CHAPTER XIII. TOM GORDON.

andofherhusband. "'Ponmyword,ifthatisn'ttheprettiestconcern!"saidTom,ashestartedupandrandownthewalktomeether. "Good-morning,myprettygirl!"hesaid. "Good-morning,sir,"returnedLisette,inherusualtoneofgaycheerfulness. "Pray,whodoyoubelongto,myprettylittlepuss!IthinkI'veneverseenyouonthisplace." "Please,sir,I'mHarry'swife." "Indeed!youare,hey?Devilishgoodtastehehas!"saidhe,layinghishandfamiliarlyonhershoulder. Theshoulderwaspulledaway,andLisettemovedrapidlyontotheothersideofthepath,withanairofvexationwhichmadeherlookratherprettier. "What,mydear,don'tyouknowthatIamyourhusband'syoungmaster?Come,come!"hesaid,followingher,andendeavoringtotakeholdofherarm. "Pleaseletmealone!"saidLisette,coloring,andinapetted,vexedtone. "Letyoualone?No,thatIshan't,notwhileyouaskitinsuchaprettywayasthat!"Andagainthehandwaslaiduponhershoulder. ItmustbeunderstoodthatHarryhadwitnessedsofar,inpantomime,thisscene.Hehadstoodwithcompressedlips,andeyesslowlydilating,lookingatit.Nina,whowasstandingwithherbacktothewindow,wonderedattheexpressionofhiscountenance. "Lookthere,MissNina!"hesaid."Doyouseemywifeandyourbrother?" Ninaturned,andinaninstantthecolormountedtohercheeksherlittleformseemedtodilate,andhereyesflashedfireandbeforeHarrycouldseewhatshewasdoing,shewasdowninthegravel-walk,andhadtakenLisette'shand. "TomGordon,"shesaid,"I'mashamedofyou!Hush!hush!"shecontinued,fixinghereyesonhim,andstampingherfoot."Daretocometomyplace,andtakesuchlibertieshere!YoushallnotbeallowedtowhileIammistressandIammistress!Daretolayafingeronthisgirlwhilesheishereundermyprotection!Come,Lisette!"Andsheseizedthetremblinggirlbythehand,anddrewheralongtowardsthehouse. TomGordonwassoutterlyconfusedatthissuddenburstofpassioninhissister,thatheletthemgooffwithoutopposition.Inafewmomentshelookedafterher,andgavealong,lowwhistle. "Ah!Prettywellupforher!Butshe'llfindit'seasiersaidthandone,Ifancy!"Andhesauntereduptotheveranda,whereHarrystoodwithhisarmsfolded,andtheveinsinhisforeheadswellingwithrepressedemotion. "Goin,Lisette,"saidNina"takethethingsintomyroom,andI'llcometoyou." "'Ponmyword,Harry,"saidTom,comingup,andaddressingHarryinthemostinsultingtone,"weareallunderthegreatestobligationstoyouforbringingsuchaprettylittlefancyarticlehere!" "Mywifedoesnotbelongtothisplace,"saidHarry,forcinghimselftospeakcalmly."ShebelongstoaMrs.LeClere,whohascomeintoBellevilleplantation." "Ah!thankyoufortheinformation!Imaytakeafancytobuyher,andI'dliketoknowwhoshebelongsto.I'vebeenwantingaprettylittleconcernofthatsort.She'sagoodhousekeeper,isn'tshe,Harry?Doesupshirtswell?Whatdoyousupposeshecouldbegotfor?Imustgoandseehermistress." DuringthiscruelharangueHarry'shandstwitchedandquivered,andhestartedeverynowandthen,lookingfirstatNina,andthenathistormentor.Heturneddeadlypaleevenhislipswereofashywhitenessand,withhisarmsstillfolded,andmakingnoreply,hefixedhislargeblueeyesuponTom,and,asitsometimeshappenedinmomentsofexcitementandelevation,thereappearedontherigidlinesofhisface,atthatmoment,sostrongaresemblancetoColonelGordon,thatNinanoticedandwasstartledbyit.TomGordonnoticeditalso.Itaddedfueltothebitternessofhiswrathandthereglaredfromhiseyesamalignancyofhatredthatwasperfectlyappalling.Thetwobrothersseemedlikethunder-cloudsopposingeachother,andreadytodartlightning.Ninahastenedtointerfere. "Hurry,hurry,Harry!Iwantthatmessagecarried.Do,pray,godirectly!" "Letmesee,"saidTom,"ImustcallJim,andhavemyhorse.WhichisthewaytothatBellevilleplantation?IthinkI'llrideover."Andheturnedandwalkedindolentlydownthesteps. "Forshame,Tom!youwon't!youcan't!Howcanyouwanttotroublemeso?"saidNina. Heturnedandlookeduponherwithanevilsmile,turnedagain,andwasgone. "Harry,Harry,goquick!Don'tyouworrythere'snodanger!"sheadded,inalowervoice."MadamLeClereneverwouldconsent." "There'snoknowing!"saidHarry,"neveranyknowing!Peopleactaboutmoneyastheydoaboutnothingelse." "Then—thenI'llsendandbuyhermyself!"saidNina. "Youdon'tknowhowouraffairsstand,MissNina,"saidHarryhurriedly."Themoneycouldn'tberaisednowforit,especiallyifIhavetogooffthisweek.Itwillmakeagreatdifference,mybeinghereornotbeinghereandverylikelyMasterTommayhaveathousanddollarstopaydownonthespot.Ineverknewhimtowantmoneywhenhiswillwasup.GreatGod!haven'tIbornethisyokelongenough?" "Well,Harry,"saidNina,"I'llselleverythingI'vegot—myjewels—everything.I'llmortgagetheplantation,beforeTomGordonshalldothisthing!I'mnotquitesoselfishasI'vealwaysseemedtobe.Iknowyou'vemadethesacrificeofbodyandsoultomyinterestandI'vealwaystakenitbecauseIlovedmyease,andwasaspoiledchild.But,afterall,IknowI'veasmuchenergyasTomhas,whenIamroused,andI'llgooverthisverymorningandmakeanofferforher.Onlyyoubeoff.Youcan'tstandsuchprovocationasyougethereandifyouyield,asanymanwilldo,atlast,theneverythingandeverybodywillgoagainstyou,andIcan'tprotectyou.Trusttome.I'mnotsomuchofachildasIhaveseemedtobe!You'llfindIcanactformyself,andyoutoo!TherecomesMr.Claytonthroughtheshrubbery—that'sright!Ordertwohorsesroundtothedoorimmediately,andwe'llgoovertherethismorning." Ninagaveherorderswithadignityasifshehadbeenaprincess,andinallhisagitationHarrycouldnothelpmarvellingatthesuddenairofwomanlinesswhichhadcomeoverher. "Icouldserveyou,"hesaid,inalowvoice,"tothelastdropofmyblood!But,"headded,inatonewhichmadeNinatremble,"Ihateeverybodyelse!Ihateyourcountry!Ihateyourlaws!" "Harry,"saidNina,"youdowrong—youforgetyourself!" "Oh,Idowrong,doI?Wearethepeoplethatarenevertodowrong!Peoplemaystickpinsinus,andstickknivesinus,wipetheirshoesonus,spitinourface—wemustbeamiable!wemustbemodelsofChristianpatience!Itellyou,yourfathershouldratherhaveputmeintoquartersandmademeworklikeafield-negro,thantohavegivenmetheeducationhedid,andleavemeunderthefootofeverywhitemanthatdarestreadonme!" Ninarememberedtohaveseenherfatherintransportsofpassion,andwasagainshockedandstartledtoseetheresemblancebetweenhisfaceandtheconvulsedfacebeforeher.