him. I guess it's good
living with him," said Clam sagaciously. "I wish I did it."

"I must go and see her. Where is she?"

"She's wherever he's took her to."

"But where's that? -- don't you know?"

"It's to his house -- if you know where that is."

"Do you know what you've come here to do?" said Elizabeth
after a slight pause.

Clam shook her head.

"One thing I can tell you, first of all," said Elizabeth, --
"it is to mind what I say to you."

"Mr. Winthrop said I was to behave," said Clam with another
glimpse of her white teeth.

"Then don't shake your head any more when I speak to you. What
have you been doing at Wut-a-qut-o?"

"At Wuttle-quttle?" said Clam.

"At Wut-a-qut-o. What did you do there?"

"'Tain't the name of the place," said Clam. "They call it
Shah-wee-tah."

"Wut-a-qut-o is the name of the mountain -- it's all one. What
have you been used to do there?"

"Set tables --" said Clam considerately.

"What did Mrs. Landholm teach you?"

"She learned me 'most everything," said Clam. "What she
learned me most of all, was to have me read the Bible every
day, and do nothin' wrong o' Sundays, and never say nothin'
that wa'n't."

"That wasn't what?"

"That wa'n't _it_," said Clam. "Never to say nothin' that wa'n't
the thing."

"Why, did you ever do that?" said Elizabeth.

"Maybe I did," said Clam, considering her new mistress's
dressing-table. "Mis' Landholm was afeard on't."

"Well, you must be just as careful about that here," said
Elizabeth. "I love truth as well as she did."

"All kinds?" said the girl.

Elizabeth looked at her, with a mouthful of answer which she
did not dare to bring out. Nothing was to be made of Clam's
face, except that infallible air of capacity. There was no
sign of impertinent meaning.

"You look as if you could learn," she said.

"Been learnin' ever since I was big enough," said the black
girl. And she looked so.

"Are you willing to learn?"

"Like nothin' better."

"Provided it's the right kind, I suppose," said Elizabeth,
wholly unable to prevent her features giving way a little at
the unshakable coolness and spirit she had to do with. Clam's
face relaxed in answer, after a different manner from any it
had taken during the interview; and she said,

"Well, I'll try. Mr. Winthrop said I was to be good; and I
ain't a goin' to do nothin' to displease him, anyhow!"

"But the matter is rather to please _me_, here," said Elizabeth.

"Well," s