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 one twist with her enormous hands, and set it aside to go upon the line.

"Wut yuh gots er feelin' 'bout?"

"I gots er feelin' w'en Porgy 'oman come out de wood on de picnic, she done been wid Crown."

At the mention of the murderer's name Serena stepped back, and her usual expression of sanctimonious complacency slowly changed. Her lower lip shot forward, and her face darkened.

"Yuh t'ink dat nigger on Kittiwar?" she asked.

"I alius figgered he bin dey in dem deep palmetters," Maria replied. "But w'en I look in Bess's eye las' night, I sho ob two t'ing: one, dat he is dey, an' two, dat she been wid um."

"Yuh b'lieb she still run wid dat nigger?"

"Dem sort ob mens ain't need tuh worry 'bout habin' 'omen," Maria told her. "Dey kin lay de lash on um, an' kick um in de street; den dey kin whistle w'en dey ready, an' dere dey is ag'in lickin' dey han'."

"She goin' stay wid Porgy, ef she know wut good fuh she."

"She know all right, an' she lub Porgy. But ef dat nigger come attuh she, dey ain't goin' tuh be noboddy roun' hyuh but Porgy an' de goat."