“‘You are silent! I am glad that you have some sense of shame, at any rate! To think that a son of mine should do such a thing! When I am done with you, you will know better for the future, I promise you.’ And cutting a branch from a neighboring tree, he began to trim it. ‘And not content with desecrating the day yourself, you must needs teach my servants to do so. How often have I not told you that we were responsible for their souls?’
“‘Lor’, mahrster,’ chattered the terrified dancer, ‘Marse The., he didn’t ax me to dance, ’fo’ Gaud he didn’t. I was jess a-passin’ by, an’ I hear de music, and somehownuther de debbil he jump into my heel. ’Twant Marse The., ’twas me; leastwise de old debbil he would’t lemme hold my foot on de groun’, and so I jess sort o’ give one or two backsteps, an’ cut two or three little pigeon-wings, jess as I was a-passin’ by like.’
“‘Very well, I shan’t pass you by.’
“‘Yes, mahrster, but I didn’t fling down de steps keen, like ’twas Sad’day night, ’deed I didn’t, mahrster; and I was jess a-sayin’ as how Marse The. didn’t ax me; de ole debbil, he—’
“‘Shut up, sir!’
“‘Yes, mahrster!’
“Theodoric gave a quick, grateful glance at his brother sinner.
“Although he was without coat or vest,—for the day was warm,—he did not wince when the blows fell heavy and fast upon his shoulders. At last his father desisted, and turned to the negro lad.
“Mr. Poythress had never, in the memory of this boy, punished one of his servants; but seeing that this precedent was in a fair way of being reversed in his case, he began to plead for mercy with all the volubility of untutored eloquence. Meantime, he found extreme difficulty in removing his coat; for his heart was not in the work; and before he got off the second sleeve he had pledged himself nebber to do so no mo’ in a dozen keys.
“Theodoric stepped between his father and the culprit.