CHAPTER XI
THE PROVOST CATCHES A TARTAR, AND CAPTAIN MIDDLETON SEEKS THECONSOLATIONS OF RELIGION
Steve Allen on his removal to the county seat after his suddenabandonment of farming, had taken up his quarters in an old building,fronting on the court-green near the Clerk’s office, and with its rearopening on a little lane which led to two of the principal roads inthe county. From the evening of his arrival Steve took possession ofthe entire village. He wore his old cavalry uniform, the only suit hepossessed, and, with his slouched hat set on one side of his handsomehead, carried himself so independently that he was regarded with somedisfavor by the two young officers, whom he on his side treated withjust that manner which appeared to him most exasperating to each ofthem. He was immediately the most popular man in the place. He playedcards with the men, and marbles with the boys; made love to the girls,and teased the old women; joked with the soldiers, especially with thebig Irish Sergeant, Dennis O’Meara, and fought the war over with theofficers. He boldly asserted that the Confederates had been victoriousin every battle they had ever fought, and had, as someone said, simply“worn themselves out whipping the Yankees,” a line of tactics whichexasperated even little Thurston, until he one day surprised a gleam ofsuch amused satisfaction in Steve’s gray eyes that he afterward avoidedthe ambuscade and enjoyed the diversion of seeing Leech, and evenMiddleton, caught.
Leech had been warned in advance by Mr. Still of Steve Allen’sintention to settle at the county seat, and immediately on Steve’sarrival had notified him to appear before him as Provost and exhibithis parole. From that time Steve had taken Leech as his prey. Knowingthat the Provost was not the proper officer, he did not obey the order,and repaid Leech’s insolence with burning contempt, never failing, onoccasion, to fire some shafts at him which penetrated and stung.
General Legaie and Dr. Cary, after their experience with Leech,determined to lose no more time than was necessary in adopting thesuggestion of Captain Middleton and going to see the Commandant of theFreedmen’s Bureau in the city. The General, however, stipulated that heshould not be expected to do more than state his views to the officerin command. This he was willing to do, as he was going with Dr. Caryto the city, where the Doctor was to see Mr. Ledger and conclude thenegotiation for a loan to re-stock his plantation.
It happened, however, that when General Legaie and Dr. Cary called onColonel Krafton, two other visitors from their county had been to seethat officer: Hiram Still and Leech.
The two gentlemen were kept waiting for some time after their names hadbeen taken in by the sentinel before they were admitted to the ChiefProvost’s presence, and every minute of that period the General grewhotter and hotter, and walked up and down the little ante-room withmore and more dignity.
“Dr. Johnson before Lord Chesterfield,” said the Doctor, laughing athis friend’s impatience and indignation.
“Dr. Johnson before a dog!” was the little General’s retort. “Why, sir,I never treated a negro in my life as he has treated us.”
At last, however, they were admitted.
The officer, a stout man with closely cropped iron-gray hair, alowering brow and a heavy jaw, was seated at his desk writing. He didnot look up when they entered, but said, “Sit down,” and wrote on.When he was through, he called out, and a sentinel entered.
“Send that off at once—or—wait where you are. I may have another tosend.” He turned to the two visitors who were still standing.
“Well?”
“I am Major Cary,” that gentleman said, advancing, “And this is GeneralLegaie.” He bowed gravely.
“Oh! I know you,” said the officer. He turned to his desk and searchedfor something.
“Oh!—I was not aware that I had had the pleasure of meeting youbefore,” said the Doctor, brightening. “Where was it, sir? I regretthat my memory has not served me better.” He seated himself.
“I did not say I had met you—I said I knew you, and I do. I know youboth.”
“Oh! I thought I should not have forgotten,” said the Doctor.
“No, nor you won’t. I have a report of you, and know why you’ve come.”He shook his head as he turned to them. “I’m Colonel Krafton, Provostof this district, and I mean to be the Provost, and you might as wellunderstand it now as hereafter.”
“Oh!” said the Doctor, rising slowly from the seat he had taken.
“I know about your conferences, and your meetings, and the terms youpropose to dictate to me; but I will show you that I am in authorityhere and I don’t propose to be dictated to, either; do you understand?I don’t want any of your advice. When I want you I’ll send for you; doyou understand? “
The Doctor, who had waited in a sort of maze for the Provost to pause,turned to his friend, whose face was perfectly white and whose usuallypleasant eyes had a red rim around the irises.
“I beg your pardon, General Legaie, I thought we should find agentleman, but——”
“I never did, Major,” said the little General. “But I had no idea weshould find such a dog as this.” He turned to the Provost, and, with abow, fixed his eyes on him. But that officer looked at the sentry andsaid:
“Open the door.”
The General looked out of it, expecting a file of soldiers to arrestthem, and straightened himself for the ordeal. There was none there,however. The General’s countenance fell.
“I said ‘dog,’ but I apologize to that animal, and say—_worm_!” Heturned his eyes once more on the Provost.
“I shall be at the Brandon tavern until the evening. Do you understandthat?” he said, addressing the Provost. He stalked out, his nose highin the air, his heels ringing on the floor.
As soon as they were outside, the Doctor began to apologize to theGeneral again; but the latter, having blown off his steam, and fullyappreciating his friend’s mortification, was very handsome about it.He had at heart a sly hope that the Provost officer might consult somefriend who would insist on his taking up the insult, and so give him asatisfaction which he was at that moment very eager for. None came thatevening, however, and as the next day none had come, the General wasforced to return home unsatisfied.
The effect of Dr. Cary’s and General Legaie’s interview with ColonelKrafton was shortly felt in the county.
A few days later an order came for an inquisition to be made from houseto house for arms. The labor this required was so great that it wasdivided up. In the part of the county where General Legaie lived, theinvestigation was made by Middleton, who conducted himself throughoutwith due propriety, even declaring it, as General Legaie reported,“an unpleasant duty,” and “taking in every case a gentleman’s word,”never touching a thing except, perhaps, where there would be an armymusket or pistol. General Legaie’s old duelling-pistols, which hisbutler, Julius, had hidden and taken care of all during the war, wereleft unmolested, and the young officer went so far as to express, theGeneral stated, a “somewhat critical admiration for them,” observingthat they were the first genuine duelling-pistols he had ever seen.On this the General—though, as he declared, it required all hispoliteness to do so—could not but make the offer that in case CaptainMiddleton should ever have occasion to use a pair they were entirely athis service.
In the Red Rock and Birdwood neighborhood, the people were not sofortunate. There the inquisition was conducted by Leech—partly,perhaps, because the two young officers did not wish to pay theirfirst visit to Dr. Cary’s on such an errand, and partly because Leechrequested to be allowed to assist in the work.
Though the other officers knew nothing of it, Leech had two reasonsfor wishing to conduct the search for arms at Dr. Cary’s. He had notforgotten Dr. Cary’s action and look the day of the trial. The otherreason was hatred of Steve Allen. “I’ll show him what I can smell,” hesaid to Still, who smiled contentedly.
“It won’t do to fool with him too much, personally,” Still warned him.“He’s a dangerous man. They’re all of ’em dangerous, you hear me.”
“I’ll show
’em who I am, before I’m through with ’em,” said Leech.
Thus the inquisition for arms was peculiarly grateful to Leech.
Leech had a squad of men under his command, which made him feel as ifhe were really an officer, and he gave them orders as though he wereleading them to a battle. He intimated that they might be met withforce, and asserted that, if so, he should act promptly. On riding upto the Doctor’s a Sabbatic stillness reigned over everything.
The Doctor was not at home that day, having gone to the city to see theGeneral in command there about the appointment of magistrates and othercivil officers for the county, and, as Mrs. Cary had a sick headache,the blinds were closed, and Blair and old Mammy Krenda were keepingevery sound hushed. It was a soft, balmy afternoon, when all natureseemed to doze. The sunlight lay on the fields and grass, and the treesand shrubbery rustled softly in the summer breeze.
Flinging himself from his horse, the Provost banged on the door loudlyand, without waiting for anyone to answer his summons, stalked noisilyinto the house with his men behind him. Both Blair and Mammy Krendaprotested against his invading one particular apartment. Blair plantedherself in front of the door. She was dressed in a simple white dress,and her face was almost as white as the dress.
“What’s in there?” asked Leech.
“Nothing. My mother is in there with a sick headache.”
“Ah-h-h!” said Leech, derisively. He caught Blair by the arm roughly.Blair drew back, the color flaming in her cheeks, and the old negrowoman stepped up in her place, bristling with anger.
The flash in the young girl’s eyes as she drew herself up abashed theProvost. But he recovered himself and, pushing old Krenda roughlyaside, opened the door. There he flung open the blinds and rummaged inthe drawers, turning everything out on the floor, and carried off intriumph a pair of old, horseman’s pistols which had belonged to theDoctor’s grandfather in the Revolutionary War, and had been changedfrom flintlock to percussion at the outbreak of the recent hostilities.
Leech had just come out of this room when Jacquelin Gray drove up. Hestopped outside for a moment to ask what the presence of the soldiersmeant, and then came hobbling on his crutches into the house.
As he entered, Blair turned to him with a gesture, partly of relief andpartly of apprehension.
“Oh, Jacquelin!” The rest was only a sob. The blood flushed Jacquelin’spale face, and he passed by her.
“By what authority do you commit this outrage?” he asked Leech.
“By authority enough for you. By what authority do you dare tointerfere with an officer in the discharge of his duty, you limping,rebel dog? If you know what is good for you, you’ll take yourself offpretty quick.” Leech took in his squad with a wave of his hand, andencountering Jacquelin’s blazing eyes and a certain motion of hiscrutch, moved a little nearer to his men, laying his hand on his pistolas he did so.
Blair made a gesture to stop Jacquelin; but he took no heed of it. Hemoved on his crutches nearer to the Provost.
“I demand to know your authority, dog,” he said, ignoring both Leech’sthreat and Blair’s imploring look.
“I’ll show you. Seize him and search him,” said Leech, falling behindhis squad and adding an epithet not necessary to be repeated.
“I am not armed; if I were—” said Jacquelin. At Blair’s gesture hestopped.
“Well, what would you do?” Leech asked after waiting a moment forJacquelin to proceed.” You hear what he says, Sergeant?” He addressedthe bluff, red-haired Irishman who wore a sergeant’s chevrons.
“Sames to me he says nothin’ at all,” said the Sergeant, who was thesame man that had had charge of the ambulance in which Jacquelin hadbeen brought home the day he arrived, and who had been a little grumpyever since he had been put under Leech’s command.
“Arrest him and if he offers any resistance, tie him securely to a treeoutside,” ordered Leech.
“Does Captain Middleton know of this?” Jacquelin asked the Sergeant.
“Well, you see, it’s arders from headquarrters, an’ I guess the Cap’nthaught bayin’ a ferrut was a little more in _his_ line.” The Sergeantnodded his head in the direction of Leech, who had called the other menand gone on ostentatiously with his search.
HE CARRIED OFF IN TRIUMPH A PAIR OF OLD HORSE-PISTOLS.]
Just then, however, the Provost encountered a fresh enemy. If Mrs.Cary and Miss Blair deemed it more dignified and ladylike to preserveabsolute silence during this invasion, Mammy Krenda had no suchinconvenient views. The old woman had nursed both Mrs. Cary and herdaughter. She was, indeed, what her title implied, and had all herlife held the position of a member of the family. In her master’sabsence she considered herself responsible, and she had followed Leechfrom room to room, dogging his every step, and now, emboldened byJacquelin’s presence, she burst forth, pouring out on the Provost thevials of her wrath which, instead of being exhausted by use, gatheredvolume and virulence with every minute.
“Yaas, I know jest what sort you is,” she said, mockingly: “you is thesort o’ houn’-dog that ain’t got sperit enough to fight even a olehyah, let alone a coon; but comes sneakin’ into folks’ kitchen, tryin’to steal a scrap from chillerns’ mouths when folks’ backs air turned! Iain’t talkin’ to you all,” she explained, with ready tact, to the squadof privates who showed in their countenances some appreciation of herhomely, but apt illustration; “I know you all’s got to do it if you’marsters tell’s you to. Nor, I’m talkin’ to him. I declare I’m rightglad my marster ain’t at home; I’m feared he’d sile his shoe kickin’yer dutty body out de do’.” She stood with her arms akimbo, and hereyes half-closed in derision.
This touch, with an ill-suppressed snicker from one of the men behind,proved too much for the leader’s self-control, and he turned in a rage:
“Shut up, you black hag,” he snarled, angrily, “or I’ll—I’ll—” Hepaused, hunting for a threat which would appall her. “I’ll tie you to atree outside and wear out a hickory on you.”
If he thought to quell the old woman by this, however, he was mistaken.He only infuriated her the more.
“You will, will you!” she hissed, straightening herself up and walkingup close to him. “Do you know what would happen if you did? My marsterwould cut your heart out o’ you; but I wouldn’t lef’ you for him to doit! You ain’t fitten for him to tetch. De ain’ nobody uver tetched mesince my mammy whipped me last; and she died when I was twelve yearsole’; an’ ef you lay your hand ’pon me I’ll wear you out tell you ain’tgot a piece o’ skin on you as big as dat!—see?” She walked up close tohim and indicating the long, pink nail on her clawlike little-finger,poked a black and sinewy little fist close up under the Provost’s verynose.
“Now—” she panted: “Heah me; tetch me!”
But Leech had recovered himself. He quailed before the two blazingcoals of fire that appeared ready to dart at him, and recognizing thefact that even his men were against him and, like Jacquelin, weresecretly enjoying his discomfiture, he angrily ordered them out of thehouse and concealed as best he could his consuming inward rage.
Incensed by Jacquelin’s look of satisfaction at the old mammy’s attack,Leech took him along with him, threatening him with dire punishmentfor interfering with a Union officer in the discharge of his duty;but learning from the Sergeant that Jacquelin was “a friend of theCaptain’s,” he released him, assuring him of the fortunate escape hehad, and promising him very different treatment “next time.” Jacquelinreturned no answer whatever until at the end, when he said, looking himdeep in the eyes, “It may not be next time, you dog; but some time willbe my time.”
When Dr. Cary reached home that evening, both Mrs. Cary and Blaircongratulated themselves afresh that he had been absent during theProvost’s visit. The first mention of the man’s conduct had such aneffect on him that Mrs. Cary, who had already interviewed both herdaughter and the mammy on the propriety of giving a somewhat modifiedaccount of the visitation, felt it necessary to make even
yet lighterof it than she had intended. The Doctor grew very quiet, and hisusually pleasant mouth shut close, bringing his chin out strongly andgiving him an uncommonly stern appearance. Mrs. Cary whipped aroundsuddenly and gave the matter a humorous turn. But the Doctor was notto be diverted; the insolence of Leech’s action to Blair, and ofpenetrating into his wife’s chamber, had sunk in deeply, and a littlelater, having left his wife’s sick-room, he called up the mammy. IfMrs. Cary possessed instincts and powers of self-control which enabledher to efface her sense of injury in presence of a greater danger, theold servant had no such cultivated faculty. At the first mention ofthe matter by the Doctor, her sense of injury rose again, her outragedpride came to the surface once more, and in the presence of him to whomshe had always looked for protection her self-control gave out.
She started to tell the story lightly, as she knew her mistress wisheddone, but, at the first word, broke down and suddenly began to whimperand rock.
When it had all come out between sobs of rage and mortification, hermaster sent her away soothed with a sense of his sympathy and of thecoming retribution which he would exact.
When the Doctor saw Mrs. Cary again, he was as placid as a May-morning,perhaps more placid than usual. He thought himself very clever indeed.But no man is clever enough to deceive his wife if she suspects him,and Mrs. Cary read him as though he had been an open book. As a result,before he left her room she had exacted a promise from him not underany circumstances to seek a personal interview with Leech, or even togo to the court-house for some time.
The story of the old negro woman’s terrible tongue-lashing of theProvost got abroad. He had attempted to use both command and persuasionto prevent his men from telling it, but even the bribery of a freetreat at a store on the roadside, which was a liberality he had neverbeen known to display before, failed to secure the desired secrecy, andthe story reached the court-house almost as quickly as he. SergeantO’Meara related it to the camp with great gusto.
“Bedad!” said he, “the ould woman looked like wan of theyse littleblack game-burruds whan a dog comes around her chicks, with her fithersall oop on her back and her wings spraid, and the Liftenant—if heis a Liftenant, which I don’t say he is, moind—he looked as redas a turkey-cock and didn’t show much moor courege. She was a verydiscriminatin’ person, bedad! She picked me out for a gintleman andthe sutler for a dog, and bedad! she wasn’t far wrong in ayether. Onlyyou’re not to say I towld you, for whan a gintleman drinks a man’swhiskey it doesn’t become him to tell tales on him.”
Perhaps it was well for Mr. Jonadab Leech that the matter got abroad,for it gave the incident a lighter turn than it otherwise would havehad. As it was, there was a storm of indignation in the county, andnext day there were more of the old Confederate soldiers in the villagethan had been there since the war closed. In their gray uniforms,faded as they were, they looked imposing. Leech spent the day in theprecincts of the camp. A deputation, with Steve Allen at their head,waited on Middleton and had a short interview with him, in which theytold him that they proposed to obey the laws, but they did not proposeto permit ladies to be insulted.
“For I tell you now, Captain Middleton,” said Steve, “before we willallow our women to be insulted, we will kill every man of you. We arenot afraid to do it.” He spoke as quietly as though he were saying themost ordinary thing in the world. Middleton faced him calmly. The twomen looked in each other’s eyes, and recognized each other’s courage.
“Your threat has no effect on me,” said Middleton; “but I wish to saythat before I will allow any woman to be insulted, I will kill everyman in my command. Lieutenant Leech is not in my command, though in ameasure subject to my authority; but the matter shall be investigatedimmediately.”
What occurred in the interview which took place between Middleton andLeech was not known at the time, but that night Leech sent for Still toadvise him. Even the negroes were looking on him more coldly.
“I knows if he lays his han’ ’pon me, I’m gwine to cut his heart out’n him,” said a tall, black young negro in the crowd as Leech passed,on his way to his office. It was evidently intended for Leech to hear.Leech had not then learned to distinguish black countenances and he didnot yet know Jerry.
Still was equal to the emergency. “These quality-niggers ain’t used tobein’ talked to so,” he explained to Leech; “and they won’t stand itfrom nobody but quality. They’re just as stuck up as their masters, andyou can’t talk to ’em that way. You got to humor ’em. The way to manage’em is through their preachers. Git Sherrod and give him a place inthe commissary. He’s that old hag’s son-in-law, and he’s a preacher. Ialways manage ’em through their preachers.”
The result of taking Still’s advice, in one way, so far surpassedLeech’s highest expectation, that he could not but admit that Stillwas a genius. One other appointment Still suggested, and that was ofa negro who had belonged to the Grays and who was believed to have asmuch influence with the devil as Sherwood had in the other direction.“And,” as Still said, “with Jim Sherrod to attend to Heaven and DoctorMoses to manage t’other place, I think me and you can sorter manage togit along on earth.
“You’ve got to do with them,” he added, sinking his voice almost toa whisper. “For, as I told you, you’ve got to work your triggers upthat a-way.” He waved his hand toward the North. “If you can git themoney you say you can, I can make it over and over fer you fasterthan nigger-tradin’. You jest git Krafton to stand by you and that oldfeller Bolter to stake us, and we’re all right.
“You’ve got to git rid of this young Captain. One of you’s got to gosome time, and the one as holds out longest will win. ’Twon’t do to lethim git too strong a hold down here.—Now this party they’re gittin’up? If they invite your young men—you might work that string. Butyou can’t quarrel with him now. You say he’s in with your Mrs. Welch.Better work the nigger racket. That’s the strong card now. Git somemore boxes from Mrs. Welch and let me put ’em where they’ll do mostgood. Niggers loves clo’es mo’ than money. Don’t fall out with youryoung man yet—keep in with a man till you have got under-holt, thenyou can fling him.”
Meantime, while this conference was going on, Middleton was in a farless complacent frame of mind. He had just left the camp that afternoonand was on his way to his quarters, when, at a turn in the street, hecame on a group of young gentlemen surrounding a young lady who wasdressed in a riding-habit, and was giving an animated account of someoccurrence. As soon as he turned the corner, he was too close on themto turn back; so he had to pass. He instantly recognized Miss Cary,though her back was toward him: the trim figure, abundant hair, andmusical voice were not to be forgotten.
“I don’t think you need any guard, so long as you have Mammy Krenda,”laughed one of the young men.
“No, with her for the rank and file, I am just waiting for Captain M—I mean to meet him some day, and—”
“Hush-here he is now.”
“I don’t care.” She tossed her head.
Middleton could not help hearing what she said, or seeing the gesturethat stopped her.
He passed on, touching his cap to one or two of the young men, whoreturned the salute. But Miss Cary took no more notice of him than ifhe had been a dog.
Thurston had reached their room a little before Middleton arrived. Hewas in unusually good spirits, having just relieved his mind by cursingLeech heartily to Miss Dockett, and thus re-establishing himself withthat young lady, who had been turning her back on him ever since shehad heard of the incident at Birdwood. In reward for this act ofreparation, the young lady had condescended to tell Lieutenant Thurstonof the entertainment which the young people proposed to get up; and thelittle officer had made up his mind that, if possible, he and Middletonshould be invited. He had just lit his pipe and was, as he said, layingout his campaign, when Middleton entered and, tossing his sword in acorner, without a word, lit a cigar, flung himself in an arm-chairand gazed moodily out of the window. The Lieutenant watched hisfrien
d in silence, with a more serious look on his face than usuallyfound lodgement on that cheerful countenance. The cloud remained onMiddleton’s brow, but the Lieutenant’s face cleared up, and presently,between the puffs of his pipe, he said:
“Larry, you need the consolations of religion.” Middleton, withouttaking his eyes from the distance, turned his cigar in his mouth andremained silent.
“And I’m going to make you sit under the ministrations of the pious Mr.Langstuff—”
“Foolstuff!” growled Middleton, turning his eye on him.
“—For your soul’s good and your eyes’ comfort,” continued theLieutenant placidly. “For they do say, Larry, that he preaches to theprettiest lot of unrepentant, stony-hearted, fair rebels that evercombined the love of Heaven with the hatred of their fellow-mortals.You are running to waste, Larry, and I must utilize you.”
“Jackass!” muttered Middleton, but he looked at Thurston, who smokedsolemnly.
“For they say, Larry, there’s going to be a dancing-party, and we mustbe there, you know.”
Middleton’s face, which had begun to clear up, clouded again.
“What’s the good of it? Not one of ’em would speak to us. I met onejust now—and she looked at me—they all look at me, or _by_ me—as ifI were a snake!”
“As you are, Larry—a snake in the grass,” interjected the littleLieutenant. “Pretty?”
“As a peach—Can’t you be serious a minute?”—for Thurston’s eyes weretwinkling. “Every one looks as if she hated me.”
“As they ought to, Larry; for you’re their enemy.” Thurston settledback with his pipe between his lips, and chuckled to himself. “Youought to see the way they look at me, Larry. I know you, Alexander.You’re not satisfied with your success with Miss Ruth, and MissRockfield, and every other girl in the North, but you must conquerother worlds; and you sigh because they don’t capitulate as soon asthey see your advance-guard.”
“Don’t be an ass, Thurs!” Middleton interrupted. “You know as well asI, that I never said a word to Ruth Welch in my life—or thought ofdoing so. When her father was wounded so badly, it happened that I hada scratch too, and I saw something more of her than I otherwise shouldhave done, and that is all there is about it. Besides, we are cousins,and you know how that is. Her mother would have seen me in perditionbefore she would have consented to anything between us; and as to EdithRockfield——”
But the little Lieutenant did not care about Miss Rockfield. It wasMiss Welch he was interested in. So he cut in, breaking into a snatchof a song:
“Sure, Kate Riley she’s me cousin. Harry, I have cousins too; If ye like such close relations, I have cousins close as you.”
He slipped down farther in his chair, his heels up on the table, andhis hands clasped above his curly head.
“If you don’t stop that howling, old Mrs. Dockett will come and turnyou out again,” growled Middleton.
“Not me, Larry, my dear. I can warble all I like now. I’m promoted.”
“Promoted! How?”
“Don’t you see I sit next to the butter, now?”
“Fool!—But I’m used to being treated with a reasonable degree ofcivility;” Middleton went on, as if he had not been interrupted, “andI’ve put myself out more to be polite here than I ever did in my life,and yet, by Jove! these little vixens turn up their noses at me asif—as if—Why, they look as if they felt about me precisely as I feelabout Leech!”
He looked out of the window gloomily, and his friend watched him for amoment with an amused expression in his blue eyes.
“Larry, they don’t know what great men we are, do they? You know that’sone of the things that has always struck me? I wonder how girls canhave such a good time when they don’t know me. I suppose it’s theignorance of the poor young things! But they shall know me and you,too. We’ll give the girls a treat next Sunday; we’ll go to church, andlater to the ball.”
“Church! You go to church!”
The Captain turned his head and looked at his friend with such blankamazement that the Lieutenant actually colored.
“Yes,” he nodded. “You d——d Pharisee!—you think you are the only onethat knows anything about church, because that little gir— cousin ofyours—converted you; you’re nothing but a Dissenter anyhow. But I’m achurchman, I am. I’ve got a prayer-book—somewhere—and I’ve found outall about the church here. There’s an old preacher in the county, namedLongstuff or Langstuff or something, and he preaches once a month atthe old church eight or ten miles above here, where they say all thepretty girls in the country congregate to pray for the salvation ofJeff Davis and the d—— nation of the Yankees—poor misguided, lovelycreatures that they are!—as if we weren’t certain enough of it anyhow,without their making it a subject of their special petition. I’m goingto have a look at ’em. We’ll have our trappings rubbed up, and I’llcoach your dissenting, condemned soul on the proper church tactics, andwe’ll have the handsomest pair of horses in the county and show ’em asfine a pair of true-riding, pious young Yanks as ever charged into apretty girl’s heart. We’ll dodge Leech and go in as churchmen. That’sone place he’s not likely to follow us. What do you say? Oh, I’ve got agreat head on me! I’ll be a general some day!”
“If you don’t get it knocked off for your impudence,” suggestedMiddleton.
So the equipments were burnished up; the horses were carefully groomed;the uniforms were brushed and pressed afresh, and when Sunday morningcame, the two young officers, having dodged Leech, who had been tryingall the week to find out what was on foot, rode off, in full anddazzling panoply, like conquering young heroes, to impress, at least,the fairer portion of their “subjects,” as Thurston called them. Theywere, in fact, a showy pair as they rode along, for both men werecapital horsemen, little Thurston looking at least a foot higher onhis tall bay than when lifted only by his own short, plump legs; andon their arrival at church, which they purposely timed to occur afterthe services should have begun, they felt that they could not have beenmore effective.
The contrast between them and the rest of the assemblage was striking.The grove about the church was well filled with animals and vehicles;but all having a worn and shabby appearance: thin horses and mules, andrickety wagons, with here and there an old carriage standing out amongthem, like old gentlemen at a county gathering. A group of men underone of the trees turned and gazed curiously at the pair as they rodeup and tied their showy horses to “swinging limbs,” and then strodesilently toward the church, where the sound of a chant, not badlyrendered, told that the services were already begun.
The entrance of the blue-coats created quite as much of a sensationas they could have expected, even if the signs of it were, perhaps,not quite as apparent as they had anticipated, and they marched to avacant seat, feeling very hot and by no means as effective as they hadproposed to do. Little Thurston dropped down on his knees and bowed hishead, and Middleton, with a new feeling of Thurston’s superior genius,followed his “tactics.”
This was good generalship, for no one could know that the two youngreprobates were mopping their perspiring faces and setting every buttonstraight, instead of being bowed in reverential devotion. No oneentered their pew, and they were left alone. Several who came in thechurch after them, and might have turned to their pew, on seeing theblue uniforms, passed by with what looked very like a toss of the head.But what Thurston called his “straight flush” was when he drew out hisprayer-book—which he had found “somewhere”—and began to follow theservice, in a distinctly reverential voice.
As many eyes were bent on them at this as had been directed to themwhen they first appeared, and Miss Thomasia, adjusting her spectaclesto satisfy herself beyond doubt if her eyes were not deceiving her,dropped them on the floor and cracked one of the glasses. For the ideaof a Yankee soldier using a prayer-book had never occurred to anyfemale member of that congregation any more than it had that a certaindistinguished being used it, popularly supposed to be also clad in blueuniform,
of sulphurous flame. The favorable impression made by thismove was apparent to the young men, and Middleton stepped on Thurston’stoe, so heavily as almost to make him swear with pain, trying at onceto convey his admiration and to call Thurston’s attention to a verypretty young girl in the choir, whose eyes happened to fall that way,and whom he indicated as Miss Cary. Steve Allen was with her now,singing out of the same book with her, as if he had never thrown a cardor taken a drink in his life.
The self-gratulation of the two officers was, however, of briefduration. The next moment there was a heavy tread and a sabre-clatterbehind them, and turning with the rest of the congregation to look,there was Leech stalking up the aisle. He made directly toward theofficers, and had Middleton been at the entrance of the pew he might,perhaps, in the frame of mind into which the sight threw him, haveopenly refused the new-comer admittance. Thurston, however, was nearerthe entrance, and nothing of the kind occurred. He simply moved downto the door of the pew, and was so deeply immersed in his devotionsat that particular instant, that even the actual pressure of Leech’shand on his arm failed to arouse him, and the Provost, after standing amoment waiting for him to move, stepped into a pew behind, and sat downin the corner by himself.
The change in sentiment created by the Provost’s appearance was strongenough actually to be felt by the young men, and Middleton looked inThurston’s eyes with such helpless rage in his own that the littleLieutenant almost burst out laughing, and had to drop his prayer-bookand stoop for it to compose himself.
Still the congregation was mystified. It was pretty generally supposedthat it was not mere piety which brought the young officers there. Somethought it was to insult them; some to show off their fine horses—somesuggested that it was to watch and report on their old rector, the Rev.Mr. Langstaff, one of the best and Godliest of men, whose ardor as aConfederate was only equalled by his zeal as a Christian. But SteveAllen—speaking with the oracular wisdom of a seer, who, in additionto his prophetic power, has also been behind the scenes—declared thatthey had come to look at the pretty girls, and further avowed thathe didn’t blame them, because there were the prettiest girls in theworld, right in that church, and, as for him, he was ready to walkright up, on the spot, with any one of them, from Miss Thomasia toMiss Blair, and Mr. Langstaff could settle the whole matter for them,in five minutes. Though, of course, he added, if General Legaie hadany preference, he himself would waive his privilege (as having spokenfirst) and let the General lead the way, as he had often done beforeon occasion. To which proposal, made in the aisle after church, whenthe weekly levee was held, the General responded that he was “quiteready to lead so gallant a subaltern, if Miss—” his eye sought MissThomasia’s placid face—“ah! if—any lady could be found,” etc.
Steve was right—he very often was, though frequently he concealed hiswisdom in an envelope of nonsense.
It was conceded after the young officers had ridden away, that theyhad “acted decently enough, but for those odious blue uniforms,” andhad showed no sign beyond nudging each other when Mr. Langstaff prayedfor the President of the Confederate States, with an unction onlyequalled by the fervor with which the entire congregation had responded“Amen”—at least, that the first two of them had showed no sign. Thethird, however, had proved what they were. To be sure, he had comeafter the others, and they had evidently tried to make it appear asif they wished to avoid recognizing him, and had gone away alone. Butwhat did that prove? Were they not all alike? And even if the Provost_had_ sat in a pew by himself, and did not have a uniform exactly likethe others, he had never even bowed during the prayers, but had satbolt upright throughout the whole service, staring around. And when thePresident was prayed for, had he not scowled and endeavored to touchhis companions? What if they had appeared to ignore him? Might notthis be all a part of their scheme? And, as someone said, “when thehounds were all in a huddle, you could not tell a good dog from a badone.” This simile was considered good by most of the male members ofthe congregation; but there were dissenters. Mrs. Gray remembered thatthose two young men sent Jacquelin home the day he arrived; and theGeneral remembered the civility of one of them in the performance ofa most disagreeable duty; Miss Thomasia recalled the closely followedprayer-book, and some of the other ladies objected to hunting similesat church.
However, when, after service, the two young officers left the churchand marched straight to their horses, even without the presence ofLeech to offend them—for they had clearly told him they did not wishhis company—they were far less composed than their martial mien andjingling spurs might have appeared to indicate.
Red Rock: A Chronicle of Reconstruction Page 14
