into
the house. "Judge Rutherford says you will tell us what to do."

An interesting feature of the situation to Farquhar was the entire
frankness and simplicity of those concerned in it. It was so clear that
they knew nothing of the complications they might be called upon to face,
that their ignorance was of the order of charm. If he had been some
sharper claimant come to fleece them, their visitor knew this young
dryad's eyes would have smiled at him just as gratefully.

As they mounted the stairs, a huge laugh broke forth above, and when they
entered the small sitting-room Uncle Matt stood before Big Tom, holding
forth gravely, his gray wool bared, his decently shabby hat in his hand.

"I'd er come as lady's maid, Marse Thomas De Willoughby," he was saying,
"ef I couldn't er got here no other way. Seemed like I jest got to honin'
atter Marse Rupert, an' I couldn't er stayed nohow. I gotter be whar dat
boy is--I jest _gotter_."

Big Tom, rising to his full height to shake hands with his visitor,
appeared physically to cast such disparagement on the size of the room as
was almost embarrassing. Farquhar saw all his values as he met his
honest, humourous eye.

"I've been talking to my nephew's body-guard," he said. "All right, Uncle
Matt. You just go to Miss Burford and ask her to find you a shake-down.
There's always a place to be found for a fellow like you."

"Marse Thomas De Willoughby," said Matt, "dish yer niggah man's not gwine
to be in no one's way. I come yere to work--dat's what I come yere for.
An' work's a thing dat kin be hunted down--en a man ain't needin' no gun
to hunt it neder--an' he needn't be no mighty Nimrod." And he made his
best bow to both men and shuffled out of the room.

To Farquhar his visit was an interesting experience and a novel one. For
months he had been feeling that he lived in the whirl of a maelstrom of
schemes and jobberies, the inevitable result of the policy of a
Government which had promised to recoup those it had involuntarily
wronged during a national convulsion. Upon every side there had sprung up
claimants--many an honest one, and hordes of those not honest. There were
obvious thieves and specious ones, brilliant tricksters and dull ones.
Newspaper literature had been incited by the number and variety of
claims, and claims--to a jocularity which spread over all the land.
Farquhar had seen most of the types--the greenhorn, the astute planner,
the man who had a wrong burn