ame confidential, as one speaks to another in a room where
somebody is ill. "He mekkin' perpetration to go down de rivuh dis
aft'noon. He say he done broke de news to you dat he goin' 'way. Dey
goin' buil' dem wa'house right up, an' yo' pa he necistate go 'way
'count de contrack. He be gone two week', honey," Nelson finished,
without too much the air of imparting cheery tidings, but with just
enough.

"I am to stay here alone?"

"Law no, Missy! Dat big Miz Tanberry, dass de bes' frien' we all got,
she home ag'in, an' yo' pa goin' invite her visit at de house, whiles he
gone, an' to stay a mont' aftuh he git back, too, soze she kin go to
all de doin's an' junketin's wid you, and talk wid de young mens dat you
don' like whiles you talks wid dem you does like."

"What time will father come home?"

"Home? He be gone two week', honey!"

"No; I mean to-day."

"Law! He ain' comin' back. Bid me pack de trunk an' ca'y um down to de
boat at noon. Den he bid me say far'-ye-well an' a kine good-bye fo'
him, honey. 'Say he think you ain't feelin' too well, soze he won't
'sturb ye, hisself, an' dat he unestly do hope you goin' have splen'id
time whiles he trabblin'." (Nelson's imagination covered many deficits
in his master's courtesy.) "Say he reckon you an' ole Miz Tanberry goin'
git 'long mighty nice wid one'nurr. An' dass what me an' Mamie reckon
'spechually boun' to take place, 'cause dat a mighty gay lady, dat big
Miz Tanberry, an' ole frien' 'er owah fambly. She 'uz a frien' er yo'
momma's, honey."

Miss Betty had begun by making a pretence to eat, only to please the
old man, but the vain woman's cookery had been not unduly extolled, and
Nelson laughed with pleasure to see the fluffy biscuits and the chicken
wing not nibbled at but actually eaten. This was a healthy young lady,
he thought, one who would do the household credit and justify the
extravagant pride which kitchen and stable already had in her. He was
an old house-servant, therefore he had seen many young ladies go through
unhappy hours, and he admired Miss Betty the more because she was
the first who had indulged in strong weeping and did not snuffle at
intervals afterward. He understood perfectly everything that had passed
between father and daughter that morning.

When her breakfast was finished, she turned slowly to the window, and,
while her eyes did not refill, a slight twitching of the upper lids made
him believe that she was going over the whole sce