"Pay more!" replied Middleton. "Don't be a fool! Why, here's this infernal
old shell of a house wants filling up, and thar's heaps of horses and
niggers lounging round with nothing to do; then I've plenty of potatoes,
bacon and corn meal--and such fare as we have you're welcome to, without a
dollar and a half, or even a cent and a half."
Mr. Wilmot remonstrated at receiving so much at Mr. Middleton's hands, but
that good man put an end to all further argument by saying, "Do let me act
as I like. You see, I've taken a liking to you, and because I see you
trying to help yourself, I am willing to try and help you. They say, or
Tempest says they say, I'm a rough old bear, and maybe I am; but I'm not
all bad; it's a streak o' fat and a streak o' lean; and if I want to do
you a kindness, pray let me."
So it was settled that Mr. Wilmot should remain in Mr. Middleton's family
during the winter. To Julia this arrangement gave secret satisfaction. She
had from the first liked Mr. Wilmot, and the idea of having him near her
all the time was perfectly delightful. She resolved to gain his good
opinion, cost what it would. To do this, she knew she must appear to be
amiable, and that she determined to do--before him at least. She had also
seen enough of him to know that he set a great value upon talent, and she
resolved to surprise him with her superior scholarship and ability to
learn. She, however, felt some misgivings lest Fanny should rival her in
his esteem; but she hoped by negro bribery and various little artifices to
deter him from thinking too highly of her sister.
The following Monday, Mr. Wilmot repaired to his schoolroom, where he
found assembled all his pupils. It was comparatively easy to arrange them
into classes and ere the close of the day the school was pretty generally
organized. Weeks passed on and each day the "Yankee schoolmaster" gained
in the love of his scholars, and one of them, at least, gained in the
affections of the teacher. Julia had adhered to her resolution of
appearing amiable and of surprising Mr. Wilmot with her wonderful powers
of learning. This last she did to perfection. No lesson was so long but it
was readily learned and its substance admirably told in words of her own.
She preferred reciting alone and she so far outstripped the others in the
length of her lessons, it seemed necessary that she should do so. Mr.
Wilmot often wondered at her marvelous capacity for learning so much in so
short a space of time, for she never took home her books at night, and she
said she had plenty of time for her lessons during school hours.