e sword of the pious "X" upon himself with a
vengeance, for he was prone in his spiritual disquisitions to detail
much of the discomfort of the future state that awaited his careless
friends.

The allusion so far pleased old Mivane, who resented a suspected
relegation of himself to a warm station in the schemes of "X," that,
although his head was still bald and shining like a billiard ball, he
suffered himself to drop into his chair, his stick resting motionless on
the long-suffering puncheon floor.

"If I could only hear for a day I'd forgive twenty soundless years!" he
declared piteously, for he so deprecated the enforced withdrawal from
the enterprise that he had heedlessly undertaken, and felt so keenly the
reflections upon his sentiments and sincerity surreptitiously canvassed
between Ronackstone and "X," and then cavalierly rehearsed in his
presence.

"You are only deaf to certain whanging voices in queer keys," his
granddaughter declared.

"And how do I know in what sort of key the herders on the Keowee talk?
They may 'moo' like the cow, or 'mew' like the cat! I should be in
danger of losing half that was said. And that is what these varlets here
in the station know right well. It must seem but a mere bit of bombast
on my part. It could never be seriously countenanced--unless I had an
interpreter. Stop me! but if you were a grandson instead of a
granddaughter, I would not mind taking you with me to interpret for me,
though, Gadzooks, I'd be like a heathen red Injun with a linguister!"

"And why am I not as good as any grandson?" demanded Peninnah Penelope
Anne, with a spirited flash of her bright hazel eyes and great temerity
of speculation; for be it remembered the days of the theories of woman's
equality with man had not yet dawned. "Sure, sir, I can speak when I am
spoken to. I understand the English language; and"--her voice rising
into a liquid crescendo of delight--"I can wear my gray sergedusoy sack
made over my carnation taffeta bodice and cashmere petticoat, all
pranked out with bows of black velvet, most genteel, and my hat of
quilled primrose sarcenet, grandfather. I'd take them in a bundle, for
if we should have rain I would rather be in my old red hood and blue
serge riding-coat on the way, grandfather."

And thus it was settled before she had fairly readjusted the peruke on
his head as he sat in his great chair and she clambered on its arm.

She had not heard of the disaster that had befalle