d har, yit! She's puny like, I knows, but she's solid,
_I_ reckon; thar haint a pound of loose stuff on har--it's all muscle.
See thar--jest look o' thet,' and he stripped the sleeve of her dress
to the elbow; 'thar's a arm fur ye--whiter'n buttermilk, and harder'n
cheese. Feel on't.'

The poor woman submitted meekly to this rough handling of her person,
but I said impatiently:

'I tell you, Larkin, I'm satisfied. Name your price. I've no time to
lose: the stage will be along in five minutes.'

'The stage! Lord bless ye, Mr. Kirke, it's broke down--'twon't be har
fur an hour--I knows. Now look o' thet,' he continued, drawing the poor
woman's thin dress tightly across her limbs, while he proceeded, despite
my repeated attempts to interrupt him, with his disgusting exhibitions,
which it would be disgraceful even to describe. 'Ye doan't mind, do ye,
gal?' he added, chucking her under the chin in a rude, familiar way, and
giving a brutal laugh. Phyllis shrank away from him, but made no reply.
She had evidently braced her mind to the ordeal, and was prepared to
bear anything rather than offend him. I determined to stop any further
proceeding, and said to him:

'I tell you, Larkin, I'm satisfied. I cannot waste more time in this
manner. Name your price at once.'

'Time! Mr. Kirke? why yer time arn't worth nothin' jest now. The stage
won't be 'long till dark. Ye haint seed half on har, yit. I doan't want
ter sell ye a damaged article. I want ter show ye she's sound's a
nut--_ye won't pay my price ef I doan't_. Look a thar, now,' and with a
quick, dexterous movement, he tore open the front of her dress. * * * * *

The poor girl, unable to use her hands, bent over nearly double, and
strained the children to her breast to hide her shame. A movement at the
other end of the room made me look at the Squire. With his jaws set, his
hands clenched, and his face on fire, he bounded toward the trader. In a
moment he would have been upon him. My own blood boiled, but, knowing
that an outbreak would be fatal to our purpose, I planted myself firmly
in his way, and said, as I took him by the arm and held him by main
force:

'Stand back, Preston; this is my affair.'

'Yes, Squire,' added the trader, 'ye'd better be quiet. Ye'll turn
trader, yerself, yit. If things is true, ye'll have ter begin on yer own
nigs, mighty sudden.'

'If I am brought to that,' replied the Squire, with the calm dignity
which was natural to him, 'I shall tr