“Hi, honey, ’cause dere ain’t been no use for me at de house since de ’stablishment was broked up, arter old Marse Cappin La Compte died, an’ de young ladies went to Washington to lib long o’ deir gardeen. Dat was about twenty years ago, honey. And all we young women servants what belonged to de house was hired out at warious places, and only two or free old grannies left to look arter it, dough all de men—field hands and fishermen and blacksmiths and carpenters, yer know, honey—was left on de ’state, ’cause deir work was to be done, whedder or no, fambily or no fambily.” “And have you been twenty years in this service?” “No, honey, not quite. Only ’bout seben, I reckon. I was hired out at private service before that.” “Do you like this life?” “I used to, honey, but I’s gettin’ tired of it. An’ I’s wishin’ for the time to come when my young mist’ess, Miss Delia Werry, will come ob age or get married, so as to come and lib at home, an’ hab her colored people about her like oder ladies, I do.” Gloria felt extremely interested in this old family servant of her ancestors whom she had so unexpectedly met in the cabin of the steamboat, and so, without revealing her own identity to the woman, she encouraged her to talk of La Compte’s Landing and the old people who had lived there in times past. And as “Long Laweeny” had so interested a listener she became very diffuse in her revelations. “They do say, Miss, that the first founder ob de family in dese parts was a brave ole sea-king, what his inimies and back-biters called a booknear or pirate, and how he buried whole shiploads of gold and silver about dese here shores an’ islands, which, if dat same treasure would be foun’, it would make de people what owns de lan’s as rich as Jews. But I don’t know as to de trufe of it.” These and many other tales and legends of the old family did Long Laweeny relate to her attentive listener, and so whiled away the time until a late hour, when Gloria thanked the woman for the entertainment and retired to her state-room. Though the mind of the girl was deeply disturbed by the novelty of her present position, and the uncertainty of her future fate, she did not lie long awake, but rocked by the motion of the boat, soon fell sound asleep and slept profoundly until she was awakened by the movements of the stewardess bustling about the cabin and setting it in order.