end you to
me?"

Clam nodded. "He said he would ha' writ somethin', if he'd ha'
had a piece of paper or card or anything, but he hadn't
nothing."

"He would have written what?"

"Don't know -- didn't say."

"Do you know who I am?"

Clam nodded again and shewed her teeth. "The lady Mr. Winthrop
sent me to."

"Do you remember ever seeing me before?"

"When he was out walkin' with you in the rain," said Clam, her
head first giving significant assent.

"Look here," said Elizabeth a little shortly, -- "when I speak
to you, speak, and don't nod your head."

To which Clam gave the prohibited answer.

"What are you sent here for now?"

"I dun' know, ma'am."

"What did Mr. Winthrop say you were to do?"

"Said I was to come here, and behave."

"Why have you come away from Mrs. Landholm?"

"Didn't," said Clam. "She went away first. She's gone to
heaven."

"Mrs. Landholm! Is she dead?"

Clam nodded.

"When? -- and what was the matter?"

"'Twa'n't much of anything the matter with her," said Clam; --
"she took sick for two or three days and then died. It's
more'n a fortnight ago."

"And they sent for Mr. Winthrop?"

"Job Underhill rode down after him as hard as he could and
fetched him up on horseback."

"In time?" said Elizabeth.

"He was in time for everything but himself. It was too late
for him. But all the rest of the folks had the good of his
coming."

"Why what was there for him to do?" said Elizabeth.

"He finds enough to do -- or he's pretty apt to --whenever he
comes to a place," said Clam. "There was everybody to put in
order, about. There was Mr. Landholm hardly fit to live, he
was so willin' to die; and Winifred was crazy. She went and
crawled under one of the beds to hide when she thought he was
a comin'."

"When who was coming?"

"He -- Mr. Winthrop. And Karen was takin' airs -- _that_ aint out
o' the common -- but I'd a little liever have him master than
her mistress -- she wa'n't mine, neither."

"And where was Mr. Asahel?"

"He was there -- and good enough what there was of him; but he
won't never stand in other folks' shoes."

"Do you say Winifred was _crazy?_"

"She was so feared to see her brother come home!"

"Her brother Winthrop?"

"There wa'n't no other coming," said Clam.

"Poor thing!" said Elizabeth. "And you say he has brought her
down to Mannahatta?"

Clam nodded. "She don't think she's alive when he aint near
her; so he's took her down to live with