She was remembering Bruce Carrington, who had not kept his distance.
"Please, Charley," she said half angrily, "I do like you tremendously, but I simply can't bear you when you act like this--let me go!" "Betty, I despair of you ever caring for me!" and as Norton turned abruptly away he saw Tom Ware appear from about a corner of the house.
"Oh, hang it, there's Tom!" "You are very nice, anyway, Charley--" said Betty hurriedly, fortified by the planter's approach.
Ware stalked toward them.

Having dined with Betty as recently as the day before, he contented himself with a nod in her direction.

His greeting to Norton was a more ambitious undertaking; he said he was pleased to see him; but in so far as facial expression might have indorsed the statement this pleasure was well disguised, it did not get into his features.

Pausing on the terrace beside them, he indulged in certain observations on the state of the crops and the weather.
"You've lost a couple of niggers, I hear ?" he added with an oblique glance.
"Yes," said Norton.
"Got on the track of them yet ?" Norton shook his head.

"I understand you've a new overseer ?" continued Ware, with another oblique glance.
"Then you understand wrong--Carrington's my guest," said Norton.