pin's know'd ob in dis yar town. W'en de lash am goin' he
usu'lly makes de hair fly. Moreober, dey whip womans as well as mans,
an' if he was to took de bit out ob your pretty shoulder, I couldn't
suffer dat, you know. Likewise," continued Peter, becoming more
argumentative in his manner, "you was just a-goin' to took de bit in
your teef; an' if you'd bin allowed to frow your arms round your
fadder's neck an' rub all de black ober his face what would hab bin de
consikence?"

Peter felt his position so strong at this point that he put the question
almost triumphantly, and Hester was constrained to acknowledge that he
had acted wisely after all.

"But," continued she, with still a little of reproach in her tone, "what
was the use of taking me to see my darling father at all, if this is all
that is to come of it?"

"You's a leetle obstropolous in you' fancies, Geo'giana. Dis am _not_
all what's to come ob it. You see, I has pity on your poo' heart, so I
t'ink you might go ebery oder day an' hab a good look at your fadder;
but how kin you go if you not know whar he works? So I tooked you to
show you de way. But I's a'most sorry I did now, for you's got no
self-'straint, an' if you goes by you'self you'll git took up for
sartin', an' dey'll whip your fadder till he's dead, or frow him on de
hooks, or skin him alive, or--"

"Oh, horrible! Don't say such dreadful things, Peter!" exclaimed
Hester, covering her face with her hands.

Feeling that he had said quite enough to impress the poor girl with the
absolute necessity of being careful, he promised earnestly never again
to allude to such dreadful things.

"But, Geo'giana," he added impressively, "you mus' promise me on your
word ob honour, w'ich Geo'ge Foster says English gen'lemans _neber_
break--an' I s'pose he's right."

"Yes, quite right, Peter; true gentlemen _never_ break their word."

"An' I s'pose female gen'lemans am de same."

"Of course! Go on," replied the girl, with a faint smile.

"Well, as I was 'bout to say, you mus' promise me on your word ob
honour, dat you'll neber go _alone_ to see your fadder, but allers in
company wid Sally; dat you neber, neber speak to him, an' dat you neber
make you'self know'd to him till de right time comes."

"These are hard conditions, Peter, but I see the reasonableness of them
all, and promise--at least I promise to do my best."

"Das 'nuff, Geo'giana. Neezer man nor womans kin do more'n deir best.
Now I