and Mr. Ferrers," returned Nott, simply.

Renshaw sank into his seat again. But the expression of relief which
here passed swiftly over his face gave way to one of uneasy interest as
Nott went on.

"P'r'aps it's a little highfalutin talkin' of Rosey ez a treasure. But,
considerin', Mr. Renshaw, ez she's the only prop'ty I've kept by me for
seventeen years ez hez paid interest and increased in valooe, it ain't
sayin' too much to call her so. And ez Ferrers knows this, he oughter
been content with gougin' me in that horse-hair spec, without goin' for
Rosey. P'r'aps yer surprised at hearing me speak o' my own flesh and
blood ez if I was talkin' hoss-trade, but you and me is bus'ness men,
Mr. Renshaw, and we discusses ez such. We ain't goin' to slosh round
and slop over in po'try and sentiment," continued Nott, with a
tremulous voice, and a hand that slightly shook on Renshaw's shoulder.
"We ain't goin' to git up and sing, 'Thou'st larned to love another
thou'st broken every vow we've parted from each other and my bozom's
lonely now oh is it well to sever such hearts as ourn for ever kin I
forget thee never farewell farewell farewell.' Ye never happen'd to
hear Jim Baker sing that at the moosic hall on Dupont Street, Mr.
Renshaw," continued Mr. Nott, enthusiastically, when he had recovered
from that complete absence of punctuation which alone suggested verse
to his intellect. "He sorter struck water down here," indicating his
heart, "every time."

"But what has Miss Nott to do with M. de Ferrieres?" asked Renshaw,
with a faint smile.

Mr. Nott regarded him with dumb, round, astonished eyes. "Hezn't she
told yer?"

"Certainly not."

"And she didn't let on anythin' about him?" he continued, feebly.

"She said she'd liked to know where--" He stopped, with the reflection
that he was betraying her confidences.

A dim foreboding of some new form of deceit, to which even the man
before him was a consenting party, almost paralyzed Nott's faculties.
"Then she didn't tell yer that she and Ferrers was sparkin' and keepin'
kimpany together; that she and him was engaged, and was kalkilatin' to
run away to furrin parts; that she cottoned to him more than to the
ship or her father?"

"She certainly did not, and I shouldn't believe it," said Renshaw,
quickly.

Nott smiled. He was amused; he astutely recognized the usual
trustfulness of love and youth. There was clearly no deceit here!
Renshaw's attentive eyes saw t