that you would do it?" I said, scarce opening my eyes
to the reality of what he said.

"I give you my word, I do. If one of these black fellows laid a hand
on me I would put a bullet through him, as quick as a partridge."

"But then you would be a murderer," said I. The ground seemed taken
away from under my feet. We were standing still now, and facing each
other.

"No, I shouldn't," said Preston. "The law takes better care of us than
that."

"The law would hang you," said I.

"I tell you, Daisy, it is no such thing! Gentlemen have a right to
defend themselves against the insolence of these black fellows."

"And have not the black fellows a right to defend themselves against
the insolence of gentlemen?" said I.

"Daisy, you are talking the most unspeakable nonsense," said Preston,
quite put beyond himself now. "_Don't_ you know any better than that?
These people are our servants--they are our property--we are to do
what we like with them; and of course the law must see that we are
protected, or the blacks and the whites could not live together."

"A man may be your servant, but he cannot be your property," I said.

"Yes he can! They are our property, just as much as the land is; our
goods to do as we like with. Didn't you know that?"

"Property is something that you can buy and sell," I answered.

"And we sell the people, and buy them too, as fast as we like."

"_Sell_ them!" I echoed, thinking of Darry.

"Certainly."

"And who would buy them?"

"Why all the world; everybody. There has been nobody sold off the
Magnolia estate, I believe, in a long time; but nothing is more
common, Daisy; everybody is doing it everywhere, when he has got too
many servants, or when he has got too few."

"And do you mean," said I, "that Darry and Margaret and Theresa and
all the rest here, have been _bought_?"

"No; almost all of them have been born on the place."

"Then it is not true of these," I said.

"Yes, it is; for their mothers and fathers were bought. It is the same
thing."

"Who bought them?" I asked, hastily.

"Why our mothers, and grandfather and great-grandfather."

"_Bought_ the fathers and mothers of all these hundreds of people?"
said I, a slow horror creeping into my veins, that yet held childish
blood, and but half comprehended.

"Certainly--ages ago," said Preston. "Why, Daisy, I thought you knew
all about it."

"But who sold them first?" said I, my mind in its utter rejection of
what was