ns o' my plans an' his ign'ance
o' de law." He tilted his face and gave himself an argumentative frown
of matchless insolence. "You see, my deah seh----"

Garnet was wearily turning his head from side to side as if in
unspeakable pain; a sudden movement of his free arm caused the mulatto
to flinch, but the ex-master said, quietly:

"Go on, Cornelius."

"Yass. You see, Major, sence dis waugh done put us all on a sawt of
equality----" The speaker flinched again.

"Great Heaven!" groaned the Major. "Cornelius, why, Cor--_ne_lius! you
_viper_! if it were not for dishonoring my own roof I'd thrash you right
here. I've a good notion----"

"Ow! leggo me! I ain't gwine to 'low no daym rebel----"

Ravenel, stroking Barbara and talking to Mrs. Garnet, saw his hostess
start and then try to attend to his words, while out on the veranda rang
notes of fright and pain.

"Oh! don't grabble my whole bres' up dat a-way, sah! Please sah! Oh!
don't! You ain't got no mo' right! Oh! Lawd! Mahse John Wesley! Oh! good
Lawdy! yo' ban' bites like a _dawg_!"

Ravenel paused in his talk to ask Barbara about the sandman, but the
child stared wildly at her mother. Johanna reappeared in the door with a
scared face; Barbara burst into loud weeping, and her nurse bore her
away crying and bending toward her mother, while from the veranda the
wail poured in.

"Oh! Oh! don't resh me back like that! Oh! Oh! my Gawd! Oh! you'll bre'k
de balusters! Oh! my Gawd-A'mighty, my back; Mahse John Wesley, you
a-breakin' _my back_! Oh, good Lawd 'a' mussy! my po' back! my po' back!
Oh! don't dra--ag--you ain't a-needin' to drag me. I'll walk, Mahse John
Wesley, I'll walk! Oh! you a-scrapin' my knees off! Oh! dat whip ain't
over dak! You can't re'ch it down!--ef I bite----" There was a silent
instant and the mulatto screamed.

With sinking knees a small form slipped from the kitchen and
ran--fell--rose--and ran again across the moonlight and into the grove
toward the spring-house.

Barbara's crying increased. Ravenel said:

"Don't let me keep you from the baby"--while outside:

"Oh! I didn't mean to bite you, sweet Mahse John Wesley. 'Fo' Gawd
I--oh!--o--oh--h--you broke my knees!"

"If you'll excuse me," said the mother, and went upstairs.

"Oh! mussy! mussy! yo' foot a-mashing my whole breas' in'! Oh, my Gawd!
De Yankees 'll git win' o' dis an' you'll go to jail!"

The lash fell. "O--oh!--o--oh! Oh, Lawd!" Jeff-Jack sat still and once or
twice s