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Chapter 3

           TheylentGeraldthemoneyand,intheyearsthatfollowed,themoneycamebacktothemwithinterest.Graduallytheplantationwidenedout,asGeraldboughtmoreacreslyingnearhim,andintimethewhitehousebecamearealityinsteadofadream.

           Itwasbuiltbyslavelabor,aclumsysprawlingbuildingthatcrownedtheriseofgroundoverlookingthegreeninclineofpasturelandrunningdowntotheriver;anditpleasedGeraldgreatly,for,evenwhennew,itworealookofmellowedyears.Theoldoaks,whichhadseenIndianspassundertheirlimbs,huggedthehousecloselywiththeirgreattrunksandtoweredtheirbranchesovertheroofindenseshade.Thelawn,reclaimedfromweeds,grewthickwithcloverandBermudagrass,andGeraldsawtoitthatitwaswellkept.Fromtheavenueofcedarstotherowofwhitecabinsintheslavequarters,therewasanairofsolidness,ofstabilityandpermanenceaboutTara,andwheneverGeraldgallopedaroundthebendintheroadandsawhisownroofrisingthroughgreenbranches,hisheartswelledwithprideasthougheachsightofitwerethefirstsight.

           Hehaddoneitall,little,hard-headed,blusteringGerald.

           GeraldwasonexcellenttermswithallhisneighborsintheCounty,excepttheMacIntosheswhoselandadjoinedhisontheleftandtheSlatteryswhosemeagerthreeacresstretchedonhisrightalongtheswampbottomsbetweentheriverandJohnWilkes’plantation.

           TheMacIntosheswereScotch–IrishandOrangemenand,hadtheypossessedallthesaintlyqualitiesoftheCatholiccalendar,thisancestrywouldhavedamnedthemforeverinGerald’seyes.True,theyhadlivedinGeorgiaforseventyyearsand,beforethat,hadspentagenerationintheCarolinas;butthefirstofthefamilywhosetfootonAmericanshoreshadcomefromUlster,andthatwasenoughforGerald.

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