There was much to attract the attention of the strangers in the new scenes about them, but Daph kept her head straight forward, and devoted all her attention to numbering the corners she passed, that she might know when to begin to look out for the house so carefully described by good Captain Jones. Louise soon grew weary of keeping pace with Daph’s long strides, and the faithful negro lifted the little girl in her arms, and went patiently on with her double burden. A weary, weary walk it seemed, even to the strong-limbed negro, before they passed the last corner, according to her reckoning, and stood in front of the very red house with blue shutters which she had been so anxious to see. Much as she had longed to reach it, its appearance did not fill Daph’s heart with joy. A sort of dread of the new people whom she was to meet stole over her, but she resolved to put a bold face on the matter, and in this mood she gave a heavy knock at the blue door. Her imperative summons was promptly answered. The door was opened by a little girl, of about ten years of age, who was covered, from her slender neck to her bare feet, with a long checked pinafore, above which appeared a closely-cropped, brown head, and a small, demure-looking face. The child stood perfectly still, gazing in quiet wonder at the strangers, and waiting to hear their business. Daph had to set the children down on the steps, and fumble in her bosom for the captain’s precious note. She drew it at last from its hiding-place, and handed it triumphantly to the young porteress, saying, “Dis is what’ll tell you who we are, and what we wants.” The little girl looked at the note with a puzzled expression, and then calmly walked away, down the narrow hall, without saying a word. Daph sat down on the door-step, and took the children on her lap, with a kind of faith that all would go well, which made her feel quite easy. She was making the children laugh at a playful pig, that was running up and down the street, when angry tones from within met her ear, and she caught the following words: “Take a negro for a lodger! I shall do no such thing! Who does Captain Jones think I am!” “Mother,” said a calm young voice, “you know we shall be behind with the rent, and then, the children are white; one of them is the whitest child I ever saw.” “The rent, yes, that is a bad business. Well, I suppose I must come to it! What one does have to put up with in this world! Show the woman in!” Daph, who had heard the whole conversation quite plainly, rose at the last words, and was ready to accept the invitation to walk into the back room, which she immediately received. Daph made a polite courtesy to the sour-looking little woman, who seemed hardly strong enough to have spoken in the loud, harsh tones which had just been heard. “So Captain Jones sent you here!” said the woman, somewhat tartly, as she eyed the odd-looking party.