“See, now; begin here at this left hand end and strike every one of these little ivory keys in turn, just as I do now, one after the other till you get up here to the right hand end, and then backwards one after the other till you get back to the left hand end again. And then do the same thing with the black keys. You can do that, can’t you?” asked Drusilla, giving a practical illustration to her words. “Oh yes, ma’am, I can do that well enough, and I think I shall like it. Let’s see, now. I’m to begin at the end where they groans and roars like sinners in the pit, and I’m to end at the end where they whistles and chippers like birds in the bush.” “Yes; that is what you are to do for five or ten minutes every day, or every few days, as you please. And you are to light a fire here whenever it is very damp. All this is to keep the instrument in tune, you know.” “Yes, ma’am, I think I shall like it. I _know_ I shall like it. And it’s easy enough!” said mammy, standing by her mistress and touching the keys. “La! what will my old man say, when he finds out I am larnin’ music on the pianner, in my ole ages of life, and practysin’ every day like any boarding-school young lady! Won’t he be took right offen his feet along with ’stonishment?” “Very likely. And now that will do, mammy. I know you will like to spend as much time as possible with Pina, as she is so soon to leave you, so good night.” “Good night, ma’am. Good night, ladies and gentlemen.” When mammy had left the room, Anna broke out into a peal of silvery laughter. “Well, upon my word, Drusa,” she said, “I never should have thought of _your_ device for keeping a piano in tune.” “Why not? It is an obvious one, under the circumstances.” “Yes; but think of the absurdity of having mammy seated at the piano, thumping upon the keys every day.” “She will not thump. And there is no absurdity. She will in this way keep the instrument in tune, and I should not at all wonder if in the process she should teach herself to play by ear. She will, if she had the ordinary musical talent of her race,” said Drusilla. And then seeing General Lyon was actually nodding, and that Dick was trying to smother a yawn, she lighted the bedroom candles. Anna put one in Dick’s hand, and waked up the General. And the party bade each other good-night, and went to their several rooms. The earliest hours next day were spent in the business that brought Drusilla to Cedarwood—the inspection of her little estate. General Lyon, who had spent the best part of his long life in agricultural pursuits, was well fitted to judge correctly of such matters. And he pronounced everything connected with the farm to be very well ordered, and he complimented “mammy” and her “old man” on the skill and fidelity with which they had administered affairs.