She pointed to the rocking-chair: I took it. She bustled about，examining me every now and then with the corner of her eye. Turning to me，as she took some loaves from the oven，she asked bluntly-

"Did you ever go a-begging afore you came here?"

I was indignant for a moment; but remembering that anger was out of the question，and that I had indeed appeared as a beggar to her，I answered quietly，but still not without a certain marked firmness- "You are mistaken in supposing me a beggar. I am no beggar; any more than yourself or your young ladies."

After a pause she said，"I dunnut understand that: you"ve like no house，nor no brass，I guess?"

"The want of house or brass (by which I suppose you mean money) does not make a beggar in your sense of the word."

"Are you book-learned?" she inquired presently.

"Yes，very."

"But you"ve never been to a boarding-school?"

"I was at a boarding-school eight years."

She opened her eyes wide. "Whatever cannot ye keep yourself for，then?"

"I have kept myself; and，I trust，shall keep myself again. What are you going to do with these gooseberries?" I inquired as she brought out a basket of the fruit.

"Mak" "em into pies."

"Give them to me and I"ll pick them."

"Nay; I dunnut want ye to do nought."

"But I must do something. Let me have them."

She consented; and she even brought me a clean towel to spread over my dress，"lest," as she said，"I should mucky it."

"Ye"ve not been used to sarvant"s wark，I see by your hands," she remarked. "Happen ye"ve been a dressmaker?"