ro'?" at length inquired Mr. Berners.

"Raphael? Bless your soul, Marster, Raphael an't been seen in this house
since you yourself left it," answered Joe.

"Then I am very much afraid the poor fellow has been lost," sighed Mr.
Berners.

And then, having called Dilly to show Miss Pendleton to a bedroom, and
ordered Joe to perform the same service for Captain Pendleton, Mr.
Berners went to a back building of the house in which the poor refugees
were gathered.

Here he found the people in great distress, mourning over the sudden
loss of all their worldly goods.

He consoled them as well as he could; reminded them that, with all their
losses, they had lost no members of their families, and promised them
that he and his neighbors would rebuild and refurnish their cottages,
and finally inviting them to stay at Black Hall until this should be
accomplished.

Thanks and blessings followed his words, and then he asked:

"Has any one heard from my old overseer. Winterose? His house stands
high, and I suppose that it is safe."

A half a dozen voices answered in a breath:

"Law, yes, sir; his house is safe."

"He's had a stroke, sir."

"They thought he was a dying."

"But he is better now; and his wife, who is a good judge, thinks he'll
get over it."

"It gratifies me to hear this, my friends. But although the old man's
house is safe, he has met with a much greater misfortune than any of you
have in the loss of all you possess," said Mr. Berners, very gravely.

"Law, sir, what?" inquired a dozen voices at once.

"He has lost his eldest daughter," answered Lyon Berners, sadly.

"Who? Miss Tabby? Law, sir, no he an't!"

"She's home, fast enough!"

"She was brought home by a quarryman yesterday morning."

It was the habit of these people to talk all at the same time, so that
it required a shrewd listener to understand them.

But there seemed so large an interest at stake in their present
communications, that Mr. Berners understood even more than was intended.

"Miss Tabby saved?" he echoed.

"Yes, sir," answered a score of voices.

"AND WHO WITH HER?"

"No one as we know's on, sir."

"No one?"

"No, sir."

"How was she saved?"

"Don't know, sir."

"Nobody knows, sir."

"She don't even know herself, sir."

These replies were all made in a breath.

"Don't even know herself! What is the meaning of that?"

"Yes, sir. No, sir. You see, sir," began half a hundred voices.

"Hush, for Heaven's sak