Skiddy obeyed. No Uriah Heep could have out-done him in "'umbleness," as he crept up the long street, until a friendly corner hid him from the lynx eyes of Maria Matilda. Then "Richard was himself again"! Drawing a long breath, our flying Mercury whizzed past the mile-stones, and, before sun-down of the same day, was under full sail for California. * * * * * Just one half hour our Napoleon in petticoats spent in reflection, after being satisfied that Skiddy was really "on the deep blue sea." In one day she had cleared her house of _boarders_, and reserving one room for herself and children, filled all the other apartments with _lodgers_; who paid her good prices, and taking their meals down town, made her no trouble beyond the care of their respective rooms. About a year after a letter came from Skiddy. He was "disgusted" with ill-luck at gold-digging, and ill-luck everywhere else; he had been "burnt out," and "robbed," and everything else but murdered; and "'umbly" requested his dear Maria Matilda to send him the "passage-money to return home." Mrs. Skiddy's picture should have been taken at that moment! My pen fails! Drawing from her pocket a purse well filled with her own honest earnings, she chinked its contents at some phantom shape discernible to her eyes alone; while through her set teeth hissed out, like ten thousand serpents, the word "N--e--v--e--r!" CHAPTER LIV. "What is it on the gate? Spell it, mother," said Katy, looking wistfully through the iron fence at the terraced banks, smoothly-rolled gravel walks, plats of flowers, and grape-trellised arbors; "what is it on the gate, mother?" "'Insane Hospital,' dear; a place for crazy people." "Want to walk round, ma'am?" asked the gate-keeper, as Katy poked her little head in; "can, if you like." Little Katy's eyes pleaded eloquently; flowers were to her another name for happiness, and Ruth passed in. "I should like to live here, mamma," said Katy. Ruth shuddered, and pointed to a pale face pressed close against the grated window. Fair rose the building in its architectural proportions; the well-kept lawn was beautiful to the eye; but, alas! there was helpless age, whose only disease was too long a lease of life for greedy heirs. There, too, was the fragile wife, to whom _love_ was breath--being!--forgotten by the world and him in whose service her bloom had withered, insane--only in that her love had outlived his patience. "Poor creatures!" exclaimed Ruth, as they peered out from one window after another. "Have you had many deaths here?" asked she of the gate-keeper. "Some, ma'am. There is one corpse in the house now; a married lady, Mrs. Leon." "Good heavens!" exclaimed Ruth, "my friend Mary." "Died yesterday, ma'am; her husband left her here for her health, while he went to Europe." "Can I see the Superintendent," asked Ruth; "I must speak to him."