John looked. The word was true. He swore. The mulatto snickered, sagged against it and cocked his face importantly. "Mr. Mahch, if you an' me was on'y in cahoots! En we _kin_ be, seh, we kin--why, hafe o' yo' lan's 'u'd be public lan's in no time, an' the res' 'u'd belong to a stawk comp'ny, an' me'n' you 'u'd be a-cuttin' off kewponds an' a-drivin' fas' hawses an' a-drinkin' champagne suppuz, an' champagne faw ow real frien's an' real pain faw ow sham frien's, an' plenty o' both kine--thah goes Majo' Gyarnit's kerrige to him." It passed. "But, why, Cornelius, should it suit Major Garnet for my lands to lie idle?" "Mr. Mahch, has you neveh inspec' the absence o' green in my eye? It suit him faw a reason known on'y to yo's truly, yit which the said yo's truly would accede to transfawm to you, seh; yass, seh; in considerations o' us goin' in cahoots, aw else a call loan, an' yit mo' stric'ly a call-ag'in loan, a sawt o' continial fee, yass, seh; an' the on'y question, now much kin you make it?" John looked into the upturned face for some seconds before he said, slowly and pleasantly, "Why, you dirty dog!" He gave the horse a cut of the whip. Leggett smiling and staggering, called after him, to the delight of all the street, "Mr. Mahch, thass confidential, you know! An' Mr. Mahch! Woe! Mr. Mahch." John glanced fiercely back--"You betteh 'zamine that _hine_ wheel! caze it jess now pa-ass oveh my foot!" XXIX. RAVENEL ASKS The Garnet carriage, Johanna on the back seat, came smartly up through the town, past Parson Tombs's, the Halliday cottage, and silent Montrose Academy, and was soon parted from the Marches' buggy, which followed with slower dignity and a growing limp. "Well, Johanna," said Garnet, driving, "had a good time?" "Yass, seh." "What's made Miss Barb so quiet all day; doesn't she like our friend?" The answer was a bashful drawl--"I reckon she like him tol'able, seh." "If you think Miss Barb would be pleased you can change to this seat beside me, Johanna." The master drew rein and she made the change. He spoke again. "You saw me, just now, talking with Cornelius, didn't you?" "Yass, seh." "His wife's dead, at last." No answer. "Johanna," he turned a playful eye, "what makes you so hard on Cornelius!" She replied with a white glance of alarm and turned away. He would have pressed the subject but she murmured, "Dah Miss Barb." Barbara sat on a bare ledge of rock above the road-side, platting clovers. Fair stood close below, watching her fingers. She sprang to her feet. "What did keep you so?" She moved to where Fair had stopped to hand her down, but laughed, turned away, waved good-by to Fannie and Ravenel out in a field full of flowers and western sunlight, and ran around by an easier descent to the carriage. Fair helped her in. "Homeward bound," she said, and they spun away. As they turned a bend in the pike she glanced back with a carefully careless air, but saw only their own dust.