Miss Morton! What next, I'd like to know! He walks exactly like the old
man. I used to mock him when I was a little girl. He had just that
hop-and-go kind of gait, and he was the funniest man that ever lived. I've
seen him at a funeral go into the parlour, and condole with the family, and
talk about the dear departed until the tears rolled down his cheeks; and
then he'd be down in the kitchen, eating and drinking, and laughing, and
telling jokes about the corpses, before the tears were dry on his face. How
he used to make money! He buried almost all the respectable people about
town, and made a large fortune. He owned a burying-ground in Coates-street,
and when the property in that vicinity became valuable, he turned the dead
folks out, and built houses on the ground!"

"I shouldn't say it was a very pleasant place to live in, if there are such
things as ghosts," said Caddy, laughing; "I for one wouldn't like to live
there--but here we are at Mr. Thomas's--how short the way has seemed!"

Caroline gave a fierce rap at the door, which was opened by old Aunt
Rachel, the fat cook, who had lived with the Thomases for a fabulous length
of time. She was an old woman when Mrs. Ellis came as a girl into the
family, and had given her many a cuff in days long past; in fact,
notwithstanding Mrs. Ellis had been married many years, and had children
almost as old as she herself was when she left Mr. Thomas, Aunt Rachel
could never be induced to regard her otherwise than as a girl.

"Oh, it's you, is it?" said she gruffly, as she opened the door; "don't
you think better break de door down at once-rapping as if you was guine to
tear off de knocker--is dat de way, gal, you comes to quality's houses? You
lived here long nuff to larn better dan dat--and dis is twice I've been to
de door in de last half-hour--if any one else comes dere they may stay
outside. Shut de door after you, and come into de kitchen, and don't keep