“I want no such hypocritical words from her!” said Hannah indignantly.

“Well, honey, she didn’t send none!”

“What did she send?”

“Well, chile, de madam, she ‘quested of me to come over here an’ hand you dis five dollar an’ a half, which she says she owes it to you.  An’ also to ax you to send by the bearer, which is me, a certain piece of cloth, which she says how you’ve done wove for her.  An’ likewise to tell you as you needn’t come to Brudenell Hall for more work, which there is no more to give you.  Dere, Miss Hannah, dere’s de message jes’ as de madam give it to me, which I hopes you’ll ’sider as I fotch it in de way of my perfession, an’ not take no ’fense at me who never meant any towards you,” said the professor deprecatingly.

“Of course not, Morris.  So far from being angry with you, I am very thankful to you for coming.  You have relieved me from a quandary.  I didn’t know how to return the work or to get the pay.  For after what has happened, Morris, the cloth might have stayed here and the money there, forever, before I would have gone near Brudenell Hall!”

Morris slapped his knee with satisfaction, saying: 

“Just what I thought, Miss Hannah! which made me the more willing to bring de message.  So now if you’ll jest take de money an’ give me de cloth, I’ll be off.  I has got some clocks and umberell’s to mend to-night.  And dat minds me! if you’ll give me dat broken coffee-mill o’ yourn I’ll fix it at de same time,” said the professor.

Hannah complied with all his requests, and he took his departure.

He had scarcely got out of sight when Hannah had another visitor, Reuben Gray, who entered the hut with looks of deprecation and words of apology.

“Hannah, woman, I couldn’t wait till Sunday!  I couldn’t rest!  Knowing of your situation, I felt as if I must come to you and say what I had on my mind!  Do you forgive me?”

“For what?” asked Hannah in surprise.

“For coming afore Sunday.”

“Sit down, Reuben, and don’t be silly.  As well have it over now as any other time.”

“Very well, then, Hannah,” said the man, drawing a chair to the table at which she sat working, and seating himself.

“Now, then, what have you to say, Reuben?”

“Well, Hannah, my dear, you see I didn’t want to make a disturbance while the body of that poor girl lay unburied in the house; but now I ask you right up and down who is the wretch as wronged Nora?” demanded the man with a look of sternness Hannah had never seen on his patient face before.

“Why do you wish to know, Reuben?” she inquired in a low voice.

“To kill him.”

“Reuben Gray!”

“Well, what’s the matter, girl?”

“Would you do murder?”

“Sartainly not, Hannah; but I will kill the villain as wronged Nora wherever I find him, as I would a mad dog.”

“It would be the same thing!  It would be murder!”