“Dar ain’ no use er my frettin’ en perfumin’ over dat ar nigger,” she concluded, as if addressing a third person.  “He wuz born a syndicate en he’ll die er syndicate.  De Debbil, he ain’ gwine tu’n ’m en de Lawd he can’t.  De preachin’ it runs off ’im same es water off er duck’s back.  I’se done talked ter him day in en day out twell dar ain’ no breff lef fer me ter blow wid, an’ he ain’ changed a hyar f’om what de Lawd made ‘im.  Seems like he ain’ got de sperit uv—­”

“Why, Delphy!” exclaimed Bernard, interrupting the flow of speech.  “What’s the matter with Moses?”

Delphy snorted contemptuously and took breath for procedure, when the sharp cry of a baby came from Moses’ cabin, and Eugenia broke in excitedly: 

“Why, there’s a baby in there, Delphy!  Whose baby is that?”

“Git er long wid you, chile,” said Delphy.  “You knows er plum sight mo’ now’n you ought ter.”  Then she added with a snort:  “Hit’s es black es er crow’s foot.”

“Is it Betsey’s baby?”

“I reckon’tis.  Moses he says ez what’tis, but he’s de mos’ outlandish nigger on dis yer place.  Dar ain’ no relyin’ on him, noways.”

“When did it come, Delphy?  Who brought it?  I saw Dr. Debs yesterday, an’ his saddle-bag bulged mightily.”

“De Lawd didn’t brung hit,” returned Delphy emphatically.  “De Lawd wouldn’t er teched hit wid er ten-foot pole.  Dis yer Moses, he ain’ wuth de salt dat’s put in his bread.  He’s de wuss er de hull lot—­”

“Why doesn’t Betsey get rid of him?” asked Bernard, eyeing the shrinking Moses with disfavour.  “I heard Aunt Chris say that Mrs. Willie Wilson in Richmond got a divorce from her husband for good and all—­”

“Lawdy, chile!  Huccome you think I’se gwine ter pay fer a dervoge fer sech er low-lifeted creetur ez dat?  He ain’ wuth no dervogin’, he ain’.  When it come ter dervogin’, I’ll dervoge ‘im wid my fis’ en foot—­”

Here the baby cried again, and the irate Delphy disappeared into Moses’ cabin, while the meek-looking son-in-law hoed the garden patch and muttered beneath his breath.

The children passed the spring, crossed the meadow, and followed the grapevine trellis to the back steps, when Eugenia rushed through the wide hall with an impetuous flutter of short skirts.

“Papa!” she cried, bursting upon the general as he sat smoking upon the front porch.  “What do you think has happened?  There’s a new baby came to Moses’ cabin, an’ Delphy says it’s as black as—­”

“Well, I am blessed!” groaned the general, knocking the ashes from his pipe.  “Another mouth to feed.  Eugie, they’ll ruin me yet.”

“I reckon they will,” returned Eugenia hopelessly.  She seated herself upon the topmost step and made a place for Jim beside her.

The general was silent for some time, smoking thoughtfully and staring past the aspens and the well-house to the waving cornfield.  When he spoke it was with embarrassed hesitation.