sham
one? I was marciful too, for if I'd kicked as I _could_, dere wouldn't
be a whole bone in your carcass at dis momint! You's got to larn to be
grateful, Geo'ge. Come along."

Conversing thus pleasantly, the white slave and the black left the Kasba
together and descended into the town.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE MIDDY OBTAINS A DECIDED ADVANCE, AND MAKES PETER THE GREAT HIS
CONFIDANT.

Many months passed, after the events narrated in the last chapter,
before George Foster had the good-fortune to meet again with Hugh
Sommers, and several weeks elapsed before he had the chance of another
interview with the daughter.

Indeed, he was beginning to despair of ever again seeing either the one
or the other, and it required the utmost energy and the most original
suggestions of a hopeful nature on the part of his faithful friend to
prevent his giving way altogether, and having, as Peter expressed it,
"anoder fit ob de blues."

At last fortune favoured him. He was busy in the garden one day
planting flowers, when Peter came to him and said--

"I's got news for you to-day, Geo'ge."

"Indeed," said the middy, with a weary sigh; "what may your news be?"

"You 'member dat pictur' ob de coffee-house in de town what you doo'd?"

"Yes, now you mention it, I do, though I had almost forgotten it."

"Ah! but I not forgit 'im! Well, yesterday I tuk it to massa, an' he
bery much pleased. He say, bring you up to de house, an' he gib you
some work to do."

"I wish," returned Foster, "that he'd ask me to make a portrait of
little Hester Sommers."

"You forgit, Geo'ge, de Moors neber git deir portraits doo'd. Dey
'fraid ob de evil eye."

"Well, when are we to go up?"

"Now--I jist come for you."

Throwing down his garden tools, Foster followed the negro to the house,
and was ushered into a small chamber, the light of which was rendered
soft and mellow, by the stained glass windows through which it passed.
These windows were exceedingly small--not more than a foot high by eight
inches broad--and they were placed in the walls at a height of nine feet
or more from the ground. The walls of the room were decorated with
richly-coloured tiles, and the floor was of white marble, but the part
that attracted our hero most was the ceiling, which was arched,
according to Moorish form, and enriched with elaborate designs in
stucco--if not in white marble, the difference being difficult to
distinguish. On the marble floor lay s