“Berry well, den. An’ yo’ ’members de time w’en de sale were?” “I was in college then, and knew nothing of it until I came home, to find my mother turned out of house and home, and having her only shelter in this poor hut.” “So yo’ was, young marse, an’ so yo’ did. Well, jus’ ’fo’ de crash come, an’ w’en we fus’ knowed it was comin’, wot yo’ fink my po’ ole man did?” “I don’t know. What did he do?” “In de dead o’ night he tuk all ob de silberware—de big tea tray an’ teapot an’ coffee pot, an’ de urn an’ de sugar bowl, an’ de punch bowl, an’ tankards, an’ goblets, an’ spoons an’ forks, an’ sugar tongs, an’ ebery singly fing, an’ totes ’em up de hill inter de big woods, far f’om any yoad or paff, an’ buries ob ’em in a deep hole he had dug, an’ covers ob ’em up, an’ covers de top ob de place wid dried leabes an’ sticks an’ fings, to ’ceal de new turned up yeth. Dere! dat’s wot my ole man did, an’ he did it fo’ de ole mist’ess, not fo’ hisse’f.” “Then you must have known of this act as well as suspected it.” “Look yere, young marse, I knowed ’bout dat buried silber all de time, not as my ole man eber tol’ me, fo’ he didn’t; but I foun’ out—nebber min’ how, at present, but I foun’ out. But, Lor’, sah, I nebber, nebber frought as dat was wot de po’ ole man had on his conshence. I didn’t ’sider dat to ’mount to anyfing. No, sah. It’s on’y lately as I knowed it was nuffin ’tall but de buried silber.” “At the sale was no inquiry made for the silver?” “Oh, yes, marse. One ob de men did ’quire fo’ it, an’ sent fo’ my ole man to gib ’count ob it, an’ dat stranger f’om de Norf he say to my ole man: “‘Is yo’ de butler?’ “An’ my ole man answer back: “‘No, sah, my name ain’t Butler, nor likewise nuffin else but Moses Mungumbry, sah.’ “Den dat w’ite man f’om de Norf he laugh out loud, an’ say: “‘Well, yo’ de man-servant ob de house, anyway. Now, w’ere’s de silber?’ “Den my ole man tell a pious frode, he did, fo’ ole mist’ess’s sake, an’ say, he say: “‘De silber, sah? De silber hab gone de way ob all flesh, an’ been sol’ off little by little, long ago—long ’fo’ de morgidge gib a lean on to de lan’. Yes, sah, it went to pay debts, an’ to buy sugar an’ tea an’ sperrets fo’ de ole madam.’” “Where was your mistress when this conversation took place?” “Her had come to dis cabin airley in de mornin’, ’fo’ dem furriners f’om de Norf come, her had. She didn’t wan’ to see ’em.” “Oh, yes—of course. I might have known she was not there. She might have been questioned, and she would surely have contradicted Moses, and insisted on the silver being produced.”