? Well, and what if he is?"

"No, no, sister, but it is his father--it is Uncle Jaw."

"Well, s'pose 'tis, child--what scares you? S'pose I'm afraid of him? If
he wants more than I gave him last time, I'll put it on." So saying,
Miss Silence took her knitting work and marched down into the sitting
room, and sat herself bolt upright in an attitude of defiance, while
poor Susan, feeling her heart beat unaccountably fast, glided out of the
room.

"Well, good morning, Miss Silence," said Uncle Jaw, after having scraped
his feet on the scraper, and scrubbed them on the mat nearly ten
minutes, in silent deliberation.

"Morning, sir," said Silence, abbreviating the "good."

Uncle Jaw helped himself to a chair directly in front of the enemy,
dropped his hat on the floor, and surveyed Miss Silence with a dogged
air of satisfaction, like one who is sitting down to a regular,
comfortable quarrel, and means to make the most of it.

Miss Silence tossed her head disdainfully, but scorned to commence
hostilities.

"So, Miss Silence," said Uncle Jaw, deliberately, "you don't think
you'll do any thing about that 'ere matter."

"What matter?" said Silence, with an intonation resembling that of a
roasted chestnut when it bursts from the fire.

"I really thought, Miss Silence, in that 'ere talk I had with you about
'Squire Jones's cheatin' about that 'ere----"

"Mr. Adams," said Silence, "I tell you, to begin with, I'm not a going
to be sauced in this 'ere way by you. You hain't got common decency, nor
common sense, nor common any thing else, to talk so to me about my
father; I won't bear it, I tell you."

"Why, Miss Jones," said Uncle Jaw, "how you talk! Well, to be sure,
'Squire Jones is dead and gone, and it's as well not to call it
cheatin', as I was tellin' Deacon Enos when he was talking about that
'ere lot--that 'ere lot, you know, that he sold the deacon, and never
let him have the deed on't."

"That's a lie," said Silence, starting on her feet; "that's an up and
down black lie! I tell you that, now, before you say another word."

"Miss Silence, railly, you seem to be getting touchy," said Uncle Jaw;
"well, to be sure, if the deacon can let that pass, other folks can; and
maybe the deacon will, because 'Squire Jones was a church member, and
the deacon is 'mazin' tender about bringin' out any thing against
professors; but railly, now, Miss Silence, I didn't think you and Susan
were going to work it so cunning in this