“Good. And now, as to the second part, Mr. Peace?”
“I leave it to your better judgment, sir.”
“Nay, I think you are the best qualified to determine as to that,” returned his companion, courteously.
“If I might suggest, then,” said Peace, “I will come on as a nigger, give a sort of medley on the violin, and finish up by performing on one string only. I have been tolerably successful in this, and find it generally pleases the people.”
“I’ve no doubt it does. We’ve got a young gentleman—a volunteer—who is well up in nigger melodies. Would you like him to assist you in this part of the performance?”
“Yes, most certainly. He will black his face, I suppose?”
“Oh, most willingly; nothing would please him better. I will introduce you to him, and there will be but little difficulty, I think, about the matter. You can consult together.”
The preliminaries being satisfactorily settled, nothing remained but the rehearsals.
These Peace attended with unvarying punctuality, and the several performers got tolerably perfect before the night on which they were to appear.
A large building—one of the parish schoolrooms, and which was frequently made use of as a lecture hall, was placed at the disposal of the managing committee.