When, after some detention, Esha returned to the garden, and could not see Clara, she ran up-stairs and sought her in all the rooms. Then returning to the garden she looked in the summer-house, in the grape-arbor, everywhere without avail. Suddenly she caught sight of a small black girl, a sort of under-drudge in the kitchen, who was standing with mouth distended, showing her white teeth, and grinning at Esha’s discomfiture. It was the work of a moment for Esha to seize the hussy, drag her into the wash-house, and by the aid of certain squeezings, liberally applied to her cervical vertebræ, to compel her to extrude the fact that Missie Clara had been forcibly carried off by two men, and placed in a carriage, which had been driven fast away. When Esha communicated this startling information to Madame Volney, the wrath of the latter was terrible to behold. It was well for Lawyer Semmes that his good stars kept him that moment from encountering the quadroon lady, else a sudden stop might have been put to his professional usefulness. After she had recovered from her first shock of anger, she asked: “Why hasn’t Peek been here these five days?” “’Cause he ’cluded’t wan’t safe,” replied Esha. “He seed ole Semmes war up ter su’thin, an’ so he keep dark.” “Well, Esha, we must see Peek. You know where he lives?” “Yes, Missis, but we mus’ be car’ful ’bout lettin’ anybody foller us.” “We can look out for that. Come! Let us start at once.” The two women sallied forth into the street, and proceeded some distance, Esha looking frequently behind with a caution that proved to be not ill-timed. Suddenly she darted across the street, and going up to a negro-boy who stood looking with an air of profound interest at some snuff-boxes and pipes in the window of a tobacconist, seized him by the wool of his head and pulled him towards a carriage-stand, where she accosted a colored driver of her acquaintance, and said: “Look har, Jube, you jes put dis little debble ob a spy on de box wid yer, and gib him a twenty minutes’ dribe, an’ den take him to Massa Ratcliff’s, open de door, an’ pitch him in, an’ I’ll gib yer half a dollar ef yer’ll do it right off an’ ahx no questions; an’ ef he dars ter make a noise you jes put yer fingers har,—dy’e see,—and pinch his win’pipe tight. Doan let him git away on no account whatsomebber.” “Seein’ as how jobs air scarss, Esha, doan’ car ef I do; so hahnd him up.” Esha lifted the boy so that Jube could seize him by the slack of his breeches and pull him howling on to the driver’s seat. Then promising a faithful compliance with Esha’s orders, he received the half-dollar with a grin, and drove off. Rejoining Madame Volney, Esha conducted her through lanes and by-streets till they stopped before the house occupied by Peek. He was at home, and asked them in.