am hopelessly in love with her--Platonically, that is--but
I fear you won't understand what that means--"

The midshipman stopped abruptly. For the first time since they became
acquainted he saw a grave expression of decided disapproval on the face
of his sable friend.

"Geo'ge," said Peter solemnly, "you tell me you hab took 'vantage ob
bein' invited to your master's house to make lub--plo--plotummikilly or
oderwise--to your master's slabe?"

"No, Peter, I told you nothing of the sort. The meeting with Hester was
purely accidental--at least it was none of my seeking--and I did _not_
make love to her--"

"Did _she_ make lub to you, Geo'ge--plo--plotummikilly."

"Certainly not. She came to ask about her poor father, and I saw that
she is far too young to _think_ of falling in love at all. What I said
was that _I_ have fallen hopelessly in love, and that as I cannot hope
that she will ever be--be _mine_, I have made up my mind to love her
hopelessly, but loyally, to the end of life, and serve or die for her if
need be."

"Oh! das all right, Geo'ge. If dat's what you calls plo--plotummik
lub--lub away, my boy, as hard's you kin. Same time, I's not kite so
sure dat she's too young to hub. An' t'ings ain't allers as hopeless as
dey seems. But now, what's dis you bin do here? My! How pritty. Oh!
das _real_ bootiful. But what's you got in de ceiling--de sun, eh?"

He pointed to the dab of crimson-lake.

Foster explained that it was merely a "bit of colour."

"Ob course! A cow wid half an eye could see dat!"

"Well--but I mean--it's a sort of--a kind of--tone to paint up to."

"H'm! das strange now. I don't hear no sound nowhar!"

"Well, then, it's a shadow, Peter."

"Geo'ge," said the negro, with a look of surprise, "I do t'ink your
plo-plotummik lub hab disagreed wid you. Come 'long to de kitchen an'
hab your supper--it's all ready."

So saying, he went off with his friend and confidant to the culinary
region, which was also the _salle a manger_ of the slaves.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

A SEVERE TRIAL--SECRET COMMUNICATION UNDER DIFFICULTIES, AND SUDDEN
FLIGHT.

The devotion of our middy to the fine arts was so satisfactory in its
results that Ben-Ahmed set him to work at various other apartments in
his dwelling when the first drawing was nearly finished.

We say nearly finished, because, owing to some unaccountable whim, the
Moor would not allow the first drawing to be completed. When Foster