A swift and utterly new comprehension swept over Courtland. For the first time in his knowledge of her he suddenly grasped what was, perhaps, the true conception of her character. Looking at her clearly now, he understood the meaning of those pliant graces, so unaffected and yet always controlled by the reasoning of an unbiased intellect; her frank speech and plausible intonations! Before him stood the true-born daughter of a long race of politicians! All that he had heard of their dexterity, tact, and expediency rose here incarnate, with the added grace of womanhood. A strange sense of relief--perhaps a dawning of hope--stole over him.
“But how will this insure Cato's safety hereafter, or give protection to the others?” he said, fixing his eyes upon her.
“The future won't concern YO' much, co'nnle, if as yo' say here yo'r resignation is sent in, and yo'r successor appointed,” she replied, with more gravity than she had previously shown.
“But you do not think I will leave YOU in this uncertainty,” he said passionately. He stopped suddenly, his brow darkened. “I forgot,” he added coldly, “you will be well protected. Your--COUSIN--will give you the counsel of race--and--closer ties.”
To his infinite astonishment, Miss Sally leaned forward in her chair and buried her laughing face in both of her hands. When her dimples had become again visible, she said with an effort, “Don't yo' think, co'nnle, that as a peacemaker my cousin was even a bigger failure than yo'self?”
“I don't understand,” stammered Courtland.
“Don't yo' think,” she continued, wiping her eyes demurely, “that if a young woman about my size, who had got perfectly tired and sick of all this fuss made about yo', because yo' were a No'th'n man, managing niggers--if that young woman wanted to show her people what sort of a radical and abolitionist a SO'TH'N man of their own sort might become, she'd have sent for Jack Dumont as a sample? Eh? Only, I declare to goodness, I never reckoned that he and Higbee would revive the tomfooling of the vendetta, and take to shootin' each other at once.”
“And your sending for your cousin was only a feint to protect me?” said Courtland faintly.
“Perhaps he didn't have to be SENT for, co'nnle,” she said, with a slight touch of coquetry. “Suppose we say, I LET HIM COME. He'd be hanging round, for he has property here, and wanted to get me to take it up with mine in the company. I knew what his new views and ideas were, and I thought I'd better consult Champney--who, being a foreigner, and an older resident than yo', was quite neutral. He didn't happen to tell YO' anything about it--did he, co'nnle?” she added with a grave mouth, but an indescribable twinkle in her eyes.