“He says that I may win you if I can.” It did not occur to him to say anything about the doubt Dr. Ware had expressed of his success, or the attitude her father had warningly declared he would take. All that had been swept out of his mind--he had not even thought it of much consequence at the time. And now, looking down upon Rhoda’s blushing face, he forgot everything but the hope that if he could induce her to lift her downcast eyes he might surprise surrender therein. But he was to be disappointed in that, for when presently he did look into their gray depths they were merely gentle and serious. “When may I come again?” “We shall all be glad to see you whenever you come--Mr. Delavan--” “At least you might call me Jeff,” he interrupted, “as you did when we were children!” “Well then, Jeff,” and her manner took on with the word a shade more of intimacy, which sent his eyes flying once more to hers. “I’m sure--Jeff--” this time she said it mockingly--“mother will be pleased if you come again soon. And we’ll all be glad to see you.” “And you?” “Of course! There’s so much we haven’t talked over yet about those happy days we had so long ago-- And we might play pirates again--if you’ll bring Lloyd Corey with you! He was such a nice boy! I’d really like to see him again.” “Confound Lloyd Corey! Shall I have to carry you off, as I did that time, or shall you have something to tell me then?” “Oh, I can’t promise--” she hesitated and her voice took on an intonation as she spoke his name that sent a thrill to his heart,--“Jeff--anything about it--what I shall say, or whether I can have anything to say then, more than now. But I would like to see Lloyd Corey again!” Leaning upon the gate, Rhoda watched her lover’s figure as he swung down the long, tree-bowered street. When she turned she saw her father coming down the path and waited there, blushing and casting up at him now and again a shy glance. “Young Delavan surprised me very much just now,” he began. “I told him, as I suppose he reported to you, that he had my consent to win you if he could. I don’t suppose, though, that he also told you I didn’t believe he could and that it would grieve me deeply to see you marry him.” Rhoda bent upon him surprised eyes. “Why, father, what do you mean? Don’t you like him?” “Yes, Rhoda, I like him well enough, personally, but you know how I feel about slavery and all who are responsible for it. Have you forgotten that Jefferson Delavan is a slaveholder?” The color faded from her face, and into her wide, gray eyes, fastened upon his, there came a look, as of some wild thing suddenly stricken, that smote his heart. She flinched a little and he turned away, that he might not see her pain. “I guess, daughter, you hadn’t thought about that,” he went on, kindly. “No,” she repeated after him, “I--I hadn’t thought about that.” “But you knew that he has slaves, that he works his plantation with slave labor?”