"There's more than surmise, sur. You know the plantation up behind the house, Mr. Blake?"
"The fir plantation? Very well."
"Well, sur, the night afore last I wur up there. They are hevin' a kind of Christmas-tree in one of the Sunday schools over in the willage to-night, and some o' the teachers came to the guv'nor and asked him for a tree to put some knick-knacks on. So he says to me, 'Simon,' says he, 'go up in the plantation and pull up a young fir tree, and then in the morning put it in the cart and take it over to the school-room.' This was day afore yesterday, in the afternoon. I was busy jist then, so I didn't go to the plantation till 'twas dusk. However, as you know, yer honour, 'tis moonlight, so I didn't trouble. Well, I got a young fir tree pulled up, and was jist a-going to light my pipe, when I see some figures a-comin' threw the plantation towards a summer-'ouse that was put up 'bout two year ago. So I lied luff. 'I believe,' I says, 'that it's that hinfidel and the skinny wirgin a-walkin' together.' They goes into the summer-'ouse, and then I creeps down, and gets behind a tree, but close enough to the couple to hear every word. Sure 'nough, sur, I wur right; it was the wirgin Staggles and this 'ere Woltaire.
"'They seemed quarrellin' like when I come up, for she wur sayin'—
"'Tis no use, she never will.'
"'Nonsense!' says he. 'Give her time, and poison her mind against that
Blake, and she'll come around.'
"'I've done that,' says she. 'I've told her that Mr. Blake is a regular male flirt; that he's had dozens of love affairs with girls; and, besides that, I told her that her marked preference for him was being talked about.'
"'Yes,' says Woltaire, 'and see how she's treated him since.'
"'True enough,' says she; 'but it's made her no softer towards you. If she avoids him, she dislikes you.'
"'And do you think she cares about Blake?' says he.