ome strangers to preach to, and
must, therefore, prepare a sermon that will do me credit."

While the man of God spoke, he seemed to say to himself,--

"With devotion's visage, and pious actions,
We do sugar over the devil himself."

Georgiana did all in her power to soothe the feelings of Clotelle,
and to induce her to put her trust in God. Unknown to her father, she
allowed the poor girl to go every evening to the jail to see Jerome,
and during these visits, despite her own grief, Clotelle would try to
comfort her lover with the hope that justice would be meted out to him
in the spirit-land.

Thus the time passed on, and the day was fast approaching when the slave
was to die. Having heard that some secret meeting had been held by the
negroes, previous to the attempt of Mr. Wilson to flog his slave,
it occurred to a magistrate that Jerome might know something of the
intended revolt. He accordingly visited the prison to see if he could
learn anything from him, but all to no purpose. Having given up all
hopes of escape, Jerome had resolved to die like a brave man. When
questioned as to whether he knew anything of a conspiracy among the
slaves against their masters, he replied,--

"Do you suppose that I would tell you if I did?"

"But if you know anything," remarked the magistrate, "and will tell us,
you may possibly have your life spared."

"Life," answered the doomed man, "is worth nought to a slave. What
right has a slave to himself, his wife, or his children? We are kept in
heathenish darkness, by laws especially enacted to make our instruction
a criminal offence; and our bones, sinews, blood, and nerves are exposed
in the market for sale.

"My liberty is of as much consequence to me as Mr. Wilson's is to him.
I am as sensitive to feeling as he. If I mistake not, the day will come
when the negro will learn that he can get his freedom by fighting for
it; and should that time arrive, the whites will be sorry that they have
hated us so shamefully. I am free to say that, could I live my life over
again, I would use all the energies which God has given me to get up an
insurrection."

Every one present seemed startled and amazed at the intelligence with
which this descendant of Africa spoke.

"He's a very dangerous man," remarked one.

"Yes," said another, "he got some book-learning somewhere, and that has
spoiled him."

An effort was then made to learn from Jerome where he had learned to
read, bu