the Governor, like the drunkard, often felt ashamed of himself, and
sometimes wished that he were a better man, while the man-stealer
gloried in his deeds, and had neither wish nor intention to improve.

"Maraquita," said Senhor Letotti, still somewhat petulantly, though with
more of remonstrance in his tone, "how can you speak so foolishly? It
was out of my power you know, to speak to you when you were absent about
what I intended to do. Besides, I was, at the time, very much in need
of some ready money, for, although I am rich enough, there are times
when most of my capital is what business men called `locked up,' and
therefore not immediately available. In these circumstances, Marizano
came to me with a very tempting offer. But there are plenty of
good-looking, amiable, affectionate girls in Africa. I can easily buy
you another slave quite as good as Azinte."

"As good as Azinte!" echoed Maraquita wildly, starting up and gazing at
her father with eyes that flashed through her tears, "Azinte, who has
opened her heart to me--her bursting, bleeding heart--and told me all
her former joys and all her present woes, and who loves me as she
loves--ay, better than she loves--her own soul, merely because I dropped
a few tears of sympathy on her little hand! Another as good as Azinte!"
she cried with increasing vehemence; "would _you_ listen with patience
to any one who should talk to you of another as good as Maraquita?"

"Nay, but," remonstrated the Governor, "you are now raving; your
feelings towards Azinte cannot be compared with my love for _you_."

"If you loved me as I thought you did, you would not--you could not--
have thus taken from me my darling little maid. Oh! shame, shame on
you, father--"

She could say no more, but rushed from the room to fling herself down
and sob out her feelings in the privacy of her own chamber, where she
was sought out by the black cook, who had overheard some of the
conversation, and was a sympathetic soul. But that amiable domestic
happened to be inopportunely officious; she instantly fled from the
chamber, followed by the neatest pair of little slippers imaginable,
which hit her on the back of her woolly head,--for Maraquita, like other
spoilt children, had made up her mind _not_ to be comforted.

Meanwhile the Governor paced the floor of his drawing-room with uneasy
feelings, which, however, were suddenly put to flight by the report of a
gun. Hastening to the window, he