g them was a highly-dressed young
mulatto man, evidently a very _distingue_ personage, attired in the
ultra extreme of the mode, and gracefully waving a scented cambric
handkerchief in his hand.

This personage had been exerting himself, with great alacrity, in
driving all the flock of domestics to the other end of the verandah.

"Back! all of you. I am ashamed of you," he said, in a tone of
authority. "Would you intrude on Master's domestic relations, in the
first hour of his return?"

All looked abashed at this elegant speech, delivered with quite an air,
and stood huddled together at a respectful distance, except two stout
porters, who came up and began conveying away the baggage.

Owing to Mr. Adolph's systematic arrangements, when St. Clare turned
round from paying the hackman, there was nobody in view but Mr. Adolph
himself, conspicuous in satin vest, gold guard-chain, and white pants,
and bowing with inexpressible grace and suavity.

"Ah, Adolph, is it you?" said his master, offering his hand to him;
"how are you, boy?" while Adolph poured forth, with great fluency, an
extemporary speech, which he had been preparing, with great care, for a
fortnight before.

"Well, well," said St. Clare, passing on, with his usual air of
negligent drollery, "that's very well got up, Adolph. See that the
baggage is well bestowed. I'll come to the people in a minute;" and,
so saying, he led Miss Ophelia to a large parlor that opened on the
verandah.

While this had been passing, Eva had flown like a bird, through the
porch and parlor, to a little boudoir opening likewise on the verandah.

A tall, dark-eyed, sallow woman, half rose from a couch on which she was
reclining.

"Mamma!" said Eva, in a sort of a rapture, throwing herself on her neck,
and embracing her over and over again.

"That'll do,--take care, child,--don't, you make my head ache," said the
mother, after she had languidly kissed her.

St. Clare came in, embraced his wife in true, orthodox, husbandly
fashion, and then presented to her his cousin. Marie lifted her large
eyes on her cousin with an air of some curiosity, and received her with
languid politeness. A crowd of servants now pressed to the entry
door, and among them a middle-aged mulatto woman, of very respectable
appearance, stood foremost, in a tremor of expectation and joy, at the
door.

"O, there's Mammy!" said Eva, as she flew across the room; and, throwing
herself into her arms, she kissed