“Talk!” replied she.  “I say nothing that I do not feel.  As we came through the streets to-day, and I saw so many inoffensive creatures, who, like ourselves, have never done these white wretches the least injury,—­to see them and us driven from our homes by a mob of wretches, who can accuse us of nothing but being darker than themselves,—­it takes all the woman out of my bosom, and makes me feel like a——­” here Esther paused, and bit her lip to prevent the utterance of a fierce expression that hovered on the tip of her tongue.

She then continued:  “One poor woman in particular I noticed:  she had a babe in her arms, poor thing, and was weeping bitterly because she knew of no place to go to seek for shelter or protection.  A couple of white men stood by jeering and taunting her.  I felt as though I could have strangled them:  had I been a man, I would have attacked them on the spot, if I had been sure they would have killed me the next moment.”

“Hush!  Esther, hush! my child; you must not talk so, it sounds unwomanly—­unchristian.  Why, I never heard you talk so before.”  Esther made no reply, but stood resting her forehead upon the mantelpiece.  Her face was flushed with excitement, and her dark eyes glistened like polished jet.

Mr. Walters stood regarding her for a time with evident admiration, and then said, “You are a brave one, after my own heart.”  Esther hung down her head, confused by the ardent look he cast upon her, as he continued, “You have taken me by surprise; but it’s always the way with you quiet people; events like these bring you out—­seem to change your very natures, as it were.  We must look out,” said he, with a smile, turning to one of the young men, “or Miss Ellis will excel us all in courage.  I shall expect great things from her if we are attacked to-night.”

“Don’t make a jest of me, Mr. Walters,” said Esther, and as she spoke her eyes moistened and her lip quivered with vexation.

“No, no, my dear girl, don’t misunderstand me,” replied he, quickly; “nothing was farther from my thoughts.  I truly meant all that I said.  I believe you to be a brave girl.”

“If you really think so,” rejoined Esther, “prove it by showing me how to load these.”  As she spoke she took from the mantel one of the pistols that were lying there, and turned it over to examine it.

“Oh! put that down, Esther, put that down immediately,” almost screamed Mrs. Ellis; “what with your speeches and your guns you’ll quite set me crazy; do take it from her, Walters; it will certainly go off.”

“There’s not the least danger, Ellen,” he replied; “there’s nothing in it.”

“Well, I’m afraid of guns, loaded or unloaded; they are dangerous, all of them, whether they have anything in them or not.  Do you hear me, Esther; do put that down and come out of here.”

“Oh, no, mother,” said she, “do let me remain; there, I’ll lay the pistols down and won’t touch them again whilst you are in the room.”