"'Dolphus, sir—'Dolphus Courthope."
"Courthope?"
"Yes, sir—from New Orleans. Mr. Courthope was very rich and had a great many slaves." He spoke correctly, with a Northern accent.
"You never saw slavery," said Durgan in scorn. "You have no right to that name."
"No, sir; my father and mother gave me that name. They belonged to Mr. Courthope."
"You were here before."
"Yes, sir; I came last month, but I went back to Hilyard. I came looking for"—there was just a perceptible pause—"the Miss Smiths; but I thought I'd come to the wrong place."
Durgan felt at a loss. On Adam's account he could have ordered the man off, but he had no right to inquire into his errand to the Smiths.
"I'm a respectable boy, sir. I'm not going to do any harm. I've got business." The darkie made this answer to Durgan's look of suspicion, and spoke with apparent knowledge of the world and confidence in the importance of his errand.
"See that you don't get into mischief!" With this curt dismissal Durgan stepped back into his own place.