首页 >出版文学> THE HOUSE BEHIND THE CEDARS>第5章
  Induetimetheindorserwascalledupontomeetthematuringobligation。Thiswasthebeginningofaseriesoffinancialdifficultieswhichspeedilyinvolvedhiminruin。Hediedprematurely,adisappointedanddisheartenedman,leavinghisfamilyindirepoverty。
  Hiswidowandsurvivingchildrenlivedonforalittlewhileatthehousehehadowned,justoutsideofthetown,ononeofthemaintraveledroads。
  Bythewayside,nearthehouse,therewasafamousdeepwell。Theslim,barefootgirl,withsparklingeyesandvoluminoushair,whoplayedabouttheyardandsometimeshandedwaterinagourdtotravelers,didnotlongescapecriticalobservation。
  Agentlemandrovebyoneday,stoppedatthewell,smileduponthegirl,andsaidkindwords。Hecameagain,morethanonce,andsoon,whilescarcelymorethanachildinyears,Mollywaslivinginherownhouse,hersbydeedofgift,forherprotectorwasrichandliberal。Hermothernevermoreknewwant。HerpoorrelationscouldalwaysfindamealinMolly’skitchen。Shedidnotflauntherprosperityintheworld’sface;shehiditdiscreetlybehindthecedarscreen。Thosewhowishedcouldknowofit,fortherewerefewsecretsinPatesville;thosewhochosecouldaseasilyignoreit。Therewerefewtotroublethemselvesaboutthesecludedlifeofanobscurewomanofaclasswhichhadnorecognizedplaceinthesocialeconomy。Sheworshipedthegrounduponwhichherlordwalked,washumblygratefulforhisprotection,andquiteasfaithfulastheforbiddenmarriagevowcouldpossiblyhavemadeher。Sheledherlifeinmaterialpeaceandcomfort,andwithacertainamountofdignity。Ofherfalserelationtosocietyshewasnotwithoutsomevagueconception;butthemoralpointinvolvedwassoconfusedwithotherquestionsgrowingout——ofslaveryandcasteastocauseher,asarule,butlittleuneasiness;andonlynowandthen,inthemomentsofdeeperfeelingthatcomesometimestoallwholiveandlove,didtherebreakthroughthemistsofignoranceandprejudicesurroundingheraflashoflightbywhichshesaw,sofarasshewascapableofseeing,hertrueposition,whichintheclearlightoftruthnospecialpleadingcouldentirelyjustify。Forshewasfree,shehadnottheslave’sexcuse。Witheveryinducementtodoevilandfewincentivestodowell,andhenceentitledtocharitablejudgment,sheyethadfreedomofchoice,andthereforecouldnotwhollyescapeblame。Letitbesaid,infurtherextenuation,thatnootherwomanlivedinneglectorsorrowbecauseofher。Sherobbednooneelse。Forwhatlifegavehershereturnedanequivalent;andwhatshedidnotpay,herchildrensettledtothelastfarthing。
  Severalyearsbeforethewar,whenMis’Molly’sdaughterRenawasafewyearsold,deathhadsuddenlyremovedthesourceoftheirprosperity。
  Thehouseholdwasnotleftentirelydestitute。
  Mis’Mollyownedherhome,andhadastoreofgoldpiecesinthechestbeneathherbed。Asmallpieceofrealestatestoodinthenameofeachofthechildren,theincomefromwhichcontributedtotheirmaintenance。Largerexpectationsweredependentuponthediscoveryofapromisedwill,whichnevercametolight。Mis’Mollyworeblackforseveralyearsafterthisbereavement,untiltheteacherandthepreacher,followingcloseupontheheelsofmilitaryoccupation,suggestedtothecoloredpeoplenewstandardsoflifeandcharacter,inthelightofwhichMis’Mollylaidhermourningsadlyandshamefacedlyaside。ShehadeatenofthefruitoftheTreeofKnowledge。Afterthewarsheformedthehabitofchurch—going,andmighthavebeenseennowandthen,withherdaughter,inaretiredcornerofthegalleryofthewhiteEpiscopalchurch。Uponthegroundfloorwasacertainpewwhichcouldbeseenfromherseat,whereoncehadsatagentlemanwhosepleasureshadnotinterferedwiththepracticeofhisreligion。ShemighthavehadabetterseatinachurchwhereaNorthernmissionarywouldhavepreachedasermonbettersuitedtohercomprehensionandhermoralneeds,butshepreferredtheother。Shewasnotwhite,alas!shewasshutoutfromthisseemingparadise;
  butshelikedtoseethedistantglowofthecelestialcity,andtorecallthedayswhenshehadbaskedinitsradiance。Shedidnotsympathizegreatlywiththeneweraopenedupfortheemancipatedslaves;
  shehadnoidealloveofliberty;shewasnobroaderandnomorealtruisticthanthewhitepeoplearoundher,towhomshehadalwayslookedup;andshesighedfortheolddays,becausetohertheyhadbeenthegooddays。Now,notonlywasherkingdead,buttheshieldofhismemoryprotectedhernolonger。
  Mollyhadlostonechild,andhisgravewasvisiblefromthekitchenwindow,underasmallclumpofcedarsintherearofthetwo—acrelot。
  Foreveninthetownsmanyahouseholdhaditsprivatecemeteryinthoseolddayswhenthelivingwereclosetothedead,andghostswerenotthemerechimerasofasickimagination,butrealthoughunsubstantialentities,ofwhichitwasalmostdisgracefulnottohaveseenoneortwo。
  HadnottheWitchofEndorcalleduptheshadeofSamueltheprophet?HadnotthespiritofMis’Molly’sdeadsonappearedtoher,aswellastheghostlypresenceofanothershehadloved?
  In1855,Mis’Molly’sremainingsonhadgrownintoatall,slenderladoffifteen,withhisfather’spatricianfeaturesandhismother’sIndianhair,andnoexternalsigntomarkhimofffromthewhiteboysonthestreet。Hesooncametoknow,however,thattherewasadifference。Hewasinformedonedaythathewasblack。Hedeniedthepropositionandthrashedthechildwhomadeit。
  Thescenewasrepeatedthenextday,withavariation,——hewashimselfthrashedbyalargerboy。
  Whenhehadbeenbeatenfiveorsixtimes,heceasedtoarguethepoint,thoughtohimselfheneveradmittedthecharge。Hisplaymatesmightcallhimblack;themirrorprovedthatGod,theFatherofall,hadmadehimwhite;andGod,hehadbeentaught,madenomistakes,——havingmadehimwhite,Hemusthavemeanthimtobewhite。
  Inthe"hall"orparlorofhismother’shousestoodaquaintlycarvedblackwalnutbookcase,containingasmallbutremarkablecollectionofbooks,whichhadatonetimebeenused,inhishoursofretreatandrelaxationfrombusinessandpolitics,bythedistinguishedgentlemanwhodidnotgivehisnametoMis’Molly’schildren,——towhomitwouldhavebeenavaluableheritage,couldtheyhavehadtherighttobearit。AmongthebookswereavolumeofFielding’scompleteworks,infineprint,setindoublecolumns;asetofBulwer’snovels;acollectionofeverythingthatWalterScott——theliteraryidoloftheSouth——hadeverwritten;BeaumontandFletcher’splays,cheekbyjowlwiththehistoryofthevirtuousClarissaHarlowe;theSpectatorandTristramShandy,RobinsonCrusoeandtheArabianNights。OnthesesecludedshelvesRoderickRandom,DonQuixote,andGilBlasforalongtimeceasedtheirwanderings,thePilgrim’sProgresswassuspended,Milton’smightyharmoniesweredumb,andShakespearereignedoverasilentkingdom。AnillustratedBible,withawonderfulApocrypha,wasflankedononesidebyVolney’sRuinsofEmpireandontheotherbyPaine’sAgeofReason,forthecollectorofthebookshadbeenamanofcatholictasteaswellasofinquiringmind,andnoonewhocouldhavecriticisedhisreadingeverpenetratedbehindthecedarhedge。AhistoryoftheFrenchRevolutionconsortedamiablywithahomespunchronicleofNorthCarolina,richinbiographicalnoticesofdistinguishedcitizensandinscriptionsfromtheirtombstones,uponreadingwhichonemightwellwonderwhyNorthCarolinahadnotlongagoeclipsedtherestoftheworldinwealth,wisdom,glory,andrenown。Onalmosteverypageofthismonumentalworkcouldbefoundthemostardentpanegyricsofliberty,sidebysidewiththeslaverystatisticsoftheState,——anincongruityofwhichthelearnedauthorwasdeliciouslyunconscious。
  WhenJohnWaldenwasyetasmallboy,hehadlearnedallthatcouldbetaughtbythefadedmulattoteacherinthelong,shinyblackfrockcoat,whomlocalpublicopinionpermittedtoteachahandfuloffreecoloredchildrenforapittancebarelyenoughtokeepsoulandbodytogether。
  Whentheboyhadlearnedtoread,hediscoveredthelibrary,whichforseveralyearshadbeenwithoutareader,andfoundinittheportalofanewworld,peopledwithstrangeandmarvelousbeings。
  Lyingproneupontheflooroftheshadedfrontpiazza,behindthefragrantgarden,hefollowedthefortunesofTomJonesandSophia;heweptoverthefateofEugeneAram;hepenetratedwithRichardtheLion—heartintoSaladin’stent,withGilBlasintotherobbers’cave;heflewthroughtheaironthemagiccarpetortheenchantedhorse,ortiedwithSindbadtotheroc’sleg。Sometimeshereadorrepeatedthesimplerstoriestohislittlesister,sittingwide—eyedbyhisside。Whenhehadreadallthebooks,——indeed,longbeforehehadreadthemall,——hetoohadtastedofthefruitoftheTreeofKnowledge:contentmenttookitsflight,andhappinesslayfarbeyondthespherewherehewasborn。Thebloodofhiswhitefathers,theheirsoftheages,criedoutforitsown,andafterthemannerofthatbloodsetaboutgettingtheobjectofitsdesire。
  NearthecornerofMackenzieStreet,justoneblocknorthofthePatesvillemarket—house,therehadstoodformanyyearsbeforethewar,onthevergeofthesteepbankofBeaverCreek,asmallframeofficebuilding,thefrontofwhichwaslevelwiththestreet,whiletherearrestedonlongbrickpillarsfoundedonthesolidrockattheedgeofthebrawlingstreambelow。Here,fornearlyhalfacentury,ArchibaldStraighthadtransactedlegalbusinessforthebestpeopleofNorthumberlandCounty。Fullmanyalawsuithadhewon,lost,orsettled;manyaspendthrifthadhesavedfromruin,andnotafewfamiliesfromdisgrace。Severaltimeshonoredbyelectiontothebench,hehadsodispensedjusticetemperedwithmercyastowintheheartsofallgoodcitizens,andespeciallythoseofthepoor,theoppressed,andthesociallydisinherited。Therightsofthehumblestnegro,fewastheymightbe,wereassacredtohimasthoseoftheproudestaristocrat,andhehadsentencedamantobehangedforthemurderofhisownslave。Anold—fashionedman,tallandspareoffigureandbowedsomewhatwithage,hewasalwayscorrectlycladinalongfrockcoatofbroadcloth,withahighcollarandablackstock。
  Courtlyinaddresstohissocialequals(superiorshehadnone),hewaskindandconsideratetothosebeneathhim。Heownedafewdomesticservants,nooneofwhomhadeverfelttheweightofhishand,andforwhoseultimatefreedomhehadprovidedinhiswill。Inthelong—drawn—outslaveryagitationhehadtakenakeeninterest,ratherasobserverthanasparticipant。Astheheatofcontroversyincreased,hislackofzealforthepeculiarinstitutionledtohisdefeatforthebenchbyamoreactivepartisan。Hiswastoojustamindnottoperceivetheargumentsonbothsides;
  but,onthewhole,hehadstoodbytheancientlandmarks,contenttoleteventsdrifttoaconclusionhedidnotexpecttosee;theinstitutionsofhisfatherswouldprobablylasthislifetime。
  OnedayJudgeStraightwassittinginhisofficereadingarecentlypublishedpamphlet,——
  presentinganelaboratepro—slaveryargument,baseduponthehopelessintellectualinferiorityofthenegro,andthephysicalandmoraldegenerationofmulattoes,whocombinedtheworstqualitiesoftheirtwoancestralraces,——whenabarefootedboywalkedintotheoffice,strawhatinhand,cameboldlyuptothedeskatwhichtheoldjudgewassitting,andsaidasthejudgelookedupthroughhisgold—rimmedglasses,——
  "Sir,Iwanttobealawyer!"
  "Godblessme!"exclaimedthejudge。"Itisasingulardesire,fromasingularsource,andexpressedinasingularway。Whothedevilareyou,sir,thatwishsostrangeathingastobecomealawyer——everybody’sservant?"
  "Andeverybody’smaster,sir,"repliedtheladstoutly。
  "Thatisamatterofopinion,andopentoargument,"rejoinedthejudge,amusedandsecretlyflatteredbythistributetohisprofession,"thoughtheremaybeagrainoftruthinwhatyousay。
  Butwhatisyourname,Mr。Would—be—lawyer?"
  "JohnWalden,sir,"answeredthelad。
  "JohnWalden?——Walden?"musedthejudge。
  "WhatWaldencanthatbe?Doyoubelongintown?"
  "Yes,sir。"
  "Humph!Ican’timaginewhoyouare。It’splainthatyouarealadofgoodblood,andyetI
  don’tknowwhosesonyoucanbe。Whatisyourfather’sname?"
  Theladhesitated,andflushedcrimson。
  Theoldgentlemannotedhishesitation。"Itisawiseson,"hethought,"thatknowshisownfather。Heisabrightlad,andwillhavethisquestionputtohimmorethanonce。I’llseehowhewillanswerit。"
  Theboymaintainedanawkwardsilence,whiletheoldjudgeeyedhimkeenly。
  "Myfather’sdead,"hesaidatlength,inalowvoice。"I’mMis’MollyWalden’sson。"Hehadexpected,ofcourse,totellwhohewas,ifasked,buthadnotforeseenjusttheformoftheinquiry;andwhilehehadthoughtmoreofhisracethanofhisillegitimatebirth,herealizedatthismomentasneverbeforethatthisquestiontoowouldbealwayswithhim。AsputnowbyJudgeStraight,itmadehimwince。Hehadnotreadhisfather’sbooksfornothing。
  "Godblessmysoul!"exclaimedthejudgeingenuinesurpriseatthisanswer;"andyouwanttobealawyer!"Thesituationwassomuchworsethanhehadsuspectedthatevenanoldpractitioner,case—hardenedbyyearsoflifeatthetrialtableandonthebench,wasstartledforamomentintoacomicalsortofconsternation,soapparentthataladlessstout—heartedwouldhaveweakenedandfledatthesightofit。
  "Yes,sir。Whynot?"respondedtheboy,tremblingalittleattheknees,butstoutlyholdinghisground。
  "Hewantstobealawyer,andheasksmewhynot!"mutteredthejudge,speakingapparentlytohimself。Herosefromhischair,walkedacrosstheroom,andthrewopenawindow。Thecoolmorningairbroughtwithitthebabblingofthestreambelowandthemurmurofthemillnearby。
  Heglancedacrossthecreektotheruinedfoundationofanoldhouseonthelowgroundbeyondthecreek。Turningfromthewindow,helookedbackattheboy,whohadremainedstandingbetweenhimandthedoor。Atthatmomentanotherladcamealongthestreetandstoppedoppositetheopendoorway。Thepresenceofthetwoboysinconnectionwiththebookhehadbeenreadingsuggestedacomparison。Thejudgeknewtheladoutsideasthesonofaleadingmerchantofthetown。Themerchantandhiswifewerebothofoldfamilieswhichhadlivedinthecommunityforseveralgenerations,andwhosebloodwaspresumablyofthepureststrain;yettheboywassallow,withamorphousfeatures,thinshanks,andstoopingshoulders。Theyouthstandinginthejudge’soffice,onthecontrary,wasstraight,shapely,andwell—grown。Hiseyewasclear,andhekeptitfixedontheoldgentlemanwithalookinwhichtherewasnothingofcringing。HewasnodarkerthanmanyawhiteboybronzedbytheSouthernsun;hishairandeyeswereblack,andhisfeaturesofthehigh—bred,clean—cutorderthatmarksthepatriciantypetheworldover。Whatstruckthejudgemostforcibly,however,wasthelad’sresemblancetoanoldfriendandcompanionandclient。Herecalledacertainconversationwiththisoldfriend,whohadsaidtohimoneday:
  "Archie,I’mcomingintohaveyoudrawmywill。TherearesomechildrenforwhomIwouldliketomakeampleprovision。Ican’tgivethemanythingelse,butmoneywillmakethemfreeoftheworld。"
  Thejudge’sfriendhaddiedsuddenlybeforecarryingoutthisgoodintention。Thejudgehadtakenoccasiontosuggesttheexistenceofthesechildren,andtheirfather’sintentionsconcerningthem,tothedistantrelativeswhohadinheritedhisfriend’slargeestate。Theyhadchosentotakeoffenseatthesuggestion。Onehadthoughtitinshockingbadtaste;anotherconsideredanymentionofsuchasubjectaninsulttohiscousin’smemory。Athirdhadsaid,withflashingeyes,thatthewomanandherchildrenhadalreadyrobbedtheestateofenough;thatitwasapitythelittleniggerswerenotslaves——thattheywouldhaveaddedmeasurablytothevalueoftheproperty。
  JudgeStraight’smannerindicatedsomedisapprovaloftheirattitude,andthesettlementoftheestatewasplacedinotherhandsthanhis。Now,thisson,withhisfather’sfaceandhisfather’svoice,stoodbeforehisfather’sfriend,demandingentrancetothegoldengateofopportunity,whichsocietybarredtoallwhoborethebloodofthedespisedrace。
  Ashekeptonlookingattheboy,whobeganatlengthtogrowsomewhatembarrassedunderthiskeenscrutiny,thejudge’smindrevertedtocertainlawsandjudicialdecisionsthathehadlookeduponceortwiceinhislifetime。Eventhelaw,theinstrumentbywhichtyrannyrivetedthechainsuponitsvictims,hadrevoltednowandthenagainstthesenselessandunnaturalprejudicebywhicharaceascribingitssuperioritytorightofbloodpermittedameresuspicionofservilebloodtooutweighavastpreponderanceofitsown。
  "Why,indeed,shouldhenotbealawyer,oranythingelsethatamanmightbe,ifitbeinhim?"
  askedthejudge,speakingrathertohimselfthantotheboy。"Sitdown,"heordered,pointingtoachairontheothersideoftheroom。Thatheshouldaskacoloredladtobeseatedinhispresencewasofitselfenoughtostampthejudgeaseccentric。
  "Youwanttobealawyer,"hewenton,adjustinghisspectacles。"Youareaware,ofcourse,thatyouareanegro?"
  "Iamwhite,"repliedthelad,turningbackhissleeveandholdingouthisarm,"andIamfree,asallmypeoplewerebeforeme。"
  Theoldlawyershookhishead,andfixedhiseyesupontheladwithaslightlyquizzicalsmile。"Youareblack。"hesaid,"andyouarenotfree。Youcannottravelwithoutyourpapers;youcannotsecureaccommodationsataninn;youcouldnotvote,ifyouwereofage;youcannotbeoutafternineo’clockwithoutapermit。Ifawhitemanstruckyou,youcouldnotreturntheblow,andyoucouldnottestifyagainsthiminacourtofjustice。
  Youareblack,mylad,andyouarenotfree。DidyoueverhearoftheDredScottdecision,deliveredbythegreat,wise,andlearnedJudgeTaney?"
  "No,sir,"answeredtheboy。
  "Itistoolongtoread,"rejoinedthejudge,takingupthepamphlethehadlaiddownuponthelad’sentrance,"butitsaysinsubstance,asquotedbythisauthor,thatnegroesarebeings`ofaninferiororder,andaltogetherunfittoassociatewiththewhiterace,eitherinsocialorpoliticalrelations;infact,soinferiorthattheyhavenorightswhichthewhitemanisboundtorespect,andthatthenegromayjustlyandlawfullybereducedtoslaveryforhisbenefit。’Thatisthelawofthisnation,andthatisthereasonwhyyoucannotbealawyer。"
  "Itmayallbetrue,"repliedtheboy,"butitdon’tapplytome。Itsays`thenegro。’Anegroisblack;Iamwhite,andnotblack。"
  "Blackasink,mylad,"returnedthelawyer,shakinghishead。"`Onetouchofnaturemakesthewholeworldkin,’saysthepoet。Somewhere,sometime,youhadablackancestor。Onedropofblackbloodmakesthewholemanblack。"
  "Whyshouldn’titbetheotherway,ifthewhitebloodissomuchsuperior?"inquiredthelad。
  "Becauseitismoreconvenientasitis——andmoreprofitable。"
  "Itisnotright,"maintainedthelad。
  "Godblessme!"exclaimedtheoldgentleman,"heisinvadingthefieldofethics!Hewillbequestioningtherighteousnessofslaverynext!I’mafraidyouwouldn’tmakeagoodlawyer,inanyevent。Lawyersgobythelaws——theyabidebytheaccomplishedfact;tothem,whateveris,isright。
  Thelawsdonotpermitmenofcolortopracticelaw,andpublicsentimentwouldnotallowoneofthemtostudyit。"
  "Ihadthought,"saidthelad,"thatImightpassforwhite。TherearewhitepeopledarkerthanIam。"
  "Ah,well,thatisanothermatter;but"——
  Thejudgestoppedforamoment,struckbytheabsurdityofhisarguingsuchaquestionwithamulattoboy。Hereallymustbefallingintoprematuredotage。Theproperthingwouldbetorebuketheladforhispresumptionandadvisehimtolearntotakecareofhorses,ormakeboots,orlaybricks。Butagainhesawhisoldfriendinthelad’sface,andagainhelookedinvainforanysignofnegroblood。Theleastearmarkwouldhaveturnedthescale,buthecouldnotfindit。
  "Thatisanothermatter,"herepeated。"Hereyouhavestartedasblack,andmustremainso。
  Butifyouwishtomoveaway,andsinkyourpastintooblivion,thecasemightbedifferent。Letusseewhatthelawis;youmightnotneeditifyouwentfarenough,butitiswellenoughtobewithinit——libertyissweeterwhenfoundedsecurelyonthelaw。"
  Hetookdownavolumeboundinlegalcalfandglancedthroughit。"ThecolorlineisdrawninNorthCarolinaatfourgenerationsremovedfromthenegro;therehavebeenjudicialdecisionstothateffect。Iimaginethatwouldcoveryourcase。ButletusseewhatSouthCarolinamaysayaboutit,"hecontinued,takinganotherbook。
  "Ithinkthelawisevenmoreliberalthere。Ah,thisistheplace:——
  "`Thetermmulatto,’"heread,"`isnotinvariablyapplicabletoeveryadmixtureofAfricanbloodwiththeEuropean,norisonehavingallthefeaturesofawhitetoberankedwiththedegradedclassdesignatedbythelawsofthisStateaspersonsofcolor,becauseofsomeremotetaintofthenegrorace。JurieswouldprobablybejustifiedinholdingapersontobewhiteinwhomtheadmixtureofAfricanblooddidnotexceedoneeighth。Andevenwherecolororfeaturearedoubtful,itisaquestionforthejurytodecidebyreputation,byreceptionintosociety,andbytheirexerciseoftheprivilegesofthewhiteman,aswellasbyadmixtureofblood。’"
  "ThenIneednotbeblack?"theboycried,withsparklingeyes。
  "No,"repliedthelawyer,"youneednotbeblack,awayfromPatesville。Youhavethesomewhatunusualprivilege,itseems,ofchoosingbetweentworaces,andifyouarealadofspirit,asIthinkyouare,itwillnottakeyoulongtomakeyourchoice。Asyouhaveallthefeaturesofawhiteman,youwould,atleastinSouthCarolina,havesimplytoassumetheplaceandexercisetheprivilegesofawhiteman。Youmight,ofcourse,dothesamethinganywhere,aslongasnooneknewyourorigin。Butthematterhasbeenadjudicatedthereinseveralcases,andonthewholeIthinkSouthCarolinaistheplaceforyou。They’remoreliberalthere,perhapsbecausetheyhavemanymoreblacksthanwhites,andwouldliketolessenthedisproportion。"
  "Fromthistimeon,"saidtheboy,"Iamwhite。"
  "Softly,softly,myCaucasianfellowcitizen,"
  returnedthejudge,chucklingwithquietamusement。"Youarewhiteintheabstract,beforethelaw。Youmaycherishthefactinsecret,butI
  wouldnotadviseyoutoproclaimitopenlyjustyet。Youmustwaituntilyougoaway——toSouthCarolina。"
  "AndcanIlearntobealawyer,sir?"askedthelad。
  "Itseemstomethatyououghttobereasonablycontentforonedaywithwhatyouhavelearnedalready。Youcannotbealawyeruntilyouarewhite,inpositionaswellasintheory,noruntilyouaretwenty—oneyearsold。Ineedanofficeboy。Ifyouarewillingtocomeintomyoffice,sweepit,keepmybooksdusted,andstayherewhenIamout,Idonotcare。Totherestofthetownyouwillbemyservant,andstillanegro。Ifyouchoosetoreadmybookswhennooneisaboutandbewhiteinyourownprivateopinion,Ihavenoobjection。Whenyouhavemadeupyourmindtogoaway,perhapswhatyouhavereadmayhelpyou。Butmum’stheword!
  IfIhearawhisperofthisfromanyothersource,outyougo,neckandcrop!Iamwillingtohelpyoumakeamanofyourself,butitcanonlybedoneundertherose。"
  FortwoyearsJohnWaldenopenlyswepttheofficeandsurreptitiouslyreadthelawbooksofoldJudgeStraight。Whenhewaseighteen,heaskedhismotherforasumofmoney,kissedhergood—
  by,andwentoutintotheworld。Whenhissister,thenaprettychildofseven,criedbecauseherbigbrotherwasgoingaway,hetookherupinhisarms,gaveherasilverdimewithaholeinitforakeepsake,huggedherclose,andkissedher。
  "Nev’min’,sis,"hesaidsoothingly。"Beagoodlittlegal,an’someo’thesedaysI’llcomebacktoseeyouandbringyousomethin’fine。"
  Inafteryears,whenMis’Mollywasaskedwhathadbecomeofherson,shewouldreplywithsadcomplacency,——
  "He’sgoneoverontheotherside。"
  Aswehaveseen,hecamebacktenyearslater。
  Manyyearsbefore,whenMis’Molly,thenaveryyoungwoman,hadtakenupherresidenceinthehousebehindthecedars,thegentlemanheretoforereferredtohadbuiltacabinontheoppositecorner,inwhichhehadinstalledatrustedslavebythenameofPeterFowlerandhiswifeNancy。
  Peterwasagoodmechanic,andhiredhistimefromhismasterwiththeprovisionthatPeterandhiswifeshoulddocertainworkforMis’Mollyandserveasasortofprotectionforher。IncourseoftimePeter,whowasindustriousandthrifty,savedenoughmoneytopurchasehisfreedomandthatofhiswifeandtheironechild,andtobuythelittlehouseacrossthestreet,withthecoopershopbehindit。Aftertheyhadacquiredtheirfreedom,PeterandNancydidnoworkforMis’Mollysaveastheywerepaidforit,andasarulepreferrednottoworkatallforthewomanwhohadbeenpracticallytheirmistress;itmadethemseemlessfree。Nevertheless,thetwohouseholdshadremainedupongoodterms,evenafterthedeathofthemanwhosewillhadbroughtthemtogether,andwhohadremainedPeter’spatronafterhehadceasedtobehismaster。Therewasnointimateassociationbetweenthetwofamilies。Mis’MollyfeltherselfinfinitelysuperiortoPeterandhiswife,——scarcelylesssuperiorthanherpoorwhiteneighborsfeltthemselvestoMis’Molly。Mis’
  Mollyalwaysmeanttobekind,andtreatedPeterandNancywithacertaingood—naturedcondescension。
  Theyresentedthis,neveropenlyoroffensively,butalwaysinasubconscioussortofway,evenwhentheydidnotspeakofitamongthemselves——muchastheyhadresentedhermistress—shipintheolddays。Forafterall,theyargued,inspiteofherairsandgraces,herwhitefaceandherfineclothes,wasshenotanegro,evenasthemselves?andsincetheslaveshadbeenfreed,wasnotonenegroasgoodasanother?
  Peter’ssonFrankhadgrownupwithlittleRena。Hewasseveralyearsolderthanshe,andwhenRenawasasmallchildMis’Mollyhadoftenconfidedhertohiscare,andhehadwatchedoverherandkeptherfromharm。WhenFrankbecameoldenoughtogotoworkinthecoopershop,Rena,thensixorseven,hadoftengoneacrosstoplayamongthecleanwhiteshavings。OnceFrank,whilelearningthetrade,hadletslipasharpsteeltool,whichflyingtowardRenahadgrazedherarmandsenttheredbloodcoursingalongthewhitefleshandsoakingthemuslinsleeve。Hehadrolledupthesleeveandstanchedthebloodanddriedhertears。ForalongtimethereafterhermotherkeptherawayfromtheshopandwasverycoldtoFrank。Onedaythelittlegirlwandereddowntothebankoftheoldcanal。Ithadbeenrainingforseveraldays,andthewaterwasquitedeepinthechannel。Thechildslippedandfellintothestream。FromtheopenwindowofthecoopershopFrankheardascream。Herandowntothecanalandpulledherout,andcarriedherallwetanddrippingtothehouse。Fromthattimehehadbeenrestoredtofavor。Hehadwatchedthegirlgrowuptowomanhoodintheyearsfollowingthewar,andhadbeensorrywhenshebecametoooldtoplayabouttheshop。
  Heneverspoketoheroflove,——indeed,heneverthoughtofhispassioninsuchalight。
  Therewouldhavebeennolegalbarriertotheirunion;therewouldhavebeennofrightfulmenacetowhitesupremacyinthemarriageofthenegroandtheoctoroon:thedropofdarkbloodbridgedthechasm。ButFrankknewthatshedidnotlovehim,andhadnothopedthatshemight。Hiswasoneofthoseraresoulsthatcangivewithsmallhopeofreturn。Whenhehadmadethescaruponherarm,bythesametokenshehadbrandedhimherslaveforever;whenhehadsavedherfromawaterygrave,hehadgivenhislifetoher。Therearedepthsoffidelityanddevotioninthenegroheartthathaveneverbeenfathomedorfullyappreciated。Nowandtheninthekindlierphasesofslaverythesequalitieswerebrightlyconspicuous,andinthem,ifwiselyappealedto,liesthestrongesthopeofamitybetweenthetworaceswhosedestinyseemsbounduptogetherintheWesternworld。Evenadumbbrutecanbewonbykindness。Surelyitwereworthwhiletotrysomeotherweaponthanscornandcontumelyandhardwordsuponpeopleofourcommonrace,——
  thehumanrace,whichisbiggerandbroaderthanCeltorSaxon,barbarianorGreek,JeworGentile,blackorwhite;forweareallchildrenofacommonFather,forgetitaswemay,andeachoneofusisinsomemeasurehisbrother’skeeper。
  XIX
  GODMADEUSALL
  Renawasconvalescentfromatwo—weeks’
  illnesswhenherbrothercametoseeher。HearrivedatPatesvillebyanearlymorningtrainbeforethetownwasawake,andwalkedunnoticedfromthestationtohismother’shouse。Hismeetingwithhissisterwasnotwithoutemotion:heembracedhertenderly,andRenabecameforafewminutesaveryNiobeofgrief。
  "Oh,itwascruel,cruel!"shesobbed。"I
  shallnevergetoverit。"
  "Iknowit,mydear,"repliedWarwicksoothingly,——"Iknowit,andI’mtoblameforit。IfIhadnevertakenyouawayfromhere,youwouldhaveescapedthispainfulexperience。Butdonotdespair;allisnotlost。Tryonwillnotmarryyou,asIhopedhemight,whileIfearedthecontrary;butheisagentleman,andwillbesilent。
  Comebackandtryagain。"
  "No,John。Icouldn’tgothroughitasecondtime。Imanagedverywellbefore,whenIthoughtoursecretwasunknown;butnowIcouldneverbesure。Itwouldbeborneoneverywind,foraughtIknew,andeveryrustlingleafmightwhisperit。Thelaw,yousaid,madeuswhite;
  butnotthelaw,norevenlove,canconquerprejudice。HEspokeofmybeauty,mygrace,mysweetness!Ilookedintohiseyesandbelievedhim。Andyetheleftmewithoutaword!WhatwouldIdoinClarencenow?Icameawayengagedtobemarried,witheventhedayset;I
  shouldgobackforsakenanddiscredited;eventheservantswouldpityme。"
  "LittleAlbertispiningforyou,"suggestedWarwick。"Wecouldmakesomeexplanationthatwouldspareyourfeelings。"
  "Ah,donottemptme,John!Ilovethechild,andamgrievedtoleavehim。I’mgrateful,too,John,forwhatyouhavedoneforme。IamnotsorrythatItriedit。Itopenedmyeyes,andI
  wouldratherdieofknowledgethanliveinignorance。
  ButIcouldnotgothroughitagain,John;
  Iamnotstrongenough。Icoulddoyounogood;
  Ihavemadeyoutroubleenoughalready。GetamotherforAlbert——Mrs。Newberrywouldmarryyou,secretandall,andwouldbegoodtothechild。
  Forgetme,John,andtakecareofyourself。Yourfriendhasfoundyououtthroughme——hemayhavetoldadozenpeople。Youthinkhewillbesilent;——Ithoughthelovedme,andheleftmewithoutaword,andwithalookthattoldmehowhehatedanddespisedme。Iwouldnothavebelievedit——evenofawhiteman。"
  "Youdohimaninjustice,"saidherbrother,producingTryon’sletter。"Hedidnotgetoffunscathed。Hesentyouamessage。"
  Sheturnedherfaceaway,butlistenedwhilehereadtheletter。"Hedidnotloveme,"shecriedangrily,whenhehadfinished,"orhewouldnothavecastmeoff——hewouldnothavelookedatmeso。Thelawwouldhavelethimmarryme。I
  seemedaswhiteashedid。Hemighthavegoneanywherewithme,andnoonewouldhavestaredatuscuriously;nooneneedhaveknown。Theworldiswide——theremustbesomeplacewhereamancouldlivehappilywiththewomanheloved。"
  "Yes,Rena,thereis;andtheworldiswideenoughforyoutogetalongwithoutTryon。"
  "Foradayortwo,"shewenton,"Ihopedhemightcomeback。Buthisexpressioninthatawfulmomentgrewuponme,hauntedmedayandnight,untilIshudderedatthethoughtthatImighteverseehimagain。HelookedatmeasthoughI
  werenotevenahumanbeing。Idonotlovehimanylonger,John;IwouldnotmarryhimifI
  werewhite,orhewereasIam。Hedidnotloveme——orhewouldhaveacteddifferently。Hemighthavelovedmeandhaveleftme——hecouldnothavelovedmeandhavelookedatmeso!"
  Shewasweepinghysterically。Therewaslittlehecouldsaytocomforther。Presentlyshedriedhertears。WarwickwasreluctanttoleaveherinPatesville。Herchildishhappinesshadbeenthatofignorance;shecouldneverbehappythereagain。
  Shehadfloweredinthesunlight;shemustnotpineawayintheshade。
  "Ifyouwon’tcomebackwithme,Rena,I’llsendyoutosomeschoolattheNorth,whereyoucanacquirealiberaleducation,andprepareyourselfforsomecareerofusefulness。YoumaymarryabettermanthanevenTryon。"
  "No,"sherepliedfirmly,"Ishallnevermarryanyman,andI’llnotleavemotheragain。Godisagainstit;I’llstaywithmyownpeople。"
  "Godhasnothingtodowithit,"retortedWarwick。"Godistoooftenaconvenientstalking—
  horseforhumanselfishness。Ifthereisanythingtobedone,sounjust,sodespicable,sowickedthathumanreasonrevoltsatit,thereisalwayssomesmughypocritetoexclaim,`ItisthewillofGod。’"
  "Godmadeusall,"continuedRenadreamily,"andforsomegoodpurpose,thoughwemaynotalwaysseeit。Hemadesomepeoplewhite,andstrong,andmasterful,and——heartless。Hemadeothersblackandhomely,andpoorandweak"——
  "Andalotofothers`poorwhite’andshiftless,"
  smiledWarwick。
  "Hemadeus,too,"continuedRena,intentuponherownthought,"andHemusthavehadareasonforit。PerhapsHemeantustobringtheotherstogetherinhisowngoodtime。Amanmaymakeanewplaceforhimself——awomanisbornandboundtohers。Godmusthavemeantmetostayhere,orHewouldnothavesentmeback。Ishallacceptthingsastheyare。WhyshouldIseekthesocietyofpeoplewhosefriendship——andlove——
  onelittlewordcanturntoscorn?Iwasright,John;Ioughttohavetoldhim。Supposehehadmarriedmeandthenhadfounditout?"
  ToRena’sargumentofdivineforeordinationWarwickattachednoweightwhatever。HehadseenGod’sheelplantedforfourlongyearsuponthelandwhichhadnourishedslavery。HadGodordainedthecrimethatthepunishmentmightfollow?ItwouldhavebeeneasierforOmnipotencetopreventthecrime。Theexperienceofhissisterhadstirredupacertainbitternessagainstwhitepeople——afeelingwhichhehadputasideyearsago,withhisdarkblood,butwhichspranganewintolifewhenthefactofhisownoriginwasbroughthometohimsoforciblythroughhissister’smisfortune。Hisswornfriendandpromisedbrother—in—
  lawhadthrownhimoverpromptly,uponthediscoveryofthehiddendropofdarkblood。Howmanyothersofhisfriendswoulddothesame,iftheybutknewofit?HehadbeguntofeelalittleofthespiritualestrangementfromhisassociatesthathehadnoticedinRenaduringherlifeatClarence。
  Thefactthatseveralpersonsknewhissecrethadspoiledthefineflavorofperfectsecurityhithertomarkinghisposition。GeorgeTryonwasamanofhonoramongwhitemen,andhaddeignedtoextendtheprotectionofhishonortoWarwickasaman,thoughnolongerasafriend;toRenaasawoman,butnotasawife。Tryon,however,wasonlyhuman,andwhocouldtellwhentheirpathsinlifemightcrossagain,orwhatfuturetemptationTryonmightfeeltouseadamagingsecrettotheirdisadvantage?
  Warwickhadcherishedcertainambitions,butthesehemustnowputbehindhim。Intheobscurityofprivatelife,hispastwouldbeoflittlemoment;intheglareofapoliticalcareer,one’santecedentsarepublicproperty,andtoogreatareserveinregardtoone’spastisregardedasaconfessionofsomethingdiscreditable。Frank,too,knewthesecret——agood,faithfulfellow,evenwheretherewasnoobligationoffidelity;heoughttodosomethingforFranktoshowtheirappreciationofhisconduct。
  ButwhatassurancewastherethatFrankwouldalwaysbediscreetabouttheaffairsofothers?
  JudgeStraightknewthewholestory,andoldmenaresometimesgarrulous。Dr。Greensuspectedthesecret;hehadawifeanddaughters。IfoldJudgeStraightcouldhaveknownWarwick’sthoughts,hewouldhaverealizedthefulfillmentofhisprophecy。
  Warwick,whohadbuildedsowellforhimself,hadweakenedthestructureofhisownlifebytryingtosharehisgoodfortunewithhissister。
  "Listen,Rena,"hesaid,withasuddenimpulse,"we’llgototheNorthorWest——I’llgowithyou——farawayfromtheSouthandtheSouthernpeople,andstartlifeoveragain。Itwillbeeasierforyou,itwillnotbehardforme——Iamyoung,andhavemeans。TherearenostrongtiestobindmetotheSouth。Iwouldhavealargeroutlookelsewhere。"
  "Andwhataboutourmother?"askedRena。
  Itwouldbenecessarytoleaveherbehind,theybothperceivedclearlyenough,unlesstheywerepreparedtosurrendertheadvantageoftheirwhitenessanddropbacktothelowerrank。ThemotherborethemarkoftheEthiopian——notpronouncedly,butdistinctly;neitherwouldMis’Molly,inallprobability,caretoleavehomeandfriendsandthegravesofherlovedones。Shehadnomentalresourcestosupplytheplaceofthese;shewas,moreover,toooldtobetransplanted;shewouldnotfitintoWarwick’sschemeforanewlife。
  "Ileftheronce,"saidRena,"anditbroughtpainandsorrowtoallthreeofus。Sheisnotstrong,andIwillnotleaveherheretodiealone。
  Thisshallbemyhomewhileshelives,andifI
  leaveitagain,itshallbeforonlyashorttime,togowhereIcanwritetoherfreely,andhearfromheroften。Don’tworryaboutme,John,——Ishalldoverywell。"
  Warwicksighed。Hewassincerelysorrytoleavehissister,andyethesawthatforthetimebeingherresolutionwasnottobeshaken。Hemustbidehistime。Perhaps,inafewmonths,shewouldtireoftheoldlife。Hisdoorwouldbealwaysopentoher,andhewouldchargehimselfwithherfuture。
  "Well,then,"hesaid,concludingtheargument,"we’llsaynomoreaboutitforthepresent。I’llwritetoyoulater。Iwasafraidthatyoumightnotcaretogobackjustnow,andsoIbroughtyourtrunkalongwithme。"
  Hegavehismotherthebaggage—check。ShetookitacrosstoFrank,who,duringtheday,broughtthetrunkfromthedepot。Mis’Mollyofferedtopayhimfortheservice,buthewouldacceptnothing。
  "Lawd,no,Mis’Molly;Ididn’haftergoout’nmywaytergitdattrunk。Ihadaloadersperrit—
  bairlsterhaulterdestill,an’dedepotwuzrightonmywayback。It’dberobbin’youtertakepayferalittlethinglackdat。"
  "MysonJohn’shere,"saidMis’Molly"an’
  hewantstoseeyou。Comeintothesettin’—room。
  Wedon’twantfolkstoknowhe’sintown;butyouknowalloursecrets,an’wecantrustyoulikeoneerthefamily。"
  "I’mgladtoseeyouagain,Frank,"saidWarwick,extendinghishandandclaspingFrank’swarmly。"You’vegrownupsinceIsawyoulast,butitseemsyouarestillourgoodfriend。"
  "Ourverygoodfriend,"interjectedRena。
  Frankthrewheragratefulglance。"Yas,suh,"
  hesaid,lookingWarwickoverwithafriendlyeye,"an’youisgrowedsome,too。Iseedyou,youknow,downderewhereyoulive;butIdidn’leton,feryouan’Mis’Renawuzw’iteasanybody;
  an’eve’ybodysaidyouwuzgoodterculludfolks,an’he’ped’emindeirlawsuitsan’onewayer’nuther,an’Iwuzjes’plum’gladterseeyougettin’’longsofine,datIwuz,certainsho’,an’nomistakeaboutit。"
  "Thankyou,Frank,andIwantyoutounderstandhowmuchIappreciate"——
  "Howmuchweallappreciate,"correctedRena。
  "Yes,howmuchweallappreciate,andhowgratefulweallareforyourkindnesstomotherforsomanyyears。Iknowfromherandfrommysisterhowgoodyou’vebeentothem。"
  "Lawd,suh!"returnedFrankdeprecatingly,"you’remakin’amountainout’namolehill。I
  ain’tdonenuthin’terspeakof——nothalfezmuchezIwould’a’done。Iwuzgladterdow’atlittleIcould,ferfrien’ship’ssake。"
  "Wevalueyourfriendship,Frank,andwe’llnotforgetit。"
  "No,Frank,"addedRena,"wewillneverforgetit,andyoushallalwaysbeourgoodfriend。"
  Franklefttheroomandcrossedthestreetwithswellingheart。HewouldhavegivenhislifeforRena。Akindwordwasdoublysweetfromherlips;noservicewouldbetoogreattopayforherfriendship。
  WhenFrankwentouttothestablenextmorningtofeedhismule,hiseyesopenedwidewithastonishment。Inplaceofthedecrepit,one—eyedarmymulehehadputupthenightbefore,afat,sleekspecimenofvigorousmulehoodgreetedhisarrivalwiththesonoroushehawoflustyyouth。
  Hangingonapegnearbywasasetoffinenewharness,andstandingundertheadjoiningshed,asheperceived,ahandsomenewcart。
  "Well,well!"exclaimedFrank;"efIdidn’
  mos’knowwhardismule,an’diskyart,an’disharnesscomefrom,I’d’lowdere’dbe’nwitcheraf’
  ercunjin’wukkin’here。But,ohmy,datisafinemule!——Imos’wushIcouldkeep’im。"
  Hecrossedtheroadtothehousebehindthecedars,andfoundMis’Mollyinthekitchen。
  "Mis’Molly,"heprotested,"Iain’tdonenuthin’
  terdeservedatmule。W’atlittleIdoneferyouwa’n’tdoneferpay。I’druthernotkeepdemthings。"
  "Fergoodness’sake,Frank!"exclaimedhisneighbor,withawell—simulatedairofmystification,"whatareyoutalkin’about?"
  "Youknowsw’atI’mtalkin’about,Mis’
  Molly;youknowswellernuffI’mtalkin’aboutdatfinemulean’kyartan’harnessoverdereinmystable。"
  "HowshouldIknowanythingabout’em?"
  sheasked。
  "Now,Mis’Molly!Youfolksisjes’tryin’terfoolme,an’makemetakesomethin’fernuthin’。
  Ilef’myolemulean’kyartan’harnessindestablelas’night,an’dismawnin’dey’regone,an’
  newonesindeirplace。Co’seyouknowswhardeycomefrom!"
  "Well,now,Frank,senceyoumentionit,Ididseeawitchflyin’roun’herelas’nightonabroom—
  stick,an’it’pearedtermeshelitonyo’rbarn,an’
  Is’posesheturnedyo’roldthingsintonewones。
  Iwouldn’tbothermymindaboutitifIwasyou,forshemayturn’embackanynight,youknow;
  an’youmightaswellhavetheuseof’eminthemeanwhile。"
  "Dat’sallfoolishness,Mis’Molly,an’I’mgwineterfetchdatmulerightoverherean’tellyo’sontergimmemyoleoneback。"
  "Myson’sgone,"shereplied,"an’Idon’tknownothin’aboutyo’roldmule。AndwhatwouldIdowithamule,anyhow?Iain’tgotnobarntoputhimin。"
  "Isuspectyoudon’tcaremuchforusafterall,Frank,"saidRenareproachfully——shehadcomeinwhiletheyweretalking。"Youmeetwithapieceofgoodluck,andyou’reafraidofit,lestitmighthavecomefromus。"
  "Now,MissRena,yououghtn’ttersaydat,"
  expostulatedFrank,hisreluctanceyieldingimmediately。
  "I’llkeepdemulean’dekyartan’deharness——fac’,I’llhaveterkeep’em,’causeI
  ain’tgotnoothers。Butdey’regwineterbeyo’nezmuchezmine。W’eneveryouwantsanythinghauled,erwantsyo’lotploughed,eranything——
  dat’syo’mule,an’I’myo’manan’yo’mammy’s。"
  SoFrankwentbacktothestable,wherehefeastedhiseyesonhisnewpossessions,fedandwateredthemule,andcurriedandbrushedhiscoatuntilitshonelikealooking—glass。
  "Nowdat,"remarkedPeter,atthebreakfast—
  table,wheninformedofthetransaction,"issomethin’
  lackralew’itefolks。"
  NorealwhitepersonhadevergivenPeteramuleoracart。Hehadrenderedoneofthemunpaidserviceforhalfalifetime,andhadpaidfortheotherhalf;andsomeofthemowedhimsubstantialsumsforworkperformed。But"tohimthathathshallbegiven"——Warwickpaidforthemule,andtherealwhitefolksgotmostofthecredit。
  XX
  DIGGINGUPROOTS
  Whenthefirstgreatshockofhisdiscoveryworeoff,thefactofRena’soriginlosttoTryonsomeofitsinitialrepugnance——indeed,therepugnancewasnottothewomanatall,astheirpastrelationswereevidence,butmerelytothethoughtofherasawife。
  ItcouldhardlyhavefailedtooccurtosoreasonableamanasTryonthatRena’scasecouldscarcelybeunique。SurelyinthepastcenturiesoffreemannersandeasymoralsthathadprevailedinremotepartsoftheSouth,theremusthavebeenmanywhitepersonswhoseoriginwouldnothavebornetoomicroscopicaninvestigation。Familytreesnotseldomhaveacrookedbranch;or,touseamoreappositefigure,manyaflockhasitsblacksheep。Beingamanoflivelyimagination,Tryonsoonfoundhimselfputtingallsortsofhypotheticalquestionsaboutamatterwhichhehadalreadydefinitelydetermined。IfhehadmarriedRenainignoranceofhersecret,andhadlearneditafterwards,wouldhehaveputheraside?If,knowingherhistory,hehadneverthelessmarriedher,andshehadsubsequentlydisplayedsometraitofcharacterthatwouldsuggestthenegro,couldhehaveforgottenorforgiventhetaint?Couldhestillhaveheldherinloveandhonor?Ifnot,couldhehavegivenhertheoutwardseemingofaffection,orcouldhehavebeenmorethancoldlytolerant?
  Hewasgladthathehadbeensparedthisordeal。
  Withaneffortheputthewholematterdefinitelyandconclusivelyaside,ashehaddoneahundredtimesalready。
  Returningtohishome,afteranabsenceofseveralmonthsinSouthCarolina,itwasquiteapparenttohismother’swatchfuleyethathewasinserioustrouble。Hewasabsent—minded,monosyllabic,sigheddeeplyandoften,andcouldnotalwaysconcealthetracesofsecrettears。ForTryonwasyoung,andpossessedofasensitivesoul——asourceofhappinessormisery,astheFatesdecree。Tothosethusdowered,theheightsofraptureareaccessible,theabyssesofdespairyawnthreateningly;
  onlythedullmonotonyofcontentmentisdenied。
  Mrs。Tryonvainlysoughtbyeverygentleartawomanknowstowinherson’sconfidence。
  "Whatisthematter,George,dear?"shewouldask,strokinghishotbrowwithhersmall,coolhandashesatmoodilynursinghisgrief。"Tellyourmother,George。Whoelsecouldcomfortyousowellasshe?"
  "Oh,it’snothing,mother,——nothingatall,"
  hewouldreply,withaforcedattemptatlightness。
  "It’sonlyyourfondimagination,youbestofmothers。"
  ItwasMrs。Tryon’sturntosighandshedaclandestinetear。UntilhersonhadgoneawayonthistriptoSouthCarolina,hehadkeptnosecretsfromher:hishearthadbeenanopenbook,ofwhichshekneweverypage;now,somepainfulstorywasinscribedthereinwhichhemeantsheshouldnotread。IfshecouldhaveabdicatedherempiretoBlancheLearyorhaveshareditwithher,shewouldhaveyieldedgracefully;butverypalpablysomeotherinfluencethanBlanche’shaddrivenjoyfromherson’scountenanceandlightnessfromhisheart。
  MissBlancheLeary,whomTryonfoundinthehouseuponhisreturn,wasademure,prettylittleblonde,withanamiabledisposition,atalentforsociety,andapronouncedfondnessforGeorgeTryon。Apoorgirl,ofanexcellentfamilyimpoverishedbythewar,shewasdistantlyrelatedtoMrs。Tryon,hadforalongtimeenjoyedthatlady’sfavor,andwasherchoiceforGeorge’swifewhenheshouldbeoldenoughtomarry。AwomanlessinterestedthanMissLearywouldhaveperceivedthattherewassomethingwrongwithTryon。
  MissLearyhadnodoubtthattherewasawomanatthebottomofit,——foraboutwhatelseshouldyouthworrybutlove?orifone’sloveaffairsrunsmoothly,whyshouldoneworryaboutanythingatall?MissLeary,inthenineteenyearsofhermundaneexistence,hadnotbeenwithoutmildexperiencesoftheheart,andhadhoveredforsometimeonthevergeofdisappointmentwithrespecttoTryonhimself。Asensitivepridewouldhavedrivenmorethanonewomanawayatthesightofthemanofherpreferencesighinglikeafurnaceforsomeabsentfairone。ButMrs。Tryonwassocordial,andinsistedsostrenuouslyuponherremaining,thatBlanche’slove,whichwasstrong,conqueredherpride,whichwasnomorethanareasonableyoungwomanoughttohavewhosetssuccessabovemeresentiment。Sheremainedinthehouseandbidedheropportunity。IfGeorgepracticallyignoredherforatime,shedidnotthrowherselfatallinhisway。Shewentonavisittosomegirlsintheneighborhoodandremainedawayaweek,hopingthatshemightbemissed。Tryonexpressednoregretatherdepartureandnoparticularsatisfactionuponherreturn。Ifthehousewasdullerinherabsence,hewasbutdimlyconsciousofthedifference。Hewasstillfightingabattleinwhichasusceptibleheartandareasonablemindhadlockedhornsinawell—nighhopelessconflict。Reason,common—sense,theinstinctiveready—madejudgmentsofhistrainingandenvironment,——
  thedeep—seatedprejudicesofraceandcaste,——commandedhimtodismissRenafromhisthoughts。Hisstubbornheartsimplywouldnotletgo。
  XXI
  AGILDEDOPPORTUNITY
  AlthoughthewholefabricofRena’snewlifetoppledandfellwithherlover’sdefection,hersympathies,broadenedbycultureandstillmorebyherrecentemotionalexperience,didnotshrink,aswouldhavebeenthecasewithamoreselfishsoul,tothemerelimitsofherpersonalsorrow,greatasthisseemedatthemoment。Shehadlearnedtolove,andwhentheloveofonemanfailedher,sheturnedtohumanity,asastreamobstructedinitscourseoverflowstheadjacentcountry。Herearlytraininghadnotdirectedherthoughtstothedarkerpeoplewithwhosefateherownwasboundupsoclosely,butratherawayfromthem。Shehadbeentaughttodespisethembecausetheywerenotsowhiteasshewas,andhadbeenslaveswhileshewasfree。Herlifeinherbrother’shome,byremovingherfromimmediatecontactwiththem,hadgivenheradifferentpointofview,——onewhichemphasizedtheirshortcomings,andtherebymadevastlyclearertoherthegulfthatseparatedthemfromthenewworldinwhichshelived;sothatwhenmisfortunethrewherbackuponthem,thereactionbroughthernearerthanbefore。Whereonceshehadseemedabletoescapefromthem,theywerenow,itappeared,herinalienablerace。Thusdoublyequipped,shewasabletoviewthematoncewiththementaleyeofanoutsiderandthesympathyofasister:shecouldseetheirfaults,andjudgethemcharitably;sheknewandappreciatedtheirgoodqualities。Withherquickenedintelligenceshecouldperceivehowgreatwastheirneedandhowsmalltheiropportunity;andwiththisilluminationcamethedesiretocontributetotheirhelp。
  Shehadnotthebreadthorculturetoseeinallitsramificationsthegreatproblemwhichstillpuzzlesstatesmenandphilosophers;butshewasconsciousofthewish,andofthepower,inasmallway,todosomethingfortheadvancementofthosewhohadjustsettheirfeetupontheladderofprogress。