CHAPTER XV. MR. JEKYL'S OPINIONS.

rs,forIsuspectedtherewasfalseplayandwelookedovertheemancipationlawstogether,andwefoundoutthat,asthelawstood,thedeedofemancipationwasnomorethansomuchwastepaper.Andso,yousee,sheandherchildrenarejustasmuchslavesasanyonherplantationandthewholeproperty,whichisworthahundredthousanddollars,belongstoyourfamily.Irodeoutwithhim,andlookedovertheplace,andgotintroducedtoherandherchildren,andlookedthemover.Consideredasproperty,Ishouldcallthemavaluablelot.Sheispastforty,butshedon'tlookolderthantwenty-sevenortwenty-eight,Ishouldsay.Sheisaverygood-lookingwoman,andthen,I'mtold,averycapablewoman.Well,herpriceinthemarketmightrangebetweenonethousandandfifteenhundreddollars.Smalleysaidhehadseennobetterarticlesoldfortwothousanddollarsbut,then,hesaid,theyhadtogiveafalsecertificateastotheage,—andthatIcouldn'thearof,forInevercountenanceanythinglikeuntruth.Then,thewoman'schildren:shehasgottwofine-lookingchildrenasIhaveeverseen—almostwhite.Theboyisabouttenyearsoldthelittlegirl,aboutfour.YoumaybesureIwasprettycarefulnottoleton,becauseIconsiderthewomanandchildrenareanimportantpartoftheproperty,and,ofcourse,nothinghadbetterbesaidaboutit,lestsheshouldbeoffbeforewearereadytocomedownonthem.Now,yousee,youGordonsaretheproperownersofthiswholepropertythereisn'ttheslightestdoubtinmymindthatyououghttoputinyourclaimimmediately.Theactofemancipationwascontrarytolaw,and,thoughthemanmeantwell,yetitamountedtoarobberyoftheheirs.Ideclare,itratherraisedmyindignationtoseethatcreaturesoeasyinthepossessionofpropertywhichofrightbelongstoyou.Now,ifIhaveonlytheconsentoftheheirs,Icangoonandcommenceoperationsimmediately." NinahadbeensittingregardingMr.Jekylwithafixedanddeterminedexpressionofcountenance.Whenhehadfinished,shesaidtohim,— "Mr.Jekyl,Iunderstandyouareanelderinthechurchisthattrue?" "Yes,MissGordon,Ihavethatprivilege,"saidMr.Jekyl,hissharp,businesstonesubsidingintoasigh. "Because,"saidNina,"Iamawildyounggirl,anddon'tprofesstoknowmuchaboutreligionbutIwantyoutotellme,asaChristian,ifyouthinkitwouldberig