The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-01-05
WASHINGTON d. C.
For the National Era
A PALACE IN GENOA,
BY EDWARD SPENCER
BY EDWARD SPENCER.
X-Concluded.

X-Coneluded.
"Miss Helen" said ne, does you know ]
think this here P'lazos got Jest about its right
name? P'lazo Cheeco-dat means, dey tel
me, de gloomy, hidden pallis. Now you're
been here not quite two weeks. an I'll clar,
can see de marks o de shadder on yer face, di,
soon. Wish to God de marster'd got pallis
wild some other name! OATS wat do. You
kin see de shadder on my face, too, only cts SC
everlastin' black, de two colors kinder runs into
one anoder, like
"What do you mean by the shadow, George p
asked the young lady, kindly. She knew yer,
well his meaning, in all its subteties and re
fined truths, but she wished to draw him out
for the sake of information upon the subiec
nearest her heart.
"Well, ma'am, l can't rightly explain, in
deed. l know de marster come here kinder
under shadder, but ct seems to me as eff d,
shadder, instead O. gittin' lighter, as it hac
oughter do, gifts darker, and blacker, and lowel
down, every day. l thought, when de marstel
come here, ct would all be right agin, dar be
ing so much sunshine hereabouts. But ct didn't
Den, thinks SEE /, et'll be all right when de
mistis comes-dat's what he's a waitin' for
But, bless de Lord, ma'am, when de mistis
come, she brung her own shadder long wild her
too, an her comm didn't do q morsel O. good
S'elp me God, you could knockt me down
den wild broom straw But, byme by, SEE
TO myself, George, yer fool-you wait tell de
young marster an mistis comes-deH bring de
right kind O. sunshine wild EN- Well, den you
come -
"Well, George, and the shadow is not vet
dispelled 2" inquired Helen, with grave, blu;
encouraging smile.
"Dar ct is? But, mind now, Miss Helen, !
doesn't blame you. You're done all you could.
under the succumstenses, and so is Mr.. Rupert,
only he gifts outer patience leete bit too soon,
maybe-but OATS becase he don't know. Well,
ma am, as / was gwine on for to say, SEEM dat
de shadder can't be driven off, no how, / begins
10 thinks cts part o de property ov dis cussed
pallis to breed shadders. Dat de name ov it,
an dat ole Razeo tells all sorts o. stories bout
de ghostesses in de upper rooms-de place
whar de ole man stobbed his da'ter, an de room
whar de woman hove her husband outen de
winder, an de passage whar de good-lookin'
young man was shot, what come to see de
gen'rum's wife-all dem things happened long
time ago, to be shore, but kinder think cts
some o dem ghosts what makes desc here black
shadders now"
"Oh, no, George" answered Miss Beale,
gently; whatever shadows darken over and
Cypress US, we owe to ourselves, or to the cir
cumstances by which we are surrounded"
"But you never did nofn' wrong, Miss
Helen," said George, hastily, and Immediately
wishing that he could bite his tongue off for
such an illadvised speech.
Helen started, turned slightly pale, and
seemed about to say something. But she re-
pressed the thought that was at her tongue s
end, while dismal sense of sinking and dread
painted about her heart. George" said she,
after pause, "you came over with my father
from New York, did you mott"
"Yes'm,' responded the worthy darkey,
quaking in his boots.-
My father trusts you much-you must have
enjoyed his confidence to great extent. / am
sure you are his friend. am sure you know that
he is killing himself with some troublesome
hidden grief, or the dread of some calamity. l
am sure, also, that you know / can be trusted,
what is the matter with him ?"
Trouble, Observation-Disclosures what's a
KILN of him."
"But what causes this terrible trouble?"
George shook his head.
Will you not tell me, George?"
Young mistis," answered George, with in
finite compassion in his tones, but with grave
soemnity that could not fail to impress her ;
young mistis, don't you ask me, don't ask
marster, don't ask yer mother, don't try to find
out! More'n dat: when you say yer prayers at
night, young mistis, alters ask de good Lord to
keep you from KNOWN anything about ct. It's
all gone by now, an it won't happen agin,
an all you an me is got to do is, to try for to
bring him outen his trouble. Once you do dat,
an he'll be de man he was agin, an den you'll
have to bless God for what you'se DONE"
Helen was very pale, but she faced the stroke
very bravely. Turning her head a moment,
she looked at him again, almost instantly, and
asked:
"But, how am to do that, my good George,
unless know the source of his Fiction Tell
me one thing-only satisfy my fears upon one
point, George, and l viii not press you further,
for feel that you are right in keeping secret
that which cannot be remedied-that which
perhaps might-But, oh, George, do tell me,
has my father, at any time, been subject to fits
Of insanity-has he ever lost his mind ?"
I" No, ma'am, not that knows of-never. l
telled that air Frenchwoman so, but ct was on y
to keep her mouth shet."
"Oh, thank God for that !" cried Helen,
clasping her hands with an intense feeling of
relief II so much feared that was the cause
of his afliction-the secret malady which was
wearing out his soul" =.
"No, ma'am-but," said George, with pain
ful expression of countenance, and whispering,
almost, " but that air is jest what it's comm to,
less you an me can bring him round fore
long"
"Oh, George, pray, pray advise me what to
dol" cried Helen, most piteously and wringing
her hands. " am inexperienced, helpless,
myself, but l trust to you to direct me. You
know him-you can guide mel will do any
thing-anything!"
" knows dat, young mistis, fore you say
SO" answered George, but you mustn't agger
vate yourself You mus keep cool. OATS de
Now, put on yer shawl, Miss Helen, an come
wild me. You don't know all what's goin' on
IN dis pallis oh de shadders, an de fust thing
is, to pint 'em ont to you. Come wild me-"
Helen followed him, wondering. AS they
went along the corridor, and past the apart
ments appropriated to her father, George point
ed towards them with his thumb, and said:
81 s'pose you think marster's in dar, don't
you? Yes, l see you do, by de way you walk.
If he acds in dar, you needn be afeard of him,
miss. He's sight more afeard o. you, den
you is o. him; and you mus teach him not to
be afeard ov you, but to love you, an come to
you when he feels bad. But he amt in dar,
an never is, skeercely; you come wild me, an
III show you whar he is"
He led the way along the corridor, down the
Al Al
flicker of lrht from the lamn that hnrned u;th