cerned. I
can't tell you on'y but jes' dis: She 'peared yere 'bout twenty year
ago, or mo'. She built dat dere hut wid her own han's, an' she use to
make baskets an' brackets an' sich, an' fetch 'em roun' to de people to
sell. She made 'em out'n twigs an' ornimented 'em wid red rose berries
an' hollies an' sich, an' mighty purty dey was, an' de young gals liked
'em, dey did. An' she made her libbin outen de money she got for her
wares. She use to tell fortins too; an' folks did say as she tole true,
an' some did say as she had a tell-us-man ring w'ich, when she wore it,
she could see inter de futur; but Lor', young marse, dey was on'y
supercilly young idiwuts as b'leibed dat trash! But she nebber would
take no money for tellin' fortins--nebber!--w'ich was curous. De berry
day as de gubner-leck was missin' ob, she wanished too. When de
cons'able went to 'rest her, he foun' her gone an' de hut burnt up. Now,
yere we is, young marse, at de lan'in', an' you can get right out yere
'dout wettin' your feet," said the old ferryman, as he pushed the boat
up to the dry end of the wharf.

The passenger astonished the old ferryman by putting a quarter of an
eagle in his hand, and then sprang from the boat and ran up the avenue
leading toward the house. There was no light visible from the windows of
the mansion. The dinner party was a strictly private family affair, and
nothing but the solitary lamp at the head of the avenue appeared to
guide the pedestrian's steps through the darkness of the newly fallen
night.

He reached the house, and was admitted by the old servant.

When his toilet was complete, the duke went down to the drawing room to
join the family circle.

The dinner, quiet as it was, was a success. To be sure, the diners were
all in deep mourning and the conversation was rather subdued; but, then,
it was perhaps on that account the more interesting.

The many courses, altogether, occupied more than an hour.

When the cloth was drawn and the dessert placed upon the table, at a
signal from the Iron King the butler went around the table and filled
every glass with champagne, then returned and stood at his master's
back. Mr. Rockharrt arose and made a speech, and proposed a toast that
greatly astonished his company and compromised two of them. With his
glass in his hand, he said:

"My sons, daughters, and friend: You all doubtless understand the object
of this family gathering, and also why this celebration of an
in