Which words were accompanied by a smile, directed toward Roundjacket.
As to Miss Lavinia, she stood aghast at Verty's extraordinary
communication, and for some moments could not get words to express her
feelings.

Finally she said, solemnly--

"How--have you been--"

"To see Redbud, ma'am?"

"Yes."

"I've been once," Verty said, "and I'm going again."

Miss Lavinia's face assumed a dignified expression of reproof, and she
gazed at the young man in silence. This look, however, was far from
daunting him, and he returned it with the most fascinating smile.

"The fact is, Miss Lavinia," he added, "Redbud wants somebody to talk
to up there. Old Scowley, you know, is'nt agreeable, at least, I
should'nt think she was; and Miss Sallianna is all the time, I reckon,
with Mr. Jinks. I did'nt see any scholars with Redbud; but there ARE
some there, because you know Redbud's pigeon had a paper round his
neck, with some words on it, all about how 'Fanny' had given him to
her; and so there's a 'Fanny' somewhere--don't you think so? But I
forgot, you don't know about the pigeon--do you?"

Miss Lavinia was completely astounded. "Old Scowley," "Mr. Jinks,"
"pigeon," "paper round his neck," and "Fanny,"--all these objects