Mrs. Noah stared at him aghast. Was he crazy, or did he mean to insult
her master? Evidently neither. He seemed as sane as herself, while no
one could associate an insult with him. He did not know anything. That
was the solution of his audacity, and pityingly, as she would have
addressed a half idiot, Mrs. Noah made him understand how impossible
it was for him to think her master would lend to a stranger like him.

"You say he's gone to Devonshire," grandpa said, softly, with a quiver
on his lip when she had finished. "I wish I'd knew it; I left my
granddarter there to be examined. Mabby I'll meet him going back, and
can ask him."

"I tell you it won't be no use. Mr. Guy has no three hundred dollars
to throw away," was Mrs. Noah's rather sharp rejoinder.

"Wall, wall, we won't quarrel about it," the old man replied, in his
most conciliatory manner, as he turned his head away to hide the
starting tear.

Grandfather Markham's heart was very sore, and Mrs. Noah's harshness
troubled him. He could not bear to think that she really was cross
with him, besides that he wanted something to carry Maddy besides
disappointment, so by way of testing Mrs. Noah's amiability and
pleasing Maddy, too, he said, as he arose: "I'm an old man, lady, old
enough to be your father." Here Mrs. Noah's face grew brighter, and
she listened attentively while he continued: "You won't take what I
say amiss, I'm sure. I have a little girl at home, a grandchild, who
has heard big stories of the fine things at Aikenside. She has a
hankerin' after such vanities, and it would please her mightily to