two strong but counteracting passions. Her
features, if we may be allowed the comparison, were like the noon-day
heavens, when filled with the broken clouds of a passing storm. Now all
would be bright and cheerful, and the sun of mirth would sparkle in her
eyes; and anon some dark cloud of dejection would sweep along, shut
out the merry light, and cast its shadow drearily over the whole
countenance,--or, to use language without simile, she would one moment
be merry and another sad. Toward the last, however, the latter feeling
gained the ascendancy; she appeared to take no further share in the
merriment of the dance; and had any watched her closely, they might
have guessed the cause, from the manner in which she from time to time
gazed at the pale face of Algernon.

Meantime the dance went bravely on, Black Betty circulated somewhat
freely, and the mirth of the revelers grew more and more boisterous.
Taking advantage of a slight cessation in the general hilarity, about
nine o'clock in the evening, and while the fiddler with some of the
party were engaged in partaking of refreshment, Seth Stokes, encouraged
doubtless by the inspiration he had received from the whiskey, stepped
boldly into the middle of the apartment with the bottle in his hand, and
said:

"Jest allow me, my jollies, to give a toast."

"Harken all! A toast--a toast--from the long man o' the bony frame!"
cried the voice of Sam Switcher. A laugh, and then silence followed.

"Here's to--to Isaac and Peggy Younker--two beauties!" continued Seth.
"May thar union be duly acknowledged by the rising generation o' old
Kaintuck;" and the speaker gravely proceeded to drink.

"Bravo! bravo!" cried a dozen voices, with a merry shout, accompanied
with great clapping of bands; while Isaac, who was sitting by his new
wife, arose, blushed, bowed rather awkwardly, and then sat down again.

"Isaac! Isaac!--A toast from Isaac!" shouted a chorus of voices.

Isaac at first looked very much confused--scratched his head and twisted
around in a very fidgetty manner,--but presently his countenance
flushed, and a smile of triumph crossing his sharp features, announced
that he had been suddenly favored with an idea apropos. This was
instantly perceived by some of the wags standing near, one of whom
exclaimed:

"I see it--it's coming!"

"He's got it!" said a second.

"I knew it--I'd ha' bet a bar-skin he'd fetch it," cried a third.

"Out with it, Ike, afore you forget it