It is really astonishing how rapidly acquaintanceships form under favorable circumstances. These two young people were shy, both of them, and on the preceding day had hardly spoken to each other at all. When they mounted their horses that morning they were almost strangers, and they might have remained only half acquaintances for a week or a fortnight but for that morning's ride. They were gone an hour, perhaps, in all, and when they sat down to breakfast they were on terms of easy familiarity and genuine friendship.
CHAPTER VII.
Mr. Pagebrook Learns Several Things.
After breakfast Robert walked out with Billy to see the negroes at work cutting tobacco, an interesting operation always, and especially so when one sees it for the first time.
"Gilbert," said Billy to his "head man," "did you find any ripe enough to cut in the lot there by the prize barn?"
"No sah; dat's de greenest lot of tobawkah on de plantation, for all 'twas plaunted fust. I dunno what to make uv it."
"Why, Billy, I thought Cousin Edwin owned the 'prize' barn!" said Robert.
"So he does—his."
"Are there two of them then?"