s,
you see."

I saw and tasted, and found it very good. He was still fumbling about
the closet, with profane ejaculations, and finally emerged with
something in his hand that I at first took for a small book. But he
unblushingly put on the table that pasteboard volume sometimes called
the Devil's Bible. "Come," he said, "where's the harm? Let us have a
quiet game of Casino or California Jack, or something else. It is better
than perishing of stupidity."

I demurred. I was not over-scrupulous, but I had sufficient of my early
breeding left to have a qualm of conscience at the thought of playing
cards on Sunday.

"Oh, nonsense!" said Fred, carelessly, as he proceeded to deal the cards
for Casino. "There, you have an ace and little Casino right before you.
Go ahead, old man!"

I made a feeble show of protesting, but took up my cards, and, finding
that I could capture the ace and little Casino, took them. From that the
play went on; I became quite absorbed, and dismissed my scruples, when,
as the sun was getting low, a shadow passed the window.

"Great Jupiter!" I exclaimed, looking up. "Does that second-story piazza
go all the way round here?"

"To be sure," answered Fred, whose back was to the window. "Why not?
What did you see,--a spook?"

"My mother-in-law!"

"The devil!"

"No, Mrs. Pinkerton!"

"Well, what do you care? You are your own boss, I hope."

"Yes, of course; but she will be terribly offended, and I think it would
be pleasanter for all concerned to keep in her good graces."

"Gammon! Assert your rights, be master of yourself, and teach the old
woman her place. D---- me, if I would have a mother-in-law riding over
me, or prying around to see what I was about!"

"Oh, I am sure she passed the window by accident. She would never pry
around; it isn't her style; she has a fine sense of propriety, has my
mother-in-law!"

"Oh, yes, old Pink is the pink of propriety, no doubt about that!" said
the rascal, laughing heartily at his heartless pun.

But I couldn't laugh. I saw plainly enough that I had lost more than all
the ground that I had gained in my mother-in-law's favor, and my task
would be harder than ever. I had no more desire to play cards, and
sauntered down stairs and out of doors as if nothing had happened. At
the tea-table Mrs. Pinkerton was very impressive in her manner, but
showed no direct consciousness of anything new. On the piazza, after
tea, she was uncommonly affable to her daugh