The Bishop and Richard went with John to New Orleans in the morning. Phyllis was glad to be alone. She had tried to send her lover away cheerfully; but there is always the afterward. The “afterward” to Phyllis was an extreme sadness that was almost lethargy. Many crushed souls have these fits of somnolent depression; and it does no good either to reproach them, or to point out that physical infirmity is the cause. They know what the sorrowful sleep of the apostles in the garden of Olivet was, and pity them. Phyllis wept slow, heavy tears until she fell into a deep slumber, and she did not awaken until Harriet was spreading the cloth upon a small table for her lunch.
“Dar, Miss Phill! I’se gwine to bring you some fried chicken and some almond puddin’, and a cup of de strongest coffee I kin make. Hungry sorrow is mighty bad to bear, honey!”
“Has Master Richard come back?”
“Not he, Miss Phill. He’s not a-gwine to come back till de black night drive him, ef there’s any thing strange ‘gwine on in de city; dat’s de way wid all men—aint none of dem worth frettin’ ‘bout.”
“Don’t say that, Harriet.”
“Aint, Miss Phill; I’se bound to say it. Look at Mass’r John! gwine off all in a moment like; mighty cur’ous perceeding—mighty cur’ous!”
“He has gone to fight in a grand cause.”
“Dat’s jist what dey all say. Let any one beat a drum a thousand miles off, and dey’s all on de rampage to follow it.”
“The Bishop thought Master John right to go.”
“Bless your heart, Miss Phill! De Bishop! De Bishop! He don’t know no more ‘an a baby ‘bout dis world! You should ha’ seen de way he take up and put down Mass’r John’s rifle. Mighty onwillin’ he was to put it down—kind ob slow like. I wouldn’t trust de Bishop wid no rifle ef dar was any fightin’ gwine on ‘bout whar he was. De Bishop! He’s jist de same as all de rest, Miss Phill. Dar, honey! here’s de chicken and de coffee; don’t you spile your appetite frettin’ ‘bout any of dem.”