"Even if she is marryin' an old man an' a cast-off beau of her ma's, look at the ring he give her! A di'mon' big as my thumb-nail. She let me put it on my finger once, and it looked grand. Oh, my, I'd do 'most anything for a ring like that!" "Would you, really, Mag?" he asked curiously, wondering at the fascination shining bits of stone possess for women far more civilized than this little savage. "Do you think a diamond ring would make you any happier?" "In co'se it would," she said, impatiently. "Why?" "Oh, I dunno--it would make me look prettier, I expect." He said, kindly: "You do not need to look any prettier. You are quite pretty enough, as it is." Her whole expression changed. She gave him a conscious upward glance. "Am I? Why, Mr. Philip, I never thought a preacher'd notice how a gal looked!" It told him all and more than he wanted to know. He continued to meet her gaze with grave eyes, and after a moment her own dropped. "'T ain't much use bein' pretty round here," she muttered. "The city's the place for pretty gals." "Who told you that? The drummer I saw you talking with behind the village store a few days ago?" She tossed her head. "Well, what if it was? I got the right to pass the time o' day with a fellow, ain't I? You'd suppose I was in prison!" Philip sought out his lady again with a troubled heart. "Sorry to croak any more at this busy time, but Mag will bear watching. She's been seen about with men once or twice lately." Kate sighed with exasperation. "'Give a dog a bad name.' I shall have to acquire the hundred eyes of Argus to keep up with my household nowadays, it seems!" It was not the first warning that had come to her about her protégée. Big Liza, for years her confidential friend and ally, had said to her one day: "Dat white gal ain't keerin' so much about de chile no mo', Miss Kate. She's allus a-leavin' her with me, ef Miss Jacky ain't got her. Gawd He knows I ain't complainin' about havin' a chile aroun', seein' as how I done raise nine of my own, right heah under ma kitchen stove, like so many little puppy-dawgs. But dey wuz cullud chillun, an' dat's diffunt. Is dishyer hot kitchen any place to raise up a w'ite chile in? Now I ax you! 'Pears to me like dat gal don' keer for nothin' no mo' but traipsin' down to de sto' an' gallivantin' roun' de roads wid her fine clo'es on. She ain't no better'n a yaller nigger gal!" Kate asked reluctantly (she did not take kindly to spying), "Have you ever seen her with men, Liza?" The black woman compressed her lips. "No'm, Miss Kate, I ain't nebber prezackly _seed_ 'em--but laws, honey, dat kin' ob goin's-on don't aim to be seed!" Now that she had a more definite rumor to go by, Kate said sorrowfully to Philip, "You told me it was a mistake to bring her here in the first place. It seems to me I make a great many mistakes!" She sighed again. "At least," said he, "they are the sort of mistakes that will get you into heaven."