"I was going to say that our acquaintance was very brief, but what I have seen or heard, I will not tell to you or to any one. Your imagination is magnifying your sufferings. You want a heart to confide in. You have brothers-in-law, wise and strong men.
"That, for the whole of them," she said, as she snapped her fingers.
"Their wives are my sisters, some of them old enough to be my mother, but they and their husbands are alike--sordid. The hope of money is even more debasing than the h.o.a.rding. Do you understand me? I must speak or my heart will burst. Are you a wizzard that you have so drawn me on? Dare I speak? Is it maidenly that I should? There is a spell upon me. Go to your chamber--there is a spy upon me; I am seen, and I fear I have been overheard; go to your chamber--here, take this book and read it if you never have--dinner is at hand, and after dinner--, but let each hour provide for itself,--at dinner,--well, well, adieu."
She was in the drawing-room, and again the soft melody of half-suppressed music, scarcely audible, yet every note distinct, floated to his chamber, and the guest scarcely breathed that he might hear. There was something so plaintive, so melting in the tones that they saddened as well as delighted. How the heart can melt out at the finger-points when touching the keys of a sweetly-toned instrument! It is thrown to the air, and in its plaint makes sweet music of its melancholy. Like harmonious spirits chanting in their invisibility, making vocal the very atmosphere, it died away as though going to a great distance, and stillness was in the whole house. He stole gently to the door. There seated was Alice; her elbow on her instrument, and her brow upon her hand. The bell rang for dinner. The repast is over, and a gla.s.s of generous wine sent the rose to the cheeks of Alice, but enlivened not her eye. Her heart was sad: the eye spoke it but too plainly, and she looked beautiful beyond comparison. The eye of the stranger was rivetted upon that drooping lid and more than melancholy brow.
His situation was a painful one. More than once had he caught the quick, suspicious glance of the judge flash upon him. He was becoming an object of interest to more than one in the house; but how different that interest! How at antipodes the motives of that interest! He knew too much, and yet he wanted to know more. He was left alone in the drawing-room with the timid, modest little cousin. It rained on, and the weather seemed melancholy, and their feelings were in unison with the weather.
"I shall leave, I believe, miss, as soon as the rain will permit. I presume I may go down to the city without fear."
"You will find it but a sorry place, sir. All the hotels are closed and everybody is out of town save the physicians, and the poor who are unable to get away. The gloom of the desolated place is enough to craze any one. I hope you do not find your stay disagreeable in this house?"
"I will not attempt to deceive you, miss. I cannot say why; but I feel uncomfortable--not at my ease. It were needless for me to repeat it; I am sure you know the cause."
"Perhaps I do, sir; and still I cannot see in that sufficient cause for your going away. Perhaps, sir, we are not thinking of the same cause,"
she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"I particularly allude to what you yourself communicated to me. I perceive Miss Alice is very unhappy, and I also am apprehensive that I may in some way be the cause of this."
"I will tell you, sir, any special attention on your part to Alice will enrage her brother. From motives known to himself, he is very much opposed to her marrying any one. His reasons as given are that she is so peculiar in her disposition that she would only increase her own misery in making her husband miserable, which her eccentric nature would certainly insure. I have heard that he has sometimes had a thought of carrying her to an asylum for the insane. The world, however, is not charitable enough to believe this the true reason. The judge is very grasping, and he has in his hands Alice"s fortune. Some of his own family suppose he desires the use of it as long as possible.
There are many hard things said of him in relation to his influencing his mother to leave him the lion"s share of her estate. This very home was intended for Alice, and though he had not spoken to his mother for years, in her last hours he came with a prepared will and insisted on her signing it. She feared him (most people do) and affixed her name to the fatal doc.u.ment, which report says was never read to her. After that she could not bear the presence of Alice, saying in her delirium: "My poor baby will hate me; I have turned her from her home." Alice has learned all this, and she has upbraided him with his conduct; for once provoked she does not even fear him."
"Why do not her brothers-in-law inquire into this? They are equally interested in the matter it seems to me."
"Ah, sir! they are hoping that he may do them justice in his will. I am sure this is the understanding with at least one of them, and neither of them will hazard a loss to protect the rights of Alice. Large expectations are strong inducements to selfishness. I am disclosing family matters, sir; but I have done so from a good motive. It is but half disclosed to you; but the rest I must not tell. You are not so dull as not from what I have said to be able to shape your conduct.
Alice is coming."
The rain had ceased, and for two days the genial sun had drank up the moisture from the land, which underfoot was dry again. The autumn had come, and the earth groaned with the rich products of this favored land. The cotton-fields were whitening, and the yellow corn"s pendant ears hung heavily from their supporting stocks. Fat cattle in the shade of the great trees switched away the teasing flies as they lazily ruminated. The crows were cawing and stealing from their bursting sh.e.l.ls the rich pecan nuts, and the black-birds flew in great flocks over the fields. In the hickory-woods the gray squirrel leaped from tree to tree, hunting for, and storing away for winter"s use, his store of nuts and acorns, or running along the rail-fence to find a hiding-place when frightened from his thieving in the cornfields. The quail whistled for his truant mate in the yellow stubble, and the carrion-bird--black and disgusting--wheeled in circles, lazily, high up in the blue above. There was in everything the appearance of satisfaction; abundance was everywhere, and the yellowing of the leaves and the smoky horizon told that the year was waning into winter.
Under the influences of the scene and the season the visitor of the judge was sober and reflective as he strolled through the woods, gun in hand, little intent upon shooting. The quail whirred away from his feet; the funny little squirrel leaped up the tree-side and peeped around at him pa.s.sing; but he heeded not these, and went forward to find the cabin of old Toney. He found the old negro in his usual seat at the foot of his favorite tree, upon his well-smoothed and sleek wooden stool.
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Toney. "You come dis time widout Miss Alice. Why she not come wid you? You not want somebody to turn de squirrel for you? May be you bring de ole man more dan one dar?"
"It was too great a walk for her, Uncle Toney, and then she does not like my company well enough to pay so much fatigue for it."
Toney laughed again. "Too much walk, indeed, she walk here most ebery day, wid her little bonnet in her hand and basket too, wid sometin good for Toney. When sun yonder and de shade cobber de groun; den she set dare, (pointing to the gra.s.s which grew luxuriantly near by) and talk to de ole man and lissen so still like a bird hiding, when I tell her all bout de ole folks, dat is buried dare, and how we all comed away from de States when de ole war driv us off, not General Jackson"s war.
No, sir, General Washington"s war, de ole war of all--and den, young ma.s.sa, you ought to see her. She"s mity putty den, she is--face red and smove, and she little tired and she look so like ole missus yonder, when she was a gall, and dem English red coats comes out from Charleston, to de ole place to see her. Dat"s a long time ago, young ma.s.sa."
"Uncle Toney, how old are you?"
"Moss a hundred, young ma.s.sa; I don"t know zackly--but I great big boy when I comed from de ole country, tudder side ob de sea--my country, ma.s.sa. When I comed to Charleston, I was so high--(holding his hand some four feet from the earth) yet I was big nuff to plow, when ole ma.s.sa, de fadder of him burried yonder, bied me and tuck me up to de high hills ob Santee. Den, sir, my ma.s.sa who brought me here, was gone to de country whar de white folks first comed from, England. I neber see him till de ole war, when his fadder been dead two year, den he comed home one night and all de family but one had gone to de war. He not talk much, but look mity sorry. My ole missus was a pretty gall, den, live close by us, and it not long afore dey gets married, and den many ob de nabors come and dey hab long talk. Dey"s all comes to de greement to come away from de country, fraid ob de war, and all de fadders ob all de nabors here take all der n.i.g.g.e.rs and der stock and go up de country to de riber dat"s named de Holsten, and dare dey built heep flat boats, and in de spring dey starts down de riber. Some ob de boats hab hogs on "em, some hosses, some cows, some n.i.g.g.e.rs, some corn and meat, and some de white families. Dar was boff de grandfadder ob Miss Alice, and her fadder. He was small, not grown, and old ma.s.sa, her modder"s fadder, was young wid young wife, but dey all made him captain.
"We was long time comin down de riber, and we had to fite de Injuns long time at de place dey calls Mussel Shoals. Some ob de boats got on de ground, and one on em we had to leave wid de hogs on it. De bullets come from the Injuns so hot dat we all had to get out into de water and go to anudder boat and get away from dar. Dem was the wust Injuns I ebber seed. But we got away and we runned all night. Nex day Miss Alice"s fadder was on de top ob de boat ob his fadder when Injun shoot him in de back from de woods, and he buried wid dat bullet in him up yonder to de great house. Well, young ma.s.sa, we comed one day into a big riber, and dar we stopt one hole week, and de ma.s.sa and some on de ress on em got out and luck at de country, but dey not like him and we started agin, and de nex day we gits into di Ma.s.sasippi, and in two days more we comed to de place dey called New Madrid, and here stopt agin.
"De land was mity level and rich, and all de men said dey would stop here and live. De people what lived here was Spanish, and some n.i.g.g.e.rs and Injuns, and dey talked a lingo we didn"t know. Dere was a n.i.g.g.e.r who could talk American, and he comed one night and tuck ole ma.s.sa out and telled him de Spaniards was gwine to rob dem all, and dat dey would kill all on de white folks, and take all de n.i.g.g.e.rs and stock, and dey was gwine to do it de fus dark night. Dis larmed us all, and dat night we slipt off, and when mornin comed we was way down de riber and gwine ahead I tell you. We neber stopt any more till we got to de mouth of Cole"s Creek. Dare de fadder of Miss Alice"s fadder stopt, and said he would stay dare. Ole ma.s.sa seed an Injun dat tole him ob dis place and dey started true de cane, dey was gone long time, but when dey comed back, ole ma.s.sa got us all ready and away we went and neber stopt till we comed to the mouth of St. Catharine"s, right ober dar. Dar we landed and unloaded de boats, and in a week we was all camped up dar whar de big percan is, and right dar de ole man raise all his family--and dar he and ole missus died.
"All dis country was full ob deer and Injuns, and dem hills yonder was all covered wid big canes and de biggest trees you ebber seed. Yonder, all round dat mound we cleaned a field and planted corn and indigo; and ober yonder was another settlement; and yonder, down de creek was another; and on de cliffs was another, and den dare comed a heap ob people and stopt at Natchez and St. Catharine, and all us people a most, young ma.s.sa, about here is come ob dem; but dare was trouble moss all de time twixt em.
"Ole ma.s.sa was made de Governor, by somebody, and dare was another man made a Governor, too, and he git a company one night and comed down here; but somebody had tole old ma.s.sa, and dat day he tell me, and we went down to de riber under de cliff war was some cane and he tole me he was gwine to stay dar, and I muss bring him sometin to eat ebery day, but I musn"t tell whar he was, not eben to ole missus, for dey would scare her and make her tell on him. Sh.o.r.e nuff, dat night here dey comed, a many a one on em, and dey went right into de great house and serched it and ebery whar, but dey was fooled bad, and den dey tuck me and put a rope round my neck and hung me to de lim of a tree what is dead and gone now, right out dar. But wen I was moss dead, dey let me down and axed me whar was de Governor. I swared I didn"t know, and dey pulled me up agin; and dis time dey thought dey had killed me, sh.o.r.e nuff. It was a long time before I comed to, and den I tole um I could show um whar he was, and we started.
"De cane was mity thick, and we went up one hill and down another till we comed to dat big hill ober de creek dar. De todder side ob it is mity steep, but de cane was all de way down it. I was a good ways before em and I jumpt down de steepest place and way I went through de cane down de hill, and de way dey made de bullets whistle was curos.
But I got away and went round and told de ole man all dey had done.
When I went back all de black people was gone and missus said dese men had tuck em off. De nex nite dey cotch me and carried me to whar our black folks was, and den we all started in a boat down de riber, and when we got to New Orleans we got on a skiff and run down de riber to a big ship and went out to sea dat night and landed at Pensacola, and dare dat wicked ole man sold us to de Spanish."
"Uncle Toney, who was that wicked old man?"
"Ah! my young ma.s.sa, I musn"t tell, cause his grandchillen is great folks here now, and Miss Alice telled me I musn"t tell all I knows. Dey aint sponsible, she says, for what dere grandfadder did. But I tell you he was a mity bad man. Well, I staid at Pensacola two years wid my ole oman; and we could talk wid de Injuns, and one day two Injuns dat I knowd out here comed to my cabin, and dey telled me dat ole ma.s.sa was gone way from here and missus was here by herself and had n.o.body to help her. So I makes a bargain wid dese Injuns to come here wid me and my old woman. One Sat.u.r.day night we started to go and see some ob our people dat was bout ten miles from whar we was; but we neber stopped.
We tuck to de woods, and we killed a deer wheneber we was hungry. De Injuns, you know, can always do dat. We was a mity long time comin; but at last we got here, and den it was moss a year arter dat before ole ma.s.sa come. Den dar was more trouble. One day dar comed fifty men and tuck ole ma.s.sa, and dey tied him and den begin to rob de house. Dey had all de silver and sich like, when de captain comed in, and he did cuss mity hard and made em put it every bit down, and march out. Ole missus she thanked him mitily; but dey carried ole ma.s.sa off to New Orleans.
"Dar was great trouble wid de nabors. Dey comed and talked bout it; and one day when ole ma.s.sa was gone bout a mont, when dey was all dar, who should step into de house but ole ma.s.sa. He was fash, I tell you he was, Dar was old Mr. E----, and Mr. O---, and Mr. T----, and a heap more, and dey all put der heads togeder and talked. One day ole ma.s.sa come to me and sez he: "Toney, you mus get on my black hoss and go down to de bluffs. Watch down de riber, and when you see two big boats comin up--big keel-boats wid plenty ob men on em--way down de riber, jes come as hard as de hoss can bring you here and let me know it."
"I knowd dar was trouble comin, young ma.s.sa; for I seed Miss Alice"s papa comin wid plenty ob de nabors wid him. He was a tall man, and neber talk much. Miss Alice"s modder was a young oman den, and I knowd dey was gwine to be married. When she seed him wid his gun and so many men she gins to cry. Well, I was gone quick, and moss as soon as I got to de cliff, I see de boats way down de riber, pulling long by de sh.o.r.e. I made dat hoss do his best home, when I told old ma.s.sa: "Dey"s comin, sir!" He sorter grin, and git on his hoss and gallop away down toward St. Catharine"s. He telled me to come on, and I comed. When we got to de mouth ob de creek dar was fifty men dar, all wid der guns, settin on de ground, and ole ma.s.sa talkin to em. Way moss night de boats comed in sight. Den all de men hide in de cane, and ma.s.sa tell me: "Toney, you call em and tell em to come to de sh.o.r.e." I called em, and dey comed and tied der boats to de trees, and de captain and some ob de men jumped on de land, and walked out, and corned close to me.
"De fuss ting dey knowd, bang! bang! bang! go de guns, and de captain fall. De men all run for de boats, and de men on de boats gin to shoot too. I runs wid all my might, and ole ma.s.sa shout to his friends to fire agin, and two men untying de boats fall. Den dey cut de ropes wid an axe, and shove out de boats into de riber, and pull em away wid de oars too far to hit em. Ole ma.s.sa comes out ob de cane and goes to de men what is lying on the ground. Dar was six on em, and four was dead sure nuff. Two was jus wounded, and one of dese was de captain. Him de same man what make his men put down de silber and tings dey was takin from ole missus. Den dey carry all on em to de grate house and bury de dead ones. De captain and de oder wounded man was tuck into de house, and ole missus she knowd de captain, and she cried mitily bout his bein shot. Well, he talk plenty bout his wife and modder, and Miss Alice"s modder nurse him; but he died, and his grave"s yonder wid ole ma.s.sa and missus. De oder man he got well and went away, and berry soon arter dat Miss Alice"s fadder and modder got married. Dar come de judge. He hab seen you, and he ride out ob de road to come see you."
"Toney, I shall come to see you again, and you must tell me more about the family and these people about here; you must tell me everything."
"You musn"t tell anybody I tell you anyting. De judge mity quare man; he don"t like for people to know all I knows."
The judge rode up, and Toney with great respect arose and saluted him.
"Ah!" said he, "you have found this old hermit, have you? Toney is the chronicle of the neighborhood--a record of its history from the day of its first settlement. I hope he has amused you. He is upwards of ninety years old, and retains all his faculties in a remarkable degree."
"I have been quite entertained with his history of the descent of the river with your ancestors. He seems to remember every incident, and says your father was wounded at the Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee River."
"He is quite right, sir. It was a perilous trip. My grandfather was a man of wonderful energy and determination. He pioneered the ancestors of almost every family in this vicinage to this place. There was a large grant of land from the Spanish Government made here and divided among his followers, every foot of which is in the possession of their descendants to-day, except perhaps one thousand acres which were swindled from my family by a most iniquitous decision of a jury, influenced by an artful old Yankee lawyer. This spot here, sir, was the nucleus of the first settlement which in a few years spread over the country."
"This county I believe, sir, was once represented in the State of Georgia as the County of Bourbon, at the time this State with Alabama const.i.tuted a part of that State."
"My father was elected to represent the county, but he never took his seat. We continued to be governed by the laws of Spain which we found in force here until the line between Florida and the United States was established--indeed until the American Government extended its jurisdiction in the form of a territorial government over the country.
I am riding to my sisters. You will have fine shooting if you will go through yonder piece of woods. Every tree seems to have a squirrel upon it. We will meet again at tea. Adieu, till then."
"He been watchin you. Better go, young ma.s.sa."
"You don"t appear, Toney, to like your young master."
"Him not good to Miss Alice. He got plenty sisters; but he only lub two, and dey don"t lub anybody but just him. Him not like his fadder nor ole ma.s.sa yonder. He bring plenty trouble to ma.s.sa and to his modder. No, me don"t like him. Miss Alice know him all."
"Well, Toney, no one shall ever know you have told me anything. Some of these days I will come and see you again. Good by."
"G.o.d bress you, young ma.s.sa! Kill ole n.i.g.g.e.r some squirrels. Tell Miss Alice dey is for me, and she will make some on de little ones run down here wid em. Good by, ma.s.sa."
Slowly the young man wended his way to the mansion; but remembering the negro"s request, he shot several squirrels, and gave them as requested.
"Then you have been to see Uncle Toney. Did he give you any of his stories? Like all old persons, he loves to talk about his younger days."
"I was quite interested in his narrative of the trip down the river, when your grandparents and your father emigrated to this part of the country."
"Did he tell you his Indian ghost story?"