“Listen to me, Clary, for a moment,” rejoined the old gentleman.  “As long as you live here in Georgia you can sustain your present connection with impunity, and if you should ever want to break it off, you could do so by sending her and the children away; it would be no more than other men have done, and are doing every day.  But go to the North, and it becomes a different thing.  Your connection with Emily will inevitably become a matter of notoriety, and then you would find it difficult to shake her off there, as you could here, in case you wanted to marry another woman.”

“Oh, uncle, uncle, how can you speak so indifferently about my doing such an ungenerous act; to characterize it in the very mildest terms.  I feel that Emily is as much my wife in the eyes of God, as if a thousand clergymen had united us.  It is not my fault that we are not legally married; it is the fault of the laws.  My father did not feel that my mother was any more his wife, than I do that Emily is mine.”

“Hush, hush; that is all nonsense, boy; and, besides, it is paying a very poor compliment to your mother to rank her with your mulatto mistress.  I like Emily very much; she has been kind, affectionate, and faithful to you.  Yet I really can’t see the propriety of your making a shipwreck of your whole life on her account.  Now,” continued uncle John, with great earnestness, “I hoped for better things from you.  You have talents and wealth; you belong to one of the oldest and best families in the State.  When I am gone, you will be the last of our name; I had hoped that you would have done something to keep it from sinking into obscurity.  There is no honour in the State to which you might not have aspired with a fair chance of success; but if you carry out your absurd determination, you will ruin yourself effectually.”

“Well; I shall be ruined then, for I am determined to go.  I feel it my duty to carry out my design,” said Mr. Garie.

“Well, well, Clary,” rejoined his uncle, “I’ve done my duty to my brother’s son.  I own, that although I cannot agree with you in your project, I can and do honour the unselfish motive that prompts it.  You will always find me your friend under all circumstances, and now,” concluded he, “it’s off my mind.”

The children were brought in and duly admired; a box of miniature carpenter’s tools was produced; also, a wonderful man with a string through his waist—­which string, when pulled, caused him to throw his arms and legs about in a most astonishing manner.  The little folks were highly delighted with these presents, which, uncle John had purchased at Augusta; they scampered off, and soon had every small specimen of sable humanity on the place at their heels, in ecstatic admiration of the wonderful articles of which they had so recently acquired possession.  As uncle John had absolutely refused all other refreshment than the julep before mentioned, dinner was ordered at a much earlier hour than usual.  He ate very heartily, as was his custom; and, moreover, persisted in stuffing the children (as old gentlemen will do sometimes) until their mother was compelled to interfere to prevent their having a bilious attack in consequence.  Whilst the gentlemen were sitting over their desert, Mr. Garie asked his uncle, if he had not a sister, with whom there was some mystery connected.