mmunicate with him. But when I did at last see him, down you
swooped upon us before I had an opportunity of saying a word about you."

"Your marriage was a very fortunate thing for you," said Mr Croft, "for
if it had not been for that I should never have allowed you to go about
the country looking up a gentleman in my behalf. But how did you get
over your repugnance to your aunt?"

"I didn't get over it," she said, "I conquered it, for I found that this
was the most likely place to meet Junius. And Aunt Keswick has certainly
treated me in the kindest manner, although she is very angry about Mr
Null. But when I first came and she did not know who I was, she behaved
in the most extraordinary manner."

"What did she do?" asked Croft.

"Never you mind," she answered, with a little laugh. "You can't expect
to know all the family affairs."

They had now arrived at Aunt Patsy's cabin, and Mrs Null entered,
followed at a little distance by Croft. The old woman had seen them as
they were walking along the road, and her little black eyes sparkled
with peculiar animation behind her great spectacles. Her granddaughter
happened not to be at home, but Aunt Patsy got up, and with her apron
rubbed off the bottoms of two chairs, which she placed in convenient
positions for her expected visitors. When they came in they found her in
a very perturbed condition. She answered Mrs Null's questions with a
very few words and a great many grunts, and kept her eyes fixed nearly
all the time upon Mr Croft, endeavoring to find out, perhaps, if he had
yet been subjected to any kind of conjuring.

When all the questions which young people generally put to old servants
had been asked by Mrs Null, and Croft had made as many remarks as might
have been expected of him in regard to the age and recollections of this
interesting old negress, Aunt Patsy began to be much more disturbed,
fearing that the interview was about to come to an end. She actually got
up and went to the back door to look for Eliza.

"Do you want her?" anxiously inquired Mrs Null, going to the old woman's
side.

"Yaas, I wants her," said Aunt Patsy. "I 'spec' she at Aggy's house--dat
cabin ober dar--but I can't holler loud 'nuf to make her h'yere me."
"I'll run over there and tell her you want her," said Mrs Null,
stepping out of the door.

"Dat's a good chile," said Aunt Patsy, with more warmth than she had yet
exhibited. "Dat's your own mudder's good chile!" And then she tur