Scene I.--_Negroes' Quarters in_ 1. _Enter_ Zoe, L. 1. E.

_Zoe._ It wants an hour yet to daylight--here is Pete's hut--[_Knocks._] He sleeps--no; I see a light.

_Dido._ [_Enters from hut,_ R. F.] Who dat?

_Zoe._ Hush, aunty! 'Tis I--Zoe.

_Dido._ Missey Zoe! Why you out in de swamp dis time ob night--you catch de fever sure--you is all wet.

_Zoe._ Where's Pete?

_Dido._ He gone down to de landing last night wid Mas'r Scudder; not come back since--kint make it out.

_Zoe._ Aunty, there is sickness up at the house; I have been up all night beside one who suffers, and I remembered that when I had the fever you gave me a drink, a bitter drink, that made me sleep--do you remember it?

_Dido._ Didn't I? Dem doctors ain't no 'count; dey don't know nuffin.

_Zoe._ No; but you, aunty, you are wise--you know every plant, don't you, and what it is good for?

_Dido._ Dat you drink is fust rate for red fever. Is de folks head bad?

_Zoe._ Very bad, aunty; and the heart aches worse, so they can get no rest.

_Dido._ Hold on a bit, I get you de bottle. [_Exit,_ L. R.

_Zoe._ In a few hours that man, my master, will come for me; he has paid my price, and he only consented to let me remain here this one night, because Mrs. Peyton promised to give me up to him to-day.

_Dido._ [_Re-enters with phial._] Here 'tis--now you give one timble-full--dat's nuff.

_Zoe._ All there is there would kill one, wouldn't it?

_Dido._ Guess it kill a dozen--nebber try.

_Zoe._ It's not a painful death, aunty, is it? You told me it produced a long, long sleep.

_Dido._ Why you tremble so? Why you speak so wild? What you's gwine to do, missey?

_Zoe._ Give me the drink.

_Dido._ No. Who dat sick at de house?

_Zoe._ Give it to me.

_Dido._ No. You want to hurt yourself. O, Miss Zoe, why you ask ole Dido for dis pizen?

_Zoe._ Listen to me. I love one who is here, and he loves me--George. I sat outside his door all night--I heard his sighs--his agony--torn from him by my coming fate; and he said, "I'd rather see her dead than his!"

_Dido._ Dead!

_Zoe._ He said so--then I rose up, and stole from the house, and ran down to the bayou; but its cold, black, silent stream terrified me--drowning must be so horrible a death. I could not do it. Then, as I knelt there, weeping for courage, a snake rattled beside me. I shrunk from it and fled. Death was there beside me, and I dared not take it. O! I'm afraid to die; yet I am more afraid to live.

_Dido._ Die!

_Zoe._ So I came here to you; to you, my own dear nurse; to you, who so often hushed me to sleep when I was a child; who dried my eyes and put your little Zoe to rest. Ah! give me the rest that no master but One can disturb--the sleep from which I shall awake free! You can protect me from that man--do let me die without pain. [_Music._]

_Dido._ No, no--life is good for young ting like you.

_Zoe._ O! good, good nurse; you will, you will.

_Dido._ No--g'way.

_Zoe._ Then I shall never leave Terrebonne--the drink, nurse; the drink; that I may never leave my home--my dear, dear home. You will not give me to that man? Your own Zoe, that loves you, aunty, so much, so much.--[_Gets phial._] Ah! I have it.

_Dido._ No, missey. O! no--don't.

_Zoe._ Hush! [_Runs off,_ L. 1. E.

_Dido._ Here, Solon, Minnie, Grace.

_They enter._

_All._ Was de matter?

_Dido._ Miss Zoe got de pizen. [_Exit,_ L.

_All._ O! O!

_Exeunt,_ L.