ng himself, dressed exactly as he was
the day before, and rubbing his eyes in the doorway. But behind him!
The coachman's under jaw dropped beneath the weight of a loud "Fo' de
Lawd!" The Bishop's benignant countenance was suddenly crimsoned.
Talboys and Louise looked at each other, and bit their lips. It was
only a woman,--a tall, thin, bent woman in a shabby print gown, with a
faded sunbonnet pushed back from her gray head and a common clay pipe
between her lips. Probably in her youth she had been a pretty woman,
and the worn features and dim eyes still retained something engaging
in their expression of timid good-will.

"Won' you all step in?" she said, advancing.

"Yes, yes," added Demming, inclining his body and waving both hands
with magnificent courtesy; "alight, gen'lemen, alight! I'm sorry I
ain't no staggah juice to offah ye, but yo' right welcome to sweet
potatoes an' pussimmon beah, w'ich's all--"

"Demming," said the Bishop, sternly, "what does this mean? I came to
bury Mrs. Demming, and--and here she is!"

"Burry me!" exclaimed the woman. "Why, I ain't dead!"

Demming rubbed his hands, his face wearing an indescribable expression
of mingled embarrassment, contrition, and bland insinuation. "Well,
yes, Bishop, yere she is, an' no mistake! Nuthin' more 'n a swond, you
unnerstan'. I 'lowed ter notify you uns this mahnin', but fac' is I
wuz so decomposed, fin'in' her traipsin' 'bout in the gyardin an' you
all 'xpectin' a fun'al, thet I jes' _hed_ ter brace up; an' fac' is I
braced up too much, an' ovahslep'. I'm powerful sorry, an' I don'
blame you uns ef you _do_ feel mad!"

The Bishop flung off his robes in haste and walked to the carriage,
where he bundled them in with scant regard for their crispness.

"Never heard of such a thing!" said Louise, that being her invariable
formula for occasions demanding expression before she was prepared to
commit herself. By this time a glimmering notion of the state of
things had reached the coachman's brain, and he was in an ecstasy.
Talboys thought it fitting to speak. He turned to Mrs. Demming, who
was looking from one to another of the group, in a scared way.

"Were you in a swoon?" he asked.

"Oh, laws!" cried the poor woman. "Oh, Demming, what _hev_ you gwine
an' done now? Gentlemen, he didn't mean no harm, I'm suah!"

"You were _not_, then?" said Talboys.

"Leave her 'lone, Cunnel," Demming said, quietly. "Don' yo' see she
cyan't stan' no sech racket?