w, Jeff, you must give us a toast, or you can't have the wine."

"Guy, massa, who ever heard of a nigga's toastin' white folks," replied
Jeff, showing his whole range of ivories.

"Must give us something."

"Well, den, massa, if I must, I must. Here's hopin' you'll never be less
de brack man's fren dan now you am."

The negro's toast was drunk with a hearty good-will, Quirk only pausing,
thoughtfully, to ask if he spoke in general terms of the colored race,
or referred to himself singly; to which Jeff merely said "Yes," leaving
the matter as obscure as before.

When his cigar was finished, Quirk buttoned his coat to the throat, and,
taking an umbrella, shook hands with Arthur and Wilkins, and proceeded
toward the door.

"You might stay, and share Arthur's bed to-night," said Wilkins, calling
after him. "It's a dreadful storm to go out in, and he is alone, you
know--Guly being in my bed."

"Thank you," returned the other, "not to-night."

"I wish you would," joined in Arthur; "that's a gloomy old room to be
alone in, in such a noisy night as this."

"Hope you ain't afraid of spirits," laughed Quirk. "I would really like
to stay, but I have an engagement to meet a friend at the St. Louis
bar-room to-night, and I ought to have been there half an hour ago.
Good-night."

He opened the door, and passed out, while a gust of wind and rain swept
in through the opening.

Arthur shuddered. "Really," said he, speaking to Wilkins, "I believe I
am nervous to-night; I feel as fidgetty as an old woman; yet I have seen
the time when I could glory in such a storm as this, and climb to the
summit of old Cro'nest, on the Hudson, in its midst."

"You have been dissipating a little of late, you know," returned the
other, patting his shoulder; "that makes a difference. Then, you have,
no doubt, been anxious about your brother, and that makes a difference.
Perhaps Jeff had better take his bed to your room to-night, and lie
there. He will be better than no company, with the lightning and thunder
on such a spree about one's ears. What say you?"

"But Jeff is needed here."

"No, he isn't. He only lies behind that door in the capacity of a big
watch-dog," returned the other, laughing, "to bark if he hears any one
breaking in, and he hasn't had cause to do that since I've been here.
Jeff, take your mattress to Master Pratt's room, and sleep there
to-night."

Jeff obeyed, glad himself to be near somebody during this fierce battle