J. COLE. 39

about, and remember dishes left-’anded, pour-
in’s out right, sherry wine’s yeller, and port
wine afterwards with the nuts, grapes, and
things; and the cruits when there’s fish, and
begin with the strangerest lady next to mas-
ter’s side, and ’elp missus last.’ I knows it
all, but when they’re all sittin’ down, and
everybody wantin’ somethin’, I don’t know
if Jane’s a-goin’ to giv’ it ’em, or I am;
and I gets stoopid, and my ’ands shakes, and
somehow I can’t do nothin’; but please don’t
send me away. I do like you and the mas-
ter. Dll ask Jane to learn me better. You
see if I don’t. Oh, please’m, say you'll try
me!”

What could I say but “yes,” and for a
day or two Joe did better, but we were a small
party, and the waiting was easy; but shortly
we were to have a large dinner-party, and
as the time drew near, Joe became quite pale
and anxious.

About this time, too, I had been awakened
at night by curious sounds down-stairs, as of
somebody moving about, and once I heard
an unmistakable fall of some heavy article.