on the mantel, and, leanin' over my chair, said in a loud whisper: 'De
cellar am locked, suh, and I'm 'feard Mis' Slocomb dun tuk de key.'

"'Well, s'pose she has,' I said; 'put yo' knee against it, and fo'ce the
do'.' I knew my man, suh. Anthony never moved a muscle.

"Here the judge called out, 'Why, major, I couldn't think of'--

"'Now, yo' Honor,' said I, 'please don't say a word. This is my affair.
The lock is not of the slightest consequence.'

"In a few minutes back comes Anthony, solemn as an owl. 'Major,' said he,
'I done did all I c'u'd, an' dere ain't no way 'cept breakin' down de do'.
Las' time I done dat, Mis' Slocomb neber forgib me fer a week.'

"The judge jumped up. 'Major, I won't have you breakin' yo' locks and
annoyin' Mrs. Slocomb.'

"'Yo' Honor,' I said, 'please take yo' seat. I'm d----d if you shan't
taste that wine, if I have to blow out the cellar walls.'

"'I tell you, major,' replied the judge in a very emphatic tone and with
some slight anger I thought, 'I ought not to drink yo' high-flavored
madeira; my doctor told me only last week I must stop that kind of thing.
If yo' servant will go upstairs and get a bottle of whiskey out of my bag,
it's just what I ought to drink.'

"Now I want to tell you, colonel, that at that time I hadn't had a bottle
of any kind of wine in my cellar for five years." Here the major closed
one eye, and laid his forefinger against his nose.