of gold pieces.  These he divided into two equal portions:  kept one beside him upon the polished table, and, with a fine smile, half humorous, half deprecating, pushed the other across to his guest.  With an, imperturbable face MacLean stacked the gold before him, and they fell to piquet, playing briskly, and with occasional application to the Madeira upon the larger table, until ten of the clock.  The Highlander, then declaring that he must be no longer away from his post, swept his heap of coins across to swell his opponent’s store, and said good-night.  Haward went with him to the great door, and watched him stride off through the darkness whistling “The Battle of Harlaw.”

That night Haward slept, and the next morning four negroes rowed him up the river to Jamestown.  Mr. Jaquelin was gone to Norfolk upon business, but his beautiful wife and sprightly daughters found Mr. Marmaduke Haward altogether charming. “’Twas as good as going to court,” they said to one another, when the gentleman, after a two hours’ visit, bowed himself out of their drawing-room.  The object of their encomiums, going down river in his barge, felt his spirits lighter than they had been for some days.  He spoke cheerfully to his negroes, and when the barge passed a couple of fishing-boats he called to the slim brown lads that caught for the plantation to know their luck.  At the landing he found the overseer, who walked to the great house with him.  The night before Tyburn Will had stolen from the white quarters, and had met a couple of seamen from the Temperance at the crossroads ordinary, which ordinary was going to get into trouble for breaking the law which forbade the harboring of sailors ashore.  The three had taken in full lading of kill-devil rum, and Tyburn Will, too drunk to run any farther, had been caught by Hide near Princess Creek, three hours agone.  What were the master’s orders?  Should the rogue go to the court-house whipping post, or should Hide save the trouble of taking him there?  In either case, thirty-nine lashes well laid on—­

The master pursed his lips, dug into the ground with the ferrule of his cane, and finally proposed to the astonished overseer that the rascal be let off with a warning. “’Tis too fair a day to poison with ugly sights and sounds,” he said, whimsically apologetic for his own weakness. “’Twill do no great harm to be lenient, for once, Saunderson, and I am in the mood to-day to be friends with all men, including myself.”

The overseer went away grumbling, and Haward entered the house.  The room where dwelt his books looked cool and inviting.  He walked the length of the shelves, took out a volume here and there for his evening reading, and upon the binding of others laid an affectionate, lingering touch.  “I have had a fever, my friends,” he announced to the books, “but I am about to find myself happily restored to reason and serenity; in short, to health.”