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Rh a fate would overtake you alive as that I should hold you fast in that soogaun chair!"

"That is not the thing that is on your mind," said the Black Man.

"I am coming to it," said Shiana. "You take a great deal of trouble in working up evil. I believe you work harder for evil than anybody ever worked for good. And you gain nothing by your toil but evil. You have great knowledge, and you have great sense. It is bought sense with you, at least the chief part of it. You have a keen intelligence. You have an active mind. The only use you make of all those fine faculties is to work evil with them. Nothing comes of your labours but evil. It is a miserable state of things with you. Would it not be just as easy for you to devote all your toil and knowledge and intelligence and penetration and sense to the accomplishment of some useful purpose? Perhaps, sooner or later, you might have something other than evil as the fruit of your labour."

The Black Man looked Shiana straight in the eyes, and Shiana thought he had never seen so diabolical a look.

"Look here, Shiana," said he. "No one ever spoke to me like that before. Perhaps if they had I would not be as I am to-day. I feel half inclined to take your advice and to act on your suggestion in future. Perhaps it may be better late than never. But what do you want with me here now? Do you hear me talking to you? Let me go, and you may take thirteen years more!"

"Yes indeed!" said Shiana, "and then if I go to a fair to buy a cow or a horse you will come in the shape of a thimble-rigger, and you will call