“It was very, very kind; still, I don’t like it.” “W’y? Yo’ ought ter like it, young marse. Yo’ oughtn’ ter let pwide come in yere. An’ dey sent fo’ Dr. Wall to ’tend her, and arterward Dr. Lat’rop, f’om Logwood. An’ dere war me s’eepin’ on a little mattrass on de flo’ ’fo’ de fire, like I used to do w’enebber de ole madam was poorly, an’ wanted ob me. Oh, it war like de good ole times, it war! An’ de ole madam got perfec’ly well an’ happy—well, dat is ’cept fo’ one ’lusion she has on to her min’.” “Delusion?” inquired Harcourt uneasily. “Yes, sah. Dat’s wot de Wyn’ops call it—’lusion. An’ it’s dat ’lusion wot makes her so happy.” “What is it?” demanded Harcourt anxiously. “Oh, young marse! I can’t help larfing an’ cryin’ bofe w’en I fink ob it. Dat feber ob hers it wipe out all de sorrows an’ sufferin’s as my ole mist’ess eber had in her life. It wipe out de bloody wah, an’ de deaf ob de ole marse, an ’de young ge’man an’ young ladies, an’ de sale ob de house an’ lan’, an’ de po’ libin’ in de log cabin, an’ eberyt’ing. W’en ole mist’ess come out ob dat feber, an’ wake up in her ole yoom, she t’ought how she had nebber lef’ it. She t’ought de ole marse an’ de young chillun was all libin’, an’—an’ she t’ought dat all de Wyn’ops in de house war her own comp’ny.” “Insane! Oh, my poor mother!” groaned Harcourt. “Doane take it dat way, young marse! De ole madam is sensible as a judge in eberyt’ing else but dat ’lusion, an’ dat ’lusion do make her so happy yo’ oughtn’ ter begrudge it to her. An’ de Wyn’ops, dey do humor her into it, an’ dey tell me ebery day not fo’ de worl’ to counterdick her.” “But that she should be living in dependence on these people!” “’Tain’t quite dat, neider, young marse. Dere’s money comes ter her ebery once in a w’ile—f’om some ’un or odder who owed ole marse a debt. It come frough some laayer, in de care ob Miss Mar’get, an’ she do lay it out fo’ de ole madam. I know she pay de two doctah’s bills an’ bought fings wid it.” “Oh, yes,” said Harcourt. “I believe I did hear from mother that there was an old debt owed her which was to be paid by installments. But if mother stays there I must pay her board. If the people won’t take pay she must come away.” “No, she mus’n’, ’deed, young marster. It would kill her. ’Sides w’ich, I doane b’liebe dese sens’ble Norvun people would ’ject to yo’ payin’ bo’d fo’ her. Dey ain’t got none ob dat nasty se’fish pwide wot won’t take no ’sideration on ter nobody e’se’s pwoper pwide. No, sah! Now, young marse, p’ease tell me wot o’clock it is. It mus’ be gettin’ moughty late.” “I have no watch, Martha, but I should judge it to be about ten o’clock.”