“Do you really think Dick means mischief to anybody, that he has such dangerous-looking things?” the Doctor said, presently.

“I tell you, Doctor.  Dick means to have Elsie.  If he ca’n’ get her, he never let nobody else have her!  Oh, Dick ’s a dark man, Doctor!  I know him!  I ‘member him when he was little boy,—­he always cunin’.  I think he mean mischief to somebody.  He come home late nights,—­come in softly,—­oh, I hear him!  I lay awake, ‘n’ got sharp ears,—­I hear the cats walkin’ over the roofs,—­’n’ I hear Dick Veneer, when he comes up in his stockin’-feet as still as a cat.  I think he mean’ mischief to somebody.  I no like his looks these las’ days.—­Is that a very pooty gen’l’m’n up at the schoolhouse, Doctor?”

“I told you he was good-looking.  What if he is?”

“I should like to see him, Doctor,—­I should like to see the pooty gen’l’m’n that my poor Elsie loves.  She mus ‘n’ never marry nobody, —­but, oh, Doctor, I should like to see him, ‘n’ jes’ think a little how it would ha’ been, if the Lord had n’ been so hard on Elsie.”

She wept and wrung her hands.  The kind Doctor was touched, and left her a moment to her thoughts.

“And how does Mr. Dudley Veneer take all this?” he said, by way of changing the subject a little.

“Oh, Massa Veneer, he good man, but he don’ know nothin’ ’bout Elsie, as of Sophy do.  I keep close by her; I help her when she go to bed, ‘n’ set by her sometime when she—­’sleep; I come to her in th’ mornin’ ‘n’ help her put on her things.”—­Then, in a whisper;—­“Doctor, Elsie lets of Sophy take off that necklace for her.  What you think she do, ’f anybody else tech it?”

“I don’t know, I’m sure, Sophy,—­strike the person, perhaps.”

“Oh, yes, strike ’em! but not with her han’s, Doctor!”—­The old woman’s significant pantomime must be guessed at.

“But you haven’t told me, Sophy, what Mr. Dudley Veneer thinks of his nephew, nor whether he has any notion that Dick wants to marry Elsie.”

“I tell you.  Massa Venner, he good man, but he no see nothin’ ’bout what goes on here in the house.  He sort o’ broken-hearted, you know,—­sort o’ giv up,—­don’ know what to do wi’ Elsie, ‘xcep’ say ‘Yes, yes.’  Dick always look smilin’ ‘n’ behave well before him.  One time I thought Massa Veneer b’lieve Dick was goin’ to take to Elsie; but now he don’ seem to take much notice,—­he kin’ o’ stupid-’ like ’bout sech things.  It’s trouble, Doctor; ‘cos Massa Veneer bright man naterally,—­’n’ he’s got a great heap o’ books.  I don’ think Massa Veneer never been jes’ heself sence Elsie ‘s born.  He done all he know how,—­but, Doctor, that wa’n’ a great deal.  You men-folks don’ know nothin’ ’bout these young gals; ‘n’ ‘f you knowed all the young gals that ever lived, y’ would n’ know nothin’ ’bout our Elsie.”

“No,—­but, Sophy, what I want to know is, whether you think Mr. Veneer has any kind of suspicion about his nephew,—­whether he has any notion that he’s a dangerous sort of fellow,—­or whether he feels safe to have him about, or has even taken a sort of fancy to him.”