pals, at the old camp-ground, fur to dine."

The two Princess Anne neighbors felt relieved of the long man's company,
and Jack Wonnell lay on his back astern and grinned at Levin as if there
was a great unknown joke or coincidence between them, finally
whispering:

"Where does he git all his gold?"

Levin shook his head:

"Can't tell, Jack, to save my life. Nigger tradin', I reckon. It must be
payin' business, Jack."

"Best business in the world. Wish I had a little of his money, Levin.
Hu-ue-oo!" giving a low shout, "then wouldn't I git my gal!"

"Who's yo' gal, Jack, for this winter?"

"You won't tell nobody, Levin?"

"No, hope I may die!"

Jack put his bell-crown up to the side of his mouth, executed another
grin, winked one eye knowingly, and whispered:

"Purty yaller Roxy, Jedge Custis's gal."

"She won't have nothin' to do with you, Jack; she's too well raised."

"She ain't had yit, Levin, but I'm follerin' of her aroun'. There ain't
no white gal in Princess Anne purty as them two house gals of Jedge
Custis's."

"Well, what kin you do with a nigger, Jack? You never kin marry her."

"Maybe I kin buy her, Levin."

"She ain't fur sale, Jack. Jedge Custis never sells no niggers. You
can't buy a nigger to save your life. When some of Jedge Custis's
niggers in Accomac run away he wouldn't let people hunt for 'em."

Jack Wonnell put his bell-crown to the side of his mouth again, grinned
hideously, and whispered:

"Kin you keep a secret?"

Levin nodded, yes.

"Hope a may die?"

"Hope I may die, Jack."'

"Jedge Custis is gwyn to be sold out by Meshach Milburn."

"What a lie, Jack!"

Levin let the tiller half go, and the _Ellenora Dennis_ swung round and
flapped her sails as if such news had driven all the wind out of them.

"Jack," Levin exclaimed, "Jimmy Phoebus says you've turned out a
reg'lar liar. Now I believe it, too."

"Hope I may die!" Jack Wonnell protested, "I never does lie: it's too
hard to find lies for things when people comes an' tells you, or you kin
see fur yourseff. Jimmy called me a liar fur sayin' Meshach Milburn was
gone into the Jedge's front do', but we saw him come out of it, didn't
we?"

"Yes, that was so; but this yer one is an awful lie."

"Well, Levin, purty yaller Roxy, she told me, an' she's too purty to
tell lies. I loves that gal like peach-an'-honey, Levin, an' I don't
keer whether she's white or no. She's mos' as white as me, an' a good
deal better."