“Bless your innocent heart, I am not!  I arrived this mornin’, in the steamer——­, straight from Aspinwall, with this old scarecrow suit on, jest as you see me now.  I was intendin’ to take the railroad for Tioga County, and play off a leetle surprise on Gusty, and her relations up there.  But, before goin’, it ’curred to me to call on a Mr. Lambkin, who was raised in Tioga, and keeps a grocery store in the lower part of Washington street.  I found Mr. Lambkin in, and he told me as how, accordin’ to last accounts, Gusty was stayin’ with her uncle Van Quintem.  I knowed your address, and come up here short metre.  I was goin’ to pretend that I was a man in search of work, and trust to luck to get a sight of Gusty.  I found your front door open, and walked through the entry to the back parlor, where you fust see me standin’.  Afore I could ask you for any work, you wanted to know if I hadn’t been sent to mend your piazza railing.  It was easy to say ‘Yes,’ and I said it.”

“And very well you carried out the joke, Amos,” said old Van Quintem.  “You wouldn’t make a bad actor.”

“Rather better actor than carpenter, I guess,” said Mr. Frump.

“Perhaps so,” said old Van Quintem; “but a financier of your talent needn’t act, or mend railings, for a living.  I should like to know, now, how you made your money in California.  Nine out of ten who go there, come back poorer than they went.”

“’Tisn’t best to ask too many questions of a returned Californian,” answered Amos, in perfect good humor.

“Nor of anybody else, about business matters.  You are right,” added old Van Quintem.

“I say to wifey, and to all my friends, ’Let bygones be bygones.  Take me as you find me, and I’ll take you as I find you; and we’ll ax no questions on either side.’”

“Dear Amos, you are the best of husbands!” said Mrs. Frump, looking fondly in his face.  Mr. Frump improved as he was looked at.

“Let bygones be bygones’ is a very good rule,” said old Van Quintem.

“Mr. Frump,” said Matthew, unable longer to repress the compliment, “you have a wonderful amount of good sense!”

“I told you,” was the laughing reply, “that ’Amos was sensible in some things.’”

BOOK THIRTEENTH

THE STRANGE LADY.

CHAPTER I.

A STORY OF THE PAST.

Another year slipped away, and wrought many changes among the inhabitants of the block.  Some of them had passed from stately mansions to those narrow houses which are appointed for all the living.  Others had wedded, and moved to other blocks which were to be their future homes—­till the 1st of the following May.  Some of them had grown rich by quick speculations, and got into the choicest society by the simple manoeuvre of taking a four-story brownstone front in the avenue which formed the eastern boundary