"Engage him!" exclaimed Twining—"why, you surprise me, Western—the thing's absurd; engage a coloured boy as under clerk! I never heard of such a thing."
"I have often," drawled Western; "there are the gweatest number of them in
New Orleans."
"Ah, but New Orleans is a different place; such a thing never occurred in
Philadelphia."
"Well, let us cweate a pwecedent, then. The boy wites wemarkably well, and will, no doubt, suit us exactly. It will be a chawity to take him. We need not care what others say—evewybody knows who we are and what we are?"
"No, Western; I know the North better than you do; it wouldn't answer at all here. We cannot take the boy—it is impossible; it would create a rumpus amongst the clerks, who would all feel dreadfully insulted by our placing a nigger child on an equality with them. I assure you the thing is out of the question."
"Well, I must say you Northern people are perfectly incompwehensible. You pay taxes to have niggers educated, and made fit for such places—and then won't let them fill them when they are pwepared to do so. I shall leave you, then, to tell them we can't take him. I'm doosed sowwy for it—I like his looks."
Whilst Mr. Western and his partner were discussing in one room, Charlie and
Esther were awaiting with some anxiety their decision in the other.
"I think they are going to take me," said Charlie; "you saw how struck they appeared to be with the writing."
"They admired it, I know, my dear; but don't be too sanguine."
"I feel sure they are going to take me," repeated he with a hopeful countenance.