the hollow cheeks could not disguise the face that she loved so well. A
sharp cry burst from her, and she made an attempt to rush towards him,
but the iron grip of Peter restrained her.

"It's a dead man he'll be if you do!" he said, in a stern but low tone.
"Don't you see de janissary? Your _promise_--"

"Yes, yes! I'll restrain myself _now_, Peter. Do let me stay a
minute--just to look--"

"No, _no_! Come 'long wid you--idle t'ing!" he exclaimed, with sudden
severity, and apparent though not real violence, for at the moment his
watchful eye had observed one of the slave guards approaching them.

As the two went hurriedly past the place where Hugh Sommers was sitting,
he looked up with an expression of pity.

"Poor thing!" he said. "The black scoundrel is cruel to you, and I am
powerless to kick him!"

He clinked the fetters on his legs significantly as he spoke.

The mingled pathos and indignation of the loved voice was too much for
poor Hester. She was on the point of exclaiming "Father!" when Peter's
great black paw extinguished her mouth, and was not removed till they
were out of danger.

"You's like all de rest ob de womans," said the negro, as they hurried
through the streets; "awrful dif'cult to manidge. Come 'long, we'll go
home and hab a talk ober it."

Hester was too miserable to reply. She did not again speak till they
were both safe in the boudoir.

There she sat down on the bed, laid her face in her hands, and burst
into a passion of tears, while Peter stood looking on, his head nearly
touching the low ceiling, his bulky frame filling half the remainder of
the little room, and two mighty unbidden tears in his great eyes.

"Das right, Geo'giana," he said, in a soft voice; "cry away, it'll do
you good. Nuffin like cryin' w'en you's fit to bust! An' w'en you's
got it ober we'll talk all about it."

"Oh, Peter!" cried Hester, drying her eyes somewhat impatiently; "how
_could_ you be so cruel? Why--why could you not have waited just one
minute to let me look at him?"

"Because, my dear, de man wid de whip was comin', an' he'd bery soon hab
laid it across my back," replied the negro gently.

"And what if he had done so?" demanded Hester, with a slight touch of
indignation; "could you not have suffered a little whipping for my
sake?"

"Yes, Geo'giana," returned Peter, with much humility, "I could suffer
great deal more'n dat for your sake; but dere's no sich t'ings as
_little_ whip