've heard all about me, haven't you?" inquired the
latter.

"Ma'am?" questioned Luce, hardly knowing how to answer.

"I say, you know who I am, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am. You are Col. Anglesea's lady," promptly replied Luce.

"'Col. Anglesea's lady?' What do you mean by that, nigger? I am Col.
Anglesea's wife, I'd have you to know! Now, what did you mean by 'lady'?"
demanded the stranger, with spirit.

"I am sure, ma'am, I didn't mean no offense wotsomdever. I meant to be
more 'spectful in sayin' lady," soothingly replied Luce.

"Well, then, never do you call me a 'lady.' 'Lady' is too unsartain a
word. I'm that man's wife, not 'lady.'"

"That's true, ma'am, an' I'm sorry as I made a mistake," said Luce, more
humbly, because of a secret irony.

"I s'pose you've heard all about that rumpus in the church?"

"Somefin' of it, ma'am," discreetly observed Luce.

"Only something of it? Well, then, I will tell you all about it. It will
pass away the time while waiting for breakfast."

Luce, divided between her curiosity and her love of gossip on the one
hand, and her conscientious sense of propriety on the other, made no
direct reply.

Mrs. Anglesea began at the beginning and rehearsed all her wrongs, just as
she had done to the family in the drawing room on the previous evening.

Luce went in and out between the kitchen and the dining room, and to and
fro between the sideboard, the buffet and the table, with a:

"'Scuse, ma'am," every time she went out of hearing.

"How in the deuce can you attend to anything I am saying if you keep
jumping around so?" demanded the narrator.

"'Scuse me, ma'am; I hears yer good enough, thank yer, ma'am; an' I has to
finish settin' de table," pleaded the woman.

"But you make me fidgety, having to turn my head around every minute after
you."

"Werry sorry, ma'am, but de family will 'spect de breakfas' to be ready
for 'em. It's--it's a habit dey gibs deirselbes, yer see, ma'am," pleaded
Luce. And at the same moment Jake appeared, with a large waiter in his
hands, on which were set the hot edibles to be arranged on the table.

With the help of Luce, he put them all in place, and then took a big,
brass bell, and rang it with all his might close to the head of the
guest.

"Lord bless us! I like music, but not that sort!" cried the latter,
clapping her fat hands over the thick, black curls that covered her ears.

Mr. and Mrs. Force came in, followed by all the family, wit