Still less was she prepared for that kind of antagonism. In
keeping up her preconcerted attitude towards the "Northern hireling,"
she had been met with official brusqueness, contemptuous silence, or
aggrieved indignation,--but nothing so exasperating as this. She even
fancied that this elegant but sardonic-looking soldier was mocking her.
She bit her red lip, but, with a scornful gesture of her riding-whip,
said,--
"I reckon that your knowledge of Southern ladies is, for certain
reasons, not very extensive."
"Pardon me; I have had the honor of marrying one."
Apparently more exasperated than before, she turned upon him abruptly.
"You say my pass is all right. Then I presume I may attend to the
business that brought me here."
"Certainly; but you will forgive me if I imagined that an expression of
contempt for your hosts was a part of it."
He rang a bell on the table. It was responded to by an orderly.
"Send all the household servants here."
The room was presently filled with the dusky faces of the negro
retainers. Here and there was the gleaming of white teeth, but a
majority of the assembly wore the true negro serious acceptance of the
importance of "an occasion." One or two even affected an official and
soldierly bearing.
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