At this remark Uncle Isham fired up.  Although the conduct of his mistress troubled him at times very much he was intensely loyal to her, and he instantly caught the meaning of this aspersion against her.  “Now, look h’yar, Aun’ Patsy,” he exclaimed, “wot you talkin’ ’bout?  Wot ole miss got to do wid Mister Crof’ sprainin’ he ankle?  Ole miss warn’t dar; an’ when I done fotch him up to de house, she cut roun’ an’ do more fur him dan anybody else.  She got de hot water, an’ she dipped de flannels in it, an’ she wrop up de ankle all herse’f, an’ when she got him all fixed comfable in de offis, she says to me, says she, ’Now, Isham, you wait on Mister Crof’, an’ you gib him eberything he want, an’ when de cool ob de ebenin’ comes on you make a fire in dat fireplace, an’ stay whar he kin call you wheneber he wants you to wait on him.’  I didn’t eben come down h’yar till I axed him would he want me fur half an hour.”

“Well,” said Aunt Patsy, her eyes softening a little, “p’raps she didn’t do it dis time.  It mout a been his own orkardness.  I hopes to mussiful goodness dat dat was so.  But wot fur you call him Mister Crof’?  Is dat he fus’ name?”

“I reckon so,” said Isham.  “He one ob de fam’ly now, an’ I reckon dey calls him by he fus’ name.  An’ now, look h’yar, Aun’ Patsy, I wants you not to disremember dis h’yar.  Don’ you go imaginin’ ebery time anything happens to folks, that ole miss done been kunjerin’ ’em.  Dat ain’t pious, an’ ‘taint suitable fur a ole pusson like you, Aun’ Patsy, wot’s jus’ settin’ on de poach steps ob heaben, a waitin’ till somebody finds out you’s dar, an’ let’s you in.”

Aunt Patsy turned her great spectacles full upon him, and then she said:  “You, Isham, ef eber you gits a call to preach to folks, you jus’ sing out:  ‘Oh, Lor’, I aint fit!’ And den you go crack your head wid a mill-stone, fur fear you git called agin, fru mistake.”

Uncle Isham made no answer to this piece of advice, but taking up some clothes which Aunt Patsy’s great granddaughter had washed and ironed for him, he left the cabin.  He was a man much given to attending to his own business, and paying very little attention to those affairs of his mistress’s household, with which he had no personal concern.  When Mr Croft first came to the house he, as well as Aunt Patsy, had been told that it was Mr Null, the husband of Miss Annie; and although not thinking much about it, he had always supposed this to be the case.  But now it struck him as a very strange thing that Miss Annie did not attend to her husband, but allowed his mistress and himself to do everything that was done for him.  It was a question which his mind was totally incapable of solving, but when he reached the house, he spoke to Letty on the subject.  “Bress your soul!” exclaimed that well-nourished person, “dat’s not Mister Null, wot married Miss Annie.  Dat’s Mister Crof’, an’ he aint married to nobody.  Mister Null he aint come yet, but I reckon he’ll be along soon.”