syphon all de time--"

"Keeps a what, Jupiter?"

"Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate--de queerest figgurs I
ebber did see. Ise gittin' to be skeered I tell you. Hab for to keep
mighty tight eye pon him noovers.[10] Todder day he gib me slip fore
de sun up, and was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick
ready cut for to gib him d----d good beating when he did come--but Ise
sich a fool dat I hadn't de heart after all--he look so berry poorly."

"Eh?--what? Ah, yes!--upon the whole, I think you had better not be
too severe with the poor fellow--don't flog him, Jupiter, he can't
very well stand it--but can you form an idea of what has occasioned
this illness, or rather this change of conduct? Has anything
unpleasant happened since I saw you?"

"No, massa, dey ain't bin noffin' onpleasant _since_ den--'twas
_'fore_ den, I'm feared--'twas de berry day you was dare."'

"How? what do you mean?"

"Why, massa, I mean de bug--dare now."

"The _what?_"

"De bug--I'm berry sartain dat Massa Will bin bit somewhere 'bout de
head by dat goole-bug."

"And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?"

"Claws enuff, massa, and mouff, too. I nebber did see sich a d----d
bug--he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will
cotch him fuss, but had for to let him go 'gin mighty quick, I tell
you--den was de time he must ha' got de bite. I didn't like de look ob
de bug mouff, myself, nohow, so I wouldn't take hold ob him wid my
finger, but I cotch him wid a piece ob paper dat I found. I wrap him
up in de paper and stuff piece ob it in he mouff--dat was de way."

"And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the
beetle, and that the bite made him sick?" "I don't t'ink noffin' 'bout
it--I nose it. What make him dream 'bout de goole so much, if 'tain't
cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise heerd 'bout dem goole-bugs 'fore
dis."

"But how do you know he dreams about gold?"

"How I know? why, 'cause he talk about it in he sleep--dat's how I
nose."

"Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate circumstances
am I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?"

"What de matter, massa?"

"Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand?"

"No, massa, I bring dis here 'pissel;" and here Jupiter handed me a
note, which ran thus:

My dear ------:

Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you have not been
so foolish as to take offence at any little _brusque