introducing Louis, who just then
entered the door.

Louis bowed very low, and expressed his pleasure in seeing them; and
hoped they would have a happy time, and that nothing should be wanting
on his part, to make it so. Very pleasantly passed the time away;
Georgiette was in high and charming spirits; and many a pleasant ride
and delightful saunter she took with her cousin through the woods, or in
visiting other plantations. She was very popular among the planters'
sons; admired by the young men, but feared and envied by the girls.

And thus the hours passed in a whirl of pleasurable excitement, until
Louis actually imagined himself in love with her, and found himself one
pleasant afternoon offering her his hand and heart.

She blushed and sighed, and referred him to her papa; and in a few weeks
they were engaged.

At length the time of their departure came; and Louis, after
accompanying them to New Orleans, returned to make ready for the
wedding. His father made him a present of a large plantation, which he
stocked from his own purse, with three hundred slaves; and installed
Ellen there as housekeeper till the arrival of the new mistress.

Chapter VI

"Thee is welcome to S.," said the cheerful voice of Thomas Carpenter, as
Josiah Collins alighted, bringing with him his charge; "and is this the
little child thee wrote me about? I am heartily glad thee has rescued
her from that dreadful system!"

"Anna," said he, turning to his wife, who had just entered the room,
"here is our friend, Josiah Collins, and the little girl I told thee
about."

"I am glad thee has come," said Anna, "sit down and make thyself at
home. And this is the little girl thee wrote Thomas about. She is a
beautiful child," continued Anna, gazing admiringly at the child. "I
hope she will be contented. Does she fret about her mother?"

"Not much; she would sometimes ask, 'where is mamma?' But the ladies in
the cars were very kind to her, and she was quite at home with them. I
told them I was taking her North; that I thought the North would better
agree with her; and that it was not convenient for her mother to come on
just now. I was really amused with the attention she received from the
Southern ladies; knowing how they would have shrunk from such offices if
they had known that one drop of the outcast blood ran in her veins."

"Why, Josiah," said Anna, "I have always heard that there was more
prejudice against the colored people in t