The duke says: “Have you seen anybody else go in there?” “No, your grace, not as I remember, I believe.” “Stop and think.” I studied awhile and see my chance; then I says: “Well, I see the niggers go in there several times.” Both of them gave a little jump, and looked like they hadn't ever expected it, and then like they _had_.  Then the duke says: “What, all of them?” “No--leastways, not all at once--that is, I don't think I ever see them all come _out_ at once but just one time.” “Hello!  When was that?” “It was the day we had the funeral.  In the morning.  It warn't early, because I overslept.  I was just starting down the ladder, and I see them.” “Well, go on, _go_ on!  What did they do?  How'd they act?” “They didn't do nothing.  And they didn't act anyway much, as fur as I see. They tiptoed away; so I seen, easy enough, that they'd shoved in there to do up your majesty's room, or something, s'posing you was up; and found you _warn't_ up, and so they was hoping to slide out of the way of trouble without waking you up, if they hadn't already waked you up.” “Great guns, _this_ is a go!” says the king; and both of them looked pretty sick and tolerable silly.  They stood there a-thinking and scratching their heads a minute, and the duke he bust into a kind of a little raspy chuckle, and says: “It does beat all how neat the niggers played their hand.  They let on to be _sorry_ they was going out of this region!  And I believed they _was_ sorry, and so did you, and so did everybody.  Don't ever tell _me_ any more that a nigger ain't got any histrionic talent.  Why, the way they played that thing it would fool _anybody_.  In my opinion, there's a fortune in 'em.  If I had capital and a theater, I wouldn't want a better lay-out than that--and here we've gone and sold 'em for a song.  Yes, and ain't privileged to sing the song yet.  Say, where _is_ that song--that draft?” “In the bank for to be collected.  Where _would_ it be?” “Well, _that's_ all righ