but he very kindly changed the conversation by asking who Mr. Miller was,
and was told that he was a young man from Albany, New York, who taught in
their neighborhood the winter before.

The appearance of some nice red apples just then turned the attention of
the little company in another channel and before they were aware of it the
clock struck ten. Mr. Middleton had not returned and as it was doubtful
whether he came at all that night, Julia went into the kitchen for Luce,
to show Mr. Wilmot to his room. She was gone some time, and when she
returned was accompanied by a bright-looking mulatto girl, who, as soon as
she had conducted Mr. Wilmot into his room, commenced making excuses about
"marster’s old house! Things was drefful all round it, but ’twasn’t Miss
Julia’s fault, for if she could have her way ’twould be fixed up, sartin.
She was a born’d lady, anybody could see; so different from Miss Fanny,
who cared nothing how things looked if she could go into the kitchen and
turn hoe cakes for Aunt Judy, or tend the baby!"

By this time Luce had arranged the room all it wanted arranging, and as
Mr. Wilmot had no further need of her services, she left him to think of
what she had said. He did not know that the bright red ribbon, which
appeared on Luce’s neck next morning, was the gift of Julia, who had
bribed her to say what she did to him. Julia knew that she had made a
favorable impression on Mr. Wilmot by making him think meanly of Fanny.

What Luce said had its effect upon him, too. He was accustomed to the
refinements of the North and he could not help respecting a young lady
more who showed a taste for neatness. That night he dreamed that a bright
pair of dark eves were looking at him from each pane of shingle in the
window, and that a golden-haired fairy was dancing the Polka in Aunt
Judy’s hoe cake batter.