tta?"

"Yes, ma'am; she had an attack, I believe. Poor Miss Lucetta! She often
has attacks like that."

Confounded, for the woman spoke so naturally that only a suspicious
nature like mine would fail to have been deceived by it, I raised myself
on my elbow and gave her an indignant look.

"Yet you said just now that the young ladies were expecting me to
breakfast."

"Yes, and why not?" Her look was absolutely guileless. "Miss Lucetta
sometimes keeps us up half the night, but she does not miss breakfast on
that account. When the turn is over, she is as well as ever she was. A
fine young lady, Miss Lucetta. I'd lose my two hands for her any day."

"She certainly is a remarkable girl," I declared, not, however, as dryly
as I felt. "I can hardly believe I dreamed about the key. Let me feel of
your pocket," I laughed.

She, without the smallest hesitancy, pulled aside her apron.

"I am sorry you put so little confidence in my word, ma'am, but Lor' me,
what you heard is nothing to what some of our guests have complained
of--in the days, I mean, when we did have guests. I have known them to
scream out themselves in the middle of the night and vow they saw white
figures creeping up and down the halls--all nonsense, ma'am, but
believed in by some folks. You don't look as if you believed in ghosts."

"And I don't," I said, "not a whit. It would be a poor way to try to
frighten me. How is Mr. William this morning?"

"Oh, he's well and feeding the dogs, ma'am. What made you think of him?"

"Politeness, Hannah," I found myself forced to say. "He's the only man
in the house. Why shouldn't I think of him?"

She fingered her apron a minute and laughed.

"I didn't know you liked him. He's so rough, it isn't everybody who
understands him," she said.

"Must one understand a person to like him?" I queried good-humoredly. I
was beginning to think I might have dreamed about that key.

"I don't know," she said, "I don't always understand Miss Lucetta, but I
like her through and through, ma'am, as I like this little finger," and
holding up this member to my inspection, she crossed the room for my
water-pitcher, which she proposed to fill with hot water.

I followed her closely with my eyes. When she came back, I saw her
attention caught by the break in the flooring, which she had not noticed
on entering.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "what a shame!" her honest face coloring as she
drew the rug back over the small black gap. "I am su