to do the
thing genteelly, as they did. I tell you, marm, I don't like strangers
a-running about this house while you and Miss Lina live in it. Ain't the
old sarvants enough--What have they done to be turned out of doors?"

"Who has been turned out of doors, Benson? No one by me," said Mabel, a
good deal surprised by this harangue.

"No, marm--but they're dropping out of their places softly marm, as the
leaves fall out yonder, without the least idee what wind strikes 'em.
Yesterday, the old cook, as has been in your kitchen twenty years, got
her discharge. To-morrow, for anything that old feller knows, Ben Benson
may git his mitimus, and when he asks to see the lady as he's sarved
heart and soul since he was a boy a'most, they'll tell him as they did
the cook--that this ere lady is sick, and can't be troubled with such
matters."

"And have they discharged my cook--poor, faithful Nancy? Is this so,
Benson? Who has done it? How dare they!" cried Mabel, surprised and
indignant. "Why did she not come to me? Has Nancy really gone?"

"Yes, marm, I saw her myself go off to the city, with a bandbox under
her arm, and a man behind, carrying her trunk."

"But what was her offence?"

"She didn't keep the General's woodcocks quite long enough to make 'em
tender--sarved 'em up too fresh and sweet--I don't know of nothing else
that they brought agin her."

"And she has gone--actually gone!"

"Bag and baggage, marm; they made clean work of it."

"They? Of whom do you speak? Not of Lina, not of Mr. Harrington--who,
but the General, himself, would dare to discharge my servants?"

"In course, nobody but the old Gineral could do it; but that are
gov'rness, marm, as has been a whispering with him in his room and out
on it, ever since you've been shut up here. She's been a-doing some of
that ere Borger work in a new way, pizening the mind, instead of the
stomach. Since that ere black-eyed pussy-cat came here and got to
mousing around, there hasn't been a mite of comfort anywhere, in-doors
or out. The very boat, as was as kind a craft as ever tuk to water's got
to running contrary, and is allus cutting across currents, and tussling
agin the wind. It ain't Christian, and as like as not, it's slandering
the poor feller to say it, but my 'pinion is, that Ben Benson's
a-beginning to hate that ere gal like pizon."

Mabel was so occupied with new thoughts, that she did not hear the
conclusion of this speech, but sat gazing steadily o