'Miss West presents her compliments to Mr. Christopher Carey, and will be happy to see him at nine o'clock to-night.' I was greatly delighted, and I congratulated myself upon my powers of endurance, thinking, naturally enough, that I had Jessie to thank for the invitation. In obedience to the summons, and feeling really very curious about the Wests--and most anxious also, I must confess, to be where Jessie was--I presented myself at the house at the hour named to the minute. There was no need to knock at the street-door, for it was open. I tapped on the wall of the dark passage, and waited for an answer. There was a great deal of laughter below, and my soft tapping was not heard, so I advanced two or three steps, and knocked more loudly. 'Who's there?' a voice cried, and the laughter ceased. 'It's me,' I answered; and I was about to announce myself more explicitly, when my words were taken up mockingly. 'Oh, it's Me, is it? Well, come downstairs, Mr. Me. Flora child, open the door. Take care! Mind your head!' The warning came too late. I knocked my head smartly against a beam in the ceiling, and stumbling down the stairs, entered the kitchen--the door of which was opened, by Flora I presume, just in time to receive me--in a very undignified manner. Screams of laughter greeted me as I picked myself up, very hot and red at my loss of dignity. 'Be quiet, children!' cried the voice which I had first heard. 'I hope you haven't hurt yourself, Mr. Me! Come along and shake hands. Very glad to see you. "And Jack fell down and broke his crown."'--This quotation because I was rubbing my head, which I had bumped severely. 'I am not hurt much, thank you,' I said, as I walked towards the speaker, who was either a girl or a woman, or both in one, for I could not guess her age within ten years. She was sitting on a bench before a table; and as I gave her my hand, she placed her fingers to her lips, and glanced expressively towards a curtain, made of two patchwork quilts, which partitioned off a part of the kitchen. There was something going on behind this curtain, for there was a shuffling of feet there, and I heard low voices. 'Don't speak loud,' said my hostess, as I guessed her to be. 'I'm Miss West. Jessie's behind there; you'll see her presently. Don't let her know you're here.' 'Why, doesn't she know?' I exclaimed, in a maze of bewilderment. 'Bless your heart, no! _I_ sent you the note without her knowing anything of it. I thought you'd be glad.' As Miss West made this remark she gave me a sharp look. 'I _am_ glad,' I said. 'I knew you would be. Rubbing your head again! Well, you _have_ raised a bump! Shall I brown-paper-and-vinegar you?' 'No, thank you,' I said, laughing; and then I looked round in wonder upon the strange scene. CHAPTER XXII. I AM INTRODUCED TO A THEATRICAL FAMILY.