with. Rectus was better on things he'd heard
reasoned out. He seemed to know a good thing when it came before him,
and he remembered it, and often brought it in very well. But he hadn't
had much experience in reasoning on his own account, although he was
getting more in practice every day.

Corny was just as much in earnest as she was the first day we saw her,
but she seemed to have grown more thoughtful. Perhaps this was on
account of her having important business on hand. Her thoughtfulness,
however, did not prevent her from saying some very funny things. She
spoke first and did her thinking afterward. But she was a good girl, and
I often wished my sister knew her. Helen was older, to be sure, but she
could have learned a great deal from Corny.

That afternoon, we had a meeting up in the silk-cotton tree, and
Priscilla, who had sold out her small stock of flowers in the hotel-door
market, was requested to be present. A variety-show, consisting of about
a dozen young darkeys with their baskets and strings of sponges,
accompanied her up the steps; but she was ordered to rout them, and she
did it in short order. When we were alone, Rectus, as captain, began to
state to her what we desired of her; but he was soon interrupted by
Corny, who could do a great deal more talking in a given time than he
could, and who always felt that she ought to begin early, in order to
get through in good season.

"Now, Priscilla," said Corny, "in the first place, you must promise
never to tell what we are going to say to you."

Priscilla promised in a flash.

"We want you, then," continued Corny, "to act as our emissary, or
general agent, or errand-girl, if you don't know what the other two
things mean."

"I'll do dat, missy," said Priscilla. "Whar you want me to go?"

"Nowhere just now," said Corny. "We want to engage you by the day, to do
whatever we tell you."

"Cahn't do dat, missy. Got to sell flowers and roses. Sell 'em for de
fam'ly, missy."

"But in the afternoon you can come," said Corny. "There isn't any
selling done then. We'll pay you."

"How much?" asked Priscilla.

This question was referred to me, and I offered sixpence a day.

The money in this place is English, of course, as it is an English
colony; but there are so many visitors from the United States, that
American currency is as much in use, for large sums, as the
pounds-shillings-and-pence arrangement. But all sums under a quarter are
reckoned in English