“Were they kind to their slaves?”
“Oh, yaas, yaas, ma’am, dey was careful of de’re niggers and wouldn’t let de drivers whip ’em much.”
“And these Cresswells today?”
‚ÄúOh, dey‚Äôre quality‚ÅÝ‚Äîhigh-blooded folks‚ÅÝ‚Äîdey‚Äôse lost some land and niggers, but, lordy, nuttin‚Äô can buy de Cresswells, dey naturally owns de world.‚Äù
“Are they honest and kind?”
‚ÄúOh, yaas, ma‚Äôam‚ÅÝ‚Äîdey‚Äôse good white folks.‚Äù
“Good white folk?”
‚ÄúOh, yaas, ma‚Äôam‚ÅÝ‚Äîcourse you knows white folks will be white folks‚ÅÝ‚Äîwhite folks will be white folks. Your servant, ma‚Äôam.‚Äù And the swamp swallowed him.
The boy’s eyes followed him as he whipped up the horse.
“He’s going to Elspeth’s,” he said.
“Who is he?”
‚ÄúWe just call him Old Pappy‚ÅÝ‚Äîhe‚Äôs a preacher, and some folks say a conjure man, too.‚Äù
“And who is Elspeth?”
‚ÄúShe lives in the swamp‚ÅÝ‚Äîshe‚Äôs a kind of witch, I reckon, like‚ÅÝ‚Äîlike‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù
“Like Medea?”