with lee in virginia-第58节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



won't　tease　you；〃　Annie　went　on　as　Vincent　gave　an　impatient

exclamation。　　〃Another　time　we　might　do　so；　but　as　you　have　just

come　safely　back　to　us　I　don't　think　it　will　be　fair；　especially　as

this　is　the　very　first　letter。　Here　it　is　it〃　and　she　took　out　of　the

workbox　before　her　the　missive　Vincent　was　so　eager　to　receive。



CHAPTER　XVI。　THE　SEARCH　FOR　DINAH。



〃BY　THE　BY；　Vincent；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　remarked　next　morning　at

breakfast；　〃I　have　parted　with　Pearson。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；　mother。　　What！　did　you　discover　at　last　that

he　was　a　scamp？〃



〃Several　things　that　occurred　shook　my　confidence　in　him；

Vincent。　　The　accounts　were　not　at　all　satisfactory；　and　it　happened

quite　accidentally　that　when　I　was　talking　one　day　with　Mr。

Robertson；　who；　as　you　know；　is　a　great　speculator　in　tobacco；　I

said　that　I　should　grow　no　more　tobacco；　as　it　really　fetched

nothing。　　He　replied　that　it　would　be　a　pity　to　give　it　up；　for　so

little　was　now　cultivated　that　the　price　was　rising；　and　the

Orangery　tobacco　always　fetched　top　prices。　　'I　think　the　price　I

paid　for　your　crop　this　year　must　at　any　rate　have　paid　for　the　labor

that　is　to　say；　paid　for　the　keep　of　the　slaves　and　something　over。'　

He　then　mentioned　the　price　he　had　given；　which　was　certainly　a

good　deal　higher　than　I　had　imagined。　I　looked　to　my　accounts

next　morning；　and　found　that　Pearson　had　only　credited　me　with

one…third　of　the　amount　he　must　have　received；　so　I　at　once

dismissed　him。　　Indeed；　I　had　been　thinking　of　doing　so　some　little

time　before；　for　money　is　so　scarce　and　the　price　of　produce　so　low

that　I　felt　I　could　not　afford　to　pay　as　much　as　I　have　been　giving

him。〃



〃I　am　afraid　I　have　been　drawing　rather　heavily；　mother；〃　Vincent

put　in。



〃I　have　plenty　of　money；　Vincent。　　Since　your　father's　death　we

have　had　much　less　company　than　before；　and　I　have　not　spent　my

income。　　Besides；　I　have　a　considerable　sum　invested　in　house

property　and　other　securities。　　But　I　have；　of　course；　since　the　war

began　been　subscribing　toward　the　expenses　of　the　war　…　for　the

support　of　hospitals　and　so　on。　　I　thought　at　a　time　like　this　I　ought

to　keep　my　expenses　down　at　the　lowest　point；　and　to　give　the

balance　of　my　income　to　the　State。〃



〃How　did　Jonas　take　his　dismissal；　mother？〃



〃Not　very　pleasantly；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　replied；　〃especially　when　I

told　him　that　I　had　discovered　he　was　robbing　me。　　However；　he

knew　better　than　to　say　much；　for　he　has　not　been　in　good　odor

about　here　for　some　time。　After　the　fighting　near　here　there　were

reports　that　he　had　been　in　communication　with　the　Yankees。　　He

spoke　to　me　about　it　at　the　time；　but　as　it　was　a　mere　matter　of

rumor；　originating；　no　doubt；　from　the　fact　that　he　was　a　Northern

man　by　birth；　I　paid　no　attention　to　them。〃



〃It　is　likely　enough　to　be　true；〃　Vincent　said。　〃I　always　distrusted

the　vehemence　with　which　he　took　the　Confederate　side。　　How

long　ago　did　this　happen？〃



〃It　is　about　a　month　since　I　dismissed　him。〃



〃So　lately　as　that！　　Then　I　should　not　be　at　all　surprised　if　he　had

some　hand　in　carrying　off　Dinah。　　I　know　he　was　in

communication　with　Jackson；　for　I　once　saw　them　together　in　the

street；　and　I　fancied　at　the　time　that　it　was　through　him　that

Jackson　learned　that　Dinah　was　here。　It　is　an　additional　clew　to

inquire　into；　anyhow。　　Do　you　know　what　has　become　of　him　since

he　left　you？〃



〃No；　I　have　heard　nothing　at　all　about　him；　Vincent；　from　the　day　I

gave　him　a　check　for　his　pay　in　this　room。　Farrell；　who　was　under

him；　is　now　in　charge　of　the　Orangery。　　He　may　possibly　know

something　of　his　movements。〃



〃I　think　Farrell　is　an　honest　fellow；〃　Vincent　said　〃He　was　always

about　doing　his　work　quietly　never　bullying　or　shouting　at　the

hands；　and　yet　seeing　that　they　did　their　work　properly。　　I　will　ride

out　and　see　him　at　once。〃



As　soon　as　breakfast　was　over　Vincent　started；　and　found　Farrell　in

the　fields　with　the　hands。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　back；　sir；〃　the　man　said　heartily。



〃Thank　you；　Farrell。　　I　am　glad　to　be　back；　and　I　am　glad　to　find

you　in　Pearson's　place。　　I　never　liked　the　fellow；　and　never　trusted

him。〃



〃I　did　not　like　him　myself；　sir；　though　we　always　got　on　well

enough　together。　　He　knew　his　work；　and　got　as　much　out　of　the

hands　as　any　one　could　do；　but　I　did　not　like　his　way　with　them。　

They　hated　him。〃



〃Have　you　any　idea　where　he　went　when　he　left　here？〃



〃No；　sir；　he　did　not　come　back　after　he　got　his　dismissal。　　He　sent　a

man　in　a　buggy　with　a　note　to　me；　asking　me　to　send　all　his　things

over　to　Richmond。　　I　expect　he　was　afraid　the　news　might　get　here

as　soon　as　he　did；　and　that　the　hands　would　give　him　an　unpleasant

reception；　as　indeed　I　expect　they　would　have　done。〃



〃You　don't　know　whether　he　has　any　friends　anywhere　in　the

Confederacy　to　whom　he　would　be　likely　to　go？〃



〃I　don't　know　about　friends；　sir；　but　I　know　he　has　told　me　he　was

overseer；　or　partner；　or　something　of　that　sort；　in　a　small　station

down　in　the　swamps　of　South　Carolina。　　I　should　think；　from

things　he　has　let　drop；　that　the　slaves　must　have　had　a　bad　time　of

it。　　I　rather　fancy　he　made　the　place　too　hot　for　him；　and　had　to

leave；　but　that　was　only　my　impression。〃



〃In　that　case　he　may　possibly　have　made　his　way　back　there；〃

Vincent　said。　　〃I　have　particular　reasons　for　wishing　to　find　out。　

You　don't　know　anything　about　the　name　of　the　place？〃　　The　man

shook　his　head。



〃He　never　mentioned　the　name　in　my　hearing。〃



〃Well；　I　must　try　to　find　out；　but　I　don't　quite　see　how　to　set　about

it；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃By　the　way；　do　you　know　where　his　clothes

were　sent　to？〃



〃Yes；　the　man　said　that　he　was　to　take　them　to　Harker's　Hotel。　　It's

a　second…rate　hotel　not　far　from　the　railway　station。〃



〃Thank　you。　　That　will　help　me。　　I　know　the　house。　It　was　formerly

used　by　Northern　drummers　and　people　of　that　sort。〃



After　riding　back　to　Richmond　and　putting　up　his　horse；　Vincent

went　to　the　hotel　there。　　Although　but　a　secondary　hotel　it　was　well

filled；　for　people　from　all　parts　of　the　Confederacy　resorted　to

Richmond；　aud　however　much　trade　suffered；　the　hotels　of　the

town　did　a　good　business。　He　first　went　up　to　the　clerk　in　a　little

office　at　the　entrance。



〃You　had　a　man　named　Pearson；〃　he　said；　〃staying　here　about　a

month　ago。　Will　you　be　good　enough　to　tell　me　on　what　day　he

left？〃



The　clerk　turned　to　the　register；　and　said　after　a　minute　's

examination：



〃He　came　on　the　14th　of　November；　and　he　left　on　the　20th。〃



This　was　two　days　after　the　date　on　which　Dinah　had　been　carried

off。



In　American　hotels　the　halls　are　large　and　provided　with　seats；　and

are　generally　used　as　smoking　and　reading…rooms　by　the　male

visitors　to　the　hotel。　　At　Harker's　Hotel　there　was　a　small　bar　at　the

end　of　the　hall；　and　a　black　waiter　supplied　the　wants　of　the　guests

seated　at　the　various　little　tables。　　Vincent　seated　himself　at　one　of

these　and　ordered　something　to　drink。　　As　the　negro　placed　it　on

the　table　he　said：



〃I　will　give　you　a　dollar　if　you　will　answer　a　few　questions。〃



〃Very　good；　sah。　　Dat　am　a　mighty　easy　way　to　earn　a　dollar。〃



〃Do　you　remember；　about　a　month　ago；　a　man　named　Pearson

being　here？〃



The　negro　shook　his　head。



〃Me　not　know　de　names　of　de　gentlemen；　sah。　　What　was　de　man

like？〃



〃He　was　tall　and　thin；　with　short　hair　and　a　gray　goatee　…a　regular

Yankee。〃



〃Me　remember　him；　sah。　　Dar　used　to　he　plenty　ob　dat　sort　here。　

Don't　see　dem　much　now。　　Me　remember　de　man；　sah；　quite　well。　

Used　to　pass　most　of　de　day　here。　Didn't　seem　to　have　nuffin　to

do。〃



〃Was　he　always　alone；　or　did　he　have　many　people　here　to　see

him？〃



〃Once　dar　war　two　men　here　wid　him；　sab；　sitting　at　dat　table　ober

in　do　corner。　　Rough…looking　fellows　dey　war。　　In　old　times　people

like　dat　wouldn't　come　to　a　'spectable　hotel；　but　now　most　ebery

one　got　rough　clothes；　can't　get　no　others；　so　one　don't　tink　nuffin

about　it；　but　dose　fellows　was　rough…looking　besides　dar　clothes。　

Didn't　like　dar　looks　nohow。　　Dey　only　came　here　once。　　Dey　was

do　only　strangers　that　came　to　see　him。　　But　once　Massa

Jackson…me　know　him　by　sight　he　came　here　and　talk　wid　him　for

a　long　time。　　Earnest　sort　of　talk　dat　seemed　to　be。　　Dey　talk　in　low

voice；　and　I　noticed　dey　stopped　talking　when　any　one　sat　down

near　dem。〃



〃You　don't　know　where　he　went　to　from　here；　I　suppose？〃



〃No；　sah；　dat　not　my　compartment。　　Perhaps　de　outside　porter　will

know。　　Like　enough　he　take　his　tings　in　hand…truck　to　station。　　You

like　to　see　him；　sab？〃



〃Yes；　I　should　like　to　have　a　minute's　talk　with　him。　Here　is　your

dollar。〃



The　waiter　rang　a　bell；　and　a　minute　later　the　outdoor　porter

presented　himself。



〃You　recomember　taking　some　tings　to　station　for　a　tall　man　wid

gray　goatee；　Pomp？