ime to light the lamp. In the child that was I she
had found no ease or recompense, because of the mystery concerning me,
which in its implication of wickedness revolted her, and because of
my uncle's regulation of her demeanor in my presence, which tolerated
no affectionate display; but when Judith came, orphaned and
ill-nourished, the woman sat no longer in moods at evening, but busied
herself in motherly service of the child, reawakened in the
spirit. 'Twas thus to a watchful, willing guardianship, most
tenderly maternal in solicitude and self-sacrifice, that Judith
was brought by wise old Nick Top of Twist Tickle.

My uncle would have no misunderstanding.

"Uncle Nick," says I, "you'll be havin' a chair set for Judy in the
cabin?"

"No, lad," he answered; "not for little Judy."

I expostulated most vigorously.

"Dannie, lad," said he, with a gravity that left me no stomach for
argument, "the maid goes steerage along o' me. This here little matter
o' Judy," he added, gently, "belongs t' me. I'm not makin' a lady o'
she. She haves nothin' t' do--nothin' t' do, thank God!--with what's
gone afore."

There was no word to say.

"An ye're wantin' t' have Judy t' dinner, by times," he continued,
winking a genial understanding of my love-lorn condition, "I 'low it
might be managed by a clever hand."

I asked him the way.

"Slug-shot," says he.

'Twas the merest hint.

"Remove," says he, darkly, "one slug-shot from the box with the star,
an' drop it," says he, his left eye closed again, "in the box with the
cross."

And there I had it!

* * * * *

You must know that by my uncle's severe direction I must never fail to
appear at table in the evening save in the perfection of cleanliness
as to face and hands and nails and teeth. "For what," says he, "have
Skipper Chesterfield t' say on that p'int--underlined by Sir Harry?
Volume II., page 24. A list o' the ornamental accomplishments. '_T' be
extremely clean in your person._' There you haves it--underlined by
Sir Harry!" He would examine me keenly, every nail and tooth of me,
accepting neither excuse nor apology, and would never sit with me
until I had passed inspection. In the beginning, 'twas my uncle's
hand, laid upon me in virtuous chastisement, that persuaded me of the
propriety of this genteel conduct; but presently, when I was grown
used to the thing, 'twas fair impossible for me to approach the meat,
in times