BRIGHTLY. Why, bless your heart, there ain’t a nigger or white woman in Creelsboro’ that wouldn’t die for her! She’s one er the institutions of that place. MYERS. Worth about a thousand more, I suppose, on account of that! Never saw a Tennessee trader that didn’t have sixteen or seventeen hundred dollars’ worth of extra virtues in his particular nigger! BRIGHTLY. On er bright, and no blowin’! MYERS. Oh the south is full of them! BRIGHTLY. Then go and buy ’em. MYERS. Brightly, I don’t know why, but I have just taken a liking to that little romp. She is pretty and fresh as a new picture. Say, she hasn’t been married? BRIGHTLY. Not a bit of it. She’s only jest sixteen. MYERS. Say, I will give twelve hundred for her, because you and I are old friends. BRIGHTLY. No, yer don’t! MYERS. Fifteen? BRIGHTLY. It’s no use talkin’! If I should sell that little brat, there would be hell to pay in Creelsboro’ for two years. MYERS. Now look here, Brightly; when I take a liking I am willing to pay for it. I am going to make you an offer you won’t refuse—twenty-five hundred! BRIGHTLY. You had better wait and see if you get by Hood in the morning. MYERS. I shall kill him at the first shot. BRIGHTLY. But he fires once, himself. MYERS. He will die too soon for that. I have never found it necessary to fire twice. The other man always forgets to finish his business. BRIGHTLY. Why, Myers, you hain’t no more idea of what there is in that gal, than you have of kingdom come. (_Blows a whistle, and Zina dashes in R, looking inquiringly._) Ain’t that jest the handsomest piece of furnicher ye ever looked at? MYERS. Beautiful! BRIGHTLY. Now I jest want you to hear her sing. Now, little one, hoe in. Do yer handsomest, and I’ll give yer four days off. ZINA. Oh please, master, I feel so bad today. (_Falling on her knees and covering her face._) BRIGHTLY (_Rising and drawing a whip from under his coat._) Ah ha! Sulks again? Niggers don’t say won’t to me. ZINA. Please don’t make me sing, master, today. (_Falls on face sobbing._) BRIGHTLY (_interrupting_). Ah, you won’t, hey? Then I will give you something to sulk for. (_Advances towards her, and D’Arneaux steps between. They look each other in the face a moment. Brightly goes to seat again._) The young one ain’t well today. MYERS. Well, three thousand. BRIGHTLY. (_Catching a look from D’Arneaux._) I’ll tell ye tomorrow. MYERS. I’ll bet ye five hundred on this hand without lookin’. (_D’A. raises Zina up to knees. She clings to D’A.’s hands—face hid._) BRIGHTLY. All right. My chance is as good as your’n, then. Show! MYERS (_as both show_). Got ye! This is a matter of pure luck, and may as well be done blindfolded. Do you know I lost fifteen thousand dollars once in Havana at one sitting? BRIGHTLY. Enough to make me rich! (_Rests face on hands._)