[begin page 219]

In the morning the world was still invisible, for the powdery snow was still sifting thickly down—noiselessly, now, for the wind had ceased to blow. The new devil appeared in the kitchen and scared aunt Rachel and uncle Jeff out of it, and they fled to the master's room with the tale. Hotchkiss explained the situation and told them there was no harm in this devil, but a great deal of good; and that he was the property of the wonderful boy, who had strongly recommended him.

“Is he a slave, Marse Oliver?”Ⓐalteration in the MS asked Rachel.

“Yes.”

“Well, den, dey oughtn't to be much harm in him, I reckon; but is he a real devil?”

“Yes, genuine.”

“Den how kin he be good?”

“Well, he is, anyway. We have been misinformed about devils. There's a great deal of ignorant prejudice around, concerning them. I want you to be friends with this one.”

“But how kin we, Marse Oliver?”Ⓐemendation asked uncle Jeff; “we's afraid of him. We'd like to be friends wid him, becase we's afraidⒶalteration in the MS of him, en if he stays on de place, 'course we gwyne to do de bes' we kin; but when he come a skippin' into de kitchen all red hot like a stack of fire-coals, bless you I didn't want nothin' to do wid him. Still, if he's willin' to be friends it ain't gwyne to answer for us to hold back, for Gawd on'y knows what he might do.”

“S'pose things don't go to suit him, Marse Oliver,” said Rachel, “What he gwyne do den?”

“Really, you needn't worry, Rachel, he has a kind disposition, and moreover he wants to be useful—I know it.”

“Why, Marse Oliver, he'll take en tear up all de hymn-books en—”

“No he won't; he's perfectly civil and obliging, and he'll do anything he is asked to do.”

[begin page 220]

“Is dat so?”

“I know it.”

“But what kin he do, Marse Oliver? he's so little, en den he don't know our ways.”

“Oh, he can do anything—shovel snow, for instance.”

“My! kin he do dat?” asked Jeff. “If he'll do dat, I's his friend, for one—right on de spot!”

“Yes, and he can run errands—any errand you want, Rachel.”

“Dat 'ud come mighty handy, Marse Oliver,” said Rachel, relenting; “he can't run none now, 'course, but if de snow ‘uz gone—”

“He'll run them for you, I know he will; I wish he were here, I—”

Edward Nicholson Hotchkiss appeared in their midst, and the negroes scrambled for the door, but he was there first and barred the way. He smiled an eager and fiery smile, and said—

“I've been listening. I want to be friends—don't be afraid. Give me an errand—I'll show you.”

Rachel's teeth chattered a little, and her breath came short and she was as pale as bronze; but she found her tongue, and said—

“I's yo'Ⓐalteration in the MS friend—I is, I swah it. Be good to me en ole Jeff, honey—don't hurt us; don't do us no harm, for yo' ma's sake.”

“Hurt you?—no. Give me an errand—I'll show you.”

“But chile, dey ain't no errand; de snow's so deep, en you'd catch cold, anyway, de way you's been raised. But sakes, if you'd been here yistiddy evenin'—Marse Oliver I clean forgot de cream, en dey ain't a drop for yo' breakfast.”

“I'll fetch it,” said Edward,Ⓐalteration in the MS “Go down—you'll find it on the table.”

He disappeared. The negroes were troubled, and did not know what to make of this. They were afraid of him again; he must be off his balance, for he could not run errands in this weather. Hotchkiss smoothed away their fears with persuasive speeches, and they presently went below, where they found the new servant trying to tame the cat and not succeeding; but the cream was there, and their respect for Edward and his abilities received a great impulse.