"Poorly, thank God. Ha! ha! ha! Dat's de way Bro' Joe and all de folks always says it. Dey never will own up to bein' rale well. But I tell ye now Mas' Robert, Phil's a well nigger _always_. I keeps up my eend de row all de time. I kin knock de spots out de work all day, daunce jigs till two o'clock, an' go 'possum huntin' till mornin' comes. Is ye ever been 'possum huntin', Mas' Robert?" "No; I believe I never hunted opossums, but I should greatly like to try it, Phil." "Would ye? Gim me yer han' Mas' Robert. You jes set de time now, and if Phil don't show you de sights o' 'possum huntin' you ken call me a po' white folkses nigger. Dat's a fac'." Robert promised to make the necessary appointment in due time, and was just starting off again on his tramp, when Phil asked: "Whare ye boun' dis mornin', Mas' Robert?" "I'm going over to dine at The Oaks, Phil." "Yer jest out de house in time. Dar comes Mas' Charles Harrison." "I do not understand you, Phil. Why do you say I am out of the house just in time?" "Mas' Robert, is you got two good eyes? Mas' Charles is a doctor you know, but dey a'n't nobody sick at Shirley. May be he's afraid Miss Sudie's gwine to get sick. Hi! git up Roley! dis a'n't plowin' mauster's field: g'long I tell ye!" As Phil turned away Dr. Harrison rode up. "Good morning, Mr. Pagebrook. On your way to The Oaks?" "I was, but if you are going to Shirley I will walk back with you!" "O no! no! I am only going to stop there a moment. I am on my way to see some patients at Exenholm, and as I had to go past Shirley I brought the mail, that's all. I'll not be there ten minutes, and I know they're expecting you at The Oaks. I brought Ewing along with me from the Court House. Foggy had been too much for him again." "Why the boy promised me he would not gamble again." "Oh! it's hardly gambling. Only a little game of loo. Every gentleman plays a little. I take a hand myself, now and then; but Foggy is a pretty old bird, you know, and he's too much for your cousin. Ewing oughtn't to play with _him_, of course, and that's why I brought him away with me. By the way, we're going to get a fox up in a day or two and show you some sport. The tobacco's all cut now, and the dogs are in capital order--as thin as a lath. You must be with us, of course. We'll get up one in pine quarter, and he's sure to run towards the river; so you can come in as the hounds pass Shirley." "I should like to see a fox hunt, certainly, but I have no proper horse," said Robert. "Why, where's Graybeard? Billy told me he had turned him over to you to use and abuse." "So he did, and he is riding his bay at present. But Graybeard is quite lame just now." "Ride the bay then. Billy will be back from court to-night, won't he?" "Yes; but he will want to join in the chase, I suppose."