CHAPTER XXVIII. MAGNOLIA GROVE.

disit?Whatpurposewillitserve,excepttounfitthemfortheirinevitablecondition—tomakethemdiscontentedandunhappy?" "Well,"repliedAnne,"thereoughttobenoinevitableconditionthatmakesitnecessarytodwarfahumanmind.AnyconditionwhichmakesafulldevelopmentofthepowersthatGodhasgivenusamisfortune,cannot,certainly,beahealthyone—cannotberight.Ifamindwillgrowandrise,makewayandletit.Makeroomforit,andcutdowneverythingthatstandsintheway!" "That'sterriblylevellingdoctrine,MissAnne." "Letitlevel,then!"saidAnne."Idon'tcare!IcomefromtheoldVirginiacavalierblood,andamnotafraidofanything." "But,MissAnne,howdoyouaccountforitthatthebest-educatedandbest-treatedslaves—infact,asyousay,themostperfectly-developedhumanbeings—werethosewhogotuptheinsurrectioninCharleston?" "Howdoyouaccountforit,"saidAnne,"thatthebest-developedandfinestspecimensofmenhavebeenthosethathavegotupinsurrectionsinItaly,Austria,andHungary?" "Well,youadmit,then,"saidMr.Bradshaw,"thatifyousayAinthismatter,you'vegottosayB." "Certainly,"saidAnne,"andwhenthetimecomestosayB,I'mreadytosayit.Iadmit,Mr.Bradshaw,it'saverydangerousthingtogetupsteam,ifyoudon'tintendtolettheboatgo.Butwhenthesteamishighenough,lethergo,sayI." "Yes,but,MissAnne,otherpeopledon'twanttosayso.Thefactis,wearenotallofusreadytolettheboatgo.It'sgotallourpropertyinit—allwehavetoliveon.Ifyouarewillingyourself,sofarasyourpeopleareconcerned,they'llinevitablywantliberty,andyousayyou'llbereadytogiveittothembutyourfireswillraiseasteamonourplantations,andwemustshutdowntheseescape-valves.Don'tyousee?Now,formypart,I'vebeenperfectlycharmedwiththisschoolofyoursbut,afterall,Ican'thelpinquiringwheretoitwillgrow." "Well,Mr.Bradshaw,"saidAnne,"I'mobligedtoyouforthefranknessofthisconversation.It'sveryfriendlyandsincere.Ithink,however,Ishallcontinuetocomplimentthegoodsenseandgallantryofthisstate,byignoringitsunworthyandunchristianlaws.Iwillendeavor,nevertheless,tobemorecarefulandguardedastothemannerofwhatIdobut,ifIshouldbeputintothepenitentiary,Mr.Bradshaw,Ihopeyou'llcallonme." "MissAnne,Ibegtenthousandpardonsforthatunfortunateallusion." "Ithink,"saidAnne,"Ishallimposeitasapenanceuponyoutostayandspendthedaywithus,andthenI'llshowyoumyrose-garden.Ihavegreatcounseltoholdwithyouonthetrainingofacertainpillar-rose.Yousee,mydesignistogetyouinvolvedinmytreason.You'vealreadycomeintocomplicitywithit,byvisitingmyschool." "Thankyou,MissAnneIshouldbeonlytoomuchhonoredtobeyourabettorinanytreasonyoumightmeditate.But,really,I'mamostunluckydog!Thinkofmyhavingfourbachelorfriendsengagedtodinewithme,andsobeingobligedtodeclineyourtemptingoffer!Infact,Imusttakehorsebeforethesungetsanyhotter." "Therehegoes,foragood-heartedcreatureasheis!"saidAnne. "Doyouknow,"saidNina,laughing,"thatIthoughtthathewassomepoor,desperatemortal,whowasonthevergeofaproposal,thismorning,andIranawaylikeagoodgirltogivehimafairfield?" "Child,"saidAnne,"youarealtogethertoolateintheday.Mr.BradshawandIwalkedthatlittlefiguresometimeago,andnowheisoneofthemostconvenientandagreeableoffriends." "Anne,whyintheworlddon'tyougetinlovewithsomebody?"saidNina. "Mydear,IthinktherewassomethingorotherleftoutwhenIwasmadeup,"saidAnne,laughing,"butIneverhadmuchofafancyforthelordsofcreation.Theydotolerablywelltilltheycometobeloversbutthentheyareperfectlyunbearable.Lionsinlove,mydear,don'tappeartoadvantage,youknow.Ican'tmarrypapaorEdward,andtheyhavespoiledmeforeverybodyelse.Besides,I'mhappy,andwhatdoIwantofanyofthem?Can'ttherebenowandthenawomansufficienttoherself?But,Nina,dear,I'msorrythatouraffairsherearegivingoffenceandmakinguneasiness." "Formypart,"saidNina,"Ishouldgorighton.Ihavenoticedthatpeopletryalltheycantostopapersonwhoistakinganunusualcourseandwhentheyareperfectlycertainthattheycan'tstopthem,thentheyturnroundandfallinwiththemandIthinkthatwillbethecasewithyou." "Theycertainlywillhaveanopportunityoftrying,"saidAnne."ButthereisDulcimercominguptheavenuewiththeletter-bag.Now,child,Idon'tbelieveyouappreciatehalfmyexcellence,whenyouconsiderthatIusedtohavealltheselettersthatfalltoyoueverymail." AtthismomentDulcimerrodeuptotheverandasteps,anddepositedtheletter-baginAnne'shands. "Whatanoddnameyouhavegivenhim!"saidNina,"andwhatacomical-lookingfellowheis!Hehasasortofwaggishairthatremindsmeofacrow." "Oh,Dulcimerdon'tbelongtoourrégime,"saidAnne."Hewastheprimeministerandfavoriteundertheformerreign,—asortoflicensedcourtjester,—andtothisdayhehardlyknowshowtodoanythingbutsinganddanceandsobrother,whoisforallowingthelargestlibertytoeverybody,imposesonhimonlysuchgeneralandlighttasksassuithisrovingnature.Butthere!"shesaidthrowingaletteronNina'slap,andatthesametimebreakingthesealofonedirectedtoherself."Ah,Ithoughtso!Yousee,puss,Edwardhassomelawbusinessthattakeshimtothispartofthestateforthwith.Waseversuchconvenientlawbusiness?Wemaylookforhimto-night.Nowtherewillberejoicings!Hownow,Dulcimer?Ithoughtyouhadgone,"shesaid,lookingup,andobservingthatpersonagestilllingeringintheshadeofatulip-treeneartheveranda. "Please,MissAnne,isMasterClaytoncominghometo-night?" "Yes,Dulcimersonowgoandspreadthenewsforthat'swhatyouwant,Iknow." AndDulcimer,needingnosecondsuggestion,wasoutofsightintheshrubberyinafewmoments. "Now,I'llwager,"saidAnne,"thatcreaturewillgetupsomethingorotherextraordinaryforthisevening." "Suchaswhat?"saidNina. "Well,heissomethingofatroubadour,andIshouldn'twonderifheshouldbecudgellinghisbrainatthismomentforasong.Weshallhavesomekindofoperaticperformance,youmaybesure."