His Other Wife: A Novel — page 303: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MISTRESS AND MAID, 295 ‘But why, Roxana—why do you so bitterly denounce this marriage?” ‘Honey, I dun’ know, but all I does know is dis— your blessed mar would bury you fus’, ef she had any say in dis match.” ‘‘What makes you think that, Roxana?” ‘‘T blieve she hated the very earth he trod.” ‘* Did she tell you so?” ‘‘No. It wasn’t her way to tell much; but I had eyes for to see, an’ I saw dat she fairly shivered when he came nigh her the last time he came to the house arter her sickness.” ‘*Nonsense. It is you who hate him, because you do not wish to have him as your master. SBut that need not alarm you. I shall always see that you are not interfered with, Say no more to me against Mr. Croft, for I am determined to marry him.” This was all that ever occurred between Leda and the slave previous to or after the fatal marriage. Roxana’s devotion continued unabating; and, when the dreadful catastrophe of Croft’s arrest justified her instinctive aver- sion to him as a husband for Leda, no word of reproach passed the lips of the slave; but it seemed almost to crush her, as if in some way she must bear the odium of the humiliating misfortune when she came to give account ot her trust to Leda’s mother ‘‘at the final day.” Had Mrs. Morgan designed to secure Roxana’s fidelity by practicing upon the powerful superstition that ruled her Eomichoo “Si: (ECO) im =—»