her repeatedly.

This woman did not tell her that she made her head ache, but, on the
contrary, she hugged her, and laughed, and cried, till her sanity was a
thing to be doubted of; and when released from her, Eva flew from one
to another, shaking hands and kissing, in a way that Miss Ophelia
afterwards declared fairly turned her stomach.

"Well!" said Miss Ophelia, "you southern children can do something that
_I_ couldn't."

"What, now, pray?" said St. Clare.

"Well, I want to be kind to everybody, and I wouldn't have anything
hurt; but as to kissing--"

"Niggers," said St. Clare, "that you're not up to,--hey?"

"Yes, that's it. How can she?"

St. Clare laughed, as he went into the passage. "Halloa, here, what's
to pay out here? Here, you all--Mammy, Jimmy, Polly, Sukey--glad to see
Mas'r?" he said, as he went shaking hands from one to another. "Look out
for the babies!" he added, as he stumbled over a sooty little urchin,
who was crawling upon all fours. "If I step upon anybody, let 'em
mention it."

There was an abundance of laughing and blessing Mas'r, as St. Clare
distributed small pieces of change among them.

"Come, now, take yourselves off, like good boys and girls," he said; and
the whole assemblage, dark and light, disappeared through a door into a
large verandah, followed by Eva, who carried a large satchel, which she
had been filling with apples, nuts, candy, ribbons, laces, and toys of
every description, during her whole homeward journey.

As St. Clare turned to go back his eye fell upon Tom, who was standing
uneasily, shifting from one foot to the other, while Adolph stood
negligently leaning against the banisters, examining Tom through an
opera-glass, with an air that would have done credit to any dandy
living.

"Puh! you puppy," said his master, striking down the opera glass; "is
that the way you treat your company? Seems to me, Dolph," he added,
laying his finger on the elegant figured satin vest that Adolph was
sporting, "seems to me that's _my_ vest."

"O! Master, this vest all stained with wine; of course, a gentleman in
Master's standing never wears a vest like this. I understood I was to
take it. It does for a poor nigger-fellow, like me."

And Adolph tossed his head, and passed his fingers through his scented
hair, with a grace.

"So, that's it, is it?" said St. Clare, carelessly. "Well, here, I'm
going to show this Tom to his mistress, and then you take him to the
kitchen; and