e of which she could see
around the end of the house, were all on a scale so much larger and
more imposing than those of her own little estate that, although
nothing had changed for the better since the days when she was
familiar with Midbranch, she was struck with the general superiority
of the Brandon possessions to her own. Her eyes twinkled, and she
smiled; but there did not appear to be anything envious about her.

She presented a rather remarkable figure as she stood in this
conspicuous position. Annie had insisted, when she was helping her
aunt to array herself for the journey, that she should wear a bonnet
which for many years had been her head-gear on Sundays and important
occasions, but to this the old lady positively objected. She was not
going on a mere visit of state or ceremony; her visit at Midbranch
would require her whole attention, and she did not wish to distract
her mind by wondering whether her bonnet was straight on her head or
not, and she was so unaccustomed to the feel of it that she would
never know if it got turned hind part foremost. She could never be at
her ease, nor say freely what she wished to say, if she were dressed
in clothes to which she was not accustomed. She was perfectly
accustomed to her sun-bonnet, and she intended to wear that. Of course
she carried her purple umbrella, and she wore a plain calico dress,
blue spotted with white, which was very narrow and short in the
skirt, barely touching the tops of her shoes, the stoutest and most
serviceable that could be procured in the store at Howlett's. She
covered her shoulders with a small red shawl which, much to Annie's
surprise, she fastened with a large and somewhat tarnished silver
brooch, an ornament her niece had never before seen. Attired thus, she
certainly would have attracted attention, had there been any one
there to see, but the yard was empty, and the house door closed. She
descended the steps, crossed the yard with what might be termed a
buoyant gait, and, mounting the porch, knocked on the door with the
handle of her umbrella. After some delay a colored woman appeared, and
as soon as the door was opened, Mrs Keswick walked in.

"Where is your master?" said she, forgetting all about the
Emancipation Act.

"Mahs' Robert is in the libery," said the woman.

"And where are Miss Roberta March and Master Junius Keswick?"

"Miss Rob went Norf day 'fore yestiddy," was the answer, "an' Mahs'
Junius done gone 'long to 'sco