cloth that floored the room, or to the rocks
beneath, which the wind ran over, the house being set on spiles, or to
the bowels of the earth, as you may choose. 'Twas a familiar thing to
me--the mystery of the turned thumb and spasmodic indication, the
appearance, too, at such times, of my uncle's eyes: round, protruding,
alight with wicked admiration, starting from the scars and bristles
and disfigurements of his face, but yet reflecting awe, as of some
unholy daring, to be mightily suffered for in due time. But 'twas not
familiar to my tutor, nor, doubtless, had ever occurred to his
imagination, sophisticated as he may have thought it; he could do
nothing but withstand the amazement as best he might, and that in a
mean, poor way, as he gazed alternately upon my uncle's flushed and
deeply stirred countenance and upon my own saddened, aged face,
speaking its ancient bewilderment. I pitied his disquietude, rather:
for he was come from abroad to our coast--and could not understand.

"Dannie, lad," my uncle anxiously inquired, "_can_ it be that you
likes them there fresh carrots?"

It could easily be.

"An' paid for!" my uncle ejaculated, with no abatement of delight.
"Parson," he proceeded, proudly, "good feed that there young gentleman
has in the cabin, eh?"

My tutor agreed.

"None better in the world, eh?" the old man went on. "_You_ couldn't
do no better, could you?"

My tutor said that no man could.

"An' paid for," says my uncle, thumbing down. "Paid for, every bite!"
He turned to me. "Dannie," says he, "how d'ye like them there new
potatoes?"

They were more than palatable.

"Hear that, parson!" cries my uncle. "He likes un! Imported direck,
sir, from Bermuda," says he, with all the vanity of riches. "Ever feed
so high yourself, parson? Consignment arrived," says he, "per S.S.
_Silvia_. You'll see it in the _Herald_ an you looks."

"Really!" my tutor exclaimed, for lack of something better.

"Fac'," says my uncle; "an' paid for--skin an' eye!"

My tutor gave it up--permitted himself no longer to be troublesomely
mystified; but after a quick glance from steerage to cabin, flashed
with amused comprehension of the contrast, threw back his head
with a little laugh quite detached from our concerns, and presently,
innured to the grotesquery, busied himself with relish upon his
salt-junk. Thereafter, the rum buzzing in his head, he ran on in a
vivacious way upon all things under the sun, save himself, so th