"Yassam."
"I want you to tell the major our secret to-night. He'll be proud and happy in his victory and I want him to know at once."
The black woman shook her head dubiously:
"Tell him yosef, honey!"
"But I'm afraid. The major frightens me. When I look into his deep eyes I feel that he has the power to crush the soul out of my body and that he will do it if I make him very angry."
"Dat's 'cause yer deceives him, child."
"Please tell him for us, Aunt Minerva! Oh, you've been so good to me! For the past weeks I've been in heaven. It seems only a day instead of a month since he told me his love and then it seems I've lived through all eternity since I first felt his arms about me. Sitting out there in the moonlight by his side I forget that I'm on earth, forget that there's a pain or a secret in it. I'm just in heaven. I have to pinch myself to see if it's real"—she smiled and pinched her arm—"I'm afraid I'll wake up and find it only a dream!"
"Well, yer better wake up just er minute an' tell de major—Mister Tom got ter have it out wid him."
"Yes, I know, and that's what scares me. Won't you tell him for us right away? Get him in a good humor, make him laugh, say a good word for us and then tell him. Tell him how useless it will be to oppose us. He can't hold out long against Tom, he loves him so."
"Mr. Tom want me ter tell de major ter-night? He ax yer ter see me?"