The first man my eyes fell upon was Parson Downs, lolling in a chair

by the fireless hearth, for there was no call for fire that May

night. His bulk of body swept in a vast curve from his triple chin

to the floor, and his great rosy face was so exaggerated with

merriment and good cheer that it looked like one seen in the shining

swell of a silver tankard. When Nick Barry finished a roaring song,

he stamped and clapped and shouted applause till it set off the

others with applause of it, and the place was a pandemonium. Then

that same coloured woman who had parleyed with me the other day, and

was that night glowing like a savage princess--as in truth she

may have been, for she had a high look as of an unquenched spirit,

in spite of her degradation of body and estate--went about with

a free swinging motion of hips, bearing a tray filled with pewter

mugs of strong spirits. Around this woman's neck glittered row on

row of beads, and she wore a great flame-coloured turban, and long

gold eardrops dangled to her shoulders against the glossy blackness

of her cheeks, and bracelets tinkled on her polished arms, which

were mighty shapely, though black. In faith, the wench, had she but

possessed roses and lilies for her painting, instead of that

duskiness as of the cheek of midnight, had been a beauty such as was

seldom seen.

Her dark face was instinct with mirth and jollity, and,

withal, a fierce spark in the whitening roll of her eyes under her

flame-coloured turban made one think of a tiger-cat, and roused that

knowledge of danger which adds a tingle to interest. A man could

scarce take his eyes from her, though there were other women there

and not uncomely ones. Another black wench there was, clad as gayly,

but sunk in a languorous calm like a great cat, with Nick Barry, now

his song was done, lolling against her, and two white women, one

young and well favoured, and the other harshly handsome, both with

their husbands present, and I doubt not decent women enough, though

something violent of temper. As I entered, Mistress Allgood, one of

them, begun a harangue at the top of a shrill voice, with her

husband plucking vainly at her sleeve to temper her vehemence.

Mistress Allgood was long and lean, and gaunt, with red fires in the

hollows of her cheeks and a compelling flash of black eyes under

straight frowning brows. "Gentlemen," said she--"be quiet, John

Allgood, my speech I will have, since thou being a man hath not the

tongue of one. I pray ye, gentlemen listen to my cause of complaint.

Here my goodman and me did come to this oppressed colony of

Virginia, seven years since, having together laid by fifty pound

from the earnings of an inn called the Jolly Yeoman in Norfolkshire,

in which for many years we had run long scores with little return,

and we bought a small portion of land and planted tobacco, and set

out trees. Then came the terror of the Indians, and Governor

Berkeley, always in wait for the word of the king, and doing

nothing, and once was our house burned, and we escaped barely with

our lives, and then came Nat Bacon, and blessings upon him, for he

made the beginning of a good work. And then did the soldiers riding

to meet him, so trample down our tobacco fields with horse hoofs,

that the leaves lay in a green pumice, and that crop lost. And then

this Navigation Act, which I understand but little of except that it

be to fill the king's pockets and empty ours, has made our crops of

no avail, since we but sent the tobacco as a gift to the king, so

little we have got in return. And look, look!" she shrieked, "I pray

ye look, and sure this is the best I have, and me always going as

well attired as any of my station in England. I pray ye look! Sure

'tis past mending, and the stitches and the cloth go together, as

will the colony, unless somewhat be done in season to mend its

state." So saying, up she flung her arm, and all the under side of

the body of her gown was in rags, and up she flung the other, and

that was in like case.




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