er of my
desire? I had not grown up with her, and it would be natural enough if I
did not feel toward her as a brother. Incest was common enough around
here. As to Lamborn, Zoe was a nigger, and the spoil of any one who
wanted her. These were some of the things that Reverdy hinted at. If I
prosecuted Lamborn, the countercharge would be made that I had been
intimate with Zoe myself. If she had a child I would be proclaimed its
father, especially if I raised an issue, and tried to fix the paternity
upon Lamborn. If I went to see the state's attorney and asked him to
act, there was danger that he would not wish to do so, because the
present state's attorney was about to lose the office. He would not wish
to start a social hostility that would react upon himself. In fact,
Douglas was now trying to supplant him. I was known as a friend of
Douglas'. Perhaps I would be trying to involve the state's attorney in
an unpopular prosecution. If the prosecuting attorney refused to act
that refusal would be known, and credit might be given to any reports
that might arise that Zoe was mine before she was Lamborn's, if she ever
was his. And if I resented the prosecuting attorney's refusal to act,
then I might be accused of acting with Douglas in his ambition to get
the office. Above all, under the law of Illinois, Zoe could not testify
against Lamborn, a white man. Thus, in any prosecution that was to be
made, evidence independent of Zoe's word had to be procured. Where was
such evidence? That really settled the whole matter. But I had gone
through the whole range of deliberation before finding out that Zoe's
word would not be received in court.

But why had Reverdy not warned me against taking Zoe to live with me?
There was the matter, too, of my equal division of the estate with Zoe.
I had done this with the purest of motives. Now the edge of it was
turned against me. For why would I surrender so much when I did not have
to?

What was I now to do? Should I send Zoe away? Should I keep her in my
household and let the tongues wag, as they were doing, or clatter if Zoe
should have a child? The secret would be out soon. Lamborn would be sure
to betray the fact that he had captured Zoe. There seemed nothing to do
then but to settle down with British tenacity to live it out, and brave
whatever came to me out of the complications. I was sure of the
friendship of Reverdy and Sarah.

With these reflections I went back to the hut. Zoe was st