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 things, as if repeating them made them true. Declaring to Maum Hannah that July was good and kind and free-handed brought easement to her heart, somehow.

Maum Hannah smoked slowly and listened without a word until Mary finally stopped.

"You ever did have a brave heart, gal. I'm glad to hear you got such a good husband. But if I was you I'd go to see old Daddy Cudjoe an' get me a good strong charm to keep him a good one. Times is changed. Women ain' like dey used to be. When I was young, a married man was a married man an' nobody didn' bother em. But dese days, it don' matter if a man is married or single, de womens don' let em rest. No. Gawd knows what de world is a-comin to." She sighed deep to think of how slack the ways of the women were.

"You take my advice an' go see Daddy Cudjoe an' get em to fix you a charm to keep July home. Daddy is a wise man. E knows black magic as well as white. E could gi you a charm so strong July never could leave you no more. Not long as e lives. Daddy's wise."

Mary sat thinking, listening while Maum Hannah told of the many ways in which Daddy Cud joe had helped her. Once she had a pot that would not boil, and she took the contrary thing