“Yas, sir, ’tis. Mos’ culled folks has de gif ob secon’ sight, dey say. I ain’t rightly know what secon’ sight is mase’f, but I knows dis much p’intedly: I knows dat dey ain’t many folks what kin fool me fer long. Dey like ’nough fool me a little while, but I ketches dem sooner or later. Yas, sah, I does. Yo’ gwine for one ob yo’ strolls terday? ’Pears lak yo’ powerful taken wid dat mountain walk, yo’ go ’long up dat a-way so f’equently. Better stop ter ma lunch counter an’ git a snack ter take ’long wid yo’.”
How innocent the words, yet what a strange effect they produced upon Miss Boggs. Forbes did not notice it at all, but Mammy missed nothing.
“Good idea. I’ll be along presently,” said Forbes, as he selected his box of chocolates, and reached into the pocket of his trousers for the change, rather abstractedly staring at Miss Boggs as he did so. The girl seemed greatly disconcerted by the look, though, as a matter of fact, Forbes himself was barely aware of her presence. It was not lost upon Mammy, who had given one swift, backward glance as she turned to go down the Arcade. A moment later Forbes reached her counter.
“Give me a good snack to-day, Mammy Blairsdale. I’ve much on my mind these days, and must keep the brain well fed.”
“Reckons yo’ll find dat wholesome-lak,” returned Mammy, handing him a neat little package.
“What’s the damage?” he asked.
“None ’tall lessen yo’ drap it, er sits on it. If yo’ does dat it’ll squash.”
“Nonsense! How much?”
“Ain’t I say nothin’, sah?—wid de complements ob de firm,” was Mammy’s grandiloquent answer. Then, coming closer, she asked:
“Massa Fo’bes, I wonner if yo’ kin he’p me wid somepin what’s pesterin’ ma min’ mightily?”