He drew it from his breast pocket and marked the sudden glisten of her eyes, reflecting the glisten of the gold in the silken mesh.
"Oui, c'est ça," said she, putting her hand out eagerly.
"I am afraid to give you this to-night," said Joseph.
"Oui," ventured she, dubiously, the lightning playing deep back in her eyes.
"You might be robbed," said Frowenfeld. "It is very dangerous for you to be out alone. It will not be long, now, until gun-fire." (Eight o'clock P.M.--the gun to warn slaves to be in-doors, under pain of arrest and imprisonment.)
The object of this solicitude shook her head with a smile at its gratuitousness. The smile showed determination also.
"Mo pas compren'," she said.
"Tell the lady to send for it to-morrow."
She smiled helplessly and somewhat vexedly, shrugged and again shook her head. As she did so she heard footsteps and voices in the door at her back.
"C'est ça" she said again with a hurried attempt at extreme amiability; "Dat it; oui;" and lifting her hand with some rapidity made a sudden eager reach for the purse, but failed.