"No; at least not directly. Beaucaire is not a man to approach easily.
He is excessively proud, and possesses a fiery temper. Once, Haines
told me, he ventured a hint, but was rebuffed so fiercely as never to
make a second attempt. It was his opinion the Judge actually hated the
sight of his son's child, and only harbored her in the house because he
was compelled to do so. All Haines really knew about these conditions
had been told him secretly by an old negro slave, probably the only one
left on the estate knowing the facts."

"But, Captain," I exclaimed, "do you realize what this might mean? If
Judge Beaucaire has not issued papers of freedom, this woman Delia is
still a slave."

"Certainly."

"And under the law her child was born into slavery?"

"No doubt of that."

"But the unspeakable horror of it--this young woman brought up as free,
educated and refined, suddenly to discover herself to be a negro under
the law, and a slave. Why, suppose Beaucaire should die, or lose his
property suddenly, she could be sold to the cotton fields, into bondage
to anyone who would pay the price for her."

Thockmorton knocked the ashes out of his pipe.

"Of course," he admitted slowly. "There is no question as to the law,
but I have little doubt but what Beaucaire has attended to this matter