t I did was simply--"

"Stop!" said Roberta peremptorily. "I do not wish to talk of it any
more."

Junius stood before her a moment in silence, and then he said: "Will you
tell me if my Aunt Keswick is ill or dead, and why did Mr Brandon go
there?"

"She is neither;" answered Roberta, "and he went there on business." And
with this she arose and left the room.

Peggy, who had been in the hall, now made a bolt down the back stairs
into the basement regions, where was situated the kitchen. In this
spacious apartment she found Aunt Judy, the cook, sitting before a large
wood fire, and holding in her hand a long iron ladle. There was nothing
near her which she could dip or stir with a ladle, and it was probably
retained during her period of leisure as a symbol of her position and
authority.

Peggy squatted on her heels, close to Aunt Judy's side, and thus
addressed her: "Aun' Judy, ef I tell you sumfin', soul an' honor, hope
o' glory, you'll neber tell?"

"Hope o' glory, neber!" said Aunt Judy, turning a look of interest on
the girl.

"Well, den, look h'yar. You know Miss Rob she got two beaux; one is
Mahs' Junius, an' de udder is de gemman wid de speckle trousers from de
Norf."

"Yes, I know dat," said Aunt Judy. "Has dey fit?"

"Not yit, but dey wos gwine to," said Peggy, "but I seed 'em, an' I tore
down de road to de gate whar dey wos gittin ready to fight, an' I jes'
let dat dar Mister Crof' know wot low-down white trash Miss Rob think he
wos, an' den he said ef dat war so 'twant no use fur to come in, an' he
turn' roun' de buggy, an' cl'ar'd out. Den Mahs' Junius he come to de
house, an' dar Miss Rob in de parlor waitin' fur him. I stood jes'
outside de doh', so's to be out de way, but Mahs' Junius he kinder back
agin de doh', an' shet it. But I clap'd my year ter de crack, an' I hear
eberything dey said."

"Wot dey say?" asked Aunt Judy, her mouth open, her eyes dilated, and
the long ladle trembling in her hand.

"Mahs' Junius he say to Miss Rob that he lub her better'n his own skin,
or de clouds in de sky, or de flowers in de fiel' wot perish, an' dat de
udder man he done cut an' run, an' would she be Miss Junius all de res'
ob der libes foreber an' eber, amen?"

"Dat wos pow'ful movin'!" ejaculated Aunt Judy. "An' wot did Miss Rob
say?"

"Miss Rob she say, 'I 'cept your kind offer, sah, wid pleasure.' An' den
I hearn 'em comin', an' I cut down h'yar."

"Glory! Hallelujah!" exclaimed Aunt Judy, bri