You po’ sufferin’ gal, I won’ lay nothin’ onto ’im but I’m a-goin’ to tek sumpin’ off’n you. I’m goin’ tek de burding er dish yere pack er laziness off’n you. An’ fus’ I wants ter show you dish yere piece er papeh. [_He produces a folded document and opens it._] Does yo’ know who wrote it? Answeh me. [_He shoves the paper under MADISON’S eye._] MADISON It looks like dat Wilson Byrd’s writin’. WILLIAMS Yassuh, an’ what’s mo’ it is dat man’s writin’. It’s his confession dat he fo’ge Lucy Sparrow’s name. I saw dat man steal my guitar an’ follered him home. Dah I grabbed him, dah I foun’ de purse wif Lucy’s name inside an’ dah I made dat thief write out his confession. Knowed so much of his meanness already dat he had to do hit. An’ now I owns you. Does you undehstan’ dat? Answeh me. MADISON Yas suh, no suh. WILLIAMS Well, I’ll take’n cl’ar up de myst’ry fer you. I got dis confession outer Byrd an’ I got other things ter prove hit an’ I kin bring him an’ you too, bofe befo’ de gran’ jury. LUCY Oh, my sweet Jesus, save him. [_The old man stands watching the two before him for some time in silence. LUCY falls on her knees before him._] Oh, don’t sen’ Madison to de lawyers. WILLIAMS No, Lucy, I ain’ wishful ter. LUCY You won’t? WILLIAMS Mebbe not. But fus’, les’ put all dis talk aside dat I bin talkin’ up to now. I bin puttin’ on an’ pretendin’ in ordeh ter try you bofe an’ sif’ de chaff from de grain in you. I des bin playin’ wif you ter see how good you is an’ how ornry dish yere man er youahn is. Yit I’ll take an’ give him er chance even so, an’ I’ll pluck him f’um de bu’nin’ ef he follers de paf I p’ints out ter him. But we all got ter have cl’ar unde’stan’in’ ’bout dat. Fus’ an’ fo’mos’ youah money is all safe wif me. De house is youah’n. LUCY You means you sell it fer de money. WILLIAMS In co’se. You didn’t speck I’d steal too, like a w’ite man, did you? I’ll fetch you de deeds fo’ hit fus’ thing in de mo’nin’. LUCY Oh, fu’give me, I was all mix up. But you won’ sen’ Madison to de gran’ jury neitheh? WILLIAMS I say I ain’ honin’ ter. LUCY Oh, my Makeh, I thank Thee fo’ Thy mercy. WILLIAMS But I shorely goin’ to put dis man er youah’n th’oo er tes’ ter see whetheh he’s fitten ter keep out er jail. Madison, will you tek er tes’? MADISON [_Humbly._] Yassuh. What is it? WILLIAMS A guitar. MADISON A guitar! WILLIAMS Yassuh, dat’s hit, no mo’ ner no less. I’m goin’ give you dat guitar—but—dere’s suhtinly goin’ to be a string tied to it. You kin take dat guitar but you got to make somethin’ outer yourself wif her or back she’ll come to me. You kin give lessons an’ learn folks music or you kin write down de music you make, but you got to do somethin’ wif it fer Lucy. You got to wake up or I’ll take de guitar. Which’ll it be? Make youah choice. MADISON [_Crushed._] I’ll—keep de guitar. WILLIAMS