nd and see what's needed, a season
or two of care will remedy the most of this neglect. Just make Tom put a
lot of hands in here with brush-hooks and axes and soon you'll not know
the place!"

Norton spent the day at Belle Plain; and though he was there on his good
behavior as the result of an agreement they had reached on board The
Naiad, he proposed twice.

"My intentions are all right, Betty," he assured her in extenuation.
"But I've the worst memory imaginable. Oh, yes, the lower terrace is
badly gullied, but it's no great matter, it can be fixed with a little
work."

It was soon plain to Betty that Tom's ideals, if he possessed any,
had not led him in the direction of what he termed display. His social
impulse had suffered atrophy. The house was utterly disorganized; there
was a dearth of suitable servants. Those she had known were gone--sold,
she learned. Tom explained that there had been no need for them since
he had lived pretty much in his office, what had been the use in keeping
darkies standing about doing nothing? He had got rid of those show
niggers and put their price in husky field hands, who could be made to
do a day's work and not feel they were abused.

But Tom was mistaken in his supposition that Betty would soon tire of
Belle Plain. She demanded men, and teams, and began on the lawns. This
interested and fascinated her. She was out at sun-up to direct her
laborers. She had the advantage of Charley Norton's presence and advice
for the greater part of each day in the week, and Sundays he came to
look over what had been accomplished, and, as Tom firmly believed, to
put that little fool up to fresh nonsense. He could have booted him!

As the grounds took shape before her delighted eyes, Betty found leisure
to institute a thorough reformation indoors. A number of house servants
were rescued from the quarters and she began to instruct them in their
new duties.

Tom was sick at heart. The little fool would cripple the place. It gave
him acute nausea to see the gangs at work about the lawns; it made him
sicker to pass through the house. There were five or six women in the
kitchen now--he was damned if he could see what they found to do--there
was a butler and a page. Betty had levied on the stables for one of the
best teams to draw the family carriage, which had not been in use since
her mother's death; there was a coachman for that, and another little
monkey to ride on the rumble and hop down and ope