man's door, I'd lick him out of spite; I hope I may be
shot if I don't, and I doubled up my fist, for I didn't
like it a spec, and opened another door--it was the
housekeeper's. 'Come,' sais I, 'I won't be balked no
more.' She sot up and fixed her cap. A woman never forgets
the becomins.

'"Anything I can do for you, Sir?' sais she, and she
raelly did look pretty; all good natur'd people, it
appears to me, do look so.

"'Will you be so good as to tell me, which door leads to
the staircase, Marm?' sais I.

"'Oh, is that all?' sais she, (I suppose, she thort I
wanted her to get up and get breakfast for me,) 'it's
the first on the right, and she fixed her cap agin' and
laid down, and I took the first on the right and off like
a blowed out candle. There was the staircase. I walked
down, took my hat, onbolted the outer door, and what a
beautiful day was there. I lit my cigar, I breathed
freely, and I strolled down the avenue.

"The bushes glistened, and the grass glistened, and the
air was sweet, and the birds sung, and there was natur'
once more. I walked to the lodge; they had breakfasted
had the old folks, so I chatted away with them for a
considerable of a spell about matters and things in
general, and then turned towards the house agin'. 'Hallo!'
sais I, 'what's this? warn't that a drop of rain?' I