said Miss Sally, pointing to a
young fellow who had just emerged from the office and was crossing the
courtyard. "He's the English agent."

He was square-shouldered and round-headed, fresh and clean looking in
his white flannels, but with an air of being utterly distinct and alien
to everything around him, and mentally and morally irreconcilable to it.
As he passed the house he glanced shyly at it; his eye brightened and
his manner became self-conscious as he caught sight of the young girl,
but changed again when he saw her companion. Courtland likewise was
conscious of a certain uneasiness; it was one thing to be helping Miss
Sally ALONE, but certainly another thing to be doing so under the eye
of a stranger; and I am afraid that he met the stony observation of the
Englishman with an equally cold stare. Miss Sally alone retained her
languid ease and self-possession. She called out, "Wait a moment, Mr.
Champney," slipped lightly down the ladder, and leaning against it with
one foot on its lowest rung awaited his approach.

"I reckoned yo' might be passing by," she said, as he came forward.
"Co'nnle Courtland," with an explanatory wave of the hammer towards her
companion, who remained erect and slightly stiffened on the cornice,
"is no relation to those figures along the frieze of the Redlands Court
House, but a No'th'n officer, a friend of Major Reed's, who's come down
here to look after So'th'n property for some No'th'n capitalists. Mr.
Champney," she continued, turning and lifting her eyes to Courtland as
she indicated Champney with her hammer, "when he isn't talking English,
seeing English, thinking English, dressing English, and wondering why
God didn't make everything English, is trying to do the same for
HIS folks. Mr. Champney, Co'nnle Courtland. Co'nnle Courtland, Mr.
Champney!" The two men bowed formally. "And now, Co'nnle, if yo'll
come down, Mr. Champney will show yo' round the fahm. When yo' 've got
through yo'll find me here at work."

Courtland would have preferred, and half looked for her company
and commentary on this round of inspection, but he concealed his
disappointment and descended. It did not exactly please him that
Champney seemed relieved, and appeared to accept him as a bona fide
stranger who could not possibly interfere with any confidential
relations that he might have with Miss Sally. Nevertheless, he met the
Englishman's offer to accompany him with polite gratitude, and they left
the ho