"Dar she is now!" exclaimed Calla. "Miss Calline, I was jes’ awn my way over hyah to ax yoh advice as to what I shall do wid dat no ’count Lily ob mine, when erlong come Sis Tempy in de Barnwells’ cah’yall, sent by Miss Flower to say will you please come over to see de baby right away, en Sis Tempy done fetch me wid her." "Is anything wrong with the baby?" asked Carolina, quickly. "No’m! no’m!" cried Tempy. "Miss Flowah got somepin’ mighty fine to show you. Miss Callina, de lill fellah kin see!" "Oh, Tempy, how glad I am to hear it!" "Well’m, I reckon you is de one what otto hyah it fust," said the old woman, with a shrewd glance. "Why, what do you mean?" asked Carolina. The three women settled themselves with such an air of having come to the point that Carolina felt reasonably sure that they had been discussing the affair, and that further concealment was no longer of any avail. She was surprised to see that, instead of the hostility she had feared, each old woman had the appearance of eager curiosity if not of real interest. "I means, Miss Callina, dat I believes--we all believes--dat you done kunjered" (conjured) "de chile en kyored him," said Calla. "I ain’t a-saying dat," put in Tempy. "I ain’t a-saying but what you is raised de spell what de voodoo done put awn de chile." "En I tells um, Miss Callina," ventured Rose Maud, Carolina’s own cook, "dat hit’s yoh new religion what done it, en I tole em I believed dat you is de Lawd Jesus come down to yearth de secon’ time, wid power to heal de sick, to cast out debbils, en to raise de dead." "Rose Maud, Jesus was a man, and you know that He will never take the form of a woman," said Carolina, "so don’t ever say such a foolish thing again. But He gave that power to His disciples, and this new religion of mine you are talking about gives that same power both to men and women." "Miss Callina," cried Tempy and Calla at the same time, "has you got dat power?" "Ask Rose Maud," said Carolina. "I done tole ’em, Miss Callina," cried Rose Maud. "But dey is bofe doubtin’ Thomases. Dey won’t believe until dey sees." "Miss Callina," pleaded Calla, "I cain’t believe jis’ caze I _wants tuh so bad_. Ef you kin mek me believe, I would fall down awn my face wid joy. I ain’t never been satisfied wid no religion. Sis Tempy will tell you. Ise done jined de chutch en fell from grace mo’ times den I kin count. But, missy, _even niggers_ want a trufe dat dey kin cling tuh!" "Dat’s a fack, Miss Callina!" broke in Aunt Tempy. "En ef you will jis’ put awn yoh hat en go wid us in de Barnwells’ cah’yall, en ’splain t’ings to us lake Jesus done when He tuk de walk to Emyus" (Emmaus), "you will be talkin’ to thirsty sinners what are des a-begging of you fur de water ob life!"