ous sort of fellow,--or whether he feels safe to have
him about, or has even taken a sort of fancy to him."

"Lar' bless you, Doctor, Massa Veneer no more idee 'f any mischief 'bout
Dick than he has 'bout you or me. Y' see, he very fond o' the
Cap'n,--that Dick's father,--'n' he live so long alone here, 'long wi'
us, that he kin' o' like to see mos' anybody 't 's got any o' th' of
family-blood in 'em. He ha'n't got no more suspicions 'n a baby,--y'
never see sech a man 'n y'r life. I kin' o' think he don' care for
nothin' in this world 'xcep' jes' t' do what Elsie wan's him to. The fus'
year after young Madam die he do nothin' but jes' set at the window 'n'
look out at her grave, 'n' then come up 'n' look at the baby's neck 'n'
say, 'It's fadin', Sophy, a'n't it? 'n' then go down in the study 'n'
walk 'n' walk, 'n' them kneel down 'n' pray. Doctor, there was two places
in the old carpet that was all threadbare, where his knees had worn 'em.
An' sometimes, you remember 'bout all that,--he'd go off up into The
Mountain, 'n' be gone all day, 'n' kill all the Ugly Things he could find
up there.--Oh, Doctor, I don' like to think o' them days!--An' by 'n'
by he grew kin' o' still, 'n' begun to read a little, 'n' 't las' he got
's quiet's a lamb, 'n' that's the way he is now. I think he's got
religion, Doctor; but he a'n't so bright about what's goin' on, 'n' I
don' believe he never suspec' nothin' till somethin' happens; for the' 's
somethin' goin' to happen, Doctor, if the Las' Day does n' come to stop
it; 'n' you mus' tell us what to do, 'n' save my poor Elsie, my baby that
the Lord has n' took care of like all his other childer."

The Doctor assured the old woman that he was thinking a great deal about
them all, and that there were other eyes on Dick besides her own. Let
her watch him closely about the house, and he would keep a look-out
elsewhere. If there was anything new, she must let him know at once.
Send up one of the menservants, and he would come down at a moment's
warning.

There was really nothing definite against this young man; but the Doctor
was sure that he was meditating some evil design or other. He rode
straight up to the Institute. There he saw Mr. Bernard, and had a brief
conversation with him, principally on matters relating to his personal
interests.

That evening, for some unknown reason, Mr. Bernard changed the place of
his desk and drew down the shades of his windows. Late that night Mr.