go slobberin' like dat, an' dirtyin' my face wid your
black cheeks. Dar now, I's got to polish you up again!"

This "polishing up," it may be remarked, was a duty which Sally was
called on to perform rather frequently, in consequence of Hester's
inveterate tendency to think of her father and shed tears! But her
sable friend, whose stolid exterior concealed a wealth of affection,
rather enjoyed the process of "polishing up," and while engaged in it
broke out into quite eloquent dissertations as to the impropriety of
washing one's face with tears when there was plenty of soap and water:
coupled with earnest exhortations to "keep up heart," and
recommendations not to "gib in," "neber to say die," and the like.

On this particular occasion the sympathetic Sally gave her friend
inexpressible comfort by assuring her that, having at last seen her
father and the gang to which he belonged, she could now easily follow
them up and find out where they were set to work. "And so, Geo'giana,"
said she, in conclusion, "somet'ing may come ob dis meetin', p'r'aps
more'n you t'ink."

Something certainly did come of it, as we shall see presently; but just
now we must turn to another danger which threatened our English slave,
and in regard to which the previous testing of her powers of
self-restraint was but a trifle.

One morning Hester was seated in the usual corner, busily engaged with
her embroidery, and with her mind still more busily employed in devising
all sorts of impossible schemes for the deliverance of her father--for
Sally had discovered the exact spot on the fortifications where Hugh
Sommers was at work, and only prevented Hester from rushing out at once
to see him by resolutely refusing for a time to tell where that spot
was.

Mrs Lilly and Hester were alone at the time we refer to, Sally having
gone out to the market.

"Dearie, I 'spec's Peter de Great dis arternoon," said Mrs Lilly,
raising herself from a culinary pot to which she had been devoting her
attention. "Dis am about de time he or'nar'ly comes to see you and tell
you how de land lies. Now dat he knows you's seed your fadder, he'll
likely hab somet'ing 'tickler to say to you."

"God grant that he may have something hopeful to suggest," said Hester,
without looking up from her work.

"You may be sure dat prayer is answered, dearie, for you trust de Lord,
an' no one does dat in vain."

As the woman spoke, the familiar voice was heard outside, "Hi, Mi