It gets into de lubrications of de skin, sah, and has to be abso'bed." Some faint chord of memory was touched by the girl's peculiar vocabulary.
"Ah," said Courtland quickly, "you're Miss Dows' Sophy.

Then you can tell me"-- "Nuffin, sah absomlutely nuffin!" interrupted the girl, shaking her head with impressive official dignity.

"It's done gone fo'bid by de doctor! Yo' 're to lie dar and shut yo'r eye, honey," she added, for the moment reverting unconsciously to the native maternal tenderness of her race, "and yo' 're not to bodder yo'se'f ef school keeps o' not.

De medical man say distinctly, sah," she concluded, sternly recalling her duty again, "no conversation wid de patient." But Courtland had winning ways with all dependents.

"But you will answer me ONE question, Sophy, and I'll not ask another.