While Ben is jabbering away, Charles thinks of how he treats the Negro workers on his plantation. During his early childhood, Charles observed his father's supervision of the workers in their farming (vineyards) operation in France.

Charles recalls his father saying, "All moral people deserve to be treated with respect. The color of their skin and their choice of religious beliefs don't matter. A person is entitled to fair wage for a good days work. But if a person is lazy and doesn't do his job, or causes trouble, then run him off and find another person who will work and earn his pay."

Charles believes as his father had taught him. He treats his workers fair and with respect by applying these same principles in his farming operation.

Now, Charles has fifty workers on his payroll and both the Negro and the White workers are treated the same. He furnishes them with a place to live, three meals a day and a small monthly wage. For this reason, Charles experiences much less chaos and hostility arising from his workers than he hears is occurring among the workers on the plantations owned by the men in Ben's Brotherhood.

"Hey, Charles, I'm a talkin to yuh," Ben says, taking a tobacco pouch from his vest pocket and slowly pouring a portion of its contents into a brown paper between his fingers. Then raising his voice, he asks, "Why did'unt yuh'all take the hound dogs and go after the nigger dat's run off?"

"Because I just told you they are free to choose who they work for. Besides, even if they were still slaves I don't have the time nor enough workers or dogs to run after um, Ben."

Ben rolls the paper around the tobacco with his fingers and licks the edge to seal the closing. he put it in his mouth and strikes a match on the post where the horses are tied and lights his cigarette. He then takes his hat off and wipes his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt saying, "Yuh should have called on me and Brotherhood, we'd of help yuh."

At that point, Ben flashes a crooked smile at Charles and continues talking. "Yuh jist don't have the right attitude, Charles. Now if'un I did'unt know better, Charles, I might think yuh were one of them nigger lovers, yuh ain't are yuh Charles?"

"What do you mean?", Charles questions and went on talking without waiting for an answer. "This is 1871, Ben and the War is over. You can't buy and treat these coloreds like you did before the War. Why can't you understand that. They now have the right to choose who they want to work for and where they want to live. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't want any trouble with the Feds. If one of them just walks off without a word to anyone, I go find another worker".

As Ben continues to rant on, Charles let his mind focus on how defensive and apologetic he becomes every time Ben questions him on joining up with the Brotherhood. Charles thinks, to himself, "I don't want anything to do with Ben and his 'Knights of the White Kamillia', and their vicious bloody attacks on harmless coloreds and the white folks who support their freedom. But if I tell him just how much I loathe the thought of joining his Brotherhood, as he calls it, it might stir his anger. And, everybody in Baton Rouge knows Ben almost beat a man to death for talking against the Brotherhood".

In light of this, Charles does not want a physical confrontation with Ben. More than that, he fears for his family and the Negroes who work for him.

Shifting back to the conversation, Charles focuses on what Ben is saying.