He was quite closeshe could hear the thud of his step on the soft earth. Her hands grasped the two gate-posts, and she leaned forward over the gate, so that her face caught the faint radiance that still lingered in the zenith. He had stopped singing, but she could see him now distinctlya tall, loosely-built figure, with dark face, and woolly hair like a nigger's, while his seaman's earrings caught the starlight."Saints protect us! not dead!" exclaimed the foreman. The man nodded assent:"Then, by the green wax! we shall lose two of the best jobs we have had these three years. Come, come, Harvey, you only banterthe knave is lazy.""Holgrave," resumed the steward, with an incredulous smile, "has no intention of shortening his life:" and then he strove, with all his eloquence, to persuade her it was a mere feint.
"Thank you, steward," replied Oakley, smiling, "but I would rather wait a few minutes. To be sure, it is a hard thing to be fasting from drink for two whole days! but then it is better than being a prisoner. We will be good friends, master Calverley, but we will not put too much faith in one another. And, as for taking your lifean idea which did occur to me just nowby the green wax! I don't think I could do it. To be sure, sometimes an odd fit comes upon me, but I believe, after all, the pen suits my hand better than the sword; nevertheless, to come to the point, steward, I must have money. I am going to turn an honest man; to gain the bondman his freedom, and the free man justice. You need not smile, for I have sworn to be a leader of the people.""Chivalrous, humane man!well, anyhow I'm not anyone you can beat, so I dare askis it worth while?""Noand mark you, nor am I. It 'ud have been worse for me if I'd stayed. I'm miserable in a different way from what I was theresomehow the life's easier. I'm not happy, but I'm jolly. I'm not good, but I'm pleasant-like. It's all a change for the better. See?""It struck me that you might have some natural affection."
