there could not be much difficulty about
getting an overseer.

"There might be a difficulty in getting one she could rely on so
thoroughly," Rosa said. "You see a great deal must be left to him. Jonas
has been here a good many years now, and she has learned to trust him.
It would be a long time before she had the same confidence in a
stranger; and you may be sure that he would have his faults, though,
perhaps, not the same as those of Jonas. I think you don't make
allowance enough for mamma, Vincent. I quite agree with you as to Jonas,
and I don't think mamma can like his harshness to the slaves any more
than you do; but everyone says what a difficulty it is to get a really
trustworthy and capable overseer, and, of course, it is all the harder
when there is no master to look after him."

"Well, in a few years I shall be able to look after an overseer,"
Vincent said.

"You might do so, of course, Vincent, if you liked; but unless you
change a good deal, I don't think your supervision would amount to very
much. When you are not at school you are always on horseback and away,
and we see little enough of you, and I do not think you are likely for a
long time yet to give up most of your time to looking after the estate."

"Perhaps you are right," Vincent said, after thinking for a minute; "but
I think I could settle down, too, and give most of my time to the
estate, if I was responsible for it. I dare say mother is in a
difficulty over it, and I should not have spoken as I did; I will go in
and tell her so."

Vincent found his mother sitting as he had left her. Although she had
sided with Jonas, it was against her will; for it was grievous to her to
hear complaints of the treatment of the slaves at the Orangery. Still,
as Rosa had said, she felt every confidence in her overseer, and
believed that he was an excellent servant. She was conscious that she
herself knew nothing of business, and that she must therefore give her
entire confidence to her manager. She greatly disliked the strictness of
Jonas, but if, as he said, the slaves would not obey him without this
strictness, he must do as he thought best.

"I think I spoke too hastily, mother," Vincent said as he entered; "and
I am sure that you would not wish the slaves to be ill-treated more than
I should. I dare say Jonas means for the best."

"I feel sure that he does, Vincent. A man in his position cannot make
himself obeyed like a master. I wish it could be other