"And they killed him? Oh, father of mercies, they killed him, and you saw it?"
The child had been growing pale as she listened, not that she quite understood, but because of the deadly whiteness which settled on her mother's face, and the hoarse voice of the man who was speaking. Mrs. Mason sat still. The shock of this wild story left her dumb. Thrasher cast anxious glances on her face, but if the child looked at him his eyes fell. At last, the woman found the power of speech:
"He sent no word--he died without thinking of us!"
"I cannot tell what his thoughts were, or any thing except that we found him fighting, and saw him fall."
"No one. My men went into another section of the cellar. The wine was good, and they were in no hurry to follow me."
"But some one saw him after--you did not leave the dead body of my husband to be trampled on by a band of negroes?"
"We could not help it--the blacks were ten to one."
"But did no one see him but yourself? Did no one try to help him?"
Thrasher turned paler than he had done before that evening. "Her brother--I did not know that," he muttered, uneasily.
Mrs. Mason did not heed this; the conviction of her great loss grew more and more distinct to her mind; all the desolation that must follow the cruel news of that evening crowded upon her. She folded the little girl close to her heart, and began to weep over her in bitter grief.
"Are you sure that Rice is connected with Katharine Allen?" asked Thrasher, taking advantage of a pause in her sobs.
"Old Mrs. Allen was married twice," she answered, impatiently, for grief made her restive. "He was her only son by the first husband. Tell me where he is; I want to see him. I want to know every word and look of my poor, poor husband. Where can Rice be found?"
"I don't know; he kept with the ship. I came directly home, fearing to let any less friendly person tell you the sad news."
"You were very kind," sobbed the poor woman, "very kind; I shall never forget it."
"I always wished to be kind to you, Ellen," was the almost tender reply.
"I know it, I know it; but he always stood between me and any other man."
Thrasher arose, and would have approached Mrs. Mason; but Rose clung to her neck with one arm and waved him away with the other.