was sitting perfectly still and colourless, crumbling a small piece
of bread, while her eyes clung to the basket of roses and lilies.

"Well, Benjy boy!" exclaimed President, too full for speech, "and little
Jessy!"

In spite of his awkwardness and his Sunday clothes, he looked so happy,
so uplifted by the sincerity of his affection above any false feeling of
shame, that the tears sprang to my eyes as I clasped his hand.

The governor had risen to speak to him, the General had done likewise.
By their side Sally stood with a smile on her face and her hand on the
table. She was a Bland, after all, and the racial instinct within her
had risen to meet the crisis. They recognised it, I saw, and they, whose
blood was as blue as hers, responded generously to the call. Not one had
failed her! Then my eyes fell on Jessy, sitting cold and silent, while
she crumbled her bit of bread.

CHAPTER XXII

THE MAN AND THE CLASS

"I oughtn't to have done it, Benjy," said President, following me with
diffidence under the waving palm branches and up the staircase.

"Nonsense, President," I answered; "I'm awfully glad you've come. Only
if I'd known about it, I'd have met you at the station."

"No, I oughtn't to have done it, Benjy," he repeated humbly, standing in
a dejected attitude in the centre of the guest room next to Jessy's. He
had entered nervously, as if he were stepping on glass, and when I
motioned to a chair he shook his head and glanced uneasily at the
delicate chintz covering.

"I'd better not sit down. I'm feared I'll hurt it."

"It's made to be sat in. You aren't going to stand up in the middle of
the room all night, old fellow, are you?"

At this he appeared to hesitate, and a pathetic groping showed itself in
his large, good-humoured face.

"You see, I've been down in the mines," he said, "an' anything so fancy
makes my flesh crawl."

"I wish you'd give up that work. It's a shame to have you do it when
I've got more money than I can find investments for."

"I'm a worker, Benjy, and I'll die a worker. Pa wa'nt a worker, and
that's why he took to drink."

"Well, sit down now, and make yourself at home. I've got to go back
downstairs, but I'll come up again the very minute that it's over."

Pushing him, in spite of his stubborn, though humble, resistance, into
the depths of the chintz-covered chair, I went hurriedly back to the
dinner-table, and took my seat beside Mrs. Tyler, who remarked with a
ta