te. Mam'
Lyddy's expression drove him to disobedience. He gave her a keen glance,
and then said, half jocularly: "Old woman, what is the matter with you
lately!"

Mam' Lyddy did not answer immediately. She looked away, then said: "Wid
me? Ain't nuttin' de matter wid me."

"Oh, yes, there is. What is it? Do you want to go home?"

She appeared half startled for an instant, then answered more sharply:
"Nor, I don't wan' go home. I ain' got no home to go to."

"Oh, yes, you have. Well, what is the matter? Out with it. Have you lost
any money!"

"Nor, I ain' lost no money 's _I_ knows on."

"Been playing lottery?"

"I don' know what dat is."

"You don't, ah! Well, you would if you had been in Wall Street lately.
Well, what is the matter? You are going around here as glum as a
meat-axe. Something 's up. What is it?"

"Ain' nothin' de matter wid _me_." She glanced away under her master's
half amused, half disdainful glance, then added half surlily: "I wants
_rec'nition_."

"Want recognition? What do you mean?"

"Dat 's what _we_ wants," declared the old woman, acquiring courage.

Graeme laughed.

"What is recognition?"

"I don't know what 't is edzac'ly, but dat's what we _wants_. You all 's
got it and you got to gi' it to _us_."

"You mean you want to sit at table with us!" exclaimed Mrs. Graeme.

Mammy Lyddy turned toward her. "You know I don't mean nuttin' like dat!
I leetle more 'n smacked that yaller gal' what you call you' maid over
'bout talkin' dat way t'other day."

"Then what do you want!"

"I wants _rec'nition_--dat's all I wants."

"Who told you to say that!" asked Mr. Graeme.

"Who tol' me to say dat?" She was puzzled.

"Yes."

"Ain' nobody tol' me to say it."

"Yes, some one has. Who was it?---the Reverend Johnson? Did n't he tell
you that!"

She hesitated; but Mr. Graeme's eye was searching.

"Well, he no mo' 'n others--no _much_ mo'. Of co'se, he tol' me dat--he
_preaches_ 'bout it; but did n't nobody _have_ to tell me--I knows 'bout
it myself."

"Of course you did, and you must have it. So shall the Reverend Mr.
Johnson," said Mr. Graeme. His tone expressed such sudden amiability
that the old woman glanced at him suspiciously, but he was smiling
softly and thoughtfully to himself.

"What did you do with the four hundred and fifty-five dollars you drew
out of bank last week? Did you invest it or lend it to Mr. Johnson?" It
was a bow drawn at venture, but the arrow hit the m