Come! they have the easiest
chairs yonder, and are the soul of hospitality!"
The offer was tempting. Why not accept it? My hesitation lasted exactly
three seconds.
At the end of that time, I was riding beside Mohun in the direction of
Five Forks, which we reached just as I terminated my account of myself
since Mohun and I had parted in the Wilderness.
XVI.
"FIVE FORKS."
"Five Forks" was an old mansion not far from the place of the same
name, now become historical. It was a building of large size; the
grounds were extensive, and had been elegant; the house had evidently
been the home of a long line of gentlemen, whose portraits, flanked by
those of their fair helpmates, adorned the walls of the great
drawing-room, between the lofty windows. In the hall stood a tall
bookcase, filled with law books, and volumes of miscellany. From the
woodwork hung pictures of racehorses, and old engravings. Such was the
establishment which the Federal cavalry had visited, leaving, as
always, their traces, in broken furniture, smashed crockery, and
trampled grounds.
I shall not pause to describe my brief visit to this hospitable house.
The young ladies had returned from Richmond some time before, escorted
by the gray-haired Juba, that faithful old African retainer; and, as a
result of the evenings which I had spent with them and their father, I
had the honor to be received in the character of an old friend.
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