Topsy, with her usual air of careless drollery and unconcern; but, opposite to her, Eva, her whole face fervent with feeling, and tears in her large eyes.
"What does make you so bad, Topsy?
Why won't you try and be good?
Don't you love _anybody_, Topsy ?" "Donno nothing 'bout love; I loves candy and sich, that's all," said Topsy.
"But you love your father and mother ?" "Never had none, ye know.

I telled ye that, Miss Eva." "O, I know," said Eva, sadly; "but hadn't you any brother, or sister, or aunt, or--" "No, none on 'em,--never had nothing nor nobody." "But, Topsy, if you'd only try to be good, you might--" "Couldn't never be nothin' but a nigger, if I was ever so good," said Topsy.

"If I could be skinned, and come white, I'd try then." "But people can love you, if you are black, Topsy.

Miss Ophelia would love you, if you were good." Topsy gave the short, blunt laugh that was her common mode of expressing incredulity.
"Don't you think so ?" said Eva.
"No; she can't bar me, 'cause I'm a nigger!--she'd 's soon have a toad touch her! There can't nobody love niggers, and niggers can't do nothin'! _I_ don't care," said Topsy, beginning to whistle.
"O, Topsy, poor child, _I_ love you!" said Eva, with a sudden burst of feeling, and laying her little thin, white hand on Topsy's shoulder; "I love you, because you haven't had any father, or mother, or friends;--because you've been a poor, abused child! I love you, and I want you to be good.

I am very unwell, Topsy, and I think I shan't live a great while; and it really grieves me, to have you be so naughty.