In the midst of their confusion Dr. Lacey entered, and they immediately
gave up to him the task of restoring her. This he soon did, for it would
seem that his very voice had a power to recall Fanny's suspended
faculties. Slowly her eyes unclosed; then, as if wearied out, she again
closed them, and for a time slept sweetly, calmly, on Dr. Lacey's bosom.
The guests now began to depart, and Bill Jeffrey, who had been sent to
inform Mrs. Dunn of her son, returned with some of the neighbors, and
carried Joseph away. Owing to the darkness of the night, the company from
Frankfort remained until morning, but no eyelid closed in sleep. With
maternal solicitude, Mrs. Middleton sat by the bedside of her daughter
Julia, whose eyes opened once, but on seeing Dr. Lacey standing near by,
she closed them again with a shudder, and a faint wail of anguish escaped
her. She had ruptured a small blood vessel, but Dr. Gordon said there was
no danger if she could be kept quiet for a few days.
Uncle Joshua thus relieved from alarm concerning her, walked back and
forth from her room to Fanny's swearing that he "knew the devil was let
loose that night for his special benefit, and that he had come up there to
see how much of a row he could get up!"
"He succeeded admirably, I think," said Florence, who, having recovered
from her first fright, was now ready to extract whatever fun could be
gathered from the surrounding circumstances.
In the kitchen the blacks canvassed the matter after their fashion. Aunt
Judy lamented because none of the tempting supper in the dining room was
touched, while Bob did not fail to turn his usual round of somersaults,
thus evincing his joy that so many good things were left for him to eat,
"'Cause," said he, "in course we allus has all that comes off the table."
Aunt Katy took occasion to lecture the young black girls on the awful sin
of "conceit," as she called it, pointing them for an example to Julia,
"who," she said, "would most likely have to live an old maid all her
days." She couldn't have threatened a worse punishment, for many of the
negresses had already their own preferences in favor of certain mulatto
boys on their master's plantation and others adjoining.
Rondeau seemed to think his sympathy was only needed by his young master,
whom he looked upon as a much-abused man. From the first he had felt great
contempt for the old house, its master, servants and all; and had come to
the conclusion that "they were of no 'count anyhow." This opinion would
doubtless have been reserved for Leffie's ear had not affairs taken so
unexpected a turn. Now, however, Rondeau felt at liberty to express his
mind so freely that Ike considered it his duty to resent the insult.