“And so, Joe, you overheard the whole matter?”
“Which I did, sir, and shocked I was to think as any false charges should cause my dear young missus to run away from home in the night-time, like a fusible slave. And hurt I was to think you didn’t trust into me instead of into he.”
“Well, Joe, it appears to me that you were resolved to take our trust, if we did not give it to you. What brought you here this morning?”
“Coffee, sir,” gravely answered Joe, getting up off the hamper and beginning to untie its fastenings.
“What?” demanded Mr. Berners, gathering his brows into a frown.
“Coffee!” reiterated Joe, as he took from the hamper a small silver coffee-pot, a pair of cups and saucers, spoons, plates, and knives and forks, a bottle of cream, and several small packets containing all that was needful for breakfast.
“Joe! this was very kind and thoughtful of you; but was it quite safe for you to come here with a hamper on your back in open day?” inquired Mr. Berners.
“Lord bless you, sir! safe as safe! I took by-paths, and didn’t see a creetur, not one! Why, lord, sir, you had better a-trusted into me from the beginning, than into Capping Pendulum. Bress your soul, marser, there an’t that white man going, nor yet that red injun, that can aiqual a colored gentleman into hiding and seeking!”
“I can well believe that.”
“Why, marser!—but you don’t ’member that time I got mad long o’ old Marse Bertram Berners, ’bout blaming of me for the sorrell horse falling lame; and I run away?”