Mr. Cooper placed his book under his arm, his hands behind him and smiled.
“Not at all,” said he.
The boy’s mother had been his only sister, and a favorite with him. Nat resembled her and this had, at first, greatly recommended him to his uncle. But the quiet, strong character of the boy had quickly made itself felt, and Mr. Cooper, even in the short time his nephew had been with him, had come to value him highly.
And so when Nat intruded upon his study hour he felt that there was reason for it; and in this he was not mistaken.
“I wanted to speak with you alone, sir, upon a matter of much importance,” said the boy. “And I thought that this would be the best time, if you don’t mind.”
“If it’s about the office,” said Mr. Cooper, “don’t worry yourself. You will get down to work in good time, never fear. We shall probably be ready for you in a fortnight.”
“It’s not that,” answered Nat, “though I had expected to speak to you upon the subject at some time. This affair,” and his uncle noticed his face grow grave, “is much more urgent. I had thought at first to say nothing, fancying it would untangle itself; but as the reverse now promises to be the case, I want your advice.”
“Very well,” said Mr. Cooper quietly and attentively. He knew that the matter must be of some moment, otherwise Nat would not speak in such a fashion.
So with that, Nat began at the beginning and once more told his uncle the story of his experiences upon the night that he and the Porcupine had ridden to the rescue of the unsuspecting Virginians. But this time there were no reservations of any kind. When the name of Prentiss came into the narrative, Mr. Cooper raised his brows, but said nothing; however, Nat noticed that his attention grew more marked from that moment.
Then came the meeting of Nat with Ezra at the City Tavern. The similarity of the voices impressed Mr. Cooper greatly; but when Nat repeated Ezra’s odd words, spoken after he learned of Nat’s acquaintance with Mr. Washington, he uttered an exclamation.