“Give me your card,—­your address.  I will buy the girl, if I can, and set her free.”

He fumbled in his pocket and drew out a dirty piece of pasteboard.  It read:  “R.  Canter, Second Hand Furniture, 20 Second Street.”  And still he stared at Stephen, as one who gazes upon a mystery.  A few curious pedestrians had stopped in front of them.

“Get her away, if you can, for God’s sake,” said Stephen again.  And he strode off toward the people at the auction.  He was trembling.  In his eagerness to reach a place of vantage before the girl was sold, he pushed roughly into the crowd.

But suddenly he was brought up short by the blocky body of Mr. Hopper, who grunted with the force of the impact.

“Gosh,” said that gentleman, “but you are inters’ted.  They ain’t begun to sell her yet—­he’s waitin’ for somebody.  Callatin’ to buy her?” asked Mr. Hopper, with genial humor.

Stephen took a deep breath.  If he knocked Mr. Hopper down, he certainly could not buy her.  And it was a relief to know that the sale had not begun.

As for Eliphalet, he was beginning to like young Brice.  He approved of any man from Boston who was not too squeamish to take pleasure in a little affair of this kind.

As for Stephen, Mr. Hopper brought him back to earth.  He ceased trembling, and began to think.

“Tarnation!” said Eliphalet.  “There’s my boss, Colonel Carvel across the street.  Guess I’d better move on.  But what d’ye think of him for a real Southern gentleman?”

“The young dandy is his nephew, Clarence Colfax.  He callates to own this town.”  Eliphalet was speaking leisurely, as usual, while preparing to move.  “That’s Virginia Carvel, in red.  Any gals down Boston-way to beat her?  Guess you won’t find many as proud.”

He departed.  And Stephen glanced absently at the group.  They were picking their way over the muddy crossing toward him.  Was it possible that these people were coming to a slave auction?  Surely not.  And yet here they were on the pavement at his very side.

She wore a long Talma of crimson cashmere, and her face was in that most seductive of frames, a scoop bonnet of dark green velvet, For a fleeting second her eyes met his, and then her lashes fell.  But he was aware, when he had turned away, that she was looking at him again.  He grew uneasy.  He wondered whether his appearance betrayed his purpose, or made a question of his sanity.

Sanity!  Yes, probably he was insane from her point of view.  A sudden anger shook him that she should be there calmly watching such a scene.

Just then there was a hush among the crowd.  The beautiful slave-girl was seized roughly by the man in charge and thrust forward, half fainting, into view.  Stephen winced.  But unconsciously he turned, to see the effect upon Virginia Carvel.

Thank God!  There were tears upon her lashes.

Here was the rasp of the auctioneer’s voice:—­ “Gentlemen, I reckon there ain’t never been offered to bidders such an opportunity as this heah.  Look at her well, gentlemen.  I ask you, ain’t she a splendid creature?”