"In that case we will all go in together and fortify ourselves for the coming ride," I said, and I led the way to the table with my mother on my arm. We no sooner sat down than Miss Carter made her appearance. It was so late the night before when we arrived that I had not had a chance for more than a word of greeting with her, so she received Barron and myself very graciously. In spite of her pleasant manner, I noticed the large blue eyes--I had seen only to admire so often before--were swollen and red, and the poor girl appeared to have suffered much. A man must be very selfish when in love, for it was quite plain to me that she was suffering more than I, yet I would not have had Harrison back there at that moment, had I been certain of his conventional behavior with my sister Mary. There is no use of denying it, I felt almost glad that he had run off with my sister. I was sure Mary loved him, and I reasoned that no harm could happen to her. I was equally certain Byrd would soon reappear with the news that she and Harrison were happily married. I was furious to see this beautiful woman breaking her heart for another, but was glad that his act was irrevocable and left the field clear for myself. Barron waxed especially lively during the meal and ordered some of Pendleton's new cider, suggesting that Miss Carter and my mother drink some to refresh themselves for lack of sleep. "It is weak enough, I reckon," said he, "for I call to mind the time Bullbeggor and I stopped here last year. His nigger, Snake in the Grass, had never seen this stuff, for the Major sticks pretty well to stronger waters. One cold night I gave the rascal a bottle filled with the stuff and told him to be careful with it, as it was very good. He sneaked off after supper into the woods and the Major couldn't find him again that evening. About midnight, while we sat smoking and talking, we heard a knock at the door. I went into the entry and opened it, and there was Snake, shivering and shaking with cold. 'What's the matter, Snake?' I asked, when I got him inside. 'Oh, Marse Barron, yo' dun me mean,' he said, 'I went outen the woods to drink dat stuff on de quiet, an' I dun set thar fo' hours waitin fo' de drunk tu come--an' I'se nearly froze. Yessah, yo' dun me mean, suh; sho' nuff mean, an' I'se nearly froze.'" "Major Bull, he stopped here de oder day wid his nigger," added Pendleton. "How about his shoulder, was it paining him much?" I asked. "His shoulder! Nien it was a leedle hole, de pain shooded all through him. He has dem shooding pains always shooding through him. Dey was only leedle pains. Mein Gott! I never see de Major, but wid a leedle shooding pain." "Then he went on and joined the militia at Williamsburg as he intended?" asked Miss Rose. "Not only that," I put in, "but it was he who did some little fighting with that Captain Fordyce in the little skirmish below here the other day."