ook away one's appetite to look at him.

For many mornings after this I listened to his prayers, which grew more
and more earnest and importunate. I could not think he had done any harm
with his own will. He must have been more sinned against than sinning.

He brought me a shawl one cool evening as if it were my death-warrant,
and I said, in the sepulchral tone that wins confidence, "Pedro, do you
always say your prayers when you are alone?"

"Yes, miss, 'board _this_ ship."

"What's the matter with, this ship?"

"I s'pose you don't have no faith in ghosts?"

"Not much."

"White folks mostly don't," said Pedro with aggravating meekness, and
turned into his pantry.

I followed him to the door, and stood in it so that he had no escape:
"What has that to do with your prayers?"

"This cabin has got a ghost in it."

I looked over my shoulder into the dusk, and shivered a little, which
was not lost on Pedro. He grew more solemn if possible than before: "I
see her 'most every morning, and if my back is to the door, I see her
all the same. She don't never touch me, but I keep at the prayers for
fear she will."

"Do you never see her except in the morning?"

"Once or twice she has just put her head out of the door of the middle
state-room when I was waitin' on table."

"In broad daylight?"

"Sartin. Them as sees ghosts sees 'em any time. Every morning, just at
peep o' day, she comes out of that door and makes a dive for the stairs.
She just gives me one look, and holds up her hand, and I don't see no
more of her till next time."

"How does she look?" I almost hoped he would not tell, but he did.

"She's got hair as black as a coal, kind o' pushed back, as if she'd
been runnin' her hands through it; she has big shiny eyes, swelled up as
she'd been cryin' a great while; and she's always got on a gray dress,
silvery-like, with a tear in one sleeve. There ain't nothin' more, only
a handkerchief tied round her wrist, as if it had been hurt."

"Is she handsome?"

"Mebbe white folks'd think so."

"Why does she show herself to you and no one else, do you suppose?"

"Didn't I tell you the reason before?"

"Of course you didn't."

"Well, you see, she looked just so the last time I seen her alive. I
must go and put in the biscuit now, miss."

I submitted, knowing that white folks may be hurried, but black ones
never; and I could not but admire the natural talent which Pedro shared
with the authors of continued