and the timbers of the mansion,
are still as sound as ever, but, the floors and other interior parts
being greatly decayed, it is contemplated to gut the whole and build a
new house within the ancient frame-and brickwork. Among other
inconveniences of the present edifice, mine host mentioned that any
jar or motion was apt to shake down the dust of ages out of the
ceiling of one chamber upon the floor of that beneath it.

We stepped forth from the great front window into the balcony where in
old times it was doubtless the custom of the king's representative to
show himself to a loyal populace, requiting their huzzas and tossed-up
hats with stately bendings of his dignified person. In those days the
front of the Province House looked upon the street, and the whole site
now occupied by the brick range of stores, as well as the present
court-yard, was laid out in grass-plats overshadowed by trees and
bordered by a wrought-iron fence. Now the old aristocratic edifice
hides its time-worn visage behind an upstart modern building; at one
of the back windows I observed some pretty tailoresses sewing and
chatting and laughing, with now and then a careless glance toward the
balcony. Descending thence, we again entered the bar-room, where the
elderly gentleman above mentioned--the smack of whose lips had spoken
so favorably for Mr. Waite's good liquor--was still lounging in his
chair. He seemed to be, if not a lodger, at least a familiar visitor
of the house who might be supposed to have his regular score at the
bar, his summer seat at the open window and his prescriptive corner at
the winter's fireside. Being of a sociable aspect, I ventured to
address him with a remark calculated to draw forth his historical
reminiscences, if any such were in his mind, and it gratified me to
discover that, between memory and tradition, the old gentleman was
really possessed of some very pleasant gossip about the Province
House. The portion of his talk which chiefly interested me was the
outline of the following legend. He professed to have received it at
one or two removes from an eye-witness, but this derivation, together
with the lapse of time, must have afforded opportunities for many
variations of the narrative; so that, despairing of literal and
absolute truth, I have not scrupled to make such further changes as
seemed conducive to the reader's profit and delight.

* * * * *

At one of the entertainments giv