reply.

Breakfast being over, Mary as usual commenced clearing the table, but
Miss Grundy bade her "sit down and _rest_ her," and Mary obeyed,
wondering what she had done to tire herself. About 9 o'clock, Mr.
Knight drove up alone, Mrs. Mason being sick with nervous headache. "I
should have been here sooner," said he, "but the roads is awful rough
and old Charlotte has got a stub or somethin' in her foot But where's
the gal? Ain't she ready?"

He was answered by Mary herself, who made her appearance, followed by
Billy bearing the box. And now commenced the leave-takings, Miss
Grundy's turn coming first.

"May I kiss you, Miss Grundy?" said Mary, while Sal exclaimed aside,
"What! kiss those sole-leather lips?" at the same time indicating by a
guttural sound the probable effect such a process would have upon her
stomach!

Miss 'Grundy bent down and received the child's kiss, and then darting
off into the pantry, went to skimming pans of milk already skimmed!
Rind and the pleasant-looking woman cried outright, and Uncle Peter,
between times, kept ejaculating, "Oh, Lord!--oh, massy sake!--oh, for
land!" while he industriously plied his fiddle bow in the execution of
"Delia's Dirge," which really sounded unearthly, and dirgelike enough.
Billy knew it would be lonely without Mary, but he was glad to have
her go to a better home, go he tried to be cheerful; telling her he
would take good care of Tasso, and that whenever she chose she must
claim her property.