第93章

"BY THE BY, Vincent," Mrs.Wingfield remarked next morning at breakfast, "I have parted with Pearson.""I am glad to hear it, mother.What! did you discover at last that he was a scamp?""Several things that occurred shook my confidence in him, Vincent.The accounts were not at all satisfactory, and it happened quite accidentally that when I was talking one day with Mr.

Robertson, who, as you know, is a great speculator in tobacco, Isaid that I should grow no more tobacco, as it really fetched nothing.He replied that it would be a pity to give it up, for so little was now cultivated that the price was rising, and the Orangery tobacco always fetched top prices.'I think the price Ipaid for your crop this year must at any rate have paid for the labor that is to say, paid for the keep of the slaves and something over.'

He then mentioned the price he had given, which was certainly a good deal higher than I had imagined.I looked to my accounts next morning, and found that Pearson had only credited me with one-third of the amount he must have received, so I at once dismissed him.Indeed, I had been thinking of doing so some little time before, for money is so scarce and the price of produce so low that I felt I could not afford to pay as much as I have been giving him.""I am afraid I have been drawing rather heavily, mother," Vincent put in.

"I have plenty of money, Vincent.Since your father's death we have had much less company than before, and I have not spent my income.Besides, I have a considerable sum invested in house property and other securities.But I have, of course, since the war began been subscribing toward the expenses of the war - for the support of hospitals and so on.I thought at a time like this I ought to keep my expenses down at the lowest point, and to give the balance of my income to the State.""How did Jonas take his dismissal, mother?""Not very pleasantly," Mrs.Wingfield replied; "especially when Itold him that I had discovered he was robbing me.However, he knew better than to say much, for he has not been in good odor about here for some time.After the fighting near here there were reports that he had been in communication with the Yankees.He spoke to me about it at the time, but as it was a mere matter of rumor, originating, no doubt, from the fact that he was a Northern man by birth, I paid no attention to them.""It is likely enough to be true," Vincent said."I always distrusted the vehemence with which he took the Confederate side.How long ago did this happen?""It is about a month since I dismissed him.""So lately as that! Then I should not be at all surprised if he had some hand in carrying off Dinah.I know he was in communication with Jackson, for I once saw them together in the street, and I fancied at the time that it was through him that Jackson learned that Dinah was here.It is an additional clew to inquire into, anyhow.Do you know what has become of him since he left you?""No; I have heard nothing at all about him, Vincent, from the day Igave him a check for his pay in this room.Farrell, who was under him, is now in charge of the Orangery.He may possibly know something of his movements.""I think Farrell is an honest fellow," Vincent said "He was always about doing his work quietly never bullying or shouting at the hands, and yet seeing that they did their work properly.I will ride out and see him at once."As soon as breakfast was over Vincent started, and found Farrell in the fields with the hands.

"I am glad to see you back, sir," the man said heartily.

"Thank you, Farrell.I am glad to be back, and I am glad to find you in Pearson's place.I never liked the fellow, and never trusted him.""I did not like him myself, sir, though we always got on well enough together.He knew his work, and got as much out of the hands as any one could do; but I did not like his way with them.

They hated him."

"Have you any idea where he went when he left here?""No, sir; he did not come back after he got his dismissal.He sent a man in a buggy with a note to me, asking me to send all his things over to Richmond.I expect he was afraid the news might get here as soon as he did, and that the hands would give him an unpleasant reception, as indeed I expect they would have done.""You don't know whether he has any friends anywhere in the Confederacy to whom he would be likely to go?""I don't know about friends, sir; but I know he has told me he was overseer, or partner, or something of that sort, in a small station down in the swamps of South Carolina.I should think, from things he has let drop, that the slaves must have had a bad time of it.I rather fancy he made the place too hot for him, and had to leave; but that was only my impression.""In that case he may possibly have made his way back there,"Vincent said."I have particular reasons for wishing to find out.

You don't know anything about the name of the place?" The man shook his head.

"He never mentioned the name in my hearing.""Well, I must try to find out, but I don't quite see how to set about it," Vincent said."By the way, do you know where his clothes were sent to?""Yes; the man said that he was to take them to Harker's Hotel.It's a second-rate hotel not far from the railway station.""Thank you.That will help me.I know the house.It was formerly used by Northern drummers and people of that sort."After riding back to Richmond and putting up his horse, Vincent went to the hotel there.Although but a secondary hotel it was well filled, for people from all parts of the Confederacy resorted to Richmond, aud however much trade suffered, the hotels of the town did a good business.He first went up to the clerk in a little office at the entrance.

"You had a man named Pearson," he said, "staying here about a month ago.Will you be good enough to tell me on what day he left?"The clerk turned to the register, and said after a minute 's examination:

"He came on the 14th of November, and he left on the 20th."This was two days after the date on which Dinah had been carried off.