"Edith," said Mrs. Atherton, who had seen her coming, and hastened
out to meet her, "you were gone a long time, I think."

"Yes'm," answered Edith, spitting out the bonnet strings she had
been chewing, and tossing back the thick black locks which nearly
concealed her eyes from view. "Yes'm; it took me a good while to
talk to old Darkness."

"Talk to whom?" asked Grace; and Edith returned,

"I don't know what you call him if 'taint old Darkness; he kept
muttering about the dark, and asked "where Charlie was."

"Ole Cap'n Harrington," said Rachel. "They say how't he's allus
goin' on 'bout Charlie an' the dark."

This explanation was satisfactory to Grace, who proceeded next to
question Edith concerning Mrs. Richard Harrington, asking if she
saw her, etc.

"There ain't any such," returned Edith, "but I saw Mr. Richard.
Jolly, isn't he grand? He's as tall as the ridge-pole, and---"

"But what did he say to the flowers?" interrupted Grace, far more
intent upon knowing how her gift had been received, than hearing
described the personal appearance of one she had seen so often.

Edith felt intuitively that a narrative of the particulars
attending the delivery of the bouquet would insure her a scolding,
so she merely answered, "He didn't say a word, only kissed them