that　worked　in　him；　they　realized　ashe　rose；　still　kicking　and　with　his　eyes　tightly　shut；　that　it　was　only　fury；　and　too　much　water　in　hisnose。　Some　folks　smiled；　but　Florence　and　Deborah　did　not　smile。　Though　Florence　had　also　been　indignant；　years　before　when　the　slimy　water　entered　her　incautiously　open　mouth；　she　had　doneher　best　not　to　sputter；　and　she　had　not　cried　out。　But　now；　here　came　Gabriel；　floundering　andfurious　up　the　bank；　and　what　she　looked　at；　with　an　anger　more　violent　than　any　she　had　feltbefore；　was　his　nakedness。　He　was　drenched；　and　his　thin；　white　clothes　clung　like　another　skin　tohis　black　body。　Florence　and　Deborah　looked　at　one　another；　while　the　singing　rose　to　coverGabriel’s　howling；　and　Deborah　looked　away。

Years　later；　Deborah　and　Florence　had　stood　on　Deborah’s　porch　at　night　and　watched　avomit…covered　Gabriel　stagger　up　the　moonlight　road；　and　Florence　had　cried　out：　‘I　hate　him！　Ihate　him！　Big；　black；　prancing　tomcat　of　a　nigger！’　And　Deborah　had　said；　in　that　heavy　voice　ofhers：　‘You　know；　honey；　the　Word　tell　us　to　hate　the　sin　but　not　the　sinner。’

In　nieen　hundred；　when　she　was　twenty…six；　Florence　walked　out　through　the　cabindoor。　She　had　thought　to　wait　until　her　mother；　who　was　so　ill　now　that　she　no　longer　stirred　out　ofbed；　should　be　buried—but　suddenly　she　knew　that　she　would　wait　no　longer；　the　time　had　e。

She　had　been　working　as　cook　and　serving…girl　for　a　large　white　family　in　town；　and　it　was　on　theday　her　master　proposed　that　she　bee　his　concubine　that　she　knew　her　life　among　thesewretched　people　had　e　to　its　destined　end。　She　left　her　employment　that　same　day　（leavingbehind　her　a　most　vehement　conjugal　bitterness）；　and　with　part　of　the　money　that　with　cunning；cruelty；　and　sacrifice　she　had　saved　ov