But with all their negro-pigeon-English they were hospitable enough, and nothing would have delighted the worthy couple more than our acceptance of their proffered entertainment for many weeks. “Yes, stop here; we will make you perfectly happy and at home; the house is yours and all the servants, my horses and buggies (he had one of each), and my fishing rods are at your disposal if only you will remain.” We could not stop, since we were more than seventy miles from the capital and were due to catch a boat in two days. The hostess bewailed the poverty of the household. “In the period of my grandfather you would not have been permitted to depart in this manner. Then we should have been able to place at your convenience many horses and buggies, so that you could have travelled to Kingston by road, and not in a railway train with negroes. If only we had slaves again and protection also, then you would be able to stop in Jamaica in comfort and luxury.” “But, my dear,” remonstrated the husband, “slavery is a thing not to be desired by us cultured gentlemen and ladies. We must protect the weak and fallen; it is our _juty_ to heaven to _succure_ the black heathen of the negroid race. Never say words in praise of slavery. Our _juty_ is to helevate the trampled negroid to our condition of education and refinement.” The lady, so heavily admonished, wept copiously and the man frowned heavily to emphasise the weight of his admonitory disquisition. We moved uneasily in our chairs and I fingered my watch; it is unusual to be confronted by a lady’s tears at an afternoon tea function. “Pray do not go,” said the lady. “Pardon these weakly tears. I feel for my husband. I think of the many thousands of pounds sterling he has been wasted of by the loss of slavery and the sugar duty. I weep for the nobleness he shows in speaking like that.” The frown on the husband’s face became intensified and he gave evidence of the possibility of a new outburst. But I boldly intervened with--“But after all what is a nigger compared with the comfort of white men?” “That’s just it,” replied our host; “you’ve just hit it. What is a nigger? He is our unequal in every manner. He is but little better than the animals and beasts of the fields. But just to study him the British Government has spread ruination throughout Jamaica. That is just what I say. What is a nigger that he should have dispoiled me of my wealth?” While he was delivering himself of this vehement contradiction of his former chastened sentiments it was quite obvious that the nigger he so much despised was in reality his natural grandmother. Our hostess flung aside her eye-glasses and the effect was similar to opening of the lock-gates on the upper reaches of the Thames. The tears poured forth in a copious stream of weeping.