"He's talking of putting in a crop for himself next season, so he's willing to help me make mine." Betty turned quickly at the mention of Carrington's name.

She had known that he was still at Thicket Point, and having heard him spoken of as Norton's new overseer, had meant to ask Charley if he were really filling that position.

An undefined sense of relief came to her with Norton's reply to Tom's question.
"Going to turn farmer, is he ?" asked Ware.
"So he says." Feeling that the only subjects in which he had ever known Ware to take the slightest interest, namely, crops and slaves, were exhausted, Norton was extremely disappointed when the planter manifested a disposition to play the host and returned to the house with them, where his mere presence, forbidding and sullen, was such a hardship that Norton shortly took his leave.
"Well, hang Tom!" he said, as he rode away from Belle Plain.

"If he thinks he can freeze me out there's a long siege ahead of him!" Issuing from the lane he turned his face in the direction of home, but he did not urge his horse off a walk.

To leave Belle Plain and Betty demanded always his utmost resolution.