stways I heard it up yonder at de house; but I didn't know nuffin'
'bout dis yere!"

"But Uncle Jovial did."

"Dat ole sinner has got eyes like gimlets, dey bores into eberyting!"

"But didn't he tell you?"

"Not a singly breaf! he better not! he know bery well it's much as his
ole wool's worf to say a word agin dat gal to me. No, he on'y say how
Miss Nora wer' bery ill, an' in want ob eberyting in de worl' an'
eberyting else besides. An' how here wer' a chance to 'vest our property
to 'vantage, by lendin' of it te de Lor', accordin' te de Scriptur's as
'whoever giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.' So I hunted up all I
could spare and fotch it ober here, little thinkin' what a sight would
meet my old eyes! Well, Lord!"

"But, Dinah," said the weeping Hannah, "you must not think ill of Nora!
She does not deserve it. And you must not, indeed."

"Chile, it aint for me to judge no poor motherless gal as is already
'peared afore her own Righteous Judge."

"Yes, but you shall judge her! and judge her with righteous judgment,
too! You have known her all your life--all hers, I mean. You put the
first baby clothes on her that she ever wore! And you will put the last
dress that she ever will! And now judge her, Dinah, looking on her pure
brow, and remembering her past life, is she a girl likely to have been
'led astray,' as you call it?"

"No, 'fore my 'Vine Marster in heaben, aint she? As I 'members ob de
time anybody had a-breaved a s'picion ob Miss Nora, I'd jest up'd an'
boxed deir years for 'em good--'deed me! But what staggers of me,
honey, is _dat!_ How de debil we gwine to 'count for _dat?_" questioned
old Dinah, pointing in sorrowful suspicion at the child.

For all answer Hannah beckoned to the old woman to watch her, while she
untied from Nora's neck a narrow black ribbon, and removed from it a
plain gold ring.

"A wedding-ring!" exclaimed Dinah, in perplexity.

"Yes, it was put upon her finger by the man that married her. Then it
was taken off and hung around her neck, because for certain reasons she
could not wear it openly. But now it shall go with her to the grave in
its right place," said Hannah, as she slipped the ring upon the poor
dead finger.

"Lor', child, who was it as married of her?"

"I cannot tell you. I am bound to secrecy."

The old negress shook her head slowly and doubtfully.

"I's no misdoubts as she was innocenter dan a lamb, herself, for she do
look it as she lay dar wid de