“No, that ain’t the symptom. My wife’s felt like a bumble-bee’s nest. You are all right if you’ll take an emetic, a good big one, such as will turn your stomach inside out. Good-bye—Nelly’s awful sick. Struck to her brain last night. Good-bye. I wouldn’t lose Nell for a farm, if she is a little gritty,” and wringing Hugh’s hand, the colonel hurried off, leaving Hugh to his own reflections. “A pretty state of things, and a pretty place to bring a young lady,” he muttered, glancing ruefully round the room, and enumerating the different articles he knew were out of place. “Fish-worms, fish-hooks, fish-lines, bootjack, boot-blacking, and rifle, to say nothing of the dogs—and ME!” The last was said in a tone as if the me were the most objectionable part of the whole, as, indeed, Hugh thought it was. “I wonder how I do look to persons wholly unprejudiced!” Hugh said, and turning to Muggins he asked what she thought of him. “I thinks you berry nice. I likes you berry much,” the child replied, and Hugh continued, “Yes; but how do I look, I mean? What do I look like, a dandy or a scarecrow?” Muggins regarded him for a moment curiously, and then replied, “I’se dunno what kind of thing that dandy is, but I ’members dat yer _scarecrow_ what Claib make out of mars’r’s trouses and coat, an’ put up in de cherry tree. I thinks dat look like Mas’r Hugh—yes, very much like!” Hugh laughed long and loud, pinching Mug’s dusky cheek, and bidding her run away. “Pretty good,” he exclaimed, when he was left alone. “That’s Mug’s opinion. Look like a scarecrow. I mean to see for myself,” and going into the sitting-room, where the largest mirror was hung, he scanned curiously the figure which met his view, even taking a smaller glass, and holding it so as to get a sight of his back. “Tall, broad-shouldered, straight, well built. My form is well enough,” he said. “It’s the clothes that bother. I mean to get some new ones. Then, as to my face,” and Hugh turned himself around, “I never thought of it before; but my features are certainly regular, teeth can’t be beaten, good brown skin, eyes to match, and a heap of curly hair. I’ll be hanged if I don’t think I’m rather good-looking!” and with his spirits proportionably raised, Hugh whistled merrily as he went in quest of Aunt Chloe, to whom he imparted the startling information that on the next day but one, a young lady was coming to Spring Bank, and that, in the meantime, the house must be cleaned from garret to cellar, and everything put in order for the expected guest. With growing years, Aunt Chloe had become rather cross and less inclined to work than formerly, frequently sighing for the days when “Mas’r John didn’t want no clarin’ up, but kep’ things lyin’ handy.” With her hands on her fat hips she stood, coolly regarding Hugh, who was evidently too much in earnest to be opposed. Alice was coming, and the house must be put in order.