persons remonstrated with her for attempting to go
into the house when anything she wanted would be gladly done for her.
"Much 'bliged," said the old woman, "but I don' want no letters nor
nuffin'. I's come to make a call on de white folks, an' I's gwine in."

This announcement was received with a laugh, and she was allowed to
proceed without further hindrance. She got up the porch steps without
much difficulty, her supporters taking upon themselves most of the
necessary exertion; but when she reached the top, she dispensed with
their assistance. Shuffling to the front door, she there met Miss
Harriet Corvey, who greeted the old woman with much surprise, but shook
hands with her very cordially.

"Ebenin', Miss Har'et," said Aunt Patsy. And then, lowering her voice
she asked: "Is ole miss h'yar?"

Miss Harriet hesitated a moment, and then she answered: "Yes, she is,
but I don't believe she'll come down to see you."

"Oh, I'll go up-stars," said Aunt Patsy. "Whar she?"

"She's in the spare chamber," said Miss Harriet; and Aunt Patsy, with a
nod of the head signifying that she knew all about that room, crossed
the hall, and began, slowly but steadily, to ascend the stairs. Miss
Harriet gazed upon her with amazement, for Aunt Patsy had been considered
chair-ridden when the postmistress was a young woman. Arrived at the end
of her toilsome ascent, Aunt Patsy knocked at the door of the spare
chamber, and as the voice of her old mistress said, "Come in!" she went
in.

CHAPTER VII.

When Lawrence Croft reached the Green Sulphur Springs, after his
interview with Miss March, his soul was still bubbling and boiling with
emotion, and it continued in that condition all night, at least during
that great part of the night of which he was conscious. The sight of the
lady he loved, under the new circumstances in which he found her, had
determined him to throw prudence and precaution to the winds, and to ask
her at once to be his wife.

But the next morning Lawrence arose very late. His coffee had evidently
been warmed over, and his bacon had been cooked for a long, long time.
The world did not appear to him in a favorable light, and he was obliged
to smoke two cigars before he was at all satisfied with it. While he was
smoking he did a good deal of thinking, and it was then that he came to
the conclusion that he would not go over to Midbranch and propose to
Roberta March. Such precipitate action would be unjust to hims