"La, brother! and how is the dear man?" screamed Mistress Lettice. "As well as’t is in nature to be, with his heart at Verney Manor and his body at Flowerdieu Hundred." The boat jarred against the piles and the planter stepped out, grasping Sir Charles’s extended hand. "Again, I am happy to see you, Charles," he cried in a round and jovial voice. "I have been telling my up-river good friends that I have the most topping fellow in all London for my guest, and you will have company enough anon." Sir Charles smiled and bowed. "I hope, sir, that you were successful in the business that took you to Jamestown?" "Fairly so, fairly so. Haines here," with a wave of the hand towards the man in brown, "had a lot picked out for me to choose from. I have six negroes and three of those blackguards from Newgate—mighty poor policy to shoulder ourselves with such gaol sweepings. I doubt we ’ll repent it some day. The blacks come by way of Boston, which means that they will have to be cockered up considerably before they are fit for work. Is that you, Woodson? How have things gone on?" The overseer took his pipe from between his teeth and made an awkward bow. "Glad to see your Honor back," he said deferentially. "Everything ’s all right, sir. The last rain helped the corn amazingly, and the tobacco ’s prime. The lightning struck a shed, but we got the flames out before they reached the hogsheads. The Nancy got caught in a squall; lost both masts and ran aground on Gull Marsh. The tide will take her off at the full of the moon. Sambo ’s been playing ’possum again. Said he ’d cut his foot with his hoe so badly that he could n’t stand upon it. Said I could see that by the blood on the rag that tied it up. I made him take off the rag and wash the foot, and there wa’n’t no cut there. The blood was puccoon. If he ’d waited a bit he could ’a’ had all he wanted to paint with, for I gave him the rope’s end lively, until Mistress Patricia heard him yelling and made me stop." "All right, Woodson. I reckon the plantation knows by this time that what Mistress Patricia says is law. Here come the boats with the boxes. Tell the men to be careful how they handle them." After a hearty word or two to tenants and land owners the worthy Colonel joined his daughter and sister; and together with Sir Charles Carew they watched the precious boxes conveyed up the slippery steps, the overseer shouting directions, plentifully sprinkled with selected, unfinable oaths to the panting boatmen. When all were safely piled upon the wharf ready to be wheeled to the great house, the empty boats swung off to make room for others, laden with the colonel’s Jamestown purchases.