She fell back against the bedpost, her lips swelling, but still defiant. 'Yo' kin hit me effen yo' want ter, it ain' gwine wipe out the feel of Venus's arms about yo'. Yo' got me in your blood, Maussa. She ain' nothin' to yuh.'

Joseph did not hear her. 'Theo,' he mumbled, 'don't look at me like that. It was a madness you can't understand——'

There came a flicker of doubt into Venus's sneering eyes. She had been so sure of her power, of her revenge. In her slender golden body she had thought to possess the sure instrument of revenge against her slavery, against the white woman. And now she wasn't sure. The white woman should have been screaming, ranting, livid with fury. This quiet silence—what did that mean? She kain' do nothin' to me, thought Venus frantically. She kain' make him have me lashed, or sell me to the Floridas. I'll git a conjuh that'll work I'll kill myself—or her. Her eyes narrowed. There were poisons——

'Go now, Venus,' said Theodosia. Her voice held neither anger nor contempt. To her own amazement she felt none. A curious detachment had descended on her. She saw that the girl was seething with hatred and fear, and it did not touch her; she even felt a twinge of pity.

Venus stumbled over to Joseph, tugged at his arm in frantic appeal. 'Don' let her do nothin' to me. Yo' promise me I kin hab clothes an' a fine new cabin. Yo' promise me I could live like buckra. Yo' kain' go back on dat, Maussa'. Her long, nearly straight black hair fell forward, hiding her convulsed face. She buried it on his arm.

He shook her off. 'Get out, nigger!' He spat the last word at her, giving it its full force of insult.

Venus lifted her head. 'I ain' no nigger,' she panted. 'I'm a Berber. I'd be a princess in my own land'. She flung her slender arms upward. 'I wish God would strike yuh both daid.

She was terrifying. Joseph stepped back involuntarily, then, quickly recovering, raised his clenched fist. Before he could strike, Venus gave a choking cry, her thin shoulders quivered, and she stumbled out through the door.

Joseph sank on the bed and buried his face in his hands.

'Has this been going on a long time?' asked Theo, in a voice devoid of all emotion.

Her quiet frightened him as it had Venus. He made an imploring gesture.

'I suppose I should have guessed it long ago. I've been very stupid,' she added.

'It hasn't been long,' he muttered. 'Only a couple of months. She was sitting outside her cabin one night—singing. There were flowers in her hair. I was lonely——'