"Dat's diff'ent. I's jined to my husban'." And then petulantly: "I do
wish you'd hu'y up an' git yo' free papahs, Ben."

"Dey'll be a long time a-comin'," he said; "yeahs f'om now. Mebbe I'd
abettah got mine fust."

She looked up at him with a quick, suspicious glance. When she was
alone again she took her papers and carefully hid them.

"I's free," she whispered to herself, "an' I don' expec' to nevah be a
slave no mo'."

She was further excited by the moving North of one of the free
families with which she had been associated. The emigrants had painted
glowing pictures of the Eldorado to which they were going, and now
Viney's only talk in the evening was of the glories of the North. Ben
would listen to her unmoved, until one night she said:

"You ought to go North when you gits yo' papahs."

Then he had answered her, with kindling eyes:

"No, I won't go Nawth! I was bo'n an' raised in de Souf, an' in de
Souf I stay ontwell I die. Ef I have to go Nawth to injoy my freedom I
won't have it. I'll quit wo'kin fu' it."

Ben was positive, but he felt uneasy, and the next day he told his
master of the whole matter, and Mr. Raymond went down to talk to
Viney.