctimpressionofaverysmallfootonthecrownofhishead。

Anindescribablesensationpassedoverhim。Hehurriedlysteppedbackintotheroom，justasasmallstriped—stockingedfootwasashastilydrawnupabovethetopofthewindowwiththefeminineexclamation，"Goodgraciousme！"

Lingeringforaninstant，onlytoassurehimselfthatthefairspeakerhadsecuredherfootholdandwasinnodangeroffalling，Courtlandsnatcheduphishat，whichhadprovidentiallyfalleninsidetheroom，andretreatedingloriouslytotheotherendoftheparlor。Thevoicecameagainfromthewindow，andstruckhimasbeingverysweetandclear：——

"Sophy，isthatYOU？"

Courtlanddiscreetlyretiredtothehall。Tohisgreatreliefavoicefromtheoutsideanswered，"Whar，MissSally？"

"Whatdidyo’movetheladderfor？Yo’mighthavekilledme。"

"Fo’God，MissSally，Ididn’tmovenoladder！"

"Don’ttellme，butgodownandgetmyslipper。Andbringupsomemorenails。"

Courtlandwaitedsilentlyinthehall。Inafewmomentsheheardaheavyfootstepoutsidetherearwindow。Thiswashisopportunity。

Re—enteringtheparlorsomewhatostentatiously，heconfrontedatallnegrogirlwhowaspassingthroughtheroomcarryingatinyslipperinherhand。"Excuseme，"hesaidpolitely，"butIcouldnotfindanyonetoannounceme。IsMissDowsathome？"

Thegirlinstantlywhippedtheslipperbehindher。"Isyo’wantingMissMirandyDows，"sheaskedwithgreatdignity，"oahMissSallyDows——herniece？MissMirandy’sbingonetoAtlantaforaweek。"

"IhavealetterforMissMiranda，butIshallbeverygladifMissSallyDowswillreceiveme，returnedCourtland，handingtheletterandhiscardtothegirl。

Shereceiveditwithastillgreateraccessofdignityandmarkeddeliberation。"It’scleangoneoutermymind，sah，efMissSallyisinderesumptionofvisitahsatdishouah。Infac’，sah，"shecontinued，withintensifiedgravityandanexaggerationofthoughtfulnessasthesoundsofMissSally’shammeringcameshamelesslyfromthewall，"Idoahnknowexac’lyefshe’sengagedplayin’deharp，practicin’delanguages，orpaintin’inoilandwatahcolors，o’givin’audiencestooffishalsfromdeCourtHouse。

Itmightbedehouahfordeoneordeodder。ButI’llcommunicatewidher，sah，indebudwohondeuppahflo’。"Shebackeddexterously，soastokeeptheslipperbehindher，butwithnodiminutionofdignity，outofasidedoor。Inanothermomentthehammeringceased，followedbythesoundofrapidwhisperingwithout;afewtinytwigsandleavesslowlyrustledtotheground，andthentherewascompletesilence。Heventuredtowalktothefatefulwindowagain。

Presentlyheheardafaintrustleattheotherendoftheroom，andheturned。Asuddentremulousnesssweptalonghispulses，andthentheyseemedtopause;hedrewadeepbreaththatwasalmostasigh，andremainedmotionless。

HehadnopreconceivedideaoffallinginlovewithMissSallyatfirstsight，norhadhedreamedsuchathingpossible。Eventhegirlishfacethathehadseeninthelocket，althoughithadstirredhimwithasingularemotion，hadnotsuggestedthat。Andtheidealhehadevolvedfromitwasneverapotentpresence。Buttheexquisitelyprettyfaceandfigurebeforehim，althoughitmighthavebeenpaintedfromhisownfancyofher，wasstillsomethingmoreandsomethingunexpected。Allthathadgonebeforehadneverpreparedhimforthebeautifulgirlwhonowstoodthere。

ItwasapoorexplanationtosaythatMissSallywasfourorfiveyearsolderthanherpicture，andthatlaterexperiences，enlargedcapacity，adifferentlife，andnewambitionhadimpressedheryouthfulfacewitharefinedmobility;itwasaweirdfancytoimaginethatthebloodofthosewhohaddiedforherhadinsomevague，mysteriouswayimpartedanactualfascinationtoher，andhedismissedit。Buteventhemostfamiliarspectator，likeSophy，couldseethatMissSallyhadthesoftestpinkcomplexion，thesilkiesthair，thatlookedastheflossoftheIndiancornmightlookifcurled，orgoldenspiderthreadsifmaterialized，andeyesthatwereinbrightgrayharmonywithboth;thatthefrockofIndiamuslin，albeithome—made，fittedherfigureperfectly，fromtheazurebowsonhershoulderstotheribbonaroundherwaist;andthatthehemofitsbillowyskirtshowedafootwhichhadthereputationofbeingthesmallestfootsouthofMasonandDixon’sLine！ButitwassomethingmoreintangiblethanthiswhichkeptCourtlandbreathlessandsilent。

"I’mnotMissMirandaDows，"saidthevisionwithafranknessthatwashalfchildlikeandhalfpractical，assheextendedalittlehand，"butIcantalk’fahm’withyo’aboutaswellasaunty，andI

reckonfromwhatMajorReedsaysheah，"holdinguptheletterbetweenherfingers，"aslongasyo’getthepersimmonsyo’don’tmindwhatkindo’poleyo’knock’emdownwith。"

Thevoicethatcarriedthisspeechwassofresh，clear，andsweetthatIamafraidCourtlandthoughtlittleofitsbluntnessoritsconventionaltransgressions。Butitbroughthimhisowntonguequiteunemotionallyandquietly。"Idon’tknowwhatwasinthatnote，MissDows，butIcanhardlybelievethatMajorReedeverputmypresentfelicityquiteinthatway。"

MissSallylaughed。Thenwithacharmingexaggerationshewavedherlittlehandtowardsthesofa。

"There！Yo’naturallywantedalittleroomforthat，co’nnle，butnowthatyo’’vegotitoff，——andmightypootyitwas，too，——yo’

cansitdown。"Andwiththatshesankdownatoneendofthesofa，prettilydrewasideawhitebillowofskirtsoastoleaveampleroomforCourtlandattheother，andclaspingherfingersoverherknees，lookeddemurelyexpectant。

"ButletmehopethatIamnotdisturbingyouunseasonably，"saidCourtland，catchingsightofthefatefullittleslipperbeneathherskirt，andrememberingthewindow。"IwassopreoccupiedinthinkingofyourauntasthebusinessmanageroftheseestatesthatIquiteforgetthatshemighthavealady’shoursforreceiving。"

"Wehaven’tgotanycompanyhours，"saidMissSally，"andwehaven’tjustnowanyservantsforcompanymanners，forwe’reshort—

handedinthefieldsandbarns。Whenyo’cameIwasnailingupthelathsforthevinesoutside，becausewecouldn’tsparecarpentersfromthefactory。But，"sheadded，withafaintaccessionofmischiefinhervoice，"yo’cametotalkaboutthefahm？"

"Yes，"saidCourtland，rising，"butnottointerrupttheworkonit。Willyouletmehelpyounailupthelathsonthewall？I

havesomeexperiencethatway，andwecantalkaswework。Doobligeme！"

Theyounggirllookedathimbrightly。

"Well，now，there’snothingmeanaboutTHAT。Yo’meanitforsure？"

"Perfectly。IshallfeelsomuchlessasifIwasenjoyingyourcompanyunderfalsepretenses。"

"Yo’justwaithere，then。"

Shejumpedfromthesofa，ranoutoftheroom，andreturnedpresently，tyingthestringofalongstripedcottonblouse——

evidentlyanextraoneofSophy’s——behindherbackasshereturned。

Itwasgatheredunderherovalchinbyatapealsotiedbehindher，whileherfairhairwastuckedundertheusualredbandanahandkerchiefofthenegrohousemaid。Itisscarcelynecessarytoaddthattheeffectwasbewitching。

"But，"saidMissSally，eyingherguest’ssmartlyfittingfrock—

coat，"yo’’llspoilyo’rpootyclothes，sure！Takeoffyo’rcoat——

don’tmindme——andworkinyo’rshirtsleeves。"

CourtlandobedientlyflungasidehiscoatandfollowedhisactivehostessthroughtheFrenchwindowtotheplatformoutside。Abovethemawoodenledgeorcornice，projectingseveralinches，ranthewholelengthofthebuilding。ItwasonthisthatMissSallyhadevidentlyfoundafootholdwhileshewasnailingupatrellis—workoflathsbetweenitandthewindowsofthesecondfloor。Courtlandfoundtheladder，mountedtotheledge，followedbytheyounggirl，whosmilinglywaivedhisprofferedhandtohelpherup，andthetwogravelysettowork。ButintheintervalsofhammeringandtyingupthevinesMissSally’stonguewasnotidle。Hertalkwasasfresh，asquaint，asoriginalasherself，andyetsopracticalandtothepurposeofCourtland’svisitastoexcusehisdelightinitandherownfascinatingpropinquity。Whethershestoppedtotakeanailfrombetweenherprettylipswhenshespoketohim，orwhetherholdingonperilouslywithonehandtothetrelliswhileshegesticulatedwiththehammer，pointingoutthedivisionsoftheplantationfromhercoignofvantage，hethoughtshewasasclearandconvincingtohisintellectasshewasdistractingtohissenses。

ShetoldhimhowthewarhadbrokenuptheiroldhomeinPineville，sendingherfathertoserveintheConfederatecouncilsofRichmond，andleavingherauntandherselftomanagethepropertyalone;howtheestatehadbeendevastated，thehousedestroyed，andhowtheyhadbarelytimetoremoveafewvaluables;how，althoughSHEhadalwaysbeenopposedtosecessionandthewar，shehadnotgoneNorth，preferringtostaywithherpeople，andtakewiththemthepunishmentofthefollyshehadforeseen。Howafterthewarandherfather’sdeathsheandheraunthaddeterminedto"reconstructTHEMSELVES"aftertheirownfashiononthisbitofproperty，whichhadsurvivedtheirfortunesbecauseithadalwaysbeenconsideredvaluelessandunprofitablefornegrolabor。Howatfirsttheyhadundergoneseriousdifficulty，throughtheincompetenceandignoranceofthefreedlaborer，andtheequalapathyandprejudiceoftheirneighbors。Howtheyhadgraduallysucceededwiththeadoptionofnewmethodsandideasthatsheherselfhadconceived，whichshenowbrieflyandclearlystated。

Courtlandlistenedwithanew，breathless，andalmostsuperstitiousinterest：theywereHISOWNTHEORIES——perfectedanddemonstrated！

"Butyoumusthavehadcapitalforthis？"

Ah，yes！thatwaswheretheywerefortunate。ThereweresomeFrenchcousinswithwhomshehadoncestayedinParis，whoadvancedenoughtostocktheestate。ThereweresomeEnglishfriendsofherfather’s，oldblockaderunners，whohadtakenshares，providedthemwithmorecapital，andimportedsomeskilledlaborersandakindofstewardoragenttorepresentthem。Buttheyweregettingon，andperhapsitwasbetterfortheirreputationwiththeirneighborsthattheyhadnotbeenBEHOLDENtothe"No’th。"SeeingacloudpassoverCourtland’sface，theyoungladyaddedwithanaffectedsigh，andthefirsttouchoffemininecoquetrywhichhadinvadedtheirwholesomecamaraderie：——

"Yo’oughttohavefoundusoutBEFORE，co’nnle。"

ForanimpulsivemomentCourtlandfeltliketellingherthenandtherethestoryofhisromanticquest;butthereflectionthattheywerestandingonanarrowledgewithnoroomfortheemotions，andthatMissSallyhadjustputanailinhermouthandastartmightbedangerous，checkedhim。Tothismaybeaddedanewjealousyofherpreviousexperiences，whichhehadnotfeltbefore。

Nevertheless，hemanagedtosaywithsomeeffusion：——

"ButIhopewearenottoolateNOW。IthinkmyprincipalsarequitereadyandabletobuyupanyEnglishorFrenchinvestornowortocome。"

"Yo’mighttryyo’handonthatone，"saidMissSally，pointingtoayoungfellowwhohadjustemergedfromtheofficeandwascrossingthecourtyard。"He’stheEnglishagent。"

Hewassquare—shoulderedandround—headed，freshandcleanlookinginhiswhiteflannels，butwithanairofbeingutterlydistinctandalientoeverythingaroundhim，andmentallyandmorallyirreconcilabletoit。Ashepassedthehouseheglancedshylyatit;hiseyebrightenedandhismannerbecameself—consciousashecaughtsightoftheyounggirl，butchangedagainwhenhesawhercompanion。Courtlandlikewisewasconsciousofacertainuneasiness;itwasonethingtobehelpingMissSallyALONE，butcertainlyanotherthingtobedoingsoundertheeyeofastranger;

andIamafraidthathemetthestonyobservationoftheEnglishmanwithanequallycoldstare。MissSallyaloneretainedherlanguideaseandself—possession。Shecalledout，"Waitamoment，Mr。

Champney，"slippedlightlydowntheladder，andleaningagainstitwithonefootonitslowestrungawaitedhisapproach。

"Ireckonedyo’mightbepassingby，"shesaid，ashecameforward。

"Co’nnleCourtland，"withanexplanatorywaveofthehammertowardshercompanion，whoremainederectandslightlystiffenedonthecornice，"isnorelationtothosefiguresalongthefriezeoftheRedlandsCourtHouse，butaNo’th’nofficer，afriendofMajorReed’s，who’scomedownheretolookafterSo’th’npropertyforsomeNo’th’ncapitalists。Mr。Champney，"shecontinued，turningandliftinghereyestoCourtlandassheindicatedChampneywithherhammer，"whenheisn’ttalkingEnglish，seeingEnglish，thinkingEnglish，dressingEnglish，andwonderingwhyGoddidn’tmakeeverythingEnglish，istryingtodothesameforHISfolks。

Mr。Champney，Co’nnleCourtland。Co’nnleCourtland，Mr。Champney！"

Thetwomenbowedformally。"Andnow，Co’nnle，ifyo’llcomedown，Mr。Champneywillshowyo’roundthefahm。Whenyo’’vegotthroughyo’llfindmehereatwork。"

Courtlandwouldhavepreferred，andhalflookedforhercompanyandcommentaryonthisroundofinspection，butheconcealedhisdisappointmentanddescended。ItdidnotexactlypleasehimthatChampneyseemedrelieved，andappearedtoaccepthimasabonafidestrangerwhocouldnotpossiblyinterferewithanyconfidentialrelationsthathemighthavewithMissSally。Nevertheless，hemettheEnglishman’soffertoaccompanyhimwithpolitegratitude，andtheyleftthehousetogether。

Inlessthananhourtheyreturned。IthadnoteventakenthattimeforCourtlandtodiscoverthattherealimprovementsandthenewmethodshadoriginatedwithMissSally;thatshewasvirtuallythecontrollinginfluencethere，andthatshewasprobablyretardedratherthanassistedbytheold—fashionedandtraditionalconservatismofthecompanyofwhichChampneywassteward。Itwasequallyplain，however，thattheyoungfellowwasdimlyconsciousofthis，andwasfranklycommunicativeaboutit。

"Yousee，overtheretheyworkthingsinadifferentway，and，byJove！theycan’tunderstandthatthereisanyother，don’tyouknow？They’realwayswiggingmeasifIcouldhelpit，althoughI’vetriedtoexplaintheniggerbusiness，andallthat，don’tyouknow？TheywantMissDowstoreferherplanstome，andexpectmetoreportonthem，andthenthey’llsubmitthemtotheBoardandwaitforitsdecision。FancyMissDowsdoingthat！But，byJove！

theycan’tconceiveofherATALLoverthere，don’tyouknow？"

"WhichMissDowsdoyoumean？"askedCourtlanddryly。

"MissSally，ofcourse，"saidtheyoungfellowbriskly。"SHE

manageseverything——herauntincluded。Shecanmakethoseniggersworkwhennooneelsecan，awordorsmilefromherisenough。Shecanmaketermswithdealersandcontractors——herownterms，too——

whentheywon’tlookatMYfigures。ByJove！sheevengetspointsoutofthosetravelingagentsandinventors，don’tyouknow，whocomealongtheroadwithpatentsandsamples。Shegotoneofthoselightning—rodandwire—fencementoshowherhowtoputupanarborforhertrailingroses。Why，whenIfirstsawYOUuponthecornice，Ithoughtyouweresomeotherchapthatshe’dasked——don’tyouknow——thatis，atfirst，ofcourse！——youknowwhatImean——ha，byJove！——beforewewereintroduced，don’tyouknow。"

"IthinkIOFFEREDtohelpMissDows，"saidCourtlandwithaquicknessthatheatonceregretted。

"SodidHE，don’tyouknow？MissSallydoesnotASKanybody。

Don’tyousee？afellowdon’tliketostandbyandseeayoungladylikeherdoingsuchwork。"Vaguelyawareofsomeinfelicityinhisspeech，heawkwardlyturnedthesubject："Idon’tthinkIshallstayherelong，myself。"

"YouexpecttoreturntoEngland？"askedCourtland。

"Oh，no！ButIshallgooutofthecompany’sserviceandtrymyownhand。There’sagoodbitoflandaboutthreemilesfromherethat’sinthemarket，andIthinkIcouldmakesomethingoutofit。

Afellowoughttosettledownandbehisownmaster，"heansweredtentatively，"eh？"

"ButhowwillMissDowsbeabletospareyou？"askedCourtland，uneasilyconsciousthathewasassuminganindifference。

"Oh，I’mnotmuchusetoher，don’tyouknow——atleastnotHERE。

ButImight，ifIhadmyownlandandifwewereneighbors。ItoldyouSHErunstheplace，nomatterwho’shere，orwhosemoneyisinvested。"

"IpresumeyouarespeakingnowofyoungMissDows？"saidCourtlanddryly。

"MissSally——ofcourse——always，"saidChampneysimply。"Sherunstheshop。"

"WeretherenotsomeFrenchinvestors——relationsofMissDows？

DoesanybodyrepresentTHEM？"askedCourtlandpointedly。

Yethewasnotquitepreparedforthenaivechangeinhiscompanion’sface。"No。TherewasasortofFrenchcousinwhousedtobeagooddealtothefore，don’tyouknow？ButIratherfancyhedidn’tcomeheretolookafterthePROPERTY，"returnedChampneywithaquicklaugh。"Ithinktheauntmusthavewrittentohisfriends，forthey’calledhimoff，’andIdon’tthinkMissSallybrokeherheartabouthim。She’snotthatsortofgirl——eh？ShecouldhaveherpickoftheStateifshewentinforthatsortofthing——eh？"

AlthoughthiswasexactlywhatCourtlandwasthinking，itpleasedhimtoanswerinadistraitsortoffashion，"Certainly，Ishouldthinkso，"andtorelapseintoanapparentlybusinessabstraction。

"IthinkIwon’tgoin，"continuedChampneyastheynearedthehouseagain。"Isupposeyou’llhavesomethingmoretosaytoMissDows。Ifthere’sanythingelseyouwantofME，cometotheoffice。

ButSHE’LLknow。And——er——er——ifyou’re——er——stayinglonginthispartofthecountry，rideoverandlookmeup，don’tyouknow？andhaveasmokeandajulep;Ihaveaboywhoknowshowtomixthem，andI’vesomeoldbrandysentmefromtheotherside。Good—by。"

Moreawkwardinhiskindlinessthaninhissimplebusinessconfidences，butapparentlyequallyhonestinboth，heshookCourtland’shandandwalkedaway。Courtlandturnedtowardsthehouse。Hehadseenthefarmanditsimprovements;hehadfoundsomeofhisownideaspracticallydiscounted;clearlytherewasnothingleftforhimtodobuttothankhishostessandtakehisleave。Buthefeltfarmoreuneasythanwhenhehadarrived;andtherewasasingularsenseofincompletenessinhisvisitthathecouldnotentirelyaccountfor。HisconversationwithChampneyhadcomplicated——heknewnotwhy——hisprevioustheoriesofMissDows，andalthoughhewashalfconsciousthatthishadnothingtodowiththebusinessthatbroughthimthere，hetriedtothinkthatithad。

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