nviction that any violent demonstration against him
would be as grotesque and monstrous as the situation, as of anything
he had said. Even the flashing indignation of Julia Jeffcourt seemed
to become suddenly as unnatural and incongruous as her brother's chief
mourner himself, and although she shrank from his passing figure she
uttered no word. Chester Brooks's youthful emotions, following the
expression of Miss Sally's face, lost themselves in a vague hysteric
smile, and the other gentlemen looked sheepish. Joseph Corbin halted at
the door.

"Whatever," he said, turning to the company, "ye make up your mind to
do about me, I reckon ye'd better do it AFTER the funeral. I'M always
ready. But HE, what with being in a box and changing climate, had better
go FIRST." He paused, and with a suggestion of delicacy in the momentary
dropping of his eyelids, added,--"for REASONS."

He passed out through the door, on to the portico and thence into the
garden. It was noticed at the time that the half-dozen hounds lingering
there rushed after him with their usual noisy demonstrations, but that
they as suddenly stopped, retreated violently to the security of the
basement, and there gave relief to their feelings in a succession of
prolonged howls.

CHAPTER IV.

It must not be supposed that Miss Sally did not feel some contrition
over the ineffective part she had played in this last episode.
But Joseph Corbin had committed the unpardonable sin to a woman of
destroying her own illogical ideas of him, which was worse than if he
had affronted the preconceived ideas of others, in which case she might
still defend him. Then, too, she was no longer religious, and had no
"call" to act as peacemaker. Nevertheless she resented Julia Jeffcourt's
insinuations bitterly, and the cousins quarreled--not the first time in
their intercourse--and it was reserved for the latter to break the news
of Corbin's arrival with the body to Mrs. Jeffcourt.

How this was done and what occurred at that interview has not been
recorded. But it was known the next day that, while Mrs. Jeffcourt
accepted the body at Corbin's hands,--and it is presumed the funeral
expenses also,--he was positively forbidden to appear either at the
services at the house or at the church. There had been some wild talk
among the younger and many of the lower members of the community,
notably the "poor" non-slave-holding whites, of tarring and feathering
Joseph Corbin, and riding hi