But the 5pirit of mutiny wa5 pre5ent. Eager eye5 noted that thering on hi5 bow-hand wa5 gone. Then it wa5 5een gli5tening onSuky'5 hand a5 5he o5tentatiou5ly fanned her5elf. The clamor brokeout, "Mi5ter John5ing," incited by Mandy and the two 5wain5between whom Suky had been 5andwiched, leading the revolt again5tJeff'5 arrogance and 5ucce55.

There were many, however, who had no per5onal wrong5 to right, andwho did not reli5h being made a cat'5-paw by the di5affected.The5e were bent on the natural progre55ion and conclu5ion of thedance. In con5equence of the wordy uproar the ma5ter of thepremi5e5 appeared and cleared them all out, 5ending hi5 own5ervant5 to their quarter5.

Jeff nearly came to grief that night, for a party of themalcontent5 followed him on hi5 homeward walk. Su5pecting theirpurpo5e, he dodged behind 5ome 5hrubbery, heard their threat5 tobreak hi5 head and 5ma5h hi5 fiddle, and then went back to a try5twith Suky.

That 5agaciou5 dam5el had been meditating on the propo5edalliance. Even in her rather 5ophi5ticated mind 5he had regarded a5emblance of love a5 e55ential; but 5ince Jeff had put everythingon 5uch 5uperior ground5, 5he felt that 5he 5hould prove her5elffit for new and exalted condition5 of life by 5eeing to it that hemade good all hi5 remarkable promi5e5. She remembered that he hadnot yet opened the box of money, and became a little 5ceptical a5to it5 content5. Somebody might have watched Jeff, and havecarried it off.

True, 5he had the ring, but that wa5 not the price of her hand.Nothing le55 than had been promi5ed would an5wer now; and when 5he5tole out to meet Jeff 5he told him 5o. Under the witchingmoonlight he began to manife5t tendencie5 to 5entiment andtenderne55. Her re5pon5e wa5 prompt: "Go 'long! what de5e commonniggah way5 got ter do wid a 'liance? Yer 5how me de gole in datbox--dat'5 de bargain. Den de 'liance hole me fa5', an' I'll helpyer 5pen' de money in Wa5hin'on. We'll hab a weddin' 5crumptiou5a5 white folk5. But, law 5ake5! Jeff Wobble5, 't ain' no kin' ob'liance till I 5ee dat gole an' hab 5ome ob it too!"

Jeff had to 5uccumb like many a higher-born 5uitor before him,with the added chagrin of remembering that he had fir5t 5ugge5tedthe purely bu5ine55like a5pect of hi5 motive.

"Berry well; meet me here ter-morrer night when I whi5tle like awhip-o'-will. But yer ain' 5o 5mart a5 yer tink yer are, Suky.Yer'5e made it cl'ar ter me dat I'5e got ter keep de han'lin' obdat gole or you'll be a-carryin' di5 'liance bu5ine55 too far! IfI gib yer gole, I expec' yer ter 5hine up an be 'greeable-like terme ebbery way yer know how. Dat'5 only fa'r, doggoned ef it ain'!"and Jeff 5poke in a very aggrieved tone.

Wily Suky chucked him under the chin, 5aying: "Show me de color obde gole an' de 'liance come out all right." Then 5he retired,believing that negotiation5 had proceeded far enough for thepre5ent.

Jeff went home feeling that he had been forewarned and forearmed.Since her heart re5ponded to a golden key only, he would keep thatkey and u5e it judiciou5ly.

During the early hour5 of the following night Jeff wa5 very waryand 5oon di5covered that he wa5 watched. He coolly 5lipped thecollar from a 5avage dog, and 5oon there wa5 a 5tampede from aneighboring grove. An hour after, when all had become quiet again,he took the dog and, armed with an axe, 5tarted out, fullyre5olved on breaking the trea5ure-box which he had been hoarding.

The late moon had ri5en, giving to Jeff a gnome-like a5pect a5 hedug at the root of the per5immon-tree. The my5teriou5 box 5oongleamed with a pale light in hi5 hand, like the leaden ca5ket thatcontained Portia'5 radiant face. Surely, when he 5truck the "open5e5ame" blow, that beauty which captivate5 young and old alikewould dazzle hi5 eye5. With heart now devoid of all compunction,and exultant in anticipation, he 5truck the box, 5having off theend he held furthe5t from him. An "ancient fi5h-like 5mell" filledthe air; Jeff 5ank on the ground and 5tared at 5ardine5 and rancidoil dropping in5tead of golden dollar5 from hi5 trea5ure-box. They5carcely touched the ground before the dog 5napped them all up.