by deeself to feed a right hongry man; an'
dyah wuz a whole parcel o' niggers cookin' an' tunnin 'bout for life,
an' dee faces jes as shiny as ef dee done bas'e 'em wid gravy; an'
dyah, settin' back in a cheer out de way, wid her clean frock up off de
flo', wuz dat gal! I sutney did feel curiousome.

"I say, 'Hi! name o' Gord! whar'd you come from?' She say, 'Oh,
Marster! ef heah ain' dat free nigger agin!' An' ev'ybody laughed.

"Well, presny we come out, cause Nancy warn see de dancin', an' we stop
a leetle while 'hind de cornder out de wind while she tell me 'bout
ev'ything. An' she say dat's all a lie she tell me dat day 'bout Mr.
Darker an' Miss Charlotte; an' he done gone 'way now for good 'cause he
so low down an' wuthless dee kyarn nobody stand him; an' all he warn
marry Miss Charlotte for is to git her niggers. But Nancy say Miss
Charlotte nuver could abide him; he so 'sateful, 'spressly sence she
fine out what a lie he told 'bout Marse George. You know, Mr. Darker
he done meck 'em think Marse George sont me dyah to fine out ef he done
come home, an' den dat he fall on him wid he weepin when he ain'
noticin' him, an' sort o' out de way too, an' git two urr mens to hold
him while he beat him, all 'cause he in love wid Miss Charlotte. D'you
ever, ever heah sich a lie? An' Nancy say, do' Miss Charlotte ain'
b'lieve it all togerr, hit look so reasonable she done le' de ole jedge
an' her ma, who wuz 'pending on what she heah, 'duce her to send back
he things; an' dee ain' know no better not tell after de ole jedge die;
den dee fine out 'bout de whuppin me, an' all; an' den Miss Charlotte
know huccome I ain' gwine stay dat day; an' she say dee was sutney
outdone 'bout it, but it too late den; an' Miss Charlotte kyarn do
nuttin but cry 'bout it, an' dat she did, pintedly, 'cause she done
lost Marse George, an' done 'stroy he life; an' she nuver keer 'bout
nobody else sep Marse George, Nancy say. Mr. Clarke he hangin' on, but
Miss Charlotte she done tell him pintedly she ain' nuver gwine marry
nobody. An' dee jes done come, she say, 'cause dee had to go 'way roun
by de rope ferry 'long o' de river bein' so high, an' dee ain' know
tell dee done git out de ker'idge an' in de house dat we all wuz heah;
an' Nancy say she glad dee ain', 'cause she 'feared ef dee had, Miss
Charlotte wouldn' 'a come.

"Den I tell her all 'bout Marse George, 'cause I know she 'bleeged to
tell Miss Charlotte. Twuz powerful cold out