reat fireplace was certainly more than a century old. The smell
of rotting wood was in the air; the plaster was coming down, revealing
the wrought hand-split laths beneath; the floor was full of holes.
There were two windows with many missing panes. The sun was streaming
in. From Evan's position flat on his back on the floor he could only
see the sky through the upper sashes.

In contrast with the wreckage that surrounded them the old negress was
neat and clean. She wore a black cotton dress and a gingham apron and
on her head was a quaint, flat-topped cap made from a folded newspaper.
She seemed neither ill-disposed nor well-disposed towards Evan but
regarded him simply as an amusing curiosity.

It ought not to be difficult to bend one so simple to his will, Evan
thought, and set to work to conciliate her.

"Aunt Liza, you seem like a decent woman. What are you doing in a den
like this?"

She affected not to understand him. "Excuse me, suh, I don' understand
No'the'ners' talk very good."

"I say this is a funny looking place."

"Well, I reckon they's gwine fix it up some. Ain't had time yet. The
other rooms is better than this."

"Who lives here?"

"Nobody lives here. It's a club."

"What club?"

"Ain't got no name as I knows. It's a private club."

"Well, who comes here?"

"Jes, my boss and his friends."

"What's your boss's name?"

"Mistah Henry."

"What's his other name?"

"Henry."

"What's his first name, then?"

"Henry too. Mistah Henry Henry."

Evan looked at her sharply, but her face was black and bland.

"What do they do here?" he asked.

"Same as gemmen allways does in a club I reckon; smokes and talks and
plays cards and mixes juleps."

"Well, do they generally bring their guests here tied hand and foot?"

Aunt Liza dissolved into noiseless fat laughter. "No suh! No suh!
That's somepin new, that is!"

"Well, who do you think of it?"

"Laws! I never thinks, suh. I leaves that to the white folks. I jus'
looks on and 'preciates things!"

Evan was sure now that she was simply using her simplicity as a cover.
In such a contest he could only come off second best, so he fell
silent. He was anxious to get her out of the room now that he might
get a glimpse out of the window.

"Somebody said something about dinner," he said. "How about it?"

"Ready d'rectly, suh. I'll go look at it."

She went out. The room had but the one door which she locked after
her. A