CHAPTER LV. LYNCH LAW AGAIN.

ThereadernextbeholdsClaytonatMagnoliaGrove,whitherhehadfledtorecruithisexhaustedhealthandspirits.HehadbeenaccompaniedtherebyFrankRussel. Ourreadersmayoftenhaveobservedhowlonghabitsofintimacymaysurvivebetweentwopersonswhohaveembarkedinmoralcourses,which,ifpursued,musteventuallyseparatethemforever. Forsuchistheforceofmoralelements,thattheambitiousandself-seekingcannotalwayswalkwiththosewholovegoodforitsownsake.Inthisworld,however,whereallthesethingsareimperfectlydeveloped,habitsofintimacyoftensubsistalongtimebetweenthemostopposingaffinities. ThefactwasthatRusselwouldnotgiveupthesocietyofClayton.Headmiredtheverythinginhimwhichhewantedhimselfandhecomfortedhimselffornotlisteningtohisadmonitionsbythetoleranceandgood-naturewithwhichhehadalwaysheardthem.Whenheheardthathewasill,hecametohimandinsistedupontravellingwithhim,attendinghimwiththeutmostfidelityandkindness. ClaytonhadnotseenAnnebeforesincehisaffliction—bothbecausehistimehadbeenverymuchengaged,andbecausetheywhocannotspeakoftheirsorrowsoftenshrinkfromthesocietyofthosewhosehabitsofintimacyandaffectionmightleadthemtodesiresuchconfidence.Buthewasnotdestinedinhisnewretreattofindthepeacehedesired.Ourreadersmayrememberthattherewereintimationsconveyedthroughhissistersometimesinceofdiscontentarisingintheneighborhood. ThepresenceofTomGordonsoonbegantomakeitselffelt.Asaconductorintroducedintoanelectricatmospherewilldrawtoitselfthefluid,sohebecameanorganizingpointfortheprevailingdissatisfaction. Hewenttodinner-partiesandtalkedhewroteinthenearestpaperheexcitedtheinflammableandinconsiderateand,beforehehadbeentheremanyweeks,avigilanceassociationwasformedamongtheyoungerandmorehot-headedofhisassociates,tosearchoutandextirpatecovertabolitionism.Anneandherbrotherfirstbecamesensibleofanentirecessationofallthoseneighborlyactsofkindnessandhospitality,inwhichsouthernpeople,wheninagoodhumor,aresoabundant. Atlast,onedayClaytonwasinformedthatthreeorfourgentlemenofhisacquaintancewerewishingtoseehimintheparlorbelow. Ondescending,hewasreceivedfirstbyhisnearestneighbor,JudgeOliver,afine-lookingelderlygentleman,ofinfluentialfamilyconnection. HewasattendedbyMr.Bradshaw,whomwehavealreadyintroducedtoourreaders,andbyaMr.Knapp,whowasaverywealthyplanter,amanofgreatenergyandability,whohadforsomeyearsfiguredastherepresentativeofhisnativestateinCongress. Itwasevident,bytheembarrassedairoftheparty,thattheyhadcomeonbusinessofnopleasingcharacter. Itisnoteasyforpersons,howevermuchexcitedtheymaybe,toenteratonceuponoffensivecommunicationstopersonswhoreceivethemwithcalmandgentlemanlycivilitytherefore,afterbeingseated,andhavingdiscussedtheordinarytopicsoftheweatherandthecrops,thepartylookedoneuponanother,inalittleuncertaintywhichshouldbegintherealbusinessoftheinterview. "Mr.Clayton,"atlengthsaidJudgeOliver,"wearereallysorrytobeobligedtomakedisagreeablecommunicationstoyou.Wehaveallofushadthesincerestrespectforyourfamilyandforyourself.Ihaveknownandhonoredyourfathermanyyears,Mr.Claytonand,formyownpart,ImustsayIanticipatedmuchpleasurefromyourresidenceinourneighborhood.IamreallyconcernedtobeobligedtosayanythingunpleasantbutIamunderthenecessityoftellingyouthatthecourseyouhavebeenpursuingwithregardtoyourservants,beingcontrarytothelawsandusagesofoursocialinstitutions,cannolongerbepermittedamongus.Youareawarethattheteachingofslavestoreadandwriteisforbiddenbythelaw,underseverepenalties.Wehavealwaysbeenliberalintheinterpretationofthislaw.Exceptionalviolations,conductedwithprivacyanddiscretion,inthecaseoffavoredservants,whosegeneralgoodconductseemstomeritsuchconfidence,havefromtimetotimeexisted,andpassedamonguswithoutnoticeoroppositionbuttheinstitutionofaregularsystemofinstruction,totheextentanddegreewhichexistsuponyourplantation,isathingsodirectlyinthefaceofthelaw,thatwecannolongertolerateitandwehavedetermined,unlessthiscourseisdropped,totakemeasurestoputthelawintoexecution." "Ihadpaidmyadoptedstatethecompliment,"saidClayton,"tosupposesuchlawstobeamererelicofbarbarousages,whichthepracticalChristianityofourtimeswouldtreatasadeadletter.Ibeganmyarrangementsinallgoodfaith,notdreamingthattherecouldbefoundthosewhowouldopposeacoursesoevidentlycalledforbythespiritoftheGospel,andthespiritoftheage." "Youareentirelymistaken,sir,"saidMr.Knapp,inatoneofgreatdecision,"ifyousupposetheselawsare,orcaneverbe,amatterofindifferencetous,orcanbesufferedtobecomeadeadletter.Sir,theyarefoundedintheverynatureofourinstitutions.Theyareindispensablet