ou
get another name.'

"`An act of parliament!' I cried.

"`Yes, sar; and I pay five hundred gold Joe 'fore I hear people call me
Missy Cockle--dat _shell_ fish,' said she, and she turned up her nose.

"`Humph!' said I, `and pray what is the next thing which you wish?'

"`De oder ting, sar, is, you no ab _coat am arms_, no ab seal to your
watch, with bird and beast 'pon 'em; now 'pose you promise me dat you
take oder name, and buy um coat am arms; den, sar, I take de matter into
'sideration.'

"`Save yourself the trouble, ma'am,' said I, jumping up; `my answer is
short--I'll see you and your whole generation hanged first!'

"Well, that was a very odd sort of a wind-up to a proposal; but here
comes Moonshine."

The black entered the room, and put a full bottle down on the table.

"Dare it is, sar," said he, grinning.

"Well, done, Moonshine, now I forgive you; but how did you manage it?"

"Me tell you all de tory, sar--first I see Missy O'Bottom, and I say,
`How you do, how you find himsel dis marning? Massa come, I tink, by an
bye, but he almost fraid,' I said. She say, `What he fraid for?' He
tink you angry--not like see him--no lub him any more: he very sorry,
very sick at 'art--he very much in lub wid you."

"The devil you did!" roared Cockle; "now I shall be bothered again with
that old woman; I wish she was moored as a buoy to the Royal George."

"Massa no hear all yet. I say, `Miss O'Bottom, 'pose you no tell?' `I
tell.'--`Massa call for clean shirt dis morning, and I say, it no clean
shirt day, sar;' he say, `Bring me clean shirt;' and den he put him on
clean shirt and he put him on clean duck trowsers, he make me brush him
best blue coat. I say, `What all dis for, massa?' He put him hand up
to him head, and he fetch him breath and say--`I fraid Missy O'Bottom,
no hear me now--I no hab courage;' and den he sit all dress ready, and
no go. Den he say, `Moonshine, gib me one glass grog, den I hab
courage.' I go fetch bottle, and all grog gone--not one lilly drop
left; den massa fall down plump in him big chair, and say, `I neber can
go.' `But,' say Missy O'Bottom, `why he no send for some?' `'Cause,' I
say, `quarter-day no come--money all gone.'--Den say she, `If you poor
massa so _very_ bad, den I trust you one bottel--you gib my compliments
and say, I very appy to see him, and stay at home,'--Den I say, `Missy
O'Bottom pose massa not come soon as he take one two glass grog cut my
head off.