Before Valentine could say another word the old preacher, Elisha, who had been gradually getting over his astonishment, and, recovering his self-possession climbed over stools and chairs and the crouching forms of women and children, and made his way toward Valentine, whom he embraced with his left arm, while he closed his lips by laying over them his right hand.
"Hush, Brudder Walley, hush! You don't know what you'se a-sayin' of. You'se a prophesyin' of de ole law 'stead o' de new gospel! 'Sides which, would you temp' any brudder here to sin an' slave his 'mortal soul, sake o' freein' of his poor, perishin' body? Hush, Brudder Walley, an' let me prophesy. Bredren and sisters, is der a man or a woman in de soun' o' my voice as 'ould 'cept his free papers on de terms as Brudder Walley offers--at de price of a brudder's life an' a sister's happiness? Which ob yer here 'ould buy his freedom wid the price ob Walley's blood, and Phædra's and Fannie's tears? Would you, Brudder Portiphar? or you, Sister Deely? or you? or you? No, not one ob you. Now, brudders an' sisters, I'se got a proposition to make. Fust, bolt dat door, Brudder Isaac, an' see to de fastenin' o' dat winder, Sister Hera; no knowin' who'se 'bout. Now, let's speak low. An' what I want to propose is dis yer: dat ebery brudder makes a pledge afore he leabes dis room to be silent as to which has happen here dis night. Let Brudder Walley no more be lef in de power an' temptations ob de enemy; let him feel hissef free to 'tend our prayer-meetin's here in peace an' safety, for all as is happened of to-night. Let us pray wid him, an' try to 'lieve his poor soul ob its load o' sin an' sorrow!"
Elisha would have spoken longer, but here Portiphar arose, and said, in effect, that he did not fully agree with Brother Elisha; that he doubted whether they should be doing right to conceal Valentine, especially when the conscience of the latter urged him to the expiation of his crime.
Elisha could scarcely wait for the other to finish his remarks before he arose in a hurry, and said, in effect, if not in these words, and with some vehemence also, that he was the last to make light of the guilt that Valentine had brought upon his own soul, but that he also knew, and no one else knew so well, the maddening provocation that had driven him to his crime. That he prayed the sin might be washed away by repentance and faith in the Redeemer; that, for this reason, he wished Valentine to feel safe in coming among them, to share their prayers, and hymns, and exhortations, and all their other means of grace; that, undismayed and undistracted by the worldly sorrows of imprisonment, trial and impending execution, he might have time to work out his salvation! That therefore he should shield his sinful brother until they could prove to him that the gallows was a means of grace, "which I don't believe it is," concluded old Elisha, as he sat down in quiet triumph, for he saw that every man and woman among the warm-hearted creatures present coincided in sentiment with himself, and that Portiphar was put down and silenced, if not convinced.