by the
time she had won it, she was disposed to undervalue and despise it.

"I will make him feel in his turn, when in my power, how charming the
sensation of being spitted or speared!" she had threatened, and she kept
her word.

"I jist knowed it from de fust," declared Aunt Amy, sorrow and anger in
her tones, and the Indian expression assuming mastery in her face.
"Somehow I jist felt it all over me dat dat woman would come aroun'
massa and jes make him marry her. She's 'witched him; she's gin him
love-potions, I make no doubt; and I 'spec's"--here she lowered her
voice to a whisper--"I 'spec's she's sold herself to de debil to make
him help her. Nuthin' else could ever 'duced Massa Duncan to marry such
a--such a crocodile. He'll never be sorry but onc't, and 'dats all his
life."

"Der's an end to all our 'joyment," sighed Chloe, grown more weighty in
flesh; "de Lord knows what's going to become of us--an' all her host o'
bad niggers mixin' in wid our'n, and she domineerin' ober eberyting. O,
it's an orful bad day for us, sure! An', then, that hateful boy o'
her'n--he's worse 'an pizen, notstan'ing his slick, ile-y ways--'tween
him an' her we'll stan' mighty slim chance. She bad's bad can be, an' he
worse."

China shed tears silently over her needle, giving now and then a groan.
She, too, was haunted by a presentiment that her happy days were over.
For her, Miss Rusha, as all the servants called her, had ever evinced
unconcealed dislike, for the very reason, it would seem, that it irked
her to behold any person in peace and contentment. She especially hated
meek, gentle, uncomplaining people, and loved to render them
uncomfortable. And China, Ellice's favorite house-servant, was so good,
gentle, and obedient, that her former mistress had seldom found fault
with her.

Mr. Lisle, immediately after his marriage, had taken his bride North on
a visit to the principal cities, intending to call upon the Temples, to
make acquaintance with his loved sister's child.

His stay at this latter place was short indeed, for Miss Rusha,
presuming to find fault with Juliet's mode of training, or rather of
indulging Althea, had provoked the latter lady's ire to such a degree as
to render any further tarrying out of the question. For some reason or
other, Mrs. Lisle would have persuaded her husband to make an effort for
gaining the guardianship of his niece. This, however, he peremptorily
refused to do, although he became greatly