“Not you, my dear; so you had better not occupy your mind with him,” Hannah replied very gravely.

Nora laughed outright.  “Oh, I’m quite aware of that; and as for me, I would not marry a prince, if he had red hair and a freckled face; but still one cannot help thinking of one’s landlord, when one is going to attend the celebration of his birthday.”

They had now reached the top of the hill and come upon a full view of the house and grounds.

The house, as I said, was a very elegant edifice of white free-stone; it was two stories in height, and had airy piazzas running the whole length of the front, both above and below; a stately portico occupied the center of the lower piazza, having on each side of it the tall windows of the drawing-rooms.  This portico and all these windows were now wide open, mutely proclaiming welcome to all comers.  The beautifully laid out grounds were studded here and there with tents pitched under the shade trees, for the accommodation of the out-door guest, who were now assembling rapidly.

But the more honored guests of the house had not yet begun to arrive.

And none of the family were as yet visible.

On reaching the premises the sisters were really embarrassed, not knowing where to go, and finding no one to direct them.

At length a strange figure appeared upon the scene—­a dwarfish mulatto, with a large head, bushy hair, and having the broad forehead and high nose of the European, with the thick lips and heavy jaws of the African; with an ashen gray complexion, and a penetrating, keen and sly expression of the eyes.  With this strange combination of features he had also the European intellect with the African utterance.  He was a very gifted original, whose singularities of genius and character will reveal themselves in the course of this history, and he was also one of those favored old family domestics whose power in the house was second only to that of the master, and whose will was law to all his fellow servants; he had just completed his fiftieth year, and his name was Jovial.

And he now approached the sisters, saying: 

“Mornin’, Miss Hannah—­mornin’, Miss Nora.  Come to see de show?  De young heir hab a fool for his master for de fust time to-day.”

“We have come to the birthday celebration; but we do not know where we ought to go—­whether to the house or the tents,” said Hannah.

The man tucked his tongue into his cheek and squinted at the sisters, muttering to himself: 

“I should like to see de mist’ess’ face, ef you two was to present yourselves at de house!”

Then, speaking aloud, he said: 

“De house be for de quality, an’ de tents for de colored gemmen and ladies; an’ de barn for de laborin’ classes ob de whites.  Shall I hab de honor to denounce you to de barn?”

“I thank you, yes, since it is there we are expected to go,” said Hannah.