Delaven’s cigar was forgotten, and its light gone out. The pedigree was more interesting than he had expected. A Greek! All the beauty of the ancient world had come from those islands across the sea. The romances, the poems, the tragedies! and here was one living through a tragedy of today; that flower on the tomb under the pines––it suggested so much, now that he heard what she was.
“Mahs Lacaris, from what I could heah, was much the turn o’ my Mahs Duke, but ’thout Mahs Duke’s money to back him; an’ one day all his business ’rangements, they go smash! an’ sheriff come take all his lan’ and niggahs fo’ some ’surance he’d gone fo’ some one. Well, sah, they say he most went ’stracted on head o’ that smash up; an’ ’special when he found they took stock o’ Retta, just like any o’ the field hands. But theah wan’t no help fo’ it, ’cause Retta’s mammy was a quadroon gal; jest made a pet o’ the chile, an’ was so easy goen’ he nevah took a thought that anything would ever change his way o’ liven’.
“Mahs Tom, he jes’ got married to Miss Leo Masterson an’ took her down Florida fo’ wedden’ trip; that how he come to be theah when all Mahs Lacaris’ belongings was put up fo’ sale. Seem like Mahs Lacaris had hope he could get mo’ money back in his own country, an’ he was all planned to start, an’ he beg Mahs Tom to buy his little Retta an’ keep her safe till he come back.
“Now, Mahs Tom was powerful good-hearted––jest like his daddy. So he totes the chile home, an’ I know Hester (Miss Leo’s maid) was ragen’ mad about it, ’cause she had to wait on her the whole enduren’ trip home, fo’ seem like that chile nevah had been taught to wait on herself.
“Well, sah, Massa Lacaris, he nevah did come back; that ship he went in nevah was heard tell of again from that day to this, an’ theah wan’t nothin’ fo’ Mahs Tom to do but jest 163 keep her. He did talk about sendin’ her ’way to some school, fo’ she mighty peart with books, an’ then given’ her a chance to buy herself if so be she wanted to. But Miss Leo object to that, flat foot down; she hadn’t no sort o’ use fo’ ’ristocrat book-learned niggahs.
“Hester, she heard Miss Leo say them words, an’ was mighty glad to tattle ’em! Hester––she was Maryland stock, same as Cynthy. Well, sah, they worried along fo’ ’bout a yeah not deciden’ jest what to do with that young stray, then Miss Gertrude she come to town an’ it did’n take no time to fine out what to do with her, then!
“Miss Gertrude wan’t no ’special stout chile, an’ took a heap o’ care an’ pamperin’ an’ when none o’ the othahs could do a trick with her, Retta would jest walk in, take her in her arms, an’ the wah was ended fo’ that time! Fust time Mahs Tom see that performance he laugh hearty, an’ then he say, ‘Retta, we jest find out what we do need you fo’; yo’ gwine to be installed as governess at Lorinwood from this time on.’ An’ Retta she was powerful pleased an’ so happy, she alles a laughen’ an’ her eyes a shinen’.
“Long ’bout a yeah after that, it was, when Miss Leo die. Mahs Tom, he went way then fo’ a long spell, cause the place too lonesome, an’ when he come back, Retta, she ovah seventeen, an’ she jest manage the whole house fine as she manage that baby, an’ all the quality folks what come an’ go praise her mightily an’ talk ’bout how peart she was.
“Then Mahs Matt, he come up from Orleans, whah he been cutten’ a wide swath, if all folks told true, an’ fust thing his eyes caught was that gal Retta, an’ he up an’ tole Mahs Tom what a fool he was not to sell her down in Orleans whah she’d fetch mo’ money than would buy six nuss gals or housekeepers.