“Well, sur, the night afore last I wur up there.  They are hevin’ a kind of Christmas-tree in one of the Sunday schools over in the willage to-night, and some o’ the teachers came to the guv’nor and asked him for a tree to put some knick-knacks on.  So he says to me, ‘Simon,’ says he, ’go up in the plantation and pull up a young fir tree, and then in the morning put it in the cart and take it over to the school-room.’  This was day afore yesterday, in the afternoon.  I was busy jist then, so I didn’t go to the plantation till ’twas dusk.  However, as you know, yer honour, ’tis moonlight, so I didn’t trouble.  Well, I got a young fir tree pulled up, and was jist a-going to light my pipe, when I see some figures a-comin’ threw the plantation towards a summer-’ouse that was put up ’bout two year ago.  So I lied luff.  ‘I believe,’ I says, ’that it’s that hinfidel and the skinny wirgin a-walkin’ together.’  They goes into the summer-’ouse, and then I creeps down, and gets behind a tree, but close enough to the couple to hear every word.  Sure ’nough, sur, I wur right; it was the wirgin Staggles and this ’ere Woltaire.

“‘They seemed quarrellin’ like when I come up, for she wur sayin’—­

“‘Tis no use, she never will.’

“‘Nonsense!’ says he.  ’Give her time, and poison her mind against that Blake, and she’ll come around.’

“‘I’ve done that,’ says she.  ’I’ve told her that Mr. Blake is a regular male flirt; that he’s had dozens of love affairs with girls; and, besides that, I told her that her marked preference for him was being talked about.’

“‘Yes,’ says Woltaire, ‘and see how she’s treated him since.’

“‘True enough,’ says she; ’but it’s made her no softer towards you.  If she avoids him, she dislikes you.’

“‘And do you think she cares about Blake?’ says he.

“‘I don’t know,’ she replies.  ’She never would tell me anything, and that’s why I dislike her so.  But, for all that, she’s no hypocrite.’

“‘Well, what for that?’ he asks.

“’I went to her room last night, and I began to tell her more about him and compare him with you.’

“‘Well?’ says he.

“’Well, she got into a temper, and told me that she would not allow Mr. Blake’s name to be associated with yours in her room.’

“Then, sur, that ’ere willain he swore like a trooper, and said he’d make you rue the day you were born.  After that, they were silent for a little while, and then she says to him—­

“’I believe she knows what you are wanting to do, and has some idea of the influence you have exerted over him.  She’s as sharp as a lancet, and it’s difficult to deceive her.’

“‘If only that Blake hadn’t come,’ he says, as if talkin’ to hisself.

“‘Yes,’ she says, ‘but he has come,’ says she.

“’But if he can be made to leave her, and never speak to her again, will it not show to her that he’s what you said he was, and thus turn her against him?’