again. He had heard of poor Tom of
the big heart from his mother, and there had been that in her soft speech
of him which had made the great, tender creature very real. Even in his
childhood his mother had been his passion, as he had been hers. Neither
of them had had others to share their affection, and they were by nature
creatures born to love. His first memory had been of looking up into the
soft darkness of the tender eyes which were always brooding over him. He
had been little more than a baby when he had somehow known that they were
very sorrowful, and had realised that he loved them more because of their
sorrow. He had been little older when he found out the reason of their
sadness, and from that time he had fallen into the habit of watching
them, and knowing their every look. He always remembered the look they
wore when she spoke of Tom De Willoughby, and it had been a very touching
one.

"Yes," he said to Uncle Matt, "I have heard of him."

"Dar was a time, a long way back, Marse Rupert--'fore you was
borned--when I seemed to year a good deal 'bout Marse Thomas. Dat was
when he went away in dat curi's fashion. Nobody knowed _whar_ he went,
an' nobody knowed quite _why_. It wus jes' afore ye' maw an' paw wus
married. Some said him an' de Jedge qua'lled 'cause Marse Thomas he said
he warn't gwine ter be no medical student, an' _some_ said he was in love
with some young lady dat wouldn't 'cept of him."

"Did they?" said Rupert.

"Dat dey did," Matt said; "an' a lot moah. But ev'rybody think it mighty
strange him a-gwine, an' no one never huntin' him up afterwards. Seemed
most like dey didn't keer nothin' 'bout him."

"They didn't, damn them!" said Rupert, with sudden passion. "And he was
worth the whole lot."

"Dat what make I say what I gwine ter," said Matt, with some eagerness.
"What I heerd about Marse Thomas make me think he must be er mighty fine
gen'leman, an' one what'd be a good fren' to anyone. An' dishyer ve'y
mawnin' I heerd sump'n mo' about him."

Rupert raised himself upon his elbow.

"About Uncle Tom!" he exclaimed. "You have heard something about Uncle
Tom to-day?"

"I foun' out whar he went, Marse Rupert," said Matt, much roused. "I
foun' out whar he _is_ dishyer ve'y instep. He's in Hamlin County,
keepin' sto' an' post-office at Talbot's Cross-roads; an', frum what I
heah, Marse Tom De Willoughby de mos' pop'larist gen'leman an' mos'
looked up ter in de county."

"Who--who did you h