Lee spoke in low tones to his wife.
"Ask the young people to come in for a moment, my dear."
Mrs. Lee crossed quickly to the library door and called:
"Come in, children, Colonel Lee wishes to see you all."
Mary, Stuart, Custis, Phil, Robbie and Sid pressed into the hall in curious, expectant mood. Mrs. Marshall knew that Ruffin was still there, but her curiosity got the better of her aversion. She followed the children, only to run squarely into Ruffin.
He was about to speak in his politest manner when she stiffened and pa.s.sed him.
Ruffin"s eye twinkled. He knew that she saw him. She hated him for his political views. She also knew that he hated her husband, Judge Marshall, with equal cordiality. His pride was too great to feel the slightest hurt at her attempt to ignore him. She was a fanatic on the subject of the Union. All right, he was a fanatic on the idea of an independent South. They were even. Let it be so.
With a toss of his head, he turned toward Lee who had seated himself at the table behind the couch.
The children were chatting and laughing as they entered. A sudden hush fell on them as they caught the serious look on the Colonel"s face. He was writing rapidly. He stopped and fixed a seal on the paper which he held in his hand. He read it carefully, lifted his eyes to the group that had drawn near and said:
"Children, my good friend, Mr. Ruffin, has called to-day to bid us G.o.d-speed on our journey North. And he has asked me to answer _Uncle Tom"s Cabin_. I"ve called you to witness the only answer I know how to make at this moment."
He paused and turned toward Sam.
"Come here, Sam."
The young negro rolled his eyes in excited wonder about the room and laughed softly at nothing as he approached the table.
"Ya.s.sah, Ma.r.s.e Robert."
"How old are you, Sam?"
"Des twenty, sah."
"I had meant to wait until you were twenty-one for this, but I have decided to act to-day. You will arrange to leave here and go with us as far as New York."
The negro bowed gratefully.
"Ya.s.sah, thankee sah, I sho did want ter go norf wid you, sah, but I hated to axe ye."
Lee handed Sam the doc.u.ment.
"You will go with me a free man, my boy. You are the only slave I yet hold in my own right. I have just given you your deed of emanc.i.p.ation.
From this hour you are your own master. May G.o.d bless you and keep you in health and strength and give you long life and much happiness."
Sam stared at the paper and then at the kindly eyes of his old master. A sob caught his voice as he stammered:
"May G.o.d bless you, Ma.r.s.e Robert--"
Ben lifted his hands in benediction and his voice rang in the solemn cadence of the prophet and seer:
"And let the glory of His face shine upon him forever!"
Mrs. Marshall stooped and kissed her brother.
"You"re a true son of Virginia, Robert, in this beautiful answer you make to-day to all our enemies."
She rose and faced Ruffin with square antagonism.
Lee turned to the old butler.
"And Ben, tell all our servants of the estate that, under the will of Mrs. Lee"s father I will in due time set them free. I would do so to-day if the will had not fixed the date."
Ben bowed gravely.
"I"se proud to be your servant, Ma.r.s.e Robert and Missis, and when my freedom comes frum yo" hands, I"ll be prouder still to serve you always."
With head erect Ben proudly led the dazed young freedman from the hall to the kitchen where his reception was one of mixed wonder and pity.
There fell a moment"s awkward silence, broken at last by Stuart"s clear, boyish voice. He saw Ruffin"s embarra.s.sment. He knew the man"s fiery temper and wondered at his restraint.
"Well, Mr. Ruffin," Stuart began, "we may not see as clearly as Colonel Lee to-day, but he"s my commander, sir, and I"ll say he"s right."
Ruffin faced Lee with a look of uncompromising antagonism and fairly shot his words.
"And for the millions of the South, I say he"s wrong. There"s a time for all things. And this is not the time for such an act. From the appearance of this book you can rest a.s.sured the emanc.i.p.ation of slaves in the South will cease. We will never be bullied into freeing our slaves by slander and insult. Colonel Lee"s example will not be followed. The fanatics of the North have begun to spit on our faces.
There"s but one answer to an insult--and that"s a blow!"
Lee stepped close to the planter, laid one hand gently on his shoulder, searched his angry eyes for a moment and slowly said:
"And thrice is he armed, my friend, who hath his quarrel just. I set my house in order before the first blow falls."
Ruffin smiled and threw off the ugly strain.
"I"m sorry, sir," he said with friendly indifference, "that my mission has been a failure."
"And I"m sorry we can"t agree."
"I won"t be able to stay to dinner, Mrs. Lee, and I bid you all good evening."
With a wave of his hand in a gesture behind which lurked the tingling of taut nerves, he turned and left.
The beat of his horse"s hoof echoed down the road with a sharp, angry crack.
CHAPTER IX
On Sunday the whole plantation went to Church. The negroes sat in the gallery and listened with rapt attention to the service. They joined its ritual and its songs with their white folks in equal sincerity and more profound emotion.
At the crossroads the stream of carriages, carts and buggies and horseback riders parted. To the right, the way led to the Episcopal Church, the old English establishment of the State, long since separated from secular authority, yet still bearing the seal of county aristocracy. Colonel Lee was a devout member of this church. Mrs. Lee was the inspiration of its charities and the soul of its activities.