The features of the landscape, as dimly discerned by starlight, were simple and grand.

Behind him lay the deep forest from which they had just emerged.  On its edge stood the white cottage, surrounded by its garden.  Before him lay the open country, sloping down to the banks of a broad river, whose dark waves glimmered in the starlight.

So this was Judge Merlin’s estate—­and Claudia’s birthplace!

“Well, Ishmael, are you waiting for an invitation to enter?  Why, you are as welcome as Hannah herself, and you couldn’t be more so!” exclaimed the hearty voice of Reuben Gray, as he returned almost immediately after taking Hannah in.

“I know it, Uncle Reuben.  You are very good to me; and I do hope to make myself very useful to you,” replied the boy.

“You’ll be a fortun’ to me, lad—­an ample fortun’ to me!  But why don’t you go in out of the midnight air?  You ain’t just as strong as Samson, yet, though you’re agwine to be,” said Gray cheerily.

“I only stopped to stretch my limbs, and—­to help in with the luggage,” said Ishmael, who was always thoughtful, practical, and useful, and who now stopped to load himself with Hannah’s baskets and bundles before going into the house.

“Now, then, Sam,” said Gray, turning to the negro, “look sharp there!  Bring in the trunks and boxes from the light wagon; take the furniture from the heavy one, and pile it in the shed, where it can stay until morning; put both on ’em under cover, feed and put up the horses; and then you can go to your quarters.”

The negro bestirred himself to obey these orders, and Reuben Gray and Ishmael entered the cottage garden.

They passed up a gravel walk bordered each side with lilac bushes, and entered by a vine-shaded porch into a broad passage, that ran through the middle of the house from the front to the back door.

“There are four large rooms on this floor, Ishmael, and this is the family sitting room,” said Gray, opening a door on his right.

It was a very pleasant front room, with a bright paper on its walls, a gay homespun carpet on the floor; pretty chintz curtains at the two front windows; chintz covers of the same pattern on the two easy-chairs and the sofa; a bright fire burning in the open fireplace, and a neat tea-table set out in the middle of the floor.

But Hannah was nowhere visible.

“She has gone in her room, Ishmael, to take off her bonnet; it is the other front one across the passage, just opposite to this; and as she seems to be taking of her time, I may as well show you your’n, Ishmael.  Just drop them baskets down anywhere, and come with me, my lad,” said Gray, leading the way into the passage and up the staircase to the second floor.  Arrived there, he opened a door, admitting himself and his companion into a chamber immediately over the sitting-room.

“This is your’n, Ishmael, and I hope as you’ll find it comfortable and make yourself at home,” said Reuben, hastily, as he introduced Ishmael to this room.