ged as Mr. Loring grew--well, excited."

"Oh, the old story; rumors again that the Federal government mean to
proclaim freedom for the blacks. But when it was done in two states by
the local authorities, it was vetoed at Washington; so it is doubtful
after all if it is true, there are so many rumors afloat. But if it is
done there will be nothing vague about it. I fancy it will be said so
good and loud that there will be a panic from ocean to ocean."

"Insurrection?"

"No; the Judge is right; there is a peculiar condition of affairs here
precluding the possibility of that unless in isolated instances, a
certain personal sympathy between master and slave which a foreigner
finds difficult of comprehension."

"What about the runaways?" she asked, with a little air of check,
"several of them have escaped the sympathetic bonds in that way; in
fact, they tell me Mr. Loring, or his niece, has lately lost some very
valuable live stock through that tendency."

"Whisper now!--though I believe it is a very open secret in the
community, the gentleman in question, my dear Marquise, is one of the
isolated instances. If you are studying social institutions in this
country you must make a note of that, and underline it with red ink.
He is by no means the typical Southerner. He is, however, a proof of
the fact that it is a dangerous law which allows every one possessing
wealth an almost unlimited power over scores of human beings. To be
sure, he is mild as skim-milk these days of convalescence, but there
are stories told of the use he made of power when he dared, that would
warrant the whole pack taking to their heels if they had the courage.
They are not stories for ladies' ears, however, and I doubt if Miss
Loring herself is aware of them. But in studying the country here,
don't forget that my patient is one in a thousand--better luck to the
rest."

"So!" and she arose, drawing on her glove slowly, and regarding him
with a queer little smile; "you _have_ been giving thought to
something besides the love songs of this new country? Your ideas are
very interesting. I shall remember them, even without the red ink."

Then they mounted the impatient horses and rode out in the pink flush
of the morning--the only hours cool enough for the foreigners to
exercise at that season. They were going no place in particular, but
when the cross-country road was reached leading to Loringwood, she
suddenly turned to him and proposed that he condu