Mam' Lyddy had been in the French family all her life, as her mother and grandmother had been before her. She had rocked on her ample bosom5 the best part of three generations. And when Freedom came, however much she may have appreciated being free, she had much too high an estimate of the standing6 of the Frenches to descend7 to the level of the class she had always contemned8 as “free niggers.” She was a deep-dyed aristocrat9.
The Frenches were generally esteemed10 to be among the oldest and best families in the county, and the Chateau plantation11, with its wide fields and fine old mansion12, was commonly reckoned one of the finest in that section. But no such comparative statement would have satisfied Mam' Lyddy. She firmly believed that the Frenches were the greatest people in the world, and it would have added nothing to her dignity had they been princes, because it could have added nothing to it to be told that she was a member of a royal house. Part mentor13, part dependent, part domestic, she knew her position, and within her province her place was as unquestioned as was that of her mistress, and her advice was as carefully considered.
Caesar, her husband, a tall, ebony lath, with a bald head and meek14 eyes, had come out of another family and was treated with condescension15. No one knew how often he was reminded of his lower estate; but it was often enough, for he was always in a somewhat humble16 and apologetic attitude.
The Frenches were known as a “likely” family, but Betty, with her oval face, soft eyes, and skin like a magnolia flower, was so undeniably the beauty that she was called “Pretty Betty.” She was equally undeniably the belle17. And while the old woman, who idolized her, found far more pleasure than even her mother in her belleship, she was as watchful18 over her as Argus. Every young man of the many who haunted the old French mansion among its oaks and maples19 had to meet the scrutiny20 of those sharp, tack-like eyes. The least slip that one made was enough to prove his downfall. The old woman sifted21 them as surely as she sifted her meal, and branded them with an infallible instinct akin22 to that of a keen watchdog. Many a young man who passed that silent figure without a greeting, or spoke23 lightly of some one, unheeding her presence, wondered at his want of success and felt without knowing why that he was pulling against an unseen current.
“We must drop him—he ain't a gent'man,” she said of one. Of another: “Oh! Oh! honey, he won't do. He ain't our kind.” Or, “Betty, let him go, my Lamb. De Frenches don't pick up dat kine o' stick.”
Happily for Cabell Graeme, he had the old woman's approval. In the first place, he was related to the Frenches, and this in her eyes was a patent of gentility. Then, he had always been kind to little Betty and particularly civil to herself. He not only never omitted to ask after her health, but also inquired as to her pet ailments24 of “misery in her foot” and “whirlin' in her head,” with an interest which flattered her deeply. But it went further back than that Once, when Betty was a little girl, Cabell, then a well-grown boy of twelve, had found her and her mammy on the wrong side of a muddy road, and wading25 through, he had carried Betty across, and then wading back, had offered to carry Mam' Lyddy over, too.
“Go way f'om heah, boy, you can't carry me.”
“Yes, I can, Mam' Lyddy. You don't know how strong I am.” He squared himself for the feat3.
She laughed at him, and with a flash in his gray eyes he suddenly grabbed her.
“I 'll show you.”
There was quite a scuffle. She was too heavy for him, but he won her friendship then and there, and as he grew up straight and sturdy, the friendship ripened26. That he teased her and laughed at her did not in the least offend her. No one else could have taken such a liberty with her, but Cabell's references to old Caesar's declining health, and his innuendoes27 whenever she was “fixed up” that she was “looking around” in advance only amused her. It made no difference to her that he was poor, while several others of Betty's beaux were rich. He was “a gent'man,” and she was an aristocrat.
At times they had pitched battles, but each knew that the other was an ally.
Cabell won his final victory by an audacity28 which few would have dared venture on. Among his rivals was one Mr. Hereford, whom he particularly disliked, partly because he frequently “outsat” him, and partly because he thought Miss Betty favored his attentions too much, and whom Mammy Lyddy detested29 because he always ignored her. Cabell charged her with deserting his cause and going over to the side of Mr. Hereford, and threatened to carry off the prize in spite of her and her ally.
“You cyant cyah off nothin',” she said with a sniff30 of mock disdain31. His eyes snapped. Without a word he seized her, and notwithstanding her resistance he lifted her, and flinging her over his shoulder, as if she had been a sack of corn, stalked up the steps and into the house, where he set her down abashed32 and vanquished33 before her astonished young mistress. The old woman pretended to be furious, but that day Cabell Graeme carried off more than Mam' Lyddy.
When Cabel and pretty Betty were married, Mam' Lyddy threw in her lot with “her lamb.”
Through all the evil days of carpet-bag rule, no white, not even Cabell Graeme himself, who was a leader of the young men, had looked with more burning contempt on the new-comers, or shown a sterner front to the miscreants34 who despoiled35 the country. And when Negro rule was at its worst, Mam' Lyddy was its most bitter reviler36. Cabell Graeme was a captain among the young men who finally put down the evil element that had been running its riotous37 course. And during the fierce fight that was waged, he was much away from home; but he knew that in Mam' Lyddy he had left as redoubtable38 a guardian39 of his wife and babies as ever kept watch on a picket40 line.
Among the most obnoxious41 of the colored leaders was one Amos Brown, a young negro with some education, who to the gift of fluency42 added enough shrewdness to become a leader. He was while in power one of the most dangerous men in the State, and so long as he had backing enough, he staggered at nothing to keep the negroes stirred up. One of his schemes was to get money from the negroes with which to pay, as he claimed, ten per cent, for the best plantations43 in the State, after which, according to his account, the Government was to give them the places. This scheme worked well enough till the day of reckoning came, but happily it came. Among those who were duped was old Caesar, who, unknown to Mam' Lyddy, invested all his little savings44 in Amos Brown's homestead-plan and was robbed. Partly in terror of Mam' Lyddy and partly in hopes of saving his money, the old man made a full disclosure of the scheme, and with the proof he furnished, Cabell Graeme and others succeeded in sending the statesman to the penitentiary45.
What Caesar possibly had to endure from Mam' Lyddy, only those could imagine who knew her blistering46 tongue. From that time she took herself not only everything that she made, but every cent that old Caesar made.
“You keep 'dis for me, Marse Cab. I 'm never goin' to trust dat Caesar wid a cent long as I live. A nigger ain't got a bit o' sense about money.”
But though Caesar would gladly have paid all he made to purchase immunity47 from her revilings, it is probable that he heard of his error at least three times a day during the rest of his natural life.
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1
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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2
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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3
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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4
harp
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| n.竖琴；天琴座 | |
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5
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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6
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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7
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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8
contemned
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| v.侮辱，蔑视( contemn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
aristocrat
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| n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物 | |
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10
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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11
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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12
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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13
mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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14
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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15
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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16
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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17
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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19
maples
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| 槭树，枫树( maple的名词复数 )； 槭木 | |
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20
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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21
sifted
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| v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审 | |
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22
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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23
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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24
ailments
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| 疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 ) | |
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25
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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26
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
innuendoes
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| n.影射的话( innuendo的名词复数 )；讽刺的话；含沙射影；暗讽 | |
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28
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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29
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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31
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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32
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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34
miscreants
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| n.恶棍，歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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35
despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
reviler
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| n.谩骂者；辱骂者，谩骂者 | |
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37
riotous
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| adj.骚乱的；狂欢的 | |
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38
redoubtable
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| adj.可敬的；可怕的 | |
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39
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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40
picket
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| n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫 | |
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41
obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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42
fluency
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| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
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43
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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44
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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45
penitentiary
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| n.感化院；监狱 | |
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46
blistering
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| adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡 | |
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47
immunity
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| n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权 | |
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