Quentin did not answer; evidently Shreve did not want an answer now; he continued almost without a pause: 'Which is all right, it's fine; it clears the whole ledger, you can tear all the pages out and burn them, except for one thing.
And do you know what that is?"
Perhaps he hoped for an answer this time, or perhaps he merely paused for emphasis, since he got no answer.
'You've got one nigger left.
One nigger Sutpen left.
Of course you can't catch him and you don't even always see him and you never will be able to use him.
But you've got him there still.
You still hear him at night sometimes.
Don't you?"
'Yes,' Quentin said.
'And so do you know what I think?"
Now he did expect an answer, and now he got one:
'No,' Quentin said.
'Do you want to know what I think?"
'No,' Quentin said.
'Then I'll tell you.
I think that in time the Jim Bonds are going to conquer the western hemisphere.
Of course it won't quite be in our time and of course as they spread toward the poles they will bleach out again like the rabbits and the birds do, so they won't show up so sharp against the snow.
But it will still be Jim Bond; and so in a few thousand years, I who regard you will also have sprung from the loins of African kings.
Now I want you to tell me just one thing more.
Why do you hate the South?"
'I don't hate it,' Quentin said, quickly, at once, immediately;
'I don't hate it,' he said.
I don't hate it he thought, panting in the cold air, the iron New England dark; I don't. I don't! I don't hate it! I don't hate it!
CHRONOLOGY
1807 Thomas Sutpen born in West Virginia mountains. Poor whites of Scottish-English stock. Large family.
1817 Sutpen family moved down into Tidewater Virginia, Sutpen ten years old.
Ellen Coldfield born in Tennessee. 1820 Sutpen ran away from home. Fourteen years old.
1827 Sutpen married first wife in Haiti.
1828 Goodhue Coldfield moved to Yoknapatawpha County (Jefferson) Mississippi: mother, sister, wife and daughter Ellen.
1831 Charles Bon born, Haiti. Sutpen learns his wife has negro blood, repudiates her and child.
1833 Sutpen appears in Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, takes up land, build his house.
1834 Clytemnestra (Clytie) born to slave woman.
1838 Sutpen married Ellen Coldfield.
1839 Henry Sutpen born, Sutpen's Hundred.
1841 Judith Sutpen born.
1845 Rosa Coldfield born.
1850 Wash Jones moves into abandoned fishing camp on Sutpen's plantation, with his daughter.
1853 Milly Jones born to Wash Jones' daughter.
1859 Henry Sutpen and Charles Bon meet at University of Mississippi. Judith and Charles meet that Xmas.
Charles Etienne St. Valery Bon born, New Orleans.
1860 Xmas, Sutpen forbids marriage between Judith and Bon.
Henry repudiates his birthright, departs with Bon.
1861 Sutpen, Henry, and Bon depart for war.
1863 Ellen Coldfield dies.
1864 Goodhue Coldfield dies.
1865 Henry kills Bon at gates.
Rosa Coldfield moves out to Sutpen's Hundred.
1866 Sutpen becomes engaged to Rosa Coldfield, insults her.
She returns to Jefferson.