tting together, literally; she was
dropping to pieces from the effects of years and confinement.
Anderese was hardly equal to the business; Elizabeth sent for
better help from Mountain Spring, and watched rather eagerly
the restoring of her favourite to strength and beauty. Watched
and pressed the work, as if she was in a hurry. But after
tightening and caulking, the boat must be repainted. Elizabeth
watched the doing of that; and bargained for a pair of light
oars with her friend the workman. He was an old, respectable-
looking man, of no particular calling, that appeared.

"Where was this here boat built?" he inquired one day as he
was at work and Elizabeth looking on.

"It was built in Mannahatta."

"A good while ago, likely?"

"Yes, it was."

"Did this here belong to old Squire Landholm?"

"No."

"'Twa'n't fetched here lately, I guess, was it?"

"No -- it has lain here a long time."

"Who _did_ it belong to, then?"

"It belonged to me."

"Is it your'n now?" said the man looking up at her.

"No," said Elizabeth colouring, -- "it is not; but it belongs
to a friend of mine."

"Was you ever in these parts before?"

"Some time ago."

"Then you knew the old family, likely?"

"Yes, I did."

"There was fine stuff in them Landholms," said the old man,
perhaps supplied with the figure by the timber he was nailing,
-- "real what I call good stuff -- parents and children. There
was a great deal of good in all of 'em; only the boys took
notions they wouldn't be nothin' but ministers or lawyers or
some sort o' people that wears black coats and don't have to
roll up their trowsers for nothin'. They were clever lads,
too. I don't mean to say nothin' agin 'em."

"Do you know how they're gettin' on?" he asked after a pause
on his part and on Elizabeth's.

"I believe Asahel is with his father, -- gone West."

"Ay, ay; but I mean the others -- them two that went to
College. I ha'n't seen Rufus for a great spell -- I went down
and fetched up Winthrop when his mother died."

"Will you have paint enough to finish that gunwale?"

"Guess so," said the old man looking into his paint-pot.
"There's more oil in the bottle. What be them two doing now?
Winthrop's a lawyer, ain't he?"

"Yes."

"Well, he's made a smart one, ha'n't he? -- ain't he about as
smart as any one they've got in Mannahatta?"

"I'm not a judge," said Elizabeth, who could not quite keep
her countenance. "I dare say he is."

"He was my f