[_Cunningly._] Oh, don’ yo’ botheh youah haid long er dat. I bin down low and folks trample me des same as a wu’m, but now I’m goin’ spread my wings an’ sting ’em like a king bee. Whaffo’ I lay dere an’ let’m trample me? ’Twere because I lack conferdence. I puts my ’pen’ance on dis promis’, I puts my ’pen’ance on dat, an’ dey all fails me. LUCY You ain’t neveh put youah trus’ in Gawd. MADISON Yassuh, I did, an’ Gawd He up an’ gimme de go-by too. What He bin doin’ fo’ me? Nuthin’. Now I goin’ spit on my han’s an’ whu’l in an’ trus’ myse’f. An’ I feels lots betteh. I can feel conferdence wukin’ all oveh me. I casts ’em all off. I’m lookin’ out fo’ myse’f. M-m-m—It took me long time to git heah but now I’m heah let ’em look out for me. [_His voice rises to a chant._] M—m—m—Midnight on de sea. All de lights out. I’m carryin’ hod on Jacob’ laddeh to build me a new house an’ I’m buildin’ it high, man. Don’ tech me. I’m a flame of fieh an’ I’ll singe you sho’. If dey asks fo’ me tell ’em say, “I saw somethin’ sailin’ up but he was headin’ fo’ a high hill on de sun an’ my eyes failed me.” Tell ’em say, “He had de fo’ win’s runnin’ like stallions to fetch up wif him but dey carried ’em out, an’ buried ’em in de valley. He bus’ dere hea’ts!” Tell ’em say, “He was herdin’ lightnin’s like sheep an’ dey wuz too slow an’ he picked ’em up an’ sheared ’em an’ sent ’em home.” Dat’s me, I’m de one you’ll be talkin’ bout. Fer why? ’Cause I cas’ off ever’thing an’ I puts my trus’ in myself an’ nuthin’ can’t hole me. De mo’ I says it de mo’ I feels conferdence. I feels it a wukin’. LUCY You goin’ to wuk, Madison? MADISON Yes, indeedy. I got to wuk an’ wuk ha’d. I can’t shirk none. LUCY What wuk you goin’ to do? MADISON I’m a stock brokin’ man. I goin’ into de stock brokin’ business tomorrer. LUCY How? MADISON Buyin’ an’ sellin’, dat’s how an’ which too. LUCY De Devil’s wrastlin’ wif you, Madison, an’ you’s perishin’ fas’. Ef you keeps on in dis paf you’ll lan’ mongs’ de rocks er mournin’. You’s let somebody tu’n you roun’. MADISON Not me. Nobody can’t tu’n me roun’. I dreamed it an’ I dreamed it right, face fo’mos’ an’ on de run. LUCY How dream? MADISON Las’ night an’ day befo’ yistiddy night an’ night befo’ dat. I wuz layin’ groanin’, “O Lawd, how long,” an’ I heah a voice say, “Git up an’ come a-runnin’.” Looks up an’ sees a fine w’ite saddle hoss. Hoss say, “Ride me right an’ I’ll guide you right.” On I gits an’ off he goes, slick as a rancid transom car. Comes to high hill lookin’ down on de sun an’ moon. Hoss stop an’ say, “Brung you heah to give you noos De worl’ is youahn to pick an’ choose.” I ax him “How dat?” Hoss say: “How is how an’ why is why, Buy low an’ sell high.” I say to him, “I got no money to buy. Wheah I goin’ git de fun’s to buy low?” Hoss respon’: