CHAPTER XIII. TOM GORDON.

"Isay,Nina,"saidherbrother,comingin,adayortwoafter,fromasurveyhehadbeentakingroundthepremises,"youwantmeheretomanagethisplace.EverythinggoingatsixesandsevensandthatniggerofaHarryridingroundwithhisbootsshining.Thatfellowcheatsyou,andfeathershisownnestwell.Iknow!Thesewhiteniggersarealldeceitful." "Come,Tom,youknowtheestateismanagedjustasfatherleftwordtohaveitandUncleJohnsaysthatHarryisanexcellentmanager.I'msurenobodycouldhavebeenmorefaithfultomeandIamverywellsatisfied." "Yes,Idaresay.Alllefttoyouandtheexecutors,asyoucallthemasifIwerenotthenaturalguardianofmysister!ThenIcomeheretoputupwiththatfellow'simpudence!" "Whose?—Harry's?Heisneverimpudent.Heisalwaysgentlemanly.Everybodyremarksit." "Gentlemanly!Thereitis,Nin!Whatafoolyouaretoencouragetheuseofthatwordinconnectionwithanyofyourniggers!Gentleman,forsooth!Andwhileheplaysgentleman,whotakescare?Itellyouwhat,you'llfindoneofthesedayshowthingsaregoingon.Butthat'sjusttheway!Youneverwouldlistentome,orpaytheleastattentiontomyadvice." "Oh,Tom,don'ttalkaboutthat—don't!Ineverinterfereaboutyouraffairs.Pleaseleavemetherighttomanagemineinmyownway." "AndwhoisthisClaytonthat'shangingabouthere?Areyougoingtohavehim,orheyou—hey?" "Idon'tknow,"saidNina. "BecauseI,forone,don'tlikehimandIshan'tgivemyconsenttolethimhaveyou.Thatotheroneisworthtwiceasmuch.HehasoneofthelargestpropertiesinNewYork.JoeSniderhastoldmeabouthim.Youshallhavehim." "Ishallnothavehim,saywhatyoupleaseandIshallhaveMr.Clayton,ifIchoose!"saidNina,withaheightenedcolor."YouhavenorighttodictatetomeofmyownaffairsandIshan'tsubmittoit,Itellyoufrankly." "Highty-tighty!Wearecomingup,tobesure!"saidTom. "Moreover,"saidNina,"Iwishyoutoleteverythingonthisplaceentirelyaloneandrememberthatmyservantsarenotyourservants,andthatyouhavenocontroloverthemwhatever." "Well,wewillseehowyou'llhelpyourself!Iamnotgoingtogoskulkingaboutonmyfather'sownplaceasifIhadnorightortitlethereandifyourniggersdon'tlooksharp,they'llfindoutwhetherIamthemasterhereornot,especiallythatHarry.Ifthedogdaresomuchastolifthisfingerstocountermandanyoneofmyorders,I'dputabulletthroughhisheadassoonasIwouldthroughabuck's.Igiveyouwarning!" "Oh,Tom,praydon'ttalkso!"saidNina,whoreallybegantobealarmed."Whatdoyouwanttomakemesuchtroublefor?" TheconversationwasheresuspendedbytheentranceofMilly. "Ifyouplease,MissNina,comeandshowmewhichofyourmuslinsyouwishtobedoneup,asI'sstarchingforMissLoo." Gladofanopportunitytoturntheconversation,Ninaranuptoherroom,whithershewasfollowedbyMilly,whoshutthedoor,andspoketoherinmysterioustones. "MissNina,can'tyoumakesomeerrandtogetHarryofftheplacefortwoorthreedays,whileMas'rTom'sround?" "Butwhatright,"saidNina,withheightenedcolor,"hashetodictatetomyservants,orme?ortointerferewithanyofourarrangementshere?" "Oh,dere'snousetalkingaboutrights,honey.Wemustalldojestwhatweken.Don'tmakemuchoddswhetherourrightsisonewayort'other.Yousee,chile,it'sjusthere.Harry'syourrighthand.Butyouseehean'tlearnttobend'forethewind,liketherestofus.Heisspirityheisjustasfullnowasapowder-boxandMas'rTomisbentonaggravatinghim.And,laws,chile,deremaybebloodywork—deremayso!" "Why,doyouthinkhe'ddare"— "Chile,don'ttalktome!Dare!—yessure'noughhewilldare!Besides,dere'sfiftywaysyounggentlemenmaytaketoaggravateandprovoke.And,whenfleshandbloodcan'tbearitnolonger,ifHarryraiseshishand,why,denshoothimdown!Nothingsaid—nothingdone.Youcan'thelpyourself.Youwon'twanttohavealawsuitwithyourownbrotherand,ifyoudid,'twouldn'tbringHarrytolife!Laws,chile,efIcouldtellyouwhatI'veseen—youdon'tknownothing'boutit.Now,Itellyou,getupsomemessagetoyouruncle'splantationsendhimoffforanythingornothingonlyhavehimgone!Andthenspeakyourbrotherfair,andthenmaybehewillgooff.Butdon'tyouquarrel!don'tyoucrosshim,comewhatmay!Derean'tasoulontheplacethatcanbardesightonhim.But,then,youseetherestdeyallbends!But,chile,youmustbequickaboutit!Letmegorightoffandfindhim.Justyoucomeinthelittlebackroom,andI'llcallhimin." Paleandtrembling,Ninadescendedintotheroomand,inafewmomentsafter,Millyappeared,followedbyHarry. "Harry!"saidNina,inatremblingvoice,"IwantyoutotakeyourhorseandgoovertoUncleJohn'splantation,andcarryanoteforme." Harrystoodwithhisarmsfolded,andhiseyesfixedupontheground,andNinacontinued,— "And,Harry,Ithinkyouhadbettermakesomebusinessorerrandtokeepyouawaytwoorthreedays,oraweek." "MissNina,"saidHarry,"theaffairsoftheplaceareverypressingnow,andneedoverlooking.Afewdays'neglectnowmayproduceagreatloss,andthenitwillbesaidthatIneglectedmybusinesstoidleandrideroundthecountry." "Well,butifIsendyou,Itaketheresponsibility,andI'llbeartheloss.Thefactis,Harry,I'mafraidthatyouwon'thavepatiencetobehere,nowTomisathome.Infact,Harry,I'mafraidforyourlife!Andnow,ifyouhaveanyregardforme,makethebestarrangementwiththeworkyoucan,andbeoff.I'lltellhimthatIsentyouonbusinessofmyown,andIamgoingtowritealetterforyoutocarry.It'stheonlysafeway.Hehassomanywaysinwhichhecanprovokeandinsultyou,that,atlast,youmaysayordosomethingthatwillgivehimoccasionagainstyouandIthinkheisdeterminedtodriveyoutothis." "Isn'tthisprovoking,now?isn'tthisoutrageous!"saidHarry,betweenhisteeth,lookingdown,"thateverythingmustbeleft,andallbecauseIhaven'ttherighttostanduplikeaman,andprotectyouandyours!" "Itisapity!itisashame!"saidNina."But,Harry,don'tstoptothinkuponitdogo!"Shelaidherhandsoftlyonhis."Formysake,now,begood—begood!" Theroomwheretheywerestandinghadlongwindows,whichopened,likethoseoftheparlor,ontheveranda,andcommandedaviewofagravel-walkborderedwithshrubbery.AsHarrystood,hesitating,hestartedatseeingLisettecometrippingupthewalk,balancingonherheadabasketofnewly-ironedmuslinsandlinens.Hertrimlittlefigurewasdisplayedinaclose-fittinggownofblue,asnowyhandkerchiefcrosseduponherbust,andoneroundedarmraisedtosteadythebasketuponherhead.Shecametrippingforward,withherusualairymotion,hummingaportionofasongandattracted,atthesamemoment,theattentionofTomGordon