Transcriber’s note: There was no table of contents in the original book;one has been added in this project to ease the navigation.
Part I.
Part II.
When Jérôme Lafirme died, his neighbors awaited the results of hissudden taking off with indolent watchfulness. It was a matter ofunusual interest to them that a plantation of four thousand acres hadbeen left unincumbered to the disposal of a handsome, inconsolable,childless Creole widow of thirty. A bêtise of some sort might safelybe looked for. But time passing, the anticipated folly failed toreveal itself; and the only wonder was that Thérèse Lafirme sosuccessfully followed the methods of her departed husband.
Of course Thérèse had wanted to die with her Jérôme, feeling that lifewithout him held nothing that could reconcile her to its furtherendurance. For days she lived alone with her grief; shutting out theappeals that came to her from the demoralized “hands,” and unmindfulof the disorder that gathered about her. Till Uncle Hiram came one daywith a respectful tender of sympathy, offered in the guise of areckless misquoting of Scripture—and with a grievance.
“Mistuss,” he said, “I ’lowed ’twar best to come to de house an’ tellyou; fur Massa he alluz did say ‘Hi’urm, I counts on you to keep a eyeopen endurin’ my appersunce;’ you ricollic, marm?” addressing anexpanse of black bordered cambric that veiled the features of hismistress. “Things is a goin’ wrong; dat dey is. I don’t wants to namen