er, and
very sorry she was for herself and for Gabriel, too.

And while she was going home, following in the footsteps of that young
man (for Dorringtons' was on the way to Cloptons'), a thought struck
her, and it seemed to be so important that she stopped still and clapped
the palms of her hands together with an energy unusual to young ladies.
Then she gathered her skirt firmly, drew it up a little, and went
running along the road as rapidly as Gabriel had run. Fortunately, a
knowledge of the rules of etiquette had not had the effect of paralysing
Nan's legs. She ran so fast that she was wellnigh breathless when she
reached home. She rushed into the house, and fell in a chair, crying:

"Oh, Nonny!"

CHAPTER TEN

_The Troubles of Nan_

"Why, what on earth ails the child?" exclaimed Mrs. Absalom. Nan was
leaning back in the chair, her face very red, making an effort to fan
herself with one little hand, and panting wildly. "Malindy!" Mrs.
Absalom yelled to the cook, "run here an' fetch the camphire as you
come! Ain't you comin'? The laws a massy on us! the child'll be cold and
stiff before you start! Honey, what on earth ails you? Tell your Nonny.
Has anybody pestered you? Ef they have, jest tell me the'r name, an'
I'll foller 'em to the jumpin'-off place but what I'll frail 'em out.
You Malindy! whyn't you come on? You'll go faster'n that to your own
funeral."

But when Malindy came with the camphor, and a dose of salts in a
tumbler, Nan waved her away. "I don't want any physic, Nonny," she said,
still panting, for her run had been a long one; "I'm just tired from
running. And, oh, Nonny! I have something to tell you."

"Well, my life!" exclaimed Mrs. Absalom indignantly, withdrawing her
arms from around Nan, and rising to her feet. "A little more, an' you'd
'a' had me ready for my coolin'-board. I ain't had such a turn--not
sence the day a nigger boy run in the gate an' tol' me the Yankees was
a-hangin' Ab. An' all bekaze you've hatched out some rigamarole that
nobody on the green earth would 'a' thought of but you."

She fussed around a little, and was for going about the various
unnecessary duties she imposed on herself; but Nan protested. "Please,
Nonny, wait until I tell you." Thereupon Nan told as well as she could
of the conversation she and Gabriel had overheard in town, and the
recital gave Mrs. Absalom a more serious feeling than she had had in
many a day. Her muscular arms, bare to the elbow,