and did it. Goodson looked him over, like as if he was hunting for a
place on him that he could despise the most; then he says, 'So you are
the Committee of Inquiry, are you?' Sawlsberry said that was about what
he was. 'H'm. Do they require particulars, or do you reckon a kind of a
_general_ answer will do?' 'If they require particulars, I will come
back, Mr. Goodson; I will take the general answer first.' 'Very well,
then, tell them to go to hell--I reckon that's general enough. And I'll
give you some advice, Sawlsberry; when you come back for the particulars,
fetch a basket to carry what is left of yourself home in.'"

"Just like Goodson; it's got all the marks. He had only one vanity; he
thought he could give advice better than any other person."

"It settled the business, and saved us, Mary. The subject was dropped."

"Bless you, I'm not doubting _that_."

Then they took up the gold-sack mystery again, with strong interest. Soon
the conversation began to suffer breaks--interruptions caused by absorbed
thinkings. The breaks grew more and more frequent. At last Richards
lost himself wholly in thought. He sat long, gazing vacantly at the
floor, and by-and-by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little
nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation. Meantime
his wife too had relapsed into a thoughtful silence, and her movements
were beginning to show a troubled discomfort. Finally Richards got up
and strode aimlessly about the room, ploughing his hands through his
hair, much as a somnambulist might do who was having a bad dream. Then
he seemed to arrive at a definite purpose; and without a word he put on
his hat and passed quickly out of the house. His wife sat brooding, with
a drawn face, and did not seem to be aware that she was alone. Now and