nearly ten o'clock
As she finished the story , the old woman said , `` Massa Davy am bery kind to the missus , sar , but he _ love _ de ma'am ; an ' he ca n't help it , 'cause she 'm jess so good as de angels . '' -LSB- E -RSB- In conversation with a well-known Southern gentleman , not long since , I mentioned these two cases , and commented on them as a man educated with New England ideas might be supposed to do . The gentleman admitted that he knew of twenty such instances , and gravely defended the practice as being infinitely more moral and respectable than the _ more common relation _ existing between masters and slaves . I looked at my watch -- it was nearly ten o'clock , and I rose to go . As I did so the old negress said : `` Do n't yer gwo , massa , ` fore you hab sum ob aunty 's wine ; you 'm good friends wid Scip , and I knows _ you ` se _ not too proud to drink wid brack folks , ef you am from de Norf . '' Being curious to know what quality of wine a plantation slave indulged in , I accepted the invitation . She went to the side-board , and brought out a cut-glass decanter , and three cracked tumblers , which she placed on the table .