"`Is _he_ all safe, Angelica,' says I--`massa, I mean?' "`Oh, I t'ought you meant de Dey!' says she. `Oh yes; massa's all right; nuffin'll kill massa, he's tough. And de Dey, he's all right too.' "`Das good, Angelica,' says I, feelin' quite sweet, for I was beginnin' to remember what had took place. "`Yes, das _is_ good,' says she; `an', Peter, your fortin's made!' "`Das awk'ard,' says I, `for I ain't got no chest or strong box ready to put it in. But now tell me, Angelica, if my fortin's made, will you marry me, an' help to spend it?' "`Yes, I will,' says she. "I was so took by surprise, Geo'ge, when she say dat, I sprung up on one elber, an' felled down agin wid a howl, for two o' my ribs had been broke. "`Neber mind de yells, Angelica,' says I, `it's only my leetle ways. But tell me why you allers refuse me before an' accep' me _now_. Is it--de--de fortin?' Oh, you should have seen her pout w'en I ax dat. Her mout' came out about two inch from her face. I could hab kissed it--but for de broken ribs. "`No, Peter, for shame!' says she, wid rijeous indignation. `De fortin hab nuffin to do wid it, but your own noble self-scarifyin' bravery in presentin' your buzzum to de Dey ob Algiers.' "`T'ank you, Angelica,' says I. `Das all comfrably settled. You's a good gall, kiss me now, an' go away.' "So she gib me a kiss an' I turn round an' went sweetly to sleep on de back ob dat--for I was awrful tired, an' de ribs was creakin' badly." "Did you marry Angelica?" asked our middy, with sympathetic interest. "Marry her! ob course I did. Two year ago. Don' you know it's her as cooks all our wittles?" "How could I know, Peter, for you never call her anything but `cook?' But I'm glad you have told me, for I'll regard her now with increased respect from this day forth." "Das right, Geo'ge. You can't pay 'er too much respec'. Now we'll go an' look at de works." The part of the wall which the slaves were repairing was built of great blocks of artificial stone or concrete, which were previously cast in wooden moulds, left to harden, and then put into their assigned places by slave-labour. As Foster was watching the conveyance of these blocks, it suddenly occurred to him that Hester Sommers's father might be amongst them, and he scanned every face keenly as the slaves passed to and fro, but saw no one who answered to the description given him by the daughter.