could not for the life of her see why
Miss Lena would sing that special song so powerful loud.

"Why, Dilsey, it is my shout of defiance," explained the girl,
stirring vigorously at a mass in a wooden bowl which she fondly hoped
would develop into cookies for that evening's tea, when the party from
Loringwood were expected. "It does not reach very far, but I comfort
myself by saying it good and loud, anyway. That Yankee general who has
marched his followers into Orleans fines everybody--even if its a
lady--who sings that song. I can't make him hear me that far off, but
I do my best."

"Good Lawd knows you does," agreed Dilsey. "But when you want to sing
in this heah cookhouse I be 'bleeged if yo' fine some song what ain't
got no battles in it. Praise the Lawd, we fur 'nough away so that
Yankee can't trouble we all."

"Madam Caron saw him once," said the amateur cook, tasting a bit of
the sweetened dough with apparent pleasure, "but she left Orleans
quick, after the Yankees came. Of course it wouldn't be a place for a
lady, then. She shut her house up and went straight to Mobile, and I
just love her for it."

"Seems to me like she jest 'bout witched yo' all," remarked Dilsey;
"every blessed nigger in the house go fallen' ovah theyselves when her
bell rings, fo' feah they won't git thah fust; an' Pluto, he like to
be no use to any one till aftah her maid, Miss Louise, get away, he
jest waited on her, han' an' foot."

Dilsey had heretofore been the very head and front of importance in
the servants' quarters on that plantation, and it was apparent that
she resented the comparative grandeur of the Marquise's maid, and
especially resented it because her fellow servants bowed down and paid
enthusiastic tribute to the new divinity.

"Well, Dilsey, I'm sure she needed waiting on hand and foot while she
was so crippled. I know mama was mighty well pleased he was so
attentive; reckon maybe that's why she let him go riding with Madame
Caron this morning."

"Pluto, he think plenty o' hisself 'thout so much pamperen," grumbled
Dilsey. "Seem like he counted the whole 'pendence o' the family since
Mahs Ken gone."

Evilena prudently refrained from expressing an opinion on the subject,
though she clearly perceived that Dilsey was possessed of a fit of
jealousy; so she proceeded to flatter the old soul into a more sunny
humor lest dinner should go awry in some way, more particularly as
regarded the special dishes to which her o