greet his invited guest.

"I suppose I may enter," I said, sarcastically.

"Yaas, suh; Miss Dorry done say: 'Cato,' she say, 'ef de young gem'man
come when Mars' Lupus am drunk, jess take care n' him, Cato; put him
mos' anywhere 'cep in mah bed, Cato, an' jess call me ef I ain' busy
'bout mah business--'"

Still rambling on, he opened the door, and I entered a wide hallway,
dirty and disordered. As I stood hesitating, a terrific crash sounded
from the floor above.

"Spec' Miss Dorry busy," observed the old man, raising his solemn,
wrinkled face to listen.

"Uncle," I said, "is it true that you are all mad in this house?"

"We sho' is, suh," he replied, without interest.

"Are you too crazy to care for my horse?"

"Oh no, suh."

"Then go and rub her down, and feed her, and let me sit here in the
hallway. I want to think."

Another crash shook the ceiling of solid oak; very far away I heard a
young girl's laughter, then a stifled chorus of voices from the
floor above.