“He said he would be glad to do me any kindness,” she sobbed.  “Oh, if he could only prevent this marriage!  Yet what can he do?  I could not even speak to a stranger of my trouble, much less to a Northern soldier.  I wish I could see my old mammy.  She’s the only one who in the least understands me and feels a little like a mother toward me.  Oh, what a dreadful thing to be a motherless girl at such a time!”

The powers below stairs concluded that it would be best to leave Miss Lou to herself for a time, that she might think over and become reconciled to the need and reasonableness of their action, but Mrs. Baron considerately sent up her dinner by Zany.  The unhappy girl shook her head and motioned the tray away.

“Hi, now, Miss Lou, w’at you tookin on so fer?” asked the diplomatic Zany.

“For more than you can understand.”

“I un’erstan’s a heap mo’n you tink,” said Zany, throwing off all disguise in her strong sympathy.  “Marse Whately des set out ter mar’y you, ez ef you wuz a post dat cud be stood up en mar’d to enybody at eny time.  Hi!  Miss Lou, I’se bettah off dan you, fer I kin pick en choose my ole man.”

“Everybody in the world is better off than I am.”

“I wudn’t stan’ it, Miss Lou.  I sut’ny wudn’t.  I’d runned away.”

“How could I run away?  Where could I go to?”

“See yere, Miss Lou,” and Zany sank her voice to a whisper, “dere’s a Linkum man”—­

“Hush! how did you know that?”

“Chunk en me’s fren’s.  Don’ be ’feard, fer I’d like ter see de gyurl dat kin beat me playin’ possum.  Dat Linkum man he’p you ter run away.”

“For shame, Zany!  The idea of my going away with a stranger!”

“’Pears to me I’se rudder runned away wid one man dan hab anoder man runned away wid me.”

“Don’t ever speak to me of such a thing again.”

“Well, den, Miss Lou, de niggahs on dis plantashon des lub you, en dey ain’ hankerin’ arter Marse Whately.  Ef you say de wud, I des belebe dey riz right up again dis mar’age.”

“Oh, horrible!” said the girl, in whose mind had been instilled the strong and general dread of a negro insurrection.  “There, Zany, you and Chunk mean kindly, but neither you nor any one can help me.  If either does or says anything to make a disturbance I’ll never forgive you.  My cousin and the men with him would kill you all.  I’d rather be left alone, for I must think what to do.”

“I ain’ sayin’ not’n, Miss Lou, sence dat yo’ ’quest, but doan you gib up,” and Zany took her departure, resolving to have a conference with Chunk at the earliest possible moment.