Fauntâs the best of us, he and Cinda.â
âAnd I know Mr. Streean,â she reminded him, and smiled at the memory. âHe brought you and that handsome son of his to call on me once; remember? You were horribly embarrassed.â
âDamned awkward business. He asked if I knew you, and Iâd have denied it; but I couldnât well say I didnât know my own brotherâs mother-in-law. So I said I hadnât known you were in Richmond.â
âThus damning me, once and for all.â
âWhy?â He looked at her in dull interest.
âBut obviously, if your family and your brotherâs wifeâs mother werenât on terms! Donât be an innocent, my dear!â She added: âDarrell Streean has been a devoted caller ever since. Of course he saw the truth about you and me at once, and I suppose that made him think me fair game.â
âInsulting young blackguard!â
âOh, no woman in her forties is ever insulted by the flattery of a dashing youngster in his teensâno matter how frankly dishonorable his intentions.â
âDarrell was at Merrihayâs tonight,â he commented. âTried to borrow from me. He takes after his father. Worthless rascal.â
âYou dislike Mr. Streean?â He made a scornful sound and she said provokingly: âHe calls quite often. He was here only a week ago, with three other gentlemen, discussing their eternal politics, growing noisy over their own opinionsâand my brandy.â
âStreeanâs a scoundrelâbut he lacks courage to follow his bent.â Tony laughed shortly. âYou know, it was I who introduced him to Tilda, but it never occurred to me sheâd marry him! Sheâs had time to be sorry.â
She said in a light amusement: âHe and the gentlemen he brings hereâwell, I always air the curtains after theyâve gone.â
He stared at the flames. Outside the quiet room a belated horseman passed at a foot pace along the dusty road. The thudding hoof beats were louder as he drew near, softer as he departed. The fire crackled, and Tony rose to step upon a spark. He filled his glass, ate a pecan meat, sat down again.
âFunny that you and Iâve got along all these years, Nell,â he reflected. âMost people soon get their fill of me. Dislike me. Specially men.â She wondered what had produced this mood in him. âAlways been that way,â he insisted, as though she had denied it; and he went on: âI was a spoiled young one, the first baby. After me there were two who died; and that made Papa and Mama the more tender with me. Then when I was eight Trav was born. He took some of their attention away from me, so I hated him. I remember once Mama hushed me for fear Iâd wake him from his nap, and I went out and cut a hickory switch and whipped one of the nigger boys till his yells woke Trav. Old Mammy May thought it was pretty cute of me to be
so jealous of my baby brother. Iâm afraid Mama agreed with her.â He said in heavy wonder at the flight of time: âThat was over forty years ago.â
She thought, listening to his maundering: Why, heâs an old man! And Iâve had ten, yes eleven years of him! And Heavens, Iâm forty-seven myself!
âYes, I was a despisable young one.â She saw that he took a perverted pleasure in the fact. âAfter Trav, there was Cinda, and Tilda, and Faunt. I was crowded more and more into the background, so I raised Cain. I used to carry a riding crop and slash at every nigger who crossed my path. They laughed and dodged my blows and kept out of my way. Except the wenches. They didnât avoid me. I suppose my attentions flattered them.â
If talk was all he wanted, let him talk! He went on with a sour relish.
âOh, I was a hellion! I took up with the son of the overseer on the next place. We used to steal whiskey from the sideboard. Papa and old Mose kept it