ribed "Forty-niner's" behavior and remarks at first sighting Mrs.
Benton's wagon.

"Then you found him. He's come back with you? Oh! I am so thankful.
Sobrante wouldn't seem itself without that straightforward, honest old
man."

"You are certain he is that?" asked, rather than asserted, the other.

"As certain as that there is honesty anywhere. What can you mean? Why do
you seem so doubtful?"

"I don't wish to be a talebearer, but another of your adoring
_proteges_ is in dire trouble. Elsa has been robbed and accuses this
unfortunate person of being the culprit."

"Such a thing would be impossible."

"So it seemed to me. Yet that old Wolfgang finally got it through his
head--he appeared duller of wit than his wife--that to lose sight of
Ephraim was to lose the money forever. Your little daughter promised to
produce him when needed, and after considerable opposition they allowed
him to come away. I fancy they began to suspect me even. I fear, madam,
I have visited Sobrante at an unfortunate time."

Mrs. Trent was paying but slight attention to his words. Her mind was
already disturbed by many inexplicable things and would revert to
Antonio's insinuations which, without Jessica's knowledge, she had also
overheard. After a moment, recalled by high voices in the kitchen, she
rallied, and apologizing for so doing, hastily left the dining-porch.

There were several gleaming pots and pans upon the oil cooking-stove
and behind these stood Wun Lung, tenaciously grasping a meat dish and
glaring unutterable things out of his beady eyes upon the excited woman
who faced him, demanding:

"Give me that platter, monkey-face! Suppose I'll put your dirty
victuals into my clean mouth or anybody else's? I've tasted your
stuff before. A burnt bairn dreads the fire. Hand it over. I'll see if
it's fit. There! That rice is boiling over."

The dish of savory lamb stew had been most daintily and carefully
prepared after his mistress' own minute directions, but Wun Lung now
slammed it upon the table with much violence and seized the pipkin of
rice from the stove. With undue emphasis he placed this beside the stew
and, advancing toward Mrs. Trent, made several profound salaams.

"Lat m'loman come--me glo. Good-by."

And for many a day thereafter Wun Lung served no more in that, his own
beloved kitchen.

Not a whit disturbed was Aunt Sally. Revolution had become as the breath
in her nostrils. Wherever she went old orders were revers