em just as
bad the other way."

"You are severe," said St. George, as he set the chessmen.

"Our host yonder," continued Mr. Humphreys, in the best of humors,
sipping his coffee, "among his other crotchets, endows his people with
what Nature saw fit to deny to them,--souls. But he's one of those men
autocratic enough to reverse Nature. Indeed,--I am out of all
patience,--the whole place is managed other than I think at all wise."

"That is to be regretted," said St. George, challenging his adversary.

"Well, here is an instance, a single instance, trivial enough, but
dragging after it a train as enormous as the Genius drew from the
fisherman's jar. These people are reared to a degree of independence
that will stop no one knows where. They supply the house with poultry,
eggs, and vegetables from their own yards, which the house purchases
with money, or with commodities beyond the usual allowance,--actually
pays for,--do you mark? Any labor of extra hours is always compensated;
there is a system of holidays; the quarters are, so to say, palatial;
and, in fact, a very detrimental policy is pursued,--one that occasions
discontent on all the neighboring plantations. Marlboro' 'd have less
trouble, if St. George had different discipline. It will not do,--I've
told you so, St. George,--I'm older than you,--it will not do. There are
hands on the place who, as their master says, have found their manhood
and felt their slavery: there's one of them now, that coachman Ned. I'd
sell him to-morrow."

"Will Mr. St. George?"

"He? Oh, no! There's this Quixotic chivalry again! You listen, my dear
fellow? He will let the man purchase his freedom,--if he don't lend him
the money to do it himself! Ha! ha! ha!"

"But," said Mr. Dean, "I've tried St. George's plan, on his
recommendation, these three or four months, Humphreys,--not wishing to
be illiberal, or have the world outstrip me,--and, so far, I find that
it will do very well,--that it will do admirably."

"Well, we won't speak of new brooms."

"Yet there's a great deal of disturbance everywhere about, I hear. You
don't know, perhaps," said Mr. Houghton, in an under-voice, and
nervously drawing up his chair, "that Marlboro' has had his place under
guard these three weeks?"

"Crowded on all his steam, and now he's sitting on the valve. What a
blessed life it is!" said Mr. Dean.

"Come, come, Dean, we shall have to look up your record!"

"Dear me!" said Miss Murray, "why w