He rose and bowed to the judges.
“I gotter ax de cote ter perteck me, gemmens,” he said falteringly.
“What do you mean?” asked a judge.
“Dat nigger Alfred dar tryin’ ter steal my wife from me, sah!”
Alfred grinned, and patted Aunt Julie Ann’s hand and whispered: “Doan min’ de low-live rascal, honey!”
“Yassah, an’ my wife come here tryin’ ter timidate me, sah. She jes fetch er par er my ole shoes inter dis cote. She’s a cunjer ‘oman, sah. I try ter sanctify her, but she won’t stay sanctified. She got a kink er my hair las’ night and wrap it up in a piece er paper and put it under de cote house do’ step, an’ she say dat ef I walk over dat into dis house ter-day an’ jestify ergin Marse John Graham she fling er spell over me. I ax de cote fer perfection, sah. I axes de Sheriff ter take dat bunch er hair from under dem steps fo’ I say annuder word!”
“Silence, sir, and proceed with your testimony,” said the Judge.
Aunt Julie Ann fanned her fat face, smiled at Stella and Susie and quietly slipped her hand in Alfred’s.
Isaac dropped into his chair limp and crestfallen. In a sort of dazed trance he kept his eye fixed on Alfred’s face grinning in triumph.
John’s lawyer pounced on him in sudden sharp accents.