about people's being buried. Flossy is going to be buried. And so the
white stone shows the places where the people are put, and tells their
names, does it? Why, it is a kind of a doorplate, after all, don't you
see? Who is Martha Cummins, aged 17?"

"She was Miss Vildy's sister, and she went to the city, and then come
home and died here, long years ago. Miss Vildy set great store by her,
and can't bear to have her name spoke; so remember what I say. Now, this
'Flossy' you tell me about (of all the fool names I ever hearn tell of,
that beats all,--sounds like a wax doll, with her clo'se sewed on!), was
she a young woman?"

"I don't know whether she was young or not," said Tim, in a puzzled
tone. "She had young yellow hair, and very young shiny teeth, white as
china; but her neck was crackled underneath, like Miss Vilda's;--it had
no kissing places in it like Gay's."

"Well, you stay here in the kitchen a spell now, 'n' don't let in that
rag-dog o' yourn till he stops scratching if he keeps it up till the
crack o' doom;--he's got to be learned better manners. Now, I'll go in
'n' talk to Miss Vildy. She may keep you over night, 'n' she may not; I
ain't noways sure. You started in wrong foot foremost."




SCENE VI.

_The White Farm. Evening._