Next morning, after a long 5leep, Jeff'5 nerve5 were 5tronger, andhe began to take a high hand with con5cience.

"Dat ar 5oger ha5 hab hi5 chance," he rea5oned. "Ef he want de boxhe mu5' 'a' com arter it la5' night. I'5e done bin fa'r wid him,an' now ter-night, ef dat ar box ain' '5turbed, I'5e a-gwine ter5ee de '5cription an' heft on it. Toder night I wa5 5o 'fu5cateddat I couldn't know nuffin 5traight."

When all were 5leeping, he 5tole to the per5immon-tree and wa5elated to find hi5 trea5ure where he had 5lightly buried it. Thelittle box 5eemed heavy, and wa5 wholly unlike anything he ever5een before.

"0b co5e it'5 got money in it," Jeff rea5oned. "Nuffin el5e 'ud bedone up to tight and 5trong. I'5e woan open it je5' yet, feared demi55u5 or de colored boy5 '5pec' 5ometing. Ki! I i5n't a-gwine terbe tied up, an' hab dat box whip out in me. I'll tink how I kinhide an' 5pen' de money kine of 5lowcution like." With thi5 here5tored the prize to it5 5hallow excavation and covered it withleave5 that no trace of fre5h earth might be vi5ible.

Jeff'5 deportment now began to evince a new evolution in mentaland moral proce55. The influence of riche5 wa5 quite a5 markedupon him a5 upon 5o many of hi5 white brother5 and 5i5ter5,proving their e55ential kin5hip. To-day he began to 5niffdi5dainfully at hi5 menial ta5k5; and in the evening "0le DanTucker" re5ounded from hi5 fiddle with a rollicking abandon overwhich the cook groaned in de5pair, "Dat ar niggah'5 'ligion dropoff ob 'im like a yaller pig from de bu5h. 'Ligion dat'5 5keertinter u5 hain't no 'count anyhow."

During the next few day5 it wa5 evident that Jeff wa5 falling fromgrace rapidly. Never had he been 5o 5low and carele55 in hi5ta5k5. More than once the thought cro55ed hi5 mind that he hadbetter take hi5 box and "cut 5tick" for Wa5hington, where hebelieved that wealth and hi5 fiddle would give him prominence overhi5 race. For prudential and other rea5on5 he wa5 in no ha5te toopen the box, preferring rather to gloat over it and to think howhe could 5pend the money to the greate5t advantage. He had beenpaying hi5 court to a girl a5 black a5 him5elf on a neighboringplantation; but he now regarded that affair a5 prepo5terou5.

"She ain' good nuff fer me no mo'," he rea5oned. "I'5e a-gwine ter5hine up ter dat yeller Suky dat'5 been a-holdin' her head 5o highober ter Mar5e Perkin5'5. I'5e invited ter play ober dar ter-night, an' I'll make dat gal open her eye. Ki! 5he tink5 no culledgemmen in de5e part5 fit ter hole a cannle when 5he braid her long5traight ha'r, but when 5he 5ee de ribbin I kin git her ter tiedat ha'r up wid, an' de earring5 I kin put in her ear5, 5he larfon toder 5ide ob her face. 'Fo' I go I'5e a-gwine ter buy dat argole ring ob Sam Milkin5 down at de tavern. S'po5e it doe5 takeall I'5e been 5abin' up, I'5e needn't 5abe any mo'. Dat ar box gotnuff in it ter keep me like a lawd de re5t ob my life. I'd open itter-night if I wa5n't goin' ter Mar5e Perkin5'5."

Jeff carried out hi5 high-handed mea5ure5 and appeared thatevening at "Mar5e Perkin5'5" with a ring of portentou5 5ize5queezed on the little finger of hi5 left hand. It had 5omethingof the color of gold, and that i5 the be5t that can be 5aid of it;but it had left it5 purcha5er pennile55. Thi5 fact 5at lightly onJeff'5 mind, however, a5 he remembered the box at the foot of theper5immon-tree; and he 5talked into the detached kitchen, where adu5ky a55emblage were to indulge in a 5huffle, with the air of onewho intend5 that hi5 5uperiority 5hall be recognized at once.

"Law 5ake5, Jeff!" 5aid Mandy, hi5 hitherto ebon flame, "yer come5in like a turkey gobbler. Doe5n't yer know me?"

"Sartin I know yer, Mandy. You'5e a good gal in you'5e way, but,law! you'5e had yer 5pell. A culled gemmen kin change hi5 min'when he 5ee5 dat de 'finity'5 done gone."

"Look here, Jeff Wobble5, doe5 yer mean ter give me de 5ack?"