and Cupid mutely sparkled:

"Oh, by all means! the three of us!"

The flower ignored them both. "There was the auctioneer," she said;
"there were the slaves, there the crowd of bidders; between them the
block, above them the beautiful dome. Very soon Mingo was on the
block, and the first bid was from Sidney. She was the only one in a
hurry except Mingo. He was trying to see her, but she was hiding from
him behind _grandpere_; yet not from the auctioneer. The auctioneer
stopped.

"'Who authorized you to bid here?' he asked her.

"'Nobody, sir; I's free.' She held up her paper.

"_Grandpere_ nodded to the auctioneer.

"'Will Mr. Chapdelaine please read it out?'

"He read it out, signature and all.

"'Anybody know any one of that name?' the auctioneer asked, and
_grand'mere_ said:

"'That's my aunt. This free girl is my maid."

"'Oh, bidding for you?' he said; and grand'mere said no, the girl was
bidding on her own account, with her own money.

"'What kind of money? We can't take shinplasters.' For 'twas then
'sixty-one--year of secession, you know.

"'Gold!' Sidney called out, and held it up in a black stocking, so high
that every one laughed."

"Not Mingo, I fancy."

"Ah, no, nor the keeper of the gang."

"--Wonder how Mingo was behaving."

"He? he was shaking and weeping, and begging this and that of the man
who held and threatened him, to keep him quiet. So then the auctioneer
began to call Sidney's bid. You know how that would be: 'Gentlemen,
I'm offered five hundred dollars. Cinq cent piastres, messieurs! Only
five hundred for this likely boy worth all of nine! Who'll say six?
Going at five hundred, what do I hear?' But he heard nothing
till--'third and last call!' Then the owner of the gang nodded and the
auctioneer called out, 'six hundred!"'

"And did Sidney raise it?"

"No, she wept aloud. 'Oh, my brotheh!' she cried, 'Lawd save my po'
brotheh! I's los' him ag'in! I done bid my las' dollah at de fust
call!'"

"And Mingo knew her voice, spied her out?"

"Yes, and holloed, 'Sidney! sisteh!' till _grand-mere_ wept too and a
man called out, 'No one bid that six hundred!' But _grandpere_ said:
'I bid six-fifty and will tell all about this _unlikely_ boy if his
owner bids again.'

"So Mingo was sold to _grandpere_. 'And now,' _grandpere_ whispered to
_grand-mere_ and her friends, 'go pack trunks for the ship as fast as
you can.'"

"And they parted like that? But of