Tranquillity House. Augusta Huiell Seaman

my supper-tray. The rest were having dessert and didn’t need her just then, and I think, anyway, she slipped up here just to see me and gossip a minute and satisfy her curiosity. Before she left, I couldn’t resist the temptation to find out about this room if I could, and I knew she'd been here years and years. So I asked her why the room was furnished just exactly like Uncle Benham's across the hall—and I wish you could have seen her eyes! They suddenly got as round as saucers and she rolled them in that funny way she has and shook her head till I thought her white turban would fall off. ‘Bress you, honey, Ah—Ah jes’ can’t tell you!' she stuttered. “Why not? Don’t you know? I asked. And what do you think she answered? That she knew—oh, yes, well enough!—‘but Mr. Benham he done tol’ me nebber to mention it to no one—ef Ah didn’t want to get sent back, bag and baggage, to ol' Virginny!’ ”

      Connie gave me a couple of minutes in which to think over this latest piece of news and then said, very solemnly, “Elspeth, I’m beginning to wonder why they ever called this place “Tranquillity’!”