bothered since she came back than I've been in years! I'd give a good
deal to be rid of her," said Ware, greatly depressed as he recalled the
extraordinary demands Betty had made.

"Make it worth my while and I'll take her off your hands," and Murrell
laughed.

Tom favored him with a sullen stare.

"You'd better get rid of that notion--of all fool nonsense, this love
business is the worst! I can't see the slightest damn difference between
one good looking girl and another. I wish every one was as sensible as
I am," he lamented. "I wouldn't miss a meal, or ten minutes' sleep, on
account of any woman in creation," and Ware shook his head.

"So your sister doesn't like me?"

"No, she doesn't," said Ware, with simple candor.

"Told you to put a stop to my coming here?"

"Not here--to the house, yes. She doesn't give a damn, so long as she
doesn't have to see you."

Murrell, somber-faced and thoughtful, examined a crack in the flooring.

"I'd like to know what happened back yonder in North Carolina to make
her so blazing mad?" continued Ware.

"Well, if you want to know, I told her I loved her."

"That's all right, that's the fool talk girls like to hear," said Ware.
He lighted a cigar with an air of wearied patience.

"Open the door, Tom," commanded Murrell.

"It is close in here," agreed the planter.

"It isn't that, but you smoke the meanest cigars I ever smelt, I always
think your shoes are on fire. Tom, do you want to get rid of her? Did
you mean that?"

"Oh, shut up," said Tom, dropping his voice to a surly whisper.

There was a brief silence, during which Murrell studied his friend's
face. When he spoke, it was to give the conversation a new direction.

"Did she bring the boy here last night? I saw you drive off with him in
the carriage."

"Yes, she makes a regular pet of the little ragamuffin--it's perfectly
sickening!"

"Who were the two men with him?"

"One of 'em calls himself judge Price; the other kept out of the way, I
didn't hear his name."

"Is the boy going to stay at Belle Plain?" inquired Murrell.

"That notion hasn't struck her yet, for I heard her say at breakfast
that she'd take him to Raleigh this afternoon."

"That's the boy I traveled all the way to North Carolina to get for
Fentress. I thought I had him once, but the little cuss gave me the
slip."

"Eh--you don't say?" cried Ware.

"Tom, what do you know about the Quintard lands; what do you know about
Quintard himse