s I knows who you is, I
reckon, Maje' Vanrevel?"

"Yes, yes, I know. Will you tell me who sent you?"

"Miz Tanberry, suh, dat who sended me, an' in a venomous hurry she done
de same!"

"Yes. Why? Does she want me?"

Mamie emitted a screech. "'Deed she mos' everlas'in'ly does not! Dat de
ve'y exackindes' livin' t'ing she does not want!"

"Then what is it, Mamie?"

"Lemme git my bref, suh, an' you hole yo'ne whiles I tell you! She say
to me, she say: 'Is you 'quainted Maje' Vanrevel, Mamie?' s' she, an' I
up'n' ansuh, 'Not to speak wid, but dey ain; none on 'em I don' knows by
sight, an' none betterer dan him,' I say. Den she say, she say: 'You run
all de way an' fin' dat young man,' she say, s' she, 'an' if you don'
git dah fo' he leave, er don' stop him on de way, den God 'imighty
fergive you!' she say. 'But you tell him f'um Jane Tanberry not to come
nigh dis house or dis gyahden dis night! Tell him dat Jane Tanberry warn
him he mus' keep outer Carewe's way ontel he safe on de boat to-morrer.
Tell him Jane Tanberry beg him to stay in he own room dis night, an' dat
she beg it on her bented knees!' An' dis she say to me when I tole her
what Nelson see in dat house dis evenin'. An' hyuh I is, an' hyuh yew
is, an' de blessed Jesus be thank', you ir hyuh!"

Tom regarded her with a grave attention. "What made Mrs. Tanberry think
I might be coming there to-night?"

"Dey's cur'ous goin's-on in dat house, suh! De young lady she ain' like
herself; all de day long she wanduh up an' down an' roun' about. Miz
Tanberry are a mighty guessifying woman, an' de minute I tell her
what Nelse see, she s'pec' you a-comin' an' dat de boss mos' pintedly
preparin' fo' it!"

"Can you make it a little clearer for me, Mamie? I'm afraid I don't
understand."

"Well, suh, you know dat ole man Nelson, he allays tell me ev'yt'ing
he know, an' ev'yt'ing he think he know, jass de same, suh. An' dat ole
Nelse, he mos' 'sessful cull'd man in de worl' to crope roun' de house
an' pick up de gossip an' git de 'fo' an' behine er what's goin' on. So
'twas dat he see de boss, when he come in to'des evenin', tek dat heavy
musket offn' de racks an' load an' clean her, an' he do it wid a mighty
bad look 'bout de mouf. Den he gone up to de cupoly an' lef' it dah, an'
den come down ag'in. Whiles dey all is eatin', he 'nounce th'ee time'
dat he goin' be 'way endu'in' de evenin'. Den he gone out de front do',
an' out de gates, an' down de street. Den, su,