I find that you are not, so
let's drop the unpleasant subject. If the Niggers keep away from the
polls, and don't attempt to run a ticket, there will be no trouble; but
if they persist in defying the whites, there'll be hell. But all pretty
Nigger gals such as you will be all right."

"Unhand me!" said Molly, twisting herself from his grasp. "Go tell your
hypocritical associates in crime that the deed they are about to commit
will recoil upon their own heads, and upon the heads of their children."

"But--er--now Molly--"

"Go!" hissed Molly, pointing to the door.

Ben Hartright walked slowly to the door paused and wistfully eyed Molly
who stood with uplifted hand pointing in that direction. "Oh, you are
quite full of race pride just now, but when it comes to deciding between
the easy life that a white man pays for and Nigger drudgery, you'll
doubtless change your tune. I leave you to reflect."

Hartright walked out. Molly sank upon the sofa and buried her face in
her hands. "How true!" she sobbed. "What have I done?" but she rose and
her anguish was gone in a twinkling. "Easy life! Drudgery! But _here I
swear from this hour Molly Pierrepont will live no longer such a life_."

Ben Hartright reached his home in Orange street about three o'clock,
noiselessly opened the door and strode up to his apartments, thinking he
would get to bed without disturbing his young wife; but she was not
there. The bed remained as it was when the chambermaid left it that
morning, after giving it its finishing touches. Ben Hartright looked
about the room in wild amazement. He drew out his watch, scanned its
face eagerly. "By ginger!" he exclaimed, "it's past three o'clock.
Wonder where is Emily? This is indeed something unusual." Thinking
perhaps that his child might have taken ill during the night and that
his wife had remained in the nurse's room with it, he crossed the hall
and rapped upon the door; a second rap brought the nurse to the door
rubbing her eyes. "What's the matter, Fannie; is the baby sick?"

"No, sah!" answered the girl.

"Isn't Miss Emily in there?"

"No, sah; Mr. Benny she aint in heah, sah."

"_Where in the thunder is she then?_" roared Ben Hartright, now beside
himself with rage. "_Is this the way you look after your mistress?_" and
he seized the already frightened girl by the shoulders and shook her
vigorously, turned away before she could utter a word of excuse, and
bounded down to his mother's apartments.