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Bernard was so angry about it that he waylaid the cart on the road and let it out. But they caught it again. It was too bad, wasn't it?" The garden gate closed behind them with a click, and they crossed the lane to the lawn. Miss Chris, who stood shading her eyes in the back porch, was giving directions to Aunt Verbeny in the smoke-house.
From the stable came the faint neigh of the old mare, and he remembered suddenly that he had forgotten to put straw in her stall and to loosen her halter that she might lie down. He rose and stole softly downstairs and out of the house. One evening in late autumn Nicholas went into Delphy's cabin after supper and found Eugenia seated upon the hearth, facing Uncle Ish and Aunt Verbeny.
"How much are they worth?" asked Miss Chris in her cheerful tones, while Aunt Verbeny gave a suspicious poke beneath one of the flapping wings, followed by a grunt of disparagement. Nicholas stammered confusedly: "Ma says the biggest ought to bring a quarter," he returned, blushing as Aunt Verbeny grunted again, "and the four smallest can go for twenty cents."
"Dar's Marse Dudley, now," said Aunt Verbeny. "I ain' so ole but my palate hit kin taste a gent'mun a mile off. Marse Dudley ain' furgit de times I'se done roas' him roas'in' years when he warn' mo'n er chile. Hit's 'how's yo' health, Aunt Verbeny? des' de same es 'twuz den." Eugenia laughed and flung the heap of garments into Delphy's arms.
Aunt Verbeny, a fat old woman with a shining black skin, smoothed her checked apron with offended dignity. "Hi! Miss Chris, ain't I de cook?" she exclaimed. But Miss Chris preserved her ground. "That is no excuse for you taking what doesn't belong to you," she replied severely. "If this keeps up I shall be obliged to let Delphy do the cooking.
"Tom!" murmured Miss Chris reproachfully, but her eyes were shining and she laid an affectionate hand on her brother's arm. The general blushed like a boy. "I told her if she'd fully made up her mind to come, I'd I'd let her," he stammered shamefacedly. "Oh, I was coming anyway!" announced Eugenia cheerfully as she was clasped upon the bosom of Aunt Verbeny.
"I don't care!" repeated Eugenia with tearful defiance. "An' she ain' no mo' steal dat ar watermillion den I is," finished Uncle Ish triumphantly. "It was just a lie," said Bernard. "Eugie, you know where liars go." "Des' ez straight ter de bad place ez dey kin walk," added Aunt Verbeny severely. "Des' ez straight ez de Lord kin sen' 'em dar."
And Miss Chris, at once the prop and the mainstay of the Battle fortunes, would rise with anxious exclamations and put on her full black skirt and linen sacque. When breakfast was over Miss Chris went into the storeroom each morning and came out with a basin of corn-meal dough, followed by Sampson bearing an axe and Aunt Verbeny jingling the hen-house keys.
When my wife, Mandy, wuz 'live, I tuck 'n cyar'ed her long up ter one er dese yer revivals, en' ole Sis Saphiry Baker come 'long gittin' happy, en fo' de Lawd she rid 'er clean roun' de chu'ch. Naw, suh, de religion I wanter lay holt on is de religion uv rest." "I ain' never sarved my Lawd wid laziness," put in Aunt Verbeny reprovingly.
"Hurry up, Genia!" "You'll certainly cry very loud." "I'll shake you in a moment." "It isn't polite to shake ladies." "You aren't a lady. You're a vixen." "Aunt Verbeny says I'm a limb of Satan. But will you promise not to weep a flood of tears, so I can't cross home?" She leaned still nearer, resting her hand upon his shoulder. "I'm going away." "What?" "I'm going away to-morrow at daybreak.
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