They had now reached the top of the hill and come upon a full view of
the house and grounds.
The house, as I said, was a very elegant edifice of white free-stone; it
was two stories in height, and had airy piazzas running the whole length
of the front, both above and below; a stately portico occupied the
center of the lower piazza, having on each side of it the tall windows
of the drawing-rooms. This portico and all these windows were now wide
open, mutely proclaiming welcome to all comers. The beautifully laid out
grounds were studded here and there with tents pitched under the shade
trees, for the accommodation of the out-door guest, who were now
assembling rapidly.
But the more honored guests of the house had not yet begun to arrive.
And none of the family were as yet visible.
On reaching the premises the sisters were really embarrassed, not
knowing where to go, and finding no one to direct them.
At length a strange figure appeared upon the scene--a dwarfish mulatto,
with a large head, bushy hair, and having the broad forehead and high
nose of the European, with the thick lips and heavy jaws of the African;
with an ashen gray complexion, and a penetrating, keen and sly
expression of the eyes. With this strange combination of features he had
also the European intellect with the African utterance. He was a very
gifted original, whose singularities of genius and character will reveal
themselves in the course of this history, and he was also one of those
favored old family domestics whose power in the house was second only to
that of the master, and whose will was law to all his fellow servants;
he had just completed his fiftieth year, and his name was Jovial.
And he now approached the sisters, saying: "Mornin', Miss Hannah--mornin', Miss Nora. Come to see de show? De young
heir hab a fool for his master for de fust time to-day."
"We have come to the birthday celebration; but we do not know where we
ought to go--whether to the house or the tents," said Hannah.
The man tucked his tongue into his cheek and squinted at the sisters,
muttering to himself: "I should like to see de mist'ess' face, ef you two was to present
yourselves at de house!"
Then, speaking aloud, he said: "De house be for de quality, an' de tents for de colored gemmen and
ladies; an' de barn for de laborin' classes ob de whites. Shall I hab de
honor to denounce you to de barn?"