dried her eyes and answered as well as she
could.

"Why we wanted to see the old place again, Karen, and to see
you; and Governor thought it would do me good to be in the
country a little while; and he couldn't come before, and so we
have come up now to stay a few days. And we've brought things
to eat, so you needn't be troubled about that."

"Ye needn't," said old Karen. "Anderese and me'd find
something for you to eat, in all the wide country -- do ye
think we wouldn't? And how are you, dear," said she scanning
Winnie's pale face; -- "are ye ever yet any stronger?"

Winnie shook her head smiling and answered, "Not much."

"I see ye ain't. Well -- ye're the Lord's child. He'll do what
he will with his own. Where did ye come from, dear?"

"Up from Mr. Cowslip's mill," said Winnie. "We came in his
sloop last night."

"The sloop!" said Karen. "Why then ye haven't had anything to
eat! -- and what was I thinking of! Sit down, dear -- take your
own chair, till I get the other room fit for ye; and you shall
have breakfast jus' so soon I can make it. Where's the
Governor gone to?"

He came in; and Karen's face grew bright at the sight of him.
All the while she was getting the breakfast he stood talking
with her; and all the while, her old face kept the broad gleam
of delight that had come into it with his entering the
kitchen. With what zeal that breakfast was cooked for him;
with what pleasure it was served. And while they were eating
it, Karen sat in the chimney corner and looked at them, and
talked.

"And isn't the place sold then, Governor?"

"Not yet, Karen -- in a few weeks it will be."

"And who's goin' to buy it?"

"I don't know."

"And ye ain't goin' fur to buy it yourself?"

"No Karen -- I am not rich enough to keep a country house."

"You had ought to have it," said Karen. "It don't belong to
nobody else but you. And you don't know who's a goin' to have
it, Governor?"

"I don't know."

"'Tain't likely they'll let the old woman stay in her corner,
whoever they'll be," said Karen. "Well -- 'tain't fur now to
the end, -- and then I'll get a better place where they won't
turn me out. I wish I was there, Governor."

"'There' will be better at the end of your way, Karen, than
at any other time."

"Ay -- O I know it, dear; but I get so impatient, days, -- I
want to be gone. It's better waiting."

"Perhaps you'll have something yet to do for us, Karen," said
Winnie.

"Ye're too fur off," said