ome
than ever. The last barrier of sectional reserve (if it may be so
termed) was broken down, so far as she was concerned; and during the
remainder of her stay, her true character--her womanliness, her
tenderness, her humor--revealed itself to these watchful and sensitive
Southerners. Even Miss Tewksbury, who had the excuse of age and long
habit for her prejudices, showed the qualities that made her friends
love her. In the language of the little rector, who made a sermon out of
the matter, "all things became homogeneous through the medium of
sympathy and the knowledge of mutual suffering."

In fact, everything was so agreeable during the visit of Helen and her
aunt to Waverly--a visit that was prolonged many days beyond the limit
they had set--that Uncle Prince remarked on it one night to his wife.

"I'm a nigger man, 'Mandy Jane," said he, "but I got two eyes, en dey er
good ones. W'at I sees I knows, en I tell you right now, Marse Peyton
is done got strucken."

"Done got strucken 'bout what?" inquired 'Mandy Jane.

"'Bout dat young lady w'at stayin' yer. Oh, you neenter holler," said
Uncle Prince in response to a contemptuous laugh from 'Mandy Jane. "I
ain't nothin' but a nigger man, but I knows w'at I sees."

"Yes, you is a nigger man," said 'Mandy Jane triumphantly. "Ef you wuz a
nigger 'oman you'd have lots mo' sense dan w'at you got. W'y, dat lady
up dar ain't our folks. She mighty nice, I speck, but she ain't our
folks. She ain't talk like our folks yit."

"No matter 'bout dat," said Uncle Prince. "I ain't seed no nicer 'oman
dan w'at she is, en I boun' you she kin talk mighty sweet w'en she take
a notion. W'en my two eyes tell me de news I knows it, en Marse Peyton
done got strucken long wid dat white 'oman."

"En now you gwine tell me," said 'Mandy Jane with a fine assumption of
scorn, "dat Marse Peyton gwine marry wid dat w'ite 'oman en trapse off
dar ter der Norf? _Shoo!_ Nigger man, you go ter bed 'fo' you run
yo'se'f 'stracted."

"I dunno whar Marse Peyton gwine, 'Mandy Jane, but I done see 'im
talkin' 'long wid dat white lady, en lookin' at her wid he's eyes. Huh!
don' tell me! En dat ain't all, 'Mandy Jane," Uncle Prince went on: "dat
Bud Stucky, he's f'rever'n etarnally sneakin' 'roun' de house up dar.
One day he want sumpin' ter eat, en nex' day he want Miss Hallie fer ter
play en de peanner, but all de time I see 'im a-watchin' dat ar white
lady fum de Norf."

"Hush!" exclaimed 'Mandy Jane