CHAPTER VI. THE DILEMMA.

youknowshethinksheisn'tfittogotoheaven,andthatifhedieshe'llgotothebadplace.Andyet,ifhewastodieto-morrow,she'dtalktoyouaboutclear-starchinghercaps!Nowonderthechilddon'tloveher!Shetalkstohimjustasshedoestometellshimshedon'texpectanythingofhim—sheknowshe'llnevercometoanygoodandthelittlewretchhasgotitbyheart,now.Doyouknowthat,thoughIgetinapassionwithTom,sometimes,andthoughI'msureIshouldperishsittingboringwithhimoverthoseoldbooks,yetIreallybelieveIcaremoreforhimthanshedoes?Andheknowsit,too.HeseesthroughherasplainasIdo.You'llnevermakemebelievethatAuntNesbithasgotreligion.Iknowthereissuchathingasreligionbutshehasn'tgotit.Itisn'tallbeingsober,andcracklingoldstiffreligiousnewspapers,andboringwithtextsandhymns,thatmakespeoplereligious.Sheisjustasworldly-mindedasIam,onlyit'sinanotherway.There,now,Iwantedhertoadvisemeaboutsomething,to-day.Why,Milly,allgirlswantsomebodytotalkwithandifshe'donlyshowedtheleastinterestinwhatIsaid,shemightscoldmeandlecturemeasmuchasshe'damindto.But,tohavehernotevenhearme!AndwhenshemusthaveseenthatIwastroubledandperplexed,andwantedsomebodytoadviseme,sheturnedroundsocool,andbegantotalkabouttheonionsandthestuffing!Gotmesoangry!Isupposesheisinherroom,now,rocking,andthinkingwhatasinnerIam!" "Well,now,MissNina,'pearsthoughyou'vetalkedenoughaboutdatar'pearslikeitwon'tmakeyoufeelnobetter." "Yesitdoesmakemefeelbetter!Ihadtospeaktosomebody,Milly,orelseIshouldhaveburstandnowIwonderwhereHarryis.Healwayscouldfindawayformeoutofanything." "Heisgoneovertoseehiswife,Ithink,MissNina." "Oh,toobad!DosentTomtitafterhim,rightaway.TellhimthatIwanthimtocomerighthome,thisveryminute—somethingveryparticular.And,Milly,youjustgoandtellOldHundredtogetoutthecarriageandhorses,andI'llgooveranddropanoteinthepost-office,myself.Iwon'ttrustittoTomtitforIknowhe'llloseit." "MissNina,"saidMilly,lookinghesitatingly,"I'spectyoudon'tknowhowthingsgoaboutroundherebutthefactis,OldHundredhasgotsokindofcur'ous,lately,therecan'tnobodydonothingwithhim,exceptHarry.Don't'tendtodonothingMissLootellshimto.I'sfearedhe'llmakeupsomestoryorotheraboutthehorsesbuthewon'tget'emout—now,mind,Itellyou,chile!" "Hewon't!Ishouldliketoknowifhewon't,whenItellhimto!Aprettystorythatwouldbe!I'llsoonteachhimthathehasalivemistress—somebodyquitedifferentfromAuntLoo!" "Well,well,chile,perhapsyou'dbettergo.Hewouldn'tmindme,Iknow.Maybehe'lldoitforyou." "Oh,yesI'lljustrundowntohishouse,andhurryhimup."AndNina,quiterestoredtoherusualgood-humor,trippedgaylyacrosstothecabinofOldHundred,thatstoodtheothersideofthehouse. OldHundred'struenamewas,infact,John.Buthehadderivedtheappellation,bywhichhewasalwaysknown,fromtheextrememoderationofallhismovements.OldHundredhadadoubleshareofthatprofoundsenseofthedignityofhisofficewhichisanattributeofthetribeofcoachmeningeneral.Heseemedtoconsiderthehorsesandcarriageasasortoffamilyark,ofwhichhewasthehighpriest,andwhichitwashisbusinesstosavefromdesecration.Accordingtohisownshowing,allthepeopleontheplantation,andindeedthewholeworldingeneral,wereinastateofhabitualconspiracyagainstthefamilycarriageandhorses,andhewasstandingforthem,single-handed,attheriskofhislife.Itwasasmuchpartofhisduty,invirtueofhisoffice,toshowcause,oneveryoccasion,whythecarriageshouldnotbeused,asitisforstateattorneystoundertakeprosecutions.Anditwasalsoapartoftheaccomplishmentofhissituationtoconducthisrefusalinthemostdecorousmanneralwaysshowingthatitwasonlytheutterimpossibilityofthecasewhichprevented.TheavailablegroundsofrefusalOldHundredhadmadealife-study,andhadalwaysastoreofthemcutanddriedforuse,allreadyatamoment'snotice.Inthefirstplace,therewerealwaysanumberofimpossibilitieswithregardtothecarriage.Either"itwasmuddy,andhewaslayingouttowashit"orelse"heh