e locked up in those chests.--Now, what would
you do with it, if it were yours?"

"Sell it, Sir John, and put it in houses," I said sharply.

"Yes, James Burdon; and a sensible thing to do. But you are a servant,
and I'm a baronet; though I don't look one, do I?" he said, holding up
his red hands and laughing.

"You always look a gentleman, Sir John," I said; "and that's what you
are."

"Please God, I try to be," he said sadly. "But I don't want the money,
James; and these are all old family heirlooms that I hold in trust for
my life, and have to hand over--bound in honour to do so--to my son.--
Look!" he said, "at the arms and crest of the Boileaus on every piece."

"Boileau, Sir John?"

"Well, Drinkwater, then. We translated the name when we came over to
England. There; let's put it all away. It's a regular incubus."

So it was all packed up again in the chests; for he wouldn't let me
finish cleaning it, saying it would take a week; and that it was more
for the sake of seeing and going over it, than anything, that he had had
it out. So we locked it all up again in the plate-room. And it took
five waters hot as he could bear 'em to wash his hands; and even then
there was some rouge left in the cracks, and in the old signet ring with
the coat of arms cut in the stone--same as that on the plate.

I don't know how it was; perhaps I was out of sorts, but from that day I
got thinking about gold plate and what Sir John said about its worth. I
knew what "incubus" meant, for I went up in the library and looked out
the word in the big dictionary; and that plate got to be such an incubus
to me that I went up to Sir John one morning and gave him warning.

"But what for?" he said. "Wages?"

"No, Sir John. You're a good master, and her ladyship was a good
mistress before she was took up to heaven."

"Hush, man, hush!" he says sharply.

"And it'll break my heart nearly not to see young Master Barclay when he
comes back from school."

"Then why do you want to go?"

"Well, Sir John, a good home and good food and good treatment's right
enough; but I don't want to be found some morning a-weltering in my
gore."

"Now, look here, James Burdon," he says, laughing. "I trust you with
the keys of the wine-cellar, and you've been at the sherry."

"You know better than that, Sir John. No, sir. You said that gold
plate was an incubus, and such it is, for it's always a-sitting on me,
so as I can't sleep o' nights.