for your son, though
he should fall to the lowest depths of degradation. Tell father, when
you write him, that I have disobeyed his word; but ask him if he cannot
forgive me. It is possible that I may meet with him upon the ocean, and
may we both be spared to make you happy, my dear mother. Farewell, from
your affectionate son."

"I do forgive you, my son, in this cruel step which you have taken;
indeed, but how could he do thus? Oh, how could he!" and Mrs. Grosvenor,
overcome with her emotion, sank back in her chair.

"De good Lord be praised, missy! but I not tink it eber come to dis. To
be sure, massa Wendall often tell me, eber since _dat day_, dat I
getting too full ob laugh, dat one extreme follow anoder; but I never
tink young massa take hesef clean off!" and, wiping the whites of his
eyes, he went out to hunt up old Nep to share his grief; but he soon
returned, and locking the door after him, proceeded to fasten every
window in the house.

Sea-flower, who was bathing her mother's temples, observing what the
negro was about, was at a loss to account for his movements; but knowing
he disliked to be questioned upon points touching his judgment, she
humored him by letting him have his own way, till finally, he peered
into his mistress's face, and in a voice scarcely above a whisper, said,
"Dar, missy, de rest ob us am safe! he no cotch any more dis time!"

"What is it? Vingo, what has happened?"

"Ah, little missy, if I wasn't clean gone tuck! 'pears like I never
shall get ober it."

"What is the matter, Vingo?"

"Well, missy Sea-flower, I tinks it am de ebil one dat has taken dem
away, after all; for dat dog neber go 'way peaceably wid anyting short
ob de debil; he got too much de spirit ob his massa to be afeard ob
anyting dat belong on dis earth!"

"Is Neptune gone, too, Vingo?"

"Yes, missy, dar not eben a shadow left ob him; and, [the negro had a
remarkable imagination], 'pears like I see de print ob a cloben tread in
de soft ground, by his door; and among de hay de old fellow hab lef some
ob his plunder trough mistake."

Sea-flower hastened to the dog's kennel, and there indeed was a small
parcel, folded neatly in white paper, but no trace of the dog was to be
seen; opening the package, there was a small locket, containing the
likeness of her mother and herself, which had been left upon the parlor
table, but how it came in the dog's kennel was a mystery.

"Oh, our faithful Neptune! how much we sh