326 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



insensate brute, a maudlin fool, or a selfish tyrant! — I do 

 not mean that you are all or any one of these things in your 

 own responsible deed — but I mean that you and I, and that 

 young man there — owr whole race ! — deserve such epithets ! — ■ 

 because we have and are conspiring together — without con- 

 cert, even — but from the individual selfishness which has 

 either been educated into us or has been deliberately assumed 

 by ourselves in spite of experience — to oppress our fellow- 

 men — ^not of one color — ^but of all ! — of our own ! Release 

 me !" and with a sudden effort, she threw the terrified negro 

 across the room and sprang to her feet. We both rose to 

 seize her, but she walked with the utmost calmness of look 

 and manner right up to the astounded Planter. 



"Do not place your hands upon me again. I am perfectly 

 myself now. I know I have been delirious — I am not so any 

 longer. Forgive what I have said, that you did not under- 

 stand, and done, that may have been rude and violent, for 

 ' the paroxysm has passed, and I now know you as you are. 

 You have no doubt been kind, and I shall thank you as a 

 brother !" 



My friend was entirely confounded by this sudden change, 

 and stared at ' the woman with such an expression of almost 

 ludicrous surprise, that I could not for the life of me restrain 

 a slight disposition to smile — particularly when I caught a 

 glimpse of the eager and abject form of Tom creeping 

 stealthily behind her, and from a respectful distance, catch- 

 ing, with pricked ears, open mouth, and wide staring eyes, 

 every word that fell from her lips. 



"Does Jie live?" she said to me, as she turned slowly 

 towards the old man, and bent over him — feeling his pulsa- 

 tion — ^before I could answer she looked up — 



" Yes ! it is all well as yet. Leave him to me — he will 

 recover soon in my charge. Thank God ! — he was insensible 

 while I was so ! — was Le not ?" she asked eagerly, turning 

 her head. 



