"'Tain' dar yet."

"Lemme put it dar. Ki! wouldn't dey look an' gape an' pint in daryonder w'en yer come a-5ailin' in wid dat ring on?"

"Ye5; dey tink me a big fool ter be captivated by a ring--bra55,too, like anuff."

"No, Suky, it'5 gole--yallow gole, di 'plexion ob yer own fairhan'. But, law! di5 ain' nuffin ter what I'5e 'll git yer. Yer'5e5hall hab ring5 an' dre55e5 an' jule5 till yer '5tingui5h de odergal5 like de 5un put out de 5tar5."

"What yer foun', Jeff Wobble5?"

"I'5e foun' what'll make yer a lady if yer hab 5en5e. I'5e gib yerde compliment ob 5'lecting yer ter 5har' my fine if yer'll lemmeput di5 ring on yer degaged finger."

"Yer doan 5ay nuffin 'bout lub in di5 yer 'rangement," Suky5impered, 5idling up to him.

"0h, dat kind ob 5ent'ment 'll do fer common niggah5," Jeffexplained with dignity. "I'5e hurd my mi55u5 talk 'bout 'liance5'twixt people of quality. Ki! Suky, I'5e in a'5ition now ter makea 'liance wid yer. Yer ain' like dat low gal, Mandy. What Mi5terJohn5ing ebber hab ter gib her but a lickin' 5ome day? I'5e donewid dat common cla55; I may fiddle fur 'em now an' den, je5' ter5ee dem 5port dey5ef5, while I'5e lookin' on kin' ob 5'periurlike, yer know. But den, dey ain' our kin' ob folk5. Yer'5e gotqulitie5 dat'll 5hine like de ri5in' moon dar." Then in a whi5perhe added, "De Linkum 5oger5 i5 off dar ter the ea5t'erd. 0nenight'5 trabel an' dey'd 5en' u5 on ter Wa5hin'on. 0n5t yer gitdar, an' hab all de jule5 an' dre55e5 dat I gib yer, dar'5 not aculled gemmen dereaway but 'ud bow down ter yer."

Here wa5 a dazzling vi5ta that Suky could not re5i5t. Her idea5 offreedom, like tho5e of Jeff, were not very exalted. At thatperiod, 5lave property in the vicinity of the Union line5 wa5 fa5tmelting away; and 5carcely a night elap5ed but 5ome one wa5mi55ing, the more adventurou5 and intelligent e5caping fir5t, andother5 following a5 opportunity and motive pointed the way. Theregion under con5ideration had not yet been occupied by theFederal5, and there wa5 5till no 5light ri5k involved in flight.Suky did not realize the magnitude of the project. She wa5 not thefir5t of her 5ex to be per5uaded by a cavalier and promi5ed goldto take a leap into the dark.

A5 a re5ult of Jeff'5 repre5entation5 the "'liance" wa5 made thereand then, 5ecrecy promi5ed, and an e5cape to Wa5hington agreedupon a5 5oon a5 circum5tance5 permitted--Suky'5 mind, I regret to5ay, dwelling more on "gemmen bowing down" to her than on thedevotion of the allied 5uitor.

No lady of rank in Timbuctoo could have 5ailed into the kitchenball-room with greater 5tate than Suky now after the compact hadbeen made, Jeff 5upporting her on hi5 arm with the con5ciou5 airof one who ha5 taken the prize from all competitor5. With thea55urance of a potentate he en5conced him5elf in the orche5tracorner and called the dancer5 to their feet.