he. "Yese as good as she is; and
ye've nothin' to be shamed of."

"It isn't on my own account that I wish to avoid her seeing me,"
replied Rosa. "But I pity the innocent young creature. She didn't know
of disturbing my happiness, and I should be sorry to disturb hers."

As the weeks glided away without bringing any fulfilment of
Fitzgerald's promise, anxiety changed to distrust. She twice requested
Tom to ask his master for the papers he had spoken of, and received
a verbal answer that they would be sent as soon as they were ready.
There were greater obstacles in the way than she, in her inexperience,
was aware of. The laws of Georgia restrained humane impulses by
forbidding the manumission of a slave. Consequently, he must either
incur very undesirable publicity by applying to the legislature for a
special exception in this case, or she must be manumitted in another
State. He would gladly have managed a journey without the company of
his wife, if he could thereby have regained his former influence with
Rosa; but he was disinclined to take so much trouble to free her
entirely from him. When he promised to send the papers, he intended to
satisfy her with a sham certificate, as he had done with a counterfeit
marriage; but he deferred doing it, because he had a vague sense of
satisfaction in being able to tantalize the superior woman over whom
he felt that he no longer had any other power.

CHAPTER XVI.

Madame's anxiety was much diminished after she began to receive
letters in Rosa's own handwriting; but, knowing the laws of Georgia,
and no longer doubtful concerning Fitzgerald's real character, she
placed small reliance upon his promise of manumission. "This is
another of his deceptions," said she to the Signor. "I have been
thinking a good deal about the state of things, and I am convinced
there will be no security in this country for that poor girl. You have
been saying for some time that you wanted to see your beautiful Italy
again, and I have the same feeling about my beautiful France. We each
of us have a little money laid up; and if we draw upon the fund Mr.
King has deposited, we can take Rosabella to Europe and bring her out
as a singer."

"She would have a great career, no doubt," replied the Signor; "and I
was going to suggest such a plan to you. But you would have to change
your name again on my account, Madame; for I was obliged to leave
Italy because I was discovered to be one of the Carbonari;